Father Hollywood

Your Entertainment at Guantanamo...

2012-03-10T17:08:00.001-06:00

If the federal government takes the next logical step in light of the NDAA and starts deporting its critics to GTMO without a trial, it won't be fun (I don't like swimming, how do you think I would react to waterboarding...), but there might be a plus side: free in-cage lectures on economics by Lew Rockwell, nostalgic reminiscences on the Constitution by Judge Andrew Napolitano, and entertainment by Tim Hawkins!

I guess it could be worse...

A Busy Week at GO

2012-03-10T16:42:00.001-06:00

I would like to encourage FH readers to check out Gottesdienst Online.

This is the online blog of the world's greatest print journal devoted to the liturgy of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, Gottesdienst - now in its 20th year (the printed edition, that is - the blog is now in its fourth year).

Okay, as a matter of full disclosure, I'm one of the editors of GO and I am also one of the editors of the print journal (the sermons editor). I'm honored to be able to place my scribblings alongside the likes of the editors, the Revs...

Burnell Eckardt, Ph.D.
John Berg
Peter Berg
Jason Braaten
Heath Curtis, M.A.
Karl Fabrizius, Ph.D.
David Petersen
Col. Jonathan Shaw, S.T.M.
Richard Stuckwisch, Ph.D.

Beginning this past Sunday (March 4) until now, we have seen the following articles posted at GO:

Playing the das-ist-Katholische card (Jason Braaten)
A Letter from Rev. Gizynsky, a 2012 Sabre Nominee (Burnell Eckardt)
Thoughts on Lent 3 and the Beelzebul Controversy (Jason Braaten)
O contempora! O mores! (Heath Curtis)
Goldilocks, George Carlin, and the Middle of the Road (yours truly)
Sermon Writer's Block (David Petersen)
A Tyranny of Moderation (David Petersen)
On Being Witting or Unwitting Ritualists (Jason Braaten)
Chanting, Ceremonies, and Consciences (Richard Stuckwisch)

There has been not only a flurry of posts, but also of thoughtful comments and lively discussion. Really good stuff!

Gottesdienst also has a facebook page.

If you believe the worship life of the Church is important, if you believe the Bible is God's Word, if you confess the Book of Concord, if you believe in the means of grace, if you value the ancient liturgy of the Church, if you want to do your part in preserving and promoting the liturgy as we Lutherans have received it as western catholic Christians, if you value the Reformation for its focus on the Gospel and its fidelity to the catholic tradition, if you value Christocentric preaching and exegesis, if you like to learn the history and symbolism related to our rich liturgical tradition, if you would like to support your pastor in teaching the value of the liturgy, please consider subscribing to Gottesdienst.

Regular subscriptions are $15 per year, $25 for two years. Students can subscribe for $12 per year, $20 for two years. Better yet, get a very inexpensive bulk subscription and leave copies out for other members of your congregation! 10 copies are $45 per year, $80 for two years. 25 copies are $75 per year, $140 for two years.

You will find sermons, engaging editorials, regular columns related to the liturgy (both theological and practical), the state of our culture, issues facing the church as a whole and American Lutheranism more specifically, historical articles, thoughtful Christocentric reflections on Scripture, and even on occasion humor, poetry, and hymnody. You will also find news and notices concerning our speaker's bureau, upcoming Gottesdienst conferences, books written and/or published by Gottesdienst editors, the annual Sabre of Boldness ceremony, and the handy annual liturgical calendar for the Sundays in the coming year.

At any rate, GO is completely free, and you are always welcome to drop by, follow our posts on facebook, or add us to your blog reader.

Tea time!

2012-03-09T22:05:00.000-06:00

One habit I brought back from Russia was drinking tea. I drink the stuff every day now. There are great health benefits as reported here.

I like a lot of different kinds - from the domestic Bigelow blends to various kinds of green teas. I generally drink tea several times a day.

A big favorite in the Hollywood home is Indian style masala chai. It is not as full of antioxydants as green tea - but it includes the benefits of ginger (which is good for digestion) and cinnamon. And it is just plain pleasurable to drink. I learned to make it more than 20 years ago from my friends from India. These days, Mrs. H. and I enjoy a slightly simplified recipe, which is very quick and easy to make - which we include here at no extra charge...

This makes a large teapot worth (1.25 liters) - five large cups.

You need 2 to 3 rounded tablespoons of Assam black tea. It really needs to be Assam tea - it is dark and pungent! You may need to go to an international grocer or Indian store to find it. But use Assam! It is the foundation. How much you use depends on the strength of the particular tea tea that you buy. It may take a little experimentation to get the right strength. We prefer a full-bodied cup that can hold its own with a good portion of milk as well as the melange of spices.

Add:

1 teaspoon of chopped ginger (it comes from a jar and is wet).
1/2 teaspoon of ground cardamom.
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon.

Pour in the water (boiled and then cooled just a bit - we have an electric kettle that is lightening fast).

Stir. Let steep at least five minutes.

After pouring into a cup (you might want to use a strainer when you pour), add milk and sweetener to taste. We use Sweet Leaf stevia - a natural calorie-free sugar product (the bottles are a little expensive, but since you only use a few drops at a time, it lasts a long time!). It should have a beautiful caramel color, creamy consistency, and a good spicy kick.

Tea is a healthier alternative to soft drinks, and generally, has less caffeine than coffee.

Cheers!

Chick-fil-A!

2012-03-09T19:06:00.000-06:00

In honor of our new Chick-fil-A going up in Gretna...

Bonus verse included here.

Check out Tim Hawkins other parodies and comedy routines here.

The Feds: To Serve Man... With Bleach?

2012-03-09T16:24:00.002-06:00

Here is the article.

Is this is why we have a federal government? So bureaucrats can invade a picnic and pour bleach on everyone's food?

If this isn't tyranny, plain and simple, I would like to know why it isn't. One of the problems with the federal government is that in spite of all the talk of "democracy" and "republic" and "of the people" and "freedom," what we really have is an oligarchical top-down empire held captive to two nearly-identical political "parties." There is no check and balance from the states and the people as envisioned by the founders. Neither do each of the branches of the federal government check the other. They have all gone into cahoots - and this is the result.

Moreover, our "elections" are completely overseen by these two extra-constitutional parties with crazy internal rules designed to allow the parties (The Party?) to keep a stranglehold on the entire process.

And for the most part, in response, the people focus on a media-driven goose-chase of buying into the politics by blaming the other party, name-calling, aping platitudes and talking points offered up again and again as mindless mantras on talk radio and in tabloid TV. The politicians are all "outraged" and promise "change" - all the while benefiting by keeping the people divided against each other while they literally do things like pour bleach on people's food. CNN-watchers blame the FOX-watchers; FOX-watchers blame the CNN-watchers. The "liberals" blame the "conservatives" and the "conservatives" blame the "liberals" - all the while those terms have switched places back and forth, gotten mixed and matched, and have become utterly meaningless labels.

Hooray for our team!

Meanwhile, once entrenched in Washington, Republicans and Democrats continue growing old agencies and creating new ones like mushrooms, generating reams and reams of new laws and regulations, destroying civil rights and national security, and printing dollars until they are nearly worthless. Both "parties" support both warfare and welfare - while cleverly convincing their own members that it's really the "other" party doing it.

It's Laurel and Hardy. And it would be funny if they weren't equipped with the power to tax, to regulate, to control, to execute, to torture, etc. and with enough nuclear firepower to turn the planet into a cinder - all with the brainpower and wisdom of two toddlers that have unlocked the liquor cabinet and the gun rack. A little bleach anyone?

Instead of blaming Bush and Obama, and getting all wrapped up in getting their partisans elected, Democrats and Republicans ought to ditch the party apparatuses and apparatchiks and blame the federal government (comprised almost exclusively of functionaries of both of these parties) and its arrogant, imperial, bureaucratic attitude toward the people they are supposed to serve, not rule. Whether we are Republican, Democrat, or neither, we would all benefit by going back to the Constitution and restoring the republic.

There was a time when federal bureaucrats did not pour bleach on food. There was a time when Americans could not secretly be executed by the president. There was a time when people had the right to a trial. There was a time when people were free to eat whatever food they wanted to eat. The Bill of Rights (that historic relic) actually addresses these things, although every amendment has been whittled away or outright abolished de facto by partisan lackeys in all three branches of the federal government, by both alleged parties, and by their confederates in the state governments who play along to get ahead themselves. We are no longer a union of fifty states, but rather an empire of two teams (Red Team and Blue Team, the Elephants and the Donkeys) of the same ideological philosophy of government that holds ordinary people in contempt.

And the people have been lulled into playing along, serving as "food" as it were to the monster. To borrow the punch line of the old Twilight Zone episode: "It's a cookbook!"

One day, maybe the people will say "enough is enough." This is exactly the kind of thing that happens when power is left unchecked. A little Clorox on your porterhouse, anyone? How disgraceful and shameful! Pouring bleach on food to ruin a peaceful picnic. "We the people" indeed!

Have you had enough yet? Or are you waiting for some party hack from the Red/Blue Team to vandalize your dinner table? Public service indeed!

Sermon: Wednesday of Reminiscere – 2012

2012-03-07T19:30:00.005-06:00

7 March 2012 at Salem Lutheran Church, Gretna, LA

Text: Mark 8:27-38 (Rom 5:1-11)

In the name of + Jesus. Amen.

Saint Peter tends to the extreme. One minute, he’s riding high, as he had just given the right answer to our Lord’s question about who He is: “You are he Christ,” said St. Peter correctly, “the Son of God.”

But then Peter got a little too big for his britches. For when our Lord told him the plan, and did so plainly: “that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again,” well, let’s just say that Peter didn’t really like that idea. Peter “rebuked” Jesus – a term that in Greek is very strong. In other words, Peter scolded Jesus harshly: “I don’t want to hear you say that ever again,” is kind of what he is saying, “Do you hear me, Jesus?” He talks to him the way an angry parent wags his finger at a naughty child.

Peter has forgotten who the Creator is and who the creature is. Peter thinks he is above God to the point where he can call the shots. And this is exactly what the devil did in his pride. This is why Jesus turns around and lets Peter have it full bore with one of the harshest rebukes in the Bible: “Get behind Me, Satan.”

What causes the Lord to use such shocking language is not that Peter committed some great crime against humanity, or hurt a child, or swindled a widow out of her home, or bowed down before a stone idol. No, what prompted this outburst from the Son of God was that Peter was not setting his “mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”

Now there is a sin that I suppose all of us commit nearly all the time. How can we not? We live in a fallen world that is wrapped up in itself. We live in a me-first culture where we get to make all our own choices, and get to be offended when the world doesn’t behave the way we think it should. And what’s more, we treat God the same way Peter treated Him. We think we know best. We get angry at him when we don’t get our way. We ignore him and continue dropping him lower and lower on our priority list – and then when things are really bad for us, we summon him up like a Genie in a lamp and expect Him to do our bidding.

To that, our Lord scolds us: “Get behind Me, Satan.”

If we really want to know the plan, the Lord has made it plain to us. Indeed, He taught us all about the suffering of the Son of Man, His rejection by The Important People, His passion, His death, and yes, His resurrection.

And we are part of that plan too. We are called to follow Him. And here is what it means (for He says this plainly): “If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever would save his life will lose it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?”

Who actually likes this plan? Take up a cross? Deny ourselves? Our Lord tells us plainly that the plan is that we give up our lives. We too will suffer, be rejected by The Important People, die, and yes, rise again. That is what it means to follow Him. Where Jesus went, we go. Where Jesus goes, we shall go. And when our sinful flesh rises up on its hind legs and wags its fist at Jesus saying: “I don’t like this plan, I have a better one,” the Lord Jesus Himself rebukes us: “Get behind Me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”

This, dear friends, is where the first commandment comes into our lives. It almost never involves stone idols. Rather we worship idols of flesh, idols we see in the mirror. We put our hearts where our treasure is, and we treasure ourselves.

Thanks be to God that the Son of God is not as selfish as we are, otherwise we would have no Savior willing to take up His cross and die in our place. And we would have no hope of rising again. Thanks be to God that Jesus casts out Satan from our sinful hearts when we confess our sins, repent, and hear the words of absolution and the proclamation of the gospel! Thanks be to God for Holy Baptism and the Lord’s Supper!

“For whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.”

Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani knows exactly how to save his own life. He sits condemned to hang from a Muslim executioner’s rope, which would leave behind a widow and two young orphan sons. His captors tell him that he can save his life by simply renouncing Jesus. But Pastor Nadarkhani knows better. He will not place himself in the role of Satan by setting his mind on the things of man, but rather he has taken up a very heavy cross to follow the Lord. When you see the pastor’s picture, whether in a beautiful field before his capture, or in a filthy, tiny concrete cell – he has just the hint of a smile on his face. For he knows exactly how to save his life. He knows our Lord’s warning: “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul.” He is not ashamed of Jesus, even as Jesus is not ashamed of Pastor Nadarkhani’s good confession. For even if he is hanged, he receives eternal life as a free gift from the One about whom he also confesses, “You are the Christ.”

This is how another man who knew the despair of a death sentence, St. Paul the apostle, can write to us by the Holy Spirit’s inspiration: “Since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through Him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand.”

Again, dear friends, this is the little smile that the saints can show to the world, the devil, and their own sinful flesh even in the face of death. For “we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” And moreover, the apostle proclaims: “We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”

This is how Pastor Nadarkhani can endure each day in suffering, not cursing his captors, but praising God and praying for his enemies. And when we are tried and tempted, the Lord is allowing us the opportunity to become stronger, to produce endurance, character, and hope – which we have by means of the Lord’s love for us, poured out as the blood of the sacrifice at the cross, poured into our hearts even as His heart poured out water and blood – tokens of baptism and Holy Communion, given to us so that we might have peace with God.

What a wondrous mystery, dear brothers and sisters! And if the Lord were to do things our way, we would be pretty pathetic indeed, lacking the faith to tap into God’s grace that wins eternal life for us. For if we had it our way, we would not even have the strength to endure so much as a pin prick. Thanks be to our crucified Lord that His love for us compelled Him to endure all the suffering He revealed to Peter, and indeed all that did happen to Him for our sakes.

And, dear brothers and sisters, in spite of Peter’s momentary surrender to Satan, in spite of the Lord’s stinging rebuke, in spite of Peter’s later shameful conduct at the Lord’s execution – St. Peter was justified by faith and had peace with God! He did suffer and endure and grew in character and died himself as a man of hope – not in himself, but in the Lord whom he followed by taking up his own cross.

St. Peter knew that “whoever loses his life for [Jesus’s] sake and the gospel’s will save it.”

No-one likes to bear the cross. We all have sinful flesh that resents God’s plan. But, dear friends, we have been justified by faith for peace with God. We can, in Christ, smile like Pastor Nadarkhani, knowing where we find our life – even if we lose our life. For we know that Jesus is the Christ, and that He will come “in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.” And “we rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.” Amen.

In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

America Needs Freedom!

2012-03-04T21:36:00.000-06:00

You can read more here.

Interestingly, in his brilliant postscript to The Screwtape Letters (1942), an essay called Screwtape Proposes a Toast (1959), C.S. Lewis ascribes this creeping control of government involvement in everyday life to Satan. Writing in the persona of Screwtape, a demon of some reputation as a tempter of men in hell's bureaucracy, states:

Even in England we were pretty successful. I heard the other day that in that country a man could not, without a permit, cut down his own tree with his own axe, make it into planks with his own saw, and use the planks to build a tool-shed in his own garden.

Although our own country is deeply in debt - to the point of near-certain runaway (if not hyper) inflation, and although almost without exception, politicians of both parties (more like both wings of the same party) in Washington (and in the state capitols) are clueless, or worse, there is a wave of libertarianism sweeping among mainly younger people, the ones who are literate, who think, who yearn to be free of the petty and not-so-petty tyranny that is simply the norm today at nearly every level of government. As we see the failure of Big Government and the increasing ridiculousness of our laws, there is a movement toward embracing freedom and becoming more self-sufficient, rolling back the Nanny State and its "happy face fascism."

A good place to begin is with the U.S. Constitution. It is not a perfect document, but if it were actually followed, we would be a much more free people today with a healthier relationship between the people and their governments at all levels.

What we have now is not working - at least to people who value freedom the way our ancestors did.

Sermon: Reminiscere – 2012

2012-03-04T10:00:00.003-06:00

4 March 2012 at Salem Lutheran Church, Gretna, LA

Text: Matt 15:21-28

In the name of + Jesus. Amen.

It is always amazing to hear and consider the account of the Canaanite woman, and her mini-debate with the Son of God. Everybody likes to cheer for the underdog, which means in this case, I suppose, cheering against Jesus.

But this is not a matter of winning a debate. This is a matter of faith. And while appearing to have been defeated, our Lord Jesus is the winner – and He shares His winnings with those for whom He came to save: like the Canaanite woman and her demon-oppressed daughter.

The Canaanite woman is being tested, sorely tested, tested to the point of desperation. Her daughter is under the control of a devil. And this upset mother, this Canaanite woman, has a couple strikes against her. Of course, being a woman, it is not normal for her to stroll up to the Rabbi and ask for favors. Second, she is a Gentile – a handicap the Lord Himself throws in her face as a test of her faith.

But, dear friends, what is a faith that is never tested? Can a person consider himself courageous if he is never confronted with something frightening? Can a person consider himself skilled if he only knows theories read from a book? Too often, we treat faith as though it were knowledge. And knowing the facts about the faith – such as the Nicene Creed – is important. Believing those facts is important. But faith is not something one holds in one’s head, and not something one treasures only in one’s heart, but rather faith is practiced, is acted out, carried out by hands and feet and mouth and deeds. Faith is the Nicene Creed put into motion in a believer’s life. We say it one day a week, but we live it seven days a week. Faith is the cross under the eyes and ears of one’s friends and foes in day to day life. Faith is what we have when it is all that we have. Faith is what is left after the storm has taken away everything else, when one’s trust in princes and in oneself has been purged away by the flames of trials and temptations. Faith is all that a person has when all other remedies have failed.

Faith takes risks!

The Canaanite woman risks rejection and humiliation in her quest to find Jesus and offer up her prayer to Him for help. She “came out and was crying, ‘Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David.” In her faith, she has abandoned her ego, her pride, her self-esteem. She comes before the Lord humbly, without guile, claiming no merit for herself. She bares her soul before the One of has created her, to Him who will make her well, seeking the mercy of the Lord, the Son of David, Him with the power to heal, to save, to draw life out of death, and to remove the harassment of the devil.

The Canaanite woman refuses to quit, to give up, to yield to the natural feelings of anger and resentment in the face of the harsh coldness of the disciples who say: “Send her away, for she is crying after us.” She does not lose her faith even when severely tested by God Himself, as the Lord Jesus seems to be rejecting her with the stunning words: “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel” and “It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”

The Canaanite women understood perfectly well how insulting the term “dog” is. For Jews hold dogs to be unclean animals. The term “dog” – especially when applied to women – is nearly universal among all peoples as a terrible insult.

But the Canaanite woman, like an ace pilot refusing to be shaken off the tail of her opponent in a desperate dogfight, locks in on Jesus, refuses to be deterred, does not let emotion get in the way of her salvation, clings to Christ with all the faith she can muster, and lets fly: “Yes, Lord.” For faith always says “Yes, Lord” – even when we are tried and tempted, disappointed and hurt, harassed and harried, beaten up and beaten down by the world, even when it seems God Himself has forsaken us. “Yes, Lord,” she confesses in faith, “yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.”

She does not deny her uncleanness and unworthiness. But what she holds to is the promise of the Lord, His mercy, His providence, His table with which He shares the crumbs of His very self, offered for us men and for our salvation! Faith enables her to confess boldly her worthiness according to the Lord’s promise at the same time that she confesses humbly her unworthiness according to her own sinfulness.

And this paradox is at the heart of faith, where the two arms of the cross intersect at the heart: our unworthiness and Christ’s worthiness, the Law’s demands and the Gospel’s promises, our earned wages of death and the Lord’s gracious gift of life!

And in her humble “Yes, Lord,” she does not win a debate, but wins eternal life. Jesus is not defeated in a battle of wills, but rather defeats the devil by the will of His Father who sent the Son, to give faith and hope and life to all of the dogs who await the life-giving crumbs that fall from the Master’s table!

“O woman,” declares the Lord, “great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” She has passed the test, not by being clever, but by clinging to faith. She has not defeated Jesus in logic, but has yielded to Him in faith. She has won because Jesus has won. The devil’s grip on her family was beaten into submission. “And her daughter was healed instantly.”

Dear brothers and sisters, how often we get discouraged! How often we feel like the Lord has left us to bless others instead of us. And yet, how wrong we are! For the Lord has come to save us, to heal us, to forgive us, and to give us eternal life! And though it is a paradox, our faith means the most when it is tested. Our faith is made the strongest when it is challenged. Our faith is able to make us well precisely when it is all that we have, and it seems so weak.

Let us never grow weary of praying with our Canaanite sister, with one another, and with our brothers and sisters in every time and place: “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David.” And let us hear yet again the Lord’s mercy: “Great is your faith. Be it done for you as you desire.” Amen.

In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Sermon: Wednesday of Invocabit – 2012

2012-02-29T19:30:00.004-06:00

29 February 2012 at Salem Lutheran Church, Gretna, LA

Text: Gen 22:1-18 (Jas 1:12-18, Mark 1:9-15)

In the name of + Jesus. Amen.

A woman who claims to be a Lutheran pastor in Sweden wrote the following in a national newspaper:

“There is no fallen creation and therefore the whole doctrine of the atonement is irrational! Throw out all the talk about sin, guilt, shame, blood, slaughtered lambs and other horrors! It has no place in modern times, among enlightened people!”

To put it a different way, her argument runs like this: “There is no fall, and therefore no atonement is needed. Since there is no atonement, blood sacrifice is nothing more than primitive cruelty. In fact, we should not even talk about such things because we are modern, enlightened, ever-so-smart people!”

And what is only hinted at, but not said outright in her statement, is that there is no such thing as sin. For without sin, there is no fall, no atonement, and no cross.

If this is true, dear friends, then the cross did not save us through the sacrifice of our Savior, but merely served to torture to death a man no different than you and me. If this is true, then Jesus died in vain, and that putting away such beliefs in Him as redeemer is what it means to live in “modern times among enlightened people.”

Dear friends, in the “modern times” of the last century alone, such “enlightened people” have tortured and slaughtered other human beings by hundreds of millions. Far from seeing “enlightened people” proving that belief in sin in these “modern times” is “irrational,” we have seen a hundred years of sin and evil of proportions more epic than even in the Bible. World War I brought the entire world into total war. Hitler murdered some eight million plus. Stalin killed somewhere near sixty million of his own people. Cambodia’s Pol Pot killed around two million men, women, and children in his killing fields. And with all of the injustice and terrorism in the present, the current century isn’t looking any more “enlightened” than the last one. And even if we as individuals are not in a position to murder people by the millions, we do not go a moment without sinning in thought, word, and deed.

The only way any person living in “modern times” to consider mankind to be “enlightened” and to consider the doctrine of the fall to be “irrational” a person must be deluded, deceived by the world, the devil, and one’s sinful flesh.

“Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers,” warns St. James. For what was true at the time of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; at the time of the crucifixion, in the age of the Christian martyrs under the Romans – is still true today. There is sin in the world, sin that must be atoned for, and sin that was and is atoned for, dear friends: atoned by Christ’s bloody death on the cross! He died for Adam and Eve, and He died also for the most so-called “enlightened” of us living in these “modern times.” As James says, “do not be deceived….” For regarding the Father, “there is no variation or shadow due to change.”

Dear friends, man’s sinful heart has not changed. Rather in these “modern times” mankind has used the “enlightenment” of technology to find a way to sin on a grander scale. And as St. James reveals to us, the Lord has not changed either, “no variation or shadow due to change.” Even as the wages of sin is death, it still is. Even as a Lamb had to be sacrificed to atone for sin, He still is that sacrifice. And even as the Lord was merciful, dear brothers and sisters, indeed He ever shall be. None of that has changed. It matters not whether we lived in the days of Abraham or in “modern times.”

The Lord made a promise to Abraham four millennia ago. The Lord kept His promise. Indeed, the Son of Abraham would be sacrificed on a hilltop, as a Lamb “caught in a thicket” of thorns wrapped around His head. The Son of Abraham would indeed tread condemned by decree of God up a hill carrying the wood for the sacrifice. And indeed, the One who loves us, He who would not withhold His Son, His “only-begotten Son,” from us,” would carry out the payment for our sins Himself because He loves us. God did indeed “provide for Himself the Lamb” for the offering.

The word “Son” in Hebrew means “male descendant.”
The Son of Abraham who was to die was not Isaac, but a later Son who was to come at the fullness of time two millennia later. That Son of Abraham was also the Son of God, who died as a sacrifice, an atonement, for the sake of all other sons and daughters of Abraham, sinners all of us, we who so smugly claim to be “enlightened” and “better” than our ancestors who understood all too well the wages of sin.

And shame on any so-called church that would claim to ordain those whom God has not called, who teach that which God has not revealed to us! And woe to anyone who would teach that the “holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of [God’s] beloved Son, Jesus Christ” was all in vain, that God did not actually say “you shall die” to Adam and Eve in His warning to them about sin. For in rejecting the atonement, one rejects the cross. In rejecting the cross, one rejects the Crucified One, the Son, the gift of eternal life, and ultimately, such a one rejects and snubs the very love of God. And to reject God in this way is to declare oneself a god, or in this case, a goddess.

The inability of some who claim to be Christians to confess the connection between the redemptive Lamb, the atoning cross, and the transmission of that forgiveness is baptism is stunning – especially among those who recite the Nicene Creed week in and week out. Even Hollywood sees this connection clearly, as evidenced by movies like The Godfather and Gran Torino – in which redemption through the shedding of blood is played out in connection with a church’s baptismal font. Throughout human history we have seen soldiers sacrifice their lives for love of country and hearth and home. We have seen parents sacrifice their lives for their children. Even animals will sacrifice themselves for the sake of their beloved offspring. Love and sacrifice are part and parcel of our existence in this fallen world.

The world may not embrace this truth, but it is truth. And for any so-called Christian to deny this truth is evidence of the very sin that such a person denies among the “enlightened” of the “modern age.” To deny sin is to be deceived.

Again: “Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers!” For “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”

For the ultimate “good gift” and indeed the pinnacle of the “perfect gift” is the gift of the Son, offered upon the cross, whose blood is given to us freely as atonement and as sacrament, the “only begotten Son” of the Father, the Crucified One to whom the Father says: “You are My beloved Son; with You I am well pleased.”

For indeed, “the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord!”

And wherever this Gospel is proclaimed, there will be blood! The cross is proclaimed and borne by those called, truly called, to preach this good news. The Church – she who bears the cross of oppression and persecution – is covered in blood, and more importantly, covered by blood – the blood of the Lamb who takes away the sin of the world. And upon our altars one indeed finds no blood of bulls and goats, but rather the blood of the Lamb in the cup, the blood of the one all-availing sacrifice, with the unblemished sacrificial flesh of the Lamb, offered to us as a sacramental gift, in the very words of the Lamb Himself: “for the forgiveness of sins.”

“For the forgiveness of sins,” dear friends!

Let us continue to confess “Through Jesus’ blood and merit, I am at peace with God” even as we partake of His body and blood at the altar until He comes again.

For as we observe and as Scripture testifies, there is a tragically fallen creation. Therefore the whole doctrine of the atonement of Christ Crucified is not only true, but it is the supreme act of love, “irrational” love to fallen man, maybe, but divine perfect love for those being redeemed! Throw out all the talk about what “enlightened people” we are in these “modern times,” and other such horrors! Let us freely acknowledge our “sin, guilt, [and] shame,” and let us take refuge in the “blood” of the Lamb, the Crucified One, the “beloved Son” in whom the Father is pleased.”

For us by wickedness betrayed,
For us, in crown of thorns arrayed,
He bore the shameful cross and death;
For us He gave His dying breath.

O love, how deep, how broad, how high,
Beyond all thought and fantasy,
That God, the Son of God, should take
Our mortal form for mortals’ sake!

Amen.

In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

You know you're getting old when...

2012-02-27T23:46:00.000-06:00

... you enjoy the music played at Wallgreen's.

This means that you are officially part of the "drugstore demographic" and management wants you to be in a good mood and eager to buy stuff - specifically things that the pharmacy sells.

Gone are the days when the "drugstore demographic" is listening to Al Jolsen on the Victrola, Tommy Dorsey or the Andrews sisters on 78s, or even Elvis or the Beatles on 45s. We have even progressed beyond Pink Floyd on LP. No, sir, we're long past that in the world of the pharmacy. In fact, 70s and 80s music is increasingly de rigueur on the apothecary airwaves (now piped in via satellite radio).

The playlist for FH's evening excursion tonight was a couple of old, memory evoking faves, reproduced here :

1) Arlo Guthrie's "City of New Orleans" (1972)

and...

2) Van Halen's "Love Walks In" (1986)

Quite different tunes, but I like 'em both.

"City of New Orleans" is one of those American folk tunes that is impossible not to sing or hum when the refrain debuts in your head. As I made my way to the cash, a middle-aged Gretna police officer was singing along softly. I walked past him whistling the chorus. The tune makes me think of our family's trips in recent years between New Orleans and Chicago by the Amtrak line of the same iconic name (and between Chicago and Milwaukee via the Hiawatha): the various sights and sites mentioned in the lyrics, the feeling of being rocked to sleep, the little passing slice of Americana that one inevitably encounters in such an epic rail trip in a cozy sleeper car with wife and young son:

Mothers with their babes asleep,
Are rockin' to the gentle beat
And the rhythm of the rails is all they feel.

"Love Walks In" is more personal to me - being a tune that reminds me of playing it on cassette (these were crude plastic shells that contained - it's almost embarrassing - a cellophane tape rolled manually around two spools with music encoded - it sounds ridiculous these days - magnetically onto the tape. I played the album (Van Halen's 5150) cranked up as loud as it would go in the stereo unit mounted in the fairing of my Suzuki GS850L motorcycle - which I rode everywhere from work, to church, to picnics and parks with friends, to solitary camping trips in the mountains - at the ripe old age of 22, five years before meeting my future wife.

Contact is all that it takes
To change your life, to lose your place in time

Such glorious memories - thanks to Wallgreen's and their blasted marketing strategy to lull me into being a good consumer according to my own mortality!

However, I can be encouraged that I was not there to buy pain killers or stool softeners or supplements for the prostate or denture cream. I am not quite surfing that demographic wave, at least not yet. Instead, (and this may be one of those sentences never before written or spoken in the English language) I was buying a gallon of milk, a cat bed, and a package of Fig Newtons.

Yes, I was Jonesing for Fig Newtons.

Does that mean something? Am I just this side of having to stock up on Doan's Pills, hot water bottles, enemas, and Grecian Formula? How far does one have to connect the dots to get from Arlo Guthrie, Sammy Hagar, and Fig Newtons before this becomes a "Remember, O man, that you are dust, and to dust you shall return" thing? Then again, I have just been reminiscing about the cassette tape and the days before cellphones, PCs, downloadable music, and my motorcycle that was made 30 years ago (which would today qualify for antique plates).

Well, I guess I'll know for sure that it's all downhill when Wallgreen's starts playing 1990s grunge. And I can only hope and pray not be fated to picking out a new walker while Britney Spears sings "Oops, I Did it Again" - a fate worse than death.

Meanwhile, for the time being, I'll gladly take Guthrie and Hagar, Amtrak and Suzuki and Nabisco and reflect between Fig Newtons:

Another world, some other time
You lay your sanity on the line
Familiar faces, familiar sights
Reach back, remember with all your might

Good night, America, how are you?
Say, don't you know me I'm your native son,
I'm the train they call The City of New Orleans,
I'll be gone five hundred miles when the day is done.

Singing a Song vs. Living a Song

2012-02-27T17:27:00.001-06:00

Popular songwriter Jim Steinman has written a large corpus of distinctive works performed by many singers from the 1970s to the present, most notably Meat Loaf (Marvin Aday). His music is just plain fun. Much of it is tongue-in-cheek with witty and even poetic turns of phrase and a big theatric and/or operatic sound to back up the main vocal lines. His music often avoids falling off the cliff of pretension with some good old-fashioned self-parody and humor. At the same time, there is much upon which to cogitate.

The Steinman tune "Rock and Roll Dreams Come Through" was a top-40 hit in 1981. In fact, on the radio in the office of the Superintendent of Akron's pubic schools when my dad drove me over to his office to pick up my high school diploma (I attended Summer school and racked up enough credits to graduate a year early).

The 1981 arrangement and performance that was on the radio (especially Cleveland's legendary WMMS) that summer is reproduced in the first YouTube below (it was released as part of a Jim Steinman solo project, but he was not the vocalist). It has the characteristic Steinman flair - playful lyrics, operatic chorus, and epic instrumental sound. The singer is good - especially considering how the song took off on the radio. But he is only singing the song, not living it.

Jim Steinman's 1981 version...

In 1993, Meat Loaf took the wheel of the vocals as the same tune was re-released as part of his Steinman-authored Bat Out of Hell II project. Listening to this version is like the former with the intensity cranked up a few notches - if not exponentially - and then ripping the knob off and throwing it away. I think it's obvious why the decades-long collaboration between lyricist and vocalist has survived and prospered.

The contrast between the two is stunning. It is as though Meat Loaf said: "Now I will show you how a Steinman song is sung. Step back, sit down, and get out of the way." Or as Mrs. H. said, the former is singing the song, whereas Meat Loaf is living the song. And a piece of music - whether a pop tune or an opera - with lyrics like: "You've been through the fires of hell / And I know you've got the ashes to prove it" ought to be sung with conviction - as one who has been there, done that, and has survived to tell the tale.

Postscript: I blogged about Meat Loaf nearly four years ago here.

Meat Loaf's 1993 version...

New Orleans: Reality vs. Perception

2012-02-27T11:32:00.000-06:00

I was watching an episode of a BBC program in which British comedian and actor Stephen Fry (who played Jeeves opposite Hugh Laurie's Wooster in the TV adaptation of (the uproariously funny and brilliant) Jeeves and Wooster) visits all fifty states of the American union. In this episode, Fry travels up the Mississippi River from New Orleans to Minnesota.

I was interested in how he would find Louisiana - especially New Orleans. Of course, there is only so much one can see in a short time, and even less that will survive the cutting room floor. Basically, Fry visited Bourbon Street on Mardi Gras, interviewed an alleged voodoo priestess (a white Jewish lady from New England, actually), and toured the Angola prison.

That was it.

His conclusions were as fake as the New Orleans accents in the movie The Big Easy. Laughably so! Of course, the whole Mardi Gras on Bourbon Street thing is a gross distortion of what Carnival is really like. It's like summarizing American cuisine by showing a kid eating chicken nuggets at McDonald's. Yes, you will find Americans doing so, but it's a rather narrow stereotype of a much bigger totality. And in fairness, Bourbon Street is a tourist area that caters to tourists and is filled with tourists. It's a little like visiting Chinatown and concluding that the average American speaks fluent Mandarin. Great story, shame about the facts.

But it makes for sensationalistic TV I suppose.

The really laughable part was the time wasted on the whole "voodoo priestess" thing. I mean, really! Fry went so far as to conclude that voodoo is the spiritual bedrock of New Orleans. Can he actually believe this? Of course, there were (and perhaps still are) real practitioners of voodoo. But what you find in the French Quarter are souvenir shops and (once again) tourist traps. Moreover, the overwhelming spirituality of New Orleanians - even if only in a cultural or nominal way - is Roman Catholicism - so much so that the poster advertising the most recent LCMS Youth Gathering featured the Roman Catholic Cathedral of St. Louis (the spiritual hub of New Orleans) as part of its logo. But to watch this show, one would think that Christianity runs a distant second to voodoo, that your average Louisianian carries his car keys on a real shrunken head, and sticking pins in effigies of rival football coaches (well, the last one might be true... just kidding). Actually, the real spirituality of New Orleans is indeed football - the Saints, LSU, Tulane, and your various and sundry Alabama fans. It is impossible to walk around New Orleans for any length of time without seeing a Saints jersey or a billboard with Drew Brees's picture on it. A close second in the hearts of the local culture involves the lifestyle that focuses on music and restaurants (both with an authentic regional uniqueness) - quite independent of both Mardi Gras and Bourbon Street. But Fry chose to focus on something as arcane as voodoo. And of course, Angola Prison.

Boy, they saw him coming!

Obviously, the screenwriters had in mind a very shallow stereotypical and preconceived picture of Louisiana, and seized on it: Bourbon Street Mardi Gras, voodoo, and a prison. There was an obligatory tour of the post-Katrina Ninth Ward - but of course, the impression was given that only black neighborhoods suffered under Hurricane Katrina (because of the implied conclusion that the population of Louisiana is racist - yet more sensationalism that can be disproved by even a cursory real visit).

In contrast to the hackneyed Fry job, here is a story from our local paper that you might not hear about in the rest of the country and world - a piece that captures the big-heartedness and sense of community that maybe isn't quite as compelling as voodoo. But it does involve Mardi Gras, though if you're looking for vomit-stained college girls from the midwest exposing themselves, or chickens being sacrificed, or lurid scenes of prisoners being marched around by rifle-toting guards - you will be disappointed. It does, however, demonstrate what the vast majority of real New Orleanians think of drunken knuckleheads at the local parades and how children (especially the handicapped) fit into our complex and cosmopolitan culture.

I think the headline in the print edition sums it up: That's How We Roll.

It's too bad that Stephen Fry didn't dig a little deeper. For the real Louisiana is way more interesting, intricate, incongruous, and intimate than his producers' limp and lazy attempt to create a lurid, and yet ultimately, plastic (and boring!) image that is more imagination than reality.

Sermon: Invocabit – 2012

2012-02-26T10:00:00.000-06:00

26 February 2012 at Salem Lutheran Church, Gretna, LA

Text: Matt 4:1-11 (Gen 3:1-21, Heb 4:14-16)

In the name of + Jesus. Amen.

“Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, when the author of Hebrews implores us to draw near to the throne of grace “with confidence,” he means boldly, openly, and plainly. He means that we can walk to the King’s throne as if we are the crown prince, without hesitation and without worry that we don’t belong there. He doesn’t mean that we should be flippant or take this great privilege for granted. But He does mean that we should not be cowardly when we poor, miserable, and yet forgiven, sinners draw near to God.

What a great contrast to what we deserve as Moses has laid before us in the third chapter of Genesis! Adam and Eve were anything but bold and confident, frank and open, when they broke the Lord’s law, when they sinned against the Lord’s commandment, and when they betrayed the Lord’s trust.

In fact, in their shame, they “hid themselves from the presence of the Lord.” They knew what they had done and they understood the justice they deserved. When God sought them, they were the very opposite of bold and confident, frank and open.

And when the Lord confronted them, bidding them to confess, they were anything but bold and confident, frank and open in their confession. Instead, Adam blamed Eve. Eve blamed the Serpent. And indeed, it was the Serpent who sowed the seeds of doubt: “Did God actually say…?”

But, dear friends, this seed of doubt was not to be the last seed to be sewn. In fact, the Lord Himself promised to the devil: “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring” – literally: “her Seed.” “He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.”

And so the great conflict – in fact the Greatest Conflict in History – began with a human act of sin, and with the promise of a human act of redemption! For it was to be not a seed of doubt planted by the devil, but the Seed of Faith planted by the Father – that would secure eternity and bring forth victory – even in the shadow of that most dark and horrid of days.

For our Lord Jesus is the Seed of the woman, the Offspring not only of Eve, but also the Son of the virgin Mary, conceived without the seed of a man. He is the Warrior who has come to avenge mankind from the lies of the father of lies and his loathsome “did God actually say…?” seed of doubt. And Jesus, our Seed-Warrior is also our King-Priest. He is the Son of David, the One whose reign never ends, the One through whom we, the fallen seeds of Adam and Eve, conceived in sin and disobedience and death – can approach the divine throne of grace with confidence: bold and confident, frank and open. And what’s more, He is our Priest, the one who offers Himself as the Lamb: the sacrifice and priestly work of His own nail-scarred hands, even as the malicious and mendacious devil bruised His heel at the cross.

This Priest atones for us with blood, His own blood, His own perfect blood, He who “has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God,” our very own “great High Priest” whose death gives us life, whose blood gives us confidence to “draw near” to the God whom we have offended with our sins, whose Word sustains us in ways that bread alone cannot. For as Jesus – the Seed of the woman, the High Priest, the Lamb of God pure and holy, the Redeemer, the Savior, the Word Made Flesh, the Crucified One – teaches us anew this holy day: “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”

Dear friends, our Lamb dies so that we might live! Our Priest offers sacrifice so that we might draw near to the throne of grace”! Our promised Seed crushes the head of the lying serpent, and the Word made flesh sends forth His Word to us in order that we might wield it as a double-edged sword to beat back the temptations and assaults of the devil, crushing his head under our feet.

For the Serpent continues in his lie: “Did God actually say…?” to this very day.

Did God actually say that we are sinners? Yes indeed. “Let us hold fast our confession.” Did God actually say that the Lord Jesus is our High Priest through whom we can “with confidence draw near to the throne of grace”? Yes indeed, “Let us hold fast our confession.” Did God actually say that “man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God”? Yes, indeed. “Let us hold fast our confession.”

And we hold fast our confession as our Lord held fast His confession, even during His own temptation. For our High Priest is indeed able to “sympathize with our weaknesses” as He is truly “One who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.”

And what a blessing that we do not simply have a Priest who preaches at us and tells us what to do, but one who leads the way, marching into battle ahead of us, slaying the enemy with the sword that is His very Word!

What a blessing that we have a Savior who has the power and the authority to command: “Be gone, Satan!” as well as passing that authority on to His ministers who speak in His name: “It is written!”

And thanks be to God that by Christ’s power, through Christ’s authority, by means of Christ’s Word, and in Christ’s name, “the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to Him.”

Though we are sinners and deserve death, we are given life in the Word. Though in our shame, we have no right to approach the throne, we are given confidence by means of the Word. And though in our separation from God, we have no power to fight against the old evil foe, we are empowered to make use of the Word by the Word of God in the flesh, the promised Seed, our High Priest!

“Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Amen.

In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Hollywood (again) in Gretna

2012-02-24T18:32:00.000-06:00

Above is the video of this report from FOX-8 News (New Orleans).

On the heels of Will Ferrell's "Dog Fight," another crew was filming in Gretna yesterday for another movie ("The Hot Flashes") a block away in our local coffee shop and neighborhood eatery, Common Grounds. CG is getting to be as well known as a movie set as it is for its shrimp po-boy and Fazzi's barbecue chicken.

I guess the days are coming to an end when you can google "Hollywood" and "Gretna" and my blog would pop up at the top of the list!

Sermon: Ash Wednesday – 2012

2012-02-22T19:30:00.003-06:00

22 February 2012 at Salem Lutheran Church, Gretna, LA

Text: Matt 6:1-6, 16-21

In the name of + Jesus. Amen.

“Remember, O man, that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

It’s easy to forget this universal truth, even as we universally try to forget it. We don’t like to confront our own mortality. We change the subject. We speak in euphemisms to avoid the obvious. And we take all sorts of pills and powders and potions to cover up the evidence that we are dust, and to dust we shall return. We buy Oil of Olay and Grecian Formula to create the illusion of youthful appearance. Bawdy pharmaceutical commercials try to lure an aging population to behave like hormonal teenagers.

“Remember, O man…”

Remember, O man, that man was created in the image and likeness of God, man and woman, perfect in every way, without cells that would age and without the curse of disease and decay. Remember, O man, how you sinned, man and woman, surrendering the perfection given to us as a gift. Remember, O man, that “the wages of sin is death,” and that “we all like sheep have gone astray.”

“Remember, O man,” that no amount of cosmetics or chemicals can take away sin, the very thing that has brought death into our world and into our own lives.

We need to remember because we try so hard to forget. We make ourselves busy with all sorts of distractions so as not to remember that we are dust, that we are sinners, and that we will indeed return to dust. We work and make money, which we spend on toys and games and distractions so that we won’t remember. We invest years of our lives in sports and television and hobbies so that we won’t remember. We find all sorts of excuses to avoid studying God’s Word and hearing the Word preached so that we can’t be reminded. We drown our mortality in entertainment and distractions, all so that we won’t remember. But it doesn’t work.

“Remember, O man, that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

This is why Jesus is constantly reminding us of realities that cut through the clutter and get right to the point. Jesus says: “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people to be seen by them,” as if it matters what others think of us. For “remember, O man, that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” Our heavenly reward from our heavenly Father is far more important than the temporary praise of fallen men in this fallen life.

“Remember, O man…”

Our Lord reminds us: “When you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you as the hypocrites do.” For, as our Lord reminds us, such people “have received their reward” already in this short life. But remember, says our Lord, “your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”

“Remember, O man…”

“And when you pray,” our Lord reminds us, “you must not be like the hypocrites” who put on a good show, eager to be seen by others. But again, “remember, O man” that “your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”

“Remember, O man…”

“And when you fast,” says our Lord, “do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others.” For, as our Lord reminds us, such people “have received their reward.” “But when you fast” (“when” you fast, as our Lord reminds us), “anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others.” And our Lord reminds us again, “your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”

Some may feel that we should not “disfigure our faces” with an ashen cross, but rather should “anoint your head and wash your face.” But, dear friends, the cross of ashes is not a sign of your fasting, it is a sign of your mortality. It is not a boast about how good we are, but just the opposite. It is a stark reminder to us and to all men who are likewise marked for death – whether with or without a cross – that we are indeed dust, and to dust we shall return.

“Remember, O man…”

If this reality drives you to fast as a sign of repentance, than your fasting should be in secret. There is no need to proclaim to the world what we are giving up for Lent or to make a show of it.

“Remember, O man, that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

And most of all, dear friends, please pay heed to our Lord’s last reminder. We may choose not to confront our mortality by avoiding God’s Word and by refusing to strive against our mortal sinful nature in a struggle to lead a godly life. Instead, we may turn to the world’s allurements of bread and circuses, of sports and sexuality, of hobbies and music and entertainments. None of these are bad in and of themselves. In fact, in their right context, they are gifts of God. But how many people use these things as an idol, as a substitute for the Word of God? How many would not think of missing a parade but will gladly miss Divine Service? How many would not think of missing even a few minutes of the game, but think nothing of missing Bible class? How many will think nothing of spending money on restaurants while shorting the collection plate as the church struggles to pay bills?

“Remember, O man, that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

Remember what our Lord reminds us again: “Do not lay up for yourselves treasure on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

“Remember, O man, that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

On that day when we return to dust, how important will that jersey be? That prized throw? That antique car? That smartphone? That laptop or iPad? On that day when we return to dust, who will remember who the MVP in the last Super Bowl was? Who had the biggest house in the neighborhood? Who could afford the plastic surgery? Whose kids went to the best colleges? On that day when we return to dust, where will our treasure be?

“Remember, O man…”

We need to remember that we are dust, and to dust we shall return. We need to remember that God loved us even in our sinfulness and in our mortality to the point where He sent His only-begotten Son into our flesh, to likewise partake of death – even the death of the cross. “Remember, O man,” that God the Son became a man, so that He might remember you before His Father in heaven!

“Remember, O man…”

Remember that Christ died on the cross for you, that he did not bear ashes symbolic of death on His forehead as a sign, but rather He bore our cross unto the death that He did not deserve, so that He could mark us with the sign of the cross at Holy Baptism. Remember that this baptism is not simply water that washes away ashes and dust from the body, but rather washes away sin and death, drowns the Old Adam destined for dust and ashes, and marks us with His cross so that even though we will die, yet we shall live!

“Remember, O man!

Dear brother and sisters, by the Lord’s grace and in His love, let us use our remaining time before we return to ashes wisely, putting God’s Word first, allowing Jesus to remind us that though we shall die, we shall conquer death because He has conquered death! Let use this time of Lent as an opportunity to repent of our foolishness and our forgetfulness of what is truly important. Let us turn from death and toward life! Let us store up our treasures in heaven, and remember that all things in this fallen world are only so much dust and ashes, but that in Christ, we have “treasure in heaven,” the treasure of forgiveness, salvation, and a life that will have no end.

“Remember, O man!”

Amen.

In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Sermon: Quinquagesima – 2012

2012-02-19T10:00:00.001-06:00

19 February 2012 at Salem Lutheran Church, Gretna, LA

Text: Luke 18:31-43 (Isa 35:3-7, 1 Cor 13:1-13)

In the name of + Jesus. Amen.

“Lord, have mercy upon us! Christ, have mercy upon us! Lord, have mercy upon us!” Amen.

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, our Lord Jesus has great encouragement in store for us today, and it is wrapped in an irony that should make us stop and ponder its meaning: the blind who see, and those with sight who lack vision.

No less than “the twelve,” – the followers of Jesus, the holy apostles themselves – were subject to fits of blindness, such as when our Lord told them something incredibly important: “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished.”

This sounds like something they would do well to pay close attention to, and if they aren’t understanding it, maybe they should ask Jesus some questions.

Our Lord continues, speaking about Himself: “For He will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon. And after flogging Him, they will kill Him, and on the third day He will rise.”

Our blessed Lord has just revealed to the Twelve the eternal mystery of the atoning passion, death, and resurrection of God in the flesh. This does sound kind of important, no?

“But they” – the followers of Jesus – “understood none of these things. This saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said.”

They are blind to the very clear preaching of Jesus. They don’t want to hear it. Maybe they are paying attention to other things. Maybe they are focusing on what they want to be true rather than what is true. Maybe they have forgotten that they are the sheep and that our Lord is the Shepherd, and they would do well to pay attention, even when (and maybe especially when) it seems hard. At any rate, they don’t see it.

But, dear friends, contrast this with what comes next.

A blind man, not a disciple of Jesus, but a shameful beggar, cries out: “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Without even being able to see, this blind man (who is an embarrassment to the community) has the vision of Jesus as the “Son of David,” as the Messiah, as the living Vessel of the living God’s life-giving mercy.

And his vision of Jesus bears fruit, as Jesus restores the man’s sight, proclaiming: “Recover your sight; your faith has made you well.” And, as St. Luke reports, “immediately he recovered his sight and followed him, glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.”

This is so typical of God’s kingdom (which is anything but typical). The blind man sees. The one who cries out for mercy receives it. But at the same time, the ones who don’t like what Jesus has to say manage not to understand the simple message of the Gospel.

This blindness of the disciples concerning the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus would hang over them up to the first Easter itself. For even though Jesus told them over and over what was to happen, they were blinded by their own conceit and sense of self-destiny to see what was coming. Peter told Jesus this was just not going to happen. James and John wanted to sit at Jesus’s right and left. They were blinded by ambition and their own wants.

It was not until the risen Christ appeared to the apostles that they were to finally see, really see, what Jesus revealed to them on the way to Jerusalem. And it would not be until the Holy Spirit’s descent at Pentecost that the apostles would go forth from Jerusalem not only “seeing,” not only understanding, but also proclaiming, preaching, opening the eyes of those in Jerusalem and all over the world who were trapped by the darkness of idolatry and the blindness of sin.

Dear friends, our Lord invites us to take to heart the prayer of the blind beggar s we join him in our liturgy: “Lord, have mercy upon us!” We too are blind beggars crying out for mercy: “Christ, have mercy upon us!” We blind beggars given sight, by God’s grace through Christ, are also invited to give praise to God with our prayer of hope: “Lord have mercy upon us!”

We are invited to leave our own self-inflicted blindness, to stop being beguiled by the world’s trinkets and distractions, to truly listen to Jesus and really understand His Word, to pay attention to the proclamation of the preachers of every time and place who have come to announce the grace of God as the Lord’s mercy that is indeed upon us.

We are approaching a time of year to have our blindness lifted, a season of study and understanding, of crying out for mercy, of fasting, of praying, of almsgiving, of confession, of repentance, of seeing, truly seeing our desperate need for a Savior. We are coming into a season where we will have the opportunity to be immersed in the Lord’s mercy by increased study of His Word and by a more frequent participation in His Sacraments.

The theme of Lent has always been: “Lord, have mercy on me!” And what is “mercy” but love in action, love our Lord has for us in redeeming and healing us, and love that impels us to glorify God in our own acts of mercy in love for our fellow sinners?

St. Paul teaches us anew about this love, this perfect love, this Christian love showered upon us recklessly by our merciful Lord like throws from a parade float, love that we in turn share liberally with our fellow blind beggars who likewise lack vision apart from Christ.

“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.”

If we have all of the doctrines of the Bible and of the Small and Large Catechisms of Martin Luther and of the entire Book of Concord and of the Constitution and Bylaws of the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod, but lack love, we are nothing.

“Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.”

This love is what our Lord brings to the blind man. Love is what impels our Lord to “endure all things” – even a cross, even to be “mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon.” Love is what motivates our Lord to show mercy upon us by enduring flogging, crucifixion, and being laid in a tomb. And it is love that raised our Lord Jesus from the grave. And the Lord loves us even when we do not understand these things, being blinded by our own sinfulness and selfishness. For he has come to show mercy to the blind, to save sinners, to bring life to the dead and pardon to the lost.

Let us open our eyes! Let us see the vision of the Lord Jesus in His passion, death, and resurrection, in His Word and Sacraments, in the fellowship of His saints – which is to say, dear brothers and sisters, in His mercy and in His love!

Our Lord has come to give us vision, not only to see our own sinfulness “in a mirror dimly,” but to see our merciful Lord as He is “face to face.” For in His passion, death, and resurrection, we have redemption, forgiveness, and eternal life. We have victory over sin, death, and the devil. And we are indeed given the gifts of “faith, hope, and love.”

As the Lord’s servant, I proclaim anew to you what our Lord Jesus and the apostles have proclaimed to the world, what God has revealed through the preaching of the prophet Isaiah, words Isaiah likewise preached to a people who have been beaten down by their oppressors and by a world that does not care to understand the Word of the Word made flesh, a Word of encouragement and hope, a Word of mercy and perfect love:

“Be strong; fear not! Behold your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you. Then the eyes of the blind will be opened.”

“Recover your sight,” dear brothers and sisters, “your faith has made you well.”

“Lord, have mercy upon us! Christ, have mercy upon us! Lord, have mercy upon us!” Amen.

In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Russian Lutherans Make New Orleans Newspaper

2012-02-18T19:13:00.000-06:00

The January 31, 2012 visit of an LCMS pastor from Iowa (Rev. Dan Johnson) and four fellow Lutherans from Siberia (including Bishop Vsevolod Lytkin, Rev. Dmetri Dotsenko, and Miss Natasha Sheludiakova) to Salem Lutheran Church in Gretna, Louisiana was written up in the Times-Picayune's February 16 edition, which you can view here. The print edition included the above photo.

The delegation also toured downtown Gretna and took in some jazz in the French Quarter. You can see pictures here (via Flickr) and here (via facebook).

Breathtaking pictures of Novosibirsk, Siberia

2012-02-18T19:03:00.000-06:00

Check out these remarkable wide views of the landscape of Siberia's capital and Russia's third-largest city and one of its scientific and engineering centers of higher learning. Novosibirsk is also the headquarters of Confessional Lutheranism in Russia, the home to both the cathedral church (St. Andrew) and the seminary (Lutheran Theological Seminary) of the Siberian Evangelical Lutheran Church.

Miter Tip: Bishop Vsevolod Lytkin.

This is pure Soviet-style government...

2012-02-16T05:52:00.000-06:00

Above: a cautionary tale from 1947

And it isn't in Russia.

Is this what the founding fathers had in mind when they declared independence from a government in which they complained of putting in place "a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance"?

By what right does any bureaucrat (who is getting his marching orders from Washington under the auspices of the USDA) have to come into a local school and interfere with what a parent feeds her own four-year old child? Has a crime mentioned in the Constitution been committed here? Has any crime at all been committed here? At what point do we come together as a people and tell the federal government (and its surrogates in the state governments) "enough is enough!"? I have not read the state constitution of North Carolina, but I suspect there is nothing in that document in which the people delegate to the state power to determine what parents feed their young children. And if there is, shame on them!

And what a coincidence that these same "standards" in North Carolina are imposed by state bureaucrats in the other states. What a coincidence, huh?

This is pure Soviet-style micromanagement of individual families and Kremlin-like domination over the states. This is worship of the State. This is not just Big Government. Rather, we live in the days of the Government-god. And the irony is that Americans call their national holiday "Independence Day" and spend fiat currency that says "In God We Trust." You don't get much more Orwellian than that.

We are a people more dependent than our 18th century ancestors ever were!

In this North Carolina case, the dirty-work is being carried out by a state (as in one of the fifties) bureaucrat - but we all know the dirty little secret that our states today are mere puppets of Washington. The federal government takes money from the people, and then doles it back to the people based on their state governments' compliance with (i.e. subordination to) Washington's dictates. Isn't this yet more irony when you consider whom the City of Washington was named after? The states have been reduced to being bossy big sister au paire surrogates of a super-Nanny State. And there is a revolving door between the political offices in the state capitols and in Washington (which should really be renamed "Lincoln") - as the most efficient parasites who operate under the Democrat and Republican banners at the state level are tapped for bigger and better careers in looting at the federal level.

Once again, this is top-down tyranny - as all tyranny really has to be.

The USDA should be abolished. The US Department of Health and Human Services should be abolished. All unconsitutional activity of the federal government needs to be brought to a screeching halt. And the people of North Carolina (whose ancestors accounted for a fourth of all of the quarter million Confederate deaths in the War Between the States) should stand on their hind legs and reclaim their rights as free people. If you can't even send your four-year old to school with a non-government-approved sandwich, you are slaves.

And a good number of Americans think the federal objective of the War for Southern Independence was the abolition of slavery! Another irony.

I wonder what it will take before Americans (whose modern notion of "freedom" seems to be some kind of abstract bumper-sticker slogan or "Go USA" type cheerleading) start telling their governments to mind their own business. That is what real freedom is. If you cannot even make a decision regarding family meal planning without bureaucratic oversight (even being compelled to purchase a state-approved meal), you are not free, Comrade.

HT: Mike Adams and Karen De Coster, the latter of whom sums it all up quite well:

The child was forced to eat processed chicken nuggets - after all, they meet the federal dietary guidelines! - in place of the lunch her mother chose for her. And the parents can be charged for the federalist foods provided to their children without their permission. Does this quote from the article bring you to the realization that you are sending your children to a centrally-planned, totalitarian gulag?

“With a turkey sandwich, that covers your protein, your grain, and if it had cheese on it, that’s the dairy,” said Jani Kozlowski, the fiscal and statutory policy manager for the division. “It sounds like the lunch itself would’ve met all of the standard.” The lunch has to include a fruit or vegetable, but not both, she said.

This is the consequence of a government's fascist "war" on obesity and its fraudulent health & wellness paradigm.

Of course, as government takes over more and more, this kind of thing seems more and more "normal." And when members of the political parties will typically excuse such actions as "for the health of our children" if these policies are being carried out under their own political party. Even when they don't approve of such tactics, they won't cede the power because they think they will use such power properly when they are elected.

But then again, that is exactly how Soviet systems work: it is a bureaucratic and autocratic denial of liberty (often replacing parental authority with state authority) carried out in what appears to be a democratic process by a single party that claims it is acting "for the good of the people."

All that's missing is the hammer and sickle.

Should Counterfeiters Go to Prison?

2012-02-14T17:35:00.002-06:00

The above is a recent speech before the European Parliament. And Mr. Bloom is right!

Central banking (including our Federal Reserve System) is nothing other than theft by stealth under the color of legitimacy. We are being looted by our own banking system. Finally, people are waking up to this. This should be seen as a moral issue (rather than being treated as arcane politics or as simple disagreements about economic policy). If the local grocer were constantly changing the value of his scales (defining a pound as a little bit less and less each day), or if the gas stations were to jimmy up their pumps so that each successive gallon is smaller than the last gallon, we would be calling for trials!

The dollar is likewise a standard symbol of measurement.

This is why when private citizens print valueless paper and pass it off as dollars, they are convicted of counterfeiting. It is a serious crime that undermines the entire economy. In fact, the reason your quarters and dimes have serrated edges is because in the days when these coins actually contained silver, and the edges guarded against crooks shaving some of the silver off of the coins. The joke is on us - there is today no reason for edging on any of our coins (with the exception of the nickel, which ironically is smooth-edged, as it is still made of real metal - at least for the time being). The reason is because every bit of precious, or even industrial metals, has been removed (again, with the exception of the nickel. for the time being). It's almost wrong to call them coins when they are really tokens.

So, counterfeiting is a crime, but when government (at the behest of bankers) manipulates the currency (by means of removing the metal from the coins and printing banknotes backed by nothing out of thin air - thus devaluing the dollar to their own advantage), we're all supposed to treat this as moral and legitimate. Why? Because the government says so.

Even the Scriptures condemn such playing around with standards of weights and measures.

Of course, a lot of people turn to Romans 13 to argue that government can do just about anything, because by definition, if they are doing it, it must be legal. Some will distort Luther's doctrine of vocation to attempt to bully people into submission and subjugation to the state, even when the state is committing immoral acts. Indeed, as the analogy goes, a surgeon takes off peoples' clothes and cuts them with a knife - and within his vocation, this is legal. If someone off the street, not a doctor, were to do the same thing, it would be a crime. Some use this analogy to make the case that if a private citizen were to print banknotes on his printer, it would be counterfeiting. But if this private citizen were part of a super-secret elite group of bankers in bed with government - than somehow the very same act of counterfeiting is ipso facto legal.

This is a gross abuse of Luther's doctrine of vocation.

Government does not have carte blanche. Theft is theft, and when government does it, it only compounds the sin by adding corruption to stealing. We should hold those in government - especially judges and politicians - to extremely high standards of morality, as they essentially can, by force, take from us that which is ours - our property and even our lives. Agents of the government have the power to put innocent people in prison or even to death. We no longer have the right to trial or the guarantees of the fourth amendment in some cases. A corrupt government is almost impossible to fight - especially a government that increasingly encroaches on the rights and the constitutional protection of its citizens.

And the sad part is that schools do not teach about money, banking, and the federal reserve. Nor do colleges and universities typically even broach the subject. Very few theologians would even see this deliberate theft as a sin. Many, in fact, will congratulate themselves on voting for candidates who give fiery speeches about Christian morality all the while approving (or even abetting) the manipulation of the currency to the detriment of honest people who work for a living.

Also sad is how partisan people are. No, Republicans, you can't blame Obama for this. No Democrats, you can't blame Bush. This is a bi-partisan syndicate that is 99 years old. Almost no-one in the federal government will say anything bad about it or even approach it as a matter of moral principal. But that is starting to change, both in Europe and in the U.S. China (which is the number two holder of U.S. debt, right behind the Federal Reserve) is buying massive quantities of gold. Gold-backed currency cannot be manipulated by bankers anywhere near the ability to do the same with a central bank with government-run printing presses. Could it be that the Chinese Central Bank knows something our own bankers and bureaucrats don't? Namely: ponzi schemes eventually run out.

Mr. Bloom's speech above shows that this is becoming a front-burner issue around the world, as every currency on the planet is today managed by central banks and manipulated by cartels of bankers, politicians, and bureaucrats. Some countries (like China) may well see the writing on the wall as they try to find an exit strategy out of holding U.S. dollars (the post-WW2 world reserve currency) in savings, and instead seeking something of real value (such as gold) to store value and issue notes against.

The current system - even when it isn't ending up in riots and civil strife as in Greece - creates bubbles and booms and busts, transfers wealth from the poor to the rich, bankrolls federal boondoggles and military quagmires (in which central bankers, politicians, and their children do not shed blood), discourage thrift and savings and encourage borrowing and debt.

It also makes us (Americans) dependent on other nations to bankroll the whole ponzi scheme - and if and when they decide to get out, we will be left holding the bag.

Should someone in Weimar Germany have gone to jail when an entire nation was impoverished through outright theft of the value of the Deutschmarks in people's pockets? This is money that people earned at a specific rate and then were forced to spend at another rate (think: some people were in a position to do just the opposite, namely bankers and those who can spend the cheap printed money before it devalues with the passage of time). This is money under which contracts were signed at one value, and which devalued exponentially in the middle of the contract.

The same thing (hyperinflation) happened recently in Argentina and Zimbabwe.

Should those who benefit from this go to prison (like Bernie Madoff, who did not have government "cover" for his crimes)?

Actually, the founding fathers of the United States (who warned repeatedly against central banks and "paper" money) did not think such people should be incarcerated. They had another penalty in mind.

Will there come a day when currencies are again honest and constant in value? I'm afraid things will get a lot worse before they get better. But on the other hand, thanks to the lessening of government control of information thanks to the Internet, this issue is now on the table. And it is an issue that is being looked at from across the political spectrum: from conservative investment firms, mainstream conservative thinkers, and even youthful Occupy Wall Street folks on the left.

Ending the Fed is something people from all across the political spectrum ought to be able to agree on. There are few teachings more universal than the Seventh Commandment. The Fed has been allowing institutional theft from the people of this country for a century. It's nice to see this being recognized in the European Parliament as well.

Thank you once again, Mr. Bloom!

Consider an investment: not of money, but of time. The following 42 minute documentary (or read the transcript here) explains the whole thing - including why this is relevant. The film's style is dated (it was produced in 1996) - which is actually good. You can see how things have gone since that time. A lot has happened in the world's economy - especially since 2008.

Sermon: Sexagesima – 2012

2012-02-12T10:00:00.000-06:00

12 February 2012 at Salem Lutheran Church, Gretna, LA

Text: Luke 8:4-15

In the name of + Jesus. Amen.

Our Lord’s parable is as fresh and new today as it was when He perplexed and stunned His hearers with it twenty centuries ago. It is as vibrant and alive for us as is any living fruit hanging from a tree just waiting to be plucked and eaten, even as its seeds likewise bear continue to bear the promise of new plants and trees in a grand succession from creation until the end of time.

As with all of the Lord’s parables, this Parable of the Sower teaches us poor miserable sinners trapped in a poor miserable world what life in God’s Kingdom is like – and it is the very opposite of poor and miserable! For in this fallen world, without some kind of grounding in our own life and experience, without the Lord’s pulling up the blind just a crack to give us a little peek into heaven, we could never even begin to understand the Kingdom.

For a world without sin, a world of eternal joy, a world bereft of death itself is as unseen to us as what goes on inside a microscopic cell as it divides and grows. It is as complex as the DNA codes studied by scientists who become more amazed at creation as mankind’s knowledge of life’s intricacy increases. And yet, there is an element as easy to grasp as a child planting a sunflower seed in a Styrofoam cup, pouring water on it. And watching the results.

Our Lord challenges us to think about the Kingdom, even as He invites us to live in that Kingdom. And He asks us to ponder the mystery of the life of that Kingdom that He gives to us yet again this morning, dear brothers and sisters!

And think of this mystery as a question: “What is more powerful, the earth with its diameter of about 7,900 miles and a mass of over six-sextillion tons, or, a single mustard seed that is about a sixteenth of an inch in diameter and weighs about seven hundred-thousandths of an ounce?

The world scoffs at such questions, because to our sin-impaired eyes and minds, bigger is better, might makes right, and that which is small appears weak and not worth considering.

But consider this, dear friends: the world cannot replicate itself. The world does not contain the microscopic hidden codes imbedded by the Creator to reproduce itself. The world is not encoded with the machinery to heal itself. In short, the world is not alive.

But the tiny seed is!

The seed is more mighty than the world because it has buried within it something more powerful than the tallest mountain, the mightiest waterfall, the most awe-inspiring ocean, or even the most terrifying hurricane or tsunami. The tiny seed has information. And this information, this “word” if you will, comes from God Himself. This “word,” that is, the encoded DNA of the tiny seed, has the power to procreate, to feed the entire world’s population of animals and humans from its offspring, to turn the power of the sun into living, breathing organisms. And it is so perfect that a single error in the DNA could even destroy all life on the planet.

This is the power of the Word of God.

We are only now figuring all of this out from the scientific angle. But, dear friends, Jesus, being the Creator Himself in the flesh, knew this two millennia ago. And He uses this knowledge of how seeds reproduce to teach us about God’s Kingdom! “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

The power is in the seed, that is, the Word. The power is not in the world. Soil cannot produce life. Not even mountains and oceans and canyons and the depths of the sea can transfer the building-blocks of life. But keep in mind what the world can do: it can interfere with life. And in this fallen life, it most certainly does.

In the parable, the life-bearing seed is stifled by the world in three scenarios.

In the first scenario, the seed lands on “the path” where it is unable to germinate. The path can block the seed’s DNA from carrying out God’s wishes. And as the Lord explains, this is like the Word of God being heard but not taken to heart by those who hear. And just as a bird will come along and snatch the un-germinated seed, so too does Satan take away the stillborn faith of a person who allows the world to prevent the Word of God sinking into his heart.

In the second scenario, it lands “on the rock, and as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture.” The seed begins to follow the DNA sequence, it sprouts, it grows, it raises its leaves sunward, but lacking a decent root system, it is doomed to die. The Lord explains that these are “those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe for a while, and in time of testing fall away.” The world cannot create faith in the believer, but the world has the power to interfere in the grounding that a believer has in God’s Word. When our faith is shallow, it will fail under the wind and storm, under the scorching heat and drought conditions that we suffer in this fallen world.

In the third scenario, the stubborn little seed finds itself “among thorns, and the thorns grew up with it and choked it.” It dies before reaching its full destiny as life-bearing and life-giving fruit. Our Lord teaches us that many indeed hear God’s Word and have a depth of being rooted in the Word, and yet “as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature.” The world has no power to create life, but our fallen world, by its hostility to the Word of God, with our help, finds ways to pull the plug on the remarkable power of God’s Word to bring forth life, growth, fruit, and multiplication.

But there is a fourth scenario, dear brothers and sisters, a scenario of hope that the Lord offers us by His power and according to His good and gracious will, by the mystery of His cross, watered by baptismal mercy and nourished by His very body and blood. For even if only a small minority of seeds ever germinate, set down roots, survive the dangers of the world, grow to maturity, and bear seeds hundredfold, we know that it happens! Life is indefatigable, and not even the world’s hostility can stamp it out!

You can see evidence of this every time your eyes behold a blade of grass, every time you gaze upon the beauty of a luscious orange hanging heavy with juice on a tree, every time you bite into a sweet crisp apple, and with every beautiful flowering plant you see with your eyes to give you peace and joy, a token and reminder of the ancestors of these same plants who shared the Garden of Eden with our own ancestors, a token that serves to remind us of the joys to come in eternity. And through the wonder of DNA, God’s imbedded word in His creation, there is indeed an unbroken chain of life extending back to the Genesis and Paradise itself, DNA that in Christ is now part of the Creator as much as it is a part of the creation.

Though our world is broken, and in spite of the “culture of death” that has plagued our race since that most terrible of days when we first disobeyed God’s Word, the Lord Jesus came into our world to make us receptive to life once more! The Lord Jesus came into our world as a single Seed Himself, the Seed of the Woman, who germinated with the DNA of the Creator imbedded with us on a mission of mercy to the whole creation!

Our Lord turns our rebellious nature into good soil. He is the living Word, the Seed that falls to the ground and dies, but rises to multiply by the billions. His Word is spread by humble sowers over the 7,900 miles of the world’s expanse, and yet the Word they proclaim has the smallness of a mustard seed and the exponential power of God’s promise.

Dear friends, the world may be mighty in its opposition to the Word. But the Word has the power! The Lord Jesus seemed so tiny as the Babe in the manger, as the dying Man on the cross, as the corpse in the tomb – but He carries with Him the power and might of the living Word. And He has the power to transform our own hardness of heart that resembles the path, our own shallowness that resembles the rocky ground, our own distractions that resemble the thorns, and make us the Good Soil of the Church, those who receive the Word and yield a hundredfold. And we know that Word creates faith – faith by hearing – even as our Lord Jesus invites us to hear: “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

The Word of God is the DNA that bears fruit, that brings forth life, that perpetuates and replicates itself unto every generation. The Word of God is information – but it is not just a bunch of zeros and ones in a computer program. The Word bears information that is proclaimed in preaching, and it is Good News. The Word of God is the forgiveness of sins won for us by Christ’s coming into our world, the Seed of the woman who bears this perfect DNA, who falls into the soil of a grave, and who bursts forth alive according to the Word begotten of the Father – the Word made flesh in His flesh – the Word spoken over bread and wine (also of seeds), a Word that transforms that bread and wine into the very Word made flesh, given to us for the forgiveness of sins.

And the Lord continues to throw the seed of the Gospel to every generation, multiplying His life-giving Word and imbedding it into good soil so that it may multiply and continually create new life. This is the power of the Word, dear friends, and it is implanted in you anew this very day!

“He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” Amen.

In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

They Realized the Failure of the "War on Drugs"

2012-02-07T22:27:00.000-06:00

Sermon: Funeral of Helen Elizabeth Green

2012-02-05T12:00:00.004-06:00

5 February 2012 at Salem Lutheran Church, Gretna, LA

Text: Job 19:23-27 (Rom 6:3-11, John 11:20-27)

In the name of + Jesus. Amen.

Gary, Michael, Amy, Jillian, family members, friends, brothers and sisters in Christ, and guests: Peace be with you.

“I know that my Redeemer lives.”

Job said these very words thousands of years ago, and indeed these words were “inscribed in a book.” And truly, “what comfort this sweet sentence gives.” Job uttered this bold confession of hope in the midst of profound sorrow and suffering, in the devastation of mourning, death, and dashed hopes. It is a remarkable statement, for in the throes of death itself, it abounds with glory, teems with victory, and is dripping with the very stuff of life.

“I know that my Redeemer lives.”

Job does not merely dream, hope, or have a hunch. He knows. Job doesn’t say that maybe someone someday might beat back the scourge of death, but rather he confidently refers to this hero as his “Redeemer” – the one who purchases his own mortal life back at a ransom. And listen to Job’s defiance in the face of death and the grave: “For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last He will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another.”

With his own mortality looming, Job is confessing that a very specific Redeemer would appear in time and space to buy Job back from death and suffering, to defeat Satan and sin, to restore Job and all the redeemed back to what God had created him to be: alive and awake, filled with peace, love, and joy, perfectly healthy in body and soul, at harmony with all creation, and never again to die. For it is death itself that is doomed to die.

We Christians know who this victorious Redeemer is, who has come into our world to defeat death through death. And in light of the cross and the empty tomb, in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, in the life-giving promises of baptism and forgiveness, and in the sure confession of the mighty Word of God – we know not only who our Redeemer is, but we know that our Redeemer lives! And we too shall see God in our flesh, with our very eyes.

And yet we still struggle in this fallen world: with sin, sorrow, sickness, and sadness. We suffer with health problems, with aches and pains, and with the ravages of aging. And yes, we are confronted, even surrounded, with death: our own mortality as well as that of our beloved ones.

And in this fallenness, today we are a broken family. We are confronted with the bitterness of death. Our dear sister in Christ, Beth Green, is not able to unite her voice with ours in praise of our Redeemer. We cannot see her with our eyes or touch her in our flesh. And according to what our senses tell us, according to what the world would have us believe, and according to the lies of the malicious devil, we may be tempted to believe that we shall never again see our dear wife, mother, grandmother, friend, and sister in Christ again.

We may be tempted to say useless and shallow things like: “She lives on in our hearts” or “she lives on every time we remember her.” But we Christians join Job in confessing a literal physical resurrection – a resurrection of Beth even as we confess the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ: “I know that my Redeemer lives.”

For our Lord Jesus Christ died in our place for our sins. He has taken on our mortal flesh to make our flesh immortal. He is our Redeemer, and yes, He lives!

And because He lives, we live. Because He lives, Beth lives. “I know that my Redeemer lives.”

For “Do you not know,” dear friends, “that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? We were buried therefore with Him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with Him in a death like His, we shall certainly be united with Him in a resurrection like His.”

“Do you not know?” asks St. Paul. Indeed, we do know, dear friends, for as Job said: “I know that my Redeemer lives.”

Beth too knows that her Redeemer lives. And in her flesh, in her baptized flesh, in her flesh that partook of the Lord’s flesh and blood – she shall see God.

And in her flesh she shall see a God who is merciful, a God full of pardon and peace, a God who is the Lord and giver of life, a God who is love. Indeed, she now sees this God in her spirit, even as she awaits the resurrection of the flesh on the last day, even as we too confess and await this bodily resurrection.

Our Redeemer Jesus Christ gave us a little glimpse of His power over death and the grave even amid the sadness and mourning of Mary and Martha. “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died,” said a heartbroken Martha to her Redeemer. But the Lord Jesus did allow her brother to die, even as, in His hidden wisdom, He permitted our sister in Christ Beth to die. We do not know all the answers, for we are not God. But we do know the promises spoken by God: “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die.”

And the Lord asks us today, even as we mourn, the same question that He asked the mourning Martha: “Do you believe this?”

And we confess together in this place and with all Christians of every place, with St. Martha, and yes, with St. Beth, and with generations of saints yet to be born: “Yes, Lord; I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”

“I know that my Redeemer lives!”

As we leave this holy house where Beth confessed her Redeemer together with us, where we partook of the flesh and blood of our Redeemer together, where holy absolution happens and where baptisms take place, where the confession that our Redeemer lives is spoken and sung – we will sing together yet again Job’s confession: “I know that my Redeemer lives.” The hymn opens with this confession and closes with this confession. And between these two confessions, in the course of the hymn, we will sing together twenty-nine times the words: “He lives.”

Dear friends, this refrain is the beating heart of the Christian faith. We Christians do not merely teach morals or wax nostalgic about a great man. We are not carrying out religious rituals for the sake of tradition. We are not performing psychological rites for the sake of closure. Rather, we are confessing together that we know that our Redeemer lives. We are celebrating the victory of our Lord over sin, Satan, and the grave. We are anticipating the physical resurrection of all believers – including that of Helen Elizabeth Eaton Green – in the real and literal sense. And we are crying aloud in victory: “He lives, she lives, we live! For I know that my Redeemer lives!”

He lives and grants me daily breath;
He lives and I shall conquer death;
He lives my mansion to prepare;
He lives to bring me safely there.

He lives, all glory to His name!
He lives, my Jesus, still the same;
Oh, the sweet joy this sentence gives:
“I know that my Redeemer lives!”

Amen.

In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Sermon: Septuagesima – 2012

2012-02-05T10:00:00.000-06:00

4 February 2012 at Salem Lutheran Church, Gretna, LA

Text: Matt 20:1-16 (Ex 17:1-7, 1 Cor 9:24-10:5)

In the name of + Jesus. Amen.

Our Lord Jesus tells us a lot about God’s Kingdom, and about our fallen nature, in this remarkable parable of the workers in the vineyard.

For God is generous in His kingdom, and we poor miserable sinners are most certainly not only ungrateful, but spiteful. We need to repent of this self-centeredness and live humbly, rejoicing in the Lord’s goodness which we most certainly do not deserve nor have earned. For to receive the Lord’s gifts and yet remain self-centered and to begrudge the Lord’s generosity is to miss the whole point of the Lord’s coming, and may even lead to missing the Lord’s kingdom and salvation itself.

So we do well to ponder very carefully our Lord’s parable.

The storyline involves a boss hiring workers. The bottom line is that some worked a full twelve hour shift, others worked only one hour. But the boss paid everyone the same pay – which is the pay he promised to the workers who worked a full day of twelve hours.

Instead of seeing the boss as kind and generous, providing opportunity and wealth to all, the ones who worked twelve hours see the boss as unfair, and they grumble against his generosity. And this, dear friends, is a matter of focus. Instead of focusing on the blessings we receive from God, we sinners like to focus on other sinners to see if they are bigger sinners than we are. And for us poor miserable sinners, the answer is always a poor miserable “yes.”

This happens in churches all the time. We look to see what people are wearing. If they are dressed better than we are, they are pious show-offs. If they are not dressed as well as we are, they are disrespectful slobs. We want to see who is crossing themselves and who is not, and we make judgments as to whether our neighbor says “AH-men” or “AY-men.”

Instead of such silliness, we should be so engrossed in prayer, so worshipful of our Creator, so sensitive to the egregiousness of our own sins that we have no clue whether the lady next to us is wearing a skirt or if the fellow two pews over doesn’t cross himself.

And this focus on comparing ourselves to others leads us to such sins as “boredom.” Yes, it is a sin to be in the miraculous presence of God, hearing the universe-creating Word, partaking of the miraculous sacraments, enjoying the death-defying fruits of Christ’s eternal victory over sin, death, and the devil, receiving the gift of eternal life won for us by Christ’s suffering and death upon the cross – and responding by being “bored.” This is nothing other than selfishness and self-centeredness. It is the same attitude displayed by the grumblers in our Gospel reading as well as the grumblers in the reading from Exodus.

We grumble and complain and gossip because we are selfish. We think God owes us what we want, when we want it – because, of course, we think we are so good and deserving – so much better than our neighbors. When the Israelites were thirsty, they forgot God’s goodness and started to grumble about their freedom from slavery. The grumblers were ready to stone Moses to death. Moses correctly asked them: “Why do you test the Lord?” Their selfish grumbling was sinful, for it was really disrespect to God. Many times Moses was to the point of despair because the children of Israel were ungrateful and selfish in the face of all of the Lord’s blessings.

Dear friends, we can always find something to grumble about. We can always look at the Lord’s generosity and begrudge His grace to others. We can always look for ways to get out of worshiping God, seeking ways to entertain ourselves instead. And that is exactly why we must repent, why we need a Savior!

In the Lord’s parable, the business owner made a contract and kept it. He provided an honest day’s wage for an honest day’s work. But when the workers ceased to thank God for their blessings and instead focused on their neighbors, making judgments about their neighbor’s worthiness – which was really a judgment against the owner’s sense of fairness – they allowed themselves to begrudge the master’s grace. And they began to hold that grace in contempt, thinking they were entitled to more – certainly more than their neighbors.

The Lord is warning us anew of the dangers of such hardened hearts and selfish attitudes, for as St. Paul reveals to the Corinthians, and to us, concerning the children of Israel: “with most of them God was not pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness.”

Dear friends, the Lord is interested in saving all sinners. We are no better than our neighbors. And we must never question God’s judgment or sense of fairness. For if God were truly “fair” according to our fallen sense of justice, He would give every sinner what he deserves. And what we all deserve is death and hell. And we know it.

Instead, He pays us a wage not based on our sin (which is death), but rather gives us a gift (a gift purchased and won by Christ’s blood shed for us), and that gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord!

How can any of us grumble? How can we be bored in the presence of God? How can we begrudge the salvation of anyone? Why do we think ill of our brother because of his clothing or piety? By what right do we accuse God of being unfair by showing mercy to sinners?

Dear friends, we can rejoice precisely because God is merciful to sinners! We are the ones who have arrived late to the banquet table. Most of us are Gentiles whose ancestors knew nothing about the covenant made with the children of Israel long before the Lord called our ancestors out of idleness to labor in the fields of the Lord. We deserve nothing but wrath, but receive nothing but pardon. We deserve to die of starvation and thirst, and yet find ourselves feasting on the Lord’s body and blood.

And what, dear brothers and sisters, what could be considered boring about reflecting on what the Lord has done for us: rescuing us from the death we deserve, vanquishing all of the foes that seek nothing but our destruction, and being with us in word and deed as a loving Father who cares for us, as a divine Son who loves us as our Big Brother, and as a doting Spirit who constantly calls us and entices us to receive the gifts of God – whether we have worked one hour or twelve, whether we are dressed in rags or in regal finery? What is there to be bored about in loving God and being loved?

As St. Paul teaches us, there is a prize awaiting us. And so we train for victory like an athlete. We run the race with joy knowing that there is a crown waiting for us at the finish line, not merely a perishable wreath, but an imperishable.

And if we are honest with ourselves, we are the least worthy of all of God’s creatures to cross the finish line. And this, dear friends, is all the more reason to rejoice and to boast in Christ alone: for “the last will be first, and the first last.” The Lord is generous! The Lord is gracious! The Lord keeps His promises! Thanks be to God!

Amen.

In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Sleepers Awake!

2012-02-04T19:47:00.000-06:00

Sermon: Transfiguration – 2012

2012-01-29T10:00:00.004-06:00

29 January 2012 at Salem Lutheran Church, Gretna, LA

Text: Matt 17:1-9

In the name of + Jesus. Amen.

Dear friends, it’s easy for us to get comfortable in our surroundings, to be so surrounded by sin and sickness and death, so as to start to see such things as “normal.” These things become “normal” only in the mathematical sense: they are the “norm” in that they are common.

But just because something is “normal” doesn’t mean that it is right. Just because something is “normal” doesn’t mean that it is supposed to be that way.

In fact, if we believe the Bible, we learn that many things that are “normal” are actually wrong. We consider it so “normal” to be sinful that the old saying is: “To err is human.” We excuse evil by making reference to “human nature.” When we fail at something we say “I’m only human.” But this is to miss out on what it means to be human. For nobody is more human, more completely human, more purely human, fulfilling the very goal of humanity itself, than our Lord Jesus Christ.

He did not sin in thought, word, or deed. He did not make an error in anything. And His human nature is perfect.

We poor miserable sinners are the ones who are not complete. There is a piece missing from our humanity – a missing piece that only Jesus can fill.

On the mountaintop, Peter, James, and John did not have a “normal” day. They did not see the “normal” manifestation of Jesus with their eyes. For he was “transfigured” – literally “metamorphosized” – changed in form – right before their faces. For “His face shone like the sun.” That is not “normal” to our fallen human nature. We are so darkened by sin, so distant from the light of God’s glory, that our faces are dull. Moses temporarily glowed in his face after seeing God. But Jesus – being fully God and fully man – glows with uncreated divine light. Normally, He hid such displays of His divine power, but on this most abnormal of days, He lets His light shine before His fellow men, that they might glorify their Father in Heaven.

And the Father glorified the Son from Heaven, saying in an abnormally audible voice: “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him.”

For us so-called “normal” people who are afflicted with sin, that voice would be anything but normal according to God’s creation. According to our fallen nature, it is not normal for God to declare that He is “well-pleased” with us.

And the reason for that is “sin.”

But what a remarkable event, dear brothers and sisters! What a glorious gift the Lord has given Peter, James, and John, and all of us here present who hear this declaration anew: “This [Jesus] is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased.”

For Jesus not only lacks sin, Jesus is the embodiment of love: Jesus is the perfect man; Jesus is God; Jesus has come from God to man, being God and man, to reconcile God and man. And in Christ, the “abnormal” is made “normal” as a Man is once again God-pleasing and worthy of being listened to. Once more, a Man walks in the cool of day in the presence of God. Once more the beams of divine light shone from a Man, and the glorious voice of God rings out triumphantly to the ears of men desperate for Good News.

And this is indeed Good News, dear friends, the good news that He has come to fulfill the Law and the Prophets, to bring to completion the broken humanity of Elijah and Moses, to metamorphosize himself so as to reveal His true divine nature, kept hidden so as to appear “normal” in a world where the “normal” is sinful and incomplete.

“When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified.”

Things that happen to us that take us out of our comfortable zone of “normal” are terrifying. We can’t predict the future, and so it scares us. We have not gone through death, so it torments us. We sometimes doubt the very things we know and believe – which horrifies us. But like Peter and James and John, we hear the Lord say it once more: “Rise, and have no fear.” “Rise, and have no fear,” dear friends!

“Rise!” He bids us: rise from sin, rise from shame, rise from fear, and yes, even rise from death. Rise up out of the sinful, fallen world that has the illusion of “normal.” Rise and lift up your eyes and see “Jesus only.” “Rise, and have no fear.”

We can live our lives with the comfortable words of Jesus “have no fear” ringing in our ears and governing our lives. In Christ we need not fear anything – be it “normal” or “abnormal.” For in Christ, what we have is “completeness.” We have Man elevated back to the image of God, even as we have God come down in mercy, metamorphosized into the form of a Man. For He truly is God and Man, truly mighty and merciful. He has come to die so that we might live, to be perfect so that we might have pardon.

That, dear brothers and sisters, is what it means to “Rise, and have no fear,” to lift up one’s eyes, and see “Jesus only.”

For when we see “Jesus only,” we see Him who is the Father’s beloved Son, and we can indeed “listen to Him.”

For as Peter also confessed, and as the Church confesses with Him, Jesus has the “words of eternal life.” There is no other person or place to go! And with Peter and James and John, we can come down from the mountain where we hear His Word, return to our lives where the “normal” seems “abnormal” and where the “abnormal” masquerades as “normal” – knowing the truth about who Jesus is and what Jesus has done for us. We know what is truly “normal.”

He has made us complete in forgiveness. He has restored us to the normalcy of life. He has fulfilled the Law and the Prophets. He has delivered to us Good News. He has risen from the dead to show that death is abnormal and life, eternal life, is normal, and eternal! And the living and forgiving Christ Himself invites us: “Rise, and have no fear.” Let us lift up our eyes and see “no one but Jesus only.” Amen.

In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Welcome to the New (and Not Improved) America

2012-01-28T18:27:00.000-06:00

Is this the kind of America we have to look forward to?

The right to a trial is not just a good idea - it's the natural God-given law! Americans are foolish to allow it to be taken away from anyone for any reason. And politicians who support it must be aware of where this leads. And don't say that such things can never happen here. They already do - and with the full support of the majority of Republicans and Democrats in the federal government.

I fear that our window of opportunity to reclaim our liberties is closing, but maybe, just maybe, American totalitarianism isn't inevitable.

Thank you to the Rev. John Dreyer

2012-01-26T22:34:00.001-06:00

We had an outstanding visit from our dear friend the Rev. John Dreyer, who serves as a recruiter (real title: Admissions Counselor) for Concordia Theological Seminary - Fort Wayne. We had a blast! I mean, he was working like a dog and not having any fun at all (this was a working trip, after all). I don't want John to get in trouble with Rast. I mean, President Rast.

Anyway, thanks to Pastor Dreyer for preaching at our Wednesday evening Mass, faithfully proclaiming God's Word and sharing in the most holy body and blood of our Lord - as well as making connections with men in the area interested in serving in the holy ministry.

Grace and I go back about a decade with John, and below is a picture of us together at my graduation from CTSFW in 2004. It was obviously a more flattering camera angle seven and a half years ago as the gray hairs were sparse, if not rare!

Rev. John Dreyer and Vicar Larry Beane, 2004

Must be the light in the church...

Rev. John Dreyer and Rev. Larry Beane, 2012

Here is a link to our pictures after yesterday's service and during today's visit to the French Quarter - including the Napoleon House, Jackson Square, the St. Louis Cathedral, Arcadian Books, the Cafe du Monde, and a walk along the river.

What a great joy to catch up with a brother pastor and friend!

The Remarkable Dr. Iris Mack

2012-01-23T23:45:00.002-06:00

Dr. Iris Mack grew up in a housing project in New Orleans and has a truly remarkable story.

Even without the obstacles she overcame, just looking at her list of accomplishments is extraordinary and inspiring:

High school valedictorian
Double Bachlor's degrees from Vassar in Mathematics and Mathematical Physics
MS in Mathematics from UCLA (Research Fellow at Bell Laboratories and holder of a patent in fiber optics)
Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics from Harvard (only the 2nd black woman to earn this doctorate from Harvard). Dissertation: "Block Implicit One-Step Methods for Solving Smooth and Discontinuous Systems of Differential/Algebraic Equations: Applications to Transient Stability of Electrical Power Systems"
Executive MBA from the London Business School
Investment banker
Professor at MIT, University of San Francisco, and Clark Atlanta University
NASA astronaut semifinalist
Lecturer in London, Paris, and Zurich
Whistleblower at Enron
Tangled with two former treasury secretaries of the United States (Rubin and Summers)
Correctly informed Harvard of the impending disaster facing its endowment because of risky derivatives (they not only didn't listen to her, at the cost of billions of dollars, but also fired her)
Founder and CEO of Phat Math - a comprehensive approach to mathematical education
Author of Mama Says "Money Doesn't Grow on Trees!" (available on Kindle for $2.99 here!) and currently writing Energy Trading and Risk Management as part of a multi-book deal with Wiley Publishing House
She is also into serious weight training, running, and amateur aeronautics
She currently works as an investment banker in London and speaks Spanish and French

More details here. Her insights into economics and involvement in political matters can be read here.

And by the way, you may wonder who someone of Dr. Mack's economic insight and real-world experience is endorsing during this presidential election cycle (certainly no tinfoil-hat wearing racist kook, to be sure). You can read about it here in Dr. Iris Mack's own words. She believes that he is "the only presidential candidate who understands the current dire straits the economy is in and the only one with a coherent plan to fix things.... the only non-elitist candidate and the only candidate that would put the country back on the road to liberty." Pretty high praise coming from someone of her caliber!

Swedish Lutheran?

2012-01-23T19:30:00.000-06:00

This guy is häftigt! Does the Church of Sweden - Mission Province have a Specific Ministry Program?

Hooray for Gretnawood!

2012-01-23T00:22:00.000-06:00

"Father Hollywood" as a name for this blog began as a joke (I was working at Hollywood Video during my first call). But it seems like life imitates humor.

New Orleans is sometimes known as "Hollywood South" since Louisiana offers tax breaks for movie-making, and so a lot of films get made here. And here is a pretty current list of projects. For some reason, Gretna - and more specifically, my neighborhood - always seems to be involved in filming, whether for commercials or movies.

The Paperboy was filmed at a local house just off 5th Street. It has not yet been released. Deja Vu was filmed in 2006 and features a good bit of New Orleans, as the story takes place on our side of the river at the Algiers Ferry Station. Love Song for Bobby Long (2004) was filmed at a local Gretna house just off the levee bike trail. We're also still waiting for Killer Joe to be released, some of which was filmed at our local restaurant, Common Grounds - including some of our waitress friends playing waitresses in the movie. This still from the movie was taken inside the restaurant, and this one looks across the neutral ground to the po-boy shop ("The Iron Grate Grill" on Huey P. Long Ave. formerly "Johnny's") across the way.

Right now, filming is happening for a Will Ferrell movie called Dog Fight (aka Southern Rivals) - a comedy based on Southern politicians during an election cycle. The movie is apparently set in South Carolina, though downtown Gretna has been made over into the fictional town of Hammond, North Carolina.

A vacant lot has been mocked up with building facades, while fake building fronts were placed on real buildings across the street. Gretna City Hall had a new facade put on it, and even the glass door had gold lettering with the new "town" embossed on it. We took a couple strolls around the set and took some pictures. There was a good attention to detail. Some of the extras who were driving around explained that they received North Carolina license plates and even stickers to cover up their Louisiana inspections on the windshields!

In the casting call for extras, it seems that the movie will be rather politically incorrect. It looks like fun! Filming should be going on for another week or so. I have no doubt that more will be on the way.

Chaplain Hollywood

2012-01-22T22:45:00.000-06:00

I was installed as chaplain of the David Crockett Steam Fire Company No. 1 on January 7, 2012.

Here are my pictures from the installation.

David Crockett is the oldest continuously operating volunteer fire company in the United States. As Mayor Harris pointed out, Crockett has not merely met monthly since its founding in 1841, the company has provided uninterrupted 24-7 fire protection on a volunteer basis to the City of Gretna since that time - absolutely without interruption!

This is extraordinary, especially considering the rough ride Gretna has been through in the last 171 years: the War Between the States, federal occupation, two world wars (keep in mind Gretna's German heritage), the Great Depression, and numerous hurricanes. Through all of these catastrophes and upheavals, David Crockett has not even shut down for one second.

Crockett also has not just a sterling record but a well-earned reputation for excellence and diligence.

The annual installation was a joyful celebration that had many high points, such as the swearing in of officers, the mayor's speech, the address by the state fire marshal, and the acknowledgment of fifty years of perfect attendance by Anthony Labruzza. The meal was excellent, and fitting to such an auspicious occasion. I also got to meet the Rev. Frank Carabello, the retired pastor of our good neighbor St. Joseph Roman Catholic Church, having served there for thirty years.

I am very grateful to fire service veterans treasurer Lynn Coyne (who invited me) and president Gordon Carbo (who appointed me). I'm also grateful to LCMS chaplain the Rev. Dean Kavouras of Cleveland, Ohio, who serves as police, fire, and FBI chaplain, for his advice to me and also for his wonderful book (published by the Lutheran Heritage Foundation) chronicling his chaplaincy work in the immediate aftermath of Sept. 11, 2001: Nine One One The Aftermath: The Word Works.

I'm looking forward to supporting the men who protect Gretna from fire and other disasters.

Sermon: Epiphany 3 – 2012

2012-01-22T10:00:00.004-06:00

22 January 2012 at Salem Lutheran Church, Gretna, LA

Text: Matt 8:1-13 (Rom 1:8-17)

In the name of + Jesus. Amen.

When man was first created and placed in the Garden, there were no Jews and Gentiles, no lepers or paralytics. There were no soldiers and no slaves among men. There was, however, life and wholeness and wholesomeness and a perfect union between God’s will and man’s will.

That unity of will was broken when man first said: “Not Thy will, but my will, be done.”

After that, we began to see what our sinful will brought into the once-perfect world. Men were divided by tribal factions and fighting. Diseases brought disfigurement, debilitation, and ultimately, death. Greed led to warfare, and men became slaves to one another. Man’s will and God’s will went in two different directions.

This, dear friends, is the world that our Lord Jesus came into. He came as a Jew to “reap some harvest” among the Jews and to be a blessing to the Gentiles. He came into our fleshly existence of death in order to preserve us unto life. He came as the perfect divine general of all the heavenly hosts, and yet was willing to be crucified by sinful human soldiers under orders to a man who claimed to be a god. And in order to set us free from bondage to sin, He Himself took the form of a slave. And even as a Man who is fully God and as God who is fully a Man, He taught us to pray: “Thy will be done” even as He earnestly prayed that the cup of His suffering might be taken away from Him.

His will is God’s will, and He has come as a Man to restore man’s will back to God’s will.

The Jewish leper understood the will of Jesus when we sought out the One who could heal him, confessing: “Lord, if You will, You can make me clean.” The leper knew his wretched condition. There was no denying it. He could not will himself better. He could not heal himself clean. He knew his hope lay in Jesus, in His power, and in His will: “If you will, you can.”

The Lord Jesus wastes no time. “I will; be clean.” And even as the universe came into existence through this Word of God, this Word Made Flesh pronounces the leper’s flesh to be clean with a mere word – by His very will.

“I will; be clean.”

And the Lord gave Him a divine command: “Go!” It is not a task for him to do in order to earn cleansing. Nor was it a condition lest he forfeit his healing. Rather, the Lord Jesus told him to “Go!” and claim the victory of cleanness over and against the law of Moses that condemned him. Indeed, at the Word of the Word Made Flesh, the priest of Moses was to have no choice by to declare the leper to have been cleansed by Jesus. Indeed, in Christ, the leper can fulfill the law of Moses. And the Lord’s divine “Go!” is a divine gift!

The Gentile centurion also understood the will of Jesus when he sought out the One who could heal his servant, saying: “Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, suffering terribly.” And when the Lord Jesus offers to come, the centurion says something amazing: “I am not worthy… only say the word.” The centurion knows that he is unworthy. And even though he is not the one who is paralyzed, he understands his inferiority before the One whom he addresses as “Lord.”

But He also knows that Jesus need only utter a word, and the Word Made Flesh can, by His will and His command, heal the corrupted flesh of the paralyzed servant. Like the Jewish leper, the Gentile centurion understands that Jesus “can,” He has the power, and he also understands that if it is the Lord’s will, the healing will happen – even as the centurion gives orders and receives orders, and orders are carried out in a chain of command. “For I too am a man under authority,” he says.

The Lord Jesus “marveled” at the centurion’s faith. And the Lord Jesus likewise issues the joyful command “Go!” to the centurion: “Go; let it be done for you as you have believed.” “Go!” and claim the victory of healing. And “the servant was healed at that very moment.”

The centurion’s belief, his faith, was not in himself, his own word, his own authority, his own goodness, or his own might. His faith is in Christ alone, in His word and will alone. The Lord Jesus does not send the centurion to the priests of Moses, but rather sends him as a messenger of Himself, an envoy to deliver the good news of the word and will of the Word Made Flesh.

Dear friends, Jesus comes to us in the same way. He breaks into our Word exercising His divine will that we be restored, healed, and forgiven. Jesus comes to us in order to unite our will to God’s will, to deliver the promise of life and restoration by means of the very faith we have in His Word. The Lord Jesus wills that we be forgiven of our sins, healed of our infirmities, and restored to eternal life. He wills the healing of the cross even as He obeyed His Fathers will in going to the cross and in teaching us to pray to the Father even as He does: “They will be done.”

His will is done, dear brothers and sisters, His will is for us to have salvation and life, and so we do! He also gives us the command to “Go!” – to go out into the world as forgiven sinners, healed of our leprosy and paralysis, raised from death to life, having wills being formed by the Holy Spirit to conform to the will of the Father – all by means of the Word and will of the Son who has come to redeem us.

He bids us to “Go!” and “make disciples” as His envoys according to whatever calling He gives us, living out our vocations as forgiven sinners, witnesses of what His perfect will and powerful Word have done for us, as soldiers under orders to believe and receive His gifts – as well as to share those gifts in whatever way He wills us to do.

Dear brothers and sisters, the days of our broken world are numbered. Our Lord’s will be done! Our Lord’s Word be fulfilled! He has come to break down the barrier between Jew and Gentile, to forever abolish leprosy and paralysis, to forever rid existence of warfare and to liberate every man from every type of slavery. He invites us to “Go!” into life as a healed, forgiven sinner with faith in His Word and in His will, with life and wholeness and wholesomeness and a perfect union between God’s will and man’s will made perfect once more in eternity!

For this gospel is truly “the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes. To the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”

“Go!” dear forgiven sinners, Jews and Gentiles; “Go!” from faith, for faith; “Go!” for “the righteous shall live by faith” in the will and the Word of the Word Made Flesh whose will and Word makes all flesh new. Amen.

In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Siberian Lutheran Documentary

2012-01-21T11:45:00.000-06:00

... now in one YouTube video

Русские идут! The Russians Are Coming!

2012-01-18T10:58:00.000-06:00

And I think it will be even more fun than the movie!

On Friday, January 27, Salem Lutheran Church, Gretna, Louisiana will host three guests from our sister church body in Siberia: the Rev. Vsevolod Lytkin (bishop of the Siberian Evangelical Lutheran Church), the Rev. Dmitri Dotsenko (pastor of St. James Lutheran Church, Novokuznetsk), Miss Natasha Sheludiakova (church musician of St. Andrew Lutheran Church, Novosibirsk), accompanied by the Rev. Daniel S. Johnson (pastor of Redeemer Lutheran Church, Marshalltown, Iowa and president of the Siberian Lutheran Mission Society).

They will arrive around 5:00 pm for a potluck and will make a presentation at 7:00 pm.

For more information, please contact me by e-mail: pastorbeane at gmail dot com.

Sermon: Confession of St. Peter – 2012

2012-01-18T10:00:00.002-06:00

18 January 2012 at Salem Lutheran Church, Gretna, LA

Text: Mark 8:27 – 9:1

In the name of + Jesus. Amen.

Today the Church commemorates not a person, but an event. More accurately, a confession. In fact, even more accurately, the Church commemorates two confessions – both coming from St. Peter the Apostle.

Halfway through the narrative of the life of Jesus as revealed in the Holy Gospel according to St. Mark, after preaching and teaching and working countless miracles, Jesus does a kind of spot-check at that point, posing a question to the disciples: “Who do people say that I am?”

The answers are many and varied: John the Baptist, Elijah, maybe a prophet of some kind. Jesus then refines the question, narrowing the focus to the confession of the disciples themselves: “But who do you say that I am.”

As is often the case, St. Peter acts as spokesman of the group. He answers forthrightly. Although the text doesn’t explicitly say, it would be well within Peter’s impulsive character to blurt out the answer without much forethought, getting to the punch before anyone else has had a chance to weigh in. He says: “You are the Christ.”

“You are the Christ,” confesses St. Peter, confessing the cosmic reality that Jesus is not some kind of rehashed reincarnation, nor is He merely just one more prophet. No indeed! This is not a reincarnation but the incarnation. The days of the prophets have come to an end. Now is the time for the coming of the One whom the prophets confess. And so Peter confesses – speaking a bold revelation not revealed to Him by flesh and blood: “You are the Christ,” that is, the Messiah, the Promised One, the Redeemer, the Savior, the very fleshly Son of God who is God in the flesh.

Peter has answered well. He has made the good confession. He knows who Jesus is in His heart, and with the overflow from his heart, he speaks this sterling confession with his lips. And Jesus tells Peter and the disciples to keep this confession to themselves for the time being. For the Lord’s time has not yet fully come.

And so the Church commemorates this confession of Peter, this statement of the frank and forthright fisherman that would earn him the nickname “Peter” – that is “The Rock Man.” And Jesus would also promise to Peter that upon this rock – the rock of his confession – the Lord Jesus would build a church out of the living stones of men who confess this same confession. And not even Satan and hell would be able to topple it.

And yet, Peter’s confession doesn’t stop here, dear friends. For Peter is, like us, a sinner: one who is still subject to the delusions and temptations of the devil.

Jesus reveals another truth about Himself: “the Son of Man must suffer” and “be rejected” by the leaders of Israel. He would “be killed. And after three days, rise again.” Jesus has revealed Himself as Savior, as sacrifice, as the Atonement for sin! But Peter, who had just confessed Jesus as the Christ, takes Jesus aside and rebukes Jesus! He scolds Jesus for revealing this to him. For this suffering Jesus is not the Jesus Peter has in mind. For what glory is there in following a suffering Jesus? Don’t we all want a victorious Jesus – which is to say, a Jesus who is victorious in the way we want Him to be? We want a Jesus in our own image, of our own making.

Of course, it is not Peter’s place to rebuke God, but vice versa. Peter confessed Jesus as the Christ, but now he needs to confess his sin against the Christ. Unlike his earlier confession, this confession is a confession is diabolical. “Get behind me, Satan,” says our Lord. “For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”

Peter’s second confession is not a good confession. He has sided with man over God, sided with Satan over Christ. He has sided with his selfish impulse for glory over Christ’s selfless impulse of the cross and forgiveness. And Jesus calls Peter to repent. Jesus calls Peter to reject the devil along with all the devil’s works and all his ways. Jesus calls Peter to once more confess Jesus as the Christ – not merely as a leader whose coattails can be ridden to glory.

And while the Church doesn’t celebrate Peter’s second confession – Peter’s momentary devilish delusion, neither does the Church cover it up. The evangelists have recorded it, the Church proclaims it, and the Holy Spirit has made it known to us. And thanks be to God! For if Peter – mighty Peter, the holy apostle Peter, the bishop of Rome Peter, the spokesman of the apostles and the member of the Lord’s inner circle Peter is subject to such doubts and bouts of selfishness, what great comfort it is to us, dear friends! And what a blessing it is to be rebuked by Jesus – for when Jesus says: “Get behind me Satan.” He is not insulting us, but rather exorcising the evil right out of us! For He has not come to condemn, but to forgive.

Indeed, that is the whole point of this confession: “You are the Christ.”

And what’s more: “If anyone would come after me,” says our Lord, “let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” And though Peter was humiliated at the time of the Lord’s rebuke, the rebuke truly did cast out Satan and bring healing to St. Peter. For within a few decades, Peter the bishop and preacher was to do just as the Lord bade him to do: he would indeed take up a cross of his own and make the best and holiest confession of all: the confession of Jesus in blood. St. Peter’s greatest confession of all would be his confession of Jesus the crucified One in his own martyrdom, as Peter was himself crucified confessing the crucified Christ.

Dear friends, we may never be called upon to shed blood in confessing Christ. But we do indeed confess that Christ shed blood in order to save us! We may not be crucified for being a Christian, but Christ was crucified in order to make us Christians. And we are called upon to bear the crosses He allows us to carry – especially the joyful burden of confessing Him as God and Lord, as Savior and Redeemer, even as we confess our sins.

For even as Peter had two great confessions, so do we, dear brothers and sisters! We confess the faith once delivered to the saints, the faith of the Nicene Creed, the Faith that confesses before Jesus and before the world: “Jesus is the Christ.” And the Church also confesses – along with St. Peter – that “we are poor miserable sinners.” We confess the faith, and we confess our faith. We confess what Jesus has revealed to us, and we confess what we have done to Jesus as well as what He does for us!

Along with Peter, we confess to our Lord Jesus: “You are the Christ.” Along with Peter, we hear the Lord Jesus rebuke the devil: “Get behind me, Satan.” And let the Church never falter in either confession – for without both confessions, we are lost. We confess that we are sinners according to our sinful flesh in need of a Savior, and we confess that Jesus is that very Savior come in the flesh to save us.

Flesh and blood has not revealed this to us either, dear friends! This is St. Peter’s confession. This is the Church’s confession. This is our confession! Now and unto eternity!

Amen.

In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Sermon: Epiphany 2 – 2012

2012-01-15T10:00:00.005-06:00

15 January 2012 at Salem Lutheran Church, Gretna, LA

Text: John 2:1-11 (Amos 9:11-15, Rom 12:6-16)

In the name of + Jesus. Amen.

“The wine ran out.”

It may not seem so at first, dear brothers and sisters, but this is a result of the Fall, of the sin of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, and of the curse and punishment doled out to man as a result of his rebellion from God.

The fact that anything – even wine – runs out is a manifestation of “scarcity.” In other words, there is not enough stuff for everybody. And so, there must be competition and some kind of mechanism to figure out who gets what. Some end up on top, and some on the bottom. God told Adam: “cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground.”

Man must work to eat. And because of this curse upon the very ground, the ground is stubborn. Some climates produce very little. Some people cannot work enough to pay for the food for their families to eat. And our sinful nature causes us to be lazy, to scheme to find ways for other people to provide us with a living, to steal, to foolishly squander our resources on luxuries instead of necessities, and to resent those wealthier than we. Our sinful nature also causes us to hoard and not share with those who are in genuine need.

And because of this scarcity, governments were instituted and economic systems developed to figure out who gets what in society. And whether it is a free market or a centrally planned economy, there is never enough. That is why our Lord told us point-blank that we would always have the poor with us.

“The wine ran out.”

There are few things more divisive – and potentially violent – than politics. When we have kings, we have scarcity. And so revolutionaries cut off the king’s head and start a democracy. And there is still scarcity. So democracies become republics. And there is still scarcity. And republics become oligarchies and welfare states and warfare states and empires and dictatorships and tyrannies. And there is still scarcity. Under capitalism, communism, fascism, and anarchy – there is still scarcity. The powerful and well-connected always have abundance while others have nothing. For there is still scarcity.

“The wine ran out.”

Dear friends, we do live in a bi-polar world of the Kingdom of the Left and the Kingdom of the Right, a church and a secular government. We do need to order ourselves politically in some way. But no matter what, we must understand that there is no Utopia, no perfect system: except one: the government of the City of God, Heavenly Jerusalem, the Kingdom of the King of Kings, the Lordship of the Lord Jesus Christ.

His mother has been telling us for two millennia: “Do whatever He tells you.”

Jesus has come to restore Eden, to replace scarcity with abundance, to roll back the ravages of sin, to crush the chaos and tyranny of Satan under His heel, and even to reverse the ultimate result of death itself!

“Do whatever He tells you.”

For His Word is truth! His Word is power! His Word forgives. His Word restores, revivifies, and resurrects. His Word gives life.

For we are all victims of scarcity, perhaps the rich even more than the poor! For no amount of money can buy what Jesus gives away for free – His life, His body, His blood, His Word, His forgiveness, and His communion with the Father! No amount of money can turn water into wine – but Jesus can, and Jesus does. “Do whatever He tells you” – for His Word is a promise, and what’s more, His Word is a promise that fulfills itself!

“When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from,” He proclaimed: “You have kept the good wine until now.”

For not only did the Fall result in scarcity, but also corruption. Not only does wine run out – along with bread, with water, with money, shelter, clothing, and with life itself – but it also runs down. Inferior wine is a result of the Fall just as much as scarcity. And the same is true with inferior bread, water, money, shelter, clothing, and life.

“Do whatever He tells you,” dear brothers and sisters!

Our Lord Jesus offers not merely an abundance of perfect wine for the wedding feast at Cana, for this was a “sign,” a glimpse into a deeper reality. He offers (truly offers, as in the sense of a sacrifice), He offers the wine of His blood without price, without scarcity, without counting the cost, without being filtered through politicians – He offers His saving Body and Blood freely, as well as the flowing waters of baptism and His Word of forgiveness! These are offered in abundance, in direct opposition to the scarceness we have brought on ourselves by our sin. The wine of His blood, the bread of His body, the water of His baptism, the Word of His forgiveness are abundant and perfect, and they cannot be hoarded, bought, sold, or bargained for – not at any price, not by any bureaucracy. For there is no price, dear friends! Love can never be purchased, for it is offered gratis and received gratefully.

Indeed, our God (who is Love) has kept the good wine until the time came for the Son to offer it to us in the wineskin of His own flesh, given to us in the chalice of His own passion, presented to us on the table of His own cross.

For hear the words of Blessed Amos, who prophesied of the wine of Christ and His people: “The mountains shall drip sweet wine and all the hills shall flow with it… they shall plant vineyards and drink their wine. And they shall make gardens and eat their fruit.”

In Christ, scarcity is undone. In Christ, inferiority is nowhere to be found. In Christ, there are no strongmen or tyrants or hoarders or brokers. There is only abundance, grace, mercy, joy, and forgiveness that lasts forever!

Look at how this Good News of forgiveness and eternal life frees us from being selfish and self-centered! Look at how we Christians are able to love, freely love, even as Christ loves us! As St. Paul preaches: “Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints, and seek to show hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another.”

That is what life in Paradise is like, dear friends, the true and eternal Utopia in which there is no scarcity, where there are no strife and struggle and warfare and greed, where wine flows freely, even as the forgiveness of sins drips sweetly from the very mountains, where life is endless and perfect.

For you, Lord Jesus, “have kept the good wine until now.”

Thanks be to God! Amen.

In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

My Siberian Adventure - Day 24 - July 20, 2011

2012-01-14T22:49:00.003-06:00

Begin: Yekaterinburg
Fly to: Moscow (Domodedovo Airport)
Fly to: Washington (Dulles Airport)
Fly to: Kenner (Louis Armstrong Airport)
Drive to: Gretna

My alarm goes off at 4:30 am. Dan is up and ready to shower. I begin to pack my bags and close up my cot. I am able to IM with Grace one last time. We are very excited. I am bleary-eyed. The sky looks as bright as it did three hours ago when I went to sleep - not quite dark. In a matter of minutes, the sky becomes blue.

I distribute my things between bags and pack clothing as best as I can to protect fragile items. I pack my backpack inside my carry-on in case I can't have my carry-on with me under my seat.

Father Sergey arrives on time and drives us to Yekaterinburg's Koltsovo Airport. The language barrier and time of day makes it a quiet ride. Before we leave the car to walk to the terminal, Sergey gives me two CDs - the ones he had been playing in the car. He gives the third disk - Dire Straits - to Dan. He accompanies us to the terminal. He joins us through the preliminary security search. It was not aggressive, but I was frisked by a lady officer - something that (at least so far) is not done in the U.S.

We head to the check-in line and say goodbye to Sergey (who has to work at his full-time secular job today), and head off to security. Again, the blue footies and the naked-scanner. This time I see that there is a small locked room blocked off by frosted glass where the naked-scanner operator works.

We make it to our gate and a bus drives us to our plane. It is an A320 - not large but not small either. There are three seats on each side per row. Dan and I are seated together.

The Ural Airlines staff is friendly, but they speak almost no English - but enough. Our flight to Moscow is less than two hours. They serve a hearty boxed breakfast - which is almost like every other meal in Russia: salad, hot dish (chicken and rice in my case), bread, butter, cheese, meats, a cookie, a small cup of tea, and even a little chocolate bar. I save the bread, cheese, meats, and chocolate to bring back home to share.

Our flight was wonderful and comfortable.

We arrived at Domodedovo Airport, and it is very familiar thanks to my introduction by Elena. What was formerly exotic and a bit intimidating had become comfortable.

There are a few new experiences, however.

We were selected for some kind of interview after checking our luggage. Perhaps this was because of the crucifix around my neck. We were asked what we had in our bags. The young woman x-rays our bags, but strangely, there is no operator at the console to look at the images. She then had us open our bags and rifles through all of our things, asking questions about whether or not we have "cultural" items. What the hell does that mean? The only reason I think I know what she might be after is because of the story I had heard of the LCMS pastor a couple years back who was detained at the airport because he had an antique crucifix that he had purchased. He had bought it legally, but such things are not permitted to leave Russia. The irony is that in the Soviet Union, such things were destroyed. Now, taking them out of the country - even if you have purchased them legally - is not allowed.

The lady officer handles my books repeatedly and asks questions about "icons." Since all of my icons are in my checked bag, and none of them are antiques, I answer "no" to all of her questions. She wants to know what souvenirs I have. I explain that I have refrigerator magnets, coffee mugs, etc.

She is finally (though reluctantly) satisfied, and we hastily repack our things and leave.

We head to Passport Control. This is in a section of the airport known as Passenger Control. Dan and I go to different lines, as he has one of the new electronic passports with the chip.

There are two young women decked out like Panamanian generals in the booth. One takes my passport and unceremoniously removes it from the plastic cover. She looks at it, looks at me, yawns, and flips through it trying to look official. I stand patiently. She doesn't ask me any questions at all. She gives me my passport back and turns on the green light for me to exit.

At security, we were again (for the second time, I believe) asked if we had packed our own bags. We then head to the blue footies and the naked-scanner, assemble our stuff, and finally emerge into the airport proper.

As the airport has wifi, I was able to IM with Grace. Dan and I have to hang out and wait for the United agent to show up. Dan discovers the self-check-in kiosks and is ale to get his seat assignment and boarding pass. Mine will not work for some reason. I have to wait until 9:15 for the United personnel to arrive.

In line, we meet an elderly man who is a native Russian who has lived for more than 30 years in San Francisco. He is a trained mathematician and was a designer of computer chips in Silicon Valley. His wife is dying of cancer. The details of his story are unclear. He considers both Moscow and San Francisco to be his homes. Like many scientists and mathematicians, he went to school in Novosibirsk.

The United agent is a young Russian woman who asks me if I packed my own bags. She takes my passport to another clerk, and there seems to be some kind of discussion. I wait. I still have no seat assignment and no boarding pass. She finally returns with my passport and sends me to the booth to check my bag.

The agent there asks me if I would like to upgrade to Economy Plus for $100. I decline. What seems to be happening is that the economy seats have been overbooked. Nevertheless, I receive what appears to be a boarding pass, though without a seat assignment.

Lacking available airport seating, Dan and I take up a position near the elevator in the main part of the airport. We have some time. We take turns going to the bathroom - there are long lines. I'm able to briefly IM with Grace again.

I'm reflecting on the airport security issue. We went through the naked-scanner. I'm wondering why we still have to remove our belts and shoes if they are able to look at the inside of our gonads. I guess it keeps the blue-footie people at their jobs. More likely it is the general principle of Soviet government (from which we in the United States are not exempt) according to one of our Russian friends: to humiliate and dominate the individual at every turn. It's about control.

Anyway, I would like a coffee, so Dan and I take our carry-ons and go for a walk. Ah! A nice coffee shop whose Cyrillic letters spell out "Coffee Mania." It's a mania all right! A cappuccino is $13 U.S. A simple cup of tea is even more! There are vending machines in the airport, but we don't have any small bills.

We return to our gate to learn that our flight is delayed. I get online and send a few e-mails and facebook "thank yous." We learn that our plane has "mechanical problems." Great. We find a small airport magazine store that sells drinks. A plastic bottle of Coke is only 47 rubles (a little more than a buck and a half). Iced tea is 170 rubles. Interestingly, Diet Coke (Coke Light in Russia) is twice as expensive as regular Coke. It's made, I believe, with saccharine - and tastes terrible. I buy us a couple drinks and pay with Visa.

Prior to boarding, there is yet another agent at the gate who asks us if we packed our own bags. There are not enough seats at the gate, and we are standing - like many others.

After a long wait, we board. Dan and I are not sitting together. In fact, he has been put into an Economy Plus window seat, while I am again in "the middle of the middle" for the longest part of the trip home. We are informed that our connecting flights are being rerouted.

I'm squished between two Russian guys whose families are in the rows in front and behind. I had taken my Nook, my computer, and a couple books and put them in my backpack at the gate. This enabled me to have them under the seat in front of me while my red wheeled-carry-on is overhead.

At 2:45 we are in the air - about two hours late. Our connections are being rescheduled.

I'm tired. I'm going to take a nap.

Here come the drinks. I order a ginger ale. The stereotype is true: all the Americans want ice while the Russians decline. The Russians prefer juice - orange or tomato - while the Americans prefer soda - as a rule, that is.

Dinner (lunch?) was not as good as what the Russian airlines served. It wasn't bad, but rather just tasteless. The salad was a bowl of leaves that tasted like paper. I took a bite and didn't touch the rest. One of the Russian guys next to me asked me what the salad dressing was for. I told him that it was for the "salat" - and then told him that Russian "salat" is better. He laughed.

The chicken dish with rice wasn't bad, nor was the little cake - a sort-of mildly industrial strawberry. he bread was definitely industrial. Welcome back to America! Rather than risk another instant coffee, I opted for a tea. Less of a gamble. It's hard to screw up tea, though it was not served with the bag as it was on Russian flights.

I would have liked to have practiced Russian with my neighbor, but I didn't even know enough to get started. I will have to work on it.

It's 8:00 am NOLA time and our plane is crossing the border from Sweden to Norway.

I sure hope that either I can make my connection or get another route home today. This is a long flight, but knowing that I will see Grace and Leo makes it a great joy! I can't wait to get home!

The stewardess comes by with the coffee. It is brewed! I'm sure drinking coffee will be a mistake. My poor system is not going to know whether it is time to sleep (it is 8:00 pm Novosibirsk time) or time to wake up (it's 8:00 am NOLA time) - but I'm really Jonesing for a coffee. The Moscow Airport cheated me out of my cappuccino by its avarice. So, no matter the consequences, I'm having my coffee, dammit, and with milk and sugar to boot! It's not good, but it's coffee - and it didn't set me back twelve bucks either! I figure this will help ramp me back up to the good stuff.

I almost bought a Turkish coffee urn at the Moscow airport, but Dan had warned me about the Moscow prices (confirmed by the cappuccino), and I said "nyet." Besides, I really didn't have room in my carry-on.

After all of this liquid, I have to pee. I'm in the middle of the middle, of course, just as I was on the way to Moscow, and both of my seatmates are sleeping. I nudge the poor guy on my left and say: "Извините. Туалет." (Excuse me. Toilet.). He's a good sport, and gets up to let me go by.

I have to wait a long time.

After returning, my seatmate speaks to me in broken English. He says, "I love God." I remember this expression from one of Richard Wurmbrand's books. This seems to be an idiomatic way of confessing Christianity. Indeed, he is a Christian - a Pentecostal. He knows that I am a Christian, perhaps from my table prayer and sign of the cross, or maybe because of the cross around my neck. I tell him that I am a Lutheran pastor. He has lived in the U.S. for a few years, though English remains difficult for him. His wife and children are in the seats behind us. His children are fluent in English. They used to live in California, and now they live in Maryland. They just returned from a seven-month trip to Belarus to care for elderly relatives.

I get back to writing and he gets back to sleeping. Since we are back in the Western hemisphere - just off the coast of Iceland and almost to Greenland - I change my wedding ring back to my left hand. It feels more natural there, but has been on my right hand long enough to create a small calloused ridge.

After several hours of transferring journal notes, I decide to rest my hand. I'm beginning to get a little tired. It's 12:20 am Novosibirsk time, 12:20 pm New Orleans time. We're heading into Labrador. We have covered 5,396 km at 34,000 feet, 3:09 (hours) to destination, 2,500 km to go. It is -38C outside of the plane. Our ground speed is 517 mph, 835 km/h.

We land about an hour late. It does look like I will miss my flight. I meet up with Dan as we rush off the plane. We head to customs, go through quickly, pick up our bags, recheck our bags, and go through security again - even though each minute that goes by means missed connections.

People are steamed.

The line is chaotic. People are frustrated and in a hurry. I finally emerge to inquire about my flight. The board says it has left. The customer service rep, an elderly man, is smart-alecky and rude, being quite obnoxious to a couple of German girls in front of me - who don't seem to understand his "humor." He sends me to customer service at C-20, and tells me with a smirk. "There will be a long line." I consider for a split second telling him this is why Americans are not always liked around the world. Instead, I thank him for his "help." Welcome back to the United States.

Anyway, I rush over to gate C-20 and meet up with Dan. This is the selfsame place that I had met Herbert and Klaus at the other end of this adventure. And it isn't quite over yet! Dan had phoned me and met me there. From the line of unhappy international travelers, I ask him if it is possible just to go back to Siberia. Things are not looking good. The clerk informs me that there are no other flights to New Orleans today. He could get me to Houston.

But, here comes a break in the gloom, a tiny crack in the window of opportunity that could slam shut any second. It seems that there are (what else?) mechanical problems on the flight to New Orleans, and it hasn't actually taken off yet. He suggests that I run to the gate - which is a long, long way.

Dan and I sprint along the airport. At the gate, I am told we are waiting for information. Nevertheless, I am given a boarding pass! Of course, this assumes that we will fly.

Dan and I head to the bar and enjoy a final пива - a couple of Stella Artois. We were both very pleased with how the trip went, and both expressed appreciation for one another as travel companions.

We say goodbye, and I head back to my gate. There is a Starbucks on the way, and a latte makes friends with the beer in my belly. They seem quite as compatible as Dan and I seem to be. I return to my gate, and it turns out that I have even more time to wait. So, I walk back, meet up with Dan again, and wait with him at his gate. After a short wait, he boards and departs. I walk back to my own gate, and, thanks be to God, we are boarding!

I am even in Economy Plus this time on the A319.

God willing, I will be with my family at home soon!

It's time for this adventure to draw to a close. We land at New Orleans Louis Armstrong Airport - which is actually in nearby Kenner where Grace and I first lived when we moved to the area - with Leo in tow in utero. That was an adventure of a different sort, as planes used to fly so close to our home that we could just about see the faces of passengers in the windows.

We land! With excitement that borders on disbelief, I head to baggage claim. And there they are: Grace and Leo! My bag arrives quickly. Leo is beaming as both are clinging to me with excitement. Grace drives us back to Gretna where we celebrate my homecoming to America with ice cream at McDonald's.

So now, this adventure has ended, and our adventure together as a family begins anew. Thanks be to God! Amen!

Here is a link to all of my pictures from Day Twenty-Four.

More "What if?"

2012-01-12T23:11:00.000-06:00

Sermon: Baptism of our Lord – 2012

2012-01-11T19:30:00.005-06:00

11 January 2012 at Salem Lutheran Church, Gretna, LA

Text: Matt 3:13-17 (Isa 42:1-7, 1 Cor 1:26-31)

In the name of + Jesus. Amen.

The baptism of our Lord Jesus Christ is a great mystery. For baptism is a washing away of sins. But Jesus had no sins. John’s baptism was a sign of repentance. But our Lord had nothing of which to repent.

This mystery is reflected in St. John’s reaction, whose gut reaction was to refuse Jesus baptism with words reflecting his shock: “I need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?”

What’s the point of washing someone who is not only clean, but pristine, perfect, immaculate, and without so much as a single cell reflecting a flaw of our fallen world? As Jesus Himself said: the people who are well don’t need a physician. And God certainly doesn’t need forgiveness.

Jesus needs no baptism.

And yet He submits to it, just like a poor, miserable sinner; just like a sinful son of Adam; in the very manner of the same vast crowds of the tax collectors and sinners who lined up to take the plunge in the Jordan at the hands of this eccentric preacher of righteousness. Righteousness.

The Lord’s explanation of the mystery uses this very word “righteousness.” For Jesus answered John’s protests: “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” And only then does his blessed cousin consent to cleanse God.

Our Lord Jesus did not come into our world merely to teach us right from wrong, to give us ethical principles, to leave behind things we have to memorize in the catechism. All of these things are related, but only secondary to the one great important truth about Jesus: He has come to save us from our sins. He is our Champion, our Redeemer-Kinsman, the One who rescues us from death itself. And He does this by imparting righteousness to us.

As our Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ was baptized and cleansed from our sins – and His baptism of water was completed by His baptism of blood. For at the cross, He was to become sin for us – sin that He promises is washed away through baptism, by means of the faith that makes us well, by the pledge of a pure conscience – indeed, in the very repentance His holy cousin John came preaching in the wilderness!

Jesus had no sins of His own to wash away. But He took ours. Jesus had no consequences and punishment to bear for His own transgressions. For He took ours. Jesus had no need of sacrificial blood to reconcile Himself with His Father – rather He gives us His own blood: at the cross and in the cup.

For something else happened at our Lord’s baptism, dear brothers and sisters, dear fellow baptized and redeemed sinners. And it happened “immediately.” As the Lord emerged from the water, as He drew His first breaths of our foul air following this public action of taking our sins upon Himself: “the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on Him.” And then came the spoken revelation from the Father Himself, the voice that was to be repeated at the Lord’s Transfiguration: “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” We are baptized into the most holy Name of the Most Holy Trinity!

This is not just God the Father accepting His Son Jesus and praising His righteousness. For the baptism of our Lord pleases the Father, the obedience of the Son pleases the Father, the humility of the Son pleases the Father. The act of accepting the burden and punishment of sins He did not commit pleases the Father – because, dear friends, think of just how profound this is: the Father is pleased in our redemption, in the Son’s cosmic rescue mission to drag us literally out of the fires of hell and to restore us to what we were created to be – all by the draw and the call of the Holy Spirit.

This is what it means “to fulfill all righteousness.”

Jesus did not come just to teach us about baptism, nor to set an example of baptism, but to become baptism, to be the washing away of our sins that saves us.

He, Jesus, is the “servant” whom God “upholds,” who is “chosen,” who bears the Spirit, and indeed, He has come to bring justice. And even when He was being rained upon with the unjust blows of fist and scourge, of nails and spear, He did not “cry aloud or lift up His voice.” He manfully, what’s more, divinely, endured our punishment and bore God’s wrath – and in bearing that wrath of God He pleases God. For it pleases God to save us!

Such is the love the Lord has for us, dear brothers and sisters. That love, that incarnate love, that redemptive love – is the heart of the mystery of the baptism of our Lord.

And so we who have been baptized into the Lord’s name, the Triune Name of the Triune God, numbered among His redeemed, we who are grafted into His Church and wedded to the perfect Bridegroom, have been elevated to righteousness with Jesus who emerged triumphant from the water and from the grave. Not many of us are deemed “wise according to worldly standards.” Not many of us are of our own nature “powerful” or of “noble birth.”

Yet here again is the mystery, dear friends, the love of God and the mystery of the righteousness He gives to us, His beloved: “God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong,” the low and those who don’t even count in the world’s eyes “so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.”

Here is what ties it all together, what it means to be a Christian, the glories of the mystery of the love of Christ, the revelation of the Holy Trinity and of Holy Baptism. Here, dear friends, is the significance of the baptism of our Lord: “Because of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption.”

Indeed, we confess with John: “I need to be baptized by You,” Lord Jesus. And so, by God’s grace and according to the wonder of His love and mercy, in the mystery of the Holy Trinity, and by the righteous obedience of the Lord Jesus Christ – we have been. And in Christ, we too are the Father’s beloved sons and daughters, vessels of the Holy Spirit, whose boast, whose only boast, is “in the Lord.”

“I need to be baptized by You,” and indeed, Lord Jesus, “You come to me.” Amen.

In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Sermon: Epiphany 1 – 2012

2012-01-08T10:00:00.003-06:00

8 January 2012 at Salem Lutheran Church, Gretna, LA

Text: Luke 2:41-52

In the name of + Jesus. Amen.

“Did you not know that I must…”

The word “must” may well be the most extraordinary word in today’s Gospel. Of course, the fact that Jesus refers to God as His Father is also extraordinary. He is God’s Son. He knows it. He confesses it. And His mother and step-father must to come to grips with it. But that little word “must” when Jesus says: “I must…” easily misses our notice.

For what does it mean that Jesus “must” do something? He is the King of the Universe. He is God. Isn’t it a contradiction to say that Jesus “must” do anything? Isn’t this a little like the question: “Can God make a stone so heavy that He can’t lift it?” Is Jesus bound by the word “must”? “Must” God do anything?

We all understand the word “must.” We must all do all kinds of things we would rather not do. We all have responsibilities and chores and things we don’t like. There are things we must do because others depend on us. And when we must do something, it also implies that we have no choice or control of the matter.

So, how can Jesus, as God, also live within the confines of “must”? How can He really be God at all?

Well, dear friends, this “must” is the very love of God itself. For love always acts against the self-will and self-interest. Mothers and fathers routinely sacrifice for the sake of their children – out of love. Police, firefighters, and military personnel make sacrifices out of love for country and community. Christians of every vocation have a list of things they must do – which have been collected into our catechism’s “table of duties.” These duties are done out of love for the sake of people who depend on our doing them. They are also our priestly sacrifice to God as a thank offering. As Jesus said: “When you fast…. When you give alms…. When you pray….”

When the 12-year old Lord Jesus said: “I must…” He did not mean that He was begrudgingly obeying an order out of fear or compulsion, but rather He was doing His saving duty out of love for His Father and for His creatures. This love is why He took flesh in the first place, laying aside His glory to live in our fallen world of pain, misery, and death. And out of love He even “must” forgo the pangs of death – not because He has called death upon Himself by His sins (as we have), but rather because it is what He must do to save us.

Jesus must be in His Father’s House because that is what a Son does, that is who a Son is, that is who the Son of God is, and that is what the Son of God does. As the Word Made Flesh, He is found in the flesh where the Word of God is proclaimed: “in [His] Father’s house.”

And this was true when our Lord was 12 years old at the Temple, when He was 33 years old at the cross, and even now, two millennia later as He is still present where His Word and flesh are present – for, by, and with the people He loves, forgives, restores, saves, and gives life.

“I must be in My father’s house.”

One remarkable thing about our Lord’s statement is how often one hears people today make the bold claim: “I don’t have to go to church to be a Christian.” What a selfish contrast to the humble statement of our Lord and God: “I must be in My Father’s House.” If Christ must be in His Father’s house, why would Christians not be?

For to be a Son is to have a Father. To be a child of God is to call God Father, to hear His Word, to be where He is revealed, to be where He is. And the Father is most fully revealed to us in His Son. To be with our Father is to be with the Son – and to be with Him is to be where He is found according to both His flesh and promise.

“I must be in My Father’s house.”

Those who disbelieve in the Real Presence in Holy Communion sometimes mock this teaching by saying that God is not called up by priestly magic when a pastor says words over bread and wine – like a genie being conjured up to do our bidding. And that is most certainly true. Pastors do not conjure up God, and certainly have no magic to offer. Instead, we invoke God, call upon Him, as He invited us to call upon Him – calling upon His Most Holy Name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, invoking the Most Holy Name of Jesus, and submitting to Him and His Word when He said: “Do this in memory of Me.”

For the Lord isn’t commanded into bread and wine by magic words, rather the Word Made Flesh joins us in the flesh according to His own miraculous Word and promise. For just as God the Son “must be in [His] Father’s house,” so too must the Word Made Flesh keep His promises. And the Lord has promised us: “I am with you always, even unto the end of the age.” He must keep His promise.

Indeed, He cannot not be present in Holy Communion within His confessing Church that invokes His Word and uses His own promise-laden words, words which must do what they say. God does not come to us like a captive genie to do our bidding as a reluctant slave, but rather joins us freely as God Almighty, captive to His own love for us, faithful to His own Word in order to save us, His beloved – even taking the form of a slave in order to redeem us in word and in deed.

“I must be in My Father’s house.”

Dear friends, this holy house is the Father’s house – as are all holy houses that bear a Christian altar, a Christian pulpit, and a Christian font – all holy houses be they big or small, elaborate or simple, wealthy or poor – and Jesus “must” be in His Father’s house. It is His promise to us, dear friends.

If you wish to find Jesus, you must find Him where He must be found. You will find Jesus here among your brothers and sisters who confess Him who was obedient to His Heavenly Father and submissive to His fleshly mother and step-father. Jesus has taught us to be submissive and to be present where He is present. For if you want to experience the living God, you must find Him where He is living – where His presence and promise are, where He must be – and where we must be as well – out of love, in His mercy, under the forgiveness of the cross, in the majesty of His Word, in the mystery of the altar and in the presence of His potent words of forgiveness and eternal life.

In His submission He “increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.” Holding onto Jesus we join Him in this wisdom, stature, and favor – even as we join the Lord Jesus in His confession and promise: “I must be in My Father’s house.” And concerning the Lord Jesus, who must be in His Father’s house, there is no other name by which we must be saved.

And we join Him not just here, but in eternity. “I must be in My Father’s house,” now and forever, thanks be to God!

Amen.

In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Technical Difficulties, Comrades!

2012-01-05T19:46:00.001-06:00

That's CCCNN for you!

HT: Lew Rockwell

As Christmas winds down...

2012-01-04T22:17:00.000-06:00

God jul, alle sammen!

If you liked the above, then Happy New Year!

Sermon: Epiphany (observed) – 2012

2012-01-04T19:30:00.000-06:00

4 January 2012 at Salem Lutheran Church, Gretna, LA

Text: Matt 2:1-12

In the name of + Jesus. Amen.

In his most famous short story, author O. Henry illustrates what true love is. It is a Christmas story of a poor husband sacrificing what is most dear to him to buy his wife a gift. It is also the poor wife sacrificing what is most dear to her to buy her husband a gift. And though both are materially less well off, the demonstration of love for one another shows that they are rich indeed.

O. Henry called this story “The Gift of the Magi” as the Magi are the wise men who brought gifts to the Holy Child, who was Himself the greatest gift of all. The wise men presented the best of their treasures to the Lord: “gold and frankincense and myrrh,” and the Lord Jesus offered His very body and blood as a sacrifice of love for all men – even Gentiles from afar.

Love is not only a mystery, it is also a paradox. For the more one gives in love, the richer one becomes. Our Lord Himself taught us that it is more blessed to give than to receive.

The gifts of the magi who traveled to see the boy King are love offerings and sacrifices of thanksgiving. They are also something else: a confession. In giving these gifts, these wise men from the east are proclaiming to the world and to all of history that they confess this Jesus to be Prophet (bearing the sweet aroma of God’s Word), Priest (surrounded in the smoke of the incense of the divine presence of God), and King (possessing the richness of material treasure). And this long journey of these men was not merely for the purpose of attending a party or to drop off a few parcels. Their purpose was simple: “We… have come to worship Him.”

“We have come” dear brothers and sisters, “to worship Him.”

That is why the wise men came from hundreds of miles away. That is why we have come here this evening. We have come to “worship Him.” And yes, He gives us the very same gifts as He offered to the wise men and all men at the cross: the forgiveness of sins through the atoning sacrifice of His blood. For like the husband in the O. Henry story, He is the perfect Bridegroom who withholds nothing – not even His very lifeblood – from His dear bride. And yes, we also offer Him gifts here as well – our own treasures in the form of monetary instruments that were at one time made of gold, the incense of our prayers, and the sweet myrrh of our hymns of thanks and praise – even as the bride in the O. Henry story: the Church withholds nothing – not even her most treasured possessions – from her dear Bridegroom.

But this gift exchange is not our primary purpose. We have not come in order to put money in a plate. Nor have we come out of sheer selfishness to get something. No indeed! For we give, and yes, we receive these holy gifts in faith. We receive these gifts in faith, love, gratitude, and in worship of the One who gives us everything.

The church is indeed like a hospital. We come to the church to get well. But it is not a for-prophet healthcare enterprise – rather it is a hospital that runs on charity and love. That is why we give gifts, dear friends. If we owe God our money, and if that is why we are here – we might as well put a check in the mail and gripe about the cost. No, we come in person “to worship Him,” to be with Him in the flesh, to be where He is, to adore and love Him. And because of that, we joyfully bear gifts – like the magi – as an act of faith, love, and confession before all men around the world and in every time that Jesus is Prophet, Priest, and King.

He is God in the flesh!

He is our Lord, our Savior, our Redeemer, our beloved Bridegroom. We worship Him for who He is, not because of what He does for us. And yet He does everything for us, holds nothing back, and rains treasure upon us now and even unto eternity. For He loves us, dear friends. He has come into the world to redeem the world, and to buy us poor miserable sinners back from death and hell, not with gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death.”

The magi “fell down and worshiped Him.” So do we, dear brothers and sisters. Just as these wise men knelt before their King – who for all the world looked like an ordinary helpless baby – we too fall upon our knees before the Lord who manifests Himself in Holy Communion – which for all the world looks like ordinary bread and wine. And this most holy sacrament is His gift to us: His true body and His true blood, one and the same as that which the wise men worshiped.

As the saying goes, “wise men still seek Him.” And yes, wise men still worship Him. Wise men still know the meaning of love, both in the meager sacrifices we can offer the living God as well as the priceless and incomparable sacrifice offered for us poor miserable sinners at the hands – hands of a little child and hands of a carpenter pierced by nails – at the very hands of the very God. Hands that receive gifts in our imperfect love; hands that offer and distribute gifts in His perfect love.

Today we celebrate the event the Church calls “the Epiphany of our Lord.” An epiphany is a shining forth, a revealing. It is what you see when the light is turned on, and the true image of a thing that was hidden becomes visible.

Love may be invisible in and of itself. But, dear friends, even as love is seen in the acts of love – like the husband and wife in the story, like the love we Christians have for one another, and for our fellow men in this fallen world – so too is love clearly shone forth in the cross, the empty tomb, the communion rail, the pulpit, the baptismal font, in the forgiveness of sins, and in countless acts of forgiveness and mercy, great and small.

Love shone forth as an epiphany to the wise men who came to worship Love incarnate, God incarnate, the forgiveness of sins incarnate, and life incarnate. God who was hidden on account of our sins shines brightly (on account of our forgiveness), shining as an epiphany before wise men of every age who confess Him as Lord.

And we poor sinners who have been forgiven are rich indeed. For “we have come to worship Him.” Amen.

In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

My Siberian Adventure - Day 23, July 19, 2011

2012-01-02T02:13:00.000-06:00

Begin: Chelyabinsk
Drive to: Yekaterinburg
Drive to: Polevskoya
Drive to: Yekaterinburg

I woke up a little on the late side and took a shower. I was beginning to think that there was no hot water - but my patience was rewarded.

Dan, Alexy, and I enjoy a very nice buffet breakfast in the Green Restaurant downstairs - which is included. This breakfast is like Russian supper - with sausage, chicken, and pasta - along with more typical breakfast foods like boiled eggs. There are also the traditional drinks - water and fruit juices. One berry drink is translated as "hip drink." Father Alexey doesn't know why. The music is a little odd, quite loud, a sort-of disco or fitness club version of Indian or Middle Eastern music. I actually dig it. We check out of the hotel and meet Father Sergey. I'm armed with bottled water that Alexey purchased for me. Russians drink a lot of bottled water. This one is sparkling ("living.").

We drive to a drab factory building where Dan's wife's company has a branch office. He hopes to get inside for a picture, but security won't let us in. We wait in a cramped reception area. A manager with whom Father Daniel has corresponded comes down and apologetically gives Dan some brochures to take home.

We hit the road which is terribly bumpy, posing for pictures at the sign indicating that we have just left Chelyabinsk. The terrain between Chelyabinsk and Yekaterinburg is wide open with bright yellow fields. There are birch forests in the distance.

We arrive at the church flat, drop off our things, and eat lunch at the food court - at Blinoff, a pancake (blini) place. It's outstanding! I had a pancake with "old Russian meat" - which is a spiced beef - as well as a cherry pancake with a sweet condensed milk sauce. I also had a soulanka, a roll, and a coffee (which was not instant!). The pancakes are actually crepes. They are made on the spot on two large griddles.

After lunch, we head off the to the Orthodox diocesan store for my last opportunity to buy icons for souvenirs.

Father Sergey drives us to the archbishop's residence - which is opulent. There is an army of Mercedes and Lexus cars. We see bearded and cassocked clergy surrounded by secret-service-type bodyguards with sunglasses and earpieces. It was rather surreal - quite a contrast to our own bishop with his Toyota. A lot of people have apparently been turned off to Christianity in Russia because of the financial dealings of some of the Orthodox churches.

After parking, we walk into the store and start shopping for icons. Of all of our icon-buying trips, I have been unsuccessful in finding an icon of St. Raphael the archangel to bring back to Grace. Even now I can't find one - until I visited the very last room and looked at the very last icon! I see a small icon of an angel. The Cyrillic letters are hard to read, but I sound it out and it comes out like "Raphael" to me. I point to the icon to buy it, and the lady says: "Raphael." Very cool!

Father Daniel and I pick up some icons and Father Alexey buys a stack of books.

Afterwards, we head back to the church flat for a quick change of clothes. We all get into our clericals as we are headed to the local ELKRAS congregation for a visit. This is Father Dennis's congregation, the pastor I offended regarding women's "ordination." His predecessor was a woman who was there for three years.

Father Sergey drives. He has been playing an interesting and eclectic mix of very good pop music in the car: soundtracks from House, MD, an album called Dead Man's Bones, a collection of Christmas tunes by Annie Lenox, some blues, and Dire Straits' Brothers in Arms album. Father Sergey is a Dire Straits/Mark Knopfler fan. Dan asks about Dire Straits and I fill him in on the Brothers in Arms album. Sergey listens in with amusement.

The ELKRAS parish is located in Polevskoya. The congregation meets in a rented room in an office complex. We are greeted warmly by the pastor, who is young and speaks some English and German in addition to Russian. The congregation is nearly all older women. There are two younger women and one young man and one old man in the congregation.

Fathers Sergey, Daniel, Alexey, and I sit in the front row behind the small keyboard. Father Alexey translates as Father Dennis explains that we will sing a couple hymns, have a prayer, and then we (the guests) will speak.

The service book has many short hymns. They are essentially "praise songs" of a Taize character. We sing one such song, singing the Russian part three times, a Latin translation twice, and then repeating the Russian again. The next song we only sing n Russian. Dennis led the singing and played the electronic organ.

There is a small but dignified altar set up for communion with a Bible situated in the middle. There is also a small, dignified pulpit. Both altar and pulpit are adorned by a pair of flickering candles.

There is a small icon of Christ on the wall, under which are three western depictions of our Lord. There is a little table underneath with a candle, an open Bible, and a crucifix. On the Bible is an Orthodox rosary.

After a short prayer, Father Dennis introduces us. I spoke about our congregation back home, about New Orleans, and about my family. Father Daniel does the same regarding his family and parish. I related the story of how Grace had once told me that she would live anywhere but New Orleans which everyone found amusing. I also told them how Grace was the daughter of a nun and the wife of a priest who was given a most appropriate name for a Lutheran pastor's wife.

Afterwards, a lady asked about Hurricane Katrina. I took her e-mail and will send her links to pictures.

Dan also spoke about the catechism and the sacraments. I spoke about the heroic nature of Russian Lutheranism and implored them not to take their freedom for granted as, unfortunately, many Americans do. Sergey and Alexey also give brief addresses.

The congregation was very hospitable and treated us to tea and dessert pastries afterward. They gave us a box of them to take with us. I offered to take some home to my family, but they warned against it - as they were home-made with sour cream. So I took a picture instead.

We drove back to the church flat in Yekaterinburg and reflected on what a tragedy women's "ordination" is. These are nice people who have been led astray - including women in their eighties who had never seen such things in he churches of their youth.

We arrive at the flat and say our goodbyes to Father Alexey. He is flying back to Novosibirsk, having found a flight for the same price as the train would cost. Father Sergey will be by at 5:20 am tomorrow morning to bring us to the airport.

Dan and I change clothes. I check e-mail and have an IM session with Grace. I send my dad a SnapYap message. Dan and I head back for one final visit to the beer tent. First, we decide to walk around the mall. Unfortunately, it is in the process of closing. But we take a short walk and snap a few pictures.

We drop into the beer garden to find our familiar waiter working. He knows just what beers to bring us. I decide to eat, and so does Dan. I order mante (steamed dumplings) and a plav (rice and meat). The portions are pretty good-sized, and the price is reasonable. Dan also orders a plav, and along with the beers and a generous tip, the total is 600 rubles - about $20.

Our waiter takes our picture. We explain that we are flying back to America tomorrow. Actually, Dan explains in Russian accompanied by hand gestures.

We head back to the flat to pack. I decide to shower then rather than waiting until 4:30 am. I am excited to be going home, as I am missing my wife and son terribly! It is hard to fall asleep as my mind races.

Here is a link to all of my pictures from Day Twenty-Three.

Dr. Block Shreds the Race Card

2012-01-02T00:01:00.000-06:00

One of the most frustrating things about politics is the way we Americans have turned it into the Jerry Springer Show (in fact, Springer is a former mayor of Cincinnati - which speaks volumes for American political discourse). Americans are easily drawn into mud-wrestling - all the while convincing themselves (like some of my childhood friends) that pro-wrestling is not scripted, and what you see on TV (and now on the internet) is always real.

Thanks to talk radio entertainers and TV "news" programs that are basically reincarnations of SNL's Weekend Update - combined with the American culture's lack of attention span and disdain for deep reading and study - our political process has become a cross between a bad Zombie movie and an episode of Jackass and our political discourse has become both Troglodyte and Trotskyite.

Just recently, a facebook "friend" forwarded a rant alleging that U.S. congressman (and presidential candidate) Ron Paul is a "racist" - based on things written by other people that the congressman himself expressed disagreement with in no uncertain terms. But given our Idiocracy-like political culture (some people actually think the film is a comedy instead of a documentary...), this issue has become a toe-hold for other Republican candidates who are alarmed at Paul's recent rise in the polls. And so, several of these privileged white upper-crust candidates have begun playing the race-card. You can't make stuff like this up!

Here is a little something that shows the race-card for what it is when played against Dr. Paul.

At any rate, my facebook "friend" began to spread the race-card "wealth" around to the Ludwig von Mises Institute and its founder Lew Rockwell (guilt by association). The Mises Institute is a scholarly educational organization devoted to the free-market school of economics as taught by several brilliant 20th century Austrian economists (such as F.A. Hayek and Ludwig von Mises) who defended the market economy and sound money even in the midst of the seeming triumph of Socialism and Nazism and central banking. Hayek opposed the more-popular John Maynard Keynes and defended free markets against the rising tide of centrally-planned economies. In 1974, Hayek was awarded the Nobel Prize. Ron Paul is a close personal friend of Lew Rockwell and a member of the Mises Institute (which explains the political mudslinging). Many economists in the Austrian School predicted the recent international turmoil, the debt crisis in the United States, the bursting of the stock market, and the meteoric rise in the price of gold.

Given this reality, a lot of people are starting to listen to what the Austrian School has to say - even to the point of including some Austrian economists in mainstream analysis of our economic situation - and the Austrian economists have a lot of establishment Keynesian economists (and politicians) running scared. For if nations around the world were to listen to the Austrian economists, they would have to cut back on spending, cut taxes, reduce regulations, stop looking for wars to fight, and get out of the centrally-planned economy and the printing of paper money out of thin air (like the United States has done for a century by virtue of the Federal Reserve system).

Ron Paul is the only presidential candidate who espouses Austrian economics. This makes him more of a target than any other in the field.

But back to my facebook "friend."

I challenged his use of the race card for both Paul and Rockwell. I do not know Ron Paul, but I have read a good bit of his writings, and his political philosophy can be called "libertarian" - which by definition is not "racist." For libertarianism views individuals as bearing inalienable rights rather than seeing people as members of tribes or collective groups that enjoy government privileges. One can no more be a "libertarian racist" than one can be a "free market communist" or a Protestant who believes the pope is the head of the Church by divine right. It is a preposterous charge - the desperate act of desperate politicians who will do anything to win an election.

The made-up-guilt was then associated with Lew Rockwell.

Another person piled on at my "friend's" facebook wall and called Lew Rockwell a "Jew hater." Now, I am not Lew Rockwell's drinking buddy. I don't purport to know him personally. In fact, I've never met him face to face. I had a close call this year, but it didn't work out. But again, I have read a considerable amount of Lew Rockwell's writings, I've corresponded with him over the years and he has published some of my writings as a guest columnist thirteen times (I believe) at lewrockwell.com. I've corresponded with a good number of other Lew Rockwell writers - quite a diverse and provocative group! One of them is also a Missouri Synod pastor named Heath Curtis (whom I count as a dear friend and brother in the ministry). I personally have no time of day for collectivism of any kind - which includes judging people based on nationality. In fact, as a believer in the literal account of Genesis, I believe there really is only one race of human beings who are all descended from common ancestors. Even atheistic DNA analysis confirms that all living human beings are related by blood. Anyone who has ever lived life in any cosmopolitan setting can point to remarkable and intelligent people of every ethnic background - and ditto for those who are thuggish, not so bright, or violent. Brilliance and stupidity do not confine themselves to skin color or ethnic heritage. Unfortunately, there are Philistines from every bloodline. Fortunately, there are also heroes and geniuses from every ethnic heritage. The beautiful thing about liberty is that it unites people of every race, color, and creed. For everyone wants to be free.

My facebook "friend" implied that anyone "associated" with Lew Rockwell (you know, the "Jew hater") was also a "racist." I challenged him on this, and pointed out what he obviously did not know: Ludwig von Mises was Jewish. Also, the most beloved (and probably prolific) economist and writer within the modern Austrian economics movement is the late Murray Rothbard, who is also Jewish. When I pointed out that Lew Rockwell's two favorite economists - including the one he founded a society after - were Jewish, it was implied that this was just more evidence of Rockwell's "antisemitism" - as there were many Jews who collaborated with the Nazis. I am not kidding about this!

What can one even say? I shot off an e-mail to Dr. Walter Block, another beloved economist within the Austrian school and a longtime regular at lewrockwell.com. He wrote back with his typical terse and biting wit. Shortly after, he released the above YouTube video-blog about the issue. I'm not claiming credit or anything like that. What I am saying is that my facebook "friend" (who by the way, "unfriended" me unceremoniously - and pusillanimously - rather than address the issue further through civilized and intelligent debate) is talking about real live individuals with real live reputations - and he doesn't know diddly about them as men. In the 8th Commandment, God calls upon us not to bear false witness against our neighbor, and I think the Small Catechism's explanation says it best that we are always to "explain everything [about our neighbor] in the kindest way." Savaging reputations of people using the race-card is a prime example of this sin - and the fact that it is done in the name of politics will not absolve people of their responsibility to their neighbor.

It is fair to disagree - even vehemently - with Ron Paul's politics or Lew Rockwell's economics. Good people can disagree about politics - even radically so. There are intelligent people all over the political spectrum. I have many friends and people I admire who disagree greatly with me. That is to be expected, and makes the world interesting. But lying about these men and assassinating their characters is not part of our God-given freedom. Honest and spirited discourse is one thing - especially when grounded in well-read and articulated reason. The race-card (especially when it is demonstrably ridiculous) is the mark of a weak mind trying to make a weak argument.

And so, my hat is off to Dr. Block - who teaches Austrian economics close by at Loyola University - for taking a courageous stand against this kind of shallow neanderthal politics. I had the honor to be at a meeting of the Mises Institute in New Orleans when Dr. Block was awarded with the Gary G. Schlarbaum Prize for his "lifetime achievement in the cause of liberty" and lauded with great affection and respect by his "antisemitic" colleagues and former students. I get regular invitations from Dr. Block to participate in Economics functions at Loyola. I am going to try to do so this year, and am gratified that there are still a few great American minds out there who can think deeply and provocatively rather than simply aping radio loudmouths and re-posting internet slander in the name of politics.

Shalom, Dr. Block! And thank you for being a thinking man, a person of integrity, and one who aspires to a society based on human liberty!

Sermon: Circumcision and Name of Jesus – 2012

2012-01-01T10:00:00.003-06:00

1 January 2012 at Salem Lutheran Church, Gretna, LA

Text: Luke 2:21 (Num 6:22-27, Gal 3:23-29)

In the name of + Jesus. Amen.

Circumcision was not just a religious ritual. It was a contract. Instead of hiring a lawyer and signing papers, a covenant in ancient times meant making a promise in front of everyone, and literally “cutting” the deal, slicing flesh and shedding blood as a sign and confirmation of the oath and promise.

When God established his covenant with Abraham, the cutting of the deal took the form of circumcision of male children on the eighth day after their birth. And the deal made by God is this: “I will be your God.” The deal made by the people is this: “and you will be My people.”

The deal was cut with Abraham and with his descendants – both physical and spiritual. But one Descendant of Abraham is actually the One who made the deal in the first place, and this Child who was circumcised on His eighth day following His birth was named at that time, and His name is “Jesus.”

His name is Jesus, dear friends, the name that is above every name, the name before which every knee shall bow, the name that every tongue will confess, the only name by which we must be saved. For the name Jesus means literally “God saves.”

You see, that is the covenant, the contract, the deal. When Jesus was circumcised, God signed on the dotted line in blood, and He offered His only-begotten Son as collateral in the deal. Jesus is our salvation and His circumcision was the down-payment on the greatest cosmic transaction in the history of history itself. On the eighth day following the birth of Jesus, it is as if history finally moved beyond the six days of creation and the Sabbath rest of the Lord. It is as if the eighth day following the birth of Christ became the first day of the new week of creation, the new covenant that was cut that does not abolish, but fulfills, the old covenant. For once this perfect male Lamb was sacrificed, there would be no more shedding of blood for the forgiveness of sins. For this Circumcised Jesus would thirty three years hence be the Crucified Jesus, the one whose blood of the New Testament would be poured out completely for us as a sin offering, as the very fulfillment of the circumcision and name of Jesus: “God saves.”

The Lord promised it to Abraham. In fact, the Lord hinted at His name to Abraham, calling Himself the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. In other words, the God of the people who bear His name – as the Lord promised covenantally to Moses: “So shall they put My name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them.”

His name becomes our name. And His name is also a promise: “God saves.” This is not a slogan, but a description of reality. Jesus was not named “Jesus” because Mary thought it sounded nice, or she googled it to make sure it would be unique, nor was it even selected as a tribute to someone in the family. No, the name “Jesus” was “given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb.”

The name “Jesus” is not just a way to call the Son of Mary to the dinner table, but rather it is the only way for all of us cousins of Mary to call upon our God – even when we are at the dinner table. And what’s more, we partake of the One named Jesus, whose blood was shed in the flesh, when we approach the table of His altar, partaking of His flesh and blood, uniting ourselves in that fleshly and bloody covenant, and holding God to the terms of the contract God Himself cut for us: “God saves.” For that is what it means that He will be our God and we will be His people. “God saves” is the covenant, dear brothers and sisters!

“God saves.” We say it and confess it and pray it every time we speak the name “Jesus.” For us as people of the covenant, it is impossible to mention “Jesus” without mentioning “salvation.” It is impossible to separate “Jesus” from “salvation.” For the Lord Jesus is both our God and our Savior – just as Mary confessed in the Magnificat.

And since the Lord’s circumcision fulfilled the old covenant, and since the Lord saves us through baptism into the new covenant, St. Paul teaches us: “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ…. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.”

And while sinful men routinely break promises – whether with good intentions or even through deliberate deception – God never breaks His promises, because His Word is truth. And His Word took flesh, was cut in the flesh, bled in the flesh, died in the flesh, and rose again in the flesh. And this Jesus gives us His flesh and His blood – and we are His people, we are His rescued, we are those who bear His name. We are Christians because we are Christ’s beloved. We are Christ’s beloved because of the circumcision and name of Jesus: God saves.

And today is not only the eighth day of Christmas, it is the eighth day of creation, the first day of the new and everlasting covenant. For in this covenant of salvation, each and every day is a new day in Christ, dear friends. As the world makes New Year’s resolutions and fails to keep those promises, we Christians receive New Year’s blessings from Him who always keeps those promises. He has come to save us, redeem us, rescue us, imprint His name upon us, and fulfill His very real flesh and blood promise that was signed at His circumcision, sealed at His crucifixion, and delivered at His resurrection – and received by us through faith.

This gift is yours, dear friends, yours by virtue of the name – that most holy name of Jesus: “God Saves.” And by the saving name of Jesus, you have an eternal promise of blessing in that name, the blessing solemnly spoken to and upon God’s people: “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace.”

Amen.

In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Bonne Année and Happy 20!

2011-12-31T19:08:00.000-06:00

Today is the 20th anniversary of our first date at Parliament Hill in Ottawa! Quite a bit has changed in the last two decades, including the advent of our son (who turns seven in a fortnight)!

Below is a pic taken five years ago at Parliament Hill. Happy New Year, everyone! Bonne Année and Happy Twenty Years, Miss Grace! Here's to Auld Lang Syne, Veuve Clicquot, and the next 20 years of fighting the Sassenach!

My Siberian Adventure - Day 22 - July 18, 2011

2011-12-31T00:59:00.001-06:00

Begin: Yekaterinburg
Travel to: Chelyabinsk

Father Daniel wakes me up at 8:00 am. I'm tired. I get some tea and some Coke. I take a quick shower in the church flat's super high-tech shower stall. It looks like it was made in Japan and includes many sophisticated knobs and settings - not to mention a radio.

Dan offers some cheese and bread - which I am happy to accept. I get on the computer, and have a slow internet connection through Father Sergey's cellphone USB gadget.

I am able to finally IM with Grace. It is still her birthday there. It's kind of like when the day was lengthened for Joshua. Grace's birthday will be about 36 hours this year - not counting our family tradition of extending birthday celebrations over several days.

We are both very happy to "talk" to each other, as our separation is getting very long. We have been married 17 years and have spent only a few nights apart - when I toured with the Concordia Theological Seminary Kantorei as a student about ten years ago. Needless to say, I am greatly homesick.

Fathers Alexey and Sergey arrive about 10:30. Sergey is waiting for technicians to install a wireless router - which has to go through the heating duct of the building. Father Daniel and I join the two of them in the kitchen for tea. We have a long extended discussion about the movie Catholics: A Fable - which Alexey enjoyed very much. There are great parallels to today's liturgical conflicts and pressures for the church to change with the times. It is an intriguing film on many levels.

Sergey announces that we now have wifi. We take it for a spin. I download three free books by Dostoevsky - including Crime and Punishment (the detective character in which is the inspiration for the character Columbo) - which Dan is reading.

Father Alexey shares with us that he has just received an e-mail from a young man who attended one of our summer seminars and now desires to enroll at the seminary in Novosibirsk. He remarked that at the summer seminars, the Gospel was clearly taught, articulated, and proclaimed. Alexey notes that his trip has been fruitful, yielding at least two likely prospects for the seminary.

We hit the road.

At least in my admittedly limited experience, Russians drive far more aggressively than we do - but without the road rage. They do more passing on the highway. It's best not to look. I begin reading Crime and Punishment on my Nook. In the opening paragraphs I run across this poignant quote: "It would be interesting to know what it is that men are most afraid of. Taking a new step, uttering a new word is what they fear most."

Father Sergey, our driver, plays an eclectic mix of music in his car. He and Alexey speak animated Russian in the front seat. We are now 41 km from Chelyabinsk. We begin to see the smokestacks that epitomize this industrial city .

We arrive at the Malachite Hotel, a large Soviet era establishment downtown. There is a lot of English in the lobby as well as the feel of the older Soviet hotels.

We check in, filling out forms and leaving our passports. There are clocks on the wall showing the time in Moscow, Paris, New York, and Chelyabinsk - all in Latin (as opposed to Cyrillic) letters. The lobby has a dated (or perhaps more flatteringly, "retro") feel to it with wood paneling and steel lettering. Customer service is very good, though the staff speaks only Russian. We rely on Father Alexey as translator.

The elevator is a dinosaur, complete with clunky manual push-buttons for the floor numbers (reminiscent of the old-fashioned car radios with the push-buttons) and a button to make the thing go. It lurches and clunks loudly upon reaching the desired floor.

I will be sharing a room with Father Alexey tonight, and Father Daniel will have his own quarters. Our room is small but comfortable.

After checking in, we walk around the corner to the pedestrian mall. The weather is pleasant and a lot of people are out walking. We buy a few souvenirs and take pictures as we head off to eat lunch. Chelyabinsk is often symbolized by camels - though they no longer live here - as a nod to the history of the nomads that used to travel on camelback. Hence the camel on Chelyabinsk's city coat of arms and the frequent statuary depicting camels. The Ural region is also famous for its pelmini - which are like little raviolis stuffed with meat. They are boiled and served hot. It was originally peasant food that sustained the people of the region all winter. They were made after the harvest time and kept outside frozen, to be eaten throughout the winter. We pop in to a popular pelmini restaurant.

I have the now-familiar salad of tomatoes and cucumbers, bread, and a boar pelmini - along with a cup of tea. This place is well-known and offers many exotic types of pelmini. It's very good and filling!

After lunch, we drive to the place where Holy Spirit Lutheran Church meets - a community center where many groups rent space. The usual room in which the church meets was rented to the church today for a special service of Vespers and Holy Communion because of our visit. However, the room was double-booked for a party of some sort. So the church was given a beauty salon room for the evening.

We pull in front of the building and Father Vlad (Vladislav Inanov) emerges with a big smile, gives me a large embrace, and says in English: "Hello, my friend!"

We make our way inside past a receptionist at a desk. We wind our way to the beauty salon in which a small desk was placed in the middle of the room and transformed into an altar. A crucifix was hung on the wall between two salon posters advertising beauty products. The room is surrounded in mirrors. Father Vlad quips that the mirrors make it seem like more people are in church. Father Sergey discreetly removes the towels that have been hung over the ledge to dry. A small padded kneeler, just big enough for three, is reverently placed in front of the altar for communion.

Father Vlad leads the service, and Deacon Victor assists. We sing hymns and Psalms a capella. The small congregation sings with gusto. The Mass is dignified in spite of the surroundings. Father Vlad is a capable and devout celebrant. We all take the Holy Supper together.

Video excepts of the liturgy follow: the opening hymn, the opening prayer, the Kyrie, Confession and Absolution, the Psalm, the Reading, the Creed and Lord's Prayer, the Consecration, the Agnus Dei, the Post Communion Canticle, and the Benediction.

This is for me one of the many high points of our trip. Only a few weeks before, I had confessed to Vlad that it was a dream of mine to come to Chelyabinsk and take the holy sacrament from his hand. Not only did I make it to Siberia and to Chelyabinsk, we were able to partake of the Lord's Supper together. A short description of this glorious event appeared on page two of the September 2011 newsletter of the Siberian Lutheran Mission Society: "With God, All Things are Possible."

Afterwards, father Daniel and I were invited to make a few remarks. I took the opportunity to present a plaque hand-made by a member of my congregation, Ron Cantrelle, which reads in Russian: "Holy Spirit Congregation" carved into a piece of Mississippi cedar.

The parishioners are very appreciative, and take turns sniffing the cedar. They are a small but faithful parish.

Father Vlad is very personable and friendly. He and Victor are both Ukrainians and I am told that Ukrainians generally smile more than Russians. Vlad's wife Svetlana came to the service a little late with her 6-month old Melissa and her well-behaved 3-year old Sophia.

Victor's wife Natasha (who is well along in pregnancy) is there with their teen-age son Nikita. It was a real joy to partake of the Divine Service with our sister congregation and to take the body and blood of Christ from the hands of Vlad and Victor.

Afterwards, we move the furniture down the hall to the original room - which has since been vacated. We head off to a park near Vlad and Svetlana's apartment building for a picnic. And was it ever a picnic!

We walk a ways to the woods by way of a path. Finding a suitable spot, Vlad and Victor assemble a small metal portable barbecue pit. They make a charcoal fire and lay out huge chicken shish-kabobs on the flame. It is my understanding that Deacon Victor used to be a chef, and he presides with aplomb over the burnt offering, fanning the flame with a plate and wielding a butcher knife. He smiles, laughs, and cracks jokes - none of which I can understand. The assembled congregation is relaxed and also laughs a great deal. We sit on blankets around the fire in a small clearing. Vlad and Victor are a good team and are obviously comfortable working together. They were actually laymen together in a congregation in Ukraine in the more liberal ELKRAS church - but sought a more faithful expression of the faith among the Siberians.

We sit in a circle around the fire. The weather is beautiful and provides a marvelous view of the birch forest.

The ladies prepare salads and drinks. Sophia plays in the dirt with a stick. Most of the conversation is, of course, in Russian. Sophia is shy around me. She has large precocious brown eyes and an expressive face. I win her over with a gift - a little green, yellow, and purple cat from Mardi Gras. She is also wearing a little Hello Kitty bracelet. The gift is a hit, and she excitedly shows her mother who smiles warmly while thanking me.

We dine and converse, sitting on blankets until nearly sundown.

I distribute a few gifts: tee shirts, flashlights, some pocket knives inscribed with scripture from a member of my congregation who is a retired Navy Seal. I present a little stuffed dog to Melissa - which Sofia also claims unto herself. Afterwards, we say our goodbyes, and Vlad joins Dan, Sergey, Alexey, and myself for a brief tour of the city of Chelyabinsk as the sun begins to set. Father Sergey is our driver. We visit a massive cold-war era monument at the end of Lenin Street in honor of Igor Kurchatov, the father of the Soviet atomic bomb. Serge quips that the monument's purpose is to get foreigners to take pictures. We all have a laugh, and sure enough, Dan and I hustle out to take pictures.

A bunch of young people are hanging out nearby. It's 11:00 pm on a Monday night, and a lot of people are still out and about. The young people are amusing, as the guys are hanging out with each other, looking at one another's cars, while the girls likewise are clustered together, looking bored, dressed as if they are going to a wedding.

In honor of my desire to make a pilgrimage to the Molnija watch factory (I am carrying the watch I puchased on the internet in 2004 that was made by hand in Chelyabinsk at the factory founded by Stalin), father Vlad brings me to a large building aptly named куб (The Cube) - a shopping mall that used to be the Molnija watch factory until it closed in 2007.

We return to the hotel and say goodbye to Father Vlad. He gives me a hat and a t-shirt of Chelyabinsk bearing the camel symbol of the city. He presents Dan with a hand-towel also depicting Chelyabinsk.

Back at the hotel, I use Father Sergey's CD drive to rip my language instruction CDs into MP3s for my mini-computer.

Here is a link to all of my pictures of Day Twenty-Two.

Make room at the table...

2011-12-30T11:21:00.001-06:00

As the year winds down, we are mixing things up at the family breakfast table. In fact, we have invited a rather large and rotund guest to spend the next few days with us - whose mind is even more expansive than his physique: Mr. G. K. Chesterton (1874-1936).

As I mentioned a little over a month ago, our morning coffee and meditation ritual has grown to become a lecture series as well. And it is one of the greatest things that we have instituted here at the Hollywood Mansion.

A few days ago, we wrapped up our breakfasts with Dr. Peter Kreeft (1937- ) and M. Blaise Pascal (1623-1662) - and I am sorry to see them have to go! Christianity for Modern Pagans (a collaboration by Pascal and Kreeft) is one of those books that needs to be read again and again. I can't thank Rev. David Petersen enough for sending me the book as a gift, and I am grateful to Dr. Kreeft for reintroducing Pascal to modern readers. Pascal is utterly unique, prescient, brilliant, and yet easy to read - especially with Kreeft's cut-to-the-chase explanations and elucidations. In short "Read this book!" Buy it now. In just a few minutes a day, we had it done over coffee in not much more than a month of readings. If I can put together some time, I will blog a recap/review/reflection or some such. As I said, the book has already become an old friend.

So here is where we are right now, and where we are going for the coming year...

We continue with the ESV One Year Bible as read by the narrator. Mrs. H. follows along in her paperback copy and attends to the computer narration while I prepare the cappuccino during the Old Testament reading. And by the way, our ancient Krups espresso-maker is still carrying out its matinal and quotidian duties as if yet in its prime.
After the Old Testament reading, I bring my offering to the table just in time to join in the New Testament reading. I skim along in Greek as the narrator reads from the ESV (I like using my my sleek leatherbound Reader's Edition - thank you to Rev. Daniel Johnson for introducing me to it).
For the Psalm, I follow along in Latin using my Gaba bilingual Psalter.
For the short Proverbs reading, I just listen.
After the Bible reading, we embark on our lecture (see below)
We conclude with a brief closing meditation and prayer - this past year from St. Augustine. Beginning January 1, we will broaden these meditations to other saints (unfortunately, the latter volume, unlike the former includes prayers to the saints, which we will simply modify as prayer to God).

So, regarding the lecture portion, having said "goodbye" to our good friends Kreeft and Pascal, we decided to invite C.S. Lewis (1898-1963) to the breakfast table, but in looking at schedules, we found that it fit in better with everyone's plans to first invite Mr. Chesterton for a reading of his brilliant Orthodoxy. I've read it twice before myself (with nearly every other sentence highlighted), but this time, we are reading it together thanks to a narrator from LibriVox. (And thanks to Rev. Philip Miller who told me about Librivox - a source of free audio books for works in the public domain). We both follow along with the text in our Nook readers. As of today, we are about a third of the way through Chesterton's witty and rollicking 1908 work defending the traditional Christian faith against both heresies of atheistic materialism (on one side) and pantheistic postmodernism (on the other) - though the word "postmodernism" would not be coined for another 40 years after the publication of Orthodoxy. If you have not read Orthodoxy, it is a must read! It is also free in many formats being out of copyright.

Indeed, we have had to shift around the furniture to make room for Mr. Chesterton.

He is a big man, with a big brain, a big personality, and big ideas! He also has a big heart and a big humility, and we are delighted to have him join us! We are also greatly looking forward to a lengthy visit from Dr. Lewis when we must say goodbye to Chesterton. Our kitchen is simply not big enough to entertain all of our friends at once. We expect to have bigger accommodations in eternity.

Once we complete Orthodoxy, we plan on reading through the works of Lewis as contained in The Complete C.S. Lewis Signature Classics, namely Mere Christianity, The Screwtape Letters, The Great Divorce, The Problem of Pain, Miracles, A Grief Observed, and The Abolition of Man (some, and possibly all, of these are available in audio format). When we get to Screwtape, we will have to scramble to find an extra chair for Mr. John Cleese of Monty Python, whose reading of the letters is beyond perfect. Interestingly, a couple parishioners just gave us another collection of Lewis works for Christmas: The Beloved Works of C.S. Lewis, containing Surprised By Joy, Reflections on the Pslams, The Four Loves, and The Business of Heaven - if we can get Dr. Lewis to commit for a longer stay, maybe we can work through those as well.

Anyway, we are pleased with the depth and direction of our morning routine. It is a good way to get the mind and soul moving in the morning along with the body. We encourage anyone and everyone to turn the breakfast table into a monastery and university. It is the highlight of our day.

Sermon: Holy Innocents – 2011

2011-12-28T19:30:00.002-06:00

28 December 2011 at Salem Lutheran Church, Gretna, LA

Text: Matt 2:13-18

In the name of + Jesus. Amen.

The Church’s remembrance of the Holy Innocents – those young boys murdered by the evil so-called king Herod in his futile quest to prevent the Savior from coming into our world is unique. We don’t know who these children were, how many of them there were, who their parents were, or even if their parents were believers. These boys died without baptism – and yet we honor them as saints in the church. We call them “innocent” when Scripture tells us that no-one is without sin except for the One Herod was trying to exterminate.

And it is a disturbing thing to think about, how horrible this scene was, how evil one must be to order brave, hardened soldiers and police officers to wrench defenseless children from their mothers’ arms and put them to the sword. One can only imagine how much the soldiers must have resented being ordered to demonstrate the ultimate cowardice and dishonor, and how much trauma this left with them the rest of their lives.

But this horrible tragedy that we might wish to forget is worth remembering – for Scripture itself records it – and not only after the fact in our Gospel, but centuries before in our Old Testament. The Lord calls upon us to meditate on this holocaust while the world is basking in the glow of Christmas.

The harsh reality is that amid the warm sentiments of the season, we live in a cold and fallen world. We are all destined to die. We are in a cosmic war, and in any war, there are casualties – even innocent collateral damage and loss of life. And evil sometimes wins battles

We are at war against Satan, and sadly, we often ally ourselves with him.

When do we ally ourselves with the devil? When we sin, when we rebel against God, when we place our own will over that of the will of the Father. And we do it all the time.

This text is often used to show that abortion is a terrible sin. And indeed it is. It is murder. And it is easy for Christians to become almost hateful in their rhetoric against those who commit abortion. And while the church is to be a prophetic voice for good, a defender of the sanctity of life, an advocate for the little children who cannot speak for themselves – we are primarily in the business of forgiving sin by the blood of the most holy innocent of all: our Lord Jesus Christ, the crucified one, the infant who was in Satan’s crosshairs and nearly in Herod’s bloody hands.

We must indeed speak up for human life and speak out against murder – which means that we must speak out against all forms of murder: including hateful thoughts, the attack of reputations by gossip, all forms of rage and anger – even when we think we are justified, the excessive use of force by those in authority, wars of aggression, the deaths of civilians in warfare, the abuse of children (physical or otherwise), the conviction of innocent people – in some cases resulting in the execution of the wrong people.

To be pro-life is to oppose abortion, but it is also to oppose hateful thoughts against our fellow human beings. For all murder begins with a single selfish thought: be it the desire for living conveniently child-free, or the compulsion to scheme and to take something from someone else. All sin is conceived in the sinful heart – Herod’s ancient sin of the atrocity of Bethlehem, and our sins that we commit here and now.

And until the Lord returns, there will continue to be “weeping and loud lamentation.” There will be innocent children killed in the womb, innocent prisoners killed on a gurney, innocent soldiers killed on a battlefield, innocent civilians killed by bombs and mines and IEDs – and innocent reputations destroyed by our careless words.

And, dear friends, we must repent of our murders – no matter what form they take. For we are all guilty of internal rage and hatred and wicked desire and rebellion against our Creator as was Herod. And if that weren’t true, we would not need a Savior to die innocently for the sake of our guilt.

And yet He does, brothers and sisters. Jesus’s manly blood was shed sacrificially “for us men and for our salvation” in our place. Jesus’s boyhood life was spared because these innocent boys were sacrificed by Herod in the place of Jesus. For Jesus was sacrificed by us poor miserable sinners by the Lord’s own consent to save us poor miserable sinners.

The only way to understand this travesty, this murder, this “Rachel weeping for her children,” the news of injustice and oppression that is in the newspaper every day – the only way any of this makes any kind of sense is when it is seen in light of the cross.

Our Lord died as the Holy Innocent for the sake of the unwholesomely guilty. The children of Bethlehem died as holy innocents for the sake of the Innocent One who came to forgive the sins of the world – including their own sins.

For indeed, the Holy Innocents were innocent of any crime leading to execution in the earthly sense, but all people are guilty of sin – even those yet unborn. We all need the Savior who came and Himself died innocently and unjustly, in order to make us just and innocent by His blood.

These unbaptized murdered children have been made innocent by the blood of the Lamb for whom their blood was shed as a sacrifice. And if indeed baptized infants can be believers, so can martyred infants. The Church recognizes this “baptism of blood” and honors these little ones who became the enemies of Satan, enemies of Herod, and enemies of the enemies of God. Jesus died for them even as they died for Him.

Jesus did not only die for those with mature minds and mouths old enough to confess Him. Jesus died for the sins of the world. Jesus even died for Herod’s sins and the sins of those who have killed the innocent of every age and of every time. All of our murders – be they abortions, gossip, hateful rage, doing harm to another person, or harboring evil thoughts – separate us from God. But the good news is that separation has been closed, the gap has been bridged, by the One who escaped Satan’s wrath and Herod’s sword, Jesus Christ our Savior. It is He, the only truly Holy Innocent, who calls us to repent of our sins and come to Him to receive pardon and everlasting life. And even when we must endure the cross of injustice in this world, we know that the cross leads onward to the tomb, the grave of Jesus that was left empty at His resurrection.

Rachel’s tears of sadness will be turned to tears of joy as those little ones who are no more will be among those who are no more dead, but living. When we confess our sins – whether these sins against life are sins of thought, word, or deed, we know that the blood of the Innocent One covers us, pardons us, a restores us to life.

The whole point of Christmas – the coming of the living Christ into our dying world – is also the whole point of Easter, as the crucified Christ paid for our sins and rose from the grave, not only outwitting Herod and the devil, but destroying the power of sin and vanquishing the bitterness of death. Indeed, the resurrection is the only thing that will comfort Rachel, that will right the wrong committed against these Holy Innocents, that will redeem all of us murderers and sinners who rightfully deserve nothing but death and hell. So dear friends, let us repent! Let us confess! Let us receive life!

And indeed let us be that prophetic voice in the world advocating for life – life unborn, life imprisoned, life around the world, lives in torture chambers, lives in abject poverty, lives under the domination of tyranny. But most of all, let us be prophetic voices of eternal life, of the forgiveness of sin, of peace and reconciliation between men, and between men and God. Let us bring the comfort of the empty tomb to the otherwise inconsolable Rachel, and let us look forward with great joy to the day when, in Christ, death will be no more.

Amen.

In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

New pics uploaded

2011-12-27T18:43:00.000-06:00

Intéressant? Peut-être, ou peut-être pas.

Of course, this is likely only of interest to family and friends. As one of my Christmas presents was 2 GB of memory for my computer, uploading pictures isn't as big a chore as it once was. So here is a link to all of my Flickr sets (a set is like an album). If you click on set, you can hit the "slideshow" option to see all the pictures in that set.

Have fun, y'all!

Earthquake in Siberia

2011-12-27T14:36:00.000-06:00

St. Luke's, Abakan

Almost as it was happening, I got an e-mail from Bishop Vsevolod Lytkin of the Siberian Evangelical Lutheran Church that a Magnitude 6.6 earthquake hit Siberia near the city of Abakan. The quake was felt as far away as Novosibirsk where Bp. Vsevolod lives (the two cities are about 350 miles apart).

Fr. Pavel Zayakin and his family live in Abakan where he serves St. Luke's Lutheran Church. Fr. Dmetri Dotsenko and his family live in Abakan as well (he serves St. James Lutheran Church in Novokuznetsk).

Father Pavel, near Abakan

Father Dmetri and Family, near Abakan

Thanks be to God so far, it seems that there was no major damage nor any casualties. Let us keep our brothers and sisters in our prayers in hope that the seismic activity has settled down.

You can see Abakan in real time here.

Снег в Новом Орлеане!

2011-12-27T10:12:00.000-06:00

For my Russian friends, here is typical New Orleans snow: "Snow to Go."

I wish the Saints would play every day!

2011-12-26T22:09:00.002-06:00

Gretna, Louisiana during a Saints game (not exactly as illustrated)

We just went to WalMart on the day after Christmas. Normally, that would mean parking somewhere near Hattiesburg, Mississippi and walking, bringing three days of provisions for the wait in line, making arrangements for the animals at home to be fed and cancelling the newspaper delivery while the cashier begins to collect Social Security checks.

But not today! More specifically, not this evening.

The New Orleans area is a ghost town! No traffic! No-one in the stores - not even at Wally World!

The 16-game season definitely needs "further review." I propose that they play at least three times a week year round.

Where does this road end? And when?

2011-12-26T11:10:00.002-06:00

Sobering. Q: How long can we "kick the can down the road" spending "money" we don't have on a worldwide trillion-dollar empire of military bases abroad, and a spiralling ponzi-scheme of entitlements at home, desperately begging and borrowing from China (and whoever else will buy our increasingly risky debt) and printing money out of thin air to "pay" for it all? A: Until the road ends.

Hallelujah Alaska Style

2011-12-25T16:38:00.000-06:00

Merry Christmas, y'all!

HT: Lew Rockwell

Sermon: Christmas Day – 2011

2011-12-25T09:00:00.003-06:00

25 December 2011 at Salem Lutheran Church, Gretna, LA

Text: John 1:1-18

In the name of + Jesus. Amen.

“In the beginning…”

The Word of God begins with these words. “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” On Christmas Eve, 43 years ago, the crew of Apollo 8 read the opening words of Moses from the Book of Genesis, the Book of the Beginning, as they were orbiting the moon and looking back at the reflected light of the sun on planet earth.

On Christmas Day it is traditional to read and reflect on the words “In the beginning” as well. But these words and this beginning are a new beginning, new words from a new Book of the Beginning – the beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ as given to us by the Apostle John at the beginning of the Gospel that bears his name.

It was no accident that John begins with Moses and gives us Jesus. It’s no coincidence that Moses begins with the Word of God, and points us to Jesus.

For indeed, dear friends, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” And, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” The Word of God is not a what, not merely spoken words. Rather the Word is a who: God Himself. “All things were made through Him.”

And so we must be clear in our confession. We are not randomly evolved bits of protein and protoplasm. We did not come from a mindless big bang. We are not the haphazard offspring of earthworms and primates. We are not cosmic junk that accidentally developed a consciousness. Rather, we are, as the Word reveals to us, creatures created by the Word, and we are created in the image of God the Father, our Creator. And the true image of the Father is the Son – the Word through whom we were made.

This is good news, dear brothers and sisters! For we need not look at the stars and ponder how insignificant we are. Instead, we can look at the stars, the planets, the galaxies, and the vastness of space knowing that none of these great celestial objects has consciousness. None of these celestial objects will ever ask: “Where did we come from.” None of these celestial objects will ever receive a revelation from their Creator.

But we do ask, and we did receive an answer!

And what’s more, dear friends, the Creator who made us loves us. He answers our question “Where did we come from?” The crew of Apollo 8 read the answer from space. He also answers why He made us. “God is love.” And He also explains why things are so messed up, why we feel so insignificant when we look to the sky, why we seem so distant from God, why we hurt, why we struggle, why we have sickness and problems of every kind, even why we die.

Because we have chosen to rebel against our Creator. We wanted to do what was forbidden to us. We have sinned, and we have continued to sin. We deny God’s existence. We send a rocket into space and think we are gods. We live our lives as if there were no God. We turn created objects into gods. We sin and act as if there is no such thing as sin.

And yet, God loves us. God rescues us. God has always had a “Plan B.” And He had this plan “in the beginning.”

For God does not take a rocket into space to see what He can see, rather He takes human form in space and time to save what He can save.

And so, “in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it…. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

The Word became flesh! This is the Christmas miracle, the beating heart of flesh of the Christian faith. God, the Creator, the one by whom all things were created, stepped into time and history, broke into matter and the cosmos, taking the form of a Child born of the Virgin Mary in Bethlehem under the reign of Caesar Augustus. He “dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory.” The Word became flesh!

Jesus did not come out of curiosity. He is not an explorer. He already knows everything about our universe down to the last electron. And He already knows everything about us. Rather, He came on a mission of mercy. He came to save us from ourselves. He came to rescue us from our sins. He came to redeem us from death itself! He came to wrench us from the grasp of the darkness of Satan. For “in Him was life, and the life was the light of men.” In our darkness, we tried to overcome the light. We continued to begrudge our God His rightful place of worship. We denied, betrayed, and even crucified our Savior. We “did not receive Him.”

But by a miracle, dear friends, some on our planet did receive Him. The twelve received Him. Those to whom the twelve preached received Him. Those who were baptized into His name received Him. Those who repent of their sins receive Him. And “to all who did receive Him, He gave the right to become children of God.”

And this all goes back to “in the beginning.” For before the foundation of the world, before the moon was set in its orbit, before the sun was placed in its own gravitational track in our galaxy, before the first man was placed in the first garden, before the first woman and the first man committed the first sin, indeed, “in the beginning was the Word.”

Blessed Moses teaches us where we came from. St. John teaches us where we are going. “For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.”

Dear brothers and sisters, “In the beginning” you were created and hand-crafted by a Creator who loves you. “In the beginning” you were redeemed by a Savior who would not abandon you. “In the beginning” you were called out of darkness and into the life-giving light by the Holy Spirit who makes you holy and sets you apart as “children of God.”

And in this reality – the reality that Jesus Christ came into the world to save the world, that He came to sinners to save sinners, He came to you to save you – now you have yet another new beginning. Right now, we begin another day in the Lord, another week in the Lord, another year in the Lord. We have another opportunity to begin anew in the Lord, to repent, to look to Jesus, the Child born of Mary, the Son of God, the One who lives among us to this day in Word and Sacrament, the One who remains with His Church until He comes again, the One who was “in the beginning.”

It is in this beginning that He invites you to come back into His orbit – again and again. He invites you to hear anew the Good News that the Creator loves us and calls us back to Himself. He invites you to another year of grace and truth in His Word and at His altar.

We are not on a tiny space capsule named after a non-existent Greek god, rather we are on our earthly home created for us by the One True God. And in spite of how we have corrupted our world, the Lord has come into our world to save us from sin, death, and the devil. He has come to bring us to a new heaven and a new earth – through His blood, through His grace and truth, through His mercy – all offered again this Christmas Day to you, my dear brother or sister in Christ, offered to you right here and right now, even as it ever was, for “In the beginning was the Word.” Amen.

In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Sermon: Christmas Eve – 2011

2011-12-24T17:00:00.007-06:00

24 December 2011 at Salem Lutheran Church, Gretna, LA

Text: Isa 7:10-14, Mic 5:2-4, Isa 9:2-7, Matt 1:18-25, Matt 2:1-12, John 1:1-14

In the name of + Jesus. Amen.

“Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way” says St. Matthew.

The “in this way” part means that we are being told the circumstances. For the circumstances of this birth and of this Person are what make the story not only interesting, but historically unique and relevant today.

Sadly, a lot of people aren’t interested in history. We live in a world bombarded by information overload, so much so that information that is older than the latest tweet or status update is long forgotten. And sadly, a lot of people today question why the Christian faith is relevant to their lives. And so, the world largely sees this Christmas story – this narrative of the birth and life and death and resurrection and coming again of Jesus Christ – to be irrelevant. And this is why Christmas has been created in modern man’s image.

In the quest for relevancy, modern Christmas is largely a holiday without holiness, a Christmas with Christ surgically removed, a Christ’s Mass where the Holy Supper is largely forgotten, having been replaced by large meals and parties and drinking binges and family squabbles.

But listen to God’s Word, dear friends: “Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way.”

Did you catch the little word “now”? The birth of Jesus is supernatural, but it isn’t a myth. It happens in the “nowness” of time. It happens in a place. It happens according to God’s plan revealed through centuries of prophets. Jesus is physically born of a mother – but this birth is anything but ordinary.

This is the miracle of Christmas, dear friends, that God, the Almighty Creator, takes on creaturely flesh in space and time, becoming a mortal in order to die, for the purpose of giving us mortals immortality!

“Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way.”

This miracle is relevant, dear brothers and sisters! It happened in the “nowness” of time, and because of that, is timeless. The latest news about the polls in Iowa will be forgotten. The recent bloodshed of shoppers over tennis shoes in a shopping mall will be forgotten. The many wars and political struggles around the globe will be forgotten. Our sadnesses, pains, sicknesses, anxieties, and even death itself will be forgotten. “But the Word of the Lord endures forever.”

For “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

In our fallen world full of deception, full of lies and broken promises, full of advertisements luring us to buy more and more stuff with false promises of happiness, in a world where truth is considered either relative or subjective or non-existent, we have the Truth, dear friends! And that Truth was born that first Christmas, the “way, the truth, and the life,” the Truth that is not just factually correct, but true in the sense of perfect, straight, a true and correct image of what man was created to be, a Man who is the Truth because He is the very Creator of man! And He is “full of grace.”

This “grace” does not mean that Jesus can dance like a ballerina or catch a football like a hall of fame receiver. It means that He bears the fullness and the goodness and the mercy of God Himself – in the flesh, in our flesh, for the forgiveness of our sins, and the reclamation of our flesh – and He graciously offers these gifts as gifts, without price and given in love.

For “He will save His people from their sins.”

This had long been prophesied and foretold, though centuries upon centuries, far longer than our technological gadgetry and changing wants and whims of the flesh last. No matter how much our technology changes and improves, our greed, our lusts, our hatreds, our self-absorption, our petty-mindedness, our desire to make ourselves seem bigger than we really are, our laziness, our dishonesty, our desire to control others, our gossip, our covetousness, and our indifference to others is always the same. It has been the same since the fall in the Garden of Eden, when and where the Lord promised the coming of the Messiah to save us.

“Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way.”

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, the birth of Jesus in space and time, the Word becoming flesh in order to save His people from their sins, is not only relevant to us today, it is the only relevant thing. Nothing else matters. All other “good news” is meaningless by comparison. For this good news – this Gospel of the forgiveness of sins, of redemption, of a new creation, of forgiveness, salvation, peace, and eternal life and eternal communion with God – is the reason why Christmas is such a time of joy to those who confess Christ as the living God in the living flesh.

For “‘Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel’ (which means, God with us).”

God is with us, dear friends, with us! He came into our flesh, lived in our flesh, suffered in our flesh, died in our flesh, and rose again in our flesh – so that we too might rise in our flesh. The angelic song of “Peace on Earth” is not just a Christmas card sentiment or feel-good slogan to sell trinkets – rather this peace is a gracious gift of the grace-filled Prince of Peace – a gift hand-delivered to us where we are, handed over to us by the same hands that shared His body and blood with us “on the night in which He was betrayed,” when He was “handed over,” the same hands pierced by nails, the same hands shown to St. Thomas and the twelve, the same hands raised in benediction over His people as He ascended to the Father – the same tiny hands caressed by the hands of His virgin mother after His miraculous birth. “God with us.”

“Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way.” Amen.

In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

My Siberian Adventure - Day 21 - July 17, 2011

2011-12-22T21:25:00.001-06:00

Visit: Yekaterinburg

I woke up fairly late, got ready quickly. Father Sergey is picking us up at 10:30 am for the 11:00 Divine Service - which will likely start somewhere around 11:15.

Before Sergey and Alexey arrive, Dan and I go to the 2nd floor of the hotel for the buffet breakfast again - which is similar to yesterday's offering, but with a little variation in the fare. We notice that there are several families on vacation and a lot of English writing on t-shirts - especially among the children.

Sergey and Alexey pick us up. We arrive at church.

Father Sergey is the celebrant, and Father Alexey Trapiznikov - whom I have not met before - assists. Before the service, we are greeted by a visitor, a pastor from Canada who has a missionary ministry. He serves the Association of Free Churches (I think this is the name of the church body), a Norwegian Pietist church that is, I believe, headquartered in Minneapolis. It is a denomination that is both liturgically "low" and has a "low" view of the office of the holy ministry. He has worked with Father Pavel (Zayakin) for many years, and the two are good friends and colleagues. He is on his way to Abakan to assist with Father Pavel's Bible camp for young people.

He is dressed in civilian attire, and he tells us about his eclectic Lutheran background, having served congregations in both the LCMS and in the ELCIC. he currently lives near Vancouver, and makes annual mission trips to Russia and India.

He ended up in the Free Church because of their particular brand of low-church conservatism. His church body does not "ordain" women. When we ask him what is his church body's view of the Lutheran confessions, he is unsure. He is a very likable middle-aged man and is shadowed everywhere by his 30-ish Russian translator.

After our morning visit and tea, Father Sergey prepares for Mass. He is a soft-spoken middle aged man with a kind face, a closely-cropped beard, and short dark hair that is starting to develop "salt and pepper." As the celebrant, he is clearly in charge. Not typical for the services is Father Alexey (Streltsov) snapping pictures on his Nikon. Father Alexey (Trapiznikov) preaches the sermon and serves liturgically as the deacon.

The communion rail only accommodates two communicants at a time, and the pastors only have room to scoot sideways between rail and altar to distribute the Holy Sacrament. The church furniture originally came from the fist seminary in Novosibirsk.

After Mass, we retire to the kitchen for tea and cookies. In deference to my caffeine addiction and shortfall, Father Sergey presents me with a day-glow yellow half-liter bottle of Mountain Dew with a rascally smile on his face.

We all pose for a group picture in the sanctuary - except of course, Father Alexey, our photographer.

Sergey and Alexey bring us to the hotel to check out and then bring us back to the church flat. They go off for a while. While waiting for them to return, I look out the window and journal. It is warm and sunny outside, about 80F.

It looks very much like an American scene outside - with a few differences. A young girl is walking a dalmatian, who would just as soon stay put under a tree. She has to coax him to go. Two babushkas (elderly ladies) walk together down the street clad in their "uniform" of flowery dresses and head scarves. Two middle-aged women walk together with what appears to be a dachshund/beagle mix. Two younger guys are checking out a car - perhaps to buy. One of them is smoking a cigarette.

Cars zip down the highway that is maybe a quarter mile (if that) from the flat. The building across the street has typical enclosed balconies with clothes hanging outside. Some people are on foot bearing plastic grocery bags.

Tired looking Latas (a Russian domestic automobile) roll by in sharp contrast to the more modern-looking imports - mainly Toyotas brought in directly from Japan, as evidenced by the steering wheel placement on the right.

Summers are very short here, and I get the impression that people make the most of their warm season. Like my family members in Ottawa, they experience about six months of winter - with short days, reaching a peak of sunrise at about 10:00 am and sunset at about 4:00 pm.

Fathers Alexey and Sergey return and pick us up. We are headed to lunch somewhere in Yekaterinburg. Dan reads Crime and Punishment on his Kindle. Alexey and Sergey converse intensely in Russian. I'm getting a little road-weary. I'm also quite homesick and looking forward to getting home. Today is Miss Grace's birthday, but it's only 4 am back home. Maybe I'll be able to get on an Internet connection some time today. Otherwise, I'll ask Dan for his phone and fire off a text message to my dear wife.

Our drive takes us to a large event called the Technology Expo at Yekaterinburg - held in a huge convention center. Parking and admission are free. It is really incredible!

On the way in, we have to pass security. The guard laughs at me good-naturedly as I have to deal with my crucifix, pocket watch, Palm device, pocket knife, and all sorts of coins, etc. Unlike in the U.S., my small Swiss Army knife was not a problem. I scramble to gather all of my things as my companions also have a laugh.

We ate lunch there, traditional Russian fare: salad (tomatoes and cucumbers), bread, pelmini (dumplings) and coffee/tea. I took a chance on the instant coffee, as the brand name suggested it might be some kind of espresso. It was a mistake. I should have gone with the tea. But the rest of the meal was nice.

We spent a good bit of time at the show. We took a lot of pictures.

Father Alexey eplained that by air, Yekaterinburg is six hours from both London and Beijing. The movers and shakers of Y-burg are trying to position the city as a business hub, an alternative destination at which to meet halfway. Alexey is skeptical. Russian president Vladimir Putin is very much pushing "nanotechnology" and Russians teasingly refer to him as the nano-president ("little president"). There is a girl at the show who wears what seems to be a red latex suit consisting of a skimpy top, short-shorts (also latex?) with the word "NANO" written in western letters on the bum. The outfit was completed by her towering high heels. It's quite a tableau.

There are also a couple of girls in day-glow green leotards advertising a bank. They look a bit like the way C.S. Lewis portrayed the blue woman in his science-fiction novel Perelandra. Father Daniel suggests that I get a picture. Since my new policy is not to automatically say "no" and not hide behind my being an introvert - especially as a non-Russian-speaking foreigner - I walk up to them and motion to my camera asking: "Фото пожалуйста?" They insist on including me in the picture. They are fluent in English and are interested as to where Dan and I come from. They are very good sports.

In the middle of the exhibit there is a huge, detailed model of the city of Yekaterinburg. There is a section devoted to various businesses in Chelyabinsk. There is even a booth selling Christian icons - which would have been unheard of twenty years ago. The place is crowded with people of every age group. The most amusing to watch are the young couples. Almost inevitably, the guys are quite casual - if not bordering on slovenly - while their wives or girlfriends are dressed to the nines. It is so common as to be a cliché.

I buy a coffee mug on the way out that epitomizes Alexey's critique of many politicians' vision of modern Russia. The mug had a tribute to Russia on one side, and another to the USSR on the other. The caption reads (in Russian) "One History, One Country." It is the view of those who see modern Russia as simply a reconstituted Soviet Union. We go outside where there there are various trucks and heavy equipment - including a high-tech helicopter.

Afterwards, we drive downtown for some sightseeing.

In front of the main administrative building is a statue of - who else? - Lenin. Father Alexey directs our attention to the top of the Soviet-style administration building complete with statues of triumphant workers and stars and other garish Soviet symbolism. But Father Daniel is not with us. I turn around to see him chatting with a group of young people who are sitting on the base of the Lenin statue. I figure Dan is fielding questions about the United States or helping young people practice English. I take a picture as Dan calls me over.

The college-age students hail from Spain, Ukraine, the Czech Republic, Poland, and Russia. They are loud, gregarious, and friendly. They all speak very good English, and are respectful. We chat a little about where we come from. One of the guys jots down his e-mail address so I can send him the pictures.

Father Sergey tells us a funny story about the Lenin statue. Down the avenue are statues of Sverdlov and Kirov - two other Bolsheviks. They seem to be pointing to Lenin. The joke is that they are asking Lenin where he got his nice coat, and Lenin in turn is pointing at the shopping center across the street.

We went to that shopping center, which is located on a beautiful brick pedestrian mall. We stroll along the walkway in the sun and chat. We go inside and up the escalators to the 5th floor of the mall where there is a small food court.

There we find a restaurant called Hot American Pizza, a pelmini place, a more traditional Russian lunch establishment, and a (believe it or not) dessert place called Cherry Berry (back home we frequent a frozen yogurt shop of the same name).

Dan and I order pizza - of which Alexey quips is actually neither hot nor American. Sergey gets the Russian food, and Alexey opts for the Pelmini.

We eat our "hot American pizza" in the capitalist mall as we look out the window to see Lenin pointing at us. It is surreal and ironic. Lenin seems so lost, so anachronistic and defeated, though his body is frozen in his usual triumphalistic pose. From our view we see a good sized crater behind a fence. It is filled with water. Alexey explains that in Soviet times, it was a public toilet. He said that it was free. I remarked: "It still is" to the great amusement of my Russian brothers. I think my attitude for Big Government and natural inclination to make fun of the state dovetails nicely with the post-Soviet sense of humor about the USSR.

From, we see a sign on the wall that is missing a letter. I ask Father Alexey about it. It says ССС-. The last letter has been torn off. Alexey confirms that indeed the now-truant final letter was a Р - the Russian R. This was the sign for the now-defunct "USSR Cafe" - but the R has been taken away. The word Кафе remains though. More symbolic irony.

We visit a bookstore, a sort-of Russian version of Barnes and Noble. They have a small English language section of books in English - some paperback classics. They also have a section for learning Russian. I buy a Random House course with 40 lessons, a book and 3 CDs. I also pick up a phrasebook with CD for half the cost back home.

Father Daniel buys a beautiful political map of Russia. Alexey picks up a few books. Pastors are seldom as happy as when they are in bookstores. I wandered off to buy some souvenirs. My inability to communicate is a profound frustration. The clerks are patient and kind, and they treat me like a child counting my coins for me and taking them from my outstretched hand. I do know how to apologize and indicate to them that I don't know Russian.

On the way out, I see a 3D book with a jumping spider on it. It includes a 3D viewer with various stereoscopic photos of bugs and spiders. It costs the equivalent of $10 U.S. Of course, I have to buy it for Leo. My Visa card is declined - which Dan suggests is a safety feature because I had just used it a few minutes ago. I pay cash.

We continue our stroll. The architecture is western, modern, and beautiful - in some cases even opulent.

Father Sergey goes back to the car and meets us at the other end of the pedestrian mall. Sergey and Alexey drop us back off at the church flat. Dan and I venture out for a stroll and end up back at the beer tent. We order a couple beers.

This time, I have my phrase book and dictionary. With these tools, Dan and I set out to figure out the menu. I call over to our waiter whose name is Ильхом (Ilichom?) - who is probably Kazakhstani. He remembers us from before. This time I use the phrase book to order in Russian.

He is amused and asks to see the phrase book. He uses the book to ask me how much the phrasebook costs. He is looking at the English section. We all have a good laugh. I took a couple pictures with him and the phrasebook.

I pay for our meal in cash, and Dan picks up the tip. We head back to the flat. I have trouble getting to sleep.

Here is a link to all of my pictures of Day Twenty One.

Armed Chinese Troops in Texas!

2011-12-22T20:39:00.000-06:00

Which Candidate Supports the Troops, and Is Supported By the Troops?

2011-12-17T20:46:00.000-06:00

If you watch to the end of this short video, you may be shocked. Don't expect the mainstream media (nor any of the chicken-hawk talk radio entertainers) to share the last irrefutable statistic with you.

Which candidate really supports the American soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines - and is a veteran himself? Check it out...

Where women's "ordination" leads

2011-12-08T23:23:00.000-06:00

This article about a recent conference (featuring a priestess of the goddess Isis) at a "Lutheran church" (sic) - a member congregation of the ELCA (not affiliated with the LCMS) - is an honest explication of what, and who, is behind the recent phenomenon of women's "ordination." It is also an indictment of the leadership of the ELCA to not only tolerate this kind of thing year after year in one of their congregations, but to actually encourage it by allowing one of the "church's" leading scholars to participate (a point cogently made here by ELCA member Dan Skogan).

Here is a link to the conference. Here is a link to the "church." And here is a link to the Isis temple. This is a crystal-clear confession of feminist theology. At least they are being honest about it.

I know that we're not really in a position to throw stones, but when the name "Lutheran" is attached to pagan goddess worship, it affects us whether we like it or not. Kyrie eleison!

If this were going on in Afghanistan...

2011-12-04T21:05:00.001-06:00

HT: Lew Rockwell

Sermon: St. Andrew – 2011

2011-11-30T19:30:00.003-06:00

30 November 2011 at Salem Lutheran Church, Gretna, LA

Text: John 1:35-42 (Ezek 3:16-21, Rom 10:8-18)

In the name of + Jesus. Amen.

St. Andrew has the honor to be the first of the Lord’s disciples. In fact, he was a disciple of John the Baptist and the one who introduced Peter to Jesus. St. Andrew was among the first to hear what we hear nearly every time we gather for worship: “Behold the Lamb of God!” St. Andrew truly bridges the gap between the Old Testament and the New Testament, between the lambs offered as sacrifices and the Lamb offered as the one all-availing sacrifice, between Israel’s twelve tribes and the Church’s twelve apostles.

And Andrew is drawn to Jesus. “Rabbi… where are You staying?”

What a glorious question? It is a question that leads us to the Church, the place where Jesus is found in our world, in our time, among us, in ways that we can see and hear and taste. What wonder that St. Andrew was able to not only seek out God in the flesh, but to call Him teacher – which is an invitation to be taught.

St. Andrew is a man of conviction and courage. He has just basically invited himself to lodge with God.

And how does our Lord react to this rather forward question (“Where are you staying?”)? “Come,” says Jesus, inviting the disciple, “Come and you will see.”

“You will see” says our Lord. And Andrew was to see indeed! He would see our Lord preach and teach, cure the sick, cast out demons, and even raise the dead. He would see a Man who is God and God who is a Man. He would see the ultimate wisdom, patience, kindness, joy, and suffering. And St. Andrew was indeed to partake in all of these as a disciple of Jesus Christ and as a preacher of the Word of God. He would see many brought to the Messiah.

Imagine how amazing it was to follow Jesus to His home and to lodge with Him! Imagine what it must be like to be under the same roof as Jesus, to see and touch the flesh of the Lord, to hear Almighty God speak His very word!

Dear friends, this is the privilege of being a Christian, of being in the Church. And yes indeed, they are one and the same. One cannot be a Christian apart from the Church any more than there can be an arm apart from a body. And there is no Church apart from Christ, as if a body can exist without a head. For where the Master is found, there are His disciples. And among the students, there is certainly the Teacher.

“Teacher, where are You staying?” That is what every Christian should be asking – not in an intellectual way, as if trying to Google some piece of trivia or to satisfy curiosity. No, this is something deeper. Indeed, when we Christians ask “Teacher, where are You staying?” we want to be where our Teacher, our Rabbi, is to be found. As students, we seek to learn. And we are learning something more profound than facts and figures. We are learning by living, and in Christ, we live in love, from love, for love, and by love – for God is Love, and Christ is God incarnate.

The love Jesus has for us is a perfect love, without ulterior motive, untarnished by selfishness and unblemished by a wandering eye. Our Lord’s love for us is pure and chaste, limitless, and unconditional – unlike the so-called love with which the world is enamored to death.

St. Andrew became the first of the disciples, the first to come to Jesus. He was the first to confess Jesus as the Christ, the Messiah. And he brought his own brother, Simon Peter, to Christ.

And while much of our attention is focused on St. Peter, the leader of the apostles, the brash, the loud, the controversial, Peter the beloved writer of two epistles of the New Testament – we must remember that Peter was brought to Jesus by Andrew.

Everyone is brought to Jesus by someone. And Jesus calls preachers to draw men to Himself – preachers like Peter and Andrew. And both of these fishermen were themselves to become “fishers of men.”

For as Paul would ask: “How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in Him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent?”

St. Andrew and His brother St. Peter were “sent ones,” that is to say “apostles.” St. Andrew brought the Gospel to his own household, as well as to a group of Greeks who sought Jesus. And St. Andrew would, like his brother and like his Master, die on a cross. Indeed, he was, like Ezekiel, a “watchman for the house of Israel.” As a preacher of Christ and forgiveness, he was also a preacher of why Christ came: sin. He called people to repentance, and he forgave those who repented. He baptized. He administered the Lord’s Supper. He is one of those of whom St. Paul spoke of: “Their voice has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.”

This is why this first apostle’s feast day sets the first week of the new church year. For this new follower of the New Testament brings us anew, along with St. Peter, to Jesus. St. Andrew confesses with us and with Christians of every age: “We have found the Messiah.”

Dear brothers and sisters, we too have found the Messiah, the Christ, the One who is the Lamb of God, the Lamb who is God, the sacrifice which takes away our sins, and the very God of very God who was made Man. And along with St. Andrew, we seek to be where Jesus is, to stay with Him, abide with Him, lodge with Him, to be near unto Him and to hear Him. And this is why we are here in this place at this time, dear friends! We have been brought to Jesus by the apostles and those who came after them. And we too bring others to Jesus, who likewise gives them forgiveness and salvation and life.

Let us ever pray with St. Andrew: “Rabbi, where are You staying?” and let us ever seek to be with Him, learning from Him, and walking with Him, even if, as it did for St. Andrew, that road leads to a cross. For we too have “found the Messiah,” dear friends! We have found the Christ! Behold the Lamb! Thanks be to God! Amen.

In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

What if?

2011-11-28T00:22:00.000-06:00

Sermon: Ad Te Levavi (Advent 1) – 2011

2011-11-27T10:00:00.006-06:00

27 November 2011 at Salem Lutheran Church, Gretna, LA

Text: Matt 21:1-9 (Jer 23:5-8, Rom 13:8-14)

In the name of + Jesus. Amen.

“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord.”

Whenever a prophet says “Behold,” we can do one of two things: either we listen to the prophet, or we can listen to other voices. We are always listening to something, dear friends. We are either resonating with the Word of God, or our ears are being tickled by the noise of this world.

“The days are coming.” Some people didn’t believe Jeremiah when he spoke these words 26 centuries ago, they didn’t believe them 20 centuries ago when their fulfillment began with the coming of our Lord, and many do not believe them today as we wait for the completion of the fulfillment when our Lord returns.

Nevertheless, dear friends, the Lord speaks, and we do well to listen to that ever-faithful Word. “The days are coming when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and He shall reign as king.”

And even though the people did not fully grasp what kind of a King they had in Jesus, they received Him the same way they had received his ancestor King Solomon – “humble, and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.” Solomon was to become a king great in might and power and wisdom – and yet rode into the city of his father David on a humble donkey. For Solomon’s greatness lay within himself as opposed to within the trappings of the external riches which he enjoyed.

So too, King Jesus, also a Son of David, a Son of Solomon, the very Son of God, rides into David’s Royal City on a donkey. And this King is great in might and power and wisdom – exponentially greater than His grandfather Solomon, for this King’s Father is God, and this King is God!

God riding on “the foal of a beast of burden.” God becoming a humble man to die for sinful men. God riding triumphant into Jerusalem to the cheers of Hosanna merely a week before being condemned to the jeers of “crucify Him!” And yet, in spite of their later treachery against the Lord, on the day of the advent of their King, they cried out: “Hosanna!” – which is to say that this King is also their Savior. They are right to cry out “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.” For this King is to be blessed by those whom He has blessed, for He bears the blessed name of the Lord – the name that is above every name, the name by which we are saved, the name into which we are baptized, the name through which we have eternal life – the name that is to be spoken with reverence and worship and yet with joy and jubilation! All hail King Jesus!

This King has come to save His people through the cross, though they would refuse to save Him from the cross. This King has come to die upon the cross for all people whose sins have placed Him on the cross. This King has come to forgive the sins and bring to life of all of us who put the One without sin to death. This King has come to conquer – not in warfare to lord over and enslave people, but rather in peace to live and die in perfect humility in order to liberate humanity.

Indeed, this is a King greater than David and greater than Solomon. This is a King like none other, and His Bride the Church continues to receive Him with royal pomp and circumstance, with thanks and praise, with reverence and awe. And, dear friends, we wait for His return.

And yet, even in our waiting for Him to return, He abides with us in the great mystery of His Word and His sacraments. For this King’s Word is not just Law, but reality. This King’s Word is not merely a command for His subjects, but life for His beloved people. This King’s Word is a Word of forgiveness, life, and salvation. This King’s Word draws us into His kingdom as fellow heirs and rulers with Him in the promise of a new heaven and a new earth!

And so we wait, dear friends, we wait in anticipation and joy, in praise and in glory. We continually sing “Hosanna” to our Savior King week in and week out when we gather around the same flesh and blood as those who “cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.” We too are filled with joy to hear the royal announcement: “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord” as we hail Him at our altar and receive Him into our very bodies. We too can hardly contain our excitement as He draws near to us.

The anticipation of Christmas – especially from the point of view of the Lord’s beloved little ones – is a flicker of the kind of joyful expectation we should have for the return of our Lord. For no matter how tired and overwhelmed we are, no matter our pain and depression and loneliness, no matter how burdened we are by sin, death, and the devil – we join the pilgrim throng on the streets of Jerusalem and throughout the world singing “Hosanna” and cheering the ever-nearer approach of our Lord and King. Each year we are a year closer to His return and His re-creation of our bodies, our world, and our universe as they were meant to be before creation was trodden down and corrupted by sin.

This is why St. Paul’s warning is a fresh today as it ever was: “Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed.” We do not wait in gloom and sorrow, but in joy and hope. This, dear friends, is what empowers us to “walk properly” and to “make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.”

The Lord is just around the corner, and He is calling us, dear brothers and sisters, calling us to follow Him, to wait for Him, to be healed by Him, to be made anew in forgiveness and life – awaiting the return of Paradise in a glorious new heaven and earth that has no end.

This is the Advent, the coming of the Lord, foretold by the prophets of old, played out in the coming of our Lord into Jerusalem, and yet to be fulfilled in the return of our Lord in His triumphant return!

“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord.”

Amen.

In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.