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Catechesis

The Divine Service: What is the Processional All About?

by Kathy Strauch

It’s all about Jesus. That’s what we heard at Higher Things conferences this summer and that is what we confess. The Scriptures are about Jesus. The apostle Paul writes, “For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” (1 Corinthians 2:2) From beginning to end it’s all about Jesus crucified and risen for you and me.

We heard this message proclaimed to us through daily worship, breakouts, plenaries, and in the bookends of the conference—the Divine Service. 

Have you ever had questions about the Divine Service or asked your pastor about it? Why do we follow the historic liturgy? What is all the sitting, standing, singing, confessing, and preaching about? What is going on during the Divine Service?

The Divine Service is a gift. Here God gives us life and salvation by delivering the work of Christ to us through the Word and sacraments. 

“For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.” 

We confess these words. We do not enter into the Divine Service with our own works. The Divine Service is not a transaction with God. Rather, we come confessing our sin and asking for forgiveness and a renewed heart that only God can create in us. 

The Divine Service was familiar to me, the processional, however, was not. So, what is the processional all about?

It’s all about Jesus. 

While I was not familiar with this part of the liturgy, I was familiar with the imagery. As the processional made its way forward with the crucifix lifted high and leading the procession through the congregation, I was reminded of a reflection of this in the Old Testament. 

“And the LORD said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.” So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live.” (Numbers 21:8–9)

The Israelites had grumbled against God and Moses and, as a result, God sent fiery serpents to visit His people. But, God had also attached a promise to the sign of the bronze serpent. “And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live.” 

Just as Jesus opened up the Scriptures to the disciples on the road to Emmaus, Jesus takes Nicodemus back to this story to demonstrate that all Scripture testifies to Himself.

“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.” (John 3:14–15)

The serpent in the desert is an image of Christ. It was Jesus who was lifted up on the cross for us. When the poisonous fangs of our sin, death, and the devil sink into us, it is Christ and Him crucified we look to for eternal life. 

The processional is all about Jesus. The work of Christ is literally held up and placed before our eyes as we entered into the Divine Service. The gifts given in the Divine Service flow from His cross. He gives Himself to us. The processional, just like the entirety of the Divine Service has its focus on Christ crucified for you.

Kathy Strauch is a member of Faith Lutheran Church in Troy, Michigan and is a graphic designer.

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Catechesis

The Seventh Commandment: You shall not steal.

Being Instructed by the Ten Commandments

The Seventh Commandment: You shall not steal.

God is the True Philanthropist, that is, the lover of humanity who generously gives gifts. Every morning God gives the gift of a new day. Throughout the day, we receive the gifts of God that sustain us in both body and soul. These gifts include such things as the rising sun, the air that we breath, and the land where we live. The Lord is the source and fountain of all that is good. “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change” (James 1:17). So, as the people of God we are being taught to receive every good and gracious gift from God with thanksgiving. We are learning to pray each and every day that our Father would look upon us in mercy for the sake of His Son, our Savior, Jesus, and renew us by His Holy Spirit.

Jesus teaches us saying, “If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” (Luke 11:13). By nature, we are evil and not good. God alone is good. Yet it is common knowledge that a child needs parents to provide good gifts such as house and home, food and drink, clothing and shoes. Thus, we understand that earthly fathers give the needed gifts to help their earthly children live in their bodies.

Now, we can easily apply this basic physical need to our soul. Our Heavenly Father gives the needed gifts to help His heavenly children, that is, those who have been adopted by grace in the water and the Word of Holy Baptism. Jesus invites us to petition the Father and ask Him to constantly give to us the Holy Spirit. He is the Spirit of intercession and adoption. As God’s children, we ask that the Holy Spirit would continually be given to us so that we may acknowledge the Father’s merciful goodness, serve Him in willing obedience, and give thanks for all His gifts.

In the First Commandment, we are taught about the gift of God Himself. In the Second Commandment, we are taught about the gift of God’s Holy Name. In the Third Commandment, we are taught about the gift of God’s Holy Word. In the Fourth Commandment, we are taught about the gift of our parents and other authorities. In the Fifth Commandment, we are taught about the gift of our lives. In the Sixth Commandment, we are taught about the gift of possessions.

Now in the Seventh Commandment, there is a striking reversal in themes. In Commandments 1–6, we learn that God is the Giver of gifts. Now in the Seventh Commandment, we are warned about the temptation to take away these gifts from others. We should fear and love God so that we do not take our neighbor’s money or possessions. Satan tempts us to take possession of the gifts that others have received from God’s hand. He tricks us to be like him to live in darkness and work by deception. When we steal, it is as if we are deciding that God made a mistake in giving the gift to somebody else. To steal is to take things into our own hands and seize what we think should belong to us, and so we end up clinging to fallen creation rather than to the Creator. When we steal, we try and possess the possessions of others. In the end, the possessions take possession of us. The old evil foe deceives us to become captured by the things that captivate us.

Christ comes to free us from our captivity. He opens His hand to grab hold of us. Then He teaches us to let go of the things we cling to in this creation. Now we are free to cling to Christ. God the Father loved us and gave the gift of His Only-begotten Son so that we would not be condemned with the corrupted creation.

The Holy Spirit is also enlightening us and leading us to have open hands that receive gifts from God and give gifts to others. When the hand is closed, it does not receive and it does not give. This is why St. Peter instructs the baptized as adopted children saying, “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace:” (1 Peter 4:10)

In the old way of walking, we see our neighbor and ponder, “How can my neighbor serve me? How can I hurt my neighbor? How can I take gifts from him or her? How can I get his or her possessions by deception?” Now in the new way of walking, we see our neighbor and ponder, “How can I serve my neighbor? How can I help my neighbor? How can I give gifts to him or her? How can I help my neighbor keep his or her possessions?”

In Christ, we are a new creation and there is no condemnation. In Christ, we are growing and learning to be philanthropists, that is, lovers of humanity who give gifts. In Christ, we lack no gift. We have all that we need in Him.

Rev. Brian L. Kachelmeier serves as pastor at Redeemer Evangelical Lutheran Church, Los Alamos, NM

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Lectionary Meditations

The Unjust Steward – A Meditation on Luke 16:3

By Rev. Eric Brown

“What shall I do, since my master is taking the management away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg.”

Although many translations now call the fellow in this story the “dishonest” manager, the old King James is more accurate when it calls him “unjust”. I mean, he is utterly sleazy, and he isn’t exactly straightforward with the people he deals with. And he robs the rich man blind – he is not just. 

However, this dishonest, unjust manager has a moment of utter and brutal honesty about himself. When the accusations come in, he doesn’t try to defend himself to the rich man. He doesn’t spin a tail about how it’s not his fault. He knows he got caught with his hand in the cookie jar. And then, when considering his prospects for life, there is no bluster or big talk. He doesn’t strut around saying, “I’ll find an even richer man to work for and he’ll be an even better boss than you!” Nope. Simple, brutal, honesty. I can’t dig. I’m not strong enough. I couldn’t bear to beg. This fellow is utterly honest about his own lack and limitations. And because of that, he knows that the only way he can live is by living off the master.

You and I, we’re dishonest. In and of ourselves, totally unjust. We are sinners, and we too get caught with our hands in the cookie jar. So, what then? Do we try to explain what we have done away? Do we blame someone else for our misdeeds, or talk about how our sin isn’t that bad because someone else is a worse sinner? Or do we try to bargain, try to work things out and make things up to God (as though works could dig us out of that pit)? Do we put on a brave face, or do we finally just admit that we are ashamed.

The simple fact is that we need God. We know our lack, we know our need. There is no way for us to live apart from God. But here’s where the analogy with the story ends. God’s not merely some rich man whose worked about bilking us for profit, worried about what He can gain by making us jump through hoops. No, He created us to live with Him. Our foolish, sinful attempts to live apart from God was never what He wanted in the first place! So, when we are brought to the truth that we in our sin can’t live apart from Him, He says, “Good, because of Jesus’s death and resurrection, all your debts are paid and you do in fact live with me scot free, and will do so for all eternity, because not sin, not the devil, not even death itself can separate you from My love.”

The dishonest manager’s moment of self-honesty meant he had to scramble and come up with some plan. Our moments of self-honesty, when we are brought to see our own sin, they are taken care of already, because God in His love already had planned your salvation in Christ well before you were born. You never need to pretend your sins aren’t real. No, be honest about them, strive against them – and know that in Christ Jesus they are forgiven.

Rev. Eric Brown is pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Herscher, Illinois and the co-host of the HT Gospeled Boldly Podcast.

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Higher History

Concord #26: Augsburg Confession (Prescriptive/Descriptive)

confession prescriptive descriptive

Prescriptive/Descriptive

We have reached a point of division in our review of the Augsburg Confession. The first 21 articles or topics have been about doctrine—articles of faith. What follows are several abuses that have been corrected—matters that were either eliminated or reformed. The Augsburg Confession itself makes this distinction. Immediately following the Worship of the Saints, the confession states:

This is about the Sum of our Doctrine, in which, as can be seen, there is nothing that varies from the Scriptures, or from the Church Catholic, or from the Church of Rome as known from its writers. This being the case, they judge harshly who insist that our teachers be regarded as heretics. There is, however, disagreement on certain abuses, which have crept into the Church without rightful authority. And even in these, if there were some difference, there should be proper lenity [kindness] on the part of bishops to bear with us by reason of the Confession which we have now reviewed; because even the Canons are not so severe as to demand the same rites everywhere, neither, at any time, have the rites of all churches been the same; although, among us, in large part, the ancient rites are diligently observed. For it is a false and malicious charge that all the ceremonies, all the things instituted of old, are abolished in our churches. But it has been a common complaint that some abuses were connected with the ordinary rites. These, inasmuch as they could not be approved with a good conscience, have been to some extent corrected. (Augsburg Confession XXI.5-9)

Without going into an extensive study of the practices of the medieval Roman Church, it’s hard to make much sense of this little paragraph. The big takeaway is that, just as the doctrine of this confession does not differ from that of the ancient Church, likewise the Lutheran reformers did not get rid of the practices of the ancient Church. Although, it should be noted that practices never have been the same everywhere at all times. However, good practices always conform to right doctrine. Both doctrine and practice are intimately related.

Because the first 21 articles deal with doctrine and the last 7 deal with abuses of practice, some people have also made a distinction between prescriptive and descriptive articles of the Augsburg Confession. Since the first 21 articles deal with matters of doctrine, they are prescriptive—they lay down a rule of faith that must be followed. On the other hand, the last 7 they consider to be descriptive—practical matters that are solved practically, but are not binding on today’s Church. But this is an unnatural division that the Augsburg Confession does not make.

Rather, we should see the entire Augsburg Confession as descriptive. The Lutheran Confessions are not canon law, or rules that must be followed. They are confessions of faith—simply restating what Scripture and the ancient creeds have first said. It describes the faith of the evangelical Lutheran Church. First, the various articles of faith are laid out. Then that faith is put into practice.

In fact, some of the best theology is found in the practical section of the Augsburg Confession. Because theology underlies every practice addressed and every abuse corrected. Next week we will turn to these abuses and see how the theology and faith of the Church of the Augsburg Confession is put into practice.

You can read the Book of Concord at http://www.bookofconcord.org

 

“Concord” is a weekly study of the Lutheran Confessions, where we will take up a topic from the Book of Concord and reflect on what we believe, teach, and confess in the Lutheran Church. The purpose of this series is to deepen readers’ knowledge and appreciation for the confessions of the Lutheran Church, and to unite them “with one heart” to confess the teachings of Holy Scripture.

Rev. Jacob Ehrhard is pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in New Haven, MO.

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Lectionary Meditations

Fruit Tree Theology – A Meditation on Matthew 7:21-23

By Rev. Eric Brown

“On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me you workers of lawlessness.’” –Matthew 7:21-23

A tree is known by its fruit. If the tree has a bunch of apples on it, it’s an apple tree. If there’s a bunch of cherries, it’s a cherry tree. And when Jesus tells us that a false prophet will be known by our fruits, He gives this example. Jesus speaks of those who boast in their works – WE have prophesied, WE have cast out demons, WE have done mighty works. Sure, they were in Jesus’ name, but WE have done them.

So type of tree is that? Well, if the fruit is “me, me, me, look at me” I guess it’s a me tree. All about me. Contrast this to Paul who is determined to know nothing among us but Christ and Him Crucified. Because that is the point – you tell the tree by its fruit; you tell the preacher by what is preached. Are they preaching me or is everything driving to Christ?

Christians do judge preachers. We learn to hear the voice of the shepherd but to flee the voice of the wolves. And the thing we listen for is this: Are they preaching Christ and Him Crucified for you, or are they preaching themselves? Are they preaching all about what Christ has done for you or what you need to do for God? If it’s not Christ, then they are a false preacher, they are workers of lawlessness – preaching some false, watered down salvation by works junk that ignores the fact that the Law always shows us our sin.

It can be tempting to listen to the folks who give mighty tales of what they have done and what you too can do, but none of that is better than what Jesus has already done for you by dying and rising for you, by baptizing you and giving you eternal life. Listen for Jesus when they preach; that’s what you need. We all always need the preaching to be Christ Crucified for us.

Rev. Eric Brown is pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Herscher, Illinois and the co-host of the HT Gospeled Boldly Podcast.

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Lectionary Meditations

Lord of Compassion – A Meditation on Mark 8:2

By Rev. Eric Brown

“I have compassion on the crowd, because they have been with Me now three days and have nothing to eat.” – Mark 8:2

The second oldest trick that Satan has is making us think that God will only love us if we do good things. As the oldest trick is making us think we know better than God, this puts us in a world of hurt. We sin, and then the accuser says, “Well, God’s not going to like you very much anymore,” and we run and hide in shame, start blaming everyone else, and just end up quite miserable.

The crowd of people gathered around Jesus’ Word was quite miserable. There had been a lot of preaching (a few days worth!) and not a lot of food. And they were hungry. And what is Jesus’ reaction? When Jesus looks at the crowd, what does He see? Is He looking to judge their failings? Does He say, “man, that guy in the 5th row is going to mess up bad this week, forget him”? No. He sees the situation, the need – and thus He has compassion.

Compassion. Simply seeing people in need, Jesus has compassion. He shares in their suffering and is determined to do something about it. And then we get a miracle – the feeding of the 4000, not caused by what the crowd does. Jesus just feeds them – because He loves them, baggage and all.

As you go about your week, there will be times you foolishly mess up. It’s going to happen – hopefully sin doesn’t blow too many things up, but sin happens. And what Satan loves to do is tell you that once you’ve sinned, God is going to be pretty angry and upset with you – that God’s going to be pitching a hissy fit now and ready to smite you.

Nope. Jesus has compassion upon you. That’s the point. And if you aren’t sure of that – you are baptized. St. Paul tells us that we who are baptized have been baptized into Christ’s death and resurrection – you’ve been with Him three days in your Baptism, and because He rose on the third day, so will you. And He has compassion on you. Jesus doesn’t like sin precisely because of what sin does to you, how it messes with you. And so He is quick always to have compassion upon you, to forgive you and renew you with His Word of forgiveness. Oh give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good, and His mercy endures forever!

Rev. Eric Brown is pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Herscher, Illinois and the co-host of the HT Gospeled Boldly Podcast.

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Lectionary Meditations

How’s Your Righteousness? – A Meditation on Matthew 5:20

By Rev. Eric Brown

“For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” – Matthew 5:20

Imagine the best person you know. The person who is the nicest, kindness person around. Maybe the most holy or spiritual person you know. The guy who just accidentally puts you to shame with how good he is, the gal you wish you could be. Back in Jesus’ day, that was sort of how people viewed the scribes and the Pharisees. They were to the top of the top. The Scribes were just so smart and knew so much, and the Pharisees were just so respected and virtuous… oh to be like them.

And then, in the middle of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus drops a law bomb. Jesus makes the astonishing assertion that our righteousness needs to exceed, needs to be beyond that of the scribes and Pharisees. Now, since we’re folks 2000 years down the line, and we see how often the scribes and the Pharisees behaved wretchedly, we’re not that impressed – but what Jesus says is unthinkable. You can’t be more righteous than the scribes and Pharisees! It would be like saying, “be richer than Bill Gates” – it’s almost non-nonsensical.

But then Jesus teaches the fullness of the Law. It’s not just about outward appearances. It’s not just being a swell. It’s not just a question of well disciplined virtuous deeds, but what of your words, your thoughts. Indeed, to hate is as bad as murder, to call someone a name is hell-worthy. That’s the righteousness that God in His Law demands.

Of ourselves, we aren’t approaching that. Nowhere close! But Christ Jesus, His righteousness is indeed beyond that of the scribes and the Pharisees. His righteous life, death, and resurrection in fact establishes the kingdom of heaven, and He establishes it for you. In Holy Baptism He poured all of His righteousness upon you – said it’s yours. In fact, everything that is Jesus’ now is yours. He gives you all that He is. So, in Christ your righteousness does exceed the scribes and the Pharisees. And He gives this to you freely – we won’t boast or brag about how “great” or “virtuous” we are – we know the Law too well to ever claim that. But you are righteous in Christ, and the kingdom of heaven is yours because you belong to Christ Jesus, and He gives you all good things.

Rev. Eric Brown is pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Herscher, Illinois and the co-host of the HT Gospeled Boldly Podcast.

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Higher History

Concord #25: Augsburg Confession (Worship of the Saints)

christian augsburg worship saint Mary

Article 21: Worship of the Saints

The final article on Christian doctrine in the Augsburg Confession is perhaps one of the most obvious outward practices that distinguishes Lutherans from Roman Catholics: the worship of the saints. Even today, one of the first differences people identify between the two churches is that Roman Catholics pray to Mary, the Mother of God. In fact, if you go into a Roman Catholic bookstore, you’re likely to see more products picturing the saints than you will Jesus.

But that doesn’t mean that the saints are absent from Lutheran practice. Open to the front of your Lutheran hymnal and you’ll see a lot of saints. So, what is it about the saints that is good, right, and salutary?

Of the Worship of Saints they teach that the memory of saints may be set before us, that we may follow their faith and good works, according to our calling, as the Emperor may follow the example of David in making war to drive away the Turk from his country. For both are kings. But the Scripture teaches not the invocation of saints or to ask help of saints, since it sets before us the one Christ as the Mediator, Propitiation, High Priest, and Intercessor. He is to be prayed to, and has promised that He will hear our prayer; and this worship He approves above all, to wit, that in all afflictions He be called upon, 1 John 2:1: If any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, etc. (Augsburg Confession, article XXI)

 

Idolatry

First, Christ alone is worthy of worship. He alone stands between us and the Father as Mediator. This is because the sacrifice He made, the blood He shed, and the place He now occupies at God’s right hand. Prayer is effectual when it is prayed through Jesus and in His name. No other saint in heaven or on earth has done what Jesus has done. Any prayer or worship that is directed to God apart from Jesus is prayer to and worship of a false god.

 

Examples of faith and good works

But it’s not as if the saints never existed. We keep the memory of the saints for two reasons: as examples of faith, and examples of good works. It can be discouraging to be a Christian. Sometimes it feels like you’re the only one who believes. But the history of the saints who have gone before us for generations shows us that we are not alone. As the book of Hebrews says,

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:1-2 ESV)

 

Sinners as saints

And as to good works, the history of the saints shows us two things. First, every saint was also a sinner. Good works do not mean a perfection of life here on earth. David was a liar, murderer, and adulterer, yet also is an example of good works. Second, good works are not works that go over and beyond the works of daily life, but are simple works done in our vocations and in service to our neighbors.

So the next time a saint’s day comes up on the Church calendar, remember the simple works of faith they accomplished and be encouraged in your faith. And look to Jesus, the only Advocate we have with the Father, who is the beginning and ending of our faith.

You can read the Book of Concord at http://www.bookofconcord.org

 

“Concord” is a weekly study of the Lutheran Confessions, where we will take up a topic from the Book of Concord and reflect on what we believe, teach, and confess in the Lutheran Church. The purpose of this series is to deepen readers’ knowledge and appreciation for the confessions of the Lutheran Church, and to unite them “with one heart” to confess the teachings of Holy Scripture.

Rev. Jacob Ehrhard is pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in New Haven, MO.

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Higher History

Concord #24: Augsburg Confession (Good Works pt. 5)

christian good works

Article 20: Good Works (part 5)

Furthermore, it is taught on our part that it is necessary to do good works, not that we should trust to merit grace by them, but because it is the will of God. It is only by faith that forgiveness of sins is apprehended, and that, for nothing. And because through faith the Holy Ghost is received, hearts are renewed and endowed with new affections, so as to be able to bring forth good works. For Ambrose says: Faith is the mother of a good will and right doing. For man’s powers without the Holy Ghost are full of ungodly affections, and are too weak to do works which are good in God’s sight. Besides, they are in the power of the devil who impels men to diverse sins, to ungodly opinions, to open crimes. This we may see in the philosophers, who, although they endeavored to live an honest life could not succeed, but were defiled with many open crimes. Such is the feebleness of man when he is without faith and without the Holy Ghost, and governs himself only by human strength. (Augsburg Confession XX.28-34).

It is necessary to do good works because that is God’s will. But good works cannot be done without faith. Faith receives the forgiveness of sins, which renews the sinner and causes him or her to desire to do what God desires. But without faith, there can be no good works. This means that a good work is not measured by its outward quality, but rather by the faith of the individual who does it. Ambrose (a church father from the 4th century) says it well: “Faith is the mother of a good will and a right doing.” In a sense, then, forgiveness is the grandmother of good works. The Word of forgiveness gives birth to faith, and faith gives birth to good works.

It is certainly possible to do a work that is outwardly good without faith. Philosophers have been concerned with right living since the early Greeks, but they never accounted for the severity of original sin.

 

How to do good works

So, in conclusion, the teaching of grace does not forbid works, but rather shows exactly how good works are done. Good works flow from faith.

Hence it may be readily seen that this doctrine is not to be charged with prohibiting good works, but rather the more to be commended, because it shows how we are enabled to do good works. For without faith human nature can in no wise do the works of the First or of the Second Commandment. Without faith it does not call upon God, nor expect anything from God, nor bear the cross, but seeks, and trusts in, man’s help. And thus, when there is no faith and trust in God all manner of lusts and human devices rule in the heart. Wherefore Christ said, John 15:5: Without Me ye can do nothing; and the Church sings:

Lacking Thy divine favor,
There is nothing found in man,
Naught in him is harmless. (Augsburg Confession XX.35-40)

You can read the Book of Concord at http://www.bookofconcord.org

 

“Concord” is a weekly study of the Lutheran Confessions, where we will take up a topic from the Book of Concord and reflect on what we believe, teach, and confess in the Lutheran Church. The purpose of this series is to deepen readers’ knowledge and appreciation for the confessions of the Lutheran Church, and to unite them “with one heart” to confess the teachings of Holy Scripture.

Rev. Jacob Ehrhard is pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in New Haven, MO.

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Current Events

Higher Things Conferences: Unapologetically Lutheran

By Pastor David Vandercook

The mission of Higher Things is to assist parents, pastors, and congregations in cultivating a distinctly Lutheran identity among their youth and young adults. As a pastor who’s brought groups to Higher Things Conferences for the past five years, I can say with confidence that this is precisely what happens at Higher Things Conferences each summer. This summer, as we anticipate the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther posting his 95 Theses to the church door at Wittenberg, the theme “Here I Stand” was especially appropriate.

At Higher Things, when it’s time for worship, we worship. Each time the opening Divine Service begins for a Higher Things Conference, I’m taken aback by the sheer volume of the singing, as 300+ voices are joined together. What is sung is nothing other than the hymns and the liturgy of our church. There are hymns from throughout history that deliver to us Jesus, who lived and died for us that we might have life in His name. This continues through all the services: Matins each morning, Vespers each afternoon, Evening Prayer each evening, Compline before lights-out each night, and the closing Divine Service on Friday afternoon before everyone goes home. All of these services (taken directly from the hymnal, by the way) deliver to us the goods of the cross—the forgiveness of sins, life and salvation—through the proclamation of the Word, faithful Law-Gospel preaching, Holy Absolution, and the giving and receiving of the very body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Likewise, when it’s time to learn, we learn. In the first half of the Conference, our plenary sessions went through a timeline of history that stretched from the birth of Christ to today. Dr. Carl Fickenscher showed how significant the Lutheran Reformation was, even though it only consisted of 50 or so years on a timeline that stretches for over 2,000 years. It was made clear that the story of Martin Luther and the Reformation was not just all about Luther, but rather it is a story about Jesus. It is about how the gifts that Jesus won on the cross make it all the way to us here in 2017. During the second half of the Conference, Pastor Aaron Fenker took us through the four “Solas” (Christ Alone, Grace Alone, Faith Alone, Scripture Alone) of the Reformation. We were reminded that Christ saved us by grace alone through faith alone in Him alone, and that all of this is revealed to us in Scripture alone.

Then there are the breakout sessions. These offered a wide variety of opportunities to learn about just about every topic under the sun. What do you want to learn about? Want to hear about God’s Word says about things like dating, marriage, homosexuality, and women’s roles in the church? Want to learn about exorcisms in the Lutheran church or more about Luther’s teaching on vocation? Want to learn about what other religious groups like Mormons, Mennonites, and the Amish believe? How about learning about the history or structure of the Lutheran liturgy or learning a bit about playing the pipe organ? Higher Things has it all covered. I think the most difficult thing that many of my kids had to do during the course of the Conference was make some tough decisions about which sectionals they would attend! While the conferences are for youth, adults would and do find themselves right at home in these, too.

Finally, when it’s time to play, we play. While the schedule each day is rigorous, there’s also time to play at Higher Things. Each evening provided something for everyone. Some participated in the Medieval Fashion Show, the chant-off, or the talent show. Others played board or card games. Still others had the opportunity to play basketball, volleyball, nine square in the air, or archery tag. We were even treated to a fireworks show in Mars Hill on Independence Day.

Higher Things is like all other youth events in that it does all the same things that any youth event does: it allows for fellowship between youth. A Higher Things Conference provides youth with the opportunity to meet new people and to have fun. The congregations that I serve are small and located in areas where there very few Lutherans around in general. It’s always good for the youth I bring to see that they are not alone in this world. Here is where the similarities end, really.

With Higher Things, there is so much more than that. Higher Things conferences do exactly what they say they do. It is unapologetically Lutheran. It doesn’t just tell kids that they are Lutherans. It teaches kids what it means to be Lutheran. And most importantly, it teaches why it matters to stay a Lutheran.

Pastor Vandercook serves Shepherd of Peace Lutheran Church in Maumelle, AR, and Trinity Lutheran Church in North Little Rock, AR.