It's as if Luther is speaking directly to the Church today

Today is February 18th, the day in which God our Father called His servant Martin Luther home to Paradise in heaven. Luther was one of the greatest teachers in the history of the Church, one who boldly and courageously took a stand for the Gospel despite great danger.

Here's a little bit from his final sermon, preached at St. Andreas in Eisleben, on February 15, 1546. The text is Matthew 11:25-30, and as always, Luther explicates the text with faithfulness and forthrightness and applies God's Word to the situation of his day. Luther would die three days later on February 18th.

This is a fine Gospel and it has a lot in it. Let us talk about part of it now, covering as much as we can and as God gives us grace.

The Lord here praises and extols his heavenly Father for having hidden these things from the wise and understanding. That is, he did not make his gospel known to the wise and understanding, but to infants and children who cannot speak and preach and are not knowing and wise. Thus he indicates that he is opposed to the wise and understanding and dearly loves those who are not wise and understanding but are rather like young children.

But to the world it is very foolish and offensive that God should be opposed to the wise and condemn them, when, after all, we have the idea that God could not reign if he did not have wise and understanding people to help him. But the meaning of the saying is this: the wise and understanding in the world so contrive things that God cannot be favorable and good to them. For they are always exerting themselves; they do things in the Christian church the way they want to themselves. Everything that God does they must improve, so that there is no poorer, more insignificant and despised disciple on earth than God; he must be everybody’s pupil, everybody wants to be his teacher and preceptor. This may be seen in all heretics from the beginning of the world, in Arius and Pelagius, and now in our time the Anabaptists and antisacramentarians, and all fanatics and rebels; they are not satisfied with what God has done and instituted, they cannot let things be as they were ordained to be. They think they have to do something too, in order that they may be a bit better than other people and be able to boast: This is what I have done; what God has done is too poor and insignificant, even childish and foolish; I must add something to it. This is the nature of the shameful wisdom of the world, especially in the Christian church, where one bishop and one pastor hacks and snaps at another and one obstructs and shoves the other, as we have seen at all times in the government of the church to its great detriment. These are the real wiseacres, of whom Christ is speaking here, who put the cart before the horse and will not stay on the road which God himself has shown us, but always have to have and do something special in order that the people may say: Ah, our pastor or preacher is nothing; there’s the real man, he’ll get things done!

It is better to be tried than to be puffed up.

The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther (A+D 1483-1546):

What can be set forth to us that is more useful and more suitable for consolation than the example of Peter [walking on the water in Matthew 14:22-36]. He advances on the water to meet Christ. And when he stepped out of the boat, he first walked on the water to come to Jesus. As the evangelist says, he ran with great impetuosity, with heroic and special spirit, because he knew that Christ was there; and he had the Word and the promise of the Word for his petition: If it be Thou, bid me come to Thee on the water" (Matt. 14:28). But soon, when a little wind blows, he wavers and sinks. What now? Where is that great spirit? Why did you doubt?

But it pleased Christ that he should be tried in this way. For if he had not been tried, he would have been puffed up. But it is better to be tried than to be puffed up.  For in this way the promises are retained, and in this way we learn to understand those sobs of the saints, as in Ps. 6:1: "O Lord, rebuke me not in Thy anger." For David, too, was such a great man that God gave him the testimony: "I have found in David, the son of Jesse, a man after My heart, who will do all My will" (Acts 14:22; cf. 1 Sam. 13:14). Yet he prays in this way and struggles with the trials of unbelief and despair.

In this way we, too, have been called, and we have promises that are much clearer and more glorious than those the fathers had. Thus Peter praises this good fortune of ours when he says (2 Peter 1:19): "And we have the prophetic Word made more sure. You will do well to pay attention to this as to a lamp shining in a dark place." Grace and eternal life have been promised and offered to us in a much more glorious way than to them. For the Son has come, and all the promises have been fulfilled. We hear the Son Himself; we have the sacraments and absolution; and day and night the Gospel proclaims to us: "You are holy. You are holy. Your sins have been forgiven you. You are blessed, etc." But what do we do? We still tremble, and we cling to our weakness throughout our life. But why are we not aroused by the example of the [patriarchs, who believed to complete perfgection? I reply that they, too, wer weak, just as we are, although we have richer promises than they had. But it comes to pass as God's voice says to Paul: "My power is made perfect in weakness" (2 Cor. 12:9). for 

God could not retain and fulfill His promises in us if He did not kill that stupid, proud, and smug flesh in us.

Source: Martin Luther's commentary on Genesis 28, pp. 255-56 in vol. 5 of Luther's Works, American Edition, edited by Jaroslav Pelikan, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1968.

A Luther Gem

The entirety of what follows is an insightful post by the Rev. Eric Brown (LCMS). He quotes Dr. Martin Luther and then comments upon it:

Get used to believing that Christ is a real Savior and that you are a real sinner. For God is neither joking nor is He dealing in imaginary affairs, but He was deadly serious when He sent His own Son into the world and sacrificed Him for our sake, etc. (Romans 8:32; John 3:16). Satan – who is alive and well – has snatched these and similar reflections, which come from soothing Bible passages, from you memory. Therefore, you are not able to recall them in your present great anguish and depression. For God’s sake, then, turn your ears my way, brother, and hear me cheerfully sing. I am your brother. At this time I am not afflicted with the desperation and depression that is oppressing you. Therefore, I am strong in my faith. The reason I am strong in the faith – while you are weak and harried and harassed by the devil – is that you may lean on me for support until you regain your old strength.

Note especially that end. . . therefore I am strong in my faith - and the reason. Not because I am awesome, not because I am great - but so that while you are weak and Satan is beating the tar out of you, you may lean against me and I may speak God's Word of life to you so that you regain strength.

And of course, the opposite is true - there will be times when I am weak, when I am beat down and weary - and that those times it may be that you are strong. Why are you strong? Because of your own awesomeness? No - but so that you might speak a word of comfort to me and bolster me to stand in the face of Satan.

Everything in our life, even the strength of our faith, our confidence, those moments of surety which we have - these are for our neighbor, these are so that we might love the neighbor.

I think this is what Romans 1:17 means - consider Romans 1:16-17 - "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. (17)For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, "The righteous shall live by faith."

God's righteousness is revealed, is spoken by me in faith, for the sake of your faith. God's righteousness is revealed, is spoken by you in faith, for the sake of my faith. We constantly proclaim the Gospel to each other, bolstering each other, lifting each other up - and thus we live.

It's a wonderful, wonderful observation. My life is never about me - Just as Christ's life was never about Himself - it's always about you (whoever you happen to be).

HT: Confessional Gadfly

Commemoration of Ruth

Today, July 16th, is a day set aside to commemorate Ruth of Moab, the subject the Biblical book that bears her name. By doing so, we praise God for His mercy and favor shown to Ruth, and through Ruth (as an ancestor of our Lord Jesus Christ) to us. SDG.

Ruth of Moab ... is an inspiring example of God's grace. Although she was a Gentile, God made her the great grandmother of King David (Ruth 4:17), and an ancestress of Jesus himself (Matthew 1:5). A famine in Israel led Elimelech and Naomi of Bethlehem to emigrate to the neighboring nation of Moab with their two sons. The sons marriend Moabite women, Orpah and Ruth, but after about ten years, Elimelech and his sons died (Ruth 1:1–5). Naomi then decided to return to Bethlehem and urged her daughters-in-law to return to their families. Orpah listened to Naomi's but Ruth refused, replying with the stirring words: “Where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God” (Ruth 1:16). After Ruth arrived in Bethlehem, Boaz, a close relative of Elimelech, agreed to be Ruth's “redeemer” (Ruth 3:7–13; 4:9–12). He took her as his wife, and Ruth gave birth to Obed, the grandfather of David (Ruth 4:13–17), thus preserving the Messianic seed. Ruth's kindness and selfless loyalty toward Naomi, and her faith in Naomi's God, have long endeared her to the faithful and redounded to God's praise for his merciful choice of one so unexpected.

  Source: LCMS biographies 

For a prayer today, I commend to you verses 1, 3, 7, and 4 of "For All the Faithful Women" (LSB 855). To God our heavenly Father, in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ we pray:

1 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.

7 For Ruth, who left her homeland
    And ventured forth in faith,
Who pledged to serve and worship
    Naomi's God till death,
We praise You, God of Israel,
    And pray for hearts set free
To bind ourselves to others
    In love and loyalty.

3 O God, for saints and servants,
    Those named and those unknown
In whom through all the ages
    Your light of glory shone,
We offer glad thanksgiving
    And fervent prayer we raise
That, faithful in Your service,
    Our lives may sing Your praise.

4 All praise to God the Father!
    All praise to Christ the Son!
All praise the Holy Spirit,
    Who binds the Church in one!
With saints who went before us,
    With saints who witness still,
We sing glad Alleluias
    And strive to do Your will. Amen.

It's God, All God, and Nothing but God (so help me, God!)

So I'm studying the Solid Declaration of the Formula of Concord and I'm on article II: "Free Will, or Human Power." The status of the controversy which was resolved by the Formula of Concord (formula for peace between the controversial theological points) concerns what power, if any, sinful human beings have to cooperate or participate with God's work of converting to faith in Christ. The following says it all:

In order to explain this controversy in a Christian way, according to the guidance of God's Word, and to decide it by His grace, our doctrine, faith, and confession are as follows:

In spiritual and divine things the unregenerate person's intellect, heart, and will are utterly unable, by his natural powers, to understand, believe, accept, think, will, begin, effect, do, work, or concur in working anything. They are entirely dead to what is good (Ephesians 2:5). They are corrupt. So in mankind's nature since the fall, before regeneration, there is not the least spark of spiritual power remaining or present. No person can prepare himself for God's grace or accept the grace God offers. A person is not capable of grace for and of himself. He cannot apply or accommodate himself to it. By his own powers he is not able to aid, do, work, or agree in working anything toward his conversion. He cannot do this fully, halfway, or even in part—not even in the smallest or most trivial part. He is sin's servant (John 8:34) and the devil's captive, by whom he is moved (Ephesians 2:2; 2 Timothy 2:26). Therefore, the natural free will according its perverted disposition and nature is strong and active only to do what is displeasing and contrary to God (Genesis 6:5).

In other words, there is nothing —absolutely nothing!— we can to bring ourselves to saving faith in Jesus Christ my Lord or even to prepare ourselves for grace. Nothing, nada, nichts, rien, niente! And so what a miracle of God's mercy that He uses His precious means of grace to call us to faith... that (despite all this) we are called by the Gospel, enlightened with His gifts, sanctified and kept in the true faith. Glory to God in the highest! Thanks be to God!

Source: Formula, Solid Declaration, II:6-7, "Concordia, the Lutheran Confessions: A Reader's Edition of the Book of Concord" (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 2005), first edition, p. 551.

Why Luther Is Not Protestant

Today's post is a re-post from Pastor Peters, wherein he comments ably on the article "Why Luther Is Not Quite Protestant," by Phillip Carey of Eastern University. Enjoy...  

[In the article,] Carey examines the logic of faith in a sacramental promise.  In other words, he spends his time comparing and contrasting the role of faith and the promises of God that form the means of grace.  He sees in Luther something not quite in keeping with the way Protestants generally see things.  This is the catholic Luther (the only real Luther) who does not make faith itself the primary foundation upon which conversion, baptismal regeneration, absolution, and the Lord's Supper are based.  According to Carey this is, at least in part, the reason why there is "no revivalist tradition native to Lutheranism" and why the revivalist tradition of Protestantism is foreign to Lutheran understanding of the working of God and the faith that apprehends His work.

For Protestants (read this Calvinists, especially), the certainty of salvation rests upon faith.  Carey has put it this way:  Whoever believes in Christ is saved (major premise); I believe in Christ (minor premise); therefore, I am saved (conclusion).  But for Luther it did not work this way.  For Luther, justification does not require either a conversion experience or a decision.  These are acts of the will that detract from Christ and His work.  The minor premise in all of Luther's approach is "Christ never lies but only tells the truth" - not "I believe..."

So for Luther the certainty rests not on MY faith but on CHRIST and His Word/Promise:  It looks like this, according to Carey:  Christ said "I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" (major premise); Christ never lies but always tells the truth (minor premise); therefore, I am baptized (I have new life in Christ, I am saved, etc.) -- conclusion.

The sacramental Word is wholly external.  There is a great difference between having faith in Christ and depending upon that faith for your new life, justification, and salvation.  The efficacy is in the sacramental Word and not in the faith itself.  This is key to Luther and the key difference between Lutherans and the Protestants.

This is especially pointed when it comes to sacramental absolution.  Calvin thought it wise and good pastoral practice to offer private absolution but not as a sacramental act.  Instead, Calvin saw this as a conditional statement -- conditional upon faith in Christ -- but for Luther this is the unconditional Word of Christ that does what it promises.

Calvin:

    Christ promises absolution to those who believe in Him.

    I believe in Christ.

    [Therefore,] I am absolved of all my sins.

Luther:

    Christ says "I absolve you of all your sins in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."

    Christ never lies but always tells the truth.

    [Therefore,] I am absolved of all my sins.

For Luther, to NOT believe in this absolution is to call Christ a liar while for Calvin the priest can never say these words unconditionally and the absolved must posit his assurance in his or her faith to know that he or she is forgiven.

We could go on and on.... in the end, Carey sees Luther's understanding of justification tied to sacramental piety -- a very catholic understanding, indeed.  While there is much to consider in this article, it does highlight the issues within the LCMS about borrowing from those whose revivalist traditions are in direct conflict with our understanding of the means of grace and the efficacy of Christ's Word and promise.  It goes to the heart of what takes place on Sunday morning and to the nature of what should be sung as the hymns or songs of the faithful.  It challenges those who use the language or vocabulary of Protestantism to speak to those outside the Church and the duplicity of a witness which says one thing and means something other (or maybe not, if, indeed, those who do this have lost touch with the efficacy of Christ's Word and promise as the minor premise of this sacramental piety and liturgical life).

HT: Catching Up On My Reading

"The Only Remedy is the Diligent Study of the Word of God"

As quoted by Rev. Matthew Harrison, Executive Director of World Relief and Human Care... fascinating, eye-opening words from then-LCMS President F. Pfotenhauer, in his 1923 Synod Address:

Our Confessions, therefore declare: “We believe, teach, and confess that the sole rule and standard according to which all dogmas together with all teachers should be estimated and judged are the prophetic and apostolic Scriptures of the Old and of the New Testament alone, as it is written Psalm 119:105: ‘Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path,’ and St. Paul: ‘Though an angel from heaven preach any other gospel unto you, let him be accursed,’ Galatians 1:8” [Formula of Concord, Epitome, Summary Rule and Norm; Triglotta, 777].

Hence, if a church-body wishes to be preserved from party spirit or be cured of this malady when it has broken out, the only remedy is diligent study of God’s Word. The Word of God has the property of unifying and preserving in unity. Those who say that doctrines should not be discussed in order to avoid divisions within the church do not know what they are talking about. Luther writes in the Smalcald Articles: “Therefore the church can never be better governed and preserved than if we all live under one head, Christ, and all the bishops, equal in office (although they be unequal in gifts), be diligently joined in unity of doctrine, faith, Sacraments, prayer and works of love” [Smalcald Article II/IV, 9; Triglotta, 473].

Our Synod has so far been preserved from party spirit. Although its members are scattered over distant lands and differ much as to conditions and manner of living and external interests, still there are no different tendencies, no divisions, among us despite our many frail- ties and weaknesses. It would be unheard of within our Synod to speak of a liberal party in opposition to a conservative party. We are all joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. One and the same spirit prevails in all our district conventions and in all our educational institutions. That such is the case we owe not to ourselves, but to the Word of God, which has been diligently preached and studied in our midst ever since the organization of our Synod and is still preached and studied in our churches and schools, at our conferences and synodical meetings. In our midst the Word of God has revealed its power to create and preserve unity. On the one hand, in divine matters, it permitted no other voice than that of Jesus to gain authority among us; on the other hand, it prevented the adiaphora from becoming so prominent as to estrange and to divide us inwardly, so that they were decided, often after a spirited debate, either by the minority’s submitting to the majority or by the majority’s yielding to the minority when that was demanded by charity.

May the faithful God restrain and ward off from us all doctrinal indifference which seeks to insinuate itself into our midst, so that we may confess with the fathers of our Synod: “Thy testimonies are my counselors.” Then we shall continue peacefully in one mind in spite of the fury of the devil, the world, and our flesh; we shall prove ourselves a salt in this unionistic age and be able to do the great work of the church in a God-pleasing manner. To this end may the Lord bless our present convention!

Let our prayer be the closing sigh of the authors of the Formula of Concord: “May Almighty God and the Father of our Lord Jesus grant the grace of His Holy Ghost that we all may be one in Him and constantly abide in this Christian unity, which is well-pleasing to Him! Amen” [Formula of Concord, Epitome XI, 23; Triglotta, 837].

Does Being Lutheran Matter?

A thoughtful and challenging essay by Rev. Paul T. McCain of Concordia Publishing House.

Today is the 480th anniversary of the presentation of the Augsburg Confession, in 1530. It is also the 430th anniversary of the publication of the Book of Concord, in 1580. Both events are special days in the history of the Lutheran Church. These documents define what it means to be, and to remain, a Lutheran. Are the historical relics of the past, or the living confession of Christians today who call themselves Lutheran? Does being Lutheran still matter?

There seem to be three types of responses to the question, “Does being Lutheran still matter?” One is, “Are you kidding me? You better believe that it matters. Let me tell you why.” Another response is a sort of “mental shrug” to the question, “Well, of course we want to be and remain Lutheran, that goes without saying, there’s no real need to talk much about it though.” And then, sadly, there is this response, “It doesn’t matter. All that matters is being a Christian. We need to focus on what unites us rather than what divides us.” As I watch and analyze events and trends in Christianity and Lutheranism, both in this country and around the world, I am increasingly convinced of two things: first, being and remaining genuinely Lutheran matters more then ever, and second, the reasons why this is true are unclear at best to many people, including many Lutherans.

To be Lutheran is to be a person who says, “This is what God’s Word, the Bible, teaches. This and nothing else is true and correct. The Lutheran understanding teaching and confession of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the most accurate and most faithful to God’s Word. Nothing more, and nothing less, will do, for this is the truth.” In our day and age these sorts of bold assertions are often met with angry responses, such as, “How dare you insist that Lutheranism is actually the true teaching of God’s Word. How can you think you have the truth? All that matters is if a person is sincere about their faith in God.” We live in a time when truth is viewed as something relative, impossible to know for sure. The attitude common today is reflected when we hear things like this, “I have my truth. You have your truth. As long as we respect our differences, that is all that matters.” It seems today that the most important “truth” for many people is their profound doubt that truth can be known, and the conviction that those who claim to know the truth are wrong.

Before we go further we need to clear up a common misconception. While insisting on the truth of Lutheranism, we can never allow ourselves to do so in an arrogant, haughty or self-righteous manner. People who are passionate about the truth of Biblical Lutheranism know that the Bible teaches often and clearly that we are all sinful human beings in need of God’s constant mercy, which He so lavishly gives in Christ. To be truly Lutheran is to receive the gifts of God with humility, repentantly recognizing our great need. It is tempting for Lutherans to be proud and arrogant of their great heritage, but this is a terrible evil! To be Lutheran is to be always mindful of our great sin and our great need for a Savior. To be a Lutheran is to be a sinner calling out to fellow sinners, “Come and see!” Furthermore, we would never want anyone to think that we Lutherans are saying, “We, and we alone, are the only ones who will be in heaven. In fact, you can’t be a Christian unless you are a Lutheran.” Not so! Not at all. We realize that the Word of God is powerful and active, wherever and whenever it is heard, read or meditated on. There are many Christians in other denominations and churches. They are not Christians because of the errors in their churches, but in spite of those errors. Let’s then have none say, “You Lutherans think you alone are Christians.” We have never said that, we have never believed it, and we never will. The reason we insist on Lutheranism for everyone who will listen is because we believe so passionately that it truly is the most correct and most accurate understanding of the Word of God.

Another point that confuses people is the fact that there are so many different churches to choose from. It is an awful mess, so it seems. Yes, it can be confusing, but it really is not as complicated as some would think, or want to maintain. Up until the year 1054 there was basically one unified Christian church, distinct from a number of non-Christian or anti-Christian heretical groups. In 1054 the church divided into Eastern and Western Christianity. By the time of the late Middle Ages, the Western Church, which had come to be known as the Roman Catholic Church, had reached a point of deep corruption, most importantly in what it believed, but also in the morals and life of the clergy and church leadership. In 1517 there began what we know today as the Reformation, when Martin Luther, a professor and monk in Wittenberg, Germany posted a series of “talking points” on the practice of selling “indulgences” by which people were led to believe they could buy forgiveness of sins, for their dead relatives in purgatory. A person has to decide if the Lutheran view of Christianity is correct, or the Roman Catholic view is correct.

After the Reformation, many groups developed from the teachings of persons other than Martin Luther, most notably, two men: Ulrich Zwingli and John Calvin, who did much of his work in Geneva. These two men and their writings gave rise to many churches that can be traced back to and grouped under the general category of “Reformed” churches. In America in the 19th and 20th century there arose many splinter groups from Reformed churches. These would include “Charismatic” and “Pentecostal” groups, along with groups that rejected all denominations and became, in effect, a denomination of their own, the so-called “non-denominational” churches. A decision must be made about which branch of the Reformation is correct.

But there is an additional challenge unique to our century and more so the past half-century. Today, despite all their denominational differences and historic confessions, the vast majority of Christian churches in Protestantism have been nearly overwhelmed by the rise of liberal Christianity. This unites them more so than any other feature of their confession of faith. Historic differences are no longer regarded as divisive since these divisions were based on one group’s understanding of the Biblical text as opposed to another group’s understanding of the Bible. For example, the difference between Lutheran and Reformed views of the Lord’s Supper are very important and based on very serious and clear differences in how the words Jesus spoke at the Last Supper are understood. Liberalism however regards the words of Jesus in the Bible as unreliable. It teaches that we can not be sure that what is recorded in the Bible is true and accurate, therefore, there is no point in being “dogmatic” about much of anything having to do with the Bible. Modern liberalism has swept through all Christian denominations, Lutheran Reformed, Protestant and Roman Catholic.

This impacts our question, “Does being Lutheran matter?” for we have to realize that there are many churches in the world today that claim to be Lutheran but have been nearly entirely overcome by liberal views of the Bible. Therefore, they have compromised away the distinct doctrinal position of Lutheranism. They may still be fond of historic Lutheranism, but no longer insist that it, and it alone, is true and that other views of the Bible are in error. When we ask the question, “Does being Lutheran matter?” It is a question that must be asked first of those who still use the name Lutheran, but no longer insist on the exclusive truth claims of historic, genuine, authentic Lutheranism. Let’s examine the world’s largest Lutheran organization, the Lutheran World Federation.

Clear-headed analysis of what is happening in world Lutheranism reveals that the greatest threat to being and remaining genuinely Lutheran comes from groups that call themselves Lutheran! Let’s think about the Lutheran World Federation, for instance. No organization in the world has done more in the past fifty years to deconstruct genuine Lutheranism than the Lutheran World Federation. It has tolerated, even encouraged, a loose and unfaithful understanding of the Holy Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions, all the while ostensibly claiming a certain identity with them. The predecessor bodies that formed the Lutheran World Federation would not reject and throw out false teachers such as Rudolph Bultmann who worked to “demythologize” the New Testament, casting doubt on the words and deeds of Jesus. To this day the Lutheran World Federation pays mere lip service to the ancient Christian creeds, but tolerates in its midst churches whose pastors and theologians who doubt, and even brazenly deny, the most fundamental tenets of the Christian faith, casting doubt on the miracles of Jesus, His virgin birth, His bodily resurrection, and so forth! A number of LWF member churches have embraced the anti-Apostolic and anti-Scriptural practice of the ordination of women, abortion, and homosexuality. The LWF, despite its claim that it is Lutheran, can not even insist on faithfulness to the most basic of all the Lutheran confessions, Martin Luther’s Small Catechism. The LWF, and most of its member churches, compromised and walked away from the Lutheran insistence on the Lord’s Supper when it entered into all manners of “full communion” with Reformed churches that continue to this day to deny that the bread and wine in the Holy Communion are in fact the body and blood of Christ. The LWF leadership structure has embraced a compromise of the very heart of the Gospel itself with Rome, when it accepted the “Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification” in which it allowed Rome to continue its formal anathema of the Biblical doctrine that we are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, apart from any works. In our own country, we have seen the devastating consequences of this compromising view of Lutheranism in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. It is in full communion fellowship with the most notoriously liberal of one of the most outrageously liberal protestant churches in the world, the United Church of Christ. The UCC does not even insist that its member pastors confess their believe in the doctrine of the Holy Trinity! And, most recently, we have witnessed the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America scuttling even the most basic Biblical teaching concerning human sexuality, gender, family, and marriage, all in the name of love, understanding and progress, so-called. Lord, have mercy!

Within our own Synod there is the constant temptation to want to bury our head in the sand and hope and pretend these situations are not taking place or that somehow, perhaps by magic, they will just all go away or that we can ignore these realities and go on with business as usual. These pressures and theological trends also are at work in conservative Lutheran church bodies. And while it may be the case that the overt liberalism of mainline Protestantism appears to be less of a threat to more conservative Lutheran churches here in the USA. It has been correctly noted that conservative Lutherans tend to be tempted more toward generic Evangelical Protestantism, than the kind of liberalism we see in the mainline protestant denominations. We face the temptation to adopt the methods, forms and appearance of the “big box” non-denominationalism that has little regard or place for the Sacraments, that continually throws people back on to their emotional reactions with God as the certainty of faith, that would shift the focus of the Christian life away from a strong focus on the objective reality of Christ’s saving work, and on to a life that is more about my feelings, and my “decisions” for Christ. Doctrine is downplayed and revivalism and emotionalism become the most prominent parts of church life. A clear confession that God has instituted and ordained an office of the ministry is watered down, in favor of a form of American democracy at work in the Church’s ministry. These are very real and present dangers for conservative Lutherans. The assertion of an inerrant Bible and a belief in the miracles recorded therein is no substitute for a firm adherence to the Confessions of the Lutheran Church, not merely in a polite nod toward them, but actually implementing what they teach about Lutheran doctrine and Lutheran practice among us. Replacing the historic liturgical worship of the Lutheran Church with entertainment-worship styles, that is, suggesting we can take up the style of Evangelicalism, without threatening the substance of Lutheranism among us, is a false and misleading dream.

Does being Lutheran matter? Many would suggest that to insist on being and remaining Lutheran is to insist on what divides us from other Christians rather than on what unites us with them. “I’m more interested in people being Christian, rather than Lutheran” is a comment one actually hears these days quite often, sadly and tragically, even from Lutheran pastors. Clearly this is something we must be on our guard to avoid. Being Lutheran is not a matter of culture, tradition or habit, at least it should not be simply that. No, being Lutheran is about being passionate about the truth, the full truth, and nothing but the truth as revealed by God in Holy Scripture. As much as we care about the truth of God’s Holy Word and the proclamation of a pure and unadulterated exposition of the Scriptures, being Lutheran matters. Martin Luther was concerned that people would be using his name, but then he realized that using the name “Lutheran” was a way to identify with what he stood for, to identify with his confession of the Gospel, in other words, to clearly identify oneself as a person who holds to a specific confession of Christ and none other. There are so many competing points of view of what Christianity is. Being Lutheran therefore is a way to distinguish and teach and confess and bear witness to the Christian faith in a very specific and faithful way.

Being and remaining truly Lutheran takes courage and determination. It is not easy. Faithfulness to the Word of God is never easy, or convenient, or popular. This places unique demands on our pastors and congregations and our church body, since we are determined to be and remain truly Lutheran. Dr. C.F.W. Walther, the first president of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, offers important insight in his masterful study of Lutheranism titled The True Visible Church on Earth.

Contrary to our detractors, the Lutheran Church has never claimed to be the only church outside of which there is no salvation. No, not at all. We do believe that the teachings of the confessions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, the Book of Concord of 1580, are in fact the pure, divine truth, because they agree with the written Word of God on all points. It is for this reason that the Lutheran church, and consequently our Synod, demands of all members, especially of our ministers, that they acknowledge the Lutheran Confessions without reservation and show their willingness to be obligated to them. And it is precisely because we so value and honor the purity of the Gospel given as a gift to us that we stand with Scripture (1 Cor. 1:10; Rom. 16:17) and our Confessions (AC VII; FC SD X) in rejecting every fraternal and ecclesiastical fellowship that rejects the truth of the Lutheran Confessions, either in whole or in part.

This is why we say that being and remaining Lutheran does matter. We Lutherans therefore have no choice but to keep on standing up, and calling up for true, orthodox, confessional Lutheranism. We want no poor imitations, but the real thing. We will continue to call for complete faithfulness to God’s Word and the Lutheran Confessions, recognizing the blessing that such faithfulness has been since the time of the Lutheran Reformation. Our desire is always to be maximally faithful, not merely minimally so.

With this call for faithfulness comes the Lord’s call for outreach. In no way must we ever permit ourselves to pit faithfulness against outreach. Faithfulness to the Word results in outreach with the Gospel. Faithful outreach is based entirely on a faithful proclamation of the Word. The constant hallmark of a genuinely Lutheran Synod, and a genuinely Lutheran congregation, is this two-fold emphasis: faithfulness to Scripture and the Confessions, and outreach with the Gospel.

God forbid that we would ever apologize for wanting to be, and remain, a truly Lutheran church, or that we would ever hesitate clearly to speak up when we notice others walking away from the truths of the Word and the Lutheran Confessions for the sake of unity, which is no unity at all, since it is not based on agreement in the teachings of the Word, but only on an agreement to disagree! Thus, we pray that the Lord would continue to strengthen and embolden us to be a true, faithful and courageous Lutheran church body, to the glory of His holy name and the extension of His kingdom.

It is particularly interesting and encouaging to me to notice how many younger people are keenly interested in Lutheranism. They want substance in worship and in Bible study and in every aspect of their church life. They want authenticity, not the showy and manipulative hype that their parents and maybe now even grandparents found so alluring in the past several decades. They have been raised in a culture that at every turn is trying to manipulate them into buying something. They have had enough of that. They see how shallow it is and they want instead substance and content and rich depth of meaning. This is where Lutheranism excels, for we rejoice in the depths of God’s truths, not resting content with simply “once over lightly.”

We wonder why, when people have a choice, they leave the Lutheran church. Why bother to remain Lutheran if there is nothing anything worth remaining for? If the differences that distinguish Lutheran from any other option in Christendom are never mentioned, or made to appear no more important than picking amongst various ice cream flavors, is it any wonder why people leave our congregations to find “greener pastures” in other churches? That is why the constant challenge we face is gently, pastorally, warmly and winsomely to be working hard at reinforcing good understandings and encouraging careful thinking and reflection, helping our people to see the issues of our day, and thereby recognizing and appreciating the fact that Lutheranism is the best option for anyone who wants to remain genuinely faithful to God’s Word.

So, how does one remain Lutheran? Fond hopes, fervent wishes, pious prayer? Yes, all that, but more. The old Benedictine motto: “Ora et labora” applies! Pray and work and then, pray and work some more. Teaching is key. We must disciple people into the truth. This involves long, hard work. Passion, energy, excitement, dedication, enthusiastic desire to pass along the truth-these are key to being and remaining Lutheran. Nothing is more exciting than the truth, and if that is so, shouldn’t our attitude toward it be equally one of excitement and energy and conviction? If Lutheranism appears to be dreary, dull and plodding whose fault is that but ours? High-quality intensive teaching is the key to the future of Lutheranism. We sing, “Lord, keep us steadfast in Your Word” and then we work to make it so among us, for our sake and for the sake of those who will come after us.

Does being Lutheran matter? Yes, it matters. It matters as much as being and remaining true to Christ and His Word and Sacraments matters, as outreach with the Gospel matters, and as loving our neighbor matters. May God bless our efforts, and may He guide our work together in this high calling and noble task of being, and remaining, genuinely and faithfully Lutheran.

Source: http://cyberbrethren.com/2010/06/25/does-being-and-remaining-lutheran-still-matter/ 

Silence in the Divine Service

So my article for our congregational newsletter in July is going to talk about a number of different actions and gestures that I do in leading the Divine Service (worship) that require a little teaching in order for their significance to be fully realized. It's inspired by Pastor Weedon in a post from last year. One of the things that I don't mention in this forthcoming article is the use of silence.


And yet, silence is an important part of the Divine Service. For example, in the service (after the Invitation to confess our sins), there is "silence for reflection on God's Word and for self-examination. Despite the fact that the hymnal specifies the reason for the moment of silence, people often wonder what's going on. It's a break from everything that competes for our attention. It allows us to meditate on God- on His Word and on our failure to follow it. Silence allows us to consider the sins we need to confess before Him.


One that's a little more difficult is the moment of silence before the Collect of the Day. The Collect of the Day is a brief historic prayer that summarizes some of the thoughts of the Gospel reading. The moment of silence before the Collect is more difficult because the editors of our hymnal (Lutheran Service Book) opted not to mention the moment of silence in the pew hymnal; the silence is only mentioned in the Altar Book where it says: "The presiding minister faces the altar. A brief silence may be observed. The presiding minister may raise his outstretched hands in the gesture of prayer while speaking or chanting the COLLECT OF THE DAY." The silence, then, recognizes that the pastor's "Let us pray" is an invitation; the congregation is thereby invited to lift its prayers in silence to God. The collect that follows then "collects" those individual intercessions and gives them voice.

In any case, the next time there is a moment of silence in your congregation, don't wonder "what's going on? Is the pastor confused?" Instead, use the God-given opportunity to collect your thoughts and offer them to God. Pray to the God of heaven and earth for God's unmerited favor. And trust that -because of Christ Jesus and His cross- you will receive all the benefits of that cross— peace, favor, grace, and love. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Holy Trinity Sunday

So yesterday was the First Sunday after Pentecost. It was a wonderful celebratory service - with sung introit, confessed Athanasian Creed and wonderful Trinitarian hymns. Included was, of course, Reginald Heber's (A+D 1783-1826) "Holy, Holy Holy."

   Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
       Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee;
   Holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty!
       God in three persons, blessèd Trinity!

   Holy, holy, holy! All the saints adore Thee,
       Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;
   Cherubim and seraphim falling down before Thee,
       Which wert and art and evermore shalt be.

   Holy, holy, holy! Though the darkness hide Thee,
       Though the eye of sinful man Thy glory may not see,
   Only Thou art holy; there is none beside Thee,
       Perfect in pow’r, in love, and purity.

   Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
      All Thy works shall praise Thy name in earth and sky and sea.
   Holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty!
       God in three persons, blessèd Trinity!

Praying as a Family

From Pastor Peperkorn (pastor of Messiah Lutheran Church, Kenosha WI), as published on his Lutheran Logomaniac blog:

Prayer isn't something that just comes naturally. Prayer must be taught. Our Lord Himself demonstrates this when He teaches the disciples how to pray. He says,"Pray then like this: "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name…" (Matthew 6:9 ESV) We know that God both hears and answers our prayers. We know that it is a great benefit and blessing. But thanks to our old sinful flesh, we pass on our desire to hide from God and refuse to talk to Him. Our children learn not to pray from us.

Praying as a family can be almost as hard as praying alone or praying in your marriage. In some respects, it is even harder. How do you find the time? What if I don't want to pray? What if the kids are acting up or there's a game on that I want to watch? The reasons not to pray seem to go on and on.

The great thing about the Christian faith, though, is that it is never too late. Each day begins anew. Things can and do change. They can get better. How important is that to remember, as we bask in the glow of the resurrection!

So then, let's get to it. Here are a few simple steps to help make prayer a part of your common life together as a Christian family:

• Do it. Nike got it right. You don't debate whether to brush your teeth or eat breakfast in the morning. Christians pray. It's that simple. Think through how to make this a habit . It typically takes about six weeks to establish a habit. Give yourselves that six weeks. Make reminders. Put a note on the steering wheel or on the fridge (or on the remote control!). Make a commitment that as a family, we are going to pray together once a day (plus meals, which we will cover next month).

• Keep it simple. The Lord's Prayer and Luther's Morning or Evening prayer would be a great place to start. We've done that for years in our family, especially while our children are young. But by making that a part of our life as a family, it has slowly been ingrained into us and our children.

• Teach the words. Children learn how to speak from their parents. They learn how to pray from their parents, too. Give them the language of faith. Be deliberate about it. By being deliberate about it, you are telling your children that this is important, and that it is worth learning and doing. Start with the Lord's Prayer, and then work your way out to other prayers.

• Give yourself the context to succeed. You know your own family. When are they going to be the most likely to actually hear and pay attention? Nine o'clock at night? Right after supper? Right after breakfast. Each family is different. I would encourage you to think about what is prime time for your family, and then figure out how to work prayer into that prime time. If your children are tired, crabby and just want to either go to bed or fight with each other, that may not be the best time to work on praying.

• Don't despair! It is very easy to get discouraged with children. It's work. But it is totally worth it.

This is a gift you can give to them that will literally last forever. Pray for patience for yourself and your spouse. Pray for your children, that they learn how to receive God's Word and speak back to Him what He has given to them.

The blessings will flow from this. Believe me. I hope you're ready!

+ God be with you +

Pastor Peperkorn

[From the April 2010 Messiah's Messenger

The Great Fifty Days

What great joy, what rejoicing lives in the hearts of God's people during these fifty days. As Easter, the Feast of the Resurrection of Our Lord, is the Queen of All Feasts, so the Great Fifty Days of Easter is the heart and center of the Church Year. Alleluia! Christ has risen! He is risen indeed. Alleluia!

The following text is from the LC-MS website:

Just as the calendar year is divided into the seasons of winter, spring, summer and fall, so does the Church divide its calendar into seasons like Advent, Epiphany, Lent, etc. The weeks following the celebration of Jesus' resurrection are often called the Easter season. There is, however, another phrase that was historically used to designate these days: The Great Fifty days.

The Great Fifty Days begins with Easter Sunday and concludes on the Day of Pentecost. (The word Pentecost actually comes from the Greek word for fifty.) The seven weeks that span the time between Jesus' resurrection and the sending of the Spirit are sometimes even called a "week of weeks."

During these fifty days several customs are often observed that assist in highlighting the festivity of the season.

• The paschal candle is moved from its normal place near the baptismal font to a prominent place near the altar.
• The liturgical color of white is used during the entire fifty days-longer than at any other time of the church year.
• The "Alleluia," which is omitted during the penitential season of Lent, is restored to the liturgy as the premier expression of joy celebrating Jesus' resurrection. 

While such customs may or may not be celebrated in every parish, they point to the fact that the fifty days following Easter are a time of profound joy for the people of God.

Alleluia! Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed! Alleluia!

The Resurrection of Our Lord

Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!
The tomb is empty.


The grave could not contain Him!


It never could contain Him!


Christ lives and lives forever!


And because He lives, we shall live also!


Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

Rejoice now, all you heav'nly choirs of angels; rejoice now, all creation; sound forth, trumpet of salvation, and proclaim the triumph of our King. Rejoice too, all the earth, in the radiance of the light now poured upon you and made brilliant by the brightness of the everlasting King; know that the ancient darkness has been forever banished. Rejoice, O Church of Christ, clothed in the brightness of this light; let all this house of God ring out with rejoicing, with the praises of all God's faithful people (the Exsultet, or Easter Proclamation).

Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

Sermon for the Sunday of the Passion A+D 2010

Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.   Amen.

From palms... to passion; from exuberant joy... to somber grief; from shouts of "hosanna" (John 12:13)... to calls to "crucify him" (Luke 23:20). This Sunday has everything. It begins with the waving of palm branches in procession, it ends with the cross. As a result, over the years, this Sunday has had a number of different names. In some times and places it has been called Palm Sunday... in other times, Passion Sunday. We Lutherans use both: because, well... you see... you really can't have one without the other. Take the palms, for example. Palms are part of our Lord's Passion, yes, but they are not the only thing. Palms without the cross are like leaves and branches without the tree. The world isn't saved from sin by a palm tree but by the tree of the cross, and the passion of our Lord who hung on it.

The Passion of Christ. From the Latin "passus," meaning 'to suffer,' as in the Apostles' Creed: "passus, mortus, et sepultus est." He suffered, died, and was buried. Out of His passion to save the world from sin and death, our Lord endured His passion.

In any case, that is our theme for today—  the dramatic move from Palms to Passion on this Palm Sunday and Sunday of the Passion.

Time permits but a few highlights. We will hear these things in greater depth and detail during the course of this week. On Thursday, we will rejoice in the upper room and the Supper of Jesus' body and blood. On Friday, the cross and the Crucified One. On Saturday, His rest in the tomb and our Baptism into His death. And on Sunday, the open, empty tomb and the glory of Jesus' resurrection. For today, just a few things.

It starts out as you heard in St. John with Jesus being welcomed into Jerusalem as a king, riding a donkey in peace, with palm branches waving. "Hosanna!" the cry goes up. "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Hosanna" — "save us," the traditional way to greet a victorious king coming home from battle. But this King is headed toward His battle, into holy war with sin, death, and devil.

Half a week later it's the Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread. The time is Passover. The setting is a borrowed, upper room. The Passover lamb is killed, bled to death at the temple. Roasted in the fire until well done. The four cups of wine are filled. The table is set with bitter herbs and unleavened bread. With sour bitterness on their tongues, the disciples hear Jesus speak of His betrayal. One of His own will do it. He knows this — He even knows which one it will be. And yet Jesus allows that betrayal... for us. This is His passion to save.

It's at that same time that Jesus takes the unleavened bread, the Bread of Affliction, gives thanks, breaks it into pieces, and gives a piece to each of the disciples. "This is my body, given for you" (Luke 22:19) He takes the third cup after the meal, gives thanks, and gives it to each of them. His cup is theirs to drink. "This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood" (Luke 22:20). His body and His blood, soon to be offered on the altar of the cross, here He gives as food and drink. He is the Bread of Life, the Wine of heaven. He gives the very same Body and Blood to you here today - for your forgiveness, life, and salvation. This is His passion to save.

They head to the place called Gethsemane. He is deeply distressed and troubled. The sin of the world weighs heavy on Him. It drives Him to the ground in prayer. "Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me.  Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done" (Luke 22:42). He prays for us all, for everyone who has cried out in the silence in an hour of despair and death, and heard nothing return from the silence. He prays, "Thy will be done" (Matt. 6:10) as He taught His disciples. And the will of His Father is that He should drink the bitter cup and die for the world. This is His passion to save.

He is betrayed with a kiss, a sign of friendship, and arrested like a criminal. They come with "swords and clubs" (Luke 22:52) against this gentle Shepherd, who healed their sick and brought good news of the kingdom. For this, you see, is the hour of darkness (Luke 22:53). It is Satan's hour... not ever the hour that Jesus longed for... not ever the hour that Jesus wanted... but still the hour Jesus willingly underwent, for this is His passion to save.

Jesus is brought before the Sanhedrin, the religious high court. The priests, elders, and teacher of the Torah examine Him... to accuse Him: "if you are the Christ, tells us" (Luke 22:67). Every religion must ask this question, and hear the answer. Who is this Jesus? Is He the Messiah, the Son of God? "You say that I am" (Luke 22:70), He says... alluding to the great Old Testament name of God, Yahweh, the great "I Am Who I Am" (Exod. 3:14) adding to that the promise that "from now on the Son of Man shall be seated at the right hand of the power of God" (Luke 22:69). Really?!? That's what He chooses to say? He's either a liar, a lunatic, or He is who He says He is. There is no other option. You can't say, "He's a great prophet, a great teacher, a great example, a great anything" unless you also say that He is "the Christ, the Son of the Living God" (Matt. 26:63).

At that, Religion renders its verdict. In their eyes, Jesus has condemned Himself by speaking blasphemy. God in the flesh is a blasphemy to man's religion, which wants to keep God nicely in a box on a shelf somewhere in heaven. God in heaven is safe; God dwelling in the flesh among us is a threat to our religions, our attempts to be gods in place of God. Jesus endures it all silently. He offers to apologetic, no protest. It has to happen this way. His rejection is the world's salvation. This is Jesus' passion to save.

And so He's brought before Pilate, the Roman governor, the representative of Caesar. He taught His disciples to render unto Caesar, now Caesar will render unto Him (Mark 12:17). To the heavy handed world of Politics, Jesus is a threat to the peace, a usurper to the throne, a troublemaker, a subversive. King of kings and Lord of lords, yet His kingdom is not of this world. Pilate shakes with fear at the glimpse of an authority greater than His own. One day every knee will bow to this King. But not this day. For Christ is silent and makes no defense (Luke 23:9).

Pilate tries to cut a compromise. Political correctness isn't new to our day. He offers the people a way out, a choice - Barabbas the murderer... Barabbas the terrorist... or Jesus the messiah. Who would want the likes of Barabbas loose on the streets? But Barabbas goes free, and Jesus goes to His death. The guilty one gets off, the Innocent One dies. He becomes our sin, we His righteousness. This too is His passion to save.

And so the die is cast. The Creator of the World stands condemned by the world and is led away by soldiers through the city. Through the city to a place called "the Skull" Led through the city to a place called "the Skull" to hang an innocent man among thieves. Jesus... Jesus the Christ, Jesus the King, Jesus the Son of God. He is all these, and more, hanging there in the darkness, forsaken by His Father, that forgiveness might be won. This is His passion to save.

Dear friends in Christ, faith (Christian faith) is a passion for the Passion of Jesus. The bad news is that you and I have no credential to wave before the Lord. No perfect work that makes us pleasing to God. We cannot  —we must not— try to justify ourselves. That's the bad news. The good news is you and I already have all that you need to stand before God on the day of judgment: the passion of Jesus - His suffering, death, and burial. Your Baptism declares it; the Supper confirms it. He is passionate to save you.

The peace of God –which surpasses understanding– guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.