Why the full service?

You may be wondering why we podcast the full service rather than just the sermon.

I wondered the same thing. I'm from a non-Lutheran background and am used to listening to Todd Wilkin, John MacArthur, and sermons from other Lutheran churches where the speakers are the audio equivalent of talking heads. When the cantor said we wanted to podcast the whole service, I thought, "okay, then people will just skip to the sermon, the meat of the service." I think I understand better.

Bethany makes use of the liturgy. Liturgical services have a quality that is unique among church services. Most obvious is the musical nature of the service - much of it is sung. But more importantly, most all of the service is taken from the Bible. Everything from the confession to the benediction is taken, largely word for word, from the Bible. In addition to this, we normally sing a Psalm, and have readings from the Old testament, the gospels, and the epistles - not just a verse or two, but significant wholes. Even our prayers, though not word for word copies of prayers from the Bible, are generally based on Biblical injunctions to pray for or about certain things. And so a liturgical service is like Biblical immersion, with the congregation taking a significant part. And so the divine service becomes much more than just a sermon.

Our church is also deeply blessed musically. We have a cantor with a wonderful voice, a variety of musical talents within the congregation, and an organ to which the podcast cannot do justice.

I have the joy of editing the recordings. It is a great blessing to be able to go through the whole service once again with the congregation, and to engage in those parts of the liturgy that I remember, quietly of course when walking through Chicago.

For examples of our music, listen to the Maundy Thursday, Good Friday or Easter recordings.