Must-listen mini-gems from Marquart: What is the Liturgy?

All it takes is a couple of minutes to listen to this short clip from a longer lecture on Liturgy and Evangelism by the sainted Rev. Kurt Marquart. The full-length audio recording can be found here.

Here's Marquart correcting some common misconceptions of the Liturgy.

 

A few quotes from the above clip:

"The Liturgy is far more than ceremonies."

"'Liturgy' means a 'public service.' Therefore, says the Apology, the word 'Liturgy' - leitourgia - fits very well with our understanding of the Ministry, because a minister who preaches offers Christ to the people...just as he who consecrates offers the Lord's body and blood to the people."

"So what happens is, the public celebration of the mysteries of God, the giving out of the life of God that flows as at a living oasis. It's a connection to the Eucharist."

Must-listen mini-gems from Marquart: For whom is the Sunday service?

All it takes is a couple of minutes to listen to this short clip from a longer lecture on Liturgy and Evangelism by the sainted Rev. Kurt Marquart. The full-length audio recording can be found here.

Here's Marquart on the question, "For whom is the Sunday service?"

 

A few quotes from the above clip:

"The church meets on Sunday morning in response to the Lord's instituting mandate, 'This do in remembrance of me.' That's how he chose to be remembered. That's why we meet."

"The Western Mass and the Eastern Liturgy from time immemorial is based on the Eucharistic service, and has preaching and the Sacrament. These are the two high points."

"That means that the service is not for unbelievers. The service is for the Church. If unbelievers are there, that's all for the good. They should be drawn to it. But the service is not tailored for the interest of the general public. That would be the end of all worship."

Must-listen mini-gems from Marquart: Corporate Worship

All it takes is a couple of minutes to listen to this short clip from a longer lecture on Liturgy and Evangelism by the sainted Rev. Kurt Marquart. The full-length audio recording can be found here.

Here's Marquart on Corporate Worship.

 

A few quotes from the above clip:

"If faith is all that is essential, then the essence of corporate worship is the celebration of those things which kindle faith and which build it, therefore, the Gospel and the Sacrament."

"That means that, from antiquity on, preaching and the Eucharist have constituted the Divine Service."

"Corporately, worship is, first of all, preaching and the Sacrament by which the faith is given us and confirmed. And out of that, then, comes the praise and thanksgiving which is a result of what God gives us."

Must-listen mini-gems from Marquart: Private Worship

Some of the best theological lectures I've ever heard are recordings of the Rev. Kurt Marquart, who now rests from his labors. Many of these recordings are available at Rev. Jay Webber's site. I recommend listening to them all.

But for those who only have a couple of minutes today, please take the time to listen to this short clip from a longer lecture on Liturgy and Evangelism. The full-length audio recording can be found here.

More clips will be posted in days to come.

 

A few quotes from the above clip:

"If you're talking about private, individual worship, you can hardly define worship as anything but faith itself. The highest worship of God is faith itself."

"We cannot honor God more highly than simply to receive what he gives. There is no greater worship than receiving the Son of God as our Savior in faith."

"And without faith, no ritual, no genuflection, no gesture is any good. With it, almost anything is good. But it's got to express that faith and not fundamentally counteract it."

"In Christian worship, the mind and the soul are in control, not the body with its foot tapping and its thigh slapping."

"Anything worthwhile in worship, in the service of God, has to arise out of faith."

Justification - something to chew on

One more week until the Festival of the Reformation, after which we'll have a little more time to discuss the matter of Justification.

Until then, I submit to our readers the following essay by the sainted Rev. Kurt Marquart, a highly respected former professor at Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne. This is one of the best essays I've seen dealing with objective/subjective Justification. I think that it also puts to rest many of the concerns that have arisen from the unfortunate caricature of the true doctrine as taught by the Evangelical-Lutheran Church. In the coming weeks, we will attempt to discuss this essay bit by bit and summarize its main points. We'll accept comments with initial reactions, but if you're looking to ask questions or discuss points of the essay, I'll ask you to hold off until we address it more fully in the coming weeks.

Objective Justification, Respectfully submitted, K. Marquart, C.T.S., Ft. Wayne, IN, Epiphany II, 1998