One hurdle has been cleared in NYC for the construction of a Muslim mosque bordering Ground Zero. That is not a joke.
Muslims are highly symbolic people. (The same could be said for Christians and Jews, since symbols communicate and teach.) Note the mosques that have been erected on sites of Muslim 'conquest'. The Al-Aqsa mosque, the Hagia Sophia mosque in Constantinople, the Dome of the Rock built right on top of the Western Wall of the Temple in Jerusalem, the number of mosques constructed on Hindu burial places. Mosques are built on top of places of conquest.
Why are we allowing a mosque to be potentially built on as close to 'holy ground' as we have in this country? This is outrageous.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Worship info for Trinitatisgottesdienst
Here is the worship information for this coming Sunday (Trinitatisgottesdienst- a dollar for anyone who knows what that is.)
Hymns
590 Baptized into Your Name Most Holy
540 Christ, the Word of God Incarnate
593 See This Wonder in the Making
803 Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee
810 O God of God, O Light of Light
594 God's Own Child, I Gladly Say It
Scripture Lessons
Proverbs 8:1-4,22-31
Psalm 8
Acts 2:14a, 22-36
Mark 10:13-16
Prayer of the Day
Almighty and Everlasting God, You have given us grace to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity by the confession of a true faith and to worship the Unity in the power of the Divine Majesty. Keep us steadfast in this faith and defend us from all adversities; for You, O Father, Son, and Holy Spirit live and reign, One God, now and forever. Amen.
There is a baptism this morning and we'll celebrate Holy Communion. Both sacraments in one service- sweet!
Hymns
590 Baptized into Your Name Most Holy
540 Christ, the Word of God Incarnate
593 See This Wonder in the Making
803 Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee
810 O God of God, O Light of Light
594 God's Own Child, I Gladly Say It
Scripture Lessons
Proverbs 8:1-4,22-31
Psalm 8
Acts 2:14a, 22-36
Mark 10:13-16
Prayer of the Day
Almighty and Everlasting God, You have given us grace to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity by the confession of a true faith and to worship the Unity in the power of the Divine Majesty. Keep us steadfast in this faith and defend us from all adversities; for You, O Father, Son, and Holy Spirit live and reign, One God, now and forever. Amen.
There is a baptism this morning and we'll celebrate Holy Communion. Both sacraments in one service- sweet!
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Sermon for Pentecost
Pentecost
May 23, 2010
Acts 2:1-21
Fully, not fuzzy
In the name of Jesus, amen. Pentecost is the festival between. God’s Church stands at the close of the time of the Lord and at the beginning of the time of the Church. We bid farewell to the great times of Advent and Christmas, to the miracles of Jesus in turning water into wine, in multiplying loaves and fishes, in strengthening the weak, opening the eyes, ears, and tongue of the blind, deaf, and mute. We bid farewell to the necessary journey of Lent, to the amazing love of Passion Week, the merciful sacrifice on the cross. We bid farewell to the empty tomb, to many proofs and signs that Jesus gave before He ascended into heaven. In all of those instances, we learned an awful lot about God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
But I must ask…what do we really know? Pentecost is the great day that celebrates the promised giving of the Holy Spirit. Of the three, the least is known about the Comforter, the Paraclete, the Counselor. Many Christians are a bit fuzzy on understanding who the Holy Spirit is and what the Holy Spirit does.
Every hymn in today’s service mentions the Holy Spirit. Hymns are great teaching tools and the Lutheran reformers used songs to teach the faith. Marrying words to music helps lock in the concept. I dare you to say the ABCs without singing the ABCs. It can be done, but it’s tricky.
The hymn we just sang teaches the Third Person of the Trinity. By examining the hymn, the Holy Spirit, who is fully God, becomes fully known to us. The Holy Spirit is no longer fuzzy to us. Rather he is fully- fully known, fully present, fully full of protection and provision.
The Spirit was promised by the Son to descend from the Father. Jesus told the disciples that this day would come when the Spirit would descend on them. Jesus had also told his beloved that their lives would be full of trouble and difficulty. So the Spirit was promised and delivered. For the true faith needed on their way. The disciples would go down into Egypt and Ethiopia, all the way through Persia and into India, up to Syria and Turkey, through Greece, the Baltics, maybe as far as Spain and Gaul. The way of the disciples led them throughout the known world and they needed faith. The way of the disciples would lead them in the way of the cross. Disciples were beheaded, burned, and boiled in oil. They had fingers amputated so that they would stop preaching the name of Jesus. St. Mark the Evangelist is also known as St. Mark the Stump-Fingered. Losing a digit only impeded his ability to count to ten. It did not stop him from founding the Christian Church in Egypt.
Jesus promises to his beloved disciples today the same Holy Spirit for the true faith needed on our way. Lutheranism is the most vibrant, the most energetic in the continent of Africa. Over 16 million people worship in the Lutheran tradition in places like Ghana, Kenya, the Sudan, Ethiopia, Liberia, South Africa, Madagascar, Eritrea, Zimbabwe. Why is it so vibrant? Why is it thriving in the face of Islamic persecution? Why is it so robust in places where animism is still a dominant worldview? At the point of a blade, in the face of a gun barrel, God’s people are confessing Jesus Christ as Lord. In large churches and in basement churches, God’s people are gathering around the Word of God and relying on the gift of the Holy Spirit to defend them when their life is threatened and when their life is ending.
The Holy Spirit is fully known in nursing homes and hospitals, as God’s people pray, as they wait patiently, expectantly, that God their loving Father will welcome them to their heavenly home.
So the Spirit of God is sweetest love. At all times, from the moment of our baptisms to the moment of our death, we are loved by God the Holy Spirit. This divine love strengthens us to love one another, fervently, even though we may not always agree with one another, even though we may do things that are quite unlovable. By the power of the Holy Spirit we love every stranger, sister, and brother. In a real way the people of God love that not only when times are easy and smooth, but our love is present in the rough and stormy patches.
Loved by the perfect love of God, we have a comforter that is so necessary, so vital. I’ve already mentioned the vibrancy of the African Lutheran churches yet there is a vibrancy among us as we suffer. And just because we can freely assemble according to the constitution of the United States and worship the only true God without fear of reprisal, there is suffering for the people of God. Suffering abounds when devious doubt triumphs over the knowledge of Jesus Christ. Devious doubt teaches that a bodily resurrection of Christ is not necessary. Devilish doubt teaches that the virgin birth means nothing. Destructive doubt teaches that there are many different paths to God, that being good is all that is required, that salvation rests in your efforts, that you had better do what God wants in order for God to be pleased with you, because if God is not pleased with you, then you’re toast.
The foe taunts us. The old evil foe carefully and accurately records every single sin that we have committed. The old evil foe brings those sins to light and ol’ Nick stands before the Father and recounts all the times we have acted the way we shouldn’t have. Satan points out the times when we didn’t make that phone call, when we didn’t visit the friend who was in need, when we let those in the hospital go unvisited, when we passed by the one hungry and naked and offered them no clothes or nourishment.
The people of God suffer in this life. Thus we need the transcendent comfort of God. What comfort is needed in North East right now, as people prepare for the funeral of Shania, Tucker, and Adin Johnson? The comforting knowledge that is needed is: of the cross, that through death, the death of our Savior, comes life, that through Jesus there is nothing in all the world that can separate us from the Father’s sweetest love, the Father’s transcendent love, the Father’s purifying love, the Father’s connecting love.
God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, is fully known. He is not fuzzy, some force, some ‘big guy up there’. God is fully known. He is known through the Word. He is known through His precious means of grace, the Sacraments. God is fully known because He wants to be.
God is with us. We call God our Father. We call God Immanuel. We call God the Holy Spirit, the One who guides, who leads, who shelters, shields, and strengthens. We do not have to be fuzzy about the Holy Spirit. He is known to us and He is known in us, as we live out the faith that has been planted in our hearts. Shine in our hearts, O Spirit, precious light; Teach us Jesus Christ to know aright that we may abide in the Lord who bought us, till to our true home He has brought us. Lord, have mercy! SDG
May 23, 2010
Acts 2:1-21
Fully, not fuzzy
In the name of Jesus, amen. Pentecost is the festival between. God’s Church stands at the close of the time of the Lord and at the beginning of the time of the Church. We bid farewell to the great times of Advent and Christmas, to the miracles of Jesus in turning water into wine, in multiplying loaves and fishes, in strengthening the weak, opening the eyes, ears, and tongue of the blind, deaf, and mute. We bid farewell to the necessary journey of Lent, to the amazing love of Passion Week, the merciful sacrifice on the cross. We bid farewell to the empty tomb, to many proofs and signs that Jesus gave before He ascended into heaven. In all of those instances, we learned an awful lot about God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
But I must ask…what do we really know? Pentecost is the great day that celebrates the promised giving of the Holy Spirit. Of the three, the least is known about the Comforter, the Paraclete, the Counselor. Many Christians are a bit fuzzy on understanding who the Holy Spirit is and what the Holy Spirit does.
Every hymn in today’s service mentions the Holy Spirit. Hymns are great teaching tools and the Lutheran reformers used songs to teach the faith. Marrying words to music helps lock in the concept. I dare you to say the ABCs without singing the ABCs. It can be done, but it’s tricky.
The hymn we just sang teaches the Third Person of the Trinity. By examining the hymn, the Holy Spirit, who is fully God, becomes fully known to us. The Holy Spirit is no longer fuzzy to us. Rather he is fully- fully known, fully present, fully full of protection and provision.
The Spirit was promised by the Son to descend from the Father. Jesus told the disciples that this day would come when the Spirit would descend on them. Jesus had also told his beloved that their lives would be full of trouble and difficulty. So the Spirit was promised and delivered. For the true faith needed on their way. The disciples would go down into Egypt and Ethiopia, all the way through Persia and into India, up to Syria and Turkey, through Greece, the Baltics, maybe as far as Spain and Gaul. The way of the disciples led them throughout the known world and they needed faith. The way of the disciples would lead them in the way of the cross. Disciples were beheaded, burned, and boiled in oil. They had fingers amputated so that they would stop preaching the name of Jesus. St. Mark the Evangelist is also known as St. Mark the Stump-Fingered. Losing a digit only impeded his ability to count to ten. It did not stop him from founding the Christian Church in Egypt.
Jesus promises to his beloved disciples today the same Holy Spirit for the true faith needed on our way. Lutheranism is the most vibrant, the most energetic in the continent of Africa. Over 16 million people worship in the Lutheran tradition in places like Ghana, Kenya, the Sudan, Ethiopia, Liberia, South Africa, Madagascar, Eritrea, Zimbabwe. Why is it so vibrant? Why is it thriving in the face of Islamic persecution? Why is it so robust in places where animism is still a dominant worldview? At the point of a blade, in the face of a gun barrel, God’s people are confessing Jesus Christ as Lord. In large churches and in basement churches, God’s people are gathering around the Word of God and relying on the gift of the Holy Spirit to defend them when their life is threatened and when their life is ending.
The Holy Spirit is fully known in nursing homes and hospitals, as God’s people pray, as they wait patiently, expectantly, that God their loving Father will welcome them to their heavenly home.
So the Spirit of God is sweetest love. At all times, from the moment of our baptisms to the moment of our death, we are loved by God the Holy Spirit. This divine love strengthens us to love one another, fervently, even though we may not always agree with one another, even though we may do things that are quite unlovable. By the power of the Holy Spirit we love every stranger, sister, and brother. In a real way the people of God love that not only when times are easy and smooth, but our love is present in the rough and stormy patches.
Loved by the perfect love of God, we have a comforter that is so necessary, so vital. I’ve already mentioned the vibrancy of the African Lutheran churches yet there is a vibrancy among us as we suffer. And just because we can freely assemble according to the constitution of the United States and worship the only true God without fear of reprisal, there is suffering for the people of God. Suffering abounds when devious doubt triumphs over the knowledge of Jesus Christ. Devious doubt teaches that a bodily resurrection of Christ is not necessary. Devilish doubt teaches that the virgin birth means nothing. Destructive doubt teaches that there are many different paths to God, that being good is all that is required, that salvation rests in your efforts, that you had better do what God wants in order for God to be pleased with you, because if God is not pleased with you, then you’re toast.
The foe taunts us. The old evil foe carefully and accurately records every single sin that we have committed. The old evil foe brings those sins to light and ol’ Nick stands before the Father and recounts all the times we have acted the way we shouldn’t have. Satan points out the times when we didn’t make that phone call, when we didn’t visit the friend who was in need, when we let those in the hospital go unvisited, when we passed by the one hungry and naked and offered them no clothes or nourishment.
The people of God suffer in this life. Thus we need the transcendent comfort of God. What comfort is needed in North East right now, as people prepare for the funeral of Shania, Tucker, and Adin Johnson? The comforting knowledge that is needed is: of the cross, that through death, the death of our Savior, comes life, that through Jesus there is nothing in all the world that can separate us from the Father’s sweetest love, the Father’s transcendent love, the Father’s purifying love, the Father’s connecting love.
God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, is fully known. He is not fuzzy, some force, some ‘big guy up there’. God is fully known. He is known through the Word. He is known through His precious means of grace, the Sacraments. God is fully known because He wants to be.
God is with us. We call God our Father. We call God Immanuel. We call God the Holy Spirit, the One who guides, who leads, who shelters, shields, and strengthens. We do not have to be fuzzy about the Holy Spirit. He is known to us and He is known in us, as we live out the faith that has been planted in our hearts. Shine in our hearts, O Spirit, precious light; Teach us Jesus Christ to know aright that we may abide in the Lord who bought us, till to our true home He has brought us. Lord, have mercy! SDG
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
No class Thursday
The Thursday Bible class is cancelled as I will be at a LINCC meeting. Dr. Muqtedar Khan from UD will speak with us about Islam.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
How Good...
...and pleasant it is when brothers dwell together in unity! It is like the precious oil on the head, running down on the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes! It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion! For there the Lord has commanded the blessing, life forevermore.
-Psalm 133
This was the Psalm of the day for the seventh Sunday of Easter. Short, simple, good.
This Psalm was the 'floor verse' of Second Kohn the three years that I lived on Second Kohn at Concordia University, River Forest (now called Concordia University Chicago. It will always be CURF to me!) Kohn was a dormitory and I lived on the second floor with a tremendous group of young men. I'd like to believe it was a unique floor, given the number of campus 'leaders' who lived there.
The treasurer of the Student Government lived on the floor. I served as VP and President of the Student Government. One brother was a 'lieutenant' in campus security. One brother was a captain on our football team. A few played in the Wind Symphony, a number of us sang in the Kapelle. There were business students, teacher ed students, music ed students, pre-sem students, and liberal arts students. It was a typical mix of the student population yet we did consider ourselves unique.
We did dwell in unity. We have continued to do so. We stood up for each other in our weddings, attended baptisms of our children, and continue to turn to each other for counsel and advice.
It was good to chant this Psalm on Sunday. I needed to hear of God's goodness in the past and to reflect on the blessing of life today in Christ, and of God's command of life forevermore.
-Psalm 133
This was the Psalm of the day for the seventh Sunday of Easter. Short, simple, good.
This Psalm was the 'floor verse' of Second Kohn the three years that I lived on Second Kohn at Concordia University, River Forest (now called Concordia University Chicago. It will always be CURF to me!) Kohn was a dormitory and I lived on the second floor with a tremendous group of young men. I'd like to believe it was a unique floor, given the number of campus 'leaders' who lived there.
The treasurer of the Student Government lived on the floor. I served as VP and President of the Student Government. One brother was a 'lieutenant' in campus security. One brother was a captain on our football team. A few played in the Wind Symphony, a number of us sang in the Kapelle. There were business students, teacher ed students, music ed students, pre-sem students, and liberal arts students. It was a typical mix of the student population yet we did consider ourselves unique.
We did dwell in unity. We have continued to do so. We stood up for each other in our weddings, attended baptisms of our children, and continue to turn to each other for counsel and advice.
It was good to chant this Psalm on Sunday. I needed to hear of God's goodness in the past and to reflect on the blessing of life today in Christ, and of God's command of life forevermore.
Dr. Quentin Wesselschmidt
I mentioned in the Ascension Vespers service and on Sunday that we'd include the family of the Rev. Dr. Quentin Wesselschmidt. Dr. Wesselschmidt died last week and we wanted to support the family in their mourning and grief.
Dr. Wesselschmidt was one of my professors at Concordia Seminary. He was a professor in the historical theology department, and according to Dr. William Weinrich, the best patristics scholar the LCMS has ever produced. Patristics is the study of the early church 'fathers'- their writing, their work, their theology, and the time they lived in the first few centuries after the life of Christ.
Dr. Wesselschmidt was a powerhouse professor, in that he started when the clock said it was time to start and he didn't stop until the clock told him to stop. You had better be prepared to receive all the gifts Dr. Wesselschmidt had stored up for his students. Yet Dr. Wesselschmidt was a humble man, compassionate to the needs of his students and always willing to listen and discuss the questions we brought forth.
His knowledge of the ancient times was key for the students going out in these modern times. God's Church has always dealt with heresies and false teachings about God, His Christ, His Spirit, and His Word. Some people have said that Jesus was not really God, that Jesus didn't really die, that Jesus didn't really rise from the dead, that Holy Communion is not really that important. The false notions put forth in the 5th Century are still being put forth in the 21st Century. Heresies stay around, they just have more modern clothing, fancier shoes, and an iPhone.
Dr. Wesselschmidt also served for a long time as the editor of the Concordia Journal, the quarterly theological journal of the seminary, part of the 'gift' that the seminary gives her graduates in terms of continuing theological education when they leave the campus in order to serve in the parish. Editing the Journal was a hard job, getting the professors to submit their articles, receiving various book reviews and answering questions from all sorts of clergy both within Lutheranism and without. I had a job in the campus post office and was able to work alongside of Dr. Wesselschmidt and his staff in the simple task of affixing mailing labels to the Journals and then sorting them for bulk mailing, but it was in those times when the humble humor of Dr. Wesselschmidt was on display.
"Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on. Blessed indeed that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them." Revelation 14:13
Dr. Wesselschmidt was one of my professors at Concordia Seminary. He was a professor in the historical theology department, and according to Dr. William Weinrich, the best patristics scholar the LCMS has ever produced. Patristics is the study of the early church 'fathers'- their writing, their work, their theology, and the time they lived in the first few centuries after the life of Christ.
Dr. Wesselschmidt was a powerhouse professor, in that he started when the clock said it was time to start and he didn't stop until the clock told him to stop. You had better be prepared to receive all the gifts Dr. Wesselschmidt had stored up for his students. Yet Dr. Wesselschmidt was a humble man, compassionate to the needs of his students and always willing to listen and discuss the questions we brought forth.
His knowledge of the ancient times was key for the students going out in these modern times. God's Church has always dealt with heresies and false teachings about God, His Christ, His Spirit, and His Word. Some people have said that Jesus was not really God, that Jesus didn't really die, that Jesus didn't really rise from the dead, that Holy Communion is not really that important. The false notions put forth in the 5th Century are still being put forth in the 21st Century. Heresies stay around, they just have more modern clothing, fancier shoes, and an iPhone.
Dr. Wesselschmidt also served for a long time as the editor of the Concordia Journal, the quarterly theological journal of the seminary, part of the 'gift' that the seminary gives her graduates in terms of continuing theological education when they leave the campus in order to serve in the parish. Editing the Journal was a hard job, getting the professors to submit their articles, receiving various book reviews and answering questions from all sorts of clergy both within Lutheranism and without. I had a job in the campus post office and was able to work alongside of Dr. Wesselschmidt and his staff in the simple task of affixing mailing labels to the Journals and then sorting them for bulk mailing, but it was in those times when the humble humor of Dr. Wesselschmidt was on display.
"Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on. Blessed indeed that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them." Revelation 14:13
Sermon for Seventh Sunday of Easter
Seventh Sunday of Easter
May 16, 2010
Rev. 22:1-20
Come and see
In the name of Jesus, amen. Our Epistle lesson from Revelation will be our sermon text this morning, one that teaches us to anticipate and expect what we are asking for.
More often than we care to admit, we ask for things with no confidence that we’ll get what we have asked for. We’ve been let down and disappointed too many times that the hope has been drained from our life. Parents have broken promises to us. Friends have broken promises, so when it comes time to ask for something, we ask with the knowledge that it is just a matter of time before we are let down once again.
Our Revelation lesson asks the great Maranatha of the Church. Maranatha means Come Lord Jesus, the last words of today’s epistle. We are asking for the Lord to come but do we expect it, do we anticipate his coming to us, do we seek it?
The answers to those questions are: sometimes. Sometimes we seek the Lord’s coming. Sometimes we expect the great maranatha of God. Sometimes we anticipate the Lord making his appearing among us. And sometimes we don’t.
The Lord has promised so many good things to His people. He has promised love and forgiveness and mercy and grace and compassion and God fulfilled all those promises in the great festivals of Christmas, Epiphany, Easter, Ascension, Pentecost. God keeps his promises in the water of Holy Baptism and in the great love feast of Holy Communion.
While God keeps his promises, it is still hard to wait as hear our Savior Jesus tell us, “I am coming soon.” It’s hard waiting for the Lord.
Waiting is never an easy thing to do. Apparently silly bands are all the rage amongst kindergartners these days. They are rubber bands formed into the shape of dinosaurs, animals, various kinds of balls, and other things that appeal to five year olds. We ordered some for the boys because you can’t find them in stores, or at least we didn’t want to drive around to every WalMart, Kmart, or any other kind of mart hunting for them. We told the boys that we had ordered them, and that was our mistake. Have they come yet? Are they here? When will they get here? Have they come yet? The mailman delivered my diabetic supplies and Matthew got all excited when he saw the big box because surely the box was filled with silly bands. It was both humorous and sad to see how disappointed a two year old can get!
As we age, waiting doesn’t get any easier. If anything, it gets harder as anxiety, worry, and fear come with the interminable waiting. Waiting for the wedding day. Waiting for the delivery of your child. Waiting for your job interview. Waiting for your wife to come out of the operating room. Waiting for the grandchildren to arrive for the Thanksgiving holiday. Waiting with your husband in the last few days of his life. Waiting for the Lord to come soon so you will be reunited with all of your loved ones who have died in the Christian faith. Jesus says “I am coming” and the wait for us is so hard.
Our Lord Christ is coming to us. As He ascended into heaven we know and believe the words of the angels that Jesus will return in the same way he departed. He was taken into heaven by a cloud, so we wait for the glorious clouds to reveal the return of Jesus our Redeemer. I am coming to you.
Our Lord knows how difficult these days are. Our Lord Jesus was tempted in every way we are yet endured those temptations and remained sinless in our place. Our brother Jesus strengthens us in the face of the temptation of faithlessness, in the temptation of doubt, in the temptation to deny our God, in the temptation to take the easy road and say that all paths lead to God and as long as your nice and don’t kick puppies then surely you’ll be in heaven too. Jesus strengthens us for these days to give voice to our faith, to speak up for those who have no voice- the not yet born, those born with disabilities who are pushed to the side in the hopes that they will be forgotten, and those born who are drawing near to the end of their life, well, they need someone to speak on their behalf, that the elderly have value to the Lord and deserve care, decency, the opportunity to live out their days with all the same rights that younger people have.
In these difficult days, the Lord says to us that He is coming. And he says, “Come and see.” Along with many other people, we might respond, “Where are you so I can see you?”
The Lord is found where He has promised to be- in the Word, on the altar in the precious gift of Holy Communion, in the gift of prayer. Come to the church and see how God is present with his gifts. Perhaps you come to service and on your way out the door say to yourself, “I’m glad I had the opportunity to confess my sins and receive God’s forgiveness. Tomorrow I will talk with my coworker and ask for their forgiveness for what I did to them.” “I’m glad I got to hear the Scriptures today because that was my father’s favorite passage and he would always talk about why it was his favorite.” “I’m glad I had the chance to speak the Creed today, because I get challenged in school all the time about my faith and the Creed is a simple way to express my belief.” “I needed communion today and I’m glad to receive the strength and nourishment for my soul. It’s good to know God loves me that much.”
We are invited to come and see the goodness of God. The promise of God is solidified for us as we hold open our hands to receive all of God’s good gifts. Strengthened for our everyday lives, we go out with the message to ‘come and see’. With a compassionate ear we listen to our children, to our spouse, to our friend and offer them what we have been given. With a merciful hand we seek to give away what has been given to us, some nourishing food, some help in cleaning up after a disaster. With a forgiving heart we do not hold grudges against the people who have sought our forgiveness. We give up the grudge and grasp the new opportunity to be God’s people in His world.
Our Lord Jesus is coming to us. He has promised to come. And we implore him to maranatha among us- Amen, come Lord Jesus! Come and see your people. And we invite those around us to come and see the grace and glory of God. SDG
May 16, 2010
Rev. 22:1-20
Come and see
In the name of Jesus, amen. Our Epistle lesson from Revelation will be our sermon text this morning, one that teaches us to anticipate and expect what we are asking for.
More often than we care to admit, we ask for things with no confidence that we’ll get what we have asked for. We’ve been let down and disappointed too many times that the hope has been drained from our life. Parents have broken promises to us. Friends have broken promises, so when it comes time to ask for something, we ask with the knowledge that it is just a matter of time before we are let down once again.
Our Revelation lesson asks the great Maranatha of the Church. Maranatha means Come Lord Jesus, the last words of today’s epistle. We are asking for the Lord to come but do we expect it, do we anticipate his coming to us, do we seek it?
The answers to those questions are: sometimes. Sometimes we seek the Lord’s coming. Sometimes we expect the great maranatha of God. Sometimes we anticipate the Lord making his appearing among us. And sometimes we don’t.
The Lord has promised so many good things to His people. He has promised love and forgiveness and mercy and grace and compassion and God fulfilled all those promises in the great festivals of Christmas, Epiphany, Easter, Ascension, Pentecost. God keeps his promises in the water of Holy Baptism and in the great love feast of Holy Communion.
While God keeps his promises, it is still hard to wait as hear our Savior Jesus tell us, “I am coming soon.” It’s hard waiting for the Lord.
Waiting is never an easy thing to do. Apparently silly bands are all the rage amongst kindergartners these days. They are rubber bands formed into the shape of dinosaurs, animals, various kinds of balls, and other things that appeal to five year olds. We ordered some for the boys because you can’t find them in stores, or at least we didn’t want to drive around to every WalMart, Kmart, or any other kind of mart hunting for them. We told the boys that we had ordered them, and that was our mistake. Have they come yet? Are they here? When will they get here? Have they come yet? The mailman delivered my diabetic supplies and Matthew got all excited when he saw the big box because surely the box was filled with silly bands. It was both humorous and sad to see how disappointed a two year old can get!
As we age, waiting doesn’t get any easier. If anything, it gets harder as anxiety, worry, and fear come with the interminable waiting. Waiting for the wedding day. Waiting for the delivery of your child. Waiting for your job interview. Waiting for your wife to come out of the operating room. Waiting for the grandchildren to arrive for the Thanksgiving holiday. Waiting with your husband in the last few days of his life. Waiting for the Lord to come soon so you will be reunited with all of your loved ones who have died in the Christian faith. Jesus says “I am coming” and the wait for us is so hard.
Our Lord Christ is coming to us. As He ascended into heaven we know and believe the words of the angels that Jesus will return in the same way he departed. He was taken into heaven by a cloud, so we wait for the glorious clouds to reveal the return of Jesus our Redeemer. I am coming to you.
Our Lord knows how difficult these days are. Our Lord Jesus was tempted in every way we are yet endured those temptations and remained sinless in our place. Our brother Jesus strengthens us in the face of the temptation of faithlessness, in the temptation of doubt, in the temptation to deny our God, in the temptation to take the easy road and say that all paths lead to God and as long as your nice and don’t kick puppies then surely you’ll be in heaven too. Jesus strengthens us for these days to give voice to our faith, to speak up for those who have no voice- the not yet born, those born with disabilities who are pushed to the side in the hopes that they will be forgotten, and those born who are drawing near to the end of their life, well, they need someone to speak on their behalf, that the elderly have value to the Lord and deserve care, decency, the opportunity to live out their days with all the same rights that younger people have.
In these difficult days, the Lord says to us that He is coming. And he says, “Come and see.” Along with many other people, we might respond, “Where are you so I can see you?”
The Lord is found where He has promised to be- in the Word, on the altar in the precious gift of Holy Communion, in the gift of prayer. Come to the church and see how God is present with his gifts. Perhaps you come to service and on your way out the door say to yourself, “I’m glad I had the opportunity to confess my sins and receive God’s forgiveness. Tomorrow I will talk with my coworker and ask for their forgiveness for what I did to them.” “I’m glad I got to hear the Scriptures today because that was my father’s favorite passage and he would always talk about why it was his favorite.” “I’m glad I had the chance to speak the Creed today, because I get challenged in school all the time about my faith and the Creed is a simple way to express my belief.” “I needed communion today and I’m glad to receive the strength and nourishment for my soul. It’s good to know God loves me that much.”
We are invited to come and see the goodness of God. The promise of God is solidified for us as we hold open our hands to receive all of God’s good gifts. Strengthened for our everyday lives, we go out with the message to ‘come and see’. With a compassionate ear we listen to our children, to our spouse, to our friend and offer them what we have been given. With a merciful hand we seek to give away what has been given to us, some nourishing food, some help in cleaning up after a disaster. With a forgiving heart we do not hold grudges against the people who have sought our forgiveness. We give up the grudge and grasp the new opportunity to be God’s people in His world.
Our Lord Jesus is coming to us. He has promised to come. And we implore him to maranatha among us- Amen, come Lord Jesus! Come and see your people. And we invite those around us to come and see the grace and glory of God. SDG
Friday, May 14, 2010
Sermon from Ascension Vespers
Ascension Day
May 13, 2010
Luke 24:44-53
I am sending the promise of my Father upon you.
In the name of our risen and ascended Lord Jesus, amen. Why are we surprised? Why are we still surprised? The story of the ascension is what we were told would happen.
Jesus told the disciples that he would be leaving, that he would be returning to heaven. In telling them that news, Jesus told them it would be for their benefit. I depart in order to send the Holy Spirit. If I do not go, then the Holy Spirit will not be given.
And what Gospel lesson do we frequently hear at funerals? I am going to prepare a place for you. Jesus was telling the disciples that his departure to the right hand of God was for the purpose of preparing their room in the Father’s heavenly mansion. I mention it frequently that our Father wants us to be with Him. And He did something about it!
After the resurrection, forty days filled with signs and miracles and more wonderful teachings, Jesus goes back where He came from. As he was leaving, Jesus blessed them. And the disciples worshiped. While they may have been surprised at what their eyes were beholding, they worshiped, knowing that Jesus was doing what he said he would do.
In our lives, there are constant surprises, and they are not always good. We become surprised when the deadline is moved up at work. We become surprised by the traffic accident on the highway that jams things up when we are running late. We are surprised by the broken bone, by the accident, by the croup that causes us to drop everything and run to the emergency room. There are many surprises yet we are unsurprised by these surprises because we grow to learn that life happens. More than that is the realization that God’s presence with his children helps us to cope with all that occurs during the course of our day.
God strengthens us to respond with grace, with mercy, with integrity. I’d like to think that is part of the story of the Ascension. Jesus left the disciples, not because He didn’t love them, but because He did love them. Jesus left the disciples because He was returning to the Father and the Holy Spirit was on the way to be with Jesus’ beloved friends, reminding them of all that Jesus had said and done.
Jesus left, yet since the Holy Spirit was on the way, Jesus wouldn’t be far. Jesus would be present through the ministry of the Holy Spirit. And when the clouds swallowed up Jesus, where did the disciples go? They went to the temple, praying and praising God. The followers of Jesus went where they knew he would be.
The followers of Jesus today gather where we know that Jesus will be. We come to the temple, to this sanctuary, where the Word of God is proclaimed, where the grace of God is offered in the Holy Sacraments. We go where our fellow travelers are, to be with them and pray with them and learn with them and serve with them.
Jesus is not gone from us. Through the giving of the Holy Spirit to each of us, we are reminded of how deeply connected the triune God is to us. For my sins Jesus ascended the cross. For your redemption Jesus stepped out of the tomb in triumph. The body and blood of Christ is given and shed for you. Seated at the right hand of God, Jesus is present for His Church. That is his presence- I will be with you always, to the end of the age.
Christ’s ascension is no surprise. The ascension is what we have been waiting for, as it is what Jesus promised would happen. We do not approach the Ascension with tears, sorrow, or sadness. Christ is as close as a breath, is as close as a prayer. Christ has returned to heaven from where he came. Christ has ascended to the place where we will be. This is the promise of our God, the promise that will be kept by God’s grace and mercy. SDG
May 13, 2010
Luke 24:44-53
I am sending the promise of my Father upon you.
In the name of our risen and ascended Lord Jesus, amen. Why are we surprised? Why are we still surprised? The story of the ascension is what we were told would happen.
Jesus told the disciples that he would be leaving, that he would be returning to heaven. In telling them that news, Jesus told them it would be for their benefit. I depart in order to send the Holy Spirit. If I do not go, then the Holy Spirit will not be given.
And what Gospel lesson do we frequently hear at funerals? I am going to prepare a place for you. Jesus was telling the disciples that his departure to the right hand of God was for the purpose of preparing their room in the Father’s heavenly mansion. I mention it frequently that our Father wants us to be with Him. And He did something about it!
After the resurrection, forty days filled with signs and miracles and more wonderful teachings, Jesus goes back where He came from. As he was leaving, Jesus blessed them. And the disciples worshiped. While they may have been surprised at what their eyes were beholding, they worshiped, knowing that Jesus was doing what he said he would do.
In our lives, there are constant surprises, and they are not always good. We become surprised when the deadline is moved up at work. We become surprised by the traffic accident on the highway that jams things up when we are running late. We are surprised by the broken bone, by the accident, by the croup that causes us to drop everything and run to the emergency room. There are many surprises yet we are unsurprised by these surprises because we grow to learn that life happens. More than that is the realization that God’s presence with his children helps us to cope with all that occurs during the course of our day.
God strengthens us to respond with grace, with mercy, with integrity. I’d like to think that is part of the story of the Ascension. Jesus left the disciples, not because He didn’t love them, but because He did love them. Jesus left the disciples because He was returning to the Father and the Holy Spirit was on the way to be with Jesus’ beloved friends, reminding them of all that Jesus had said and done.
Jesus left, yet since the Holy Spirit was on the way, Jesus wouldn’t be far. Jesus would be present through the ministry of the Holy Spirit. And when the clouds swallowed up Jesus, where did the disciples go? They went to the temple, praying and praising God. The followers of Jesus went where they knew he would be.
The followers of Jesus today gather where we know that Jesus will be. We come to the temple, to this sanctuary, where the Word of God is proclaimed, where the grace of God is offered in the Holy Sacraments. We go where our fellow travelers are, to be with them and pray with them and learn with them and serve with them.
Jesus is not gone from us. Through the giving of the Holy Spirit to each of us, we are reminded of how deeply connected the triune God is to us. For my sins Jesus ascended the cross. For your redemption Jesus stepped out of the tomb in triumph. The body and blood of Christ is given and shed for you. Seated at the right hand of God, Jesus is present for His Church. That is his presence- I will be with you always, to the end of the age.
Christ’s ascension is no surprise. The ascension is what we have been waiting for, as it is what Jesus promised would happen. We do not approach the Ascension with tears, sorrow, or sadness. Christ is as close as a breath, is as close as a prayer. Christ has returned to heaven from where he came. Christ has ascended to the place where we will be. This is the promise of our God, the promise that will be kept by God’s grace and mercy. SDG
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
M-O-M-M-A I know how you got that way!
The last two days I have listened to a Mother's Roundtable on Issues, Etc. (www.issuesetc.org, then click On Demand). It has been fantastic! Deaconness Pam Nielsen, Rebecca Curtis, and Sandra Ostapowich did an excellent job talking about the joys and challenges of motherhood. I highly recommend listening to these conversations. They are in two one-hour segments.
Mothers are a tremendous gift and we do well to thank God for blessing His children with mothers, mothers who recognize their failings, who welcome the opportunities to speak truthfully about sin and grace, who understand that they serve their neighbor when they serve their children and husband, since their family is the closest neighbor they are given.
Mothers serve a valuable role and they help shape and form the children they have been blessed with.
I can tell that there have been some excellent mothers as I interact with church members and friends. I know how you became the person you are. Thank your mother for me.
Mothers are a tremendous gift and we do well to thank God for blessing His children with mothers, mothers who recognize their failings, who welcome the opportunities to speak truthfully about sin and grace, who understand that they serve their neighbor when they serve their children and husband, since their family is the closest neighbor they are given.
Mothers serve a valuable role and they help shape and form the children they have been blessed with.
I can tell that there have been some excellent mothers as I interact with church members and friends. I know how you became the person you are. Thank your mother for me.
Unsure
whether I liked the iced coffee I just had from Dunkin Donuts. It was my first experience with iced coffee and it was strange. Perhaps if it was from Krispy Kreme I might feel differently. I think right now I'll just stick to regular old hot coffee. Although I do like the frappe's from McDonald's!
Monday, May 10, 2010
Sermon for Easter 6
Easter 6
May 9, 2010
John 16:23-33
In me you may have peace
In the name of Jesus, amen. In our gospel lesson this morning we find again the great joy of God’s living Word- that the Bible is just as relevant today as it has ever been. When people are seeking to create their own story and tell those stories, the Christian has the pure joy of living the story of the Bible. The story of the Bible is a full story of lost and found, of darkness and light, of sin and forgiveness, of the Christian who lives because of the Christ. Today Jesus tells his disciples, “In me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart, I have overcome the world.”
The disciples were filled with turmoil, because at this moment in their lives, Jesus was letting them know that their world was going to be turned upside down. Jesus is building them up so they may endure the time when Jesus would be lifted up on the cross. Jesus has gathered his disciples together because the time is coming when they would be scattered.
And the disciples could not imagine living in a world without Jesus. But the unimaginable would become very real as Jesus would be betrayed and arrested. They will watch, some close up, some from a distance, but they would see the trial, the mockery, the beating, the blood. They would see the nails and the thorns, the crucifixion and the death. They could ask themselves, “What is the world coming to? How could this happen? What is going to happen next? If Christ could be crucified like that, what is in store for us?”
Those are all very important questions, questions that reveal the real fear and terror that existed for the followers of Jesus. And those were questions that Jesus had addressed with great reassurance.
But take heart; I have overcome the world. Though the Passion had not yet started, the outcome was certain. Jesus had resolutely set his face toward Jerusalem, knowing what the will of His Father was: that Jesus should carry the sins of the whole world, die for the forgiveness of those sins, and then be raised again.
Jesus had overcome the world- all of its temptations, all of its powerful allure, all of its wide and easy paths. Jesus was on the path to Calvary and would not be deterred. On this path he drew his beloved followers to him and he taught them and he loved them to the end. In me you may have peace. In the world you will have trouble. But I have overcome the world. Take heart. Buck up. Be steadfast and immovable in me.
Take heart. Buck up. Be steadfast and immovable. Those are the statements of our loving Lord to us.
Our hearts grow faint. Fear overshadows our courage. We are blown by all the winds that swirl around us and we do not stand steadfast. But Jesus has given us the certain confidence of our futures. We ask what the world is coming to and we are so uncertain about our future. We are bombarded with news of car bombs in time square, with the news that the spot on our lungs in that MRI is malignant, that our Parkinsons is advancing, that our services are no longer going to be required at work once this project is complete. What is my world coming to as my relationship with my children continues to spiral out of control, as my relationship with my spouse is so different from what it used to be? What is my future going to be if my parents die, if my spouse dies? What will the future be for my family if I were to die?
Too often we attempt to answer those questions apart from Christ. People make predictions. We make predictions. You’ve heard the old phrase that we make plans and God laughs. I think it was the Chicago Tribune that declared Dewey the winner over Harry S Truman back in 1948. All sorts of predictions and guesses are made that now can be found in the dust heap of history. In our Tuesday evening Bible study we are about ready to hear a man named Gamaliel declare to the other Pharisees that if what Peter and John and the other apostles are doing is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, there is nothing on earth that will be able to stop it.
Apart from Christ, separated from that holy relationship with God, all we do is make guesses and predictions. Surely we’d have to be uncertain about our future without remembering the words of Christ and the actions of our Redeemer.
In me you may have peace. Those words of Christ really fly in the face of what is taking place. We agonize over our future, over our family’s future, where we will live and what job we will hold. That agonizing takes place while we worry about the condition of our state and country and her economy and security. But we need to block those dark thoughts from our mind so the Holy Spirit can remind us of what Jesus said- In me you may have peace.
Peace is not found in a paycheck. Peace does not reside in property values. Peace does not depend on a wireless broadband tower. Peace does not simply mean the absence of fighting or strife and you cannot find peace in a hammock or on your couch. Peace is found in Jesus.
The world has been overcome by the cross. The sins that plague and terrorize us have been swallowed up by the open grave. Jesus has been able to say to each and every one of us, “I have overcome the world.” So we sit in the doctor’s office, chewing our finger nails to the quick knowing that Jesus is with us. We show up at work and do what is given us to do, praying the Spirit of God would use me to serve my boss and the client. We clearly know God’s purpose for our life as we stand at the changing table, looking down at our child, knowing that God’s purpose for my life is right in front of my eyes and sometimes in my nostrils. We patiently sit at the dining room table helping our children and grandchildren with their homework. We go to bed at night with the voice of prayer on our lips, praying for our families, for our friends, for our enemies, for our great joys and for all that troubles us, knowing that God desires our prayer, that He hears them and that He responds.
In Christ, you may have peace. We are in Christ. We were baptized into him, baptized into his death, so that just as Jesus was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so too will we be raised to newness of life.
This is an uncertain world, with lots of turmoil and trouble. Yet the Christian knows what to do! Pray!
Whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give it to you. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full. Jesus has given us direct access to the Father. We are in Christ and the Father’s ear is turned toward us. For the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God.
Our Redeemer says that in me you may have peace. True peace, not that comes from the world, but from the creator of the world, from the savior of the world, and from the Spirit who guides us through this blessed world. In me you may have peace. May God grant it! SDG
May 9, 2010
John 16:23-33
In me you may have peace
In the name of Jesus, amen. In our gospel lesson this morning we find again the great joy of God’s living Word- that the Bible is just as relevant today as it has ever been. When people are seeking to create their own story and tell those stories, the Christian has the pure joy of living the story of the Bible. The story of the Bible is a full story of lost and found, of darkness and light, of sin and forgiveness, of the Christian who lives because of the Christ. Today Jesus tells his disciples, “In me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart, I have overcome the world.”
The disciples were filled with turmoil, because at this moment in their lives, Jesus was letting them know that their world was going to be turned upside down. Jesus is building them up so they may endure the time when Jesus would be lifted up on the cross. Jesus has gathered his disciples together because the time is coming when they would be scattered.
And the disciples could not imagine living in a world without Jesus. But the unimaginable would become very real as Jesus would be betrayed and arrested. They will watch, some close up, some from a distance, but they would see the trial, the mockery, the beating, the blood. They would see the nails and the thorns, the crucifixion and the death. They could ask themselves, “What is the world coming to? How could this happen? What is going to happen next? If Christ could be crucified like that, what is in store for us?”
Those are all very important questions, questions that reveal the real fear and terror that existed for the followers of Jesus. And those were questions that Jesus had addressed with great reassurance.
But take heart; I have overcome the world. Though the Passion had not yet started, the outcome was certain. Jesus had resolutely set his face toward Jerusalem, knowing what the will of His Father was: that Jesus should carry the sins of the whole world, die for the forgiveness of those sins, and then be raised again.
Jesus had overcome the world- all of its temptations, all of its powerful allure, all of its wide and easy paths. Jesus was on the path to Calvary and would not be deterred. On this path he drew his beloved followers to him and he taught them and he loved them to the end. In me you may have peace. In the world you will have trouble. But I have overcome the world. Take heart. Buck up. Be steadfast and immovable in me.
Take heart. Buck up. Be steadfast and immovable. Those are the statements of our loving Lord to us.
Our hearts grow faint. Fear overshadows our courage. We are blown by all the winds that swirl around us and we do not stand steadfast. But Jesus has given us the certain confidence of our futures. We ask what the world is coming to and we are so uncertain about our future. We are bombarded with news of car bombs in time square, with the news that the spot on our lungs in that MRI is malignant, that our Parkinsons is advancing, that our services are no longer going to be required at work once this project is complete. What is my world coming to as my relationship with my children continues to spiral out of control, as my relationship with my spouse is so different from what it used to be? What is my future going to be if my parents die, if my spouse dies? What will the future be for my family if I were to die?
Too often we attempt to answer those questions apart from Christ. People make predictions. We make predictions. You’ve heard the old phrase that we make plans and God laughs. I think it was the Chicago Tribune that declared Dewey the winner over Harry S Truman back in 1948. All sorts of predictions and guesses are made that now can be found in the dust heap of history. In our Tuesday evening Bible study we are about ready to hear a man named Gamaliel declare to the other Pharisees that if what Peter and John and the other apostles are doing is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, there is nothing on earth that will be able to stop it.
Apart from Christ, separated from that holy relationship with God, all we do is make guesses and predictions. Surely we’d have to be uncertain about our future without remembering the words of Christ and the actions of our Redeemer.
In me you may have peace. Those words of Christ really fly in the face of what is taking place. We agonize over our future, over our family’s future, where we will live and what job we will hold. That agonizing takes place while we worry about the condition of our state and country and her economy and security. But we need to block those dark thoughts from our mind so the Holy Spirit can remind us of what Jesus said- In me you may have peace.
Peace is not found in a paycheck. Peace does not reside in property values. Peace does not depend on a wireless broadband tower. Peace does not simply mean the absence of fighting or strife and you cannot find peace in a hammock or on your couch. Peace is found in Jesus.
The world has been overcome by the cross. The sins that plague and terrorize us have been swallowed up by the open grave. Jesus has been able to say to each and every one of us, “I have overcome the world.” So we sit in the doctor’s office, chewing our finger nails to the quick knowing that Jesus is with us. We show up at work and do what is given us to do, praying the Spirit of God would use me to serve my boss and the client. We clearly know God’s purpose for our life as we stand at the changing table, looking down at our child, knowing that God’s purpose for my life is right in front of my eyes and sometimes in my nostrils. We patiently sit at the dining room table helping our children and grandchildren with their homework. We go to bed at night with the voice of prayer on our lips, praying for our families, for our friends, for our enemies, for our great joys and for all that troubles us, knowing that God desires our prayer, that He hears them and that He responds.
In Christ, you may have peace. We are in Christ. We were baptized into him, baptized into his death, so that just as Jesus was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so too will we be raised to newness of life.
This is an uncertain world, with lots of turmoil and trouble. Yet the Christian knows what to do! Pray!
Whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give it to you. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full. Jesus has given us direct access to the Father. We are in Christ and the Father’s ear is turned toward us. For the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God.
Our Redeemer says that in me you may have peace. True peace, not that comes from the world, but from the creator of the world, from the savior of the world, and from the Spirit who guides us through this blessed world. In me you may have peace. May God grant it! SDG
Bible History in 35 verses
Here is a hymn on Biblical saints. It was originally written in German and has been translated by Matthew Carver. I have no idea who this gentleman is, but he has done a fine job in telling the Biblical stories in an understandable way. Get comfortable and enjoy this gift.
MIGHTY GOD, Father, Lord of Hosts on high,
Strong Defender! To Thee we cry
King of our nation,
And of all creation
Lord of great and small,
Of heav’n, and earth, and all:
Oh, grant us all that we may find salvation.
2. All who want wisdom, and would fain discern
What is truth, repent ye, and turn
To God your Maker,
Scripture not forsaking,
O’er your sins now grieve,
With humble faith receive
The Word of God, all trust upon it staking.
3. When for sin, ADAM Eden’s Garden left,
Of true faith he was not bereft,
His trust not broken
in God’s promise spoken:
From the woman’s seed
A Man shall come indeed,
And many an age will long to see this token.
4. Adam’s son, ABEL, this same truth confessed,
In true faith he gave God his best,
And praised no other,
Therefore, Cain, his brother,
Was enraged with spite,
And envied Abel quite:
Foul murder wrought, and Abel’s life did smother.
5. NOAH had warning of God’s wrath and flood,
And he made a great ark of wood;
Faithful, devoted,
For a year he floated,
Through the wind and rain,
Thus eight did life retain,
With all the beasts which God to him allotted.
6. ABRAHAM trusted in God’s holy Word;
More than his dear home, he preferred
Strange habitations,
Where, by intimations,
God swore in that place,
The Savior would by grace
Descend from him to bless the sinful nations.
7. Abraham’s wife SARAH barren was for long
Yet her faith was constant and strong,
In God’s apprising:
“Lo, by God’s devising
You shall soon conceive,
This cov’nant to believe,
And shall bring forth a son, and call him Isaac.”
8. So was their ISAAC in the Spirit firm,
He believed, and never did squirm,
Of death unfearing,
Abraham revering,
Who gave up his son.
But as the knife was drawn,
God said, “Wait, thou hast shown Me thine adhering.”
9. JACOB, born second, still the blessing sought
And the birthright from Isaac got,
Blest by his father;
He escaped his brother,
From his home he went
In faith where’er God sent,
Who brought him safe to kinsmen of his mother.
10. JOSEPH was faithful, and endured his cross,
As his brothers him did oppose.
And sore misused him
In a pit they threw him,
Grieved his father good,
They stained his coat with blood,
For thirty silver coins a slave they sold him.
11. Righteous LOT trusted in the Lord his God,
Warning to the five kings he brought:
“Love God and fear Him.”
But when none would hear him,
God his life did save,
Escape from fire he gave.
Lot ran to safety with two daughters near him.
12. MOSES was beckoned into Egypt land
by the Lord and brought by His hand,
His flock to sunder;
And with many a wonder,
Brought the children out,
Through waters, dry of foot.
While Pharaoh’s forces all were swallowed under.
13. AARON was chosen and ordained high priest,
God arrayed him to keep the feast,
With every splendor ,
The true faith’s defender.
God He glorified,
His calling was his pride:
Before the Lord, His people’s mediator.
14. JOSHUA, faithful, CALEB at his side,
As God bade them, Canaan they spied,
Patiently waited,
With faith unabated;
Others feared to go
But these two feared no foe,
And captured Canaan by God’s dominating.
15. GIDEON, mighty, battle’s glories knew,
Many a king and heathen he slew,
All foes he conquered,
In their countries entered,
City walls he broke,
And all their goods he took,
All things according to God’s will he ventured.
16. To old ELIJAH all the world did wrong,
Persecuted and plagued him long,
Sorely complaining,
So a drought sustaining,
For three years and more,
He caused no rain to pour;
He prayed again and heav’n resumed its raining.
17. Woe did ISAIAH suffer in his day,
For the truth he met with dismay,
By men rejected.
He the just protected,
Whom men counted last.
False idols he unmasked,
And so they slew him as their hearts directed.
18. When JEREMIAH saw the great disgrace
Which the Jews did in every place,
It so appalled him
That he boldly told them
“God ye sore offend!
His warning now attend,
Or He in hands of wrath will soon enfold you.”
19. AMOS the prophet would his flock defend,
Saying, “Listen! God soon will send
Drought and great famine,
So your lives examine,
For your sin and vice
This drought shall be the price;
God’s Word shall be withheld from all in common.
20. Unto the shepherds cried EZEKIEL,
“Feed the sheep and pasture them well;
Leave no one wanting,
You will give accounting
For your life and way
When comes the Final Day,
And there shall be distress and woe surmounting.”
21. God’s true servant JOEL hope in Jesus laid,
Kindly warned the people and said
God’s wrath lay o’er them,
So with pray’r implore Him,
And in Godly fear
Await His advent near,
When good and wicked both must stand before Him.
22. JOB, the long-suff’ring did God prove and test,
And to send him grief and unrest
Satan did borrow.
Quickly came Job’s sorrow,
Friends and wealth he lost,
His body bore the cost.
In faith he said, “God can right all tomorrow.”
23. Youthful TOBIAS by the angel stood,
Trusted in his words, as was good,
Went from his father,
Rightful gold to gather,
Sara loved he fain,
Whose seven grooms were slain
He chased the slayer off, and they were wedded.
24. JONAH the prophet Nineveh forsook,
Fled to sea, to God would not look,
When storm inflated
Drew the lot ill-fated
Leapt into the sea,
And swallowed up was he
And brought alive to land full three days later.
25. By faith SUSANNA found deliverance
From the plot of two wicked men,
Who would abuse her.
But ere they so used her,
God did them prevent,
His messenger he sent
Disproved and put to death the false accusers.
26. DANIEL knew sorrow, but to God held fast;
Down into a pit he was cast
With lions seven,
That had not been given
Meat for many a day,
But God had heard him pray,
And shut the lion’s mouths, and him delivered.
27. JUDITH the widow, led the battle bold,
Acted sweetly, prayed unto God,
Of foes unfearful;
Holofernes, evil,
Promised her to wed,
And as he lay in bed,
She cut his head clean off, and freed her people.
28. DAVID, God’s servant, as a prophet reigned,
He had faith and steadfast remained,
Giving God’s pleasure
Writing all in measure
Which he saw by grace
Full many things took place,
And at last he gave all confirmation.
29. SOLOMON, glorious, waxed in wealth and fame,
Kings and rulers all knew his name,
And his wise writing,
All his words reciting.
These words still remain
In hearts that love God’s name:
By faith in God, the truth was his delighting.
30. God gave assurance to ELIZABETH
That she would behold by true faith
Fruit of her body:
John his parents called him:
Precious man of God,
And witness of His Word,
Whose like there hath not been nor ever shall be.
31. Saint JOHN the Baptist to the Jordan came
To the world God’s Word to proclaim,
Baptism giving
For repentance living;
Witnessed to God’s Son,
And said, “This holy One
Baptized by me, shall for all sins make payment.”
32. MARY, pure virgin, was by grace alone
Chosen to give birth to God’s Son
In womb so lowly,
Jesus Christ most holy,
Who alone could save—
To Him her flesh she gave,
Remaining ever virgin, God’s true Mother.
33. SIMEÒN righteous, in old age found grace,
In his arms his God to embrace,
And see salvation,
In the incarnation
Christ, his infant Lord,
Whom God o’er all adored,
And said, “God here restores His lost creation.”
34. Our LORD, CHRIST JESUS, very Man and God.
As all saints bore witness and showed;—
Glad news they gave us:
He won God’s good favor
For His sons most dear
And brought His children cheer,
Defeating death upon the cross to save us.
35. Sing we together to the Lord of heav’n,
Praise to God our Father be giv’n,
With Christ, the Savior,
And the Spirit ever,
One true God for ay!
In choirs of endless day,
To Him be glory, laud, and praise forever.
Translation © Matthew Carver, 2010.
MIGHTY GOD, Father, Lord of Hosts on high,
Strong Defender! To Thee we cry
King of our nation,
And of all creation
Lord of great and small,
Of heav’n, and earth, and all:
Oh, grant us all that we may find salvation.
2. All who want wisdom, and would fain discern
What is truth, repent ye, and turn
To God your Maker,
Scripture not forsaking,
O’er your sins now grieve,
With humble faith receive
The Word of God, all trust upon it staking.
3. When for sin, ADAM Eden’s Garden left,
Of true faith he was not bereft,
His trust not broken
in God’s promise spoken:
From the woman’s seed
A Man shall come indeed,
And many an age will long to see this token.
4. Adam’s son, ABEL, this same truth confessed,
In true faith he gave God his best,
And praised no other,
Therefore, Cain, his brother,
Was enraged with spite,
And envied Abel quite:
Foul murder wrought, and Abel’s life did smother.
5. NOAH had warning of God’s wrath and flood,
And he made a great ark of wood;
Faithful, devoted,
For a year he floated,
Through the wind and rain,
Thus eight did life retain,
With all the beasts which God to him allotted.
6. ABRAHAM trusted in God’s holy Word;
More than his dear home, he preferred
Strange habitations,
Where, by intimations,
God swore in that place,
The Savior would by grace
Descend from him to bless the sinful nations.
7. Abraham’s wife SARAH barren was for long
Yet her faith was constant and strong,
In God’s apprising:
“Lo, by God’s devising
You shall soon conceive,
This cov’nant to believe,
And shall bring forth a son, and call him Isaac.”
8. So was their ISAAC in the Spirit firm,
He believed, and never did squirm,
Of death unfearing,
Abraham revering,
Who gave up his son.
But as the knife was drawn,
God said, “Wait, thou hast shown Me thine adhering.”
9. JACOB, born second, still the blessing sought
And the birthright from Isaac got,
Blest by his father;
He escaped his brother,
From his home he went
In faith where’er God sent,
Who brought him safe to kinsmen of his mother.
10. JOSEPH was faithful, and endured his cross,
As his brothers him did oppose.
And sore misused him
In a pit they threw him,
Grieved his father good,
They stained his coat with blood,
For thirty silver coins a slave they sold him.
11. Righteous LOT trusted in the Lord his God,
Warning to the five kings he brought:
“Love God and fear Him.”
But when none would hear him,
God his life did save,
Escape from fire he gave.
Lot ran to safety with two daughters near him.
12. MOSES was beckoned into Egypt land
by the Lord and brought by His hand,
His flock to sunder;
And with many a wonder,
Brought the children out,
Through waters, dry of foot.
While Pharaoh’s forces all were swallowed under.
13. AARON was chosen and ordained high priest,
God arrayed him to keep the feast,
With every splendor ,
The true faith’s defender.
God He glorified,
His calling was his pride:
Before the Lord, His people’s mediator.
14. JOSHUA, faithful, CALEB at his side,
As God bade them, Canaan they spied,
Patiently waited,
With faith unabated;
Others feared to go
But these two feared no foe,
And captured Canaan by God’s dominating.
15. GIDEON, mighty, battle’s glories knew,
Many a king and heathen he slew,
All foes he conquered,
In their countries entered,
City walls he broke,
And all their goods he took,
All things according to God’s will he ventured.
16. To old ELIJAH all the world did wrong,
Persecuted and plagued him long,
Sorely complaining,
So a drought sustaining,
For three years and more,
He caused no rain to pour;
He prayed again and heav’n resumed its raining.
17. Woe did ISAIAH suffer in his day,
For the truth he met with dismay,
By men rejected.
He the just protected,
Whom men counted last.
False idols he unmasked,
And so they slew him as their hearts directed.
18. When JEREMIAH saw the great disgrace
Which the Jews did in every place,
It so appalled him
That he boldly told them
“God ye sore offend!
His warning now attend,
Or He in hands of wrath will soon enfold you.”
19. AMOS the prophet would his flock defend,
Saying, “Listen! God soon will send
Drought and great famine,
So your lives examine,
For your sin and vice
This drought shall be the price;
God’s Word shall be withheld from all in common.
20. Unto the shepherds cried EZEKIEL,
“Feed the sheep and pasture them well;
Leave no one wanting,
You will give accounting
For your life and way
When comes the Final Day,
And there shall be distress and woe surmounting.”
21. God’s true servant JOEL hope in Jesus laid,
Kindly warned the people and said
God’s wrath lay o’er them,
So with pray’r implore Him,
And in Godly fear
Await His advent near,
When good and wicked both must stand before Him.
22. JOB, the long-suff’ring did God prove and test,
And to send him grief and unrest
Satan did borrow.
Quickly came Job’s sorrow,
Friends and wealth he lost,
His body bore the cost.
In faith he said, “God can right all tomorrow.”
23. Youthful TOBIAS by the angel stood,
Trusted in his words, as was good,
Went from his father,
Rightful gold to gather,
Sara loved he fain,
Whose seven grooms were slain
He chased the slayer off, and they were wedded.
24. JONAH the prophet Nineveh forsook,
Fled to sea, to God would not look,
When storm inflated
Drew the lot ill-fated
Leapt into the sea,
And swallowed up was he
And brought alive to land full three days later.
25. By faith SUSANNA found deliverance
From the plot of two wicked men,
Who would abuse her.
But ere they so used her,
God did them prevent,
His messenger he sent
Disproved and put to death the false accusers.
26. DANIEL knew sorrow, but to God held fast;
Down into a pit he was cast
With lions seven,
That had not been given
Meat for many a day,
But God had heard him pray,
And shut the lion’s mouths, and him delivered.
27. JUDITH the widow, led the battle bold,
Acted sweetly, prayed unto God,
Of foes unfearful;
Holofernes, evil,
Promised her to wed,
And as he lay in bed,
She cut his head clean off, and freed her people.
28. DAVID, God’s servant, as a prophet reigned,
He had faith and steadfast remained,
Giving God’s pleasure
Writing all in measure
Which he saw by grace
Full many things took place,
And at last he gave all confirmation.
29. SOLOMON, glorious, waxed in wealth and fame,
Kings and rulers all knew his name,
And his wise writing,
All his words reciting.
These words still remain
In hearts that love God’s name:
By faith in God, the truth was his delighting.
30. God gave assurance to ELIZABETH
That she would behold by true faith
Fruit of her body:
John his parents called him:
Precious man of God,
And witness of His Word,
Whose like there hath not been nor ever shall be.
31. Saint JOHN the Baptist to the Jordan came
To the world God’s Word to proclaim,
Baptism giving
For repentance living;
Witnessed to God’s Son,
And said, “This holy One
Baptized by me, shall for all sins make payment.”
32. MARY, pure virgin, was by grace alone
Chosen to give birth to God’s Son
In womb so lowly,
Jesus Christ most holy,
Who alone could save—
To Him her flesh she gave,
Remaining ever virgin, God’s true Mother.
33. SIMEÒN righteous, in old age found grace,
In his arms his God to embrace,
And see salvation,
In the incarnation
Christ, his infant Lord,
Whom God o’er all adored,
And said, “God here restores His lost creation.”
34. Our LORD, CHRIST JESUS, very Man and God.
As all saints bore witness and showed;—
Glad news they gave us:
He won God’s good favor
For His sons most dear
And brought His children cheer,
Defeating death upon the cross to save us.
35. Sing we together to the Lord of heav’n,
Praise to God our Father be giv’n,
With Christ, the Savior,
And the Spirit ever,
One true God for ay!
In choirs of endless day,
To Him be glory, laud, and praise forever.
Translation © Matthew Carver, 2010.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Just returned
from a few days at Massanutten Resort near Harrisonburg VA. It was tremendous to be down there with the family and to spend time doing what we wanted to do, not what we had to do.
Massanutten is beautiful and the weather was sunny and warm. We took the kids to the pool a few times and all three loved being in the water with their various inflatable helps. Went miniature golfing although it was about 10 holes too long for Matthew. Took a hike so that Jacob could do his homework and count bugs for his class. Grilled hamburgers and bratwurst, spent some time in the jacuzzi tub and probably the nicest thing was to sit outside on the deck with Corinna and read a book while the clouds blew over the mountain.
We even got to see what the emergency room at Rockingham Memorial Hospital was like as Matthew woke up Wednesday night with an awful, barking cough. It cleared up a little as we got him and Corinna in the car (Jacob was asleep and stayed home with his Pops). The doctor diagnosed Matthew with croup and the nurse gave him a steroid to clear things up. It worked and he was able to get some decent sleep. Matthew is averaging one emergency room visit each year.
It was a great trip and we are grateful to be the guests of Amanda's dad and wife. We look forward to going back again.
Massanutten is beautiful and the weather was sunny and warm. We took the kids to the pool a few times and all three loved being in the water with their various inflatable helps. Went miniature golfing although it was about 10 holes too long for Matthew. Took a hike so that Jacob could do his homework and count bugs for his class. Grilled hamburgers and bratwurst, spent some time in the jacuzzi tub and probably the nicest thing was to sit outside on the deck with Corinna and read a book while the clouds blew over the mountain.
We even got to see what the emergency room at Rockingham Memorial Hospital was like as Matthew woke up Wednesday night with an awful, barking cough. It cleared up a little as we got him and Corinna in the car (Jacob was asleep and stayed home with his Pops). The doctor diagnosed Matthew with croup and the nurse gave him a steroid to clear things up. It worked and he was able to get some decent sleep. Matthew is averaging one emergency room visit each year.
It was a great trip and we are grateful to be the guests of Amanda's dad and wife. We look forward to going back again.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Worship infor for May 9
Hymns
831 "How Shall They Hear," Who Have Not Heard
829 Christ the Eternal Lord
556 Dear Christians, One and All, Rejoice (We'll sing all ten verses in two different sections)
918 Guide Me, O Thou Great Redeemer
Scripture Lessons
Acts 16:9-15
Psalm 67
Revelation 21:9-14, 21-27
John 16:23-33
Collect of the Day
O God, the Giver of all that is Good, by Your holy inspiration grant that we may think those things are right and by Your merciful guiding accomplish them; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen
831 "How Shall They Hear," Who Have Not Heard
829 Christ the Eternal Lord
556 Dear Christians, One and All, Rejoice (We'll sing all ten verses in two different sections)
918 Guide Me, O Thou Great Redeemer
Scripture Lessons
Acts 16:9-15
Psalm 67
Revelation 21:9-14, 21-27
John 16:23-33
Collect of the Day
O God, the Giver of all that is Good, by Your holy inspiration grant that we may think those things are right and by Your merciful guiding accomplish them; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen
Easter 5 Sermon
Easter 5
May 2, 2010
Rev. 21:1-7; John 16:12-22
Receiving what is new
In the name of Jesus, amen. And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Do you hear those words and say “Uh oh. That can’t be good.” We have learned and experienced that what is new isn’t always better. New Coke? Windows 7? Give me old Coke and Windows 98 please and I’ll be just fine. Newer isn’t always better. It asks a lot of us, with the changes and the chances of something that is unknown.
Yet the one seated on the throne- Jesus, the Lamb who was slain but lives forevermore says that he is making all things new. Whether we want what is new is not the issue. It is how we receive the new that is important.
While Jesus was living he was always doing new and different things. Raising the dead back to life was new. Being in the superior position yet humbling himself by washing the feet of his students could also be called new and different. In that foot-washing episode Jesus even gave them a new commandment, a new teaching: Love one another just as I have loved you. By this all people will know that you are my disciples if you love one another.
Breaking bread and calling it his body. Taking a cup of wine and telling his beloved disciples that this was his blood of the new covenant was all very new. It was all very different. And while it is new, it is also good.
We receive what is new by the grace of God. Our loving God helps us to receive what we have been given. We may be uncomfortable with what is new. Serving others might not make us uncomfortable, but how do you feel when you are served? Sometimes I bristle when people try to help because in my mind I can do it myself. I didn’t ask for any help and I don’t need any help. And then God pokes me in the ribs and helps me to see clearly that sometimes people have a need to help. It doesn’t matter if I didn’t ask for help. The help is there as a gift and I should be able to receive a loving gift from someone else. When someone ‘washes my feet’ God tells me I should stop my protestations and simply say “Thank you.”
We receive what is new from God because we have come to learn from God that He has our best interests at heart. Our focus last week was the Good Shepherd, who leads us to feed and drink and rest and shelter. God has our best interests at heart. This does not mean that everything in life will be peaches and cream. Our best interests may mean a failure that teaches us that we cannot coast through our schooling without ever opening our textbooks. Our best interests may mean learning the value of a dollar and the value of hard work, the value of simple pleasures. We learn how to work and we learn how to be retired. We learn how to live independently and we learn how to be married. We learn how to rebuild after the real tragedy of divorce. We learn how to be single after our spouse is taken from us in death. And God is with us through all of those times, helping us to receive what is new. Our best interests may mean a health crisis that causes to re-evaluate our lifestyle. It may mean spending time rehabilitating ourselves after realizing that our actions have consequences.
God has our best interests at heart. So God has left us his living and active Word. God loves us, chastens us, disciplines us, encourages, guides, and supports. We receive the new thing, or things, that God is doing.
And it might not be such a challenge, because this new thing really isn’t that new. The love of God isn’t new. He has loved humanity ever since there was a humanity. God has been merciful through thick and thin. But the ways of God are often covered over or obscured. We get so busy focusing on all the many things that need to be done and we assign such tremendous value to those things that we lose sight of God. We lose sight of Christ’s cross and empty tomb. We lose sight of the glorifying Holy Spirit. And so we lose our way. More accurately, we lose God’s way for our life.
We set out to chart our own course, make our own path, because we know what’s best and no one can tell us otherwise. The devil’s lies have so completely captivated us that while we shake hands with our right hand, our left hand is busy stabbing our neighbor in the back. We deceive our coworkers and help them to stand yet never disclose that we were the ones who took credit for their idea and thus caused them to fall. We treat our children with selfishness, considering them to be a hindrance to my enjoyment of life or as a burden. We grow cold in our love for our spouse because we take them for granted and never consider their gifts. We set out on our own way, our own path, because we have lost God’s way for our life.
The Lamb on the throne told John to write down that he was the beginning and the end, the alpha and the omega. That is completion. That is totality.
God is total. There is nothing that is lacking, nothing that is deficient, with Him. And what did I just say about God? He has our best interests at heart. He gives us those difficult teachings, those new concepts to put into practice because that is what is best for us. Love your neighbor? It is good for you to love your neighbor. Obey your parents? That is good for you as well. Teach and discipline and love and your children? That is in your best interests.
We receive God’s love, which is nothing new, rather it is quite ancient. God declares His love for us in the blest baptismal flood, sweeping us into his family, marking us with the ancient and eternal sign of the cross. God’s love, God’s challenge, God’s warning and God’s encouragement is heard in the Word. God’s love and God’s relevant reality is confessed in the Creed. God’s love is tasted in the body and blood of Christ in the communion meal.
Receiving what is new is rarely easy. It is rarely comfortable. Yet we receive what is new from our gracious God. He dwells with us and among us. He forgives our sin. He covers our sin with the blood of the Lamb. He is our God. We are his people. And by his grace, with our best interests at heart, God gives us what is new and God strengthens us to receive it for our good. SDG
May 2, 2010
Rev. 21:1-7; John 16:12-22
Receiving what is new
In the name of Jesus, amen. And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Do you hear those words and say “Uh oh. That can’t be good.” We have learned and experienced that what is new isn’t always better. New Coke? Windows 7? Give me old Coke and Windows 98 please and I’ll be just fine. Newer isn’t always better. It asks a lot of us, with the changes and the chances of something that is unknown.
Yet the one seated on the throne- Jesus, the Lamb who was slain but lives forevermore says that he is making all things new. Whether we want what is new is not the issue. It is how we receive the new that is important.
While Jesus was living he was always doing new and different things. Raising the dead back to life was new. Being in the superior position yet humbling himself by washing the feet of his students could also be called new and different. In that foot-washing episode Jesus even gave them a new commandment, a new teaching: Love one another just as I have loved you. By this all people will know that you are my disciples if you love one another.
Breaking bread and calling it his body. Taking a cup of wine and telling his beloved disciples that this was his blood of the new covenant was all very new. It was all very different. And while it is new, it is also good.
We receive what is new by the grace of God. Our loving God helps us to receive what we have been given. We may be uncomfortable with what is new. Serving others might not make us uncomfortable, but how do you feel when you are served? Sometimes I bristle when people try to help because in my mind I can do it myself. I didn’t ask for any help and I don’t need any help. And then God pokes me in the ribs and helps me to see clearly that sometimes people have a need to help. It doesn’t matter if I didn’t ask for help. The help is there as a gift and I should be able to receive a loving gift from someone else. When someone ‘washes my feet’ God tells me I should stop my protestations and simply say “Thank you.”
We receive what is new from God because we have come to learn from God that He has our best interests at heart. Our focus last week was the Good Shepherd, who leads us to feed and drink and rest and shelter. God has our best interests at heart. This does not mean that everything in life will be peaches and cream. Our best interests may mean a failure that teaches us that we cannot coast through our schooling without ever opening our textbooks. Our best interests may mean learning the value of a dollar and the value of hard work, the value of simple pleasures. We learn how to work and we learn how to be retired. We learn how to live independently and we learn how to be married. We learn how to rebuild after the real tragedy of divorce. We learn how to be single after our spouse is taken from us in death. And God is with us through all of those times, helping us to receive what is new. Our best interests may mean a health crisis that causes to re-evaluate our lifestyle. It may mean spending time rehabilitating ourselves after realizing that our actions have consequences.
God has our best interests at heart. So God has left us his living and active Word. God loves us, chastens us, disciplines us, encourages, guides, and supports. We receive the new thing, or things, that God is doing.
And it might not be such a challenge, because this new thing really isn’t that new. The love of God isn’t new. He has loved humanity ever since there was a humanity. God has been merciful through thick and thin. But the ways of God are often covered over or obscured. We get so busy focusing on all the many things that need to be done and we assign such tremendous value to those things that we lose sight of God. We lose sight of Christ’s cross and empty tomb. We lose sight of the glorifying Holy Spirit. And so we lose our way. More accurately, we lose God’s way for our life.
We set out to chart our own course, make our own path, because we know what’s best and no one can tell us otherwise. The devil’s lies have so completely captivated us that while we shake hands with our right hand, our left hand is busy stabbing our neighbor in the back. We deceive our coworkers and help them to stand yet never disclose that we were the ones who took credit for their idea and thus caused them to fall. We treat our children with selfishness, considering them to be a hindrance to my enjoyment of life or as a burden. We grow cold in our love for our spouse because we take them for granted and never consider their gifts. We set out on our own way, our own path, because we have lost God’s way for our life.
The Lamb on the throne told John to write down that he was the beginning and the end, the alpha and the omega. That is completion. That is totality.
God is total. There is nothing that is lacking, nothing that is deficient, with Him. And what did I just say about God? He has our best interests at heart. He gives us those difficult teachings, those new concepts to put into practice because that is what is best for us. Love your neighbor? It is good for you to love your neighbor. Obey your parents? That is good for you as well. Teach and discipline and love and your children? That is in your best interests.
We receive God’s love, which is nothing new, rather it is quite ancient. God declares His love for us in the blest baptismal flood, sweeping us into his family, marking us with the ancient and eternal sign of the cross. God’s love, God’s challenge, God’s warning and God’s encouragement is heard in the Word. God’s love and God’s relevant reality is confessed in the Creed. God’s love is tasted in the body and blood of Christ in the communion meal.
Receiving what is new is rarely easy. It is rarely comfortable. Yet we receive what is new from our gracious God. He dwells with us and among us. He forgives our sin. He covers our sin with the blood of the Lamb. He is our God. We are his people. And by his grace, with our best interests at heart, God gives us what is new and God strengthens us to receive it for our good. SDG
What is it...
about the St. Louis Cardinals coming to Philadelphia that makes Philadelphians act like Philadelphians?
Last year, with the Cardinals in town, one Philadelphian kicked, beat, and stomped another Philadelphian to death at a bar attached to Citizen's Bank Park. To death. As in not breathing any more with no heart beat or brain function.
Last night, a 17 year old boy ran on to the field, was chased by security personnel, and eventually was tasered. Fans have no right to be on the field. Once they step out of the stands and on to the playing field, they are fair game. Life would be pretty simple if everyone abided by this rule: Don't go where you're not supposed to go and don't do what you're not supposed to do.
And let's be honest and say, "Good for the security personnel." Tasering can solve a lot of stupid in a pretty short time span.
Last year, with the Cardinals in town, one Philadelphian kicked, beat, and stomped another Philadelphian to death at a bar attached to Citizen's Bank Park. To death. As in not breathing any more with no heart beat or brain function.
Last night, a 17 year old boy ran on to the field, was chased by security personnel, and eventually was tasered. Fans have no right to be on the field. Once they step out of the stands and on to the playing field, they are fair game. Life would be pretty simple if everyone abided by this rule: Don't go where you're not supposed to go and don't do what you're not supposed to do.
And let's be honest and say, "Good for the security personnel." Tasering can solve a lot of stupid in a pretty short time span.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
