The Family Altar
Doxology Grand Reunion

Belleville, Illinois, 2011

1.	Introduction
•	Ancient custom: perpetual fire on the hearth in each household
•	Altar fire at the temple ► fire in the home and in each heart
•	Lutheran tradition of the family altar: daily devotions
•	Problem: disappearance even among churched
•	Need for revival: rekindling of altar so that we are ablaze with the Spirit (Rom 12:12)
•	Help from Luther: worse situation than ours
•	Best resource: part 7 and 8 in Small Catechism
 
2.	God’s institution of daily devotions in the Old Testament
•	Pagan custom
•	Shrine with idol and altar in each house
•	Jewellery and tattoos with religious symbols on the main parts of the body
•	Purpose: ward off bad luck and ensure good luck
•	The Shema in Deut 6:4-9 with the paraphrase in 11:18-21: Hear, O Israel, “The LORD (YHWH) is our God; the LORD (YHWH) is one,” so that you may love the LORD (YHWH) your God with all your heart and with all your soul (nephesh = throat, breath, life breath, life) and with all your strength, 
and that these words which I command you today may be on your heart, 
and that you may recite them to your children, 
and that you may speak them when you sit down in your home and when you walk on the way, when you lie down and when you get up,
		and that you may bind them as a sign on your hand, 
		and that they may be a frontlets between your eyes, 
and that you may write them on the doorframes of your house and on your gates.
•	Times : twice daily at morning and evening
•	Turning points of the day
•	Synchronisation with  the singing of psalms during the presentation of the daily sacrifice at the temple (1 Chron 23:30-31; 2 Chron 29:25-30)
•	Nature
•	Confession of faith: most holy name and unity of God
•	Command to listen to the confession of faith and to   
love the Lord in three ways:
•	with whole heart by memorising these words
•	with whole soul by speaking them together with their children
•	with whole strength by placing them on their bodies and places of residence
•	 Recital of words: no prescribed prayer but framework for devotion
•	Addition in Num 15:37-40: The LORD said to Moses, “Speak 
to the people of Israel and tell them to make tassels on 
the corners of their garments throughout their
generations, and to put a cord of blue on the tassels of 
each corner. And it shall be a tassel for you to look at and 
remember all the commandments of the LORD to do
them...So you shall remember and do all my
commandments, and be a holy shrine for your God.
•	Purpose: reception of blessing from God (Deut 11:13-15, 21)
•	Substitute of name for charm and amulet
Location in the heart rather than in idol
•	Recital with children ► teaching: Deut 4:10
•	Use before and after day’s work
•	Writing on hands, forehead, doorposts and 
						 gates: ownership and presence
•	 Bearers of blessing
•	Purpose of dress: participation in God’s holiness
•	Body as holy shrine for the LORD
•	Use of white shawl with blue tassels: priestly status
•	 Remembering LORD as their God by enacting his 
			     sanctifying commandments
•	 Sanctification by using the most holy name

3.	Jewish custom of saying a blessing before and after a meal
•	Foundation in Deut 8:10: When you eat and are satisfied you shall bless the LORD your God for the good land that he has given you.
•	Blessing as acknowledging God as the giver of blessing
•	Blessing before and after each meal
•	Picture: God as host and Israelites as his guests
•	Pharisees: extension of holy meals at the temple to meals at home

4.	The teaching on saying grace in the New Testament
•	Practice of Jesus: Luke 9:16; 22:17-20; 24:30
•	Mention by Paul in 1 Cor 10: 26, 30-31: “The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it” (Ps 24:1)...If I take part (in a meal with meat) with thanks/grace, why am I denounced for what say thanksgiving? So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
•	Verse from Ps 24:1 as reason for saying grace before and after meals
•	Saying thanks for food as a gift from God for our enjoyment (cf. Rom 14:6)
•	Eating and drinking with thanksgiving as doxology to God for his gracious presence
•	Theological rationale in 1 Tim 4:3-4: God created food to be received with thanksgiving by those believe and know the truth. For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer.
•	Reception of food from God with thanksgiving
•	Made holy by the word of God and prayer of thanksgiving
•	Holy food for holy priests to do holy work with a holy God
•	Basic pattern: word and prayer
•	Appropriate words: Ps 24:1; 106:1; 145:15-16; 147: 9-11

5.	Luther’s Morning and Evening Blessings: Catechism 7
•	Basic requirements for lay office
•	Practical realism
•	Short ritual 
•	Profound simplicity
•	Relevance
•	Flexibility
•	Context for enactment
•	Location: home with extended family 
•	Timing: morning on rising from bed and evening on going to bed
•	 Responsibility: head of the family for teaching of household 
•	 Performance by individuals or whole family
•	 Bodily posture: kneeling or standing for Creed and Lord’s Prayer
•	Name: morning and evening blessing
•	Content
•	 Invocation with sign of the cross: self-blessing
•	German wording: God the Father, Son, and Holy 
		Spirit watch over me (grant this).
•	Recollection of baptism and the divine service with the placement of the holy name on the body
•	Work and sleep done in the name of the triune God
•	Sign of the cross rather than frontlets: redemption by Christ and naming by him
•	Dressing with Christ’s righteousness and holiness rather than prayer shawl
•	 Apostles Creed: reaffirmation of baptism
•	Confession of faith in one God and declaration of allegiance to him
•	Christian life as life of faith in the gospel rather than obedience to the law
•	Whole day and night as confession of faith
•	Exercise in hearing the gospel
•	 Lord's Prayer as Christ’s prayer
•	Praying to the Father as sons with his only Son
•	Prayer for ourselves and whole world: full access to heavenly blessings here on earth
•	Exercise in loving God by loving our neighbours 
•	 Morning Prayer 
•	Thanksgiving for protection during night with petition for protection from the devil and all evil during the day: pleasing God with life and work
•	Commendation from Ps 31:5 and Jesus in Luke 23:45 of body, soul, and belongings as an act of entrustment
•	Petition for guardian angel as spiritual escorts and body guards based on Ps 34:7 and 91:11-12
•	 Evening Prayer
•	Thanksgiving for gracious protection during the day with petition for forgiveness of sin and protection during the coming night
•	Commendation from Ps 31:5 and Jesus in Luke 23:45 of body, soul, and belongings as an act of entrustment
•	Petition for guardian angel as spiritual escorts and body guards based on Ps 34:7 and 91:11-12
•	 Singing a hymn or another devotional exercise (morning only)
•	 Transition
•	Morning: going to work with joy
•	Evening: going to sleep quickly and joyfully
•	Purpose of morning and evening blessing
•	 Daily rising and dying with Jesus
•	 Reception, enjoyment and transmission of God’s blessings
•	 Protection in spiritual warfare
•	 Maintenance of a good conscience
•	 Sanctification of day or night, work or rest, body and life
•	 Priestly service in the holy order of the family
•	Confession of faith before others in word and deed as 
	proclamation of gracious God
•	Intercession for world together with Jesus

6.	Luther’s Table Blessings: Catechism 8
•	Blessing before meal
•	  Performance by extended family at the table with folded     
  hands
•	  Word: confession from Ps 147:15-16: The eyes of all look 
to You, O Lord, and you give them their food at the proper time. You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living creature.
•	  Explanation of Luther’s translation: and satisfy all living 
things with delight as enjoyment from food is evidence of God’s goodwill that is destroyed by worry and greed
•	  Lord’s Prayer: link with Holy Communion as prayer of 
  consecration
•	  Prayer for blessing of guests and food by the Father 
•	Thanksgiving after meal
•	Word: call to thanksgiving from Ps 107:1 and praise of the 
	Lord as the giver of food to all creatures and of his delight 
in those who rely on His loving kindness from Ps 147:9-11: Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever. He gives food to every creature. He provides food for the cattle and for the young ravens when they call. His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor his delight in the legs of a man; the Lord delights in those who fear Him, who put their hope in His unfailing love.
•	  Lord’s Prayer
•	  Prayer of thanksgiving to the Father for all his benefits
•	Purpose of blessing and thanksgiving
•	  Blessing God as the host of the meal who not only gives the 
 food but gives his life-giving blessing to people through it
•	  Consecration of food and household with word and prayer
•	  Call to be thanks-givers who thank God the Father for all 
his benefits as we work and as we rest
•	Taking on the role of the temple choir who sang this song at the morning and evening sacrifice
•	Jewish tradition: the offering of thanksgiving as the only offering in the age to come

7.	Keeping the Home Fire Burning
•	Challenge to us to rekindle the family altar
•	Passing on the heritage of faith
•	Keeping the fire burning on the family altar