Church marks 750th year with beer

Awesome.

Friday, November 27, 2009, 23:00

CELEBRATIONS to mark an East Devon church's 750th birthday will take place next week.

Ottery St Mary Parish Church will celebrate 750 years on Friday, December 4, with a candlelit service led by the Bishop of Exeter, the Right Rev Michael Langrish.

The service, which begins at 7.30pm, will reflect on the church's past, celebrate its present role and look to the next 750 years.

The church choir will be joined by choirs from other local churches at this communion service.

After the service, there will be refreshments available including a beer, The Bronescombe Ale, brewed for the occasion by O'Hanlon's Brewery, Whimple.

The beer has been named after Bishop Walter Bronescombe who, on the feast of St Andrew in 1259, arrived in Ottery St Mary and dedicated the Church of Sancte Marie de Otery.

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also this is cool:

Church ales were events, not drinks, fundraising happenings designed to raise money for the parish: similar fundraisers by newly married couples were called “bride ales”, from which, according to the Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology, our modern word “bridal” is derived.

”Bridal”, now an adjective, was originally a noun, “bride ale”, meaning “wedding feast”, with “ale”, the drink word, taking on the extended meaning of “celebration”. The same semantic extension is seen in the Irish expression for feasting, “coirm agus ceol”, which literally means “ale and song” (well, what else does a celebration consist of?).

England is flooding. We are planning for our trip to Portugal, Spain, and Morrocco.
Rain, rain, and tea drinking. Sermon writing, scripture reading, music and bike riding, chips, and classical music, evensong, train, bus and all that.

Saw the film "The white Ribbon." I don't really know what I think about it. I'm glad I wasn't a Lutheran in Germany in the 19teens.

Holy habits: or Hooray for Piety!

Bible study #2. This is is a compilation (thievery) of resources from Revs Bachman, Weedon, Peperkorn and Egret and my own study and the Treasury of Daily Prayer.
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Intro: try to list as many things that you can think of that you do everyday. Habits, routines.

What are Holy habits?
Praying is for the Christian is like breathing is for the rest of humanity.

But before the daily routines, let’s see the big picture: Church year (advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter..), the week (Sunday to Sunday), the day (sunup to sundown, the hours).

Meditation during the week flows from and towards the Divine Service, wherein we receive those other tangible gifts: the Sacraments of Absolution and Holy Communion.

Cycles:

PRAYER

Jesus:
40 days in wilderness
Sought a quiet place to pray
He taught his disciples to pray
After the Last Supper, sung a hymn, prayed in Gethsemane
Prayed from the cross.
He intercedes for us now.

Matthew 6:6-7
6But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.

Is prayer an option?
“'when' you pray" from Matt 6

How do we pray?
The disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray, and He gave them a set prayer to use: the Lord’s Prayer
“Pray then like this…” (Matt 6:9).

“O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise” (Ps 51:15).

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How often should we pray?
The OT set out a pattern of evening and morning prayers at the tabernacle, and the Jews who could not attend would pray at the same hours, with set prayers.

From the Psalms, we see certain patterns:
“O LORD, God of my salvation, I have cried out day and night before You.” (Ps. 88.2)
“I rise before the dawning of the morning, and cry for help; I hope in Your Word. My eyes are awake through the night watches, that I may meditate on Your Word.” (Ps. 119.147-148)
“Seven times a day I praise You, because of Your righteous judgments.” (Ps. 119.164)


ELSEWHERE IN SCRIPTURE
Acts 2:42 - 4And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and THE prayers.
In Acts 2.42, the Early Church devoted themselves to “THE Prayers,” implying a set order of prayer.

“Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour” (Acts 3:1).
Rom 12:12 - Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.
I thess 5:17 - pray without ceasing
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Benefits?
-Prayer is to the Christian what breathing is to a human.
-keep in communication with God
-grounds us in faith

Traditional prayer
-No need to “reinvent the wheel”
-No need to be a brilliant writer or speaker
-No need for “Wejustwanna” prayers
-Is grounded in God’s Word
-Is meditative
-Praying with the Church as a whole
-Go beyond “O Lord, woncha buy me…”

Monks
Liturgy of the Hours
Matins/Lauds, prime, terce, sext, none, vespers, compline
Monks and nuns prayed/chanted all 150 Psalms each week
Continuous readings from Scripture, the fathers of the Church, and hymns
Use of a Breviary
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Reformation-era daily prayer
Matins (Morning Prayer)
Vespers (Evening Prayer)
Compline (was reintroduced later)
Catechism Prayers - Morning, evening, at meals

Also now, the short orders for individuals and families, etc.,


IMPORTANCE OF DAILY PRAYER LIFE
Luther
Small Cat: Daily prayers p 30 (APPENDIX B)

STRUCTURE
Cross self – When we make the sign of the cross, what we are doing is A) remembering our Baptism; B) Remembering Jesus’ death for our sins; C) Confessing to the world that I am not ashamed to be known as a disciple of Jesus; and D) Holding up the cross of Christ as the central core of my identity.
Read scripture –Daily lectionary (in LSB) LOOK AT IT
Luther’s prayers in Small Cat Daily Prayer
Weedon’s prayers. HAND OUT (Appendix A)
(Are written prayers ok? - Mostly straight from Scripture. "it is far better to pray from the riches of God’s grace than from the poverty of our hearts." - Bonhoeffer.)

**Make a list (index card or scrap paper will do) of people you want to pray for. Family members, pastor, church, godchildren, the nation and leaders, the sick, suffering, mourning; finally, your own struggles and needs.

-The Jesus Prayer."Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me [literally!] THE sinner." I use this prayer often, especially when driving. But as I pray it over and over again, I see the faces of the different people I am praying for and I pray that prayer as one with them.

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The greatest challenge is not to lose sight of the objectivity of the Word.
Christian meditation, Christian spirituality is oral and tangible.
We do not experience God in the silence of our hearts; and while we can marvel at the power of God and discern His glory from creation, we cannot know His will from beholding a sunset, mountain, or ocean.
We only know His will from His Word.

SPEAKING OUT LOUD
So when you are meditating on the Word, speak the Psalms, Readings, and prayers out loud. When you are praying by yourself, you simply say (or sing) all the parts yourself. Nothing else changes. Still speak out loud, unless it would not be acceptable. In those cases, even if you can move your mouth and whisper very quietly, do that.
This does several things:

-It compels you to slow down so that you are not flying through things without really praying and listening.

-Through engaging not just the mind but the mouth and the ear, more of the body becomes engaged and thus the Word becomes more memorable.

-Pray as though someone were listening; God just might be!

-The Word of God, and especially the Name of JESUS, drives the demons away and causes angels to rejoice. Name the Name of JESUS wherever you are; at the Name of JESUS every knee must bow.

-Luther: “You should meditate [on the Scriptures], that is, not only in your heart, but also externally, by repeating the written words externally and rubbing them (like a herb for its flavor), reading and rereading them with diligent attention and reflection, so that you may see what the Holy Spirit means by them.”

“Spiritual” does not mean intangible; in Christian thinking, it is not the opposite of physical. That which is Spiritual is that which is of and from the Holy Spirit. So for something to be Spiritual, it is something done in, by, or for us by the Holy Spirit. And the HS works through the means of Word and Sacrament. So don’t look for “spirituality” in an inward meditation of mind-clearing, deprivation, or silence. Look for spirituality where the HS is: in the Word (and in the Sacraments)
The HS is our Teacher, and He teaches us about Christ through His Word. Not mental guidance or immediate illumination, but faith and guidance through the Scriptures, which are external to ourselves.

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Setting the Stage:

* Make a commitment to daily prayer
* Schedule a time or times, either by the clock or by daily landmarks (e.g., after you get up, after breakfast, before lunch, 10pm, before bed)
* Communicate with others in your family what time you want to pray as a group
* There will be days when you miss it because life intruded, you were lazy, sinful, sick, etc. Don’t worry or let that cause total failure. Simply start again at the right place. No need to obsess about "catching up." Don't sweat it; the goal is to be faithful in praying, not to "keep score."

* Don’t try to do too much – better to do something, however small, than to set yourself up for failure and guilt. Luther’s advises to on start simply instead of trying to do too much.

Additionally:
* If you can, find a quiet place and quiet time.
-feel free to light a candle, or set up an area with a crucifix or icon.
* Turn off TV, radio
* Close doors if noise might distract you
* Turn off cell phone, email notifications
* Agree that you will not answer the phone. Let it go to voicemail. It can wait.
Don’t rush.
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Prayer is difficult
“Devotion” is so called because it requires devotion, dedication, discipline. The cares of the world, distractions, and sometimes the sinful thoughts that it doesn’t really matter or that nothing really changes can make us give up quickly.

The Fathers spoke of the “exercise of piety,” and like bodily exercise, playing an instrument, mathematics or foreign languages, if we do not keep on exercising, practicing, reviewing, we will lose what we had, and so the last state is worse than the first.
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APPENDIX A

Daily Intercessions
O Lord, grant me to greet the coming day in peace. Help me in all things to rely upon Your holy will. In every hour of the day reveal Your will to me. Bless my dealings with all who surround me. Teach me to treat all that come to me throughout the day with peace of soul and with firm conviction that your will governs all. In all my deeds and words, guide my thoughts and feelings. In unforeseen events, let me not forget that all are sent by You. Teach me to act firmly and wisely, without embittering and embarrassing others. Give me strength to bear the fatigue of the coming day with all that it shall bring. Direct my will, teach me to pray, and You yourself pray in me. Glory to the Father, and to the Son , and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen
O Lord Jesus Christ, our God, in Your mercies and lovingkindness You regard the humble prayers of all who call upon You with their whole heart; incline Your ear and hear now my prayer, offered to You in humility:

Be Mindful, O Lord, of Your Holy, Christian and Apostolic Church; confirm and strengthen her, increase her and keep her in peace, and preserve her unconquerable forever.

Be mindful, O Lord, of my pastor, (your pastor's name), and of all the clergy of the Church, which You have established to feed the flock on Your word; and by their prayers have mercy upon me and save me, a sinner.

Be mindful, O Lord, of all civil authorities, of our armed forces, of this place in which we reside, and of every city and the countryside; grant them peaceful times, that we, in their tranquility, may lead a calm and peaceful life in all godliness and sanctity.

Be mindful, O Lord, of my parents,(their names), of my brothers and sisters,(their names), of relatives,(their names), and of my friends,(their names); grant that they may have mercy, life, peace, health, salvation and visitation, pardon and remission of their sins; that they may ever praise and glorify Your Holy Name.

Be mindful, O Lord, of those who travel by land, by sea, and by air; of the old and young, the sick, the suffering, the sorrowing, the afflicted, the captives, the needy and the poor; and upon them all send forth Your mercies, for You are the Giver of all good things.

Be mindful, O Lord, of me, Your humble servant; grant me Your grace, that I may be diligent and faithful, avoiding evil company and influence, resisting temptation; that I may lead a godly and righteous life, blameless and peaceful, ever serving You; and grant me at last the grace of entering the Kingdom of Heaven. Amen.

For a spouse - My bountiful God, I beseech You, listen to my humble prayer, that I may ever feel that the married state is holy and that I must keep it holy. Grant Your grace that I may never sin against the faithfulness and love of this marriage. Foster between “Name” and me the spirit of understanding and of peace, that no strife, quarrel or misunderstanding, may arise between us. Grant us health and our daily bread, whereby we may serve You more. Amen.

For children - O God, our heavenly Father, You love mankind, and are most merciful and compassionate, have mercy upon our children, Your servants, (their names), for whom I humbly pray You, and commend them to Your gracious protection. Be, O God, their guide and guardian in all their endeavors; lead them in the path of Your truth, and draw them near to You, that they may lead a godly and righteous life in Your love and fear; doing Your will in all matters. Give them grace that they may be temperate, industrious, diligent, devout and charitable. Defend them against the assaults of the enemy, and grant them wisdom and strength to resist all temptation and corruption of this life; and direct them in the way of salvation, for the merits of Your Son, our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
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APPENDIX B

Daily Prayers

How the head of the family should teach his household to pray morning and evening
Morning Prayer.

1] In the morning, when you rise, you shall bless yourself with the holy cross and say:
In the name of God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.

2] Then, kneeling or standing, repeat the Creed and the Lord's Prayer. If you choose, you may, in addition, say this little prayer:

I thank Thee, my Heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Thy dear Son, that Thou hast kept me this night from all harm and danger; and I pray Thee to keep me this day also from sin and all evil, that all my doings and life may please Thee. For into Thy hands I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Thy holy angel be with me, that the Wicked Foe may have no power over me. Amen.

3] Then go to your work with joy, singing a hymn, as the Ten Commandments, or what your devotion may suggest.

Evening Prayer.

4] In the evening, when you go to bed, you shall bless yourself with the holy cross and say: In the name of God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.

5] Then, kneeling or standing, repeat the Creed and the Lord's Prayer. If you choose, you may, in addition, say this little prayer:

I thank Thee, my Heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Thy dear Son, that Thou hast graciously kept me this day, and I pray Thee to forgive me all my sins, where I have done wrong, and graciously keep me this night. For into Thy hands I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Thy holy angel be with me, that the Wicked Foe may have no power over me. Amen.

Then go to sleep promptly and cheerfully.

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Sources:
http://lutheranlogomaniac.com/?p=584#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=why-do-we-make-the-sign-of-the-cross
http://cyberbrethren.com/2009/05/08/daily-prayers-you-may-find-helpful/
http://esgetology.com/2009/05/26/treasury-of-daily-prayer-workshop/
http://cyberbrethren.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/divine_office.pdf

beep beep

Anybody have any music recommendations? I like music that goes: wee woo wee ooo KKKKKKKKZZZZZZZZRRRRRRRRRRRR beep beep boo nee nu nee nu WOW WOW DUP DUP DUP. etc.

Cambridge people are smart. I like the ones that are Christians. It is odd to have theology profs that do not believe. The Bible is not just Shakespeare. For the most part lectures are good. Balance and all that. I really enjoy the study. I don't think Academia is my schtick though. It will be good to be a pastor someday.

I am working on a bible study. I will post it.

TRex is the jam.
I chilled out with the Archbishop of Canterbury the other day.
I'm preaching again in early Dec. Good. Its been too long that I've been away from preaching the Word. I wish I could do it every week. On the streets. On a box. In a funny hat. In the rain. In front of a dragon. That is breathing fire at me. And I have a shield with a cool logo on it (like a smoking baby/cat). And there is a cool Zombies song playing. Yeah.

Also, I am embarking on a new writing project. It will make me a million dollars. But you will not know it is me. I will not do interviews or will only do them with my face blurred and with a crazy computer scratchy voice. or at least with a mask on. and a cowboy hat on. definitely a cowboy hat on.

I think If I could be one thing that I am not, that doesn't exist much anymore, I think I would be a cowboy. Like a fake Cormac McCarthy cowboy though, not a real one. That would be no fun.

Hardly anything is as fun in real life as it is in your mind.

A wise man once said, You've just got to prepare yourself to be a janitor. You're always cleaning up a mess your whole life. and maintenance and all that. It's not depressing. It's just life. There's not enough janitors in life, but more than a few mess-makers. Dare to be a janitor. Which is really just doing your job. Don't fret about discerning "God's will". That's it: be a good human. Do your job. Clean up your messes. Clean up other people's messes. Do it your whole life. Do it with joy.

Easy, right? We've got our whole lives to practice.

Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Amen.


He will (and does) by the way.

wittenberg institute

Cool. I'm glad that the cool, new, independent, free, Lutheran seminary is opening now. Just a couple years too late folks.

http://www.wittenberginstitute.org/

Oh, well. Even though I miss out, this place looks pretty legit.

Advent is coming

They have already lit up their Christmas lights here is Cambridge. And it isn't even Advent yet. Advent. That forgotten season in the church calendar.

Download this pdf tutorial on Advent from Pastor Cwirla.
A taste:

The church year in the West begins with with a preparatory season called “Advent.” The word “advent” comes from the Latin word adventus, which means “appearing” or “coming,” referring to the appearing of a great king or even a god. In Christian usage, it refers to the appearing of Jesus Christ in two ways - His first appearing as the Child born of the Virgin Mary and His second appearing in glory on the Last Day to judge the living and the dead. You see, Advent isn’t only about getting ready for Christmas; it’s also about getting ready for Jesus’ final appearing in glory only the Last Day.

Sick of the consumerism of "Christmas?" Consider delving into Advent. Cwirla has some good ideas: Attend Advent services Wed night, do daily advent themes devotions, decorate for Christmas in stages, make an advent calendar, and for a conversation starter - when people say "Happy Holidays" or "Merry Christmas" respond with "Blessed Advent"

Cwirla mentions that Advent traditionally involves fasting.
I have known that Wednesday and Friday have been fast days, but I never knew why. Well...

From the early centuries, Christians fasted each week on Wednesdays and Fridays. Wednesday was the day our Lord was betrayed by Judas, Friday the day He was crucified for our salvation.

Cool. I think fasting in some regard during advent (and adding a time of prayer), may be a great aid to prepare for Christmas and to anticipate the coming of our Lord while also bucking the consumer-minded trends.

VDMA

VDMA stands for the Latin phrase: Verbum Domini Manet in Aeternum or in English: The Word of the Lord Endures Forever. This battle cry of the Reformation comes through in various hymns such as in A Mighty Fortress: “The Word they still shall let remain.” It reminds us that the Scriptures are the only sure guide for faith and life.

Peter quoting Isaiah says:

24 for
“All flesh is like grass
and all its glory like the flower of grass.
The grass withers,
and the flower falls,
25 but the word of the Lord remains forever.”
And this word is the good news that was preached to you.

It is and it is.

The word is the word is the word.

endtimes.

We are at the end of the church year and Advent is soon upon us. The theme is (in part) Christ's second coming. Here are some assorted studies I've been doing on that topic:

America is enamored with Dispensational Premillenialsm, which says that Christ will literally and physically be on earth for his millennial reign, at this second coming.

Christ's second coming includes MUCH more than this view espouses.

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Reguarding Scripture:

Premillennialism is based a lot on a literal interpretation of Revelation 20:1-6. Especially verse 2:

"And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years"

Rev 20:2 mentions that Satan was bound. When did this happen? We must look to Scripture for help. The only other reference to binding the devil in the New Testament occurs in a parallel account in Matt 12, Mark 3, and Luke 11 when Jesus was casting out demons and was accused of doing it "in the power of Beelzebub."

Jesus responds and mentions that one must "bind" the strong man. This word used in Matthew and Luke is the same used in Rev 20:2.

The "strong man" is Satan. Jesus was saying that as he was casting out demons, he was setting these people free from the slavery of Satan. He was showing that in him, the kingdom of God had come.

The devil was bound, counquered and judged as the result of Christ's life, death on the cross, and resurrection.

Also, a couple verses help determine when this binding of Satan and the 1000 years took place:
2 Peter 2:4

"For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment;"

and Jude 6

"And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day—"

These scriptures clearly show that the fallen angels were bound for judgement.
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Regarding the 1000 years, there are only two other passages that mention a time period of 1000 years.

Ps 90:4

"For a thousand years in your sight are but as yesterday when it is past, For a thousand years in your sight are but as or as a watch in the night."

and
2 Pet 3:8

"But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day."

Here, 1000 years is a general reference to a lengthy period of earthly time, which is brief in God's view.

Also helpful is Ps 50:10 for this idea of 1000:

"For every beast of the forest is mine,
the cattle on a thousand hills."

This does not reference 1000 specific hills, but is a way of referring to a large number of hills. 1000 is a number of completeness meaning "all the hills." Also similar is Isaiah 7:23:
"In that day every place where there used to be a thousand vines, worth a thousand shekels of silver, will become briers and thorns."

Here 1000 means, "abundant," "many" vines.

These scriptures show that 1000 years is not so much a literal chronological, period of time, but a time of completeness. The biblical tradition of "a one day is like 1000 years and 1000 years is like a day" points to the sense of completeness all of that God has planned.
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I believe in the visible, personal return of Christ, but I have a number of disagreements will the Premillennial view on the end times.

My church (the LCMS) holds a view which is called "amillennialist" (sometimes called "realized millennialism" because the period spoken of in Revelation 20 is now in the process of realization). Amillenialists believe that the "thousand-year" reference in Revelation 20 is a figurative expression for the present reign of Christ which began upon His ascension into heaven and will be fully manifested at His second coming. Christ's second coming will be one event at which time He will, "raise up me and all the dead, and give unto me and all believers in Christ eternal life".

I firmly hold the amillenialist view and ground my belief solidly in the whole of scripture. I think that Premillenialism tends to overlook the greater story of Scripture as seen through Christ and his work on the Cross. Here are some of my (and my church's) basic disagreements with Premillenialism (summarized from LCMS literature):

1. Premillennialism teaches that the Messiah and His kingdom promised in the Old Testament are essentially political in nature. Christ's atoning work on the cross is not central in God's plan according to this view. Rather, He is wrongly perceived as coming to set up a this-worldly kingdom.

2. The view regards the Messianic age as only a future reality, depriving people of the comforting promises of the Gospel in the present. In truth, Christ inaugurated the kingdom of heaven at His first coming, a kingdom which is now ours by faith even while it is yet hidden under the cross until its consummation at Christ's second coming.

3. Dispensational premillennialism tends to regard the glory of God as the center of theology, rather than the mercy of God revealed, and yet hidden, in the suffering and death of Jesus on the cross for the sins of the world. The visible manifestations of God's power at the end of history and obedience to the will of God become the primary focus, instead of the grace of God revealed in the cross of Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 2:2)--which by faith the Christian regards and accepts as the place of God's definitive triumph over sin and every evil.

4. All prophecy points to Jesus Christ as the fulfillment. When the reality to which the Old Testament points does come, one cannot revert back to the "shadows," such as the Old Testament temple (Col. 2:16-17; Heb. 10:1).

5. It makes a radical distinction between the Mosaic "law" period and the church age of "grace." The relationship between the Old and New Testaments is that of promise and fulfillment.
6. Ultimately, Premillenialism offers a dangerously false hope of exemption from the intensified persecution toward the end. Moreover, it offers a second chance of conversion for those who are left after the rapture. The focus of the Scripture's hope is not an earthly kingdom lasting 1000 years but eternity with Christ.

7. The premillenial view of a radical break between Israel and the church contradicts the Scriptural teaching that the cross of Christ has eliminated forever the distinction between Jew and Gentile (Gal. 3:28; Eph. 2:11-22; Rom. 2:25-29).

8. Using consistent literalism in Biblical interpretation is contrary to the Scripturally-derived principles of interpretation.

9. Multiple resurrections and judgments are contrary to the clear Scriptural teaching on the end times.

10. The assurance and hope of salvation tend to be grounded on an interpretation of the signs of the times rather than on the sure Word of promise imparted in the means of grace.

11. The sacraments of Holy Baptism and the Lord's Supper, both of which are important for a Biblical understanding of the end times, have little place in premillenial teaching.

Bible Study or Hooray for Piety.

I'm teaching 3 bible study sessions coming up. Here are some assorted notes and source material on my work in progress.

My thesis: Ritual rooted in the Word is the answer to our emotional weariness.

The title is something like: Ritual and emotions: Oil and water or peas in a pod?

Objectives: After this lesson, the learners will be able to:
-Tell how emotion/experience/feelings are seen in scripture. And how ritual is seen.
-Identify Word-rooted ritual in their own worship/devotional lives.
-Apply ritual through praying the daily office and confession to receive comfort from the Gospel of Christ.

1: In regard to faith; emotions, feelings, and experience are not bad.
2: There is a proper order, faith, then emotion.
3: The Word produces emotion: It kills. It comforts.
4: Most awesomely, The Word produces faith through the Gospel of Christ.
5: Let’s get us some Word.



Fill in the blanks: (you don’t have to share with the group)

Today, I feel ___________
For me, I anticipate that this service will be _________
Normally, when I come to church, I feel ________

I have deliberately used “feel” words. “There is nothing wrong with feelings, emotions, and experience. In fact, the lack of any experience is in itself an experience. The lack of feeling is a feeling. The lack of emotion is an emotion.”


Share a few?


Imagine we had couple visit church,that no one knew. The service starts and during the singing of “This is the Feast,” they both raise their hands above their head and start swaying. Then during the sermon they both shout “Amen” at various points in the sermon.
During tea after they service, they come up to you and ask you “How can you stand being apart of such a dead church?” How would you respond?

Personally, I have tended to have a negative reaction to experience, emotion and feeling.
-Introduce self and my church experience. Mark’s gospel. Reaction to Christ. His works, His gospel. Focus not on us.

Ashtonished:
Mark 1: 22And they were astonished at his teaching
27And they were all amazed
Mark 2:12b they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, "We never saw anything like this!"
Mark 4: 41And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, "Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?"


Lutherans, especially German Lutherans, don’t like the touchy feely stuff. Need a balance.

“The divorce between doctrine and piety, the mind and the heart, characteristic of both orthodox Reformation folk today on one side and pietists and charismatics on the other, is a course for disaster, not for either reformation or revival. (2)” - Dr. Michael Horton:


Let’s look at Christ.

2 natures – divine and HUMAN

he eats, he sleeps.

Gethsemene, weeping blood
Matthew 26:36-39
36 Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to His disciples, "Sit here while I go over there and pray."
37And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be grieved and distressed.
38Then He said to them, "My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death; remain here and keep watch with Me."

39And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will."
John 12:27
27 "Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? 'Father, save me from this hour'? But for this purpose I have come to this hour.

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emotions are ok.

Martin Luther writes, "We can mark our lack of faith by our lack of joy; for our joy must necessarily be as great as our faith." Again he writes, "You have as much laughter as you have faith."(5)

Feelings and emotions. while not the cause of our faith, are the expression of our faith.

Pendulum swing. Extremes. Beware.

Feelings and emotions are an effect and not a cause.

Martin Luther put it this way:

“We must not judge by what we feel or by what we see before us. The Word must be followed, and we must firmly hold that these truths are to be believed, not experienced; for to believe is not to experience. Not indeed that what we believe is never to be experienced but that faith is to precede experience. And the Word must be believed even when we feel and experience what differs entirely from the Word. (3)”

Think about this for a moment:
How do we carry on in the Christian life when “we feel and experience what differs entirely from the Word?”

Luther further writes, "Feeling must follow, but faith, apart from all feeling, must be there first.” (4)

-This is a leading question, but if faith, apart from all feeling, must be there first.’ How do we get that faith?

What is wrong with the following sentence?
"Rather than coming against a feel-good faith, we should clearly teach that true Christian feelings, emotions, and Holy Spirit experience are the product of sound theology."
Not theology, THE WORD! We are encountered by the Word.


SOLUTION
Romans 10:17 – "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God."

“I still constantly find that when I am without the Word, Christ is gone, yes, and so are joy and the Spirit. But as soon as I look at a psalm or a passage of Scripture, it so shines and burns into my heart that I gain a different spirit and mind. Moreover, I know that everybody may daily experience this in his own life.” (6) Luther


The Word: Law and Gospel

Word law
Jer 23:29
29 "Is not my word like fire, declares the LORD, and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?"

Deut 32: 39
"'See now that I, even I, am he,
and there is no god beside me;
I kill and I make alive;
I wound and I heal;
and there is none that can deliver out of my hand."

1 Samuel 2:6
6 "The LORD kills and brings to life;
he brings down to Sheol and raises up."

Job 5:18
18"For he wounds, but he binds up;
he shatters, but his hands heal."

Hosea 6
1"Come, let us return to the LORD;
for he has torn us, that he may heal us;
he has struck us down, and he will bind us up."

Magesterial use of reason and ministerial use?


So, the answer:
Luther said, "Hear God’s Word often; do not go to bed, do not get up, without having spoken a beautiful passage two, three, or four of them to your heart." (7)


Ritual. Holy habits. Get the Word into you and the Word will kill you and make you alive. We need the gospel of Christ in our ears, in our minds, and on our lips. We have the present proclamation of the forgiveness of sin at our finger tips. Let's eat it up!

Make a list of routines that you have throughout the day: on board. – brush teeth, take shower. eat breakfast. Pray. Read the Word of God. Which is most important? Come on, folks.

The Word. It does things. It convicts us, it restores us. We are able to feed on the Word and the gospel of Christ's work on the cross refreshes us and brings us comfort in the midst of our daily grind.

End:
Pray Psalm 42.

Next time(s): Look at the small catechism in the Hymnal (pg 327). Daily Prayers. making the sign of cross. The Daily Hours. Daily lectionary (pg 299) Prayer in scripture. Plan out day. 30 minutes a day. Confession (pg254)

go here and read all these quotes.

Lutheran?

I wrote the following to a friend who wonders if he is still Lutheran:

From a man who has been Methodist, Baptist, Church of God (Anderson, In), Mennonite, Pentecostal, Brethren, Non-denominational, emergent, and has dabbled in about everything else, I must say that the key is: "Where is the gospel being preached? Where is Christ?" Rare is the church that preaches grace alone through faith alone by Christ alone. And rare is the church that offers God's grace for you through the sacraments.
Every organization is messed up. We are sinners and we have to live with sinners. Pick your poison. But if you think the grass on the LCMS' lawn is withering, brother, the grass does not get much greener in any other church body, congregation, or loosely affiliated alliance.
What does it mean to be "Lutheran"? It is not a denomination. It's about the Gospel.
How bout this? Just sit down and have a chat with Benedict, change his mind about the justification thing, then we have nothing to worry about. We'll just go back home to Rome.

I heard an absolutely terrible sermon tonight. We've been in the habit of going to Evensong at the different colleges. Unfortunately, on Sunday night, it seems that a sermon is included. I can handle the Church of England, for the most part. If there is no sermon.

If your pastor finishes preaching a sermon and you notice that he has not mentioned Jesus, it is time for you to discuss the issue with your pastor.

If your pastor finishes preaching a sermon and you notice that he has only mentioned Jesus in regard to what you do for Him, it is time for you to discuss the issue with your pastor.

If your pastor finishes preaching a sermon and you notice that he has only mentioned Jesus in regard to how he can help you do things, it is time for you to discuss the issue with your pastor.


Using the Bible or quoting scripture does not make something Christian.

Jesus makes things Christian. His death and resurrection for us is what makes something Christian.

It is no wonder that people in England and America are becoming agnostic in droves. Pastors are feeding moralism to their congregations. The laity is being starved from feeding on the pure Gospel of Christ and receiving his forgiveness.

Thank God most of the Church of England still uses the liturgy. They still get the Word of God and the Gospel.

How sad is is for those who go to a "Christian" church and not only do they have to endure the assult of a law-driven lecture on moralism, but they also have no liturgy rooted in God's Word. They get a half an hour of songs written by...somebody.

Thank you, faithful pastors, who have boldly proclaimed the Gospel.

And those false leaders, who have neglected to proclaim Christ, but exalt moralism...
please, seriously, stop it.
My job is now like sweeping up the Cookie Monster's crumbs. It is like cleaning up Garfield's lasanga trays.
Cut it out.

The Son of God Goes Forth to War

I come across this hymn the other day in the treasury of daily prayer. I was quite stuck my verse three:

A glorious band, the chosen few
on whom the Spirit came;
twelve valiant saints, their hope they knew,
and mocked the cross and flame.
They met the tyrant's brandished steel,
the lion's gory mane;
they bowed their heads the death to feel:
who follows in their train?

LSB 661:3

I think this is a traditional hymn for All Saints Day. It really brought to my mind all those who have suffered and are suffering for the name of Christ. My comfort as a Christian is an abnormal comfort as experienced throughout the history of the Church. God's Word brings comfort, but it must kill first. Daily we are called to die and rise with Christ as his word encounters us, crushing us and restoring us.

Christ is Here

For the Crucified One becomes a figure of the past if His true body and His true blood, what He sacrificed for our sins on Golgotha, are not present in the Sacrament of the Altar and given to us. And the One who is coming again becomes a figure of a distant, unforeseeable future that lies beyond the scope of our life unless the church's prayer, "Maranatha," "Come, Lord Jesus," is already fulfilled now in every celebration of the Lord's Supper. There is no Gospel without the Real Presence. The Lord's Supper is a component of the Gospel; the Gospel is the content of the Lord's Supper.

-- Hermann Sasse, *We Confess: The Sacraments* p. 121
via Pastor Weedon's blog

Sweet.

My wife works in a candy shop. They have been playing the music from different film soundtracks at the store. The other day they were playing music from "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" and when the Lumpa Lumpaa Song came on, a little midget woman walked into the store. After a couple minutes, she farted, waved her hand in front of her nose and walked out of the store.

Drunk Ewoks moonwalking

Drunk Ewoks Moonwalking - watch more funny videos

I know what I should have been for halloween.

Saw the fireworks display down at Jesus Green for Guy Fawkes day.
There was also a fair with rides and lights and food and things.

My favorite book is the Treasury of Daily Prayer. It is good for devotions. For everyday it has a psalm (or a section of one) an OT reading (20 verses or so) an NT reading (20 verses or so), a writing from a church father, and a prayer. It is good to help you develop a routine in your practice of prayer and scripture reading. I highly recommend it to all. Even Non-lutherans like it.

If anyone can find the ark of the covenant...

...Brad Lidge can.

?

The conclusions Lidge reached during those summers have provided essential comfort ever since. Lidge and the Phillies begin the World Series tonight, but during the long regular season and a bewildering slump, he retained perspective. Through careful reading, thinking, and studying - Lidge is pursuing a degree in religious archaeology, with plans to eventually work in that field - he continues to cultivate a personalized Christianity. That process began in earnest in Kissimmee.

via get religion.

I need to get lights for my bike. it is a 50 pound fine if you ride at night without them.

Today, I read a lot about the Jews and their festivals. I like the ones that involve wine. Just add Jesus and I will celebrate them.

Tonight I am studying New Testament papyrus fragments: P64 and P67 (photocopies of them, actually). It's pretty cool. They are probably the oldest physical copies of the New Testament that have been uncovered (200s AD)

I will also read about Paul's theology of the atonement. Romans 3:25-26 stuff.

I will also drink beer and eat pizza and watch the World Series.

I have been watching most of the Word Series games. It is difficult though. They start at 1AM and chapel starts at 8:20 the next morning. I am driven by my desire to see the Yankees lose. I was at the game that ended their previous dynesty (Game 7 2001 World Series) so I feel that I have a hand in the goings on.

Two things I have found interesting:

One. Chase Utley is now tied with Reggie Jackson for most homeruns in a world series. really? Yeah. It's true. That means I will watch in hopes of that chumps record getting broken.

Two. The last World series to go more than 5 games was in 2003. I had thought that we were on a pretty boring run. I'm ready for another dynasty, as long as its not the Yankees, someone like Detroit. Here's the 7 gamers during my lifetime. 82, 85, 86, 87, 91, 97, 01, 02. I had forgetten about 02, 97 and 82 (ok, I never actually remembered that last one in the first place.)
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I'm enjoying the Mark class. It is really interesting was you learn when you read the Bible. I mean, I think it is easy to get caught up in reading about the Bible rather than actually reading the Bible.
A few observances:
one. Immediately, immediately, immediately
two. People freak out. They are amazed, astonished all the time.
three. Demons are all over. And they are "unclean"
four. The plot to kill Jesus is on soon. Chapter 3?
five. Huge crowds. Can't fit in a house, cannot eat, need to get in a boat.

--

It gets dark here soon.

It is good that Becca works in a candy shop. Yum.

Here's to hoping the LCMS changes its name at the next convention. Lutheran Church USA sounds fine to me.

I have a bible study to lead on the 15th for three weeks. I'm thinking an Advent theme, maybe study a bit on fasting, expectation, Christ's first coming, presence with us, and second coming. I should just teach on something I know. I know Evangelicalism. I know baseball. I will do a bible study on Billy Sunday.

I need to read more Hermann Sasse. He is legit.

possible paper topics

I need to write papers, I am brainstorming topics.

Early church - centrality of the eucharist in pre-Nicean liturgies, Christian communities. Infant baptism?

Genesis? "let us make man in our image" ?

Romans - mercy seat and/or redemption motif in Romans 3:25-26

Judaism and Hellenism ?

Mark - thombazo, wonder and astonishment in Mark

Medieval -

Islam - mass conversions to Islam among non-Chalcedonian Christians in the middle east and Asia

Modern Judaism?

My song is love unknown

I like this hymn

My song is love unknown,
My Savior’s love to me;
Love to the loveless shown,
That they might lovely be.
O who am I, that for my sake
My Lord should take, frail flesh and die?

(LSB 430, verse 1)