O Blessed Lord, and Ruler of the House of Israel

O Blessed Lord, and Ruler of the House of Israel,
Who to Moses in the flame of the burning bush appeared
And to him the Law in Sinai did give—
Come to redeem us by an outstretched arm.

Redemption is rooted in the very law of creation. God’s redemption is one that comes to us as a defiance of the rulers of this world and all the powers that defy God—sin, death, and the devil. God gives us a law modeled on the very order of creation—an order that demands life at its fullest.

When our world is dismal and full of hopelessness, when we find ourselves deep in the foreign land of sin’s captivity—there God breaks into our life with all the glory of a blazing fire. God breaks into our lives and demands redemption for us and for the natural order of things with a word that rings as clear as any legal decree. This word is handed down to us from on high as with a clarity that is the order the universe.


This is our God, the God who first spoke a word of being and gave order to all existence. The God who spoke to Moses from a fire that refused to destroy, but inspired him to deliver the Israelite people to a land of milk and honey, a land of abundant life. The God who promises us that this world’s order of death and disease, of brokenness and imperfection do not, cannot have the last word. For our God has broken into our story and brings us redemption with all the force of a mighty outstretched arm against all those forces that would defy the order of abundant life—in the here and now and for all eternity.

Our God’s law of life kills this world’s law of sin.

O Blessed Lord, and Ruler of the House of Israel,
Who to Moses in the flame of the burning bush appeared
And to him the Law in Sinai did give—
Come to redeem us by an outstretched arm.

Read:
Exodus 3
Galatians 6

-DS

O Wisdom, From the Mouth of the Most High Proceeding

O Wisdom, from the mouth of the Most High proceeding,
From farthest bounds to farthest bounds pervading,
Mightily and sweetly all things ordaining,
Come to bring us understanding.

Wisdom—it’s more than simply being smart. It’s something that goes deeper than that. It’s something that is more than simply being right. It’s something that goes deeper than that. Wisdom is about being at peace and harmony with the order of things, with the way things are “supposed to be.” To be wise is to be attune to creation and all its intricacies.

We in our culture often talk of wisdom coming with age and experience. A wise person has had a chance to live life, make mistakes, and learn from them. But what of God’s wisdom? God’s wisdom is as timeless as God’s very existence.

In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.

God’s wisdom was there when the very foundations of the universe were called for into existence. The wisdom of God, whose incarnated coming is nigh. When this wisdom enters our story, it brings understanding—understanding about who we are and who God is. It brings understanding of our brokenness, understanding of our failings, understandings of our selfishness, understanding shortcomings. But it also brings understanding of God’s mercy, of God’s grace, of God’s transcendent truth, of God’s all-encompassing desire that creation be at harmony with itself and with God.

But most importantly, it brings understanding that in our brokenness, we are nonetheless tied to God's greatness. That is God's wisdom, the righting of the wrongs about this world and God's promise is that we are part of that healing.

O Wisdom, from the mouth of the Most High proceeding,
From farthest bounds to farthest bounds pervading,
Mightily and sweetly all things ordaining,
Come to bring us understanding.

Read:
Proverbs 8
John 1:1-14

-DS

Book Review - "The Devil: A Very Short Introduction" by Darren Oldridge

The Devil: A Very Short Introduction is a compact book by Darren Oldridge, whose title points right to its content. It was published in 2012 by Oxford University Press. It can be purchased in paperback for $10.76. ISBN: 978-0-19-958099-6

This book is a helpful guide to the history, depiction, and beliefs surrounding one of the most known yet most enigmatic beings in the study of theology—the Devil. In it, Oldridge addresses how the Devil has come to occupy a place within the teachings of the church from a simpler past in the Hebrew scriptures.

Before addressing the notion of particular being named the Devil or Satan or Lucifer, Oldridge addresses the concept of evil itself. This is a good place for any discussion about the Devil to begin. For we attribute the source of evil to the Devil. It therefore makes good sense to begin the discussion at this place.

Why is the Devil even a concern? Answer: because evil exists, and the Devil is responsible for it.

The book's strongest feature is Oldridge’s history of the Devil. For those who have only a cursory, Sunday school understanding of the Devil, this is particularly enlightening. Oldridge writes, “Some may find the historical approach to the Devil problematic, however. This is because it assumes that religious ideas are shaped by the cultures in which they emerge, and they change in response to developments within these cultures.”

This worry is one that plagues Christian theology in areas not concerned with dæmonology as well. To insist that culture in any impinges on theology for many folks makes them question their entire theological way-of-thinking. For them, theology is something that exists in a vacuum, completely removed from the physical world. Not only is this way of thinking about things patently false—theology does intersect our culture—it is inherently and dreadfully dangerous. It is closely related to Oldridge’s later observation that today’s culture discounts the existence of Satan, despite a long-standing tradition that points to the contrary.

Oldridge concludes the book by saying—“If the prince of darkness existed, he would surely rejoice that this truth is easily forgotten. He might even, as Charles Baudelaire suggested, choose to encourage our ignorance by pretending he does not exist at all.” What Oldridge is saying here is that today we rely so heavily on our senses of logic and good order for the world that we can’t possibly allow for some creature such as the Devil to be part of our worldview, and it’s precisely this notion that the Devil uses to further his diabolic agenda. What better way to hide than to not even exist?

In response to the concern about culture influencing how we approach the whole question of the Devil—and anything else theological for matter—Oldridge writes that the past is our best source of information for the Devil’s activity in this world. The past, while culturally bound, does not dictate our the truth, although it does give us a guide to look at when perplexed. For Christians, part of our past is Scripture and the interpretation of it. In light of that reality, we can also approach questions about the Devil, who makes appearances in Scripture as well.

Quoting the historian Jeffery Burton Russell, himself an expert on the Devil, Oldridge writes—“The ‘only sure knowledge we have about the Devil is our knowledge of his historical development.’” It’s through the recounting of experiences of people gone before us, themselves part of culture, that we today are even able to speak about the Devil and his working of evil in the world.

For anyone who need a “very short introduction” into the question of the Devil, this book is a good choice. In its 104 thematic pages, the book packs a lot of information that could merit a second or third reading. In addition to the meat of the matter, Oldridge includes an extensive, helpful bibliography of almost ten pages.

This book is a good resource for anyone who has questions about the question of evil in our world and the way that that question has been tackled throughout history.

-DS

Brief Thoughts for the Day: What is Worship?

A good theology of worship has as its foundation a theology of the cross.

That is to say, that worship is a place where the unexpected happens—God comes to us in such simple things as words, water, and bread and wine. A theology of the cross always turns convention on its head and reveals God to us in ways that the wider culture would say is impossible.

For example, God comes to us in the ancient words of the creed when we confess with our own lips the same confession from the fourth century—“For us and for our salvation, he came down from heaven and was made man.” Such a confession transgresses all kinds of boundaries—boundaries of culture, boundaries of language, boundaries of geography, and even the boundaries of logic itself. This is just one example of how worship embodies the reality of a theology of the cross.

The cross is at its very heart, at its very center the reversal of logic and expectation. No one expects God to hang on a cross, let alone die for the sinfulness, the brokenness, and all the general vileness of this world and humanity.

But it precisely in the cross that God is revealed for who God is—as the source and fountain of all love, grace, and truth. A truth that reveals all that this world is and all that God is—all the imperfection of this world and its reliance on God’s gracious love for us, a love that is willing even go to the ends of perdition to turn this world’s ways of sin, death, and destruction on their head. In worship, we enter into this mystery as members of God through Christ our Lord, whose death on the cross means life for us and for the world.

-DS

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

It’s that time of year again. It’s that time of year when we’re busy doing this and doing that. We have this family event to drive to, that school concert to go to, that work Christmas party to attend. The month of December is full of activities to keep us busy as the approaching Christmas holiday draws ever nearer.



The church is a bit different, though. The church takes time to sit back and “enjoy” the season before Christmas. This time is the church’s season of Advent. In it, we wait for the coming of God in Christ by preparing ourselves in prayer and meditation. We wait for the coming of Christ by rejoicing at God’s promise to be with us, to abide with us, to be our Emmanuel. We wait for the coming of Christ by beholding what wondrous blessings God has showered on us already in the life and death of Christ, as God with us and God for us. Advent is a time that we as the church intentionally celebrate God’s first coming as a baby in a barn at Bethlehem as well as look for the promised return in glory at the end of all time. As we look for that time, we wait…we prepare…we rejoice…and we behold.

A popular song I’m sure you’ll be hearing when shopping for Christmas presents or driving from the many activities that fill this pre-Christmas season is “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.” While this song focuses on the Christmas holiday, it in fact holds a lot of truth even in this frenzied mad dash to December 25. This is indeed one of the most wonderful times of the year. A time for us to step back from the craziness of our lives and to appreciate, to really “enjoy” the abundant blessings God showers on us and to look forward to that a time to celebrate Christ’s coming as well as look forward with hopeful expectation to his returning.

Happy Advent everyone!

-DS

What does Luther mean by Christian Freedom?

           In Luther’s On Christian Freedom, he elucidates the meaning of Christian freedom. His definition and explanation come as a reaction to the church’s teaching on penance and the sale of indulgences. Luther first publicly reacts to what he considered an abomination in October of 1517 when he nailed[1] his 95 Theses to the castle church in Wittenberg, Germany. In 1520, Luther writes On Christian Freedom to make clear his understanding of Christian duty, justification, good works, and each concept’s relationship to the other.

            Luther begins by making it clear that faith in God comes through hearing. Luther writes, “One thing and one thing alone is necessary for the Christian life, righteousness and freedom, and that is the most holy word of God, the Gospel of Christ.”[2] Several paragraphs later Luther writes, “For faith alone is the saving and efficacious use of the word of God.”[3] For Luther, this faith comes through the hearing of the Gospel of Christ proclaimed and through the inward work of the Holy Spirit. One cannot come to faith in Christ on one’s own account because humans are bound by sin. One is dependent on the work of the Holy Spirit for one to become a faithful witness of the Gospel of Christ.

            Second, Luther takes on the question of how one is justified before God. This is a continuous battle for Luther in his writing and preaching because of the Roman Church’s teaching on penance and sale of indulgences. The masses believed that one must do good works or purchase indulgences in order to allow one to be justified before God. Luther was appalled at this notion and said that faith alone justifies. He writes, “It is clear that the soul needs the word alone for life and righteousness, because if the soul could be justified by anything else, it would not need the word and consequently, would not need faith.”[4] Luther emphasizes that no external works justify a human being. A human is justified by the grace of God through faith in Christ Jesus alone!

            Justification by grace through faith, faith through hearing/proclamation, and the work of the Holy Spirit led Luther to identify the true meaning of Christian freedom. He writes, “…Anyone can clearly see how the Christian is free from all things and is over all things, so that such a person requires no works at all to be righteous or saved.”[5] This is not to say that an individual will do nothing once one is given faith through the work of the Holy Spirit. Luther holds that works automatically follow when one receives faith as gift. He writes, “These works, however, ought not to be done under the supposition that through them a person is justified before God.”[6] Instead Luther writes, “The person does them in compliance to God out of spontaneous love, considering nothing else than the divine favor to which the person wishes to comply most dutifully in all things.”[7] Luther’s understanding of Christian freedom is that Christians are freed from the tangles of sin through the resurrection of Christ to love and serve their neighbors. Luther asserts Christian freedom in concisely in two sentences saying, “The Christian individual is a completely free lord of all, subject to none. The Christian individual is a completely dutiful slave of all, subject to all.”[8]

---

[1] Maybe nailed, maybe posted at the university, maybe did not post. Regardless, this work was circulated and led to the Protestant Reformation.

[2] P. 3

[3] P. 4

[4] P. 5

[5] P. 16

[6] P. 19

[7] P. 19

[8] P. 2 – Unfortunately Luther does not mean that Christ has freed me to do whatever the hell I want. This is not to say that I could not do whatever I want because I can. will not go to hell because my salvation is secured by my baptism and thus faith. But the reality is that I cannot do whatever I want because my faith and conscience will not allow me! (End of footnote rant/randomness).

"Election Day Prayer" - Thy Will Be Done

Today is Election Day.

Folks across the country will be going to polls to cast votes about the future of our nation, states, and communities. In Virginia and New Jersey, people are voting for their governor. In Colorado, citizens are addressing the issue of forming a new state. In many states, judicial elections are happening. There are exciting things happening. Election days are always exciting times—even on “off year” election cycles. They’re exciting, and they’re important as well.


For Christians, elections might seem like tricky matters. Some Christians believe faithful folks have no place casting votes or being involved in civic matters. Others see it as their civic duty to establish a “Christian” faithview as a framework for governance. Whatever the case, Christians have a voice at election time.

Wherever you come down on the issue, Christians who do participate in the civic processes of our government do well to engage in heartfelt, faithful a prayer throughout. A prayer that God’s will be done, be it through elections or other means. In praying this prayer, it’s paramount for us to remember that although we often mean well and act as faithfully as we can, our prayer that God’s will be done ultimately is directed at the Divine and might produce fruit we might not first expect.

The wise words of the Prophet Isaiah speak to the unexpected ways of God:

Seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake their way, and the unrighteous their thoughts; let them return to the Lord, that he may have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. -Isaiah 58:6-9, NRSV

Several months ago, I had the privilege to preach on the Lord’s prayer for a congregation in my home synod. The Spirit called me to preach about praying for God’s will at all times when we offer up our prayers:

Why do we pray? To plead for God’s will to be realized? Or is our prayer tinged with a blue or red hue, hoping God will swing the election the way I want or have the courts rule as I desire? Are we like Abraham, with our own sense of justice, when we come before God with our prayer? “Thy will be done” rises daily off the lips of countless Christian in prayer. If we believe God answers our prayers, why the discouragement when things don’t go as we’d hope? Is it possible, deep down, we’re not really praying “thy will be done,” but rather “thy will as I know it should be done?”

It’s easy for us to make our prayers about us—what we think is best for this country, for this world, for the Kingdom of God. It’s easy for us to think we’re guided by the Holy Spirit in our praying for particularities, whatever they may be. It’s easy for us put our faithful trust on an inwardly focused place, instead of in the outwardly focused place of God. But when we pray “thy will be done on earth as in heaven” we put our trust in Christ and not in our own holiness, and we seal it by faith, declaring the Kingdom, with all its glory and power, belong to God alone. That’s the kind of prayer Christians should be about before heading to the polls—and any other time they offer up pleas and thanksgiving to God.

In closing, I offer this prayer that I wrote for Election Day, for as St. James writes, “The prayer of the righteous one is strong and effective." ….

Almighty Father, ruler of highest heaven, we come before you today as our nation casts votes to decide a course of action for our future. Inspire the people of our nation by the power and wisdom of your Spirit, that we might act justly toward all people in concord with your divine will; through your Christ Jesus, Your holy Son and our Lord of lords and King of kings, who reigns together with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

-DS