The Lutheran Review

The Visitation

 

On May 31st, 1532 Martin Luther was in his office at the University of Wittenberg working on a sermon he will preach later that day.  It’s a beautiful last day as he sits before his word processor (pen, paper and ink); his Greek New Testament open to Luke 1:39-56, the gospel for the Day of Mary’s visitation.

Luther writes, “For us, indeed, it is an occasion to thank God for the glorious revelation which occurred on this day, that Elizabeth is filled with the Holy Spirit, and although till now she knows nothing about Christ and his conception, she here declares and openly confesses that Mary is in truth the mother of the Lord, while Mary sings her beautiful song of praise…Our purpose is to praise and thank God, in accordance with the example of the beloved Virgin, so that we celebrate just as she did.”

Luther sees in Mary a great example of the virtue of humility, “She is the mother of God and the greatest of women in heaven and on earth.  She forgets all else, every good thing, and with truly humble heart sets out on her way, not ashamed to wash diapers, gently care for and bathe infant John, and so on.”

He also finds in Mary a second virtue, “She trudges over the mountainous terrain resolutely, like a faithful servant, not impertinently as on a lark or skipping off to a dance or some religious pageant, chattering along the way from house to house, eyes flitting here and everywhere….she did not go as a busybody, but with the thought of serving her elderly female relative to whom the angel announced that she would bear a son in her old age… Mary’s example, therefore should set a beautiful pattern for us to follow, thought indeed we may be equally beautiful, learned, capable, wealthy, young and strong.”

Luther concludes his sermon, “We thank our Lord God with all our hearts for his blessings, temporal and spiritual, and, especially, for sending us his dear Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, who has redeemed us from sin and death.  To that end may God grant us his grace.  Amen.”
 Sermons of Martin Luther, The House Postils, Vol 3 published by Baker Books.

Almighty God, You chose the virgin Mary to be the mother of Your Son and made known through her Your gracious regard for the poor and lowly and despised.  Grant that we may receive Your word in humility and faith, and so be made one with Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

The Word is a Lamp and Light

 

The introit for Easter 6 is from Psalm 119.  The antiphon, the first and last lines of the introit is Psalm 119: 105.  Robert Alter translates it, “A lamp to my feet is Your word and a light to my path.” In the fashion of Hebrew poetry the verse speaks of the word with two similar metaphors.  Somewhere I remember someone saying that those who traveled at night would wear and lamp on their feet to light the way.  Personally, I think that is a bit fanciful.

For the psalmist the word of the Lord is a personal guide for his walk in life.  Torah lights the path that God wants him to follow.  In my sermon today I used the metaphor of the forest of religious, spiritual and ideas about God through which we make our way.  We can easily get lost in this forest of gods.  There is the “There-is-no-Truth” god wherein anyone’s god or spirituality is as good as anyone else’s.  Oprah’s truth is a valid and more loudly lauded and applauded than that of Jesus.   We also content with “Me, Myself and I” a three in one god in the flesh with 7 billion variations.  We dare not forget the “Candy Machine” god whose main purpose is to give us prosperity that we might live a happy and positive life.  However, God provides the light of his word, Jesus, born in the flesh, lived in the flesh, died in the flesh and rose again in the flesh as the lamp to guide us through the forest of darkness and confusion to the abundant life held in heaven for us.

Psalm 119:89, the second verse of the introit praises God because, “Forever, O Lord, Your word stands high in the heavens.”  Robert Alter’s translation brings to mind that the word of Lord is like the sun at high noon, standing high in the heavens.  In his first act of creation God’s word created light.  In his first act of recreation the word became alive in the flesh, a light that shined into darkness.  Darkness, despite millennia of acting as a great spiritual black hole, could not overcome Jesus, the light and life of the world.

Because God is the creator of all and is ever faithful, the psalmist calls out to God, “I am yours.  Save me.” ( v.94)  The Lutheran Study Bible mentions that this phrase became a model for Luther at the suggestion of his father-confessor, John Staupitz.  The Hebrew word hoshi’eni, “save me,” is the basis for “Hosanna.”             

 

Grinding teeth at the Preacher

 Preaching that causes people to grind their Teeth.

 I am by call and trade a preacher.  My friend bob Reinhardt calls us “word merchants.” Whenever I come across something that has to do with preaching my ears perk up.  There is always room for honing that two edged sword of the word to a razor sharp edge.  I take the two edged sword to be Law and Gospel.  The Law edge cuts people to the heart, as peter’s sermon did on Pentecost.  It leads people to ask, “What shall we do?”  The other edge of the sword is the Gospel, the good news that Peter preached in his Pentecost sermon.  “God has made him both Lord and Christ…Repent and be baptized…in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins."

In the first Lesson for last Sunday (Acts 6-7) Stephen “Full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people.”  But some who belonged to a synagogue people from around the Roman Empire disputed with Stephen.  They lodged charges against Stephen before the Sanhedrin.  Stephen then launched into a sermon which covered God’s faithfulness to his covenant from Abraham down to their killing of those who announced the coming of the Messiah, but the “Righteous One” himself.  “You who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it.”

Now that really made them mad.  They spent great effort to keep.ing the law.  Never, mind that they had killed Jesus. They had done so because he was guilty of blasphemy, claiming to be God and new temple of God. Whenever one puts as much energy into the project as they did, and all without breaking any Sabbath laws, you don’t want to be told by some preacher that you are as guilty as sin.  “They ground their teeth” at Stephen.

When he shared with them that he was seeing a vision of Jesus standing at the right hand of God in heaven it was too much.  They shouted him down, covered their ears, mobbed him, threw him out of the city and stoned him.

An editorial comment near the end of the stoning scene mentions that a young man named Saul looked after the outer garments of the stone throwers.  It’s not long before Jesus knocks him to the ground and calls him to be his apostle and spokesman.  His preaching of Jesus Christ will cause more than a few to grind their teeth and he will not be immune to stones.

Was Stephen’s preaching useless?  Not at all.  As the word of God increased the number of disciples multiplied.  “And a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.”

Preaching the word is a call and craft.  But it is more than being a word merchant.  The Holy Spirit uses those words to increase the number of believers.  Some of those who repent and believe will have at one time ground their teeth.        

Come see and hear

 

  The assembling worshipers are settling themselves into their pews.  Parents are spacing their children between them.  Those who have returned home the weekend from college or from another city greet former schoolmates When the organist ends the prelude there is a sense that something is about to happen.  But many don’t notice the choir rising.  The choirmaster lifts her hands to shoulder height.  The choir comes to attention.  At the choirmaster downbeat, the choir in full double forte breaks the half silence and half distracted with, “Shout for joy to God, all the earth; sing the glory of his name; give him glorious praise!” 

The silence is broken, the distractions ended.  Attentiveness begins to prevail as the choir calls all the earth, including the worshipers present, to “Say to God, ‘How awesome are your deeds!  So great is your power that your enemies come cringing to you.’” With reason psalm 66 is used in many churches on Easter Sunday.  The resurrection of Jesus leads St. Paul to scorn our last enemy.  “O death, where is your victory?  O death, where is your sting?”  Sin the poison that gives death its sting, has lost its lethality in Jesus death and resurrection.  Sin still afflicts us, but god won’t judge us for it, since Jesus has already born the burden of our condemnation.  Death will still lay us low in the grave, but it can’t keep us down. The Law, given, by which we might live according to God’s will, has been fulfilled.  Now we live by grace, mercy and forgiveness of our law breaking.         

We ought not to be surprised when the choir invites, “Come and see what God has done; he is awesome in his deeds toward the children of man.”  “Bless our God, O peoples; let the sound of his praise be heard, who has kept our soul among the living and has not let our foot slip.”  Even though god has tested us and allowed chariots to run over our heads the lord has still brought us out of the time of crushing suffering to a place of abundance.

 What God has done for all he has done for the individual worshiper sitting in his pew.  “Come and hear all you who fear God, and I will tell what he has done for my soul.”  God has listened to him and heard his prayers.

Therefore, “Blessed be God because he has not rejected my prayer or removed his steadfast love from me!” 

The choir completes its anthem proclaiming the greatness of the Lord in what he has done for all the earth and for the half distracted mother with an infant in arms and bag full of bottles and diapers.

Helena, mother of Constantine

 

Helena was the wife of Constantius, co-regent of the West in the Roman Empire.  She was born about 255.  Her father appears to have been an inn keeper.  She bore one son, Constantine.  Her husband abandoned her for a more politically advantageous marriage.  However, when Constantine became emperor in 306 he promoted his mother, Helena to the status of Augusta.   He minted coins bearing her image.   Under the influence of her son she became a Christian.  She is best remembered for traveling to Palestine and identifying biblical locations in Jerusalem, Bethlehem and elsewhere.  With the financial backing of Constantine she built churches on the sites where she believed Jesus was born, where he was buried and from which he ascended.  These places of worship are still maintained today.  Helena is thought to have died in 329 or 330. 

Good and Pleasant

 

Because ATT U-Verse is fighting with Fox sports the ballgame was not on TV this afternoon.  So Becky and I sat out back on our patio and listened to the game on radio.  Becky read and I did the Sunday paper crossword puzzles.  We spent a pleasant afternoon in the midst of potted plants that are only beginning to grow, and hostas that have truly loved our wet cool spring.  Actually I prefer listening to the ballgame over watching it on TV.  It allows one to put the announcers descriptions into you own vision of what is happening on the field.  Birds, I think Cardinals, were loudly singing in the trees large oak and maple trees that dominate our neighborhood.

How good and pleasant when we take the time to enjoy the blessings of the Creator. 

When we take time to relax and spend a quiet time together, I wonder why we don’t do it more often. Yet we can’t see ourselves not being active and busy, Becky caring for the grandchildren and me working in the congregation.  But we do tend to get so busy in our active life that time to slow down come mainly at the end of the day.

We had a hymn sing service today in which hymns and songs took the place of the liturgy or better, was the musical portion of the liturgy.  Trombone, trumpets, guitar, African drums and organ led the singing.  The Hymn of Praise was “For He alone is Worthy” sun go the tune of Adeste Fideles.  Prior to read the lessons for the day we sang, “Listen, God is calling.  Since the Introit called us to “Sing to the Lord a new song,” I thought it good time to introduce the hymn I wrote.  We concluded the service with “Sent forth by God’s Blessing. “ The drum accompanying the organ gave urgency to our going forth.

As darkness moves over our part of the earth I am thankful for this good and pleasant day which the Lord has provided.     

 

 

 

 

Erik, King of Sweden

 

Erik, the patron saint of Sweden, ruled from 1150-1160.  He is honored for seeking to bring peace with nearby pagan kingdoms and for his crusades to spread the Christian faith in Scandinavia.  He established a Christian mission in Finland that was led by Henry of Uppsala.  Erik was noted for his fair laws anc courts and his concern for the poor and sick.  He was killed by a Danish army that approached him at worship. on the day after ascension in 1160.  He is reported to have said, “Let us at least finish the sacrifice.  The rest of the feast I shall keep elsewhere.”  He was killed as he left worship.

From Sundays and Seasons, Augsburgfortress press.

Through the Valley

 

It was about this time of year that I listened to a Catholic sister give a radio devotion on the 23^rd psalm more than forty years ago.  What I remember from her talk was that the psalmist writes, of passing “through the valley of the shadow of death.”

Life is not all green pastures, quiet waters and overflowing cups.  Our Lord, Jesus walked into the valley of death.  The season of Easter promises, and assures our trust in that promise, that we will not remain in the shadow of death forever.  Jesus walked that lonesome valley and his resurrection guarantees that when we walk in that valley we too shall pass through it into his new resurrected life.

The valley of death takes many shapes.  Recently I was walking past the nearby church.  A woman was sitting with the pastor, (I presume it was the pastor) on a bench just outside the front entrance.  I overheard her say, “I want to grieve in the right way so that down the road it doesn’t cause me problems.”  Grief can be a valley of death and indeed it may be a long valley from which we may think we will never exit.  Though we may never leave that valley entirely behind, most everyone finds a way to exit into the sun and go on living.

Death of a marriage might come in the shape of such a valley.  The death of a marriage is akin to being in the valley of the walking dead; the corpse of the marriage may still be traveling with us.

Job loss lengthy unemployment is another death valley, as resume after resume; application after application goes into some dark chasm never to be seen again.

Some people create their own death valley.  Prior to sitting down to write this piece, I was talking to my neighbor Bill.  He wondered about people who obsess about things they can’t do anything about.  What was the use of talking about such over and over again?

No matter what our death valley might be; no matter how deep, dark and lonesome it is, the psalmist, “I fear no evil, for you are with me.”  Jesus walked that valley of death’s shadow so that we never have to walk it alone.  He is in the valley with me protecting and guiding, “your rod and your staff; they comfort me.”

Thus at some point God will lead me out of the valley into the sunshine of his Son.  But along the way he prepares the table of his Body and Blood.  He anoints my head with the oil of his kindness.  He fills my cup with his overflowing grace.  Therefore, goodness and mercy will follow me.  I will live in his house forever.  That is a promise we have even in the deep, dark and lonesome valley of death.            

Little Lamb bhy William blake

 

In childlike simplicity Blake presents the depths of what it means to be the little lamb.

Little lamb, who made thee?

Dost thou know who made thee?

Gave thee life, and bid thee feed

By the stream and o’er the mead;

Gave thee clothing of delight,

Softest clothing, wooly, bright;

Gave thee such a tender voice,

Making all the vales rejoice?

Little Lamb, who made thee?

Dost thou know who mae thee?

Little Lamb, I’ll tell thee,

Little Lamb, I’ll teel thee;

He is called by thy name,

For he calls himself a Lamb.

He is meek, and he is mild;

He became a little child.

I a child, and thou a lamb,

We are called by his name

Little Lamb, God bless thee!

Little Lamb, God bless thee!

A Model for every Congregation

 

The first lesson for this Sunday, Acts 2:42-47 provides a model for every congregation.  I wonder after all the baptisms on Pentecost, “about three thousand,” if any among those exhausted disciples asked, “Now what do we do?”

At the end of that day, the work of the Holy Spirit was just getting started.  Now these three thousand newly minted believers needed to be brought together in a cohesive group.   The Holy Spirit led someone among the followers of Jesus to develop a plan.

1. “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching.”  Before his ascension Jesus had opened the scriptures first to the two Emmaus disciples and then to all the apostles and disciples.  As John Stott p.uts, “The Holy Spirit opened a school in Jerusalem that day; its teachers were the apostles whom Jesus had appointed; and there were 3,000 pupils in kindergarten.

 

1. They devoted themselves to fellowship.  They had fellowship with God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.  The unity of the Trinity was the model for the church.  They generously shared their possessions with one another and especially those in need.  Their fellowship was manifested in breaking bread together and in prayer.  Likely the breaking of bread included the Lord’s Super as part of the meal.

 

1. They devoted themselves to worship.  The attended the prayer times at the temple together. They also gathered in their homes for prayer and eating together with “glad and generous hearts.

 

1. They devoted themselves to evangelizing.  The work of the Holy Spirit continued through the sharing of the Gospel.  The result was that the “Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.”

 

Using that first congregation in Jerusalem as a model does not mean that every congregation should slavishly do exactly what that church did.  But the marks of that first church are still valid today.  Education, fellowship, worship and gossiping the Gospel are what congregations are called to do even today.