The Swedish Preface

from the Olavus Petri Order from 1531 forms the basis of the invariable Preface found in Divine Service 4.  It's ironic, in some ways, that the German-heritage LCMS would be the preserver of a text that the old Augustana Synod folk would immediately recognize.  I've very glad that we still have it.  BUT.

But I truly wish that we had left all of it intact.  If we had, we'd have a prayer like this:

It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, O Lord, holy Father, almighty and everlasting God, for the countless blessings You so freely bestow upon us and all creation.  Above all, we give thanks for Your boundless love, that when we were in so bad a state that naught but death and eternal damnation awaited us, and no creature in heaven or on earth could help us, then You did send forth Your only-begotten Son, who is of the same divine nature as Yourself, and suffered Him to become flesh, being born of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and did lay on Him our sin, giving Him into death that we might not die eternally....

Sad thing is, I think it's largely Maxwell's and my fault that those bolded goodies were lost, for the preface as it appears in LSB DS IV is clearly a slight revision of the proposed Eucharistia that Maxwell and I suggested (and which Quill chronicles in *The Impact of the Liturgical Movement on American Lutheranism* - see p. 209,210) - and in that Eucharistia the phrases bolded above were not included.  I don't know about you, but I think it a sad oops.  It would have been that much stronger a prayer had we not "downsized" it in our paper and subsequently had it not been downsized in the Hymnal.

New Lutheran Quote of the Day

Ratzinger makes a strong case for the thesis that the conception, found in the New Testament and the ancient Fathers, of the soul's post-mortem continuation in the paradisal intermediate state stands firmly in the tradition of intertestamental Judaism.  Any hypothesis of direct Christian borrowing from Platonic sources is thus superfluous. -- Dr. John R. Stephenson, Eschatology, p. 46.

Old Lutheran Quote of the Day

In a garden You sweated blood, in a garden You were buried, and in a garden You rose again from the dead.  In the form of a gardener You appeared on Easter, for You were to restore everything that we ruined in the garden of Paradise by our first parents.  -- Blessed Valerius Herberger, The Great Works of God III/IV, p. 80.

Patristic Quote of the Day

Do not say, 'I cannot bear to come near those who hate me,' but say, 'I cannot bear to despise those who despise me.'  This is the language of Christ's disciple, as much as the other is the devil's.  This makes men honorable and glorious. -- St. John Chrysostom, Homilies on Romans, 27.

New Lutheran Quote of the Day

It has become fashionable to suppose that the admittedly Hellenistic notion of the immortality of the soul is completely devoid of support in Holy Scripture, being rather an anthropological error of the ancient Greeks at odds with the Hebraic conception of man. -- Dr. John R. Stephenson, Eschatology, p. 40.

Old Lutheran Quote of the Day

O Lord Jesus, help me not to be a useless clod of earth, but to live in such a way that the world may have some benefit from me.  -- Blessed Valerius Herberger, The Great Works of God III/IV, p. 79.

Patristic Quote of the Day

Do not tell me that this or that man is a runaway slave, or a robber or thief, or laden with countless faults, or that he is beggar and outcast, or of low value and worthy of no account.  Instead, consider that for his sake, Christ died.  This suffices you as a basis for your concern.  Consider what sort of person he must be, whom Christ valued at such a high price as not to have spared even His own blood. -- St. John Chrysostom, Homily on Humility 5

REMINDER: The Conversion of St. Paul

Tomorrow evening at 6 p.m. we will gather to celebrate the Conversion of St. Paul.  Truly one of the most stunning moments in the history of our faith, when the Lord Jesus knocked Saul of Tarsus off his high horse and began to forge for Himself the man who would become the great Apostle to the Gentiles and the writer of so very much of our beloved New Testament.  "This is a saying worthy of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief."  Join us if you can!

On the devotional side of life...

...which is a favorite of mine, I had a friend lately write me to inquire about suggestions for his own devotions (which is a handy word for the discipline of daily time in the Scriptures and in prayer).  I wrote him back to commend once again the beloved Treasury, but to add on that there are now two companion volumes (and a third on the way) that even deepen its value.

I'm referring to *A Year in the New Testament* which provides a meditation upon each of the NT readings for the day according to the LSB Daily Lectionary; and *A Year in the Church Fathers* which provides a choice selection from a wide array of early Church fathers, connected to one of the readings for the day.  I've posted snippets from that volume since I purchased it.  A book on the OT readings is in the works, I know, but I'm not sure where matters stand on its appearing.

But even with just the resources at hand, that means you have THREE writings each day to help you ponder and contemplate the daily lectionary readings.  Add to this that with the PrayNow App, you don't have to lug your Treasury along with you - it fits in your iPad or iPhone or whatever.  I'd love to see CPH put in the option of selecting the "writing" for the day from the Treasury itself or from one of the newer *A Year...* books!

LSB One-Year Peculiarities

As we prepare to go into pre-Lent (can it already be here?), a few changes liturgically to note:

Beginning with the Divine Service for Septuagesima, the plaintive Tract replaces the joyous Alleluia and Verse.
Beginning with Ash Wednesday, the Gloria in Excelsis (or any Hymn of Praise) is omitted from the Divine Service.
Beginning with Judica, the Gloria Patri is omitted from the Introit.

Note that the Gloria in Excelsis MAY be used on Holy Thursday, if the service does not begin with the Service of Corporate Confession and Absolution.

Now the usual discussion of the color mess.  First, remember that uniform use of the colors is relatively late.  Read through Stiller's work on Leipzig at the time of Bach and you'll readily see how different from our current expectations the color scheme in use at the time was!  But if we pay attention to the rubrics of our hymnal, then we have the following:

Pre-Lent - Green, with the Epiphany Preface continuing in use (see, Altar Book, pp. 862-865).
Ash Wednesday - Black or Violet with the Lenten Preface (see Altar Book, p. 867).
Invocabit through the week of Judica - Violet with the Lenten Preface (see Altar Book, pp. 868-875).
Palmarum through Holy Wednesday- Scarlet or violet with Holy Week Preface (see Altar Book, pp. 876-880).
Holy Thursday - White, scarlet or violet with Holy Week Preface (see Altar Book, p. 881).
Good Friday - Black (if paraments are used, but see note on p. 511  "the altar remains bare, having been stripped on Holy Thursday") with Holy Week Preface (see Altar Book, p. 883).
Easter Vigil- Easter Wednesday- White or gold with Easter preface (see Altar Book, p. 885-891).

Certainly there is variety in how parishes choose to follow these particular rubrics.  There are places that follow the one-time Roman custom of Pre-Lent being violet.  There are places that insist on the White for Maundy Thursday.  Here at St. Paul's our actual practice accords with the rubrics cited above, with these choices:  violet for Ash Wednesday; Scarlet from Palmarum through Holy Thursday; Bare for Good Friday; and Gold for the Easter feasts.  We do use the Corporate Confession option both to start and end Lent:  on Ash Wednesday and on Maundy Thursday.

It seems each year that these questions get discussed around the blogosphere, so that's a quick reference guide if you're looking for the actual rubrics of our current rite.  They're not divinely inspired; you may well disagree with the wisdom of some of the choices; but they are the guidance our Synod offers us, for what it's worth.

New Lutheran Quote of the Day

Thus pious meditation on death begins in the dimension of the Law, acknowledging the certainty of coming judgment (2 Cor. 5:10), and flowering in contrition.  That death can and must also be pondered and spoken of in the dimension of the Gospel results solely from the blessed fact that the eternal Son of God assumed our flesh and blood to taste death for everyone, to destroy the devil who has the power of death, and deliver His own from the fear of death (Heb. 2:9,14f).... From the vantage point of the Gospel, bodily death can be embraced with hope as destruction of the old man, consummation of baptism, and entrance into paradise. -- Dr. John R. Stephenson, Eschatology, p. 38.

Old Lutheran Quote of the Day

Oh Lord Jesus, You also promised me faithfulness and love in my Baptism.  Do not disregard Your old pledge.  Let me know indeed that Your Word is true and certain.  Be with me in all that I do.  Be with me when I pray; help strengthen my prayer that it may be heard by Your Father.  Be with me when I suffer trouble and misery, and comfort me.  Be with me when the evil one distresses and attacks me, and protect me.  Do me good, that all my enemies, death, the devil, and hell, may see it.  Forgive me all my sins, that my enemies may be ashamed, and take me to heaven in spite of all their ranting and raving.  -- Blessed Valerius Herberger, The Great Works of God III/IV, p. 77.

Patristic Quote of the Day

We tell them (Montanists) that we not so much reject prophesy - for this is attested by the Passion of our Lord - as we refuse to receive prophets whose utterances fail to accord with the Scriptures old and new. -- St. Jerome, Letters, 41.2

The entire lectionary debate

Or discussion or whatever you want to call it, comes down to whether you value diachronic unity above synchronic unity. While I have to disagree with those who discount the value of either, I confess my heart is aligned with diachronic, yet I sympathize deeply with the tug toward synchronic.

Homily upon Epiphany 3

[2 Kings 5:1-15a / Romans 1:8-17 / Matthew 8:1-13]

They provide a study in contrasts:  Naaman and the Centurion.   Both military men.  Both men of power.  Men who were used to uttering commands and having them followed.  Men who battered down their enemies.  Men who were used to being in control.  In all of that, I suspect they were rather much like each other.  The contrast came when they bumped up against events beyond their control and were suddenly faced with being unable to help themselves, to fix the problem before them.

For Naaman it was leprosy.  Maybe his wife noticed the spot one day, or maybe he did.  But it progressed, grew, and this mighty, powerful man – rich in goods, high in favor of his King – he had to face the fact of his inability to fix what ailed him.  And even when the little servant girl pointed him in the right direction, and he heads off to Israel, you can still see a man wanting to be in control.  When the prophet gives him an incredible promise – just go dip in the Jordan seven times and your flesh will be restored and you will be clean – he marches off in a huff, pouting that the prophet wasn’t impressed by his large retinue and didn’t come and do wonders on the spot for such a mighty and important person.  It takes his servants arguing with him to even give the prophet’s words a try.  Don’t know about you, but I’m thinking he did it to humor them.  Maybe so he could say:  “See, I told you so.”  But of course, the Word of God in the mouth of Elisha was truth.  The man dipped himself seven times and he came out of the water clean, his flesh like a baby’s.  He’d met in that water the living God, the God of Israel for whom there is NO problem that’s too big, too hopeless.  Naaman became a believer that day and he confessed his faith to the Man of God, Elisha.  A man of power dragged into the kingdom fighting to the end, but finally overcome by grace.

And then there’s the Roman centurion.  His servant lying paralyzed at home, suffering terribly.  The man tells Jesus about it and when our Lord, in His compassion, states immediately that He will come and heal the poor man, behold the faith of the centurion.  “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word and my servant will be healed.  For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me.  They do what I tell them.”  Jesus stares in marvel at this powerful man who confesses that he’s not worthy.  He’s not out to impress Jesus with his fine house, his large retinue, his pomp and circumstance.  He knows that he’s unworthy of what he’s asking.  But it doesn’t stop him because of his faith – everything he’s ever heard about this Jesus of Nazareth persuaded him that He would care and that He had the power to heal when it was beyond any remedy.  “Only say the word and my servant will be healed.”

The man’s faith in Jesus was that Jesus’ word was mighty and strong and could give exactly what it promised.  Not empty air like so many of our promises; His word does exactly what it says.  Naaman found out by experience and confessed it was so; but the Centurion – his faith came before he experienced it.  Jesus praises that faith that marks the people of God in every age – the faith that lived in Abraham and Isaac, Jacob and Joseph, the faith that makes any human being a child of Abraham, when you believe that the Word of God can call into being things that are not and make them be.  “Go, let it be done for you as you have believed.”  And his servant was healed at that very moment.

Your God is a God of promises.  A God who speaks His word and it is so.  Many, many times His word tells you things that seem silly to prideful human beings – folks like Naaman who think entirely too much of themselves and look down on what seems pure weakness – like the Jordan’s waters.

I mean think of it:  Your God tells you that the obedience and death of His Son IS your righteousness.  That in Baptism where His Word is joined to the water, He wraps you up in the holiness of Christ and so YOU stand before Him spotless and without sin.  That this good news, this gospel, is His power to save you, to save everyone who believes – whether Jews or Gentiles like Naaman and the Roman Centurion.  That this Gospel pulls the veil off the righteousness of God so that you can see that God considers ANYONE righteous who credits His Word as truth – “the righteous shall live by faith.”  Not just any faith, but the faith that God speaks truth to you, above all truth to you in Jesus, in whom all His promises are yeah and amen.  That His death is your life.  And His life will destroy your death.  Your sins His, His holiness yours.  He promises it to you.

He goes on speaking promises today.  He speaks His words over bread and wine and He causes them to be exactly what He says they are:  His body and His blood shed for you, on Golgotha for the forgiveness of all your sin, to give you a share in His own divine life.

Long, long has the Church put onto the lips of all her children coming to the Eucharist the words of the believing Centurion:  “Lord, I am not worthy for you to come under the roof of my soul, but only speak the word and your servant will be healed.”  

When you are up against the stuff you can’t control; when your powers are at their end, remember where to turn.  Remember who waits to heal you, to hold you, to embrace you and to set you free.  Men of power and pride may scoff at how He chooses to love you, but men of faith learn to bow in humility before the Crucified and Risen One and confess His apparent foolishness wiser than all our wisdom and His weak ways – water, bread, wine, words of promise, words of hope – His weak ways stronger than all our strength.  

And then we too are free to go – knowing it has been done for us even as we have believed.  To our almighty Lord Jesus with His Eternal Father and Life-giving Spirit be all glory and honor, now and to the ages of ages.  Amen.

New Lutheran Quote of the Day

Since the supernaturally conceived manhood of the Second Adam was sinless, however, the death of the Son of God according to His human nature was a voluntary sacrifice, the crown of His humiliation, the ineffable proof of the love that did not shrink from becoming not only man but even a sinner. (John 10:18; 2 Cor. 5:21) -- Dr. John R. Stephenson, Eschatology, p. 36.

Old Lutheran Quote of the Day

Learn well, dear heart:  what is proud, God lays low, but what is lowly He restores and raises again. -- Blessed Valerius Herberger, The Great Works of God III/IV, p. 75.

Patristic Quote of the Day

And as this judgment was due to both, Jacob learned from the case of Esau that the fact of the same punishment not falling upon him gave him no room to boast in any merit of his own, but only the riches of divine grace. -- St. Augustine, Enchiridion 98