Monday after the festival of Holy Trinity Memorial Day May 31, 2010
The Lord be with you
Today is the first day of my three week vacation. Kitty and I, along with Rachel, Dixie, and Gregory, have begun a major road trip. We drove for 18 hours today, ending up in Midwest City, Oklahoma. We drove through the Great Smoky Mountains and over the Mississippi River. We ate a picnic lunch at a welcome center in Arkansas. Kitty and I were out our door by 3:00 AM, at Rachel’s by 3:30, and we were on the road by 4:30. We ate dinner at a place called Qdoba, a chain but one we do not have in Spartanburg. There is one in Irmo. It was very good with generous portions. Dixie and Gregory traveled very well today. The group picture was taken by Phillip just before we left. He is unable to make the trip due to work obligations. The river picture is the Mississippi. (It was too dark to take a good picture of the Great Smoky Mountains.) The last picture is while we ate lunch at the rest stop. Well that is all for now. I hope everyone had a great Memorial Day. A special Thank You to the vets. I’ve always thought of our military as a small reflection of our Lord Jesus. They lay it all on the line for others. Jesus gave his life for others. A big difference is that the soldier is fighting for temporal blessings while Jesus fought for eternal blessings, specifically salvation. Still, there is a parallel we often do not appreciate.
As Circuit Counselor of Circuit 18, one of my responsibilities is to assist congregations when their pastor either takes a call to another congregation or retires. Prior to my becoming the Circuit Counselor the pastor of Grace Lutheran, Summerville, SC, took a call to Florida. Rev. Clifford Gade, our former Circuit Counselor, worked with the congregation and one of the very last things he did was assist Grace in issuing a call to Pastor Willsea. Pastor Willsea accepted this call and will be installed at the pastor of Grace Lutheran Tuesday, June 1, at 7:00 PM.
The actual installation would normally be done by either our District President, the Rev. Dr. Jon Diefenthaler, or by me as his representative. Rev. Diefenthaler cannot attend due to prior obligations and I will be on a vacation which was planned long before I became the Circuit Counselor. To enable the installation to proceed, Dr. Diefenthaler has authorized Rev. John Kassouf to do the installation. (Just in case you were wondering, no, it is not a requirement that pastors be named “John” in the LC-MS.) Grace Lutheran Church is located at 1600 Old Trolley Road, Summerville, SC, 29483. The time of 7:00 PM was chosen to allow as many people and pastors as possible in our far-flung circuit to participate. It is always a special event in the life of a congregation when a new pastor arrives. God willing, we will have a good turnout.
For more information you can contact Grace Lutheran at 843-871-5444. Their e-mail address is: GRACE-LCMS.NET. Rev. Timothy Sandeno (843-225-0068) has been a tremendous amount of assistants in coordinating the service with Grace and Pastor Willsea.
This coming Sunday is the Festival of the Holy Trinity. The first Sunday after Pentecost was established for this festival by Pope John XXII in 1334. While considered a major festival in the Western Church, the Eastern Church never did establish a specific day to commemorate this vital doctrine. This probably had more to do with the “Great Schism” between East and West than anything else. (The “Great Schism” refers to the breaking of fellowship between the Eastern, Greek-speaking, and the Western, Latin-speaking, church. It is often dated to 1054, though the dance of reconciliation and estrangement continued for many, many years, making other dates possible). One of the issues leading to the “Great Schism” was Rome’s claim to be the supreme head of the Church. Certainly one way to assert that Rome was not the supreme head of the Church would be to not celebrate a holiday Rome established.
Lutheranism, as an heir of the Western Tradition, celebrates Trinity Sunday. We will do so at Lamb of God (LC-MS) with the Lord’s Supper and a special liturgy. Part of the special liturgy will be the use of the Athanasian Creed. This creed is still, in my opinion, the best “short” explanation of the Trinity. This creed is long enough that, many centuries ago, it was divided into verses. We will confess it responsively, verse by verse.
With the special liturgy and the celebration of the Lord’s Supper, there will be a lot of singing Sunday. The tunes of the hymns are all well know at Lamb of God except “Oh, Love, How Deep.” This hymn is the hymn we are learning. The hymns are: “Holy, Holy, Holy,” (LSB 507), “Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise” (LSB 802), “Oh, Love, How Deep” (LSB 544), “Holy Spirit, Ever Dwelling” (LSB 650), “Holy God, We Praise Thy Name” (LSB 940), “Glory Be to God the Father” (LSB 506), “All Glory Be to God on High” LSB 947), “O Blessed, Holy Trinity” (LSB 876), “The Lord, My God, Be Praised” (LSB 794), and “Almighty Father, Bless the Word” (LSB 923).
The appointed lessons for Trinity Sunday are Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31; Acts 2:14a, 22-36, and John 8:48-59. The sermon is titled “Great is the Mystery of God.” The text for the sermon is John 8:54.
Our opening hymn is “Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty.” This great Trinity hymn was written by Reginald Heber and first publsihed in 1856. It is a paraphrase of Revelation 4:8-11, “And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within; and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was and is and is to come. And when those beasts give glory and honor and thanks to Him that sat on the throne, who liveth forever and ever, the four and twenty elders fall down before Him that sat on the throne and worship Him that liveth forever and ever and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created.” The tune was written specifically for this hymn by John Dykes and named “Nicaea” because at the Council of Nicaea (325 AD) the doctrine of the Trinity was definitely established as the teaching of the Church. The following video is of an organist playing the tune. You can hear the melody line of most of the other hymns at Better Noise. The link is on the right-hand side of this page.
Acts 2: 14a, 22-36: This is another portion of Peter’s Pentecost Day sermon. By looking at the sermons in Acts we can see how the Word of God was presented in the Apostolic Church. In this section we not only notice the central place of the death and resurrection of Jesus, but also the Trinitarian nature of the Church’s message. “This Jesus [the Son] God [the Father] raised up …and [Jesus] having received from [God] the Father the promise of [God] the Holy Spirit, he [God the Son] poured out this that you yourself are seeing and hearing.” Central to the Christian Faith and salvation is belief in the atoning work of Jesus as the incarnate Second Person of the Trinity.
John 8:48-59: In this reading, Jesus is being accosted by the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem. They accuse him of being a “Samaritan” and being demon possessed. The Samaritans were the lowest of the lows as far as these leaders were concerned. Any sort of racial slur might come close to capturing the ugliness of this word. It is always helpful to remember when you are reading John’s Gospel that he reserves the phrase “the Jews” for the Jewish leadership. While the followers of Jesus were Jewish, John never calls them “the Jews.” As this reading forms the foundation for Sunday’s sermon, I will say no more.
Sunday’s Collect
Almighty and everlasting God, You have given us grace to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity by the confession of a true faith and to worship the Unity in the power of the Divine Majesty. Keep us steadfast in this faith and defend us from all adversities; for You, O Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, live and reign, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Gradual
Instead of the appointed Gradual we will pray a short Collect and sing “Oh, Love, How Deep” (LSB 544)
Verse
Instead of the appointed Verse we will pray a short Collect and sing “Holy Spirit, Ever Dwelling” (LSB 650)
Blessed be the Holy Trinity and the undivided Unity. Let us give glory to him because he has shown his mercy to us. I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure. For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption. You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. 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. Blessed be the Holy Trinity and the undivided Unity. Let us give glory to him because he has shown his mercy to us.
Adult Bible Study
We continue, in our adult Bible class, our series titled Puzzlers and Questions About the Bible. Every week we deal with a question submitted by someone. There are a number of questions that have been submitted that, no matter how hard I might try, simply will not take up an hour long Bible Study so I’m grouping them together and calling the studies “Shotgun.” Last week we began “Shotgun II,” which has four questions (1. Were the dinosaurs ever on the earth at the same time as human beings? 2. Can a person have more than one soul? (For example, a person who is a schizophrenic) 3. Who are the “sons of God” who mated with the “daughters of men” in Genesis 6? 4. Can a person be a Christian and an evolutionist?) As it turned out, we were able to cover only the first two questions, so this coming Sunday we will finish the last two questions in Shotgun II. Join us Sunday morning at 9:00 AM as we dig deeper into the Word of God.
As regular readers of this blog know, Rev. Ted Crandall is the Associate Minister of Lamb of God Lutheran, deployed to Beaufort, SC. He is being used by the Lord to start a new Lutheran Church in that community. Up until yesterday, this group of Christian believers was known simply as the “Beaufort Mission.” Yesterday, Pentecost Sunday, they selected a new name. They are now called “Faith Evangelical Lutheran Church.” There self-chosen self-description is “Preaching a Changeless Christ for a Changing World.”
Faith Evangelical Lutheran Church is a Christian Mission of the LCMS in Beaufort, SC. Worshiping at 1013 Charles Street, Beaufort. Bible classes for all ages are on Sunday, 9:15 AM. Sunday Worship is at 10:30 AM. Tuesday Evening Devotions are held each week at St. Helena House in Port Royal at 7:00 PM.
At Lamb of God Lutheran (LC-MS), we use The Lutheran Service Book (LSB), published in 2006. Before we switched to this hymnal, a worship committee thoroughly reviewed LSB. Part of that review was singing through the entire hymnal. In the process of singing through the hymns, the committee selected quite a few hymns which were unknown at Lamb of God but well worth learning. We started an intentional effort to learn these hymns last year. One of the hymns is selected and we sing it each Sunday for a month. This coming Sunday, Trinity Sunday, we will begin learning “O Love, How Deep” (LSB 544). “O Love, How Deep” was written by the monk Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471). He is most famous today for his devotional book, The Imitation of Christ. The lyrics of “O Love, How Deep” were translated by Benjamin Webb with a “Long Meter” pattern. “Long Meter” refers to how many beats there are in each line of the hymn. Long Meter has eight beats in each of four lines and is VERY popular. No less than seventy hymns in LSB are Long Meter. That means that the music for any of these hymns is interchangeable. An index of the tunes, listed according to their meter, can be found in LSB beginning on page 1007. Sometimes I might want to use a hymn with a tune that is unknown to the congregation and so I go to this index and pick a tune the congregation does know. Sometimes it is just fun to sing a familiar hymn with a different tune. Perhaps the most famous Long Meter melody is the common Doxology, “Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow” (LSB 805).
The name of the tune used in LSB for “O Love, How Deep” is “Deo Gracias.” One other hymn in LSB uses the same tune, the Transfiguration hymn “O Wondrous Type! O Vision Fair” (LSB 413). In essence, then, we will be learning the tune for two hymns. You can hear the tune on Better Noise. The link is on the right-hand side-bar of this blog. Or you could just sing “O Love, How Deep” with the tune you know for “Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow.”
O Love, How Deep
O love, how deep, how broad, how high, Beyond all thought and fantasy, That God, the Son of God, should take Our mortal form for mortals’ sake!
He sent no angel to our race, Of higher or of lower place, But wore the robe of human frame, And to this world Himself He came.
For us baptized, for us He bore His holy fast and hungered sore; For us temptation sharp He knew; For us the tempter overthrew.
For us He prayed; for us He taught; For us His daily works He wrought, By words and signs and actions thus Still seeking not Himself but us.
For us by wickedness betrayed, For us, in crown of thorns arrayed, He bore the shameful cross and death; For us He gave His dying breath.
For us He rose from death again; For us He went on high to reign; For us He sent His Spirit here To guide, to strengthen, and to cheer.
All glory to our Lord and God For love so deep, so high, so broad; The Trinity whom we adore Forever and forevermore.
This past Tuesday our Cub Scout Pack 1031 had their “Blue & Gold” ceremony. This is the culmination of the year, when the boys receive awards and move up to the next level in Cub Scouting. Our boys performed a puppet skit, completing their “showman” achievement as part of the evening’s proceedings. We also had a great potluck dinner. The following pictures were taken during the evening. I hope you enjoy them.
This coming Sunday is Pentecost. This is one of the major festivals of the Church Year. To recognize this Lamb of God (LC-MS) will have a special liturgy. We will also be celebrating the Lord’s Supper. (You may prepare for the Sacrament by reading the “Christian Questions with their Answers” out of Luther’s Small Catechism.) Our “Call to Worship” is taken from a 7th Century Latin Prayer. The Introit will be chanted responsively. Other familiar parts of the liturgy will be replaced with appropriate hymns. The Choir will sing. The sanctuary will be dressed in red. Following the worship service we will have a cook-out. All in all, it should be a wonderful day. I hope we have a good turnout.
Our hymns will be: "Holy Spirit, Light Devine" (LSB 496), "Come, Holy Ghost, God and Lord" (LSB 497), “Create in Me” (LSB 956), “Holy, Holy, Holy” (LSB 507, vs 1-2), Lamb of God, Pure and Holy” (LSB 434), "Up through Endless Ranks of Angels" (LSB 491), "Draw Near and Take the Body of the Lord" (LSB 637), "Creator Spirit, by Whose Aid" (LSB 500), and "Go, My Children, with My Blessing" (LSB 922). The appointed scripture lessons are: Genesis 11:1-11, Acts 2:1-21, and John 14:23-31. The sermon is titled “Welcome to the Last Days.” The text is Acts 2:11.
The following video is of the hymn “Draw Near and Take the Body of the Lord.” It was written in the 7th Century and is from Irish origins, though noone knows who wrote it. As we sing these words, we join with Christians over the last 1300 years in proclaiming the same faith in the same God and the same sacrament. You can hear the melody line of most of the other hymns at Better Noise. The link is on the right-hand side of this page.
Preview of the Lessons
Genesis 11:1-9: This is the traditional Pentecost Day Old Testament reading. It is about the Tower of Babel. In their pride humanity decided to build a tower that reached up to heaven. Once again humanity fell victim to the temptation of thinking they could be like God, be God’s equal. This was also in defiance to God’s direction that humanity should spread out over the entire globe, as their stated purpose was to prevent humanity from being dispersed over the face of the whole earth. God “comes down” from heaven (maybe a little biblical humor) and confuses the languages. This reading is selected for Pentecost because in the miracle of Pentecost Babel is reversed. The Apostles begin to speak in all kinds of foreign languages. The confusion caused by sin at Babel is reversed by the Gospel. We are again “one people” in the Church, the Body of Christ.
Acts 2:1-21: This is part of the story of the first Pentecost, also called the “birthday of the Church.” It includes the initial miracle and a portion of Peter’s sermon. It is clear in this reading that the “tongues” given by the Holy Spirit are other human languages, and that the purpose of this gift is for the spread of the Gospel of salvation by grace through faith in Christ. As this lesson forms the basis of Sunday’s sermon, I’ll not say any more.
John 14:23-31: Most of this reading is Jesus teaching about the Holy Spirit. Verses 23-24 teach that loving Jesus means keeping his word. When you keep his word, you are keeping the Father’s word, for they are one and the same. In verses 25-26 Jesus promises to send the Holy Spirit. Here we see that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son. The Holy Spirit, working through the Word just spoke of by Jesus, teaches us “all things.” Jesus then promises peace. Not peace as the world knows it, but the peace which passes all human understanding. It is the peace between God and man, established by Jesus when he carried the penalty for our sins on the cross. Jesus ends with a passion prediction. He will not seek to avoid his arrest and crucifixion, but will do as the Father wills. This is evidence that Jesus loves the Father. This is the final message of Jesus’ before they leave the upper-room and go to the Garden of Gethsemane.
Sunday’s Collect
O God, on this day You once taught the hearts of Your faithful people by sending them the light of Your Holy Spirit. Grant us in our day by the same Spirit to have a right understanding in all things and evermore to rejoice in His holy consolation; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Gradual (Acts 2:17b; Romans 10:10)
I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy. With the heart obne believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.
Verse (Liturgical Text)
Alleluia. Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of the faithful, and kindle in them the fire of your love. Alleluia.
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of the faithful, and kindle in them the fire of your love, Alleluia. O LORD, how manifold are your works! In wisdom have you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. These all look to you, to give them their food in due season. When you give it to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are filled with good things. When you send forth your Spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the ground. 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. Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of the faithful, and kindle in them the fire of your love, Alleluia.
Adult Bible Study
We continue, in our adult Bible class, our series titled Puzzlers and Questions About the Bible. Every week we deal with a question submitted by someone. There are a number of questions that have been submitted that, no matter how hard I might try, simply will not take up an hour long Bible Study. For this coming week I’ve grouped four such questions together. There is no unifying theme, so I’ve continued the title “Shotgun” calling this one “Shotgun II.” I could have called it “Shotgun, the Sequel.” The four questions are:
1. Were the dinosaurs ever on the earth at the same time as human beings?
2. Can a person have more than one soul? (For example, a person who is a schizophrenic)
3. Who are the “sons of God” who mated with the “daughters of men” in Genesis 6?
4. Can a person be a Christian and an evolutionist?
These four questions may take us more than one hour. If so, I’ll just pick another short answer question to fill in the hour next week. Join us Sunday morning at 9:00 as we dig deeper into the Word of God.
Holy Spirit, light divine, Shine upon this heart of mine; Chase the shades of night away, Turn the darkness into day. Let me see my Savior's face, Let me all His beauties trace; Show those glorious truths to me Which are only known to Thee.
Holy Spirit, pow'r divine, Cleanse this guilty heart of mine; In Thy mercy pity me, From sin's bondage set me free.
Holy Spirit joy divine, Cheer this saddened heart of mine; Yield a sacred, settled peace, Let it grow and still increase.
Holy Spirit, all divine, Dwell within this heart of mine; Cast down ev'ry idol throne, Reign supreme, and reign alone.
By Andrew Reed, 1787-1862 Lutheran Service Book, # 496
Friday after Easter 6 and Ascension Day May 14, 2010
The Lord be with you
Yesterday was Ascension Day. This is a high festival day often overlooked by the modern church and unknown by the unchurched. It occurs 40 days after Easter Sunday and so is always on a Thursday. Lamb of God, Abiding Savior, and Good Shepherd, participated in a joint service yesterday which drew about 50 people. Those who did not attend missed a wonderful opportunity to worship the Lord.
I do not remember ever going to an Ascension Day service as I grew up. Perhaps we had one, but I don’t remember. If Pastor Koenig wanted to do something about Ascension, he would move it to Easter 7 (I seem to recall him doing that). However the recognition of the Ascension of Our Lord and its importance seems to be on the rise. I know of at least two other LC-MS churches in our general area that had Ascension Day services.
“Ascension Day is the coronation celebration of our Lord as He is proclaimed to be King of the universe. Jesus’ ascension to the Father is His entrance to the greater existence beyond the confines of time and space, being no longer [self-]bound by the limitations of His state of humiliation [the time from His conception to His burial]. Jesus now sits at the right hand of God, which Luther correctly taught is everywhere, having again taken up the power and authority that were His since before time. Yet our Lord is present with us who remain bound by time and space. He is with us as true God and true man, exercising His rulership in the Church through the means of grace which He established: His Word and His Sacraments. We mortals, in those means of grace, can grasp the King of the universe and receive a foretaste of the feast to come.” (Treasury of Daily Prayer, CPH, 301)
There is really quite a bit about the Ascension of Jesus in both the Old and New Testaments. One key message from Ascension is that Jesus has more than enough power and authority to keep all his promises. As King of kings and Lord of lords, what he says goes. Behind such promises like “baptism now saves you” (1 Peter 3:21), “whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the Last Day” (John 6:54), etc., stands the Ascended Lord. He is more than capable of keeping his promises.
This coming Sunday is the Seventh Sunday (and last) of Easter. The appointed lessons are Acts 1:12-26, Revelation 22:1-6, 12-20, and John 17:20-26. The appointed Psalm is 133. The Antiphon is verse 1. We will be using the service of Matins for our liturgy (page 219). The opening hymn is “Up through Endless Ranks of Angels” (LSB 491). The Sermon hymn is “Lord, ‘Tis Not That I Did Choose Thee” (LSB 573). The Closing hymn is “Now All the Vault of Heaven Resounds” (LSB 465). The sermon is based on the Gospel lesson and is titled “How to Live in the Love of God,” The text is John 17:26. The video that follows is from an Easter service at a large Lutheran Church. It is the first verse of “Now All the Vault of Heaven Resounds.” The melody for “Lord, ‘Tis Not That I Did Choose Thee” can be heard on Better Noise (see link on the right-hand side-bar).
DON’T FORGET that tomorrow (Thursday) is Transfiguration Day. We will be celebrating with Good Shepherd, Greenville, and Abiding Savior, Anderson, in a joint worship service. The service is at Good Shepherd (1601 North Pleasantburg Dr, 29615). There is a light sandwich supper at 6:00 PM. The worship service begins at 7:00 PM. I will be delivering the sermon, titled “What Does This Mean?” The appointed lessons are Acts 1:1-11; Ephesians 1:15-23, and Luke 24:44-53. The sermon is based on the Ephesians lesson. I would encourage you to attend no matter what, but now as the Circuit Counselor, I can encourage you to attend in the name of our District President. (The picture is one of the art pieces in Benedictine Abbey of Santa Maria Assunta.)
Preview of the Lessons
Acts 1:12-26: The events recorded here occurred just after the Ascension of Jesus and before Pentecost Day. The disciples (which numbered around 120, v. 15), after witnessing the Ascension, returned to Jerusalem. They devoted themselves to prayer. Peter takes the lead and, quoting Scripture, tells the others that Judas needs to be replaced. Two men met the qualification (being a witness to all events from Jesus’ baptism to his Ascension). The word “Apostle” means “sent one.” They were sent to be witness of what they had seen and heard, which is why only two qualified men were found, and Matthias was chosen. He was, no doubt, one of the 72 sent out by Jesus to prepare towns for his arrival and proclaim the Kingdom of God (Luke 10:1-20). The word “apostle” is used in two senses in the New Testament. The first sense is as found in this reading. Short of a divine appearance of Jesus (like St. Paul had) such Apostles are no longer among us. In the second sense, any “sent one” can be called an apostle (Acts 14:14). The “apostles” in this second sense, do not have the authority of the Twelve. There authority lies in the Word, which is how it is with all ministers of the Word. This lesson has some impact on women seeking to fill the pastoral office. Among those listed as disciples we find Mary, the mother of Jesus. Certainly she could (and did) witness to the events in the life of her son. Yet she is not put forward as a candidate. It is also worth noting that verse 14 mentions the brothers of Jesus (who by now were believers).
Revelation 22:1-6, 12-20: This reading is from the last chapter in the Bible. Verses 1-5 continues the spectacular description of heaven which we heard part explained in last week’s sermon. Verse 6 is an affidavit concerning the trustworthiness of what has been recorded. Verses 12 and 13 remind us that Christ will return to judge the living and the dead. Verses 14 and 15 remind us that those who have received the redemption earned by Christ will enter heaven, but those who reject God’s grace will not. Verse 16 is another affidavit that this book is from Christ. Verse 17 is an open invitation for all to come and receive God’s gifts. Verses 18 and 19 are a warning to not tamper with God’s Word, but to proclaim it complete, not adding or subtracting from it. Verse 20 is both a promise that Christ will return “soon” and a prayer that he returns. “I am coming soon” does not set any timetable up. To put the thought a different way, he is coming without delay. Once everything necessary is accomplished (primarily the reception of salvation by all that will become Christians) he will return. I’m not sure why, but the lectionary does not include the final verse of Revelation. It is a benediction: “The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.”
John 17:20-26: We return again to the Upper Room on the night Jesus was betrayed. Jesus is praying for the Church throughout the ages, which includes all believers alive today. As the content of this prayer is the foundation for Sunday’s sermon, I’ll not comment on it here.
Sunday’s Collect
O King of glory, Lord of hosts, uplifted in triumph far above all heavens, leave us not without consolation but send us the Spirit of truth whom You promised from the Father; for You live and reign with Him and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Gradual (adapted from Matt 28:7; Heb 2:7; Ps 8:6)
Christ has risen from the dead. God the Father has crowned him with glory and honor, He has given him dominion over the works of his hands; He has put all things under his feet.
Verse (Romans 6:9; John 14:18)
Alleluia. We know that Christ being raised from the dead will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. Alleluia. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Alleluia.
Introit (Psalm 133, Antiphon v. 1)
Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! It is like the precious oil on the head, running down on the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes! It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion! For there the LORD has commanded the blessing, life forevermore. 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. Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!
Adult Bible Study
We continue, in our adult Bible class, our series titled Puzzlers and Questions About the Bible. Every week we deal with a question submitted by someone. There are a number of questions that have been submitted that, no matter how hard I might try, simply will not take up an hour long Bible Study. For this coming week I’ve grouped four such questions together. There is no unifying theme, so I’ve titled the study “Shotgun.” The four questions are:
1. It seems that all our translations for the phrase “menstrual rags” get sanitized to “filthy rags.” This makes me think there are other scriptures that have been “cleaned up,” and thus we don’t’ get the true words. Am I right?
2. Ruth 3:3-14 – Is “uncovering his feet” a euphemism for Ruth and Boaz having had sex?
3. Esther 2:14 – Was Esther part of the king’s harem and did she have sex with him?
4. Where did Cain get his wife?
Join us Sunday morning at 9:00 AM as we dig deeper into the Word of God.
Anyone who is a member of the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod, knows that this coming Summer the LCMS will be meeting in convention. You are probably also aware that this will be a pivotal convention, as many resolutions will be presented concerning restructuring the LCMS. If you are a delegate, I do not ask you to vote for this resolution or against that resolution; I do not ask you to vote for this or that candidate. In like manner, if you are a non-candidate, I am not asking you to pray for the election of this or that candidate, or for the passage of this or that resolution. (Well, I would like to see pass the resolution asking for the members of Synod to pray for the end of the salve trade in the world.) However I do ask everyone to pray that God’s will be done. You don’t even need to be a member of the LCMS to pray this prayer. I truly feel that this convention needs to be surrounded by prayer. I am not the only one.
This year there will be a twenty-four hour a day, seven days a week, Prayer Vigil going on during the Convention for the Convention. You can sign-up for a specific time and participate. Simply click on this link, and you will be taken to the page on the Synod’s webpage where you can sign-up.
Every Christian I’ve ever met says they believe in prayer. Here is a special opportunity to put that belief into practice.
"But if one were to preach faith, and not grace, then people resort to their own works, and eventually they despair." (Martin Luther, Ascension Day sermon given in 1534)
"This life, therefore, is not righteousness but growth in righteousness; not health but healing, not being but becoming, not rest but exercise, We are not yet what we shall be but we are growing toward it, the process is not yet finished but is going on, this is not the end but it is the road. All does not yet gleam in glory but all is being purified."
Commemoration of C.F.W. Walther, Theologian May 7, 2010
The Lord be with you Carl Ferdinand Wilhelm Walther (1811-87), the father of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod, emigrated from Saxony, Germany, with other Lutherans in 1839 and settled in Missouri. He served as pastor of several congregations in St. Louis, founded Concordia Seminary, and in 1847 was instrumental in the formation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod (the called the Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Missouri, Ohio, and Other States). Walther served as the Synod’s first president from 1847 to 1850 and again from 1864 to 1878. Walther worked tirelessly to promote confessional Lutheran teaching and doctrinal agreement among all Lutherans in the United States. He was a prolific writer and speaker, and among his most influential works are Church and Ministry and The Proper Distinction Between Law and Gospel. (Treasure of Daily Prayer, CPH, 1295)
Commemoration of C.F.W. Walther, Theologian May 7, 2010
The Lord be with you
As the new Circuit Counselor for Circuit 18 of the Southeastern District, information comes to me that is of a nature that it could be of interest to anyone in our circuit. I will be using this blog to post some of that information. This is such a post.
The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod’s 64th Regular Convention will be held at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, TS, July 10-17, 2010. A series of pre-convention meetings will be held at seven (7) locations throughout the Southeastern District from June 6-16. President Jon Diefenthaler is asking not only the convention delegates, but also other congregational leaders to attend a meeting in order to look together at the future direction of the church, both in our district and in Synod.
President Diefenthaler will share the issues he sees developing for our Synodical convention and give you opportunity to express your opinions and concerns.
For more information on the Convention, visit the LCMS Web Page at www.lcms.org.
Sunday, June 6, 2010 – 3:00 PM St. Paul Lutheran Church 31 Roscoe Rowe Blve Annapolis, MD 21401 http://www.stpaullutheranchurchannapolis.org/ 410-368-2400
Monday, June 7, 2010 – 7:30 PM Holy Nativity Lutheran Church 1200 Linden Ave Baltimore, MD 21227 http://www.holy-nativity.com 410-242-9441
Tuesday, June 8, 2010, 7:30 PM Prince of Peace Lutheran Church 8304 Old Keene Mill Rd Springfield, VA 22152 http://www.poplc.org 703-451-5855
Wednesday, June 9, 2010 – 7:30 PM Trinity Lutheran Church 2315 Parham Rd Richmond, VA 23229 http://trinityrichmond.net 804-270-4626
Monday, June 14, 2010 – 7:00 PM Resurrection Lutheran Church 100 W. Lochmere Dr. Cary, NC 27518-91029 http://rlcary.org 919-851-7248
Tuesday, June 15, 2010 – 7:00 PM Prince of Peace Lutheran Church 3001 Beatties Ford Rd Charlotte, NC 28216 704-392-6098
Wednesday, June 16, 2010 – 3:00 PM The Lutheran Church of the Incarnate Word 1900 Second Loop Rd Florence, SC 29501-6123 http://incarnatewordlutheran.org/ 843-662-9639
Commemoration of Frederick the Wise, Christian Ruler May 5, 2010
The Lord be with you
As readers of this blog, and members of Lamb of God Lutheran, know, I was appointed as the assistant Circuit Counselor of Circuit 18, last year. Most circuits do not have an assistant Circuit Counselor, but our Circuit Counselor's (Rev. Clifford Gade) health was poor and it was hoped that, with my assistance, he would be able to complete his three year term. This has not been the case. Effective the end of April, Rev. Gade resigned his position due to his health. I have been filling in, and in that capacity, I am currently attending the Southeastern District’s Circuit Counselor’s meeting. At this meeting Rev Jon Diefenthaler, our District President, appointed me to the office to fill out Rev. Gade’s term. He did this after consulting with the pastors and churches of Circuit 18.
This is both an honor and a great responsibility. By God’s grace, I hope to fill the position in an evangelical fashion. Back on October 30, 2009 I posted an article titled “An History and theology of the Circuit Counselor.” You may wish to read it to find out a little more about this office.
Commemoration of Frederick the Wise, Christian Ruler May 5, 2010
The Lord be with you
Frederick the Wise, elector of Saxony from 1486 to 1525, was Martin Luther’s sovereign in the early years of the Reformation. Were it not for Frederick, there might not have been a Lutheran Reformation. Born in Torgau, Germany, in 1463, Frederick became so well known for his skill in political diplomacy and his sense of justice and fairness that he was called “the Wise” by his subjects. Although he never met Luther, Frederick repeatedly protected and provided for him. In all likelihood, he saved the reformer from a martyr’s fate when he refused the pope’s demand to extradite Luther to Rome for a heresy trial in 1518. When Emperor Charles V declared Luther an outlaw in 1521 at the Diet of Worms, Frederick provided sanctuary for Luther at Wartburg Castle. On his deathbed, Frederick received the Lord’s Supper in both kinds—a clear confession of the evangelical faith.
Because Frederick never met Luther, and because he was so good at political maneuvering, some might think that Frederick’s protection of Luther was just another political maneuver. Nothing could be further from the truth. What follows is a handwritten letter from Frederick the Wise to his brother, Duke John, dated August 25, 1520. In it you will see that Frederick was “wise,” not only politically but also in reference to trusting in Christ.
High-born Prince, kind, dear brother and kinsman. Herewith I send you a book written by Dr. Martin Luther, in which you will find many wonderful things. God Almighty grant that it turn out well, for truly things are coming to light which many people conceal; may God Almighty vouchsafe to us poor sinners that we be improved and not made worse thereby. I would not keep this from you, since you asked me to send you whatever Dr. Luther writes, and I am always willing to serve you. I am glad the books I sent pleased you and my [nephew]. Please tell the dear boy [Johann Frederick] that I am informed that the cardinals and Romanists with their followers are taking counsel against Dr. Luther to put him under the ban of the empire and persecute him to the uttermost. But there are many other people who wish him well. God grant graciously that it bed for our good.
(Treasury of Daily Prayer, CPH, page 1294, slightly altered)
Commemoration of Friedrich Wyneken, Pastor and Missionary May 4, 2010
The Lord be with you
Friedrich Conrad Dietrich Wyneken (May 13, 1810 – May 4, 1876) is one of the founding fathers of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, along with C. F. W. Walther and Wilhelm Sihler. Born in Germany, Wyneken came to Baltimore, Maryland, in 1838 and shortly thereafter accepted a call to be the pastor of congregations in Friedheim and Fort Wayne, Indiana. Supported by Wilhelm Loehe’s mission society, Wyneken served as an itinerant missionary in Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan, particularly among Native Americans. Together with Loehe and Sihler, he founded Concordia Theological Seminary in 1846 in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Wyneken later served as the second president of the LCMS during a period of significant growth (1850-64). In 1841 he published “The Distress of the German Lutherans in North America,” which was read widely in German speaking lands in Europe and had a major influence in attracting Lutheran missionaries to America. Most of these men, with their congregations, later joined the LCMS. His leadership strongly influenced the confessional and evangelistic character of the LCMS and its commitment to an authentic Lutheran witness.
Commemoration of Friedrich Wyneken, Pastor and Misssionary May 4, 2010
The Lord be with you
This coming Sunday will be celebrated as the Sixth Sunday of Easter. It also happens to be the Commemoration of Job so some of the churches in the LC-MS will be celebrating that day. The appointed lessons are Acts 16:9-15, Revelation 21:9-14, 21-27, and John 16:23-33. We will be using the first setting of the morning service, which begins on page 151 of the hymnal, for our liturgy. This will be a communion service. You may prepare by reading the Christian Questions with their Answers in Luther’s Small Catechism, or by reading/singing some of the hymns out of the Communion section of the hymnal. The opening hymn Sunday will be “Up through Endless Ranks of Angels” (LSB 491). The Sermon hymn will be “I’m But a Stranger Here” (LSB 748). The Distribution hymns will be, “Eat This Bread” (LSB 638), “I Know That My Redeemer Lives” (LSB 461) and “Jerusalem the Golden” (LSB 672). The Closing hymn will be “Thine the Amen, Thine the Praise” (LSB 680). The sermon is based on the lesson from Revelation and is titled “Heaven is my Home” The text is Revelation 21:9.
The only hymn we will be singing Sunday that is not known by the congregation is “Up through Endless Ranks of Angels.” This hymn was marked as one worth learning by our hymnal review committee. We will use it for the next four weeks moving it from the unknown to the known list. “Up through Endless Ranks of Angels” was written by Jaroslav Vajda (1919-2008). He was an LCMS pastor and poet who wrote and translated hundreds of hymns and poems in his lifetime. In this hymn Vajda does a masterful job of demonstrating the significance of Jesus’ Ascension for our lives. For example, in the following stanza he describes the ongoing work of Jesus, our brother, who intercedes for us:
Death-destroying, life-restoring, Proven equal to our need, Now for us before the Father As our brother intercede; Flesh that for our world was wounded, Living, for the wounded plead!
In the final stanza, Vajda invites us to consider the joy that will be ours on that final day when Jesus returns. The expectation is heightened as each person of the Trinity is introduced.
Alleluia, alleluia! Oh, to breathe the Spirit's grace! Alleluia, alleluia! Oh, to see the Father's face! Alleluia, alleluia! Oh, to feel the Son's embrace!
“Up through Endless Ranks of Angels” first appeared in Lutheran Book of Worship and then Lutheran Worship. It has since spread to all the American Lutheran bodies I know of, and has jumped across Lutheran lines to hymnal from the Reformed, Episcopal, and other traditions. Our hymnal review committee has done Lamb of God a real favor by selecting this hymn as one worth learning. (Most of the information about “Up through Endless Ranks of Angels” is from an article titled “Why Learn New Hymns” by Rev. Dr. Paul Grime, and is posted in three parts on the LCMS website.)
You can hear the melody for “I’m But a Stranger Here,” “I Know That My Redeemer Lives,” and “Jerusalem the Golden” at Better Noise (see the link on the side bar). Due to copy write restrictions Better Noise does not have “Up through Endless Ranks of Angels,” “Eat This Bread,” and “Thine the Amen, Thine the Praise,” all newer hymns. Below is a video of “Eat This Bread.”
Preview of the Lessons
Acts 16:9-15: Verses nine and ten contain the famous “Macedonia Call” of Paul. In the night Paul had a vision of a man urging him and his companions to come to Macedonia. Such visions are not the normal way God works. We have no promise that God will grant us visions to direct us. We do have his promise that the Holy Spirit will work through the Word and Sacraments. However God is always able to do more than he promises, and he did so here. In verses 11 and 12 Luke describes the trip. Many have question the historicity of Luke and passages like this have been a bulwark for those defending Luke’s work. Non-biblical historical records have confirmed this as normal sailing trip during the first century AD. Paul and his company arrive in Thyatira, a city of Macedonia, and met Lydia. In her case we see the normal Means of Grace operating: “The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul. And … she was baptized, and her household as well” (14-15). By Word and Sacrament salvation came to Lydia and her household. In a day before modern birth-control, and when having children was considered a blessing from God, to imagine there were no small children or infants in Lydia’s household is quite a stretch. This passage, then, also lends support to baptizing infants and small children.
Revelation 21:9-14, 21-27: In spectacular language John describes our heavenly home. In Sunday’s sermon some of it will be unpacked.
John 16:23-33: The opening verses of this lesson are favorites for those in the “name it claim it” camp of thinking. Jesus says, in part, “whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you.” We covered this topic in last weeks adult Bible study. When considering prayer, we must take what the entire Bible teaches into consideration, not “cherry pick” our verses. Here we see the phrase “in my name.” This is not a magical formula. It means in harmony with the will of Christ. So passages like “And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us” (1 John 514) and “And behold, a leper came to him and knelt before him, saying, ‘Lord, if you will, you can make me clean’” (Matthew 8:2) help us understand this promise in a God-pleasing way. Jesus then turns the conversation towards his upcoming arrest, death, and resurrection (this conversation took place on Maundy Thursday in the Upper Room). This happens after the disciples begin to show signs of self-reliance. We are to depend on Christ, not ourselves. During the hours of Jesus passion the disciples abandoned their Lord. We, of course, were not there and so did not face the fears the disciples did. We might confidently feel we would have remained true. Jesus, though, warned us that “in the world you will have tribulation.” How often have we denied our Lord in word or deed, by action or inaction? “But take heart; I [Christ] have overcome the world” (33). When we sin, we can turn to Him who,on Good Friday, won the victory over the world, sin, death, and the power of the devil. We receive forgiveness and the grace to stand again for our Lord.
Sunday’s Collect
O God, the giver of all that is good, by Your holy inspiration grant that we may think those things that are right and by Your merciful guiding accomplish them; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Gradual (adapted from Matt 28:7; Heb 2:7; Ps 8:6)
Christ has risen from the dead. God the Father has crowned him with glory and honor, He has given him dominion over the works of his hands; He has put all things under his feet.
Verse (Romans 6:9; John 16:33b)
Alleluia. We know that Christ being raised from the dead will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. Alleluia. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world. Alleluia.
Cast your burden on the LORD, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved. My heart is in anguish within me; the terrors of death have fallen upon me. But I call to God, and the LORD will save me. Evening and morning and at noon I utter my complaint and moan, and he hears my voice. He redeems my soul in safety from the battle that I wage, for many are arrayed against me. 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. Cast your burden on the LORD, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.
Adult Bible Study
We continue, in our adult Bible class, our series titled "Puzzlers and Questions About the Bible." Every week we deal with a question submitted by someone. The question for this week is: “Lot was called righteous, yet he offered his virgin daughters to a mob of degenerates (Genesis 19:6). Why?” Join us Sunday morning at 9:00 AM as we dig deeper into the Word of God.
Yesterday was the commemoration of Athanasiaus of Alexandria, Pastor and Confessor on the calendar used in the LC-MS. I didn’t get to posting anything about it yesterday, so I thought I’d put something up today. Athanasius was born in Alexandria in Egypt around AD 295. He served as a church leader in a time of great controversy and ecclesiastical disagreement. At the Council of Nicaea in AD 325, Athanasius defended Christian orthodoxy against the proponents of the Arian heresy, which denied the full divinity of Jesus Christ. During his forty-five-year tenure as bishop of Alexandria, Athanasius wrote numerous works that defended the orthodox teaching. His enemies had him exiled five times; on two occasions he was almost murdered. Yet Athanasius remained steadfast and ended his days restored fully to his ecclesiastical responsibilities. The Athanasian Creed, though not composed by Athanasius, is named in his honor because it confesses the doctrinal orthodoxy he championed throughout his life. (Treasury of Daily Prayer, CPH, page 1293)
The Festival of St. Philip and St. James, Apostles May 1, 2010
The Lord be with you
I am reading the book Justification and Rome, An Evaluation of Recent Dialogues, by Robert D. Preus (Concordia Academic Press). Speaking on the topic of the centrality of the doctrine of Justification in Christian and Lutheran theology, Preus provided the following quote from Luther to demonstrate the centrality of Justification in Luther’s thought.
The other articles are rather far from us and do not enter into our experience; nor do they touch us. … But the article on the forgiveness of sins comes into continual experience with us, and in daily use. And it touches you and me without ceasing. Of the other articles we speak as of something strange to us (e.g., creation, Jesus as the Son of God). What is it to me that God created heaven and earth if I do not believe in the forgiveness of sins? … It is because of this article that all other articles touch us.
The Festival of St. Philip and St. James, Apostles May 1, 2010
The Lord be with you
St. Philip is mentioned in the lists of the apostles (Matthew 10:3; Mark 3:18; Luke 6:14; Acts 1:13), but only in John’s Gospel is more told about him. Philip was form Bethsaida in Galilee and one of the first disciples called after Peter and Andrew. Philip also was instrumental in bringing Nathanael to Jesus (John 1:43-51). It was to Philip that Jesus posed the question about where to buy bread to feed five thousand men (John 6:5). During Holy Week, Philip with Andrew brought some inquiring Greeks to Jesus (John 12:20-22). And on Maundy Thursday evening, Philip asked Jesus to show the Father to him and to the rest of the disciples (John 14:8). According to Tradition, Philip went to labor in Phrygia and was buried there.
St. James was a son of Alphaeus and was also called “the Younger” (to distinguish him from James, the son of Zebedee, “the Elder,” whose festival day is July 25). His mother, Mary, was one of the faithful women who stood at the cross of Jesus (Matthew 27:56; Mark 15:40). James is mentioned in the same apostolic lists as Philip, but there is no other mention of him in the New Testament. There is also no information regarding his field of labor or the circumstances of his death, except that he may have been martyred by being sawed in two.
