Greetings brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Last edition of the IDE Today I spoke of the need to use the language of the Church for the sake of clarity and continuity with the Church Eternal. There are three places in our lives that using the language of the Eternal Church is of the most importance. The three places are the Congregational Altar, the Family Altar, and the Vocational Altar. Since the term “vocational altar” is not very well known to us, I will write about that one in the Fall edition of the IDE Today. This issue I wish to address the Family Altar as one of the three most important places for the use of the language of the Eternal Church.
The Family Altar is the gathering place in the home of father, mother and children. It is not limited to these mentioned but by the norm, this is the composition of the Family Altar. Edward Koehler comments on the Fourth Commandment from Luther’s Small Catechism saying: “In the home are father and mother and those who may take their place, as step parents, foster parents. Their authority reaches farthest, even into the personal affairs of their children. They are not only to feed and clothe their children, nurse and protect them, but, especially, to bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord (Eph. 6:4). In all this they are acting as God’s representatives, through them God Himself does these things for us.”
The Family Altar is led by the leader of the home. Luther prefaced each chief part of the Catechism with the responsibility: “As the Head of the Family Should Teach It in a Simple Way to His Household”. When the family gathers together, around the Word of God, an Altar is there. The appropriate greeting of those present is “The Lord be with you”, responded to with “And also with you.” The Family Altar continues with acknowledge of the Triune God, a hymn that all sing together and scripture reading. A helpful tool for the family prayers is the Small Catechism. Start at the beginning and read the questions and answers. Cover one or two questions per gathering. Follow them with the narrative scripture texts provided in the Catechism and then pray over what has just been read. The confession of faith using the Apostles Creed is of great value in continuing the language of the Eternal Church. A concluding benediction allows all present to be comforted at the promise and presence of God in His Word.
When the Family Altar is exercised on a regular basis, the children draw a proper respect for their parents. When the children hear the Word of God from the head of the household, they honor the role God has given to the parents and allows the children to understand their relationship of respect to authority. The Family Altar reminds the parents of their God given role in His place and keeps in check the flesh that wants to let someone else form the faith life of the family.
Using the language of the Church at the Family Altar informs the home that they are an extension of the Congregational Altar. It also prepares the individual for the “Vocational Altar”. I pray that through the summer each household will make use of the Family Altar and bask in the power and joy of God’s Holy Word together. Next edition of the IDE Today I will spend some time talking about the strange term I used, “the Vocational Altar”. Maybe this new term will spark an interest and you can do some study on your own to prepare for that discussion. Ask your pastor for books on “vocation”. I might suggest an excellent book by Gene Edward Veith called God at Work. Until then, enjoy the summer warmth and the blessings of the Family Altar.
