Worship the Lord

Greetings in Christ,

I saw Bubba outside the bakery on an early May afternoon. He is a member of St Peter Lutheran in Greene and the dad of five very active kids. I asked him how things were going, to which he replied, "We might have one supper at home this month." He then recited the family schedule for the next several weeks.

I thought they would be lucky to have one family supper that month.

Looking at our May calendar, I see a month filled with various activities-concerts, games, graduations, and other grandkid events. It's a joy to know that Jackie and I can be present at all these events, sharing in the lives of our Wee Ones.

Amidst the hustle and bustle of our lives, let us not forget the One who eagerly awaits our presence. Our Lord has redeemed us, not just to partake in the blessings of this life but also to be in His presence through worship. It is in this relationship with Him that we find all the other activities of our lives falling into their rightful places.

Blessings in Christ,

Pr. Hatcher

Our Purpose

Greetings in Christ,

"In New York, they preach about virtually everything; only one thing is not addressed, or is addressed so rarely that I have as yet been unable to hear it, namely, the gospel of Jesus Christ... So what stands in place of the Christian message? An ethical and social idealism borne by a faith in progress that – who knows how? – claims the right to call itself 'Christian'. Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

Bonhoeffer attended Union Seminary in 1930-1931 when he made this observation about the Church's witness. I suspect he would make a similar observation today about Christianity as it exists in many places.

There is nothing particularly wrong with seeking justice, equality, and the blessings of life for all. These can be the product of a life lived in Christ. When such concerns take the place of the Gospel of Jesus's death and resurrection, they divert us from the purpose of the Church.

The heart of Christian proclamation is first, middle, and last: Jesus has brought salvation into the world, and there is no other Name by which we must be saved. We begin in Christ to live in this world. We ask the Holy Spirit to shape our lives so that we love the Lord above all else. We ask the Holy Spirit to motivate us so that our every action is one of the love of Jesus at work in the world through us.

In Christ,

Pr. Hatcher

On the New Year

Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place

in all generations.

Before the mountains were brought forth,

or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world,

from everlasting to everlasting thou art God.

Thou turnest man back to the dust,

and sayest, "Turn back, O children of men!"

For a thousand years in thy sight

are but as yesterday when it is past,

or as a watch in the night.

Psalm 90

 

We make much to the coming of the new year. Resolutions are made, dreams are dreamed, and hopes rise. The new year is born, resolutions fail, dreams fade, and hopes do not materialize as planned.

 

As the years accumulate, I find myself pondering life's endings, especially my life. It becomes increasingly difficult to convince myself that I have an unlimited future. Jackie and I have begun to plan for our funerals. We have looked for plots in the Garnavillo Cemetery and are prepared to contact the funeral home to pre-plan our funerals. I have a notebook entitled ‘If You Are Reading This...’ in my study for the family to have when I am gone.

 

As the New Year begins, it is essential to remember that whether it is a year of unbounded successes or the last year we have, God is still God. He has been God long before the mountains were made and will be God after the last atom fizzles out of existence at the end of time.

 

Regardless of what 2024 brings, we know God will be there for us. God our Father is there if we have unending joys or sorrows without ceasing. Let us place our trust and hope in Him for all the days we have before us.

 

Blessings in Christ,

 

Pr. Hatcher

On the New Year

Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place

in all generations.

Before the mountains were brought forth,

or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world,

from everlasting to everlasting thou art God.

Thou turnest man back to the dust,

and sayest, "Turn back, O children of men!"

For a thousand years in thy sight

are but as yesterday when it is past,

or as a watch in the night.

Psalm 90

 

We make much to the coming of the new year. Resolutions are made, dreams are dreamed, and hopes rise. The new year is born, resolutions fail, dreams fade, and hopes do not materialize as planned.

 

As the years accumulate, I find myself pondering life's endings, especially my life. It becomes increasingly difficult to convince myself that I have an unlimited future. Jackie and I have begun to plan for our funerals. We have looked for plots in the Garnavillo Cemetery and are prepared to contact the funeral home to pre-plan our funerals. I have a notebook entitled ‘If You Are Reading This...’ in my study for the family to have when I am gone.

 

As the New Year begins, it is essential to remember that whether it is a year of unbounded successes or the last year we have, God is still God. He has been God long before the mountains were made and will be God after the last atom fizzles out of existence at the end of time.

 

Regardless of what 2024 brings, we know God will be there for us. God our Father is there if we have unending joys or sorrows without ceasing. Let us place our trust and hope in Him for all the days we have before us.

 

Blessings in Christ,

 

Pr. Hatcher

Love Caused Incarnation

Greetings in Christ,

Love caused your incarnation;

Love brought you down to me.

Your thirst for my salvation

Procured my liberty.

Oh, love beyond all telling,

That led you to embrace

In love, all loves excelling,

Our lost and fallen race.

LBW - Hymn 23, v. 4

Dr. Lee Snook, a professor at Luther Seminary, thought this verse from the Advent hymn, O How Shall I Receive Thee, to be the heart of the Father's purpose of salvation. God holds this love in His heart for all created in His image.

The divine love of the Father for us becomes flesh at the birth of Jesus. God's love made flesh lives, suffers, dies, and is raised for us. Our salvation is more than a payment for sin, balancing the scales of divine justice, and restoring God's honor. The love living in the Holy Trinity enfolds us through Jesus, born of Mary in Bethlehem.

The Church has lived in and witnessed this incarnate love throughout its history. It continues to be our joy and responsibility as we observe the season of Advent, enter the joy of the Lord's Nativity, and devote our lives to living out the divine love the Father has sent.

Blessings,

Pr. Hatcher

On Texas

In the aftermath of the Sandy Hook shooting, I was asked if the person who did it was evil. I said then, as I say tonight, 'He may be evil. I know that he was used by evil to do an evil thing.'

I have no easy, simple answers to the slaughter today in Texas. It is a monstrous evil of cruelty that lies beyond imagining. I want to do something to somehow prevent this from ever happening again.

I want to rage at the person who did this. I want to rage at those who I think made it possible. I want to rage against all those who refuse to believe as I do, assigning them some of the blame. I want to, but I know that it will not be the answer. It will only fuel the fires of hate that will ensure this will happen again, somewhere else, to someone else's children.

Perhaps a magic combination of laws will be enacted that will forever prevent such horrors. It may be that someone whose wisdom surpasses my own will see a way to shelter all the innocents from those who are evil or evil servants.

Perhaps I can consider my soul, admitting that the same beast that killed children today resides within me. I must pray for the mercy and forgiveness I need daily so that I will not even contemplate such a horror. Yet it cannot stop there; I must look upon every human being God places in my life, genuinely seeking to know and understand their burdens. I must be willing to face the evil that I know could enslave me, calling it out as I see it enslaving others.

I can name the evils, all the sins we so quickly sell ourselves to, not allowing anyone to comfort themselves with lies about the evil they lust after, as it were a small matter. I must engage in the task of following Jesus, who would not revile even those who crucified him but sought their redemption.

Jesus placed Himself between us and the power of sin and death. He paid with His blood and broken body. He took the cross upon Himself for our sake. He bids us do the same, taking up the cross to confront evil where it arises. He calls us to stand between evil and those it would harm. He calls us out of selfishness masquerading as my privilege. Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote, "Love asks nothing in return but seeks those who need it. And who needs our love more than those who are consumed with hatred and are utterly devoid of love."

How Long, O LORD?

How long, O LORD? Wilt thou forget me for ever?

How long wilt thou hide thy face from me?

How long must I bear pain in my soul,

and have sorrow in my heart all the day?

How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?

Consider and answer me, O LORD my God;

lighten my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death;

lest my enemy say, "I have prevailed over him";

lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken.

But I have trusted in thy steadfast love;

my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation.

I will sing to the LORD,

because he has dealt bountifully with me.

Psalm 13 (RSV)

For some time, I have resonated with this psalm. COVID without end, new cases increasing by the hour, to mask or not, should we gather for worship, hospitals, and nursing homes mostly off-limits, and the virus keeps going.

We had hoped by now our lives would be closer to normal, and they aren't. The pandemic has invaded our conversations, family gatherings; perhaps even our dreams are tainted with the anxiety of the latest variant.

I read a comment about Jesus' healing a leper, asking why God hasn't done something about COVID. How does one answer that question when we have begun to wonder if the LORD has indeed forgotten us?

It is good to remember that this psalm is over three thousand years old. Generation upon generation has asked this question, crying out for an answer that has not come. It is good to remember that we are not forgotten. Yes, disease stalks us, as does death, but they are not God.

We may suffer, we will suffer, for creation groans under the weight of sin. Our hearts and souls may be tried beyond breaking so that all we can see is the darkness, the meaninglessness of human existence without God.

The valley of the shadow is a dark place, a terrible place if we believe we are abandoned to journey it alone. It is in this land of deep darkness His voice is still heard. He gives Himself to us so we might cling to Him in hope when there seems to be none.

Yes, we are weary, and there may be more weariness to come. We may be tempted to think God forgets us. We may be tempted to think so, but He continues to pour out His mercy and grace upon us. He loves us in the dark places, has borne the darkness of sin and death so we might come into the uncreated light of the divine life.

Thanks be to God that when my heart grows faint, He does not abandon., He does not forget.

Knowing the Season

"From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates. Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away till all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. Matthew 24:32–35 (RSV)

'This generation will not pass away till all these things take place...' These words ought to bring us up short. It would appear that the last days should have taken place in the early years of the Christian era. If this is true, what are we doing if the end has already taken place?

Jesus speaks to His disciples in the days before His suffering and death on the cross. They cannot begin to grasp what is about to take place; betrayal, abandonment, denial, torture, humiliation, mocking, ending on a hill outside the walls of Jerusalem.

The sky darkens, and the earth shakes as nails rend flesh, tendons, and bone, the very Word of God-made flesh is crucified. Is there a more tremendous cataclysm than this? The ending of heaven and earth are as nothing next to the agony of Jesus on the cross.

The old age of sin and death's rule over humankind is ended in Jesus' death. The new age of God's everlasting mercy and grace bursts forth from the tomb. All since that hour have been joined to the age to come in their baptism into Christ.

We have seen the end of all things and the dawn of the Kingdom. We are, in Christ, alive in the Living Word, which will remain forever.

On Jesus' Return

And if those days had not been shortened, no human being would be saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. Then if any one says to you, 'Lo, here is the Christ!' or 'There he is!' do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will arise and show great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. Lo, I have told you beforehand. So, if they say to you, 'Lo, he is in the wilderness,' do not go out; if they say, 'Lo, he is in the inner rooms,' do not believe it. For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of man. Matthew 24:22–27 (RSV)

We are reminded throughout Advent that we are not merely preparing to celebrate Jesus' birth. If we are attentive to the lessons of Advent, they speak of His coming again as glorious Lord of all. Remember, Christmas is meaningless without Good Friday, Easter, and our Lord's promise to come again.

Jesus warns us that in the last days, many will seek to confuse or deceive believers. Some will do so because they are incompetent, caught up in the latest social movement popular in some circles of the Church, or wish to be well-liked, even popular among believers.

Others will come to deceive and destroy believers intentionally. These will do so because they hate God, wishing to wound Him by destroying the faithful. Others have fallen into the false belief that they are the latest prophet of God with a 'new word' to proclaim. The most wicked of all will think of themselves as a new messiah or replacement for Jesus.

How can a believer protect themselves from false witnesses and deceivers? The first way is to continue to trust Jesus in His Word. It is evident in Scripture that when He returns, there will be no doubt as to who He is. There will be nothing hidden of His divine majesty nor secret wisdom which must be discovered. As St. Paul writes of that day: "that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Philippians 2:10–11 (RSV)

Until that hour dawns upon us, all we need is the rightly proclaimed Gospel and the Holy Sacraments administered according to the Gospel. Christ has instituted and commanded that we proclaim the Gospel in this way. A Christian requires nothing other than these to remain faithful in Christ.

May Advent prepare your heart for the celebration of the Nativity of our Lord and His glorious return as Lord of all.

The Church

"And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: 'The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars.

" 'I know your works; you have the name of being alive, and you are dead. Revelation 3:1 (RSV)

The Church is the universal, Apostolic, and catholic Body of Christ, which exists in all places throughout all time. It is united with Christ, pure and holy by His unending mercy and grace. Not even the gates of hell will prevail against it.

The Church is also the gathering of believers around Word and Sacrament, who seek to serve and worship the Lord with a common voice. This Church can be seen in the local, synodical and national bodies such as the ELCA.

A Christian is a member of the Church, the eternal Body of Christ, and the Church, the local gathering of faithful. This local gathering feeds us in the faith, strengthening the faith given to us in Holy Baptism.

Without a doubt, our local church is a blessing to us, for there we learn of Christ. The local church can also be the greatest danger to our faith. It is easy to love the bricks and mortar, the stained glass windows, the ethnic heritage of the congregation, our favorite pastor, and more, neglecting Christ.

The church at Sardis had the appearance of a living church but was a dead husk. We can present the facade of a church, freshly painted, well maintained, beautifully decorated, yet have no life at all within the walls of the building.

The Lord and His Church is about witnessing the death and resurrection by which all creation is redeemed. A church that is beautiful to behold, glorious in decor and sound, busy with all the expectations of a socially responsible community, yet has forgotten Christ, is a sick and dying place.

However humble its physical appearance might be, the church that proclaims this Good News is a living church. Our purpose as the church is this and this alone.

Grace Alone

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law, justice and mercy, and faith; these you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel! Matthew 23:23–24 (RSV)

The scribes and Pharisees fell prey to a very common snare to which humans are subject. We distort following the Lord as His obedient servants, a reflection of His love active in the into a way of filling in the imagined gaps in salvation.

We turn the miracle of unending grace by which we are saved and redeemed into a partial work of God that we must complete. We raise personal righteousness above Christ, then insist that others must comply.

"You must invite Jesus into your heart if you wish to be saved." Insisted the Bible study leader. I had joined the study to learn more about Scripture as I had learned little before confirmation. The study was useful but always ended with a prayer time focused on 'inviting Jesus into one's heart.'

At first, I wanted to just that, make a real commitment to God. I wanted to but could never get past the reality of my heart. I could never admit to the group, but the wretchedness of my heart was plain. How could I invite Jesus into that mess?

The human desire to complete salvation leads to hypocrisy or despair. One must constantly do holy things, insisting others do the same, or the charade falls apart.

An honest sinner knows nothing can be done to make the heart ready for Jesus. Indeed, the human heart is hostile to God, resenting anyone save the self seated upon the throne of the heart.

The Gospel is that Christ died and was raised for sinners, of whom I am the foremost. There is nothing I can say or do that merits such mercy. It comes from God alone by sheer grace. Through the gift of the Holy Spirit, we trust the promises of God, and in joy, announce this mercy and grace to others.

On Christ and Power

Then said Jesus to the crowds and to his disciples, "The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat; so practice and observe whatever they tell you, but not what they do; for they preach, but do not practice. They bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with their finger. They do all their deeds to be seen by men; for they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues, and salutations in the market places, and being called rabbi by men. But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brethren. And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. Neither be called masters, for you have one master, the Christ. He who is greatest among you shall be your servant; whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. Matthew 23:1–12 (RSV)

When it comes time to elect a bishop, the' joke' goes around that anyone who desires and seeks to be a bishop should by no means be allowed to be a bishop.

Jesus' teaching about power is contrary to the world's lust for power. Those who seek power often seek it to control others. They may begin with the noblest of intentions; it does not take long for the corrosive nature of power to erode their hearts and souls.

When the devil tempted Jesus, the temptations were not money or sex but the exercise of power. The devil wanted Jesus to misuse the divine power to serve Jesus alone.

Jesus emptied Himself of the divine majesty, becoming humble and obedient unto death. It was not with the armies of the angelic hosts that death was conquered and destroyed. It was the suffering, death, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.

We who are called to follow Jesus will learn to set aside the longings of the world, the lust for power over others so that we might live our lives in Christ and for the neighbor. It is the humble love and mercy of Christ that has conquered sin, death, and the power of the devil. It is this humility we are called to live.

God's Love

But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they came together. And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question, to test him.  "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?" And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it. You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets." Matthew 22:34–40 (RSV)

It is apparent to love the Lord you God with all your heart, soul, and mind. God is God, and He has commanded all things to be; thus, how could we not love Him? If He then bids us love our neighbor as ourselves, could we not also do this?

So simple and far beyond us that we might as well fly up to Mars and bring home a Martian. Only a liar would claim to love God with all their being at all times. Our broken and sinful nature cannot do this. Our self-love is so nearly complete; it is a miracle that we regard God at all, let alone the neighbor.

Yes, we write and sing of love constantly, but it is such a miserable thing next to the Father's love. Jesus rightly teaches us to take up our cross daily, letting our old nature die so that we might be raised a new creation. As the new creation, we forget what we say is love and seek after the love that flows from the abundance of true love with the Holy Trinity.

Within the divine love the Father grants us, we can begin to love God and our neighbor as we have been created to love. As we learn the selfless love of Christ, immersed in His holy love, we can begin to love as the Father has loved us. We begin to love our neighbor as we are loved in Christ.

Reading Scripture

Jesus answered them, “You are wrong, because you know neither the scriptures nor the power of God. For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. And as for the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was said to you by God, ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not God of the dead, but of the living.”And when the crowd heard it, they were astonished at his teaching. Matthew 22:29–33 (RSV)

Every Christian needs to read Scripture regularly and thoughtfully. We are to immerse ourselves in the Word so the Holy Spirit might open our hearts and minds to the message of mercy and grace they contain.

Reading Scripture well is no small matter, for we do not come to it a blank slate. We come with our notions and preconceptions of what we think Scripture says. All too often, such notions and ideas are as wrong as a person could make.

We are blessed to have the words of Jesus as He comments on the Scriptures. His word is trustworthy, for He is the Word made flesh. As Jesus teaches about Scripture, we know we can rely upon his teaching. We may not comprehend it at first, but the Holy Spirit will encourage our growth in the faith.

But they made light of it...

And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a marriage feast for his son, and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the marriage feast; but they would not come. Again he sent other servants, saying, 'Tell those who are invited, Behold, I have made ready my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves are killed, and everything is ready; come to the marriage feast.' But they made light of it and went off, one to his farm, another to his business, while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them.

Matthew 22:1–6 (RSV)

'But they make light of it....' Calendars are crowded with events, hardly time to sit down as a family to eat, work, and investments gnawing away at the hours of the day, something has to give.

God will understand if we can't be in worship again this week. Neglected prayers and acts of charity are suspended until a later day when things aren't so hectic. Days turn to weeks, weeks to months, and God may get a passing thought, but little else. Just too many 'important' things to do.

Still, God is ever-present, inviting us to let go of the excuses, to stop the insane crush of events that steal our minutes and hours. The Father reminds us of our invitation to the Great Feast. His beloved baptized carry His call to come to the Table and rejoice with Him.

But we make light of it; there will be time tomorrow, or next Sunday, certainly Christmas and Easter, then we will give the Father our full attention. The doors to the banquet hall will always be open. We can still arrive just in time.

Or will we?

Proper Use of Scripture

Therefore, beloved, since you wait for these, be zealous to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace. And count the forbearance of our Lord as salvation. So also our beloved brother Paul wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, speaking of this as he does in all his letters. There are some things in them hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other scriptures. You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, beware lest you be carried away with the error of lawless men and lose your own stability. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen. 2 Peter 3:14–18 (RSV)

Dr. Roy Harrisville taught at Luther Seminary, mainly in New Testament studies. He truly enjoyed teaching, using his vast knowledge and humor to imprint the importance of faithful study and preaching.

He had little tolerance for those who twist and distort Scripture conform to their 'unique' theological insights. Once, he was citing all the ways people in recent times have used Scripture badly. He stopped in mid-sentence, looked at us sternly, and said, "Remember, the Bible tells us nothing about rotating the tires on our cars! Don't you dare try to make it say that!"

Chief among the blessings of the Reformation is the opportunity to read Scripture in our language. God be blessed and praised for so great a gift. With this great gift comes the responsibility to read what the Scriptures say. As I tell my confirmands, we do not need to understand all of Scripture perfectly. Those passages that lie beyond us, we are not ready to bear. When it pleases the Father, through the Spirit, they will reveal themselves.

Whatever proclaims Christ is what we must know and share of the Word. There is the heart of every reading, teaching, and preaching of the Word.

Repentance

When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said, "Repent" (Mt 4:17), he willed the entire life of believers to be one of repentance. Martin Luther, Theses # 1 of his 95 Theses.

"What do you think? A man had two sons; and he went to the first and said, 'Son, go and work in the vineyard today.' And he answered, 'I will not'; but afterward he repented and went. And he went to the second and said the same; and he answered, 'I go, sir,' but did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?" Matthew 21:28–31 (RSV)

What a treasure do we have in repentance! We acknowledge that we have sinned against the Father in thought, word, and deed. Our souls know holy grief and sorrow over our sin, not in misery or shame, but freeing truth.

A Christian is honest about themselves, not pretending that we do not sin, or if we do, our sin is a small matter. Repentance will not allow us to act as if we have a right to stand in God's presence. We come before the Father seeking the mercy we do not deserve, trusting in His Grace alone.

What of the sin of those around us? Yes, we will not pretend that they have not sinned. We will not go the way of the world, excusing sin as some form of personal freedom or living out 'my truth.' It is suitable to admonish them, keeping before our eyes the sins that cling closely to us.

The Father's will is that we learn to let go of this world so we might be prepared to live in the new world to come through repentance.

Agony and Ecstasy

For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For when he received honor and glory from God the Father and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased," we heard this voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain.

 ~because no prophecy ever came by the impulse of man, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God. 2 Peter 1:16–18, 21 (RSV)

A good friend once shared that preaching is the agony and the ecstasy of parish ministry. I agree with his observation. As Lutherans, we hold the Word of God in high regard, both in the Scriptures and the sermon.

A sermon is never to be a personal flight of fancy on the part of the preacher. It is never a private platform from which we expound our political beliefs, siding with whatever movement is trending.

A sermon is rooted in the apostolic witness stretching back to the Holy Apostles, who are the living witnesses to our Lord, His death and resurrection. The sermon is a continuation of the Gospel first proclaimed by those who were present at the resurrection.

The agony comes each week as the preacher knows that they are not worthy of proclaiming the Word by themselves. The ecstasy comes through the confidence that the Holy Spirit will create and sustain faith in those who hear the Word despite their weakness.

Thanks be to God who keeps the Word alive in the hearts of those who hear by the Holy Spirit.

Beginning at the End

The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them; they brought the ass and the colt, and put their garments on them, and he sat thereon. Most of the crowd spread their garments on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. And the crowds that went before him and that followed him shouted, "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!" And when he entered Jerusalem, all the city was stirred, saying, "Who is this?" And the crowds said, "This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth of Galilee." Matthew 21:6–11 (RSV)

Some folk rush to the last pages of a novel so they might know how the story turns out. However you might feel about such behavior, this is what the lectionary editors have done with the daily devotional.

At the beginning of Advent, they have jumped to the end of Jesus' story. Instead of allowing us to read the early chapters of Matthew and Luke, our eyes are turned to the beginning of Holy Week.

The more I ponder this, the more I see how correct is the choice. Unless we keep fixed in our hearts and minds the purpose of Jesus' coming, we all too easily get lost in the secular Christmas our culture finds so appealing.

As we look at the decorations, lights, concerts, Christmas cards, and gatherings, we see little to nothing of the Cross. We would keep Jesus in the manger, safe and sound, so the purpose of His coming will not challenge us.

The Holy Spirit will not let us forget that Jesus' birth is without meaning unless the Cross is laid on Him, death snatches at His life, and the tomb is empty on the third day. The world's celebration of Jesus' birth will end on December 26th. Still, we know that He who has come as the helpless Child of Bethlehem will be our Risen Lord and Savior.

New LIfe

For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised. If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile, and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all men most to be pitied.

But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead.

1 Corinthians 15:16–21 (RSV)

Should anyone ever quiz you on what lies at the heart of the Christian faith, the answer is this plain: The death and resurrection of Jesus for the salvation of the world.

This is the Holy Gospel which we receive in Word and Sacrament. Everything else can be stripped away, forgotten, yet shall the Church ever be. The comfort, peace, and joy contained in this simple message are beyond comprehension.

Still, folk make two blunders when they hear this Gospel; both in their way are a denial of Christ and a rejection of His life-giving resurrection.

Some hear the Gospel, rejoice in such wondrous news, yet say, 'Now we must accept the Lord into our hearts." They do believe that Jesus suffered, died, and was raised on the third day. They believe but cannot let go of the all too human desire to have some say in what God chooses to do. Such cannot imagine that the work of the Holy Spirit within us creates and sustains saving faith without any effort on our part.

Redemption and salvation were in the heart and mind of God before the foundation of the world. What the Father had chosen to do untold ages before I was even conceived does not need my ratification or acceptance.

The other folly we are prone to fall into is taking the free gift of salvation seriously through the death and resurrection of our Lord and then going our own way. Such folk tell themselves, 'since Jesus has saved me, set me free, I am now free to do as I please.' These rejoice in the unmerited mercy of God in Christ, then go on to live as if Christ has no further claim on their lives.

Neither takes Jesus' suffering and death seriously, one saying it wasn't quite enough without my consent, the other, now I no longer need to worry about God for I am free. They are each a slap in the face of the Lord. They have yielded to the profoundly human desire to be God.

We are baptized into the death and resurrection of Jesus; through the waters of baptism, we become God's, and our lives no longer belong to us.

We no longer live for ourselves in any way. As we have been joined to our Lord's death and resurrection, we are joined to His risen life. This life is given by the Spirit who sustains it within us. This life understands that the only freedom I now have is in Christ, and His love poured out through us to the world.

The Spirit spoke thus through the Lord's servant, St. Paul:

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20 (RSV)