Ascension Day Services

Just a reminder, tomorrow morning at 8am and 7pm the Lord's Supper will be received by God's people at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Middleville. Join us if you can!

Meditations on St. Michael's Day

About a year ago I put together the following meditations on the Holy Angels named in Scripture (and the Apocrypha), Michael, Gabriel and Raphael.

Meditation on St. Michael the Archangel

Jude 1:9-St. Michael relies upon the power of the Lord

⁹But when the archangel Michael, contending with the devil, was disputing about the body of Moses, he did not presume to pronounce a blasphemous judgment, but said, "The Lord rebuke you."

Revelation 12:7-10-St. Michael casts Satan out of heaven at the authority of Jesus Christ

⁷Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, ⁸but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven.⁹And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world— he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. ¹⁰And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, "Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God.

Prayer: O Lord God, as Your servant, St. Michael the Archangel remained faithful in all ways to the truth of Your holy name by refraining from a blasphemous judgment, may I in all my dealings be found without presumption and faithful to Your truth. As St. Michael and his holy angel legions cast Satan out of heaven at the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, may I be strengthened in the holy baptismal waters to daily cast the works of Satan out of my life and stand in righteousness and purity in the grace of my Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Meditation on St. Gabriel the Archangel

Luke 1:18-20- St. Gabriel speaks good news to Zechariah

¹⁸And Zechariah said to the angel, "How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years." ¹⁹And the angel answered him, "I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. ²⁰And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time."

Luke 1:26-33; 38- St. Gabriel the Archangel is sent to proclaim the birth of Jesus Christ to the Blessed Virgin

²⁶In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, ²⁷ to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. ²⁸And he came to her and said, "Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!" ²⁹But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. ³⁰And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. ³¹And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. ³²He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, ³³and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end."

³⁸And Mary said, "Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her.

Prayer: O Lord God, as Your servant, St. Gabriel the Archangel spoke good news to Zechariah, the father of the forerunner to our Lord Jesus Christ, and again spoke the good news of Jesus who was born to save the world from sin to the Blessed Virgin Mary, His holy mother, so speak to my heart and soul that great good news of life and salvation that is found only in Christ Jesus. May I not disbelieve the Gospel, but strengthen my belief. Give me ever faithfulness as a called and ordained servant of Your holy Word to proclaim life and salvation in Christ alone to Your people even as St. Gabriel did, through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, One God, now and forever. Amen.

Meditation on St. Raphael the Archangel

Tobit 3:16-17- St. Raphael is sent in answer to the prayers of God's people

¹⁶ As Tobit and Sarah were praying, God in heaven heard their prayers¹⁷ and sent his angel Raphael to help them. He was sent to remove the white film from Tobit's eyes, so that he could see again, and to arrange a marriage between Sarah and Tobit's son Tobias, who, as her cousin, had the right to marry her. Raphael was also ordered to expel the demon Asmodeus from Sarah.

Tobit 12:6-18- St. Raphael the Archangel encourages the two men to praise God for His provision

⁶ Then Raphael called the two men aside and said to them, "Praise God and tell everyone about the good things he has done for you, so that they too will honor him and sing his praises. Let everyone know what God has done. Never stop praising him.¹⁵ I am Raphael, one of the seven angels who stand in the glorious presence of the Lord, ready to serve him. ¹⁶ Tobit and Tobias were terrified and fell to the ground, trembling with fear.¹⁷ But Raphael said to them, "Don't be afraid; everything is all right. Always remember to praise God.¹⁸ He wanted me to come and help you; I did not come on my own. So sing God's praises as long as you live.

Prayer: Praise God. Praise him for his greatness. Praise all his holy angels. May he continue to bless us. Praise all his angels forever. O Lord God, You are indeed mighty and worthy of all praise and honor. You have ordered Your holy angels to guard and keep Your people. As You sent Your holy servant, St. Raphael the Archangel to heal Your servant Tobit with the sacrifice of a fish, so heal the world through that blessed and holy ichthus, Jesus Christ, God's Son, our Savior. You bless Your children with the gift of marriage, so bless and heal the marriages of Your people. You drive far from Your children the attacks and assaults of demons, so guard and keep me from the attacks of evil influences and tempting spirits, through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, One God, now and forever. Amen.

St. Bernard of Clairvaux, Hymn Writer and Theologian

Today the Christian Church gives thanks for our brother, Bernard of Clairvaux, who beautified the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ with wonderful hymns such as this:


From our Synod's Website:
Bernard of Clairvaux, Hymnwriter and Theologian
A leader in Christian Europe in the first half of the 11th century A.D., Bernard is honored in his native France and around the world. Born into a noble family in Burgundy in 1090, Bernard left the affluence of his heritage and entered the monastery of Citeaux at the age of 22. After two years he was sent to start a new monastic house at Clairvaux. His work there was blessed in many ways. The monastery at Clairvaux grew in mission and service, eventually establishing some 68 daughter houses. Bernard is remembered for his charity and political abilities, but especially for his preaching and hymn composition. The hymn texts “O Jesus, King Most Wonderful” and “O Sacred Head, Now Wounded” are part of the heritage of the faith left by Saint Bernard.


And from Issues, etc. :

Commemorating the Blessed Virgin

Yesterday at Good Shepherd we observed the feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary. I did something I don't usually do, I "free-texted." Don't anathematize me yet! I love the Magnificat, but that beautiful hymn of the Blessed Virgin is not the only confession that she makes about her adorable Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ. Just as beautiful, though not as poetic, is her faith in her holy Son at the wedding feast at Cana: "Do whatever He tells you." This is a beautiful teaching of the Blessed Virgin. It flies directly in the face of that view of her as intercessor or mediatrix. She is not interested in turning His head. She is not interested in manipulating His will for His people. She trusts that He will work for good for His people. She doesn't know how He will do it. She doesn't know when He will do it and she doesn't know if He will do it the way she wills. She simply trusts that doing what He tells us will be to our blessing.

And it always is! Christ is always interested in our blessing. We may not always recognize it, but it is true. Mary knows this and she teaches us to trust this truth as well. He whom she held in her motherly arms, He whom she cradled and nursed, He whom she cared for as an infant will care for her and us more thoroughly than we can ever imagine. Had He not changed the water into wine, He still would have given Mary and the wedding guests what they truly needed.

Mary does not turn the head of her Son any more than any other saint for whom He has shed His holy and precious blood, but she is indeed blessed amongst women, for she trusts in her holy Son for all good things. What a blessing the faith of the Virgin Mother is to us! We listen to her as our Mother as well and do whatever her precious Son tells us to do, trusting that His loving-kindness and mercy is more than sufficient for our eternal comfort and peace.

St. Lawrence, Deacon and Martyr

Today the church catholic gives thanks for the life, service, and faithful martyrdom of St. Lawrence, deacon and martyr.

From Foxe's Book of Martyrs*:

Now let us enter the story of that most constant and courageous martyr of
Christ, St. Lawrence, whose words and works deserve to be as fresh and green in
Christian hearts, as is the flourishing laurel-tree...Let us draw near to the
fire of martyred Lawrence, that our cold hearts may be warmed thereby. The
merciless tyrant, understanding him to be not only a minister of the sacraments,
but a distributor also of the Church riches, promised to himself a double
prey,by the apprehension of one soul.... With furious face and cruel
countenance, the greedy wolf demanded where this Lawrence had bestowed the
substance of the Church: who, craving three day's respite, promised to declare
where the treasure might be had. In the meantime, he caused a good number of
poor Christians to be congregated. So, when the day of his answer was come, the
persecutor strictly charged him to stand to his promise. Then valiant Lawrence,
stretching out his arms over the poor, said: "These are the precious treasure of
the church; these are the treasure indeed, in whom the faith of Christ reigneth,
in whom Jesus Christ hath His mansion-place. What more precious jewels can
Christ have, than those in whom He hath promised to dwell? For so it is written,
'I was hungry and ye gave me to eat; I was thirsty and ye gave me to drink; I
was harbourless and ye lodged me.' And again; 'Look, what ye have done to the
least of these, the same have ye done to me.' What greater riches can Christ our
Master possess, than the poor people, in whom He loveth to be seen?"

And from the Missouri Synod's website:

Laurence, Deacon and Martyr

Early in the third century A.D., Laurence, most likely born in Spain, made his way to Rome. There he was appointed chief of the seven deacons and was given the responsibility to manage church property and finances. The emperor at the time, who thought that the church had valuable things worth confiscating, ordered Laurence to produce the “treasures of the church.” Laurence brought before the emperor the poor whose lives had been touched by Christian charity. He was then jailed and eventually executed in the year 258 by being roasted on a gridiron. His martyrdom left a deep impression on the young church. Almost immediately, the date of His death, August 10, became a permanent fixture on the early commemorative calendar of the Church.

From the Treasury of Daily Prayer:

Almighty God, You called Lawrence to be a deacon in Your Church to serve Your saints with deeds of love, and you gave him the crown of martyrdom. Give us the same charity of heart that we may fulfill Your love by defending and supporting the poor, that by loving them we may love You with all our hearts, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Amen.

*edited by W. Grinton Berry, reprinted by Fleming H. Revell, a division of Baker Book House Company, Spire edition published 1998.

O Sacred Head Now Wounded

A very blessed Good Friday to everyone! This afternoon we were blessed at Good Shepherd to gather around the blessed Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ in both Word and Sacrament as we celebrated the Chief Service. My dear faithful and pious wife and I observed our annual watching of The Passion of the Christ after service. In a bit, we will again gather around the Light of the World as we extinguish the candles during the meditation on the last words of our Lord from His blessed throne. Tomorrow morning we will again gather to meditate upon His holy repose in the tomb and the faithless faith of His disciples and the faithful faithlessness of His enemies. And joy beyond telling, we will gather at the foot of the cross as we keep the Vigil of His glorious and blessed Resurrection through which we are given the assurance of life and justification through His holy sacrifice. This year one of the faithful saints of Good Shepherd has constructed a life-size cross beneath which we will gather at the fire and await the raising up of our Phoenix, Christ, the Life and Light of the World.

This week is very busy for faithful pastors, but a better busy I could not hope for! If you are in Western Michigan and would like to stop by to join us that would only make our joy more wonderful. For my brothers and sisters who await the joyous dawning of the Feast of the Resurrection, God's peace and comfort as we wait expectantly at the foot of the cross and the door of the tomb!

Want to preach good funeral sermons?

Then start by preaching the commemorations and feast days of those blessed saints who have gone before us in the faith whenever possible (although I think it best to keep with the Sunday readings unless a saint's feast day falls on the Lord's Day and it is not already a feast of Christ).

That is how I look at funerals, as feast days of saints of God in Christ, for that is truly what those faithful departed are, full and complete saints, revelling the in the glory of the Lamb who was slain. When preaching on a saint day or commemoration, we Lutherans know that we do not preach about the individual, but rather about that golden and precious thread of faith that binds them to Christ and through Him to all the Church, militant and triumphant. Indeed, precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints!

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us!

Very near to the top of Mount Calvary in our Lenten journey, we weary travelers are given a reminder and joyful feast to fill our hearts and souls.

Today is the Feast of the Annunciation, or, perhaps more appropriately, the Feast of the Incarnation. For that is surely what it is, the incarnation of our good Lord Jesus Christ in the womb of His holy mother.

It is that incarnation, that putting on of our flesh, that allowed our dear Savior to bear our sins bodily on the cross. It is that same flesh that rose again on that still more glorious Feast of the Resurrection. It is that flesh, glorified and whole, that sits at the Father’s right hand making intercession for us even now. It is that Feast of the Incarnation that we celebrate every time we take the incarnate Word of God into our mouths at the Holy Supper and into our ears and hearts at the hearing of the beautiful Gospel message.

Also at this under celebrated feast we give thanks for that faith of the Virgin Mother. That faith which says in the midst of uncertainty, improbability and foolishness "Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word." That faith first uttered on the lips of Eve when she was given a son, that faith acted upon by Abraham with his Son. That faith that is a gift of the Holy Spirit. This is the faith that we give thanks for and the faith that, through our baptism, we share. Such amazing faith!

+ + +

Lord, give us such faith as we look upon the awful cross of Christ, that we may not turn in fear from the gifts You give us, but, with Your good gift of faith, embrace that gift of mercy, grace, forgiveness of sins, life and salvation found in the Word made flesh, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen.

*

The Angel Gabriel From Heaven Came (LSB 356)

The angel Gabriel from Heaven came,
With wings as drifted snow, with eyes as flame;

“All hail, to thee, O lowly maiden Mary,

Most highly favored lady,” Gloria!

“For know a blessèd mother thou shalt be,

All generations laud and honor thee,

Thy Son shall be Emmanuel, by seers foretold,

Most highly favored lady,” Gloria!

Then gentle Mary meekly bowed her head,

“To me be as it pleaseth God,” she said,

“My soul shall laud and magnify God’s holy name.”

Most highly favored lady, Gloria!

Of her, Emmanuel, the Christ, was born

In Bethlehem, all on a Christmas morn,

And Christian folk throughout the world will ever say—

“Most highly favored lady,” Gloria!

_____________________________

* The Annunciation by Fra Angelico

A Blessed Feast of the Holy Fetus

Isn't this what we should start calling Annunciation? Those who are pro-death use words like "fetus," and "embryo" to dehumanize the babies they say it is ok to kill. But Christ makes no distinction. He came to save those whom He lived for. He lived as a fetus and and embryo in the blessed womb of the Virgin Mother. Christ died for those He lived for, and today the Church celebrates His life as a fetus and gives thanks that those whose lives are so tragically and brutally taken have a Redeemer who lives for them.

Whoa! What a break!

To those of you who may have feared that I had given up the ghost, I am still alive, still preaching and teaching, still thinking about things, but I have not had much desire to blog for quite some time.
We are in the midst of the Lenten season, as are all Western Christians. At Good Shepherd this Lent we are looking at the faithful example of the saints who have gone before us: Ash Wednesdaywas faithful Polycarp who boldly and faithfully served his Lord until his grizzly and blessed death. Next was Sts. Perpetua and Felicitas, young mothers who gave up everything rather than deny their Lord and Savior, St. Patrick with his missionary zeal and faithfulness to the orthodox teaching of the Holy and Blessed Trinity, may we all bind unto ourselves Christ and Him crucified! Tonight we looked at St. Joseph, the chaste and faithful guardian of our Lord Jesus Christ. He teaches us to guard that good and godly treasure of Christ crucified, the only begotten Son of the eternal Father.

We look forward with repentant joy and contrite anticipation to the dramatic events of Holy Week. Good Shepherd will gather to pray a cappella Matins Holy Monday through Holy Wednesday at 8 am. Maundy Thursday at 7 pm we celebrate our Lord's Institution of the Holy Eucharist and His command to love one another (we also will have individual Holy Absolution the the somber Stripping of the Altar). Good Friday we celebrate the Cheif Service with the complete Passion account and the Holy Eucharist at 12 noon and Tennebrae Vespers with the seven final words of Christ from the Cross at 8 pm. Holy Saturday a cappella Matins at 9:30 am, Easer Vigil at 8:10 pm (sunset, weather permitting we will begin outside of the church and process in with candlelight). Easter sunrise Matins (again, beginning outside, weather permitting) at 6:55 am, we break our Lenten fast with Easter breakfast at 8 am. We then feast the Resurrection with the risen Body and Blood of Christ with the Divine Service at 9:30 am.

If you are in the area, join us! A blessed Lenten, may your hearts be prepared to celebrate the Paschal feast.

Advent Midweek Sermon Series

This year at Good Shepherd we are looking at Blessed Unions during the Advent Season. Last week it was Adam and Eve. Through that blessed union we have the disgraceful fall of humanity into sin, but we also have the promise of the Messiah in Genesis 3:15. In Luke's geneaology we see how Christ is the fulfillment of that promise as His lineage is taken all the way back to that first father Adam. Through Adam all men die, through Christ all men now live. This week we will look at the blessed union of St. Joseph and the Blessed Virgin Mary. Through the faithfulness of Mary and Joseph Christ was brought into the world. How easy it would have been for Mary to lie about the blessing that God planted in her virgin womb. How easy it would have been for Joseph to demand satisfaction for his wounded honor. But through their faithful union, to one another and to their heavenly Father, they were made partakers of righteousness through Christ, their Son and Lord. Finally, we will look at the blessed union of Christ and His Bride, the Church. Christ came into the world for the sole purpose of giving life through His perfect and atoning life, death and resurrection. As He came once in blessing, putting on our flesh, with healing in His wings, so He will come again in judgment, establishing His eternal kingdom which will have no end. His holy Bride, the Church, will be perfectly and eternally united in that most blessed union.

Come quickly, Lord Jesus.

A Blessed Feast of the Nativity to You!

We are indeed blessed to celebrate the incarnation of the Eternal Word at Good Shepherd three times! Christmas Eve Candlelight Vespers, Christmas Midnight Divine Service and Christmas Morning Divine Service. May all of my readers and all Christians everywhere faithfully gather at the wonder of Immanuel, God with us, in Word and Sacrament tonight and tomorrow.

Christmas Meditations from the Fathers

Bethlehem has opened Eden: Come, let us see! We have found joy hidden! Come, let us take possession of the paradise within the cave. There the unwatered stem has appeared, from which forgiveness blossoms forth! There the undug well is found from which David longed to drink of old! There the Virgin has borne a child, and at once the thirst of Adam and David is made to cease. Therefore let us hasten to this place where for our sake the eternal God was born as a little child!
Ikos of the Nativity of the Lord.

He was a baby and a child, so that you may be a perfect human. He was wrapped in swaddling clothes, so that you may be freed from the snares of death. He was in a manger, so that you may be in the altar. He was on earth that you may be in the stars. He had no other place in the inn, so that you may have many mansions in the heavens. He, being rich, became poor for your sakes, that through his poverty you might be rich. Therefore His poverty is our inheritance, and the Lord’s weakness is our virtue. He chose to lack for Himself, that He may abound for all. The sobs of that appaling infancy cleanse me, those tears wash away my sins. Therefore, Lord Jesus, I owe more to your sufferings because I was redeemed than I do to works for which I was created.
Ambrose, Exposition of the Gospel of Luke 2:41-42.

Commemoration Days

This summer at Good Shepherd we have been observing the commemoration days and festivals of saints in Lutheran Service Book. I have been moving the festival to the preceding Sunday. It has been nice because it breaks up the sea of green. There are some downsides and I don't think I would do it every summer. There is something lost with the continuity of the pericopal readings and there is only so much you can say about the saints: they were all sinners in need of God's forgiveness in Christ; they all lived in the mercy and grace of our Lord Jesus; they all present faithful examples of lives lived in the faith.

One nice thing, from a theological point of view, is celebrating the saints during the season of the Church is a great way to emphasize what the church is; "the congregation of true saints and believers." It also brings a great opportunity to teach what Lutheranism is: holy, catholic, apostolic and confessional.

More from Walther on the Ascension

"What a glorious work, rich in comfort and joy, is Christ's ascension for all who believe in Him! It turned everything that had previously bound our soul into our prisoner. By our nature, we are all prisoners and servants of sin so we must do what sin wants. But by Christ's ascension, sin is now our prisoner and it must do what we want. It can still tempt us, but even this must turn out for the best for us. For if there were no longer any temptations to sin, our faith would soon grow cold, prayer would become lukewarm, and the Word would be considered and studied lazily. Sin must serve to double our zeal against it and to grasp Christ and His grace all the more firmly so it may be said even of sin, 'For those who love God all things work together for good'"(Romans 8:28).

Ascension Evening Hymn of Praise

On Christ's ascension I now build
The hope of my ascension;
This hope alone has always stilled

All doubt and apprehension;

For where the Head is, there as well

I know His members are to dwell

When Christ will come and call them.

+ + +

Since Christ returned to claim His throne,

Great gifts for me obtaining,

My heart will rest in Him alone,

No others rest remaining;

For where my treasure went before,

There all my thoughts will ever soar

To still their deepest yearning.

+ + +

O grant, dear Lord, this grace to me,

Recalling Your ascension,

That I may serve You faithfully

In thanks for my redemption;

And then, when all my days will cease,

Let me depart in joy and peace

In answer to my pleading.*

* LSB 492

The Ascension of our Lord

On this Ascension Day, consider the comforting words of Dr. CFW Walther, Pastor and Confessor, in the CPH daily devotional God Grant It:

"When we consider Christ's ascension according to the clear witness of Holy Scripture, we find a certain foundation for a joyful faith. He has not removed Himself from His Church. Instead, He is now, as God and Man, extending His grace, help, and protection in all places. As Aaron wore on his breastplate the names of the tribes of Israel when he entered the Holy of Holies, so Christ, appearing as the true High Priest before God in heaven, wears the names of all believers on His heart. There, He prays without ceasing for His own, and He rules them, cares for them, and protects them so the gates of hell cannot overpower them."

+ + +

We thank Thee, Jesus, dearest Friend,

That Thou didst into heaven ascend.

O blessed Savior, bid us live

And strength to soul and body give.

Hallelujah! Amen.*

+ + +

* The Lutheran Hymnal 223:1

C. F. W. Walther, Doctor and Confessor

Today the Church gives thanks for the faithful witness and teaching of CFW Walther.
The following link gives some great information and devotional thoughts on our beloved Dr. Walther.
Aardvark Alley: C. F. W. Walther, Doctor and Confessor

Issues, Etc. also had an interesting piece on Dr. Walther yesterday. Download the audio here: KFUO WMA audio

To read some of Walter's wonderful Law/Gospel works, check out the daily devotional from CPH, God Grant It.

CHRIST IS RISEN!

HE IS RISEN INDEED!ALLELUIA!

A Blessed Feast of the Resurrection!

Good Friday

Does it please you to go through all of My pain and to experience grief with Me?
Then consider the plots against Me and the irreverent price of My innocent blood.
Consider the disciple’s pretended kisses, the crowd’s insults and abuse,
and, even more, the mocking blows and accusing tongues.
Imagine the false witness, Pilate’s cursed judgment, the immense cross pressed on My shoulders and tired back, and My painful steps to a dreadful death.
Study Me from head to foot. I am deserted and lifted high up above My beloved mother.
See My hair clotted with blood, and My head encircled with cruel thorns.
For a stream of blood is pouring down like rain on all sides of My Divine face.
Observe My sunken, sightless eyes and My beaten cheeks.
See My parched tongue that was poisoned with gall. My face is pale with death.
Look at My hands that have been pierced with nails and My drawn-out arms.
See the great wound in My side and the blood streaming from it.
Imagine My pierced feet and blood-stained limbs.
Then bow, and with weeping adore the wood of the cross.
With a humble face, stoop to the earth that is wet with innocent blood.
Sprinkle it with tears, and carry Me and My encouragement in your devoted heart.

Poem on the Passion of the Lord, Lactantius (authorship questioned), from Day by Day with the Early Church Fathers, 1999 Hendrickson Publishers