Category Archives: Augsburg and Trent
Job’s Death Wish… and finding Jesus there!
Thoughts which carry me to Jesus, and to the cross
““Oh that my request would be realized, and that God would grant me what I long for! And that God would be willing to crush me, that he would let loose his hand and kill me.” (Job 6:8–9, NET)
Hard fights are rarely fought except by those with the greatest strength.”
In each case, this line of theological thought expresses well that divine initiative brings about sudden conversion and that therein exists the indispensable spiritual basis for theology. Consequently, the words of Paul—“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Gal 2:20)—are foundational for Ratzinger’s understanding of theology.
“The knowledge of God is a way; it means discipleship. It is not revealed to the uncommitted, permanently neutral observer but, rather, is disclosed in the measure in which one sets out on the way.” Such knowledge requires deep conversion so that it remains a constant encounter. True reasoning requires “a purification of heart.” It is bound to the Logos and includes death and resurrection.
His words came out of a place of great despair, for everything he treasured, everything he found joy in, was stripped from him over the course of moments.
He was broken, overwhelmed by grief and pain and suffering, and his cry, his desire to die seems like the only hope.
He doesn’t have the strength that St. Francis alludes to, to battle thi hard fight. He just wants to get past it, and the only option appears to be death. Even his wife realizes this – as she encourages him to curse God and die.
I may not have lost as much as Job, but I’ve lost a lot at times. There have been pains in my life I didn’t think I could get through, times of hurting and to be honest, times where I wished Jesus would either return, or call me home. Not because I wanted to get to heaven, but because I wanted to escape from life.
And in a real way, the answer to life is found in death.
Not our physical death as we know it, but as we die with Christ in baptism, only to rise–united with Him as He lives.
it takes some thought to think through the change, to realize it with our mind, but our heart realizes it at the altar, and when we hear His word, and our old nature struggles with the fact we are loved, that we are forgiven, as demons struggle to keep their hold on us, trying to load on the guilt and shame removed at the cross of Jesus.
To help people experience that blessing, to experience that love is the purpose of all ministry, From facilitating worship through music, to the sacraments; from feeding the poor to counseling and advising the rich.
This is the true administration, the proper stewardship of the gifts of God, for the people of God.
To help them know and understand, and experience, as Job spoke, ““As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and that as the last he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God,” (Job 19:25–26, NET)
Pasquale, G., ed. (2011). Day by Day with Saint Francis: 365 Meditations (p. 187). New City Press.
De Gaál, E. (2018). O Lord, I Seek Your Countenance: Explorations and Discoveries in Pope Benedict XVI’s Theology (M. Levering, Ed.; p. 211). Emmaus Academic.
De Gaál, E. (2018). O Lord, I Seek Your Countenance: Explorations and Discoveries in Pope Benedict XVI’s Theology (M. Levering, Ed.; p. 212). Emmaus Academic.
Know Thyself…Socrates Said. (It was simpler than he thought!)
“Then in the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was brought to me, I took the wine and gave it to the king. Previously I had not been depressed in the king’s presence.So the king said to me, “Why do you appear to be depressed when you aren’t sick? What can this be other than sadness of heart?” This made me very fearful.” (Nehemiah 2:1–2, NET)
Neo-Platonism provided him (Augustine) with a vocabulary, and stirred in him a desire, for mystical union. Yet the One to whom Augustine aspired was not the remote, indifferent reality of Plotinus, but the God who constantly seeks, attracts, guides, heals, stoops toward us, forgives and loves us. He is the humble God of the incarnation. The Neo-Platonists had glimpsed the country Augustine sought, but could not show him the way there (VII,20,26; 21,27).
The God revealed in the Old and New Testaments is, moreover, the God who forms a people. He is the God encountered in the Church.
Benedict’s encyclicals and other papal writings invite the reader to have a personal relationship with Christ. “Encountering Christ” is the phrase that pervades all of his texts. In this light, Benedict’s Christocentric approach offers a fresh and deeper understanding of the concept of revelation. Benedict prioritizes Christ the Logos over Scripture and Tradition.
One might venture to conclude that Ratzinger’s /Pope Benedict XVI’s lasting legacy is to state vigorously that revelation in Christ is the definitive, personal self-disclosure of the triune God—and thereby, also as the identity of the human being.
“Remember, Tozer,” he said, “death is not the worst thing that can happen to a person!”
For the Christian, death is a journey to the eternal world. It is a victory, a rest, a delight. I am sure my small amount of physical suffering has been mild compared to Paul’s, but I feel as Paul did: “I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far!” (Philippians 2:23).
Nehemiah was not himself
It was so obvious that the King he was enslaved to serve noticed, and was concerned over a relatively minor person in his Kingdom. We use the phrase, “he wasn’t himself,” rarely these days, but it is a growing phenomenon as people try to identify themselves with this movement or that movement, with this star, or that politician, Often the “not being themselves” draw them into more extreme positions, even within the church, as they look for their true identity.
They are correct in their realization that relationship defines their existence, that it gives a picture of who we are. To often these relationships become idolatrous, as we define our identities by one different than our primary relationship- our relationship with the Father through Jesus.
Like Augustine, the existence of the search for identity can be part of what helps us find (actually be found by) Jesus – who is our identity. HIs dabbling with Neo-Platonism would leave him with a desire to be with God, even as its vision of God was not right,..it led him to the place where, when God came to him, he was ready to see his need for God.
That’s why Pope Benedict championed the cause of encountering Jesus. All of his knowledge, all of his theological understanding, all of it was only valuable if he recognized at the end of the day the presence of Jesus. It doesn’t take much imagination to see Pope Benedicts or Augustine, Luther or Melanchthon or Josemaria Escriva smile as they heard Philippians 1:21 read ““For to me, living is Christ and dying is gain.” (Philippians 1:21, NET) or to see the sigh of relief as people respond “and also with you,” during the mass or daily gatherings for prayer.
Ultimately, defining our identities, finding our identity in Christ leads us to recognize what Tozer’s mentor was pointing out. Death becomes less and less a threat, as we long to be in the presence of God the Father. If we knwo as ourselves as children of God, then it becomes natural to want to be home with Him, to enjoy His presence.
This is to know ourselves, to recognize that we are simply His children, His people, His beloved.
Saint Augustine. (2012). The Confessions, Part I (J. E. Rotelle, Ed.; M. Boulding, Trans.; Second Edition, Vol. 1, p. 19). New City Press.
De Gaál, E. (2018). O Lord, I Seek Your Countenance: Explorations and Discoveries in Pope Benedict XVI’s Theology (M. Levering, Ed.; pp. 201–202). Emmaus Academic.
Tozer, A. W., & Smith, G. B. (2008). Mornings with Tozer: Daily Devotional Readings. Moody Publishers.
Navigating the Revitalization and Renewal of the Church
The church, is always in the midst of a storm… but safe in Him
Thoughts which drive me to Jesus, and to His Cross
“With antiphonal response they sang, praising and glorifying the LORD: “For he is good; his loyal love toward Israel is forever.” All the people gave a loud shout as they praised the LORD when the temple of the LORD was established. Many of the priests, the Levites, and the leaders—older people who had seen with their own eyes the former temple while it was still established—were weeping loudly, and many others raised their voice in a joyous shout. People were unable to tell the difference between the sound of joyous shouting and the sound of the people’s weeping, for the people were shouting so loudly that the sound was heard a long way off.” (Ezra 3:11–13, NET)
Falsely are our churches accused of abolishing the Mass; for the Mass is retained among us, and celebrated with the highest reverence. Nearly all the usual ceremonies are also preserved, save that the parts sung in Latin are interspersed here and there with German hymns, which have been added to teach the people. For ceremonies are needed to this end alone that the unlearned be taught [what they need to know of Christ].
In promoting development, the Christian faith does not rely on privilege or positions of power, nor even on the merits of Christians … but only on Christ, to whom every authentic vocation to integral human development must be directed. The Gospel is fundamental for development, because in the Gospel, Christ, “in the very revelation of the mystery of the Father and of his love, fully reveals humanity to itself.”
I have been thinking about my “career” as a pastor recently. It was 27 years ago this month I went from being a part-time to a full-time pastor. It’s been 23 years in August that I moved from being a non-denom pastor to becoming a Lutheran one, and last week-it was seventeen years since I received the call to become pastor in this place.
In that time I have seen a lot of changes in the world, the church at large and in my Lutheran group. Some of them quite good, some of them heartbreaking. I know the joy of Ezra’s people, as they saw God’s promises re-established for them, and I also understand the heartbreak of those who remember the past and its glories.
I am the one who wails over the losses, and yet I am the one who screams for joy at the renewal I see. A foot in both worlds, a foot which wants to deny the existence of the other….
I have tried to help both sides realize the other exists, not because i want to create a form of toleration, for that is worthless, and to be honest, vain.
In my devotional reading this morning, I came back to the answer–provided by the Lutheran Confessions and Pope Benedict. The answer isn’t to dwell in the past, failing to recognize its failure. It isn’t about just rejoicing in the victories of the moment–ignoring its shortcomings.
The answer is simply this – living in Christ, and revealing Him to those who so desperately need Him. To revoice in the enlightenment the Spirit provides in them–the relationship that is reformed, renewed, reborn! To sound more academic — to rejoice in the delivery and reception of grace, rather than comment on the color, texture and design. To dance with God and the angels over new life.
To be revitalized, not just an interested observer of it.
Then the church weeps and rejoices together, for God is good, and His mercy is forever!
Melancthon, P. (2006). The Augsburg Confession (1530). WORDsearch.
De Gaál, E. (2018). O Lord, I Seek Your Countenance: Explorations and Discoveries in Pope Benedict XVI’s Theology (M. Levering, Ed.; p. 197). Emmaus Academic.
Astonished Reverence–it cannot be manufactured, therefore stop trying to force it on others
Thoughts which carry me to Jesus, and to His Cross”
“Now the Word became flesh and took up residence among us. We saw his glory—the glory of the one and only, full of grace and truth, who came from the Father.” (John 1:14, NET)
“that is, the mystery that has been kept hidden from ages and generations, but has now been revealed to his saints. God wanted to make known to them the glorious riches of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. We proclaim him by instructing and teaching all people with all wisdom so that we may present every person mature in Christ.” (Colossians 1:26–28, NET)
Luther’s understanding of Christ makes the Lord’s Supper a miracle. For it is an unspeakable miracle that the inseparable union of the two natures causes the body of Christ, which is in heaven, to be present on the altar
Ratzinger’s theology of revelation emphasizes Christ, the revelation of the Father. By encountering Christ in the Scriptures, in the sacraments, and in worship, one comes to knowledge of God.
The fear of God is that “astonished reverence” of which the saintly Faber wrote. I would say that it may grade anywhere from its basic element—the terror of the guilty soul before a holy God—to the fascinated rapture of the worshiping saint.
There are few unqualified things in our lives but I believe that the reverential fear of God, mixed with love and fascination and astonishment and adoration, is the most enjoyable state and the most purifying emotion the human soul can know. A true fear of God is a beautiful thing, for it is worship, it is love, it is veneration. It is a high moral happiness because God is.
I have had the distinct displease of seeing pietism raise its ugly head in a number of places. In choice of Bible translations, in choices of worship styles, in places where people define reverence as something people bring to church. As they get dressed with physical clothes, the are supposed to come into church or a Bible study reverently. And reverence or piety is defined and demanded by observers. And if the observers demanded form of pietism isn’t achieved or met, the efficacy of God’s mercy might be or actually is questioned.
It goes across the spectrum of Christianity, and it usually spans both edges of any discussion spectrum. Some say you can’t worship with guitars, others say you don’t worship with organs. Some say you can’t dress down, others say if you don’t “come as you are, you are playing games. In my 60 years, I have seen these spectrums divide the church, and those caught in the middle are often… the greatest victims.
Reverence is not man-made. It doesn’t depend on clothing choices, or the language that you use (especially if you don’t understand it!) Tozer’s modifier, astonished, is awesome in clarifying what true reverence is. It occurs when the sinner or saint sees the Triune God revealed in their presence, something that happens because Christ is made incarnate among us. Pope Benedict XVI nails this in discussing the encounter with Christ in word and Sacrament, and Luther sees this as what makes the Lord’s Supper, each and every time celebrated–truly a miracle–for it is Christ coming into our lives, as revealed in Scripture.
Such miracles leave us astonished, a state in which revering and adoring (and being in fear of ) God is natural. For the believer, the astonishment is because this is exactly where God wants us, in His presence, sharing in the very glory of God which the apostles saw revealed in Jesus, which they came to know and reveal to people as well.
This is why reverence can’t be manufactured on order, or demanded by others. It only finds its origin in the presence of God. I
I’ve seen this in the eyes of 3 year olds, as the run to get our altar rail before their parents. Can they comprehend the gift their parents are receiving? Probably not… DO they understand the blessing I say over them, perhaps not.. they just realize they are near Jesus, and the love that impacts their parents or grandparents is significant – and it is theirs as well, and so they rejoice!
This is reverence, when the sinner doesn’t want to leave, but soak in their being cleansed. This is the presence of God, which leaves us in awe, because only because of His love can we stand before Him, and only because of that love do we have hope. Hope because of the presence of God – which is revealed every week, though He never leaves us….
We still need to hear of the love, we still need to experience it and therefore know it.
And we do….
The Need for Reverent Worship….and the Challenge of Guiding it….
Thoughts which carry me to Jesus, and to the Cross…
“The people were delighted with their donations, for they contributed to the LORD with a willing attitude; King David was also very happy.” (1 Chronicles 29:9, NET)
““But who am I and who are my people, that we should be in a position to contribute this much? Indeed, everything comes from you, and we have simply given back to you what is yours.For we are resident foreigners and nomads in your presence, like all our ancestors; our days are like a shadow on the earth, without security.O LORD our God, all this wealth, which we have collected to build a temple for you to honor your holy name, comes from you; it all belongs to you.” (1 Chronicles 29:14–16, NET)
53 Servite Domino in laetitia!—I will serve God cheerfully. With a cheerfulness that is a consequence of my Faith, of my Hope and of my Love—and that will last for ever. For, as the Apostle assures us, Dominus prope est!…—the Lord follows me closely. I shall walk with Him, therefore, quite confidently, for the Lord is my Father, and with his help I shall fulfil his most lovable Will, even if I find it hard.
I have been doing a lot of thinking recently about the idea of reverence in life and in a life of worship. (see Romans 12:1-3 – worship is far more the Sunday Morning!) It goes along with my version of the ancient rule that how we worship/pray determines how we depend on God, which determines how we live. (Lex orandi, lex credendi, lex vivendi is the old phrase.
With that floating around in the back of my mind, my readings this morning included David’s provision for the Temple. He made all the arrangements, he subsidized most of it out of personal wealth, then he realized he needed to share that opportunity with others. This is all the vivendi part of the concept, the way in which they lived out living in the grace of the God whom they worshipped.
You see it in the embracing of difficulty, cheerfully, that St. Josemaria describes! Joy that is a consequence, he teaches, of the faith, hope and love he receives from the Lord. It is the same joy and attitude describes there in Chronicles, a joy that comes from realizing all that we have is from God. it all belongs to Him.
This to me is the core of reverence then, the attitude towards God that is found as we contemplate and live, reflecting the joy that comes from realizing how He comes and blesses us! I would say you have to experience that joy before reverence develops–but that means reverence has to come out of the joy of being blessed by God.
One might even say that reverence then is the reaction to the grace of God. It can be quiet and in awe, it can be loud as full of joy as when singing Handel’s Messiah. But as a reaction it needs to be natural, not forced. It may be shaped by cultural norm, or what is available in the language of the one God has given the gifts of faith, repentance and deliverance to, as they express their awe. And certainly their attitude toward the deliverance itself matters, someone who knows the depth of their sin maybe more enthusiastic than one who considers themselves less of a sinner, or just a normal sinner.
As an example – a stoic person from Finland, who grew up in a family that loved them, but no one spoke of it, would respond reverently different than a family from Jamaica–neither group wrong in their reverent worship – but surely different! Forcing the Finns to worship in a manner reverent to the steel drums and even dancing of the Jamaican would be awkward, the same as forcing the Finn to smile and laugh would cause them so much stress, they couldn’t focus on the God who delivered them from sin, and Satan and an eternity in Hell.
So what do you do in a multi-cultural, multi-lingual, multi expression of joy and reverence community? How do you facilitate and encourage reverence? I believe the key is not focusing on the vivendi, but rather on the reason for worship/prayer. To focus on the gifts of God, being given to the people of God, . This requires making it clear that we should respect each other in their way of celebrating the presence of God, but not dwelling ther, but immediately returning to the fact that the Lord is good, He is with us, and He gives himself to us.
With the focus on Jesus, and the work of God in us, the response will happen, it will be natural, and it will be reverent….for it is only a response.
Escrivá, Josemaría. Furrow (p. 23). Scepter Publishers. Kindle Edition.
Dealing with Traditionalism in the Church. Its easier than you think!
Thoughts which draw me to Jesus, and to the Cross
“The first time you did not carry it; that is why the LORD God attacked us, because we did not ask him about the proper way to carry it.”The priests and Levites consecrated themselves so they could bring up the ark of the LORD God of Israel. The descendants of Levi carried the ark of God on their shoulders with poles, just as Moses had ordered according to the divine command. David told the leaders of the Levites to appoint some of their relatives as musicians; they were to play various instruments, including stringed instruments and cymbals, and to sing loudly and joyfully.” (1 Chronicles 15:13–16, NET)
“Tell the nations about his splendor, tell all the nations about his miraculous deeds! For the LORD is great and certainly worthy of praise, he is more awesome than all gods.” (1 Chronicles 16:24–25, NET)
Ratzinger observes that in the reception of revelation, the reality of the Christ-event becomes our own through faith. If we accept him, we accept his revelation. As the faithful are parts of the Mystical Body of Christ, Christ lives among them, continuously revealing God the Father through the continuous guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Many, many have failed to note Peter’s Pentecostal emphasis: the important thing in God’s plan was the fact that Jesus had been exalted in heaven
Everyone and every church has traditions that are not to be treaded upon, things that have been elevated to being “divine” or nearly so.
The obvious ones are those attached to a liturgy done in Latin (or German) or in a specific hymnal. Very similarly are those who elevate one Bible translation above all others, such as those who say everything but the King James is demonic in origin. But traditions don’t have to be centuries old, or even decades old. Churches and their people can be just as deadlocked in modern traditions, stating with “certainty” that their practices are the reason for their success and all other ideas are inferior. You have to use this program or that, you have to use music from these sources not those, if you only follow our ways, you will grow and be holier and…. make no mistake – that is traditionalism.
So my reaction to traditionalism may surprise you….
I don’t care about what you traditions are, except for two things, on lesser than the other. I urge you, in fact, to bury yourself deep in them , to understand them, to get the most of them in regards to the greater thing
So the lesser thing is simple – don’t force your traditions on others, either directly or with nuanced reasoning that if only they follow your traditions, they will be holier, they will grow, and they will be better people. Your traditionalism isn’t really right, and if you are blesing it on its success over centuries, or the last decade, I can always show you an older tradition.
And example is David’s orders for a rock band to accompany worship. No organ mentioned, no master 4 part choir. Way before the Latin Liturgy some are in love with, the first liturgy was in Aramaic. Before the KJV, there was the Bishop’s Bible, the Geneva Bible, the Douay Rheims. (and there have been Bibles after the NIV/ESV). Before there was Rooted, the was Alpha, before that, PDL, before that LSS. Before Mirco-Churches, there were K Groups, Small Groups, Cell Churches.
All of these things have been used to “tell the nations about His splendor!” All of these have the ability to explain “the LORD is great and certainly worthy of praise! He is more awesome than all Gods!” ( I really dislike my translation above not using exclamation points, or not capitalizing pronouns referring to God.)
That’s the most important thing – does your tradition, your practice point you to Jesus, to His work in your life, to His presence, love, mercy. If you tradition/practice reveals Christ in you, the hope of glory, keep it! But also realize that the only reason you do is to point you to Christ Jesus. Apart from that your tradition has no value, and can easily become an idol, as you tie your hope to it, rather than the Lord is it supposed to reveal. This is Pope Benedict’s point, for when Jesus is revealed, His death and resurrection become ours, we are raised with Him, and are part of His family. It is what Tozer points to about Pentecost–and what saves 3000 men and their families that day. It is about Jesus, not the speaking in tongues, not the massive crowds, or the 12 apostles speaking like trained professionals. Its about the fact they killed Jesus (as did we) and that Ha risen, and we, having risen with are His.
If your tradition/practice does that – don’t praise it, praise God…
De Gaál, E. (2018). O Lord, I Seek Your Countenance: Explorations and Discoveries in Pope Benedict XVI’s Theology (M. Levering, Ed.; p. 177). Emmaus Academic.
Tozer, A. W., & Smith, G. B. (2008). Mornings with Tozer: Daily Devotional Readings. Moody Publishers.
The Vision of the Chalices: Thoughts on our Existence
Thoughts which carry me to Jesus, and to the cross!
“In all hard work there is profit, but merely talking about it only brings poverty.” (Proverbs 14:23, NET)
He found it easier to do what is perfect than to talk about it; so he was constantly active in showing his zeal and dedication in deeds, not in words, because words do not do what is good, they only point to it.
That is why we use we use matter in liturgy, explains Paul Evdokimov. “The final destiny of water is to participate in the mystery of the Epiphany; of wood, to become a cross; of the earth, to receive the body of the Lord during his rest on the Sabbath.… Olive oil and water attain their fullness as conductor elements for grace on regenerated man. Wheat and wine achieve their ultimate raison d’etre in the eucharistic chalice.
I am pretty sure it was a dream, (at least I hope it was!) but there were some chalices gathered together, having a discussion, which occasionally devolved into arguments about their reason for their existence. The odd thing, is that they all sat on a shelf, awaiting to be purchased, and none of them had actively served–they were all awaiting to be purchased and put to use. That didn’t stop them as seeing themselves as experts, of forming and aggressively sharing their theories and positions. They even formed a coaches and consultants guild for chalices’
One day, a chalice that should have been retired, for it was dented, and its gold faded, its ornate artwork rubbed down by decades in the hands of priests and pastors, came into the shop. The pastor asked if his old friend could be repaired, his gold polished if he could be restored.
There were more chalices there that day, as they were having a conference to vote on new rules for the creation, maintenance and use of chalices. Only the best were allowed to come, those that dedicated their lives to the study and teaching of chalice-ness. The old chalice listened in and smiled, and longed to be back in his parish, for it was there he was a chalice. It was there the joy of being the vessel containing Christ’s Blood was found, as broken people drank from Him, and found the healing God meant for them. It was there he was profitable, or in the old language, salutary.
He attempted to share this, but was shut out – too eccentric, to odd, and too dedicated to those ugly broken humans, who would wear him down, steal his luster and shine.
Hopefully you see the connection of this dream to the proverb, and the poverty of being “on the shelf” rather than in the hands. And St. Francis and the old chalice have much in common, as does the point of the destiny of water to be used in baptism, and wheat and wine in the sacrament. Of the wood of the manger and cross, and even the temporary use of the grave.
But do you see yourself in the dream? Are you the sort of Christian who just sit on a shelf, reading books on theology, evangelism, and how to be the church? Or are you like the old beaten up chalice which has lost its glorious shine, but filled with the completeness that is found in being who God called you to be, one of His people who was sent to continue Christ’s ministry to those who are broken,,,,
Don’t spend time thinking about it.
You know you are His, forgive, healing, children.
So live that way, and fulfill your ministry.
Pasquale, G., ed. (2011). Day by Day with Saint Francis: 365 Meditations (p. 104). New City Press.
Fagerberg, D. W. (2019). Liturgical Mysticism (pp. 134–135). Emmaus Academic.
A God Who Loves Inconvenience
Thoughts that drag me to Jesus, and to the Cross
“The sons of Abraham: Isaac and Ishmael. These were their descendants: Ishmael’s firstborn son was Nebaioth; the others were Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. These were the sons of Ishmael.”…
“The sons of Esau: Eliphaz, Reuel, Jeush, Jalam, and Korah. The sons of Eliphaz: Teman, Omar, Zephi, Gatam, Kenaz, and (by Timna) Amalek. The sons of Reuel: Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah.” (1 Chronicles 1:28-31, 35–37, NET
“The voice spoke to him again, a second time, “What God has made clean, you must not consider ritually unclean!”” (Acts 10:15, NET)
I have known some who were interested in the deeper life, but began asking questions: “What will it cost me—in terms of time, in money, in effort, in the matter of my friendships?” Others ask of the Lord when He calls them to move forward: “Will it be safe?” This question comes out of our constant bleating about security and our everlasting desire for safety above all else.
A third question that we want Him to answer is: “Will it be convenient?”
As I read Chronicles this morning, I had to think about it as I read about Ishmael and Esau’s descendants. I mean, they were the guys that were to be forgotten about, the covenant of Abraham ran through their brothers families–not theirs. They should have been forgotten about, except to log their sin, for they were exiled, put out of the family of God.
They didn’t matter. They weren’t the chosen people.
So why are their names here? Why do we know of their descendants?
Why go to the hassle, the inconvenience of tracking them? Why should their names be in the Bible?
Think about this – this book is somewhere between 800-1000 years after them….
God didn’t forget them, nor the promises he made to their mothers and to Ishmael and Esau. While the promise of the Messiah, the Lord who would come was to be through the lineage of their brothers, there was something to remember…
Jesus was coming to save them all.
They weren’t inconvenient, they were part of the target, the focus, the reason for the cross. We, the people of God, are to seek and save their further descendants, just as God promised.
As I read this, I am beginning to take inventory of my own actions and thoughts. Who do I dare consider inconvenient, ministering to whom is not worth investing my time and heart in? Do I consider them not worth including in my story of my journey with God?’
If there are people, I need to repent…
Which is fine, because God can handle that, granting me forgiveness and changing my heart and mine – as the Spirit works within…
Maybe its time for us to reconsider who our church considers inconvenient, and then rejoice as we engage and help them know God wants them in His Book as well!
Tozer, A. W., & Smith, G. B. (2008). Mornings with Tozer: Daily Devotional Readings. Moody Publishers.
The Journey Home is Never Enough to Satisfy…
Thoughts which drive me to the Cross, and to Jesus
“Indeed, you are my shelter, a strong tower that protects me from the enemy. I will be a permanent guest in your home; I will find shelter in the protection of your wings. (Selah)” (Psalm 61:3–4, NET)
“Now the Word became flesh and took up residence among us. We saw his glory—the glory of the one and only, full of grace and truth, who came from the Father. John testified about him and shouted out, “This one was the one about whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is greater than I am, because he existed before me.’ ”” (John 1:14–15, NET)
There is no sin in being on the pathway; the spiritualists are wrong. But there is a sin in loving our road instead of our home;
“[T]he ‘original’ sin is not primarily that man has ‘disobeyed’ God; the sin is that he ceased to be hungry for God and God alone.… The only real fall of man is his noneucharistic life in a noneucharistic world.”
This liturgical mysticism does something to the sacraments, too. If you taste and see, you will see that you have not tasted enough yet. The sacraments are not designed to fulfill our appetites, they are designed to increase those appetites.
First, a confession, I have become to lax in my spiritual diet! What was one day away because of distractions quickly became three, and then I find myself 15 days behind in my readings. God used it I think, because of out of a time to “catch up” I saw somethings in larger segments, and was blown away by reading more than a paged here and a page there.
In the last few years, I have lost a number of my early mentors. as they have died. The last time I saw one of them in person, he asked me and another pastor type how much we talked about heaven. As he aged, he became more and more aware of tendencies in the church to be focused on this life, and give no attention to eternity.
While we talk some about how to “get” to heaven, the work of Christ redeeming us, uniting us with iIs death and resurrection – we often don’t talk about why getting there is a good thing!
We have, to used the words of the quote in blue – fallen in love with the road home, and forgotten about the goal of the road is home. We’ve talked about overcoming the power of sin, and being forgiven, but forgotten the reason that is important – that it removes from us the barrier to getting home– from being in that refuge, that shelter of the Lord’s presence.
For in heaven we will dwell in the presence of God, we will exist in His glorious love which unites and will have healed every bit of us that was broken, We will know a peace that is not just an absence of conflict, but pure serenity….of knowing the greatest comfort, of being welcome, of being home.
That is the eucharistic world, the world of thanksgiving that comes from God re-uniting us to Himself through Christ. It is what the sacrament hint at, give a momentary experience or taste of, causing us to want more, not because of the physical act, but because of what is experienced in that moment of communion between God and His people.
I want more of that… I know WE need more of that…To help us endure the road, and keep focused on the destination. To live lives that are based on on hope–not that the road will be easy or smooth- but that the destination is Home.
Home with our Father… and the Son, and all of the Family of God.
May our appetites and desires grow for that moment… and may our time contemplating the gospel and receiving the sacraments cause that desire to be unquenchable…
Fagerberg, D. W. (2019). Liturgical Mysticism (p. 107). Emmaus Academic.
Fagerberg, D. W. (2019). Liturgical Mysticism (p. 110). Emmaus Academic.
Fagerberg, D. W. (2019). Liturgical Mysticism (p. 115). Emmaus Academic.
Do They Know His Attitude Towards Them?
Thoughts on the One, Holy, catholic and Apostolic Church.
These three articles of the Creed, therefore, separate and distinguish us Christians from all other people on earth. All who are outside this Christian people, whether heathen, Turks, Jews, or false Christians and hypocrites—even though they believe in and worship only the one, true God—nevertheless do not know what his attitude is toward them. They cannot be confident of his love and blessing, and therefore they remain in eternal wrath and condemnation. For they do not have the Lord Christ, and, besides, they are not illuminated and blessed by the gifts of the Holy Spirit.[1]
But even in spite of them it remains true that all who have been justified by faith in Baptism are members of Christ’s body, and have a right to be called Christian, and so are correctly accepted as brothers by the children of the Catholic Church.[2]
It follows that the separated Churches and Communities as such, though we believe them to be deficient in some respects, have been by no means deprived of significance and importance in the mystery of salvation. For the Spirit of Christ has not refrained from using them as means of salvation which derive their efficacy from the very fullness of grace and truth entrusted to the Church.[3]
The irony was not lost on me, within an hour of having breakfast and a great discussion on our faith and the Lord’s Supper with a very devout Catholic Priest who I’ve known for a decade, and a Nazarene pastor who I met that morning, I was called a heretic by a catholic apologist on social media, and a similar label by another self-appointed theologian who claimed to be a confessional Lutheran.
In some very important ways, I am separated in my doctrine and practice from three of the four people. Serious divisions, one that would necessitate great care, especially when it comes to the sacraments, and how we see grace applied to our people.
But the first two, I would not hesitate to say are my brothers in Christ, nor would they hesitate to return that identification. We share something more important than doctrine, we share a dependence on Christ and the work He has promised to do in our lives. I see that faith, and realize that Vatican II has a point – none of of us are deprived of the justification by faith in Christ’s work–applied in Baptism. That is the same concern as Luther – to know we can depend on Jesus
Luther seems to agree–for he acknowledges the difference between an attempt to worship God, and knowing God’s attitude toward us. I am sure my two brothers know this! I have heard one preach, and talking to the other, I am sure that is part of his message as well. That dependence on Jesus sees them moved from the ranks for false Christians, Heathens, Turks etc. That doesn’t blind me (or them) to the significant difference in how we see Jesus working, or how we should respond to it.
And there is the core of the position – salvation not based on the sign in front of the church, but on the Lord we cry out to, confidently, to have mercy on us.
[1] Martin Luther, “The Large Catechism” Kolb, R., Wengert, T. J., & Arand, C. P. (2000). The Book of Concord: the confessions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church (p. 440). Fortress Press.
[2] Catholic Church. (2011). Decree on Ecumenism: Unitatis Redintegratio. In Vatican II Documents. Libreria Editrice Vaticana.
[3] Catholic Church. (2011). Decree on Ecumenism: Unitatis Redintegratio. In Vatican II Documents. Libreria Editrice Vaticana.
