The Lutheran Review

Lutheran minister aiding Haiti

An article in the January 30 St. Louis Post Dispatch reports on the work of the LCMS in Haiti.  there are some insights into what goes into long aid in a disaster situation.

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/columnists.nsf/keepthefaith/story/587440398401AD5C862576BA00822532?OpenDocument

Chrysostom on Preaching

Since tomorrow, and in some cases tonight, we will hear a sermon I thought I would share a few words from Chrysostom on listening to the sermon.  I above anyone else need help listening, since I’m not preaching anywhere right now while my heart has a chance to heal.

The praise that pleases

“Are you in praise of what I have said?  For my part I care not for I need neither your applause nor your noisy praise.  (It was common to applaud the preacher in the late 4^th century.)  This only I ask of you that with quiet and wisdom you listen to me and do what I say.  Such is the applause that I ask of you.  This is the panegyric (elaborate praise) that pleases me.  But if you praise simply what I say, but do not do what I say, great will be your punishment.”

The next quote shows that a summer drop off in church attendance is nothing new.

“I have no idea what I shall say to you today.  I see that since the Feast of Pentecost the attendance at divine service has fallen off, the Prophets are neglected, the Apostles are little valued, the Fathers are set aside…There is divine service once a week, and even this day you cannot spend without the cares of business.  Some say they are p.oor and must take care of making their living, while others have urgent business.  As a matter of fact the whole city is at the circus…No poverty stands in the way there, no urgent work, no illness, no weakness of the feet, nothing of all these is able to hold back the unruly passion.  The old men run with the youths to the betting in order to find a place, and expose their gray hairs to shame and ridicule.  And if they occasionally come here to the Church, they experience seizures, and listening to the sermon gives them fainting spells.”

See you in church listening to the sermon.

 

Chrysostom on Baptism

What Happens at Baptism

Over the next couple of days I’m going to share some excerpts from a little book I found at the Concordia Seminary library, “Daily readings from the writings of St. John Chrysostom,” Light and Life Publishing, Minneapolis.

When you come to the sacred initiation, the eyes of the flesh see water; the eyes of faith behold the Spirit.  Those eyes see the body being baptized; these see the old man being buried.  The eyes of the flesh see the flesh being washed; the eyes of the spirit see the soul being cleansed.  The eyes of the body see the body emerging from the water; the eyes of faith see the new man come forth brightly shining from that sacred purification.  Our bodily eyes see the priest as, from above, he lays his right hand on the head and touches [him who is baptized]; our spiritual eyes see the great High Priest as He stretches forth His invisible hand to touch his head.  For, at that moment, the one who baptizes is not a man but the only-begotten Son of God…

For this reason, when the priest is baptizing he does not say, “I baptize so and so,” but, “so and so is baptized in the name of thee Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”  In this way he shows that it is not he who baptizes but those whose names have been invoked, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

LSB 593, 4

Here we bring a child of nature;

Home we take a newborn creature,

Now God’s precious son or daughter,

Born again by word and water.

       Text: Jaroslav J. Vajda

 

John Chrysostom, Preacher

Golden Tongue

How did it happen that a preacher and church leader, so well spoken that he is called Golden Tongue and was often applauded after his sermons, end up sent into exile and dying during a forced march? How did such a one who was such a prolific writer that he penned 90 homilies on Matthew, 88 on John, 55 on Acts, 67 on Genesis, 59 on the Psalms and all of Paul’s epistles end up forced to march until he dropped. How did this happen to him whose last words that came off his tongue were truly golden, “Glory to God for all things?”

This all happened to John Chrysostom (Golden Tongue) who was born in Antioch in 347 and died in exile on September 14, 407. After receiving a classical education he began studies of the scriptures and entered the ascetic life, even living in a cave for two years. He later became a Lector (reader) in the church, then a Deacon where he assisted with the liturgy and then a priest in 386.

Toward the end of October 397, Asterius, governor of Antioch summed John to come immediately to the martyr’s chapel outside the Roman gate. The road to Constantinople, the new Rome, led through the area. Asterius waited in his carriage. He invited John to side beside him and then immediately left Antioch following the road to Constantinople It was only after they were underway that the governor revealed that he had been selected as bishop of the capital of the new Rome. A letter from the emperor stressed that the mission be carried out with discretion, apparently fearing protest demonstrations in Antioch over the removal of the golden tongued preacher. At a place called Pagrae he was handed over to personnel from the palace who provided safe passage. The 750 mile route would have taken them through Tarsus, Paul’s hometown, and Ankara the current capital of turkey.

On February 26, 398 he was installed as Bishop of Constantinople, the capital of the Roman empire, much to the disappointment of numerous other interested candidates. He immediately began a reform, “Sweeping the stairs from the top down.” He cut expenses, eliminated frequent banquets, forbad clergy to keep housekeepers who had taken a vow of virginity, told monks to stay in their monasteries instead of wandering aimlessly. He assailed the wealthy women for their extravagant finery and men who conducted business during the service. With the money he saved from his household budget in just one year he built a large hospital.

However, he was ill suited to church and empire politics. You can attempt to untangle the web of political intrigue by going online to the Catholic Encyclopedia.

On the presence of Christ in the sacrament he wrote,

The Magi worshipped this body even when it lay in a manger. Those heathen foreigners left home and country and went on a long journey, and came and worshipped him…We are citizens of heaven; let us imitate those foreigners…For you behold him not in a manger; but on an altar; not with a woman holding him, but with a priest standing before him: with the Spirit descending with great bounty upon the oblation.

　

　

Three of Paul's Coworkers

Timothy, Titus and Silas, Missionaries

Included in the introductory pages of the Lutheran Service Book, is a quote from the Augsburg Confession 21, “Our churches teach that the remembrance of the saints is to be commended in order that we may imitate their faith and good works according to our calling.” As we approach the end of January, the calendar is jam packed with opportunities to remember saints that we might imitate.  Having written concerning the conversion of St. Paul yesterday (January 25), I will share material from “Sundays and Seasons” about three of Paul’s coworkers on his missionary journeys.

Timothy accompanied Paul on his second missionary journey and was commissioned by Paul to go to Ephesus, where he served as bishop and overseer of the church.  Titus was a traveling companion of Paul, accompanied him on the trip to the council of Jerusalem, and became the first bishop of Crete.  Silas traveled with Paul through Asia Minor and Greece and was imprisoned with him at Philippi, where they were delivered by an earthquake.

LSB 517, 4

Apostles, prophets, martyrs,

And all the noble throng

Who wear the spotless raiment

And raise the ceaseless song

For these, passed on before us,

We offer praises due

And, walking in their footsteps,

Would live our lives for You.

Think of some of the people who have influenced you in your life and lived a life of faith worthy of imitation.  Who would you nominate to include on your church calendar as saints to be commemorated?

Saul falling; Paul rising

 

Saul was a man on the rise.  Like his namesake Saul the first king of Israel, he was from the tribe of Benjamin. He had gone from working as a coat check boy to a champion for the cause of Judaism.  “Have warrants. Will travel,” could have been the motto for this paladin from Tarsus.  He was willing to roam far from home in pursuit of the lawbreaking disciples of Jesus who had scattered after the stoning of Stephen. (Acts 7:54-9:3)  Leading a posse to Damascus, he intended to investigate, interrogate and root out any followers of the Way, wherever they might be trying to hide.

Along the way, “Jesus so sweet, Jesus so mild,” knocked him to the ground with a flash of light from heaven.  Before Saul could recover, Jesus asked, “Why are you persecuting me?”  Saul doesn’t have any idea who could be speaking to him, other than God must be involved.  He is given a simple answer, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.”  Saul discovered while lying in the dirt that he wasn’t simply after some renegade Jews who had gone off the deep end in their devotion to Jesus who had been crucified, dead and buried.  Apparently, the rumors about a resurrection might be true.  Now Jesus tells Saul to rise and go into Damascus. There,  he will be told what to do. 

In an eye blink Saul went from a confident, hot headed zealot for the cause of eradicating the gospel, to someone completely dependent on others.  They led him by the hand.  He experienced his own God-caused tomb as he remained blind for three days, neither eating nor drinking. 

In the meantime, the Holy Spirit was working in another part of town on a man named Ananias.  Ananias wasn’t too keen on visiting Saul.  But when he learned that Jesus had chosen Saul to be His paladin for the sake of the Gospel, Ananias went to the Judas’s house on Straight Street.  “Brother Saul,” he said, “the Lord Jesus appeared to you on the road to Damascus by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”  Saul rose and was baptized.

He who had come to root out the gospel, now began proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Son of God.  After a time, Saul became the target of a plot to kill him.  He who would have boldly walked into Damascus with the authority to arrest Christians, now escaped in the dark of night, let down from the city wall in a basket.

Today is the day the church remembers the Conversion of St. Paul.

Almighty God, You turned the heart of him who persecuted the Church and by his preaching caused the light of the gospel to shine throughout the world.  Grant us ever to rejoice in the saving light of Your gospel and, following the example of the apostle Paul, to spread it to the ends of the earth; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Empowered in the Holy Spirit, you and I are able to a paladin, “Have Gospel.” Will travel.”

Varities of Preaching

The concluding words of Psalm 19^th are sometimes prayed by preachers before their pulpit task, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer” (v.14).  That is a prayer for both the speaker and hearer.

There was a lot of preaching going on Sunday morning, not only in the pulpits of churches but also in the lessons.  Paul talks about the variety of gifts that come as gifts of the spirit.  We have a variety of Spirit gifted preaching in our lessons.

In Psalm 19, “The heavens declare (preach) the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork” (v.1).  In v. 7, God climbs into the pulpit, “The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.”  That to which the Lord is testifying is his perfect law, his righteous precepts, his pure commandment and his true rules which make the simple wise, causes the heart to rejoice and enlightens the eyes. These are worth more than gold, they are sweeter than honey.  Still, the psalmist knows that our failure to keep these words of the Lord means that there is need of warnings also.  He prays in verse 12, “Who can discern his error?  Declare me innocent from hidden faults.”  Please, he prays, don’t let arrogant sins rule my life.

As we turn to Nehemiah 8, we encounter Ezra standing on a platform, with thirteen Levites, reading and interpreting the Torah for six hours.  The ears of the people were attentive.  When they heard their failures and those of their forefathers as well as the great deeds that the Lord had done for his people, the people cried.  But Nehemiah, Ezra and the Levites told the people this was no time for crying and mourning.  Rather it was a day for joy.  It was a holy day to the Lord who had created them and saved them from slavery and brought them back from exile.  It was a day of celebration and feasting because the wall around Jerusalem had just been completed.  Therefore go and eat and drink.  Then send some of the food and drink to those who have nothing.

The final sermon in the readings is one of the shortest sermons ever preached (Luke 4:16-30).  I Jesus preached it in his home synagogue.  Everyone spoke well of him. Here was the home town boy telling his own people that they were present when Jesus announced, in their presence no less, the Holy Spirit was upon him to proclaim a year of Jubilee for the poor, the captives, the blind and the oppressed. They were ready to carry their conquering hero on their shoulders.  But when he as much as told them that wouldn’t be doing any miraculous miracles for their benefit, they were ready to carry him out of town and toss him over a cliff.

 But this was not the time for that.  One day, he would be tossed out of town and hung on a cross.  But the town would be Jerusalem and cliff over which he would plunge would be death.

On the cross we would hear the sweetness of his preaching, “Father forgive them.” Thus the year of Jubilee would descend upon humanity, a year without end.       

  

LCMS work in Haiti

Lutheran Church Missouri Synod work in Haiti

An article in the January 23, St. Louis Post Dispatch summarized the work of the a an emergency Mercy Medical team of LCMS medical personnel from across the country is in the Dominican town of Jimani treating about 80 injured Haitians a day who are transported by school bus to the clinic.

More reports on the LCMS work among the Haitians is available on the synods website, LCMS.org. 

Donations can be made at that site as well as at 1-888 – 843-5267. 

Gardening in Rainy January

During the summer I try to have a variety of things in bloom so that no matter which window I look out, blossoms are in view.  However, now in a rainy St. Louis January the garden is more like Ezekiel 33:28 ”a desolation and a waste.”  We have had a week in which the clouds descended to the ground.  Now the fog has dispersed and the sky is gray and dripping.  Here we don’t have the comforting winter cover of snow that softens the sharp brown outlines and reminds us that our sins shall be as white of snow.

In January I dream of green as its described in EZ. 36:34 & 35, “The land now desolate shall be tilled, instead of lying waste for every passer-by to see.  Everyone will say that this land which was waste has become like a garden of Eden.”  That is always the hope when I garden.

However, the garden is never totally desolate in winter.  The evergreens, holly, blue spruce, boxwood, cedars and certain grasses add a variety of green.  The red and orange berries show forth.  Even the leafless dogwood and oaks against the sky provide interesting forms.  One writer describes the leafless trees as open roofed cathedrals. 

Nor am I able to totally capture Eden when blossoms festoon.  We are people whose rebellion against God has caused the desolation of sin to ever creep in, not only in our lives but the life of our garden as well.

John Milton notes the calamity of sin as he begins Paradise Lost,

Of Mans First Disobedience, and the Fruit
Of that Forbidden Tree, whose mortal tast
Brought Death into the World, and all our woe,
With loss of Eden, till one greater Man
Restore us, and regain the blissful Seal.

But in those lines he holds the hope which is ours in a greater second Adam who will restore us to Eden.

As he starts Paradise Regain’d, he echoes the same theme.
I who e’re while the happy Garden sung,
By one mans disobedience lost, now sing
Recover’d Paradise to all mankind.

While we wait for Eden to be restored we seek in our gardens to see a glimpse of that past and future land.  So in Christ, between the Fall and our restoration in paradise, we seek to give ourselves and the world a glimpse of resurrection, by living as risen people in Christ now. 

Sarah

Now wasn’t it thoughtful that LSB would set aside a special day just for my daughter?

In our family we have a daughter-in-law named Sara, too. Furthermore, my nephew, Dan, has a daughter, Sarah. To all the Sarahs, however their name might be spelled, give a cheer.

Actually, I suppose the LSB hymnal committee had in mind that other Sarah, the one who started out as Sarai back some 4,000 years ago. The first time we hear of Sarai is that she is Abram’s wife and is barren. The next time we hear of her is that Abram passes her off as his sister in Egypt in order to save his own skin. Since she was a beautiful woman, she attracted the attention of the men of the royal family of Egypt. Somehow pharaoh figured out that the plagues that descended upon them were from the Lord and were connected to Sarai being in his house. Whereupon Abram and Sarai were sent packing.

The next thing we hear of Sarai is that she barren she hands over her maid, Hagar to Abram. Abram, being a man and husband, listened to his wife. Soon Hagar was pregnant. However, that idea didn’t work out and still causes trouble since the descendants of Hagar and Abraham’s son, Ishmael, still lay claim to the same land as Abraham and Sarah’s son.

Eventually, God changes Abram and Sarai to Abraham and Sarah. He also promises a son to this now elderly couple. Sarah was eavesdropping behind the tent flap. When she heard the promise of a son to Abraham and her, she couldn’t help but laugh.

Well, you know the rest of the story. Isaac, “laughing boy” was born to them. Abraham again passes off his more than 90 year old wife as his sister (Gen. 20). Sarah dies at age 127. Abraham bought a burial site east of Hebron, a kind of down payment of land promised to him by the Lord.

To say the least, Sarai/Sarah lived an interesting and full life in her 127 years.

I’m surprised that the hymn For all the Faithful Women (LSB 855) doesn’t have stanza for Sarah. As you read the first stanza think of Sarah.

For all the faithful women

Who served in days of old,

To You shall thanks be given;

To all, their story told.

They served with strength and gladness

In tasks Your wisdom gave.

To You their lives bore witness,

Proclaimed Your pow’r to save.