Luther rose Zion Lutheran Church
Zion Lutheran Church (LCMS)
907 Hicks St.
Tomball, TX 77375
281-351-5757
  





We Believe, Teach, and Confess
 
... what The Church has believed, taught, and confessed from the beginning. We are not espousing "something new," but we are holding fast to "the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints."

Details and specifics of what we believe are at:
The documents above are useful BECAUSE they are clear expositions of the teachings within Scripture -- the only source and norm of faith.
Because We Believe What We Believe, We Observe the Following Practice

Since Scripture is the only source and norm for sound doctrine, we are not tied to mere fads and fashions within the worship service. God Himself comes to us and serves us, we have the privilege of responding in the faith that He has given us and strengthens within us.

Our services echo the best traditions from the past -- the ones that truly teach and prepare us for life here and in eternity. We use the liturgy that reminds us of the things we most need to know: The Law offends us with how deeply we have sinned, then The Gospel sweetly tells us what God has done and continues to do in the lives of His people in forgiveness and grace.

We treasure Hearing of The Word and the Sacraments: Baptism and Communion. These three gifts are called "The Means of Grace," and are the methods God has chosen to communicate with His people.

(To all who wish to Commune with us at Zion: Our practice of Close Communion is the historic practice of the Church. It is prompted by love, both for God's Word and for God's people. It does not deny that members of other denominations may be Christians. Rather, it bows the knee to God's deep concern for doctrinal truth (Romans 16:17), and the Bible's witness that doctrinal unity is central to the common reception of this sacrament. We therefore commune only those we know share the true doctrine in all its parts with us. If you are not a member of this congregation, we ask you to speak with the Pastor before coming to commune. We ask you to respect our confession of faith in this matter)

WHY SHOULD WE READ THE BOOK OF CONCORD??

 
    
The Book of Concord is also known as the Lutheran Confessions, or the Confessions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church. Published as a collection in 1580, it contains the three ecumenical creeds (the Apostles' Creed, the Nicene Creed, and the Athanasian Creed), the Augsburg Confession (written in 1530) and its Apology (defense) (1531), the Smalcald Articles (1537), the Treatise on the Power and Primacy of the Pope (1537), Luther's Small and Large Catechisms(1529), and the Formula of Concord (1577). Together these writings, known as symbols, tell us what it means to be Lutheran.

The Lutheran Confessions are not the Bible. No one claims that they are. The Holy Scriptures alone are the inspired and inerrant Word of God and the sole rule and norm of our doctrine and life. But as Lutherans, we believe the Lutheran Confessions contained in the Book of Concord are the correct "summary and explanation" of the Scriptures.  Many would ask: "Since we have the Bible, why do we have the Book of Concord? The Lutheran Confessions are a summary and explanation of the Bible. They are not placed over the Bible. They do not take the place of the Bible. The Book of Concord is how Lutherans are able to say, together, as a church, This is what we believe. This is what we teach. This is what we confess. The reason we have the Book of Concord is because of how highly we value correct teaching and preaching of God's Word."

So why should you read the Book of Concord? There are many reasons.

Here are at least five:

1.     If you're a Lutheran, the Lutheran Confessions are your confessions. The Lutheran Confessions tell us what it means to be Lutheran. At the very least, you should know the Small Catechism and be familiar with the Large  Catechism and the Augsburg Confession. We currently have a class on the Book of Concord each Sunday mornings.

2.     You should read these confessions precisely because they are the
correct "summary and explanation" of the Scriptures. They will help you grow in your knowledge and understanding of Scripture and strengthen your faith. The Lutheran Confessions can be prayed and read devotionally.

3.     The Lutheran Confessions unite us to our fathers in the faith throughout history, including the Reformation and the Early Church. The Early Church fathers wrote the creeds, and our Reformation fathers wrote the rest of the confessions. In other words, the Lutheran Confessions show us to be an  authentic catholic church body, solidly grounded in the Holy Scriptures and one with the one holy Christian (or catholic) and apostolic Church confessed  in the Nicene Creed.

4.     The Lutheran Confessions promote the unity of the Christian Church. The word "concord" means "harmony." The Book of Concord was compiled as a collection of confessions around which Christendom could be united. If anyone confesses the Christian faith as we confess it in the Book of Concord, we consider him one with us. The Book of Concord also serves   as a piece for doctrinal discussion with other church bodies. These church  bodies know where we stand on the basis of the Lutheran Confessions, and what we require for altar and pulpit fellowship.

5.     The Lutheran Confessions proclaim Christ, and Him crucified  (1 Cor.1:23, 2:2). They proclaim above all else the chief doctrine of the Holy Scriptures and the Christian Church: justification by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. This is the chief reason  you should read the Lutheran Confessions.

We will continue reading and studying these confessions together in
Bible classes. I encourage you to read them at home as well.  (Copies are available at the church office.) We can only be strengthened as we use them to gain a deeper understanding of the Scriptures and what it means to be a Lutheran.
       
   
WHAT IS DIVINE SERVICE?

At Zion Lutheran Church we are a liturgical congregation, we continue to use traditional liturgies for our worship services. Our liturgies are not man-made, but are given to us from the Holy Scriptures and put to music. Some liturgies have been used in our church for some time, others are rather new, however; all our liturgies are approved by the Commission on Worship of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod.

We also continue to have a rich tradition of hymn singing in our church.


Zion Lutheran Church continues to be Christocentric (centers around Christ). We focus on the work of the Savior Jesus Christ, His life, His death, His resurrection and His Ascension into heaven. Our hymns continue to lift up Christ and all that he continues to do by His vicarious atonement. We are not an anthropocentric (centers around man) church, we do not focus on man and his decision or right living in our music or liturgy. We believe that our Divine Service reflects our rich Lutheran heritage, but also reflects our theology and beliefs.

Our Divine Service is not a passive event where you watch skits and plays, nor is it a service that entertains you, but an active service. God gives His Word and Sacrament and we respond with prayer and hymns of thanksgiving.

The Divine Service is separated in three parts, The Preparation, The Service of the Word, and The Service of the Sacrament.

The Preparation is the time to remember our Baptismal promise as we hear the words of the Pastor, pronouncing the Triune God, "In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit." We then continue with pleading our unworthiness and sinfulness before God, announcing that we have sinned and fallen short in though, word, and deed, but what we have done and what we have failed to do. However, God in His mercy shows us His grace by the pronouncement of our forgiveness; once again we hear the words that remind us of our Baptism and the forgiveness given in the Water and Word.

The Service of the Word is the presentation of the Holy Scriptures, we have a reading from the Old Testament, the Epistle and the Gospel. We are reminded through the readings of the day that God has and will always be with His people. We also hear from the Word that all Scripture directs us to the Savior Jesus Christ. The focus of this is culminated in the preaching of a sermon, that centers on Law and Gospel preaching. The hearers will hear words of condemnation and sin, but will be strengthened in hearing the Good News that Christ has given His life for you and has redeemed us as poor miserable sinners and prepared a place for us in His heavenly Kingdom.

The Service reaches the climax in the celebration of The Sacrament of the Altar. Here the congregation joins together to receive the means of grace at the communion rail. As Biblical people we believe that Christ is in, with, and under the bread and wine. We reject the belief that this is a symbolic or memorial meal. We heed the Word of the Scripture to take and eat, take and drink, this is the body and blood of Jesus. Here in the Sacrament we come together as God's people, as members who have been baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran Church, who share in our confession of faith, who desire the confession of all their sins and believe in the real presence of Jesus in this meal.



What is Lutheran Worship?

Why does our Lord gather us for worship?
The most precious gifts and treasures our Lord gives us are His forgiveness, life and salvation. Through His innocent life and bitter sufferings and death, Christ has purchased and won us from sin, death and the devil. Through Jesus Christ, all the sins of the world were paid for and the wrath of God was appeased. Christ has reconciled the whole world to God. Jesus Christ serves us again and again as His Gospel is proclaimed, as His people are baptized and as His Word is read. He serves us as His forgiveness is pronounced and penitents absolved. He serves us as He gives us His body and blood under the bread and wine to eat and to drink. This is how our Lord gives us forgiveness, life, and salvation. What a blessing it is to be called and gathered for worship by our good and gracious God!

What is at the heart and center of Lutheran worship?
Lutheran worship puts the focus squarely on Jesus Christ, who is present for us and with us through His Word and Sacraments. Lutheran worship is, therefore, Christ-centered, not man-centered. When we are gathered for worship, we are not contemplating some far-off Christ or meditating on abstract concepts, or pondering various principles for living. Neither are we in church to be amused or entertained. Christ is living and active among us, right where He has promised to be in His Word and Sacraments. Jesus said, “Lo, I am with you always, to the very end of the age”(Matt.18:20).When He gathers us around His Word and Sacraments, He fulfills this promise to us once again.

What is the basic pattern or “rhythm” of Lutheran worship?
Here is how our hymnal Lutheran Worship describes it: Our Lord speaks and we listen. His Word bestows what it says. Faith that is born from what is heard acknowledges the gifts received with eager thankfulness and praise. ...Saying back to Him what He has said to us, we repeat what is most true and sure. ...The rhythm of our worship is from Him to us, and then from us back to Him. He gives His gifts, and together we receive and extol them. We build one another up as we speak to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.

What does “Divine Service” mean?
Historically, the phrase used to describe Lutheran worship is Divine Service. This helps us understand the rhythm of worship—that it is first and foremost God serving us with His gifts, and then our service to Almighty God in thanksgiving and praise for all He has done. This rhythm of God giving His gifts and our giving Him thanks is conveyed aptly in the term, Divine Service. The Divine Service is a “holy” time, meaning a time “set apart.” It is a time to be set apart from the workaday world—a time to spend with our Lord. Indeed, in the Divine Service we are gathered together in the presence of the holy, almighty, ever-living God, and thus we are part of a time of “heaven on earth,” as our Lord forgives our sins and gives us new life today, and eternal salvation with Him forever. This understanding of the Divine Service explains why many who experience Lutheran worship for the first time describe it as dignified, reverent and sacred.

What does Lutheran worship look and sound like?
Lutherans use orders of service common throughout the history of the Western church. The two main parts of the Divine Service are (1) the proclamation of the Word of God, and (2) the celebration of the Lord’s Supper. Other orders of service used in the Lutheran church feature a more extended service of the Word as well as times of prayer, such as the services of Matins and Vespers, Morning and Evening Prayer, Compline, and the Litany.

In Lutheran services, pastors and congregations sing or speak the liturgy back and forth or together. Congregational singing of hymns has always been a hallmark of Lutheran worship. The best of musical traditions, both ancient and modern, are embraced by the Lutheran church in its worship, with an emphasis on congregational singing, reinforced by the choir. Our pastors wear special clothing called vestments. These garments cover the individuality of the man and emphasize the sacred duties of the office he has been given to carry out. Throughout the course of the church year, an appointed order of readings and prayers helps the congregation focus on the major events in the life of Christ and how those events affect us today. Preaching, usually based on the appointed lessons, is a hallmark of Lutheran worship, distinguished by a clear presentation of God’s Law and Gospel.

Lutherans may stand,bow or kneel at various points in the service to express reverence and devotion to the almighty Triune God.Pastors make the sign of the cross over the people, and the people may sign themselves with the cross at various times as well.

Lutheranism has continued to make use of beautiful ecclesiastical art such as statues of Jesus, the apostles, and other important figures in the Bible or church history.You will find in many Lutheran churches altars, candles, paintings, statues, crucifixes, symbols, stained-glass windows, processional crosses, banners, and other forms of art and decoration. All of these lend beauty, dignity and reverence to the service. They help us to focus our attention on Christ and His gifts. Some Lutheran churches are elaborately decorated and richly ornamented. Others are more plainly adorned. We make no fixed rules about such things. We rejoice in our Christian freedom to use all manner of reverent artwork and decoration to glorify and praise God.

How does Lutheran worship reflect Lutheran theology?
How a church conducts its worship is a reflection of what it believes, teaches and confesses. It is difficult, therefore, to retain the substance of Lutheran theology while at the same time embracing non-Lutheran styles of worship. It is important to remember that Martin Luther sought to reform—not to reinvent— the church and its worship. Luther knew that the Gospel was the heart and center of the Divine Service. He changed only what contradicted or diminished the Gospel. Luther never did away with faithful, Gospel-centered and historic worship practices and ceremonies of the church.

Why are common orders of service in our Synod such a blessing?
There are two extremes to be avoided in answering this question. The one extreme would be the view that every congregation can do whatever it wishes, however it wishes, without any regard for the other congregations of our confessional fellowship. The opposite extreme would be the view that everyone in the church must do precisely the same thing every Sunday, without any deviation, variety, change or difference.

Neither of these extremes is appropriate or acceptable, and certainly not Lutheran.

Our Synod has always been concerned that—for the good of the church—uniformity in liturgical practices be maintained so that we confess our distinct, unique Lutheran faith boldly in a country where our church is surrounded by so many non-Lutheran churches. Uniformity in doctrine is reflected in uniformity in practice.Our Synod’s first president, Dr.C.F.W.Walther,had this to say about the value of uniformity in worship practices:

We are not insisting that there be uniformity in perception or feeling or taste among all believing Christians— neither dare anyone demand that all be minded as he. Nevertheless, it remains true that the Lutheran liturgy distinguishes Lutheran worship from the worship of other churches to such an extent that the houses of worship of the latter look like lecture halls in which the hearers are merely addressed or instructed, while our churches are in truth houses of prayer in which
Christians serve the great God publicly before the world. Someone may ask,“What would be the use of uniformity of ceremonies? ”We answer, “What is the use of a flag on the battlefield? Even though a soldier cannot defeat the enemy with it, he nevertheless sees by the flag where he belongs.” We ought not to refuse to walk in the footsteps of our fathers.

But isn’t Lutheran worship German?
Sometimes we hear people conclude that because the Lutheran Reformation began in Germany, Lutheran worship must, therefore, be German. This is a very common misunderstanding. The fact of the matter is that Lutheran worship throughout history has included hymns, canticles and orders of service that find their origins in the early Christian worship of the Near East and even further back to the worship of the Jewish synagogue as it developed from ancient Jewish temple worship. Thus, Lutheran worship is rooted in thousands of years of tradition and reflects the contributions of many ethnic groups: African, Asian, Middle-Eastern, Spanish, Greek, Italian, French, German, and American as well. It is definitely not the case that Lutheran worship is German.

Conclusion
As we find ourselves being gathered by our Lord for worship at the dawn of this new millennium, we realize that we join our song with angels, archangels and all the company of heaven from millennia past who are gathered before the Lamb upon His throne and worship Him both day and night. As our Lord gathers us for worship Sunday after Sunday, we join the entire company of heaven in praising our good and gracious God. The saints on earth and the saints in heaven praise Him who is the beginning and the end, the first and the last, the Alpha and Omega, even our Lord Jesus Christ, who with the Father and the Holy Spirit reigns as one God, world without end.

“To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!” (Rev.5:13).

— Dr. A.L. Barry
President
The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod


DYING TO LIVE: THE POWER OF FORGIVENESS


Continued
Again this month, we continue to look at Rev. Senkbeil’s “DYING TO LIVE: The Power of Forgiveness” and Rev. Pless’ accompanying Study Guide.  We have spent the last few months talking about Baptism.  Last month, we finished up looking at our being marked with His cross.

So, what’s your problem?  We hear that response often today rather rudely addressing perceived attitudes in others.  What was your very first answer to that question, something reflecting circumstances in your life or relationships perhaps?  The moral cesspool that we seem to live in?  The inability to straighten out something in our lives or in the lives of those close to us?

In the fifteenth chapter of Matthew, we encounter a conflict between Christ Jesus and Pharisees and scribes (teachers of the law) who were offended that Jesus’ disciples broke the “tradition of the elders” (the body of interpretations and additions to the Law promulgated by the teachers after the Babylonian captivity).  The scribes and Pharisees located sin in the conduct and behavior of people, requiring a cleansing of the body.  Their accusation was “They don’t wash their hands before they eat!” (15:2; NIV).  Jesus’ response makes it quite clear that “…our predicament is not the situation we live in, but what lives in us.” (Senkbeil, page 73).  In 15:19,20, Jesus states “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.  These are what make a man ‘unclean’; but eating with unwashed hands does not make him ‘unclean’”. (NIV)  Our predicament is truly “…what lives in us.  Our circumstances aren’t the problem; our sinful heart is the culprit.  Jesus makes it clear that if we want to identify our real enemy, we’ll have to look in a mirror….” (Senkbeil, page 73). Our problem is sin.  It is “…not merely the sins we do, but the sinners that we are; sin penetrates our very heart.”  (Senkbeil, page 73).

“The cross of Christ cuts two ways…First, it means the life of Jesus Christ in exchange for death.  Therefore His cross is our joy and hope.  But the cross that brings us the life of Christ also means the death of our sinful nature.”  (Senkbeil, page 72)  His Law accuses us of being sinners deserving only of a full measure of His wrath which leads us to sorrow and repentance.  But the Gospel Word that is in and with the water of our Baptism gives us a new identity.  In our baptism, we have been given death to our sinful self, and new life in Christ.  “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation: the old has gone, the new has come!” (2Corinthians 5:17; NIV).  Baptism is thus our entrance into the new life and, therefore, a new way of life.  “Both the new life and the new way of life are one reality: the life Jesus Christ lives out through His people.”  (Senkbeil, page 74)  Note very carefully the identity of the sole actor in the granting of new life and the living of the new life, Jesus Christ.

We renew our invitation that all the members of Zion join us in the study of God’s Word and in together growing in the knowledge, understanding and celebration of the gift of salvation we have in our Lord Jesus Christ.


     Board of Parish Education
Issues in (and with) Synod
Statement of Dissent
Against Certain Erroneous Doctrinal Positions and Practices of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod
Presented by
Zion Lutheran Church
Tomball, Texas

The members of Zion Lutheran Church of Tomball, Texas, have adopted the following statement as the initial step in the dissent process.

All Christians are commanded to avoid those who  teach or tolerate falsehood in their midst (Rom. 16:17, I Tim. 6:3ff). With great sadness, we recognize that our own beloved Missouri Synod has allowed her "official" teachings to become corrupted by Synodical resolutions and by failing to discipline those who have negated her Official doctrine by false teachings and practices.

We present the following areas of concern:
  1. Synod's failure to renounce Unionism and Syncretism, particularly in the Yankee Stadium event.
  2. Synod's unionistic activities by continuing joint spiritual work with the ELCA.
  3. Synod's failure to uphold the authority of Scripture in its bureaucratic rules and procedures concerning ecclesiastical supervision.
  4. Synod's failure to defend the Scriptural understanding of "Ministry" against both extremes of "everyone is the minister" and "a special bestowal of power by ordination."
  5. Synod's failure to uphold the authority of Scripture as to the relationship between the Priesthood of Believers and the Office of Public Ministry, including particularly denying laity the right to bring charges of false teachings and practices against members of Synod.
  6. Synod's refusal to be measured by the marks of the Church over all other human institutional agreements, procedures, and practices.
  7. Synod's failure to uphold the authority of Scripture over any agreements of man whether such be bylaws or convention resolutions.
  8. Synod's failure to uphold the authority of Scripture as to the rule of men and women within the congregation under God's order of creation
  9. Synod's misuse of the Eighth Commandment in matters of public rebuke of public false teaching and practices.
  10. Synod's tolerance of open communion by tolerating admission to the Lord's Supper without a Confession of One Faith in All Parts of the Doctrine by children not "fully catechized/confirmed" and by adults.
  11. Synod's endorsement of a dispute resolution procedure in matters of doctrine that avoid submission to Divine Truth in the pure teachings of the Holy Scriptures.
  12. Synod's endorsement, particularly through its Districts, of worship and educational material that denies both the formal principal and the material principal of Lutheran Theology.
  13. Synod's tolerance of putting men who themselves are not under a Call in positions of ecclesiastical supervision over men regularly called to the Office of Public Ministry.
  14. Synod's tolerance of congregations within Synod using elements in the Holy Supper other than the bread and wine prescribed by Scripture.
Many of these concerns grow out of resolutions which were passed at the 2004 synodical Convention, particularly resolutions 8-01A, 3-08A, and 3-06A. Others have grown from various Congregational newsletters and bulletins, District newsletters and publications, and even synodical publications.

These concerns deal with the heart of our Christian faith and life. These issues if not addressed and solved in a Scriptural, Confessional, and timely manner are divisive of fellowship, because the abuses observed in these areas contradict the very Gospel of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, as revealed in Holy Scripture, and has confessed in the Lutheran Confessions. LCMS has ceased to stand on the Scriptures and the Confessions and has chosen to stand instead on man-made exceptions to Scriptural truth.

We call upon the leaders of our Synod and our District  to openly confess the truth of Holy Scripture, to discipline those who violate the Doctrines of the Scriptures and to encourage all districts, congregations, pastors and lay people to turn away from cultural expediency, and turn again to embrace Scripture Truth and practice.

We pray for peace in our Synod. But we will not sacrifice that truth of God's Holy Word just for the sake of peace. Real peace will only be found in the Holy Scriptures and in Christ, the Prince of Peace.

To God always be the Glory, now and forever!

Zion Lutheran Church
Tomball, Texas
"The Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth, is never present where lies are told. There is actually more unity of the church present where Christians of differing confession honorably determine that they do not have the same understanding of the Gospel than where the painful fact of confessional splintering is hidden behind a pious lie."
H. Sasse, Union and Confession







We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. Hebrews 2:1
In matters of faith, which affect the nature and will of God and our salvation, we must close our eyes, ears, and other senses and listen solely and intently to what and how scripture speaks about these things. We must wrap ourselves simply in God's Word and be directed by it. We may not attempt to follow our own insights or measure scripture by them.
 (Martin Luther, WA 54, 158; quoted in
Willem Jan Kooiman, Luther and the Bible [Philadelphia: Muhlenberg Press, 1961],, p. 229)


 




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