Today’s post is from Joel Cruz, PhD, who attends Holy Trinity in Chicago, IL.

Most of us have had those mountaintop experiences–those moments when you can feel the adrenalin pumping through your body, when the senses are heightened, when the clouds part and you can see more clearly than yesterday—when everything finally makes sense. For me, that describes perfectly the experience of the Easter Vigil. It’s not just a “special service.” It is the Queen of all Feasts, to quote an ancient writer.

As individuals and as a church family we have trekked through these barren Lenten lands, taking stock of life, reflecting on who we are and where we have been in relation to God and one another. Perhaps we have added an extra burden or discipline onto our daily lives. We’ve gathered around the Eucharistic table, our metaphorical campfire, to hear the stories of Jesus’s ministry among the outcast and oppressed. Soon we will travel the most somber nights of our journey, remembering to love and serve one another even as Christ gave his own life for the world.

But then…on that Saturday night, our Paschal flames will dot the darkness. We will come together to recount God’s awesome acts among us. Then light. The thunder of the organ. Music. The smell of fresh flowers. Color. The welling up within each of us of that word we have not dared speak these several weeks until we can resist no longer. Smiles flash back and forth to one another as if to say, “Well done! We’ve made it!” And the world around us seems to bathe in light; the coming spring joins us in announcing Christ’s Resurrection. In this celebration we can be confident that the victory of Jesus over inhumanity and death is and can indeed be a reality in this still-dark world through the Spirit that dances within us. And it all. Finally. Makes. Sense.

If you’ve never made it to an Easter Vigil I hope you’ll consider joining this celebration, one of the Church’s most ancient.  Having never grown up with the Vigil, the experience for me is truly a mountaintop experience.

Today’s post is from Renee Hermanson, Worship Committee member at St. Mark’s Lutheran in Aurora, CO.

The soaring arches in the large sanctuary of St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in Aurora, Colorado, reach high above the long rows of pews to focus on the chancel’s wide stone altar and brilliant stained glass window. Such elegance seems out of place in the surrounding neighborhood of modest tract homes and the nearby mini-mall, all showing their age. 

The population of this congregation, like many across the country, is also showing its age, as younger members move away or change churches, and older ones slow down and retire from active participation, then move to care centers or leave this life. The still active and able members give selflessly to help the congregation serve those whom Jesus loves and welcomes. Through providing spaces for AA meetings, offering once-a-week Food Bank distribution, serving a free Wednesday night supper and hosting special events for the neighborhood, St. Mark’s imposing building has become a symbol of service and welcome where people have found hope and belonging in a neighborhood that is home for several immigrant communities as well as people experiencing homelessness.

This outreach has brought a more diverse group of people into the congregation. For some, —perhaps most —of those who have become a part of the St. Mark’s family, the whole church culture is an entirely new experience. For others, who come from a different branch of Christianity, the message is familiar, but the form of worship is not. These people follow along as best they can, but they may wonder why we sing so many prayers and those hard-to-sing hymns.

To help these people —and others as well—the St. Mark’s worship committee decided to provide some Lessons in Lutheranism in two places — the Sunday bulletin and the monthly newsletter. Each week the Hymn Notes item in the bulletin provides both a “what” in a short history of one of the hymns and a “why” that shows its relationship to the day’s text and/or the Liturgical Calendar. The Worship Matters column that appears each month in The Messenger describes and explains the “what’s” and “whys” of the liturgical seasons, symbols, and practices of worship.

The response has been positive, as much from the established members as from newer ones. The articles are researched and written by a member of the committee, but could be done by another member or the pastor. Aside from having a general understanding of Lutheran doctrine and practice, the only requisite is a few hours a month to research and write the short items. A wealth of information can be found in books and articles on Christian/Lutheran symbols, festivals and traditions found in most church libraries, and on the Internet —on the ELCA Worship committee and hymn history sites.

As we enter into this observance of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, this kind of review and education might help any congregation enrich its worship experience.

Today’s post is from Scott Weidler, who served for 21 years as Program Director for Worship and Music of the ELCA, and who currently lives in Toronto.

I remember when I first realized that prayer is as much about listening to God as it is speaking to God. In other words, I remember the first time I experienced real silence.

The Three Days (Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and the Vigil of Easter) are the most important days and liturgies for any Christian, but for an over-eager graduate student in the first year of my master’s program in liturgical studies at the University of Notre Dame, I was over the top in anticipation of what all I would experience. But I never imagined what would be most transformative.

I was a part-time church musician at a wonderful, local Lutheran congregation, with its own rich traditions of worship and music, but I knew that what was going to happen in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart on campus was like nothing I had experienced before, so I adjusted my schedule to attend all the liturgies that I could.

It was Good Friday and we had a noon service at my church. The Good Friday liturgy at Sacred Heart was at 3 p.m. – a traditional time for Roman Catholics, I learned – the hour at which Jesus died. I also learned that the basilica would be packed, and I should arrive very early. Early? On Good Friday? This Lutheran found that hard to believe, but I did dash across town and campus, arriving an hour early. Plenty of time, I assured myself. I opened the doors and I heard nothing. I was convinced I was the first person to arrive. Obviously, I had over-estimated what arriving early meant. Much to my amazement, the basilica was already packed to overflowing. People were everywhere. In the overflowing pews. Sitting on the floor in the side aisles. Perched on the steps around the tabernacle and flowing clear back into the Lady Chapel.

What struck me most was the silence. The utter and complete lack of sound. The communal breath that one could only sense. The power of prayer, even if unfamiliar to me, permeating every being in that room.

Silence. Together. As the body of Christ. It taught me something about how we gather for worship. It taught me a lot about prayer. It was truly a transformative experience that shaped me forever.

Definition

Lent is the forty-day season (excluding Sundays) of penitence and preparation for the Three Days of Holy Week and Easter.

A Very Brief History

The term “Lent” originally comes from the Anglo-Saxon word “lencten” which means “spring.” This is the time, in the Northern Hemisphere, when the days are lengthening. The season began as period of fasting leading up to the Vigil of Easter. Catechumens, those preparing for baptism at Easter, would fast and spend days in intense preparation. For those that were already baptized, Lent was a period to be renewed in their faith by studying the Bible, the Creed and the Lord’s Prayer.

Although it was originally only a two-day period of preparation, Lent became a three-week preparatory period in the middle of the fourth century and then this was further expanded into six-weeks, or forty days. By the end of the fifth century, there was a desire to exclude Sundays from Lent since Sundays are always celebrated as feasts of the Resurrection. Thus Lent begins not on Sunday, but on Ash Wednesday.

The current practice of forty days of Lent recall Jesus’ forty-day fast in the wilderness after his Baptism (Matthew 4:2, Luke 4:1-2) as well as Moses’ forty-day fast on Mount Sinai (Exodus 34:28).

A Few Notes on Current Practice

• The appointed liturgical color for Lent is purple because purple has long been associated with royalty. In this case, Christ reigns from a cross.
• Currently, the ancient understanding of Lent as both a time for baptismal preparation and baptismal renewal is being rediscovered in Lutheran rites and practice. Many congregations hold mid-week services during Lent and a baptismal renewal theme is particularly appropriate for these.
• Many congregations refrain from speaking or singing the word “alleluia” during Lent. “Burying” the alleluia occurs at the conclusion of worship on Transfiguration Sunday and it is restored at either the Vigil of Easter or Easter Sunday. A Lenten acclamation replaces the alleluia verse in preparation for hearing the Gospel (See ELW pg. 103 for one example). For more on this practice, see the FAQ, “Why don’t we use alleluias during Lent?”

Today’s post is from Luke Tegtmeier, 2017 ALCM Planning Committee Member.

The Association of Lutheran Church Musicians is having its biennial national gathering in Minneapolis this summer, July 10-13. If you lead worship in any way – as an organist, director, guitarist, pastor, or singer – there will be something for you!

Not convinced? Here are ten reasons that you should come!

1. Connect with other musicians. Pastors have a variety of opportunities to share experiences and ideas, but musicians are often alone in a church. Attending an ALCM conference is a great way to spend time with colleagues who share the same challenges.
2. Experience something new. Whether it’s a new piece of music, a new rehearsal technique, or a new way to think about ministry, you’ll go home with something new.
3. Celebrate the 500th anniversary of the Reformation! There are lots of events happening in this Reformation year. For our conference, the planning committee chose the theme “Rise, Remember Well the Future.” Our hope is to find a balance between highlighting the treasures of the last 500 years and looking carefully at the future.
4. Visit St. Olaf College. Opening worship will be held at St. Olaf’s Boe Memorial Chapel, with organist Jamie Bobb and Rev. Christine Carlson preaching. ALCM got its start at St. Olaf 30 years ago, and we will recognize those charter members.
   
5. Visit St. John’s Abbey. We will also visit Collegeville, MN to explore our relationship with Roman Catholics 500 years after breaking away from them. We will close the day by singing Compline with the monks in their landmark Abbey Church.
6. Relax into worship. We’re all professional worship leaders. Take this opportunity to let someone else lead worship.
7. Attend a workshop to go more in-depth. Whether you want to learn more about the Orff Schulwerk technique for children’s choirs, conducting a choir from the organ console, bulletin design, writing hymns, or hear about church music in modern Germany, you can choose from over 20 workshops.
8. Hear the National Lutheran Choir. This nationally renowned ensemble, directed by ALCM member David Cherwien, will be leading a Hymn Festival for us one evening – sure to be a memorable evening of excellent singing!
9. Explore two great cities. Come early or stay late to explore the Twin Cities! Minneapolis and St. Paul offer a wide range of attractions, whether you want to visit parks, experience history, wander through a world-class art museum, or listen to live music.
10. Have a blast! With this many church musicians in one hotel, who knows what could happen around the piano in the hotel bar in the evenings?

Hope to see you in Minneapolis! Register here.

Today’s post is from The Rev. Brian Hooper, M.Div., Psy.D., a licensed pastoral psychotherapist serving in private practice and in parish ministry in Nashville, TN. His website is www.drbrianhooper.com

Myths are truth and wisdom

Most people think of myths as stories that are simply not true. Nothing could be further from the case. Myths are truth and wisdom packed inside stories so that they can get inside of us. We take in the stories and they in turn draw out into the world our deep resonance with the truth. We swallow the truth wrapped in the story and become that truth in the world.

Myths are not stories that are false, but stories that are so true that the truth cannot be confined to the details of the story. The truth is larger than the story itself.

A mythic perspective stirs the imagination to image in our own lives the power and often multivalent significance of the story or ritual.

For instance, the Eucharist is the body and blood of Christ for us sinners to eat and drink for the forgiveness of sins. (Luther’s Small Catechism). But if we confine it to simply “forgiveness for me,” then we miss the whole point.

Forgiveness affects relationships – with God, self, parish community, nation, world and all of nature. We become what we receive – bread for a world that hungers for the companionship (com = with; panis = bread) of God and cup for a world that thirsts for spiritual inebriation. Luther says as much as he writes in the Small Catechism, “For where there is forgiveness of sins, there is also life and salvation.” We are being renewed, salvaged, and called into the fullness of life today!

We participate in Jesus’ life because he has participated in our lives

We take into ourselves the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus who has first taken into himself all of creation. Our lives are given back to us in Christ through his body and blood conveyed under gifts of bread and wine. And we are strengthened by this transformed and transforming meal to let the false-self die so that we may be our authentic selves, created to live with integrity, reflecting the image of God. And we in turn take into ourselves whatever is hostile to the wholeness of our world, wrestling with it and crucifying it according to our station in life, so that the world can be raised more whole. What is said of Christ is also true of us, “Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.” We participate in his life because he has participated in our lives. God is both wrapped up in and made visible in creation, and that includes us.

When the church practices this expansive and mythic way of thinking we live the TRUTH of the Gospel/Kingdom of God most fully. Where we simply literalize or confine our understanding of truth to the mere details alone, we empty the scripture stories, sacraments, and rituals of their truth.