Sermon: Judging God

Preached on Job 38:1-11
Proper 7B/Pentecost 4
21 June AD 2015

Title: Judging God (MP3 Audio)

Summary: Today I had the pleasure of preaching at Shepherd of the Hills, Fayette, Missouri for the 20th Anniversary of the ordination of Andrew Etzler. Andy asked me to preach on one of the day’s appointed readings rather than a passage outside the Lectionary. We ended up standing beside Job, hearing the Lord challenging our sinful, short-sighted desire to comprehend an incomprehensible God and to second-guess, to judge, our Maker.

God told Job to gird himself like someone preparing for battle — but this fight was short and one-sided. Job was completely out of the Lord’s league in terms of knowledge and power. So also are we. Even if He did go into more details in explaining Himself and His actions, it’s doubtful that we would be any more enlightened.

However, we already know all of God that’s important for us. We know Him through His Word — through the Law’s accusations and the Gospel’s restoration. We know His condemnation of our sins and of His full, free forgiveness through Jesus. We know that even if we cannot know His mind, He knows ours. Truly, He knew us before we were born — even before He began to frame Creation.

When God says, “Dress for action,” He also provides our raiment. In Baptism, He clothes us in righteousness, dressing us in proper attire for any and all circumstances. No matter our vocations nor our various uniforms of the day, we are clad in the blood-washed clothing of the saints and are equipped to live as His children and heirs of eternal life.

Text: Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said: “Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?

“Dress for action like a man; I will question you, and you make it known to me.

“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements — surely you know!

“Or who stretched the line upon it? On what were its bases sunk, or who laid its cornerstone, when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

“Or who shut in the sea with doors when it burst out from the womb, when I made clouds its garment and thick darkness its swaddling band, and prescribed limits for it and set bars and doors, and said, ‘Thus far shall you come, and no farther, and here shall your proud waves be stayed’? Job 38:1-11

Scripture quoted from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Audio: Click to hear the MP3 of Judging God

NB: A few people have had problems trying to play the inline audio with Windows Media Player. If this occurs, you can either change to QuickTime or another default browser player, copy and paste the link directly into a selected player, or download it to your computer, where it seems to work regardless of which player. Several folks have suggested VLC Player from VideoLAN.

Other Readings: Psalm 124; 2 Corinthians 6:1-13; Mark 4:35-41

Sermon: Unclean and Holy

Preached on Isaiah 6:1-8
Trinity Sunday — 31 May AD 2015

Title: Unclean and Holy (MP3 Audio)

Summary: The sacred and the profane cannot abide each other. Isaiah found himself before the Lord of hosts and the seraphim and realized that he was a sinner, unclean and intolerable to the Holy One. Yet he didn’t flee because faith in his God held him until he could hear the fulness of the message.

Yes, God is a “consuming fire (Hebrews 12:29).” However, we who trust in the Son are not consumed. Instead, we benefit from the fiery trials suffered by Jesus (cf. Luke 12:49-50).

He who was consumed by death then consumed it in His resurrection, ensuring that the fires of hell would never touch those who believe in Him. Through Word and Sacrament, the Holy Spirit applies the blessings won by Christ. Thus the “holy, holy, holy” Lord God makes for Himself a holy people.

We confess with Scripture that we are sinful from conception and birth and remain sinners in thought, word, and deed. When not actively committing sin, we often passively sit by and refuse to do good, to love others as Christ loved us. We also confess that we are saints — redeemed by Jesus, brought to faith by the Holy Spirit, and children of our heavenly Father.

Unclean, yet holy ... sinners yet saints: We live day by day in this marvelous mystery of the Faith. Even as we remain in this fallen Creation, we also anticipate Christ’s return in glory, the complete and everlasting cleansing of our sinful natures, and an eternity in the blessed presence of the Almighty.

Text: In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple.

Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!”

And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”

Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.”

And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?”

Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.” Isaiah 6:1-8

Scripture quoted from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Audio: Click to hear the MP3 of Unclean and Holy

NB: A few people have had problems trying to play the inline audio with Windows Media Player. If this occurs, you can either change to QuickTime or another default browser player, copy and paste the link directly into a selected player, or download it to your computer, where it seems to work regardless of which player. Several folks have suggested VLC Player from VideoLAN.

Other Readings: Psalm 29; Acts 2:14a, 22-36; John 3:1-17

Trinity Sunday: Visit Aardvark Alley for a bit more on the Feast of the Holy Trinity.

“The Fetus Beat Us”

Let Life Speak for Itself

Since the 1980s, many younger women, including a number who were well-indoctrinated by late 20th Century feminism, have begun to categorically reject abortion under any circumstances. Evidently, it wasn't harangues from Newt Gingrich or an inspiring call from the Gipper to win one for his team that started leading even upscale, college-educated, hard-charging women to this pinnacle of “social conservatism.” Instead, the most eloquent appeals came from those too young to talk—too young, even, to draw a breath:

[T]he concept that young college-educated women could be anti-choice is so implausible that [older women from both major parties] tend to assume the younger women will grow out of that opinion as life circumstances teach them about the moral complexities of women’s lives. Others regard the anti-abortion rhetoric as the political posturing of the young. But women like Kellyanne Fitzpatrick resolutely beg to differ. For them, the central issue is not privacy—a woman’s right to control her own body—but rather the reality of visibly moving fetuses that they believe to be fully human. “You can’t appeal to us through our wombs,” Fitzpatrick says. “We’re pro-life. The fetus beat us. We grew up with sonograms. We know life when we see it.” (Quoted from “In the Land of Conservative Women” by Elinor Burkett in The Atlantic Monthly, September 1996)

Videos such as “In the Womb” from National Geographic, give us an open window into the enormous complexity of David’s confession: “I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.... (Psalm 139:14a)” Will you join me in amplifying these young voices so that they can speak clearly to those who still don’t know them as fellow human beings?

Harrison, History, and Harmony

A Reflection on the LCMS and Its Past, Present, and Promise

I dislike most meetings, especially those deemed mandatory. I particularly dislike long meetings, those keeping me welded to my seat. Imagine my surprise as I look back upon a stimulating, enjoyable two days spent parking my bottom on a folding chair. Such feats of gluteal endurance only happen when I sit at the feet of informed, engaging, and impassioned speakers.

Such was my happy lot at the 2009 Western Missouri District Pastors’ Conference. And not mine only — I’ll confidently hazard a guess that a solid majority of my brothers also enjoyed the person and the presentation of the Rev. Matthew Harrison.

The current Executive Director of LCMS World Relief and Human Care led us through the highlights of the first hundred or so years in LCMS history, coupling its sound doctrine, orthodox practice, and active works of mercy into a coherent, inspiring presentation. He based much of the conference essay on his new book, At Home in the House of My Fathers (a bargain, BTW, at $20.00 for more than 800 pages).

The book bears an unwieldy subtitle: Presidential Sermons, Essays, Letters, and Addresses from the Missouri Synod’s Great Era of Unity and Growth. However, this formidable introduction opens into the heart and soul of the early LCMS, seen through the eyes of Presidents Walther, Wyneken, Schwan, Pieper, and Pfotenhauer.

This exposé unfolds as we become privy to their and passions and compassions, their struggles and celebrations, their head-butting disagreements and deep brotherly love. We see how — despite vastly contrasting personalities, bouts with clinical depression, occasions of false pride, and incredibly poor decision-making — these men demonstrated deep faith in Christ, exercised true charity, and surrendered much of themselves up in order to advance Lutheran unity, doctrinal purity, orthodox worship, and ongoing care for those impoverished in body or in mind, in finances or in faith.

As often happened in days of old, Rev. Harrison assumed the role of family historian, laying out the lives of departed ancestors. These accounts of our fathers in the faith rekindled in many of us our familial love and a longing for a return to what was truly good about the “good old days” — those times that LCMS faux “progressives” derisively dismiss as “our Grandfathers’ Synod.” Dipping his brush into the rich colors of our history, Matt painted a vast mural of a current (and future) Missouri Synod richly profiting from a return to these roots.

Matt suggests no harsh, reactionary ecclesiastical primitivism but instead calls for intentional, ongoing, and thorough integration of sound doctrine, orthodox worship, and active works of mercy within The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod. He sees us embracing other confessional Lutherans here and abroad while interacting (when salutary) with other Christian bodies yet gently but firmly rebuking (when necessary) their unscriptural words and ways.

At all times, he encourages us to reach out to the lost with a united, Christ-centered message of reconciliation and peace. In practice, this would include the aforementioned reconnection of mission endeavors to church planting, all leading toward full Word and Sacrament ministry, Christian education, and the care of those in need.

During our time together, Pastor Harrison revealed to the assembled pastors a host of wholesome attributes belonging to the early Missouri Synod and its leaders. He provided ample evidence that civil discourse among disagreeing factions, holistic care of pastors by their congregations and of parishioners by their pastors, domestic and world missions leading to church planting, and a true Christian love of of pure doctrine revealed in love of one’s neighbor all existed during Missouri’s improbable formation and incredible growth. At times, many of these beneficial traits seem impossibly buried in our distant past.

Matt, however, didn't set out to instill a melancholy longing for days gone by. Through his lectures as through this new book, by related historical essays, as his other writings, in his stewardship of his current office, and throughout his personal dealings, Matt leads us to a renewed hope that our good past is not forever lost. He encourages us not to sit by, watching and waiting for a miracle to turn back the calendar. Instead, he invites our synod to join wholeheartedly to recover these treasures and then humbly present them at our Lord’s feet for the good of His Church and the glory of His name.

Pastor Harrison is certainly an orthodox, confessional Lutheran. He knows and practices the art of discerning, marking, and avoiding that which is truly harmful to the Church. He recognizes the sad truth that some who are of the church nevertheless advocate theologies and practices contrary to sound doctrine, Christian charity, or both. He also knows that many divisions grow from ill-conceived factionalism and a mindless party spirit. These woes are frequently rooted among the clergy. Knowing our weaknesses, Matt gently and carefully reached behind many of the foolish barriers that we pastors place between one another. Subtly, often indirectly, using self-depreciating humor as well as his keen mind, he invited all of us to open our gates, come out together, and get to know each other better.

I think that both instinctively and intellectually, Matt realizes that a restored collegiality is a necessary step in regaining mutual trust. It will, God willing, help us to tear down Missouri’s wrongly erected and divisive internal walls so that we might buttress our necessary outer wall against satanic and worldly assault. Then, God willing, we again truly act as “synod” — both by traveling together under one name and by sticking together on the same road with the same purposes and the same joy in Christ our Lord.

Speaking personally I’ve liked Matt since we first met. Even before that, I respected him as a theologian. Now I’m discovering more fully why so many pastors and lay people are actively working to nominate and elect him as the next president of The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod. Daily, more and more Missouri Synod Lutherans are discovering for themselves the threefold strengths of intellect, faith, and heart belonging to Pastor Matthew Harrison.

NPR Lauds LCMS WR-HC

One doesn’t normally expect National Public Radio to laud the activities of organizations generally perceived as conservative. Imagine, then, my surprise when I discovered a glowing report on NPR, praising LCMS World Relief and Human Care for its largely successful efforts to provide affordable housing through the Nehemiah Project.

The report commends Nehemiah homes' initial affordability and the home-buyers' pride of ownership not only in their houses but also their community. However, it especially singles out the extremely small loan default rate, even in the current economy, crediting Nehemiah's "own layer of tough income guidelines and credit checks" which not only protect the project but also prospective buyers.

I thank God for those in WR-HC — including Executive Director Matt Harrison, the Atlantic District of The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod, and others elsewhere who have established and fostered several successful projects of this nature.

Read Low-Cost Brooklyn Housing Sees Few Foreclosures or follow the link to listen to the story.

My next post will be a fairly brief essay on these past two days I've spent learning from the Rev. Harrison. At our pastors' conference, he went beyond his accustomed Mercy Journeys in order to unwrap the history and to offer hope for the future of the LCMS.