A Common Language
Rev.
Peter Bender, arguably one of our Synod’s foremost experts on the Small Catechism, is fond of saying that
one of the functions of fixed terms, translations, and figures of speech in our
regular liturgy and the Small Catechism
is having “a common language” to understand the Lord and His Word, and the
faith He gives.
Children
learn language even before they can speak it.
They soak it up like sponges!
This happens even more so when certain phrases and responses are in
patterns and can be anticipated. The
most basic example is a two-year-old picking up on responding to a prayer with
a hearty “Amen.”
An Example
Of
course, we have had challenges even in our hymnals. In the 1970’s and 80’s, there was a movement
to give fresh translations to even basic phrases. The “salutation” and response that precede
some prayers is a good example. The
Latin phrase spoken by the pastor was, “Dominus
vobiscum.” The congregation
responds, “Et cum spiritu tuo.” In German, the excellent translation is, “Der Herr sei mit euch.” “Und mit deinem
Geist.” For centuries, the English
of this was the precise, “The Lord be with you.” “And with your spirit.” Sadly, committees in the later 20th
century felt the language of the response was outdated, and wanted to jump on
the Vatican II band wagon. They changed
it to: “And also with you.” Sure, that
is the “gist” of it, but it is more paraphrase than translation.
Ironically,
while Lutheran Service Book was being compiled and edited, Rome returned to the
translation, “And with your spirit,” while LSB kept a mixed bag of using one
response in some services, and the other for the rest. The result is we have
mixed, garbled responses even within the same congregation, since no one is
sure from memory which way to respond.
People are confused. The elderly
who have learned one way are frustrated, while the very young are confused by
multiple possibilities.
Luther
said in his preface to the Small Catechism that pastors should choose a
translation and stick with it, for multiple generations. This serves the Church in caring for her
people and serving them God’s Word with the repetition of it in preaching,
teaching, and liturgy. In 1986, a new
translation of the Catechism was produced.
In a number of ways, it is not as strong as the 1943 translation that
many of us grew up with. Still, over 90%
of our Synod uses the 1986 edition. So
for the sake of this common language, we use it, and simply incorporate some
explaining into catechesis, to be sure our people understand it better.
Serving Your Neighbor
When
I was in confirmation instruction, my home parish purchased the 1982 hymnal,
Lutheran Worship. LW had changed a great
number of hymns to push for updated language, and in the process, often changed
the entire poetry and rhyme scheme. A
few of us in the youth group took pride in singing the older Jacobean/Elizabethan
English, while everyone else was singing the new words. At the time, we felt we were being more
authentically “Lutheran,” and took pride that we sang hymns the “right” way.
Looking
back, I see that we were not serving
our neighbors. Even though it may have
been more helpful to our understanding
of those hymns, it was confusing (or at least distracting) to those in the pews
around us. Singing “you” rather than
“Thee” in a particular hymn may feel right, but if it is delaying the
pre-schooler from learning it by heart, or throwing off the grandmother whose
sight is failing, is not helpful.
Rather, it is selfish. I had been
wrong. And I repent.
Repetition is the Mother of
Learning
The
“new” translation of the Catechism is now 28 years old. The “new” hymnal is now eight years old. The “new” translation of Scriptures in our
midst, the English Standard Version, is now 13 years old, and many pastors like
myself have been preaching from it for at least 12 years now. No translation is perfect. Still, we have agreed to “walk together” as a
Synod, and part of walking together is using that “common language.” Use it.
Speak it. Again and again. The Holy Spirit uses this to nourish and sustain
you, and builds you up with your neighbors to receive Christ’s forgiveness and
life. Treasure the tools the Lord has
given for that common language: The Scriptures, Lutheran Service Book, and Luther’s
Small Catechism. Learn them by
heart, according to your ability, and the Lord will use that as a blessing to
you and your neighbors. And when you
fail, or when you have moments of speaking in other “dialects,” that are not
helpful in walking together, remember your loving and forgiving Lord has rescued
and redeemed you, His baptized child, washing that guilt away, that you ”may be His own and live under Him in
His kingdom and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and
blessedness, just as He is risen from the dead, lives and reigns to all
eternity. This is most certainly true.”
From:
What Does This Mean?
A Series of Articles on Luther’s Small Catechism
for this 485th
Anniversary Year
by Rev. Richard A. Heinz
