10 December 2006
What Joy!
Today, I not only got to preach on our Lord's Advent, to teach on our Lord's Passion, to absolve the congregation, and to celebrate and receive into my most unworthy body and soul the very Body and Blood of Jesus Christ and to give the same to my parish, but I also got to be the instrumentality of our Lord's baptizing Jack Jeffrey Schwarz - son of Jeff and Beth Schwarz. Godparents are Joe and Joan Harwell. Using the beautiful rite from Lutheran Service Book, Jack received the sign of the cross on forehead and heart, was prayed over, renounced Satan, confessed the faith (through his sponsors), was baptized into the Savior, was sealed with the Spirit (signified with oil and the laying on of hands), and was given his baptismal candle as a reminder to live vigilant for the Lord's return that he might enter into the wedding feast of the Lamb with joy.
Wonderful! I wish I could have been there.
ReplyDeleteYou should give one of my books to Jeff and Beth. In fact, giving them to the baptized would be a good way to get rid of the misdelivered copies. ;-)
Pastor Weedon,
ReplyDeleteYou are such an encouragement to me! I love your love for the ministry and look forward to joining you in the holy office. Unfortunately, many pastors do not share your zeal and enthusiasm, but rather indulge in self-absorbed complaint. Thank you for your service of encouragement to me and so many others.
Dear Jim,
ReplyDeleteI'm glad to be an encouragement, but trust me: I do plenty of self-absorbed complaining. Just usually not on my blog. ; ) Mea culpa!
The joy of the ministry though is beyond words to me. It is an unspeakable privilege and - Lord, forgive me - oodles of fun. Oh, plenty of heart-aches and sorrows too - don't get me wrong. But the joys so overwhelm the sorrows. To spend one's life in reading the Word, meditating upon it, preaching it, teaching it, bringing it to bear on all sorts of situations in the lives of those entrusted to your care, and ministering the Medicine of Immortality, washing in Holy Baptism, and absolving penitents - what COULD be more glorious and joyous? I look forward to your being a fellow servant of the Word too. Maybe the SID will even snag you! : )
Charlie,
ReplyDeleteGood idea, but I haven't seen the books! Maybe they're at the post office yet.
I'd suggest checking with Joanie and Marianne. If they were left at the post office, it's possible (though apparently not likely), that they were forwarded to Montana.
ReplyDeleteI'm surprised to see the Blue Vestments on you. Thought you were more traditional than that.
ReplyDeleteDear Anon,
ReplyDeleteLOL. Blue is traditional in some parts of the Lutheran world - noteably Sweden, I believe. The color scheme was anything but fixed at the time of the Reformation, and Lutherans have historically employed a variety of practices. In my opinion, the blue of Advent is useful in calling to mind the Blessed Virgin (in the West, she owns the color blue!), and as the color of the sky it reminds us: "Drop down, dew, O gracious heaven; let the sky rain down the Just!"
Pax!