Ash Wednesday Service

Photo by Benjamin Roberts / Iowa City Press-Citizen

"In Plato's Phaedrus, Socrates says that he is especially fond of distinctions because without them nothing can either be explained or understood in a discussion and that if he could find someone skillful in making them, he would pursue and follow in his footsteps as in those of a god.  He urges those who make distinctions to sever the parts at their very joints in order that they may not, like unskilled cooks, chop some parts to pieces."  Apology of the Augsburg Confession, Article XXIV on The Mass, paragraph 16.

Philip Melanchthon quoted these words when discussing the distinction between various kinds of sacrifices and how mingling the definitions leads to a false view of worship.  You're probably wondering why these words are quoted here, but read on and it will become clear.

Early on in my time here in North Liberty I found myself at the North Liberty Living Center to conduct a chapel service for the residents on a Friday morning.  I was since asked to come back the fourth and fifth Fridays of each month.  One thing led to another and they graciously allowed St. Silas to use their chapel on Sunday mornings so our congregation could begin meeting.  As we approached the season of Lent I asked the manager if we could hold an Ash Wednesday service.  She was very agreeable and offered to publicize it to the residents.  Needless to say, we at St. Silas were grateful for the opportunity to have an Ash Wednesday service.

On Tuesday I received a call from the woman at the Living Center who coordinates the chapel.  She had talked with the Iowa City Press-Citizen about covering the Ash Wednesday service.  She gave some information to the reporter about the services I conduct for the residents on the fourth Friday of the month.  He then called me and asked some questions about St. Silas and the services at the Living Center.  This seemed to be a good opportunity for some positive press.

As you can imagine the services I conduct for the residents on the fourth Friday and the services I conduct for St. Silas on Sunday mornings are not the same.  For the residents I conduct a simple service of the Word with Psalm verses, readings, a sermon, and prayers; a spoken Matins without the Psalmody and Te Deum.  I bring along my guitar and accompany a couple of hymns from our Lutheran Service Book.  There are various Christian denominations represented but I am glad to preach and teach to anyone who would like to listen.  On Sunday mornings for St. Silas we have a full Divine Service with the Lord's Supper and there's a young man in the congregation who plays the piano and organ to accompany.  We commune those who have been instructed in the Lutheran confession and are members of LCMS congregations, though naturally anyone is invited to hear the service of the Word.

As we set up last night for service I had the distinct impression that there had been a misunderstanding, namely, whether this was a service of St. Silas to which the residents were invited, or a service like the ones I conduct on the fourth Friday for the residents to which the congregation of St. Silas was also invited.  I assumed the former, many assumed the latter.  We used the full Divine Service Setting 3 from Lutheran Service Book accompanied by our organist.  I had explained formerly to the manager and many of the residents in attendance our practice of closed communion, and they respected that.  We received many compliments from the manager and residents on the service and overall it went very well.  We prayed the litany and had the imposition of ashes, the Word was preached, and Christ's body and blood were given to those who could receive.  A photographer from the Press-Citizen was there to get a picture to accompany the story.

The confusion did not detract from the service or lead to anything that would scandalize consciences.  However the confusion did lead to a misinformed article from the Iowa City Press-Citizen, which you can read here: Shepherding his flock.  This brings us to the comment concerning distinctions.  I do use my guitar to accompany hymns for the Friday services for the residents.  I did not use it last night, nor at any service of St. Silas.  St. Paul's is the mother congregation of St. Silas, but did not have anything to do with organizing the chapel at the Living Center.  Most importantly, "the chapel at the North Liberty Living Center" and "St. Silas Lutheran Church" are not the same thing.  We just happen to meet in the same room.

Mitchell Schmidt, who wrote the article, certainly had no intention of misrepresenting the matter.  He was even kind enough to change the caption of the picture that originally said I'm the pastor of a non-denominational congregation to say that I'm the pastor of a Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod congregation.  We spoke this afternoon and he sought to get the facts straight.  In general we have a simple case of needing better distinctions.

All that being said, Benjamin Roberts takes a fine picture.

Please don't be an unskilled cook.

In Christ

Pastor Andrew Richard

St. Silas Lutheran Church
www.stsilaslutheran.org
www.facebook.com/stsilaslutheran
stsilaslutheran@gmail.com