Egeria, fourth-century pilgrim in Jerusalem, informs her readers that Palm Sunday “is the beginning of the Easter week, or as they call it here, ‘The Great Week.’” Our prayer for you, our readers, is that this most holy time in the Christian calendar will bring blessings, comfort, and joy to all who share in the […]
The Third Scrutiny follows the Second Scrutiny on the Fifth Sunday in Lent. As we saw with the first two scrutinies, the intent of the Third Scrutiny is for the elect to “renounce sin and evil and profess faith in the Triune God at their baptism” (Guide for Celebrating Christian Initiation with Adults, 58). The […]
The Second Scrutiny follows the Presentation of the Creed on the Fourth Sunday in Lent. As we saw with the First Scrutiny, the orientation and purpose of the scrutinies in the modern RCIA is for the elect to “renounce sin and evil and profess faith in the Triune God at their baptism” (Guide for Celebrating […]
In the RCIA, interspersed between the Scrutinies on the 3rd through 5th Sundays in Lent are two presentations: The Presentation of the Creed and the Presentation of the Lord’s Prayer. Normally, the presentation of the Creed happens on a weekday between the 3rd and 4th Sundays and the presentation of the Lord’s Prayer between the […]
The first ritual practice following election in the RCIA is the First Scrutiny. There are three scrutinies in the Period of Enlightenment on the 3rd, 4th, and 5th Sundays in Lent. The Lutheran resources provide fewer aids toward scrutiny rites. Welcome to Christ provides a renunciation of evil on the 4th Sunday in Lent and […]
Ritually, the journey into the Period of Intense Preparation/Purification-Enlightenment happens with the Rite of Election on the First Sunday in Lent. It is a liminal crossing as the catechumens transition into those elected for baptism. From this point on they are preparing for baptismal incorporation into the full life of the church through the Rites […]
As we prepare to enter into the season of Lent we return to our ritual journey through faith formation focusing on the third period in the catechumenate: The Period of Intense Preparation (Go Make Disciples) or The Period of Purification and Enlightenment (RCIA). The turn, out of the period of the catechumenate into intense preparation, […]
To commemorate St. Martin on this website devoted to “forming Lutherans,” let us consider his lessons and encouragement for pastors and teachers in Luther’s Preface to the Small Catechism. Luther begins by setting forth his purpose for writing this catechism, a purpose just as relevant today: “The ordinary person … knows absolutely nothing about the […]
Several weeks ago we had discussed various rites and practices that can supplement the catechumens’ primary experience of the Sunday liturgy of the Word. During the period of the catechumenate these can include: Minor Exorcisms; Blessings of the Catechumens; and Anointings of the Catechumens. We focus on the last of these in this post.Anointing the […]
This week’s excerpt from the virtual conference held in June 2021, Orbiting Christ: Belonging, Believing, Behaving , again features the Rev. Dr. Scott Bruzek, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church, Wheaton, Illinois, in conversation with the Rev. Dr. Dien Ashley Taylor, pastor of Redeemer Lutheran Church, The Bronx, New York. Dr. Bruzek begins by contrasting […]