Reformationitis

Well, Reformation Sunday is over, and I'm still recovering.
Our Circuit celebration at Zion-Piedmont featured Rev. Dr. Victor Belton, black pastor of a black congregation in Decatur, Georgia and a member of Synod's Board of Directors.
Vic Belton is a "dynamic" preacher. Think Black Bapist. And I think, for most Lutherans, the style overrides the substance. He preached for a full 30 minutes. I lost track after about the first 5. He was all over the place...in content as well as the floor of the nave!
His premise was...That the Reformation began because the church had lost the WORD. Luther re-discovered (pause)---congregation responds---"the WORD." The problem in the church today is that we've lost (pause)---congegation responds---loudly ---"the WORD."
Now, that's a solid premise but, as above, he rambled all over the topic. Never quite sure what this segment had to do with the last one. Even heard a couple of "let me hear an Amen."
Some from our congregation really ate this up. Several others from other congregations in the Ciruit (charismatic, "creative worship", whatever)...really got into it.
Belton preached at our 8:30 and 11:00 regular services, and it was pretty much the same thing. We at Zion appreciate the liturgy, we want preaching from the pulpit, and we figure that a 15 minute sermon is "max." Particularly when we have communion, too. A couple of 'em just got up and left at 12:00 on the dot!
Now, Vic Belton is a nice guy. I spoke with him for a few minutes after the 11:00 service and he's friendly, he's funny, and he's undoubtedly a good pastor to his flock. But Zion-Piedmont, California, isn't Decatur, Georgia...or Harlem. The medium is the message?
As far as the rest of the Reformation service...it was the full-blown panalopy, which Zion is very good at.
Sixteen clergy in the processional (6 participated in the service) preceeded by the Thurifer (yup, we had the smells, if not the bells!), Crucifer, Verger, two Banner bearers, the Book Bearer, 35 or so choir, and 10 assorted acolytes. (Two acolytes each attend the Crucifer, the Book Bearer, and the Thurifer, and two are Bearers of the Sacred Vessels holding the bread and the wine, plus a couple of extras.)
We had our newly rebuilt organ retuned, and with trumpets, french horns, and tympani the music was, indeed, fitting for the occasion. The choir did a four part Cantata which was written for Reformation by our former organist/choir director, David Babbitt, a Bach scholar, who died in February of '07.)
All in all.....impressive.....even if it did run 2 full hours. If only the sermon style hadn't clashed with the rest of it.

Book of Concord

Get thee to http://bookofconcord.org/ immediately! The site has been completely reworked and much more complete and absolutely simple to navigate. AND, they're adding the Roman Confutation to the Augusburg Confession section. You can read the AC Article, then the Confutation and then the response to the Confutation (the Apology) with a couple of clicks. It's great!

Maybe a little background will help to know where I'm coming from.
After some 23 years of being either nothing formal or a nominal Methodist, I was confirmed at the Lutheran Chapel, University of Nebraska in 1956. Then came graduation, marriage, 6 years of flying big birds for the Navy, and raising a family.
So, for the next 15 or so years, I didn't really pay much attention to being Lutheran, until I started hearing things in sermons that were a bit strange (brought to my attention by my cradle-Lutheran wife) from a liberal pastor in Alameda. (My 12 weeks of Confirmation instruction hadn't prepared me nearly as well as her two years.)
So, figuring that if I was going to call myself a Lutheran, I bloody well ought to do some serious studying, I started with the Book of Concord. If I couldn't really accept that, I oughta be honest and call myself something else.
It's been quite a trip. I've been through the "Battle for the Bible", Preus, and the Seminex wars of the '70s, survived the Bohlmann years of the '80s, relished the Barry years of the '90s, and have been increasingly irritated (no, correct that...mad as hell) at what's been happening to the LCMess in the Kieschnick years of the '00s.
Folks, most of the troubles are, as my wife said long ago, "Basic Catechism Stuff." And I'm amazed at how little a lot of "Lutheran"people really know about what Lutherans are supposed to believe, teach, and confess.
So, here's where I am. And it's still quite a trip!

I plan to use this blog for religious (i.e. mostly Lutheran) comment and discussion. My "Olde Curmudgeon" blog will be for general comment on the world.