Bath and Supper

God cleanses and feeds us by these means of grace.

Baptism is carried out by Christ’s command calling us to “make disciples of all nations, baptizing them” (Mt 28:19).

As a Lutheran, infants as well as adults and children are baptized. I have struggled with this sometimes because my understanding since becoming a believer is that it should follow faith, not precede it. From early church history, however, infants have been baptized. In Acts, entire families were baptized (Acts 16:15, 33). Cyprian of Carthage (200-258) wrote approvingly of the practice. [1] The Book of Concord states, “We maintain that we should baptize children because they also belong to the promised redemption that was brought about in Christ (Mt 19:14). The church ought to extend it to them.” [2]

In The Small Catechism, Luther explains, baptism “brings about forgiveness of sins, redeems from death and the devil, and gives eternal salvation to all who believe it, as the Word and promise of God declare.” [3] Luther continues:

For without the Word of God the water is plain water and not a baptism, but with the Word of God it is a baptism, that is, a grace-filled water of life and a “bath of the new birth in the Holy Spirit.” [4]

Luther concludes his thoughts by quoting Titus 3:5-8.

It has always bothered me how many evangelicals and non-denominational churches refer to the bread and wine (or in their case grape juice) as “elements,” that were simply symbols. The holy supper, Eucharist, communion, what have you was always much more significant than that to me. I could not agree with the Roman Catholic view, but I knew in my heart it was more than symbolic.

Lutherans believe in the “real presence” in the holy meal, but in a different way than the Roman Catholic Church. Luther explained, “It is the true body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ under the bread and wine, instituted by Christ himself for us Christians to eat and drink.” [5]

Our church offers communion every Sunday. Not all Lutheran churches do. In the past, in this country, some feared it was “too Catholic” to do so or that it would not seem special and would become too commonplace. Thankfully, this attitude is changing among Lutherans today and there is a greater movement toward weekly communion. I find a very intimate sense of God’s presence as the bread is offered, “The body of Christ, given for you” and the cup, “The blood of Christ, shed for you.”

The words “given for you” and “shed for you…for the forgiveness of sin” show us that forgiveness of sin, life, and salvation are given to us in the sacrament through these words, because where there is forgiveness of sin, there is also life and salvation. [6]

I found Hayford’s explanation lacking, but Grudem did a nice job explaining, “Because there is such a sharing in the body and blood of Christ…the unity of believers is beautifully exhibited at the time of the Lord’s Supper.” [7]

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[1] Steven A. McKinion, Life and Practice in the Early Church: A Documentary Reader (New York: New York University Press, 2001), 14.

[2] Robert Kolb and Timothy J. Wengert, eds., The Book of Concord: The Confessions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church (Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress, 2000), 320.

[3] Timothy J. Wengert, Luther’s Small Catechism: A Contemporary Translation (Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress, 1996), 214.

[4] Ibid., 215.

[5] Ibid., 222.

[6] Ibid.

[7] Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine (Leicester, England: InterVarsity Press, 1994) 955.

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Audacity of Dreams

This is a great article I just read. It is from the "Gifted for Leadership" blog. Enjoy!

The Audacity of Dreams
by Sally Morgenthaler

June 15, 2007 |

Dreams are powerful things. They help propel us forward in life. They are the aspirations of our hearts,
and we hope, the framework of the extraordinary. For better or worse, what we think and what we
dream tends to materialize. “As a person thinks in the heart, so a person becomes” (Proverbs 23:7).
The best dreams call us to our higher selves, participating creatively in the things and plans of God.
Good dreams reflect a Philippians 4:8 orientation: “Brothers and sisters, think about things that are
good and worthy of praise. Think about the things that are true and honorable and right and pure and
beautiful and respected.”
Dreams that are “worthy of praise”—dreams of the Spirit—come to us from many places: our family of
faith; a worship experience; deep prayer and meditation. Yet, some of the best dreams come to us from
simply living on the planet and being present to what’s going on around us. These are the yearnings for
loftier ways of living, refracted through what’s best in our culture, filtered through leaders we respect,
and revealed in the everyday interactions with the issues and people around us.
Can we as Christians dream dreams along with those who do not acknowledge Christ as savior? That is
a crucial question as the Church struggles to provide real hope to a world where hope is now being
provided elsewhere: Those outside of the community of faith who are working diligently on issues that
matter, on a higher vision of what humans can be together. Those working to alleviate the devastation
of AIDS in Africa, who are combining forces to steward the planet’s dwindling resources. Those who
are making the necessary sacrifices to reverse climate change.
Recently, I was part of a panel at a conference. Part of our session’s goal was to address what seems to
be an increasing myopia within evangelicalism. One of the observations that surfaced concerned the
narrow vision surrounding morality within evangelicalism, i.e., what is moral in the conservative
church so often revolves around sexual practice. Why? Are not justice, poverty, disease, hunger, and
planet degradation also moral issues? If so, does our silence and lack of engagement on these issues
belie a dearth of dreams? We may wish the Philippians 4 passage only applied to our favorite behaviors
and issues. Or, we may wish we could retreat into the safety of the abstract (holiness divorced from
action). But that is hypocritical faith. It is what Jesus confronted in the Pharisees. A white-washed-tomb
religion.
As leaders, our best dreams call people to live their faith in the midst the watching world. We are not
called to live in denial and to stay within our comfort zones. We are not called to talk about the things
of God in platitudes. In these days when people outside the Church are wanting to connect to
movements and causes that actually make a difference, we must ask ourselves if our highest Christian
dream is to amass personal possessions and personal happiness within a fortified subculture. If so, we
are certainly making that dream come true.
Barak Obama says he borrowed the term, “audacity of hope” from a minister’s sermon. But I wonder if
that minister is an anomaly. The dreams of much of conservative Christianity seem to be incredibly
self-focused and small. We can do better. To dream Philippians 4 dreams as the Church is literally to be
people of hope in action: to do what is necessary to usher in the reign of God—the reconciled and
reconciling kingdom—in a broken world.

Sally Morgenthaler is a frequent speaker and writer, Christian educator, author

Blogs -- Blessing and Curse

Sometimes, I feel guilty for not blogging more frequently. Some of the members of the parish where I preach every other week have kindly suggested that I post my sermons -- but my Baptist upbringing asserts itself in my preaching, which I prepare without writing a manuscript, so I must write the sermon down later, and the written version usually bears about as much resemblance to the original as the average Hollywood movie does to the books they bastardize.

However, in reading other blogs -- and particularly the comments sections attached to them -- I realize that perhaps it is better to err on the side of blogging too seldom. St. James says "for every species of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by the human species, but no one can tame the tongue -- a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse those who are made in the likeness of God." (James 3:7-9)

If there is anything full of even deadlier poison than the tongue, it is the internet. Far easier to make a comment on a stranger's blog one has never met than to look them in the eye and say some of the things we say. And the very concept of the blog has further eroded the line between public and private. As a means of posting about current events and ideas, it is a wonderful medium -- but as a form of personal communication, it encourages us to make quite public matters best kept between family and friends. It can lead to both narcissism and voyeurism.

I hope and pray that God may preserve us from the sinful havoc this technology can enable us to wreak so much more quickly and widely than before, and may instead inspire us to use it for the greater good.

Corpus Christi sermon

“For all who eat and drink without discerning the Lord’s body, eat and drink judgment against themselves.” (I Cor. 11:29)

What does it mean to “discern the Lord’s body”?

I. Incarnation and Resurrection

In the first place, to properly participate in the Eucharist, it is necessary to discern the Lord’s physical body in the incarnation of God in human flesh in the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is both fully human and fully God. In Christ’s life, we are incorporated into the divine life – through faith in Christ, our life is caught up into God’s life, and God’s life becomes intimately entwined with ours. Through his death and resurrection, Christ won the victory over sin and death, and Christ’s victory has won salvation for humankind. The Eucharist makes these realities of the Incarnation and the Resurrection present in a vivid way in our midst, and to receive Holy Communion properly, we must discern the Lord’s body in the incarnate, crucified and risen body of Jesus Christ.

II. Real Presence

Next, it is necessary to recognize that in the Eucharist, Christ is really and truly present. There have been many volumes written about the exact manner in which Christ is present, and different denominations within the Church have embraced different interpretations. However, the precise method of Christ’s present is not the important thing – rather, the important thing is to recognize that when the Christian receives Holy Communion, she is encountering Jesus Christ in the most vivid and intimate way possible this side of heaven. There was a humorous parody book published several years ago spoofing Martha Stewart, and in one section, suggested that when entertaining a bishop, “host canapés” could be prepared. Unintentionally, the author of the book captured a very important aspect of the Eucharistic encounter with Christ – the Eucharist serves as hors d’oeuvres and cocktails in preparation for the heavenly banquet we will enjoy as a result of Christ’s saving work, when we will see Christ face to face.

III. The Church, the Body of Christ

The Church (the body of all baptized believers) is often referred to in Scripture as the Body of Christ, and the third discernment we must make is that as we hear the word proclaimed and meditate on the saving mysteries of the incarnation and resurrection, and as we receive the Body and Blood of Christ in the Eucharist, we are transformed into the body of Christ on earth. We are called to continue Christ’s presence on earth. Liturgists often refer to two main parts of the Mass – the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist – but in reality, there is a third part as well, the Liturgy of Service, during which we take what we have received in Word and Sacrament and take it to a world in need.

IV. Christ in the Poor

Christ told us that whenever we feed the hungry, or clothe the naked, or visit the sick or needy – whenever we have done these things for the least of our brothers and sisters, we have done them for Christ. And when we recognize the Lord’s Body in the person of Jesus Christ, and encounter Christ in the Eucharist by receiving the Body and Blood of Christ, we are empowered as the Body of Christ, the Church, to minister in Christ’s name to the poor wherever we find them – be their poverty spiritual or material.

May we always have the grace to properly discern the Lord’s body whenever we approach these holy mysteries. Amen.

Being filled with the Holy Spirit

We were presented with a very interesting series of questions this week in Principles of Theology. See how you would answer them.

What is your view regarding the topic of Baptism in the Holy Spirit? Specifically, (1) Is it a work of grace distinct from and subsequent to regeneration? Why or why not? (2) Is tongues the initial evidence of Baptism in the Holy Spirit? Why or why not?

My response is below

I am divided on the issue of the baptism with the Holy Spirit. I have experienced this and it has been beneficial in growth in grace, particularly as a relatively new believer. Jack Hayford’s interpretation of the scripture is one I agree with regarding this being a work of grace distinct from and often subsequent to regeneration.

Throughout the book of Acts, in particular, we see the infilling of the Holy Spirit as a separate work. Passages such as Acts 8:14-16; 9:16-18; 10:44-45 and so on speak of this as a separate experience for believers besides the apostles. Some may contend that this was limited along with miracles to the early church, but we are told, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching” (2 Tm 3:16). Acts certainly includes “all.”

I also have some of the same concerns expressed by Wayne Grudem. There has been too much evidence of a “them and us” attitude toward those who have not experienced this work in their lives. There are many fine godly believers who have not been baptized with the Holy Spirit per se (at least not in charismatic or Pentecostal terms), but are certainly filled and overflowing with the Holy Spirit and have a walk with God that I admire. The two tiers, two categories systems are very destructive to the work of God in his church.

As Grudem stated,

Therefore, it is appropriate to understand filling with the Holy Spirit not as a one-time event but as an event that can occur over and over again in a Christian’s life. It may involve a momentary empowering for a specific ministry (as…in Acts 4:8; 7:55), but it may also refer to a long-term characteristic of a person’s life (see Acts 6:3; 11:24). [1]

Tongues can be, but does not necessarily have to be the initial evidence of the baptism with the Holy Spirit. In scripture, there are other evidences. The gospel accounts of Jesus being filled with the Spirit did not result in tongues. In Luke 1:41-45, Elizabeth blessed Mary upon her infilling of the Spirit. Zechariah prophesied according to Luke 1:67-79. In Acts some of the other manifestations are powerful preaching (Acts 4:31), wisdom, maturity and sound judgment (Acts 6:3), powerful preaching and testimony while on trial (Acts 4:8) [2] as well as other evidences.

The bottom line is following Jesus and being conformed to his image in every way possible. “So these are the terms by which a person can receive the fullness of the Holy Spirit: obedience, humility, purity, and receiving: wanting God’s will, wanting God’s way, wanting God’s nature, and wanting God’s fullness.” [3]

A. B. Simpson, founder of the Christian and Missionary Alliance expressed in the song, “Himself”:

“Once it was the blessing, now it is the Lord;
Once it was the feeling, now it is His Word.
Once His gifts I wanted, now the Giver own;
Once I sought for healing, now Himself alone.” [4]

“Himself alone” [5] says it all.

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[1] Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1994), 782.

[2] Ibid., 784.

[3] Jack W. Hayford, Grounds for Living: Sound Teaching for Sure Footing in Growth & Grace (Grand Rapids: Chosen Books, 2001), 166.

[4] A. B. Simpson, “Himself,” Online: http://online.auc-nuc.ca/alliancestudies/ahtreadings/ahtr_s3.html [12 June 2007].

[5] Ibid.

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Back to Ephesians

A while back I had started a devotional on Ephesians 1:17-19 and had said the next few posts would be about that. Well...I got waylaid. So, back to Ephesians we go.

Ephesians 1:17-19

¹⁷I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, ¹⁸so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, ¹⁹and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power.

Once again, this passages is bookended with God. It begins with "I pray...that...God." It ends with "...his great power." And in between, it's all about knowing him.

In verse 17b, "...come to know him." What specifically do we learn about God?

1. hope-"...the hope to which he has called you" v 18.
2. riches-"what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints" v 18b.
3. great power-"what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe" v 19a.

Regarding number one-hope. This is not some vague hope, "Oh I hope so..." We are called to HOPE. "The hope to which he has called you." This is very personal hope.

"his glorious inheritance among the saints." We are God's treasure! In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus said, "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Mt 6:21). To know God's great care, tenderness, love and concern for us, his treasure, is an awesome thing. It changes our lives.

"great power" He gives us everything we need to live a life that pleases him. "...the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe."

God does the work..."according to the working of his great power" v 19b. And we get to participate with God in his great work. Alleluia!

Fixed Hour Prayer

The discipline I chose to practice this week is sometimes referred to as divine hours, the divine office, daily office or fixed hour prayer. It has grown out of the tradition of the Benedictine monastic order and originally had nine different times of prayer. It is now down to seven in most orders and many lay people pray anywhere from three to four. My practice this week has been morning prayer, noon prayer and then evening prayer or vespers. This is a short explanation from the website Explore Faith.

People have prayed at fixed hours during the day for centuries. Quietly easing away from the obligations of home or work, they take a few moments to spend time with God. These moments connect them to the Divine, and to the countless others who are also pausing to pray the prayers designated for that hour, on that day. Prayers whispered and chanted, spoken loud and clear or murmured silently within, all join together in a continuous flow, a river of words from our soul to God’s. [1]

I have found surprising benefits in this practice. In the prayers and readings, I have sensed participation with the whole worldwide church. The scripture passages are from the lectionary so would be read by many others. To consider how many people throughout the world may be doing this very thing moves me. Each time I participate in this discipline, I have had such a sense of God’s presence and of worship together with the whole people of God.

Yesterday was a stressful day at work. At lunch time, I came home and prayed the noontime prayers. Such peace flowed through me as I entered into God’s presence. I find I have a greater focus and clarity to my prayers. I’m not spending time thinking about what to pray for.

In the process, I have come across two great sites. The first is referenced below in my footnote, “Explore Faith” and the second is http://www.missionstclare.com/english/index.html, which has the services for each season of prayer.

This has been a very enlightening experience for me. I thought I would only practice this for this week for the course. It has been extremely meaningful, however, and is something I feel compelled to include as part of my daily routine.

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[1] Explore Faith, The Divine Hours, 2007. Online: http://explorefaith.org/prayer/fixed/index.html [7 June 2007].

God and sanctification

This post was written in response to several questions posed by my Principles of Theology professor. Those questions are:

What role does God play in our sanctification? What responsibility do we have? In what ways will you intentionally foster the development of the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5) and holiness in your own life in the coming days?

My response is below. What do you think?

******************************

God’s role in sanctification is that he does the work. We can do nothing to make ourselves sanctified or holy. God works and we cooperate. Grudem states, “sanctification is primarily a work of God…” [1] The Father disciplines us (see Heb 12:5-11). Christ is “our wisdom, our righteousness and sanctification and redemption” (1 Cor1:30) because he earned this for us. He is also our example, “pioneer and perfecter of our faith” (Heb 12:2).

The Holy Spirit has the major role in the sanctification of the saints.

The Holy Spirit must always work in us through the Word, granting us daily forgiveness until we attain to that life where there will be no more forgiveness… All this, then, is the office and work of the Holy Spirit, to begin and daily increase holiness on earth through these two means, the Christian church and the forgiveness of sins. [2]

We can therefore, see that Luther and his associates also agreed that the work was God’s, but God’s people worked together with God to sanctify believers.

Our responsibility in the sanctification process is to work together with God and be open to him. God does not force himself on is and will not make us holy and sanctified if we do not desire it. Numerous places throughout the New Testament our part is taught. We are exhorted to “be holy” in 1 Pet 1:15). 2 Corinthians 7:1 directs us to perfect holiness. Paul told Timothy, “train yourself to be godly” (1 Tim 4:7). There are many other passages as well that encourage us to cooperate with God. Charles Spurgeon said regarding sanctification, “If it is possible, I will attain it.” [3]

Recognizing our struggles in this life, “Now, however, we remain only halfway pure and holy,” [4] and as Paul declared, “For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out…What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death” (Rom 7: 18, 24), I will continue to spend more intentional time in God’s presence. No self effort can sanctify me, but by his grace, I will continue with the spiritual disciplines of daily journaling and lectio divina. This week I began practicing the discipline of the divine hours or daily office. Periodically, I will make use of this discipline.

I have started relating to a spiritual director/mentor. We will primarily connect by phone and occasionally face to face. Once the candidacy process begins through the synod (which should be sometime within the next month or so), I will be assigned a mentor, but that will primarily be for vocational discernment and to assist in the process.

The bottom line is the more time we spend in God’s presence, with open hearts, the more we become like him. Since taking Spiritual Formation earlier this year, my goal has been to more intentionally fellowship daily with the Lord. This has enabled me to handle difficult situations with grace and a greater sense of God’s presence.

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[1] Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1994), 753.

[2] Robert Kolb and Timothy J. Wengert, eds., The Book of Concord: The Confessions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church (Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress, 2000), 438-439.

[3] David J. Massey, Principles of Theology excerpts of flash lecture by author, 2004. Online: https://regent.blackboard.com/courses/1/70225.RELS.201.02.200770/content/_875417_1/RELS201_Lesson05a.swf?bsession=8757730&bsession_str=session_id=8757730,user_id_pk1=46749,user_id_sos_id_pk2=1,one_time_token=[1 June 2007].

[4] Kolb and Wengert, eds., 438.

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A look at theology

I thought I'd share some posts from my courses at Regent. This was in response to the question of if we were to write a systematic theology book, what would be essential doctrines. Below is my response.

In the West, we love to recreate the wheel. In the “three ecumenical creeds,” [1] we have a thorough systematic theology. The most concise being the Apostles’ Creed, followed by the Nicene Creed which fleshes out the Apostles’ Creed and lastly the Athanasian Creed, which gives a detailed defense of the doctrine of the trinity.

Focusing on the Apostles’ Creed, it can be divided into three sections: the first concerning God the Father and his role as creator. The second article concerns God the Son and his role as redeemer. The third article is on the Holy Spirit and being made holy.

Martin Luther’s Small Catechism provides a simple explanation of each article of the creed. The Small Catechism was written for the teaching of children, hence its simplicity. In his commentary of the work of the Holy Spirit, Luther sums up what is needed to come to Christ, pre-salvation essentials, so to speak:

I believe that by my own understanding or strength I cannot believe in Jesus Christ my Lord or come to him, but instead the Holy Spirit has called me through the gospel, enlightened me with his gifts, made me holy and kept me in the true faith…[2]

To respond to God’s gracious gift, we do not have to know and believe an immense amount of doctrine. The understanding and knowledge follows the acceptance.

We could indeed have a before and after salvation list. Oftentimes, we like to complicate what someone must “do” to get saved, but the work has already been done and nothing can be added to it. In this vein, my coworkers and I thought and prayed long and hard in the context of witness to Muslims about this subject when I lived in the Holy Land. Distillingthe the faith down to its essentials, unwrapping it from its cultural packaging, the list becomes quite short. “That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Rom 10:9). That is simply it.

Here in the Creed you have the entire essence, will, and work of God exquisitely depicted in very brief but rich words. In them are comprehended all our wisdom, which surpasses all human wisdom, understanding, and reason. Although the whole world has sought painstakingly to learn what God might be and what he might think and do, yet it has never succeeded in the least. But here you have everything in richest measure.[3]

After salvation, one can go into the details of the doctrines of redemption, the role of scripture, the trinity etc. To be considered orthodox, one must correctly understand the deity and humanity of Christ, his redemptive work on the behalf of lost sinners, the trinity, the work of the Holy Spirit, the Word of God, Christ’s return and the final judgment. All these flow from God's Word written and revealed.

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[1] Robert Kolb, Timothy J. Wengert, eds., The Book of Concord: The Confessions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2000), 19.

[2] Luther, Martin, Small Catechism in Evangelical Lutheran Worship, (Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress, 2006), 1162.

[3] Kolb and Wengert, eds., 439.

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wisdom, revelation and enlightenment

My next few posts are going to be on the following passage. I have been meditating on this for a number of days. It is quite rich. For my own devotions, I have broken this passage down by sections/ideas and have concentrated on each.

Ephesians 1:17-19

¹⁷I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, ¹⁸so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, ¹⁹and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power.

First, God bookends this passage. he is at the beginning and the end. He is the actor and we are the ones acted upon.

Brief overview:

• loaded with verbs
• pray
• give
• come
• know
• enlightened
• called
• believe
• working

• repeated words
• know (twice)
• power (twice)

• Who-God
• What-gives
• spirit of wisdom and revelation
• knowledge
• enlightenment
• Why-knowledge
• eyes of heart enlightened
• know hope to which he has called you
• "riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints"
• immeasurable greatness of his power for believers
• How-"according to the working of his great power"

Let us pray: Dear Father, help us to comprehend your great love and what you have done for us. May we spend more time with you to become more like you. Amen.