Do what you have been given to do, to the best of your ability, as opportunity permits. Do not compete, compare and contrast your vocations, offices, abilities and accomplishments with those of others, but serve faithfully, as before God.
Where you have been unfaithful, negligent or lazy, and where you have done wrong, repent. Do not harden your heart in bitterness. Do not close your ears to the Word of the Lord. Confess your sins, cling to the forgiveness of Christ Jesus, and henceforth live unto righteousness. Cease to do evil, and do good.
Where you suffer for doing good, and especially for the sake of Christ, consider yourself blessed and rejoice even in the Cross. Do not despair, nor give up hope, but entrust yourself to the Lord Jesus Christ, and for His sake forgive those who trespass against you.
Do not fear those who hurt and harm you, whether in your body and life, your home and family, your possessions and income, or your good name and reputation. Do not fear them, but do forgive them, and commend them to the judgment of God. They cannot hurt your soul, nor rob you of eternal life, because you are forgiven all your sins by Christ.
He has redeemed you with His precious blood. He has reconciled you to God by His Cross and in His Resurrection from the dead. He has covered you with His righteousness, so that you stand with Him, justified, in the presence of God. You are safe and sound in Him, your Savior, Christ Jesus.
Do what you are given to do in that confidence. He is the One who has made you and given you life. He is the One who has called you; and He is faithful. He has put you in your place of service.
What you do in His Name, that is to say, as a Christian, in faith, is not pointless or meaningless or in vain. However much or little you may seem to accomplish, and whether you receive thanks or suffer persecution, your life is a witness of Christ the Crucified.
He has not abolished the Law, but He has fulfilled it for you.
He has not destroyed the Temple of God, but He has become the Temple of God in His own Body of flesh and blood: conceived and born of Mary, crucified under Pontius Pilate, risen from the dead and ascended to the right hand of the Father, given and poured out for you at His Altar.
Here at His Altar you are at home with God. Because the One who here feeds you in this holy place with His own flesh and blood has entered into the holy of holies made without hands, into the inner sanctum of heaven, the bosom of the Father. And, as He is with you here, so are you with Him there, by faith.
Lift up your heart, therefore, unto the Lord.
Lift up your head in hope, for your Redemption is at hand.
Lift up your eyes and see what His Word declares. For the Glory of the Lord has risen upon you. He does not hold any of your sins against you. His Spirit helps you in your weakness, and He graciously receives you to Himself in love, unto the life everlasting.
In the Name + of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
26 December 2008
20 December 2008
twilight
I took my wife to see the Twilight movie a couple days ago. I had already seen it on my own the week before, because I knew that I’d be chatting with Pastor Wilken about it on Issues, Etc., but I wanted to get LaRena’s reactions, too; besides, it made a nice little date for the two of us. The movie isn’t great, but it is mildly entertaining, immensely popular, and somewhat of interest to me for a variety of reasons. LaRena enjoyed going to see it with me, and I appreciated her observations afterwards.
The Twilight book doesn’t lend itself well to the movie medium. It could have been pulled off better than it was, but it would have been a challenge. The book’s literary strength is found in its descriptions of inner thoughts and its extended exploration of emotions. I suspect that same quality is also part of its massive appeal to young women — tweens, teens and twenty-somethings, especially. But with so much of the story occurring inside the heart and head of the narrator, it’s a tough act to portray theatrically, and I’m sorry to say that the leading lady and her leading man did not manage to carry or convey the emotional weight of their respective roles. The movie sets the stage well enough for the several sequels which are bound to follow, but it is otherwise content to dwell upon the rather thin plot. There’s just not a lot that actually happens in the first book of the series. Twilight is not so much a story as it is a long soak in a hot bath, an immersion in emotions, relationships and feelings, love and romance. The book savors the emotional experience of those feelings, in a way the movie simply doesn’t manage.
The movie isn’t a total loss. It is entertaining, and, like the books in the Twilight series, it is refreshingly free of promiscuity, foul language, gratuitous violence, drugs and alcohol abuse. Some of the supporting roles were spot-on, I thought, both in their appearance and behavior. That helps to prop the movie up, but it’s a shame that Bella and Edward, the heart and soul of Twilight, aren’t more convincing. The actress playing Bella looks the part beautifully, and she does some things very well, but she doesn’t capture the mind and spirit of her character. How could she, really? But if you’re going to put this book on the big screen, you’ve got to find a way to express what’s going on inside of Bella. Perhaps she’ll grow into the part in the course of the subsequent movies. She does already look it. Not Edward, though. I’m no judge of male "beauty," but, sorry, this actor doesn’t have anything like the chiseled, statuesque, Greek-godlike appearance that the book goes on and on about (and on and on again). I was mentally picturing something more like Michelangelo’s David, the white marble rendering of an otherwise ruddy good-looking young man. Maybe I’m missing something, or maybe it’s just not possible to find anyone as beautiful as the Twilight vampires are glowingly described. Edward’s sister, Rosalie, for example, is supposed to be the breathtaking, staggering epitome of feminine beauty, but the actress that plays her in the movie has nothing but the same generic cheerleader look of the "mean girl" in every teen movie made since the 1980s. The rest of Edward’s family is more convincing in the movie; Dr. Cullen is just right, and Alice is perfect (my wife loved her cute hairdo).
Bella’s parents, too, fair well in the movie. I appreciate the way that her Dad is portrayed; he’s a likeable and sympathetic character, and that is how it should be. Bella’s high school friends are right for the movie, too, which is important to preserving the atmosphere of the book. We don’t see a lot of Jacob, yet, in this first installment of the series, but he’s going to be of central importance before long. It bodes well for the second movie, New Moon, that the actor playing Jacob seems to have it. The real challenge in that sequel, again, will be Bella’s inner thoughts and feelings.
The young ladies are the ones who have made the Twilight series of books, and now the first movie, such a popular success. The story is told from Bella’s first-person narrative perspective, so readers are drawn into her world, see it through her eyes, and interpret it via her experiences and reactions. Women have resonated with that perspective, with the way that Bella feels and the way that she deals with her various relationships, with Edward in particular, and then also with Jacob. Aside from enjoying the books for the story they tell (which gets better as it goes along, in my opinion), I am intrigued by the insight they give into the female psyche; I find that interesting and helpful to me in my several vocations as a husband, a father of several daughters, and a pastor responsible for the spiritual care of both men and women, young and old. The author of these books, Stephenie Meyer, has struck a chord with an astounding number of female fans, adolescents, teenagers and adults, married and single, mothers and daughters. Significantly, she has done so in some ways that are remarkably counter-cultural. Her books are hip and edgy, yet they operate on the assumption of fairly conservative, traditional mores.
Not surprisingly, the Twilight series has been favorably compared to the Harry Potter books, and one can point to similarities between them. Each is written by an adult women, a mother, making her publishing debut. Both sets of books focus on teenagers interacting within a typical school setting, while incorporating magical or supernatural elements as a fundamental literary device. Both have met with huge success and are being made into major motion pictures. Both are shaped by their authors' personal religious beliefs and convictions, addressing themselves to some of life’s most basic questions. J. K. Rowling is a Christian, and her books depict the sacrificial character of real love in contrast to the selfish lust for power, and the ultimate victory of faith in the Resurrection, in opposition to the fear and despair of death. Stephenie Meyer is a Mormon, and her books depict a reverence for human life, the significance and values of familial bonds of love, the virtue of abstinence, and the value of marriage. If there is a soteriology (a doctrine of salvation) in Meyer’s books, it is one of works righteousness; not rooted in Christ but in good works. Her work is not theological in its intent, but ethical.
Unfortunately, a non-theological ethic is inherently idolatrous. To be good for goodness’ sake is better than being bad, but "goodness" is defined by one’s "god," whether true or false, for good or evil. Thus, it is helpful that "goodness" in the Twilight series is basically defined by the Ten Commandments, which coincide with the natural law that the one true God has written into the human conscience. That much really is well and good in these books. But there is another god that sometimes rears it head, especially in the first two books, namely, the idol of romantic love. This is troublesome, because it is false and misleading; yet, I suspect, it is also one of the attractions of this series for young women. Men often do not take relationships seriously enough; but women can too easily take them too seriously, and that is a red flag on the play, my one real caution and concern with these books. Bella does not believe that Edward is soulless or consigned to hell, but at various points she expresses a willingness to be damned along with him, rather than to live without him. Edward is torn by his all-consuming love for Bella, because he believes that he is dangerous and deadly to her physical and spiritual well-being, but he is unable to resist his desire to be with her. Each of them becomes the other’s god, the measure of what is good and bad, the criteria of right and wrong. They worship each other at all costs, and their relationship, of itself, reigns as the supreme deity above all else. If they are bereft of each other, then death or despair is all that remains for them. Such idolatry is perverse, in a way that fictional vampires are not; but precisely such idolatry is rampant in our fallen non-fiction world. It is why girls sell their souls for boys, and boys sell their souls for girls, and girls make a god out of romance, while boys make a god out of sex. Romantic young men and lustful young women notwithstanding. I fear that Twilight is so popular, to some extent, because it elevates the false god of romance above the false god of sex.
My concerns along these lines were most prevalent as I read through Twilight and New Moon, the first two books in the series. The third and fourth books, Eclipse and Breaking Dawn, temper the idolatry of romance with a developing emphasis on the values of marriage and children, family and friendship. In fact, that begins already in New Moon. There is a sense in which the reader learns and grows along with Bella as the series progresses, and that is a literary strength which lends both interest and purpose to the books. Not everything is handled perfectly, but there is an effort to grapple with the complexities of life instead of simply drowning in the shallow pool of romance. Bella’s friendship with Jacob, their love for each other, grows out of their comradery of shared interests and activities. Figuring out how that relationship can fit together with Bella’s unwavering commitment to Edward requires greater balance and maturity than the superficial fascination and mutual obsession of Twilight.
For all of that, though, the various young ladies I have talked to about the series, almost without exception, far and away prefer the first book to any of the rest. They like the "romance," which, if I have understood correctly, describes Edward’s devotion to Bella; the way he lives for her and sees nothing else; his care and concern for her above all, and his drive to protect her from any harm of any kind. In fact, it is specifically Edward himself that most appeals to the female fans of Twilight. He is portrayed and perceived to be the perfect man. He is beautifully handsome, but far more than just a pretty face. He is incredibly strong and fast, but he uses his physical prowess to guard and keep the woman and her virtue, rather than taking anything from her. He is intelligent and perceptive; yet, even in this respect, though he can instantly read every other mind, he takes nothing from Bella against her will, but receives only as much as she reveals by her words and actions. He is conscientious to a fault. He is willing to suffer all manner of personal hurt and difficulty, for the sake of serving Bella’s happiness. The masculine traits that are normally so frustrating to women, in Edward are turned into merits: He is utterly obsessed with one thing, but that one thing is Bella. What is more, his romance for her is sincere and genuine; he’s not manipulating her for sex, but loving her because she really is the most important thing to him. He accommodates her to the fullest extent possible, but without endangering her in body or soul; he will not risk her soul, nor rob her virtue, even when she herself would give these up for him. He is permanent and unchanging; which, in Edward’s case, is fine, because he is already so perfect. At least, so far as I can tell, that is how the young women perceive him, and that is why they love him.
Yet, Edward is a vampire, after all, and so there is this danger and mystique about him, as he well knows. The books really aren’t about vampires, though the author has offered a creative interpretation of that classic mythology. But the vampires are the literary device that contributes a narrative tension to the otherwise familiar themes of romantic love and relationships. That Edward is a vampire exacerbates the sexual temptations and emotional risks inherent in any romance. It heightens the drama and lends it the sort of life-and-death significance that people often imagine in the midst of new love and attach to their infatuations. His supernatural perfection is also his curse and a constant threat of destruction.
Stephenie Meyer’s point, it seems to me, is that Edward’s identity and character are ultimately defined, not by his nature as a vampire, but by his commitments and choices. It is neither his astonishing abilities nor his dangerous inclinations that make him the man he is, but his deliberate decisions to do what is good and right; to protect rather than destroy human life; to love instead of lust; to give instead of take. One of the young ladies I chatted with about Twilight expressed her concern that these books set forth an impossible ideal, which could be misleading to female readers who are invited to long for something that doesn’t exist. She has a good point, and I suppose there are women who fall into that trap, whether from reading Twilight or from some other influence of popular culture. Parental oversight and guidance, and especially ongoing catechesis in the Word of God, are the necessary keys to real wisdom in the navigation of life and love. However, I believe that Meyer intends to suggest, in her own way, that Edward’s most important qualities are not those of impossible perfection, but those of heart and mind, of conscience and will; his commitment and choices to abstain from evil and do good. These are qualities that young women should be encouraged to look for in a man. I believe that may be the point.
Such choices are counter-cultural, both within the fictional context of the story and in contrast to the common expectations of the contemporary real world. Edward and his family are defined by their choice to live entirely on the blood of animals, against all of their natural instincts to drink human blood. They are viewed as an absurd oddity by the vast majority of the world’s vampires, but the contrast goes beyond their diet. Edward’s family is marked by familial bonds of love and commitment, which set them apart from the alliances of fear and the aggressive power struggles that characterize the society of vampires otherwise. Edward’s "father," Dr. Carlisle Cullen, is described and depicted as a man of compassionate care and charity of spirit, directed by his well-defined conscience. His reverence for human life is all the more striking because it stands so strongly against a vampire’s "natural" inclination. That example translates easily in application to many real-world scenarios.
Similarly, Edward’s refusal to fornicate with Bella, or to risk any sort of sexual intimacy with her prior to marriage, seems remarkably old-fashioned in such a modern-day setting as one finds in the Twilight series. In fact, he pointedly hearkens back to an earlier time when such principles of conduct were understood to be matters of honor and integrity. His concerns include the physical damage that his passions might cause, but his convictions are finally explained as a protection of Bella’s virtue. He is willing to attempt the consummation of their marriage, when that time comes, but he will not violate her purity and chastity before then. While this attitude might be expected to come across as quaint or passé, it actually contributes to Edward’s appeal and to the romantic qualities of these books.
On Bella’s part, there is an aversion to the whole idea of marriage, especially the prospect of getting married at a young age right out of high school. Her parents’ divorce, and her mother’s regrets, have shaped the way that Bella perceives the institution of marriage. She has no difficulty with commitment, nor any doubts about Edward; she is ready and eager to become a vampire herself, in order to spend forever with him. Marriage, though, she fears and would prefer to avoid or put off indefinitely. That attitude really bugged me in the earlier books, though it is admittedly a common point of view. In retrospect, it seems that the author was moving toward a change of heart in Bella, which probably proves instructive to her readers, as well. Notably, when Bella tells her mother that she and Edward are engaged to be married, her mother responds positively, and already that begins to reshape Bella’s thinking as the wedding approaches. Even more significantly, it is in her marriage to Edward, before she has become a vampire, that Bella finds the permanent "forever" that she was longing for. This is a remarkable depiction of marriage in a culture so permeated with divorce and the whole gamut of fornication that is now taken for granted.
If the Twilight series is decidedly pro-abstinence and pro-marriage, it is no less so pro-life; not only in the Cullen’s difficult dietary discipline, but in Bella’s adamant refusal to have an abortion when her very life is threatened by the child in her womb. This is in the fourth book, Breaking Dawn, after she and Edward have been married. To everyone’s surprise, she conceives a half-human-half-vampire child, which will almost certainly destroy her body and life if brought to term. It presents the classic sort of case in which the staunchest pro-life advocates are most likely to permit an abortion, for the sake of preserving the mother’s life, but Bella will not allow it. Though she has given no prior thought to having children, she loves the baby in her womb, and she is not only willing but determined to risk her own life for the protection of that child. The entire gestation period occurs in the span of a single month, rather than the usual human nine, and simply carrying the child is breaking Bella’s ribs, then finally her spine. She is spared from death only by the fact that Edward transforms her into a vampire after the delivery, but she would have been content to die for her baby’s sake. Again, the excruciating ethical choice is made, in contrast to the reigning attitudes and expectations of our societal culture.
I’m not quite willing to describe the Twilight series as a "morality tale," but conscientious choices and decisions are a strong underlying theme throughout these books, increasingly so as they progress. Even the "impossible" romantic relationship that provides the cornerstone and bedrock of the first book is dealt with as a moral dilemma, which finds its resolution in the choosing of good over evil. "Good" itself is defined by such positive choices, over and above and even against the presumed dictates of "nature." Not circumstances but commitments drive the main characters. That is all the more apparent in the fifth book, Midnight Sun, still a work-in-progress but available in partial draft on Stephenie Meyer’s website. That book retells the story of the first book, Twilight, from Edward’s perspective instead of Bella’s. I have found it fascinating, especially because it reveals the extent to which Edward is driven by his determination to do the right thing, no matter how difficult it may be for him. I retain my concerns about the idolatry of romantic love portrayed in these books, but, with respect to civil righteousness and human life in this world, I do appreciate the emphasis on conscientious commitments.
Whether Twilight is a morality tale or not, it is anthropocentric rather than Christological. That doesn’t mean one shouldn’t read it, but one shouldn’t read it for theology. On that point, it falls short. Which is a shame, because there is, in truth, the one perfect Man who has redeemed and sanctified our human nature by His divine compassion, by His gracious commitment to save us, by His conscientious choices and decisions, and by His good works of perfect righteousness in fulfillment of the whole Law of the one true God. He set aside His divine prerogatives, though not His divine nature, in order to rescue us and raise us up with Himself. He is faithful in all things; He will never leave us nor forsake us. He has reconciled us to Himself, our true and eternal Bridegroom, though we were unfaithful, sinful and unclean in all our thoughts, words and actions. He has given us new birth as the children of God, though we were conceived and born in sin, subject to death, as the natural children of fallen man. Our human relationships, whether of romance, family or friendship, are at their best when they are realized in Christ our Lord; and all of them rightly point beyond themselves to Him and to His Bride, the Church. In Him, we have the real true love, which is forever and ever, which even death shall not destroy.
The Twilight book doesn’t lend itself well to the movie medium. It could have been pulled off better than it was, but it would have been a challenge. The book’s literary strength is found in its descriptions of inner thoughts and its extended exploration of emotions. I suspect that same quality is also part of its massive appeal to young women — tweens, teens and twenty-somethings, especially. But with so much of the story occurring inside the heart and head of the narrator, it’s a tough act to portray theatrically, and I’m sorry to say that the leading lady and her leading man did not manage to carry or convey the emotional weight of their respective roles. The movie sets the stage well enough for the several sequels which are bound to follow, but it is otherwise content to dwell upon the rather thin plot. There’s just not a lot that actually happens in the first book of the series. Twilight is not so much a story as it is a long soak in a hot bath, an immersion in emotions, relationships and feelings, love and romance. The book savors the emotional experience of those feelings, in a way the movie simply doesn’t manage.
The movie isn’t a total loss. It is entertaining, and, like the books in the Twilight series, it is refreshingly free of promiscuity, foul language, gratuitous violence, drugs and alcohol abuse. Some of the supporting roles were spot-on, I thought, both in their appearance and behavior. That helps to prop the movie up, but it’s a shame that Bella and Edward, the heart and soul of Twilight, aren’t more convincing. The actress playing Bella looks the part beautifully, and she does some things very well, but she doesn’t capture the mind and spirit of her character. How could she, really? But if you’re going to put this book on the big screen, you’ve got to find a way to express what’s going on inside of Bella. Perhaps she’ll grow into the part in the course of the subsequent movies. She does already look it. Not Edward, though. I’m no judge of male "beauty," but, sorry, this actor doesn’t have anything like the chiseled, statuesque, Greek-godlike appearance that the book goes on and on about (and on and on again). I was mentally picturing something more like Michelangelo’s David, the white marble rendering of an otherwise ruddy good-looking young man. Maybe I’m missing something, or maybe it’s just not possible to find anyone as beautiful as the Twilight vampires are glowingly described. Edward’s sister, Rosalie, for example, is supposed to be the breathtaking, staggering epitome of feminine beauty, but the actress that plays her in the movie has nothing but the same generic cheerleader look of the "mean girl" in every teen movie made since the 1980s. The rest of Edward’s family is more convincing in the movie; Dr. Cullen is just right, and Alice is perfect (my wife loved her cute hairdo).
Bella’s parents, too, fair well in the movie. I appreciate the way that her Dad is portrayed; he’s a likeable and sympathetic character, and that is how it should be. Bella’s high school friends are right for the movie, too, which is important to preserving the atmosphere of the book. We don’t see a lot of Jacob, yet, in this first installment of the series, but he’s going to be of central importance before long. It bodes well for the second movie, New Moon, that the actor playing Jacob seems to have it. The real challenge in that sequel, again, will be Bella’s inner thoughts and feelings.
The young ladies are the ones who have made the Twilight series of books, and now the first movie, such a popular success. The story is told from Bella’s first-person narrative perspective, so readers are drawn into her world, see it through her eyes, and interpret it via her experiences and reactions. Women have resonated with that perspective, with the way that Bella feels and the way that she deals with her various relationships, with Edward in particular, and then also with Jacob. Aside from enjoying the books for the story they tell (which gets better as it goes along, in my opinion), I am intrigued by the insight they give into the female psyche; I find that interesting and helpful to me in my several vocations as a husband, a father of several daughters, and a pastor responsible for the spiritual care of both men and women, young and old. The author of these books, Stephenie Meyer, has struck a chord with an astounding number of female fans, adolescents, teenagers and adults, married and single, mothers and daughters. Significantly, she has done so in some ways that are remarkably counter-cultural. Her books are hip and edgy, yet they operate on the assumption of fairly conservative, traditional mores.
Not surprisingly, the Twilight series has been favorably compared to the Harry Potter books, and one can point to similarities between them. Each is written by an adult women, a mother, making her publishing debut. Both sets of books focus on teenagers interacting within a typical school setting, while incorporating magical or supernatural elements as a fundamental literary device. Both have met with huge success and are being made into major motion pictures. Both are shaped by their authors' personal religious beliefs and convictions, addressing themselves to some of life’s most basic questions. J. K. Rowling is a Christian, and her books depict the sacrificial character of real love in contrast to the selfish lust for power, and the ultimate victory of faith in the Resurrection, in opposition to the fear and despair of death. Stephenie Meyer is a Mormon, and her books depict a reverence for human life, the significance and values of familial bonds of love, the virtue of abstinence, and the value of marriage. If there is a soteriology (a doctrine of salvation) in Meyer’s books, it is one of works righteousness; not rooted in Christ but in good works. Her work is not theological in its intent, but ethical.
Unfortunately, a non-theological ethic is inherently idolatrous. To be good for goodness’ sake is better than being bad, but "goodness" is defined by one’s "god," whether true or false, for good or evil. Thus, it is helpful that "goodness" in the Twilight series is basically defined by the Ten Commandments, which coincide with the natural law that the one true God has written into the human conscience. That much really is well and good in these books. But there is another god that sometimes rears it head, especially in the first two books, namely, the idol of romantic love. This is troublesome, because it is false and misleading; yet, I suspect, it is also one of the attractions of this series for young women. Men often do not take relationships seriously enough; but women can too easily take them too seriously, and that is a red flag on the play, my one real caution and concern with these books. Bella does not believe that Edward is soulless or consigned to hell, but at various points she expresses a willingness to be damned along with him, rather than to live without him. Edward is torn by his all-consuming love for Bella, because he believes that he is dangerous and deadly to her physical and spiritual well-being, but he is unable to resist his desire to be with her. Each of them becomes the other’s god, the measure of what is good and bad, the criteria of right and wrong. They worship each other at all costs, and their relationship, of itself, reigns as the supreme deity above all else. If they are bereft of each other, then death or despair is all that remains for them. Such idolatry is perverse, in a way that fictional vampires are not; but precisely such idolatry is rampant in our fallen non-fiction world. It is why girls sell their souls for boys, and boys sell their souls for girls, and girls make a god out of romance, while boys make a god out of sex. Romantic young men and lustful young women notwithstanding. I fear that Twilight is so popular, to some extent, because it elevates the false god of romance above the false god of sex.
My concerns along these lines were most prevalent as I read through Twilight and New Moon, the first two books in the series. The third and fourth books, Eclipse and Breaking Dawn, temper the idolatry of romance with a developing emphasis on the values of marriage and children, family and friendship. In fact, that begins already in New Moon. There is a sense in which the reader learns and grows along with Bella as the series progresses, and that is a literary strength which lends both interest and purpose to the books. Not everything is handled perfectly, but there is an effort to grapple with the complexities of life instead of simply drowning in the shallow pool of romance. Bella’s friendship with Jacob, their love for each other, grows out of their comradery of shared interests and activities. Figuring out how that relationship can fit together with Bella’s unwavering commitment to Edward requires greater balance and maturity than the superficial fascination and mutual obsession of Twilight.
For all of that, though, the various young ladies I have talked to about the series, almost without exception, far and away prefer the first book to any of the rest. They like the "romance," which, if I have understood correctly, describes Edward’s devotion to Bella; the way he lives for her and sees nothing else; his care and concern for her above all, and his drive to protect her from any harm of any kind. In fact, it is specifically Edward himself that most appeals to the female fans of Twilight. He is portrayed and perceived to be the perfect man. He is beautifully handsome, but far more than just a pretty face. He is incredibly strong and fast, but he uses his physical prowess to guard and keep the woman and her virtue, rather than taking anything from her. He is intelligent and perceptive; yet, even in this respect, though he can instantly read every other mind, he takes nothing from Bella against her will, but receives only as much as she reveals by her words and actions. He is conscientious to a fault. He is willing to suffer all manner of personal hurt and difficulty, for the sake of serving Bella’s happiness. The masculine traits that are normally so frustrating to women, in Edward are turned into merits: He is utterly obsessed with one thing, but that one thing is Bella. What is more, his romance for her is sincere and genuine; he’s not manipulating her for sex, but loving her because she really is the most important thing to him. He accommodates her to the fullest extent possible, but without endangering her in body or soul; he will not risk her soul, nor rob her virtue, even when she herself would give these up for him. He is permanent and unchanging; which, in Edward’s case, is fine, because he is already so perfect. At least, so far as I can tell, that is how the young women perceive him, and that is why they love him.
Yet, Edward is a vampire, after all, and so there is this danger and mystique about him, as he well knows. The books really aren’t about vampires, though the author has offered a creative interpretation of that classic mythology. But the vampires are the literary device that contributes a narrative tension to the otherwise familiar themes of romantic love and relationships. That Edward is a vampire exacerbates the sexual temptations and emotional risks inherent in any romance. It heightens the drama and lends it the sort of life-and-death significance that people often imagine in the midst of new love and attach to their infatuations. His supernatural perfection is also his curse and a constant threat of destruction.
Stephenie Meyer’s point, it seems to me, is that Edward’s identity and character are ultimately defined, not by his nature as a vampire, but by his commitments and choices. It is neither his astonishing abilities nor his dangerous inclinations that make him the man he is, but his deliberate decisions to do what is good and right; to protect rather than destroy human life; to love instead of lust; to give instead of take. One of the young ladies I chatted with about Twilight expressed her concern that these books set forth an impossible ideal, which could be misleading to female readers who are invited to long for something that doesn’t exist. She has a good point, and I suppose there are women who fall into that trap, whether from reading Twilight or from some other influence of popular culture. Parental oversight and guidance, and especially ongoing catechesis in the Word of God, are the necessary keys to real wisdom in the navigation of life and love. However, I believe that Meyer intends to suggest, in her own way, that Edward’s most important qualities are not those of impossible perfection, but those of heart and mind, of conscience and will; his commitment and choices to abstain from evil and do good. These are qualities that young women should be encouraged to look for in a man. I believe that may be the point.
Such choices are counter-cultural, both within the fictional context of the story and in contrast to the common expectations of the contemporary real world. Edward and his family are defined by their choice to live entirely on the blood of animals, against all of their natural instincts to drink human blood. They are viewed as an absurd oddity by the vast majority of the world’s vampires, but the contrast goes beyond their diet. Edward’s family is marked by familial bonds of love and commitment, which set them apart from the alliances of fear and the aggressive power struggles that characterize the society of vampires otherwise. Edward’s "father," Dr. Carlisle Cullen, is described and depicted as a man of compassionate care and charity of spirit, directed by his well-defined conscience. His reverence for human life is all the more striking because it stands so strongly against a vampire’s "natural" inclination. That example translates easily in application to many real-world scenarios.
Similarly, Edward’s refusal to fornicate with Bella, or to risk any sort of sexual intimacy with her prior to marriage, seems remarkably old-fashioned in such a modern-day setting as one finds in the Twilight series. In fact, he pointedly hearkens back to an earlier time when such principles of conduct were understood to be matters of honor and integrity. His concerns include the physical damage that his passions might cause, but his convictions are finally explained as a protection of Bella’s virtue. He is willing to attempt the consummation of their marriage, when that time comes, but he will not violate her purity and chastity before then. While this attitude might be expected to come across as quaint or passé, it actually contributes to Edward’s appeal and to the romantic qualities of these books.
On Bella’s part, there is an aversion to the whole idea of marriage, especially the prospect of getting married at a young age right out of high school. Her parents’ divorce, and her mother’s regrets, have shaped the way that Bella perceives the institution of marriage. She has no difficulty with commitment, nor any doubts about Edward; she is ready and eager to become a vampire herself, in order to spend forever with him. Marriage, though, she fears and would prefer to avoid or put off indefinitely. That attitude really bugged me in the earlier books, though it is admittedly a common point of view. In retrospect, it seems that the author was moving toward a change of heart in Bella, which probably proves instructive to her readers, as well. Notably, when Bella tells her mother that she and Edward are engaged to be married, her mother responds positively, and already that begins to reshape Bella’s thinking as the wedding approaches. Even more significantly, it is in her marriage to Edward, before she has become a vampire, that Bella finds the permanent "forever" that she was longing for. This is a remarkable depiction of marriage in a culture so permeated with divorce and the whole gamut of fornication that is now taken for granted.
If the Twilight series is decidedly pro-abstinence and pro-marriage, it is no less so pro-life; not only in the Cullen’s difficult dietary discipline, but in Bella’s adamant refusal to have an abortion when her very life is threatened by the child in her womb. This is in the fourth book, Breaking Dawn, after she and Edward have been married. To everyone’s surprise, she conceives a half-human-half-vampire child, which will almost certainly destroy her body and life if brought to term. It presents the classic sort of case in which the staunchest pro-life advocates are most likely to permit an abortion, for the sake of preserving the mother’s life, but Bella will not allow it. Though she has given no prior thought to having children, she loves the baby in her womb, and she is not only willing but determined to risk her own life for the protection of that child. The entire gestation period occurs in the span of a single month, rather than the usual human nine, and simply carrying the child is breaking Bella’s ribs, then finally her spine. She is spared from death only by the fact that Edward transforms her into a vampire after the delivery, but she would have been content to die for her baby’s sake. Again, the excruciating ethical choice is made, in contrast to the reigning attitudes and expectations of our societal culture.
I’m not quite willing to describe the Twilight series as a "morality tale," but conscientious choices and decisions are a strong underlying theme throughout these books, increasingly so as they progress. Even the "impossible" romantic relationship that provides the cornerstone and bedrock of the first book is dealt with as a moral dilemma, which finds its resolution in the choosing of good over evil. "Good" itself is defined by such positive choices, over and above and even against the presumed dictates of "nature." Not circumstances but commitments drive the main characters. That is all the more apparent in the fifth book, Midnight Sun, still a work-in-progress but available in partial draft on Stephenie Meyer’s website. That book retells the story of the first book, Twilight, from Edward’s perspective instead of Bella’s. I have found it fascinating, especially because it reveals the extent to which Edward is driven by his determination to do the right thing, no matter how difficult it may be for him. I retain my concerns about the idolatry of romantic love portrayed in these books, but, with respect to civil righteousness and human life in this world, I do appreciate the emphasis on conscientious commitments.
Whether Twilight is a morality tale or not, it is anthropocentric rather than Christological. That doesn’t mean one shouldn’t read it, but one shouldn’t read it for theology. On that point, it falls short. Which is a shame, because there is, in truth, the one perfect Man who has redeemed and sanctified our human nature by His divine compassion, by His gracious commitment to save us, by His conscientious choices and decisions, and by His good works of perfect righteousness in fulfillment of the whole Law of the one true God. He set aside His divine prerogatives, though not His divine nature, in order to rescue us and raise us up with Himself. He is faithful in all things; He will never leave us nor forsake us. He has reconciled us to Himself, our true and eternal Bridegroom, though we were unfaithful, sinful and unclean in all our thoughts, words and actions. He has given us new birth as the children of God, though we were conceived and born in sin, subject to death, as the natural children of fallen man. Our human relationships, whether of romance, family or friendship, are at their best when they are realized in Christ our Lord; and all of them rightly point beyond themselves to Him and to His Bride, the Church. In Him, we have the real true love, which is forever and ever, which even death shall not destroy.
12 December 2008
It Makes Me Sad
It makes me sad that even Christians would view the beautiful season of Advent as though it were a threat to their fun, and as though Advent were somehow devoid of Christ and His peace. Part of me rankles at being viewed as a "Scrooge" for rejoicing in the comforting Word of the Gospel that is particular to Advent Tide, but mainly it saddens me that so many people miss out on that proclamation altogether. One gets the impression, at times, that it is simply impossible to celebrate the coming of Christ without evergreen trees, electric lights, parties and pastries and shopping binges. I wonder how anyone manages to "celebrate" the Resurrection of our Lord, then, without such trees and trappings. Apparently it is only some of the seasons of the Church Year that are preferably boycotted, to whatever extent possible.
Ah, well, whatever. I really don't mind too much what people choose to do in their own homes; and of course the world is going to go it's own way, in any case. We Christians live in the joyous freedom of the Gospel, and every blessed child of God is welcome to do whatever will best confess his or her faith and life in Christ. Mainly I grow weary of being scolded every year, both for what I do (and choose not to do), and for things that don't even remotely reflect what I actually think or say or do. I guess I should be used to it by now.
It is amazing, though, isn't it, how those who can't wait to start celebrating "Christmas" as early as possible, can't wait to be done with it by the time the holy season actually begins.
As though anything other than the Word of God makes any day anything other than what it is.
Ah, well, whatever. I really don't mind too much what people choose to do in their own homes; and of course the world is going to go it's own way, in any case. We Christians live in the joyous freedom of the Gospel, and every blessed child of God is welcome to do whatever will best confess his or her faith and life in Christ. Mainly I grow weary of being scolded every year, both for what I do (and choose not to do), and for things that don't even remotely reflect what I actually think or say or do. I guess I should be used to it by now.
It is amazing, though, isn't it, how those who can't wait to start celebrating "Christmas" as early as possible, can't wait to be done with it by the time the holy season actually begins.
As though anything other than the Word of God makes any day anything other than what it is.
10 December 2008
More to Remember
We remember the saints who have gone before us — with thanksgiving to God, all glory be to Christ our Lord — for several reasons: First, we praise Christ for giving these men and women to His Church on earth as faithful servants of His Gospel. Second, we are encouraged by their good example of the Christian faith and life within their respective vocations. Third, we are strengthened in our own faith by the demonstration of God's gracious mercy and forgiveness toward them.
The commemoration of the saints also helps us to grasp the historical character of the Church, which lives as the body of Christ on earth in every time and place to which His Gospel has gone forth. What is more, we rejoice to know these faithful departed brothers and sisters in Christ, not as those who lived "once upon a time," as though they were now "dead and gone," but as living fellow members of the one body of Christ. They belong to us, and we to them, most surely; even as we all partake of the one body and drink the blood of our one Lord, Jesus Christ.
To those pious and salutary ends, in addition to the commemorations included in the sanctoral cycle of the Lutheran Service Book, the following saints (and historical events) have likewise found a place in the Church's collective remembrance. The example of their holy lives and the witness of their faithful confession are therefore commended to any and all who may be so inclined to remember them with thanksgiving, to the glory of God in Christ.
1 Dec - Nahum, Prophet
Englebert; Eastern
2 Dec - Habakkuk, Prophet
Eastern
3 Dec - Francis Xavier, Missionary
Roman; Anglican; LBW
8 Dec - Martin Rinckart, Hymnist
LCMS pre- and post-1940s
14 Dec - Micah, Prophet
LCMS pre-1940s
Eastern (5 Jan / 14 Aug)
16 Dec - Haggai, Prophet
Eastern
LCMS pre-1940s (5 July)
30 Dec - Jonathan, Friend of David
LCMS pre-1940s (29 Dec)
3 Jan - Malachi, Prophet
Eastern
LCMS pre-1940s (6 Sept)
7 Jan - Jakob Andreae, Confessor
LCMS pre- and post-1940s
9 Jan - Zechariah, Prophet
LCMS pre-1940s
Eastern (8 Feb)
Englebert (6 Sept)
11 Jan - Duke Ernst the Confessor
LCMS pre- and post-1940s (11 Jan / 31 Mar / 26 June)
13 Jan - Hilary of Poitiers
Roman; Anglican; LCMS pre- and post-1940s
16 Jan - George Spalatin
LCMS pre- and post-1940s
17 Jan - Anthony of Egypt
Roman; Anglican; Eastern; LCMS pre-1940s
21 Jan - Agnes, Child Martyr
Roman; Anglican; LCMS pre-1940s
28 Jan - Thomas Aquinas
Roman; Anglican
1 Feb - Claus Harms
LCMS post-1940s (1 Feb / 25 May)
3 Feb - Ansgar of Hamburg
Anglican; LBW; LCMS pre- and post-1940s
6 Feb - Amandus, Apostle of Flanders
LCMS post-1940s; Roman (?)
11 Feb - Elector August of Saxony
LCMS post-1940s (11 Feb / 31 July)
20 Feb - Susanna
LCMS pre-1940s
22 Feb - Johann Crüger, Kantor
(died on 23 Feb)
14 Mar - John Huss
LCMS post-1940s (14 Mar / 6 July)
18 Mar - Cyril of Jerusalem
Roman; Anglican; Eastern
21 Mar - Thomas Cranmer
Anglican; LCMS post-1940s
27 Mar - Gregory Palamas
Eastern (27 Mar / 14 Nov)
28 Mar - Gideon
LCMS pre-1940s
4 Apr - Isidore of Seville
Roman; Eastern
16 Apr - Aaron
LCMS pre-1940s
23 Apr - George, Martyr
Roman; Anglican; Eastern; LCMS pre- and post-1940s
3 May - Friedrich August Crämer
LCMS post-1940s
19 May - Alcuin of York
LCMS post-1940s
Anglican (20 May)
26 May - Augustine of Canterbury
Anglican; Eastern; LCMS post-1940s
2 June - Blandina and the Martyrs of Lyon
Roman; Eastern
LCMS pre-1940s (5 Nov)
3 June - Franz A. O. Pieper
LCMS post-1940s
9 June - Columba of Iona
Anglican; Eastern; LBW
LCMS pre- and post-1940s (21 Nov)
15 June - Amos, Prophet
Eastern
LCMS pre-1940s (27 June)
20 June - Rachel and Leah, Matriarchs
LCMS pre-1940s (20 June / 19 Oct)
22 June - David Chytraeus, Confessor
LCMS pre-1940s
1 July - H. Voes and J. Van Esschen, Martyrs
LCMS post-1940s
11 July - Benedict of Nursia
Roman; Anglican; LBW
Eastern (14 Mar)
14 July - Bonaventure
LCMS pre-1940s
Roman; Anglican (15 July)
15 July - Olga and Vladimir
LBW
Eastern (15 July / 11 July)
19 July - Macrina the Younger
Anglican; Eastern
26 July - Anna and Joachim, Parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Roman; Anglican
LCMS pre-1940s (26 July / 20 Mar)
Eastern (25 July / 9 Sept)
27 July - Olaf, King of Norway
LCMS pre- and post-1940s (29 July)
1 Aug - The Holy Maccabees, Martyrs
Eastern; Roman (pre-Vatican II)
6 Aug - The Feast of the Transfiguration
Roman; Anglican; Eastern; LCMS pre-1940s
8 Aug - Dominic
Roman; Anglican
11 Aug - Clare of Assisi
Roman; Anglican
LCMS pre-1940s (12 Aug)
12 Aug - Paul Speratus
LCMS post-1940s
13 Aug - Maximus the Confessor
Eastern
14 Aug - Eusebius of Caesarea
LCMS pre- and post-1940s
21 Aug - The Formula of Concord
LCMS post-1940s (21 Aug / 29 May)
30 Aug - Rebekah, Matriarch
LCMS pre-1940s
6 Sept - Simeon and Anna
Eastern (3 Feb / 28 Aug)
8 Sept - Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Roman; Anglican; Eastern; LCMS pre-1940s
20 Sept - Magdalene Luther
LCMS pre- and post-1940s
4 Oct - Francis of Assisi
Roman; Anglican; LBW
LCMS post-1940s (3 Oct)
6 Oct - Miles Coverdale and William Tyndale, Translators
LCMS post-1940s (4 Oct / 6 Oct)
Anglican; LBW
10 Oct - Justas Jonas, Confessor
LCMS pre- and post-1940s (10 Oct / 9 Oct)
19 Oct - Joel, Prophet
Eastern
24 Oct - Peace of Westphalia (Thirty Years’ War ended)
LCMS post-1940s
27 Oct - Olavus and Laurentius Petri, Reformers
LCMS post-1940s (26 Oct / 19 Apr)
5 Nov - Hans Egede, Missionary to Greenland
LCMS post-1940s (5 Nov / 3 July)
10 Nov - Leo the Great
Roman; Anglican
Eastern (18 Feb)
LCMS pre-1940s (28 June)
12 Nov - Caspar Aquila, Reformer
LCMS post-1940s
17 Nov - Gregory Thaumaturgus
Eastern
22 Nov - Cecilia, Martyr
LCMS pre-1940s
24 Nov - Justus Falckner
LCMS post-1940s (22 Nov)
27 Nov - Lot the Righteous
LCMS pre-1940s
28 Nov - Paul and David Henkel
LCMS post-1940s (27 Nov / 15 June)
The commemoration of the saints also helps us to grasp the historical character of the Church, which lives as the body of Christ on earth in every time and place to which His Gospel has gone forth. What is more, we rejoice to know these faithful departed brothers and sisters in Christ, not as those who lived "once upon a time," as though they were now "dead and gone," but as living fellow members of the one body of Christ. They belong to us, and we to them, most surely; even as we all partake of the one body and drink the blood of our one Lord, Jesus Christ.
To those pious and salutary ends, in addition to the commemorations included in the sanctoral cycle of the Lutheran Service Book, the following saints (and historical events) have likewise found a place in the Church's collective remembrance. The example of their holy lives and the witness of their faithful confession are therefore commended to any and all who may be so inclined to remember them with thanksgiving, to the glory of God in Christ.
1 Dec - Nahum, Prophet
Englebert; Eastern
2 Dec - Habakkuk, Prophet
Eastern
3 Dec - Francis Xavier, Missionary
Roman; Anglican; LBW
8 Dec - Martin Rinckart, Hymnist
LCMS pre- and post-1940s
14 Dec - Micah, Prophet
LCMS pre-1940s
Eastern (5 Jan / 14 Aug)
16 Dec - Haggai, Prophet
Eastern
LCMS pre-1940s (5 July)
30 Dec - Jonathan, Friend of David
LCMS pre-1940s (29 Dec)
3 Jan - Malachi, Prophet
Eastern
LCMS pre-1940s (6 Sept)
7 Jan - Jakob Andreae, Confessor
LCMS pre- and post-1940s
9 Jan - Zechariah, Prophet
LCMS pre-1940s
Eastern (8 Feb)
Englebert (6 Sept)
11 Jan - Duke Ernst the Confessor
LCMS pre- and post-1940s (11 Jan / 31 Mar / 26 June)
13 Jan - Hilary of Poitiers
Roman; Anglican; LCMS pre- and post-1940s
16 Jan - George Spalatin
LCMS pre- and post-1940s
17 Jan - Anthony of Egypt
Roman; Anglican; Eastern; LCMS pre-1940s
21 Jan - Agnes, Child Martyr
Roman; Anglican; LCMS pre-1940s
28 Jan - Thomas Aquinas
Roman; Anglican
1 Feb - Claus Harms
LCMS post-1940s (1 Feb / 25 May)
3 Feb - Ansgar of Hamburg
Anglican; LBW; LCMS pre- and post-1940s
6 Feb - Amandus, Apostle of Flanders
LCMS post-1940s; Roman (?)
11 Feb - Elector August of Saxony
LCMS post-1940s (11 Feb / 31 July)
20 Feb - Susanna
LCMS pre-1940s
22 Feb - Johann Crüger, Kantor
(died on 23 Feb)
14 Mar - John Huss
LCMS post-1940s (14 Mar / 6 July)
18 Mar - Cyril of Jerusalem
Roman; Anglican; Eastern
21 Mar - Thomas Cranmer
Anglican; LCMS post-1940s
27 Mar - Gregory Palamas
Eastern (27 Mar / 14 Nov)
28 Mar - Gideon
LCMS pre-1940s
4 Apr - Isidore of Seville
Roman; Eastern
16 Apr - Aaron
LCMS pre-1940s
23 Apr - George, Martyr
Roman; Anglican; Eastern; LCMS pre- and post-1940s
3 May - Friedrich August Crämer
LCMS post-1940s
19 May - Alcuin of York
LCMS post-1940s
Anglican (20 May)
26 May - Augustine of Canterbury
Anglican; Eastern; LCMS post-1940s
2 June - Blandina and the Martyrs of Lyon
Roman; Eastern
LCMS pre-1940s (5 Nov)
3 June - Franz A. O. Pieper
LCMS post-1940s
9 June - Columba of Iona
Anglican; Eastern; LBW
LCMS pre- and post-1940s (21 Nov)
15 June - Amos, Prophet
Eastern
LCMS pre-1940s (27 June)
20 June - Rachel and Leah, Matriarchs
LCMS pre-1940s (20 June / 19 Oct)
22 June - David Chytraeus, Confessor
LCMS pre-1940s
1 July - H. Voes and J. Van Esschen, Martyrs
LCMS post-1940s
11 July - Benedict of Nursia
Roman; Anglican; LBW
Eastern (14 Mar)
14 July - Bonaventure
LCMS pre-1940s
Roman; Anglican (15 July)
15 July - Olga and Vladimir
LBW
Eastern (15 July / 11 July)
19 July - Macrina the Younger
Anglican; Eastern
26 July - Anna and Joachim, Parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Roman; Anglican
LCMS pre-1940s (26 July / 20 Mar)
Eastern (25 July / 9 Sept)
27 July - Olaf, King of Norway
LCMS pre- and post-1940s (29 July)
1 Aug - The Holy Maccabees, Martyrs
Eastern; Roman (pre-Vatican II)
6 Aug - The Feast of the Transfiguration
Roman; Anglican; Eastern; LCMS pre-1940s
8 Aug - Dominic
Roman; Anglican
11 Aug - Clare of Assisi
Roman; Anglican
LCMS pre-1940s (12 Aug)
12 Aug - Paul Speratus
LCMS post-1940s
13 Aug - Maximus the Confessor
Eastern
14 Aug - Eusebius of Caesarea
LCMS pre- and post-1940s
21 Aug - The Formula of Concord
LCMS post-1940s (21 Aug / 29 May)
30 Aug - Rebekah, Matriarch
LCMS pre-1940s
6 Sept - Simeon and Anna
Eastern (3 Feb / 28 Aug)
8 Sept - Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Roman; Anglican; Eastern; LCMS pre-1940s
20 Sept - Magdalene Luther
LCMS pre- and post-1940s
4 Oct - Francis of Assisi
Roman; Anglican; LBW
LCMS post-1940s (3 Oct)
6 Oct - Miles Coverdale and William Tyndale, Translators
LCMS post-1940s (4 Oct / 6 Oct)
Anglican; LBW
10 Oct - Justas Jonas, Confessor
LCMS pre- and post-1940s (10 Oct / 9 Oct)
19 Oct - Joel, Prophet
Eastern
24 Oct - Peace of Westphalia (Thirty Years’ War ended)
LCMS post-1940s
27 Oct - Olavus and Laurentius Petri, Reformers
LCMS post-1940s (26 Oct / 19 Apr)
5 Nov - Hans Egede, Missionary to Greenland
LCMS post-1940s (5 Nov / 3 July)
10 Nov - Leo the Great
Roman; Anglican
Eastern (18 Feb)
LCMS pre-1940s (28 June)
12 Nov - Caspar Aquila, Reformer
LCMS post-1940s
17 Nov - Gregory Thaumaturgus
Eastern
22 Nov - Cecilia, Martyr
LCMS pre-1940s
24 Nov - Justus Falckner
LCMS post-1940s (22 Nov)
27 Nov - Lot the Righteous
LCMS pre-1940s
28 Nov - Paul and David Henkel
LCMS post-1940s (27 Nov / 15 June)
07 December 2008
New Commemorations in LSB
Among the most enjoyable aspects of the Lutheran Hymnal Project, for me, was the work of the Lectionary Committee on an expanded sanctoral cycle, that is, the calendar of festivals and commemorations that occur in the course of each year. There was some friendly debate, to begin with, as to whether we should develop a list of commemorations in addition to the small cycle of festivals the LCMS already had, but, by and large, the Committee was keen to do so. Then there was some vigorous discussion of the parameters to be followed and the extent to which we would expand the sanctoral cycle. The healthy give and take of our deliberations resulted in a solid list of commemorations and a couple new festivals, which, so far as I can tell, have been well received and really appreciated by the people of the Missouri Synod. I'm glad.
It was my privilege to gather the initial data from which our work on the commemorations proceeded. That's exactly the sort of work that appeals to me, and it was a lot of fun. After compiling it all and summarizing everything for the rest of the Committee, we went through the prospective names, one by one, discussing the merits of each and then either arriving at a clear consensus or voting to determine whether to include a name or not. I think that all of us were pleased with the end results, notwithstanding a few disappointments here and there. The list we arrived at, which now finds its place in the Lutheran Service Book, is fairly balanced and full. It also comprises another building block of the Treasury of Daily Prayer, the likes of which were very much in view as we worked on the new sanctoral cycle. In fact, it was largely for the sake of such a book that the list of commemorations was put together.
We wanted our list of commemorations to be broadly catholic in character. That meant, in part, including the saints who are recognized and remembered with thanksgiving by the majority of all Christians. It also meant that we had a desire to include Old Testament saints, as belonging to that great cloud of witnesses with which we are surrounded. And of course we always intended to incorporate some of the more significant Lutheran saints, who have also confessed the one, holy, catholic and apostolic faith in the centuries since the Reformation. In every case, we were reluctant to invent "new" commemorations; we were eager, instead, to recover such days as the Church had observed to some degree or another in the past. There is, therefore, precedent for every festival and commemoration in the LSB sanctoral cycle.
We did not expect or demand that the precedent for Lutheran saints be extensive. There have always been "local saints," and this is roughly analogous for us, not along geographical but confessional lines. We similarly did not require extensive precedent for Old Testament saints, since there has been limited commemoration of those men and women who lived on earth prior to the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ. Nevertheless, we did not include anyone for whom we did not find at least some prior precedent.
One of the neat discoveries I made in the gathering of data was in the LCMS Lutheran Annuals of the past. For many, many decades, those Lutheran Annuals included the commemoration of saints (and historical events) for every single day of the year. Up until the 1940s, those commemorations reflected a traditional catholic piety, although there were a fair number of Old Testament saints included, interestingly, along with early and medieval figures. After the 1940s, the Lutheran Annuals tended to reflect a somewhat more parochial Lutheran "bias," which actually became pretty sectarian for a period of time in the 1950s, but broadened again in the 1960s. It wasn't until the late 1970s that the Lutheran Annual calendars became relatively sparse (apparently in reaction to the extensive list of commemorations in the Lutheran Book of Worship, at least some of which were questionable).
In addition to the old Lutheran Annuals, there was precedent for the commemoration of Old Testament saints to be found in various Eastern Orthodox calendars, and in books (by Englebert and Hoever) on the Lives of the Saints (drawing on broad Roman Catholic traditions). Along with these sources, I gathered data especially from the revised Roman Catholic sanctoral cycle, the current Anglican calendar, and the commemorations of the Lutheran Book of Worship.
In compiling all of this data, there were various cases of strong consensus across confessional lines, and other cases of divergence. There are some saints remembered across the board, but on different days of the year. We tried to be sensitive to those differences and to handle them as carefully as possible. Where there was an LCMS tradition to be found in the old Lutheran Annuals, we tended to preference those dates over others, barring a strong contrary consensus. In the commemoration of Eastern saints, we tended to preference the Eastern dates, where we could do so. Sometimes there were multiple commemorations competing for the same date. So we had to make some judgment calls, and I know that not everyone would agree with every choice.
The most frequently asked question, understandably, is why Martin Chemnitz (9 Nov) and Philip Melanchthon (16 Feb) are commemorated on their natural birth dates rather than their heavenly birthdays (that is, the dates on which they died, respectively). There was some precedent for remembering their birth dates, as indicated in the summary of sources below; but their death dates were also included on the old Lutheran Annual calendars, so why not use those? The difficulty was that their death dates always occur in the Time of Easter, when it is much harder to keep the days of the sanctoral cycle in view (due to the shifting date of Easter from one year to the next). Because Chemnitz and Melanchthon are or particular importance to Lutheran history and piety, and their birth dates do not always fall during the Time of Easter (Chemnitz's never does; Melanchthon's sometimes does, but not always), those dates were deemed a better way to go, especially in view of the prior precedent for remembering those men on those dates. Again, this was done with a view toward what has now been published as the Treasury of Daily Prayer, in which the commemorations occurring outside the Time of Easter are nicely incorporated with the regular daily propers; whereas the commemorations occuring within the Time of Easter are necessarily set apart in a separate section.
Anyway, with all of that pre-ramble in mind, here are the new commemorations (and festivals) included in the LSB, along with an indication of the precedent that was found for each. Hopefully, for those who are interested, it will not be too tricky to interpret the data.
4 Dec - John of Damascus
Roman; Anglican; Eastern
LCMS pre-1940s (11 Dec)
6 Dec - Nicholas of Myra
Roman; Anglican; Eastern; LBW; LCMS pre-1940s
7 Dec - Ambrose of Milan
Roman; Anglican; Eastern; LBW
LCMS pre- and post-1940s (4 Apr)
13 Dec - Lucia
Roman; Anglican; LCMS pre-1940s
17 Dec - Daniel and the Three Young Men
Eastern
Englebert (21 July)
LCMS pre-1940s (10 Apr)
19 Dec - Adam & Eve
Englebert
LCMS pre-1940s (24 Dec)
20 Dec - Katharina von Bora Luther
LCMS pre- and post-1940s
29 Dec - David
Englebert
LCMS pre-1940s (30 Dec)
2 Jan - J. K. Wilhelm Löhe
LBW; LCMS post-1940s
10 Jan - Basil the Great, Gregory of Nazianzus, Gregory of Nyssa
Roman
Eastern (1 Jan / 10 Jan / 25 Jan)
Anglican (2 Jan / 19 July)
LCMS post-1940s (14 June)
20 Jan - Sarah
LCMS pre-1940s
27 Jan - John Chrysostom
LCMS pre- and post-1940s
Eastern (30 Jan / 13 Nov)
Roman; Anglican; LBW (13 Sept)
5 Feb - Jacob (Israel)
Englebert
10 Feb - Silas (Silvanus)
LCMS pre-1940s
LBW (26 Jan)
Eastern (30 July)
13 Feb - Aquila, Priscilla, and Apollos
Eastern (13 Feb / 30 Mar)
14 Feb - Valentine
Anglican; (popular awareness)
15 Feb - Philemon and Onesimus
Eastern (15 Feb / 19 Feb)
LCMS pre-1940s (16 Feb / 8 Mar)
16 Feb - Philip Melanchthon
LCMS post-1940s
23 Feb - Polycarp of Smyrna
Roman; Anglican; Eastern; LBW
LCMS pre-1940s (26 Jan)
7 Mar - Perpetua and Felicitas
Roman; Anglican; LBW; LCMS pre- and post-1940s
Eastern (1 Feb)
17 Mar - Patrick
Roman; Anglican; Eastern; LBW
(popular awareness)
19 Mar - Festival of St. Joseph
Roman; Anglican; LBW; LCMS pre-1940s
31 Mar - Joseph, Son of Jacob
Eastern
6 Apr - Lucas Cranach and Albrecht Dürer
LBW; LCMS post-1940s
20 Apr - Johannes Bugenhagen
LCMS pre- and post-1940s
21 Apr - Anselm of Canterbury
Roman; Anglican; LBW; LCMS post-1940s
24 Apr - Johann Walter
LCMS post-1940s
2 May - Athanasius of Alexandria
Roman; Anglican; Eastern; LBW; LCMS post-1940s
4 May - Friedrich Wyneken
LCMS pre- and post-1940s
5 May - Frederick the Wise
LCMS pre- and post-1940s
9 May - Job
LCMS pre-1940s
Englebert (10 May)
Eastern (6 May)
11 May - Cyril and Methodius
Eastern
Roman; Anglican; LBW (14 Feb)
21 May - Constantine and Helena
Eastern
24 May - Esther
LCMS pre-1940s
25 May - Venerable Bede
Roman; Anglican
1 June - Justin Martyr
Roman; Anglican; Eastern; LBW
LCMS post-1940s (12 June)
5 June - Boniface of Mainz
Roman; Anglican; LBW
12 June - Council of Nicaea
Eastern
LCMS post-1940s (19 June)
14 June - Elisha
Eastern; Englebert; LCMS pre-1940s
26 June - Jeremiah
LCMS pre-1940s
Eastern; Englebert (1 May)
27 June - Cyril of Alexandria
Roman; Anglican
Eastern (18 Jan / 9 June)
28 June - Irenaeus of Lyons
Roman; Anglican; LBW; LCMS post-1940s
Eastern (23 Aug)
6 July - Isaiah
Englebert; LCMS pre-1940s
Eastern (9 May)
16 July - Ruth
LCMS pre-1940s
20 July - Elijah
Eastern; Englebert; LCMS pre-1940s
21 July - Ezekiel
Eastern
Englebert (10 Apr)
LCMS pre-1940s (11 Apr)
28 July - Johann Sebastian Bach
LBW; LCMS pre- and post-1940s
29 July - Mary, Martha and Lazarus of Bethany
Roman; Anglican; LBW
LCMS pre-1940s (27 July / 17 Dec)
Eastern (4 June)
30 July - Robert Barnes
added by the Commission on Worship
31 July - Joseph of Arimathea
Eastern
3 Aug - Joanna, Mary and Salome, Myrrhbearers
Eastern (3 Aug / 27 June / 19 June / 23 May)
LCMS pre-1940s (8 Feb / 24 Oct / 2 Oct)
16 Aug - Isaac
LCMS pre-1940s
Hoever (20 Dec)
17 Aug - Johann Gerhard
LCMS pre- and post-1940s
19 Aug - Bernard of Clairvoux
Roman; Anglican; LBW: (20 Aug)
LCMS pre-1940s (21 May)
20 Aug - Samuel
Eastern; Englebert
LCMS pre-1940s (26 Aug)
27 Aug - Monica
Roman; Anglican
LBW (4 May)
28 Aug - Augustine of Hippo
Roman; Anglican; LBW; LCMS pre- and post-1940s
Eastern (15 June)
29 Aug - Festival of the Beheading of St. John the Baptist
Roman; Anglican; Eastern; LCMS pre-1940s
1 Sept - Joshua
Eastern
LCMS pre-1940s (30 Apr)
2 Sept - Hannah
LCMS pre-1940s
Eastern (9 Dec / 23 July)
3 Sept - Gregory the Great
Roman; Anglican
Eastern; LCMS pre-1940s (12 Mar)
4 Sept - Moses
Eastern; Englebert
5 Sept - Zacharias and Elizabeth
Eastern
16 Sept - Cyprian of Carthage
Roman
LCMS post-1940s (14 Sept)
Eastern (5 July / 31 Aug)
22 Sept - Jonah
Eastern
LCMS pre-1940s (12 Nov)
30 Sept - Jerome
Roman; Anglican; LBW; LCMS pre- and post-1940s
Eastern (15 June)
7 Oct - Henry Melchior Muhlenberg
LBW
LCMS pre- and post-1940s (7 Oct / 6 Sept)
9 Oct - Abraham
Eastern
Hoever (20 Dec)
LCMS pre-1940s (11 Sept)
11 Oct - Philip the Deacon
Eastern
17 Oct - Ignatius of Antioch
Roman; Anglican; LBW
Eastern (20 Dec)
LCMS pre- and post-1940s (15 Dec)
23 Oct - Festival of St. James of Jerusalem
Eastern; LBW; WELS
25 Oct - Tabitha (Dorcas), Lydia and Phoebe
Eastern
LBW (27 Jan)
LCMS pre-1940s (3 Aug)
26 Oct - Philipp Nicolai, Johann Heermann and Paul Gerhardt
LBW
LCMS post-1940s (10 Aug / 11 Oct / 27 Feb)
8 Nov - Johannes von Staupitz
LCMS pre-1940s
9 Nov - Martin Chemnitz
LCMS post-1940s
11 Nov - Martin of Tours
Roman; Anglican; Eastern; LBW; LCMS pre-1940s
14 Nov - Justinian
Eastern
19 Nov - Elizabeth of Hungary
LCMS pre- and post-1940s
Roman; LBW (17 Nov)
Anglican (18 Nov)
23 Nov - Clement of Rome
Roman; Anglican; LBW; LCMS pre-1940s
Eastern (24/25 Nov)
29 Nov - Noah
LCMS pre-1940s
It was my privilege to gather the initial data from which our work on the commemorations proceeded. That's exactly the sort of work that appeals to me, and it was a lot of fun. After compiling it all and summarizing everything for the rest of the Committee, we went through the prospective names, one by one, discussing the merits of each and then either arriving at a clear consensus or voting to determine whether to include a name or not. I think that all of us were pleased with the end results, notwithstanding a few disappointments here and there. The list we arrived at, which now finds its place in the Lutheran Service Book, is fairly balanced and full. It also comprises another building block of the Treasury of Daily Prayer, the likes of which were very much in view as we worked on the new sanctoral cycle. In fact, it was largely for the sake of such a book that the list of commemorations was put together.
We wanted our list of commemorations to be broadly catholic in character. That meant, in part, including the saints who are recognized and remembered with thanksgiving by the majority of all Christians. It also meant that we had a desire to include Old Testament saints, as belonging to that great cloud of witnesses with which we are surrounded. And of course we always intended to incorporate some of the more significant Lutheran saints, who have also confessed the one, holy, catholic and apostolic faith in the centuries since the Reformation. In every case, we were reluctant to invent "new" commemorations; we were eager, instead, to recover such days as the Church had observed to some degree or another in the past. There is, therefore, precedent for every festival and commemoration in the LSB sanctoral cycle.
We did not expect or demand that the precedent for Lutheran saints be extensive. There have always been "local saints," and this is roughly analogous for us, not along geographical but confessional lines. We similarly did not require extensive precedent for Old Testament saints, since there has been limited commemoration of those men and women who lived on earth prior to the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ. Nevertheless, we did not include anyone for whom we did not find at least some prior precedent.
One of the neat discoveries I made in the gathering of data was in the LCMS Lutheran Annuals of the past. For many, many decades, those Lutheran Annuals included the commemoration of saints (and historical events) for every single day of the year. Up until the 1940s, those commemorations reflected a traditional catholic piety, although there were a fair number of Old Testament saints included, interestingly, along with early and medieval figures. After the 1940s, the Lutheran Annuals tended to reflect a somewhat more parochial Lutheran "bias," which actually became pretty sectarian for a period of time in the 1950s, but broadened again in the 1960s. It wasn't until the late 1970s that the Lutheran Annual calendars became relatively sparse (apparently in reaction to the extensive list of commemorations in the Lutheran Book of Worship, at least some of which were questionable).
In addition to the old Lutheran Annuals, there was precedent for the commemoration of Old Testament saints to be found in various Eastern Orthodox calendars, and in books (by Englebert and Hoever) on the Lives of the Saints (drawing on broad Roman Catholic traditions). Along with these sources, I gathered data especially from the revised Roman Catholic sanctoral cycle, the current Anglican calendar, and the commemorations of the Lutheran Book of Worship.
In compiling all of this data, there were various cases of strong consensus across confessional lines, and other cases of divergence. There are some saints remembered across the board, but on different days of the year. We tried to be sensitive to those differences and to handle them as carefully as possible. Where there was an LCMS tradition to be found in the old Lutheran Annuals, we tended to preference those dates over others, barring a strong contrary consensus. In the commemoration of Eastern saints, we tended to preference the Eastern dates, where we could do so. Sometimes there were multiple commemorations competing for the same date. So we had to make some judgment calls, and I know that not everyone would agree with every choice.
The most frequently asked question, understandably, is why Martin Chemnitz (9 Nov) and Philip Melanchthon (16 Feb) are commemorated on their natural birth dates rather than their heavenly birthdays (that is, the dates on which they died, respectively). There was some precedent for remembering their birth dates, as indicated in the summary of sources below; but their death dates were also included on the old Lutheran Annual calendars, so why not use those? The difficulty was that their death dates always occur in the Time of Easter, when it is much harder to keep the days of the sanctoral cycle in view (due to the shifting date of Easter from one year to the next). Because Chemnitz and Melanchthon are or particular importance to Lutheran history and piety, and their birth dates do not always fall during the Time of Easter (Chemnitz's never does; Melanchthon's sometimes does, but not always), those dates were deemed a better way to go, especially in view of the prior precedent for remembering those men on those dates. Again, this was done with a view toward what has now been published as the Treasury of Daily Prayer, in which the commemorations occurring outside the Time of Easter are nicely incorporated with the regular daily propers; whereas the commemorations occuring within the Time of Easter are necessarily set apart in a separate section.
Anyway, with all of that pre-ramble in mind, here are the new commemorations (and festivals) included in the LSB, along with an indication of the precedent that was found for each. Hopefully, for those who are interested, it will not be too tricky to interpret the data.
4 Dec - John of Damascus
Roman; Anglican; Eastern
LCMS pre-1940s (11 Dec)
6 Dec - Nicholas of Myra
Roman; Anglican; Eastern; LBW; LCMS pre-1940s
7 Dec - Ambrose of Milan
Roman; Anglican; Eastern; LBW
LCMS pre- and post-1940s (4 Apr)
13 Dec - Lucia
Roman; Anglican; LCMS pre-1940s
17 Dec - Daniel and the Three Young Men
Eastern
Englebert (21 July)
LCMS pre-1940s (10 Apr)
19 Dec - Adam & Eve
Englebert
LCMS pre-1940s (24 Dec)
20 Dec - Katharina von Bora Luther
LCMS pre- and post-1940s
29 Dec - David
Englebert
LCMS pre-1940s (30 Dec)
2 Jan - J. K. Wilhelm Löhe
LBW; LCMS post-1940s
10 Jan - Basil the Great, Gregory of Nazianzus, Gregory of Nyssa
Roman
Eastern (1 Jan / 10 Jan / 25 Jan)
Anglican (2 Jan / 19 July)
LCMS post-1940s (14 June)
20 Jan - Sarah
LCMS pre-1940s
27 Jan - John Chrysostom
LCMS pre- and post-1940s
Eastern (30 Jan / 13 Nov)
Roman; Anglican; LBW (13 Sept)
5 Feb - Jacob (Israel)
Englebert
10 Feb - Silas (Silvanus)
LCMS pre-1940s
LBW (26 Jan)
Eastern (30 July)
13 Feb - Aquila, Priscilla, and Apollos
Eastern (13 Feb / 30 Mar)
14 Feb - Valentine
Anglican; (popular awareness)
15 Feb - Philemon and Onesimus
Eastern (15 Feb / 19 Feb)
LCMS pre-1940s (16 Feb / 8 Mar)
16 Feb - Philip Melanchthon
LCMS post-1940s
23 Feb - Polycarp of Smyrna
Roman; Anglican; Eastern; LBW
LCMS pre-1940s (26 Jan)
7 Mar - Perpetua and Felicitas
Roman; Anglican; LBW; LCMS pre- and post-1940s
Eastern (1 Feb)
17 Mar - Patrick
Roman; Anglican; Eastern; LBW
(popular awareness)
19 Mar - Festival of St. Joseph
Roman; Anglican; LBW; LCMS pre-1940s
31 Mar - Joseph, Son of Jacob
Eastern
6 Apr - Lucas Cranach and Albrecht Dürer
LBW; LCMS post-1940s
20 Apr - Johannes Bugenhagen
LCMS pre- and post-1940s
21 Apr - Anselm of Canterbury
Roman; Anglican; LBW; LCMS post-1940s
24 Apr - Johann Walter
LCMS post-1940s
2 May - Athanasius of Alexandria
Roman; Anglican; Eastern; LBW; LCMS post-1940s
4 May - Friedrich Wyneken
LCMS pre- and post-1940s
5 May - Frederick the Wise
LCMS pre- and post-1940s
9 May - Job
LCMS pre-1940s
Englebert (10 May)
Eastern (6 May)
11 May - Cyril and Methodius
Eastern
Roman; Anglican; LBW (14 Feb)
21 May - Constantine and Helena
Eastern
24 May - Esther
LCMS pre-1940s
25 May - Venerable Bede
Roman; Anglican
1 June - Justin Martyr
Roman; Anglican; Eastern; LBW
LCMS post-1940s (12 June)
5 June - Boniface of Mainz
Roman; Anglican; LBW
12 June - Council of Nicaea
Eastern
LCMS post-1940s (19 June)
14 June - Elisha
Eastern; Englebert; LCMS pre-1940s
26 June - Jeremiah
LCMS pre-1940s
Eastern; Englebert (1 May)
27 June - Cyril of Alexandria
Roman; Anglican
Eastern (18 Jan / 9 June)
28 June - Irenaeus of Lyons
Roman; Anglican; LBW; LCMS post-1940s
Eastern (23 Aug)
6 July - Isaiah
Englebert; LCMS pre-1940s
Eastern (9 May)
16 July - Ruth
LCMS pre-1940s
20 July - Elijah
Eastern; Englebert; LCMS pre-1940s
21 July - Ezekiel
Eastern
Englebert (10 Apr)
LCMS pre-1940s (11 Apr)
28 July - Johann Sebastian Bach
LBW; LCMS pre- and post-1940s
29 July - Mary, Martha and Lazarus of Bethany
Roman; Anglican; LBW
LCMS pre-1940s (27 July / 17 Dec)
Eastern (4 June)
30 July - Robert Barnes
added by the Commission on Worship
31 July - Joseph of Arimathea
Eastern
3 Aug - Joanna, Mary and Salome, Myrrhbearers
Eastern (3 Aug / 27 June / 19 June / 23 May)
LCMS pre-1940s (8 Feb / 24 Oct / 2 Oct)
16 Aug - Isaac
LCMS pre-1940s
Hoever (20 Dec)
17 Aug - Johann Gerhard
LCMS pre- and post-1940s
19 Aug - Bernard of Clairvoux
Roman; Anglican; LBW: (20 Aug)
LCMS pre-1940s (21 May)
20 Aug - Samuel
Eastern; Englebert
LCMS pre-1940s (26 Aug)
27 Aug - Monica
Roman; Anglican
LBW (4 May)
28 Aug - Augustine of Hippo
Roman; Anglican; LBW; LCMS pre- and post-1940s
Eastern (15 June)
29 Aug - Festival of the Beheading of St. John the Baptist
Roman; Anglican; Eastern; LCMS pre-1940s
1 Sept - Joshua
Eastern
LCMS pre-1940s (30 Apr)
2 Sept - Hannah
LCMS pre-1940s
Eastern (9 Dec / 23 July)
3 Sept - Gregory the Great
Roman; Anglican
Eastern; LCMS pre-1940s (12 Mar)
4 Sept - Moses
Eastern; Englebert
5 Sept - Zacharias and Elizabeth
Eastern
16 Sept - Cyprian of Carthage
Roman
LCMS post-1940s (14 Sept)
Eastern (5 July / 31 Aug)
22 Sept - Jonah
Eastern
LCMS pre-1940s (12 Nov)
30 Sept - Jerome
Roman; Anglican; LBW; LCMS pre- and post-1940s
Eastern (15 June)
7 Oct - Henry Melchior Muhlenberg
LBW
LCMS pre- and post-1940s (7 Oct / 6 Sept)
9 Oct - Abraham
Eastern
Hoever (20 Dec)
LCMS pre-1940s (11 Sept)
11 Oct - Philip the Deacon
Eastern
17 Oct - Ignatius of Antioch
Roman; Anglican; LBW
Eastern (20 Dec)
LCMS pre- and post-1940s (15 Dec)
23 Oct - Festival of St. James of Jerusalem
Eastern; LBW; WELS
25 Oct - Tabitha (Dorcas), Lydia and Phoebe
Eastern
LBW (27 Jan)
LCMS pre-1940s (3 Aug)
26 Oct - Philipp Nicolai, Johann Heermann and Paul Gerhardt
LBW
LCMS post-1940s (10 Aug / 11 Oct / 27 Feb)
8 Nov - Johannes von Staupitz
LCMS pre-1940s
9 Nov - Martin Chemnitz
LCMS post-1940s
11 Nov - Martin of Tours
Roman; Anglican; Eastern; LBW; LCMS pre-1940s
14 Nov - Justinian
Eastern
19 Nov - Elizabeth of Hungary
LCMS pre- and post-1940s
Roman; LBW (17 Nov)
Anglican (18 Nov)
23 Nov - Clement of Rome
Roman; Anglican; LBW; LCMS pre-1940s
Eastern (24/25 Nov)
29 Nov - Noah
LCMS pre-1940s
06 December 2008
The Voice of the Lord
Here is where and how the Gospel begins. This is how the Lord comes to you, to comfort you and give you life. And this is how you are prepared for His coming.
He sends a preacher to voice His Word, which alone endures forever. Everything else will wither and fade, or be destroyed, but His Word remains. Thus, He sends a preacher to speak that eternal Word of His to your heart, in order to turn your heart to Him.
What does your heart trust? What does your heart fear? What does your heart love? Whatever it is to which your heart clings, that is your god; that is what drives you and determines your thoughts, words and deeds.
Know this, then: everything in heaven and on earth, all the world's works and all the world's ways, all of it is passing away, dead and dying.
But the Lord, the Almighty, the true and only God, the Creator of all things, He is coming: He is, and He will.
How, then, shall you meet Him? Face to face, in faith? Or with your back to Him, in fear? Forgiven? Or condemned?
What sort of person ought you to be, therefore? How should you live? But who, or what, is your god?
Repent. Look to the One who is coming, and live. If your heart is proud, humble yourself before Him. If your heart is despairing, lift up your head in hope, because your Redeemer is drawing near. If your heart is greedy and selfish, give your possessions away to the one who has nothing. If you are consumed by some lust or addiction, let go of those idols and seek the Lord where He is found.
Repent. A broken and contrite heart, the Lord will not despise. Be baptized. Or, if you are baptized, return to your Baptism. Be crucified with Christ by contrition and repentance. Be raised to newness of life through faith in His forgiveness.
Go out to the preacher whom God the Lord has sent, to hear His voice in the wilderness proclaiming His forgiveness of your sins. Return to the waters of your Baptism and enter the good land that God has promised, by going out to the "Jordan River," confessing your sins.
That is what a contrite and penitent heart does, first of all: Confess your sins, and confess the Christ, in order to live by His Word of the Gospel.
Do not take lightly or for granted, and do not let go, the significance, the strength and salvation of His voice: the proclamation of His Word, the speaking of Christ that is heard. That is the beginning of the Gospel. It is by this means that you receive Christ and are saved by His grace.
Hear and receive this comfort that is spoken to your heart. The fierceness of God's Law is for the sake of bringing you to this sweet sound of Absolution. For every sin which would destroy you has been borne by Christ and borne away. Your painful repentance unites you to His Cross and His Resurrection.
The waters of your Baptism have therefore cleansed your conscience and given you peace in the presence of God, through the forgiveness of all your sins.
And the preaching of His Gospel does what His voice declares: You are forgiven, for Jesus' sake. His Spirit has opened His Way into your heart by faith. And His Way has been opened unto you in love, to enter through Him into the new creation, the home where righteousness dwells.
Indeed, it is the milk and honey of the new heavens and the new earth which already flow for you here, in the midst of the wilderness, from the Altar of Christ, from His Cross, from His own hand, with His own voice: for you, for the forgiveness of all your sins.
In the Name + of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
He sends a preacher to voice His Word, which alone endures forever. Everything else will wither and fade, or be destroyed, but His Word remains. Thus, He sends a preacher to speak that eternal Word of His to your heart, in order to turn your heart to Him.
What does your heart trust? What does your heart fear? What does your heart love? Whatever it is to which your heart clings, that is your god; that is what drives you and determines your thoughts, words and deeds.
Know this, then: everything in heaven and on earth, all the world's works and all the world's ways, all of it is passing away, dead and dying.
But the Lord, the Almighty, the true and only God, the Creator of all things, He is coming: He is, and He will.
How, then, shall you meet Him? Face to face, in faith? Or with your back to Him, in fear? Forgiven? Or condemned?
What sort of person ought you to be, therefore? How should you live? But who, or what, is your god?
Repent. Look to the One who is coming, and live. If your heart is proud, humble yourself before Him. If your heart is despairing, lift up your head in hope, because your Redeemer is drawing near. If your heart is greedy and selfish, give your possessions away to the one who has nothing. If you are consumed by some lust or addiction, let go of those idols and seek the Lord where He is found.
Repent. A broken and contrite heart, the Lord will not despise. Be baptized. Or, if you are baptized, return to your Baptism. Be crucified with Christ by contrition and repentance. Be raised to newness of life through faith in His forgiveness.
Go out to the preacher whom God the Lord has sent, to hear His voice in the wilderness proclaiming His forgiveness of your sins. Return to the waters of your Baptism and enter the good land that God has promised, by going out to the "Jordan River," confessing your sins.
That is what a contrite and penitent heart does, first of all: Confess your sins, and confess the Christ, in order to live by His Word of the Gospel.
Do not take lightly or for granted, and do not let go, the significance, the strength and salvation of His voice: the proclamation of His Word, the speaking of Christ that is heard. That is the beginning of the Gospel. It is by this means that you receive Christ and are saved by His grace.
Hear and receive this comfort that is spoken to your heart. The fierceness of God's Law is for the sake of bringing you to this sweet sound of Absolution. For every sin which would destroy you has been borne by Christ and borne away. Your painful repentance unites you to His Cross and His Resurrection.
The waters of your Baptism have therefore cleansed your conscience and given you peace in the presence of God, through the forgiveness of all your sins.
And the preaching of His Gospel does what His voice declares: You are forgiven, for Jesus' sake. His Spirit has opened His Way into your heart by faith. And His Way has been opened unto you in love, to enter through Him into the new creation, the home where righteousness dwells.
Indeed, it is the milk and honey of the new heavens and the new earth which already flow for you here, in the midst of the wilderness, from the Altar of Christ, from His Cross, from His own hand, with His own voice: for you, for the forgiveness of all your sins.
In the Name + of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
04 December 2008
Hymns for the Historic Gesimas
Septuagesima
Exodus 17:1–7
1 Corinthians 9:24—10:5
Matthew 20:1–16
Hymn of Invocation
Word of God, come down on earth (LSB 545)
Hymn of the Day / Catechetical Hymn of the Week
Salvation unto us has come (LSB 555)
Hymns for the Distribution of the Holy Communion
Seek where you may to find a way (LSB 557)
Now, my tongue, the myst’ry telling (LSB 630)
By grace I’m saved, grace free and boundless (LSB 566)
O God, my faithful God (LSB 696)
Hymn of Departure
O Christ, our hope, our hearts’ desire (LSB 553)
Alternative Hymns
Abide, O dearest Jesus (LSB 919)
Christ is made the sure foundation (LSB 909)
Guide me, O Thou great Redeemer (LSB 918)
Hark, the voice of Jesus calling (LSB 827)
How clear is our vocation, Lord (LSB 853)
In God, my faithful God (LSB 745)
Lord, dismiss us with Your blessing (LSB 924)
Lord, keep us steadfast in Your Word (LSB 655)
New songs of celebration render (LSB 792)
O God of God, O Light of Light (LSB 810)
O Holy Spirit, grant us grace (LSB 693)
O Word of God incarnate (LSB 523)
Praise to the Lord, the Almighty (LSB 790)
Rise, my soul, to watch and pray (LSB 663)
Rise! To arms! With prayer employ you (LSB 668)
Rock of ages, cleft for me (LSB 761)
Triune God, be Thou our stay (LSB 505)
Water, blood, and Spirit crying (LSB 597)
Why should cross and trial grieve me (LSB 756)
With the Lord begin your task (LSB 869)
Sexagesima
Isaiah 55:10–13
2 Corinthians 11:19—12:9 (or Hebrews 4:9–13)
Luke 8:4–15
Hymn of Invocation
From God the Father, virgin-born (LSB 401)
Hymn of the Day / Catechetical Hymn of the Week
May God bestow on us His grace (LSB 823)
Hymns for the Distribution of the Holy Communion
My soul, now praise your maker (LSB 820)
Preach you the Word, and plant it home (LSB 586)
Almighty God, Your Word is cast (LSB 577)
Praise to the Lord, the Almighty (LSB 790)
Hymn of Departure
O God, O Lord of heaven and earth (LSB 834)
Alternative Hymns
Almighty Father, bless the Word (LSB 923)
Blessed Jesus, at Your Word (LSB 904)
Faith and truth and life bestowing (LSB 584)
Father, we thank Thee who hast planted (LSB 652)
From God can nothing move me (LSB 713)
God has spoken by His prophets (LSB 583)
God’s Word is our great heritage (LSB 582)
Hark, the voice of Jesus calling (LSB 827)
I know my faith is founded (LSB 587)
In the cross of Christ I glory (LSB 427)
Now thank we all our God (LSB 895)
O Word of God incarnate (LSB 523)
On what has now been sown (LSB 921)
Preserve Your Word, O Savior (LSB 658)
Speak, O Lord, Your servant listens (LSB 589)
Spread the reign of God the Lord (LSB 830)
The will of God is always best (LSB 758)
What is the world to me (LSB 730)
Who trusts in God a strong abode (LSB 714)
Why should cross and trial grieve me (LSB 756)
Quinquagesima
1 Samuel 16:1–13 (or Isaiah 35:3–7)
1 Corinthians 13:1–13
Luke 18:31–43
Hymn of Invocation
Father most holy, merciful and tender (LSB 504)
Hymn of the Day / Catechetical Hymn of the Week
Let us ever walk with Jesus (LSB 685)
Hymns for the Distribution of the Holy Communion
Praise the One who breaks the darkness (LSB 849)
All depends on our possessing (LSB 732)
Christ be my leader by night as by day (LSB 861)
I will sing my Maker’s praises (LSB 977e; TLH 25; LW 439)
Hymn of Departure
Sing praise to God, the highest good (LSB 819)
Alternative Hymns
All who believe and are baptized (LSB 601)
Christ, the Life of all the living (LSB 420)
Dear Christians, one and all, rejoice (LSB 556)
From God can nothing move me (LSB 713)
Hear us, Father, when we pray (LSB 773)
In God, my faithful God (LSB 745)
In the cross of Christ I glory (LSB 427)
Jesus, I will ponder now (LSB 440)
Jesus, priceless treasure (LSB 743)
Jesus, refuge of the weary (LSB 423)
Lord Jesus Christ, with us abide (LSB 585)
Lord, ‘tis not that I did choose Thee (LSB 573)
My song is love unknown (LSB 430)
O God of light, Your Word, a lamp unfailing (LSB 836)
O sacred head, now wounded (LSB 450)
O Son of God, in Galilee (LSB 841)
Praise to the Lord, the Almighty (LSB 790)
Stricken, smitten, and afflicted (LSB 451)
Why should cross and trial grieve me (LSB 756)
Word of God, come down on earth (LSB 545)
Exodus 17:1–7
1 Corinthians 9:24—10:5
Matthew 20:1–16
Hymn of Invocation
Word of God, come down on earth (LSB 545)
Hymn of the Day / Catechetical Hymn of the Week
Salvation unto us has come (LSB 555)
Hymns for the Distribution of the Holy Communion
Seek where you may to find a way (LSB 557)
Now, my tongue, the myst’ry telling (LSB 630)
By grace I’m saved, grace free and boundless (LSB 566)
O God, my faithful God (LSB 696)
Hymn of Departure
O Christ, our hope, our hearts’ desire (LSB 553)
Alternative Hymns
Abide, O dearest Jesus (LSB 919)
Christ is made the sure foundation (LSB 909)
Guide me, O Thou great Redeemer (LSB 918)
Hark, the voice of Jesus calling (LSB 827)
How clear is our vocation, Lord (LSB 853)
In God, my faithful God (LSB 745)
Lord, dismiss us with Your blessing (LSB 924)
Lord, keep us steadfast in Your Word (LSB 655)
New songs of celebration render (LSB 792)
O God of God, O Light of Light (LSB 810)
O Holy Spirit, grant us grace (LSB 693)
O Word of God incarnate (LSB 523)
Praise to the Lord, the Almighty (LSB 790)
Rise, my soul, to watch and pray (LSB 663)
Rise! To arms! With prayer employ you (LSB 668)
Rock of ages, cleft for me (LSB 761)
Triune God, be Thou our stay (LSB 505)
Water, blood, and Spirit crying (LSB 597)
Why should cross and trial grieve me (LSB 756)
With the Lord begin your task (LSB 869)
Sexagesima
Isaiah 55:10–13
2 Corinthians 11:19—12:9 (or Hebrews 4:9–13)
Luke 8:4–15
Hymn of Invocation
From God the Father, virgin-born (LSB 401)
Hymn of the Day / Catechetical Hymn of the Week
May God bestow on us His grace (LSB 823)
Hymns for the Distribution of the Holy Communion
My soul, now praise your maker (LSB 820)
Preach you the Word, and plant it home (LSB 586)
Almighty God, Your Word is cast (LSB 577)
Praise to the Lord, the Almighty (LSB 790)
Hymn of Departure
O God, O Lord of heaven and earth (LSB 834)
Alternative Hymns
Almighty Father, bless the Word (LSB 923)
Blessed Jesus, at Your Word (LSB 904)
Faith and truth and life bestowing (LSB 584)
Father, we thank Thee who hast planted (LSB 652)
From God can nothing move me (LSB 713)
God has spoken by His prophets (LSB 583)
God’s Word is our great heritage (LSB 582)
Hark, the voice of Jesus calling (LSB 827)
I know my faith is founded (LSB 587)
In the cross of Christ I glory (LSB 427)
Now thank we all our God (LSB 895)
O Word of God incarnate (LSB 523)
On what has now been sown (LSB 921)
Preserve Your Word, O Savior (LSB 658)
Speak, O Lord, Your servant listens (LSB 589)
Spread the reign of God the Lord (LSB 830)
The will of God is always best (LSB 758)
What is the world to me (LSB 730)
Who trusts in God a strong abode (LSB 714)
Why should cross and trial grieve me (LSB 756)
Quinquagesima
1 Samuel 16:1–13 (or Isaiah 35:3–7)
1 Corinthians 13:1–13
Luke 18:31–43
Hymn of Invocation
Father most holy, merciful and tender (LSB 504)
Hymn of the Day / Catechetical Hymn of the Week
Let us ever walk with Jesus (LSB 685)
Hymns for the Distribution of the Holy Communion
Praise the One who breaks the darkness (LSB 849)
All depends on our possessing (LSB 732)
Christ be my leader by night as by day (LSB 861)
I will sing my Maker’s praises (LSB 977e; TLH 25; LW 439)
Hymn of Departure
Sing praise to God, the highest good (LSB 819)
Alternative Hymns
All who believe and are baptized (LSB 601)
Christ, the Life of all the living (LSB 420)
Dear Christians, one and all, rejoice (LSB 556)
From God can nothing move me (LSB 713)
Hear us, Father, when we pray (LSB 773)
In God, my faithful God (LSB 745)
In the cross of Christ I glory (LSB 427)
Jesus, I will ponder now (LSB 440)
Jesus, priceless treasure (LSB 743)
Jesus, refuge of the weary (LSB 423)
Lord Jesus Christ, with us abide (LSB 585)
Lord, ‘tis not that I did choose Thee (LSB 573)
My song is love unknown (LSB 430)
O God of light, Your Word, a lamp unfailing (LSB 836)
O sacred head, now wounded (LSB 450)
O Son of God, in Galilee (LSB 841)
Praise to the Lord, the Almighty (LSB 790)
Stricken, smitten, and afflicted (LSB 451)
Why should cross and trial grieve me (LSB 756)
Word of God, come down on earth (LSB 545)
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