<> Ask the Pastor The Rev. Walter Snyder I've been asked several questions about the Lutheran Church. These might help other readers also understand the background of my responses in this column. Thus, we'll examine these for the next couple weeks. Q: How do Lutherans understand the relationship between the Church and the kingdom of God preached by Jesus? A: The kingdom of God is threefold, according to our understanding of Scripture. We speak of the kingdom of power (Christ's absolute authority over all creation, in time and eternity), the kingdom of grace (all those who believe in Christ as God and Savior are shepherded toward heaven), and the kingdom of glory (the eternal, heavenly communion of all who die believing in Christ). Thus, the Christian Church fits the kingdom of grace, since it is the place where the gracious gifts of God (his Word and the Sacraments) are given and also the kingdom of glory, since this is the destination and the completion of all believers. Q: How does your tradition arrive at decisions concerning what is to be believed? A: Lutherans return to Scripture as source and norm of our doctrine. We read and interpret the Scriptures using the "lens" of Christ. The Church (tradition) is part of our interpretive process, although some assign more weight to our predecessors than do others. The major themes of theology are dealt with in the Lutheran Book of Concord of 1580. Those who believe that this book is a correct exposition of Scripture are termed "Confessional" Lutherans. Included in this book are the Creeds, the Small and Large Catechisms, and other doctrinal writings, including the Augsburg Confession. These writings and this book came about through struggles to define the faith, and have set the standard for our doctrinal decision-making since then: What is believed is Christ- centered, Biblical, and will thus be in accord with the ancient church and will be given assent by all who trust in Christ as their only Savior and Way to heaven. Q: What are the essential elements of your regular worship service? What is the purpose of each of these elements? A: We follow the basic Western (catholic) liturgy, as also expressed in Anglicanism and Roman Catholicism. The essentials are not particular items as much as they are doctrines or gifts: A Lutheran service is one of Law (God's commands and our realization that we have sinned against them) and Gospel (God's promise and delivery of forgiveness of sins in Christ Jesus). A typical Lutheran service will begin with the Invocation of the Triune God, which also reminds us of whose Name we bear in Baptism. Often, a corporate rite of Confession of Sins follows; the pastor then pronounces the Absolution "in the stead and by the command" of the Lord Jesus Christ. Liturgical hymns and responses may include the Introit or Psalmody. These are sometimes didactic, but often are more "response" passages, wherein the assembly replies to God because of his mercies. We use the Kyrie (Lord have mercy) as a reminder that we are always at the mercy of God. Our hymn of praise is normally either the Gloria in Excelcis (the Angel Song at Christmas) or "This is the Feast," which is a celebration of the ascended Christ, drawn from Revelation. Our Scripture readings are normally threefold: Most Sundays have one each from Old Testament, Epistle, and Gospel. Seasonal and daily themes are followed. We confess either the Nicene or the Apostles' Creed. The Sermon is normally based upon one of the regular texts of the day. A Lutheran Christian sermon should be designed so as to convict the hearers of their sinfulness and then fully deliver the saving Gospel of Christ, that the believers might have their burdens lifted. The Offering and the Prayer of the Church follow, then may come the Lord's Supper. Holy Communion is normally offered at least twice a month among our congregations. Final prayers and responses may be offered, then the pastor pronounces the benediction, "The Lord bless you and keep you...." That's it for now. You can submit questions by mail to "Ask the Pastor," PO Box 1080, Jasper, Texas, 75951; E-mail xrysostom@aol.com; or just stop me on the street. Walter Snyder is the pastor of St. Paul and Faith Lutheran Churches in Jasper and Woodville, Texas and coauthor of the book "What Do Lutherans Believe? A Study Guide in Christian Teachings for Adults." Copyright (c) 1998 by Walter P. Snyder Permission is granted by author to reproduce or retransmit this by any means, provided that its content is not altered, that this notice of copyright and permission is included, and that no financial gain is realized.