Something from ... Martin Luther on the Office of the Holy Ministry

Martin Luther reminds us that the pastoral office is not established for the sake of the pastor to espouse his own thoughts or to do as he pleases.  The pastor is a man under orders--to proclaim only what Christ gives and to do the works Christ has established.  Individual pastors come and go.  The Lord, however, is pleased to raise up for his Church new pastors to succeed the old ones.  

As for the pastor, he is reminded that he stands in the stead and by the command of Jesus Christ.  While that could stir up feelings of pride and arrogance, the pastor must be sure to put those spirits to death.  The pastor stands humbly, knowing that he is under orders and will have to give an account to the Lord for his service.  After all, it is not the pastor's office; it is Christ's office.

From Martin Luther:

“In this way all sermons delivered in Christendom must proceed from the one Christ, and the clergy must prove that the words and works of their ministry in Christendom—regardless of whether their own person is good or evil—are those of Christ.  They must declare: ‘You are not to look to me or to follow me.  No, heed only that which the Lord Christ says to you or shows you through me; for this is not my word; it is Christ’s Word.  The Baptism and Sacrament I administer is not mine; it is His Baptism and Sacrament.  The office I fill is not mine; it is the Lord’s office.  But since it is Christ’s Word and Baptism, it is also the Father’s Word and Sacrament, because He says, “Whatever I say and do, I do not say or do on My own authority; but on the authority of the Father, who dwells in me.”’” (page 66, Luther’s Works: American Edition, Volume 24.  Concordia Publishing House: St. Louis, MO.  © 1961.)

Something from ... Rev. Normal Nagel on God's Word

Rev. Normal Nagel served as a pastor and professor in Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod.  A book was published of his sermons, covering the years from 1949 - 1999.  I never met Rev. Nagel, but I have heard about his prowess as a preacher and teacher.  I had received a copy of the book, "Selected Sermons of Norman Nagel" when Pastor Gregory Gibbons invited me to purge his library upon his retirement.  Having heard about Rev. Nagel's preaching, this was an easy one to pick out.

Below is a quotation from a sermon for the 5th Sunday of Easter, preached in Cambridge, England in 1967.  The whole sermon would be worth quoting, but I will limit it to a few paragraphs regarding the Word of God and the confidence it gives us, especially when it is connected to the sacraments.

Here is something from Rev. Norman Nagel.

"The greatest gifts are all given by the Word of God.  The Word of God not only tells what these gifts are but also conveys them.  When the word of forgiveness is spoken to you, forgiveness is given to you.  When the Benediction is spoken to you, the blessing of God is given to you.  In the sacraments, the Word is joined with extra means of conveying the gifts.  It is then as if God takes your hand and presses His gift into it with the assurance, 'Now you have really got it.  Without a shadow of doubt, it is surely yours.'

"Jesus would be nothing for us if the Word of truth did not tell of Him and gives Him to us.  A silent movie of Calvary would be nothing more thana tragic piece of newsreel.  The soundtrack of God's Word tells us what is going on there, what is achieved, and gives it to us with the words 'for you.'" (p 134, Selected Sermons of Norman Nagel.  Concordia Publishing House: St. Louis, MO. (c) 2004.)

Sermon -- Maundy Thursday (March 28, 2024)

1 CORINTHIANS 10:16-17

THIS IS OUR BLESSED COMMUNION.

In the name + of Jesus.

     On the eve of Passover, families around Israel would gather in Jerusalem for a communal meal.  There was a course of unleavened bread and bitter herbs, followed by a lamb which had been roasted over a spit.  Each course was interspersed by a cup of wine.  The master of the house would say a blessing over the cup and then pass it around to everyone.  The Passover meal was an expression of fellowship within the family.  But mainly, it was a commemoration of God’s deliverance of his people.

     Part of the evening included catechetical instruction.  This festival meal was never intended to dissolve into a family buffet.  To keep the significance of the meal forefront, family members had a role to play.  The youngest at the table would ask a question to be answered by the head of the house.  This is in accord with the instruction given through Moses.  “When your children say to you, ‘What do you mean by this service?’ you shall say, ‘It is the sacrifice of the Lord's Passover, for he passed over the houses of the people of Israel in Egypt, when he struck the Egyptians but spared our houses’” (Exodus 12:26-27). 

     This annual celebration of God’s deliverance was a commemoration.  It was not an annual deliverance.  They did not mark their door posts with the blood of the lamb, and no angel passed over their homes.  The deliverance happened once, and the people rejoiced over it.  The meal was a reenactment to remember that first Passover.

     When Jesus met with his disciples on the night he was betrayed, he repurposed the Passover meal.  The meal of the new covenant was not to be a reenactment of a one-time deliverance.  This meal had a promise attached to it.  Those who ate and drank the meal of the new covenant would receive blessings through it.  This is our blessed communion.

     At the Passover meal with Jesus, his disciples feasted on the body of the lamb.  But Jesus repurposed the eating.  Rather than feasting on a lamb roasted over fire, we feast on the Lamb of God who was roasted in God’s righteous judgment.  His body is in communion with the bread which we consecrate for this sacred purpose.  In the days of Moses, the blood of the lamb marked the doors of the Israelites and delivered them from death.  Jesus repurposed the blood.  Rather than brushing the blood of a lamb on door posts, the blood of the Lamb is given to Jesus’ disciples to drink.  It is in communion with the wine we consecrate for this purpose.  This is our blessed communion.

     This blessed communion, however, is no mere reenactment.  Listen to Jesus’ words:  “‘Take; this is my body.’ And he took a cup, and … said to them, ‘This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many’” (Mark 14:22-24).  Jesus tells us exactly what we are receiving in this sacrament.  “This is my body.”  “This is my blood.”  And he tells us why we eat and drink it.  “For the forgiveness of sins” (Matthew 26:28).  There is no reason to doubt Jesus’ words. This was a solemn occasion in which Jesus was leaving a gift to his Church.  Solemn occasions are no time for puzzles to be solved or vague declarations.  Jesus meant what he said and said what he meant.  This is our blessed communion.

     Nevertheless, most Protestant denominations regard the Lord’s Supper as a reenactment.  They know the words of Jesus.  It is not a matter of translation.  The grammar is simple, and the words are clear.  “This is my body.”  “This is my blood.”   But when human reason enters the room, it declares, “This does not make sense!  How can Jesus, who is in heaven, be on every altar on earth?  How can this sliver of bread and sip of wine contain the infinite God?  When we consecrate the elements, it still looks, smells, and tastes like bread and wine.  How can it be Jesus’ body and blood?”  If we force God to submit our human understanding, we will conclude that Jesus could not mean what he said.  “Jesus must have meant that these represent his body and blood.  That I understand!”  But if that is the case, then you are not receiving anything from Jesus.  Then the benefits are only as lofty as your own meditation.  Worst of all, the reason we would celebrate this sacrament is because Jesus said, “Do this.”  That makes this sacrament a law, something we are doing for God, not what he is doing for us.  If it is a law, it carries a threat rather than a blessing.

     But what did Jesus say?  Jesus said, “This is my body” and “This is my blood”, and we are in no position to correct him.  Jesus does not give us his words to critique them, but to believe them.  Therefore, the sacrament is what he says it is.  And it is what he says is for: “For the forgiveness of sins.”  If that is what it is for, then that is what it delivers.  It comes with a promise, not with a threat.  The sacrament is what the Lord Jesus does for us, not what we are doing for him.  This is our blessed communion.

     St. Paul wrote, “The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ?  The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ” (1 Corinthians 10:16)?  When St. Paul asks these questions, the grammar tells us that he expects the answer, “Yes.”  Yes, we do participate in the blood of Christ when we drink from the cup.  Yes, we do participate in the body of Christ when we eat the bread.  These are in communion with each other, and then they are given to be in communion with us. 

     The body which bore our sins and was given into death to pay for them is given to us.  So, we don’t just think of the forgiveness of sins won by Jesus, we are in communion with his atoning sacrifice.  The blood which was shed to redeem us is given to us for our redemption.  We don’t just think about God’s blessed deliverance, we are in communion with it.  The blood of the Lamb hits the roof of our mouth and death passes over us.  We are the beneficiaries of the atoning work of Jesus.  This is our blessed communion.

     There are some Christian churches which summon the members of their congregations to the altar with the declaration, “The holy things for the holy ones.”  Of course, what holier things are there in the church than the body and blood of our Lord?  If the Lord Jesus is present, this is the most holy thing we handle.  These most holy things are intended only for the holy ones.  St. Paul tells us why: “Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord” (1 Corinthians 11:27).  If our church is accused of being loveless for our practice of closed communion, let the just-quoted verse be the reason why.  To deliver the body and blood of the Lord to anyone who is unworthy is to feed them with God’s judgment.  Love first seeks to honor God and his word.  Then love seeks to do good to our neighbor.  Therefore, we handle the most holy things with utmost care—both for God’s honor and for the good of others.

     Even God’s people can be disturbed by this verse.  We have heard how God has dealt with people who have treated his word with contempt.  The earth swallowed Korah alive.  Fire from heaven consumed the soldiers who tried to arrest the prophet Elijah.  The Flood destroyed the entire population of the word, save Noah and his family.  And the Lord killed the firstborn male of the Egyptians at the Passover.  We know that we do not deserve the title, “the holy ones.”  We are acutely aware of our sins.  If you are not bothered by your sins, then you have not taken the word of the Lord very seriously.  If you are bothered by your sins, repent.  If you are not bothered by your sins, pinch yourself to see if you are still alive and repent.  For, “if the righteous is scarcely saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner” (1 Peter 4:18)?

     Who, then, is worthy to participate in the body and blood of the Lord?  Consider the Israelites at the first Passover.  The Lord had declared that his judgment was going to fall upon all of Egypt.  The firstborn in every house was to be put to death.  However, the Lord provided a refuge for the people of Israel.  Every Israelite was told to slaughter the lamb and to smear its blood on the doorposts of their homes.  God did not select a few who were worthy.  God extended the promise of deliverance to all—whether they were noble and upright or shifty and sleazy.  God’s deliverance depended upon his promise, not on the honor of the people.  Whoever believed God’s word put the blood of the lamb on his doorpost and was delivered.  It was faith in God’s promise that saved them.  There is no other way to salvation.

     So, perhaps you have had a bad week.  Perhaps there were some words that came out of your mouth that made you sound like a heathen rather than a Christian.  Maybe the shows you watched would force Jesus to leave the room.  Maybe you looked on other people with contempt because they are captive to sin and live like it.  And so, you are not holy, and you proved it.

     But just as God’s promises at the first Passover did not depend on the righteousness of the people of Israel, so also God’s promises of forgiveness do not depend on how righteous you have been.  The Lord has cleansed you in the blood of the Lamb through your baptism.  Your status as a saint is based on God’s decree, not on your performance.  Therefore, if you believe his words—that this is the body and blood of Jesus, that it is given and shed for you, and that it is for the forgiveness of your sins—then come to the feast.  The most holy things are for you, God’s holy ones who have been purified by Jesus Christ.  This is our blessed communion.

     The body and blood of Jesus are in communion with the bread and the wine, just as the word of God says.  The Lord Jesus Christ is in communion with us.  He makes us participants in his atoning sacrifice so that we receive its benefits, just as the word of God says.  We are in communion with one another, fellow saints who share the same need of God’s mercy, forgiveness, and salvation.  “Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread” (1 Corinthians 10:17).  We share a common faith and rejoice in a united confession.  We all have the same need, the same Savior, and the same hope. 

     The holy things for the holy ones.  This is our blessed communion.  Come to the feast. 

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

Private Confession & Absolution -- Saturday, January 6 (10:00 AM - Noon)

When Lutherans hear someone speak of Private Confession and Absolution, the response is usually a knee-jerk, "That's Roman Catholic!" Though that may be a common perception, the perception is because either it was taught wrongly or understood wrongly. Consider what the Lutheran Confessions teach about Private Confession and Absolution.

Our churches teach that private Absolution should be retained in the churches, although listing all sins is not necessary for Confession. For, according to the Psalm, it is impossible. "Who can discern his errors?" (Psalm 19:12) -- Augsburg Confession, Article XI

What is Confession?
Answer: Confession has two parts: the one is that we confess our sins; the other is that we receive Absolution, or forgiveness, from the confessor, as from God Himself, and in no way doubt, but firmly believe that our sins are forgiven before God in heaven by this.

What sins should we confess?
Answer: Before God we should plead guilty of all sins, even of those that we do not know, as we do in the Lord's Prayer. But before the confessor we should confess only those sins that we know and feel in our hearts. -- Luther's Small Catechism, Part V

These are basic confessions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church. They are catholic, insofar as they are Christian. But they are not Roman, insofar as the penitent is not obligated to orally confess every sin in order to be forgiven of it and insofar as one's forgiveness is not dependent upon some action on the part of the penitent. The forgiveness is based on Jesus' sufferings and death for the penitent who has been baptized into his name.

Since the practice of Private Confession and Absolution is a Lutheran practice, it would be good for Lutherans to practice it. It is good for the penitent who is grieved by a particular sin to confess it so that he can hear Christ say through the mouth of his minister: "I forgive you." It would be good for the one who is burdened to be relieved of his burden by Holy Absolution. It would be good for this practice, though foreign to many in my corner of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, to be restored. 

In order for this practice to be restored and perhaps put to better use, there will be dates on the calendar set aside for anyone who would like to drop in and make use of this means of grace. These will be set up about 4 times per year. Private Confession and Absolution is always available by appointment in addition to these scheduled times.

                    A day around Epiphany (Epiphany is always January 6)
                    A day during Holy Week
                    A day around Labor Day weekend
                    A day after Thanksgiving weekend

The next scheduled date and time for Private Confession and Absolution will be Saturday, January 6, 10:00 AM - Noon.  All participation is voluntary, as Absolution cannot be forced upon anyone.

Of course, this will be new to most members who decide to make use of it. If you come in, the pastor will walk through the rite with you and explain the various parts of it, especially including the "private" part, namely, that this confession is to Christ and, therefore, remains his business alone. The pastor will not report the confession or the names of those who come for confession.  No confession will get used as a sermon illustration, either.  The point is not for a pastor to learn everyone's dirty, little secrets.  The point is for the guilty and the grieved to find relief and receive forgiveness, or absolution. 

BIBLE BITS: Luke 18

In the Gospel according to St. Luke, he records an incident in which mothers bring their babies to Jesus so that he would bless them.  Luke, however, does not actually use the word "bless" in his account.  The blessing is implied.  St. Luke wrote: "Now they were bringing even infants to him that he might touch them" (Luke 18:15).

The touch of Jesus is significant.  Jesus could certainly have spoken a word of blessing upon the children.  Or the mothers could have sung a psalm for their children which proclaims God's blessings upon his people.  But the touch of Jesus was important to them.  They made the effort to go to Jesus and to deliver their children to him.

This is significant for us today, too.  While we can take comfort in the word of God which delivers God's blessings to us (i.e., forgiveness of sins, new life, and salvation), the Lord knows that we need his touch.  God did not merely declare from heaven that he loves us and forgives us.  He became a man to connect himself to us, in fact, to unite himself to us.  In doing so, he exalts our humanity and, by his death and resurrection, will restore us to what God had created us to be.  He does not merely save our souls.  He saves us completely--body and soul, which is what God has created us to be.

When Jesus wants to connect with us today, he goes beyond his bare word to do so.  He could have issued Bibles to everyone and told us to read his word and said, "That is sufficient.  You need nothing more."  Instead, he chooses to touch us in physical ways.

He established the office of the holy ministry and sends out pastors who proclaim God's blessings, preach God's word, absolve God's people, and touch their lives.  When he brings us into his kingdom, he tells us to use water in connection with God's word to cleanse us of all sin.  Through the waters of holy baptism, he gives us his Holy Spirit.  When he strengthens and keeps us in the one, true faith, he gives us his body and blood in, with, and under the bread and the wine in holy communion.  

And even more, he connects us with each other.  We are all flesh-and-blood, body-and-soul people who get to support one another.  We do so not only with prayers, but also with human touch.  God designed us to have fellowship with one another.  We greet one another with handshakes and hugs.  In the early church where the culture called for it, they greeted one another with a holy kiss.  

Like those mothers who loved their babies and wanted Jesus to touch them and bless them, we also want to make the effort to come where Jesus touches us with his blessing.  In this way, we don't have to rely on how well we hear and understand God's word for our comfort.  We can have Jesus apply his blessings to us through things we can touch, taste, see, and smell.  

The blessings of Jesus came through his touch.  They still do.  

NOTE: The picture above is a painting by Lucas Cranach, the elder (1472 - 1553), on display in Frankfurt, Germany. (Source: Christ Blessing the Children by CRANACH, Lucas the Elder (wga.hu))

A Pastoral Concern: Preaching the Word on Time

          It is interesting to me when people speak about the holidays being a bad time for someone to die.  I understand the sentiment.  The family will always associate a certain holiday with the death of a loved one.  But it also implies that there are more convenient times to die.  Death does not care.  It takes when it wants.  And really, the loved ones don't care for death's timing no matter when it comes.  No one says, "August 3rd?  Hey, that worked out great!"  Death is cruel, and it does not concern itself with a clock or calendar.  The Psalms remind us, "In your book all of them were written.  Days were determined, before any of them existed" (Psalm 139:16).  God has numbered our days.  Just as you did not choose your birthday, so also it is God who determines the day of your death.  Your life ends on God's timing, whether it is deemed convenient or not.

          The preaching of God's word is often treated the same way.  The Lord encourages his people to confess his name and his word at all times.  But there are times when we argue that it is bad or inconvenient.  We see loved ones who are ensnared in their sins or who have stopped going to church.  We know we should say something to them.  But not at Thanksgiving; we would not want to ruin that weekend.  And not at Christmas; that is cherished family time.  We want everyone happy.  And not when there's a wedding coming up; that would make the occasion awkward for everyone.  And not at a birthday; that day is special.  And on it goes.

          Don't be fooled into thinking a death bed will be a great time for a conversion, either.  Many people don't have time to ponder on their death bed.  And even if they did, it almost certainly won't matter.  Former member, Diane Johnson, served as a hospice nurse for years.  She watched many people die.  Her comment was, "They die like they live."  In other words, if they ignored God's word for weeks, months, and years, their final minutes won't be any different.

          Perhaps it is more honest to admit, "I would rather not confront my loved ones with God's word.  That will make them feel bad.  I may even lose the opportunity to see my children or grandchildren.  I can't afford that."  Yes, there is the risk of that.  There is a risk that your loved ones will withhold their love from you because you have expressed your concern that they are neglecting or defying God's word.  Of course, if you are their loved one and they know that you love them in every other way, might they not be more inclined to listen to your plea, your admonition, and your encouragement?

          Perhaps you are convinced that the risk too great, that you speaking to them what God has to say will be enough to sever your relationship with them.  But consider: Are you willing to remain silent and let them forfeit their eternity so that you can see them on holidays?  Or is having them with you and your Savior for eternity worth the risk of an icy holiday or a severed relationship?  If that happened, it would certainly be heart-breaking.  No one enjoys a severed relationship.  We want our family gatherings to be warm, not icy.  But much less would we enjoy knowing our loved ones will perish.  And even less would we be pleased with ourselves if we sat back and watched it happen while doing nothing about it.

          This is what the Lord says: "At a favorable time I listened to you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.  Look, now is the favorable time!  See, now is the day of salvation" (2 Corinthians 6:2)!  There is not a wrong time to preach and confess God's word.  Of course, we do it with gentleness and respect.  We do it out of love for our loved ones.  We do it out of love for strangers.  We do it because we love the word of the Lord and we want people to know God's love for them.  There is no wrong time for that.  

          Perhaps a good way to start it is to tell your loved ones that you are going to church and would like them to come along.  They may only do it as a favor to you, but it is a good way to demonstrate that God's word matters to you.  And you hope it will matter to them, too.  If they come and hear God's word, that word will do in them what God is pleased to do with it.  

          If you engage in one of these difficult conversations, God grant you the courage, wisdom, and patience in your conversation.  And don't fret the timing.  Now is the favorable time.  We don't know if God will grant us a later.

A Pastoral Concern & Gottesdienst post -- Holiness vs Casualness

It is wonderful when someone writes out my concerns for me!

Check out this post from Gottesdienst.org:
https://www.gottesdienst.org/gottesblog/2018/10/30/f6vk2stu3caxk3gohxtsd6l6aqmv6d

Well said, and fully agreed!

Something from ... Luther re: Relying on God's Word

One of the reasons Martin Luther was so fervent, even belligerent, in his teaching and preaching is because he had spent a good part of his life in fear and doubt.  He wanted to be sure God loved him and was merciful to him.  He wanted to know that he was, indeed, saved.  But how could he know?  Where could he turn for assurance?  Sadly, the church of his youth pointed him to many different directions.  But fear and doubt were not ended.

When Luther discovered God had made promises which put an end to his doubts and fears and which gave assurance of God's mercy, love, and salvation, Luther developed a great disdain for all of those other places where he had been told to find them.  Since they did not have God's word attached to them, they were useless.  Worse, they were damning.  That is why Luther preached so strongly against them.  He did not want anyone else to endure the fear and doubt which had plagued him so much.

In speaking of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, Luther noted that the tree killed and cursed only because of the word attached to it.  Likewise, the sacraments are only effective because of the word which is attached to them.  If we desire God's love, mercy, and salvation, we flee to where God says that we will find them.  Any other direction is wrong.  And trusting in practices, feelings, or anything that does not have God's promises attached to them actually brings a curse--for they are idolatry, no matter how religious those things appear.

From Luther:
          "It is certain that the tree did not have this power by its nature but only through the efficacy of the Word.  In the same way also the tree of knowledge of good and evil did not kill because its fruits were poisonous and destructive, but because a word or kind of label had been attached to it with the warning written on it: 'On whatever day you eat from this tree, you will surely die.' ... The tree was not poisonous; but, as we said above at great length, it was a tree of divine worship, for man to bear witenss through his obedience that he knew, honored, and feared his God.
          "Therefore the Word must always be taken into consideration and honored as that by which God takes hold of and, as it were, clothes the creatures; and a difference must be made between the creature and the Word.  In the Sacrament of the Altar there are bread and wine; in Baptism there is water.  These are creatures, but creatures apprehended by the Word.  As long as the creature is apprehended by the Word, so long it is and does what the Word promises.  ...
          "Always consider here whether God has added His command and promise.  If there is no promise and command of God, decide at once that it is idolatry and a desecration of the name of God. ...  But do not concern yourself with prayers, with examples, or even with the intention.  Consider only whether there is a promise and a command; for this is what imparts to the creatures a new power beyond that power which they have through their nature." (Luther's Works: American Edition, Vol. 1, pages 226-229)

No one was ever saved because God is awesome

       Please understand that the above statement does not deny that God is awesome.  He most certainly is!  The Scriptures proclaim that in many ways.

       But what does it mean that God is awesome?  I suspect that most people would refer to the fact that God is almighty.  There is no denying the jaw-dropping displays that testify to the omnipotence of our Lord. 

       God created the universe in six 24-hour days.  All things, seen and unseen, came into being simply because God commanded it to be so.  God said, “Let there be,” and there was – in all its variety, brilliance, and abundance.  It is on display in the vast oceans, the towering mountains, the wind-swept canyons, the lush forests, and the arid deserts.  That is awesome.

       God’s omnipotence continues to be on display as he annually provides enough food for every creature on earth; as, season after season, he keeps the planets in their orbits; as he controls the thunderstorms, earthquakes, hurricanes, volcanoes, etc…  The Awesome Power behind the awesome power of nature is our Almighty God.

       God is awesome.  It is revealed throughout the beauty and violence of creation.  It causes scientists to marvel, artists to wonder, and poets to ponder.

       And yet, it has never saved anyone.

       No one was ever saved because God is awesome.  God’s omnipotence, revealed in creation, shows us that God is imaginative, wise, precise, orderly, generous, and strong, but it tells us nothing about mercy.

       When the Lord revealed himself to the Egyptians in Moses’ day, he afflicted them with plagues and death.  No doubt, it was an awesome display of God’s strength.  How many Egyptians do you suppose were saved by it?  Or think about the Judgment Day to come.  God’s wrath will be poured out in all its fury on the guilty.  Awesome?  Sure.  Those who are banished to hell will be impressed, but not saved.

       No one was ever saved because God is awesome.  It sounds strange, but it is true.  For this reason, we ought to take care that our hymns have something more to say than God is awesome – for the sake of our visitor who needs to know more about God than he is awesome, and for our own sake because we need more encouragement than that.

       St. John wrote, “No one has ever seen God, but God the Only Begotten, who is at the Father’s side, has made him known.” (John 1:18)  Jesus did not spend his time talking about how awesome God is.  Jesus revealed God’s mercy and forgiveness.

       God’s forgiveness is revealed in a weak, suffering Savior.  God’s justice is displayed in a Messiah who was falsely accused, brutally beaten, and maliciously executed.  God’s compassion is seen through a Savior who had nails driven through his wrists and feet and a spear thrust into his heart.  God’s forgiveness comes through his Son who was condemned.  Eternal life comes from the lifeless One who hung from a cross.

       Simply from a historic perspective, Jesus’ sufferings and death appear to be grotesque.  They are an image of a weak, helpless, and beaten man.

       Faith knows better and says that this is where God is truly awesome.  This is where God demonstrates a boundless love to sinners – that he would suffer and die to save them. 

       This salvation is given not through displays of power and grandeur, but through preaching, through water, and through bread and wine.  Though these appear to be simple things, they are how God grants to us the benefits of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. 

       Rather than confess that God is awesome (which could mean anything), we rejoice that God is merciful, that God has become man to suffer and die for us, and that God purifies us of all sin.  No one is saved because God is “awesome”, but many have been saved because God has suffered, bled, and died for them.  No one receives salvation by taking in the grandeur of creation; but we are saved by partaking in the word and sacraments.  It is there that our Lord is at work to deliver his gives.  To some, it appears lowly and even boring.  But to God's people, these are where God delivers his gifts of forgiveness, new life, and salvation.  In these, God does not dazzle us with awe; by these he delivers us in his mercy.

Why does coming to church matter?

It is becoming much more common for Christians (and that term may be pretty shaky in these instances) to stay away from Church and to tend to themselves.  They cut themselves off from those who gather in the name of Jesus to receive his Word and Sacraments.  When encouraged, urged, and finally admonished about their church attendance, they brush it all off, claiming, "I believe in Jesus.  That's all that's needed."  Translation: "I'm not coming to church.  I don't need/want it."

These people may pat themselves on the back for their great faith.  (Trust me, most do.)  They are convinced that having a cursory knowledge of Jesus and the Bible is great faith.  Strangely enough, the longer they have been away from the Divine Service, the greater they claim their faith to be.  They may even run across other Christians who do the same thing.  Each commends the other for their freedom and wisdom in not merely neglecting Word and Sacrament, but for outright ignoring it.

They are lying to themselves.  As Martin Luther notes below, merely thinking about Jesus does not save you.  You will find no forgiveness in your own ponderings and meditations.  It may not be long before you are pondering and meditating the imaginations of your own heart.  This amounts to creating your own god, who ends up being (gasp!) just like you!

Dear Christians, do not be deceived.  Do not buy the lie.  This is what the Lord said to the Pharisees who knew Jesus better than you do but ignored him anyway: "Whoever is of God hears the words of God.  The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God." (John 8:47)  God's people love to hear God's word, and they gather together to hear it read and preached and to feast on his holy meal.  They flock to it because they know how much they need it.  They love Jesus because he has loved them, because he has lived and died for them, and because he pours out his gifts of mercy and forgiveness to them in the word and sacraments.  God's people know that their life is found alone there.

Those who don't come to hear the word and partake in the sacraments make a different confession: They are not of God, no matter how great they insist their faith is, no matter how many works they boast, no matter how much love they ascribe to themselves, and no matter how sincere they seem.  Those who say they bear the name of Christ do not deliberately avoid him.  They betray themselves.  They are not God' people.  And they will find no mercy, for they spurn his love and forgiveness.

So why does coming church matter?

Martin Luther says: “We treat of the forgiveness of sins in two ways.  First, how it is achieved and won.  Second, how it is distributed and given to us.  Christ has achieved it on the cross, it is true.  But he has not distributed or given it on the cross.  He has not won it in the supper or sacrament.  There he has distributed and given it through the Word, as also in the gospel, where it is preached.  He has won it once for all on the cross.  But the distribution takes place continuously, before and after, from the beginning to the end of the world.  For inasmuch as he had determined once to achieve it, it made not difference to him whether he distributed it before or after, through his Word, as can easily be proved from Scripture…  If I now seek the forgiveness of sins, I do not run to the cross, for I will not find it given there.  Nor must I hold to the suffering of Christ, as Dr. Karlstadt trifles, in knowledge or remembrance, for I will not fid it there either.  But I will find in the sacrament or gospel the word which distributes, presents, offers, and gives to me that forgiveness which was won on the cross.” (Luther’s Works, American Edition, Vol. 40, page ___)