Sermon for 10/27/13--Festival of the Reformation

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Faith and the Truth

John 8:31-36

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

       

Any Lutheran should be able to say, “Good works don't get me to heaven.” But many wrongly say that “believing” is what counts. That makes faith into something that is about you. Here's where repentance comes in. Jesus says, “If you remain in my Word, you are truly my disciples.” The problem with making believing into something going on in our hearts means that we don't really need the Word. The fact is, people all the time say, “No, I don't go to church, but I believe.” They don't desire the preaching of God's Word. They don't receive Christ's body and blood. They don't learn and grow in the Scriptures. But they still say they have faith? Such a thing is impossible. It is the means of grace, the Word and Sacraments, which give us faith and keep us in faith. Without those things, faith withers and dies.

There is nothing we can do to be saved. Christ has done it all and given it all. But by despising and ignoring His Word, we can surely give it up and have nothing to do with it. When Jesus tells the Jews that they are slaves, they don't believe Him. They believe they don't need Jesus because they think they're free. We think the same way when we think we don't need the Word or its not important to come and hear and learn it. People say, “I don't need church,” or “I don’t need organized religion,” or “I don’t want to be around all those hypocrites,” or other silly things, as if they can still be Christians apart from what Christ gives through the Church. You can't. Let me be very clear: those who give up church and Christ's Word are cutting themselves off from Christ. Jesus Himself says so. If we don't remain in His Word, then we aren't His disciples, no matter that our names are on the member list of a congregation.

But there's repentance for all of us. For none of us cherishes and treasures that Word as we should. Ask yourself: What is it that keeps me from learning the Word of God? What keeps me from crying out constantly for the body and blood of Jesus? What keeps me from church? What keeps me from Sunday School? What keeps me from hearing and reading God's Word every day? What keeps me from learning and growing in it? No matter how much of the Word we think we have, there's always more! Such repentance is given to turn us to Christ in faith. True faith clings to Jesus and trusts in Him and what He gives. To have faith is not to stand around and say, “Oh, sure, I believe.” What do you really believe? Faith that believes in Christ lives every day in the promises of Baptism. Faith that clings to Christ confesses sins and rejoices to hear absolution. Faith that truly believes in Jesus comes to hear His Word and learn and grow in it. Faith that genuinely trusts in Christ eagerly eats and drinks the body and blood of Jesus. Faith that trusts in Jesus doesn't make excuses for not coming to receive Christ's gifts, for not demanding them constantly, while saying at the same time, “I'm still a Christian though.” In other words, faith is not found just in your heart, in your private thinking about God. Faith is found when Jesus returns you to the font each day, when He reminds you of your baptism. Faith isn't just some facts and information in your head; it's when Jesus brings you to confess your sins and be forgiven. Faith isn't your name on a list of some church; it's you, at the altar of Christ, feasting on His flesh and blood. Faith isn't you apart from Christ, it's you clinging to Christ and receiving what He has for you. Faith and the object of that faith go together. True faith goes hand in hand with Christ crucified, with baptism, absolution and the supper. False faith goes hand in hand with itself. True faith means that it is Christ who saves you. It is Christ who sets you free and makes you free indeed.

The Reformation is about Jesus turning you away from doing anything to save yourself and joyfully confessing that He does all things for your salvation. The Reformation is about learning to come to church for the right reason: that it is here that you receive the Word in which you are made and kept as disciples. It's about Jesus teaching you repentance. The Reformation Gospel, which is the Good News of Christ and the church of all times and places, is that it is on account of Christ that you have God's favor. It is because of Jesus that you are a child of God. It is for Christ's sake that your sins are forgiven and you have eternal life. Jesus and all He has done for you and gives to you—that is the foundation and center of your faith. Jesus is the Truth; Jesus sets you free. 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.

GUEST POST: Waking up with Leah

Every so often I come across a real nugget of wisdom. Sometimes it's from pastors or seminary professors. Sometimes it's from a layperson. Sometimes it's even from agnostics or atheists. This time it comes from a former pastor and seminary professor who now works for a freight company.

Life as a Christian in the Church can be a lot more complex than one would think. Jesus said, "This is my commandment, that you love one another." Sinners that we are, we have a hard time with all of the commandments of God, but it seems sometimes that we have a very hard time with this one in particular. Chad Bird addresses what happens when one realizes that the Church on earth is not always what we would hope it would be. This post said a lot to me as I continue to struggle with the events of eight years ago.  (And I also like how, without directly saying so, it addresses those who say that they won't go to church because of all the hypocrites therein.)

Originally posted in his blog, you can read it here with his permission. If you would like to address Chad directly about his post, click the link in the previous sentence.

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Waking up with Leah: Learning to Love a Disappointing Church

In the tiny Texas town where I grew up, sleeping in on Sunday morning was as inconceivable as rooting for someone besides the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday afternoon. Going to church made the list with apple pie and Chevrolet. My dad was a deacon; my mom a Sunday School teacher; and I was the typical daydreaming boy fidgeting in the pew. Fast-forward a couple of decades, and I found myself in a job where sleeping in on Sunday was highly frowned upon since the pulpit would’ve been quite empty without me. There I was: seminary trained, armed to the teeth with confessions and creeds, zealous to convert a world—or, at least, our Oklahoma town—to the faith once for all delivered to the saints.

Looking back at myself as that twenty-something pastor, I have to admit that I was almost as steeped in naïveté then as I was as a twelve year old boy. Sure, I knew plenty about the church, but it was heavily freighted with the good stuff. The good stuff of the ladies’ guild cooking casseroles for grieving families, youth groups pounding hammers in Mexico to build homes for the poor, a rancher showing up on the pastor’s doorstep with half a beef from his own herd to stock the freezer. But as good and giving and beautiful as the church can be, there’s a dark side, too, that at times can be dog ugly. The day I stumbled upon a secret meeting of the church leadership and one of the elders stood up and slammed the door in my face—that comes to mind. Over the years, there were the not-so-veiled threats of violence, pastors who broke the seal of confession, bishops issuing warnings about me, and occasional rumors about me so outrageous they could have been ripped from the cover of the National Enquirer. I learned plenty through those years, the most obvious lesson being that the church can be a place that’s just as mean and nasty and royally screwed up as the world.

Like the patriarch, Jacob, who after his wedding night, awoke to the wrong wife in his bed, I too one day opened my eyes to find that the Rachel with whom I had fallen in love, for whom I’d labored long years, was not the one beside me as the sun rose. I rolled over and came face-to-face with the uncomely, undesirable, older sister. And then I had a decision to make: leave the church, or learn to love Leah.

Have you been there? Maybe you too grew up with a congregation as your second home, perhaps even served in the ministry, but later encountered within its walls abuse or neglect or a whole host of other ills. While going through a divorce, or struggling with a sexually charged issue, you found not clasping hands of support but wagging fingers of accusation. As the shards of your broken life fell about you, when simply having a Christian show you they cared, when that alone would have meant the world to you, all you saw was the church’s back, turned away, walking the other direction. Or maybe you just slowly slipped away, skipping a Sunday here, a whole month there, and eventually never darkened the doors again, but not a single believer took the time to call or visit to reveal they missed you. You have your story, and I have mine, but all such accounts shoulder a common burden: the fellowship that is supposed to be a hospital for sinners can seem more like a religious country club, a xenophobic clique, or a horde of hypocrites. Call it what you may, it’s not been a church to you and for you. So what do you do? Do you leave or learn to love Leah, walk away from the church or stay?

I could’ve washed my hands of the whole affair and walked away. In fact, I gave serious thought to just that, and for several years, rarely planted my butt in a pew for, when I did, I could taste the bile rising up my throat. But over time, and through a whole lot of healing, re-wounding, and re-healing, I finally came to the point where I see and love Leah for what she is: a beautifully ugly church in whose arms I encounter the God who loves beautifully ugly sinners like me.

A beautifully ugly sinner like me—that’s where healing has to start, with an honest acknowledgement that there may be a slew of unattractive things about the church, but I’m no supermodel of holiness myself. Part of the way we humans deal with our grief or anger or guilt is to deflect any culpability from ourselves by blaming others for almost everything that goes wrong. And though there are important exceptions—such as the victims of sexual predators—most of us who’ve had a rocky relationship with the church must fess up to our own failings. There’s a good chance Leah finds me just as ugly as I find her. I see hypocrites in the church, but I see in my own soul times galore when I wore a mask of piety in public and a face of shame in private. I deplore how the church’s tongue can destroy a person’s reputation, but my own tongue loves the desserts of lies and rumors and gossip more than it loves the bread of honesty. In our society, where it seems everyone claims to be a victim, it needs to be said that we are all perpetrators ourselves. We struggle with the same faults with which we fault the church.

In addition to personal accountability, we’ve got to kill and bury any utopian daydreams we have about the church hitting the gym to tighten her glutes and getting a boob job so we have a hotter, sexier Leah. There has never been, nor will there ever be, a time when the church was flawless. Barely had Jesus ascended before the church descended into trouble. Squabbles arose, heresies spread, pastors played favorites, sexual immorality mushroomed, and hearts grew cold. In the last book of the Bible, there are letters from God to seven different churches. Although he commends those congregations for many good things, he also complains of them leaving their first love, holding to false teachers and teachings, spiritual death, and lukewarmness. And this while the church was still basking in the afterglow of the earthly ministry of Jesus! As long as there are people in the church, there will be problems, for if humanity is anything, it is problematic.

Therein is the reason I found my way (or rather, like a lost sheep, was carried) back to the church: because it’s a place pregnant with problems. Because of those imperfections, I fit in perfectly. If you’ve got it all together, have no struggles, live a full and happy life, free of sin, then the church is not for you. But if you struggle with selfishness, greed, lust, addiction, problem children, a cheating spouse, fear, loneliness, or anything else that plagues our race, then the church is the ideal place for you. For Leah struggles with all that crap, too. Don’t let the pretty stained glass and padded pews and vested clergy fool you; all around the church are wounded sinners wheeled about on gurneys, doctors sewing up stab victims, nurses checking IVs, and double amputees carried by the blind who are led by the mute while the deaf sing prayers for healing. The church is messy place for messed up people who are in dire need of a God who cares.

In uncomely, undesirable, older Leah, that’s just what you’ll find: a God who cares. You’ll find a God who was born of an unwed teen whose neighbors likely whispered was a slut. You’ll find a God who hung out with outcasts, welcomed whores as followers, touched untouchables, called bullshit on the holier-than-thous of his day, and walked eyes wide open into the clutches of those who would torture him to death so as to save a world that really didn’t think it needed saving. In the church you’ll encounter the God who takes all his beautiful and exchanges it for your ugly.

And so, after a few years of growing up, maturing in a some areas, and realizing a bit more clearly what life is all about, I can now honestly say, “Leah, just as you are—not who I want you to be, not who others say you should be—but just as you are: I love you.”

Sermon for 10/20/13--Trinity 21

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The Word Speaks

John 4:46-54

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

When the Lord says something, His Word does what it says. If the Lord thunders and judges, His words bring despair and death. If the Lord speaks forgiveness and peace, then sins are actually forgiven and sinners are comforted. The Lord doesn't keep His Word to Himself. He send it out; He gives His Word to us. He gives us His Word as a gift which saves us. He gives us His Word as a weapon that defends and protects us and drives away the Evil One, to drive away all fear and doubt and despair and sin. God's Word is your Word, given to you as your life, your defense, your hope, your joy, your treasure, your sword, your salvation.

From nothing at all, our Lord speaks and all things are made. When the Lord says, "Let there be..." it happens. Light, sky, dry land, grass and trees, sun and moon, fish and birds, animals: the Lord speaks, and His will is done. The Lord's Word goes forth and it creates. It brings something out of nothing. It gives life. All things exist because God said so. Even after the Fall, the Word of God is the big deal. When Adam and Eve sinned, the Lord promises He would send a Savior. Later on, the Savior came, born of Mary. Throughout the Old Testament, the Lord promised Abraham and his descendants that they would become a great nation. And they did. He said He would set them free from slavery in Egypt. He did. He said He would give them a land flowing with milk and honey. They got it. He said he would punish them if they worshiped other gods. They were punished. Over and over, God speaks, and His Word does what it says it will.

But more important than even that, we must learn that when He speaks, it's for our good: for our salvation, for forgiveness and life. Just look what happens when Jesus speaks. He doesn't even have to be where the man's sick son was. He just spoke His word and it was done. Notice how John tells us that the man went home and figured out from his servants that the boy had gotten better at just the time that Jesus had said he was healed. That's the power of Jesus' word. When the Lord says, "Your sins are forgiven," then what happens? Your sins are forgiven!

But here's the Grand Prize: Jesus IS the Word of God. What He says and does, God Himself is saying and doing. Where He goes and what happens to Him is the Word of God doing its thing. When the Word-made-flesh hangs on the cross for sinners, that is God's Word at work. The Word goes forth in the flesh, and your sins are forgiven. Nothing stands against you; God's judgment is over. When our Lord, who is the Word of God in the flesh, gives His life into death for our sins, then our sins are gone! Just as He tells the thief on the cross that he would be with Jesus in Paradise that very day, so when our Lord rises from the dead, then the ruler of this world has been cast down. The last enemy has been defeated! The Lord's Word does what it says. It says your sins have been taken away.

So then St. Paul tells you to get all dressed up in the armor of God and to arm yourself with the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. That means that the Word which the Lord speaks is your weapon against sin and death. How do you use it? You have the Word of your Baptism. The Word declares that you are God's child, just as Juliana has become His child this very day. You have the Word of Absolution which declares that your sins are forgiven. You have the Word in flesh, the Body and Blood of Jesus for life and salvation. Against all sin and death and despair, you have the preaching of your pastor and the Holy Scriptures to fill your ears with the Good News that your sins are forgiven. God speaks His Word to save you. There can be no uncertainty here! If the Lord's Word says you are His baptized and absolved child, fed with His body and blood, then that's what you are. Use that Word to drive away all fear and doubt! Use that Word to battle the devil and your burdened conscience. Speak that Word daily! Let it be upon your lips and in your ears. Let it drive away the thoughts of despair and sadness. Come and hear it preached every week! Come and read it in Sunday School and hear it in Bible Study. Every day, open and read your Bible so that your ears and heart and mind would be filled with these holy promises of God which rescue you from sin and death.

My brothers and sisters in Christ, the Word of God is your treasure, given as a gift. The Word instructs you. It gives you wisdom. It blesses you. It corrects you and rebukes you and calls you to repentance. But most of all, the Word of God saves you. It delivers Jesus. It forgives your sins. It calls you God's child. Just as the Word created all things, so it has made you a new creation. The Word made flesh brought back to life a dead boy, and that same Word has given you life and rescued you from sin and death by His death and resurrection. Just as the Word spoken by Jesus sent the Devil running away, so now the Sword of the Spirit, Christ's Word, drives away your enemies. And it must be true, for Jesus Himself says so! 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 10/13/13--Trinity 20

Sorry. I was a little slow this time.

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The Wedding Garment

Matthew 22:1-14

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

It is not an easy task to get yourself thrown out of the Wedding Feast for the Son of the King. A guest has to work very hard to find himself excluded, especially since the guests are already the dregs of humanity: those whom the servants of the King find along the highways, people described by Jesus as “both good and bad.” Even those who are described as “good” are not the original guests. The original guests, those who refused the invitation, were the respectable people with whom a king would normally associate. But they refused to come, and in response the king sent his armies to exact justice for such a dishonor to his royal self and his royal son and the royal bride. The king knows the nature of the new guests. He told his servants to bring in the travelers and those who rest on the side of the road. They would be filthy from the dust of the road and the sweat of their exertion, and still the king invites them, and they come as they are. But when the king walks in, he orders his servants to bind one of the guests hand and foot and to take him out and cast him away. Why? This happens for the simple reason that the man refused to wear the wedding garment provided for him by the generosity of the king. This garment would cover the filth and stench which the guests would have picked up on the road. Instead the man dared to come to the wedding of the king’s son with the soiled and tattered rags he had worn on his journey.

This is a parable Jesus tells, and as is usually the case with His parables, it’s not hard to cast the characters. The King is the Father, and His Son is Jesus Himself. The original guests are the Jews, those to whom Jesus was sent in the first place but who refused His invitation. And the guests invited from the highway are you and me and all of mankind. And the man who is removed represents all those who refuse the generous gifts of God: those who despise Baptism, who despise preaching and the Word of God, those who have no desire or deny their constant need for this Holy Supper. That is what the wedding garment represents: it is the righteousness placed upon you through the waters of Holy Baptism, a glorious robe made white with the blood of the Lamb of God.

I want to remind you of something. The people who are at that wedding feast are both “good and bad.” That is, they are invited to the Feast without reference to how they live or what they do. Of course, we’re all sinners, but the point is that it isn’t more or less sins that get you an invitation. The grace of the host is what brings you in. Christ is your Savior, and He provides this feast is for you no matter who you are or what you have done or not done. He gives you the wedding garment of His own righteousness which covers everything. If you think you’re a good person, don’t worry: your whitewashed works are covered by Jesus. But the same is true of those we would consider bad people. Sinners and their sins are covered by Jesus. What gets the guy thrown out is that He rejects the garment. He rejects Christ, rejects faith, rejects Christ’s gifts of Baptism and the Supper. That’s our warning: do not toss off the wedding garment. Do not  neglect the gifts of Christ by which we are clothed and remain clothed with Jesus. Do not stop coming to church. Do not stop listening to Christ’s Word. Do not stop receiving Christ’s body and blood. You are an invited guest. There will never be a cover charge for this party. It’s all a gift with no strings attached. You do not need to bring a gift. The feast is for you, and it’s ready. Come as you are, for in the waters of Holy Baptism, Jesus has provided a white garment of His righteousness for you. 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.          

2013 Reading List: September

It's that time again. With the beginning of the school year and the resumption of Catechism instruction and Sunday school, I let myself relax my reading schedule a bit this past month. With no ado, here's my list for September. (By the way, despite my usual narcissism, I have to say that my main reason for re-reading "A Great and Mighty Wonder" was because of my appearance on KFUO's BookTalk show. My third novel will probably be on my list for October for the same reason. And then November will be even slower than September because I do intend to work on another in a new genre for NaNoWriMo.)

September

1. Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, 1998.
2. Ferguson, Craig. American on Purpose. Harper Collins Publishers, 2009.
3. Quinn, Caisey. Girl on Tour. Self-Published Kindle Edition, 2013.
4. Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, 1999.
5. Zelazny, Roger. The Trumps of Doom. Arbor House, 1985.
6. Kavouras, Dean. Nine One One: The Aftermath. Lutheran Heritage Foundation, 2002.
7. Watson, Galen. The Psalter. Self-Published Kindle Edition, 2012. (Awful. How many heresies can one author fit into a 383-page fiction novel and pass them off as truth while writing off the actual truth is the product of conspiracy theories?)
8. Kornacki, Alan. A Great and Mighty Wonder. Self-Published Kindle Edition, 2012.
9. Swank, Denise Grover. Twenty-Nine and a Half Reasons. Self-Published Kindle Edition, 2013.
10. Gunhammer, Jessica. A Summer to Remember. Limitless Publishing, 2013.
11. Cagle, Erik. Gross Misconduct. Self-Published Kindle Edition, 2007.

 

Sermon for 10/6/12--Trinity 19

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Your Sins Are Forgiven

Matthew 9:1-8

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

The man was paralyzed—unable to move, unable to free himself from the shackles which bound him. But he had friends who were willing to go to great lengths to insure that this man got what he needed. The Gospel According to St. Mark tells us that they lowered this man through the roof to make sure that he got into the presence of Jesus, the great Healer of body and soul. Jesus, upon seeing their faith, said to the man, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.” At first glance it is easy to think that Jesus missed the point. They hadn’t gone through so much work for Jesus just to say a few words over him! That’s how we might look at this. They brought this man to get something, and Jesus simply gives them words.

From our perspective, this forgiveness of sins is cheap. Those are just words, and anyone can say words. But it is far easier to heal the body than it is to heal the soul. Then again, Jesus is God Himself; so He does both. First He forgives the man his sins, and then He heals the man of his disease. First he does the hard thing of forgiveness, and then He does the easy thing: healing the body. In His mind, the two go together. Forgiveness leads to resurrection and new life.

We just don’t see things that way. Throughout the history of the world there has been a fascination and almost an obsession with healing the body. Doctors are held in very high regard in probably every culture in the world. When we think of police and firefighters and emergency services personnel, we rightly say that they are a gift from God Himself to be able to protect us and save the body. We should hold these people in very high regard. They are doing God’s work. For remember, Jesus is the Great Physician. It is God’s work to take care of our bodies, as we confess in the First Article of the Creed. But we often forget to look beyond the healing of the body. We obsess about the things of this life, and we forget the greater questions. We discard or count as unimportant how God heals both soul and body through the forgiveness of sins.

Forgiving sins is harder than healing the body. Those words, “I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” aren’t just words. They are words bought with a price—the very blood of Jesus. These words may seem cheap. They may be easy to take for granted; but those words are the most expensive words in the entire world. This is the treasure that God gives us through Word and Sacrament. The treasure is forgiveness of sins, life and salvation. The treasure is Jesus Christ Himself, and His work on the cross for you. This treasure is priceless, worth far more than health of the body, for with these words come healing—and not just healing for the moment. With these words come healing that reaches beyond the grave. With these words God heals your soul and body. With these words God gives you the greatest treasure of all.

That is the nature of God’s mercy. God comes down and gives beyond our wildest dreams. He gives His Son over to death, so that you might receive this great gift. In this house of God, things may not always seem as they really are. From the naked eye you may look out and see a band of sinners. You may see people you like and dislike. But we can truly say with Jacob, “Surely the Lord is in this place and I did not know it. How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven!” In this place, hidden behind simple words, hidden in water, hidden in bread and wine, the God of the Universe comes to you to forgive your sins. These are the hardest words in the world to say, but because of Christ’s work on the cross, God says them to you: “I forgive you.” 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.

A Face for Radio, Part 2

A week ago today I appeared on "BookTalk" with Pastor Rod Zwonitzer to discuss my novel A Great and Mighty Wonder, the second novel in my "Thy Strong Word" trilogy. If you listen, you'll notice that I was very chatty. Bad habit of mine when I get nervous, but at least I was chatty about the book. 

Pastor Zwonitzer is reading the third book, One Thing's Needful, and he plans to have me back on the show when he's done. Dude! Looking forward to it, and not just because I'm a raging narcissist and love hearing my own voice. (And I don't like hearing my voice on a recording. It sounds so weird to me!)

For those of you who weren't able to listen live (or who already heard it once and might want to listen again), here's a link to the audio of the show: BOOKTALK! Just right-click on the link and then select "Save Link As" to download the show!

An author's brain after midnight...

Some authors are able to write organically. I think of their process as sitting in a diner with the characters who will be in their novel, and over coffee and runny eggs these characters tell their story while the author dutifully records their account of the events that came to pass. Then the author has to determine which point(s) of view on which to focus and edit the story appropriately. The author has work to do, but it's as if the story is a gift to them from their characters, even if seems like a gag gift sometimes. 

I've written three novels, and there has been nothing organic about them. The characters have been carefully profiled to the finest detail so I know how they would or wouldn't react when exposed to certain stimuli. (Even using the same main characters, the profiles have to be redone so I know how the events of the previous novel have shaped the characters.) The plot or storyline is outlined in detail, often resembling the process of recovering a vehicle from the deepest depths of a swamp while dodging the alligators and cooyons. The subplots have to be chased down like Obamaphone recipients who are being asked to show proof that they've tried to find work since the 2008 election. For me, writing is a grind. That's not to say I don't love it, but it will never be the way I make my living. Being a pastor is too important to me to commit too often to that routine. (It's no coincidence that I wrote my first novel while I didn't have a congregation to serve full time.)

I'm giving thought to a writing project with no connection to my trilogy. It would be aimed at a different audience, and the characters and setting would be new to me. The prospect is a bit daunting, I admit. I know I can write a novel. After all, I've already written three. But do I have what it takes to start from scratch again? 

Anyone can write a novel. These days you don't even need to be literate to do it as long as you have the right software or enough money to pay a ghostwriter. But to do it more than once? That requires stubbornness, foolishness, at least a touch of masochism...and you have to love to do it. 

What do you know? I'm uniquely qualified on all counts. Guess I should get back to it.

Sermon for 9/22/13--Trinity 17

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Rest

Luke 14:1-11

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

The Catechism students are learning this week about the Third Commandment: “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.” In the Old Testament, the Third Commandment had to do with honoring God for His work in creation by resting on the seventh day as He did. In Jesus’ day, it had become a day of obligations with weighty rules. There were things you absolutely could not do, like lighting fires, doing any kind of fighting, or even performing physical labor. You were allowed to take only 2,000 steps outside the city. By keeping these and other requirements, a Jew could prove his dedication to God.

Jesus was the fulfillment of the Sabbath. His rest in the tomb sanctified and fulfilled the Sabbath rest for His people. When Luther wrote his Small Catechism, this is how he described obedience to the Third Commandment: “We should fear and love God so that we do not despise preaching and His Word, but hold it sacred and gladly hear and learn it.” The Sabbath is all about the Word of God: first about what God has done for His people both in creation and in redeeming His people through the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus for us, and then in how we thank God for these wonderful gifts.

Let us be clear about something: the Law and the Commandments of God were not given so you have a way of proving to others how much religion you have. It was not given so that you could judge others who don't measure up as well as you. The Law was given to show you that you are doomed. The Law was given to show you that you need Jesus. Think about it. There's a guy with dropsy, which is edema or swelling. He’s a pretty sick guy. If we go by the letter of the Law, there's no help for this guy on the Sabbath. The Pharisees don't have to help him. God could rightly say, "Well, if you last until sundown, maybe then I’ll help you." But that's not what Jesus does. He rescues the man from the Law by healing him—right then and there…on the Sabbath even! What does that show us? What does this mean? It means that Jesus rescues us from the curse of the Law. By itself, the Law would kill us. So Jesus keeps and fulfills it to save you. He keeps every commandment for you and dies on the cross to pay the price for your failure to keep the Law. He says, "I don't care what day it is. If sinners need saving, then I'm going to save them. If that means 'breaking' the Law as man understands it, then so be it." Your Savior won't let anything stand in the way of His saving you!

So what does it all mean? It means you don't grab the highest place by telling God what you deserve. The Law isn't given for you to show off. Rather, the Law, in showing us our sin, throws us down to the low spot. And then it's Jesus who says to you in Baptism, in Absolution, by preaching and His Supper, "Come up to the high place." After all, wasn't it Jesus who held the top spot? Did He come down in the flesh to take the bottom spot on the cross? And then He rose again and was exalted to the highest place, this time taking you with Him. You have the best place now—but not because you earned it or took it. You have the best place because Jesus does, and He lifts you up to sit beside Him by His grace and mercy. So now, the Law isn't your way of making others think you're holy or trying to prove to God that you're holy. Now it's the way you learn to love and serve your neighbor. Christ has ascended to the highest heavens and brought you with Him. You don't have to get their by stomping down someone else. They are brought along too, healed and forgiven by Jesus. 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 9/15/13--Trinity 16

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Inconvenience

Luke 7:11-17

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

You're going to die. You can’t avoid it. Someday this life is going to end. As you get older, perhaps you sense it more acutely. Of course, being young doesn’t really keep young people from worrying about death. No one here today has escaped the effects of death. The world spends a lot of time trying to avoid the inevitable. Most preachers out there spend their time trying to avoid it, too, getting people wrapped up in the finer points of daily life so that death is a mere distraction. Then someone dies, and they deliver a eulogy about the good life of the deceased. But the truth is, the Church, the body of Christ on earth, even this congregation, is hospice care. You are here because you are dying. Death is the enemy who stalks you as prey.

Have you ever noticed that death seems to be a mere inconvenience for our Lord? It never seems to slow him down very much. He got dragged to help the daughter of Jairus when she died. He was very deliberate when He stalled and then went to the tomb of Lazarus. But today He just runs into it. He's going one way, and a funeral procession is coming the other way, and they bump head on. That's how Jesus handles death: head on. He walks up to the woman, a widow who's already lost her husband and now her son to death. "Stop crying," He says, as if she can help it. Death brings tears. It's that simple. Jesus is about to fix that. Without another word, without even any pleading from Mom, He strolls up to the coffin and tells the kid to get up. And the kid sits up. Death has received another slap.

Death seeks its revenge on the Son of God Himself! Jesus is brutally beaten and nailed to that cross. He bleeds and dies. But even then, death can only have Jesus when Jesus allows it, when Jesus gives up His spirit. Only then can death have Him…but only for three days. On the third day, The Lord is alive. “Death, where is your victory? Grave, where is your sting?” Death is powerless before our Lord, for He has conquered sin; the wages of sin is removed.

The times when Jesus raised someone from the dead remind us that He is Lord over death. That's a great consolation to the widows who got their sons back. Then why won't the Lord raise the dead today? But He does! He does it in Baptism where His death becomes your death, where His resurrection becomes your resurrection. You have already died by water, Word, and Spirit at the font. Your Old Adam has been drowned in that water, and the New Man has risen from the dead as a new creation. Yes, the death of the body is a cause of grief for those who are left behind. But we do not grieve like those who have no hope. Consider this: In Holy Baptism, you have been inoculated against death. When you die, having already been raised in the waters of Baptism, that death will be nothing more than a rest on the way to eternal life. Jesus has turned it into a minor annoyance. The same Jesus who raised that boy and handed him to His mother has raised you up at the font and given you to your mother, the Church. And here in Christ's church, the One who died and rose—He promises and guarantees that He will raise you from the dead on the Last Day.

You can’t avoid it: you're going to die. But the bigger fact is that Jesus has made that no big deal. He has overcome death. He has overcome your death. Now there is nothing but life in Christ forever. May this be your comfort as you face off against death in this life: death has no power over you because of Jesus. 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.

The Word Works: Reflections on 9/11

It's my generation's Pearl Harbor, our JFK assassination. We all remember where we were when the planes struck the World Trade Center. For me, that Tuesday morning found me in Hannover, North Dakota. I'd stayed with a pastor friend and his family for a little extra break after our Monday meeting with the pastors of our Circuit. Usually when I woke up at their house, my friend had already left for his study at the church. This particular morning he was still at home when I emerged from the guest room, and he was watching the television with rapt attention. I wandered over, and I was assaulted with the sight of smoke and flames billowing out of the first of the towers to be struck. My horror increased as we watched the second plane strike. I watched for a little longer, and then I jumped in my car without a shower to make the 150 mile trip back to my own parsonage. While on the road, I did something I never do: I listed to the radio, searching for news reports emerging from New York City--and then Washington D.C. and Somerset, Pennsylvania. I spent time on the phone between no-reception zones trying to get in touch with my sister and her husband who lived outside of New York City. I knew they lived far enough away, but maybe my sister had taken her class on a field trip to the World Trade Center that day? I didn't know, and I didn't hear back from my family until later in the day that they were okay. It's a day I will never forget: the confusion, the fear, the images, the uncertainty, the grief, the anger, and a whole host of other things.

Chaplain Kavouras

On this anniversary of that horrible terrorist attack--not to mention the anniversary of the terror in Benghazi a year ago (and I'm sure not mentioning Benghazi today would make the current administration very happy)--I didn't want to just throw out my narcissistic musings on the day and what it means. Instead I picked up and read a book I first read over a decade ago. The book is called Nine One One: The Aftermath--the Word Works. It is a compilation of the chaplain reports of the Reverend Dean Kavouras, an LCMS pastor who also serves as chaplain to the police and fire departments of Cleveland, Ohio, and the Cleveland Division of the FBI. Chaplain Kavouras served the workers in Somerset and those in Staten Island who searched the refuse from the World Trade Center for human remains. His reports show the power of the Word of God at work in the lives of people who spent long hours in an earthly hell in service to the families of those lost their lives on that awful September day.

Dean with my son Michael

These days my wife and I are friends with Pastor Kavouras and his beautiful wife, Barb. At the time, however, I only knew Pastor Kavouras from Internet interaction. Nevertheless, I was blessed to read these reports as they first came out. Rereading them today was a potent reminder of the power of God to do mighty work for the good of His people in the midst of the greatest of evil and the greatest of tragedies. Chaplain Kavouras and his faithful words and service guided me as I spoke with acquaintances and family after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005 and Hurricanes Gustav and Ike in 2008. His example also inspired me as I wrote my Thy Strong Word series of novels, where the main character is both a parish pastor and a chaplain to his local fire department. His guidance helped Pastor Corwin sound like a real pastor and chaplain instead of a bumbling idiot.

The national legacy of 9/11 is a curious one: wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the molestation of American citizens in the name of tightened airport security, political maneuverings, and in some cases the limiting of the freedoms for which this nation was founded. There has been a shift toward watching American citizens who exercise those freedoms with suspicion and fear. Homeschoolers, gun owners, Christians, political conservatives, and others are on terror watch lists. At the same time, the President of the United States refuses view a Muslim soldier who goes on a killing spree on Fort Hood while yelling "Allahu Akbar" as a terrorist or the attack as a terrorist attack.

As an American, as a Christian, as a pastor, as a husband and father, on days like today it's important to remember that "we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places (Ephesians 6:12)." We are under constant attack from "the old evil foe," as Luther calls Satan, and it is true that "on earth is not his equal." Yet the victory is not the devil's, for our Lord Jesus Christ has defeated Satan with the sacrifice of His body and blood on the cross and with His glorious resurrection. That victory is applied to us in the waters of Holy Baptism, where we are marked with the name of God and clothed with the righteousness of Christ. Nothing this world and its prince can do to us can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

I checked, and Nine One One: The Aftermath by Chaplain Kavouras is available from Lutheran Heritage Foundation. Call 1-800-554-0723 or send an e-mail to info@LHFmissions.org to order a copy. I cannot give this book a sufficiently fervent recommendation compared to what it deserves.

I pray you find comfort on this anniversary from the words of St. Peter, words which Chaplain Kavouras often drew upon in ministering to those entrusted to his care by the Lord:

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. (I Peter 5:6-10)

Sermon for 9/8/13--Trinity 15

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Do Not Worry

Matthew 6:24-34

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

The reason we shouldn't worry isn't that God rewards us for not worrying. Rather, we don't need to worry because the Lord's already got everything covered! Too many churches and preachers read and hear and proclaim these words as if they’re meant to be a challenge. If you stop worrying, then God will bless you. If you put God first, then He'll do His part to hook you up with whatever you need. This is exactly wrong. Jesus tells you not to worry because there is no reason to worry. He's already taken care of everything! He's already dealt with all your problems and all your enemies. He's taken care of your present before you were even born and your future before you ever get to it. That's just the kind of God Jesus is. So He tells you not to worry to remind you that it's silly to be worried about things He's already taken care of.

Think about it. What is there to worry about that the Lord doesn't have in His care? What about your sins? They would cut you off from God forever. But Jesus took care of that. He was nailed to the cross, suffered and died to take away your sins. He left them buried in His empty tomb. Over and over by the promise of your Baptism, by His Word, and with His body and blood, He forgives your sins. No more worrying about your sins. They're taken care of. And no more worrying about death either. Jesus has that covered too. He robbed death of its power by rising from the dead on Easter. Now death for you is just a rest before your life everlasting. Jesus took care of that. How could food, clothing, or other necessities be beyond His power? He's got all of that covered too. This is the Lord who fed thousands. He will make sure you get your daily bread.

At every point in your life, your Lord has already defeated your enemies and promised to take care of you. Worry is just when we forget that. So don't worry—not because it shows God something, but because God has already taken care of everything. You just don't need to get worked up about any of it. That's living like the birds and lilies do. Wouldn't it be nice if we could stop worrying? Wouldn’t it be nice is we could leave behind our fears about money? Our kids? Our marriages? Our jobs? The situation in Syria? The decisions being made in Springfield or Washington DC? Wouldn't it be great if those things didn't bother us? They bother us because we forget Jesus has taken care of them. Look at it this way: Have there been any bird droppings on your car? That means the Lord is feeding the birds. Are there any flowers growing? That means the Lord is clothing them. And there are better signs and proofs than that. Yes, you can look at the birds and lilies, but don’t forget to look at your Baptism, too! That's the promise to you that Jesus has taken care of everything. Look at His Word. Hear him speaking to you with the voice of the pastor in the pulpit. Eat and drink the Word made flesh in His body and blood. You can't get any better promises from Jesus than these.

Hear again the promise Jesus makes to you: your heavenly Father knows what you need. He's already got you covered. That's why Jesus came. That why He went to the cross and rose from the dead: so you know that it's all be taken care of. There's just no need to worry: the Lord took care of all of it. He'll keep taking care of you against sin and death. He’ll keep providing your daily bread and all you need to support this body and life. Your worrying cannot change what the Triune God has done for you.  He's taken care of it all before you could ever worry about it. And He even adds all the rest of God's kingdom and blessing to you. 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.

2013 Reading List: August

August was a slower reading month with a large number of hospital and shut-in visits, two house guests a week apart, and a renewed interest in playing games on my PSP. Nonetheless, I still had time to do some reading, especially since I wangled for myself a refurbished Kindle Touch. I'm still on pace for right around 200 books for the year, though there's no telling what will happen over the next four months. Anyhow, here's the August list.

1. Culbreth, Jennifer. Protect Me. Self-Published Kindle Edition, 2013. (I read this to support a Facebook friend.)
2. McLay, Craig. Village Books. Self-Published Kindle Edition, 2011. (Awful. It’s as if someone took everything he learned from his liberal college humanities professors and tried to cram it into one boring book with smug characters.)
3. Ruud, R.J. Lost Creek. Self-Published Kindle Edition, 2013.
4. Wellington, Janet. Homecoming. Self-Published Kindle Edition, 2012.
5. Adams, Sayer. Blindsided. Self-Published Kindle Edition, 2011.
6. Swank, Denise Grover. Twenty-Eight and a Half Wishes. Self-Published Kindle Edition, 2011.
7. Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, 1997.
8. Brinkley, Richard N. Thy Strong Word: The Enduring Legacy of Martin Franzmann. Concordia Publishing House, 1993. (The picture on the Amazon website is for the wrong product.)
9. Mosher, Eric. Lost at Comic Con. Self-Published Kindle Edition, 2011.
10. Spiva, Heather. The Puzzle Master. Self-Published Kindle Edition, 2012.

Sermon for 9/1/13--Trinity 14

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Where Jesus Is

Luke 17:11-19

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

        

The leper who came back knew one thing: Jesus could save Him. There was no other place he ought to be in the whole world than where Jesus was. In the same way, Jesus doesn't want us to come back because it's good manners. He wants us to come back because He's the only one who can care for us. He doesn't want you to be in church to show your good piety and religiousness. He wants you here so He can pour out His gifts on you, so He can refresh you with the remembrance of your baptism, absolve you of your sins, and feed you with His Word and body and blood.

The only place to look for our good is Jesus. We know this to be true, but we act as if we don't believe it. We ought to cry out to Christ in every hardship and trial and sickness and difficulty; we ought to flood our Lord's ears with our prayers, fully expecting that He will hear us and save us. But rather than clinging to Jesus in faith, we worry. We complain. We don't pray. In fact, we figure prayer won't do anything. God's not going to pay attention, so it's easier not to bother Him with it. It’s easier to get worked up over it. Of course the Lord answers our prayers for mercy every day. Often He answers a prayer the way we desire: healing us, restoring us, protecting and preserving us. At those times we say, “Great! Jesus did what I asked. I can go back to my life now.” It's as if Jesus is only good to have around when there's something wrong. But when everything is going OK, then we don't really need Him. That's the theology of the other nine lepers. They sure needed Jesus to heal them of their leprosy. But as soon as He did, they were done with Him. They didn't need Him anymore. Many in the church are like that. They get what they want from God and then stop coming back to Jesus until they need something again. We're no different. How seriously do we take church? We come—or we don’t—as we have time or until something more important comes up. We grab what we need from Jesus on Sunday and then disappear until the following Sunday.

What if our Lord did things the way we do them? What if He didn't heal the ten lepers because He knew most of them wouldn't come back? What if He didn't die on the cross because the world wouldn't be grateful? If He were to do what He does based on our gratitude, we'd be doomed. But our Lord doesn't operate that way. He does what He does—saving lepers and sinners—whether they thank Him or not. He gives His life for people who will never care that He did so. He saves sinners who will never bother to rejoice to be saved. When you are tempted to stop doing good to others because they just don't seem to care, repent! Cry out to Jesus for His mercy. His mercy is to forgive you and live in you for His glory and the good of others. Do good not worrying about whether you will be thanked or repaid! You already have all you need in Christ.

This Gospel shows us three nasty bits of sin: unbelief, ingratitude toward God and anger at the ingratitude of others. These sins harm us like leprosy: they grow and fester and eat away at us. That is why our only defense against them is to cry out for the Lord to have mercy upon us. Confessing and being absolved of your sins, hearing God's Word taught and preached, receiving the body and blood of Jesus: these are the ways that the Spirit lives in us. These are the ways the Spirit produces those fruits of which Paul writes. More Jesus means more Spirit; more Spirit means more fruits of the Spirit. The Spirit uses Baptism, Absolution, and the Holy Supper to battle against your sin-diseased flesh, crucifying all your sins and keeping you in Christ.

St. Paul is very clear in the epistle that those who want to persist in the works of the flesh will not inherit the kingdom of God. The fact is, sin, the denial of Christ, the rejection of God's good gifts will lead to everlasting judgment. But the Lord has given His life into death on Calvary. He has risen from the dead. He has conquered sin and death. He has sent His Spirit through the Word and Sacrament to rescue you from that sinful nature and its works of death. Your old sinful nature has been crucified, and you have new life in Christ. In the waters of Holy Baptism, the leprosy of your sin has been washed and made clean. In the name of the Father and of the Son (+) and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.               

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

PARODY: Our List

 In light of recent developments, I thought I'd trot out one of my favorites.

Our List

(Parody of “My List” by Toby Keith)

Under a spyglass paperweight
Is our list of those to watch today:
People we think are too hardcore,
People who think God loves them more.
We write their names down as we go,
But when the day is through,
There’s still a bunch we need to watch
That we ain’t got to:

Those who hate Fidel, Tea Party fans?
As bad as those who put bombs in cans.
Should we suspect those who own cats?
It’s time to take them down for that.
Those who want to build a wall
So “illegal immigrants” won’t call,
And vets returning home—they all look pissed.
Gun owners: they’re the next ones on our list.


It might change the course of things
If we can jail the whole right wing.
“Extremists” are quite dangerous,
‘Cause they’re not like the best of us.
We aren’t really confident
That they are fully wrong,
But we’d be safer, that’s for sure,
If we could get them gone.

Those who hate Fidel, Tea Party fans—
As bad as those who put bombs in cans.
Should we suspect those who own cats?
It’s time to take them down for that.
Those who want to build a wall
So “illegal immigrants” won’t call,
And those who don’t like watching gay folks kiss:
Them Christians: they’re the next ones on our list.


Pro-life nut-job whacks, blogging hacks,
Maybe even kids who won’t play jacks,
And Ron Paul fans—who likes that prat?
It’s time to take them down for that.
Watch their moves: who do they see?
And are they who they claim to be?
Surveillance for extremists we might miss.
Right wingers: they’re the next ones on our list.



Written by Alan Kornacki, Jr., and Toby Keith

Sermon for 8/25/13--Trinity 13

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Justified

Luke 10:23-37

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

Luke tells us that the man in our text, “wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, ‘Who is my neighbor?’” We know what it means to justify ourselves. We know all about trying to explain why you should get away with what you did wrong. "Officer, I don't want to get in trouble with my parents so I'm trying to get home before their curfew." "Honey, I know it was expensive, but the one I have is too out of date and old so I needed a new one." "Mom, I know my grade is bad, but you don't understand how unfair the teacher is." We try to justify ourselves. It’s the most-worn tool in our belt.

But Jesus won't let the man justify himself before God. And He won't let you do it either. He won’t let you or Himself take the easy way out. Instead He rescues you from your own sinful way of thinking. And how do sinners think? Well, we say, "Love God with your whole heart and love your neighbor as yourself." Sure. I can do that. Those are good rules. The Law of God is good…but only until it gets specific—until loving God means actually being in church as often as we can; until it means confessing not just a generic God, but Jesus who is true God and man; until loving our neighbor means forgiving the people we can't stand, those who hurt us and wrong us. You might say, "Lord, You don’t know what they said and did to me!" But the truth is, it doesn’t matter what your neighbor says or does to you. It doesn’t matter how demanding God is. “For wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.”

The way Jesus rescues us is the way the Samaritan rescues the man who is lying half-dead on the side of the road. When we justify ourselves, sin comes along and robs our self-made righteousness and leaves us for dead. What does the Law do? How do the commandments help? They don't. They just pass by on the other side. We need Jesus to come and pick us up from the muck and mire of our sins, to wash our wounds and take care of us. And He does exactly that, all at His own expense—a payment not of cash but of His holy, precious blood and His innocent suffering and death. That's the price Jesus pays. He spares no expense to rescue us and heal us. Then He brings us to the inn of His church and pours in the oil and wine of Word and Baptism and Supper, the gifts which heal us and restore us to life.

The Law condemns us because we don’t love God or our neighbor as we ought. We can’t. But Jesus fulfills the Law by being both God and man, both God and neighbor. On the cross, Jesus fulfills the Law by trusting in His Father above all things and by loving His neighbor—the world—by dying for our sins. Jesus saves us from our sins by being the One who takes on our sins. That saves us from having to justify ourselves to God on the basis of the Law. Now when we hear the Law say, "Love God and love your neighbor," we don't have to make excuses. Rather we answer truthfully, "I don't! I can’t. But my Savior Jesus has kept the Law perfectly and loved God and neighbor for me!" And now the Law becomes not a way to justify ourselves but to serve our neighbor. When you fail at that, there are no excuses and no need to justify yourself. There’s more Jesus, more forgiveness, and then more chances to do whatever your neighbor needs as God gives you ability.

It's easy to attempt to justify ourselves, to make excuses, to explain to God why we should be let off the hook. The Law doesn't give any wiggle room. “Love God. Love you neighbor.” If not, you're doomed. But Jesus kept it perfectly on your behalf. He's pulled you out of the ditch where sin left you to die eternal death. He's bound up the wounds that death and the devil have inflicted on you. He's died your death so that you would be free to live your life—not to impress God, but to be a blessing to those around you—again, not because it gets you to heaven, but because your neighbor needs you to. 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.

PARODY: Panicked Sunday

Faith and I were running errands yesterday morning when a familiar song came on the radio. It's already received a Lutheran treatment, but I couldn't resist. So here it is...

Panicked Sunday

(Parody of "Manic Monday")

Five A.M. on Sunday

And I hope I can finally click "Print."

I've been writing now for hours. 

I have no clue where last week went. 

I'm exhausted but

Of course there's never time for a nap. 

These are the days

When you wish you were some other sap. 

It's just another panicked Sunday--

My "sermon's not done" day--

"I'm under the gun" day--

"My cassock weighs a ton" day.

It's just another panicked Sunday. 

In the study Monday morn,

Knelt down for my daily prayer.

And then I read the lection and 

I start pulling out all my hair. 

"Law and Gospel" is open and

I read so I know how to preach. 

But come Sunday morn

You can bet I'd rather be at the beach. 

It's just another panicked Sunday--

My "sermon's not done" day--

"I'm under the gun" day--

"My cassock weighs a ton" day.

It's just another panicked Sunday. 

All of those days

Why did my pastor have to say 

I should go to sem?

(You should. You should.)

Doesn't it matter

That I thought the Yankees would have me 

Pitching for them?

Alarm rings and it's time to go.

C'mon, preacher. Let's drive off the Foe. 

Time--it goes so fast

(When there's nothing done.)

It's just another panicked Sunday--

My "sermon's not done" day--

"I'm under the gun" day--

"My cassock weighs a ton" day.

It's just another panicked Sunday-- 

My "sermon's not done" day--

"I'm under the gun" day--

It's just another panicked Sunday. 

Written by Alan Kornacki Jr. and Prince 

A Face for Radio

This afternoon I appeared on KFUO AM's "BookTalk" radio show with Pastor Rod Zwonitzer to discuss my novel Love Divine. What a ride! It wasn't my first time on the radio, though it was my first time on KFUO. I'm not all that comfortable talking into a microphone--lovely problem for a pastor to have, to be sure--but Pastor Zwonitzer made it as painless as he possibly could. I had a lot more fun than I thought I would, and I've been invited back to talk about the other two books in the trilogy!

For those of you who weren't able to listen live, here's a link to the audio of the show: BOOKTALK! Just right-click on the link and then select "Save Link As" to download the show!

Sermon for 8/18/13--Trinity 12

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Opening Ears and Lips

Mark 7:31-37

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

If you think about it, what goes on in the Divine Service is two simple things: you listen…and you speak. God's Word goes in your ears, and His Word comes out of your mouth. The Lord speaks when you are absolved, when the Scriptures are read, when the sermon is preached and when the Words of Institution are sung. This is God's Word which goes into your ears. And then that Word comes out of your mouth in the Creed, the hymns, and the liturgy. Today you get to do the two things the man in today's Gospel couldn't do: he could not hear God's Word, and he couldn't sing the Lord's praises. His ears were shut. His tongue was tangled.

This miracle isn't like the other miracles of Jesus. Here He doesn't just speak a word and the man hears. Instead He sticks His fingers in the man's ears and spits and touches the tangled tongue. He cries out His Word, “Be opened!” and the man could hear clearly and speak plainly. By His touch and by His Word, Jesus frees this man from his inability to hear God's Word. The devil would like nothing more than for this man to be deaf to God's Word and to speak nothing but mumbles. But Christ, the Son of God, destroys this power of the Devil. He opens the man's ears and looses his tongue. This miracle teaches us first of all that Christ came to save us from the Devil. He has borne your sins on the cross and by His death, He robs the Devil of any claim on you. By His sacrifice in the place of sinners, Jesus disarms Satan and rescues us from the kingdom of darkness.

Jesus is teaching us something here. Not only does He teach us that He is the Son of God who can heal a deaf man; He is also teaching us that we need our ears opened and our tongues loosed. He’s the only one who can do that for us. Isaiah prophesied that the deaf would hear; He also predicted that those who were in error would learn the Lord's teaching. Jesus opens our ears through the water and word poured on us in Holy Baptism, through the Word of Absolution, and by the preaching of Christ crucified. He touches our tongues with His own body and blood. Without the touch of these gifts, we would be forever deaf. Without the touch of Christ by His Word and Sacraments, our tongues would never confess His name. Without the Lord opening our ears and loosing our tongues, we would never be saved. But that is why Christ came. It is why He comes now by His means of grace: to open our ears and pour into them His saving words of forgiveness, life and salvation.

Why is it that we can sing the latest Lady Gaga song but can't repeat more than a few Psalms from the Bible? Why is it that we can recite whole speeches from movies but struggle to remember the Catechism? It's because those things that go into our ears are what come out of our mouth. What we hear, we speak. It's that simple. If your ears are filled with junk, junk is going to come out of your mouth. This is why we strive to be in church as often as possible: to hear God's Word and have His Word cleanse us from our sins. Here where His Word is, Christ removes the filth of our sins which stops up our ears and tangles our tongues. Here, Christ continues to open our ears to fill them with His saving words and open our lips so that we may declare His praise. That’s why in the hymn “Thy Strong Word” we pray:

Give us lips to sing thy glory,
Tongues thy mercy to proclaim,
Throats to shout the hope that fills us,
Mouths to speak thy holy name.

We arrived here with our ears filled with the trash of the Devil, our tongues tied with his lies and false promises. But by the power of the Word of God, your ears have been cleaned out and your tongue has been loosened to sing God's praise. The same Lord who opened the ears of a deaf man opens your ears and fills them with the Word that saves you, the Word that declares to you, “Your sins are forgiven!” The same Lord who loosened this poor man's tongue lets your tongue loose to confess His holy name. We hear, and we speak and sing, confessing, Behold, "[Jesus] has done all things well! He makes the deaf to hear and the mute to speak!" 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.