HYMN: The Word Gives Life and Spirit

This is the second of the two hymn texts I wrote at a conference back in June. I wanted to take a little more time with this one, and I think it’s a better text for the delay. Written for the Easter Vigil project and based on the account of Ezekiel in the valley of dry bones in Ezekiel 37, it emphasizes the power of the Word of the Lord to give life. Feedback is love.

The Word Gives Life and Spirit

for the Easter Vigil

The Valley of Dry Bones—Ezekiel 37:1-14

1. The Word gives life and Spirit

To people dead in sin.

It draws us to the Church doors 

And welcomes us within.

Lord, breathe on Adam’s children,

That we may rise and live.

Send forth Your faithful prophets,

Your holy Word to give.

2. Ezekiel to the valley

Was led by God’s own hand.

Dry bones were all around him,

But none could live or stand.

The Lord said to the prophet,

“Can these bones live, O man?”

“You know, O Lord,” he answered,

“Through Whom all life began.”

3. “Proclaim My Word, O prophet:

‘Dry bones, I am the Lord.

My breath will move within you

By power of My Word.

On you will I lay sinew

Enclosed in flesh and skin,

And when I breathe within you,

Your new life will begin.’”

4. He spoke as God commanded,

And with a mighty sound,

The bones now came together:

A rattle most profound.

The sinew, skin, and muscle 

Comprised a human frame.

Yet breath was not within them;

No life the bones could claim.

5. “Speak once again, O prophet,

And say unto the breath,

‘Oh, come from every corner

And breathe new life from death.’”

The wind received the message

He spoke by God’s command.

The bodies, now an army,

With breath now rose to stand.

6. “These bones, O man, are Israel.

Oh, hear My children cry:

‘In exile we are hopeless;

Our bones are very dry.’

But I, their God, shall call them

To raise them from their graves

And bring my people homeward.

I am the Lord who saves.”

Sermon for 8/28/22: Eleventh Sunday After Trinity

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Blood and Life

Genesis 4:1-15

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

 

The tragic story of Cain and Abel actually began with great hope. Eve had given birth to her first child. And she remembered the promise God had given to her and Adam when the world had fallen into sin and darkness. Even as the Lord was preparing to expel Adam and Eve from the Garden, He gave them the first Gospel promise of a Savior: “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” From a woman would come the One who would crush the head of Satan and bring salvation to the world.

When Eve gave birth to Cain, she assumed that he would be the one to fulfill this promise. Most translations of the Bible, including the one we read, have Eve saying something like this: “I have acquired a man with the help of the Lord.” But the Hebrew of the Old Testament says, simply: “I have gotten a man, the Lord.” Rightly, Eve believed the promise of God and looked for its fulfillment. Wrongly, as it turned out, she thought Cain was the Messiah. And this would have made perfect sense to Eve. From the beginning, it was clear that, even in judgment, God was always bringing the message of His grace alongside. When Adam and Eve were cast out of the Garden, God provided the skins of animals to make clothing to hide their nakedness. By the death of another, by the shedding of blood, they were covered. This pattern continues throughout all of Scripture.

But what was Cain’s reason for killing his brother? We are told that Abel was a “keeper of sheep,” while Cain was a “worker of the ground.” At some point God requested an offering, so each brought something of what he had. Abel brought a first-born animal from his flock, while Cain brought an offering of grain from his fields. God was pleased with Abel’s offering, but had no regard for Cain’s. From all that we are told, one of the reasons for the rejection of Cain’s offering was the attitude of his heart. After all, God does not need our gifts, but He wants us to appreciate what He has done for us.

It’s also important to understand that Abel’s life and death were prophetic. In the end, it was only the death of a living, breathing animal, spilling blood on the ground, that satisfied the Lord’s request. Abel was a shepherd, just like his descendent David. And just as Abel was murdered by a vengeful, jealous man, so was Jesus murdered by those who despised Him. When Abel’s blood was poured out in those ancient days, it became a loud voice crying out condemnation against Cain. The blood was clear and certain proof that Abel had been murdered. So God came to Cain, and asked him: “The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to me from the ground.” And so, Cain was cursed; the soil would never cooperate with him. He would be forced to roam the earth, exiled from his homeland.

And yet, even in the midst of this message of judgment, God, as always, brings the promise of grace. Cain was afraid that when others heard about Abel’s murder, they would seek him to kill him. The Lord said to him: “Not so! If anyone kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold.” And the Scripture tells us that God put a special mark on Cain to protect him, lest any who found him should attack him. It was a mark of grace. We saw a similar kind of mark being placed on the door posts of the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt at the Passover. The angel of death was sent to kill every first born male in Egypt. But God told that angel to pass over any house that bore the blood, the mark of salvation.

The sevenfold wrath of God, which could have immediately turned Cain into a smoldering cinder, was reserved to be poured out fully on Christ Himself at Calvary. This would be the belated fulfillment of that original promise given to Adam and Eve. Here Satan would bruise the heel of the Son of Man, but the Son would crush the head of the old evil foe. Perhaps you remember that when Jesus died, a soldier stabbed Him in the side, and a pool of blood poured out on the ground. The blood was clear and certain proof that Jesus had been murdered. And that blood, like the blood of Abel, cried out from the ground, but with a different message. The cry was not “Guilty!” but “Innocent!” It proclaimed that, just as God was satisfied by the bloody sacrifice brought by Abel, He also had regard for the offering of the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. And now this blood and righteousness of Jesus covers us like the mark of Cain, telling the angel of eternal death and condemnation to pass over us when it sees the blood of the Lamb. But this is the way God has always worked. By the death of another, by the shedding of blood, Adam and Eve had been covered from their shameful nakedness. By the death of Christ and the shedding of His blood, we have been marked in Holy Baptism, and we are clothed with righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, now and forevermore. 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: The Lord Our God Is Faithful

Back in June, while at a conference about Paul Gerhardt, Martin Luther, and JS Bach, I wrote early drafts for two hymns for the Easter Vigil project I’ve been working on. While all the hymns I post (and, indeed, even the hymns I published in my book, Rejoice, O Zion, Sing!) are works in progress, these two felt like they needed work before I shared them here. 

This first one is based on Deuteronomy 31, which discusses God’s faithfulness to Israel while Israel becomes increasingly faithless. Though it is not part of the text included in the Vigil, I also included some of Deuteronomy 32’s Song of Moses, because it seemed like something was missing from the hymn without it. Anyway, feedback is love.

The Lord Our God Is Faithful

for the Easter Vigil

God’s Faithfulness to Israel—Deuteronomy 31:19-29 (and 32:1-43)

1. The Lord our God is faithful.

His Word is sure and true;

It always will accomplish

What He sets out to do.

His people, as He promised,

At last to Canaan came,

The land of milk and honey.

All glory to His name!

2. The Lord said unto Moses

As Moses neared his end:

“My people will forget Me

On whom they did depend.

So write a song as witness 

Of all I gave by grace.

When false gods then consume them,

Their shame they must embrace.”

3. Said Moses, “Earth and heaven,

Oh, hear God’s holy name.

His work is just and perfect.

His ways are free from blame.

O crooked generation,

Why are you so unwise?

For this is God your Father

Who hears your faithless cries.

4. “Oh, listen as your fathers

Recall from days of old

How God made you His people

And heirs of grace untold.

Behold His servant Jacob,

The apple of His eye.

God gave him wine and cattle

And lifted him on high.

5. “The Lord will judge His people,

And though they turned away,

He shows His great compassion.

His love He will display.

Rejoice! Rejoice, O nations!

Rejoice, my people! Sing!

For God provides atonement.

Salvation He shall bring.”

6. To Joshua the faithful

The Lord God gave command.

“Be strong and of good courage, 

For into this new land

You, child, shall lead my people:

This land so rich and fair,

And know I will be with you

To see you safely there.”

7. Then Moses told the Levites,

“Receive this book of Law

And by the Ark now place it,

That you may see your flaw.

I know your sad rebellion.

I know that, when I die,

Your evil will befall you;

God’s Law you will deny.”

8. O faithful God, we praise You.

Your sacred song we sing.

You blot out our transgression.

From You all graces spring.

Oh, lead us to that country

With milk and honey blest.

Christ’s holy blood and body:

Our endless Paschal Feast.

HYMN: Your Ancient People Heard Your Word

It’s been a while since I’ve posted a text, but I’ve actually written three in that time. The first two are still works in progress for the Easter Vigil project, but this third one was inspired by the Divine Service I attended while visiting Mom in New York. Thanks to Pastor Ben Eder of Pilgrim Lutheran Church in Kenmore, New York, for bringing the Word that day.

This is a simple text based on Hebrews 11:1-16, the Epistle for Proper 14 in Year C of the Lutheran Service Book 3-Year Lectionary. I didn’t think the text needed much in the way of embellishment. Feedback is appreciated.

Your Ancient People Heard Your Word

1. Your ancient people heard Your Word:

Your vow to love and bless.

By grace their faith in You was stirred;

You called it righteousness.

2. Like saints of old, Your Word I hear

By which all things were made.

Your Word is certain, true, and clear,

Your faithfulness displayed.

3. A better, heav’nly country waits,

A place by You prepared.

Your people seek this homeland’s gates

Where sinful saints are spared.

4. I live by faith, not yet by sight;

Lord, help my unbelief!

I seek what You call good and right

For hope in joy and grief.

5. And by Your Word I see by faith

My Savior’s cross and grave.

No longer need I fear my death,

For Jesus died to save.

© 2022 Alan Kornacki, Jr.

CM (86 86)

THE SAINTS’ DELIGHT (LSB 569)

Hebrews 11:1-16 (Proper 14C); Trust

Sermon for 8/21/22: Tenth Sunday After Trinity

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Deeds and Faith

Romans 9:30-10:4

 

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

 

 

Israel had everything. They possessed the promise to Abraham of a great and faithful nation. They had been given the Law, written by the very finger of God and given to Moses on Mt. Sinai. Above all, they had the promise that, from among them, the Seed of the woman, the world’s one and only Savior, would arise. In His unfathomable grace, God had given all of this to them.

What happened? Had God’s Word failed? Of course not! No, there was a deeper mystery at work here, a mystery that remains veiled to this day to most of those who are of Israel according to the flesh. It was the mystery that was revealed finally and fully in Jesus Christ. But it was not just that most of the Jews rejected Jesus when He appeared. That was certainly true, as John so cogently reminds us in His Gospel: “He came to His own, but His own did not receive Him.” But it was not as simple as that. Israel stumbled over something else. Their great prophet, Isaiah, had warned them: “And He will become a sanctuary and a stone of offense and a rock of stumbling to both houses of Israel, a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And many shall stumble on it. They shall fall and be broken; they shall be snared and taken.”

So what happened? The Gospel, with its promise of a righteousness bestowed by God on believers, came to the Jews first. That had been the proclamation of the prophets, the message of the God who desired mercy more than sacrifice, the God who endlessly called out to His people to return to Him, to be reconciled to Him, to receive His promise of life and salvation. And now, with the coming of Jesus, it would go also to the Gentiles. But while it had gone to the Jews first, it was the Gentiles who now received it with great joy. They responded gratefully to the message that assured them of their acceptance by God through faith in Jesus Christ. And faith, just as it had been promised to Abraham, was now accounted to them for righteousness. But the Jews decided to pursue a different path to righteousness. They sought acceptance by God on the basis of their keeping of the Law—a goal they could never attain. They did not know God’s way of righteousness, but sought to establish their own. Yet, as Paul himself had found that “...Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness to everyone who believes,” so might his fellow sons of Israel when they, too, learned the way of faith in Christ.

So why does this matter to us? Why all of this history about Israel and their failure to see the true righteousness of God in Jesus Christ? It is because a righteousness based on a keeping of the Law is a natural thing also to us. That is just how our minds actually think. That is just how our souls, darkened by sin, naturally believe that God is satisfied. Our history might be more like Israel’s than we would care to think. When religious zeal is not enlightened by the truth, it inevitably centers on self! And when zeal is blinded by self, it has no eyes for the righteousness that comes from God. How can it? We think our own thoughts and theories about how our good deeds can compensate for any ill we have done. We who would judge the sins of others will want our own disobedience overlooked. To submit to the righteousness that comes from God would mean having to give up our own righteousness, pleading our guilt before God, and acknowledging that we really are lost. And that is something we are not inclined to do.

But God has brought His salvation, and the righteousness it brings, near to us in Jesus Christ. We don’t have to climb up any heavenly steps to attain it. He comes down to save us with it. That’s what Jesus meant when He wept over Jerusalem and said that they did not know the time of their visitation, the time of His coming near to them in His saving grace. He had come down to save them. He has come down to save us! We need not plumb the depths of our souls or our conscience to find it, for He has risen from the dead to make it secure for us. It is here, now. It is present. It is available. And we receive it by faith alone—which is, itself, a gift of God. It is by the powerful working of the Holy Spirit in the Word of God that we believe that God raised His Son from death; it is by the Spirit that we acknowledge Christ as Savior and Lord.

This is the way of righteousness that saves, and it is open to all, without distinction. There is not one way of righteousness for the Jews, and another for the Gentiles. All who call upon the Lord in faith will receive it. To Jew and Gentile alike; to open and despicable sinners as well as sinners who are just as despicable, though their sins may be hidden—to each and to all, the gates of God’s mercy stand wide open. The full and free and forever forgiveness of God is assured, in Jesus Christ, to all who will believe it and, by faith, claim it as their own.

Jesus said as He looked over Jerusalem, “If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.” Faith, and only faith, opens our eyes to that peace of God which is found through faith in Jesus Christ. There is no other way! May God in His mercy keep our eyes open to that way unto life everlasting. 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 8/14/22: Ninth Sunday After Trinity

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Merciful, Blameless, Pure, and Shrewd

II Samuel 22:26-34

 

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

 

 

Listening to King David speak about God, we hear a lot that makes perfect sense to our ears of faith. “With the merciful You will show Yourself merciful; with a blameless man You will show Yourself blameless; with the pure You will show Yourself pure; and with the devious You will show Yourself shrewd.” God shows us all these things about Himself, and it all makes sense. That’s just who He is—merciful, blameless, pure, shrewd.

The easiest reading of this text tells us that God shows His mercy to those who are merciful. To the blameless He shows Himself blameless. To the pure He deals purely. To the crooked He makes Himself seem crooked, unfair, unjust. Simply put, God doesn’t play games. He doesn’t deal in lip service. He doesn’t deal in hypocrisy; He doesn’t merely put on a good outward show, while the inward reality is something much different. He is what He says He is, and He does what He says He will do. People boast all day long about being merciful. They put on a great outward show of good works. They make sure to let everyone know how kind and generous and merciful they are. And yet, when it comes to actually showing mercy, they show who they really are. If you show mercy only for a tax deduction or to get praise from people; if you show mercy to your friend, but not to the person you don’t like; are you truly merciful? If no one sings your praises, do you stop showing mercy? If so, is it really mercy you’re showing?

A careful reading of this text also shows us that God displays His mercy and love through us to our neighbors. His Light, the Light of Christ, shines through us. His Light gives light to all those in the darkness of sin and death. His Light shines upon us; it shines in us; it is to shine through us for all the world to see. God Himself is showing His mercy by means of His people showing mercy to others. The same goes for showing forth His blamelessness and His purity. It is through those who have been made blameless in Christ, whose sin He has washed away, that God shows forth His blamelessness and purity. He shows forth Christ.

God knows the heart. He knows the Truth. Faithful children of God are merciful to others because God first showed mercy to them. We love because He first loved us. He shows His spotless, blemish-free love that was made flesh and hung on a cross to die for us. He Himself washes us in Holy Baptism; He nourishes us with in His body and blood and His Word. To those who have been made pure through His means of grace, to those who cling to His purifying righteousness, He shows pure mercy and love.

Now, it is easy to recognize the proverbial merciful master as our God, but you must also look for God’s shrewdness. The astute wisdom and cleverness of God is something to be praised, is it not? God works all things for the good of those who love Him. Look no further than the cross. Who could ever think that this is good? Human wisdom cannot understand this as a victory. God certainly seems to be crooked and unfair and unjust in this wretched display. Christ bears the Father’s wrath against sin: battered, bloodied, nailed on a cross for all the world to see. Here is how God views and handles our sin. He puts His own innocent Son to death because of it. An innocent man paid the ultimate price for our sins! Holy and sinless God died for our sins! That’s about as crooked and unfair as you can get! But by means of this all-atoning death, God Himself paid mankind’s debt of sin in full. Nothing and no one was left out. This “one little word,” as Luther says it—“tetelestai: It is finshed!”—defeats the devil and death itself! This cross-shaped shrewdness is worthy of all praise and thanksgiving.

Here in Christ we see the merciful, gracious, loving shrewdness of our God. It is here on this bloody cross and in these humble means of grace that God Himself shows us and gives to us the gift that is Himself. Here is God, your Rock, your Refuge, your Light, your Life. Hold fast to His mercy, His blamelessness, His purity, and even His shrewdness. Be at peace, for He is yours and You are His, now and to all eternity. 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 7/31/22: Seventh Sunday After Trinity

 CLICK HERE for the audio link.

No video link this week. My apologies.

Wages and Gift

Romans 6:19-23

 

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

 

 

In terms of how the world works, St. Paul’s time was probably not that different from ours. Things may change, but people don’t. This world has difficulty even acknowledging the reality of sin and those far-reaching fingers of the consequences of sin. We see the evils in our world: the unabated slaughter of the unborn; the starvation of millions because of large-scale political corruption; masses of people, even entire nations, subjected to terror by a few who seem to be operating without conscience. We know that sin is active and destructive. Satan isn’t even hiding his methods anymore. But even we, who should be sensitive to the ugly reality of sin, insulate ourselves against it, thinking sin resides elsewhere; it’s in those people in those places, and we don’t have anything to do with that. But can we see what sin is doing to us?

Throughout this text, and in pretty much the entire Epistle to the Romans, Paul uses the word “sin” in the singular sense. He does not see sin as a series of wrong words or deeds. Now, the world, when it allows itself to consider such a concept as sin, views sin as bad thoughts, words, and deeds, and these add up to something that might be considered bad, sinful, or even evil. That’s because the world believes that all people are basically good. The world denies that we are conceived and born sinful. The apostle teaches us otherwise; he teaches a true definition of sin. Sin is an enslaving power. It is a condition, a sickness—and a desperate one at that.

Simply put, sin is alienation from God. Sin is our determination to be independent of Him. And that determination paints a false picture of freedom. Think of it like this. You have the freedom to jump out of a ten-story window. You can do that if you like, and no one is going to stop you. But that freedom does not free you from the laws of gravity. In the same way, life is meant to be geared toward God, toward His purpose and His promise. But sin gets dramatically in the way of that. And so, it is not simply a matter of what might be going on somewhere else. But do you really understand that the ill feelings you have toward your spouse are actually sin against God? Do you realize that hatred of your neighbor is really hatred of God? The title “chief of sinners” is not about somebody else; it belongs to you.

It’s not a pretty picture. But thanks be to God, for it’s not the only picture available. Yes, the wages of sin is death; that is truly the payment we have earned for ourselves. Our bodies will die; they will crumble and decay. But that is not the end. Christ will call us out of our graves on the Last Day, when we will rise to live forever. For “the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” The Son of God entered this broken world to change this tragic picture. He came to restore and to heal, to draw together everything that was torn apart by sin. Through His death He destroyed our sin and the death we have earned. In that one decisive event at the cross, Jesus overcame the world and all that leads to death. By that one supreme act, He shattered those bonds against which we struggle in vain.

And now, you see, there is that “newness of life” about which Paul had spoken earlier in this same chapter. The whole thrust of this Epistle to the Romans is that the one whom God justifies in Jesus Christ lives! Sin is forgiven; the awful strain it puts on life has been lifted! Striving for righteousness and goodness is no longer a burden because the righteousness of Christ is a gift that accompanies forgiveness and the promise of eternal life. Just as marriage is the beginning of a life together, so this restoration marks the beginning of a life with God that is completely and forever new!

Paul says that we are “slaves” of God, but this is a slavery like no other. We are slaves who actually know a freedom that passes human understanding. Slavery to sin has been cut off once and for all, so that we might take on a higher service to God—slavery in a way that spells freedom and the breath of life that could never before be imagined! We are God’s; we belong to Him, and He and all that He is and has becomes ours. This is how it will be forever and forever!

How different that is from the world around us, with all its striving and struggling for life. This world fears the end it knows is coming, that moment when all that has been success will be exhausted, when the beauty of the past becomes today’s decay. This remains the wages for those who have lived life for self, without God. But it is not so for you! Here is the gift of eternal life to all who are in Christ Jesus: life and salvation—“the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Receive it this day in the words that enter your ears. Receive it upon your lips as the Savior’s very body and blood fill you with life and joy. It is the medicine of immortality, and it is yours, a free gift purchased and won by the life, death, and resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ. 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.