Vimeo about Prayer - This Is the Correct One

 

Click this link for the Vimeo about Prayer

Frank Fiorenza And His Wife Elizabeth Plus Stan Hauerwas

 

 Francis Fiorenza taught at Notre Dame, and so did his wife.

He has retired from Harvard and is 82 years old.

Frank Fiorenza's Harvard career is a good example of Roman Catholicism today.

 Frank's wife Elisabeth Schuesller Fiorenza taught in Biblical studies at Notre Dame. She was invited to teach at Harvard Divinity School before her husband was. She is still working there as the Krister Stendahl Research Professor at the age of 85. 

Every so often I use search engines to find out where people are. Stan Hauerwas taught at Augustana College and took a paycut to go to Notre Dame. He is 84 this year, having many honors earned around the world and the US, after leaving Notre Dame for Duke University. He was already a prolific author and has not slowed down much.

My sister-in-law suggested that I see Stan Hauerwas for the PhD program. I met him at his windowless basement office at the library. I thought, "My office is in a basement too, and I have windows."

The First Sunday after the Epiphany - 2024

 

The First Sunday after the

 Epiphany, 2024

Bethany Lutheran Church

Pastor Gregory L. Jackson

The Hymn # 196                   I Am Content                          

The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16

Introit

I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne: high and lifted up.

And I heard the voice of a great multitude, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth.

Psalm. Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands: serve the Lord with gladness.

The Gloria Patri
The Kyrie p. 17
The Gloria in Excelsis
The Salutation and Collect p. 19

Collect

O Lord, we beseech Thee mercifully to receive the prayers of Thy people who call upon Thee; and grant that they may both perceive and know what things they ought to do and also may have grace and power faithfully to fulfill the same; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth, etc

The Epistle and Gradual             Romans 12:1-5

Gradual

The Lord sent His Word and healed them: and delivered them from their destructions.

V. Oh, that men would praise the Lord for His goodness: and for His wonderful works to the children of men! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

V. Praise ye Him, all His angels: praise ye Him, all His hosts. Hallelujah!

The Gospel                                 Luke 2:41-52
Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
The Sermon Hymn #660    Heaven Is My Home

 The Divinity of Christ

The Hymn #652        I Lay My Sins on Jesus

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 #651        Be Still My Soul       

Prayers and Announcements

• Hymn suggestions are always welcome.
• Dealing with cancer - Lori Howell, Randy Anderson, Sarah Buck, Kermit Way, Pastor Jim Shrader. 
• Alicia Meyer was hospitalized with respiratory distress and is now at home.
• Our media ministries - Alec Satin, Norma Boeckler. 
• Parsonage reading list - Zoom for Dummies, Zoom Beginner's Guide.

                

KJV Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. 3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. 4 For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: 5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.

KJV Luke 2:41 Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the passover. 42 And when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast. 43 And when they had fulfilled the days, as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and Joseph and his mother knew not of it. 44 But they, supposing him to have been in the company, went a day's journey; and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance. 45 And when they found him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking him. 46 And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions. 47 And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers. 48 And when they saw him, they were amazed: and his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing. 49 And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business? 50 And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them. 51 And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart. 52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.

Prayer - Viet Dietrich

Lord God, heavenly Father, who in mercy hast established the Christian home among us: We beseech Thee so to rule and direct our hearts, that we may be good examples to children and servants, and not offend them by word or deed, but faithfully teach them to love Thy Church and hear Thy blessed word. Give them Thy Spirit and grace, that this seed may bring forth good fruit, so that our homelife may conduce to Thy glory, honor and praise, to our own improvement and welfare, and give offense to no one; 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.

The Divinity of Christ

Epiphany began yesterday. The Wise Men came from the East because they saw the Star, as everyone did, appearing and then disappearing. Experts made fun of Kepler for saying there really was a Star of Bethlehem, something he verified by math. Now the planetariums show Christmas crowds the guest-stars, as the Chinese called them. A guest-star could be a comet or the temporary conjunction of planets and stars. "Scholars are divided," but they no longer mock the Star of Bethlehem. Jupiter and Saturn were in conjunction in the sky and some observers add the star Regulus. The wise men could have become discouraged about the heavenly changes, but they kept believing and saw the baby Jesus and His parents.

KJV Luke 2:41 Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the passover. 42 And when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast.

Every Sunday we have been reading the Exodus together, the escape from Egypt that took place roughly 1200 years before Christ. Exodus is filled with references to Christ, from the Burning Bush in chapter 3 to the spotless lamb in the Passover to the miracles which come up again in the Gospel of John - the living water, the supernatural bread. The Gospel of John is a series of sermons about the Exodus, so we should always be aware of both books, so closely linked together.

This passover became a terrible trial for Joseph and Mary. Everything seemed normal, a tradition they observed every year. This was annual for them, so that should have been routine. However, they had the worst kind of sorrow.

Luther:

Although the holy mother Mary, who was highly blessed and upon whom many favors were bestowed, had undoubtedly the greatest delight in her child, yet the Lord so ruled that her joy was not without sorrow and like all others she did not attain complete blessedness until she entered heaven. For this reason she had to suffer so much sorrow, pain and anguish on earth. It was her first great sorrow that she had to give birth to her child in Bethlehem, in a strange town, where she found no room with her babe except in a stable. Then her second sad experience was that soon after the six weeks of her purification she was compelled to flee with her child into Egypt, a strange country, which was indeed a poor consolation. She undoubtedly experienced many more like trials, which have not been recorded.

That is not unlike what many parents experience, from the difficulties at birth to growing into adults. Being a parent has many trials, sudden misfortunes, and also great joy.

43 And when they had fulfilled the days, as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and Joseph and his mother knew not of it. 44 But they, supposing him to have been in the company, went a day's journey; and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance.

Routine matters do not stir up alarm, so how this developed is common to many parents. Apparently, they always went with a group going to same way back home. They had friends and relatives with them. Jesus was old enough to follow the people they knew, so there was no need to be anxious until...

45 And when they found him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking him. 46 And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions.

Any parent can identify with this. Anxiety rises to peak level and provokes all kinds of emotion, from sorrow to anger to bewilderment. The imagination is very powerful when things like this go wrong. One day of tracing back to Jerusalem would have been bad enough because there would probably be a string of people going back home, people they knew or Jesus knew. But this was heart-rendering sorrow, looking-search-asking, getting no positive responses from anyone.

Luther:

She undoubtedly experienced many more like trials, which have not been recorded.
3. One of them is related here, when her son caused her so much anxiety, by tarrying behind in the temple and letting her seek him so long, and she could not find him. This alarmed and grieved her so that she almost despaired, as her words indicate: “Behold, thy father and I, sought thee sorrowing.” For we may well imagine that thoughts like these may have passed through her mind: “Behold this child is only mine, this I know very well, and I know that God has entrusted him to me and commanded me to take care of him; why is it then that he is taken from me? It is my fault, for I have not sufficiently taken care of him and guarded him. Perhaps God does not deem me worthy to watch over this child and will take him from me again.” She was undoubtedly greatly frightened and her heart trembled and was filled with grief.

47 And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers. 48 And when they saw him, they were amazed: and his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing. 49 And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?

This was only the second visit by Jesus to the Temple. The previous one was His circumcision, 12 years before. This event captured the attention of the doctors, Jesus both asking them questions and listening to their responses. Like the Star of Bethlehem and the preaching of John the Baptist, God was establishing the fulfillment of the Messianic Promises. Even though Joseph and Mary would suffer greatly from their special role, the destiny of Jesus was even more painful.

Luther:

For this reason God sometimes permits their faith to grow weak and to be prostrated, so that they might see who they are and be forced to confess: Even if I would believe, I cannot. Thus the omnipotent God humbles his saints and keeps them in their true knowledge. For nature and reason will always boast of the gifts of God and depend upon them. Therefore God must lead us to a recognition of the fact that it is he who puts faith in our heart and that we cannot produce it ourselves. Thus the fear of God and trust in him must not be separated from one another, for we need them both, in order that we may not become presumptuous and overconfident, depending upon ourselves. This is one of the reasons why God leads his saints through such great trials.

50 And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them. 51 And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart. 52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.

Here we see an example of the vast gulf between our understanding and God's wisdom. "They understood not..." No matter what we predict for the future, there will be great areas of mystery. If we trust on our own understanding, we will always be baffled. That is why God builds us up slowly and also teaches us to rely on His benevolent attitude and His miracles. We have to learn, again and again, that our Good Shepherd not only guards us but also gives us His everlasting love. He teaches us faith in Him because He is only grace, forgiveness, peace, love, and eternal life. 

He was preparing Joseph and Mary for their trials in the future. No parent has known more more anguish, and yet they also earn the glory, through faith in Him.

The end.

Institute of Lutheran (sic) Theology -

 

Faculty - Institute of Lutheran Theology <-Click the link for clearer images.

ELS Pastor Jay Webber earned his STM at the ILT website, which also trains and ordains women pastors. Webber is fanatic repeater of Objective Faithless Justification dogma.

Floyd Luther Stolzenberg was removed from the LCMS clergy list and kept off the WELS list, so Jay Webber and Roger Kovaciny backed him in supporting the Ukraine fiasco (Schwan funds). 

I was a bit shocked that someone was starting up an online Lutheran (sic) seminary, so I posted about 14 times about ILT - click here for all of them. I was asked again recently, so I looked over the content of the website, shockingly shallow and silly - "Reformational." Church-Growthy is more accurate.

The entirely faculty is mostly MDiv, with a few one step higher - MTh. The PhDs are shown on the top level but probably represent very few of the classes taught online. The doctrinal standards are vague, perhaps a bit to the right of ELCA.

Jack Kilcrease, SJ, erased so many of his comments on this blog that someone made it into a new verb - "kilcreasing" a statement immediately after posting. I solved the problem by advancing his wisdom to the permanent part of the post being questioned.

Jack Kilcrease attended an ELCA college and seminary, but earned his PhD from the Jesuits (one of eight "conservative" Lutheran professors to do so. He was not accepted as a pastor in the LCMS. 

ILT charges a lot of money but suggests a way to graduate with no debt. 

This is Lutheran theology today. 

Daily Luther Sermon Quote - Epiphany - "This is the light of the universities which is to lead men to God, but rather leads to the abyss of hell. The light of nature and the light of grace cannot be friends. Nature wants to feel and be certain before she believes, grace believes before she perceives. For this reason, nature does not go further than her own light. Grace joyfully steps out into the darkness, follows the mere word of Scripture, no matter how it appears. Whether nature holds it true or false, she clings to the Word."

 

Complete Sermon here -> 

Luther's Sermons - Matthew 2:1-12.
Epiphany - The Story and Spiritual Meaning of This Gospel

OF THE FAITH OF THE WISE MEN.

93. The wise men here teach us the true faith. After they heard the sermon and the word of the prophet they were not slow to believe, in spite of obstacles and difficulties. First they came to Jerusalem, the capital, and did not find him, the star also disappearing. Do you not think they would have said within themselves, if they had followed human reason alone: Alas, we have traveled so far in vain, the star has misled us, it was a phantom. If a king were born he should of course be found in the capital and lie in the royal chamber. But when we arrived the star disappeared and no one knew anything about him. We strangers are the first to speak of him in his own country and royal city! Indeed, it must be all false!

94. Besides, his own people are troubled and do not care to hear of him, and direct us from the royal city to a little village. Who knows what we shall find? The people act so coldly and strangely, no one accompanies us to show us the child; they do not believe themselves that a king is born to them, and we come from afar and expect to find him. O how odd and unusual everything appears at the birth of a king! If a young pup were born, there would be a little noise. A king is born here, and there is no stir.

Should not the people sing and dance, light candles and torches and pave the streets with branches and roses? O the poor king whom we seek! Fools we are to permit ourselves to be deceived so shamefully.

95. Having been flesh and blood, doubtless they were not free from such thoughts and views, and they had to battle for their faith. Natural reason could here not have held its own; if they had not found the king as they had expected, they would have murmured and complained and said: The devil must have led us here. A king cannot have been born since everything is so quiet and nothing is going on. There is more noise when a child is born to our shepherd, and a calving cow is more talked about than this king.

96. Reason and nature never proceed any farther than they can see and feel. When they cease to feel they at once deny God’s existence and say as Psalm 14:1 says. “There is no God,” therefore the devil must be here.

This is the light of the universities which is to lead men to God, but rather leads to the abyss of hell. The light of nature and the light of grace cannot be friends. Nature wants to feel and be certain before she believes, grace believes before she perceives. For this reason, nature does not go further than her own light. Grace joyfully steps out into the darkness, follows the mere word of Scripture, no matter how it appears. Whether nature holds it true or false, she clings to the Word.

97. For the sake of this very strife and struggle, by which the wise men accepted the word of the prophet and followed it into such wild, unnatural appearance of a royal birth, God comforted and strengthened them by this star which went before them more friendly than before. Now they see it near, it is their guide, and they have an assurance which needs no further question. Before it was far from them, and they were not certain where they would find the king.

98. So it is always with the Christian, after affliction has been endured God becomes more dear to him and is so near and so distinctly seen that man not only forgets anxiety and affliction, but has a desire for greater affliction. He gradually becomes so strong that he does not take offense at the insignificant, unattractive life of Christ. For now he experiences and realizes that to find Christ it must appear as though he found nothing but disgrace.

99. Even so the wise men must have been ashamed of themselves if they had doubted and had said, as perhaps they did say secretly in their hearts:

We were so successful, let us travel a little farther on and seek new kings.

I call this buffoonery, as Dame Gay, i.e. nature, conducts herself in the presence of divine words and works. For from the fact that the wise men were so much rejoiced when they saw the star we can infer that they were in such temptation and were heavy-minded when everything appeared so inconsistent. Their joy indicates that they were perhaps despondent and tempted with unbelief. There was cause enough if you look at nature alone.

Hence Christ says, Matthew 11:6: “Blessed is he whosoever shall find no occasion of stumbling in me.” Blessed indeed, but how difficult since appearances were against Christ’s presence.

100. When the wise men had overcome their temptation and were born again by the great joy they were strong and took no offense at Christ, they had overcome in the trial. For although they enter a lowly hut and find a poor young wife with a poor little child, and find less of royal appearance than the homes of their own servants presented, they are not led astray.

But in a great, strong, living faith they remove from their eyes and their minds whatever might attract and influence human nature with its pretense, follow the word of the prophet and the sign of the star in all simplicity, treat the child as a king, fall down before him, worship him, and offer gifts.

This was a strong faith indeed, for it casts aside many things which impress human nature. Perhaps there were some people present who thought: What great fools are these men to worship such a poor child. They must indeed be in a trance to make of him a king.

101. This is the kernel of the Gospel, in which the nature and character of faith is explained as an assurance of things not seen. It clings alone to the words of God and follows the things that are not seen, as alone conveyed in the word of God, and looks askance at many things which urge it to disbelieve the Word. What nature calls playing the fool faith calls the true way. Nature may be wise and clever, faith remains nature’s fool and idiot, and thus comes to Christ and finds him. St. Paul’s words, 1 Corinthians 1:25 apply here: “The foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.” For feeling and believing do not get together.

Try This Scenario, Shared by a Military Officer, One of My Graduate Students

 

I have written this before, but some of you have not memorized all the posts, so I am repeating my earlier post about the upcoming election, from a military perspective.

The officer was a little amused about the younger students having problems with online learning, plus all the demands of their lives. I will paraphrase what he said to me, in blue.

I need to take this class while I am flying various places around the world. I will have very poor Internet connection but I expect to be online from wherever I am.

Most people plan what they are going to do, to achieve a good result. The military plans backward. We start at completing the final step, then the one before that, and before that. We finish by planning our starting moves.

When the class was over, everything he did was accomplished to perfection, and he was always on time. 

I have no way to prove anything, but some think the US military is actually in control, working to bring the whole corrupt apparatus down. When Biden won and so many were in despair, I wondered at how disjointed everything was, such as assuming a fair election, a VP who refused to challenge the count, and much more. A done deal. Since then the consequences have set up a complete collapse, as if the initial worries were set aside but are now coming back with a roar.

I posted a version of this graphic when it first came out in 2010.

Some examples are:

• Disney's true history has been exposed, with Hollywood, about the abuse of children.
• Hollywood itself is in a state of collapse.
• Biden is worse than a joke, and his own election workers are bailing out.
• The VP is hidden away and kept from national issues.
• Epstein's Island and his billionaire buddies are in the spotlight.
• Ghislaine Maxwell's resume reflects her late father's.
• The Church of Rome is openly Woke! and the pope is the chief criminal.
• Mainline Lutherans, including the Waltherians, are hemorrhaging members.
• ELCA has lost half its members and its seminaries are in shambles.

I do not have any special connections - I just read as many sources as possible. I said to one military wife, "You must be busy there." She did not respond. Dead silence. 

Maybe I am completely wrong. But if I am, everything will come down on us. We cannot exist as a free, Christian, Constitutional Republic without vast changes happening very soon.

How Should We Then Live? - Francis Schaeffer - YouTube Videos - The first video, Romans, reminds me of my parents saying in the 1960s, "We are turning into Rome!"

United Methodists and Episcopalians in America Are NothingCompared To Their African Counter Parts

The Episcopalians in America have a lot in common with the Methodists here - they are shrinking fast while their African counterparts are growing. American managers are radical Leftwing, and the Africans are the opposite. 

Now that the United Methodists have given the Left Foot of Fellowship to the conservatives leaving the denomination, will the African churches - with many more members - resist American leadership?

ELCA is diverse!

Daily Luther Sermon Quote - Epiphany - "Thus the mass, i.e. the Lord’s Supper, has been so abused by saying mass for souls in purgatory and by the selling of indulgences, that the whole world by shedding tears of blood day and night could not bewail it sufficiently."

 

Complete Sermon here -> 

Luther's Sermons - Matthew 2:1-12.
Epiphany - The Story and Spiritual Meaning of This Gospel

52. They then meddled even with the work of the devil and followed the example of the souls or spirits appearing and praying for help and believed everything that these spirits said without fear or hesitation. Thus the mass, i.e. the Lord’s Supper, has been so abused by saying mass for souls in purgatory and by the selling of indulgences, that the whole world by shedding tears of blood day and night could not bewail it sufficiently.

Thus the devil has permitted himself to be conjured and constrained to reveal the truth and has turned our faith and sacrament into play and mockery to his own liking. All this is the result and reward of our overcuriousness, which has not been satisfied with the Scriptures of God and has made our true and faithful God and Father a fool and clown, who pretends to teach us by his Word and yet does not care to teach us that which we ought and necessarily need to know. For this reason he serves us right in permitting us to become the devil’s pupils, inasmuch as we despised his school.

53. But you say: Should we then deny that wandering spirits go astray and seek for help? Answer: Let wander who will, you listen to what God commands. If you hold all these spirits in suspicion, you are not sinning; but if you hold some of them to be genuine and honest, you are already in danger of erring. And why? Because God does not want you to seek and learn the truth from the dead. He himself wants to be your living and all sufficient teacher. To his Word you should cling. He knows best what to tell you about the living and the dead, for he knows all things. But whatever he does not want to tell you, you should not desire to know, and give him the honor to believe that he knows what is not necessary, profitable nor good for you to know.

54. Therefore you should freely and unhesitatingly cast all such ghostly apparitions to the winds and not be afraid of them; they will then leave you in peace. And should it seem, that perhaps in your house you hear a hobgoblin or rumbling spirit, then make no ado about it, but be assured that it can not be a good spirit come from God. Make the sign of the cross and firmly hold to your faith. Has he been sent by God to chastise you, like Job, then be ready to endure it willingly, but should it be the spirit’s own sport, then defy him by strong faith and joyfully depend on God’s Word.

Depend upon it he will not attack that.

However, I hold that none of these hobgoblins are ordained of God to molest us, but it is their own mischief to terrify the people, because they have no longer any power to harm. If they had any power to harm, they would surely not engage in much racketing, but do their evil work before you could be aware who had done it. But if a good spirit were to visit you, it would not occur with such noise and frivolity. Do this and manifest strong faith and you will find that such a spirit is not of God, and will cease its work. If you have not such faith, then he will have easy work, for then God’s Word which alone he fears is not with you.

55. The words of the Scriptures upon which you should boldly rely are Luke 16:29, where Abraham said to Dives in hell, who desired the departed Lazarus to be sent to his brothers living on earth, but Abraham refusing to do this, said: “They have Moses and the prophets, let them hear them.” From these words if is plain that God will not have us taught by the dead, but have us abide in his Word. Therefore, no matter how and where a spirit comes to you, do not ask whether he be good or evil, but bravely, quickly and defiantly cast into his teeth the words: “they have Moses and the prophets,” and he will soon understand what you mean. Is it a good spirit, he will only love you the more for adhering so gladly and firmly to the Word of your God. Is it an evil spirit, as are all those that are noisy, he will soon bid you adieu.

Again, another word of God is spoken by Moses in Deuteronomy 18:11: “When thou art come into the land which Jehovah thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations.

There shall not be found with thee any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through fire, one that useth divination, one that practiceth augury, or an enchanter, or a sorcerer, or a charmer, or a consulter with a familiar spirit, or a wizard, or a necromancer.”

Here you are told that it is an abomination in the sight of God to consult the dead or the spirits, and it is strictly forbidden. To this word of Moses Abraham looked when he did not permit Lazarus to come back to the earth. You can also use this passage against these spirits, saying: “Thou shalt not consult the dead, saith the Lord.”

56. God has insisted on this so firmly, that there is no example recorded in the Scriptures, where the saints have ever consulted the dead about anything. And this is the third argument that you can use against these spirits: No one ever heard or read of an example in the Scriptures as to such spirits and their work, hence the whole must be condemned and avoided as of the devil.

A Member Asked about Daily Prayer

Many decades have passed with the invented term "making disciples," leading to catastrophic decline in those foolish enough to grasp more gimmicks and fewer Biblical insights. Lutheran clergy, who should know better, abandoned the efficacy of the Word and pursued the latest thing. The power of the Holy Spirit through the Word is energy for our prayers.

Pastor Gregory L. Jackson

A member asked about daily prayer, so this is a basic outline, not the only one, to be followed up with a video.

Jesus was not busy enough.

KJV Mark 1:34 And he healed many that were sick of divers diseases, and cast out many devils; and suffered not the devils to speak, because they knew him. 35 And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed. 36 And Simon and they that were with him followed after him. 37 And when they had found him, they said unto him, All men seek for thee.  38 And he said unto them, Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also: for therefore came I forth.

Too Busy

My graduate students have insisted there is no such event in Mark, Jesus being told they have work to do when the disciples found Him praying. I point toward Mark 1, even Mark 1:37 to make sure they see the irony. 

People find a quiet time to pray in the morning or at the end of the day, which is more favorable for prayer and not being rushed to get things done.

1.

Make the time for prayer every day, because of its many benefits and the example of Jesus Christ.

2.

Concentrate on the Savior, because the entire Bible is the Book of the Holy Spirit (Luther) about Jesus Christ and His Father. Addressing the Savior is a good way to concentrate on Him, Who is our closest friend. 

3.

One way to begin is addressing the titles of Jesus, which are often ignored today - My Good Shepherd, the Son of God, born of the Virgin Mary, both man and God, Teacher, miracle worker, healing the deaf and lepers and raising the dead, dying on the cross for our sins, rising from the dead, ascending to Heaven to guide us.

4.

Expressing thanks to our Good Shepherd could include Isaiah 40, Psalm 23, and New Testament references to His work - such as John 10. Starting with thanksgiving to Him emphasizes the many blessings which are poured out on us. We should be especially thankful for His protection and for the ways in which He turns hurtful people and events into small and large miracles.

5.

Our prayers should always include a confession of sin through faith in Jesus Christ, our only access to grace. 

6.

Our emotions are weak because there are so many ways in which we experience pain, sorrow, grief, and hatefulness. Prayer is an excellent way to ask for help from our Good Shepherd. As Luther said about the lost sheep, "He is as anxious for me as I am for Him." (graphic)

Daily Luther Sermon Quotes - Epiphany - "However, that heretics originated from the Scriptures, is true. From where else should they have come? There is no other book that teaches the Christian faith but the Scriptures."

 

Complete Sermon here -> 

Luther's Sermons - Matthew 2:1-12.
Epiphany - The Story and Spiritual Meaning of This Gospel

The knowledge of Christ and of faith is so above the natural man that only God’s grace can work it in us. Flesh and blood can not reveal it unto us, but only the Father in heaven, as Christ says, Matthew 16:17. Even greater saints than Augustine, Benedict, Gregory and others like them have erred in these things. At the time of the apostles there were already such teachers, against whom St. Paul wrote all his epistles in order to keep the faith altogether free from works and human doctrines.

48. And that you may marvel still more, the whole Christian church in its early days, and at its best, erred in these things, only Peter, Paul and Barnabas standing firm and holding that neither law nor good works are profitable and necessary for salvation. St. Luke clearly states it in Acts 15. There were great saints there, the apostles and their disciples who insisted and would have continued to insist that the law and good works were necessary for salvation, had not St. Paul and Peter declared against it.

And even they themselves would not have known this had not God by miraculous signs from heaven confirmed them in their opinion that only faith is profitable and necessary for salvation, as we read, Acts 10:48.

44. More than this, although St. Peter knew all this and helped to defend it, yet at Antioch he also erred and made improper use of his Christian liberty, and only St. Paul understood him, as he writes, Galatians 2:11. Not as though St. Peter believed that he must keep the law, but that he did not at once make proper use of his Christian liberty, which he well understood thinking that he had to hesitate for the sake of others, This was wrong and was censured by Paul.

Therefore, it amounts to nothing whatever if those works of the saints are referred to which they did outside of the Scriptures. They are deceiving just as well and even more than the errors of heretics and false teachers, because real and true holiness adorns such infirmities altogether too much.

God permits such things in order that he might hold us to his Word and doctrine without which there is neither life nor light, even if all the angels were to teach such things.

45. In the third place, they hold up to us the saints’ interpretations of the Scriptures, and consider them a great light. They finally adhere to them and believe that in these interpretations they possess something that no one could reject, and claim again and again in order to keep us away from the pure Word that the Scriptures are obscure and make many heretics.

46. Is not this a masterpiece of blasphemy? But who guarantees them that the fathers are not also obscure? Or who will give us the guaranty that the fathers did not err in their interpretations? Indeed it is well known that they did often err, often contradicted themselves, often contradicted each other and very seldom were unanimous in their agreement. God permitted this to happen to make uncertain also the interpretations of the fathers and to warn us on all sides not to depart from the Scriptures. And yet we stumble here and do not permit ourselves to be guided by the Scriptures. Therefore we should know that it is not true when they say: The fathers give light to the obscure Scriptures. They are doing injustice to the fathers, and belie them. The work of the fathers was not to give light to the Scriptures with their comments, but rather to set forth the clear Scriptures and thus interpret Scripture by Scripture only without any additions of their own.

47. However, that heretics originated from the Scriptures, is true. From where else should they have come? There is no other book that teaches the Christian faith but the Scriptures. Therefore, as no one can become a Christian except by the Scriptures, so also can no one become a heretic but by the same Scriptures. Christ is indeed a sign spoken against and set for the falling and rising of many. Should we on that account reject him or set up another Christ by his side? You do not at the same time need wine and bread, but should we on that account quit tilling the farm and the vineyards or start others besides them? Satan is the enemy of the Scriptures and therefore he has decried and calumniated them by this clamor and blasphemy.

48. But what does this Gospel teach? In the first place, these wise men did not inquire after the chief priests and do not ask: Where is Annas or Caiaphas, or how did this or that man live? But they ask: Where is the newborn king of the Jews? Yes, Christ permits them, as a warning to us, to go astray and to seek him in Jerusalem in the holy city among the priests, the learned and the royalty. He is not found in the holy place nor in the holy customs. Nor did they receive as an answer any human opinions, but only what the Scriptures say about Christ, which alone are to be sought among the holy people and in holy places.

49. Sufficient examples are here given to show us that disregarding all human works, teachings, comments and life we should be mindful only of the clear Scriptures, and as to the life and teachings of the saints preserve the right not to rake or snatch up everything that they teach or live, but rather to sit in judgment on these things and accept with discretion only that which is compatible with the Scriptures. But what is their own, without Scripture proof, we should consider as human inventions and avoid, as St. Paul teaches: Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. 1 Thessalonians 5:21. Moses has also indicated this, Leviticus 11:3, Deuteronomy 14:6, where he describes clean and unclean beasts, that all animals which are not cloven footed and ruminant are unclean. These are the men who are not cloven footed, who spend their lives carelessly, rake up whatever comes before them and follow it. But the clean animals are those men who by the spirit act with discretion in all external things and doctrines. Whatever they see harmonizing with the Scriptures they keep, but whatever is without Scriptural foundation and mere human inventions they dismiss, no matter how great and famous the saints who taught it may be. For no saint has been so perfect as to be free from flesh and blood, or the continued struggle with flesh and blood, so that it is scarcely possible that all their teachings and works were spiritually perfect and are to be accepted as examples. Human nature and reason often concurred in their work, and these are not to be trusted at all. Hence Moses commands us to be cloven footed and Paul to discern the spirits and not to accept all the works and doings of men.