The Genius of Lutheran Corporate Worship

In her services of corporate worship the Christian Church presents the eternal verities of God\u27s holy and infallible Word, exhorts to high regard for Christian doctrine and to the application of Biblical teaching, receives the benefits of the blessed Sacraments, and enjoys a fellowship which has its roots in the very Gospel of Christ Jesus. Bearing in mind the character of these momentous objectives of ecclesiastical worship and taking into consideration, too, the words of warning expressed in Holy Writ itself (Eccl. 5: 1), the devout and intelligent Christian attaches to his corporate worship activities thoughts of sancity and consecration, which are created, indeed, through the work of the Holy Spirit. The very objectives of Christian corporate worship help impel the Christian to regard the Church as the holy Christian Church. In her services of worship man appears before the very throne of the one God, who is truly holy and who demanded of his children already in Old Testament times: Ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy (Lev.11:44)

Leiturgia-An Opus Magnum in the Making

The liturgical revival which is wending its way through the churches of Christendom today has made its influence felt also within the Lutheran Church. This movement is not chiefly a seeking after forms and ceremonies, nor is it merely a reaction against irreverent and amorphous worship practices. While excesses are to be noted within the movement, it is hardly just and fair to regard these as inevitable and essential earmarks of this liturgical revival, since revivals and movements in areas other than the liturgical likewise suffer because of the intemperate endeavors of a zealotistic minority

Brief Studies

The Chorale - Through Four Hundred Years

Book Review. - Literatur

Book Review. - Literatu

Lutheran Theology as Reflected in the Life and Works of J. S. Bach

It is interesting indeed to note that much of the Bach literature published in recent years has made special mention of the profound Lutheran character of Bach\u27s life and work

Liturgical Developments in Europe

Despite the many serious impediments imposed by destructive warfare and total defeat, the Germans have published perhaps more liturgical literature during the past few postwar years than the people of any other nation. This is significant already because it indicates clearly that they do not regard liturgics as an area which is rather nonessential in character. The ravages and dispossessions of war and defeat drive man to the stark realities and basic needs of life and existence. In days of scarcity and want, man craves not dessert and luxury; on the contrary, he is then perfectly satisfied and altogether happy with substantial food and the simple, ordinary comforts of life. The Germans are convinced that liturgical worship practices belong to the vital necessities of the Christian life. At any rate, amid all their wants and discomforts of life they are not tempted to resort to revivalistic and theatrical worship practices in order to seek and receive the strength and sustenance they need from above

Religious Music Among the Jews

Where were you ... when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy? With these words God challenged Job, who is referred to at times as the patron saint of musicians. God\u27s words to Job serve to remind the Old Testament reader that already earlier, in prehistoric times, worship and song had been used together to glorify and extol the Creator. Ancient peoples, including Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, and a veritable host of early generations of mankind, recognized that the primary function of music is to honor and worship the Deity. Africans, Asiatics, Mongolians, Europeans, primitive Americans, and people of all sorts knelt to pray and offer praises to God

Brief Studies

Toward A Missionary Church Liturgy in the Lutheran Church in German

Die Eschatologischen Grundgedanken der Thessalonicherbriefe

The basic eschatological ideas of the letters to the Thessalonian

Lutheran church music in the 17th century

A paper presented at the First Symposium on 17th century Lutheranism, Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, June 9, 1958