Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Infant Baptism


Wednesday after Pentecost 17
September 30, 2009

The Lord be with you

On August 23 I put a post about the ELCA’s recent decision concerning the acceptance of active homosexuals as pastors on this blog. Chris left a comment on that post, mainly about infant baptism, prompted by my profile description. We had a short exchange of comments on infant baptism, and other topics. As it has been over a month since Christ has left a new comment, I assume the exchange is over. It has occurred to me that those portions of this exchange concerning infant baptism might be of interest to others. What follows are those portions.

8/23 – Chris wrote: … I am intrigued by your profile where you state: "I was blessed to have parents that had me baptized as an infant and I've been a Christian ever since."

1. Where in the Bible does God command "babies" or young children to get baptized?

2. Where in the Bible do you find an example of a baby or young child who gets baptized and is then recognized as a Christian?

3. How can a baby repent of sin, have faith in Jesus Christ, and be baptized of the Spirit (which the Bible clearly tells us is the way to become a Christian)?

If you don't have a Biblical answer to these questions (especially #3), how can you honestly say you were a "Christian" from the time you were a baby?

I am genuinely interested in your response.

8/23 – Chris wrote: I wanted to clarify my questions.

- While I understand there aren't necessarily any references to the "elderly" being baptized in the Bible, you would agree there are references to "adults" being baptized? I'm sure you would also agree that the elderly would be referred to as adults, right?

- When Jesus states in Matthew 28:19, "Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit," you wouldn't think this means we should "force" an adult to get baptized (by water) because they are in these nations? Do you? What if we did force an adult to get baptized (and they didn't believe)? Would God recognize it? If not, then why should we "force" a baby to get baptized without his or her permission (or proof of repentance of sins)?

- According to Mark 16:16, "He who believes and is baptized shall be saved; he who believes not shall be damned." If a baby gets baptized and does not believe, how can they be saved? Besides a speculative interpretation of Luke 18 (which doesn't specifically say babies can believe in Christ), where does the Bible specifically say they can believe and have faith?

- As for Colossians 2:11-12, you would agree that "circumcision made without hands" refers also to baptism of the Spirit instead of just a physical immersion or sprinkling of water? Without repentance of sins or faith in Christ, how can a baby be circumcised by the Spirit?

I hope you do not think I'm trying to attack you. I'm genuinely interested in your position.

8/24 – I wrote: Answering your questions about baptism and salvation could easily fill a book. I’ll try to be brief …

The Bible teaches that “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23);” that “all” includes adults, children and infants.

The Bible teaches that we are “saved by grace through faith” in Jesus Christ (Eph 2:8-9). No other means of salvation is available, not for adults, not for children, and not for infants.

If infants and children cannot believe, then infants and children cannot be saved. But Scripture teaches that infants and children can believe. Infant faith is depicted in Ps 8:2, which is quoted by our Lord in Matt 21:16. In Lk 18:15 we read that people were bringing “even infants” to the Lord. The Greek is ta brefā, which can only mean infants. When the adults tried to prevent this Jesus rebuked them and said, in referring to the children, “to such belongs the kingdom of God.” But the only way this response of our Lord’s could be accurate is if the children had faith. In Matt 18:6 we are warned to not cause “little ones” to stumble in their faith. More passages could be added to show that small children, even infants, can have faith.

Repentance and faith in Christ are gifts from God, the work of the Holy Spirit. We contribute nothing to this work, as Scripture makes very clear in places like Eph 2:8-9, 2 Cor 3:5; Ro 3:27-28.

Certainly a sound biblical message is one way the Holy Spirit works this miracle of salvation (2 Thess 2:14). In Lutheran circles, therefore, we call the Word of God a “Means of Grace.” That is, it is a means God uses to bring his grace to us.

Another way the Holy Spirit can work faith in the heart is through Baptism. 1 Peter 3:21 says, “baptism now saves you.” You cannot be saved if you do not have faith in Jesus. If baptism saves you then baptism is a means the Spirit uses to give faith. Peter makes this clear that he is speaking of a normal baptism with water by referring to the effect of the water as not simply being the removal of dirt. Instead baptism guarantees a “good conscience before God.” A good conscience before God can only be received by grace through faith, therefore baptism must give the gift of faith.

In Acts 22:16 we read, “Get up, and calling on His Name, be baptized and have your sins washed away.” In 1 Cor 6:11 we read, “but you have been washed (referring to baptism), you have been made holy, you have been justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.” In Eph. 5:26 baptism is called a “washing of regeneration.” Passages like these can easily be multiplied.

The book of Acts covers the first couple of decades of Church history. During this time Christianity was a minority religion. Wherever the Gospel went, everyone was a non-Christian. Naturally it would be adults that were getting baptized. However there are the well-know “household” passages (Acts 11:14; 16:15, 33). In a world without birth-control, it is unreasonable to assume there were no small children or infants.

There are also the words of Peter in his Pentecost sermon. “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the Name of Jesus Christ so that your sins will be forgiven, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is made to you and to your children and to all who are far away, all whom the Lord our God will call” (Acts 2:38-39). The promise of baptism is not “for your children after they become adults.” The promise of baptism is not for “all the adults who are far off.” Notice also the connection between baptism and the reception of the Holy Spirit in Peter’s words.

Jesus says in Matt 18 28, “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them …” He did not say, teach and baptize, but baptize and teach. Also, children, even infants, are part of all nations. Jesus didn’t say, “Go and make disciples of all adults in the nations …”

You speak of forcing someone to be baptized, as if baptizing a child is “forcing” something. God does not “force” us to faith. The Spirit gives us faith. Unless you feel all gifts are being forced upon you, then the connection of being “forced” to be baptized doesn’t apply. A baby being baptized is no more forced to faith than any adult that is equally dependent on the work of the Spirit. The Spirit creates in us a willing spirit (Ps 51:10), no matter what age we are when he works his miracle of faith. Would you say that a mother is “forcing” her child to eat? Neither does baptism force faith.

As for Colossians 2:11-12, it is a reference to real baptism, with water and the Spirit, as Peter described in his Pentecost sermon. There is no biblical reason to separate the work of the Holy Spirit from baptism. Paul describes baptism in Titus 3 as a washing of water with the word. Through the word of God the Spirit puts God’s grace in it. Faith clings to those promises. I’ve only gone over a few of the promises.

Actually baptizing infants is a powerful statement about being saved by grace through faith and not by our works. As we get older we try to take credit for our salvation by claiming we did something; (had a good disposition, said some kind of prayer, made a decision for Jesus, etc.) to become Christians. This can lead us to trust in whatever we “did” instead of trusting Jesus. A baby cannot claim they did anything. They simply receive God’s grace, the gift of faith.

Finally, and I have to say this, it worked for me and millions of other alive today, and uncounted billions who have gone before. I, like they, trust in Jesus Christ, Second Person of the Triune God, as my Savior. He is our Lord. He granted us faith and salvation through the waters of baptism. We believe that we must stand with the overwhelming majority of Christians throughout the ages on this point.

As the 300-year-old hymn put it:

Baptized into Your name most holy,
O Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,
I claim a place, though weak and lowly,
Among Your saints, Your chosen host.
Buried with Christ and dead to sin,
Your Spirit now shall live within

8/24 – Chris wrote: Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions. I was saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ only three months ago and am unfamiliar with Lutheran doctrines. Like I said before, I hope you don't think I am attacking you with my questions. Sometimes it's difficult to hear someone's voice through a computer screen. I hope you don't mind if I ask you some additional questions after I study in more depth (and meditate on) the verses you quoted.

Blessings in Christ,
Pastor John Rickert

Monday, September 28, 2009

Why Did God Allow Evil in the Garden of Eden

September 28, 2009

The Lord be with you

At Lamb of God Lutheran (LCMS) we will continue our Bible Study series titled “Puzzlers and Questions about the Bible.” This coming Sunday, Pentecost 18, we will consider what we can know from the Bible about why God allowed evil into the Garden of Eden. If you would like to know, join us at 9:00 AM.

Blessings in Christ,
Pastor John Rickert

Sunday, September 27, 2009

Great Organ Music

Pentecost 17
September 27, 2009

The Lord be with you

If you like organ music you will like these videos. I can’t actually post the video for “This is the Feast” but if you click on the words "This is the Feast" it will take you to the video.

Blessings in Christ,
Pastor John Rickert

"A Mighty Fortress Is Our God"

Pipe Organ - St Mary's Cathedral, Dayton, Ohio




"Now Thank We All Our God"


Widor Toccata at Cathedral Bascilica in Newark (12)


Toccata and Fugue in D Minor




This is the Feast

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Can Satan Create?

Thursday after Pentecost 16
September 24, 2009

The Lord be with you

At Lamb of God Lutheran (LCMS) we continue our series titled “Puzzlers and Questions about the Bible” in our Sunday morning adult Bible study. The question submitted that we will consider this coming Sunday is:

If God is not the author of evil or false doctrine, how does Satan create?

Whoever submitted this question is not the first person to ask this question, nor will they be the last. If you want to know the answer, come to class.

Blessings in Christ,
Pastor John Rickert

Worship Notes for Pentecost 17

Thursday after Pentecost 16
September 24, 2009

The Lord be with you

This coming Sunday will be Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost. At Lamb of God Lutheran Church (LCMS) we will be using the third setting of the morning service for our liturgy (LSB page 184). We will celebrate the Lord’s Supper. The appointed lessons are Numbers 11:4-6, 10-16, 24-29, James 5:[1-12] 13-20, and Mark 9:38-50. The sermon is based on the Epistle lesson. The text will be James 5:7. The sermon is titled “What to Do While Waiting.” Our opening hymn is “How Sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds” (LSB 524). The sermon hymn is “Jesus Christ, My Sure Defense” (LSB 741). The distribution hymns are “Water, Blood, and Spirit Crying” (LSB 597), “Lord Jesus Christ, We Humbly Pray” (LSB 623), and “What a Friend We Have in Jesus” (LSB 770) Our closing hymn is “Glory Be to God the Father” (LSB 506).

Better Noise has a recording of each of Sunday’s hymns except “Water, Blood, and Spirit Crying.” I found good videos for “How Sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds” and “What a Friend we have in Jesus.” They can be found at the end of these notes.

Preview of the Lessons

Numbers 11:4-6, 10-16, 24-29: This is a story taken from the wilderness wandering of the Israelites. First the people are again complaining. Moses is fed up with it all. God provides relief for Moses in the form of 70 elders who will assist him. When the elders are commissioned, they “prophesied,” but only this one time. Two of the elders did not attend the meeting, but they “prophesied” anyway, while still in the camp. Joshua wanted Moses to stop them, but Moses refused, saying, “Would that all the LORD’s people were prophets, that the LORD would put his Spirit on them!” I wonder if Moses was thinking, then my job would truly be easy. Aside from sharing responsibility in the ministry, and not being jealous of others who are doing the Lord’s work, the text also speaks of enduring as we move towards the Promised Land.

James 5:[1-12] 13-20: The first twelve verses are listed in brackets. This is an optional part of the reading and is not printed on the back of our bulletin. However the sermon will make use of these verses and so they will be read in the service. Because the sermon is based on this reading I’ll not say much. However the idea of what we are to be doing as we wait for the Second Coming unifies the lesson.

Mark 9:38-50: This reading ties easily with the Old Testament lesson. The disciples saw someone casting out demons in the name of Jesus, but tried to stop him because he “was not following us.” Jesus tells them not to stop the man (much like Moses in the OT lesson). Jesus then turns our eyes to eternity. Our future in that “Promised Land” determines what is proper and improper.

Sunday’s Collect

Everlasting Father, source of every blessing, mercifully direct and govern us by Your Holy Spirit that we may complete the works You have prepared for us to do; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Gradual (Ps 91:11; 103:1)

He will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways.
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and all that is within me, bless his holy name!

Introit (Ps 135:1-3, 13-14; antiphon: Ps. 135:13)

Your name, O LORD, endures forever,
your renown, O LORD, throughout all ages.
Praise the LORD! Praise the name of the LORD,
give praise, O servants of the LORD,
who stand in the house of the LORD,
in the courts of the house of our God!
Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good;
sing to his name, for it is pleasant!
Your name, O LORD, endures forever,
your renown, O LORD, throughout all ages.
For the LORD will vindicate his people
and have compassion on his servants.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Your name, O LORD, endures forever,
your renown, O LORD, throughout all ages.

Blessings in Christ,
Pastor John Rickert






Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Typical Lutheran Worship - 4, Feasts, Festivals and Commemorations

The Commemoration of Jonah
September 22, 2009

The Lord be with you

Every Christian church sets aside some days as special. Some have more and some have fewer, but we all do it. Easter is the most recognized and was the first day so recognized by the Church. Other days commonly recognized by most, if not all, churches include Good Friday and Christmas. These special days are called Feasts, Festivals and Commemorations. Each denomination or local church decides which of these special days they wish to recognize. These days are part of the liturgical or church calendar or year. These days recognize special events or individuals. When the recognition is of a person the day assigned is usually their death date (i.e. the day they entered into heaven).

Lamb of God Lutheran, along with her sister congregations in the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, continue this ancient tradition. We recognize more such days than some churches, and fewer than others. Yesterday, September 21, was the Festival of St. Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist. Today is the Commemoration of Jonah. If such days fall on a Sunday special readings are often used instead of the readings normally appointed for the day. If such days fall in the middle of the week some churches will have a special worship service (at Lamb of God we don’t). On such special days we are reminded, not only of the individual saint, but that we are part of the Universal Church that extends not only in space but also throughout time. In other words, Jonah, Matthew, and so forth, are still part of the Church. So I will now provide a peek at two saints that are part of the Universal Church of which all Christians are a part of; Matthew and Jonah.

St. Matthew, also known as Levi, identifies himself as a former tax collector, one who was therefore considered unclean, a public sinner, outcast from the Jews. Yet it was such a one as this whom the Lord Jesus called away from his occupation and wealth to become a disciple (Matthew 9:9-13). Not only did Matthew become a disciple of Jesus, he was also called and sent as one of the Lord’s twelve apostles (Matthew 10:2-4). In time, he became the evangelist whose inspired record of the Gospel was granted first place in the ordering of the New Testament. Among the four Gospels, Matthew’s portrays Christ especially as the new and greater Moses, who graciously fulfills the Law and the Prophets (Matthew 5:17) and establishes a new covenant of salvation in and with His own blood (Matthew 26:27-28). Matthew’s Gospel is also well-known and beloved for its record of the visit of the Magi (Matthew 2:1-12); for the Sermon on the Mount, including the Beatitudes and the Our Father (Matthew 5-7); and for the institution of Holy Baptism and the most explicit revelation of the Holy Trinity (Matthew 28:16-20). Tradition is uncertain where his final field of labor was and whether Matthew died naturally or a martyr’s death. In celebrating this festival, we therefore give thanks to God that He has mightily governed and protected His Holy Church through this man who was called and sent by Christ to serve the sheep of His pastures with the Holy Gospel.

Jonah was a singular prophet among the many in the Old Testament. He was the son of Amittai and was born about an hour’s walk from the town of Nazareth. The focus of his prophetic ministry was the call to preach at Ninevah, the capital of pagan Assyria (Jonah 1:2) His reluctance to respond and God’s insistence that His call be heeded is the story of the book that bears Jonah’s name. Although the swallowing and disgorging of Jonah by the great fish is the most remembered detail of his life, it is addressed in only three verses of the book (Jonah 1:17; 2:1, 10). Throughout the book, the important theme is how God deals compassionately with sinners. Jonah’s three-day sojourn in the belly of the fish is mentioned by Jesus as a sign of His own death, burial, and resurrection (Matthew 12:39-41)

These descriptions are taken from Treasury of Daily Prayer, published by Concordia Publishing House.

Blessings in Christ,
Pastor John Rickert

Saturday, September 19, 2009

Typical Lutheran Worship – 3, Where Do We Get the Assigned Bible Readings?

Saturday after Pentecost 15
September 19, 2009

The Lord be with you

In a typical Lutheran worship service the Scriptures plays a prominent roll. One way this is apparent is with the “Lectionary.” The Lectionary is a list of pre-determined Scripture lessons for each Sunday and Festival. As I was growing up our Lectionary had two readings from the Bible, one from the Gospels (called the Gospel lesson) and one from somewhere else in the New Testament (called the Epistle lesson). On a few special Sundays the Epistle lesson was replaced with a reading from the Old Testament. This was done in a one-year cycle so, for example, on the First Sunday in Advent the same lessons were read each year. Not a few long-time Lutherans knew what readings were appointed for many of the days in the Church Year. In the 70’s, with the introduction of the “new” hymnal Lutheran Worship, most churches went to the new (for us) three-year Lectionary, which also featured a reading from the Old Testament for each Sunday. Most of us continue to use a three-year Lectionary today. In the current form of the Lectionary the Old Testament and Gospel lesson usually relate, but the Epistle lesson might not. That is because the Epistle lesson is mainly a continuous reading from one of the books from the New Testament (obviously not one of the Gospels). By using this format every major doctrine in the Bible is presented from the appointed lessons every year.

Of course Lutherans are not the only ones that use a Lectionary, nor did we invent them. Some Lectionaries have been found that are very old, dating back to the first several centuries of the Christian Era. Because these Lectionaries had the Scripture lessons written out they become an important witness to the Biblical text. Lectionaries are used in many denominations, Presbyterian, Anglican, Roman Catholic (of course), and there is even one Baptist church here in Spartanburg that I know uses a Lectionary.

The most common Lectionary used outside of the LCMS is the Revised Common Lectionary (RCL). The one we use at Lamb of God is the one associated with the LCMS and is a modification of the RCL.

Blessings in Christ,
Pastor John Rickert

Friday, September 18, 2009

Jephthah Kills His Daughter

Friday after Pentecost 15
September 18, 2009

The Lord be with you

The adult Sunday morning Bible study at Lamb of God Lutheran (LCMS) continues its series titled “Puzzlers and Questions about the Bible.” Members and friends of Lamb of God have submitted all the “puzzlers and questions” for this series. This coming Sunday’s “question” was simply two Bible passages, Judges 11:30-31 and Judges 11:34-40. It is the story of Jephthah and his only child, a daughter, whom Jephthah kills as a sacrifice to God. We will look at the passage carefully.

Blessings in Christ,
Pastor John Rickert

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Worship Notes for Pentecost 16

Thursday after Pentecost 15
September 17, 2009

The Lord be with you

This coming Sunday will be Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost. At Lamb of God Lutheran Church (LCMS) we will be using Matins (page 219) for our liturgy. The appointed lessons are Jeremiah 11:18-20, James 3:13-4:10, and Mark 9:30-37. The appointed Psalm is Psalm 54, the antiphon is verse 4. A strong theme that runs through all three lessons is humility. The sermon is based on the Gospel lesson. The text will be Mark 9:34. The sermon is titled “Keeping Up With The Jones.” Our opening hymn is “Water, Blood, and Spirit Crying” (LSB 597). The sermon hymn is “Lord, Help Us Walk Your Servant Way” (LSB 857). Our closing hymn is “Savior, Again to Thy Dear Name We Raise” (LSB 917).

When our hymnal review committee was examining the Lutheran Service Book, before Lamb of God decided to purchase them, the committee sang through every hymn. Each hymn was put into a category. “Well Known” meant everyone on the committee knew the hymn. “Known” meant that some, but not all of us knew the hymn. “Unknown” meant none of us knew the hymn. We had a fourth category, which was “Learn.” Hymns put in this category were unknown hymns that the committee all agreed would be well worth learning. One of those hymns is the first hymn we will be singing this coming Sunday, “Water, Blood, and Spirit Crying.” I was reminded of this last category a couple of weeks ago while I was speaking with a member of one of our sister congregations. This lady told me that “Water, Blood, and Spirit Crying” was now one of her favorite hymns, though they had only recently learned it. So in honoring the work of the Hymnal Review Committee, and inspired by the lady I spoke with, we will begin a concerted effort to learn at least some of the hymns the committee selected. The first will be “Water, Blood, and Spirit Crying.” We will sing this hymn each Sunday over the next month.

Better Noise has a recording of “Lord, Help Us Walk Your Servant Way” (LSB 857), and “Savior, Again to Thy Dear Name We Raise” (LSB 917). I found a video of “Savior, Again to Thy Dear Name We Raise” which is well done. It is posted at the end of these notes.

Preview of the Lessons

Jeremiah 11:18-20: Jeremiah was called to be a prophet (628 BC) about 100 years after the northern kingdom of Israel was conquered by Assyria (722 BC) and subsequently vanished from history, as the deported people were simply assimilated into Assyrian culture. When Jeremiah became a prophet the good King Josiah ruled in Judah. He restored the worship life of Judah. However he died in battle with the Egyptians, who were heading north to fight the Babylonians. While the Egyptians did defeat Judah, the Babylonians defeated the Egyptians at Carchemish in one of the seminal battles of Ancient history (605 BC). Babylon, who earlier had taken out Assyria (around 610 BC), now was the Super Power of the Ancient World. After Egypt defeated Judah they put a puppet king on the Judean throne. After Babylon defeated Egypt the Babylonians put their own puppet kings on the Judean throne. None of these puppet kings were godly and the nation went from bad to worse in reference to their religion. After a rebellion or two, which the Judeans constantly lost, the population of Judea was deported. These were dark days for the Jews, but they recognized that Jeremiah had been right. Their problems stemmed from a long history of abandoning God and his promises. In exile they developed a much stronger spiritual identity and returned to the Lord. After 70 years in exile the Persians, who conquered the Babylonians becoming the new Super Power, allowed the Jews to return home and rebuild the Temple, even providing finical support. This is what Jeremiah had prophesied would happen. Jeremiah 11:18-20 is a poem or song, as is much of what the prophets wrote. Jeremiah has learned that the people of his hometown of Anathoth are plotting to kill him. It is not surprising that rebels conspiring to dethrone God should also seek to silence his messenger. Jeremiah is depicted in humble terms, “a gentle lamb led to the slaughter.” He puts his case in the hands of the Lord “who judges righteously.” In verses 21-23, not part of our reading, we learn that the people of Anathoth will pay the price for rejecting God and his word. As all the prophets are types of Jesus, we can easily see Christological overtones in this reading. Jesus too was like a lamb lead to the slaughter. He too trusted in the Father. And, on the Last Day, those who have rejected Christ will pay the price for their rejection.

James 3:13-4:10: Our reading through the book of James continues. The problem among the pastors he is addressing here is pride. This pride is causing all kinds of quarrels and fights. There is jealously and selfish ambition. Apparently some at least were seeking to exalt themselves instead of the Lord, though I’m sure they dressed up their ambitions with proper “church” language. In the end this kind of pride is “earthly, unspiritual” even “demonic.” This doesn’t build the Kingdom of God, even if it builds the numbers in a local church organization. James tells us that “the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.” This wisdom produces a “harvest of righteousness” and is “sown in peace by those who make peace.” In general, as fallen people, we are too quick to see ourselves as completely right and others as completely wrong. We hate asking how we ourselves have contributed to problems. How difficult it is to say “I’m sorry, I did you wrong,” without putting in some sort of explaining “but” to justify our actions. How difficult it is to not feel wounded if our apology is not followed by an apology from the other person. Pastors can fall prey to this kind of sinful pride just as easily as the people in the pew, only we are better at making it look like “righteous indignation.” James lifts up humility for us all. We leave it to the Lord to decide who shall be exalted, and when, and how. When we consider how we have offended the Lord, and what grace has been bestowed on us in Christ Jesus, how can any attitude be appropriate except humility?

Mark 9:30-37: Jesus and his disciples are headed to Jerusalem where he will suffer and die for the sins of humanity, so time wise this is in the last year of his life. The Transfiguration had happened earlier in this chapter. In verses 30-32 Jesus tells the disciples plainly about his impending death and resurrection, but they didn’t understand what he meant and didn’t ask Jesus what he meant. I think they probably though Jesus was speaking in parables again and they were afraid of appearing stupid by asking what this “parable” meant. The pride of the disciples continues to manifest itself as they argue among themselves about who will be the greatest in the Kingdom of God. Jesus lifts up humble service as the path to “greatness” in the Kingdom.

Sunday’s Collect

O God, whose strength is made perfect in weakness, grant us humility and childlike faith that we may please You in both will and deed; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever Amen.

Gradual for the Season

Fear the LORD, you his saints,
for those who fear him lack nothing!
Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
but the LORD delivers him out of them all.

Introit

In the service of Matins, instead of the Introit we use the appointed Psalm for the day. For this coming Sunday it is Psalm 54, The antiphon is verse 4.

Blessings in Christ,
Pastor John Rickert


Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Typical Lutheran Worship – 2 “What is a Collect?”

Wednesday after Pentecost 15
September 16, 2009

The Lord be with you

A collect is a short prayer that follows a very specific format. It begins with an invocation of God, e.g. “Almighty Father,” “Lord Jesus,” O Holy Spirit.” Then some attribute is ascribed to the Deity, e.g. “Creator of heaven and earth,” “our Savior and Redeemer,” “You who calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian Church on earth.” Then follows a petition, typically only one, e.g. “grant success to our labors,” “grant that we may ever cling to You in true faith,” “grant that through the Word and Sacraments You may call many to faith in Christ in our city.” After this a desired result can be named, e.g. “that all may give you thanks for your bounty,” “that we may endure secure in Your grace unto life everlasting,” “that the kingdom of our Lord may grow.” Finally a Trinitarian conclusion is prayed, e.g. “Through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever,” “we ask this in Your name, who lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever,” “through Jesus Christ, who together with You and the Father are one Lord, one God.”

Everything is tied together, so the attribute relates to the request, etc. Put together the three prayers above would go as follows:
    Almighty Father, Creator of heaven and earth, grant success to our labors that all may give you thanks for your bounty through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

    Lord Jesus, our Savior and Redeemer, grant that we may ever cling to You in true faith that we may endure secure in Your grace unto life everlasting, we ask this in Your name, who lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

    O Holy Spirit, You who calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian Church on earth, grant that through the Word and Sacraments You may call many to faith in Christ in our city that the kingdom of our Lord may grow through Jesus Christ, who together with You and the Father are one Lord, one God.
I just made up these prayers, which shows that the collect-format can be a wonderful guide in our own prayer life. It is not uncommon to have one or two of these elements modified.

The “Collect for the Day” is a prayer that collects the themes of the day in the Scripture lessons and other propers, boils them down, and sums them up. Many of these are quite ancient, dating back many, many centuries.

Blessings in Christ,
Pastor John Rickert

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Typical Lutheran Worship - 1

Tuesday after Pentecost 15
September 15, 2009

The Lord be with you

Each week I post something I call “Worship Notes,” usually on Thursday. It is intended to give a peek ahead at the Sunday worship service. Some who visit this site, however, might be mystified by these notes. What is meant by “liturgy”? What are these assigned readings for the day? Why is that short prayer a “collect”? What is a “gradual” and when would you use it in a worship service? There might well be other questions that run through someone’s mind. So I thought I’d do a series of posts on Sunday morning worship as you would find it in a typical traditional Lutheran service. That doesn’t mean that every Lutheran church follows this pattern. But most in the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod do. I cannot speak about other denominations bearing the name Lutheran.

Today I was at Mount Olive Lutheran Church in Irmo, SC (see the links on this page to other LC-MS churches in SC) where Rev. Paul Sizemore is pastor. They had the following announcement in their bulletin concerning their worship style, and it seems like a good way for me to start this series of posts.
    The Historic Christian Liturgy: “Liturgy” is an English word from the Greek language that means most literally “the work” or “offering of the people.” At the time of the Protestant Reformation, Lutherans chose to keep the historic catholic liturgy in tact because of its clear confession of the Triune God. True worship is not only something offered by the clergy for the benefit of the worshiping congregation. The whole people of God, together with pastors and priests, are to offer their heartfelt praise and devotion to the Triune God in response to his self-revelation given to us in the Gospel. True worship acknowledges the complete and sacred “Holiness” and “Otherness” of the true God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Please enter the sanctuary quietly before worship. Take time to prepare your heart and mind for worship by previewing the appointed Bible readings and by praying for the Holy Spirit to help you keep your focus on the Word of God being shared with you this day; in the Scripture readings, in the proclamation of the Gospel in the sermon, in the hymns and liturgy and in the celebration of Holy Communion, the “Lord’s Supper.”
So the “liturgy” for the day is the format used by the congregation in its worship service. We at Lamb of God Lutheran (LC-MS), like Mt. Olive, use the historic Christian liturgy, as we have received it in the Western Tradition. Please notice that the word “catholic” in Rev. Sizemore’s announcement is not capitalized. When the word “catholic” is used this way it has its original meaning of “universal,” and is not referring to any specific denomination.

Blessings in Christ,
Pastor John Rickert

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Plumbing Seminar

Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost
September 13, 2009

The Lord be with you

At Lamb of God Lutheran Church (LCMS) we have a group named L.I.F.E. (Laugh, Inspire, Fellowship, Educate). One of the things this group does is sponsor seminars for the church and community. The cost is always the same, free. The format is also consistent. I begin with a short devotion, typically tying in the topic of the seminar. This is followed by the actual presentation. The whole presentation runs maybe 90 minutes. We also have some refreshments. This coming Saturday, September 19, we are having a LIFE seminar on plumbing. It will begin at 10:00 AM. Mr. Ray Hurt is the main presenter. I can tell you honestly, if it is broken Ray knows how to fix it!

Again, it is free.

Blessings in Christ,
Pastor John Rickert

Cub Pack 1031


Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost
September 13, 2009

The Lord be with you

Pack 1031 is up and running. Lamb of God Lutheran Church (LCMS) is the newest sponsor of a Cub Scout Pack here in Spartanburg, SC. The number, 1031, represents October 31, which is the date Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the church door in Wittenberg. That event sparked the Protestant Reformation.

There was a “Roundup” at two of the local elementary schools and we had nine boys sign-up. Our first Pack meeting will be this coming Tuesday (9/15) and it is advertised on our marquee out front. We expect a few more boys might come to the first Pack meeting from this.

We hope that, through Scouting, we might have a positive impact on the lives of the boys involved, their families, and our community. Who knows, maybe a few might even join Lamb of God?

Blessings in Christ,
Pastor John Rickert

NC Apple Festival

Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost
September 13, 2009

Last weekend was Labor Day Weekend (September 4-6). My wife Kitty, my daughter Rachel, my grandson Gregory, and I went up to the annual Labor Day Weekend North Carolina Apple Festival in Hendersonville. As always we had a great time. Kitty and I came back with plenty of Honey Crisp apples. Though there are plenty of apples to choose from, Honey Crisp is by far our favorite in this area. (There are, I understand, over 3,000 varieties of apples.) When we lived in Fort Wayne, IN, at the Johnny Appleseed Festival, they had an apple that we could buy that we loved, but we don’t remember the name. It was a red apple with snow-white flesh and dark red veins running through the flesh. What follows are some photographs we took while at the festival. The first one has Gregory, Rachel, and Kitty. We had just arrived and I was trying out the camera as it is my daughters. The next one is Gregory standing by one of the many painted apples they have on the street. The third picture is of Rachel and Kitty in some hats they were trying on. Rachel did buy the hat she is wearing. The fourth picture shows Gregory helping to crack open a geode that he bought. If you are ever in this area Labor Day weekend, this is a fun way to spend the day.

Blessings in Christ,
Pastor John Rickert

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Worship Notes for Pentecost 15

Thursday after Pentecost 14
September 10, 2009

The Lord be with you

This coming Sunday will be the Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost. At Lamb of God Lutheran Church (LCMS) we will be celebrating the Lord’s Supper. For our liturgy we will be using the first setting of the morning service (page 151). The appointed lessons are Isaiah 50:4-10, James 3:1-12, and Mark 9:14-29. The sermon is based on the Gospel lesson. The text will be Mark 9:24. The sermon is titled “Our Seesaw Faith.” Our opening hymn is “Holy Spirit, Light Divine” (LSB 496). The sermon hymn is “I Walk in Danger All the Way” (LSB 716). The distribution hymns are “Praise the One Who Breaks the Darkness” (LSB 849), “At the Lamb’s High Feast We Sing” (LSB 633), and “Jesus, Thy Blood and Righteousness” (LSB 563). Our closing hymn is “Abide With Me” (LSB 878).

Better Noise has a recording of “Holy Spirit, Light Divine” (LSB 496), “At the Lamb’s High Feast We Sing” (LSB 633), “Jesus, Thy Blood and Righteousness” (LSB 563), and “Abide With Me” (LSB 878). I found a video of “Praise the One Who Breaks the Darkness” and it is at the end of these notes. However it is a couple of small children that are singing and playing. The best you might be able to say of the recording (which is visually poor) is that it is cute. On the other hand I found a video of “Abide With Me” which demonstrates that children can sing, and sing very very well. It also is at the end of these notes.


Preview of the Lessons
Isaiah 50:4-10: Isaiah 50 is one of Isaiah’s “Suffering Servant” poems. The Suffering Servant is Jesus. Chapter 50 “can be summarized as follows: behold, sinners need not despair, behold, their sins are atoned for; behold, it is dangerous to refuse forgiveness.”
50:4 Me. The Servant, identified by title in 42:1; 49:6, tongue of those who are taught. The Servant is the most excellent disciple because He listens before He speaks, 'To listen’ is to epitomize Israel’s response to the Lord (cf. Dt 6:4). him. One in exile. awakens My ear. While rebellious Israel turned a deaf ear to God, the Servant would ‘speak just as the Father taught’ Him (Jn 8:27-29). Therefore, a word from Him sufficed to sustain the weary.
50:5 Because the Servant is listening, it follows that He canont be rebellious. This description sets Him apart from all other servants, prophets, or leaders of Israel, as everyone else had times in which they turned their back on the Lord (e.g, Ex 4:13; Jer 20:9, 14; Jnh 1:3), Only one Servant could truly claim such obedience to the Lord (cf Jn 8:29)
50:6 gave My back … those who strike. The Servant is abused by others as Jesus was in His Passion. beard. This detail of Jesus’ appearance, commonly depicted by artists, occurs only here. Pulling out of a beard showed contempt and disrespect for the person (cf 2 Sm 10:4-5; Ne 13:25).
50:7 not been disgraced. Even death is not a disgrace for the Servant, who places His life in the Lord’s hands. face like a flint. Jesus 'set His face' when he resolutely set out for Jerusalem (Lk 9:51). See Jesus’ determination to fulfill everything written by the prophets (Lk 18:31; 24:44).
50:9 declare Me guilty? Charged with the sins of the world, yet vindicated and acquitted when He was raised from the dead, He ‘is at the right hand of God,’ defending the innocence credited to all who appeal to Him for justification (Rm 8:31-34). Behold, all of them … eat them up. The Servant’s enemies will be as fragile and vulnerable as cloth, which even a tiny moth can destroy.
50:10 His servant? Note how the Servant and the Lord are set parallel to each other. Fear and obedience are due to both. trust in the name, See ‘name,’ p 843”
Ch 50 The Lord contrasts His Servant’s humility and obedience with Israel’s rebelliousness. The Servant’s humility and obedience atoned for your sins and the sins of all the world. Walk in the light of His Word. In Him there is no disgrace. * Awaken my ear, O Jesus. Rouse me each day to fear, love, and trust my Lord. Amen. “
(These notes are quoted from the new Lutheran Study Bible.)

James 3:1-12: This is the well know admonition of James to guard our tongues. This is first directed to “teachers” in the Church, that is, pastors (Acts 13:1; 1 Cor 12:28-29; Eph 4:11). As this letter was to be read to the congregations, James is also speaking to the entire congregation, especially those who teach but are not the called pastor. The entire congregation, as they carry on conversations with others, is also in mind, but only in a lesser way. The reason for the strong words to pastors and other teachers of the Church is because they are in positions of authority. As such their words have a greater chance to do damage.

Mark 9:14-29: Upon returning from the Mount of Transfiguration Jesus discovers a dispute between his disciples and some scribes. A large crowd was present. The disciples were unable to cast a demon from a boy and this was seen by many as discrediting Jesus. The boy’s father is desperate. Jesus casts out the demon. Afterward the disciples ask why they were unable to cast the demon out. Apparently the disciples had forgot to put their trust in the Lord and sought to cast out the demon by their own authority. Jesus underscores this by telling them to first pray. I will say no more as this reading is the foundation for Sunday’s sermon.

Sunday’s Collect
Lord Jesus Christ, our support and defense in every need, continue to preserve Your Church in safety, govern her by Your goodness, and bless her with Your peace; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Gradual for the Season
Fear the LORD, you his saints,
for those who fear him lack nothing!
Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
but the LORD delivers him out of them all.

Introit
Be strong, and let your heart take courage,
all you who wait for the LORD!
But I trust in you, O LORD;
I say, “You are my God.”
My times are in your hand;
rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from my persecutors!
Make your face shine on your servant;
save me in your steadfast love!
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Be strong, and let your heart take courage,
all you who wait for the LORD!

Blessings in Christ,
Pastor John Rickert


“Praise the One Who Breaks the Darkness” (LSB 849)



Tuesday, September 8, 2009

LCMS Convention Represenatives Elected

Tuesday after Pentecost 14
September 8, 2009

The Lord be with you

This past Saturday, September 5, 2009, Circuit 18 of the SED (of which Lamb of God Lutheran (LCMS) is a member) had a Circuit Convocation. At it we elected our pastoral and lay representatives for next year’s Synodical Convention. In many ways this Synodical Convention will stand out as unusual. First it will be two days longer than usual conventions. Second it will not be able to complete all the work that the Synod’s officials hope to accomplish. Third, the unfinished business will be accomplished in two or three post-convention conventions (probably held in St. Louis, MO). So the individuals elected will be attending more than just the Houston convention. The “unfinished” business will have to do with Synod structure. The decisions these representatives reach will have a real impact on our denomination long after I’ve gone to Glory. It is our responsibility as Christians to pray for all the delegates, asking God to guide the convention for the sake of His Church. Our Circuit's representatives are: Pastor Timothy Sandeno from Good Shepherd Lutheran in Charleston, SC, and Mr. John F., Lang from Lutheran Church of the Incarnate Word in Florence, SC. The alternate pastoral delegate is me (Pastor John Rickert) and Mr. Andrew Robson from Holy Trinity Lutheran in Columbia, SC. The alternates attend the convention if for some reason the representatives that are elected cannot attend.

Blessings in Christ,
Pastor John Rickert

Monday, September 7, 2009

I Still Can't Post a Comment

Monday after Pentecost 13
Labor Day
September 7, 2009

People are still telling me that they are having trouble posting a comment so I’m providing these step-by-step instructions in the hope that anyone who wants to can leave a comment can. I will give directions for three different ways to leave a comment.

Way 1
  1. Go to the Blog

  2. Click on “Sign In” (upper right hand corner)

  3. Enter your e-mail address and password if the fields provided This takes you to the “dashboard”)

  4. Click on the article to which you want to post a comment

  5. A field will appear in which you can post your comment

  6. Type your comment in the post a comment field

  7. Some distorted English letters will appear

  8. Type the distorted letters in the field provided

  9. Click “post comment” button again.
You should now see a message telling you your comment has been posted

Way 2
  1. Go to the Blog

  2. Scroll to the post to which you would like to post a comment

  3. At the bottom right-hand side of the post you will see a number before the word “comments,” i.e. “0 comments”

  4. Click on the word “comments”

  5. A field will appear for your comment. Click on that field.

  6. Type your comment

  7. Click on “post comment”

  8. Click on “please choose profile”

  9. Select the account you are using from the options provided

  10. Click on “post comment” again

  11. Sign in with your e-mail account and password

  12. Some distorted English letters will appear

  13. Type the distorted letters in the field provided

  14. Click “post comment” button again.
You should now see a message telling you your comment has been posted

Way 3
  1. Go to the Blog

  2. Select a post name from the Blog Archives list on the right-hand side of the page

  3. The post along with a field at the bottom to post your comment will appear

  4. Click on the comment field and type your comment

  5. Click on the “post comment” button

  6. Some distorted English letters will appear

  7. Type the distorted letters in the field provided

  8. Click “post comment” button again.
You should now see a message telling you your comment has been posted

Once you have signed in (including entering the distorted English letters) you can make as many comments on any of the posts without having to sign in again.

Blessings in Christ,
Pastor John Rickert

Saturday, September 5, 2009

Beaufort Mission in the News

Saturday after Pentecost 13
September 5, 2009

The Lord be with you

The Beaufort Mission and the installation of Rev. Ted Crandall as the Associate Minister and Missionary of Lamb of God Lutheran (LCMS) made the Beaufort newspaper today. The article is quite good and certainly puts the LCMS in, I think, a positive light in contrast to the ELCA. The recent ELCA decision concerning including individuals who actively engage in same-gender-sex on their clergy roster dominated the religion page last week. This week the citizens of Beaufort heard the Lutherans in their town have a choice. If you would like to read the article, click here.

Blessings in Christ,
Pastor John Rickert

Friday, September 4, 2009

JAMES the apostle of FAITH

Friday after Pentecost 12
September 4, 2009

This coming Sunday the epistle lesson is from James 2. In preparing for my sermon I revisited a book I read over 20 years ago, JAMES the apostle of FAITH by Dr. David Scaer. I know I liked the book as a neophyte pastor, but now, with over 20 years of preaching under my belt, I feel Dr. Scaer’s insights are beyond good and well into profound. If the book of James has ever troubled you, I recommend you read David Scaer’s book.

I will say that the vocabulary makes the book difficult to read for the Christian who has not been attending a good Bible study. By a good Bible study I mean one that pays attention to the Greek language, isn’t afraid to tackle tough theological issues, and willing to explain some theological and historical terms. (In-other-words, probably the class your pastor teaches.) If you have not been attending such a Bible study then you will no doubt need to look a few things up. On the up-side, Scaer does transliterate all the Greek words to which he refers.

If you are thinking of teaching a class on James, this is a must read. At a mere 141 pages the dividends will be enormous.

The book is published by Concordia Publishing House.

Blessings in Christ,
Pastor John Rickert

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Worship for Pentecost 13

Thursday after Pentecost 112
August 27, 2009

The Lord be with you

This coming Sunday will be Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost. At Lamb of God Lutheran Church (LCMS) we will be using the Service of Prayer and Preaching (page 260 in the hymnal) for our morning worship service. This service has only three hymns. They will be “All Depends on Our Possessing” (LSB 732), “My Faith Looks Up to Thee” (LSB 702), and “Christ, the Life of All the Living” (LSB 420). Our Scripture lessons will be Isaiah 35:4-7a; James 2:1-10, 14-18; and Mark 7:31-37. The appointed Psalm is Psalm 146. The antiphon is verse 2. The sermon text is James 2:17. The sermon is titled “Dead Faith.” In our general prayer we will be remembering all the students, teachers, and staff in our schools that have recently restarted. We will especially remember those who are members of Lamb of God, as well as some of the students at Converse who gave us their names. May the Lord grant all our schools to be a blessing to the students that they may be enabled to use their talents and education to Christ's glory and as a blessing to others. Better Noise has “All Depends on Our Possessing” and “Christ the Life of All the Living.” I found a Youtube video of “My Faith Looks Up to Thee” which is at the end of these notes. Listen to it and you will appreciate Karen even more!


Preview of the Lessons

Isaiah 35:4-7a: This is a wonderful Gospel reading from the Old Testament. It speaks of Christ coming to save those with “anxious” hearts, to open the eyes of the blind and the ears of the deaf. Jesus gives a voice to the mute who then sing for joy, and the desert flows with streams of water. Even if you can’t give a specific meaning to each image, the general impression is great relief in a sin-damaged world. I should say that, while Jesus did indeed give sight to the blind and so forth (see the Gospel lesson), that is only the opening meaning. More importantly he gave sight to the spiritually blind, etc. The final fulfillment of Isaiah’s words will be on the Last Day when we are raised with our new bodies. Then we will have both physical and spiritual sight, hearing, etc., that we can’t even imagine today.

James 2:1-10, 14-18: James is perhaps the most misunderstood book in the New Testament, rivaled only by Revelation. Many think of it as merely a New Testament book of Proverbs. Others can find little or no Gospel in it. Some even think that James teaches salvation by good works. Such views are held by people who just don’t “get” the book of James. James was the half-brother of Jesus, the first full son of Mary and Joseph. His brother Jude wrote another of the New Testament books. He led the Jerusalem church for about 30 years. He grew up going to the same synagogue as Jesus, in the same town (Nazareth) as Jesus, and Jesus made a special appearance to him after our Lord’s resurrection. His voice is a pre-Paul voice when the Church was almost exclusively Jewish. The book was probably written after the first persecution broke out (the one Paul was leading). The main reason people have trouble understanding James, I think, is because his vocabulary is pre-Paul, and we “gentiles” use Paul’s language to talk about our faith. As Sunday’s message is based on this lesson I’ll not go into any details about it.

Mark 7:31--37: This is the account of how Jesus healed a man who was both deaf and mute. It is noteworthy at a number of levels. First is the location. Jesus was in the region of the Decapolis. This was a federation of 10 Greek cities. Jesus had traveled outside of the political boundaries of the Jewish population into an area that was commonly considered “unclean.” The message is that Jesus is for all people, not just the physical descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Judah. Next Jesus uses “means” to perform this miracle, in this case his own spit. Now many feel Jesus did this because the man could see what Jesus was doing, but could not hear. While this may be true, it nonetheless shows that Christ also works through means. He continues to work though means today in the waters of Baptism, the elements of Communion, and the Bible. Next is our Lord’s command to not tell anyone about what he did. Why would Jesus do this? In part, Jesus said this because he was becoming known as a miracle worker. What Jesus wanted was for people to hear his message, not just come and watch the show. The passage ends with the people saying “He has done all things well.” How true! Jesus would continue to do all things well, culminating in his death on the cross where he bore the punishment for our sins so that we might have eternal life.

Sunday’s Collect

O Lord, let Your merciful ears be open to the prayers of Your humble servants and grant that what they ask may be in accord with Your gracious will; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Gradual

The Gradual for the season is not used in the Service of Prayer and Preaching.

Introit

The appointed Introit is not used in the Service of Prayer and Preaching. Instead we use the appointed Psalm.


Blessings in Christ,
Pastor John Rickert



Wednesday, September 2, 2009

A Cursed Tree

Wednesday after Pentecost 13
September 2, 2009

The Lord be with you

At Lamb of God Lutheran Church (LCMS) this coming Sunday the Adult Bible class will field a question which, on the surface, seems trivial: Why does Jesus curse the fig tree in Matthew 21:19? Yet it is a good question for several reasons. First, nothing recorded in the Scriptures is without profit for us. Second, as a small incident, it is easy to skip over. Third, such little things are often used by non-Christians to attack our Faith as they attribute all kinds of vile motivations to Jesus. This incident is also recorded in Mark 11. We will look at both passages. The study is titled: A Cursed Tree.

Blessings in Christ,
Pastor John Rickert

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

I Can't Post A Comment

Monday after Pentecost 13
September 1, 2009

The Lord be with you

I have had more than one person tell me that they have tried to post a comment on this site but were not able. To post a comment you need to have one of the following accounts:

Google Account
LiveJournal
WordPress
TypePad
AIM
OpenID

I know the Google Account is free. I do not know about the others. When you try to post your comment you need to select which account you are using. Click here to go to a screen that will enable you to get a Google Account.

Blessings in Christ,
Pastor John Rickert