hear the precious good news of God’s love for us in Jesus Christ. Only when our traditions obscure God’s mercy and make us trust ourselves and what we do (or don’t do), should we consider changing or eliminating them. In 1530 these early Lutherans presented to Emperor
Charles V their basic statement of faith, the Augsburg Confession, which is still the central confession of faith for Lutherans. In it, they insisted that they had really not changed the basic liturgy of the Lord’s Supper, which they still called the mass. We can apply what they said to other traditions and ceremonies in the church as well. When it comes to traditions, then, Lutherans can
enjoy them. Tey are truly part of our identity and, to this day, still help comfort people and teach them “what they need to know about Christ.”
Author bio: Wengert, a retired ELCA pastor living in Riverton, N.J., recently served as Ministerium of Pennsylvania Professor of Reformation History at the
Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia.
‘Good morning,
Brother Sun’ Adventures in faith formation at home
By Liv Larson Andrews A
child’s world is rich in wonder and mystery. Tough we experience children as busy little beings with darting attention, they can form deep
connections with pattern and ritual even in the first few years of life. And they form them fast. When our family recently sat down to dinner, and as
we began to sing the table blessing, my 3-year-old son shouted: “No, Mama! First you light the candle.” Ah, yes. He was right. We had been lighting a small candle before evening meals for a week or so. In that short time, it had become tradition. Without much of a plan, I’ve been borrowing bits of
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language and symbols from Sunday worship to help illu- minate God’s presence in daily life. Many families follow daily liturgies without calling them that. Consider the common bedtime ritual: brush teeth, use the potty, paja- mas, story, song, prayer, lights out. Tat nightly pattern helps children and parents navigate the end of the day and rest in peace. Mealtime, waking and sleeping are great moments
for craſting such simple, daily liturgies. Te small seeds we plant in these transitions come back bearing fruit. As winter approached and the nights lengthened,
my son wondered why it was so dark in the morning. “Brother Sun is sleeping in again,” I explained, borrow- ing a phrase from Francis of Assisi. Sure enough, that is how we speak of the sun all the time now. “Brother Sun is trying hard to peek through the clouds today, Mama.” I can’t be certain yet how that language will shape my
child’s perspective on the sun or nature as a whole, but I’m hopeful that he will grow in his sense that the natu- ral world is beloved of God and worthy of our respect. Our days flow together into seasons. Days shorten
and lengthen again, trees bloom and fruit and shed, creatures move about. Noticing these movements helps us stay connected to God’s wondrous world. Marking time at home teaches children that God holds all the earth in tender care. Keep a nature table on which to
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