New Mascot

The Transfiguration of Our Lord

By Norma Boeckler

The Transfiguration of Our Lord

Pastor Gregory L. Jackson

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/bethany-lutheran-worship

Bethany Lutheran Worship, 10 AM Central Time

The Hymn #294 O Word of God 3.31
The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16
The Gloria Patri
The Kyrie p. 17
The Gloria in Excelsis
The Salutation and Collect p. 19
The Epistle and Gradual 2 Peter 1:16-21
The Gospel Matthew 17:1-9
Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
The Sermon Hymn #135 Tis Good 3:81

Not Fables But History Revealed

The Hymn #307 Draw Nigh 3:72
The Preface p. 24
The Sanctus p. 26
The Lord's Prayer p. 27
The Words of Institution
The Agnus Dei p. 28
The Nunc Dimittis p. 29
The Benediction p. 31
The Hymn #283 God’s Word 3:90


KJV 2 Peter 1:16 For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17 For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. 18 And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount. 19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: 20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. 21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

KJV Matthew 17:1 And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, 2 And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. 3 And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him. 4 Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias. 5 While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him. 6 And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid. 7 And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, and be not afraid. 8 And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only. 9 And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead.

Sixth Sunday After Epiphany
O merciful and everlasting God, heavenly Father: We thank Thee that Thou hast revealed unto us the glory of Thy Son, and let the light of Thy gospel shine upon us: We pray Thee, guide us by this light that we may walk diligently as Christians in all good works, ever be strengthened by Thy grace, and conduct our lives in all godliness; through the same, Thy beloved Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.

Not Fables But History Revealed

Lenski:

Peter does not tell the whole story of the Transr figuration. He does not use the accounts of the Evangelists, for he helped to inform them, and not they him. Thus all four accounts agree perfectly. The point of importance for Peter is “this voice”; “we on our part (the witnesses present) heard it conveyed to Jesus out of heaven.” Note that “voice” and “brought (conveyed)” are repeated. Peter has already noted the phenomenal character of this voice: τοιᾶσδε marks what it said and the kind of voice that it was, he again emphasizes “this voice,” and now stresses the fact that “we on our part heard it.” This is a direct revelation, directly made by the Father himself, directly received by the witnesses. Let those who will regard it as being merely a “myth.” This revelation attests the glory and the deity of the Son in his earthly life by a voice and a revelation that were so einzigartig. This is he whom Peter has truly named in v. 1, 2, 11, whose Parousia will come in spite of all scoffers, for whom Peter’s readers are to wait with unshakable assurance.
19) And we have as more sure the prophetic Word, to which you are doing well in giving heed as to a lamp shining in a dismal place till day dawns and a light-bearer arises in your hearts; etc. “And” adds in the sense of “and so” as when a resultant fact is added. When Peter says “we have as more certain,” etc., he refers to himself and to all the apostles as those who made known the power and the Parousia of our Lord Jesus Christ. This “we” in the verb does not refer to Peter and to his readers, for “you do well” follows.
Lenski, R. C. H.: The Interpretation of the Epistles of St. Peter, St. John and St. Jude. Minneapolis, MN. : Augsburg Publishing House, 1966, S. 291.


2 Peter 1:16 For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.

This lesson reminds us that there is an enormous gulf between believers and non-believes. In a world where there are so many competing philosophies and religions, Christians say – “There is one truth, one history.”

The Gospel message of the entire Bible is a witness to these events and to the grace of God in Jesus Christ.

Luther said – the Bible is a sermon about one person, Christ.

The scoffers are always looking for problems, and they find them, because their obstinacy blinds them to the truth. There are many details in the Scriptures that cannot be verified, so these scoffers say, “This is all mad up, “ or “That cannot be true.”

There are thousands of historical details that can be verified, and many of the old puzzles have been solved, but that does not move the scoffers. So Christians are tempted to delve into rationalism to solve the problems of rationalism. That is just like drinking salt water to cure thirst – it only makes it worse.

The Word of God is revealed by men of faith to create and sustain faith. Luther pointed out that human reason is not the problem – just the way we use it. The magisterial use of reason places human reason above the Word. The person who makes human reason equal to or superior to the Word will always subordinate the truth of the Scriptures to his own perspective.

That can have comical results, even in science. My science textbook in 6th grade said missiles would not work in outer-space because they needed an atmosphere to push against. Writers, editors, and the publisher let that piece of ignorance through, which was made funnier by the fact of missiles being in space at that time. Likewise, radio waves would not work in outer-space.

So, when someone says, “This could not have happened because I cannot imagine it,” he is subordinating the Word to his reason. That is the reason why most Protestants reject the Real Presence of Christ, and they often make up strange explanations that are contrary to the Word. Several are:
1. There is no word for “is” in Aramaic. Jesus spoke Aramaic, so He could not have said “This is My Body.” However, our text is Greek and clearly says – “This is My Body.” He did not say – This seems to be, or This symbolizes My Body…
2. The communion elements do not convey forgiveness to the communicant. Jesus said “given for the forgiveness of your sin…”

This is why Lenski said, “Resist the beginnings.” Once rationalism works on the text, in an effort to prove the Word of God to scoffers, there is no limit to what can be peeled away by man’s limited mental powers.

I cannot imagine the Lord of Creation fashioning the universe by command, but Genesis 1:1 teaches that, John 1 enlarges upon it, and God sustains my faith in Creation by His Word, not because of “facts.”

The facts are the same for most observers, but how they are interpreted makes all the difference.

People are inclined to say, “This story means a lot to me,” and “I do not like this.” If man is the judge, a new canon develops. The Bible consists of those passages we like and excludes what we dislike or cannot understand at the moment.

But this is revealed truth, one unified message from the Holy Spirit.

The scoffers say, “But we can see individual voices, personalities in the Bible. So it did not drop down from heaven, infallible, inerrant.”

That is another stone of stumbling for people. They do not find Paul to be the romantic hero of gothic novel, but a real person with some annoying traits. The believer says, “God took this persecutor of the Faith and made him an apostle, and he knew his own faults so well.”

These ordinary men were made extraordinary because God chose them to bring His message to the world, to bear the cross of persecution in the Roman Empire. Because He chose them, He revealed the power and majesty of Christ to the apostles.

Here we are, ordinary people with all the flaws of the disciples, plus many more bonus weaknesses. We see their problems in their writing, which is fairly plain and unadorned, not at all like official church histories and convention essays.

So the Bible has two natures, which are united – very much like Christ. One nature is human (Paul, Peter, Luke) and the other is divine (the Holy Spirit’s inspiration). So the Bible is like Christ, human and yet without sin.

Some years ago, people fought for the Bible being infallible and inerrant. The opponents undermined this view by being embarrassed, silent, and above the fray. Now we know from the recent LCMS histories that the Seminex faction hated the inerrancy of the Bible and defined themselves as enemies of that view. But they hid that from everyone, as much as they could. They even called themselves “confessional Lutherans” while trying to destroy the Confessions and make the Creeds meaningless.

That put the burden on anyone trying to show what they were doing. If a professor of theology taught against the Virgin Birth of Christ, the resurrection of Christ, or the existence of Hell and Satan, he had already left the fold. But those were the very people who ruled the roost. How can people see through the long robes to view the clay feet of these plaster saints? Eventually they revealed themselves. Even SP Harrison, who has always worked with ELCA, has said ELCA gives Lutherans a bad name everywhere – but Missouri voted overwhelmingly to keep working with them.

ELCA has no reason to change when the “conservative” synods (LCMS, WELS, ELS) work with their big, apostate cousin. Unitarians do good works too and have the same theological and political positions as ELCA. Why not join with them? The Salvation Army collects money for the poor – why not work with them, too? Oh, WELS already does – with Thrivent money. As someone wrote to the blog – “But it was milk for the children.”

Likewise today, the enemies of God’s Word say nice, vague things in public but they do not believe, teach, or confess that God’s work is carried out by His Word alone.
17 For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. 18 And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.

The eyewitness of the Transfiguration remind us that they were still weak in faith until the resurrection. They saw Jesus in His glory with Moses and Elijah, yet they still hid in the locked room after the crucifixion. God said, “This is My Beloved Son,” and yet they still feared man.

We can see that Christ strengthened with His Word, step by step, and transformed them by the miracles they experienced.

The Word and miracles go together. God still strenghthens us with miracles. Kurt Marquart liked to remind his students that Holy Communion was a miracle service. Ordinary elements are also the Body and Blood of Christ, after being consecrated by the Word. This miracle is provided solely to benefit, bless, and strengthen us believers.

Roman Catholics promote the papal mass. I used to wonder why the pope had to have his glorious services with thousands of people in attendance. Their own reason is this – they want everyone to despair that the Catholic Church has the mass and no one else does.

Although I give them points for spectacle, and it must be seen to be appreciated, the message taught is soul-destroying. The meaning of the Catholic mass is that it only removes some of the penalty for sin. No one is ever really forgiven. So this man-made law drives people to daily mass and many sacrifices to atone for their own sins, as if Christ did not pay the full price on the cross. A Roman Catholic is assured of non-forgiveness all his life and even after death, where even more is done for “the souls suffering in Purgatory.”

The LCMS and ELCA pastors joining the Roman Catholic priesthood, sometimes right out of seminary, speaks volumes about the training at those “Lutheran” institutions.

The comforting message of the Gospel is what God does for us, what He has paid for us, not what we do for Him and what we owe Him.

19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: 20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. 21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

This lesson closes with the admonition that the Word of God belongs to Him alone and not to us. We do not have the freedom and license to make it sound the way we want. “Private interpretation” is simply the first branch in the road toward apostasy.

God always keeps the Gospel message alive somewhere, and persecution tends to drive it to new places and to make it more fruitful.

The fads of the moment do not last and do not bear fruit. Invariably they lead to an emphasis upon the Law and the necessity of works for salvation.

Quotations

Eternal Life
"For the papalists understand the word 'justify' according to the manner of the Latin composition as meaning 'to make righteous' through a donated or infused quality of inherent righteousness, from which works of righteousness proceed. The Lutherans, however, accept the word 'justify' in the Hebrew manner of speaking; therefore they define justification as the absolution from sins, or the remission of sins, through imputation of the righteousness of Christ, through adoption and inheritance of eternal life, and that only for the sake of Christ, who is apprehended by faith."

Martin Chemnitz, Examination of the Council of Trent, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1971, I, p. 467.
"And, in short, the meritum condigni is the Helen for which the Tridentine chapter concerning the growth of justification contends. For they imagine that the quality, or habit, of love is infused not that we may possess salvation to life eternal through this first grace but that, assisted by that grace, we may be able to merit eternal life for ourselves by our own good works. For concerning the meritum condigni Gabriel speaks thus: 'The soul shaped by grace worthily (de condigno) merits eternal life.'" [Kramer note - Scholastics taught that the good works of the unregenerate had only meritum congrui; the good works of the regenerate rewarded as meritum condigni, merit worthy with being rewarded with eternal life.]
Martin Chemnitz, Examination of the Council of Trent, 1971, I, p. 541.

"How is a person justified before God? This occurs solely by faith in the Son of God, Jesus Christ; that is, freely, not because of any works or merits of one's own but only because of the one Mediator, Jesus Christ, who became the sacrificial victim and propitiation on our behalf. By this sacrifice, man obtained forgiveness of sins and became righteous; that is, God-pleasing and acceptable. His righteousness was imputed to man for Christ's sake, and man becomes an heir of eternal life when he believes with certainty that God gives him these blessings for the sake of His Son."
David Chytraeus, A Summary of the Christian Faith, (1568), trans., Richard Dinda, Decatur: Repristination Press, 1994. p. 105.

"Christian righteousness is the forgiveness of sin, the imputation of the righteousness of Christ and acceptance to eternal life. It is free, not the result of any virtues or works but is given solely because of Christ, the Mediator, and apprehended by faith alone."
David Chytraeus, A Summary of the Christian Faith, (1568), 1994. p. 106.
"Scripture therefore uses these words, 'We are justified by faith,' to teach both: 1) What the reason (or merit) for justification is, or what the blessings of Christ are; to wit, that through and for the sake of Christ alone we are granted forgiveness of sins, righteousness and eternal life; and 2. How these should be applied or transferred to us; namely, by embracing the promise and relying on Christ by faith alone."
David Chytraeus, A Summary of the Christian Faith, (1568), 1994. p. 107.

"The second argument is that 'God desires all men to be saved' (1 Timothy 2:4), and He gave His Son for us men and created man for eternal life. Likewise: All things exist for man, and he himself exists for God that he may enjoy Him, etc. These points and others like them can be refuted as easily as the first one. For these verses must always be understood as pertaining to the elect only, as the apostle says in 2 Timothy 2:10 'everything for the sake of the elect.' For in an absolute sense Christ did not die for all, because He says: 'This is My blood which is poured out for you' and 'for many'--He does not say: for all--'for the forgiveness of sins.' (Mark 14:24; Matthew 26:28) Martin Luther, Luther's Works, 25 p. 375. 2 Timothy 2:10; 1 Timothy 2:4; Mark 14:24; Matthew 26:28 "His gifts and works in His Church must effect inexpressible results, taking souls from the jaws of the devil and translating them into eternal life and glory."
Sermons of Martin Luther, ed. John Nicolas Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, VIII, p. 220.


"In this epistle lesson Paul gives Christians instruction concerning the Christian life on earth, and connects with it the hope of the future and eternal life, in view of which they have been baptized and become Christians. He makes of our earthly life a death--a grave--with the understanding, however, that henceforth the risen man and the newness of life should be found in us."
Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, VIII, p. 141.
"Therefore, whoever would have a joyful conscience that does not fear sin, death, hell, nor the wrath of God, dare not reject this Mediator, Christ. For He is the fountain that overflows with grace, that gives temporal and eternal life."
Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols V, p. 331.

"Therefore, do not speak to me of love or friendship when anything is to be detracted from the Word or the faith; for we are told that not love but the Word brings eternal life, God's grace, and all heavenly treasures."
Martin Luther, What Luther Says, An Anthology, 3 vols., ed., Ewald Plass, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1959, III, p. 1411f.
"In all simplicity and without any disputing, children believe that God is gracious and that there is an eternal life. Oh, what a blessing comes to the children who die at this time! Such a death would, of course, cause me extreme sorrow, because a part of my body and the mother's body would die. These natural affections do not cease in the pious, as those who are without feeling and are hardened imagine, for such affections are the work of divine creation. Children live with all sincerity in faith, without the interference of reason, as Ambrose says: There is lack of reason but not of faith."
What Luther Says, An Anthology, 3 vols., ed., Ewald Plass, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1959, I, p. 142.

"To be converted to God means to believe in Christ, to believe that He is our Mediator and that we have eternal life through Him."
What Luther Says, An Anthology, 3 vols., ed., Ewald Plass, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1959, I, p. 343. Acts 26:20.
"The Church has no word of its own. Whatever is not taken from Scripture is not the 'Word of the Church,' but what Luther bluntly calls 'prattle.' Also other books can exert a divine power and efficacy, but always only inasmuch as they have absorbed God's Word. Of Scripture Luther says: 'No book teaches anything concerning eternal life except this one alone' (St. Louis edition XIV:434)."
Francis Pieper, Christian Dogmatics, 3 vols., trans. Walter W. F. Albrecht, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1950, I, p. 315.

"But Christ was given for this purpose, namely, that for His sake there might be bestowed on us the remission of sins, and the Holy Ghost to bring forth in us new and eternal life, and eternal righteousness [to manifest Christ in our hearts, as it is written John 16:15: 'He shall take of the things of Mine, and show them unto you.' Likewise, He works also other gifts, love, thanksgiving, charity, patience, etc.]. Wherefore the Law cannot be truly kept unless the Holy Ghost is given." Apology of the Augsburg Confession, Article IV, Justification, Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 159. Romans 3:31; John 16:15.

"But Christ was given for this purpose, namely, that for His sake there might be bestowed on us the remission of sins, and the Holy Ghost to bring forth in us new and eternal life, and eternal righteousness [to manifest Christ in our hearts, as it is written John 16:15: He shall take of the things of Mine, and show them unto you. Likewise, He works also other gifts, love, thanksgiving, charity, patience, etc.]. Wherefore the Law cannot be truly kept unless the Holy Ghost is received through faith...Then we learn to know how flesh, in security and indifference, does not fear God, and is not fully certain that we are regarded by God, but imagines that men are born and die by chance. Then we experience that we do not believe that God forgives and hears us. But when, on hearing the Gospel and the remission of sins, we are consoled by faith, we receive the Holy Ghost, so that now we are able to think aright."
Augsburg Confession, Article III, #11, Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 159.

"This power {the Keys} is exercised only by teaching or preaching the Gospel and administering the Sacraments, according to their calling, either to many or to individuals. For thereby are granted, not bodily, but eternal things, as eternal righteousness, the Holy Ghost, eternal life. These things cannot come but by the ministry of the Word and the Sacraments, as Paul says, Romans 1:16: The Gospel is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth. Therefore, since the power of the Church grants eternal things, and is exercised only by the ministry of the Word, it does not interfere with civil government; no more than the art of singing interferes with civil government."
Augsburg Confession, Article XXVIII, #8, Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 85. Romans 1:16.

"This righteousness is offered us by the Holy Ghost through the Gospel and in the Sacraments, and is applied, appropriated, and received through faith, whence believers have reconciliation with God, forgiveness of sins, the grace of God, sonship, and heirship of eternal life." Formula of Concord, Thorough Declaration, III 16 Righteousness Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 921.

"Also they teach that at the Consummation of the World Christ will appear for judgment, and will raise up all the dead; He will give to the godly and elect eternal life and everlasting joys, but ungodly men and the devils He will condemn to be tormented without end."
Augsburg Confession, Article XVII, Of Christ's Return to Judgment, Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 51.

My Home Town Area Gave Reagan His First Job - WOC Radio in Davenport

Reagan came back as president to pose at the WOC mike and broadcast.
Dave Coopman wrote about this event in his book on WOC Radio.

Dutch Reagan was born not too far from Moline - Tampico, Illinois, only 45 miles away. On this day, 100 years ago, it was also snowing furiously.

Reagan grew up in Dixon, Illinois and graduated from Eureka College in Eureka, Illinois, 1932.

WOC Radio, started by the Palmer (School of Chiropractic) family, hired him as an announcer. We take radio for granted now, but the Palmers were pioneers in introducing radio to the area.

Facebook is the technological rage now, and Moline High graduate John Getz plays the lawyer in the new movie about Facebook.

Snowbound in Milwaukee

Who needs another snow photo?


rlschultz has left a new comment on your post "Snowbound in Bella Vista":

Now that was an adventure! You have to love those big cruisers like the Ichaboat. We had 24 inches of snowfall in about a 12 hour period, and it all happened at night. It set a record for our city. Initially, in the aftermath, the only motorized vehicles that could travel were ATV's and snowmobiles. You to wait until daylight and the wind to stop. The gusts were up to 50 mph and the visibility was reduced to zero. Even the big snow plows and fire trucks were getting stuck when they were trying to rescue the foolhardy ones who thought that they could drive in it.

Lutheran leader sees Protestants aligning | The Journal Gazette | Fort Wayne, IN

 

Courtesy photo

The Rev. Matthew Harrison is president of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod.

Published: February 5, 2011 3:00 a.m.

Lutheran leader sees Protestants aligning

Rosa Salter Rodriguez | The Journal Gazette

The Rev. Matthew Harrison has a vision of what the future of American Protestantism might look like – and it includes a potentially big realignment.

Harrison, who was pastor of Zion Lutheran Church in Fort Wayne in the 1990s and early 2000s, was elected last year to head the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, a 6,200-congregation denomination with 2.3 million baptized members. The synod is the second-largest and most traditional among the branches of Lutheranism in North America.

In an interview last month during a visit to the Synod’s Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, Harrison said he sees opposition to homosexuality and support of traditional marriage as leading to new ties among dissident members of diverse Protestant groups.

“I certainly see it happening,” he said. “It’s a very interesting moment worldwide.”

In recent years, several U.S. denominations including Lutherans, Episcopalians and Presbyterians have seen splinter groups form in reaction to policies that broadened acceptance of homosexuals.

Now, he says the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America’s recent move to allow some non-celibate gay clergy is affecting the church’s mission in the developing world, where different branches of the faith have traditionally cooperated.

He called the decision “the worst blunder in the history of Lutheran missions,” saying it makes it harder for the church’s message to be heard.

In Africa it’s because of homosexuality’s connection to the AIDS epidemic, he said. In countries such as Indonesia where Islam is prevalent, he added, Islamic radicals seize on the issue as proof that the Western Christian church is decadent and should be rejected.

Harrison said the issue may present an opportunity for his denomination in some countries. In the past several years, Lutheran groups in Madagascar, where the population is 25 percent Lutheran, have made informal overtures to the Missouri Synod. Lutherans in the country have historically aligned with the ELCA, he said.

Another sign of the realignment, he added, is that his denomination and the Anglican Church in North America have begun formal dialogue seeking common ground.

The Anglican body formed in 2008 in a split from the U.S. Episcopal Church largely over the issue of allowing homosexual bishops and priests. It has ties to Anglican churches in Africa that opposed homosexuality, including Uganda, Nigeria and Rwanda.

Anglicans and the Missouri Synod are talking “to be able to affirm each other in significant ways as fellow Christians, stand together against certain societal and ecclesial trends and cooperate together in works of mercy,” according to the synod’s description of the dialogues. They began in November and will continue this year.

Still another sign of movement is a declaration signed by Harrison in December on marriage as a union between a man and a woman.

The declaration was endorsed by leaders of about 20 Protestant Christian groups as well as the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, commonly known as the Mormon Church.

Harrison said for Missouri Synod Lutherans, the issue of homosexuality strikes at the root of the authority of Scripture.

“The difficulty we have runs to the very heart of the Gospel – is there salvation outside of Christ? The Bible says no,” he says, adding that those who claim acceptance of homosexuality are imposing their interpretation of the texts.

Harrison last year also wrote a letter to U.S. lawmakers saying that the repeal of the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy in the U.S. military “will sorely inhibit our chaplains’ ability to call all sinners to repentance.” He said the new policy will likely lead to openly homosexual chaplains and added that Missouri Synod members may be counseled not to partake of their services.

“But the challenge for the Missouri Synod on this whole issue is simply not to be the denomination of ‘no.’ ” he said.

“It is my deep desire to refrain from statements against homosexuality, at the same time affirming the biblical stance and that the church has a role in assisting people who struggle with this issue,” Harrison said.
In Fort Wayne, Harrison was known for spearheading a project with neighboring St. Peter Catholic Church that rejuvenated the Hanna-Creighton neighborhood.

Dilapidated homes were cleared from a 10-block area around the churches and replaced with new development, such as the Pontiac branch of the Allen County Public Library and the headquarters of the Urban League.

After leaving Fort Wayne, Harrison served as executive director of LCMS World Relief and Human Care.

Those Who Read Pentecostal, Write Pentecostal

Brett Meyer has left a new comment on your post "Lutherans Write about the Sermon - Worship - III -...":

J-1026
"So it goes in the spiritual government of the Church, as specially indicated in the narrative now before us. Where I have preached and taught during the past ten or twenty years, there another could perhaps, have done more in one year; and one sermon may bring forth more fruit than many others. Here, also, it is true that our labor, diligence and effort can accomplish nothing These two things must go together, namely, that each one does his duty, and that he, nevertheless, acknowledges with Peter: 'My labor cannot bring forth anything, if thou dost not give the increase.'"
Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholas Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, IV, p. 153. Luke 5:1-11.

Compare and Contrast to the Glory of the (W)ELS

So the question really isn’t whether something in worship is Roman Catholic or catholic. If it conveys God’s truths to God’s people it is catholic and therefore useful. The question should be whether something in worship is excellent.
God demands the very best from us. He commands faithfulness in all we do. He requires excellence in our worship of Him. Yet how many times do we settle for less than the best in our lives, in our faith, in our worship?

God deserves excellence in worship. Worship is for the Lord. It is giving Him what He deserves – praise, honor and glory. It is you offering God your best. Worship is also for us. It is giving us what we need – forgiveness, peace and fellowship. It is God offering us His best in Word, water, bread and wine.

This Gospel of free and full forgiveness in Christ calls for nothing but the best from God’s people in response.

The Holy Spirit not only touches minds, but also hearts. He works through words but also emotions.
http://www.epiphany-wels.org/Sermons/052310.htm

Lutherans Write about the Sermon - Worship - III - Thy Strong Word

Luther was the swan that rose from the ashes of Hus, as the Czech reformer predicted.
Lutherans follow Schwan instead.
Art by Norma Boeckler.

Part 3

Lutherans Write about the Sermon

J-1018

"Now, all who wish to be saved ought to hear this preaching [of God’s Word]. For the preaching and hearing of God’s Word are instruments of the Holy Ghost, by, with, and through which He desires to work efficaciously, and to convert men to God, and to work in them both to will and to do. This Word man can externally hear and read, even though he is not yet converted to God and regenerate; for in these external things, as said above, man even since the Fall has to a certain extent a free will, so that he can go to church and hear or not hear the sermon."

Formula of Concord, SD, II, #52. Free Will. Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 901f. Tappert, p. 531. Heiser, p. 246.

J-1019

"Likewise those fastidious spirits are to be reproved who, when they have heard a sermon or two, find it tedious and dull, thinking that they know all that well enough, and need no more instruction. For just that is the sin which has been hitherto reckoned among mortal sins, and is called akedia, i. e., torpor or satiety, a malignant, dangerous plague with which the devil bewitches and deceives the hearts of many, that he may surprise us and secretly withdraw God’s Word from us."

The Large Catechism, #99, The Third Commandment, Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 609. Tappert, p. 378. Heiser, p. 175. Exodus 20:8-11. Akedia: Aristotle's Ethics, IV.

J-1020

"Against both these parties the pure teachers of the Augsburg Confession have taught and contended that by the fall of our first parents man was so corrupted that in divine things pertaining to our conversion and the salvation of our souls he is by nature blind, that, when the Word of God is preached, he neither does nor can understand it, but regards it as foolishness; also, that he does not of himself draw nigh to God, but is and remains an enemy of God, until he is converted, becomes a believer [is endowed with faith], is regenerated and renewed, by the power of the Holy Ghost through the Word when preached and heard, out of pure grace, without any cooperation of his own."

Formula of Concord, SD II. #5. Free Will. Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 881. Tappert, p. 520f. Heiser, p. 241.

J-1021

"All this is the old devil and old serpent, who also converted Adam and Eve into enthusiasts, and led them from the outward Word of God to spiritualizing and self-conceit, and nevertheless he accomplished this through other outward words. Just as also our enthusiasts [at the present day] condemn the outward Word, and nevertheless they themselves are not silent, but they fill the world with their pratings and writings, as though, indeed, the Spirit could not come through the writings and spoken word of the apostles, but [first] through their writings and words he must come. Why [then] do not they also omit their own sermons and writings, until the Spirit Himself come to men, without their writings and before them, as they boast that He has come into them without the preaching of the Scriptures?"

Smalcald Articles, Part III, VIII. #5-6. Confession. Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 495. Tappert, p. 312f. Heiser, p. 147.

J-1022

"Moreover [On the other side], both the ancient and modern enthusiasts have taught that God converts men, and leads them to the saving knowledge of Christ through His Spirit, without any created means and instrument, that is, without the external preaching and hearing of God’s Word."

Formula of Concord, SD II. #4. Free Will. Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 881. Tappert, p. 520. Heiser, p. 241.

J-1023

Gerhard: "The more purely the Word of God is preached in a Church, and the nearer the preaching and doctrine comes to the norm of the Holy Scripture, the purer will be the Church; the further it recedes from the rule of the Word, the more impure and corrupt will be the Church."

Cited in Henry Eyster Jacobs, A Summary of the Christian Faith, Philadelphia: General Council Publication House, 1913, p. 383f.

J-1024

"Since the Word of God is this weapon [sword], it behooves us to make use of it at all times and to this end become acquainted with it both by means of public preaching and by earnest Bible study at home. Cursory reading must be supplemented by careful memorizing of proof-texts and strong passages. Only in this way shall we be able to make the proper use of the Word of God as a true weapon of offense at all times."

Paul E. Kretzmann, Popular Commentary of the New Testament, 2 vols., St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, II, p. 292. Ephesians 6:17.

J-1025

"So much, we see, depends on the kind of men who preach the Gospel. Let all preachers keep this in mind! In the last analysis, however, the decisive assurance for all believers is the Word itself with its divine effects. See Galatians 1:8. In Thessalonians, too, the ultimate ground of assurance is the Word."

R. C. H. Lenski, Thessalonians, Columbus: The Wartburg Press, 1937, p. 259. 1 Thessalonians 2:13; Galatians 1:8.

J-1026

"So it goes in the spiritual government of the Church, as specially indicated in the narrative now before us. Where I have preached and taught during the past ten or twenty years, there another could perhaps, have done more in one year; and one sermon may bring forth more fruit than many others. Here, also, it is true that our labor, diligence and effort can accomplish nothing These two things must go together, namely, that each one does his duty, and that he, nevertheless, acknowledges with Peter: 'My labor cannot bring forth anything, if thou dost not give the increase.'"

Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholas Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, IV, p. 153. Luke 5:1-11.

J-1027

"God has chosen despised and frail human beings for the ministry of the Word that the divine power of the Word might become apparent—a power impossible to suppress even in the weakest of persons. Moreover, if the mighty of the world were to preach the Gospel, people would be captivated more by the authority of the person preaching than by the Word itself."

What Luther Says, An Anthology, 3 vols., ed. Ewald M. Plass, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1959, III, p. 1118.

J-1028

For we did not follow cunningly devised fables... "That is, we preach not the nonsense of men, but we are sure that what we preach is of God and has become so through our eyes and ears. That is to say, When we were with Christ upon the mountain, we saw and heard his glory."

Martin Luther, Commentary on Peter and Jude, ed. John N. Lenker, Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 1990, p. 245. 2 Peter 1:16-18.

J-1029

"That is the reason why our Church from the very beginning declared that it requires its preachers 'not to depart an inch' from its confessions, not to turn aside from the doctrines laid down in them, non tantum in rebus, sed etiam in phrasibus, that is, both as regards the matter offered in their sermons and the manner of their teaching."

C. F. W. Walther, The Proper Distinction between Law and Gospel, trans., W. H. T. Dau, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1928, p. 277.

The Pastor’s Role

J-1030

"The Gospel ministry should spare no one, no matter how high the position may be which he occupies, but should rebuke wrong in everybody. This is why ministers and preachers exist. A very heavy burden is placed on them. They should so conduct their office that they stand ready to answer for it on Judgment Day. If they do not speak to you and rebuke in you what their office requires them to speak and to rebuke, God will require your blood from their hand. Tell me, why should we preachers burden ourselves still more by preaching to you as you desire? It is not our word. Nor do we live for your sake, as though you had ordered us, and we had to preach what you like. Preachers can, will, and should not do this. Therefore he who will not listen is free in God's name to walk out through the church door and let our Lord God keep His ministry unhindered."

            What Luther Says, An Anthology, 3 vols., ed., Ewald Plass, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1959, III, p. 1114.

Lack of trust in the efficacy of the Word has led to a scornful attitude toward Lutheran pastors. Synodical leaders have no love for the Word of God, so they also despise the divinely called pastors under their oppressive and corrupt regimes. Synodical leaders effectively convey their contempt toward the Word and the clergy in dealing with congregations. Even if the congregation shares this contempt for the Word and deals with the pastor in the most evil and underhanded way possible, the minister is still obligated by his call to teach the Word in its truth and purity, regardless of the consequences. If the congregational leaders engage in adultery and have to be taken to court to pay support for the children of their previous marriages, they will not likely endure the pure Word of God. If the treasurer is a man who lives with and assaults his girlfriend and then damages the police car when he is arrested, he is only going to like corrupt pastors who flatter him. If the minister cuts a deal with the synod or the congregation to preserve his comfort through doctrinal compromise, he is no longer a shepherd, but a wolf with a shepherd’s crook, all the more dangerous for his disguise. Wolves love to run in packs, so the other wolves welcome him, especially if he has the sniveling, groveling attitude they crave.

Strangely, pastors have abandoned those who love the Gospel in favor of those who hate the Word and only see it in terms of benefiting themselves. The pan-Lutheran effort to promote unionism has created several generations of those who are completely indifferent to sound doctrine. Nevertheless, some remain who have not bowed the knee to Baal. The Word and Sacraments gather the congregation, so if the Gospel cannot be tolerated by one group of people, then there will be another who will listen and appreciate.

Now we are at the lowest point in Lutheran history, worse than the days before the Book of Concord was published. Pastors and congregations have the opportunity of re-discovering orthodox Lutheran doctrine. Many old Lutheran books are still circulating through book sales, so it is possible to gather a fine library in spite of what the synods are failing to do. When people read the Lutheran classics for the first time and discover names they have never known before, such as Loy, Jacobs, and Krauth, they are amazed that men could live in another century and deal with the same problems we are facing today. Even more exotic are the famous but obscure theologians of Europe. When I became a Lutheran, I could find their books in the college library in Latin, but nowhere else. Now I can at least own a selection of Gerhard, Chemnitz, Chytraeus, and Quenstedt, who are no longer just names in a Lutheran encyclopedia but clear, Gospel teachers, honored in the past for their great learning but scorned in the present for not marketing the Gospel with gimmicks and graphs.

Pastors, whether they are in a synod or independent, have the greatest flexibility in their use of time. They can control how to spend their time more easily than most professionals, or they can make themselves into victims of busy-work. Sometimes they are just lazy. A pastor’s time should be consumed with preparation for the sermon, adult classes, catechism, and visitation. He can and should ignore almost everything else. He is not the social director of the Love Boat. At meetings he should invoke the famous Kiwanis rule, “If you are in favor of this activity, you must also support it by helping out. Otherwise, do not talk in favor of something you have no intention of supporting or attending.” Pastors do not need to dither about social events, taking care of the property, or where to take the youth group on the next outing. Congregations have cleverly pushed their responsibilities onto the pastor by abandoning their own duties, then insisting that these non-essential jobs be done by him or his wife. One congregation railed at the previous pastor for taking too long on the production of the newsletter, then copied and assembled it themselves for two or three months. Suddenly they concluded that the newsletter was not needed at all. “No one reads it,” claimed the woman who had grown weary of Xeroxing, stapling, and addressing.

J-1031

"Your first desire will be that all men may obtain the same knowledge of divine grace. Hence your love will not be restrained from serving all to the fullest extent, preaching and proclaiming the divine truth wherever possible, and rejecting all doctrine and life not in harmony with this teaching. But take note, the devil and the world, unwilling that their devices be rejected, cannot endure the knowledge of what you do. They will oppose you with everything great, learned, wealthy and powerful, and represent you as a heretic and insane."

Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, VI, p. 147.

I am quite sure that Luther did not have a Sunday School program, a baseball team, a flower chart, worship bulletins, or a coffee hour. If a congregation cannot get these going with their own labor, they should abandon them and not tell the pastor, “We refuse to do this on our own. It is now up to you to motivate us.” I was always impressed that members thought it was a good idea for me to deliver flowers to the shut-ins, whom I saw all the time. My idea was that shut-ins would love to see their own members every so often. Many times I organized an effort where all the members visited one another, and this was very beneficial for the entire congregation. It also frustrated those who loved being unhappy.

The lack of pastoral visitation today speaks eloquently about the lack of trust in the Word. If ministers believe in the power of the Word, they naturally take this power to people’s homes, to nursing homes, and to hospitals. They do not make appointments for people to see them in their offices. Hospital stays and family emergencies are so important that the minister should clear his schedule to be with his members when needed. In my opinion, one of the best uses of time is to sit with a family during an operation, to visit daily in the hospital, to spend extra time with a family during and after a funeral. Visiting with families in times of difficulty and in normal times will establish trust and build an interest in God’s Word.

Many skeptics will say, “This preaching, teaching, and visiting will consume all of a pastor’s time. There will be no more time left.” That is true. We all have 168 hours per week given to us by the Creator. It is best spent on important matters. Lutherans need to abandon the Methodist model of having special interest groups (World War II discussion groups, stamp collectors), special Sundays to bring out the crowds (girl scout, boy scout, Masonic Lodge recognition day, Civil Air Patrol, favorite cookie day), and ecclesiastical intramurals.⁵¹⁸ Some people think that the ideal church has a gym, although few if any secular gyms have chapels. Of course people are free to organize sports through the congregation, but they should see all social activities as fruits of the Gospel and not as Gospel. One evangelism expert ran all around the Michigan Synod, LCA, telling pastors how to organize baseball teams in their congregations. That’s how he built up his congregation, with baseball teams. He was no longer serving a congregation or married to his wife, but he wanted to make a baseball game into the Means of Grace. Even the most jaded ministers were shocked by his devotion to gimmicks.

J-1032

"Infinite and unutterable is the majesty of the Word of God, and we can never thank God enough for it. Human reason, however, thinks: Ah, if I could hear the Lord, the Creator of heaven and earth, I would run to the end of the world! Listen, brother, God, the Creator of heaven and earth, does speak with you through His preachers; it is He who baptizes, instructs, and absolves you through the ministry of His Sacraments. These words of God are not words of Plato or Aristotle, but God Himself is speaking. And those preachers are the most suitable who very simply and plainly, without any airs and subtlety, teach the common people and youth, just as Christ taught the people with homespun parables. And those are the best and most suitable hearers who listen to the Word and do not doubt its teaching. They may be weak in faith; but as long as they do not doubt the doctrine, it is possible to help them."

            What Luther Says, An Anthology, 3 vols., ed. Ewald M. Plass, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1959 III, p. 1118.

Someone Asked on Facebook - What Is the Main Function of the Church?

By Norma Boeckler


I wrote: "The true church proclaims the pure, efficacious Gospel through the Means of Grace."

A Student Asked about Worship

By Norma Boeckler

A student, forgot his name, asked about worship, so I republished the articles below from Thy Strong Word.

Someone who has been helping with the editing said, "I like all the quotations."

I gathered them for years, more than 3,000, for a purpose. I wanted to compare and contrast false doctrine with sound doctrine.

Steal them. So many are copying from Groeschel, Sweet, and Stetzer. I have made it easy to copy Luther, Chemnitz, Walther, Pieper, Chytraeus, Jacobs, Lenski. Copy and paste into newsletters, essays, and bulletins. But start and end with Luther, the greatest theologian and preacher of the Christian Church.

The point of this blog is doctrine, not people and politics. I deal with those issues only because they relate to doctrine.

Apostates do not grasp this.

Worship - Part I - Thy Strong Word. In Four Parts.

By Norma Boeckler

Part 1

J-1001

"We should not consider the slightest error against the Word of God unimportant."

What Luther Says, An Anthology, 3 vols., ed., Ewald Plass, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1959, II, p. 637.

Worship God in the Beauty of His Holiness

KJV 2 Chronicles 20:21 And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the LORD, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the LORD; for his mercy endureth for ever.

A Lutheran congregation has only one responsibility. It is not to grow numerically, to be successful, to balance the budget, or to have a congregation of happy campers.⁴⁹⁹ The sole responsibility of the congregation is to worship God in the beauty of His holiness. The marks of the true Church are:

1) Preaching the Word of God in its truth and purity and;

2) Administering the Sacraments according to the Scriptures.

The Sunday School is actually a recent invention and the result of the Sunday School Movement, which was largely non-Lutheran in origin.

Consider this comparison of mission congregations. I started an independent church by having worship services. From that time on we have had worship services and classes. A WELS mission did not have a name (not approved by the board yet) and did not worship for almost a year, because it had to achieve certain goals first. We worship in a converted room and the Wisconsin Synod mission is buying property, pending board approval. I do not have a full-time salary. The mission pastor’s princely salary is subsidized by the synod. Obviously the difference in cost for the two missions is enormous, and the expenses become golden chains that bind people together by the force of law with mission loans, mission goals, and mission board meddling. If someone does not agree with the mission board’s Reformed doctrine, his entire congregation can be dissolved before his eyes and restarted with another name and another pastor.

When pastors cared more about the truth than their salaries and benefits, they had the independence of thought to establish congregations free to unite with or separate from ecclesiastical organizations. American synodical history is complicated because of this freedom, so a chart of Lutheran history looks like a map of the Los Angeles freeway system. In the past, ministers have been free to earn an income from secular work, as the Apostle Paul did, and serve a congregation. Today a trained pastor can obtain certification in Microsoft or Cisco, or learn programming, and then earn a handsome salary with benefits while serving an independent congregation. Anyone who has learned Greek and Hebrew will find computer science easy and interesting.⁵⁰⁰ Those opportunities do not mean that everyone needs to go out and start an independent congregation, but a pastor today should have the skills needed to support himself if his doctrinal fidelity causes the synod to jettison him. Lacking secular job skills will tend to make a minister timid in the face of synodical disapproval.⁵⁰¹ What we lack in the beginning is not job skills, but faith in God. Count me as one who believed that God would provide but wondered if God would provide until He provided. Beyond all hope, in the midst of many disappointments and betrayals, God has proven this passage true, many times over:

KJV Psalm 37:25 I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread. 26 He is ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed is blessed.

Our Old Adam does not like to weather the blows of evil men, but we need to realize that the Holy Spirit is so powerful that He can use their worst behavior to drive us forward into blessings we would have never realized without their spitefulness. Four different Lutheran presses refused to publish Catholic, Lutheran, Protestant, in spite of promises from three of them, so I had the unique opportunity to self-publish, a burden and blessing at the same time. I would never have entered book publishing on my own. Someone had to force me. Now I hope the lessons I learned will help others as they become established.

One reason for the many delays of this book is the time I have spent on the phone with distraught pastors and laity. Many times I thought, “Yes. Now I have an evening to write, a pot of coffee, and energy to work.” Then the phone would ring and I would listen and talk for several hours, finally exhausted at the end by the latest examples of disgraceful conduct of conservative Lutheran leaders.⁵⁰² My advice has been and continues to be, “Teach the Word and God will take care of the details.” If the caller is a minister, I often say, “Better men than you have been tossed out of the ministry.” That reply is often good for a laugh. A good friend of mine phoned and suggested a different response for me, when I was fired from the CLC for having a pancake supper. His suggestion was: “I have been thrown out of better synods than this!” The worst aspect of all this turmoil is the crushing disappointment of learning how treacherous so-called friends can be, but it also teaches us to rely on the Word of God alone. Many ministers can be bought with a call or threatened into silence. When they do an about face, they are worse than the synod officials who turned them to the dark side.

Lutheran Worship Principles

KJV Hebrews 12:22 But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, 23 To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, 24 And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.

The Lutheran congregation has only one task, to proclaim God’s grace through worship, with all other activities subordinate to the Means of Grace. Many people have conspired together to ruin Lutheran worship in the name of making it attractive and appealing to the young. The same synods now must face the fact they are completely hollowed out. The vast majority of their worship attendance and financial support comes from those in retirement, meaning that the synods are teetering on collapse in the next two decades. The Church Growth foxes first argued for entertaining hymnals with feminist language and got them, especially with the Lutheran Book of Worship and its Baptist-like clone, Christian Worship. Then, after getting the wretched hymnals they coveted, the WELS Pietists argued for no hymnals and no liturgy at all. They worshiped with the song lyrics of the Enthusiasts projected on the wall, just like the Assemblies of God. The result has been an embarrassing number of Lutheran clergy who have turned Pentecostal-Baptist, taking away or wrecking huge investments in time and money. In my opinion, this trend is only beginning. The Missouri Synod already has its own Pentecostal non-geographical district, Renewal in Missouri, with 200 tongue-speaking, miracle-working pastors, who have swallowed the Holy Ghost, feathers and all. The Barry/Otten/McCain administration took this in stride, just as it accepts and promoted joint religious projects with ELCA.

The best hymnal in use today is The Lutheran Hymnal, printed in 1941. It is not perfect, but it is far better than the “improvements” that followed afterwards. Lutherans should be ashamed that they have had so many years to build a better hymnal than TLH but continue to produce worse versions. However, we know they have made a ton of money forcing their hymnals on their congregations. WELS congregations had no choice, but the Evangelical Lutheran Synod looked at the proposed hymnal and said, “We can do better.”⁵⁰³ Nevertheless, for all their posing, WELS and the ELS both borrow from the Liberal Book of Weirdness, painfully obvious if the copyright notices are studied carefully. Lutheran Worship is a sanitized version of the ELCA LBW, so all the Lutheran hymnals in print are clones of the ELCA project, which represented the peak of ecumenical and activist fervor in the Lutheran synods in its time.

People argue against TLH because of its old English language and lack of feminist sensitivity. Ironically, droves of feminists and youth have not joined the synods who replaced TLH with pious mirth. The tendency for all the clones has been to make their hymnals less Lutheran, more Reformed, more Roman Catholic, and more Pentecostal-Baptist. There was once a movement toward liturgical consistency along confessional Lutheran principles, but now the Church of Rome and Fuller Seminary dictate worship guidelines for 99% of Lutherans, a frightening prospect.

The essential retrograde action supporting do-your-own-thing worship has been accomplished in the Lutheran synods. Whatever works is good, and Lutherans sigh for acceptance by generic Protestant visitors. Gerberding fought against this attitude in the Muhlenberg tradition, disgusted that worship varied from parish to parish, that pastors let out a loud “Haw!” every so often in the sermon in imitation of Reformed preachers. Now Lutherans are caught between the high church (smells and bells) leaders aping the Church of Rome and the Fuller graduates fighting for no worship at all on Sunday, just a Seeker Service.

The following points express my opinion about Lutheran worship, and I believe it rests upon a Scriptural foundation and sound Lutheran practice.

1.      The Lutheran Hymnal is the best choice for worship today because it preserves a formal style of English harmonious with dignified praise of the Holy Trinity. The King James Version remains the most precise English translation to use, the best version for reading in a worship service, and the closest to Luther’s translation.⁵⁰⁴

2.      When we lack the vocabulary to understand the words of the liturgy, we should lift up our educational level and not bring worship down to the perspective of Beavis and Butthead, Jane Fonda and Marva Dawn.

3.      Latin and Greek names should be preserved and used without blushing. Soon the Collect and Kyrie, Septuagesima and Oculi, as well as the Votum and Nunc dimittis will be forgotten terms among the young.

4.      The Sunday worship service should be conducted as worship only. It is not a time to recruit new members by trying to hide our Lutheran identity, to rouse the members to higher levels of institutional glory, or to magnify the synod.

5.      The historic pericopes should be used instead of the ELCA/Church of Rome three year cycle. The historic pericopes are exactly what we find in the Lenker Sermons of Luther set, Epistles and Gospels. When that treasure trove is exhausted, send me a letter. Luther found it valuable to preach repeatedly on the same text.

6.      Close communion is the only genuine Christian form of the Sacrament of the Altar. If visitors are offended, they belong in an inoffensive congregation.

7.      The sermon should reflect Luther’s doctrine. Yes, many ministers claim to be Bible-only, but they usually read Reformed works. The text can be studied in Luther’s sermons, in the Book of Concord, and in many great books becoming available through Repristination Press. The only genuine Lutheran sermon is a proclamation of Law and Gospel.

8.      The hymns sung during the worship service should reflect the best of Lutheran worship rather than popular trends. The biographical sketches at the end of this book were gathered to facilitate Lutheran hymn singing. In the worship bulletin, I list Lutheran authors of hymns and discuss their backgrounds during certain services.

9.      The worship bulletin should not be oriented toward money, budgets, and being busy, but aimed at the spiritual edification of the members. It is an ideal opportunity to list important Lutheran quotations for the consideration of the members and the pastor.⁵⁰⁵ I place a different quotation on the back of each bulletin. Pastors need the wisdom of Lutheran authors, too.

10.  The Holy Spirit calls the pastor through the congregation. This call is a unique role based upon his responsibility to God for the souls of the congregation. The members should feel free to ask questions about doctrine and practice, but they should also avoid usurping authority, especially when they simply do not like something, like close communion. Members should never allow an outsider to usurp the role of the divinely called pastor by interfering with the congregation.

Lutheran Hymns

No one should be surprised that the same ecclesiastical leaders who want to worship with every denomination—except their own—would also like to sing every hymn that is not Lutheran.⁵⁰⁶ Whatever is sung in church, including weddings and special services, should be appropriate to read from the pulpit during a sermon. Can anyone imagine a pastor reciting the first Fanny Crosby song ever to appear in a Lutheran hymnal: “Take the World but Give Me Jesus”?⁵⁰⁷ After decades of “improvement” in the language and style of Lutheran worship, attendance is at an all time low, especially among those younger members whose tender years were offered as the reason for ruining Lutheran worship.

Those who love the doctrines of the Holy Scriptures also appreciate the doctrinal hymns of The Lutheran Hymnal. As Luther said, singing is praying with the soul, so singing a hymn is praying twice over. Hymns are also confessions of faith, often composed during times of doctrinal crisis. False teachers recognize this proclamation of God’s Word by dropping verses that apply to them, fuzzing up clear statements of faith, and favoring cheap sentiment over the objective truths of the Bible.⁵⁰⁸ In addition, we can memorize something we sing more easily than a statement. Elevator music is fine for bookstores and, well, elevators, but believers would rather have hymns of comfort and faith to hum and sing.

J-1002

"We are not free from blame if we have a wrong faith and follow false teachers. The fact that we did not know will be of no help to us, for we were warned beforehand. Besides God has told us to judge what this or that person teaches and to give an account. If we fail to do this, we are lost. Therefore the soul's salvation of each person depends on his knowing what is God’s Word and what is false teaching."

What Luther Says, An Anthology, 3 vols., ed., Ewald Plass, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1959, II, p. 636.

One person said to me, “Lutheran hymns? What do you mean, Lutheran hymns?” I pointed out that many favorite hymns of Lutherans were Methodist in origin, while those written by Lutherans were ignored. From that time on, I made a point of listing Lutheran authors of hymns and talking about them in the service (when appropriate). When I decided to compare the existing hymnals and list the best doctrinal hymns, I found that many great hymns were by Lutherans I did not know. I judged the hymn first by the words and then discovered that the author was a Lutheran. When I select hymns for the worship service, I try to use two hymns that are very familiar and two that will eventually be favorites. I also try to use every verse of long hymns on a Sunday, singing half the hymn as one hymn selection, then the other half as another selection. Many people have said, “I never sang that hymn before in my life.” I remind them of the old rule, “If you don’t know it at first, you will know it by the eighth verse.”

Attributes of a great Lutheran hymn are worth listing:

1.      The hymn is God-centered rather than me-centered, emphasizing what God has done, not what I have felt.

2.      The melody is majestic rather than snappy and toe-tapping.

3.      The hymn teaches important doctrines of the Bible, clearly and succinctly.

4.      It does not hesitate to mention and praise the Word and Sacraments, instead of “making a decision for Christ.”⁵⁰⁹

5.      The hymn teaches the efficacy of the Word. Look up missionary hymns in a non-Lutheran hymnal and you will find them vague about how the Gospel converts unbelievers. The Lutheran Hymnal is quite clear.

6.      The words confess that believers must bear the cross, undergo trials, and be refined and strengthened through the Word.

7.      A great hymn transcends culture. Apostates would have us believe that great Lutheran chorales are only for Germans, but the following is recorded about Paul Gerhardt’s “O Sacred Head” in the mission field: “When the great Lutheran missionary C. F. W. Schwartz, in 1798, lay dying in India, where he had labored for half a century, his native pupils gathered around him, and sang in their own tongue the last stanzas of this hymn, Schwartz himself joining in until his breath failed in death.”⁵¹⁰

J-1003

“My Savior, be Thou near me

When death is at my door;

Then let Thy presence cheer me,

Forsake me nevermore!

When soul and body languish,

Oh, leave me not alone,

But take away mine anguish

By virtue of Thine own!

Be Thou my Consolation,

My Shield when I must die;

Remind me of Thy Passion

When my last hour draws nigh.

Mine eyes shall then behold Thee,

Upon Thy cross shall dwell,

My heart by faith enfold Thee,

Who dieth thus dies well!”

Paul Gerhard, “O Sacred Head,” The Lutheran Hymnal, #172, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1941.

Any congregation can increase the Confessional awareness of the members by introducing Lutheran hymns to the worship service, including brief biographies in the worship bulletin or information about the author during the sermon. The gradual introduction of false doctrine has worked well for Lutheran Pietists, and the Fabian method can also work well for Lutheran doctrine.⁵¹¹ Following is a sketch of how to introduce Lutheran hymns to Lutheran congregations.

Re-Introducing Lutheran Hymns

We need to know who stood up for the Scriptures and what they wrote in their hymns. Martin Luther was one of the great hymn writers, so his lesser known hymns should be used throughout the year. All numbers are for The Lutheran Hymnal. Their biographical sketches can be found at the end of this book.

1.   “Flung to the heedless winds,” #259, was the first hymn written by Luther, inspired by the martyrdom of two young Lutherans burned at the stake.

2.   “Isaiah mighty seer,” #249, can be substituted for the Gloria in excelsis. It is a powerful hymn of praise.

3.   “O Lord, look down from heaven behold,” #260, like many hymns, can be sung to another tune. This bellicose hymn emphasizes the efficacy of the Word and the evil of false teachers. Compare this version of the hymn with other hymnals.

4.   “Dear Christians one and all rejoice,” #387, outlines the entire story of salvation, from despair under the Law to conversion through the Gospel, a beautiful portrayal of the work of Christ.

5.   “We all believe in one true God,” #251, can be sung as a hymn version of the Creed.

6.   “Come, Holy Ghost, God and Lord!” #224, teaches the efficacy of the Word, reminding us that the Bible interchanges the terms Holy Spirit and the Word.

Paul Gerhardt is probably the greatest of all hymn writers, if we judge according to the use of his hymns throughout Christendom. Perhaps Lutherans should embrace him as much as non-Lutherans.

1.   “Come, Your Hearts and Voices Raising,” #90, begins one famous Episcopalian Christmas service in England each year. A young boy’s voice rings out with these thrilling words of hope and joy.

2.   “A Lamb Goes Uncomplaining Forth,” #142, is based upon John 1:29, telling the Passion story in simple, child-like words that are cloaked somewhat by the translation. One vivid image is that of sitting in the little boat rocking back and forth, with Christ as the anchor, being able to sleep “serenely as on pillows.”

3.   “Upon the Cross Extended,” #171, has only 12 of the 16 verses written about the Passion. This hymn may be overlooked in favor of “O Sacred Head,” but it should also be featured during Lent.

4.   “Now Rest Beneath Night’s Shadows,” #554, is one of the finest evening hymns ever written.

5.   “Why Should Cross and Trial Grieve Me,” #523, reminds us that Christian Worship no longer has the Cross and Comfort category.

6.   “If God Himself Be For Me,” #528, is his second great hymn in the Cross and Comfort section. These hymns are good to sing on Sunday and to read as devotions, since they strengthen faith and deal honestly with the problems of life.

7.   “Awake, My Heart, with Gladness,” #192, joyfully announces the meaning of Easter in the midst of trials and misfortunes.

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He brings me to the portal

That leads to bliss untold

Whereon this rime immortal

Is found in script of gold:

Who there My cross hath shared

Finds here a crown prepared;

Who there with Me has died

Shall here be glorified.”

Paul Gerhardt, “Awake, My Heart, with Gladness,”. The Lutheran Hymnal, #192, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1941.

Nikolaus Selnecker deserves special attention because he was somewhat weak in doctrine as a follower of Melanchthon and then drew strength from Martin Chemnitz, joining him later in writing the Formula of Concord.

1.   “O Lord, My God, I Cry to Thee,” #600, is a funeral hymn sung to “Vater unser.”

2.   “Let Me Be Thine Forever,” #334, is a confirmation hymn, with the first verse written by Selnecker.

3.   “Lord Jesus Christ, With Us Abide,” #292, is an exceptional hymn about the pure Word of God and the rage of Satan against it.⁵¹² TLH has nine verses, but Christian Worship has only seven. Compare them and see what is missing. Answer: verse 8 on the efficacy of the Word alone and verse 6–

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“The haughty spirits, Lord, restrain

Who o’er Thy Church with might would reign

And always set forth something new,

Devised to change Thy doctrine true.”

Nikolaus Selnecker, “Lord Jesus Christ, With Us Abide,” The Lutheran Hymnal, #292, verse 6, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1941.⁵¹³

Matthias Loy contributed in many ways to the Lutheran Church as a church leader, writer, and journalist. He also translated ten and wrote three hymns.

1.   “The Law of God Is Good and Wise,” #295, distinguishes between Law and Gospel clearly, showing the limitations of the Law and the blessings of the Gospel.

2.   “The Gospel Shows the Father’s Grace,” #297, emphasizes the efficacy of the Gospel. It is no wonder that Concordia Seminary in St. Louis gave him a call to teach.

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“It is the power of God to save

From sin and Satan and the grave;

It works the faith, which firmly clings

To all the treasures which it brings.”

Matthias Loy, “The Gospel Shows the Father’s Grace, The Lutheran Hymnal, #297, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1941.

Thomas Hansen Kingo wrote many fine hymns extolling the Means of Grace, and he remains a favorite among Scandinavians.

1.   “Like the Golden Sun Ascending,” #207, is a jubilant Easter hymn that should be sung throughout the year, since every Sunday marks the resurrection of Christ. The last verse expresses thanks: “For Thy holy, precious Word; For Thy Baptism, which doth save me, For Thy blest Communion board…”

2.   “He That Believes And Is Baptized,” #301, is a fine Baptism hymn appropriate for many Sundays, since it describes the Sacrament and not the act of baptizing infants.

3.   “O Jesus, Blessed Lord, To Thee,” #309, serves well as a post-communion hymn.

Ulrik Koren was a pioneering pastor among the Norwegians in Iowa and Minnesota. He has one hymn in The Lutheran Hymnal, “Ye Lands, to the Lord Make a Jubilant Noise, #44, a glorious hymn for any worship service, proving that we do not need to run to the Pentecostals for a bone-rattling hymn of praise.

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“Ye lands, to the Lord make a jubilant noise;

Glory be to God!

Oh, serve Him with joy, in His presence now rejoice;

Sing praise unto God out of Zion!”

Ulrik V. Koren, “Ye Lands, to the Lord Make a Jubilant Noise,” The Lutheran Hymnal, #44, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1941.

Hans Brorson wrote two of the best hymns of all time.

1.   “I Walk in Danger All the Way,” #413, begins with three verses describing the trials and mortality of this earthly life in terms of danger, Satan, sin, and the cross. The mood shifts in the last three verses. Verse 4–I walk with angels all the way. Verse 5–I walk with Jesus all the way. Verse 6–My walk is heavenward all the way.

2.   “Behold a Host Arrayed in White,” #656, extols the triumph of eternal life over sin, death, and Satan. The ethereal beauty of this hymn and its captivating melody combine to make it comforting, inspiring, and uplifting.

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“Behold a host, arrayed in white, Like thousand snow-clad mountains bright,

With palms they stand. Who is this band, Before the throne of light.

Lo, these are they of glorious fame Who from the great affliction came

And in the flood of Jesus’ blood Are cleansed from guilt and blame.

Now gathered in the holy place, Their voices they in worship raise,

Their anthems swell where God doth dwell, Mid angels’ songs of praise.”

Hans A. Brorson, “Behold a Host, Arrayed in White,” The Lutheran Hymnal, #656, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1941.

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"Observe, God and men proceed in contrary ways. Men set on first that which is best, afterward that which is worse. God first gives the cross and affliction, then honor and blessedness. This is because men seek to preserve the old man; on which account they instruct us to keep the Law by works, and offer promises great and sweet... But God first of all terrifies the conscience, sets on miserable wine, in fact nothing but water; then, however, He consoles us with the promises of the Gospel which endure forever."

Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholaus Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, II, p. 69. John 2:1-11.