If you are looking for Sunday's sermon, I didn't preach. Our Sunday School children led the service and they did a great job. It was a very 'meat and potatoes' Christmas service, hearing the why of Christmas and the reality of Christmas.
I missed not preaching, was going to talk about Joseph's God-fearing nature, but I'll save that for 2013 when the lesson rolls around again.
Monday, December 20, 2010
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Latin lessons
On the way home from church Wednesday night, Jacob said that he and Matthew and Mommy were talking about heaven and angels that morning. Jacob asked me what angels were made out of. I told him that God created them out of nothing. He said, "Out of nothing!" And I said, "Yeah, God created them ex nihilo."
I taught him a Latin phrase and he repeated it several times and said, "Teach me another aladdin phrase." (I said it was Latin.)
So I thought of another one to teach him that would be easy to memorize and significant. The phrase was simul justus et peccator. He did a nice job repeating it and understanding it.
This morning I taught him the invocation and the kyrie.
Interesting.
I taught him a Latin phrase and he repeated it several times and said, "Teach me another aladdin phrase." (I said it was Latin.)
So I thought of another one to teach him that would be easy to memorize and significant. The phrase was simul justus et peccator. He did a nice job repeating it and understanding it.
This morning I taught him the invocation and the kyrie.
Interesting.
Info for Dec. 19 worship
Hymns
357 O Come, O Come, Emmanuel (will be broken into two parts: verses 1-4 and 5-7
367 Angels From the Realms of Glory 1,2,5
359 Lo, How A Rose E'er Blooming 1,2
356 The Angel Gabriel From Heaven Came (If you want, google the version done by Sting. Hauntingly awesome!)
364 Away in a Manger 1-2 children, 3 all
379 O Come All Ye Faithful 1,3
380 Hark! The Herald Angels Sing 1
388 Go Tell It On The Mountain 1,3
370 What Child Is This 1,2
350 Come, Thou Precious Ransom Come
360 All My Heart Again Rejoices 1,5,6
392 God Loves Me Dearly
387 Joy To The World
{Lots of hymns I know, but it will be a joy to sing these hymns that are familiar and new.)
Scripture Lessons
Isaiah 7:10-17
Romans 1:1-7
Matthew 1:18-25
Prayer of the Day
Stir up Your power, O Lord, and come and help us by Your might, that the sins which weigh us down may be quickly lifted by Your grace and mercy; for You live and reing with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
357 O Come, O Come, Emmanuel (will be broken into two parts: verses 1-4 and 5-7
367 Angels From the Realms of Glory 1,2,5
359 Lo, How A Rose E'er Blooming 1,2
356 The Angel Gabriel From Heaven Came (If you want, google the version done by Sting. Hauntingly awesome!)
364 Away in a Manger 1-2 children, 3 all
379 O Come All Ye Faithful 1,3
380 Hark! The Herald Angels Sing 1
388 Go Tell It On The Mountain 1,3
370 What Child Is This 1,2
350 Come, Thou Precious Ransom Come
360 All My Heart Again Rejoices 1,5,6
392 God Loves Me Dearly
387 Joy To The World
{Lots of hymns I know, but it will be a joy to sing these hymns that are familiar and new.)
Scripture Lessons
Isaiah 7:10-17
Romans 1:1-7
Matthew 1:18-25
Prayer of the Day
Stir up Your power, O Lord, and come and help us by Your might, that the sins which weigh us down may be quickly lifted by Your grace and mercy; for You live and reing with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Monday, December 13, 2010
Sermon for Advent 3
Third Sunday in Advent
Dec. 12, 2010
Matthew 11:2-15
Before your face
In the name of our adventing Lord Jesus, amen. For the most part, we prefer to be non-confrontational, but there are times when it is necessary for us to be in the face of someone else. It is certainly uncomfortable, it is a time when the situation could spiral out of control, but you know that you are often put into a position where you have to say the uncomfortable thing, when you have to do something that draws attention to you.
It seems that John the Baptist spent his life being an ‘in your face’ kind of prophet. And look where it got him- prison. And he would stay in prison until his head was separated from the rest of his body. Being an ‘in your face’ kind of prophet did not turn out very well for him. A prophet recruiter would have a hard time pointing to John the Baptist as the example and getting young folks to sign up.
I think we could make a reasonable guess that John was depressed. After being a famous rock star of a prophet, John was now left alone in prison. He was in a tough jam and he wanted to know if all of his work had been in vain. Was I right or was I wrong? Disciples of John took that question to Jesus, and Jesus responded.
John, your eyesight is fine. There are none so blind as those who refuse to see. Use your eyes and look around you. There are people walking around today who used to be crippled. There are former lepers who are enjoying their place at the dinner table. The deaf hear the sound of birds and the whining of little children…and they delight in it all. The blind see the good and the bad. And they rejoice. All those that were down and out are now the up and in. Open your eyes. Look around. See, observe, pay attention.
The people went out to see a prophet, and they saw one. They heard one. They experienced one, as John baptized all those who came, who repented for the forgiveness of their sins. The people received what they needed to hear, not what they wanted to hear.
But John may have had some difficulty seeing clearly. It’s sometimes hard to see what is right in front of you. I want to see the forest but I can’t because there are too many darn trees in the way. When you are in a tough jam, and prison counts as one, it’s hard to see anything positive. Your vision is blurry because when you open your eyes, they are filled with angry tears, rejected tears, lonely tears, tears of disappointment, sadness, hopelessness, despair, gloom, doom, fear. It is hard to see what is right in front of your face. John couldn’t see what, or who, was in front of him. John needed to be reminded of the work he had done. John needed to remember the One he prophesied about, the One he himself had baptized in the Jordan River.
John had received his marching orders from the Lord, and he spoke- prepare the royal highway, the king is drawing near. Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. You brood of vipers- who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? John was given the task of calling people out on their sins, announcing that the long-expected Jesus was here, and John received in return words of hate- Who are you to tell us we’re doing something wrong!
John did what he was supposed to do- “Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you.”
The messenger is sent to be an ‘in your face’ character, to get you ready. John did his work. Pastors and people have been doing it ever since. They, our parents who taught us the Lord’s Prayer even though we didn’t know what was going on, our Sunday School teachers who worked with us in our elementary years, that coach who was so instrumental in our lives, the professor who took the time to challenge us and teach us and guide us, they have been in our face because we needed it.
Parents correct and guide, chasten and discipline, and they rarely get thanked at the time. If any thanks comes their way, it is when the child is grown. That’s okay. It’s not the parent’s job to be liked. It’s the parent’s job to parent the children that have been given to them.
There is a lot before our faces. Are we willing to see, observe, what is before our face? Rising gasoline and fuel oil prices make us nervous. Jobs are available, but they pay $7 or $8 an hour and with a mortgage and a family and all the typical expenses, a person would need to work 27 hours a day to live on that wage. You see the miles increase on your vehicle and repairs are becoming more frequent and more costly. Do we see the warning signs? Your children are scattered by miles and across time zones and it’s hard to be away, especially now in the Thanksgiving-Christmas-New Year’s extravaganza. Your body…well, let’s just say, the old gray mare ain't what she used to be. What we see with our eyes, and what we hear with our ears, there is a lot that is distressing and depressing.
What is before the face of God’s Church? A community surrounds us that needs God’s call to repentance for the forgiveness of their sins, but do we know how to engage them? People who are hurting across all levels are in need of the healing that comes through life with God. Abusers need to be confronted. The greedy must be reined in. The powerful must be told not to trample on the weak. The hypocrites must have a mirror held in front of their faces.
But there are so many people to help, so many people in need, so many people who need to hear the Word of God and be held accountable. We’re a tiny group, small group, with little influence, clout, or power. How can we get anyone to open their eyes and see what is before their face?
We cannot do any of it if we trust and rely only on our own devices. John the Baptist didn’t preach to the crowds about salvation based on works, based on being good, based on buying off God. John pointed the people to the Messiah, who was before their face, and said, “The Messiah is coming.” John would very soon say, “Look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Your sins. Yours too. Mine. All of them. The Lamb takes your sins, takes your punishment, and your death. Sin is nothing more than death in disguise. And the Lamb gives you His life. He gives mercy, forgiveness, hope that is real, not hope in nothing but hope in something- hope in the Trinity, hope in the Name of God that is placed upon you and sealed through Baptism. All of that is before our face. All of that is what we take into our lives as we engage the world around us that is such great need of life and light and love.
John the Baptist was an ‘in your face’ prophet. He was making us ready for an ‘in your face’ Messiah. What is more ‘in your face’ than God on the cross? What is more ‘in your face’ than the true body and blood of Jesus on the altar? What is more ‘in your face’ than honestly acknowledging your sins and screw ups and then being told that you are forgiven for the sake of Jesus Christ!
We are confronted today with the good news of Jesus Christ. Rejoice! Be jubilant. Open your eyes and see what is before your face- the living Lord who is coming to be with you. Jesus is before your face. Rejoice. SDG
Dec. 12, 2010
Matthew 11:2-15
Before your face
In the name of our adventing Lord Jesus, amen. For the most part, we prefer to be non-confrontational, but there are times when it is necessary for us to be in the face of someone else. It is certainly uncomfortable, it is a time when the situation could spiral out of control, but you know that you are often put into a position where you have to say the uncomfortable thing, when you have to do something that draws attention to you.
It seems that John the Baptist spent his life being an ‘in your face’ kind of prophet. And look where it got him- prison. And he would stay in prison until his head was separated from the rest of his body. Being an ‘in your face’ kind of prophet did not turn out very well for him. A prophet recruiter would have a hard time pointing to John the Baptist as the example and getting young folks to sign up.
I think we could make a reasonable guess that John was depressed. After being a famous rock star of a prophet, John was now left alone in prison. He was in a tough jam and he wanted to know if all of his work had been in vain. Was I right or was I wrong? Disciples of John took that question to Jesus, and Jesus responded.
John, your eyesight is fine. There are none so blind as those who refuse to see. Use your eyes and look around you. There are people walking around today who used to be crippled. There are former lepers who are enjoying their place at the dinner table. The deaf hear the sound of birds and the whining of little children…and they delight in it all. The blind see the good and the bad. And they rejoice. All those that were down and out are now the up and in. Open your eyes. Look around. See, observe, pay attention.
The people went out to see a prophet, and they saw one. They heard one. They experienced one, as John baptized all those who came, who repented for the forgiveness of their sins. The people received what they needed to hear, not what they wanted to hear.
But John may have had some difficulty seeing clearly. It’s sometimes hard to see what is right in front of you. I want to see the forest but I can’t because there are too many darn trees in the way. When you are in a tough jam, and prison counts as one, it’s hard to see anything positive. Your vision is blurry because when you open your eyes, they are filled with angry tears, rejected tears, lonely tears, tears of disappointment, sadness, hopelessness, despair, gloom, doom, fear. It is hard to see what is right in front of your face. John couldn’t see what, or who, was in front of him. John needed to be reminded of the work he had done. John needed to remember the One he prophesied about, the One he himself had baptized in the Jordan River.
John had received his marching orders from the Lord, and he spoke- prepare the royal highway, the king is drawing near. Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. You brood of vipers- who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? John was given the task of calling people out on their sins, announcing that the long-expected Jesus was here, and John received in return words of hate- Who are you to tell us we’re doing something wrong!
John did what he was supposed to do- “Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you.”
The messenger is sent to be an ‘in your face’ character, to get you ready. John did his work. Pastors and people have been doing it ever since. They, our parents who taught us the Lord’s Prayer even though we didn’t know what was going on, our Sunday School teachers who worked with us in our elementary years, that coach who was so instrumental in our lives, the professor who took the time to challenge us and teach us and guide us, they have been in our face because we needed it.
Parents correct and guide, chasten and discipline, and they rarely get thanked at the time. If any thanks comes their way, it is when the child is grown. That’s okay. It’s not the parent’s job to be liked. It’s the parent’s job to parent the children that have been given to them.
There is a lot before our faces. Are we willing to see, observe, what is before our face? Rising gasoline and fuel oil prices make us nervous. Jobs are available, but they pay $7 or $8 an hour and with a mortgage and a family and all the typical expenses, a person would need to work 27 hours a day to live on that wage. You see the miles increase on your vehicle and repairs are becoming more frequent and more costly. Do we see the warning signs? Your children are scattered by miles and across time zones and it’s hard to be away, especially now in the Thanksgiving-Christmas-New Year’s extravaganza. Your body…well, let’s just say, the old gray mare ain't what she used to be. What we see with our eyes, and what we hear with our ears, there is a lot that is distressing and depressing.
What is before the face of God’s Church? A community surrounds us that needs God’s call to repentance for the forgiveness of their sins, but do we know how to engage them? People who are hurting across all levels are in need of the healing that comes through life with God. Abusers need to be confronted. The greedy must be reined in. The powerful must be told not to trample on the weak. The hypocrites must have a mirror held in front of their faces.
But there are so many people to help, so many people in need, so many people who need to hear the Word of God and be held accountable. We’re a tiny group, small group, with little influence, clout, or power. How can we get anyone to open their eyes and see what is before their face?
We cannot do any of it if we trust and rely only on our own devices. John the Baptist didn’t preach to the crowds about salvation based on works, based on being good, based on buying off God. John pointed the people to the Messiah, who was before their face, and said, “The Messiah is coming.” John would very soon say, “Look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Your sins. Yours too. Mine. All of them. The Lamb takes your sins, takes your punishment, and your death. Sin is nothing more than death in disguise. And the Lamb gives you His life. He gives mercy, forgiveness, hope that is real, not hope in nothing but hope in something- hope in the Trinity, hope in the Name of God that is placed upon you and sealed through Baptism. All of that is before our face. All of that is what we take into our lives as we engage the world around us that is such great need of life and light and love.
John the Baptist was an ‘in your face’ prophet. He was making us ready for an ‘in your face’ Messiah. What is more ‘in your face’ than God on the cross? What is more ‘in your face’ than the true body and blood of Jesus on the altar? What is more ‘in your face’ than honestly acknowledging your sins and screw ups and then being told that you are forgiven for the sake of Jesus Christ!
We are confronted today with the good news of Jesus Christ. Rejoice! Be jubilant. Open your eyes and see what is before your face- the living Lord who is coming to be with you. Jesus is before your face. Rejoice. SDG
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Worship info for our Wednesday and Sunday services.
Wednesday, Evening Prayer, 7pm
Hymns
344 On Jordan's Bank the Baptist's Cry
392 God Loves Me Dearly
877 God Who Made the Earth and Heaven
Scripture Lessons
Isaiah 11:1-10
Romans 15:4-13
Matthew 3:1-12
Sunday, Dec. 12 Third Sunday in Advent, 10am
Hymns
669 Come, We That Love the Lord
338 Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus (These first two hymns are our opening hymns. Both ask for someone to come. We are invited and we invite the Lord to come among us.)
334 O Lord, How Shall I Meet You
346 When All The World Was Cursed
797 Praise the Almighty
Scripture Lessons
Isaiah 35:1-10
Psalm 146
James 5:7-11
Matthew 11:2-15
Prayer of the Day
Lord Jesus Christ, we implore You to hear our prayers and to lighten the darkness of our hearts by Your gracious visitation; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Hymns
344 On Jordan's Bank the Baptist's Cry
392 God Loves Me Dearly
877 God Who Made the Earth and Heaven
Scripture Lessons
Isaiah 11:1-10
Romans 15:4-13
Matthew 3:1-12
Sunday, Dec. 12 Third Sunday in Advent, 10am
Hymns
669 Come, We That Love the Lord
338 Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus (These first two hymns are our opening hymns. Both ask for someone to come. We are invited and we invite the Lord to come among us.)
334 O Lord, How Shall I Meet You
346 When All The World Was Cursed
797 Praise the Almighty
Scripture Lessons
Isaiah 35:1-10
Psalm 146
James 5:7-11
Matthew 11:2-15
Prayer of the Day
Lord Jesus Christ, we implore You to hear our prayers and to lighten the darkness of our hearts by Your gracious visitation; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Monday, December 6, 2010
Sermon for Advent 2
Second Sunday in Advent
Dec. 5, 2010
Matthew 3:1-12
In whose days?
In the name of our adventing Lord Jesus, amen. The great, and greatly odd, narrative of John the Baptist will be our text this morning.
I’ll cover the ‘odd’ first- wearing camel’s skin doesn’t seem so strange. People have been wearing animal skins for a long time. But when other kinds of fabric are available, when you might be the only person in a crowd not wearing something made of cotton, you might stand out. Eating locusts is certainly odd, maybe something frat boys do on a bet, but not a mainstream diet by any regards. Eating honey is normal. A peanut butter and honey sandwich is a very tasty treat. The dress and diet of John the Baptist is unusual, and it might be what people remember the most.
So we got that out of the way. John may have dressed and ate like a freak show, but he didn’t rely on a gimmick. He wasn’t seeking his fifteen minutes of fame. He wasn’t auditioning for a reality show. John the Baptizer, John the Baptist, John the miracle child of ancient Zechariah and barren Elizabeth, this John was the forerunner of Christ. This John was the last of the Old Testament prophets- prophets like Amos, Joel, Jeremiah, Isaiah, Ezekiel. This John was given the Word of God to proclaim and he proclaimed it. He used the Word of God like a road grader, to make the rough places smooth, to build up the valleys, to bring the hills down.
No gimmicks, no fads, no bait-n-switch…just the Word of God.
In those days John appeared in the Judean wilderness, doing what his ancient colleague Isaiah had said would happen. A voice would cry out in the wilderness, “Prepare! Make ready! The Lord is on the way.” And in those days, Jesus was just behind John. They were separated by about 6 months as best we can figure, and we can figure pretty well from Biblical and historical sources.
John appeared in the wilderness and the people went out to find him- from Jerusalem, all Judea, and from all the region around the Jordan River. They went to hear a very harsh message. They did not get their itch scratched. They flocked to John and he told them to repent. John told them to be baptized for the forgiveness of their sins. John exposed their sins, revealed their flaws and their warts. John looked at the emperor and declared, “Hey, you’re buck naked.”
The people went out to see and hear John. And John gave them the what-for. That’s not so strange. From time to time it is refreshing to hear someone tell us that we are not as good as we believe we are, to look at our perception and then match it up with reality. So the people that went out to hear John had been hearing the Word of the Lord in their local synagogues. Rabbis had been teaching them the Law of the Lord, and the people confessed how they messed things up. They confessed to John their spiritual rebellion, their spiritual adultery, their spiritual waywardness. The people also confessed their physical rebellion, how they had rebelled against mom and dad, ignored their teaching, how they had been warring against their siblings, had been plotting the downfall of the neighbor who has more than them. The people confessed their physical adultery too, how they had not kept the marriage bed pure, how they had left their first love in search of something better, something different, something unholy, not good, sinful. The people also were given the opportunity to admit their physical waywardness, how they no longer went up to the temple to offer their prayers and praises. They kept themselves from the public worship services, no longer regarding the Sabbath Day as a glorious gift from God.
All of that was very good, people taking their medicine. It might not have tasted good, but it was necessary. You don’t take medicine because of the taste. You take medicine because you’re sick- stuffy head, a fever, a cough, achy, miserable. People went to John because they were sin-sick.
But they weren’t the only ones. Along came the Pharisees and Sadducees. These people were healthy, hale and hearty. They had no sins to repent of. These folks were the ones who diagnosed the spiritual malady in everybody else. They came and John did not receive them kindly, calling them snakes, vipers.
Or maybe he did receive them kindly, because John liberally gave them what they needed.
“Do not presume to say to yourselves, “We have Abraham as our father!” Big, fat, hairy deal. God can make children of Abraham out of these stones.
Lineage doesn’t count. Intelligence doesn’t matter. Wealth and health don’t matter either. Being good doesn’t go very far. These self-righteous Pharisees were told the Biblical truth that their sinful identity was known and that they were as rotten as everybody else.
The axe is at the root of the tree. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. And not just any fire, but the unquenchable kind.
Right on John! Preach it brother! This is the true Advent message of repentance. Let them know how bad they are. Just don’t preach it to me. Ignore and overlook my self-righteousness, my sins.
In those days the people went out to see and hear John. In these days, John the Baptist still hits a bulls-eye as he wields the Word of God with truth and power. Bear fruit in keeping with repentance.
We hear the voice of John cry out and it is our name that we hear. John holds up a mirror and the horrific reflection is ours. One of our confessional pieces states the truth this way: ‘we poor sinners confess unto You that we are by nature sinful and unclean and that we have sinned against You by thought, word, and deed. Wherefore we flee for refuge to Your infinite mercy, seeking and imploring Your grace for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ.’ We sin…a lot…often…throughout the course of our day.
We are spiritually rebellious, chasing after the god du jour. We are physically rebellious, warring with our families over petty things, silly jealousies, and our perverse pleasures. We are spiritually wayward, trading in a healthy piety for the illusion of making our own justification, of earning our own salvation by what we do and how much we do. We are physically wayward as well, again by chasing after the desires of our sinful hearts and traveling down paths that only lead into darkness, danger, and death. Spiritually adulterous and physically adulterous describe who we are too. There is no flash, no heat, no spark to our religion. Let’s look for the exciting, for the trendy, for the fad. We leave the substantive behind for the shallow. We leave God behind because sometimes I leave the Sunday service feeling bad. The hymns didn’t make me feel good. Let us remind ourselves…that’s okay. Christianity is real, because Christ is real. Our life, our faith life, they have their ups and downs. There is triumph and tragedy, very often in the course of the same day! And we leave our spouses behind, as we chase after what is exciting, new, fresh. We leave the substance of our marriage vows in the dust as we chase after the shallow relationships that are all about what makes me feel good.
We repent, not because it is fun, but because we need to. We repent because of what follows. “I announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” All of our sins are forgiven…removed…taken from us because of Christ’s work on the cross, begun in the manger, prophesied by John.
John the Baptist gets us ready for Jesus the Messiah. We anticipate the marvel of the manger and know that standing in the background is the cross of Calvary.
In these days, our days, the days of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Advent call of repentance is given to us. We welcome that call for it helps us make ready our hearts, our lives for the blessed reality of our redeemer Jesus. Repent and know that all your sins are forgiven for the sake of Jesus. SDG
Dec. 5, 2010
Matthew 3:1-12
In whose days?
In the name of our adventing Lord Jesus, amen. The great, and greatly odd, narrative of John the Baptist will be our text this morning.
I’ll cover the ‘odd’ first- wearing camel’s skin doesn’t seem so strange. People have been wearing animal skins for a long time. But when other kinds of fabric are available, when you might be the only person in a crowd not wearing something made of cotton, you might stand out. Eating locusts is certainly odd, maybe something frat boys do on a bet, but not a mainstream diet by any regards. Eating honey is normal. A peanut butter and honey sandwich is a very tasty treat. The dress and diet of John the Baptist is unusual, and it might be what people remember the most.
So we got that out of the way. John may have dressed and ate like a freak show, but he didn’t rely on a gimmick. He wasn’t seeking his fifteen minutes of fame. He wasn’t auditioning for a reality show. John the Baptizer, John the Baptist, John the miracle child of ancient Zechariah and barren Elizabeth, this John was the forerunner of Christ. This John was the last of the Old Testament prophets- prophets like Amos, Joel, Jeremiah, Isaiah, Ezekiel. This John was given the Word of God to proclaim and he proclaimed it. He used the Word of God like a road grader, to make the rough places smooth, to build up the valleys, to bring the hills down.
No gimmicks, no fads, no bait-n-switch…just the Word of God.
In those days John appeared in the Judean wilderness, doing what his ancient colleague Isaiah had said would happen. A voice would cry out in the wilderness, “Prepare! Make ready! The Lord is on the way.” And in those days, Jesus was just behind John. They were separated by about 6 months as best we can figure, and we can figure pretty well from Biblical and historical sources.
John appeared in the wilderness and the people went out to find him- from Jerusalem, all Judea, and from all the region around the Jordan River. They went to hear a very harsh message. They did not get their itch scratched. They flocked to John and he told them to repent. John told them to be baptized for the forgiveness of their sins. John exposed their sins, revealed their flaws and their warts. John looked at the emperor and declared, “Hey, you’re buck naked.”
The people went out to see and hear John. And John gave them the what-for. That’s not so strange. From time to time it is refreshing to hear someone tell us that we are not as good as we believe we are, to look at our perception and then match it up with reality. So the people that went out to hear John had been hearing the Word of the Lord in their local synagogues. Rabbis had been teaching them the Law of the Lord, and the people confessed how they messed things up. They confessed to John their spiritual rebellion, their spiritual adultery, their spiritual waywardness. The people also confessed their physical rebellion, how they had rebelled against mom and dad, ignored their teaching, how they had been warring against their siblings, had been plotting the downfall of the neighbor who has more than them. The people confessed their physical adultery too, how they had not kept the marriage bed pure, how they had left their first love in search of something better, something different, something unholy, not good, sinful. The people also were given the opportunity to admit their physical waywardness, how they no longer went up to the temple to offer their prayers and praises. They kept themselves from the public worship services, no longer regarding the Sabbath Day as a glorious gift from God.
All of that was very good, people taking their medicine. It might not have tasted good, but it was necessary. You don’t take medicine because of the taste. You take medicine because you’re sick- stuffy head, a fever, a cough, achy, miserable. People went to John because they were sin-sick.
But they weren’t the only ones. Along came the Pharisees and Sadducees. These people were healthy, hale and hearty. They had no sins to repent of. These folks were the ones who diagnosed the spiritual malady in everybody else. They came and John did not receive them kindly, calling them snakes, vipers.
Or maybe he did receive them kindly, because John liberally gave them what they needed.
“Do not presume to say to yourselves, “We have Abraham as our father!” Big, fat, hairy deal. God can make children of Abraham out of these stones.
Lineage doesn’t count. Intelligence doesn’t matter. Wealth and health don’t matter either. Being good doesn’t go very far. These self-righteous Pharisees were told the Biblical truth that their sinful identity was known and that they were as rotten as everybody else.
The axe is at the root of the tree. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. And not just any fire, but the unquenchable kind.
Right on John! Preach it brother! This is the true Advent message of repentance. Let them know how bad they are. Just don’t preach it to me. Ignore and overlook my self-righteousness, my sins.
In those days the people went out to see and hear John. In these days, John the Baptist still hits a bulls-eye as he wields the Word of God with truth and power. Bear fruit in keeping with repentance.
We hear the voice of John cry out and it is our name that we hear. John holds up a mirror and the horrific reflection is ours. One of our confessional pieces states the truth this way: ‘we poor sinners confess unto You that we are by nature sinful and unclean and that we have sinned against You by thought, word, and deed. Wherefore we flee for refuge to Your infinite mercy, seeking and imploring Your grace for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ.’ We sin…a lot…often…throughout the course of our day.
We are spiritually rebellious, chasing after the god du jour. We are physically rebellious, warring with our families over petty things, silly jealousies, and our perverse pleasures. We are spiritually wayward, trading in a healthy piety for the illusion of making our own justification, of earning our own salvation by what we do and how much we do. We are physically wayward as well, again by chasing after the desires of our sinful hearts and traveling down paths that only lead into darkness, danger, and death. Spiritually adulterous and physically adulterous describe who we are too. There is no flash, no heat, no spark to our religion. Let’s look for the exciting, for the trendy, for the fad. We leave the substantive behind for the shallow. We leave God behind because sometimes I leave the Sunday service feeling bad. The hymns didn’t make me feel good. Let us remind ourselves…that’s okay. Christianity is real, because Christ is real. Our life, our faith life, they have their ups and downs. There is triumph and tragedy, very often in the course of the same day! And we leave our spouses behind, as we chase after what is exciting, new, fresh. We leave the substance of our marriage vows in the dust as we chase after the shallow relationships that are all about what makes me feel good.
We repent, not because it is fun, but because we need to. We repent because of what follows. “I announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” All of our sins are forgiven…removed…taken from us because of Christ’s work on the cross, begun in the manger, prophesied by John.
John the Baptist gets us ready for Jesus the Messiah. We anticipate the marvel of the manger and know that standing in the background is the cross of Calvary.
In these days, our days, the days of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Advent call of repentance is given to us. We welcome that call for it helps us make ready our hearts, our lives for the blessed reality of our redeemer Jesus. Repent and know that all your sins are forgiven for the sake of Jesus. SDG
Monday, November 29, 2010
Sermon for First Sunday in Advent
First Sunday in Advent
Nov. 28, 2010
Romans 13:11-14
Salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed
In the name of our coming Lord Jesus, amen. The Epistle lesson from Romans speaks of the life we live in the Lord, of putting on Christ, of not gratifying the desires of our flesh, of walking properly, of realizing how near salvation is to us.
Near and far are very interesting words, because they are such relative terms, extremely relative. Between Nov. 19 and 23 there are three birthdays in our family, and none of them belong to our two year old. His birthday is the last one in our family. He did such an excellent job not being the one in the spotlight. For sure he had his moments, some major meltdowns and some minor ones, but he’s two. He only understands that today is either his birthday right now or it isn’t, it’s far off in the distance. You can’t tell him that it is in two or three weeks- he doesn’t grasp what that means. But he did an overall excellent job celebrating with his sister and his brother their big days.
You know how that relative understanding of time or distance can drive you bonkers. At some point you were in car, on a long ride to the grandparents and hearing that you would be there ‘soon’ was never satisfying.
In the living Word of God, Paul tells you and me that ‘you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed’. How near? Can I see it, touch it?
Salvation is near. That simply sounds funny to our ears, because it implies that salvation can move. Well, sure. Salvation can move because salvation is a person. It is our Lord Jesus. Salvation moves and lives and breathes. Salvation dies and rises and ascends. Salvation lives and reigns to all eternity. Paul met this salvation on the road to Damascus. Salvation blinded Paul and restored his sight. Salvation sent Paul throughout the Mediterranean world to proclaim that salvation had come from heaven for all mankind. Salvation is near.
And that reality is what we know about from the Gospels of Jesus’ life and ministry. Jesus Himself declared that the kingdom of God had come, and when he said those words, I wonder if the hearers realized that the kingdom of God was right in front of them. It was not some far off locale, not some place with boundary stones and borders. The kingdom of God was walking and talking, teaching and saving, loving and forgiving. Hearing Jesus say that the Kingdom of God was near makes me smile as I realize the Father’s deep and abiding love for His people in the sending of His Son, of the King who comes to reign in our lives, in our Church.
Salvation is near, and St. Matthew shares us with this morning the day that Jesus, the salvation of God, rode into Jerusalem the final time, in preparation for His passion. Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!
The whole city was stirred up, wondering who this was. This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth in Galilee. This is the prophet, the One who speaks the Father’s message, the message of repentance, the message of forgiveness. This is the One who grew up in the home of Mary and Joseph, his earthly parents. He learned from them and grew in their sight. This is the One that God had promised. This is the One who has come to bring salvation to those in need. And just to be clear- you and I are in need of salvation.
Advent is a blessed season for us in the Church. It is a season for repentance. It is a season for preparation. It is a season filled with wonder. We don’t repent that we do not have the resources to buy all the presents that people expect of us. We don’t prepare for blowout parties or to rock around the tree. We aren’t filled with wonder at the latest smart phone and the smaller but more powerful laptop. We repent of our sin, which are many and grievous and offensive and reek of wretchedness. We prepare for the coming of Christ, for the birth of salvation. And we wonder at the love of God. The Father doesn’t reject us. The Father doesn’t dismiss or spurn us. The Father doesn’t do that.
The Father gives. He gives a welcome to us, to the least of these. He gives an embrace. He gives a certain promise of presence and protection. He gives His very heart in the person of Christ. And salvation is near, nearer now than when we first believed.
Salvation is near. It is as near as the Word, as the water of Holy Baptism, as the bread and wine of Holy Communion, as the word of forgiveness in Holy Absolution. Salvation is near as we live under the Lord’s love, demonstrating in word and action that God’s love has reached us, has claimed us, has transformed us.
With Christ close at hand, let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. That’s a good list of what the Christian ought not engage in. Realistically it’s also a good list of what Christians do engage in. We know Christians, and non-Christians who are sexually immoral, who love to quarrel, and regardless of what color clothing they wear, their true color is envy green.
Wretched man that I am, what am I supposed to do? Put on Christ. Put on the salvation that is so near to you. Wear your baptismal grace. Remind yourself of the brand that has been placed on you, the sign of the cross of your forehead and heart, the brand that marks you as one redeemed by Christ the crucified. Taste and see that the Lord is good. When you feast on body and blood of Jesus given and shed for the forgiveness of your sins, believe that Christ did this for you, for your life, for your forgiveness. When you hear me speak the forgiveness of God to you, dear Christian believe the promise of God- your sin is removed from you as far as the east is from the west. Salvation is near! It is here. Through our coming Lord Jesus, our adventing Lord Jesus, salvation is yours. SDG
Nov. 28, 2010
Romans 13:11-14
Salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed
In the name of our coming Lord Jesus, amen. The Epistle lesson from Romans speaks of the life we live in the Lord, of putting on Christ, of not gratifying the desires of our flesh, of walking properly, of realizing how near salvation is to us.
Near and far are very interesting words, because they are such relative terms, extremely relative. Between Nov. 19 and 23 there are three birthdays in our family, and none of them belong to our two year old. His birthday is the last one in our family. He did such an excellent job not being the one in the spotlight. For sure he had his moments, some major meltdowns and some minor ones, but he’s two. He only understands that today is either his birthday right now or it isn’t, it’s far off in the distance. You can’t tell him that it is in two or three weeks- he doesn’t grasp what that means. But he did an overall excellent job celebrating with his sister and his brother their big days.
You know how that relative understanding of time or distance can drive you bonkers. At some point you were in car, on a long ride to the grandparents and hearing that you would be there ‘soon’ was never satisfying.
In the living Word of God, Paul tells you and me that ‘you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed’. How near? Can I see it, touch it?
Salvation is near. That simply sounds funny to our ears, because it implies that salvation can move. Well, sure. Salvation can move because salvation is a person. It is our Lord Jesus. Salvation moves and lives and breathes. Salvation dies and rises and ascends. Salvation lives and reigns to all eternity. Paul met this salvation on the road to Damascus. Salvation blinded Paul and restored his sight. Salvation sent Paul throughout the Mediterranean world to proclaim that salvation had come from heaven for all mankind. Salvation is near.
And that reality is what we know about from the Gospels of Jesus’ life and ministry. Jesus Himself declared that the kingdom of God had come, and when he said those words, I wonder if the hearers realized that the kingdom of God was right in front of them. It was not some far off locale, not some place with boundary stones and borders. The kingdom of God was walking and talking, teaching and saving, loving and forgiving. Hearing Jesus say that the Kingdom of God was near makes me smile as I realize the Father’s deep and abiding love for His people in the sending of His Son, of the King who comes to reign in our lives, in our Church.
Salvation is near, and St. Matthew shares us with this morning the day that Jesus, the salvation of God, rode into Jerusalem the final time, in preparation for His passion. Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!
The whole city was stirred up, wondering who this was. This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth in Galilee. This is the prophet, the One who speaks the Father’s message, the message of repentance, the message of forgiveness. This is the One who grew up in the home of Mary and Joseph, his earthly parents. He learned from them and grew in their sight. This is the One that God had promised. This is the One who has come to bring salvation to those in need. And just to be clear- you and I are in need of salvation.
Advent is a blessed season for us in the Church. It is a season for repentance. It is a season for preparation. It is a season filled with wonder. We don’t repent that we do not have the resources to buy all the presents that people expect of us. We don’t prepare for blowout parties or to rock around the tree. We aren’t filled with wonder at the latest smart phone and the smaller but more powerful laptop. We repent of our sin, which are many and grievous and offensive and reek of wretchedness. We prepare for the coming of Christ, for the birth of salvation. And we wonder at the love of God. The Father doesn’t reject us. The Father doesn’t dismiss or spurn us. The Father doesn’t do that.
The Father gives. He gives a welcome to us, to the least of these. He gives an embrace. He gives a certain promise of presence and protection. He gives His very heart in the person of Christ. And salvation is near, nearer now than when we first believed.
Salvation is near. It is as near as the Word, as the water of Holy Baptism, as the bread and wine of Holy Communion, as the word of forgiveness in Holy Absolution. Salvation is near as we live under the Lord’s love, demonstrating in word and action that God’s love has reached us, has claimed us, has transformed us.
With Christ close at hand, let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. That’s a good list of what the Christian ought not engage in. Realistically it’s also a good list of what Christians do engage in. We know Christians, and non-Christians who are sexually immoral, who love to quarrel, and regardless of what color clothing they wear, their true color is envy green.
Wretched man that I am, what am I supposed to do? Put on Christ. Put on the salvation that is so near to you. Wear your baptismal grace. Remind yourself of the brand that has been placed on you, the sign of the cross of your forehead and heart, the brand that marks you as one redeemed by Christ the crucified. Taste and see that the Lord is good. When you feast on body and blood of Jesus given and shed for the forgiveness of your sins, believe that Christ did this for you, for your life, for your forgiveness. When you hear me speak the forgiveness of God to you, dear Christian believe the promise of God- your sin is removed from you as far as the east is from the west. Salvation is near! It is here. Through our coming Lord Jesus, our adventing Lord Jesus, salvation is yours. SDG
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Worship news for Thanksgiving and Advent 1
Here is the information for our worship on Thanksgiving Eve and the first Sunday in Advent:
Thanksgiving
Hymns
788 Forgive Us, Lord, for Shallow Thankfulness
703 How Can I Thank You, Lord vv1,2,5
814 O Bless the Lord, My Soul
789 Praise and Thanksgiving
803 Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee
785 We Praise You, O God
Scripture Lessons
Deuteronomy 8:1-10
Psalm 67
Philippians 4:6-20
Luke 17:11-19
Prayer of the Day
Almighty God, Your mercies are new every morning and You graciously provide for all our needs of body and soul. Grant us Your Holy Spirit that we may acknowledge Your goodness, give thanks for Your benefits and serve You in willing obedience all our days; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Advent 1, Nov. 28 (We start following Divine Service 3 for the Advent Season)
Hymns
331 The Advent of our King
341 Lift Up Your Heads, Ye Mighty Gates
335 O Bride of Christ, Rejoice
350 Come, Thou Precious Ransom, Come
Scripture Lessons
Isaiah 2:1-5
Psalm 122
Romans 13:11-14
Matthew 21:1-11
Prayer of the Day
Stir up Your power, O Lord, and come, that by Your protection we may be rescued from the threatening perils of our sins and saved by Your mighty deliverance; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Prayer of the Day for the commemoration of St. Andrew, Apostle (Nov. 30)
Almighty God, by Your grace the apostle Andrew obeyed the call of Your Son to be a disciple. Grant us also to follow the same Lord Jesus Christ in heart and life, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Thanksgiving
Hymns
788 Forgive Us, Lord, for Shallow Thankfulness
703 How Can I Thank You, Lord vv1,2,5
814 O Bless the Lord, My Soul
789 Praise and Thanksgiving
803 Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee
785 We Praise You, O God
Scripture Lessons
Deuteronomy 8:1-10
Psalm 67
Philippians 4:6-20
Luke 17:11-19
Prayer of the Day
Almighty God, Your mercies are new every morning and You graciously provide for all our needs of body and soul. Grant us Your Holy Spirit that we may acknowledge Your goodness, give thanks for Your benefits and serve You in willing obedience all our days; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Advent 1, Nov. 28 (We start following Divine Service 3 for the Advent Season)
Hymns
331 The Advent of our King
341 Lift Up Your Heads, Ye Mighty Gates
335 O Bride of Christ, Rejoice
350 Come, Thou Precious Ransom, Come
Scripture Lessons
Isaiah 2:1-5
Psalm 122
Romans 13:11-14
Matthew 21:1-11
Prayer of the Day
Stir up Your power, O Lord, and come, that by Your protection we may be rescued from the threatening perils of our sins and saved by Your mighty deliverance; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Prayer of the Day for the commemoration of St. Andrew, Apostle (Nov. 30)
Almighty God, by Your grace the apostle Andrew obeyed the call of Your Son to be a disciple. Grant us also to follow the same Lord Jesus Christ in heart and life, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Sermon for Thanksgiving Eve
Thanksgiving Eve
Nov. 25, 2010
Phil. 4:6-20
Think about these things
In the name of our bountiful Lord Jesus, amen. Paul’s most excellent lesson from Philippians will be our sermon text this evening. I don’t believe it is terribly hard to hear Thanksgiving themes in that lesson.
It starts off by speaking about the worthlessness of worry, the absurdity of anxiety. Certainly you can feel anxious walking down some urban streets, or our fighting men and women face everyday anxiety in Afghanistan, but us? What are we anxious about- whether or not our favorite TV show is on, whether Delaware will make a run at a college football championship? When you are concerned about things in life, your relationships, your work, your children, “by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God”.
Take it to the Lord in prayer. Lord, I’m concerned about my relationship with my children. Your answer is to slow down, put down all the other things that are crowding your days, and listen, laugh, and love. Slow down and be patient with your children. Remember that they are the children and you are the parent. Take your concerns, anxieties, worries, and stresses to the Lord in prayer. And in your praying, remember to listen.
Paul writes to us about things that are true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, praiseworthy…and we are to think about those things. Sure. Paul is not asking something that is hard to perform. Tomorrow we’ll gather around our table. We’ll have some time to spend with our families. We might even be able to sit on the couch and give a sigh of contentment. We might have Friday off, making it a four-day weekend. We’ll have some time in the next 48-72 hours to think about what is true, honorable, just, pure, and the like.
It is not hard to think about Jesus. Jesus is true. He is honorable. He is just, lovely, excellent and worthy of praise. Think about Jesus. He is the Lord who serves. He is the leader who is not afraid to get his hands messy. He is the sinless one who became our sin.
Think about Jesus. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me…practice these things.
The child of God does indeed learn of Jesus. Certainly we spend time in Bible classes exploring the great story of Jesus, his life, his ministry, his work. We receive Jesus…in the water, in the Word, in the bread, in the cup. There is Jesus, freely given to you, for you. In our conversations with one another, with family, with dear friends, we hear of Jesus. And we see him, in the visits that are made, in the deeds of kindness that make our days and our lives easier. We learn, receive, hear, and see Jesus, the Son of God, who lives and reigns to all eternity.
At Thanksgiving, we put Jesus into practice. Our service began as it always has, by naming the Name of the only true God, the triune God. Along with the Father and the Spirit, there was the Son. We then moved into some time of Confession, acknowledging our sin, guilt, shame…all the things we did and neglected to do. While the national Thanksgiving holiday focuses on all the positives and happinesses, the reality of our day is that very often the sad travels with the happy, negative experiences are the next-door neighbor of the happy times. So we confess all that has gone wrong in our lives because of our sinful nature. But then, there comes the absolving, the wiping away, the forgiveness of God for all of our sins because of the merit of Jesus Christ. There is Jesus at work, Jesus being put into practice in our lives.
Jesus is the eternal Word, the Word of God made flesh, the living Word that still speaks today through the written Word. The Holy Spirit opens our ears, opens our heart, to hear the voice of our Savior, and thus, we practice the honorable and charitable teachings of Jesus, we practice the humble and lovely commands of Christ, we practice the just actions of Jesus.
Whatever is true, honorable, commendable, just, pure- those are all descriptors of our Lord Jesus. Think of our Savior, and give God thanks for the gift of salvation.
It is the gift of salvation that helps us even out and balance our days. I know how to be brought low and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
Those words, written to the Philippians in about 60AD, ring out as true today as they did when first written. Not every day is a success. Some days you go to bed at night wondering why you even got out of bed in the first place. And some days are terrific triumphs, everything went right: in your family and in your vocation. Plenty and hunger, abundance and need, those are things we understand. People come to this church many times because of their hunger and need, and sometimes we can help and sometimes we can’t. For the people looking for food, I direct them to the food pantry, but then they say they do not have transportation there. People need help with utility bills and school expenses for their children and with rent that is already one month late. These people are our neighbors, figuratively and literally. People in our very neighborhood are hurting because a car repair has drained their savings and their hours at work are being reduced.
Where is the strength of Jesus to do all the things that come to us? The strength is in the true and honorable and commendable and just Jesus. It is in the healing that the lepers received, made well by their faith. It is in the discipline that God gives to His children. When in need we are given the strength to make the sacrifices that are necessary. We are given the strength to see what is necessary and thus, give up what is not.
Thanksgiving is quite the realistic holiday. It puts before our eyes, it speaks in our ears, it brings comfort to our heart to know with certainty the giving nature of the triune God, the abundant providence of God. We see it on our tables. And we see it here. Here are God’s gifts, freely offered, joyfully received, freely shared. SDG
Nov. 25, 2010
Phil. 4:6-20
Think about these things
In the name of our bountiful Lord Jesus, amen. Paul’s most excellent lesson from Philippians will be our sermon text this evening. I don’t believe it is terribly hard to hear Thanksgiving themes in that lesson.
It starts off by speaking about the worthlessness of worry, the absurdity of anxiety. Certainly you can feel anxious walking down some urban streets, or our fighting men and women face everyday anxiety in Afghanistan, but us? What are we anxious about- whether or not our favorite TV show is on, whether Delaware will make a run at a college football championship? When you are concerned about things in life, your relationships, your work, your children, “by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God”.
Take it to the Lord in prayer. Lord, I’m concerned about my relationship with my children. Your answer is to slow down, put down all the other things that are crowding your days, and listen, laugh, and love. Slow down and be patient with your children. Remember that they are the children and you are the parent. Take your concerns, anxieties, worries, and stresses to the Lord in prayer. And in your praying, remember to listen.
Paul writes to us about things that are true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, praiseworthy…and we are to think about those things. Sure. Paul is not asking something that is hard to perform. Tomorrow we’ll gather around our table. We’ll have some time to spend with our families. We might even be able to sit on the couch and give a sigh of contentment. We might have Friday off, making it a four-day weekend. We’ll have some time in the next 48-72 hours to think about what is true, honorable, just, pure, and the like.
It is not hard to think about Jesus. Jesus is true. He is honorable. He is just, lovely, excellent and worthy of praise. Think about Jesus. He is the Lord who serves. He is the leader who is not afraid to get his hands messy. He is the sinless one who became our sin.
Think about Jesus. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me…practice these things.
The child of God does indeed learn of Jesus. Certainly we spend time in Bible classes exploring the great story of Jesus, his life, his ministry, his work. We receive Jesus…in the water, in the Word, in the bread, in the cup. There is Jesus, freely given to you, for you. In our conversations with one another, with family, with dear friends, we hear of Jesus. And we see him, in the visits that are made, in the deeds of kindness that make our days and our lives easier. We learn, receive, hear, and see Jesus, the Son of God, who lives and reigns to all eternity.
At Thanksgiving, we put Jesus into practice. Our service began as it always has, by naming the Name of the only true God, the triune God. Along with the Father and the Spirit, there was the Son. We then moved into some time of Confession, acknowledging our sin, guilt, shame…all the things we did and neglected to do. While the national Thanksgiving holiday focuses on all the positives and happinesses, the reality of our day is that very often the sad travels with the happy, negative experiences are the next-door neighbor of the happy times. So we confess all that has gone wrong in our lives because of our sinful nature. But then, there comes the absolving, the wiping away, the forgiveness of God for all of our sins because of the merit of Jesus Christ. There is Jesus at work, Jesus being put into practice in our lives.
Jesus is the eternal Word, the Word of God made flesh, the living Word that still speaks today through the written Word. The Holy Spirit opens our ears, opens our heart, to hear the voice of our Savior, and thus, we practice the honorable and charitable teachings of Jesus, we practice the humble and lovely commands of Christ, we practice the just actions of Jesus.
Whatever is true, honorable, commendable, just, pure- those are all descriptors of our Lord Jesus. Think of our Savior, and give God thanks for the gift of salvation.
It is the gift of salvation that helps us even out and balance our days. I know how to be brought low and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
Those words, written to the Philippians in about 60AD, ring out as true today as they did when first written. Not every day is a success. Some days you go to bed at night wondering why you even got out of bed in the first place. And some days are terrific triumphs, everything went right: in your family and in your vocation. Plenty and hunger, abundance and need, those are things we understand. People come to this church many times because of their hunger and need, and sometimes we can help and sometimes we can’t. For the people looking for food, I direct them to the food pantry, but then they say they do not have transportation there. People need help with utility bills and school expenses for their children and with rent that is already one month late. These people are our neighbors, figuratively and literally. People in our very neighborhood are hurting because a car repair has drained their savings and their hours at work are being reduced.
Where is the strength of Jesus to do all the things that come to us? The strength is in the true and honorable and commendable and just Jesus. It is in the healing that the lepers received, made well by their faith. It is in the discipline that God gives to His children. When in need we are given the strength to make the sacrifices that are necessary. We are given the strength to see what is necessary and thus, give up what is not.
Thanksgiving is quite the realistic holiday. It puts before our eyes, it speaks in our ears, it brings comfort to our heart to know with certainty the giving nature of the triune God, the abundant providence of God. We see it on our tables. And we see it here. Here are God’s gifts, freely offered, joyfully received, freely shared. SDG
Monday, November 22, 2010
Sermon for the Last Sunday of the Church Year
Last Sunday of the Church Year
Nov. 21, 2010
Luke 23:27-43
Justly
In the name of Jesus, the Lord of the Church, Lord of the entire church year that concludes today, amen.
It’s always about Jesus. The church year ends today and the new year starts next Sunday. And the Lord Christ is at the beginning, the middle, and the end. Advent, Christmas, and Easter is half of the year that celebrates the great festivals. The long season of Pentecost celebrates the movement of the Church under the watchful eye of God, led by the eternally present Holy Spirit. Whatever the time, whatever the season, we live, move, and have our being with the Lord.
When we reflect on the church year, we do notice movement, traveling, journeying. Within the life and ministry of Jesus, we see the movement of our life. We notice the journey that our life takes, with its twists and turns, ups and downs, times of rest and times of great energy.
The Gospel lesson for the last Sunday in the Church Year is a familiar lesson. It is a portion of the passion of Christ from Luke’s gospel. And Jesus is moving, traveling, and journeying. He is moving from the place of his trial and conviction and sentencing to the place of his punishment, the place of his death, to the place that in Aramaic is called the Skull. Jesus is moving toward his crucifixion.
Women are weeping for him. That’s nice. An outpouring of sympathy for a dead man walking. But our compassionate Lord doesn’t receive the compassion of the weeping women. Weep for yourselves. Weep for your children.
Even on the way to his bloody painful death, Jesus would not let an opportunity for teaching pass by. Jesus looks at the women and says to them, “What I am doing, I am doing for you and for your children. What I am doing is to spare you from this in the future. The days are coming and people will ask the mountains to fall on them and the hills to cover them, but it will be too late. What I am doing, carrying this cross, carrying your sin and shame, I do it for you.”
Eventually the journey is completed and Jesus, along with two other criminals, arrive at Calvary, Golgotha, the place of the skull. His arms are stretched out and the nails are driven into his hands. His feet are placed on top of each other and onto a small support and a nail is driven through both feet. The thorny crown that was jammed onto his head remains in place. The purple robe that covered his bloody back is removed and his open wounds are exposed to the rough wood, and whatever flying insects are present in the middle of the day. And this is the way that the king of the Jews is treated. And the King of the Jews said, “Father, forgive them.”
Jesus was treated shamefully, beyond shamefully. His trial was anything but fair. One who had eaten with him, walked with him, served with him…betrayed him. His punishment was harsh. He was whipped 39 times with a whip with leather straps studded with jagged bits of metal and bone. The Prince of peace was treated with malice and hatred and prejudice. People wanted the Lord of life dead. But all of this took place justly.
The two criminals who were crucified with the Lord are interesting characters. Both of these criminals were looking out for themselves. But the vision of the two criminals was not the same.
The first criminal joined with the mockers and the scoffers- “If you are the Christ, save yourself and us!” This felon couldn’t see beyond his own nose. His vision of life was so temporary and so finite. Eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow you die is way we talk about it. For this dying criminal, it might be steal, pillage, and plunder for tomorrow the Roman cops are going to take you down.
The dying criminal who was mocking Christ didn’t care if Jesus was who he claimed to be. The dying criminal was only concerned about himself. What did the criminal have to lose? I’m dying, slowly and painfully. I’m going to suffocate before too long. If this guy next to me is so special, let’s see some magic! Save yourself and us!
The other criminal spoke up for Jesus. Jesus wasn’t about to waste his breath replying to his mockers and scoffers. When Jesus opened his mouth to speak, it was to say what many people, then and now, still consider unbelievable.
The kindly criminal turned on the other- “We’re getting what we deserve! This man has done nothing wrong. You and I have done all sorts of things that were wrong. We’re here justly. We’re here receiving the reward for our actions. We are cashing the paycheck that our sins earned. No matter how slowly, the wheels of justice do grind, and we are caught in the middle of those wheels.”
Both the criminals, the crude and the kind, were getting what they deserved. Justice was being served. Jesus hung in the middle. And according to the criminal, he was getting what he didn’t deserve. But still justice was being served.
Jesus knew that he was where he needed to be. Hanging between the two thieves, Jesus knew that he was destined to be in this spot. From the moment Jesus left his home in heaven, he knew that he would end up here. He was born to die. He was baptized to die. He healed the sick, fed the hungry, cast out demons, taught the multitudes in order that He would be in that spot. He gathered the Twelve, gathered other disciples, sent them out in order to hang on the cross. In the most blessed exchange, Jesus became our sin.
Jesus became my lying, your greed, our sloth and fear and timidity. Jesus became our infidelity and abandonment and abuse. Jesus became our sin and hung on the cross. And we received the pardon of all our offenses. We received the welcome of God’s children. We received the righteousness of Christ. We received what the compassionate criminal received.
As Jesus hung on the cross, as Jesus commended his spirit into the Father’s hands, as he cried out “It is finished!” and breathed his last, we received the kingdom. Today, you will be with me in paradise.
This Last Sunday of the Church Year brings things to a close. It opens the door a crack and allows us to peer into what is coming. It is the Kingdom of God and of His Christ. And He, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit shall reign forever and ever.
In no way do we deserve the Kingdom of God, Paradise, our Father’s mansion, a seat at the heavenly banqueting table. According to our view of justice, we are lost sinners who should be condemned to everlasting death and torment. But that is our view of justice. That is not the Father’s view. Justice is found at the cross as the price demanded for our sinful rejection is paid by our Redeemer and our Savior.
We are here justly, here in church, here hearing the Word, here opening our hands to receive the body and blood of Jesus for the forgiveness of our sins. We are here justly because we need to be justified. We cannot justify ourselves, and so we have today’s Gospel, the eternal Gospel that needs to be proclaimed to everyone.
Jesus Christ received no justice in his life. All so that we would be justified, today and forever. SDG
Nov. 21, 2010
Luke 23:27-43
Justly
In the name of Jesus, the Lord of the Church, Lord of the entire church year that concludes today, amen.
It’s always about Jesus. The church year ends today and the new year starts next Sunday. And the Lord Christ is at the beginning, the middle, and the end. Advent, Christmas, and Easter is half of the year that celebrates the great festivals. The long season of Pentecost celebrates the movement of the Church under the watchful eye of God, led by the eternally present Holy Spirit. Whatever the time, whatever the season, we live, move, and have our being with the Lord.
When we reflect on the church year, we do notice movement, traveling, journeying. Within the life and ministry of Jesus, we see the movement of our life. We notice the journey that our life takes, with its twists and turns, ups and downs, times of rest and times of great energy.
The Gospel lesson for the last Sunday in the Church Year is a familiar lesson. It is a portion of the passion of Christ from Luke’s gospel. And Jesus is moving, traveling, and journeying. He is moving from the place of his trial and conviction and sentencing to the place of his punishment, the place of his death, to the place that in Aramaic is called the Skull. Jesus is moving toward his crucifixion.
Women are weeping for him. That’s nice. An outpouring of sympathy for a dead man walking. But our compassionate Lord doesn’t receive the compassion of the weeping women. Weep for yourselves. Weep for your children.
Even on the way to his bloody painful death, Jesus would not let an opportunity for teaching pass by. Jesus looks at the women and says to them, “What I am doing, I am doing for you and for your children. What I am doing is to spare you from this in the future. The days are coming and people will ask the mountains to fall on them and the hills to cover them, but it will be too late. What I am doing, carrying this cross, carrying your sin and shame, I do it for you.”
Eventually the journey is completed and Jesus, along with two other criminals, arrive at Calvary, Golgotha, the place of the skull. His arms are stretched out and the nails are driven into his hands. His feet are placed on top of each other and onto a small support and a nail is driven through both feet. The thorny crown that was jammed onto his head remains in place. The purple robe that covered his bloody back is removed and his open wounds are exposed to the rough wood, and whatever flying insects are present in the middle of the day. And this is the way that the king of the Jews is treated. And the King of the Jews said, “Father, forgive them.”
Jesus was treated shamefully, beyond shamefully. His trial was anything but fair. One who had eaten with him, walked with him, served with him…betrayed him. His punishment was harsh. He was whipped 39 times with a whip with leather straps studded with jagged bits of metal and bone. The Prince of peace was treated with malice and hatred and prejudice. People wanted the Lord of life dead. But all of this took place justly.
The two criminals who were crucified with the Lord are interesting characters. Both of these criminals were looking out for themselves. But the vision of the two criminals was not the same.
The first criminal joined with the mockers and the scoffers- “If you are the Christ, save yourself and us!” This felon couldn’t see beyond his own nose. His vision of life was so temporary and so finite. Eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow you die is way we talk about it. For this dying criminal, it might be steal, pillage, and plunder for tomorrow the Roman cops are going to take you down.
The dying criminal who was mocking Christ didn’t care if Jesus was who he claimed to be. The dying criminal was only concerned about himself. What did the criminal have to lose? I’m dying, slowly and painfully. I’m going to suffocate before too long. If this guy next to me is so special, let’s see some magic! Save yourself and us!
The other criminal spoke up for Jesus. Jesus wasn’t about to waste his breath replying to his mockers and scoffers. When Jesus opened his mouth to speak, it was to say what many people, then and now, still consider unbelievable.
The kindly criminal turned on the other- “We’re getting what we deserve! This man has done nothing wrong. You and I have done all sorts of things that were wrong. We’re here justly. We’re here receiving the reward for our actions. We are cashing the paycheck that our sins earned. No matter how slowly, the wheels of justice do grind, and we are caught in the middle of those wheels.”
Both the criminals, the crude and the kind, were getting what they deserved. Justice was being served. Jesus hung in the middle. And according to the criminal, he was getting what he didn’t deserve. But still justice was being served.
Jesus knew that he was where he needed to be. Hanging between the two thieves, Jesus knew that he was destined to be in this spot. From the moment Jesus left his home in heaven, he knew that he would end up here. He was born to die. He was baptized to die. He healed the sick, fed the hungry, cast out demons, taught the multitudes in order that He would be in that spot. He gathered the Twelve, gathered other disciples, sent them out in order to hang on the cross. In the most blessed exchange, Jesus became our sin.
Jesus became my lying, your greed, our sloth and fear and timidity. Jesus became our infidelity and abandonment and abuse. Jesus became our sin and hung on the cross. And we received the pardon of all our offenses. We received the welcome of God’s children. We received the righteousness of Christ. We received what the compassionate criminal received.
As Jesus hung on the cross, as Jesus commended his spirit into the Father’s hands, as he cried out “It is finished!” and breathed his last, we received the kingdom. Today, you will be with me in paradise.
This Last Sunday of the Church Year brings things to a close. It opens the door a crack and allows us to peer into what is coming. It is the Kingdom of God and of His Christ. And He, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit shall reign forever and ever.
In no way do we deserve the Kingdom of God, Paradise, our Father’s mansion, a seat at the heavenly banqueting table. According to our view of justice, we are lost sinners who should be condemned to everlasting death and torment. But that is our view of justice. That is not the Father’s view. Justice is found at the cross as the price demanded for our sinful rejection is paid by our Redeemer and our Savior.
We are here justly, here in church, here hearing the Word, here opening our hands to receive the body and blood of Jesus for the forgiveness of our sins. We are here justly because we need to be justified. We cannot justify ourselves, and so we have today’s Gospel, the eternal Gospel that needs to be proclaimed to everyone.
Jesus Christ received no justice in his life. All so that we would be justified, today and forever. SDG
Monday, November 15, 2010
Sermon for Nov. 14
Twenty-Fifth Sunday after Pentecost
Baptism of Logan Conway
Nov. 14, 2010
The Holy Ark of the Christian Church
In the name of Jesus, our Redeemer and Logan’s Redeemer, amen. Christianity is such a fluid ‘thing’. And by fluid, I don’t mean something that sloshes around like milk in a jug. Christianity is fluid based on what has taken place this morning. Christianity is fluid based on the communion meal we celebrate. Christianity is fluid due to the story of our Lord Jesus. He changed water into wine. He walked on water. He told the howling seas to hush up. When Jesus was born, he was a living, breathing ball of wet messiness. And when Jesus was suffering in the Garden, he sweat blood. He was scourged with an ancient version of a cat-o-nine and he bled. And in his dying moments, he was pierced with a spear and out came blood and water. Christianity is built upon the solid foundation of Jesus and Jesus spent a lot of time dealing with liquids and fluids.
In our baptism this morning, all of us have a blessed opportunity to reflect on our own washing, on our own bathing, on our own immersion into the life of Christ. God’s own children, we gladly say it, all of us are baptized into Christ. He…because we could never in a million years ever pay it, paid our own redemption price. With His holy and precious blood, a great fluid, and with his innocent suffering and death, He, our Lord Jesus, paid the price that was on my head. Jesus gave Himself up for me, in my place, and for you, in your place.
We are baptized into Christ, washed, made clean, swept in a holy flood into the family of God. Reading through God’s Word, you cannot help but notice how water, rain, blood- fluid images all- fill God’s Holy Book. In the beginning God called for the springs of the heavens and the springs of the deep to open up so that the seas, oceans, lakes, and rivers would be formed. And in the last book of the Bible, Revelation, there is a river that flows through the heavenly Jerusalem, a river of great delight for the people of God.
So this day when we celebrate Logan’s washing of water and the Word, we can all praise God that Logan takes his place with all of us, here, in the holy ark of the Christian Church.
Our baptismal service includes what is known as the Flood Prayer, written by Dr. Luther for baptismal services. For the unbelieving multitudes in the days of Noah, for hard-hearted Pharoah’s army, water was not good. Water was destructive. Water was deadly. Yet Noah was spared, along with his wife, his three sons, and the three wives of his sons. Water was good. It lifted the ark, and they were spared. For the children of Israel who were languishing as slaves in Egypt, God separated the waters of the Red Sea, dried the ground, and His people marched through the wall of water from slavery to safety.
Baptism continues to destroy and make alive. All sin- the sin-sickness that we all have inherited from Adam and Eve and the sin the commit because of our identity- all of that sin is drowned in the waters of Holy Baptism.
C’mon, Logan’s so small, so young, so cute…sin? Get real. Oh yeah, it is real. Sin is what we are more than what we do. All of the bad things that we do, and they are many, are done because of our identity. You act selfishly because you are a sinful human being. You overlook the gifts of your spouse because you are sinner. You treat your coworkers with contempt because of your sinful identity. You regard others as more sinful than you because their sinful actions are public, while your take place in the privacy of your own home, they take place via your high-speed internet connection. It is our sinful ID that leads to our sinful actions. The baptism that Logan has received this morning has cleansed him of his sin. The baptism that Logan has received shows him to be a child of God. Logan has been given to his parents Ashley and Joe so they may guide him, nurture him, and train him to give thanks for his baptism and for the reality of the Father’s loving presence in his life.
Logan takes his place within the holy ark of the Christian Church. He sits next to you, behind you, in front of you. He joins the countless throng of men and women, young and old, healthy and sick, wealthy and poor, all who make up the family of God, the body of Christ.
Logan’s baptism, and your baptism, regardless of how long ago it may have been, is something certain. The holy ark of the Christian Church often seems to be sailing on rough and turbulent seas. The Christian Church seems adrift, without any power, without any direction. It has no course because it follows the cultural currents that shift and change.
There are stormy seas that the ship of God’s Church sails in. God’s gift of marriage is under attack. God’s gift of life is devalued, from beginning to end. Babies are being aborted because the gender is found out while they are still in the protective ark of the womb but they are the wrong gender! Those with mental and physical disabilities are shunted to the side, warehoused out of the way, and forgotten. Those who are older, who are drawing toward the end of their life, are encouraged to speed things up. Their value and worth are determined by others and they are seen as a drain on resources rather than as a human being, loved by God, given life by God, protected and cherished by God.
God’s gift of forgiveness is even under attack, as we live in a world occupied by three-strikes-and-you’re-out policies, even zero-tolerance policies. When a Christian forgives, the Christian is often mocked! “Why forgive that person? They’re just going to hurt you all over again!”
But God has put us here, in this family of God, in this church, in this ship. By Baptism God has put his name upon us and has sealed his promise of presence. By Holy Communion, God’s baptismal grace is renewed and refreshed in our living. God’s forgiveness is there. God’s life is there. The salvation of God that is yours by Christ’s work on the cross is there too.
God has put us in the ship, and we are not without power, place, or purpose. The power is the Spirit-filled Word of God. Our place is this world, our Father’s world, His glorious creation that we care for. Our purpose is to glorify God, to point to our Savior Jesus, to serve God with a fervent spirit and a joyful hope. Within the holy ark of God’s Church, God’s people, Logan, you, me, all of us together, are kept safe and secure. SDG
Baptism of Logan Conway
Nov. 14, 2010
The Holy Ark of the Christian Church
In the name of Jesus, our Redeemer and Logan’s Redeemer, amen. Christianity is such a fluid ‘thing’. And by fluid, I don’t mean something that sloshes around like milk in a jug. Christianity is fluid based on what has taken place this morning. Christianity is fluid based on the communion meal we celebrate. Christianity is fluid due to the story of our Lord Jesus. He changed water into wine. He walked on water. He told the howling seas to hush up. When Jesus was born, he was a living, breathing ball of wet messiness. And when Jesus was suffering in the Garden, he sweat blood. He was scourged with an ancient version of a cat-o-nine and he bled. And in his dying moments, he was pierced with a spear and out came blood and water. Christianity is built upon the solid foundation of Jesus and Jesus spent a lot of time dealing with liquids and fluids.
In our baptism this morning, all of us have a blessed opportunity to reflect on our own washing, on our own bathing, on our own immersion into the life of Christ. God’s own children, we gladly say it, all of us are baptized into Christ. He…because we could never in a million years ever pay it, paid our own redemption price. With His holy and precious blood, a great fluid, and with his innocent suffering and death, He, our Lord Jesus, paid the price that was on my head. Jesus gave Himself up for me, in my place, and for you, in your place.
We are baptized into Christ, washed, made clean, swept in a holy flood into the family of God. Reading through God’s Word, you cannot help but notice how water, rain, blood- fluid images all- fill God’s Holy Book. In the beginning God called for the springs of the heavens and the springs of the deep to open up so that the seas, oceans, lakes, and rivers would be formed. And in the last book of the Bible, Revelation, there is a river that flows through the heavenly Jerusalem, a river of great delight for the people of God.
So this day when we celebrate Logan’s washing of water and the Word, we can all praise God that Logan takes his place with all of us, here, in the holy ark of the Christian Church.
Our baptismal service includes what is known as the Flood Prayer, written by Dr. Luther for baptismal services. For the unbelieving multitudes in the days of Noah, for hard-hearted Pharoah’s army, water was not good. Water was destructive. Water was deadly. Yet Noah was spared, along with his wife, his three sons, and the three wives of his sons. Water was good. It lifted the ark, and they were spared. For the children of Israel who were languishing as slaves in Egypt, God separated the waters of the Red Sea, dried the ground, and His people marched through the wall of water from slavery to safety.
Baptism continues to destroy and make alive. All sin- the sin-sickness that we all have inherited from Adam and Eve and the sin the commit because of our identity- all of that sin is drowned in the waters of Holy Baptism.
C’mon, Logan’s so small, so young, so cute…sin? Get real. Oh yeah, it is real. Sin is what we are more than what we do. All of the bad things that we do, and they are many, are done because of our identity. You act selfishly because you are a sinful human being. You overlook the gifts of your spouse because you are sinner. You treat your coworkers with contempt because of your sinful identity. You regard others as more sinful than you because their sinful actions are public, while your take place in the privacy of your own home, they take place via your high-speed internet connection. It is our sinful ID that leads to our sinful actions. The baptism that Logan has received this morning has cleansed him of his sin. The baptism that Logan has received shows him to be a child of God. Logan has been given to his parents Ashley and Joe so they may guide him, nurture him, and train him to give thanks for his baptism and for the reality of the Father’s loving presence in his life.
Logan takes his place within the holy ark of the Christian Church. He sits next to you, behind you, in front of you. He joins the countless throng of men and women, young and old, healthy and sick, wealthy and poor, all who make up the family of God, the body of Christ.
Logan’s baptism, and your baptism, regardless of how long ago it may have been, is something certain. The holy ark of the Christian Church often seems to be sailing on rough and turbulent seas. The Christian Church seems adrift, without any power, without any direction. It has no course because it follows the cultural currents that shift and change.
There are stormy seas that the ship of God’s Church sails in. God’s gift of marriage is under attack. God’s gift of life is devalued, from beginning to end. Babies are being aborted because the gender is found out while they are still in the protective ark of the womb but they are the wrong gender! Those with mental and physical disabilities are shunted to the side, warehoused out of the way, and forgotten. Those who are older, who are drawing toward the end of their life, are encouraged to speed things up. Their value and worth are determined by others and they are seen as a drain on resources rather than as a human being, loved by God, given life by God, protected and cherished by God.
God’s gift of forgiveness is even under attack, as we live in a world occupied by three-strikes-and-you’re-out policies, even zero-tolerance policies. When a Christian forgives, the Christian is often mocked! “Why forgive that person? They’re just going to hurt you all over again!”
But God has put us here, in this family of God, in this church, in this ship. By Baptism God has put his name upon us and has sealed his promise of presence. By Holy Communion, God’s baptismal grace is renewed and refreshed in our living. God’s forgiveness is there. God’s life is there. The salvation of God that is yours by Christ’s work on the cross is there too.
God has put us in the ship, and we are not without power, place, or purpose. The power is the Spirit-filled Word of God. Our place is this world, our Father’s world, His glorious creation that we care for. Our purpose is to glorify God, to point to our Savior Jesus, to serve God with a fervent spirit and a joyful hope. Within the holy ark of God’s Church, God’s people, Logan, you, me, all of us together, are kept safe and secure. SDG
Did we really do an exorcism yesterday?
I feel no shame in admitting that I have some dork-ish tendencies. (Nothing has really changed since my younger years.) As part of my daily devotions, I read Treasury of Daily Prayer. But I also read through the Altar Book of our hymnal. (This is the big book that sits on our altar, hence its name.) I pray through the services by myself, pray the prayers, but also pay attention to some of the general notes that are given to pastors and worship leaders. In the pew edition of Lutheran Service Book, you can see statements in red like ‘sit’, ‘stand’, ‘During Advent and Lent, the Gloria in Excelsis is omitted.’, and things like that. These are called rubrics, which is just a fancy word for red.
In preparing for our baptismal service yesterday, I was reading through the general notes and the rubrics. I discovered something that we could do, and so I included it in the service. Were any of you curious about something that took place? I’ll give you a moment to recall yesterday’s baptism…. Following the standard renunciation- “Do you renounce the devil, all his works, and all his ways?” came something new, which is actually quite old. Martin Luther’s baptismal rite included the ancient Christian practice of the exorcism. Sometimes the exorcism would take place after the baptismal address, and sometimes it would occur after the renunciation. We did the exorcism after the renunciation. “Depart O unclean spirit and make room for the Holy Spirit, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”
Talking about exorcism might get us thinking about movies, with images of spinning heads, bugged-out eyes, and scary guttural voices. What were we doing yesterday including an exorcism in the Rite of Holy Baptism? Exorcism deals with demon possession. Did I think that the child was demon possessed? Not any more than realistically thinking that I am possessed.
“Anyone who sins is a slave to sin.” That is something Jesus said and is part of the Reformation Day Gospel lesson. Being a slave to sin is being in sin’s possession. Being a slave to sin is having the devil as your master. Sin possesses us. Paraphrasing the apostle Paul we learn this reality: the things I don’t want to do are the things I do and the things I want to do I don’t, in fact I can’t.
The baptism yesterday allowed us to ponder the reality of our identity. We are sinners. And sinners do sinful things. We are not sinners because we do sinful things. If that were the case, all we’d need to do to find salvation is stop sinning. Good luck with that!
Our identity is sin. Our new identity through the waters of Holy Baptism is redeemed. God in Christ Jesus has joined Himself to us. We are redeemed human beings, washed clean in the blood of the Lamb. We are given mercy fresh every morning, mercy that moves us into our day.
The demon needs to be removed, or exorcised, from our lives. Depart O unclean spirit. Make room for the Holy Spirit! “This is the Spirit’s entry now: the water and the Word, the cross of Jesus on your brow, the seal both felt and heard. This miracle of life reborn comes from the Lord of breath; the perfect Man from life was torn; our life comes through Christ’s death. Let water be the sacred sign that we must die each day to rise again by His design as followers of His way. Renewing Spirit, hear our praise for Your baptismal power that washes us through all our days; Lord, cleanse again this hour.” {Thomas Herbranson, b.1933}
In preparing for our baptismal service yesterday, I was reading through the general notes and the rubrics. I discovered something that we could do, and so I included it in the service. Were any of you curious about something that took place? I’ll give you a moment to recall yesterday’s baptism…. Following the standard renunciation- “Do you renounce the devil, all his works, and all his ways?” came something new, which is actually quite old. Martin Luther’s baptismal rite included the ancient Christian practice of the exorcism. Sometimes the exorcism would take place after the baptismal address, and sometimes it would occur after the renunciation. We did the exorcism after the renunciation. “Depart O unclean spirit and make room for the Holy Spirit, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”
Talking about exorcism might get us thinking about movies, with images of spinning heads, bugged-out eyes, and scary guttural voices. What were we doing yesterday including an exorcism in the Rite of Holy Baptism? Exorcism deals with demon possession. Did I think that the child was demon possessed? Not any more than realistically thinking that I am possessed.
“Anyone who sins is a slave to sin.” That is something Jesus said and is part of the Reformation Day Gospel lesson. Being a slave to sin is being in sin’s possession. Being a slave to sin is having the devil as your master. Sin possesses us. Paraphrasing the apostle Paul we learn this reality: the things I don’t want to do are the things I do and the things I want to do I don’t, in fact I can’t.
The baptism yesterday allowed us to ponder the reality of our identity. We are sinners. And sinners do sinful things. We are not sinners because we do sinful things. If that were the case, all we’d need to do to find salvation is stop sinning. Good luck with that!
Our identity is sin. Our new identity through the waters of Holy Baptism is redeemed. God in Christ Jesus has joined Himself to us. We are redeemed human beings, washed clean in the blood of the Lamb. We are given mercy fresh every morning, mercy that moves us into our day.
The demon needs to be removed, or exorcised, from our lives. Depart O unclean spirit. Make room for the Holy Spirit! “This is the Spirit’s entry now: the water and the Word, the cross of Jesus on your brow, the seal both felt and heard. This miracle of life reborn comes from the Lord of breath; the perfect Man from life was torn; our life comes through Christ’s death. Let water be the sacred sign that we must die each day to rise again by His design as followers of His way. Renewing Spirit, hear our praise for Your baptismal power that washes us through all our days; Lord, cleanse again this hour.” {Thomas Herbranson, b.1933}
Monday, November 8, 2010
Do the math!
Do the math
There was a statement made on Issues, Etc. the other day that caused me to stop what I was doing, drop my jaw, and say “Whoa.” I pondered the statement and on reflection, the sentiment was stunning in its accuracy.
Here’s what I heard: “If you are born once, you die twice. If you are born twice, you die once.”
Get it? It’s the kind of math that is not taught in schools, but it is the math that ultimately matters. In our Christian religion, there are some numbers that count, three and forty being numbers that show up numerous times in both Testaments of the Bible.
This equation is rather interesting. And with the inclusion of birth and death, the interest is increased. Everyone is born, and at some point, everyone will die. Those events are the great equalizers in life. From the highest to the lowest, everyone enters this world a screaming ball of messiness. And, everyone has a terminal illness called life. Our heart will stop beating and we will breathe our last.
And if we are paying attention to the culture in which we live, there are quite a few people who do not acknowledge the Lord and His love. Many people live in opposition to God and spend their lives being their own god and trying to figure out how to save themselves. They run from death and spend their days searching for their own immortality in pills, vaccines, diets, and exercise programs.
They are born, but they are never born again through the glory, the beauty, the holy mystery of baptism. To countless people, Holy Baptism is nothing but a meaningless ritual. It is merely water. It is just something to make the grandparents feel good. It is something that has to be done. It is something that has no significance whatsoever.
And from an egocentric perspective…that’s absolutely right. It is just water. It does not carry a lot of significance. It does make Grandma and Grandpa happy. It is a nice occasion for pictures to be taken.
But Baptism is not egocentric, it is theocentric. It is God’s doing, God at work. We remember our Catechism lessons that baptism is not merely water, but water connected to the Word of God. And baptism carries God’s promise. The promise of forgiveness is there. The promise of regeneration sustains the baptized child of God. And the doorway to heaven stands wide open.
Those who are born but are not born of water and the Word will die twice. Huh? Christians believe what Jesus says, and what Jesus says is that He is coming back. In the Nicene Creed we state our belief in the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. This means that Jesus Christ is coming back, and when He comes, He will raise me and all the dead and give eternal life to me and all believers. Notice the distinction? All the dead, Christians and non-Christians, will be raised. Who is raised to eternal life? Only the believers. The non-believers will be raised in order to receive their judgment of everlasting death. They will die twice.
You will not die twice. By God’s declaration, by God’s grace, the believers in Jesus who have been born twice will be raised so that God’s glorious invitation can ring in their ears- Enter into eternal rest. Enjoy the unending feast. All is ready and prepared. The believer will only die once.
Stunning, isn’t it? When I heard that, it took my breath away for a split second. And I’m glad that it did. It’s important to remember what is awaiting us. God has prepared such unbelievable goodness for His children. And God supplies us with the strength and comfort that we need for our living and for our dying.
There was a statement made on Issues, Etc. the other day that caused me to stop what I was doing, drop my jaw, and say “Whoa.” I pondered the statement and on reflection, the sentiment was stunning in its accuracy.
Here’s what I heard: “If you are born once, you die twice. If you are born twice, you die once.”
Get it? It’s the kind of math that is not taught in schools, but it is the math that ultimately matters. In our Christian religion, there are some numbers that count, three and forty being numbers that show up numerous times in both Testaments of the Bible.
This equation is rather interesting. And with the inclusion of birth and death, the interest is increased. Everyone is born, and at some point, everyone will die. Those events are the great equalizers in life. From the highest to the lowest, everyone enters this world a screaming ball of messiness. And, everyone has a terminal illness called life. Our heart will stop beating and we will breathe our last.
And if we are paying attention to the culture in which we live, there are quite a few people who do not acknowledge the Lord and His love. Many people live in opposition to God and spend their lives being their own god and trying to figure out how to save themselves. They run from death and spend their days searching for their own immortality in pills, vaccines, diets, and exercise programs.
They are born, but they are never born again through the glory, the beauty, the holy mystery of baptism. To countless people, Holy Baptism is nothing but a meaningless ritual. It is merely water. It is just something to make the grandparents feel good. It is something that has to be done. It is something that has no significance whatsoever.
And from an egocentric perspective…that’s absolutely right. It is just water. It does not carry a lot of significance. It does make Grandma and Grandpa happy. It is a nice occasion for pictures to be taken.
But Baptism is not egocentric, it is theocentric. It is God’s doing, God at work. We remember our Catechism lessons that baptism is not merely water, but water connected to the Word of God. And baptism carries God’s promise. The promise of forgiveness is there. The promise of regeneration sustains the baptized child of God. And the doorway to heaven stands wide open.
Those who are born but are not born of water and the Word will die twice. Huh? Christians believe what Jesus says, and what Jesus says is that He is coming back. In the Nicene Creed we state our belief in the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. This means that Jesus Christ is coming back, and when He comes, He will raise me and all the dead and give eternal life to me and all believers. Notice the distinction? All the dead, Christians and non-Christians, will be raised. Who is raised to eternal life? Only the believers. The non-believers will be raised in order to receive their judgment of everlasting death. They will die twice.
You will not die twice. By God’s declaration, by God’s grace, the believers in Jesus who have been born twice will be raised so that God’s glorious invitation can ring in their ears- Enter into eternal rest. Enjoy the unending feast. All is ready and prepared. The believer will only die once.
Stunning, isn’t it? When I heard that, it took my breath away for a split second. And I’m glad that it did. It’s important to remember what is awaiting us. God has prepared such unbelievable goodness for His children. And God supplies us with the strength and comfort that we need for our living and for our dying.
All Saints' Sermon
All Saints’ Day (observed)
Nov. 7, 2010
Rev. 7:9-17
Who are these? From where have they come?
In the name of Jesus, amen. Today is our day! All Saints’ Day is our time to shine. Christmas is the festival of the Father. He gave His dearest treasure Jesus to us. Easter is the festival of the Son, as we watch Christ willingly become our sin and go to the cross. And we watch Jesus step out of the tomb triumphant over our enemy death. Pentecost is the festival of the ever-present Spirit. The Holy Spirit has been dumped lavishly upon God’s people and the Spirit does what the Spirit is supposed to do- be our advocate, our guide, our comforter, the One who reminds us of our place within the family of God. All Saints’ Day is our day. It is the festival of the Church. It is the time for the people of God to celebrate who they are- God’s people, holy and dearly loved, God’s sons and daughters, God’s lambs and sheep. All Saints’ is the festival for the Church.
The lessons appointed for All Saints’ ring in our ears the truth of who we are. “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God.”
We are children of God, even though we can clearly see in the mirror that we bear very little resemblance to children of God. We act with malice and harmful intent. We blissfully close our eyes to the needs around us. We happily close our eyes to cries of suffering. We go through our day living and thinking that we are #1 and that everyone should do things to make our lives easier. We are incessant navel gazers. We do not live in a heliocentric universe, but an egocentric one.
Who are we? Well, based on where our vehicles are, where we are sitting, what this building is called, we could surmise that we are the Church. And yes, that is what we are. By God’s declaration, we are the church. We have been fashioned and formed into the body of Christ with Christ Himself as our head. We are the Church. In times of sorrow, in times of our rejection of God, in times of our sinful selfishness, greed, and arrogance…we are the Church.
We are the Church because we have come to hear the Word. We have come to praise the Lord of the Church. We have come to hear about the Father’s remedy for our sin and guilt, that the Father sent the Son to go to the cross. The Son bore our sins, became our sins, took our guilt and gave to us His righteousness. And the Spirit has been planted in each of us so that we can grow, bloom and blossom with the beauty of God that is witnessed in our mercy and love for the people around us. We are the Church because we have come so that the eternal medicine of forgiveness and love would be put into our mouths and poured down our throats. We are the Church because God declares us to be.
And by God’s grace, by His sustaining power, by the Father’s loving care for His people, we are the Church and we are given the opportunity to reflect the Father’s love, the Savior’s mercy, the Spirit’s presence in a host of ways. Every day we have the opportunity to put our faith in Christ into action. We are God’s Church, and in spite of our weaknesses, our timidity, our fears, God puts us to use. His power is made perfect in our weakness. His wisdom is perfected in our foolishness.
So the glory of All Saints’ Day is the ability we have to ask, “Who are these?” John the Evangelist was asked that question in heaven by an elder. And John played coy and told the elder that it’s obvious. “Sir, you know.” And the elder did know. The great multitude from every tribe, nation, people, and tongue was the Church!
Clothed in white robes, robes that had been made white by the blood of the Lamb, they stood before the Father and the Lamb singing lustily, with full voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb! Glory! Blessing! Honor! Wisdom! Power! Might! Thanksgiving! It all belongs to You, most holy Father, most Holy Son, most holy Spirit, it all belongs to You!
That great multitude was the Church. This great multitude seated in this sanctuary is the Church. The great multitudes that have concluded their worship in the East are praising God that in the West, the sun is awakening more great multitudes who will gather for prayer, for song, for fellowship, for the feast on earth that foreshadows the feast in the heavenly realm.
That great multitude was coming out of the great tribulation. This great multitude is still living, might be in the midst of a tribulation, might have a tribulation or two in the rearview mirror, or might have some tribulations on the horizon. In our personal lives, the doctor may have just given us a diagnosis of Parkinson’s, of telling us that the spot on our lungs is not a good one, that the pain in our back is not ever going to go away. Our employer may have told us that the grant money has run out and that our job is not going to be renewed. The demand for the product you make is no longer there, thus you are no longer needed at the job site.
We have tribulations in our life, we have had them, and we will have them. Our great tribulation will be the time of our death. And because of the declaration of God, that we are His sons and daughters, and because of the gift of Jesus Christ for the salvation of our souls, the great tribulation is something we will come out of.
Who are these? These ones are the members of God’s Church, from every nation, all tribes, and peoples and languages. From where have they come? These ones, the ones Kevin read for us that are listed in our bulletin, these ones have come out of their great tribulation. Elsie Besel was 103. My friend Bruce Thomas had the tribulation of teaching me how to paint my house. He was at the Y in Hilliard OH, swimming his laps. He got out of the pool, had an aneurysm, and was dead shortly after he got to the hospital. All of these saints have come out of their great tribulation, protected by the Lord, guided by the Holy Spirit…and they are ever before the Lord. God is on His throne and He Himself is wiping away every tear from their eye. God is sheltering them from the scorching heat of the sun. And the Lamb, the Lamb that was slain for their sins, is now living forevermore and the Lamb is in their midst as their Great Shepherd.
That’s who these ones are. That is what awaits us. God’s promises are certain. God’s Word is sure. God’s Word is solid ground. If we unhook, uncouple, ourselves from the certain Word of God, then we are on shaky ground. We have no foundation.
We are God’s Church, joined by faith in Christ with Christians around the world. God has brought us into the body of believers. God has brought us into the safety of the ark of the Church. You sit in the nave. Look up and see that you are sitting in an upside down ship.
We are in the safety of the ship of the Church…to be the Church. We are given great opportunities to give away what has come to us. We have opportunities to serve our neighbors, our family, strangers. Our families are the closest neighbors God has given us, and when we serve our spouse, our children, we are loving our neighbors.
We are what God has made us to be. We are the Church, celebrating the Church of God, celebrating the Lord of the Church, Jesus Christ, who offered Himself up for us all, forgiving our sin, rising from the grave for our triumph. Who are these? Who are we? We are the Church, loved and redeemed by the Father, the Son, the Spirit. SDG
Nov. 7, 2010
Rev. 7:9-17
Who are these? From where have they come?
In the name of Jesus, amen. Today is our day! All Saints’ Day is our time to shine. Christmas is the festival of the Father. He gave His dearest treasure Jesus to us. Easter is the festival of the Son, as we watch Christ willingly become our sin and go to the cross. And we watch Jesus step out of the tomb triumphant over our enemy death. Pentecost is the festival of the ever-present Spirit. The Holy Spirit has been dumped lavishly upon God’s people and the Spirit does what the Spirit is supposed to do- be our advocate, our guide, our comforter, the One who reminds us of our place within the family of God. All Saints’ Day is our day. It is the festival of the Church. It is the time for the people of God to celebrate who they are- God’s people, holy and dearly loved, God’s sons and daughters, God’s lambs and sheep. All Saints’ is the festival for the Church.
The lessons appointed for All Saints’ ring in our ears the truth of who we are. “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God.”
We are children of God, even though we can clearly see in the mirror that we bear very little resemblance to children of God. We act with malice and harmful intent. We blissfully close our eyes to the needs around us. We happily close our eyes to cries of suffering. We go through our day living and thinking that we are #1 and that everyone should do things to make our lives easier. We are incessant navel gazers. We do not live in a heliocentric universe, but an egocentric one.
Who are we? Well, based on where our vehicles are, where we are sitting, what this building is called, we could surmise that we are the Church. And yes, that is what we are. By God’s declaration, we are the church. We have been fashioned and formed into the body of Christ with Christ Himself as our head. We are the Church. In times of sorrow, in times of our rejection of God, in times of our sinful selfishness, greed, and arrogance…we are the Church.
We are the Church because we have come to hear the Word. We have come to praise the Lord of the Church. We have come to hear about the Father’s remedy for our sin and guilt, that the Father sent the Son to go to the cross. The Son bore our sins, became our sins, took our guilt and gave to us His righteousness. And the Spirit has been planted in each of us so that we can grow, bloom and blossom with the beauty of God that is witnessed in our mercy and love for the people around us. We are the Church because we have come so that the eternal medicine of forgiveness and love would be put into our mouths and poured down our throats. We are the Church because God declares us to be.
And by God’s grace, by His sustaining power, by the Father’s loving care for His people, we are the Church and we are given the opportunity to reflect the Father’s love, the Savior’s mercy, the Spirit’s presence in a host of ways. Every day we have the opportunity to put our faith in Christ into action. We are God’s Church, and in spite of our weaknesses, our timidity, our fears, God puts us to use. His power is made perfect in our weakness. His wisdom is perfected in our foolishness.
So the glory of All Saints’ Day is the ability we have to ask, “Who are these?” John the Evangelist was asked that question in heaven by an elder. And John played coy and told the elder that it’s obvious. “Sir, you know.” And the elder did know. The great multitude from every tribe, nation, people, and tongue was the Church!
Clothed in white robes, robes that had been made white by the blood of the Lamb, they stood before the Father and the Lamb singing lustily, with full voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb! Glory! Blessing! Honor! Wisdom! Power! Might! Thanksgiving! It all belongs to You, most holy Father, most Holy Son, most holy Spirit, it all belongs to You!
That great multitude was the Church. This great multitude seated in this sanctuary is the Church. The great multitudes that have concluded their worship in the East are praising God that in the West, the sun is awakening more great multitudes who will gather for prayer, for song, for fellowship, for the feast on earth that foreshadows the feast in the heavenly realm.
That great multitude was coming out of the great tribulation. This great multitude is still living, might be in the midst of a tribulation, might have a tribulation or two in the rearview mirror, or might have some tribulations on the horizon. In our personal lives, the doctor may have just given us a diagnosis of Parkinson’s, of telling us that the spot on our lungs is not a good one, that the pain in our back is not ever going to go away. Our employer may have told us that the grant money has run out and that our job is not going to be renewed. The demand for the product you make is no longer there, thus you are no longer needed at the job site.
We have tribulations in our life, we have had them, and we will have them. Our great tribulation will be the time of our death. And because of the declaration of God, that we are His sons and daughters, and because of the gift of Jesus Christ for the salvation of our souls, the great tribulation is something we will come out of.
Who are these? These ones are the members of God’s Church, from every nation, all tribes, and peoples and languages. From where have they come? These ones, the ones Kevin read for us that are listed in our bulletin, these ones have come out of their great tribulation. Elsie Besel was 103. My friend Bruce Thomas had the tribulation of teaching me how to paint my house. He was at the Y in Hilliard OH, swimming his laps. He got out of the pool, had an aneurysm, and was dead shortly after he got to the hospital. All of these saints have come out of their great tribulation, protected by the Lord, guided by the Holy Spirit…and they are ever before the Lord. God is on His throne and He Himself is wiping away every tear from their eye. God is sheltering them from the scorching heat of the sun. And the Lamb, the Lamb that was slain for their sins, is now living forevermore and the Lamb is in their midst as their Great Shepherd.
That’s who these ones are. That is what awaits us. God’s promises are certain. God’s Word is sure. God’s Word is solid ground. If we unhook, uncouple, ourselves from the certain Word of God, then we are on shaky ground. We have no foundation.
We are God’s Church, joined by faith in Christ with Christians around the world. God has brought us into the body of believers. God has brought us into the safety of the ark of the Church. You sit in the nave. Look up and see that you are sitting in an upside down ship.
We are in the safety of the ship of the Church…to be the Church. We are given great opportunities to give away what has come to us. We have opportunities to serve our neighbors, our family, strangers. Our families are the closest neighbors God has given us, and when we serve our spouse, our children, we are loving our neighbors.
We are what God has made us to be. We are the Church, celebrating the Church of God, celebrating the Lord of the Church, Jesus Christ, who offered Himself up for us all, forgiving our sin, rising from the grave for our triumph. Who are these? Who are we? We are the Church, loved and redeemed by the Father, the Son, the Spirit. SDG
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Worship info for All Saints'
Here is the info for our observation of All Saints' on Nov. 7:
Hymns
822 Alleluia! Let Praises Ring
677 For All the Saints
813 Rejoice, O Pilgrim Throng
639 Wide Open Stand the Gates
605 Father Welcomes
680 Thine the Amen, Thine the Praise (Post-Communion hymn)
700 Love Divine, All Loves Excelling
Scripture Lessons
Rev. 7:9-17
1 John 3:1-3
Matt. 5:1-12
Collect of the Day
Almighty and everlasting God, You knit together Your faithful people of all times and places into one holy communion, the mystical body of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Grant us so to follow Your blessed saints in all virtuous and godly living that, together with them, we may come to the unspeakable joys You have prepared for those who love You; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen
And for the month of November we'll be following Divine Service 2 in LSB as our form for worship- p167.
May God bless our preparation and meditation for worship.
Hymns
822 Alleluia! Let Praises Ring
677 For All the Saints
813 Rejoice, O Pilgrim Throng
639 Wide Open Stand the Gates
605 Father Welcomes
680 Thine the Amen, Thine the Praise (Post-Communion hymn)
700 Love Divine, All Loves Excelling
Scripture Lessons
Rev. 7:9-17
1 John 3:1-3
Matt. 5:1-12
Collect of the Day
Almighty and everlasting God, You knit together Your faithful people of all times and places into one holy communion, the mystical body of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Grant us so to follow Your blessed saints in all virtuous and godly living that, together with them, we may come to the unspeakable joys You have prepared for those who love You; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen
And for the month of November we'll be following Divine Service 2 in LSB as our form for worship- p167.
May God bless our preparation and meditation for worship.
Monday, November 1, 2010
Reformation Day
Oct. 31, 2010
Rev. 14:6-7
Focused, Centered
In the name of Jesus, amen. As God’s people wrestle with all the tugs and pulls of life, as we struggle to bear up under all the demands and pressures we bring upon ourselves and that are thrust upon us, we pray and plead to God for His Reformation strength, His Reformation peace, His Reformation grace.
It is hard to keep our focus in our days because we are called to focus on so many things. There are things at home and at work and with friends that we need to pay attention to and it requires great energy. Add an unexpected car problem, a sick child or two, a deadline that has been moved up by two weeks, and our focus is shot. We run around trying to do all that is required of us and we run ourselves ragged. And then things get missed.
We find ourselves focused on issues that aren’t really important. We pay attention to people and concepts that end up taking what little energy we have and leave us empty. We do not focus on what is important, on the people that matter, on the crucial things that make our life meaningful, that add content to our day, and that help us live in true peace and harmony with the people God has placed in our lives.
Our focus is divided among so many different places that we really aren’t focused on anything.
And we have nothing that is at the center, or core, of our existence. We wander from place to place, our focus goes from thing to thing to thing and we have nothing to return to, we have no center that draws us back, no center that is a certain anchor for life. We have no focus and no center. And what I say is true for Christians and non-Christians. And what I say, my beloved, is said from experience.
We need a reformation! We pray to be re-formed, re-shaped, renewed, re-created. And we are. We have a reformation. We celebrate the historical event this day, this day before All Holy One’s, this day that is more about goblins and ghouls than about the Gospel of Grace.
We have a reformation that is ongoing. It didn’t start in 1517 with the nailing of the 95 Theses and end in 1580 with the publication of the Book of Concord. Semper Ecclesia Reformanda Est- Always, the Church is to be reforming. Always.
Find the focus. Discover the center. An angel was flying over St. John the Evangelist’s head, with an eternal Gospel to proclaim to those dwelling on earth, every tribe, language, people. The proclamation task of God’s Church is the Gospel. As you’ll often see, hear, and read: Christ-centered, Cross-focused. That keeps the Gospel where it needs to be.
Just like we often lose our focus and cannot remain centered on what is important, so the Church suffers the same things. Our focus is misplaced. We do not aim at the center, but at the periphery. We do things that really don’t matter, so we look busy, but we aren’t doing a whole lot.
Christ-centered. What does this mean? It means that we are Christmas people, recognizing that our life begins where the life of Jesus began, in the manger, where gentle Mary laid her child.
It means that we are Epiphany people, laying our gifts before the Christ-child, worshiping Him for the tremendous ways He revealed His divine nature through glorious signs and miracles.
It means that we are repentant Lent people, Palm Sunday and Holy Week people too. It certainly means that we walk with Jesus as He carries His cross on Good Friday. It means that we stand with the Roman centurion and declare that Jesus is the Son of God. Being Christ-centered means that we rejoice to hear Jesus declare to the thief on the cross that today you will be with Me in paradise. Those words are spoken to us as we lay our sins at the feet of Jesus, as Jesus picks up our sins, all of our sins, our sins of greed and sloth and arrogance and puts them on His own shoulders.
With Christ in the center, we are Easter people. We rush to the tomb early in the morning and through tears of joy we delight in the gaping, empty tomb. He is not here! He is risen…just as He said! The resurrection of Christ is His triumph and ours. Satan is vanquished. Death is impotent. Sin no longer accuses. The resurrection of Christ means our own resurrection. Our death is to be regarded as sleep. Our bodies will be placed into a narrow chamber to sleep until our brother Jesus, our Lord Jesus, our Redeemer Jesus comes to us, calls us by name, and tells us to rise from sleep and enter the eternal joys of heaven.
That is what Christ-centered means. And we focus, amid all the other things in our life, on the cross. Being a Christmas and Easter person carries the eternal Gospel that Jesus Christ came to save sinners. Jesus Christ came to save you and He came to save me. Jesus Christ came to save sinners, those who are inside the Church and those who are outside the Church. So our focus, our attention, is placed on the wooden cross that was planted in the ground, a dead tree that has become the tree of life.
As I mentioned moments ago, we lay our sins at the foot of the cross. Not some of them or most of them, but all of them. We give to Jesus the sins we despise and we give to Jesus our favorite, most beloved sins. We have them. The sins that make us feel good, the sins that make us feel superior, the sins that delude us into thinking that we are better than others, we give those sins to Jesus. They are nailed with him to the cross. And Jesus cries out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” And the Father’s answer is, “Because you are sin. Because my people cannot save themselves. Because my people cannot become righteous by themselves. Because my people need saving.”
And so Jesus Christ obeyed the will of the Father, and went to the cross. And then Jesus was placed into the tomb. And then Jesus burst forth from the tomb. Because we needed saving.
And we are saved. We are ransomed, redeemed, restored, reconciled, renewed, reformed. Any other re- word you can think of.
Our focus is on the cross. At our center is Christ. This is the ongoing reformation our lives.
With our focus fixed on the cross, with our center aligned on Jesus, what do you find to be the result?
All the other things in our life become clearer. A beautiful quote from Martin Luther is when he says that when he knows that his day is going to full and busy, he spends an extra hour on his knees in his prayer.
When we acknowledge our sin and acknowledge our Savior, we find that we are able to love in a more Christ-like fashion. We are able to sacrifice for the sake of our spouse without holding a grudge, without resenting the other person. We find that we treat our children, not as objects but as little ones in need of guidance, of training. So we give up our time to spend time with them doing their math homework, listening to them recite their spelling lists, listening to them recite their memory work.
Christ-centered, cross-focused living helps us focus on the opportunities for service that abound around us. Christ-centered, cross-focused living helps us see the needs for mercy that God puts in our path.
This is the great glory of the historic Reformation. This is the great glory of the Reformation that takes place every day. Our focus is on the cross. It is the shining beacon that gleams in the darkness. The center of our lives is Jesus, who strengthens and sustains our day. Let there be a reformation, and let us rejoice in the reforming power of God in our lives. SDG
Oct. 31, 2010
Rev. 14:6-7
Focused, Centered
In the name of Jesus, amen. As God’s people wrestle with all the tugs and pulls of life, as we struggle to bear up under all the demands and pressures we bring upon ourselves and that are thrust upon us, we pray and plead to God for His Reformation strength, His Reformation peace, His Reformation grace.
It is hard to keep our focus in our days because we are called to focus on so many things. There are things at home and at work and with friends that we need to pay attention to and it requires great energy. Add an unexpected car problem, a sick child or two, a deadline that has been moved up by two weeks, and our focus is shot. We run around trying to do all that is required of us and we run ourselves ragged. And then things get missed.
We find ourselves focused on issues that aren’t really important. We pay attention to people and concepts that end up taking what little energy we have and leave us empty. We do not focus on what is important, on the people that matter, on the crucial things that make our life meaningful, that add content to our day, and that help us live in true peace and harmony with the people God has placed in our lives.
Our focus is divided among so many different places that we really aren’t focused on anything.
And we have nothing that is at the center, or core, of our existence. We wander from place to place, our focus goes from thing to thing to thing and we have nothing to return to, we have no center that draws us back, no center that is a certain anchor for life. We have no focus and no center. And what I say is true for Christians and non-Christians. And what I say, my beloved, is said from experience.
We need a reformation! We pray to be re-formed, re-shaped, renewed, re-created. And we are. We have a reformation. We celebrate the historical event this day, this day before All Holy One’s, this day that is more about goblins and ghouls than about the Gospel of Grace.
We have a reformation that is ongoing. It didn’t start in 1517 with the nailing of the 95 Theses and end in 1580 with the publication of the Book of Concord. Semper Ecclesia Reformanda Est- Always, the Church is to be reforming. Always.
Find the focus. Discover the center. An angel was flying over St. John the Evangelist’s head, with an eternal Gospel to proclaim to those dwelling on earth, every tribe, language, people. The proclamation task of God’s Church is the Gospel. As you’ll often see, hear, and read: Christ-centered, Cross-focused. That keeps the Gospel where it needs to be.
Just like we often lose our focus and cannot remain centered on what is important, so the Church suffers the same things. Our focus is misplaced. We do not aim at the center, but at the periphery. We do things that really don’t matter, so we look busy, but we aren’t doing a whole lot.
Christ-centered. What does this mean? It means that we are Christmas people, recognizing that our life begins where the life of Jesus began, in the manger, where gentle Mary laid her child.
It means that we are Epiphany people, laying our gifts before the Christ-child, worshiping Him for the tremendous ways He revealed His divine nature through glorious signs and miracles.
It means that we are repentant Lent people, Palm Sunday and Holy Week people too. It certainly means that we walk with Jesus as He carries His cross on Good Friday. It means that we stand with the Roman centurion and declare that Jesus is the Son of God. Being Christ-centered means that we rejoice to hear Jesus declare to the thief on the cross that today you will be with Me in paradise. Those words are spoken to us as we lay our sins at the feet of Jesus, as Jesus picks up our sins, all of our sins, our sins of greed and sloth and arrogance and puts them on His own shoulders.
With Christ in the center, we are Easter people. We rush to the tomb early in the morning and through tears of joy we delight in the gaping, empty tomb. He is not here! He is risen…just as He said! The resurrection of Christ is His triumph and ours. Satan is vanquished. Death is impotent. Sin no longer accuses. The resurrection of Christ means our own resurrection. Our death is to be regarded as sleep. Our bodies will be placed into a narrow chamber to sleep until our brother Jesus, our Lord Jesus, our Redeemer Jesus comes to us, calls us by name, and tells us to rise from sleep and enter the eternal joys of heaven.
That is what Christ-centered means. And we focus, amid all the other things in our life, on the cross. Being a Christmas and Easter person carries the eternal Gospel that Jesus Christ came to save sinners. Jesus Christ came to save you and He came to save me. Jesus Christ came to save sinners, those who are inside the Church and those who are outside the Church. So our focus, our attention, is placed on the wooden cross that was planted in the ground, a dead tree that has become the tree of life.
As I mentioned moments ago, we lay our sins at the foot of the cross. Not some of them or most of them, but all of them. We give to Jesus the sins we despise and we give to Jesus our favorite, most beloved sins. We have them. The sins that make us feel good, the sins that make us feel superior, the sins that delude us into thinking that we are better than others, we give those sins to Jesus. They are nailed with him to the cross. And Jesus cries out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” And the Father’s answer is, “Because you are sin. Because my people cannot save themselves. Because my people cannot become righteous by themselves. Because my people need saving.”
And so Jesus Christ obeyed the will of the Father, and went to the cross. And then Jesus was placed into the tomb. And then Jesus burst forth from the tomb. Because we needed saving.
And we are saved. We are ransomed, redeemed, restored, reconciled, renewed, reformed. Any other re- word you can think of.
Our focus is on the cross. At our center is Christ. This is the ongoing reformation our lives.
With our focus fixed on the cross, with our center aligned on Jesus, what do you find to be the result?
All the other things in our life become clearer. A beautiful quote from Martin Luther is when he says that when he knows that his day is going to full and busy, he spends an extra hour on his knees in his prayer.
When we acknowledge our sin and acknowledge our Savior, we find that we are able to love in a more Christ-like fashion. We are able to sacrifice for the sake of our spouse without holding a grudge, without resenting the other person. We find that we treat our children, not as objects but as little ones in need of guidance, of training. So we give up our time to spend time with them doing their math homework, listening to them recite their spelling lists, listening to them recite their memory work.
Christ-centered, cross-focused living helps us focus on the opportunities for service that abound around us. Christ-centered, cross-focused living helps us see the needs for mercy that God puts in our path.
This is the great glory of the historic Reformation. This is the great glory of the Reformation that takes place every day. Our focus is on the cross. It is the shining beacon that gleams in the darkness. The center of our lives is Jesus, who strengthens and sustains our day. Let there be a reformation, and let us rejoice in the reforming power of God in our lives. SDG
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Reformation Day worship
Here is the worship info for Reformation Day, Oct. 31, which actually falls on a Sunday this year.
Hymns
656 A Mighty Fortress
794 The Lord, My God, Be Praised
556 Dear Christians, One and All, Rejoice
782 Gracious God, You Send Great Blessings
582 God's Word is Our Great Heritage
806 Give Thanks with a Grateful Heart (post-communion hymn)
578 Thy Strong Word
Scripture Lessons
Revelation 14:6-7
Psalm 46
Romans 3:19-28
John 8:31-36
Collect of the Day
Almighty and gracious Lord, pour out Your Holy Spirit on Your faithful people. Keep us steadfast in Your grace and truth, protect and deliver us in times of temptation, defend us against all enemies, and grant to Your Church Your saving peace; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
May God bless our meditation and preparation for worship!
Hymns
656 A Mighty Fortress
794 The Lord, My God, Be Praised
556 Dear Christians, One and All, Rejoice
782 Gracious God, You Send Great Blessings
582 God's Word is Our Great Heritage
806 Give Thanks with a Grateful Heart (post-communion hymn)
578 Thy Strong Word
Scripture Lessons
Revelation 14:6-7
Psalm 46
Romans 3:19-28
John 8:31-36
Collect of the Day
Almighty and gracious Lord, pour out Your Holy Spirit on Your faithful people. Keep us steadfast in Your grace and truth, protect and deliver us in times of temptation, defend us against all enemies, and grant to Your Church Your saving peace; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
May God bless our meditation and preparation for worship!
Apparently...
the NBA season has started. I am familiar with all the goings-on over the summer. And I really could care less. I haven't watched an NBA game for at least 7 years. It's just not appealing to me.
I 'follow' (a word loosely used) the NBA because I listen to ESPN Radio throughout the day when I'm done listening to Issues, Etc. So I know that the Lakers are defending champs, that John Wall is going to lead the Wizards to mediocrity (which is a remarkable thing.)
But I don't watch the NBA. If I turn on ESPN at night and a game is on, I turn the channel. It's just not appealing to me.
I don't have the time to invest in the NBA. Just like baseball, I don't have the time to sit and watch a game. The regular season is too long. The games are filled with mediocre players.
Both baseball and basketball need to whack a few teams. Contract and get rid of the mediocre players. Then the quality of the game will get better, the product will be more compelling, and I might come back.
I 'follow' (a word loosely used) the NBA because I listen to ESPN Radio throughout the day when I'm done listening to Issues, Etc. So I know that the Lakers are defending champs, that John Wall is going to lead the Wizards to mediocrity (which is a remarkable thing.)
But I don't watch the NBA. If I turn on ESPN at night and a game is on, I turn the channel. It's just not appealing to me.
I don't have the time to invest in the NBA. Just like baseball, I don't have the time to sit and watch a game. The regular season is too long. The games are filled with mediocre players.
Both baseball and basketball need to whack a few teams. Contract and get rid of the mediocre players. Then the quality of the game will get better, the product will be more compelling, and I might come back.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Sermon for Oct. 24
Twenty Second Sunday after Pentecost
Oct. 24, 2010
Luke 18:9-17
God, be merciful to me, a _________!
In the name of Jesus, amen. In case you were unaware, and you very well might be because there are plenty of other things that demand our attention, we follow what is called a lectionary. It is a series of readings for the Sundays in the church year. Over a three year cycle we are privileged to hear some wonderful lessons from the Bible, from the Old Testament, from the letters in the New Testament, and from the blessed Gospels of our Lord Jesus Christ. This year happens to be Year C, and it is the Year of Luke. I hope you’ve noticed that all of our Gospel lessons this summer have come to us from Luke’s pen. What a tremendous portrait of Jesus we have been blessed to receive.
Today’s Gospel lesson does not deviate from presenting Christ. It does not shift our attention to anyone but our Savior, our Redeemer, the One who spent his very life seeking and saving the lost.
In our lesson, we might get the impression that we have been transported back in time. When the text says “Jesus also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt” it should feel as if the room got a little hotter, our collar got a little tighter, and that some unknown critter keeps poking us in the ribs.
Self-righteousness is a problem. It is a human problem. You might hear it called as justifying your own sin, or as having a holier-than-thou attitude and that your excrement doesn’t stink. Or it is simply being dismissive, judgmental of others, and hypocritical.
Whatever we want to call it or however we care to define it, it is a problem. It is a people problem and it is our problem.
Jesus highlights two people, and they represent two groups. Jesus uses a Pharisee as one example. This Pharisee belonged to the group who trusted in themselves that they were righteous. Lord, I thank you that I am not like… Who? Fill in the blank.
The living Word has been spoken in our ears and to our hearts this morning. God, I thank you that I am not like: the cheaters, the haters, the adulterers, the extortioners, the bullies, the arrogant, the proud. We could be more specific and call out the gamblers, the porn addicted, the substance abusers, the liars, the credit stealers, the pedophiles, the people who abuse the elderly, the people who prey on the weak and defenseless, those who abuse the environment and suck all the natural resources they can without having any regard for anybody else.
Calling out sinners is kind of fun, especially when we delude ourselves into thinking it’s not us. I thank you God that I am not like them. You must be pretty pleased with me God. You must feel lucky to have me as your child. I tithe. I show up for things. I fast. I pray with fancy words and a loud voice. I volunteer at homeless shelters. I help old people across the street. I don’t cheat on my tests at school. I am kind to kittens and puppies. I call my parents once a week.
The Pharisee left the temple thinking “What a good boy am I!” We go to sleep at night contemplating the Ten Commandments and check off the ones we have kept. My ledger is clean and so is my conscious, I’ll go to sleep in peace. We pray for all the others, that they could sleep as soundly as we do.
This tax collector also was in the temple at the same time as the Pharisee. He dared not even raise his eyes to heaven. He beat his breast saying “Mea culpa! Mea culpa! Mea maxima culpa!” That is, “My fault. My fault. My own most grievous fault!”
What could the tax collecter say but what St. Luke records? “God be merciful to me, a sinner!” Tom the tax collector knew it. He lived with that knowledge. He knew that others knew it. He knew that God knew it.
He said the only thing that could be said. There was no sense hiding behind false words. It would have done no good to pretend at pious living. The tax collector, standing far off, figuratively stripped himself bare before God and begged for mercy.
Mercy is a beautiful spot to be in. And mercy is found at the intersection of Love and Forgiveness. The tax collector sought mercy and he found it. God loves and God forgives.
Sometimes we love yet are not forgiving. Sometimes we forgive without loving the other person, we forgive reluctantly. And so our mercy is not where it should be.
But it is imperative to remember who we are- we are imperfect people. We are tax collectors and extortioners. We are adulterers and abusers. We are arrogant, proud, judgmental, hypocritical. We seek the spotlight and broadcast loudly all the wonderful things that we do. We think unkindly of others who disagree with us and demean them for disagreeing. We pick on those who are weaker, who cannot defend themselves.
And when we look in God’s mirror of the Law, what is our position, our posture? We fall on our knees. We hang our heads. We beat our breast: Mea maxima culpa! God be merciful to me, a cheater, a slanderer, a lazy self-centered, self-gratifying human being. God be merciful to me a sinner. God love this loveless creature. God forgive this hard-hearted wretch.
I tell you, says Jesus, this man went down to his house justified.
We fall on our knees. We won’t even look God in the eyes. We beat our breasts and repent. God picks us up. God lifts up our faces so that we can see His love. He takes our repentance and gives His forgiveness. At the intersection of love and forgiveness, at the foot of the cross, we stand in God’s mercy. We stand justified before God for the sake of His one and only Son who came to die our death so that we might live today. So that we might live eternally!
It’s a beautiful story, our Gospel lesson today. It’s a human story that deals with a human problem. We dare not trust in ourselves that we are righteous, because we know how that story ends. We trust Christ our Lord. We know how that story ends too, in the empty grave of Jesus, in our own empty graves at the Last Day, when the merciful Christ comes to bring all believers to Himself in heaven. God be merciful to me, your child, your beloved, your redeemed. For the sake of Christ, we return to our homes, we go out into the world justified, strengthened to share and live the hope that is found at the intersection of love and forgiveness. To God alone be all the glory, amen.
Oct. 24, 2010
Luke 18:9-17
God, be merciful to me, a _________!
In the name of Jesus, amen. In case you were unaware, and you very well might be because there are plenty of other things that demand our attention, we follow what is called a lectionary. It is a series of readings for the Sundays in the church year. Over a three year cycle we are privileged to hear some wonderful lessons from the Bible, from the Old Testament, from the letters in the New Testament, and from the blessed Gospels of our Lord Jesus Christ. This year happens to be Year C, and it is the Year of Luke. I hope you’ve noticed that all of our Gospel lessons this summer have come to us from Luke’s pen. What a tremendous portrait of Jesus we have been blessed to receive.
Today’s Gospel lesson does not deviate from presenting Christ. It does not shift our attention to anyone but our Savior, our Redeemer, the One who spent his very life seeking and saving the lost.
In our lesson, we might get the impression that we have been transported back in time. When the text says “Jesus also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt” it should feel as if the room got a little hotter, our collar got a little tighter, and that some unknown critter keeps poking us in the ribs.
Self-righteousness is a problem. It is a human problem. You might hear it called as justifying your own sin, or as having a holier-than-thou attitude and that your excrement doesn’t stink. Or it is simply being dismissive, judgmental of others, and hypocritical.
Whatever we want to call it or however we care to define it, it is a problem. It is a people problem and it is our problem.
Jesus highlights two people, and they represent two groups. Jesus uses a Pharisee as one example. This Pharisee belonged to the group who trusted in themselves that they were righteous. Lord, I thank you that I am not like… Who? Fill in the blank.
The living Word has been spoken in our ears and to our hearts this morning. God, I thank you that I am not like: the cheaters, the haters, the adulterers, the extortioners, the bullies, the arrogant, the proud. We could be more specific and call out the gamblers, the porn addicted, the substance abusers, the liars, the credit stealers, the pedophiles, the people who abuse the elderly, the people who prey on the weak and defenseless, those who abuse the environment and suck all the natural resources they can without having any regard for anybody else.
Calling out sinners is kind of fun, especially when we delude ourselves into thinking it’s not us. I thank you God that I am not like them. You must be pretty pleased with me God. You must feel lucky to have me as your child. I tithe. I show up for things. I fast. I pray with fancy words and a loud voice. I volunteer at homeless shelters. I help old people across the street. I don’t cheat on my tests at school. I am kind to kittens and puppies. I call my parents once a week.
The Pharisee left the temple thinking “What a good boy am I!” We go to sleep at night contemplating the Ten Commandments and check off the ones we have kept. My ledger is clean and so is my conscious, I’ll go to sleep in peace. We pray for all the others, that they could sleep as soundly as we do.
This tax collector also was in the temple at the same time as the Pharisee. He dared not even raise his eyes to heaven. He beat his breast saying “Mea culpa! Mea culpa! Mea maxima culpa!” That is, “My fault. My fault. My own most grievous fault!”
What could the tax collecter say but what St. Luke records? “God be merciful to me, a sinner!” Tom the tax collector knew it. He lived with that knowledge. He knew that others knew it. He knew that God knew it.
He said the only thing that could be said. There was no sense hiding behind false words. It would have done no good to pretend at pious living. The tax collector, standing far off, figuratively stripped himself bare before God and begged for mercy.
Mercy is a beautiful spot to be in. And mercy is found at the intersection of Love and Forgiveness. The tax collector sought mercy and he found it. God loves and God forgives.
Sometimes we love yet are not forgiving. Sometimes we forgive without loving the other person, we forgive reluctantly. And so our mercy is not where it should be.
But it is imperative to remember who we are- we are imperfect people. We are tax collectors and extortioners. We are adulterers and abusers. We are arrogant, proud, judgmental, hypocritical. We seek the spotlight and broadcast loudly all the wonderful things that we do. We think unkindly of others who disagree with us and demean them for disagreeing. We pick on those who are weaker, who cannot defend themselves.
And when we look in God’s mirror of the Law, what is our position, our posture? We fall on our knees. We hang our heads. We beat our breast: Mea maxima culpa! God be merciful to me, a cheater, a slanderer, a lazy self-centered, self-gratifying human being. God be merciful to me a sinner. God love this loveless creature. God forgive this hard-hearted wretch.
I tell you, says Jesus, this man went down to his house justified.
We fall on our knees. We won’t even look God in the eyes. We beat our breasts and repent. God picks us up. God lifts up our faces so that we can see His love. He takes our repentance and gives His forgiveness. At the intersection of love and forgiveness, at the foot of the cross, we stand in God’s mercy. We stand justified before God for the sake of His one and only Son who came to die our death so that we might live today. So that we might live eternally!
It’s a beautiful story, our Gospel lesson today. It’s a human story that deals with a human problem. We dare not trust in ourselves that we are righteous, because we know how that story ends. We trust Christ our Lord. We know how that story ends too, in the empty grave of Jesus, in our own empty graves at the Last Day, when the merciful Christ comes to bring all believers to Himself in heaven. God be merciful to me, your child, your beloved, your redeemed. For the sake of Christ, we return to our homes, we go out into the world justified, strengthened to share and live the hope that is found at the intersection of love and forgiveness. To God alone be all the glory, amen.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
An explanation
Faithful blog followers, I had some technical difficulties this past week with no connection to our network in the office, so there was no blogging. We've gotten a temporary fix, just in time for me to leave for a mini-vacation/pastors conference in Virginia. I'll try to check in from there.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Worship info for 10-10-10
Here is the information for worship on Oct. 10th.
Hymns
528 Oh, For A Thousand Tongues To Sing
846 Your Hand, O Lord, in Days of Old
855 For All the Faithful Women 1,7,3,4
845 Where Charity and Love Prevail
Scripture Lessons
Ruth 1:1-19a
Psalm 111
2 Timothy 2:1-13
Luke 17:11-19
Collect of the Day
Almighty God, You show mercy to Your people in all their troubles. Grant us always to recognize Your goodness, give thanks for Your compassion, and praise Your holy name; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen
May God bless our preparation and meditation for worship.
Hymns
528 Oh, For A Thousand Tongues To Sing
846 Your Hand, O Lord, in Days of Old
855 For All the Faithful Women 1,7,3,4
845 Where Charity and Love Prevail
Scripture Lessons
Ruth 1:1-19a
Psalm 111
2 Timothy 2:1-13
Luke 17:11-19
Collect of the Day
Almighty God, You show mercy to Your people in all their troubles. Grant us always to recognize Your goodness, give thanks for Your compassion, and praise Your holy name; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen
May God bless our preparation and meditation for worship.
Monday, October 4, 2010
Barber-Viering Wedding Sermon
As you can see, here is the wedding sermon from this past Saturday. It was a very nice service, formally casual. And I think the Word was proclaimed and heard, according to the Spirit's promise and presence.
Wedding Sermon for Elijah and Anise
Oct. 2, 2010
1 John 4:7-21; John 15:1-15; Ephesians 5:22-33
In the name of Jesus, who is the glory of the Father’s love and the foundation of Christian marriage, amen.
After a few twists and turns, after some time away, after wondering and wandering, after much discussion, reflection, and prayer, you both are standing where God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit wants you to be. God wants you to be here, in His Church, in this service, in front of all these people who love and support you. God wants you to be here, so that God can do what He is so good at- creating. God has created a beautiful world for us, creating all that is out of nothing. And today, in a few more minutes, God will again create something- Mr. and Mrs. Elijah and Anise Barber. That has never existed before. God is creating something entirely new. And to reveal this new thing, something old is being used as the material.
Love. In all three lessons that you chose for this service, love was at the core. And certainly it is not the generic, run of the mill, common love that is so prevalent today- love for waffle fries, your favorite sports team, your car. The way the word love is thrown around today, one might think that Americans are filled with love, are the kindest people on the face of the earth, and spend their day giving roses to all their siblings, neighbors, strangers, and coworkers.
And the love in our lessons is not the bastardized version of love that is on display. Love is often used as a carrot at best and a weapon at worst. We hold out our love to get others to do what we want. Love becomes manipulative and it then becomes cheapened. You don’t love the other person, you only love yourself, because you have your own best interests at heart. And when this happens, that is when love becomes a weapon and we can hurt people as we manipulate them. We make them jump through so many hoops and do all sorts of tasks to earn our love. How far from God’s love are our expressions of love!
God’s love was revealed when He sent His only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him. Love starts with God the Father, flows through Jesus, with the purpose that we find our life in the Lord.
In our conversations the last couple of months, your lives seem pretty good right now. You seem at peace with yourselves and with each other. Life is not easy, but at this time, life seems fairly smooth.
Why might that be? You seem to be hard workers. You appear to be committed to each other. From my perspective, you possess a certain amount of physical, mental, and emotional health. You look fairly creative and intelligent. Apparently people like you, so that is in your favor.
But none of that matters. Strength and health and creativity and the number of friends you have really doesn’t matter as we might consider why things are going fairly well in your lives.
The Scripture readings tell us why things are going well. “In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent His Son to be the atonement for our sins…We love, because He first loved us.”
You’ve approached this day with a tremendous amount of reality. And humility. And more concern for the other than for yourself. And with the knowledge that at the center of your love for Elijah and your love for Anise is a love for the Lord Jesus.
He loves you. In spite of who you are, in spite of what you’ve done, in spite of what you haven’t done, Jesus loves you. And this is because Jesus forgives your sins, mistakes, and errors. Your sins aren’t excused, as if God says, “You lied when you said you didn’t know me? Oh that’s okay.” Sins are forgiven, not excused. God looks at us in our sin and our shame, God hears us express our sorrow and God tenderly and lovingly says, “For the sake of My son Jesus Christ, I forgive your sins.”
That, the love of God, is indeed the foundation for marriage, because the time is coming when sin will rise up in your marriage, when it will flame up like a fire…my hunch is Tuesday.
Today, things are great. She looks good. He looks good. It’s a good thing there are pictures being taken, because, Anise will likely never look like this again. And Elijah won’t either. The time is coming when you’ll say to yourself, “She does that?” And Anise, you’ll scratch your head and say, “Why doesn’t he do what I say?”
According to God’s Word, we know who we are- sinners. Our sinful identity leads to all kinds of sinful activity. Lying, cheating, and stealing exist. And in marriages, spouses take advantage of the other. Spouses manipulate to get their way. If you love me, you’ll do this. If you love me, you’ll change and become who I want you to be.
It happens. I bet there are some people in this room who could share experiences.
So we know who we are. You know who the other person is. With that sort of knowledge, we might hang our heads and never come to this place, never come to marriage.
But more important than knowing ourselves, God knows us and we know God. God is the forgiver. God is the redeemer. God is the healer. So we have the strength to approach God and seek forgiveness for our sin.
There is no fear in love. The love you have for each other removes the fear. You can stand face to face and acknowledge the hurt you cause, your inconsiderate and selfish actions. And you can forgive each other. There is no fear, because your love is rooted in God’s love for you. It is gift, pure gift. God’s gift to you. Your gift to each other. Let us love one another, for love is from God. SDG
Wedding Sermon for Elijah and Anise
Oct. 2, 2010
1 John 4:7-21; John 15:1-15; Ephesians 5:22-33
In the name of Jesus, who is the glory of the Father’s love and the foundation of Christian marriage, amen.
After a few twists and turns, after some time away, after wondering and wandering, after much discussion, reflection, and prayer, you both are standing where God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit wants you to be. God wants you to be here, in His Church, in this service, in front of all these people who love and support you. God wants you to be here, so that God can do what He is so good at- creating. God has created a beautiful world for us, creating all that is out of nothing. And today, in a few more minutes, God will again create something- Mr. and Mrs. Elijah and Anise Barber. That has never existed before. God is creating something entirely new. And to reveal this new thing, something old is being used as the material.
Love. In all three lessons that you chose for this service, love was at the core. And certainly it is not the generic, run of the mill, common love that is so prevalent today- love for waffle fries, your favorite sports team, your car. The way the word love is thrown around today, one might think that Americans are filled with love, are the kindest people on the face of the earth, and spend their day giving roses to all their siblings, neighbors, strangers, and coworkers.
And the love in our lessons is not the bastardized version of love that is on display. Love is often used as a carrot at best and a weapon at worst. We hold out our love to get others to do what we want. Love becomes manipulative and it then becomes cheapened. You don’t love the other person, you only love yourself, because you have your own best interests at heart. And when this happens, that is when love becomes a weapon and we can hurt people as we manipulate them. We make them jump through so many hoops and do all sorts of tasks to earn our love. How far from God’s love are our expressions of love!
God’s love was revealed when He sent His only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him. Love starts with God the Father, flows through Jesus, with the purpose that we find our life in the Lord.
In our conversations the last couple of months, your lives seem pretty good right now. You seem at peace with yourselves and with each other. Life is not easy, but at this time, life seems fairly smooth.
Why might that be? You seem to be hard workers. You appear to be committed to each other. From my perspective, you possess a certain amount of physical, mental, and emotional health. You look fairly creative and intelligent. Apparently people like you, so that is in your favor.
But none of that matters. Strength and health and creativity and the number of friends you have really doesn’t matter as we might consider why things are going fairly well in your lives.
The Scripture readings tell us why things are going well. “In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent His Son to be the atonement for our sins…We love, because He first loved us.”
You’ve approached this day with a tremendous amount of reality. And humility. And more concern for the other than for yourself. And with the knowledge that at the center of your love for Elijah and your love for Anise is a love for the Lord Jesus.
He loves you. In spite of who you are, in spite of what you’ve done, in spite of what you haven’t done, Jesus loves you. And this is because Jesus forgives your sins, mistakes, and errors. Your sins aren’t excused, as if God says, “You lied when you said you didn’t know me? Oh that’s okay.” Sins are forgiven, not excused. God looks at us in our sin and our shame, God hears us express our sorrow and God tenderly and lovingly says, “For the sake of My son Jesus Christ, I forgive your sins.”
That, the love of God, is indeed the foundation for marriage, because the time is coming when sin will rise up in your marriage, when it will flame up like a fire…my hunch is Tuesday.
Today, things are great. She looks good. He looks good. It’s a good thing there are pictures being taken, because, Anise will likely never look like this again. And Elijah won’t either. The time is coming when you’ll say to yourself, “She does that?” And Anise, you’ll scratch your head and say, “Why doesn’t he do what I say?”
According to God’s Word, we know who we are- sinners. Our sinful identity leads to all kinds of sinful activity. Lying, cheating, and stealing exist. And in marriages, spouses take advantage of the other. Spouses manipulate to get their way. If you love me, you’ll do this. If you love me, you’ll change and become who I want you to be.
It happens. I bet there are some people in this room who could share experiences.
So we know who we are. You know who the other person is. With that sort of knowledge, we might hang our heads and never come to this place, never come to marriage.
But more important than knowing ourselves, God knows us and we know God. God is the forgiver. God is the redeemer. God is the healer. So we have the strength to approach God and seek forgiveness for our sin.
There is no fear in love. The love you have for each other removes the fear. You can stand face to face and acknowledge the hurt you cause, your inconsiderate and selfish actions. And you can forgive each other. There is no fear, because your love is rooted in God’s love for you. It is gift, pure gift. God’s gift to you. Your gift to each other. Let us love one another, for love is from God. SDG
Sermon for October 3
Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Oct. 3, 2010
Luke 17:1-10
If? If!
In the name of Jesus, amen. There are four letter words, and there are four letter words. You may have heard me say that I know the worst, vilest, harshest, and cruelest of the four letter words. And it is e-x-p-e-c-t-a-t-i-o-n. When you hear what is expected of you, you cannot believe that someone would say such things. And when you drop your expectations on people like a 5-ton bomb, you are really slapping them with something heavy.
Today’s Gospel lesson presents another four letter word for us. It is a word that can cause us to cringe in fear and cry for joy. It is a word that is both sad and celebratory. If…that is today’s four letter word from our Gospel.
If is a very heavy word. We learn this word at a young age and it seems like we never stop hearing it used. If you want presents for Christmas, be a good boy. If you want dessert, eat your vegetables. If you don’t stop pestering your brother, I’ll turn this car around right now.
In our high school years, when we start noticing that girls don’t have cooties and that boys aren’t that disgusting, the word if continues to carry a lot of weight. If you like him, check the box. That’s kind of cute. This isn’t cute: If you love me, you’ll have sex with me. That is so destructive. Those words are so harmful. Even when we get married, our love and our libido get confused.
The “if” conundrum shows up in other places. If you are a loyal worker, you’ll work the extra hours. If you are a loyal worker, you’ll sacrifice time with your family. If you like having a job and receiving a paycheck, especially in this economy, then you’ll like the other way at our questionable ethical practices. “If” is a troubling word because of the position that it puts us in.
Jesus was teaching his disciples, and I believe it is the Twelve, because in a short while the apostles, the twelve men called and chosen and commissioned by the Lord Jesus, will cry out to have their faith increased.
The teaching of Jesus is that temptations to sin will come. They are sure to come. In words that we know, it is not if but when temptations to sin come.
Jesus is being who he is. He is being honest. He is showing himself to be the Lord. He is showing himself to be divine love in the flesh. Jesus knows the struggle that people go through. Jesus was living amongst fallen human beings. The disciples that he called were sinners. The people that Jesus reached out to, invited, ate with, and conversed with, they were sinners as well. And when the time came for Jesus’ arrest and trial and sentencing and execution, well…sinners were right there lying about Jesus, spitting in Jesus’ face and driving the nails into his hands and feet. But Jesus continually reveals himself to be the Lord, to be God for us, God with us.
Temptation to sin is sure to come. The devil is a roaring lion seeking your destruction. So dear disciples, loved learners, pay attention to yourselves.
“If your brother sins, rebuke him.” Yippee! Certainly this is not a question of if but is a matter of when. When my brother hurts me, harms me, lies about me, takes what is mine…rebuke! Let him have it! Let him know how awful he is, what a despot he is being. Play the victim and when mom and dad show up, let the tears flow.
That is certainly a non-Gospel way to talk, to revel in your hurts so that the perpetrator becomes the one who gets hurt.
But…“If your brother sins, rebuke him.” Maybe we need to do more rebuking. But rebuking rarely takes place. We are afraid to label anyone a sinner because it then makes us look sanctimonious, self-righteous, holier-than-thou.
And who really knows what a sin is? Our world has determined that right and wrong no longer exist and that everyone is free to decide what is sin and what is not sin. So nothing is said. Yet there are people, Christians, who presume to sit in God the Father’s seat. They usurp the authority of God and the authority of God’s revealed Word and they judge anyone and everyone.
If your brother sins, let him know. Tell him about it. Tell her that she is a sinner. Warn them of the danger. Warn them that their sin is offensive to God, harmful to themselves, and hurtful to others. Speak the Lord’s words to your brother or sister, that the rebuke is not coming from you, but from the Lord who has called us into a relationship with Him. That is what we are to do when it comes to rebuking the erring brother or sister.
Do not do it harshly. Do not rebuke to belittle the other person and make yourself bigger. Do not rebuke to make the other feel bad and yourself feel good. That is not helpful. That is not what the Lord Christ is teaching the disciples.
This may sound confusing or contradictory, but rebuke in love. Rebuke as a way of warning someone that they are on the wrong path. Rebuke as way of getting the person you love to turn around, to recognize the mistake, the sin, which is taking place.
“If your brother repents, forgive him.” As the correcting power of the Bible, as the certain truth of the Bible, as the teaching authority of God’s Word is applied to our human condition, repentance happens. Not if, but when. It might not be today and maybe not tomorrow but maybe in a few weeks or even a few years. When your brother repents, forgive him. If he sins seven times and repents seven times, forgive.
We do not run the way of the Law. We run the way of the Gospel, for the Gospel has run after us, chased us, sought us. We are forgiven. We are forgiven people who have played the “If” game with God. If you bless me, then I’ll do this for you God. If you save me, I’ll do this for you. If you heal me, then I’ll dedicate my life to you. Who is the god in those statements? It is not the God who made heaven and earth. It is not the God who appeared in the manger in human flesh. It is not God the Holy Spirit who leads, guards, and guides. We dictate to God what should happen and in doing that, we make ourselves gods. And when we make ourselves gods, what is the deadly reality? We are slaves to sin. We are in bondage to Satan. We are marching the path to everlasting death and condemnation.
When your brother sins, forgive him. When your husband says to you, “I’m sorry for neglecting you and overlooking your gifts, forgive me.” Forgive him. When your child says that he is sorry for disobeying, forgive him.
What a blessed teaching from Jesus. He speaks of our sin. He speaks of our repentance. He speaks of His forgiveness, His salvation, His pure goodness and mercy.
This is a hard teaching. We are scared of rebuking others. And we are hesitant to forgive. The apostles cry out, “Increase our faith!” If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, “Be uprooted and planted in the sea” and it would obey you.
Were the apostles told to have more faith? Only if faith were something that could be increased! In those moments when our faith is small, tiny, and timid, do we go outside of our homes, outside of this church, and make more faith? Do we pump up our faith like it is a flat tire? Faith does not speak of faith. Faith speaks of a Savior.
I know my faith is founded on Jesus Christ my God and Lord; and this my faith confessing, unmoved I stand on His sure Word. My faith is not founded on what I do or say. My faith does not confess that I’m really not as big a sinner as you might think.
Faith speaks of the Savior. Faith responds to the invitation of the Lord to approach His altar. Faith believes and faith receives the forgiveness of sins, the life of our Lord, that salvation of our God in the body and blood of Christ in the communion meal.
We receive the command to rebuke sin and release the guilt of that sin. We take this hard task and pray to God, “Increase our faith!” God’s response is lovingly given: All the faith you ever needed I gave in your baptism. All the faith you ever will need is here in the Lord’s Supper. Love. Grace. Mercy. Protection. Strength. Direction. Purpose. It’s all here! When Christ gives His gifts, He gives the whole lot. Look to your Savior.
When you need the power and the wisdom to teach, correct, and rebuke- look to your Savior. When you need the power to forgive, to reconcile, to embrace- look to your Savior. When you believe that your faith is imperfect, is lacking- look to Jesus, hanging on the cross. Look to Christ’s tomb and see how empty it is. Look to the font, to the altar- there is Christ for you, loving you, forgiving you, giving you the increase of your faith. SDG
Oct. 3, 2010
Luke 17:1-10
If? If!
In the name of Jesus, amen. There are four letter words, and there are four letter words. You may have heard me say that I know the worst, vilest, harshest, and cruelest of the four letter words. And it is e-x-p-e-c-t-a-t-i-o-n. When you hear what is expected of you, you cannot believe that someone would say such things. And when you drop your expectations on people like a 5-ton bomb, you are really slapping them with something heavy.
Today’s Gospel lesson presents another four letter word for us. It is a word that can cause us to cringe in fear and cry for joy. It is a word that is both sad and celebratory. If…that is today’s four letter word from our Gospel.
If is a very heavy word. We learn this word at a young age and it seems like we never stop hearing it used. If you want presents for Christmas, be a good boy. If you want dessert, eat your vegetables. If you don’t stop pestering your brother, I’ll turn this car around right now.
In our high school years, when we start noticing that girls don’t have cooties and that boys aren’t that disgusting, the word if continues to carry a lot of weight. If you like him, check the box. That’s kind of cute. This isn’t cute: If you love me, you’ll have sex with me. That is so destructive. Those words are so harmful. Even when we get married, our love and our libido get confused.
The “if” conundrum shows up in other places. If you are a loyal worker, you’ll work the extra hours. If you are a loyal worker, you’ll sacrifice time with your family. If you like having a job and receiving a paycheck, especially in this economy, then you’ll like the other way at our questionable ethical practices. “If” is a troubling word because of the position that it puts us in.
Jesus was teaching his disciples, and I believe it is the Twelve, because in a short while the apostles, the twelve men called and chosen and commissioned by the Lord Jesus, will cry out to have their faith increased.
The teaching of Jesus is that temptations to sin will come. They are sure to come. In words that we know, it is not if but when temptations to sin come.
Jesus is being who he is. He is being honest. He is showing himself to be the Lord. He is showing himself to be divine love in the flesh. Jesus knows the struggle that people go through. Jesus was living amongst fallen human beings. The disciples that he called were sinners. The people that Jesus reached out to, invited, ate with, and conversed with, they were sinners as well. And when the time came for Jesus’ arrest and trial and sentencing and execution, well…sinners were right there lying about Jesus, spitting in Jesus’ face and driving the nails into his hands and feet. But Jesus continually reveals himself to be the Lord, to be God for us, God with us.
Temptation to sin is sure to come. The devil is a roaring lion seeking your destruction. So dear disciples, loved learners, pay attention to yourselves.
“If your brother sins, rebuke him.” Yippee! Certainly this is not a question of if but is a matter of when. When my brother hurts me, harms me, lies about me, takes what is mine…rebuke! Let him have it! Let him know how awful he is, what a despot he is being. Play the victim and when mom and dad show up, let the tears flow.
That is certainly a non-Gospel way to talk, to revel in your hurts so that the perpetrator becomes the one who gets hurt.
But…“If your brother sins, rebuke him.” Maybe we need to do more rebuking. But rebuking rarely takes place. We are afraid to label anyone a sinner because it then makes us look sanctimonious, self-righteous, holier-than-thou.
And who really knows what a sin is? Our world has determined that right and wrong no longer exist and that everyone is free to decide what is sin and what is not sin. So nothing is said. Yet there are people, Christians, who presume to sit in God the Father’s seat. They usurp the authority of God and the authority of God’s revealed Word and they judge anyone and everyone.
If your brother sins, let him know. Tell him about it. Tell her that she is a sinner. Warn them of the danger. Warn them that their sin is offensive to God, harmful to themselves, and hurtful to others. Speak the Lord’s words to your brother or sister, that the rebuke is not coming from you, but from the Lord who has called us into a relationship with Him. That is what we are to do when it comes to rebuking the erring brother or sister.
Do not do it harshly. Do not rebuke to belittle the other person and make yourself bigger. Do not rebuke to make the other feel bad and yourself feel good. That is not helpful. That is not what the Lord Christ is teaching the disciples.
This may sound confusing or contradictory, but rebuke in love. Rebuke as a way of warning someone that they are on the wrong path. Rebuke as way of getting the person you love to turn around, to recognize the mistake, the sin, which is taking place.
“If your brother repents, forgive him.” As the correcting power of the Bible, as the certain truth of the Bible, as the teaching authority of God’s Word is applied to our human condition, repentance happens. Not if, but when. It might not be today and maybe not tomorrow but maybe in a few weeks or even a few years. When your brother repents, forgive him. If he sins seven times and repents seven times, forgive.
We do not run the way of the Law. We run the way of the Gospel, for the Gospel has run after us, chased us, sought us. We are forgiven. We are forgiven people who have played the “If” game with God. If you bless me, then I’ll do this for you God. If you save me, I’ll do this for you. If you heal me, then I’ll dedicate my life to you. Who is the god in those statements? It is not the God who made heaven and earth. It is not the God who appeared in the manger in human flesh. It is not God the Holy Spirit who leads, guards, and guides. We dictate to God what should happen and in doing that, we make ourselves gods. And when we make ourselves gods, what is the deadly reality? We are slaves to sin. We are in bondage to Satan. We are marching the path to everlasting death and condemnation.
When your brother sins, forgive him. When your husband says to you, “I’m sorry for neglecting you and overlooking your gifts, forgive me.” Forgive him. When your child says that he is sorry for disobeying, forgive him.
What a blessed teaching from Jesus. He speaks of our sin. He speaks of our repentance. He speaks of His forgiveness, His salvation, His pure goodness and mercy.
This is a hard teaching. We are scared of rebuking others. And we are hesitant to forgive. The apostles cry out, “Increase our faith!” If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, “Be uprooted and planted in the sea” and it would obey you.
Were the apostles told to have more faith? Only if faith were something that could be increased! In those moments when our faith is small, tiny, and timid, do we go outside of our homes, outside of this church, and make more faith? Do we pump up our faith like it is a flat tire? Faith does not speak of faith. Faith speaks of a Savior.
I know my faith is founded on Jesus Christ my God and Lord; and this my faith confessing, unmoved I stand on His sure Word. My faith is not founded on what I do or say. My faith does not confess that I’m really not as big a sinner as you might think.
Faith speaks of the Savior. Faith responds to the invitation of the Lord to approach His altar. Faith believes and faith receives the forgiveness of sins, the life of our Lord, that salvation of our God in the body and blood of Christ in the communion meal.
We receive the command to rebuke sin and release the guilt of that sin. We take this hard task and pray to God, “Increase our faith!” God’s response is lovingly given: All the faith you ever needed I gave in your baptism. All the faith you ever will need is here in the Lord’s Supper. Love. Grace. Mercy. Protection. Strength. Direction. Purpose. It’s all here! When Christ gives His gifts, He gives the whole lot. Look to your Savior.
When you need the power and the wisdom to teach, correct, and rebuke- look to your Savior. When you need the power to forgive, to reconcile, to embrace- look to your Savior. When you believe that your faith is imperfect, is lacking- look to Jesus, hanging on the cross. Look to Christ’s tomb and see how empty it is. Look to the font, to the altar- there is Christ for you, loving you, forgiving you, giving you the increase of your faith. SDG
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Worship info for Oct. 3
Here is the information for our worship service on the 3rd.
Hymns:
902 Lord Jesus Christ, Be Present Now
587 I Know My Faith Is Founded
685 Let Us Ever Walk With Jesus
637 Draw Near and Take the Body of the Lord
930 All You Works of God, Bless the Lord
941 We Praise You and Acknowledge You, O God
Scripture Lessons
Habakkuk 1:1-4; 2:1-4
Psalm 62
2 Timothy 1:1-14
Luke 17:1-10
Collect of the Day
O God, our refuge and strength, the author of all godliness, by Your grace hear the prayers of Your Church. Grant that those things which we ask in faith we may receive through Your bountiful mercy; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
May God bless our preparation and meditation for worship!
Hymns:
902 Lord Jesus Christ, Be Present Now
587 I Know My Faith Is Founded
685 Let Us Ever Walk With Jesus
637 Draw Near and Take the Body of the Lord
930 All You Works of God, Bless the Lord
941 We Praise You and Acknowledge You, O God
Scripture Lessons
Habakkuk 1:1-4; 2:1-4
Psalm 62
2 Timothy 1:1-14
Luke 17:1-10
Collect of the Day
O God, our refuge and strength, the author of all godliness, by Your grace hear the prayers of Your Church. Grant that those things which we ask in faith we may receive through Your bountiful mercy; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
May God bless our preparation and meditation for worship!
Sermon for St. Michael and All Angels
I suppose it is good that I am running behind this week. This is my sermon from Sunday and it is Wednesday before I get it posted. But today is the 29th, which is actually the day to celebrate St. Michael. Hear, hear for tardiness!
St. Michael and All Angels
Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Sept. 26, 2010
Luke 10:17-20
“For the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down”
In the name of Jesus, amen. “Just do what you’re told!” “Because I said so!” “Because I’m in charge!” Those emphatic statements have rung in our ears, and they likely have come out of our mouths. When we hear those statements, we probably hang our heads a bit. And when we say those words to others, it is later that we hang our heads as we realize how abrasive and even abusive we portray ourselves to be.
The Sunday for St. Michael and All Angels gives us a wonderful opportunity to focus on the work of God’s angels, his blessed creatures who serve the Lord day and night, never ceasing, never tiring to do the work of the Lord. Angels do what God tells them to do. The Lord says what they are to do and the Lord reaffirms that he is in charge of all things in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and the angels delight to carry out the will of the Lord. Praise God. Praise God for angels. Praise God for the work that the angels carry out.
The Revelation lesson and the Gospel lesson are likely describing the same event. You can read some of the commentaries in my office and come to the Sunday Bible class to discuss more about it, but theologians think that the same event is being talked about.
The archangel, aka the chief prince, aka the commanding officer Michael, given charge of the heavenly army, fought against the great dragon, the devil, Satan, the awful accuser, the dreadful deceiver of the whole world…and Michael won. The great dragon and his evil horde lost and they were cast out of heaven.
St. Luke says that the 72 disciples came back to Jesus and reported all that was taking place. Demons were being cast out in Jesus’ name and Jesus said, “I’m aware. I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. I have given you authority over the enemy and nothing shall hurt you. But do not rejoice in this, that the evil spirits are subject to you, but instead, rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
It was probably a decade ago that angels were all the rage, with TV shows and movies featuring the work of God’s created beings. It is not that I am finally getting with the times, but all the attention was interesting, because the Church of God has always been celebrating the work of angels.
Our hymn of the day gets it right- the angels do their work and to the Lord God we give all praise. And the hymn of the day recounts the Biblical record that the angels are deployed by the Lord God to work against the old Satanic foe and all the forces of the devil. The roaring lion is unceasing in his work to devour and tear up the people of God. But the angels are watchful. They are ready as they follow Christ their master to guard the lambs and sheep of God wherever they go.
For this, praise and thanks are given to God. Praise and thanks to God is the default position of the Christian. And you know why this is so.
It is so because the power of Satan is strong. The devil’s might is terrifying. The accusations of the cunning and slick serpent find the chinks in the Christian’s armor and effect great destruction. Satan never rests going after the children of God.
Satan creates dissension within the family of God. This happens when disagreement over and issue becomes less about the issue and more about personalities. Disagreement over an issue is fine. Disagreement that becomes personal can tear apart the family that God has knit together.
Satan creates division within individuals and great spiritual turmoil is created when the devil leads a person to believe that some sins are less egregious than others, or that some people are less deserving of God’s love than others. Christians have deluded themselves into thinking that their individual sins are not as bad as the sins of those people over there. Judgmental attitudes reign and they are destructive. Self-justification is a big problem because Christians put themselves in God’s position, breaking the first commandment, and start to order God around- Do what I say, when I say, and if I don’t need you, just stay in that box over there, just stay in that baptismal font, just stay on that altar in those silly symbolic acts. I’m in charge God, so please stay out of my and let me run things.
We believe we know best. And what we know best, through the school of experience, is that the division and dissension created by the devil is devastating. Through our sinful actions brought on by our sinful activity, we are divided from our spouse, our children, from our brothers and sisters, from the other lambs we share this fold with. The accuser of our brothers has a field day by pointing to the long laundry list of our sins.
But the accuser of our brothers, the fiend who accuses us and deceives us into doubting God’s certain Word, God’s unconditional love, God’s pure mercy, the accuser has been thrown down. Michael and the heavenly hosts, the Sabaoth, the angelic army, did battle with Satan and Michael won. Of course they did. Was the outcome ever in doubt?
The 72 declared that the demons were subject to them in the name of Jesus. There is the certainty of the outcome. Jesus. Name above all names. Name at which every knee shall bow and every tongue confess in heaven above, on earth below, and in the realm below the earth, that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. It is the Name, the glorious Name, the Name that is love and peace and strength and renewal. The power of the Name drives the demonic away.
There was another angel who did what the Lord told him to do. This was the archangel Gabriel, who showed up in Nazareth on March 25, and told a young virgin girl that she would have a child, a son in fact, and that her son would be the Son of the Most High God. Then Gabriel went over to Joseph’s house, woke him from his sleep and said that his fiancée was pregnant, not to worry, and that Joseph would call his son Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.
The Name. The Name that saves. The Name that is placed on us. Jesus is the name we wear and bear to the world. Hearing the blessed name of Jesus reminds us that the accuser of our brethren has indeed been thrown down. The accuser has no more power to accuse since Jesus has ascended the throne of the cross, carrying your sins and mine, carrying our delusions and doubts. The accuser can no longer point his finger at us and accuse us of our sins since the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ looks at us and sees us wearing the robe of Christ’s righteousness. The devil has been cast down. Christ has triumphed.
Do what you’re told! The angels do what the Lord tells them to do on our behalf. We do what the Lord tells us to do. Rejoice, that our names are written in the book. Rejoice that you are cleansed through the waters of Holy Baptism. Rejoice that you are fed at the table of the Lord. Rejoice that your sins are forgiven. Rejoice that the mercy of God has reached you for the sake of your neighbor. Rejoice. That is what we are told to do. Rejoice that your names are written in heaven. SDG
St. Michael and All Angels
Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Sept. 26, 2010
Luke 10:17-20
“For the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down”
In the name of Jesus, amen. “Just do what you’re told!” “Because I said so!” “Because I’m in charge!” Those emphatic statements have rung in our ears, and they likely have come out of our mouths. When we hear those statements, we probably hang our heads a bit. And when we say those words to others, it is later that we hang our heads as we realize how abrasive and even abusive we portray ourselves to be.
The Sunday for St. Michael and All Angels gives us a wonderful opportunity to focus on the work of God’s angels, his blessed creatures who serve the Lord day and night, never ceasing, never tiring to do the work of the Lord. Angels do what God tells them to do. The Lord says what they are to do and the Lord reaffirms that he is in charge of all things in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and the angels delight to carry out the will of the Lord. Praise God. Praise God for angels. Praise God for the work that the angels carry out.
The Revelation lesson and the Gospel lesson are likely describing the same event. You can read some of the commentaries in my office and come to the Sunday Bible class to discuss more about it, but theologians think that the same event is being talked about.
The archangel, aka the chief prince, aka the commanding officer Michael, given charge of the heavenly army, fought against the great dragon, the devil, Satan, the awful accuser, the dreadful deceiver of the whole world…and Michael won. The great dragon and his evil horde lost and they were cast out of heaven.
St. Luke says that the 72 disciples came back to Jesus and reported all that was taking place. Demons were being cast out in Jesus’ name and Jesus said, “I’m aware. I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. I have given you authority over the enemy and nothing shall hurt you. But do not rejoice in this, that the evil spirits are subject to you, but instead, rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
It was probably a decade ago that angels were all the rage, with TV shows and movies featuring the work of God’s created beings. It is not that I am finally getting with the times, but all the attention was interesting, because the Church of God has always been celebrating the work of angels.
Our hymn of the day gets it right- the angels do their work and to the Lord God we give all praise. And the hymn of the day recounts the Biblical record that the angels are deployed by the Lord God to work against the old Satanic foe and all the forces of the devil. The roaring lion is unceasing in his work to devour and tear up the people of God. But the angels are watchful. They are ready as they follow Christ their master to guard the lambs and sheep of God wherever they go.
For this, praise and thanks are given to God. Praise and thanks to God is the default position of the Christian. And you know why this is so.
It is so because the power of Satan is strong. The devil’s might is terrifying. The accusations of the cunning and slick serpent find the chinks in the Christian’s armor and effect great destruction. Satan never rests going after the children of God.
Satan creates dissension within the family of God. This happens when disagreement over and issue becomes less about the issue and more about personalities. Disagreement over an issue is fine. Disagreement that becomes personal can tear apart the family that God has knit together.
Satan creates division within individuals and great spiritual turmoil is created when the devil leads a person to believe that some sins are less egregious than others, or that some people are less deserving of God’s love than others. Christians have deluded themselves into thinking that their individual sins are not as bad as the sins of those people over there. Judgmental attitudes reign and they are destructive. Self-justification is a big problem because Christians put themselves in God’s position, breaking the first commandment, and start to order God around- Do what I say, when I say, and if I don’t need you, just stay in that box over there, just stay in that baptismal font, just stay on that altar in those silly symbolic acts. I’m in charge God, so please stay out of my and let me run things.
We believe we know best. And what we know best, through the school of experience, is that the division and dissension created by the devil is devastating. Through our sinful actions brought on by our sinful activity, we are divided from our spouse, our children, from our brothers and sisters, from the other lambs we share this fold with. The accuser of our brothers has a field day by pointing to the long laundry list of our sins.
But the accuser of our brothers, the fiend who accuses us and deceives us into doubting God’s certain Word, God’s unconditional love, God’s pure mercy, the accuser has been thrown down. Michael and the heavenly hosts, the Sabaoth, the angelic army, did battle with Satan and Michael won. Of course they did. Was the outcome ever in doubt?
The 72 declared that the demons were subject to them in the name of Jesus. There is the certainty of the outcome. Jesus. Name above all names. Name at which every knee shall bow and every tongue confess in heaven above, on earth below, and in the realm below the earth, that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. It is the Name, the glorious Name, the Name that is love and peace and strength and renewal. The power of the Name drives the demonic away.
There was another angel who did what the Lord told him to do. This was the archangel Gabriel, who showed up in Nazareth on March 25, and told a young virgin girl that she would have a child, a son in fact, and that her son would be the Son of the Most High God. Then Gabriel went over to Joseph’s house, woke him from his sleep and said that his fiancée was pregnant, not to worry, and that Joseph would call his son Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.
The Name. The Name that saves. The Name that is placed on us. Jesus is the name we wear and bear to the world. Hearing the blessed name of Jesus reminds us that the accuser of our brethren has indeed been thrown down. The accuser has no more power to accuse since Jesus has ascended the throne of the cross, carrying your sins and mine, carrying our delusions and doubts. The accuser can no longer point his finger at us and accuse us of our sins since the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ looks at us and sees us wearing the robe of Christ’s righteousness. The devil has been cast down. Christ has triumphed.
Do what you’re told! The angels do what the Lord tells them to do on our behalf. We do what the Lord tells us to do. Rejoice, that our names are written in the book. Rejoice that you are cleansed through the waters of Holy Baptism. Rejoice that you are fed at the table of the Lord. Rejoice that your sins are forgiven. Rejoice that the mercy of God has reached you for the sake of your neighbor. Rejoice. That is what we are told to do. Rejoice that your names are written in heaven. SDG
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