Saturday, July 31, 2010
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Bless!
8 Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. 9 Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing. 10 For
“Whoever desires to love life
and see good days,
let him keep his tongue from evil
and his lips from speaking deceit;
11 let him turn away from evil and do good;
let him seek peace and pursue it.
12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,
and his ears are open to their prayer.
But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”
13 Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? 14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, 15 but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, 16 having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. 17 For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God's will, than for doing evil.
18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, 19 in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, 20 because they formerly did not obey, when God's patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water. 21 Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.
I Peter 3
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Luther on the Marks of the Church
Well then, the Children’s [Apostles'] Creed teaches us (as was said) that a Christian holy people is to be and to remain on earth until the end of the world. This is an article of faith that cannot be terminated until that which it believes comes, as Christ promises, “I am with you always, to the close of the age” [Matt. 28:20]. But how will or how can a poor confused person tell where such Christian holy people are to be found in this world? Indeed, they are supposed to be in this life and on earth, for they of course believe that a heavenly nature and an eternal life are to come, but as yet they do not possess them. Therefore they must still be in this life and remain in this life and in this world until the end of the world. For they profess, “I believe in another life”; thereby they confess that they have not yet arrived in the other life, but believe in it, hope for it, and love it as their true fatherland and life, while they must yet remain and tarry here in exile—as we sing in the hymn about the Holy Spirit, “As homeward we journey from this exile. Lord, have mercy.” We shall now speak of this.
First, the holy Christian people are recognized by their possession of the holy word of God. To be sure, not all have it in equal measure, as St. Paul says [I Cor. 3:12–14]. Some possess the word in its complete purity, others do not. Those who have the pure word are called those who “build on the foundation with gold, silver, and precious stones”; those who do not have it in its purity are the ones who “build on the foundation with wood, hay, and straw,” and yet will be saved through fire. More than enough was said about this above. This is the principal item, and the holiest of holy possessions, by reason of which the Christian people are called holy; for God’s word is holy and sanctifies everything it touches; it is indeed the very holiness of God, Romans 1 [:16], “It is the power of God for salvation to every one who has faith,” and I Timothy 4 [:5], “Everything is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.” …
Now, wherever you hear or see this word preached, believed, professed, and lived, do not doubt that the true ecclesia sancta catholica, “a Christian holy people” must be there, even though their number is very small. For God’s word “shall not return empty,” Isaiah 55 [:11], but must have at least a fourth or a fraction of the field. And even if there were no other sign than this alone, it would still suffice to prove that a Christian, holy people must exist there, for God’s word cannot be without God’s people, and conversely, God’s people cannot be without God’s word. Otherwise, who would preach or hear it preached, if there were no people of God? And what could or would God’s people believe, if there were no word of God?
Second, God’s people or the Christian holy people are recognized by the holy sacrament of baptism, wherever it is taught, believed, and administered correctly according to Christ’s ordinance. That too is a public sign and a precious, holy possession by which God’s people are sanctified. It is the holy bath of regeneration through the Holy Spirit [Titus 3:5], in which we bathe and with which we are washed of sin and death by the Holy Spirit, as in the innocent holy blood of the Lamb of God. Wherever you see this sign you may know that the church, or the holy Christian people, must surely be present, even if the pope does not baptize you or even if you know nothing of his holiness and power—just as the little children know nothing of it, although when they are grown, they are, sad to say, estranged from their baptism, as St. Peter laments in II Peter 2 [:18], “They entice with licentious passions of the flesh men who have barely escaped from those who live in error,” etc. Indeed, you should not even pay attention to who baptizes, for baptism does not belong to the baptizer, nor is it given to him, but it belongs to the baptized. It was ordained for him by God, and given to him by God, just as the word of God is not the preacher’s (except in so far as he too hears and believes it) but belongs to the disciple who hears and believes it; to him is it given.
Third, God’s people, or Christian holy people, are recognized by the holy sacrament of the altar, wherever it is rightly administered, believed, and received, according to Christ’s institution. This too is a public sign and a precious, holy possession left behind by Christ by which his people are sanctified so that they also exercise themselves in faith and openly confess that they are Christian, just as they do with the word and with baptism. …In addition, the question of whether you are male or female, young or old, need not be argued—just as little as it matters in baptism and the preached word. It is enough that you are consecrated and anointed with the sublime and holy chrism of God, with the word of God, with baptism, and also this sacrament; then you are anointed highly and gloriously enough and sufficiently vested with priestly garments.
Moreover, don’t be led astray by the question of whether the man who administers the sacrament is holy… Wherever you see this sacrament properly administered, there you may be assured of the presence of God’s people. For, as was said above of the word, wherever God’s word is, there the church must be; likewise, wherever baptism and the sacrament are, God’s people must be, and vice versa. No others have, give, practice, use, and confess these holy possessions save God’s people alone, even though some false and unbelieving Christians are secretly among them. They, however, do not profane the people of God because they are not known; the church, or God’s people, does not tolerate known sinners in its midst, but reproves them and also makes them holy. Or, if they refuse, it casts them out from the sanctuary by means of the ban and regards them as heathen, Matthew 18 [:17].
Fourth, God’s people or holy Christians are recognized by the office of the keys exercised publicly. That is, as Christ decrees in Matthew 18 [:15–20], if a Christian sins, he should be reproved; and if he does not mend his ways, he should be bound in his sin and cast out. If he does mend his ways, he should be absolved. That is the office of the keys. Now the use of the keys is twofold, public and private. There are some people with consciences so tender and despairing that even if they have not been publicly condemned, they cannot find comfort until they have been individually absolved by the pastor. On the other hand, there are also some who are so obdurate that they neither recant in their heart and want their sins forgiven individually by the pastor, nor desist from their sins. Therefore the keys must be used differently, publicly and privately. Now where you see sins forgiven or reproved in some persons, be it publicly or privately, you may know that God’s people are there. If God’s people are not there, the keys are not there either; and if the keys are not present for Christ, God’s people are not present. Christ bequeathed them as a public sign and a holy possession, whereby the Holy Spirit again sanctifies the fallen sinners redeemed by Christ’s death, and whereby the Christians confess that they are a holy people in this world under Christ. And those who refuse to be converted or sanctified again shall be cast out from this holy people, that is, bound and excluded by means of the keys, as happened to the unrepentant Antinomians…
Fifth, the church is recognized externally by the fact that it consecrates or calls ministers, or has offices that it is to administer. There must be bishops, pastors, or preachers, who publicly and privately give, administer, and use the aforementioned four things or holy possessions in behalf of and in the name of the church, or rather by reason of their institution by Christ, as St. Paul states in Ephesians 4 [:8], “He received gifts among men …”—his gifts were that some should be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some teachers and governors, etc. The people as a whole cannot do these things, but must entrust or have them entrusted to one person. Otherwise, what would happen if everyone wanted to speak or administer, and no one wanted to give way to the other? It must be entrusted to one person, and he alone should be allowed to preach, to baptize, to absolve, and to administer the sacraments. The others should be content with this arrangement and agree to it. Wherever you see this done, be assured that God’s people, the holy Christian people, are present…
Sixth, the holy Christian people are externally recognized by prayer, public praise, and thanksgiving to God. Where you see and hear the Lord’s Prayer prayed and taught; or psalms or other spiritual songs sung, in accordance with the word of God and the true faith; also the creed, the Ten Commandments, and the catechism used in public, you may rest assured that a holy Christian people of God are present. For prayer, too, is one of the precious holy possessions whereby everything is sanctified, as St. Paul says [I Tim. 4:5]. The psalms too are nothing but prayers in which we praise, thank, and glorify God. The creed and the Ten Commandments are also God’s word and belong to the holy possession, whereby the Holy Spirit sanctifies the holy people of Christ. However, we are now speaking of prayers and songs which are intelligible and from which we can learn and by means of which we can mend our ways. The clamor of monks and nuns and priests is not prayer, nor is it praise to God; for they do not understand it, nor do they learn anything from it; they do it like a donkey, only for the sake of the belly and not at all in quest of any reform or sanctification or of the will of God.
Seventh, the holy Christian people are externally recognized by the holy possession of the sacred cross. They must endure every misfortune and persecution, all kinds of trials and evil from the devil, the world, and the flesh (as the Lord’s Prayer indicates) by inward sadness, timidity, fear, outward poverty, contempt, illness, and weakness, in order to become like their head, Christ. And the only reason they must suffer is that they steadfastly adhere to Christ and God’s word, enduring this for the sake of Christ, Matthew 5 [:11], “Blessed are you when men persecute you on my account.” They must be pious, quiet, obedient, and prepared to serve the government and everybody with life and goods, doing no one any harm. No people on earth have to endure such bitter hate… In summary, they must be called heretics, knaves, and devils, the most pernicious people on earth, to the point where those who hang, drown, murder, torture, banish, and plague them to death are rendering God a service. No one has compassion on them; they are given myrrh and gall to drink when they thirst. And all of this is done not because they are adulterers, murderers, thieves, or rogues, but because they want to have none but Christ, and no other God. Wherever you see or hear this, you may know that the holy Christian church is there, as Christ says in Matthew 5 [:11–12], “Blessed are you when men revile you and utter all kinds of evil against you on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven.” This too is a holy possession whereby the Holy Spirit not only sanctifies his people, but also blesses them.
…These are the true seven principal parts of the great holy possession whereby the Holy Spirit effects in us a daily sanctification and vivification in Christ, according to the first table of Moses. By this we obey it, albeit never as perfectly as Christ. But we constantly strive to attain the goal, under his redemption or remission of sin, until we too shall one day become perfectly holy and no longer stand in need of forgiveness. Everything is directed toward that goal. I would even call these seven parts the seven sacraments, but since that term has been misused by the papists and is used in a different sense in Scripture, I shall let them stand as the seven principal parts of Christian sanctification or the seven holy possessions of the church.
"On the Councils and the Church" 1539 in Luther's Works 41.
Luther: "Doctrine is heaven; life is earth."
Doctrine is heaven; life is earth. In life there is sin, error, uncleanness, and misery, mixed, as the saying goes, “with vinegar.” Here love should condone, tolerate, be deceived, trust, hope, and endure all things (1 Cor. 13:7); here the forgiveness of sins should have complete sway, provided that sin and error are not defended. But just as there is no error in doctrine, so there is no need for any forgiveness of sins. Therefore there is no comparison at all between doctrine and life. “One dot” of doctrine is worth more than “heaven and earth” (Matt. 5:18); therefore we do not permit the slightest offense against it. But we can be lenient toward errors of life. For we, too, err daily in our life and conduct; so do all the saints, as they earnestly confess in the Lord’s Prayer and the Creed. But by the grace of God our doctrine is pure; we have all the articles of faith solidly established in Sacred Scripture. The devil would dearly love to corrupt and overthrow these; that is why he attacks us so cleverly with this specious argument about not offending against love and the harmony among the churches.
Luther's Works vol. 27
Religion News Service Interview - Sorry about the formatting!
The only secular news and photo service devoted to unbiased coverage of religion and ethics—exclusively.
(RNS3-JUL14) The Rev. Matthew Harrison was elected July 13 as the new president of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. For use with RNS-LCMS-PREZ, transmitted July 14, 2010. RNS photo courtesy LCMS.
July 21, 2010
NEWS FEATURE
10 minutes with … Matthew Harrison
By Adelle M. Banks
(RNS) The Rev. Matthew Harrison defeated a three-term incumbent to become president of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod on July 13, fueled by the support of his denomination’s more conservative wing.
Harrison, 48, will lead a 2.4-million member denomination with a drastically reduced structure, which he opposed. After almost 10 years as the denomination’s director of disaster response, he is scheduled to be installed as president on Sept. 11.
Harrison discussed what’s ahead for the LCMS and its relations with the more liberal Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Some answers have been edited for length and clarity.
Q: You defeated three-term president Gerald Kieschnick in one ballot. Why do you think you won?
A: The outgoing president has served the church with as much vigor as he possibly could. I think there’s also a desire in the church to move forward with changes.
Q: So your election is a sign that people wanted change?
A: Yes, I think people wanted change. I think there’s a longing for folks right now to emphasize the basics and, within a tumultuous and changing society, folks want to emphasize the best of the tradition and fundamental ideas that propel them in faith.
Q: The Missouri Synod is known as a conservative denomination, but some have said it or its leadership were not conservative enough. Do you agree?
A: I think the challenge we have to face internally is the proper approach to meeting culture and accommodating culture. Obviously we have to take a very ancient New Testament message and bring it into a fast-paced and ever-changing post-modern world. I think some thought the essence of Lutheranism was, at times, being compromised.
Q: Do you plan to take the church in a more conservative direction?
A: I am at once a rock-ribbed traditional Lutheran and at the same time believe fully that that very confession, that very conviction, drives us into the maelstrom of today’s post-modern life and particularly toward our neighbor.
Q: But will you take the LCMS in a more conservative direction?
A: I think we have been drifting, and so I will in good faith uphold the church’s confession.
Q: What might that look like?
A: We have a strong, orthodox, creedal Christianity. We believe that the fundamental teachings on social issues—sexuality and those kinds of things—have been determined already in the New Testament. I believe that we should be and we are going to continue to be uncompromising on the conviction of the truth of the Lutheran Confessions of Faith while at the same time generously recognizing that the church is far beyond our little Missouri Synod. The church exists wherever Jesus and his word is.
Q: The ELCA and LCMS hold different positions on sexuality, but your denomination seems to still hope the ELCA will reconsider its votes last year supporting same-sex relationships. Why is that?
A: We’re all hoping against hope. We are nothing but sinners in the Missouri Synod. We’ve had enough internal (struggle) not to be haughty regarding the ELCA. The (ELCA’s) decision was a departure from Christianity and the New Testament. The way back is through repentance.
Q: Do you expect to continue relations with the ELCA on efforts focused on immigration, refugees, world relief and disaster assistance?
A: What I have said publicly (is) the status quo will not hold. I have also said publicly that I am not for summarily ending work with Lutheran World Relief, for instance. The discussion with the ELCA has to be about to what extent the pervasive and unbiblical culture of the ELCA permeates those organizations. ... We’ll put out a report in a year and work from there.
Q: But you’re not ready to end any relationships immediately?
A: That’s right. The church has not given us the ability to do that, nor would I recommend it because there are millions of people who are served and assisted, and we believe in the ability to work with other Christians even though we may profoundly disagree.
(OPTIONAL TRIM FOLLOWS)
Q: You were the executive director of LCMS World Relief and Human Care. With the restructuring adopted at the convention, were you left momentarily without a job?
A: Yes. It was a great and amazing irony that I essentially lost a job on Monday, and I had publicly spoken against the restructuring and did not ask for the new authority to be vested in the president. And the next day the delegates gave me a job and placed me into that very position.
Q: Now, what will you do with this position, apparently with power you didn’t want?
A: It’s all very humbling, frankly, and I think it is going to be enormously challenging to walk on the tightrope that is in front of us. The church expects us to act in a way that is more streamlined and effective. We’ll do the best we can there.
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Saturday, July 24, 2010
Mercy Forever
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Amid the church body's mandated restructuring, the LCMS will continue to share mercy with people in need, says Rev. Matthew Harrison, the Synod's president-elect. In his former post as executive director of LCMS World Relief and Human Care, Harrison headed the department that oversaw the church's response to numerous major disasters, including the Haiti earthquake. |
The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod will continue to reach out with mercy even in the wake of the church body's restructuring, said Rev. Matthew C. Harrison, the newly elected LCMS president.
"While restructuring mandates many changes for our church and we don't know exactly what will happen, LCMS World Relief and Human Care is still here," said Harrison, the former World Relief and Human Care (WR-HC) executive director who was elected July 13 by delegates at the Synod's 64th Regular Convention in Houston. "We want World Relief and Human Care's many faithful supporters to know this for certain: Our vision for being merciful and being Lutheran will continue and even expand."
Since 2001, Harrison has served at the helm of WR-HC, the Synod's mercy arm. The Board for Human Care Ministries, which oversees WR-HC, is one of seven program boards eliminated by a sweeping proposal adopted at the convention. Along with electing a new Synod president, delegates approved the realignment of LCMS programs under two mission boards, one each for domestic and international ministries.
At a meeting with WR-HC staff on July 21, Harrison emphasized that "mercy will continue" and that the LCMS will continue to do what Lutherans are called to do – reach out in mercy and in mission to physical and spiritual needs. "There are still orphans around the world. Disasters happen every day," he said. "We will continue to reach out with mercy to people in need. That's not going to change."
At WR-HC, Harrison oversaw a department that dramatically shifted gears to become a hands-on, uniquely Lutheran, domestic and international mercy ministry. WR-HC developed the first-ever comprehensive LCMS disaster response initiative and oversaw the church's response after the Asia tsunami, Hurricane Katrina, and the Haiti and Chile earthquakes. The ministry launched new mercy programs, including the popular Mercy Medical Teams of volunteers who provide health care in some of the world's poorest communities and orphan support opportunities that connect children with loving homes and congregations.
During this decade, WR-HC donors have provided more than $125 million in gifts that enabled the ministry to fulfill its mission of reaching out with mercy and compassion to people in need, motivated by Christ's love.
Harrison will become the Synod's 13th president when he takes office Sept. 1. He and the other newly elected LCMS officers will be installed Sept. 11 at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis.
Friday, July 23, 2010
Hot Air?
My dear friends, the reason unbelieving preachers are nearly always in control in the "Lutheran" congregations of our former home country Germany is unquestionably this: the sermons of the "Christian" preachers are only hot air. Unbelievers are increasing in the congregations about as fast as the "Christian" preachers are increasing - of whom there are considerably more now that when I was young. Why do those preachers not accomplish anything? Oh, would to God that these dear men had the humility to sit at Luther's feet and study his postils! they would learn how to preach with great effectiveness. For - when preached as it should be - the Word of God never returns empty.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
You need not fear spiritual "snake oil."
No one can preach the Gospel more sweetly and gloriously that our dear Luther. Not only does he offer great comfort in his sermons, but he preaches in such a way as to lay hold of any doubting listener and drag him out of his doubts, compelling him to believe that he is a child of God and would die saved if he were to die that night.
Monday, July 19, 2010
The Central Solution
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Oh, the depth...
33 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!
34 “For who has known the mind of the Lord,
or who has been his counselor?”
35 “Or who has given a gift to him
that he might be repaid?”
36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.
Romans 11
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