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Saturday, December 30, 2006

The Execution of Saddam

Most of you have seen video clips and photos of the hanging of Saddam Hussein. The death penalty is a controversial subject in this country. Most of Europe has eradicated it entirely. I know that the Vatican has condemned Saddam's execution though I have not yet read the reports.

Romans 13 is the traditional biblical text supporting the death penalty. God has established government to oversee law and order in a society. From my brief review of the Roman Catholic Catechism, the Church of Rome recognizes this God-given role of government but states that the imposition of the death penalty should be exceedingly rare.

Is it right to take the life of a mass murderer? Yes, it is. But it does not work as a deterrent. That's probably true although I don't know how anyone could know that for sure. But I don't support the death penalty because I think it will deter other criminals. But shouldn't we focus on rehabilitation? That's a great idea. But the fundamental role of government is to make and enforce laws, to protect the innocent and to punish the guilty. Punish.

Some crimes, such as mass murder, are so repugnant and reveal a character so corrupt that the only just response is to resort to capital punishment.

What about forgiveness? There are two realms. The realm of grace, the church. And the realm of law, the state. God is the ruler in both. But he works through them very differently. It is given to the church to preach the gospel and to absolve penitents. That is not and must not be given to the state. That's why we don't ask our governors to be evangelists or missionaries. And that is why judges should not absolve murderers, robbers, rapists, child pornographers, embezzlers, etc.

The state is to raise armies, enforce laws and punish wrongdoers. That is not given to the church. So the church must not imprison people, raise armies, or burn people at the stake.

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Kantorei Schedule

Sunday, December 31, 2006 Kantorei

8:30 & 11:00 a.m. St Paul's Lutheran Church
12022 Jerusalem Road
Kingsville, MD 21087
Contact: Pastor Michael Wollman
410-592-8100
Sunday 31 December, 2006

5:00 p.m. Immanuel Lutheran Church
1801 Russsell Rd
Alexandria, VA 22301
Contact: Pastor Christopher Esget
703-549-0155
Tuesday, January 2

7:30 p.m. Redeemer Lutheran Church
3601 Bell Blvd
Bayside, NY
Contact: Pastor Brian Hamer
718-229-5770
Wednesday, January 3

7:30 p.m. First Lutheran Church
38 Field Point Rd
Greenwich, CT 06830
Contact: Pastor Jimmy Coffey Jr.
203-869-0032
Thursday, January 4

7:00 p.m. Immanuel Lutheran Church
154 Meadow St
Bristol, CT 06010
Contact: Pastor H.L. Bridges
860-583-5649
Friday, January 5

7:30 p.m. Our Redeemer Lutheran Church
54 Cedar Swamp Rd
Smithfield, RI 02917
Contact: Pastor Larry Nichols
401-232-7575
Saturday, January 6

4:00 p.m. St. Luke Lutheran Church
950 East Street
Dedham, MA 02026
Contact: Pastor James Butler
781-326-1346
Sunday, January 7

8:00 & 11:00 a.m. First Lutheran Church
299 Berkeley St
Boston, MA 02116
Contact: Elaine Laaser
admin@flc-boston.org
617-536-8851
Sunday, January 14

4:00 p.m. Kramer Chapel

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Friday, December 29, 2006

Bat House for Christmas

So I got my wife a bat house for Christmas? Wanna fight about it? Yeah, I'm a hopeless romantic. Her other gift was a set of diamond ear rings.

But seriously, the bat house. Check out Julie's blog on it.

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Wednesday, December 27, 2006

Saw "The Nativity Story"

I took my family last night to see The Nativity Story. I'm giving it 4 stars out of 5. It was beautifully filmed and reverently treated. Most of the plotting moves along kind of slowly. Some of it is unabashedly schmaltzy, but there were scenes that were quite moving. I'm not ashamed to admit that I shed a few man tears. (I told my son I had something in my eye.)

A few negatives. First, I didn't really care for using the magi as comic relief. And the film perpetuates the misunderstanding that the wise men came to the manger. Scripture actually says, of course, that they arrived later, perhaps a year or two later. But for me, this is a minor point.

I guess I was most disappointed with the angelic appearances. Especially disappointing was the event with the shepherds. Very lame. First, the dude cast as Gabriel was funny looking. And secondly, what's the biz with the voice on the wind? Gabriel should have been majestic, striking holy fear in those who see him. Since the angel is critical for the narrative, this is a substantial weakness of the movie.

Otherwise, the casting was superb. Herod was sufficiently creepy. Mary appears humble and holy. And what a terrific Joseph! This is the first time I've ever seen Joseph so well developed. Contemplating the much neglected role of Joseph certainly deepens one's grasp of the Christmas event.

I'm hoping you all go see this movie. Take your kids. They'll enjoy it and you can use it as an opportunity to teach them. Even moderate box office success will lead to future reverently made biblical pictures.

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Monday, December 25, 2006

Christmas 06 Sermon

Christmas Day, 2006

Text: John 1:1-14

It’s striking how people can become accustomed to almost anything and begin to think of it as normal. Plato tells the story of men who are born in a cave who never see the sun. The only light they see is that cast by a fire lit and kept behind them at all times. The only forms they see are shadows of objects flickering against the wall in the dim firelight. But they don’t mind being in this state so much because they don’t know anything else. They’ve never heard of the sun, let alone seen it.

But then take these men out of their caves and bring them to the surface. What will be their reaction? Do you think they will thank you for showing them the light? Certainly not. They will squint with pain and wonder what torment you’ve subjected them to. Only with time, will their eyes adjust. And then everything will be different. They will experience colors and shapes and images they’d never imagined. They will enjoy beauty they didn’t dream could exist.

Some, however, will refuse to believe that this searing brilliance will ever amount to anything good and they immediately long to return to the comfortable darkness they’ve always known.

It’s sort of like the ancient Israelites who begged to be liberated from their bondage in Egypt but then immediately complained about the discomforts of the wilderness. And they began to pine to be back in the land of their captors where at least they ate onions and cucumbers and melons instead of that boring manna day after day. It’s not that they enjoyed the slavery when they were in Egypt, but they had hoped to get to the land flowing with milk and honey a bit quicker. They had no patience for the lifelong pilgrimage in between.

Jesus Christ is the light which gives life to men. The prophet foretold: The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them a light has shined (Is. 9:2).” Men, however, love the darkness, even though it is killing them. The bright light of day is intimidating, demanding and overwhelming. And that’s because it changes you. St. Paul said that at the glorious return of Christ when the dead are raised and all those who are in Christ will be taken to meet him in the air, he said, “We shall all be changed.”

But I’m here to tell you that that metamorphosis has begun in you already. It is the seed planted in you at your baptism which will only fully flower on the day of your bodily resurrection from the dead when you shall be glorified.

The light of Christ is not just light in the sense of showing us the way. Psalm 119:105 says “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” So Christ is the light who illumines the correct path. But He is more than that.

Sunlight that strikes the leaves of a plant does not give instructions to the plant. It does not teach it what to do and how to be. No, the sunlight is the power which enlivens and awakens the plant, giving it health, and causing it to grow and bear fruit.

In a similar way, Jesus Christ is not just a moral guide telling us how to live better and more effective lives. He is the light which gives life. Jesus changes us from dormant seeds into vibrant blossoming plants full of color. But sometimes it hurts to change. Sometimes men prefer to be lifeless, barren and bland. We prefer the drabness of our sins because the Deceiver has convinced us that it is better that way.

This is one of the things I really love about The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis, especially The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. If you’ve read the book or seen the movie, you know what I mean. Under the control of the evil witch, the land of Narnia is stuck in perpetual winter; everything is frozen, covered in snow, with no warmth or joy or color. It’s always winter but never Christmas, they said.

That is, that’s how it was before the great lion Aslan arrived. Aslan, of course, is Lewis’s Christ figure in the stories. When Aslan comes, everything begins to change. The ground begins to thaw, flowers of yellow and purple and red begin to pop from the earth. Birds are singing, the sun is shining, and you can hear the flow and trickle of water around you. When Aslan came, the evil witch began to lose control of Narnia. It slipped from her spell and what was a barren wasteland metamorphosed into a garden teeming with life.

And that’s how it is with Christ. The devil freezes us. He imprisons us. He promises us that a life of sin will be happy, but it’s not. It’s dull and boring and the same old – same old all the time. Only with Christ does life begin to vibrate with color and warmth and interest.

The story of the birth of Jesus is not told in the Bible because it is sweet and makes us all warm inside. Even Martin Luther succumbed a bit to this kind of sentimentality in his Christmas sermons saying that God became a baby because who can resist a baby? No one is afraid of a baby, he said. Everyone loves a baby. I’m no exception. I love children. But the Son of God didn’t become a baby in order to charm us with his pudgy little knees and win our love by being cute and adorable.

As much as we all love this time of year and are so fond of the Christmas story, we must acknowledge that it’s not all red ribbons and sugarplums. There is much pain and suffering in the Christmas narrative if you have ears to hear. The ridicule which Mary and Joseph must have been subject to. The hard travel while 9 months pregnant. No room in the inn. This young girl, giving birth presumably without the comfort of her mother or family. Not to mention the madness and deception and vicious bloodshed of King Herod the Great.

The life of Jesus, even from the start, was characterized by suffering. Commemorating the martyrs this coming week reminds us that the cute and adorable baby is, in fact, the sacrificial lamb who will break his mother’s heart and be handed over to wicked men who will do unspeakable things to him before killing him for all to see. Aside from all the sweetness, this is a story about God getting serious about sin and its fatal consequences. This is a story about God rolling up his sleeves, and getting down amongst the problems of our world and doing something about them. Jesus was quite literally born to die.

They say that familiarity breeds contempt. I think it also breeds deafness. In the church, we hear these realities spoken and sung so often that we may at times fail to hear them. The baby of Bethlehem was always going to be killed on a cross. His crucifixion was not a mistake or a detour. It was the purpose of his incarnation, birth, and life among us. To shed his blood as a ransom for many, to offer his own life to rescue sinners from eternal damnation.

A Roman Catholic author whom I admire named Flannery O’Conner once said that for the hard of hearing, you must shout. She meant that for those who are morally and spiritually hard of hearing, it becomes necessary for the church to speak more boldly. So let’s enjoy our nostalgia, our Bing Crosby albums, our Jimmy Stewart movie. But let’s say out loud for all to hear that Jesus is God in the flesh come to rescue us and give us eternal life. He is, in fact, the light of the world, the light no darkness can overcome.

Christmas is more than just a birthday party for Jesus. It’s the recognition that God is in the business of saving sinners. When the angels announcing Christ’s birth sang about ‘good will toward men,’ they were not singing about people showing good will toward other people, but about God showing good will toward all of us. Instead of treating us as our sins deserve, God is in Christ, reconciling the world to himself.

It’s a wonderful life, when you think about it. Not the film. But life in Christ. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

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Here's Trouble

(Rev. Scott Stiegemeyer, Rev. David Petersen, and Seminarist Jason Braaten)

Here we are after Divine Service on Christmas day. I preached. Pr. Petersen was the celebrant. And Mr. Braaten was our deacon.

This was the first time I'd ever worn a cope. It's pretty heavy. I wasn't able to flail my arms around in the pulpit like I usually do.

Mr. Braaten's newborn son was in church for the first time today. What an adorable baby! God bless them.

I always love coming to church at Redeemer. Pastor Petersen is a terrific preacher and the worship is always glorious. But I must say that the Christmas Eve service last night was especially amazing. The music was heavenly. Our Kantor, Dr. Reuning, is a very talented individual and his musicians are beyond good. And Petersen surpassed himself with a powerful and quite memorable sermon. (I wanted to punch him in the nose, however, when he told me today he slammed the sermon out in about an hour - with all due respect, of course. How do people do that? I have to grind sermons out. My muse gives nothing easily. It's like pulling teeth.)

The liturgy at Redeemer Lutheran Church has a reputation for being a bit more ornamented than what is typical for our denomination. Vestments, bowing, incense, and such. Some people like this and others criticize us. I will admit that I am not used to some of the rubrics. I'm no liturgical highbrow. But there is something truly satisfying in a service done in this manner. There is no question what we are doing. We're not casually hanging out with God. We are in the presence of the Almighty who comes bearing gifts.

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Saturday, December 23, 2006

National Talk-Like-Jack-Bauer Day

January 15, 2007. I'm mentioning it now because I'm sure I'll forget about it if I don't. Check it out.

So how does one behave on National Talk Like Jack Bauer Day?

  • Take a helicopter to work.
  • Scream "There's no time for that" whenever someone asks you to do something.
  • Ask a co-worker for a hacksaw and lighter fluid with no explanation.
  • Trust no one except the mole, of course.
  • Ask "Who are you working for?" to people throughout the day.
  • ALWAYS SPEAK IN CAPS WITH EXCLAMATION POINTS!!!
  • Ask people to download stuff to your PDA.
  • Die, at least once.
  • Threaten to staples your boss's eyelids to his desk if he doesn't starting telling you the truth NOW!
What am I missing?

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Friday, December 22, 2006

A Concordia Christmas


Many thanks to Judy, a former parishoner, who thoughtfully sent me these two photos of good ol' Concordia Lutheran Church in Brentwood, PA decorated for the celebration of our Lord's nativity.

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Sunday, December 17, 2006

What Did You Come to See?

Advent 3
December 17, 2006

Text:
Matthew 11:2-11


Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses. But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet.

Something tells me that John the Baptist wouldn’t show up on most congregations’ call list for a new pastor. He’s not very warm or fuzzy. He doesn’t tiptoe around the issues and he doesn’t beat around the bush. He doesn’t care what you think of him and he certainly doesn’t seem to care if he hurts your feelings. John is a prophet sent by God. His words are not his own. And they’re not smooth and polished either. They’ve got rough edges, edges that cut. He called people to a change heart, a new way of thinking, a recognition of our standing before God.

Jesus said that John was not a reed shaken by the wind. So many preachers are just exactly that. Reeds shaken by the wind. A lot of times, pastors like all Christians, are tempted to just go with the flow, to avoid talking about the difficult teachings of Scripture, to shy away from controversial subjects or offensive moral instruction.

We want to be popular. We like it when people pat us on the back and say, “well done.” We think we need to be loved and respected by everyone. But Jesus said, “Woe to you when all men speak well of you, For so did their fathers to the false prophets (Luke 6).” Preachers, just like all Christians however, should worry less about winning the admiration of the world and think more about finding favor with God.

John hammered at the arrogance of men. Particularly religious arrogance, the sin of the Pharisees, the ever-present danger of the dedicated churchgoer. Pharisees, old and new, imagine that the kingdom of God belongs to them because they sing in the choir, attend every church function, give 10% of their income to missions, and volunteer all their free time to good causes. Please don’t misunderstand me. I wish every person did those things. Do those things. They’re good things to do. But don’t forget that your status as a child of God rests solely on the kindness of God, and it’s never because we have toed the line. Because we have not. There is no one so pious among us who can boast before the Lord. Even when you pour out your lifeblood in service to your neighbor, fighting off wild animals to spread the Gospel, even your most holy works are tainted by selfishness or the desire for recognition and reward.

In one of his less tactful moods, John criticized King Herod Antipas for stealing his brother’s wife. And that is what eventually led to John’s arrest and execution. So today, as John awaits the chopping block he sends some of his followers to Jesus to ask if He is the One or not.

This reminds me a little bit of the hit movie from a few years ago called The Matrix. In that science fiction action movie, earth was in a struggle between good and evil and there was a prophecy of someone who would come to set thing right. The big question in the movie was, “Are you the one or should we expect someone else?”

I should add that many interpreters have understood this text to mean not that John himself was having doubts but that his followers were wavering and he sent them to Jesus for their benefit more than his own. But either way, you need to face this question. Is Jesus the One or do you want someone else? Why did you come to church today? Did you come here to be entertained or to have your egos stroked? Did you get up and come out of a sense of obligation? Or did you come here because God makes Himself known to us in the breaking of the bread, because you need what God wants to give and you know you need it?

A few years ago, there was a book that came out with the title: “Disappointment with God.” Disappointment occurs when our expectations are not met by our experiences. Haven’t you ever made a choice or a decision only to find that what you got was not what you thought you were going to get? Of course you have. We all have. A doctor at Johns Hopkins did a study and concluded that one of the main emotions experienced by adults in America is the feeling of disappointment with their lives. How can it be, you may ask, that the richest, most pampered and highly entertained society on earth could feel this way? Because what we assume will make us happy – riches, pampering and entertainment – seldom does.

As Christians, our disappointments in life often translate into being disappointments with God. All of us have certain expectation for what God should be like. If you could write God’s job description, what would you say? In my baser moments, here is what I would write: The right god for the job should always answer my prayers how I want, when I want. He should never make me wait. He should never say anything to make me feel bad about myself. He should always affirm my decisions. He should not place demands on me or require me to do things that I don’t want to do. And he should give me a lovely house on the beach surrounded by lots of friends and let me die in my sleep. That’s the kind of God our flesh wants. Actually I guess what I’ve really described is a genie in a bottle. Give me seven wishes. Even Santa Claus only gives you presents when you’ve been good. Maybe your job description for God would be a little different from mine, but I’ll bet I nailed it pretty close.

A lot of people had expectations for the Messiah and they weren’t always sure that Jesus fit the bill. People become disillusioned with God when they expect Him to do things for them which He has not promised to do. People give up on church when they expect it to be something which it is not.

Jesus never promised us an easy life if we follow Him. Not in this world. Quite the opposite, He told us we could expect to be mistreated on His account. He taught us to anticipate martyrdom. John the Baptist may not have liked being in jail for calling sinners to repent, but he surely was not surprised. Nor should we be surprise when the world rejects us on account of Christ as if something strange were happening to us. No servant is greater than His Master. If our Lord was despised and rejected by men, why should we expect a standing ovation?

What God does promise is absolution to every sinner who repents. He promises eternal life to those who are clothed in the righteousness of Christ. He promises that though you may suffer in this life, you will one day be lifted up and exalted above the stars.

We suffer for our confession of Christ, but we also suffer because we do stupid things, because we are mortal, because our family and neighbors sin against us. There are all sorts of reasons to suffer, but one reason to rejoice. God is good and in His goodness, He looks upon you with favor. Because Jesus died on the cross, God is no longer holding your sins against you. He’s not like us. His ways are not our ways. His thoughts are not our thoughts. When you get into a fight with your spouse, you bring up every bad thing they’ve ever done. But that’s not what God does. We hate our enemies and love our friends. But God in Christ loves His enemies and turns them into His friends. You are touchy and easily offended and find it very difficult to forgive people who hurt you. But God is slow to anger and quick to forgive. Here is a trustworthy saying, deserving of full acceptance: God will not treat you as your sins deserve because Jesus has been treated as your sins deserve in your place. And we will be treated as Jesus deserves, like a Son. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

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Saturday, December 16, 2006

Sophie Scholl

Not long ago, I watched Sophie Scholl - The Final Days. I'd read much about it when it was briefly in the theaters. Then I got it through Netflix but kept putting off watching it. I need to be in the right mood to watch a film with subtitles. What a terrific movie! It's based on a true account of a young German woman and her family who resisted the Nazis during WWII. Naturally, I was particularly pleased with the sympathetic manner in which Scholl's Christian faith was portrayed.

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Friday, December 15, 2006

Hear the Kantorei

Concordia Theological Seminary has a wonderful 16 voice choir, the Kantorei. Their Epiphany tour this year takes them to Maryland, Connecticut, New York, Virginia, Rhode Island and Massachusetts. Here is their itinerary. Yours truly will be traveling as the preacher. Come hear us. And tell any prospective seminarians you might know to come and meet with me. Go to the link and you can listen to selections of the Kantorei's music.

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Geo-Caching

How many of you have heard of this? It sounds cool.

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Wednesday, December 13, 2006

Reading Scripture

Just another reminder that we are producing 5-minute audio devotions for each day in Advent. Go here to listen.

I recorded one this evening which will go up in a couple of days. In it I talk about the continuity that exists between the Old and New Testaments of the bible. I didn't include this but I was thinking that this brings up a common problem. Many Christians will read the bible like they eat from a salad bar. I really like the carrots, spinach and peppers but ignore the sprouts and have no use for bacon bits unless they're made from real bacon. Similarly, you read some from the Gospels, maybe the psalms, and a few scattered passages from Paul's epistles. But what about the rest?

I highly recommend the practice of reading entire books of the bible from beginning to end. Obviously reading from Genesis to Revelation makes a lot of sense. From time to time, you will return to those isolated verses here or there which you love. But pulling 10 or 20 consecutive words out of the Bible can become problematic if you lose the sense of the whole thing. A good rule of thumb is simply to read more and to read continuously.

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Tuesday, December 12, 2006

Religious Films: Go or No Go?

After the massive success of The Passion, Hollywood has been percolating with ideas about how to cash in on the whole religion thing. The current film, The Nativity Story, is an example of this.

First, has anyone seen the Nativity movie and what did you think of it?

Secondly, here is an interesting article explaining how Hollywood can truly turn the religious faith of millions of Americans into box office success.

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Monday, December 11, 2006

The Bones of St. Paul

I know it sounds like the title of an Agatha Christie -style murder mystery. But it's not. Some archaeologists believe they've found the bones of the apostle. See here.

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Thursday, December 07, 2006

Crash, Total Depravity and Other Stuff

I haven't posted much lately in large part because I've been terribly sick with some virus. It's been three weeks and I think I am only now starting to turn the corner.

But here are a couple of things going on:

  • Work in recruitment for the seminary is fun and challenging. I really enjoyed a conference in Indianapolis which focused on recruitment for theological schools. I have a wonderful staff and it's been rewarding to learn to know and utilize their respective gifts.
  • Next week, I'm going to meet with three focus groups. I'm getting three sets of five first year students and their wives to meet with me for 30-40 minutes. I'm going to interview them to find out why they chose to come to CTS, what the chief issues were, and to get their ideas for how my team can better serve future prospective students.
  • We're still putting up our daily audio advent devotions which you can get by going to our seminary website. I have another one of mine going up tomorrow. Excuse how hoarse I sound.
  • I re-watched the movie, Crash, the other night. I really think that's a great flick. It's a very clever commentary on all different aspects of racial stereotyping. Everyone does it and the movie is good about showing the flaws and strengths of each character. Everybody is bad but nobody is all bad. I liked that about the movie. We talk in Lutheranism sometimes about "total depravity" but that really is a Calvinist category. I don't know that I accept it. Certainly, before God I have nothing to offer but my sin. But even the vilest person does nice things for his neighbor. When we speak of the fallen nature of man, we should distinguish between righteousness before God and righteousness before man. I don't have any righteousness of my own to offer God for salvation. But toward my neighbor, I may do all sorts of right things, even as I do a lot of wicked things mixed in. Lutherans must not talk about the fallen-ness of man as if to say everything he ever does or thinks or says is worthless in every way. I think we do that sometimes.

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Tuesday, December 05, 2006

Nativity Story Quiz

How well do you know the Nativity story? Take this quiz.

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Monday, December 04, 2006

Give Me Your Ideas

I want you to give me your ideas for how to recruit more excellent students for the seminary. I have lots of ideas we're working on, and this recent conference in Indy really got some juices flowing. What do you suggest?

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What's Up?

I haven't posted as much lately, in part, because of being on the road a bit. But I've also just started to emerge from a nasty cold. I got back from a conference in Indy on Friday night. I laid down in the recliner and didn't get up until this morning at about 8 a.m. to go to work. I literally slept all weekend. I feel better but now I hardly have a voice.

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Thursday, November 30, 2006

Advent Devotions

This Sunday marks the beginning of the new liturgical year. Many Christians observe this special season by special offerings, midweek worship services, advent calendars, wreaths, etc. I don't know how common this is in other traditions but we Lutherans like Advent devotion books. Daily Scripture readings with short meditations and prayers.

The Admission Counselors at Concordia Theological Seminary will post an audio devotion each day in Advent on our website. The first devotion is already up (a bit early).

Go here.

Why not check it each day as a way to observe the holy season we are soon to enter?

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Monday, November 27, 2006

Television in a Golden Age

Now this might surprise you in light of my last post. But a comment made by Peter below set me to thinking.

One of my pet crusades is that TV deadens the mind. I say that a lot. I believe it. The evidence is all around us. At 12:15 a.m., August 1, 1981 the very first music video to be shown on MTV was Video Killed the Radio Star by The Buggles. Well, of course, music videos did not kill radio. Far from it. You'd be hard pressed to find any music programming on MTV these days. But I do believe that watching lots of television kills the ability to communicate verbally.

When people (especially children under 8) spend hours watching television, it literally damages their brains and impairs their ability to think verbally. Vital synapses are underdeveloped. How many people have you heard say, "Well, I learn visually"? Sure. That's legit. But it becomes a problems when folks are truly unable to follow a sustained argument or express complex thoughts verbally.

Everyone should read: The Vanishing Word: The Veneration of Visual Imagery in the Postmodern World (Focal Point Series) by Arthur W. Hunt III, edited by Gene Edward Veith.

That having been said, I also believe that American television is in a golden age. Insofar as anyone can identify their current age as golden, I think this is the case for American TV. And why has this happened? Market economics. There is sooooo much television these days that producers have had to come up with truly high quality material in order to stand out. Hence, the proliferation of so many very well written and excellently produced programs. Some that I have found to be very powerful and entertaining include: 24, The Office, The Sopranos, Carnivale, Lost, and Battlestar Galactica. Other people have sung the praises of House, Heroes, and others. But I'd be surprised if these programs constitute even 1% of all that is available on television.

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"The Office" Kills!!!!

I'm talking about the TV show. Now as you know, I hate watching TV. First, most of the programing is trash or mind-deadening. Second, Americans watch WAY too much of it, substituting the flickering box for a book or actual human interaction.

However, there are some worthwhile gems amongst the rubble. When we find a program that seems worth the effort, we wait and get them on DVD. That way we don't have to endure the advertisements.

And recently, we have been watching The Office. This is an extremely hilarious program. Have you seen it? Your opinions?

This weekend, we literally laughed our heads off. Well, not literally because we still have our heads. As my pastor has pointed out, when people say "literally" they usually mean "not really." For example, "our eyes were literally glued to the TV." Oh really? But that's another post.


Go buy:

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Sunday, November 26, 2006

Source of Suffering

The Buddha said that all of life is suffering and that all suffering is caused by desire. If that's the case, then the only two ways to eradicate suffering would be to either strive to fulfill one's desires or to eliminate desire altogether.

I can't help but think the ol' boy was on to something here. Obviously, the Buddhist route to eliminating desire by eliminating the ego is absurd. But isn't it true, at least much of the time, that the pain we feel is the result of not having what we want? In the words of that other great philosophical sage, Mick Jagger, "You can't always get what you want" and "I can't get no satisfaction."

St. Augustine (a much more reliable source) stumbled onto a similar truism when he prayed, "Our hearts are restless, O Lord, till they rest in you."

We want. We desire. We crave. We lack. We need. We hunger and thirst. We lust. We envy. You get the point. And much of what we desire can be good wholesome stuff. We suffer because we want a more intimate emotional bond with our spouses. We suffer because we miss our children. We suffer because we want to be free of cancer or worry or debt.

Finding contentment in God is easier said than done. Each day you need to kneel before the Creator and acknowledge your emptiness before Him. Learn and meditate upon His promises. These will fill you up. Gather to receive the Eucharist often. The Bread from heaven will sate your hunger. And you will confess, with David, the Lord is your shepherd and you shall lack nothing.

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OK to Wear a Cross

You heard about the British Airways employee who was forbidden to wear a cross necklace? After a storm of criticism, the BA has reversed their decision. See here.

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Thursday, November 23, 2006

Being Thankful

On this national day of thanksgiving, I am reminded of God's goodness to us. I fully realize that He has treated me better than I deserve. I have a healthy happy son, a loving wife, and a rewarding position of service in the Church.

We started the day by attending the service this morning at Redeemer Lutheran Church. Pastor Petersen hit another grand slam from the pulpit. His sermons are always Christ-centered, cross-focused messages that cut straight to the heart. I like his no-nonsense approach.

The rest of the day is being spent preparing our feast and lounging in the living room watching season two episodes of The Office.

Several people have inquired of our holiday plans, I think worried that it's just going to be the three of us. While we do miss our families, we have chosen to spend this holiday quietly at home. We moved here only 3 months ago; there've been many adjustments and I've been traveling for my work with the seminary. So a long weekend hibernating sounds like the perfect therapy.

I pray that you all have a blessed holiday. Enjoy the time with loved ones. Take nothing for granted. Remember your Creator.

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Wednesday, November 22, 2006

My Book Shelf

This is what is narcissistic about blogging. But it's fun. These are the books on my "To Read" shelf. The first one is my holiday weekend diversion.

Terrorist by John Updike

The Blessings of Weekly Communion by Kenneth W. Wieting

Talk to the Hand: The Utter Bloody Rudeness of the World Today, or Six Good Reasons to Stay Home and Bolt the Door by Lynne Truss

Whos Afraid of Postmodernism?: Taking Derrida, Lyotard, and Foucault to Church (Church and Postmodern Culture, The) by James K. A. Smith

What are you reading today?

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Tuesday, November 21, 2006

Upcoming Advent Devotions

The season of Advent is almost here. So I'm letting you know a bit in advance that the ordained Admissions staff from Concordia Theological Seminary will provide Christ-centered daily Advent devotions on our website, www.ctsfw.edu.

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Wednesday, November 15, 2006

Whose Side is God On?

How do you know whether God is pleased with you or displeased with you?

A while back, I wrote several posts critical of Rick Warren and his book (which shall not be named) for which I received a bit of criticism myself. Most of it was incoherent. The one type of comment, however, that struck me was when people said that Warren's book is obviously blessed by God because it is so huge a bestseller. This was usually followed by the accusation that the only reason I would criticize him is because I am jealous of his success and should write my own book, blah, blah, blah.

So what do you think? Do you really believe that earthly or material success is a sign of God's pleasure? Is earthly or material defeat a sign of His displeasure?

And the related question every person must answer is: How do you know whether you are in God's good favor or not?

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Tuesday, November 14, 2006

Movie Trailers and Interpreting the Bible

Some very creative people have been taking footage from actual movies and rearranging it into trailers for entirely different types of films. So a love story becomes a horror movie or a horror movie becomes a heartwarming family dramedy.

Darrell, over at Film Geeks, has the latest of these attempts. It's pretty clever.

Check out this post I wrote a year ago on this kind of stuff. It has some great links. My favorite is what was done to Kubrick's The Shining.

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Monday, November 13, 2006

Why We Hurt

This weekend, I'll be in Kenosha, WI. I'm leading a retreat held by Lamb of God Lutheran Church and Messiah Lutheran Church with the title: Why We Hurt. A retreat on Suffering. If you happen to be in the area, please come on by.

I've taught on this topic any number of times. It's an inevitable motif for anyone who is a pastor. This week, in preparation, I've decided to re-read three books: When Bad Things Happen to Good People by Harold Kushner, Man's Search For Meaning by Victor Frankl, and The Problem of Pain by Clive Staples Lewis.

Over the next several days, I will make comments on my reading.

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Thursday, November 09, 2006

How to Be Judgmental

A lot of people don't care what the Bible says. They don't want to hear that it condemns homosexuality or abortion. They don't want to hear that you have to believe certain things to be saved. But one thing even the most hardened unbeliever knows about the bible is this saying from Jesus, "Judge not."

To them, this trumps everything and anything else Jesus may have said. Judge not. Or as it is usually understood, make no value judgments about anything I do, think or say.

Scripture certainly does condemn self-righteousness. But it does not restrain us from saying something is wrong or bad or evil.

All of us make value judgments all the time. The rapist who got caught. Let's put him in jail. That's a value judgment. The corporate exec who cheated his investors. Let's oust him. We don't like the policies of a given politician. Let's vote for his opponent. All of these are judgments. God does not - indeed cannot - forbid us from judging people.

But what about those words of our Lord? The difference is this. When I speak a word of judgment against lust or pride or gossip, it is not ME speaking. It is not MY word; it is the Word of God. God condemns those things, not me.

Certainly Jesus wants his followers to worry less about the sins of the bad ol' world than about our own personal shortcomings. "Unless you repent, you will likewise perish." He hates spiritual pride. He hates those who seek to justify themselves while sneering at everyone else. He is not Mr. Politically Correct I-Tolerate-Everything. God is not that way at all. God is not polite. He is good, but not nice. And certainly not tolerant. Forgiveness is not tolerance. Forgiveness is mercy, but mercy based on the penalty being exacted on a proxy.

God is not judgmental? Tell that the Jesus on the cross.

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A Worthy Cause

Most of you have too much money. God has blessed you and you use it on yourself. If you ate three meals yesterday, wore shoes, and used a toilet, you are wealthier than most of the world's population. So spend that hundred bucks on things you don't need or give it to a worthy cause. I recommend Friends of Mercy. I know you've heard a zillion appeals. I know you hate being asked for money. But you should give to this agency and you should probably do it right now. First, tithe to your local congregation but then consider making a special gift to help orphans in Kenya, refugees in the Sudan, and hurting people everywhere. See Pastor Sell's blog on Friends of Mercy here.

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Tuesday, November 07, 2006

My Media Diet

Here's what I'm checking out right now.

MOVIES
Mission - Impossible III (Widescreen Edition)


BOOKS
Self-Made Man: One Woman's Journey into Manhood and Back by Norah Vincent

Pop Goes Religion: Faith in Popular Culture by Terry Mattingly

The Prestige by Christopher Priest

The Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection from the Living Dead by Max Brookes


MUSIC
One More Drifter in the Snow - Aimee Mann

The Anthology: 1947-1972 - Muddy Waters

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Sunday, November 05, 2006

Why We Don't Ordain Women

The U.S. branch of the Anglican tree, the Episcopal Church - USA, has had female priests for around 30 years now. And it's been close to 20 years since they elected their first female bishop. Now a new barrier has been shattered as the EC-USA consecrates their first female head bishop. This means she will represent the EC-USA in the world Anglican communion. Here is the news article.

The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod is part of the vast majority of Christians worldwide who do not ordain women as pastors. This is not only the huge majority position but is also the practice of 99.9% of the church's history.

Why don't we ordain women? Obviously, I cannot give a thorough and finely nuanced explanation in a blog post. So let me keep it simple, at the risk of being simplistic.

First, what do the Scriptures say:
A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent. For Adam was formed first, then Eve (1 Timothy 2:11-13).

There are a couple of other passages that discuss the woman's role in the church. But this one is sufficient. The apostle states that a woman must not teach or have authority over a man in the church. And he argues from the order of creation. Adam, then Eve.

Another argument that I personally find quite convincing is the practice of Jesus himself. He had numerous devout women as his followers and supporters. These were women of tremendous faith and courage. Yet, he chose only men to be his apostles. And one simply cannot argue that Jesus was only following the cultural norms of his time. Our Lord broke cultural norms on a number of occasions, in particular, with regard to women in society. If it is right to have female apostles, Christ would have selected some.

All I've done here is give the sparest of answers to the question in my title. Why don't we ordain women? Because it is contrary to the will of God and this has been recognized through the practice of the church for eons. Perhaps in a future post I will elaborate further, if you're interested.

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Friday, November 03, 2006

Ted Haggard Resigns

Leading Evangelical pastor, Ted Haggard, has resigned his post as head of the National Association of Evangelicals. This outspoken Christian leader has been accused of paying a male escort for sex on a monthly basis for the last three years. While the facts of this allegation are still being determined, Haggard has confessed that some of it, at least, is true.

The liberals and secularists in our country love it when this happens because they get to use the "H" word, "Hypocrite." You see, Ted Haggard has been leading the crusade against gay marriage. And now it appears he fancies gay sex.

I don't know anything about Ted Haggard. But I hope for the sake of his family, his congregation and his soul, that - if these allegations are true - he finds good law/gospel counsel. Confession is good for the soul. Absolution is even better.

But I have a concern for anyone who is quick to use the "H" word. Is Haggard a hypocrite? Sure. But that does not invalidate his arguments against gay marriage. Listen carefully: A person can both be opposed to a practice AND engage in that practice at the same time. My guess is that Haggard really does believe that homosexuality is sinful. He really does want to protect traditional families. He really does despise the homosexual agenda. And just maybe he like to have gay sex too. Inconsistent? Yep. Hypocritical? To be sure. Hard to imagine? Not really.

Take St. Paul for example. In Romans 7, he states that he does things which he hates. I don't know what things he was referring to. But don't you find yourself ever doing things, saying words or entertaining attitudes which you actually despise? You might even despise yourself. But that doesn't bother me too much. A little bit of self-loathing is a good thing. It's good as long as it drives you to Christ but not if it drives you to despair. Note that Godly sorrow brings repentance while worldly sorrow brings death (2 Cor. 7).

I like Luther's 18th Heidelburg Thesis: It is certain that man must utterly despair of his own ability before he is prepared to receive the grace of Christ. The man who is guilty of tragic disastrous sins and is humiliated thereby is potentially in a better spiritual condition than the smug ones who delight in another man's downfall.

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Thursday, November 02, 2006

It Finally Happened

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Tuesday, October 31, 2006

What's Love Got to Do with the Ministry?

Here's a piece I penned for Higher Things magazine encouraging youth to enter church professions.

There was a funny commercial on television around Valentine’s Day last year. A man was sitting at the kitchen table while his wife stood with her back to him at the counter. She said, “Dear, is this the year that you bought me that diamond necklace I’ve always dreamt about?”

With a look of terror on his face, eyes like saucers because he’d forgotten all about Valentine’s Day, the man said, “No, Honey.”

“Well, then did you make reservations at the ritzy French restaurant?”

“Uh, no.”

“Surely you bought a dozen roses. You have roses for me don’t you?”

“Actually, no I don’t.”

Getting a bit desperate, but hoping for the best, the woman says, “Then I know you got me a sweet card. You did. Didn’t you?”

The guy hesitates and says, “Well… no I didn’t get you a card either dear. But I did think about it.”

And with that, she swings around and throws her arms around him kissing his face and neck. “Oh, I just knew it. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!”

Screen fades to black and the announcer intones, “Sometimes it’s the thought that counts. But in the real world buy your sweetheart….” So on and so forth. He goes on to promote whatever product the commercial is trying to sell.

The point is that even though we repeat these shallow little platitudes to each other such as “It’s the thought that counts,” we all know that’s baloney. Thoughts are great but they are not enough. Not for a relationship based on love.

But what is love? For many, it seems that love is just a feeling that comes and goes. With God, however, love is never mere sentiment. Love involves action. The Bible says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16).

The Bible does not say God loved the world so that He had a warm feeling or thought a happy thought about us. Love is more than a warm fuzzy. It is action. I’m glad that when God loved the world, He didn’t just think about it. He got to work. He got dirty. He scuffed his shoes. He broke a sweat. He sent His Son to pay the penalty for our sins.

The church is the hands and feet and mouth of God in the world today. God makes His love known to sinners most explicitly through preaching and the sacraments. He also makes His love known very tangibly through works of mercy.

There is no question that people are obsessed with love. They want to feel loved. And they – at their best – want to show love to others. But real love can be hard to find. For love is never selfish. It is always patient and giving and kind, just like St. Paul describes it in 1 Corinthians 13. Where can people know that they are more than ascended apes, the results of random natural forces? How can they hear that their lives have meaning? What can be done to help people understand who God is and what He has done for us?

I want to encourage all of you to consider and pray about dedicating your lives to full-time service in the church as pastors and deaconesses. There are certainly many ways to demonstrate God’s love to people. But there is a special need for young men to consider pastoral ministry and young women to think about becoming deaconesses.

God uses pastors to pronounce his declaration of pardon through preaching and holy absolution. The angels erupt into rejoicing each time a sinner is baptized into Christ. And it is a mighty privilege to wait on God’s people at the table where His own body and blood are served for the forgiveness of our sins. Being a pastor is hard and dangerous work but God will use you to alter lives for time and eternity.

While the pastor serves in his unique calling, the deaconesses of our church demonstrate God’s mercy to people who are weak or hurting. They tend the sick and aged. They nurture children. They relate to the women of the parish and help tend the material needs of people. All of this is God’s action revealing His love as more than just a feeling.

The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod is blessed with a very fine university system which prepares students to be instruments of God’s love as professional church workers. Go to higher-ed.lcms.org to find out more about what our educational institutions offer. God is in the business of loving humanity through Word and Sacrament and through works of mercy. And the colleges and seminaries of your church are here to offer you the finest training for these noble tasks.

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Sunday, October 29, 2006

What Scares You?

Aaah, Halloween is upon us. My good blogging buddy, The Beast, really knows how to have fun with this holiday.

This morning in Bible class, our pastor, Rev. David Petersen, made a good observation (one among many). He talked about how the general unchurched American views God. He said, quite accurately I believe, that people are not afraid of God.

This is something I noticed too as a parish pastor. I used to think that most unchurched people saw God as angry and wrathful and seeking vengeance against us and that my job would be to show them the grace of God in Jesus Christ. What a relief that would be! How our church would grow once people finally heard about forgiveness and salvation!

I quickly realized that most people (churched and unchurched) do not fear God's judgment. I wish they did, to be honest. Then they'd have a better chance of escaping hell. Instead, the average person today assumes without question that God loves them and that they are good people and He would never condemn them. Tony Soprano summed it up once when he said that the only people who go to hell are child molesters genocidal megalomaniacs. I'd say that's very typical. Charles Manson, Adolph Hitler, Pol Pot. We're content to consign them to hell. But what about Ghandi or Anne Frank? What about you?

Certainly, if the standard of judgment is Adolph Hitler, then most of us really do have nothing to worry about. Truly, most people are better than he was. The trouble is that Hitler is not God's standard of judgment. He doesn't compare us to Charles Manson either. He compares us to Jesus Christ. And by that rule, we all fall short.

As a pastor, I know that many poor souls are indeed frightened and burdened with guilt. And even many of those who think that a loving God would never send them to hell really are scared to die. I was always eager to pronounce absolution and constantly pointed to Christ's accomplished work upon the cross.

But the message of the cross falls on deaf ears when the hearers are not stung by the judgments of God. Precisely then what is Christ saving you from? The Gospel devolves into just a generic syrup about love.

I'm not saying we preach too much Gospel. I'm saying we are in danger of preaching a disfigured Gospel when it isn't presented in the context of the threats and curses of God. The truth is, there is no forgiveness without repentance. Maybe a good scare from the pulpit would be a fitting way to commemorate the Reformation this week. That sounds really strange, but I'm hoping you know what I mean.

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Saturday, October 28, 2006

Californication of the Church

Today, in about 2.5 hours, I'll be in the air on my way home to Fort Wayne. Back to snow and rain and drizzle after 5 days of glorious sunshine. Aaaahhh. Last night, on the phone I asked the resident 11 yr old boy how the weather was at home. And he said, "It's cold and wet and everything bad." Groovy.

I love California. You can find EVERYTHING in California. Good or evil. It is here, baby. Church-wise too. Some very outstanding Lutheran churches are in Southern California. Some of the best LCMS pastors and theologians I know live and work here. But this is also a place of much experimentation. Church-wise too.

SoCal folks tend to value innovation and creativity. They are optimistic and want to be happy. Following your heart is more important than doing your duty. It's all this doggone sunshine. It puts them into too much of a good mood. Drat! Church-wise too. So move away from tradition and form and heritage. Embrace the new, the novel, the entertaining. Forget about confession and absolution. What is there to confess? 'S all good. Stop judging. You be you and I'll be me, OK? Dump the repetitious liturgy and the laborious hymns with all those... those ... those words. Give us simple 7/11 songs to sing. 7 words sung in 11 stanzas. And doctrine? What's that? Sounds like doctor and that is scary, man. My karma just ran over your dogma, dude.

But most every error has a kernel of truth. Midwest Lutherans can be a bit gloomy at times. We drag ourselves through the Sunday liturgy like it's a dirge. But we do it RIGHT. We go up to Holy Communion like we're filing past a corpse.

Oh, I'm exaggerating , of course. Actually, it wouldn't kill us in the fly-over country to lighten up a bit. I don't mean water down the doctrine or eliminate tradition. I mean realize that joy is OK. It's alright to like going to church. It's not just an uncomfortable duty like having your teeth cleaned. Uh, Christ Jesus is alive. The Eucharist is the antidote to death. The Gospel is good news of free salvation. So keep your eyes down, mumble that 347 stanza hymn, and don't let anyone catch you smiling or laughing in the house of God.

I'm not suggesting the complete Californication of the Church. Plastic smiles. A veneer of sunshine induced euphoria. Hippy, boomer Churches that cater to felt needs and are market or fad driven will burst at the seams. But faithfulness is more important than success. A few more clouds would do them good. There are some things too wonderful to take lightly.

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Thursday, October 26, 2006

Kosher Coffee Shops

Today, I came to Redlands, CA. It's west of LA by San Bernardino. The weather is wonderful. I arrived a little early, so before going to the church I drove around the university campus looking for coffee. One shop, in particular caught my attention. The sign said: "The Bean and Leaf." I seemed to recall a place in PA with a similar name that was a combo coffee and tobacco shop. Since I like to occasionally puff on a pipe, this place looked promising. Y'see, I can only smoke my pipe when I'm out on trips like this because my wife and son can't tolerate the smoke. Boy was I ever disappointed when I found out the full name was The Coffee Bean and the Tea Leaf. Tea!? Drat!!!

So since I was already there, I stomped inside and barked my order. As I calmed down from my profound disappointment, I sat in the puffy chair and proceeded to goof off. In the course of the 40 minutes I was there, the cute little blue-haired barrista with multiple tattoos and piercings came and expelled two different people at two different times. One guy for eating a sandwich and the other a lady licking an ice cream cone. It seems this was a kosher coffee bar. No non-kosher foods were allowed. I'd never been in a kosher coffee shop before.

Nowadays, so many churches are watering down their doctrines for fear of offending the visitors. Even though I have no interest in kosher laws, it's kind of refreshing to see people who take their religion seriously enough to say, "conform or scram."

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Tuesday, October 24, 2006

Dearth of Old Testament Scholars

It seems that there is a scarcity of Old Testament scholars in our church body. I visited a Hebrew class this morning at Concordia University - Irvine, CA. It was good seeing the fresh young fellows crunching away at it. I confess that my Hebrew is rusty. I'm much better at Greek and always have been. There seems to be less interest in our seminaries and pre-seminary programs in studying the Old Testament.

I remember a couple of times as a parish pastor being asked questions like, "Pastor, why should we care about the Old Testament. Let's just focus on Jesus." The trick is to demonstrate that the Old Testament IS about Jesus. In any case, the OT is 2/3 of your Bible. Neglecting its study is a very serious problem.

There is a second century heretic named Marcion. He denounced the Old Testament and all within the New which he considered too Jewish, basically. He was sort of hyper-Pauline and ejected Matthew, Mark and John. Luke being an associate of Paul was OK, I suppose.

Are we in danger of becoming Marcionites today when we ignore or neglect the Torah, the prophets, the hebrew poetry and hymns collected in what we call the Old Testament? Does it in some way discolor our understanding of Jesus?

I say yes it does. For the last couple of years, during Lent, I have made reading Leviticus part of my personal devotional schedule. If you ever want to gain a graphic new insight into the sacrifice of Christ on the cross, spend some time mulling over Leviticus. Consider also the psalms, the hymnal Jesus grew up using and had memorized. Remember that Jesus Himself explained to his followers that Moses, the prophets and the psalms all speak of Him.

I will even say that it is absolutely essential to know the first 39 books of our bible in order to correctly understand the last 27.

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Sunday, October 22, 2006

Fluttering About

Began the day with a stimulating discussion in our bible class at church. Pastor Petersen is always fun to listen to. The service and sermon was, as always, edifying.

Went to our first congregational voter's meeting after church since joining Redeemer Lutheran Church. Started with a nice lunch of ham sandwiches w/real horseradish. I luv the stuff. And homemade pumpkin pie. Then in less than an hour, we heard reports, elected officers AND adopted a budget.

After Jacob and I got haircuts, I spent a good part of the afternoon lying in the La-Z-Boy dozing and reading my latest novel by Tom Wolfe.

I spent the evening getting prepared for a recruitment trip for the seminary. At 6 a.m. tomorrow morning, the security guy is coming to pick me up and drive me to the Fort Wayne International Airport. Poor me. I gotta go to sunny southern California for 6 days. Actually it's all business. Starting at our college in Irvine and ending up in San Diego, I will be ardently recruiting for the seminary. Amazingly I have been criticized for asking for people to pray for me on this blog, but I'll do it anyway. Please pray for our efforts to identify gifted men for the Office of the Holy Ministry. Pray the Lord of the harvest to send forth laborers. The fields are ready but the workers are too few.

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Saturday, October 21, 2006

Profs on "Issues, Etc."

Last week, I was interviewed on Issues, Etc., a Lutheran talk radio program on KFUO in St. Louis, MO. The topic was The Da Vinci Code. Rev. Todd Wilken and his trusty producer, Jeff Schwarz, like to scour Higher Things magazine for radio subjects. And last summer, I did a mega-sectional on DVC for the Higher Things youth conference in Colorado.

Issues, Etc. likes to regularly feature professors from Concordia Theological Seminary and they make tons of old broadcasts available on their website. It's really excellent. Now you can also access some of these interviews through the seminary website. Go here. Happy listening.

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Friday, October 20, 2006

Gemutlichkeit

One of the things I enjoy about Concordia Theo Seminary is that every Friday afternoon at 4:15 p.m. we have Gemutlichkeit. That's a German word meaning warmth and friendliness. It's used to refer to friends gathering over beer and food for conversation and happiness.

Every week, the kegs are brought in with local microbrew and munchies in the student commons. I'd say 80-100 people attend every week, students, professors, families, staff. It's really quite fun.

Today was extra good. We had a chili cooking contest. There were 19 entries. First the judges (5 profs) all got their samples and then everyone else got to try. I had four excellent bowls myself. I learned that genuine Texas chili does not have beans. While all the chilis I sampled were really very good, number 19 was definitely the hottest. It was like eating fire soup. And now it's like fire in my belly.

My hat is off to our weekly Gemutlichkeit. The seminary is a community of people gathered by Christ around His Gospel. We are devoted to rigorous study, edifying worship, works of service and enjoying one another and the good gifts of God. Pastoral and diakonal education is so much more than just downloading information. These social events on campus are, in my view, vitally important. The conversations, the laughter, the camaraderie. Friendships are built and strengthened, making our seminary community so much more than an academic enclave.

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Thursday, October 19, 2006

Speaking of Crosses

Martin Luther talked about a profound distinction between different types of theologies. Simply put, he said that some are theologians of glory and others are theologians of the cross. His famous Heidelberg Theses remain some of the Reformer's most important insights.

The one on my mind today is thesis #21:
A theologian of glory calls evil good and good evil. A theologian of the cross calls the thing what it actually is.

As he stands before God, a theologian of glory boasts of his own righteousness. He thinks his personal holiness commends him to God while the theologian of the cross realizes that his own righteousness is like filthy rags (Is 64:6).

We see this principle manifested in other ways as well. The hyper-pious insist that true faith sees all things as grace (gifts). Surely God can use terrible things to bring about a good result, but that doesn't make the terrible things any less evil. God is not the author of evil. The death of Christ saves us. But death is a curse, not a blessing. The painful sufferings you endure in this corrupted world can draw you closer to God. Sufferings can purify us. The eyes of faith do learn how to see God at work in every kind of circumstance. But some falsely pious Christians take this to a faulty conclusion, that evils such as injury, death and trouble are good things.

To suffer well - that is, in a way that leads to health and life - one must know how to "call a thing what it actually is." Name the enemy. He has won ground if we begin to count him our friend.

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Tuesday, October 17, 2006

Decorative Cross?

I saw a catalog today that markets "decorative crosses." And the first thought that came to my mind was "what kind of sicko decorates their houses with crosses?" Then I calmed myself down.

We have crosses, crucifixes and religious artwork all throughout our house. My study at the seminary has several. And though they may be artistically stylized and may look nice, they should never be considered decorations. Jesus Christ died on a cross. Oh isn't that lovely?! The Son of God bled on the cross for my sins. Wouldn't that make a darling decoration?!

Maybe I'm getting to be more of a curmudgeon but I really can't tolerate "cute" religious artwork. I am often literally SHOCKED when I see Noah's Ark toys and cartoony chidlren's bedsheets and lampshades. Good grief! God violently destroys all living things on the surface of the earth. How adorable is that?! The flood was divine wrath upon mankind. God was sorry he ever created man. Isn't that sweet? Why don't we make Auschwictz action figures and Buchenwald bedsheets? Let's put a photo of a lynching or a burning at the stake in our parlour. Won't that be grand?

One of the causes of anemia within the Church today is the cute-ification of God. Cute kittens I love. Cute kids are precious. Cute teddy bears I could hug all day long. But God is not cute. The crucifixion is not mere decoration.

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Sunday, October 15, 2006

My Media Diet

Books

  • Just finished A Man in Full by Tom Wolfe. I'd never read anything by Wolfe until this. What a terrific book! My travel companion in Siberia this summer was reading it and he recommended it. Sort of a modern Charles Dickens. Many richly drawn characters whose story lines overlap and intersect in interesting and surprising ways. Nice homage to good ol' fashioned Roman Stoicism.

Music
  • Color me happy. I noticed that my favorite Pittsburgh band, Good Brother Earl, is now available from iTunes. I immediately submitted a review. Buy their music. Be happy.

  • The new Mindy Smith CD is out. I've lately been exploring some of these neo-folk and alt-country artists. Neko Case. Lucinda Williams. Kasey Chambers. But right now for me, Mindy is the top.

  • It probably doesn't classify as music exactly, but I've been enjoying What's He Building in There? by Tom Waits. It's like an Edgar Allan Poe short story. What a weirdo.

TV
  • I hate watching TV. It's a gigantic waste of time. HOWEVER, there are some shows that I consider worthy. So I get them on DVD. I can't tolerate sitting through the advertisements. So, I just finished season 2 of Lost. Now I'm nearing the end of the second season of the new Battlestar Galactica. I think it's interesting that the humans are polytheists and the robots are monotheists.

Film

  • Re-watched To Kill a Mockingbird. First, the novel by Harper Lee is genius. I love it. Can't believe she only wrote one book. Second, Gregory Peck IS Atticus Finch.

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Friday, October 13, 2006

"Open Seaon on Beauty" by FMG

I always enjoy reading Frederica Mathewes-Green. Her movie reviews, in particular, are always engaging. Read here to see what she thought of Open Season.

It touches upon the question of the coarsening of American culture. In my view, Americans are increasingly base and trashy. Pop culture is largely to blame. But that's a chicken and the egg quandary. It's also a failure of the schools, families, and churches to teach morals and manners. Another symptom of the whole trend is the growing rush to intimacy we see in all aspects of American life. The car salesman immediately wants to be my chum and call me by my first name. Men used to wear suits and ties to baseball games and now they won't even do so to church.

By the way, I'm not saying men must wear suits to church. I am saying that our culture's growing casualness affects manners.

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Wednesday, October 11, 2006

Shameless Self-Promotion

I posted the text for the chapel homily I preached on Monday. I may as well give you the link at the seminary website where you can listen to it. Go here and click on Monday. It'll probably only be there for the rest of this week.

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Tuesday, October 10, 2006

Oh So Serious...

Last Friday night, there was a family fest here at the seminary. Beer and brats and apple pie. The guy in the background is holding a scoop and standing in front of a bucket of ice cream. We showed Lion, Witch and Wardrobe.

The strapping young lad you see here is my Jacob surrounded by his friends playing a mean game of air hockey.

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Monday, October 09, 2006

Seminary Chapel Homily

Seminary Chapel Homily
October 9, 2006
Text:
Hebrews 11:8-16

There is a scene in The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis, part of The Chronicles of Narnia, where three of the characters face a dilemma. They’d been given a set of commands to follow from Aslan the Lion, Lewis’s Christ-figure. But there is one moment when to follow the command of Aslan appears as if it could mean their destruction. So the characters debate amongst themselves. Should we obey the command of Aslan or not? What will happen to us if we do?

So the first character asked the second, “Do you mean you think everything will come right” if we do this. And second character responds, “I don’t know about that…. You see, Aslan didn’t tell Pole what would happen. He only told her what to do. That fellow should be the death of us once he’s up, I shouldn’t wonder. But that doesn’t let us off following the Sign.” We are told throughout the Narnia series that Aslan is not a tame lion, but he is good.

In a similar way, there is no guarantee that following the commands of God will cause all things to go well in your life. In fact, you can almost count on the opposite to be true, that obedience will lead to suffering. Abraham did not know where God was leading Him. He did not know what would happen. For all he knew, God could have been taking him toward violence and disease and unhappiness. But then the words of Job come to mind, “Though he slay me, I will hope in him (Job 13:15).” We follow Jesus, not because He promises us an easy life, but because He is good. And because He has been good to us. Most especially by dying for our sins.

The Christian life can be compared to a journey. We are nomads who like Abraham walk by faith, who live in tents and look forward to a city with solid foundations. God has called us out of Harran toward the Promised Land. Out of darkness into light. Out of idolatry into truth.

Of course, when you travel, you can never be sure of the condition of your accommodations along the way. You might stay in a dilapidated place with cockroaches and dirty mattresses and stains on the carpet and no hot water. The smart traveler soon learns to bear such conditions because he knows them to be temporary. He knows that tomorrow night’s accommodations could be better or they could be worse.

Don’t become too settled in. For when you stay in a fleabag hotel, you don’t want to spend a lot of effort making the place more suitable. You won’t go out and buy new furniture for your room. You won’t paint the walls and replace the carpet. You won’t do those things, even if you could, because you know that this is just a stop along the way. Likewise, the Christian is an alien in a strange land. He’s never quite at home in this world.

So why set your heart on things which moth and rust destroy? The luster of this world’s treasures and trinkets has begun to tarnish already. We clamor foolishly for things which have no lasting value and neglect the eternal things.

A good example of this is popular televangelist Joel Osteen who wrote a bestselling book with the title Your Best Life NOW! It’s a theology of glory, a gospel of prosperity. He wants you to focus on the journey instead of the destination. People who say that the journey is the best part of the trip don’t really want to get to their destination very badly. The point of running a race is not the running. It is the prize at the end. Keep your eye on the goal, the fulfillment, the consummation. At best, people like Osteen will distract you and at worst, they’ll destroy your faith in God. One of the reasons people become disenchanted with Christianity is because they listen to fanatics who tell them to expect things from God which God has not promised to give. So one of you needs to write the book entitled Your Best Life is Yet to Come.

This is not mere escapism either. Pie in the sky when you die. Although what’s so wrong with escapism anyway? Is it strange for captives to desire to escape? Would it be better for prisoners instead to think only of prison cells and guards and bars on their windows? Doesn’t it make more sense for prisoners to look forward to the day of their release when they can see the blue sky and walk on the green grass? My friends, the stink of decay is all around us. It is a mark of true enlightenment to see that what the world calls progress is really regress, what the world calls life is really more akin to death and what the world calls freedom is really just another form of captivity.

That restlessness you feel, that sense that things aren’t right and that you don’t belong, that weariness with the world. To some extent, that is your heart pining for heaven. But sometimes I think we are not restless enough or at least not restless in the right ways.

Part of your task as preachers will be to stir up a sort of holy restlessness. In the liturgy, we have the sermon before the Eucharist for a reason, to make you hungry. Your preaching should make people desire the sacrament and likewise it should make people long for heaven, which is really pretty much the same thing. All good preaching is eschatological in the sense that it prepares us to die well.

Father Abraham was looking forward to the city … whose architect and builder is God. Many men throughout the ages have sought the golden city, the Shangri-La, the place where there will be no tears, or death, or sorrow, or crying. Sounds like Utopia. The word “utopia” comes from the two Greek words ou and topos, meaning “no place.” But there is such a place. Christ is preparing this place for us. You have a destination. You who have been baptized into Christ, you who have been pardoned by God. Your sins are forgiven. The power of Christ’s resurrection is pulsating through your bodies. You have been liberated from the tyranny of death and made free citizens of the Kingdom of God.

Shakespeare’s Hamlet fears the afterlife and calls it the undiscovered country and says the thought of death “makes us rather bear those ills we have, Than fly to others we know not of (Hamlet).” But death is not just a big dark mystery to us. The undiscovered country Hamlet refers to has been pioneered for us by our valiant Savior Jesus Christ. We have nothing to fear. He has civilized the wilderness. So we do not cling desperately to this mortal existence. No, the true sons of Abraham are longing for a better country – a heavenly one. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

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New Curriculum at Concordia Theological Seminary