Did you know the Augsburg Confession has its 475th anniversary in June?

by Dr. Mary Jane Haemig WordAlone Board member Professor, Luther Seminary St. Paul, Minn.

Why not mark the 475th anniversary of the Augsburg Confession in your congregation or WordAlone group? On June 25, 1530, seven Lutheran princes and two municipal governments presented the confession to the emperor at Augsburg. To this day, Lutheran churches around the world are identified by their adherence to the Augsburg Confession. The ELCA Constitution states:

2.05. This church accepts the Unaltered Augsburg Confession as a true witness to the Gospel, acknowledging as one with it in faith and doctrine all churches that likewise accept the teachings of the Unaltered Augsburg Confession.

The Augsburg Confession is not only a statement of what we Lutherans believe and confess, it is also our gift to Christians worldwide. Disputes among Lutherans—as well as discussions between Lutherans and other Christians—often center on how we interpret the Augsburg Confession (the "Augustana"). Yet do we study the Augsburg Confession systematically in our congregations? When was the last time you heard of an adult Sunday morning forum studying some articles of the Augsburg Confession? (No, it's not "too tough" for the laity—in fact, all the signers were laity!)

Let's celebrate the courage of those confessors at Augsburg! Let's remember the steadfast faith of those who have joined in the confession through the years since. Find a way to celebrate this on June 25 or on the Sunday following. You may want to use I Timothy 6:11-16 or Matthew 10: 26-33 as scripture texts for that celebration. Better yet, let's start to study and discuss that confession among us today. In this coming year, find ways to encourage that in a variety of settings. In your congregations, organize an adult forum to read and carefully study the Augsburg Confession. In your WordAlone groups, use 10-15 minutes at each meeting to read and briefly reflect on an article of it. A good resource for your study is Leif Grane's book, "The Augsburg Confession: A Commentary."

Tomorrow, June 25, will mark the 475th annivesary of the Presentation of the Augsburg Confession to the Emporer Charles.

A good summary of the document and of its primary author, Philip Melancthon, can be found at http://www.missionstclare.com/english/people/jun25.html

The Unaltered (you'll have to follow the link to understand what that means!) Augsburg Confession contains 21 points of agreement between the Lutherans and Catholics of 16th century Germany. The points of agreement include Justification, Confession, and the Eucharist. There are also seven points of disagreement.

To read the entire document (highly recommended as part one's devotions on June 25 or its eve) go to http://www.bookofconcord.org/augsburgconfession.html

Well stated. It is correct that the confessional writings of the Book of Concord list Confession as a Sacrament; and that Ordination "if interpreted in relation to the ministry of the Word" may also be called a sacrament.

So here again, Lutherans are what former Lutheran World Federation President Franklin Clark Fry called "a bridge church, not quite Catholic and not really Protestant". The more Confessional (meaning, upholding the Book of Concord, not necessarily practitioners of the sacrament of confession!) Lutheran clergy will speak of three sacraments; and, in jest, about having "three and a half" sacraments since the Book of Concord's ranking of Ordination as a sacrament is highly conditional.

Now as to practice, it is rather obvious that, contrary to Augustana ¶XI private absolution HAS been "allowed to fall into disuse." One helpful corrective is that the 1978 Lutheran Book of Worship (used by congregations of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America) did include a service for "Individual Confession and Forgiveness". Nearly two hundred Lutheran clergy have become subscribers to the Rule of the Society of the Holy Trinity.

Chapter V of the Rule deals with reinstating this neglected discipline:

Individual or personal confession of sins is to be kept and used by us for the sake of the absolution, which is the word of forgiveness spoken by a fellow pastor as from God himself. Therefore, members will:

1. Learn and adopt the understanding and practice of Confession and Absolution as described in the Augsburg Confession (Article XI, XII, XXV), and the Small Catechism.
2. Seek out a trustworthy pastor who will be willing to serve as a confessor and who will be able to be available for one's individual confession regularly and frequently.
3. Prepare to make individual confession by examining one's personal life and relationship with God and others in the light of the Ten Commandments. Also helpful are the penitential Psalms (6, 32, 38, 51, 102, 130, 143) and the Prayer of Manasseh in the Apocrypha.
4. In preparation for hearing the confession of others, make regular and frequent use of Confession and Absolution, keep confidences, so as to be worthy of the trust of others, read and reflect on the Holy Scriptures so as to provide a reservoir of passages with which to comfort consciences and strengthen the faith of penitents (see FC, SD XI.28-32).
5. Both as penitent and confessor, refrain from extraneous conversation so that attention is centered on the penitent's confession of sins, the Absolution or forgiveness of sins, and the confessor's use of Scripture passages which comfort the conscience and encourage faith in the Word of God which absolves; refrain from challenging or evaluating the confession; use the order of Confession and Absolution of the Small Catechism or that of the service books of the Church.
6. As absolved penitents, expect to be held accountable by the confessor for reconciliation with those whom we have offended and restoration of what we have taken or broken.
7. Confession and Absolution is a sacramental rite of the Church (AP XII.4) and therefore is normally conducted in church buildings where provision can be made for privacy and confidentiality.

Since Confession and Absolution has fallen into disuse among many of us, its restoration demands utmost care and concern for both penitent and confessor. Introduction to and initial use of Confession and Absolution may call for simply following the order of Confession and Absolution lest the penitent worry about a full enumeration of sins or the confessor about comforting and encouraging with passages of Scripture.

Confession is always available at the chapter and General retreats of the Society.

Today is the 475th anniversary of the Presentation of the Augsburg Confession on June 25, 1530. Thus it is also the 425th anniversary of the publication of the Book of Concord (Concordia), the collection of all the Confessions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, published on June 25, 1580, fifty years to the day after the Augustana.

To mark these auspicious anniversaries, a couple of new, inexpensive editions have just been published. They would be excellent for congregational studies or for personal use. (No, I don't have any vested interest here, other than wanting to promote good theology.):

Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions-A Reader's Edition of the Book of Concord

The Augsburg Confession

In the Missouri Synod Lutheran church, the minister reads the old words before we take communion asking if we confess and repent our sins. The congregation replies "yes" in unison. We then receive remission from pastor in the name of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

We then approach the rail in lines and receive the consecrated Body and Blood.

Confession may be taken as often or as infrequently as one wants. We're not even required to confess our sins before Holy Communion. It's all up to our conscience.

But it's not nice to take communion lightly or irresponsibly. If you do so you may walk to the church parking lot only to find your car battery dead from a mysterious zot from on high.

Leni

Thank you,one and all, for very positive contributions and a healthful discussion conducted with utmost civility. Augustana is a document of concord, unity, and peace, and in that spirit, one final "note", a hymn from that era:

"We All Believe in One True God"
by Martin Luther, 1525

1. We all believe in one true God,
Who created earth and heaven,
The Father, who to us in love
Hath the right of children given.
He both soul and body feedeth,
All we need He doth provide us;
He through snares and perils leadeth,
Watching that no harm betide us.
He careth for us day and night,
All things are governed by His might.

2. We all believe in Jesus Christ,
His own Son, our Lord, possessing
An equal Godhead, throne, and might,
Source of every grace and blessing.
Born of Mary, virgin mother,
By the power of the Spirit,
Made true man, our elder Brother,
That the lost might life inherit;
Was crucified for sinful men
And raised by God to life again.

3. We all confess the Holy Ghost,
Who sweet grace and comfort giveth
And with the Father and the Son
In eternal glory liveth;
Who the Church, His own creation,
Keeps in unity of spirit.
Here forgiveness and salvation
Daily come through Jesus' merit.
All flesh shall rise, and we shall be
In bliss with God eternally. Amen.

Hymn #251
The Lutheran Hymnal
Text: The Nicene Creed
Author: Martin Luther, 1525
Titled: "Wir glauben all' einen Gott"
Tune: "Wir glauben all' an einen Gott"

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