No Surprise, Faithful Bishop Defrocked by Apostate "Church"...

Bishop Thor Henrik With's consecration in Tromsø, March 24, 2013

... and yet, Christ's Church continues serving the Lord with faithful ministers and laypeople in Norway!  Blessings to the faithful bishop Thor Henrik, and may the persecutors of the Church repent and allow the Good News to be preached in its purity unhindered by the evil one!

[Note: according to Dr. Chris Barnekov, the translator of the bishop's statement below, "As expected, Bishop Thor Henrik With was defrocked today by the Church of Norway for accepting consecration as Bishop of the new Evangelical-Lutheran Diocese of Norway.  Below is a note from him to those who have been praying for him." - Ed.]

Dear Praying Friends,

I am filled with deep gratitude to you who have prayed for my meeting with the Tunsberg bishop today. An extra thank you to all of you who responded so quickly. Assured of prayers and support from all of you, I traveled to Tønsberg with confidence. During the meeting, I felt comfort and peace.

The conversation in Tønsberg was characterized by a surprisingly calm seriousness. The Church of Norway has placed Mrs. Laila Riksaasen Dahl as bishop of Tunsberg diocese. Since I now live in Tunsberg diocese, it is her official duty to make the final decision on disciplinary measures, because I let myself be consecrated bishop in violation of applicable canon law provisions of the Church of Norway.

In the conversation I elaborated the basis for the actions that began with doctrinal conversations at my initiative with my then Bishop of Nidaros, and ended with my episcopal ordination in Tromsø in 2012. Laila Riksaasen Dahl listened attentively and sympathetically, revealing good theological insight and respect. She expressed, in an unexpectedly clear manner, her understanding that this matter shall at the Last Day be of profound seriousness to both parties.

I pointed out that when the bishops and CoN’s General Assembly accept unbiblical teachings in the Church, they break apart the unity of the Church of Norway. Because of the new doctrine of the bishop of Nidaros, I had to exclude him from the church communion fellowship. And when church members, because of what has happened elsewhere, have no shepherd and call me to help, my ordination vow commits me to take care of the flock – even as a bishop. With fervent desire I encouraged her, along with my former Bishop of Nidaros, to change their doctrine, and I promised my prayer for that to happen.

Laila Riksaasen Dahl concluded the conversation by stating that​​, particularly due to the episcopal ordination in Tromsø, she decided to terminate my authorization as a pastor in theChurch of Norway. To this I replied that the new doctrine contrary to Scripture has led us to this rupture, and to the consequences that are now taking place. There and then I put on my episcopal cross and made visible in this way our claim to be a diocese in the church. Explicit notice was taken of this symbolic act.

Epilogue:

I see an image of the Norwegian church as a large and pleasant area, built on floats. Priests, bishops - and laity in the CoN General Assembly – cut away the tendons that keep this area secured to land – one mooring after the other. When the floating area now drifts from shore, it can easily seem that they who control developments are sending us who have other foundations under our feet away from themselves. But we, who stand on the firm ground, know that really it is they who drift away from the mainland of Christ’s Church; they drift away before the weather and wind of this age.

Let us pray that the Lord may have mercy!

Yours in Christ

+Thor Henrik

Please Pray for this Faithful Lutheran Bishop

Bishop Thor Henrik With of Norway (left) and Archbishop Walter Obare of Kenya

[Note: This is an urgent request for prayers for a faithful Lutheran bishop in Norway, the Rt Rev. Thor Henrik With, who is being persecuted by his own church (sic) body for being faithful to Scripture.  Bishop Thor Henrik is asking for our prayers via our brother in Christ, Dr. Chris Barnekov, a Missouri Synod Lutheran, who translated the bishop's plea. Sed libera nos + a malo! - Ed.]

I just received an email prayer request from Bishop Thor Henrik With of the Evangelical-Lutheran Diocese of Norway (a recently formed Confessional Lutheran body associated with the Mission Province in Sweden and the Mission Diocese inFinland).  My quick translation is below.

Chris Barnekov 

Dear Friends,

Will you pray for me and for a discussion tomorrow, Thursday, May 16?

I am summoned to a meeting with the bishop of Tunsberg at 10:00 am [4:00 am US Eastern Daylight Time], because I have allowed myself to be consecrated bishop of the Evangelical-Lutheran Diocese in Norway. Apparently the bishop of Tunsberg wants to inform me of the decision that my authorization to serve as a pastor in the Church of Norway will be revoked, what is called being defrocked.

After The Church of Norway made the heresy that God blesses gay relationships into a doctrine that bishops and priests can advocate in their dioceses and parishes, the loss of pastoral authorization is sad, but no disaster. What is heavy to bear is that the church’s members will be deceived in this way, and that brother pastors with whom I have previously fought alongside for the good of the faith have become opponents. The church that took me into pastoral ministry in my ordination on 16 December 1979 is also suffering in other serious ways in severe conflict with the only Word that can give life and eternal salvation.

Will you pray that I receive wisdom and love express to bring concern and good counsel to the bishop of Tunsberg, and to bear witness clearly about what God's Word commits us to?

What is first and foremost at stake is the bishops’ and priests’ faithfulness to Scripture and the Lutheran confessions, the allegiance which they solemnly vowed at their ordinations – and thus their correct guidance and care for all God's people, on the path to the Judgment and the resurrection of life.

Thank you, friends, that I can count on you!

Yours in Christ,
+ Thor Henrik

Thor Henrik With
Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Diocese of Norway
Lavaløkka 9, 3442 Hyggen

Norway

Nullification Picking Up Steam, Zombies Unhappy

On nullification, 44% pro, 36% con, 20% undecided.  Details here.

Zombies are still not convinced...




But they are funny in their own brain-dead sort of way...



'via Blog this'

"This is America. Speak English!"

 Have you ever heard anyone say this?  Ever see that on a tee shirt or in a facebook meme?  It's usually said with a self-righteous, scolding tone - or even with anger.

Interestingly, I ran across  an American children's book in our local parish library (that's "parish" not "county" by the way) that was published in my home town of Gretna, Louisiana by the Pelican Publishing Company.  In fact, the illustrator is a Missouri Synod pastor, now retired, who was one of my predecessors at Salem Lutheran Church in Gretna.

To the apparent shock of the "English Only Movement," There is no English in the text of this book.  It is written entirely in French. Louisiana has no official language, though French has had special status in the state since 1968.

How can this be?

Well, not every state in the Union originated as an English colony.  Louisiana was settled by the French and the Spanish long before it became part of the predominantly English-speaking United States.

In fact, in the western part of the state, French is still spoken in many homes, heard on the radio, and is quite apparent in the last names of prominent families.  French was spoken here generations before English.  It is the ethnic heritage of many people in our state.

So, maybe some people here could scold Anglophones with something along these lines: "C'est la Louisiane. Parlez français!"

Even the copyright page of this book is written in French (aside from the name of the government office, and even that is bilingual).

And why is this offensive to some people?  Why would this prompt someone to wear a tee shirt that says: "This is America.  Speak English"?

The answer is really pretty simple: in the words of St. Augustine, it is the "lust for domination."  It is bullying.  It is the desire to control other people and entire populations - even the the point of regulating the speech of school children.  The state constitution of 1921 effectively abolished the use of French in public schools.  Older Cajuns recall being physically punished for speaking French even on the playground.  This has created a situation in many families where older people speak French, but felt ashamed to teach it to the next generation.  This was a sort of ethnic cleansing that has resulted in thousands of people with French last names, Cajun heritage, and francophone grandparents who can't speak French themselves.

There are few things that government does well.  Genocide, including that of the cultural type, is one of them.

Now, schools often have to recruit French teachers from Canada, France, and Belgium to teach ethnically French children how to speak the language their own state government attempted to stamp out.  CODOFIL is an organization dedicated to the encouragement of the French language in our state.

This organization was made necessary by previous generations who maintained the short-sighted attitude that  "This is America.  Speak English."

We Americans are known throughout the world for our inability to speak other languages.  As a professor at the seminary put it, half of our theological library is in German.  Unless a student can read German, half of the books are off limits to him.  What advantage is there in being unilingual?  Is this really something to be proud of?

Germans in America likewise suffered the loss of their linguistic heritage because of pressures from "patriotic" Americans during World Wars I and II - perhaps some of the same "patriots" that interred Americans of Asian descent into forced relocation camps complete with barbed wire and guard towers - even the relatives of some American military personnel who were fighting and dying in Europe.  "This is America..."

But the reality is this: compelling the use of English is un-American.  For the first amendment - a cherished explication of the American mind and articulation of the foundational rights explicitly defended in the Bill of Rights - protects the right of free speech: "Congress shall make no law... abridging the freedom of speech...".  Instead of "This is America.  Speak English," the truly patriotic sentiment is: "This is America.  Speak whatever you want!"  That is, if we still connect America to freedom, if we still believe it is the preservation of liberty that defines who we are as a people.

Instead of bullying foreigners and Americans into using exclusively English, why not let the free market decide?  Most people will speak English - perhaps only English.  But where freedom is allowed full course, some people will speak French in Louisiana, Spanish in Texas, German in Wisconsin, Norwegian in Minnesota, and Hawaiian in Hawaii.  So what?  And by teaching our children to be multilingual, they will only increase their odds at being successful in a global economy.

The fact of the matter is that Americans and foreigners are free to speak anything we want - in our homes, on the street, in our churches, at school, at work - anywhere.  If you want to say your prayers in Latin, read the Bible in Greek or Hebrew, converse with your family in French or Spanish, watch movies in Russian or Italian, order your meal in Hindi, Japanese, or Mandarin, or just plain learn to speak Icelandic for no reason at all, so what?  More power to you!  There are even artificial languages like Esperanto and Klingon.  People can even communicate in Morse Code or Pig Latin.  So what?  Why should I have any desire to compel someone to speak English?

Is this really anyone's business?

Here in New Orleans, some people do still speak French.  Spanish is quite common.  Just off the top of my head, I have also heard people in Louisiana speak Vietnamese, Chinese, Swahili, Russian, Japanese, German, Greek, Swedish, Norwegian, Ukrainian, Italian, and Arabic.  It is likely that English will always be spoken here.  And if for some reason it dies off (as even Latin did in Rome itself) it will be because over time, people will freely choose to speak something else.

And the words "freely choose" are important here.  That is supposed to be how decisions are made in America.  Not by government decree.  Not by bureaucratic bullying.  Not by social harassment and intimidation.

"This is America.  Speak whatever you want!"  And as we often say in our laissez-faire Louisiana culture: "Laissez les bons temps rouler!"

Paleo Coach!

I just picked up a book from the library called Paleo Coach: Expert Advice for Extraordinary Health, Sustainable Fat Loss, and an Incredible Body by Jason Seib (rated an impressive 171 five-star reviews out of 180!).

I have been paleo/primal now for quite some time - more than a year.  I am still enjoying it, eating awesome tasty food, have no belly fat, wear 28 inch pants, have lots of energy, and almost never get sick.  Just skimming through the book, this may be the best quick and easy intro to primal/paleo living and eating.

Page 12 basically tells you all you need to know in one fell swoop:

"The Paleo Lifestyle  At a Glance

Foods to Enjoy

• Meat
• Vegetables
• Fruit

Foods to Avoid

• Grains
• Legumes
• Vegetable Oils
• Refined Sugar
• High-Fructose Corn Syrup
• Artificial Sweeteners and Sugar Substitutes
• Soy
• Most Dairy

Exercise

• Walk
• Lift Heavy Things
• Sprint
• Get Flexible
• High Intensity Interval Training
• Avoid Traditional Cardio

That's pretty much it!

The book includes some testimonials, some detailed explanations of the above, a few recipes, and some "coaching" to encourage the transition to a healthier life.  There are some before-and-after pictures and case studies, and a helpful short bibliography.

The author, Jason Seib, includes this wonderful challenge on page 193:

Disbelief?

Maybe you just can't get your head around the fact that most of what you have been taught is complete bunk.  To you, my friend, I issue my favorite challenge.  Do you think that anything I am suggesting will kill you in a month?  If not, then eat strict Paleo for at least three weeks.  If you see no benefit in the way you look, feel, or perform, put a brick through my window and tell everyone on Facebook that I am a scam artist.  Also, be sure to come to one of my seminars and heckle me.

I would certainly not say that if I had not seen the results with my own eyes, time and time again.  While other diets ask you to dupe your body into the illusion of health, Paleo actually delivers health, and it usually begins working its magic right away.  I am not claiming that Paleo will give you the results you want immediately, but you will see enough improvements in your health and vitality within three weeks to know that you have finally found what you have been looking for.

Nothing is more frustrating for someone like me than the critic who has never tried Paleo.  I am not interested in discussing anyone's theories about why Paleo would not work for them.  You have to come at me with something more tangible than that.  All I am asking is that you give it a shot. Even if your only motivation is to make me eat my words.  Please give it a shot.

I agree with Seib on this.  Some of the biggest critics of paleo/primal seem locked into their belief that this is another fad, it won't work for them, they "could never do that," there is something evil about not eating bread when Jesus used bread (though without all the additives and genetically altered garbage that is in our food supply today) for the Lord's Super, and they are simply and contentedly doomed to being fat, sick, and headed to a health crisis.  I agree with Seib.  You can take charge of your health and do something about it.

Try it.  You won't look back, and you won't be sorry!

Teaching and Learning Latin the Fun Way

I've recently heard from some parents who are teaching their children Latin, as well as from some adults who are interested in learning it.  There are, of course, a lot of great approaches and books out there, but I highly (highly!) recommend a book and approach by Danish scholar Hans Oerberg called Lingua Latina Per Se Illustrata.  I used this text for middle school kids for several years, and it was a rip-roaring success!  My students were not all gifted (Latin was a requirement of all students).  And I only had them in class twice a week.  Nevertheless, my students blew me away with how quickly they progressed, and I am still hearing a lot of success stories from former students.  Some of them are now studying Latin in high school and college and are excelling.  Others are breezing through Spanish.  The most common feedback I get involves an explosion of English vocabulary and very high SAT scores in the verbal section.

Oerberg is solid pedagogy, but it is also fun because it is interesting.  It is not rote memorization of paradigms, but is rather a story.  It is basically an innovative novel all in Latin.  The only English in the entire book is on the copyright page.  You learn Latin by reading Latin, figuring it out by the context, pictures, and clues in the margins, and then the new information becomes old information as you grow in your reading.  Over time, Oerberg introduces vocabulary and concepts that prepare the student for reading Caesar (military terms), the Bible (the Vulgate), ancient myths (such as the Minotaur and Icarus), the Roman Calendar, as well as learning the cultural aspects of 1st century Roman life (Roman roads, geography, homes, money, navigation, clothing, medicine, etc.).  And the story is wrapped up in the day to day life of a family.  You learn the grammar by seeing the language used followed up by very brief reviews at the end of the chapters.

It really works!

In using Oerberg, you are trained to read (and actually think!) in Latin (not translate into English).  Thus you can enjoy the story, as well as other Latin texts you may read (actually read!) later, rather than clumsily parsing and translating (which is terribly boring).  Thus Latin becomes a living language, and you begin to see it in everyday English everywhere you look.

The basic first year text is Lingua Latina Per Se Illustrata - Pars I Familia Romana.  You can get by with just the text - but I found that some of the other supporting texts are a great help.  Lingua Latina: A College Companion by Jeanne Marie Neumann is WONDERFUL!  It combines several other books in one volume (such as the Latine Disco student guide, the vocabulary lists, and the Grammatica Latina grammar text).  The Companion is a sort-of one-stop-shopping resource.  It is really well laid-out.  Both of these are also available as PDF e-books (see the links).  I got my PDF of Familia Romana at Books a Million's website.

There is a short companion text of readings called Colloquia Personarum that I really like - just for variety and to reinforce the material.  The readings use the same characters as the book, and are very short and amusing.  I also highly recommend the CD-ROM version ( Familia Romana CD-ROM) of the book - which includes the entire text, audio of the book read by the author, and interactive versions of all the exercises in the book.  

There is a teacher's guide ( Lingua Latina Instructors Materials) that has an answer key.  I also bought Latine Doceo: A Companion for Instructors, but don't find these particularly helpful.  I would not recommend buying them.  Get the College Companion instead.

I found that Amazon, for the most part, has better prices than the publisher (Pullins).  However, they don't sell everything.  If you end up buying all the books I recommend, you may want to order some through Amazon, and others through www.pullins.com.

One last thing that is a must: there is an e-mail list for Oerberg instructors/enthusiasts from around the world.  The lady that wrote the College Companion is one of the participants, as well as some really heavy-hitting scholars.  They are all so friendly and encouraging, and the teachers share a lot of things like quizzes and teaching methodologies. You can toss out any question, and someone will be able to help.  The publisher also monitors the list and is always looking for ideas for helpful resources.  Here is the info about the list:

To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit

        http://nxport.com/mailman/listinfo/oerberg

or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to
       oerberg -request@nxport.com
You can reach the person managing the list at
        oerberg-owner@nxport.com
or ddfarms@earthlink.net

So in summary, if you want to study Latin on your own, or teach your children (or if your children want to do self study), this is my recommendation:

• Get the text Lingua Latina (Familia Romana)
• Get the College Companion
• Subscribe to the Oerberg list

Also valuable, but not necessary:

• Get the Colloquia Personarum
• Get the CD-ROM

And of course, have fun!

I would not get anything else to start with (except some of the other texts after completing Lingua Latina, such as the sequel volume and its materials: Roma Aeterna.

This approach is good for adults, college students, high school students, and with patience, for middle school students and even younger.  I am moving slowly through the first chapter with my 8-year old son, and he is doing extremely well.  For younger kids, there are also some great resources from Classical Academic Press.  So far, I'm using those materials to lay the groundwork for Oerberg.  

Bona fortuna!

Thank You, Hamilton Jewelry!

Hamilton Jewelry is located at 113 Lapalco Blvd, Suite 105, Gretna, LA 70056

It is easy to be cynical when dealing with businesses.  It seems like they are all dishonest and eager to get over on their customers.  And while that is certainly true in some instances, there are also some really outstanding businesses and owners, managers, and workers out there who are honest and upright, who still see their work as craftsmanship.

A couple years ago, I had meant to blog about Hamilton Jewelry at the intersection of Lapalco and Belle Chasse Highway.  I'm sorry that I didn't at the time - better late than never!  This began because I have a pocket watch that is a gift from my dad (of more than 20 years ago), a quartz-driven Jules Jurgensen  that had developed a problem with the date display.  I braced myself for a very bad prognosis.  I figured it would cost me a hundred bucks (maybe more!) to get it fixed (parts from Europe, labor, etc.).  And given the sentimental value of the watch, I would have paid it.  What choice did I have?  I'm not going to throw it in the garbage.

So I brought it to Mr. Hamilton.

It turns out that the watch just needed a minor lubrication.  In fact, I think he did it for free and only charged me for a new battery that it needed.  I was absolutely blown away.  This says to me that this business is reputable and honest.  And when it comes to things like watches and jewelry, that's pretty important.  He could have easily ripped me off and I would not have known the difference.  Instead, he took the high road, and that has won my loyalty.  I ended up buying a watch chain from him.

So, fast forward to about three weeks ago.  I looked down at my hand, and was horrified to see that my wedding band had cracked completely through.  I have no idea how or why.  I had not banged it against anything.  I leave it on my finger all the time.  How do such things happen?  So, once again I was thinking I was in for a really expensive repair job - even if it were possible.  I mean, how do you fix a broken wedding ring, especially one that has intricate scrollwork on it?

Ouch!

Well, given my last experience, I knew exactly where to go.

And once again, it was Mr. Hamilton and his wonderful staff to the rescue!  It was also time for a new battery in the pocket watch.  Both repair jobs were done in a week for $50 out the door.  Even upon close examination of the ring, I can't even find evidence of the former break.  Mr. Hamilton is a true craftsman.  He soldered the ring with gold.  He even gave it a good cleaning.  How he made the repair "invisible" I don't know.  That's why he is a master at fixing jewelry and I can only look upon his work with wonder.

After Mr. Hamilton's expertise

As a funny side note, I just had to wear something on my left hand during the interim.  After 19 years, my wedding-ring finger felt downright indecent being publicly unclad.  So I brought out my old class ring from Walsh Jesuit High School and placed it on my wedding finger.  This turned into a display of the divine sense of humor.  While I was saying Mass at the altar with my hands held up in the "orans" (praying) position, I saw, out of the corner of my eye to the left, the coat of arms of St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) on my left hand.  In my right periphery, I espied the statue of Bl. Martin Luther, the leader of the Evangelical Catholic reform movement (the Lutherans) on my Concordia Theological Seminary class ring on the other hand.

This called to mind the old joke:

A Roman Catholic boy asked his pastor the difference between the Dominicans and the Jesuits.  The priest replied: "The Dominicans were founded to get rid of the Albigensians.  The Jesuits were founded to get rid of the Lutherans."  The boy asked: "Which order is better?"  "Well," retorted the priest with a sly grin, "how many Albigensians have you met?"

Ignatius of Loyola

Martin Luther

At any rate, "Thank you" to Hamilton Jewelry!  If any FH readers are looking to buy jewelry or have something repaired (or even designed from scratch!), I think their honesty and integrity speaks volumes!  There are indeed more quality jewelers with integrity and top-notch customer service in the Gretna area than there are Albigensians.

19 years and still going strong!  

Two Perspectives on Life

Gen 1:27

(use the cc button at the bottom to turn on English subtitles)

John 13:35

 

HT: Lew Rockwell blog.

Shoe Repair Shop Fixes Bible!

There is a local shoe repair business in Gretna that Mrs. H. and I have been frequenting for many years: Moran's, located at 301 Westbank Expressway.

It is a husband and wife business run by C.J. and Mary Moran.  They always give prompt, courteous and professional service.  They have facilitated the near-miraculous reincarnation of my loafers many times beyond their normal lifespan with sole and heel replacements - as well as repairs to the stitching.  They have also provided Mrs. H. with countless heel tips for her boots and shoes. 

I want to give C.J. and Mary a public pat on the back for going "above and beyond."  I have a pocket-sized leather-bound ESV Bible that I bought while I was still a seminarian.  It has given me years of excellent service.  There is, however, a weak link: the leather strap that holds the bible closed.  It had frayed to the point of wearing out.

The bible really needs a way to hold it closed.  I could not find a good solution.  I certainly did not want to discard the Bible.  I'm always loathe to do so as this is God's Word.  Moreover, I like it.  It is "comfortable."  It is also well-made.  Aside from the Achilles Heel of the strap, it could last for decades more.  It has already been with me my entire ministry, from my vicarage in South Carolina, to teaching and pastoral work in New Orleans, and on planes, trains, and automobiles across North America for private meditation and public lecture.  It even went with me to Russia two years ago - from Moscow to the mountainous Republic of Khakassia in Siberia just north of Mongolia.  In fact, my colleague, the Rev. Dan Johnson, made use of it in the pulpit of St. James Lutheran Church in Novokuznetsk where he preached a sermon.  This proclamation of the Word of God and the open carrying of an English Bible by an American clergyman would have been unthinkable only twenty years ago.  My little globetrotting ESV has quite a story, and it is clearly not finished yet!

Looking for a solution, I took the Bible to Moran's.  Mary looked it over, and said that she could replace the leather strap and have it for me within a week.  It would cost me the princely ransom of $8.95 plus tax.  I was thrilled!

She actually called me back about an hour later to let me know the job was done.  I picked it up right away, and it looks great!  She has breathed new life into this little Bible.  I wonder how many other shoe repair businesses would have just automatically said "no."  Mary Moran didn't!  She thought outside the box and found a way to meet her customer's needs.  That, to me, is the greatest argument for a free market: everybody wins and the standard of living improves for all involved.  And it also gives us the opportunity to serve our neighbor and glorify God by our life and work.

So way to go C.J. and Mary!  You will certainly see us the next time our loafers and heels need to be born again.  If you live in the area and are looking for prompt and quality shoe repair service, I heartily recommend Moran's!

New Salem Pics Uploaded!

Here is the link to the album of today's Easter pictures.

Christ is risen!  He is risen indeed!  Alleluia!

Accidental Kitchen Sink Engine

Sermon: Easter – The Resurrection of our Lord – 2013

31 March 2013 at Salem Lutheran Church, Gretna, LA

Text: Mark 16:1-8 (Job 19:23, 1 Cor 15:51-57)

In the name of + Jesus.  Amen.

Christ is risen!  He is risen indeed!  Alleluia!

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, the Marys went to the tomb that first Easter morning as the sun rose, bearing spices and oils with the intention of slowing down the corruptibility of death.  For in our fallen world, bodies break down very quickly upon dying.  Our sinful flesh rapidly begins its journey back to dust.  And the best we can normally do is to delay the process a bit, or at least cover up the effects long enough to show our respects to the deceased.

In love and respect for their seemingly-defeated Master, they came to perform this one last act of mercy.

But instead, the tables were turned.  For it was Jesus who went on the offensive against death, corruption, and decay, not merely in a cosmetic way, but in a cosmic way.  It was the risen Lord who has come to perform a universal act of mercy, halting the corruptibility of the Marys and of all believers, by dying for our sins and by rising again to blaze the trail to eternal life.  And our Lord Jesus Christ does so in a way that no application of spices and oils could ever do. 

For “when the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory.’  ‘O death, where is your victory?  O death, where is your sting?’”

Death is a formidable foe.  But death has been in God’s crosshairs since that fateful day when the serpent overcame humanity by means of a tree.  And now, the Lord Jesus, in His own humanity, overcame the serpent by means of the tree of the cross.  And indeed, now death is swallowed up in victory.

The Marys discovered to their astonishment (and to their salvation) an empty tomb.  In spite of the warnings of the Jews and the military guard of the Romans to appease them, the grave was wide open.  There is no force on earth that could contain the Word of God made flesh.  The sealing boulder had been rolled away like a pebble.  And instead of the decaying body of their crucified friend, they saw an angel in the form of a vibrant youth lounging in a white robe.  They were understandably alarmed.  The Greek word can also be translated as “astonished” or maybe even more colloquially as “gobsmacked.”  This is not what they expected to see when they made that early Sunday morning walk laden down with spices and oils.  Not what they expected at all.  And their minds were now racing to make some sense of it all.

The angel sitting in his robe says bluntly to them: “Do not be alarmed.  You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified.  He has risen; He is not here.  See the place where they laid Him.”  Then the angel reminds them that Jesus predicted this all along.  And the angel gives them instructions to take this good news to Peter and the disciples – who in turn would take this gospel to the very ends of the earth, their proclamation continuing to reverberate throughout the entire world to this very day.

For we continue to ask rhetorically with St. Paul: “O death, where is your victory?  O death, where is your sting?” 

The spices and the oil were not to be used for embalming on that day, dear friends.  Perhaps they were used to prepare a feast instead.  The Marys were not to clean and treat a dead body on that day.  Instead, their own mortal bodies were given proof that they too would rise because of their Redeemer.  For the Marys, and indeed, all believers had “put on immortality” thanks to our Lord’s final and eternal victory over the grave, over corruptibility of the flesh, over sin, and over our ancient serpentine enemy, the devil.

For that is the meaning behind the empty tomb.

“For I know that my Redeemer lives….  In my flesh I shall see God.”  Indeed, “death is swallowed up in victory.”  In our flesh we shall see God in the flesh, the God who takes flesh, the God who comes to us in His flesh, the God who continues to give us His flesh and blood “for the forgiveness of sins.”

There is nothing more repugnant to the devil, who lacks flesh, than the fleshly Christ who redeems our flesh by offering His own flesh to us fleshly men out of love.  Satan has no concept of love, no concept of flesh, and no longer any dominion over us!  For in being baptized into Christ, His empty tomb is our empty tomb, His resurrection is our resurrection, and with St. Paul, we cry out: “Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”  His victory is truly our victory!

Dear brothers and sisters, it is AD 2013, and the tomb of Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ, is still empty.  Death is still swallowed up in victory: His victory and our victory.  He has taken our punishment once and for all; He has shed His blood to redeem us; He has won the battle for us, and now He gives us His own body and blood as a ransom of our own bodies so that we too might put on the imperishable.  He is our Redeemer.  He is our Savior.  He is our victorious Lord and Master.  He has risen, never more to die!  And He shares this incorruptibility and eternal life with us by grace, through faith, in His name and by His Word.  It belongs to the Marys and it belongs to us!

This is the greatest news of all, dear friends.  Jesus has won the battle, and has done so on our behalf.  He has triumphed where we and all of our ancestors have failed.  He has slammed the door on death itself, and has rolled way the stone that holds us in bondage to sin and beholden to the grave.  And as the angel told the Marys, we have no reason to fear: neither death, nor the devil, nor the grave.

Do not be alarmed.  He is risen.  He is not in the tomb.  Death is swallowed up in victory.  For I know that my redeemer lives. 

Christ is risen!  He is risen indeed!  Alleluia!

His

on the sickness of sinto the next - and d w liars and sons of the devil, tament, a bloodye people on In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Sermon: Funeral of Robert Bealer

30 March 2013 at Salem Lutheran Church, Gretna, LA

Text: John 10:14-15, 27-30 (Rev 7:9-17, Rom 8:28-39)

In the name of + Jesus.  Amen.

Dear Claire, Amie, Jennifer, Robert, Charles, Christa, Michael, family, friends, brothers and sisters in Christ, and honored guests, peace be with you!

Today is Holy Saturday, a day of “now” but “not yet.”  For on this day, Christians around the world are caught in the middle of two extremes of sadness and joy.  We have commemorated the Lord’s crucifixion on Good Friday, in which our blessed Lord declared victory over death and the grave by crying out: “It is finished!” – and yet, on the day after Good Friday, He lies in a tomb awaiting His resurrection.  The Creator who created the world in six days takes His Sabbath rest in the tomb, and on the eighth day, the first week of the new creation, will rise again in glory to claim His victory to the world.

This “now” but “not yet” is where Robert is right now.  For Robert has borne his own share of crosses, of sorrows, of suffering in this fallen world.  And indeed, “now” he rests in peace, taking His place as a baptized child of God called to his heavenly home, but “not yet” being raised bodily from the dead.

Dear friends, we find ourselves in this same Holy Saturday no-man’s land, caught between the “now” of the cross, of our baptism, and of the promises of God in Christ, and the “not yet” of our own “resurrection of the body and the life everlasting.”  We also seem to be stuck between the “now” of life in this fallen world – a vale of tears, a world of mourning and loss, of pain, suffering, struggle, and yes, our own deaths – between this “now” and the “not yet” of the promised world to come, in which we will surround the throne of the Lamb rejoicing and “crying out with a loud voice, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”  Our dear brother Robert has preceded us to this heavenly banquet where, “They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore….  For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their Shepherd, and He will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”  For Robert, this is an eternal “now,” even though for us, it is a promised “not yet.”

Robert has this existence in eternity not owing to his own goodness.  For nobody is perfect.  We are all poor, miserable sinners, none righteous, no not one.  We are all sheep that have gone astray, all of us are condemned to death by virtue of our own iniquities.  For the wages of sin is death.  It was because of our iniquities that our Lord was crucified and suffered death for us.  And when, in His death, He was pierced for our transgressions on Good Friday, water and blood flowed from the side of His sacrificial body.  Dear friends, Robert was washed in that baptismal water, and partook of that saving blood, and lives forever in the promise of one who has eaten the saving body of Christ, taking part in that cosmic sacrifice of the Lamb who bears the guilt of our sins unto forgiveness and eternal life.

And starting tonight, Christians around the world will joyfully proclaim the resurrection of our Lord.  And because He lives, Robert lives!  For just as I read to Robert only hours before he left this side of the grave, it was our once-dead and now risen Lord Himself who promised: “I am the Good Shepherd.  I know My own and My own know Me, just as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.  My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.  I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of My hand.  My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.  I and the Father are one.”

Dear brothers and sisters, no one is able to snatch the Lord’s redeemed out of His nail-scarred hands that have rescued us, that embrace us, and that protect us from the assaults of the devil, the fallen world, and even our own flesh.  Robert is one of the Lord’s sheep, marked with the sign of the cross and forgiven of all his sins, all by the work of our Lord on the cross, and given to him as a free gift through the Lord’s ministry of Word and sacrament.

It was my great privilege to give Robert this good news of Jesus Christ and to share with him the body and blood of the Lord over the course of many years.

And this is how even in the face of death, even in our sadness and mourning, even in our own mortality, we can proclaim with St. Paul: “We know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose.”

And we are comforted by the words of the holy apostle: “What then shall we say to these things?  If God is for us, who can be against?.... Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?  Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?”

Paul answers his own question: “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.  For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

This promise is for Robert, dear friends, and it is for all of us who likewise confess the faith once delivered to the saints.  For us, Holy Saturday bridges the gap between Good Friday and the Easter that is sure to follow.  For in Christ, life is wrenched from death, and death itself is swallowed up in victory: Christ’s victory, Robert’s victory, and our victory!

We are indeed in that Holy Saturday gap between the “now” and the “not yet.”  But we have the promises of the Risen Christ, dear friends, and we have the testimony of His empty tomb.  

Tomorrow, we will rejoice in the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, Robert’s Good Shepherd who promises eternal life to Robert and all who believe.  And let us join Robert and all the saints gathered around the throne of the Lamb to sing their unending hymn: “Amen!  Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever!  Amen.

The peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all, now and forever.  Amen. 

His

on the sickness of sinto the next - and d w liars and sons of the devil, tament, a bloodye people on In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Sermon: Good Friday - 2013

29 March 2013 at Salem Lutheran Church, Gretna, LA

Text: John 18:1-19:42 (Isa 52:13-53:12, 2 Cor 5:14-21)

In the name of + Jesus.  Amen.

“His appearance was so marred beyond human semblance.”  “His form beyond that of the children of mankind.”  “No form or majesty.”  “No beauty.”  “Despised and rejected.”  “Man of sorrows.”  “Acquainted with grief.”  “Men hide their faces.”  “Despised.”  “We esteemed Him not.” 

“Stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.”  “Pierced.”  “Crushed.”  “Chastisement.”  “Wounds.”  “Iniquity.”

“Oppressed… afflicted… slaughter.”

“Oppression and judgment… He was taken away… Cut off from the land of the living.”

“Stricken.”  “Grave.”  “Death.” 

“Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush Him.”  “Grief… offering… anguish.”  “Poured out His soul to death… numbered with the transgressors… bore the sin of many.”

These are hardly the word-pictures of one who has triumphed, of a hero, a rescuer, the King of kings and Lord of lords.  This is the last thing one would expect of God in the flesh, the conquering general who has crushed the head of the source of all evil forever.  Instead, these are disturbing images of torture that one might expect in a dungeon, the fate of a horrific criminal suffering under the oppression of sadistic criminals in a horrific and oppressive justice system.

Dear friends, that is what Good Friday is all about.  The prophet Isaiah paints a picture that is disturbing and repulsive, right out of our worst nightmares, something that could only have been dreamed up by the most deranged and evil people who ever lived.

For that is what we are.  We are those who delivered the blows upon the innocent Jesus, by our sins in thought, word, and deed; by our sins and iniquities by which we have offended God.  We surely deserve punishment both temporal and eternal.  And that punishment is laid out for us in shocking graphic imagery by the holy prophet, “the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death” of the Lord’s beloved Son, Jesus Christ.

It is enough to make us hate ourselves and the sin-laden world we inhabit with billions of others just as deranged, disturbed, demented, and death-destined.  It is enough to make us lose hope.

But dear friends, hope is exactly why this terrifying prophecy was fulfilled in Christ.  All of the punishment we deserve was diverted to Jesus, to the suffering Servant, to the Lamb of God pure and holy, to the Atonement, the Sacrifice, the Scapegoat, to Him whose love controls us.  The cruel passion and scandalous death of our Lord Jesus Christ is not a random act of meaningless violence, but rather the supreme act of love by the Supreme God who is Love in the very flesh, a flesh that was “pierced for our transgressions,” and “crushed for our iniquities.”  For “all this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to Himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, Christ was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespass against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.”

Reconciliation.

The ancient enmity between God and man has been ended by  God who is a Man, a Man who is God.  The punishment demanded by divine justice was absorbed and fulfilled by divine mercy.  The blood that had to be shed to pay the penalty was paid by our Lamb, for “He died for all.”

The Lord Jesus endured a heart-wrenching betrayal to save us.  He allowed Himself to be taken into custody – even though the mention of our Lord saying “I am” hurled His captors to the ground by the sheer power of His Word, and by the divine revelation of who he is.  He endured this to rescue us.

He allowed Himself to be bound and marched to kangaroo religious trials even as the wicked so-called high priest Caiaphas was to prophetically declare that Jesus is that “one man” who “should die for the people.”  He suffered exactly that for us.

Our Lord was denied, struck, tried in a civil case under the mighty and cruel Roman Empire.  He was again betrayed, this time by a mealy-mouthed politician.  He was passed over and sacrificed by the people for the sake of releasing a terrorist whose name ironically means “son of the father.”  He was flogged.  He was mocked.  He was crowned with thorns.  He was exposed for ridicule in His suffering.  And He did all of this so that we, who deserve the treatment He received, might be reconciled to God.

He was condemned.  He carried His own cross.  He was crucified.  And though He was, is, and ever shall be, our true King, He was treated as an impostor by the real impostors.  Even His only remaining possessions, His clothes, were stolen and made the object of a dice game.  He was reduced to poverty in order that we might be rich.  He suffered anguish so that we might be spared.  He permitted Himself to taste the bitterness of death so that we might savor the sweetness of life.

“It is finished,” He proclaimed, fulfilling the demands of God’s perfect law.  And even in death, He was still saving us by freely lavishing upon the world His atoning blood and saving water as He was indeed “pierced for our transgressions.”

And in a final act of humiliation in which was mankind’s redemption, the Lord Jesus was put into a borrowed tomb, where His lifeless corpse awaited a visit from the Marys, to be given one last act of kindness in the form of treating the body, an act that turned out differently than they expected.

For even though the universe-shattering events of these few days in April nearly two millennia ago were prophesied by Isaiah seven centuries prior, it is still shocking and surprising to us, still appalling to our ears, and yet music to our desperate and dying souls.

No, dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this is no random act of violence, but rather a carefully planned act of love, a heroic rescue, a redemption beyond that which any mere human author or tale-teller can come up with.

For “behold My Servant shall act wisely… high and lifted up… exalted.”  “So shall He sprinkle many nations; kings shall shut their mouths because of Him.  “The will of the Lord shall prosper in His hand.”  “He shall see and be satisfied.”  “Many to be accounted righteous.”  “He… makes intercession for the transgressors.”

This is the imagery of victory, of healing, of reconciliation, of the destruction of death.  These are word-pictures of love, of mercy, and of everlasting life.

“For the love of Christ controls us.”  “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.  The old has passed away; behold the new has come.  All this is from God.”

“Therefore,” we preachers repeat to the beloved people of God, people redeemed by Christ Jesus, in the very words of St. Paul, “we are ambassadors for Christ, God making His appeal through us.  We implore you on behalf of Christ…”  “We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.  For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.”

We implore you, dear friends, on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.  For we know what is coming.  We forgiven sinners loved by God know the great surprise that awaited the Marys.  And with our fellow redeemed around the globe, we wait in joyful hope and expectation to see what they saw. 

“It is finished.”  Amen. 

His

on the sickness of sinto the next - and d w liars and sons of the devil, tament, a bloodye people on In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Sermon: Maundy Thursday – 2013

28 March 2013 at Salem Lutheran Church, Gretna, LA

Text: John 13:1-15, 34-35, Ex 12:1-14, 1 Cor 11:23-32

In the name of + Jesus.  Amen.

The true story of a daring rescue in space was told in the 1995 movie Apollo 13.  In the face of life-threatening mechanical problems, the flight director on earth rallied his team by saying: “Failure is not an option!”

When something is not open to choice one way or another, we say it is a “mandate” or we might say that something is “mandatory.”  It is not an option.

Today is Maundy Thursday, and the title of this holy day is based on the Latin word translated as “mandatory.”  And it is a curious name for something as gracious as the Lord’s Supper.  But it comes from our Lord’s remarks after He demonstrated in a shocking way what it means to love.  In this poignant act, the Lord Jesus, the Almighty God, the King of the Universe, the One who is the Word Made Flesh whose breath called all things into being, stripped off His clothing, knelt on the floor and washed the filthy feet of his disciples, wiping them up with a towel.

Peter was shocked, scandalized even, by this humble act of mercy, and it took words of wisdom from the Word who is Wisdom Himself to get Peter to humbly receive this grace and this surprising act of love.

And here is where the word “mandatory” comes into being.  Jesus said: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another.”

A commandment is not a choice, not a preference, not something we do if we feel like it.  A commandment is not an option.  “Love one another.”

The Lord Jesus performed this act of love after He “rose from supper.”  And this was not just any supper, it was the Lord’s Supper, the final Passover in which the True Lamb appeared in space and time, in the flesh, the reality foreshadowed by thousands if not millions of sacrificial beasts whose blood was shed, pointing to this one final and all-availing sacrifice of our Lord Jesus on the cross as the full atonement for our sins.  For what the apostles “received from the Lord,” they have delivered to us, “that the Lord Jesus on the night when He was betrayed took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it, and said, ‘This is My body which is for you.”  And after giving them, and us, this most infinite and miraculous gift, He made this mandatory for us by commanding us: ‘Do this in remembrance of Me.’  “In the same way also He took the cup, after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in My blood.’”  And again, the Lord mandates: “Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”

This command to “take eat” and “take drink” is part and parcel of the command to love one another.  For that phrase “one another” is an expression of unity, of community, of communion.  It is fellowship, an act of participation.  It is the community meal of brothers and sisters who love one another.  And this meal is a miraculous meal, for it is, not that is symbolizes or represents, but is the participation in the Lord’s body and blood according to His universe-creating Word.  And when it comes to the Word of God, failure is not an option. 

The Lord also mandates that we who join in this Holy Communion “examine” ourselves.  We are to honestly consider our sins.  For when it comes to our spiritual condition on this fallen planet, failure is our only option.  We are damaged goods living in a damaged world.  And like the crew of the Apollo 13, we are hurling through space on this once good, but now broken, vessel traveling at thousands of miles an hour, reeling out of control for a sure destruction unless we are saved by someone from the outside.  And what’s even better, dear brothers and sisters, our Savior comes to us to rescue us.  He takes flesh and blood in space and time.  He offers His flesh and sheds His blood in space and time.  And He continues to come to us in His flesh and blood in space and time – under the forms of the Paschal bread and wine, the meal of the Passover, brought to fullness and completion “for us men and for our salvation!”

And when it comes to this rescue mission, failure is not an option, because our Lord is both almighty and all merciful.  He has come to save us.  He has come to offer His body and blood.  He has come to wash us in baptismal water.  He has come to serve, not to be served.  And indeed, He has set an example of the conduct that proclaims Him in this fallen world.  For in keeping this mandate to love one another, our Lord says emphatically: “By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

This familial love among brothers and sisters in Christ is a witness before the world of the love of Christ Himself.  It is an invitation to be washed clean by Jesus, to participate in His saving action on the cross, to come to His table to commune with Him and with one another in this one eternal “memorial day” – for we have been mandated to “keep it as a feast to the Lord” throughout our generations, “as a statute forever, you shall keep it as a feast.”

It is not an option.  It is a mandate.

But, dear friends, this is no work of drudgery.  This is not a command like paying taxes or cleaning our rooms.  This is a loving command, an invitation to receive the love of Christ, and then to share that love of Christ, by Christ, through Christ, and to the glory of Christ and of His Father.  For like a cup that is filled to the top, it begs to be poured out again, even as Christ was poured out for us as a final and eternal sacrifice, even as His cup is poured into the mouths of His rescued people day after day, week after week, year after year, and century after century, proclaiming the Lord’s death “until He comes.”  Indeed “Forever, you shall keep it as a feast.”

Failure is not an option!

The Lord has come into our world to save us, redeem us, love us, recreate us, give us life, and set us at liberty – just as the children of Israel made their exodus from slavery in Egypt, and just as the crew of the Apollo 13 were given the gift of life anew as they were safely brought home and rescued from the jaws of certain death that lurked over every inch of that space-and-time odyssey back to earth.

And this holy blood signifies to the angel of death to pass over.  “And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you.”

This promise of rescue, of salvation, of life is given to us, dear friends, for the Passover celebrated to the children of Israel is the foreshadowing of our own saving paschal feast of the Lamb, as His blood marks the doors of our hearts so that death itself is not an option.

And though we fail in our obligations, dear friends, let us take comfort that our Lord never fails.  His love never fails.  His mercy never fails, for it endures forever!  The body and blood of our Lord never fail.  Baptism never fails.  Absolution never fails.  Forgiveness, life, and salvation never fail!  And this is all true because for our Lord, our merciful rescuer, the One who calls all things into being, “failure is not an option.”  Glory and honor, thanks and praise be to our Paschal Lamb, the One who loves us in His infinite mercy, forever and ever.  Amen. 

His

on the sickness of sinto the next - and d w liars and sons of the devil, tament, a bloodye people on In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.