18 December 2014
13 December 2014
Thoughts from a Funeral
11 December 2014
Random thought for the day...
10 December 2014
Another Beautiful Advent Evening Prayer
09 December 2014
Info on Lee's Funeral
Read more here: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/belleville/obituary.aspx?n=lee-maxwell&pid=173408362&fhid=16827#storylink=cpy
05 December 2014
03 December 2014
Evening Prayer
A Place of the Real Presence of Christ in the Midst of a Boisterous and Unholy World...
Hermann Sasse, "The Holy Supper and the Future of Our Church," in The Lonely Way, vol. 1, pp. 487-88.
[HT: Randy Asburry]
01 December 2014
St. Andrew
30 November 2014
Advent arrives
29 November 2014
The Card Vacation
28 November 2014
The Advent Fast
26 November 2014
News reached us tonight
There shall we see in glory
Our dear Redeemer's face;
The long-awaited story
Of heavenly joy takes place.
The patriarchs shall meet us,
The prophets' holy band;
Apostles, martyrs, greet us
In that celestial land.
There God shall from all evil
Forever make us free,
From sin and from the devil,
From all adversity,
From sickness, pain and sadness,
From troubles, cares, and fears,
And grant us heavenly gladness
And wipe away our tears.
In that fair home shall never
Be silent music's voice;
With hearts and lips forever
We shall in God rejoice,
While angel hosts are raising
With saints from great to least
A mighty hymn for praising
The Giver of the feast.
LSB 514:2–4
Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
The light snowfall
Sigh
Preparations
25 November 2014
Gifts from the Lord...
23 November 2014
Hymns of the Last Sunday
Commemoration of Clement of Rome

Treasury of Daily Prayer offers a beautiful collect for this commemoration, asking: "Grant that Your Church may be anchored in Your truth by the presence of the Holy Spirit and kept blameless until the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." (p. 944)
My favorite quote from St. Clement of Rome is from his first letter to the Corinthians:
"Similarly we also, who by His will have been called in Christ Jesus, are not justified by ourselves, or our own wisdom or understanding or godliness, nor by such deeds as we have done in holiness of heart, but by that faith through which Almighty God has justified all men since the beginning of time. Glory be to Him, forever and ever, Amen." - St. Clement of Rome (Letter to the Corinthians, par. 32)
21 November 2014
Another "aha"
All hail! King of mercy. Hail! Thou Who art the life, the joy, and the hope of our souls. We miserable children of Eve cry unto Thee. We long for Thee, sorrowing and weeping in this vale of tears. Hail, therefore, O Lord Christ! Thou Who dost intercede for us with God, turn Thine eyes, beaming with mercy, upon us, and show Thyself unto us, Thou blessed Son of God and of Mary, when the days of our misery shall have passed. O gracious, gentle, sweet and lovely Jesus Christ. Amen.
Similarly, he offers the Anima Christi (p. 118):
May the soul of Christ sanctify me. May the body of Christ preserve me. May the blood of Christ nourish me. The water that flowed from His riven side, may it cleanse me. In Thy holy wounds let me hide. O Lord, help me that I be never separated from Thee. Defend me against the evil one. In the hour of death set me down by Thee, that I may with all Thy holy angels evermore praise Thee. Amen.
That Ellipsis in the Friday Prayer
Lord Jesus Christ, true God and true Man, we thank You... that You have redeemed us poor and condemned creatures.
The ellipsis has always bothered me. What was supposed to be there? But then I found the prayer in Loehe's Seed Grains of Prayer on page 125:
We give thanks unto Thee, Lord Jesus Christ, true God and Man, that by Thy holy sufferings, death and shedding of blood Thou hast redeemed us poor sinful and condemned beings.
So now that I know WHAT was missing, the question is why on earth would it have NOT been included?
20 November 2014
A Solemn Atmosphere
Beautiful Luther Quote
19 November 2014
If you would remember
Commemorating St. Elizabeth of Hungary

Born in Pressburg, Hungary, in 1207, Elizabeth was the daughter of King Andrew II and his wife Gertrude. Given as a bride in an arranged political marriage, Elizabeth became the wife of Louis of Thuringia in Germany at the age of 14. She had a spirit of Christian generosity and charity, and the home she established for her husband and three children in the Wartburg Castle at Eisenach was known for its hospitality and family love. Elizabeth often supervised the care of the sick and needy and even gave up her bed to a leper at one time. Widowed at the age of 20, she made provisions for her children and entered into an austere life as a nun in the Order of Saint Francis. Her self-denial led to failing health and an early death in 1231 at the age of 24. Remembered for her self-sacrificing ways, Elizabeth is commemorated through the many hospitals named for her around the world.
The Treasury offers a beautiful prayer for the day, asking "Mighty King, whose inheritance is not of this world, inspire in us the humility and benevolent charity of Elizabeth of Hungary." (p. 929) She is a shining light for Christ's people, pointing the way to live welcoming every person as Christ, and every need and suffering as His own.
The Writing for today (from Dr. Luther) captures her spirit: "But if anyone earnestly believed that he is receiving the Lord Himself when he receives a poor brother, there would be no need for such anxious, zealous, and soliticous exhortations to do works of love...together with godly Abraham we would run to meet the wretched people, invite them into our homes, seize upon this honor and distinction ahead of others and say: 'O Lord Jesus, come to me; enjoy my bread, wine, silver and gold. How well it is has been invested by me when I invest it in You!'" (p. 928)
The Prayer of the Church
A Video Introduction to the Book of Concord
Intro to the Book of Concord
18 November 2014
You know...
17 November 2014
Much joy
15 November 2014
On food
After I got the fire going
13 November 2014
12 November 2014
Today's Chapel Homily
It was surely one of the shockers of the Reformation when Lutherans found fellow Christians ready to dump the Baptism of infants and doing so because they decided that Baptism was, after all, something we do and it can only have value and worth if we do it with our noggins fully engaged. Once again, grownups getting in the way, blocking the little ones from coming to Jesus to receive His blessing. Telling them: Not yet. You can’t appreciate His embrace until you can think it through for yourself.
Paul in todays’ reading significantly likens Baptism in the New Covenant to circumcision in the Old. But as always the Old was piecemeal and the new is whole hog. So in circumicion a bit of your flesh was slice off and tossed away, but in Baptism, the whole body of flesh is done to death with Jesus and then raised with Him through faith. And this is the key phrase: “through the powerful working of God.”
Baptism isn’t your doing. Get your hands off the verbs! Baptism is where God does the powerful work. He takes those who are dead in trespasses and the uncircumcision of their flesh and He buries them with Jesus and then proceeds to make them alive together with Christ. And He does this by way of forgiveness: “having forgiven us ALL our trespasses, cancelling the record of debt that stood against us.”
Little ones need it. Big ones need it. Age is irrelevant. Take the little ones and ask yourself: Did you ever have to teach them to be selfish? To say: “Mine!” It’s almost the first word they learn after mama and papa and NO. Thrwart their little plans and watch and see. Does the tiny baby in the cradle ever not scream bloody murder when it doesn’t get what it wants? See the shaking and the anger and the turning red in the face.
Which is just to note that the little ones need what Baptism gives. They need forgiveness. They need to be joined to Jesus in his death, burying that sinful impulse that animates us, and rising with Him to a new life.
But, the other folks said and say to the Lutherans, but what good is it if the babies can’t believe? And we answer: Oh, not a bit of good at all. Good thing that they can. Or rather, good thing that God can give the gift of faith to an infant. Faith is always impossible for human beings no matter their age. It only comes if it ever comes as a divine gift, freely given. So Psalm 22:9 “You took me from my mother’s womb, YOU MADE ME TRUST IN YOU on my mother’s breast.” In the OT through the gift of circumcision but in the NT through the gift of Baptism. What did Peter preach on Pentecost?
“Repent and be baptized everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, for the promise is for you and your children.” They are not to be excluded from the place where in the mighty working of God sin is forgiven: the waters of Baptism. That’s where the triumph of the cross is forked over first and foremost. Amen.
11 November 2014
A cold and grey November day...
10 November 2014
Potatoes
08 November 2014
Saturday
04 November 2014
Luther on Ecclesiastes 6
03 November 2014
Luther on Ecclesiastes 5
02 November 2014
Joyous All Saints Celebration
01 November 2014
That middle of the night wakefulness
31 October 2014
Reformation Day
Luther on Ecclesiastes 4
30 October 2014
Luther on Ecclesiastes 3
29 October 2014
Luther on Ecclesiastes 2 - at the Heart of the Receptive Life
28 October 2014
Happy birthday!
Happy birthday, Annabelle Scarlet! Grandpa and Nana love you!
26 October 2014
a Reformation Day Homily
24 October 2014
What a treat!
23 October 2014
Apple
22 October 2014
Chrysostom on Galatians 3
21 October 2014
Chrysostom on Galatians 2
19 October 2014
A Tribute
15 October 2014
Home
Each Wednesday
14 October 2014
Listening to Pastor Wilken
30 September 2014
On a roll
28 September 2014
A quiet breakfast
Very excited
27 September 2014
This-n-That
21 September 2014
Yup
15 September 2014
14 September 2014
11 September 2014
09 September 2014
08 September 2014
Pastor Ball's Homily at the Rededication
Saint Paul Lutheran Church
The Divine Service of Rededication
September 7, 2014
St. Luke 19:1-10
In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus, the eternal Son of God comes to dwell with sinners. He comes to this house, to be present according to the promises of His Word to forgive, bless, relieve, comfort, guide, sustain, redeem, and save His people. He comes to seek out the lost and save them. This is what he does always. He comes to a house made with hands and He makes it a place of salvation by His presence, by His words. 83 years ago our fathers and mothers in the true faith gathered in this Church for the first time and dedicated it as the house and temple of God, invoking the Name of the Blessed Trinity. They prayed that here He would dwell and be present for them and for us who would come after them. Today, we rededicate this house, asking the same thing, we wish to see Jesus here, to have Him come to this house and save us, forgive us, be our guest and our host and he does just that. And for him to do it for those who come after us. He said, “Today salvation has come to this house…for the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” And he does it.
Last year on November 10th, it was a Sunday like most, except of course it was the Sausage Supper day. The Word of God was preached, the Sacrament was administered and right after Church the pastor took a quick nap before heading out to the fry shed. Then we learned how quickly something that you think you can hold onto can be taken away from you. Many of you had been coming to this Church your entire life, and very quickly it was taken away. Well, the building was renovated, restored, but it was gone, for a while. Buildings burn, they deteriorate, eventually they fall. They can be built up again, made beautiful again as we see today. But if Jesus is not here, not present, not preached, not believed then it wasn’t worth restoring. But Jesus is here, and He comes even without our asking, just like He did with Zacchaeus.
Zacchaeus was yearning for a vision of the Lord Jesus, hoping to catch a glimpse of him. Zacchaeus, was a rich man; rich off of the taxes of others. Why would he need to see Jesus? Because he was a sinner and he knew it. And here is where Jesus does what only he can do, something that would seem to be rude, as you shouldn’t invite yourself to someone’s house. That is just what Jesus does though, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.” Why must Jesus go there to that house, because the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” Zacchaeus. You. And so He comes here. To this beautiful place, to this house. And like Zacchaeus, we receive Jesus joyfully. For where Jesus is, there is the Father and the Holy Spirit. Undivided God. Holy, Holy, Holy, Heilig, Heilig, Heilig, as they used to say here. Here comes God, to this place, to save and forgive sinners, you.
But what of the grumbling? “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who was a sinner”. Well that is what Jesus has come to do, to be the uninvited guest, to be near sinners, and that is what you have to understand and believe. He comes to this house as the one who serves sinners, and you need to understand and believe that you need him, not just on Christmas or Easter, or on a day like today. You need Him always. If you were honest with yourself you would understand and believe this. You simply cannot hide from God the things you have done against Him and His commands. Those who were grumbling about Jesus going to the house of a sinner, could not imagine that they would need Jesus to seek and save them. They could not be honest with themselves, examine themselves and see their great need of salvation. This is what you are to do, examine yourself and see what is in your heart is wretched, and see how you have rejected the true God by your thoughts and deeds, by your words things said, and also things not said that needed to be. Zacchaeus had no problem understanding and believing he was a sinner, he even told Jesus that He was. He had stolen. Jesus sees that Zacchaeus is a son of Abraham through faith in Him because what sinners need above all is Him.
And what you need is Him to offer Himself for you as a sinner. This is what He did. He went to the cross, without grumbling, not condemning the world that rejected Him, but saving the world by dying. Saving you by dying. This is why He came of course, to die for you. Salvation comes through His death and his house for but a few days was a tomb. But He is out of the prison house of death. It could not hold him, and the prison house of death cannot hold you, it cannot hold those who 83 years ago dedicated this house and now are at rest in the grave. Someday like the blessed dead who have been buried from here, you will be in your casket right here, and then placed in the cemetery down the road, but you will not be lost in death. Jesus lives to save.
He lives to save you, to save you from the prison house of death. He lives to seek you out in your sins and now he brings you to this house, drawn by His Spirit, to be forgiven here, to be saved here through preaching and His word, saved here by eating His body and drinking His blood. Saved here together with your brothers and sisters in Christ, joined together as one Body with Christ as the head of us all. Living in a house made with hands, made beautiful again after fire, to live together waiting for the day when we with the blessed dead who lived here once will be joined together again in house not made with hands, in the new heaven and the new earth, the holy city, the new Jerusalem. For behold the dwelling place of God is with men. It is now, here. It will be there, when he wipes away every tear from our eyes and there will be no mourning or crying or pain anymore for the former things will pass away. There will be a day when this house will no longer stand, fire will come upon the earth, but listen to what Jesus says, “Behold, I am making all things new”. This house is new again, but soon, even better, all the people of God in Christ Jesus will be in His Father’s house, prepared by Jesus Himself through His death and resurrection. And then you will no longer find Him by His Word of promise, then you will no longer be a sinner at all, but resurrected and alive, with Him, His Father’s house, brought together by the Spirit, to live, not lost, but found and saved with every tear wiped away, with no pain, but alive with Him. And you will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Amen.