Gottesdienst in Kansas, September 15, 2012

On September 15, 2012

Lectures on Lutheranism

is honored and privileged to host the

Reverend Dr. Burnell Eckardt,

M.Div., STM., Ph.D.,

speaking on how we are

Gathered in the New Testament

When most of us talk about the New Testament, we’re talking about the body of writing that comes after what is commonly referred to as the Old Testament. Most of the time we’re talking about the four gospel accounts, the book of Acts, and the twenty-two other writings by the apostles. But this term, “New Testament” didn’t always or even chiefly refer to the apostolic writings. It first referred to the Lord’s holy Supper, instituted by Christ Himself for us Christians to eat and drink. The term “new testament” was first used by Christ in establishing a new covenant between God and man; the new testament in His blood.

It’s no accident that the term new testament refers both to the canon of apostolic books arising after Christ’s ministry and to the Holy Sacrament of the altar. This fact alone should alert us to the integral connection between word and worship, or between faith and the reception of the incarnate Christ. And just as the written New Testament is the Word of God and therefore the ultimate norm and rule for all of Christian life, so the new testament as sacrament, in Christ’s blood, must be the heart of truly Christian worship, from which all other forms of devotion and piety flow.

The fulfillment of the Old Testament Scriptures in the New is integrally linked to the Holy Supper, a link which is especially seen in the traditional liturgy of the saints gathered in the New Testament of Jesus.

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Dr. Eckardt has been a pastor since 1982, and has served parishes in Virginia and Wisconsin prior to his move to Kewanee in 1995, where he continues to serve the people of God. Dr. Eckardt is also the editor-in-chief of Gottesdienst, the journal of Lutheran Liturgy (see www.gottesdienst.org), since 1995. 

He holds a Ph.D. in historical theology from Marquette University, and a Masters of Sacred Theology from Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, Indiana.  He is the author of The New Testament in His Blood: A Study of the Holy Liturgy of the Christian Church (Kewanee, Ill: Gottesdienst, 2010), Every Day Will I Bless Thee: Meditations for the Daily Office (Sussex, Wis.: Concordia Catechetical Academy, 1998), and Anselm and Luther on the Atonement: Was it Necessary? (New York: Edwin Mellen Press, 1992).

His areas of special scholarly interest are liturgical theology and Biblical hermeneutics.  Toward this end his interest in patristic and medieval history is especially concerned with their schools of thought regarding Biblical interpretation and its application to worship.

Since 2007 he has been teaching online courses in Major World Religions, Philosophy, and Logic, for John Wood Community College in Quincy, Illinois.

Besides his regular work with Gottesdienst, he has over the years had numerous speaking engagements both at home and abroad, and has written many published articles, as well as several hymns, two musical plays performed in Lutheran schools, and a Christmas cantata.  His parish is also host to an annual Oktoberfest conference and gathering in Kewanee, Illinois.

He and his wife Carol have six sons, three daughters-in-law, and two grandchildren.

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2012 Schedule

Saturday, September 15^th

12:15 – Divine Service

1:15 – Dr. Eckardt, session I

2:50 – Break

3:00 – Dr. Eckardt, session II

4:45 – Closing Vespers

5:15 – Beer & Brat Dinner (at the Parsonage)

Dr. Eckardt will also be leading Sunday morning’s Adult Forum in a discussion based on Saturday’s presentation, and will be preaching at the Divine Service on Sunday, Sept. 16^th at 10:30am.

Area Hotels

Hoisington (2 blocks from chruch)

Cheyenne Inn & Suites (866-372-0882). 

Great Bend (about 12 miles south of Hoisington)

Great Bend hotels

Diretions and Map to Concordia Lutheran Church

Contact Pr. Lovett

Call for Sermons!

Proof that not all Lutheran preachers are German

By Larry Beane

Dear Gottesreaders:

If you're like me, the four times a year when the print edition of Gottesdienst comes out are red-letter days.

Like eating Oreos (which I don't do anymore having gone primal), we all have different styles of consumption.  Some nibble meticulously around the edges, while others dive devil-may-care right into the scary white industrial "creme" with the exposed incisors.  As for me, I always read Eckardt first.  I am a "good company man" after all.  I blame Dave, whom I read right after Father General.

I know a lot of people really do enjoy the sermons published in Gottesdienst.  I do too, which is good, because I'm the sermons editor.  I am always on the lookout for sermons for each issue.  I need them about a quarter ahead of time.  So in other words, we are already putting together the Advent/Christmas issue.  And so I am looking for sermons especially from that part of the church year for the next issue - but I do collect sermons year-round for consideration and hold onto them.

So, what constitutes a sermon that graces the pages of Gottesdienst?  Well, personally, I like good sermons.  I don't like bad sermons.  Other than that, there really are no rules.  I suppose the sermons ought to be preached by real Lutheran pastors - pre- and post-reformation.  And they should reflect a real biblical text.  And they ought to be germane (which has nothing to do with being northern European) to the season of the issue of Gottesdienst in which they appear.  

We all have our favorite preachers - many of whom have appeared in Gottesdienst over the last 20 years.  There are some real go-to men that make my job of finding quality sermons easier.  But by the same token, there are a lot of outstanding preachers in the Lutheran world, many of whom are unpublished.  And it's encouraging to read the homiletical works of some newer guys - especially given the renaissance of sacramental theology and genuinely Lutheran preaching that we seem to be enjoying at this point in our history.

So in the spirit of J. Jonah Jameson: "Get me some sermons!"  Good ones.

If you are a pastor and have preached a sermon that you think would be valuable for our readership, this is no time to be modest.  Soli Deo gloria!  Pastors and lay people benefit from the comfort afforded in these sermons, and they also serve as helps for pastors to continue growing as preachers themselves.  It is part of your vocation to be a pastor of the Church.  If you are a layman (of either sex) and your pastor has hit a home run, please feel free to get a copy from him (or lift it from his website) and send it to me at larrybeane@gmail.com.  I always check with the preacher before submitting any sermon to the Gottesocracy for consideration.

And if you know of solid Lutheran preachers who post their sermons on blogs or other sites, please feel free to pass this information along as well.  And if you are fiddling around with your smartphone during the sermon, just tell the pastor you are texting the sermons editor of Gottesdienst that he needs to get a copy of this one.  That should get you out of the dog house.

Preaching is a matter of life and death, a means of grace, and a mystical encounter with Christ Himself in His most holy Word proclaimed by His called ministers.  Preaching has always enjoyed a place of high honor within the Lutheran liturgical tradition, and is naturally a focal point of Gottesdienst and Gottesdienst.  Preaching is one area where, in spite of our many problems and struggles, the churches of the Augsburg Confession shine with the dazzling light of Christ.

Oktoberfest!

Oktoberfest! Sesquicentennial! Spread the word!  (we really need help with this, because Gottesdienst is coming out a bit late this quarter and won't be helpful for advertising this)

Since it's the Sesquicentennial of St. Paul's, we've asked Dr. Lawrence Rast to be our speaker, since we expect him to know more about our founding year of 1862 than anyone else we can think of.  He'll be speaking on the topic:

“Can Anything Good Come from the Nineteenth Century?”

 at St. Paul’s Ev. Lutheran Church, October 7-9, 2012

109 South Elm Street

Kewanee, IL 61443

Now then *ahem*: 

Here are some irrefutable reasons you need to come to Oktoberfest in Kewanee:

* A reverent celebration of the Holy Sacrament with solid preaching.

* The chance to receive Holy Absolution before the Divine Service.

* Prof. Lawrence Rast (see below)

* Sheboygan bratwurst cooked by a Sheboygan native for the Sunday banquet.

* Top notch German potato salad too.

* The best evening of drinking and theological discussion in the Missouri Synod.

* That point in the evening when Pastor Eckardt puts on Hotel California and asks, "Now, what does this hymn mean?"

* Solemn Vespers to close your Sunday.

* Good company - a wonderful group of faithful pastors to bounce ideas off of, commiserate, and debate.

Oktoberfest in Kewanee is simply what a general pastors’ conference should be but what many, sadly, are not. But actually, it’s even more than that, because laymen are encouraged to come too, and rub theological shoulders with a huge bunch of great pastors.  It will refresh you for your busy fall and winter and send you home with some new theological thought to chew on - it always does!

REGISTRATION: $25 per person (students $20) $40 per couple — includes Sunday banquet and Monday continental and luncheon; no charge for children with parents.

You may register by email or (phone 309-852-2461) leaving your name[s] and address, and which days you intend to be present (Sunday, Monday, Tuesday).   You may pay your registration in advance by mail (see above), or with PayPal or a major credit card by clicking here and putting “Oktoberfest” in the purpose line for the donation. Or you may pay the registration fee when you arrive. Please register ahead, even if you choose to pay when you arrive.

Featuring (as we said) Dr. Lawrence Rast, President of Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, Oktoberfest will begin as usual on Sunday night with Choral Vespers, a bratwurst banquet, and a BIG party. Monday features an all-day seminar with Dr. Rast. Dr Rast’s topic, “Can Anything Good Come from the Nineteenth Century?” will be the Monday seminar.  On Tuesday, we will host Gottesdienst Central, at which Pastor Eckardt himself will hold forth on the topic of the Christology of the Holy Liturgy.

Did St. Paul tweak Nero's nose?

By Larry Beane

Roman Catholic writer Randy England posits that St. Paul, shortly before he was executed by the imperial government, engaged in a little political satire against the emperor.  Nero's scandalous public behavior was in the news at the time.  This would explain some of the imagery the apostle employs in his second epistle to St. Timothy.  England investigates St. Paul's exhortation in Romans 13 and considers the Christian's duty to the state.

You can read the article here.

Great week for CPH: Apocrypha and Gerhard

The FedEx man was nice to me this week: two great books arrived on my porch.

Apocrypha: The Lutheran Edition With Notes. Father Weedon, the Lord High Commander of Worship in the LCMS (or whatever his official title is), has a great review of this long overdue resource for Lutherans. I could not be more pleased with the outcome. Note only are complete notes included for the books that appear in the German Bible, but the introductory material from Raymond Surburg, the charts, indexes, and the additional Apocryphal books that do not appear in the German Bible make this book a complete course on the intertestamental period. This book is simply a must have for any serious student of Christianity. Period.

Gerhard's Theological Commonplaces: On the Ministry Part II. The title says it all. You really ought to be collecting all the Gerhard volumes. It will fill the substantial gaps in what passes for seminary education these days. But even if you can't afford to shell out the bucks for every volume, you ought to be cherry-picking. And the Ministry is certainly the hot topic of the day.

+HRC