Happenings

Sermons by Pastor Walter Snyder plus announcements, articles, videos, and anything else that doesn’t fit Ask the Pastor or the Luther Library.





30 June 2013

Sermon: Proper 8C (OT)

30 June AD 2013
Pentecost 6

Title: What Are You Doing Here? (MP3 Audio)

Lutheran Communion Summary: “What are you doing here?” the Lord asked Elijah — and He asks you, also. Why do you attend church? Why are you listening to this sermon? Why are you where you are in your life? For what are you looking? In whom do you trust? In what do you hope?

Elijah’s discouragement came close on the heels of the impressive victory over the priests of Baal. Likewise, we often and quickly forget God’s closeness to us and ignore the victory His Son won for us.

He wants us to know why we come to Him — for forgiveness, life and salvation. He points out our sins so He might take them from us and forgive our guilt. He proclaims that His Son’s death won for us everlasting life. He builds faith that we might trust our salvation in Jesus Christ. He gives these wonderful gifts through Word and sacrament.

He also wants to strengthen us “in fervent love toward one another,” as we pray in one of the traditional close-of-service prayers (cf. 1 Peter 1:22-23; 4:8). The Holy Spirit brings us into the Church so that we might know that we are not the only ones left among the faithful and that each of us are united as one in the body of Christ.

What are you doing here? God willing, you are receiving His grace and are taking away refreshment and restoration so you might continue living “in faith toward [God] and in fervent love toward one another” as long as He grants you breath.

Elijah in the Cave Text: Behold, the word of the Lord came to [Elijah], and he said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

He said, “I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.” And he said, “Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord.”

And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper. And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave.

And behold, there came a voice to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

He said, “I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.”

And the Lord said to him, “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus. And when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael to be king over Syria. And Jehu the son of Nimshi you shall anoint to be king over Israel, and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah you shall anoint to be prophet in your place. And the one who escapes from the sword of Hazael shall Jehu put to death, and the one who escapes from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha put to death. Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.”

So he departed from there and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen in front of him, and he was with the twelfth. Elijah passed by him and cast his cloak upon him. And he left the oxen and ran after Elijah and said, “Let me kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you.”

And he said to him, “Go back again, for what have I done to you?”

And he returned from following him and took the yoke of oxen and sacrificed them and boiled their flesh with the yokes of the oxen and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he arose and went after Elijah and assisted him. 1 Kings 19:9b-21

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 What Are You Doing Here?. Preached to the saints of God at Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church, Fayette, Missouri.

NB: For some reason, a few people have had problems trying to play the inline audio if Windows Media is their default MP3 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 16; Galatians 5:1, 13-25; Luke 9:51-62

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posted by Xrysostom | 17:30 | 0 Comments

23 June 2013

Sermon: Proper 7C (OT)

23 June AD 2013
Pentecost 5

Title: God on God’s Terms (MP3 Audio)

The Altar of Incense Summary: Isaiah, Paul, and Luther — yes, and Jesus Himself — all encountered those who tried to set the agenda on worship and how they encountered God. Each, in turn, continued to point toward responding to God’s Word rather than accommodating human desire or what today might be called “felt needs.”

Through Isaiah, the Lord complained of those who forsook true worship from the heart and in the Temple. Paul encountered the Judaizers who wanted to impose Old Testament Law and worship rites on the Gentiles. Luther first contended with those who made a works out of the gifts of the Lord’s Supper and liturgical worship, then struggled with those who would not only correct the abuses of the Mass but who denied the essence of Holy Communion and who replaced one set of worthless works with another. Jesus likewise faced many who sought to justify themselves by their lives and their worship.

Human religion is mankind trying to approach the divine, to gain a favorable response from a deity it doesn’t truly know. God-pleasing religion — worship in spirit and in truth — is different: It responds with joy to His approach to us. It grasps and holds tightly the forgiveness, life, and salvation won by Jesus.

While some of the details vary by time and location, true worship is centered on Christ and what He did for us, not on what we can do for either the Lord or our fellow man. Prophets, apostles, and pastors, in harmony with God Himself, urge people to receive the gifts where and when they may be found; that is, in the Church, among God’s people, and normally in the context of regularly and faithfully attending worship in the fellowship of other believers.

Such worship strips away distractions, points toward Christ rather than self, and focuses us on the wealth of God’s gifts instead of luring us into believing that we have any great and wonderful gifts to give to Him.

God-pleasing Worship Text: I was ready to be sought by those who did not ask for me; I was ready to be found by those who did not seek me. I said, “Here I am, here I am,” to a nation that was not called by my name.

I spread out my hands all the day to a rebellious people, who walk in a way that is not good, following their own devices; a people who provoke me to my face continually, sacrificing in gardens and making offerings on bricks; who sit in tombs, and spend the night in secret places; who eat pig’s flesh, and broth of tainted meat is in their vessels; who say, “Keep to yourself, do not come near me, for I am too holy for you.”

These are a smoke in my nostrils, a fire that burns all the day.

Behold, it is written before me: “I will not keep silent, but I will repay; I will indeed repay into their lap both your iniquities and your fathers’ iniquities together, says the Lord; because they made offerings on the mountains and insulted me on the hills, I will measure into their lap payment for their former deeds.”

Thus says the Lord: “As the new wine is found in the cluster, and they say, ‘Do not destroy it, for there is a blessing in it,’ so I will do for my servants’ sake, and not destroy them all.

“I will bring forth offspring from Jacob, and from Judah possessors of my mountains; my chosen shall possess it, and my servants shall dwell there.” Isaiah 65:1-9

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 God on God’s Terms.

NB: For some reason, a few people have had problems trying to play the inline audio if Windows Media is their default MP3 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 3; Galatians 3:23-4:7; Luke 8:26-39

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posted by Xrysostom | 12:00 | 0 Comments

16 June 2013

Sermon: Proper 6C (OT)

16 June AD 2013
Pentecost 4

Title: You da Man! (MP3 Audio)

Summary: “You da Man!”

Often a cry of praise from fans to favorite athletes, “You da Man” recognizes special talents or accomplishments, especially those that are earned through hard work and overcoming adversity. Apparently, the now ubiquitous shout grew from one man’s cheer of a “people’s hero” of several years ago, golfer John Daly.

Nathan Confronts King David Today, David hears Nathan cry out, “You da Man!” David, like our modern athletic heroes, earned this cry. His “accomplishment,” however, wasn’t winning a tournament. He was “da Man” who despised God’s Word and did evil in His sight.

David was “da Man” who committed adultery, schemed to cover it up, conspired to commit murder, and caused the death of his most trusted and faithful general. And after he did so, he went on as if nothing had happened.

Nathan came before his king and trapped him in a parable. He made David realize the depths of his depravity, the lengths to which he allowed lust to lead him. David said that the rich man in Nathan’s story deserved death and then heard the prophet tell him, “You da Man! You, David deserve nothing less then disgrace and death!”

David confessed his sin. Then he heard that he was also the man whom God forgave. He brought shame upon himself, his house, and his nation but the Lord in his mercy spared the king, forgiving his sins and setting his feet back on the paths of righteousness.

David would suffer the death of his newborn son as God demonstrated to David, to Israel, and to the surrounding nations that He would not be mocked. He would also remain a faithful child of God and seek to do His will. Often he succeeded; sometimes he fell short. He lived as we do — sinner and saint.

Throughout his days, he also composed songs to God. In many of them, although likely not fully aware of what he did, he pointed toward “da Man” who would be born in his family, born of a virgin, born fully and completely human. However, He would also be fully God, eternally begotten of the Father. For it was this Man whose sacrifice took away the sins of the man David — and those of Bathsheba and Nathan, of Adam and Eve, of every man, woman, and child dead, living, or yet to be born.

Text: When the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she lamented over her husband. And when the mourning was over, David sent and brought her to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the Lord.

Pet Lamb And the Lord sent Nathan to David. He came to him and said to him, “There were two men in a certain city, the one rich and the other poor. The rich man had very many flocks and herds, but the poor man had nothing but one little ewe lamb, which he had bought. And he brought it up, and it grew up with him and with his children. It used to eat of his morsel and drink from his cup and lie in his arms, and it was like a daughter to him.

“Now there came a traveler to the rich man, and he was unwilling to take one of his own flock or herd to prepare for the guest who had come to him, but he took the poor man’s lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him.”

Then David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man, and he said to Nathan, “As the Lord lives, the man who has done this deserves to die, and he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.”

Nathan said to David, “You are the man! Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you out of the hand of Saul. And I gave you your master’s house and your master’s wives into your arms and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah. And if this were too little, I would add to you as much more.

“‘Why have you despised the word of the Lord, to do what is evil in his sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and have taken his wife to be your wife and have killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife....’”

David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.”

And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die. Nevertheless, because by this deed you have utterly scorned the Lord, the child who is born to you shall die.” 2 Samuel 11:26-12:10, 13-14

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 You da Man! Preached to the saints of God at Zion Lutheran Church, Lincoln, Missouri.

NB: For some reason, a few people have had problems trying to play the inline audio if Windows Media is their default MP3 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 32:1-7; Galatians 2:15-21, 3:10-14; Luke 7:36-8:3

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posted by Xrysostom | 11:30 | 0 Comments

Sermon: Proper 6C (Gospel)

16 June AD 2013
Pentecost 4

Title: Supersized (MP3 Audio)

Jesus' Feet Anointed Summary: “Supersizing” fell out of favor with the American consumer as health advocates piled blame on fast food companies for increasing portion sizes of their most fattening foods. It was blamed for making Americans fatter and fatter — with little being said about these same Americans keeping their faces buried in a trough filled with empty calories.

Today’s Gospel reveals supersized conditions, attitudes, and actions. The enormity of each individual’s sins is far beyond human ability to know and enumerate them. Yet God can know each of them down to the tiniest detail. Worse, we often magnify our own sinfulness by judging others to be more sinful than we.

Simon was a half-hearted host at least in part because he was “half-forgiven.” He judged himself to be holier than many others, including the “sinful” woman who crashed his party. Therefore, he didn’t know to give all of his sins to God in order to receive all of God’s forgiveness. In contrast, the “sinner” showed the supersized forgiveness that was hers and responded with her supersized display of love for her Savior.

When we compare ourselves to others or ignore selected iniquities because we refuse to admit how abhorrent they are to God, we choose to have Him not forgive all our sins. We are then “forgiven little” not because we are small-scale sinners but because we ignore the size of our debt. If we would truly live with supersized love, we must ignore our supersized pride, confess our supersized guilt, and receive supersized forgiveness.

Text: One of the Pharisees asked [Jesus] to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table.

And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment.

By Ed Riojas at Higher Things Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.”

And Jesus answering said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.”

And he answered, “Say it, Teacher.”

“A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?”

Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.”

And he said to him, “You have judged rightly.”

Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven — for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.”

And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”

Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?”

And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

Soon afterward he went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with him, and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod’s household manager, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their means. Luke 7:36-8:3

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 Supersized. Preached to the saints of God at Immanuel Lutheran Church, Lincoln, Missouri.

NB: For some reason, a few people have had problems trying to play the inline audio if Windows Media is their default MP3 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 32:1-7; 2 Samuel 11:26-12:10, 13-14; Galatians 2:15-21, 3:10-14

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posted by Xrysostom | 09:00 | 0 Comments

09 June 2013

Sermon: Proper 5C (Psalm)

9 June AD 2013
Pentecost 3

Title: Mourning at Night and Joy in the Morning (MP3 Audio)

Elijah Raises the Widow's Son Summary: Today’s Psalm, Old Testament, and Gospel are filled with crushing sorrow and certain death. Yet each also overflows with joy and new life from God. We know these people — we are these people — and we know the depths of woe and the heights of wonder.

Psalm 30, like so much of the Psalter, is a “slice of life,” a microcosm of human existence — at least the believer’s existence. Sin besets us, calamity overtakes us, death finally ends our lives on earth. Yet we know that our God turns even the terrors of sin-wrought death upside down and grants new life now, and everlasting life in the resurrection, for all who trust in Christ.

God knows death intimately because in the person of the Son, He was and remains part and parcel of our human existence. He grieved over the loss of loved ones, He had compassion on others when their beloved family members died, and He finally allowed death to swallow Him that at His rising, He might swallow death and grave.

And so even in the midst of mourning, we rejoice. Even as our hearts ache at the loss of dear family and friends, they sing glad songs to the Lord of life. We are baptized into Jesus’ death and raised to new life and our confidence is complete.

Our hymn of the day began, “Jesus lives! The vict’ry’s won! Death no longer can appall me; Jesus lives! Death’s reign is done! From the grave will Christ recall me. Brighter scenes will then commence; This shall be my confidence.” This is most certainly true!

Jesus Raises the Widow's Son Text: I will extol you, O Lord, for you have drawn me up and have not let my foes rejoice over me. O Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you have healed me. O Lord, you have brought up my soul from Sheol; you restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit.

Sing praises to the Lord, O you his saints, and give thanks to his holy name. For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.

As for me, I said in my prosperity, “I shall never be moved.” By your favor, O Lord, you made my mountain stand strong; you hid your face; I was dismayed.

To you, O Lord, I cry, and to the Lord I plead for mercy: “What profit is there in my death, if I go down to the pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it tell of your faithfulness? Hear, O Lord, and be merciful to me! O Lord, be my helper!”

You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever! Psalm 30

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 Mourning at Night and Joy in the Morning. Preached to the saints of God at St. John’s Lutheran Church, Farley, Missouri.

NB: For some reason, a few people have had problems trying to play the inline audio if Windows Media is their default MP3 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: 1 Kings 17:17-24; Galatians 1:11-24; Luke 7:11-17

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posted by Xrysostom | 11:30 | 0 Comments

02 June 2013

Sermon: Proper 4C (OT)

2 June AD 2013
Pentecost 2

Title: Will God Indeed Dwell on the Earth? (MP3 Audio)

Solomon Prays Summary: Much of Christendom labors under the illusion that “the finite is not capable of the infinite.” In other words, the temporal cannot contain the eternal, the Creation cannot truly hold its Creator. Normally, this type of thinking is most prevalent in arguments against the possibility of Jesus’ body and blood being really present in His Supper.

However, this rational (to limited human thinking) way of thinking is a default position for many who confess Christ’s Real Presence. It’s a way of keeping God at a distance, of marveling at His might from a safe distance, of deluding ourselves that casual, occasional obedience passes for keeping the Law in all its points, and of pretending that showing up for worship and participating in the busy-work of the Church amounts to saving faith in Jesus.

Solomon asked, “Will God indeed dwell on the earth?” Will He who fills Creation at the same time locate Himself at a specific place and time in order to grant specific blessings? Of course He could ... and can ... and will. In the small, curtained cube of the Holy of Holies dwelt the fullness of the Deity. He governed all He created yet paid special attention to the people He had made.

However, Solomon didn’t live long enough to see God’s ultimate “yes and amen” to his question. He died centuries before his greatest Grandson was born of the Virgin. However, He testified to God’s helping, healing, saving work done at his own time and looked forward to the day when the Lord took on human flesh to complete His promised rescue — a rescue not only of Israel but of “the foreigner.” Indeed, God desires “all the peoples of the earth” to know His name, to trust in it for salvation, and to call upon it in times of sorrow and of joy.

Jesus in the Manger Text: Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the assembly of Israel and spread out his hands toward heaven, and said, “O Lord, God of Israel, there is no God like you, in heaven above or on earth beneath, keeping covenant and showing steadfast love to your servants who walk before you with all their heart; you have kept with your servant David my father what you declared to him. You spoke with your mouth, and with your hand have fulfilled it this day....

“But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you; how much less this house that I have built! Yet have regard to the prayer of your servant and to his plea, O Lord my God, listening to the cry and to the prayer that your servant prays before you this day, that your eyes may be open night and day toward this house, the place of which you have said, ‘My name shall be there,’ that you may listen to the prayer that your servant offers toward this place....

“Likewise, when a foreigner, who is not of your people Israel, comes from a far country for your name's sake (for they shall hear of your great name and your mighty hand, and of your outstretched arm), when he comes and prays toward this house, hear in heaven your dwelling place and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to you, in order that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your people Israel, and that they may know that this house that I have built is called by your name.” 1 Kings 8:22-24, 27-29, 41-43

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 Will God Indeed Dwell on the Earth?. Preached to the saints of God at Faith Lutheran Church, Knob Noster, Missouri.

NB: For some reason, a few people have had problems trying to play the inline audio if Windows Media is their default MP3 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 96; Galatians 1:1-12; Luke 7:1-10

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posted by Xrysostom | 11:00 | 0 Comments