For Your Amusement

Stop by The Wittenburg Door for an amusing take on CCM. Warning: If you lack a sense of humor, skip it.
The only thing missing is the key change!

Christmas Past

I suppose it is too early for Christmas memories, yet there are a few things that come to recollection from Decembers when I was younger.
I remember the cookie making--especially persimmon bars--and wrapping gifts to my dad's holiday records. I remember decorating the Christmas tree with all the ornaments, even the gaudy ones, much to my mother's chagrin, and sitting in the darkened living room on the floor in front of the wall heater with the tree lights on--what a sight!
More than these domestic memories are the memories connected with Advent and church. First there was midweek church services. I cannot recall a time when my parents did not go to midweek services during Advent.
Then there was the preparations for the Christmas concert. The school choir and the adult choir always held a concert at church in mid-December, and the program was nearly always the same. The children's choir and adult choir would alternate and congregational hymns were interspersed throughout. We began with "Prepare the Way" and Advent; we ended with "O Come All Ye Faithful" and "Silent Night".
School children became part of the choir in 3rd grade. By the time I was in 2nd grade I was familiar with the songs and could not wait to sing with the older kids. Our favorite was a piece called "Tiny King". By the time I was in 8th grade I had lost count of the number of times I had sung the song, but I had moved up to the stage of accompanying the choir. It was a wonderful piece to sing, and an exceedingly fun piece to play.
Congregational members were eligible to sing with the adult choir in 8th grade as well. That year was a busy concert for me--I hardly sat down all night! I thought my last Christmas concert was my senior year of high school, but it turned out that I was able to make it home for one when I was in college, and they still let me sing.
Christmas Eve was the standard children's program. My siblings and I were involved the years we didn't go out of town on Christmas Eve. It was the typical recitation of the Christmas stories and the oldest boy and girl always got to play Mary and Joseph. I will ever remember my father saying, "Remember, speak slowly and distinctly." The children always received the traditional bags of candy and nuts and oranges on Christmas Eve.
Advent, Christmas, and December have changed for me over the years. I still go to church during Advent, but there is no longer a choir concert. I do not have to memorize passages for a Christmas Eve program or get a bag of candy afterwards. All these changes, yet one thing never does: We are still in Advent. We still wait for Christ's coming. We still prepare to celebrate Christ's birth. We still say come, Lord Jesus.

"Tis the Season to Be Pensive

I should know better. I should never allow myself to get off during class; however, sometimes I don't mind the direction the conversation is going, and I'm one of those types who take the soapbox when one can get it. Too bad it always backfires. I often come out of these discussions feeling slightly frustrated. Our postmodern society has shaped the mindset of our children. They have learned well what it has taught them. “You can believe whatever you want, as long as that is what we tell you. If your beliefs conflict, that’s okay too. Don’t tell anyone they’re wrong, for you are wrong to say they’re wrong.” It thought seems to have eradicated logic. I wish to help my students understand and think, yet I fear they or their parents may perceive it as indoctrination. If only I were better at communicating this kind of stuff. . .

Get Your Programs Here

Could someone explain to me why we need programs to get people in the church door? Sure, be welcoming (nobody likes an unfriendly bunch). Sure, invite the community in. Why, however, does the church need to market itself like another commodity supplier? Why does it have to have community open house events just to make its presence known?
Maybe I’m being too harshly critical at worst, or idealistic at best. In a theoretical world, people would show up at our churches seeking pure doctrine and Christ crucified. That is not reality, of course. I’d say that we Lutherans have a pretty good thing going here. Too bad that stuff called original sin has to muck it all up.
It just appears that we seem to be missing the point. It’s not about numbers—either in the pews or in the plates. Okay, reality check again. Without numbers in the pews or in the plates one cannot sustain. On the other hand, whose job is it to grow the church? That’s a rhetorical question, in case you’re wondering. You know the answer is not people.
Okay, I can hear it now: “What about the great commission?” Sure, but one has to remember--going and making disciples isn’t like going and making a bird house. Yep, here’s your disciple; let me make another for you. A pastor who is much smarter than I explained it to me once: Making disciples is actually a verb. Go and disciple (discipling, discipled, had discipled, if you want to conjugate it). It’s a process that is continual. How? Word and Sacrament. Catechesis. It is the cooperation of the laity and the pastors. The laity have the workaday world contact with people. They are the ones who can initiate the connection. That should be the contact to get them in the door. Then the pastor can do his job.
Programs and bait-and-switch tactics cannot sustain a congregation. If a person is looking for single parent support groups, pick-up basketball games, and community dinners; let me direct you to the community center down the road. I won’t go to them looking for forgiveness; why should they look to me for a synchronized swimming program?

'Tis Also the Season

It was not enough to put a picture frame in the nativity scene. It apparently is en vogue to make the nativity fit what whatever group one wants. If you want the Veggietales cast to portray the nativity scene, you can. If you are the hardcore outdoor type (or live in an uber-rural area such as northern Skaskatchewan), you can procure a set with either moose or bears.

Is the incarnation not enough that it must be replaced with bears, moose, or vegetables? Is creation more interesting than the Creator sending His Word to be flesh? Maybe it’s just marketing and Jesus doesn’t sell without a shtick. . .

Ecumenical Children

According to the news story, a local woman is considered the first female “Catholic” priestess to give birth. She gave birth to a boy on Wednesday. According to the story, she is part of the Ecumenical Catholic Communion (ECC), which is not recognized by the pope. I guess there is much Roman Catholic doctrine to which the ECC does not hold.
Incidentally, the priestess’ husband is a pastor at a United Church of Christ congregation, which makes their son truly ecumenical.

They Have the Flag!

I was going through the mail today and found a “Praise Banner” catalog. Browsing through, I found two pages of “Flags for Praise & Worship.” The write-up says the following:

Since Old Testament times, God’s faithful followers used flags to praise Him and proclaim His victories. Recapture that majesty with our NEW Flags for Praise and Worship.

Hm. . .Makes me think of a high school drill team, flag team, whatever you want to call the eye candy which marches with a band and waves the flags. Sure! Let’s bring the spectacle of a football halftime show into worship. Don’t get me wrong: I love halftime shows. (My motto: It’s not football season; it’s marching band season.) I’m just not exactly sure how one fits in the divine service.

It makes me want to say to the company, please don’t mail us these catalogs—we’re Lutheran. Then I realize that there are nominal Lutherans who probably use Flags for Praise and Worship. (Why is that capitalized?) It makes me want to eat Oreos—a whole container of ‘em. As my friend once said, however, “You can’t always run out and buy Oreos.” I sure won’t be running out to buy and Flags for Praise and Worship, that’s certain.

Eight Months Later. . .

Jean-Paul Sarte said in his 1938 novel Nausea that three o’clock is either too early or too late do anything. I agree—mostly. There is one thing that three o’clock (okay, 3:05) is just perfect for.—listening to “Issues, Etc.” live on the internet.
I am glad that I was right and wrong. I was concerned that when “Issues, Etc.” came back on the air it wouldn’t be the same show. It is and it isn’t. The focus (Christ-Centered, Cross-Focused) is still the same. The wit of the host is still the same. The quality guests are still present. The thing that I sense has changed is that the show is the same only more so. There’s a deeper quality to the topics and guests. Maybe I just took it for granted the first time around.

Neihardt Was Ahead of His Time

I once read this clever piece:

“The Life Cycle of an Idea” by David A. Roach

1. The ignorant superstition of naked unwashed savages.

2. Outrageous blasphemy, and an affront to all which is right and holy.

3. Dangerously reckless speculation, but there may be a grain of fact in it somewhere.

4. Well, the obvious truth: so transparently self-evident, even a child could see it!

5. The commonly accepted explanation, true in most situations, but on very close inspection there are some serious loopholes.

6. Traditional and conventional lore, but to be honest about it, we just stick with it because nothing better has been formulated.

7. Obsolete thinking, pretty much discredited in enlightened circles, although a few die-hard supporters of the notion can be found.

8. Hilarious hokum, but the imbecilic delusions of by-gone days teach a broader
lesson: it is unwise to accept anything, no matter how plausible, at face value.

9. The ignorant superstition of naked unwashed savages.

Why does one have to be stupid to believe in something that is not commonly accepted? These days it is our faith. Yet there is much commonly accepted that is less credible to reality than a bush which burns but is not consumed.

John G. Neihardt has a short story entitled “The Last Thunder Song.” I highly recommend reading it. Published in 1904, this story was prophetic inasmuch as the author penned some statements regarding the characters’ views of religion which are parallel to modern times.

The whole premise of the story is that the Omahas are having a rain dance to end a drought. The narrator makes the two following statements to set the reader up: “. . .the old men carried with them long memories and an implicit faith. The young men. . .carried with them curiosity and doubt, which, if properly united, beget derision,” and “The old men went to a shrine; the young men went to a show. When a shrine becomes a show, they say the world advances a step.” At the rain dance a preacher and a newspaper man have the following conversation:
“Lamentable, isn’t it [said the reporter], that such institutions as rain prayers should exist on the very threshold of the twentieth century?”
“I think, returned the minister, “that the twentieth century has no intention of eliminating God!”

The ironic part, of course is that our culture looks upon Christianity as the newspaper man looked at the Omahas. Many of those who were raised in the church look upon religion as the young Omahas looked at the old Omahas. Not that I am equating true Christianity with a false religion, but let the reader be aware. There is little sacred.

Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire

How we are so good at fabricating and believing lies! In our fallen, sinful state, we do this as we view ourselves more important than God. Adam and Eve set the pattern when they first believed the serpant's lies, then they hid, then they blamed everyone else. David also, he took his neighbor's wife then lied, trying to hide his mistake and eventually committing murder to cover his sin.
Today our world abounds with lies. There is the lie of evolution. All the natural world came together by chance? Yet the complexities on the cellular level show this cannot be so. Still it is taught as truth and fiercely defended.
There are the lies of morality. Some say babies in utero are not people and are to be eliminated, if necessary. Others fight for their right to hook up casually, test marriage without actually getting married, redefining marriage to be something it is not nor cannot be, and each uses their sexuality in whatever manner is best for their own personal desires; never once do they question right or wrong.
There is the lie of right and wrong. If it feels good, do it. As long as you're not hurting anybody it's okay. You're only in trouble if you get caught. Nobody uses such an archaic word as sin unless they're Bible-thumping fanatics. It was just a mistake, error in judgement, or poor choice.
The most problematic lie is truth. Too many people want to redefine truth. Truth is found only in God's Word. This is the lie Satan encouraged our first parents to fall for; it is the lie he still encourages us to fall for today. "You don't need God," he sneers. "There are other ways, other roads, other truths, other, other, other." Yet truth is found only in Christ who is the way, the truth, and the life.

Public Notice of Religious Events

The Saturday Post-Dispatch always has a religion section, and in this religion section is a listing of events for the week. Some highlights:
Today: Lead Now!—a workshop for leading 20 and 30-somethings with “innovative ideas”. Sad to say, this is being sponsored by an LCMS congregation.
Tomorrow: a spiritual growth class which talks about how a cup can be an image of prayer.
If you don’t like cups, try the “Jazz Vespers”. I guess the polka masses are only in Minnesota.
If neither of those sounds interesting enough for you, there’s the seminar on “troublesome Biblical texts”; at which they will discuss how disturbing texts in the Bible (those which deal with violence, gender bias, etc.) can be revelation.
On Tuesday there is a discussion on Biblical and contemporary ideas of violence.
One might want to check out the presentation on “Secret Rosicrucian Symbols of the 16th and 17th centuries on Thursday at the Rosicrucian Lodge.
The “Dances of Universal Peace” sounds like an event not-to-be missed. There is even an opportunity for audience involvement to join in on dances from “many different spiritual traditions. . .”
I suppose some of these are very good, theologically hard-hitting discussions. Then again, some of them seem like bait-and-switch. Maybe I’m just a cynic. Who cares how they come in, as long as they come in, right?
I’m thinking that maybe I’ll just head on down to the Tap Room on Monday for the Aquinas Institute of Theology’s event: Theology on Tap. After reading these notices, I might head on down before Monday. . .

Conference Thoughts

Being at conference makes me feel schizophrenic in the sense that I tend to have divided attention. I am divided between ideology and practicality; theology and reality. Not that any of these are mutually exclusive; it is just that trying to find the middle ground of application, juxtaposition and synthesis is very difficult a task.
Add to the above the experience of rubbing elbows with people you know, people you knew, people you really don’t want to run into, people you really want to run into, people who knew you when, and people who know you way too well.
All this adds up, at least for me, to an experience of reflection, learning, and growth. Some things about myself I don’t want to change, but know I must. Some things I must not change, but outside forces exert pressure on me to change. Then I look at vocation and realize it is not me but Christ. My growing in my skill is so that I can become better in my vocation so as to serve Christ’s people better. It’s making the connection that is the challenge; it is Christ in whom we trust.

Freedom

If I were a real writer, I would be able to explain myself better; however, I will do my best to convey my thoughts. Maybe it’s just because I’m on my second Monday this week. . .
I tried to go here yesterday as I pondered the fact that it was Martin Luther’s birthday and the anniversary of the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald; now I’m back to it today as it is Veterans’ Day and my brother’s birthday. I keep thinking how much we take for granted.
We especially take freedom for granted. Here it is, I live in the United States of America , a country which touts its freedom. I can paraphrase Tootie in Meet Me in St. Louis : “How lucky I am to be born in my favorite country!” I don’t know what it is like to live in a land where I need to be fearful of the leaders, lest they kill me for not holding the same ideology. I don’t know what it is like to live in a land of intense poverty. I don’t know what it is like to live under a king, a czar, brutal military rule, communism, or a spittle-ridden fascist dictator.
We live in a country rife with freedom; yet, how little we think of it. We can mock our leaders; believe in one God, no God, multiple gods, or ourselves as god; we can even bear arms and vote.
It seems as though freedom is so commonplace that we have become slaves. We are so free that we have freed ourselves from the responsibility which freedom entails. We are so free that we have freed ourselves from the morality which freedom requires. Once one sheds morality and responsibility, one opens the self up to slavery. If I cannot be responsible for my own actions, I become a slave to others telling me what to do; or worse, I become a slave to irresponsible and irrational behavior. I expect the results of freedom without realizing there is a price. If I am immoral or amoral, I am a slave to chaos. If my mantra is “if it feels good, do it,” then I am a slave to pleasure-seeking. Freedom, responsibility, and morality must work in concert.
I look at yesterday—the birth of the great reformer and the death of 29 hard-working sailors; I look at today—the life of a sibling and the sacrifices of so many men and women: I see the ebb and flow of human existence, which is birth, life, death. We cannot take these for granted. We must not take liberty for granted. For our true liberty in is Christ. He is not some mere moral teacher, nor is He a distant God off in the cosmos. No, He is Jesus, true God and true man. He was born, He lived the life we could not, He sacrificed Himself for us and died our death. All this so that we might be freed from slavery to sin. This we can never take for granted.

'Tis the Season

It's the day I wait for every November: the annual Concordia Publishing House sale, the sale where I can get cheap organ music. I mean, I can buy quality organ music at a discounted price--I suppose they don't make cheap organ music because why write music for cheap organs; likewise, those who wrote organ music that was cheap stopped writing organ music years ago and began writing praise choruses--but I digress.

After I finished in the discount tent, I did what probably every other person who attends the CPH sale does: I went into the store to see what I couldn't find outside. The store had much Advent and Christmas inventory out. Advent wreaths from classic to contemporary were out, along with nativity sets. As I was browsing, one nativity set caught my eye. It was a resin nativity, complete with most of the characters, as well as a picture frame. My first thought was, "Huh, a nativity picture frame, that's kind of cute." My second thought was, "Wait a minute. . . What does this say? Are we trying to upstage Jesus?"

What is the point of a picture frame in a nativity scene? Is it because Christmas today is a time for family and, for the nominally religious, the nostalgic rememberance of Baby Jesus that we have to blend the two concepts; thus shoving Jesus out of the manger and putting ourselves in?

I couldn't find an image of the one I saw in the store, but I found two others for sale, both equally distasteful as the original. The second had a description:

Nativity Scene Picture Frame is an inspirational gift of love. Nativity Scene Picture Frame features a 3-D Christmas tree with a nativity scene in the front and a Christmas scripture on the base. The Christmas scripture reads, "...A Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. Luke 2:11" The Christmas red picture frame fits snugly into the side of the 3-D Christmas tree with nativity scene and is held firmly by a magnet. Both the picture frame and Christmas tree with nativity scene can be displayed separately, too. This unique Nativity Scene Picture Frame for an inspirational Christmas gift will become a family
keepsake.

I suppose I shouldn't complain: At least they mentioned that Christ is the
Savior.

Election Day

In another few hours, Election Day will be behind us. As of this writing, some polls are closed. Returns are coming in, and my husband has taken up his chair to settle in with Brit Hume and Fox News for the duration. I am in the other room, hoping that the candidate for whom I voted wins.
There are many things about this election I have not liked. I have not liked the duration. When did these guys announce that they were running for president? Was it 2004? I have not liked the rancor and insinuations. I have not liked the way age/gender/race played into how people viewed the candidates. May the most qualified be elected--I don't care if you're a purple female or a green male--the constitution does state you have to be over 35, but I can live with that age issue.
The economy became a huge issue as of late. I still don't see that trumping things like national security and right to life. I've said it before; a government that does not care about life does not honestly care about its people.
This is where it is difficult to have dual citizenship. I know that no matter what happens today, God knows what will happen to His people, and He will work all things together for our good, as St. Paul says in Romans 8. It is still human to be concerned with what happens in America with a presidential change. It is becoming increasingly difficult to be a Christian in America. No, we don't have to worship underground or risk imprisonment for praying; yet, it is becoming harder to stand for truth, justice, and mercy in a society which creates its own truth, defines justice as finding the right loophole, and mercy is for those who want it, not those who need it. (Since when did pity trump empathy?)
Well, until they haul us all off to jail or the looney bin (because they've re-defined lunacy as someone who disagrees with them), I guess what we have to do is live our vocation and be salt and light and stand for the truth and pray for our leaders. They've got a tough job ahead of them, no matter who they are. And Christ died for them too--that we dare not forget. . .

I see it every time I drive past; I even look for it. There is a decrepit brick building on the side of I-70 when one is heading into downtown St. Louis. Graffittied on the uppermost point is a notice in an original font which reads "Red Fox 4gives you." I find this sign most mysterious.
First, who is Red Fox? Why is he--I'm making an assumption here--so magnanimous? What has the unspecified "you" done to wrong Red Fox? Is Red Fox speaking to a specific or general, singular or plural "you"? If the ubiqutious Red Fox is spreading around 4giveness to the general public, what makes him think the general public is in need of his 4giveness?
I suppose it's a purely human trait to rebel against forgiveness. For to assume forgiveness is to also assume wrongdoing. If Red Fox thinks we are in need of his 4giveness, he also believes we have transgressed him in some manner. That makes almost anyone bristle. "Who is this guy who thinks we did something against him? We don't even know what we did; who is he to 4give us? What makes him think he has the right to judge us? I don't need his stinking 4giveness."
Forgiveness (or, for that matter, 4giveness) is worth nothing when one does not know for what one is being forgiven. That forgiveness is also worth nothing when one does not know the party doing the forgiving. Law and Gospel must work together: for without the Gospel, the Law brings despair; without the Law, the Gospel either induces more Law [rebellion] or carries no meaning [I'm forgiven, so what?].
Red Fox may 4give me. . .I wonder why.

For All the Saints

I used to brag about not not crying at movies and such silliness. Then it happened. . .in high school literature class that we watched the Masterpiece Theater production of A Tale of Two Cities. At the end when Sydney Carton is walking to the guillotine saying, "It is a far, far better thing that I do. . ." and quoting John 11:25, "I am the resurrection and the life." Just picture a flock of high school girls walking the halls betweeen classes sobbing. I believe this was my transformation into an emotional person who cries at movies, weddings, ordinations (really), and such.

I get emotional, especially at funerals. That is not too unusual, but I cry even if I don't know the person. Merely mention "Abide with Me" and I'm prematurely weeping. On All Saints' Day, it's even worse. There are a few hymns which always make me shed a tear or two. "Behold a Host" is one. "Jerusalem the Golden" is another. The last verse of my favorite hymn also makes me a little weepy. One of my favorite All Saints' Day hymns is "For All the Saints," and it always makes me cry. Let me state that my [in]ability to play it has nothing to do with the fact.

I've started to notice a pattern in this, however. When there is a hymn which talks about the church triumphant and being in God's eternal presence, I start to cry. Maybe as I get older I become more burdened by the weight of the struggle in the church militant and await eagerly the church triumphant.

As more people I know transfer their membership from the church militant to the church triumphant, it reminds me too of that cloud of witnesses which surrounds us. Those who have left earthly life and rejoice in God's presence. I think of their lives, and the influence they had on so many in this world. I think of their struggles and how they triumphed. Most importantly, I think of how it was not their life, but rather Christ's life, death, and resurrection which rescued their life and our lives from sin, death, and Satan.

On this All Saints' Day, I will get a little weepy, but ever hold fast to Christ's words: "I am the resurrection and the life."

[If you're wondering about the picture, this is the cemetary where many of my biological and church family members are buried. I think it is one of the best places a body could rest and await the last day.]

The Reformation Post

On the one hand, it's nice to celebrate Reformation Day multiple times. On the other hand, I dislike having Reformation Sunday so far from Reformation Day. I really dislike the fact, too, that there is that other celebration which always covers up Reformation Day. You know--dress up and beg for candy day. Okay, now I'm sounding like a stodgy old coot who can't have fun. I like dressing up in costume. I don't mind handing out candy to the neighborhood kids (even though I'm not home half the time on Halloween). I just don't like Halloween supplanting one of my favorite festivals.

I like Reformation for many reasons. First, I'm Lutheran. If it weren't for that Reformation Day in 1517, I likely wouldn't be Lutheran now. Second, there's something wonderful about being a rebel in October. Autumn and revolution are in the air. . .

Maybe the Reformation has been a bit too romanticized. Picture Luther, a big, strong rabble-rouser nailing the theses to the door of the church. The people swoon at his brillance and flock to his side. The others rally around this brilliant, witty man and Germany is transformed, even if the Roman Catholic church is not, those papists them. Katie and Luther marry, and everyone lives happily every after. Uh. . . what do you mean that's not how it happened?

Luther trying to stand up for what is true and counter the false teachings of the church write some debate points. He puts his life on the line as the Pope and others place a death sentence on him. Many others did follow him and work to bring Christ and the Gospel back to a church which had all but left Christ and His cross behind. Wars begin over the church. Others try to follow Luther's lead, yet they lead ever farther from Christ. Even Katie and Luther struggle in life with deaths of their children. When Luther dies, Katie struggles to survive when those who admired her husband now neglect her and even want to take her surviving children from her. Guess it wasn't all peaches and cream.

Sometimes it seems as though we fight the Reformation all over again. Every new era has to have voices steering the church from its self-centered, law-oriented, Christless Christianity; and point it back to Christ and His cross. It is as I learned once in Germany: OhneKreuz, Keine Krone.

A Contrast

The 2009 Lutheran Church Extension Fund calendars have arrived, and they are titled "Seasons of Life," which always makes me think of the song from the musical Rent "Seasons of Love"; at which point I start singing that song. This is not the most annoying part.

I glanced through the calendar today, as I am always curious to see if there is anybody I know in the pictures (there is). The picture for July was more vexing than the line "How do you measure a year?" running incessantly through my brain.

I know the picture comes from one of the National Youth Gatherings;and to put the best construction on things, maybe the photo was taken at a Lost and Found mini-concert where they were singing "His Banner Over Me is Love" complete with motions. In which case, why are there only two or three people doing the motions? And what is up with the guy in the background with the oddly peaceful look? It didn't help that the Bible verse to go with it is I Timothy 4:12: "Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity." I'm not sure this is what Paul had in mind. . .

Ironically, the latest issue of Higher Things magazine came in the mail today. I read through it, seeing all the people I know or sort of know or wish I could know and what they wrote. In it there was no dumbing it down for the kids. Was there fun? Absolutely (just read the masthead)! Was there content? Of course! There were articles about parables, how to keep one's faith strong, tips for how to defend the Real Presence in the sacrament, what mission work is, and how to listen to a sermon. I learned something while reading, and I'm not even the target audience for the magazine.

Let me pose this elongated question: If Pastor Preus says (and I paraphrase as best as I can), "At Higher Things we work when we work, we play when we play, and we worship when we worship," then what are the people doing in the picture--working, playing, or worshipping--and what does that say for the contrast between the two gatherings?

Maybe those who dare to be Lutheran don't know how to have fun; but judging from Pastor Borghardt, I think we have a pretty good grasp of fun.

My Favorite Hymn

It was a lovely Reformation Vespers service this afternoon. The music was exceptional, the sermon fit the specs, and we got to sing my favorite hymn.
My favorite hymn used to be “Behold a Host,” but got sent out of the top slot (it still chokes me up—more on that another day) when I stumbled across this one. I was in college and it was the assigned hymn of the day in Lutheran Worship. I noticed it had two positives going for it before I even sang it. First, the music was written by Jan Bender, pronounced Yahn (for John), a German composer who once taught at Concordia, Seward, NE. Second, the text was written by Martin Franzmann, a pastor whose hymn texts are unparalleled. A hymn by this pair has to be fantastic; so it is. It is a hymn which speaks of the story of salvation, and is more than applicable today.

O God, O Lord of heav’n and earth
Thy living finger never wrote
That life should be an aimless mote,
A deathward drift from futile birth.
Thy Word meant life triumphant hurled
In splendor through They broken world.
Since light awoke and life began.
Thou hast desired Thy life for man.

The first verse talks about how not only did God create the world, He also intended man to have life. It smacks evolutionary theory in the face. I don’t know if Franzmann planned it to be such, but it takes all secular humanism and throws it out the window.

Our fatal will to equal Thee,
Our rebel will wrought death and night.
We seized and used in prideful spite
Thy wondrous gift of liberty.
We housed us in this house of doom,
Where death had royal scope and room,
Until Thy servant, Prince of Peace,
Breached all its walls for our release.

The second verse shows original sin quite distinctly. There is no one righteous, no, not one. What powerful images of rebelliousness and separation, not to mention the idea of us acting as though we know better than God and misuse His gifts. Personally, I like the text in Lutheran Worship where it says “We walled us in this house of doom” better because it echoes the language of modernity of building walls—cutting ourselves off. Christ as militant and breaking down the walls we built to keep us out; what a seeking love!

Thou camest to our hall of death,
O Christ, to breathe our poisoned air,
To drink for us the dark despair
That strangled our reluctant breath.
How beautiful the feet that trod
The road that leads us back to God!
How beautiful the feet that ran
To bring the great good news to man!

The third verse shows the contrast between the depth of our sinfulness [poisoned air] and the depth of Christ’s salvation [drink for us the dark despair]. It then comments on those who bring us the good news of Christ’s salvation.

O Spirit, who didst once restore
Thy Church that it might be again
The bringer of good news to men,
Breathe on Thy cloven Church once more,
That in these gray and latter days
There may be those whose life is praise,
Each life a high doxology
To Father, Son, and unto Thee.

The final verse always chokes me up. I don’t know the history of the tune name to this hymn, WITTENBERG NEW, but I assume the significance in that it is new and a connection to Wittenberg, birthplace of the Reformation. Throughout the history of the church, men have always wanted to take the good news of Christ and transform it to something man-made. This verse speaks directly to that; asking the Spirit to continue to restore the Church to being Christ-centered, not man-centered.
Knowing this hymn was written in some dark days of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod’s history, looking at the church today, and knowing that Satan loves a church divided; this verse is a fervent prayer by and for Christ’s people to remain faithful to the end.

The King and His Tenants

We've been going through Leviticus in Bible class on Wednesday mornings. I came into this particular study around chapter 18, and I felt I needed some more insight, so I borrowed my husband's Concordia Commentary on Leviticus by Dr. Kleinig and began taking notes before each class. [Does that make me thorough, an overachiever, or just plain nerdy?]

I am constantly amazed by what I have learned.

Over the past two classes we covered Leviticus 25 where it talks about the Sabbatical Year and the Year of Jubilee. This chapter shows the relationship between God and His people and the land. God is the landowner, the Israelites are the caretakers. As we discussed this today, it reminded me of the Gospel lesson a few weeks ago. Matthew 21: 33-46 contains the parable of the unfaithful tenants; a Bible story that I really like, especially how it is so closely connected to Isaiah 5:1-7. Today, I could really see why the Pharisees were so angry with Jesus over his parable of the tenants. People who know their Law of Moses would know they are tenants of God's land. The Pharisees got the point of the parable. It was very obvious.

God is the King, the benevolent, who loves His people deeply and give them everything. The people reject Him, their king, and kill His son Jesus. Yet Jesus is the one who pays for the rejection of the people by becoming rejected by God and crucified on a cross. Not just for the Pharisees, but for us.

What else can one say but wow?

Vocation

I've been thinking much about vocation lately. I am having trouble putting into words what I continue to ponder. (Maybe this is why I can never get published--whoever heard of a writer that has trouble putting thoughts into words being successful?)
One thought that I come back to is why can't we as Christians just live our lives as Christians? I mean, overarching all, I am a Christian. Then I am whatever I am--parent, spouse, child, employee, teacher, student--and I am the best whatever I am living my life in Christ.
It seems to me that one does not have to be a "Bible thumper" on a street corner or an activist of a sort to be a solid witness of Christ to the world. We are to be light, reflecting Christ to the world. What kind of lamp sets the house ablaze with its light? That lamp would be called a defective fire hazard. We are to be salt, seasoning the world. What kind of salt is tolerated in heavy amounts? Sure, we can't hide our light under a basket, which is pointless; or leave our saltiness in the cupboard claiming a low-sodium diet. We need to be in the world sharing the Gospel of Jesus with those around us. Still I ask, do we need to do it in such a pushy, patronizing manner? It seems to me that I'd rather have a person see Christ in all I say and do by my saying and doing everything through Christ in my vocation rather than trying to convince them by my words only. (See what I mean about the putting into words?)
Maybe I should ponder more.

The Wedding Banquet

How often do we think of the son and the bride in the parable of the wedding banquet? How disappointing to have the guests not show up! Here is the paradox: the guests are the bride! Hence, this is not merely the guests not showing up, but the bride herself--for the wedding is of Christ and his bride, the church.
One would never run a wedding like this--invite the chosen who refuse, or worse, kill the servants, thereby launching a military strike; have a bride that is, in a sense, an unknown no-show; invite just anyone to sit in the honored place--this is a bridezilla disaster!
Yet God, the King does not set up his banquet in earthly terms. He is not looking for a fairytale wedding with bridesmaids in pale colors and perfectly coiffed hair or Canon in D played by a string quartet among white fragrant flowers. No, this is a celebration with His beloved ones; for this is no mere wedding reception but an everlasting banquet celebrating the consummation of His Son's redemption of His guests, His bride, His beloved for eternity!

Trouble with Sin

The trouble with sin is that it's just too easy. Sure, there are times when one goes through a moral struggle; but there are so many other times we blunder into sin without a second thought or a glance backwards. We are so steeped in sin that sometimes we look at our sin and think, "well, that's life." Many people deny the doctrine of original sin, but we truly have to ask ourselves, do we always love God with our whole hearts? Of course the answer is no. We are truly selfish people who don't follow God's law.
There's a second problem. We believe we can follow God's law. Well, THAT'S not going to happen. Adam and Eve had one command: Don't eat that. We know what happened from there. How can we expect to have ten times that and follow them?
Here's a third problem. We become complacent about sin, and we rationalize that it is our life. There's that first commandment coming back to accuse us. We figure if it effects only ourselves, why should anyone else care? As Billy Joel says, "I don't care what you say anymore, this is my life; go ahead with your own life; leave me alone."
It truly is, however, just like mothers everywhere have said--It's all fun and games until someone gets hurt. Our own sins effect many people. Sometimes it's such a small way that we argue that is doesn't matter. Sometimes it's so huge that we can do nothing other than admit we screwed up. No matter what, someone always gets hurt, and it's always a big deal.
One can point out any number of examples in scripture where someone gets hurt due to sin. Adam and Eve hurt each other, all their ancestors, and even the animal who had to lose its life to cover their shame; David and Bathsheba and Uriah; the list goes on and on.
Someone greater did get hurt for our sin. Jesus, true God and man, the sinless one was the one ultimately hurt for our sin. He was stricken, smitten, and afflicted; pierced and nailed to the cross; abused, injured, and killed; abandoned by God and suffered under our punishment. This is the payment for our careless sins, our self-aggrandizement, our lack of concern for anyone else, our original sin of "looking out for number 1."
Jesus has taken our sin, death, and shame upon Himself so that we can be free.

The End is the Beginning

It began with Wednesday Bible study as we wend our way through Leviticus. Then it was faculty devotions on Monday last when the subject resurfaced. Thursday last it was the Pastors' Roundtable discussion on the 3rd commandment on Issues, Etc.

The first day is the eighth day. It is the first day of the week, as well as the last. It is the beginning of eternity. It is the connecting link between weeks. The start of the week when God gives us His gifts; it was the start of all our weeks with our first Sunday in baptism.

We move through our week, living out our vocation. Then we return to it at the end of our week, as we repent of our sins, and find that it is the beginning of our week as we receive forgiveness through Word and Sacrament.

It is not only the day which ties together the loose ends of temporal life which would surely unravel without God's grace; it is the day which is transcendent, linking us to angels and archangels and the whole company of heaven.

On the first Sabbath God rested, setting the pattern for our lives. God works so that we can rest. We as humans rebel against renewing rest. Laziness doesn't count. We strain to show how good we are through our own works.
In the divine service, we rest. This rest is not taken, but in Jesus' salvation, rest is given.
In him is the Sabbath in completion, in fulfillment.

You're the Inspiration, or, The Wind beneath my Wings

I have seen this posting at various blogs: here, here, here, and here; and I began asking myself whom would I list (provided I was cool enough to be tagged—not gonna happen)? What five people, past or present, inspire your spiritual life? Part of the initial instructions for this meme indicates that Jesus is assumed, so you don’t need to list Him. Ditto for Luther, if you’re a Lutheran.
First, I had to look up meme. Did you know it’s not in Webster’s Dictionary? I looked it up on Oxford Online. It deals with that which is imitated. Okay, moving on.
Whom would I list? I first thought of the pastor who confirmed me. As much as I liked him and his family and the fact that I did all my confirmation homework and all—based on the number of dancing Snoopies (Snoopys? How do you spell the plural of Snoopy?) drawn in my catechism, I would have to say that rules him out.
I suppose I could mention Pastor Todd Wilken and Dr. Gene Edward Veith, who have lately helped me hone my weltanschaaung (world outlook) through their work in radio and print media.
I guess it comes down to these people; I am not sure if I can come up with five.
1. My husband: He will discuss theology with me when I ask. He humors me when I ask him to bring home his Leviticus commentary so that I can study up for Wednesday morning Bible class at work. I know he knows way more than I ever will, but he’s still willing to explain it to me and correct me if I am wrong.
2. Pastor Norm Hanan and his wife Mary: These two wonderful people helped us transition from seminary to parish and put up with our horror stories. They listened, advised, prayed for us, let us (me!) cry on their shoulders when we needed to, and reminded us that the congregation members are sheep. I can’t say enough about them.
3. Pastor Henry Gerike: Some people may find this an interesting choice, but I say he has influenced me much. There are many things that he has taught anyone who has been in his choir about singing, hymnody, liturgy, people who write hymns, and scripture. In addition to these things, he has taught me more about being an organist. It’s a double bonus.
Hmmm. . . I can’t think of anyone else exclusively. Even the people listed above have inspired more than just my spiritual life; therefore, some may say they don’t count.
Maybe it’s just that many people have inspired me and influenced my life, and these are ones who stick out. Maybe I should say a few more thanks to the people who have shaped me thus far: Mrs. Mills for teaching me in high school how to be a college student; Mr. Wait for teaching me that choir is more than singing and for giving me a chance; Mr. Golden for everything, even picking on me; Pastor Chase for introducing me to a scary document—the Humanist Manifesto—it is influenced my perception on the clash between faith and postmodernism; the Higher Things folks (why didn't somebody think of it when I was in high school?) whose conferences have taught me much; and for Dr. Ronald Feuerhahn for having influenced many of the people who have impacted my life.
If you didn’t make an honorable mention, don’t feel left out, for I see the academy people off stage telling me that my three minutes are up and they will cut off the microphone shor. . .

Preaching Tips

While reading Pastor Peperkorn's blog, I came across this comment and piece of advice by Pastor Wilken about being bored with preaching.

“Bring your own struggles with the text into the pulpit with you and lay them out for the hearers. Be honest. And, get to the Cross. If necessary, drag yourself and your hearers there kicking and screaming. Remember, the sermon isn’t over until Jesus is dead for three days. Get him out of the grave, and onto the altar, and then stop talking.
“Finally, stop trying to be interesting. Focus on Jesus, he’s interesting enough.”

Then there is Pastor Wilken’s sermon analysis diagnostic:

How often is Jesus mentioned? Is he the subject of the verbs? What are those verbs?

Then Pastor Wilken gave this piece of advice on Issues, Etc. today:

Don't give Jesus the week off, and don't let your pastor either.

To [mis]quote Dolly Levi, “Advice on preaching from Pastor Wilken? The world should hear it and grow rich.” At least, I wish my pastor had heard and heeded it before yesterday’s sermon.

I am not a homilist. I do not purport to know how to write a sermon or any such thing, so I rely on pastors to tell me how to recognize good preaching. So here’s my analysis of the sermon I heard yesterday:
#1—I counted that Jesus was mentioned twice. For a Lutheran sermon, that does not seem like enough.
#2—He was the subject of the verbs, but they were wimpy verbs; they were not verbs such as “save,” “forgive,” “die,” or “rise”.
#3—He alluded briefly to the cross. He did not drag us kicking and screaming there. It was more talked around than talked about.
#4—Since Jesus never made it to the cross, then He never made it to the grave in the sermon; therefore, He could not have been gotten out and onto the altar.
#5—I think I missed the point. It was something about exercising our faith so that it doesn’t get flabby, fat and lazy. Even though pastor said we don’t save ourselves, we have to exercise faith ourselves. I think I missed something there.
All in all, if pastor didn't quite give Jesus the week off, he at least relegated Jesus to a lesser seat off to the side. To echo the words of the Greeks to Philip, “Sir, we would see Jesus.”

Public Notice

This blog is temporarily down while the author comes up with something profound to say--or until the author stops feeling ornery, whichever comes first.

Self-Taught may be Hazardous

To be misinformed is more dangerous than to be uninformed. Too many people in the church are misinformed, as well as uninformed. It goes back to the wrong application of all God’s people being ministers. The doctrine of vocation has nothing to do with being self-taught in matters of theology.
Why bother with a pastor? It’s like the commercial where the man is on the phone and the doctor on the other end is telling him how to perform surgery on himself. The man skeptically looks at the knife and says, “Shouldn’t you be doing this?” How can we learn without a teacher? In most skills, when one self-teaches, one runs the risk of mis-learning. I would never expect one of my students to read multiple books on how to use a comma and assume they will pass a test without having guided them through the material; however, in the church we think that learning without a pastor to guide us is what congregations should be doing.
We allow ourselves to read and interpret scripture based on our own reasoning. We read a part of scripture and decide for ourselves what it means, even if it is contrary to what scripture really teaches. We allow ourselves to listen to all sorts of teachers through books, radio, television, others, even culture and develop our own personal theology based on the varying messages our varied teachers tell us. Then our pastor has to undo the incorrect teaching and we say, “No, I disagree with you.”
One caveat here is that there are untrustworthy pastors our there who are doing more harm than good; but a pastor who is trustworthy will not lead his people away from the truth, but rather always pointing them to Christ.We always need to be on guard as to the false teachings out there. You know what the FBI says—the best way to spot a counterfeit bill is to study the real ones. The best way to spot bad theology is to study the real deal. This means we can’t make up our own theology to fit our mood. We need to be solid in what we believe so we can say “no” to bad theology, not to our pastors who are trying to lead us farther into what we believe, teach, and confess.

Having it Both Ways

On Fridays on Issues, Etc., they read and respond to e-mail in the first half hour of the program. Today they read an e-mail from a man who was conflicted. He wishes to attend a church where the Word of God is taught in its truth and purity, but he also wishes to attend a church where there is activity. He struggles to find a church with both. He mentioned congregations that were active versus ones that are dying. I understand what he means. There is a real disparity in our church body, the LC-MS, regarding congregations.
I live in a metropolitan area where there are many LC-MS congregations; about 105 within 20 miles of my zipcode, according to the LC-MS website. There are small mission congregations, rural, inner-city, megachurches; you name it; included in that 105. There are more in the area; I just didn’t go far enough out from my zipcode.
Of the aforementioned 105 congregations, I know of many that are confessional. Many of those are smaller rural parishes who are struggling with smaller rural parish issues. The young people are moving away, the older members are transferring to the church triumphant, and they can’t convert the cows to add to their books. The confessional urban parishes are struggling because they don’t have the base of members like they used to, and so they have limited activities—choirs are shrinking, ladies’ groups are disintegrating, and youth groups, well, who has time for that?
There are many of those 105 congregations that are young, vibrant, and growing; they’re not always confessional. Many of them have sacrificed theology for numbers. There is at least one, of them who have removed the “Lutheran” part of their name so as not to offend newcomers. (One is considering a similar move.)
Then there are the middle-of-the-road congregations which are neither hot nor cold. One of which is the church I attend. They want activities, they want numbers; on the flip side, they are fighting the youth flight and the elderly passing problems.
What’s a person to do? Where are the congregations which have schools, choirs, men’s and women’s groups, youth groups (Higher Things, of course), and solid preaching with many people of many ages?
Okay, let me back-pedal for a minute. I’m not saying a church can’t be small. I’m not saying that confessional equals a perfect congregation. I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with being old. I know the struggle of trying to be active in a church when all the other participants are old enough to be my parents. I understand the vexation of sitting in the pew weekly waiting for the pastor to show us Jesus.
I leave this question hanging out there: Why are there so few congregations that have both solid teaching and activities?
I guess it goes back to why are there so few Lutherans when Lutheran doctrine is the clearest exhibition of Scripture. (I hope you know what I mean by that last statement—I don’t know how to word it.)

The Bridge is Back

When I think of the I-35 bridge collapse in Minnesota, I next think of Issues, Etc. I know; it sounds like an odd connection. The bridge collapsed one week to the day I drove under it coming back from a live broadcast of Issues, Etc. at University Lutheran Chapel near the campus of the University of Minnesota. Now, while still odd, it makes a little more sense.

Not to trivialize the tragedy of the bridge by any means, nor to disrespect the families who lost their loved ones; I do see some similarities.

A corroded infrastructure led to a collapse. There was a public outcry, and rebuilding began again. The bridge collapsed, they investigated, rebuilt, and are now moving on. Issues, Etc. went off the air, they protested, started over, and are now moving on.

When the bottom falls out, what can one do?

There is never a returning to normal. There is learning from what has happened. There is moving forward with a new sense of not taking anything for granted. There is a fresh reminder that God is in control, even if things are out of control.

Balance

There is a line in The Karate Kid where Mr. Miyagi tells Daniel, "Better learn balance. Balance is key. Balance good, karate good. Everything good. Balance bad, better pack up, go home. Understand?"
I'm sure every generation stands at a crossroads of the past and the future, and we are no exception. We stand at a crossroads of faith and culture. Postmodernism has challenged Christianity to the point where the new atheists are asserting that training a child in faith is a form of abuse. People need the Gospel as they always have; yet are ever as rebellious. The Midwest is in a state of denial about globalization, as someone told me recently.
Balance. How do we balance in the church? In our own lives we have to balance vocation with being workaholics for Jesus (as the same someone told me recently). In the church we have to balance midwesternism with globalism. We have to balance faith and culture. We have to find the balance between past and future. To be backward under the name of conservativism is not balance. To throw out liturgy in the name of relevance is not balance. Even "blending" worship styles is not balance.
I don't have the answers, obviously, or I wouldn't be sending this out to the cybersphere. We need to find the balance where we stand firm and where we move forward. Contradiction? Paradox? Perhaps, but not beyond the realm of Christians who are sinners and saints.
Maybe we find balance only through our paradoxes.

A Question on Baptism

As I stated in my previous post, I played for another church today. I sat in on Bible Class, as I played for both services and had to go somewhere in between. The class is studying parables and they wrapped up the parable of the Sower and moved on to the parable of the tares and wheat.
I found a couple of odd points in the discussion. The pastor asserted that the tares are the hypocrites, and the field is the church. I guess I always thought that the field is the world and the tares are unbelievers. Okay, I can live with this idea.
My question comes from the subsequent discussion. They were discussing hypocrites and the sacraments and the passage about eating and drinking to one's condemnation. Then the question turned to baptism. Someone asked if a hypocrite is baptized, is it a valid baptism? The point was made that this would have to be an adult convert in this hypothetical scenario. Both the pastor and the pastor emeritus said that they thought is would not be a valid baptism, and might possibly go so far to say that the person would need to be re-baptized when they turned from their hypocrisy to true faith.
Here is where I'd like to hear from you and/or your pastor. What do you think?
Are these two pastors correct? Is a hypocrite's baptism valid?

Old School

The church at which I am playing tomorrow still uses The Lutheran Hymnal (TLH). My home church, by which I mean the congregation of my childhood and youth, also uses TLH. I have a feeling neither of them will switch anytime soon or even not-so-soon. That does not matter, however.
There’s been much talk of one’s grandfather’s church. I admit that the Missouri Synod of today does not look like the Missouri Synod of my grandfather’s day; then again, neither does the world of today look like the world of my grandfather’s day. What then? Should we make the church of today look like the world of today? Well, did the church of my grandfather’s day look like the world of my grandfather’s day? I can’t say positively, as I was not alive then; nor is my grandfather alive now to ask, but I’m guessing the answer is no.
My grandfather fits into “The Greatest Generation”, while I am a Gen Xer. The Gospel is still the Gospel for me as it was for him as it was for the disciples. Do times change? Sure. Does worship change? Sure. Do we have to throw everything from the past out? Sure—uh—wait—no, we don’t.
The disciples did not throw out the practices of their fathers, Luther did not throw out the practices of his father, nor should we toss out the liturgy. Here’s the rub: too many people (especially the Baby Boomers, sorry guys) are too eager to either hang on to tightly or toss. I think it’s a throw-back from the sixties (again, I was not alive then, so I can’t positively say). In the sixties it seemed to be either “question authority” or its antithesis. Carry that forward to the church.
History without understanding is as ignorant as no history at all. Worship practices without understanding is similar. When I was a youth and there was no Higher Things to set me straight, I thought that the church WAS my grandfather’s church and not for me; therefore, it should be scrapped. Bring on the drums, the guitars, the praise choruses, get some verve and vigor in the door. I didn’t understand the liturgy, even if I had had it memorized since I was five or six.
Today I hope I know better. I have more understanding about liturgy and worship. I can recognize the difference between Christocentric and egocentric texts. I vaguely comprehend the lack when it comes to the theology of glory. I’m not saying I’m a know-it-all (although others might assert that, but that’s another story). I guess all I’m saying is that to be pointlessly stuck in the past is little better than being pointlessly stuck in a place that’s “relevant”.
God’s Word is always relevant. Worship is always relevant. It is the reason we practice what we practice that is the issue. If we don’t know why we do what we do, we run the risk of being stuck somewhere we don’t want to or should not be. This is why some congregations are opening themselves up to any whim of worship to coerce people in the door. This is also why there are some congregations who “have always done it that way” and always will. Even Shirley Jackson warned us against this in her story “The Lottery.” We need to move beyond the rock throwing.
Consider Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof. He knew when to hold to tradition and when to budge. It was adiaphora to allow his daughter to circumvent the matchmaker. It was not when his middle daughter married outside the faith. I know I sound as though I sit solidly on the fence. Let me assure you: I know on which side I am. Christ crucified is what I confess; the doctrine of the church is to what I subscribe; the liturgy as it has been handed down to us from our forebears is what I practice. I am trying to say in a prolonged, sort of way (which will probably get misinterpreted because I’m not as pithy or witty as some) that there are some churches who want nothing more than to claim to be on the conservative/confessional bandwagon, when really they merely like their old hymnals just fine, thank you. It’s not the same. Even McDonalds adjusts to the time without compromising their heritage. Just teach your people the truth.

Advent Comes Quickly

I just wanted to give you advance warning so that you can plan now. If you want to make Advent banners for your church, don't decide to spend six hours on them every Saturday during Advent so that they are ready for the next day.

Hypothetical

It is common for doctors to notify pregnant women when it is determined that the enwombed one has Down Syndrome. The doctor then informs the woman that she can abort if she wishes. What if. . .
Fast forward to a time when the aborting of a Down Syndrome child becomes the norm. Every woman would be subjected to the testing and instructed to abort if the test comes back positive. Then what? What if then a test is developed which determines Autism. If the abortion of one is mandated or normed, then it would follow that positive results for Autism would lead to an abortion. What next? Then a test for IQ? Then a test for. . . What next--or should I say who next?
If we recommend killing enwombed babies because they have three copies of chromosome 21 instead of two, why not a one that has a defect in a gene (like Fragile X)? Why not anyone who has the potential to not reach an IQ higher than 90? Why 90? Maybe 100? Or 110? Or. . .
I think you see where I'm going with this. If it starts, where does it stop? How can we even dare to say that a child who will not be "normal" does not have the right to live? How can we even dare to define "normal"? We cannot dare either, for we know that if we define "normal" and assert that a child who does not fit that definition shall not be granted life; there will come a day when either we will have our life revoked for not being "normal", or we will ultimately exclude all children from being born.
We must speak up.

Signs of the Times

While driving down a local street, I noticed these three church signs. The three churches aren't too far apart--I'd say they are within a one-mile stretch of the same road.

I thought this first sign was unique, but a little too overbearing.

The second was, ahem, punny, but just wrong from an amillenial standpoint.
Ah! At least one got it right! Funny how it was the one located between the other two. . .

From Whom Comes the Armor?

I have a few favorite hymns (some which rarely get sung, but that's another story); one of which was mentioned in the devotion I was reading today. The hymn quoted is "Christ is the World's Redeemer," LSB 539, and the image which caught my attention is "The armor of His soldiers."

The hymn texts makes many statements in the first stanza stating Who Christ is--Redeemer, Lord, our trust, and so on. The word "armor" got me thinking.

The first obvious thought is armor, The Armor of God mentioned in Ephesians 6. In this passage Paul talks about how to "dress" ourselves to be able to stand against the Devil's wiles; only one piece of armor listed is used on the offense--that is the sword of the Word. The next thought is that Christ is the Word. This is how Christ is the armor of His soldiers. He is the One Who fights for us. He stands strong against the devil. The protection we wear--truth, righteousness, readiness/preparation of the gospel of peace, faith, and salvation--all of these come from Christ Himself. None of this armor do we receive from ourselves; they are all gifts Christ gives. He clothes us in the armor, and then He arms us with His Word, Himself, to stand against the wiles of the devil.

How positively sacramental! Christ clothes us with His righteousness in baptism, and arms us with Himself in his Holy Supper. All so that we can withstand every attack the devil launches at us. Christ is truly the world's Redeemer.

The Waiting Game

Listening to Issues, Etc., this question came up as a “teaser” for an open-line discussion. I pondered emailing my comment to the show, but it has grown beyond a comment into a blog.
It is true that the “marriage age” has been pushed back farther and farther. Consider Laura Ingalls Wilder who got married at 18, and that was about 125 years ago; in Shakespeare’s day it was even younger. In his play Romeo and Juliet, Juliet was only 13 when she married Romeo, although her father argues this point with Paris.
Capulet: But saying o’er what I have said before:
My child is yet a stranger in the world,
She hath not seen the change of fourteen years;
Let two more summers wither in their pride
Ere we may think her ripe to be a bride.
Paris: Younger than she are happy mothers made.
Capulet: And too soon marr’d are those so early made.
So let’s cut to the chase: Above all, Christian parents should encourage their children to marry responsibly and for life.
Why after college, like my mother encouraged me? Maybe the parents believe that their children can be better providers for their family with a college degree. The bachelor’s degree of today is nearly equivalent to the high school diploma of 50 or 60 years ago in terms of employment.
On the other hand, it could be that in our society today people view the job as the most important thing in a person’s life, not the family, and so a college degree is the status symbol, not a marriage. Consider again Laura Ingalls Wilder who had a job—she was a teacher, but hated teaching and hoped to marry so that she would not have to teach any more.
It does put teens and twenty-somethings in a situation of temptation. Waiting longer for marriage is harder when they are bombarded by sexual temptations every day. Is that the fault of the length of the educational system? No, it is the fault of the content of the educational system. The same system which encourages education at the highest level possible (get your bachelors’, master’s, doctorate) also encourages sex—see the posting at Opus—and discourages the nuclear family. Have sex, do what you want, but remember: pregnancy bad, abortion good; marriage bad if it holds you back, marriage good if you’re ready for that step (you can always divorce if he/she holds you back later). No wonder it’s a plethora of confusion.How does waiting to marry after college carry any more temptation for the person who has a significant other than a person who does not? You wait for marriage regardless of when that marriage happens, pure and simple. Christian parents will always encourage their children of that, reminding them that a spouse is a gift, not a right, whenever they are gifted.

Sunday Singing

It frequently happens that when I visit a congregation that is not my own on a Sunday morning; I get complimented (or commented) on my singing. Sometimes it comes in the form of the child in front of me who covers the ears and looking in my direction wears a scandalized grimace. So if I happen to show up at your church on Sunday; no, I don’t want to join your choir; yes, I sang in choir at a Concordia.
The reason for my volume and verve is simple: I’ve been conditioned.
I grew up in a congregation where, conflicted though they were, they sang. It was a hotbed of Garrison Keillor material (both good and bad). The organ was pipe—it was an old movie-theater organ—and it was sometimes hard to hear because of the strong singing around me. I merely matched volume and have not come down since.
I realize that not everyone has been, um, trained as I was. No, not voice lessons (although I did have a few years of such); a home congregation that sang.
Since leaving for college I have visited a plethora of churches around the country. Some sing, some don’t. The church we were at north of Spamtown did not sing. You think it is hard finding your place coming back from communion? Think of the poor organist who loses count and can hear only a faint mumble coming from below. Fortunately, I was tipped off—listen for the strongest sound in the English language: /s/. Works every time.
The place we’re at now? They also don’t sing. Of course, this is the place where, back in the late ‘90s we visited and the person in the pew ahead of us was apparently disgusted with the Hymnal Supplement ’98 and brusquely flung it down on the pew.
I don’t know if it is because people just don’t communally sing as they used to. We still get weird looks at the Muny when we sing along with the orchestra when they play "The Star Spangled Banner" before every show. Maybe it is something else. I don’t know.
The point is not to rail on anyone or build myself up. What I’m trying to say is that it is not the style but the delivery which is part of the problem with Sunday morning music. Doing a remix of a modern pop song with Christian lyrics is not a solution. Okay, so it worked for Whoopie in Sister Act, but that’s Hollywood. One thing to do is educate—why do we sing Psalms, hymns, and liturgy? What makes a hymn a “good” hymn? Some of this stuff I didn’t learn until I was past 18. Why didn’t someone tell me sooner?
Another thing to do is do what you do well. Don’t sing like Jesus stayed dead. Encourage your organists/pianists/accompanists to continue learning how to play the hymns well. So what if you’ve heard the same song as a postlude for three months, as long as the hymns are played well? Better yet, encourage your organists/pianists/accompanists. They have a job that’s pretty difficult, especially when many churches have musicians who are volunteers or not trained as church musicians, per se. They need to be thanked.
Encourage a youth to take up organ or piano and to train as a church musician. Send your youth to a Higher Things conference or worship conference to learn more. Send your church organist and interested congregation members to a worship conference, a church music conference, a workshop—there are tons of resources out there.
As for me, I plan to keep learning, singing, and making use of teachable moments whenever I can. And you’ll know when I show up at your church—I’ll be the one singing loudly—I hope your congregation drowns me out. . .

Spelling Tests and Tangents

Word #4 was "media". The sentence I made up was "People say that the media is biased."

"What's biased?" a student asked.

"That means they only talk about one side," I replied, trying to think up a quick definition so that we could back to the spelling test.

"Are they?" another student asked.
Unfortunately I had difficulty passing this one by. "Yes," I said. I told them how on the 30th anniversary of Roe v Wade, the local TV station in the only state that Reagan did not carry in '84 gave pro-lifers 30 seconds of coverage, but gave pro-choicers at least 4 times that much. At this point, one student asked, "What's abortion?" [Hey, they are only 7th & 8th graders--don't be too harsh on them. . . at least THEY know that England is not in France, but I digress. . .]

"That's killing babies before they are born," I responded.

I am not sure where the conversation went from there. One person asked if Lutherans were pro-life or pro-choice. Another asked if you have to believe everything the church teaches. Soon questions were flying, and I answered as best and honestly as I could. We touched on abortion, repentance, forgiveness, faith--I think that's about it. One person asked if we could continue the spelling test. Another person said that because they didn't have religion class that day (long story) it was okay. Twenty minutes later we resumed the spelling test, although a couple students were trying to figure out how to get me off topic again. Nice try, ladies, I pick when I go off-topic.

I enjoy being at a Lutheran school where I can have a candid conversation like this with my students. It is nice to be able to have a class where one can have such a conversation. It was good to go off-topic here. It is sad to see how engrained post-modern culture is in my students. I can't remember the specific statements or questions my students asked, but it what stuck in my mind is that their weltanschauung [world outlook] is truly colored by the weltanschauung society wants them to have. They choose what seems right for them. Don't get me wrong, they're good kids, but we have to dare them to be Lutheran now and not be clouded by the false inconsistencies post-modernism has to offer.

Worship Skirmishes

It's not eavesdropping if they are talking in your office, full voice, two feet from your desk, is it? Today it was a conversation about our church's "blended" worship service. One party of the conversation, our church music director, is still convinced that it is a "contemporary" service, though our bulletin says otherwise. Okay, whatever, I'm not going to quibble about nomenclature there. Coming up is our single service Sunday where we have one church service instead of two and the style flip-flops between "traditional" and "blended". Apparently part of the flap was that the pastor told the music director to pick songs the people know which led to this soundbite about "quasi contemporary songs so as not to offend." It was at this point I feigned busyness. The music director then asserted that "you can't have it both ways," to which I whole-heartedly agree. The second party of the conversation also agreed and stated that they personally did not like the "contemporary" style, but said that as long as it is sound, the church should give the people what they want.
Uh huh. . . Then people wonder what's wrong with this picture in the church today.
Problem one: If you're going to do it, do it wholeheartedly, not half-baked. Just call yourself whatever that is. I'm here to say it ain't Lutheran.
Problem two: Even quasi-contemporary songs offend when they are not Christ-centered and have a theology of glory. Not to mention they're poorly written. I can say this from a musical standpoint. They have difficult, syncopated rhythms (most people had difficulty with a straight rhythm, let alone syncopated), they follow the same formula--verse, refrain, verse, refrain, repeat refrain, bridge, key change, refrain again--you get the idea, and they could be sung about a generic god, Jesus, Allah, yourself, your boy/girlfriend. They sound fun and say nothing.
Problem three: It's not about you, it's about Jesus for you. (Yes, I stole that from Issues, Etc.) It's not about what you want in worship but what gifts God gives in worship. We say back to God what He says to us. You can't boost your self-esteem to channel positive feelings and confess you are a "poor, miserable sinner" at the same time. You can't look for health, wealth and prosperity concurrently with taking up your cross. The theology of glory cannot coexist with the theology of the cross.
No, I will agree with them on that point--you can't have it both ways.