An Unofficial Fun Poll

Please put your answer to the following question in the comments (if you comment on Facebook I will transfer it to the blog with your name):
If you were given the great honor and responsibility to re-name your current church or to start a new congregation and name it, what would you name it and why? (This poll is open to all denominations, however, any comment without the reason why you gave it that name will be deleted)

I'll start: Holy Archangels Evangelical Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod

Why? The Holy Archangels are God's sacred messengers sent to give the good news of the coming of His Messiah, Jesus Christ. St. Gabriel appeared to Zechariah, giving him the news of the coming Forerunner and the coming Christ (Luke1:5-24) and again proclaimed the birth of the Christ to the blessed Virgin Mary (Luke 1:26-38)

The Archangel, St. Michael, is also a holy messenger of God whose name means "who is like God". Not only does Michael proclaim God's Word faithfully, as when contending with the devil over the body of Moses (Jude 1:9), he also is given the charge over the angel legions to wage war against Satan and cast him into the pit (Daniel 12, Revelation 12:7-17) Because of this power over Satan and his name, some theologians think Michael the archangel is at least a type of Christ if not Christ Himself (sermon on the Feast of St. Michael and All Angels preached by Rev'd President Matthew Harrison from Issues, etc.)

Since the Holy Archangels deliver God's message of Law and Gospel faithfully and perfectly, as well as proclaiming the Incarnate Lord, I think it is a wonderful confession to name a church Holy Archangels because this is what we must always be doing in Christ's Church.

From "Roemke's Dogmatics, vol. I" On Heresies

Poop Brownie-A little bit of heresy mixed with what looks to be, for the most part, orthodox theology. A poop brownie (Lat. Fecal Crustulum, lit. "poo-pastry") is most often found in a church that says it believes in the "fundamentals" of Christianity but rejects those fundamentals with heretical or unorthodox practice (as in the Divine Service).

The point: no matter how much or how little poop may be in a brownie, and no matter how good the brownie may be otherwise, it would not be prudent or wise to eat a brownie with any amount of known poop in the mix.

This point was made in Bible Study this morning while discussing Pietism, Rationalism, Romanticism and Revivalism as an introduction to the study of Walther's Law and Gospel

Witness, Mercy, Life Together

Wow! What more can be said? What beautiful words to hold up together as Christ's Church in the Missouri Synod.

Witness, Mercy, Life Together

This sounds like church language, which is good considering that these words are what our new Synodical President, Rev. Matthew Harrison, is focusing on as he takes office (installation tomorrow at the Chapel of Sts. Timothy and Titus).

Read more about witness, mercy and life together.

A great sermon by Rev. William Weedon

May be listened to at Issues, etc. [Rev. Wilkens gives some commentary, which one may or may not find helpful, but the sermon is great with or without the commentary.]

A Great Interview of Issues, etc on Images in Christianity

Brian Godawa really gives the listener a lot to think of when it comes to the proper use of the senses, especially vision with images, in the Christian faith.
Listen to it here:

Emotional gods

You shall have no other gods.

What does this mean?

We should fear, love, and trust in God above all things.

When we hear this, we are often distracted by things. Like money, cars, and anything else that falls within the category of Mammon. But how often are we deceived by the evil foe into making gods out of our emotions? Especially when it comes to worship? For example, perhaps you have thought sometime before, during or after the Divine Service: "This service/church/liturgy/pastor/music/etc. makes me feel bored so it must not really mean anything." You have made your own emotion of happiness, joy, excitement or boredom more important than God Almighty.

When Elijah heard the threats of Jezebel in I Kings 19, he allowed his fear for his own life to become a god that was more powerful than the true God of whom he was a humble prophet. Every footfall that took him farther from Jezebel and closer to perceived safety was a creed confessing his belief in his own fear.

Emotions are not the be-all and end-all measure of whether or not something is true. They often deceive, lead astray, tempt, lie and even kill. Emotions certainly have their place, but even the fact that I always feel compelled to make that disclaimer shows just how dangerous the temptation to deify our feelings is.

We are to fear, love, and trust in God above all things, that includes our emotions. Satan will do everything he can to try to keep us focused on how we feel about our relationship to God, but ultimately, we must trust that God has loved us with an ever-lasting love and we see that in His Word and in the blessed Sacraments which He gives to His people for the sake of His holy, precious and adorable Son, Jesus Christ.

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.

Why ought we to pray without ceasing?

Here is a wonderful story, adapted from the Grimm Brothers Fairy Tales that illustrates beautifully the reason we ought to pray without ceasing.

There once was a sly, cunning old Fox that roamed the world. Once, during his roaming, he came to a meadow in which was a flock of fine fat geese. When he saw these fine fat geese he smiled and said to them, "I come at the nick of time, you are sitting together quite beautifully, so that I can eat you up one afte the other." The geese cackled with terror, sprang up, and began to wail and beg piteously for their lives. But the sly, cunning old Fox would listen to nothing, he had heard all the wails and begging before. He looked at them very cooly and said, "There is no mercy to be had! You must die."

One of the smarter geese mustered up her courage and said, "If we poor geese are to yield up our vigorous young lives, show us the only possible favor and allow us one more prayer, that we may not die in our sins, and then we will place ourselves in a row, so that you can eat us all up from the fattest to the thinnest." "Yes," said the Fox, "that is a reasonable request. Pray away, I will wait till you are done." Then the first began a good long prayer, forever saying, "Lord, have mercy!" and as she would make no end, the second did not wait until her turn came, but began also, "Lord, have mercy!" The third and fourth followed her, and soon they were all cackling together seeking mercy from their Maker.

When they have done praying, the story shall be continued further, but at present they are still praying, and they show no sign of stopping.

Issues, etc and the Second Petition of the Lord's Prayer

This Thursday, December 4th (Also the commemoration of John of Damascus) I will be participating in a Pastor's Roundtable on Issues, etc on the Second Article of the Lord's Prayer from 4-5 pm Eastern Time. Hope you can listen!

Divine Service 5 and Bearing with one another

Yesterday Good Shepherd celebrated the Holy Mysteries and received the Blessed gifts of Word and Sacrament in the 5th setting of the Divine Service from the Lutheran Service Book. I think it is very important for Lutheran pastors to present all of the services in the new hymnal on a regular basis. The reason for this: so that we all learn how to bear with one another.

Since I have been their pastor, Good Shepherd has used every service except Morning and Evening Prayer (and we will use those soon). In learning some of the new services I have gotten a lot of feedback, both good and bad about the services. That is good! In just about every service we have used I have had some people who absolutely loved them and others who absolutely hated them. I myself like some services better than others. This is a good lesson for Christians, it teaches us to bear with one another in love. And that is the lesson I try to teach my dear sheep. Sure, you may not like Divine Service 2, you may not like that I chant the Verbum in some verses, I may not like the less formal feel of Divine Service 4, but the Divine Service is not given for our entertainment, it is given as a vehicle for transporting the Word and Sacraments. As Christians who love one another, we gladly bear with a service we may not like for the benefit of our brothers and sisters. This is what Christian love and charity demands. And this is the beauty of Lutheranism. It is not about everyone doing their own thing, it is about everyone bearing with one another in love and patience. It is not about everyone doing what is right in their own eyes, but it is about bearing our crosses (and that may very well be the Lutheran Service Book or one of the services in it, or the liturgy in general). This is what it means to be Lutheran.

The Crucifix...

is only TOO Catholic if Christ only died on the cross of Roman Catholics. I was listening recently to an archived episode from Issues, etc. with Rev. James Wetzstein on Church Architecture (see March 18, 2007). Several of the callers (so far) have expressed their distress at having to "nice" of a church. One caller in particular made that "ol' time religion" (read, generic American protestant dribble) argument that we don't need to keep putting Christ on the cross. I'm sure any pastor who has ever had this conversation is tired of hearing about "my Jesus" that people seem to think is somehow different than the Jesus who died for their sins. "My Jesus isn't on that cross anymore!" "My Jesus is Resurrected! Take that awful thing off the altar (or out of the sanctuary)!" "I'm not Catholic!!! My Jesus is alive!"

Those arguments are all dangerously bordering on mocking that most precious gift of God in the sacrifice of His Son for YOU! Your Jesus did die for your sins! Your Jesus bore the burden of every sinful, blasphemous, mocking thought! Your Jesus did hang on that cross for you, He bled for you, suffered for you and died for you! If that isn't YOUR Jesus on the cross, then its not YOUR Jesus who was raised and it is not YOUR Jesus who continuously offers His own Body and Blood for your forgiveness.

Enough of this foolish argument. Christ died for sinners, of which I am chief! We preach Christ crucified. Look to Him on the cross and give thanks for the loving-kindness and steadfast love of the Triune God offered on the altar of the Cross.

A Question of Christian Freedom

Is it permissible for thoroughly Lutheran Christians to use prayer beads (ala rosary) in their daily devotional lives? I don't mean to ask is it permissible for Lutherans to pray to Mary using a rosary, but to pray using beads or a rosary.

What do you think? Is this too "hyper-ritualistic"? Let's use our heads to rationally discuss this issue. I have some thoughts that I will keep to myself until after some discussion has ensued.

Sorry, First (Insert Denominational Title Here) Church, someone beat you too it!

This fascinating news story tells of the discovery of the "first church," supposedly the church of the 70 with a mosaic describing the charter members as "the 70 beloved by God and Divine." I look forward to hearing more about this one.

Technicolor Theology

That's what I always think of when I watch those Biblical epics from the 50's and 60's (think Charleton Heston in the Ten Commandments, or older CPH "art"). I think this portrayal of Biblical figures and events has greatly influenced our thinking of Scripture and Christ. Everything is perfect, the colors all vibrant, the characters beautiful or majestic. Not a hair out of place, not a speck of dirt on any one's clothes. In other words, these people were not human. And it has hurt at least one whole generation's view of their faith. This "technicolor theology" is just as bad as the prosperity gospel in that it has given such a perfect view of the lives of the faithful. I have seen the dangers of this first hand. "Pastor, why do we need a crucifix? It is so dark!" So, what has replaced the truth of our faith? Bright pictures and saccharin worship that has given the church a bad case of spiritual diabetes. Jesus smiling, or worse, laughing, has distorted our understanding of who Christ is and the purpose of His coming. It was not to smile or laugh or to make us smile or laugh. It was not to make us feel warm fuzzies, as if He were some sort of heavenly Lawrence Welk (note: Welkian Theology is closely related to Technicolor Theology--both are fake!) with the lovely Andrew Sisters singing "So Long, Farewell" at the Ascension.

Christ came to earth to DIE for SINNERS! It was a dirty and grimy job. It was often thankless and unappreciated. People are not good, they do get dirty and in fact they ARE dirty, down to the very fiber of their beings. We are so disgustingly filthy with sin. And this is why "technicolor theology" is so attractive. It tricks us into thinking we came from a idyllic, epic, majestic, beautiful spiritual lineage. It ultimately would trick us into believing that we can obtain that technicolor glory on our own. It lulls us into a false sense of security. Behind the glitz and glitter, Satan is cunningly whispering, "See, you're not that bad. Look at the power you have, you can cover any blemish so well no one will ever see it!"

And we do try to cover the blemishes. When Christ walked the earth they whitewashed their tombs, today we present our faith in brilliant technicolor. But when it comes down to it, be it technicolor or the latest high def picture, it is all infected with sin and grime. When it comes down to it, anything that takes our eyes off of Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the CROSS, is an idol.

Don't get me wrong, you can watch your technicolor Biblical Epics and enjoy them. You can think Lawrence Welk is truly "wunnerful," but beware the effect those temporal entertainments may have on your faith.

Maintenance or Mission--Which one will get you there?

We just got back from a very nice vacation. We drove from western Michigan to Northeast Indiana to St. Louis, Missouri, to Warsaw, Missouri back again to Western Michigan--about 1800 miles in all. As we were driving something became abundantly clear to me--we spend ENTIRELY TOO MUCH TIME and MONEY on MAINTENANCE!!

That whole trip I never once FELT the importance of spending money on oil changes or tires. Sure, it could be argued that had I not spent the time and money on gas, oil changes, tires, brake repairs, air filters, wiper blades, wiper fluid, insurance, registration, etc. we would not be able to drive, but I don't buy it!!

What we really need to do with our cars is make them MISSIONAL!! That's right, it makes perfect sense. We use cars to get places, they take us on our missions, so we need to invest all of our car money into the MISSION of auto-ownership! Our car trip would have been much nicer had we had more room. Think of all the extra seats we could put into our car if we just didn't buy gas. And if we would cut out oil changes we could make those extra seats leather with massagers, cut out tire maintenance and those seats could be heated and cooled!!

If we stopped wasting all of our time and resources "maintaining" we could have high-def, flat-screen DVD players for all the passengers. Everyone could have their own choice of seat type, climate control, and entertainment choices. Why stop there? Why not give everyone their own STEERING WHEEL!!! If it wasn't for all that wasted time and money on maintaining we could make the mission of car ownership a truly spiritual and self-satisfying experience for all.

But, then again, if I would have done that I would not have made it to my destination. Oh well, at least I wouldn't be labeled a "maintenance" car owner!!

Burdening God

No one ever wants to be a burden to their loved ones. We want to be the ones who help, who comfort, who bear the burdens of others. I have been a pastor for a short time, but already, that has been one of the biggest fears I have encountered, "I just don't want to be a burden."

And yet, we are a burden to God. We burdened Him on the cross, we burden Him with our sinful pride, we burden Him by refusing to let ourselves recognize that we are a burden.

I think that is why Jesus emphasized child-like faith. Children are fist and foremost a burden. This is not a criticism of children, it is just the truth. I can see the burden our child puts on my wife's body. I can see the burden I put on my parents as a child. I do not feel bad about that. Children never do feel bad about burdening their parents. It was what we must do. In order to survive childhood, we must be a burden at some point.

This is why a child-like faith is so important. It is not that it is innocent, on the contrary, a child-like faith is one that happily burdens our Lord. A child-like faith is one that looks at the burden of Christ crucified and says, "Thanks, daddy!" A child-like faith lives in the simplicity and peace of depending on another so completely that every thing it does is borne by the love of another. This is the faith we are called to have. In reality, we can have no other faith. Faith that does not burden God is no faith at all. Hence our Lord's words, "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." (St. Matthew 11:28-30)

And maybe this being a burden is why some find the crucified Lord so disturbing. The thought of burdening another is so utterly repellant to them that they run the risk of missing the beauty of the Gospel. It is always important to remember that Christ Crucified is both Law and Gospel. And this is what we preach.

Our Heavenly Heritage

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, our country saw an explosion of immigration from several European countries. This is not really all that new, our country is, after all, technically made up of entirely of immigrants. What was interesting about that wave of immigration was that it presented a much larger scale problem for U.S. culture. The problem of assimilation. It is a problem we face with the increasing immigration from Mexico and Latin America today. How much of your native land do you hold on to and how much do you assimilate and become like the new land?

I think it is funny when older people, especially 1st or 2nd generation German-Americans, complain about Hispanic immigrants not learning the language. Truthfully, if there had not been two devastating wars in which Germany was a very big pain in the butt (to say the least), many Midwestern Lutheran Churches would still be having exclusively German services, there would be exclusive German neighborhoods, businesses, schools, libraries, etc.

This struggle with assimilation into a new culture is a very real struggle with Christians. We must never forget that, as Christians, this worldly truly is not our home. We are foreigners, strangers in a strange land. So, how much of our heavenly heritage do we hold on to and in what ways can we be like our present culture? Over and over again Scripture tells us that we cannot assimilate one bit. It is, in fact, impossible because we are dead to sin and alive to Christ.

It is part of the pastoral office to maintain our heavenly heritage. That's one very good reason why we do not simply do things the same on Sunday as we do the rest of the week. Our worship should be the last place we assimilate, and yet it is often the first place. My Fathers would weep to know of my limited knowledge of their native language. They would find it inconceivable that I do not have the German Small Catechism memorized. They would wonder if I were, in fact, truly Lutheran.

Perhaps our church Fathers would also weep to know of our limited knowledge of the native language of the Church, the divine liturgy. They, I'm sure, would find it inconceivable how little I know about the doctrines and struggles of the Church, perhaps they would even wonder, from all outward appearances, if I were even a Christian at all.

Our heavenly heritage is of great importance. While assimilation is a tempting thing, it is not an option for one who truly loves and longs to return to the Fatherland.

Everything I need to know about Life in Christ, I learned in the Divine Service

1. There is one God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit and He has marked me as His own by the Cross of Christ. (Invocation)

2. I am sinful and deserve nothing from God except His wrath and punishment. If I don't believe and confess this I am a liar. (Confession)

3. Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for me and for Christ's sake, He forgives me all of my sins. So that I would believe that more completely, God has called and ordained certain men to assure me of my temporal and eternal forgiveness. (Absolution)

4. As a forgiven child of God, I am invited and commanded to offer Him my prayer and praise. I may come into His divine and glorious presence for He has had mercy on me.(Service of the Word: Psalm/Introit, Kyrie, Hymn of Praise, Salutation and Collect of the Day)

5. Holy Scripture is the Word of the Lord, it does not contain some of the Word of the Lord, but is wholly, without doubt the complete Word of God, for this reason, I give God thanks. (Readings and their responses)

6. The Holy Gospel is Christ speaking. Where else can I go to find eternal life? Because of this the Church raises up her alleluias of praise. (Alleluia and Verse)

7. I believe in God the Father Almighty, and in One Lord Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Spirit. My faith is my own but it is the same as the Church throughout time. I cannot rely on anyone else's faith for my eternal salvation. (The Creed)

8. God's love for me is so great that He has given me a trained and ordained pastor and preacher, that His Word may be delivered to me in its truth and purity, that I may be convicted by God's Law and learn to live under it and that I may see with new sweetness and thanksgiving the life-giving and freeing Gospel of Jesus Christ. (Sermon)

9. Again, God calls me to come directly to Him in prayer. There is one Mediator between God and man, the one man, Jesus Christ. In His name I join with the Church, offering up prayers and petitions and thanksgiving for all things. (Prayer of the Church)

10. I am blessed to give God's Church a part of the blessings God has given me so that the work of the Gospel, namely the ministry of Word and Sacrament, may continue through His called and ordained servants. (Offering and Offertory)

11. The Lord is with us so we lift our hearts and give thanks, singing Him songs of praise, the very angelic hymn, which confesses our Holy Triune God to be almighty and having salvation in His wings. (Preface, Sanctus and Proper Preface)

12. God loves me so much that He has graciously taught me to pray. (Lord's Prayer)

13. Jesus Christ, the Son of God and the Son of Mary, has given me His own body and blood as He says in His Gospel which is the true and complete Word of God. The bread and wine that we receive as a testament of the Lord's death are truly what He says they are, that is Body and Blood given for our forgiveness. (Words of Institution)

14. The Peace of the Lord is found in His Eucharist which gives us Christ and the forgiveness of sins. (Pax Domini)

15. I recognize Christ in the Sacrament by the words of St. John the Baptizer and Forerunner: Lamb of God, You take away the sin of the world. (Agnus Dei)

16. Again, God in His all-availing love, has not left me to my own reason and experience to know that He comes to us in the body and blood, but has called and ordained certain men to give us and assure us that we receive the body and blood of Christ for the forgiveness of sins. (Distribution)

17. My response to God's mercy and kindness is a canticle of praise, either thanking our Lord and singing His praise, or asking Him to bless us with peace for the gift of His salvation, and coming before Him in prayer. (Post-Communion Canticle and Collect)

18. I leave this beautiful presence of the Lord, again reminded that it is in the name of the Triune God that I received and continue to receive all blessings, namely the forgiveness of sins, life and salvation. (Benediction)

19. Amen, that is, it shall be done.

The Grammar of Devotional Living

I have the great opportunity to teach three classes at West Michigan Lutheran High School in Kentwood. The class is on the Lutheran Confessions, but, since I am just "subbing" I was told I could teach on whatever topic I wanted to. Lutheran Devotional living is a very near and dear topic to me. I have found such great comfort in truly Lutheran devotional living, that is, centered around the good gifts of Word and Sacrament and focused on the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Tomorrow I am going to introduce the kids to the idea that the Liturgy serves as a grammar for devotional living and the language of devotion. I remember when I was their age I could not for the life of me understand why the liturgy was so important, but, through my own study, I have come to value it as the grammatical framework for how we interact and speak to God. The Liturgy teaches us how to pray using God's own Word. It teaches us to deny ourselves and take up the cross. It teaches us to set our minds on things above and to fix our eyes on Jesus.

Like any grammatical system, the Liturgy is not something you can look at once and learn. It takes time and effort, but it is well worth it. In addition to teaching us the framework of worship and prayer, it has the unique characteristic of all languages in that it binds all the people who speak it. Our historic Liturgies give us that linguistic connection with all the other saints who have learned to speak this biblical language. So, when we say we in the Eucharistic liturgy that we say with angels and archangels and all the company of heaven the Sanctus, we are truly in holy conversation with the invisible and eternal Church; and the Liturgy is the grammar of the Church's language.

To me, these ideas are all very new, but I'm sure I'm not the first one to think of them. I pray that all my readers and especially all Lutherans, would strive to learn this beautiful heavenly language of the Liturgy, that we may always speak with the Holy Church through all ages.