Divine Service

Divine Service may refer to:

Lutheranism

Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestant Christianity that identifies with the theology of Martin Luther (1483-1546) — a German friar, ecclesiastical reformer and theologian.

Luther's efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Catholic Church launched the Protestant Reformation in the German-speaking territories of the Holy Roman Empire. Beginning with the Ninety-Five Theses, first published in 1517, Luther's writings were disseminated internationally, spreading the early ideas of the Reformation beyond the influence and control of the Roman Curia and the Holy Roman Emperor. The split between the Lutherans and the Catholics was made public and clear with the 1521 Edict of Worms: The edicts of the Diet condemned Luther and officially banned citizens of the Holy Roman Empire from defending or propagating his ideas, subjecting advocates of Lutheranism to forfeiture of all property, half of the seized property to be forfeit to the imperial government and the remaining half forfeit to the party who brought the accusation. The divide centered primarily on two points: the proper source of authority in the church, often called the formal principle of the Reformation, and the doctrine of justification, often called the material principle.

Service

Service may refer to:

Acts of service

Religion

Divinity

In religious terms, divinity or godhead is the state of things that come from a supernatural power or deity, such as a god, supreme being, Creator-God or spirits, and are therefore regarded as sacred and holy. Such things are regarded as "divine" due to their transcendental origins, and/or because their attributes or qualities are superior or supreme relative to things of the Earth. Divine things are regarded as eternal and based in truth, while material things are regarded as ephemeral and based in illusion. Such things that may qualify as "divine" are apparitions, visions, prophecies, miracles, and in some views also the soul, or more general things like resurrection, immortality, grace, and salvation. Otherwise what is or is not divine may be loosely defined, as it is used by different belief systems.

The root of the word "divine" is literally "godly" (from the Latin deus, cf. Dyaus, closely related to Greek zeus, div in Persian and deva in Sanskrit), but the use varies significantly depending on which deity is being discussed. This article outlines the major distinctions in the conventional use of the terms.

The Lutheran

The Lutheran is the primary publication of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The editorial offices are at 8765 West Higgins Road in Chicago, Illinois with the denominational offices. While circulation fulfillment is done by Augsburg Fortress Publishers, the ELCA publishing house in Minneapolis, Minnesota, all editorial, advertising, marketing and online functions are done in the Chicago offices.

The 52-page magazine carries news of the ELCA, its institutions, 65 synods, 10,470 congregations and 4.8 million members; news of global Lutheran churches; news of other U.S. denominations and faith groups; and inspirational stories and columns. Published 12 times a year, The Lutheran has a circulation of 280,000 and sells for $15.95 per individual subscription. The Lutheran is the largest Lutheran publication in the world and the largest denominational periodical in North America. It is distributed in more than 50 countries. It is a member of the Associated Church Press.

The Lutheran has a membership Web Publication that features exclusive content as well as the content of the print magazine, a staff blog, breaking news blog, discussion forums, free weekly e-newsletters and the ability to comment on each article.