On Sanctification

The danger is in thinking that the holiness given you in Christ is not whole, perfect, complete. It IS. It is not at all so much the case that holiness grows in you, but that you grow in holiness. The gift is given: now we make progress in learning to live from it, so that love becomes ever more our life. "Progress" is okay concept in such a scenario. Old Martin Chemnitz used it:

"The healing and renewal itself is not such a change that is immediately accomplished and finished in a moment, but it has its beginnings and certain progress by which it grows in great weakness, is increased and preserved." Examen I:424

"The renewal of the new man, as also the mortification of the old, is not perfect and complete in this life but that it grows and is increased day by day until it is perfected in the next life, when this corruptible will have put on incorruption." Examen I:538

"But men are to be admonished that they should through the Spirit mortify the deeds of the flesh and firmly adhere to Christ by faith and through the use of the Word and of the Sacraments become more and more united with Him and seek from God the gift of perseverance, and wrestle, lest the wantonness of the flesh drive out the gift of perseverance." Examen I:607

More and more united. With Christ. So that repentance means turning away from the life that is in Adam (a dead end road if ever there were one) and growing into the freedom given in Christ. "Unbending" us, if you will, and opening our eyes to believe and live from the gift.

I think that's why St. Peter said after that long list of virtues that need to be ours and increasing, that if they are not, the problem isn't with our good works, but with our faith: "Whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins." (2 Pet 1:9)

This particular point is one that Schmemann nailed:

"And the holiness of the Church is not our holiness, but Christ's, who loved the Church and gave Himself for her 'that He might sanctify her...that she might be holy and without blemish' (Eph 5:25-27). Likewise the holiness of the saints as well is but the revelation and the realization of that sanctification, that holiness that each of us received on the day of baptism, and in which we are called to increase. But we could not grow in it, if we did not already possess it as a gift of God, as his presence in us through the Holy Spirit." (Schmemann, Eucharist, pp. 23, 24)

The gift is given whole: the Holy Spirit gives us the gift of Christ Himself to be our all - sanctification is the life of appropriating that gift ever more and more, turning away from the old self and finding life in union with Him who is our Life. Thoughts?

Lucy and her favorite things...

her goose and the heater!

Old Lutheran Quote of the Day

The Christian should be a person of progress. He should never stand still, but always seek to go forward. He should always be found actively doing the will of God, always in battle for the treasure, always in the race for the crown of glory. With each day he should come closer to the goal, that is, seeking to become holier and more like Christ. -- C.F.W. Walther, *God Grant It!* p. 271

Patristic Quote of the Day

For the wisdom that comes from above, from God, is an incomparable blessings; and when we attain unto it by means of the holy Scripture, inspired of God, and gain the divine light to dwell in our minds, we then advance without wandering unto whatsoever is useful for our spiritual profit. -- St. Cyril of Alexandria, Homily 133 on St. Luke

My elders

are amazing. They never cease to astound me. Even when I'm being a regular pompous ass. They correct me, forgive me, and even hug me. I love these men.

No one wants to do a funeral...

...but if you have to do one, you really want to do an Aufdemberge funeral. They are the singingest bunch of folk you'll ever meet. They gather in the basement of the Church and PRIOR to the funeral, they sing hymn after hymn. And in Church! I have the bad habit of bellowing at the top of my lungs (yes, I should know my Piepkorn better than that) - but Eunice told me that today she couldn't even hear me. Crown Him with Many Crowns. Our Father's God. Lord, Thee I Love. Jesus lives! The victory's won. And at the graveside Abide with Me. What a witness that family is to the joy of Christ's resurrection victory even in the midst of tears.

Unbelievable

I love the net. Pastor McCain just pointed me to this treasure trove:

Greek Fathers

Martin Luther

Today, upon the day of his death, our Synod commemorates Martin Luther, Doctor and Confessor. He died in Eisenach, the town he was born in, in 1546 and he died attempting to settle a dispute between two feuding brothers. Most appropriate. He had been in poor health for a number of years, but persisted in his duties and produced a really stunning amount of writings - and many people (I among them) think the writings from the close of his life were his very best. Yet in his honor today I'd like to give what I think of as his most beautiful writing about the Christian life, and it came earlier in his career. He wrote:

  This life is not godliness, but growth in godliness;
  not health, but healing;
  not being, but becoming;
  not rest, but exercise.
  We are not now what we shall be, but we are on the way;
  the process is not yet finished, but it has begun;
  this is not the goal, but it is road;
  at present all does not gleam and glitter, but everything is being
  purified.
    - Martin Luther, A Defense and Explanation of All Articles (AE 32:24)

I have to say once more

that despite its shortcomings, the Lutheran Service Builder really is an amazing product. Catechism Service, Evening Prayer, and next Sunday's Divine Service, all finished up in under an hour. Well, ready for press in under an hour. If only the danged thing would copy and collate for us...

Patristic Quote of the Day

The God of all then created man upon the earth with a mind capable of wisdom, and possessed of powers of understanding. But Satan deceived him, though made in the image of God, and led him astray even until he had no knowledge of the Creator and Artificer of all. He humbled the dwellers upon earth down to the lowest stage of irrationality and ignorance. -- St. Cyril of Alexandria, Homily 130 on St. Luke

Funeral Homily for Julana (Jo) Aufdemberge

[Isaiah 43:1-4 / Romans 8:31-39 / John 11:21-27]

Steven and Carla, Carla and Michael, Susan, family and friends of Jo Aufdemberge, what a difference it makes when you live your life and die your death in the faith that you are precious in the eyes of God, known, honored and loved by Him! It sets your heart and your mouth singing for joy. Do I need to tell you that your mother was a shining light that way? And that she spent so much of her life and her energy in helping others to discover that same truth, and to rejoice with her in making music to the One who had so loved her and all our fallen race?

Jo never forgot she was a sinner. There were things she really struggled with. She certainly didn't approve when God took your dad home - and left her alone. She struggled with that and yet finally found her peace in recognizing that she could receive all things, even that, as a gift from the hand of the God who loved her all the way from the manger to the cross to the empty grave, and all the way from her baptism until the moment her baptism was completed last Thursday, even as she was cross-stitching a baptismal cross for another child of God.

To Jo, living as a baptized child of God was one of the greatest joys of life. It meant that you had a heavenly Father who never turned his back on you or abandoned you, whose love for you was guaranteed, just like we heard in the words from Isaiah: "Thus says the Lord who created you and formed you: Fear not, for I have redeemed you, I have called you by name and you are mine. When you pass through the waters I will be with you and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through the fire you shall not be burned and the flame shall not consume you, for I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel your Savior...You are precious in my eyes and honored and I love you." Those are words that get you through the sundry waters and fire that come your way in life. Jo knew plenty of those in her pilgrimage. And yet it was that constant love of God that was her anchor. She sought to make that love be the anchor for the all the children she taught, all the young folks that sang in the cantata she used to conduct, all the members of her family and her countless friends. Here's a love you can count on, her whole life seemed to say: trust in Him!

Such a love she knew to be in the heart of God for her because of the Cross. "He who did not spare His only Son, but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him graciously give us all things?" She looked to the Cross and saw the One who had taken all of her sin and the world's sin upon Himself to set her and the world free! To forgive, to pardon, and to renew the whole creation.

But her faith and her joy didn't stop with the Cross. Much as she rejoiced to sing about the Savior who had loved her to death, she rejoiced even more to sing about the Savior whom death could not hold, and in whose love she was more than a conqueror!

In today's Gospel Martha had the idea that at the end of time there would be a resurrection. That was true, but she was missing the joy standing before her: "I am the resurrection and the life" says her Jesus. "Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die." The Jesus who marked Jo as his own in the waters of Baptism is not merely the One who WILL raise the dead. He IS the destruction of death. He IS the gift of eternal life. And she knew this. She knew it in the depths of her soul. And she clung to Him tightly.

Countless were the times she knelt before this Lord and let Him feed into her the very Body and Blood that were on the cross for her, and in the tomb for her, and rose again from the grave for her. Countless were the times He fed into her a forgiveness greater than all her sin and the world's sin, a Life stronger than any death she or you or I will ever meet.

And so she sang and rang! Who could keep from making music of praise to a God who loves like that? A God whose mercy never ends. The dearest desire of her heart was always that you, her children and grandchildren, know this unending love and mercy of God; it was her desire that her little scholars know it; the children she sang with in VBS know it; the teens she loved and spent time with know it; that you her friends and family and everyone she met, know it.

We're sad today that God has seen fit to take her joyful presence from us. But then, when we think about it, we realize that nothing of the sort has happened. Oh, it's true that we'll take this body out to the grave and plant it in the certain hope of the resurrection. Our eyes won't get to see her again in this age. And yet we know that every time we gather at the Lord's altar, at His table, and the Feast of life is spread before us, the Lamb reigning in His sacrifice of love, that Jo will be there. With Carl. With your grandparents. With all your loved ones who have died in the faith. They meet us at the table where the Lamb is, until the day comes for each of us when faith gives way to sight, and we will see what she now enjoys and join her in forever singing praise of the One who has loved us with an everlasting love, to whom be glory forever! Amen.

Julana L. Aufdemberge, age 76, of Edwardsville, died at 12:50 p.m., on Thursday, Feb. 14, 2008, at her residence.

She was born on Oct. 20, 1931, in Lincoln, Neb., the daughter of the late Arthur and Irene Schwartz Knispel.

She married Carl E. Aufdemberge on July 19, 1953, in Omaha, Neb. He preceded her in death on Aug. 9, 1997.

She is survived by one son: Steven, and wife Carla, Aufdemberge of Columbia, Mo.; two daughters Carla, and her husband Michael, Kramer of Columbia, Mo., and Susan Aufdemberge of Edwardsville; four grandchildren: Jason, and wife Stacey, Kramer of Columbia, Mo., Sarah Kramer of Denver, Colo., Hannah and Carah Aufdemberge of Columbia, Mo.; and two sisters: Christine Lehl of Gardner, Kan., and Elaine, and husband Ed, Luethge of Omaha, Neb.

Mrs. Aufdemberge retired after 35 years as a teacher in Texas and Wisconsin. She also taught in Edwardsville at Trinity Lutheran Church for a number of years.

Her memberships include St. Paul Lutheran Church in Hamel, past member of Lutheran Education Association, the Homemakers Extension Group of Edwardsville, and Trinity Lutheran Choir and St. Paul Lutheran Choir. Current member of Lutheran Women's Missionary League and St. Paul Church Bell Choir.


[Yes, she'd smack me one for putting that picture up, but I LIKE it!]

Old Lutheran Quote of the Day

All our shelter and protection rest in prayer alone. - Blessed Martin Luther, The Larger Catechism, III:30

Freedom and the Phone

I had been raised that whenever the Master calls (the Master being the phone), absolutely everything is dropped and one runs - literally at times - to serve it (that is, to pick it up and see what it wants). For many years we've had an answering machine, but I never once thought of its real usefulness, and continued in my servitude. Lately, though, I've really decided to dethrone this Master from my life. If I'm busy working on something and the Master rings. I smile and keep on working. If it's important, a message will be left and usually I'm in a position to be able to HEAR the message and decide then and there if it's something I need to interrupt what I'm working on to deal with. I'm sure that it must aggravate some that the phone doesn't INSTANTLY put them in touch with me, but I'm totally enjoying the freedom of not being at former Master's beck and call. Leave a message, folks - because my days of running when Master calls are over!

It still seems wrong...

...even after seeing Jo's body at the funeral home tonight. It seems wrong. Today at church I kept expecting to see her, sitting by Ruth for Bible class. Reading along with the sermon during service. Up with the bells practicing after late service. Worse of all, I think, is the sadness for all of us of not being able to say a proper good-bye, not being able to tell her how much we love her and thank her for the blessing she's been to us. It still seems wrong.

O God, her soul is in your keeping. May it please you to let her know how very much she is loved and missed here. And thank you for the years you shared her with us. We were not deserving of her smile, her kindness, her gentle and tender words, but we rejoice that through her your love touched us and to you we give praise, even in the midst of tears. Amen.

Another Patristic Quote of the Day

We are then righteous when we confess that we are sinners, and our righteousness depends not upon our own merits, but on the mercy of God, as the Holy Scripture says,"The righteous man accuses himself when he begins to speak," and elsewhere,"Tell your sins that you may be justified." -- St. Jerome, *Against Pelagius* Book I:13

Ah, Pinochle!

Such a delightful game, don't you think? It's a wonder more folks don't play it. But of course, if they played like Crys and Cindi did tonight, it MIGHT not be so enjoyable after all. But I think they should be grateful that we let them win THREE out of the nine games. It might have been worse. Tonight, in any case, Scott and I wholeheartedly recommend the game.

If you haven't seen this yet...

...you really should. Go, Bach! Go, Virgil!

Gigue Fugue

Yeah, just some more of that boring Lutheran Church music.

Old Lutheran Quote of the Day

Many think that once a person has been converted, he is finished with the difficult work of repentance and he can rest. He is like one who, after a story voyage at sea, has finally arrived in safe harbor; the danger of perishing is happily past, and the soul of such an individual is safely brought in and need no longer fear shipwreck. However, this is an extremely dangerous deception. It is precisely at the point of conversion that the true fight begins in him. When Christ says, "Strive to enter by the narrow gate," He is referring not just to the initial act of repentance but rather the entire progress of the Christian life until death. All of this, taken together, is the narrow gate and the narrow path that lead to life. -- C.F.W. Walther *God Grant It!* p. 263

Patristic Quote of the Day

But Christ rules over us as King, and we have a good hope, that we shall also be counted worthy of the portion of the saints, and twine around our heads the crown that becometh the steadfast; for this also is the gift of Christ, our common Savior. -- St. Cyril of Alexandria, Homily 129 on St. Luke

This Storm

bypassed us this morning, but David captured this picture of it:

"See this wonder in the making..."

"...God Himself this child is taking." We were blessed to welcome Brooke Lydia into the holy Church today through the Sacrament of Baptism. "Here we bring a child of nature; home we take a new born creature." I don't remember how many Baptisms we've celebrated this year, but it's been a few. And the water of life keeps flowing. What a blessing in Lent to see and remember where we're headed: back to the font. As we move from the center of the chancel to the font, the words spoken are: "The Lord preserve your coming in and your going out from this time forth and forevermore." All of Brooke Lydia's earthly pilgrimage, as also our own, will be a constant coming back to the font, to the gift given there. Absolution is never a new or a different forgiveness, but always a return to the forgiveness given at the font. Dr. Korby used to pronounce the absolution, touching the Baptismal font. The gift of forgiveness, rescue from death and the devil, and everlasting salvation - the gifts the Holy Spirit brings to us with Himself in the waters - these are ours for so long as "it is called today." Lent calls us to come home to the font. What are we waiting for?

Lenten Reflections

Today we celebrated the Divine Service for Reminsicere (and we'll celebrate it also tomorrow twice). The somber readings, the loss of Gloria in Excelsis and of Alleluia, the long tract, the Lenten preface and the hymns - it all reminds me of a the soberness of the battle in which we are engaged. How serious this battle is, and how vital its outcome. So in the Collect we pray for God to defend us both outwardly and inwardly: for all adversities that may happen to the body and from all evil thoughts that may assault and hurt the soul.

I told the folks at the beginning of Advent that we needed Advent precisely because - see the collect for Advent one - Satan has lulled us into thinking that our sins are no threatening danger at all. Advent reveals otherwise; and so does Lent. It's a battle indeed - a battle not of the will, but of faith. A battle not of our strength, but of our trust in God's mercy and His promises.

"For Lutherans it's always Lent" (Keiler) and I won't argue with that except to say: for Christians this LIFE is always Lent. Always a preparation and a battle. But Easter comes and its joy is everlasting.

But in the meantime:

On my heart imprint Your image,
Blessed Jesus, King of grace,
That life's riches, cares and pleasures
Never may Your work erase.
This the clear inscription be:
Jesus crucified for me,
Is my life, my hope's foundation
And my glory and salvation. Amen.

Old Lutheran Quote of the Day

Christian believers holding the faith Catholic we are - but we are, besides, Protestant, rejecting the authority of the Papacy; Evangelical, glorying in the grace of the Gospel; and Lutheran, holding the doctrines of that Church, of which the Reformation is the child - not only those in which all Christendom or a large part of it coincides with her, but the most distinctive of her distinctive doctrines, though in the maintenance of them she stood alone. -- Krauth, *The Conservative Reformation* p. 168

Patristic Quote of the Day

He gives those who love instruction the assurance, that whatsoever is said respecting Him by the holy apostles or evangelists, is to be received necessarily without any doubt, and to be crowned with the words for truth. For he who heareth them, heareth Christ. -- St. Cyril, Homily 63 on St. Luke

What does the Eucharist mean?

My mother-in-law, Jo, has written a rather beautiful blog post celebrating the "for-you-ness" of the Eucharist from the perspective of a person struggling with God's reign over her life. Thanks, Jo, for sharing your thoughts on this. You can read it here:

Jo's Blog

Reminiscere Homily

Last week, it was the battle against the devil that we spoke of. That we can readily understand. But what are we to do when it is God that we have to fight against? When He puts our faith to the test? When He appears to us in the guise of an enemy, as one who opposes us or who acts as if He doesn’t care one bit about us? What then?

Jacob in today’s Old Testament reading knew something of this. He discovered it the night when he knew that his brother Esau was coming against him with a small army, and he stayed behind on the far bank of the River Jabbok and wrestled with a Man all night long. When morning was breaking, Jacob cried out: “I will not let you go until you bless me.” That night Jacob got a new name: Israel. The one who wrestles with men and with God and wins.

The Canaanite woman in today’s gospel is also struggling with God, wrestling with Jesus and, like Jacob, she holds on with the tenacity of a bull-dog - won’t let Him go until He blesses her by setting her daughter free. “Kyrie, eleison! Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David, for my daughter is severely demon-possessed.” His response? Silence. He ignored her, just like she wasn’t even there. Just like she didn’t even count for anything.

But as He walks on, so does she, shouting and pleading more loudly. In fact, she becomes downright embarrassing. The disciples are befuddled. Why won’t He help her? He always has helped anyone who asks for His help. And yet He just keeps walking on as though His heart were made of stone. What has happened to Jesus?

They say to Him: “Lord, send her away, for she cries out after us.” His answer? “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” As though He had said: “She’s not one of Mine; her trouble has nothing to do with Me.”

Have you ever been there? Have you ever come to Him in prayer and received the stony silence of heaven as your answer? And what did you do then? The thing we’re tempted to do is to walk away in despair. Satan whispers in our ears: “See, it’s just like I’ve been telling you. He doesn’t care about you. You can’t count on Him. You’re going to have to handle it on your own.” Words bidding us despair, when we know we can’t handle it on our own at all.

But this woman won’t listen to the lies of Satan. She keeps up the asking, the seeking, and the knocking. She won’t give in until Jesus opens the door of His heart and hears her request. She grovels on the ground before Him, worships Him, and begs: “Lord, help me!”

Surely now He’ll give in. Surely. What does He say to her heart-felt plea? “It is not good to take the children’s bread and toss it to a little dog like you.” Ouch! And if He had spoken so harshly to you? If He called you a dog unworthy of His assistance, when you were bowed in the dirt before Him, your tear stained face pleading for His help?

But listen to this woman’s words and learn! They are words of faith. Faith is being given to by God. Faith is receiving from His hands what He gives you, accepting it from Him as from a heart of love. Jesus gave her the gift of being a dog – and after all, she HAD been holding on like a bull-dog. In faith, she receives that gift and asks for nothing more than a dog’s due: “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.”

See the joy in His face as He looks at her and exclaims: “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” “Great is your faith” means “Great is your givable-to-ness.” What He dishes out, she receives. And yet she won’t let Him not be for her. Under His harsh words, she heard a deep and hidden “yes,” the answer to her prayer. He did indeed remember His great mercy and love and had pity on her.

Now what about you? In the great struggle of faith, there is only one thing to do: to cling to Him all the tighter. To hold to Him and say: “Lord Jesus, you may treat me as harshly as You like, and yet I will not let go of you or doubt your love for me. You only are my Help and my Hope. On You I will rely. After all, You went to the cross for me and died so that I might be Yours forever. Do with me as You will. But I am Yours.”

So you may speak to Him when you are going through the rough and discouraging times of trial. But where may you find Him then so that you too can sink your teeth into Him with the holding-power of a bull-dog? Where else but here at His Table. When everywhere else it seems that He is against you, you can come here and find out the truth. Here He shows how much, how deeply, how beyond all measure He is FOR you, as He place His body and His blood in your mouth with His promise that says: “Given and shed for you, for the forgiveness of your sins.”

So this is what it means to belong to Him, you who have been branded with His name in Baptism. This is His way of training you to rely on His Words and promises and not on your feelings. Through the constant putting of your faith to the test, He drives you ever back to where He speaks His sure and certain words of life, and thus He strengthens you all the days of your pilgrimage.

God grant each of you a bull-dog like grip on your Jesus - faith like this Cannanite woman had - and you too will discover that even the crumbs from His table supply us with more than we could ever ask or imagine. To Him with His all holy Father and life-giving Spirit be all glory and dominion, now and ever and unto the ages of ages! Amen.

Patristic Passages of Interest for Lutherans

Note, I've offered many of these before but I put it out there now as a resource for folks who are interested. As always I encourage not merely to read the section I quote but to read the document as a whole. I don't believe at any place I've ignored context, but you should check that nonetheless - and there are a couple listed here that I gleaned from a secondary source (and so didn't read the original in context), but that will be clear in the citation.

Many times, Lutherans are challenged with: “Well, where was Lutheranism before Luther?” The implication is that Rome or the Eastern Orthodox have some sort of “corner” on the great church Fathers. But Lutherans have never believed this to be true. The Fathers repeatedly present the same or quite similar approaches to doctrine as the Lutheran Confessions do. Here are some citations from the Fathers that may be of help in dispelling the notion that “Lutheranism” is a johnny-come-lately to the Church scene:

SOLA SCRIPTURA

“Regarding the things I say, I should supply even the proofs, so I will not seem to rely on my own opinions, but rather, prove them with Scripture, so that the matter will remain certain and steadfast.” St. John Chrysostom (Homily 8 On Repentance and the Church, p. 118, vol. 96 TFOTC)

"Let the inspired Scriptures then be our umpire, and the vote of truth will be given to those whose dogmas are found to agree with the Divine words." St. Gregory of Nyssa (On the Holy Trinity, NPNF, p. 327).

"We are not entitled to such license, I mean that of affirming what we please; we make the Holy Scriptures the rule and the measure of every tenet; we necessarily fix our eyes upon that, and approve that alone which may be made to harmonize with the intention of those writings." St. Gregory of Nyssa (On the Soul and the Resurrection NPNF II, V:439)

“What is the mark of a faithful soul? To be in these dispositions of full acceptance on the authority of the words of Scripture, not venturing to reject anything nor making additions. For, if ‘all that is not of faith is sin’ as the Apostle says, and ‘faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God,’ everything outside Holy Scripture, not being of faith, is sin.” Basil the Great (The Morals, p. 204, vol 9 TFOTC).

“For concerning the divine and holy mysteries of the Faith, not even a casual statement must be delivered without the Holy Scriptures; nor must we be drawn aside by mere plausibility and artifices of speech. Even to me, who tell you these things, give not absolute credence, unless you receive the proof of the things which I announce from the Divine Scriptures. For this salvation which we believe depends not on ingenious reasoning, but on demonstration of the Holy Scriptures.” St. Cyril of Jerusalem (Catechetical Lectures, IV:17, in NPNF, Volume VII, p. 23.)

"It is impossible either to say or fully to understand anything about God beyond what has been divinely proclaimed to us, whether told or revealed, by the sacred declarations of the Old and New Testaments." St. John of Damascus, On the Orthodox Faith, Book I, Chapter 2

"Nevertheless, sacred doctrine makes use of these authorities as extrinsic and probable arguments; but properly uses the authority of the canonical Scriptures as an incontrovertible proof, and the authority of the doctors of the Church as one that may properly be used, yet merely as probable. For our faith rests upon the revelation made to the apostles and prophets who wrote the canonical books, and not on the revelations (if any such there are) made to other doctors. Hence Augustine says (Epis. ad Hieron. xix, 1): "Only those books of Scripture which are called canonical have I learned to hold in such honor as to believe their authors have not erred in any way in writing them. But other authors I so read as not to deem everything in their works to be true, merely on account of their having so thought and written, whatever may have been their holiness and learning."--St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologia, Part 1, Question 1, Article 8

SOLA FIDE

"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)

“To this end has His Grace and Goodness been formed upon us in Christ Jesus, that being dead according to works, redeemed through faith and saved by grace, we might receive the gift
of this great deliverance.” (Ambrose, Letter 76 to Irenaeus, a layman)

“But when the Lord Jesus came, He forgave all men that sin which none could escape, and blotted out the handwriting against us by the shedding of His own Blood. This then is the Apostle's meaning; sin abounded by the Law, but grace abounded by Jesus; for after that the whole world became guilty, He took away the sin of the whole world, as John bore witness, saying: Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. Wherefore let no man glory in works, for by his works no man shall be justified, for he that is just hath a free gift, for he is justified by the Bath. It is faith then which delivers by the blood of Christ, for Blessed is the man to whom sin is remitted, and, pardon granted.” (Ambrose, Letter 73, to Irenaeus, a layman)

“Human beings can be saved from the ancient wound of the serpent in no other way than by believing in him who, when he was raised up from the earth on the tree of martyrdom in the likeness of sinful flesh, drew all things to himself and gave life to the dead.” - St. Irenaeus (Against the Heresies, IV, 2, 7)

"Indeed, this is the perfect and complete glorification of God, when one does not exult in his own righteousness, but recognizing oneself as lacking true righteousness to be justified by faith alone in Christ." - St. Basil the Great (Homily on Humility, PG 31.532; TFoTC vol. 9, p. 479)

“But we all escape the condemnation for our sins referred to above, if we believe in the grace of God through His Only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, who said: ‘This is my blood of the new testament, which shall be shed for many unto the remission of sins.’” – St. Basil the Great (Concerning Baptism, TfoTC vol. 9, p. 344)

"They said that he who adhered to faith alone was cursed; but he, Paul, shows that he who adhered to faith alone is blessed." - St. John Chrysostom (Homily on Galatians 3)

“But he calls it their 'own righteousness,' either because the Law was no longer of force, or because it was one of trouble and toil. But this he calls God's righteousness, that from faith, because it comes entirely from the grace from above, and because men are justified in this case, not by labors, but by the gift of God.” – St. John Chrysostom (Homily 17 on Romans 10:3)

“Here he shows God's power, in that He has not only saved, but has even justified, and led them to boasting, and this too without needing works, but looking for faith only.” Homily 7 on Romans – St. John Chrysostom

"For you believe the faith; why then do you add other things, as if faith were not sufficient to justify? You make yourselves captive, and you subject yourself to the law." - St. John Chrysostom (Epistle to Titus, Homily 3, PG 62.651)

“'To declare His righteousness.' What is declaring of righteousness? Like the declaring of His riches, not only for Him to be rich Himself, but also to make others rich, or of life, not only that He is Himself living, but also that He makes the dead to live; and of His power, not only that He is Himself powerful, but also that He makes the feeble powerful. So also is the declaring of His righteousness not only that He is Himself righteous, but that He doth also make them that are filled with the putrefying sores (katasapentaj) of sin suddenly righteous. And it is to explain this, viz. what is "declaring," that he has added, "That He might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus." Doubt not then: for it is not of works, but of faith: and shun not the righteousness of God, for it is a blessing in two ways; because it is easy, and also open to all men. And be not abashed and shamefaced. For if He Himself openly declareth (endeiknutai) Himself to do so, and He, so to say, findeth a delight and a pride therein, how comest thou to be dejected and to hide thy face at what thy Master glorieth in?” - St. John Chrysostom, Homilies on Romans 3

“But what is the 'law of faith?' It is, being saved by grace. Here he shows God's power, in that He has not only saved, but has even justified, and led them to boasting, and this too without needing works, but looking for faith only. St. John Chrysostom, Homilies on Romans 3

“For the Law requires not only Faith but works also, but grace saves and justifies by Faith. (Eph. ii: 8)
You see how he proves that they are under the curse who cleave to the Law, because it is impossible to fulfill it; next, how comes Faith to have this justifying power? for to this doctrine he already stood pledged, and now maintains it with great force of argument. The Law being too weak to lead man to righteousness, an effectual remedy was provided in Faith, which is the means of rendering that possible which was "impossible by the Law." (Rom. viii: 3) Now as the Scripture says, "the just shall live by faith," thus repudiating salvation by the Law, and moreover as Abraham was justified by Faith, it is evident that its efficacy is very great. And it is also clear, that he who abides not by the Law is cursed, and that he who keeps to Faith is just. But, you may ask me, how I prove that this curse is not still of force? Abraham lived before the Law, but we, who once were subject to the yoke of bondage, have made ourselves liable to the curse; and who shall release us therefrom? Observe his ready answer to this; his former remark was sufficient; for, if a man be once justified, and has died to the Law and embraced a novel life, how can such a one be subject to the curse?” - St. John Chrysostom, Homilies on Galatians 3

“God does not wait for time to elapse after repentance. You state your sin, you are justified. You repented, you have been shown mercy.” – St. John Chrysostom, Homily 7 On Repentance and Compunction, p. 95 in FOTC, vol. 96.

“Gain for yourself the pardon coming from faith, since he is his own worst enemy who does not believe that he is given what the very generous Bestower of mercy promises in all kindness.” St. Peter Chrysologus – Sermon 58 (On the Creed), par. 13 (TFOTC, Vol. 109, p. 224)

“Give yourself, O man, pardon by believing, since you fell into all the sins by despairing.” St. Peter Chrysologus – Sermon 62 (On the Creed), par. 16 (TFOTC, Vol. 109, p. 245)

“We need none of those legal observances, he says; faith suffices to obtain for us the Spirit, and by Him righteousness, and many and great benefits.” - Chrysostom, Homilies on Galatians 4

“And he well said, "a righteousness of mine own," not that which I gained by labor and toil, but that which I found from grace. If then he who was so excellent is saved by grace, much more are you. For since it was likely they would say that the righteousness which comes from toil is the greater, he shows that it is dung in comparison with the other. For otherwise I, who was so excellent in it, would not have cast it away, and run to the other. But what is that other? That which is from the faith of God, i.e. it too is given by God. This is the righteousness of God; this is altogether a gift. And the gifts of God far exceed those worthless good deeds, which are due to our own diligence.” Chrysostom, Homily on Philippians 3

Suppose someone should be caught in the act of adultery and the foulest crimes and then be thrown into prison. Suppose, next, that judgment was going to be passed against him and that he would be condemned.

Suppose that just at that moment a letter should come from the Emperor setting free from any accounting or examination all those detained in prison. If the prisoner should refuse to take advantage of the pardon, remain obstinate and choose to be brought to trial, to give an account, and to undergo
punishment, he will not be able thereafter to avail himself of the Emperor's favor. For when he made himself accountable to the court, examination, and sentence, he chose of his own accord to deprive himself of the imperial gift.

This is what happened in the case of the Jews. Look how it is. All human nature was taken in the foulest evils. "All have sinned," says Paul. They were locked, as it were, in a prison by the curse of their transgression of the Law. The sentence of the judge was going to be passed against them. A letter from the King came down from heaven. Rather, the King himself came. Without examination, without exacting an account, he set all men free from the chains of their sins.

All, then, who run to Christ are saved by his grace and profit from his gift. But those who wish to find
justification from the Law will also fall from grace. They will not be able to enjoy the King's loving-kindness because they are striving to gain salvation by their own efforts; they will draw down on themselves the curse of the Law because by the works of the Law no flesh will find justification.

What does this mean? That he has justified our race not by right actions, not by toils, not by barter and exchange, but by grace alone. Paul, too, made this clear when he said: “But now the justice of God has been made manifest apart from the Law.” But the justice of God comes through faith in Jesus Christ and not through any labor and suffering. Chrysostom on Justification, Discourses Against Judaizing Christians. Discourse I:6-II:1:

"Christ is Master by virtue of His own essence and Master by virtue of His incarnate life. For He creates man from nothing, and through His own blood redeems him when dead in sin; and to those who believe in Him He has given His grace. When Scripture says, 'He will reward every man according to his works' (Matt 16:27), do not imagine that works in themselves merit either hell or the kingdom. On the contrary, Christ rewards each man according to whether his works are done with faith or without faith in Himself; and He is not a dealer bound by contract, but our Creator and Redeemer." St. Mark the Ascetic (ca. 425), On those who think that they are made righteous by works.

"Confess Jesus Christ, and believe that He is risen from the dead, and you will be saved. For indeed righteousness is only to be believed; but a complete salvation must also be confessed and knowledge must be added to confidence." - St. Gregory Nazianzus (On Moderation, PG 36.204)

"While I was sick in the flesh, the Savior was sent to me in the likeness of sinful flesh, fulfilling such a dispensation, to redeem me from slavery, from corruption, and from death. And He became to me righteousness, and sanctification, and salvation. Righteousness, by setting me free from sin through faith in Him. Sanctification, in having set me free through water and the Spirit and His word. And salvation, His blood being the ransom of the true Lamb, having given Himself on my behalf." - St. Epiphanios (Against Heresies 3.1,2 PG 42.477)

Where Christ enters, there necessarily is also salvation. May he therefore also be in us: and He is in us when we believe; for he dwells in our hearts by faith, and we are His abode. It would have been better then for the Jews to have rejoiced because Zaccheus was wonderfully saved, for he too was counted among the sons of Abraham, to whom God promised salvation in Christ by the holy prophets, saying, There shall come a Savior from Zion, and he shall take away iniquities from Jacob, and this is my covenant with them, when I will bear their sins. Christ, therefore, arose to deliver the inhabitants of the earth from their sins, and to seek them that were lost, and to save them that had perished. For this is His office, and, so to say, the fruit of His godlike gentleness. Of this will he also count all those worthy who have believed in him. -- St. Cyril of Alexandria, Commentary on Luke, Homily 127

What is meant by mercy? and what by sacrifice? By mercy then is signified, Justification and grace in Christ, even that which is by faith. For we have been justified, not by the works of the law that we have done, but by His great mercy. And sacrifice means the law of Moses. - St. Cyril of Alexandria, Commentary on Luke, Homily 23

Be not troubled when thou meditatest upon the greatness of thy former sins; but rather know, that still greater is the grace that justifieth the sinner and absolveth the wicked. Faith then in Christ is found to be the pledge to us of these great blessings; for it is the way that leadeth unto life, that bids us go to the mansions that are above, that raises us to the inheritance of the saints, that makes us members of the kingdom of Christ. -- St. Cyril of Alexandria, Homily 40 on St. Luke.

SOLA GRATIA

“Why then are you afraid of drawing nigh, since you have no works demanded of you? Why are you bickering and quarrelsome, when grace is before you, and why keep putting me the Law forward to no purpose whatsoever? For you will not be saved by that, and will mar this gift also; since if you pertinaciously insist on being saved by it, you do away with this grace of God.” – St. John Chrysostom, Homily 18 on Romans 10,11

“After speaking of the wages of sin, in the case of blessings, he has not kept to the same order: for he does not say, the wages of your good deeds, but the gift of God: to show, that it was not of themselves that they were freed, nor was it a due they received, neither yet a return, nor a recompense of labors, but by grace all these things came about. And so there was superiority for this cause also, in that He did not free them only, or change their condition for the better, but that He did it without any labor or trouble upon their part: and that He not only freed them, but also gave them more than before, and that through His Son.” - St. John Chrysostom (Epistle to the Romans, Homily 12, Rom 6:23)

“And if any were to cast in prison a person who owed ten mites, and not the man himself only, but wife and children and servants for his sake; and another were to come and not to pay down the ten mites only, but to give also ten thousand talents of gold, and to lead the prisoner into the king’s courts, and to the throne of the highest power, and were to make him partaker of the highest honour and every kind of magnificence, the creditor would not be able to remember the ten mites; so hath our case been. For Christ hath paid down far more than we owe, yea as much more as the illimitable ocean is than a little drop.” - St. John Chrysostom, Epistle to the Romans, Homily X, Rom 5:17

“Is it possible, Scripture says, for one to repent and be saved? It is absolutely and most certainly the case. What, though, if I have wasted my life in sins and then repent: will I be saved? Yes, indeed! What source indicates this? The philanthropy of your Master. Can I take courage from your repentance? Could it be that your repentance has the power to wipe clean so many evils? If it were only up to repentance, then assuredly be afraid. However, since repentance is mixed together with the philanthropy of God, take courage. For God’s philanthropy is immeasurable, nor can any word provide the measure of his goodness. Your wickedness is measurable, but the medicine is immeasurable. Your wickedness, whatever it may be, is human wickedness; but God’s philanthropy is ineffable. Have courage because it surpasses your wickedness. Just think of one spark that fell into the sea; could it stand or be seen? What one spark is in comparison to the sea, so wickedness is before the philanthropy of God; not even this much, but much more so. For the sea, even though it is vast, has limits; but God’s philanthropy is unlimited.” – St. John Chrysostom, Homily 8 On Repentance and the Church FOTC: vol 96, p. 112,113

“Well done, O Christ, O Wisdom and Power and Word of God, and God almighty! What should we resourceless people give Thee in return for all things? For all things are Thine and Thou askest nothing of us but that we be saved. Even this Thou hast given us, and by Thy ineffable goodness Thou art grateful to those who accept it. Thanks be to Thee who hast given being and grace of well-being and who by Thy ineffable condescension hast brought back to this state those who fell from it!” - St. John of Damascus, On the Orthodox Faith, Book 4, Chapter 4

“And so the power is conquered in the name of him who assumed human nature and whose life was without sin, so that in him, who was both priest and sacrifice, remission of sins might be effected, that is, through the ‘mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus’, through whom we are purified from our sins and reconciled to God. For it is only sins that separate men from God; and in this life purification from sins is not effected by our merit, but by the compassion of God, through his indulgence, not through our power; for even that poor little virtue which we call ours has itself been granted to us by his bounty.”– St. Augustine, City of God, X, Chapter 22

JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH IN CHRIST THE KEY TO UNLOCK THE SCRIPTURES

Of faults thus grievous, Christ proved them guilty who professed to be skilled in the law; the scribes, I mean, and lawyers; and for this reason he said unto them, Also to you lawyers, woe! who have taken away the key of knowledge. By the key of knowledge we consider that the law itself is meant, and justification in Christ, by faith I mean in Him. For though the law was in shadow and type, yet those types shape out to us the truth and those shadows depict to us in manifold ways the mystery of Christ. -- St. Cyril of Alexandria, Homily 86 on St. Luke

ORIGINAL SIN

And so the human race was lying under a just condemnation, and all men were the children of wrath. Of which wrath it is written: "All our days are passed away in Your wrath; we spend our years as a tale that is told." Of which wrath also Job says: "Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble." Of which wrath also the Lord Jesus says: "He that believes in the Son has everlasting life: and he that believes not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abides on him." He does not say it will come, but it "abides on him." For every man is born with it; wherefore the apostle says: "We were by nature the children of wrath, even as others." Now, as men were lying under this wrath by reason of their original sin, and as this original sin was the more heavy and deadly in proportion to the number and magnitude of the actual sins which were added to it, there was need for a Mediator, that is, for a reconciler, who, by the offering of one sacrifice, of which all the sacrifices of the law and the prophets were types, should take away this wrath. Wherefore the apostle says: "For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life." Now when God is said to be angry, we do not attribute to Him such a disturbed feeling as exists in the mind of an angry man; but we call His just displeasure against sin by the name "anger," a word transferred by analogy from human emotions. But our being reconciled to God through a Mediator, and receiving the Holy Spirit, so that we who were enemies are made sons ("For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God"): this is the grace of God through Jesus Christ our Lord. – St. Augustine, Enchiridion 33

“The psalmist does not suppose that he is living this life, for he had said, See, I was conceived in iniquities and my mother bore me in sins. He know that he was born from a sinful origin and under the law of sin.” - St. Hilary (Commentary on Psalm 118, 22)

“The words ‘the Jordan turned backward’ (Ps 114:3), signified the future mysteries of the bath of salvation through which the little ones who have been baptized are changed from wickedness back to their original state.” - St. Ambrose (Commentary on Luke 1, 37)

"We then say, that in many things we all of us offend, and that no man is pure from uncleanness, even though his life upon earth be but one day. Let us ask then of God mercy; which if we do, Christ will justify us; by Whom and with Whom, to God the Father, be praise and dominion, with the Holy Spirit, unto ages of ages. Amen." - Homily 120 on Luke 18 - St. Cyril of Alexandria

And if you like to hear what other saints also have felt in regard to physical birth, listen to David when he says, I was conceived, so it runs, in iniquity and in sin my mother hath borne me, proving that every soul which is born in the flesh is tainted with the stain of iniquity and sin.  This is the reason for that saying which we have already quoted above, No man is clean from sin, not even if his life be one day long. To these, as a further point, may be added an enquiry into the reason for which, while the church's baptism is given for the remission of sin, it is the custom of the church that baptism be administered even to infants. Certainly, if there were nothing in infants that required remission and called for lenient treatment, the grace of baptism would seem unnecessary.  (R.B. Tollinton, Selections From The Commentaries And Homilies of Origen, 1929, p. 211)

Brethren, the selection (rom 5:12-14) from the Apostle for today tells us that through one man the whole world received its sentence… The downfall of one man has flowed out to become a punishment of all, and the vice of the parent has brought a sad catastrophe upon the whole race. (Chrysologus, Sermon 111, Original Sin, p. 175 vol. 17 FOTC)

Through a man sin came and clearly through this sin we are seen to have come under the control of death. O sin, you cruel beast – and a beast not content to vent your fury against the human race from merely one head. We have seen this beast, brethren, devouring with a triple head all the highly precious sprouts of the human family. Yes, brethren, with a mouth that is triple: as sin this beast captures, as death it devours, as hell it swallows down. (ibid, p. 176, 177)

For the whole nature of man became guilty in the person of him who was first formed; but now it is wholly justified again in Christ. -- St. Cyril of Alexandria, Homily 42 on St. Luke

ON DIVINE JUSTICE

If Phinees, when he waxed zealous and slew the evil-doer, staved the wrath of God, shall not Jesus, who slew not another, but gave up Himself for a ransom, put away the wrath which is against mankind?…Further; if the lamb under Moses drove the destroyer far away, did not much rather the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world, deliver us from our sins? The blood of a silly sheep gave salvation; and shall not the Blood of the Only-begotten much rather save?…Jesus then really suffered for all men; for the Cross was no illusion, otherwise our redemption is an illusion also…These things the Saviour endured, and made peace through the Blood of His Cross, for things in heaven, and things in earth. For we were enemies of God through sin, and God had appointed the sinner to die. There must needs therefore have happened one of two things; either that God, in His truth, should destroy all men, or that in His loving-kindness He should cancel the sentence. But behold the wisdom of God; He preserved both the truth of His sentence, and the exercise of His loving-kindness. Christ took our sins in His body on the tree, that we by His death might die to sin, and live unto righteousness.--St. Cyril of Jerusalem, Catechetical Lectures, XIII

“And the Lamb of God not only did this, but was chastised on our behalf, and suffered a penalty He did not owe, but which we owed because of the multitude of our sins; and so He became the cause of the forgiveness of our sins, because He received death for us, and transferred to Himself the scourging, the insults, and the dishonour, which were due to us, and drew down on Himself the apportioned curse, being made a curse for us. And what is that but the price of our souls? And so the oracle says in our person: “By his stripes we were healed,” and “The Lord delivered him for our sins,” with the result that uniting Himself to us and us to Himself, and appropriating our sufferings, He can say, “I said, Lord, have mercy on me, heal my soul, for I have sinned against thee.” - Eusebius of Caesarea, Demonstratio Evangelica, X.1

“A sacrifice was needed to reconcile the Father on high with us and to sanctify us, since we had been soiled by fellowship with the evil one. There had to be a sacrifice which both cleansed and was clean, and a purified, sinless priest…. God overturned the devil through suffering and His Flesh which He offered as a sacrifice to God the Father, as a pure and altogether holy victim – how great is His gift! – and reconciled God to the human race…Since He gave His Blood, which was sinless and therefore guiltless, as a ransom for us who were liable to punishment because of our sins, He redeemed us from our guilt. He forgave us our sins, tore up the record of them on the Cross and delivered us from the devil’s tyranny." --St. Gregory Palamas, Homily 16, 21, 24, 31

For the wrath of man reaches at most the body, and the death of the flesh is the utmost that they can contrive against us, but when God punishes, the loss reaches not to the flesh alone – how could it – but the wretched soul also is cast along with it into torments. -- St. Cyril of Alexandria, Homily 87 on Luke

For it was by reason of Adam's transgression of the commandment that we, having our faces turned away from God, returned to our dust; for the sentence of God upon human nature was, Dust thou art and unto dust thou shalt return; but at the time of the consummation of this world, the face of the earth shall be renewed; for God the Father by the Son in the Spirit will give life to all those who are laid within it.--St. Cyril of Alexandria, Homily 36 on St. Luke

Patristic Quote of the Day

Of faults thus grievous, Christ proved them guilty who professed to be skilled in the law; the scribes, I mean, and lawyers; and for this reason he said unto them, Also to you lawyers, woe! who have taken away the key of knowledge. By the key of knowledge we consider that the law itself is meant, and justification in Christ, by faith I mean in Him. For though the law was in shadow and type, yet those types shape out to us the truth and those shadows depict to us in manifold ways the mystery of Christ. -- St. Cyril of Alexandria, Homily 86 on St. Luke

Old Lutheran Quote of the Day

Nothing is more necessary than that we should turn towards God's ear, call upon Him, and pray to Him. We must pray that He would give, preserve and increase faith in us and the fulfillment of the Ten Commandments. We pray that He would remove everything that is in our way and that opposes us in these matters. -- Blessed Martin Luther, the Larger Catechism III:2,3

Hey, Uno!

Eat your heart out - look at what THIS lovely lady can do:

Julana Aufdemberge +

Our beloved Jo Aufdemberge, asleep in Jesus, sometime yesterday evening. How can we list her contributions to our parish family? Faithful worshipper and attender at Bible Class. Bell ringer. LWML regular. Helped with VBS a number of years. Served on Board of Evangelism and later Board of Christian life. Sang in choir. Did the cross-stitch for the Baptismal Crosses we give to the newly baptized (what she was apparently doing when she died!). I know I'm leaving a thousand things out.

Grant rest, O Christ, to Your servant, with Your saints! Please keep Jo's family in your prayers. Arrangements pending.

Old Lutheran Quote of the Day

The fallen Adam would not have returned to God if God had not come before him in grace, sought him out, and led him back. -- C.F.W. Walther, *God Grant It!* p. 256

Patristic Quote of the Day

For it was by reason of Adam's transgression of the commandment that we, having our faces turned away from God, returned to our dust; for the sentence of God upon human nature was, Dust thou art and unto dust thou shalt return; but at the time of the consummation of this world, the face of the earth shall be renewed; for God the Father by the Son in the Spirit will give life to all those who are laid within it.--St. Cyril of Alexandria, Homily 36 on St. Luke

First Lenten Midweek

Today was, in my estimation, the perfect day. Not only did we start with Matins for Trinity-St. Paul Lutheran School at which our beloved District President spoke on our access to the Father through the perfect sacrifice of His Son, but we then had pericopal study and lunch. I got to do yet another house blessing and have a visit with Eunice. Then home to get things ready for tonight.

At 6:15 some of us gathered to celebrate a spoken Divine Service and meditate together on Christ not making propitiation, but BEING the propitiation, and then receiving the Holy Eucharist.

Finally at 7:15, what joy to gather for the first Lenten Evening Prayer commemorating our Lord's Passion. It continues rather cold and bitter here, so our numbers were down a bit - our older folk are not comfortable venturing out in this. But it was joy to sing together Phos Hilaron and Psalm 141 and pray Psalms 27 and 51 and then hear the first part of the Passion, meditate on our Lord's "intentionality" in offering Himself, sing the Magnificat and the Litany. It's so RIGHT to gather as a family in Christ in the evening "as lamps are lit and children nod" and return thanks to Him who is "our loving Lord and source of all that is good" and to give an ear to the Words and then to beg God's mercy for all sorts and conditions. A true oasis in the middle of the week. Glory to God for all things!

Beagles Rule!

Snoopy Reigns!

[HT: Jeff Bull]

Old Lutheran Quote of the Day

A Christian who will not continually fight against sin, earnestly strive after the virtues that please God, faithfully watch over his heart and life, and always pray for new power and grace soon ceases to be a Christian. -- C. F. W. Walther, *God Grant It!* p. 259

Patristic Quote of the Day

Be not troubled when thou meditatest upon the greatness of thy former sins; but rather know, that still greater is the grace that justifieth the sinner and absolveth the wicked. Faith then in Christ is found to be the pledge to us of these great blessings; for it is the way that leadeth unto life, that bids us go to the mansions that are above, that raises us to the inheritance of the saints, that makes us members of the kingdom of Christ. -- St. Cyril of Alexandria, Homily 40 on St. Luke.

Old Lutheran Quote of the Day

There is no power in man, in his reason or in his will, none in education, none in the whole store of the visible, or the intellectual, or moral world, which can repair this fatal defect [having no true love, faith, or fear of God], and render him God's reverent, loving, and trusting child. -- Krauth, *The Conservative Reformation*, p. 390

Patristic Quote of the Day

For the whole nature of man became guilty in the person of him who was first formed; but now it is wholly justified again in Christ. -- St. Cyril of Alexandria, Homily 42 on St. Luke

Patristic Quote of the Day - 2

[Boy is St. Cyril GREAT!]

"We then say, that in many things we all of us offend, and that no man is pure from uncleanness, even though his life upon earth be but one day. Let us ask then of God mercy; which if we do, Christ will justify us; by Whom and with Whom, to God the Father, be praise and dominion, with the Holy Spirit, unto ages of ages. Amen."

Homily 120 on Luke 18 - St. Cyril of Alexandria

Luther Gems on Reminscere Gospel (Matthew 15:21-28)

Christ is nowhere pictured as pitiless as in this Gospel.

It's a lesson, indeed, recorded for our learning and comfort, teaching us that Christ is pleased at heart when we persist in prayer and do not give up.

[On calling her a dog] If he had spoken in this manner to me, I would have been scared off... I would have been frightened to death.

Faith takes Christ captive in his word, when he's angriest, and makes out of his cruel words a comforting inversion, as we see here. You say, the woman responds, that I am a dog. Let it be, I will be gladly be a dog; now give me the consideration you give a dog. Thus she catches Christ with his own words, and he is happy to be caught.

He let himself be made captive, and must comply. Be sure of this: that's what he most deeply desires.

You, however, cling firmly to the hope that I will help you and you don't let go of me.

We see here why the Lord presented himself so unyielding and refused to hear her, not because he wanted to present an unfriendly image as not wanting to help her, but rather that her faith might be so evident.

Thus he gives her not merely a dog's rights, but is constrained to give her what she petitions for, healing her daughter, and places her among the descendants of Abraham. Her faith brings her to such a state of grace that she is no longer a dog or a Gentile, but is welcomed as a beloved daughter and a blessed woman.

If God had answered Joseph sooner and rescued him, then no doubt Jacob, his father, would have been happy but Joseph would have remained a sheepherder. But because God's answer was long delayed, he became ruler of Egypt and the greatest among his brethren; and God through him accomplished much good in the secular realm as well as in the church.

"Whatsoever you ask the Father in my name, he will give it you." Because the Word is true, his promise will not fail.

We will in the end find that God will do far more for us than we asked for, just as is the case with this woman.

Our Lord God thus wishes to teach us that it is not always good to be heard immediately.

The "yes" is deep in his heart, in keeping with Christ's promise "And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son."

So, in the case of this woman, she cries and implores, and will not let the "yes" word be plucked from her heart - that Christ the Lord is friendly and will help.

Patristic Quote of the Day

The Holy Spirit, then, proceedeth from God the Father as from the fountain; but He is not foreign from the Son; for every property of the Father belongeth to the Word, Who by nature and verily was begotten of Him. -- St. Cyril of Alexandria, *Commentary on Luke* Homily 65.

Old Lutheran Quote of the Day

What happens when love comes to earth? It suffers. Love must always suffer. Why must love suffer when it is born? Because from the moment of its birth it faces a deadly enemy. That deadly foe is SELF. Was it not so in the life of our Lord? Immediately after that little Babe was born of Mary the struggle began. It continued to Calvary, and it continues down through the ages, "for the sufferings of Christ abound in us." That suffering is the result of the clash between love and self, love struggling in conflict with selfishness. -- Von Schenk, *The Presence* p. 65

Old Lutheran Quote of the Day

Whatever may be the relation of imputation to original sin, our Church holds it to be an impious opinion, that our misery and liability are merely the results of imputation. The primary point is, that we do actually participate, in our nature, in the corruption wrought by the fall. -- Krauth, *The Conservative Reformation* p. 387

Patristic Quote of the Day

[See, I told you] "He found man reduced to the level of the beasts; therefore is He placed like fodder in a manger, that we, having left off our bestial life, might mount up to that degree of intelligence which befits man's nature; and whereas we were brutish in soul, by now approaching the manger, even His own table, we find no longer fodder, but the bread from heaven, which is the body of life. -- St. Cyril of Alexandria, Homily 1 on Luke 2.

LONG Day

I think I spent more time in St. Paul's today than anywhere else. We had the two Divine Services, with Bible Class in between - same as usual. And then we hosted the District's Pastors and Elders Workshop from 2 to 4 (but we were there from 1 to 4:30). Dr. Lessing (from St. Louis sem) did a fine presentation on Jeremiah and coping with disaster. But I must confess the BEST part of the day was when Jimbo (Pastor Leistico) delivered into my greedy little hands St. Cyril of Alexandria's Commentary on Luke; he's letting me borrow it for the year or so. Bet you can't guess where Patristic Quotes for the Day are likely to be coming from, can you? Anywho, then at 5 I conducted our Catechism Service and we pondered the Parable of the Prodigal Son and its relationship to private Confession and Absolution. To top it all off, when I came home and Cindi made me go downstairs and watch the weather forecast for tomorrow. ICK!!!

Luncheon Favorite

Today was a treat. Bekah is home sick, Cindi's not feeling the best, David got home from school before lunch, and it's my day off. We usually go out today, but we ate in instead. And we had one of my all time favorites: fried salmon patties. This was one of my mom's standards. Salmon must be canned red-sockeye and mixed with onions and egg and old bay seasoning (we added that) and pepper and fried in enough oil to make it really crisp. Cindi also has been making a great crab dip - not sure the process there - but we love it when we serve it on crisped cheese (another of her microwave secrets). Induction again. And I'm loving it. Oh, I also ate some salad to make her happy. :)

Another Krauth

[I'm rereading him and he's SOOO good]

The whole Christ is truly present after the incomprehensible manner of that world of mystery and of verity in which He reigns. He applies, to faith, at His table, the redemption which he wrought upon the cross. Through His body and blood, he purchased our salvation - truly and supernaturally; through His body and blood He applies salvation - truly and supernaturally. In Christ's Supper, as in His person, the human and the natural is the organ of the divine and supernatural which glorifies it. As is the redemption, so is its sacrament. [Conservative Reformation, p. 465]

Patristic Quote of the Day

Grant me, O Lord, enlightenment to recognize the wiles of my adversary, the hater of all good; for he places in my path countless multitudes of seductions and pitfalls - both profits and losses, the comforts of this age and carnal pleasures, the length of the present life, timidity in ascetic labors, slothfulness in prayer, sleep and rest for the body during the singing of psalms. -- St. Ephrem the Syrian, *A Spiritual Psalter* #67

Old Lutheran Quote of the Day

Our Church in common with both the Roman and Greek Churches, does hold to a true presence of the whole Christ, the factor of which is not our mind, but his own divine person. We do not think him into the Supper, but he is verily and indeed there. Faith does not put him there, but finds him there. - Krauth, *The Conservative Reformation* p. 343

Homily for Invocabit

[Genesis 3:1-21 / Hebrews 4:14-16 / Matthew 4:1-11]

The battle is about faith. The battle is about whom you will believe. For you will believe either the words of God or you will believe the words of the Deceiver. There is no middle ground, no room for agnostics. To say one doesn’t know is already to side with the Deceiver. God speaks His words. Are they to be trusted or not? That is the only question that ultimately matters.

Eve had heard God’s words. She knew that He had marked a tree off-limits. He had spoken words about that tree: “In the day you eat of it, you shall die.”

The Deceiver, who is a liar from the beginning, starts by implanting doubt about what God has said: “Did God really say?” And then the old Liar moves to bold contradiction: “You will not surely die.” And then he promises something more: “the day you eat of it, your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

Who will be believed? It is a battle of dueling words. Eve, and Adam with her, made their choice. They ventured out on the words of the Deceiver, and so they ate. And then in horror they discovered what happens when you turn your back on God, when you ignore what He has said, when you listen to the Deceiver and do things you think of as your own way, only to discover that they are actually the Deceiver’s way.

God had said: “In the day you eat of it, you will surely die.” He did not lie. Having turned from faith in God, who is Life, and from His Words, which give life, they plunged themselves and all their descendants with them, into death. Death that is more than simply the gradual and inevitable corruption and decay of human bodies. Death that is first and foremost unbelief, the rejection of God’s Words and so of God’s life, not being in communion with Him who alone is Life.

The evidence of their death is that they can no longer fear, love, and trust in Him above all things. Nor do they trust each other any longer. Fingers pointing blame, always away from self. Always someone else’s fault. “The woman YOU gave me, SHE gave me of the tree, and I did eat.” “The serpent deceived me.” In response words of judgment that come crashing down upon them, consigning them again to the dust from which they were taken. Yet even with the words of judgment, comes a word of promise. A word about a woman’s seed, a word about a bruised heel; a word about the crushed head of the serpent. A beacon of hope to hold onto.

Banished from their home, the long exile began for them and for all their children. God’s promise accompanying them, calling them to trust in the Seed of the Woman and what He would do; the Deceiver constantly calling them to put their trust in everything and anything but the promise of the One who had exiled them.

And then we’re at the Gospel reading, and nothing has changed, but everything is changing. There is the Seed of the Woman, the Virgin-Born, the long-promised One. There is the Deceiver, and he is up to his old bag of tricks. As he broke Adam and Eve’s trust in God, so now he seeks to break this Man’s trust in God. He does it with words. God had just declared Jesus His beloved Son in His baptism at the Jordan. Satan now invites him to doubt that word. “Some fine beloved Son you are! He sends you here in the wilderness to starve? You’d best wake up and smell the bacon, Jesus. There is no one going to look after you in this world if you do not look after yourself. Make these stones bread!” But Jesus rebuffs the attack. “It is written, man shall not live by bread alone.” And the rest of the verse? “but by every Word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” Jesus was saying: I trust my Father; to His Word I will cling; His word sustains life and I will not doubt Him.

Satan then tries another tactic. “So, you trust your father? How splendid. I’m all for trusting your father. Here, let’s show everyone how much you trust your father. Jump! They’ll all believe in you when they see how your father’s angels rush to hold you up in their hands so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.” The Deceiver dares even to take up the promises of God into his mouth in order to twist them and use them to shake Jesus’ trust. But Jesus will not give in to this temptation either. He does not need to show off His trust in the Father, to demonstrate it as though it were something He was uncertain of. He simply takes the Word of God at its face value: You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.

Satan is desperate now. Here is one on whom every attack he has attempted has failed, and the failure is bitter for him. So he shows Him all the glory of this world’s kingdoms in an instant of time: “Yours!” he cries. “All yours! I’ll give them to you, just do this little thing. Kneel down here in front of me and worship!” To which the response comes: “Away with you, Satan! It is written, you shall worship the Lord your God and Him only shall you serve.”

Thus was Satan defeated by the Man who would not let go of God’s words, who clung to His promises, and whose trust in His Father was unshakable in the wilderness, even as it proved to be unshakable in the Garden where the tempter tried again, even as it proved to be unshakable on the cross where He would be bruised and bleed and die precisely to fulfill the words and promises of His Father, to crush the serpent’s head.

Today the battle is the same as ever. Will you believe the words and promises of God or will you give heed to the lies of the Deceiver? You do not have a High Priest who is unable to sympathize with your weakness; you have a High Priest who was tempted in every respect the same as you, and yet was without sin. You can then with confidence draw near to His throne of grace and find help in time of need. His throne of grace is right here: the altar. The Savior comes to you today in Word and in Supper as the sure sign that the promises of God will not fail you even as they did not fail Him; trust in Him by the power of the Holy Spirit, and your trust will not be in vain. His words do not lie or deceive. He will bring you to your heavenly home where you will forever praise Him, His Father, and His all-holy, good, and life-giving Spirit! Amen.

Patristic Quote of the Day

For whereas man sinned, and is fallen, and by his fall all things are in confusion: death prevailed from Adam to Moses (cf. Rom. v. 14), the earth was cursed, Hades was opened, Paradise shut, Heaven offended, man, lastly, corrupted and brutalised (cf. Ps. xlix. 12), while the devil was exulting against us;—then God, in His loving-kindness, not willing man made in His own image to perish, said, 'Whom shall I send, and who will go?' (Isa. vi. 8). But while all held their peace, the Son said, 'Here am I, send Me.' And then it was that, saying 'Go Thou,' He 'delivered' to Him man, that the Word Himself might be made Flesh, and by taking the Flesh, restore it wholly. For to Him, as to a physician, man 'was delivered' to heal the bite of the serpent; as to life, to raise what was dead; as to light, to illumine the darkness; and, because He was Word, to renew the rational nature. Since then all things 'were delivered' to Him, and He is made Man, straightway all things were set right and perfected. Earth receives blessing instead of a curse, Paradise was opened to the robber, Hades cowered, the tombs were opened and the dead raised, the gates of Heaven were lifted up to await Him that 'comes from Edom' . Why, the Saviour Himself expressly signifies in what sense 'all things were delivered' to Him, when He continues, as Matthew tells us: 'Come unto Me all you that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest' (Matt. xi. 28). -- St. Athanasius, on Luke 10:22

Old Lutheran Quote of the Day

"In the former [Reformed Protestantism], Scripture is regarded more exclusively as the sole source; in the latter [Lutheran Protestantism], more as the norm of a doctrine which is evolved from the analogy of faith, and to which, consequently, the pure exegetical and confessional tradition of the Church possesses more value." - Krauth, *The Conservative Reformation* p. 123

Is there any

joy that compares with a pastor laying his hands on your head and absolving you of all your sins? Today that was my joy - to receive a forgiveness as certain on earth as it is in heaven. Pastors need to confess too, and to hear the word of absolution, a word that brings comfort and hope. Thank you, Pastor, for hearing my confession; but thank you even more for speaking my Savior's forgiveness into my ears and putting it upon me with the laying on of hands.

Ash Wednesday

"Let us pray that our dear Father in heaven, for the sake of His beloved Son and in the power of His Holy Spirit, might richly bless this Lententide for us so that we may come to Easter with glad hearts and keep the feast in sincerity and truth." ...Kneeling and praying: "To prosper the preaching of Your Word; to bless our prayer and meditation; to strengthen and preserve us in the true faith; to give heart to our sorrow and strength to our repentance."... Mercy, mercy, mercy... The long line of pilgrims marked with ashes: "Remember, O man, that you are dust and to dust you shall return"... Franzmann's "In Adam"... Children marked, old folks marked, and everything in between marked...Death is coming and we defy it in the name of the Crucified... Joel's summon "return"... Cindi singing Gradual and Tract... Our Lord saying to us, "When you fast..."...Standing together to confess our faith... Luther's "From Depths of Woe" (which was the entrance hymn again for Ash Wednesday on EWTN! What gives with that?)... Faces looking up and listening in earnest to the homily... Prayers for all sorts and conditions... Sharing the peace with each other... Bringing our offerings... Up with our hearts and thanksgiving to the Lord... "Holy, holy, holy Lord"... Images of Abraham and Isaac, and a beloved Son not spared on Calvary... "Our Father"... The Consecration... Table after table kneeling before the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world... Adam and Mary kneeling directly on the floor to receive our Lord's body and blood... Brent slowly and carefully signing himself with the holy cross before receiving... Joy of the old tune to "Savior when in dust"..."O Lord, now let Your servant"... Thanksgiving and then "On my heart"... We leave knowing Lent has begun and we're on the way home...

I have discovered

that it is not nearly as easy to put the large Lenten cross up in the sanctuary at closing in on 50 as it was when I was closer to 30. Cindi would no doubt tell me it's because I'm not exercising as I should. The wretch.

Sermon Review

For any interested, here's a review of this year's Sexagesima sermon by Pastor Todd Wilken of Issues, Etc.

Review

Old Lutheran Quote of the Day

Faith and love are related and inseparably connected like a father and his child. Whoever says he is justified through faith before God must prove himself by love before man. Otherwise he is a liar, for faith works through love. -- C. F. W. Walther, *God Grant It!* p. 236

Patristic Quote of the Day

For sheep should not lay aside their own clothing because wolves do sometimes falsely assume the same. - St. Augustine, A Homily

Yearly Reminder

The Ash Wednesday Gospel speaks against disfiguring faces to show others that you are fasting. People sometimes mistakenly think that's what the ashes for which this day is named are all about. Wrong.

The ashes are put on with the words from Genesis 3: "Remember, O Man, that you are dust, and unto dust you shall return." The ashes show not fasting, but DYING. They are sign not of practicing piety, but of the rock bottom reality of life in a fallen world. They announce to us: "I am dying...and so are you."

But the ashes are always placed on in the form of a cross to remind us that there is a reality that is even more rock-bottom than death: there is One who became our dying Dust for us and took that Dust through death upon a cross and burial into a glorious resurrection and a life that never ends. We are dying; we are headed to death indeed, but we do so in faith in Him who shared our nature to make us divine, who became a child of man doomed to dust, that we might become the children of God, destined for heavenly glory in union with Him.

Ash Wednesday Homily

[Joel 2:12-19 / 2 Peter 1:2-11 / Matthew 6:16-21]

What, after all, do we need Lent for? Why the bother every year? An honest hearing of today's readings can give us an answer.

"Yet even now, declares the Lord, return to me!… Return to the Lord, your God." Do you need a return? Have you wandered away from Him who is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love? Have you settled down in this world as though it were your home and forgotten about the home that Your Savior obtained for you in heaven? Do you live your life in the glad victory of Christ over death and over all sin? Do you need a return? Do you need Lent?

Why Lent? In today's Epistle, St. Peter reminds you that by God's precious promises you have become partakers of the divine nature - the veritable children of God - and that you have escaped the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. He then gives you an assignment: "make every effort then" - and effort means nothing less than sweat, work, struggle - to supplement your faith with virtue and virtue with knowledge and knowledge with - oh, ouch - self-control, and self-control with steadfastness (or steadiness) and steadfastness with brotherly affection and brotherly affection with love. He tells you that IF these qualities are yours - and here's the kicker - and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective and unfruitful in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. Just hold it there: that means it is quite possible to be ineffective and unfruitful in our knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. And there's more: whoever lacks these qualities, the apostle says, is so nearsighted (which means he's not seeing the bigger picture, the distance!) as to be blind, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. So the Apostle urges us to make our calling and our election sure by putting these qualities INTO PRACTICE. And then the sweetest sentence of them all: for in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Do you get that last bit? He's not saying that these qualities are your ticket into the kingdom. Your Lord's forgiveness alone is that! He's saying that these qualities are the qualities OF the Kingdom! You want heaven? THIS is heaven. Heaven on earth. The more we live these qualities, they more our life right here and now is made heavenly. So ask yourself honestly if these qualities in ever increasing measure characterize YOUR life? Are you constantly growing in faith, knowledge, self-control, steadfastness, brotherly affection and love? Are you? Or have you forgotten what Christ cleansed you for? Not to go on doing your own thing, but to do the will of God! Do you need a return? Do you need Lent?

And then there's the Gospel for the day. Jesus speaks of fasting - and He assumes you will do it. "WHEN you fast," says He. Don't tell me you don't want to do. What you want in this case is irrelevant. Him whom you call Lord assumes you will do so and as with everything else He warns you against doing it as a show for other people rather than making the true return in our heart to our Father. He shows that it's all a matter of the heart when He urges us to lay up our treasures in heaven, since where our treasure is, that's where our heart is also. What we treasure, that shows what we've given our heart to, what we love. What do you treasure? Food? Are you a belly-server? What do you spend your time on? What do you give your energy toward? What is it that when you acquire it, it fills your heart with joy? Is it God? His Word? His promises to you? Do you need a return? Do you need Lent?

I know I do. Every time this time of year rolls around and I take the hard look at my life that I prefer to avoid, I find a huge sigh of relief that Lent has arrived and that it is time to return. I know that I need to return more than just at Lent. You too. But Lent reminds me of what ALL time is for; this earthly pilgrimage that has no guarantees for any of us, it is all, while we have it, time for grace, time for repentance, time for return.

O people loved by God! We have a heavenly Father standing waiting for us. His arms are open. His embrace is life-giving. His love is never-ending. He has sent His Son to us, given Him to us, to BE our Way home. He laid on Him all our sin, all our turning away, that He might bear our sins to death and set us free from them, freeing us to come home, children cleansed, forgiven, and loved. He has poured His Spirit out upon us, so that we can know that we have a Father, and a home, and a welcome that will not end. Let us not break His heart by turning from Him, from that welcome and warmth and give our hearts instead to anything else.

Return is the cry of Lent. Return to the Lord our God. We need such a return. And as often as we turn to Him, we find that He has never changed. That He is always the same. Waiting for us. Loving us. Oh, don't mistake me. His opposition to sin doesn't change either. There will never be the time that He lets you cuddle your sins, and try to sneak them with you into the Kingdom. YOU He welcomes; the sins, He does not. You can't smuggle them in. Lent is the time of grace to drop them, to let them go at the door, and turn instead to your one true and only Good, to your God who waits for you with open arms.

Already tonight He comes to you again, giving to You His sacrifice: the body and blood that were for you on Golgotha's tree. He reaches this gift to you to forgive you, to cleanse you, to heal you. In it, He calls to you: "leave all the rest behind, child, and come home. I'm waiting. I love you, and my love is the only thing you need. Promise." Amen.

Happy!

Dave and Jo (Cindi's mom and dad) are back! Yeah!!! They've been gone for a month and we've really missed them. They joined us tonight for dinner and some Liverpool. Don't ask about who won. Such an irrelevant question, you know. Seriously, though, it is GREAT to have them home again.

Patristic Quote of the Day

Survey my compressed and sightless eyes, and my afflicted cheeks; see my parched tongue poisoned with gall, and my countenance pale with death. Behold my hands pierced with nails, and my arms drawn out, and the great wound in my side; see the blood streaming from it, and my perforated feet, and blood-stained limbs. Bend your knee, and with lamentation adore the venerable wood of the cross, and with lowly countenance stooping to the earth, which is wet with innocent blood, sprinkle it with rising tears, and at times bear me and my admonitions in your devoted heart. -- formerly ascribed to Lactantius, *A Poem on the Passion*

Old Lutheran Quote of the Day

The Crucified One stands in the middle of world history as the banner to whom the prophets pointed forward and to whom the apostles and evangelical preachers point back as the Lamb of God, who bears the sin of the world. -- C. F. W. Walther, *God Grant It!* p. 233

Te Deum Update

Here's the Fort Wayne setting I was praising yesterday - thanks to Dizziness!


Kantorei singing Starke's Te Deum

My Favorite Te Deum

Right here:

Te Deum

(I should clarify that this is not my favorite setting of this Te Deum, but Starke's text at LSB 941 has become one of my all time favorite texts. I'd love to link to the Kantorei's setting of this, but don't know if it is on the web - I think it's better - less "brassy" and more attuned to what the words are actually confessing.)

Old Lutheran Quote of the Day

We also see here how foolish it is for people to think they can hope for God's grace while they continue to cling to open or secret sin. Such people make a devil out of God. For it is the devil, not the holy God, who takes no notice of sin. -- C. F. W. Walther, *God Grant It!* p. 231

Patristic Quote of the Day

For one Lamb died for all, saving the whole flock on earth to God the Father, One for all, that He might subject all to God, One for all, that He might gain all: that at length all should not henceforth live to themselves but to Him Which died for them and rose again. For since we were in many sins, and therefore due to death and corruption, the Father hath given the Son a redemption for us, One for all, since all are in Him, and He above all. One died for all, that all should live in Him. For death having swallowed up the Lamb for all, hath vomited forth all in Him and with Him. For all we were in Christ, Who on account of us and for us died and rose again. But sin being destroyed, how could it be that death which was of it and because of it should not altogether come to nothing? The root dying, how could the shoot yet survive? wherefore should we yet die, now that sin hath been destroyed? therefore jubilant in the Sacrifice of the Lamb of God we say: O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? For all iniquity, as the Psalmist sings somewhere, shall stop her mouth, no longer able to accuse those who have sinned from infirmity. For it is God that justifieth, who is he that condemneth? Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us, that we might escape the curse from transgression. - St. Cyril of Alexandria, on John 1

The Hours Are Fading Fast

and then Lent will be upon us. "Memento!" Remember, O man, that thou art dust and unto dust thou shalt return. Lent begins with this recognition - the realization that the grave is our future. We have to face that. Sooner or later, we simply must. But the grave is not the END of our future. The ashes for which the day is named not only remind us of mortality, but they are placed on our foreheads in the shape of a cross. We are dust and to dust we shall return, but we have been united by Baptism to Him who became dust for us, who went into death for us upon the cross, and who came out from death victorious and alive forevermore. Glorified and glorious Dust, our Brother, our Savior, and our God. So we don't look at death the same way anymore. We're all headed there, and we'll all face it (unless our Lord returns first), but we don't face death as the conquered, but as the Conquerors. We need not fear his gruesome countenance anymore! Our Jesus has died for us, has blotted out with His own blood the accusation that was against us, and has flung wide for us the Kingdom of heaven. We go to our death's knowing that death itself is defeated by Him whose cross marks us as His very own, and so even on Ash Wednesday, we remember that we are an Easter people and that alleluia is our song. (St. Augustine).

She just couldn't...

...let me win the prize for weirdness in the pastoral family by having my ear pierced. Oh, no. SHE had to go and do THIS:



Yes, you are seeing correctly. That is my lovely wife sporting a nose ring. You just wait and see if I EVER go to Colorado again without her!

And you know...

...one of the neatest things at the conference in Greeley was singing and praying Matins and Vespers together. Nothing like a room full of Lutherans belting out the music. And what a fine organ and organist at Gloria Christi! A real high point for me was singing together "At the Lamb's High Feast."

A Lutheran Commercial!

I love it:

Lesson Learned

IF you are speaking all day on Saturday, by all means try to find someone to fill in for you on Sunday - a voice can only do so much before it starts protesting! Which makes me thankful for that silly ball game today, which cancelled what would be the third service of the day. :)

Speaking of which: in Colorado someone was rude enough (!!!) to ask who I thought would win the superbowl. I think I must have had the "deer in the headlights" look on my face (I can't remember who's even playing, though I've been told two or three times), and a good soul in the front row had mercy on me and told me: "Whoever has the most points." That's my answer and I'm sticking to it. Though for one second, I did toy with saying: "The New York Yankees." Doesn't Joe Namath still play for them? ;)

Back from Colorado!

A BIG thanks to the folks on the Our Lutheran Faith Conference Committee for inviting me to be with them today and lead their conference through a study of the OT basis for NT worship: the Lamb at the Center. We met at the parish of my friend, Pastor John Frahm, Gloria Christi Lutheran Church, in Greeley, Colorado. I think the folks who came to the conference from farthest away were the Terrible Swede and Erika - all the way from Kansas! The conference was really a great joy - especially meeting some folks in the flesh who have been internet friends for a while, as well as catching up with old friends. A HUGE thank you to Pastor Lehmann for picking me up from the airport, giving me a place to sleep, food to eat, and getting me back to the airport again. A whirlwind day, and not as much time for visiting and catching up as I'd like, but maybe someday!