Justification Rules

The Pagan Heart of Christmas

2011-12-01T08:32:00.001-06:00

Often around Christmas, much is made about the date of Christmas being selected to cover over a Roman festival or a Pagan holiday. Many might even go so far as to say that it stems from this. We hear all this hullabaloo around this time of year.

I'm glad there is.

I would say it's precisely the pagan that's at the heart of Christmas. The pagan chases after foreign gods and worships in ways that are not according to the ways of the Lord. The pagan holds feasts and festivals to celebrate, and even worship, things which were created by God, but are not gods themselves.

And it's for this very purpose that God became man, and took on human flesh, so that he could redeem us poor pagans, who chase after other gods. God came to cleanse our pagan hearts and fill them with his Holy Spirit, and proclaim us righteous by the death of Christ on the cross.

So, go ahead. Make your accusations that Christmas is founded on a pagan holiday. I'll agree with you, Christmas does cover over that pagan holiday. I'll say it's for that very purpose our Lord Jesus Christ has come: to sanctify the unholy, and redeem the unworthy.

+Kyrie Eleison+

Don't Get Your Biases in My Science

2011-11-08T10:27:00.000-06:00

The irony is easy to spot in this article by Arthur Caplan, Ph.D., director for the center of Bioethics at the University of Pennsylvania.

In Mississippi, there's a ballot measure proposed to define "personhood" beginning from conception, a.k.a. fertilization. Polls say that it's going to pass. Dr. Caplan says it shouldn't saying,

The reason this law makes for bad public policy is that it is completely at odds with what science knows to be true about embryos and fetuses.

After mocking these pro-lifers (pro-personers?), he acknowledges their claim saying,

It is true that for centuries science has shown that all human beings begin as fertilized eggs.

However, that is not good enough for him. The process by which human beings develop is also important to him. He says that not all fertilized eggs are "viable" and many don't even make it to implantation. There are many spontaneous abortions, still births and fetal deaths. Therefore they cannot be considered "persons".

He ends the article by saying,

In the push to declare fertilized eggs “persons” advocates claim science is on their side. But it is only by ignoring what science has learned about the long odds that face fertilized eggs that anyone could even suggest that a fertilized egg is a person.

Johannes Kepler.
Because posting a picture of a devout,
Lutheran astrophysicist makes
Stephen Hawking cry.

So often there is a line drawn between pro-lifers - and let's be honest, we're really just talking about Christians here - and science. Too often, I think this is thrown up as a protective guard by non-Christian scientists in an ad hominem attack against Christians to make them seem brutish and uneducated. It is often leveled at Christians making them seem biased and suspicious of the devilish science man.

But seriously. If you can't see the bias in this article... you're biased.
:D

He admits that all human beings come from fertilized eggs. However, he goes beyond science, by saying that if the fertilized egg is not "viable" and cannot make it to full maturity (often by death) then it cannot be a person. For him that would mean recognizing millions of deaths that occur even without our knowledge. And he would be correct, that is the truth. He is unwilling to face that truth. Unwillingness to face the truth, Dr. Caplan, is not science. That is bias.

The truth is truth. And it shows us an ugly reality. Sin causes death in our bodies even from the moment of conception. The magnitude of death that Dr. Caplan rightly makes evident on the basis of science shows us how sin-stricken the world really is.

It causes us to recognize how fallen we are and brings us to call out Kyrie Eleison, "Lord, have mercy". And He does. He sent Jesus to bring life by his atoning death. He sent Jesus to be our only help from sin and death. He is our salvation, even in the midst of such suffering. While the minds of men through the trial and error of science can indeed help us to discover a little more about this world that God has created, it cannot save us, and it does not have all the answers.

So, Dr. Caplan, please take a note from your own book.

Keep your biases out of science.

+Kyrie Eleison+

If It Ain't Broke...

2011-09-21T10:34:00.001-05:00

...why do you want to break it?

The past couple days I attended a conference for new pastors (1-3 years in the ministry). The topic was building ministry. I was saddened by the Kansas District in their attempt to show the newbies how to do worship.

There were three things I noticed about the conference:
1) Though the conference was called "building worship", it wasn't so much about worship as it was about exposing us to different forms of worship.

This could have been an immensely helpful conference. There are many ways in which we could have talked about building worship. We could have had a workshop that explores the options available in the Lutheran Service Builder. We could have talked about integration of choir/instrumentalists in the Divine Service (even include the soft rock options, if we must cover that). We could have talked about using the Synod-wide hymnal and its different services throughout the church year. We could have had a presenter on building the bulletin (or power point) to better assist with worship.

...but we didn't do anything of the sort.

The Liturgy of Lord of Life
w/ My Thoughts

Instead, we we taken to Lord of Life Lutheran Church in Leawood, KS. It's a marvelous building. They have facilities that can make churches covet. However, the church was designed to lend itself solely to contemporary music. It had no organ. There were no stained glass windows. The altar was moveable. The cross can be removed completely from the sanctuary, and is on occasion. There were no pews, but locking chairs. Which, to be fair, is just fine. The church of God can exist even where there is nothing but his Word. Regardless, in this space we were taken through the steps of contemporary worship.

Here is the liturgy that we used on Monday night. Notice that the formula of worship is rather common among non-denominational churches. Other than the shout out to Holy Communion, it's pretty much the same.

By the way, the confession was a "metaphor" taken from Ecclesiastes 2:1-11. And since this was a metaphorical confession, I guess the forgiveness was metaphorical as well because the Pastor did not declare those confessed sins as forgiven. Or perhaps it just wasn't clear to me that he was saying that my metaphorical sins were forgiven. Which should raise red flags about clarity.

My main question for all this is: Why? Why all the changes, if many of the "parts" are still there?

The following morning, we were taken to St. Luke's Lutheran Church in Kansas City, KS. What an amazing congregation. It is an old established congregation, served by a wonderful pastor. They do such amazing works of service and have such a thriving social ministry, that it would do anyone who wants to know about such things to pick their brains.

At this congregation, we went through what the District Officers said was "traditional" worship. We used Creative Worship. My heart sink when I saw the liturgy. It had been tinkered with among other things. To be fair, the confession that it brings about is a specific one, but it doesn't have the grind in it as when you confess before God that you are "poor miserable sinner" in need of his forgiveness. It's really not all that "creative" as its name sounds anyway.

Again, my question: Why?

2) We are not about forming a unified Synod, but about forming cliques for those within our Synod.

One of the main thrusts of the conference seemed to be to drill in the idea that we have different forms of worship to draw in different kinds of people. There are those that like soft rock, and those that don't. There is the understanding that if we all do our own thing, everything we do is equally beneficial. And we have to offer as many products as possible, so that we reach as many people as possible. I heard it over and over again, some are able to do contemporary worship and some are not able to do it, thus they don't.

This observation is one that brings to light one of the main problems with a "you do your thing, I'll do my thing" understanding of worship. While I know there will never be one unified group of people all doing the same liturgy on Sunday morning, there is something about "one holy Christian (catholic) and apostolic church" that says we are striving for unity in Christ, not only in faith but in the way that we receive our Savior in worship on a weekly basis.

I did not see this striving at all. What I understood was, let me do my thing, and you do yours. It seems that there is a desire not to talk about things anymore. Saying "I'm ok with 'contemporary'," or "I'm ok with 'traditional'," doesn't really cut it. It just keeps us divided and doesn't allow anyone to express concerns that someone may have with their worship.

From what I saw, we are happy being divided and forming cliques within the Synod. Just make sure the nerds don't mingle with the jocks.

3) Are people really going to church for the right reasons? Are they really Christians?

Finally, while it is one thing to say that a certain form brings people into church, but are we willing to go as far to say that it keeps them in the church? The debate is often over getting people to know Jesus, so get them in anyway that is possible. But what about the opposite end? Must people continue to have that contemporary music to remain not only in the Lutheran Church with right doctrine and teaching, but also must they have it to remain a Christian?

Are people going to church for the right reasons? Are they being fed and nourished as they should be? Are they receiving Christ in such a manner that it is to Jesus Christ they cling and no other? I often pose this question, and posed it during a Q&A session during the conference. If there were no organs, and no hymnals, and if there were no electricity for guitars and laser guns (let the reader understand), and there were no instruments but the human vocal chords which sang and preached the Word of God, would there still be members at your church? Would they still cling fast to the teaching of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and hold the forgiveness he brings so dear, that they would stay?

While I will not make judgments on an individual basis, anyone who leaves the church because of personal preference, instead of the false doctrine taught therein, probably doesn't know what Jesus has done for them, nor what they receive from Christ Jesus when the come to church.

Again, I'm not making the judgment, but am delivering the message. Clearly this last section is less clear than the others, but it should provide a thought provoking question? Do they remain for Jesus, or for the music?

...

With what we're doing in the Kansas District and throughout the Synod with our liturgies, I have to wonder about Humpty Dumpty. Is the liturgy taking a great fall, or are we egging our father's houses? I'm afraid that before we answer that question as a Synod, we won't be able to put Humpty Dumpty back together again.

But that's ok. Because while all the king's horses and all the kingsmen (again, let the reader understand) won't be able to put Humpty back together again...

...the King can.

+Kyrie Eleison+

Lutheran Blessings

2011-09-06T10:38:00.003-05:00

Why am I a Lutheran?

There are many thoughts about why a person might be a member of a certain denomination:

From a cynical perspective, one might say that a person is simply born into a denomination and sticks with it. A person doesn't really believe the denomination's doctrine, he or she merely attends because that is simply where they grew up.

The person "church shopping" might be looking for an active social environment. They might be looking for a place where they are welcome. Doctrine is far from the their minds.

Then there are those who look at doctrine and consider "the truth".
People get into the argument about "what is truth?"
They might question the method used in interpreting the bible. Is the bible figurative of literal? To what degree?

Why, then, am I a Lutheran?
It's not for simply growing up Lutheran (though I did). It's not about being part of a group that socializes (though that is very much a blessing). Instead, it is because we look at the bible and see that Adam and Eve were sinners cast out of the Garden of Eden.We see that they should have been struck down and killed for their sin, yet God spared them and clothed them and cared for them all for the sake of the Messiah he promised to send. I am a Lutheran because I am as great a sinner as Adam and Eve, and without God sending his Son to save me, I would not be here today... at all.

There is that recognition that I am a poor miserable sinner hopelessly lost unless someone would save and redeem me, and that drives me to Christ. Lutheranism rightly teaches that Christ Jesus comes in the preached Word and through the Sacraments to forgive my sins and preserve me unto life everlasting. This is the heart and soul of Lutheranism, and the heart and soul of Christianity.

This is why I am a Lutheran.

+Kyrie Eleison+

The Yoke of Christ

2011-08-11T09:33:00.002-05:00

On Sunday, August 7th, 2011, I was ordained into the office of the Holy Ministry and installed as pastor of both Immanuel Lutheran Church in Hepler, KS, and Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Erie, KS.

The responsibility of this office is weighty. Preach a faithful Law/Gospel sermon. Make sure the Gospel is preached clearly. Make sure the phrase "Sir, I want to see Jesus" stays with me throughout all pastoral care. Do not neglect the sick and the elderly. Visit the shut-ins. Provide for the education of the children in the knowledge of the Scriptures and Christian faith. And the list goes on.

Today is Thursday morning and that weighty responsibility still rest upon my shoulders. Yet, I am reminded by Paul that it is not my office to which I must attend, but Christ's. He writes in Ephesians 3:

Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God’s grace, which was given me by the working of his power. ⁸To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, ⁹and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things, ¹⁰so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.

To preach Christ, to teach Christ, to give Christ to the people... rests in Christ's hands. I am but his instrument that He has chosen by the gift of God's grace, ...given to me by the working of his power.

+Kyrie Eleison+

The Words of Institution

2010-10-05T21:32:00.003-05:00

I am currently reading Luther's Confession Concerning Christ's Supper.

One of the things that strikes me is the fact that Luther continuously and constantly returns to the Words of Institution to make his case.

He always points to the plain simple meaning of the text. Thus when Jesus Christ says "This is my body" the burden of proof lies with the person who declares that what Christ said must be otherwise understood.

It is no wonder why then in the small catechism he relies on the Words of Institution for promise and blessing in the Supper. As he says

It is the true body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, under the bread and wine, for us Christians to eat and to drink, instituted by Christ Himself.

And further speaks,

[The benefit of eating and drinking] is shown us in these words: Given, and shed for you, for the remission of sins; namely, that in the Sacrament forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation are given us through these words. For where there is forgiveness of sins, there is also life and salvation.

What a gift and a blessing that our Lord has so simply and plainly laid out for us such wonderful Words of promise that even a Kindergartner of 1st grader can understand what Christ says when He speaks the Word of Institution.

Feel free to read again Christ's Word in Matthew , Mark, Luke, and St. Paul.

Luther's work here in Confession Concerning Christ's Supper is truly one of Luther's more excellent writings, to the extent that you'll find portions of it in The Formula of Concord concerning the person of Christ.

O Lord, we praise Thee, bless Thee, and adore Thee,
In thanksgiving bow before Thee.
Thou with Thy body and Thy blood didst nourish
Our weak souls that they may flourish.
O Lord, have mercy!
May Thy body, Lord, born of Mary
That our sins and sorrow did carry,
And Thy blood for us plead in all trial, fear and need:
O Lord, have mercy!

+Kyrie Eleison+

New Look - New Start

2010-09-20T11:45:00.002-05:00

As you've noticed (or haven't), I have not posted in a while.

Lots of things were going on in my life. I got engaged, started wedding planning, moved back to the seminary, and started classes.

Now, two weeks into classes, I have a hankering to start blogging at least once a week again. I need once again to write on topics that are on my mind.

In the meantime, pray that in my studies God would guide my heart and mind to life and salvation in Jesus Christ in such a way that I might repeat such mercies to the flock that He may one day place me over.

+Kyrie Eleison+

Hiatus

2010-07-20T10:23:00.002-05:00

I took a hiatus from posting despite my intent to post throughout June. I did this mainly because the end of my vicarage was extremely busy and it came to a quick end, then I've been traveling ever since I got back to Oklahoma.

Here's a brief look at what I've been doing for this past month:

The end of vicarage was busy. I preached two of the last three weeks. I had something going on every evening for the last twelve or so days of vicarage. Thankfully, my love Angelyn came to Michigan to help me move. I don't think I could have packed as efficiently alone. :D

When I got back to Oklahoma I spent a couple days in Tulsa visiting my sister Betsy, her husband Tim, and their baby (my niece) Kaytlyn.

From there I went home to Meno for a day, only to leave for Winchester, TX for my cousin Christopher's wedding. After getting back, I spent a couple days in Norman, OK with Angelyn. Then I headed back to Meno.

A few days later I headed to Tulsa for Kaytlyn's baptism. I am a proud baptismal sponsor. :D

Finally, this past weekend I went down to Richardson, TX to spend some time with Angelyn and her family. I was a great weekend.

That's about it. Now I think I'll have a few weeks of stability. Hopefully I'll be able to post a bit more frequently.

+Kyrie Eleison+ (Indeed, He has as He's protected me in all my travels.)

Christians are Like Vuvuzelas

2010-06-16T07:32:00.004-05:00

If you've seen any part of the 2010 World Cup broadcast from Africa thus far, you have noticed the pleasant sound of the vuvuzela rising from the crowd to produce the most incorporating and relaxing sound which helps one assimilate into being part of a "football" match in South Africa.

And if you have watched any of the matches, you certainly know that the vuvuzela makes no such sound. Instead, the sound which these large plastic horns makes is annoying, loud, and sounds - as many have said - like a hive of buzzing bees. The broadcasters said the noise is even worse being at the matches in person than that which we spectators receive across the live airwaves.

Now the sound of these vuvuzelas is so incredible annoying that almost every country has complained and many of the players as well. It got bad enough that the FIFA World Cup suits were considering banning the vuvuzelas from every stadium. They discussed it and decided that the annoying instruments would not be banned. The reason they gave in defense of the instrument was this: that the vuvuzela was a uniquely South African way of celebrating football matches and to take away the vuvuzela would insult the South African host nation and its long tradition of using the vuvuzela. Despite its annoyance to the rest of the world, the vuvuzela was staying.

Perhaps we should learn a lesson from the vuvuzela. As Christians, we stick out in this world like a vuvuzela during a World Cup match, and we can be just as annoying to the world. With our Godly ethical system - e.g. the way we protect the sanctity of life, and uphold marriage - and the way in which we proclaim Jesus Christ as the only way by which a man can obtain heaven, we are the greatest annoyance to the world and they cannot bear it. Jesus Christ is the ultimate vuvuzela stumbling block for our World Cup world. (Sorry Jesus, just making a point.)

But seriously, we Christians are in the world, not of it. We look and act like others, yet we stick out simply because Jesus Christ has called us to himself. He has made us His baptized and forgiven children. He is forming us through repentance and forgiveness, confession and absolution into His own image even now. We are God's people and our lives reflect this.

This I think speaks to another point.

In the World Cup the South Africans were allowed to blow their vuvuzelas because it was inherently part of their football worship. If you took it away from them, it would be taking away from them part of who they are . It is the same with Christian worship. If we are told that we must take away part of the way in which we rightly worship the Lord, and if we are told we must change because others will be annoyed and put-off by the way the Divine Service is ordered, then we lose a part of ourselves. We lose a part of our identity. Yet, we don't lose it because it is our tradition, no, we lose a part of who we are because we take away the way in which God gives us his magnificent gifts and makes us who we are. If we remove the means by which God deigns to give us forgiveness, by word and sacrament, then we lose the very means by which we are God's people.

Who knew the vuvuzela could be a catechetical tool.

P.S. If you have an iSomething, you can download a vuvuzela as an app. Get it here.

+Kyrie Eleison+

Amish Grace

2010-06-14T07:28:00.004-05:00

I was bored Saturday night, so I flipped on the TV and started watching the lifetime movie Amish Grace.

The movie Amish Grace is based on shootings that took place at a one-room Amish schoolhouse on October 2, 2006. A man entered the schoolhouse and killed 5 young girls before committing suicide. It was tragic. All the people involved - shooter, children, and all the families - belonged to Christian communities of faith. The story in the press was highlighted by the outpouring of love, compassion, and forgiveness by the Amish people on the shooter's family - to the amazement of many.

The movie did a great job portraying the hatred that was felt by both the victims' families and the shooter's wife. What it did not do was accurately portray what forgiveness was. Forgiveness was boiled down into a "letting go" of negative emotions. It was also very law oriented. Scripture itself was lightly employed and the only verses I recall being quoted in the entire movie was Matthew 6:14 and the reading of Psalm 23. The idea of forgiveness was watered down to emotional blather. At one point one of the Amish elders said that forgiveness was, indeed, not pardon. So much for that "whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven" spoken by Jesus.

I'm not sure if that idea of forgiveness is really what the Amish believe. It'd be hard to believe that, though I guess it could be true. And while emotional release isn't the purpose of forgiveness, I guess it still can begin that process to mental and emotional recovery. Though, that is only secondary.

In regard to this, let us always be mindful that we are justified by Christ by the forgiveness of our sins. We truly are pardoned of our many sins because Jesus himself took our punishment. Because of that, we know that even for the most horrible of sinners, even the shooter's sins in this tragedy, were taken to the cross by Jesus so that in Christ there is always hope for salvation.

+Kyrie Eleison+

The Blessings of Technology

2010-06-10T09:27:00.005-05:00

My niece was born yesterday.

Yesterday evening, Craig sent me a picture of my niece by cellphone. I skyped with my niece. I let people know by facebook that she had been safely born into the world. I wrote a blog telling anyone who would like to know that my niece was a beautiful healthy baby to the glory of God. After I did all that, I marveled for a minute about the blessings that technology brings.

A mere 25.75 years ago, I was born. If someone had wanted to see me as a newborn baby, they had to come to the hospital. If they wanted to tell others about me, they had to call another person almost definitely on a hardline hoping that someone was around to pick up. A person if they were away from that birth would miss out on a lot of the celebration.

I was away, yet I can tell my niece when she's older that I was able to celebrate with everyone on the day of her birth. I got to see her and hear her, even though I was not able to hold her. Praise the Lord that He has blessed men and women in this world to dream and create this kind of technology for the benefit of His children.

Now you can argue about the dangers of technology and it's dismal effects on society. But we cannot downplay the blessings that it provides as well. As a vain exercise, I think about what it would be like if Paul would have had Skype to talk with Peter and Apollos. What if Athanasius had blogged during his exiles and all the people of the world could have read what he had written? What if the Cappadocian Fathers had had Facebook? I know, I know. Feel free to mock this vain exercise. God did not ordain it to be, so perhaps I should not think this, but it is still fun.

We cannot deny that there are many blessings to technology. And I thank God that I was able to utilize that which He has given to bring joy to my life.

+Kyrie Eleison+

Kaytlyn Grace Fleming

2010-06-09T21:27:00.005-05:00

My niece!

I am blessed to be the uncle of a healthy 7lbs 6oz, 20 1/4" beautiful little girl named Kaytlyn Grace. She brings me so much joy and I haven't got to hold her yet. However, I have gotten to see her. When she was only about 6 hours old, my niece and I "skyped" each other. She's wonderful. I love you Kaytlyn!

Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward. - Psalm 127:3

+Kyrie Eleison+

Ignatius to Polycarp

2010-06-08T08:16:00.004-05:00

I picked up my copy of the Apostolic Fathers today. I was intending to glance through the Didache in order to do a little early church teaching with the Thursday evening Bible class. Instead, I wound up reading the letter from Ignatius of Antioch to Polycarp of Smyrna.

With all the talk of "relevance" today in the church, they should take a page from Ignatius' letters and realize that Christ and His Word is relevant simply if it is kept unadulterated and taught purely.

You can tell by the way Ignatius exhorts Polycarp to be a good pastor, that there is clear concern for God's people founded solely on the grace of God in Christ Jesus. And those exhortations bring joy to the heart because in those exhortations he continually points us back to grace. For example, Ignatius exhorts Polycarp,

"Bear with all people, even as the Lord bears with you."

"Please the one whom you serve as soldiers, from whom you receive your wages. Let none of you be found a deserter. Let your baptism serve as a shield, faith as a helmet, love as a spear, endurance as armor."

It's quite remarkable what Ignatius does with His exhortations. I realize this is a letter and not a sermon, but would that I could exhort with as much grace as Ignatius did, better yet, with as much as our Lord Christ did. Thorough the grace of Jesus Christ, indeed, we can rejoice at Godly living that He has worked in us and through us.

What a remarkable letter! And I pray that one day as I finish my studies another pastor would say to me as Ignatius said to Polycarp,

"For by grace I trust that you are ready for a good work in the service of God."

+Kyrie Eleison+

101.1 - Woodward, OK

2010-06-07T21:38:00.002-05:00

Tonight I listened to K101 out of Woodward, OK. Country music at its best.

It's been a while since I've listened to the station. I had forgotten that I could - online. It's my favorite radio station. It plays the mainstream stuff, but it also plays a lot of music that isn't mainstream.

It was probably the most relaxing evening I've had in a while. I read about the Athenian's slow decline in naval power while listening to Easton Corbin belt out Roll With It. Fun. Just Fun.

Alright, good night.

Psalm 3:5
I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the Lord sustained me.

+Kyrie Eleison+

Why are you clapping?

2010-06-04T10:35:00.003-05:00

When I am sitting in church, there are a few things that make me want to slam my forehead into the pews in front of me. But recently, there is nothing that makes me want to do this more so than clapping during church?

The Divine Service (and indeed any service) is one where we first of all receive what God gives us in His Word and Sacraments. As of second import we respond to what we are given in calling upon the name of God, prayer, praise, and giving thanks. The entire service is a back and forth flow between God giving and us receiving and responding.

So, into which part of the service does clapping fit? Why are you clapping? The people who clap likely have not even considered this. Are you clapping in response to what God has done for you?

Or... are you clapping for the group of kids who just finished singing a song about how they love Jesus? Are you clapping for the trumpeter who has just played the descant to "I Know That My Redeemer Lives" in the grandest fashion? Are you clapping for the choir who has just sung a grand piece at a most appropriate time of the year?

Why are we clapping for people who are presenting their gifts and talents in works of service to the church? Why have we turned our attention off of our Lord during the service and put it on men? Why do we so often cheer and applaud the works of men, rather than keep our attention on the greatest work ever done for us by God - the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of our sins?

It astounds me.

I guess the sinful flesh will have its way with us and rebel against God, especially during the time when God is trying to give us His most precious gifts.

Holy Spirit work in us to focus our attention on the true center of God's Divine Service, Jesus Christ.

+Kyrie Eleison+

Lords of the Sea

2010-06-04T07:39:00.006-05:00

I am reading a fantastic book. It is called Lords of the Sea written by John R. Hale. It chronicles the correlation between the rise of democracy in Athens and the ascent of the Athenians to "Lords of the Sea."

I once took a class at the University of Oklahoma called Freedom in Greece by the great professor Dr. J. Rufus Fears. In that class, though we covered many aspects of Grecian power, we studied extensively the Athenians and the Spartans (bitter enemies of one another). They had an intense desire for liberty that no man would take from them. This was my introduction to Ancient Greece and her exploits.

I also took two other classes there, The Ancient Art of War and The History of Sparta. Both of these classes were taught by Dr. Alfred S. Bradford. He was a kind-hearted professor who also happens to have served in Vietnam. In these classes I was able to dive more intensely into the warfare culture that had developed in ancient Greece, especially in Sparta.

Now with this book, I am getting the strictly Athenian side of the history of the Greek world. It is interesting to see the difference in perspective when reading this book as compared with The Spartans. It is clearly more sympathetic to the Athenians, though it does do a fair job at not demonizing the Spartans.

The book covers a timeline from about 480 BC until c. 320 BC a period of roughly 160 years. That is less time than the U.S. of A. has been around. It is incredible to see the dynamics of government go from oligarchy, to democracy, to oligarchy, to tyranny, to oligarchy, to democracy, and never remain stable AND how it ultimately resided upon the success of their maritime activities. Simply incredible. As I near the end of the book, I begin to realize how quickly these changes took place within Athens, and how comparable some of the Athenian situations are to the current government of the United States.

Immigration, taxation, disappointing government officials, allocation of state funds - all of these things which were problems and instigators of change in Athens are current problems in America. Sure we are much larger than Greece, but the problems remain. Perhaps it is only a indicator that changes are coming, but they will only come more slowly.

Athens was the superpower of the Ancient World. It was the most technologically advanced civilization. It was the leader among its allies, and its allies aided the greater Athenian seafaring forces in battle. Yet, how quickly the tides could turn. Athens quickly went from superpower to subservient city-state. What lessons can we learn from them? I think that may be still up for debate. But, I am afraid that the U.S. is on a collision course with history, and if we don't yield and learn from that great passing ship, we might end up like the Athenians and find that we have become but a small vessel drifting helplessly against the out going tide of time.

+Kyrie Eleison+

The "Gospel" According to Starbucks

2010-06-03T21:48:00.003-05:00

I am reading "The Gospel According to Starbucks".

It is not a good book.

It is well intentioned, but it is way off track. It makes unreliable claims about the personality of Jesus and has a blatantly negative view of all things historical in worship. Okay, maybe not blatantly, but you can still see that the author of the book clearly thinks that if Christians are to be REAL Christians, they must be exciting.

I'm about half done. I'll render a more thorough review after I am done with it.

+Kyrie Eleison+

The Month of 30+ Posts

2010-06-02T07:12:00.003-05:00

Friends and all, I am going to attempt something I have yet to do - post on my blog each day for an entire month. Since I made a post yesterday, I have decided to post every day for the course of June.

My reasons for doing this?

1) Discipline. This in part will be an exercise in discipline. Am I disciplined enough, committed enough, to blog every day for the month of June. We shall see...

2) Forced expansion of theological horizons. I have been lax in disciplined reading this year. I have read large pieces of books here and there, but I intend for the month of June to do much more. Thus some of those thoughts from reading will be the subject of my blog posts.

3) Things are wrapping up on vicarage. A little more free time should allow for me to do this.

So, if you read my blog, that is fantastic. If not, well, no "if not", because you aren't reading this anyway.

Blessings and lets see where my endeavors take us.

+Kyrie Eleison+

Gustavus Adolphus

2010-06-01T06:58:00.007-05:00

For the next two weeks Angelyn and her family will be in Scandinavia traveling through Sweden, Norway, and Denmark. That got me thinking about Gustavus Adolphus, a great hero of the Thirty Years' War.

Why? First, because with a name like Gustavus Adolphus, you simply must be awesome. Second, as a the King of Sweden he was a superb general (often credited with furthering military strategy), an excellent governing authority (bringing order and stability to the economic well being of Sweden), and a devout Christian. Both his parents were Reformed of the Calvinistic strain, yet he was highly influenced by Lutheranism.

Angelyn has been across the Atlantic more than a few times. She mentioned to me that in some places the residents tended to memorialize certain characters, ranging from the mythical to the historical. I am hoping that Gustavus Adolphus is one of these characters that the people of Sweden have chosen to rally around.

You see, it was Gustavus Adolphus who gave great hope to the Lutheran/Protestant side during the Thirty Years' War. Though the Lutheran side was eventually gravely defeated and great concessions were made on their part, for a time due to Gustavus Adolphus' leadership and skills as a general they were inspired to make headway during that war. It has been said that as a leader he was truly devout and tried to lead a truly Christian army, if that could indeed be done.

As it is, I am hoping that Angelyn can find something "Gustavus Adolphus" to bring back for me. That would be fantastic.

+Kyrie Eleison+

A Mother's Day Thought

2010-05-05T08:42:00.005-05:00

I realize that this post is early for Mother's Day, but I found it necessary to post this to have a catharsis of some of my sermonizing thoughts from this week.

I was thinking about how I can incorporate Mother's Day into my sermon. As a vicar, I'll never hear the end of it if I don't. However, the tragedy of sin in the world prevents me from preaching the happiness of motherhood superficially in my sermon, while still concentrating on another main point of the text. The reality that motherhood is tarnished by sin and Christ's redemption of motherhood is a whole sermon in itself. If you're going to touch upon mothers on Mother's Day: don't. You'll do injustice unless you devote sometime to it.

The problem lies in, as I mentioned, sin. Yes, motherhood is joyful. It is a wonderful blessing to be a mother. But you cannot simply talk about the joys of motherhood. What about all the women who are infertile, and unable to conceive? If you preach only the blissfulness of mother, you inevitably take a John Henry hammer to the railroad spike already driven into the heart of that sin-stricken woman. A broken family, a motherless child, a mother whose child has died, the loss of the familial matriarch - there are so many who, if we do not recognize the effects of sin in the world, will be utterly crushed by taking Mother's Day as the commercialized feel good day it is urged to be.

I'll say it again, motherhood is joyful. We should rejoice in this amazing economy of God and this vocation by which He cares for and brings children to adulthood.

So if you're going to preach on motherhood, preach it all. But most importantly, preach Jesus. For in His death, there is life: life for the barren, life for the dead, and life for the separated. By that forgiveness in Christ Jesus, He makes all things new. Perhaps now, perhaps not now, but certainly He promises it in eternity. Take your joy and your comfort in Christ Jesus our Lord.

+Kyrie Eleison+

An Interesting Observation

2010-05-03T14:27:00.003-05:00

As I was working on a sermon for Sunday, I began to think of the freedom we have as Christians.

Before conversion our souls are bound to Satan, and afterward we are bound to God in Christ Jesus. Yet, now as Christians because God is our Lord and Master, when presented with a decision between two choices, we have the freedom to choose either. So long as both are good and Godly, reason may decide the choice because each are good choices and God can work through you despite the choice you make.

First there is bondage, then there is freedom!

Yet, when I began to think about other "Christian" theologies, the role seems to be reversed. In this particular theology, it is supposed that there is freedom of the will before conversion. One can make a choice for God. Yet, afterward when they are Christians, they try to bind themselves to deciphering God's will - I must discern God's will for my life, for my church, and for my ______. For them, when presented with two decisions which are equally Godly and good, there IS a wrong choice and therefore they must try to bind themselves to what they think is God's will and they fret and worry and despair.

First there is freedom, then there is bondage!

What a joy to have the Gospel ringing in my ears telling me: Jay, the Lord is with you. Make your choices, I am still with you. By the blood of my Son, Jesus Christ, I am always with you. Boldly make your choices, and I will produce good fruit whatever you choose.

+Kyrie Eleison+

"Oh Man!" Moments

2010-04-12T07:18:00.004-05:00

Well, I preached a sermon yesterday on the peace of God. That was a good thing. However, I had two "Oh man!" moments during the course of yesterday.

The first was a pleasant surprise. During the 8:00am service yesterday while I was about 3/4 of the way through preaching my sermon, I spied my fieldwork pastor from Fort Wayne in the congregation. It caused my first "Oh man!" moment and I proceeded to lose my train of thought and become completely self-conscious. I lost my place on my manuscript, and once I found it my brain was on auto pilot for the rest of the sermon. It was nerve wracking. No one said they noticed, but I like to think they are just being nice to the vicar. :) Nevertheless, it was a pleasant surprise to see him there and briefly chat with him after the service.

The second was not so pleasant. I received a phone call last night about one of the people I have in bible class. It was delivered secondhand to me that this person would not be returning to bible class because what I taught and the way I taught were too difficult to understand. "Oh man," right? That was disheartening, since one of the few "ability" qualifications Paul gives for pastors is that they are "able to teach".

+Lord have mercy, on me+

Unity in the Supper

2010-04-01T07:39:00.004-05:00

In the Treasury of Daily Prayer, C.F.W. Walther has an excellent writing concerning the Lord's Supper. If you have the Treasury, I would highly suggest this.

C.F.W. Walther tells us that when we gather to receive the Lord's body and blood in the Supper, there is none greater than another. All are sinners hungering and thirsting for righteousness, desiring to be relieved of the guilt of sin. It reminds me also of Paul's passage from Galatians 3,

For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

So not only at the Lord's Supper is there no distinction between those who come to Christ, but also in Baptism. We are all sinners covered by the robe of Christ's righteousness. There is none greater than another.

Which reminds me also of another passage from John 19,

Pilate also wrote an inscription and put it on the cross. It read, "Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews." Many of the Jews read this inscription, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and it was written in Aramaic, in Latin, and in Greek. (emphasis added)

This Jesus Christ was for all men. Holy Writ has set in many languages that the Word of God, God made flesh, our Savior Jesus Christ is for all mankind. He is not simply for the Jews. He is not simply for the Greeks. He is for the world. The sacrifice that He made for the sins of all men was given so that we might be joined to the cross and empty tomb of Christ in Baptism, joining in the blessings of suffering, life and salvation. Christ made that sacrifice so that we might receive the blood from the very wounds of Christ in the Supper; a Supper instituted in order that we might receive that forgiveness all the more, being assured that we are Christ's and Christ is ours through that forgiveness of our sins.

Tonight as we celebrate the Supper, as we celebrate the night upon which our Lord instituted His blessed meal for our benefit, know that you are a sinner with sinners. We are all one in Christ Jesus desiring His flesh and blood for our salvation.

A Blessed Holy Thursday to You!

+Kyrie Eleison+

My Last Name Is...

2010-03-15T08:27:00.004-05:00

Part of my family is in town this week, so I figured I'd briefly post about family.

Call it God's law. Call it love toward your neighbor. Call it the table of duties. Call it vocation. Whatever you call it we are put into relation to other people. We are placed into an "office" (an established position in which God works) and we are to carry out the duties of that office in love and service. For example, I am placed into the office of "son" which means that I am to honor my father and mother and I am to love and respect them in all Godly decisions. I am a neighbor (to all mankind), thus I am in the office of "neighbor" and as such I am to (insert Luther's explanation for commandments 5-10).

I'm not sure how I am to entertain my family while they're here, but I guess I don't really have to do that. I need not worry about how to keep them excited while they're visiting. Why is this? Because God has placed me into an office in which I need only show love to them and they will be happy. They are happy that I spend time with them, that I provide for them and make them feel welcome in my (small apartment) home.

That is the freedom of vocation. And vocation is really the freedom we have in the forgiveness of sins. When God brings to me forgiveness, I am free from the oppression of the law, to abide by the law knowing that because of Christ my sin is blotted out and the law has no power to condemn, but only to guide me. That is, the law now put in it's proper place now serves to benefit both myself and particularly my neighbor by teaching me the good and right will of God. Again with forgiveness in Christ Jesus, I now can love and serve my God, father, mother, brothers and sisters without the fear of condemnation.

Familial vocation, founded on God's forgiveness, is truly freeing.

+Kyrie Eleison+

The Watchmen of the Church

2010-03-03T09:01:00.004-06:00

How can I preach the whole counsel of God?

I am a 25 year old man. God willing, I'll be either 26 or 27 when I am ordained. I'll preach around 75 sermons each year, give or take. Let's say God grants me a situation where I am with the same congregation 40 years and I retire at 67. Let's do the math 75x40= 3,000 sermons. Not a bad number.

Looking at this week's pericope and context for Lent 3 Series C, the OT text is from Ezekiel 33:7-20. Particularly focus on these words from verse 7, as I believe, they apply to the pastor very distinctly.

So you, son of man, I have made a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me.

The words here and the words from 33:1-6 echo what was said to Ezekiel in 3:16-21.

But how can I do this? Of all the sins that are in the world. How can I possibly preach on them all? How can I give warning to men about transgressing the whole Law of God where he has given "a word from His mouth"? I have only 3,000 sermons and that only if I am at that congregation for 40 years that those particular people might hear the whole counsel of of what God warns them about. How might they know of every sin that is harmful to them that they are committing?

Alas, I think that it is not possible.

However, I think there is hope in Christ Jesus, for he has put an end to sin. As the pericopes guide the Pastor to faithfully preach Christ, they do not necessarily lend themselves well to preach against sins that are everywhere in society and that people can easily fall into. Yet, it is that faithful preaching of Christ that ultimately is triumphant. As sins are denounced and declared forgiven since they were shouldered by Christ himself, we are made anew.

A good tree bears good fruit, says Matthew. A good tree bears good fruit. The daily recognition that we are sinners, sinful people until the day we die, carries us in a cycle of repentance and forgiveness. A daily drowning of the Old Man and rising of the New Man. As forgiven men and women, we do walk in righteousness before our God and are being renewed daily by the Holy Spirit working through His Word to keep us from sin and live a God pleasing life, even against sins that, perhaps, the pastor has not preached upon.

I'd like to think that the Holy Spirit is more powerful than my preaching. I'd like to believe that His Word regenerates the hearts of man through the forgiveness of sins and leads them to lead a new life, even when I can't warn them of every sin out there.

God have mercy on me as I speak Your Word. Let me be a faithful servant.

+Kyrie Eleison+

New Month

2010-03-01T15:17:00.006-06:00

It is a new month. March is here. The sun was out today, and the first signs of "spring" are here. Apparently, being up north a couple winters has driven me to see even slightly above freezing temperatures as the end of winter and the coming of spring.

This is going to be a good month and my tie on this first-day has set the theme. I have a lot going on this month. A friend is coming this weekend, and part of my family in two weeks. It's going to be fun.

Have a good month everyone.

+Kyrie Eleison+

It's snowing... again. :)

2010-02-22T09:24:00.003-06:00

When I went to bed last night, it was raining.

When I got up this morning, there was about 2.5 inches of snow on the ground.

But this was not the deep cold snow, that we all have been used to as of late. This snow was heavy and wet. It put a nice covering on everything. It stuck nicely to everything it touched. And it left the road slushy, rather than overly slick and hazardous. The winter is losing it's icy grip on the frigid north - at least here in Saint Joseph. The wet and heavy snow signals that a final melting will occur. Maybe not today, maybe the wind will blow and the temperature will drop and winter will make another futile attempt to freeze us. Still, the end is in sight. The change in the snow signals winter's impending demise.

Is this not the way of the Christian today? Because of Christ, sin has lost is stranglehold on humanity. He has melted sin's icy grip with the outpouring of his warm blood. His blood shattered sin and continually washes over us and makes us clean. And though sin may make it's inlets into our lives; it may overtake us and drive us to dismay that there is no end to suffering in this life. The end is in sight. And Christ's continually tells us we are forgiven and gives us that forgiveness that we might not despair, but instead that we might know that Christ has freed us from sin and will bring us through life's harsh winter to a warm land, flowing with milk and honey.

+Kyrie Eleison+

Pastoral Ways

2010-02-17T07:02:00.010-06:00

I've not posted in a while. It's not because I've been too busy to blog, but simply because I haven't wanted to lately. I've not had enough energy to post anything constructive lately and it would have been rant had I posted before now.

However, all my internal and external ranting has finally brought about, perhaps, a sense of growth into a more pastoral mindset. Perhaps it's part of that oratio, meditatio, tentatio Luther talks about?

Anyway, it boils down to something Pastor Batsky told me a couple months ago: act like a pastor today. I thought originally how incredibly pietistic and moralistic that sounded. But now as I understand it, it has a much broader scope.

I have a gentleman that I speak with regularly who delights in the law of the Lord, too much - at the expense of the Gospel. It ultimately shapes his view on the end times (Historic Premillenialist-ish), and the way He interprets Scripture (with a bias where he is always correct, that he might never contradict himself). He often is spot on on some details, and it is enjoyable to listen to him. But lately it has gotten harder to have conversation with him. He gives me back-handed compliments, belittles me when I disagree with his interpretation of passages, and can be vociferously belligerent if I tend to agree with the Lutheran Confessions (which he claims makes so many wrong conjectures).

I have seen strife and anger first hand. People who have become upset and angry over something that could have been avoided. People who are unwilling to understand before acting. People for whom forgiveness is not the answer to redeem and bring to Christ a broken world.

And, on the positive side, I have seen Pastor Roth handle a very delicate situation with incredible Pastoral Care. A situation in which I would have failed miserably.

Act like a pastor today.

Speak with love and with understanding to the people you wish to guide and teach. Be encouraging, slow to become angry, and patient. Always patient. Be repentant and forgiving, and ultimately trust in the Gospel. Trust in the Gospel, that the Good Pastor Jesus Christ has been the perfect Pastor for you, and has forgiven every one of your sinful pastoral failures with His precious blood.

+Kyrie Eleison+

Wordle Sermon

2009-12-29T07:20:00.004-06:00

Because Wordle Sermons are just cool.

Christmas 1 - Luke 2:22-40

+Kyrie Eleison+

History is Telling

2009-12-28T08:29:00.008-06:00

One of the charges atheists make against religion is that it is the major cause of violence in the world. Yet, history will can prove - depending on how you look at it - that 1) they are correct, but that atheism is itself a religion and is not exempt from this rule or 2) simply that sin corrupts all men and without the renewal of the Holy Spirit, there will continue to be murderous thoughts in the hearts of all men.

So often atheists will point to the crusades and to jihadists to say that religion is the source of hatred in the world. They'll look at select history and point fingers. As it turns out, atheism has an even larger history of the slaughter of mankind. The "goddess of reason" as it is for the atheists tends to be even more murderous. Let's begin with the results of the inaptly named Enlightenment. The Enlightenment produced the French Revolution, Robespierre began his reign of Terror and thousands were put to death. Clergy and "nobility" were slaughtered, guillotined by the state. All this in the name of reason and revolution. Moving forward a little over a hundred years we'll find The Soviet Union doing much the same thing. In the name of reason and equality it promoted the killing and murdering of thousands of its own citizens, slaughtering the clergy to the point that the nation's primary denomination, Eastern Orthodoxy, was put on the endangered list. "Reason" and atheism were key proponents of this slaughter. But such promotion and such devotion must lead one to believe that atheism itself is a religion that promotes even more violence than either Islam or Christianity, despite contrary claims.

Yet, it's evidence of a bigger problem. Original sin penetrates and corrupts all men. Despite "reason" men might still reason that the killing of others is acceptable, and that violence is good if carried out in the name of "reason". So that just as when Christians sadly cried out "God wills it!" to justify their killing, so atheists cry out "Reason allows it!" to justify their murderous inclination. Sin permeates all people.

And there is only one solution for us and for all, Jesus Christ. Indeed, Christ paid for all sin and we are brought back into relation with God. The Holy Spirit, then, works in us to renew our hearts that we might no longer be inclined to kill a life, but to protect a life. It is only in Christ that these things are ever truly possible. For even Robespierre, before his Terror, was opposed to the death penalty, but later exercised it freely and harshly. Reason cannot stop the evil inclinations in men. The Holy Spirit can and does.

Might Christ and His Word be preached into our own hearts that we might be inclined to help and serve our neighbor. Holy Spirit do this.

+Kyrie Eleison+

Ambrose-ia

2009-12-22T15:40:00.005-06:00

Ambrosia is known in mythology as food of the Gods which bestows immortality.

Saint Ambrose, while His name may not be based upon this Greek godly food, certainly he has given the world a much more wonderful food to chew on. Perhaps with another even more powerful food of the God (note the True GOD here), music, he has made a significant impact on humans throughout history.

In his powerful hymn, Savior of the Nations Come, Saint Ambrose tells us of our wonderful God and his entrance and purpose in this world. Our Lord Jesus Christ step forth from his mothers womb, defeats sin in his own death, rises, ascends and returns to the Father victorious having forgiven our sins and freed us from the bondage of sin.

This message of salvation is the True Food of God, which is the powerful, nourishing, and transforming words of forgiveness. As we eat another Food of God, the Lord's Supper, rejoice in Christ who became incarnate that you might have life everlasting in His name - true immortality bestowed and sustained only in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Thank you Saint Ambrose for your wonderful hymn and a reminder to me and all people in these last days before Christmas where real food for thought, life, and eternal life comes from!

+Kyrie Eleison+

Epic Fail

2009-12-21T08:03:00.004-06:00

I hugely erred last Friday.

I was delivering Christmas gifts for the wish tree on behalf of the church. I had already delivered to two families and was approached to deliver to one more. This last family happened to be the largest family we were delivering to. There were 8 large bags full of gifts. So I delivered to the address that I was told, but made the mistake of not making sure the family's name was correct. As it turned out, I had delivered this massive load of gifts to the wrong family.

Yes, I feel awful. Not only was I unable to retrieve the gifts, but now a large family was without gifts for Christmas. And even moreso, I cost the church financially, because they decided to buy gifts for this family out of unallocated church funds, from money the church doesn't have. It was an epic failure on my part.

If I had simple spoken a few little words - What's your name? - all the trouble and confusion and pain could have been avoided and there could have been much less stress this Christmas season.

Diligence. Diligence could have prevented this. I was not diligent.

But as through all my epic failures, I intend to learn from what happened. This was simply Christmas presents for a family. They were greatly needed presents, but merely material possessions. How much more then should I be diligent when it comes to things which affect both body and soul?

The epic failure that could result from not speaking a few words - Christ has died for you. You're sins are forgiven. - will result in much more than sadness on Christmas morning. It could affect the entirety of life here on earth and life and salvation with God forever. Without speaking those words, I could leave a person in the depths of hell and without hope. This is something which I immensely desire to avoid.

God grant this epic sinner a repentant heart and diligence with Your word of truth, that I might proclaim Your name in forgiveness.

+Kyrie Eleison+

Refreshed

2009-12-17T09:45:00.004-06:00

I am, in general, not a fan of Christmas programs before Christmas Eve. It takes away from Advent. This year I had to make an exception.

Last night the 4th-8th grade classes here at Trinity Lutheran School sang and performed their Christmas program called "Christmas in Reverse." (I'm still boggled about why it was called that.) Nevertheless, the program took us back to Adam and Eve and through the Old Testament and then through the narrative of the birth of Christ and even pointed to the cross, death, and resurrection of our Lord!

It was incredibly well done, and proclaimed the Gospel message perfectly and clearly. The classes were well rehearsed and so not even did they detract from the message of the forgiveness of sins.

It was very refreshing, as this has been a busy time of the year.

+Kyrie Eleison+

The Misinterpretation

2009-12-01T10:12:00.004-06:00

Sometimes when you preach a sermon, it get misinterpreted. Even though the entire point of the sermon and every single line points to a certain wonderful revelation, I found that it is still possible for the entire sermon to be misinterpreted.

For example, this past Sunday I preached an entire sermon which pointed to the fact that the Church is not silent. It is not silent in the fact that, as Church, we make the confession about who God is and what he has done for us. And that forgiveness of sins and peace we have in our God, that is taught to us week in and week out, is then on our lips that we might confess as Church that very same peace to the world.

Yet, because I had in part an emphasis that the Church is not Silent, I think some may have interpreted it as, not a call to confess and spread the Gospel, but a call to be noisy in church, a call to interrupt the pastor's sermon with "Amen" as often as one likes, a call to wave your hands in the air and be a non-self-controlled evangelical in the worse sense.

But even still, that is the nature of the sinful flesh - to grasp onto the wrong ideas and cling to false hopes and self serving desires. And indeed that sinful failing is called to repentance, and even that sin is indeed forgiven.

Truly, that's the real point anyway, that people might hear of their God, repent of their sins and trust in that forgiveness found in Christ. God is still sanctifying his people - in the now. He is still by His Word bringing them to a right understanding. God willing, these people will one day understand even more fully what it means that the Church is not silent.

And if not then God will have mercy and He will come again. (Advent Thought of the Day)

+Kyrie Eleison+

Father, Provider

2009-11-26T21:20:00.007-06:00

Finding the reason why we give thanks can sometimes be lost on Thanksgiving. Thankfully (truly), I heard a wonderful sermon on giving thanks at the Thanksgiving Eve Service here at my vicarage congregation. It was about giving thanks in thought, word, and deed for all the first article gifts that our Lord provides.

I also had a conversation with our church secretary (who is simply indispensable) on Tuesday about giving Christmas gift. We discussed how hard it is to shop for dads. The joke is, as you know, that dad always gets a tie for Christmas, Father's Day, Birthday, etc. In my family it's always DVDs. :)

That conversation got me thinking about why it is so hard to buy gifts for dad, and thinking about the Thanksgiving holiday got me thinking about all that God provides me. And the light bulb (at least the loosely screwed in one) in my head went off.

I think one of the reason why it is so hard to shop for dad is because of Dad's vocation. God has given my father the role of provider, this is the one whom He has put in place to provide me with many of those first article gifts. So when I go to buy gifts for my dad, I think what does dad want? And it is hard to figure that out, because dad is the provider, he has and is the one who gives. Is there anything that I could give my dad, that He could not get for himself? Truly no. And indeed the one thing dad really wants is to be with me and provide for and care for me. Basically he want to love his son.Certainly he would love to receive gifts, but what gift is better than a son who looks to his father for care and comfort?

And my father truly is simply an imperfect picture that points to my heavenly Father. He provides me with all things. What could I hope to provide my Father with, that He has not provided me? What could I offer my Father as gift and sacrifice of thanksgiving that is not already provided by Him? And the answer is truly nothing. Surely my heavenly father rejoices that I would seek to bring him a gift. But I am sure that His ultimate joy comes from knowing that I look to Him for all thing with the very faith that He has given me through His Son Jesus Christ. His ultimate joy comes from knowing that He cares for me and I look to Him for that care.

Thank the Lord for fathers and mothers that provide for their families, fathers and mothers that love and care and point to a reality that there is a greater Father at work loving and caring for His children.

Happy Thanksgiving all!

+Kyrie Eleison+

Snares of Death

2009-11-24T10:36:00.002-06:00

We walk about this life and the snares of death surround us. Sin seeks to entrap us and entangle us. It seeks to bind us that we may not get away. It seeks our death as is the wages of such binding sin. The drunkard knows this well, so does the addict. The fornicator and the gossip understand as well the strength of such holds. They understand the death which comes from such a strong stranglehold on one's life.

Yet our Lord Jesus Christ is our only hope. In fact he sought out the snares of death, every sin that would cause every man to die. He was bound in that snare of death, bound in our sins , releasing us from that bondage and taking death upon himself. Yet, the snares of death could not hold Him, and he broke the chains of death and rose again.

He was bound that I may be free. He died that I might live. He rose that I might live in Him with the confidence that no snare of death may ever hold me forever. Amen.

+Kyrie Eleison+

"Participants in the Altar"

2009-11-18T07:01:00.004-06:00

A question was brought up this morning concerning the Lord's Supper and closed communion. The struggle was that if in the Lord's Supper was truly god's forgiveness being given, then why do we refuse to give communion to those who believe "the same" as we Lutherans do?

And the question that must be answered is this: What does it mean to believe the same?
The best understanding, I think, would mean to believe exactly the same as the person who is sitting next to you. The expression of this common belief would be holding to a common confession of faith or creed. And indeed from that common confession, understanding of terms and presuppositions must be conveyed as well, as best as can be taught. (As I hesitate to write even "as best as can be taught", because it borderlines on disunity.)

Here is my case study. My real life example of closed communion. I had a buddy in college who was a biblical baptist (and I say biblical, because if he could be convinced according to scripture of something other than what the Baptist confession teaches, then he would believe otherwise). Needless to say, through our conversations, he believed the real presence of Jesus Christ was in, with and under the bread and wine. He believed "is" means "is". Scripture convinced him. Yet, even with that, he did not believe in the grace bestowing gifts of Baptism. He continued to attend service at his Baptist church, and still believed their unwritten common confession.

And here is the important part, by partaking in their communion (their fellowship, if you prefer), literally by worshiping at their altar, he was then a participant in their altar making the confession that he believed what those others around him believed. By his worship he was adjoining himself to their fraternal communion and even a confession that was contrary to his own. He was a participant in their altar.

So also this is what Paul speaks of in 1 Corinthians 10:14-22. He speaks of being a participant in the altar of demons or in the altar and communion of the Christ. One cannot be partakers of both. In the same way, one cannot be a participant in two different altars whose beliefs contradict. I'm not trying to say one Christian altar is of demons and the other is of Christ, but I am saying they make different confessions.

A man can only participate in one altar. One altar is correct, one altar is incorrect. One may have the Supper, one may not. And if he serves the altar that does not confess the body and blood of the Lord, and then participates in the altar who confesses and indeed gives the body and blood of the Lord through bread and wine; that man beware, for though he confesses correctly, his heart is far from the Lord, and it is quite possible that judgment is upon him.

Comments are welcome.

+Kyrie Eleison+

I Am an Uncle

2009-11-13T14:54:00.005-06:00

I have been an uncle for sometime over a little more than two months now, because that is how long my sister Betsy has been pregnant.

Some may say, "Jay, you're not an uncle yet. Your niecphew hasn't been born."

Well, I have decided to let the theology surrounding "life" shape my worldview. As Christians we rightly call the child a child from the moment of conception. It is a child. That being said. I now have relation to that small child living in my sister's womb - I am an uncle. This is a wonderful revelation. For now, I rightly see my place as a person in relation to my sister's child. I now have a whole 7 months to ponder this new relationship that God Himself has placed me into. What a wonderful blessing to be able to think of the many ways that I can serve and love my niecphew before I see this child face to face!

I am so happy to be an uncle and I can't wait to hold my niecphew come June 19th(ish), 2010!

+Kyrie Eleison+

Rome: Total War

2009-10-30T15:12:00.004-05:00

I bought a video game a few months ago called Rome: Total War, but I never had the opportunity to really sit down and play it. I really enjoy Roman history and ever more as I realize how intensely it has impacted Christianity.

The real reason I bought the game was for one reason. The History Channel had a show on that boasted "video game technology" called Decisive Battles Of the Ancient World. It used the game engine from Rome: Total War to recreate its battles. I watched the show on a regular basis while in college until it had run its course.

Anyway, I just started playing it recently. The goal is to play as one of the major Roman families or one of its enemies such as Carthage or the Selucid Empire and conquer the whole of the world. Pretty straight forward, but really immerse.

Now if they'd only come out with Christianity: Total Conversion...

+Kyrie Eleison+

A Little Poetry

2009-10-16T09:17:00.007-05:00

I started reading a little poetry.

I really like the hymn Of the Father's Love Begotten. Aurelius Clemens Prudentius wrote it. So, I bought a compilation of some of his hymns.

Here is a discriminate sampling from his Hymn at Cock-Crow taken from The Hymns of Prudentius.

Awake! the shining day is born!
The herald cock proclaims the morn;
And Christ, the soul's Awakener, cries,
Bidding us back to life arise.

Though sleep be but a passing guest
'Tis type of death's perpetual rest:
Our sins are as a ghastly night,
And seal with slumbers deep our sight.

But from the wide roof of the sky
Christ's voice peals forth with urgent cry,
Calling our sleep-bound hearts to rise
And greet the dawn with wakeful eyes.

Gold, honours, pleasure, wealth and ease,
And all the joys that mortals please,
Joys with a fatal glamour fraught--
When morning comes, lo! all are nought.
But Thou, O Christ, put sleep to flight
And break the iron bands of night,
Free us from burden of past sin
And shed Thy morning rays within.

This is just a fantastic hymn overall. And is much longer than what I have given. It beautifully and wonderfully wraps into itself lots of imagery of sleep, death, morning, life, sin, and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Wonderful.

+Kyrie Eleison+

"God" - The Biggest Heresy Today

2009-10-07T07:33:00.002-05:00

Dr. Scaer the Elder, one of my seminary profs and an authority on Christology, said in class once something that at the time was hilarious and absurd,

God is the biggest heresy of all!

As I think back now on that now, I can see how scarily accurate that striking statement really is. The problem is not "God" as it is, but indeed is "God" as He is turned into "god". It happens when God is seen merely as Almighty, Awesome God to the exclusion of Jesus Christ. This is a problem. And this heresy, if you'd like to call it that, is rampant in churches throughout the U.S. and I see it more often than not turning up in the church growth movement.

Listen to the way people talk and pray. If there is more a talk of "God" than of Jesus Christ, there is indication of a huge problem. God then becomes merely deistic, or theistic (apparently I must use both for my Latin and Greek etymologists) and is not found in Christ Jesus. Truly the fact remains that God is only revealed to us in Christ Jesus. We can know God no other way, for Jesus himself said, "No one comes to the Father, but through me." There must be a clarity of the Triune God focused clearly through the lens of Christ. Without that any talk of God is truly heresy, and clearly so when Christ and His redemption gets pushed to the side. The truth that Christ is central to Christianity must be seen. Without Christ, "God" (or god) is truly a sinful belief.

+Kyrie Eleison+

The Monday After

2009-09-28T13:26:00.004-05:00

As a vicar, the Monday morning after preaching a "sermon" can be either a big relief or a day when you realize that what you preached on Sunday may not have been very good at all.

The first comments come right after the service (a few actual examples said to me):

"A wonderful message, vicar."
"I enjoyed your sermon, Pastor."
"I'm proud that you call a spade a spade. Not many want to do that these days."
"When you said that, you really made the older members of the church lean forward to hear what you were saying."
"I'm glad you added that part about the rowdy kids vicar."
"I like the way you handled the text."

The second comments come later and are more helpful:

"Your delivery was good, but it seemed like there were three different thoughts that weren't finished."
"You could have focused on X,Y,and Z to make it better."

As a vicar I know I am here to learn. I know I do not know how to articulate the word of God in such a way like many learned pastors can. But the fact is, from the feedback I have been getting, this was a crappy "sermon". Now I know that the question to ask when evaluating a sermon is "Was I faithful to the text?" I thought I might have been. At least, in my thought processes in coming up with what to write, I thought I was faithful. But from the comments I have to question myself.

First, the latter set of comments.
Does the manner in which you present the text affect faithfulness to the text? I think yes. If you do not articulate clearly then you cannot convey the correct meaning of the text. It, as was the case with my sermon, was too disjointed to be understandable. Thus, in that respect I was not faithful to the text.

Secondly, the second set of comments deals with something that has troubled me.
I know the law needs to be preached. The way things are needs to be presented in the way things really are. But if you look at my comments, it seems the law won the battle in the minds of the people and I'm not sure what to make of it. Did I not preach Christ? Did the Gospel not predominate in my sermon? I worry about such things. Or was it simply that the Holy Spirit chose that they dwell upon the law and understand its significance, even in the light of the Gospel? I don't know. That is my hope. I hope that I wasn't a preacher of works without Christ.

And this is my struggle. Hopefully, I was faithful. I fear I was not. But then again, perhaps I put not enough trust in Christ. Perhaps I am the weak in faith that I spoke of on Sunday. Perhaps God did see me faithful to His Word and was using it to accomplish His purpose. How much responsibility do I take? How much do I trust and leave in the hands of God despite my failings? God sustain me in this task, because I'll be paralyzed to speak Your Word should You not.

+Kyrie Eleison+

September 18

2009-09-18T12:38:00.004-05:00

It was four years ago today that my Grandpa Morris fell asleep in the Lord.

It was really early on a Sunday morning, probably around 2am. I was sleeping and Betsy came and woke me. Apparently mom had called and said that Grandpa wasn't going to live much longer. Then the phone rang and it was either mom or dad telling Betsy that grandpa has passed away. All I can remember is that I wasn't really affected by it then. So, I went back to bed.

I went to church the next morning by myself, Craig might have gone as well. I don't remember exactly. I think it was just me. And it was hard listening to the liturgy and hymns because it wasn't simply rote singing. It was true. Don't ask me what the hymns were, I don't remember. But the liturgy was either page 5 or 15 from The Lutheran Hymnal. There's something special about confession and absolution after a loved one dies. It sinks in a little bit more. The singing of "Lord, have mercy upon us" has a truer ring when your heart is torn by a loss. And a pronouncement of "On on earth peace, good will toward men" makes men mindful of the peace God gives even in the midst of such turmoil. I cannot tell you what the reading for that Sunday were, nor what the sermon was about. And we must have had communion (so I guess pg 15) because I remember the Nunc Dimittis so very well:

"Lord now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace according to Thy word."

Then I can remember that I was an usher that day. But, I felt bad because that was the day we also welcomed Sasha and her husband (whose name escapes me at this time, sorry!) to the church as members, yet everyone was so intent on saying how sorry they were for my loss that I felt as if the new members were being overlooked. I think it would have been best had I not ushered that day.

I went back to OU that evening. I had classes the next day. It also happened to be my birthday. I don't remember much about that day, except that I went on a quasi-date. It probably wasn't a date, but it was nice to have her around. Her name was Shirley. I was living at Campus Lodge then, and we went for a walk. There is this small wooden bridge that sat out on the frisbee golf course that was next to the apartments. There we sat, talking and chatting. She just listened sometimes, and I think that helped. - My Grandpa's viewing was that night, and I wasn't able to go.

The next morning I drove home for the funeral. And we gathered at Uncle Tracy's house before the service. Kurt Sharp was the man who was working for the funeral home. He was a family friend. I'm not sure what made me cry more: Kurt seeing our family and tearing up when he was trying to tell us procedure on how things were going to go, or when Grandma had him cry on her shoulder. We went over to Ladusau-Evans funeral home for the service. I could literally feel all the emotion in the room. Then I saw Grandpa and I cried. I don't think I've cried harder in my life. It was humiliating, with all the family friends gathered near. But I didn't care. This wasn't supposed to be this way.

As I reflect and a few of those emotions come back I think that that was not how God intended the way for it to be. he did not intend for the life he created to be destroyed. He did not want the relationships that he had established severed. But it was, all on account of sin. Now, I don't recall everything in the sermon, but I know that the Gospel was preached. Grandpa would not be that way forever. He would be resurrected as would we all, because of the death and resurrection of Christ. We would be reunited with him on the last day. It was true, but just hard to hear.

Wonderfully hard to hear.

Melvin "Dwayne" Morris
August 13, 1927 - September 18, 2005
Baptized and Redeemed

+Kyrie Eleison+

On Having Children

2009-09-10T10:29:00.004-05:00

I read this article concerning women who have lots of babies. I thought it did a fine job detailing the risks involved with having so many children, while also addressing the possible health benefit. (Although, naturally, it mentions nothing of the fact that children are blessings.)

What really bothered me was not the article itself, for it was surprisingly less biased than I expected, but rather the comments that followed. The majority of them were rather critical of women who had large families. I found more often than not there was a concern over money and who was going to support these women and their children - most claiming the family irresponsible and freeloaders off the government.

Talk about the hold money has on a person. It's clear that money is valued more than children from the numerous comments. And it really saddens me.

I applaud mothers who take on the responsibility of a large family and I mourn with those who have trouble or cannot conceive. But to me it seems, life is life. If the woman is blessed with many children we should not scorn her, but love her all the more for the cross of motherhood that that God has given for her to bear. We should not think her odd for having many children, but embrace the gift of life that God has given.

Honor your father and mother.
And thusly you, "Let your father and mother be glad, let her who bore you rejoice." Proverbs 23:25

+Kyrie Eleison+

Is God "Green"?

2009-09-08T14:38:00.004-05:00

This is an interesting question and one that at least need to be considered in the light of three things 1) God's actions, 2) God's actions in light of sin, and 3) the implications for man.

When we think about God, we do understand that God indeed does take care of his creation. It is his earth: "The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof" (Psalm 24:1). We are told to "Consider the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet Your heavenly father feeds them... the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed as one of these." (Matthew 6: 26, 28b-29) God himself takes care of all things. God takes care of and preserves all his creatures and his land. We understand that all first article (of the creed) gifts come from and are preserved by God.

Yet, think on sin and its consequences. Did not God, who takes care of all things, destroy the earth in the flood? It's a harsh reminder that the world we live in is fallen and after the fall, sin had to be dealt with. God's plan of salvation had always been one of sending a redeemer to reconcile all the earth to himself. "For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God." (Romans 8:20-21) And truly the earth will be created anew in perfection on the last day. But until then we live in a fallen world. We live in a world that is falling into chaos, not merely because of what man does in polluting the environment, but also because it too is a fallen creation.

But, finally, how does this effect man. Man as we know was commanded by God in the garden to "be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over... every living thing that moves on the earth." (Genesis 1:28) We also know that man was created as the capstone of creation. No other creature was made in the image of God, nor was the command to subdue creation and have dominion given to any other. We are the stewards of God's earth. We are not equal with the other creatures, nor are we even subservient to them. We are the overseers of creation working and tending as commanded by God.

So the real question in all of this - concerning how God acts, the state of the world and the role of overseer that God as given us as human beings, is failing to be "green" (defined in the best sense) a sin?

As I understand it - yes. Failing to be a good steward of God's gifts is a sin. And one can follow the rabbit hole all the way down, and it will drive a man to despair that he is such a dreadful sinner deserving of hell since he cannot be perfectly "green".

But why stop there? If you look at any aspect of life, you will find the same thing - an endless trail of things to do that God desires of you, lest you sin. Yet, it seems that because it is not on the forefront of the public display, you can easily fool the mind and heart into believing it has fulfilled God's law, when it has not.

But, thus is the fallen world. There is sin there. There will always be more and more ways to do the will of the Father. And, it is too much for a sinner. He has not the strength to do it all himself. That is why Christ came, and forgave man by his blood. All this that you might live in the freedom of the Gospel not bound by the law but free to do the good works with a free conscience. That you might not be paralyzed by the greatness of your sin, but free to serve God and your neighbor... even by being "green". :)

+Kyrie Eleison

Jenga Church

2009-09-01T13:32:00.002-05:00

What happens when we begin to remove all the theology from the church? What happens when we think that the preaching of Christ is less important than discussion of a certain text? What happens when we think living like a Christian is more important than living as one who is Baptized? What happens when we think church communion is more important than Holy Communion?

Well if you remove too many of the building blocks of the church, then you end up with a pile of rubble. And Jesus will lie in ruins at the bottom of your Jenga pile.

+Kyrie Eleison+

Our Drunken Swagger

2009-08-19T10:52:00.006-05:00

There is much talk about our "Faith Walk" or our "Walk with Jesus Christ" in the church today.

Not my favorite language, but allow my two cents.

A walk of faith is more like a drunken swagger. I hear Jesus' voice and try to come near him, but then I get distracted and wander off where I will. The voice of Satan cries as one in the wilderness saying, "Come, drink of my fruit and you shall have everything you would ask on this earth." And I am led astray. I see the thorns and thistles of this life and in my fallen mind think that these are the most glorious fruits a man can have. And even my own flesh falls on itself, too drunk on its own pride and vanity to even stand. The road cannot be completed and I am left in a world of misery and desert that bears no fruit and leads to eternal damnation.

But then the True voice of one crying in the wilderness rings forth. The voice of John the Baptist echoes through the land calling out for repentance and belief in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And Christ is at my side. He restoreth my soul and leadth me beside cool waters. He poureth down my gullet the sweet fruit of forgiveness in the softness of his Word, and the nectar of sweet communion. He cures the drunkeness and stagger and sets my feet on his holy and righteous path, bringing me safely out of the desert and into His new creation which is a land flowing with milk and honey.

And as I travel down the road. Satan, the World, and My Flesh entice me. And I drink and stagger and stumble and fall and wait for death. But, it does not come. For, Christ always comes to me.

+Christe Eleison+

Acceptance Theology

2009-08-07T13:57:00.000-05:00

I read this on a church marquee,

God accepts you for who you are, and so do we. Come as you are to church.

God accepts you for who you are? This type of acceptance theology is creeping into the church and has the potential to be a severe attack on the Gospel. This acceptance theology is a subtle and dangerous shift away from the forgiveness of sins.

I have been trying to word this correctly and adequately for the past two days... but have been unsuccessful so I gave up because nothing sounded good. But, here are the conclusions I have drawn:

Acceptance excuses sin and is self-justifying. Forgiveness destroys sin, and God justifies man.
Acceptance overlooks sin. Forgiveness takes care of it.

If you have any comments on this, I would be glad to hear what you have to say. Dialogue anyone?

+Kyrie Eleison

The Way We Speak

2009-07-29T15:11:00.002-05:00

Growing up, I learned how to speak. I didn't merely learn to talk, but I learned the language itself - the nouns and verbs and inflections and all the nuances that come with learning to speak. And it wasn't taught primarily in school, but at home - I don't think "fixin' to" is in any vocabulary lists throughout the educational system. And learning was not a matter of sitting down and cracking homemade textbooks, but it was done by mimicking.

I learned to mimic the language of my father. He wouldn't sit down and teach me to say "fixin to" but it was how He talked, and so I followed the way he talked. I loved my father then, as I do now. As a boy growing up, he knew everything. My father was the greatest guy. I loved my father so much, I even took after the way he talked.

In the same way we are born into a family of Christian believers. Our Heavenly Father teaches us how to speak of Him through his Holy Word. Now, like our father on earth, God doesn't sit down often and tell us exactly how to speak - with exception perhaps in the Lord's Prayer as elsewhere. Instead, because He is our Father, we love Him. We look and see how He speaks, and we speak the same things. We look to God our Heavenly father with so much love and appreciation because of the gift of salvation he gave in Jesus Christ, that we too as the church, rightly speak the language of our Lord.

Unfortunately, this tends to be a dying trend. Instead of seeing the way our Lord speaks and mimicking his language, the church seems to be finding "more popular" ways of speaking. The church has begun to adopt language less biblical and more worldly in character. Yes, I am keeping this vague. But, you can see the changes if you just look at the language some churches are using now days. You can see these churches have moved away from the way God uses words and phrases, to using their own forms and catchwords. Some astonishingly even re-define the language God has originally spoken. These churches have left their Father's Word, for the words of others.

If they have decided the Words of their Father insufficient, what else of the Father's might these deem undesirable?

+Kyrie Eleison

How to Pray

2009-07-27T13:55:00.005-05:00

Luther wrote a wonderful letter to Peter the Barber. Peter had asked Luther how one was to pray. And Luther sent him a response. This letter was sent early in the year 1535.

The most basic way to pray Luther says is to go to the Lord in humility knowing that you are a sinner, but that it is the Lord's command that you do pray. Then, use the Lord's Prayer as a template for all other prayers. Pray on each petition and expand as you see fit. Then perhaps a prayer with the Ten Commandments, and then parts of the Apostles Creed. Pray as is needed.

Luther thought the Lord's Prayer is the best of all prayers, even superior to the psalter. And Luther really loved the psalter.

So when you pray pray the Lord's Prayer and then delve into the petitions. Or pray the Ten commandments, or the Creed. And if you need help, grab your catechism and use it as a guide.

If you are not used to praying like this, it will take some getting used to. But, it is worth it. Pray in this way, and you ground your prayers on the Word of the Lord. This, I have found, is a good way to learn how to pray.

+Kyrie Eleison

Finding Some Ground to Stand On

2009-07-15T13:57:00.006-05:00

Today was a little bit of an off day for me. I woke up and just felt odd. Nothing was quite right. I couldn't concentrate well enough to be productive and my mind was in other places.

I tried reading a blog or two on theology, but they just made me even more irritated than I was. Everything was off kilter.

Now, it may sound odd, but I decided to go over to the church and just do some liturgy. So I grabbed my Bible and walked over.

Trinity here in Saint Joseph, MI has a beautiful sanctuary. Not only that, but the church is well designed and singing is very easy. They spent a large sum of money on refurbishing the organ. It sounds incredible. But this morning, I didn't have the organ. The church was quiet and no one was around, so I went up the railing and started through Morning Prayer from the Lutheran Service Book. I sang all the parts myself. I chanted a psalm. I happen to be reading through Luke, so I read from Luke 14. I said some prayers and ended with the alternate benediction.

Now it is later in the afternoon. I still feel out of kilter. It is slow around here, and I can't get into any kind of rhythm.

But for the 20 minutes it took to go through the brief service, I had found some footing. I knew this. It was familiar. It was God's Word. It comforted me today. I needed it to comfort me. Now, there are some days when any liturgy will be a little more rote than usual. However, it's days like these that Jesus' familiar Words can make all the difference.

+Kyrie Eleison

Sin vs. Sin

2009-07-10T08:04:00.003-05:00

Are all sins equal?

Truly this depends upon what you are asking? With respect to what are you asking the question?

If it is with respect to the law of God, then yes. All sins are damning from the white lie to the adulterer and murderer. Each and every sin separates us from God and judges us unworthy of eternal life. We read in John 8.34 that

everyone who commits a sin is a slave to sin

and from Psalm 14.3,

they have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one.

Perhaps you ask this in respect to the judicial law of our government? Here the answer is shows that not all sins are equal. For when you tell a white lie and sin, the police do not come and give you the death penalty. Whereas if you commit a crime, a sin, which is considered bad enough, the death penalty may be given. And there is a wide variety of punishments in between depending upon how severe the crime has been judged.

It is pretty well understood that whatever you do sinfully, there will be some punishment for it, whether that be before God or before men. You could say that a problem occurs today when the free given grace of Jesus is given in the picture and also when the kingdom of the left (the government) is not checked in its foray into the kingdom of the right (the kingdom of God).

When the grace of Jesus is given, all sins are forgiven. He paid for all sins, and was our propitiation to the Father. As we read in Matthew 20.28 that the Son of Man came

to give His life as a ransom for many.

and from Roman 3.25 that the grace of Jesus Christ was

put forward as a propitiation by His blood.

And with respect to this. It can often be sorely abused. For example, if a man and woman are living in sexual immorality, they may justify the fact that they are living that way by saying (In good straw man fashion) that Christ has absolved them from all that. "What then," they would ask, "is the difference between what they are doing and what a person who tells a white lie often enough? A sin is a sin and all are guilty for them, and Jesus Christ has die for all!"

And the secular laws haven't helped either. As "we" (Christians who think our nation was founded on Christian principles, I exclude myself from this group) have decided that the Ten Commandment belong in the courtroom, it has back flowed into Christianity. Thus, the consequences become such that if there is no legislation on a certain action, then it must be permissible. (I thank David F. Wells for his discussion in his book Losing Our Virtue: Why the Church Must Recover It's Moral Vision for my conclusions) Thus, the same couple living in sexual immorality can also say, well there's no law (secular) against it, so it isn't wrong.

And thus the grace of Christ and the secular laws have given us a problem... it seems.

But, what is missing? What are we leaving out of the picture? The answer is faith. Saving faith and a "fear, love and trust in God above all things" is missing from the picture. What we are dealing with here is the battle against unbelief, which is at the heart and center of Christianity.

It is unbelief which leads a person to no longer fear the consequences of breaking the law. It is unbelief that looks for reasons to circumvent or ignore the law of God. It is unbelief that allows that couple to say it is alright to continue living in sin.

The Law of God remains true and clear and its threat of eternal punishment is there for all who choose darkness and unbelief. Thankfully, the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, the message of the forgiveness of sins given to us, is the combatant against this unbelief. For, it brings light to the darkness and life to the dead and unbelieving heart. It drowns the Old Adam and proclaims upon us the righteousness of Christ, giving us new hearts to accept and fulfill the law of God with a willing spirit.

Yet, the hard question still remains if all sin is forgiven, what is the difference between a white lie and living in sexual immorality? Deitrich Bonhoeffer in his Ethics has a very good quote that I think is spot on. He writes,

One sin, then, is not like another. They do not all have the same weight. There are heavier sins and lighter sins. A falling away is of infinitely greater weight than a falling down. The most shining virtues of him who has fallen away are as black as night in comparison with the darkest lapses of the steadfast.

Again, it comes back to unbelief. Those who are living in sin are in a cosmic battle for their souls. The devil is guiding them by the hand into unbelief and damnation. He teaches them to treat the Word of God, especially the threat of condemnation, as though it were inconsequential. Thus, the couple living in sin, accepting of that sin, are on the road of unbelief. But again, thanks be to God. For by His great mercy He has given us His Word that we might have eternal life. This Word is good for reproof, teaching and salvation.

So it seems that Bonhoeffer's assertion is correct, and the reason is a battle against unbelief. So are all sins the same? Yes. The answer must be yes. But the hold that a given sin has on a person may vary, as Bonhoeffer points out. Yet even still, the Gospel overcomes all sin and unbelief through the forgiveness of sins.

+Kyrie Eleison

Harvesting is a Dirty Job

2009-07-02T10:00:00.000-05:00

Luke 10:2 speaks of a harvest being plentiful, but the laborers being few. Also that we should pray the Lord would send these men.

But what of this harvest? What are the laborers to expect?

Looking back through time since Adam first cultivated this ground and brought forth fruit by the sweat of his brow, harvesting crops has always been a dirty and hard and tiresome task. Even today this is true. Despite all the advances that have been made with technology, harvesting a crop is still a dirty and tiring job filled with all sorts of mishaps.

For example, this year during harvest, we had a few things break down (the truck and the auger) and the combine had it's problems. It should also be noted that dirt and grossness necessarily had to cover us as we fixed the problems. Of course, don't forget about the 100 degree weather we had as well!

Things go wrong and it is no fun for those who are harvesting.

If the task of harvesting a crop is any indication, there are many implications for those laborers being sent into his harvest. It means that harvesting, or being a pastor, is a dirty and hard and tiresome task! There will be times when things don't go the way they should. There will be times when you will get tired and worn out in caring for God's people.There will be times when the beating heat of the devils attacks wears you down.

But the harvest must go on. And it will go on. Not because of the men and their strength, but because of Christ and his strength. Christ is the True Harvester. He is the one who plants the seeds, He is the one through the Holy Spirit who brings these seeds to fruition and it is because Him that the Father cares for and nourishes these seeds throughout their time of living and dying.

And it was no easy task for this Harvester either. For to ultimately harvest His crop, he took upon himself a grueling, hard, filthy, blood stained task. He went to work in the field of His Father and by His suffering and death watered the ground with His own blood. Thus, bringing to life the seed which was dead and making it ripe because of the forgiveness found in that blood.

If the True Harvester endured so much, how much more will the servants, the laborers sent by the Harvester, endure? They will be persecuted and the task will be tiresome, but Christ is ever guiding them in their task. But the harvest is ready. He will call men. Pray that the Lord would send these men into his fields and harvest the crop according to his good and gracious will.

+Kyrie Eleison

The First Day

2009-07-01T09:07:00.003-05:00

The first day of anything is always fun. Unless you have nerves of steel, any "first" can be quite nerve rattling.

But, today has gone well for me. I think it is because Pastor Roth is still off at the Michigan District Convention. This makes my first day less stressful. The only responsibility I really have is getting here and getting organized. So it has been a good first day...for the hour and a half I've been in the office. Perhaps I'll begin working on my first sermon. I'll at least start the exegesis.

Hopefully since I will be around my computer much more often, I can begin to post regularly. We shall see how busy I get. :)

+Kyrie Eleison

A New Song Shall Now Be Begun

2009-05-01T21:25:00.003-05:00

It was the year 1523. Two men are martyred for the proclamation of the Gospel in Brussels. Their names were John and Henry. These men are some of the first men killed during the Reformation for proclaiming the Gospel. The Gospel that Christ alone saves us without any merit or worthiness in us, but solely by the imputed righteousness of Christ himself.

Dr. Martin Luther wrote a hymn about the death of these two men. Friends, this is a powerful hymn. Life, suffering and death. These things are real for the Christian. In this hymn "A New Song Shall Now Be Begun" Luther proclaims in such a simple way the Gospel at its barest. Yet, he does in such a beautiful way.

When this hymn was published it spread like a wildfire across the land. People sang this hymn all the time. It was on their lips and gave people hope once again in the purest Gospel which these two men held onto.

Perhaps when we think of Saints, we have become to callous to the superstitions of Rome. However, these two Saints in God's Kingdom lived and died for the Gospel, and should be remembered as Luther so eloquently composed it. For these men remind us of the high cost of the Gospel. These men remind us that the Gospel does matter and must be kept pure at all costs. May God grant us such a strong confession!

+Kyrie Eleison+

Coffee and the Gospel

2009-04-16T11:09:00.005-05:00

I was drinking coffee today, not an uncommon thing. My first cup was the good 'ole Reformers Roast. It's a strong coffee with a good full flavor. Since I didn't want to be wired for the entire afternoon, my second cup was Colombian Decaf. It tasted really good too, but I began to think to myself,

"Hmm, this is hot like coffee. It smells like coffee. And by golly it even tastes like coffee. But is it really coffee?"

Now you may disagree with me, but in my opinion it had lost it's right to call itself coffee. It is not as it should be. The caffeine which made up what it was, was missing. Decaf is not coffee, even though it smells and tastes like it is.

Why do I bring this up? Well, in too many churches today - and you can see it everywhere - we hear about the Gospel. Now what does the Gospel look like? The first and most important is that it always focuses around the birth, life, suffering, death, resurrection and ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ. This is the heart and soul of the Gospel.

Yet, there are other things that are present often when the Gospel is heard, the Word of God Himself in the bible. Often, there is great ceremony. In most instances there is music of some sort which is accompanied along with the proclamation of the Gospel. Many times there is actual heartfelt emotion which is produced from the hearing of the sweet Gospel itself. There are many things which often accompany the Gospel of Jesus Christ which brings salvation.

But now I ask the question, is everything that is called Gospel, really Gospel? Just as in Decaf coffee is not really coffee. So neither is the Gospel really the Gospel if the atoning work of Jesus Christ is left out. If the Gospel becomes deJesus-ed, then the Gospel is not really the Gospel anymore.

You can see men waving the bible around in their hands, but does that mean what they are reading from that bible is always the Gospel? You can have great ceremony, but just because there is great ceremony is the Gospel necessarily present? You can have great music, Bach or Thousand Foot Krutch, but does that mean the Gospel is always present along with that music? Pleasant heartfelt emotions that are present, are they always borne out the Gospel? All these things can be present, but without the message of Justification in Christ Jesus, is the Gospel message still the Gospel message?

Or do the things, which cause you to taste and feel like the Gospel is present, simple provide the illusion that the Gospel is there? Just as decaf coffee is not coffee without the caffeine, so also are the things which look like the Gospel not the Gospel without the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Lord, help us to always look to you. Keep us steadfast in Your True Word of Salvation in Jesus Christ.

+Kyrie Eleison+

Christ is Arisen! Alleluia!

2009-04-12T08:22:00.004-05:00

He is not here! He is Risen!

Why does Easter bring so much joy? The answer can only be found looking back.

When we look back from Easter we see what Jesus went through. We see the death of Christ. We see Him hanging on the tree in bloody and sweaty agony. We see Him carrying His cross forward from Jerusalem to Golgotha. We see Him being sentenced by the crowd saying, “Crucify Him, Crucify Him.” We see Him being beaten and whipped within an inch of His life. We see Him being spit upon and slapped around. We see Him being taken and bound. We see Him also crying in agony from the garden, that the cup of God’s wrath be taken from Him. We see Him being cruelly attacked by the Pharisees and Sadducees. We see Him being challenged by demons. We see Him being rejected in His hometown of Nazareth. We see Him being tempted by Satan himself. We see Him bearing our sins in His baptism. We see Him being plotted against even as a little child. We see Him finally born in the flesh as a man.

This was the road that Jesus chose. This was the road He chose to walk. Did the Son of God deserve any of this? Certainly not! Yet, in order to save man, He walked this road of suffering His whole life long until His death.

If we look back upon our own lives, there is pain and suffering. Everyone has lost a loved one. If you haven’t then you will. Everyone has seen the sufferings of a fallen world, be it through a bad economy, or through warfare, or through drought or flood. Pain and suffering is a constant companion throughout our lives. And even more so we have made poor choices. We have sinned against our neighbor time and time again. If not in deed, then by word. If not by word, then in thought. If not by thought, then our own sinful corrupt nature sinned all the more keeping our eyes off the One True God. Our lives are filled with pain which indeed we ourselves can create as well. Yet, at the same time, there is nothing we can do about it. The corruption is too deep. The pain is too real. Any belief that we can change it substantially by ourselves is only a mere illusion. We were stuck in this world, and, believe Jesus, we were content with our sinfulness, though it drove us to destruction.

But then again, that is why Christ came, that He might walk that road for us. And walk that road He did. For, we have looked back on the road He chose to walk. The path that was ours leading to destruction, to our death and eternal death. Yet, now this morning we see the end! Christ is Risen from the grave. He has paid for our sins. He has released us from all guilt. He has set us free from our bondage to sin. He has stayed the Fathers wrath. He has declared us righteous in His resurrection.

Brothers, in this life the road that Christ walked still lays before us. For we as sinful men must still suffer, we must still have trial and temptation come against us. And we will falter on this road. We will stumble. We will fall. We may even break our back and our necks in each fall. Yet, Christ has walked the road. Christ has completed the journey. And as Christ has completed the journey, so also shall Christ raise you again to continue your walk on this sorrowful road. And when you come to life’s end, you shall die as Christ died. You shall be struck down by the very sin that corrupts your nature. Yet, you will not remain dead. For Christ, has walked the road of death as well and has overcome it.

“Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.”

You have been baptized into Christ. What does this mean for you? It means that as you walk through this evil of tears, through this valley of the shadow of death that is life, you have the assurance that all your sufferings are not without purpose and are not without end. For you know the end. Christ has walked the road to cavalry for you, and there is no longer death, but life at the end of the road. Christ has arisen and so shall you with Him. For you have life in Him.

This is why Easter is such a blessed and wonderful day. For when we look back at our lives, they are all clouded and tainted with evil and sin. Yet, Christ has undone it all. Christ has covered it all, because He loves you. So, rejoice this Easter day! And again, I say rejoice your whole life long. For your road is paved. Christ is with you on the way. And the end is life eternal. Alleluia! Amen.

+Christe Eleison+

Leave it to me...

2009-02-18T13:16:00.003-06:00

to Promise at the beginning of the month to post more often. I forgot that this was not a good idea during the last four weeks of the quarter.

So, for now, I'll put in a plug for Table Talk Radio.
One of the hosts, Pastor Bryan Wolfmueller interviews Dr. James Nestingen. It's worth a listen, if you have the time. Click here to listen to their conversa tion.

The Third Article

2009-02-08T21:59:00.000-06:00

How radical does this seem to modern ears?

I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to him.

This article is a direct assault on Americanized Christianity. The "American Spirit" which has in it's mind that a man can do anything for which he strives. Every little 1st and 2nd grader is told that, yes, if they so strive, they can even become president of the United States. But, this is all just a lie.

Not every little 1st and 2nd grader can become president no matter how hard they strive, only 44 men in the history of the U.S. have become president. 44 men out of millions. And those 44 men in no way got to that honored position by their own reason or strength. Each one had his friends. Each one had is backers with money to support him. Perhaps even some of them have been qualified for the position, but it was not simply by their own reason or strength that got them there.

How much more honorable then is the position of being one of God's children? Is not this position far greater than that of being the President of the United States? So, then how could something of more honorable position be even more attainable by the self than that of the presidency? The fact is, it is not more attainable.

Though being God's child is not even remotely attainable by us, herein lies the greatest thing comfort. We need not be concerned to attain such a high position by our own doing. Instead, we can take comfort that the Holy Spirit has indeed brought us to such a position in that he,

called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith.

For while, not every 1st and 2nd grader can become president, God desires that all men be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth. And that Truth is life in Jesus Christ who has borne the sins of the whole world on his back, that you might have sonship in Him.

This is why he does not leave it up to you to be saved, but has instead given this as the task of the Holy Spirit in His Holy Word.

+Kyrie Eleison+ for this late night post.

The Geese are back...

2009-02-07T14:27:00.003-06:00

It warmed up enough.
Now those pesky geese are back on campus.

Although, I think they may be confused a bit. See, the pond has had to be almost completely drained in order for the construction company to do some preliminary work on the foundations for the new library.

It'll be interesting to see how the geese react to this. I'll keep you updated.

Discussing Speculation

2009-02-01T14:15:00.004-06:00

Theological speculation has been the problem with many theologians in the past and it led to heresy. Too often does scripture speak on a subject then the human mind makes that extra non-biblical jump into a reasoned guess about what the conclusion is. The problem that many people have is letting scripture speak where it speaks and letting it be silent where it is silent.

However, I think too often this is used a cop out when we don't know about a certain aspect of Scripture. Too quick, I think, do we jump to this conclusion and let things lie.

Thus, it went in a discussion from lunch today. The topic of "When did the fall of Satan and his angels occur?" came up because it was brought up in another seminarian's youth Sunday School class. Upon hearing this another seminarian chimed in "We have no idea, so there nothing to discuss." But should the discussion really end like that?

Truly, we have no exactness of when this occurred. However, it would be wrong to simply state this to the kids. For Scripture does speak on the fall of Satan. What would be best is to discuss those passages which speak on it then make the conclusion that Scripture does not explicitly tell us when.

In this way do you let scripture limit the conversation, while at the same time the "people" see that you have not simply brushed the question aside but have actually thought about this. Thus, you build their confidence in you for future conversations.

+Kyrie Eleison+

Goal for February

2009-02-01T11:59:00.002-06:00

I have a goal for February.

I am going to try to post about three times a week during this month. So, be on the look out for upcoming posts.

+Jay

Sermon: Holy Innocents

2009-01-02T11:48:00.004-06:00

Dec. 28, 2008

Zion Lutheran Church

Lahoma, OK

Holy Innocents

Matthew 2: 13-18

Just as the angels proclaimed at the birth of Jesus, peace be to you. Amen.

Our Lord, Jesus Christ for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven And was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary And was made man. These are the words of the Nicene Creed. Often we don’t think of it, but this is our year-round confession of Christmas. Yes, by this we confess our Christmas in July, or June, or whatever other month we speak it. But, at this time of the year we especially reflect upon what the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ means to us for each month of the year and for our entire life. Today, Saint Matthew tells us of the toddler Jesus’ flight to Egypt and the slaughter of the Holy Innocents, those helpless children in Bethlehem murdered by Herod. From these texts we’ll look at what it means that the Gospel, Jesus Christ himself, has come into this world, and what that means for the Christian life.

So, in our Gospel reading, an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream. Imagine the surprise of Joseph! It’s not exactly a common thing for someone to be visited by an angel once, but a second time. Wow. That’s something. The first visit God had told him that he would be the step-dad of God incarnate. This second visit was not an angelic “Gloria in Excelsis” follow-up visit. God had sent an angel to warn Joseph against a plot against the Son of God, to destroy the savior of all mankind. The angel said to Joseph, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child to destroy him.” Take the child and flee to Egypt Joseph, God will protect you and Mary and most importantly the little tyke learning how to talk and eat solid food. God will protect you from Herod who would take your son’s life. God will protect you.

And this is not something new that God has been doing. He has been protecting his promise of salvation through the Messiah from the very beginning. He preserved the promise through Adam’s son Seth despite the death of Abel and the exile of Cain. He preserved the Israelites and His Word by taking them from out of Egypt and the despair of the desert. He preserved David, the promised line of the Messiah, always from the hands of his enemies, and he preserved the exiles through their Babylonian captivity by His steadfast Word. And he hasn’t stopped doing this today. He takes care of you always keeping his promise of salvation presently before you. By His Word he preserves you in the faith just as he has preserved every person of God through history. And he gives you his Sacraments to hold you steadfast in the faith and strengthen you in faith toward Him and love toward your neighbor.

And for that reason did God did preserve his promised savior, his son. He saved the Messiah that all might one day live again with Him in Paradise. Unfortunately, this only tells half the story. For the second half of the Gospel reading goes like this: “Then Herod…sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men.” Too often when we hear this text we wonder - how could Herod do such an awful thing? Too little do we think of those whom Herod hurt. Yes the children were murdered, but they also had parents. Think of how they must have felt. Grief, Pain, Suffering. The murder of a child, that’s something no parent wants to live through. Now, These men and women in and around Bethlehem were faithful people of God. They believed in the Messiah. Yet, despite that, the children were still murdered. Why couldn’t God have warned them to flee with their children? Why couldn’t God have saved these faithful little ones of God, as he had saved Jesus?

This is a question that many of us would ask today if this tragedy had befallen us. In fact, we often do, if only for different circumstances. We question God. We wonder why he has let any tragedy come upon us. Crop failure, losing a job, losing a house, losing a friend, or a child or a spouse. We wonder how could God allow such infliction to come upon his people? Now rightly, we don’t know the answer to that question. But we can know that all things happen for our good, even our suffering is to strengthen our faith in Him. It is our sinful flesh that would have us think otherwise. It is our sinful nature that would reel against God saying, “I don’t deserve this!” Our sinful flesh wants to blame God for our suffering. However, we fail to look that it’s our own sin that truly condemns us and is the reason why we are even subjected to suffering in the first place. We shouldn’t blame God, it’s sinful and it plays right into the plans of one who has wanted to thwart God’s plan to save us from the very beginning.

For you see, just as God was faithfully at work protecting his people throughout the history of the world in order that he might save them, Satan was equally at work trying to destroy God’s plan of salvation. Was Satan not the one at work in Cain when he killed his brother? Was Satan not also present at Mt. Sinai leading the Israelites into the worship of the golden calf at the same time God was present with them at that very same mountain. And considering that God had told Satan that the Messiah would be born of a woman, do you really think that it’s a coincidence that the worshippers of Baal sacrificed their children to this false God? No, Satan has been working and trying his darndest to destroy the Messiah and to drive people away from God’s promise of salvation.

But, God is faithful to his people. He has cared for them throughout all generations – from generation to generation. This is why he had to preserve his Son at this moment of Jesus’ life. He had to preserve his life now, so that Jesus could give up his life later. He had to preserve his Son’s life now so that Jesus could take on the sins of the world and go to the cross to perish on our behalf. And throughout Christ’s life he battled Satan. God fought against the evil one from Herod’s attempt on Christ’s life, to the temptation in the desert, to the cross. And in Christ’s death, Satan was defeated. Your sins which gave Satan claim over you were paid for. You were and now are forgiven. You are Christ’s own and nothing can rip you from his merciful and mighty hand.

And take Christ’s death on the cross as assurance that God has won the battle against sin and temptation for you. He has defeated all evil things in this world. But, take also this text for today as a marker for the Christian life. Wherever the Gospel is there Satan will be there also trying to defeat it. Wherever there are faithful Christians being sustained by God himself, there Satan will be trying with all his might to tear Christians away from God. Satan will bring disaster and suffering to you. He will bring temptations to you and distraction from God’s Word to drive you away from the source of all comfort. Because you are a Christian this will happen.

But you don’t need to ask the question – why did God let this happen? For you are assured that before any tragedy ever hurts you, God, through Christ Jesus, already holds you in his care and has a plan that you might be strengthened because of it. And this plan, is one where he feeds you and nourishes you through His very life giving Word. This plan is one where he takes you under His mighty care, day in and day out, because you are baptized. This plan is one where he gives you his very body and blood to forgive your sins and comfort you with His own self. By the Lord Jesus Christ, know that you are forever in his loving care. He will comfort you throughout your Christian life of suffering and sorrow. Amen and Amen!

Price check... on the Gospel.

2008-12-17T19:10:00.001-06:00

What is the price of the Gospel?

Death.

This fact you cannot escape. The death of Jesus Christ brought to fruition the Gospel, God's promise of salvation through the forgiveness of sins.

Furthermore, when you deal with the Gospel, you always deal with death. This appears at odds with what we normally hear about the Gospel. But we often hear only one side of how the Gospel works. We hear about how the gospel gives life. We hear about the wonderful promises of God given to his people. This is of course all true and all very comforting.

However, again, the Gospel deals with death. Everything surrounding the Gospel is chock full of death. The Gospel comes to give life to those who were dead in their trespasses. The Gospel is persecuted and covered with the blood of martyrs of all ages. And again, this life giving Gospel was won for us by the death of Jesus Christ.

Hearing and proclaiming the Gospel is a deadly business, and it has been so from the very beginning. But of this you can be certain, life through the Gospel will always win out. Martin Luther's Easter hymn says it best:

It was a strange and dreadful strife
When Life and Death contended;
The victory remained with Life,
The reign of Death was ended;
Holy Scripture plainly saith
That Death is swallowed up by Death,
His sting is lost forever.
Hallelujah!

+Kyrie Eleison+

Bad Exegesis, and Reading Things into Scripture

2008-12-10T09:38:00.008-06:00

I recently read a article on the Newsweek website entitled Gay Marriage: Our Mutual Joy. It is an article trying to show that Scripture actually backs gay marriage. Here is the front piece:

Let's try for a minute to take the religious conservatives at their word and define marriage as the Bible does. Shall we look to Abraham, the great patriarch, who slept with his servant when he discovered his beloved wife Sarah was infertile? Or to Jacob, who fathered children with four different women (two sisters and their servants)? Abraham, Jacob, David, Solomon and the kings of Judah and Israel—all these fathers and heroes were polygamists. The New Testament model of marriage is hardly better. Jesus himself was single and preached an indifference to earthly attachments—especially family. The apostle Paul (also single) regarded marriage as an act of last resort for those unable to contain their animal lust. "It is better to marry than to burn with passion," says the apostle, in one of the most lukewarm endorsements of a treasured institution ever uttered. Would any contemporary heterosexual married couple—who likely woke up on their wedding day harboring some optimistic and newfangled ideas about gender equality and romantic love—turn to the Bible as a how-to script?

Of course not, yet the religious opponents of gay marriage would have it be so.

It's an annoying article. The author doesn't see the bigger picture that the entire Bible is written in the frame work of salvation through the promised Messiah, who was revealed to us in the New Testament as Jesus. It is in that framework that we see in all times and in all places sin has persisted. Jesus came to takes away all that sin.

The author doesn't understand that, and in effect doesn't understand what God's love is. She doesn't see God's love in Christ, but instead tries to find what love means by reading between the lines and get behind the text to understand what the text is really saying. By doing this she reads into Scripture what she wants to see, and thereby loses the Gospel. When you lose the Gospel framework, then you can really say anything you want about what the Bible says.

If you want to read the rest of the article you can find it here.

+Kyrie Eleison+

A BCS Playoff...

2008-12-03T16:41:00.003-06:00

If you ever wanted to see how a playoff in college football might work, read this article from Rivals.com. I think it does a pretty fair job at presenting a playoff that is fair AND incorporates all the weaker conferences. Yes, teams still get left out, but now there will be good reason to leave them out.

Granted it probably won't happen for another 10 years if it ever does.

A Great Start

2008-12-03T09:54:00.003-06:00

Yes, after a 1-month break I have finally posted again. Here's to posting more regularly than once a month.

Winter Quarter is here. And I think it should be less busy than I first thought it would be. So here's a rundown of my classes from the ones that demand the most work.

1) Church History II - There is a lot of reading and Prof. Coles is going to kill a lot of trees with all the handouts I have to memorize. However, I love this time period. So, although the workload (150 pages of reading a week) is great, it should be fun and manageable.

2) Pauline Epistles - The big thing here is exegetical work and the papers that I have to write. I have two 10-12 pagers for this class as well as weekly quizzes. Not bad, just time demanding. However, I am not too worried about this class either. I had both the professors, Dr. Peter Scaer and Dr. Nordling, for Gospels I and Gospels II respectively. I did well in both their classes and I know what they are looking for in my exegesis.

3) Catechetics - Prof. John Pless on learning how to teach the catechism and other catechism benefits. A project and a paper in here make this class thrid on the list. Oh yeah, and I get to remember/memorize the small catechism for recital, again.

4) Church History IV - I have heard that Dr. Rast's tests are hard and that the first test could end up being my only grade in the class. I guess it's just extra incentive in doing very well on the first test.

5) Pastoral Counseling - 2 tests - Pretty much all the answers are given in class as "Tuition Dollar" questions. It shouldn't be too tough.

6) Greek readings and Field Ed - Prof. Harvala and Prof. Pless are teaching those respectively. I think I will learn much from Prof Harvala as his approach is to exegete a text for preaching. These are simple classes.

That's a rundown of my classes.

+Kyrie Eleison+

Before Bed...

2008-11-03T21:58:00.003-06:00

Three things you should not do before bed...
1) Eat a bag of Sunflower Seeds
2) Eat a Snickers Bar
3) Drink a Beer

(I had a munchie craving)

All fine things, of course, but not the best things to have just before bed.

Three things you should do before bed.
1) Pray
2) Pray
3) Pray some more.

If you think this is Law you are right. In fact, in the Large Catechism, Luther says we must first pray because God has commanded it. He places it under the authority of the Second Commandment in rightly calling upon God's name.

However, more importantly, Luther places prayer under pure Gospel. For with prayer, we look at the Lords Prayer and pray to God knowing that we are asking Him as dear children ask their dear Father and he gladly gives to us. With prayer, we have a sure defense against the devil, the world and our sinful flesh. Why? Because it is the last thing the devil wants. He never wants God's name upon our lips calling out to him for help and guidance against the evil one. It is when he can make you go your own way, not calling upon God, that the devil would have you go.

So pray before you go to bed. Pray and have always the name of the Lord upon your lips crying out to Him for strength to live lives according to His Word, for the Holy Spirit that He would continue to keep us in the one true faith, for the will of Satan and all evil things to be broken and no harm come to us, for everything that we need to support this body and life, for forgiveness and the strength to forgive our neighbor, for endurance against temptation, and steadfastness against the evil one himself. It is God's good will to give all this you.

+Kyrie Eleison. Amen.

Really? #1

2008-10-25T17:56:00.005-05:00

This is the first installment of my new mini-series of posts called Really? In this series I am going to point out some things which are common misconceptions about certain aspects of Christianity. Hopefully, it will be helpful to some, and thought provoking to others. And to others, simply enjoy what you already know, or dispute with me how I could be off kilter.

Here we go.

One common misconception that I have found:
People don't realize the devil and demons are really real, or they simply don't think these beings have any power.

We have all kinds of examples showing that Satan and his demons are real.
In Genesis, Satan himself shows up as a serpent. He tempts Eve away from God and ultimately Adam as well. The book of Job shows that Satan there also is very real. If we look in the Gospels, Jesus is casting out demons and rebuking Satan himself. Truly, Satan and demons are real. And they at least have some power to cause harm and danger in this world.

But, it is easy for us today to not even think of Satan nor his demons to cause us any grief today. We attribute almost anything and everything to a rational explanation (thank you enlightenment) and are just as skeptical if someone tells us that demon possession is real. But here, we must stick to what God's Word says. If Jesus cast out demons, then they are real. If Jesus rebuked Satan, then Satan is real. If these demons could possess a human, or cause a person grief, then demons really do give people grief and lead them away from the one true God.

I am not going to go into detail trying to decipher what might be a demon as compared to what might simply be an actual medical condition. However, I think there is room to say that temptation and grief and burden can, in fact, come from actual attacks of devils.

This is why Luther writes so adamantly that prayer (especially the Lord's Prayer!) is the main offense against the devil and all his ways. Because of this very real threat of the minions of Satan, prayer is essential in calling out to God against Satan and assuring the believer that they have God's promise of salvation from these attacks.

Looking at it from another perspective. What does this mean if you don't believe that Satan and his minions actually exist? It means that Satan has you where he wants you. He doesn't want you calling out to God for help! If there is not enemy, there is no need for a savior. There is no need to cry out. There is no need for salvation.

That there is no need for salvation!

This is what Satan wants you to believe. This is Satan's vanishing trick that turns people away from God. If he can tell you it's all good, then he'll let you believe also that you don't need Jesus.

Into temptation lead us not.
When evil foes against us plot
And vex our souls on every hand,
Oh, give us strength that we may stand
Firm in the faith, a well-armed host,
Through comfort of the Holy Ghost!

From evil, Lord, deliver us;
The times and days are perilous.
Redeem us from eternal death,
And when we yeild our dying breath,
Console us, grant us calm release,
And take our souls to Thee in peace.

- "Our Father, Thou in Heaven Above"
The Lutheran Hymnal #458
Stanzas 7&8, Petitions 6&7 of the Lord's Prayer

+Kyrie Eleison

On Writing a Hymn

2008-10-14T18:06:00.000-05:00

If you didn't know. I am on the chapel staff. I help out with the 4:00 Vespers Service preparing the sticky notes in the hymnals, for the lectors and liturgists whom I hi-jack from the student body and faculty. One of the duties in preparing the services is to pick out the hymns for the week. Here is a few interesting discoveries I have made:

1) There are a large number of hymns which come from the psalms... and rightfully so. Since, the psalms are the hymnbook of the Old Testament, it is only fitting that we sing many of the songs which they did then.

2) The second thing however, is how much explicit Christology is missing from the hymns which are based solely off of hymns.

Addressing the second point, I, of course, understand that all the psalms are to be understood with Christ in mind. But, I am not sure that many people do have Christ in mind when they are singing. In fact it is often is easier to make God seem abstract in singing the psalms, than understanding that the psalms really speak about Christ.

With this in mind, Kurios, the name used to address Jesus is, in fact, the same word used over and over again in the Old Testament and the Psalms. This title, Kurios, points to Jesus as God, as the one who has done the marvelous deeds and as the one to whom Israel cries out when they are in distress.

But, you understand all this from a careful study of the text and a proper understanding of the Scriptures. So, what of a psalm made into a hymn? Often, it is hard to see Christ in the hymn text without reading Him into it. The hymn does not explicitly show Christ, and thus, I think is very deficient.

We know who Jesus is and what he has done. The Jews and others in writing the psalms only knew what God had done for them, and what he was going to do for them, even though they didn't know exactly how. We have that advantage; we know how Jesus has fulfilled the promises of God. I think that it is sad that we did not take the opportunity in writing psalmic hymns, sermons of the Church, to include Jesus and what he has done.

Without Jesus the church is nothing. Without preaching Christ, specifically Christ, then people are not saved, and Christians are not edified.

+Kyrie Eleison

Mid-Quarter Break

2008-10-10T09:03:00.002-05:00

Today is the Mid-Quarter Break. What better way to celebrate the halfway point of the quarter than with "Keg and Eggs."

Breakfast and beer. Yes, it was delicious. Yes, I am going to take a nap now.

+Kyrie Eleison

Read it.

2008-09-29T11:38:00.006-05:00

It has been two weeks since a post. Why?

Reading.

And this is a good thing, because that means I have been reading. So what am I reading? Lots of things.

Preaching and the Literary Forms of the Bible by Thomas G. Long.
Ia m about half way through with this book. Thus far, it is not so bad. It's a basic text on preaching the literary forms of the bible: Psalms, Proverbs, Narratives, Parables, and Epistles. It's not bad, and I can see how it can help shape the mind in going about preaching the text.

Christian Dogmatics vII by Francis Pieper
If you love Christology, you will somewhat enjoy this book. Again, I am only about half way through this book and Dr. Scaer has said this book in itself doesn't do a satisfactory job of covering the fullness of the work of Christ in the atonement. We shall see when I get to the atonement section.

Key Words in Church Music ed. Carl Schalk
An expanded and updated edition of the work that came out in 1978, this is good broad selection of essays on Church Music in general. I bought this book in order to study the music of the church. I wanted a foundation in hymnody as I study. But, I got side tracked and learned that Luther added O Christ to the beginning of each petition of the Agnus Dei.

Where God Meets Man: Luther's Down-to-Earth Approach to the Gospel by Gerhard O. Forde.
I started this book at the beginning of the year in my spared time. I am halfway through it. It'll probably be on the back burner for another two weeks until the 1-day fall break gets here.

Luther: Man between God and the Devil by Heiko A. Oberman
I will begin this tonight. It's a book on Luther and I am looking to sink my teeth deeper into something a bit more than a general Martin Luther biography. It's for a paper in Church History III, so it'll be read by Sunday evening.

The Song of Roland
Hey, everybody's gotta have a little something as a break from class reading.

Well, that's about it.

+Kyrie Eleison

Burdens

2008-09-15T11:22:00.003-05:00

<------Being a seminarian is rough sometimes. We carry a lot of burdens.

The temptations are always coming at us. Satan and his allies, the world and our flesh, struggle ever on to lead men away from what they are supposed to be doing. It's easy to get lazy, and get behind on reading. It's easy to get so caught up in seminary "stuff", the reading and the papers, that we spend less time on reading God's Word in its own right. The pressure of being a single seminarian has its own difficulties and temptations. And the list goes on.

Furthermore, seminarians have the further advantage of being the piece of iron thwacked by God to mold them in rough-shod Pastors in the course of a few years. Tried and tested to the limits to help us better understand the realities of being a Pastor can have a wearing effect as well. This burden at times can seem unbearable.

But all this is not without hope. For with these burdens Christ says "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." Christ calls out, and we hear. Christ gives us his light and easy yoke in our Baptism, and he took our burdens of sin and shame and nailed them to the cross.

There at the cross is where we find true comfort and rest, because there is the forgiveness of our sins. There is our escape from the burdens of this world. In Christ we have comfort, in Christ we have rest.

+Soli Deo Gloria+

First Day Back

2008-09-08T17:58:00.004-05:00

Classes begin anew.

Pentateuch Uno, Dog II, Church History III, Hom II and Lutheran Confessions II. It looks to be a good quarter albeit a busy one.

Moses authored the Pentateuch, but maybe or maybe not using sources; Baptism is the most important thing the first years will learn at seminary; and reading the Nicene Creed in Latin prevents people from swimming the Bosporus.

That was my first day as a second year student.
We'll see how Hom goes tomorrow and Confessions goes on Thursday evening.

+Christ Have Mercy on us this year+

Last Day

2008-08-14T08:59:00.004-05:00

This is the final day for my summer vicarage in Worden, IL. Overall, it has been a great experience. I learned a great deal from Pastor Curtis and from the members at Trinity and Zion. May God continue to bless them all with faithful hearts and minds toward Christ Jesus, our Lord.

Kyrie Eleison+

The Voice of the Church

2008-08-11T11:35:00.005-05:00

How does the church respond to happiness or sorrow? It uses its voice and its voice is the hymn. The hymns of the Church possess what is most important to the body of all Christian Saints. Now, what is voiced at different times may be voiced in different ways, but ultimately - hopefully - there remains the salvific message of Christ crucified.

Today there are many ways to express the extreme happiness that the church feels. In fact, this could cause a problem for future generations of Christians. For us, here in America, we have it good. The Church is protected from governmental persecution and sorrow and toil and trouble do not rear its ugly head as it did during the early persecutions of Christians. We have better medicines today, unlike the widespread deaths caused by the Plague, the Black Death. So we have in essence become unaware of what hard-times really are, and to what brink sorrow and toil and turmoil can bring the church.

These happy songs seem to flow out of different parts of Christendom. Christ Tomlin wrote "How great is our God" (voted Worship Song of the Year for 2008) and truly God is - although not necessarily for the reasons Tomlin describes. Martin Luther writes "Dear Christians, One and All, Rejoice" (Nominated for best Worship Song in 1523, but lost to "You are stupid laity and don't know Latin" by the Pope Clement VII) and truly we should rejoice. But what of times of sorrow? What of times when things aren't happy and bright? How then does the church respond?

It seems that today's Christianity has no answer for this. All it knows is happy happy joy joy. It doesn't fully understand sorrow. And truly, neither do I. Yet, while I may not fully understand the extent of sorrow, when sad times do come, a solid part of Christendom does understand sorrow and how to handle it. And that solid bit of Christendom that holds to Lutheran hymns and Lutheran hymn writers gives the church its voice in the times of sorrow. How?

Well, Luther wrote "Dear Christians, One and All, Rejoice", but he also wrote "In the Very Midst of Life" a hymn which tells of the sorrows and tribulation a Christian faces. In the Hymn the answer is Jesus Christ to all sorrow and woes, yet tells us this very clearly and with a fitting tune to the occasion. In the 17th Century, Paul Gerhardt gives even more life to this voice of sorrow trusting in the promises of God. With a hymn like "Why Should Cross and Trial Grieve Me" there is no doubt that Christ is the focus of all things and we can cling to him even in times of sorrow. The text and the tune are appropriate for the occasion.

These texts and tunes for sorrow come out of times of great grief and sorrow and they give comfort to us today in times as sorrow as well. Rejoice then, that Lutheran hymns still hold a firm voice for the Church in times of sorrow which cling to Christ and the salvation he has won for us!

Is Jesus not enough?

2008-08-06T14:01:00.003-05:00

For those of the "experiential age" of Christianity, Jesus is not enough.

It is not enough that Jesus comes into their midst, every Sunday in the Lord's Supper. It is not enough that God has promised them salvation under His triune name in Baptism. It is not enough that the Holy Spirit chooses to work through the Word of God in a sermon, whether or not that Word is excellent preached.

Feeling, apparently, is the paramount of Christianity. Sensuality, almost. Borderline sexual desire, talking about Jesus as if he were a lover. And then to top it all off, there is a general feeling that you have no idea what is happening to you, so you call it the Holy Spirit to cover your tracks.

That is not Jesus. That is not God. He has done his work concretely, by becoming a man and going to the cross. And he continues to still work concretely to give you the forgiveness he won: His Word and the Sacraments.

Looking at yourself takes your eyes off God and off the cross. "It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man." Psalm 118:8

Kyrie Eleison+

Homily for St. Romanus, Martyr

2008-08-06T13:58:00.002-05:00

Trinity Lutheran Church
Worden, IL
August 6^th, 2008

Matthew 10:26-32

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

“So have no fear of them.” “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” For Saint Romanus, the converted soldier, these words were all too real. He was martyred. Evil men killed his body, but they didn’t have the power to kill his soul. We, on the other hand, live lives of comfortable security protected from persecution by the Constitution. But then again, while it protects us from men, it cannot protect us from the effects of sin in this world and the fear this puts in us.

There are plenty of things to fear and worry about in this life. You might be fired from your job. Money may run dry and bills left unpaid. Children could grow up and make bad decisions. A loved one could be taken away at any minute. But truly, these are minor cares and worries for they only take their toll on our bodies. And these bodies are bound for death anyway. Jesus says, “Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” This is the fear that matters.

Who is the one who can destroy both soul and body in hell? It cannot be the devil. Christ has beaten Satan. He’s judged. The deed is done. One little Word can fell him. He has no power over us. So then, the one who can destroy both body and soul is God, the almighty and everlasting. He is the judge. The one who will come to judge the quick and the dead. The one who will come to judge men by their deeds and destroy all those who are not perfect in his sight. He is the one to be feared. For are your deeds perfect? Are you spotless and blameless in the sight of God? Standing naked in front of God with only your imperfect and shameful deeds to cover you is indeed a frightening prospect.

But while he is to be feared, He says, do not fear nor be afraid. “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.” God watches over all living things, and you are of more value to him than they are. Repent therefore from all your sins, take comfort and see what God has done that he is able to love and value you.

God sent Jesus to stand naked on the cross. But he was not really naked, for he was covered in your shameful and sinful deeds. Jesus Christ the Son of God hung before the face of God and was condemned. The wrath of God, intended for you, was sent against Jesus Christ. Your sins were paid for bought with the suffering and death of Jesus Christ. Yet, the grave could not hold God. And Jesus came out from the tomb no longer clothed in your sins and shamefulness, but with fresh garments of his own righteousness. And through his Word in Baptism he clothes you with these pure white stainless shameless garments.

This is why he says, do not fear. In those pure white garments given to you by Christ your will be judged at the final judgment according to deeds. But God will look at you and no longer see your shameful and imperfect deeds. He will see you clothed in the deeds of Christ. Clothed in the merits of Christ our Lord and Savior who won salvation for you on the cross. And you will not be destroyed in soul and body but be preserved until life everlasting.

So we rejoice in this salvation and gladly do as Christ our Lord says, “Everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my father who is in heaven.” And what better way of acknowledging God before man than by receiving the things which God wishes us to receive? We come to church and hear God’s Word in the Sermon. We take and eat and drink to our forgiveness the body and blood of Christ. And we live in our Baptisms, daily receiving the promise of forgiveness which he gives. Yes, Jesus gives and gives and forgives and forgives. In these things Christ acts, and by receiving we proclaim to others that He is the Christ.

So we fear the Lord, trusting in His promise when he says to us - Have no fear, for my Son has stilled my wrath and you have life, in soul and body, everlasting.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Homily

2008-07-30T10:01:00.007-05:00

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

He (that is Jesus) said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood have not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Jesus is building. He is building a church. How does Jesus intend to build the Church?

“I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be bound in heaven.” Jesus doesn’t keep this a secret. He isn’t trying to fool anybody. He is plain and clear about how he is going to do this. The Church is built on the forgiveness of sins. It is as plain and simple as that.

Repent, then, from any other understanding about how the Church grows. Repent, also from the things which you do to keep the Church from growing. Which one of you hasn’t argued with your neighbor, with your friend, or with a relative about anything? Satan caused division within the house of Jacob, turning brother against brother. If Satan did this to Jacob’s family, don’t you think he will try and cause divisions between brothers and sisters here at Trinity? The prideful, sinful self put strife and stress between the apostles Peter and John, the very disciples of Christ. Have you not also held onto your prideful self, your sinfulness way too often and have cause strife and stress between you and someone you care for.

Repent from these sins for they condemn the church and tear it apart. They do nothing but bring hate, deceit, anger, rage, pain, suffering, and destruction to the Church.

Take heart. We are not left to ourselves to tear apart the Church.

You see Christ went to the cross, for you. He suffered and died, for you. He took upon himself all the hate, and dissention, and division, and anger, and pain that you would cause the Church, that the fault may no longer rest upon your shoulders but upon his. And you are forgiven. You are forgiven for all these sins. And in his resurrection, he heals all wounds and restores all things with that forgiveness of sins won on the cross.

Christ has founded the Church on himself. He has built is with the sturdy wooden beams of the cross which cannot fall to the sin of the world, our flesh, or Satan. It is from the cross that he gives the forgiveness of sins. And it is with the forgiveness of sins that God brings people into the Church by faith. See in Baptism that God places his name – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – upon you. His very words created faith in you and brought you the forgiveness of sins which Christ won on the cross. In the Lord’s Supper, Jesus gives you himself, his body and blood, for the forgiveness of sins. Christ is the foundation of the Church.

But there is one gift God gives that we often overlook. There is one gift we fail to think of as important as Baptism or the Lord’s Supper. And in fact this gift can be the most comforting of them all. For Christ has given us absolution. He has given us Pastors, to absolve us of those sins which weigh upon us the most. Think of it, Christ tells Peter that he has Christ’s authority to forgive sins, and that they will also be forgiven in heaven as well. Pastors do this. Pastor stand in the stead and by the command of Jesus himself to forgive sins. And this is pure gift to you. For God knows that we are weak. So he gives us a spoken word: the spoken Word of the Pastor. In that word God gives you comforting absolution, the forgiveness of sins. Here, you have your sins forgiven, that you may learn to forgive as well. That you may learn that forgiveness heals all wounds of division caused by sin. So take heart, for you have God’s promise that you have salvation, that you stand in Christ’s righteousness, and that you have life everlasting.

In the name of the Father, and of Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The Church is built on Absolution

2008-07-28T15:24:00.004-05:00

Read Matthew 16:13-19. "Who am I?" Jesus asks. "You are the Christ Son of the living God." Peter replies. Peter you rock (very punny, no?), upon this rock I am going to build my church. So the argument goes, Is the church built upon Peter or the confession? Stupid question.

It is neither and both. Neither, because Jesus goes on to explain how the church will be built. "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." The church is built on absolution.

So it is also both, Jesus (the object of the confession) has won absolution for us. But at the same time he give all authority in heaven and on earth (hey sounds just like the keys in absolution) to the disciples to deal out that absolution.

The church is built on forgiveness, and Christ is the solid rock foundation.

The Most Influential Theologian Today?

2008-07-24T10:23:00.002-05:00

Who is the most influential theologian of our time? Does it come from the seminaries or somewhere else? Pastor Bryan Wolfmueller interviews Chris Tomlin on Table Talk Radio and makes an astute observation.

Listen to the interview here. http://tabletalkradio.org/scraps.html

+Soli Deo Gloria+

Simple Faith

2008-07-23T13:14:00.000-05:00

Being away from seminary for a while put some perspective on my seminary education. At the seminary I learned a slew of intricate details about how God interacts with man, much more than the average Joe probably knows. I am specifically talking about how man comes to salvation.

When I begin to talk with Joe about God's plan of salvation, how everything revolves around Jesus Christ and what HE did and that it has nothing to do with what Joe did, Joe can accept that. But the poo hits the whirligig when I begin to explain how this is possible, such as that Christ is both God and man at the same time, or that man is bound in sin until God acts upon that man. The most common response I have gotten is "I have a simple faith." - All that just confuses me, do I really need to know that.

Fair enough, if you want to look at it that way. It may be true that all of our faith is simple. The preaching of the Law shows the man his sin and shows him that he needs a Savior, bringing about repentance. Then the Gospel is preached creating faith and giving the man forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation. And this is simple faith. Truly, it is not about giving all the right answers about everything in the bible. See Pastor Hall's blog for a good explanation http://christopherdhall.blogspot.com/2008/07/error-christ-and-salvation.html
Although, are there some things that inevitably come to question more than others? Does the battle cry of "simple faith" hold when serious questions are asked?

With such talk about simple faith, is it possible that Christ wants us to know more about him? And if so, why? Shouldn't this simple faith sustain us through life to get us into heaven.

Of course Christ wants us to know as much about him as we can. The question "Who is Jesus?" must arise. People were killed over this question during the first 600 years of Christendom, and that was between the Christians themselves. Would not the simple Arian Christian say along with the simple Catholic Christian, "I have a simple faith!"? Or would not a Monophysite, or a Nestorian do the same? Perhaps a Pelagian?

If having a correct answer to the question "Who is Jesus?" doesn't matter, then why does it matter that Jesus is who he says he is anyway. Why does it matter if we have the right answers to "Who is Jesus?"

I can say to Average Joe, " Do you know Bob?"
Joe can say, "Sure I do. He lives over on Second Street."
Then I say, "No, Bob lives in Toronto."

Then point is, I can say, "Do you have faith in Jesus?"
Joe can say, "Sure I do. He is simply a means by which Salvation was made available for people to gain, should they so desire."
Then I can say, "No, Jesus gives salvation and does not simply 'make it available', we must have faith in a different Jesus."

The sad thing is. This is true. These people do not know the same Jesus. Though, unlike Bob, only one of the Jesus' is real. The other one is one of a person's own creation and disbelieving in the True Jesus.

So here then is the dilemma. If it is enough to have a simple faith, one that was qualified above, should I proceed then to teach further who Jesus really is at the threat that Joe might disbelieve the things said about who Jesus really is? Ah. But that is the heart of the matter. If Joe is unwilling to believe in who Jesus really is, then Joe has put up a false Jesus in his heart based not upon what God's Word says, but upon who Joe wants Jesus to be for him.

By denying the correct answer, Joe is confessing a different Jesus. He is creating a false God in which to believe, thus again destroying the first commandment. And even more detrimental, (as if breaking the first commandment wasn't bad enough) Joe denies how God works salvation and declares to everyone else that "simple faith" is best and that to delve into who Jesus says he is, is too complicated and distracting to salvation.

But then, I guess Joe's faith isn't as simple as he'd like to claim. He has his own idea of who Jesus is. Joe sees Jesus as one who doesn't split hairs concerning what is and isn't said about Jesus. Joe sees Jesus as unconcerned about that false teaching can lead astray. Joe sees Jesus as a given and takes it for granted that Jesus has gained him salvation. He fails to make the distinction between faith and the faith.

So yes, faith is simple. It believes upon the promises of God and is in fact given by God that we may receive him and his gift of salvation. Understanding The Faith is hard. It takes study and hard work to understand it better day by day, granted only by the Holy Spirit. Faith is bound to The Faith in that we can only believe in that which has been proclaimed as true. But to deny what is part of The Faith causes faith to be weakened and have foundations built on sand and not the Lord Jesus Christ.

When Homilies Attack!

2008-07-17T11:01:00.002-05:00

Preaching a bad homily is something to fret over. It is a sin. And, as such, should be taken seriously.

When God's Word goes forth from the mouth of the Pastor (in this case, from the mouth of the Pastor through the seminarian) it isn't idle. It has power to kill and make alive. When you are not clear, you can confuse the people and confound law and Gospel for them. Thus, effectively preaching them into hell without ever preaching them back into heaven. Or you may effectively create secure sinners and thus lead them by the hand to hell in their smug state.

I preached a bad homily yesterday. I sinned and needed forgiveness. I should have been clearer. I should have better prepared my sermon. But I didn't, and there is no second chance for that moment in time when God was breaking once again into the lives of sinful humanity.

Always be bold when preaching. Then again, always remember that when you fail to preach rightly, as God has said you must do, trust in the promise of forgiveness of sins which Christ gives to you in the Supper you'll receive in a few short minutes later.

On the Will of Man

2008-07-14T15:20:00.001-05:00

This will be a short essay focusing on the bondage of man to sin after the fall, and what Christ has to say about how man comes to salvation.

Does man have a will that is free, or is man’s will bound? Jesus says in John 8:34 -36 in reply to Jewish unbelief that they are not already free, “Jesus answered them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits a sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” Clearly, Jesus tells man that he is in bondage. He is a slave to sin. This bondage, which by all means begins with original sin, begins with Adam and Eve and their first fruits of sin which bound man in sin.

Paul says in Romans 6:12, “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned.” Follow this train of thought. Since all men from the moment they are born show the signs of aging and death upon them, it goes to follow that all men have sinned. and if all men have sinned, then as Jesus says, all men are slaves to sin. But understand that this type of bondage does not continue against the will of man.

This bondage is one in which the man bound has no understanding that there is any other way than that which sin provides. In fact, in this bondage man takes pleasure from sin, indeed, from doing things against the will of God. We see that in Romans 5:10, man without God’s intervention is an enemy of God, in that he sees God as an enemy. Understand “enemy” to its extent and you can understand that an enemy has every intention other than doing what his enemy wills.

Paul also describes this bondage in other terms. In Ephesians 2:1-10 we see that we were described to be “dead in the trespasses and sins” (v1) and “even as we were dead in our trespasses” (v5). Again, follow the logic. Normally when we think of a dead man, what do we think of a dead man doing? Nothing! Paul goes on and defines this death. It is not simply “nothing” that happens with one who is dead in their trespasses. No, that person lives in their trespasses. Following up verse 1, with verses 2 and 3, “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience - among whom we all once lived inthe passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.” A person who is dead in their trespasses lives a life of the living dead. A person who Christ has not lighten with the Gospel takes pleasure out of doing the things of this world and cannot see that there is anything different.

In fact, what does Christ say is his reason for coming to Earth for anyway. Look at what Christ himself says in Luke 4:18,19 “He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Reflecting to back to the Jubilee in Leviticus 25 when liberty was proclaimed to all the inhabitants of the land, and also to Isaiah, Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment of that passage in bringing permanent freedom to those who are in bondage and held captive.

Man is completely in bondage to sin. Scripture has said so. So how then does man gain salvation? Again we need only recall Jesus’ words in Luke 4 telling how God is the actor who frees man from bondage and not man.

Look at John 1:9-13, “The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” Jesus Christ is the true light. as he says elsewhere in John clarifying this, “I am the light of the world.” He is the one who enlightens. The world did not known him, though he made everything. He went to his people. Jesus is the one who acts! The ones who received him, not by anything of their own accord became children of God.

And John tells us how that happened. They were made children of God not by blood or being born into it in the hereditary sense (as the Jews were often apt to claim they were children of Abraham), nor by the will of the flesh (for the flesh desires that which is flesh), nor by the will of man (for it is bound in sin), but of God! God acts! God saves! And He does this through his Son Jesus Christ!

Matthew tells us how He is going to do this. 1:21, “She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” Christ is designated actor of salvation from the beginning. And this is so throughout his life and death and resurrection which is the salvific act for all of man throughout history. God acts. God acts through his Son, the God-Man Jesus Christ. All our responses are only after the fact of hearing the preached Word of Jesus Christ. God has always acted first and man can only give a response to this working of the Holy Spirit in him.

And of course we know that the Holy Spirit is God and his work is such that it is through Him that “God’s love has been poured into our hearts.” Romans 5:5. And that love is the merits of Christ Jesus.

Kyrie Eleison.

Tour de Donut Update

2008-07-12T19:36:00.003-05:00

I am alive.

I was pumped, psyched and ready to go throughout the whole race. When you have competitors, you have a bit more energy. It was a blast.

I finished the course in just over 2 hours. I ate two donuts. Hooray!

Tour de Donut

2008-07-12T07:09:00.004-05:00

This morning, I am cycling the 20th annual Tour de Donut here in IL. It's a 30-mile bike race where you get to eat donuts. For each donut you eat, you get a 5-minute deduction off your total time.

It looks like it might rain. Let's hope it doesn't. Race at 9am. I am going to go and work on my bike to get it ready. If I don't update again after the race, I might have died from exhaustion.

Who knows when death may over take me
Time passes on, my end draws near
How quickly can my breath forake me
How soon can life's last hour appear
My God, for Jesus' sake I pray,
Thy peace may bless my dying day.

Kyrie Eleison.

Check Please...

2008-07-09T09:00:00.003-05:00

To tip or not to tip... Shakespeare is catchy, and now cliché. Oi.

You go to a restaurant. You are waited on. You are served. You are taken care of. You pay your hard earned cash to buy a decent meal. And after all that you come to the realization that for the service you received, tipping might or might not be a good idea.

Looking at this in the cynical way, the server knew he was going to earn less than minimum wage to begin with when he signed on for the job. He expects to be paid in tips to make up for this loss. But why should you tip? It was the server's own fault that he took a job with less pay. Again, cynical, but nobody wants to be expected to pay more than what they have already paid for the meal.

Sure, restaurants could operate differently. But they don't, so what should I, Joe Blow Christian, think about all this. Politicking aside, there is a sense in which we are called to love our neighbor despite what our neighbors intentions are. Our neighbor, the server, may intend to butter you up in order that you'll fork out the cash. Our neighbor, the restaurant, may intend you to fit the waiter's bill. You may be getting waylaid by the both of them, but that is no reason not to love your neighbor.

Instead of thinking this guy is stupid for taking such a low paying job and why should I help him (which, indeed, is breaking the seventh commandment), why should we not desire to help our neighbor? The fact is that sin prevents us from seeing this side of coin. All we can see is how we are getting ripped off. (Again, breaking another commandment by making ourselves the most important person.) St. Paul writes to Timothy (1 Tim. 6:10) "For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evils". This just goes to show how money can put enmity between us and our neighbor in something as simple as tipping.

However, take comfort in the fact that Jesus Christ has taken our sins against our neighbor upon himself when we do sin against them. And that he has given us his righteousness in return that we might not be condemned forever to an eternity of hell. We also pray that the Holy Spirit would work in us to produce to good fruits of faith that we might always help and serve our neighbor.

Now, I am not saying that when you don't tip it is a sin, but just remember that when you greet your neighbor wherever that may be, that person is your neighbor, so love him.

What am I to preach?

2008-07-03T08:01:00.003-05:00

Recently, I had a conversation about what needs to be preached to a person that they might have salvation. Looking at things from a minimalist position, I amused myself with the question: Does a "Jesus loves you" bumper sticker do the trick?

Let us look at 1 Corinthians 1: 18-25 for the answer. Paul speaks often of what we are to preach, and he does so throughout his epistles. If we look at verse 23 we have the answer spelled out, "but we preach Christ crucified."(emphasis added) This is not surprising, look at Luke 24. Verse 26 sums up what Jesus wants preached about himself. Preach suffering and the resurrection, repentance and forgiveness, to everyone, in Christ's name.

Acts is no different. Peter's Pentecost sermon certainly includes preaching that Christ was crucified and made sure the Jews knew who put him there. He then preaches about the resurrection which even David foresaw in the Christ. So Peter says, "Repent and be baptized everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. " Again, this formula, preach Christ crucified and the resurrection, repentance and forgiveness, to everyone, in Christ's name. Funny how that works, eh?

So what then does Paul preach? Look here to Acts 13 Paul preaches in Antioch of Pisidia. He preaches the suffering and death of Christ, and his resurrection, repentance comes about with an accusation of the law from accusing the people of unbelief, and forgiveness of sins is freely offered, no strings are attaches to this proclamation, and all of this in Christ's name shown with the scripture Paul uses to show that the Christ has indeed come. The same formula. Remarkable.

Loop around now... so does the "Jesus loves you" message seem to be the prominent message which brings those to salvation. No... but it is a response that comes automatically from what Jesus himself wants us to preach. Let's put it this way. I can tell you that Harrison Ford loves you. You might even believe this. But when the message that Harrison Ford did something extraordinary for you personally, that's when you have assurance. That's when you know that Harrison Ford loves you. Stupid analogy... but it works. "Jesus loves you" can be said to a person. But unless that person hears that Jesus did something extraordinary for them: dying on the cross for the forgiveness of their sins, rising from the dead that they can be assured of their own resurrection. When faced with depravity of body and soul, they repent of their sins and reach for a Savior, then they are freely offered the forgiveness of sins in the preaching in the solid foundation of Christ crucified.

Naturally, our sinful selves want to see the cross as folly. That is what sin and the devil want to do. They want to turn us away from where Christ has assured us that we have the forgiveness of sins. That is why we preach Christ crucified, that the forgiveness of sins may always conquer the wiles of the great deceiver.

Does "Jesus love you"? Absolutely! But you can be assured of this in the cross of Christ where he established it with the forgiving blood that ran from his pierced hands, feet and side. There you can be sure that Christ loves you and will always love you!

Homily for the Visitation of Mary

2008-07-03T07:51:00.002-05:00

July 2, 2008
Trinity Lutheran Church
Worden, IL
Visitation of Mary

Luke 1:39-47

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

“Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!” exclaimed Elizabeth. And why not? Jesus had spoken greetings to Elizabeth through Mary which had caused baby John the Baptist to leap in faith in his mother’s womb and for Elizabeth herself to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Indeed, why not proclaim the wonders of what had just happened? But there is something more important going on here. Something which Elizabeth realizes when she proclaimed that “Blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.” For it was told to Mary just weeks earlier that she would carry the Son of God in her own womb. But why then did God even need to come as a child in the first place? Couldn’t He have chosen some other means of salvation?

Repent for thinking such a blasphemous thought. Look at instead, the fruit from which you come. Adam was created in the image of God, a son of God in the very sense that he was created by God. Yet, he sinned. Abraham wasn’t much better. He mocked God and laughed when God said that his old wife Sarah would bear a son. Moses disobeyed God’s command and didn’t uphold him as holy in the sight of Israel. God prohibited him from entering the promised land. David was an adulterer with Bathsheba. Solomon had 700 wives which he loved more than the Lord so he turned and followed their pagan gods. This is a broken lineage filled with sinners.

And these men, we hold them up as example of faith! Repent, for you are as much sinners from the fruit of Adam as these men are. Abraham doubted God would provide for him. Have you not also doubted at times whether God will provide for you? God said, “Moses, do this”, and Moses disobeyed. Jesus says love your neighbor, but how often do you get angry at your neighbor for the slightest mishap? David was an adulterer to break the 6^th commandment, but how often do you not love your own spouse perfectly and thus break it as well? Solomon certainly broke the first commandment by turning to others gods, but do you not also choose sleep or money or some other worldly thing over the things of God?

So, see your sin and cling to Christ. For this fruit of Mary’s womb was born into the lineage of sinners that He might break sin’s hold on you. He was born a man that he might perfect all the failures of all men, including you. God became man, so that where you doubted God, He trusted the Father perfectly. God became man, so that where you failed to do the Father’s will, He did it perfectly. God became man, so that where you failed to love your spouse perfectly, He became bridegroom to the church, to you, and loved her perfectly. So also as all men from the fruit of Adam must do, He died.

For this is the reason God chose to be born as a human. This is the reason why Mary is called blessed. This is the reason why the child who was growing inside Mary had come: that He might go to the cross, that he might suffer for your sins, that His righteousness might be counted as your righteousness. And in his resurrection from the dead you have the assurance that you too will have life. For just as you were born into the sinful lineage of Adam, through your Baptism into Christ, you were born from above into the forgiveness of sins. And there you are clothed in the righteousness of Christ. And sin, and death, and the devil have no power over you. This is what Christ has accomplished for us.

So, like Mary we too magnify the Lord. Having been given the gift of salvation by the merits of our Lord Jesus Christ, we rejoice in what He has done. We rejoice in loud Glorias and Hosannas that our Lord still offers this same forgiveness to us today in His Supper. Rejoice that God became man, that you might eat and drink of him unto life eternal.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Don't Pat Yourself on the Back Too Quickly

2008-06-20T08:46:00.003-05:00

How often do we find ourselves looking at the things which we did during the day and were satisfied with them? "Well I helped that old gal carry her groceries, and I helped haul some stuff for my friends, and I got all my work done early, I was great today!" (Ok maybe a bit over the top excited, but you get the point.) So we pat ourselves on the back and say, Oh what a good boy am I.

Saul did much the same thing. The Lord told him to go out and defeat and utterly destroy the Amalekites. So Saul kills all the people and destroys the bad things, but he saves the King Agag and all the good sheep and oxen and all the good things to sacrifice to the Lord. He thinks to himself, Oh what a good boy am I. I did as the Lord commanded and even brought back the goods to show the Lord how much he means to the people of Israel.

Samuel puts him in his place. Saul you didn't do as the Lord commanded. You didn't fulfill His will perfectly and so You can no longer be king. He fell short and so he is punished for it.

We are the Sauls of today. Ok, well what does Jesus say. Love your neighbor and then Paul spells it out in 1 Corinthians 13. We say we have love and helped our neighbor and say to God, See what I have done for you. Then God says, You wicked servant who does not do exactly as I have commanded. Have you been perfectly patient and kind to your neighbor? have you been rude or arrogant? Have you borne all things for your neighbor? The answer is a resounding no. No, we haven't. We have patted ourselves on the back too soon and have not seen that we cannot love our neighbor as God desires. And so punishment and ruin was to be our end.

The Lord had mercy on Saul. Saul repented for what he had failed to do. He saw that he had sinned against the Lord command. So he clings to the robe of Samuel that the Lord might have mercy upon him. And the Lord does. And Samuel made intercession to right the wrongs of Saul.

We too have one who interceded for us, but in a much greater way: Jesus Christ our Lord.
God himself saw our sorry state, saw our helpless condition and came down from heaven, and suffered and died perfectly obedient to what God had desired. And in his death Jesus Christ took our sins and our shortcomings and paid for them with his blood that we might remain with Him in joy and happiness throughout all eternity.

So remember that when you help your neighbor, don't be so quick to pat yourself on the back. You could always do more. But more importantly remember that Your Lord Jesus Christ paid for your shortcomings with his perfection, that those sins of yours are forgiven, and that you shall be forever in good standing with God on account of what Christ has done.

Kyrie Eleison.

Today...

2008-06-13T20:28:00.004-05:00

Kyrie Eleison. Christe Eleison. Kyrie Eleison.