ROUGHLY EDITED COPY LUTHERAN WORSHIP 2 60.LW2 Captioning provided By: Caption First, Inc. P.O. Box 1924 Lombard, IL 60148 ******** This text is being provided in a rough draft format. Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) is provided in order to facilitate communication accessibility and may not be a totally verbatim record of the proceedings. ******** >> JOSHUA: Thank you. One more question, and then I'll let the others have the floor. How did the building blocks form the individual confession and absolution in Lutheran worship? >> DR. JAMES BRAUER: These building blocks apply to all liturgy. So we've taken a service that comes out of the monastic life. We�ve taken the central service of the church with word and sacrament, the divine service, sometimes called the mass. Now let's take one where only two people are there. We have a pastor, and we have a penitent. So if you turn to Page 310 in Lutheran Worship, you will find this order. You've already got the idea that we have these five categories, word, sacrament, prayer, praise, and ceremony. Let's look at these two pages and see how this is laid out. The building blocks are there so Rubric 1 simply tells us that this can be done and protected from disclosure because it's a very personal way that a penitent can admit sin. Number two, then, starts the action. The penitent kneels. This is good to bring the person, if you can, into the church itself and do this, even at the altar rail providing that privacy can be there. So the first act is a ceremonial act. And then with this, comes the words, pastor, hear my confession. And the pastor responds, let us begin in the name of God and reminding once more to whom all hearts are open and no secrets are hit. A teaching that God knows everything already, but he wants us to talk to him about it. And so they can say together the words that follow from Psalm 102 and Psalm 51 which remind us a teaching moment about the mercy of God. Then the penitent alone continues at the bottom of the page admitting sin. This then is a prayer act saying I have lived as if God didn't matter. I have not let his love have its way with me and has the option of mentioning particular troublesome things on their heart in their own words. Now, the pastor speaks on God's behalf. First starting, in this liturgy, with Psalm 51 that God can restore us, restore to me the joy of salvation and uphold me with your free spirit. The penitent continues with the actual prayer act now calling for the mercy of God having admitted the sins. So this fits with the teaching that we have to admit our sins, and that we have to ask for God's mercy. And so there's two actions in this. The pastor then stands. So here's a little ceremonial move that is made. And now, something new happens. The penitent is asked, do you believe that Christ's forgiveness can come to you through my mouth. The penitent says, yes. And the pastor then touches, a ceremonial act again, puts his hands on the person's head and says, receive the forgiveness of Christ. As we mentioned before about the absolution, this is like a third sacrament, a very physical thing that happens and the pastor says, as a called an ordained servant of the word, I therefore forgive you your sins in the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit with the sign of the cross added to it, again a ceremonial move. Then, a word of praise. Sing to the Lord you saints. And the pastor then gives a little benediction, go in peace. Go in the strength and peace and joy of the Lord. So whatever liturgy we�re picking up, whether this comes from an outside book source, off the Internet, or comes to us through the mail, or we make one up, these are the elements we're working with. We're given an opportunity for word and sacrament, the gifts of God to be delivered. We're lifting up the prayer and praise of the person of faith in this, and we may employ ceremony along the way to assist some of these moments.