Circumcision Points to Christ

Tonight is the Eve of the Circumcision and Name of Jesus. Circumcision on the eighth day under the old covenant points us forward to Jesus’ resurrection from the dead on the eighth day and the establishment of the new covenant. Holy Baptism incorporates us into Jesus’ death and resurrection, whereby the foreskin of our sinful heart is cut away and filled with Christ’s healing blood. See Romans 2:28-29 and Colossians 2:11-14.

In commenting on circumcision in Genesis 17, the blessed Martin Luther makes the following observation:

The mystic reason which the Master of the Sentences and other teachers adduce is passable. They maintain that circumcision was deferred to the eighth day because in the resurrection, which is signified by the eighth day, we shall be perfectly circumcised, in order that we may be free from every sin of the world. 

We not only do not reject this thought, but we confirm it as godly and learned. In an allegorical sense the eighth day signifies the future life; for Christ rested in the sepulcher on the Sabbath, that is, during the entire seventh day, but rose again on the day which follows the Sabbath, which is the eighth day and the beginning of a new week, and after it no other day is counted. For through His death Christ brought to a close the weeks of time and on the eighth day entered into a different kind of life, in which days are no longer counted but there is one eternal day without the alternations of night.

This has been thought out wisely, learnedly, and piously, namely, that the eighth day is the eternal day. For the rising Christ is no longer subject to days, months, weeks, or any number of days; He is in a new and eternal life. The beginning of this life is perceived and reckoned, but there is no end. In that life the true circumcision will be carried out. At that time not only the foreskin of the heart will be circumcised—which happens in this life through faith—but the entire flesh and all its essence will be cleansed from all depravity, ignorance, lust, sin, and filth. Consequently, the flesh is then immortal. 

This allegory is a prophecy that when Christ rises again there will be a spiritual, true, and perfect circumcision outside time in eternal life.

[Luther’s Works 3:140-141]

Both the baptismal font and the marble floor beneath it here at Divine Shepherd are eight sided as a reminder that we are incorporated into Christ’s death and resurrection in Holy Baptism and await with joy the final cleansing of the entire body on the Last Day.

By His Poverty

It should be carefully noted that the sign given of the Saviour’s birth is not a child enfolded in Tyrian purple, but one wrapped round with rough pieces of cloth; He is not to be found in an ornate golden bed, but in a manger.  The meaning of this is that He did not merely take upon Himself our lowly mortality, but for our sakes took upon Himself the clothing of the poor. Though He was rich, yet for our sake He became poor, so that by His poverty we might become rich (cf. 2 Cor 8:9); though He was Lord of heaven, He became a poor man on earth, to teach those who lived on earth that by poverty of spirit they might win the kingdom of heaven.

The Venerable Bede

Free Condoms: Go and Fornicate

In observance of World AIDS Day today, the city of Chicago is distributing 20,000 free condoms at various CTA stops. According to myfoxchicago dot com, the goal of the department of public health is to give away 10 million condoms from now until the end of the year. Aren’t you glad your tax dollars are hard at work promoting fornication?!

The message behind these freebees is simple. Free condoms: Go and fornicate.

Sadly, city officials are peddling a lie. There is no such thing as safe sex (i.e. sex without consequences). Not in the eyes of the Triune God. Sex outside of marriage—whatever form it takes—is always sinful. Always.

• “Out of the heart proceed … fornications.” [Matthew 15:19]
• Neither fornicators, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites … will inherit the kingdom of God. [1 Corinthians 6:9-10]
• Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication… [Galatians 5:19]
• But fornication … let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints. [Ephesians 5:3]
• Put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication… [Colossians 3:5]
• Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge. [Hebrews 13:4]

Stop the lie. Sex is a wonderful gift from God. However, it is to be enjoyed exclusively between husband and wife within the sacred institution of marriage.

Thankfulness

I am thankful for God the Father, who created and preserves all things, knit me together in my mother’s womb, provides for me, and defends me, all out of fatherly, divine goodness and mercy, without any merit or worthiness in me.

I am thankful for God the Son, who has redeemed me, a lost and condemned person, purchased and won me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil; He became sin for me that I might become the righteousness of God in Him and live under Him in His kingdom and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness.

I am thankful for God the Holy Spirit, who called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith; He daily leads me to Christ, reminds me of my baptism into His death and resurrection, and forgives my sin.

I am thankful for Lori, my beautiful bride, the love of my life, my soul mate, my better half, my “rib,” the mother of our children, and the woman I am pleased to grow old with.

I am thankful for Zachary, Caleb, Michael, and Adam, gifts from God whom I am privileged to be raising, caring for, and bringing up in Christ.

I am thankful for my parents, who continue to be godly examples of our heavenly Father’s love, and my siblings, who are wonderful companions on this earthly pilgrimage to our true homeland.

I am thankful for the saints at Divine Shepherd Lutheran Church, whom the Lord has given me to serve with His holy Word and blessed Sacraments, and for their support, friendship, faithfulness to the Gospel, and love for one another.

I am thankful for my forefathers in the faith, those who modeled Christ to me in childhood, those who continue to model Christ to me, my synod’s faithfulness to Christ and His Word, my father confessors, my brothers in the ministry, and every sheep of the Good Shepherd.

I am thankful for good friends, their companionship, honesty, integrity, forgiveness, strength, humor, and faith.

I am thankful for this country, its freedoms, those who gave their lives in defense of its freedom, those who serve in the armed forces, those who serve in our communities, and all who are fighting for limited, constitutional government.

I am thankful for every blessing of body and soul, good gifts from the Triune God who loves us all in Christ.

“Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good,

for His steadfast love endures forever!”

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving Centers in Christ

Here is a sampling of what Saint Paul and Saint John say about thanksgiving. Notice that true thanksgiving is always directed to the one true God and centers in Christ!

“Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” [1 Corinthians 15:57]

“Be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” [Ephesians 5:18-20]

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” [Philippians 4:6]

“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” [Colossians 3:15-17]

“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” [1 Thessalonians 5:18]

“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” [1 Timothy 2:1-4]

“Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.” [Revelation 7:12]

Different? Better?

I received yet another flyer in the mail from yet another local “community church.” No mention of sin or grace, forgiveness or cross. Lots of babble about being a different kind of church, a better take on what Jesus came to bring us, relevant sermons, real people on a journey, an alive youth group, and amazing coffee. Really?

A different kind of church. “Different” usually means confessing something new, novel, or watered down from what the one holy Christian and apostolic Church is and teaches. Beware!

A better take on what Jesus came to bring us. How can one improve on confession and absolution, the proclamation of Christ crucified and the totality of Holy Scripture, our Lord’s true body and blood for the forgiveness of sins, a life of faith toward God and love toward neighbor?

Relevant sermons. Becoming a better you. How to do or achieve X, Y, or Z. Relevant means it’s all about you, rather than being about Christ for you. If it isn’t Christ-centered, cross-focused, and Law-Gospel-divided, then it’s not relevant.

Real people on a journey. As opposed to what? Robots sitting still? Real people are sinners. Real people need the Savior. And the only journey worth talking about is the daily dying to sin and rising to newness of life that is ours in Christ.

An alive youth group. Much better than dead kids, I suppose. But what does this mean? Life—true and abundant life—is found only in Christ, not in the gimmicks found in most youth groups.

Amazing coffee. When you have nothing substantial to offer sinners, you brag about your coffee. I prefer to drink deeply of Christ, who alone quenches my thirst.

God save us from different, better, relevant, real, alive, and amazing churches!

God's Handiwork

Cliche: When Times Are Dark

Another cliché spotted on a church sign:

When times are dark, let God light the way.

Are there times when you don’t need God to light the way? Do you go it alone when times are light? How presumptuous, self-centered, and egotistical. “In Him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28). Not just when times are dark. Even when times are light. All depends on God’s grace in Christ.

Forego the clichés and stick with God’s Word!

Paul Gerhardt, Hymn Writer

Few Lutherans know his name. But most know his hymns. Paul Gerhardt (1607-1676) is one of the greatest hymn writers of the Lutheran Church. Here is a German film on the life of Paul Gerhardt, narrated in English:

Gerhardt has 16 hymns in Lutheran Service Book:

• 334 - O Lord, How Shall I Meet You
• 360 - All My Heart Again Rejoices
• 372 - O Jesus Christ, Thy Manger Is
• 375 - Come, Your Hearts and Voices Raising
• 438 - A Lamb Goes Uncomplaining Forth
• 449/450 - O Sacred Head, Now Wounded
• 453 - Upon the Cross Extended
• 467 - Awake, My Heart, with Gladness
• 596 - All Christians Who Have Been Baptized
• 683 - Jesus, Thy Boundless Love to Me
• 724 - If God Himself Be for Me
• 726 - Evening and Morning
• 737 - Rejoice, My Heart, Be Glad and Sing
• 754 - Entrust Your Days and Burdens
• 756 - Why Should Cross and Trial Grieve Me
• 880 - Now Rest beneath Night’s Shadow

May our gracious Lord continue to send faithful hymn writers to His Church, that Christians may rightly know their sin and faithfully cling to Christ crucified for their forgiveness, life, and salvation!

The Holy Grail

This evening I watched the made-for-television movie Merlin with my boys. I originally saw this movie years ago. Not bad for a low budget movie. Magic. Wizards. The “old ways.” Even King Arthur and his search for the Holy Grail. Gave me a lot to talk about with my boys before bedtime.

Whether it’s King Arthur or Indiana Jones, it seems the world is intrigued with the idea of a Holy Grail, a magical cup with power to heal and grant unending life. Sadly, the world desires such a cup for all the wrong reasons, and thus misses the true Holy Grail each and every Lord’s Day on the Lord’s altar.

It’s not the cup, you see. It never was. When Jesus took the cup after supper, just hours before He was betrayed, He joined His Word to it.

“Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament, in My blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as You drink it, in remembrance of Me.”

[Mt 26:27-28; Mk 14:24; Lk 22:20; 1 Cor 11:25]

Saint Paul calls this cup “the cup of the Lord” (1 Corinthians 10:21; 11:27), not because of the design or construction of the cup, but because of what the cup contains. This cup is precious, life-giving, and full of good gifts precisely because it contains “the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot” (1 Peter 1:19). This “blood of Jesus … cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). And where there is forgiveness of sins, there is also life and salvation.

So don’t go searching from some imaginary Holy Grail. The real one has been right in front of you all this time. Simply come to the Lord’s table in faith and receive the cup of the Lord and therein the true blood of Jesus Christ, shed for you for the forgiveness of sins!

“I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD.”

[Psalm 116:13]

HT Radio Interview

This week I had the privilege of talking with the Rev. George F. Borghardt III, host of Higher Things Radio, about the “H2O: Ordinary & Extraordinary” breakaway session I presented at the Coram Deo Lutheran youth conference in Bloomington-Normal this past July.

Click here to go to the Higher Thing website and listen to Episode 155: October 7th, 2011. Our discussion focused primarily on Holy Baptism and spans the first half of this specific episode.

Tune in to Higher Things Radio each Friday for confessional Lutheran theology and a good dose of fun as well!

How to Appreciate Your Pastor

Below is a nice writeup posted by a brother pastor...

How to Appreciate Your Pastor

It’s October, which means it’s Pastor Appreciation Month.

Now there are many websites giving suggestions for ways to celebrate your pastor. Some of their suggestions include giving a card shower, holding special banquets in their honor, giving a trophy, or even a surprise vacation.

Now, it’s not that those aren’t nice things to do. But this is not how you should appreciate your Pastor.

So how should you show appreciation for your Pastor? To answer that question, you must first ask “Why should a Pastor be appreciated at all?”

It’s not because he’s well liked, has a good personality, or is a snappy dresser. It’s not because he’s really good with kids or tells funny jokes. It’s not because he’s likable in any way. Your Pastor may very well be someone you can’t stand at all. Maybe you even pray that he takes a call somewhere else, and yet, you should still appreciate him.

Why? Because he’s the one chosen to stand in the place of Christ for you. He’s Christ’s mouth for you, delivering the Holy Words of God in Law and Gospel. He’s Christ’s hands for you, delivering life, salvation, and the forgiveness of sins in the Sacrament.

You appreciate your Pastor not because of him as an individual, but because of the office in which he stands.

So back to my original question, how should you show appreciation for your Pastor?

Here it is: Simply let him do those things for which he is called to do. Go to Church. Go to Bible Study. Let your ears be filled with the Word of God and your mouths be filled with the Body and Blood of Christ. Receive what your Pastor is there to give you. For when I urge you to go to the Divine Service and go to the Sacrament, I am doing nothing less than urging you to be a Christian. Be a sheep unto your under-shepherd, your Pastor.

Do this and your Pastor, if he’s worth his salt, will feel more appreciated than ever.

“For the gospel is not delivered unto us that we should thereby seek our own praise and glory, or that the people should honour and magnify us which are the ministers thereof; but to the end that the benefit and glory of Christ might be preached and published, and that the Father might be glorified in his mercy offered unto us in Christ his Son, whom he delivered for us all, and with him hath given us all things.”
Martin Luther, A Commentary on St. Paul’s Epistle to the Galatians, 5:25

Thanks for reading!

Click here for the original post.

HT: Rev. Anthony R. Voltattorni

An Anniversary

Today—the Feast of Saint Michael and All Angels—is the ninth anniversary of my installation as pastor of Divine Shepherd Lutheran Church. God has blessed me with a wonderful flock to serve. The sheep entrusted to my care are repentant sinners who rejoice in Christ’s atoning sacrifice for them, faithful hearers who live from every Word that proceeds from the mouth of God, frequent partakers of our Lord’s holy body and precious blood for the forgiveness of their sins, and beloved brothers and sisters in Christ. Thank you, members of Divine Shepherd, for your faithfulness in clinging by faith to Christ, for your love of one another, for honoring and supporting the Office of the Ministry by which our Lord Jesus feeds us, and for your friendship and support. Lori and the boys join me in giving thanks to God for all of you!

I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, that in every way you were enriched in Him in all speech and all knowledge—even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you—so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. [1 Corinthians 1:4-9]

A Prayer for Our Nation

A Prayer for Our Nation

on the 10th Anniversary of 9-11

Heavenly Father, we come to Your throne of mercy, bowed down and wearied by the weight of suffering and disaster visited upon our country ten years ago. Continue to protect this nation and to thwart the plans of any and all terrorists who seek to harm and murder. We thank You for granting bravery and courage to all those involved in the rescue efforts, and ask You to shower Your mercy upon those who were injured or lost loved ones. We also acknowledge our own trespasses before You and look to You for forgiveness, salvation, hope, and life. Turn the hearts and minds of all to You, that they might find peace in the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ. Let us not be confounded or dismayed, so that we, children of Your grace, may courageously speak to this needy world of the hope that is within us. Make us instruments of Your peace in a world of conflict, witnesses to the power of faith in a world lost in unbelief, and bearers of the joy that overcomes the sorrow of this fallen world. Grant to the leaders of this nation and all the nations of the world wise counsel, calm thinking, and unselfish aims. Amid the tumult of disaster, build Your kingdom and turn even more souls to Yourself. Because of Your grace, we are not altogether lost but find peace and forgiveness in You. O Lord, give us the grace to seek You, trust You, and confess You; in Jesus’ name. Amen.

adapted from Lutheran Book of Prayer

Willing to Work

“If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.”

[2 Thessalonians 3:10]

I know many who are unemployed or underemployed in this bad economy and unsteady job market. It is during tough times like these that one’s character can speak volumes.

Some are actively and regularly seeking work, sending out resumes, going on interviews, following up on leads, collecting unemployment for a short time but earnestly desiring to earn their own wages. Others are working two or three temp jobs for wages far less than what they used to make, cutting back on luxuries and sometimes even basics to make ends meet. I have nothing but the highest respect for these hard-working men and women, and I pray that our gracious Lord will continue to care for them, provide for them, comfort them, and (most importantly) work all things to their eternal good in Jesus Christ.

Then there are those who are content to sit on the couch and collect unemployment, doing little if anything to seek a job and earn their own wages. It’s not the unemployment check that bothers me, it’s the laziness and misuse of the system by some that does. I pray that our gracious Lord will turn the hearts and minds of such men and women, instill in them a desire to work hard and earn their own wages, and (most importantly) work all things to their eternal good in Jesus Christ.

Christ’s forgiveness is an amazing thing. It frees us from our greed and selfishness, even as it instills in us a life of love and service to our neighbor. Grant this, Lord, unto us all!

The Media Blasts Lutherans

LCMS member and columnist Mollie Ziegler Hemingway has a very nice article in the Wall Street Journal concerning former WELS member Michele Bachmann, candidate for President of the United States, and the media’s misrepresentation of the Lutheran position on the papacy. It is titled Michele Bachmann and the Pope: The media jump into a centuries-old theological dispute between Lutherans and Catholics.  Click here for the article.

He Descended into Hell

“Descent into Hell” by Tintoretto, 1568

Joining the one holy catholic and apostolic Church of every age, we confess that our Lord Jesus Christ, in His state of exaltation, descended into hell to proclaim victory over the devil.

Saint Peter writes:

“For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, in which He went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison.” [1 Peter 3:18-19]

The Apostles’ Creed confesses this truth as follows:

I believe ... in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who ... was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.

Our Lutheran forefathers add:

“In this Confession Christ’s burial and descent to hell are distinguished as different articles. We simply believe that the entire person (God and man) descended into hell after the burial, conquered the devil, destroyed hell’s power, and took from the devil all his might. We should not, however, trouble ourselves with high and difficult thoughts about how this happened. ... We are simply to believe it and cling to the Word.” [Formula of Concord, Solid Declaration, IX]

Burial in a Garden

We recall the place where Christ was buried: in a garden near the place where He was crucified. Just as Christ desired to begin His suffering in the garden of Mt. Olive, so now He wanted to end it by being buried in a garden, thereby to signify that with His suffering He intended to restore again what the first man had lost in the garden of Paradise. Also, since Christ has made our graves into a soft bed of rest by His burial, He also wanted to be buried in a garden to indicate thereby that not only He (as the fruitful Tree of Life) would soon blossom forth in this garden, but rather that also we, through His power, would sprout up like the grass in a garden.

Johann Gerhard
An Explanation of the History of the Suffering and Death of our Lord Jesus Christ
page 310

The Wedding Feast

Christ and His Bride: The Wedding Feast

Lenten Midweek Series

Revelation 19:9

Dearly beloved, there are few moments more memorable to a husband and wife than the day of their wedding. The bride is absolutely stunning in her beautiful white gown. Her hair is done meticulously, her makeup is applied perfectly, and her smile lights up the room. In most circumstances, even her groom doesn’t look too shabby once he has showered, shaved, and dressed in some nice threads.

But as good as a bride and groom may look on their wedding day, there is a deeper beauty that God desires for His people. Bride and groom are to remain pure, chaste, virgin until the day God joins them together as one flesh. We live in a day and age when purity, chastity, and virginity are rare, looked down upon, even scorned as old fashioned. And yet, those words are the essence of who the Bride of Christ is, as the Apostle Paul writes: “I betrothed you to one Husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:2).

A prominent Lutheran pastor named Johann Gerhard once wrote:

The Church is as a chaste virgin. If you would be true to her, abstain from the embraces of the world. You belong to her, see then that you dishonor not yourself nor her by any unholy alliances with the devil and the world. [Sacred Meditations XXIII]

Tonight brings us at last to the wedding feast of Christ and His Bride. Saint John is the one who sends out the invitation, which reads: “Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb” (Revelation 19:9). You, dearly beloved, are collectively the Bride of Christ and individually the ones invited to this marriage supper. Are you ready to celebrate and feast for all eternity?

Usually all eyes are on the bride at a wedding. But tonight I’m going to begin with the Groom. I think you’ll agree that’s the proper thing to do in this instance. Our Lord Jesus Christ—the Bridegroom—is the One who will make a grand entrance. On a day and time known only to the Triune God, He will return “on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory” (Matthew 24:30). He will come “in the glory of His Father with the holy angels” (Mark 8:38). Revelation pictures Him on “a white horse! The One sitting on it is called Faithful and True… He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which He is called is The Word of God. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following Him on white horses. … On His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords” (Revelation 19:11-16).

Your grand entrance, dear Bride of Christ, will not be the traditional walk down the aisle. For when Jesus returns on the Last Day, you will be caught up in the clouds to meet Him in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:17). Quite literally He will sweep you off your feet!

And trust me, your beauty on that Day will surpass the fairest of them all. Despite your sin and your shortcomings and your failures and your transgressions, you will look absolutely stunning standing beside your Bridegroom. How do I know this? Saint Paul says so. “Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her, that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that He might present the church to Himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish” (Ephesians 5:25-27). Saint John echoes this when he writes: “The marriage of the Lamb has come, and His Bride has made herself ready; it was granted to her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure” (Revelation 19:7-8). Your wedding dress, dear Bride of Christ, was tailored by Christ Himself. The fine linen is faith, hemmed and sown together by the Holy Spirit through Word and Sacrament, and adorned with precious diamonds and jewels known as the righteous deeds Christ worked through you. Truly breathtaking you are in Christ!

Here on earth bride and groom exchange their mutual “I do’s,” but on the Last Day your sacred union will begin once your Lord exclaims: “Come, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (Matthew 25:34).

And with that, the eternal wedding feast will commence...

• Food.
• Drink.
• Laughter.
• Joy.
• Light.
• Springs of living water.
• The fruits of the tree of life.
• All things new and abundant.
• Paradise.
• Full access to the Father’s throne.

And all of this without end. The prophet Isaiah describes the heavenly wedding feast as “a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine, of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined” (Isaiah 25:6). And yet, in a wonderful paradox, you “shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore” (Revelation 7:16). Your Bridegroom, who gave Himself fully for you here on earth, will give Himself fully to you there in paradise.

And don’t forget the home He has prepared for you. It is a city—the new Jerusalem—built on the prophetic and apostolic foundation, having streets of gold and pearly gates, with the glory of God enlightening it and the Lamb its lamp.

As you can see, the eternal wedding feast is what our Lord Jesus has in store for you, His beloved. He—the Giver of every good gift—has been faithful to you. When He found you, you were wallowing in the sewer of your sins and dressed in the filthy rags of your own self-righteousness. He loved you anyway. He gave Himself up for you to prove it, and therein sanctified and cleansed you. Now you are dressed in the splendor of His perfect righteousness, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing. Now you are holy and without blemish.

Dear Bride of Christ, keep yourself pure. Be chaste in your thoughts, words, and deeds. For you have been betrothed to one Husband, and it is the Father’s intention to present you as a pure virgin to Christ!

When you fail, confess your sin and be re-clothed in Christ’s perfect righteousness. His forgiveness, after all, is much more abundant than your sin. That’s the beauty of your Bridegroom. In this heavenly marriage, it’s all about Him. And He, in turn, makes it all about you—you as He sees you through the cross: perfect, holy, righteous, radiant, beautiful, pure, chaste, virgin.

No wonder Saint John writes: “Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb!” Blessed are you, O Bride of Christ!

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

Dating and Marriage

Below is a 20-minute video put together by the Rev. Jonathan Fisk, an LCMS pastor, who discusses dating, marriage, and family life. He addresses a number of questions and will certainly give you something to think about when it comes to your own children and grandchildren.

Check out Pastor Fisk’s website www.worldvieweverlasting.com for more theological food!

Chrysostom: Almsgiving

Almsgiving is the mother of love, of that love which is characteristic of Christianity, which is greater than all miracles, by which the disciples of Christ are manifested.

Saint John Chrysostom

4th Century AD

Saint Patrick's Breastplate

St. Patrick’s Breastplate

I bind unto myself today

The strong Name of the Trinity,

By invocation of the same

The Three in One and One in Three.

I bind this today to me forever

By power of faith, Christ’s incarnation;

His baptism in Jordan river,

His death on Cross for my salvation;

His bursting from the spicèd tomb,

His riding up the heavenly way,

His coming at the day of doom

I bind unto myself today.

I bind unto myself the power

Of the great love of cherubim;

The sweet ‘Well done’ in judgment hour,

The service of the seraphim,

Confessors’ faith, Apostles’ word,

The Patriarchs’ prayers, the prophets’ scrolls,

All good deeds done unto the Lord

And purity of virgin souls.

I bind unto myself today

The virtues of the star lit heaven,

The glorious sun’s life giving ray,

The whiteness of the moon at even,

The flashing of the lightning free,

The whirling wind’s tempestuous shocks,

The stable earth, the deep salt sea

Around the old eternal rocks.

I bind unto myself today

The power of God to hold and lead,

His eye to watch, His might to stay,

His ear to hearken to my need.

The wisdom of my God to teach,

His hand to guide, His shield to ward;

The word of God to give me speech,

His heavenly host to be my guard.

Against the demon snares of sin,

The vice that gives temptation force,

The natural lusts that war within,

The hostile men that mar my course;

Or few or many, far or nigh,

In every place and in all hours,

Against their fierce hostility

I bind to me these holy powers.

Against all Satan’s spells and wiles,

Against false words of heresy,

Against the knowledge that defiles,

Against the heart’s idolatry,

Against the wizard’s evil craft,

Against the death wound and the burning,

The choking wave, the poisoned shaft,

Protect me, Christ, till Thy returning.

Christ be with me, Christ within me,

Christ behind me, Christ before me,

Christ beside me, Christ to win me,

Christ to comfort and restore me.

Christ beneath me, Christ above me,

Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,

Christ in hearts of all that love me,

Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.

I bind unto myself the Name,

The strong Name of the Trinity,

By invocation of the same,

The Three in One and One in Three.

By Whom all nature hath creation,

Eternal Father, Spirit, Word:

Praise to the Lord of my salvation,

Salvation is of Christ the Lord.

(public domain)

Lent: Almsgiving

Almsgiving—charitable giving to those in need—has long been considered one of the three Lenten disciplines of Christ’s people.

Jesus’ words “when you give to the needy…” (Matthew 6:1-4) remind us that faith in Him manifests itself in works of love and mercy. As God has so blessed you, please consider helping someone in need this Lenten season. Below are a few ways to help out members in need, those in the armed forces, and a listing of noteworthy charitable organizations that reach out to this community and around the world.

Gift Cards for Members in Need

Area gift cards in any amount are always welcome to help out members in need. An “Alms Fund” has been established for this purpose. Simply submit one or more gift cards to Pastor Mumme or the Board of Elders, who will distribute them as needs arise in the congregation. Area gift cards sold through our Ladies Aid “Manna” program include: Dominicks, Jewel, Meijer, and Walmart.

Donations for Those in the Armed Forces

Non-perishable food items and small toiletry items are always welcome for the “care packages” we send to members in the Armed Forces. A list of suggested items and a donation container are located in Luther Hall.

Noteworthy Charitable Organizations

To help provide basic human care needs to those in our country and around the world (including relief for the people of Japan who recently endured a major earthquake and tsunami):

LCMS World Relief and Human Care

P.O. Box 66861

Saint Louis, MO 63166-9810

lcms.org/ca/worldrelief

To help provide hot meals and food and clothing pantry needs to those in the northern Will County area:

MorningStar Mission Ministries

350 E. Washington Street

Joliet, IL 60433

morningstarmission.org

To help provide pre-packaged meals for those famished in third world countries:

Feed My Starving Children

6750 West Broadway

Brooklyn Park, MN 55428

fmsc.org

For more information about any of these organizations, please check out their website or talk to Pastor Mumme. Each of these organizations accepts donations via mail or online.

Lent: Fasting

Fasting—abstaining from certain foods for a period of time—has long been considered one of the three Lenten disciplines of Christ’s people.

In the Old Testament, fasting was an outward discipline tied to the inward repentance of one’s heart. “Yet even now,” declares the LORD, “return to Me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments” (Joel 2:12-13). Jesus Himself fasted for forty days and forty nights in the wilderness following His baptism (Matthew 4:1-2). The first Christians fasted (Acts 13:2-3; 14:23). Do you suppose fasting might serve a purpose for modern day Christians as well?

Jesus once said: “When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you” (Matthew 6:16-18).

Notice that Jesus does not say “if you fast…” He says “when you fast…” Twice! With these words, Jesus is teaching us how rightly to put into practice this well established and God-given discipline.

Fasting is never meant to draw attention to oneself. Nor it is meant to merit anything from God. If either of these is our aim, then fasting will do us no good.

So why would a Christian fast? Scripture relates it to a private act of humility and devotion to God (see Matthew 6:16-18 above), and as a means to discipline the body. Disciplining the body reminds us what Christ gave up—His very throne, His very blood, His very life—to win our salvation. It also teaches us—by denying ourselves a basic item like food or drink—not to gratify our every desire. That can be beneficial in our walk of faith. Paul writes: “I discipline my body and keep it under control” (1 Corinthians 9:27). He later reminds Timothy that one of the purposes of God’s grace is “training us to renounce … worldly passions” (Titus 2:11-12). Fasting is one of the ways we can discipline our bodies and train ourselves to renounce worldly passions.

Did you know that the German name for Lent used historically in Lutheranism is Fastenzeit, meaning “fast time”? The spiritual discipline of fasting was always part of historic Lutheranism. In the Small Catechism, Luther teaches us about the necessity of being truly worthy and well prepared for the Lord’s Supper through faith in Christ’s words of institution: “Given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.” But notice that he prefaces those remarks with these words: “Fasting and bodily preparation are certainly fine outward training.”

Sadly, the desire by many of our forefathers to fit in with the rest of American Protestantism has led to the disuse of fasting among modern day Lutherans. I think it’s time we rediscover this Scriptural and Lutheran discipline. Not by requirements of the Law, but in the freedom of the Gospel.

God’s Old Testament people fasted. Jesus fasted. The first Christians fasted. Certainly there’s a benefit in fasting for us as well!

For more background information

or some suggestions on how you might fast,

see The Lutheran Study Bible, page 189.

Lent: Prayer

Prayer—speaking to God in words and thoughts—has long been considered one of the three Lenten disciplines of Christ’s people.

This discipline is the one that is most familiar to Christians. Jesus, who prayed for us in the garden and on the cross, and still prays for us at the Father’s right hand, extends to us this invitation: “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you” (Matthew 7:7). As Christ’s people, it is our privilege to pray to our Father who art in heaven. To thank and praise Him, to petition Him, even to call upon Him in the day of trouble.

Use this Lenten season to be in the Word on a regular basis. Attend the Divine Service on Sunday mornings and the midweek services on Wednesday evenings. Read a daily devotion, like the ones found on our church’s website. Not only will this strengthen your faith and enliven your hope, it will also increase your prayers to the Triune God!

“You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in My name, He may give it to you.” [John 15:16]

Sinners Wanted

“May God in His mercy save me from a Christian Church where there are only saints. I want to be with that little company and in that Church where there are faint-hearted and weak people, the sick, and those who are aware of their sin, misery, and wretchedness and who feel it, who cry to God without ceasing and sigh unto Him for comfort and help.” [Martin Luther]

Day by Day We Magnify Thee

page 226

Born This Way?

Lady Gaga’s latest song—Born This Way—recently became the fastest selling #1 single in iTunes history. This young singer is very talented and has a nice voice. Sadly, though, her latest song is little more than an excuse to indulge one’s sinful flesh.

Holy Scripture states clearly that each and every one of us enters this world a sinner. This inherited “original sin” is the underlying cause of every sinful thought, word, and deed.

“Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.” [Psalm 51:5]

“I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh.” [Romans 7:18]

“None is righteous, no, not one.” [Romans 3:10]

“All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” [Romans 3:23]

So, should you indulge your sinful flesh since you were born this way? Holy Scripture again provides the answer.

“Put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.” [Romans 13:14]

“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. … And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” [Galatians 5:16-17, 24]

Sin is sin. You entered this world spiritually blind, dead, and an enemy of God. Simply put, you were born this way. Yet, the Triune God did not leave you in your sin and death. On the contrary. He came to redeem and save and forgive you.

“But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages He might show the immeasurable riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” [Ephesians 2:4-10]

Being born a sinner is never an excuse to indulge your sinful flesh. Crucify that flesh. Drown it daily in the remembrance of your baptism into Christ. And then live the new life Christ has given you to live. What ultimately matters is not that you were born this way, but that you have been born again of water and the Spirit!

“Put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” [Ephesians 4:22-24]

Now that’s something to sing about!!!

Male Pastors

Because the Scriptures in fact do consider the human race as consisting in two consubstantial forms and therefore consider these two forms, male and female, as of enduring and abiding significance, it is not surprising but rather to be expected that the Bible is not unaware of distinctive spiritual roles which correspond to roles given to masculinity and which correspond to roles given to femininity. It is not to be overlooked, let alone denigrated, that when the Scriptures speak of God or of those who represent Him to the people of God, it does so predominately through masculine imagery. And similarly, it is not to be overlooked that when the Scriptures speak of the people of God and their relation to God, it does so predominately by means of feminine imagery. And here, with our specific purpose in mind, we reiterate the fact that those figures, both in the Old Testament and in the New Testament, who serve as fundamental representatives or types of the redemptive purposes of God in Christ are male figures. There is the figure of Adam, the figure of Abraham, the figure of Moses (prophet like Moses), the kings of Israel, especially the figure of David. There is also the idea of the first-born son, and there is even the figure of the sacrificial, passover lamb which, according to Exodus 12, was to be a male lamb of one year’s age (also: the scapegoat and the goat of the sin offering for the yearly Feast of Expiation were males, Leviticus 16). We mention here also the fact that the Christ himself, to whom all these masculine types point, assumed his human nature in the masculine mode of human being, and we mention finally the fact that Christ chose as his apostles only males.

Dr. William Weinrich
It Is Not Given to Women to Teach
Fort Wayne: Concordia Theological Seminary Press, p. 18

The Totality of Scripture

Scripture is not a bundle of truisms, true stories, and legislations which somehow on their own and apart from the whole can be properly understood and appropriated. Scripture, inspired Word of God as it is, is the prophetic and apostolic witness which norms our understanding of the speaking and acting of God which began in the creation, continued through the history of the Old Testament people, was fulfilled in the incarnate Word, and now in the speech and life of the Church moves toward its appointed end in the resurrection of the dead and the eternal Kingdom of God. The deep reason for the details must be sought in the whole...

Dr. William Weinrich
It Is Not Given to Women to Teach
Fort Wayne: Concordia Theological Seminary Press, pp. 9-10

Dive In!

Some of you have been Christians your whole life. Others are relatively new to Christianity. In either case, how do you view the Christian life? Have you immersed yourself in the baptismal grace that is yours in Jesus Christ? Do you splash around daily in the new life He gives you to live? Or are you content dipping in your toes when you need a little spiritual refreshing?

The blessings of forgiveness, life, and salvation Christ gave you in Holy Baptism are as vast and endless as the ocean. In that water you were baptized into His death and resurrection. You died there and were raised to newness of life. And yet, many have become so comfortable in this world and its ways that they want little to do with the new life Christ purchased for them at the price of His very own blood.

Think of it this way. A bunch of kids go to a lake to swim. One of them dips his toes in the water and cries out: “It’s cold! I’m not going in.” Another goes in up to his ankles and says the same thing. Some may even go in up to their knees. Then comes the kid who runs down the dock and dives in head first. It’s fearfully chilly. His blood is pumping. It even stings at first. But in no time his head emerges and he exclaims: “It’s awesome! Come on in!”

This analogy isn’t perfect. For starters, we don’t take the initiative on living the Christian life. Christ does that! But the Christian faith is much like a swim. Many are happy to walk around in the shallow waters of Christianity, barely getting their toes or ankles or knees wet. There they stand, shivering in the cold air of the world they are afraid to leave behind. But that’s not Christianity. Being a disciple of Christ means taking up your cross and following Him day in and day out. To return to the analogy, it means diving in and swimming around in the grace and mercy and forgiveness He provides on a daily basis. Is it cold? Will it sting? Almost certainly. Living the Christian life is not an easy calling. It involves daily crucifying the sinful flesh and living in the baptismal grace with which Christ has washed you.

So dive in. Take the plunge into the river of life. Swim around in His grace. Drink deeply of His mercy. Be a Christian! This is not your own doing, but God’s doing in you. He has already washed you clean and claimed you as His own dear child. Don’t walk away from it. Live as His child!

“There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High.” [Psalm 46:4]

“If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.” [John 7:37]

“Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.” [Hebrews 10:22]

“The Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their Shepherd, and He will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” [Revelation 7:17]

Being a Christian does not mean a life free of trial and tribulation. Yet, you have Christ’s promise that He will see you through those trials and tribulations in the strength of His Word and presence.

Don’t dip your toes into Christianity and then complain it’s not what you hoped or expected or wanted. God Himself says you need it. So dive in. Live daily from every Word that proceeds from Christ’s mouth. Be fed regularly with His true body and blood. Swim daily in His gifts and splash His grace onto everyone you encounter in your various vocations. Living the baptismal life may take some getting used to (the Old Adam doesn’t drown easily), but our gracious Lord will show you over and over again how refreshing such a swim in His sacred flood is.

True Worship

[1] In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of His robe filled the temple. [2] Above Him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. [3] And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!” [4] And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. [5] And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!” [6] Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. [7] And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.” [Isaiah 6:1-7 ESV]

This beautiful text reveals the following about true worship:

• God is really present in His temple/house (6:1)
• Man is sinful and unworthy to be in God’s presence (6:5)
• Worship is directed to the Triune God (6:3)
• Worship acknowledges God’s holiness (6:3)
• Worship includes a confession of sin (6:5)
• God’s forgiveness is spoken by His servant (6:6-7)
• God’s forgiveness is delivered through means (6:6-7)

It's About Christ

I’ve heard it a million times. OK, maybe a thousand times. But it’s still misleading:

The church is not about buildings, it’s about people.

Let’s cut to the chase. The Church is not about buildings or people. It’s about Jesus Christ. He is the source of everything, the Word through whom all things were created, the Word who became flesh to save us from our sin, the Word whose blood was shed for our redemption, the Word who rose again on the third day to give us His new life. This same Word now comes to His people in the preached Word and the visible Word (i.e. the Sacraments) to give us Himself, His forgiveness, His life, His salvation.

Cut out that little word about and I agree with the statement above. The Church is people. The Church is the bride of Christ (Ephesians 5:22-33). The Church is the congregation of saints in which the Gospel is purely taught and the Sacraments are correctly administered (AC VII.1). As Luther wrote, even a seven-year-old child knows what the Church is, namely, the holy believers and lambs who hear the voice of their Shepherd (SA III.XII.2).

Words mean things. While the Church is Christ’s people, the Church is about Christ! It’s not about buildings, though Christ is regularly proclaimed in church buildings. It’s not about people, though Christ is always preached to sinners. The Church is about Christ. Let that be enough.

When the Church is about Christ, you can come to Him and confess your sins and go home justified. You can splash around daily in the baptismal grace with which He has washed you. You can live from every word that proceeds from His mouth. You can partake regularly of His true body and blood that He may dwell in you and you in Him. You see, when it’s all about Christ, you can take your eyes off of yourself and your own efforts toward righteousness and look to Him, the author and perfecter of your faith. This is a blessing not only for you, but also for your neighbor. For in looking to Christ, your eyes and ears and heart and hands will be drawn toward your neighbor in need, where Christ Himself will live His love through you as you serve those whom He has given you to serve.

Let’s stop the silliness. The Church is not about buildings or people. It’s about Christ!