For this is enough for the true unity of the Christian church that there the gospel is preached harmoniously according to a pure understanding and the sacraments are administered in conformity with the divine Word. It is not necessary for the true unity of the Christian church that uniform ceremonies, instituted by human beings, be observed everywhere. As Paul says in Ephesians 4: "There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism."
(The Augsburg Confession—Article VII)

One of the sparkling treasures of Lutheran Christian teaching is the distinction between those truths that are central to the faith and those variable ceremonies that support the core proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ. This proper distinction became apparent to Tracie and me when we worshipped at local Lutheran congregations during our recent weeks of vacation.

On Sunday, August 30, we took the metro from our hotel in Montreal to worship at St. John Lutheran Church, a congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada. I suppose there were 40 worshippers there of many ages and nationalities. The worship book was Evangelical Lutheran Worship (ELW). An accomplished organist from nearby McGill University led the vigorous hymn singing. The sermon was solid, inspiring, and based on the Gospel text for that day.

On Saturday, September 5, we attended the 5:30 p.m. service at Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd in Rutland, Vermont. I would guess there were 20 worshippers. The liturgy was printed in a booklet and was based on our ELW resources. The hymns were projected onto a back wall of the sanctuary and supported by pre-recorded accompaniments. The sermon was solid, personable, and based on the Gospel text for that weekend.

Being a parish pastor and bishop, we could have entered these congregations as critics. But in the spirit of our confessional teachings, we were surprisingly nurtured and delighted that we were able to recognize the true marks of the church in spite of the lack of uniformity in ceremonies. Of course, we are truly grateful for the solid worship experience in our own congregation week in and week out. But it is also inspiring to have ties that bind us to our brothers and sisters and to our Lord in other settings where the gospel is preached and the sacraments are administered in conformity with the divine Word.

Contributed by Pastor Dan
Monday September 14 2015
Liturgical Year B: Week 42
Liturgical Color: Green
Sunday Gospel reading: Proper19
Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost