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Home Altar Checklist

May 24, 2023 · Liturgical Resources Activities

The home altar checklist is meant to bring to mind everything you use through the liturgical year that can be stored in or near the home altar. Yes, it includes the physical items of the altar—crucifix, candles, etc.—but it also contains the other various items connected to the altar (extra supplies) and things that may be used around the altar during certain seasons and holidays.

Home Altar Checklist

Crucifix

Candles

Extra candles

Candle holders

Candle snuffer

Candle wick trimmer

Altar book stand

Bible

Altar devotional book(s)

Lutheran Service Book

Altar cloth

Incense censor

Incense

Incense box

Incense tongs

Charcoal

Liturgical images

Icons

Christmas Cycle

Advent wreath

Advent candles

Advent calendar and items of choice

Easter Cycle

Crucifix veil

Palm branches

Family Holidays

Baptismal certificate(s)

Baptismal candle(s)

Wedding service bulletin

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The Lutheran Home Altar says:

May 24, 2023 at 4:09 pm

[…] when setting up your home altar? We’ve touched on a handful of them before, and even have a home altar checklist to provide some ideas. We already mentioned how the altar itself might face the east and how you […]

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With November underway we direct our eyes toward t

With November underway we direct our eyes toward the upcoming transition of seasons and the impending end of the Church Year. While we watch the harvest be brought in and the trees around us colorfully display their beauty, we are reminded of the gifts that God gives to us even as we approach “the end.” This month All Saints’ Day encouraged us to look forward to the triumph that is already ours in our Lord Jesus Christ. Likewise, the Sundays in Trinity in this month are filled with Jesus’ teaching about the end times and the final judgement. Finally we end November with the feast of St. Andrew, apostle and martyr.

❤️ ATH

In the last weeks of the liturgical year, the cris

In the last weeks of the liturgical year, the crisp air and increasing winds reflect the inner stirring of the Church’s heart. She listens intently to our Lord’s message: stay awake! But before we can fully turn our attention to the Last Day, we are first comforted by the witness of the saints who remind us of our earthly mission and the life to come and show us our own destiny of communion with the Holy Trinity.

We pray you had a blessed “All Saints Weekend,” with multiple forms of commemoration of all the saints who have gone before us, particularly those who have fallen asleep in the faith this past year. Be encouraged by our Lord, who gathers his faithful around himself, the faithful with whom we proclaim together:

“Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” Revelation 7:9-10

❤️ ATH

“O God, My Faithful God,” is a beloved Luthera

“O God, My Faithful God,” is a beloved Lutheran hymn that can be traced back to the 1500s. Its writer, the Rev. Johann Heermann, whom we commemorate today on October 26th, faced many trials throughout his life, including multiple sicknessses, the harsh realities of the Thirty Years’ War, Roman plunderings, and a throat ailment that prevented him from preaching.

However, these trials and tribulations did not diminish his faith but instead led him to a staunch confession of the fleetingness of earthly existence. Heermann used his struggles to write tender and feeling hymns about the confidence that faith gives, composing over 400 pieces, six of which are included in the Lutheran Service Book (LSB 421, 439, 568, 696, 774, and 839). Sing 696 or another this evening around the dinner table and thank God for our most faithful Lutheran hymnwriters!

❤️ ATH

We are excited and working feverishly to get your

We are excited and working feverishly to get your calendar orders ready for you! And we remain thankful for your excitement about this product and others that help us all better live out the Lutheran liturgical heritage that we have gladly inherited from the saints who have gone before us!

❤️ ATH

As we approach the end of October and Reformation

As we approach the end of October and Reformation Day, it is always helpful to contextualize our commemoration of this date within the life of the Church. If you keep your ears open you’ll hear plenty of things about what the “true” meaning of the Reformation is—folks will gladly tell you its a day of celebrating division, rejection of Church unity, and sinful rebellion.

However, what did the Reformers think they were doing? What telos were they seeking with their actions? We as Lutherans can confidently say that the Reformers were after the pure expression of Christian doctrine and a return back to the great heritage that had been passed down to them. And we as Lutherans can confidently say that we, today, are still after these things, looking to glorify God and elevate the importance of his gift of salvation to us, preaching the Good News to all who will listen! That is the meaning of a day we can be excited to celebrate.

❤️ ATH

Who exactly was the James who is commemorated toda

Who exactly was the James who is commemorated today, October 23rd? St. James of Jerusalem, the brother of our Lord, also called the “Just,” is surely an important character in the New Testament. But fleshing out exactly who this saint was and wasn’t can be a bit confusing.

Here are a few things we do know: while there is some disagreement concerning whether James was or was not one of the twelve disciples or an apostle, Christians of the early Church (including Paul) agreed that James was a respected eyewitness of the resurrection. That’s why after Pentecost James appears to remain in Jerusalem and becomes a pillar of the first Christian congregations, made a bishop. We hear of him again in Acts when he presided over the Council of Jerusalem.

Want to learn more about this great leader of the early Church? Read our full synopsis on St. James of Jerusalem on allthehousehold.com and check out our scrumptious Bacon Breakfast Skillet that can help you and yours commemorate St. James and his theological contributions.

The Martyrdom of St. James the Younger, by the Circle of Hendrick Goltzius, Dutch, c. 1578.

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Here Pastor David Petersen articulates the importa

Here Pastor David Petersen articulates the importance of the saints in our modern Christian lives. Perhaps you’ve wondered what the big deal is about these people from (in some cases) centuries past. Or perhaps you’ve found yourself becoming uber concerned with the factual validity of the accounts that we have about their lives and the stories we repeat about them.

However, the importance of the saints is so much more than just meditation upon those in the Church who are now dead or a striving for perfection in uncovering the “truth” behind who they were. Instead, the saints are examples of the faith—figures meant to help teach us the stories, narratives, and values of the Church that we can then use to better understand what it actually means to be a Christian. We can aim to pattern our lives after them, not looking for perfection but instead putting in the care and concern to model our days after the one whom the saints modeled theirs—Christ! In all things, these figures point our eyes towards God, directing our focus on the one who numbers our days and gives us all that we have in this life.

❤️ ATH

We are just over the moon about releasing this St.

We are just over the moon about releasing this St. Nicholas card in collaboration with Kelly of Agnus Dei Liturgical Arts!

Capturing the generosity, love, and faith of the beloved bishop, the “Icon of St. Nicholas of Myra” has as its capstone the image of Christ crucified for whose sake and after whose likeness we, too, can give. We pray this card reminds you of this as the gift-giving season approaches as well as the festivities of St. Nicholas who is commemorated December 6th.

Check out this card through our website, or visit Agnus Dei Liturgical Art (link in bio) to see more of Kelly’s work.
❤️ ATH

This wonderful reminder by CTSFW professor, Dr. Bo

This wonderful reminder by CTSFW professor, Dr. Boyle, encourages us to look fondly at the examples of Christian living that God has provided in and around us through the lives of the saints and those who have gone before us in the faith. Striving to act like these saints/sinners should not be an act of personal salvation or out of pride but instead as an imitation of Christ, the one whom we all strive to mimic in our day-to-day lives.

❤️ ATH

With grateful hearts to all who got us here we are

With grateful hearts to all who got us here we are excited to announce the launch of the 2024–2025 Lutheran Liturgical Calendars—and more!
Everything in the shop is available for preorder now through 10/13, at which point we will briefly close the shop to process orders in order to get them out to you by early November. We’ll reopen again then, so keep your eyes peeled for all the goodies throughout the fall.

For many October is a month to look forward to, us

For many October is a month to look forward to, ushering in fall like no other with its pumpkins, apples, leaves, and shorter days, reminding us of the year’s final seasonal transitions from warmth to cold.

For the Church, October is also notable as it continues to carry Christian towards the end of the Church Year, reminding us of the tensions between life and death, especially mediated upon towards the end of Trinitytide. In the next few weeks together, we anticipate days like St. Luke and St. James of Jerusalem, Ss. Simon and Jude, and of course Reformation Day, which carries us into November. What about life in the Church does October remind you of?

❤️ATH

What was cooking in your kitchen for Michaelmas ye

What was cooking in your kitchen for Michaelmas yesterday? Was it the pictured blackberry bannock? A tasty goose? Fresh garden carrots? Or blackberry crisp/crumble/cobbler? This fall feast of the Church is one of the best days to delight in from a food standpoint, with all of its wonderful references to the turn of the seasons, dwindling light, end of the Church Year, and defeat of the devil, all mashed together in one rich and deep holy day.

Let us know in the comments what St. Michael favorites your household partook in and what Michaelmas hymns, readings, artwork, traditions and customs you especially enjoyed—there’s almost too many to count!

❤️ ATH

Among the principal feasts of the Church Year, esp

Among the principal feasts of the Church Year, especially those that fall during Trinitytide, few are more beloved in the Lutheran tradition than St. Michael and All Angels. Such a love stretches back to the Reformers, who famously meditated on the significance of the angels (one only need look to Luther’s Morning and Evening Prayers to see examples).

This included Melanchthon, who wrote the Latin hymn “Lord God, to Thee we give all praise,” setting the piece as a story that covers the story of creation and work of the angels, including their Last Day battles with Satan. Melanchthon’s acclaimed work was well regarded in its time, with Paul Eber, Melanchthon’s successor at Wittenberg, translating the hymn into German. Even J.S. Bach was intrigued, using the words as part of his libretto in Cantata 130, which he based almost primarily on the pre-existent Lutheran hymn.

Certainly a wonderful hymn for Michaelmas, these verses illuminate the significance of angels in the life of the Church and for all Christians and provide some extra food for thought on this favorite day.

❤️ ATH

When you think of St. Michael and All Angels, what

When you think of St. Michael and All Angels, what images come to mind? Is it the scene from Revelation, with St. Michael defeating the devil serpent? Is it St. Michael as the highest of all angels, the archangel, graceful and adorned with feathered wings? Or is it St. Michael as a fearsome creature, the epitome of wha the Bible tells us is surely a frightening sight to behold with some angels having four wings, being covered with eyes, towering high above, and surrounded by flaming wheels.

There is so much left to the imagination when we conceptualize this saint whom we commemorate on September 29th, and that is surely some of the attraction and interest associated with this day! Of course there are many artistic renditions of St. Michael and his angel army that you can look to for inspiration, so let your mind wander as you enjoy this feast day and imagine the wonder that is yet to come on the Last Day.

❤️ ATH

In its countdown to St. Michael and All Angels com

In its countdown to St. Michael and All Angels coming up this Sunday, the Church also prepares itself for this last section of its year and looks into what is to come. Our Christian life is about not just what is here on earth but that which is beyond our temporal and worldly perspective. Through the end of the Church’s year, we catch a glimpse through the dusty mirror into the glorious future that awaits all who belong to Christ, a blessed comfort as days grow shorter and temperatures drop.

❤️ ATH

The end of September always directs the Church’s

The end of September always directs the Church’s gaze eagerly to Michaelmas, one of the chief festivals of the year. This holy day, which commemorates St. Michael and All Angels, is a time where we celebrate the archangel, his victory over the dragon, and his angel army whom God created and enlists as defenders of and messengers to his people.

We have a few different commemorative suggestions for St. Michael, but an easy (and perhaps lesser known custom) is the eating of carrots, which are often harvested at the end of the growing season, sometimes after the first frost. This rhyme connects the day with the vegetable and reminds us how even the simplest things in life can point us back towards the Church’s Year: “cleft, fruitful, fruitful, fruitful, Joy of carrots surpassing upon me, Michael the brave endowing me, bride the fair be aiding me.”

❤️ ATH

After providing readers a few serious and theologi

After providing readers a few serious and theological reasons for the liturgical life, LCMS wife and author Rebekah Curtis strikes a note that should ring in every mom’s heart: liturgical living is meant to exude joy! Something is going to fill the days, anyway! Let it be delight in the things of God.

That doesn’t have to mean that you bake something every feast day or go “all out” for all the holy days on the calendar. Some other suggestions are establishing your family’s own rotation of hymns, leaning into your crafty side, or simply pulling out the Bible or biographies and reading the stories of our faith over and over again. We always love coming back to this article and encourage you to check out the whole thing via the link in our bio.

❤️ ATH

Hildegard of Bingen may not be a Lutheran saint th

Hildegard of Bingen may not be a Lutheran saint that you are already familiar with, but you should be! Quite renowned for her writing, poetry, and musical works, this famous nun was seen as an advisor and influential voice within Christianity of the Middle Ages. Yet her contributions don’t stop there. She is considered by many to be one of the first identifiable Medieval composers in the history of Western music (most composers of the time were anonymous). And, she even penned her own recipes—one of which we share on our website, “St. Hildegard’s Cookies of Joy.” Yes, her name is certainly worth knowing and remembering as important within the life of her Church. Thankfully, her September commemoration date provides us with a time to do so! Join us and other Lutherans who love St. Hildegard and take the opportunity to learn a bit more about this esteemed twelfth-century nun.

❤️ ATH

An ancient hymn of the Church long associated with

An ancient hymn of the Church long associated with Holy Cross Day, Vexilla regis prodeunt, “The Royal Banners Forward Go,” is said to have first been sung for the procession of a relic of the True Cross in the AD 500s. Its depiction of the glory of the cross compliments Holy Cross Day on September 14th perfectly, directing our eyes towards the majesty of the tree on which Christ died. Unlike Good Friday, which concentrates on the agony of Jesus’s torture, Holy Cross Day celebrates the exaltation of Jesus on the throne of the cross. Thus, we raise our voices and sing with all of Christendom, “O Cross! all hail! sole hope, abide!”

❤️ ATH

Holy Cross Day is coming up on September 14th, and

Holy Cross Day is coming up on September 14th, and this sweet tradition is the perfect way to celebrate the symbolism of the day and remember the cross on which Christ was crucified! The shape of the particular cake pictured above is the Canterbury Cross, set apart by its round shape with the four arms curving into the center. However, you can certainly cut a cake into other cross shapes, making it as simple or ornate as you’d like. Either way, it’s a lovely representation of the meaning that the cross has taken on for Christians and the beauty that it now represents for us.
❤️ ATH

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