Great stuff on Psalm 33

Psalm 33 contains the famous verse, "Sing to [the LORD] a new song" (vs. 3).  I cannot tell you how many times I have heard people use this verse in defense of employing contemporary, praise songs in worship.  Read what Pr. Chris Esget has to say about this Psalm to learn why this is not so. 

Luther on Freedom and Love in Liturgical Matters

Rev. Dr. Holger Sonntag, a friend and classmate of mine, provided a link on the Steadfast site to a study he did a couple of years ago titled, "Luther on Freedom and Love in Liturgical Matters as a Challenge for Today."  Go, check it out; it is worth the read.

TOWARD A Theology of Worship

This afternoon, I received President Kieschnick's monthly letter to all LCMS pastors via email.  There is much to discuss in his letter, but the thing that caught my eye most was this section:

Model theological conference on worship

The 2007 Synod convention resolved "that the Commission on Worship and the Commission on Theology and Church Relations organize a model theological conference ... in order to 'build greater understanding of our theology of worship and foster further discussion of worship practices that are consistent with that theology'" (2007 Resolution 2-01). Such a conference is now set for Jan. 11-13 at Concordia Lutheran Church in Kirkwood, Mo. It will meet around the theme, "Toward a Theology of Worship."

Rev. David Johnson and Dr. Joel Lehenbauer, the executives of the two commissions organizing the conference, say that since the subject is worship, "we thought it necessary to hold it in a church rather than a hotel. Concordia has both a beautiful, traditional sanctuary with pipe organ, conducive to a traditional worship, and a separate [worship] center, accommodating to either 'traditional' or 'contemporary' worship, with projection screens and ample space for musicians."

The conference is being funded by a generous grant from Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, and we thank them for it.

So, let me get this straight:  The Synod in Convention resolved to have the COW and the CTCR organize a model theological conference on worship, in order to build greater understanding of our theology of worship and foster further discussion of worship practices that are consistent with that theology, and the fulfillment of this resolution is to meet around the theme, "Toward a Theology of Worship"? 

This stuff just writes itself.  Newsflash to the COW and CTCR:

WE LUTHERANS ALREADY HAVE A THEOLOGY OF WORSHIP!   

Our Synod did not resolve to have you call a conference to move us toward a theology of worship, but to build greater understanding of the theology of worship we already believe, teach, and confess.  You can learn about that theology of worship by reading Holy Scripture and our Lutheran Confessions.  They're pretty clear on this subject.  Of course, you'll have to put all those books written by "evangelicals" and "emergents" down if you are going to come to a proper understanding of our Lutheran theology of worship.  Stop listening to non-Lutheran "consultants" and "experts" and start listening to our Lord and to our Lutheran forefathers who listened to our Lord.  We do not need to work toward a theology of worship; we already have one!   

Now, I will be accused of not giving things a chance, of being uncharitable, and stubbornly pessimistic.  I readily admit beforehand that I am guilty of those accusations.  I do not give this theological conference in January any chance of building a greater understanding of our Lutheran theology of worship.  The deck is already stacked against that happening, since, well, those attending will be working toward a theology of worship, not our theology of worship.  And, they're making it clear what kind of a theology of worship they're going to be working toward, namely a theology of worship that is "accommodating."  Concordia Kirkwood is the perfect host site for this, since it is well equipped to provide an atmosphere for this "accommodating" theology of worship to be developed.  After all, they have themselves there a beautiful sanctuary which is "conducive to a traditional worship" and also "a separate [worship] center, accommodating to either 'traditional' or 'contemporary' worship, with projection screens and ample space for the praise band musicians."

So, there you go.  There's the theology of worship those who gather in January will be working toward, one which allows for two completely different theologies of worship to meld together into a new "accommodating" theology of worship.  I guess OUR theology of worship simply doesn't cut it anymore.  We need A NEW theology of worship.  We need a theology of worship that is broad enough to allow Lutherans to worship like Lutherans and like methobapticostals and like anyone else they might want to mimic.  Never mind the fact that we Lutherans confess that "we do not abolish the Mass (Divine Service), but celebrate it with the highest reverence and religiously keep and defend it, observing the usual public ceremonies, and retaining the series of lessons, of prayers, vestments, and other such things" (cf. AC XXIV; AP XXIV).  That's so 16th century!  We need to get with the times.  We live in an age of "blessed diversity," after all.  If we don't change our ways, we'll die.  There are people dying without Jesus out there and we had better make our worship more palatable to their "tastes," more appealing to their wants and desires, or they will never get themselves saved.  We need to adopt the theology of worship of Concordia, Kirkwood, the conference host:

Concordia Lutheran Church is a congregation that values the heritage of Christian worship received through the centuries without sacrificing the joy of our particular 21st century time and place in worship form and song. We are neither traditional nor contemporary. Instead, we use the words "celebrative and imaginative" to mark our worship life.

This is the "have your cake and eat it, too" theology of worship sweeping across our Synod today.  If you throw in a few old-timey, liturgical elements here and there, and maybe a few actual hymns, you get to do whatever else you want and still call yourselves Lutheran.  Well, isn't that special?  Lutherans have historically referred to their theology of worship as "reverent and holy," since they have historically believed (and true Lutherans still do believe) that our Holy Lord is present among us in the Divine Service.  That's still okay with this new "accommodating" theology of worship, so long as it allows for others to describe their worship as "celebrative and imaginative" or "fresh and exciting" or "powerful and dynamic" or "fun and uplifting" or "relevant and intoxicating."

Call me crazy, but this Lutheran happens to think that Lutherans should adhere to the theology of worship revealed in Holy Scripture and our Lutheran Confessions.  I am all for a theological conference that would seek to build a greater understanding of that theology of worship.  Actually, we need such conferences, since we have obviously forgotten that we already have a theology of worship and seem to think we need to develop one.  Kyrie, eleison!

To Baptize or Not To Baptize

In my post about the Liturgical Conference in Kewanee last week, I alluded to the fact that we had a very interesting discussion during our round-table on Tuesday afternoon.  The discussion centered around Holy Baptism, concentrating on when and to whom the Sacrament should be administered.  Obviously, we were all in agreement that the Sacrament should be administered to infants of faithful parents as soon as possible.  The sooner the little pagan is drowned and brought to new life in Christ, the better.  But, what about when the pastor is asked to baptize a child whose parents have no desire to bring that child up in the Christian faith?

This piqued my interest, because I have faced this situation several times in my ministry.  I have received many phone calls from people who ask me if I can baptize their child/children.  Before answering, I always ask some basic questions, like:  "Are you a Christian?"  The usual answer is, "Yes."  So, I ask, "Where do you go to church?"  The usual answer is, "Nowhere."  Warding off the temptation to respond, "Well, how can you be a Christian if you don't go to church?" I ask, "Why do you want your child baptized?"  There is usually a bit of silence on the line as the caller tries to formulate an answer.  When they finally do speak up, the answer is along the lines of wanting the child to go to heaven and thinking that Baptism is of some import in making that happen.  Whatever they say, I then follow up with a very brief explanation of what we believe about the Sacrament of Holy Baptism and how important it is for the baptized child to be raised in the Christian faith, which includes faithful attendance in church, etc.  Most of the time, the caller hangs up about this time.  For those who do remain on the line after my little catechetical speech, I offer the invitation to come in and chat with me about it.  Almost always, I get, "That's okay.  Thanks."  In fact, there have only been two occasions when the caller took me up on my offer and came in and met with me.  Both times, they were mothers of young children.  I have no idea why one of the mothers came in to chat with me.  The meeting lasted all but five minutes, as she opened the conversation by stating, pretty emphatically, "My husband and I are not going to attend church here or anywhere else.  We don't believe in church, we just want our daughter baptized."  This happened nearly four years ago, but I can still see the anger on the woman's face as she spoke to me.  Needless to say, I didn't baptize her daughter.  The other mother met with me, promised she was going to start coming to church, and even began adult confirmation classes with me.  I baptized her daughter, but was informed by the mother a few weeks later that she did not want to continue classes and would not be coming back to church anytime soon.  She had too much going on her in life, she said, and didn't have time for church.  That was nearly three years ago.  I haven't seen her, or her child, since.   

Then there have also been times when members of our congregation, people I love dearly, have asked me if I would baptize the children of their loved ones (grandchildren, nieces and nephews, etc.).  I so want to say, "Yes," to these saints.  But, can I?  Should I?  I mean, the reason they're coming to me is because the parents of the children they want to see baptized don't go to church and show no desire to go.  Thus, I would be baptizing these children and sending them back to their unfaithful parents.  Is this the right thing to do?

I was surprised to hear a couple brothers, during our round-table discussion, making the case that we should baptize such children.  I was beginning to think I may have erred in the past by not being as quick to baptize as they seemed to be.  Surely, my desire is to err on the side of the Gospel.  I want to baptize such children, but have always felt that I shouldn't, since there was virtually no chance in these situations for the child to be raised in the Christian faith.  But then, Pr. Richard Stuckwisch chimed in and set my mind at ease, for he advanced the position I had been taking in this matter, and did so in a far more articulate and comprehensive manner than I had ever done.

He put forth the example of David ordering Joab to place Uriah (Bathsheba's husband) on the front lines of the battle, where the hardest fighting was, so that he would be killed (cf. 2 Sam. 11, spec. vss. 14ff.).  This, he argued, was like baptizing a child of unfaithful parents, since we would be sending that child out to face the enemy alone.  Satan and his minions would certainly come after that child with all their might and the child would be defenseless to ward them off.  How could we justify putting the child in such a predicament?  To baptize a child who will not be strengthened and preserved by our Lord's means of grace, and who will not be taught to pray, is to place that child before the ravenous lion, who seeks to devour that child, and say, "Fend for yourself."

Of course, leaving the child unbaptized does not bring any more comfort.  But, at least we're not making the child an enemy of Satan and the target of his vicious attacks.  Better to allow the child to remain under Satan's radar, rather than to place the child front and center as a newly redeemed member of the Church Militant without the weapons to fight the good fight of the faith. 

This sounds wrong, doesn't it?  I mean, by not baptizing the child, we're leaving the child in the devil's kingdom.  How can that be right?  Shouldn't we baptize these children and let the Lord fight on their behalf?  That sounds better.  Except that the Lord has revealed to us how and where He fights on our behalf, namely from the font, pulpit, and altar, where He delivers to us the gifts of forgiveness, life, and salvation, which He won in full for us on the cross.  Holy Baptism works forgiveness of sins, rescues from death and the devil, and gives eternal salvation to all who believe.  But, the faith given at Baptism must be nourished by the preached Word from the pulpit, the taught Word in catechesis, and the visible Word from the altar.  Our Lord does not end what has become known as the "Great Commission" (cf. Matt. 28:18-20) after His exhortation to baptize, but continues, "and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded."  His call to "make disciples" includes Baptism, catechesis, and the ongoing reception of His Word and His Body and Blood in His Holy Church, where He promises "to be with us always."    

Hence, the argument to just baptize the child and leave things to the Lord falls short.  Where ongoing catechesis and reception of Word and Sacrament are not going to happen, we are putting the child on the front lines, withdrawing the troops, and leaving the child to fight against Satan all alone.  Sometimes, the loving answer to the question, "Will you baptize this child?" is, sadly, "No."   

With all that said, faithful pastoral discretion must be employed in all these cases.  There may be times when baptizing the children of unfaithful parents is warranted.  If, for instance, the unfaithful parents of a child will agree to allow grandma and grandpa to bring the child to church on a regular basis, then bring the little sinner to the font, for sure.  But, if there is no chance of the child being brought to the Lord on a regular basis, let us not give the devil a reason to devour the child, but pray fervently that the Lord will bring the child into His kingdom in His way and in His time.  

Speaking of Michigan State . . .

Don't look now, but Sparty has put three wins together and plays undefeated Iowa next Saturday for first place in the Big Ten. Earlier today, they defeated Northwestern, 24-14, and WR Blair White (pictured to the left) had a career day, catching 12 balls for 186 yards and two touchdowns. I really like the way the boys are playing right now, and am thrilled at how they have bounced back after dropping three straight earlier in the season. Now they have put themselves in a position to control their own destiny in the Big Ten. Who would've thunk it a month ago? Well, me, but who else? :)  Go Green! Go White!

It finally arrived!

My daughter, Sarah, has been anxiously checking the mail every day for the past week, hoping to receive a response from Michigan State University concerning her application.  The big envelope finally arrived today.  The fact that the envelope was big was good news, and Sarah was already cheering at the sight (if they decline your application, they send a little envelope, I guess).  Her cheering was not in vain, as the first words of the letter within that big envelope were, "Congratulations, and welcome."

I'm so proud of Sarah.  She has worked very hard to maintain a near perfect GPA (3.975), even while taking the most difficult curriculum her high school has to offer (this semester, her schedule includes AP Calculus, AP Government, and Physics).  And, she has been involved in many extra-curricular activities as well (she's earned 4 Varsity letters in sports thus far, and has been involved in Student Government since her Freshman year).  Her goal, as of now, is to become a teacher, and I think she would serve wonderfully in that vocation.  She's been accepted to every school to which she has applied so far, and has a bright future ahead of her.  I don't know if she'll go to State.  That will depend, in large part, on finances and scholarships.  But, it's a thrill to know that she has been accepted and has the option.   

So, congrats Sarah!  Your dad is very proud of you.  Stay focused and finish strong - seven more months, kiddo!  I know you will.

Issues, Etc. Blog of the Week

Rev. Todd Wilken chose my blog for "IE Blog of the Week" yesterday, based on my post, "It's not about religion; it's about relationships."  Pretty cool.  Thanks, Pr. Wilken.

You can listen to the segment here:

 

All of our TLSB's arrived today!

We received our final shipment of TLSB's (The Lutheran Study Bible) today!  All the editions are now here and will be delivered to those who ordered them on Sunday.  I am already absolutely loving my Sangria Genuine Leather edition (with imprint).  I have enjoyed using the regular, hardback edition these last few weeks, but I am psyched to have this leather edition now in my hands.  This is the Bible I will use daily for a very long time. 

For any who have not yet ordered this gem, you really should consider doing so before the prices go up after October 31.  Follow the link above and place your order today.  You won't be disappointed!

Liturgical Seminar in Kewanee

The Liturgical Seminar I attended in Kewanee, IL was most excellent.  It was hosted by Rev. Dr. Burnell Eckardt at St. Paul's Lutheran Church.  Here's a pic of St. Paul's beautiful sanctuary:

The conference theme was "Not a Matter of Indifferent Things" (i.e. the Divine Liturgy of the Church is not a matter of indifferent things, as many Lutherans falsely claim today).  The conference began with Holy Mass at 9:30 a.m. on Monday morning, which was absolutely beautiful.  I cherish those times when I am able to sit in the pew, participate in the divine liturgy, and receive the Lord's blessed Gifts, but even more so when I am in the midst of so many brothers who love the reverence of the liturgy in the Lord's House as much as I do and for whom I have a great deal of respect and admiration.  It is simply heavenly.  And, Pr. Eckardt, who served as Celebrant and Preacher, delivered Jesus to us from pulpit and altar in a most faithful and edifying way. 

After Holy Mass, the first session of the conference took place.  The format was a panel discussion.  Pr. Eckardt served as questioner and moderator to the panel, which consisted of Pr. Heath Curtis, Pr. Richard Stuckwisch, and Pr. David Petersen.  I really like this format.  Those on the panel are given the opportunity to answer the questions asked of them and then it is opened up to the floor for discussion.  It offers the opportunity for a lively exchange of thoughts and ideas to take place, which is something that is woefully missing at those conferences where the format consists of a speaker reading a paper to the attendees. 

All three of the esteemed panelists offered valuable insights concerning the topic at hand, as did many in attendance, including the likes of Pr. William Weedon, Pr. Ben Ball, and Pr. Mark Braden. 

After the first session, we prayed the Office of Sext at Noon and then enjoyed a fantastic lunch.  The afternoon session brought more insights from the panel and the floor.  One of the things I appreciated most was the consensus among the panelists and really everyone in attendance that those of us who love the divine liturgy and seek to practice it reverently share a common confession of the faith, even though there may be slight variations in the way we conduct the Service.  In other words, the differences among us are not really differences, but fall in the realm of true adiaphora (those things neither commanded nor forbidden in God's Word).  There is a false charge hurled against us far too often, especially in the blogosphere, that we are legalistic about the divine liturgy and contend that if everyone does not do things exactly as we do, they are not being faithful.  This is simply untrue, and really rather absurd.  That we love to discuss the divine liturgy and contend for what we believe to be the best practices does not mean that we fail to recognize that there can be legitimate differences among us.  What is most important is not that we dot every "i" and cross every "t" in exactly the same manner, but that we share a common confession of the faith and the same theology of worship, which recognizes that we are in the Lord's House, not ours, where reverence, formality, and awe are in order, not flippancy, informality, and fun, and where we come as beggars to receive the Gifts of forgiveness, life, and salvation we so desperately need from the gracious hand of our Lord, who is really, truly, and most certainly present among us when we gather in His Name around His Holy Word and Sacraments.

After the afternoon session was concluded, we prayed the Office of None.  Then, unfortunately, several brothers had to head back home, but those of us who remained met back at St. Paul's for dinner, which consisted of the tasty leftovers from the Oktoberfest the day before (brats and beer - is there a better combo?).  While the whole conference was wonderful, this may have been the highlight for me, not because of the brats and beer, but because I was blessed to sit with Pr. Stuckwisch and talk at length with him.  Wow!  What a faithful man of God.  Just love him!

Then, after dinner, Pr. Eckardt and his lovely wife invited us into their home and we talked theology for the remainder of the evening over "Lutheran" beverages, and with Eric Clapton playing in the background.  I'm thinking it doesn't get much better than that. :)  It was a ton of fun to sit and converse with these faithful brothers.  Here's a few pics:

 

 

 
Tuesday began with Holy Mass at 9:00 a.m.  Another beautiful Service.  Then, we met in a round-table format for more edifying discussion.  We broke for the Office of Sext at Noon and then headed to the local Mexican restaurant for lunch.  We gathered back at the church for more round-table discussion, which was very interesting, indeed (more on this in a future post), and then ended the conference with the Office of None at 3:15 p.m. 

It was, as I said, a most excellent conference.  It afforded me not only with a much needed opportunity for a little getaway, but, more importantly, with the blessing and privilege of joining in the mutual consolation and conversation of the brethren.  I'll flesh out a few of the things that were discussed in more detail in future posts. 

"It's not about Religion; It's about Relationships"

I was talking to my dad last week and he told me about a promo he had seen for a new church in Toledo, OH.  The church was "Cedar Creek Church" and the promo included a lady who said, "At Cedar Creek, it's not about religion; it's about relationships."  This reminded me of the time I heard Rick Warren, one of America's most famous "pastors" and author of the "Purpose-Driven" series of books, describe the church he serves (Saddleback in CA) as "a church for people who don't like church."

Here is a pic of what things look like in places that aren't about religion, but relationships; in places for people who don't like church to gather (pic is from "worship" at Cedar Creek):

It is simply insane that anyone claiming to be part of Christ's Church would market themselves in this manner.  "You'll love it here.  Come join us.  You won't even realize you're in church.  It's not about religion here; it's about relationships."  And yet, at the same time, there is something refreshingly honest about their marketing techniques.  They tell you up front that they're different, that they're not into the whole religion thing.  Sure, they're still being deceptive in that they think they're still a part of Christ's Church, but at least they're honest about who they really are and what they do.  They readily admit that they don't like church.  They readily admit that they're not about religion.  They readily admit that they're open to anything and everything.  They readily admit that they believe "worship" should be lively, fun, and entertaining.  In other words, they're not hiding anything here.  They put their cards on the table and say, "This is what our version of non-religious, all-inclusive, people-centered, relationship-focused 'Christianity' looks like.  Like it?  Good.  Come and join us."

And, the people come.  Oh, how they come!  They flock to these non-church, non-religion "churches."  Why wouldn't they?  They don't like church.  They have no interest in religion.  But, they do like to be entertained.  They enjoy being motivated.  They're all for talking about a Jesus who is accepting of anything and everything.  That kind of Jesus is okay with them.   They're just looking for a social club anyway, a place to have a little fun and establish some relationships.  "Finally," they say, "this 'church' gets me.  They know what I want.  They meet my 'felt needs.'  This place is cool.  I get my 'spiritual' fix on my terms, with no strings attached.  No guilt.  No shame.  Just me.  Just as I am.  I don't have to change a bit.  I can show up for the show once a week, get my fill, and nothing is expected from me in return.  This is great!"

The problem, of course, is that it's all a sham.  It's not Christ's Church.  It's not about the real Jesus, who is revealed in Holy Scripture.  The real Jesus is a bit different from the "rock-n-roll" version put forth in these non-religious, non-church "churches."  The real Jesus makes some pretty outrageous statements, like, "Deny yourself.  Pick up your cross and follow Me.  Abide in My word.  Do not think that I have come to bring peace, but a sword.  Beware of false prophets.  My kingdom is not of this world.  You will be persecuted for My sake," and so on.  He's not very popular, to be sure.  But, then, He didn't come to be popular, but Savior.  He didn't come to entertain or be entertained, but to live and die to save sinners, and to rise from the tomb and ascend into heaven to serve as Mediator between His Father and us.

If you're not into the real Jesus, there are plenty of non-religious, non-church "churches" out there for you today.  Heck, you can even find many today which masquerade as "Lutheran."  You'll have fun in these places.  You'll be entertained.  You'll feel right at home.  You'll even establish relationships with others who like to have fun and be entertained as you do.

But, if you're interested in eternal salvation, well, you'll just have to get over your dislike of the Church established by the One who lived the perfect life you can't live and died on the cross to pay the full price for all of your sins.  His Church is meant to be a sanctuary from this dead and dying world, not a mirror image of it.  His Church is not a concert hall or arena where people are invited to come and be entertained, but a place of refuge where sinners are invited to lay their sins upon Him and receive forgiveness, life, and salvation through His Holy Word and Sacraments.  And, guess what:  In Christ's Church, you receive something so much better than earthly relationships - you are welcomed into an intimate fellowship (communion) with the Triune God of the universe and all His children FOREVER!

So, no thanks Cedar Creek.  I'll stick to my Christian religion, which is lived out in Christ's Holy Church where I am welcomed into eternal relationships.  I'll get my fun and entertainment elsewhere.    

My plans for tonight . . .

include a nice, long, soaking in this:

I'm currently staying at the AmericInn in Kewanee, IL.  I headed down here after the luncheon this past Sunday for a liturgical conference held at St. Paul's Lutheran here in town (more on the conference later). 

I arrived in Kewanee around 8:30 p.m. Sunday evening.  I checked into the hotel, lugged my things up to the room, and planned on laying in bed and watching the Sunday Night Football game.  When I walked into the room, I noticed a half-full bottle of wine on the dresser, dirty towels on the floor, and both trash cans full of garbage.  So, I'm thinking they hadn't cleaned the room.  But, dummy me, I saw that the bed was made and thought maybe they had cleaned, but just hadn't done a very good job.  Not being one who is all that comfortable complaining in situations like this (I leave that to my wife, Lisa, who is much better at dealing with things like this), I unpacked my bags, picked up the room a bit, changed into some comfy clothes, sat down and turned on the TV.  I sat there watching the game for about 20 minutes and then I got the urge to lay down.  But, as I pulled back the covers on the bed, the thought occurred to me, "What if they haven't cleaned this room and these sheets are dirty?"  That thought gave me a case of the "willies," so I sat back in the chair and hemmed and hawed for a bit on whether or not I should call down to the front desk. 

Eventually, I made the call and the lady checked on things and, sure enough, they hadn't cleaned the room I was in.  So, she told me that they would give me a new, clean room and that I should head on down to the front desk to get the new room's keys.  Of course, this meant that I had to put my real clothes back on, pack everything up I had just unpacked and lug it over to the next room.  Ugh!  But, it actually turned out to be a blessing, for when I showed up at the front desk, the lady told me that all they had available was a "Business Executive Suite" and that they would upgrade me at no extra charge.  So, I have stayed the last couple of nights in this very nice suite, which includes a kitchenette (fridge and microwave), huge bathroom, walk-in closet, large-screen TV, comfy recliner, huge desk, king size bed, and the hot tub/sauna pictured above.  Pretty cool!

The moral of this story is that when you walk into a room that hasn't been cleaned, don't be an idiot and unpack everything and settle in, but go right back to the front desk and let them know.  Oh, the lessons we have to learn in this life . . . :)  

Pastor Appreciation Day

This past Sunday, I was privileged and blessed to have the wonderful congregation I serve show me their appreciation by providing a wonderful luncheon in my honor after Bible Study.  In addition to the fabulous spread of delicious food and desserts, my wife and I received numerous cards and gifts from so many.  As we have been in the past, we were again simply blown away by the love and generosity shown to us.  It is no overstatement to say that I have to be one of the most blessed pastors in the world to be serving among such a wonderful, generous, and faithful group of God's children.  I thank God daily for the opportunity to serve His Church in this place and, even though serving in His Kingdom can sometimes be painful and perplexing, the blessings I experience here far outweigh the struggles and suffering.

And here's why I say that:  It's not because of the love shown toward my family and me and it's not because of the generous gifts given to us.  Those things are wonderful, to be sure, and more appreciated than words could possibly describe.  But, there's much more to it than that.  There is here in this place a genuine love for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and a sincere hunger for the Gifts He delivers through His Holy Word and Sacraments.

I heard a brother pastor say recently that he discourages the congregation he serves from celebrating Pastor Appreciation Day.  I understand where he's coming from.  He doesn't want the people he serves to be focused on him.  It is not him whom they should appreciate, but the One in whose stead and by whose command he serves them.  This is most certainly true. 

At the same time, however, there is nothing wrong with God's children showing their pastor appreciation for doing that which he is called and ordained to do among them.  In doing so, what they're really doing is showing their appreciation for Jesus.  No, I'm not claiming that the pastor is Jesus - far from it, believe me!  But, he is Jesus' representative in that place; an undershepherd of the Good Shepherd.  And, when the pastor serves in the stead and by the command of His Lord Jesus Christ, he is not only bringing Jesus to the people, but "being" Jesus to them.  This is especially true in the Divine Service, when the pastor stands in persona Christi (in the person of Christ) and speaks in the first person singular to God's children:  "I forgive you all your sins . . . This is My Body, My Blood," etc., because Jesus is actually speaking through him.

All of this is to say that I am quite confident that the love and generosity I am blessed to receive from those I serve is motivated by the sincere love these beloved have for their Lord and Savior.  It is pure joy to be serving among such faithful people and I am thankful to have the opportunity.  I love them every bit as much as they love me, and both their love for me and my love for them is rooted in our mutual love for the One who humbled Himself unto death - even death on a cross!  

Blogging on Back Burner

The last couple of weeks have been a blur for me.  I can't recall any other stretch of time since being called and ordained to serve Christ's Church as a pastor when I've been so busy.  What's worse, the kind of busy I've been brings me no pleasure whatsoever, as I've been dealing with matters that both frustrate and sadden me.  There are some things about being a pastor that are just plain difficult and tedious.  But, then, our Lord never said being a pastor - or being a Christian, for that matter - would be easy. 

Anyway, my attention being focused elsewhere, coupled by the fact that we were without internet at home for a couple days last week, has prevented me from blogging, as a few of you have noticed. :)  But, stay tuned . . . :)  

A strong set of delegates

Yesterday, our circuit (group of area congregations assigned to act together by the District) held its Circuit Forum to elect a pastoral and lay delegate to represent us at the upcoming LCMS Synodical Convention in July, 2010, which will be held in Houston, TX.  This is an extremely important part of the political process in our synod.  It is no overstatement to say that elections and resolutions which will take place at the Synodical Convention are already decided at this level of the process.  Thus, I was hoping and praying that we would elect delegates who would serve the cause of confessional Lutheranism on our behalf, and I am absolutely thrilled by the choices we made.   

We elected Rev. David Reed, who serves as pastor of Grace Lutheran in Auburn, MI, as our pastoral delegate.  Pr. Reed received a majority on the first ballot, which shows the strong support and trust he deservedly has among us.  He will represent us very well, and I could not be more pleased that we are sending him. 

After the election for the pastoral delegate was completed, we held the election for lay delegate.  Among the nominees was a member of our congregation, Larry Elliott.  Larry is a very faithful young man, who has been a genuine blessing to our congregation.  He currently serves as chairman of our board of elders and it is a true joy to work with him.  I was really pulling for Larry to win the election, but I have to admit that I was not very optimistic about his chances, simply because our congregation is one of the smallest in the circuit and because Larry had no previous experience serving in the political process of District or Synod.  But, after the first ballot, he was still in the running.  Two of the five nominees were eliminated and we voted again.  I whispered to Larry, "You got a shot, buddy."  After the second ballot, lo and behold, Larry was still in.  Another nominee was eliminated and there were two nominees going into the third and final ballot.  I whispered to Larry again, "You really got a shot at this, buddy."  And, wonder of wonders, Larry was elected!  I was so excited for him, and very thankful that the brothers in our circuit gave him the nod.  Larry will do a fabulous job serving us and, coupled with Pr. Reed, we are sending a very strong set of delegates, who will serve the cause of confessional Lutheranism very well, to Houston next summer. 

In addition, Larry's election is historic for our congregation, as we have never in our history had either a pastoral or lay delegate from our congregation represent our circuit at our Synodical Convention.  Needless to say, we are very excited not only for Larry, but also for our small, but faithful, congregation.  All thanks and praise be to God alone!      

MSU 26, that other team 20

MSU dominated that "maize-and-blue" team today.  Almost twice as many yards and had the ball for almost twice as long.  They even overcame the refs, as is always necessary when facing that other team (seriously, how many personal fouls can you call against a team in one game? - and the last couple were simply outrageous!).  And yet, even though they completely dominated, like in so many games of recent years, they didn't put 'em away when they had the chance.  Watching that other team march down the field to tie the game brought back the "here we go again" feeling.  That's an eerie feeling for those of us who bleed green.  It's definitely not good for the blood pressure.  So, memories of dominating that other team only to blow it at the end were dancing around in my head and stomach until Forcier threw that interception in OT.  Huh?  Wait a minute, here.  Maybe we're not going to blow this one!  All we need is a field goal!  Then, we lose nine yards on first down.  Uh oh.  Please don't tell me we're going to blow this one.  Come on, boys.  Just gain a few yards and give Stenson a chance to kick the game-winning field goal.  A ten yard completion on the next play.  There you go!  Good job!  Now just run it to the middle of the field and give Stenson a shot.  Don't fumble!  The snap - it's a hand-off to Capers.  Good, hang on to the ball.  Get it in position for the kick.  What?  Wait a minute here.  He broke a tackle.  There's daylight in front of him.  Go, baby, go!  TOUCHDOWN!!!  THE SPARTANS WIN!!!  Going nuts, but waiting to see if they threw a flag on the play.  Not in full celebration mode yet.  You never know when you're playing that other team.  No flag?  Okay, now it's party time!  SPARTANS 26, that other team 20!  It's over.  Bragging rights for a whole 'nother year!  This is awesome!  Come on, sing it with me:

On the banks of the Red Cedar,
There's a school that's known to all;
Its specialty is winning,
And those Spartans play good ball;
Spartan teams are never beaten,
All through the game they'll fight;
Fight for the only colors:
Green and White.

Go right through for MSU,
Watch the points keep growing,
Spartan teams are bound to win,
They're fighting with a vim!
Rah! Rah! Rah!
See their team is weakening,
We're going to win this game,
Fight! Fight! Rah! Team, Fight!
Victory for MSU!