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Leader Guide for Lutheran Identity: A Classical Understanding

By Frank C. Senn

About this Guide Key Points

This Leader Guide and companion Participant Handout offer the tools • Lutheran theology and culture arise from needed for a one-hour discussion on the theme of hearing the Word and Holy Scripture, teachings of the rediscovering its paradoxical power—the theme of Lutheran Identity: A and the Lutheran Classical Understanding, by Frank C. Senn Confessions, an ancient shared tradition of liturgy and , and a rich history The guide also provides suggestions for expanding the one-hour general of arts and public service. discussion of hearing the Word of the cross to a series of sessions based on each chapter in Senn’s book. For a more in-depth study of Lutheran • The Reformation of the 16th century Identity, see “Digging Deeper” at the end of this guide. emphasized biblical teaching of salvation through faith. Its success in northern To get out the word about an upcoming study of Lutheran Identity, European countries meant that the first download the Publicity Flyer and customize it to fit your needs. Lutherans in America came from that part of the world.

• Lutheran teaching considers the Bible a “rule and norm” for judging doctrine. Pre-Session Preparation Traditionally, Lutheran shave emphasized biblical interpretation that Prior to the session, read Lutheran Identity and reflect on the “Key considers how the bible conveys Christ. Points” presented in the box at right. Read through the Leader Guide and the Participant Handout and choose options from the materials • With other Christians, Lutherans include presented to use with your group. Gather the materials you will need for in their confessions of faith the Apostles’ the study: , , and . Reciting these creeds links the • Bibles Lutheran Christians with others in the • Copies of the Participant Handout (a companion piece available on faith from ancient times to the present.

this website) • Lutherans have a distinctive set of • A white board, large pad of paper, or other writing surface (helpful teachings, including the Augsburg but not essential) , published in the Book of • Name tags, if desired Concord. These emphasize Lutheran • Copies of Lutheran Identity: A Classical Understanding. faithfulness to the teaching of the (Participants will get the most out of the conversation if they have apostles while insisting on the essential read the book, but the one-hour session is designed so that you can message of by faith. welcome and include guests who haven’t done the reading.) • Lutheran liturgy encourages all the laity Also recruit someone to be your storyteller, or prepare to tell the story to participate in the ancient worship yourself. Practice reciting it until it sounds natural and expressive. traditions of the .

This book and other Lutheran Voices titles may be purchased by • From Reformation times, Lutherans have calling (800) 328-4648, in Canada: (800) 265-6397, ext. 215. Discounts are witnessed to society by honoring available for bulk purchases of as few as five books of a single title. marriage, serving the needy, and contributing to the arts.

“The Lutheran Voices series is tapping into the rich resources of the church and bringing us together to talk about issues and ideas that shape our present and future.” Mark S. Hanson, Presiding of the ELCA

Single-Session Plan The following ideas suggest how to use the Participant Handout in leading a one-hour discussion of Lutheran Identity: A Classical Understanding.

Opening (2 minutes) Introduce yourself and welcome the participants. Pray the opening prayer together, or invite someone to lead the prayer.

Getting Started (10 minutes) Invite the participants to briefly introduce themselves and to answer this question: Is your experience as a Lutheran something old, something new, something borrowed, or something blue? Encourage participants to have fun applying this ditty about wedding attire to their experience with the church. For example, “borrowed” might be the experience of someone who married a Lutheran, and “blue” might be the experience of someone with a church-related sorrow. If the group is large, have participants introduce themselves and respond to the question within smaller groups of 4–5 people rather than to the entire group.

Points to Ponder (45 minutes) Use questions from the Participant Handout as a framework for discussion.

• Question 1 (5 minutes): The purpose of this question is to help participants and you, as the group leader, assess areas of knowledge and interest. Don’t try to explain each item in the list, because these are the topics that will be introduced in this single session and which you can explore in greater depth with the sessions under “Digging Deeper,” beginning on the next page. Rather, focus on noting what participants are curious about, so you can be prepared to address their questions later.

• Questions 2–4 (10 minutes): Before you meet, review pages 17–19 along with a map of Europe, so you will be able to show the group the general areas through which Lutheran teaching took hold during the Reformation, from into Denmark, Norway, Iceland, Sweden, Finland, Latvia, and Estonia. These questions can only begin to touch on the content and implications of the Reformation. Notice whether the foundational teaching of “justified by faith” has had a positive impact on members of your group. Regarding question 3, remind the group that faith and works go together, with a living faith inspiring works. Question 4 introduces cultural identity. Consider whether cultural groups that are newer to have shaped your particular community’s religious life—and whether their contributions have been welcomed in your community.

• Questions 5–8 (10 minutes): These questions aim to provide a taste of experiencing how the bible “conveys” Christ. To read suggestions for answering questions 6-7, see pp. 31-32. The idea that seeing Jesus could inspire us or free us to love others is looking at the Bible historically or in search of “proof texts” to support a viewpoint or rule.

• Questions 9–10 (15 minutes): For question 10, you might need to explain that his kind of “confession” means a statement of belief, not an admission of guilt (the word can mean either). Also note that the Reformers took care to ground their teaching in the bible and the writings of the apostles and early . Option: For question 10, if you don’t have books for all to read, hand out copies of the quotation, and list the categories of topics mentioned in the final paragraph.

• Questions 11–12 (5 minutes): If some participants have experiences of Roman Catholic worship, they may want to help the group compare that liturgy with Lutheran liturgy. With regard to question 12, Senn emphasizes the advantages of the traditional liturgy. See his Chapter 5 for many points in favor of traditional worship. In contract or in addition to this view, participants may want to assert advantages of variety and individual expression in “contemporary” formats.

Closing (3 minutes) Before you pray, note that the closing prayer is taken from the Lutheran , and the words are drawn from the Bible. Ask the group to consider in what sense these biblical words convey Jesus. Then pray the prayer aloud together. If you plan to continue the discussion of Lutheran Identity after this session, announce the place and time for the next meeting. Ask participants to prepare by reading the chapters of Lutheran Identity you plan to cover at the next meeting. Suggestions for subsequent discussions begin on the following page, “Digging Deeper.”

Digging Deeper

After working your way through the single-session plan, use the following suggestions along with the chapter questions in Lutheran Identity to dig deeper into an understanding of what being a Lutheran has meant and still means today. These suggestions provide a framework for a chapter-by-chapter discussion of Lutheran Identity, though it’s your decision as to how many chapters to address each time the group meets.

Each Chapter • Look for prayers to use in Evangelical Lutheran Worship or another Lutheran hymnal. For example, use or the (Lord have mercy), Gloria (Glory to God), or (Holy, holy, holy) from the service of Holy Communion. Option: If time permits, you could open your meetings with the service of Morning Prayer () or Evening Prayer ().

Chapter 1: From Reform Movement to Evangelical • Note that on pp. 9–10, Senn describes the Reformation as only one of many differences of doctrine that have divided the Christian church throughout its history. Ask: What, if any, differences of doctrine threaten to divide the church today? What kinds of issues, if any, are worth splitting the church? • As a summary of Luther’s reform , ask someone to read the quote from Luther’s 95 theses on pages 12-13 plus the following paragraph on page 13. You might need to define (see p. 12). Discuss why the arguments might have been so alarming to the church authorities in . Ask: How familiar are you with the argument that repentance is enough for us to receive complete forgiveness directly from God? What value do you place on this Lutheran teaching? Do you think Luther was wise to advocate this reform to the extent of challenging the pop’s authority? (If participants have questions about the mention of , refer to the top of page 14, which describes the Reformers’ later rejection of this concept.) • Note that one reason the Reformation took hold while other reform efforts had limited impact was that Luther’s challenges to the extent of the pope’s authority opened up greater potential authority for German political leaders, who often had a rocky relationship with Rome (see pp. 11-12). Note also that the spread of the Lutheran Reformation in Europe (show countries on a map of Europe) took place “by a deliberate decision of the authorities, whether city councils or princes” (p. 17). Ask: What might have been some advantages of state-sponsored religion? Some disadvantages? • Contrast the government-sponsored version of Lutheranism in Europe with the experience of Lutheran immigrants to America. o Ask: What challenges would Lutheran immigrants have faced in their religious life? If you moved to another country, would you look for (a) a familiar kind of building or setting in which to worship? (b) believers who share the same language as you? (c) others who teach the same doctrine? (d) a familiar style of worship? (e) something else? (what?) o Ask: Which of these things do you think visitors to your congregation are looking for? o If your group is curious about , you might note that the predecessor bodies of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America largely formed synods based on language and/or country of origin, later merging to share resources and goals, whereas The Lutheran Church-Missouri was founded by immigrants concerned with pure doctrine and practices and has tended to value that distinctiveness (see pp. 20-21). • Write the words evangelical and catholic on the board or a large sheet of paper, noting that these are words Senn uses to describe the Lutheran church. Read Senn’s definition of evangelical on p. 21 and a dictionary definition of the word, and discuss what it means to the group. Ask: In your experience, is the Lutheran church living up to this word? • Read Senn’s definition of (p. 21) and a dictionary definition of catholic. Ask: How can congregations that are not part of the Roman Catholic Church be “catholic”? Have someone read the last paragraph on p. 21 through the quotation at the top of p. 22. Invite comments. Note that in the quote, the distinguishes “true unity” from “uniformity” in ceremonies. Ask: In what areas of church life do you experience uniformity today? In what areas do you experience unity? Where would you like to see more unity? Where would you like to see more (or less) uniformity?

Chapter 2: The Canon of Scripture • Note that Senn says, “The Bible in Lutheran use . . . is a gift of the Catholic tradition . . . because the canon of Scripture was assumed in Lutheranism” (p. 25). Explain that canon comes from a Latin word for rule, model, or standard, or bring a dictionary and have someone look up and read the definition. Have everyone look at the table of contents for their Bible. Note that Christians adopted the Hebrew scriptures as their but rearranged the books (see pp. 26–27), and that the New Testament books were canonized because they were seen as having authority from the apostles and were read at worship (see pp. 27–28). Ask whether anyone has a Bible containing the Apocrypha. Note that these books between the Old and New Testaments are in Luther’s German translation of the Bible. Ask whether anyone knows why these books are missing from English translations of the Bible often used by Lutherans. (For an answer, see p. 25.) • Read Senn’s statement ”A primary principle of biblical interpretation for the Reformers was that Scripture interprets Scripture” (p. 29), so that “all Scripture proclaims Christ” (p. 32). Ask: When you read or hear a Bible passage that is puzzling or hard to accept, what do you do? If you don’t give up, where do you go for help in understanding it? How could the principle that “Scripture interprets scripture” help you? Note that one approach endorsed by Luther was to use Old Testament examples as a “typology” in which those acts are copied in the future, pointing to the Bible’s overall message about Jesus. Read Luke 24:25-27, noting that Jesus used this type of interpretation. To try it out, read Genesis 18:20-32, and consider what this story might point to. Then read Luke 11:1-13. Ask: What do these two passages together teach us about prayer? • Contrast this typological interpretation of the Bible with other ways of interpreting: historical criticism (defined at the top of p. 26) and use of passages as “proof texts” for faith and morals (bottom of p.33). For each of these, ask: How does this approach to interpreting the Bible guide our response to it? (On pp. 33-32, Senn downplays the use of proof texts but suggests a role for the historical critical method.) Encourage the group to evaluate why, with their focus on salvation by grace through faith, the Lutheran Reformers emphasized typology. o Review the passages from Genesis 18 and Luke 11, and ask: What additional light can the historical critical method shed on these passages? How, if at all, can it deepen our faith? o Ask: If we approach these two passages looking for proof texts, what principles for faith and morals do we find in these passages? Does the emphasis on proof texts deepen your faith or turn your focus away from and toward law? • Note that Senn distinguishes the Lutheran view that Scripture is “ the only rule and norm” for judging doctrines from the Reformed churches in the today include those known as Presbyterian, Reformed, and United Church of Christ.) Ask: When it comes to issues like whether to ordain women or baptize babies, what is the difference between treating the Bible as the “rule and norm” (looking at the Bible’s total witness to make sure the practice is not in conflict with it) and treating the Bible as the “source” (which implies that the practice or belief must be in the Bible)?

Chapter 3: The Ecumenical Creeds • Note that when Senn calls the creeds “ecumenical,” he means they were shared by Christians since before the Reformation and today are shared by Christians of all denominations as statements of belief. The most widely used are the Apostles’ Creed and Nicene Creed. Have the group look them up in Evangelical Lutheran Worship (for example, on pp. 104–105) or in another hymnal. (Option: If you don’t have ready access to , prepare copies ahead of time to pass out to the group.) Ask: What is the same and what is different about the two creeds? (Obvious differences are that the Apostles’ Creed is three short paragraphs that begin “I believe,” while the Nicene Creed is three longer paragraphs that begin “We believe.” Both consist of three paragraphs, stating belief in the Father, the Son, and the and the church.) • Note that the older of the two creeds is the Apostles’ Creed, and read or summarize Senn’s first full paragraph on p. 38. (You might need to explain that “for catechetical purposes” means for teaching basics of the religion.) o Together read the first sentence of this creed. Ask: What does it tell you about God to call God “Father”? What does it tell you to call God “almighty”? o Read the second paragraph. As: What does “God’s only Son, our Lord” tell you about Jesus’ relationship to God and to us? Was Jesus divine or human? How do the phrases “conceived by the Holy Spirit” and “born of the virgin Mary” help to answer that question? o Read the third paragraph. Ask: What works of the Holy Spirit are mentioned? (See p. 39.) o Note that in the early years of the church, some people, called Gnostics, downplayed the importance of the body and emphasized Jesus’ divine nature. Ask: How does the Apostles’ Creed emphasize that Jesus was truly a man and that our bodies are significant to God and God’s plans? • Note that the Nicene Creed was written in the year 325 in the city of Nicaea as a group effort of the Christian . They wanted to express their shared beliefs at a time when questions and differences of opinion were arising in their congregations. It is more detailed in order to clear up confusion and settle debates. o Together read the first paragraph of this creed. Ask: What does this paragraph add to the first paragraph of the Apostles’ Creed? What questions do these details answer? o Read the second paragraph. Ask: What does the first sentence emphasize about Jesus? What does the second sentence emphasize? • Note that these creeds establish that Christians believe in one Triune God (not three Gods) and that Jesus is fully divine and fully human. Ask: What else would you say is essential in defining what Christians believe? Are these essentials included in these two creeds? • Read Hebrews 13:8. How does reciting the creeds recall for us that Jesus is always “the same”?

Chapter 4: The Lutheran Confessions • Note that while chapter 3 emphasized something Lutherans have in common with other Christians, Lutherans also have distinctive statements of belief called the Lutheran Confessions. If the word might be unfamiliar, repeat from the Single- Session Plan the meaning of confessions in this context, or ask for a volunteer who recalls. • Read the first paragraph on p. 50, or prepare and distribute a list of the contents of The . Ask: Which of these documents have you hear of? Which have you read? Which were published first? Which were published last? • Note that the Augsburg Confession was written by Philipp Melanchthon, a university colleague of Luther’s, to express the Reformers’ teachings. Articles 1-3 express basic teachings shared with Roman Catholics, while article 4 lays out a teaching the Lutheran wanted to add. Read the quote from article 4 on page 49. Then read Romans 3:21-26 and Romans 4:5. Ask: Does this statement seem to be a true expression of what you read in Romans? Does this statement mean that actions like fasting or giving to the poor don’t matter, or what role do good works play in the Christian life? • Read Senn’s statement that “The [by ] state that the doctrine of justification by faith is ‘the article on which the church stands or falls,’ about which there can be no compromise” (p. 51). Note that the Roman church had rejected article 4 of the Augsburg Confession, and Luther saw this as calling into question the authority of the church leaders, including the pope. Ask: Is this a line of reasoning that you would expect to advance Christian teaching and/or Christian unity? When matters of great importance divide the views of Christians, how should the church proceed? Is division ever the best course? Why or why not? • Read the quotation on p. 60 from the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification, signed in 1999 by the Lutheran World Federation and the Roman Catholic Church. Ask: Based on what we have discussed, if someone asked you to explain the difference between Lutheran and Roman Catholic teachings, what would you say? • Note that Luther wrote his Small Catechism for parents to use in teaching children the basics of Christian faith. Look up the Small Catechism in Evangelical Lutheran Worship (pp. 1160-67), or purchase copies of the Small Catechism, available at www.augsburgfortress.org, for the group. Allow time for participants to skim it, looking for subjects of interest. Invite comments on which topics are helpful, what they would like to explore further, and how they might like to use the catechism. Ask: Does Luther’s writing seem too simple of just right for adults?

Chapter 5: Common Liturgy • Note that the word liturgy comes from a Greek word referring to public work. Ask: Is a worship service like “work” to you? How is liturgy or community worship different from private devotions? What elements of the service need to be there for you to feel the service is “complete”? • Note that from Luther’s day until today, most Lutherans have followed a worship service with a structure in use since ancient time, including a prayer for ’s mercy, singing “Glory to God,” reciting or chanting the creed, readings from the Old and New Testaments, reciting the Lord’s Prayer, and Holy Communion with the singing of parts know as the Sanctus (Holy Holy Holy) and Agnus Dei (Lamb of God). Does this description sound like the order of worship in your congregation? If not, what is different? What is accomplished with such a structure? If a congregation sticks to this structure of the liturgy, where can it find opportunities for creatively worshiping God? • Note that in Reformation times, Lutheran worship tended to be a blend of Latin and the everyday language of the people, depending partly on the availability of a choir to chant Latin texts. Also, Latin was used for Bible readings until Bibles were translated into the people’s languages. Ask: At worship, are the words important to you? When do the words point you to Jesus or help you worship, and when are the words mysterious, like “Latin” to you? • Note that one reason for moving away from Latin chants was to get the congregation singing. Senn write, “From the beginning, Lutheranism produced a singing church.” Ask: How well does that description apply to your own congregation? Scan the song titles in the full paragraph on p. 66. Ask: Which of these hymns by Lutherans do you recognize? Which do you love? What other hymns do we love to sing in our congregation? • Ask: Besides words of the bible and in the service, what does your worship service offer to help you sense the gospel? Does your church provide music, artwork, and reverent movements (for example, kneeling, tracing the sign of the cross)? Do you have rituals that involve receiving ashes, waving palm branches, or lighting candles? How do these activities affect you? Note that Lutheranism during the Reformation embraced the use of the arts, while some customs have gone in and out of favor. Perhaps some participants will recall times when Lutheran churches treated some of these practices as superstitious. Ask what changes they have observed.

Chapter 6: Witness in Society • Note that in its early years, Lutheranism shaped attitudes to marriage and family life. Read the first paragraph under “Marriage and Family” on p. 78. Ask: How would this practice interfere with piety in convents and monasteries? How would it devalue marriage? • Read Genesis 2:18-25 and Revelation 19:9 to find “Marriage at the beginning and end of the bible” (p. 78). What do these passages say about the value of marriage? You might also read Hosea 6:7-11 and Ephesians 5:21-33 for more examples of marriage as a metaphor between God and God’s people. Note that for Luther, issues related to reforming marriage included discouraging enforced celibacy, opposing secret marriages of teens, and reducing the barriers to finding a suitable spouse. In our time, what stands in the way of valuing and honoring marriages? How can we respond faithfully? • Read Senn’s statement that “Charitable and education institutions have been an important feature of Lutheran identity throughout the centuries” (p. 81). Prepare for this part of the discussion by researching Lutheran agencies at work in the world today. For example visit www.elca.org and look up links such as those to the Church in Society Division. Lutheran World Relief, The ELCA World Hunger Program, Lutheran disaster Response, and Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, as well as links from your synod’s Web site for state and local programs. Share what you learned, and ask group members to describe other social services provided by Lutherans. Perhaps they will have noticed hospitals or schools in their community with “Lutheran” names. Now or at the end of your session, give thanks for these activities. • Note that another way to contribute to society is through the arts. Ask: Do we have talented artists, performers, and musicians in our own congregation? Who are they, and how have they blessed us? o Go online or visit a library, and look for images of artworks by Lucas Cranach the and Lucas Cranach the Younger. Bring pictures to class to share. Ask: How would these images enrich our worship life today? What art inspires us today? o Especially if members of your group enjoy classical music, review the names of Lutheran composers on pp. 87- 89. Ask: Which names do you recognize? Whose music have you enjoyed? Are you surprised to see any of these people identified as Lutheran composers? What kinds of music would you like to see added to the “Lutheran repertoire”? o Visit The Lutheran magazine’s Web site, and search for “artist” and “musician” to learn about Lutherans who are contributing to the arts today. Take your computer to class or print pages to share what you learned. Give thanks for these talented people using their gifts for God’s glory.

Deeper Still: Further Resources to Explore

We hope you enjoyed your study of The Bible’s Importance for the Church Today. The Lutheran Voices series includes over 40 books focused on faithful living, global issues, healing and wholeness, Martin Luther’s teachings, and church revitalization and leadership. Free, downloadable study materials are available for select books. For a complete list of titles, go to www.augsburgfortress.org or call (800) 328-4648, in Canada: (800) 265-6397, ext. 215.

Study Materials by Karen Schenkenfelder © 2008 Augsburg Fortress Publishers, Minneapolis May be reproduced for local use