@Anonymous yep, that is common. Just be sure to mix it up and read a variety of things to get a fuller perspective

@Anonymous most are, but not all. And it's not necessarily a requirement.

@fredsbend I think A-friend is an English language learner, using the SE to ask questions about English. It says so on his or her profile.

@Daи You were raised Lutheran. What is a "morning prayer service", and how is that different from "matins"?

@Daи What is the point with holding a "morning prayer service" and an "evening prayer service" on a Tuesday in the ELCA branch of the Lutheran Church?

@Daи Why are Bible studies held on Thursdays?

@Anonymous they are virtually synonymous, but the former can have a more fluid meaning

@Anonymous it depends on the church, but some can hold these 'offices' of prayer daily

@Anonymous that varies by church

@Daи I see. There is no set requirement, eh?

often because it works best for people's schedules and the church's schedule, and in Lutheran churches Wednesdays are taken during Lent and Advent and other nights may have things too

@Anonymous no, but a lot of churches have things on Thursday nights

its just works for many people's schedules

@Daи I do remember, while reading A History of Lutheranism, that Martin Luther suggests in the Book of Concord that children should pray in the morning and at night. Maybe the "morning prayer service" and the "evening prayer service" are expressing that part of the Book of Concord?

Are the mods visiting meta lately? I've posted a few times there and they usually make answers pretty quickly.

@fredsbend Wait a week.

@Daи So, what is the point of having a Saturday night "worship service"?

@Anonymous matins, and compline, respectively - yes

but just private morning and evening prayer is part of the faith for many

not just Lutherans

@Anonymous often to accommodate folks who can't make sunday

@Daи You use the term "compline", not "evening prayer service" or "evening prayer" or "vespers".

@Anonymous there is also vespers

and saturday night can be vespers also

@Daи But the Book of Concord has pre-written prayers for the morning and night.

@Daи Do you recite in German or in English?

@Anonymous yes

@Anonymous English, although I was around some of the German as a child. But it is normally in English in America

@Daи Gee, worship times in Lutheran churches don't seem to be very strict. They might as well hold a worship service every day like the Catholics to honor God.

@Anonymous some do

@Daи So, your faith community had German ancestry?

@Anonymous yes

we had a pastor from Germany until I was in high school

@Daи Still, it is not practiced in ALL Lutheran churches, which may suggest that the exact time of day is not important.

@Daи What happened to him (or her) in your high school years?

@Anonymous he retired, but he has actually come back as a pastor emeritus to do some work in retirement planning for the congregation (i.e. assisting elderly folks in setting up their wills and encouraging them to incorporate giving to the church in their estate planning)

@Daи How often is the Anfechtung word stressed in the Lutheran church? It's Luther's favorite.

@Anonymous hardly ever

@Daи Very clever idea trying to obtain money from elderly folks for the church. I guess that's a financial benefit (for the church).

@Anonymous he helps them set up their wills for free even if they choose not to give to the church

@Daи Oh. Well, that's very thoughtful.

@Anonymous the Lutheran church I attended is also connected to a large retirement/assisted-living home, has a homeless shelter, and numerous other ministries

@Daи Huh? But won't that conflict with the "worship service"? What is the difference between "worship service" and "vespers" and "evening prayer service on a weekday"?

@Anonymous there are different orders of service, and those differ between denomination, and even within the denominations, as various editions are still in use, and some only use them as a guide while others strictly follow them

@Anonymous you'll even hear Lutherans make jokes about this based on the color of the various editions, i.e. "We used to the red hymnal but now we use the blue one."

and Lutherans within that denominations will know exactly which books you are referring to

again, lots of lingo can only be learned inside ;)

@Daи I think someone should do a Lutheran Lingo Dictionary.

@Anonymous Google "Lake Wobegon"

you can learn lots of Lutheran humor that way, but you may not 'get it' with no actual experience

@Daи None of them look like they are associated with Lutheranism.

@Anonymous not directly, no - it has taken on a larger significance

but it is based on a radio show/book written by Keillor called "Life with the Lutherans"

@Daи How long did it take you to recite the Morning Prayer and the Evening Prayer from the Book of Concord? And why isn't learning German important, even though some terminologies that Luther used may be best understood in German and in his frame of mind?

@Daи So, what is that significance? Is this only an American Lutheranism thing?

Maybe someone should do an American Lutheran Lingo Dictionary.

@Anonymous you should understand that movements named after founders don't necessarily reflect the teachings of the founder

for instance, Luther wasn't Lutheran

he was more like a Reformed Catholic

much of the theology of modern Lutheranism is not shared by Luther

a lot of this has to do with the influx of Aristotelian thought / Scholasticism into early Protestantism to defend itself from the Jesuit counter-Reformation. Luther himself often wrote about his disdain of Aristotle as this worldview elevated reason above faith

@Anonymous even that would have to be nuanced for individual denominations and then even geographical regions within those denominations

@Daи So... your terminology is "worldview elevated reason above faith". The Rationalist worldview elevated reason above faith. Are we talking about the same "reason" here"?

@Daи So, that means even Lutherans from different countries won't understand each other's lingos?

@Daи Does that mean that all the Christian denominations don't necessarily and accurately reflect the teachings of Jesus?

@Anonymous that's highly subjective ;)

@Anonymous not sure what you mean by it, so can't answer that question

@Anonymous probably not, especially if they speak different languages ;)

@Daи Duuuhhh... every Christian denomination probably will say that it reflects what Jesus taught. :P

@Daи That's okay. I don't know either. :P

@Daи I think that's a good thing. Lingos are more of a cultural component of Lutherans who live together and communicate with each other.

@Anonymous every community has its own lingo

@Daи How about "Evangelical"?

@Anonymous in German, 'Evangelical' and 'Lutheran' were virtually synonymous, but have little in common with American Evangelicalism

For a great book that explores this concept, see

amazon.com/The-Spirituality-Cross-First-Evangelicals/dp/…

This represents 'confessional' Lutheranism, so the LCMS and WELS would agree, while ELCA may or may not depending on the congregation

@Daи So, what's the ELCA opinion of anti-confessionalism?

@Anonymous Better yet, a Lutheran Lingo Lexicon

@JamesT Yeah, someone should do a Lutheran Lingo Lexicon. Until then, I think I am going to keep a private one. :)

@Anonymous that's highly subjective. First, what kind of subscription, quia or quatenus? Second, what caveats are being made? Third, what does anti- mean? What specifically is being opposed? Lutherans enjoy nuance and linguistic precision ;)

Hence why one of the favorite questions of Lutherans is, "What does this mean?"

And pastors are trained to not simply answer questions, but instead to first inquire, "Why do you ask?"

@Daи Ah, so that's what Martin E Marty was talking about in the quia vs. quaternus part!

@Daи I am using "anti-confessionalism" as an already established term, meaning the opposition of confessing explicit beliefs or doctrines.

@Daи Linguistic precision depends on the culture. If the culture changes, then we just need new language to describe whatever.

@Daи I still think True Lutheranism should adhere close to whatever Luther taught, exactly what Luther taught.

I mean, if there's a movement named after you, wouldn't you want your people to listen to whatever you say instead of deviating from you?

Also, maybe Martin Luther should be revered as a saint or be an object of devotion and respect.

And maybe Lutherans should insist on calling themselves "Lutheran", because they are followers of Luther instead of "Christian". :)

Maybe it is Martin Luther who helps lead people to the three-personed God.

I wonder what would happen if Lutheranism had taken a different course in history and had become a separate religion, apart from Christianity. Maybe the focus would be more on Luther than on God. :D