Wednesday, September 16, 2015

8th Annual Augsburg Confession Conference!

What better way to spend Reformation Day weekend?

Join us October 30-31st, 2015, for the 8th Annual Conference on the Augsburg Confession with the theme: "The Intersection of Confession and Culture". We intend to work through challenging contemporary issues to better understand how to approach them through the lens of Scripture and the Confessions. You'll have the opportunity to:
  • Learn from lectures presented by Dr. Peter Scaer of Concordia Theological Seminary,
  • Engage with the topics via break-out sessions and a panel discussion, 
  • Participate in three worship services, and; 
  • Enjoy fellowship with brothers and sisters in Christ!
Registration is free for all students & seminarians and $10 for all others. Registration includes dinner, breakfast, lunch and of course, gemütlichkeit. The conference will be held at Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church in the heart of the historic German Village in Columbus, Ohio. Invite friends, family and pastors - we look forward to seeing you there!
Register now at augustanasociety.com

Tuesday, September 15, 2015

Because "we don't do that."

It is sad that Christianity is divided into various confessions - or rather, that the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic faith has been corrupted in so many ways. But it has. And each confession has their own way about them; they worship as they do for theological reasons, and what is appropriate to one confession is not appropriate to every other, as 103 year old Mrs. Genora Biggs knows quite well.

Thursday, September 3, 2015

Oktoberfest!



Oktoberfest!

St. Paul’s Lutheran Church
109 South Elm Street
KewaneeIllinois

October 4-6, 2015 (Sunday, Monday, Tuesday)

The Twentieth—Twentieth!Annual Oktoberfest! and Gottesdienst Central will be hosting the Rev. Richard Stuckwisch, PhD, Pastor at Emmaus Lutheran Church in South Bend, Indiana. 

The question of the Eucharistic sacrifice is a critical ingredient in the Lutheran understanding of worship. Pastor Stuckwisch happens to be an expert among us on the matter. He became interested in the Lutheran confession of Eucharistic sacrifice in the course of his STM studies at Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne. He explored this further in his doctoral work at the University of Notre Dame, where he investigated the Inter-Lutheran Commission on Worship, focusing especially on the development and discussion of the Eucharistic rites of the Lutheran Book of Worship (1978) and Lutheran Worship (1982). His PhD research was published in 2011 under the title, Philip Melanchthon and the Lutheran Confession of Eucharistic Sacrifice.  His topic for this conference is

“Eucharistic Sacrifice and Eucharistic Prayer in Theology and Practice”

The event begins Sunday the 4th with Choral Vespers at 5 p.m. Following the service is our annual bratwurst banquet. When everyone has had their fill of brats and beer, Dr. Stuckwisch will give a synopsis of his Monday seminar. Following the banquet is the after-the-party party, at Pastor Eckardt’s home, where, as always, a gaggle of the editors of Gottesdienst will be milling about.
On Monday, October 5th, the day begins with Mass at 9:00 a.m., with Rev. Fr. Michael Frese from Redeemer in Fort Wayne, Indiana, as our special guest preacher. Following Mass and a continental breakfast, Fr. Stuckwisch will hold forth for the rest of the day, in two sessions running until about 2:45, followed by Vespers.
On Tuesday, October 6th, the conference will continue in the same format, with discussion of a new video project Gottesdienst is planning, showing the rubrics of the Divine Service, with Fr. Eckardt, pastor at St. Paul’s, holding forth. The Tuesday sessions will be framed by morning low Mass (spoken Divine Service) and Vespers.


REGISTRATION: $40 per person, $60 per couple, students $20 — includes Sunday banquet and Monday continental; no charge for children with parents. Register by email (b.f.eckardt@gmail.com) or call 309-852-         2461 and leave your name, address, and which days you plan to attend. You may pay the registration     fee when you arrive. Lodging: AmericInn. 309-856-7200. Special rate $97.66 (mention          Oktoberfest when you register, by September 14th); Aunt Daisy’s B & B, 888-422-4148; Quality   Inn, 309-853-8800; Days Inn (Sheffield), 815-454-2361; Best Western (Annawan), 309-935-6565;        Kewanee Motor Lodge, 309-853-4000.