Is this not

the most eloquent meditation upon Psalm 104's great truth (and it's a crying shame that TLH and LSB gutted the whole first article context of this rejoicing!).

1. I will sing my Maker’s praises
   And in Him most joyful be,
   For in all things I see traces
   Of His tender love to me.
   Nothing else than love could move Him
   With such sweet and tender care
   Evermore to raise and bear
   All who try to serve and love Him.
   All things else have but their day,
   God’s great love abides for aye.
2. As an eagle spreadeth over
   Her young brood her shelt’ring wings,
   So the arm of God did cover
   Me against affliction’s stings.
   He who life and being gave me,
   Even in my mother’s womb,
   From the cradle to the tomb
   He shall ever guard and save me.
   All things else have but their day,
   God’s great love abides for aye.
3. Yea, so dear did He esteem me
   That His Son He loved so well
   He hath given to redeem me
   From the quenchless flames of hell.
   O Thou Spring of boundless blessing,
   How could e’er my feeble mind
   Of Thy depth the bottom find
   Though my efforts were unceasing?
   All things else have but their day,
   God’s great love abides for aye.
4. God His Spirit to instruct me
   In His holy Word hath giv’n,
   That He safely may conduct me
   Through this weary world to heav’n.
   He my heart’s dark chamber filleth
   With the clear pure light of faith,
   Which destroys the pow’r of death,
   Yea, e’en hell itself it stilleth.
   All things else have but their day,
   God’s great love abides for aye.
5. All that for my soul is needful
   He with loving care provides,
   Nor of that is He unheedful
   Which my body needs besides.
   When my strength cannot avail me,
   When my pow’rs can do no more,
   Doth my God His strength outpour;
   In my need He doth not fail me.
   All things else have but their day,
   God’s great love abides for aye.
6. All the hosts of earth and heaven,
   Wheresoe’er I turn mine eye,
   For my benefit are given,
   That they may my need supply.
   All that’s living, all that’s growing,
   On the heights or in the woods,
   In the vales or in the floods,
   God is for my good bestowing.
   All things else have but their day,
   God’s great love abides for aye.
7. When I sleep, He still is near me,
   O’er me rests His guardian eye;
   And new gifts and blessings cheer me
   When the morning streaks the sky.
   Were it not for God’s protection,
   Had His countenance not been
   Here my guide, I had not seen
   E’er the end of my affliction.
   All things else have but their day,
   God’s great love abides for aye.
8. Ah! how often doth the devil
   Cause some great calamity!
   But my life from all such evil
   Till this moment has been free.
   For the angel whom God sendeth
   Wardeth off each threat’ning hurt,
   Ev’ry evil doth avert
   That mine enemy intendeth.
   All things else have but their day,
   God’s great love abides for aye.
9. As a father never turneth
   Wholly from a wayward child,
   For the prodigal still yearneth,
   Longing to be reconciled,
   So my many sins and errors
   Find a tender, pard’ning God,
   Chast’ning frailty with His rod,
   Not, in vengeance, with His terrors.
   All things else have but their day,
   God’s great love abides for aye.
10. All His strokes and scourges truly
    For the moment grievous prove,
    And yet, when I weigh them duly,
    Are but tokens of His love:
    Proofs that He is watching o’er me,
    And by crosses to His fold,
    From the world that fain would hold
    Soul and body, would restore me.
    All things else have but their day,
    God’s great love abides for aye.
11. On this thought I dwell with pleasure;
    For it granteth joy and peace.
    Christ’s cross hath its time and measure,
    And at last will wholly cease.
    When the winter disappeareth,
    Lovely summer comes again;
    Joy is giv’n for woe and pain
    Who His cross in patience beareth.
    All things else have but their day,
    God’s great love abides for aye.
12. Since, then, neither change nor coldness
    In my Father’s love can be,
    Lo! I lift my hands with boldness,
    As Thy child I come to Thee.
    Grant me grace, O God, I pray Thee,
    That I may with all my might,
    All my lifetime, day and night,
    Love and trust Thee and obey Thee
    And when I’ve had but my day,
    Praise and love my God for aye.

Back home...

...at last. We had a beautiful day driving out to NC and a beautiful day driving back home. Oddly, we noted lots of trees breaking out with red leaves. I assume some kind of oak? Today was spent getting back into our normal routine. Breakfast and coffee, Treasury prayed together (goodness, was that welcome!), lots of yard work and walks. Brought out the deck stuff (chairs, cushions, umbrella, chimes, and feeders). Waiting to see our first humming birds! Flox are doing beautifully as are the lilacs. I always remember the Whitman poem about Lincoln on this day. 

Various pics from a great week...

31 years

and yet the grief hit today like a sucker punch, and then it kept pounding and growing worse. So much so that I literally got sick at work. Joe Field, you were and are very much loved. Miss you, bro, more than words could ever begin to tell. 

Old Lutheran Quote of the Day

Wherever the Word of the Gospel is, there is the remission of sins. Therefore, Christ redeemed us once with a single work, but He did not pass out redemption with a single means. He gave it out through the medium of washing in Baptism, through the medium of eating in the Sacrament of the Altar, through the media of comforting the brethren, of reading in the Book, that the fruit of His passion might be spread everywhere.—Luther on 1 Timothy 2

Patristic Quote of the Day

And what means ransom? God was about to punish them, but He forbore to 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. These things are sufficient to attract all, and to demonstrate the love of Christ.—St. John Chrysostom, Homily on 1 Timothy 2

Old Lutheran Quote of the Day

To sum up all of this: Use the Law as you wish. Read it. Only keep this use away from it, that you credit it with the remission of sins and righteousness. Beware of making me righteous by the Law. Rather, use it to restrain. You must not give the Law the power and virtue to justify.—Martin Luther on 1 Timothy 1

Patristic Quote of the Day

The Law, if you use it aright, sends you to Christ. For since its aim is to justify man, and it fails to effect this, it remits us to Him who can do so.—St. John Chrysostom, Homily on 1 Timothy 1:4

More pics of the Paschal Feast

from a friend's perspective:

Original evangelical.

During Distribution, Easter 2016

I Know that My Redeemer Lives

Pics from Easter 2016

I

Easter Procession Out of the Church

Click here

Easter Entrance

St. Paul's, Hamel.

Click here

The Joys of These Days

There is something so beautiful about living in the liturgy in these days. From the triumphal procession on Palm Sunday to its solemn reading of the St. Matthew Passion, from the commemoration of the Supper's institution to the Good Friday Chief Service with its hymnody and the St. John Passion, from the darkness of the Tenebrae to the reversal of Tenebrae in the great Vigil that awaits us this evening, and finally to the explosive joy of tomorrow's Matins and Divine Service, where a returned Alleluia will ring out with unbridled gladness. I am so thankful to belong to a parish that GETS all this. Where for our corporate life this is the "feast of feasts" and where so many pour so much energy, so much effort, into the celebration.

Every year when we walk through this with the rich preaching and music that attends it, it convinces me anew that there's no joy in all the world like being a baptized child of God, welcoming in another Paschal Feast.

THIS is an outstanding read...

...and one I cannot commend highly enough:

Easter

Way to go WSJ!

Tenebrae

was more than a tad different this year. The choir sang the entire Stainer Crucifixion Oratorio. WHEW. Talk about a little pressure. I hope the congregation got half as much out of it as we did from singing it. I need to get it out of my head, though, because up next is Mozart's Mass in C Kyrie and Gloria, Hallelujah Chorus, and And the Glory. Oh, and A Song of Praise. 

O Virgin's Son

What Thou hast won

Is far beyond all telling:

How our God, detested, died

Hell and devil felling.

O Jesus Christ,

Who sacrificed

Thy life for lifeless mortals;

Be my life in death and bring

Me to heaven's portals.

LSB 448:6,7

What a glorious Chief Service we just came from at St. Paul's. Zach was amazing on the organ and brought his cadre of musicians to help. Violin, timpani, and I think clarinet at one point? The Scriptures of the Chief Service, its prayers and hymns leave you in awe and joy before the Crucified King. Today musically we feasted on Jesus, I Will Ponder Now; O Sacred Head; Sing, My Tongue; Lamb of God, Pure and Holy; O Darkest Woe; A Lamb Goes Uncomplaining Forth; and The Royal Banners. Pastor did not omit to draw our attention to the confluence of Annunciation's normal day and Good Friday. "He will reign over the house of David forever." "Behold, your king." You left the service blessed beyond words. And eager for even more. Tenebrae is this evening at 7 with Stainer's Crucifixion oratorio.

Ubi caritas

UBI caritas et amor, Deus ibi est.

Congregavit nos in unum Christi amor.

Exultemus, et in ipso iucundemur.

Timeamus, et amemus Deum vivum.

Et ex corde diligamus nos sincero.

UBI caritas et amor, Deus ibi est.

Simul ergo cum in unum congregamur:

Ne nos mente dividamur, caveamus.

Cessent iurgia maligna, cessent lites.

Et in medio nostri sit Christus Deus.

UBI caritas et amor, Deus ibi est.

Simul quoque cum beatis videamus,

Glorianter vultum tuum, Christe Deus:

Gaudium quod est immensum, atque probum,

Saecula per infinita saeculorum. Amen.

Today's Homily at the IC

Maundy Thursday Chapel:

A reading from Luke, the twenty second chapter.

And when the hour came, Jesus reclined at table, and the apostles with him. And he said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said, “Take this, and divide it among yourselves. For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.”

Hymn: 445

I have earnestly desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer. That’s probably a bit weak. If I didn’t know the context better, I’d think you want to render it: With lust I have lusted to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. Sounds strange, I know. But the point is that he is not saying just “I wanted to” or even “I really wanted to” but nothing less than “I have been aching to give you this gift for a very long time.”

How long? You can see it was on His mind and heart from Melchizedek and the bread and wine that priest of God offered. From the time an anguished Abraham had prophesied: “God will provide Himself the Lamb for the offering, my son.” From the time Moses had taught about how the Lamb’s blood would cause death itself to passover and spare those who huddled beneath it. From the time Isaiah foretold a feast on the holy mountain to celebrate death’s doom, a feast of well refined wine and choicest meats. So the day came when John pointed to Jesus and said: “That’s Him, the Lamb of God.” 

And now the Lamb is preparing for its slaughter, to be the Passover. Did his eyes leave the Lamb as they carried it in? So His love would lead him to be roasted, spitted upon the tree and His blood poured out to cover the world’s sins. The Lamb had been at the heart of God’s love for the lost race of humanity from the very beginning and from the beginning, He had longed for this day. He came into the flesh to bring it about. He had foretold something of it when He spoke words that left the crowd puzzled and thinking he was crazy: “I am the living bread that came down from heaven to give life to the world. Your fathers ate the manna and they died, but THIS is the bread that comes down from heaven that one may eat of it and not die. My flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood will live forever.”

And now, at long last, right before His sufferings would commence, He reaches them the gift forshadowed in the types of the Old Covenant, the gift He foretold them at that earlier Passover on another year: This is my body which is given for you. Do this as my anamnesis, my memorial. This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.

Today we remember when the fervent desire of His heart to give Himself to us in His body and blood for our forgiveness was fulfilled and a new covenant inaugurated. It’s a gift He hasn’t ceased to give to poor sinners in all the years since. Jesus still gathers His church around a table, welcomes sinners, and gives to us the irrefutable sign of His love. The body that was on the cross, given in exchange for us. The blood that ran from his pierced brow, hands, feet, and side, that covers the sin of a world. 

Which is to say that today we remember that the only way we go on living our fallen life in this fallen world is to take dead things that are not quite rotten and stuff them down our gullet to keep us going a while longer, their lives supplying our life as we stumble on toward our end. But God wanted and ached that we have so much more than that. And so He supplied a living food, His Son’s flesh and blood,  alive with the Father’s own life. That’s why He ached to celebrate that Passover with His disciples and why He still aches to celebrate His Supper with you. He wants to BE your food, your Lamb, your Forgiveness and your Everlasting Life. 

Go to Church tonight to receive what has been on His heart for a very long time, in fact even before you were made, before time began. He longEd to give you this food. His love for you that strong, that sure. Taste and see, the Lord IS good and blessed is everyone who trusts in Him!

Please stand for prayer.

Tomorrow

We enter into the holy Triduum. May the overwhelming love of the Triune God embrace and renew each of us during these holy days. 

From sin and sorrow set them free

Slay bitter death for them that they

May live with You forever. 

The Illinois Saga Continues

...on the drive to work notice some interesting things: the two Hamel rest stops on I-55 are closed. No money to pay for water and such. AND the weigh station is closed south of the first Collinsville exit. This gets ever more ridiculous... Makes me wonder "what's next?"

Nice feature!

Putting together Worship Books for conferences is something I end up doing a bit. Today, Sandy and I were working on one for an upcoming conference, and I had a very pleasant discovery. I was using my iPad Pro, and when I needed to find a file that had been sent to me with an attachment (PDF, TIFF, JPEG whatever), Outlook made this a breeze since it stores attached files together by account. But the really cool thing was that once I found the file, I could simply choose to copy the content and then paste it directly into Word. Never had to open the original. Never had to figure out how to insert a PDF into a Word doc etc. It always pasted cleanly and with zero fuss. Talk about saving time! I don't know exactly how Microsoft or Apple worked that magic, but it sure made work WAY easier this afternoon. Do you see that smile of satisfaction on my face? What I had anticipated taking me two days took me a couple hours. 

+ Pr. Otto Hintze

Received this from the LCMS Missouri District Office, regarding the recent death of one of precedessors as Chaplain of the International Center. We were blessed to hear Pr. Hintze in chapel some months ago when his book on the mission work in Papua New Guinea was published.

Dear Friends in Christ,  

Our Savior Jesus Christ has destroyed death and brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel. Let us remember with thanksgiving what God has done through His servant Otto.  

Otto Charles Hintze, Jr. was given life by his Creator and was born on March 22, 1923, in El Paso, Texas, to the parents of Otto Carl Hintze, Sr. and Pearl Evelyn (Greene) Hintze. On April 8, 1923, he received the gift of Holy Baptism and became a child of God at Zion Lutheran Church, El Paso, Texas. On March 21, 1937 at Zion Lutheran Church, El Paso, Texas, he publicly confessed his faith, was confirmed, and received the precious gift of the Lord’s life-giving body and blood. 

Otto earned the rank of Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts of America. During his four years at Austin High School, El Paso, Texas, he achieved the rank of major in the ROTC. He attended Texas College of Mines and Metallurgy, El Paso, Texas for one-and-a-half years. In 1941 he decided to study for the pastoral ministry at St. John’s College, Winfield, Kansas. He entered Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Missouri, in 1943. His vicarage included teaching at St. John’s Academy, Winfield, Kansas, where he met his future wife, Jill, and field work among Hispanics in the Rio Grande Valley, Texas. On June 27, 1948, he received the gift of a beloved companion in his spouse, Vera Jeannelle Ruth (Karcher) Hintze at St. Paul Lutheran Church, Vernon, Texas. God blessed them with six children: Kathryn, David, Margaret, Charles, Nathan and Kenneth. 

Upon earning his Master of Sacred Theology degree from the seminary in 1948, Otto received a divine call to serve as a missionary in Papua New Guinea. In 1966 he accepted a divine call to serve as the missions professor at Concordia Theological Seminary, Springfield, Illinois. In 1976 he accepted the divine call to serve as the LCMS World Area Secretary, St. Louis, Missouri, and in 1978 that position changed to become the Area Secretary for Latin America. In 1988 he became the Minister of Inreach/Outreach at Ascension Lutheran Church, St. Louis, Missouri. In 1999 he became the chaplain for the LCMS International Center, St. Louis, Missouri, until his retirement in 2007. In 2015 Otto completed his book, “From Ghosts to God in Enga Land – Planting His Church Among the Enga People of Central Papua New Guinea.”  

Finally, on March 20, 2016, God blessed Otto with a holy death and took him home to rest in the arms of his Savior Jesus to await the resurrection of the dead. 

Visitation will be at Kutis Affton Chapel (10151 Gravois Road, Affton), on Tuesday, March 22, 4 -8 p.m. then taken to Ascension Lutheran Church (5347 Donovan Avenue, St. Louis) on Wednesday, March 23 for visitation 9:30 a.m.until service at 10:30 a.m. Interment at Sunset Cemetery. 

Pastors wll not need to vest, 

Otto is preceded in death by his parents; two siblings: John and William; and one son, Nathan. 

Otto is survived by his children: Kathryn and (Peter) Prange, David and (Charlotte) Hintze, Margaret and (Edmund) Frank, Charles and (Helga) Hintze, Kenneth and (Jodie) Hintze. 

Otto was also blessed with the gift of nineteen grandchildren: Timothy and (Alana) Prange, Joel and (Fiona) Prange, Deanna and (Josh) Einem, Rachel and (Tom) Mannor, Deborah and (Jason) Ellenden, James Prange, Nathanael and (Jennifer) Prange, Stephen Prange, Angela and (Terrence) Tyack; Gretchen and (Paul) Dolan, Bret Hintze, Heidi and (Mark) Wildauer, Kevin Hintze; Daniel and (Carrie) Frank, Keith and (Jane) Frank, Philip and (Maureen) Frank, Amanda and (Joshua) Jackson; Elizabeth and Emma Hintze. 

The gift of twenty great-grandchildren fulfilled Otto’s life even more: Annabelle Prange; Jacob, Madison and Olivia Ellenden; Dakota Prange; Marcus Prange; Noelle, Paige and Sawyer Dolan; Benjamin Hintze; Noah, Jack, Abby, Josie, and Wyatt Wildauer; Connor and Joshua Frank; Avery and Brandon Frank; Jared Jackson. 

In addition, God blessed Otto’s life with many other relatives and an abundance of special friends and acquaintances. 

The Lord gives and the Lord takes away; blessed be the name of the Lord. We give thanks to God our Father through Jesus Christ, our Lord, for our father and brother in Christ, Otto Hintze.

Summarizing Saturday

Slept in + Made breakfast (and I thought how mom would find breakfast exceedingly odd: avacado with salsa, spiced black beans topped with a fried egg with runny yoke, a piece of hot sausage, a few slices kiwi, and then a wee bit of oats with flax etc. topped with home made almond milk and of course a couple pots of coffee) + Exercised (45 minute walk, 350 push-ups, 250 rows) + Buzzed my head to remind me why I don't do this +  Fixed green smoothie for lunch + Helped Cindi put away groceries, chopped up salad stuff for tomorrow, made some barley scones and french press coffee + Downton Abbey + Dinner (Eggplant, chickpeas, beef, zuccini, all in a tomato sauce) + Made pizza dough for tomorrow + Set up dining room for Bekah's birthday (25!) + Listened through Stainer's The Crucifixion with the music in front of me + Finished editing LetUsPray for May and shipped off to Megan + Learned to play Sudoku (I can tell this is going to be addictive) + Practiced Bach's Praeludium #1 again

Old Lutheran Quote of the Day

Behold, this then is the Christian's justification before God, that Christ goes to the Father, that is, He suffers for us and rises again, and reconciles us to the Father, so that for His sake we receive forgiveness of sins and grace. There is nothing of our work or merit, but it is all because of His going to the Father, which He did for our sake.—Martin Luther, Sermons from 1545

Patristic Quote of the Day

If He was not flesh, who hung on the cross between the two thieves? And if He is not God, how could He say to the thief: Today thou shalt be with me in paradise?—St. Ephrem the Syrian, A Spiritual Psalter 23

On Money

...well, sort of. You see, being a big Ramsey fan, I appreciate cash. BUT I hate change. Stop in at the Bucks on the way to work and buy my coffee. And at day's end, stick the change in the money jar in the closet. Yet, by doing so, I ended up LOSING several day's worth of coffee each month. So I figured time to venture into this brave new world of "no cash." I bought a $50 card and then entered the card in my Starbucks app and loaded it to my iPhone's wallet. Voila! Paying is simplicity itself and all that change still goes toward my coffee purchases.

But that doesn't mean I'm not a little creeped out. We've progressed from precious metal, to symbolic paper, to...what? Numbers that we all agree to, but that truly exist only on a screen? It is convenient and wonderful and I'll keep using it, but it's also very weird. Money itself is becoming a fictional construct, even more than it already was. 

Old Lutheran Quote of the Day

Thou receivest all from God; render in return all to Him.—Johann Gerhard, Sacred Meditation XXXI

Patristic Quote of the Day

To Thee, O Victor, pierced by nails on the cross Who calleth out to sinners say: come, receive forgiveness freely—to Thee I unrelentingly pray, O my Savior: turn Thine eyes away from lawlessness, and by Thy sufferings heal my sores that I may glorify Thy kindness.—St. Ephrem the Syrian, A Spiritual Psalter 8

An unfortunate discovery

I can think of at least three times it happened. Twice with coffee and once with a full glass of wine. I set them down and went to reach AROUND them and ended up knocking them over. And is there a common denomenator to when they got knocked over? Funny you should ask. Because there is: each time I was wearing my contacts.

For years and years, I LOVED my contacts. I wore them as my regular lenses. But in the last few years it has gotten increasingly more difficult to do so. My eyes are drier, for one, and invariably a lens or two gets stuck to the eye itself. That's uncomfortable, of course. But far more devastating: with the contact lenses in (using monovision), I simply cannot perceive depth.

Hence the spilled beverages. I literally can't see that I'm not reaching around, but through my glass or cup. The last spill was so aggravating (at work, with full cup of freshly purchased Veranda Blend from the Bucks), that I decided: THAT'S IT. Seriously. Over. Done. FINISHED.

No more contact lenses except occasionally in the pool. Otherwise, I'm sticking to my trusty progressive spectacles. Yes, I'm old. I need to face it. Gray hair? Check. Wrinkles? Check. Speactacles? CHECK.

Judica

What joy, quite apart from getting to sing in choir today, that our parish celebrated three baptisms, one at each of the Divine Services this weekend. Here's a pic from the final Baptism of the day, that of Calvin Michael Schwarz. I'm hoping to get some pics of Hunter's too, but I didn't get any myself. The thing that amazed me was how many youngsters are in the pic at Calvin's baptism. I counted about 20 teens and younger.

Towards simplification

Just thinking again of the items that the iPhone/iPad combo basically has made obsolete:

* Alarm clock

* Library (replaced by iBooks and Kindle app - Treasury, The Lutheran Study Bible, Lutheran Service Book, Luther's Works, Church Fathers, etc.)

* Photo albums

* Camera

* Video Camera

* TV

* Newspaper / Magazines 

* Laptop computer

* Desktop computer

* House phone / work phone

* Kindle

* CD player

* DVD player

* Metronome

* Photo albums

* CD Collections

* DVD Collections

* GPS

* Maps

* Credit cards (on the way)

* Debit cards (on the way)

What have I left off? I'm sure I have left off tons!

Prayer of St. Ephrem

Still prayed daily by devout Eastern Christians during the Lenten fast, and a worthy gift from the early centuries of the Church to be treasured by all the baptized:

O Lord and Master of my life, give me not the spirit of sloth, meddling, lust for power and idle talk.

But grant unto me, Thy servant, a spirit of chastity (integrity), humility, patience and love.

Yea, O Lord and King, grant me to see mine own faults and not to judge my brother. For blessed art Thou unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Sending Service

crowns the two weeks of Missionary Orientation at the International Center. I particularly love the sounds of children in the chapel—and there were TONS of children and young folk in evidence these last two weeks. I was blessed to lead (most days) the morning devotions for the missionaries and to serve today as the celebrant. Pr. James Krikava preached a wondrous sermon on John six, the Gospel for Laetare. He majorly featured the pelican in her piety. My mind right away went to Hope's beautiful altar. The Trinklein musicians helped enormously, as did our IC musicians: Dr. Vieker, Deaconess Cara Patten, Pr. Michael Meyer, Anna Karsten and Aaron Nielsen. Missionaries were sent to Ethiopia, Panama, Perus, Dominican Republic, South Korea, Czech Republic and I can't remember where else! Next week the building will be strangely silent with the joyful noise of the children absent, but what joy to know that they'll be going forth with the good news of great joy for all people.

Used

the iPad Pro all day. Preached from it. Did my email and writing on it. Used it for Thy Strong Word (KFUO's daily Bible study; you should be listening!), where split screen shines: intro sheet in one panel and Logos open in the other, divided into Greek and English. Worked on some upcoming conferences.  Blogged a bit. Caught up on some news. Now it's 8:44 p.m. I'm at 41% battery. Yeah, pretty sweet. It basically means that I never have to think about battery, as long as I remember to plug in each evening.

AND last month I bought the weird looking, humpbacked iPhone battery case and have been using it. I have NEVER had an issue of needing to think about battery life, even when travelling. It lasts all day no matter what. I'm thinking this is very near to the perfect set up. Phone and iPad Pro together. 

Way to go Apple!

Old Lutheran Quote of the Day

He is the Son of God, entirely holy and without sin, and therefore He should have no part in death nor the curse. We are sinners, under God's curse and wrath, and therefore we should bear death and condemnation. But God reverses it; He who has no sin, in whom there is nothing but grace, must be made the curse and bear the chastisement, and through Him we are in a state of grace, and the children of God. Therefore, we should hold fast to this comfort and especially treasure this testimony of Christ's innocence.—Martin Luther, Sermons from 1545

Patristic Quote of the Day

He [that is, St. John], being such a man as this, says not, You have an advocate with the Father; but, If any man sin, an advocate, says he, have we. He says not, you have; nor says, you have me; nor says, you have Christ Himself: but he puts Christ, not himself, and says, also, We have, not, you have. He chose rather to put himself in the number of sinners that he might have Christ for his advocate, than to put himself in Christ'sstead as advocate, and to be found among the proud that shall be condemned.—St. Augustine on 1 John 1 and 2

Working from Home

today, because of the funeral, and let me just say one more time: this iPad Pro utterly rocks! I think Tim Cook is right. Laptop? That's so early 21st century! Since I've gotten the Pro, the only thing I used the MacBook for was to transfer over some specialty fonts. 

I've gone back and forth a bit on Outlook vs. Mail / Calendar. I decided today to bifurcate work and home. My work Office 365 Account is in Outlook and all my personal accounts in Mail. I'm curious how that will pan out. 

Almost always when I hit a roadblock it's because I'm thinking Mac and not thinking iOS. But iOS feels more and more comfortable as time goes on. Others' experiences?

Comforting Funeral

Went to Holy Cross today for Lynn's funeral. Pastor Wright gave such a comforting homily and conducted the liturgy with reverence and peace, and yet with a keen eye toward those who might be unfamiliar with our service. Karen Shimkus rocked on the organ, as is her usual. We always laughed that Tim was the old one, then Cindi, then Lynn, and I came along as the baby. We're all born in 1960 but in different months and oddly enough, Lynn and Lauren shared a birthday. She will be missed by so very many people, but thanks be to God for allowing us to get to know her. So thankful that Dean, Lauren, and kids were able to be here for these two weeks, and kudos to St. Paul's, Norlina, for allowing their pastor the freedom to be a loving son. He'll come back all the stronger pastor to them for it. Margaret, president of the parish there, travelled here to be at the funeral (just as she and Ashley and Paul had come for Dean's ordination). Yeah, she's awesome like that. And Michael Killian also ventured out from North Carolina to be there for them too. Wow.

The final word of the day really was from "I Know That My Redeemer Lives" as the family marched from the church to plant Lynn into the earth in the sure and certain hope of the resurrection:

He lives and grants me daily breath;

He lives and I shall conquer death;

He lives my mansion to prepare;

He lives to bring me safely there.

P.S. KUDOS to Pr. Wright for letting the LSB Funeral Liturgy stand in its integrity. It is one of those services that doesn't need a bit of "creativity" from the Pastor. Just leave it be!

P.S.S. KUDOS to the Holy Cross choir, and the choice of "My Life Flows On" was just perfect. 

Organ Instruction Videos

If you have been pressed into service as an organist and would like some very practical help on how to play, check out these great videos:

Organ Instruction

Old Lutheran Quote of the Day

Thus He is both the greatest and only sinner on earth, for He bears all the world's sin, and the only righteous and holy One; for no man can be made righteous and holy before God save through Him alone.—Martin Luther, Sermons from the Year 1545

Patristic Quote of the Day

Now the Lord Himself not only shows us what evil we should shun, and what good we should do, which is all that the letter of the law is able to effect; but He moreover helps us that we may shun evil and do good, which none can do without the Spirit of grace; and if this be wanting, the law comes in merely to make us guilty and to slay us. It is on this account that the apostle says,"The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life."—St. Augustine, On Rebuke and Grace, chapter 2

For Lynn

Lord, let at last Thine angels come,

To Abr’ham’s bosom bear me home,

    That I may die unfearing;

And in its narrow chamber keep

My body safe in peaceful sleep

    Until Thy reappearing.

And then from death awaken me,

That these mine eyes with joy may see,

    O Son of God, Thy glorious face,

    My Savior and my fount of grace.

Lord Jesus Christ, my prayer attend, my prayer attend,

And I will praise Thee without end.

Can't get this out of my mind today...

...thinking of so many who face the valley of the shadow...

Mitten wir im Leben sind Mit dem Tod umfangen. Wen such'n wir, der Hilfe tu', Daß; wir Gnad' erlangen? Das bist du, Herr, alleine! Uns reuet unsre Missetat, Die dich, Herr, erzürnet hat. Heiliger Herre Gott, Heiliger, starker Gott, Heiliger, barmherziger Heiland, Du ewiger Gott, Laß uns nicht versinken In des bittern Todes Not! Kyrieleison!

Old Lutheran Quote of the Day

If He, as the Son of God, sheds His blood in order to redeem us and cleanse us from sin, and if we believe and hold it under the devil's nose whenever he frightens or plagues us with our sin, the devil will soon be beaten so that he must give way and leave us in peace.—Martin Luther, Exposition of John 1.

Patriotic Quote of the Day

Let no one, then, on this subject be either deceived or a deceiver. The manifest sense of Holy Scripture, which we have considered, removes all obscurities. Even as death is in this our mortal body derived from the beginning, so from the beginning has sin been drawn into this sinful flesh of ours, for the cure of which, both as it is derived by propagation and augmented by wilful transgression, as well as for the quickening of our flesh itself, our Physician came in the likeness of sinful flesh, who is not needed by the sound, but only by the sick—and who came not to call the righteous, but sinners.—St. Augustine, On Merit and the Remission of Sins and the Baptism of Infants, Book III:21

First wedding...

...with iPad pro. It worked quite well. A little weird, but it did work. 

Wow!

Performed Amy's wedding today. It's February 27th and it is 70 degrees and sunny here at the lovely Silver Heart Inn, owned by Amy's mom and her husband Perry. Missing David terribly today, and I know I'm not alone in that. Some pics:

We are absolutely pitiful

...the power went out around five due to a wet snow and blowing wind. Got the fire going in the fireplace and the temp in the living room has warmed up to bearable. But the thing we're grousing about? Coffee! Power flickered back on and I started coffee maker right away. It made 1/2 a pot before the power went out and has not come back on again. And we're laughing at ourselves for complaining...about NEEDING the coffee...

Patristic Quote of the Day

Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. Matthew 6:12 Whosoever shall deny that this prayer is in this life necessary for every righteous man who knows and does the will of God, except the one Saint of saints, greatly errs, and is utterly incapable of pleasing Him whom he praises.—St. Augustine, On Merit and the Forgiveness of Sins, and the Baptism of Infants Book III:Chapter 23.

The collect for Lent II

Is surely striking. It's so familiar, we may not hear it anymore for the shocker that it is:

We ask God's gracious protection ("by Your mighty power defend us") against two kinds of dangers. "All adversities that may happen to the body" AND "all evil thoughts that may assault and hurt the soul."

Do you see how the evil thought is not a passive thing? It actually attacks! It actually hurts and damages the soul. I am reminded of the way that Evagarius could speak of "logismoi" almost as the demon itself. The words, the thoughts, by which Satan would seek to assault and damage and finally destroy us.

"God can't love you after you've done THAT."

"Did God really say?"

"Why doesn't God want you to be happy? Would He really consign you to this miserable relationship?"

"If God really loved you, you (your spouse, your child, your parent) wouldn't be dying!"

And so on and on. The terrible interior dialogs in which the demon would speak in you to plant his doubt, fear, hatred within.

And what can battle this but prayer for God's help (as in the Collect) and allowing His Words instead (filled with the Spirit - John 6!) to inhabit you. His words bring peace, and healing, and joy; and they show the talking devil the door!

Old Lutheran Quote of the Day

As God alone knows what is good and needful, it behooves us to place His will before our will and to prove obedience in patience.—Martin Luther, Sermons for the year 1545

Patristic Quote of the Day

As, therefore, by the answer of those, through whose agency they are born again, the Spirit of righteousness transfers to them that faith which, of their own will, they could not yet have; so the sinful flesh of those, through whose agency they are born, transfers to them that injury, which they have not yet contracted in their own life. And even as the Spirit of life regenerates them in Christ as believers, so also the body of death had generated them in Adam as sinners. The one generation is carnal, the other Spiritual; the one makes children of the flesh, the other children of the Spirit; the one children of death, the other children of the resurrection; the one the children of the world, the other the children of God; the one children of wrath, the other children of mercy; and thus the one binds them under original sin, the other liberates them from the bond of every sin.—St. Augustine, On Merit and the Forgiveness of Sins, and the Baptism of Infants, Book III, Chapter 2

A Sermon for the Sixth Commandment

Ephesians 5:1–7

 

5 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. 

3 But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness

must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. 4 Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. 5 For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 7 Therefore do not become partners with them; 

 

Small Catechism, p. 321. 

 

The Sixth Commandment

You shall not commit adultery.

What does this mean? We should fear and love God so that we lead a sexually pure and decent life in what we say and do, and husband and wife love and honor each other.

 

Meditation:

 

In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

 

Do you know what is apparently the biggest business in the world? Porn! Apparently the human appetite for it is voracious! But have you pondered what it IS? It is looking at pictures or videos of intimacy. One after another. Always more, always new. But a picture. Fixation with a fiction, a picture of an intimacy that isn't even real. And yet the human race obsesses on it. Can't seem to get enough of it.

 

And here's the thing: that's only a variant on what we do with sex in general. God gave it to us to be a picture, or better a window, what the old theologians would call a sign. Something not to look at but to look through, because THAT's when it's its true self. But the fact is that we stare obsessed at the picture itself rather than use it as the window it was intended to be. And so the pileup of crashed relationships on the highway of life. 

 

That woman in John 4 isn't alone, is she? Five husbands and a sixth fellow she's just shacking up with. Why? She was "looking for love in all the wrong places." She was focused on the picture or the window, rather than looking through it to the reality. And if you focus on the picture itself, you indeed will be disappointed, soon get bored and itch for another picture to look at or another window to gaze at. 

 

Countless is the marriage disrupted by the man or woman who "falls in love." Rare is the person who realizes that he or she is not actually "in love" with another person, but in love with a feeling that's by its very nature fleeting. It hangs on novelty and novelty just doesn't last. 

 

God in His Word warns us of this danger constantly. This "no adultery," no sex outside of marriage is one theme that the Scriptures hammer home in uncompromising clarity like we heard in the reading today. And yet the Scriptures show at the same time an utterly frank picture of the mess, the hurt, the damage we do to ourselves and to others by ignoring God here. From David and Bathsheba to the woman at the well. Never forgets why God hates sin: He hates it because of the damage it does in us, the people He loves.

 

And this drives us to the heart of it. What ARE you looking for? What is sex itself was given to you to make thirst for? It's HIM. It's the Blessed Trinity Himself. You know what you ache for? You ache for a relationship of love, a relationship where the love is so solid and fixed and sure and unchanging that it doesn't hang one little bit on you. Because you know you screw up all the time. You need a love that doesn't change when you fail. That's the love God gave you when He sent His Son into your flesh to make you His friends, His beloved. That's the love that hangs on Calvary where far from letting your sins drive Him away from you, He draws you into His embrace by taking every last one of them into Himself as His own. And His faithfulness to you is then absolute. Don't mishear the strong warning in the Epistle: it's not that your sin causes Him no longer love you, but that sexual sin in particular has this horrible power to make you no longer care about His love. That's why it's so dangerous. It can lead you to despise the very thing that sex itself was given you to see through; what Saint Paul would call worshipping the creature rather than the Creator who is blessed forever.

 

This is the whole point of Hosea. This is the whole point of Jesus calling himself the bridegroom. It's why in the Eucharist He comes to you, touches you, puts His body into you to have communion with you and engender in you His own divine life. That ache, that desire you try to still with the changing pictures, the oh-so fleeting orgasm or the only slightly less fleeting feeling of being in love, it only is finally satisfied in Him, in His unalterable, unshakable love for you. Love that covers every shame and holds you tight.

 

Don't focus on the picture. Don't stare at the window. Look through sex to what God gave it to be a picture of. He's wildly, passionately in love with you and He wants your sexuality to picture His fidelity and be grounded in His own unchanging and ever-forgiving love. Because that's the real deal.  Amen.

 

Well, I did it...

...I decided on an iPad Pro to replace my aging iPad mini. It was a lot of moolah (GULP), but I've been very impressed thus far. I think it will largely render my work laptop needless. The keyboard is a delight to type on, although I have a habit of slamming the keys when I type (just ask Cindi!!!) and so it will be a bit loud for anyone sitting in the same room with me at a meeting! It will be great, though, for writing in my office or at home, for delivering addresses or sermons, for emails and for just about everything that I have to do. I already have this Monday's Thy Strong Word set up with my intro sheet in Pages and side by side with that the Greek and ESV text of Luke 4. Major sweet. 

The display is an absolute beauty. The sound is astounding. And thus far the battery life seems to be utterly respectable. I'm eager to try it out for a solid week at work as my sole devise for work and home. Given my limited experience this weekend, it will do the job with no problem whatsoever. 

This is basically my only personal computer (together with my iPhone 6; the iPad mini has been relegated to the living room stereo). I long since have lost my MacBook. I did a fair share of book writing on my old iPad mini for Celebrating the Saints, but with this devise writing will be a thousand times more pleasant. I have a number of presentations, sermons, and articles due and can't WAIT to put this Pro through its paces with the Smart Keyboard. I'll let you know how it goes as time progresses, but thus far it appears to be yet another Apple home run.

Book Recommendation

I'm almost finished with Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Won't Stop Talking. I cannot recommend it highly enough, particularly to teachers and to parents of young children. How I WISH I had understood all this growing up and in my early ministry! I listened on Audible and kept shouting out in the car "Yes! Yes! And YES!" My only complaint is that it is tilted so much toward business. But even so, great, great insight. And yes, you extraverts would find it beneficial too. You know to whom I'm talking.

One of the ironies of my life is that I am quite comfortable as a public speaker, but not at all comfortable in large groups socially. I don't mind preaching or teaching to hundreds or thousands, but don't put me into a meeting where I have to deal with lots of noise and lots of people. I freak out. Quite literally. I shut down and need to go and hide. Sounds silly to you? Read the book. Sounds familiar to you? Read the book.

It brought back a memory from a dinner at a New York restaurant, Manatee's. Two close friends were pressing me. And pressing too close. "But what do you want?" they asked. I replied in utter honesty: "I want to be left alone." I still remember the perplexed and hurt looks on their faces. But I didn't mean that I didn't care about them; I mean they were pressing in way too close for my comfort. I needed to be left alone. Not for ever. But for a bit. Enough for me to regain some balance in my life. It's always the same pattern. My sister told me how she'd observed it years ago: "You always have to get away for time by yourself; you can only stay in the room so long with others." I was shocked that I'd never seen it, but it was absolutely true. I LIKE being with others, but only in small doses and then I have to recharge, or I come unfrayed.

Twenty-five or thirty years ago...

...come almost any Friday in Mebane, North Carolina, you'd find the Weedon children abed and their parents gathered at the dining room table with Ed and Muriel Rose and Ruth Holler and her friend Gene. We'd be quite intent on the game before us: Liverpool. Ruth taught it to all of us and it has since brought the Weedon family and friends countless hours of both grief and joy. Tonight, by the way, it was a SPLENDID game and yours truly soundly trounced both Dave and Cindi. I'll never forget playing once with Dave and Jo and the regulars, when Ruth looked over into Jo's hand and said: "I'll take that. You don't need it." Jo was nearly speechless and we were all laughing our fool heads off. 

Ruth Ellen let us know yesterday that Ruth passed away at 87. It might sound odd, but I think we're going to miss her a great deal.  She was a dear, dear friend. True, she was a generation plus older, but we looked forward to those Friday nights with our older friends and to Ruth's raspy voice and boundless humor. 

If you've followed this blog for any time at all, you know the big place Liverpool holds for the Weedons. Here's a tribute to the lady who gave us such a great gift! Ruth Hollar, we love you! Rest in peace!

An Outstanding Homily

preached at Chapel today by Pr. Arlo Pullmann today. Read, mark learn, inwardly digest!

Ninth Day Of Lent
February 19, in the year our Lord 2016
LCMS International Center, St. Louis, Missouri
Matthew 4:1-11

Excuse me, may I have a word with you.  I don’t know you that well but it seems that, with all the coming and going, you’re caught in the middle of this fight.

When you see who they are, of course you faithfully turn to keep your eyes fixed on Jesus.  But turning your back on that old evil foe is dangerous.  He starts pushing your buttons and pulling your strings.  He wants you to sound like him.  And somehow a part of you is too willing to join in the taunting and the implicit accusation: “If you are the Son of God, make this problem go away. If you were a loving God, you would not allow this disaster.  If you love me, why don’t you heal my cancer?  What did I do to deserve this?  If you had heard my prayer, my brother would not have died?  If you are the Son of God, do what I want.”  Sometimes you succeed in stopping such sentences before they slip past your lips.  But they thread themselves into your thoughts as a if they were a natural part of you.

At that point who can blame you for taking your eyes off Jesus to face that evil one?  But when you do you have fallen into his trap as he now accuses you: “If you were a child of God, you would not speak to Jesus that way.  If you believed in him you would not have done that sin.  He cannot forgive you now. Jesus says, ‘Cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness.’  If you were a Christian you would pray more.  God’s not going to listen to someone who’s sinned like you have.  If you really loved Jesus, you would not have half the problems you are facing now.  If you were...”

Stop!  Do not listen to that liar.  One little word can fell him.  That word is the word of God.  Listen to it now: “You shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.  God showed his love for you in this, that while you were still a sinner, Christ died for you.  God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son to redeem you.  God works all things for good for those who love him and have been called according to his purpose.  No one and no thing can separate you from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord”  That is the word that sets you free from manipulation and your own natural inclinations.  You don’t judge God’s love for you based on your current circumstances.  You know God’s love for you because Jesus has laid down his life for you, shed his blood for you, risen from the dead for you, gone to prepare a place for you.  And he says to you, “Come.”  Of course, he loves you. Listen to him speak to you now: “You are forgiven.  I have called you by name, you are mine.  No one can snatch you out of my hand.  I will never leave you or forsake you.  You are my child.  I am your Father.”  That is the word that acquits you from the accuser’s accusations.  Listen to the word of Jesus who loves you.  He says to you, “Come.”

The word of Jesus is the word of authority.  He who has authority says to one “Go,” and he goes, and to another, “Come,” and he comes.  In the wilderness Jesus finally used that authoritative word.  He simple said to the tempter, “Go.”  And the tempter went.  In the end, Jesus will finally use that authoritative word and say to satan, “Go to hell.”  So it will be.

But he does not say that to you.  To you he says, “Come.”  “Come, you who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest.”  “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them for to such belong the kingdom of God.”  “Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.”  The kingdom is yours forever. Amen.

Old Lutheran Quote of the Day

By this saying [Philippians 2:5ff.], St. Paul with one word flings open the gates of heaven, thus letting us behold the unspeakable, gracious will and love of the Father's heart toward us, so that we feel how from the beginning of time Christ's sacrifice for us has been well-pleasing unto God.—Martin Luther, Sermons from 1525

Patristic Quote of the Day

By eschewing covetousness we put off the old man, and by showing love we put on the new.—St. Augustine, On Man's Perfection in Righteousness, Chapter 5

Old Lutheran Quote of the Day

Either He speaks to us and we are still, listening to God, or He listens to us as we speak to Him, praying for what we need.—Martin Luther, Sermons from 1539

Patristic Quote of the Day

So in the inward man the soul is the thing, theft is an act, and avarice is the defect, that is, the property by which the soul is evil, even when it does nothing in gratification of its avarice, even when it hears the prohibition, You shall not covet, Exodus 20:17 and censures itself, and yet remains avaricious. By faith, however, it receives renovation; in other words, it is healed day by day, 2 Corinthians 4:16 — yet only by God's grace through our Lord Jesus Christ.—St. Augustine, On Man's Perfection in Righteousness, Chapter 2.

Old Lutheran Quote of the Day

For grace is not grace at all, unless it be altogether gratuitous. And so I look not upon my works for any ground of salvation; what is wrong in them God will correct; what is lacking He will graciously supply; what is sinful He will mercifully blot out. What He will not impute to me is just as if it had never been. And hence only as my salvation is of God is it sure and unchangeable.—Johann Gerhard, Sacred Meditation XLII

Patristic Quote of the Day

For the unruly man is lacking in reverence, impulsive in speech, quick to abuse, and so unfit for stillness. He is a slave to listlessness.—John Cassian, On the Eight Vices

Christ, the Life of all the living...

...Christ, the Death of death, our foe.

That Book of Concord Reading Plan for Lent

is a gift from CPH:

Reading Plan

An Odd Way to Start Lent

This was definitely the oddest beginning to Lent we've ever experienced. Cindi and I were cruising with dear friends in the Caribbean. It was an accident of time: two of them had taken new jobs and this was the only time they could get away (and the six of us dearly love vacationing together). But it was a blessed time indeed. I won't mention the outcome of the pinochle rivalry, but GO MEN!!!

Quinquagesima, the six of us gathered in the Chapel at the topmost deck of the ship and sang together Matins from Treasury. Such a joy!

Ash Wednesday found us docked at St. Lucia. We went to the Cathedral for service. It was a Roman service of the Word (I'm not sure how else to describe it). The school boys from St. Aloysius (over four hundred strong, in their uniforms and well behaved) led the service mostly under Mother Superior's guidance: reading the traditional Joel reading and then from Second Corinthians six. A deacon read the Gospel reading from St. Matthew six and then the priest preached upon it. Sadly, he neglected to connect the reading in anyway to the sufferings and death of Him who first spoke those words. The prayer of the faithful followed, led again by the school boys. Then the distribution of ashes, with a number of the teachers (mostly nuns) distributing them. 

Rather than the stark "Remember, O man, that you are dust and to dust you shall return" there was something ekse said. I can't remember what it was, but it made me sad not to hear the traditional memento resound repeatedly.

Still a blessing to worship with fellow baptized and remember the start of the 40 days and give our ears to hearing the ancient Words of Sacred Scripture. The service ended quickly after the distribution of ashes, a blessing and a song. We ventured out to return to the ship amid a light drizzle.

Later John and I reflected on the lack of Gospel in the sermon. It featured our actions big time (reform! repent! renew!), but the wondrous work of Christ on our behalf or of His Spirit within us? Not so much. How sad is that? 

I had downloaded earlier The Noonday Devil at the recommendation of several friends. It was an utterly worthwhile read for Lent. I'm working my way back through it with more care after an initial read through on the plane ride home. I was immediately struck with the fact that the Larger Catechism helps us meet the demon of acedia in the treatment of the Third Commandment (see today's Old Lutheran Quote of the Day).

It was a joy to be home for Invocabit and to hear again of our Lord's gracious work for us and His Spirit's work in us through the Word and Supper, and to sing the sturdy songs of our beloved Lutheran Service Book. We were given a sheet after church that suggested a way to read through the entire Book of Concord during Lent. What a great idea! Started on it today and playing catch up. 

Eager to get back to work, but it was a blessed vacation indeed. For friends along the way, for times of refreshment and rest, for the ability to work out as much as one desires: Glory to God!

A few pics:

Old Lutheran Quote of the Day

Likewise, those fussy spirits are to be rebuked who, after they have heard a sermon or two, find hearing more sermons to be tedious and dull. They think that they know all that well enough and need no more instruction. For that is exactly the sin that was previously counted among mortal sins and is called akadia (i.e., apathy or satisfaction). This is a malignant, dangerous plague with which the devil bewitches and deceives the hearts of many so that he may surprise us and secretly take God’s Word from us [Matthew 13:19].—Martin Luther, Large Catechism, Ten Commandments, par. 99.

Patristic Quote of the Day

The demon of acedia suggests to you ideas of leaving, the need to change your place and your way of life. He depicts this other life as your salvation and persuades you that if you do not leave, you are lost.—Evagrius of Pontus, Deocto vitiosis cogitationibus 12, [Cited from the marvelous work: The Noonday Devil. Great Lenten reading!]

Patristic Quote of the Day

 We have therefore even now begun to be like Him, having the first-fruits of the Spirit; but yet we are still unlike Him, by reason of the remainders of the old nature.—St. Augustine, On Merit and the Forgiveness of Sins Book I:10

Old Lutheran Quote of the Day

As for you, be content with God incarnate. Then you will remain in peace and safety, and you will know God.—Martin Luther on Isaiah 61

Patristic Quote of the Day

For the judgment, certainly, from one sin, if it is not remitted— and that the original sin— is capable of drawing us into condemnation; while grace conducts us to justification from the remission of many sins—that is to say, not simply from the original sin, but from all others also whatsoever.—St. Augustine, On Merit and the Forgiveness of Sins, and the Baptism of Infants, Book I:16

Old Lutheran Quote of the Day

In the New Testament there is no other sacrifice than the ministry of the church, those who by teaching the Word spiritually "kill" the animals, that is, people who submit to the Gospel. Then there is the second sacrifice, that each one privately presents himself as a sacrifice to God by cleansing his desires and by mortifying himself. These are the noblest sacrifices of the New Testament, prefigured in the Old Testament by outward and physical ones.—Martin Luther on Isaiah 60:7

Patristic Quote of the Day

While Adam produced sinners from his one sin, Christ has by His grace procured free forgiveness even for the sins which men have of their own accord added by actual transgression to the original sin in which they were born.—St. Augustine, On Merit and the Forgiveness of Sins, and the Baptism of Infants, Book I:14

Old Lutheran Quote of the Day

"Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace," he says, and this he means, Now I shall depart with my heart filled with joy; I see no death, I cannot even call it a death but a peaceful journey. He does not say, Now I wish to die, but now I wish to depart in peace. This was a song not just in his mouth, on his tongue, on paper, but in his heart! May our dear God and Father, for the sake of Jesus Christ, His Son, grant us His grace through His Holy Spirit that we may join to sing along with beloved Simeon and also depart in peace. Amen.—Martin Luther, Homily for the Purification (House Postils III:283).

Patristic Quote of the Day

No doubt all they imitate Adam who by disobedience transgress the commandment of God; but he is one thing as an example to those who sin because they choose; and another thing as the progenitor of all who are born with sin.—St. Augustine, On Merit and the Forgiveness of Sins, and the Baptism of Infants, I:10.

Old Lutheran Quote of the Day

Healing means progress, increase, and your growth in this life and the next. A generous hand never suffered want. God's mercy is wider than ours.—Martin Luther, On Isaiah 58:8

Patristic Quote of the Day

It is more serious to lose hope than to sin.—St. John of Karpathos (Philokalia II:318)

Ancient Wisdom

I love it when you see alignment in what Lewis called the Tao. So, in Confucian practice there is apparently the custom of whispering to one's self before eating: Hari hachi bu. It's a reminder to self to eat mindfully and stop when you are 80% full. It's rather the antithesis of the Hobbitlike "filling in the corners."

And then you pick up the Philokalia and check out the words of Blessed John Cassian summarizing the wisdom of the fathers when it comes to fasting:  "They (the holy fathers) have not given us one single rule for fasting or a single standard and measure for eating, because not everyone has the same strength; age, illness, or delicacy of body create differences. But they have given us all a single goal: avoid over-eating and filling of our bellies." (On the Eight Vices)

Science, of course, explains a bit of the physical wisdom in this: we simply don't register how full we are as we are eating. It takes time for the belly to send the message to the brain: Enough! And if you eat quickly and till you are full, the message will come along too late.

Fasting this Lent? How about that wisdom from the Fathers being the first and foremost goal as you train your body that you do not live by bread alone, but by every Word that proceeds from the mouth of God: slow down and take time as you eat (avoid eat standing or on the go) and don't eat till you're full. Stop before the sense of satiety kicks in.

Unbelievable weather...

...for St. Louis in January. We've already ventured out for an hour's walk. It's now 64.  We have curried chicken stir fry to serve over basmati, some chickpeas roasting, and broccoli and cauliflower roasting also. After that delicious meal, we intend to walk again and then catch a bit more of Downton Abbey.