As part of our ongoing discussion of this landmark document on the 32 points of agreement between Catholic and Lutheran theologies, Saint Paul is offering recordings of Adult Forum sessions. These sessions offer insight and explanation on the document, while also posing questions about theological similarities and differences.
Part IV of this series again focuses specifically on Ministry. Click the link above for the audio recording.
As part of our ongoing discussion of this landmark document on the 32 points of agreement between Catholic and Lutheran theologies, Saint Paul is offering recordings of Adult Forum sessions. These sessions offer insight and explanation on the document, while also posing questions about theological similarities and differences.
Part III of this series focuses specifically on Ministry. Below is subject text for reference, as well as the audio recording:
Audio Player
Book of Concord
As part of our ongoing discussion of this landmark document on the 32 points of agreement between Catholic and Lutheran theologies, Saint Paul is offering recordings of Adult Forum sessions. These sessions offer insight and explanation on the document, while also posing questions about theological similarities and differences.
Part III of this series includes an overarching introduction to the document, as well as a discussion of faith confessions and worship traditions. Below are documents for reference, as well as the audio recording:
Documents for Reference:
The Augsburg Confession: Baptism
February 17 Worship Folder Reference
As part of our ongoing discussion of this landmark document on the 32 points of agreement between Catholic and Lutheran theologies, Saint Paul is offering recordings of Adult Forum sessions. These sessions offer insight and explanation on the document, while also posing questions about theological similarities and differences.
Part II of this series focuses specifically on Catholic Rites. Below is subject text for reference, as well as the audio recording:
References on Catholic Rites
+ Wikipedia: List of Rites
+ Luther’s “Presence” at Vatican II
As part of our ongoing discussion of this landmark document on the 32 points of agreement between Catholic and Lutheran theologies, Saint Paul is offering recordings of Adult Forum sessions. These sessions offer insight and explanation on the document, while also posing questions about theological similarities and differences.
Part I of this series focuses specifically on the Eucharist, which is the focus of pages 20-21 in “Declaration on the Way.” Below is subject text for reference, as well as the audio recording:
Agreements on the Eucharist
High Esteem for Eucharistic Union with Christ in Holy Communion
(27) Lutherans and Catholics agree in esteeming highly the spiritual benefits of union with the risen Christ given to them as they receive his body and blood in Holy Communion.
Trinitarian Dimension of Eucharist
(28) Catholics and Lutherans agree that in Eucharistic worship the church participates in a unique way in the life of the Trinity: In the power of the Holy Spirit, called down upon the gifts and the worshiping community, believers have access to the glorified flesh and blood of Christ the Son as our food, and are brought in union with him and with each other to the Father.
Eucharist as Reconciling Sacrifice of Christ and as Sacrifice of the Church’s Praise and Thanksgiving
(29) Catholics and Lutherans agree that Eucharistic worship is the memorial (anamnesis) of Jesus Christ, present as the one crucified for us and risen, that is, in his sacrificial self-giving for us in his death and in his resurrection (Romans 4:25), to which the church responds with its sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving.
Eucharistic Presence
(30) Lutherans and Catholics agree that in the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, Jesus Christ himself is present: He is present truly, substantially, as a person, and he is present in his entirety, as Son of God and a human being.
Eschatological Dimension of Eucharist
(31) Catholics and Lutherans agree that Eucharistic Communion, as sacramental participation in the glorified body and blood of Christ, is a pledge that our life in Christ will be eternal, our bodies will rise, and the present world is destined for transformation, in the hope of uniting us in communion with the saints of all ages now with Christ in heaven.
Eucharist and Church
(32) Lutherans and Catholics agree that sharing in the celebration of the Eucharist is an essential sign of the unity of the church, and that the reality of the church as a community is realized and furthered sacramentally in the Eucharistic celebration. The Eucharist both mirrors and builds the church in its unity.
What is this “New Tradition” anyway?
As those familiar with Saint Paul know, our vision as a community is to be inclusive of all and lead with love in ]our relationships. But at the core of our day-to-day lives, we also think deeply about our faith: What does it mean to be a Christian in everyday contexts? We know that life is complicated—so, too, is the Christian response to life. This podcast, led by Jeffrey Steen and Pastors Kevin Maly and Don Sutton, is designed to discuss some of life’s more curious and challenging moments. We’re not promising answers—we’re just talking about it what means to be a Christian in today’s world.
To that end, you’ll find most episodes deal with world events, and also discuss topics of concern to us and the world at large. We’ll tackle everything from the old-timey-ness of the Roman Catholic Church (along with all of the problems and benefits that tradition creates), to very human things like depression, commercialism, and how to get along with your family during the holidays.
Podcast episodes will be posted every two weeks, and will feature different guests as schedules allow. You, the listener, will also have the chance to send in comments and questions via Twitter and e-mail. Those accounts will be set up soon, and posted on this page. And if you heard about a story or news event on the show you’d like to learn more about, we’ll post links here so you can read up and read on.
Mostly, though, we just ask that you sit back, relax, and soak in the conversation, laughter, and good times enjoyed during the show. It’s just a little something we’re calling our “New Tradition.”
This is awesome
By the time you read this, we will be well into the season of Lent. In this season we are called upon to take up various faith disciplines – “repentance, fasting, prayer, and works of love.” Fasting is usually thought of as “giving up” something for the season – chocolate, beer, meat, wine, etc. I would like to suggest another form of fasting.
The Eighth Commandment tells us that we “are not to bear false witness against [the] neighbor.” In the Small Catechism we hear that this means “We are to fear and love God, so that we do not tell lies about our neighbors, betray or slander them, or destroy their reputations. Instead we are to come to their defense, speak well of them, and interpret everything they do in the best possible light.”
This may be one of the most difficult of the commandments to keep, especially the part about “speaking well” of one another, and “interpret[ing] everything [our neighbors] do in the best possible light.” Truly keeping this commandment throws a wet blanket on much of what passes for conversation; indeed it brings all of our gossiping to a screeching halt.
Instead of giving up chocolate, beer, wine, meat, etc., we might consider fasting from gossip, fasting from passing judgment upon others, fasting from fault-finding.
In the Large Catechism we also hear that even if we know a neighbor is doing something wrong – or leaving something undone – even if we are telling the truth about a neighbor’s shameful behavior, we are still to keep our mouths shut. “[W]e should note,” says the Large Catechism, “that none has the right to judge and reprove a neighbor publicly, even after having seen a sin committed, unless we are authorized to judge and reprove . . . I may certainly see and hear that my neighbor sins, but I have no command to tell others about it. If I were to interfere and pass judgment on [the neighbor], I would fall into a sin greater than that of my neighbor. When you become aware of a sin, however, do nothing but turn your ears into a tomb and bury it until you are appointed a judge and are authorized to administer punishment by virtue of your office.”
Very few of us are appointed as judges or otherwise authorized to pass judgment on one another. On the other hand, we are all authorized “to come to [the neighbors] defense, speak well of them, and interpret everything they do in the best possible light.”
What does all this have to do with Lent and fasting? Instead of giving up chocolate, beer, wine, meat, etc., we might consider fasting from gossip, fasting from passing judgment upon others, fasting from fault-finding. And all the while fasting from judgment, we might consider instead always speaking well of one another – and if we cannot speak well of someone, we instead keep our mouths shut.
Keeping the Eighth Commandment is, as noted above, not easy. We cannot go it alone. God, however, promises to come to our help; all we need do is call upon God to strengthen us through the Word and the Holy Sacraments. We are not left to our own. We are, rather, given a prayer in Psalm 141 of our various traditions, a prayer often sung at Vespers, the Church’s Evening Liturgy: “Set a watch before my mouth, O Lord, and guard the door of my lips. Let not my heart incline to any evil thing; let me not be occupied in wickedness with evil doers.”
Be confident that God promises to answer such a prayer. We will be given strength not only to fast from gossip and fault-finding, but we will also be given strength to speak well of one another – even to pray for one another. I pledge you my prayers in this regard and ask that you pray for me as well, that together we become a people who take up the Lenten discipline of fasting from judgmental speech not only for the season of Lent but throughout all the days of our lives. What a world of difference this discipline would make!
