The Lutheran Review

Matthias, Called up from the Minors

Spring training for baseball has just begun.  When Judas went down to the injurious sins of greed, betrayal of Jesus and unrepented remorse, Matthias was tapped to fill out the roster and bring the team of disciples up to full strength.
After Jesus Ascension, the disciples devoted themselves to daily prayer in the temple.  A number of women were present including Mary, Jesus mother. His brothers were also present.  About 120 of Jesus’ followers were gathered when Peter brought up the need to, “Let another take his (Judas) office.”  
Peter set out the qualifications.  He must have been with them continually from the time when John was baptizing until Jesus’ ascension.  The new No. 12 would join the 11 disciples in witnessing to Jesus’ resurrection.  It was witnesses to the resurrection of Jesus that turned the Mediterranean world from paganism to Christ. We, the church, might well see ourselves as the 13th disciple.
Two men were nominated to wear the no. 12, Joseph nicknamed Barsabbas, and Matthias.  The disciples prayed that the Lord, who knows the hearts of everyone, would show them which one He had chosen. The lot fell on Matthias.
We know little of Matthias beyond what we have in Acts 1.  Tradition places his missionary work in Ethiopia.  The LCMS follows the old tradition of remembering Matthias on February 24.  The Roman Catholic Church moved the day to May 14 so that it fell after the celebration of Jesus’ resurrection.  Other church bodies have followed suit. Prayer St, Matthias’ Day: Almighty God, you added your servant Matthias to the company of the apostles.  Grant that your church may always be taught and guided by faithful and true pastors; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
“By all Your Saints in Warfare,” LSB 517.
For one in place of Judas,Th’ apostles sought God’s choice;The lot fell to MatthiasFor whom we now rejoice.May we like true apostlesYour holy church defend,And not betray our callingBut serve You to the end.      

Polycarp

There are websites that offer a certificate of ordination for $9.95.  What a deal.  However, if I had spent only the $9.95 instead of nine years getting a certificate of ordination, then I may never have heard of Polycarp.
Polycarp is a link back to the apostolic age.  He was born about AD 69. He was a disciple of the evangelist John.  He was martyred on February 23, AD 155..As bishop of Smyrna (a large commercial city that is located at the end of a gulf off the Aegean Sea) he wrote a letter to the church in Philippi, where Paul started a congregation on the western side of the Aegean.  His letter addressed the conduct of the people and the leaders in the church. “Let us, then hold steadfastly and unceasingly to our Hope and the Pledge of our righteousness, that is, Christ Jesus, ‘who bore our sins in his own body on the tree, who committed no sin, neither was guilt found on his lips;’ but for our sakes he endured everything that we might live in him.”
Arrested after a member his household betrayed him he was paraded through the city on a donkey.  As he entered the arena a voice spoke from heaven, “Be strong, Polycarp, and play the man.”  His executioners tried to persuade him to save his life by renouncing Christ.  In response he said, “Eighty-six years I have served him, and he never did me wrong.  How can I blaspheme my King who saved me?”  A letter written back to the church at Smyrna called, The Martyrdom of Polycarp encourages believers even to this day.  His name meant “bears much fruit.”  So he does.
He was tied to a stake.  As they were about to light the fire, he prayed, “I bless you because you have deemed me worthy of this day and hour to take my part in the number of the martyrs, in the cup of your Christ, for the resurrection to eternal life.”
Prayer O God, the maker of heaven and earth, You gave boldness to confess Jesus Christ as King and Savior and steadfastness to die for the faith to Your venerable servant, the holy and gentle Polycarp.  Grant us grace to follow his example in sharing the cup of Christ’s suffering so that we may also share in His glorious resurrection; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.”

Ashes

 

A prospective member called yesterday asking what the ashes on Ash Wednesday meant.  Using ashes on Ash Wednesday is a relatively new practice for many Lutherans.  We (Bob Reinhardt and I) started offering the imposition of ashes about 30 years ago in Immanuel, Marshfield, WI.  Since many of us had grown up with anti-Catholic sentiments we were tentative about it with the adults.  It was their choice and still is.  With the children in the Day School we simply went ahead with putting ashes on everyone.  Now these children are well into adulthood and have never known a time when we didn’t use ashes on Ash Wednesday.

Back to the original question.  After a practice has been in place for a while we tend to think that everyone must know the meaning.  So when the question came to my attention I needed to look into it for a good satisfactory answer.  It turns out that my older material from the days when Lutherans had ash less Ash Wednesdays doesn’t mention ashes.  The newer material apparently assumes everyone already knows.

The short answer for ashes on Ash Wednesday is that they are a sign of the need for repentance.  In the bible ashes are coupled with dust and sackcloth to indicate sorrow, repentance and mourning.  Thus when the ashes are applied we say, “Remember you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”  (Gen. 3:19) God created us from dust and when we die we would become part of the dust again.  Of course, we have coffins and sealed vaults to prevent that.

When Abraham was trying to convince God to spare Sodom he said, “I who am but dust and ashes.”  He wanted God to know that he was not trying to put himself on God’s level.   God is forever.  He is mortal.

Job sat in ashes scraping his boils.  His three friends joined him as a show of comfort and sympathy.  They tore their clothes and threw dust over their heads.  The psalmist confesses that God has loosed his sackcloth and clothed him with gladness.  Nineveh, from the king to the donkey donned sackcloth in response to Jonah’s one sentence sermon.  In his condemnation of Chorazin and Bethsaida Jesus declares that had he done his mighty works in Tyre and Sidon, they would have long ago repented in sackcloth and ashes.

We will get the ashes today on the forehead in the form of the cross to remind us not only of our sin and mortality but of Christ’s victory over death, dust, ashes and the need for sackcloth.
Have a blessed Lent

 

 

 

 

Fat Tuesday

 

Becky and I were out walking Saturday morning, when a group of young men and women came out of a house.  “They’re going to Mardi Gras,” she said.  I murmured, “I can’t imagine going there.”  I tend to be grumpy about Mardi Gras.  “How many of them will be at an Ash Wednesday service to receive ashes,” I grumble.  The message board at St. Lucas UCC, announced Faschnacht.  They are serving pancakes.  I’m not supposed to have pancakes.

We do have Transfiguration Sunday.  I wore my multicolored stole.  But I think next year, if I’m still at it, I will suggest a celebration that weekend.  In 2013 Transfiguration Sunday is February 10.  In the last couple of days I’ve started to take on a new attitude toward Mardi Gras or Carnival.  My Lenten Source Book published by the Arch Diocese of Chicago has a section on “Carnival.”

Here are some examples:

There is nothing better for mortals than to eat and drink and find enjoyment, for these are from the hand of God. (Eccl. 2:24)

Come, therefore, let us enjoy the good things that exist, and make use of the creation to the full as in youth.  Let us take our fill of costly wine and perfumes, and let no flower of spring pass us by.  Let us crown ourselves with rosebuds before they wither.  Let none of us fail to share in our revelry; because this is our portion, and this our lot. (Wisdom 2: 6-9)

One will have to give account in the judgment day of every good thing which one might have enjoyed and did not.  (The Talmud)

We might remember that David danced when the he brought the Ark of God back to Jerusalem.  His kill joy wife disapproved and was made barren for the rest of her days.  Isaiah describes a time when God  will prepare for all people  ”a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine, of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined.”  Jesus often described his coming as a wedding banquet.  His first miracle was to provide an overabundant of the best of wines for a wedding celebration, when the host’s wine had run short.  And we dare not forget the image of celebration in Revelation 21-22.

My heart won’t permit much dancing, I’m not supposed to eat pancakes and rich foods.  However, I dug out my bright yellow Green Bay Packers T shirt to wear under a red shirt.  Let the celebration begin, for tomorrow its ashes and sin. 

 

 

 

 

Looking on the Face of God

Transfiguration Sunday, Immanuel Chapel 2012 Exodus 34:29-35

            Frederick Buechner writes in his book “The Hungering Dark” of sitting in a college town theater watching the movie La Dolce Vita.  The movie opens with a helicopter flying slowly through the sky.  Hanging below, in a kind of halter, is the life-size statue of a man dressed in robes with arms outstretched.  It flies over a field where men are working with tractors.  One yells out, “Hey, it’s Jesus.” They wave their hats and hop around and yell. It passes over a rooftop swimming pool surrounded by a number of girls in bikinis.  They look up and start waving.  The young men in the helicopter hover a bit, circle and try to communicate that they would only be too happy to return when their mission is accomplished.

            The reaction of the college crowd in the theater was to laugh at the incongruity of it all.  A sacred statue of Jesus dangles from the sky, on the one hand, and profane young Italians and young bathing beauties on the other hand.  One made of stone, out of place in the sky on the end of its rope, others made of flesh, so bursting with life.  The helicopter continues on its way.  Soon the dome of St. Peter’s looms from below.  For the first time the camera starts to zoom in on the statue with its arms outstretched “until for a moment the screen is almost filled with just the bearded face of Christ-and at that moment there is no laughter in the theater…there was something about that face, that made them silent.”  Buechner concludes; “I think that is much of what the Christian faith is.  It is a moment, just for a little while, seeing the face and being still.”

            Today we see the face of the transfigured Christ.  The disciples on the mountain were beyond words, “for they were terrified.”  Martin Luther writes, “I would not have you contemplate the deity of Christ, the majesty of Christ…divinity may terrify man.  Inexpressible majesty will crush him.  That is why Christ took on our humanity, save for sin, that he should not terrify us but rather that with love and favor he should consol and confirm…now is overcome the power of sin, hell, conscience, and guilt…if you come and believe that he is come, not to judge you, but to save.”  Thus Jesus charged his disciples not to tell anyone of what they had seen until he had risen from the dead.

            When Moses came down from Mount Sinai a second time, he did not hear singing, but encountered fear.   He had been in the presence of God for forty days; the skin of his face shined and they were afraid to come near him.  Something of the divine glory remained with him.

Moses thereafter wore a veil during the routines of daily life to dim the glory.  However, he uncovered his face when he entered the tent of meeting to speak face to face with God.  With uncovered face he spoke face to face to the people, the word which God had given him to him.  He was the pastor, prophet, preacher called by God to speak his authoritative word to God’s people.  His uncovered shining face became the sign that when he spoke, he did so with the authority of God.

We have something of that sort of thing in the church today, except in an opposite way.  Martin Luther must have been responding to a complaint about their pastor when he said, “Infinite and unutterable is the majesty of the Word of God, and we can never thank God enough for it. Human reason, however, thinks: ‘Ah, if I could hear the Lord, the Creator of heaven and earth, I would run to the end of the world.’”  Luther continued, “Listen brother, God, the Creator of heaven and earth, does speak with you through His preachers; it is He who baptizes, instructs, and absolves through ministry of His sacraments.”  That may be one of the reasons the church has seen fit to dress its pastor, prophet, preacher in white garments and bright stoles.  The preacher who has been in the presence of God reading, studying, and digesting God’s word during the week, on Sunday, speaks that word in the presence of his people.  The preacher’s face doesn’t shine, but in the white garments with which he covers his body, he emulates Jesus glory on the Mount of transfiguration.  He is a sign that his message of salvation bought with Christ’s red blood on the cross transfigures our scarlet sins, to the whiteness of new fallen snow.  The garments are an outward visible sign that God has called this person occupying the pulpit to speak the word which he has heard from the presence of God in scripture during the week.  The white robes look forward to that time when someone says of us, “These are they who have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”

But the glory which shined from Moses face was a reflected, imperfect glory.  The glory that the pastor proclaims is a glory filtered through a frail human being.  There is only one who can show us the true glory of God. The glory of Jesus Christ is not a reflected glory.  As Jesus said, “I and the Father are one.”  John wrote of him in his version of the Christmas story, “We have seen his glory, glory as of the only son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

That the glory of God was filled with grace and truth is not limited to the New Testament.  When Moses came down from the mountain carrying the tablets of the testimony he had been in the presence of not only the giver of the commandments.   The Lord declared that he is merciful and gracious; slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty.”  Moses prayed, “O Lord please…pardon our iniquity and sin and take us for your inheritance.”

The pardoning of our sin and iniquity and the guarantee of our inheritance in heaven did not occur when the glory shone round about the shepherds in the field at his birth.  They were sore afraid of that glory.  In the shame and shattering of crucifixion, Jesus glory is demonstrated most clearly and strongly.  In the cross we see the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Just as transfiguration did not take place in the temple in Jerusalem, but on a barren mountain top; so any moment or place can be a place and time of transfigured glory.  Before, the council meeting Tuesday evening, I visited Harry Kolaks at Christian North East. When Harry spotted my communion kit, he said, “Good, you brought communion.”  As I set up for the sacrament a young lady came in with some medicine.  Harry asked where she went to church.  Then he said, “Do you know what communion is?  It’s the blood of Christ for the forgiveness of all our sins.  Is that right pastor?”  I answered, “You got it Harry.”  It had dawned on me that that hospital room had been transfigured through the presence of Christ in the sacrament.

Today we leave behind the Alleluias.  We enter lent singing, “In the cross of Christ I glory.” We sing our repentant way through Lent until we emerge in the season of the resurrection singing,

He is arisen! Glorious Word!

  Christ victorious,

Rising glorious, Life is giving.

 He was dead but now is living!

          This Lent look on the face of Christ who makes it possible for the pastor, prophet, preacher to say, as we go on our way, the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious unto you…and give you peace.

 

 

 

 

Martin Luther's Heavenly Birthday

 

Luther’s earthly birthday was November 10, 1483 in Eisleben, Germany.  His heavenly birthday also occurred in Eisleben on February 18, 1546, when he died at the age of 62.  In between his earthly and heavenly birthdays God used him to turn Europe upside down.

He began by following his father’s wishes that he be a lawyer.  However, a close encounter with death led him to study theology and enter an Augustinian monastery.  He was ordained in 1505 and received a doctorate in theology in 1512.  While a professor at the newly established University of Wittenberg his scriptural studies led him to question many of the church’s teachings and practices.

He is remembered as a reformer of the liturgy, translator of the bible and the father of German vernacular literature.  His writings number to more than 50 volumes.   In his own judgment the greatest of all of his works was his catechism, written to instruct people in the basics of the Christian faith.

During his many trials as a reformer, he lived as an outlaw much of his life, remembering his baptism sustained him.  His core doctrine is that for the sake of Christ God declares us righteous by grace through faith alone.    

 

Picture of Jesus

David Garibaldi: Jesus Painting from Thriving Churches on Vimeo.

Missionaries to the Slavs

 

Ever wonder where the Cyrillic alphabet originated?  No?  Well I’m going to tell you anyway.

February 14, is the day to remember two brothers, Cyril, his actual name was Constantine, (827-868) and Methodius (825 – 885).  They were born to a noble family in Thessalonica in northeastern Greece.  Cyril became a priest and undertook a mission to the Arabs.  He then was a professor and the librarian at the cathedral of St. Sophia in Constantinople.  Methodius became a governor in a district settled by Slavs.  Both then retired to a monastery.  In 861 the Byzantine emperor sent them to work among the Khazars northeast of the Black Sea.  In 863 the ruler of Greater Moravia asked for missionaries.  He wanted someone who would work in the local language rather than Latin.  They translated the liturgy and much of the Scriptures into Slavonic.

However, Slavonic had no written form.  They invented an alphabet using Greek letters as the basis.  When two similar sounds in Slavonic each needed a letter they would use a plain letter followed by a fancy letter. Thus in Russia a “plain a” is written “A”.  A “fancy a” is written like a backward “R”.  When no Greek letter sufficed, they used a Hebrew letter.  (Perhaps someone who actually knew what they were writing about could do a better job here.)

When they encountered German missionaries representing the Holy Roman Empire founded by Charlemagne who insisted on uniformity in language and culture they went to Rome to plead their case.  Charlemagne was crowned Emperor by Pope Leo II on Christmas Day in 800.  The brothers brought with them some purported relics of Clement the bishop of Rome in about 100.

They were received with honor.  Constantine entered a monastery and took the name Cyril, by which he is now remembered.  Thus the Cyrillic alphabet is named after Cyril.  He died a few days later.  Methodius was sent back to Moravia with full authorization to use the Slavonic language in worship.  However, he ran into trouble with those who now ruled the area.  He was deposed and thrown in prison for two years.  Pope John VIII secured his release and instructed him not to use the Slavonic liturgy.  He was summoned to Rome in 878 to face charges of heresy.  He was cleared and given permission to use Slavonic.  He died April 6, 885.

When I read the actions and politics of the church such as we have with Cyril and Methodius, I’m amazed that the church has lasted 2,000 years.  We need ever to pray,

Almighty and everlasting God, who by the power of the Holy Spirit moved your servants Cyril and Methodius to bring the light of the Gospel to a hostile and divided people: Overcome all bitterness and strife among us by the love of Christ, and make us one united family under the banner of the Prince of Peace; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.     

 

 

We Shall Dance

Epiphany 6, 2012, Immanuel Chapel, Psalm 30

Psalm 30 v.11 You have turned for my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness.

Nearly every day I walk through St. Lucas cemetery.  The residents’ are a quiet and laid back crowd.  Their below ground homes are marked by staid stones of granite, with names and dates carved upon them.  But if I am walking at 1pm on a nice day, I can see little bodies bobbing up and down moving on one of the roads that passes between the immovable granite stones.  These are preschool children on their way to the playground set in one corner of the cemetery.  In the midst of death they are life and liveliness.  They are a sign that our old enemy, death, will not be forever dragging us down to its basement apartments.

One day the trumpet of God will blow and our Lord Jesus will return and call forth that quiet crowd who populate the cities of granite.  Those who were let down into their underground homes trusting in Christ’s cross and empty grave, though their bodies were worn and broken, though they went down surrounded by mourning and grief, will burst forth into the light of Christ, changed, given imperishable bodies.  The Lord will, according to his promise, turn their mourning into dancing.  Then they will be free and able, with joy filled hearts, hands, legs, and feet, to dance upon their graves.

  The writer of Psalm 30 begins, “I will exalt you, O lord, for you have drawn me up…you have brought up my soul from Sheol.”  In some way he had descended into the pits like Joseph, thrown into the well by his brothers or Jeremiah cast into an empty cistern by his enemies.  Clinging to the rope of faith the Lord had pulled him out of his deep well of despair.  He rejoices because the Lord has not let his foes dance upon his grave.

I wonder how Homer and Janet Drew are hearing Psalm 30 this morning.  Their story was featured on the sports page of Friday’s edition of the Post Dispatch.  Homer had retired as basketball coach of Valparaiso University last spring.  Son Bryce took over as coach.  Like many retired couples they had planned to travel, to spend more time together.  Their oldest son is coach at Baylor University.  Daughter Dana had her basketball number retired at Toledo University this weekend.

In September, Homer and Janet were diagnosed with cancer, his prostate and hers bladder.  They had surgeries one week apart.  He is recovering well.  She is in the fourth round of chemotherapy.  Theirs is a story of life, love and the Lord.  In many ways it’s the story of our lives, things going along swimmingly, then it all changes.  It’s a story of love as Homer, often absent during his coaching days, now surprisingly, at least to his family, devotes his time to caring for his wife.  It’s a story of the Lord.  Son Bryce said, ‘So, it has changed the plans somewhat.  But God is good, and we’re being faithful.”  Older son Scott said, “The good thing is I know they’re going to Heaven when they pass, so I don’t have to worry about that.”  Daughter Sana mentions twice that she feels blessed living only minutes away after spending more than a decade in Europe where her husband played basketball, and for the good times they had before both were diagnosed.”

But falling into the pit from which only God can pull us out is not limited to illness.  The pit that saps our life can be long term difficulty in finding a job, or trapped in a job from which one dare not escape.  Family crisis, abuse, unfaithfulness, divorce, addictions, depression all can leave us in the pit.  The psalmist cried out to God for help “and you have healed me.” The word translated “healed” is also means “saved.”  And what pit is there in which our Lord has not already entered?  What depths of death and despair has he not already experienced?  What cross might we bear that he has not already born?

Remember the Gospel lesson?  “A leper came to him, imploring him, and kneeling said to him, ‘if you will, you can make me clean.’  Pay particular attention to this, “Moved by pity, (Jesus) stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, “Be clean.”  Do you know what that meant when Jesus reached out and touched him?  The man was clean, but Jesus became unclean.  Jesus had turned the leper’s mourning into dancing. Jesus changed his life of separation from people, into one in which he could come right up to another person and, “Shall we dance?” Jesus took off the man’s life of sackcloth and clothed him in garments of gladness.  In his gladness he danced right out and “began to talk freely about it and to spread the news.”

The Psalmist continues, “For (God’s) anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime.  Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.”  What may seem like an endless time of living in the pit is but a moment in time when compared to the great compassion of the Lord.  St. Paul writes to the Corinthians, “For this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.”

Once more the psalmist takes us back to the time of his affliction.  He tells us of an interesting argument he used with God.  “What profit is there in my death, if I go down to the pit?  Will the dust praise you?  Will it tell of your faithfulness?”  What a great argument.  “God you created me to praise you.  And I have invited the congregation to join me in singing your praises and giving thanks to your holy name.  Well, if you let me die, you won’t get anything out of it.  The value of the praise rising up to you will be diminished without my voice.  We will both lose out.  But if you pull me out of my situation, it’s a win win situation.  I praise you and you get the praise you want.”   

 Yesterday, I met with the elders at IHOP.  At one point in our rather freewheeling discussion, one of the elders opined that I would like nothing better than to be able to just keel order in the middle of a sermon.  In other words, die doing what I enjoy doing.  I had to think for a moment.  Then I said, “I’m having too much fun to die.”  To go down into those underground edifices. 

When I think of the Psalmist’s question, I picture God asking himself that question.  “What profit is there in the death of Ron Jansen?“  The Lord has turned for me the mourning of my doctors and the life of sackcloth that they foresaw last June, into joy of the daily dance of ministry and clothed me with gladness; that I might continue to praise the Lord and tell of his faithfulness.

Let the words with which the psalmist concludes be our words as we praise him for our life and salvation, “O Lord my God, I will give thanks to your forever!”    We shall Dance.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Double Team

Double Team

I found the article about former Valparaiso University basketball coach Homer Drew and his wife Janet who have both been diagnosed with cancer to be a story of life, love and the Lord.