Today we celebrate as the visitation of Mary. This
commemorates when Mary, the mother of our Lord, visited Elizabeth, the mother
of John the Baptist, when they were both pregnant (Luke 1:39-45). The Visitation is basically a festival of
Christ. John the Baptist and Jesus, the two great figures of salvation history,
come together for the first time when Mary visits Elizabeth.
Many have noted the step-parallelism in the stories of the
two births (and the lives of the two men in general). Both women conceived
their children under miraculous circumstances, though the miracle in reference
to Mary was greater. Both John and Jesus had their birth announced by angels,
but the birth of John was met with disbelief while the birth of Jesus was met
with belief. Both children are vital in salvation history, but Jesus had the
key role while John announces it. Both die unjustly, but Jesus rose from the
dead on the third day while John waits for the Last Day.
Back to the
Visitation; John is brought into the presence of Jesus while they are still in
their mother’s wombs. This presence of the Lord causes a response by the child
John as he leaps in Elizabeth’s womb. John’s response to the presence of Jesus, the Messiah, foreshadows
John’s own role as forerunner. Already now, a new creation is beginning, and a
baby still in the womb hails the new creation’s inception. Foreshadowed in
John’s leap are the miracles of Jesus, who will cause all creation to leap at
His presence: “The blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are
cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news
preached to them” (Luke 7:22). The incarnate presence of the Messiah also
evokes a response from Elizabeth, who proclaims Mary’s blessedness. Mary’s
Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55)
provides the theological significance of the meeting as Mary sums up her place
in salvation history. Mary’s song is a hymn to God for His gracious gifts to
the least in this world, whom He has lifted up out of lowliness solely because
of His grace and mercy.
This feast is a
relative newcomer to the Church Year. It was first observed by the Franciscans
in the thirteenth century. Pope Urban IV added it to the Roman calendar in
1389. In 1441 the Council of Basel extended it to the whole WesternChurch. In spite of its late development, Lutherans
have tended to keep it because of its strong biblical roots. Back in the days
of The Lutheran Hymnal, it was
celebrated on June 2. However, the Roman Catholic Church moved their
celebration to May 31, so that the day would make better chronological sense by
coming before the birthday of John the Baptist, June 24. Most Lutherans saw the
sense of this and made the move also.
Some have used this
event to support the view that life begins at conception. While such a use of
the story is legitimate, that certainly isn’t the main focus. The main focus is
that God has taken on human flesh for “us men and for our salvation.”
Collect for the Day:
Almighty God, in
choosing the Virgin Mary to be the mother of Your Son, You made known Your
gracious regard for the poor, the lowly, and the despised, and You inspired her
to visit Elizabeth and assist her in her need; Grant us grace to receive Your
word in humility, and so to be made one with Your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen.
Appropriate prayers for the day include:
For the poor, the forgotten, the
despised
For grace to acknowledge Christ and to
perceive his coming
For hospitality to visitors and
travelers
For a deepening sense of Emmanuel, God
with us
For all pregnant women
For God’s blessing on homes and family
life
For the safety of all unborn children
For a proper regard by all Christians of
Mary, the mother of our Lord
This coming Sunday we celebrate the Festival of the Holy
Trinity. This festival is unique in the Church Year. All other commemoration,
feasts and festivals celebrate an even or person. This one recognizes the
unique nature of the true God and as such focuses us on a teaching or doctrine
of the Church. I plan post something about the Icon associated with this
teaching, based on the Old Testament story of the Lord visiting Abraham and
Sarah, Sunday.
We often have a special liturgy for Trinity Sunday. However,
the SED convention will be taking me out of town tomorrow and I will not be
back until late Saturday, therefore I do not have the time to craft such a
service. (This is also the reason this post is early.) Therefore, for our
liturgy, we will use the first setting of the Divine Service, which begins on
page 151 of the hymnal. This is a communion service. To prepare for receiving
the Lord’s Supper you may read Psalm 139, especially verses 1-16. As you read,
reflect on the work of the Holy Spirit. We will use the Athanasian Creed (page 319) instead of the Nicene Creed, as is customary
for this festival.
Our appointed lessons are Isaiah 6:1-8; Acts 2:14a, 22-36;
and John 3:1-17. The sermon is titled “Pathway to the Divine.” The text is John
3:11. Our hymns will be:
Opening:
“Holy, Holy, Holy,” LSB 507
Sermon: “O Sing to the Lord,” LSB 808
Distribution:
“Triune God, Be Thou Our Stay,” LSB
505
“Your
Table I Approach,” LSB 628
“Praise God, from Whom
All Blessings Flow,” LSB 805
Closing:
“Glory Be to God the Father,” LSB 506
In our prayers we will remember the Confessional Lutheran
Church of Chile (IELCHI) and their President, Rev. Egon Kopereck. We will
remember our missionary, Megan Birney. Megan serves in Hong Kong.
She desires that we pray that the Lord would pave the way and open hearts to
the ministries of LCMS World Mission, Church of All Nations, and The Lutheran
Church—Hong Kong Synod; that the Lord would grant her discernment and wisdom as
she serves in this leadership role; that God will continue to bless the
ministry in Hong Kong and that nothing would hinder the work of the Holy
Spirit. We will remember the persecuted believers in Malaysia.
We will also remember our sister SED congregations: Immanuel, Alexandria, VA;
St. John’s, Alexandria, VA;
St. Paul, Amelia, VA; Our Savior, Arlington, VA; Incarnate Word, Florence, SC. We
will give thanks for the Lord’s guidance of our Southeastern District
Convention (which begins tomorrow and ends Saturday) and ask God’s blessings our
recently elected officers (who have not been elected at the time this is being
written).. Naturally we will continue to remember those who have been misled by
our cultures acceptance of abortion and sexual immorality, asking God’s grace
for their lives that they may be healed and restored by the Holy Spirit. We
will also continue to remember those trapped in the modern practice of slavery
and ask God to bless all efforts to end this sinful practice that are pleasing
in his eyes.
Below is a video of the LutheranWarbler singing “Holy, Holy,
Holy,” our opening hymn.
Our adult Bible class
meets at 9:00 Sunday morning. This Sunday
we will finish Matthew 20 and begin chapter 21. As always, everyone is invited
to come.
Preview of the
Lessons
Isaiah 6:1-8: Isaiah 6:3, along with Matthew 21:9, form
the scriptural foundation for the Sanctus, used in many worship services. The
word sanctus is Latin for “holy.”
This is a vision of heaven and the call of Isaiah to be a prophet. Isaiah is
overwhelmed by the vision and cries “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man
of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my
eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!” The Lord has a comforting message,
atonement is made for Isaiah. The grace of the offer is breathtaking. After
Isaiah has been absolved, God asks for volunteers, and Isaiah says “Here am I,
send me, send me!” Thus it is for us as well. First God’s grace absolves us,
then we are fit to work in his kingdom.
Acts 2:14a, 22-36: This is a continuation of last weeks
reading and is a part of Peter’s Pentecost sermon. Here Peter makes it clear
that nothing that transpired in reference to the death and resurrection of
Jesus was a surprise to God. All went according to God’s plan and Jesus is not
exalted to “right hand” of the Father, being designated Lord and Christ. Much
comfort can be derived from this portion of Peter’s message. When things seem
out of control, remember God is in control. When sin strikes, remember Jesus is
your Lord and Christ. When things seem to make no sense, remember God is
working and it does make sense to him.
John 3:1-17: This is the famous passage where Nicodemus
visits Jesus one evening. Our Lord speaks one of the best known passages to
people who speak English (John 3:16).
Many sound sermons could be based on this reading: concerning the person and
work of the Holy Spirit; concerning baptism; concerning fallen human nature and
God’s grace; concerning the need for divine help for us to understand spiritual
things, concerning the sacrifice of Jesus, and what our sermon will focus on
Sunday (so I’m not going to tell you now), are just a few.
Tidbits
Paper
copies of our newsletter will be available Sunday.
Please keep the
Southeastern District, meeting in convention May 30-June 2, in your prayers.
Today is Pentecost, the fiftieth day after Easter. Below is
the Icon of the Descent of the Holy Spirit and an explanation drawn from For All the Saints.
Icon of the Descent of the Holy Spirit
The first representations of the icon of the Descent of the
Holy Spirit had Mary, the mother of God, in the center of the apostles as the
biblical record suggests (Acts 1:14).
However, with the gradual unfolding of the understanding of the significance of
Pentecost, Mary was removed from the icon for theological reasons, just as
Mary, not present at the Ascension according to the biblical record, was placed
in the center of the apostles in the icon of the Ascension. Theologically Mary
symbolizes the church as the bearer of Christ who received the promise of the
Holy Spirit. Here in the icon of the Descent of the Holy Spirit that promise is
fulfilled, and the emphasis is placed on the multiplicity of the church’s
members and their gifts united in one mission.
Looking at the icon one first notices a semi-circular bench
around which the twelve apostles sit in perfect harmony, reminding the viewer
of the icon of the Holy Trinity and the circle of love and oneness between the
Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Here that unity is found in the circle
(mandorla) at the top of the icon, symbolic of God the Father, with twelve rays
descending, symbolic of the Holy Spirit, toward the head of each apostle. The
rays then terminate in the tongues or flames of fire (which cannot be seen in
this icon) resting on each of them, reminding us of the words of John the
Baptist, “He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire” (Matthew 3:11). Below the circle is an empty,
unoccupied place at the head of the semi-circular bench between Peter on the
left and Paul on the right, the place occupied by the invisible head of the
church, Christ, who through the Holy Spirit, in the words of Luther, “calls,
gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian church on earth and
preserves it in unity with Jesus Christ in the one true faith.”
The icon appears at first to contradict the biblical record
in Acts 2:1-21, since the external account of what the uninitiated saw was
chaos—people were drunk with wine—but what is revealed in the icon is the inner
experience of peace and calm of people of all nations united in the Spirit. The
fathers of the church saw in the Pentecost event the restoration of what was
lost at the time of the building of the earthly tower at Babel where humankind
wanted to usurp the place of God and numerous languages were given so they
could no longer communicate with one another (Genesis 11:1 -9). At Pentecost
people of diverse languages were reunited in that all understood the promises
of God in their own languages and were drawn back into oneness.
The diversity of gifts that the Spirit gives to each while
uniting them is expressed in the individuality of each apostle. As they speak
with one another each one’s face looks in a slightly different direction and no
two of them have their hands or feet in the same position. Paul would later
say, “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; there are
varieties of service, but the same Lord; there are varieties of working, but it
is the same God who inspires them all in every one” (1 Corinthians 12:4-13).
The inverse perspective of the icon—the apostles grow larger in size as they
recede to the background, making them all appear the same—shows that they are
equal in honor and dignity.
Tradition says that, to fulfill the prophecy of Joel (2:28-29 and Acts 2:17-21), the Spirit descended not only on the twelve
apostles but on all who were “together in one place” (Acts 2:1), that is, on
the whole church. The icon also expresses this by showing apostles not
belonging to the twelve. We have already mentioned Paul who sits opposite
Peter, but others also appear who were not among the twelve such as Luke (third
from the top on the left) and Mark (third from the top on the right).
Collectively the twelve represent the fact that the work of the Holy Spirit is
ongoing, and embraces the whole church of which they are a part. The
evangelists each hold bibles in their hands and the rest hold scrolls, both
being symbols of the apostolic message.
As the upper part of the semi-circular bench of apostles was
opened to the heavens and the source of their unity in the Triune God, the
bottom part of the semicircular bench opens on the world. In the oldest icons
of the Descent of the Spirit the multitude mentioned as being baptized in Acts
2:41 were depicted by small figures in different costumes representing the
people of the world. These were later replaced with the figure of a prince or
king (as in this icon) whose name is “Cosmos,” a personification of the
universe in captivity to the prince of death. But Cosmos holds in his hands a
napkin or towel (expressive of reverence or respect) containing the twelve
scrolls of the apostles, symbolic of the apostolic proclamation of the church
and the promise of salvation to all who through the Spirit confess Jesus as
Lord.
[For All the Saints: A Prayer Book For and By the Church, volume IV
(The American Lutheran Publicity Bureau, Delhi, NY, 1996) 7-11]
The Commemoration of Bede the Venerable, Theologian
May 25, 2012
Today we remember
Bede the Venerable (973-733/5 ad). He was the last of the Early Church
Fathers and the first to compile the history of the English church. Born in Northumbria, Bede’s parents took him to a local monastery
in northern England at the age of seven for his education, and
he never left the monastic life. He became a deacon at age 19, which was quite
early. (The conical age was twenty-five.) He was ordained a priest when he was
thirty. He rarely left the monastery and devoted the rest of his life to
teaching and writing. He once wrote, “I have spent all my life in this
monastery, applying myself entirely to the study of the Scriptures; and, amid
the observance of the discipline of the Rule and the daily task of singing in
the church, it has always been my delight to learn or to teach or to write.”
Bede was, in fact, the
most learned man of his time. He was a prolific writer. He published 25
commentaries on books of the Bible (he felt these were his best works), and it
is said “his commentaries are still fresh today.” He also published works on
the history of the saints, grammar, metrics, and chronology (he introduced the
dating of years from the birth of Christ). Today he is probably known for his
works on history. His careful use of sources provided a model for historians in
the Middle Ages. His book The
Ecclesiastical History of the English People, is still the best source of
English history from 597 to 731, when the Anglo-Saxon culture developed and
Christianity triumphed.
He had just finished
a translation of the Gospel of John into Old English when he died. His most
famous disciple, Cuthbert, reported that died with the words of the Gloria
Patri on his lips. He received the title “Venerable” within two generations of
his death and is buried in Durham Cathedral as one of England’s greatest saints.
Collect for the Day
Heavenly Father, you
called your servant Bede, while still a child, to devote his life to your
service in the disciplines of religion and scholarship. Grant that as he
labored in the Spirit to bring the riches of your truth to his generations, so
we, in our various vocations, may strive to make you known in all the world.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy
Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Appropriate prayers include
For universities, colleges, and schools
For students and teachers
For biblical scholars and translators
For the teaching and learning of history
in general, and church history in particular
This coming Sunday we celebrate the Feast of Pentecost. This
is one of those festivals that was first celebrated by the Old Testament people
of God, but brought over into the worship life of the New Testament people of
God with a fuller understanding. There will be a special post concerning
Pentecost that I will put on this blog Sunday, so I will not go into a lot of
background today.
This weekend also happens to be when we, in the United
States, “observe” Memorial Day. I say
“observe” because Memorial Day is actually May 30. Monday, when we “observe”
the day, will be May 28. The day we observe Memorial Day was changed to the
last Monday in May in 1971 by congress with the passing of the National Holiday
Act. The purpose of this act was to create as many three-day weekends as
possible. Most of the holidays thus effected have gradually lost their
distinctiveness as people view them more and more as just long weekends.
In the U.S.,
Memorial Day began after our Civil War, and was a way to recognize the
sacrifice of all the war dead, North and South. After World War I, the day was
expanded to include all who have died in our nation’s wars. I have, for a long
time, thought that there is a wonderful parallel between those who have given
their lives for our freedom with our Lord, who gave his life that we might be
free from sin, death, and the power of the devil. Of course, it is not an exact
parallel, but it is a good one nonetheless.
For our liturgy Sunday we will use the first setting of the
Divine Service, which begins on page 151 of the hymnal. This is a communion
service. To prepare for receiving the Lord’s Supper you may read Psalm 139,
especially verses 1-16. As you read, reflect on the work of the Holy Spirit.
Our appointed lessons are Ezekiel 37:1-14; Acts 2:1-21; and John
15:26-27; 16:4b-15. Throughout the season of Easter, our Old Testament lesson
has been replaced by a reading from the book of Acts. As this Sunday marks the
beginning of a new season in the Church Year, we return to a reading from the
Old Testament for our first lesson. Our opening hymn will be “Come, Holy Ghost,
Creator Blest” (LSB 498). The sermon
hymn will be “The Lamb” (LSB 547).
Our closing hymn will be “Dear Christians, One and All, Rejoice” (LSB 556). This hymn has ten verses. We
will sing verses 1-5. Our distribution hymns will be “O Sing to the Lord” (LSB 808), “Draw Near and Take the Body
of the Lord” (LSB 637), and “Come,
Holy Ghost, God and Lord” (LSB 497).
The sermon will be based on the Old Testament lesson. The
text will be Ezekiel 37:3. The sermon will be titled: “Can These Bones Live?”
Fifty-two members of the U.S.
military with S.C. ties have died in Iraq,
and eight in Afghanistan.
A number of them came from the upstate, and two from Spartanburg.
As our country remembers the sacrifice of our military this weekend, we will
honor these individuals in our prayers and remember specifically their family
and friends who mourn their loss. They are:
Iraq
S.C.
Army National Guard Pvt. Algernon Adams, 36, of North Augusta; Oct.
28, 2003, noncombat injuries, Forward Operating Base St. Mere, Iraq
Army
Pfc. Michael Scott Adams, 20, of Spartanburg;
Aug. 21, 2003, in
combat, caused by ricocheting bullet near Baghdad
Airman
1st Class Carl L. Anderson Jr., 21, of Georgetown;
Aug. 29, 2004 in a
bomb attack near Mosul
Army
Staff Sgt. George Buggs, 31, of Barnwell; March 23, 2003, in ambush of convoy near
Nasiriyah
Army
Capt. Josh Byers,29, an Anderson native; July 23, 2003, when
homemade bomb exploded under his Humvee east of Baghdad
Army
Reserve Pfc. Thomas Caughman, 20, Lexington;
June 9, 2004, when his
vehicle was ambushed near Baghdad
Marine
Staff Sgt. Jay T. Collado, 31, of Columbia;
Feb. 20 from a roadside bomb near Baghdad
Marine
Lance Cpl. James R. Davenport, 20, of Anderson,
died Nov. 22 while conducting combat operations in Al Anbar province
Army
Chief Warrant Officer Jason G. Defrenn, 34, of Barnwell; Feb. 2
when his Apache helicopter was shot down in Taji
Army
Sgt. Joseph Derrick, 24, Columbia;
Sept. 23, 2005,
small-arms fire near Ar Ramadi
Marine
Cpl. Matthew V. Dillon, 25, of Aiken, died Dec. 11 in a bomb blast
while conducting combat operations in Al Anbar province
Army
Spc. Rian Ferguson, 22, of Taylors;
Dec. 14, 2003, fell
from vehicle near Forward Operating Base Quinn, Iraq
Marine
2nd Lt. Almar L. Fitzgerald,23, of Lexington;
Feb. 21, of wounds suffered Feb. 18 from a hidden bomb in Al Anbar
province
Marine
Lance Cpl. Travis A. Fox, 25, of Cowpens; Oct. 30, 2004, killed in enemy action in Al
Anbar Province
Army
Sgt. Donald D. Furman, 30, of Burton,
Oct. 12, 2005; Humvee
he was riding in collided with civilian vehicle near Balad
Marine
Lance Cpl. Jonathan E. Gadsden, 21, of Charleston;
died Oct. 22, 2004,from
injuries suffered in combat in Al Anbar Province on Aug. 21
Army
Lt. Clifford V. Gadsden, 25, of Red Top; died April 29, 2005 when a bomb exploded near his
convoy vehicle in Balad
Marine
Cpl. Armando Areil Gonzalez, 25; died April 14, 2003, in Kuwait
in an accident. A Florida resident,
he was based at the Beaufort Marine Corps Air Station
Army
Pfc. Satieon V. Greenlee, 24, of Pendleton; died Oct. 2 in Baghdad
from small arms fire
Air
Force Staff Sgt. Patrick Lee Griffin Jr., 31, an Elgin
native; May 13, 2003,
of shrapnel wounds near Diwaniyah
Army
Capt. Kimberly Hampton, 27, Easley; Jan. 2, 2004, when the Kiowa helicopter she was
piloting was hit by ground-fire near Fallujah
Army
Spc. Seth A. Hildreth, 26, of Myrtle Beach,
died on Aug. 27, in Baghdad,
of injuries suffered when a bomb exploded near his vehicle
Army
Pfc. Melissa J. Hobart, 22, of Ladson; June 6, 2004, in Baghdad,
after collapsing while on guard duty
Marine
Pvt. Nolen Ryan Hutchings, 20, of Boiling Springs; March 23, 2003, in combat at
Nasiriyah
Army
Spc. Darius T. Jennings, 22, of Cordova; one of 16 soldiers killed
Nov. 2, 2003, when Chinook transport helicopter was hit by ground-fire over
Fallujah
Army
Spc. Katrina Johnson,32, of Orangeburg; Feb. 16, 2005after the
supply delivery truck she was riding in overturned
Army
Sgt. Anthony G. Jones, 25, of Sumter;
June 14, 2004, in Baghdad
where a bomb exploded near his vehicle
S.C.
National Guard Chief Warrant Officer Patrick Leach, 39, Rock Hill;
Dec. 9, 2004 in a helicopter crash near Mosul
S.C.
National Guard Staff Sgt. Jerome Lemon, 42, of North Charleston;
Oct. 27, 2004 in Balad, when a car bomb exploded near his vehicle
Pfc. Juan
M. Lopez Jr., 23, of Florence;
Aug. 13, 2007, one of
three killed when an IED struck their vehicle in Qayyarah
Army
Pfc. Vorn J. Mack, 19, of Orangeburg; drowned Aug. 23, 2003 in the Euphrates
River
Army
Pfc. Spence McNeil, 19, of Bennettsville; fatally injured March 8, 2003, in a truck crash
in Saudi Arabia
before the war started
Army
Spc. Jason Moski, 24, of Blackville; one of three soldiers killed Feb. 25, 2005, by a roadside
bomb north of Baghdad
Army
Staff Sgt. Paul Neff, 30, of Fort Mill; one of six soldiers killed
Nov. 7, 2003, when a Black Hawk helicopter crashed near Tikrit
Army
Spc. Anthony C. Owens, 21, Conway;
Feb. 1; when his unit was attacked in Baghdad
Army
Staff Sgt. Esau Patterson Jr., 25, Ridgeland; one of eight soldiers
who died April 19, 2004, in a Baghdad bomb blast
Marine
Sgt. John P. Phillips, 29, of St. Stephen; died Aug. 16 at Brooke
Army Medical Center, San Antonio, Texas, from wounds received March 7
during combat operations in Al Anbar province
Chief
Warrant Officer John R. Priestner, 42, of North
Charleston, died Nov. 6, in Balad, of injuries
suffered in AH-64 Apache helicopter crash at Balad
S.C.
National Guard Lt. Andrew Shields, 25, Campobello; Dec. 9, 2004 in a helicopter
crash near Mosul
Army
Spc. Orenthial J. Smith, 21, Martin; June 22, 2003, when his convoy was ambushed south of Baghdad
Army
Sgt. Maj. Michael B. Stack, 48, Lake
City; April 11, 2004, in combat in Anbar province
S.C.
Army National Guard Master Sgt. Thomas Thigpen, 52, Augusta;
suffered either heart attack or stroke March 16, 2004, at Camp Virginia,
Kuwait
Army
Staff Sgt. Anthony O. Thompson, 26, of Branchville; one of three
soldiers who died Sept. 18, 2003,
when their Humvee was ambushed near Tikrit
Army
Spc. Douglas L. Tinsley, 21, of Chester;
killed Dec. 26 when in a vehicle rollover incident in Baghdad
Marine
Master Sgt. Timothy Toney, 37, Columbia;
March 27, 2004,
collapsed and died of natural causes at Camp
Wolverine, Kuwait
Marine
Lance Cpl. Joshua L. Torrence, 20, of Lexington;
March 14, 2005, of
wounds suffered in hostile action in Al Anbar province
Staff
Sgt. Terry D. Wagoner, 28, of Piedmont;
Sept. 14 in Baghdad of wounds
suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle
during combat operations
Army
Spc. Zandra T. Walker, 28, of Greenville;
Aug. 15, 2007, when
the enemy attacked with indirect fire in Taji
Marine
Cpl. David G. Weimortz, 28, of Irmo; died Aug. 26, in a roadside
bombing in Al Anbar province
Army
Spc. Harry Winkler III,
32, of Hampton, died Nov. 12,
when a car bomb went off near his vehicle in Samarra
Army
Pfc. Dustin Yancey, 22, of Goose Creek; Nov. 4, 2005, of wounds
suffered when Humvee he was in struck a roadside bomb near Baghdad.
Marine
Pvt. Rodericka Youmans, 22, Allendale; one of four Marines killed
July 6, 2004, in a bomb attack near Fallujah in Al Anbar province
Afghanistan
Army
Reserve Sgt. Edward R. Heselton, 23, of Easley; Aug. 11, 2005, in Orgun-E,
Afghanistan, when
ordnance exploded near the vehicle he was driving
Air
Force Staff Sgt. Jason Hicks, 25, of Jefferson;
March 23, 2003,
helicopter crash near Ghanzi, Afghanistan
S.C.
National Guard Sgt. Stephen High, 45, of Spartanburg;
April 6, 2005,
helicopter crash in bad weather near Ghanzi,
Afghanistan
Army
Sgt. Michael R. Lehmiller, 23, of Anderson,
Aug. 21, 2005, when a
bomb exploded near his Humvee during patrol operations, near Baylough,
Afghanistan
Marine
Capt. Daniel McCollum, 29, of Irmo; Jan. 9, 2002, refueling plane crash in Pakistan
while supporting the war effort
Army
Maj. Edward Murphy, 36, of Mount Pleasant;
April 6, 2005,
helicopter crash in bad weather near Ghanzi,
Afghanistan
Army
Staff Sgt. Tony B. Olaes, 30, of Walhalla; Sept. 20, 2004, in hostile action near
Shkin, southeastern Afghanistan
S.C.
National Guard Spc. Chrystal Stout, 23, of Travelers Rest; April 6, 2005, helicopter crash
in bad weather near Ghanzi, Afghanistan
Below is a video of “Come, Holy Ghost, Creator Blest,” our opening
hymn. It only has three of the verses and it is an older form of the hymn, with
“thee’s” and “thou’s” in it.
Our adult Bible class
meets at 9:00 Sunday morning. This Sunday
we will continue in Matthew. As always, everyone is invited to come.
Preview of the
Lessons
Ezekiel 37:1-14:Ezekiel lived and worked during a dark
time for the Jews. The Northern Kingdom of Israel had long been gone, destroyed
by the Assyrians. A new world power, the Babylonians, had risen. The Jews were
disciplined by God through the Babylonians due to their unfaithfulness. Ezekiel
warned them of this before it happened, but his message was rejected. Finally,
as Ezekiel warned, the Babylonians attacked again, destroying the temple. As
God told Ezekiel, the glory of God had departed from the nation. But Ezekiel’s
message was not all doom and gloom. He foretold of a future when the nation
would return to their God and their land. It was a tough sell to a people in
exile. Just as the people didn’t believe God when Ezekiel told them of the
impending disasters, so now they didn’t want to believe God when Ezekiel told them
of their future restoration. (The human heart is constantly at war with God.)
This part of Ezekiel is about the restoration of the Jews and is the vision of
“dry bones.” The Spirit’s ability to bring life where death reigns supreme is a
strong gospel theme wherever it appears.
Acts 2:1-21:No big surprise here. Sunday is Pentecost
Sunday and this is part of the story of the first Christian Pentecost. It
begins with the believers gathered together. The Holy Spirit comes with the
sound of a mighty wind and the appearance of “tongues” of fire. The disciples
begin to speak in foreign languages, proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
All who believe in Jesus have “life in his name.” The passage makes it
abundantly clear that they are speaking standard human languages, and not in
“tongues of ecstasy,” as some have maintained. It is certainly worth noting
that it is through the proclaimed word that the Holy Spirit is choosing to work
to bring the audience to faith in Jesus. This is again emphasized by how the
story ends in verses 40 and 41. Saint Paul
emphasized this same point in Romans 10, “How then will they call on him in
whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they
have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how
are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are
the feet of those who preach the good news!’” (14-15). The word of God is a
“means of grace,” that is, a means used by the Holy Spirit to “call, gather,
enlighten, and sanctify” us.
John 15:26-27;
16:4b-15: Jesus is teaching
about the person and work of the Holy Spirit. There is far too much in these
verses to do them justice here. I will draw out just a couple of points. In
verse 26, speaking of the Holy Spirit, Jesus says, “whom I will send to you
from the Father”. This is reflected in the Nicene Creed with the words
concerning the Holy Spirit, “who proceeds from the Father and the Son.” This is
peek into the mystery of the Trinity, a mystery we cannot come close to truly
comprehending. We confess with the Bible teaches, without full comprehension.
The Holy Spirit is called the “Helper” in the ESV
translation. The Greek word is “Paraclete.” There is no good single English
word to translate the Greek. Some translations have “Advocate,” others,
“Comforter,” and still others “Counselor.” All are good, but limited,
translations. The word means all of the above. Another thing to note is how the
Holy Spirit works to spread the gospel of God’s grace in Christ Jesus. Finally,
some have used the closing verses to teach “continuing revelation.” The idea is
that the Holy Spirit continues to reveal new truths which are not recorded in
scripture. The book of Acts actually does record the Holy Spirit revealing
things, and the books written by the Apostles (Acts, Romans, 1 & 2
Corinthians, etc.) all testify that the Holy Spirit can and has provided us
with greater clarity concerning what Jesus and the Old Testament taught.
However, one must be extremely careful in this area. The biblical standard for
claiming direct inspiration from the Holy Spirit include 1) absolutely no
errors; 2) absolutely no contradictions of former confirmed revelations; and 3)
in absolute harmony with the rest of revealed scripture. I, personally, have found
no contemporary “prophet” who had given a message that fills these
requirements. I have found many that I would classify as “false” prophets, like
the ones the true prophets of God battled in the Old Testament and of whom
Jesus warned us of in places like Matthew 7:15. In deed, it is probably best to
think of Jesus as referring primarily to the writing of the New Testament
canon.
Tidbits
As in
the past, we will have a cook-out this Pentecost Sunday. Everyone is
encouraged to attend. There will be games (corn hole, etc.) lost of food
(hamburgers, hotdogs, etc.) and wonderful fellowship.
Paper
copies of our newsletter will be available Sunday.
The
Southeastern District will be meeting in convention May 30-June 2. Pastor
and Kitty are Lamb of God’s representatives.
Esther (which means “star”) is the heroine of the biblical
book that bears her name. Her Jewish name was Hadassah, which means “myrtle.”
Her beauty, charm, and courage served her well as queen to King Ahasuerus. In
that role, she was able to save her people from the mass extermination that
Haman, the king’s chief adviser, had planned (Esther 2:19-4:17). Esther’s efforts to uncover the plot resulted
in the hanging of Haman on the very same gallows that he had built for
Mordecai, her uncle and guardian. Following this, the king named Mordecai
minister of state in Haman’s place. This story is an example of how God
intervenes on behalf of His people to deliver them from evil, as here through
Esther he preserved the Old Testament people through whom the Messiah would
come.
Concerning the story of Esther, Ambrose of Milan wrote:
“Why did Queen Esther expose herself to death and not fear
the wrath of a fierce king? Was it not to save her people from death, and act
both seemly and virtuous? The king of Persia
himself also, though fierce and proud, yet thought it seemly to show honor to
the man who had given information about a plot which had been laid against
himself, to save a free people from slavery, to snatch them from death, and not
to spare him who pressed on such unseemly plans. So finally he handed over to
the gallows the man that stood second to himself, and whom he counted chief
among all his friends, because he considered that he had dishonored him by his
false counsels.
“For that commendable friendship which maintains virtue is
to be preferred most certainly to wealth or honors or power.”
(The above is almost entirely
from Treasury of Daily Prayer,
Concordia Publish House.)
Appropriate prayers:
For
the safety of all believers, especially those in lands where Christianity
is persecuted
For
those who rule, that they may allow the Gospel to be freely preached
For
the willingness to sacrifice all for the sake of Christ
Thankfulness
to God for saving his people of old that we might have faith today
Commemoration of Emperor
Constantine, Christian Ruler, and Helena, Mother of Constantine
May 21, 2012
The Lord be with you
The Bible stands as unique
among all the “holy” books in the world in many ways. One of those ways is in
its descriptions of “holy” people. Noah, Abraham, David, Peter, Saul/Paul,
Thomas, and so many others, were definitely flawed people. Many have taken
comfort in their examples. If God can forgive and use a person with a drinking
problem (Noah), murders (David, Saul/Paul), doubters (Thomas), and so on, he
can certainly forgive and use me. The Bible depicts us as we are. It is a mark
of God’s greatness that our flaws do not impede him.
So often the stories of the
post-biblical saints collapse to the level of non-Christian stories of heroes
in other faiths. People without flaws. Impossible standards to live up to.
Today we honor two saints who were flawed followers of Jesus. (All his
followers are flawed, we just happen to know enough about these two to know
some of their flaws.)
Constantine & Helena - Mosaic in Saint Isaac’s Cathedral
Constantine I (the Great) served
as Roman emperor from 306 to 337 ad.
He was probably the greatest general of his generation. He consistently won
battles against overwhelming odds. He sponsored many building projects,
including the new capital of the Roman Empire, New
Rome. The people called the city Constantinople,
which is the name that stuck. Born a pagan, he became a Christian. The major
turning point in his life was when he saw a vision of a cross before a major
battle that came with a promise of victory. He had crosses painted on the
shields of his troops, and had a cross carried in front of the troops when they
entered battle. Constantine won. During his reign, the persecution of
Christians was forbidden by the Edict of Milan in 313 ad, and, ultimately, the faith gained full imperial support.
(However Constantine didn’t make it the state religion. Conversion was
voluntary.) Constantine took an active interest in the life and teachings
of the Church and in 325 ad called
the Council of Nicaea, at which orthodox Christianity was defined and defended.
As one might guess, as a
Roman general and, later, emperor of the Roman Empire, Constantine did some questionable things (to put it kindly).
Any adequate short biography will supply some of them. It is because of such
actions that some historians wonder if he ever really became a Christian.
Perhaps, they think, it was just a shred political move. The fallacy in such
thinking is that it assumes, when a person becomes a Christian, they no longer
sin and conform to the historian’s opinion of what is Christian behavior. As
Luther said, we are at the same time both sinners and saints. This was true of Constantine. In spite of his flaws, he was a strong Christian
leader who ended persecution of the Church in his empire (it would be revived
again by Julian the Apostate). With his support, the Church fashioned the
Nicene Creed, which is still used as a mark of orthodox faith.
Constantine’s mother was Helena (about 255-329 ad).
She became a Christian after her son did (indicating one powerful way the Lord
works in bringing people to faith, through family ties). She became so
committed to Christ that many said it seemed like she had been baptized as an
infant and been a Christian her whole life. When Constantine became emperor, he brought his mother to Rome and had her recognized as Augusta.
Constantine sent Helena to the Holy Lands to identify various sites of the
Christian Faith. She was, therefore, one of the first Christian pilgrims. Her
research identified where Jesus was born in Bethlehem, where Jesus was crucified, and buried, and others
sites. Most of the sites she identified have stood the test of time. While in
these areas she had several churches constructed at the discovered holy sites,
and shrines at others. She was also responsible for imperial relief efforts for
the poor of the land. According to ledged, she also discovered the “true
cross.” However the story doesn’t appear until over 100 years after her death,
so it seems rather unlikely.
The dark spot on her record
deals with her relationship with Jews. In her zeal to discover Christian holy
sites, she mistreated the Jews in the area, whom she believed were deliberately
hiding where these places were located to keep the Christian faith down. Who
knows, maybe they were. That still doesn’t excuse abusive treatment. In the
Christian Faith, the end does not justify the means.
God accomplished great
things through these flawed saints, just as he did in the Bible.
Appropriate Prayers:
For Christian rulers
For rulers in general, that they might let the
Gospel be preached in their lands
For families
For the work of archeology in the Holy Lands
For peaceful relationships with Jews and other
non-Christian faiths
For us, as sinners/saints, to faithfully follow
our Lord
This coming Sunday is the Seventh Sunday of Easter. We will
be using Matins (page 219) for our liturgy. The appointed lessons are Acts
1:12-26, 1 John 5:9-15, and John 17:11b-19. The Psalm for the Day is Psalm 1.
The antiphon is verse 6. Our hymns will be “O Sing to the Lord” (LSB 808), “Lift High the Cross” (LSB 837), and “Now All the Vault of
Heaven Resounds” (LSB 465).
Below is a video of “Lift High the Cross,” our sermon hymn.
It is sung and played by “Rachel” aka the LutheranWarbler.
Our adult Bible class
meets at 9:00 Sunday morning. This Sunday
we will continue in Matthew. As always, everyone is invited to come.
Preview of the
Lessons
Acts 1:12-26:
This is the account of the selection of Matthias to replace Judas as one of the
Apostles. After the Ascension (this past Thursday), the disciples returned to
the “upper room” in Jerusalem.
There the men and women, “with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer.”
There were about 120 people. Peter gives a “sermon.” Based on the Old
Testament, Peter recognized several things. First, the betrayal of Jesus had
been foretold. Second, the death of the betrayer had been foretold. Third, the
office once allotted to Judas, needed to be filled by another. This they set
out to do. After reviewing the qualifications for being an Apostle, it is
discovered that only two men have the necessary qualifications. Of the two,
Matthias is selected by lot. The way pray and scripture permeate the process is
a lesson for us today. The importance of carrying on the work Christ has given
the Church is also important for us to recognize. Finally, in our modern day
when people like to stile themselves as modern “apostles,” it is worthwhile to
see what the qualifications for a full-fledged apostle are. Of special note is
that they are to have been with Jesus from the baptism of John through the
resurrection. While the word “apostle” means “sent one,” and certainly we can
and do send people so that they are “apostles” is a sense, nonetheless they are
not apostles in the sense that Peter, James, Matthias and John were. Those who
pretend to speak with such authority should be avoided as false teachers. When
we say something is “apostolic,” we mean built on and reflecting the teachings
and work of the Apostles of Christ, those first century saints called by God.
1 John 5:9-15: This lesson is packed! John begins
by speaking of the “testimony ofmen,”
and he calls it important. “Men” testify about many things, the economy, how to
be a good citizen, work, and so much more. Just look at the self-help section
in any book store. But the “testimony of God” is greater, because it is about
Jesus. Through faith in him we have eternal life. The ‘testimony of God” is
carried by the Church of God,
you and me. When John says whoever does not believe “makes God a liar,” he
means they are calling God a liar (not that God is somehow a liar). John wants
us to have faith in Jesus. John also touches on prayer. Some look at John’s
words and conclude that God has promised to grant us anything we ask for.
Nothing could be further from what John wrote. John writes that God will grant
anything we ask “according to his will.” We discover God’s will in the pages of
the Bible, not in the selfish recesses of our hearts.
John 17:11b-19: This is part of Jesus’ “High Priestly
Prayer.” Jesus prayed this prayer on the night he was betrayed. He prays for
the unity of his followers. The loss of Judas and how it was foretold in
Scripture is prayed about. This illustrates how Scripture should inform our
prayer life. One of the great aspects of the Churches historic prayers is how
they are shaped by the Bible. If these prayers seem out of sync with your
private prayers, perhaps you should examine what you are praying for. Jesus
recognized that the “evil one” will persecute his followers, and so he prays
for their safety. We reflect this each Sunday by praying for believers in area
of the world where persecution of believers is common. He prays that we might
be “sanctified,” which is done through the Bible. If regular Bible reading is
not part of your devotional life, then you are ignoring the key element through
which the Holy Spirit strengthens us and conforms us into the image of Jesus.
Finally Christ also prays for the mission of the Church, to reach out with the
truth of the Gospel. We reflect this concern each Sunday as we pray for one of
the LC-MS missionaries.
Tidbits
The
Church Council will meet Sunday after the worship service.
Remember,
on the 27th (Pentecost Sunday) we will have a cook-out after
the worship service.
Yesterday was the Ascension of our Lord. Kitty and I joined
with other area Lutherans in a special worship service. The service was
conducted at the Lutheran Church
of the Good Shepherd in Greenville.
Good Shepherd is one of those congregations that appreciate art and some of
that art happens to be icons. Now, when I write “icons,” I don’t mean those
little cartoon images so prevalent on computers. In this case, icons are a very
old style of painting quite common in the Eastern Orthodox denominations
(Greek, Russian, Serbian, etc.). They are considered theology in paint and, as
such, those who paint icons do not say they “paint” icons, but that they
“write” icons.
At Good Shepherd, they have an Icon of the Ascension of our
Lord, which had been placed in the altar area. Every element in an icon has
significance. Below is an image of an icon of the Ascension of our Lord. It is
not the exact icon at Good Shepherd. That doesn’t matter, because icons follow
a distinctive pattern. All “real” icons of the Ascension “must” have specific
elements. Therefore the significance in the icon of the Ascension is the same
from icon to icon. Following the icon is an explanation of the icon which was
made available at Good Shepherd. This explanation is drawn from For All the
Saints, vol. 3, pages 1228-1232, 1995 American
Lutheran Publicity Bureau), page 1228 and following. This is a wonderful
devotional book.
The Icon of the Ascension of Our Lord
The earliest image of the Ascension
comes from the fifth century and depicts Christ’s return to God the Father
as recorded in Luke 24:50 and Acts 1:9-11.
At first one is puzzled when looking at
the icon because Christ appears to be smaller than and secondary to Mary, the
apostles, and angels. Also puzzling is that Mary is present at all since the
biblical account does not record her being at the Ascension but rather at
Pentecost (Acts 1:12-14). But this disparity expresses the theological meaning
of the event, in which Christ establishes and defines the role and significance
of the church in the world and her relationship to God. In the words of Paul,
“...and he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all
things for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in
all” (Ephesians 1:22-23).
Thus we notice that Mary, who dominates
the icon, stands in the center of the angels and disciples. She is the one who
has taken God into herself and become the temple of the incarnate Word, and
thus symbolizes the church—the body of Christ. As the personification of the
church she is placed directly beneath her Son. He is leaving her behind on
earth but through the promised descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost the
church will receive all the fullness of his being. This link between the
Ascension and Pentecost is revealed in the words, “...it is to your advantage
that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Counselor will not come to you;
but if I go, I will send him to you” (John 16:7).
From the postures of the disciples and
the placement of the angels in the sky and on earth around Mary and Jesus, the
heavenly and the earthly appear to be joined. By looking carefully one can see
a hidden design or pattern, with one triangle that points down extending from
the lower part of the two upper angels to the feet of Mary, and another
triangle that points up extending from the lower left and right through Mary’s
head. The total image suggests movement and seems to say that by Christ’s Ascension
“he fills all in all,” heaven and earth are joined, and the finite contains the
infinite.
Mary’s hands are lifted in prayer,
indicating the role the church is to fulfill in praying for the world, and her
stillness expresses the immutability of God's Word, whose keeper is the church.
In contrast, the disciples as they stand on either side of Mary are animated,
their postures expressing awe and dismay. Each one is different in appearance,
perhaps a foreshadowing of the icon of Pentecost and the multitude and variety
of gifts that will be given to the church called to bear witness to one Lord.
Although Matthias has not yet been
chosen, there are twelve apostles, for St. Paul
appears, on Mary’s left. He is one who did not know Christ in the flesh, being
“untimely born” (I Corinthians 15:8), but the icon represents the church in its
fullness and not just those historically present at the Ascension. Paul also
expresses the church’s mission to the Gentiles.
The angels’ hands point to the
ascending Christ and announce to the disciples, “Men of Galilee, why do you
stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven,
will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11). This is a reminder to the church to
proclaim the Second Coming of Christ in Glory and that he will return to judge
“both the living and the dead.”
The hilly landscape and presence of
olive trees reminds us that the event took place on the Mount of
Olives.
His hand raised in blessing calls to
mind that as he ascended, he blessed them (Luke 24:50-51). Though Christ is
here leaving the world in the flesh, we know that he did not abandon it in his
divinity but is ever present, filling all things and promising “and lo, I am
with you always, to the close of the age” (Matthew 28:20).
This explanation is only partial and focuses on the elements
unique to this particular icon. There are also a great many “standard” symbols
in the icon. Just a few dealing with the depiction of Jesus include him sitting
on a rainbow. This, drawn from Revelation 4:3, points to Jesus as the
all-powerful God. The circle around Jesus reminds us that he has entered
eternity. The “nimbus” (halo) always reminds us of heaven. Jesus’ halo is
different from the others, divided into three parts. This reminds us of the
Trinity, of whom Jesus is the “Second Person.” Even the position of our Lord’s
hands, like the position of Mary’s hands, has meaning. These sorts of symbols
are seen in icon after icon, and become something of a language by which you can
“read” an icon, even the first time you see one.
I hope you enjoy this icon and appreciate a portion of the theology
depicted in it. I also hope that maybe a few who read this post might be
intrigued enough to learn more about this ancient art form by which the Church
has taught for centuries.
Many have noted the step-parallelism in the stories of the
two births (and the lives of the two men in general). Both women conceived
their children under miraculous circumstances, though the miracle in reference
to Mary was greater. Both John and Jesus had their birth announced by angels,
but the birth of John was met with disbelief while the birth of Jesus was met
with belief. Both children are vital in salvation history, but Jesus had the
key role while John announces it. Both die unjustly, but Jesus rose from the
dead on the third day while John waits for the Last Day. 
