There's a debate in American Christianity over the way a church service should be conducted. Pless observes that some indicate the difference is "merely style" and some indicate the difference affects the "substance." So is the practice in a worship service primarily stylistic or is it truly substantial? Historically, the Lutheran church has been defined in a liturgical manner. Article 7 of the Augsburg Confession (Tappert) says that "it is sufficient for the true unity of the Christian church that the Gospel be preached in confirmity with a pure understanding of it and that the sacraments be administered in accordance with the divine Word" (p. 88 in Reader). So is the Church identified by the presence of word and sacrament? No. It is identified by the use of them according to the Scripture. This requires some sort of liturgy. It won't simply happen by accident. And it is not something that must be re-fashioned frequently to "keep it fresh." Unlike the radical Reformation, we do not consider the divine worship to be something done by man. It is something done by God, where God comes and gives gifts to man.
The "worship war" within American Lutheranism has been closely related to confusion about forgiveness. Within Evangelicalism, it is relatively rare for people to be confronted with their sin, be given a chance to confess, and to have the forgiveness of their sins proclaimed. At best, Pless observes, "troubled sinners are pointed back to Calvary. The problem is, as Luther has reminded us, that forgiveness was achieved at Calvary but not delivered there" (p. 89). So where is this forgiveness delivered? It is delivered through Word and Sacrament, administered among the assembled people of God. As we look at some of the modern Lutherans, though, we see them warning against having confession and absolution in a service, avoiding hymnody that proclaims God's greatness and his forgiveness, eroding the idea of closed communion which may alienate some people.
If we follow those recommendations, which seem to come from broad evangelical church growth tactics, we will remove the special characteristics that make the body of Christ distinctive. Are we not the people gathered because of sin and forgiveness? Do we not confess that there is a very real spiritual world and that it is populated by supernatural beings who proclaim God's glory and work as his servants in this world? Are we not people who confess that the Lord is present in sacraments? Do we no longer believe that the person who eats and drinks unworthily eats and drinks condemnation upon himself? These are the hallmarks of the Christian faith. If we remove them, we apparently don't appreciate how different God is from us or how he works to save and forgive us.
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Dave Spotts
blogging at http://capnsaltyslongvoyage.blogspot.com and http://alex-kirk.blogspot.com
Dave Spotts
blogging at http://capnsaltyslongvoyage.blogspot.com and http://alex-kirk.blogspot.com
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