Lessons in the Lutheran Confessions
Scripture Text: Acts 2:42
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Acts 2:42
From the Confessions: The Defense of the Augsburg Confession
Concerning the Mass
There is no need of further proof, since readers of the Greek writers will find examples everywhere of the use of leitourgia for public, civil duties and assistance. Because there is a diphthong, grammarians do not derive it from lite, which means prayers, but from leita, meaning public goods. Leitourgeo means, “I attend to” or “administer public goods.”
Pulling It Together
So, we have come to see that the liturgy of the Church is not a sacrifice at all. It is the whole service of worship that is done for the good of all present. From the outset, the liturgy is confession and assurance of forgiveness (1 John 1:9). It is also hymn singing (Eph 5:19, Col 3:16), gracious greeting (2 Cor 13:14), prayers—sung, spoken, and silent—(Acts 16:25, 1 Cor 14:15, Rev 15:3), the reading of Scripture and preaching (2 Tim 3:16, 4:13), belief statements (1 Cor 15:13-14, Rom 10:9-10), offerings (Rom 12:1, 2 Cor 9:7, Heb 13:6), and the Great Thanksgiving, including Holy Communion (Acts 2:42, 20:7, 1 Cor 1:16, 11:23-24). The liturgy of the Church is worship for the common good or blessing from God.
Prayer: Bless us, O Lord, as we gather to worship you. Amen.
Sola’s Confirmation workbook, The Lord's Prayer, is designed to be a small group Bible study, student book for home school or independent study programs, or as a classroom tool and homework resource as part of an existing confirmation program.
Author
Rev. Mark E. Ryman serves as Pastor for St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Salisbury, NC. Previously, Pastor Ryman has served other congregations in North Carolina and Ohio, as well as a call to specialized ministry with Sola Publishing.
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