30 October 2008

Engaging the Culture

We had a decent keynote presentation on the Church and culture at our district conference on Monday and Tuesday of this week. Dr. Larry Rast (CTS) and Dr. Joel Lehenbauer (CTCR) took a tag-team approach to the topic, each with his own points, personality and perspective. They're both good speakers, and they engaged the room well, I thought. At any rate, there were more comments from the peanut gallery than one usually finds, and that speaks well of both the content and the character of the presentation. The question of the Church's interface and interaction with the culture of the world is an interesting one, and ought to be a compelling consideration. How to answer the question is a difficult challenge, although I don't believe the Church should be so stymied by it as she sometimes seems to be.

I agree with the observation that my colleague made in the course of conversation, that the Church should not be trying to discern whether she's a friend or foe of the world's culture. She is called simply to be faithful in the catechesis and confession of the Word of God. It is with the Word of God, as it is proclaimed and prayed and practiced, that the Church confronts the world with its culture. The confrontation itself will then determine whether the culture is being met with friend or foe, or with ambivalence. It's the City of God in the midst of the city of man, and that's always a bit touch-and-go.

Surely there are ways in which the Church should be seeking to communicate the Word of God with a culturally sensitive language. We do translate the Scriptures and the Liturgy into the vernacular, and the love of God in Christ moves us into the world with the life that we live by faith. I've wrestled with the parameters and pragmatics of those things before. Yet, as our presenters pointed out, there is a tension between the Church of Christ and the culture of the world, and we are frankly in trouble if that tension is broken or dissolved. H. Richard Niebuhr discerned that Augustine of Hippo and Martin Luther were content to live with a paradoxical relationship between Christ and culture, but then Niebuhr dismissed their perspective as a cop-out and useless. Hmmm. I'm rather inclined to agree with Augustine and Luther. Instead of trying to resolve the paradox or escape the tension, the Church should rather focus on being the Church, that is, the Body and Bride of Christ her Lord. She does so by receiving, along with His Name, His Word and His good gifts, bearing and confessing the same within the world.

So the good question was asked: How does the Church create her own distinctive culture? That goes precisely to the right point. The Church's Christian culture is a function of her language and her liturgy (or, better to say, her Lord's language and His Liturgy). What the Church believes is confessed in what she says and does. What she teaches is embodied in her practice. When the Church is immersed in those things of Christ that she is given to hear and receive, to preach and to pray, then she is defined and shaped by those sacred things. Her confession and her practice of the same comprise her culture. Then she will also, in a free and natural way, take up the good gifts of God from the world in which she lives in order to uphold, adorn and magnify the Ministry of the Gospel, the means of grace, the Word of God and prayer. Music, language, art and architecture, craftsmanship of every kind, technology and textiles, all may serve as handmaids of the Gospel; like the faithful women who followed Jesus and His Apostles, providing for them from their own means.

The Church not only learns to know herself, she is herself, as she lives in the Divine Liturgy of the Gospel-preached and the Sacraments-administered. That clarity and confidence of identity, of being who she is in Christ, frees her and enables her to engage the culture of the world. She is not deliberately hostile, nor compromising, nor aloof, but forthright, patient and persistent. It would be no real engagement with the world simply to accommodate its culture; nor simply to attack it. The Church does not predetermine how she and her Lord will be received. She confesses what He has spoken to her; she speaks as the oracles of God. She gives what she has been given. It is with these things of Christ that the world is then engaged: broadly, as the world is confronted by the Church living as the Church, but also more personally in the daily interactions of faithful Christians with their neighbors.

In my experience, the Christians who set the bar in living their faith and life, engaging the world around them with the most consistent integrity, are the little children and the youth. The little children talk about Jesus with real zeal and no guile. They cannot imagine life without Him in it. Jesus is their "world-view," the way they think about the world and life and death; so of course they speak of Him. The youth, too, have convictions and values, which they do not hesitate to discuss and debate with their friends of every color and stripe. Not only that, but they do so while moving comfortably within the culture, taking things in stride, setting some things aside, embracing others, but not driven or defined by the world's culture. I'm not talking ideals, but what I have consistently witnessed in the young people of my congregation, including my own elder children as they've made the transition to college in recent years.

I'm always a bit befuddled and bemused when I hear talk about an aging church and vanishing youth. At Emmaus, on any given Sunday, anywhere from a third to half the congregation is under the age of twenty. Many of those children and youth are also in church on Monday and Wednesday each week for Vespers and Evening Prayer, and they are consistently present to celebrate the weekday festivals that punctuate the months of the year. It's easier for many of them because of the flexibility of homeschooling, but that's not the only factor. They live with their parents and their congregation in a context of ongoing catchesis. At home and at church, their life is marked and sanctified by the Word of God and prayer. The Spirit of Christ is the air they breathe; hence, it is also the Spirit they exhale in their confession of Christ Jesus. They have a hunger for the means of grace, for the Liturgy of the Gospel, for the rhythm of the Church's life and the fellowship of the Church's family. When they are looking at colleges, then, one of their top criteria is a faithful congregation where they can hear and learn God's Word and live in His Liturgy. And once they get to college, they cannot help but engage their peers with this life they live and breathe. I am humbled and amazed, again and again, at the witness and example of the little children and the youth, who are flat-out fearless, unaffected and faithful in their confession and practice.

It's not by their own reason and strength; nor is it because they're brow-beaten or coerced into anything. It's because the Lord gives them life with His Gospel, and they live it. It's because they are so thoroughly grounded in the language and liturgy of His Word, they know who they are; they know where they stand; they know what to say, and they love to say it.

Instead of focusing on the culture of the world, the Church ought to focus on her own culture. Not to escape the world, but to be who she is in the world. After all, Christians live here on this planet; they live and work in the place where God has put them; they interact with the culture of the world all the time. What they need, therefore, is not an education in the ways of the world, but to be formed and shaped, encouraged and strengthened in the Church's proper and peculiar culture, which does not come naturally but only by the grace of God through His Word and Spirit. They need to be cultivated by the ongoing catechesis of the Church's liturgical life. It is imperative, then, for the Church to be herself. When the focus is shifted to the world's culture, the Church becomes less and less able to engage that culture, because she has less and less of herself with which to engage anything. The more she is making it her aim to accommodate or adopt the culture of the world in which she lives, the more passé and pathetic she becomes.

A particularly tangible example came to the fore in the data that Dr. Rast discussed with us. Along with various indications of cultural changes and demographic shifts throughout the United States, there were the usual statistics of declining church membership and a loss of confessional identity (or "denominational loyalty," as some would say it). The Missouri Synod has followed general trends in this regard. The downward turn in church membership roughly coincides with the introduction of the birth control pill in the 1960s. That was the turning point, and I maintain that the rampant acceptance of birth control among Christians, following societal norms, remains the single most significant factor. If I heard the numbers correctly, there were 250,000 youth in the Missouri Synod at the time of the first "national youth gathering" (in the 1970s?), but only 95,000 youth in the Missouri Synod as of this past year. That goes to show rather dramatically where the heaviest losses have been. It's not surprising, frankly, when the national birthrate is barely at maintenance level; and Christians, by and large, have emulated that trend.

Not every man is given a wife; not every woman is given into marriage; and not every marriage is given the blessing of children. Our Christian confession is not that husbands and wives are obliged to maximize their offspring, but that God is the Author and Giver of life, and that we receive by faith whatever He gives (or withholds) according to His grace. I'm not suggesting or implying any blanket rules that govern everyone in every circumstance. But the deliberate avoidance of children, or the deliberate attempt to limit the number of children, has largely been driven by the cultural values and expectations of the world, in a way that is counterintuitive to the Christian faith. It belongs to a larger complex of developments that have not only reduced the number of children to begin with, but have also reduced the amount of time that parents spend with the children they do have. Marriage is postponed for the sake of career, for the sake of wealth, for the sake of personal comfort and pleasure. Couples go into debt, and moms and dads both work full-time jobs, often for the same reasons. Many children spend their days in public school, where they are indoctrinated with societal agendas, and then go either to a day care for the rest of the afternoon or home to an empty house. Its not only moms who sacrifice time with their children for the sake of their careers; dads, too, are often working long hours every day for the sake of higher income and promotion, in order to support and sustain a lavish lifestyle, excessive in every way except in family time.

Fewer children of Christian parents means fewer new Christians, naturally, but the consequences are exponentially greater than that. Parents who are driven by "the deceitfulness of riches" are not only neglecting their children; they are exemplifying priorities held more dear and precious than the Church and the Christian faith. Their children are being "catechized" in the culture of the world instead of Christ. Too many fathers do not pray with their children even at meals or at bedtime. They do not teach their children the Catechism or basic Bible stories. They do not instill within their families a reverence for the Lord's Day, nor demonstrate by example that the preaching of God's Word is sacred, gladly to be heard and learned. Instead, they give preference to school assignments and activities, extracurricular projects and programs, sports and recreation, arts and entertainment. Indeed, almost anything takes precedence over the Church's life of prayer and devotion.

There's no real mystery as to why we find ourselves diminished in numbers and influence. Too many Christian parents have purposely avoided having "too many" children, and then they have failed to catechize their children in the culture of the Christian faith and life. As a result, there are far fewer young Christians to engage their peers and their culture with the confession of Christ and His Church. Well-catechized children and youth are the best, most eager and natural cross-cultural evangelists, but there are less and less of them out there. Instead, we've got 40-year olds trying to look 18, and it's all so contrived and artificial that no one is really fooled, and no one is converted.

Christian youth don't have to pretend to be Christians, nor do they have to pretend to share the culture of their peers, because all of this belongs to them (by grace through faith in Christ) in the place where God has put them. They wear the culture of the Church like their baptismal garments, as their Christian heritage and birthright. They wear it well within the world, neither taking it off nor covering it up, because they know by faith how to receive and use their daily bread from their Father's open hand. They walk and work and live and play within the culture of the world, not afraid of it nor enticed by it, but willing to embrace what is good and right, always ready to contend with what is wicked and perverse. They actually do engage the culture, because they interact with it in faith, meeting it with the Word of God and prayer, by which all things are sanctified, received with thanksgiving, and used to the glory of His Name.

If the Church would engage the culture of the world with Christ, she has only to be faithful to her Lord and to His calling. She would best devote herself to the apostolic doctrine and fellowship, to the breaking of the bread and prayer: to the Ministry of the Word and the Liturgy of the Supper. She would catechize her children (young and old) in the words and promises of God, teaching them to be fruitful and to multiply, as the Lord gives life and growth, health and strength. She would teach young men and women to value marriage over money, to cherish children over careers, and to love the liturgy more than luxury or leisure. She would catechize, commune, and care for all her members, young and old, male and female, married and single, parents and children, orphaned and widowed, with Christ and His Gospel of forgiveness. He is the One with all authority in heaven and on earth. All things are His, and He is ours, and we shall not perish forever. Statistics rise and fall, and all the data in the world shall pass away, but His Word remains. For here we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking the city which is to come, whose Architect and Builder is God.

What Fathers Do

The five most important things a father does are these:

1. Catechize his children in the Word of God, by praying with them, teaching them Bible stories and the Catechism, and taking them to Church to be baptized, to hear the preaching of the Gospel, and to receive the body and blood of Christ.

2. Provide for his family and household, by working an honorable profession and using what the Lord provides with wisdom and discretion.

3. Love his wife; faithfully serving her, sacrificing himself on her behalf; caring for her in body, mind and spirit; spending time with her, not only in mutual activities, but listening and speaking to her; and supporting her vocation as the mother of his children.

4. Teach his sons to become men, by example and instruction, by correction and encouragement, by discipline, mercy and forgiveness.

5. Give his daughters in marriage, by demonstrating the way a Christ-like gentleman honors a woman; by gently guiding and directing their relationships with boys and men; by protecting them from predators, saying yes or no to potential suitors; by serving and supporting them in the face of hurts and fears and failures, especially through the forgiveness of their sins; and by placing the hand of each daughter in the hand of the man who will become her husband and head.

It is through fathers, in particular, that God the Father in heaven teaches and cares for His children on earth. It is by Him that all fatherhood on earth is named; therefore, fathers are to serve their children in the fear of the Lord, by the wisdom of His Word and Spirit. Under His Word, a father speaks and acts with the voice and authority of God Himself, so that his children know through him what is the good and acceptable will of God for their lives. That is why it is of first importance that a father catechize his children (or see to it and supervise it), and why all else that he does is to be undertaken in the fear, love and trust of God; that he might always be turning himself and his children away from idolatry to serve the true and living God by faith in Christ Jesus, our Lord.

22 October 2008

Luther on the Comfort of the Gospel

"‘Through the Spirit, by faith, we wait for the hope of righteousness’ (Galatians 5:5). This passage contains very important instruction and comfort. The instruction is that we are not justified through works, ceremonies, sacrifices, and the whole system of worship in the Mosaic Law, much less through human works and traditions, but through Christ alone. Whatever there is in us beside Him — whether it be intellect or will, activity or passivity, etc. — is flesh, not Spirit. Therefore whatever the world has that is very good and holy apart from Christ is sin, error, and flesh. And so circumcision, the observance of the Law, as well as the works, righteous observances, and vows of the monks and of all the self-righteous, are of the flesh. ‘But we,’ Paul says, ‘go far beyond all this to live in the Spirit, because through faith we hold to Christ, and in tribulation we wait by hope for that righteousness which we already posses by faith.’

"The comfort is this, that in your deep anxieties — in which your consciousness of sin, sadness, and despair is so great and strong that it penetrates and occupies all the corners of your heart — you do not follow your consciousness. For if you did, you would say: ‘I feel the violent terrors of the Law and the tyranny of sin, not only waging war against me again but completely conquering me. I do not feel any comfort or righteousness. Therefore I am not righteous but a sinner. And if I am a sinner, then I am sentenced to eternal death.’ But battle against this feeling, and say: ‘Even though I feel myself completely crushed and swallowed by sin and see God as a hostile and wrathful judge, yet in fact this is not true; it is only my feeling that thinks so. The Word of God, which I ought to follow in these anxieties rather than my own consciousness, teaches much differently, namely, that "God is near to the brokenhearted, and saves the crushed in spirit" (Ps. 34:18), and that "He does not despise a broken and contrite heart" (Ps. 51:17). And here Paul then teaches that through the Spirit, by faith, those who are justified do not yet feel the hope of righteousness but still wait for it.’

"When the Law accuses and sin terrifies you, and you do not feel anything except the wrath and judgment of God, do not despair on that account. But ‘take the armor of God, the shield of faith, the helmet of hope, and the sword of the Spirit’ (Eph. 6:13, 16, 17); and find out by experience what a good and brave warrior you are. By faith take hold of Christ, the Lord of the Law and of sin and of everything that accompanies them. When you believe in Him, you are justified — something that your reason and the consciousness of your heart do not tell you amid your temptation, but only the Word of God. Then, in the conflicts and fears that continually return to plague you, you should patiently look with hope for the righteousness that you have only by faith, though only in an incipient and imperfect form, until it is revealed perfectly and eternally in due time. ‘But I am not conscious of having righteousness, or at least I am only dimly conscious of it!’ You are not to be conscious of having righteousness; you are to believe it. And unless you believe that you are righteous, you insult and blaspheme Christ, who has cleansed you by the washing of water with the Word (Eph. 5:26) and who in His death on the cross condemned and killed sin and death, so that through Him you might obtain eternal righteousness and life. You cannot deny this, unless you want to be obviously wicked, blasphemous, and contemptuous of God, of all the divine promises, of Christ, and of all His benefits. Then you cannot deny either that you are righteous.

"Let us learn, therefore, that amid great and horrible terrors, when the conscience feels nothing but sin and supposes that God is wrathful and Christ is hostile, we must not consult the consciousness of our own heart. No, then we must consult the Word of God, which says that God is not wrathful, but that He has regard for those who are afflicted, are contrite in spirit, and tremble at His Word (Is. 66:2), and that Christ does not turn away from those who labor and are heavy-laden (Matt. 11:28) but revives them. Therefore this passage teaches clearly that the Law and works do not bring righteousness and comfort, but that this is achieved by the Spirit through faith in Christ; amid anxieties and tribulations He arouses hope, which endures and conquers evil. Very few people know how weak and feeble faith and hope are in cross and conflict; then faith and hope seem to be ‘a dimly burning wick’ (Is. 42:3), which a strong wind is about to blow out. But those who in hope believe against hope (Rom. 4:18) amid these conflicts and fears; that is, those who fight against the consciousness of sin and of the wrath of God by faith in the promise of Christ, eventually experience that this poor little spark of faith (as it seems to reason, because it is hardly aware of it) will become like elemental fire, which fills all heaven and swallows up all terrors and sins.

"Truly devout people have nothing dearer and more precious in the whole world than this doctrine; for those who hold to this know what the whole world does not know, namely, that sin and death, as well as other calamities and evils, both physical and spiritual, work out for the good of the elect. They also know that God is present most closely when He seems to be farthest away, and that His is most merciful and most the Savior when He seems most to be wrathful and to punish and condemn. They know that they have eternal righteousness, for which they look in hope as an utterly certain possession, laid up in heaven, when they are most aware of the terrors of sin and death; and that they are the lords of everything when they seem to be the poorest of all, according to the words ‘as having nothing, and yet possessing everything’ (2 Cor. 6:10). This is what Scripture calls gaining comfort through hope. But this art is not learned without frequent and great trials." (Luther’s Works, Volume 27, CPH 1963; alt.)

21 October 2008

Guide Me, O Thou Great Redeemer

Speaking of Saul and his jealousies. There is this young David encamped in a nearby fortress by three rivers, who with his five smooth stones threatens to bring down giants. What am I to think of this, and what then shall I say?

By various circumstances and connections, my life and my parish have for several years been connected to Redeemer in Fort Wayne. This is a good thing, and I am really very pleased and thankful for it. True confessions, though: there was a time when I would get restless and grumpy at hearing good things about Redeemer and its pastor, the Reverend David Petersen. For a while, it felt like every time I turned around, someone else was telling me how wonderful Pastor Petersen was, and how perfect Redeemer was; and, honestly, I wanted it to stop. Instead of rejoicing in my neighbor's faithfulness and fruitfulness, I was envious of him and defensive of myself. My ego would much rather hear nice things about me and my own congregation than anything good about anyone else. For shame, I know, but it's the truth.

I'm not sure what it was, precisely, that helped me to get over it. I knew better, surely. I would regularly repent of my covetousness, and confess it, and proceed by faith in the forgiveness of my sins. But still, there was this petty King Saul reigning in my heart that recoiled a bit at every chorus of "David has slain his ten thousands." As though it were a contest or a competition. How pathetic! Why is it so hard, sometimes, to recognize our friends from our enemies? There is no good reason to envy the brother in Christ who preaches faithfully and well. Why, then, could I not simply revel in that blessed fruit of the Gospel, and give thanks to God for the vitality and vigor of His Church on Rudisill Boulevard in Fort Wayne? It is sinful pride, plain and simple, and by God's grace I had to let it go.

At some point it dawned on me that, instead of feeling threatened by or jealous of Redeemer in Fort Wayne, it would behoove me to learn something from that congregation and its pastor. It is clear they must be doing something right. Redeemer isn't a large congregation, nor is it affluent, but the members of Redeemer are devoted and passionately loyal; what is more, they are pious and faithful folks who demonstrate an obvious love for Christ and His Church and the Word of God. Since a number of those people are very dear friends of mine, and among them are my own daughter and son-in-law and unborn granddaughter, how shall I not give thanks for the good gifts they are given in that place? In fact, those personal connections were probably a decisive factor in getting my head on straight and my heart set right toward Redeemer. Yet, that should already be the case in view of my brothers and sisters in Christ in every Christian congregation, my fellow members in that blest communion of the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. But knowing that my children are well-served by the Gospel makes a difference. It is among the foremost blessings in my life, for which I regularly give thanks.

Still, there is more. There is something compelling about Redeemer and its life in the Gospel. It has an attractiveness about it that is far from simply superficial. It has a reputation for being "high church," and assuredly it is that, but that is not yet the heart and substance of Redeemer. There is indeed a care and concern for the rubrics, rites and ceremonies of the Liturgy, but all of this so clearly animates out of an underlying passion for solid theology. So, too, with the music, which sings at Redeemer with the vibrant voice of faith. There is a confidence at work, which is not merely an expression of Pastor Petersen's personality, nor a function of doing things strictly "by the book," but a confidence that stands upon the strong foundation of Christ and strides forward in the bold freedom of faith. Of course, such things are what all of us are about, what all of us desire and aspire to, but they are in evidence at Redeemer in Fort Wayne. That is what draws the attention and interest of students, for example, who are eager and hungry to learn these things. Every pastor, and every future pastor, wants to know how to get his bearings and proceed in such a way so as to give the Gospel free course. We all have a good example in Redeemer. I'm past being envious and jealous of that, and I'm far more interested in learning from it.

What is the key? The Liturgy is inseparably a part of it, but not the outward jot and tittle of the ceremonies as the starting point. The adornment of the Liturgy at Redeemer is not imposed upon it from the outside, but emerges from within it in a boyish enthusiasm, if I may say so, for the things of Christ. It is a hunger and appreciation for the body and blood of Christ, for the forgiveness and life and salvation that He bestows from His Altar, which emerges in the frequent celebrations of the Holy Communion. Sometimes elaborate and ornate, sometimes very simple, spoken and straightforward, there is a deep reverence expressed from a heart of faith in the Word of Christ. The outward actions and the way they are conducted are confessions of that faith, bowing before the Lord our God in godly fear, love and trust. That is what I have witnessed at Redeemer, and I believe that is what others see, as well.

You can't manufacture that piety and devotion by following the instructions in a book; though a delight in the Liturgy will prompt one to read and study. Reverence doesn't happen automatically when you put your hands together in prayer; though one who desires to be faithful will surely pray without ceasing. A passion for Christ and His Gospel will not run roughshod over His people, in a hurry to build a "high church" reaching to the heavens, but pastoral care will lead the flock through the green pastures of His Word, alongside the steady waters of Holy Baptism, unto the Table He has set with His life-giving body and His overflowing chalice of salvation.

The key, as I have said before, is in the preaching of the Word. That is perhaps the number one thing that I have learned from the faithful pastor of Redeemer in Fort Wayne. He and his congregation may be known far and wide for their liturgical practice, but the heartbeat of the Liturgy there is the preaching of Christ. I have met more than one person who were drawn to Redeemer and "stuck it out," despite a resistance at first to the ceremonial, for the sake of the preaching. To say it straight and simple, Pastor Petersen has a gift for preaching the Law and the Gospel, and he also works at it, constantly striving to preach faithfully and well. His good example in this regard, as well as his sermons, have been instructive and helpful to me; so that I am a better preacher, now, than I would otherwise have been. When I have spoken and written on the place and purpose of preaching, I have had no better model in mind than the one I find in my brother in Christ at Redeemer. It is not primarily the eloquence and art of rhetoric; though these have their place, and Pastor Petersen puts them to good use in his preaching. It is rather the way he unleashes the Law and proclaims the Gospel, each as the very Word of God.

My point is not to suggest that Redeemer alone has gotten things right; nor that Pastor Petersen alone has got the "right stuff," which the rest of us should endeavor to emulate. That would not be the right way to proceed, nor would it work. Each pastor and each congregation has a unique personality, unique circumstances, unique gifts to deal with and use to the glory of God. My point is simply to say that jealousy of brother pastors and sister congregations is not only sinful but counterproductive. It really is like King Saul throwing things at David and Jonathan. When we find ourselves unable to rejoice in the life of the Church, whether in our own congregation or another, then we have not the mind of Christ, nor His heart, nor His Spirit. More than that, we forego the opportunity to be sharpened and strengthened and sustained in our own service. The servant entrusted with one talent can learn from the one who has been given five or ten to use. If David has slain his ten thousands, shall we not give thanks for the sake of God's Israel, and be steeled for the fight against the twenty or two-hundred or two-thousand who stand before us? Really, I am glad for any champion of ours who can bring down Goliath, so that I am free to engage the battle with guys who are more my own size. If there are brothers in arms with faithful and compelling practice, I'd far rather learn from them than turn away from them. It should not be among the armies of the Lord that soldiers are thrown into confusion and turned against their comrades. Kudos to Redeemer for holding up a standard that helps me keep my bearings in the midst of battle.

20 October 2008

Honey for Your Weariness

We're working our way through First Samuel in our Sunday morning Bible class, and we're at the point of dealing with King Saul's fall from grace. The Prophet Samuel has already declared that God has found a man after His own heart, who shall be raised as a prince over His people Israel. On the horizon, of course, we know that He'll anoint young David to be King Saul's immediate successor, but David hasn't yet been introduced within the narrative. Ultimately, the Man after God's own heart is the Lord Jesus Christ, whom the Father has already found and always has in view. In the meantime, we're given a picture of Jonathan, Saul's own son, as the very sort of man with the very sort of heart that God would have rule over His people. In contrast to the sons of Eli and Samuel, here is a son to be proud of, holding all the promise of a future king. That won't prove to be the case, but it does say something significant in view of the friendship that emerges between Jonathan and David.

Anyway, the contrast between Saul and Jonathan in their opposition to the Philistines has been striking. Outwardly, Saul makes a show of piety and seems to be trying very hard to play by the rules, whereas Jonathan proceeds with the impetuousness and reckless abandon of a young man. Thus, while Saul is cowering with what's left of his little army, desperately trying to figure out what he should do, Jonathan and his armor bearer go "charging" up a hill on their hands and knees to take on the Philistines, and the Lord is with him. Twenty Philistines fall beneath Jonathan's sword, his armor bearer mopping up after him, and the rest of the Philistine army begins melting away in fear and confusion, turning their own weapons against one another.

Then, after the reader has already been told that the Lord has delivered Israel from the hand of the Philistines, we're presented with King Saul intent upon getting his vengeance against his enemies. Quite a contrast to the same Saul, who previously declined to punish his detractors when the Lord had given victory to Israel by his hand. Now, instead of mercy, he lays a heavy burden on his own men, in the interest of venting hurt against his foes. Is he determined not to let the Lord or his own Jonathan get the glory? That will be a weakness in Saul when it comes to David. Whatever the rationale, King Saul binds the people with an oath and curses any man who would take food before evening. So he deprives his army of nourishment, in consequence of which they become weak and weary. In fact, more than once we are told of their weariness.

But once more, enter Jonathan. We're told that, as the army moved in pursuit of the Philistines (under Saul's metaphorical whip), honey flowed within the forest and covered the ground. Here is the honey of the promised land, covering the ground much like the manna in the wilderness. Here the Lord opens His hand to feed and sustain His people. Yet, no one dared stretch out his hand to take any of the honey, because of Saul's oath; except for Jonathan, who had not heard his father's words. Jonathan stretches out the staff in his hand (like a new Moses) and takes some of the honey to his mouth. He tastes, and he sees that the Lord is good; for his eyes are immediately brightened. When he is then told of the curse that King Saul has sworn against any man who eats, Jonathan forthrightly declares that his father has troubled the land. How much stronger the army would have been, had it eaten freely of the spoil of the Philistines, which God gave into their hands. Jonathan is ready and willing to die for the sake of the honey, but the army is dying without it!

There's more to the story, before and after, and lots of great things to consider. When the men are finally able to eat that evening, famished and frenzied with hunger, they pounce like hyenas on the animals they've captured, killing them on the grond and eating the meat with the blood, contrary to the explicit Law of the Lord. In this case, King Saul has a great stone rolled to him, upon which he slaughters the animals, so that the blood runs out and over the stone and away from the meat. Almost in spite of himself, it would seem, by virtue of his office as the Lord's anointed, he presents this type of Christ, the Stone of stumbling and the Rock of offense, who takes our violence and bloodshed upon Himself by His sacrificial death, that we might be cleansed by His blood and fed by His true meat indeed. From the strong, something sweet; out of the eater (death), something to eat.

Thanks to Eleanor for her brilliant observation in class yesterday, calling attention to the parallel between Jonathan and Samson, each of whom took forbidden honey to be strengthened in the fight against the Philistines. Neither of them is condemned for this violation, because they are proceeding in faith and receiving what the Lord provides. King Saul, on the other hand, at pains to follow the letter of the Law, and foolishly driving his army with laws of his own, proceeds with a heart that is not right but idolatrous. The people had asked for a king like all the nations around them, and that is what they have gotten. By force of might and power, he would take for himself what the Lord has not given; and at the same time, he rejects and forbids the gifts freely given by the Spirit of the Lord. Jonathan gets it, by faith, in a way that Saul does not.

There is the temptation in my own heart, I recognize, and I reckon it resides in all of us, to strive for accomplishments and glory of my own. How shall I achieve the victory? How shall I establish myself? How shall I get vengeance against my enemies? The idolatrous instinct of my sinful heart is to appease the wrath of God by following the letter of His commandments, and to get what I want by laying down a law of my own devising for anyone under my power and command. Instead of mercy, I make sacrifice, and I sacrifice others in pursuit of my goals. As a father, I exasperate my children. I demand obedience instead of faith. I trouble the land and weary the troops.

Lord, have mercy upon me, and break my stubborn heart of stone. Create in me a new heart, O God, one after Your own, beating with faith and love. Feed me with the milk and honey of Your Word, the healing medicine of your Gospel. Anoint me with the Spirit of Your Christ.

The Law of God is good and wise. There is a salutary place, I am convinced, for godly rules that guide and govern our Christian faith and life in love for our neighbor. There is a need for real wisdom, that is, the fear of the Lord, which abides in the true humility of repentance. There is a need for discernment, for discretion and discipline, by which the authority of parents and pastors is exercised with confidence, for the good of the people entrusted to their governance and care. But all of this is bent in service to the Gospel. It is exercised in the freedom of faith.

How easily the church on earth is bent and driven, instead, by the force of fear and the fierce regulation of law. How often do we bind ourselves and one another to foolish oaths, cursing the very gifts Christ freely gives. I am reminded of the easy temptation to rely upon the power of polity and politics to fix what is broken, to remedy what ails us, to supply what is lacking, and to accomplish what must be done. But it won't work. We cannot conscript an army to pursue the Philistines and fight them to the death without food, and expect to win the war. It is flat-out foolish to forego the food the Lord provides for the fight. Not only foolish, but contrary to faith; for it presumes that we shall overcome by our own resolve and resources, rather than relying on the gracious providence of God. But we dare not engage the battle that way.

It isn't our battle to begin with. The battle belongs to the Lord. It always has. The enemy may have us hopelessly outmanned and outgunned, but that is no matter. The Lord has found a Man after His own heart, and by Him He wins the victory for His people. That one Man charges the hill on His hands and knees, and by the sacrifice of His Cross He lays waste all our enemies; they melt away before our eyes. We who bear His armor, shielded by faith, helmeted with righteousness, shod with peace, wielding the sword of His Word and Spirit, follow in His train and simply mop up the foes He has already felled beneath His feet.

If we would be faithful in our calling as Christians, in our various and sundry stations in life, then let us eat freely of the spoils that Christ has obtained by His Cross. Here there is the milk and honey of His Word, the blood and water from the Rock, the bread of life from heaven. It flows in abundance in the good land of His Church. It covers the ground at our feet. There is no lack of food and drink. Take and eat. Drink of it, all of you. Taste and see that the Lord is good. Then shall our eyes be brightened. Then shall we be strengthened for the fight and sustained in the midst of battle. Then shall the Church live and grow in the one true faith of Christ our King.

18 October 2008

What Sins Should We (Not) Confess?

The Concordian Sisters have raised a good question concerning the propriety and benefit of a woman confessing sexual sins to her pastor. Because they asked for a pastoral response, and because it is a good question to begin with, I offer some thoughts-out-loud on the matter.

The question was raised in response to an essay by the Reverend Rolf Preus on the roles and relationships of men and women within the home and family and in the life of the Church. It is a thoughtful and thought-provoking presentation, which is worth reading for the sake of discussion and debate, even if one does not finally agree with all of its positions and proposals. In any event, the particular question at hand pertains to one specific point, concerning which Pastor Preus has offered this counsel:


While private confession and absolution is a great blessing to the church, there are matters that are simply inappropriate for a woman to discuss with a man who is not her husband. God only knows how many pastor / parishioner relationships that began with a woman confessing her sexual sins to her pastor were concluded by the two of them sinning sexually together.

A woman can speak from within herself to another woman in a way a man cannot. No, this is not the ministry of the word, but it is a blessing from God. A woman can listen, understand, and give woman to woman counsel that no pastor can give.


The Concordian Sisters have asked whether this counsel is good and right. Should a woman, with respect to her sexual sins, be deprived of the opportunity to avail herself of Confession and Absolution from her pastor? The question is not whether she must confess her sexual sins in the context of that means of grace, but whether she may do so. Is she free to confess those sins that she knows and feels in her heart, in order to receive the Absolution, that is forgiveness, from her pastor as from God Himself? Or does propriety demand that she forego that particular benefit and comfort of the Gospel?

I have a great deal of respect and admiration for Pastor Preus, and more than once have I appreciated and benefitted from his faithful confession of the Word of God. There can be no question of his conscientious integrity, his knowledge of the Scriptures, his commitment to the Lutheran Confessions, and the legitimacy of his concerns. It is surely true that a pastor must be scrupulous in his conduct and above reproach; that he must avoid even the appearance of impropriety; and that he must, by all means, flee temptation of every kind. Without a doubt, these things must be kept in mind, and adhered to in practice, as the pastor goes about serving the women of the flock entrusted to his care.

All of that having been said, sincerely and with due respect, I find myself unable to agree with Pastor Preus in regards to his comments and counsel on this point. I welcome the correction and instruction of my fathers in Christ if I am the one who is mistaken here, but I am presently troubled by the suggestion that a woman should not confess certain sins to her pastor. [Note: Please see the helpful clarification from Pastor Preus, posted in the comments.] The Concordian Sisters, already in raising the question, have articulated several of the most compelling reasons for my own disagreement. I likewise concur with Pastor Heath Curtis in the comments he has offered there. Along with those good points, allow me to offer some additional considerations that have come to mind as I've been contemplating a pastoral response to the question at hand.

First of all, it bothers me the way that Pastor Preus has staged his counsel. He writes that "God only knows how many pastor / parishioner relationships that began with a woman confessing her sexual sins to her pastor were concluded by the two of them sinning sexually together." Yet, by this very remark, he implies that rather a lot of these sinful situations have arisen as a result of Confession and Absolution. Since "God only knows," we should not presume to know; nor should we cast such broad aspersions against nameless neighbors near and far. It raises unfounded and unnecessary doubts and suspicions concerning every pastor, the pastoral office, the practice of Individual Confession, and sincere penitents in search of the forgiveness of sins.

Warning against the confession of sexual sins has several unfortunate consequences. On the one hand, it stigmatizes sexual sin as more serious and threatening than any other sin; yet, at the same time, it suggests that sexual sin need not (and should not) be dealt with in the deliberate and serious way that Christians are given to deal with their sins. I agree that sexual sins and temptations have a peculiar power and destructiveness about them, but not beyond the power of the Gospel to grant healing with the free and full forgiveness of Christ. Indeed, precisely because sexual sins and temptations can be so perverse, pervasive and persistent, all the more reason for them to be addressed through contrition and repentance, self-examination, confession and, most important, Holy Absolution. The listening, understanding and counsel of another woman, whether a deaconess or simply a faithful sister in Christ, may indeed be very helpful and appropriate, but these are not the same thing as the pastoral care of Holy Absolution.

Pastor Preus acknowledges that the Christian care of another woman is not the Ministry of the Word, and this point underscores another problematic aspect of his counsel. It suggests that the Ministry of the Word and Holy Absolution are not of such a significant benefit as to be worth seeking out. They are deemed more risky than helpful. But that implication has ramifications far beyond the particular case of sexual sins. It contributes to a misunderstanding of Individual Confession and Absolution, and it increases prejudice against the practice. If it is so dangerous to confess one sort of sin, then it surely must be dangerous to confess anything at all. Thus, what ought to be viewed as the sweet comfort of the Gospel is viewed, instead, with mistrust and apprehension.

Individual Confession and Absolution, far from increasing the threat of further or greater sin, provides not only tremendous comfort but also the strongest sort of help against the assaults of the devil, the world and the sinful flesh. It is to make use of the living and active Word of God, the sharp two-edged sword of the Spirit, both the Law and the Gospel, which crucifies the flesh with its sinful lusts and desires and raises the penitent to newness of life in Christ Jesus. Here is the best defense and the strongest offense against every shameful vice. Not only in the case of sexual sin, but no less so in such a case. Naming the sin for what it is, and putting it to death with the Law of God, and then receiving the life-giving medicine of the Gospel, which is the forgiveness of sins in the Name of Christ, that goes to the heart of the matter and provides the only real remedy, the only true and lasting help.

I do not claim that repentance and forgiveness are only to be found in Individual Confession and Absolution. The Gospel is proclaimed and bestowed in numerous other ways, by other means of grace, and so the point here is not to argue that Individual Confession and Absolution is necessary. It is, however, useful and beneficial, meet, right and salutary. It is freely given to be freely received in faith, because it is a means of the Gospel and not a requirement of the Law. It is neither commanded nor forbidden, and that is precisely to the point. It should not be forbidden, nor should it be withheld, from the repentant sinner who desires forgiveness and the special comfort of the Absolution. The forgiveness of sins may be heard and received wherever the Gospel is preached and administered, but there is a unique blessing and benefit in the practice of Individual Confession and Absolution. Nowhere else is the Gospel brought to bear more personally and precisely. Nowhere else is there quite the same opportunity for pastoral care and pastoral counsel, by which the penitent is guided with the Word of God and guarded against temptations.

Let us take to heart the special gifts of the Spirit that God bestows upon and with the Office of the Holy Ministry. Luther, Melanchthon and Chemnitz all confess the strength and benefits accompanying the pastoral office; deriving not only from the training and preparation received in the course of studies and practice, but in and with the divine call and ordination. Of course, no pastor is infallible, nor should any man proceed as though he were. We who are called and ordained to the Office of the Holy Ministry are men of flesh and blood, and we must necessarily guard our hearts and actions. Yet, we are confident in Christ, who has called us to this Office and provides us with His gracious gifts for the sake of His people. We should not shy away from doing what He has given us to do, but rely upon His Word and exercise faithfully our stewardship of His Mysteries. The Office does make a difference.

There is also a great benefit to be found in the ritual form of Individual Confession and Absolution. The objective structure of the rite, the steady guidance it provides, and its clear connections to the entire liturgical life of the Church, all lend protection against trivialization, temptation and abuse. Although it is absolutely private with respect to confidentiality, and altogether personal in its bestowal of the Gospel, it is a public rite and ceremony of the Church. Accordingly, it follows the order provided in the Church's service books, it is administered within the sanctuary of the Church, and the pastor is fully vested. It is not a private encounter with the person of the pastor, but a liturgical encounter with a pastor of the Church. I would agree that confessions of sexual sin outside of this objective liturgical context, as for example in conversations with the pastor in his study or in the parishioner's home, should be avoided; or the "conversation" should be pointedly moved into the sanctuary and taken up in the rite of Confession and Absolution.

It is most helpful if the penitent already has an established discipline and practice of Individual Confession. Then there is already in place a well-defined pastor/parishioner relationship, one that is normed by the Word of God, by the regular exercise of the Law and the Gospel. That would be good and right for every Christian, irrespective of the need for any confession of sexual sins. Self-examination and confession are primary ways in which a Christian uses the Law of God unto repentance, to guard his heart and guide his steps, and ultimately to be turned again and again to the Gospel of Christ. The regular practice of Individual Confession and Absolution enlivens the Christian through the forgiveness of sins; strengthens and supports the Christian in the avoidance of false belief, despair and other great shame and vice; and prepares the Christian to deal with the struggles of temptation and the daily fall into sin that pervades our life on earth.

What is good for all the people of God, is good also for the pastor, and all the more important for the pastor. No man should be hearing confession if he is not making confession to his own father confessor with some regularity. He needs the discipline of self-examination and confession to guard his own heart, to maintain the genuine humility of repentance and the proper fear of God, and to become a faithful and merciful pastor of the people in the administration of Christ's gifts. He needs, too, the enlivening grace of the Gospel, the forgiveness of his sins, the strengthening and support of his faith in Christ, against temptations of every kind, whether of lust or pride or despair or any other evil. Encouraging every pastor to be availing himself of Individual Confession and Absolution with a father in Christ offers a better protection against the danger of sexual sin than advising against the confession of sexual sins by the women of his flock.

15 October 2008

Hymns for Advent 1-4 Series B

First Sunday in Advent
Isaiah 64:1–9
1 Corinthians 1:3–9
Mark 11:1–10

Hymn of Invocation
The advent of our King (LSB 331)

Hymn of the Day
Savior of the nations, come (LSB 332)

Hymns for the Distribution of the Holy Communion
Once He came in blessing (LSB 333)
O Lord, how shall I meet You (LSB 334) (Catechetical Hymn)
Lift up your heads, ye mighty gates (LSB 340)
Jerusalem the golden (LSB 672)

Hymn of Departure
O Savior, rend the heavens wide (LSB 355)

Alternative Hymns
Come, Thou precious Ransom, come (LSB 350)
Creator of the stars of night (LSB 351)
Hark! A thrilling voice is sounding (LSB 345)
Hark the glad sound (LSB 349)
Jerusalem, my happy home (LSB 673)
Jerusalem, O city fair and high (LSB 674)
Lo, how a rose e’er blooming (LSB 359)
O bride of Christ, rejoice (LSB 335)
O God, my faithful God (LSB 696)
Rejoice, rejoice, believers (LSB 515)
The night will soon be ending (LSB 337)
Wake, awake, for night is flying (LSB 516)


Second Sunday in Advent
Isaiah 40:1–11
2 Peter 3:8–14
Mark 1:1–8

Hymn of Invocation
O Lord, how shall I meet You (LSB 334)

Hymn of the Day
On Jordan’s bank the Baptist’s cry (LSB 344)

Hymns for the Distribution of the Holy Communion
When all the world was cursed (LSB 346)
Comfort, comfort ye My people (LSB 347) (Catechetical)
The night will soon be ending (LSB 337)
A multitude comes from the east and the west (LSB 510)

Hymn of Departure
O God, our help in ages past (LSB 733)

Alternative Hymns
All Christians who have been baptized (LSB 596)
Creator of the stars of night (LSB 351)
God’s own child, I gladly say it (LSB 594)
Hark! A thrilling voice is sounding (LSB 345)
Let all mortal flesh keep silence (LSB 621)
Let all together praise our God (LSB 389)
Lo, how a rose e’er blooming (LSB 359)
O come, O come, Emmanuel (LSB 357)
O God, O Lord of heaven and earth (LSB 834)
O Savior, rend the heavens wide (LSB 355)
Sing praise to the God of Israel (LSB 936)
The advent of our King (LSB 331)


Third Sunday in Advent
Isaiah 61:1–4, 8–11
1 Thessalonians 5:16–24
John 1:6–8, 19–28

Hymn of Invocation
Rejoice, rejoice, believers (LSB 515)

Hymn of the Day
Hark! A thrilling voice is sounding (LSB 345)

Hymns for the Distribution of the Holy Communion
O Savior, rend the heavens wide (LSB 355)
Dear Christians, one and all, rejoice (LSB 556)
Soul, adorn yourself with gladness (LSB 636)
Rejoice, my heart, be glad and sing (LSB 737)

Hymn of Departure / Catechetical Hymn of the Week
Once He came in blessing (LSB 333)

Alternative Hymns
Comfort, comfort ye My people (LSB 347)
Entrust your days and burdens (LSB 754)
Hark the glad sound (LSB 349)
In Thee is gladness (LSB 818)
Jesus, Thy blood and righteousness (LSB 563)
Light of Light, O Sole-Begotten (LSB 914)
My soul, now praise your maker (LSB 820)
O Lord, how shall I meet You (LSB 334)
O Lord, we praise Thee (LSB 617)
On Jordan’s bank the Baptist’s cry (LSB 344)
Praise the One who breaks the darkness (LSB 849)
When all the world was cursed (LSB 346)


Fourth Sunday in Advent
2 Samuel 7:1–11, 16
Romans 16:25–27
Luke 1:26–38

Hymn of Invocation
The night will soon be ending (LSB 337)

Hymn of the Day
O come, O come, Emmanuel (LSB 357)

Hymns for the Distribution of the Holy Communion
The angel Gabriel from heaven came (LSB 356) (Catechetical)
Lo, how a rose e’er blooming (LSB 359)
Hail to the Lord’s anointed (LSB 398)
Praise the Almighty, my soul, adore Him (LSB 797)

Hymn of Departure
Lo! He comes with clouds descending (LSB 336)

Alternative Hymns
All hail the pow’r of Jesus’ name (LSB 549)
At the name of Jesus (LSB 512)
Jesus! Name of wondrous love (LSB 900)
Let all mortal flesh keep silence (LSB 621)
Lift up your heads, ye mighty gates (LSB 340)
O God of God, O Light of Light (LSB 810)
O Lord, how shall I meet You (LSB 334)
O Savior, rend the heavens wide (LSB 355)
O sing of Christ, whose birth made known (LSB 362)
Savior of the nations, come (LSB 332)
The advent of our King (LSB 331)
The only Son from heaven (LSB 402)

14 October 2008

Oktoberfest

I got up at 5:00 a.m. today, left the house before 6:30 a.m., and spent something like eight hours on the road altogether, driving to and from the liturgy seminar that comprises the tail end of the annual Oktoberfest at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Kewanee, Illinois. It was worth the early hour and the driving time, even though it also meant that I had to give my son Nicholai a "rain check" on celebrating his birthday with him. He turned fourteen today, but we'll do something special to celebrate together on Friday, the commemoration of St. Ignatius of Antioch, for whom our Nicholai Martin Ignatius is named in part.

Anyway, October this year is pretty much a festival of conferences for me, especially if I count the St. Michael's Liturgical Conference on the cusp of the month (the 29th of September). I'm loving every minute of it, as everything so far has been great. I would have been pleased to attend the entire Oktoberfest in Kewanee, but it simply wasn't feasible for me to be there on Sunday or Monday. No matter, today's liturgy seminar was marvelous. I got to see and spend time with several of my favorite people, and to meet or become better acquainted with a number of other brothers in the pastoral office. Such opportunities are a source of real joy and great comfort to me, and I never tire of them.

The liturgy seminar dealt primarily with the concept and prospect of "canon law" for the good ordering of the Church and Ministry. Those who follow the Four-and-Twenty Blackbirds will already be up to speed on what this is about. The simple point is to encourage and support one another, and to discipline ourselves, respectively, in good and faithful practices that serve the preaching of the Gospel, the administration of the Sacraments, the shepherding of the flock, and the corporate life of the Church on earth. These are worthwhile things to discuss and debate, in any case, and I remain convinced that there are contributions to be made. It was for the sake of such efforts that I spent half my day driving to and fro, and I don't regret it. Our conversation was most helpful because it engaged us in a genuine wrestling with matters of substance, and with one another on the basis of our common confession.

What we're aiming at would not be a law imposed on others; for we have no authority to do any such thing. Rather, we are interested in voluntarily challenging ourselves to be clearly and consistently faithful in our pastoral practice; because it is meet and right so to do, and because we would also thereby set a good example and provide good encouragement to our colleagues. How this might work itself out, and what it may end up looking like, all remains yet to be seen, but today's liturgy seminar was a fruitful step on the way.

After lunch, Father Eckardt led the group forward into a somewhat different, more specific topic: the eucharistic rites of the Lutheran Service Book in comparison with the historic Roman Canon of the Mass and other traditional forms of eucharistic praying. Ah, yes, well, anyone who knows me can attest that these are matters of great interest to me (on several counts, actually). Alas, then, Father Eckardt got me started on this discussion, and I'm afraid I probably did more than my fair share of the talking after that point. I suppose that those who know me well would say that isn't so unusual, anyway. I hope the other brethren didn't mind. I was grateful for the privilege of crashing their party on this third day, and I really reveled in their company.

13 October 2008

Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Blog?

It saddens me, how prone we sinners are to misuse and abuse the good gifts of God. We tend either to idolize His gifts, worshiping the creature instead of the Creator; or we despise and reject His gifts as though they were inherently sinful and deadly, as though He were the author of evil. Why must it be so elusive for us to receive His gifts with thanksgiving, to sanctify them to our use by His Word and prayer, to use them and even to enjoy them to the glory of His name? That is what He intends in giving such good gifts, and that is what we believe, teach and confess concerning His creation and His providence. So, why the fuss and bother?

Among God's good first article gifts of daily bread, I would surely include the computer, the internet, electronic correspondence and communications, and various web-based forums for discussion and debate, such as blogging. I know that lots of bad stuff happens with the internet. Even good Christian people have allowed themselves to become ensnared with wicked perversity, as addicting and besetting in its own way as alcohol and drugs can be. Apart from the obvious abuse that internet pornography is, computer usage and the internet itself can become idolatrous obsessions, false gods that enslave and command the sinful heart and mind. When such things distract and divert from one's proper vocations and stations in life, and when they pull one away from the neighbors he ought to be serving in love, then the use of those things has become sinful and needs to be curtailed. In some cases, it may even be necessary to go "cold turkey," depending on one's disposition and particular circumstances. In general, though, it is more simply a matter of returning to the Word of God and prayer, in order to receive and use things rightly, as intended, in faith and love and with thanksgiving.

I blogged about blogging in relation to my vocations last year. Since then, I have regularly reminded myself to abide by my own admonitions in that regard. Both then and now, I have resisted the temptation to give up blogging altogether, because I believe that it can be a useful tool for communication and encouragement. I am frequently well served by the blogging of my brothers and sisters in Christ, and I would like to think that I am sometimes able to serve them and others in return. I am determined not to despise this good gift of God, in any case, but to guard and guide my use of it according to His Word. That means limiting the amount of time I spend in reading and writing blog posts, and then exercising care in whatever I do write in such forums. It means that I blog in order to serve and support my neighbors, near and far, and not for hurting or harming. It means that, also by this way and means, I seek to shine a light instead of cursing the darkness.

Despite my good intentions and best efforts to be reverent and courteous in my blogging, I know there have been posts along the way that have offended people here and there. I am sorry for that, because I certainly do not rejoice in anyone's hurt feelings, but I don't necessarily apologize for what I have written. If ever I have caused offense by speaking falsely, unfairly, unclearly, inappropriately or out of turn, then I must repent and make amends, learn from my mistakes and do better. But wherever anyone has taken offense at my confession of the truth, or simply on account of personal disagreements in matters that are free, there I must let the chips fall where they may. Confessing the truth belongs to my vocations as a Christian and a minister of the Word of Christ. As far as my personal opinions are concerned, I'm grateful for the freedom of conscience that God grants me in Christ Jesus, and for the freedom of speech that I enjoy as an American citizen.

While I do regret any offense that may ever be given or taken within the context of my own "thinking-out-loud," I have been more disappointed by some of the reactions to the "Four-and-Twenty Blackbirds." Not disagreements or differences of opinion, but dismissive and derogatory comments; not directed to the blackbirds for discussion and debate, but leveled against them as accusations made behind their backs. This sort of thing is frustrating, not only because it is unfair and unhelpful, but because it is so typical of the way that fraternal conversation is nowadays hindered and discouraged. Immediately it is assumed that a group of pastors doing anything on their own initiative must be up to no good.

Not surprisingly, the blackbirds have been labeled "liturgical nazis." This sort of rhetoric would be considered offensive if it was used of anyone else, but certain people are fair game for false witness, and no one is supposed to cry "foul." I've learned to let it go when such pejoratives are aimed at me, but I am inclined and compelled to defend my brothers and their good reputations. Neither on our blog, nor to my knowledge in their pastoral practice, have any of the blackbirds oppressed the Church or Christian consciences with liturgical legalism; far less have they committed violence or caused injury to body or soul. I wish the real "liturgical nazis" would please sit down and shut up, but that will have to be the topic of another blog post. As far as the four-and-twenty blackbirds are concerned, there are differences of opinion among them, but also a clear and consistent confession of freedom in that which God has left free. These are men more likely to lay aside their own freedoms for the sake of love than ever to insist that others must do as they do. It is likewise for the sake of holy love that they are forthright in stating their opinions regarding practices that are rightly evaluated as better or worse in giving free course to the Gospel.

From various other remarks I have heard, I gather that the four-and-twenty blackbirds have been decreed subversive. How so? A few of the responses (on and off line) to a recent series of posts on an evangelical "rule" or "canon of concord" suggest that fear, mistrust, suspicion and cynicism may be the reigning rule of thumb for some of the critics. It is a sad day for the Church, however, if pastors cannot explore possibilities with one another, brainstorm potential practices, air considerations of casuistry, and ponder what it means to be faithful in confessing the Gospel within the current context and circumstances of life. True, not every conversation should be undertaken publicly; there is a need for discretion, an appropriate time and place for offering proposals, and a time to be more circumspect. However, it is unfair to characterize the four-and-twenty blackbirds and their blog on the basis of a single thread of discussion.

What the blackbirds are really about is pastoral theology and pastoral care, something that parish pastors are uniquely qualified to discuss (fancy that). The four-and-twenty blackbirds are not unique in their confessional convictions and their commitment to the Holy Scriptures, but they are unified in those common convictions and commitments. They bring to bear those theological standards upon the questions and concerns confronting pastors in the daily duties and demands of their office. The purpose of the blog is not subversive or divisive, but the mutual conversation and consolation of the brethren. The naysayers have been relatively few; many other pastors have indicated the benefit of this effort and conveyed appreciation for it.

If anyone honestly cares to know the point and purpose of the Blackbirds blog, he should be encouraged to read what I wrote here when it began. As to the protocol and procedure that the four-and-twenty blackbirds follow, such things may be readily discovered and discerned under the "Rubrics and Blogistics for the Blackbirds" on the right-hand side of that blog. Thus, there have been posts on Luther's view of Christian education; on the practice of Individual Confession and Absolution; on the visitation and pastoral care of the dying; on the good examples of Norman Nagel and Kenneth Korby; on the criteria for selecting hymns; and on the balancing of a pastor's several vocations; as well as other similar topics of discussion. These comments and conversations have been constructive, edifying, instructive and beneficial. Have critics been reading and following the blog, or simply reacting to hearsay on the basis of their own assumptions and prejudices? What is anyone afraid of?

Back in the day when I began my studies at the seminary, in the fall of 1989, the semester immediately following the forced retirement of Dr. Robert Preus, the campus was still marked by the open and vigorous theological conversation that Dr. Preus so enjoyed, exemplified and fostered. Chapel attendance every day was very high, and then almost everyone would make their way from the chapel to the commons for discussion and debate; students and faculty alike. It was great, but it wasn't to last. As time passed and each semester came and went, the atmosphere on campus became less and less prone to discussion. Chapel attendance declined, and by my fourth year almost no one frequented the commons. Students were reluctant to gather anywhere conspicuously, and most of the faculty were seldom to be seen outside of the classroom. The conversations that did take place were marked by literal and metaphorical looking over the shoulder. Fear, mistrust, suspicion and cynicism were prevalent. It wasn't conducive to theological growth, and it wasn't healthy for the life of the Church at large, either. Theologians need the sharpening of discussion and debate. So do pastors, frankly, both present and future. Which is why it worries me, and saddens me, and frustrates me, when it seems that efforts to promote and encourage conversation are frowned upon or decried. I can understand an aggravation with political action groups and partisan propaganda; I too am weary of the combative spirit that has become a tenor of the times. The remedy to such ills, however, is not to squelch public discourse, but to engage one another in genuine theological conversation. That was and is a primary goal of the "Four-and-Twenty Blackbirds" blog, and I don't apologize for inviting it. In this case, the chips fall where they may.

08 October 2008

Boys-terousness

Everything's a race. Everything's a competition. Whether it's tearing pell mell through the house, from one end to the other (despite frequent admonitions to the contrary), or "winning" at breakfast-cereal-eating (despite repeated reminders that it's not a race or competition). There is this raging river of energy running through my boys, which never ceases to amaze me; not because it's any longer a surprise, but simply because it is so remarkable.

Rearing six boys, now ranging in age from one to nineteen years, I've observed certain qualities that have consistently characterized each and all of them, in contrast to any and all of their three sisters. Three-year-old Frederick and one-year-old Gerhardt, for example, wrestle and roll around like tiger cubs at play, in a way that none of my girls has ever demonstrated (neither with each other nor with their brothers). Whether delighting or dismaying, boys will be boys. It can try my patience at times, as well as the patience of others, but I honestly give thanks to God for these boyish traits and tendencies. They are distorted, misdirected and exacerbated by sin (also inherited from me, after all), but these qualities and characteristics are foundationally by God's design, not to cause harm but for great good, for the service and support, protection and defense of home and family, women and children, neighbor and country, and so also for the benefit of the Church on earth. Boys are built to become men, to put their zealous drive and rambunctious energy to good and useful purposes.

With nine children, I am well aware that each child is a unique individual. Each child has his or her own personality, which differs from that of the next child as much (or more) than appearance, aptitude, ability and avocation. As one of the dear older ladies at Emmaus has long been fond of saying, how wonderful that God has made such a wide variety of people; how boring it would be if we were all the same! He gives differing gifts for differing purposes, that the many different members of His one body, the Church, might work together for the mutual benefit and edification of the whole. So, when I take note of basic differences between boys and girls, I understand that such things are generalities, not hard and fast rules. Nevertheless, the hearts and minds and spirits of boys do tend to be distinctive, even if those qualities are not so readily apparent as other distinctions may be in the image of an ultrasound or immediately upon birth.

On the other hand, I also recognize that each family has its own distinctive "culture," different ways of thinking and going about life. The traits and tendencies I observe in my boys (and girls) may be more or less apparent in the children of other homes and families. That's quite alright, and I would not want to suggest otherwise. I like the things that characterize my family, which help to distinguish and define us in contrast to the rest of the world; and by the same token, I also admire, appreciate and enjoy the qualities that distinguish and define the families of my friends and loved ones. Similarities and differences each contribute to good relationships, between families as between individuals. Christ be praised for all of these things, and for the way in which He gathers all of us up into Himself by the grace of His Cross and Resurrection.

Notwithstanding the necessary caveats, I still marvel at those things so prominent in boys, even from the earliest years of life, in contrast to the qualities and characteristics of girls. This is why people can talk about "boy movies" and "girl movies" (or, if one prefers, "guy movies" and "chick flicks"), and, no matter how politically correct anyone may want to be, everyone knows what these differentiations mean. Setting aside the perversions of sin, the differences between boys and girls originate in God's creation of man as male and female; and, behold, this is very good! Life would be worse than boring without those differences.

Not only are boys and girls different, from the get-go, in more than simply the obvious outward ways, but they seem to be wired to recognize and respect those differences in a variety of ways. Friendships between boys and girls are not only possible, but wonderful and rewarding; yet, there is that special comradery between brothers, that special bond between sisters. Then the wider circles of friendship that emerge outside the home are, similarly, "brothers in arms" or "sisterhoods of this or that." Even conflicts are differently engaged and resolved. Girls are more likely to bicker with words, whereas boys are more likely to fight with their fists — but not when it comes to "fighting" with girls; even young gentlemen know that boys don't hit girls.

No, boys are more interested in impressing girls than hurting them. Leastwise, that's how it is when they are little. I know that sinful selfishness and bad examples bring out the hurtful worst in some young men, but nothing could be less masculine or manly than hurting a girl of any age. Lately I've noticed how intuitive it is for little boys to impress the girls, long before any romantic notions could possibly enter their cognitive processes. Georgie Porgie was a naughty grown-up duke, not a little boy on the playground (and he was wise to run away from the other boys).

Innocent little boys (original sinners, yes, but little in guile) are driven to demonstrate their strength and prowess, but also to demonstrate sweet tenderness to the ladies. Some would chalk it up to evolutionary theories, but I credit the creative design of the Lord our God, the Maker of the heavens and the earth. Men are created to be fathers like the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to be husbands like that heavenly Bridegroom, the incarnate Son. If a man does not have a wife or daughters of his own, he is given to guard and defend the honor and life of Christ's holy Church and the dear little ones of the Father in heaven.

That is what I have recognized and pondered in certain behaviors I've noticed in my younger sons in recent weeks. My little Gerhardt has had a fascination with babies; not too surprising, given all the babies born within our circles lately, but one sees the loving strength of a future father in his care and concern for those new little people in his life around him. Of course, he'll quickly go from loving a baby doll to running around and whooping it up with his brothers; which goes to show the difference, I suspect, between future fathers as compared to future mothers.

More striking to me has been Justinian's "flirting" with the older girls at church. He's only six, but he has a reputation for his sweet talk. I'll have to keep an eye on him when he hits the teen years, no doubt, but for now he's simply wearing his heart on his sleeve. I still remember, when I was a lad of his age, how fascinated I was with the older girls at school and at church, and how delighted I was by any attentions they might give me. Even in those pre-pubescent years, boys like girls and will go out of their way to catch their eye. I believe that God designed it that way, and, if we could take sin out of the equation, such attractions never would go awry. By God's grace, all of this can still be channeled rightly and well.

My favorite recent example was on a walk with Frederick a few weeks ago. We were making our way around the block; I was on foot, and he was riding his little bike (with training wheels). Mostly I was having to slow my pace for his sake, and frequently I needed to stop and wait for him to check out some interesting thing along the sidewalk. At one point, though, he happend to spot a little girl playing in her front yard, a few houses ahead of us. Suddenly, he was pumping those pedals just as hard and fast as he could work them; he went sailing past me, and then past the little girl, with a brief sideways glance and what appeared to be a twinkle in his eye. He slowed to a stop a yard or two beyond, then turned to see if the young lady was watching him (she was). I just about bust a gut over that one. Three years old, and he's already showing off for the girls. We continued on our merry way, but I could have sworn there was a new vigor in his pedaling. It gave me a sense of boyish delight in the innocence and rightness of it all. My Fredo can be a little wild and crazy at times, it's true, but he has the heart, mind and spirit of a future husband and father. If he goes about life like he pedals his bike, he'll be alright.

03 October 2008

I Really Miss My Older Children

Sometimes it hits me more than others. I guess this week, tonight in particular, is one of those times. I really miss my older children. Maybe it's partly because I got to see my Beanie on Monday and Tuesday, and I had a better chance to visit with her than I have in a long while. That seems crazy, I know; I should be grateful for the opportunity, but it makes the absence that much harder after the fact. I got to visit with Zach on the phone for a while last night, too. He's great about staying in touch with us, by phone and by e-mail, and I love our conversations. It's rare for a young man to be so good at communicating. Again, the nice phone call should make me feel better, and in a way it does, but it also brings to the fore how far apart we are, and I remember how long it'll be before we see Zach and Bekah, and how few and far apart our visits are ever likely to be. Nobody's fault, but such is life.

Now this weekend Nicholai is off to a youth retreat. I'm very pleased for him to go, and grateful for the chance that was given to him. I have to confess that I'm a little jealous, despite the fact that I got to have such a great "retreat" with many of my pastor buddies earlier this week. Comradery is a bit like potato chips or pistachio nuts, I guess: a little taste of it, and you're hungry for more. When will I ever learn simply to be content with my life and my lot? It's not as though I'm ever left all by myself. I'm surrounded by people who either love me or need me, or both. But I feel the holes in my days and nights, the emptiness that's left behind when any of my children are gone away. I miss DoRena and Zachary, and I miss Nicholai, too, these days that he is gone. My older children are certainly among my nearest and dearest friends, but how rarely do I get to be with them!

Wilhelm Löhe has somewhere quipped, "Who knows if I would have remained a Christian, if I had not become a pastor?" I have a sense of what he meant. My pastoral vocation is what keeps me focused on the Gospel, immersed in the means of grace, and consistent in prayer. In a similar fashion, my vocations, not only as a pastor but as a husband and father, keep me connected to other people in a way that I would otherwise neglect or sabotage. As important as friendship is to me, I'm really not very good at it. The mutual and voluntary bonds that define and constitute friendship are difficult for me to nurture and maintain with the right sort of finesse. It seems that I am always either trying too hard or not doing nearly enough. I flounder and get flustered. I talk too much as it is, and it's usually concerning things of little or no interest to anyone else. Sooner or later, it seems inevitable, I bore people to death or drive them away. Yet, there are these ties and relationships, rooted in my vocations, which bind me to some of my neighbors in a way that I can manage, with a bond that is not readily broken.

I know how to care for people and relate to them as a pastor. I'm always working to get better at it, to be more faithful in that calling, but it's solid and objective, and I basically know what to do with that. I know, too, what it means to be a husband and a father, even if I'm daily falling short in living up to those things. As often as I miss the mark, I know where to aim, and so I try, try again. There's a sure foundation to stand upon, and a recognizable structure to live within. So, too, my parishioners and my family know what to expect from me, what to ask me for, and what they are given to be hearing and receiving from me. Here there is definition and guidance and a steady relationship, all from the Lord, according to His Word. We have a name for these things, and words to describe them, and a frame of reference.

If it weren't for that, I fear that I would become a recluse, a hermit, or worse. Not because I dislike people! Quite the opposite is true. But because I don't know what I'm doing outside of my vocations and stations in life. I'm awkward and shy, and I say things that make no sense or simply don't matter to anyone else; or I don't say anything at all, but keep to myself and "hide" in a corner somewhere. Apart from my God-given offices in life, I'm still the teenager sitting on the sidelines at every high school dance, too frightened to ask any of the girls, and drowned out by the noise of the music and the rowdiness of the crowd.

I suppose that's why I selfishly long for the company of my older children, even though I know they are rightly making adult lives for themselves with their spouses. I would not want to hold them back or tie them down. It would be for my benefit, not theirs, to keep them close at hand. Besides, I have their younger siblings to love and care for, who need my full attention and affection. That's where I'm setting my sights these days, along with my pastoral practice. I recognize that I still have a long way to go in being the father that I am called to be. It's not a burden, but a blessed privilege, yet it does require patient perseverance. And then it requires the grace to let them go. Thank God, His grace is sufficient, and His power is made perfect in weakness, in the demonstration of His mercy. He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, will He not also, with Him, freely give us all good things? I really miss my older children, but I shall miss them in full view of the Cross of Christ, in the glorious hope of the Resurrection and the life everlasting.

Hymns for Historic Advent

First Sunday in Advent (Ad Te Levavi)
Jeremiah 23:5–8
Romans 13:(8–10) 11–14
Matthew 21:1–9

Hymn of Invocation
The advent of our King (LSB 331)

Hymn of the Day / Catechetical Hymn of the Week
Savior of the nations, come (LSB 332)

Hymns for the Distribution of the Holy Communion
Once He came in blessing (LSB 333)
O Lord, how shall I meet You (LSB 334)
Lift up your heads, ye mighty gates (LSB 340)
O bride of Christ, rejoice (LSB 335)

Hymn of Departure
Jerusalem the golden (LSB 672)

Alternative Hymns
Come, Thou precious Ransom, come (LSB 350)
Creator of the stars of night (LSB 351)
Hark! A thrilling voice is sounding (LSB 345)
Hark the glad sound (LSB 349)
Jerusalem, my happy home (LSB 673)
Jerusalem, O city fair and high (LSB 674)
Lift up your heads, you everlasting doors (LSB 339)
Lo, how a rose e’er blooming (LSB 359)
O Savior, rend the heavens wide (LSB 355)
Prepare the royal highway (LSB 343)
Rejoice, rejoice, believers (LSB 515)
The God of Abraham praise (LSB 798)
The night will soon be ending (LSB 337)
This is the day the Lord has made (LSB 903)
Wake, awake, for night is flying (LSB 516)


Second Sunday in Advent (Populus Zion)
Malachi 4:1–6
Romans 15:4–13
Luke 21:25–36

Hymn of Invocation
O Savior, rend the heavens wide (LSB 355)

Hymn of the Day / Catechetical Hymn of the Week
Lo! He comes with clouds descending (LSB 336)

Hymns for the Distribution of the Holy Communion
The day is surely drawing near (LSB 508)
Creator of the stars of night (LSB 351)
O Lord, how shall I meet You (LSB 334)
Rejoice, rejoice, believers (LSB 515)

Hymn of Departure
Lord of our life and God of our salvation (LSB 659)

Alternative Hymns
A multitude comes from the east and the west (LSB 510)
Father, we praise Thee (LSB 875)
God’s Word is our great heritage (LSB 582)
Hear us, Father, when we pray (LSB 773)
Jerusalem, O city fair and high (LSB 674)
Lift up your heads, ye mighty gates (LSB 340)
Lo, how a rose e’er blooming (LSB 359)
Lord, keep us steadfast in Your Word (LSB 655)
O God, O Lord of heaven and earth (LSB 834)
Once He came in blessing (LSB 333)
Sing with all the saints in glory (LSB 671)
The advent of our King (LSB 331)
The Bridegroom soon will call us (LSB 514)
The clouds of judgment gather (LSB 513)
The night will soon be ending (LSB 337)


Third Sunday in Advent (Gaudete)
Isaiah 40:1–8 (9–11)
1 Corinthians 4:1–5
Matthew 11:2–10 (11)

Hymn of Invocation
Hark the glad sound (LSB 349)

Hymn of the Day / Catechetical Hymn of the Week
Hark! A thrilling voice is sounding (LSB 345)

Hymns for the Distribution of the Holy Communion
On Jordan’s bank the Baptist’s cry (LSB 344)
Dear Christians, one and all, rejoice (LSB 556)
When all the world was cursed (LSB 346)
Rejoice, my heart, be glad and sing (LSB 737)

Hymn of Departure
Once He came in blessing (LSB 333)

Alternative Hymns
Come, Thou long-expected Jesus (LSB 338)
Comfort, comfort ye My people (LSB 347)
Entrust your days and burdens (LSB 754)
God of the prophets, bless the prophets’ sons (LSB 682)
My soul, now praise your maker (LSB 820)
O Lord, how shall I meet You (LSB 334)
O Lord, we praise Thee (LSB 617)
O Savior, rend the heavens wide (LSB 355)
Oh, that I had a thousand voices (LSB 811)
Praise the Almighty, my soul, adore Him (LSB 797)
Praise the One who breaks the darkness (LSB 849)
Rejoice, rejoice, believers (LSB 515)
Soul, adorn yourself with gladness (LSB 636)
The gifts Christ freely gives (LSB 602)
Why should cross and trial grieve me (LSB 756)


Fourth Sunday in Advent (Rorate Coeli)
Deuteronomy 18:15–19
Philippians 4:4–7
John 1:19–28 (or Luke 1:39–56)

Hymn of Invocation
Come, Thou precious Ransom, come (LSB 350)

Hymn of the Day / Catechetical Hymn of the Week
O come, O come, Emmanuel (LSB 357)

Hymns for the Distribution of the Holy Communion
O Savior, rend the heavens wide (LSB 355)
Lo, how a rose e’er blooming (LSB 359)
Comfort, comfort ye My people (LSB 347)
My soul, now praise your maker (LSB 820)

Hymn of Departure
Let the earth now praise the Lord (LSB 352)

Alternative Hymns
Entrust your days and burdens (LSB 754)
Hark! A thrilling voice is sounding (LSB 345)
In Thee is gladness (LSB 818)
Lift up your heads, ye mighty gates (LSB 340)
Lo! He comes with clouds descending (LSB 336)
My soul now magnifies the Lord (LSB 934)
O Lord, how shall I meet You (LSB 334)
Once He came in blessing (LSB 333)
Praise the Almighty, my soul, adore Him (LSB 797)
Rejoice, my heart, be glad and sing (LSB 737)
Rejoice, rejoice, believers (LSB 515)
Soul, adorn yourself with gladness (LSB 636)
Tell out, my soul, the greatness of the Lord (LSB 935)
The angel Gabriel from heaven came (LSB 356)
When all the world was cursed (LSB 346)

Faith and Hope, Prudence and Fortitude

It's been a while since I last shared anything from Dr. Luther, but I found this portion of his Lectures on Galatians (discussing chapter 5) to be timely and compelling in several respects. It touches upon preaching and politics and perseverance in the midst of great adversity. I find it to be both comforting and encouraging, and I hope and trust that it will be so for others, also:

"Faith and hope differ first in their subjects, because faith is in the intellect and hope is in the will; yet they cannot be separated in fact, just as the two cherubim of the mercy seat cannot be separated (Ex. 25:19). Second, they differ in their functions; for faith commands and directs the intellect, though not apart from the will, and teaches what must be believed. Therefore faith is teaching or knowledge. Hope is exhortation, because it arouses the mind to be brave and resolute, so that it dares, endures, and lasts in the midst of evils and looks for better things. Furthermore, faith is a theologian and a judge, battling against errors and heresies, and judging spirits and doctrines. On the other hand, hope is a captain, battling against feelings such as tribulation, the cross, impatience, sadness, faintheartedness, despair, and blasphemy; and it battles with joy and courage, etc., in opposition to those great evils. Finally, they differ in their objects. As its object faith has truth, and it teaches us to cling to this surely and firmly; it looks to the word of the object, that is, to the promise. Hope has goodness as its object; and it looks to the object of the word, that is, to the thing promised or the things to be hoped for, which faith has ordered us to accept.

"Therefore when I take hold of Christ as I have been taught by faith in the Word of God, and when I believe in Him with the full confidence of the heart — something that cannot happen without the will — then I am righteous through this knowledge. When I have been thus justified by faith or by this knowledge, then immediately the devil comes and exerts himself to extinguish my faith with his tricks, his lies, errors and heresies, violence, tyranny, and murder. Then my battling hope grasps what faith has commanded; it becomes vigorous and conquers the devil, who attacks faith. When he has been conquered, there follow peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. In fact, therefore, faith and hope are scarcely distinguishable; and yet there is some difference between them. To make this difference clearer, I shall explain the matter by means of an analogy.

"In the political realm prudence and fortitude are different; for prudence is one thing, and fortitude is another. And yet they stick together so closely that they cannot be easily separated. Now fortitude is a steadiness of mind, which does not despair in the midst of adversity but endures bravely and looks for better things. But unless fortitude is directed by prudence, it becomes rashness; on the other hand, unless fortitude is added to prudence, prudence is useless. Therefore just as in the political realm prudence is vain without fortitude, so in theology faith is nothing without hope, because hope endures and lasts in the midst of evils and conquers them. And, on the other hand, just as fortitude without prudence is rashness, so hope without faith is presumptuousness about the Spirit and a tempting of God; for since it lacks the knowledge of the truth or of Christ, which faith teaches, it is a blind and rash fortitude. First of all, therefore, the believer must have a correct understanding and an intellect informed by faith, by which the mind is governed amid afflictions, so that in the midst of evils it hopes for the best things that faith has commanded and taught.

"Therefore faith is like dialectic, which conceives the idea of all the things that are to be believed; and hope is like rhetoric, which develops, urges, persuades, and exhorts to steadiness, so that faith does not collapse in temptation but keeps the Word and holds firmly to it. Now just as dialectic and rhetoric are distinct arts and yet bear such affinity to each other that neither can be separated from the other — because without dialectic the orator cannot teach anything that is sure, while without rhetoric a dialectician cannot move his hearers, but he who combines them both teaches and persuades — so faith and hope are distinct feelings; for faith is something other than hope, and hope is something other than faith, and yet, because of the great affinity between them, they cannot be separated. Therefore just as dialectic and rhetoric perform certain tasks for each other, so do faith and hope. Thus the distinction between faith and hope in theology is the same as that between intellect and will in philosophy, between prudence and fortitude in the political realm, between dialectic and rhetoric in public speaking.

"In other words, faith is conceived by teaching, when the mind is instructed about what the truth is; hope is conceived by exhortation, because by exhortation hope is aroused in the midst of afflictions, comforting the man who has already been justified by faith, so that he does not surrender to evil but acts even more bravely. But if the torch of faith did not illumine the will, hope could not persuade the will. Therefore we have faith, by which we are taught, by which we become wise, understand heavenly wisdom, take hold of Christ, and abide in His grace. Once we cling to Christ by faith and confess Him, immediately our enemies, the world, the flesh, and the devil, rise up against us, hating and persecuting us most bitterly in body and spirit. Believing this way, then, we are justified through the Spirit by faith, and we wait for the hope of our righteousness. We wait with patience, however; for what we feel and see is the exact opposite. The world and its ruler, the devil (John 16:11), accuse us of every sort of evil, outwardly and inwardly. In addition, sin still clings to us and continually saddens us. Yet in all this we neither faint nor falter; but we encourage our will bravely with faith, which illumines, instructs, and rules the will. And thus we remain constant and conquer all evils through Him who loved us (Rom. 8:37), until our righteousness, in which we now believe and hope, is revealed.

"Thus we began by faith, we persevere by hope, and we shall have everything by that revelation. As long as we live meanwhile, because we do believe, we teach the Word and plant the knowledge of Christ in others. As we teach, we suffer persecution, in accordance with the saying: ‘I have believed, therefore have I spoken; but I am greatly afflicted’ (Ps. 116:10). But as we suffer, we are bravely encouraged by hope, and Scripture exhorts us with the sweet and very comforting promises which faith has taught us. And thus hope is born and grows in us, ‘that by steadfastness and by the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope’ (Rom. 15:4).

"And so it is not without reason that Paul (in Romans and elsewhere) joins patience and tribulation to hope; for hope is aroused by them. By contrast, faith is prior to hope; for it is the beginning of life and begins before any tribulation, since it learns about Christ and grasps Him without having to bear a cross. Nevertheless, cross and conflict follow immediately upon the knowledge of Christ. When this happens, the mind should be encouraged to find the fortitude of the Spirit — since hope is nothing but theological fortitude, while faith is theological wisdom or prudence — which has its place in endurance. So these three abide (1 Cor. 13:13): faith teaches the truth and defends it against errors and heresies: hope endures and conquers all evils, physical and spiritual; love does everything good, as follows here in Galatians (5:6). Thus a man is whole and perfect in this life, both inwardly and outwardly, until the revelation of the righteousness for which he looks, which will be consummated and eternal." (Luther’s Works, Volume 27, CPH 1963; alt.)