Homily for Easter Wednesday

The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified his servant Jesus, whom you delivered over and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release him. But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses. And his name—by faith in his name—has made this man strong whom you see and know, and the faith that is through Jesus has given the man this perfect health in the presence of you all.

“And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ would suffer, he thus fulfilled. Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago.

(Acts 3:13-21 ESV)

It was heady times in the Apostolic community. What had Jesus promised? “And greater things than this shall you do because I go to the Father.” So after crucifixion, after resurrection, after ascension, He poured out His Spirit and things were hopping in Jerusalem. Peter and John headed up to the temple to pray and the man begging alms. Peter notices him, notices his faith. Says: “Silver and gold have I none, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!”

And he didn’t only get and walk, he was leaping and dancing and praising God for the unmerited, unlooked for gift of healing. Chrysostom says that this made manifest the resurrection, for it was an image of the resurrection. And everyone gathered around him and Peter and John and wondered. Quite evidently the same wonder working power that had been evidenced in Jesus was still in evidence. There’s a reason Luke begins Acts with the feisty words, in the first book, O Theopholis, I covered all that Jesus BEGAN to do and to teach.” Because His doing and teaching were still going on quite powerfully through the Apostles.

But the danger is that we forget that it’s Jesus doing the verbs. We can imagine that it was those who were only instruments. So Peter cries out: “Men of Israel, why do you wonder at this or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we have made him walk?” And so today’s text begins.

The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified His servant Jesus and it’s Jesus who is behind all this hoopla. “Then shall the lame man leap like a deer!” Isaiah had foretold. And the man whooping and hollering it up in the temple was the doing of Him who alone can heal the sick, give sight to the blind, raise the dead.

Yesterday, Dr. Rast read the text later when Paul was preaching: “They killed...”
 and that’s fair because he wasn’t in Jersualem anymore. But here in our reading, with the memory of those historic days fresh in everyone’s mind, no “they” but “you.” You delivered him over, the One who went in your midst healing every disease and raising the dead, You denied him before Pilate (No king but Caesar for us!), even when Pilate was trying to release Him. You asked for a murderer instead. “Not this man but Barabbas!” And so YOU killed the Author of life. You killed Your own life. You killed the very life of this world. BUT God raised Him from the dead. We (John, Peter and the other apostles) are all witnesses of this. And He’s the one who’s still up to His old business. It’s by His name and faith in His name that this fellow stands before you in perfect health. Jesus did this, not we.

And I know you acted in ignorance, you and your leaders. But that’s how God worked it all so that everything His prophets said came true: that His Christ would suffer. Isaiah 53 looms large. And Psalm 22, among others. “You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good for the saving alive of many lives.” So, repent, turn get a new mind. Your sins will be blotted out and times of refreshing will come to you from the Lord.

Here we stand, centuries removed, and yet we cannot but be stirred in heart when we hear of those amazing days, when the cowardly Peter stood bold and preached the Crucified and Risen One and did not deny anymore. When the men who at one point were so concerned about their own prestige and honor and seating plan in the Kingdom, now throw overboard all pride and stress to everyone that it’s them, their power, their piety, it’s Jesus and His name that does the miracle.

Beside a charcoal fire, Peter had denied. Besides a charcoal fire, Peter was restored (John 21). And what the Risen One did for Peter, blotting all His sins, He wanted to do for everyone who rejected, despised, mocked, and killed Him. He literally is Forgiveness of Sin risen from the dead. And so for you too, He rises to bring you times of refreshing. To be Your pardon. And His power goes on working in your life, as He pours out His Spirit into you and you too believe.

It wasn’t long before the Church began noticing the shifting of the Lord’s work. Those eye-popping miracles of the earliest days faded with the death of the Apostles. It is said that in a meeting between himself and St. Thomas Aquinas, Pope Innocent IV noted with pride: “No longer can the Church say ‘silver and gold have I none’ to which Aquinas noted, “but neither can she say ‘rise, take up your bed and walk.’”

Which invites us to some self-reflection. Have the flood of miracles died down because of our worldiness. Something we need to ask. But I think that misses the mark a bit. Yet it is true, those kind of miracles still show up, now and again across the centuries. The Lord still works. But the flood of miracles that came with the Apostles was to prove to all the world that the Risen One was at work in them and that each one of us needs to hear the words they bring us about the Crucified and Risen Lord. And that's how the big miracle happens, the miracle that just keeps going on, the miracle of dead sinners being raised up to life, brought into a community of faith, formed by the Spirit, shaped by the Word, in which forgiveness continues to blot out every sin in the blood of Jesus, and where God’s most determined enemies continue to be forgiven and restored. Where the ministry continues to give out the Lord’s gifts not by its own power or piety, but simply done in the name and bidding of the Risen One, who will finally bring in the great miracle of resurrection for us all, and to whom be glory, now and to the ages of ages. Amen.

Please note

the grand prize for toddler. She MIGHT be familiar to followers of ye olde blog:  March of Dimes Cutest Baby Contest.

Easter 2015

What joy at the Divine Service! The liturgy began, as usual on this day, with the bells and organ leading "Jesus Christ Is Risen Today" as the procession entered the Church.

The choir sang the Introit antiphonally with the congregation and then immediately launched into the Kyrie and Gloria (in Greek and Latin, respectively) from Mozart's Organ Solo Mass in C. The Hallelujah Chorus was the alleluia before the Holy Gospel.

After a hearty singing of "Christ Jesus Lay," Pastor gave us a fabulous sermon that bundled together the oddness of pastors, the love of folks tending graves in the cemetery down the road, and the joy of Resurrection (of course!). During the offering and again at the Sanctus, the altar was censed. And then the Body and Blood of the Risen One was given us for forgiveness, life, and salvation.

Distribution took a long time. About 25 minutes. The congregation sang through "At the Lamb's High Feast," "I Know That My Redeemer Lives," "With High Delight," and "Come, You Faithful, Raise the Strain." 

After being nourished by the Easter Gospel and the Sacrament, we departed singing "Now All the Vault."

And Carlo sent us off with some Widor. A glorious Easter feast from start to finish.

A random Good Friday thought

as we were adoring the Crucified:

The blood and the water. I've always run right away to Eucharist and Baptism. But also this: the blood by which He is one nature with us as child of Mary; the water by which He shares His nature with the Father, making us children of God. And both together flow forth from His side as He makes His new Eve.

Twas a glorious Vigil

We gathered in the courtyard and followed the Paschal Candle into the sanctuary as the Easter moon shone down upon us. "The Light of Christ!" Pastor Ball used all twelve readings, interspersed with the Song of Moses and Miriam, the Song of Jonah, and the Song of of the Three Children. Asperges with the Baptismal blessing. Ringing of the bell at the Gloria and the incensing of the altar. He chanted the Holy Gospel. A wonderful, wonderful homily. The God who refines His own in the fire, but brings them through in safety. The Son of Man who is with us and grants us the final victory. "The Strife is O'er." And then the joyous Eucharist. From start to finish, it was all overflowing joy. Vigil is truly one of the most beautiful and Scripture filled services of the whole year.

Walking...

Our God is a God who walks. We find that out right away in Genesis! And He invites us to walk with Him: "He hath shown thee, O man, what is good, and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justice and to love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God" (Amos). To walk humbly with God is to let Him take the lead. I think of the exact opposite as the way our silly beagle pulls and tugs this way and that. And when you walk with Him it's quite the trip. Think Enoch.

Indeed marvelous things happen when we walk with God. How the two on the road to Emmaus discovered that as they walked along and were sad and thought they'd lost Him! But He wasn't lost. He joined them as they walked and talked of the Scriptures (Deuteronomy six in action!) and taught them that His feet had been destined to walk right to the cross, to be transfixed, dead, and then to walk again. Alive, out of the tomb, with more life to give than a universe could ever hold. And their hearts burned as He walked and they walked and He spoke.

Take a walk this Easter weekend, people loved by God. Let your feet carry you to that assembly where the Risen One still comes to greet His own, to break the bread and open eyes and fill hearts with peace and joy. And then when you walk out in the country, you'll find you're walking in His world and He meets you everywhere along the way. In the beauty of His world, in the faces that you greet, in the needs you meet.

Oh, and when you go for the walk to the assembly or when you walk out in the country, put the danged phone away.

Prepping the Easter Feast

Cindi's menu for this year (mostly courtesy of The Art of Paleo Entertaining):

avocado cream eggs
grapefruit salad
honey-glazed ham
sweet potato souffle
roasted rainbow carrots
garlic red mashed taters
meyer lemon tart (topped with fresh berries)
assorted chocolates

Several cabernets to be served as well.

And when we get home from the Vigil tonight, some homemade crackers and wild-caught sockeye salmon, some aged cheddar by Kerrygold, some brie, and possibly a summer sausaage.

Yes, the fast is almost ended and the Church's "Queen of seasons, bright with the day of splendor, with its royal feast of feasts, comes its joy to render." (LSB 487:3, St. John of Damascus). And THAT feast will make the Easter feast we eat at home pale in comparison. CAN'T WAIT!!!

Chief Service

A liturgy whose beauty breaks the heart and fills it with peace at the same time. The service resumes with a collect, asking God to behold His family, and unlike any other liturgy of the year, a collect follows each reading. Isaiah 53 is read, a collect, 2 Corinthians 5 is read, a collect. Then the Passion of St. John introduced with "Jesus, I Will Ponder Now." The introduction was the same, I believe, as on the Heritage of the Reformation CD set. Viola et al. Amazing. Then the unfolding of the Passion, interspersed with "O Sacred Head" but first introduced in the most lovely setting with violin. Back and forth, the reading of the Passion and each of those wonderful sung prayers. We sat for most of the Passion, but stood at the very conclusion and then sang the final stanza of "O Sacred Head" and then silence. Pastor preached us a most comforting and beautiful sermon about how on the Cross God is exposed and His love for us is exposed and our sin is exposed. Following the sermon, "A Lamb Goes Uncomplaining Forth." The bidding prayer followed. NEVER has it seemed more fitting:  "Let us pray for the whole Christian Church, that our Lord God would defend her against all the assaults and temptations of the adversary... Let us pray for all in authority that we may lead a quiet and peaceful life in all godliness and honesty... Let us pray for peace... Let us pray for our enemies, that God would remember them in mercy and graciously grant them such things as are needful for them and profitable for their salvation..." The adoration of the Cross was truly the highlight. Pastor carried the cross in from the rear of the Church: "Behold, the life-giving cross on which was hung the salvation of the world." The crosses were unveiled and we heard the reproaches, chanted by pastor, answered by the school children, sweetly chanting the "Holy Lord God..." The congregation answered also with "Lamb of God, Pure and Holy." Staring at the image of our Lord unveiled, nailed to the tree, as these rang forth... wow. And then the school children sang the Canticle: "We adore You." The congregation concluded the adoration of the Crucified with a triumphant (even with tympani!) "Sing, My Tongue!" During this, Pastor vested in a black chasuble and prepared the altar. The simple order as suggested in Altar Book was used, save that Pastor reverted (YEAH) to the words of the old Lenten Preface. After the reception of the Eucharist in silence, a final collect was offered (the 13th collect offered in this particular liturgy!) and then we sang: "The Royal Banners" once again with triumphant registration on the organ, tympani and all kinds of musical embellishment underscoring the TRIUMPH that is celebrated on this most holy day. It was remarkable from start to finish, and took just under an hour and a half. Can't WAIT to go back tonight for the Tenebrae Vespers.

A little Monteverdi for Good Friday

Click here.

We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You for by the wood of Your cross joy has come into all the world.

Thirty Years

When the phone rings that early on a Sunday morning, you know it's never a good thing. Mom on the line. Telling me my brother, Joseph, had been killed in a car accident early that morning. Lord, have mercy. I still remember saying: "You're kidding, right?" And her sharp rebuke: "Would I kid about something like that?"

I was a vicar at the time, serving in Garfield, New Jersey at Holy Trinity. I remember pulling myself together as much as I could and walking over to tell Pastor Plvan. I was scheduled to preach. "Do you think you can do it?" he asked. I said that I thought I could.

I asked him not to say anything. A friend once said of me: "He's the most intensely private person I know" and that's nowhere more evident than in dealing with grief. I just needed to process this on my own.

The liturgy was really hard. I've always loved the Palm Sunday hymns and I remember sobbing my way through the sermon hymn, and Bev (as acolyte that morning) looking across the chancel at me wondering what on earth was going on. I pulled myself together to get into the pulpit and a preach a homily on Zechariah 9. "Rejocie!" Made it through it and was fine for the rest of the liturgy.

During the Bible Class hour, I told my youth group and David (now long since gone too!), took charge as he always did. You see, we couldn't just pop in the car and head home because I was committed to playing at the Church's cantata that evening; Diane was singing "I know that my redeemer lives" and I was her accompanist. I needed to do that. So David arranged for us to get a flight. Right after I finished playing, he took Cindi and I to the airport and we flew one bumpy flight back to DC.

Cindi's grandparents met us at the airport and brought along their extra car for us to use while we were in town. Then the horror of facing my sister-in-law and those sweet little girls, and my mom. We all had gathered at their place and there were sobs a plenty.

It was thirty years ago, and yet I think I remember every single detail of that day and the days following, when so many other days have long since faded in memory. We had a connection, Joe and I, that was different. We loved arguing. Take any subject and we'd argue it. He was a thinker and he didn't allow for shoddy thinking to go unchallenged either!

I remember so well him attending my graduation from Bronxville, and some private conversations along the way. Nothing we couldn't say to each other, and that's a special gift for an older brother to give a younger one. Anyway, I miss you, Joseph. The years haven't made that any easier.

A Responsive Setting of the St. Mark Passion

can be downloaded here.

Who am I to turn down

money from Be Well, Serve Well? So this year, I went to the Dr. again so I could fill out my health profile and also get credit for the exam.

Now, mind you, I've been strictly living my primal way of life since last Advent. Sadly, by Thanksgiving, I'd crept back up to 165 or so, allowing myself way too many exceptions and never (since starting at the IC) getting back to regular exercise. But since then, it's been a different story. Every day, come rain or shine, 1/2 hour walk or run (thank you, Cindi, for getting us the treadmill for home—$25 used!). I've dumped eating lunch at work and spend the time walking on the treadmill or running outside and lifting once or twice a week. Have also been faithful with the sprints each Saturday. 

With food, I've really lowered (thank you, Angelo Coppela) fat by simply not ADDING any fat to my cooked food. No butter for the taters, and they STILL taste great! Most weeks, Cindi and I don't eat till Supper on Wednesdays and Fridays, allowing our bodies a full 24 hours to digest what we've been eating.

Anywho, results from the doc:

Blood pressure was 100/68

PSA was 1.2 (exactly where it was years ago, last time I did this)

HDL was 103

LDL was 92

Weight was 144 (I've hit as low as 141 this week!), with a height of 70 inches, waist of 30.

Percentage of body fat was 16

BMI was 20

Age: 54 (55 in October)

I've never felt better in my life. The only medicine I take is my Maxalt for migraines and that is not a daily medication by any stretch. 

Anywho, please consider all the above a commercial for Mark's Daily Apple and Angelo's Humans are Not Broken. Check them out! "It's not easy, but it is simple."

A custom

long since fallen into desuetude among us is the announcing of betrothals at the altar in the Divine Service for prayer. The old 1881 Church Liturgy has three wonderful prayers that the congregation may offer upon betrothal. Here is the third:

Holy God, Thou art the author of the marriage covenant, and hence Thou wilt have it kept holy by us. Graciously accept, we pray Thee, the intent of these betrothed persons, to have their betrothment sanctified by Thy word, and to seek for their union the blessing Thou hast pronounced upon all them that are united by Thee. Consecrate and sanctify them Thyself, O God, that they may begin their estate with Thee, and grant them Thy grace so that in future time also they may ever joyfully remember their having been united by Thee. Enter with Thy fear into their hearts, and with Thy blessing into their house. Hear us for Jesus' sake. Amen.

I think we have lost something very precious.

It's been several years

since I took that Meyers-Briggs test. Tonight I went back and reread the description of INFJ and once again I came away shocked at how it nailed me. I had missed before the comment about internalizing stress to the point of sickness. Migraines, anyone? I remember thinking when I first took the test: "Yeah, they're written like a horoscope so that everyone will see themselves in it." But that's really not true. I remember pondering Cindi's and Sandy Bower's descriptions and laughing at how right one they were (though Cin was borderline on a few), and how they are NOT me. But it irked (well, irks) me that answering some stupid questions can give that kind of insight into a person. Anyway, irked or not, it is good to look into the mirror every once in a while.

Treat yourself

to the joy of this Gospel proclamation. Note where the sermon begins. At least listen to that. But the rest is also beautiful and wonderful.

Dr. Feuerhahn's Funeral

Homily for Fourth Lenten Midweek

on the Passion according to St. Mark:

We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you for by your holy cross you have redeemed all the world.  Amen.

Jesus, what was it like for you?  To be dragged in by your own people and renounced and rejected.  To be handed over to the Romans.  To stand before Pilate while your own hurled accusation after accusation upon you.  What was it like for you?

They accused you of being a King, dear Jesus, and a King you owned up to being.  But beyond that, you would not say a word at all.  Pilate was confused by you.  He knew very well that you were not guilty.  He knew very well that you had been delivered up to him out of envy.  He made an effort to let you go, to let you off.  But in the end, he’d rather see an innocent man die than have a riot break out in his province.  Peace at all costs.

What was it like for you, Jesus, to stand there, loving them, and hear them say:  “Crucify!  Crucify Him!  Away with Him!”?  What does it feel like to give your heart so wholly and to have you love rejected?  What was it like for you to hear them set Barabbas free by killing you?  But that was the point, wasn’t it?  You came to set the Barabbases of this world free.  Those who are guilty of murder and rebellion.  We are Barabbas, aren’t we, Jesus?  We are the ones who have rebelled against the Sovereign of this world, we are the ones who handed an innocent man over to be crucified.  We did it.  No other.  We.  And so for us your innocent life is traded.

To Pilate it makes no sense at all.  You don’t even make an attempt to defend or save yourself.  You stand before him in silence.  To the soldiers, you just don’t make any sense either.  They mock you.  They cloth you in royal purple.  They cram that crown of thorns down on your head until your blood flowed free.  They beat you with sticks and spit at you.  They were in a fury to get some rise, some response out of you.  Something.  They wanted to see some sign of hatred and anger.  Something to justify what they were about to do to you.  But you stood still and silent.  You loved them.  You loved us.  You wouldn’t stop loving no matter how terrible the treatment, no matter how undignified the disgrace.

Pilate and the soldiers couldn’t understand.  Neither can we.  How on earth can you go on loving, go on forgiving, go on reaching out to us.  Yet it seems the harder we push you away, the closer you draw to us.  The further we try to get away from you, the nearer you come.

O King and Lover of us all, O Bleeding and Dying Redeemer, O Silent and Suffering Lamb of God, have mercy on us who deserve no mercy.  Grant peace to us who would give you no peace.  Transform us by the vision of Your silent, suffering love, O King of kings!  Amen.

We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you for by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.  Amen.

In honor of the Commemoration of St. Patrick

....a goodie from Pr. Hans Fiene. Enjoy: Come on, Patrick!

This weekend...

...was the first since August of 1987 that Cindi and I have been empty nesters. Yup, Bekah moved into her apartment and it's just Cindi, Lucy and I wondering around the house. Dave still joins us for dinner, of course, but most of the time it's eerily quiet (Bekah has always been an explosion of energy - walking through the door and talking a hundred miles an hour!). Lucy was visibly upset when we moved out Bekah's bed; to be fair, it was always Lucy's bed too! She seems lost and sad, but she'll get ued to it again. Bekah moved out once before (when she was in school), but then David was here to keep her entertained and play with. 

So a new chapter really does begin for Cindi and me. Each previous one has held untold blessings and joys; I expect this new one will too. Still I can't help be a bit wistful and think of the line of Tolkein:

...and listen for returning feet

and voices at the door.

The world will little note...

...the passing today of a great man: Dr. Ronald Feuerhahn. Never did Cape Girardeau, Missouri provide so great a gift to the Church. A Sasse scholar, a gentleman, a constant student and therefore an apt teacher, Dr. Feuerhahn was a blessing to so very many. I am blessed that he was a reader for my STM thesis, and I always enjoyed classes with him (which we jokingly called Sasse on... whatever the topic was!). May the comfort of Christ's resurrection fill his beloved wife and family with the peace that no sorrow can touch. Christ is risen! Indeed, He is risen! And yes, though Lent, ALLELUIA!

Tremble now, O gates of hell, for his tremors are ended.
Christ has crowned His confessor with glory and honor
And brought him into His eternal splendor.
Though you sought, Satan, to ravage his body
you could not still his witness to the Savior's cross and triumph.
Faithful unto death he wears now the crown of life unending.
Glory to You, Lord Jesus, for Your unfailing love and kindness to Your servant, Ron!

Missionary Orientation

week at the IC is more than insane, but it's also one of my favorite times. Why? Because I get to teach the CATECHISM. And there is simply not a whole lot on God's green earth that is better than teaching the Catechism.

Lenten Midweek Homily III

We have heard the Lenten call of the Church summoning us back to the font, reminding us as we confess in our Catechism that the Old Adam in us should by daily contrition and repentance be drowned and die and that a new man daily should daily emerge and arise to live before God in righteousness and purity forever.  Which is another way of saying that something in us needs to die and something God gives us need to take its place.  Today we see this in the matter of Confession.

Not the Confession of sin, but the Confession of the holy faith, the Confession of who Jesus is and what our relationship is to Him.  Jesus is mostly silent during his mockery of a trial, but when the high priest asks him point blank:  "Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?"  Jesus confesses and does not deny:  "I am.  You will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of God's power and coming with the clouds of heaven."  Those were the words that sealed his fate.  "Do we still need any witnesses?" cried the High Priest.  "You have heard this blasphemy.  What is your opinion?"  And they all agreed He was deserving of death.  Deserving of death because He had told the truth about Himself - a truth they did not want to hear.

And then there's Peter.  He has the opportunity to confess Jesus too.  Remember, how boldly he had said:  "Lord, even if I have to die with you, I will never deny you."  There is no reason to doubt his sincerity.  He meant it.  But when the moment came, in the flicker of the light from the fire, he withdraws into the darkness and insists:  "I do not know what you mean."  And again:  "I do not know the man."  And again with a solemn oath, calling down curses upon himself, he lies and says:  "I do not know the man."

Why?  What was it that enabled our Lord to make the good confession to the High Priest, even though that Confession meant his death?  What was it that hindered Peter from confessing and owning up that yes, he knew Jesus and further was His disciple.  We understand Peter's response all too well.  We live by nature with what was eating at him:  fear.

When push came to shove, Peter's courage failed him because he was afraid.  Afraid of suffering and most of all, afraid of death.  And that made him a captive to the fear that he served.  That's exactly what the Apostle tells us in Hebrews:  that the devil, who has the power of death, keeps in life-long slavery those whom he locks up in the fear of death.

And here is the key to our Lord's boldness.  For though He hates death, despises it, scorns it, He does not fear it.  He came into this world to destroy it.  He came among us to let it devour Him so that by taking its stinking gullet Him over whom it had NO claim, it might be destroyed forever, and so His people set free from their slavery, free from their fear.

Jesus, standing before the High Priest, knows what is about to happen.  He knows that He will yield His life upon the cross - a fragrant offering and sacrifice to His Father, His blood blotting forever the guilt of our sin and the sin of the whole world.  And He also knows and rejoices that His Father will never abandon Him to the grave.  That though death takes Him, death's bands will be burst.  The way several early fathers put it, He was death's poison pill.  Having swallowed Him down - the utterly indigestible Divine - death began to wretch and ended up vomiting up all it had swallowed.  Jesus does not fear death, because Death will never be the end of Him - or of any who are joined in living faith to Him.

But Peter has only heard that Jesus will be raised from the dead; and now that he sees the Master in the hands of those who will turn Him over to crucifixion, his heart quails and he trembles and fears and rather than in peace confessing His Lord, in terror of death he denies Him.  Jesus calls Peter to repentance with a look, and Peter went out and wept bitterly.

He wept bitter tears for his own fear and sin and cowardice, but he did not despair.  Unlike Judas.  Did the look that Jesus gave him communicate to him:  Remember, I told you you would deny me, and I was right, so you have; but remember I also told you I would rise again, and I will be right about that too!  I have prayed for you, Peter, that you faith fail not!

Think of the man we meet here on the other side of the resurrection, on the day of Pentecost!  The man who cowered before the serving girl boldly tells the crowds that day:  "This Jesus whom YOU murdered by hanging on a tree God has raised from the dead and we are all His witnesses!"

What stands in between?  The resurrection of Christ and the coming of the Spirit.  And so with you and your Baptism.  For in the waters you are placed into the tomb with Christ and raised with Him as the guarantee of a life that will never end.  In the waters the Holy Spirit Himself descended upon you even as He descended on Peter and the other Apostles on Pentecost - transforming them from quavering cowards to bold confessors.  What changed was the conviction of faith that Jesus truly HAS destroyed death's power by enduring it.

Years later Peter was told:  Sacrifice to the Emperor and deny this Jesus or die!  And in the grace of God he refused.  He refused and he went the way of his Lord.  Even to being crucified, though upside down because he did not feel himself worthy to die the same as his Lord.  But in the end, Peter looked the fear of death in the face and laughed at it.  "You can't scare me this time!  I know Who lives forevermore and I know you have NO power over Him and I am in Him and His body and His blood are in me.  You lose, even as you take me.  I am not afraid of you."

Something has to die and something rises as a gift of God to us.  Slavery to fear of death gets left behind in the baptismal water, and courage to boldly confess the Master is poured out fresh each day.  Lent calls us to return to this gift of the water - to embrace the death of fear and the resurrection of bold confession in the Spirit's power.  O Lord, set us free and loose our tongues to confess!  Amen.

Vacation

It was a wonderful time with dear friends and enjoying the beauty of God's awesome creation. It was sunny (for the most part), warm, and the trade winds never stopped. Only ran a 5-K on board the boat, but that was a lot of fun. Ran barefoot. Sadly, forgot to look at the time. But I wasn't racing. I was basking. The sun and the wind were just what the doctor ordered. 

Came back to Missionary Orientation. Cannot even begin to describe how much energy it brings to the building to have these folks with us. The IC chapel filled with little ones. The singing loud and boisterous. And best of all (for me) teaching the catechism. My favorite! This Friday will be the sending service at 2 p.m. Join us, if you're in the area. Missionary kids will be singing, we'll have Kantor Gerike on the organ and trumpets and trombone, but best of all: we'll have our Lord's Body and Blood for the remission of our sins.

Also realized how very much I had missed the radio show while away. A treat to be back on air and with John Lukomski as the guest. We truly did romp through the goodies of Matthew 28. 

So, back in the saddle and raring to go. Good thing too, given the packed schedule for this week. 

Propers for the Persecuted Church

Can be downloaded here.

Passion, Part 1 - Today's Chapel Homily

There is something awesome in that last Passover celebrated by the Lord Jesus.  That night He was under no illusions.  He knew exactly what it was that awaited Him.  He also knew by whom it would come.  Reclining at the table in oriental fashion, he says quite plainly that one of the twelve will betray Him, and one after the other asks:  “Is it I?”  “Is it I?” “Is it I?”  Their hearts were breaking.  They’d been with Him long enough to know that whatever He said was truth.  He didn’t lie.  He didn’t exaggerate.  He didn’t deceive.  He just spoke what was and let the chips fall where they may.  The truth He spoke at the table that night was so painful that their hearts felt torn in two as He looked about them with such love. 

“The Son of Man goes as it is written of Him.” What was written?  To what was He referring?  Listen to what the prophets had said:  “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?  Why are you so far from helping me?  So far from the words of my groaning....They have pierced my hands and my feet; I can count all my bones.”  “His visage was marred more than any man, and His form more than the sons of men.”  “He was despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.”  “Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.”  “He was bruised for our iniquities.”  “The Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”  “It pleased the Lord to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief.”  “He bore the sins of many.”  “They will look on Me whom they have pierced, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for an only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a first-born.” 

Pain.  Suffering.  Crushing defeat.  Rejection.  Hatred.  Torture and death.  These stare Jesus in the face that night.  And He looks at them unflinchingly.  He knows that they will come to Him through Judas’ betrayal and he speaks of Judas’ future in terms very bleak indeed.  “Better for that man not to have been born.” 

But with all of that facing Him, Jesus looks at the Passover meal spread out before Him and what fills His heart?  Not despair.  Not anger.  With His suffering about to begin, Jesus’ heart is filled with joy and yearning.  Luke’s Gospel tells us that Jesus said to them:  “With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.” 

Throughout their years together they had seen it happen a hundred times.  Jesus, with food before Him, lifts His holy eyes to heaven and blesses God His Father, giving Him thanks and praise, and then they share the meal together.  He taught them at the meals.  He laughed with them at the meals.  He loved them at the meals.  Mealtime with Jesus was nothing less than heaven on earth.  And now He’s getting ready to leave them, to take away His visible presence from them.  This was to be the last meal that He would ever share with them in the old way.  In a sense it was all over, and yet in a way more wonderful than any of them could ever have imagined, it was still to go on and be better than it ever was before.

With joy in His heart, He took the break in His hands, hands soon to be pierced by nails, and lifted His eyes one more time to the skies and blessed the heavenly Father and then broke it and gave it to them and said the most awesome words:  “Take,; this is My body.”  With wonder in their eyes they took the bread and ate it.  Wondering, for Jesus, as we just said, was not given to lying or exaggerating or saying anything but the absolute truth.  “This is My body.”  In fear and trembling they received it, and they wondered.  And then He did the thing that was unthinkable for a Jew.  He took in his hand the cup, He lifted it up and gave thanks over it - and you just think what it means that that night and for that cup Jesus could give thanks - and He gave it to them and said:  “This is My blood of the covenant which is poured out for many.” 

Now, no good Jew would ever drink blood, would ever even conceive of the idea.  God’s law given through Moses repeatedly stressed that never could God’s holy people drink blood or even eat meat with the blood in it.  God had said:  “The life is in the blood.”  And now Jesus reaches them the blood, the covenant blood, the blood of His new covenant, and bids them drink up.

Did He smile to see the perplexity on their faces as one after the other they drank?  He had just given them and through them given to His Church until the Last Day the manner and the means by which He would still have table fellowship with His own.  In the Body and in the Blood, His Body given for many, His Blood of the New and everlasting Covenant, He would still be with His disciples.  Giving them forgiveness.  Loving them.  Strengthening their faith. 

“Truly, I say to you, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”  Yes, He looked the cross straight in the eye, but He saw that the cross wasn’t the end.  On the other side of the cross and darkness, there was the day of joy, the day when the Son of Man would lift the cup of wine at the Feast that does not end, the day when His family would be all gathered together, not just the 12 disciples but the 12 tribes of the New Israel, all His brothers and sisters. 

The writer to the Hebrews understood what was going on in the heart and mind of Jesus that night when he wrote:  “For the joy set before Him, He endured the cross, scorning its shame, and is sat down at the right hand of God.”  So it was that the meal that night, which was to reach to the ends of time, bringing Jesus’ presence in His body and blood to his people, ended with a song.  Not a dirge, but a hymn of joy.  One of the Hallel Psalms, sung at the Passover.  A going home psalm.  The song of THE pilgrim on the way to THE holy city, bringing His family home with Him. Amen. 

A Brief Homily for Ash Wednesday

Today at the chapel service at the International Center, Ash Wednesday will be observed in prayer, song, preaching, and the imposition of ashes. Here's the homily:

Two words for today. Remember. Return.

Remember first. These are the words that go with the ashes for which this day is named: “Remember, O man, that you are dust and to dust you shall return.”

Sad words from the saddest day of human history. The day Adam and Eve opened the door and invited in death to their bodies, to this world, into their children. And from that day to this, the grave has been our common destiny. And too often we have helped each other to it. We think of the martyrs now dying for Christ in north Africa, in Syria, in Nigeria. As Luther put it in is his hymn: “In the very midst of life death has us surrounded!” Accidents, disease, malice and murder. It’s all around. So, remember, O man, that you are dust and to dust you shall return. Ashes to ashes. Dust to dust.

So the ashes of this day have nothing to do with fasting. Our Lord warned against making a public show of your fasting with disfiguring your face, of your giving or your praying. No. The ashes of this day simply announce: “You're looking at a dying man living in the midst of dying men. We don’t know when, but do know that the grave is where we’re headed. Remember.”

And remember this too, that the ashes will go onto your head in the form of a cross. The cross of Him who became dust and ashes that He might lift from our race the sin that is the cause of our death and bear it Himself to destroy it and so to destroy death. That He might suffer and die on His cross as we all die, be buried as we will be buried, but then rise as we also shall rise, raised by His life-giving Spirit on the Last Day. Remember that too!

And remembering, heed the call from Joel that the choir sang us: Return! “Return to the Lord Your God for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love.” Return because you remember that you are dying, and why you are dying. So return to Him who has more life to give you than you’ve got death, more forgiveness than you’ve got sin. Return to Him who eagerly waits for you to come to Him. Who never says: "What? You here again for forgiveness for THAT?" Rather, Him whose steadfast love always throws His arms around you and welcomes you home.

Let this whole season of Lent be for you a time of return to Him: each and every day coming to Him. Pick up your Treasury anew and meet Him there in His Words! Turn to Him every day in prayer—how well the litany would serve for this!  In the Sacrament, and in your neighbor in any need that you see. You will meet Him there too.

Remember…return. A blessed Lent to you all!

A Lewis Treasure Trove

A dear listener wrote me the kindest letter, offering her collection of C. S. Lewis goodies (some quite rare) as she and her husband were downsizing. I thanked her with a "yes please" but told her I held her personally responsible for not getting any work done for the next couple months. I'm still licking my chops looking at the stack and wondering exactly where to begin...

And the verdict is in...

...the snowblower is more than twice as fast as shoveling, but a pain in the butt when it comes to managing the cord. It also seems to struggle with more than six inches of the white powder. Still, all by myself I got both driveways open this morning in under two hours. Not bad at all.

Chapel Service at IC on the day St. Paul Lutheran School sang

You can listen to the whole enchilada right here:

http://archives.kfuo.org/mp3/WOA/IC_CHAPEL_Jan_30_2015.mp3

Turning Points

Have been meditating a bit on turning points; events or things that have lasting impact and shape you.

Here's a list of some biggies in my own life:

* Treasury

I had always struggled with my daily prayers. I used a variety of prayer books and Bible reading plans and so forth over the years. But when Treasury came out, that really changed for me. At first I was trying to use it like a Breviary, but that proved a bit frustrating. Two comments from friends help me sort this out. Bill Cwirla observed "I'm not a monk" and so he didn't try to pray the Daily Office in its full round. David Petersen observed "It's really a single office book" and so trying to divy it all up ends up making it a bit more complicated than it needs be. The result? Cindi and I have settled into using it all at one sitting. After breakfast we pull out our Treasury (when we're home) or our PrayNow app (when we're travelling), and we pray. Simple as can be and it takes us about fifteen or twenty minutes. I think we both have come to treasure (sic!) the time in God's Word and this resource has simply made our Bible reading and prayer together be easier than ever in our lives.

* Financial Peace University 

It was my friend Randy Asburry who introduced us to this gem. Our finances weren't awful, but neither Cindi nor I really "got" how money works and so we were always a tad short. FPU simply changed all that. For the first time in our lives, we weren't worrying about money. I cannot recommend it highly enough. Like nearly everyone who's ever attended, the big regret is that this turning point didn't come much, much earlier in our lives.

* Primal

I no longer even remember how we found Mark Sisson, but he's been a powerful influence in our lives when it comes to things like how we eat (think REAL whole food), how we sleep (trying to stay close to circadian rhythm), how we seek to spend time outside in the sunlight, how we exercise (goodbye chronic cardio!), and even how I work (standing station!). 

* Carlo

I've sung in many a choir over the years with some outstanding directors. Still, I've never had ANYONE come close to teaching me music so profoundly as our choirmaster and organist at St. Paul's. I find myself sightreading way beyond anything I used to be able to do. He has me working on Bach organ music, appreciating even the Romantics (that I used to think I disliked, nothing like singing them to change your mind). David and I were talking about this the other day and how we look forward to choir each week so much and how much a joy it is to sing for the congregation.

I could list out more turning points, but those are ones that really strike me in the last decade or so. What about you guys?

What a great day!

Woke up early (for a Saturday!) and got some breakfast going. Cindi and I enjoyed some sausage, eggs, and taters with a pot of coffee. Prayers. Then a good workout. Walked for 1/2 hour at 10% incline at 4 miles per hour. Then sprints on the bike for a fifteen minutes.

Cindi and I headed to Edwardsville and she joined the iPhone 6 generation. David called while we were at the store, and wanted some help with his tree. I helped him load up three truckfulls of branches and drive them up to a friend's house for burning. So great to visit and talk with him. I don't get to see the lad nearly enough.

Cindi, meanwhile, was helping Bekah with painting the apartment she's planning on moving into. I was thinking we might NOT get our walk in together, but Cindi arrived home about quarter to four and we headed out and got another half hour's walk in (she'd gotten one in earlier in the day also). It was beautiful out, and still just above sixty.

Still working on getting her phone set up. Always a bit of a challenge to detangle her sub account from my own account. 

Since I got the new specs have been wearing them most every day. Today I went out with the contacts and was happy that it worked well. Still not as crisp as with the glasses. And when it comes to working on the iPhone or even the iPad mini, the glasses simply are the way to go. And after wearing the contacts for the better part of the day, when I switched to the glasses for the walk with Cindi, it was a delight to see everything so clearly again. 

Tonight Cin is heading off to bowl, Bek working on her place, and I'll enjoy some quiet time at home finishing up Martin's latest. 

Just found out

this is on the web: worship in times of disaster.

Matthew Carver

drew my attention today to the little note that Lossius provides on the hymn for the Purification, Quod Chorus, on stanza two:

Haec Deum caeli Dominumque terrae
virgo concepit peperitque virgo,
atque post partum meruit manere
inviolata.

The meruit has this little note attached:

Meruit, id est, Consecuta est per Dei gratiam, seu apta et idonea facta est, qua significatione veteres scriptores saepe utuntur hoc verbo.

Sigh. Lossius was the standard Cantionale of the era and it shows the manner in which Lutherans freely appropriated the liturgical treasures of the preceding centuries. 

Them were the days, lads. Them were the days.

From Today's Service...

Pastor Ball celebrated the Eucharist for us today

The Chapel Choir sang for us this lovely setting of Hillert's Psalm 84 with Pr. Michael Meyer serving as cantor and Roger Drinnon on the guitar. It served as the Entrance Psalm and Henry Gerike conducting (and also blessing us with Bach's prelude on Mit Fried und Freud).

Feast Day of the Purification of Mary and the Presentation of Our Lord

I'll let old Luther have the honor this day:

For the Law of Moses needed to be kept which required that a woman who had given birth to a son had to stay indoors forty-two days, that is, six weeks, and be considered unclean, meaning that she was to have no so social intercourse with anyone, nor could she go out in public; for everything she touched would be unclean. If a woman had given birth to a daughter, then according to the law she had to be sequestered 84 days, that is, twelve weeks, and be unclean. Now, although Mary was not required to do this—the Law of Moses having no claim over her, for she had given birth without pain and her virginity remained unsullied—nevertheless, she kept quiet, and submitted herself to the common law of all women and let herself be accounted unclean.

She was, without doubt, a pure, chaste virgin before the birth, in the birth, and after the birth, and she was neither sick nor weakened from the birth and certainly could have gone out of the house after giving birth, not only because of her exemption under the Law, but also because of the uninterrupted soundness of her body. For her Son did not detract from her virginity, but actually strengthened it; but, in spite of this, not only the mother but also the son, both allowed themselves to be considered unclean according to the Law. He is, we know, not under obligation, but does it readily and gladly, as St. Paul says in Gal. 4:4: "But when the fullness of time was come, God sent forth his Son,  made of woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under law."

House Postils III:256 (Sermon from 1541)

Food

You know it's a favorite theme of mine, and tops among first article gifts for which I give thanks to our kind Creator. Cindi and I have been through a pile of different phases and learning when it comes to the eats. We both lost weight with Atkins and were crazy for low-carb for years (as long time readers of the blog will no doubt recall), but gradually the weight crept back up. We found primal and paleo, ditched the grains and other foods and saw some success for a while, but gradually the weight crept back up. We followed the resistant starch stuff with interest, but never really saw it impact weight. Sticking with Sisson has been a good move as he's always learning and growing, together with many in the paleo communities. One podcaster we have really enjoyed is Angelo Coppola. On a podcast a couple weeks ago he told a little of his history with eating and it was amazing how we tracked along the same routes. So where have we landed as of today?

One phrase captures it: whole food. We still don't eat wheat or wheat products (read Wheat Belly!), and in general we don't do grains. But we eat taters and sweet taters, we load up big time on veggies (still trying to push that up even more) and we enjoy our beef from local farmer (thanks, Steve and Dana!), our bacon comes from a butcher shop that processes local animals without one blasted thing added (we salt it ourselves), we splurge on wild caught fish now and again (sockeye salmon is our favorite), canned oysters and such, and (of course!) Shirley's eggs (from chickens you have to shoo out of the way to get to the house!). 

We don't eat packaged almost anything. We haunt the produce section of the store and will often opt for the organic stuff, particularly if the outside is consummed. We use honey for a sweetener if we need one and occasionally maple syrup. We don't use sugar. Our dairy is rather limited, but not really avoided. We certainly eat lots less cheese than we used to. 

I still enjoy a glass (sometimes two) of wine in an evening, but have extended times without it. We enjoy dark chocolate (think 85% or higher!) but only a square of it a day. On very special occasions, Cindi makes a bit of homemade icecream (that honey and maplesyrup do the job!). 

Anywho, feeling great with where we've landed. We're thinking about Angelo's idea of no added fats (gulp, but I LOVE Kerrygold...) and his advice to dump all supplements (appeals to the Dave Ramsey in us). This a.m. I was happy to see 148 on the scale. But where the journey will end as we keep learning? Who knows! 

Loving it!

The gym at work, that is. I've known it was there since I started at IC, but come this past Advent I started using it regularly. I finish up Thy Strong Word at noon and head to locker room, change, and instead of lunch most days, spend a half hour on treadmill. Mondays, Wednesday and Thursdays I walk. Tuesday and Fridays I run and also lift. It is amazing how that break in the middle of the day energizes me. With the gym at work and the treadmill at home, I get my 30 minutes of walking or running in every single day and on Saturdays I add in my sprints on the bike. If the weather is nice, I can walk outside, but it's great this winter to stay moving. Most Wednesdays and Fridays Cindi and I skip breakfast, so we have nearly a full 24 hour fast twice a week. Anywho, this routine has left me feeling more energized than I have since starting at the International Center. I love it!

Share a moment of our joy...

...today the scholars of St. Paul Lutheran School, Hamel, blessed us at the IC with their musical leadership. They accompanied themselves and sang all of Psalm 2 (this is just a snippet of their practice) AND they sang all of Tis Good Lord to be Here (which they had memorized). As you can tell, their voices were crystal clear. They also assisting with singing Matins which they know by heart from constant use in the school's chapel. Listen in right here:

Start of Psalm 2

Lenten Midweek Ideas

Can be found here.

A beautiful bit from Chemnitz...

...(thanks to Dr. Stuckwisch who sent me hunting):

The mourning Christians indeed know the divine promises concerning those who have died in the Lord; nevertheless, when they are troubled as they consider the weaknesses of their loved ones, and because they do not see before their eyes their rest and happiness, they flee to God and commend them to the mercy of God in their prayers, in order that they may by these very prayers confirm themselves with respect to the blessedness of their dead. For such prayers, as the most ancient were, rest on these promises: Whoever believes in me “will never see death”; “He…has passed from death to life”’ “Though he die, yet shall he live”; “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord” etc.

....

For it would be animalistic apathy not to be touched by the death of one's own, to erase the memory of departed friends immediately from the mind, not to wish them well and to pray for their welfare—all of which, however, are to be kept in bounds according to the Word.

Examen III:268

Commemoration of St. John Chrysostom

Today our Synod commemorates the Golden Mouthed Preacher, St. John Chrysostom. The collect:

O God, You gave to Your servant John Chrysostom grace to proclaim the Gospel with eloquence and power. As bishop of the great congregations at Antioch and Constantinople, he fearlessly bore reproach for the honor of Your name. Mercifully grant to all bishops and pastors such excellence in preaching and fidelity in ministering Your Word that Your people shall be partakers of the divine nature; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Our Treasury notes:

His determination to reform the church, court, and city brought him into conflict with established authorities. Eventually he was exiled from his adopted city. Although removed from his parishes and people, he continued writing and preaching until the time of his death in A.D. 407. It is reported that his final words were "Glory to God for all things! Amen." (p. 1158)

The writing for today also features the great saint:

And what does "ransom" mean? God was about to punish them, but He did not do it. They were about to perish, but in their stead He gave His own Son and sent us as heralds to proclaim the cross.

The Book of Concord cites from Chrysostom as perfectly capturing the doctrine of the consecration of the elements in the Sacrament of the Altar by the Words of Christ.

Fittingly, the hymn assigned for today's commemoration is LSB 578:5:

Give us lips to sing Thy glory,
Tongues Thy mercy to proclaim,
Throats that shout the hope that fills us,
Mouths to speak Thy holy name.
Alleluia, alleluia!
May the light which Thou dost send
Fill our songs with alleluias,
Alleluias without end!

Prayer for Psalm 120

In the 30 day Psalter, today begins with Psalm 120. I thought the prayer following particularly apt:

O most merciful Father, guard us by Your power that we do not fall into the snares of slanderers and into the toils of those practicing deceit. Preserve us from soul-destroying errors. Give us teachers whose hearts are upright with Your Word, and kindle and increase in us the knowledge of Your saving truth, through Jesus Christ. Amen.

Mighty Ones

Praying with my handy new Concordia Psalter the other day, a thought occurred to me that had not before. Psalm 103 and the reference to the mighty ones who do His bidding, referring to the angels. And WHY are they mighty? Is it not BECAUSE they do His bidding? Strength never comes in setting one's self in opposition to the will of our loving Creator. Strength comes through allignment with the will of our Creator. Our Lord Jesus proved strongest of all, mightiest of all: because He used His human will to allign Himself fully to the will of the Father:

"Thy will be done."

There is no stronger, no mightier prayer. We, indeed, literally REIGN with Christ, as we join Him in this petition, even as He taught us to pray.

Well...I knew it was bad

when Cindi called me at work. She next to never calls me at work. I was in the middle of playing service for LCEF and saw she had left a message. A car accident. She was on the way to work was waiting to turn off of 140 onto Bob's road when a car crashed in from behind. She didn't see it coming, but the car apparently didn't slow down at all. No broken bones, thanks be to God! A deep gash on the cheek that the plastic surgeon dealt with for now and says he will deal with the scar when she's healed. God's holy angels were working full time today! She's home, resting now. Tomorrow we will face as it comes. 

Cilantro

Seems you either love it or hate it. I love it. Cin not so much. Threw a bunch in my salad tonight. Major yumminess. And for salad dressing? Hot salsa. Perfect!

Glasses

I still remember my first pair, and how I looked in awe at the leaves on the trees and could see them clearly. Each time I get a tune up on the lenses I look first to the trees, even if it's only oaks with old dried up leaves at the moment. Yup! Crystal clear. 

What I got for first time is magnetic clip on shades. Wow! Drove home with them on today and was mega impressed by crispness and lack of strain on eyes. 

The lady at the doctor's was a hoot. She simply ruled out pair after pair that I tried on.  "No, you can't buy those (or those or those or those...). You have a narrow face. You need small lenses." Well, think she was right. I love them!

Concordia Psalter

I simply cannot say enough positive about this little gem. The Psalms, of course, are THE hymnbook of the Church. Now, in a single volume (that Pr. Kalvin Waetzig would call positively packy), you can have them easily at hand. But why a special edition of the Psalter?

* The wording matches the ESV version that was used in Lutheran Service Book.

* Suggested Psalm tones are PRINTED before each Psalm (first a tone from LSB, second a newer tone but following the same three syllable pattern) and these tones "match" the thought of the words of the Psalm. Twenty-two tones are provided total, and some of the new ones are particularly fine (I think my favorite thus far is tone 8 (by Dr. Kosche).

* Longish Psalms are divided into parts for easier praying.

* Psalm prayers follow each Psalm (or part) that focus on a Christological understanding of what has just been prayed.

* Three charts for praying the Psalms are included in the front of the volume covering the Psalter either in a month or in a two-week period. 

* Two-part tones are not neglected (the book supplies six of them total), and no guessing if the two-part will come out even on a Psalm anymore: they are printed only on Psalms they actually work on!

I can see this book finding several uses among us:

* in the pews, so that the congregation has the entire Psalter before it for any of the liturgies.

* in the school, so that the children of the Church learn to sing the entirety of the Psalter.

* in the home, for daily prayers (Cindi and I used ours this morning WITH the Treasury).

* in the choir, so that the Choir can lead the Psalm singing in the Daily Offices.

* in retreats and other settings where fuller use of the Daily Office cycle commends itself.

I think mine will be a constant companion. Kudos, CPH! Yet another homerun.

Concordia Psalter

35 Years

I wanted to write this up back on January 5, but life interfered! January 5 marked the day that Daddy died 35 years ago. A quiet man. One of the WWII great generation. Up at five on workdays and out the door to faithfully provide for his family. Home by around 4:30 or 5. Year in, year out. Mom stayed home and raised us, but I remember many a chilly evening, hanging about outside, waiting for the car to pull up and Daddy to be home. When he was home, all was good.

I went off to Concordia College in Bronxville NY the fall after he passed. I had inherited the car. I remember on cold nights slipping outside and just sitting in it. It still bore some faint lingering scent of him.

35 years seems so very long, Daddy, but I am very thankful to have had you for those first 19 years of my life. May you rest in peace!

Epiphany Joys

Yesterday we celebrated the blessed Feast of Epiphany and it shed its great light upon us: the light of the open door to our shining home, where we join even now with angels and saints in praising the One who opened that door and made that light again our home.

Day started with a Bible study at the IC on the Epiphany Gospel for the Office of National Mission. Then we began prepping for the Divine Service. This first six months of 2015, St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Hamel is sponsoring the Divine Services for us. Deaconess Patten played her trumpet and Rev. Kantor Henry Gerike trumpeted on the organ as we sang "O Morning Star." I chanted the Gospel reading and right in the center, the choir took up the verse: "And lo, the star" (setting by Johannes Petzold). It ended on verse 11 and then I finished out the Gospel chant. I then preached on the Gospel reading. It was joyous to partake of the Sacrament together.

Then a romp through Revelation 10 with Dr. Lane Burgland on KFUO's Thy Strong Word.

The afternoon was spent playing catch up on LetUsPray and Lectionary Summaries for February, and setting up chapel for today's installation.

St. Paul's had Epiphany Divine Service in the evening, and I ended up playing that, so got to sing "Morning Star" twice in one day. Joy abounding! The St. Paul service was wondrously smokey with the sweet incense arising and the even sweeter incense of the saving Gospel preached into our ears.

"Behold, the Lord, the Ruler has come, and the kingdom and the power and the glory are in His hand!"

May Epiphany continue to unfold for us its great joys!

New Year Resolutions

My new year's resolutions actually came with the Church's new year and not the civil realm's. I'd slipped a bit from my primal way of living (mostly adjusting to how to fit in it with work) and had added some pounds to show for it. So back to a rather strict primal approach for the month and allowed myself zero alcohol until a planned party on St. Thomas' day. With the treadmill at home and gym at work (as well as at home), no excuse for not getting in my regular walking or running, sprinting and lifting heavy things (though for that am following presently McDuff's Body by Science with its very short and yet painfully intense and slow workouts). Anywho, sometime before Thanksgiving I'd weighed in at 165. The last day of December, weight was 152 (same weight as when I started at IC and started letting my primal life-style slip too much). So very happy. Walking lots, running some, sprinting at least once a week, only a glass or two of vino a day and plenty of days without any, tons more veggies, solid sleep, and feeling great. 

Last Day of Vacation

After the whirlwind trip to NC, it is great to relax at home today. We have a fire roaring in the fireplace, Lydia toddling around, and some movies yet to catch up on (this evening, perhaps). I've got sermon and prayers ready to go for the Epiphany Divine Service tomorrow at work, and I'm rather eager to get back to work. This was a long break, and wonderfully relaxing (yes, I even found the drive out to NC and back to be relaxing), but my mind is racing on things that need attending to at the office. Cindi says she'll likely start taking the Christmas decor down tomorrow. And now that Christmas is almost done, is it summer yet? I'm ready to run outside and to enjoy the pool!

NC Visit