Baptismal Life

Why I admire the United Methodist Church. (Sometimes)

2011-03-28T21:03:00.000-07:00

I am about to attend a meeting with a number of denominations discussing poverty in our local area and how the churches can help out. It is a striking issue in the St. Cloud, MN area. In a local school district over 85% of children qualify for reduced lunch. Statistically when a school district is over 60% it can no longer support itself. This is a justice issue that can not be ignored.

**Just so everyone knows, I am not about to start an ecumenical worship service, open communion, or promote different denominational superiority. However, this is an issue that we as conservative LCMS congregations need to at least talk to people about ways to intervene.

What is particularly unique about my discussions with leaders of this endeavor is that they were surprised that I even called back. They said, "We usually only hear back from the Methodist." They indicated that often it is the lay people that drive justice issues, especially help for the poor. Isn't that amazing. We Lutherans have a tough time attending a meeting and the Methodist are first in line. Wow!

I admire the energy and support the United Methodist Church has for things like poverty. It goes without saying that I disagree with their views on the authority of the Word of God, understanding of place of men and women, and views on the Lord's Supper, but in this case I admire them. Have you experienced something similar?

What makes a Lutheran merciful?

2011-01-10T13:22:00.000-08:00

Welcome to another installment of "What Makes a Lutheran?"! Last post we discussed what makes a Lutheran so Hungry, hungry for life and salvation through a little bread and a little wine in the Lord’s Supper. This post we will continue with “What Makes a Lutheran-Merciful?” By means of the cross, the Sacraments of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper, what makes a Lutheran serve his neighbor wholeheartedly without asking for anything in return?

“Serve?” my friend asked with a quizzical look. “Oh, no I do not serve. I’m Lutheran. We are saved by grace!!!” This was a conversation between one of my friends who was a lifelong Lutheran and a non-denominational church attender. My Lutheran friend responded confidently when asked how he serves the church and the world. Unfortunately this reaction gives a false impression on what it actually means to be a Lutheran in the realm of merciful service to our world. We will most commonly use the “saved by grace” card in an attempt to overlook our laziness and lack of care for our neighbor. This line of thought is not only against what it means to be a confessing Lutheran, but more importantly is counter what God has revealed to us through Holy Scripture.

As God’s people we are called to serve! Scripture continually points us to merciful service to all people at all times. As He tells us in the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) and with greatest commandment to “love our neighbor as ourselves” (Mark 12). However, service does not begin with us, but it begins with the gifts that He gives through worship. As He works on us through the worship service, transformed by His Word, washed clean through Baptism, and strengthened by the Lord’s Supper, He throws us out to have mercy on our neighbors in their time of need. Christ continually showed mercy to people during His life on earth and in return we in the Christian community are sent out to be on the frontlines of service to our neighbors.

Most often the question then arises, “O.k., then who is my neighbor?” My next door neighbor? my fellow Sartell resident? my fellow U.S. citizen? or the little child in Africa? The simple answer to this question is…EVERYONE! Your next door neighbor, the Sartell resident, the poor man under the bridge, the rich man in a mansion, the starving children in Africa, and the child who is still in their mother’s womb. They are all your neighbor.

If this is our calling, where do we begin this seemingly impossible endeavor? It is actually very simple: it begins in worship receiving God’s gifts through Word and Sacrament. It extends to our family members, our church family, our physical neighborhood, Saint Cloud, our country, and to the world. We look around us and determine through prayer whom we can serve the best, not to be saved, but BECAUSE we are saved by the precious blood of Christ.

Christ have mercy. Lord have mercy. Christ have mercy.

Epiphany Greeting from President Harrison

2011-01-07T11:46:00.000-08:00

Blessed Epiphany and New Year from President Harrison from VimeoLCMS on Vimeo.

In government we trust?

2011-01-07T07:16:00.000-08:00

The other day I was having a discussion with someone concerning gay marriage. In the discussion the individual made the argument that it wasn't up to us to stop someone from doing something unless it hurt someone else or took away their rights (life, liberty, pursuit of happiness). At the end of the discussion, it was determined that he would be against making drugs illegal, rules on marriage, or anything that had to do with individual choice even if it was hurting that person.

Now, what I realized was that the god for this individual was solely the government ideology. Evidently he would have to change that ideal if he lived in another country, but the government gave him the standards and the rest was up to him. I wonder how many of us as Chrsitians live the same way. Yes, we would admit we believe in God, but ultimately we live by the rules of America more than Him. To this point in history, American and Christianity were very similar so it wasn't a really big deal. However, when the government starts to change, what will the 21st century Christian do? Follow the government or follow God? What if the government proclaims gay marriage as o.k., continues with abortion, tells churches that they no longer can proclaim sin, etc? Are we to just accept it or live differently?

All of us as Christians need to step back and really evaluate what it means to be a Christian? What does it mean to believe in a living God that gives us life and breath and what does that faith mean when the government (even Republicans) goes against them? Are we going to trust in God or the government? Something to think about.

What Makes a Lutheran So Hungry?

2011-01-06T14:30:00.000-08:00

Welcome to another installment of "What Makes a Lutheran?" Last post we discussed how Lutherans get “all-wet.” Through the water that hits our head in Baptism, God brought salvation and a new life. This post we will continue with “What Makes a Lutheran So Hungry, hungry for life and salvation through a little bread and a little wine in the Lord’s Supper.

In discussions with people from other church bodies one of the first things that they desire to discuss (or better put, argue) centers around what we believe in the Lord’s Supper. Unfortunately the conversation turns from what one believes to an ex curses on what all different denominations believe. In the mean time, we forget the great things that God does through this sacrament for our daily walk in the Lord.
So what is it that we believe? Lutherans believe that Christ is present IN, WITH, and UNDER the bread and wine in the Lord's Supper. These three prepositions emphasize the fact that Christ is actually there in the bread and wine. The elements are at the same time bread and wine and body and blood. Jesus is actually in the meal!

Most will say, but that doesn’t make any sense? Which in all reality…it doesn’t! However, God’s Word, being our sole guide in our faith and practice, points us to that understanding. When Jesus instituted the Lord's Supper he said, "This IS my body given for you; do this (eat the bread) in remembrance of me...This cup IS the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you." (Luke 22:19-20) Jesus says, quite plainly, that the bread and the wine are his body and blood. Paul backs him up on this when he says, "Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ?" (I Corinthians 10:16). The assumed answer to these questions is "Yes!" Paul says we are participating in the very body and blood of Christ, in other words, we are eating and drinking his body and blood in the bread and wine!

So what? What does it matter if we are actually receiving the real body and blood of Christ anyway? The point is this, we are going to struggle with sin our whole lives, therefore we are in constant need of transformation through forgivenes. Each time you partake in this gift, the living Christ lives in you and grants that forgiveness. Every time the sacrament is offered we should be running to the altar, yearning for the great gift God has given, and pray that with the Holy Spirit’s help we shall be changed until He returns again! Lord have mercy.

What makes a Lutheran all-wet?

2010-12-30T21:49:00.000-08:00

Welcome to another installment of "What Makes a Lutheran?"! Last post we discussed how the central point of the Lutheran faith is Christ and Him crucified on the Cross. Therefore, Lutherans are “Cross-eyed.” We continue these next two posts to discuss a central aspect of our theology, which separates us from other churches, especially many of your big, non-denominational churches, "What do Lutherans believe about the sacraments?"

When I entered college I had a friend who told me, “You crazy Lutherans believe that salvation only comes through baptism.” I struggled after hearing this because I thought, wait a second, isn’t it just Jesus alone? I remembered hearing the words from the hymnal in the Baptismal rite, “Baptism now saves you” from I Peter 3:21, but was Peter wrong in his words? The problem I had was that I was asking the wrong question. Of course, we are saved solely by the sacrifice of Christ on the cross for our sins. If anyone says there is salvation somewhere else, they are not Christians. However, when we look at Christ's sacrifice on the cross, a question does arise, "How do I know He died for me?" This is a question I am sure that we all have asked at one point or another. We know that Christ died for the whole world, but then we read in Ephesians 1:4-5, we hear of how God chose some people to be saved. Though St. Paul is using these verses to comfort the Ephesians, we read them and worry that we might not be part of those who are chosen to be in heaven. Though it is intended to comfort us, this doctrine of predestination often frightens us. We then ask ourselves, "How do I know I am chosen to be in heaven?

How do we know that we are among the elect? We know because God told us so in our baptisms! In Romans 6:4, Paul tells us we are buried with Christ in baptism and raised to a new life! In I Peter 3:21 the Apostle tells us that baptism now saves us through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. In Baptism, God shows you that Christ died for you because there he kills your old, sinful self with Christ on the cross and raises you from the dead to a new life with Him! In the waters of baptism, God gives Christ to you! Through the miracle of water and the Word, you are given faith in Jesus Christ. You don't have to try and figure out if you are among those who are saved any longer, God has come to you in a physical way through the water and the Word and made you His Child!

He brought faith when you were baptized, and He brings Christ every time you confess your sins and receive forgiveness. Every time you confess your sins, you once again become all wet in forgiveness, which is why us crazy Lutheran LOVE to become ALL WET in the waters of Holy Baptism.

What makes a Lutheran Cross Eyed?

2010-12-29T19:08:00.000-08:00

During my years of college, I remember going to a number of Christian gatherings that brought many people from different denominations together for Bible Study and singing Christian songs. While going to these gatherings, I noticed many differences with people from other churches from what I had learned and believed as a Lutheran. Many people talked, acted, and worshipped in a different way. And one time, a person approached me and asked, “What really is the difference of you Lutherans with the rest of us?” My response was not real strong, because in all reality, I had no idea. It was not until I entered Seminary that I was able to learn what makes us as Lutherans distinct from other denominations and also some concerns we have with what other churches believe.

For the next six posts, I will be posting , “What makes a Lutheran?” What we teach and preach as Lutherans will be different than other churches and will come from a distinctively Lutheran point of view. It is important for us to learn what it means to be Lutheran because there are churches in our community that are teaching things that we could argue are contrary to the Word of God. And as we are all searching for the truth, it is vital that we search His Word for the truth that He has given.

In this article we are going to talk about what makes a Lutheran "cross-eyed." Of course, I am not talking about something that is going to make us stare at our noses all the time. No, I am talking about what it is that keeps our eyes always focused on the cross. Our whole theology, our whole make-up, our whole existence as Lutherans is cross-eyed.

Many people these days claim that there are many ways of knowing God. They say that we can know God by experiencing him in nature, in the trees or in the mountains, or in their home watching a football game (then the question comes is God a Viking or Packer fan?). Others claim that you can only know God through some sort of religious experience, feeling, or being able to speak in unique languages.

Not so with Lutherans. We say that there is only one place to really truly know and experience God, and that is in the cross of Jesus Christ. We cannot truly know God unless we know him revealed in the life, death, and resurrection of our Messiah. The entire Bible, from the creation of the earth to the prophecies of the end times, point to the cross. If we claim to know God apart from his life, death, and resurrection for us then we do not know the true living God. For without the cross, we have no life, no forgiveness, no salvation, no hope, and no Messiah Lutheran Church.

For us Lutherans, this is the main thrust of all ministry. If we gather as a congregation and do not proclaim the message of the cross of Christ on Sunday morning, we may as well stay home. If the ministries we do on a weekly basis do not emphasize the life, death, and resurrection of Christ, we are no different than a YMCA. And if we do not live our lives cross-eyed in everything, we lose what it means to be a Church.

So let us live out our lives cross-eyed, focused on Christ on the cross, and celebrating that we as Lutherans focus our lives on a God who has given us all things!

The book of Acts-Jesus and mercy, Jesus and mercy

2010-12-15T05:54:00.000-08:00

I have read the book of Acts quite often throughout my years of seminary and now over four years in ministry. In this reading I have often tried to make the book of Acts a "guide" to how to do church. Many times trying to make a blueprint of what the church should look like today. Although one can do this is very simplistic ways, this past reading pointed me to two VERY simple realities of Acts and in all reality the whole Bible: Jesus and mercy, Jesus and mercy, Jesus and mercy.

Throughout the beginning of Acts it is a continual movement with the apostles, disciples, and believers of proclaiming Christ and then serving with His mercy. At Pentecost they proclaim Christ in different languages, people are baptized, and then they start to have everything in common. Then after Peter and John proclaim Christ to the council, the believers with even more boldness worship and serve one another. In chapter six the disciples realize they need to proclaim Christ even more, but in order to serve in mercy the appoint Stephen and the others to serve. And continually from Philip to Simon to the Eunuch it is a continuous movement of Jesus and mercy.

What does this mean? The church should do two things above everything: Jesus and mercy. Proclaim Christ and keep on doing it until the resurrection. From that proclamation serve each other, the community, and the world and then continue until the resurrection. Pretty simple huh? Lord have mercy.

Santa Claus in the Christian home?

2010-12-13T17:38:00.000-08:00

One major controversy each year that I hear and experience during the Christmas season centers on one person which is seen more during this time of year than anyone else in history: Santa Claus.

From the moment the Macy's day parade ends to Christmas Eve Night we are inundated by the jolly old fellow dressed in red and plastered on every commercial, Christmas movie, and at the center of every mall. The question arises for every Christian or at least should, "How much Santa should we have in our house this season?" For the non-Christian, I think it is a no-brainer, make Santa the center of the season because there is nothing stopping you nor requiring you to check your intentions.

So what is a Christian to do? Take your kids to Santa in the mall, leave out cookies, put a present under the tree from him, and make it look like the sleigh has gone through your yard? Or should we totally get rid of the tradition, tell your kids from a young age their is no Santa, and just center on Jesus the whole season?

Our family (sinners that we are) do not at all recognize Santa in anything that we do. I do not bring that up to make ourselves sound better than anyone else, I simply highlight it to show that life can go on without Santa. However, I do not promote anyone denying Santa in their homes and then going down the streets trying to tell others that the NEED to do the same in their homes. But is this the only option for a Christian family?

I would argue that each Christian home needs to check themselves in the following way: 1) If you do celebrate Santa, how often are we bringing him up compared to Jesus? Are we giving Jesus the Christmas Eve worship service that we go too and then Santa gets all of December and every other moment? Jesus has to be the magic, mystery, and celebration of Christmas. If he isn't, then we have other issues in our faith journey. 2) If you choose not to celebrate Santa, how are you making sure it doesn't sound like you are better than everyone else and being another Pharisee?

The main focus is this: Jesus reigns above any man in a red suite. If one is a confessing Christian, this has to be the center of all that teach in the home. May the Lord guide each of us to make Christ the center this season and repent for all of our motivations away from Him.
Lord have mercy.

Advent Greetings from Pastor Harrison

2010-12-02T07:06:00.000-08:00

Advent Blessing from President Harrison from VimeoLCMS on Vimeo.

Doesn't God want me to be happy? I deserve that..

2010-11-22T08:59:00.000-08:00

There is a common line among married people in today's world, "Doesn't God want me to be happy?" Happiness has become the new principle by which people monitor their marriage. When I have met with couple it is often said after I describe the wonders of marriage and how God ordained. "Yeah, but God wants me to be happy, right?"

The American answer is, Absolutely. You should be happy all the time and if you are not happy, then it is your spouses fault and you should get out and live a happy life. It sounds wonderful and as I write this it gives me a warm feeling as an American. However, what about the other person? Are you making them happy by this action? Are you making your kids happy? Are you making your neighbors happy? Where does individualism end and the effect on others begin? Or is it really just about me?

The answer from God is twofold, Yes God does want us happy. He wants us to live a happy, grace-filled life of forgiveness, worship, and sacrifice. However, if the definition of happy is to leave ones spouse, cheat, lie, curse, or live an immoral life then NO! God does not want us to be happy. It is like a parent telling their kids it is o.k. to beat up their brother because it makes them happy. Wait, does that make it right?

As we all look to happiness may we first realize our worldview on how happiness is defined. Then we need to realize what is right and wrong. It is not until then that we are able to effectively determine true happiness as Christians living in America.

More to come on this later.

Birth or not?

2010-11-19T08:34:00.000-08:00

In Apply Valley, MN a couple who have been trying to have children for quite some time are pregnant and asking for input from the world on whether they should have it or not? One excuse for not having it--a desire to lose more weight.

Check out the article...and vote for life on the website...Birth or not

Door to door without accepting Jesus or selling our church?

2010-11-15T09:45:00.000-08:00

"Love God, and love one another." These words told by Jesus have been proclaimed by the church since the beginning and with anything has been severely abused, misunderstood, and forgotten in the church. How do we do it? What can be done? what programs are out there? Unfortunately, we can't conceivably determine the exact way by which we should follow the great commands of Christ. This is something we all need to pray about, act accordingly, and deal with the messiness.

The other day, myself and another congregation member went door to door in our neighborhood to gather food pantry items for Catholic Charities. We walked around on the first day of snow in MN and a chillin' wind asking each person to join our church in serving those in need. To my shock, 99% of all people (that answered the door) had something to give, even one guy came back three times to make sure he gave enough.

When we got to our last house, a very nice lady who works for the city of Sartell as a police officer came by asking, "What's going on guys?" Evidently while we were going door to door, someone called the police to turn in two guys carrying grocery bags. Suspicion runs high within our culture. There was no problem, just a misunderstanding.

This is something that my first reaction was to give up. Why should we continue to do this when people will call us in? Why love people who are highly suspicious, distant, and for all intensive purposes, unloving? I understand the fear, but it does not mean we as a church don't continue to serve. We probably won't go out with hoodies and grocery bags for a time, BUT we will continue to love as Christ first loved us.

We are currently praying for the needs of Sartell to be revealed to us so that we can live out the will of Christ to those around. Lord have mercy

Oh how blessed am I? Or am I?

2010-11-05T20:14:00.000-07:00

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs shall be the kingdom of God." Matthew 5:3

I drove up to Salisbury Street in St.Louis freshly starting Seminary eager to start real ministry. My assignment was to Bethlehem Lutheran in North City to be a field worker. I was expecting an inner city church with mainly older people and no connection to the community. However, I was entering a whole different ethnic world that had the most blessed, exciting, draining ministries I have ever been around.

I remember that first day, as I looked at the run down homes, vacant lots, and many wandering people with no direction, I said to myself, "How blessed are my friends who have a suburban church."

What this showed is an extreme arrogance and selfishness on my part. We make it sound like the rich folks in suburbia are blessed and therefore the city folk have NO blessings. During my three years at this wonderful congregation, I heard them talk about blessings 10x more than any other church, but they were focused on spiritual blessings, not only possessions. Ultimately, they reminded me that blessings are not caught up in possessions (those will be gone), but in having salvation in Christ. That is the blessing that last forever.

If you are ever in the St. Louis area, stop by Bethlehem Lutheran on Salisbury Street. The people are blessed like all of us who are poor in spirit, a bunch of sinners, and we join together as the blessed ones who have Christ.

Lord have mercy

Vanity, Vanity but it hurts so good

2010-10-25T09:33:00.000-07:00

This morning I had a great workout and I am realizing that Sartell is an athletic community. There were tons of young people working out like mad men and women who had bigger biceps than me (not saying much). After the workout, my body hurts, but it is a good kind of pain. The pain that tells you that you are doing what is right for your body and you actually feel better for inflicting it on yourself.

During my workout, the words of Ecclesiastes struck a cord in my heart, "Vanity, Vanity, everything is vanity." Working out can tend to be a big dark hole. I have been there, throughout college and into Seminary, I worked out all the time and not once did someone say to me, "Wow, those are huge biceps, a nice six pack, or that is a lot of weight you lift." The reality is that God has given me a body that will never be a David statue and most people believe they do. On top of that, we think that if we had the perfect body, then we will be happy. However, how many actors, athletes, and others have perfect bodies, BUT are depressed.

It has once again proven to me that our goal as Christians is to find our comfort and hope first and foremost in the cross. Nothing else will give full peace because we will never get there. And secondly, get to work, get to the gym, go for a run/walk/bike, eat a few salads, not so much soda (whoops), and get to bed early. Use the redeemed body accordingly and to His glory.

The new compact Lutheran Study Bible...check it out

2010-10-21T07:19:00.001-07:00

The new compact study Bible will help me feel like I can read it all quicker now... Check it out

What happens when babies die before baptism?

2010-10-19T05:36:00.000-07:00

I recently visited a family who lost twins at 20 weeks after conception. It was probably the hardest visit I have ever done. What made it even harder was that it was family. The positive part of the experience was that the babies were baptized during their 40 minutes alive and their tiny foreheads had the mark of Christ.

Yet, what happens when babies are stillborn, miscarried, or even worse, aborted? These are tough situations and ones that we do not have a direct answer from Matthew 29 :-(. Here are the basics that we know from Scripture:

1) All of us are born and conceived sinful (Psalm 51:5) and have no hope unless God intervenes.
2) God intervenes by the power of the Holy Spirit to change our hearts and gives us faith (I Corinthians 12:3)
3) God uses baptism as a physical tool to give faith for regeneration and the work of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38, I Peter 3:21)

What this means is that our hope is always on God and His work. When a child is baptized after birth, we have the physical reminder that God has worked through it. So get the children baptized ASAP. Yet, when a child dies before baptism, we depend on God being with children in the womb (Luke 1:41) and loving all people through the blood of Christ. That is all we know and can trust in at that point.

May we remember our baptisms and trust in God's grace to the situations that are not quite so clear. Lord have mercy.

For the Christian moms....thank you

2010-10-09T06:29:00.000-07:00

Can a Christian watch Ellen or Oprah?

2010-10-06T19:07:00.000-07:00

I can see the argument already, since I have been in them, "You shouldn't watch Ellen or Oprah"one person remarks and then the avid watcher says, "It isn' that bad, heck I watch it every day and I'm fine." The ironic statement is that we all assume we are fine when we all have many flaws.

This is a good question, "Can a Christian watch Ellen or Oprah and be unaffected by their ideology?" First of all, one has to rephrase the question to "Should." We all can do things and we are free in the Gospel, but the true question is should we. Let's first of all go down the list of concerns when people watch either show religiously:

1) Both women are avid promoters of deism (There is a god or gods out there). Many people mix them up as Christian due to references they occasionally use. This is more of an Oprah issue than Ellen.

2) Both women do not promote family, if anything they promote everything but family. Oprah has been an advocate to not get married because of monetary and feminist ideals. Unfortunately, many could be led to think that marriage does not bring joy. Ellen, well, two women is enough said when it comes to marriage.

3) Both women are very nice. That might seem weird to say, but since they are nice, funny, and dynamic. This can create a problem in that often we assume that nice people must be right because if they were wrong they would be evil and mean. In the post-modern world, how you say something is more important than what you say. One must discern what they say first, especially when they are so darn nice.

Now back to the question, "Should a Christian watch these shows?" Unfortunately, there is no real answer. If you are one that understands what we believe as Christians about God, morality, marriage, sexuality, and the like, then yes. Go ahead and watch these shows to understand what is going on in culture and think of the Christian worldview. I watch it from time to time to see what is going on, and I have to watch my tendency to like what my itching ears want to hear. However, if you are one that questions these things, struggle with a biblical worldview, and feel yourself leaning away from Christian ideas, then these shows are the LAST place to go. Go to the Bible, talk to your pastor or trusted Christian friends, and dig deeper.

LCMS gets a plug on Cheers...notice the Book of Concord reference

2010-09-25T22:11:00.000-07:00

Our children and growing in faith

2010-09-25T08:19:00.000-07:00

A great connection by one of our own to spiritual growth and morals....check it out

The church-people

2010-09-24T07:55:00.000-07:00

"What is the church?" Thus far we have discussed how the church is:
1) Pillar of truth (I Timothy 3:15) of God's Word.
2) The Visible Means of grace (Gospel and Sacraments)

These two distinctions eliminate many things that we often associate to be the church. The confessions made these very important distinctions due to the nature of the church in the 16th century. The church was defined more by political structure leading to the pope than it was by the Gospel and God's Word. This understanding leads us to depend on men more than on Christ (an obvious issue).

Today we look at probably the biggest distinguishing factor in this discussion in Luther's time and also in our own. "Who is the church?" The Apology of the Augsburg confession sums up who the church is in a few words, "The Church is a spiritual people." (Ap AC, VII & VIII, 12).

The old definition of church centered on the political structure, building, and membership roles. Therefore, someone could be attending church, love the pope, work on the building, and automatically be "the church." However, it is conceivable that one could do all of those things and not believe in the grace of Christ and His atoning work on the cross. So who is the church?

The Reformers centered on the people and the "invisible" church. No longer is the church only what is visible, but the church is made up of believers throughout the world no matter their denominational affiliation. "For Christ enlivens His true kingdom by His Spirit, whether it is revealed or is covered by the cross, just as the glorified Christ is the same Christ who was afflicted." (Ap AC, VII & VIII, 17). The church therefore is made up of people where the Holy Spirit has taken a dead unbelieving heart and resurrected it to faith in the Lord, Jesus Christ. We would argue this happens in our Baptism.

At the end of the day, how do we know one has true faith? By their reception of the visible means. Our judgment can only be based on their worship, reception of God's sacraments, and living a repentant life in the name of Christ. A person knows they and others are saved by God's Work which points us instantly to our Baptism (I Peter 3:21).

What is the church? Spiritual people who believe in Christ. How do we know they believe? By the phyiscal means God uses (Word and Sacrament)? Who makes the final call on who is in? God.

Lord have mercy

What is the church? Part 2

2010-09-19T13:30:00.001-07:00

What is the church? Over a week ago, I discussed how the church is manifested by the Gospel & the Sacraments. This definition does not solve the many questions that follow, but it gives us a solid beginning in discussing the essence of the church. Notice the focus is not on the people or structure but on the external means of grace.

Today, I will move forward to discuss what the church should be for the world that surrounds it. Once again, I am going back to basics and digging in the confessions and Scripture. Not only is the church about the external means, but when the world walks through the doors of a church they should see it as a "pillar of truth." (I Timothy 3:15). In the Apology of the Augsburg Confession, it is written after the external means that the church is to keep the gospel and doctrine pure from error. This would imply that the truths taught in the church do not change.

However, have we seen many changes in beliefs/doctrine? The United Church of Christ's mission statement is "God is still speaking" which comes from a theology that promotes a progressive revelation of the Holy Scriptures. This theology begins by looking to culture and then arrogantly promoting that the church can discern what God is revealing in truth apart from the Word of God. Therefore churches can promote universalism, pluralism, immoral sexuality, women's ordination and skip over certain scriptural passages because God is trumping the Bible with culture. The problem with this theology is that the truth always changes and the church is no longer a pillar, but a sandy beach always changing.

In my post-modern mindset, I must admit that the "God is still speaking" theology is quite appealing. It lets me get off the hook of pointing out someone's wrongdoing, especially my own and allow all of my unbelieving friends and family to go to a heaven without worry. Although nice, it is not the truth. And we live in the reality that truth is real and we will struggle with that until the resurrection.

Need a good reminder of the truth? First go to the creeds (Apostles, Nicene, Athanasian) and then dig deeper into the confessions. More less if it doesn't sound like what you learned as a child at church, it probably isn't the truth (assuming you grew up at a sound church). May the church be seen as a place of solid truth, truth that does not change, and truth that points to Christ our truth.

Lord have mercy

Good two kingdom theology

2010-09-18T21:04:00.000-07:00

The same, but not at all

2010-09-17T21:53:00.001-07:00

Another Friday night with four kids and yet another attempt to get out of the house by going to a restaurant. In the midst of the chaos and crazy kids, we wanted to buy a small treat/dessert. My wife reached in her pocket and gave what seemed to be a quarter, it was the same size, color and general look. However, the waiter realized that it was not American money, but a Jordanian coin. No, we have not taken a worldwide trip in the middle of having four kids in five years. The coin must have come from another store. No matter how much we would have argued that they looked the same, it would not have mattered, it is not the same. Yes they are both money and can be exchange, they are significantly different.

This moment reminds me of many people from our churches that leave the Lutheran faith and go to "non-denom" church down the road. They will proudly say, "Pastor, that church is basically the same, they just don't baptize infants." Hold the phone, since when has that been a minor theological issue? We are not discussing how they play the piano or where the pastor preaches out of, we are talking a significant difference.

Now before anybody says, "Pastor Finnern is saying non-denoms are not "Christian" let me remind everyone that disagreeing over theology does not imply we are denying the faith God gives. We can however argue/discuss why we think the others are wrong. This is my focus in this subject as I have heard the argument WAY TOO OFTEN. Here is why there is a more significant difference from a Lutheran and your typical non-denom:

1) How one comes to faith. If a church doesn't baptize infants, the most common argument is that babies can't have faith. If one does not believe that a baby can have faith, then I guess all people who can not speak, mentally handicapped, or on their death bed are out. This is a disturbing thought and much different than our understanding of faith being a gift from God alone.

2) Validity of God's work. If a church doesn't baptize infants, then they are saying that you aren't really baptized and God did nothing. That is kind of kick in the face and a huge difference.

3) Denial of God's Word. To look at I Peter 3:21 and Acts 2:38 and say that nothing happens in baptism and/or it is not for children because they don't understand is a direct denial of God's Word and the power it has. It also jumps over Romans 10:17 and faith coming from hearing the Word.

Unfortunately, I have to admit that I have made similar statements in my past. "We are all pretty much the same, don't worry about it" I would say. Until someone told me that because I had not had an "experience" I was not a true believer. That hit me hard and I knew what it was like to be judged by a Pharisee and also how often I had judged without mercy. This theological issue is one that has huge implications, huge differences, and although we are all Christians it does not mean that we would say theyare wrong on this issue.

I covet everyone's evaluation, prayers, and discernment over your church and her beliefs. Dig into God's Word and make sure the truth is being taught, especially when it comes to things like baptism and how receives faith!

Atonement, morality, and life in Grey's Anatomy

2010-09-16T21:22:00.001-07:00

Tonight was the first night that my wife and I actually sat down to watch Grey's Anatomy. I was amazed at how quickly I was hooked (by the way I do not endorse behavior, ideologies, or theological undercurrent). The producers have ran with the old ER dynamic and made a dynamic, thrilling TV series.

All TV shows need to be filtered as Christians. As believers we are not called to stay away from the world, but to be in the midst of the mess. Yet, we all must understand our weaknesses, burdens, and witness to those around us. E.g. Someone addicted to porn (or anybody really) should not watch it to find out what is going on in the world.

The reason tonight was so compelling is that it incorporated at least three themes that affect our worldview and theological understandings. These are important distinctions to know while watching this particular, modern marvel. I will give a quick view of all three:

1) Justice/atonement-A gentleman who had lost his wife at the surgeon's table searched for justice through shooting the hospital staff and struggled to make sure that all who were responsible died. Sound like real atonement?

2) Life-All the people shot struggled to survive, made amends with past sins, and the last scene showed Dr. Grey having a miscarriage and (gasp!) mourning the loss of a tiny group of cells (A.k.a. baby).

3) Morality-Grey's anatomy is trying to make money and to do that today, you need immoral behavior, especially in the sexuality department. Of course a lesbian relationship which struggles with having children (I don't know why, maybe they are missing a father) right in the midst of a crazy guy shooting people just makes sense. In a nice change, random people weren't sleeping together all day.

I attempt to ask myself, "Why do I and others LOVE this show?" "What dangers are present for believing Christians?" "How do I use what I learn to be a better witness to the faith?"

I look forward to future shows and time spent with my wife. Lord have mercy.

Twins, the police, and the church

2010-09-16T03:42:00.000-07:00

The last few weeks have been a whirlwind. Obviously parenting four children and serving as pastor is more than enough, add to it having to watch the Twins, America's got talent, learning a little sign language, and doing a ride along with the police, and you have a full plate.

This Sunday I am wrestling with the passage from I Timothy in which Paul encourages Timothy to pray for all people. He especially instructs him to pray for kings and leaders in high positions so that we all may live a peaceful, dignified life. As I read this and wrestle with the text, the more I think the life of a baptized believer is first and foremost one of prayer. We like action, we want to get moving, get things done, yet, Scripture talks a whole lot more of prayer than "action" (I am not promoting sitting around, but this argument is made for emphasis sake).

What should we as a church do? Pray. Pray for our President, the government, those who serve our country (military, police, fire), our churches, and each other. And our prayers should always end with the main goal of God for "all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth." I Timothy 2:4

May we all pray for all people and let Him do the heavy lifting.

Prayer support at Messiah

2010-09-04T06:41:00.001-07:00

If there is any fault in the Lutheran church I would argue, revolves around prayer. Not that we don't do it, but we are put to shame by our evangelical friends who use prayer in all parts of ministry. We typically say the "little" prayer before a meeting, party, or meal and leave more prayer for other times which are more "churchy."

As God graciously hears our prayers as a loving father listens to his children, we at Messiah Lutheran are supporting missions this year in prayer. Each month we are inviting the whole church to pray for a chosen mission every day. We also invite ALL people who come to church and/or read this blog to join in this prayer. No money will be required or requested.

This month we pray for Lutheran Island Camp (LIC). LIC is a Christian camp whose main goal is to support the local church in proclaiming Christ. They offer various programs, retreats, and ministries for all churches. One focus at LIC which has brought great success is the start of the Creation-Science EnvironmentalLearning Center. Over the last few years many speakers have come to LIC (Dr. David Menton, Dr. Reed Lessing) to discuss this subject and in the future they will have their own learning center centered on learning the truths of God's Word on creation.

Please keep LIC in your prayers as we join together in the mission of Christ.

Wretched TV is awesome...check this out

2010-08-23T22:08:00.000-07:00

What the church is not,...

2010-08-23T21:19:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, we analyzed the bare bones needed to be a church. At the end of the day all we need is the Gospel purely proclaimed (God's work fully, and not ours) and the Sacraments administered correctly (forgiveness of sins and Christ living in You). This is gleaned from the Augsburg Confession and also Acts 2:42-47.

"The Church is the congregation of saints in which the Gospel is purely taught and the Sacraments are correctly administered. For the true unity of the Church it is enough to agree about the doctrine of the Gospel and the administration of the Sacrament." Augsburg Confession, Article VII.

This starts a portion of what the church is not. With this definition the church is not:

1) Potlucks
2) Buildings
3) Comfort of the pews
4) Friendliness of the people
5) Look of the pastor (thank God)
6) Signage
7) Placement of building

I will go further into some of these details. Now I know that many will come after me like gangbusters and say, "But pastor, all of those things can help the Gospel." I am not making a "strategic plan" or evaluating sociology yet. Now we are getting to the basics. I believe we all have some repenting to do because we can talk all day about improving the potlucks or buildings and never mention how we can proclaim and administer more.

Tomorrow, I will discuss what the first and foremost goal of the church should be in the community.

Lord have mercy

What is the church? Back to basics?

2010-08-22T20:55:00.001-07:00

Today, I had the honor to preside over the distribution of Christ's body and blood, preach Christ and Him crucified from the pulpit, and announce the forgiveness of sins to sinners. In this building we were able to receive His gifts and have fellowship as sinners/saints. It was church at its best.

To begin a discussion about ecclesiology (church stuff), we have to begin with the very basics. Although my goal is to dig very deep into contemporary church issues, I will begin with the bare bones of what the Scriptures/Confessions tell us of the church.

"The Church is the congregation of saints in which the Gospel is purely taught and the Sacraments are correctly administered. For the true unity of the Church it is enough to agree about the doctrine of the Gospel and the administration of the Sacrament." Augsburg Confession, Article VII.

There it is. Plain and simple. In order to be considered the church, there needs to be the Gospel and the Sacraments. Now, it is good to remember what Melancthon and the Reformers were trying to fight against in the 16th century. They were battling the Catholic church which defined the church by the political order all the way up to the Pope. The Reformers were boiling it all down to the basics to eliminate the Pope, bishops, or councils to define the church. They were not fully addressing the complexities of a "denominational" world or thinking of how unity should look when there are more than Catholics and Orthodox around.

So what do we need? The Gospel-Jesus crucified for our sins and the Sacraments (Lord's Supper & Baptism). This brings many questions: So what about a non-communion service? What about churches that do not believe those Sacraments do anything? What about doctrines such as homosexual ordination or the ordination of women? How many doctrines are needed for unity of the visible church?

These are questions we will address, but for now, think and reflect on what is ABSOLUTELY needed for the church to be the church? We start with "Gospel & Sacrament"and we will dig deeper as we go. My prayer is that your church has both of these things and not on everything else.

What is the church?

2010-08-17T09:45:00.000-07:00

During my four years of ministry I have noticed one major issue for the American church in the 21st Century: Defining the church. Most congregations are best defined by the number of programs they do. Despite attempts to streamline ministries according to a "mission statement", most congregations are made up of at least ten groups all working separately of one another. On top of that when an idea arrives, the congregation ADDS to the list as opposed to praying and effectively eliminating programs that are no longer needed.

The problem centers on a theology of the church. What is the church? Who are to be the leaders? What is the role of pastor to church worker to the priesthood? What are the core beliefs of a Lutheran Christian church? What things are adiaphora? How does a congregation work within the community to be witnesses? All of these things have never truly been answered in an effective theological framework for our world. On top of that, we have tried to define worship for decades (ever been to a conference on worship), but very little has been done to define the church by which worship is occurring!

These next few weeks, I will be presenting a working framework on the church. This will not be fully comprehensive and I am looking for input from those who read (if there are any of you). Overall, I want all of us to struggle about what the church truly is, not what we grew up with or what has always been done. But to come up with a solid, confessional theology of the church!

Lord have mercy

How can we do more?

2010-08-11T13:16:00.000-07:00

The church has just finished worship. They have received forgiveness, the sacrament, send by God's blessing and now it is time for announcements. The congregational president stands up to do his presidential duties: announcing what else needs to be done. Not only has VBS just ended, but now Sunday School begins. Then there must be more fund raising for the roof project, nominations for board positions, and a "dish to pass" for the next potluck. As each announcement flows from his mouth, you can see the people becoming less excited and a look of fatigue come across their face. "Can't we take a break?" the people lament, "We are so tired."

This is a typical scenario in the local American congregation. The saints of each church are worn out, at least the ones that take their baptismal faith serious. On top of receiving the gifts in worship and Bible study, we endlessly start new programs for all ages, fundraise just like the boy scouts, and clean up the building for hours all in the name of saving people. Often the work is tedious and very little of it is Biblical, Gospel motivated work. At the end of each year, we are tired.

Jesus gives us very basic instructions on how to be the church. He tells us to "come unto Him all who are weak and heavy laden and I will give you rest" for a reason. The life of the church should not be this hard. The Scriptures give us a simple formula for church: 1) Gospel preached, 2) Sacraments administered, 3) Serve our neighbor. Hmmm...sound at all familiar to you? Not likely.

May we scale down what we do for busy work in our churches and look to Him for rest. At the same time instead of the fund raising, programs, and meetings, let's get out and serve, serve, and serve. Maybe then people will begin to see fruits and not get tired so quickly.

Lord have mercy

Baptismal identity put to the test

2010-07-27T14:36:00.000-07:00

Today my family begins a new journey: raising four children completely on our own. Tonight as my mother in-law goes home we are left with an endeavor that will be exciting, scary, and emotional all at one time. I think we are both trying to put it all together in our minds of how we will make it through this time period. Currently we have 4 kids (the oldest being 4 years old) and we are simply two sinful parents trying to mold these kids in the ways of Christ.

This points me back to two realities of my sinful existence: 1) I will make many mistakes as a sinful father and the only saving grace is forgiveness, and 2) Since I am baptized into Christ and had the honor of receiving the Lord's Supper on Sunday, I have Christ living inside me. Therefore, it is no longer I that am doing this, but Christ who is at work.

I covet all of your prayers and at the same time I will be praying for all parents of young children as our lives turn upside down in this glorious vocation.

Close Communion beyond an announcement

2010-07-26T21:10:00.000-07:00

This Sunday was an amazing time in worship. Not only was I on a high because I was able to announce the birth of my daughter, but it also was the first time I was presiding over the body and blood of Christ "for you."

There is no greater honor as a pastor to repeat the same words as Christ over the bread and wine and distribute these gifts with the words "for you." I think we as pastors need to spend more time reflecting on the wonder and miracle we are part of.

I am a firm believer in taking the Lord's Supper very serious. In my church body, the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS) we believe in close communion. This means that we believe from passages from Acts and I Corinthians that the Lord's Supper should be taken only at altars that one has fellowship with. In practical terms this means that a LCMS member should not be communing at other altars and vice versa. This is more of a simple doctrinal stance.

Yet, I experienced on Sunday how close communion is also a physical reminder of how "close" one is to be with those surrounding them. Two older blessed women of faith, were standing next to one another as I announced, "Welcome to the Lord's Table." At that moment, one gal noticed the other becoming unstable and instantly grabbed her hand in order to keep her upright. Throughout the distribution they held onto one another and physically showed one another and the whole congregation that they were not only in doctrinal unity, but also going to hold each other up beyond the Supper. What a witness to me.

We all should think about this before we partake in the Lord's Supper wherever you attend. It makes me wonder about communing at other LCMS churches. When I stand up there, I'm not only saying that I believe in what you believe, but also saying that I will be there for you when in need. I'm not saying that therefore only commune at your home church, but I am also thinking that there are times one would not commune because of that very reason. One should ask will I help this guy next to me if in need as I am part of this close communion?

May we serve one another beyond our time in worship and may Christ who lives in you through His means empower us to do so.

Lord have mercy

Working hard for nothing

2010-07-24T06:34:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I was shopping at the local family own grocery store, Coborns. A sign indicated that if one buys $50 of food, then they will have 5 cents off every gallon for their next gas purchase. For a culture driven by cheap gas, I was one that wanted to spend $50 just for the heck of it. Why not? To save any money on gas would be an outstanding deal since prices will probably do nothing but go up.

The problem is that if I bought my groceries and the cost ended up being $45 I would automatically buy junk I do not need (ice cream, soda, candy). So in essence my hard work to get to $50 would end up in a $4.40 loss. If one actually did the math, 5 cents off a gallon for our car would equal a savings of .60. THAT IS IT? I thought to myself. I believe many people work hard in the realm of saving money when actually all the hard work gains them nothing but more in debt.

This dynamic is much like our faith life. We hear and see new ideologies that give us the idea that if we just work harder, serve on this board, give more, and go on a missions trip that we will gain more and have that spiritual experience to lift us up higher towards God. This is the ideologies that Paul warns against in Colossians 2:6-15. In those cases Jesus becomes a grocery store that promises great blessings by just doing this or that. However, in the end all the work, all the hope, all the service ends up setting a person back in their faith life. They never get ahead and lose more than they gain. I have been there in thinking that if I just did this or that, I would finally reach a spiritual uptopia and everyone would admire me.

God doesn't work that way. He tells us simply to be "rooted in Christ" and to be listeners to His grace (Luke 10:38-42). And when those things are in place, we serve in mercy to our neighbor. However, that service is done not for our gain, but for the gain of our neighbor and to listen to the commands of Christ. This reality of the Christian life is not really exciting, it doesn't promise great blessings on this earth, but it does promise something greater: God's kingdom.

May we all listen and keep to our roots in Christ. With that in place we will be blessed and have the peace of salvation.

God's miracle born July 22nd

2010-07-22T15:05:00.001-07:00

On Thursday morning, 12:31 a.m., Xavia Alice Finnern was brought into this world at 7lbs 12oz and 20.5 inches (by the way she was 3 weeks early and would have been the size of a truck if going full term!).

I can not even explain how one can see a glimpse of the original creation when you first lay eyes on your child. Here is a child that was not part of our world 10 months ago and now is a manifestation of the oneness of my wife and I. She is just amazing and as beautiful as her mother.

Our excitement and emotions are sky high as we feel that this will be our last child (I think I have an appointment to the "vet). It has been an amazing journey starting in 2005 and comes to fruition with the tiny hands and feet of Xavia. It brings to light the joys that the Lord reveals to us and the transitions we all need to make. Not only are the transitions emotional, but they are a healthy manner by which God prepares us for the next stage.

Please pray for Xavia as we eagerly await her arrival into Christ's kingdom in August and our family for strength to raise our children in Christ.

Mercy and the local hospital

2010-07-21T17:45:00.000-07:00

All the craziness these past days has brought much anxiety and frustration. At the same time, there are nuggets of joy and comfort. When we arrived it was surprising to me that the only hospital in the St. Cloud area is Catholic. As we walked the halls, we saw pictures of all the CEO's of the hospital and from 1886-1968 it was always a sister from the order of St. Benedicts.

Affiliation is different than current practice (just ask Valpo and Notre Dame). This kind of history is very typical of many hospitals/college that have "Christian roots" but have lost those roots due to monetary and secular pressure. This appears to be true at St. Cloud Hospital, BUT their mission statement blatantly points to the mercy of Jesus: "As a Catholic regional hospital, we improve the health and quality of life for the people we serve in a manner that reflects the healing mission of Jesus." Another plaque from the 1950's said, "To serve as if we are Jesus Himself."

This focus centers right to the heart of what we are to be as Biblical, Christ-centered Christians, "MERCY." We are called through our Baptism to love our neighbor and live as if we are serving Christ. In my life, I have seen this come to fruition through the vocations of the doctor and nurse. They extend not only a helpful hand, but comfort you through words and actions. Their love and care for each person is an extension of the mercy of Christ (even they don't have faith) and is a model for all of us when we work within our vocations.

Christ's blessings to all nurses and doctors who care in His name and for the Catholic hospitals that live out their original mission.

Lord have mercy.

p.s. Amy is 5 cm and just received an epideral, hence the reason I can write on this blog.

Baby is coming...

2010-07-21T12:19:00.000-07:00

We received the news yesterday that the fluid levels were low and baby will be coming sooner than thought. We have been under monitoring overnight and now starting the induction. God has truly worked through all of this. We are semi-settled in our house, started at the new church, and have family help in the meantime. This all shows God's timing is above our own.

Pictures will be coming, pray for my bride and baby, and may the Lord have mercy.

New Call, New Home, and assurance

2010-07-19T17:02:00.000-07:00

Greetings everyone. It has been awhile. My apologies. On May 15, I was blissfully settled at St. John Lutheran in North Prairie and loving my calling there. Then God threw me for a loop and now only two months later, I am serving Messiah Lutheran Church, Sartell, MN. On top of a call we have had to pack up, unpack, reorganize, bought a house, and dump the kids off to someone (mostly grandparents:-). What an amazing ride.

Over the last two months much has happened; my hometown was blasted by a tornado, the Twins fell from first and are now coming back, Brett Favre still has not announced his decision, and Rev. Matthew Harrison was elected President of the LCMS. I am amazed and humbled by the journey my wife and I have gone through.

One thing has struck me since becoming a homeowner and having to organize all the amenities we are to enjoy as an American family: the need for assurance. To buy a house you are to buy homeowners insurance, title insurance, flood insurance. This is after you change your car insurance, health insurance, disability, life insurance, and umbrella policies. Holy cats. We spend TONS of money on feeling assured that we will be o.k. in the midst of tragedy. Yet, how many of us think about the assurance of eternal life and the need of others to have that same comfort. The amazing thing is that this assurance through the blood of Christ is free, forever, and simple. May we as a church bring that assurance to our communities and point them to the true assurance in all things.

Lord have mercy

More pictures of St. John, the community center, and the school

2010-06-18T06:19:00.001-07:00

Tornado hits my home town and home church..Lord have mercy

2010-06-18T05:44:00.000-07:00

Last night my hometown, Wadena, MN was hit by a major tornado. It is quite eery to se the pictures of homes of my friends, my high school, and community center all damaged and/or destroyed. At the same time, today was to be the day for thousands of alumni of Wadena-Deer Creek to arrive for the all-school reunion. Nobody was killed, but many have lost much of what they own.

My home congregation, St. John Lutheran had extensive damage to the roof, but in other parts of the building. I pray that Pastor Steve Meltzer will be led by the Spirit to bring comfort in chaos with the mercy of Christ. May other churches in the area and within our Synod support this congregation and small town with prayer and resources in their time of need.

Acceptance of call

2010-06-18T05:39:00.001-07:00

After prayerful consideration, tears, joy, excitement, and an extended time away from blogging, my wife and I have decided that God wants us to accept the call to Messiah Lutheran Church, Sartell, MN.

The call process is excruciating. We love the saints at St. John Lutheran in North Prairie and the future looks very bright by God's grace. This Sunday the 20th will be my last Sunday and we will be installed on July 11 in Sartell. We are excited, but at the same time sad. When the Lord calls, He calls.

May the Lord of all grace keep our hearts and mind on Jesus Christ no matter where he places us.

The Divine Call and Minnesota

2010-05-26T03:57:00.000-07:00

Last week I received documentation of a Divine Call I received from Messiah Lutheran Church, Sartell, MN. The call process in our Synod is one that can cause much chaos, internal and external.

My family and I love the church we now serve, St. John Lutheran Church, North Prairie, WI. A congregation that takes the Bible and being Lutheran serious. They are especially gifted in love and care of one another. And they are on the verge of some great mission in this community.

Yet, all of those things does not mean that one does not consider a call because the Holy Spirit is leading Messiah to extend this call. I will be visiting Messiah today and greeting the saints of that congregation.

I covet everyone's prayers as we ask for the Holy Spirit to bring wisdom on where He would like us to serve.

Lord have mercy

LOST comes to an end...but what does that mean?

2010-05-25T07:19:00.000-07:00

It all came together on Sunday night. After five seasons, many questions, and many confusions the series LOST came to an end. But what in the world just happened?

My wife and I have followed LOST from its beginning while rarely missing an episode. Actually, it is kind of emotional in a weird way because it is literally the only show we still watch and one of the last things Amy and I did together before kids that we still do (although many of those things we did pale in comparison to our children)! Yet, I think we all were left with more questions than were answered. And for me, appalled at the horrible theology and it implications on religion in America.

The ending basically told us that the island was a kind of "mini-god". The island had the power to call all of the main charatcters to the island because their lives were a mess and to evaluate if they would end up being the protector of this island. The island had a main source of life right in the middle and there was an evil force that wanted to destroy it to get off the island. The ending showed all characters realizing that they were in essence a purgatory state, not able to get out until they realized they could enter heaven by their own accord.

At the very end, they all realized that they were dead. They meet in a church, Jack's father tells them that they were a special group that were called together as special people, and now were ready to enter heaven. They could choose to stay in "purgatory" OR enter heaven with all of their friends. It made for a fun story.

Some might say that it is a nice story that has no implications on our society, families, or theological world. However, as one can not swim in sewage and expect to not be affected, we have to address some concerns over the views portrayed on LOST and it affects on faith. This is vital for everyone to be able to discern, since LOST is one of the most popular and idolic shows of all time.

Here are a few issues:

1) There is no Scriptural support for a purgatory state between life and eternity. As Christians we understand a few things after we die: 1) Our spirit will be at rest, 2) Our spirit be with Jesus, and 3) Our spirit will yearn for the fulfillment of everything in the resurrection. LOST portrayed what many people want to believe; we will still have many choices after we die. The Bible simply does not indicate that.

2)Not everyone just goes to heaven. In LOST you have Sayid who is a Muslim, Charlie who is Catholic, and various forms of other religions all sitting in a Christian church walking into heaven. You have murderers, liars, cheaters, and swindlers all looking to the heavenly doors of eternity. I am NOT saying that heaven will not have those kinds of people, because it is all by the blood of Jesus. However, there was no sign of repentance, no sign of any kind of faith statement, and just the assumptions that everyone (like dogs) goes to heaven.

My Old Adam loves this theology. You are good, I'm good, we all are good. When we die, no worries we will go to a heavenly place. Get your freak on and don't worry about anything. Yet, even if I like the taste of rat poison, it does not mean it won't kill me. There is only one way to salvation, Jesus Christ (John 14:6) and the life of any believer is one of repentance and faith.

3) Feelings are not always a good guide for truth. The most common line in LOST was, "Nothing has ever felt more right than this." All characters used it at various times to justify making decisions. Most of the time they were wrong.

We love emotions, feelings, and thoughts to drive our every move in life. LOST captured what is already going on in our society. If it feels totally right in our heart, therefore it must be right. It does not matter if external matters or understandings differ, it must be right because my "spirit/feelings" are always right.

This is a minor form of what is called, "Gnosticism." Gnosticism believes that the body is BAD and spirit is good. Therefore if you are able to find out what the spirit is doing, even it is counter external means, it must be right. Give you a modern day example: If a person feels it in their heart, feelings, and thoughts that they love a person of the same sex so much as to have sexual relations, then it must be o.k. because their feelings led them to that decision. Even if the "plumbing" doesn't work, it is still the right thing due to feelings.

The flaw in this mentality is that we have a physical God, who created our bodies in His image, and He has external laws to govern his creation. When we go against these boundaries, the implications are horrendous if not deadly. Feelings are a gift from God, however, when it is the main means by which we make decisions we end up forgetting that both our spirit and body are fallen and needing Christ.

I become very concerned on how well people are discerning shows like LOST. I love LOST, it was my favorite show, and I will continue to buy the seasons on DVD. However, are people thinking about the Christian viewpoint while watching these shows or are they becoming so influenced by their theology that they are in serious threats to question and/or lose their faith.

May the Lord guide all of us as we live in the world, but not of it.

40+ years of secretarial priesthood

2010-05-22T06:27:00.000-07:00

Today we are celebrating God's work of 40+ years through our secretary Trudy Rupp. Trudy was officially hired in 1970. Yet, it actually began in the late 1950s where the church needed someone to print a few things off and the pastor who had bad eye sight needed rides.

She has served with nine pastors, at least 10 vacancy pastors, printed over 3,000 bulletins, 500 newsletters, answered over 70,000 phone calls (60,000 of which she hung up on advertisers), and lovingly cared for 100+ people who came asking for money.

Trudy's work has always centered on two things: her faith in Christ and the love of His church. Everything she has done was done with a deep understanding of the Scriptures, love of the history of her church, and simple way she "instructed" her pastors on how we do things here.

After 40+ years and becoming a foundation of St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church, North Prairie, WI, she is retiring and serving in other ways. Keep her in your prayers as she moves forward and for St. John as we continue in ministry.

Thank you Issues Etc

2010-05-21T20:41:00.000-07:00

Just when you think nobody reads your blog, friends help you out. Thank you Jeff from Issues, Etc for choosing my recent blog post, "No internet, TV, or phone for a week."

Issues Etc is my favorite talk radio program that happens to be a confessional Lutheran focus. Check it out

Is our church a friendly church?

2010-05-21T12:07:00.000-07:00

I recently visited a friend who is a pastor in the city of Chicago. The church is immaculate: beautiful sanctuary, huge steeple, marble altar, and elevated pulpit. The congregation at one time had thousands of members and people just rushed in to become part of this dynamic fellowship.

However, as people moved out, the area changed. The change was not necessarily racial or economic, but theological. There are still many people around of all ethnicities and kinds, but most have no desire to be part of a church, especially a Biblical, Christ-centered one.

With the complex history and struggle, what is the first thing this new pastor does? Bigger signs, parade floats, booths, contemporary worship service? Nope. He steps outside for at least an hour a day and now sits on the front steps. While hundreds of people walk bye his church, he and other members simply say, "hello." His main goal is to have the community see this church as a "friendly church." He continues Word and Sacrament ministry that is faithful to his calling, but he is using God giving gifts (as we say 1st article gifts in the Small Catechism) to help the community know that they are a caring community of people.

What ways is your church letting people know that you are friendly? Does the local community even know you are around? If you went door to door would they know anything about your church? What would they say?

May the Lord of wisdom, help us all find ways to be friendly churches with a powerful message.

No internet, TV, or phone for a week

2010-05-19T19:51:00.000-07:00

This past week due to weird circumstances we did not have our Time Warner bundle package (Ergo, no phone, internet, or TV). It was tough. I never realized how much we depended on these "needed essentials" for daily living. Whether it was calling family, keeping up to date in the world, or emailing for work, we felt like we were living in the stone age.

We realized one of the biggest issues with modern technology: idolatry.

There is a story from a pastor who told of a friend he had as a child that was Hindu. When he entered his friend's house, all seats faced their "house god." He thought it was very weird that something would be that important to place all furniture toward it.

Then he went home. As he looked at the layout of the family room and kitchen, ALL chairs faced the American "house god": The TV!

We have spent some good time repenting over this god and realize how quickly it can interfer with family time, devotions, and even sleep. May we all repent and look to Christ.

Great to be back in the modern world.

The Heidelberg Disputation

2010-04-23T20:09:00.000-07:00

The more I read the Heidelberg Disputation, Luther's presentation of the implications of indulgences, the more I realize how much I need Jesus. We often function in American culture with a therapeutic deism. In essence, we are pretty much o.k., but we need God to kind of fill in the pieces. The harder we try the less we will need God, unless we mess up real bad (pre-marital pregnancy, alcoholic, abuse, STD's or some things that are worse). Yet, this assumes that we have a glimmer of hope. This is exactly what Luther was addressing. Hold on tight, you may not feel better about yourself after reading:

2. Much less can human works, which are done over and over again with the aid of natural precepts, so to speak, lead to that end (Hell).

3. Although the works of man always seem attractive and good, they are nevertheless likely to be mortal sins.

4. Although the works of God are always unattractive and appear evil, they are nevertheless really eternal merits.

Ever heard someone say, "Yeah, yeah, yeah, Jesus on the cross, but let's talk about what we need to do." This helps us put in perspective. All the works we do that appear attractive and good, actually separate us more from God when we think we are good for doing it. All of our works still are tainted by sin and often our intentions are not on the people by which we serve, BUT are for our own gain. A good example is when I try to get my kids to sleep, often my motivation is not for them to get good sleep, but so that I can read, get online, or get my own sleep.

And the works of God many times seem kind of lame. The words "you are forgiven" are a far cry from the Joel Osteen message of making tons of money. Salvation forever doesn't seem as good as a new house. Water, wine, and bread are not nearly as cool as someone making a decision for Christ. But those works of God are eternal, forever, and will give us salvation. Although appearing not to be real exciting, they are the source of salvation.

May we look to His works above our own.

1518 Heidelberg Disputation and a theology of the cross

2010-04-19T04:32:00.001-07:00

To begin a discussion on being Lutheran, often we jump to the 95 Thesis from 1517. We celebrate October 31 as our day of Reformation and the findings of Justification by faith in Christ. Yet, if you look at the document it is more of a dismissal of indulgences as opposed to the pure gospel.

The starting point of Lutheran theology could easily be pointed to Luther's presentation to the Augustinian order concerning being a theologian of the cross. This is the foundation of the Lutheran tradition and takes us away from ourselves, our glory, and places it completely on the cross. Here is the introduction from www.bookofconcord.com

The Heidelberg Disputation

THEOLOGICAL THESES

Distrusting completely our own wisdom, according to that counsel of the Holy Spirit, »Do not rely on your own insight« (Prov. 3:5), we humbly present to the judgment of all those who wish to be here these theological paradoxes, so that it may become clear whether they have been deduced well or poorly from St. Paul, the especially chosen vessel and instrument of Christ, and also from St. Augustine, his most trustworthy interpreter.

The law of God, the most salutary doctrine of life, cannot advance man on his way to righteousness, but rather hinders him.

When was the last time you heard someone say that the Law was a salutary doctrine? Often we will demonize the law because it makes us feel bad, does not save, and for all intensive purposes is NOT the Gospel.

Yet, Luther begins by calling it the most salutary of doctrines because it points us to Christ. Even though the law can not advance us to God and does nothing but hinder us from perfection. The law thrusts us from self reliance to a need for a Savior. Thus it is the most salutary of doctrines.

Every time I read through the Disputation I fully feel the problem of my sinfulness and my need for Jesus. As we travel through the disputation remember your sins, your great need for atonement, but even more so the great love of our Lord.

Lord have mercy

Confessions and the Heidelberg Disputation

2010-04-16T12:50:00.001-07:00

After speaking to a number of brothers in ministry, I am amazed at how each one attempts to find ways to address current issue. Some go to their circuit counselor or District President for help. Some go to "evangelical" writings to help discern how we would evaluate it as a Lutheran. Some immerse themselves with conferences and summits. And some jump into our theological roots and infiltrate their lives into the confessions (a.k.a. the Bible!).

This is where I confess my own neglect of our own confession and maybe allow myself to be immersed into things that are outside of what we believe, teach, and confess. Take my sins and let them be!

So I have a few thoughts:

1) Anybody know of a confessional study group in South Wisconsin? Anybody interested in starting a study on the Augsburg Confession and/or Formula?

2) I will be starting an informal study on confessional writings, beginning with our Theology of the Cross in the 1518 Heidelberg Disputation.

This study will be beginning tomorrow and we will evaluate what it means to be a "theologian of the cross." Other references I will use will include the Bible (duh!) and Gerhard Forde's book, "On Being a Theologian of the cross."

May the Lord bless our time of study.

Letters to God and prayer

2010-04-16T07:05:00.000-07:00

My wife and I went out last night on a date night and saw the movie, "Letters to God." The producers of Fireproof and Facing the Giants made this very powerful movie.

The acting was marginally better than the first two, the storyline outstanding, and the evangelical undertones of "inviting Jesus" into your heart was apparent. Yet, overall, I would suggest people to see it.

The premise of the movie is around a young boy, Tyler, who was suffering with cancer. Each day he would write a letter to God asking random questions, "How many stars are there?" "God can you help my mom smile?" etc. He would give it to the mailman every day with one stamp and his letters ended up affecting many people.

He was described as God's warrior that would show God's power in the midst of weakness. And he ended up doing that. His letters ended up leading many people to faith and showed the power of prayer and telling of Jesus has (especially in trial).

I equated his letters to God as our opportunity to pray. As John Kleinig has said, "The best thing one can do for anyone is pray for them." When we pray we lay people at the feet of Jesus and he deals with them in grace and love. Most of us need to start writing prayers for our brothers and sisters, less talking of or about, and more time placing individuals at the feet of Christ.

Pastor's Conference-SWD

2010-04-14T08:22:00.000-07:00

We just finished our spring pastor's conference at Olympia Resort, Oconomowoc, WI. It is a lot of fun to meet with brother pastors, worship (without having to do anything), study the Word, and hear the new ministries in our district and Synod.

I am humbled by our district. President Wille is a caring, confessional, missional District President. Our staff and others have done an oustanding job with many different financial struggles and staff changes. Most of all, it is a district that desires to be Lutheran Christians and extending mercy mission in all areas.

Lord have mercy

Parenting: Quanity of time vs. Quality of time

2010-04-11T19:06:00.000-07:00

Family time is the most precious time a parent can ever have. The longer I am a parent, I cherish those times more than anything else I do. Yet, what should we as parents look at this time as being? Just quality time or simply quantity?

I received advice from a mentor pastor in college that when I started a family that my main goal should be quantity of time. "Because," he stated, "quantity of time will get you quality, but quality time usually ends up being NO TIME."

This is very true. How does a busy parent do this in a chaotic world. I am blessed with the opportunity to work across the street from our home and because of circumstances my wife is able to stay at home. Quantity of time is not a major issue. Yet for all families, quantity of time is possible (two working parents, part-time, etc). It is all about making it a priority. Why is it that during a major recession that the NFL, MLB, and NBA have not lost major money or revenue? Priorities.

I have seen families claim no time for family take various vacations, fishing trips, and date nights without their children. The reality of parenting is all about sacrifice. No bones about it, it often kind of stinks. I have many things I wish I could more of (read, go out, get season tickets to baseball, workout, sleep, etc). Yet, it isn't about me anymore, it is about the whole family. I repent everyday.

My encouragement is for everyone to spend QUANTITY of time with your family. Time with your family, not just your family, is a gift. He has given this to you to take care of them. If this is not happening, repent, talk to your pastor and be forgiven. If it is kind of happening, be forgiven and work harder. Don't meditate on your past sins too long and start making it a priority today.

Chief of sinner though I be.

Raising kids in today's world...Church

2010-04-10T19:43:00.000-07:00

There is nothing more exciting, beneficial, and at the same time more frustrating than taking little children to church. I speak on this subject not as one who has to deal with it much (my wife is a saint-and hot-with three little ones and being pregnant). So I speak these words with my wife in mind and also realizing that it is a huge challenge for all involved.

It is actually very simple: Go to church! Despite all the frustrations, despite there being many times that you as a parent don't "get anything" out of the service, and maybe spend most of your time running out the door with a crying child, it is worth it.

It is worth it not because of how much you get out of it, but because of the power of God's Word, his forgiveness, and the witness you are giving your children. There are times that missing church just happens. For us it happens when there is sickness and or a very bad night of sleep. At that moment, it is not worth it, yet, those are in the minority of times.

Think of it this way: Each worship service with your child is a chance to fulfill the mission of Christ: to make disciples of these little ones. It isn't always going to be about how much WE get out of it, but about the opportunity to teach our little ones what it means when the pastor says "you are forgiven", when the people stand for the Gospel reading, when the people eat the bread and drink the wine, and why the cross comes into the church. These are exciting things that carry on to our homes, work, and at school.

Next I will discuss how churches can help us parents deal with this tough dynamic of young kids and church. Since kids in church is a great benefit to all involved, not a nuisance.

Want to have 24 straight hours of Scripture? Check this out?

2010-04-10T05:24:00.000-07:00

Christian parenting and the challenges...Restoring the Family Altar

2010-04-09T17:24:00.000-07:00

The toughest part of parenting is teaching the Christian faith. This is the hardest because most poeple think that churchinizing your child is all it takes (taking them to church, maybe Sunday School, and definately confirmation).

However, very few individuals who grew up in this kind of lacklusterness in faith have moved to a serious life of following Christ. People become thankful for the "church", but talk very little about faith in the daily walk. I must admit that I have fallen into this category, in the sense of faith only be at church and life basically dealing only with worldly view.

Yet, there is a way to combat this mentality, "The Family Altar." Each family should make a point of establishing a place that is specifically for a time of prayer, Bible stories, and singing. This is an example why there is much power in owning a hymnal and following the reading schedule and prayers. The hardest part of this is getting it started since most of us never grew up with it.

A good time is right after eating. But it also might be right before bed. One person I know have specific people they pray for each night and Sunday night is to pray for each person in their family and extended family. And the tough part is that it can change from one day to the next. Yet, if we are serious about our loving God, serious about the devil working against us at every step, and desire our children to see us witness our faith, something like this needs to be done.

I already hear the argument, "I don't want to give my children too much religion." Interseting statement. I have yet to hear a parent say that they don't want their kids to have too much baseball, football, basketball, choir, camping, or traveling, but yet faith is seen to the thing that we can get too much of. I diagnose this problem with children seeing a hypocrite when they see one. If a parent forces a child to go to church all the time, but yet NEVER discusses faith and how it affects their decicion making, work, family time, politics, and how one spends his money, then YES you can get too much because there is no point. But when Christ becomes part of everything and you have a place to worship at home also, those arguments are significantly less.

Let's join together to make Christ a MAJOR part of our daily life and not just Sunday.

Parenting. Joys, ills, mistakes, and forgiveness

2010-04-08T03:59:00.000-07:00

I am a parent of three young children (4 and younger) and expecting our fourth in August. I am a mess. Besides the lack of sleep, downtime, and peace, my life is no longer my own. Yet, I would not exchange it for anything, I value every moment (even though I have selfish desires), and I marvel at what God does through the whole experience.

I marvel at how much I pray and ask God for help in all things after the birth of our first child. I marvel at the looks on my girls faces when they see a princess dress and my son's face when a truck drives by our house. I marvel at the gifts God gives to my wife whose patience, love, and excitement for parenting exceeds anything I could ever imagine. And I marvel at the amount of fear I experience every day realizing my own mortality, how fragile life is, and the many things that I can not control.

Who will release me from this stress? Thanks be to God through our Lord Jesus Christ who has had the victory.

This week I will be discussing the ins and outs of parenting. As I do not have many answers of how to do parenting right, I will be discussing more of the struggles of parenting and the need for Christ for strength and even more forgiveness.

Lord have mercy

Why do you look for the living among the dead?

2010-04-06T05:39:00.001-07:00

The angels asked the women in Luke 24, "Why do you look for the living among the dead?" They looked among dead things for something that was alive.

We have the opposite problem. We look among dead things for life. Gathering more money, buying homes, the newest Ipod or pad, more education, etc all expecting it to bring us life, yet there is always something better, more expensive, and more money to save. All of those things end up dying.

On Good Friday I went for a run between services with my son in a running stroller. When I got back home I was exhausted due to the extreme wind coming from the southwest. I placed the running stroller in the middle of our front yard and when I turned away the stroller started to roll into the busy road in front of our home. It went all the way to the road and while I was chasing it, people looked in shock as this stroller came whizzing by them. Then it hit the curb, fell over, and luckily my son was not in it!

I compare that moment to our lives. Things that look like life whiz right by us. We watch in amazement with things that promise new life, but they all go by and get thrown down right after. And there was no life in it at all.

Yet, at Easter we celebrate a God who does whiz by us, but lives right among us. Stops right in the middle of our lives in Word and Sacrament, gives our sinful lives new life, and doesn't fall by the curb but continues to live for you. As He lives, we live too.

Easter Egg Hunts and the downplay of the resurrection

2010-04-03T03:36:00.003-07:00

I have noticed a disturbing trend in the Christian and the secular realm during Easter: there does not seem to be a difference. On facebook my Christian friends and my non-Christian friends have similar posts, pictures, and reactions to this season. Their children are wearing the same outfits, they are looking forward to the same events, and are eating the same foods. Yet, they are supposed to be doing it for completely different reasons, but nobody would know.

The most glaring example concerns Easter Eggs. First of all, what does that have to do with the resurrection? Yet, Christians traditionally fight for them and a bunny to be in the churches and in their homes, without a semblance of an empty tomb or the words Alleluia anywhere. Children see many traditions for Easter and besides MAYBE going to church, it may as well be a pagan holiday.

Compare it to Christmas. There are traditions that explicitly Christian. Christmas Trees, Carols, Presents, and even Santa Claus and stockings have Christian roots. Yet, there are no traditions for Easter that even look somewhat Christian. Bunnies, eggs, chocolate, egg hunts, and bright colored clothing, all of which mean nothing to the death and resurrection of Christ.

What does this mean for the future? I'm not sure and I'm not one to predict too much from Easter Eggs. But I am perturbed by the fact that the church ends us selling out to culture and tacks on a little Jesus at the end to make it look good (a.k.a. resurrection eggs). All the while, it would be nice to see Christians at least making a chocolate empty tomb, Alleluia, and a celebration prayer in every Christian home that includes talks of resurrection, hope, excitement over new life in Jesus.

I would love suggestions on what things people have done to make this season more Christ-centered. I'm not advocating the denial of eggs, chocolate, or bunnies for Christians, but the balancing of the season to connect our faith to the season.

Good Friday worship and tradition

2010-04-03T03:26:00.001-07:00

Another powerful year of worship at St. John for Good Friday. We did the typical reading of the passion from John, used a new candelabra made by a member, a new rugged cross made by another member, and at the late service the church has never been so dark as the Christ candle left the sanctuary.

The focus for this year was the mercy of Christ bearing our sorrows and pains (Isaiah 53:4). We have a God who not only sympathizes with our pains and sorrows because he has been there, but also one that feels it at the same time. Not only does he feel it, but he takes is on himself. This gives us the hope and comfort to lay it all on Him and trust in His unending grace.

It was also very nice to have my oldest daughter (4 years old) to make it through a service and teach her what all the aspects of the service meant. Good Friday was a powerful service for me growing up, but in all reality I just always liked how people left quickly after church and liked the strepitus. I never really understood the full meaning of the rituals.

Finally, when the kids went down to bed my wife and I watched "The Passion of the Christ" by Mel Gibson. It has become a tradition for us to do so and unfortunately falling asleep during it has also turned into another. Still emotional that because of our sin our Lord went through all of that!

Lord have mercy

What happened on Holy Thursday?

2010-04-01T13:44:00.000-07:00

What happened on Holy Thursday?

Jesus instructs his Peter and John to secure a large upper room in a house in Jerusalem and to prepare for the Passover mealMatthew 26:17-19Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying,
“Where will you have us prepare for you to eat the Passover?”He said,
“Go into the city to a certain man and say to him,
‘The Teacher says,
My time is at hand. I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples.’”And the disciples did as Jesus had directed them, and they prepared the Passover.Mark 14:12-16And on the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrificed the Passover lamb, his disciples said to him,
“Where will you have us go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?”And he sent two of his disciples and said to them,
“Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him, and wherever he enters, say to the master of the house,
‘The Teacher says,
Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’And he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready; there prepare for us.”And the disciples set out and went to the city and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover.Luke 22:7-13Then came the day of Unleavened Bread, on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed.So Jesus sent Peter and John, saying,
“Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat it.”They said to him,
“Where will you have us prepare it?”He said to them,
“Behold, when you have entered the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him into the house that he enters and tell the master of the house,
‘The Teacher says to you,
Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’And he will show you a large upper room furnished; prepare it there.”And they went and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover.In the evening Jesus eats the Passover meal with the Twelve, tells them of the coming betrayal, and institutes the Lord’s Supper Mathew 26:20-29When it was evening, he reclined at table with the twelve. And as they were eating, he said,
“Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.”And they were very sorrowful and began to say to him one after another,
“Is it I, Lord?”He answered,
“He who has dipped his hand in the dish with me will betray me. The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.”Judas, who would betray him, answered,
“Is it I, Rabbi?”He said to him,
“You have said so.”Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said,
“Take, eat; this is my body.”And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying,
“Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”Mark 14:17-23 And when it was evening, he came with the twelve. And as they were reclining at table and eating, Jesus said,
“Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me.”They began to be sorrowful and to say to him one after another,
“Is it I?”He said to them,
“It is one of the twelve, one who is dipping bread into the dish with me. For the Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.”And as they were eating, he took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to them, and said,
“Take; this is my body.”And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, and they all drank of it. And he said to them,
“This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. Truly, I say to you, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”Luke 22:14-30And when the hour came, he reclined at table, and the apostles with him. And he said to them,
“I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.”And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said,
“Take this, and divide it among yourselves. For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.”And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying,
“This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying,
“This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood. But behold, the hand of him who betrays me is with me on the table. For the Son of Man goes as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed!”And they began to question one another, which of them it could be who was going to do this.A dispute also arose among them, as to which of them was to be regarded as the greatest. And he said to them,
“The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those in authority over them are called benefactors. But not so with you. Rather, let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves. For who is the greater, one who reclines at table or one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at table? But I am among you as the one who serves.“You are those who have stayed with me in my trials, and I assign to you, as my Father assigned to me, a kingdom, that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.After supper Jesus washes the disciples’ feet, interacts with them, and delivers the Upper Room Discourse John 13:1-17:26Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper.He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him.He came to Simon Peter, who said to him,
“Lord, do you wash my feet?”Jesus answered him,
“What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.”Peter said to him,
“You shall never wash my feet.”Jesus answered him,
“If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.”Simon Peter said to him,
“Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!”Jesus said to him,
“The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not every one of you.”For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said,
“Not all of you are clean.”When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them,
“Do you understand what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. I am not speaking of all of you; I know whom I have chosen. But the Scripture will be fulfilled,
‘He who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me.’I am telling you this now, before it takes place, that when it does take place you may believe that I am he. Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.”After saying these things, Jesus was troubled in his spirit, and testified,
“Truly, truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.”The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom he spoke. One of his disciples, whom Jesus loved, was reclining at table close to Jesus, so Simon Peter motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom he was speaking. So that disciple, leaning back against Jesus, said to him,
“Lord, who is it?”Jesus answered,
“It is he to whom I will give this morsel of bread when I have dipped it.”So when he had dipped the morsel, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. Then after he had taken the morsel, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him,
“What you are going to do, do quickly.”Now no one at the table knew why he said this to him. Some thought that, because Judas had the moneybag, Jesus was telling him, “Buy what we need for the feast,” or that he should give something to the poor. So, after receiving the morsel of bread, he immediately went out. And it was night.When he had gone out, Jesus said,
“Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and glorify him at once. Little children, yet a little while I am with you. You will seek me, and just as I said to the Jews, so now I also say to you, ‘Where I am going you cannot come.’ A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”Simon Peter said to him,
“Lord, where are you going?”Jesus answered him,
“Where I am going you cannot follow me now, but you will follow afterward.”Peter said to him,
“Lord, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.”Jesus answered,
“Will you lay down your life for me? Truly, truly, I say to you, the rooster will not crow till you have denied me three times.“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going.”
Thomas said to him,
“Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?”Jesus said to him,
“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”Philip said to him,
“Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.”Jesus said to him,
“Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say,
‘Show us the Father’?Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves.Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.
I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”
Judas (not Iscariot) said to him,
“Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?”Jesus answered him,
“If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me.“These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. You heard me say to you,
‘I am going away, and I will come to you.’If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. And now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place you may believe. I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me, but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us go from here.“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.
“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. These things I command you, so that you will love one another.
If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you:
‘A servant is not greater than his master.’If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. Whoever hates me hates my Father also. If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled:
‘They hated me without a cause.’But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning.
I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away. They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God. And they will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor me. But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told them to you.
I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. But now I am going to him who sent me, and none of you asks me,
‘Where are you going?’But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.
“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.
“A little while, and you will see me no longer; and again a little while, and you will see me.”So some of his disciples said to one another,
“What is this that he says to us,
‘A little while, and you will not see me, and again a little while, and you will see me’;and,
‘because I am going to the Father’?”So they were saying,
“What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We do not know what he is talking about.”Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him, so he said to them,
“Is this what you are asking yourselves, what I meant by saying,
‘A little while and you will not see me, and again a little while and you will see me’?Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy. When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you. In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.
“I have said these things to you in figures of speech. The hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures of speech but will tell you plainly about the Father. In that day you will ask in my name, and I do not say to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf; for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. I came from the Father and have come into the world, and now I am leaving the world and going to the Father.”
His disciples said,
“Ah, now you are speaking plainly and not using figurative speech! Now we know that you know all things and do not need anyone to question you; this is why we believe that you came from God.”Jesus answered them,
“Do you now believe? Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me. I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said,
“Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.
“I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you. For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.
“I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me. I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”Jesus and the disciples sing a hymn together (probably from Psalms 113–118), then depart to the Mount of OlivesMatthew 26:30And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.Mark 14:26And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.Luke 22:39And he came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed him.Jesus foretells Peter’s denialsMatthew 26:31-35Then Jesus said to them,
“You will all fall away because of me this night. For it is written,
‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.”Peter answered him,
“Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away.”Jesus said to him,
“Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.”Peter said to him,
“Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you!”And all the disciples said the same.Mark 14:27-31And Jesus said to them,
“You will all fall away, for it is written,
‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.”Peter said to him,
“Even though they all fall away, I will not.”And Jesus said to him,
“Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.”But he said emphatically,
“If I must die with you, I will not deny you.”And they all said the same.Luke 22:31-34[Jesus said:]
“Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.”Peter said to him,
“Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death.”
Jesus said,
“I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow this day, until you deny three times that you know me.”Jesus gives his disciples practical commands about supplies and provisionsLuke 22:35-38And he said to them,
“When I sent you out with no moneybag or knapsack or sandals, did you lack anything?”They said,
“Nothing.”He said to them,
“But now let the one who has a moneybag take it, and likewise a knapsack.And let the one who has no sword sell his cloak and buy one.For I tell you that this Scripture must be fulfilled in me:
‘And he was numbered with the transgressors.’For what is written about me has its fulfillment.”And they said,
“Look, Lord, here are two swords.”And he said to them,
“It is enough.”Jesus and the disciples go to Gethsemane, where he struggles in prayer and they struggle to stay awake late into the nightMatthew 26:36-46Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples,
“Sit here, while I go over there and pray.”And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them,
“My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.”And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying,
“My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping.And he said to Peter,
“So, could you not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed,
“My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.”And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. So, leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words again.Then he came to the disciples and said to them,
“Sleep and take your rest later on. See, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.”Mark 14:32-42And they went to a place called Gethsemane.And he said to his disciples,
“Sit here while I pray.”And he took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be greatly distressed and troubled. And he said to them,
“My soul is very sorrowful, even to death. Remain here and watch.”And going a little farther, he fell on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him.And he said,
“Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”And he came and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter,
“Simon, are you asleep? Could you not watch one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”And again he went away and prayed, saying the same words.And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy, and they did not know what to answer him.And he came the third time and said to them,
“Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? It is enough; the hour has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.”Luke 22:40-46And when he came to the place, he said to them,
“Pray that you may not enter into temptation.”And he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, saying,
“Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.”And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.And when he rose from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping for sorrow, and he said to them,
“Why are you sleeping? Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation.”HT: Justin Taylor

What happened on Holy Tuesday?

2010-03-30T10:21:00.000-07:00

Holy Tuesday-The example of the fig tree. (as posted by CPH)

Jesus’ disciples see the withered fig tree on their return to Jerusalem from Bethany. Matthew 21:20-22. When the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying,“How did the fig tree wither at once?”And Jesus answered them,“Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen. And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.”Mark 11:20-21As they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots. And Peter remembered and said to him,“Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered.”

We are reminded this Holy Tuesday that we are the withered fig tree. Our faith is dead without Christ and the reason that Christ had to die was because of us being those weak vessels that quickly wither away.

Lord have mercy today as we celebrate our Lord taking us withered vessles and making us His redeemed. Lord have mercy

Holy Monday...what happened?

2010-03-29T05:46:00.000-07:00

Holy Week: What Happened on Monday? (as posted by Rev. Paul McCain, CPH)

On Monday morning Jesus and the Twelve leave Bethany to return to Jerusalem, and along the way Jesus curses the fig tree

Matthew 21:18-19

In the morning, as he was returning to the city, he became hungry. And seeing a fig tree by the wayside, he went to it and found nothing on it but only leaves. And he said to it,

“May no fruit ever come from you again!”

And the fig tree withered at once.

Mark 11:12-14

On the following day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry. And seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see if he could find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. And he said to it,

“May no one ever eat fruit from you again.”

And his disciples heard it.

Jesus enters Jerusalem and clears the temple

Matthew 21:12-13

And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. He said to them,

“It is written,
‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’

but you make it a den of robbers.”

Mark 11:15-17

And they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold and those who bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. And he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple. And he was teaching them and saying to them,

“Is it not written,
‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’?

But you have made it a den of robbers.”

Luke 19:45-46

And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold, saying to them,

“It is written,
‘My house shall be a house of prayer,'
but you have made it a den of robbers.”

In the evening Jesus and the Twelve leave Jerusalem (returning to Bethany)

Mark 11:19

And when evening came they went out of the city.

May we all celebrate Holy Monday in our Lord's mercy.

Palm Sunday went awesome

2010-03-28T13:14:00.000-07:00

The palms were spread in front of church, All Glory Laud and Honor, and the proclamation of the Passion from the Gospel of Luke. Overall, a wonderful Sunday. Palm Sunday (Passion) is quickly becoming one of my favorite Sundays.

This begins an exciting week of centering our faith on Christ and Him Crucified. Holy Thursday will be very exciting as we bring back the old Red Hymnal communion liturgy. Good Friday will include a new candleabra to represent Jesus' gradual death. Easter will be the normal exciting message and the return of Alleluia's in the liturgy.

Today was one of those days that I thank God for all He does and I thank God for the faithful people at St. John Evangelical, North Prairie, WI. May they continue to extend mercy to their sinful pastor!

Church we have a problem

2010-03-27T19:06:00.000-07:00

I sometimes default to an opinion that is bright eyed and bushy tailed. An opinion that things aren't as bad as they seem. Most college students that go to big time universities basically have faith, but just are getting their freak on, I naively think although I experienced something different in college. However, I am once again proven wrong when I try to gloss things over, God reminds me of the depravity of man.

I have had a few discussions with students at the great University of Wisconsin-Madison. All of which grew up in a LCMS church, have staunchly conservative parents, and were taught what it means to be a Christian. However, they ALL have basically denied the faith, question the validity of the Bible, and are antagonistic toward any type of conservative view (pro-life, pro-marriage, etc).

What is the answer?

We need to start digging deeper. In a typical church, one that I am most comfortable with, sings songs we like, does an occasional skit, focuses on what types of lillies to get, and learn simple stories in Sunday school...then we send our kids to UW-Madison and expect it to work out fine. We need to have majority of our adults highly skilled in the Bible, apologetics, Lutheran doctrine, and creation science. At the same time, our Sunday School and Bible studies all need to center on Christ, His Work, and ask all the questions that people are asking. Then once our young people are in college we bombard them with information about faith, encouraging letters, visits, and talks about faith. Then after college, we bombard them again with information about life, help in the real world, and resources of how to find good churches.

I'm ready to start tomorrow. Who is with me?

Passion Sunday with Palms...here we come

2010-03-26T07:42:00.000-07:00

After a two week hiatus, I am back. Fishing went awesome. We caught the limit in Walleye, I got a nice perch, and we are eagerly awaiting the time to fry them up. I received God's gifts Bethlehem Lutheran, Warroad, MN with the voice of their vicar. And now back with God's people whom He has called me to serve.

This Sunday we are ready to celebrate for the first time Passion Sunday with Palms (as indicated in the LSB Altar book p.501). It will be the typical procession of palms, prayer, children's message, and then a narrative of the passion from Luke (myself and two other people). Then leading into receiving the Sacrament.

Passion Sunday is a unique twist to Holy Week due to its symbolism of the dynamic that Jesus experienced in Jerusalem. He entered in triumph and soo thereafter he had to deal with the crucifixion in the same place. This way we as a church experience it all on one Sunday. Plus it sets the tone for the week to the center of our faith, "Christ and Him crucified."

Lord have mercy as we celebrate this wonderful day.

Off to fishing...for fish, not men

2010-03-12T14:45:00.001-08:00

Today I am off to beautiful Lake of the Woods, MN to fish with my brother-in-laws. It will be a blast since we will literally walk on water!

I will be taking the next few days off from blogging and looking forward to receiving God's gifts on Sunday from the mouthpiece of another pastor (Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Baudette, MN). There is nothing better than visiting another church and receiving the gifts of Christ.

Otherwise, it will be a great time of fishing, Dr. Pepper (my version of beer), and roughing it!

Lord have mercy

Christ for Mercy...Day 22

2010-03-10T07:17:00.000-08:00

Preach Deliverance to the Captives
By Rev. Gary Tillman

“This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs,members of the same body,
and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel” ~ Ephesians 3:6

As I was reading this section of scripture, a song came into my mind. You may have heard it before: This land is your land, this land is my land/From California,to the New York Island/From the redwood forest, to the Gulf Stream waters/This land was made for you and me.

The Gospel, the good news of your forgiveness through Jesus’ death and resurrection, unites all people. We are all baptized into his death and resurrection and made members of his one family. God is the Father of us all. The New Colossus is a sonnet by Emma Lazarus (1849-1887), written in 1883 and, in 1903, engraved on a bronze plaque and mounted inside the Statue of Liberty: Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame/With conquering limbs astride from land to land/Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand/A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame/Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name/Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand/Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command/The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame./"Keep ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she/With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor./Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,/The wretched refuse of your teeming shore./Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me,/I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

The Statue of Liberty stands as a beacon of hope and light for all people looking for freedom in this world. The Statue can only serve as a picture. The Statue cannot deliver freedom. True unity, for people of all time and place, lies under the cross of Calvary. As Christians we look to the cross as our beacon of hope and freedom. The cross is the tool used by God, to demonstrate his love and compassion for all people of all time.

Jesus, the cross, for you, mystery revealed!

Christ for Mercy...Day 21

2010-03-09T12:31:00.000-08:00

Preach Deliverance to the Captives
“Truly I say to you, as you did to one of the least of thesemy brothers,
you did it to me” ~ Matthew 25:40

Rev. Gary Tillman, St. John, Ashipun, Wis

We live in a world that separates. Good guys-bad guys, lectern side-pulpit side, Vikings-Packers, Democrat-Republican-Independent. You get the picture! We like to put people into a specific box.

In our reading for today, we hear the Lord Jesus doing a little separating of his own: sheep to the right; goats to the left. These are two totally different kinds of people; believers and non-believers.

Jesus does notwant tomake this distinction.Hewants all people to be saved and live with himforever.However, some people do not want Jesus to be their Lord, so Jesus gives them what theywant; life without him, a life as a stubborn, unforgiven old goat.They will receive the consequences of rejecting Jesus: “I never knew you; go away from me, you evildoers” (Matthew7:23).Theywill be thrown into hell.The goats get what they want, a placewhere theywon’t be “bothered” by God. As Jesus is talking to the sheep, he tells them about a reward they were going to receive. They were going to receive this gift of eternal paradise by the way they responded to the needs of people. The sheep, in their humbleness, were totally unaware that whenever they helped someone in their time of need, they
were serving the Lord of the universe. (Think of it! Jesus puts his face on those we serve.)

The sheep were doing what comes naturally for them to do. They were bearing the fruit of their faith. As Luther says, you don’t have to tell an apple tree to grow apples, it just does it. The sheep were bearing the image of their Jesus. People would see Jesus through their work of charity and love for the people God loves.

We reflect the mercy our Jesus has for us (his suffering, death and resurrection) to those around us. You might say that Jesus is the light of the world and we are little mirrors, reflecting his compassion to those we see in need!

Christ for Mercy...Day 20

2010-03-08T04:16:00.000-08:00

"He has annointed me to proclaim liberty to the captives" Luke 4:18-19
by Rev. Gary Tillman, St. John Lutheran, Ashippun, Wis

This week's theme is preaching deliverance to the captives. Isaiah said that the Messiah would come come and set people free (61:1-2). The Messiah would come and show mercy, love and compassion by restoring everything that was wrong and broken in a sinful world. Isaiah's words were beautiful and comforting to a people living captive in less than ideal circumstances.

Our verse today is spoken by Jesus as he begins his public ministry. Jesus wanted the people to know that he was the fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy. Sin had taken hold of all creation, and Satan was not going to give it back without a fight. The perfect world God made was taintedby sin and held captive by the devil. Jesus came to set it all free by crushing the head of the serpent.

These words have a special meaning for you, too. What is wrong and broken in the your world? What is keeping you frozen or stuck that prevents you from seeing and living in hte joy in the faith?

Are you concerned about your health, or the healt of a loved one? Are your finances locking you up in a vault of fear? Are you unsure of your job or marriage? Are your children growing up and soon moving off to college? Jesus wants to set you free from that fear that keeps you captive.

When I was growing up, my cousins would come over and we would play a game of tag. One person would be "it" and try to catch everyone. Once you were tagged, you had to stay in the spot until someone came to set you free by touching you. Someone would risk getting tagged to set you free. Once touched, you were free to run around again.

Christ in his mercy has touched you in a personal way in the water and the word of your baptism. Jesus was tagged with the wrath of God for the sins you commit and the fear you hold onto. Jesus died to free you so the favor of God may rest upon you. You are not captive anymore. Therefore, you can run free.

Lord have mercy

A time to brag...

2010-03-07T19:07:00.000-08:00

Our Lenten theme this year is "Christ for mercy." In order to put the mercy of Christ into action, our congregation challenged two other LCMS churches to a food pantry competition for the month of February (St. John, North Prairie; St. John, Ashippun; and Bethlehem, Wales). The proceeds would go to Hope Lutheran Church, Milwaukee, Wis.

God really worked through this mercy ministry. In the end all three churches gathered 1800 cans of vegetables and at tonight's prayer service there was a uniting spirit that will definately lead us to many great ministries in the future. The competition was highlighted with a "mercy trophy" that possessed a can of corn on it. St. John, North Prairie won it this year with 920 cans collected. This trophy will be a traveling trophy to the church who gathers more cans each year.

We look forward to next year and hopefully more churches involved.

Lord have mercy

Christ for Mercy...Day 19

2010-03-07T18:55:00.000-08:00

"Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord" John 20:11
by Ms. Lauren Jensen, Sheldon, IA

Nothing breaks a heart like death. The finality of it. The knowledge that nothing will be like it was. The pain of dreams and plans unrealized.

But no death could have been more devastating than the death of Christ. To His followers it meant the death of a friend, teacher, healer, brother, son, savior, and the death of hope. "Mary stood weeping outside the tomb" (John 20:11). The body was gone. Peter and John had gone back to their homes. But this heart wrenched woman, dredged in despair, stood weeping for her missing Lord.

She did not run around frantically trying to find him. Yes, she went and todl the disciples, but when they gave up, so did she. She didn't go looking for law enforcement or witnesses. She was helpless. She was hopeless.

"Woman, why are you weeping? (John 20:15). It was Jesus. When Mary was paralyzed with grief, unable to do more than weep and lament, Christ spoke into her darkness. "Mary" (20:16). Her name. The only One able to speak to her broken heart did.

"Why are you weeping?" It's not a rhetorical question. It begs an answer. What has broken your heart? Tell God. He knows, but that doesn't stop Him from asking. He calls your name. Stop running around looking for relief. He speaks it to you.

Things may seem hopeless, but Jesus is alive. Why live as if He is dead? Why weep at an empty tomb? Our God has overcome death itself, and He has done it for you.

Lord have mercy

Christ for Mercy...Day 18

2010-03-06T17:35:00.000-08:00

"It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive, he was lost, and is found." Luke 15:11-32
by Ms. Lauren Jensen, Sheldon, IA

Wouldn't it be nice if our lives were like that of Curious George? In my kid's books, that curious little monkey can cause all sorts of trouble, but things always have a way of working themselves out.

Not so for us. God knows the trouble we sinners make courtesy of the famous Adam and Eve. Jesus mentions a type of Curious George in Luke. The prodigal son. He was a sinner no doubt and he made a big mess. A perfect subject f or Christ's listeners, and us.

Like us, the prodigal son didn't have to prove any worth to his father, which was good because he seemed to be about as reckless as they come. Like us, he squandered everything. If anyone deserved rejection it was him.

It is the father that proves his worth. While any father would be justified in sending the boy back to the filth, this father acknowledges his son's depravity, "For this my son was dead" (Luke 15:24a) and rejoices in His restoration, "and is alive again" (24b) is unbridled jubliance clues us in as to just how far gone his son really was.

We were dead in our trespasses. Our sinful hearts were beyond repair. We were so far gone, and nothing would just work itself out. Yet in His mercy, God gave us life. Our straying was no match for Christ's sacrifice, and our rebellion was no match for His restoration. We can always confess our unworthiness to God, trusting in His unconditional mercy.

Christ for Mercy...Day 17

2010-03-05T17:37:00.000-08:00

"The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit." Psalm 34:18
by Ms. Lauren Jensen, Sheldon, IA

There are few things more daunting than being asked to write devotions concerned with the brokenhearted. We are real people. With real pain. So, maybe "depressing" is a better word for it. It can be depressing to ponder at length the depravity and death that leaves God's beloved children begging for mercy.

And what comfort is there in crying out, "Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy, Lord have mercy?"

The comfort lies in the confidence God speaks through David in Psalm 34:18, "The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit." We are broken. The signs of our broken hearts and crushed spirits are unmistakenable. Tears, anger, and despair are strangers to no one, and so we ask in confidence for mercy because we know and trust that God hears us, simply because He tells us He does.

And yet, He doesn't just hear. He listens. He doesn't just listen. He saves. His mercy is ours in truth of Jesus Christ.

Some take comfort in the idea of a distant apathetic god. Some take comfort in an "inner god" that is right "for them." But those are no comfort, because they are lies. We take comfort in a God who is near to us. So near that He listens to our prayers and repentance. He speaks reconciliation and healing to our hearts. He feeds us and clothes us with Himself. He takes our death and sin upon His body and defeats it. Our God is near.

Lord have mercy

Christ for Mercy...Day 16

2010-03-04T19:17:00.000-08:00

This year I and other fellow theologians have written devotions based on the Lenten series from LCMS World Relief, "The Spirit annointed Christ for mercy."

Now until Easter morning, I will post the devotions that focus first on the mercy of Christ and then our mercy to others. I look forward to this journey together. We begin with Day 16, "Christ for mercy: To heal the brokenhearted."

Luke 4:19-"He has appointed me to...proclaim the year of the Lord's favor"

by Ms. Lauren Jensen, Sheldon, IA

My husband's sister, Melissa, answered the phone, "Hello, Jensens." On the other end of the line was my mother, "Hi, honey, it's me, Mom."

"Mom?" It was then that they both realized that my mother had no idea to whom she was speaking. She had mistaken Melissa's voice for mine, a mistake that wouldn't have been as sad, or funny, had my mother-in-law not passed away the week before. We all had a much needed laugh, while my mom stood in horror at the words just exchanged. Open mouth. Insert foot.

We have all donee it. Thank God, He never has. Isaiah 61 says, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because the Lord has appointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted" This is the beginning of the passage Christ read at hte start of His ministry in Luke 4. His listeners were in the synagogue. They knew exactly what passage Jesus was reading and, if there was any doubt about why He read it, He said to all of them, "Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing (Luke 4:21).

He knew who was listening. He knew who was self-righteous. He knew who was a worrier. A gossip. Who was hungry for the Lord.

And He knows you. He knows your vices and trials. He knows your needs. And He is here to bind up your broken heart. Listen to Him. His words of mercy are for you.

Generation Y and the Gospel

2010-03-02T04:39:00.001-08:00

Why is every church trying to figure out the magic formula of getting and keeping young people in worship? The church's that claim to have it right actually have a small percentage of their church attendance in the Generation Y (19-29) and even they are not committed to the whole ministry. Why is this such a problem.

This article from the Milwaukee Journal, March 2, 2010, gives us a taste of why.

"She grew up in a house on a cul-de-sac in Chicago's western suburbs. It was her parents' dream, the American dream.

So, when she struck out on her own in Milwaukee, Clarissa Mankus climbed on the first rung of home ownership and bought a condo in the Third Ward. She liked the space and briefly enjoyed pride of ownership.

But she learned quickly that her parents' dream was not really her dream. She wanted to be independent, mobile and able to pack up and go at any moment. And she also wanted to pay her tuition bills for graduate school at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

She sold the condo after a few months and now doubles up with a roommate in Grafton.

"The thought of having a mortgage to worry about doesn't seem appealing to me," says Mankus, 26. "A lot of people in my age group feel the same way. We're anti-commitment."

Ring true? Younger people today are seeing the deep debt that their parents went through to have the perfect house, the deep debt that they have because their parents kept telling them they had to go to school, the numerous divorces their parents and neighbors endured and seeing everything they have said, "Enough with commitment."

Generation Y is anti-commitment, anti-marriage, anti-institution, and living for the moment. Yet, this generation far exceeds their parents in looking to change the world through social action, joining together in small groups to do big things, and helping America continue to be great.

So what is the church to do? A well thought-out plan of living among Generation Y, investing in a Gen. Y pastor, small groups, and a more contemporary music service? That might work for awhile, but this generation sees right through people being fake. What will work is this...Presenting the Gospel, administering the Sacraments, and caring for our neighbor. Sound familiar?

The church will be presented with many challenges due to this next generation, but the Holy Spirit will also do many amazing things through His means and despite us getting in the way.

Lord have mercy

What would you do as a baptized child of God?

2010-03-01T13:26:00.000-08:00

Last night my wife and I watched the thriller movie, "The Box" starring Cameron Diaz. The previews looked awesome. A little sci fi (my favorite) and suspense. The quality of the movie and plot was above average, but the ending left much to be desired.

My favorite part of the movie was the ethical dilemma that leaves you wondering what you would do in the same situation. Cameron Diaz and her husband are struggling financially and a mysterious man arrives offering them a deal. He provides them with a box which has a button. The offer is that they can push the button and receive one million dollars. However, if they push it someone they do not know will die. What would you do?

The basis behind the question deals with love of neighbor versus coveting. As a Christian, we see everything through the eyes of Jesus' command to love one another, the command to not murder, and not to covet. All of these things take precedence over receiving money and living a comfortable life. Yet, how many of us would be severely tempted to push that button, receive one million dollars and forget about the person we do not know.

The movie basically ends with another question. If this box man goes to many homes to make this offer, will he visit people we do not know and then I will be the next person to die? Our friends and family may not die, but will they be harmed? What kind of guilt may we have with this money? Is this good for my neighbor?

At the end of the day, as Christians we would have to say no to such a proposition because the cost of life and the many temptations are much worse than the perceived comfort of more money. May we always value life, our neighbor, and the chance of mercy above our own covetous ways.

Lord have mercy

A full frontal attack...

2010-02-27T05:22:00.000-08:00

I recently went to the local restaurant/bar in our community in the middle of the afternoon with our SMP vicar for a drink and to study the Word. After a week of visits, internal workings, meetings, etc, we decided to try to go where the "people" were.

After three and a half years in our community, it is a struggle at times to know where people hang out. Our village is a bedroom community of Milwaukee and often people are driving all day and end up just sleeping and working on their homes on the weekend. So where does a church go to be among the people and be witnesses? The answer: the local bar.

A confessional pastor I respect once said, "The church needs to be a on full frontal attack of the neighborhood in which it lives (schools, gas stations, restaurants, and bars). Until then, the church will always be outsiders." This is very true in our post-church culture. Often the church hangs out in the church building to be religious and discuss God, but once in the culture that surounds them, God/Jesus/Faith/Hope is strikingly quiet.

This is where we all need to realize as baptized children of Christ, we are the frontline of God's army. We are to be in the midst of our neighborhoods, restaurants, and bars. Not to indulge in the sins of gluttony, immorality, or language. But living in the world as Christ was with sinners.

We pray for many opportunities to be among the people in our community and for all churches to be on a full frontal attack.

On Lectors and Such...

2010-02-26T05:29:00.000-08:00

This is a post from Rev. Wil Weedon, St. Paul, Hamel, IL. http://weedon.blogspot.com/ A great discussion on some practical issue in our Synod.

On Lectors and Such

I've gotten into this discussion in more than one place on the net and often find myself on the other side of the fence on this particular question from those with whom I usually on the same side of the fence on other questions. I'm curious what thoughts the reader of the blog might have about it.

I see absolutely nothing wrong and much to commend the practice of the people of God sharing in the reading of the Sacred Scriptures during the Divine Service. The Scriptures do not belong to the ordained; they belong to the whole people of God! Granted, my own parish does not follow the practice of having lectors from the laity. Historically, we've had seminarians or vicars to fulfill that role. But I have served in a parish where it was the practice and further it was the practice in the parish where I was baptized, confirmed, married, and ordained. I know some pastors hate it - they love to read the Scriptures themselves. I totally sympathize with that, but I do think it can be very helpful for the congregation to hear the Scriptures read by more than one voice.

The appeal to 1 Timothy 4:13 as somehow meaning that only the pastors are to read in the Divine Service is a non-starter for me. I don't think that is what St. Paul is saying to St. Timothy. And in the history of the Church we've certainly had the office of lector for a very long time - since at least the days of St. Justin Martyr. Our current rite (LSB) clearly permits an "assisting minister" (defined as either ordained or lay) to read the Old Testament and Epistle readings (not to mention to bid the Kyrie, to intone the Gloria in DS 1 and 2, to bid the prayer of the church, to distribute the chalice, and to offer the post-communion collect and chant the benedicamus).

About this person, it says:

"In addition, many congregations select lectors from within the congregation to assist the pastor by reading the Old Testament and Epistle readings. As with all matters pertaining to public worship, good judgment should be exercised in the selection of lectors. Understandably, this selection should be based on their ability to read the Word of God clearly and distinctly in a public setting. Adequate training and coaching of such lectors remains the responsibility of the called pastor, who retains the ultimate responsibility for the proclamation of the Word." [Lectionary, ix]

So, fire away. Pros and cons of the laity serving as lectors for first or second reading of the Divine Service?

Suicide and its effects...

2010-02-23T04:52:00.001-08:00

Our local community has been stricken by the horrible effects of suicide. Last week a local school experienced two suicides unfortunately in the same family. This brings up many difficult memories of my high school years where a young man on the football team committed suicide. It stops everyone in their tracks whether they knew the individual or not. These situations also bring up many questions, mostly centered on "Why?"

In our broken world, people are led to many answers to things without realizing the consequences. As we all have much on our plate, the stress, concerns, and pains can become unbearable. Yet, there is always hope. Hope in the Lord who promises that his "yoke is easy and his burden is light." The Lord who has promised to be "the resurrection and the life." The Lord who has atoned for the "whole world." A God who has died to these two individuals who committed suicide and is also with those who mourn.

With the many issues all of us are put through, there are many options of help (God, pastors, friends, prayer, counselors) and the option that is never good at any age is suicide. As the Scriptures tell us, "O death where is sting, O where is the victory?" Death also brings despair, especially in these cases. May the Lord have mercy on all of us to see the help we all have in Christ.

Keep Mandy's family and friends in your prayers.

A great confession and an opportunity for healing...

2010-02-19T08:14:00.000-08:00

At today's press conference featuring the confession of Tiger Woods, he did an outstanding job of giving his fans and people a chance to forgive him. He did not try to excuse his behavior, make it about his "sex addiction", or blame the media. These simply words, "I'm sorry", begins the chance for anyone to start the healing process. However, it is not until the words, "You are forgiven" are spoken that healing truly occurs.

This is the essence of the Christian faith. God moving our hearts to confess our sins, and by the command of Christ and by His death and resurrection your pastor saying, "You are forgiven." Totally forgotten and healing begins.

May we all it in their hearts to forgive one another and when we wrong others to say the difficult words, "I'm sorry."

Keep Tiger in your prayers (especially with his lack of faith in Christ)

"Christ for mercy" begins today....

2010-02-17T04:30:00.000-08:00

This Lent our congregation will be following the theme, "Christ for mercy" from LCMS World Relief/Human Care. The theme is based off of Luke 4:16-21 where Christ proclaims how He is the fulfillment of mercy told in Isaiah 61.

While looking into this theme, I am amazed at our need for mercy. Throughout our days on this earth, at many different stages, we ask the Lord for mercy in everything. The baby asks for it when they cry, the teenager asks when asking about their future, the college student when tempted, the parent when their children are sick, the worker losing their job, and the elderly when moved into a nursing home. At every stage, we all plead for the greatest need of all: forgiveness. This is our focus this Lent, that at every stage, our Lord Jesus, grants us mercy that not only gives us forgiveness, but also mercy for the other needs.

A number of pastors and one lay person have written devotions for the theme and we are organizing a number of mercy ministries throughout Lent (food pantry competition with other congregations, Spaghetti Dinner to help a man bring his family over from the Congo, and a day of service at a resale shop that funds a pregnancy crisis home in Milwaukee).

There is much mercy needed to be given, may the mercy of Christ be our lead.

About Canada or the Olympics?

2010-02-13T07:23:00.001-08:00

Olympics commence with joy, sadness at opening ceremony
Starting Saturday, the XXI Olympic Winter Games are about the athletes who have sacrificed, trained and prepared for four years to sled, slide and skate to the very best of their abilities. On Friday night, it was all about Canada. Milwaukee Journal

Watching the opening ceremony of the Olympics was an incredible sight. The frills, thrills, theatrical, and special effects were incredible. But when you sit back and think about it, why? Why do all of these things? Why put on a big show? Is this what Canada is all about? It was a display simply to highlight Canada, NOT the Olympics.

How often have we done this in the church. We have a wonderful message to proclaim and promote, but we usually make it about us first. The precious message of Christ and His atoning work is the news, however, often when people ask us about faith, first it is all about the church's programs, the worship style, the nice people, and how fast they are growing. Christ many times gets the back seat. It is a highlight about the church proper, NOT Christ and Him crucified.

When was the last time you heard someone describe their church as the place where "we receive the forgiveness of sins" or "where we enter into the presence of God?" May we all renew our focus not on the church, but on Christ.

Passing the torch for Vancouver

2010-02-12T05:45:00.000-08:00

While eating breakfast this morning I watched many people pass the torch of flame to Vancouver for the Winter Olympics. It was amazing to see the emotions of everyone involved; the tears, excitement, and opportunity to represent their country if only for 300 meters of running. It made me think about how cool it would be to carry the torch at some point for any Olympics and how proud I would be to represent my own country.

I get a similar emotion every night. It is when I put my kids down to bed, after the prayers, after a story that I make up, and as the lights go out, I tell them, "Daddy loves you, but who loves you more?" "My children answer, "Jesus."

As a parent their is no greater thing than to pass on the flame of faith to your kids. Through the waters of baptism and the daily dying and rising with Christ is the greatest privilege in the world. May we as parents, especially fathers, take that role seriously.

What a week...ministry in today's world is a lot of fun

2010-02-11T05:16:00.000-08:00

This last week, along with my normal visitations of members, chapel for the school, and leading Bible study, included engaging and getting to know various people. It started with discussing the faith with someone who has no faith background at Perkins, it continued with talking about faith at the coffee shop to someone who is United Universalist, and then meeting with various families who are excited for God's Word and have had very little contact with a church.

Our culture is highly Biblically illiterate, yet people are excited to learn more. The frustration for me is that in the old church model typically you could gain "members" with little work (be nice, proclaim how you are better than other churches, and new music). However, today, much of the work is very intense: teaching the basics of faith, getting criticized for strong views of doctrine, and answering many questions with often no membership. Needless to say, tough on the ego. The typical membership swell due to transfer is a thing of the past and all of us in the church really need to step up in our understanding of God's Word and how to communicate the story to our community. Lord have mercy.

What is true power? Control or pardon?

2010-02-08T05:58:00.000-08:00

Recently I was not able to sleep, so I decided to begin watching "Schindler's List." Which is four hours long and very intense. Yet, well needed for our society to always remember how far human beings can go with injustice when they deny the truth of God's Word and the natural law.

One particular scene in the movie was quite telling and at the same time very Christ-centered.

The basis of the movie is a business man named, Oskar Schindler is taking advantage of the requirement of Jews having to move to Krakow by starting a business for the Nazi party. He becomes incredibly wealthy very quickly. Schindler ends up having a changed heart and hiring Jews in order for them not to be killed.

One scene is where Oskar Schindler is shooting the breeze with a Nazi Leader of the Plazcow concentration camp after a long party filled with drinking and debauchery. In the discussion, the Nazi Leader, Amon Goth says to Schindler, "You are never drunk. You are in control. You know that control is power." Schindler laughed as he drank and told Goth, "No, control is not power. Power is when you have the chance to control, but you don't use it. You pardon those whom you could control. That is power." Goth obviously did not agree because control was the essence of what he thought made him the most powerful man at that concentration camp. Yet, he eventually realizes that his control was not so powerful and led to his eventual hanging.

This power is the same as our Lord. He has the chance to control us, take us down, or punish us with an unquenchable fire, but he doesn't control for power, but gives us pardon/forgiveness from our sins through Christ. The pardon that we don't deserve and a new life with Him. Amazing grace.

I suggest you watch Schindler's list if possible. Schindler saved over 1,300 Jews during his time, ended up broke, and now his work has saved the lives of over 60,000 people. A great testament of mercy for the least of these.

Anti-abortion or pro-life?

2010-02-04T19:28:00.000-08:00

"At the Presidential Prayer breakfast was also Tim Tebow who has caused controversy with his anti-abortion add to air on Super Bowl Sunday." USA today posted today online.

Notice Tim Tebow is not seen as former Heisman Trophy winner, national title winner, or even a real nice guy, but as a promoter of an anti-abortion commercial. Is it not interesting that it is advertized as an anti-abortion add instead of a pro-family or pro-life commercial?

Why does media portray someone who is uplifting his family, the wonders of life, the possibilities of letting people live, as a controversial thing? Unfortunately, the liberal bias in many newspapers demonize individuals who are simply promoting things that work: life and family.

I pray that we as Christians continue to take the high road when criticized like Tim Tebow. Love your family, value life, and love one another. That's all we can do. Lord have mercy.

Regeneration II-Brookfield, WI

2010-02-03T06:14:00.000-08:00

Last fall I attended a conference in St. Louis called Regeneration. The focus of this conference was to discuss theology and the distinctiveness of Lutheranism in our current culture.

We are looking at Regeneration II which will be here in Milwaukee Area (Brookfield Lutheran) on April 18 5:30 through April 20 at noon. This gathering is centered on discipleship and the roles of pastors, commissioned ministers, and the laity. The cost is ONLY $30, which is an amazing deal.

The presenters are made up of pastors and workers that are working in unique ministry situations (city, emergents, young adult, and multi-cultural). What is the most refreshing part for me is that everyone there wants to make sure the center is on being Lutheran. Not to look like Evangelical and like Baptism a little more, but working with an unabashedly Lutheran way.

More updates to come. Let me know if you have any questions.

LOST, idolatry, and theology

2010-02-02T19:08:00.000-08:00

It has finally arrived, the last season of my favorite idol: LOST. Kate and Jack, Sawyer and Juliette, Islands, Jacob, and who exactly is Locke? Gotta love it. I have enjoyed my time away from this idolatry, but also covet the last season and what will come.

What I find interesting about these types of shows is that the ending and twists represent a wider cultural value. Shows that were popular 20 years ago are different than now. 20 years ago, TGIF was huge (Full House, Family Matters, Perfect Strangers, Step by Step). Family oriented, clean humor, ending with a moral to the story, and addressing real issues in families. That symbolized a different time of desiring things to get back to the way it was (or at least perceived to be).

In today's shows, little is discussed about family, current issues, or clean humor. It is about suspense, thrillers, and always wondering what will come next (LOST, 24, Grey's Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, and a plethora of sci-fi shows). What does this mean? I'm not exactly sure. In my opinion it probably leads to a generation looking to the future with many questions, many fears, and enjoying the journey. More less, they are not real confident of what comes next, but they are enjoying the time they have.

What does this mean for the church? We have confidence of what is coming next: "Jesus will be with us." Christ has promised to bring blessings in the middle of despair, He has promised to do things for the good of people, and for the church to be there for us. And best of all that there will something better when this life ends. How about we start proclaiming of this confidence in a very unstable world.

God fils in the pieces

2010-02-02T04:57:00.000-08:00

Last night while I was at confirmation our home had a "God moment." While Amy was putting our son to bed, the light fixture in our kitchen came crashing down for no apparent reason. Thankfully, our daughters were in the other room. It is a reminder of God "filling in the pieces." I realize that He doesn't just fill in the pieces, but there are times He reveals Himself that way.

When our prayers lead toward Him filling in the pieces, He usually reveals His mercy by near misses. Lord have mercy

Matrix and Original sin...

2010-01-31T17:38:00.001-08:00

In an attempt to receive some respite this afternoon from loud children and recovering from worship, I fell upon the great movie, "Matrix." I had always known it to have many religious symbols, but this time one scene hit our sinfulness right on the head.

When Neo (Keanu Reeves) was deciding whether or not to join the group of people pursuing him, Morpheus (Lawrence Fishburne) gave him two options. To eat the green or red pill. If he had the green pill, he would continue to live in his current life. However, if he had the red pill Morpheus says, "You will find out the truth. The truth that you are in captivity, you are a slave to someone else, but will be set free."

Sound familar to attending worship on Sunday mornings? We learn that due to original sin we are in captivity and a slave to sin, but when in Christ we are set free. Yet, being set free, as Neo learned, was not a release from problems, it brought the reality of our problem. And it instantly points us to the solution of sin: the cross.

Next time you watch Matrix, check out the Christological themes. It runs thick.

Words, Words, and Authority

2010-01-28T07:30:00.000-08:00

Last night watching the State of the Union address makes me realize how powerful words can be and also how they can be very void of meaning.

For most polititcians, words mean almost everything when running for office. This was most apparent during the 2008 election. Obama is an outstanding orator and McCain just wasn't. Words meant a ton. However, since the election, words have lost its meaning because people want action. That is apparent if you listen to the radio this morning, see the reactions of the Supreme Court, and hear the words on the street.

This is true of Jesus. People were amazed at his words of wisdom (Luke 2) and that they seemed to have authority (Luke 4), but they also say action. When the demons were there, He called them out with words. When Simon's mother-in-law was sick he healed her through words, words that had action. Words of love that told of a new kingdom, a kingdom now, but not yet, and a kingdom that would love to an unloving world.

May this be true of us as the church. May our words be true and pure with the Gospel, but may our actions follow. Showing the same mercy and care as Christ would. The church is at a tipping point in her history and I believe that the way we shall move forward in our American context is by action. Being filled and motivated by strong doctrine and pure Gospel, but combining it with bold mercy to the least of these.

Lord have mercy

The life of a Vikings fan...humbling!

2010-01-25T04:15:00.000-08:00

After experiencing four NFC championship games in my lifetime (No Super Bowls yet) and watching majority of yesterday's game, I can't help but be humble. Since 1998, I have NEVER bragged about my Vikings allegiances, yesterday's game I assumed we would lose, I tried to play with my kids more than watching the game, and I will move forward assuming the same for next year.

I am actually glad it is this way. I have had a tendency to be arrogant in certain things and the Lord has done a number of things to lower this downfall. I thank God for this loss, because it reminds me once again how the sun will rise the next day, food will be on the table, and I am still in the palms of my Lord's hands.

What does God do in your life to make you humble?

"I don't need to go to church, I have fellowship in other ways"

2010-01-24T16:55:00.000-08:00

"I don't need to go to church, I have fellowship in other ways."

Ever felt jealous of people who say this? People who do not attend church don't have to deal with complaints from varying generations, disagreements over small things, gossip, pressure of budgets, and added stress of trying to help others. There are times it seems like a pretty good deal to NOT be part of church. After all, wouldn't it be easier just to sleep in, watch football, go fishing, and hoard the money for yourself?

Seems kind of nice doesn't it? But the reality is that it is far from the truth. What it is missing is the gifts that God gives (Forgiveness, life, salvation) through the means which He called us to dispense. On top of that we need each other because we were made to be in fellowship (I Corinthians 12 and Acts 2:42-47). Is it going to be messy? Man alive yes. Will it be sinful? Yep. But there are many things we are a part of that are sinful and we still go and be part of that (Lambeau field)? The big part of church is that we are able to bring a Savior in the midst of that sin and give a solution/strength through it all.

Lord have mercy

The Lord bless you...

2010-01-23T17:05:00.000-08:00

After a battle with ALS, Edward Brust passed away on Thursday morning. The last words he heard that elicited a response was the Benediction which brought a strong and emotional "Amen."

In today's funeral many arrived to remember Ed and at the same time hear the promises of Christ. It was bittersweet. We did not want him to suffer any longer, but we also did not want him to leave. It proves once again that no matter when death occurs it stings, it is tough, emotional, and show us our mortality. The only answer is a God who has died like us and has been resurrected. This gives us the hope of something beyond this life and the reality of our need for God.

We join Ed awaiting the resurrection in the blessed hope of Christ and His resurrection.

Keep Rita and his family in your prayers.

Scott Brown, original sin, and church polity

2010-01-22T07:26:00.000-08:00

Scott Brown wins in Massachusetts? A conservative, Republican after Kennedy passes in office, a year after a huge swing to Democratic Presidency, House, and Senate? And this vote in the most liberal of states in the nation makes the health care debate something that can not be pushed through simply by party vote. Democracy at its best.

This is a reminder of the refreshing way our government is set up. In order for anything to get anywhere it must be passed by the House, Senate, and the Presidency. And even then it can be filibustered and questioned before anything happens. Our government was put together in a way that realized that original sin and selfishness is rampant in our world and there must be accountability. No one group can stay in control and if one group takes over for very long (Republicans in 2004 and Democrats in 2008) it will swing to more balance.

Do we do the same thing in our churches and Synod? I often see the temptation (and my own feelings) of the pastor or a few people in the church to control things, especially in a world today where many people do not want to take responsibility for volunteer organizations. Pastors could easily take over or a few families could take over for their own agenda. The same problem could be in our Synod where the bureaucrats could try to control the way churches function, BUT aren't we congregationally based? Does your church have accountability? Does our Synod have the same accountability? Or are we trying to bring in more power for certain groups? It is always good to take a step back and ask if we are leaning to one way or the other and let the Holy Spirit guide our ministries in a Biblical way.

May it all be done to the glory of Christ and Him crucified.

Disturbing situation in Haiti beyond the Earthquake

2010-01-20T09:42:00.000-08:00

In Haiti, Rev. Mark Driscoll describes the sex trade of young girls and brutal murders that occur on a daily basis. This is a need for us as Christians to stand up in prayer and action for the sake of others. I'm not sure what we can do, but as a father of daughters, this is too much for anyone to bear.

Lord have mercy

Baptismal life and mercy

2010-01-17T17:39:00.000-08:00

"For the peace of the whole world, for the well-being of the curch of God, and the unity of all, let us pray to the Lord. Lord have mercy." These words we pray each week in the Kyrie pleading with the Lord to have mercy on the whole world, especially those in need. I admit that often I feel like skipping the Kyrie out of frustration with member's lack of excitement, lackluster faces, and my own apathy at times. The old Adam in me says, "Do we have to sing this again?"

However, I say this prayer get answered today by the Holy Spirit when our congregation of 160 people who attended today gave over $1,000 to LCMS World Relief/Human Care for the relief efforts in Haiti. As our District President, John Wille requested all congregations to take an offering for the efforts, I can only imagine that the church worldwide has been moved by the Spirit in the same way.

Now we move forward as God's baptized and ask, "What merciful thing does the Lord has in store next? In the meantime, we pray for those in Haiti and everyone in our churches who need the mercy of Christ.