ResQRev

The Spirit Brooded on the Moat- A Hymn for the Baptism of Jesus

2012-01-07T17:05:00.004-05:00

The Spirit brooded on the Moat of formless waters deep,

Divided by the Father’s Word the Firmament to keep.

Plunged in these depths sin’s stranglehold on Adam’s Children dies;

With Pharaoh’s Host and Noah’s World beneath the water lies.

Throughout the Jordan Wilderness echoed the Herald’s cry:

“Prepare the way, your paths make straight; the Lamb of God draws nigh.”

The One by Whom all things were made takes on our human dress,

And in the river, one with us, fulfills all righteousness.

The sign of Jonah now fulfilled in everlasting Day,

The Lord of Life bursts forth from death and rolls my stone away.

With rushing wind the Spirit came the New Life to Inspire;

That all who cross this Sacred Flood are washed with Holy Fire.

O Spirit, bind us into Him Whom God raised from the dead;

And through this Water, make us One, with Jesus as our Head.

Written 2008, The first in a series of hymns on Luther's "Seven Marks of the Church"

Original Music and setting available for free by contacting me

Father Dan Harris April 22, 1942- December 29, 2011

2011-12-29T16:11:00.012-05:00

Once again, a dear friend has died. The Rev. Daniel Harris passed peacefully with his family at his side earlier today, December 29, 2011.

“Father Dan”, as he was known, served as a Fire Chaplain since 1973. In his 38 years of chaplaincy, he served as Chaplain in many different agencies—The Weymouth Fire Department (MA), the Fire Chief’s Association of Massachusetts, the New England Fire Chief’s Association, the Massachusetts Corps of Fire Chaplains, and most recently, the Hampton Bays, NY and Shelter Island, NY Fire Departments.

Fr. Harris was also a member of the Suffolk County Emergency Services Critical Incident Stress Management Team.

No stranger to horrific fire scenes, Fr. Harris was present at the Worcester Cold Warehouse Fire, December 3, 1999, where 6 firefighters were tragically lost searching for vagrants. He did extensive work throughout the attacks on our Country in 2001. He was one of three chaplains on the scene of The Station Nightclub fire in Warwick, Rhode Island on February 20, 2003, where 100 patrons perished.

After the Station Fire, Father Harris was quoted by the Associated Press, saying, “A Firefighter is trained to rescue people and save people… And confronted with the horrific loss there is also the emotion of not being able to complete that job… you have not only the exposure to the death; you have the feeling of having failed… We remind them over and over again that this was not a failed effort on their part.” (Jack Hagel, The Day, Sunday, March 9, 2003 edition).

Even in his lowest moments, his concern was always for others. Earlier this fall, Rev. Harris’ son, Joshua, died suddenly. Richard Schofield, a dispatcher and member of the Suffolk County Emergency Services CISM Team commented, “At his son’s wake, [Fr. Dan] said to call me if I needed any help in the East End… At a time like that, he had others in his thoughts…” Such was the character of Father Daniel Harris.

His parishes in Bay Shore, Hampton Bays, Freeport, Weymouth and Shelter Island knew this, too. He was a caring, nurturing pastor to those over whom the Great Shepherd placed him.

“Well done, good and faithful servant.”

Rest in peace, dear brother. I will miss you

Flowerets Bright, A Hymn for the Feast of the Holy Innocents

2011-12-27T21:26:00.002-05:00

In stable bright in Bethlehem

Was born the King of All.

Scepter and Crown of David's line

Whom David Lord did call.

His Kingdom is not of this world--

But few would understand--

This is the Heavenly Prince of Peace

Sung by angelic band.

The star arose upon his bed

In splendor shone on high.

Came sages to Jerusalem

To worship and draw nigh.

“Where is the one born King of Jews?”

The sages did demand.

King Herod then became enraged

For Judah was his land.

“In Bethlehem” the teachers said,

“The Prophet Micah told

‘A Ruler will be born to you

From ancient times, of old.’”

Then Herod called them privily

“When did the star appear?”

“Go unto Bethlehem and search

That I may, too, draw near.”

With haste the sages went their way

Gifting the Infant pure.

And worshiped there the King of Kings

With gold and spice and Myrrh.

Then, warned of God as in a dream,

“Return another way

For Herod seeks to take His life,

His rivalry to slay.”

Too, Joseph in angelic dream,

Was warned to flee the land

For Herod sought to seize the child

And slay him with his hand.

“Take Mary and the Holy Child

From out of Herod's way

From Egypt God will call His Son

E'en as the prophets say.”

And when the king had been deceived

His fury burned with might

He dispatched death to all the sons

From when the star gave light.

The First in Israel to fall,

O Holy Flowerets bright,

Stand as a sign against the world

That gropes in death's dark night.

Throughout the land a voice is heard

That ceases not to mourn;

As Rachel weeps for all her sons

Who died when they were born.

Jesus, the Christ for whom they died

Brings forth not peace, but sword

That soon would pierce His mother’s soul

When He died as her Lord.

Lord, as the infants gave their all

Your Holy life to spare,

May we, anointed as your priests,

In truth Your Light declare.

Cause us to stand, a holy band

Unmoved e'en pierced by sword.

Grant us at last the Crown of Life

The Christ Child’s great reward.

Friday Night at Patchogue

2011-12-16T20:20:00.001-05:00

Working a volunteer shift at Patchogue Ambulance tonight. 2 very weird calls tonight, but nothing bad. Burning through my Normal saline at a rapid rate...

Missing Sue- we normally have our date night each Friday, but she is in Florida with Julie and Oliver. Occupying time, as I miss her.

Time for some Chinese with Billy, George, the Professor and Mary Ann.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Sunrise Highway South Service Rd,Patchogue,United States

All Saints Hymn

2011-11-01T23:05:00.004-04:00

Every year our Congregation sings "By All Your Saints in Warfare" on All Saints Sunday. I compose a verse for each of our saints who has gone to be with the Lord since the previous All Saints Sunday. Here is this year's hymn:

By all Your saints in warfare,

For all Your saints at rest,

Your holy name, O Jesus,

Forevermore be blest! For You have won the battle

That they might wear the crown;

And now they shine in glory

Reflected from Your throne.

Joseph Koerber

Upon Your holy mountain

A table has been spread,

With finest wines and marrow,

With choicest meats and bread.

We bless you, Lord, for Joseph;

You broke his earthly fast,

Now at Your table feasting

With You, the First and Last.

Norma Wagner

For Norma, Lord, who loved You,

Who made the children smile;

And, in her quiet service,

Though times of joy and trial,

Showed forth the love of Jesus,

Who never left her side,

We bless You and we praise You;

O Lord, with us abide!

Christine Elberth

Lord, like a faithful mother,

You draw us to your breast.

You bless us with Your mercy,

You give us holy rest.

As Christine knew Your presence,

Was drawn beneath Your wing,

May we, O Lord, be gathered;

Your New Song ever sing.

Ruth Merkent

“Your people are my people,

Your God will be my God.

Wherever life may lead you

Beside you, I will trod.”

Like Ruth, who loved Naomi,

She served with all her might,

Your faithfulness, unbroken

And now she dwells in Light.

Gladys Breitenbach

As at the feet of Jesus,

When Mary heard his Word,

And busy Martha served Him,

Her Savior and her Lord;

May we, like faithful Gladys,

Who chose the better way,

Embrace the voice of Jesus

While it is still the day.

June Stozzetto

For June, who loved her family,

We bless your Holy Name.

She loved and served her country

Not seeking praise or fame.

As she worked for our freedom

Upon the mighty sea,

Her life displayed the Savior;

Who died to set us Free.

Fred Kuehl

You are the Holy Bridegroom

Who loved Your Holy Wife,

As Lamb of God, unspotted,

You gave Your holy life.

As Frederick led Your people,

Washed in that Mighty flood,

Prepare us, Lord, to meet You,

Made holy by Your blood.

Walter Breitenbach

He plowed the field and scattered

The good seed on the land,

He tilled and fed and gathered

The gifts from Your own Hand.

We bless you, Lord, for Walter,

Who by his earthly toil,

Gave witness to the Sower

Whose seed fell on good soil.

Then let us praise the Father

And worship God the Son

And sing to God the Spirit,

Eternal Three in One,

Till all the ransomed number

Fall down before the throne,

Ascribing power and glory

And praise to God alone.

Kate 3

2011-10-14T11:50:00.001-04:00

The mass is OUT! They're saying it was HUGE, but was not entangled. They also saved the right ovary, praise God!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Harborview Pl,Center Moriches,United States

Katie 2

2011-10-14T10:52:00.001-04:00

Kate is now in the OR. Surgery beginning.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Harborview Pl,Center Moriches,United States

Katie

2011-10-14T10:43:00.001-04:00

Kate is admitted to KUMC and has been given her pre-op shot. Going for surgery in the next few minutes.

I will keep you updated here.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Harborview Pl,Center Moriches,United States

Back in Black

2011-09-02T22:27:00.001-04:00

Well, vacation is coming to an end. In some ways it was disappointing-- our trip to the Catskills was canceled due to Hurricane Irene. We weathered the storm ok in Center Moriches (pun somewhat intended) but as it turns out, the Catskills were pummeled by the hurricane. It's kind of hard to believe; we are the sitting ducks in the Atlantic Ocean on Long Island and yet we were largely missed. The Catskills, on the other hand are 100 miles away from the ocean, and they've been declared a disaster area. How ironic is that?

I've done a lot of reading, very little writing. It is good to recharge like this every once in a while. On the hit parade were Tom Clancy's "Dead or Alive" (not quite finished), Bo Giertz' "Christ's Church" (should be required reading for all pastors), and also started Grisham's "The Confession"

I downloaded some great Christmas music from iTunes, the latest being "Bekkante Lieder zur Advents und Weihnachtszeit" containing one of my favorite hymn settings, "Frohlocket, Ihr Volker Auf Erden". We sang that as our opening piece in the Concordia, Bronxville Tour Choir during the 78-79 Academic year. I listened to the entire 2+ hour album while cleaning up debris in our yard. Multiple times!!

As we were in town, I did work a couple of EMS shifts. I'm glad the summer is over because we had some really bad calls this summer: a 2 year old drowning, a woman drugged and raped at a beach club ( that should be shut down because this isn't the first time), a suicide attempt where the patient cut his throat, some bad accidents, a woman burned over 50 percent of her body when she threw a block of frozen veggies in her deep fryer, a fatal house fire (different from Ms. Deep-fry) and those were the ones I had. The various squads I work with had even more than that. It seems that people were very stupid this summer, more than usual. As they say, EMS gets to see the Candidates for the Darwin Awards first! I just hate kid calls, though. Fence your stinking pools!

So now it's time to put the finishing touches on the sermon. I look forward to my first day back on Sunday.

Here endeth the pondering, at least for tonight :)

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Some Apple Action

2011-08-22T19:58:00.001-04:00

In preparing for our trip, I just downloaded the BlogPress ap to my iPad so that I can post pictures and updates of our trip. Unfortunately, until they get some bugs worked out, I cannot post directly into my regular resqrev.bloodspot.com blog. But I can enter it on BlogPress and it is seamlessly entered into my regular blog. This is a bit of a test to see if they're telling the truth- ha!

Not only did I purchase this ap, but my new iPhone is scheduled to arrive tomorrow before we leave. I have been stuck in the Blackberry world until my contract expired (I did have a Droid for a short while last year, but after it continuously "butt dialed", I sold it and reactivated my old BB. Finally I got to that point in the contract where I could order a new phone for less than $500! I've had an iTouch for a number of years, which led me to get the iPad last year. I have a Mac Book and a Nano, too. Soon, I will be getting a Mac for the office, and we will have totally squeezed Bill G. out of the office altogether.

Yippee!!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Vacation

2011-08-22T17:34:00.002-04:00

I'm taking the next two weeks off from Church. We're going to steal away to a little place in the Catskill Mountains for a couple of days, getting us out of town.

Both Sue and I really need it-- between the stresses at her work and the issues at Church. Everyone can function without us for a while. It's good all around.

Pics to follow.

My thanks to Pastor Weedon for this Great Observation about Lutheranism

2011-07-27T23:02:00.001-04:00

Click here to read.

Of Calls and Things

2011-07-10T16:28:00.003-04:00

I wound up declining the two calls that I received; the first from Immanuel Lutheran Church, Tonawanda; and the second from Saint John's Lutheran Church and School, Staten Island.

I must say, it was a real struggle. In trying to weigh out what the Lord was saying, there was a lot of work involved. I feel I was successful in keeping a very open mind, doing my homework, visiting the Churches, and praying that the Lord would show the way.

In both cases, the need for a pastor was great (and still is). I did not turn either call away because there were "deficits", or some kind of unsatisfactory situation that would prevent me from going. Both had very fine ministries going--Immanuel had a beautiful Church building with lots of classroom space; St. John's had a wonderful school with a great staff. The call committees were people that I liked, liked a lot. Folk with a true passion for ministry. I anguish over the thought that I have let them down. One thing I have learned from this process: it's not about them and me, but about the Lord.

In the end, neither place is where the Lord wanted me. He made it clear that the needs in my present congregation are great, He opened the doors through these calls for some much needed dialogue between Pastor and People, and hopefully woke some others up that what we have been blessed with here is good.

In the end, I don't think it was the "easy way out" as some may think. Sure... go through it, but live in the safety zone of not having to really go anywhere. I assure you, that was not the case. We had begun the tedious work of packing our basement and garage up in preparation for moving. We had investigated jobs for my wife in both places. I had all of my medical records from my various doctors gathered up. After declining Tonawanda, I was really psyched at the prospect of being the Pastor of a Lutheran School. I had begun organizing my office so that I could pack my books up in an organized way. We researched "life" in Staten Island. I was ready.

Plus, I thought that things at my Church indicated that it was time. We got an organist in April-- for the past two years I recorded all hymns and liturgy on our digital organ and played it with a remote control unit. It worked well, but ate up a lot of my time. Now, I reasoned, they had an organist, and if I left they could still worship. (By the way, liturgical organists are REALLY hard to locate today!). An additional Deacon was consecrated the week after we welcomed our new organist, so there would be ample pastoral care. A friend of mine, who is a pastor, but presently without a Church, was open to the idea of taking over the vacancy. (Hey, he would be wonderful for either Church!). Everything seemed to be pointing to leaving "one Island for another."

That's when the Lord put the brakes on. Through very normal means, He spoke a very strong message to me. In situation after situation, He showed me clearly how He still needed me here.
"Excuse me, Lord, did I hear you right?" Yep. Confirmed multiple times, again.

Not knowing that I had made this decision, out of the blue, I received a beautiful note from one of the women on Immanuel's Call Committee. In part, she wrote, "My thoughts after reading your blog: Grow where you are planted. You have deep roots where you are now. Consider Paul's 2nd letter to Timothy Chapters 2,3 and 4 and also James 1:2-4." Wow.... thank you, Lord! This came well after I had declined their call.

Today, on the way out of Church, I saw a note on my desk. It was from one of our beloved widows, one of the few founding members of our Congregation who wrote, "Pastor and Sue, Thank you for not taking the "calling"-- you've brought us a long way in our congregation. We've got a l-o-n-g way to go! We want you to stay with us to guide us along the way..." I am humbled.

So here's what I need you all to do. Start praying fervently that God would provide Pastors to Immanuel and Saint John's. He knows who they are, otherwise He wouldn't have directed me to decline. They're already chosen. Pray that they would be identified and arrive on the scene soon. Pray for their people -- vacancies can be difficult times in the life of a parish. And remember, along with me, that Jesus is the Head of the Church, and that "Church shall never perish, her dear Lord to defend, to guide, sustain and cherish, is with Her to the end..."

Well, at least the basement its packed. Maybe now it will stay organized???

Camden NJ 7 Alarm Fire, June 19, 2011

2011-06-20T18:37:00.002-04:00

In a city where I used to be an EMT...

Wrestle with me for a minute....

2011-06-17T09:15:00.004-04:00

Life has been a bit complicated lately on several fronts.

To begin, we still have some issues within the congregation. Personality conflicts seem to abound. My attempts as Pastor to diffuse some of them have been met with coldness, seen as lack of support and trust, and led to more distrust and more vamped-up attempts at usurping the pastoral office on the part of some. I guess this is what happens when you point out to someone that he or she is sinning. At least they haven't gathered rocks as they did with the Prophets. (Soon??)

We will get through this, however, I've never had a time in ministry before where there is such wanton dismissal of the Pastor's authority, bestowed by the Call. A tough road, and some are on the wrong road.

The shame is, we're only talking about a handful of people. The congregation, as a whole, is super-supportive, and they themselves are getting tired of the not-so-subtle nonsense. The future possibilities of ministry are great here, and we'll weather this storm as I have with so many other "past storms" that aren't even remembered by the Congregation that were in our face for a spell.

I will say that this struggle has stripped the joy out of ministry for me, which should never happen. In a day and age where there are so many attacks on the Gospel and the Church of Christ, and so many people are dying without the knowledge of Jesus, we're busy with infighting. In the words of a heretical leader of the Unification Church when asked about worrying about interference from the Christians, the response was telling: "Don't worry, the Christians will take care of themselves." His words were chillingly prophetic as folk continue to "bite and devour" one another.

It is my goal to bring these folk back to the Cross, function under the blood of Christ and His forgiveness, and channel their negative, deadly energy into joyful work for His Kingdom. But hardened hearts are difficult to reach. A true sign that Satan has his hand in the till.

So please continue to pray on this front, and I do mean "front" !

Second, I received two Divine Calls to other churches. They both came unsolicited, without any knowledge on their part, or the Bishop's, of the issues going on in our Congregation. One might think this would be an easy out, but it really isn't. I've never "run away" from issues before-- one of the reasons I've been at our Church for 21 years. Should I take a call, it wouldn't be to "leave" because of the issues. It would be because the Lord has directed situations that show me that He needs me elsewhere.

One of my friends wrote me last week with words that ring very true: "God wants us (his pastors and leaders) to be excited about ministry! Amen to that. Of course, that word "excited" doesn't necessarily mean that ministry is a party! In my mind it includes the highs and lows, the deaths as well as the weddings, the Good Fridays as well as the Easter Sundays.

One of the Calls that I received just wouldn't work at this time. Their congregation is wonderful, their leaders wonderful, and they have a lot of vision for the future. In a sense, I am saddened, as I know it would have worked out well. But in weighing it out, the Lord led me to decline it. I do pray for them.

I still have the Second Call that I received before me. I'm wrestling with it, trying very hard to shut out the din of distractions to hear the Lord's "still, small voice" on it. There are a lot of wonderful opportunities in this Calling Congregation (they have a Lutheran School!). There are several gifts that the Lord has given me that I haven't been able to use in my present parish that may be developed there, should I take the call. Their leadership is tight, supportive, and very loving. Of course, they have issues, too. And personality conflicts, too. And money issues, too. Just like we have. Those things don't scare me; that's the very reason I said that if I take this call it wouldn't be to escape the problems we face in my current setting. There is no greener grass; if there is, it is only an illusion.

Having been at my Church for 21 years (20 as Pastor and a little more than one as Vacancy Pastor prior to that) brings with it some issues. First, it is a rarity that pastors today stay this long. It wasn't a rarity in past generations- some of my "Fathers in the Faith" were at a single congregation for over 40 years, but it is today, regrettably. There would be nothing wrong in staying on until retirement.

The idea of packing up 20 years of stuff and moving makes me cower :-)

But that being said, there also can be stagnation, a "stripping of the plowed field", and a lack of stimulation for the people with a long pastorate. Sometimes the Lord needs to shake us up a bit. Bring us all back to the "excitement" and "joy" of service in His Kingdom of Grace not just for the pastor but for the people. Maybe this would be good for them, too!

I've never lived in a place longer than I've been at my present Church. With my Father in sales, our family made several moves throughout my life, never staying longer than 6 years in a place. I've lived in Illinois, California, New Jersey, New York, Missouri, Ohio, and then back to Missouri, and then back to New York. That's my life. I have no real roots.

So being in place 20 years here is the closest thing to "roots" that I have. And I sunk them in.

On top of living in our community and being a daily presence in the lives of the members of our Congregation, I've been very active in the Community and County in the areas of Emergency Services, Social work, Counseling and Chaplaincy. I have hundreds of friends and thousands of acquaintances. It is not uncommon for me to receive a phone call in the middle of the night because a paramedic-- who I don't know, 50 miles away -- is having marital problems, or a firefighter was severely burned in a flashover as he fell through a floor into the basement, and "can you get up to the Burn Unit at Stony Brook ASAP? He may not make it, Rev."

I've married and buried community people and better than that, convinced them to join our congregation. The ties abound. In announcing that I have a call, it has put the entire Suffolk County Emergency Services into a tizzy-- with some folk speechless, or calling or emailing saying, "you can't leave..." So this is a part of my wrestling, too. It would be hard to leave that.

And yet, it was probably pretty hard for Abraham, too. "Get up, get going.... Leave Ur... go to the Land I will show you."

So round and round it goes in my mind. I know the Lord will make it clear; right now He's got me in a holding pattern until He makes clear which airport I'm supposed to land at....

Prayers. Thank you!

You Can't Make This Stuff Up!!! -- Beyond Words

2011-05-11T18:30:00.000-04:00

HT to Father Larry Recla

Father George's Post Rapture Party

2011-05-09T23:46:00.002-04:00

One of my friends is throwing a “Post Rapture” party on May 22, 2011. I think it is hilarious! If I lived a bit closer to Bristol, PA, I’d definitely attend.

What he is referring to is Harold Camping’s prediction that Judgment Day will take place on May 21, 2011—a whole year before the Mayan Calendar ends. The problem is: Camping should know better.

Camping, the Founder and CEO of Family Stations, Incorporated, runs the well known and highly franchised Family Radio Stations. A civil engineer, who never had any formal seminary or theological training, is known for his deep voiced Bible teaching over the airwaves. His most popular show, “Open Forum” is a call-in program providing the opportunity for people to ask questions about the Bible, doctrine and theology. Often the questions asked are not the ones answered; he has a knack of turning the questions into some unrelated theological point, not listening to the caller, hanging up on him or her and saying, “let’s take our next call, welcome to Open Forum.”

For years Camping has been a date setter. In the early 1990’s, he revealed a study that he had been conducting for many years, pointing to the end of the world on or about September 7, 1994. He formed a new Church body, “the Reformed Bible Church” that assisted in heralding (no pun intended) in the End. When it didn’t happen, he made no comment about it, no apology, no reference to it.

A few years ago, Camping basically stated that he misinterpreted what happened in 1994. It wasn’t the end of the world—it was the end of the church. And so, he’s called people to leave their churches because, in his opinion, the Church is “apostate.” Instead, families are encouraged to gather around the radio in their homes and let Family Radio minister to them on Sunday mornings. They even came out with their own hymnal that you can mail away for. All of the speakers, who used to be referred to as “pastors” have lost their ecclesiastical titles and are now simply referred to as “brother.”

Camping’s numerological tinkering is very complex, garnering information from throughout the Bible, using a strange hermeneutic of “reading the Bible very carefully. Much of his interpretation is allegorical, though he is a wooden literalist at other times. For instance, I once heard him compare one of Paul’s shipwrecks to the Church falling away. Christians are left in the water without a boat. Some funky Baptismal formula? Nope. But only Family Radio has the ring buoys to rescue those who were once in the Church. He disdains commentaries, yet he provides his own, not seeing a discrepancy with such practice.

Evidently he’s been recalculating his error, and now is convinced that Jesus is returning a week from Saturday. Dang. Why couldn’t it have been before April 15 when I had to fork over all my savings to the IRS?

Not to make light of this—this is a serious problem.

The Church has always believed, taught and confessed that Jesus is returning. This is the culmination of our faith and we speed the Day by sharing the Good News. So we’re not arguing the point that the world will one day end. It will, or our faith would be in vain, just as if Jesus didn’t rise from the dead. Praise God, He did!

The problem comes with setting dates. People that set dates, including Camping, haven’t read their Bible very carefully. For it is forbidden. Jesus says a couple of things about this. First, people of Jesus’ day wanted to know “when” this day would come. Remember, the Jewish folk believed in a Resurrection, too. So the idea of the end of the world was nothing new for them. Now they want to know. Jesus reply? “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it but the sign of the Prophet Jonah.” (Matthew 12:39) Whoa! Jesus forbids figuring these things.

Right before Jesus ascends the Disciples ask Him, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority.” (Acts 1:7)

And, here’s the clincher verse, Matthew 24:But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son but My Father only.

Sooo…. What Mr. Camping (that’s what he wants to be called) is saying is that he knows more than the angels and Jesus, according to His State of humiliation. Hmmm…. I think I’d call that…… arrogant! (It is interesting that in his book 1994? Camping makes the point that we can’t know day or hour, but we can figure out “month and year.” I’d say that’s stretching Jesus point like a rubber band that snaps as it breaks).

One of my friends says, “Jesus can’t come back that day…” for obvious reasons. I say, “well, He can, but it would be in spite of, not because of Camping’s predictions.

So, what are we to do?

First, it is a good time to study what it is that we believe concerning the End Times. It may be a good topic for your pastor to teach.

Second, we must remember that all prophecy and the entirety of the Scriptures are fulfilled in Jesus Christ, not in the Newspaper headlines. Already some are abuzz with trying to squeeze Osama’s death into their prophetic puzzle.

Third, remember the reason the Lord tells us about the end times: It’s to give us hope. That’s it! Not to figure it out, not to have it take over all other theology as so many permit today. It’s to assure us that we are the Lord’s and that as His elect nothing can snatch us out of His hands.

Fourth, get in your car and drive to my friend, Father George’s house in Bristol on May 22 and I’ll meet you there. We’ll raise a glass to Camping who will, undoubtedly, come up with some other explanation about the Biblical stars not lining up properly. And, once again, I’ll have to pay my taxes next April 15…

Some thoughts on Present Divisions in our Congregation

2011-04-18T13:11:00.008-04:00

Pastoral Lead

May/June 2011

A very important theme in the Scriptures is that of unity.

The Christian Church has been terrible about maintaining unity over the Centuries. With each denominational split and rift comes sin, for Jesus prayed that we would be one. All too often the Church looks at the differences between Herself and others, separating from those who hold to different views on various sub doctrines: Infant Baptism vs. Believer’s Baptism, the presence of Christ in the Sacrament, the End Times scenarios and the like. While, as Christians, these are important differences, to the world they are horrible impediments to our witness of Jesus being the only way to Heaven.

I’ve always been suspicious of ecumenism-- that is, all churches coming together. We’re not at that point. And, as Luther reminds us, to go against faith and conscience is a dangerous thing to do. The differences are very real and very disunifying. But we always need to be at the table talking; working hard at doing our part not to stand in the way of the Holy Spirit’s actions. It is a delicate balance. Because of sin, the Church on earth will remain tattered until that Last Day when Jesus takes us to be with Himself. And yet it is our solemn calling to deal with this in love.

More importantly, what do we do with division amongst our selves, in our own congregation? It’s happening, you know. I am seeing factions develop between individuals and groups. There are those in our congregation who will not talk to or acknowledge others in our congregation. There is suspicion and paranoia on the part of a few that is driving actions and decisions that are not pleasing to the Lord. I’ve heard bad-mouthing, gossip, anger, disgust, resignation, miscommunication and a host of other terrible things, and it is breaking my heart. This is not the way that God’s people act! We must repent and reunify.

Listen to what the Scriptures say:

“Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them. For those who are such do not serve our Lord jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple.” Romans 16:17-18

I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with long suffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Ephesians 4:3

Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice, and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. Ephesians 4:31-32

This is speaking directly to each of us. Don’t read this and think of the other person. Read it and let the Spirit slay your heart so that you might repent.

The issues that separate us must be addressed and removed.

Here are some things to assist us in resolving our issues.

1. The issues must be dealt with as issues. Do not allow them to become personal. We do not attack other Christians because they hold a differing view. We work together in love. Anything else is of the devil.

2. No business, great or small, will be discussed on Sunday at Church. This is the Lord’s Day. People look to their time here to give them peace. Church business, particularly of the nature that I have been witnessing,destroys this and is causing folk to behave strangely and coldly to one another. No business. We have Monday through Saturday to talk about the building, ministry, music, education, stewardship and evangelism. Start sanctifying this holy day once more. While we’re at it, we should not talk before the service begins in Church. It is distracting to those who are using the time to prepare for worship. The disrespect for the Lord and His house is becoming evident.

3. Keep the 8th Commandment. Remember Luther’s explanation when it comes to our neighbor? “Defend him, speak well of him and put the best construction on everything.” The word “everything” is all-inclusive. No one is exempt from it for any reason.

4. Keep the focus. Our focus is proclaiming the Good News of Jesus to believer and non-believer alike. It is not our new building. It is not “fundraising”. (God wants giving and offerings, not fundraising). Our new building will simply be a means to a greater end, not an end in itself. We have some who are working very hard to make this building happen (in a good way), but for some reason it seems to me that the building can very easily become our “golden calf” and cause us to break the First Commandment as a Congregation. It can, and at times has, become our God.

5. Do not listen to or support gossip. Do not speak of someone who is not present with you at the time. If you have a problem, follow Matthew 18. Go to the person and work it out-- not another to talk about it.

6. Repent of the things in which you have been involved. Pray that the Holy Spirit will equip you to make things right.

7. Pray for our Church, our Congregation and me as your Pastor.

8. Take any evangelical correction given to you by the Pastor or Elders as an act of love, not as punishment. We only seek to correct behavior that is detrimental to our mission.

The Lord does give us comfort, even at a time such as this. We will celebrate Pentecost on June 12. The Holy Spirit comes with the Fire of God’s love and with the warmth of unity-- that oneness that we have in Christ Jesus who died-- even more-- was raised to life, who is at the Right hand of God and is interceding for us.

May the Lord grant us Unity, Peace, Vision and Passion for the lost. May He strengthen our witness as individuals and as a congregation to this end.

Pastor Fleischmann

Individual Confession and Private Absolution

2011-04-18T10:32:00.004-04:00

During Holy Week, our church offers two scheduled times for Individual Confession and Absolution: Today (Monday, April 18) and Wednesday, April 20, 10am-2pm.

It is amazing at how many don't realize that we have this gem of a service to soothe troubled consciences and to remove sin from their lives.

It seems that private confession has fallen out of usage in the Lutheran Church. A lot of that has to be laid at the feet of pastors of previous generations who did not educate their members about this practice, nor did they practice it themselves.

Our Old Adam resists Confession for several reasons. First, the convenient excuse, "It's too Catholic" reveals ignorance. Had they paid attention in Confirmation, they would have recalled the Fifth Part of the Small Catechism. It's all about private confession and absolution.

Second, we just don't like to do it. We like to think that we are sinless. Private confession is reserved for the "bad sinners" in their minds. "I'd have nothing to confess..." Or, and this is a biggy, we are just too embarrassed to do it.

And then, throw in the protestant confusion, that "only God can forgive sin, not the pastor". Another convenient excuse. (They need to read John 20 very closely, for Jesus gives this very power to His Church). They misunderstand that when the Pastor speaks forgiveness, it is not him speaking, but GOD HIMSELF. Again, if we heeded the Catechism, we would know this.

EXCURSUS: Remember, Lutherans are not protestant Christians-- we need to stop using this terminology about ourselves. We reject what the protestants believe: No presence of Jesus in the Sacrament of the Altar, no salvation by Baptism, no confession, a stress on "Jesus in me" instead of "me in Jesus." And no confession! When will we ever learn?? That is not us!

Lutherans are catholic Christians. Always have been, always will be. Not Protestants! One is reminded that the purpose of Luther in the Reformation wasn't to start a new Church (Lutherans are a movement, not a Church). It was to restore catholicity to the Church which had been lost by the incorporation of reason and the teachings of man. We never celebrate the Reformation-- we observe it. It was a necessary evil, not a victory.

The Fifth of the Six Chief parts of the Small Catechism is devoted to Private Confession and Holy Absolution. Of Confession, Luther writes:

What is Confession? Confession has two parts: the one is that we confess our sins; the other is that we receive Absolution, or forgiveness, from the confessor, is from God Himself, and in no way doubt, but firmly believe that our sins are forgiven before God in heaven by this.

In the Apology of the Augsburg Confession it says:

We also keep Confession, especially because of the Absolution. Absolution is God's Word which, by divine authority, the Power of the Keys pronounces upon individuals. Therefore it would be wicked to remove private Absolution form the Church. If anyone despises Private Absolution, he does not understand what the forgiveness of sins or the Power of the Keys is... (AP, Article XIIB)

Private Confession is not some 'high-church liturgical novelty' but a soothing balm for the soul.

I can recall that when it has happened, the huge burdens lifted off of the shoulders of our members. Their past sins are no longer holding them back. Their depression is gone. Their nights are restful once again. Their relationships have been restored. Private absolution assures us that with the Cross none of us have a past. You can have this, too.

Therapy has its place, but what do you do with your past, once you've figured it out? Private Confession has the answer: You obliterate the sin by confessing it. It is gone by the death of Jesus on the Cross.

I am grateful, also, to the Society of the Holy Trinity, a ministerium of which I am a part, that offers private confession to Pastors during times of retreat. I avail myself of that. It has always been a blessing to me.

All this to say, why not give it a try?

Some things to keep in mind during Confession:

One only need confess the sins that lay heavy upon the heart. You don't have to make up sins. If you can't think of any, that is ok, also, as there is a general confession that can be used.
The Pastor is under the seal of ordination. He cannot ever reveal, talk about, make reference to, or in any other way expose confessed sin to anyone at any time. He cannot be compelled to testify in court or other legal action to reveal what was confessed.
The Pastor will not judge you. He will forgive you. There is no need to be embarrassed about any sin that you Confess.

This is an awesome Gospel experience, not one of the Law. The Law has already spoken, that is why one comes. The Pastor simply applies the cross to your life.

I'm here right now. 10am to 2pm today and Wednesday. Or call me and I'll arrange to meet you at a different time.

Until one does it, the fear will remain. But the joy you will experience will far exceed and outweigh the pain of the unknown.. This, I promise you.

Upon the Eve of the Eve of Holy Week

2011-04-15T12:34:00.007-04:00

I always love this time of year. Kiddingly, I often refer to it as "finals week"-- with all of the bulletins, sermons and related items needed to be produced. It reminds me of college days when all of the tests and papers came due. Somehow, with the Lord's help, I always get through it.

I've noticed that each year during this time, the distractions tend to increase. Ultimately, I believe that they do because of Satan. Two years ago I had a woman verbally attack me on Palm Sunday because of an issue that the Council had decided; obviously not in a way that pleased her. Two members of my congregation and a relative of another were all diagnosed with Cancer this week, all serious, all most likely terminal. I find myself on two call lists that have come basically "out of the blue", (perhaps the Lord is saying something to me??), and horrible events have been occurring in our County.

Two separate, horrific accidents have occurred close to where I serve as a Paramedic, one involving the fatality of two men who were killed, hitting a tree, causing the car to explode and burning them alive; the other with a woman, 8 months pregnant who hit a tree. She was so entangled and traumatized that there was nothing that could have been done to save her or the blessed life in her womb. While not on the calls, they have become distractions for me because I've had calls just like them in the past 35 years, and when I hear of a current event, I'm taken back to the times when I have witnessed people dying in cars and fires in a similar manner.

Tonight, I'm doing a wake service for a 40 year old man, in good health with wife and family, who had a heart attack on Monday.

I've been requested to do several funerals over the next several days for non-members of the Church, which I have turned down. All of these distractions...

Distractions always happen in life-- the devil loves them. Because when we get sucked into their vortex, our gaze upon the cross is either blurried or lost. But the Cross of Christ must always remain our central focus and hope.

Two Sundays ago, another distraction. I had a visitor in Church lambaste me because we have "Jesus on the Cross." She, like many Lutherans, have bought into the lie that goes something like this: "Our Jesus came off of the Cross and Rose again." As if somehow if one has a crucifix it denies the resurrection of Jesus. If one wants to stress that, he should have an empty tomb on the wall instead of a cross. This lie stems from what Paul calls the "Scandal of the Cross". We don't like to see Jesus up there because ultimately it sends the message that this is where we are supposed to be.

We were not saved by the Empty Tomb. We were saved by the Cross. The Empty Tomb was God's seal of approval that Jesus' Once-for-all Sacrifice was accepted by the Father. The Resurrection, which we receive in Baptism, gives us back the eternal life that death stole from us. It gives us eternal hope. We celebrate it with all our might. But we do so through the Cross, not apart from it. Without the Cross, and Jesus' death upon it, there can be no Resurrection.

Throughout this next week we're going to walk Jesus' walk. The Entry into Jerusalem. The Foot Washing. The Upper Room. The Betrayal. The Arrest. The trumped Trials before the Sanhedrin, Herod and Pilate. The release of a murderer. The beating and pounding of our Lord. The purple cloak. The Crown of Thorns. The bearing of the Cross. Simon of Cyrene. The nails. The hammer. The hanging. The Forgiving. The Thirsting. The dying. The Spear. The stone and seal. The Roman Guard. The Angels. The opening. The Resurrection. The revelation of Jesus' resurrection to Mary.

This is where our focus will be. Not on the distractions. "Come, let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and Perfecter of our Faith, who, for the joy set before him, endured the Cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."

Sermon for Lent 1

2011-03-12T17:44:00.001-05:00

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

I held many jobs when I was a seminarian. My main job was working for Media Services. I learned how to operate Professional Television Cameras, as well as how to edit videotape. We produced multiple TV shows on behalf of the Synod that were aired nationally. It was a great job because there was a lot of electronic tinkering that one could do. Pastor Dave Horn and I worked side by side, and I still have lasting friendships with many with whom I worked.
I had a number of side jobs, too. I worked part time at a Haagen Dasz Ice Cream Store. And I also worked for a Catering Company on the weekends, usually finding myself bartending between setting up and taking down large scale events. Our specialty was debutant balls, where young women were officially recognized as such—kind of a formal version of the “sweet 16”. And the parents would spend a bundle on having us there.
One time, we catered an event up in Saint Charles, Missouri—about a half hour north of Saint Louis. It was for the Greater Saint Louis Hot Air Balloon Association. As we arrived at the mansion on the bluffs of the convergence of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers, we could see all of the Hot Air balloons on the front yard. We arrived a bit early, so it was neat to take some time to see how they worked.
At that party was a world famous hot air balloonist—though many people didn’t realize he was into it. His name: Flip Wilson, the comedian who was famous in the 1970’s. He liked scotch and 7up! At one point, when I was serving him, I asked him for his autograph. He asked me if I wanted it signed by “Flip” or by “Geraldine” his female impersonated alter-ego. I told him, “Flip”. He obliged as he signed a cocktail napkin for me. How did he sign it? “The devil made me do it. Flip Wilson”.
I’m not sure where that napkin wound up—I don’t have it any more. But that was his famous line. Then devil made me do it.
Of course, he was kiddingly speaking of temptation.
The problem is— Flip’s theology was wrong. Just like ours is sometimes. The devil can’t make you do anything! Temptation isn’t the devil making you do something; it’s the way he seduces you into sin.
We heard the account of man’s fall into sin in the Garden a few moments ago. The devil didn’t force Eve and Adam to disobey God. He planted a seed in their minds and hearts that made them both feel that God was holding out on them, and that the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil looked just too good to pass up. They themselves committed the sin, not the devil. And they themselves would become responsible for paying the penalty of that sin—death. Not the devil.
Temptation doesn’t just come from the devil. The world can lure us in to sinning with the idea that we’re missing something in our lives that we cannot live without. And James makes clear that we’re pretty good at even tempting ourselves: “Let now one say when he is tempted, I am tempted by God” for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed…” (James 1:13)
So temptation can come from the devil, the world and our own sinful flesh.
It comes to us all. It even comes to Jesus.
In today’s text, however, it does come from the devil—the deceiver, the slanderer. And the fact that he will go after Jesus shows us that no one is safe from his diabolic attacks.

Jesus is tempted three times in the wilderness. One should note that while this is His intense period of temptation, the Scriptures also state that he was “Tempted in every way we are, yet without sinning”. So there was more to Jesus being tempted than just this incident over the 40 days in the wilderness.
In order to understand Jesus’ temptations, one must understand the history of Israel after her release from Egypt.
There is a lot of typology going on here. Israel came out of Egypt; so did Jesus. Israel was in the wilderness 40 years; Jesus, 40 days. Israel succumbed to several temptations in the wilderness; Jesus faced the same ones but prevailed. All the while, Israel is pointing forward to this One, this Messiah, who would be “Israel Reduced to One” who would save His people and lead them into the promised land of eternal salvation for all who would believe.

If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.

Notice how I read this. It is usually read incorrectly, with the stress on the if. But the devil knows Jesus is the Son of God. He’s not challenging that. He is challenging Jesus to prove it. So when you read this, read it right.

It seems that Israel did a lot of complaining in the wilderness. Their complaints brought a lot of the punishment of God upon their heads. And one of the things that they griped about was their hunger. Exodus 16:2-3 paints the picture,

And the whole congregation of the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. And the children of Israel said to them, “O that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat and when we ate bread to the full! For you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger”

Hungry in the wilderness. And the people got nasty.

God provided bread in the wilderness, Manna from heaven. Then the Lord said to Moses, Behold I will rain bread from heaven for you. And the people shall go out and gather a certain quota every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in my law or not…

So the Lord provides. What does this lead to? More complaining. They get tired of the Manna.

It’s just like us. We need something. We pray for it. We get it. And before long, we no longer appreciate it and are once again unsatisfied.

Jesus is tempted in the same way. He is led by the Spirit in the wilderness after going through the parted waters of John’s Baptism. He is fasting 40 days and 40 nights—nothing to eat for over a month. Enter Satan. He goes right for the gut, just as he did with Adam and Eve, and just as he did with Israel.

He is attempting to get Jesus’ own power to serve himself in time of need. The slanderer grants Jesus’ identity as “The Son of God” but seeks to lead Jesus into being the wrong kind of Son. Could Jesus do this? Certainly. He fed the four thousand and the five thousand with a few loaves of bread and a handful of fish; he could certainly comply. He could show Satan, too, that He was God by doing it.

That’s probably what we would do! Someone dares us, or tells us we’re wrong, and we don’t give much thought into immediately defending ourselves. That would have been a fatal error for our Lord.

Jesus resists temptation perfectly. He uses the sword of the Word of God against Satan, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word the comes from the mouth of God.” That was a text that Israel had a hard time with. You can find it in Deuteronomy 8. They failed to learn what this meant. Jesus puts it into practice and it becomes a powerful weapon against Satan.

Satan, not content to give up, moves to temptation number 2.

The devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, He will command his angels concerning you, and ‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.

The connection with Israel is not as immediately clear as in the first. But we read of an incident at Massah in Exodus 17 where the people of Israel quarreled with the Moses, doubting whether God’s power was available to provide for them. They wanted proof from God Himself.

The devil goes after God’s man, the God Man once again with the same issue. Prove it Jesus. Prove you are the Son of God.

This temptation is all about skipping the cross. For if Jesus were to jump down, His angels would catch Him. Everyone would see and believe. It’s a short cut, the kind we often take in our lives that, in the long run, become our undoing.

Notice here that Satan quotes Scripture. He knows it well. Better than most Christians! To be sure he misapplies it, but if we don’t know our Scripture, how do we not know that we are doing the same?

Jesus once again rebukes Satan, stopping the temptation in its tracks. Instead of hitting the rock, as Moses does at Massah, Jesus slays Satan again with Scripture, “You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.”

Finally, we come to the grand finale. He takes Jesus up a very high mountain and shows him the world. “All these I will give you if you bow down and worship me.”

Now there’s one Israel can relate to… They were good at falling down before any God that came their way—the golden calf, the gods of the Gentiles. They were an expedient lot, the Israelites. If one god would work better than their perception of the One True God, they would go for it. And it was their complete and total downfall, for Israel no longer exists in the form it once had. That would be their curse. The tree of Jesse would truly be cut down forever.

Praise God for the sprig that comes forth out of the stump of Jesse. This one who resists the devil and sends him packing.

So those are the temptations of Jesus.

It would be easy to preach a moralizing sermon, using Jesus as an example. Like “This is how to avoid temptation.”

But that is not what happens here. Rather, what we must understand on this First Sunday in Lent is that what Jesus does He does for us. Not as an example, but as a completed act. Our temptation has become His. Even though we give in, He does not, and He does not for us. Baptized into Christ, in God’s eyes, we resist temptation in all things. We are declared righteous for Jesus’ sake. Even when we sin, it becomes His, not ours. We remain holy in Christ, washed by His blood.

This is not to say that we shouldn’t gear up against the devil. We can and we must. For we struggle not against flesh and blood. So we suit up in the Armor of God. We understand that there is an enemy, and we understand his tactics. We avoid him. We sing at him. We preach at him. And We resist him. And he flees from us.

He is still a formidable enemy in this life, and none of his goals are good. They are all evil, and they are all against you.

“But for us fights the valiant One, Whom God Himself elected.” You ask who this may be? Christ Jesus, it is He! Deo Gratias.

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Fear Not, My Israel

2011-03-11T21:23:00.001-05:00

Fear not, My Israel
Redeemed and called by name.
The waters will not close you in,
Nor everlasting flame.

The caverns of the deep
Joined forces with the rain,
The ark upon the water rose,
The evil world was slain.

Pursued by Pharaoh’s host,
The sea was all around.
The Mighty Arm of God was bared-
Delivered on dry ground.

They served no other god,
The furnace, overblown.
Cast in, the Lord was at their side
And stepped forth as His own.

The Spirit’s Flood has come
Drowned out that wretched dust,
With new life He has raised us up
To live in faith and trust.

Jesus is ever near
In floods and fires of life,
In human flesh he dwelt with us
And entered all our strife.

Fear not, My Israel
Come flood or storm or flame,
I am the Lord your God who saves
And calls you by your name.

President Harrison on the Japan Earthquake and Tsunami

2011-03-11T21:08:00.001-05:00

Power, Politics and the Missouri Synod

2011-03-08T22:08:00.009-05:00

During my years at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis (1982-1986) I took several historical courses with the now sainted Dr. August Suelflow. I always enjoyed the fact that he presented his lessons like a master story-teller. His delivery was fascinating.

For papers, Dr. Suelflow liked a style that he referred to as "problem solving". In order to write a paper, you had to pick a topic and then read at least two books on it-- one pro, the other con. You had to evaluate each book on its own merits, and then work out your own conclusions based upon the readings and one's knowledge of the topic.

One of the papers that I wrote was on the "split" in the LCMS that had its roots in the 50's and 60's and came to fruition in the 1970's. I read three books: The Anatomy of an Explosion by Kurt Marquardt; No Room in the Brotherhood by Frederick Danker, and Preus of Missouri by James Adams.

Each one told "the story" from his own perspective. Marquardt presented a defense of the conservative side, exposing the ugliness of higher criticism that basically shreds the Scriptures; Danker and Adams were from the liberal side, attempting to expose the perceived injustice of what transpired in our Church Body. (For those unfamiliar, the "split" occurred when the faculty and students who supported the deposed president John Tietjen left the seminary and ultimately formed a new seminary, "Christ Seminary - Seminex (Seminary in Exile)."

The results of this split were divisive, pitting churchman against churchman and, in some cases, brother against brother (literally). It was an unfortunate time in the history of our Church, and both "sides" took major hits. Some of the brightest minds were lost by the LCMS-- Names like the famed homilitician Richard Caemerer (whose book was still used at the sem when I was there); Liturgical expert Arthur Piepkorn, and others. Likewise, some of the finest dogmaticians and pastoral professors remained with the LCMS. The damage was irreparable; the separation permanent this side of heaven. In a word, it was tragic.

Unfortunately, instead of addressing the issue of the problems of historical criticism theologically (as was the intent), the political wave was not far behind sweeping many away. For most, the doctrinal issues took back seat to the emotion that rocked students and faculty alike. I can certainly relate. I have professors both from College and Seminary that I love dearly and would trust with my life. If they ever came under fire, I'd have a hard time not supporting them.

The chasm never went away. Seminex was absorbed into the existing seminaries of what is now the ELCA; the church fellowship that formed, "ELIM", likewise became a part of the ELCA merger in 1988. What was left in the LCMS regrouped, reformed and rebounded. But it was never the same.

Strong reactions occurred within the LCMS. The theological liberalism of the left was countered by some with a loveless conservatism that was motivated by anger, hatred and distrust. Some LCMS brothers were quick to point out the Saducees of the left without realizing that in doing so they had become Pharisees. Neither party has standing with the Lord. One might do well to remember this!

Now, over three decades later, comes another salvo in this saga. Power, Politics and the Missouri Synod: A Conflict that Changed American Christianity by James Burkee (Fortress Press, 2011).

First, it is interesting to read of this account from a non-participant. Hopefully this means that there is more objectivity, as the emotional investment is not the same as the writers of the earlier tomes.

The book itself was a great read. Burkee is a solid writer. The chapters flowed quite well. The information was well researched and documented.

What was different about this book was that Burkee exposed all sorts of behind the scenes communication among conservatives heretofore not having seen the light of day. Letters and directives were included from names such as Herman Otten, Waldo Werning, Paul Zimmermann, Karl Barth and J.A.O. Preus himself. And they weren't flattering. As a matter of fact, some were outright damning.

At first, it seemed to me like a crushing blow. I have always identified with the conservatives on this issue. I had the opportunity to go to Seminex, but I chose to go to Concordia, St. Louis, instead. I studied historical criticism at length during my years in college and at the Seminary and agree that it is false teaching. So reading about the nastiness and infighting of the conservatives broke my heart.

It got me thinking, though. All it really showed was that these conservative men were sinners, just like me. Some of their tactics were deplorable, loveless, self-centered and duplicitous. But in actuality, it falls under the same category as the emotional wave that happened in the 70's. The real issue becomes blurred once again: There was false doctrine being taught and perpetuated at the Seminary. That's the point. And I think it was lost on the author.

Just because there were men behaving badly doesn't mean that there wasn't a real issue. There most certainly was.

The other thing is that Burkee did not research or expose any of the communication going on amongst the liberal side. I personally know there was much-- I used to read Missouri in Perspective right along side of Christian News! In the pre-computer era of my seminary experience, both papers were stuffed in our mailboxes each week, like spam in my inbox now.

I realize that this was outside of the scope of the author; however it may be time for someone to expose the other side as well. Or, maybe not.

Maybe we just need to let this go. Have that blood of Jesus dribble down on the whole mess from His cross. Forgive us all for our arrogance and division. Empower us to love our brothers, even if they left or stayed in the Synod. We made the mess. That doesn't mean the Lord cannot clean it up and restore what was shattered.

I mourn the broken fellowship. My godmother didn't talk to me once I went to Concordia Seminary and not Seminex. She died before we could ever talk. It hurts deeply to even acknowledge this.

So, I offer this collect from our Pastoral Care Companion:

"O God, Your infinite love restores to the right way those who err, seeks the scattered, and preserves those whom You have gathered. Of Your tender mercy pour out on your faithful people the grace of unity that, all schisms being ended, Your flock may be gathered to the true Shepherd of Your Church and may serve You in all faithfulness, through Jesus Christ, Our Lord. Amen."

John J. Fleischmann, October 9, 1918- February 18, 2011

2011-02-25T15:45:00.001-05:00

John J. Fleischmann was born October 9, 1918 to John G. and Viola (Ochsenkehl) Fleischmann in Saginaw, Michigan. He was received into God’s Kingdom of Grace through Holy Baptism at Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Saginaw, shortly thereafter. He attended Holy Cross Lutheran School through the Eighth Grade and remained active in the congregation through young adulthood.

He graduated from Arthur Hill High School in Saginaw Michigan in 1936. He also attended Bay City Junior College in Bay City, Michigan.

He married Myrtle Bohstedt of Saginaw in April, 1942, who died ten years later from cancer.

He married Hedwig Scherzer on February 27, 1954 in Midland, Michigan. They struggled through the loss of three still born sons.

Residing in Park Forest, Illinois, they adopted two sons, John George, II and James William.

As a plastics specialist throughout his career, he was employed by Dow Chemical Company, Formold Plastics, Mattel Toys and Pennwalt.

His career resulted in two major moves for his family. In 1966, having been hired by Mattel Toys, his family moved from Park Forest, Illinois to Inglewood, California. They would remain there for the next five years until he was transferred to Philadelphia by Pennwalt in 1971. The family moved to Cherry Hill, New Jersey at that time, where he remained until he died.
He was well known in the plastics industry, having written multiple journal articles and frequently called upon to give presentations at seminars and trade shows.
He retired in 1982.

Throughout his life, John was an active Churchman. A life-long Missouri Synod Lutheran, he served the Lord in many capacities at the congregations to which he belonged: Holy Cross Lutheran, Saginaw Michigan; Hope Lutheran, Park Forest, Illinois; Good Shepherd Lutheran, Inglewood, California, and Martin Luther Chapel, Pennsauken, New Jersey.
He was active in Scouting during his sons’ teen-years, often camping with Troop 142, and serving as the Troop Committee Chairman. He also served as a leader in the Indian Guides. He also assisted periodically with the Youth Group at Martin Luther Chapel.

For recreation, he enjoyed the outdoors. He was particularly fond of fishing and camping.

Having contracted Polio as an infant, he faced several physical challenges throughout his life, overcoming them all.

He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Hedwig; His sons, Rev. John G. Fleischmann (Susan) of Center Moriches, New York, and James W. Fleischmann of Cherry Hill New Jersey. He has two granddaughters, Mrs. Katherine L. Kidder (Captain Joseph, United States Army) of Manhattan, Kansas, and Laura E. Hamon (Blake) of Flowery Branch, Georgia. He has one sister, Mrs. Ellen McGarry of Honolulu, Hawaii.

Shortly before his 92nd birthday this past October, he penned the following words in an email: John 3:16 is the most treasured passage in my bible. Is it yours? As I turn 92 next Saturday, this passage is most important to me.

Indeed, the Lord granted him a blessed life. Even more important, He granted him a blessed death. He passed peacefully, in his sleep, on February 18, 2011, in the presence of his wife.
We give thanks to the Lord for John’s faithfulness to Christ, his witness to the faith, his love for family and his perseverance at the end of his life.

We look forward to that Day when the Lord Jesus will return with the shout of the Trumpet, the dead will be raised, and we will be with him forevermore in the presence of the Lamb upon His Throne.

Year End Pastoral Report for 2010

2011-02-11T11:55:00.002-05:00

Grace, mercy and peace to you from God Our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

In Romans 6, Paul tells us that there are two components to the Life in Christ. First is to die to sin, being bound to the death of Christ through Baptism; Second is to rise to the new life with Jesus now. As we once again cross the threshold into a new year, looking back we see that these two themes echoed throughout 2010.

Throughout 2010, the Lord Once Again Granted us Growth

Currently, the present membership of Christ Lutheran Church stands at 273 Baptized Members and 218 Confirmed Members.

During the past calendar year the Lord has expanded His Kingdom once again in our midst. There were 10 infant baptisms in 2010. Additionally, four adults were brought into God’s Kingdom through the Sacrament of Holy Baptism and Confirmation. Two youths were confirmed. Six new members were received by Transfer from other LCMS congregations, and 2 new members were received by Profession of Faith. This gave us a net gain of 24 new members throughout the year.

Additionally, we continue to have several families worshiping at Christ Lutheran Church who have not yet joined the congregation. While they are welcomed, we encourage them to consider joining our fellowship.

We continue to offer two worship services throughout the academic year (September through June) at 8 am and 11 am. Worship attendance this year was slightly down from previous years. Sunday averages dipped below 90 this year, with the average attendance of 87. Additionally, we have continued to offer Midweek Matins throughout the year each Wednesday at 12:00 noon. Average attendance at these services is 10 per week.

During Advent and Lent, Midweek services were offered both at 12 Noon and 7:30pm. Attendance during 2010 was better than average, with a combined total average of 30 worshippers per week. This was in part due to the Soup Suppers that were initiated in Advent, 2009 and continued both in Lent and Advent, 2010.

During the Advent Soup Suppers, Liz Mignerey led members in creating and paining Christmas ornaments for their home trees.

Youth Confirmation Classes began this year with 13 students in the combined years of grades 7, 8 and 9. Two students were confirmed, leaving a total of 11 in grades 7 and 8. My thanks to the Diaconal staff of Deacons Sherwood, Saul, Miller and Zimmerman for their assistance in teaching and assisting with the administration of the program.

Sunday School, likewise, has undergone some changes but is going strong. One of the highlights was the 2010 Christmas Pageant, where Sunday School students read remembrances of Christmas of our elderly members. We are still in need of a Sunday School Superintendent.

We thank Susanne Zimmerman for the fine service that she has rendered over the past several years. The Atlantic District guidelines prevent Diaconal Candidates from holding an office in the Church. Susanne is in the final stretch of her training, and we are planning to commission her on the afternoon of Sunday, Marcy 13, 2011 (the First Sunday in Lent). At this special service she will be commissioned not just in our congregation, but will be rostered as an Atlantic District Deacon. Like all of our commissioned deacons, she has completed an intensive two-year program of study under District teachers and has passed all required interviews. Her last interview will be on February 11, 2011. Please keep her in your prayers as she completes this milestone of service for us.

We have made substantial progress in our building project (more on this elsewhere in this report by those directly involved) and hope to break ground very soon. We are reminded that this new building is not an “end” in itself, but a means by which ministry can be expanded exponentially for our congregation and community. We must be careful not to make the building an idol, and yet move forward in faith to make this vision a reality. We pray the Lord’s blessing upon our continued work in 2011.

On the music front, we still need an organist. Presently, I am recording all hymns and liturgical portions of the service on the Galanti Organ. I am grateful that the Lord has granted me the abilities of being an organist (my undergraduate degree is in Church Music), however it is not my job to be doing this. I am glad to assist the Congregation in this way, but please understand how much time it consumes. During the Advent and Christmass Seasons I spent well over 70 hours at Church recording hymns, liturgies and other musical parts of the service to ensure that our services would take place seamlessly. Yet, it caused me much undue stress, as visitations, sermon preparation, and the special activities of these seasons all had to be reduced simply due to the lack of available time. We must address this as a congregation and actively seek out an organist.

In the Spring of 2010 we bid adieu to Faythe Vollrath, who left the area in pursuit of her doctoral degree. We were saddened by her departure.

Brian Mosior, the organist at Our Savior Lutheran Church, Centereach, graciously plays on the Sundays that he is available.

Losses

As is the case each year, our congregation experiences losses in several ways. First, we lost two members who joined the Church Triumphant this year. We give thanks to the Lord for the lives of Edward Williams and Joseph Koerber, two men who served the Lord in special ways. May the Lord sustain their families as they continue to mourn the loss of these Saints.
Three of our members transferred out to other LCMS Churches in 2010.

The majority of loss comes from members of the Congregation who have not communed, or communed only one time throughout the year (32 members this year). Absenting ones’ self from the weekly Divine Service is a serious spiritual situation, as one cannot be fed spiritually this way and survive in God’s Kingdom. People stop worshiping for various reasons: laziness, anger at the Church (or God), work, misplaced priorities, and other excuses. But ask yourself if they would be valid if you had to tell them to the Lord, Himself. The Lord has commanded that we “Remember the Sabbath Day by keeping it holy” (the Third Commandment). So worship, ultimately, is something that the Lord commands.

Worship is the place and time that the Lord meets us in Word and Sacraments, bringing us His forgiveness, life and salvation. We cannot go on without His presence in our lives, and Church is where He comes to us with His presence. No where else. While some can find the Lord in just about in anything, if they heard His word, they would know that He wants each of His baptized Children to gather around Word and Sacrament each Lord’s Day. If you know of members who have stopped attending, please invite them back. I am more than happy to meet with anyone to assist in resolving issues, but they have to be here first to do that. We’re not talking a huge number here; but there are a significant amount of members who need to re-evaluate their relationship with Jesus and return to the fold.

Other Official Acts

During 2010, three weddings were solemnized. Two houses were blessed. Communion was celebrated with the Shut in and hospitalized 146 times. Three individuals took advantage of private confession and absolution, which is available to any member at any time. 84 Sunday sermons were prepared and preached; 7 Festival Sermons were prepared and preached ( Epiphany, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, Ascension, Christmass Eve, Christmass Day) 6 Midweek Advent Sermons were prepared and preached; 10 Midweek Lenten Services were prepared and preached; and 27 additional Midweek Matins sermons were prepared and preached.

During the first part of 2010 the weekday Bible Study (Wednesdays, 10:30am) was suspended due to low attendance. Weekday Bible Study resumed this past September with an average of 4 attending each week. Our current study is entitled “Joy in our Weakness” and is based on the Revelation of Saint John.

Outside the Parish

In June, 2009, I was elected Circuit Counselor for Circuit 10 of the Atlantic District. Other than organizing monthly meetings, attending Circuit Counselor meetings at the District Office and occasional phone calls from other pastors, there have been no other demands placed upon me.
During 2010 I also taught one of the Diaconate Training Classes at Saint Luke’s in Dix Hills that lasted 5 weeks (5 consecutive Thursday evenings).

I attended three pastoral retreats (24 hours each) with the Society of the Holy Trinity in February, May and November. This is a great blessing to me to worship and fellowship with other Lutheran Pastors away from the parish setting.

I was on a call list to Saint Luke’s Lutheran Church, Cheektowaga, New York in August and September, however I did not receive the call. This occurs occasionally to each pastor in the Synod whether or not he is seeking a call elsewhere. Such moments are always “growth” moments for a pastor, as it forces one to look critically at ministry to assist in discerning what the Lord, not the pastor, wants.

I attended both required Pastoral Meetings of the Atlantic District in May and October, 2010, representing Christ Lutheran Church. At these meetings, we are made aware of events and happenings within the District and Synod, as well as providing bonding and fellowship for all pastors.

I served as the Pastoral Circuit Delegate for the 2010 LCMS Convention in Houston, Texas for 10 days in July. Far from a vacation, every minute of the day from 8am to 6pm was spent doing the business of the Church. (Think about it as a 10 day-long Voters’ Meeting with a 45 minute break for Lunch and you get the idea of what it was like). At that Convention, The Rev. Matthew Harrison was overwhelmingly elected president of our Synod, for which we give the Lord thanks and praise. He replaced the Rev. Dr. Gerald Kieschnick, who had served for the prior 9 years. We also thank God for President Kieschnick’s service and wish him well. The Synod pays for all delegate expenses, so this did not impact our Church budget.

Finally, I continue to serve as a fire chaplain and paramedic in Suffolk County. While this does not require a lot of time, it has provided wonderful connections to the community and continues to present opportunities for ministry and even the growth of our parish. Plus, it is an avocation given to me by the Lord. Several of our members have come in to our parish over the years as a direct result of being able to serve in this way. Yes… I do have a blue light on my car!

Some other stuff…

This past year we began sending out (nearly) weekly emails through ContstantContact©. This enables us to produce a professional looking, informative email listing out scheduled events, recommending books to our parish, providing deeper theological reflection by various pastors and theologians, and provides another means of staying in touch. Additionally, we are able to see how many members actually open and read the emails, how many follow the links, etc… (We don’t know who they are—we only get numbers). This provides us with much needed feedback.
Almost all of our sermons are now osted on Weebly.com in mp3 (Audio) format. That means you can listen to them. (simply follow the link on the church website to “Sermons”). This is particularly useful for our shut in members, members who work and can’t make it to Church, and for Confirmation Students completing Sermon Summaries. Plus, our website is visited by many non-members from around the world who listen in. It is a great evangelism program. We also started a Facebook® Page for Christ Lutheran Church. These are new ways that we continue to tell the “old, old story of Jesus and His Love”.

Closing Thoughts

This year, I celebrate my 25th anniversary of Ordination. I give thanks to God that He would see fit to call a sinner, such as me, to serve Him in this special way. I also give thanks to God that this year, 2011, marks my 20th year of service at Christ Lutheran Church. It is hard to believe! The congregation has truly grown over this time. I have said goodbye to many, many wonderful saints who are now with the Lord, and welcomed hundreds of new faces of those whom the Lord brought through the doors of Christ Lutheran Church throughout this time.

I thank the Lord for our present membership; we truly are a family here at Christ Lutheran. Through the good times and the bad, we have stuck together, seeking only one thing: to know Christ and to make Him Known. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we have done just that.

Love, in Christ

Pastor

Hymn for the Baptism of Jesus

2011-01-05T17:09:00.005-05:00

The Spirit brooded on the moat
Of formless waters deep,
Divided by the Father's Word
The firmament to keep.

Plunged in these depths sin's stranglehold
On Adam's children dies;
With Pharaoh's host and Noah's world
Beneath the water lies.

Throughout the Jordan Wilderness
Echoed the Herald's cry:
"Prepare the way, Your paths make straight,
The Lamb of God draws nigh."

The One by Whom all things were made
Takes on our human dress,
And in the river, one with us,
Fulfills all righteousness.

The sign of Jonah now fulfilled
In Everlasting Day,
The Lord of Life bursts forth from death
And rolls our stone away.

With rushing wind the Spirit came
The New Life to inspire;
That all who cross this Sacred Flood
Are washed with Holy Fire.

O Spirit bind us into Him
Whom God raised from the dead;
And through this water make us one
With Jesus as our Head.

To view original music and to hear an mp3 of the music, click here. Then click on the "Original Hymn" link on the selection bar.

On Hymn Writing

2010-12-25T13:11:00.003-05:00

I've written many hymns over the past two-and-a-half decades. Some are texts used with existing tunes (such as the previous post); others are both original in terms of text and tune.

As of late I've hit a "dry point" -- the distractions of life have kept me from the necessary concentration needed to write. That is so frustrating!

So, this week, I'm going to write two new hymns. I'm off from my pastoral duties for "Christmass Recouperation" and it will be a very devotional experience. I'm hoping to write an orignal text and tune for both the Feast of St. Stephen and the Feast of Saint John the Evangelist. This way, I'll have one for each of the three days following the Feast of the Incarnation.

I will post them when completed.

A Hymn for Holy Innocents

2010-12-21T21:34:00.001-05:00

O Flowerets Bright

In stable bright in Bethlehem
Was born the King of all,
Scepter and Crown of David's line
Whom David Lord did call.
His Kingdom is not of this world--
But few would understand--
This is the Heavenly Prince of Peace
Sung by angelic band.

The star arose upon his bed
In splendor shone on high.
Came sages to Jerusalem
To worship and draw nigh.
“Where is the one born King of Jews?”
The sages did demand.
King Herod then became enraged
For Judah was his land.

“In Bethlehem” the teachers said,
“The Prophet Micah told
‘A Ruler will be born to you
From ancient times, of old.’”
Then Herod called them privily
“When did the star appear?”
“Go unto Bethlehem and search
That I may, too, draw near.”

With haste the sages went their way
Gifting the Infant pure.
And worshiped there the King of Kings
With gold and spice and Myrrh.
Then, warned of God as in a dream,
“Return another way
For Herod seeks to take His life,
His rivalry to slay.”

Too, Joseph in angelic dream
Was warned to flee the land
For Herod sought to seize the child
And slay him with his hand.
“Take Mary and the Holy Child
From out of Herod's way,
From Egypt God will call His Son
E'en as the prophets say.”

And when the king had been deceived
His fury burned with might.
He dispatched death to all the sons
From when the star gave light.
The First in Israel to fall,
O Holy Flowerets bright,
Stand as a sign against the world
That gropes in death's dark night.

Throughout the land a voice is heard
That ceases not to mourn;
As Rachel weeps for all her sons
Who died when they were born.
Jesus, the Christ, for whom they died
Brings forth not peace, but sword
That soon would pierce His mother’s soul
When He died as her Lord.

Lord, as the infants gave their all
Your Holy life to spare,
May we, anointed as your priests,
In truth Your Light declare.
Cause us to stand, a holy band
Unmoved e'en pierced by sword.
Grant us at last the Crown of Life
The Christ Child’s great reward.

______________________________________________
Text: John G. Fleischmann, b. 1960
Tune: Bethlehem, Gottfried W. Fink, 1842

Written in honor of Bernadette Cioch, whose selflessness seeks to still the cry of Rachel in our Land today.

Too Much Time on Their Hands?

2010-12-20T08:45:00.000-05:00

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Eleventh Anniversary of the Worcester Fire

2010-12-03T13:30:00.005-05:00

Today, December 3, marks the 11th anniversary of the tragic fire in Worcester, MA in which 6 firefighters paid the ultimate sacrifice to rescue vagrants from the Worcester Cold and Storage Warehouse. Ironically, the two vagrants, who set the fire, had escaped before firefighters arrives.

This chilling story proved to be an incident commander's greatest nightmare. Two firefighters entered to search the building, got lost, and perished. Two more went in to find the missing brothers, got lost, and perished. Then two more went in and the unbelievable scenario repeated itself again. The Chief made the decision to send no one else in. All the men knew that 6 of their brothers were dead inside, and while that call to duty stirred within them, they obeyed the chief's orders.

That chief, Michael O. McNamee , still struggles with the events of that night. He will never forget that tough decision he made that no doubt saved countless other lives.

You can read his description of how this fire changed his life by clicking here.

President Harrison's Advent Message

2010-12-02T08:31:00.000-05:00

Advent Blessing from President Harrison from VimeoLCMS on Vimeo.

Sermon for Advent 1A

2010-11-27T15:57:00.000-05:00

Besides this 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. The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires. Romans 13:11-14

In the Name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Advent is as old as the promise that God made to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, that He would send a Savior to undo their sin and its horrible consequence, death. Throughout the ages the people of God longed for Messiah to arrive on the scene to deliver them.

Advent, viewed in this way, is a period of watching and waiting. A long period. From the time that God made the promise of Messiah to the time he arrived on the scene was no less than three-thousand years. But when the time fully came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law to redeem those under the law that we might receive adoption as sons and daughters.

Before our Lord gave up His life for us all, paying the price that Adam’s sin demanded, He, too made a promise that He would come again. This time it would not be as Savior, but as Judge. On that Day all evil will be trumped, all sin and death forever removed from the face of the earth, and God’s redeemed will enter Zion with singing, and everlasting joy will be upon them.

So we, like the Children of Israel, await the fulfillment and consummation of His promise. Each day we live we spend in perpetual Advent, hoping, praying, speeding His coming by evangelizing the world through Word and Sacrament.

Whenever the Lord Jesus speaks of the End and of this Day, He does so with urgency. He does so with a plea to be ready to meet the bridegroom-- that our lamps are filled and extra oil is in our flasks, that He comes as a thief in the night, that He comes when least expected.

Some have given up on His coming, as Peter notes: “scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. They will say, ‘Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation. For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.”

He goes on, “But do not overlook this one fact, beloved that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance...” (2 Peter 3: 3-9)

Indeed, some will give up and wander away from the faith.

For most of us, I don’t believe that this is a problem.

What is a problem is what our text implies: We are sleeping. The Greek: upnou: we get the word “hypnotic” from it. In the case of our text it does not mean literal sleeping, like the disciples were doing at the time of Jesus arrest; it means spiritual inattention. It means being overrun with the cares and worries of this life that we immerse ourselves in things temporal and forget about things spiritual. It means being Biblically illiterate, doctrinally dull, evangelistically indifferent. It means that we just go on living without giving our faith much thought at all, not allowing it to influence our behavior, decisions or actions.

Beloved, this is a terrible condition in which to find ourselves. Sleeping on the job. The Church at Sardis in the Revelation shared this problem with our modern Church. Jesus word’s to her were stern: “Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God. remember, the, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you.” (Revelation 3:2-3) Not good at all.

Look at the evidence of what has happened because the Church has become complacent in her waiting and watching. Thousands of Christians are killed in other countries because of their faith and we act as if we don’t care. Secular humanism, atheism, skepticism, and radicalism have edged out the influence of the Scriptures on morals, education, science, and government, and I don’t think it can ever be reclaimed. No longer are families saying grace before meals, having devotions with each other, or talking about the faith as they once did. The powerful texts of hymnody and liturgy which have had a major part in teaching and preserving pure doctrine have been overrun with meaningless praise songs and worship that do nothing but make the worshiper feel good. The doctrine of sin has all but disappeared from many churches, let alone the doctrine of hell. Christianity today is becoming nothing but watered down compromise with the culture and the world.

Wake up! Lest you fall into the torrent and be swept away with the world. You have to be awake to hold on; you have to be awake to know who you are and whose you are. That is the exhortation of the Holy Spirit through Paul today. That is our Advent call! The Time is short!

There are different words for time in Greek. There is Chronos-- that’s clock time. and then there is Kairos-- that’s an important word, and the one used here. Kairos is “God’s time.” As in “today is the day of salvation.” As in the time of Jesus’ reappearing. That is the time that is short. He is sure to come and keep His promise, even as He came the first time at Christmas.

The wake up call is a call of the Law of God. It convicts us of sleeping when millions day each day without ever hearing the blessed name of Messiah Jesus.

But the wake up call also reminds us of the greatest Gospel that there is. As you are His, you have the promise that on the Last Day, the Alarm is going off for you. You will be raised from the sleep of death and taken to live in heaven with Jesus. That is our eternal hope. It is this hope of awakening or rising, that drives us to be alert today. It drives us to watch and wait just as Israel did.

So, what does it look like when the Church is awake? Paul tells us in our text.

First, those in Christ put off or take off that which holds us back, that which hypnotizes us into the world’s ways, that which separates us from Christ. By the power of the Spirit, we take off all of the world’s “clothing”-- immorality, drunkenness, jealousy, party spirit, gossip, slander, all of the things we do so well.

Putting off cannot be done under our own power. Only God can rescue us from who we have become.

But that is where the putting on comes in. Paul exhorts us to “put on Jesus Christ.” What is this but Baptismal language? And there’s the key. We are made ready to meet the Lord in our Baptism, because it is there that Jesus is put on. It is there when He takes over our lives and we stop living for ourselves. It is in Baptism where we die with Christ and rise with Him.

We’re only Baptized once-- either as an infant or an adult. So how do we claim its power?

By repentance. As Jesus calls Sardis to repent, so His call goes out to us. Luther reminds us that we remember our Baptism each day by confessing our sins to the Lord and believing His Holy Word that our sins are forgiven by the Cross of Christ. That we are raised as a new person each day through the tender mercies and forgiveness of Jesus Christ. And that new person is “conscious, alert and oriented” in the Kingdom of God.

Living our lives in Christ changes things. For one, we stop being detached from the Father, because our prayer life is restored. We stop being Biblically illiterate because we hunger for His Word each day. And when we know His Word, our doctrinal dullness is sharpened into that “two edged sword” with which we can go after darkness, and hypnotic, spiritual sleep with the very power of God that raised Jesus from the dead.

There was a hymn sung by the early Church that Paul records for us in Ephesians 5. It goes like this: “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”

Memorize this verse. Make it your own. For it is with these words that we begin our new Church year and enter the Holy Season of Watching and Waiting: Advent.

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

2010-11-19T11:15:00.004-05:00

Joseph Koerber—
Isaiah 25

There were two states of God’s people in the Scriptures. Either they were fasting or feasting.

Our Old Testament lesson today talks about breaking the great fast—that our salvation and heaven is a great wedding banquet with all of the finest foods. An eternal meal and celebration.

Then, there were the fasts. Periods of time when people could not eat so that they could devote themselves to prayer, meditation and growing closer to the Father through the Son by the Holy Spirit. Our Lord Jesus Himself fasted for forty days in the Wilderness during His temptation, and from His fast launched into His earthly ministry that Saved us all.

Fasting and Feasting.

Joe knew how to feast! Feasting and celebrating went hand in hand in his life. And there was so much to feast over! A wonderful wife of 6 decades. He always liked to add the caveat, “and they said it wouldn’t work…”In the last couple of weeks as Joe was preparing to go to heaven, whenever he spoke of Marianne there was an incredible glow in his eyes, and one of Joe’s famous smiles. “I just want to wrap my arms around my girl and hold on to her” were his exact words.

And then, there was the family. Another reason to feast! Ed, Barry, Robert, Joel and Mark, and your wonderful families, grandchildren, great grand children, indeed the Lord blessed Joe with what the Psalmist calls a “Quiver full” of children. He often spoke of family gatherings, and even though he couldn’t eat, he remembered with much joy the Thanksgivings at Ed and Cindy’s.

Just a few short weeks ago, upon his 90th Birthday, his family gathered once again to celebrate this man.

I really loved Joe. In so many ways, he reminded me of my own dad. They are contemporaries—and shared many of the health issues. Joe would always ask me, “How’s your dad, John?” When Joe and I first met, it was a time of feasting, not fasting! Liverwurst, thick onions, rye bread, and beer. One of the coolest pastoral calls I have ever been on.

This wonderful man, so used to feasting, all of a sudden found himself in the midst of a fast. Usually, when one fasts, it is a voluntary action. But not for Joe. His body forced it on him.

Many people would be angry if this happened, especially if they loved feasting as much as Joe did. But deep down, I believe Joe knew the benefit of his forced-fast. Because during His fast, his 3 weeks without food, what happened to him is exactly what a fast is supposed to do. He grew so much closer to the Lord. He grew so much closer to you, his family. He was a man, who when the Lord finally called Him home, who died totally at peace, and one with God through His Savior Jesus Christ.

During that time of fasting, he got a taste of the eternal feast. I was able to take a consecrated host, break it in quarters, and took one of the quarters and soaked it in the wine. I placed it under his tongue, where it dissolved. The last real food Joe ate—aside from the Italian Ices and ice chips, was the very body and blood of Jesus, given and shed for Him for the forgiveness of His sins and the strengthening of his faith.

Joe received His Lord regularly—a reason that even in the Fast his heart was feasting, right to the end.

The good news today is that Joe’s fast has ended. He is feasting. Like moving from Good Friday’s fast to Easter Sunday’s feast, Joe is experiencing the table of the Lord in its unending glory in the presence of Jesus, along with Marianne and all who have died in the faith. All this because he knew the story of Good Friday and Easter, and trusted in the Lord with all of his heart. He responded to the Word in faith and clung to Jesus as his only Savior.

Joe knows what the Mountain of the Lord is like. It is there where he remains until the Resurrection of All Flesh, when we will all be joined at the eternal table of the Lord.

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Autumn Greeting from LCMS President Harrison

2010-11-04T13:02:00.001-04:00

Autumn Greeting from LCMS President Harrison from VimeoLCMS on Vimeo.

For all You Emergency Fans.... Here's the Real Station 127 (51 on Emergency)

2010-10-31T17:26:00.001-04:00

Old LAFD School Fire Training Movie

2010-10-22T15:23:00.003-04:00

I remember watching this movie in the training building at the old Inglewood Fire Department Headquarters, Inglewood, CA, during their open house in May, 1969. It left a lasting impression on me. It is fictional, but drives home the point. I believe it was inspired by the Our Lady of Angels School fire in Chicago (December 1, 1958). (The Inglewood Fire Department disbanded about 20 years ago and was taken over by the Los Angeles County Fire Department).

Fire safety remains very important in schools today, even though a lot of changes have taken place since this was filmed (fireproof building, advanced detection/alarm systems, immediate notification of the Fire Department, sprinklers, etc...). Always know 2 ways out of every room or building that you are in.

More on the Call Process in LCMS

2010-10-21T11:45:00.007-04:00

It's closing in on a month, now, from the time I was on a call list for a congregation in a different District. I have still yet to be notified that another candidate was called.

Congregations and District Presidents need to pay attention to details like this. As previously stated, I certainly don't mind "not" getting a call-- that is the Holy Spirit's business. I don't need to or want to know who was called or why he was called. Again, the Holy Spirit is the one behind this, and am grateful to the Father that He is. But a simple letter from either the congregation or District President thanking a potential candidate for participating should be a part of the process. It isn't. This must be fixed. It is, well, rude.

On a human side there are some issues that Congregations who interview candidates need to know. First, whether or not one receives a call, the moment a congregation contacts a pastor and requests an interview, a certain pall of uncertainty is cast upon each candidate: Will the call come? And if it does, then what? It places strain on the pastor's wife and family, knowing that just maybe the family will have to "pull stakes" and move, but "we're really not sure..."

Second, on the day of the call meeting, each Pastor on their list waits for "that" phone call. Only one gets it. The rest are left to assume that they didn't receive the call. Or, maybe, the congregation pushed the meeting off to another date? Or? Whatever... It smacks of usury.

During the time of interviews, at least in my case, life and ministry are placed on "hold." I "might" be getting a call. This is not good for anyone involved. It is distracting.

Interviewing before calling, in my estimation, displays a mentality that is becoming more popular in the Church. "Let's get a pastor who will meet all of our needs." Very Church-growthy!

This may just preclude getting the Pastor whom the Lord wants, who may be called there to go against the grain, much like the prophets. I have a bit of a problem with that. We can't always have cake. Sometimes we need yellow beans... Congregations can be infantile in this way.

I know of several congregations who continue this process, keep getting the calls returned to them-- and still, no pastor. In one case, a congregation called a desired pastor, who wound up resigning within a year.

Perhaps, instead of trying to figure out who "the right pastor would be" or "getting a pastor who would best meet our needs", or worse, "what do we want in a pastor?" they should take the step of faith and call first. I think it would work a whole lot better.

Interviews can be manipulative on both sides of the coin. Congregations try to sell all of their strong points, never fully bringing up their weaknesses; Pastors, likewise, do the same. And we're calling on the basis of this???

The old Synodical way was best. Interviews only happened after a pastor received the call. If it wasn't right, the pastor would decline. But then, he really had to make sure that it really wasn't right. In this business minded world, one could hardly imagine it. "What? Call a pastor without meeting or interviewing him? That's a disaster waiting to happen!" So the common thinking in Churches goes.

And yet, for the most part, it worked, and worked well. I know of many long pastorates (40+ years) where the pastor was simply called and not interviewed. If one looks at pastoral retention rates in the Synod today, they are down. Perhaps this needs to be rethought by calling congregations. I believe the old process is still very valid.

Calling first, then interviewing, has some advantages. First, it places everything on the table with both Congregations. Second, there is a right to interview at that time. Third, there is no anticipation, no second guessing, no waiting for phone calls that don't come. Fourth, even though life and ministry is placed on hold, it is done so legitimately: There is something to consider. No big "maybe" on the shoulders of a candidate on "the list."

So I say to you Congregations out there calling a pastor: Be bold. Take the information you have, pray and vote. Then call. And then you can have your interview. I believe it is the proper way to do business at the time of vacancy. It goes against every grain in the modern mind. Thank goodness!

Lutheranism 101

2010-09-29T13:45:00.008-04:00

I just got my copy of Lutheranism 101, the new book put out by CPH. It has a lot going for it, and we wil be using it in our Sunday morning Bible Classes this year.

My section (Chapter 11) only vaguely resembles what I wrote, though some of the important points I raised came up. I guess that's what editors do to pull dozens of writers into one voice. So be it. It was pretty cool to participate in this project.

I have read a few things that caused me to scratch my head-- things that really are not exactly correct. For instance, about the Lord's Supper, the author states: "While we teach that Jesus is bodily present, we do not teach that He is physically present. Things are physical when they take up space; we beleive that Jesus is really present with His body and blood but in a mode that doesn't take up space." Whoa. I take issue with this. It is an attempt to explain mystery. Never a good idea. And I don't think I agree with it. I'll have to go back to the Confessions to carefully check this out, but at best this statement shouldn't have been included. At worst, it boarders on some kind of "spiritual" presence even though the editor stresses the "true presence." Confusing. Not how I teach it.

In the third section on the Lord's Supper there is a guide on "How to receive the Lord's Supper". It says, "Receiving His Body: Extend your hand with the palm facing up. When the server says, "The Body of Christ given for you" and places the host in your hand, take the host with the fingers of the other hand and eat it." Wrong. One hand on top of the others. Never pick it up. Bring both hands to your mouth. And, P.S. it mentions nothing about making the sign of the Cross, nor saying "Amen" after the host (0r the cup, in the next section) is given. I'm not sure how that slipped through the eyes of the editor (it did slip through, didn't it??) Adiaphoran? Yes. But the proper way of receiving the Host shows more respect in my opinion.

I don't say this to be hyper-critical. Nothing like this has ever been published before. Ever. GREAT idea! Teaching it may require some "fine-tuning". But it will certainly get the discussions going, and it covers just about everything you would want to know about Lutheranism in one handy resource.

Just my thoughts. More to follow.

Call Me First....

2010-09-28T23:01:00.003-04:00

For about the past month, I was on a call list to another Church. This happens from time to time. (Probably about the 5th or 6th time while I have served at Christ Lutheran since 1991). It was unsolicited by me, and was a complete surprise when I received a phone call from the congregation.

Any pastor in the LCMS in good standing on the Roster is always considered to be eligible for any call, even ones he didn't ask for. That's what happened. I don't mind, as I always need to be keenly aware that the Lord just may have other plans for me that I am not aware of. As this came out of the blue, it does have the sense of waking one up! Nothing "arranged" about it. So, maybe it was the Lord.

They asked if I would be open to a call. My response is what I always say in a situation like this: "That's not up to me. It's up to the Lord."

They then asked if they could interview me. I consented. They asked all of the typical questions for congregations that are, for lack of a better term, "pastor shopping". They then called me back and asked for a second interview. I consented again. More of the same, but this time with Skype.

Their call meeting was this past Sunday. My phone never rang. To be sure, by about 8pm I experienced a sigh of relief. Having to wrestle through a call is never fun. It is a lot of work, and a whole lot of praying, meditating on Scripture, and discernment are involved. Not to mention meeting with both my own congregational leadership and the leadership of the calling congregation to sort things out before a decision is made. Then, the decision. Is it right? Do I stay? Do I go? Somebody always gets hurt in the end. Fun? Not.

I never heard any more from the congregation. It's not really their fault; this is the way things have come to be done in our Synod. But it would be nice to know that my participation was appreciated, and that someone else had received the call. I don't care who, I don't need details. Call it closure, if you will. My phone never rang again. No email was forthcoming. Maybe I'll get a letter. But probably not.

This all got me thinking. This call process that we have as a Synod needs some revamping.

I told my wife that interviewing with another congregation, while a pastor at my own church, almost made me feel dirty. Kind of like what I would imagine it would feel like to be an adulterer-- flirting with someone else while being married to my congregation. It's behind the scenes, it's clandestine, it stirs emotions that there might be something "better" out there. Yet it is intended to be anything but. It's supposed to be holy. Hmmmm.

So here's my solution for the future. If you are a congregation and want to interview me, you need to call me (i.e. extend a call to me) first. Let me rephrase that: You must call me first. Only then can we talk. Only then do we have the right to talk. Only then is everything on the table for all congregations involved. Only then will those Sunday afternoons of wondering and waiting for the phone to ring be obliterated forever.

I realize many will sit back and scratch their heads and say, "how do we know who you are? We need to know you before we call you." The Synod never allowed pre-call interviews before and it seems to have worked just fine over the past Century. I think congregations need to trust the Lord a little more on this and extend a call. Be bold, people!

If, after we interview, you don't think I should have the call, feel free to rescind it, right then and there. Just like I may feel free to return it-- or take it, depend on what the Lord wants, not me. But it's the only honest way to do business. Call me first. Ask questions later....

Any of you pastor types out there have any insight on this?

Wow. That's all I can say. Wow

2010-09-28T22:52:00.001-04:00

More from Laura and Blake's Wedding

2010-09-09T17:28:00.001-04:00

Pictures of Laura and Blake's Wedding

2010-09-04T11:00:00.002-04:00

To see all of the wedding pictures of Blake and Laura, click here.

Laura will be Married Tomorrow

2010-09-03T11:18:00.003-04:00

It's hard to believe.... my youngest daughter Laura will be married tomorrow. The wedding will take place at the Grove Level church in Maysville, Georgia. She is marrying Rev. J. Blake Hamon, who is a youth pastor. I will put up a link to my SmugMug account tomorrow so anyone interested can see pictures from the grand event.

Some have asked if I am marrying her. Nope. Just walking her down the aisle, doing my daddy thing. (Plus, Blake's dad is also a pastor, so we'd probably have to flip a coin if one of us were to officiate).

The trip down was uneventful, however last night, someone went through the hotel parking lot and broke into any car that they could. They smashed out my driver's side window and snatched my GPS.... I thought about taking it out of the window, but after hauling all of the suitcases, etc... up to the r

oom, I forgot. That'll teach me!n Both the Deputy Sheriff, Neal Hinsley, and the hotel staff were great-- the maintenance man, Dwayne, vacuumed the car out. Neal checked the other cars in the lot and found that this was a spree-- the car next to me had his GPS taken (they pried his door open-- and he was a COP!) and a woman had a whole bunch of things taken after they punched out the door on her lock. The dep said that this area usually is very safe, but they've had a rash of these break ins. He said to me,

"your the first, TODAY.... but there will be more." He was right. Anyway, it was an old GPS with issues, so maybe it will work better for whoever seemed to need it more than we did. I probably had more damage here than we'll get from Hurricane Earl! The auto glass company will be here between 2 and 4pm today.

Actually, it was a mixed blessing, as we really needed a down day after traveling for hours for the past two days. So I have some time to catch up on my blogging, reading, sleeping, DVDing, and NOthing :-)

We're excited about the wedding. Rehearsal is at 5:30pm tonight, which means I'll have the first round of pictures up this evening after it's over. The wedding is at 6pm tomorrow.

All in all we're excited. The break in just made the trip more memorable and will provide a story to tell for years to come.

As for the wedding.... full report on Sunday afternoon!

Now over One Million LSB's Sold

2010-09-03T11:03:00.002-04:00

Hymn based on the Good Samaritan

2010-08-25T10:04:00.001-04:00

For those who are observing Trinity 13 instead of the Martyrdom of Saint John the Baptist this week, I offer this hymn:

My Neighbor
(Tune: Tallis’ Canon, LSB 883)

Unclean and battered, torn by sin,
By things I do, my thoughts within,
I lie there bloodied on life’s road
With death and hell my only load.

Across that road the world passed by
Turning a deaf ear to my cry.
No help to give, they could not save
And so they left me for my grave.

And what of me, when I saw need?
Did I my Savior’s bidding heed?
Too often on the other side
I’ve walked away because of pride.

Sin bleeds from me and stops my breath
In Adam all I know is death.
My works are rags, my offerings vain,
From dust I came, in dust remain.

But in my need my Savior died,
Not passing on the other side.
Re-breathed His Spirit in my dust,
Bound up my wounds, declared me just.

Now safe within His Church I’m free;
Blood, Water, Spirit plead for me.
The Ark of God, the Inn of Grace
Where I behold my Father’s face.

May I in Christ my neighbor know
Binding his wounds serves Christ below.
Your love for him make plain through me
That he may, too, Your Glory see.

You loved me when I could not love
For my sin barred me from above.
In Christ my love is now set free,
O praise and bless the Trinity.

John G. Fleischmann, b. 1960
c 2007

Great Quote

2010-08-13T16:17:00.002-04:00

"It would be simple to assign our loss of identity to busy schedules or to the lack of Christian educaton or to the lack of church attendance, and these certainly are contributing factors. Perhaps the larger problem is that we do not see Christ as the center of our story. We do not see Christ as the center of the liturgy, the place where His story-- the story of the world-- is told."

Dr. Arthur Just, Heaven on Earth, Introduction.

A Moral Question about Firefighter Staffing

2010-08-10T16:04:00.002-04:00

Here is a moral question for you. A career fire department in an adjoining state is suffering greatly under the mismanagement of the city it serves. Companies are closed every day depending on staffing.

It seems that the City (but not the Fire Department) is relying on the outside volunteer departments to respond to their fires (a lot of "work"/ heavy fire load city). The volunteers respond in from the suburbs, at no cost to the City. While many are excellent firefighters, they have nowhere near the experience of the City firefighters.

The city guys, on their own, have politely asked the vollies not to respond in because it hurts their cause and may hasten the layoffs. Several brothers, a few that I know, stand to get laid off soon.

If the vollies come in, it is an instant solve for the city, but a smack at the career guys on many levels. These guys are the best when it comes to firefighting.

If the vollies don't come, the career guys have no back-up (particularly if they close multiple engine and ladder companies for the tour) and lives definitely stand to be lost (remember, I said a heavy fire load, with frequent rescues). How would you solve this problem??? Seems a bit of a conundrum to me.

Any thoughts out there??

Yesterday's Disaster

2010-07-29T07:09:00.003-04:00

...So it sounds like foreigners now have more rights than citizens of this Country....

10 Ways to Kill Your Pastor

2010-07-08T08:06:00.002-04:00

This is great. What pastor hasn't had to put up with this kind of behavior from time to time? I am grateful that most do not apply in my Congregation. But take heed, lest something start...

NY No Fault Divorce

2010-07-02T21:33:00.010-04:00

This week, the New York State Legislature crafted a bill to allow for "no-fault divorce" in the State of New York. It awaits the signature of Governor Paterson.

As one who, regrettably, went through a divorce ten years ago, some may say that I am unqualified to render an opinion. I never had considered divorce an option when I entered into marriage-- I took my marital vows with the utmost seriousness. However, it happened. The big "D".

One of the scenes in my favorite movie, Backdraft (1990), shows the star, Steven McCaffrey barely catching the hand of firefighter, John Adcox, who was knocked off scaffolding following an explosion in a chemical warehouse. Grasping Adcox's hand with his right hand, the two desperately dangle about 30 feet over an explosive fire from a series of scaffolding that collapsed in the heat. Holding on to a piece of broken metal with his trembling left hand, Adcox calls out to him, "Let me go, Steven"!

But Steven, not intending to let Adcox plummet into the flames says, "You go, we go!" While Steven's grip on the beam tightens, he doesn't have the strength to hold the weight. He doesn't let go, but his hand slips while trying to rescue Adcox, and they both fall to their deaths. In my mind there are a lot of parallels with this and my failed marriage. Perhaps I over simplify, but in the end, there you have it.

I take refuge in the infinite mercy of the Lord who can bring healing and restoration to even the most difficult of situations. All things really do work together to those who love the Lord. The Lord has blessed me with a wonderful, godly wife. My daughters are beautiful, well adjusted and love the Lord. My former wife has been blessed with a new husband and has been a wonderful mother to our girls. There is no tension between us. Truly a blessing from God.

OK, that's all out of the way.

I have a big problem with this new "law-to-be." And that is this: There is no such thing as a "no-fault" divorce.

Divorce is all about fault-- the fault of both parties. It is sin on the part of both, no matter who may be 'guilty' or 'innocent' in the eyes of human beings. Sinful nature always seeks to deflect responsibility. Perhaps no where is this seen more clearly than in divorce.

When a divorce occurs, both husband and wife break a holy vow before God. Both stand guilty before the Lord and need to repent. It's not about who was right and who was wrong. That's worldly. They've both sinned. If one does commit a sin that ends a marriage, that is a separate, additional issue.

This law, actually, simply reflects the heathen, world view of marriage. It sees it as a contract. If one party doesn't hold up his or her end of the deal, it's OK to divorce. Everyone walks away and nobody gets hurt. Except that is a big, fat lie.

Marriage is not a contract: It is a covenant. That means one's word is not only promised to the other spouse, but bound unto ones' self in the sight of God. And covenants are unconditional.

It is no wonder that Paul uses marriage as a reflection of the relationship between Christ and His Church in Ephesians 5. It is unbreakable.

As far as divorce goes, there are only a few exceptions that the Scripture permits: Abandonment and adultery. "Not compatible", "growing apart from one another", "seeking to find myself", or even "I'm not happy" are not reasons allowable by the Lord. But they are allowed-- and now encouraged-- by the State of New York. No fault. Just like car insurance....

Now, of course, one needs to remember that we are sinners, and that sin has corrupted God's "very good" plan for man and woman. This side of heaven, covenants are broken, even by His Children. Not intentionally, but because of sin.

Our brokenness is resolved by One who never broke a Covenant, but was broken for us and because of us. Our Lord Jesus Christ. His blood is powerful enough to forgive the worst of sins; His Spirit is strong enough to renew and rebuild those who have gone through such a break. When it comes to this issue, my heart resounds with Paul's as "chief of sinners." But I praise God that He has released me from the bondage that this caused through the shed blood of Christ.

As for the new NYS Law: Bad idea. It makes divorce too available, too easy. A couple with problems now can resolve them in a speedy way rather than committing to work through them and grow stronger by overcoming the issues. It complicates the marital counseling that all Pastors are called upon to assist with from time to time. And, like so many other laws and opinions of our government today, it simply neutralizes sin. It gives the wrong impression that the "bite" of sin isn't present because, after all, it's "no fault." Unfortunately, it looks as if the law is going to be signed. There is little that can be done to stop its momentum. One more stab at Christianity by the 'almighty' government.

We need to pray for those in marriages that are struggling or worse. We also need to support them. And, when someone does go through a divorce, they need pastoral counsel and care to lead him/her to repentance, and then walk with him/her through that dark walk that only the Cross can heal.

Blind Leap of Faith????

2010-06-28T16:36:00.001-04:00

Faith is the solid substance of things hoped for, evidence of things not seen.

In the Name of Jesus,

Today we continue with our sermon series, Each One Reach One. We’re talking about Evangelism. Last week, we spoke about the theology and mechanics of evangelism according to our Lord Jesus Christ in the Great Commission.

Today, we will take a look at this concept of “faith”. If we hope to share it, we need to know what it is and what it is not.

To begin, we need to understand that the word “faith” means different things to different people. Recently, the renowned atheist and author, Sam Harris made this statement about faith:

When we have evidence, we talk about the evidence. When we have good arguments, we talk about the arguments. Faith really is, frankly, the permission religious people give one another to believe things when reasons fail. This is one of the fallacies of religious argumentation, the idea that the atheist has to prove the absence of God—nobody’s proved the absence of Zeus and yet everyone’s arguing that the God of Abraham has a completely different status than these thousands of other dead gods, and frankly, he does not.

How would you respond to a statement like this? Understand that Sam Harris’ thinking puts into words the feelings of millions of people that surround you every day: Faith is a crutch. It is a delusion. It makes the bearer feel good, but has no touch or grounding with reality. Yahweh is no different than any other God; Christianity is no different than any other religion. Choose your poison, believe what you want. If it makes you feel good, well great. But only science is true. We need to be able to respond to such thinking. Unfortunately, when up against such scholarly intelligence, albeit wrong, most of us would cave in and concede the argument, even knowing that he is wrong. Harris does not understand faith; neither do those who think like him.

We don’t need to wander out of the doors of the Church, though, to find other faulty understandings about faith. Greg Koukl, of Stand to Reason, observes that often, when we speak of faith, the word is included with qualifiers like “blind” faith or “leap of faith”. Kind of like “I’m going to close my eyes and jump and hope that somehow God makes it right.” Such a view turns faith into chance, like playing the lottery. If you scratch a good number, you win. If not, you’re lost forever in hell. Certainly this is not the faith of the Scriptures.

There are some in the Church who see faith and knowledge as two opposing points of view. Granted, one needs to avoid Gnosticism where knowledge trumps faith, but the view that somehow we need to flee knowledge because if we “know” then that takes away our need to “believe.” This creates a weird, inverse kind of relationship between the two, making knowledge and faith enemies. But such a view is not Biblical.

There are many other views of faith circulating within and without the Church. Today is an end to all of that. We look to the Scriptures for the definition of what faith is—and what it is not.

Our text tells it like it is: Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Faith is the assurance. The Greek Word, upostasiV literally means to “under stand”. As you look at this word’s use throughout the Scriptures, it is translated as “essence, substance, foundation, stability, confident assurance, guarantee, attestation” and some others. And it is the assurance of things “hoped for”. In other words, faith is that firm conviction that what is promised will take place.

Greg Koukl, in an interview with Todd Wilken in December, stated that what he has done in order to both understand and teach about the meaning of the word “faith” is to stop using the word. Not because it isn’t reality; but because that word today bears so much wrongful baggage both inside and outside the Church.

His recommendation is to use the term “Active Trust” in lieu of faith. He explains further:
“Faith is not mental assent based on no evidence.”

Active Trust is in Jesus, And Trust is earned. There is the key. How do we “earn trust” in Jesus? We turn to the Scriptures to see exactly what this means.

First, we go to the Old Testament. Moses is sent by God to deliver the Children of Israel from Pharaoh. Moses is concerned that the Children of Israel will not believe that he is the deliverer. God gave Moses the ability to perform signs—his staff would become a snake, his hand would become leprous, the Nile river water would become blood, and other signs right up to the Passover. And why does God do this? Exodus 6:7: Say therefore to the people of Israel I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from slavery to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment. I will take you to be my people and I will be your God, and you shall KNOW that I am the Lord your God, who has brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.” If you read through the entire Exodus Account, you will see that God says ‘you shall know ten times!

God acts (evidence), the people know it is God (knowledge) and then the people believe. Trust is earned.

One thing to point out here, and it is true for the verses that follow, faith always begins as God’s action—His saving, His forgiving, His loving, even His judgment—and through these things He creates saving faith in the hearts of the people. It is not a decision or an act of human will. The response of Faith is always Holy Spirit given.

In the New Testament, there are several powerful accounts to show this same claim. In Mark 2, four men carried a paralytic to the house where Jesus was teaching. There were so many people there, that they lowered the man through the roof so that the man could reach Jesus. When Jesus saw him, he said, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” The scribes immediately were offended, because only God could forgive sins. Of course, they’re right. The point that they are missing is that Jesus is God. Jesus says, Why do you question these things in your hearts? Which is easier to say to the paralytic, “your sins are forgiven, or to say, “Rise, take up your bed and walk? But that you may KNOW that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins” he said to the paralytic. I say to you, rise, pick up your bed and go home.” He does. He also teaches the important lesson that it is harder to forgive sin than to heal a paralytic—indeed, and impossibility if one is not God, or given the authority by God to do it as His Church has.

A second example is from the Book of Acts, Chapter 2. We heard this a few weeks ago on Pentecost. The Holy Spirit came, putting fire on the heads and in the hearts of the disciples. They testified to the wonders of the Lord, Peter preached and 3000 people believed and were baptized on that day.

At the conclusion of his sermon, Peter says these very important words, “Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.

One begins to sense that there is nothing “blind” about faith, nor requiring one to take a “leap of faith.” In these Biblical examples, the Lord showed the power of His might, the people beheld and believed. And was that not the purpose of every miracle that Jesus performed, and every word He uttered. Remember what John says about His entire Gospel? Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.’ John 20:30

God gives the evidence. We hear it and learn it. The Holy Spirit works through it and brings us to faith. That’s how it works.

He still gives the evidence. Sin is still forgiven, hearts and lives are cleansed. He still speaks His Word proclaiming forgiveness, life and salvation. He still washes with the water of regeneration and renewal in the Holy Spirit. He still feeds with His body and blood. He still hears our prayers. He still interacts in the human realm. He still delivers from danger, provides for all needs. He still is accessible and available at all times. He still loves us. He still cares for us. The evidence is there.

Faith is the assurance of things hoped for. It is also the evidence or proof of things not seen.

That’s a hard one for the world to swallow. How can faith—something unseen, something that cannot be quantified or qualified according to human reason—be evidence

Evidence is something that in the forensic world has a link to the case. Her fingerprints were found on the weapon. His DNA was found at the scene. His license plate fell off the car at the accident scene…. How can something that to the world cannot be proven be seen as evidence?

This, of course is the real heart of the Battle with Sam Harris and his ilk. But there is one difference between you and Sam Harris. Sam does not have the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of Life, at his disposal. You and I do. He speaks in His Scriptures and Himself confirms their truth and reliability. He resides in our hearts, setting aside, consecrating our bodies to be His temple.

With this we don’t need proof, like Thomas. But that doesn’t mean that proof is a bad thing. It does not cancel out faith, it only strengthens it.

What the Scriptures show us today is that faith is real. It is a substance. Its only purpose is to show us Jesus Christ and the reality of His salvation.

Faith is the solid substance of things hoped for, evidence of things not seen.

We’re not finished with looking at faith yet. We continue next week to see that all faith must have an object; that faith has to be in something or someone. If it isn’t, it is of no value.

Let us pray:

Father in heaven, before the foundation of the world, you existed. We praise you for your ever-abiding presence in the world today. Though many attack you today, though many do not know what it truly means to believe, give us that assurance, that upostasiV of those things we hope for and help us to rejoice in the evidence faith provides for things not seen. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Preached Trinity 2

Conquered? Conqered!

2010-06-28T16:27:00.003-04:00

Do not be conquered by evil, but you conquer with the good the evil.
Romans 12:21

In the Name of Jesus, dearly beloved:
We continue today in the first section of our sermon series on Evangelism, Each One Reach One, with our in-depth look at what faith in Jesus Christ is all about. We began by seeing that it is not wishful thinking, nor does it require a blind leap, but it is based on the Knowledge of Jesus Christ given to us by the Word of God and Confirmed by the Holy Spirit. We have seen that faith is not a decision to follow Jesus, but rather a gift that God gives to us in His golden chain of salvation: Foreknowledge, Predestination, Choice, Justification and Glorification. We noted that all of the links of this chain are in the past tense, that is, they have occurred in our lives already.

Today we will see that this faith in Jesus, that clings to Him alone in Active Trust for forgiveness, life and salvation causes some changes in our lives. Understanding what God has done in our lives, we see how wondrous our salvation is, and it begins to make it easier to share it with others.

The light turned yellow, just in front of him. He did the right thing, stopping at the crosswalk, even though he could have beaten the red light by accelerating through the intersection.The tailgating woman was furious and honked her horn, screaming in frustration, as she missed her chance to get through the intersection, dropping her cell phone and makeup.As she was still in mid-rant, she heard a tap on her window and looked up into the face of a very serious police officer. The officer ordered her to exit her car with her hands up..He took her to the police station where she was searched,fingerprinted, photographed, and placed in a holding cell.After a couple of hours, a policeman approached the cell and opened the door. She was escorted back to the booking desk where the arresting officer was waiting with her personal effects.He said, ''I'm very sorry for this mistake. You see, I pulled upbehind your car while you were blowing your horn, flipping off the guy in front of you and cussing a blue streak at him. I noticed the 'What Would Jesus Do' bumper sticker, the 'Choose Life' license plate holder, the 'Follow Me to Sunday-School' bumper sticker, and the chrome-plated Christian fish emblem on the trunk, so naturally....I assumed you had stolen the car.''

And, speaking about "bumper sticker theology", how about that one that says, “I don’t get mad, I get even!” Such bumper-sticker theology aptly describes how most people deal with issues in their lives. If you hurt me, by doing so, you have given me permission to hurt you back. Ask any police officer that deals with gangs—when a street gang attacks a member of their rival gang, it’s not a matter of if, but when the rival gang will strike back. And we don’t have to go much beyond the boundaries of our own sinful hearts to know that when someone does something against us, we want to taste the sweetness of revenge. That is built in to human nature. It reflects back to us our need for a Savior.

Not so! Says Paul. This is not the way that God’s children behave. The entire chapter deals with the difference we have with the world in our life with Christ Jesus. “I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” (Romans 12:1-2) What Paul is speaking about is what the life in the Spirit—the life of faith—is like. It is so different than the ways of the world because we have been transformed by God Himself when He saved us.

The problem is, that old nature—what the Scriptures and the Confessions refer to as our “Old Adam” are still with us. Martin Franzmann, the late LCMS Exegete once wrote of this old sinful nature as “ball and chain” that we are bound to until death. That is the reason that the Small Catechism reminds us to remember our baptism by daily making the sign of the cross over ourselves—bet you didn’t know that was in there!—and by daily contrition and repentance be drowned and die with all sins and evil desires, and that a new man should daily emerge and arise to live before God in righteousness and purity forever. (Baptism IV).

The Catechism simply mirrors the words of Scripture that we have before us today.

Do not be conquered by evil, but you conquer with the good the evil.

To begin, this text makes an assumption: That there are such things as good and evil. That the account of Adam and Eve eating from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil is a real story, not some kind of crypto-religious fairy tale to infer how sin came into the world. More than that, that there is one behind all evil—the devil or Satan, who is a real, personal figure who, after being thrown down to the earth still paces upon it, doing all in his very strong power to pull you away from Jesus Christ.

The text says “Do not be conquered by evil.” The word “overcome,” gets some of the meaning across, but not as well as the word “conquered”—a passive form of the Greek verb, nikw. That’s a strong Greek word that we find throughout the New Testament. Usually, it is written in a positive way, referring to Jesus. During Eastertide, you may occasionally see the symbol in bulletins and as art:

It means “Jesus Christ Conqueror” and, of course, it is reminding us of the victory He had over sin, death and the power of the devil.

To be conquered, however is a bad thing. It requires that someone or something stronger than you has taken possession of your life. People addicted to drugs or alcohol is conquered when the bottle, the syringe or the pills are all that they live for. Those who have no faith, who have a spiritual vacuum in their hearts often find themselves dealing with demonic possession, because demons look for holes like that.

Evil can conquer us, because Satan is so much stronger than us. Remember what Luther penned about the devil in his hymn, A Mighty Fortress? “The old evil foe now means deadly woe; deep guile and great might are his dread arms in fight; On earth is not his equal. Scripture bears many warnings against him: Be sober minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

(1 Peter 5:8). Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (James 4:7). We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. (Ephesians 6:12-13). Satan, and his host, seek to conquer you. The Scriptures have warned us. We heed them.

The majority of the world, according to the Scriptures are conquered by evil already. We must realize this if Evangelism is to have any meaning. For it is through spreading the Word of God that the Light of Jesus Christ penetrates “this present darkness.”

Our text is speaking to those who have already been pulled out of this present darkness, those who are in the Light of Christ, the believers. The fact that he has to tell us this, however, warns of a propensity to be drawn back into the darkness.

Just as being a Child of a light bears the Spiritual fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. (Galatians 5:22), darkness bears its own rotten fruit: vengeance, immorality, impurity, illicit sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger, rivalries, dissension, division, envy.

If these things mark one’s life, he is conquered by evil. Darkness always brings eternal, spiritual death. This is why Paul says “I warn you that those who do such things will not inherit the Kingdom of God.” (Galatians 5:16-21 passim).

Paul’s words to us are clear: Do not be conquered by evil. As God’s redeemed, working with the Holy Spirit in our Sanctification, we have a choice. First, not to be conquered by evil, and second, not to live our lives as the world lives.

On our own, we could never do this. But Jesus is our NIKA. Our conqueror. It is He, subjected to the evil of the devil and the world that led Him to the Cross. It was there that evil thought it had conquered. C.F.W. Walther captures this in his wonderful hymn, He’s Risen! He’s Risen!:

The foe was triumphant when on Calvary the Lord of creation was nailed to the tree.
In Satan’s domain did the hosts shout and jeer,
For Jesus was slain, whom the evil ones fear.

But short was their triumph; the Savior arose, and death, hell and Satan He vanquished, His foes.
The conquering Lord lifts His banner on high; He lives, yes, He lives and will nevermore die. LSB 480

It is this victory over sin and death, the devil and hell that Jesus eternally won for us on Calvary. If anyone had the right to take revenge, it was He. He was truly innocent, and He knew it. Not only was He not a criminal, He was not a sinner. And yet He died a criminal’s death and paid the price for all sin ever committed by everyone else. And yet, as Isaiah 53 reminds us, “He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth.” (Isaiah 53:7-8)

This verse reminds us that we are now to follow Jesus in our life choices. When we are wronged we do not get even; we forgive. When we are hated, we continue to love our enemies. We are quick to pray for those who persecute us. We abhor what is evil and cling to the good.

Not just because we follow Jesus, but that we are empowered by Him to do good when everyone else would be getting even.

The word used for conquer in the second part of this verse is a bit different than the first. It, too is a form of NIKA, the good kind of conquering. It is not passive. It is not something that happens to us; it is something we do. As a matter of fact this word is an imperative, that means it is in the Second person, “you” and bears the sense of “do this!” Actively.

When God changes our lives, when the Holy Spirit brings us alive in faith in Christ Jesus, it changes us from the inside out. The good that we do in our words, deeds and actions, flow from a heart that is forgiven, renewed and restored by Christ.

And look what happens. In our Old Testament Lesson, Joseph overcomes evil with good. When his father died, he had a great moment to take down his evil brothers, who had sold him into Egyptian slavery. But, with a changed heart from God, he forgives his brothers and his family is finally restored.

What about your life? Are there times when you can look back and see how when presented with opportunities to bring someone down you forgave him or her instead? What was the result? Was there restoration and reconciliation?

And, of course, there are times when you did follow that bumper sticker theology. You didn’t get mad. You did get even. What has that done for you? Perhaps added to your hardness of heart and self-justification, but remember those things will not justify you before God. They will only condemn. So let it go. Forgive as you have been forgiven. Rejoice that the Cross of Jesus was for you. Pray that the Holy Spirit will bring your faith so alive that you can make the right choices next time.

Because Jesus is NIKA so are you. Because Jesus is NIKA, you can resist the devil and not be overcome by evil. Because Jesus is NIKA, you have the power of God that raised Jesus from the dead at your disposal to overcome evil with good. So be it! In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Father in heaven, so often we are tempted to go the way of the world. So often the light of Christ that we bear is dimmed to the point of darkness because we have not allowed you to transform our hearts and minds. Purge our sin. Empower us to speak your words of love, forgiveness and mercy, rather than our words of vengeance, hatred and demands. Make each of us a living sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is our reasonable service.
In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Preached on Trinity 4

The Golden Chain of Salvation

2010-06-28T16:23:00.001-04:00

For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.

In the Name of Jesus, dearly beloved:
We continue with our series on Evangelism, “Each One Reach One”, specifically today on the topic of faith and salvation. Last week we heard that faith in Jesus is not blind, nor a leap. Jesus reveals Himself to us in Word and Sacrament so that we might know Him. We heard that one definition of faith is active trust. Today we see how God works out that faith in those who are called, and that faith has an object—that is, someone in whom the faith is placed, namely, our Lord Jesus Christ.

We hear much talk about “people of faith.” Sometimes that is used to describe the church; other times it is more of a description of folk with motivation. They might have faith in all kinds of things, but this is different from the Christian faith. Our help—and our faith— is in the Name of the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth.

As we place our active trust in Jesus Christ, we realize it is not our own doing. God gives us the ability to believe in Jesus through faith, and to proclaim His wonders to the world. Today we look at how this faith comes to us and what it accomplishes.

A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. I’m sure most women here today have experienced the disappointment of losing a necklace or a bracelet because a weak link broke, causing it to fall off of your neck or wrist unnoticed. Then comes that moment when you frantically begin searching for it, and finally come to the conclusion that it is lost for good.

Puritan pastor, William Perkins, who lived in the 16th Century, once called this section of Romans 8 “the Golden Links of Salvation.”

In it are five links—each one specific, but each one related to the next. One cannot function without the other, remove one and the entire chain is broken and lost. Unlike our chains that tarnish and break, this chain of God is divinely forged and eternally guaranteed. It will not break.

The links of the chain are: Foreknowledge, Predestination, Calling, Justification and Glorification. We will take a look at each link to help us understand how it is that God Himself brings people to Himself through Jesus Christ.

In Luther’s Small Catechism we read: I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him. It is this golden chain of salvation from which this strong statement of Luther’s originates. Salvation belongs to the Lord, not to us. With this in mind, we go to our first link: Foreknowledge.

Proegnw. Pro means “for”. When someone is “pro” it means they are for something, as opposed to “con”, which means against. Egno- is the past tense word for knowledge. Put them together and you have the Greek word for “Foreknew”.

What this means is this: God knew, from the foundation of the world, who would be His own. Not only that, but He caused it to happen. It applies to the good and the evil, according to the Formula of Concord Epitome XI.

The fourth Century heretic, Pelagius, believed as many do today, that God knew who would choose him. He erroneously taught that God would choose us on the basis of us choosing God, which He could see from eternity.

However, this poses a problem. If this is so, then salvation would not be of God, but about our choice, our decision. Such a view would break the chain and cause it to be lost. Remember what Luther said, “I believe that I cannot by my own reason or understanding believe in Jesus Christ my Lord, or come to Him.” If salvation is true, it must be of God and remain of God. Salvation belongs to the Lord.

God both knows who will be saved and causes them to be saved.

Foreknowledge really means that God chose to love and to save in advance. It’s about knowing the person, not the choice that the person will make.

One Biblical example of this comes to us from the call of Jeremiah to be a Prophet of God (Jeremiah 1:5): Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”

This is a great illustration of foreknowledge, and a great explanation. God knows Jeremiah, but He also consecrated and appointed him in this foreknowledge to be a Prophet to the nations.
In the same way, God knew you from the foundation of the world. He consecrated you as His child, He appointed you to be saved. And He will do whatever it does to save us.
That means He sent His Son to this world to live the life you couldn’t before Him, to suffer eternal death as a consequence and full payment for your sin, and rise again to give you that everlasting guarantee of life forever with Him in heaven.

The next chain is Predestined. Greek: prowrisen. “To mark out with a boundary beforehand”. Oh boy, here is one of those doctrines that can get us into trouble if we do not understand it correctly! We could do an entire sermon series on this doctrine. To be sure, some Christians have a different view on this than we do. Some believe that God selects some for salvation and others for damnation. Such is not the Biblical teaching. Clear passages show us that God desires all to be saved. But the issue is, not all do.

Predestination and Foreknowledge are very similar. They both are mysteries of God beyond our understanding. The difference is that where foreknowledge applies to all (FCXI), Predestination only applies to only the Children of God. Where foreknowledge is God knowing and causing the salvation of those whom He has chosen, predestination is the action of God to save His own. To make us His children forever. To put a boundary around us. To fix His love upon us with intention.

When understood correctly, Predestination is a shining link in this chain. This doctrine and explanation of the eternal and saving choice of God’s elect children entirely gives God all the glory. In Christ He saves us out of pure mercy, without any merits or good works of ours. He does this according to the purpose of His will. (SD XI:87) Predestination is a doctrine of comfort. It means that God has placed in your hearts is eternal, real and saving. For this chain to stay together, Predestination must be understood under the Gospel, not the law. We don’t probe the hidden will of God; Predestination enables us to rejoice in our salvation.

Link 3 is called. Greek: ekalesen, from the word “kalew”, a very important word in the Christian faith. The word for Church comes from this root—ekklnsia— “the called out (ones)”, from which we get our word “ecclesiastic” pertaining to things that have to do with the Church.
The Small Catechism continues: but the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith. Here is the connection between the mystery of God and the clarity of His assurance. He calls us. How? Through His Word in the Gospel, that blessed message that we hear in Romans 10:17, Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. The Word of God is the link. It is there that the Holy Spirit takes all that the Father has given to the Son and makes it ours. One might say that the call of God is when we discover the eternal election that He has given us, that we receive by faith alone in Christ Jesus.

The interesting thing is that the call goes out to all. It went out to you in your Baptism, marked with the Cross on the forehead and breast. That call continues to go out to you in the preached Word, and in the Sacraments of Absolution and the Lord’s Supper. It is in God’s call that we become alive in Christ.

While the call goes out to all, not everyone receives it. “Many are called but few are chosen” Jesus says (Matthew 24). The seed falls on all sorts of soil, but not all of it is good. The truth of the matter is that while we cannot chose to be saved, we can choose to say “no thank you” to the Lord. We can reject the call. But then the fault lies upon us; not on God’s foreknowledge, predestination or call.

This is where the Holy Spirit uses us in evangelism. Spreading the Word of God is spreading His call. It is scattering the seed. It makes God’s love real to those who do not know Him. God uses us for this purpose: Formally here in Church; but informally in your day to day lives.
Some might wrongly conclude that because of God’s foreknowledge and predestination that Evangelism is a waste of time, taking a fatalistic view. But not so! The Lord commissions us to make disciples of all nations. Ours is not to guarantee an outcome; ours is simply to sow the seed.

The fourth link is Justified. Edikaiwsen, from dikaiow, meaning “to be in the right”, “to be declared innocent in court”. This is probably one of the most important words in Scripture. Paul takes up a better part of the beginning of Romans describing what it means to be “declared righteous apart from the works of the Law.”

What this link tells us is that through faith in Jesus Christ we are found innocent of all of our sins before the most Just Judge, the Father. Why? Because Jesus approached the bench and traded places with us in God’s eternal Court. “Father, I will take his sentence. I will die in her place.” So Jesus goes to the Cross. My sin becomes his; my wretched existence now becomes his, my curse is lifted and placed squarely upon His outstretched arms on the Cross.

My sin is paid in full. There is no jeopardy attached. Jesus’ sinless life becomes mine, making me holy. The penalty is paid. I am free, loved and holy in the sight of the Father.
You might remember the word “Justified” by it’s “just –if- I’d” not sinned!

The final link is Glorified. Normally when we speak about glorification, we’re speaking about future events. I will be glorified when I am in heaven. But this verb, doxa, is in the past tense in that it has already happened. It’s the Greek word from whence we get our English word, “doxology.” It means glory.

This is a sure indicator that in the life in Christ, our Glory doesn’t wait for heaven; it begins now. I am free in Christ now. I am the Father’s Child now. I have all of the benefits that come with it. My life is spent glorifying the Holy Trinity for the wondrous salvation given to me in Christ.

Notice that all of these words are in the past tense. God has already acted in our lives through His Word and Sacraments, bringing us to faith and guaranteeing what is to come. This is a sign of the certainty of our faith. The chain doesn’t raise questions: it answers them with God’s firm, unchangeable and certain “Amen.”

Our chains may break. But God’s never will. That shiny gold chain is the Lord’s guarantee that our faith is real, that it is active and that it is saving.

Father in heaven, it is an awesome thing to grasp that before the world began, before we were knit in our mothers’ wombs, you knew us and called us according to your purpose. It is a wondrous thing that you set a boundary around us from the foundation of the world as your very own. We do not deserve your calling, or any good thing, and yet you called out our name in Baptism and said, “you are mine.” Bringing us alive in faith you justified us in the sight of God, freeing us to live lives in your glory now and forever. Make us certain of our salvation. Increase our faith in You and our love for one another.

Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance? You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea. You will show faithfulness to Jacob and steadfast love to Abraham, as you have sworn to our fathers from the days of old. Amen.

Preached on Trinity 3, 2010

CMFD Goes To Work Again This Week

2010-06-04T14:31:00.001-04:00

Click here to see report on Sedgemere Road Fire, Tuesday, June 1.

"Given", not "Go"

2010-06-04T13:31:00.004-04:00

All authority has been given to me in heaven and upon the earth. As you go,
make disciples of all the nations, Baptizing them in the name of the Father and
the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things I have
commended you. And behold I myself am with you always until the day of the
consummation of the age.

GIVEN, NOT GO

In the Name of Jesus, dearly beloved:

We have now entered into that time known as the “non-festival” half of the Church year. Whereas the festival half of the Church year focuses upon the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus, the non-festival half now focuses on the Church, brought alive by the Holy Spirit on that first Pentecost.

It is now that we bathe in the teachings of Jesus, hear his parables, cling to His promise that He will never leave us or forsake us, and prepare ourselves to meet Him when He shall come to be our judge.

This year, as we are utilizing the historic One Year lectionary, the Sundays will be called “Sundays after Trinity” instead of “Sundays in Pentecost.” During this season the paraments adorning the sanctuary and the vestments are green, the color representing life and growth, and remain so until the Season of Advent. So even the color in the church screams: “Life.”

As we enter the summer months, as opportunities for Bible study seem to disappear, we will embark upon a series of sermons that are designed not only to edify and cause growth in your faith, but to deliberately teach you the topic of the day. We will be utilizing bulletin inserts so that you can follow along and get the most out of what we will be learning. While sermons will normally be based on the lectionary for each week, focusing on related aspects of the appointed texts, there will be some weeks, like this one, where we will use a free text, that is, not the lessons that we heard read in Church.

Each one reach one. That is the theme for our sermons this summer. I am speaking specifically about that dreaded topic—at least to most Lutherans—of Evangelism. Telling the wonders of Jesus to those who do not yet know Him—the “harvest” that Jesus Himself refers to. Not only that, but engaging those who are hostile to God’s existence, presence and desired relationships. People who hate Christians You know it as well as I—there are a lot of “Sauls of Tarsus” out there—who want nothing but harm to come to the Church and the people of God.

Sad to say, much of the world is this way today. Also, sad to say, many Churches, including our own Church body, have adopted evangelism programs that are theologically bankrupt. The temptation is to walk away from this calling of the Lord Jesus because there is so much against us. Yet, we are reminded that with God nothing is impossible, and that Saul of Tarsus became Paul the Apostle, specially called, who would go on to become the most prolific writer of the New Testament.

Good Evangelism starts with good theology. Pure doctrine. The belief that there is a heaven and a hell. The understanding that Jesus has given this so called "Great Commission" to the Church, and that evangelism and the church cannot be separated. The church is not "atomized" into individual believers who launch out on their own to spread the word. True Evangelism is anchored in the Church, through which it gets its power to save. After all, the Church is where Jesus is present to the end of the aeons, and no where else.

I. The Theology of Evangelism

To begin, we go to that Mount from which Jesus ascended, and we pay attention to what He tells His Church: All authority has been given to me in heaven and upon the earth. As you go, make disciples of all the nations, Baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things I have commended you. And behold I myself am with you always until the day of the consummation of the age.

If I were to ask you which word in that statement is the most important, I am sure I would get several answers. Often, when the Great Commission is discussed, the word “GO” is emphasized, even in our Church body. The problem is, grammatically, the word for “Go” is not an imperative command, but a participle. “Go” is not a command; a better translation is “going” or “as you go.” So that word is not the important one.

In seminary, one of my professors pointed out that he believed that the Greek word “make disciples” is the important one. True enough, it is the verb, the action word of Jesus’ statement. That is what we are called to do. And yet, there is a stronger word that is so often overlooked, but is more important than any of these.

Listening to a recent pod cast on Issues, etc. my former seminary professor, Norman Nagel, was interviewed. He’s aged a lot since I had him—I guess so, after nearly 30 years—and he had a stroke, so he was a bit hard to understand. But his theological mind remains keen. In that interview, he focuses on what is really happening in this verse, and in understanding, one begins to see the true meaning of the Great Commission.

In his Australian accent, fighting his aphasia, “given is the big, big word.” Because that is the heart of the Gospel. Jesus is given the authority of the Father in all things. That is how He reigns right now—over all things. And given is the big Gospel word for us—for that is how faith came to us. It wasn’t a decision on our part, nor will it be with anyone you may share the Gospel with. It was the giving of the Holy Spirit. Your forgiveness—given to you. Your salvation—Given to you.
Remember what Jesus said to the disciples when He gave them the great commission, according to Luke? Stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.

The Holy Spirit is the Power from on High. When He came on Pentecost, he breathed his breath into the lungs of the Church, and like an infant taking its first breath, it never stopped breathing the Spirit from that moment on. He opened the mouths of the Apostles and Peter and used their word to speak His Word, and thousands of unbelieving, hostile people had their hearts melted and came to faith. And there you have it. The important word for us, too, is “given” because the Holy Spirit has been given to us. Even if you can’t see a flame on your head, the fire is in your heart, beloved.

Grasping this we see that evangelism is not about the “sent ones” but about the “sender” who has given the Church the authority to preach the word, forgive sins and lead people out of their lives of sin and death into the Light of Christ.

Strange, whenever we hear the Great Commission stated, it almost always starts at the second half of the sentence, and we hear nothing of this. Given. Not Go. To understand the Biblical concept of evangelism, not the programmatic concept of evangelism, you have to start at the beginning of the sentence, not in the middle.

Think of it this way: Most translations of the second part of the Great Commission start with the word, “therefore”. Whenever you see this word in Scripture you have to ask what it is “there for”. And that always links us to what is said preceding a passage that uses this word.
So we now understand that Evangelism is Jesus’ baby, not ours. The responsibility is with Him, and so are the results. This both empowers our message when shared, and takes a great burden off us. We are not responsible for saving anyone. We cannot. Only The Lord can. But save, He does. And he uses feeble people like you and me simply to spread the Word that the Spirit uses to give faith, forgiveness and salvation to those who would receive Him.

Let’s summarize what we have heard so far:

• The big, Gospel word is “Given”
• The Power from on High, the Holy Spirit, Has come with all power.
• It is His Word that we speak, not ours;
• His Word has the power to bring people alive in Christ.

II. The Biblical Mechanics of Evangelism:

Understanding this, we can now move forward with this verse. Since all authority in heaven and on the earth has been given to Jesus, He now sends His Church forth to “make disciples”
There is a difference between a believer and a disciple. There are many who believe who are weak in their faith. The Spirit has led them into a saving relationship with Jesus, but they’ve never done anything with it, never grown in their faith, never attended a Bible study, never had an active prayer life, never knew what it was like to give sacrificially and see the blessings that God returns. Some are even stagnant in their faith.

That is not a disciple. A disciple is always sitting at the feet of the Master. A disciple craves to be with the Master. A disciple takes what he or she learns from the Master and then gets to the point where he or she can pass on the Master’s teaching.
You see the difference.

Beloved, if we are serious about Evangelism, if we truly believe that the Power from on High has been given to us, we need to get our own personal spiritual houses in order. One cannot pass on the Good news if it is not lived out in our day to day lives.

This is what John speaks about in our Epistle today. So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. There is the evidence that we have received power from on high; we believe!

He goes on…If anyone says, “I love God” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.”
Loving our brother/sister, learning from Jesus each day, loving Jesus, these are all part of the evidence that we have been given God’s grace. Loving is a sign of discipleship—especially to those who are not lovable. A disciple makes a decisive attempt to live out the faith in this life.
So to make a disciple, we first must be one.

It is never too late. Ask the Lord to fan your faith into full flame. Then be bold. Pray. Live. Love. Give.

How are disciples made? Our text tells us with two participles and Jesus’ concluding statement: baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to observe all that I have commanded and I am with you always until the day of consummation of the age.

Baptizing. The first way that we make disciples is that we baptize. Notice something here. Baptism is a Sacrament that has been given to the Church. Therefore, Evangelism is integrally linked to the Church. Evangelism is not an individualistic activity. It is the Church who sends you out, and it is the Church to which you return, along with those with whom you are sharing the Gospel.

Baptism is no mere “commitment to the Lord ceremony” that a new Christian engages in to publicly declare his new faith; It works in the recipient forgiveness of sins, it bestows the Holy Spirit in full measure, it spiritually grafts that person into the Olive Tree of the Church. It’s not simple water only, folks!

To be a disciple, one must be in the Church. So when we “make disciples” we bring them to the Church in accordance with Jesus Command.

Teaching them to observe all that I have commanded. Discipleship also requires education in the things of the faith. The sense of this word is ongoing—like “continue to teach them all that I have commanded you.” We practice this at Church when every time we have a Bible Class. Every time Sunday School meets. Every time our teens gather for Confirmation or Youth Group. Every time a penitent comes before this altar in confession and receives absolution. Every time we sing a hymn. Every time we pray. Each of these practices and classes teach the faith either directly or by example. Again, this stresses the importance of the Coming together of the people of God—The Lord’s Children at the Lord’s Table every Lord’s Day.

We sometimes forget that the last words Jesus speaks in Matthew are also part of the equation: I am with you always until the day of consummation of the age. The question remains, how is He with us? Is it in some non-tangible form, where He sits up in heaven and we have to make some kind of spiritual connection with Him? The Gnostics love that kind of theology.

Jesus hates it. He makes Himself very present—another guarantee that the Church is eternal, contrary to Harold Camping and his ilk that falsely teach that the Church age has come to a close.

So He comes. If you have the eyes of faith, the eyes of a disciple, you recognize Him. Here He is in the Font, washing people alive into Himself; Here He is in His Word—that word which enters your ear and brings life to your heart; Here He is on the Altar in His true body and true blood, given and shed for you.

No, you don’t have to go looking for Him. Stop searching. Stop trying to find yourself. Find Him where He promises to be until that Day when the sky will light up from the East to the West and we will behold His glory face to face.

Given. Not go. Remember this little word. In it is life. In it is the power to believe. In it is the power to spread His Word to those who do not believe.

Father in heaven, you have given all authority to your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. He has sent the Holy Spirit to take what is His and give it to us. We are now clothed with power from on high. Make us into strong disciples. Empower us to share your grace with the grace-less. As we begin this sermon series on Evangelism, equip us and help us to learn how to do this so that many might come to know you. In Jesus precious name, Amen.

+The Rev. Dr. Alan G. R. Steinberg+

2010-05-18T17:07:00.004-04:00

I remember the day well. On the first day of class at Concordia College, Bronxville, NY, September, 1978 I entered the room on the second floor of "Feth Hall" and laid eyes on him for the first time.

I knew I was in for it! He introduced himself to this freshman History class, and got right down to business. "This is History 101. It is a required class for all students. I talk in outline form, and I will put the outline for each class on the chalk board. You are responsible for everything we cover in this classroom, as well as your assigned readings." We all knew he meant business. His red pen proved it.

One of my friends asked, "Why did you take Steinberg?" "You should have taken Reimann-- he's a lot easier..." Gulp.

He was a fascinating teacher, however. Hard, but fascinating. I didn't do all that well in that first class. But it was Dr. Steinberg who finally got me to understand how to study, how to effectively outline, and how to analyze history and everything else in life, too.

Truth be told, I was afraid of him. He demanded a lot, and I often felt that I just wasn't quite up to the level of scholarship that he demanded. I eventually arrived, but taking a Steinberg class was an integral part of the process of "arriving."

I graduated from Concordia in 1982 and headed off to the seminary. I lost contact with most of the profs and students at Concordia for the next 4 years and had no idea where I would wind up.

Receiving my first call to Emanuel Lutheran Church, Patchogue, I soon found myself serving on the Alumni Board for a couple of years. I had reconnected with Concordia, and it felt really good. I would see Dr. Steinberg from time to time on the campus, he was always cordial and had time to say hello.

Fast forward to the late 1990's-- I received word that Dr. Steinberg was being ordained into the Holy Ministry. He had attended Concordia Seminary many moons before, but was never ordained. God had called him to teach. But now, retired from the College, he was ordained into the Holy Ministry at Immanuel Lutheran Church, Mount Vernon, NY. He would serve several congregations as an interim pastor, and was loved by those whom he served. He wanted me to call him Alan. Right. I could never bring myself to do that!

In the Spring of 2006, I attended the Atlantic District Pastoral Conference in upstate New York. He was there. We spent the majority of the conference sitting and talking. He was still as fascinating as ever. We spoke about Concordia, his retirement and his ministry. I was somewhat saddened that when he retired from Concordia that it was not publicized, at least to those in the parish setting. I thought that surely a professor of his stature would have been celebrated and recognized. Perhaps that happened, but we never knew about it. A few of us had kicked around the idea of a festschrift in his honor, but I couldn't find enough people who wanted to write at this stage of life. I had invited him to be one of our keynote speakers at a Reformation seminar hosted by our congregation and he accepted. At the Pastoral Conference, he brought me the paper he was to present, as well as a lot of his other writings. I have kept them all and was honored to receive them.

In October 2006, he made good on his promise and gave a presentation on the Reformation at our Christian View Series Seminar entitled, The Reformation: Yesterday, Today and in the Future", along with Pastor Larry Vogel. It was a milestone moment in our congregation's history. The presentation was fantastic. (I have the audio if anyone wants it. Contact me at resqrev@optonline.net).

We spoke several times on the phone since then, but his ailing health slowed our communication. I feel bad that I wasn't able to get up to Northern Westchester to see him before he died.

The Lord called him to glory this past Sunday, May 16 at about 6:15am.

I will miss him-- red pen and all-- and give thanks to God that he was one of my mentors that God used to bring me to this point in life.

Requiem aeternum, dona eis Domine et lux perpetua luceat eis.

Facebook Factoids

2010-05-14T20:43:00.001-04:00

[Source: Online PhD Programs] My thanks to Paul McCain for this site.

Exsultet! Rejoice!

2010-04-03T17:02:00.001-04:00

Today in Fire History....

2010-03-25T11:11:00.002-04:00

Two historical fires took place on March 25.

The first occurred in 1911 at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in New York. 146 workers lost their lives when a fire broke out in their factory. Many of the deaths were due to doors being chained shut and locked to prevent the immigrant workers from stealing material. This fire led to many of the fire codes that are in place today.

The second took place in 1990 in the Bronx. An arson fire at the illegal 'Happy Land Social Club', claimed the lives of 87 people.

Both fires led to reforms in life safety codes in the USA and abroad.

2012? Not!

2010-03-23T11:52:00.003-04:00

I've written on this topic before. Today, in response to some questions that I received from my Church Youth Group, I wrote another piece that I will be putting in our Newsletter.

-------------------

2012?
Not!

It’s all over the news: Michel de Nostradamus came to the conclusion that the world will end in 2012. The Mayan Calendar ends on December 21, 2012. Based on these two facts, many have concluded that the world will end on or about December 21, 2012.

It is interesting that this fixing of time for the end of the world is coming from the pagan world this time, not the Church, where false teachers occasionally arise and teach such anti-Biblical theology.

Many authors are actively penning works on this subject. Barnes and Noble and Boarder’s Books have entire sections in their stores dedicated to dispensing 2012 propaganda. From all indications, the sales are doing quite well.

Expect to see a lot more coverage of this sensational topic over the next two years in the media. People are always drawn to prophecies like this. Such doomsday prophecies have been in the Church over the centuries; false prophets have set dates hundreds of times and have garnered a lot of followers, all proven to be wrong when the sun rises the day after. If the Church has date-setters in Her midst, imagine how many more are found in the unchecked, unbelieving world.

How is a Christian to respond to these claims? By understanding a few guiding principles.

First, the issue is not about the end of the world; the Scriptures clearly teach that there will be a Last Day—Judgment Day— when the present world will be destroyed, and a New Heaven and New Earth will be ushered in by God Himself. (Matthew 24:29ff).

The issue is not if there will be an End; it is over when it will be and what it will be. The Church has always taught an imminent coming of Jesus, calling the faithful to be ready for Jesus’ return. This gives urgency to our mission and soberness to our teaching.

Second, Jesus clearly says, “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but my Father only. (Matthew 24:36). This verse directly applies to the 2012 issue. To fix a date necessarily says that the claimant has more knowledge than Jesus in His state of Humiliation. Such a position is always spiritual arrogance and sinful. Therefore, the 2012 date cannot be right.

Contrary to popular opinion, neither the Bible nor history contains “hidden” codes that can be broken by a select few so that a date for the Last Day can be calculated. Such practice is Gnostic, not Christian.

Jesus gives the Disciples signs of the coming of the end of the age—false teaching, wars, natural disasters such as earthquakes and famines, and the like. But these things occur in every generation. His message to all generations is clear: Watch! (Matthew 25:13). Be ready! (Matthew 24:44). He comes at a time we will least expect.

Third, for Christians, Judgment Day is not Doomsday. Doomsday occurred to Jesus on the Cross. The Last Day is a great day. Luke puts it thus: Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.” (Luke 21:30).

The teaching of Nostradamus and his followers is one of fear. Fear leads to despair and book sales!

The Christian Church knows nothing about this; for it is a day of sheer joy, a day that looks “for the blessed hope and glorious reappearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.” (Titus 2:13).

Jesus is coming. He doesn’t tell us when, but He comes with the joy of surprise. So continue in your faith in Jesus as Lord, given you in your Baptism. Be at His Table each Lord’s Day so He might feed you with His blessed Word and Sacraments. Let God’s perfect love cast out all fear in you. These things prepare you for that Day as nothing else can.

Mock On, Mock On, Voltaire, Rousseau

2010-03-23T08:57:00.000-04:00

Mock on, mock on, Voltaire, Rousseau;
Mock on, mock on; 'tis all in vain!
You throw the sand against the wind,
And the wind blows it back again.

And every sand becomes a gem
Reflected in the beams divine;
Blown back they blind the mocking eye,
But still in Israel's paths they shine.

The Atoms of Democritus
And Newton's Particles of Light
Are sands upon the Red Sea shore,
Where Israel's tents do shine so bright.

William Blake

Pray for the People of Haiti

2010-01-14T07:10:00.000-05:00

Devotion for Christmass 2

2010-01-03T14:34:00.002-05:00

Here is another Video Devotion that I created because we were forced to cancel all services and Sunday School due to another ice/snow storm. It started around 10am yesterday and it's still snowing right now at 2:30pm EST. The Church was literally "iced-in" today.

I HATE cancelling worship. It just throws my entire week off. At least we have an Epiphany Service so our folk will be able to receive Word and Sacrament Ministry this Wednesday. It is among my favorite services, and the last service with our Church decorated. At least the forecast is good for Wednesday evening!

Not New Year, but New Creation

2009-12-30T11:04:00.005-05:00

While time rolls away, our sins do not. Their damning record weigh us down, carried all the way through life to the Judgment, where they will be opened and read aloud for all to hear.

We are lost, condemned creatures, indeed Children of Wrath. All that the New Year and its futile resolutions can do are to lure us into falsely thinking that we can fix our own lives. In reality theyare eternally broken by sin, and its final word, hell. We need more than a New Year to save us.

Jesus, Name of Wondrous Love! It is He who redeems our life from the grave, crowning us with love and compassion, forgiveness and salvation, life and freedom.

Jesus is the name prevailing over every name by right;

At this name, in terror quailing, Powers of hell are put to flight;

God, in mercy never failing,

Saves us by this name of might.

(TLH 116 v. 5)

New life comes not with a New Year, but solely in Christ Jesus, who makes us and all things New by His blood.

Peoples Republic of the United States

2009-12-24T09:35:00.004-05:00

Unbelievable. Vote them all out. Every last one of them that voted for this Health reform bill. They should be ashamed of themselves. They have desecrated Christmass. Lord, have mercy. We are now officially a socialist Country-- something that our Founding Fathers and our military gave their lives to prevent. How could America have come to this?

To think that there are enough Americans out there who WANTED this makes me shudder. Do they still teach the Constitution in history classes?

Shame on them. The President, the Congress, the Senate and all who voted for them. Shame on them!

Could it be...

2009-12-23T20:45:00.000-05:00

That tonight is the last night of liberty in America?

Advent IV Devotion

2009-12-20T10:40:00.001-05:00

This is a short Advent Devotion my wife and I put together for the people of Christ Lutheran Church. We were forced to cancel Divine Worship today because of the Blizzard of '09. We got about 2 feet of snow in 12 hours.

It's a heavy thing...

2009-12-14T18:04:00.003-05:00

....being a paramedic, sometimes. This evening I responded to a motor vehicle accident, where I had to pronounce the death of an elderly male passenger. It's kind of wierd doing that, and then coming home, continuing to work on Christmas as if nothing happened. I've always felt that I have had a dual calling from the Lord, having served in EMS for 34 years and the ministry for 23. I did fire up a prayer to the Lord asking Him to be with this poor man's family and the driver that collided with his car. So many lives were affected this afternoon..... Kyrie eleison!

Sermon for Advent II

2009-12-05T12:04:00.002-05:00

“For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble. The day that is coming shall set them ablaze, says the Lord of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall. And you shall tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet, on the day when I act, says the Lord of hosts.
“Remember the law of my servant Moses, the statutes and just decrees that I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel.
“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.” Malachi 4

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The Prophet Malachi, Paul and Jesus all speak of the same thing today: Judgment Day. That theme continues to be set before us in these days of Advent, challenging us to be watching and waiting, to spread the Gospel and to be prepared to meet Him by the Forgiveness of our sins given us in Word and Sacrament. That dawn from on high will break upon us in a Day that we anticipate, and bring us into His everlasting light.

I.

Focusing our attention on the Old Testament Lesson, Malachi speaks of three major events of that Day. First, he speaks of the arrogant and the evil doers being burned as if in an oven. Jesus says the same thing of those who reject His love and His Free Grace in this life. He gave His all for them, He offered to take away their sins, to be their advocate. But they rejected the faith and said no. Theirs is the attitude, “If you want to get something done, you’ll have to do it yourselves.” And so they will. God demands total obedience to the law. If it is broken on one count, they won’t make it. Christians make it only because Jesus never broke the Law, even on one count. We are Baptized into His perfectness, His Righteousness, and therefore Jesus Himself already paid the penalty for us. But those who reject Jesus have to answer for themselves. And they will have no answer to give. The fact that some perish pains the loving, saving heart of our Lord. But God honors our “no”. He won’t have to tell people in the end that they have made the wrong choice by rejecting His grace; it will become painfully clear to them. God’s Judgment is pure, and it is final.

If we try to make it on our own, that fate will be ours. But the amazing words of Scripture stick out, “Today is the day of salvation.” Rejoice in the gift of eternal oneness and peace with the Judge of the World that we have through His Cross. Live in that amazing grace, and you will never need to fear judgment. But the Day is coming when that offer will be recalled and there will be no turning back.

II.

Second, He speaks to those who are His, to His Israel. The Children of Israel in Malachi’s time, the Church in ours, all of you who fear His name: Upon you, “the Son of Righteousness will arise with healing in his wings.” This, beloved is not some kind of allegoric language, some ponderous prose. It is a Name—a Name for Jesus, who is the Son of Righteousness. In Him is Light, there is no darkness at all. During Advent one of the O Antiphons calls Jesus this—our Dayspring from on High, who cheers us by His drawing night, dispersing the clouds of gloom and night, and putting deaths dark shadows to flight.

At the Cross, Darkness seemed to have its day. Satan thought He had won. But in reality, His head was crushed, just like the prophecy in the Garden of Eden said. From the moment of that cross on, Satan began to see that His days are numbered. The ultimate judgment occurs when Satan is cast into the Lake of fire. Until that time, He prowls the earth like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour. What that means is that His stand is against the Holy Church of God and Jesus’ Christians. He understands that His days are short, and so he works tirelessly to draw us out of the Kingdom of God into His clutches. It’s a shame that we often don’t realize that the time is short and undo His work with evangelism, often living our lives as if there is no end to them. Satan understands this concept better than the Church, and that just not ought to be!

We can’t wake up in the darkness, so Jesus provides us with light—the day Has come. That day dawned when He rose from the dead early Easter Morning. That light continues to glow in the presence of God, whose backsided image caused Moses to veil his face because of the radiance. By virtue of faith in Christ, we can look directly into His light and be absorbed in it, rather than be vaporized by it.

This Son of Righteousness comes with healing in His wings. Flying healing. That’s the picture. That’s what His Holy Spirit does. He goes where He will and brings healing to all who would receive it. Physical healing, yes, but much more. He heals the sin-sick soul. He forgives our sins and cleanses us from all unrighteousness. He makes us eternally well, even if we remain sick, infirmed or aged here on earth.

That leads us to go out leaping like calves from the stall. The Greek word in the Septuagint is “skiptao”—skipping, dancing, rejoicing. Malachi prophecies here the worship of the Church. For is not that what our hearts do when they embrace the truth about the Son of Righteousness eternally healing us? Is not that what our voices sing as we raise them in song? Note that it starts with God, not us. Worship is not something we generate; God generates it in us by gracing us with His salvation. That grace that was poured out in abundance over you as the water washed you in Baptism continues to flow, like a stream from that Eternal Rock in God’s Word and Sacrament, keeping the skipping going in our worship and giving, responding and loving.

III.

Third, Malachi speaks of the messenger that will come to prepare the way for this Son of Righteousness. The first fulfillment of this was Elijah, who proclaimed God’s Word. Jesus tells us that John the Baptist is the fulfillment of Elijah, proving Him to be Messiah.

John the Baptist’s ultimate fulfillment still occurs today. It is called preaching. For over all of these centuries and millennia the mission of the Church remains the same as His: Pointing people to Jesus, telling them “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” Leading all to repentance since the Kingdom now is here in Word and Sacrament, freely proclaimed and given to those who gather around the table of the Lord.

All of this because Jesus still comes to us now. Today. The Son of Righteousness, With healing in His wings. His grace is in the water. His changing power is in the Gospel. And the Table is set in the presence of both friend and foe.

This same Jesus will return again bodily, physically and literally on the Last Day. It is this day for which we pray. It is this day that we speed by spreading the Gospel to the ends of the earth. It is this Day that will cause us to rejoice and lift up our head, for our salvation draws nigh.

Until that Day, we heed the call of the Baptist. Until that Day, we watch and wait, ready and prepare ourselves as a bride adorns herself for her bridegroom. The world may see the signs of the times as something horrible, something to make movies out of. But for you and me, all these signs do is increase our anticipation and hope.

And so, once more, with the Early Church, we pray:

Maranatha!

Come quickly, Lord Jesus, Come.

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Advent Midweek Service I

2009-12-01T17:10:00.003-05:00

Odd, isn’t it, that we hear the reading for Palm Sunday during the week of the First Sunday in Advent? It doesn’t seem to fit. After all, isn’t Advent about watching and waiting, anticipating Jesus coming at Christmas as the Baby in the manger? Isn’t it a time to get ready for Christmas? Is not the Church jumping the gun by skipping right over Christmas, right over the Life and Ministry of our Lord, right to Holy Week, when Jesus enters Jerusalem for the last time?

It may seem that way. But for centuries, this is the reading that has been appointed by the Church for the First Week in Advent. There must be a reason, a good one! And there is.

Advent is all about the coming of the Kingdom of God and its coming King, the Messiah. What this reading does is show us that the King has come—that the ancient Advent promise given to Adam has been fulfilled. The world can stop waiting for Messiah to arrive on the scene, because He has already come. The Word was Made Flesh and dwelt among us.

But instead of choosing the Christmas story to show this, the Fathers of the Church decide to bring us right to the heart of the reason that Jesus came: To suffer and to die. This reading ties all of these themes together. The people hail Jesus as their King, and rightfully so. But His Kingdom was not of this world. It would be a Kingdom marked with something foreign to this world: Forgiveness. It’s a concept that people think that they’re practicing, but in reality, apart from Christ, there is no such thing. In Christ, it is everything. It is what we live and breathe as His Christians.

Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem removes all Christmassy sentimentality. It cuts to the chase. He came not to be hailed as a King in some kind of popular way; but to die on a cross, in our place. As one poet puts it, “Sometimes they strew His way, and His sweet praises sing, resounding all the day “Hosanna’s” to their King. Then “crucify!” is all their breath, and for His death they thirst and cry.”

Only when this is grasped by the power of the Holy Spirit can one ever understand what the Kingdom of God truly is. Contrary to the worldly view of “peace,” “joy” and ‘love” that we hear all season long, this side of heaven His kingdom is not marked with some kind of outward, external earthly peace, but with war. It is not a kingdom where Lion and Lamb live together in peace; but one of head crushing. For some, it is even marked by lion, pyre, cross, machete, machine gun, poison, and saw because they hated Him first. For each of us it is a continual battle between sin, death, the devil and the King who resides in us. We’ve been baptized into both that Battle and His Body, initiated during that First Holy Week.

The Kingdom that has come in the person and work of our Lord Jesus Christ is here. But it is not for the timid. Those who think that they can do better on their own, dwell in their own world and not His Kingdom of Grace cannot enter it. They substitute ‘earthly peace’ in their lives now for the glory that will be revealed. And that is an eternal shame. But it is the comfortable response to Messiah, the one that the broad-roaders are content to take.

The heart of Advent is summed up by yet another poet, Harvey S. Mozolak

Advent

little Lent

Christmas

out of season Passion

the wood slats will have to be closer

to hold him from falling

from the wood

straw will do for thorns

nails rough Joseph hands

for now

a kneeling Mary

yet without another son

the tears the same

the spear already cast

Jesus has come. He is the Messiah. The Incarnation proves that the Father keeps His Word. Such proof brings us hope. For in Advent we watch and wait, yet once again, for Jesus to return as King. Our hope is renewed because of Christmas; It assures us that Advent is not some kind of futile exercise like “Waiting for Godot”.

He came the First Time to bring peace and joy to the heart, by making it one with His. He brings our hearts alive, for where there is forgiveness, there also is life and salvation. Right here, right now, even in the midst of what History throws at us today.

Now He is coming Clouds of Glory, to take us to that Kingdom where everything will be right, where there will be peace and joy, in His Kingdom of Glory. That is what we await!

Raise us to Thy glorious Throne, dear Jesus. Raise us to Thy Glorious Throne.

Maranatha.

Amen

So you want Governmental Healthcare, Eh?

2009-11-29T13:35:00.000-05:00

Here is what you're in for....

Franzmann Advent Tidbit

2009-11-28T10:48:00.001-05:00

"We live in the time since the resurrection of Christ in which the old age and the new age overlap, and we are exposed to both. The far-gone night is still a power that seeks to make us sons of darkness and of night, doomed to perish with the dying night. To live as in the day therefore involves a struggle; it calls for action, decisive action. We are called upon to cast off the works of darkness that naturally sprout, like fat and noxious weeds, in the night of sin. We are called upon to take up the armor of light; the life as in the day can be a full reality only in the battle against the forces of the night."

Martin Franzmann, The Concordia Commentary: Romans, p. 239

Sermon for Pentecost 24

2009-11-16T17:45:00.001-05:00

And as he sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the Temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him, privately, “Tell us when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are about to be accomplished?
Mark 13:3

There is a lot of talk about the “end of the world” happening in 2012. This week, a new Movie was released, “2012” based upon the Mayan calendar that ends in 2012. The veiled-false prophet Nostradamus also claims cataclysmic calamity cosmically coming in that chronos (Greek word for ‘time’). Books are selling off the shelves in Borders, Barnes and Nobel, and at Amazon dot com. (Borders actually has an entire section of the store devoted to this).

The Christian false-prophet, Harold Camping of Family Radio, has them beat: He says it is going to be in 2011! (Of course, he also said it was going to be in 1994, but I don’t think we’re in heaven yet)!

As people look at what is going on in the world in terms of politics, economics, they, too, are jumping on the “Left Behind” band-wagon and spreading their doom and gloom predictions with anyone who will listen.

As Christians, we believe that there is a Day when Jesus will return, Judge the earth, and creation as we know it will be destroyed by fire. We confess that in every Creed of the Church. That is the prophecy of the Bible. But this is different from “parousia paranoia” that is shaking our land, spawned by the work of whom Jesus warned us. It is different, because it is the Day of our salvation.

In these last two Sundays of the Church year, we focus our attention on the Scriptural prophecies that Jesus will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead. We do not dread it-- Jesus tells us in the Gospel of Luke, “ Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near. (Luke 21:28) Today we will deal with events concerning the Last Day; next week, on the Feast of Christ the King, we will examine the Biblical teaching of the Last Judgment.

The disciples ask the question, “when will these things be?” That is a question that many have tried to answer over the Centuries. Jesus makes it clear that even He, according to His human nature, does not know: But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven but my Father only. (Matthew 24:36) Those who set dates, either by trying to calculate the “weeks of Daniel” and words of the prophets, or by interpreting ‘how bad the world is’ are actually claiming to know more than our Lord Jesus does. Anyone who sets a date is therefore a false prophet. For the Scriptures are not some kind of code book that cryptically tells a code-cracker when the day will be. No one but God the Father knows, and He has chosen not to reveal it to us.

Notice how Jesus answers the disciples. He tells them that there will be signs of His coming: False prophets, wars and rumors of wars, earthquakes and famines. We certainly have all today. But the point is, they had them in Jesus’ day, too. The early Christians believed that Jesus would come in their lifetime. There was no waiting, no belief in a secret rapture, no millennium in their view-- all things that some Christians falsely believe today. James tells us that “the Judge is at the door.” The two letters to the Church at Thessalonica were written because Jesus had not yet come, and yet some were dying. They took the signs of the day and interpreted them to mean that Jesus would come in their First Century life time.

The signs that Jesus gives apply to all time. One begins to see what He is doing. He is telling every generation to be ready. We are made ready to meet Jesus by believing and trusting in Him today. The only way to be ready is to have our sins removed from us. You, the Baptized of the Lord do believe in Him, and so all of the qualifications have been met in you by Jesus!.

On the Last Day, several things will occur. We read of the first in our lesson in Daniel today. And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. 3And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.

This is known as the “General Resurrection.” Besides your Baptism, it is the only other Resurrection that the Bible speaks of. There are some who teach multiple resurrections at the end of time, but it is because they reject the doctrine of Baptism as the Scriptures teach.

All of the dead will be raised. All of the dead of all time, good and evil, believer and unbeliever. Everyone will be there.

Then, the Judgment will take place. Jesus will have the angels separate the “sheep” or believers from the “goats”, the non-believers. The sheep will be on His right, the goats on His left. And He will judge the nations, as prophesied. We will look more closely at this next week.

After the righteous have been taken up into heaven with Him, and the damned eternally banished to hell, then this world will end in fire.

Now all of these things are rather technical, and not the most pleasant topic to discuss! We don’t want it to happen-- we love our lives and what God has given us, and so it can be somewhat disturbing to acknowledge that this is the prophesied future for the world.

But once again, as Christians, we actually look forward to this day. For on this day all hope will be realized. On that day, the dead will be raised, just as Jesus was raised, and just as He promised. On that day we will be reunited with all who are in Christ-- that hole in your heart from losing a loved one will be filled. On that day, if we have died, the Biblical promise will come true: Whoever lives and believes in me will never die. We will be alive forever more, living in heaven with Jesus forever.

Jesus tells us these things not to literally “scare the hell out of us” but to give us lasting hope. For on that day Satan will be forever bound, and death will die, never to be experienced again.

All of this because Judgment Day already occurred. There was a day when there were signs in the heavens and the sky turned black at noon. There was a day when there was a great earthquake. A day when there was great hunger in the Land for the True Word of God. A day when soldiers killed the innocent in a war far greater than wars we hear about. It was Good Friday. Judgment happened to you when God damned Jesus on the Cross for you. He took it all. He not only died, but suffered hell as the Father abandoned Him

He trades status with you. He became your sin; you became His righteousness. That is what prepares you to meet Him. You were baptized into Calvary. You confess His Holy Name as your Lord. In Him you are totally and completely prepared.

So what do we do with all of this “Parousia-paranoia”? We take heed to the words of our Lord Jesus who warns us about such teachings circulating: “See that no one leads you astray. Many will come in My name saying, ‘I am he!’ and they will lead many astray. and when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. This must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. These are but the beginning of the birth pangs. None of this nonsense today should surprise the Biblically-bound Christian. We’ve been forewarned of the lunacy.

The early Christians would always pray, Maranatha, which means “Come quickly”. We don’t know when it will be, but we know it will be, and we know that it will be the greatest day ever known to mankind since the Resurrection of Jesus from the dead. It is the day when the dead are raised incorruptible, when we will be caught up into heaven with all those who we loved who are in Christ Jesus. It is on that day we will all sing the eternal praises of Jesus around His throne in an existence that is indescribable in human terminology.

And so, we join our prayer with theirs: Maranatha! Come quickly, Lord Jesus, Come!

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

What is a Lutheran?

2009-11-16T17:41:00.001-05:00

Check out the excellent post by Pastor Larry Peters on his blog.

Et Vivit Alii

2009-10-24T15:02:00.002-04:00

Buffalo Fire 2009 Awards video from Michael Zarbo on Vimeo.

Video in memory of our fallen BFD brothers

And now.... A Mighty Fortress!

2009-10-13T09:01:00.001-04:00

2012, eh?

2009-10-12T12:20:00.006-04:00

There is a lot of talk about the “end of the world” happening in 2012. Supposedly, the Mayan calendar ends that year. The veiled-false prophet Nostradamus also claims cataclysmic calamity cosmically coming in that chronos (Greek word for ‘time’). Books are selling off the shelves in Borders, Barnes and Nobel, and at Amazon dot com. (Borders actually has an entire section of the store devoted to this).

The Christian false-prophet, Harold Camping of Family Radio, has them beat: He says it is going to be in 2011! (Of course, he also said it was going to be in 1994, but I don’t think we’re in heaven yet)!

As people look at what is going on in the world in terms of politics, economics, they, too, are jumping on the “Left Behind” band-wagon and spreading their doom and gloom predictions with anyone who will listen.

So what do we do with all of this “Parousia-paranoia”? We hear the words of our Lord Jesus who warns us about such teachings circulating: “Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, I am the Christ,’ and deceive many. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.” (Matthew 24:4-6)

None of this nonsense should surprise the Biblically-bound Christian. We’ve been forewarned of the lunacy.

Jesus also goes on to tell us: But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven but my Father only. (Matthew 24:36). This means even Jesus does not know ‘when’ the Last Day is to come. So Nostradamus, and Camping, and the Jehovah’s Witnesses, and all who have set dates based on a “code” they think they have broken in the Scriptures or on the calendar are claiming to know more than Jesus. There’s a word invented just for folk like this: Heretics.

Oh, we do believe in the Last Day. We do believe that the world will come to an end on Judgment Day. We confess that every week in the Creeds of the Church. But it is a whole lot different from what the doomsday dummies are declaring.

Jesus tells us this, too: Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near. (Luke 21:28).

The Last Day for Christians is not something we dread; it is something that we anticipate, pray for and celebrate. The early Christians would always pray, Maranatha, which means “Come quickly”. We don’t know when it will be, but we know it will be, and we know that it will be the greatest day ever known to mankind since the Resurrection of Jesus from the dead. It is the day when the dead are raised incorruptible, when we will be caught up into heaven with all those who we loved who are in Christ Jesus. It is on that day we will all sing the eternal praises of Jesus around His throne in an existence that is indescribable in human terminology.

So why are we talking about this now? Because the Church soon enters the time when we focus on both the end of the world and the coming of Jesus.

The readings on the last Sundays of the Church year focus on Judgment Day. Their theme is a simple one: Are you ready? That means, do you believe in Jesus, have you repented for your sins and received his wondrous salvation? That is how one prepares. And then, after we hear about the Final Judgment, we shift liturgical gears and focus our attention on the Promises of God that Jesus is coming again. We call this season “Advent.” (It begins on November 29th this year). Not a countdown to Christmas, as the world sees it, but a focus on the Promises of God to come and redeem His people This season reminds us that the Church remains in perpetual Advent as we await the final promise of Jesus to be fulfilled: His coming again in glory.

A Great Post on Liturgy

2009-09-22T11:15:00.002-04:00

Fr. Larry Peters presents a wonderful defense of the Liturgy on his blog.

What They Don't Want You to Hear

2009-09-11T17:31:00.001-04:00

Buffalo Fire Department Radio Transmissions at LODD Fire Today

2009-08-24T16:23:00.003-04:00

Radio Transmissions from the Buffalo LODD this morning. (CAUTION: Disturbing audio).

MAYDAY

Buffalo Double LODD This Morning

2009-08-24T10:36:00.006-04:00

May the Lord be with our brother firefighters in Buffalo who lost two of their own this morning They reportedly heard a victim, however the floor collapsed on them.

Lt. Charles "Chip" McCarthy of BFD Rescue 1, and Firefighter Jonathan Croom of Ladder 7 paid the supreme sacrifice. We uphold their families in prayer, and thank the Lord for the heroic sacrifice that all firefighters make that others may live.

You Are Not Your Own

2009-08-24T07:28:00.006-04:00

You are not your own; Purchased with a price:
Holy Temple, flesh and blood Living sacrifice.

Set your mind on things above, Not on things of earth.
Worship God with holy life Cleansed by Second Birth.

Let your love be faithful, true, Eager to forgive.
Bind your hearts and lives as one, By your promise live.

Bone of bones and flesh of flesh, Gift from God above.
Mystery of man and wife Shows the Savior's love.

When love bears its blessed fruit, Sow the sacred seed:
Bring your children unto Christ, By example lead.

Love, unmoved in Christ will stand In life's storms secure.
Grant, O Lord, this love to us: Strong, enduring, pure.

You are not your own; Purchased with a price:
Holy Temple, flesh and blood Living Sacrifice

-----------------------------------------------------

Text: John George Fleischmann b. 1960 (1998)

Tune: Smith Point

A free printed edition with score is available by contacting me via email

And From Hamel....

2009-08-24T07:24:00.002-04:00

Click here to read Pastor William Weedon's awesome sermon from this past Sunday.

Dr. Kieschnick's Presentation to the ELCA's General Assembly

2009-08-24T07:22:00.002-04:00

This is good.

Dr. Kieschnick

Hymn on the Ten Commandments

2009-08-23T22:15:00.000-04:00

Promised Land

I AM the Lord who set you free
To Fear and Love and Trust in Me.
I broke the grip of Pharaoh's hand
To lead you to the Promised Land.”

“No gods will you have; From idols flee--
I covet your love with jealousy.
Above all things I seek your praise;
For thousands, My mercy, who follow My ways.”

“You will not use My Name in vain--
Who curses and blasphemes in guilt will remain.
But call on it in every care
With praise and thankfulness and prayer.”

“You will observe The Day of Rest
A Day that is holy; a Day that is blessed.
Perform no labor in your gate--
My Name to hallow and consecrate.”

“To father and mother honor give
That in the Land long life you may live.
Shun hatred, spite and murderous rage;
Defend all life from age to age.”

“'Til death do you part, one flesh you shall be;
Your marital bed keep in purity.
Take not your neighbor's goods or ware
Through stealing, corruption or lack of care.”

“Do not destroy your neighbor's name,
By perjury, gossiping, casting blame.
Do not desire your neighbor's house,
Nor money, nor blessings, nor family, nor spouse.”

“Speak not to us, or we will die--
Your Law thunders judgment from on High.
But send Your Servant in Your place--
Lest we behold You face to Face.”

“I AM the Lord, who set you free
I sent My Son, your sin to be.
I broke death's grasp, and Satan's lie;
Through thorns and nails and hammer's ply.”

You are the Lord-- You freed us to live
Your Law from above and Your Will that You give!
You are the Lord, the Holy One,
All that is demanded, Fulfilled by Your Son!

To God the Father, Glory bring,
And at the Lamb's High Feast we Sing.
We bless the Spirit by Whose hand,
You lead us to our Promised Land.

_____________________________
Text: John G. Fleischmann, b. 1960 Tune:: Wareham, William Knapp, 1738 Written 3 July 1997, Moffits Beach, NY

With the Deepest Regret

2009-08-21T17:14:00.012-04:00

Yesterday, August 20, 2009, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America—the largest Lutheran body in this Country—approved their sexuality social statement that, in effect, permits for monogamous homosexual relationships to be acceptable to the Church.

As of yesterday, this Church body left the ranks of historic Christianity, is no longer catholic (as their teaching now deviates from what the Church has always believed, taught and confessed) and have ranked themselves as a sect. The ELCA is apostate.

Now, before you crucify me out there in Cyberspace for saying this, permit me to expand my thinking.

First, this issue has nothing to do with homosexuality. It has to do with Biblical Authority and Sacred Tradition (as understood from a Lutheran point of view).

Homosexuality is a sin just like any other. It is not unforgiveable, nor is it worse than divorce or stealing or murder. I do not judge homosexual people—I have enough things to repent of in my life than to worry about someone else’s issues. (I went through a divorce in 2,000 and am not proud of it). Nor do I hate homosexuals—I have dear friends who are gay, and that has never affected our relationship as friends in the past. They remain my friends. I am deeply concerned when gay people are attacked because of their orientation. That just isn’t right. I believe the church needs to do more outreach to the gay community.

Homosexual people are most welcome in our congregation. “All nations” means just that.

So I’m not a “homophobe” nor a “gay basher” nor a person who thinks less of another who is gay.

But, as a Christian, and as a Pastor of a Christian Congregation, I have a responsibility to point out faulty thinking and false theology. And here you have both in spades.

The Church cannot—must not—redefine what the Word of God says. We cannot simply ignore or explain away those parts of the Scriptures that don’t sit well with us. Certainly cultures change, but the doctrine of the Word of God cannot change. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, forever”… remember that?

And there is still such a thing as “sin”, like it or not. Sin is not defined by the Church via an electronic voting system. Sin is defined by God in His Word. And He has a lot to say about homosexual behavior (right along side of illicit heterosexual behavior, I might add). Thank the Lord that His stronger Word is spoken at the Cross!

But now, with this action, the ELCA has officially declared that it is teaching something different from what God teaches us Himself. Didn’t they take into account the warnings of Jesus and the Scriptures when we read, “whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.” (Matthew 18:6)? So how do they teach their children about this “new doctrine” without taking an eternal plunge? I do not know. Dangerous. Very dangerous!

I am sure that this statement was written for social justice reasons. But, truth be told, it is not a justice issue; it is a moral issue. Along with setting aside the teaching of the Word of God, they have missed the entire point.

What they have really done is cheated the gay community. They sold out their gay members. No longer does a gay member of the ELCA have to struggle with his/her sinful condition when it comes to homosexuality, for the church has now declared that it is not a sin. So it will remain unconfessed. This is a very precarious spiritual condition for any Christian to be in.

The growth that the struggle with sin brings to each of us will no longer occur, so expect their spirtual growth to be stunted. And when one no longer wrestles with sin, it becomes very hard to see God's will with the clarity He desires us to have.

And what of all of the faithful pastors and churches in the ELCA who are forced to take a position of in statu confessiones ? I sure hope that the Missouri Synod doesn’t take its often pharisaical approach in single handedly writing off these faithful Christians because “they’re not of us.” That would be a deeper shame than the issue at hand. (Preliminary things that I have seen written are just the opposite, thank goodness!)

Pray for the ELCA, that the light of God’s Law would show them they have fallen off a cliff.

Pray for those who are gay that the Lord would work in their lives to bring them the fullness of the Gospel in their brokenness.

Pray for the Faithful and Pastors in the ELCA that theirs would be a strong witness to the Gospel.

August 18, 1959

2009-08-18T10:07:00.002-04:00

On August 18, 1959, Six Kansas City Firefighters were killed at a refinery fire. As they were battling the flames, one of the tanks "BLEVE'd" ("Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapor Explosion-- the tank takes off like a rocket!) and the fire rolled back on all who were fighting it.

Here is a video from that day

More on the LSB Companion

2009-08-14T15:14:00.004-04:00

This past Tuesday was the deadline for submissions to the LCMS/CPH for essays on the hymns in LSB. They will be published next year in the Companion to LSB. All five of my hymn essays were completed on time, though the last one was completed at the eleventh hour.

I enjoyed writing the essays, however this is the second time in my life where I have written something to be published. I find it a bit intimidating-- gathering the necessary and pertinent data, crafting an outline, writing the actual essay, and then going back-- often dozens of times-- to sharpen, re-write, clarify, tighten and perfect the writing. And when I'm done, I'm still a bit timid to send it to the editors. We shall see how this goes.

The project itself took me over 100 hours. I began working in earnest on the essays at the beginning of May. With so many demands on a parish pastor's schedule, it was difficult to cull out a significant amount of time to make progress. I have been on vacation for the past several weeks, in Buffalo before and after the death of my beloved Mother-in-Law. In between hospital visits to her I was able to have a lot of writing time. (The cell phone remained "off"--truly a blessing!)

I'm now writing another several articles for CPH for their new book, Lutheranism 101, though the specific topics have not yet been assigned. I am enjoying the writing.

I would like to write a book one of these days, but I have not narrowed the focus. Something of substance on Fire/EMS Ministry in the Parish Setting (there is a lot out there, but mostly pablum, or non Biblical or sacramental). As both a parish pastor for over 23 years and a practicing EMT/Paramedic for over 33 years, I feel compelled to share my experiences, lessons learned and ministry suggestions for pastors who just may not understand the emergency workers that they have in their parishes. Chaplaincy is one thing, but for the most part the Emergency Services looks to the chaplain to be the "nice guy" who "holds the hand" of those who are suffering, without a lot of religious overtones. That, in my humble opinion, is not ministry. Real ministry takes place in the parish setting. Working through these thoughts will eventually lead me to a focused idea, but I'm not quite there yet.

Speaking of writing.... time to polish off the Sermon for Sunday. We're still in John 6 this week.

Modern Day Screwtape

2009-08-07T22:01:00.003-04:00

A Satirical Essay (apologies to C.S. Lewis)

By David W. Virtue
www.virtueonline.org
7/26/2009

My dear Wormwood,

Word of your enormous success has reached our father's ears. What you achieved in Anaheim at GC2009 this past week was beyond our wildest imaginings.

That you should have obtained a public confession from that Jefferts Schori woman that personal faith or conversion of any sort was unnecessary and was actually a Western heresy must surely go down in the annals of hellish history as a first.

We have atheists and agnostics, unbelievers and disbelievers, but to have someone actually masquerading as a Christian and publicly denying one of its central tenets is a feat of uncommon performance. You are to be congratulated.

Your success at undermining that vile religion so adroitly through a female leader, (equality has its plusses) no less, only proves our point that heretics who rise through the ranks of the priestly classes only aid and abet our side. Jefferts Schori is the apogee of the feminist and pansexual revolution roaring through the churches of the West. Spong is her alter ego. Our success in undermining mainline churches like The Episcopal Church with pansexual acceptance and then calling it a "justice" issue rather than a moral issue deftly deflects it away from the truth that it will ultimately destroy their souls making them all hell bound. Heaven's loss, Hell's gain.

Our father has placed the highest priority on undermining Western Christianity. The successes achieved this week in The American Episcopal Church will undoubtedly be followed by more of the same with the Lutherans, Presbyterians, United Church of Christ, Moravians and, in time, and a lot of effort on your part, the United Methodists.

The thin end of the wedge has penetrated the heart of the Christian behemoth; you will continue to hammer it home, opening up more fractures here and there till we have swallowed them all up. They will, in time, be ripe, for our ultimate goal - the triumph of Islam and the imposition of Sharia Law.

Let them cry out for justice for all oppressed peoples, but make sure that any talk of "justice" for orthodox types is glossed over with talk that when they were in charge, they gave nothing to the other side. Now it is their turn to hold the crown of victory. Never mind that the cry of repentance for all peoples was undermining OUR cause. It is important to focus away from any such talk and on to the whine of inclusion, diversity and justice for all peoples.

Keep the Listening Process alive and well. Make sure they get millions of dollars to listen themselves to death. It all works in our favor.

Add to all this the undermining of Western morality with abortion, Internet porn, divorce, the abandonment of children, further undermining of the educational system, preaching moral relativity (keep the pressure on homosexual acceptance in the schools) and the rejection of absolute truth ...and our work will almost be done.

That lesbian Ragsdale woman at Episcopal Divinity School preaching that abortion is a blessing was further sweet music to our ears. It is emptying their churches faster than we could have hoped or imagined.

Now it is very important, Wormwood, to keep the institution alive. To do so, you must keep the remaining orthodox dioceses and parishes in TEC. If they leave, TEC will wilt and die even faster. If The Episcopal Church dies, and on its present trajectory it most certainly will, then it will be apparent to everyone. That will only undermine our cause. Whatever you do, keep it going, if only to make their case (and ours) that this church is where it is at - the seeker friendly church, the inclusive church, the emergent church, full of new ideas, taking the e-word (evangelism) and giving it a whole new definition and meaning.

The thing is not to kill off the church, but to undermine it from within, to change the definition of things, making words mean the opposite of what they originally meant and keeping people seduced by the language of inclusion. Keep the empty shell open if only for tourism traffic. The English have that down to a fine art.

Keep Robinson smiling and hopping from one event to the next while making sure he stays off the booze. Keep him going to AA and announcing he now believes in a "higher power". Good stuff that changes nothing. Hell is filled with people who believe in a higher power. His upcoming appearance at Greenbelt, England, is a major coup. There he will preach his inclusive god and seductive gospel that embraces all manner of sexualities. The only sexual "sin" left in The Episcopal Church is heterosexual adultery. We need to trot that out occasionally to remind the world that TEC still has standards. (Grin)

Marriage, that horrid institution that has provided so much stability for societies and cultures for centuries, must be undermined. If not, then it must be twisted to meet the new sexual realities of the world and church. With your able assistance, we have taken it out of the sphere of heterosexual behavior and procreation, and have turned it into a narcissistic, self-absorbed past-time. Keep pushing the issue of ersatz rights - rights for gays, rights for women, rights for the transgendered, rights for same-sex marriage, and rights for dogs, if need be. Let them keep talking about the "other", but under no circumstances must this talk move into an understanding of a transcendent "other" - of a loving G-d who demands obedience and faith.

Keep that Jefferts Schori woman well supplied with heresies. Above all, keep her focused on this worldly transformation. Under no circumstances must she be given a glimpse of another world, a heavenly realm, a kingdom not made with hands...keep her believing that MDGs will change the world making it a better place with heaven just an extension of this world as SHE knows it.

Your work has been masterful, Wormwood. Our father broke open a pint of Pike's blood the other evening just to celebrate your incredible success.

Let the darkness roll on.

You remain in our warmest embrace,

Your affectionate Uncle,

Screwtape

From My Favorite Bach Motet

2009-08-02T16:34:00.001-04:00

Nice, eh?

Lizzy is Off to South Korea Tomorrow

2009-07-31T17:04:00.003-04:00

My "little" Laura (nicknamed "Lizzy" because of her middle name, Elizabeth) will be flying to Seol, South Korea tomorrow for a year of teaching English. She is very psyched about it, and promises to stay in touch and send lots of things back to her dad :-) Please keep her in your prayers. She always was one to explore things.... The Lord has provided her with wonderful opportunities! More to follow!

LSB Companion Project

2009-07-31T16:54:00.002-04:00

I am very blessed to have been asked to write the background on 5 hymns in the upcoming LSB Companion. The hymns that I am working on are: All Glory, Laud and Honor (which was also the topic of my Senior Thesis at Concordia Bronxville in 1982); Come, You Faithful, Raise the Strain, a wonderful Greek Easter hymn written by St. John of Damascus; O Holy Spirit, Grant Us Grace, a German hymn by Bartholomaus Ringwaldt, a contemporary of Luther; Jesus Christ, My Sure Defense, a powerful hymn on the truth of Jesus' life, death and resurrection in our lives, and Come, Thou Almighty King. Everybody knows that one :-)

The first two are totally completed and submitted already. O Holy Spirit, Grant Us Grace, will be submitted Monday-- it's in the "simmering stage", making sure it is as honed as I can make it. The other two will be completed by the end of this week. I have until August 11th to get everything in to Synod, so as long as all goes as planned there should be no problems with the deadline.

I often have wished that the Synod would make more use of me. There are very few pastors in the Synod with an undergraduate degree in Church Music. I've often felt a bit overlooked in some of their projects. Having had several of my hymns published by other Lutheran and non-Lutheran bodies, it was a little disheartening that none of my hymns were selected for use in our new hymnal. This is not "sour-grapes", mind you, but it felt a little "political", if you know what I mean.

Anyway, I am just so honored to be involved in this project.

Back to Biking

2009-07-31T16:46:00.002-04:00

Today I rode another 16 miles on my bike, despite the heat and humidity. I find it clears the mind, aids in sermon and Divine Service preparation, uplifts the soul, and is not too bad for the body, either!

With all of the rain (!) this summer, I'm not as far along with my mileage as I'd like to be. So far, since may, I've ridden about 200 miles. My goal for the summer was 1,000, (I've done that in years past, but not recently) but I'll probably have to scale it back, realistically speaking.

I ride a Mongoose mountain bike, 21 speed, and do the majority of my riding on the back streets of Center Moriches, East Moriches, Eastport and once in a while a trail with friends. The ride is so nice-- today I rode through East Moriches, through farm fields, along the shoreline, and through residential neighborhoods with some homes that are 100+ years old.

I love smelling the cattle on Bay Avenue; it reminds me of my childhood living in Illinois. Whenever the wind was right, particularly before a storm, one could smell the hay, the fields and the cattle, blowing in off of the fields that surrounded our little village of Park Forest. Something tells me that it's not so little any more, having left there in 1965. But I remember that smell. It was one of the great things about summer that is forever emblazened in my mind.

I Trust When Dark My Road

2009-07-31T16:30:00.003-04:00

Today I received a book that I ordered from LCMS World Relief and Human Care, I Trust When Dark My Road." The book, written by Pastor Todd A. Peperkorn, outlines how he was crippled for a time by depression-- to nearly the point of self-destruction. I must admit that I read the book cover-to-cover the moment I opened the mail. I absorbed it!

Depression among pastors is alarmingly high. I can say that first-hand, as at one point in my life I went through a very similar depression. I am grateful that I never considered suicide, but it was a long, dark walk.

The suggestions that Todd makes are all spot-on. Looking back on my darkness (that lasted from 1995-2001), I hadn't realized that many of his suggestions were things that I did.

My Father Confessor, Fr. Francis Bonadonna, truly guided me through the storm. Wonderfully applying both Law and Gospel, He kept me right with the Lord and ensured that the connection between the Lord and me remained unimpeded.

Fr. John Petersen, an Anglican Priest and therapist, was the right choice for therapy. Being an active parish priest himself was more of a blessing than I'd ever realize at the time. He helped me to work through the deep, dark night that decided to cast its shadow on my life. At the same time, he assisted me in continuing to be faithful to my ordination vows and congregation. He retired a number of years ago, and every once in a while I have an urge to see him again. Certainly the Lord worked the timing and the people out in my life.

My physicians were great. They prescribed just the right medications to lift the affects of the cloud without affecting my ability to function.

And, most of all, my congregation was super supportive through so many times for me. They were just there. At one moment in particular, one of our elderly women said to me something I will forever cherish: "Pastor, you take such good care of us. Now it is time that you sit back and let us minister to you." She's gone on to be with the Lord, now, but I will always cherish and treasure her comment.

So in reading Todd's book, I found my soul resonating with his.

The best part is that both he, and I, are back to ministry. The depression times were growth times for both of us. No more meds for me, praise the Lord. But when I begin to feel the depression creeping back, I flee to my support system that the Lord has provided.

I hope that his book reaches many pastors who secretly battle with this monster. I also hope that it reaches many congregations so that they might better understand what so often comes along with the parish ministry.

Thank you, Todd!

PC Clean 2009

2009-07-31T16:22:00.002-04:00

Two weeks ago, prior to leaving for Buffalo, I contracted a wicked computer virus, "PC Clean 2009".

I'm very careful about keeping my anti-virus program up to date, scanning the entire computer weekly (each Friday), but somehow this one slipped through.

I suspect I got it off of FaceBook. Normally I never download "apps" from FaceBook, however a friend had posted a picture album that I wanted to see. The sucker took the bait. After clicking the link, my anti-virus program alerted me that there was a malicious program attempting to enter my computer. While it attempted to quarrantine the program, somehow it got past the anti-virus program-- a first for this program!

Anyway, after two weeks I got my computer back from the shop. $150 later, the virus was gone and everything seems to be functioning fine. I had to spend the day Tuesday reloading all of my programs, a tedious task to be sure, however none of my data was lost, praise God!

PC Clean 2009 shows up in the bottom tray on Windows XP, and continuously tells you that you have a virus. It provides a convenient link to "restore" your computer and to "pervent" (sic) future infestations. The misspelling was a cue not to click on the link-- thank goodness I didn't. Also , a "registration" button continues to come up on the main screen area that takes the unwary clicker to a rogue website and steals credit card information. I didn't click on that, either.

From what the computer tech at the shop told me, PC Clean 2009 is very prevalent out there today. The anti-virus companies have developed a response for it since two weeks ago, but it is a nasty worm. It basically destroyed IE 8 and Outlook.

So.... "be careful out there" in cyberspace, my friends!

For All of You Christ Lutheran Members

2009-06-17T17:52:00.001-04:00

Click here for a neat article about one of our Elders and Past Presidents, George Sandberg.

Christmas Whistle..... You gotta hear this!

2009-05-12T22:48:00.002-04:00

So it's May..... But this Christmas Concert is not to be missed :-)

HR 1319

2009-04-30T07:51:00.003-04:00

This week the House passed the new "hate crimes" bill.

The implications of this will be far reaching, particularly for the Church. Already in Canada and other countries who have enacted similar laws, the Church has been censored. If this bill is followed to its logical conclusion, the government, once again, will be interfering with the First Amendment rights of Pastors, dictating what can and cannot be preached from the pulpit.

In particular, this bill relates to homosexuality. So if I, as a Pastor, read an assigned lection from Romans 1, which has strong things to say about God's view of homosexuality, I could potentially face jail time.

All I can say is that I miss America. The worst nightmares that were feared during the election and brushed aside are now proving themselves to be true, worse than America could ever have imagined.

Kyrie Eleison!

Christ Is Risen! Alleluia! Indeed He Has Risen! Alleluia!

2009-04-13T12:46:00.002-04:00

We have entered the great 50 days of Easter, celebrating the Resurrection Victory of Jesus over sin, death and the power of the devil. This Queen of Feasts continues for the next six weeks, until Pentecost, where each Sunday we will be looking at the effect of the Resurrection on the early Church.

During this upcoming season the First Reading is from the Book of Acts. At Christ Lutheran Church we will be looking at how the blessed Resurrection of Jesus affected the Christians of that time, and how it still bespeaks the life-changing Gospel on our lives today.

I'm thinking of going with the theme, "Mass Appeal." Of course, the "Mass" of which I speak is the Body and Blood of Christ shed for us. Using that play on words, some of the sermon themes that I have thought of are: "Mass Appeal", "Weapons of Mass Destruction", "Mass Casualty Incident", and a couple of others I am playing with. Those who know me understand that I usually do not use a "theme" for my sermons, they're pretty straight forward and textual, but I couldn't resist. It will provide an opportunity to address important points about Koinonia and the centrality of the Eucharist