Sermon -- Commemoration of the Council of Nicaea (June 15, 2025)

ACTS 20:17-21,28-32

WE CONFESS NOT WHAT SEEMS REASONABLE, BUT WHAT IS REVEALED.

In the name + of Jesus.

     We might like to think that there was a golden age in the Christian Church when God’s people had everything right and there was great harmony.  But that is not true.  There have always been enemies both outside and inside the Church.  St. Paul mentioned “the trials that came to me due to the plots of the Jews” (Acts 20:19).  When Paul came to a new city, he went to synagogue to declare that Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ they had been waiting for.  He had fulfilled all God’s promises and died as the atoning sacrifice for our salvation.  Many received that message with great joy.  Others fought fiercely against him.  They slandered him, attacked him, and drove him from various cities.  In addition, the Roman government persecuted Christians because they refused to confess, “Caesar is Lord.”  We are not surprised that those outside the Church would attack it.

     When St. Paul met with the pastors who served the church in Ephesus, he warned them, “I know that after my departure savage wolves, who will not spare the flock, will come in among you.  Even from your own group men will rise up, twisting the truth in order to draw away disciples after them.  Therefore be always on the alert” (Acts 20:29-31)!  These attacks are more dangerous and damaging because they rise up from within.  Pastors and teachers, who were presumably trustworthy, perverted the words of God.  They did not reject God’s word, but twisted it to make it say what they wanted it to say.  Sometimes this twisting is done with evil intent; sometimes it is because they themselves have been deceived.  Our Lord calls us to be alert, not to be swayed by any pastor no matter how nice he is or how smoothly he speaks.  We must cling to the word of God and let nothing budge us from the sure teachings of God.

     In 313 AD, Emperor Constantine passed the Edict of Milan which legalized the Christian religion.  Constantine not only legalized Christianity, he was converted to it.  All good news for the Christian church, right?  But it was about this time that a pastor from Alexandria, Egypt, began teaching a new doctrine.  His name was Arius.  In short, Arius taught that Jesus is not really God.

     The way Arius taught this was so deceptive because of how reasonable he made it all sound.  Arius argued that, if Jesus is the Son of God, and if the Son was begotten of the Father, then there was a time when he did not exist.  After all, I did not exist in 1950.  My beginning is usually marked by my birthday.  So, if God the Son is begotten of the Father, then he had a beginning.  If he had a beginning, he is not eternal.  If he is not eternal, then he is not really God.  Perhaps he had a special status, but not God from eternity.  Arius’ logic appealed to many.  Arius even drafted hymns to reinforce his teaching.  Arius’ teaching threatened to divide, if not destroy, the Christian Church. 

     Emperor Constantine took action.  Perhaps it was because he had a legitimate concern for the Christian faith.  Perhaps it was because he wanted to retain unity and harmony in his Empire.  Probably a bit of both.  In any case, Emperor Constantine summoned bishops from all over the Roman Empire to convene at a city called Nicaea which is in modern-day Turkey.  So, 1,700 years ago this week, more than 300 bishops gathered to address Arius’ teaching and some other issues that were threatening to divide the Christian Church.  Their goal was to maintain the unity of the Christian confession.  They were to confess not what seemed reasonable, but what was revealed.

     Perhaps this issue sounds like pastors debating over doctrinal minutiae that has no real significance in day-to-day life.  Tomorrow, you will head off to work, give diligent attention to your responsibilities, and go home.  You will prepare a meal, eat, and clean up.  You might take a walk, mow the lawn, or scroll on your phone before going to bed.  Not once will you think about the theological wranglings that happened at Nicaea 1,700 years go.  I don’t say that as a rebuke, but understanding reality.

     In the same way, we don’t really give our attention to major events which have affected our lives.  We don’t think of the Magna Carta, the Revolutionary War, or the Battle of Midway.  If these events had turned out differently, our lives would be significantly different, too.  So also with the Council of Nicaea.  From it, we have received a confession of the true, Christian faith.  From those bishops, we learn to confess not what seems reasonable, but what is revealed.

     The Council of Nicaea thwarted a heresy which would destroy the Christian faith.  If Arius was right and Jesus is not true God, then you are damned.  If Jesus of Nazareth is not true God, then it was a man who went to the cross and died.  All his claims are lies.  All his promises are useless.  Even if we say that Jesus of Nazareth was a holy man, then he earned his place in the kingdom of God, but he has done nothing for you.  This is what the Lord says: “Truly no man can ransom another, or give to God the price of his life” (Psalm 49:7).  If Jesus is only a man—even a special man, given special gifts by God—then he has done nothing to help you. 

     This is what the Council of Nicaea addressed.  They did not vote on whether or not Jesus is God as The DaVinci Code asserted.  They did not invent doctrine.  They turned to the Scriptures to see what God had revealed there.  Arius trusted in reasoning; the bishops confessed what was revealed: Jesus is Immanuel, God with us.  Jesus declared, “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30).  Since there is only one God, Jesus’ claim is that he is God.  Jesus told the Pharisees, “Before Abraham was, I am” (John 8:58).  That means he is eternal.  Only God is eternal; therefore, Jesus is God.  Even Jesus’ enemies understood his claim.  That’s why they tried to stone him for blasphemy.  Most important of all is that Jesus declared he would suffer, die, and rise on the third day, just as the Old Testament had prophesied.  And then he did it.  The Church did not invent these things.  The apostles witnessed them and then recorded them.  We confess not what seems reasonable, but what is revealed.

     The Council of Nicaea drafted a confession to determine which pastors were faithful to the Christian faith and which were not.  It was the first draft of the Nicene Creed.  (This confession was updated and adopted at the Council of Constantinople in 381 and is our current Nicene Creed.)  To confess what Scripture reveals, the Nicene Creed is more detailed than the Apostles’ Creed.  The bishops at Nicaea confessed that Jesus Christ is “God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father” (Nicene Creed).  Arius would never make this confession.  Nor do Jehovah’s Witnesses or Mormons today.  This confession is a symbol of the true Christian faith.  We confess not what seems reasonable, but what is revealed.

     The spirit of Arius still persists within Christendom.  It is the spirit of using one’s reason to try to unravel the mysteries of God.  It is the desire to make God and the Bible agreeable to our way of thinking.  The prayer is, “Make it make sense!”  But reason does not always mesh with what God has revealed.  For example, the Bible teaches that God “chose us in (Christ) before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.  In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 1:4-5).  Now, if God chose some for salvation, reason concludes that those who were not chosen to be saved were chosen by God to be damned.  That sounds reasonable.  But what has God revealed?  “God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:3-4).  God is not willing that any should perish, so he certainly did not predestine people to be damned.  We confess not what seems reasonable, but what has been revealed.

     When we use our reason to rule over the Scriptures, the result is dangerous at best and destructive of the faith at worst.  Your defense of your sins seems reasonable to you because if you are determined to do something, it makes sense to you.  “I had good reasons to lie, to cheat, to blame God, to curse my neighbor.”  Why?  “Because: reasons!”    Everything we think, say, and do makes a confession.  The question is: Whose word are you confessing?

     To confess means to say the same thing.  To confess the Christian faith, we say the same thing as God reveals in his word.  When God’s word reveals, “You are a sinner,” we confess, “I am a sinner.”  When God’s word reveals that Jesus, the Son of God, came to take away our sins, we confess, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and my Savior.”  When God reveals that he created the universe in six 24-hour days, we confess, “I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.  I reject evolution which says he did not.”  When Jesus tells us regarding the consecrated bread and wine, “This is my body.  This is my blood,” we confess, “It is the true body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ under the bread and the wine, given to Christians to eat and to drink for the forgiveness of sins.”  When God reveals that marriage is a union of one man and one woman, we confess, “Marriage is the life-long union of one man and one woman.  Anything that differs from it is wicked.”  When God reveals that the pastoral office is limited to men, we confess that only males may serve as pastors.  When God reveals that we are to forgive those who sin against us, we pray, “Forgive us our trespasses, as we also forgive those who trespass against us.”  We confess not what seems reasonable, but what is revealed.

     Granted, sometimes what God reveals is hard.  It may offend your reason.  It certainly offends our culture, which has instructed and influenced us more than we would want to admit.  Much of what our culture teaches us seems reasonable because so many people live by it and defend it.  But the question is not, “Is it reasonable?”  The question is, “Did God reveal it?”  We confess not what is reasonable, but what is revealed. 

     In 325 AD, about 300 Christian bishops met to make a bold and faithful confession of the Christian faith.  That also meant condemning what stood against the faith.  It meant forsaking what seemed reasonable to maintain what is revealed.  We pray the Holy Spirit will instill in our spirit the same conviction to the Scriptures in word and deed.  “And now I entrust you to God and to the word of his grace, which has power to build you up and to give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified” (Acts 20:32). 

In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

HYMNFEST 2024 -- In Days of Sorrow and Distress

HYMNFEST – 2024

In Days of Sorrow and Distress

Sunday, October 13

If a person lives many years, let him rejoice in them all;

but let him remember that the days of darkness will be many. (Ecclesiastes 11:8)

         On Sunday, October 13, we will have a HymnFest for our service.  Many beautiful hymns have arisen out of very bitter and difficult circumstances.  The hymn writers, by God’s grace, were able to confess their faith in God’s promises.  While our world may be shaken, God’s promises never are.  These hymns proclaim that, giving us incredible comfort and peace, even in days of sorrow and distress.

Categories of sorrow and distress and corresponding hymns will include: 

Fear and Worry -- Entrust Your Fear and Doubting (841)

Temptation -- Jesus, Grant that Balm and Healing (404)

Guilt -- His Robes for Mine (568)

Bearing One's Cross -- Jesus, I My Cross Have Taken (694)

Sickness -- By Still, My Soul (844)

Oppression and Persecution -- Afflicted Saint, to Christ Draw Near (867)

Apostasy and False Teachers -- Lord, Take Pity Once You've Seen (865)

Death -- Jesus Christ, My Sure Defense (446)

YouTube -- All Saints' Day, transferred (November 5, 2023)

Here is the Divine Service from Sunday, November 5, 2023.

Sermon -- All Saints' Day, transferred (November 5, 2023)

REVELATION 7:9-17

A GLIMPSE OF GLORY SUSTAINS US IN THE STRIFE.

In the name + of Jesus.

     Whenever I prepare for a family vacation, I usually do quite a bit of homework.  The internet has made it especially helpful to know how to plan a trip—where to go, what to expect when we get there, and what different places will look like.  I find it strange that some places prohibit photographs.  In some cases, I suppose photos would ruin the surprise that awaits.  But photos do not ruin it for me.  They whet my appetite and get me more interested in seeing those places.

     If getting a preview of a scenic location gets you interested in going there, then give your attention to St. John’s Revelation.  St. John was given a glimpse of the glories of heaven.  This glimpse encourages us to remain faithful to our Lord in the midst of any hardships we must endure here.  All the things we long for and pray for are in the heavenly kingdom.  We get to see that all the saints who have been laid to rest are enjoying this peace.  And God’s saints who remain on earth are reminded of the glories that are to come.

     St. John saw a great crowd “from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages” (Revelation 7:9).  The elder who was John’s guide through Revelation identified them.  “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation” (Revelation 7:14).  St. John knew all about the great tribulation.  The Roman world did not look favorably on Christianity.  People were forced to endure various levels of persecution.  To this point, all the apostles except John had been killed for the faith.  John himself had been banished to the island of Patmos, a prison colony in the Aegean Sea.  But while he was there, the Lord comforted John by giving him a glimpse of the glory to come.  This would sustain him in the strife.

     We know all about the tribulations of this world.  Many tribulations are common to all mankind.  We know sickness, injury, disease, and disorders.  We turn on the TV to witness strife, terrorism, and warfare.  People with disagreements can no longer be civil with each other.  Those who hold different political views are now branded as evil.  Particular to the Church is that those who confess Jesus Christ and stand firm on what God declares to be good or evil face persecution.  Sometimes it is limited to mockery and insults; other times it is intensified to bloodshed—similar to the violence that St. John knew. 

     But such is life in the Church Militant.  The world has accomplices to impose its definitions of reality and morality upon us.  Hollywood, political action committees, and social media persistently push all kinds of ungodly ideas.  To dissent is to invite scorn, perhaps even punishment.  Jesus warned us that such animosity is to be expected.  Not enjoyed, but expected.  He told his apostles, and in extension to the Church, “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.  If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.  …I have said all these things to keep you from falling away” (John 15:18,19; 6:1).  The hatred of God, his word, and his people is increasing.  If you have been spared such bitterness, praise God.  If you don’t think such hatred is real, ask to look at the dozens of obscene and vile responses to our Facebook ad for tonight’s seminar on anxiety.  Do not be surprised if the strife becomes more intense.  And do not lose heart.  The Lord does not abandon his Church in the strife.  He knows what this world is like; for he suffered in it, too.  But he has given us a glimpse of the glory to come to sustain us in the strife.

     St. John wrote, “Behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands” (Revelation 7:9).  The palm branches are waved in victory by those who have been brought out of the Church Militant and into the Church Triumphant.  They rejoice before the Lord, forever free from strife and stress, injury and insults, temptations, frustrations, and persecutions.  The Lord has given them peace from every enemy and rest on every side.

     But what qualifies them to stand in God’s presence?  Psalm 24 has us ponder: “Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord?  And who shall stand in his holy place?  He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully.” (Psalm 24:3-4).  Of course, none of us can boast such purity.  And, in fact, none of the saints John saw in heaven could boast of any purity of their own.  The elder who served as John’s tour guide said so.

     John asked, “‘Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?’  …And (the elder) said to me, ‘These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation.  They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb’” (Revelation 7:13-14).  So, while the saints in heaven are dressed in white robes, which is purity, their robes were not inherently white.  They had to be washed.

     “They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb” (Revelation 7:14).  The Lamb, of course, is Jesus.  He is “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29).  Jesus has come to remove from us every stain of sin and in us every smudge of filth on us.  As a Lamb, Jesus was presented for sacrifice.  All our guilt was transferred to him, and Jesus died the cursed death of the guilty.  He poured out his blood to atone for our sins, but his blood was innocent.  Jesus endured an innocent death on behalf of the guilty.  And now that pure, innocent, holy blood has cleansed you.  How?  St. John was told, “They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb” (Revelation 7:14).  What other way are we washed except in holy baptism?  This is how the blood of Jesus was applied to us.  Jesus has given us robes of righteousness, the very righteousness and purity we need to be able to stand in God’s holy place.  Therefore, we know that the glimpse of glory John got to see is for us.  And this glimpse of glory sustains us in the strife.

     Now, there are many who have gone before us who bask in this glory, and who live in greater light than we.  They have stood in the fight against the sinful longings of their own flesh, against worldly scorn and pressure, and against the deceptions and seductions of the devil.  Many were belittled for the faith.  Some shed their blood rather than deny their Lord.  But they are all in glory, dressed in white robes, waving palm branches.  They dwell with Jesus who has overcome all our enemies.  We have this glimpse of glory to sustain us in the strife.

     St. John also recorded the relief and the rest that awaits us all, as long as we stand firm in Jesus Christ.  “They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat.  For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes” (Revelation 7:16-17).  The Lord Jesus will reverse every curse that fell upon mankind when sin was ushered into the world by Adam.  Among the curses that fell upon mankind, the Lord told Adam, “Cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field.  By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread…” (Genesis 3:17-19).  But in the glory to come, we shall be free from the toil and frustrations of this sinful world.  Everything will be restored to perfection—free from hunger and thirst, free from scorching heat and anguish, and, of course, free from death and mourning and crying and pain.  Instead, we will be sheltered by the Lord.  We will be delivered from every evil.  Every enemy will have been reduced to ashes.  This glimpse of the glory sustains us in the strife.

     For all of the glory, the peace, and the joy that will be in our heavenly home, the greatest blessing will be this: we will be with Jesus.  Everything in John’s vision centered on Jesus.  All the saints and angels surrounded the throne where the Lamb sat.  All the host of heaven fell before Jesus and joyfully honored him for his saving work.  Regarding all the saints, “They are before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence” (Revelation 7:15).  All the saints rejoice to be with Jesus because of all that Jesus has done to secure our place with him.  He loved us enough to plunge himself into death and hell so that he could destroy them for us.  He loves us enough to prepare a place for us in the mansions of Paradise.  So, he will come back to raise us up from the dead and bring us to live with him there.  We get to be with Jesus and to share in his glory.  The glimpse of that glory sustains us in the strife.

     Since we long to be with Jesus in glory, we are eager to be with Jesus while we are in the strife.  That is why we come to church.  We long to be with Jesus.  We gather together in God’s house to hear his word.  Here, Jesus encourages us to be faithful to his word.  He strengthens us so that we stand firm in our confession, to remain committed to good works, and even to pray for our enemies.  We long to be with Jesus because there is no other source of forgiveness.  No one else delivers a peace that cannot be broken by strife, war, or death.  No one else can guarantee a resurrection to life everlasting or a glory that will never fade. 

     Listen, I tell you a mystery.  St. John saw the saints triumphant dressed in robes of righteousness.  But do you realize that you are already dressed in garments of salvation?  The Lord sees you as his saints already!  It does not look like it yet to us or to anyone else.  But Jesus assures you that you are, indeed, the children of God.  Right now, we live by faith.  We take Jesus at his word.  Then we will live by sight—dressed in white robes, waving palm branches, and seeing our Lord face to face.

     Therefore, we already join with the angels and archangels and all the saints in heaven, proclaiming, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb” (Revelation 7:10)!  Salvation belongs to Jesus, and it has pleased him to deliver it to us.  Let us endure the strife in the Church Militant, as we keep our focus on the glories of the Church Triumphant.

In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

All Saints' Day Hymn: For All the Saints

In honor of All Saints' Day, enjoy this hymn.

God's people engaged in worship

This past Sunday, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church was without power.  It had gone out during a heavy snow storm (complete with lightning) on Friday.  The church was without light and heat.

We still manage to have Sunday School & Adult Bible Class, and we conducted our regular Divine Service.  Much of the liturgy was spoken because we are getting used to a new hymnal and liturgical order.  A few of the canticles were familiar, so we sung those a cappella.  The hymns were all done a cappella.  The Lord's Supper was celebrated, prayers were offered, and God's blessings were bestowed.

God's people had to keep their coats on, but that was probably the biggest adjustment we had to make.  It was nowhere near the most dire circumstances which God's people have had to face in worshipping throughout the history of Christendom.  But it did go on to show that reverent worship can be done in restrictive settings.  

Here is a photo of God's people gathering for worship in much more difficult circumstances--presumably somewhere in Germany during WWII.  It could have been a Roman Catholic mass or an Evangelical Lutheran Divine Service.  Either way, it was still done with reverence, and God's blessings were still bestowed.

The power came back on at about 3 AM Monday morning.  So, we are anticipating that our Lenten Vespers (Wednesday at 7:00 PM) and Sunday School, Adult Bible Class (both at 9 AM on Sunday), and Divine Service (10 AM on Sunday) will have light and heat.  But even if something should prevent light and heat, God's gifts will still be administered.

Join us.

All Saints' Day -- Call for names for remembrance

Every year, we remember the names of loved ones who have died in the Christian faith, praising God for the mercy he has had upon them and thanking God for preserving them in that saving faith throughout their life.  Normally, the names of these departed souls are recalled in a prayer on All Saints' Day, which is November 1.  Good Shepherd will transfer this prayer and these remembrances to the 3rd Sunday of End Times which focuses on Saints Triumphant.

  In addition to members of Good Shepherd who have been called to eternal rest, you may submit the names of your own loved ones who have died in the Christian faith between November 17, 2019 and November 15, 2020.  When submitting these names, please included

1.  the name of the deceased

2.  your name

3.  how he/she was related to you

4.  the dates of his/her birth and death, if known

All names given by Thursday, November 12 will be submitted in the bulletin.  Names may still be submitted as late as Sunday morning, but will not be printed in the bulletin.

The prayer which will be spoken on the Festival of All Saints is listed below.

PRAYER FOR ALL SAINTS’ DAY

Almighty God, today we recall with thanksgiving those saints who were taken from us in the Church Militant and carried by the angels to you and the Church Triumphant.  Especially, we give you praise for our departed family and friends who have gone before us in faith and all those who are in our hearts and minds this day: 

(The names of those who are to be remembered are read.)

To these, you have granted eternal rest this past year.  We thank you for giving them new life in Christ while on this earth and for sustaining them in true and saving faith throughout their life.  We praise you for finally giving them the fulfillment of your promises of salvation and eternal life.  Strengthen and sustain us in this saving faith so that we may also join with the angels and archangels and all the company of heaven in joyful praise, peace, and rest forever; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Cong: Amen.

A Pastoral Concern: The Church Militant and Fight Songs

The concern over the coronavirus (COVID-19) is a constant topic.  Perhaps that has made it overwhelming for you.  It is understandable.  It seems we cannot go anywhere where people are not talking about it, taking steps to prevent its spread, or escalating into bunker mentality. 

If we can find a blessing in it, it is that a virus has exposed the reality of life to many people who lived in blissful ignorance for too long.  Here is the reality: Everyone is going to die and we don't know when that will be.  No one has been guaranteed a set number of years.  We are always one heart beat away from death--or in this case, one handshake or one dirty door handle.  Death is the enemy, and we don't know where he will strike.

For those in the Church Militant, we have always known our enemy.  Death is the enemy, and sin is the weapon by which it inflicts its mortal blow.  Sin has corrupted our world, producing with it viruses, sickness, fear, and death.  The world only recognizes viruses, sickness, fear, and death.  The prayers of many people is for solutions to the virus and sickness so that they don't have to deal with fear and death.  But we know that even healthy people can go to hell.  The coronavirus does not send anyone to hell.  Sin does.

But that is why we flee to our Savior again and again.  We know that Jesus is our solution to sin--and therefore delivers us from death and damnation.  He is the ever-living victor over death.  He is the one who washes away our sin through Holy Baptism.  He keeps us pure by his words of admonition, encouragement, and peace.  The Church Militant rallies to the standard: Jesus.  Only in Jesus, who comes to us in word and sacraments, are we saved from sin and death. Only in Jesus will we endure viruses and sickness without fear. 

As the Church Militant, we also have our fight songs.  In addition to hearing God's promises and offering up our prayers, we sing our fight songs in the presence of our enemies to mock them.  The hymnal is full of them.  If you find yourself being overwhelmed by all the talk of COVID-19, then it is time to raise up the fight songs, and even better if you can join in with fellow Christians who are your comrades in arms in the Church Militant. 

Here are just a few stanzas of fight songs from our hymnal:

Why should cross and trial grieve me?
   Christ is near With his cheer;
      Never will he leave me.
Who can rob me of the heaven
   That God's Son, For me won
      When his life was given?
          (CW 428:1; Why Should Cross and Trial Grieve Me, by Paul Gerhardt)

What God ordains is always good;
   This truth remains unshaken.
Though sorrow, need, or death be mine,
   I shall not be forsaken.
I fear no harm, For with his arm
   He will embrace and shield me;
      So to my God I yield me.
          (CW 429:5; What God Ordains Is Always Good, by Samuel Rodigast)

Through Jesus' blood and merit I am at peace with God;
   What, then, can daunt my spirit, However dark my road?
My courage shall not fail me, For God is on my side;
   Though hell itself assail me, Its rage I may deride.
          (CW 445:1; Though Jesus' Blood and Merit; by Simon Dach)

Satan, hear this proclamation: I am baptized into Christ!
   Drop your ugly accusation; I am not so soon enticed.
Now that to the font I've traveled, All your might has come unraveled,
   And, against your tyranny, God, my Lord, unites with me!

Death, you cannot end my gladness: I am baptized into Christ!
   When I die, I leave all sadness To inherit paradise!
Though I lie in dust and ashes Faith's assurance brightly flashes;
   Baptism has the strength divine To make life immortal mine.
          (CWS 737:3,4;  God's Own Child, I Gladly Say It, by Erdmann Neumeister)

If you are feeling well, join us at 10:00 AM on Sundays and rally around the standard--Jesus Christ.  Jesus will serve us with words of promise and with the heavenly feast.  And God's people will join in our fight songs for mutual encouragement.  If you are ill, contact your pastor to see how he can serve you, especially if your situation becomes dire.

A Pastoral Concern: The Church Militant, Pastoral Care, and the Coronavirus

So much can be said about the current concerns with the coronavirus.  One article is here at the blog of Gene E. Veith.  It is hard to be concise when addressing pastoral concerns and allaying the fears of members, but here goes.  Please pardon me if this rambles.

The first thing we are all to remember is that we are the redeemed children of God.  That means we remain in God's care at all times and in all circumstances.  God is quite aware that the coronavirus is going around the world and has many concerned and fearful.  God knows that the world has been corrupted and that disease is common.  Just ask generations past about the Plague, small pox, and malaria.  While these diseases may have brought many lives to a swift end, none of them has removed a person from the kingdom of God.  Whoever believes in Jesus will live, even though he dies; and some are brought into everlasting glory and peace through diseases.  But we look for the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting--whether we die by disease, disaster, or peacefully in our beds at 95 years old.  We are redeemed children of God.  We are safe and secure in God's Church and in Jesus' care.  Fear not.

But we are in the Church Militant.  We continue to fight daily against the devil, the world, and our own sinful flesh.  The devil uses the troubles of this world (including the coronavirus) to instill fear and panic in us.  Our own sinful flesh is an ally.  We are tempted to use sickness and disease as excuses for avoiding Christ, his word, and his sacraments.  While common sense tells us to stay home when we are ill, it is fear and panic which causes us to avoid the Church.  The fact is, we are in the Church Militant.  We struggle.  We battle.  We fight against sin and temptation.  And we cannot stand on our own.  The very fact that we are going to die ought to have us recognize that we need something outside of ourselves to sustain our faith, to stand against sin and temptation, and to overcome death.  God has granted it!--the word and the sacraments.  Our fears ought not keep us away from the Church; they ought to drive us to the altar of our Lord with great zeal and urgency for our comfort.  We are in the Church Militant, and no one gets out of it alive.  Our hope and victory come only through Jesus, and he comes to us only in the word and the sacraments.  Therefore, as much as it remains in our power, we will gather for worship for the forgiveness of sins, for comfort in our fears, and for strength to continue the battle.

Still, there are some practical concerns about the spread of disease.  Much of these concerns are easily addressed.  Wash your hands, a lot.  Stay home when you are sick.  Do you want to avoid shaking hands?  Fine.  Many do that when they are nursing a cold anyway.  Wear a mask?  If you think it helps, go ahead.  There is nothing wrong with caution, as long as caution is not driven by panic.


What about other concerns, such as the use of the Common Cup in Holy Communion?  For centuries, the Christian Church used only the Common Cup for Holy Communion.  And the Church has survived many epidemics along the way.  I recall the AIDS scare is what introduced the individual cups into our usage--again, driven by panic rather than information.  The fact is, many studies have demonstrated that the Common Cup is not a petri dish.  Communicable diseases do not get communicated well at all with the Common Cup.  The precious metal (gold, silver), the alcoholic content in the wine, and the repeated wiping with a purificator (cloth) all limit any chance for disease to make it pretty much irrelevant.  (If you think the individual cups are a more sanitary option, consider how much they are handled before you get one.)  Most importantly, Holy Communion is the body and blood of Christ, given by our Lord for the blessing and benefit of his people.  This is nothing to be avoided, but cherished.  It is not to be feared, but desired.  It is not death in the cup, but life.  Fear not.

Finally, what about the care of the sick and dying?  Simple: The pastor cares for the sick and dying.  He sits with them, prays with them, communes them, and serves them during their final moments, which also may be their most fearful moments.  The pastor does not flee; he stands his ground and serves God's people as long as they are in the Church Militant.  If the pastor becomes a casualty along the way, so be it.  It is still Christ's Church, and he will provide a way for his people to be cared for.  After all, this is the Church Militant.  People die, but none are lost.  Jesus delivers people to glory, and the pastor serves as best he can to comfort, to absolve, and to care for the people under his charge until God delivers them to the Church Triumphant.  Eventually the pastor, whether succumbing by disease or age, will be delivered there too.

If you have any specific concerns about coronavirus or any other grave fears, speak to your pastor.  And for future reference--there will be other epidemics in the future.  There always are.  In the case of future epidemics, re-read this article and substitute the latest health concern wherever you read "coronavirus."  It will still apply.