13 November 2007

I am convinced

that no one will ever understand Lutheran liturgy who forgets the central role the Lutheran chorale plays in Lutheran liturgical thinking.

I am thinking particularly of how it is the chorale "Wake, Awake" that sets the tone for the liturgy in the Lutheran Church for the Last Sunday of the Church year in a way that only touches upon the Gospel reading (Ten Virgins) but transforms it into a message of utter joy.

3 comments:

Doorman-Priest said...

And I am convinced that no one will understand Luther's thinking until they realise that he was a professor of theology before monastries, theses and papal bulls.
D.P.

William Weedon said...

Well, he was a monk before he was a professor, of course, but it is absolutely true that he was a professor at heart. Sometimes the pulpit and nave were turned into the podium and lecture hall.

Anonymous said...

William,

Good post. Same is true of Johann Walther's "The Bridegroom Soon Will Call Us," whose title originally is "A Beautiful Spiritual and Christian Song of the Last Day and Eternal Life." The first stanza speaks of the Trinity 27 gospel, but the rest of it -- originally 32 verses, but 7 or 8 verses in the versions in our English-language hymnals -- is about life in heaven.

I usually have us sing Walther's hymn at some point in the Trinity 27 service, and it is the main hymn on Advent 2.

Pastor Jerry Gernander