Manna: 1/21/13

Martin Luther had many questions about the Christian faith, and he knew that everyone else did too.  He wrote his Small Catechism on this premise by simply taking each primary statement of the 10 Commandments, The Creed and the Lord's Prayer and answering the same basic question, "What is this?"  His Catechism has served as a central teaching resource for Lutherans for over 500 years.

As Lutherans, then, it is our legacy to ask questions.  Some may say that to ask questions of your faith is to doubt.  Not for we Lutherans.  No, for us to ask questions is to seek the truth, and to seek the truth in faith is to draw nearer to Christ.  Martin Luther would never have written his 95 Theses, and the Reformation would never have happened if it weren't for Christians, beginning with Luther, who had the courage to stand up in faith and ask, "What is this?"  or "Why?"

Recently, it was brought to my attention by a member of my church that it would be helpful if I were to spend a little time, now and again, explaining to our congregation why we do what we do in worship.  So, with thanks to Bob, this is my first installment of "WHAT IS THIS?".  Interestingly, I've called my devotional writings "MANNA" since 2010.  Literally the word MANNA is Hebrew for "What is this?"  Kind of makes you go, "Hmmmmmm" doesn't it?  :-)

I'll start with a question that I hear somewhat frequently from parishioners after worship at Living God.
The Kyrie: What is this?

Kyrie is short for Kyrie eleison, and it is a Greek translation of "Lord, have mercy."  It is an early Christian hymn to Christ.  Known to be in use by the church as early as the third century AD, it is an ancient plea and a prayer.  Various forms exist, including three-,six-, or ninefold petitions of the plea itself.  There are also litany versions, like the one we use in our worship service.  Its cry for mercy, peace, and salvation are especially fitting at the beginning, as we gather, for worship.

I believe elements in worship like the Kyrie are important for us today.  Because of its long tradition, singing it helps us to stay connected to our Christian roots.  While today's church is constantly tempted to eliminate traditional elements in an effort to attract the unchurched, singing the Kyrie keeps us grounded in the cries of the saints and martyrs of the ancient church.  Knowing that their cry of faith for mercy, peace and salvation is, quite essentially, the very same as ours today is a reminder to all of us that God is unchanging.  God still provides the same mercy, peace and salvation to us today.  And, as the world cries out, we hear God's call to respond to it with the same mercy, peace and salvation that was shown to us.

Today, it seems that the world is changing more rapidly than it used to.  Maybe this is just a fact of my own aging process.  But, I can't help but sense that it becomes harder and harder for people to keep up with the changes as each change comes and goes.  As the world continues to change with increasing velocity, I take refuge in knowing that God has not changed over all the centuries.  God's mercy, peace and salvation remain the rock upon which we can stand for meaning, purpose and direction while the sands of life move about around us with the winds of change.  Singing the Kyrie is a simple, but powerful, reminder of what's most important, and of what's eternal.

Prayer:
Kyrie eleison, on our world and on our way.
Kyrie eleison, ev'ry day.  
Amen

Pastor Rich Moore

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