In Memoriam: Borrowed Words for Dad

He lives and grants me daily breath.
He lives and I shall conquer death.

Dad’s funeral was today. My dad, Al Kornacki, died on Saturday, February 19. Of course it has been a difficult few days, between watching him struggle for each breath and then watching him take his last breath, planning his funeral, starting the process of going through his possessions, and then the finality of the funeral today. 

Whether or not you know who your father is, whatever kind of relationship you had with him—if, indeed, you had a relationship with him—you know what a father is; you have some idea of what a father should be to his children. I’ve had a father/son relationship with a number of men. I buried one of them in 2020, at the death of my vicarage bishop, Kim Scharff. At the time of his passing, I had many words to say to honor him; some of them might even have been eloquent. But for my biological father, the best man at my wedding? It’s too soon, maybe, and I’m too close. For my vicarage bishop, the kids had already lost their mother earlier in the year, and I was there to be the older brother none of them had growing up; that helped me keep some part of myself functional. For my own father? I don’t know what to say. 

Fortunately for me, a number of people have shared their memories of my father. He was a man who touched many in our community over a period of 60 years. He coached baseball teams for thirty years, from the time he was 16. He ran the Alternative Learning Center—in-school suspension, better known as “Al’s Little Corner”—for twenty years. He was in charge of the city’s Youth Center for decades. 

I like to joke that I have thousands of brothers and sisters, but in a very real sense, he was a surrogate father for a generation and more of North Tonawanda’s children. Whether it was on the website of his obituary, the family or recreation department Facebook posts announcing his death, or at the funeral home visitation, hundreds of people shared stories about how “Big Al” made a difference in their lives. He loved all the kids he worked with over the years, but he had a special place in his heart for the kids no one else seemed to want. In every aspect of his life, it was the troubled and trouble-making kids he seemed drawn to. So when I say I don’t have the words, I can borrow some from my many brothers and sisters. I hope they don’t mind.

• I wouldn’t be the man I am today without having met “Big Al.”
• Mr. Kornacki was a great man with a big heart and a great presence… When he spoke, we all listened!
• I remember him from school and the youth center... tough but very lovable...
• Al always took time out to learn more about each kid because he cared about everyone.  He'd pull you in his office and ask you how you are, how's your family, how is school going, etc.  He genuinely cared about people…
• He was there for me when my father passed when I was a kid. He always had the biggest heart!
• He was the guy we all went to when nobody else was around.
• Thanks for your patience when I needed it the most.
• Kids who didn't have much respect for adults or authority always seemed to treat Al as their confidant and someone who respected them. I was one of those kids back then. Al certainly helped me to see that I was on a path that could have been destructive. He never gave up and he was always positive and I and many other people owe him a debt of gratitude for his kindness.
• Thank you Al for believing in me and never giving up. I know I was a pain in the neck, but you saw and understood my struggle. I will forever be grateful for your kind heart and wisdom.

That’s the kind of man my dad was. Is. He affected every life he touched, and he tried to touch as many lives as possible. 

And that’s because of his faith in Jesus Christ. As Pastor Eder said at the funeral, “Al was a big man with a big faith.” My dad knew he was a beloved, baptized, forgiven child of God. His heavenly Father touched every aspect of his life. The love my dad received from God, he gave away to all his kids. And God just kept giving him more and more. That’s the kind of love I endeavor to share as a father, a husband, a pastor…a man. When I grow up, I want to be like my dad.

I’m fortunate that I will see my father every day when I look in the mirror. I’m blessed that I will be reunited with him every time I receive the Lord’s Supper with him, where we gather “with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven.” And I am looking forward to the Day when we will be forever reunited in the resurrection of all flesh. 

As he delighted to sing in the words of his favorite hymn:

Children of God,

Dying and rising,

Sing to the Lord a new song!

Heaven and earth,

Hosts everlasting,

Sing to the Lord a new song!

He has done marvelous things.  

I too will praise Him with a new song!

Sermon for 2/13/22: Septuagesima

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CLICK HERE for the sermon video.

 

Training for the Crown

I Corinthians 9:24-10:5

 

 

Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

 

 

When St. Paul spoke of competing in a race and running for a prize, the Corinthians understood exactly what he was saying. You see, every three years, the city of Corinth was host to the Isthmian Games, similar to the ancient Olympic games. Athletes from all around the Mediterranean area would train long and hard so they could compete in a race where the prize was nothing more than a pine wreath. It seems as though it wasn’t always the value of the prize that mattered so much as being able to say with pride that you had won the competition over all the others.

But Paul had something more in mind than this athletic contest. That race served merely as a foil for something of greater, even eternal significance. You and I are running a race of our own. But the prize we are seeking is not perishable! The race we are running is not where the prize is the best car, or the best house, or the best whatever. We are running for an imperishable prize. The prize is life: life now and life eternally!

Is there anything more precious than life? In his Epistle, James writes: “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love Him.” The life for which we are running is one that has been given to us: a gift of God. It was won for us by Jesus Christ, who ran His own race through the cross and the tomb to win a prize called the Church. And now, the race is ours to run. And the prize that awaits us at the end of the race is that sure and certain hope of life eternal. And there will not be merely one victor, as in those ancient games; the victory is given equally to all who complete the race in faith.

But to complete the race requires training. Certainly this was true of the athletes who competed in those games long ago, just as it is true of the Olympians now. The only ones who are ultimately successful are those for whom training is ongoing reality. Whether it’s an Olympic race or the rigors of a full season of basketball, what is demanded is all the energy that can be given. And that energy comes as the direct result of training. The best trained will ultimately win.

The same is true of the race of life you and I are running. We must train our spiritual muscles, if you will. The race we are running is exhausting. For one thing, it is longer than any marathon, longer than any sports season or even an entire career. It is a race that lasts the length of a whole life. And, frankly, there aren’t many places along the way to rest. But even more than that, there are innumerable obstacles we will encounter along that path. St. Peter describes those obstacles in this way: “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith...” Being humbled at the good and gracious hand of our God; acknowledging our weakness before the many troubles of life; realizing that the devil will stop at nothing to end our participation in the race of life—we may expect to face these and even more obstacles along the way.

And only rigorous training will prepare us for this. You have heard the following truism: “No pain, no gain.” And, as painful as that may be, it is true! That includes the pain we encounter in spiritual training. In his epistle to the Colossians, St. Paul wrote: “Put to death what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry...Now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices.” Putting such things to death is painful because, the truth is, these are things we actually enjoy. Just as the athlete might desire a quart of ice cream or a pizza, our sinful natures enjoy being tempted with sensuality. We get a good deal of pleasure out of expressing such things as anger and wrath. But such indulgences only hinder us in the race we run.

Only rigorous training will put such things to death! In pain there will be gain. God makes us strong through His Word and Sacrament. He makes us strong by leading us to acknowledge our sin and the spiritual weakness sin creates. But He then patches us up with the healing balm of the Gospel, forgiving all our sins, feeding us with the soul-nourishing food of the body and blood of our Savior, cleansing our conscience, and clearing up our spiritual eyes that we might stay on the way that leads to eternal life.

God grant us the strength and perseverance to run the race for life, that we may finally join St. Paul and all the saints of God in rejoicing: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me, but also to all who have loved his appearing.” In the name of the Father and of the Son (+) and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

 

The peace of God which passes all understanding will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus always. Amen.

Sermon for 2/6/22: Transfiguration of Our Lord

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CLICK HERE for the video file.

 

Light in the Darkness

II Peter 1:16-21

 

 

Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

 

As we observe the Transfiguration, we are standing at the mid-point between the wonders of Christmas and Epiphany on the one hand, and the glories of Lent and Easter on the other. Both reveal wonderful truths. A baby in a manger is God revealed in human flesh, the God-Man who is the Savior of all. He gives His life for the world and then comes forth from the grave, victorious over sin, death, and the devil. He ascends into heaven, to the everlasting throne of power. Finally, He will come again to judge the living and the dead. These are wonderful things. We believe them; we put our confidence in them; we rest our eternal hope on them. But could they not be mere fables? Or are they truth, the foundation of faith, the revelation of the mind and heart of God?

In every time and place and culture, men have thought and spoken about God. The earliest monuments of ancient lands were usually those which marked a society as religious in character. Ancient civilizations, uncovered by archaeologists, have revealed what those people thought about what they conceived of as God. And often, the things found contained some elements of truth. These show that, even without divine revelation, man has some knowledge of God. At the same time, however, much of what has been found speaks of speculation and just pure fiction. Often “the gods” were no more than glorified men, with all the failings and vices known to mankind. After all, man’s natural religion rests on that very shaky foundation of the fallible human mind.

Sadly, the faith of many today rests on no better foundation. Even much of what passes for the Christian faith these days is built largely on human opinion or speculation. Because Holy Scripture has been picked apart and ravaged by its godless critics, for many there is no longer a definitive authority to determine what is true and what is not. True Christian faith, however, rests not on fallible human speculation, but on the testimony of trustworthy eye and ear witnesses. And that is the standard Peter meets. He said: “We did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty.” Peter goes right to the heart of matter. The heart of the Christian faith is the living Lord Jesus. We do not deal with legends, but with a Person whom history knows.

When the apostles spoke or wrote, they told of actual events, things they had witnessed. Another of the eyewitness of the Transfiguration, St. John, wrote in his First Epistle, “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life...that which we have seen and heard, we proclaim also to you...” In our text, Peter identifies all of this as being “eyewitnesses of His majesty.” Together with James and John, Peter had been on that holy mountain where Jesus was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His garments became white as light. With their own eyes they were witnesses to His glory. And with their own ears they heard the voice of the Father out of heaven: “This is My beloved Son.” These events, which they had witnessed, and to which they gave testimony, are the foundation of faith. The Apostles and Evangelists wrote the truth, even when the truth would seem to be to their disadvantage. Just think of Peter and all of the unflattering things Scripture tells us about him, such as his denial of Jesus. Even when it was unpleasant, the truth was told.

“Know this first,” Peter said, “that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” No prophet of old had given his own interpretation of what God had given him to speak, but simply offered just what the Holy Spirit had given him. Indeed, the prophets told of much more than they ever fully understood, and that was possible because the Holy Spirit moved them to write and inspired what they wrote.

The faith stands on the foundation of the Word of God, the light that shines in a dark place. The darkness that needs to be overcome in all of us is spiritual ignorance caused by sin. The light brought to bear on it is the wisdom and knowledge of God. Peter says that if we pay attention to this Word, this light will grow until it becomes in our hearts like the light of day. If faith is built on the solid foundation of the Word and its witness to Jesus Christ, these things will become as real to us as they were to those who saw them first-hand, for Jesus Christ, the Sun of righteousness, has risen in our hearts to cast out the darkness of doubt and despair.

In all of this, we are offered the boundless riches of God’s grace; we are given a life that can be lived out in true joy and thanksgiving to God; we are granted a peace of heart that surpasses all understanding. May God grant to you this sure foundation of faith, so that you may walk in the light of the Lord. In the name of the Father and of the Son (+) and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

 

The peace of God which passes all understanding will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus always. Amen.

HYMN: Send Forth Your Faithful Preachers

As I said in the last post, it almost always seems that my time at District Convention proves fruitful for writing hymn texts. I wrote two yesterday, both for the Easter Vigil project I’m working on with the Reverend Doctor John Fleischmann. They’re both rough first drafts, and any feedback you’d desire to provide would be appreciated. Here’s the second text. I don’t yet know what I/we want to do for a tune.

Send Forth Your Faithful Preachers

for the Easter Vigil

Jonah Preaches to Nineveh—Jonah 3:1-10

1. Send forth Your faithful preachers,

And call us to repent.

Grant faith that we may listen

And heed the one You sent.

With sackcloth and in ashes 

We call, O God, to You.

Oh, turn us from our evil;

Our steadfastness renew.

2. The Word came unto Jonah:

“I say to you, arise!

To Nineveh I send you

To warn of their demise.”

So Jonah, as commanded,

Went forth to raise the cry.

“In forty days, the city,

Great Nineveh, will die.”

3. The people heard the message.

They heard and they believed.

The king and all his people

Knew God was not deceived.

They clothed themselves with sackcloth;

In ashes sat the king.

“Let all repent of vi’lence

And ev’ry evil thing.”

4. God saw their true repentance,

Rejoicing to relent.

No tragedy befell them;

On Christ His wrath was spent.

May we, with that great city,

From evil turn away,

And cling to Christ, our Savior,

No more to go astray.

86 86D

HYMN: Oh, Draw Us from the Nations

As it almost always seems to, my time at District Convention has proven fruitful for writing hymn texts. I wrote two yesterday, both for the Easter Vigil project I’m working on with the Reverend Doctor John Fleischmann. They’re both rough first drafts, and any feedback you’d desire to provide would be appreciated. Here’s the first text. I don’t yet know what I/we want to do for a tune.

Oh, and I also wrote the first stanza of a text which was supposed to be for the Easter Vigil project, but I think it will stand better as a hymn text regarding our response to the disregard of the world toward the Church. 

Oh, Draw Us from the Nations

for the Easter Vigil

A New Heart and a New Spirit—Ezekiel 36:24-28

1. Oh, draw us from the nations

And gather us to You.

Pour out baptismal waters

To cleanse like morning dew.

Create in us a new heart;

Cut out our heart of stone.

Remove our love of idols;

Lead us to You alone.

2. Within us put Your Spirit

To be Your dwelling place,

And make Your Law our pleasure,

Obeying by Your grace.

Grant us to be Your people;

Our God forever be!

Yes, gather us together

Unto eternity.

86 86D