New Lutheran Quote of the Day

We have a male clergy. Church bodies that preserve the most ancient practice restrict the office of the ministry to the male sex. Families that preserve the most ancient practice do the same. The head of the house is the husband and father. Church and home both follow the principle and order.—Dr. Fred Baue, "The Maleness of Christ" in  Lord Jesus Christ, Will You Not Stay?, p. 305.

Old Lutheran Quote of the Day

The perfect righteousness of Christ is the glorious robe of His saints; let not him therefore who is clothed in this robe fear the least spot of sin.—Blessed Johann Gerhard, Sacred Meditations, XVII.

Patristic Quote of the Day

If He was not flesh, who was crucified on the cross? And if He is not God, who shook the foundations of the earth?—St. Ephraim the Syrian, A Spiritual Psalter #23.

New Lutheran Quote of the Day

In each of his offices Jesus, like the last Adam that he is, shares his divine authority with his bride and honors her as his helpmeet in every respect.... Christ communicates his salvation to the world through his bride.—Fred Baue, "The Maleness of Christ" in Lord Jesus Christ, Will You Not Stay?, p. 304.

Old Lutheran Quote of the Day

It is passing strange that we should so set our hearts upon these earthly possessions, when our hold on them is so frail and short-lived.—Blessed Johann Gerhard, Sacred Meditations, XVI.

Patristic Quote of the Day

Grant me, O Good One, forgiveness of my wicked deeds, for Thou art a kindhearted and man-befriending God.—St. Ephraim the Syrian, A Spiritual Psalter #73.

On the Retirement

from my good friend, Dr. John Stephenson:  Thoughts on the Retirement of the Professor Pope.

Today's Chapel Homily on the 8th Commandment

[Text: Ephesians 4:29–5:2]

In today’s NT reading in the Treasury, our Lord speaks devastating words: “What goes into the mouth does not make a man unclean; it is what comes out of the mouth that makes him unclean. What comes out of the mouth comes from the heart, and this defiles a person. For from the heart comes evil intentions: murder, adultery, fornication, theft, perjury, slander. These are the things that make a man unclean.”

From the sewer of your heart, your mouth speaks. You tell lies. You shade stories that you relate to make yourself appear better than you know the actual facts support. You run down your neighbor, your wife, your husband, your co-workers, and worst of all, you enjoy doing it. And when someone else is running them down and you know that you could explain their actions a bit more kindly, you keep silent and go along.

And the hypocrisy of it! You most certainly do NOT want your neighbor to treat you in the way you treat them. You WANT them to defend you, speak well of you, and explain your actions in the kindest way. But you don’t do it for them. Repent.

What a comfort that St. Paul had to write the words of today’s epistle to the Christians in Ephesus! You realize why he had to tell them not to let corrupting talk come out of their mouths, but only what is good, what builds up as the occasion demands, what gives grace to those who hear? You realize why he had to tell them to be done with the bitterness and temper, the loud shouting at each other and the malice that delights in others’ misery? He had to remind them because they were like you and me. They broke the 8th with abandon and yet he would teach them and us that there is a better way, the way of Christ.

Think of it! He is not your accuser. He is your defender. “The Son of man did not come into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.” He is your advocate, the one who speaks on your behalf before His Father. The one who pleads for your forgiveness and constantly points to the blood that He shed to blot out your every sin, even your sins of speech. He speaks of you in the kindest way: “You are my beloved, You are my fellow-heir. All that is mine is Yours for I have died and shed my blood to win it for you and now I live forevermore to deliver it to you. Fear not!”

Behold, how your Lord speaks of you! And when you are brought into communion with Him, then the old way, the devil’s way, the accusing of the brethren way, must die. Your Jesus gives you the gift of dying to the lying, drowning the bitterness, and taking the breath away from the nasty words. He gives you the gift of learning His way, the new way, the way of explaining actions in the kindest way, for that flows from HIS heart, a heart in which there is only compassion, tenderness, love.

“Be imitators of God, as children much loved,” St. Paul exhorts. “Walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us.” Therefore let us pray with the Psalmist: Set a watch before my mouth, O Lord, and guard the door of my lips. Amen.

New Lutheran Quote of the Day

There is no hiatus between the Word and Spirit.—Dr. Timothy Quill, "Theodosius Harnack and Liturgical Preaching" in Lord Jesus Christ, Will You Not Stay?, p. 270

Old Lutheran Quote of the Day

Those who trust in their own righteousness and holiness seek salvation in themselves, but I, who find in me nothing worthy of eternal life, flee to Thee as my Savior. Save me, for I am condemned; have mercy on me, for I am unrighteous; acquit me, for I am under accusation of sin.—Blessed Johann Gerhard, Sacred Meditations #4.

Patristic Quote of the Day

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

New Lutheran Quote of the Day

Viewed from its position in the evangelical divine service, the sermon is clearly sacramental.—Timothy C. J. Quill, "Theodosius Harnack and Liturgical Preaching," Lord Jesus Christ, Will You Not Stay?, p. 270.

Old Lutheran Quote of the Day

Have mercy upon us, have mercy upon us, O Thou only God of mercy, and turn our stony hearts to Thee!—Blessed Johann Gerhard, Sacred Meditations, II.

Patristic Quote of the Day

Be the guardian of the lips, that slander, judgment, criticism, and idle words may not come forth from them.—St. Ephraim the Syrian, A Spiritual Psalter, #5.

Treasure the Years

I have a co-worker and friend whose father has just passed away. My coworker is about 9 years older than I am - early 60's. His mom still lives. I cannot help but think of what a massive blessing it is when families are given so many years together. Treasure your family, people loved by God. Treasure them, because for so many the long years together are not granted.

I think of the triplets losing their mom so young; I think of my internet friend, Terry, whose wife died so many years ago now and left him with two young boys; I think of my own life.

Granddaddy Mastin died when I was six. Granddaddy Chance when I was 10. Grandma Bess when I was 11. My daddy when I was 19. My brother, Joe, when I was 24. My mom when I was 34. My mom did at least get to see my three children, but because of the alzheimer's I'm not sure that Rebekah ever registered.

I think of it so much now that I am a grandfather. I hope and pray that I am able to see my grandchildren grow up and really know them and they me. But whether that future is granted or not is something I have no say over. But to treasure each and every day, to savor the moments that we are granted on this wondrous pilgrimage, that I can do.

I haven't done it very well, I don't think. I intend by God's grace to do it better. Each death affecting those I love reminds me of this: our days are in His hand, written in His book, each one of them before any of them came to be. And since we know not when they will end, how wise to spend the time we we are granted in ways that will bring smiles to faces many years down the road, long after the man who writes these words has returned to the dust.

New Lutheran Quote of the Day

The quantitative suum cuique iustitia and its iudiciu, which dealt with in a piecemeal way, were replaced by a judgment and righteousness as total as Calvary's entire and alone answering for all sin, whose forgiveness is then delivered in total.—Dr. Norman Nagel, "When Caesar Smiles and Christ Judges" in Lord Jesus Christ, Will You Not Stay?, p. 218

Old Lutheran Quote of the Day

The Saviour clothes Himself in our flesh, that the divine glory being communicated to our flesh, He might make an atonement for sinful flesh, and that the healing power of perfect righteousness being communicated to our flesh, He might thus purge out the poison of sin inhering in our flesh.—Johann Gerhard, Sacred Meditation II.

Patristic Quote of the Day

How pitiful I am; and how pitiful is my daily repentance, for it has no firm foundation. Every day I lay a foundation for the building, and again with my own hands I demolish it.—St. Ephraim the Syrian, Spiritual Psalter #10

New Lutheran Quote of the Day

Now the rainbow goes with a Christ who shows us God who is surely our friend. All God's lightning, thunder, storm and hail, wrath and unmercifulness give way and disappear for it is his gracious will that whoever sees the Son and believes in him will be saved. Against such a one he does not proceed in the say of law, or courts, or judgment and punishment.—Dr. Norman Nagel, "When Caeser Smiles and Christ Judges" Lord Jesus Christ, Will You Not Stay?, p. 217.

Old Lutheran Quote of the Day

Great indeed were thy wounds of sin, which could be healed only by the wounds of the living and life-giving flesh of the Son of God; desperate indeed was that disease which could be cured only by the death of the Physician Himself.—Blessed Johann Gerhard, Sacred Meditations, #2.