Let mutual love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it, -Hebrews 13:1-2Like much of America, I decided to return to the gym in January. This past summer, going to the gym was part of my daily routine. It has been for the past several years, off and on. I knew it was good for me to start going to the gym again, and I knew if I paid for a membership, I’d be sure to go. A financial incentive always seems to do the trick! I walk into the fitness area at the recreation center, and I’m confronted with a roomful of fit young men—lean muscles rippling and faces stern in concentration—as they attempt to sculpt there bodies into even finer specimens. I felt horribly out of place in my faded sweat pants and t-shirt unadorned by any particular company's logo. But I kept going… When I walked into the cardio room, the place was packed with people moving in sync with their music and machines. Again I felt horribly out of place, the words “What am I doing here?” running across my mental screen. But I stayed… I stayed because I knew it was good for me. It was good for me to overcome that sense of awkwardness and unbelonging and take care of myself physically. I knew that no one was paying me any attention anyhow, so I could go about my business. In the church, we have people who come who because they too recognize that it’s good for them. They too, for whatever reason, arrive because they recognize that going to church outweighs the benefit of staying away. But it can nonetheless be difficult for them. We who are the “insiders” at the church—the ones who know what words like “liturgy,” or “lectionary,” or “acolyte” mean. And sometimes that knowledge sets us apart from people in ways that do more harm than good. It’s not that we don’t want to welcome people, but sometimes we don’t know how. But unlike at the gym, we’re called not to simply ignore them and stay in our own “church world.” We are called to reach out and welcome people who aren’t like us, to make room for them at our banquet—the banquet of our Lord. This is something that even the most welcoming churches must keep working on. Just as God’s welcomed us into the mystical union with Christ, so must we also—as a reflection of that lovingkindness—welcome people into our midst. For the body of Christ is that much richer for each new face, voice, and hand that is incorporated into it! And you might never know. By welcoming a new person into the fold, you could just well be hanging out with an angel of God! -DS
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Welcoming Strangers, Entertaining Angels
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
Luther and the Holy Spirit in the Catechisms
The Holy Spirit lies at the crux of Martin Luther’s theological framework and is essential in understanding his teachings. This is seen not only through the teachings of both the large and small catechisms but also in his hymns and sermons as well. More than this, it is clear that Luther’s understanding of the Holy Spirit is greatly informed by his understanding of the Trinity and Augustine’s use of Pauline materials, which Luther adopts into his theological tool-kit. Ultimately, Luther’s theology and more specifically his view of the Holy Spirit serves as an invaluable resource for preachers and church leaders alike for the message Luther fosters is the very proclamation of the Gospel, comfort.
In Luther’s Large Catechism, he discusses the third article of the creed, which
examines the work of the Holy Spirit. Above all, Luther talks about the work of
the Holy Spirit sanctifying humanity. He writes, “I cannot give a better title
than “Being Made Holy.”[1]
This is especially pertinent in 21st century America because there
is an Evangelical Christian phenomenon that emphasizes the work of the
individual to make oneself holy. This attempted journey to sanctification is
birthed out of biblical interpretation and the idea that one can become like
Jesus. When Jesus becomes an example for holy living one runs a continual and
relentless risk of despair. In Dr. Timothy Wengert’s book, Reading the Bible with Martin Luther, he is forward in his
commentary on the acronym WWJD? where he asserts, “WWJD? He would hit you over
the head and say, ‘Get over it! Stop turning me into a lawgiver! It is not
about you and your precious rules and how you clobber others with them; it is
about the mercy of God.’”[2]
There is a notion that one might work
one’s entire life to climb the ladder of holiness with hopes that God will
reward this effort. This is not the reality of sanctification; instead Luther
asserts that they Holy Spirit is the active agent who sanctifies the believers.
The message of the Holy Spirit and its
reality in the life of a Christian is one of the most important realities that
a leader can teach their flock. The message of the Holy Spirit is one that every
individual finds virtually impossible to believe, in part due to this “ladder
to holiness” concept floating about in America (and elsewhere), but also
because the old creature[3]
within an individual finds it hard to believe that the work is done. In the Large
Catechism, Luther understands that the Holy Spirit allows an individual to
undergo a daily baptism. The first baptism is of water and the Word but there
is a daily dying to sin and raising in Christ. Luther writes,
Baptism
is nothing else than the slaying of the old Adam and the resurrection of the
new creature, both of which must continue in us our whole life long. Thus a
Christian life is nothing else than a daily baptism, begun once and continuing
ever after. For we must keep at it without ceasing, always purging whatever
pertains to the old Adam, so that whatever belongs to the new creature may come
forth. What is the old creature? It is what is born in us from Adam, irascible,
spiteful, envious, unchaste, greedy, lazy, proud—yes—and unbelieving; it is
beset with all vices and by nature has nothing good in it. Now, when we enter
Christ’s kingdom, this corruption must daily decrease so that the longer we
live the more gentle, patient, and meek we become, and the more we break away
from greed, hatred, envy, and pride.[4]
Throughout Luther’s Large Catechism he emphasizes that the
Holy Spirit makes humanity holy and the Holy Spirit continues to make humanity
holy. This is not a single action done by the Holy Spirit at a stagnant point
on a timeline; instead this is a continuous action that the Holy Spirit works
throughout the life of the believer. Luther writes, “The Holy Spirit works
through the following: the community of saints or Christian church, the
forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.”[5]
This sanctification is essential in the life of a believer because without this
process one could not know God. No one could know Christ or accept Christ as
the Messiah, God incarnate, without the aid of the Holy Spirit. This is enabled
by the Holy Spirit through the pure preaching of the gospel, which occurs from
the pulpit and through the sacraments of Baptism and Holy Communion.[6]
Without the Holy Spirit’s presence there is no Christian community because the
Holy Spirit is essential in calling, gathering, and creating community. Luther
asserts, “…apart from [the Holy Spirit] no one can come to the Lord Christ.”[7]
He goes on to write, “I believe that there is on earth a holy little flock and
community of pure saints under one head, Christ. It is called together by the Holy
Spirit in one faith, mind, and understanding.”[8]
Luther reiterates the importance of the Holy Spirit and humanity’s utter
dependence on the Holy Spirit throughout his
Large Catechism.
In the Small Catechism, Luther reduces this explanation to three rich and
powerful sentences. In the first sentence Luther sums up his entire exploration
of the work of the Holy Spirit saying,
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
true faith, just as he calls, gathers, enlightens, and makes holy the whole
Christian church on earth and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one common, true
faith.[9]
Luther
emphasizes the human’s utter dependence on faith, which does not exist apart
from the Holy Spirit and the proclamation of the Word. The human cannot come to
Christ without the aid of the Holy Spirit and one cannot partake in God’s
saving power without the Holy Spirit. This is difficult for humans to
understand or come to terms with because humans want to secure their salvation
through their own means even though it leads to despair.
God’s Spirit within humanity
is expressed in the love of one’s heart and remains there throughout one’s
life.[10] Prenter writes, “The Holy
Spirit must be understood as the direct presence of God”[11] in the life of a human
being. One does not want to run the risk of diminishing the importance of the
life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ through negating the importance
of the Holy Spirit. One who says that the one does not need the Holy Spirit in
order to come to Jesus diminishes this fact. As Timothy Wengert writes in A Formula for Parish Practice, “If we
diminish sin and the human predicament, we are at the same time reducing the
importance of Jesus’ saving death and resurrection and the work of the Holy
Spirit in declaring us righteous and making us holy in God’s sight.”[12]
Martin Luther’s understanding of the Holy
Spirit, which runs through all of his work, is important in considering all of
Luther’s theology. Luther understands the Holy Spirit to be indispensable in
the faith of humankind and without this grace given as a free gift from the
Holy Spirit one can do nothing. Each part of the godhead is vital in the whole
and each part sustains, redeems, and creates including the Holy Spirit. It is
essential that all public theologians might consider this and teach it to their
people because the Holy Spirit runs through the veins of congregations—building
up, strengthening, sustaining, and redeeming the human sinners.
-lb
-lb
[1] LC 435:35
[2], Wengert, Reading the Bible with Martin Luther, 23.[3] 2 Corinthians 5:17 makes mention of the
new creature that comes as a result of baptism. The Old Creature dies daily
until it is finally destroyed. The Old Creature represents our prebaptismal
self that lives inside, fueled by the Devil and self to fight against Christ
and Christ’s power.[4] LC 465:65-67
[5] LC 435:37
[6] LC 436:38
[7] LC 436:45-46
A Short Reflection/ Devotion
Paul reminds us that we have hope in the steadfastness of
Scripture. Christ comes to us as a servant on behalf of the truth of God that
God’s promises are confirmed. And Paul calls us to a radical hospitality. To
not only welcome in the people who look like us, the people who are as smart as
us, the people who dress like us, the people who think like us… Paul calls us
to welcome the people who have the opposite political views, the people who are
of different faith traditions, people who don’t look like us or talk like us or
think like us!
We don’t have to do this on our own!
Jesus promises to come to us… to help us
To aid us in our journey!
Jesus goes where no king or God should go… all the way down
to a stable in Bethlehem (living the human experience), all the way to a cross
on Golgotha, to the depths of hell, and to each of our individual sides, to our
needs! God comes to us! We don’t need to go to God… we can’t go to God. People think they don’t need the help of
God. The Pharisees and Sadducees think that they have the privilege that they
can earn this righteousness on their own and John convicts them! He calls them
vipers! He tells them they’re wrong! They need this baptism to cleanse them
because they’re corrupt servants of sin.
We see little glimpses of the Kingdom of God here on earth.
We see it in people who are lit on fire by the Spirit to work for justice and
to love mercy. Nelson Mandela sat in prison for years because he spoke out
against apartheid in South Africa. He didn’t do it on his own. He did it with
the help of God. We see it in the struggling single mother who works three jobs
to support her children. We see it in all the works of our hands led by the
spirit of God. In every breath, in ever diaper changed, in every conversation
with someone who is lonely, in our celebrations of the Eucharist, in baptisms,
over morning coffee and chats with spouses. This is the kingdom! It’s coming
and it’s already here… Jesus is coming and Jesus is already here!
Sunday, December 22, 2013
O King of the Nations, and Great Desire of People
O King of the nations, and great desire of people, Foundational cornerstone, who unites the twain— Come, and save the mortal one, Whom you from the mud did form.A keystone is the uppermost stone in an archway that holds the arch together. It’s a critical piece. If the keystone is weak, the arch will crumble, and whatever the arch is upholding will topple. A strong keystone is important. The cornerstone of a building is similar. It’s the stone that lines up the foundation of a building, making sure it’s square. All the walls radiate from that one corner, and if the cornerstone is off, the entire structure will suffer.
O King of the nations, and great desire of people, Foundational cornerstone, who unites the twain— Come, and save the mortal one, Whom you from the mud did form.Read: Genesis 2 Colossians 1:15-20 -DS
Saturday, December 21, 2013
O Eastern Star, Splendor of Eternal Light
O Eastern Star, Splendor of Eternal Light, And Sun of Justice: Come— And illumine those in darkness sitting, Under the shadow of death.God’s justice is tricky for some folks…When they think of God’s justice, they think along the lines of the justice that John the Baptist tells us about in Matthew 3:
But when John saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit worthy of repentance. Do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor’; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. “I baptize you with water for repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and will gather his wheat into the granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” -Matthew 3:7-12For many, God’s justice is about the Final Judgment, where God will decide who gets into heaven and who’s thrown into the eternal, “unquenchable fire” of hell. It’s an image that scares folks—because it’s meant to scare them. It’s meant to scare folks into repenting and leading a good life. Sadly, when we speak of God’s justice, we’re not primarily speaking about that moment when some will be cast into the lake of fire and others won’t. That’s only part of it—and a minor part of it at that! Christ embodies God’s justice fully and that’s good news for us. It’s good news for us because we know, no matter who we are, that we can’t live up to the glory that God has desired for us since before the dawn of creation. We have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, but because of God’s lovingkindness, we are made right with God through Christ on the cross—through no goodness of our own.
This justice, this righteousness that God shows us in Christ is a backward kind of justice than the world teaches us. It’s a justice that shines with divine clarity, with divine love, with divine mercy. It embodies the full splendor of deity, as the first light of dawn pierces the darkest hours of the morning. It’s a justice that demands the repentance of all, a justice that will illumine before the world all arrogance and evil and demand a conversion.
God’s justice is more than merely God’s decree on us about our lives lived—rather, God’s justice is about reconciling us to the original order of things, about restoring us to communion with each other and with God, about bringing us into the fullness of life from out of the haunts of death.
O Eastern Star, Splendor of Eternal Light, And Sun of Justice: Come— And illumine those in darkness sitting, Under the shadow of death.Read: Malachi 4 Romans 3:19-21 -DS
Friday, December 20, 2013
"The 'Nastiness' of Life" and The Call of Ministry
Yesterday I was flipping through the radio, and I happened to catch the end of a report quoting a pastor. He said, “My job is to protect people from life’s nastiness.” That remark stuck in my crawl.
Our world is full of all kinds of “nastiness.” That’s the reality of our existence as people. Ever since the Fall and we’ve been cast out of Paradise, nastiness is part and parcel to what it means to be a human being. It’s just as much a fact about life as death—the ultimate “nastiness” that faces us in our postlapsarian reality.
THE EXPULSION FROM THE GARDEN, by Gustav Dore
| postlapsarian- from the Latin post, meaning “after,” and lapsus, meaning “fall” The word postlapsarian is a theological term to refer to life after the Fall of Adam and Eve from a state of created perfection in Eden |
THE EXPULSION FROM THE GARDEN, by Gustav DoreO Key of David, and Scepter of The House of Israel
O Key of David, and Scepter of the House of Israel; What you unbar, no one locks; what you lock, no one unbars: Come and lead the captive from the house of bondage, The one sitting in darkness, under the shadow of death.When we say we find the key to something, what we mean is that we found the piece makes all the pieces fit together. We found the connection between things that we knew existed, but just couldn’t quite figure out. The key to something is the connector that makes it possible to go from one set of circumstances to the next. It unlocks the way forward. Life is full of unpleasantness. Sometimes it flows over us like a torrent—ever piling bills, the death of family and friends, turmoil in the wider the world. Sometimes the goodness of life never seems to come our way—a hoped-for day off denied by a supervisor, a rejection letter for your child to their top college of choice, a holiday spent alone. We who live in this world are surrounded by unpleasantness, and it’s merciless. We’re trapped inside its clutches and can’t lock ourselves out or lock it up. God comes to us and shows us something different, something more. God comes and enters the unpleasantness with us—enters this world of disease, this world of death, this world of sin. But God comes holding the key to unlocking this world’s shackles.
Christ proclaims to us that the way is open to us—a way open by the truth. This truth God gives us in Christ—a truth that shows us just what kind of hellish state of affairs this world is in in and where we find ourselves in, but what’s more, just how merciful God is toward us.
Christ shows us a way full of grace and truth, a way of sacrifice and love, a way that triumphs over all the unpleasantness of this life. Christ gives us a word of hope, love, and grace that can unlock the way to bearable living in this life, and to a blissful eternity in the next. He hands the keys of heaven, the keys that unlock the truth of God’s mighty mercy—a mercy that comes to us in our meekness, our insignificance, and our dispiritedness. The same keys that bar the way of evil and untruth from taking hold of our lives ever again—for even the gates of hell shall not prevail against us.
O Key of David, and Scepter of the House of Israel; What you unbar, no one locks; what you lock, no one unbars: Come and lead the captive from the house of bondage, The one sitting in darkness, under the shadow of death.Read: Matthew 16:16-28 Romans 3:21-28 -DS
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