Liturgical Catechesis
The Readings an By Rev. William M. Cwirla
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ince this is a special edition of Higher Things Magazine devoted to preaching, we’re going to do a little leap in our tour through the Divine Service and go straight for the Word: the Readings and the Sermon. From the grand opening of the New Testament Church at Pentecost, God’s baptized people, filled with the Spirit, have always gathered around the Word and the Lord’s Supper. Immediately after telling us about the events of Pentecost, Luke reports, “And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers” (Acts 2:42, ESV). This has been Christian worship since the beginning: apostolic teaching, the Lord’s Supper, and prayer. It’s the same for us today. We hear God’s Word through Moses and the prophets, through our Lord’s apostles, and from the first Evangelists. And then we hear from the pastor whose job it is to deliver Christ from the Scriptures to our ears.
