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| Norma Boeckler's Christian Art |
Lord, let at last Thine angels come, To Abram's bosom bear me home,
That I may die unfearing; And in its narrow chamber keep
My body safe in peaceful sleep Until Thy reappearing.
My body safe in peaceful sleep Until Thy reappearing.
And then from death awaken me That these mine eyes with joy may see,
O Son of God, Thy glorious face, My Savior and my Fount of grace,
O Son of God, Thy glorious face, My Savior and my Fount of grace,
Lord Jesus Christ, My prayer attend, my prayer attend,
And I will praise Thee without end. TLH #429
The First Sunday after Trinity, 2020
And I will praise Thee without end. TLH #429
Pastor Gregory L. Jackson
The melodies are linked in the hymn name.
The lyrics are linked in the hymn number.
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
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
The Gospel
Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
Fear and Faith
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 #658 Onward Christian Soldiers
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 #658 Onward Christian Soldiers
Prayers and Announcements
- In treatment - Mary Howell (California), Rush Limbaugh, Christina Jackson, Randy Anderson (California).
- Pastor and Mrs. Palangyos' family.
- The Bethany Lutheran Mission is buying a much-needed vehicle for transportation and hauling rice.
- Pray for our leaders, the Justice Department, and those solving the problem of CHAZistan (the zone in Seattle, Washington). We have several families in the Seattle area.
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| Bad weather and the new shut-down have combined to make it very difficult for the people served by the Bethany Mission. |
KJV 1 John 4:16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. 17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. 19 We love him, because he first loved us. 20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? 21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.
KJV Luke 16:19 There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: 20 And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, 21 And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; 23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. 24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. 25 But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. 26 And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. 27 Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: 28 For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. 29 Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. 30 And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. 31 And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.
First Sunday After Trinity
Lord God, heavenly Father, we beseech Thee so to rule and govern our hearts by Thy Holy Spirit, that we may not, like the rich man, hear Thy word in vain, and become so devoted to things temporal as to forget things eternal; but that we readily and according to our ability minister to such as are in need, and not defile ourselves with surfeiting and pride; in trial and misfortune keep us from despair, and grant us to put our trust wholly in Thy fatherly help and grace, so that in faith and Christian patience we may overcome all things, through Thy Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.
Background for the Epistle Sermon, 1 John 4:16-21
The Apostle John, who was the disciple Jesus loved, is associated with two basic facts. One is that he took charge of Mary after the death and resurrection of Jesus. The other is his leadership in Ephesus, which became the mother church of Christianity. For those reasons we should pay special attention to 1 John, which is a summary of the Fourth Gospel in many ways. It is also written in very basic Greek, so it is easy to read in any faithful translation.
People search, dig, photograph, fly, and sail to discover ancient truths, but this one is right in front of us - the Spirit inspired thoughts of Jesus' disciple, Mary's protector. The first part of understanding this Epistle lesson is acknowledging what we have before us, a direct link to Jesus, His teaching, His example.
Many have framed, archived, and museumed ancient objects - some of them, real, others, fake - and people look upon them with awe. This one is genuine, about 1900 years old, and easily obtained in printed and online Bibles. This is nothing less than the Holy Spirit speaking to us through the Apostle John.
Fear and Faith
KJV 1 John 4:16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
16 και ημεις εγνωκαμεν και πεπιστευκαμεν την αγαπην ην εχει ο θεος εν ημιν; ο θεος αγαπη εστιν και ο μενων εν τη αγαπη εν τω θεω μενει και ο θεος εν αυτω
Those who remember the 1960s recall the many evocations of love. Everyone has to love, and love will be the answer. The problem with that version is the omission of faith in Christ. The Gospel of John and the Epistles of John always begin with faith in Christ, the love of God for a loveless world - giving His Son to die for our sins and raising Him from the dead.
Apart from faith in Him and this Gospel message, there is no love, which we can see especially clearly in the apostates of today. They want to rule, to give orders, to live from the work of others, but they have no love, which is the fruit of Gospel faith.
The Apostle John is writing from the perspective of being the eye-witness of Jesus' ministry and the one who wrote the most about His teaching (with Matthew-Mark-Luke as the foundation). The Apostle John was entrusted with the care of Mary. Jesus spoke to him on cross - "Woman beyond your son, son behold your mother."
This thought echoes from ages past - when a little band of disciples began conquering the Roman Empire with faith -
We have known and we have believed the love God has in connection with us (Lenski version, more literal)
This is John's personal experience. If we believe, then we also testify about the truth we believe. Many clergy are shy and withdrawn because they are afraid and have a timid and half-hearted faith. There is an avalanche of propaganda against the Scriptures, by the great and wise - true - but we have the Word of God itself, which judges all books of man. The Book of the Holy Spirit is our full professor, holding the Chair of Truth, endowed by grace and power.
John has known and believed this for some time, because he saw Christ crucified, Christ risen from the dead, and Christ ascending to the Father.
God's love for us, revealed in Christ, connects us to God, so it is both faith and love.
God is love...
ο θεος (God) αγαπη (love) εστιν (is)
The words are together "God-love-is", so we can see the equation more easily, I think. This is agape love - the love of a mother for a child. A baby may be squalling and fouling the changing table, but the mother loves the weak little infant and does everything possible for the baby.
and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
This two things are together, dwelling or abiding in God, and dwelling in love. Moreover, this also means that the believer has more than love - he also has God dwelling in him. This equation is easy to remember - dwelling in love means dwelling in God - and God dwells in him.
17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment [krisis]: because as he is, so are we in this world.
This is the great contradiction in the eyes of unbelievers. They see imperfect people who have troubles, afflictions, and many problems. "God must really hate you," as one person said in an attempted joke. The believer knows that the sins are cleansed by the cross of Christ, and the empty tomb is the proof. Only Jesus could rise from the dead, being without sin. He is the first fruits of the great harvest of Judgement Day. He died for the sins of the world, but the meeting place, the introduction to God's grace - is faith in Him. So we are little Christs, as Luther said, living in love because of faith in Him, knowing He dwells in us and the Father loves us for loving Him.
Boldness does not mean, "I know I am perfect," but "I know my sins are forgiven through faith in Christ." That changes our attitude in this world, where we have a few brief moments to appreciate His Creation.
18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
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| Vicarage church, St. Peter, Kitchener, Ontario |
The first time I read an Epistle in the church where I vicared, this was the lesson. What stood out was FEAR! The nave held 500 people. I could not breathe, and fear was repeated four times. I almost said f-f-f-f-feareth!
Yes, fear has torment, and fear reinforces itself and spreads. It has other names - worry, anxiety, depression, procrastination, avoidance, phobia (Greek for fear), and so forth. My high school classmate is very keen about everything natural - except spiders. She finally held a giant tarantula in her hand at the age of 70. However, she had no trouble before with truly repulsive things, and wild animals treated her like their mother. She posed with them - and they grinned.
Luther - The opposite of fear is not courage, but faith.
The opposite of fear is faith in God. That does not mean that fears proves we are unbelievers. It is like a teeter-totter, as faith increases, fear goes down. When fear increases and we focus on our fears - everything flies out the window, reason, experience, everything.
Our fears magnify every bad thing and erase any possible good. I trade mind-block problems with one member. I was all wound up about the student loan issue and the mailed threats (which are quite effective in raising fear). The matter was settled in five minutes on the Net.
If we rely on our experience of faith, we can see how many times God has rescued us, helped us, removed horrible obstacles, and blessed us. We can even apply a previous experience of God's work to our current problem.
Someone asked me about angels. Have I seen one? Not that I know of, but I have experienced their work many times. I have seen many miracles of healing, some with doctors, some without.
The really challenging times are those with acute illness, and with medical challenges not life-threatening but still difficult to endure in many ways. What we learn is that some of the best moments of life happen during those experiences.
If we mark the bad moments of parents aging with red and the good moments with blue, they merge into one color. One kind of experience cannot be separated from the other. The very best is missed by those who avoid aging problems in others because of their own fears.
I feel sorry for those who avoid those who are infirm from cancer, heart problems, breathing issues, fragile bones, loss of of short-term memory - that was always enjoyable for me, visiting the sick and shut-in. Who is more appreciative? Who is wiser? Who is more patient? Asians consider the elderly to be rock stars and treat them with awe. We saw that with my mother approaching her 90s, at two different cities, two different Chinese restaurants. She felt that and loved going there.
He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
Much of our lives are spent getting somewhere (specific, achievable, measurable goals) and less time in appreciating what is around us already. If we are in torment from fear, then we need to look at the Promises, the Blessings of God.
The one who believes in Christ already has heaven and earth, and God dwells in that person. If God dwells in an individual, how can anything go wrong in the long run?
19 We love him, because he first loved us. 20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
No one discovers the Savior on his own. The Christ reveals Himself to us in the Gospel. Then we learn of His great love expressed for us in His ministry, on the cross, and upon His resurrection. The odd thing is seeing how so many denominations spend all their time and energy shunning people. That is their punishment for not being exactly perfect - for questioning the leadership, for laughing at their schemes. In Baptist-land in Arkansas, the shunning is even more intense and automatic. Someone who represents the Sacrament of Baptism is already condemned, and that must be communicated with silence, with stink-eye, and with banishment.
Those Lutherans who practice this against Justification by Faith might want to spend a month in the South and see where their behavior comes from, and it is not from the Savior, who converted Pharisees instead of trying to be like them (think - Nicodemus).
21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.
It is not a sign of holiness to be hateful. Sadly, any number of denominations and sects practice this to a fault. Loving God means loving the brother in faith.
