28 January 2008

Watching My Weakness Unfold Before Me

I slipped in the shower yesterday morning. I could feel my feet sliding right out from under me, and I was sure that I was going down, but then I didn't fall. Somehow I managed to catch myself. Or, better to say, the Lord's holy angels held me up, lest I trip and hit my head against the tub. The moment came and went like that, and life went on; I finished my shower and went about my day without any further adieu. It does give me pause to wonder how often it happens, in the course of each day, that the holy angels restrain the devil, the world, and the curse of my own sin from wrecking havoc upon my body and life.

It does not embarrass me to think of holy angels in the shower with me. After yesterday morning, I'm actually rather glad of that fact. I am far more ashamed to consider that the angels attend me, also, when my words and actions are not what they should be: when I am speaking and acting in ways that do not hallow the Lord's Name. Yet, they are not ashamed to serve me even then, to guard and protect me for Jesus' sake, who forgives all my sin. He has named me with His Name; He has signed me with His Cross; He has anointed me with His Spirit. Thus, His righteousness covers me, His holiness adorns me, and His holy angels honor Him by serving me, His poor and weak and lowly brother. For He, too, has borne this mortal flesh and blood of mine, in which He now dwells with His own holy Body and precious Blood. In this there is no shame of mine, but His divine glory at work for my life and salvation.

I thank God for His holy angels and their powerful protection, for I have come to know my own frailty.

As I was growing up, as a little child and as an adolescent, in particular, I would often imagine situations in which I would be called upon to rescue myself, my parents or my siblings, from some dire threat or emergency. As an adult, I have imagined similar such things involving my children. In my mind's eye, I picture some danger, a car heading for them or a robber in the house, and I mentally rehearse the heroic actions I would take to save them. Maybe it comes from reading too many super hero comic books, or from watching cartoons and actions movies, in which the good guys are always somehow able to prevail and save the day. When I was younger, it rarely ever dawned on me that I might be insufficient to meet the need, to confront the crisis, to protect my family.

As a parent of nine children, with aging parents and my siblings now dispersed across the country, I am more and more frequently reminded of how little in "control" I am (or ever have been). I'm not there with them to snatch them from harm's way. Nor do I have the means or wherewithal to keep them always healthy, safe and sound. More often than not, it's altogether out of my hands. That harsh fact confronted me again yesterday, not only in the shower when I came so close to falling hard, but even more pointedly a few short hours later.

Zach and Bekah both gave blood after church, as they have done in the past. I waited for them, visiting with Bekah's Mom and other folks from the congregation. One man was sharing the story of his little boy, who was born with a serious heart defect and, already at the age of two, has undergone seven open heart surgeries (the first when he was only three days old). My own paternal heart is deeply moved by such things, and I could not help but contemplate the health and safety of my sons and daughters, young and old. My Freddy and Baby G are close to the same age as that man's son. It fleetingly occurred to me that even my Zach is not impervious to harm and danger, though I surely could not have guessed the events about to unfold.

Bekah walked over with her drink and snack in hand, and Zach was not too far behind with his. As he approached, I could see it in his eyes and on his face that he was feeling dizzy and light-headed after having given blood. I'm famous for my parental paranoia, but I can't help myself. I got up and took a step toward him, and I asked if he was okay. My sons probably get tired of hearing this question from me, as I'm always asking, always checking. Normally, the answer is a simple "yes," even if it isn't quite the truth. This time, though, Zach said "no," and then I could see what was going to happen before it did.

He was moving toward me, and I was trying to reach him. Everything seemed to slow down to a crawl, but still I couldn't move my body fast enough. I watched my big strong boy, my tall and young and healthy son, crumple in front of me like a deflated accordion. I stretched out my hand, but I might as well have been in South Bend; a couple feet were as far distant as a thousand miles. I know I yelled his name, but that too seemed to get swallowed up in the slow motion of the moment. The whole scene has replayed itself in my head a dozen times or more since then. He didn't bend his knees or lower himself to the ground; his normally sturdy legs were suddenly like those of a rag doll, and his whole body simply descended to the ground in an eerie sideways swan dive. He must have hit his right elbow on the ground, which probably slowed his fall, but all I saw was his head hitting the hard gymnasium floor with a loud crack. And then he didn't move.

I think I finally know how my Mother felt when I had major surgery the summer after I graduated from high school. I was young and athletic then, like Zach is now, but I was reduced to nothing by that traumatic ordeal, and I've often heard her comment on how hard it was to see me lying in the hospital afterwards. LaRena was there with me then, too, and she and my Mom kept up a constant vigil while I was recovering. It's a hopeless feeling to watch someone you love in that kind of situation. And it's scary.

I was there by Zach's side in a moment, after it had happened and everything sped back to normal in a loud rush of panic. I could feel that hard knot in my chest that I experience whenever the false gods I make of my children are threatened, and the false god I make out of myself is so instantly dethroned and helpless. I gently lifted Zach's head a little from the floor to see his face, and it was obvious that he had passed out. Even after he opened his eyes, they were glazed over without any focus or comprehension. Bekah was there by his side, as well, and we spoke his name gently to call him back to us. I watched as his brain "rebooted," and I could see the clarity return to his face; his eyes zeroed in on me, but with evident confusion and alarm. Even his lips were drained of color, all but white, his body limp and crumpled on the ground.

There was help for him right away. The nurses who were doing the blood drive were there on the spot and began caring for him within a minute or two of his fall. They had ice for his head, and they knew what to do, what to look for. All I could do was stay with him, talking to him, helping to make him as comfortable as possible there on the floor in the middle of the gym, answering questions, and clutching his hand to hang on to my son. I wanted to scoop him up and make everything right, as though I could even begin to lift him anymore; he's bigger and stronger than I am. I wanted to hide him from the world, to protect him from the embarrassment that I knew he'd be feeling as he became more and more aware of where he was and what was going on. More than anything else, I wanted to rewind the clock just those few minutes it would have taken to prevent him from falling, to catch him in those moments when I could see it coming but hadn't been able to move fast enough to stop it.

The reality is that, even when I'm with my son (or any of my children), I'm not the Author and Giver of life, nor the Maker and Preserver of all things. For a certain number of years, and in a limited number of ways, I am given to serve my children and care for their needs, but their bodies and lives are always really in the care and keeping of their Father in heaven. I am but His instrument and mask, whereby He feeds and clothes and shelters and teaches them for a while. Though I do sometimes wonder why He would rely upon a tool like me, more often I forget that I am a tool at all, and suppose myself to be responsible for more than I am given.

It appears that Zach is going to be fine. He's got a bump on the back of his head and a sore neck, but he doesn't seem to have suffered a concussion. His body is young and strong and healthy, and it'll bounce back much faster than I would anymore these days. There's more to it than that, though. I don't know why the holy angels didn't prevent him from falling, but I have no doubts they did have a hand in preventing him from greater harm and danger. The wisdom of God is wiser than man, and He deals with us graciously under the crosses of affliction. Whether we live, or whether we die, we are the Lord's. Zach's own health and strength will not save him, no more than I will be the one to save him. If I had been back home in South Bend when it happened, I would have wished with all my heart that I could have been there with him, supposing I could have stopped it from happening. But I was there, mere feet from him, and I couldn't do a thing.

That's the way it always is. We can do only as much we are given to do, and even that we do not do as faithfully or as well as we ought. The Lord is always covering our faults in mercy and sustaining us in our weakness. Whatever is lacking, He supplies according to His steadfast love and faithfulness. Beyond all that, He remains the Lord our God, and He alone. The difference between life and death can seem entirely precarious, a matter of chance or aimless accident. As a Christian, I know better than that, but I don't always trust the One who has created me and mine for life with Himself forever. Lord, I believe; help Thou my unbelief!

27 January 2008

If the Preaching Is Liturgical and Right, Everything Else Will Follow as It Should

I've bantered about it with buddies in the past, and it became the operative thesis of my presentation on the Liturgy this weekend. I really want to get all of my notes typed up for the sake of sharing my thoughts and soliciting discussion of the topic. For the time being, I'll have to stick to some preliminary comments on this preaching thesis. At any rate, I'm convinced that we (in the LCMS) need to grapple with the theological heart and substance of the matter, instead of constantly engaging one another in the "worship wars" by way of combat over ceremonial practices and aesthetic preferences. Such practical things are not inconsequential, incidental or irrelevant, but they are also not the place to begin; nor must they be the same in every place. Yes, differences in practice may well reflect divergence in doctrine; indeed, I have no doubt they often do. Precisely so, it is the doctrine that ought to be dealt with, whence the practice will emerge as its confession.

In the life of the Church, which finds its home in the Liturgy, orthodox practice flows from (and with) orthodox preaching. Where the preaching is properly liturgical, everything that matters will follow eventually; not necessarily right away, and not ever "perfectly" in this vale of tears, but nevertheless, it will be progressing on the way that leads to life, here in time and hereafter in eternity. Where the preaching is not what it should be, then everything else will languish and may falter altogether. Sure, there are liturgical safeguards, which, when left in place and allowed to serve the Word of Christ as catechesis and confession, do much to stem the devastation of poor preaching (and to bolster the occasional sermon that misses the mark and falls short). Yet, where the preaching is not what it should be, than nothing else will be able to save the Church forever: neither "high church" nor "low church," neither moderate nor maniacal, neither simplicity nor complexity. The Church is defined and constituted liturgically, but not ceremonially. At its best, the ceremony confesses the Liturgy; it cannot, of itself, comprise the Liturgy.

Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of Christ. So it is necessary that repentance be preached for the forgiveness of sins, even to the ends of the earth, even to the end of the age. If nothing else is gotten right, that much at least must be done. Which is why our faithful Lord and great Good Shepherd has never failed to raise up preachers for the feeding of His flock, whether with golden-mouthed rhetorical eloquence or under much frailty, infirmity, weakness and sorrow. Only that the Gospel be preached (and the Law also, in the service of the Gospel). Heaven and earth will pass away, while the Word of Christ endures forever; and that is the Word that is preached to His Church, unto faith in the forgiveness of sins, unto life and salvation.

The preaching of the Word of Christ begins and continues with, and always depends upon, the Father's speaking of His Son. It is by this preaching of Christ, the only-begotten, beloved and well-pleasing Son, in the flesh, that the Holy Spirit is breathed into man; and it is only by this Word and Spirit of God that man lives (now and forever).

This preaching, as it sounds forth in the Church, is the confession of Jesus the Christ. Pastors are called, ordained and sent to speak the same thing that God the Father speaks. It is upon this Rock, that is, upon this Ministry of the Confession of Christ Crucified, that His Church is built and sustained against sin, death, the devil and hell. It is the preaching of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. It is preaching to and from Holy Baptism, which is the death of the old man and the resurrection of the New Man. It is the preaching of the Law that kills and the Gospel that gives life through the forgiveness of sins. The Law commands what God has ordered and prohibits what God has forbidden (no more nor less), and thereby always accuses the sinner, condemns and crucifies him. The Gospel forgives the sinner and raises him with Christ unto life everlasting.

The preaching of Christ is always to and from Baptism, to and from Confession & Absolution, to and from the Holy Communion. This is what I mean by liturgical preaching. This is God's Word and His work, whereby the Father hands over Christ, the incarnate Son, to and for His Church, in and with His Holy Spirit. From the long view, it is preaching from the font to the altar. More immediately, it is preaching from the lectern to the altar, from the prophetic and apostolic Scriptures to the Word-made-Flesh.

This preaching from the lectern to the Body and Blood of Christ in the Holy Communion is the divine Liturgy, the most basic and essential structure and substance of the Divine Service. It is this Liturgy, this preaching of the Word to bring the disciples of Jesus to His Supper, that brings His Church into being on earth and constitutes her very life in fellowship with the one true God. Where this liturgical preaching is happening faithfully, then the adiaphorous rites and ceremonies of the Church are received and used in the freedom of faith, in loving service to the neighbor.

This is the point at which I would have liked to have more time to speak at the conference this weekend, identifying the way in which tradition serves the Christian faith and life in love, and even discussing the blessing and benefits of particular traditions across the gamut of liturgical practice. It will not be the same in every time and place, though the catholicity of the Church lends itself more to continuity than diversity. The fact that so much is free, in faith before God, does not at all mean that all things are equal, right or salutary. What we do, and how we do it, communicates what we believe and what we are about; it catechizes and confesses. If it is to serve and support the Christian faith and life, it must be in harmony with the Word of the Lord; it must say (in its own way) the same thing that the Father has spoken to us by His Son.

Faith comes by hearing that Word of the Father, which is Christ, the divine Word-made-Flesh. It is the solemn task and sacred responsibility of preaching to speak that Word of Christ to His people (and to those who would believe in Him by such preaching). Where He is preached, there also will the congregation be enabled to receive and practice the salutary traditions of the Church catholic with discernment, faith and love, reverence and courtesy. Where the preaching is right, everything else will follow as it should. Love will not tolerate false preaching (in word or deed), but it can and will abide all else, because the true preaching really does cover a multitude of sins.

A Cautionary Tale in Rhyme

Inspired by a scene observed across the bar at Bennigans on Friday night.

Joe went down south and met two gals;
Let's call them Marge and Rita.
The first one kissed him on the mouth;
The second did repeat her.
When they were gone, you'd not believe
The state they left poor Joey.
The next time he should go down south,
He'd better stick with coffee.

The names have been concocted, but one should yet consider that many a young Joe has been done in by Marge and Rita! I do shudder to think what became of the three that I saw this past Friday evening in plain ol' Texas. Young ladies should not go out and get themselves drunk in the company of strangers; nor should young men lead them on. Shame on you, "Joey," whoever you were.

There was another young lady in the same bar, enjoying her liberty in the Gospel, who was well-guarded and protected in the company of her fiancé and three Lutheran pastors. I must confess, they did not stick with coffee, either, but were decorous in their consumption of beer and chips and salsa. Which goes to show that one doesn't have to resort to debauchery to have a good time. God's good gifts should simply be received in faith and with thanksgiving, and used in love for the neighbor. Cheers to that!

21 January 2008

DoRena Christine Mary-Agnes

She's twenty-one years old today, as old as I was when she was born in 1987! I guess she is still my little girl for a few more months, until she becomes Mrs. Sam Wirgau at the end of May. Tim McGraw's emotion-tugging song notwithstanding, it won't seem quite right to think of her as my "little girl" once she's married. Already I am trying to figure out when and how it happened that she turned into the very grown-up, stunning and sophisticated young woman that she now is. I look at her and listen to her talk, and I am utterly amazed. I contemplate her accomplishments and consider her plans, and inwardly I pinch myself to recall that she is not a figment of my imagination, but my once and future princess, my blonde-haired, blue-eyed Beanie Belle.

I've often reminisced about her bug-watching as a toddler, but there are lots of other memories along the way, lots of other stages in her growing up that have astonished me so well. I guess she's been amazing me all along, from the first time I got to hold her in my arms and look at her. At twenty-one now, she's more responsible, mature and ready for the world than I was then, but I became a Daddy with her arrival, ready or not, and I've learned along the way what that means and requires.

Everything was brand new and often daunting in those early years. It didn't help that LaRena and I were both going to school and working full-time jobs, nor that our little DoRena was colicky (not that we even knew what colicky was back then). Late nights and early mornings when nothing else would console her, I'd put on some hard rock or heavy metal, especially Van Halen or Judas Priest, and dance with her around the room while the steady beat would literally rock her back to sleep. Oh, the tricks of the trade that one learns as a parent. When she was older, and I had both her and Zachary to care for while LaRena was at work in the evenings, and I needed to read and study for my seminary classes, I'd put the two of them in their car seats and drive around Fort Wayne until they fell asleep; then I'd sit out in the parking lot and read until it was time to pick their Mommy up. What a life it was, but we did our best to cope with the challenges.

Many of my most vivid memories of DoRena are from when she was little. Sadly enough, after I began at Notre Dame and then became a full-time pastor, my time with her was significantly curtailed. As I was finally finishing my doctorate, she was already beginning to spread her wings and fly. She spent her junior year in Savannah, Georgia, as a nanny for my little niephlings, Adam & Anna. She was back in South Bend for her senior year, but was also working throughout that time. Then she was off to I.U. in Bloomington. Now she's about to get married. Somewhere along the way, she transitioned from being a child to being an adult, and I have to say that she's pulled it off beautifully. Her poise and confidence are striking, but tempered with feminine grace and charm. I stand in awe of her, as I do of Zach, and marvel that such a lady is my own daughter, once upon a time my baby girl.

The location of our new home means that I routinely drive past the little community theater where my Beanie played a part in the Secret Garden; it must have been almost a decade ago by now. She performed in a few plays while she was in Savannah, too, and I was so pleased for her and proud. She's always been such a go-getter, and never shy about jumping in with both feet. She took piano for a number of years and excelled at that, and has played the recorder extensively, as well. She's raised rabbits and birds, done some really neat things with scrapbooking, and even learned how to be a clown with 4-H. She was gung-ho about race walking, back in the day when a group of us were doing that together. She's done great with learning Russian, which proved to be her favorite subject in college. She knows how to cook and clean; she's good with children; she's done well with the different jobs she's had over the years. Sometimes I find it easy to imagine that there's nothing she can't do.

What pleases me best is that DoRena is so conscientious, pious and faithful. Her college search began with the priority that she would have an orthodox, confessional Lutheran church to attend, and she's been tremendously active in the life of University Lutheran Church in Bloomington these past several years. Her life really centers in the means of grace and the liturgical life of the Church, so the prospect of being a pastor's wife should suit her well.

This isn't the first time we've been apart on her birthday. For a number of years, it seemed as though I always had to be away from town on this date, much to my chagrin. Nowadays, she's the one who's away from home, though she's never far from the surface of my heart and mind. Hopefully, I'll have the chance to call and chat with her today. There's one of her birthdays, in particular, that comes to mind when I think of calling her. I'm thinking it must have been her thirteenth birthday, and I was on a cross-country train trip (reading, reading, reading for my dissertation, from South Bend to New York, to Florida, to Los Angeles, to Chicago, and finally home again). I happened to be in Los Angeles in-between trains for a half-day layover on the 21st of January, and managed to get myself out to Hollywood to see the sights. I hiked my way up the hill, as close as I could (legally) get to the famous "Hollywood" sign, and then back down again. It was on my way down that I managed to locate a pay phone outside a little shop, and I called up my newly-teen-aged girl to wish her a Happy Birthday from L.A. I can still picture it in my head, like it was yesterday; as I can also recall taking her out to T.G.I. Friday's for her sweet sixteen in 2003. I'm wishing I could take her out tonight for her twenty-first birthday, but that privilege appropriately falls to her Sam; I'll have to settle for raising a toast in her honor.

She was born and baptized "DoRena Christine," but she's gained a couple extra names along the way. When she was confirmed, I gave her the Blessed Virgin Mary as an example of faith and life, and suggested that she could use "Mary" as a second middle name (which she readily did). Later, I discovered that the early young martyr, St. Agnes, is commemorated on this very date of DoRena's birth. Hmmm. It was sometime thereafter, to her surprise and amusement, that she found herself named "DoRena Christine Mary-Agnes" in the family's Christmas letter. It seems to me that the Lord must have given my children a good sense of humor, not only to put up with me, but actually to enjoy and appreciate my quirks and idiosyncracies.

Along with her good sense of humor, her sparkling smile and ready laugh, there are so many things about my DoRena-Beana that never cease to delight me. She's a sweetheart, sure enough, stylish and savvy, spirited and spunky. She knows her own mind, and she's an independent soul; she shares those firstborn traits with her Mom and Dad. She's got more refined tastes than I'll probably ever have, but she's not haughty or condescending. She's down to earth and business-like, well-ordered and organized, but not oppressively so. She giggles and gets silly with her girlfriends, though she's no ditzy blonde. She can dress like a million bucks on her shoestring budget (she's more thrifty than I'll ever be, too), but looks comfortable and casual, sporty and easy-going in her jeans and sweatshirts. She's very discerning and particular, but can also be as spontaneous and impetuous as I am; overall, though, she's more measured than me.

Whatever she's inherited and learned from me, she's making her own mark on the world and charting her own course. She's often been identified as "Pastor Stuckwisch's daughter," but I expect the day will come when people think of me as "DoRena's father." That'll be alright with me. I'm torn between letting her go and thrilling to see her soar, but I am celebrating her life on this anniversary of her birth. You've come a long way, Beanie, but the best is yet to come!

20 January 2008

Readings for Midweek Lenten Catecheses

Series A

Week of Lent 1
Exodus 20:1–17
Hebrews 10:23–36
St. Matthew 5:21–37

Week of Lent 2
Joshua 24:1–15
Hebrews 11:1–16
St. Luke 6:39–49

Week of Lent 3
2 Kings 20:1–7 (8–11)
Galatians 3:23—4:7
St. Luke 11:1–13

Week of Lent 4
Joshua 3:14—4:11
Colossians 2:6–15
St. Luke 3:7–22

Week of Lent 5
2 Samuel 11:26—12:15
James 5:7–20
St. Matthew 9:2–8

Series B

Week of Lent 1
Isaiah 58:9–14
Romans 13:1–14
St. Mark 2:18–28

Week of Lent 2
Daniel 4:28–37
1 Timothy 3:14–16
St. Matthew 10:16–39

Week of Lent 3
Genesis 32:22–30
Romans 8:12–27
St. Luke 18:1–8

Week of Lent 4
Ezekiel 47:1–12
Revelation 22:1–5, 14–17
St. John 7:28–39

Week of Lent 5
1 Kings 8:28–36, 41–50
2 Corinthians 5:17–21
St. Mark 11:12–33

Series C

Week of Lent 1
Deuteronomy 5:1–21
James 2:1–13
St. Matthew 5:17–26, 38–48

Week of Lent 2
Deuteronomy 6:1–9, 20–25
Romans 10:1–13
St. Luke 12:1–12

Week of Lent 3
1 Kings 3:3–15
James 1:2–18
St. Matthew 6:5–15

Week of Lent 4
Numbers 20:1–13
2 Peter 3:1–13
St. Mark 10:32–45

Week of Lent 5
Leviticus 4:1–4, 13–15, 22–35
2 Corinthians 1:23—2:11
St. Matthew 18:7–18

This Is Your Brain on Music (and Catechesis)

I picked up a great book at the airport in New York on my homeward trek from speaking on Paul Gerhardt this past October. The book is not that long; nor is it a difficult read, although it does require some concentration and reflection. That I'm still working my way through it three months later is due only to the fact that my life has been crazy and chaotic in the meantime. It's actually a fascinating book, and well-written, and I highly recommend it: This Is Your Brain on Music: The Science of a Human Obsession, by Daniel J. Levitin (Plume, 2007).

I've been intrigued by music for as long as I can remember, and I have often puzzled over its power and mystery. I find it compelling, both emotionally and theologically; both as a medium of expression and as a topic of conversation. Especially as I have delved deeper into the significance of hymnody, and as I have contemplated the role of music in the liturgy, I have been increasingly interested in the nature and characteristics of music. In reading Robin Leaver's recent book on Luther's understanding and use of music, I have found it refreshing and helpful to consider music as part of God's good creation and one of His good gifts. That view prompts a positive, constructive and salutary approach to the topic. It also coincides with an opinion I have long held, though I haven't had the knowledge or wherewithal to demonstrate or argue it, that music has objective aspects and qualities that can be measured and evaluated, as to whether they are more or less in harmony with the Word of God.

This Is Your Brain on Music is just the sort of thing that I've been searching for, because it helpfully brings a novice like me into a working knowledge of the technicalities of music, and analyzes each of its facets with scientific objectivity. The author of the book assumes an evolutionary model, which is a shame, but I find his descriptions of the brain and its functions, and of music's natural phenomena, to be outstanding evidence of the Lord's creative genius and intricate design of the minutest details. All of this, in itself, would make for worthwhile reading. But I am especially grateful for a firmer grasp on the function and impact of music, the way it is heard and grasped and remembered; because all of this has the potential to serve and support the Word of the Lord, to assist in catechesis and confession, prayer, praise and thanksgiving.

On that note, I was particularly taken by the following few paragraphs, which have nothing specifically to do with "catechesis" per se, but which I find to be most apropros to that most comprehensive pastoral task:

"Anders Ericsson, at Florida State University, and his colleagues approach the topic of musical expertise as a general problem in cognitive psychology involving how humans become experts in general. In other words, he takes as a starting assumption that there are certain issues involved in becoming an expert at anything; that we can learn about musical expertise by studying expert writers, chess players, athletes, artists, mathematicians, in addition to musicians.

"First, what do we mean by 'expert'? Generally we mean that it is someone who has reached a high degree of accomplishment relative to other people. As such, expertise is a social judgment; we are making a statement about a few members of a society relative to a larger population. Also, the accomplishment is normally considered to be in a field that we care about. As Sloboda points out, I may become an expert at folding my arms or pronouncing my own name, but this isn't generally considered the same as becoming, say, an expert at chess, at repairing Porsches, or being able to steal the British crown jewels without being caught.

"The emerging picture from such studies is that ten thousand hours of practice is required to achieve the level of mastery associated with being a world-class expert—in anything. In study after study, of composers, basketball players, fiction writers, ice skaters, concert pianists, chess players, master criminals, and what have you, this number comes up again and again. Ten thousand hours is equivalent to roughly three hours a day, or twenty hours a week, of practice over ten years. Of course, this doesn't address why some people don't seem to get anywhere when they practice, and why some people get more out of their practice sessions than others. But no one has yet found a case in which a true world-class expertise was accomplished in less time. It seems that it takes the brain this long to assimilate all that it needs to know to achieve true mastery.

"The ten-thousand-hours theory is consistent with what we know about how the brain learns. Learning requires the assimilation and consolidation of information in neural tissues. The more experience we have with something, the stronger the memory/learning trace for that experience becomes. Although people differ in how long it takes them to consolidate information neurally, it remains true that increased practice leads to a greater number of neural traces, which can combine to create a stronger memory representation. This is true whether you subscribe to multiple-trace theory or any number of variants of theories in the neuro-anatomy of memory: The strength of a memory is related to how many times the original stimulus has been experienced" (This Is Your Brain on Music, Levitin, pp. 196-197).

I'm not sure how appropriate it may be to speak of "expertise" in theology (the Word of God); though I suppose it is the case that a Christian ought to be such an "expert" relative to the populace of the world at large. Setting that aside, this "ten-thousand-hours theory" fits the rule that repetition is the mother of learning, as well as the catechetical approach of repeating key texts verbatim: not only to memorize them, to begin with, but then to continue praying and confessing them as the vocabulary of the Christian faith and life. We don't ever "master" the Word of God, but ten thousand hours of hearing and speaking His Word may well contribute to its "mastery" of us.

The Word of God, alive with His Spirit, is its own power and authority, unto repentance and faith, life and salvation. Yet, as the Word has become flesh, and Christ is both true God and perfect Man, so does His Word lay hold of us as finite creatures of flesh and blood and neural tissues. Our bodies are washed with water in order that we may be cleansed by His Word and Holy Spirit. Out bodies chew and swallow His Body and Blood, that we may be forgiven all our sins and granted His life and salvation, body and soul. As our eardrums reverberate with the very Word of Life, the Father's speaking of His Son and breathing of His Spirit, so do our brains receive and process and store that Word, that our hearts may believe unto righteousness and our mouths confess unto salvation. Catechetical pedagoy and memorization do not (and cannot) make anything more of this divine Word than it simply is. However, as God has determined to deal with us through the external Word and bodily means of grace, so is that Word of Christ temporally served and supported (or hindered and halted) by the methodology and process with which it is taught. Hearing it and repeating it, over and over again, makes a difference and helps the Christian to become an "expert" in the Word of God. That is a good thing.

Along with the pedagogy of repetition, music also aids and assists the assimilation of the Word of God in catechesis. That's another insight supported by Levitin's wonderful little book. Music engages the brain in multiples ways and at a variety of levels. It can bypass obstacles and damage that would hinder or prevent the comprehension and retention of speech. Of course, the Word of God that created all things out of nothing, which opens deaf ears and raises the dead out of their graves, does not need music to be efficacious and powerful unto salvation. For that matter, it need not be translated into the vernacular, nor explained to the catechumen, nor taught to anyone. Nevertheless, God speaks His Word to man, that man might hear and believe, confess and pray, and the Lord desire that all of this be done with heart and mind alike, with clarity and knowledge, with joy and delight. Thus, He translates the Gospel of His Son into the tongues of all the nations, and He encourages His people to sing His Word in Psalms, hymns and spiritual songs.

Luther understood the benefits of music, and he put that to excellent catechetical use. His catechetical hymns were some of his earliest and best contributions, and they still serve the Church beautifully in our day. Ten thousand hours of singing the Catechism may not make one an "expert singer," but I warrant that it would produce an excellent catechumen. The repetition, the poetry and rhythm of the text, and the music itself all serve and support the reception and retention of the Word that is carried and confessed in such hymnody. The same is true, more broadly speaking, with any other hymn that confesses the Word of Christ.

A friend recently shared with me a pedagogical approach that she has found and appreciated, which basically says that you stick with the training and teaching of particular knowledge and skills until they are learned, even if it takes a thousand repetitions (or even ten thousand). It is worth it to have that kind of patience and persistence for the sake of reading, math and science, for the arts and athletics. All the more so is it worthwhile, meet, right and salutary, for the sake of the Christian faith and eternal life with God in Christ.

If it takes ten thousand hours of doing something to become an expert, then what is accomplished or achieved by the constant influx of novelty, ever-changing gimmickry, here-today-gone-tomorrow fluff 'n' stuff, and every other clever case of variety for its own sake? It leaves the "creative professionals" in charge as the only experts on the always shifting field, while consigning everyone else to remain novices and neophytes forever. By contrast, the stable and consistent use of the historic liturgy and solid hymns, catechizes each and every Christian to become an "expert" theologian (if one dare speak in such human terms and categories). Christians learn it by heart and speak it by faith, because the precious Word of God produces fruit in them after its own kind.

19 January 2008

Learning to be a Pastor in the Confessional

There are all sorts of things that contribute to the formation of a pastor, but Confession and Absolution is surely one of the most significant.

It is the Divine Call and Ordination that actually put a man into the Office of the Holy Ministry and make him a pastor. In that, he is under orders to preach the Gospel, to teach the Word of God, to catechize and care for the sheep allotted to his care, to hear confession of sins and absolve the penitent in the Name of Jesus. The Lord provides the necessary gifts for the fulfilling of this Office, even as He also provides the pastors themselves with which He fills it.

Christ and His Spirit are the substance of the Office and the sole sufficiency of each pastor within the Office. Yet, the Lord provides His ministers with a variety of native talents and abilities, and He prepares them for His service by the agency of those whom He has previously raised up for the teaching of His Word and the pastoral care of His Church on earth. A man who will become a pastor in the Church, first learns what that will mean from the practice and care of his own pastors. He will learn additional knowledge and grow in understanding through the instruction of his professors (however such instruction may be ordered and arranged by the Church). He will learn even more by the trial and error of experience. There is no shortcutting nor substitute for the wisdom that is gained by the actual preaching and administration of the Gospel.

More and more I am convinced that the confessional may be the most profound context within which a pastor learns to be what he is called and ordained to be. Confession and Absolution remains one of the most humbling experiences for me (no matter which side of the confession I may be on); it is also one of the most instructive. There is no cookie-cutter approach to this practice. One learns by doing it. Here, more than anywhere else, the proper distinction of the Law and the Gospel is most tangible and practical and downright urgent. The discipline of self-examination and confession teaches the Law more pointedly and personally than any textbook. The speaking of Absolution to a penitent, the forgiving of that sinner in the Name of Jesus, teaches the Gospel more profoundly and compellingly than any lecture. The best and most helpful textbooks and lectures will have been written by those who have spent time in the confessional.

Preaching the Gospel is not exactly the same thing as Absolution, but it is one and the same Gospel that is proclaimed in each case. The best preachers of the Gospel are those who regularly hear confession and forgive the sins of those who repent. They may not be the most eloquent or artful, but they will be the most pastoral, and they will speak to the heart of the matter; because they have learned how to speak to the heart of Jerusalem that her warfare is ended, her iniquity pardoned.

There are other ways in which pastoral care is given, but the purpose of genuine pastoral care is always repentance and faith in the forgiveness of sins. Thus, Confession and Absolution stands at the heart and center of pastoral care; because the Office of the Holy Ministry is defined by the Office of the Keys. Apart from the regular practice of Confession and Absolution, pastoral care is inclined to warp into "counseling," which is more than likely to put the Law (or a law of sorts) in the central height that belongs by right only to the Gospel.

Certainly, catechesis happens elsewhere than in the confessional. I'm increasingly convinced that everything is finally a form of catechesis (whether good, bad, or otherwise). But the best and most faithful catechesis will lead to and from the confessional, as surely as it leads from the font to the altar, and to and from the altar back and forth within one's vocations in life. Proper Christian catechesis is the way and means of returning disciples to Holy Baptism through the Law that kills the sinner and the Gospel that resurrects the sinner with Christ Jesus in faith. Confession and Absolution is the pinnacle of such catechesis.

Frankly, hearing confession is no more fun than going to confession; yet, we ought to find comfort and satisfaction in sharing this means of grace in the fellowship of the Body of Christ. I know that my Christian faith and life are tremendously served and strengthened by going to confession and receiving Absolution from my own pastor. In this I greatly rejoice, even if the process is momentarily painful and unpleasant; it shatters my prideful old Adam, that Christ may be raised in me.

As a pastor, not only do I learn to know and name my own sin for what it is, in order to seek the forgiveness that comes only from Christ by His Word and Holy Spirit; I also learn to understand, from the inside-out, the very sort of hurts and fears and suffering and shame to which I am sent with the healing medicine of the Gospel for the people of God. And in absolving individual penitents who have opened themselves up to me as the physician of their souls, I am also cured of the proclivity to speak the Gospel generically and abstractly.

I have learned to be a better pastor in the confessional, and that is for the good of the Gospel. It has also been my experience and observation that, among my colleagues near and far, those that regularly practice Confession and Absolution are better preachers, better catechists, and better able to speak the Word of the Lord in any conversation, any context, under any conditions. They say what needs to be said with clarity and straightforwardness, but also with the sort of charity and compassion that can't be fabricated by any pretense.

The real love of the Gospel doesn't dance around the difficult subject or avoid the awkward elephant in the room; it goes to the heart with the truth, both the Law that kills and the Gospel that gives life. That is what each and every pastor is given to do all the time, but it comes more readily and often with the practice of Confession and Absolution. Which is why I still agree and fervently maintain that the Office of the Keys is the key to the renewal of the Church.

Lectionary for Mass on Fridays in Lent

Series A

Friday after Ash Wednesday
Psalm 51:1–9
Hosea 4:1–10
St. Matthew 17:14–21

Friday after Lent 1
Psalm 50:1–15
Jeremiah 26:1–15
St. John 2:13–22

Friday after Lent 2
Psalm 31:9–21
Jeremiah 17:5–14
St. John 3:25–36

Friday after Lent 3
Psalm 95
Jeremiah 7:21–28
St. John 5:18–30

Friday after Lent 4
Psalm 145:10–21
Jeremiah 18:18–23
St. John 10:31–42

Friday after Lent 5
Psalm 77:11–20
Ezekiel 37:21–28
St. Matthew 24:15–31

Series B

Friday after Ash Wednesday
Psalm 86:1–6
Deuteronomy 30:15–20
St. John 6:1–15

Friday after Lent 1
Psalm 138
2 Samuel 14:4–17
St. Mark 7:24–30

Friday after Lent 2
Psalm 50:8–23
Isaiah 1:10–20
St. Mark 8:11–21 (22–26)

Friday after Lent 3
Psalm 147:1–12 (19–20)
Deuteronomy 4:15–31
St. John 3:1–13

Friday after Lent 4
Psalm 34:1–14
Exodus 32:7–14
St. John 8:34–47

Friday after Lent 5
Psalm 102:(1–2) 11–22
Hebrews 9:15–24
St. Mark 12:1–12

Series C

Friday after Ash Wednesday
Psalm 1
Isaiah 58:1–9
St. Luke 5:29–39

Friday after Lent 1
Psalm 130
Ezekiel 18:21–28
St. Luke 11:14–28

Friday after Lent 2
Psalm 103:1–12
Micah 7:14–20
St. Luke 15:1–10

Friday after Lent 3
Psalm 34:1–10
Hosea 6:1–6
St. Luke 18:31–43

Friday after Lent 4
Psalm 81
Numbers 27:15–23
St. Luke 20:1–8

Friday after Lent 5
Psalm 18:1–6
Hebrews 10:1–10
St. John 11:45–57

18 January 2008

Zachary Richmond Peter Stuckwisch

My eldest son is nineteen years old as of today. I think it may be his first birthday away from our home and family. I'd be missing him all the more if not for the fact that we got to enjoy a great visit from him (and his dear Rebekah) this past week, and if I weren't going to be seeing him again this coming week down in Texas. Still, he's been in my heart and on my mind even more than usual throughout this day, the 18th of January, as I have treasured memories of his life and swelled with pride in the very fine young man that he has grown up to be.

This past year has been an eventful one for my Zachary. Not only did he become a legal adult a year ago on his "golden birthday" (when he turned 18 on the 18th), but he graduated from high school, worked a full-time summer job away from home (in Nebraska), got his driver's license, went away to college on a full-ride scholarship (as a National Merit Finalist), and then, barely into 2008, became engaged to get married. This takes my breath away as I stop and think about it, though I could hardly be more pleased and proud than I am. Honestly, I stand in awe and admiration of the person my son has become, and I thank God for him every day.

The story is already famous within our family and circle of friends, how Zachary ended up being born at home. Good stories are always worth repeating, however. We were living in the Twin Cities of Minnesota, and of course January happens to be in the dead of winter. January 1989 was suitably snowy and cold, which added to the drama of that auspicious day when Zachary arrived. My wife remembers some of the details a bit differently than I do; which is no surprise, I guess. It is true that we were out shopping for CDs as she was beginning to have contractions; it also happens to be the case that the music store we were perusing was the Electric Fetus. My imagination is not good enough to make up something like that little bit of irony!

I'm sorry to say that I wasn't terribly astute at that point in my life. Consequently, we did not go directly from the Elecric Fetus to the hospital (which wasn't terribly far away), but rather headed home to the suburbs by way of a little video rental place, where my father-in-law and I eventually picked out the movie Willow. My dear wife, LaRena, I have since come to learn, was growing more restless by the minute as she waited out in the car with little baby DoRena (just shy of two). Whether she breathed a sigh of relief or uttered a groan of exasperation when we finally headed home with movie in hand, I'm not sure I should try to guess. In any event, we settled down to watch Willow, while LaRena did her best to be patient as her labor progressed.

Yes, in retrospect I know that I should have taken her to the hospital instead of renting a movie and beginning to watch it. Silly me. In my defense, the doctor had said that we should head for the hospital when the contractions got to be ten minutes apart. As I remember things, I was keeping careful track of the timing, and when the contractions were spaced ten minutes apart, I wasted no time in getting ready to go. I didn't even mind that we were smack dab in the middle of the movie (it was some time later before we ever got to see the latter half of Willow).

I went out to start the car, and came back into our apartment expecting to bring LaRena out and be on our way. What I discovered, instead, was that our baby was on the verge of being born. It was at this point that we learned how quickly LaRena tends to deliver babies. I guess it was her Dad who hollered that I should forget the car and call 911, because the baby was coming. Oh. I was on the phone, then, when Zachary was born in the bathroom. His Grandpa delivered him right there, and thankfully he knew what to do with an umbilical cord wrapped around a baby's neck (thank God for rural Nebraska farm life!). So, ironically, the only one of my children I haven't gotten to see being born was the one who was born at home. Such is life.

The past nineteen years since then have been something of a blur, at least in retrospect, as I try to think back on everything that has happened. So much of that time was spent, in my case, at the seminary and then at Notre Dame, and I regret that I wasn't as attentive as I ought to have been to my little boy as he was growing up. I prize the times and activities we did share, and I look back on those days fondly. Still, nothing in the past exceeds my joy in Zachary's present. I am so grateful that I have gotten to be more involved in his life for these past few years than I had been earlier.

It means the world to me that Zachary honors his mother and me and seeks out our counsel and advice. He listens carefully and respectfully, and on those rare occasions when he makes a different choice than we might recommend, he does so thoughtfully and conscientiously. That really sums up his attitude and approach to life in general. He takes after me in being very serious; which is, I suppose, both a bane and a blessing. Thankfully, he's not as high-strung as I tend to be. In fact, in contrast to his physical stature and strength, I am especially struck by his gentleness, his calm demeanor, his quiet manner of going about things. Having him around the house last week, and watching him interact with his younger siblings, was an awesome joy. It has amazed me and warmed my heart to observe how closely Zach is connected to his family, and how very genuine and natural his love and affection for his parents and brothers and sisters are. He's going to make an outstanding father for his own children, as God so grants to him, of that I have no doubts. I suspect that is one of the things that Rebekah sees and admires in him.

Whether or not Zachary goes on to the seminary after college, as he has seriously contemplated and tentatively planned, I know that he will be a blessing to the Church and to his neighbors in the world. He has outstanding gifts of body, mind and spirit, which will serve him well in whatever vocations and stations in life he may be given. For the time being, I'm quite pleased for him to be exploring possibilities and keeping his options open, even as I am also pleased with those exciting plans of his which are now quickly falling into place with his beautiful bride-to-be. The next seven months are going to fly by, I realize, at a pace as fast or even faster than the past nineteen years have come and gone. "Don't blink," says Kenny Chesney, and he's got that right. I'm going to savor every moment I am given, as best I can, and give thanks for the chance to do so.

Hats off to you, Zachary! I'm proud of you, and proud to be your Dad.

17 January 2008

It's Not a Bad Thing

I've enjoyed Gary Allan's music for a number of years now, but I've been especially delighted by his most recent record, Living Hard, which was released just a few months ago (October 2007). I really think it is his best effort yet, finally surpassing Alright Guy (2001). It's musically solid and consistent, but with a variety of tempos and textures. It's also lyrically rich and interesting, with songs both poetic and thoughtful.

Gary Allan's had some great songs in the past, as well, but I don't think he's ever been this steady and sure footed throughout any of his other records; which is why it seems to me that he's really hit his stride in this case. Those who haven't discovered his music in the past would do well to pick up his Greatest Hits (March 2007), and then pair that up with Living Hard for a solid collection of good music. It's classified as country, and I'd have to say that's right, but it also has some genuine rock 'n' roll sense and sensibilities (of the classic Jackson Browne and John Cougar Mellencamp variety), as well as some more sophisticated musical orchestration than the typical barnyard stomp. I agree with my son that pop music needs more sax and violins, loosely speaking, and Living Hard is a stab in the right direction, as far as that goes. There's one spot on the first single from this record, "Watching Airplanes," where the strings effectively connote a takeoff, and it gives me a little thrill each time I hear that (simple mind, simple pleasures).

"Watching Airplanes" is a great song, anyway; it always reminds me of the 1999 movie, Pushing Tin (with Billy Bob Thornton and John Cusack as air traffic controllers). But it's not the best song on this new record. Actually, I'm hard pressed to identify my favorite songs, because there are quite a few on here that I enjoy very much. On the more uptempo side, "She's So California," "Like It's a Bad Thing," "Wrecking Ball," and the title song, "Living Hard," are all good fun. After numerous listens, I've not grown tired of them at all. On the more thought-provoking side, "Learning How to Bend," "As Long as You're Looking Back," "Trying to Matter," and "Half of My Mistakes" are each somewhat profound. There is real depth in this music.

Those more thoughtful and serious songs are all the more poignant when the listener knows that Gary Allan's wife committed suicide a few years ago (October 2004). "We Touched the Sun" and "Yesterday's Rain," in addition to several of the songs already mentioned, surely reflect his grappling with that painful loss. Living Hard is not his first record since the suicide; that was Tough All Over (October 2005). The wound is maybe not so raw and tender now, but has given the artist an opportunity to grow in his perspective and maturity as a human being.

I had not heard of his wife's suicide until recently. A tabloid headline about it, around the time that Living Hard was released, caused me to do a little searching on the internet. It was a second or third marriage for each of them, and they had six children between them from their previous marriages (I don't know how old any of the children were). Apparently, his wife (Angela Herzberg) developed clinical depression in connection with periodically severe migraine headaches. One evening, she was resting in bed and asked Gary to bring her some medicine; later she asked for a Coke, and while he was getting that from the kitchen she put a gun in her mouth and shot herself. Our culture tends to idolize musicians and actors and other celebrities, in a way that can far too easily deify or dehumanize them. A tragedy such as this is a reminder of their own weakness and frail mortality. I'm sorry to say that I do not know whether Angela Herzberg was a Christian or not; her death would be far more tragic and eternal if she was not.

I hurt for Gary Allan and the loss that he and his family suffered with his wife Angela's suicide. But I am grateful for the musical gifts that God has given to him, and for the solid set of songs that he has performed on this latest record of his. They are variously entertaining and challenging, and I find that I am well served on both counts. Some of my family and friends got to see Gary Allan perform live at the B-100 Birthday Bash a number of years ago (was it 2003?). It was an outdoor concert featuring half a dozen different acts from late morning to early evening. It was late in the day and starting to rain when he finally came on, but I remember being struck by what a great performer he was. I find myself similarly impressed, now, by his most recent and outstanding record, Living Hard. It's not a bad thing.

11 January 2008

Hymns for Lent Series A

Ash Wednesday
Joel 2:12–19
2 Corinthians 5:20b—6:10
Matthew 6:1–6, 16–21

Hymn of Invocation
Lord, to You I make confession (LSB 608)

Hymn of the Day
From depths of woe I cry to Thee (LSB 607)

Hymns for the Distribution of the Holy Communion
A Lamb goes uncomplaining forth (LSB 438)
Jesus, grant that balm and healing (LSB 421)
In Adam we have all been one (LSB 569) (Catechetical)
Lord, keep us steadfast in Your Word (LSB 655)

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

Alternative Hymns
All depends on our possessing (LSB 732)
Hear us, Father, when we pray (LSB 773)
In the shattered bliss of Eden (LSB 572)
Jesus Christ, our blessed Savior (LSB 627)
Jesus sinners doth receive (LSB 609)
Jesus, Thy blood and righteousness (LSB 563)
Lord Jesus, think on me (LSB 610)
O Lord, throughout these forty days (LSB 418)
Savior, when in dust to Thee (LSB 419)
Soul, adorn yourself with gladness (LSB 636)
To Thee, omniscient Lord of all (LSB 613)
When in the hour of deepest need (LSB 615)


First Sunday in Lent
Genesis 3:1–21
Romans 5:12–19
Matthew 4:1–11

Hymn of Invocation
Triune God, be Thou our stay (LSB 505)

Hymn of the Day
A mighty fortress is our God (LSB 656)

Hymns for the Distribution of the Holy Communion
The tree of life with ev’ry good (LSB 561) (Catechetical)
O love, how deep, how broad, how high (LSB 544)
In the shattered bliss of Eden (LSB 572)
I walk in danger all the way (LSB 716)

Hymn of Departure
Sing, my tongue, the glorious battle (LSB 454)

Alternative Hymns
A Lamb goes uncomplaining forth (LSB 438)
Abide, O dearest Jesus (LSB 919)
All mankind fell in Adam’s fall (LSB 562)
Christ, the Lord of hosts, unshaken (LSB 521)
From depths of woe I cry to Thee (LSB 607)
God’s own child, I gladly say it (LSB 594)
Grant peace, we pray, in mercy, Lord (LSB 777)
If God Himself be for me (LSB 724)
In Adam we have all been one (LSB 569)
Lord, keep us steadfast in Your Word (LSB 655)
Lord of our life and God of our salvation (LSB 659)
O Lord, throughout these forty days (LSB 418)
Preserve Your Word, O Savior (LSB 658)
Since our great High Priest, Christ Jesus (LSB 529)
Who trusts in God a strong abode (LSB 714)


Second Sunday in Lent
Genesis 12:1–9
Romans 4:1–8, 13–17
John 3:1–17

Hymn of Invocation
Preserve Your Word, O Savior (LSB 658)

Hymn of the Day
Lord, Thee I love with all my heart (LSB 708)

Hymns for the Distribution of the Holy Communion
Upon the cross extended (LSB 453) (Catechetical)
Salvation unto us has come (LSB 555)
When in the hour of deepest need (LSB 615)
God loved the world so that He gave (LSB 571)

Hymn of Departure
Lord Jesus Christ, the Church’s head (LSB 647)

Alternative Hymns
All Christians who have been baptized (LSB 596)
All depends on our possessing (LSB 732)
All who believe and are baptized (LSB 601)
Baptismal waters cover me (LSB 616)
Guide me, O Thou great Redeemer (LSB 918)
Once in the blest baptismal waters (LSB 598)
Sing praise to God, the highest good (LSB 819)
The death of Jesus Christ, our Lord (LSB 634)
The God of Abraham praise (LSB 798)
The Gospel shows the Father’s grace (LSB 580)


Third Sunday in Lent
Exodus 17:1–7
Romans 5:1–8
John 4:5–26 (27–30, 39–42)

Hymn of Invocation
"As surely as I live," God said (LSB 614)

Hymn of the Day
May God bestow on us His grace (LSB 823)

Hymns for the Distribution of the Holy Communion
Water, blood, and Spirit crying (LSB 597) (Catechetical)
Jesus, grant that balm and healing (LSB 421)
Rock of ages, cleft for me (LSB 761)
Lord of our life and God of our salvation (LSB 659)

Hymn of Departure
All who believe and are baptized (LSB 601)

Alternative Hymns
Baptismal waters cover me (LSB 616)
Christ, the Word of God incarnate (LSB 540)
Draw near and take the body of the Lord (LSB 637)
God loved the world so that He gave (LSB 571)
Guide me, O Thou great Redeemer (LSB 918)
Jesus, refuge of the weary (LSB 423)
Jesus sinners doth receive (LSB 609)
My song is love unknown (LSB 430)
O God, my faithful God (LSB 696)
O Holy Spirit, grant us grace (LSB 693)
O living Bread from heaven (LSB 642)
Praise the One who breaks the darkness (LSB 849)


Fourth Sunday in Lent
Isaiah 42:14–21
Ephesians 5:8–14
John 9:1–41
or John 9:1–7, 13–17, 34–39

Hymn of Invocation
Why should cross and trial grieve me (LSB 756)

Hymn of the Day / Catechetical Hymn of the Week
God loved the world so that He gave (LSB 571)

Hymns for the Distribution of the Holy Communion
All mankind fell in Adam’s fall (LSB 562)
Dear Christians, one and all, rejoice (LSB 556)
Jesus, priceless treasure (LSB 743)
The Gospel shows the Father’s grace (LSB 580)

Hymn of Departure
Rejoice, my heart, be glad and sing (LSB 737)

Alternative Hymns
Arise and shine in splendor (LSB 396)
Christ, the Life of all the living (LSB 420)
Hail to the Lord’s anointed (LSB 398)
Hark! A thrilling voice is sounding (LSB 345)
Jesus, grant that balm and healing (LSB 421)
Light of Light, O Sole-Begotten (LSB 914)
My song is love unknown (LSB 430)
On my heart imprint Your image (LSB 422)
Praise the One who breaks the darkness (LSB 849)
Rise, shine, you people (LSB 825)
Upon the cross extended (LSB 453)
Word of God, come down on earth (LSB 545)


Fifth Sunday in Lent
Ezekiel 37:1–14
Romans 8:1–11
John 11:1–45 (46–53)
or John 11:17–27, 38–53

Hymn of Invocation
In the very midst of life (LSB 755)

Hymn of the Day
My song is love unknown (LSB 430)

Hymns for the Distribution of the Holy Communion
Christ, the Life of all the living (LSB 420)
O sacred head, now wounded (LSB 450)
Jesus Christ, my sure defense (LSB 741)
Let us ever walk with Jesus (LSB 685)

Hymn of Departure / Catechetical Hymn of the Week
Sing, my tongue, the glorious battle (LSB 454)

Alternative Hymns
Be still, my soul; the Lord is on your side (LSB 752)
Christ sits at God’s right hand (LSB 564)
God’s own child, I gladly say it (LSB 594)
If God Himself be for me (LSB 724)
Jesus, grant that balm and healing (LSB 421)
Jesus, I will ponder now (LSB 440)
Lord Jesus Christ, the Church’s head (LSB 647)
Lord, Thee I love with all my heart (LSB 708)
O Christ, who shared our mortal life (LSB 552)
Sing praise to God, the highest good (LSB 819)
Thanks to Thee, O Christ, victorious (LSB 548)
We all believe in one true God (LSB 954)

Hymns for Epiphany Tide (5-9) Series A

Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany
Isaiah 58:3–9a
1 Corinthians 2:1–12 (13–16)
Matthew 5:13–20

Hymn of Invocation
Hail to the Lord’s anointed (LSB 398)

Hymn of the Day / Catechetical Hymn of the Week
Thy strong word did cleave the darkness (LSB 578)

Hymns for the Distribution of the Holy Communion
Isaiah, mighty seer in days of old (LSB 960)
Let all mortal flesh keep silence (LSB 621)
My faith looks up to Thee (LSB 702)
I am content! My Jesus ever lives (LSB 468)

Hymn of Departure
Sing praise to God, the highest good (LSB 819)

Alternative Hymns
Blessed Jesus, at Your Word (LSB 904)
From God the Father, virgin-born (LSB 401)
Hope of the world, Thou Christ of great compassion (LSB 690)
In the cross of Christ I glory (LSB 427)
Jesus, Thy blood and righteousness (LSB 563)
Rise, shine, you people (LSB 825)
Salvation unto us has come (LSB 555)
The Gospel shows the Father’s grace (LSB 580)
The Law of God is good and wise (LSB 579)
The night will soon be ending (LSB 337)


Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany
Deuteronomy 30:15–20
1 Corinthians 3:1–9
Matthew 5:21–37

Hymn of Invocation
These are the holy Ten Commands (LSB 581)

Hymn of the Day
Songs of thankfulness and praise (LSB 394)

Hymns for the Distribution of the Holy Communion
O Christ, our hope, our hearts’ desire (LSB 553) (Catechetical)
Salvation unto us has come (LSB 555)
Word of God, come down on earth (LSB 545)
Praise the Almighty, my soul, adore Him (LSB 797)

Hymn of Departure
Come, Thou Fount of ev’ry blessing (LSB 686)

Alternative Hymns
Built on the Rock the Church shall stand (LSB 645)
Come down, O Love divine (LSB 501)
Come, Thou bright and Morning Star (LSB 872)
Entrust your days and burdens (LSB 754)
"Forgive our sins as we forgive" (LSB 843)
Holy Spirit, ever dwelling (LSB 650)
Lord, help us ever to retain (LSB 865)
Lord Jesus Christ, with us abide (LSB 585)
Lord Jesus, think on me (LSB 610)
The only Son from heaven (LSB 402)


Seventh Sunday after the Epiphany
Leviticus 19:1–2, 9–18
1 Corinthians 3:10–23
Matthew 5:38–48

Hymn of Invocation
In the very midst of life (LSB 755)

Hymn of the Day
O God, O Lord of heaven and earth (LSB 834)

Hymns for the Distribution of the Holy Communion
From God the Father, virgin-born (LSB 401)
My soul, now praise your maker (LSB 820) (Catechetical)
Lord of glory, You have bought us (LSB 851)
Praise to the Lord, the Almighty (LSB 790)

Hymn of Departure
May God bestow on us His grace (LSB 823)

Alternative Hymns
Built on the Rock the Church shall stand (LSB 645)
Christ is made the sure foundation (LSB 909)
Creator Spirit, by whose aid (LSB 500)
Lord Jesus Christ, with us abide (LSB 585)
Lord, keep us steadfast in Your Word (LSB 655)
O God, my faithful God (LSB 696)
O love, how deep, how broad, how high (LSB 544)
Only-begotten, Word of God eternal (LSB 916)
The only Son from heaven (LSB 402)
Where charity and love prevail (LSB 845)


Eighth Sunday after the Epiphany
Isaiah 49:8–16a
1 Corinthians 4:1–13
Matthew 6:24–34

Hymn of Invocation
A multitude comes from the east and the west (LSB 510)

Hymn of the Day
Sing praise to God, the highest good (LSB 819)

Hymns for the Distribution of the Holy Communion
O God, my faithful God (LSB 696)
Entrust your days and burdens (LSB 754)
All depends on our possessing (LSB 732) (Catechetical)
Let us ever walk with Jesus (LSB 685)

Hymn of Departure
Christ be my leader by night as by day (LSB 861)

Alternative Hymns
Before the throne of God above (LSB 574)
Consider how the birds above (LSB 736)
In Thee is gladness (LSB 818)
Lord of all hopefulness (LSB 738)
My soul, now praise your maker (LSB 820)
The gifts Christ freely gives (LSB 602)
These are the holy Ten Commands (LSB 581)
Water, blood, and Spirit crying (LSB 597)


Last Sunday after the Epiphany / before Lent
The Transfiguration of Our Lord

Exodus 24:8–18
2 Peter 1:16–21
Matthew 17:1–9

Processional Hymn
Praise be to Christ in whom we see (LSB 538)

Hymn of the Day / Catechetical Hymn of the Week
O wondrous type! O vision fair (LSB 413)

Hymns for the Distribution of the Holy Communion
Wide open stand the gates (LSB 639)
O Morning Star, how fair and bright (LSB 395)
‘Tis good, Lord, to be here (LSB 414)
Lord Jesus Christ, with us abide (LSB 585)

Processional Out
Alleluia, song of gladness (LSB 417)

Alternative Hymns
All praise to Thee, for Thou, O King divine (LSB 815)
Alleluia! Sing to Jesus (LSB 821)
Arise and shine in splendor (LSB 396)
Beautiful Savior, King of creation (LSB 537)
In the shattered bliss of Eden (LSB 572)
Jesus on the mountain peak (LSB 415)
Let all mortal flesh keep silence (LSB 621)
O God of God, O Light of Light (LSB 810)
O God of light, Your Word, a lamp unfailing (LSB 836)
O Word of God incarnate (LSB 523)
Thanks to Thee, O Christ, victorious (LSB 548)
The only Son from heaven (LSB 402)
Thine the amen, Thine the praise (LSB 680)
Thy strong word did cleave the darkness (LSB 578)

Hymns for February Festivals

The Purification of Mary and the Presentation of Our Lord
(2 February)
1 Samuel 1:21–28
Hebrews 2:14–18
Luke 2:22–32 (33–40)

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

Hymn of the Day
In peace and joy I now depart (LSB 938)

Hymns for the Distribution of the Holy Communion
In His temple now behold Him (LSB 519)
Come, your hearts and voices raising (LSB 375)
O Jesus Christ, Thy manger is (LSB 372)

Processional Out
All my heart again rejoices (LSB 360)

Alternative Hymns
Break forth, O beauteous heav’nly light (LSB 378)
For all the saints who from their labors rest (LSB 677)
Hail to the Lord’s anointed (LSB 398)
In the shattered bliss of Eden (LSB 572)
No temple now, no gift of price (LSB 530)
O God, O Lord of heaven and earth (LSB 834)
O Lord, we praise Thee (LSB 617)
O love, how deep, how broad, how high (LSB 544)
O Morning Star, how fair and bright (LSB 395)
Open now thy gates of beauty (LSB 901)
Praise the Almighty, my soul, adore Him (LSB 797)
Since our great High Priest, Christ Jesus (LSB 529)
The infant priest was holy born (LSB 624)
We praise You, Jesus, at Your birth (LSB 382)
Ye watchers and ye holy ones (LSB 670)


St. Matthias, Apostle (24 February)
Isaiah 66:1–2
Acts 1:15–26
Matthew 11:25–30

Processional Hymn
With high delight let us unite (LSB 483)

Hymn of the Day
The gifts Christ freely gives (LSB 602)

Hymns for the Distribution of the Holy Communion
Hail, Thou once despised Jesus (LSB 531)
Built on the Rock the Church shall stand (LSB 645)
Draw us to Thee (LSB 701)

Processional Out
By all Your saints in warfare (LSB 517)

Alternative Hymns
God of the prophets, bless the prophets’ sons (LSB 682)
Jesus lives! The vict’ry’s won (LSB 490)
Jesus, refuge of the weary (LSB 423)
Open now thy gates of beauty (LSB 901)
Send, O Lord, Your Holy Spirit (LSB 681)
Shepherd of tender youth (LSB 864)
The Church’s one foundation (LSB 644)
We are called to stand together (LSB 828)

04 January 2008

Hymns for Epiphany Tide (1-4) Series A

The Feast of the Epiphany of Our Lord
Isaiah 60:1–6
Ephesians 3:1–12
Matthew 2:1–12

Processional Hymn
Come, Thou bright and Morning Star (LSB 872)

Hymn of the Day
O Morning Star, how fair and bright (LSB 395)

Offertory Hymn
As with gladness men of old (LSB 397)

Hymns for the Distribution of the Holy Communion
Wake, awake, for night is flying (LSB 516)
O Jesus Christ, Thy manger is (LSB 372) (Catechetical)
Come, your hearts and voices raising (LSB 375)
Songs of thankfulness and praise (LSB 394)

Processional Out
All my heart again rejoices (LSB 360)

Alternative Hymns
Arise and shine in splendor (LSB 396)
Break forth, O beauteous heav’nly light (LSB 378)
Brightest and best of the stars of the morning (LSB 400)
Hail to the Lord’s anointed (LSB 398)
How can I thank You, Lord (LSB 703)
Jesus has come and brings pleasure eternal (LSB 533)
Lift up your heads, ye mighty gates (LSB 340)
O Christ, our true and only light (LSB 839)
O God of God, O Light of Light (LSB 810)
O God of light, Your Word, a lamp unfailing (LSB 836)
O light whose splendor thrills and gladdens (LSB 891)
O splendor of God’s glory bright (LSB 874)
Salvation unto us has come (LSB 555)
The only Son from heaven (LSB 402)
The star proclaims the King is here (LSB 399)


First Sunday after the Epiphany
The Baptism of Our Lord
Isaiah 42:1–9
Romans 6:1–11
Matthew 3:13–17

Processional Hymn
I bind unto myself today (LSB 604)

Hymn of the Day / Catechetical Hymn of the Week
To Jordan came the Christ, our Lord (LSB 406)

Hymns for the Distribution of the Holy Communion
Jesus, once with sinners numbered (LSB 404)
O Morning Star, how fair and bright (LSB 395)
O love, how deep, how broad, how high (LSB 544)
God’s own child, I gladly say it (LSB 594)

Processional Out
All Christians who have been baptized (LSB 596)

Alternative Hymns
A Lamb goes uncomplaining forth (LSB 438)
All who believe and are baptized (LSB 601)
Baptized into Your name most holy (LSB 590)
From God the Father, virgin-born (LSB 401)
O God, O Lord of heaven and earth (LSB 834)
Once in the blest baptismal waters (LSB 598)
Songs of thankfulness and praise (LSB 394)
Thanks to Thee, O Christ, victorious (LSB 548)
The only Son from heaven (LSB 402)
The star proclaims the King is here (LSB 399)
We know that Christ is raised (LSB 603)
Wide open stand the gates (LSB 639)


Second Sunday after the Epiphany
Isaiah 49:1–7
1 Corinthians 1:1–9
John 1:29–42a

Hymn of Invocation / Catechetical Hymn of the Week
Christ, the Word of God incarnate (LSB 540)

Hymn of the Day
The only Son from heaven (LSB 402)

Hymns for the Distribution of the Holy Communion
A Lamb goes uncomplaining forth (LSB 438)
Hail to the Lord’s anointed (LSB 398)
The star proclaims the King is here (LSB 399)
All glory be to God alone (LSB 948)

Hymn of Departure
O God, O Lord of heaven and earth (LSB 834)

Alternative Hymns
All glory be to God on high (LSB 947)
All my heart again rejoices (LSB 360)
Christ is the world’s Redeemer (LSB 539)
"Come, follow Me," the Savior spake (LSB 688)
Hail, Thou once despised Jesus (LSB 531)
Lamb of God, pure and holy (LSB 434)
Lord, enthroned in heav’nly splendor (LSB 534)
O God, my faithful God (LSB 696)
O love, how deep, how broad, how high (LSB 544)
The gifts Christ freely gives (LSB 602)


Third Sunday after the Epiphany
Isaiah 9:1–4
1 Corinthians 1:10–18
Matthew 4:12–25

Hymn of Invocation
From God the Father, virgin-born (LSB 401)

Hymn of the Day
O Christ, our true and only light (LSB 839)

Hymns for the Distribution of the Holy Communion
Arise and shine in splendor (LSB 396)
O God of God, O Light of Light (LSB 810) (Catechetical)
Jesus, priceless treasure (LSB 743)
Rise, shine, you people (LSB 825)

Hymn of Departure
Praise the One who breaks the darkness (LSB 849)

Alternative Hymns
"Come, follow Me," the Savior spake (LSB 688)
Father, we praise Thee (LSB 875)
Jesus has come and brings pleasure eternal (LSB 533)
O God, O Lord of heaven and earth (LSB 834)
O God of light, Your Word, a lamp unfailing (LSB 836)
Praise to the Lord, the Almighty (LSB 790)
The Church’s one foundation (LSB 644)
Where charity and love prevail (LSB 845)


Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany
Micah 6:1–8
1 Corinthians 1:18–31
Matthew 5:1–12

Hymn of Invocation / Catechetical Hymn of the Week
Blessed Jesus, at Your Word (LSB 904)

Hymn of the Day
Son of God, eternal Savior (LSB 842)

Hymns for the Distribution of the Holy Communion
Evening and morning (LSB 726)
O love, how deep, how broad, how high (LSB 544)
Jesus, Thy boundless love to me (LSB 683)
Seek where you may to find a way (LSB 557)

Hymn of Departure
Jesus has come and brings pleasure eternal (LSB 533)

Alternative Hymns
Entrust your days and burdens (LSB 754)
Hope of the world, Thou Christ of great compassion (LSB 690)
In the cross of Christ I glory (LSB 427)
May God bestow on us His grace (LSB 823)
O God, my faithful God (LSB 696)
O God of God, O Light of Light (LSB 810)
O God of mercy, God of might (LSB 852)
Songs of thankfulness and praise (LSB 394)
The gifts Christ freely gives (LSB 602)
You are the way; through You alone (LSB 526)

03 January 2008

Suffering for the Sake of Pure Doctrine

Another poignant passage from Dr. Luther's 1535 Lectures on Galatians:

"‘They want to shut you out, that you may make much of them’ (Galatians 4:17). It is as though St. Paul were saying: ‘They do indeed burn for you with extreme zeal and love, but their purpose is that you may make much of them in return and shut me out. If their zeal were faithful and sincere, they would permit you to love us along with them. But they hate our teaching; therefore they want it to be completely wiped out among you and their own teaching to be circulated. To accomplish this more smoothly, they are trying to alienate you from us by this flattery and to arouse your hostility, so that you may hate us as well as our teaching and may attach your zeal and effort to them, love only them, and accept their teaching.’ Thus he makes the false apostles suspect to the Galatians by saying that they are lying in wait for them and making an impression on them by means of a beautiful external appearance. In this way Christ also warns us: ‘Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing’ (Matt. 7:15).

"Paul suffered the same trial that we suffer today. He was deeply distressed by the indignity of seeing his fine teaching followed by so many sects, upheavals, disturbances of public life, and revolutions, all of which caused endless trouble and scandal. The Jews accused him of being a pestilent fellow, an agitator among his people throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes (Acts 24:5), as though they were saying: ‘He is a seditious and blasphemous fellow who preaches a message that not only subverts the Jewish commonwealth, so beautifully established by divine laws, but also abolishes and undermines the Decalog, our religion, our worship, and our priesthood. Throughout the world he is spreading the so-called Gospel, from which endless troubles, seditions, scandals, and sects have arisen.’ He was obliged to hear the same thing from the Gentiles, who cried out in the city of Philippi that he was disturbing their city and advocating customs which it was not lawful for them to accept (Acts 16:20–21).

"Both Jews and Gentiles attributed such disturbances of the public peace — as well as other calamities, famine, war, dissension, and party spirit — to the teaching of Paul and the other Apostles; and so they persecuted them as enemies of the public peace and of religion. Nevertheless, the Apostles did not desert their ministry on this account but carried it out vigorously, preaching and confessing Christ. For they knew that they had to obey God rather than men (Acts 5:29) and that it was better for the entire universe to be thrown into tumult and contention than for Christ not to be preached or for even one soul to perish.

"Meanwhile, however, these offenses could not help causing great sorrow to the Apostles; for they really were not made of iron It moved the Apostles deeply that the nation for which Paul was willing to be accursed by Christ (Rom. 9:3) was going to perish with all its splendor. They saw that great upheavals and universal revolutions would follow this doctrine of theirs, and that endless sects were arising while they were still alive — something that was bitterer for them than death, especially for Paul. It was a sad message for Paul when he heard that the Corinthians denied the resurrection of the dead (1 Cor. 15:12), to say nothing of anything else, or when he heard that the churches founded by his ministry were being disturbed, that the Gospel was being overthrown by the false apostles, and that all Asia and other great men besides had turned away from him (2 Tim. 1:15). But he knew that his teaching was not the cause of these scandals and sects. Therefore he did not lose heart and did not forsake his calling but went right ahead; he knew that the Gospel he preached was ‘the power of God for salvation to everyone who had faith’ (Rom. 1:16), regardless of how foolish and offensive a doctrine it seemed to be to Gentiles and Jews. He knew that those who were not offended by this Word of the cross were blessed, whether they were preachers or hearers, as Christ also says: ‘Blessed is he who takes no offense at Me’ (Matt. 11:6). He knew, on the other hand, that those who regarded this doctrine as foolish and heretical were damned. Confident in his convictions, therefore, he spoke out with Christ against the Jews and Gentiles who were irritated and offended by his doctrine: ‘Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind’ (Matt. 15:14).

"Today we are forced to listen to the same thing to which Paul and the other Apostles were forced to listen then: that from our Gospel there have arisen many troubles, sedition, war, party spirit, and endless offenses. Whatever upheaval there is today is blamed on us. But surely we do not plant heresies and godless dogmas, but we preach the Gospel message that Christ is our Justifier and Savior. In addition, if our opponents want to be truthful, they are obliged to concede this much to us, that by our doctrine we have not given any occasion for sedition, upheaval, or war; but we have taught that by divine commandment the government is to be honored religiously and revered. Nor are we the originators of offense; but when wicked people are offended, this is their own fault, not ours. We have the commandment of God to teach the doctrine of the Gospel without any regard for offense. Our opponents are irritated by this doctrine because it condemns their doctrine and their idolatry. Therefore they produce offenses on their own; that is ‘taking offense,’ which neither should nor can be avoided. Christ preached the Gospel without being hindered by the offense of the Jews. ‘Let them alone,’ He said, ‘they are blind.’ The more the high priests forbade the Apostle to teach in the name of Jesus, the more they testified that this Jesus, whom they had crucified, was Lord and Christ (Acts 2:36), and that whoever called upon Him would be saved (Rom. 10:13); ‘for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved’ (Acts 4:12).

"With the same confidence we today proclaim Christ, without paying heed to the cries of the wicked papists and of all our opponents, who complain that our teaching is seditious and blasphemous because it disturbs the status quo, overthrows religion, plants heresy, and, in short, is the source of every evil. When Christ and the Apostles preached, the same complaints were raised by the wicked Jews; soon after this the Romans came and, in accordance with their prophecy, destroyed both their holy place and their nation (John 11:48). Therefore let the enemies of the Gospel today beware lest they themselves be overwhelmed by the very evils they are predicting." (Luther’s Works, Volume 26, CPH 1963, alt.)

02 January 2008

At the Duck Pond with Starbucks Coffee Cake

My son Zachary called just a short while ago. Late night calls are usually not good news, but this was a notable exception. It didn't come as any great surprise, but it was the greatest and most exciting sort of news nonetheless. His dear Biblical Bekah now wears a ring on her finger and will become his wife in this Year of Our Lord 2008!

We have anticipated this announcement for a while now, but we did not know at what point it would occur. Zachary recently spoke with Rebekah's father to seek her hand in marriage, and was glad to receive both his blessing and wise counsel. It remained only for the timing to be right, and the evening of New Year's Day was the occasion.

If I have understood the scenario correctly, he took her to Starbucks for a beverage and blueberry coffee cake, and then back to the lovely little duck pond near her home in Houston. My wife has pointed out that Sam proposed to our DoRena by the "lake" at the Seminary in Fort Wayne, which is basically a glorified duck pond in its own right. So there appears to be a trend here. In any event, it was by the duck pond over Starbucks coffee cake that my handsome gentleman of a son asked Rebekah to become his lawfully-wedded wife. She, happily, said "yes!"

My wife took the opportunity to chat with Bekah briefly, also, and to congratulate her on being one lucky girl! She is, at that, for I must say that Zachary is a fine young man, and I know that he will make a very fine and faithful husband to her. He is a lucky man, as well, and he knows it. (I trust that everyone will know that "luck" has nothing to do with it, but the gracious blessing of our God and Father in heaven.) Anyway, as LaRena chatted with Bekah, I was struck by the realization that she would become our daughter-in-law. Yes, of course, that seems patently obvious enough, but sometimes such obvious things still need to hit home. My younger children will have a new big sister (along with their new big brother, Sam, as of May). This is all very fine, as we all love Rebekah dearly, and we are glad to have her join the family.

No one is more glad than Zachary! And his happiness, like the radiant glow of his sister DoRena since she got engaged, brings a joy to my heart that no words could adequately express. Christ be praised!

It seems especially appropriate that Zach and Bekah have become engaged on New Year's Day, which is the Feast of the Name & Circumcision of Jesus. In connection with that Feast of Our Lord, I spent the last few days reflecting on the significance of names and naming. The Father shares His Name with His only-begotten Son from all eternity, by nature and by right; but the Son receives that Name at His circumcision, in the flesh and blood He shares with us, so that we may also be named by God through the adoption of sons. So, too, as members of His Bride, the Church, we receive the Name of our heavenly Bridegroom, Jesus the Christ. Thus do we become the sons of God by grace, in Christ, and members of His family. And it is much the same with my children, though in a different way for my daughter than for my son. I not only named DoRena and Zachary when they were born, but I gave to each of them my own name. I have been their father and their head these many years, and their bearing of my name has been indicative of that.

When DoRena is married to Sam, he will become her husband and her head in my place, and she will receive his name to be her own henceforth. She will not cease to be my daughter, but she will become part of Sam's family, and her name and identity will be defined by him instead of me. So, too, when we are wed to the Lord Jesus, we are taken from the mortal family of Adam & Eve into the divine, eternal family of the Lord, who is our God and Father in Christ.

When Zachary receives Rebekah as his wife, he will likewise become her husband and her head, and he will give to her the name that he received from me. What I have received from my father and given to Zach, he will in turn share with his bride and their children. Here is a profound and holy tradition, a handing over of a name, which is more than just a word or a convenient handle. So does the Father's Name become ours, because His only-begotten Son has sought us out and taken us to be His holy Bride.

Truly, the ways of love and marriage are a great mystery; all the more so because they signify Christ and His Bride, the Church. It seems to me that in no other part of life do God's temporal blessings and eternal promises so intimately coalesce. An excellent wife, who can find her? By the grace of God, evidently, my son Zachary has done so. I am delighted for him, and for his bride-to-be, Rebekah. Those who have any champagne left from New Year's Eve, join me in toasting this couple, and give thanks to the Lord for His grace, mercy and peace upon them.