Holy Week -- The Triduum

INTRODUCTION TO THE TRIDUUM

                 The enormous significance of Christ’s suffering, death, and resurrection has always been the central focus of Christian worship.  Prior to the fourth century, Easter Day itself included all three emphases, but thereafter they were distributed over three days of special observance, which Augustine called “the most holy Triduum of the crucified, buried, and risen Lord.”  These days have long been understood as the climax of the Church’s year.

                Since the last half of the 20^th century, Lutherans have been rediscovering the richness of the ancient Triduum (pronounced TRIH-doo-um) and adapting the traditional services associated with it for use in Evangelical-Lutheran worship.  In keeping with their origins, the Triduum services are closely connected with one another.   We observe the Triduum as a single service that extends over the “three holy days.”

MAUNDY THURSDAY

The theme of Maundy Thursday, best expressed by the Gospel of Jesus Christ according toSt. John, is the novum mandatum or “new command” of Jesus that his disciples “love one another.”  The institution of the Lord’s Supper sets forth the depth of Jesus’ love and gives power to the Church to live out his command.  For the Triduum, Maundy Thursday marks the end of Lent proper.  The service begins with the sermon and an exhortation regarding the end of Lent.  This unusual arrangement allows the minister to explain the meaning of the Sacrament and the liturgical actions that are to take place so that they may proceed uninterruptedly and vividly from this evening through Good Friday to the Easter Vigil.  The action of ceremonially stripping the altar prepares the chancel and the congregation for Good Friday.

GOOD FRIDAY: THE SERVICE OF THE CROSS

                As the middle service of the Triduum, Good Friday is prepared for by Maundy Thursday.  In turn, it leads into the Easter Vigil.  The absence of a benediction the previous evening and again on Good Friday underscores the connectedness of the Triduumservice.  Good Friday is not a “funeral” for Jesus, but an austere celebration of the Lamb and his sacrifice.  The bare altar, symbolic of Christ, is the focus along with a large, rough finished wood cross.  The Service of the Cross consists of two parts: I. The Word and II. The Meditation on the Cross.  The service is highly meditative in nature and is celebrated simply and not hurried.  The Service of the Cross is intended as the primary Good Friday service and his historically been observed sometime during the “hours of the cross,” between noon and three o’clock.  It may also be used in place of the Service of Darkness (Tenebrae) as an evening service, as is the case at Good Shepherd.

EASTER VIGIL

                The climax of the Triduum comes in the Vigil of Easter, a service of watching and waiting which utilizes prayer, Scripture, and hymns.  The Vigil is composed of four parts.

The Greek word "NIKA" means victory.

I.                     The Service of Light focuses on the Paschal  Candle, the representation of the unconquered life of Christ.

           II.             The Service of Lessons uses Old Testament texts that foreshadowed our deliverance and rescue by Jesus.

            III.                 The Service of Holy Baptism emphasizes our baptismal connection to the crucified and risen Christ.
IV.                The Service of Holy Communion proclaims the risen Savior and our blessed reconciliation to God.

                In the ancient Church, the Vigil began on Saturday and continued through to Easter Dawn.  It was at dawn that the cry rang out: “Alleluia!  Christ is risen!  He is risen indeed!  Alleluia!”  We honor the spirit of the Vigil, beginning our Easter Vigil at an early hour on Easter Sunday.  With the service of Easter Dawn, we conclude theTriduum.  Our Festival celebration is held at our regular hour of Divine Service, at 10:00 AM.

May the Lord bless us as we observe these “three holy days,” the Triduum.

Sermon -- 6th Sunday in Lent / Palm Sunday (March 20, 2016)

ZECHARIAH 9:9-10

BEHOLD!  YOUR KING COMES TO YOU!

In the name + of Jesus.

     The prophet Zechariah preached to the nation of Israel shortly after they had returned from 70 years of captivity in Babylon.  These Israelites came back to find Jerusalem laying in ruins and their temple nothing but scorched rubble.  Until they had walls reconstructed, their city was defenseless.  Until they had the altar rebuilt, there was no smoke from the offerings to proclaim that God was with them to have mercy upon them and atone for their sins.  These Israelites had just begun to rebuild their city and their temple when Zechariah proclaimed the word of the Lord: “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!  Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem!  Behold, your king is coming to you...” (Zechariah 9:9)
     Now, keep in mind that Jerusalem was still pretty much in shambles when Zechariah proclaimed these things.  David's kingdom had been cut off with no evidence that it was poised to return.  There was no palace, and there was no one who dared to claim a throne for himself.  To do so would have been regraded as an act of treason against the Persian government which allowed the Israelites to return to Jerusalem.  Israel was not even looking for a king, much less preparing for one.
     “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!  Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem!  Behold, your king is coming to you, righteous and having salvation is he...” (Zechariah 9:9)  The king whom Zechariah foretold would be a righteous king.  He would not be like the idolatrous kings who incurred the Lord's judgment against the nation and led to their exile.  He would not be crooked or deceptive.  He would rule in justice and would proclaim the truth even if the truth should hurt.  Behold!  Your king is righteous.  That means more than he is honest; it means he is holy.
     Americans do not appreciate what it means to fear a king, much less one who is holy.  We take great delight in mocking our leaders.  Saturday Night Live's best skits are the political ones.  With freedom of speech, we seem to think it is our duty to post insulting comments about our leaders on the web.  No sovereign would ever put up with that kind of insolence.  Just ask the North Koreans.  Now, if an earthly, sinful monarch would not tolerate mockery, how much more does it anger our holy God!
     The fear of the Lord has been felt by anyone who has ever come face to face with him.  The prophet Isaiah and the apostle John both received visions of the Lord upon his heavenly throne.  Both heard the angels singing, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty! (Revelation 4:8)  “The whole earth is full of his glory!” (Isaiah 6:3)  And both fell face down to the ground in terror at their glimpse of the holy, holy, holy Lord.  Even the seraphim sheltered their faces from him.  Sinners have good reason to fear the Lord.  But we don't.  Not even the fear of hell keeps us from sinning against him.  We boldly defy God by using his name as an expletive or failing to use it at all in prayer.  God tells us to love our neighbor, but we despise the people he brings us into contact with.  We defame acquaintances.  Rather than calling loved ones to repent, we assure them that they are fine when they sin against God and others.  We plot revenge rather than grant forgiveness.  We avoid giving our time, our energy, and our money to anyone.  We even regard our loved ones as a burden or a nuisance.  And we think that God either does not see or does not care because life goes on as usual.  But the God who rules over heaven and earth sees all that goes on in heaven and earth, even in every heart.  The righteous God knows, and he judges righteously.  The King of heaven and earth will put all people to the test.  Those who are guilty will be rightly judged as guilty, and they will be rightly condemned for their guilt.  Repent.
     Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. (Zechariah 9:9)  Jesus Christ is, without a doubt, the holy, holy, holy Lord God Almighty.  Yet, he does not come in glory.  He comes in humility instead.  For, he does not come to give sinners what they deserve.  He comes having salvation.  The Almighty comes to save us who are feeble and frail.  He comes in meekness to save us who have been bold in our sins.  The Lord of hosts entered Jerusalem and the crowds welcomed him with rejoicing and shouts of “Hosanna!”  Although unwitting, it was a perfect plea.  For “Hosanna!” means, “Save, now!”  It proclaims exactly what Jesus came to do.  He is the Lord who comes to save.  Behold!  Your king comes to you, and gives you every reason to rejoice.
     When your king comes, he comes unarmed.  Zechariah declared, “I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the war horse from Jerusalem; and the battle bow shall be cut off...” (Zechariah 9:10)  Your king establishes his reign without an army, without chariots or war horses or bows and arrows.  Jesus enters Jerusalem not to slaughter, but to be slain.  You may wonder, “What kind of king is this?  He is meek and presents no threat.  He is righteous, and yet comes to pardon the guilty.  He comes to establish a kingdom, and yet is going to his death.”  This, dear Christian, is the King who comes for you.  He comes to deliver you from your guilt by taking your punishment for you.  He comes to deliver you from the grave by going into death for you.  He comes to destroy your enemy, the devil, so that you are free from his tyranny of temptations and accusations.  The king dies for you to pay the price for sins, and then the king rises from the grave to overcome every threat you face.
     Behold!  Your king comes to you!  And he shall speak peace to the nations; his rule shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth. (Zechariah 9:10)  The Lord Jesus answers our prayers of “Hosanna!” and establishes a kingdom of peace.  The peace which Jesus gives is peace between God and man.  God's anger only rests upon those who are guilty of sin.  But if you have been pardoned for all your sin, and if the blood of Jesus purifies you from all unrighteousness, then God cannot be angry with you.  Rather, God is pleased with you.  We cry, “Hosanna!” and our Savior King makes his royal decree: God's favor, salvation, and peace are ours.
     Behold!  His kingdom extends from sea to sea and to the ends of the earth.  Behold!  Your King reigns where he grants his peace.  Wherever the word of God is rightly preached and his sacraments are rightly administered, there is the kingdom.  There, Jesus reigns and bestows his salvation.  His kingdom is not limited by borders or race or even time.  His kingdom extends to the ends of the earth and even into heaven.
     Behold!  Your king comes to you again today.  And the church of heaven and earth join together in receiving him.  He is the “holy, holy, holy Lord God of heavenly hosts; heaven and earth are full of his glory.”  We sing the song of the angels and saints in heaven.  They, in turn, join the song of the saints on earth, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.  Hosanna in the highest!”  Again, we will cry out our Hosannas, and again the Lord comes and save.  And once again, he comes veiled in humble means.  The holy, holy, holy Lord God Almighty comes in bread and wine to deliver his salvation and to preserve us in his kingdom.
     Rejoice, dear Church of God.  Behold!  Your King comes to you.  He answers your prayers of Hosanna.  He delivers his righteous salvation to you.  He grants you his everlasting peace.

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

For your amusement & enlightenment on St. Patrick's Day

Enjoy!

Sermon -- Lenten Vespers (March 16, 2016)

JOHN 17:20-26

IN THE UPPER ROOM WITH JESUS:

Jesus Prays For Us.

In the name + of Jesus.

     Jesus often went off by himself to pray.  Rarely do we ever hear of the content of Jesus' prayers.  In the upper room with Jesus, the apostles got to hear and record Jesus' prayer in detail.  In this prayer, Jesus prays for us.  He prays that we may know the Lord, that we may know his love, that we may know his glory, and that we may be perfectly united through him in knowledge, in love, and in glory.
     The glory Jesus prays about catches our attention immediately.  We all crave glory because we believe that glory is always a good thing.  Hollywood craves the glory of Oscar statues and best-whatever awards.  Athletes crave the glory of championships and Hall of Fame recognition.  The glory we crave is that we want to be the best and brightest at whatever we put our hands and minds to.  Being the best and the brightest means wealth, fame, and other rewards.  We believe that glory ultimately means happiness.  We want glory not so that we can benefit others, but so that it benefits only us.  That is why we crave it, and that is why we envy others who have it.
     Jesus prays for us—that we will see his glory.  But our warped view of glory gives us the wrong idea.  With a sinful view of glory, we think that Jesus wants us to see him in holy radiance and eternal splendor so that we can stand in awe and so that he can bask in our awe.  But that means Jesus' prayer is ultimately for himself and his own ego.  Jesus is God, and therefore he is glorious.  He is holy, omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent.  Those things are glorious.  Those things are awesome, but those things do not save us.  In fact, they only terrify us.  Jesus revealed his divine glory at the transfiguration where, as he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became dazzling white. (Luke 9:29)  When the apostles became fully awake they saw his glory. (Luke 9:32)  But this did not redeem them.  Rather, it terrified them.
     Jesus prays for us, and if he prays that we would see his glory, that is ultimately for our good.  So if it is not that we stand dumbfounded by Jesus' holy awe, what is the glory that he wants us to see?  The glory that Jesus reveals to us is the love that God has for sinful men.  His glory is that he has mercy upon sinners.  Jesus reveals that glory not in dazzling splendor, but in bloody agony, in shameful mockery, in brutal crucifixion, and in bitter death.  This glory has to be revealed to us because it is not evident from our vantage point.  The prophet Isaiah described Jesus' appearance, saying, “His appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of the children of mankind.” (Isaiah 52:14)  He was “as one from whom med hide their faces.” (Isaiah 53:3)  And this, says the Lord, is glorious.
     Jesus prays for us.  Jesus always prays for us.  In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prayed fervently.  It is one of the few times we are privileged to hear the content of Jesus' prayers.  And while it is true that Jesus prayed for himself in Gethsemane, ultimately, his prayer was still for us.  Jesus prayed that he would receive strength to do the work the Father had assigned to him—to take away the sins of the world.  That has always been Jesus' prayer, because that is God's will.
     This is the glory that God reveals to us: Jesus' suffered and died for us.  Jesus' glory is not for his own benefit, but for ours!  Jesus was not obligated to pay for our sins, but he has sought our good.  And seeking our good meant that Jesus took himself into the pains and torments of bitter sufferings and a cursed death for us.  We crave glory, but Jesus humbled himself to death, even death on a cross.  Our sins separated us from God; for God cannot endure sins.  God does not tolerate our own personal rivalry with him where we exalt ourselves over others and even exalt our will over God's.  But Jesus took those sins upon himself.  Jesus became sin for us, and therefore God could not endure his own Son.  Jesus Christ was forsaken by God, hung to die in the darkness of Good Friday, cursed upon a cross, and carried lifeless to a tomb.  Jesus was condemned so that we would be pardoned.  Jesus humbled himself into death so that we would be exalted to eternal life.  He has reconciled us to God and promised that we will dwell in life eternal in the presence of God.
     This is precisely what Jesus asks for when he prays for us.  Jesus prays, “I do not ask for (the apostles) only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us....” (John 17:20-21)  Jesus prays for us, that we would all be united in him.  And indeed we are!  For, there is no difference among us.  We are all sinners who have been redeemed by Jesus' sufferings and death.  Any glory we have comes from Jesus.  If we are holy in God's sight, it is because Jesus has cleansed us of all sins.  If we are heirs of the heavenly kingdom, it is because Jesus has marked us for eternal life.  If we are children of the heavenly Father, it is because Jesus has united himself to us and, in turn, united us to him.  Our glory comes from Jesus.  He has redeemed our bodies and souls so that we will partake in the resurrection to everlasting life.  This is because Jesus was made a body and soul man who went into death for us and conquered it in order to deliver us from sin, from death, and from hell.  And the glory that Jesus bestows is not for a moment, but forever.  This is the glory we have, and we have it only because Jesus Christ has revealed it to us and bestowed it upon us.
     Jesus prays for us.  He said, “I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.” (John 17:26)  The love of God which was revealed to us now lives in us.  Therefore, our glory is not that we make ourselves famous or rich, but that we love God and our neighbor.  Since we are in Christ and since he dwells in us, our lives conform to him.  We live as the new creation which God has made us to be.  That means we seek the good of our neighbor, just as Jesus sought ours.  It may not appear glorious as far as the world defines glory.  In fact, it will cost us money, energy, and time, and it may go unnoticed or unappreciated.  But we do not do our work to gain notoriety or honor or reward.  We do it because that is what love does.  As it was with Jesus, so it is with us—our glory remains hidden until the resurrection.
     But in all of these things, Jesus prays for us.  He continues to intercede for us.  Even on our best days we are not perfect.  Therefore, Jesus still lives to serve and bless us; for the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve.  That does not change.  Just as Jesus lived on earth to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many, so even now he lives and reigns to serve and to give his gifts to redeem sinners and to retain us as his saints.  Jesus prays for us.  He seeks our good.  And he reveals his glory—that he saves us and will deliver us to the glory that is without measure and without end.

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

Sermon -- 5th Sunday in Lent (March 13, 2016)

ISAIAH 43:16-21

BEHOLD!  A PERFECT RESTORATION!

In the name + of Jesus.

     One of the mysteries of our faith is this: “[God] saved us and called us to a holy calling ... because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began....” (2 Timothy 1:9, emphasis added)  In other words, God's plan of salvation was in order before he even created the world.  Some might suggest that the whole incident in the Garden of Eden, then, was a set up—that God wanted Adam and Eve to sin against him so that he could step in and save them.  However, that ignores what the Bible plainly says.  God is not the author of evil.  God does not delight when people do evil.  The point is not that God wanted the world fall into sin; the point is that God, by his pure grace, has always wanted mankind saved from sin, death, and hell.  Even before their sin had its consequences, the Lord planed restoration for his people.
     In Isaiah's prophecy, we see something similar.  The prophet Isaiah was preaching to the people of Judah around 700 BC.  That was about 100 years before they would be taken into captivity.  Isaiah called them to repent so that this exile would not happen.  Sadly, Israel did not listen to God's word despite numerous warnings.  But Isaiah told them that, after their exile, God would restore them to their land.  Now remember: About 100 years before Judah was even taken captive, Isaiah proclaimed that God would restore them.  It is not that God delighted in their disobedience so that he had an excuse to save them later.  God never delights in sin.  But even before their sin had its consequences, the Lord proclaimed a restoration for his people.
     The Lord had already revealed himself to Israel as a Savior.  He is the God who makes a way in the sea, a path in the mighty waters, who brings forth chariot and horse, army and warrior; they lie down, they cannot rise, they are extinguished, quenched like a wick. (Isaiah 43:16-17)  This was the deliverance which the Lord worked for Israel when he brought them out of Egypt.  At the shore of the Red Sea, with the Egypt's powerful army ready to pounce, the Lord parted the Red Sea so that Israel could walk through on dry ground.  When the Egyptians gave chase, the Lord brought the waters back and destroyed Israel's enemies.  Israel won a great victory without even drawing a sword.  The Lord is the God who saves.
     Isaiah declared, “Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old.  Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?  I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” (Isaiah 43:18-19)  In other words, they hadn't seen nothin' yet!  Behold!  A perfect restoration would come to Judah, and a greater salvation than the Exodus.
     The Lord first fulfilled this promise by restoring Judah to its homeland after their captivity in Babylon.  After 70 years of captivity, God led a remnant of Israel through the wastelands back to Jerusalem to rebuild the city and the temple.  God did this to be faithful to his promise.  The Savior would not be born in Baghdad, but in Bethlehem.  Behold!  A perfect restoration!  Everything God did to restore Israel to its homeland is ultimately about fulfilling the plan that God had set forth from eternity.  Not even Israel’s disobedience would overthrow God’s plans. Therefore, the Lord restored the people of Israel to their land.
     Behold!  A perfect restoration!  God remains gracious despite mankind’s sinfulness.  That is the way God always works.  The people of Israel were God’s chosen people only because the Lord had graciously chosen them.  God was not obligated to bring them out of Egypt and to destroy the Egyptian army.  God did not owe it to them to drive out Canaanite nations and to bring them into the Promised Land.  These actions were based on promises God had made, and the Lord was true to his word despite the defiance and complaining of the Israelite people.
     In the same way, the Lord restored a portion of exiles to Jerusalem after their exile.  It was not because God owed it to them; it is because God had made a promise which he would keep despite the sinful attitudes of men.  In fact, God even used the sins of men—the hatred of the Pharisees and scribes—to bring about the fulfillment of God’s plans.  Jesus' parable in our gospel sternly warned the Pharisees that they were about to put to death the Son of God.  But they did not listen.  In their anger and unbelief, they fulfilled God's plans and put the Son of God to death.
     That does not mean that God was pleased with it.  God is never pleased with sin.  God used their sin for his good purpose—to bring about the salvation of the world.  God remains gracious despite mankind’s sinfulness.  That is the way God always works.  God does not do things because he owes it to us; it is because God has made promises.  And God is always faithful to his word despite the sins of men.
     Our situation is no different.  We are Christians only because God was pleased to reveal his salvation to us.  We confess the Christian faith only because the Holy Spirit has planted faith in our hearts.  We remain in the Christian Church only because the Lord strengthens and keeps us in the one true faith.  All this is despite our sins.  We grow bored with God’s word.  We don’t pray the way we should.  We are all open to the charge that we do not live or speak or think like Christians.  We are all still sinners, and we all still know it.  So, why should God remain patient with us?  And why should God keep us in his kingdom?  Once again, it is not because we have finally mastered temptations and have achieved perfection.  Behold!  A perfect restoration!  God has restored us to himself and keeps us in his kingdom because of his gracious promises.
     “Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old.  Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?” (Isaiah 43:18-19)  The new thing is that God does all the work to take away the sins which should condemn you and banish you from God and his goodness.  Jesus Christ was not obligated to take your guilt upon himself.  Jesus Christ did not owe it you to you pay for sins he did not commit.  Jesus Christ did not have to conquer death and the devil so that you would have the victory in a battle you did nothing to win.  And yet, because God is gracious, Jesus did it for you.  Because God had promised to be your Savior, even from eternity, God acted to save you.  And behold!  This is a perfect restoration.  Jesus has completely taken away your sins so that you are a full-fledged child of God.  You are not under suspicion, and you are not on probation.  And even though you sin daily, you are not teetering on the verge of hell.  Rather, the blood of Jesus Christ continually purifies you of all sin.  You get to come to God’s altar where you partake in the body and blood of Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.  The feast is for you because God continues to be gracious and continues to save.  Behold!  It is a perfect restoration.
     And Jesus does even more than that.  For this is what Isaiah foretold: “I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.  The wild beasts will honor me, the jackals and the ostriches, for I give water in the wilderness, rivers in the desert, to give drink to my chosen people, the people whom I formed for myself that they might declare my praise.” (Isaiah 43:19-21)  Part of the curse which fell on the earth through Adam’s and Eve’s sin was that all creation was effected.  Therefore we know not only a world of uninhabitable wilderness, deserts, and wastelands, we also know a world of destructive floods and rain shortages, mutating genes and migraines, and endangered animals, invasive plants, and messed up eco-systems.  Jesus comes not merely to bring a restoration to sinners, but even to a sinful world.  The creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. (Romans 8:21)  The Lord will bring life back to the dead and will bless what has been cursed—whether the creation which has been corrupted, or our bodies which will be raised from the dead to glory and the everlasting life.  Then the Lord Jesus will restore all things to the perfection which God had created and which God had always intended them to be.
     And again, it is not because God is obligated to do these things for us.  It is because God has been determined to be gracious to us—from before the creation of the world to its end and forever.  Behold!  A perfect restoration.  Behold!  He will make all things new.  And that is why God's people declare his praise.

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

Service Notes -- Passiontide

PASSIONTIDE

This coming Sunday (March 13) is the 5th Sunday in Lent which marks the beginning of the season of Passiontide (the final two weeks of Lent), in which the Passion of our Lord intensifies.  Therefore, the Lenten fast also intensifies which we can observe in our worship setting.  The sights and sounds in God’s house are muted even more.  For the past number of weeks, our celebration has been muted in the following ways:
> There is no Alleluia in the Verse of the Day.
> We do not sing the Gloria in Excelsis after the Absolution.
> There are no flowers on the altar.

Starting now, you will note these additional practices.
> The Gloria Patri (Glory be to the Father) is omitted from the Psalms
> All artwork or icons have been removed or veiled.
> The ringing of the church bell ceases.
> All music is muted except for the support of congregational singing.

Our services will practically be barren of celebration, but that is the point.  We are fasting.  We are penitent.  We are intently focusing on the sufferings and death of Jesus.  Ceremony and celebration will return with vigor on Easter Sunday when we rejoice in the resurrection of our Lord which declares that sins are forgiven and that death is destroyed.

MLS Basketball -- It's over

Another season of Michigan Lutheran Seminary basketball came to a painful end last night.  MLS was facing Reese in the division semi-final game.  They were completely in charge of things (from reports I had heard -- we were unable to go) until Casey Williams rolled his ankle.  After that, the sizable lead that MLS had mounted against Reese slowly evaporated.  Reese went on to win the game, 52-50, and advance to the division finals.  Thus ended Andrew's high school basketball career.

The other factor which made this year so difficult was how many times MLS ended up on the short end of the stick.  MLS completed the season with a 10-10 record.  .500 basketball teams are usually not regarded as much of a threat.  A quick glance at the scores on M-Live and from my own personal notes shows that MLS was 12 points away from having a record of 15-5.  A whole lot of "if's" going a different way makes a huge difference in the record.  MLS came out on the short end of every close game.  Every one.  That hurts, and that is also how the season ended.

And so we come to yet another "last" in the Schroeder household, and we did not even get to watch it.  But we will watch what Andrew has in store for him in the years to come, and we pray that God will keep watch over him in whatever he does in the future.

I have no doubt that the notes above are what hang on Andrew's mind about the season and the playoff game from last night.  I hope that he also appreciates the milestone that was achieved in last night's game, too.  After three years on varsity basketball, in his very last game, Andrew scored his 1,000th career point!  If memory serves, my career high game in high school was 4 points.  By my math, I would have needed at least 250 games to do what Andrew did.  We are certainly proud of his accomplishments, and I hope that he is proud, too.  Those 1,000 points were not gifts.  They were earned, and it has earned him the respect of many--not least of all, his parents.

You can check out the M-Live article (with a less-than-flattering photo of Andrew driving to the hoop--scroll through all the photos) here: http://highschoolsports.mlive.com/news/article/2781552491429552814/reese-comes-back-to-beat-mls-52-50-cardinals-schroeder-scores-1000th-point-in-final-game/