Patristic Quote of the Day

Know that Christ is the Most High… What do those who neglect his divinity have to say? And why will they not understand that when Zechariah said, “And you child, will be called the prophet of the Most High,” he means “of God,” of whom the rest of the prophets also belonged.—St. Cyril of Alexandria, Commentary on Luke

Catechesis: Christ’s Return for Judgment

Christ will appear at the consummation of the world. He will raise up all the dead and will give eternal life and eternal joys to the godly, but He will condemn the ungodly to endless punishments with the devils.—Ap XVII

Luther

How could a man wish for anything more blessed than to come into this fellowship or brotherhood and be made a member of this body, which is called Christendom? For who can harm or injure a man who has this confidence, who knows that heaven and earth, and all the angels and saints will cry to God when the smallest suffering befalls him?—Sermons on Jn xvi-xx, 1528

Check it out!

Great video about St. Paul’s school right here. 

Patristic Quote of the Day

He [Gabriel] appeared [to Zechariah] at the time when the priest was making an offering to express the fact that he was proclaiming the coming of the true and eternal high priest, who would be the true sacrificial offering for the salvation of the world.—The Venerable Bede, Homilies on the Gospels

Catechesis: Traditions

We should not add to God’s covenant, for God promises that He will be merciful to us for Christ’s sake. Nor should we add that we must first get such merit in order to be regarded as accepted and righteous through these [humanly instituted] observances.—Ap XV:12

Luther

Christ who is your righteousness is greater than your sin and all the world’s sin. His life and comfort are stronger and mightier than your death and hell.—Exposition of John xiv, xv

Patristic Quote of the Day

Whenever the soul continues to be fearful, it is the enemy who is present. The evil spirits do not dispel the fear of their presence, as the great archangel Gabriel did for Mary and Zechariah.—St. Athanasius, Life of St. Anthony

Catechesis: Canonical Government

The cruelty of bishops is the reason why the canonical government, which we greatly desired to keep, is dissolved in some places. Let them see how they will answer to God for tearing apart the Church.—Ap XIV:25

Luther

How often the Apostle uses the Greek word ‘plerophoria’*, which means such a certainty and fullness of faith that our hearts never waver but are full of certainty at all times. As I said before, Christians must know for certain what they believe, and must witness to their belief. Therefore, if you take away certain affirmation so that Christians are no longer sure what they believe, they have ceased to be Christians, and you have taken away their faith.—The Enslaved Will

*Note that St. Luke uses this also in Luke 1:1, but the KJV version only seems to pull the nuance that Luther is highlighting here. 

St. Paul’s Wartburg, TN

Well, this weekend Cindi and I were so very blessed to be part of the 175th anniversary of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Wartburg, Tennessee. I got to preach at the outdoor Saturday Vespers (and we even had incense, yeah!!!!!), and then be celebrant at the 11:00 Divine Service the following day, for which Bishop Paavola preached, exhorting us to receive from our mother, the Church, the great treasure of the Word of God. Pr. David Graves and his congregation treated us like royalty! We will always treasure the gifts they gave us in memory of that joyous day (including the lovely ikon and cross you can see below). Hidden in those hills outside of Knoxville there’s a sturdy and staunch Lutheran parish, filled with saints that we came to treasure even in so short a time (including you, Deacon Dustin!)—and for which we give praise and thanks to the blessed Trinity. A few pics:

Patristic Quote of the Day

In the sight of God, who examines hearts, who scrutinizes thoughts, and who sees how minds operate, to be righteous does not derive from human achievement, but from a divine gift.—St. Peter Chrysologus, Sermon 89:5

Catechesis: Sacraments

But if ordination is understood as carrying out the ministry of the Word, we are willing to call ordination a Sacrament. For the ministry of the Word has God’s command and has glorious promises.—Ap XIII:11

Luther

You should follow the work you choose and not the suffering which you devise, but that which comes to you against your choosing, thinking, and devising. It is there that I call you.—The Seven Penitential Psalms, 1517

September Summary: Workout

Well, quite a bit shy of last month. This month: 2700 pushups; 294 pull-ups; 294 45 lb. kettle-bell swings; and 2 HIIT workouts. 

Patristic Quote of the Day

In view of such declarations on the part of our Lord and the apostle, I marvel, I say, how it is that men display such zeal and such intense absorption in the pursuit of goods that will come to an end and be destroyed but have no regard for that which will remain, especially charity, the greatest of all goods, the distinguishing mark of the Christian.—St. Basil the Great, Concerning Faith

Catechesis: Purgatory

If some of [the Fathers] mention purgatory, they interpret it neither as payment for eternal punishment nor as satisfaction, but as purification of imperfect souls. Just as Augustine says that “venial offenses are consumed,” that is, distrust toward God and other similar tendencies are destroyed.—Ap XIIb:167

Luther

When we suffer in respect of our body, or possessions, or honour, or friends, or whatever we have, let us ask if we believe… whether our sufferings and afflictions are small or great, God has graciously ordained them for us.—Luther, Sermon on Good Works, 1520

Michaelmas

We said our “Thank you, heavenly Father, for the protection of St. Michael and all the holy angels!” this morning with a joyous feast! Listen to the video (thanks, Meaghan!). I love to hear the kids singing that descant (the Tenor line) to the Gloria.

Patristic Quote of the Day

The Antichrist just mentioned by Paul will come when the destined period of the Roman Empire has run its course and the subsequent end of the world is drawing near.—St. Cyril of Jerusalem, Catechetical Lectures 15.12

Catechesis: Rebirth

Rebirth itself happens by a continuous putting to death of the oldness of life.—Ap. XIIb:48

Luther

The bird sings and flies, builds its nest and rears its young ones; that is its work; but its work does not feed it…. In the same way man must work, but yet he must know that it is Another who feeds him, and not his work.—Exposition Psalm cxxvii, 1524

Patristic Quote of the Day

One may naturally inquire what is that which restrains the man of lawlessness, and in addition, why Paul expresses it so obscurely. What then is it that holds back, that is, that hinders, the revealing of the Antichrist? Some indeed say, the grace of the Spirit, but others the Roman empire. I agree with the latter position. Why? Because if Paul meant to say the Spirit, he would not have spoken obscurely but plainly, that even now the grace of the Spirit, that is the gifts, hold back the Antichrist. If not, he should have come by now, if his coming was to occur with the cessation of the gifts of the Spirit; for they have long since ceased. But because Paul said this of the Roman Empire, he merely touched the topic, understandably speaking covertly and darkly. For he had no need to create unnecessary enemies and useless dangers.—St. John Chrysostom, Homily on 2 Thes. 2.

Catechesis: Satisfaction

Here people imagine that they can keep God’s Law in such a way that they do even more than the Law requires. But Scripture shouts everywhere that we are far away from the perfection that the Law requires.—Ap XIIb 142

Luther

All that we achieve with our anxiety is that we stand in God’s way and hinder His work in us.—Sermons, 1527.

What a wondrous gift!

Thank you Enid, and the Curry’s, for getting it to me. It will definitely be my “starting point” for all Biblical study henceforth. You can read about the creation of the work here if you do Deutsch: https://lutherische-studienbibel.de/weimarerbibel/

Homily for the Commemoration of Jonah

Delivered at Concordia Seminary. Text: Jonah 3,4.

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

Well, if only our pouty prophet had been a graduate of this august institution, he would have learned well before graduating and being sent out that God’s opus alienum is ever and always in the service of His opus proprium. He’d probably have had to write a paper on the fact that in wrath he remembers mercy, as Habakkuk sung (3:2). God’s heart is never in the wrath, though it is very real and terrifying. His employment of the wrath seeks, so long as the day of grace perdures, to move to penitence so that He may come to His proper work, to show mercy, kindness, steadfast love.

But before we go feeling all superior to Jonah, if we stop and consider his words that we heard this morning, we might realize with a shock that he knew perfectly well all about the opus alienum and opus proprium, even if he didn’t use those terms. Think of what he said: “I know that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and relenting from disaster.” (4:2) And THAT was the problem in Jonah’s eyes. Jonah did not want God to be gracious and merciful to those nasty Assyrians. And by the way, the Ramseys of House Bolton had nothing on the Assyrians. If your city didn’t capitulate when they came knocking at the door, they’d happily flay your leaders once they took the place and hang their skin as a trophy and warning against not opening up when they first knock. They were awful, evil, wicked people. And Jonah wanted them to get their come-uppins; he was not doubt thinking “and it’s about time!” So he didn’t want to go on the mission because he was afraid that Yahweh would fall into His old habit of threatening wrath in order to move to repentance and then show mercy; and God forbid THAT happen, Jonah thought.

But, of course, it did. The Word of God is a hammer that can break the hardest of hearts. And when the hearts of the Ninevites were broken, Jonah was so angry he could spit nails. And so God does a children’s sermon with his grumpy prophet with the gift and then demise of that gourd. God asks: “Do you do well to be angry?” Jonah is defiant: “Yes, I do well to be angry, angry enough to die.” And so the Lord gently takes His pouty prophet in hand: “You pity the plant, for which you didn’t labor, nor did you make it grow, which came into being in a night and perished in a night. Now should not I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which are more the 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much cattle?”

Which is to say, God gave him something that he might have pity on (the plant), that he might learn a thing or two about the pity that goes in the heart of God for lost mankind. Pity from which Jonah actually lives, even when he forgets that he too is a poor sinner who is no better than the cruel and vicious Assyrians at heart. God’s mercy is what first sent him on his journey; God’s mercy saved him from the great fish; and all of this not just to save the Ninevites (though, that too) but most of all to save him. For salvation, my friends, is coming to know and believe and live from and share the mercy that beats in the very heart of God Himself.

Now our Jesus, famously lifts up Jonah as the great sign and type of himself. A friend of mine years ago floated to me the idea that it works all the better if Jonah actually died in that fish’s belly. For then Jonah becomes a powerful sign of the resurrection, which if you think about it, is exactly how Jesus used it. Raised from the dead and then sent out with an embassy of repentance and a gift of forgiveness even to the heathen, even to the worst of the lot of us. Glorious! But of course, because Jesus is the eternal Son of the Father, and is born of the Father’s heart “ere the worlds began to be,” He doesn’t have a “go get ‘em” God disposition, but rather the Father’s opus proprium, mercy, that’s His heart beats too. James and John, sons of thunder, were ticked at the Samaritans for not welcoming Jesus on the journey to Jerusalem and Jonah-like, they ask Jesus if He wanted them to call fire down from heaven to consume the wretches? Remember how Jesus turned and rebuked them and said: Luke 9 “You do not know what manner of spirit you are of; for the Son of Man came not to destroy people’s lives but to save them.”

Jonah’s three day stay in the great fish’s belly was like unto Jesus’ sojourn in the heart of the earth, but the heart of Jesus is not like the heart of Jonah, for Jesus shares the heart of His Father. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.” No, for His way is to cry: “Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.” (Isaiah 55)

To lavish on mankind such abundant pardon Jesus followed the path of Jonah, but He did it with the heart of God. But did I really say mankind? What does one do with the almost Hindu ending? “And also much cattle?” His mercy on mankind spills out to embrace the critters that at the beginning God put under our dominion. And so even on the fasting cows of Ninveh, mercy pours from the heart of God. As St. Paul wrote: “in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.” Look, we dragged creation down in the fall; but Christ will restore all that we have ruined. “Behold, I make all things new.” For from His heart flows pure mercy, mercy also for man’s animal companions; and much more so for any sinful man who will hear the threat of wrath, turn from sin in repentance, and turn back to Him in faith.

So, as we commemorate Jonah, people loved by God, we rejoice in a God whose overflowing compassion saves the nasty Ninevites, and even His own reluctant prophet. We glory in how Jesus’ death and resurrection reveals to us the staggering extent of mercy pouring out toward the most unexpected and unlikely of objects in the whole creation. From Nineveh’s cattle even to you, Even to me. Mercy, indeed, people loved by God, is our God’s very heart beat. And for that all glory, honor and praise to Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, one God, now and ever unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Patristic Quote of the Day

And how, you say, can faith increase? It does so when we suffer something horrible for the sake of faith. It is a great thing for faith to be solidly established and not to be carried away by some sophistry. But when the winds assail us, when a violent storm is raised on every side and the waves follow upon one another, that fact that we are not shaken is proof that faith grows, grows abundantly, and becomes more exalted.—St. John Chrysostom, Homily 1 on 2 Thess.

Catechesis: Confession and Satisfaction

If anyone despises private Absolution, he does not understand what the forgiveness of sins or the Power of the Keys is… The ministry of Absolution is favor or grace; it is not a legal process or law.—Ap XIIb 4, 6

Luther

Love fulfils the law in the sense that it is itself the fulfilling of the law, but faith fulfils it in the sense that it provides the doer and love remains the deed.—Sermon for Epiphany 4, 1525.

On the Funeral…

…those who think the Authorized Version has no place in the Church’s worship at present in English-speaking Churches are hereby proven to be quite mistaken. 

Patristic Quote of the Day

All things are directed by the goodness of the Master. Nothing which happens to us should be received as distressful, although at present it affects our weakness. In fact, even if we are ignorant of the reasons for which each event is applied as a blessing to us from the Master, nevertheless, we ought to be convinced of this—that what happens is assuredly advantageous either for us as a reward for our patience or for the soul that was taken up, lest tarrying too long in this life it should be filled with the evil which exists in this world.—St. Basil the Great, Letter 101

Catechesis: Repentance

Therefore, we must accept the forgiveness of sins through faith before we do the works of the Law. Although, as has been said before, love follows faith because the reborn person receives the Holy Spirit and so begins to do the works of the Law.—Ap XIIA.82

Luther

I know and witness before all the world, that through the grace of God, I am able to believe in this Man, and mean to stay with Him, and to yield up both life and blood and everything, before I would betray Him; such is the faith in which I stand and live. After that I go out, eat and drink, sleep and wake, rule and serve, and work and act and suffer, and all in the faith in Him into whom I am baptised, and I know that in this manner I bear fruit which is good and well-pleasing to God.—Exposition Jn xiv, xv

Patristic Quote of the Day

Do not then cast all of the burden on your teachers, and do not cast everything on those who have authority over you. You are able to edify one another. He says this in writing to the Thessalonians, “Edify one another, just as you are doing.” And again “comfort one another with these words.” If you are willing you will have more success with one another than we can have. For you have been with one another a longer time.—St. John Chrysostom, Homily 30 on Hebrews 

Cf. The Smalcald Articles’ words: We will now return to the Gospel, which does not give us counsel and aid against sin in only one way. God is superabundantly generous in His grace…. Also, through the mutual conversation and consolation of brethren, “Where two or three are gathered” and other such verses. SA III, IV

Catechesis: Repentance

But Peter also cites here in our issue the consensus of the Church, “To Him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins.” The general agreement of the prophets is certainly to be judged as the general agreement of the Church universal. We admit neither to the pope nor to the Church the power to make decrees against this general agreement of the prophets.—Ap XIIA:66

Luther

Whoever wants to be a Christian must be born, and grow out of the vine which is Christ.—Exposition, Jn xiv, xv

Patristic Quote of the Day

Because the Holy Spirit is in faithful persons when they die, their death cannot be called death, but only sleep.—Philoxenus of Mabbug, On the Indwelling of the Holy Spirit

Catechesis: Repentance

For faith shows the distinction between the contrition of Judas and of Peter.—Ap XIIA 8

Luther

For if the saints did their good works in order to win the kingdom of Heaven, they would never win it. Rather, they would be counted among the wicked, for they would be considering with evil eyes their own good, and that in the highest spiritual things, even in regard to God.—Bondage of the Will

Patristic Quote of the Day

It is through grace that we not only discover what ought to be done but also that we do what we have discovered. That is, not only that we believe what ought to be loved but also that we love what we have believed.—St. Augustine, On the Grace of Christ

Catechesis: Confession

This regulation [Omnis utriuque] commands that we do the impossible—that we should confess all sins. However, it is clear that most sins we neither remember nor understand, according to Psalm 19:12, “Who can discern his errors?”—Ap XI:65

Luther

But this is giving alms secretly: when the heart does not reveal itself, wanting neither honour nor name, but gives the gift freely, regardless of whether it is seen and praised by men. Your gift shall be concealed under that simplicity of heart which never asks or considers whether it will earn gratitude or ingratitude, good or evil, but leave that to God.—Sermons, 1532

Patristic Quote of the Day

Even so he who is engaged in the service of Christ draws himself out of the turmoil and stormy billows of life and takes his seat upon secure and lofty ground. For what position can be loftier or more secure than that in which a man has only one anxiety, “How he ought to please God”?—St. John Chrysostom, Homily on 1 Thess. 4:1ff. 

Luther

Listen, thou wretched man, do you wish to serve God? You have Him in your home, with your servants and children; teach them to fear God and put their trust in Him alone, and love Him; go and comfort your sad and sick neighbors, help them with all your possessions, wisdom, and skill. Bring up your children that they may know Me, give them a good and saintly schoolmaster; spare no cost with them; I shall reward you richly.—Sermons, 1526

Catechesis: Lord’s Supper

In the Lord’s Supper, Christ’s body and blood are truly and actually present. They are truly administered with those things that are seen, bread and wine. And we speak of the presence of the living Christ, for we know that “death no longer has dominion over Him.”—Ap X:57

Patristic Quote of the Day

There is only one calamity for a Christian, this being disobedience to God. All the other things, such as loss of property, exile, peril of life, Paul does not even consider a grievance at all.—St. John Chrysostom, on 1 Thes. 4:1

Luther

And you should keep these two as far apart as heaven and earth, or day and night, so that your faith remains within your heart and conscience alone, but your works are drawn away from the conscience to the body. Faith belongs to heaven above; works must be related to earth. Faith is directed toward God; works to the neighbour.—Sermons, 1525

Catechesis: The Church

Ministers act in Christ’s place and do not represent their own persons, according to Luke, “The one who hears you hears Me.”—Ap VII/VIII:47

Whirlwind weekend…

…Saturday morning, Cindi and I headed off to Grace Lutheran Church in Columbus, Indiana, where my classmate Pr. John Armstrong serves. I got to speak for their 17th annual Lutheran Heritage Festival. Such a great time with the folks of this congregation and some of the neighboring parishes. Then today I preached their two morning services and led Bible Class. We went out for lunch with two of their elders, Pastor Armstrong and his wife Harriet. It was truly a lovely time with fellow Lutherans, but I was definitely happy to pull into the garage and get out of the car this afternoon. Cin snapped a few pics:

Rest in Peace, Your Majesty!

Her kindly smile and her small frame
Belied the steel resolve that lay
Beneath her corgis, horses, play,
The hunt and taste for her wild game.

With Paddington and President,
She dined and gave the world a taste
Of grace and whimsy interlaced,
For she would go where duty sent

And never murmur or complain,
But freely served her commonwealth,
Until at last her own poor health
Her vital energy had drain’d.

Thus now we bid our* Queen adieu
‘Til He shall come who makes all new.

*Our Queen, for we loved her too!

Patristic Quote of the Day

Blood, to be sure, has no voice, but innocent blood that has been spilled is said to cry out not by words but by its very existence.—Maximus of Turin

Luther

Thus it is not right that the magistrates should look on, leaving sin to rule, and that we should remain silent about it. Our possessions, and honour, and loss we should not regard, and should not be angry because of anything that may happen to them, but God’s honour and command we must defend, and the loss and injustice which our neighbor suffers we must redress, the magistrates with the sword, other people with words and penalties, yet always grieving over those who have deserved such punishments.—Sermon on Good Works, 1520

Catechesis: Justification

For “unprofitable servants” means “insufficient,” because no one fears God as much, loves God as much, and believes God as much as he should.—Ap IV:342

August Totals

Had a great month, workout wise. In August I walked over 155 miles; performed 3800 pushups; and also 430 pull-ups and 430 kettlebell swings. Changed up the workout to go BACK to Monday to Friday workouts consisting of those three things, plus walking, and consequently in the middle of last month I dropped the HIIT (for the moment anyway)….and it feels GREAT. 

Patristic Quote of the Day

There were two reasons for his [Cain’s] annoyance: not just that he alone had been rejected but also that his brother’s gift had been accepted.—St. John Chrysostom, Homilies on Genesis

Catechesis: Justification

Without this High Priest (Christ) we cannot approach the Father.—Ap IV:333

Luther

As I have said, therefore, any Christian is a supreme pontiff, because, first, he offers and slaughters his reason and the mind of the flesh, and, secondly, he attributes to God the glory of being righteous, truthful, patient, kind, and merciful. This is the continuous evening and morning sacrifice in the New Testament. The evening sacrifice is to kill the reason, and the morning sacrifice is to glorify God. Thus a Christian is involved, daily and perpetually, in this double sacrifice and in its practice. No one can adequately proclaim the value and the dignity of Christian sacrifice.—Great Galatians

Patristic Quote of the Day

For his [the serpent’s] punishment is that he had in his power those who despise the commandment of God. The words by which sentence is pronounced against him make this clear. The punishment is the greater because he rejoices over this unhappy power, whereas before the fall he was accustomed to rejoice in the sublime truth, in which he did not remain.—St. Augustine, Two Books on Genesis Against the Manichaeans.

Luther

Behold, thus springs forth from faith, love, and a desire for God, and out of love a free, willing, and cheerful life spent in free service to our neighbor.—On the Freedom of a Christian

Catechesis: Justification

We should not be regarded as teaching anything new in this matter. The Church Fathers have clearly handed down the doctrine that we need mercy even in good works.—Ap IV:325

An oft heard comment…

…of those who have swum various rivers (let the reader understand): “Why would I trust the fathers on an arcane doctrine like the Trinity, but not on the invocation of the saints?” To which the proper response is: “I trust the fathers on the Trinity because they demonstrated this doctrine from the pages of Holy Scripture; I do not trust the fathers on the invocation of the saints, because they do not demonstrate this doctrine from the pages of the Holy Scripture.” Where is this written? That is the most important question we need to drill into the hearts and minds of our young people. Neglect it, and we open them up to a flood of nonsense that knows no bounds.

Patristic Quote of the Day

God, referring to the forbidden fruit, said to the first man whom he had established in paradise: “In the day that you shall eat of it, you shall die the death.” His threat included not only the first part of the first death, that is the soul’s deprivation of God; not only the second part of the first death, that is the body’s deprivation of the soul; not only the whole of the first death in which the soul, separated from both God and the body, is punished; but whatever of death is up to and including that absolutely final and so-called second death…in which the soul, deprived of God but united to the body, suffers eternal punishment.—St. Augustine, City of God 13.12

Luther

Holy Scripture has fine, clear eyes, and looks in the right way upon the worldly sword as that which must be merciless for mercy’s sake and exercise severity out of sheer goodness.—Sermon on the 5th Commandment, 1528

Catechesis: Love and Fulfilling of the Law

Nevertheless, scarcely a weak and feeble fulfilling of the Law happens even in saints.—Ap IV:290 

Patristic Quote of the Day

The gentle face of the earth, that is, the dignity of the earth, may be correctly viewed as the mother of the Lord, the Virgin Mary, who was watered by the Holy Spirit, who is signified in the Gospels by the term water.—St. Augustine, Two Books on Genesis Against the Manichaeans. 

Catechesis: Alms

We also grant this, that alms merit many favors from God, lessen punishments, and merit our defense in the dangers of sin and of death, as we have said a little before about the entire repentance.—Ap IV:278

Luther

But this is the town’s greatest and highest good, that it has many fine, scholarly, dignified, sensible, and honorable citizens, for they would be able to gather and treasure goods and keep them and use them aright.—To the Mayors

Patristic Quote of the Day

Just as the trees, the vegetation, the animals, the birds, and even humankind were old, so also were they young. They were old according to the appearance of their limbs and their substances, yet they were young because of the hour and moment of their creation. Likewise, the moon was both old and young. It was young, for it was but a moment old, but it was also old, for it was full as it is on the fifteenth day.—St. Ephrem the Syrian, Commentary on Genesis 1.24.1

Catechesis: Justification

The doctrine of repentance—because it not only commands new works, but also promises the forgiveness of sins—necessarily requires faith.—Ap IV:272

Luther

We Christians must understand that all worldly rule and power, until its time is run, is grounded in an ordinance or a commandment of God and in that prayer of Christians.—Exposition John xiv, xv

Gleanings from Luther’s Postils, Trinity X

Epistle: 1 Cor. 12:1-12

When Paul here speaks of calling Jesus accursed, he does not only have reference to openly blaspheming or cursing Christ’s name or person after the manner of heathen and of ungodly Jews; with them Paul has nothing to do here, nor are the Corinthians supposed to be of that character. Paul refers rather to the Christian who, though boasting of the Holy Spirit, does not preach Christ as the ground of our salvation as he should, but neglecting this truth, points the soul away to something else, pretending that this substitute is of the Holy Spirit and is something better and more essential than the common doctrine of the Gospel. CP VIII:207

The tongue of a minister of Christ—the language he employs—must be of that simplicity which preaches naught but Christ.—CP VIII:207

For instance, they exalt Mary as the mother of Jesus and Anna as his grandmother. But they have they thus torn men’s hearts away from Christ, turning over to Mary and the saints the honor due to him alone, and teaching the people to invoke these as mediators and intercessory having power to protect us in the hour of death. This is substituting dumb idols for Christ. No saint has ever taught such things; still less does the Word of God enjoin them.—CP VIII:208

Gospel: Luke 19:41-48

For we learn here of the very terrible wrath and judgment that befell Jerusalem. From it we must conclude that whoever persists securely in his wickedness and sins should never think that he can outrun the punishment. For as God did not excuse that proud and privileged city—because it had his Word and did not repent—so each individual should take note, leave off his sinning, and repent, for there’s no escaping God’s wrath and punishment if he doesn’t.—HP II:375

To put it another way, Do not just listen to what God says and then fail to improve the way you live, sinning the same way you did before, regardless of what anyone says or does. The punishment for that sin will most certainly come, even it may be a long time in coming. No one who despises God’s Word escapes punishment.—HP II:366

Don’t make the mistake of thinking that God will overlook it if we continue to commit that same sin.—HP II:366

The sin which God considers the greatest sin of them all, the one that he condones or tolerates less than any other, is the sin of his people not acknowledging his Day of Judgment.—HP II:368

There is no advice or help for the person who refuses the forgiveness of sins and the grace of God.—HP II:370

But to those who accept God’s Word and change their ways, this account is a source of comfort and learning. They learn that when God delays punishment, he does this for their benefit and peace, that God wants to graciously forgive their sins, if they just repent by changing their ways, if they just fear and love God. It is not surprise that we are sinners, but if we defend our sins, stubbornly continue in them without repenting, that is something God will not allow. He would rather totally destroy such people, especially when he comes to them with the gracious warning of his Word, pleading for us to repent and we just stubbornly refuse to listen.—HP II:374

But if Christ be no longer with us, our hope will vanish; and wherever this beloved guest is rejected, and his Christians no longer tolerated, government, peace, and everything shall perish.—CP IV:330

And thus it will also go with the world; as its people despise and persecute God’s Word, and become so hardened and blinded, they will blame no one as the cause and merit of their destruction but the precious Gospel itself; which nevertheless alone preserves, thank God, what is still preserved; otherwise all things would long since lay in one common heap of ruins. And yet it must bear the blame for everything that the devil and his clans transact.—CP IV:334

Luther

See, then, how in like manner, under the great diversity of the various states and persons called for in this life and ordained by Him, God has created one being and one unity with this intent, that each one in fulfilling his ministry shall do the work allotted to him as his state demands, performing it with that humility which regards all states and persons as equal before God, as being all created equal and having the one as much favour with Him as the other, so that no one may pride himself before God and his neighbor.—Sermons, 153

Catechesis: Justification

First, the Law cannot be obeyed unless we have been reborn through faith in Christ, just as Christ says in John 15:5 “Apart from Me you can do nothing.”—Ap IV:256

Patristic Quote of the Day

“‘Another Paraclete,’ however, is what he calls the Spirit who is from the essence of the Father and from his own essence” (St. Cyril of Alexandria, Ancient Christian Commentary: John vol. 2, p. 178, translated by CLS’s own Dr. David Maxwell).

A respectful disagreement

On ALPB Forum, which I no longer post to, but do still read, an erstwhile Lutheran who is now a Roman priest posted an absolutely lovely and stunning (musically speaking) youtube of Salve Regina. You can listen here. But as beautiful as the music is, I cannot but cringe at the words: 

Queen, mother of mercy:

our life, sweetness, and hope, hail.
To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve.
To you we sigh, mourning and weeping
in this valley of tears.
Turn then, our advocate,
those merciful eyes
toward us.
And Jesus, the blessed fruit of thy womb,
after our exile, show us.
O clement, O loving, O sweet
Virgin Mary.

The other day I posted from our Symbols:

Now we grant that the blessed Mary prays for the church. But she does not receive souls in death, conquer death, or give life, does she? What does Christ do if the blessed Mary performs all these things? Even though she is worthy of the highest honor, nevertheless she does not want herself to be made equal with Christ, but instead wants us to consider and follow her example. The fact of the matter is that in the court of public opinion the blessed Virgin has completely replaced Christ. People have called upon her, trusted in her mercy, and through her have sought to conciliate Christ, as though he were not the propitiator, but only a dreadful judge and avenger.—Apology XXI:27, 28

This prayer, so beloved of our Roman Catholic brothers and sisters, exemplifies the truth of the Apology’s words in spades. In fact, it is almost certainly what Melanchthon had in mind when he penned the above! What I have found particularly curious is that the early Lutherans, recognizing the loveliness of the words and the melody, realized that to keep it, they would need to reassign the whole to our Lord Jesus, for this would make the words not merely beautiful and moving, but beautifully and movingly true. And this was not merely done for Lutherans of the 16th century! Loehe includes it in his Seed-grains of Prayer (p. 118). I’ll cite the Lutheran version of this prayer from there:

All hail! King of mercy. 

Hail! Thou Who art the life, the joy, and the hope of our souls. 

We miserable children of Eve cry unto Thee. 

We long for Thee, sorrowful and weeping in this vale of tears. 

Hail, therefore, O Lord Christ! 

Thou who dost intercede for us with God, 

turn Thine eyes, beaming with mercy, upon us  

and show Thyself unto us, 

Thou blessed Son of God and of Mary, 

when the days of our misery shall have passed, 

O gracious, gentle, sweet, and lovely Jesus Christ. Amen. 

There you have the beautiful phrases of the prayer addressed to the one that the New Testament tells us is the one Mediator between God and man, the Man Christ Jesus; who by the way it also calls our Advocate. He can and will receive such supplications and delight to answer them. 

Absolutely lovely and stunning the music no doubt is, but even more lovely and stunning is the truth that we may cry directly to our Jesus and that Scripture contains command to do so, many promises about doing so, and numerous examples of such; whereas, the Spirit-inspired Scripture is utterly silent on any command to, promise concerning, or an example of invoking the Mother of God. 

Patristic Quote of the Day

Let us glorify the Master Craftsman for all that has been done wisely and skillfully, and from the beauty of the visible things let us form an idea of him who is more than beautiful. And from the greatness of these perceptible and circumscribed bodies, let us conceive of him who is infinite and immense and who surpasses all understanding in the plenitude of his power.—St. Basil the Great, Hexameron i.11

Luther

He could also give you corn and fruit without your ploughing and planting, but that is not His will; neither is it His will that your ploughing and planting should produce corn and fruit; but you must plough and plant and say a blessing on your work and pray: Now help, O God; give us now corn and fruit, dear Lord; for our ploughing and planting will not yield us anything. It is Thy gift.—Exposition of Psalm cxlvii 

Catechesis: Justification

From these things it is clear that James does not contradict us. He criticized lazy and secure minds that imagine they have faith, although they do not have it. He made a distinction between dead and living faith. He says that faith that does not bring forth good works is dead. He also says that a living faith brings forth good works. Furthermore, we have shown already several times what we mean by faith. For we do not mean passive knowledge, such as devils have. Instead, we mean faith that resists the terrors of conscience and encourages and comforts terrified hearts.—Ap IV:127, 128

Patristic Quote of the Day

So let no one think that there is anything allegorical in the works of the six days. No one can rightly say that the things pertaining to these days are symbolic, nor can one say that they were meaningless names or that other things were symbolized by their names. Rather, let us know in just what manner heaven and earth were created in the beginning.—St. Ephrem the Syrian, Commentary on Genesis 1:1

Luther

Work you should and must, but do not ascribe the fact that you have food to eat and that your house is furnished to your work, but to God’s grace and blessing alone. For where it is ascribed to a man’s own work, covetousness and worry immediately raise their heads and the thought that much work will mean many possessions. Hence the strange contradiction occurs that some, who work extremely hard, have scarcely enough to eat, while others who work leisurely are blessed with all good things.—Exposition of Psalm cxxvi

Catechesis: Justification

Harmony in the Church cannot last unless pastors and churches mutually overlook and pardon many things. —Ap IV:243

Patristic Quote of the Day

Christ, Son of God, who was born of the Holy Virgin Mary, hath come as grace into the world; because by means of grace He hath made us alive, He that fashioned all things. Now that Christ is born into the world, doth all creation dance.—St. Gregory Thaumaturgus, Homily Concerning the Holy Mother of God

Selections from Lutheran Symbols Touching on the Blessed Virgin Mary

Likewise, it is taught that God the Son became a human being, born of the pure Virgin Mary, and that the two natures, the divine and human, are so inseparably united in one person that there is one Christ.—AC III:1,2

Now we grant that the blessed Mary prays for the church. But she does not receive souls in death, conquer death, or give life, does she? What does Christ do if the blessed Mary performs all these things? Even though she is worthy of the highest honor, nevertheless she does not want herself to be made equal with Christ, but instead wants us to consider and follow her example. The fact of the matter is that in the court of public opinion the blessed Virgin has completely replaced Christ. People have called upon her, trusted in her mercy, and through her have sought to conciliate Christ, as though he were not the propitiator, but only a dreadful judge and avenger.—Apology XXI:27, 28

Thus, the Dominicans invented the rosary of the blessed Virgin, which is mere babbling, as foolish as it is wicked; it nourishes a false confidence.—Apology XXVII:53

Therefore, we believe, teach, and confess that Mary did not conceive and give birth to a child who was merely, purely, simply human, but she gave birth to the true Son of God. Therefore, she is rightly called and truly is the Mother of God.—FC Ep VIII:12

Christ Jesus was in one person at the same time true and eternal God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and a true human being, born of the most blessed Virgin Mary, as it is written, in Romans 9:5, “from them [the patriarchs] according to the flesh comes the Christ, who is over all, God blessed forever.”—FC SD VIII:6

Because of this personal union and communion of the natures, Mary, the most blessed Virgin, gave birth not to a mere, ordinary human being, but instead to a human being who is truly the Son of God the Most High, as the angel testifies. He demonstrated his divine majesty in his mother’s womb, in that he was born of a virgin without violating her virginity. Therefore, she has remained truly the Mother of God and at the same time a virgin.—FC SD VIII:24

Catechesis: Justification

Peace cannot be maintained unless people overlook and forgive certain mistakes among themselves.—Ap IV:232

Luther

And again you must know, that you have been given your state that you may humble yourself and serve others, as a nobleman serves his prince at court or at war, or a manservant or maidservant their masters and mistresses. All this you must do because it is God’s Will.—Sermons, 1544

Patristic Quote of the Day

For even though the Spirit exist in His Own Person, and is conceived of by Himself, inasmuch as He is the Spirit and not the Son, yet is He not therefore alien from Him; for He is called the Spirit of truth [John 15:26], and Christ is the Truth [John 14:6], and He proceedeth from Him, just as from God the Father.— Third Letter of St. Cyril of Alexandria to Nestorius, read and accepted at the Council of Ephesus, 431.

I always like to share this…

…when August 15th rolls around. This year I posted it up on the Eve of the Dormition on Gottesdienst. 

A fun day with dear friends

 

Where does the time fly?

Today is our oldest daughter’s 35th birthday. She’s halfway to 70 (as I keep reminding her!). Happy birthday, Lauren Elizabeth. We love you and are so proud of you! 

It’s 1:30

And it feels like a full day has already happened! Up at 5:30 (working on Wordle and Quordle) as I made coffee. Then prayed Treasury with Cindi for St. Lawrence’s Day. Privately prayed Matins with morning’s psalms, Jeremiah 49, Te Deum, Acts 9, Benedictus and then prayers from Lutheran Prayer Companion. A bit of meditation on the wounds of Christ with the Jesus Prayer. Reading from Day by Day (your daily bit of Luther), Larger Catechism, and a section from the Apology, and wrapped up with C. S. Lewis. Workout as I listened to Ezekiel (some of the racier bits today!) and did 200 pushups, 24 pull ups, 24 45 lb KB swings. Then out for a walk and what a delightful morning it was: the birds were belting out their own joyful Matins and Lauds! Home for shave and quick shower, after which I walked around a bit more inside the house to get miles up to 5. I love to have the five miles under the belt before 9 a.m., but it wasn’t till 9:10 I finished today. Still, I’ll take it. Then down to LPR studio to record a promo and three shows (with a Starbucks stop on the way). Home to cut grass, grab a bite to eat, and then write the next podcast. I debated getting in the pool, but it’s barely 80 and cloudy. Think I’ll pass on that today. So now I’m sitting here with a glass of wine and aimlessly blogging. 

I did decide to revert to older workout schedule. My intent going forward is to do the 200 - 24 - 24 on Monday-Friday, and to aim for at least 5 miles of walking Monday-Saturday. Sunday I’ll settle for 2.5. 

Still coming up is Vespers (evening psalms; Jeremiah 50; Magnificat; Hebrews 13; Nunc Dimittis; and Gerhard’s daily prayer), Dinner, and God willing, a game of Liverpool in which Dave, Lois, and Cindi will behave themselves (that is, let me win!). 

Gerhard’s Model Daily Prayer

This is provided in his marvelous, multi volume Schola Pietatis. 

O holy and righteous God, merciful Father, You are One, eternal, true God in three distinct Persons. God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, I confess and lament from the bottom of my heart that I, a person conceived and born in sin from my infancy on up to this present hour, have sinned against You daily and frequently. I have sinned knowingly and unknowingly, inwardly and outwardly, in thought, word, and deed. I have sinned against the first and the second table of Your holy Ten Commandments. I have never kept them properly and perfectly. Instead, I have sinned against all of them. I confess that I additionally have made myself a partaker of various sins. As a result, all creation accuses me before Your judgment. Also, my own heart and conscience cause me anxiety for so shamefully abusing Your manifold, great blessings with my sinning. Also, I have stirred up against me Your righteous wrath. And I pray You, O Lord and God, from the bottom of my heart, that You would forgive me all this for the sake of Your beloved Son, my true Savior, Jesus Christ, and for the sake of His precious merit and His perfectly availing payment.

Along with this, I thank You, O gracious and faithful God! I thank You for all Your blessing which You have so richly and abundantly shown me, that You have so wondrously formed me in my mother’s womb and allowed me to be born into this world alive. I thank You that You have graciously sustained me and provided for every need of my body and life in a fatherly fashion. That You have redeemed me from sin, death, devil, and hell through Christ, that You have sent Your only begotten Son into the flesh for my benefit and gave Him up into death—even death on the cross—for me. That You, through Your holy Word, have called me into the fellowship of Your kingdom of grace. I thank You that You waited with great patience for my conversion, that my heart’s conversion through the Holy Spirit was so mighty. That by grace all my sins are forgiven. That You have sustained me with good resolution and have richly bestowed on me all sorts of blessings in body and soul. That in Holy Baptism, You received me as Your dear child into Your covenant of grace. Also that You, in the holy Lord’s Supper, have fed and given me to drink of the true body and blood of Jesus Christ. That You up to now have protected me from many kinds of dangers and misfortunes and that You, by grace, have given me the sure promise of eternal life in Christ Jesus, my Savior.

Furthermore, I ask of You, almighty God and Father, that You would subdue and kill off the old man in me. Give to me and increase in me faith, love, hope, humility, patience, meekness, chastity, and all other Christian virtues. Grant that I, in my heart, spurn temporal thins and truly long for eternal things. Through Your Holy Spirit’s implantation of Your grace confer on me that I may deny and overcome the world. May I at all times find comfort amidst tribulation, true rest for my soul. Grant that I overcome in every adversity. May I be guarded against the devil’s power and cunning. Grant that I may finally depart from this life in peace and joy, and someday arise on Judgment Day to eternal life.

Last of all, I commend to You, O faithful God, Your holy Christian Church. May You graciously uphold it, increase it, and rule over it. Give us faithful teachers and preachers in schools and churches in order to open the hearts of the hearers, and direct them to follow Your Word with child-like obedience. Also, may You also grant that rulers and subjects, house fathers and house mothers, children and relatives, servants and maidens all faithfully fulfill their duties and Your will. I especially commend to You the authorities over me, my relatives and benefactors. May You please reward them for all the good they have shown to me. I also pray to You for all my enemies and persecutors. May You please overcome and convert them. I pray to You on behalf of all those in need. May You graciously grant counsel, comfort, and help to anxious and sorrowful hearts. Also, in general, may You have mercy upon all mankind. O faithful God and Father, would You please give ear to this prayer for the sake of Jesus Christ, Your beloved Son and our Savior and Redeemer. Amen. Schola Pietatis II:128-131 (I cannot commend the purchase of these volumes from Repristination Press highly enough!)

Oops! Yesterday I missed…

…posting on this fine young lad’s TENTH birthday! Goodness, how did that happen so quickly? Happy birthday (a day late), Sawyer Dean, oldest grandson! Love you much!

Merry Christmas…to us!

This weekend we received last year’s Christmas gift from the kids: a weekend together at a location of our choosing. We selected Kentucky Dam Village because it was the closest location. The Herberts camped there all week, joined on Thursday by the Ibisches. The Weedons (younger and older) arrived Friday and were housed in cottages (neither of us being great fans of camping out). We enjoyed a meal together (sort of) in the Harbor Lights Restaurant the first evening. Then spent the morning at the pool all together. Some quiet time in the afternoon, getting the kids out of the sun. For supper, we congregated at David and Meaghan’s cabin, feasted on pizza and adult beverage (well, the adults did anyway), and played some Secret Hitler. This morning we met at 8 a.m. at Cracker Barrel and had two tables for all 19 of us. Then off to St. Paul’s in Paducah (with its East wall altar), where we had the joy of witnessing both an adult baptism and an adult confirmation, heard a Gospel drenched sermon (on the historic one year series, no less! Thank you, Pr. Appold!!!), sang LSB Divine Service 3 in harmony, received the Supper with joy, got to see and hug Craig Stroh (former member of St. Paul’s, Hamel) and Kim Sales (bonus: got to hear Kim do a great job on the organ!), and then headed our separate ways. It was wild and crazy as all our family gatherings are, but thanks be to God for the time together. A few pics for you and they’re all in a jumble; sorry!:

Patristic Quote of the Day

The books that are opened are indicative of the deeds and of the conscience of each person. There is but one book of life in which the names of the saints are written.—Andrew of Caesarea

Catechesis: Justification

We never satisfy the law! So we must always run back to the promise.—Ap IV:164, 165

Luther

The discipline of the flesh follows, to mortify its coarse and evil lust and win peace and rest. Such lusts must be overcome with fasting and watching and work. Thus we learn why and how much we should fast, watch, and work…. Therefore I leave it to every man to choose for himself the days, the food, and the amount of fasting, but he must not leave it at that, but keep watch over his flesh; inasmuch as he finds it lascivious and wanton, he should discipline it with fasting, watching, working, and more.—Sermon on Good Works, 1520

Patristic Quote of the Day

One might interpret the birds in a negative way and regard them as the transgressing angels. Having led their followers into destruction, these angels are said to have fulfilled their evil desire and to be filled with the flesh of the lost.—Primasius on Rev. 19:21

Luther

Hence there are few who acknowledge and believe that they are sinners. For how can a man confess he is a sinner if he cannot bear a word directed against his actions and plans, but immediately flies into a temper and swears that he is sincere and is doing good, and that it is wrong to oppose him and perverse to reject him?—Commentary on Romans

Catechesis: Justification

Paul is writing about faith that receives the forgiveness of sins in a terrified heart and flees from sin. Such faith does not remain in those who obey their desires, neither does it dwell with mortal sin.—Ap IV:144

For in this life we cannot satisfy the Law, because the sinful nature does not stop bringing forth evil inclinations and desires, even though the Spirit in us resists them.—Ap IV:146