Last July I had the privilege to attend our LCMS Synodical Convention in Tampa FL. Long story short, despite the well-intentioned hand wringing and, frankly fear mongering of a few theologically liberal LCMS District Presidents and others who still hew to the "higher-critical" interpretation of scripture (as opposed to the LCMS's Confessional understanding of scripture inerrancy), open communion and turn a blind eye to clear biblical teachings about homosexuality, same sex marriage and trans-sexualism, our LCMS convention overwhelmingly voted in confessional, conservative officers and resolutions. More here:
http://lcms.org/convention
Meanwhile, "back at the hop" the liberal, ever-changing/conforming to the world (Romans 12:2) Evangelical Lutheran Churches of America (ELCA), slipped into an even deeper malaise of scriptural uncertainty. A video of key moment below documents one or two "voices in the wilderness" protesting and proposing an amendment to a resolution that essential said, "we cannot know how God feels toward Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists, etc. so we must recognize them as equally legitimate paths to God". The unamended resolution passed and has sent the ELCA evermore careening toward Universalism.
https://juicyecumenism.com/2019/08/12/elca-goes-universalist/
Of course, there is this really obscure thing called the 1st Commandment which clearly states that God does not want folks worshipping other Gods beside Him and to do so is idolatry. Oh well.
LCMS Pastor Bryan Wolfmueller sums up the current state of affairs and implores ELCA members and pastors with a letter of warning and admonition to the apostate church body.
https://wolfmueller.co/dearelca/
Clearly there is no point in worshipping in any particular church if the Holy Trinity and Jesus is put on equal footing Muhammed, Buddha or whomever. As I have often opined, "If everything is everything, nothing is anything." True humility stands for something and is not about being uncertain. Finally, and once again, there is that pesky little thing called the First Commandment.
Saturday, September 7, 2019
Thursday, July 19, 2018
Pulling the Nazi Card, Who are Today's Nazis?....
Linked below is an extensively backed up article, aside from her first person experience of a woman who lived in and experienced Nazi Germany as a child.
Similarly, first serious GF's mother (this was in West LA) came home from her middle school in Paris one day to find that her house had been burned down and the Nazis had taken away her entire immediate family, never to be seen again. An uncle or aunt was successful in getting her spirited away to America. I only found this out one afternoon when we were chilling in Rochelle's living room watching Is Paris Burning, which had come on the TV.
Rochelle's mother Madeleine, called her into her bedroom and asked if we could please watch something else. She was taking a nap, didn't mind a little TV noise but not from the particular movie. I thought this odd as Madeleine was about the most tolerant parent I had ever met in all of my youth, perhaps even to a fault. It was then that Rochelle told me the story.
I read the book, Auschwitz, a couple of years ago. It was written by an Austrian Jew who survived because Mengele chose him as his assistant/secretary. After the liberation he walked 50 miles back to his house, which was oddly undisturbed, and lit a fire in the fireplace. The horror of what happened in that and the other camps loses its ability to appall at some point. That was my biggest take-away from the book.
I guess my point is that the component of the human psyche that numbs itself to incivility, general brutality toward others and genocide (the greatest cause by far of unnatural death in at least the last 100 years) is particularly insidious and deceptive. We lose our capacity for outrage or outrage is instead directed in the wrong direction.... toward the victim, or... toward someone who is trying to achieve a level of normalcy, until the point that bizarre becomes normal and vice-versa.
Christians recognize this as "Original Sin", something that we are ALL prone to.
We've been here before and God knows (literally He does) that we going there again: Isaiah 5:20, "Woe unto them who call evil good and good evil, that put darkness for light and light for darkness, that put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter".
(For the uninitiate, or those who have forgotten, Isaiah is an Old Testament prophet how predicted minute details of Christ's ministry, martyrdom and resurrection to astoundingly minute detail, 400 years before the fact.)
-=Doug
This lady was there.
"What is going on in this country is giving me chills. Trump is not like Hitler. Just because a leader wants order doesn't mean they're like a dictator.
What reminds me more of Hitler than anything else isn't Trump, it's the destruction of freedom of speech on the college campuses — the agendas fueled by the professors.
That's how Hitler started, he pulled in the youth to miseducate them, to brainwash them, it's happening today."
Tuesday, June 26, 2018
Tattoos and Christianity, a Commentary on the False Doctrine of Salvation through Good Works...
Recently, I attended a convention of the Northwest District of the Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod (LCMS). There, I was elated to see that the last few classes of seminary grads are now well into their first calls as pastors of various congregations throughout the Pacific Northwest.
These young men, like many of their generational cohorts, tend to be less worried about "church-growth"... innovational gimmicks like modernizing the hymnal, watering down doctrine or otherwise conforming to a secular humanist culture in order to fill the pews by being less offensive to an increasing secular society. This is a refreshing and deeply meaningful shift from previous generations, including my own.
This current and growing phenomenon parallels one thing we know about millennials generally... they want unadorned, unvarnished truth. They are less interested in societal niceties and being "contemporary" than they are in learning core, often ancient truths.
Recently I pictured on Facebook (and above), a young pastor I met at lunch at the conference wearing a large, boldly Christian tattoo, picturing the Luther Rose superimposed over a large cross, itself tipped with smaller crosses.
An old associate of mine, quite liberal, politically and theologically, who has posted in the past that she became a Christian in order to be a good neighbor, posted in response that "conservative Christians don't like tattoos. Maybe this person should post ornaments of good works instead of ornamenting expensive tattoos". (Quite a metaphorical flourish, I must concede!)
I directed her to a book called The Lutheran Difference, an extensive comparative theology work that talks extensively delineates different Christian denominations and exposes that false doctrine of works righteousness that exists in many of them. And I intoned the Lutheran understanding that we saved by faith which in turns comes from Grace, not by pleasing God with good works. Probably tiny seeds falling on hot rock, but you never know.
Per my previous post, this "works-righteousness", both in the form of inveighing against tattoos and tying salvation to legalistic life-components like being a "good neighbor", is an outgrowth of a non-confessional approach to Christianity, to wit, believing that the Bible only "contains" the true word of God, versus the Confessional understanding that the Holy Bible is, in its totality, the inerrantly inspired word of God. The Word that saves us to everlasting life through faith in Christ, a faith bestowed on all of us through God's grace in the death and resurrection of His only son, Jesus Christ.
Now... try as I might, I find nothing in Holy Scripture, that is the The Holy Bible, that commands us to refrain from wearing tattoos.
On the other hand, adultery is explicitly and repeatedly forbidden, yet many of these non-confessional liberals institutionally endorse adultery in the form of liberalized divorce doctrine, turning a blind accommodating eye to pre-marital sex, etc.. Same with homosexuality, a form of adultery specifically mentioned as a sin throughout scripture. But yet, these same liberal theologians and churches not only endorse homosexuality but institutionalize it by performing homosexual marriages and ordaining openly homosexual clergy. Fascinating.
Additionally, we see a works-righteousness kind of quasi-socialism at work here. "Go out and hang ornaments of good works before spending money on 'expensive' ornaments like tattoos". This monastic view of Christianity is fine, if that is what you are called for. But it is not "required" and it is not specifically "Christian". Radical concept: There are many weighs to become a "good neighbor" without being a Christian. Some of our most conscientious members of LFP Neighborhood Watch were avowed (angrily so, even) atheists. Others were Buddhists or Hindus.
Christianity is not primarily about being a good neighbor or a civically righteous "good person". Christianity is primarily about believing that Jesus Christ was and is the living Son of God, the third person of the triune God and that, by that faith, we are saved to eternal as opposed to eternal damnation and death. That is it! Just that.
Yes, good works are a natural outgrowth of that faith. Good works and civic righteousness performed outside that faith are wonderful commendable but not a credited to or requirement for salvation to eternal life in Heaven.
What is required is what commanded of us in the Great Commission. The resurrected Christ said in his final words to his disciples, "go and make disciples of all nations, preaching and teaching them and baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit". (Matthew 28:16-20).
Above all, we are to witness and bring people to faith or back to faith. We are to allow the Holy Spirit to work through us as a means of Grace.
In that light, let us return to the sadly maligned tattoo of Pastor Jason. That tattoo is no different than the cross on the steeple of a church, serving as a beacon, a reminder of Christ's work in our life, your life. His attention-getting focal point, like his clergy collar will attract the attention of needy sinners throughout Jason's life-ministry. Imagine the possibilities...
A lost and desperate person, conscious of his or her sin, some terrible sin or a bevy of smaller sins, convinced that their is no hope beyond a shallow self-serving spiritually impoverished life, sees that tattoo, talks with Jason and is brought to faith in Jesus and everlasting life in heaven. That saved person then witnesses to how many others? Does how many other ministerial good works that bring others to faith?
My last church, Messiah Lutheran in Seattle spent 20-30 thousand dollars a year on direct mailers, promoting our Adult Information Class. Hundreds of folks over the years from our surrounding neighborhoods, attended these classes, joined our congregation, came to faith or just reinforced their existing faith.
One attendee of Messiah Seattle's Adult Information Class joined the church, after being raised in a mixed-faith marriage, was confirmed into our church, went onto seminary, become a mission pastor and now runs a full-time Lutheran mission in Papua New Guinea, where he lives with his wife and four children in a crude rural setting, teaching and preaching to locals, who just a few decades ago had no exposure to Christ and His saving message... "Go and make disciples of all nations...".
What, indeed, if Pastor Jason's tattoo were to lead to a conversation that led to a conversion that led to a similar ministry that in turn brought many to faith? That is a church promotion less expensive than a $20k-plus annual direct mail budget, is it not?.
But it is not cheap. Oh, never mind the few hundred or so to get tattooed...
What of the self-sacrifice of always being under the cross? What of the derision from social liberals who frequently seem bent on lecturing openly faithful Christians about our faith, calling us hypocrites or worse?
Well, Amen to those who pick up their cross, display it openly and take not vacation from the vocation of openly preaching to the Gospel of Christ's salvation both to those who thirst for it and those who throw it back in their faces.
May the Peace our Lord Jesus Christ with you always.
Amen,
-=Doug Hansen
Lay Delegate
Trinity Lutheran Church
Mt. Vernon, WA.
Monday, June 25, 2018
ELCA vs. LCMS, It's Not Really about Homosexuality...
Wow, hard to believe over a year since my last post. Since then, my wife and I have moved and are therefore attending a new church. I represented that church as a lay delegate at the Northwest District Conference of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (LCMS).
IT'S ALL ABOUT CONFESSIONALISM
Foremost on my mind, as it is in posts below, is the understanding of why the LCMS exists apart from other Lutheran Synods, such as ELCA, which was formed out of the infamous split in the Lutheran Church of America (LCA) starting back in the 1970's, known as Seminex. As the ELCA has gotten even more theologically liberal or, more accurately "conformed to the world", subsequent waves of ELCA parishioners have fled the ELCA for other churches, mostly those of the LCMS. LCMS churches have also received refugees from other liberal protestant denominations.
The latest wave of world-conformity to plague of (or bless, depending on your view) the ELCA, was the ordination of openly homosexual pastors, including those married to their "partners" and recognizing/performing homosexual marriages. Of course, this came on the heels of communing openly homosexual parishioners, which came on the heels of conforming to feminism by ordaining female pastors.
Predictably, some parishioners from the ELCA have brought with them the core non-confessionalist notion that, "well, I was OK with open communion, the new hymnal and even ordaining women, but the 'gay thing' is just a bridge too far for me". Of course, this results in/from a lack of understanding of why we do the things we do in the LCMS, even to the point of harassing, intimidating and marginalizing our Confessional LCMS pastors who are attempting to maintain or bring a core LCMS theology to their congregations. Some LCMS congregations are less confessional than others, as theological liberalism has left its stain on the LCMS as well.
Let's back up for a moment and define Confessionalism. Some fairly devout and educated Christians may misunderstand it. A confessional church is one that confesses that The Bible is Holy Scripture, and, as such, is the "inerrant, inspired word of God". This stands in opposition to those who believe that the Bible rather merely contains the word of God. It is on this axis alone that the difference between the LCMS and ALL liberal protestant/reformist churches AND the Roman "catholic" church turns.
The Roman ("catholic") church absurdly and alarmingly still aspires to be "the church" of the whole world, i.e. catholic, even though much of what it teaches and does stands apart from or adds to scripture (The Holy Bible).
Liberals* within the Lutheran Church, along with other liberal protestant churches waited until the western cultural revolt of the mid-20th century to bring their apostasy to their churches through the "Historical - Critical Method" of interpreting scripture. So, as in Vatican Rome, but in a more open and ongoing, but perhaps less authoritarian manner, the church authorities in theologically liberal protestant churches are deciding for God's people which is and which is not the word of God. And, as the world wears down, that interpretation keeps changing to conform to the world. (See Romans 12:2)
THE CASUAL CONSUMPTION AND ADOPTION OF FALSE DOCTRINE
Luther spoke and wrote often of the need for each Christian to possess his or her own knowledge of The Word of God and not be beholden to pastors, priests or bishops to interpret Holy Scripture for them. Armed with freedom AND with faith, knowledge and a moral compass, individual Christians will preserve and hold fast to the true Word, and prevent a corrupt hierarchy from usurping their freedom of conscience. Sound familiar? Luther and the reformist movement in Germany actually provided the precepts foundational to the American Revolution 220 years later.
The Christian understanding of knowledge is that it is inextricably linked to faith. "In the world, faith comes from knowledge. In God's kingdom, knowledge comes from faith". That is grace.
Yet, in our post-McLuhan/post-literate world of passive, non-critical and unstudied consumption of information, sloth and sin-nature open the door for the world's prince to enter into the conversation in a more persuasive way. False doctrine is remarkably intuitive when casually consumed in the context of the world.
NON-CONFESSIONALIST DOCTRINE MANIFESTS AT THE LORD'S SUPPER
Even though I embrace it as doctrinally sound, even I occasionally struggle with the term "Closed Communion" for describing our practice of sharing Holy Supper only with those whom we are in Communicant Harmony regarding scripture, including, but not limited to the meaning and doctrinal Holy reality of the Holy Supper.
Scripture is clear that sharing Communion or Holy Supper with those who do not believe and confess as we do does them a fundamental and profound disservice by allowing them to "drink it to their own damnation". In the days of Paul, Corinthian parishioners were treating the Lords supper as communal feast of conviviality and fellowship. Paul told, them "if you are hungry, eat at home first before coming"... to truly discern the body and blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 1 Cor. 11:17-34.
LCMS doctrine is clear on the meaning of the Lord's Supper, "While the Lord’s Supper is always a personal matter, it is never a private matter. That is an important truth that is often overlooked. Those who commune at the same altar are thereby declaring publicly that they are united in the doctrine of the Apostles (Acts 2:40-42). Therefore, fellowship in the Supper is church fellowship. This is what is taught by Holy Scripture in 1 Cor 10 and 11." (A.L. Barry LCMS President, 1992-2001)
The concept of "open communion" sounds nicer, more welcoming and more loving than "closed communion", which, especially to the contemporary American mind, seems restrictive, "exclusionary" and "unwelcoming". But that perception is exactly 180 degrees from the Biblical truth, as illustrated above and in the logical understanding of what was going on at the actual Lord's Supper on the eve of Our Lord's crucifixion. While Jesus openly preached His Word and Gospel message to all who would gathered to hear Him, he did not invite all the masses to this supper. This Supper was only served to all who were to hear, understand (even if they didn't totally) and most of all believe in who He was and to directly carry out the His Great Commission (Matthew 28:16-20).
While I am grateful to be included and gladly attend mass with close friends and relatives of mine who are RC members and attend Roman mass (very similar liturgy to LCMS, by the way), I would not besmirch theirs or my faith by sharing in their Communion, which carries with it an understanding of "transubstantiation", with which we Lutherans disagree, along with many other Roman precepts, such as purgatory, the primacy of the Pope, the nature of salvation, grace and much else.
The Roman Church still officially mandates closed communion but renegade liberal* priests are here and there declaring open communion in their parishes.
Not welcoming? We welcome all to attend service and receive The Word, a fundamental "delivery system" for faith according to Holy Scripture and Lutheran doctrine. We baptize all whose sponsors attest to their faith and their commitment to being stewards of the faith for the baptized (much more open than the Baptist and other reformer church's who eschew infant baptism in favor of the more restrictive and danger-fraught practice of adult baptism). And we welcome ALL to come to the communion rail and receive a pastoral blessing in lieu of taking the hosts of the Holy Supper.
But communion stands as a "close" or "closed" breaking of bread, just as Our Lord did not invite all the thousands of faithful to His Last Supper. Holy Supper is an "apostolic" sacrament. The term "close communion" was popularly translated from the original German to describe our practice of closed communion. "Close" was later used as a modifier by more liberal LCMS pastors to allow any who believe in the true presence of the body and blood to share in communion at their divine services. Research has shown that the original German intent was that "close" and "closed" meant the same thing. The LCMS supper is for LCMS members only. Pastors have discretion.
And while I am interested and delighted to attend a non-confessional ELCA service and participate in their hymns and prayers, I would not take communion with them as we fundamentally disagree on what is happening in the Lord's Supper. As a believer in the "Invisible Church", I have no doubt that many faithful and saved people attend these services, but our church and theirs do not have a Communicant Relationship because we do not believe the same thing about a whole host of things, including communion but, most importantly and overall, what scripture is!
I do not love or care for Roman catholics, ELCA Lutherans or any other Christians any less, but out of respect for their tradition, I do not participate in their communion because our churches are not "in Communion" with each other on these important doctrinal issues.
I hew to the understanding of taking communion only with those with whom I have a communicant relationship because I have prayerfully considered this issue over the years as Christian, a parishioner and congregational leader in the Lutheran Church, not because "authorities" tell me it's the right thing to do. This includes presiding over internal controversies about communion within the church going back to the 1990's.
EXERCISE AND NURTURE YOUR CHRISTIAN FREEDOM
By that stroke, I think that it is important for Christians to prayerfully discuss, meditate upon and actively wrestle with these theological/doctrinal issues. Please remember, that we are the New Israel in Christ. And, of course you know, "Israel" is Hebrew for "wrestles/contends with God". Avoiding these controversies and dwelling in a worldly "love cave" is fraught with danger. Our faith-driven knowledge needs to be strengthened by the crucible of debate and active consciousness. "A faith without works [is indeed] a dead faith". James 2:14-26
Confessionalism is THE core understanding of Scripture. It is the nucleus of our saving faith. There are no proper "different interpretations" of Holy Scripture. And it is up to the free-thinking, deeply conscious individual Christian to understanding these things on his/her own rather than to simply follow political authorities in the church.
Be glad in the salvation that comes to us from God, in the sacrifice of His Son Jesus Christ and delivered to us through the Holy Spirit. Amen.
*Liberal here refers to theological, not necessarily political left-liberalism. The two often, but not always, conjoin.
IT'S ALL ABOUT CONFESSIONALISM
Foremost on my mind, as it is in posts below, is the understanding of why the LCMS exists apart from other Lutheran Synods, such as ELCA, which was formed out of the infamous split in the Lutheran Church of America (LCA) starting back in the 1970's, known as Seminex. As the ELCA has gotten even more theologically liberal or, more accurately "conformed to the world", subsequent waves of ELCA parishioners have fled the ELCA for other churches, mostly those of the LCMS. LCMS churches have also received refugees from other liberal protestant denominations.
The latest wave of world-conformity to plague of (or bless, depending on your view) the ELCA, was the ordination of openly homosexual pastors, including those married to their "partners" and recognizing/performing homosexual marriages. Of course, this came on the heels of communing openly homosexual parishioners, which came on the heels of conforming to feminism by ordaining female pastors.
Predictably, some parishioners from the ELCA have brought with them the core non-confessionalist notion that, "well, I was OK with open communion, the new hymnal and even ordaining women, but the 'gay thing' is just a bridge too far for me". Of course, this results in/from a lack of understanding of why we do the things we do in the LCMS, even to the point of harassing, intimidating and marginalizing our Confessional LCMS pastors who are attempting to maintain or bring a core LCMS theology to their congregations. Some LCMS congregations are less confessional than others, as theological liberalism has left its stain on the LCMS as well.
Let's back up for a moment and define Confessionalism. Some fairly devout and educated Christians may misunderstand it. A confessional church is one that confesses that The Bible is Holy Scripture, and, as such, is the "inerrant, inspired word of God". This stands in opposition to those who believe that the Bible rather merely contains the word of God. It is on this axis alone that the difference between the LCMS and ALL liberal protestant/reformist churches AND the Roman "catholic" church turns.
The Roman ("catholic") church absurdly and alarmingly still aspires to be "the church" of the whole world, i.e. catholic, even though much of what it teaches and does stands apart from or adds to scripture (The Holy Bible).
Liberals* within the Lutheran Church, along with other liberal protestant churches waited until the western cultural revolt of the mid-20th century to bring their apostasy to their churches through the "Historical - Critical Method" of interpreting scripture. So, as in Vatican Rome, but in a more open and ongoing, but perhaps less authoritarian manner, the church authorities in theologically liberal protestant churches are deciding for God's people which is and which is not the word of God. And, as the world wears down, that interpretation keeps changing to conform to the world. (See Romans 12:2)
THE CASUAL CONSUMPTION AND ADOPTION OF FALSE DOCTRINE
Luther spoke and wrote often of the need for each Christian to possess his or her own knowledge of The Word of God and not be beholden to pastors, priests or bishops to interpret Holy Scripture for them. Armed with freedom AND with faith, knowledge and a moral compass, individual Christians will preserve and hold fast to the true Word, and prevent a corrupt hierarchy from usurping their freedom of conscience. Sound familiar? Luther and the reformist movement in Germany actually provided the precepts foundational to the American Revolution 220 years later.
The Christian understanding of knowledge is that it is inextricably linked to faith. "In the world, faith comes from knowledge. In God's kingdom, knowledge comes from faith". That is grace.
Yet, in our post-McLuhan/post-literate world of passive, non-critical and unstudied consumption of information, sloth and sin-nature open the door for the world's prince to enter into the conversation in a more persuasive way. False doctrine is remarkably intuitive when casually consumed in the context of the world.
NON-CONFESSIONALIST DOCTRINE MANIFESTS AT THE LORD'S SUPPER
Even though I embrace it as doctrinally sound, even I occasionally struggle with the term "Closed Communion" for describing our practice of sharing Holy Supper only with those whom we are in Communicant Harmony regarding scripture, including, but not limited to the meaning and doctrinal Holy reality of the Holy Supper.
Scripture is clear that sharing Communion or Holy Supper with those who do not believe and confess as we do does them a fundamental and profound disservice by allowing them to "drink it to their own damnation". In the days of Paul, Corinthian parishioners were treating the Lords supper as communal feast of conviviality and fellowship. Paul told, them "if you are hungry, eat at home first before coming"... to truly discern the body and blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 1 Cor. 11:17-34.
LCMS doctrine is clear on the meaning of the Lord's Supper, "While the Lord’s Supper is always a personal matter, it is never a private matter. That is an important truth that is often overlooked. Those who commune at the same altar are thereby declaring publicly that they are united in the doctrine of the Apostles (Acts 2:40-42). Therefore, fellowship in the Supper is church fellowship. This is what is taught by Holy Scripture in 1 Cor 10 and 11." (A.L. Barry LCMS President, 1992-2001)
The concept of "open communion" sounds nicer, more welcoming and more loving than "closed communion", which, especially to the contemporary American mind, seems restrictive, "exclusionary" and "unwelcoming". But that perception is exactly 180 degrees from the Biblical truth, as illustrated above and in the logical understanding of what was going on at the actual Lord's Supper on the eve of Our Lord's crucifixion. While Jesus openly preached His Word and Gospel message to all who would gathered to hear Him, he did not invite all the masses to this supper. This Supper was only served to all who were to hear, understand (even if they didn't totally) and most of all believe in who He was and to directly carry out the His Great Commission (Matthew 28:16-20).
While I am grateful to be included and gladly attend mass with close friends and relatives of mine who are RC members and attend Roman mass (very similar liturgy to LCMS, by the way), I would not besmirch theirs or my faith by sharing in their Communion, which carries with it an understanding of "transubstantiation", with which we Lutherans disagree, along with many other Roman precepts, such as purgatory, the primacy of the Pope, the nature of salvation, grace and much else.
The Roman Church still officially mandates closed communion but renegade liberal* priests are here and there declaring open communion in their parishes.
Not welcoming? We welcome all to attend service and receive The Word, a fundamental "delivery system" for faith according to Holy Scripture and Lutheran doctrine. We baptize all whose sponsors attest to their faith and their commitment to being stewards of the faith for the baptized (much more open than the Baptist and other reformer church's who eschew infant baptism in favor of the more restrictive and danger-fraught practice of adult baptism). And we welcome ALL to come to the communion rail and receive a pastoral blessing in lieu of taking the hosts of the Holy Supper.
But communion stands as a "close" or "closed" breaking of bread, just as Our Lord did not invite all the thousands of faithful to His Last Supper. Holy Supper is an "apostolic" sacrament. The term "close communion" was popularly translated from the original German to describe our practice of closed communion. "Close" was later used as a modifier by more liberal LCMS pastors to allow any who believe in the true presence of the body and blood to share in communion at their divine services. Research has shown that the original German intent was that "close" and "closed" meant the same thing. The LCMS supper is for LCMS members only. Pastors have discretion.
And while I am interested and delighted to attend a non-confessional ELCA service and participate in their hymns and prayers, I would not take communion with them as we fundamentally disagree on what is happening in the Lord's Supper. As a believer in the "Invisible Church", I have no doubt that many faithful and saved people attend these services, but our church and theirs do not have a Communicant Relationship because we do not believe the same thing about a whole host of things, including communion but, most importantly and overall, what scripture is!
I do not love or care for Roman catholics, ELCA Lutherans or any other Christians any less, but out of respect for their tradition, I do not participate in their communion because our churches are not "in Communion" with each other on these important doctrinal issues.
I hew to the understanding of taking communion only with those with whom I have a communicant relationship because I have prayerfully considered this issue over the years as Christian, a parishioner and congregational leader in the Lutheran Church, not because "authorities" tell me it's the right thing to do. This includes presiding over internal controversies about communion within the church going back to the 1990's.
EXERCISE AND NURTURE YOUR CHRISTIAN FREEDOM
By that stroke, I think that it is important for Christians to prayerfully discuss, meditate upon and actively wrestle with these theological/doctrinal issues. Please remember, that we are the New Israel in Christ. And, of course you know, "Israel" is Hebrew for "wrestles/contends with God". Avoiding these controversies and dwelling in a worldly "love cave" is fraught with danger. Our faith-driven knowledge needs to be strengthened by the crucible of debate and active consciousness. "A faith without works [is indeed] a dead faith". James 2:14-26
Confessionalism is THE core understanding of Scripture. It is the nucleus of our saving faith. There are no proper "different interpretations" of Holy Scripture. And it is up to the free-thinking, deeply conscious individual Christian to understanding these things on his/her own rather than to simply follow political authorities in the church.
Be glad in the salvation that comes to us from God, in the sacrifice of His Son Jesus Christ and delivered to us through the Holy Spirit. Amen.
*Liberal here refers to theological, not necessarily political left-liberalism. The two often, but not always, conjoin.
If the Joy of God...
Quote from LCMS President Matthew Harrison:
"If the joy of God has touched your heart, would you please inform your face?"
Yes!! (Crabby Old Lutheran is supposed to be an ironic title).
Joy!!
"If the joy of God has touched your heart, would you please inform your face?"
Yes!! (Crabby Old Lutheran is supposed to be an ironic title).
Joy!!
Friday, February 3, 2017
Sermon on the Mount, Law or Gospel?...
... I had lunch last week with Pastor Mankin and the Beatitudes (Sermon on the Mount) came up in our conversation. I asked my favorite question...the one I ponder often... "Is the Sermon on the Mount Law of Gospel?" He replied quickly and with great enthusiasm, "It's Gospel. In fact I am preaching on it this Sunday!"
Wow. Hallelujah. And the sermon, linked below, did not disappoint.
Most people, especially non-Christians, erroneously see the Sermon on the Mount as Christ's core work as "one of the wisest men ever". As such, they see The Beatitudes as law and Jesus as possibly the most exemplary law-giver ever. When we see Them this way, we miss the point.
I am fascinated by this human misconception of who Christ is because I struggle with it myself. I think that we all do. But God does not want us to. When we "mourn for our own sin" as P. Mankin intones, God wants us to be comforted in Christ, specifically in the knowledge that we are saved purely and solely in our Faith in Him, because we can never behave well enough to please God, not even close. But, of course we should try, not in order to be saved but out of gratitude for our salvation in Christ through his suffering and death on the cross.
This broader "wise man" misconception about Christ among humanity is also reflected upon brilliantly by C.S. Lewis in Mere Christianity where he says Jesus was not a wise man. He was crank, a nut job... unless of course He is whom He says is... the risen savior... the Only Son of God, who has come to save us from sin.
Amen.
Here then, please hear this week's sermon: http://media.messiahseattle.org/Sermon/SundayService/20854633
Wow. Hallelujah. And the sermon, linked below, did not disappoint.
Most people, especially non-Christians, erroneously see the Sermon on the Mount as Christ's core work as "one of the wisest men ever". As such, they see The Beatitudes as law and Jesus as possibly the most exemplary law-giver ever. When we see Them this way, we miss the point.
I am fascinated by this human misconception of who Christ is because I struggle with it myself. I think that we all do. But God does not want us to. When we "mourn for our own sin" as P. Mankin intones, God wants us to be comforted in Christ, specifically in the knowledge that we are saved purely and solely in our Faith in Him, because we can never behave well enough to please God, not even close. But, of course we should try, not in order to be saved but out of gratitude for our salvation in Christ through his suffering and death on the cross.
This broader "wise man" misconception about Christ among humanity is also reflected upon brilliantly by C.S. Lewis in Mere Christianity where he says Jesus was not a wise man. He was crank, a nut job... unless of course He is whom He says is... the risen savior... the Only Son of God, who has come to save us from sin.
Amen.
Here then, please hear this week's sermon: http://media.messiahseattle.org/Sermon/SundayService/20854633
Sunday, November 27, 2016
Advent Begins and We Get...
Happy Advent, everyone!!
The season of Advent is upon us quickly this year, it seems. Advent is the traditional beginning of the Christmas season, of course.
But today's intense and spiritually fulfilling sermon ("What is All the Hoopla") by Pastor Mankin flashes forward to the arrival and presentation of Christ at that fateful passover in Jerusalem. As we approach the season celebrating the coming of Jesus, it is important to know where He is headed.... why is here at all.
He is to suffer a humiliating death on the cross in atone for OUR sins. Jesus did not come and die for just the sins of Christians but, rather for the sins of all humanity. Yet it is though hold the faith of redemption in Him who are assuredly redeemed unto eternal life.
Pastor Mankin explains that while Jesus comes as a heroic, conquering king, he is different. Unlike heroes and celebrities of the secular world... actors, politicians and sports stars who typically travel either in high security limos or uber high-end cars like Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Porches, etc.
Even the Pope has a special, custom built car that was built for him to tour different locations around the world.
In stark contrast, Jesus enters Jerusalem and present himself to the teeming throngs and worshipers on a lowly colt, as was foretold in the old testament book of Isaiah. Jerusalem at Passover is in a frenzied state of celebration. All of Judaism descends annually to worship and celebrate. And this year is especially over the top because word has been circulation about this traveling rabbi who is now drawing larger and larger crowds wherever he goes.
(These same adoring fans will soon turn in extremis on their king and implore the Roman governor of Jerusalem to crucify him. Crucifixion is a death reserved by Roman law only for the lowliest and most despised of criminals. Just being a Roman citizen is enough to save even the most hardened and despicable criminal from such a harrowing, brutal, agonizing and long public death.)
Our Savior, this Jesus, who redeems us from our sinful condition, unlike secular heroes and celebrities, does not grandly transcend the humble conditions of his birth. He does not buy his mother a mansion but rather promises a mansion for all of His redeemed. He does not own a stable of expensive sports cars. He does ride on a donkey. He does not charge us hundreds of dollars to see him perform. But, rather, he offers the free gift of eternal salvation given to us freely by His Grace.
In Jesus, we have the King we really need, rather than the King we want or think we need.
For a transcript and podcast of today's sermon at Messiah Lutheran Church, please visit http://messiahseattle.org/ and scroll down. Please remember it takes a few days to a week for sermons to be updated.
Please also note that this blog does not necessarily represent the views of Messiah Lutheran Church or the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (LCMS). It is merely a witness to my personal Christian journey which generally takes a Lutheran perspective.
Please also note that this blog does not necessarily represent the views of Messiah Lutheran Church or the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (LCMS). It is merely a witness to my personal Christian journey which generally takes a Lutheran perspective.
Blessings,
-=Doug
Sunday, October 30, 2016
What Is the Big Deal about the Reformation and Who Was Martin Luther, Really?...
Today is Reformation Sunday, a day that may not mean much to most people, especially non-Lutherans. In fact today is the 499th anniversary of the day in which Martin Luther posted 95 Theses on the door of All Saints Church in Wittenberg, Germany, touching off a controversy with the Roman Catholic church that could have cost him his life and, in fact, still exists today. The church door at Wittenberg was much like Twitter or Facebook today, a place to post messages when you wanted to start a conversation germane to theology and politics.Luther questioned many doctrinal practices that had evolved in the Roman Catholic church that, upon deep and serious study, he found were contrary to the teachings of Holy Scripture (The Bible).
Luther, a monk in the Augustinian order of Roman C
atholic monks was so serious about his faith and devotion to Christ that, when attending Confession, he had a hard time finishing for fear of forgetting a specific sin he might have committed. Augustinian priests would joke that they dreaded hearing Luther's confession because he would repeatedly get up to leave but then quickly return to the confessional booth, having remembered yet another specific sin. This reflected a deep torment that Luther felt under Roman Catholic doctrine. "If I must do good works and pay penitence to be saved, how much is enough?!"
The Roman church (as Luther would later, somewhat derisively, call the Roman Catholic Church) taught that salvation came not just through faith in Jesus Christ as clearly taught by Paul in Romans 3:19-28 but, rather through a combination of works and faith. Many of these necessary works were ritualistic. The Roman church, in this context taught that the Rite of Confession was a work of penitence necessary for salvation rather than a comfort to sinners, as the bible teaches.
Luther's differences with the Roman church centered around not only that church's false teachings about the role of works versus faith in salvation (many of which persist to this day) but also the root cause of many of those false teachings, specifically they were a lever to perpetuate the political power that the Roman church exacted on the Kingdoms of Europe that were collectively, at the time, called The Holy Roman Empire. Exploited the sins of the masses enriched the church with "indulgences", kind of a tax on sin extracted from the masses and the power of perceived salvation or damnation held sway of the kings and princes of Europe in the Dark Ages.
After posting his 95 Theses, Dr. Luther was called before the ruling priests and bishops at the Diet of Worms and told that he must recant them or face excommunication and possible death. His response was eloquent, sure and bold. He denounced the authority of priests and bishops to judge men and their worthiness for salvation, just as Jesus Christ had denounced the "holy" rule of the pharisees 1,400 years earlier.
The key excerpt from Dr. Luthers response at Worms is this:
"Unless I am convinced by the testimony of the Scriptures or by clear reason (for I do not trust either in the pope or in councils alone, since it is well known that they have often erred and contradicted themselves), I am bound by the Scriptures I have quoted and my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and will not recant anything, since it is neither safe nor right to go against conscience. May God help me. Amen"
What Christians and the Christian-curious should understand about Reformation Sunday might include the following:
- Reformation Sunday is not really about Martin Luther but about Jesus Christ. Luther was one of many reformers active during The Enlightenment who railed again the Roman church's false and corrupt teachings. He is separated from those in that he survived being burned at the stake through the expedient of political connections.
- Reformation Sunday is about Jesus Christ because we are saved by faith in the resurrected Christ not by works or alms to a political and authoritarian church. And it is about Christ himself because Christ is God and died on the cross that we may be saved by faith in Him!
- In the era preceding Luther, for hundreds of years (the Dark Ages) the Holy Roman Empire vested its power over a population that was largely illiterate. They could not read scripture for themselves, so it was interpreted for them by priests and bishops who had a vested interested in perpetuating their power and rule over the people, directly and through monarchs and nobles who acquiesced consistently to the Roman church.
- Therefore, Luther, as an Augustinian Roman Catholic monk was a reader and studier of scripture. But, being a seeker of truth, saw the truth of salvation by faith alone throughout the Old and New Testaments, and, perhaps, most pointedly in the writings of St. Paul. Such as today's sermon text linked above and here (Sermons post a few days after Sunday).
- Luther is recognized for his reformation work not just by the Lutheran church but also by virtually all Protestant denominations, with whom, incidentally, he differed as sharply with as he did with the Roman church, primarily on issues of faith and works with regard to salvation.
- Luther did not seek to leave the Roman church. He sought to reform it. It was his sincere notion that his 95 theses would open a welcomed debate about the true scriptural meaning of salvation in Christ and the that much if not all of Roman clergy would share in his joy and feeling of liberation when he read and finally understood Paul's writings in Romans 3: 19-28.
- Once he was excommunicated, Luther sought to name his new church the German Christian or German Catholic Church. "Lutheran" was actually a derogatory term at the time.
- While the Roman Catholic church has softened its doctrinal positions on many of the issues raised by Luther, many still exist. Most particularly, Roman Catholics are still burdened with a false and works-righteous view of salvation, a critical departure from scripture that is manifest in their communion doctrine, the monastic system and compulsory celibacy in the priesthood (a slippery slope to many problems in the Roman church still today).
- Finally, as Lutherans, we are still excommunicated from the Roman church. The proclamation of excommunication levied by Dr. Luther at the Diet of Worms has never been rescinded. Although we read that, on the occasion of the 500th anniversary of the reformation next year, a statue honoring Martin Luther will be erected in Rome in a square named after Dr. Luther.
Next year will an exciting one for Lutherans as we celebrated 500 years since the Reformation. We hope you will join us in learning about Martin Luther and, more importantly, what Jesus really means to us humans. How we are already saved by him simply by believing in him, irrespective of what we do.
Scripture Alone! Grace Alone! Faith Alone!
Amen,
-=Doug Hansen
Thursday, October 13, 2016
The Presidential Election Conundrum for Christians, Is There One?
I have been thinking for a long time about what my Christian faith should lead me to do in this "election of deplorables". After all, both candidates seem so greedy and corrupt each in their own way. The Donald, he of vain big hair and odious self-centered vulgarness has wantonly built towers of profit up and over "the little guy", using eminent domain law to force homeowners to sell in order to make way for his massive constructs of opulence, many of which now block vistas to the rivers for long incumbent New York apartment dwellers, "little guys".
And... just recently we are treated to "locker room talk" that would make most guys I know say, "dude, really?", even in the locker room or wherever.
And on the other hand we have an altruistically oriented candidate who claims to be an active "social gospel Methodist", and says that she "prays daily 'for discernment, for wisdom, for strength, for courage … ”. (Religion News, 1/19/16).
A women active in the church, who prays daily, carries a bible in her purse always (ibid) and whose husband was also an active churchgoer during his presidency (unlike our current president). Despite their naked political ambition and sexual assault enabling, this First Couple seems so well meaning when it comes to the well-being of our citizenry, while Mr. Trump stays high level, promises jobs and a conservative supreme court.
Yet, the same article quoted immediately above, while largely favorable to Ms. Clinton quotes her in saying what I view as a non-starter as a Christian voter. Ms. Clinton is on record as saying that churches must knuckle under to her politically correct views on abortion and gay marriage. We won't rehash the confessional position of my church (LCMS) and other biblically confessional churches versus the theologically liberal protestant churches that are little more than secular charitable foundations at this point.
Or maybe will. Just a little bit.
Scripture virtually screams to confessional Christians on these issues. Sadly, we cannot find any evidence in scripture that "God is trying something new" with regard to homosexuality, transexualism and the rest. To believe that these behaviors and abortion are not sinful is to risk eternal damnation. And what kind of Christian is willing to walk that tight rope, let alone encourage their parishioners too? The gist is that turning sin into not sin kills consciousness of sin and therefore kill repentance and therefore risks damning the soul.
Of course many of these "reform" liberal churches such as social gospel Methodist don't even preach on heaven and hell anymore. Why not? Scripture hasn't changed. Oh right. Scripture for them merely "contains" the Word of God and therefore.... well you get the gist.
Lutheran writerr and Bonhoeffer* scholar Eric Metaxas has written several articles on this topic, today in the Wall Street Journal (you must subscribe to read, unless you Google it) as well as this article in the Christian Post. In both articles, Mr. Metaxas focuses mostly on what Hillary will do to the Supreme Court as president and how appointing liberal judges will banish forever the constitutionalist vision of the Founders, especially concerning the true meaning of the first amendment (you know, the one about religious freedom). While I am sure he is thinking of the the sharpest quote Hillary has had for confessional and Roman Catholic Christians ("churches must toe the line on abortion and gay marriage"). I am surprised that he mentions it only implicitly vis a vis the constitutional/supreme court implications of a Hillary presidency.
Issues etc., a popular confessional Lutheran radio network, has leaned into the Christian voting issue recently. In a recent broadcast and still posted radio segment it is mentioned "Christians don't just vote for ourselves, we vote for the good of the republic, vis a vis Christian values." Donald Trump has promised to appoint originalist constitutional judges, which should preserve the core values of the Founders and, as Mr. Metaxas says, "at least back us up five feet from the cliff" of no return, constitutionally. Mr. Metaxas does not see Mr. Trump as a saver of the Republic but mostly a stop-gap in this regard.
What Mr. Metaxas fails to do, in either of his articles (and this is not necessarily a criticism because I am sure he would agree) is point out the most odious manifestation of Hillary's liberal theological and political mandate, putting churches under the government with regard to abortion, gay marriage and, most probably tax exempt status. He does cite the Oregon case of the Christian bakers who were put out of business by the state for acting on their Christian conscience for refusing to serve at a lesbian wedding.
So while Mr. Metaxas is broader in his assessment of the danger of a Clinton return to the White House for confessional Christians, I think Ms. Clinton has laid out her own sharp mandate which forces our hand. Not voting is a vote for her. And while we can't realistically expect a return to the more deeply Christian principles of past years in our Republic, we can put the odious sinner among us who will keep our churches relatively free of the kind of government restraint we now see in the state churches of secular Europe.
Mr. Metaxas understands that what makes our republic great for Christians is that in it, we have the freedom to be Christians. This must stand. Hillary is not a confessional Christian but rather a social gospelist and therefore does not understand that. She feels that personal sexual expression must take precedence over "biblical dogma" around things like abortion and gay marriage. She chooses Freud over Jesus in that regard and would likely force our churches to do so as well, by dint of her Supreme Court picks if not executive mandate, based on her past statements irrespective of aging Justices.
I would rather have a repentant vulgarian, self aggrandizing groping womanizer in the white house than an avowed enemy of confessional Christianity. Indeed, we have had many sinners in the White House, 44 to be exact. I prefer one who publicly displays at least a modicum of repentance rather than continuing to lie, cover up and generally prevaricate around their own sin nature.
As always, this is just my personal opinion and does reflect any official opinion of my church or the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod.
*Deitrich Bonhoeffer is a well known Lutheran anti-Nazi martyr that you should know about if you don't.
And... just recently we are treated to "locker room talk" that would make most guys I know say, "dude, really?", even in the locker room or wherever.
And on the other hand we have an altruistically oriented candidate who claims to be an active "social gospel Methodist", and says that she "prays daily 'for discernment, for wisdom, for strength, for courage … ”. (Religion News, 1/19/16).
A women active in the church, who prays daily, carries a bible in her purse always (ibid) and whose husband was also an active churchgoer during his presidency (unlike our current president). Despite their naked political ambition and sexual assault enabling, this First Couple seems so well meaning when it comes to the well-being of our citizenry, while Mr. Trump stays high level, promises jobs and a conservative supreme court.
Yet, the same article quoted immediately above, while largely favorable to Ms. Clinton quotes her in saying what I view as a non-starter as a Christian voter. Ms. Clinton is on record as saying that churches must knuckle under to her politically correct views on abortion and gay marriage. We won't rehash the confessional position of my church (LCMS) and other biblically confessional churches versus the theologically liberal protestant churches that are little more than secular charitable foundations at this point.
Or maybe will. Just a little bit.
Scripture virtually screams to confessional Christians on these issues. Sadly, we cannot find any evidence in scripture that "God is trying something new" with regard to homosexuality, transexualism and the rest. To believe that these behaviors and abortion are not sinful is to risk eternal damnation. And what kind of Christian is willing to walk that tight rope, let alone encourage their parishioners too? The gist is that turning sin into not sin kills consciousness of sin and therefore kill repentance and therefore risks damning the soul.
Of course many of these "reform" liberal churches such as social gospel Methodist don't even preach on heaven and hell anymore. Why not? Scripture hasn't changed. Oh right. Scripture for them merely "contains" the Word of God and therefore.... well you get the gist.
Lutheran writerr and Bonhoeffer* scholar Eric Metaxas has written several articles on this topic, today in the Wall Street Journal (you must subscribe to read, unless you Google it) as well as this article in the Christian Post. In both articles, Mr. Metaxas focuses mostly on what Hillary will do to the Supreme Court as president and how appointing liberal judges will banish forever the constitutionalist vision of the Founders, especially concerning the true meaning of the first amendment (you know, the one about religious freedom). While I am sure he is thinking of the the sharpest quote Hillary has had for confessional and Roman Catholic Christians ("churches must toe the line on abortion and gay marriage"). I am surprised that he mentions it only implicitly vis a vis the constitutional/supreme court implications of a Hillary presidency.
Issues etc., a popular confessional Lutheran radio network, has leaned into the Christian voting issue recently. In a recent broadcast and still posted radio segment it is mentioned "Christians don't just vote for ourselves, we vote for the good of the republic, vis a vis Christian values." Donald Trump has promised to appoint originalist constitutional judges, which should preserve the core values of the Founders and, as Mr. Metaxas says, "at least back us up five feet from the cliff" of no return, constitutionally. Mr. Metaxas does not see Mr. Trump as a saver of the Republic but mostly a stop-gap in this regard.
What Mr. Metaxas fails to do, in either of his articles (and this is not necessarily a criticism because I am sure he would agree) is point out the most odious manifestation of Hillary's liberal theological and political mandate, putting churches under the government with regard to abortion, gay marriage and, most probably tax exempt status. He does cite the Oregon case of the Christian bakers who were put out of business by the state for acting on their Christian conscience for refusing to serve at a lesbian wedding.
So while Mr. Metaxas is broader in his assessment of the danger of a Clinton return to the White House for confessional Christians, I think Ms. Clinton has laid out her own sharp mandate which forces our hand. Not voting is a vote for her. And while we can't realistically expect a return to the more deeply Christian principles of past years in our Republic, we can put the odious sinner among us who will keep our churches relatively free of the kind of government restraint we now see in the state churches of secular Europe.
Mr. Metaxas understands that what makes our republic great for Christians is that in it, we have the freedom to be Christians. This must stand. Hillary is not a confessional Christian but rather a social gospelist and therefore does not understand that. She feels that personal sexual expression must take precedence over "biblical dogma" around things like abortion and gay marriage. She chooses Freud over Jesus in that regard and would likely force our churches to do so as well, by dint of her Supreme Court picks if not executive mandate, based on her past statements irrespective of aging Justices.
I would rather have a repentant vulgarian, self aggrandizing groping womanizer in the white house than an avowed enemy of confessional Christianity. Indeed, we have had many sinners in the White House, 44 to be exact. I prefer one who publicly displays at least a modicum of repentance rather than continuing to lie, cover up and generally prevaricate around their own sin nature.
As always, this is just my personal opinion and does reflect any official opinion of my church or the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod.
*Deitrich Bonhoeffer is a well known Lutheran anti-Nazi martyr that you should know about if you don't.
Sunday, October 9, 2016
Ruth, Another Woman through Which God and the Holy Spirit Worked to Bring Us...
Today's sermon at Messiah, delivered by Pastor Lassman, tells a story of stalwart faith that transcends pragmatic selfishness and manifests the will of God.
After a woman, foreign to the Jews but married to a Jewish man, loses her husband, she inexplicably insists on staying with here mother-in-law (Naomi) who is trying to "help her out" by sending her home to Moab where she can have a chance to meet and marry a new husband. Her late husband's battered family is going through hard times, unimaginable to us in modern America.
"No", says Ruth to her Jewish mother-in-law, "Where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God."
Ruth, like faithful non-Jewish followers that Jesus meets centuries later "gets" to a greater degree that even many of God's People (Jews) that there is a bigger picture in store for her and humanity. One could call The Book of Ruth a "Paul Harvey book" of the Old Testament because there is a "rest of the story" that is HUGE. By insisting upon staying with Naomi, here mother-in-law, Ruth ends up staying in Judah with her mother-in-law and eventually marrying Boaz and having children.
By doing so, she ends up as the great grandfather of King David, who himself is the great-great-great grandfather of Jesus Christ, the Messiah Our Savior.
It was prophesied that the Messiah would be a direct descendent of King David. God worked through Ruth, by Ruth's "illogical/impractical" faith to bring about the salvation of humankind through the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
As we increasingly learn from research and emerging historical data (but Christians have known from faith), the Holy Bible is truth and historically factual. It is important to understand that God's plan unfolds through the means of actions of people both faithful and unfaithful to God. Ruth's life is a quintessential example of God in the Holy Spirit working through people to execute His will.
There is much more to the story of Ruth than my tiny synopsis of our sermon today can relate, so, please...
Find the Book of Ruth here. A good Lutheran analysis of the Book of Ruth here. And, finally, a transcript and audio recording of Pastor Lassman's sermon here*.
In God's holy name we pray. Amen.
*Sermons at Messiah, Seattle's web site sometimes take a few days to post.
After a woman, foreign to the Jews but married to a Jewish man, loses her husband, she inexplicably insists on staying with here mother-in-law (Naomi) who is trying to "help her out" by sending her home to Moab where she can have a chance to meet and marry a new husband. Her late husband's battered family is going through hard times, unimaginable to us in modern America.
"No", says Ruth to her Jewish mother-in-law, "Where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God."
Ruth, like faithful non-Jewish followers that Jesus meets centuries later "gets" to a greater degree that even many of God's People (Jews) that there is a bigger picture in store for her and humanity. One could call The Book of Ruth a "Paul Harvey book" of the Old Testament because there is a "rest of the story" that is HUGE. By insisting upon staying with Naomi, here mother-in-law, Ruth ends up staying in Judah with her mother-in-law and eventually marrying Boaz and having children.
By doing so, she ends up as the great grandfather of King David, who himself is the great-great-great grandfather of Jesus Christ, the Messiah Our Savior.
It was prophesied that the Messiah would be a direct descendent of King David. God worked through Ruth, by Ruth's "illogical/impractical" faith to bring about the salvation of humankind through the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
As we increasingly learn from research and emerging historical data (but Christians have known from faith), the Holy Bible is truth and historically factual. It is important to understand that God's plan unfolds through the means of actions of people both faithful and unfaithful to God. Ruth's life is a quintessential example of God in the Holy Spirit working through people to execute His will.
There is much more to the story of Ruth than my tiny synopsis of our sermon today can relate, so, please...
Find the Book of Ruth here. A good Lutheran analysis of the Book of Ruth here. And, finally, a transcript and audio recording of Pastor Lassman's sermon here*.
In God's holy name we pray. Amen.
*Sermons at Messiah, Seattle's web site sometimes take a few days to post.
Saturday, December 5, 2015
Judging God and Blaming Him for Terrorist Attacks: "God Is Not Fixing This!"...
Our nation's latest homegrown act of terror, the San Bernardino shooting spree by a Muslim couple, has produced an interesting little "meme" with a decidedly anti-Christian flavor. This conversation already has a catchy name. Known as "prayer shaming", it goes something like this: "Those stupid Christians are once again calling for us to 'remember the victims in our thoughts and prayers'. Well guess what, people God is not fixing this and those Bible clingers should be joining us secular liberals in our fight to enact gun control laws that WILL fix this problem once and for all".
Of course, this bigoted line of anti-Christian rhetoric is absurd on its face both from theological and socio-political standpoints.
From a theological perspective, we can say that this is nothing new for God. The Old Testament carries within it a dominant theme of His people the Jews* repeatedly falling away from faith in God and His promised coming of the Messiah and being harshly and violently punished for their lack of faith. How? By God's unleashing of brutal wars and hardship upon them as a people and upon their nations of Judah and Israel, largely by non-Jews. There is a fairly sound argument that this is happening now. Unlike during the aftermath of 9/11/2001, our victim nation does NOT appear turning to God in response to the latest waves of Muslim terror.
In fact, our faith as a nation has sharply waned since 9/11, according a recent Pew Research report only 56% of millennials identify as Christian, as opposed to 78% of baby boomers.
The trend is obvious and harrowingly portentous. Progressively fewer Americans are being raised in a Christian setting with each passing generation. All this while Islamist terrorism is clearly ascendent against the traditionally Judeo-Christian west. It is mandated in their theology. (For more on this topic, see Erwin W. Lutzer's insightful book, The Cross and the Crescent.)
Terrorism is designed to divide its target nations. But the greater reality and, yes the biblical one is that the goal of Islam is specifically and actively to destroy Christianity. They are succeeding by violent and manipulative means that exploit the good but ill-informed intentions of secular and christian liberals, alike.
So, then what about the socio-political or secular realities of this growing menace? The stark reality is that we are in the midst of a shooting war with Islamic terrorists. They are gaining strength at present and we are not meeting that strength. One can argue that the we gained the upper hand in that war with The Surge in Iraq but that battlefront, having been neglected along with a similar neglect on domestic security, namely at our borders and in other areas, has spawned a global caliphate and a wave of attacks in various western countries that is now beginning to gain steam in earnest. In the U.S. and Europe, where gun control laws abound, most of which are largely unenforcible, terrorists are gathering strength in numbers as well as weaponry and we will see more and more of these attacks on soft targets. An organized web of secrecy and deception can easily circumvent laws that realistically only stop law abiding citizens from obtaining weapons with which to defend themselves. For instance, online "chatter" is no longer a reliable source of intelligence, as ISIS and Al Qaeda are now in possession of advance encryption technology.
Gun control laws will not minimize or expose terrorist cells who are rapidly gaining expertise while we attack each other over gun control and other indulgent, contrived and illusory social issues such as gay marriage, ethnic "micro-aggression" and transgenderism. Sharia law will have a short conversation with transexuals and same-sex couples and it will be terminal. This is not about hunting or target shooting. This is about survival in the face of unpredictable, cunning and implacable immoral evil.
Thus we all as a nation, enjoying the fruits of Judeo-Christian liberty whether faithful or not, have a profound vestiture in attacking both the underlying ethic, theology and violence of Islamism by any means necessary or we will be faced with an increasing grim and lurid scenario akin to hell on earth. Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition, indeed. Or at least don't keep it from the hands of the good guys.
Amen.
*In this context the Jews means the pre-Christian Jews of the Old Testament. The Jewish religion of the Old Testament no longer exists. But that is a topic for another entry. Fundamental Muslim theology hates contemporary Jews and Christians equally. It overtly hates the Judeo-Christian ethic. Islam's God, Allah, is not the God of Abraham, Jacob and Isaac. That is why it is called the Judeo-Christian ethic and not the Judeo-Christian-Islamic ethic.
Sunday, June 15, 2014
What if The Passion Had a Sequel?
Mel Gibson or someone should make a sequel his movie, The Passion of Christ.
Even though I have been studying scripture and attending church service anew for about 25 years now, I was taken aback by our Bible reading on the 3rd Sunday of Easter (May 4, 2014), Acts 2:14 and 36-41.
The full sermon from that day is here: http://www.messiahseattle.org/sermons/2014/5/may-4-2014-third-sunday-of-easter
Sometime after Jesus's crucifixion, Peter is preaching to a gathering of Jews and says, "Let all the house if Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ this Jesus whom you crucified". We expect and argument to ensue, for as many in that crowd said on the day of His sentencing, "let his blood be in our hands".
Yet, on this day, as Peter preaches, scripture goes on to tell us that "when they heard this they were cut to the heart" (as their eyes were opened by God to the true divine nature of Christ). Because their eyes were opened and God removed their defenses they said to Peter and the apostles, "What shall we do?" How can we ever repay this horrible thing that we have done?
Peter gave them the same advice that all of us for whom died, that is all of humanity... "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone for whom the Lord calls to himself."
As it turns out, according to the same reading, "about 3,000 souls were added that day". Meaning 3,000 folks became Christians. Implicit in our text is that most, if not all of these souls were Jews and most, if not all were in the mob that, days before, called for Christ to be hung on the cross.
There are many messages in this text about the meaning of Christianity, including the important one that NO sin is beyond the reach of God's salvation through Jesus Christ. If murdering Christ Himself is forgiven than what is beyond forgiveness? Nothing, of course. A repentent Adolf Hitler or Charlie Manson could be headed to the comforting arms of Jesus Christ to await the Judgement Day and face that day in the peace of salvation unto eternal life.
But, particularly poignant to me, having many Jewish friends and a Jewish stepfather, is the core message of salvation also intoned by St. Paul in Galatians 3:28 and Colossians 3:11 that neither Greek nor Jew nor slave nor free man is excluded from salvation, if one only just believes in Jesus Christ as the one true living God.
So, if you think that you are somehow excluded by birth or religious upbringing from either salvation or from the requirement of faith in Christ for salvation, you are plainly wrong. 3,000 Jews, directly involved in the crucifixion of Christ (as is all humanity, btw) were saved on that day by repenting, believing and being baptized. Again (just so it sinks in) ...regardless of your ethnic heritage or theological upbringing, you atheist, Jew, Muslim, Mormon, lapsed Roman Catholic, agnostic, Moonie, Buddhist, etc., you can also be saved by faith in Christ. Salvation is at your fingertips. Do not let it slip through. Eternal life is a big prize to gamble away by earthly doubt or social conformity. The alternative is too harrowing to even contemplate.
Amen.
Even though I have been studying scripture and attending church service anew for about 25 years now, I was taken aback by our Bible reading on the 3rd Sunday of Easter (May 4, 2014), Acts 2:14 and 36-41.
The full sermon from that day is here: http://www.messiahseattle.org/sermons/2014/5/may-4-2014-third-sunday-of-easter
Sometime after Jesus's crucifixion, Peter is preaching to a gathering of Jews and says, "Let all the house if Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ this Jesus whom you crucified". We expect and argument to ensue, for as many in that crowd said on the day of His sentencing, "let his blood be in our hands".
Yet, on this day, as Peter preaches, scripture goes on to tell us that "when they heard this they were cut to the heart" (as their eyes were opened by God to the true divine nature of Christ). Because their eyes were opened and God removed their defenses they said to Peter and the apostles, "What shall we do?" How can we ever repay this horrible thing that we have done?
Peter gave them the same advice that all of us for whom died, that is all of humanity... "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone for whom the Lord calls to himself."
As it turns out, according to the same reading, "about 3,000 souls were added that day". Meaning 3,000 folks became Christians. Implicit in our text is that most, if not all of these souls were Jews and most, if not all were in the mob that, days before, called for Christ to be hung on the cross.
There are many messages in this text about the meaning of Christianity, including the important one that NO sin is beyond the reach of God's salvation through Jesus Christ. If murdering Christ Himself is forgiven than what is beyond forgiveness? Nothing, of course. A repentent Adolf Hitler or Charlie Manson could be headed to the comforting arms of Jesus Christ to await the Judgement Day and face that day in the peace of salvation unto eternal life.
But, particularly poignant to me, having many Jewish friends and a Jewish stepfather, is the core message of salvation also intoned by St. Paul in Galatians 3:28 and Colossians 3:11 that neither Greek nor Jew nor slave nor free man is excluded from salvation, if one only just believes in Jesus Christ as the one true living God.
So, if you think that you are somehow excluded by birth or religious upbringing from either salvation or from the requirement of faith in Christ for salvation, you are plainly wrong. 3,000 Jews, directly involved in the crucifixion of Christ (as is all humanity, btw) were saved on that day by repenting, believing and being baptized. Again (just so it sinks in) ...regardless of your ethnic heritage or theological upbringing, you atheist, Jew, Muslim, Mormon, lapsed Roman Catholic, agnostic, Moonie, Buddhist, etc., you can also be saved by faith in Christ. Salvation is at your fingertips. Do not let it slip through. Eternal life is a big prize to gamble away by earthly doubt or social conformity. The alternative is too harrowing to even contemplate.
Amen.
Sunday, September 1, 2013
A Cult of Ignorance...
Watch this video and reflect upon how Unitarianism and liberal protestant theology is theological multi-culturalism.
If everything is everything. Nothing is anything, as I am fond of saying...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K26kKDCCV9g
If everything is everything. Nothing is anything, as I am fond of saying...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K26kKDCCV9g
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
Dual, Related Links from LCMS...
Below is the LCMS's position paper on last week's Supreme Court ruling.
http://blogs.lcms.org/2013/saddened-by-ruling-in-marriage-case
And, in a related, perhaps more anticipatory commentary...
Free to be Faithful!
http://www.lcms.org/freetobefaithful
Blessings,
Your COL
http://blogs.lcms.org/2013/saddened-by-ruling-in-marriage-case
And, in a related, perhaps more anticipatory commentary...
Free to be Faithful!
http://www.lcms.org/freetobefaithful
Blessings,
Your COL
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
ELCA Losing Members Concurrent with...
The liberal Lutheran denomination know as the ELCA, has lost members at a sharply increasing rate, concurrent with their recent decision to ordain openly homosexual pastors, culminating in the the election of its first openly homosexual bishop.
Liberal "lutherans" from the ELCA, which has recently considered merging with the liberal Episcopal Church (see my blog below on their openly gay bishop) often cop out on taking communion openly and unrepentant homosexuals by saying, "hey not my problem it's between them and God". This attitude goes to the most interest point made in the comments of this article in First Thoughts. To wit, communing, ordaining and electing as high officers folks who are embracing a sinful lifestyle is not the cause but rather the symptom of a long, deep slide from scriptural orthodoxy in the ELCA.
Lutheran historians more astute than I will point out that it started with redefining communion itself, ordaining women as pastors and moving to less doctrinal hymnal. At each pivotal juncture in this long slide into contemporary secular humanism, the ELCA has suffered a hemorrhage of members.
Liberal "lutherans" from the ELCA, which has recently considered merging with the liberal Episcopal Church (see my blog below on their openly gay bishop) often cop out on taking communion openly and unrepentant homosexuals by saying, "hey not my problem it's between them and God". This attitude goes to the most interest point made in the comments of this article in First Thoughts. To wit, communing, ordaining and electing as high officers folks who are embracing a sinful lifestyle is not the cause but rather the symptom of a long, deep slide from scriptural orthodoxy in the ELCA.
Lutheran historians more astute than I will point out that it started with redefining communion itself, ordaining women as pastors and moving to less doctrinal hymnal. At each pivotal juncture in this long slide into contemporary secular humanism, the ELCA has suffered a hemorrhage of members.
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
The Sins of the Father/Faithful Servants for Unfaithful Ones...
Perhaps most of you don't know that I am an avid fan of Mad Men.
Why?
So many reasons. I spent the first twenty years of my professional career selling radio advertising, calling on ad agencies in San Francisco and around the big ad markets of the country on behalf of the San Francisco stations that I represented. Mad Men invokes the culture of mid-century Madison Avenue.... the ad scene, the mad scene of big time commercial advertising.
Reaching deeper into my past, the adult characters in Mad Men are exactly my parent's age. Therefore I am around the same age as there kids, like Sally, who is building up a head of steam to launch the same rebellion against her parents as I did against mine.
Why?
Because like the Mad Men characters, my parents, whose lifestyle and mannerisms resembled the Mad Men characters were inwardly sinful people who maintained a veil of outward respectability, just like we all do to one extent or another. In other words.... sinners.... big sinners and little sinners.... just like all of us.
In this final episode of the current season, Don, steeped in the shame of a cluster of sins that are coming to a festering and undeniable head, finds himself alone, downing tumblers of straight scotch in a dive bar. A barroom street pastor (I did not know there was such a creature!) approaches Don and begins preaching the Gospel. Don flashes back to his teenage childhood, spent in a depression-era brothel run by his father, and his teenage confrontation with a similar street preacher, who upon his being 86'd by Don's father, admonishes the teen Don Draper on his way out... "the greatest sin is to believe that you can't be forgiven by God".
In this instant and throughout other scenes is transmitted amidst all of the pop-culture/pop-theology of Mad Men, is a kernel of deep, Gospel truth. The only way we can absolutely separate ourselves from God and eternal life in Him is by rejecting the gift of salvation through His Son Jesus Christ. Later Don begins to shed his outward layer of respectability and taps into remorse and truth. See it. You'll see.
We are left to wonder if there is faith in that repentance or just ego gratification of being "real". One can be deeply remorseful, repentant and still not be saved. Faith and repentance are inseparable, after all.
Guilty enjoyment of indulgent sins, rational deployment of survival mechanisms in the knowledge that they are not pleasing to God pale in comparison to the resolute utter rejection of God and his Gift of faith and salvation. For once one makes that choice, his or her entire life, already one of sin, becomes one of sin for sin's sake and death is assured. But, amazingly, while one is alive it is never too late to have faith as well as to \ repent.
And, so, prompted by Mad Men and conscious of six weeks of neglect, we come we at last to the topic of Pastor Lassman's brilliantly delivered May 12th sermon on Acts 1: 12-16 where Judas, who betrayed Our Savior commits the greatest sin of all. Everyone knows of "Judas Priest" (a common curse phrase during the Mad Men era, at least in my household) and his betrayal of Christ. And most of us when prompted would count that betrayal as Judas's greatest sin.
Yet it was not. Again, as that preacher told the teenage Dick Whitman, aka Don Draper, "the greatest sin is believe that you cannot be forgiven". Remember?
Judas's greatest sin occurred at the last moment of his earthly life. And it was committed not in the mirthful, indulgent manner of an adulterer reaching out to his paramour or a conniving account executive manipulating his way into a juicy piece of new business but rather by an utterly shamed and broken man ... rejected in reality by the Pharisees who egged him onto his ultimate betrayal and then, in their hypocrisy refused to take back the filthy blood money they had paid Judas to commit his heinous act.
Just as everyone in this last episode of Mad Men is steeped in regret, remorse and scrambling to find some sort of human redemption, a faithless repentance offers no salvation and, in fact seals condemnation. As Christ intones in John 17, I do not ask for these only, but also for those who believe in me through their word..." If you turn aside the word of salvation in Christ so will He turn you aside as chaff from the wheat kernel. Whether you are in despite or in delight of yourself.
Judas then repaired to a lonely dead tree on a forsaken plot of land to hang himself and reject himself as a child of Christ, who would have accepted even His betrayer Judas had his remorse been coupled with a faith in God's power to forgive him. Even in selling out Jesus into the hands of Pilate and the Pharisees, Judas had not out-sinned God. Tragically, he had only out-sinned himself.
For, although it makes no sense, defies logical and will remain a mystery until that Last Day of Judgment, we cannot out-sin God and the Son. We can only out sin ourselves. And by rejecting God's salvation in Jesus Christ we only reject ourselves. God cannot, will not reject us. But we can reject ourselves.
Salvation, therefore is a passive thing, utterly given unto us. Everyone reading this has read and knows the saving Word of Christ and is therefore saved. You can only be unsaved by your own hand. And whether you do it blithely, deliberately, ploddingly, in misery, in shame or in joy YOU do it. Just as we are saved in mirth, in misery, in joy and in all places in between. Jesus saves you but you condemn yourself.
Even a crabby old Lutheran.
Amen.
Why?
So many reasons. I spent the first twenty years of my professional career selling radio advertising, calling on ad agencies in San Francisco and around the big ad markets of the country on behalf of the San Francisco stations that I represented. Mad Men invokes the culture of mid-century Madison Avenue.... the ad scene, the mad scene of big time commercial advertising.
Reaching deeper into my past, the adult characters in Mad Men are exactly my parent's age. Therefore I am around the same age as there kids, like Sally, who is building up a head of steam to launch the same rebellion against her parents as I did against mine.
Why?
Because like the Mad Men characters, my parents, whose lifestyle and mannerisms resembled the Mad Men characters were inwardly sinful people who maintained a veil of outward respectability, just like we all do to one extent or another. In other words.... sinners.... big sinners and little sinners.... just like all of us.
In this final episode of the current season, Don, steeped in the shame of a cluster of sins that are coming to a festering and undeniable head, finds himself alone, downing tumblers of straight scotch in a dive bar. A barroom street pastor (I did not know there was such a creature!) approaches Don and begins preaching the Gospel. Don flashes back to his teenage childhood, spent in a depression-era brothel run by his father, and his teenage confrontation with a similar street preacher, who upon his being 86'd by Don's father, admonishes the teen Don Draper on his way out... "the greatest sin is to believe that you can't be forgiven by God".
In this instant and throughout other scenes is transmitted amidst all of the pop-culture/pop-theology of Mad Men, is a kernel of deep, Gospel truth. The only way we can absolutely separate ourselves from God and eternal life in Him is by rejecting the gift of salvation through His Son Jesus Christ. Later Don begins to shed his outward layer of respectability and taps into remorse and truth. See it. You'll see.
We are left to wonder if there is faith in that repentance or just ego gratification of being "real". One can be deeply remorseful, repentant and still not be saved. Faith and repentance are inseparable, after all.
Guilty enjoyment of indulgent sins, rational deployment of survival mechanisms in the knowledge that they are not pleasing to God pale in comparison to the resolute utter rejection of God and his Gift of faith and salvation. For once one makes that choice, his or her entire life, already one of sin, becomes one of sin for sin's sake and death is assured. But, amazingly, while one is alive it is never too late to have faith as well as to \ repent.
And, so, prompted by Mad Men and conscious of six weeks of neglect, we come we at last to the topic of Pastor Lassman's brilliantly delivered May 12th sermon on Acts 1: 12-16 where Judas, who betrayed Our Savior commits the greatest sin of all. Everyone knows of "Judas Priest" (a common curse phrase during the Mad Men era, at least in my household) and his betrayal of Christ. And most of us when prompted would count that betrayal as Judas's greatest sin.
Yet it was not. Again, as that preacher told the teenage Dick Whitman, aka Don Draper, "the greatest sin is believe that you cannot be forgiven". Remember?
Judas's greatest sin occurred at the last moment of his earthly life. And it was committed not in the mirthful, indulgent manner of an adulterer reaching out to his paramour or a conniving account executive manipulating his way into a juicy piece of new business but rather by an utterly shamed and broken man ... rejected in reality by the Pharisees who egged him onto his ultimate betrayal and then, in their hypocrisy refused to take back the filthy blood money they had paid Judas to commit his heinous act.
Just as everyone in this last episode of Mad Men is steeped in regret, remorse and scrambling to find some sort of human redemption, a faithless repentance offers no salvation and, in fact seals condemnation. As Christ intones in John 17, I do not ask for these only, but also for those who believe in me through their word..." If you turn aside the word of salvation in Christ so will He turn you aside as chaff from the wheat kernel. Whether you are in despite or in delight of yourself.
Judas then repaired to a lonely dead tree on a forsaken plot of land to hang himself and reject himself as a child of Christ, who would have accepted even His betrayer Judas had his remorse been coupled with a faith in God's power to forgive him. Even in selling out Jesus into the hands of Pilate and the Pharisees, Judas had not out-sinned God. Tragically, he had only out-sinned himself.
For, although it makes no sense, defies logical and will remain a mystery until that Last Day of Judgment, we cannot out-sin God and the Son. We can only out sin ourselves. And by rejecting God's salvation in Jesus Christ we only reject ourselves. God cannot, will not reject us. But we can reject ourselves.
Salvation, therefore is a passive thing, utterly given unto us. Everyone reading this has read and knows the saving Word of Christ and is therefore saved. You can only be unsaved by your own hand. And whether you do it blithely, deliberately, ploddingly, in misery, in shame or in joy YOU do it. Just as we are saved in mirth, in misery, in joy and in all places in between. Jesus saves you but you condemn yourself.
Even a crabby old Lutheran.
Amen.
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
A Woman in Purple and Scarlet...
Read this and then Google "a woman in purple and scarlet". Probably just a coinky =;-0). But pretty interesting. If you understand Christian doctrine, you understand that this woman is more than just mealy mouthed.
Coming soon or someday to your neighborhood, a world empire of false religion. Preview now showing in Venezuela.
Whose words are being spoken through her? The Word Our Lord or the word of the foe. When in doubt remember that scripture interprets scripture.
Rev 17:4, "The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls. She held a golden cup in her hand, filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries."
Coming soon or someday to your neighborhood, a world empire of false religion. Preview now showing in Venezuela.
Whose words are being spoken through her? The Word Our Lord or the word of the foe. When in doubt remember that scripture interprets scripture.
Rev 17:4, "The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls. She held a golden cup in her hand, filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries."
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Pagan Clock at Home Depot
Kind of a lighter version of "eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we all die". Hey. Just satan, whoops I mean sayin' "
Satan loves love and good works as long as Jesus is excluded.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Satan loves love and good works as long as Jesus is excluded.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Two Things Most People Don't Believe, But They Should:
1. I can die at any moment. Life is much more fragile than I perceive it to be.
2. Jesus Christ is who says he was and therefore the only way to eternal life in Heaven. Believing that Jesus was just a "wonderfully wise man" and/or "there are many other ways to heaven (buddhism, hinduism, being a nice person, etc.)" will NOT grant me eternal salvation and the only alternative to eternal salvation in heaven is eternal damnation in hell.
That is really all the Bible is about, folks. Please don't waste your time or mine positing any other path in life OR death.
Finally, believe it or not, this IS a loving statement. No? Well, I could have left it unsaid. Don't you. If you believe. If you don't believe, do. For you own sake.
Sunday, April 7, 2013
Are We Fools to Be Christians? St. Paul Said So....
Pastor Lassman's Easter (Resurrection) sermon held forth on what of my favorite scriptural passages (1 Corinthians 15:19).
Please listen to or read Pastor's sermon
My comments on the text...
In his first letter to the Greek church at Corinth, Greece, St. Paul invoked a theme that seems particularly timely in our increasingly "Greek" culture in contemporary America. Greek culture has resonated through the ages and, along with Christianity, presents a parallel but opposing influence on western civilization. The Greek way of thought emphasizes multiple Gods, created by humans, who are accessed by human earthly achievement in the arts, intellect and sensual pursuits. "Achieve great things on earth, eat, drink and be merry", pretty much sums up the Hellenistic way of looking at life. It is one of many pagan religions that have flourished in the absence of God's Word.
Don't your agnostic, atheist friends of which we seem to have more and more these days seem think to themselves or even say out loud, "how foolish you Christians are to waste a lifetime of Sundays going to church!"
Paul must have heard similar admonitions from these Greeks in 30ish AD Greece and he responded in sarcastic agreement, "If only in this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are [indeed] of all people most to be pitied".
Boil down the Gospel to it's essence (John 3:16) and Christianity addresses only one big issue in life. You can be an outwardly good person without Christ. You can get along fine in this life without Christ. In fact it is probably much easier to be popular among most people you are likely to encounter in contemporary US coastal urban life. Be an outspoken Christian? Naaah. Go along to get along. Easy peasy.
So why suffer the consequences of being a Christian? Because "in fact Christ has been raised from the dead", continues St. Paul. If Christ was not resurrected from the dead then we will not also be raised as he promised. To study Christ as a philosopher or a "wise man" is utter folly. As C.S. Lewis points out in Mere Christianity, Christ was either who he said he was or he was raving lunatic.
But Christ was raised from the dead. The dual ruling classes (Romans and Jewish Hierarchs) had every motive and all means to produce the dead body of Our Lord and Savior after His Resurrection, but could not. Many people saw Jesus in his resurrected and Holy state in many different places and testified as such. Paul himself was confronted by Christ Himself on the road to Damascus decades after Christ's resurrection.
And it was the Resurrected Christ who intoned the Apostles (and us) to "go and make disciples of all nations, teaching. preaching and baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit" (Matthew 28:16-20). We can't very well do that in silence. Christ is no less clear, forthright and violently demanding of us as Christians on any other topic than our duty to spread His word. (Luke 19:11-27)
Such is our faith. Such is our eternal salvation. We believe in Christ because He has destroyed the elephant in the room for us all... Death!! We are "grateful alive" forever in Him!!
Yes, "the message of the cross is folly to those who perish" (1Cor 1:18). Paul said that too in this same letter to the Greek church at Corinth so long ago. It's hard to be a Christian. Hard. But is it not more foolish to perish? Amen.
Please listen to or read Pastor's sermon
My comments on the text...
In his first letter to the Greek church at Corinth, Greece, St. Paul invoked a theme that seems particularly timely in our increasingly "Greek" culture in contemporary America. Greek culture has resonated through the ages and, along with Christianity, presents a parallel but opposing influence on western civilization. The Greek way of thought emphasizes multiple Gods, created by humans, who are accessed by human earthly achievement in the arts, intellect and sensual pursuits. "Achieve great things on earth, eat, drink and be merry", pretty much sums up the Hellenistic way of looking at life. It is one of many pagan religions that have flourished in the absence of God's Word.
Don't your agnostic, atheist friends of which we seem to have more and more these days seem think to themselves or even say out loud, "how foolish you Christians are to waste a lifetime of Sundays going to church!"
Paul must have heard similar admonitions from these Greeks in 30ish AD Greece and he responded in sarcastic agreement, "If only in this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are [indeed] of all people most to be pitied".
Boil down the Gospel to it's essence (John 3:16) and Christianity addresses only one big issue in life. You can be an outwardly good person without Christ. You can get along fine in this life without Christ. In fact it is probably much easier to be popular among most people you are likely to encounter in contemporary US coastal urban life. Be an outspoken Christian? Naaah. Go along to get along. Easy peasy.
So why suffer the consequences of being a Christian? Because "in fact Christ has been raised from the dead", continues St. Paul. If Christ was not resurrected from the dead then we will not also be raised as he promised. To study Christ as a philosopher or a "wise man" is utter folly. As C.S. Lewis points out in Mere Christianity, Christ was either who he said he was or he was raving lunatic.
But Christ was raised from the dead. The dual ruling classes (Romans and Jewish Hierarchs) had every motive and all means to produce the dead body of Our Lord and Savior after His Resurrection, but could not. Many people saw Jesus in his resurrected and Holy state in many different places and testified as such. Paul himself was confronted by Christ Himself on the road to Damascus decades after Christ's resurrection.
And it was the Resurrected Christ who intoned the Apostles (and us) to "go and make disciples of all nations, teaching. preaching and baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit" (Matthew 28:16-20). We can't very well do that in silence. Christ is no less clear, forthright and violently demanding of us as Christians on any other topic than our duty to spread His word. (Luke 19:11-27)
Such is our faith. Such is our eternal salvation. We believe in Christ because He has destroyed the elephant in the room for us all... Death!! We are "grateful alive" forever in Him!!
Yes, "the message of the cross is folly to those who perish" (1Cor 1:18). Paul said that too in this same letter to the Greek church at Corinth so long ago. It's hard to be a Christian. Hard. But is it not more foolish to perish? Amen.
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