Month: May 2024

Encore Post: The legacy of Saint Athanasius is one of standing firm in the face of opposition to the word of God.  Throughout his 45 years as Bishop including 17 years in exile, he stood unwaveringly against the errors surrounding him.  The Arian heresy, denying the divinity of Jesus, and all of the derived and adjacent heresies are still with us.  But, we have a firm confession from the Word of God to fall back on in defense of the faith.  That is the continuing gift given to us by Athanasius and those of his theological tradition. “I and the Father are one.” (John 10:25-30)

Alexandria in Egypt, the bishopric of Athanasius, is no longer a center of Christendom. Augustine of Hippo who owes much to Athanasius, and is a father for us in the western church, presided over a region of North Africa that is no longer a center of Christianity. It’s wise for us to remember but the centers of Christianity Today may not be the centers of Christianity tomorrow.

The concluding remarks of the Athanasian Creed are one that can give us pause.  While reinforcing the bodily resurrection, there seems to be an assertion of works righteousness in the creed.

“He will come to judge the living and the dead.  At His coming all people will rise again with their bodies and give an account concerning their own deeds.  And those who have done good will enter into eternal life, and those who have done evil into eternal fire.”

We should always hear these words of judgement within the context of Jesus work of Salvation for us.  The accounting of our deeds is not done according to human reason.  Just as Abraham’s faith was credited to him as righteousness.  So, by faith we receive eternal salvation.  Let’s consider the sheep and the goats.

The Gospel according to Saint Matthew, chapter 25:  “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne.  ³² Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats … Then the righteous [sheep] will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink?  And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? …  Then [the unrighteous goats] also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’”

Neither the sheep nor the goats can make any sense out of this accounting.  Those who are righteous by faith are ever more aware of their sin and their need for salvation day-by-day.  Those who condemn themselves by their sin and persistent unbelief are ever self-justifying and judging themselves to be “good” by their own standard apart from faith.  And, Saint Paul gives us this useful nugget.

The epistle to the  Ephesians, chapter 2: ”But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us,  even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved —  and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,  so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,  not a result of works, so that no one may boast.  For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

The good works are credited to us, sheep.  These works themselves are produced by faith, which is a from God, alien to our nature.  And, those works are prepared for us beforehand.  The works we set out to do may not even be among them.  Dear Christians, live in the Word and in the Christian faith.  The Spirit produces faith and good works from the Gospel of salvation in Christ Jesus.

Dear Baptized, let us celebrate the faith credited to us as righteousness!     

            Thanks be to God!

Rev. Jason M. Kaspar
Sole Pastor
Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church & Preschool
La Grange, TX

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©2020 Jason Kaspar. All rights reserved. Permission granted to copy, share and display freely for non-commercial purposes. Direct all other rights and permissions inquiries to cosmithb@gmail.com.

In the enlightened prose of a certain modern public figure, “seriously, not a joke, that’s no lie.” Call your pastor. “Call” doesn’t even have to be literal; call (and leave a message), send a letter, email, Facebook messenger, any sort of direct contact is good. Your pastor doesn’t know about the joys and sorrows in your life outside of the things you share with him.

But for goodness’ sake, don’t spread a rumor, expecting it to make it to your pastor’s ears. There are countless things he’s heard through the rumor mill. Your pastor is bound by the eighth commandment in the same way you are. He does hear about someone drinking too much, stepping out on their spouse, building their fence on the wrong side of the property line, being sad, being angry, or being ill. When he hears these things, he is also bound by God’s Law to put out of his mind the thing that he shouldn’t have heard about someone from someone else.

Please, call your pastor.

“Pastor’s are too busy to be bothered with [this event or thing].” Yes, pastors are frequently busy. But, pastors also constantly make adjustments to meet, talk to, and visit folks on a regular basis. We do this, I do this, because your concerns concern us.

Do you desire the prayers of the congregation? Call your pastor.

“Why wasn’t I included in the prayers?” Prayer requests are one link where the gossip chain breaks. Prayer requests from immediate family go right onto the list; requests from someone who heard from someone else that a third someone may have a need, do not so readily make the list. Since the Lord knows our needs, we also do not include details with requests. If you know, you know. If you don’t know, the Lord doesn’t require your knowledge to hear and answer the prayer.

AND, He does promise to hear and answer our prayers. (1 Timothy 2:1-8; Luke 18; 1 Thessalonians 5; Romans 5:26-27) The scriptures in no place require a detailed analysis of the situations of our prayers. Prayer is what the Lord requires.

Do you want a visit? Call your pastor.

He doesn’t know if you don’t contact him. He will spare no effort to meet your request. While we’re talking about it, contact him before it’s an emergency. I make visits most every week. The shut-in list gets the initial scheduling spots. Nota bene: the shut-in list includes folks who aren’t listed in the prayers by their own request. Additional notes: a visit from your pastor does not mean you are, or require you to be, near death. A visit is just a visit.

Seriously, call your pastor. – Pastor

Rev. Jason M. Kaspar
Sole Pastor
Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church & Preschool
La Grange, TX

©2024 Jason Kaspar. All rights reserved. Permission granted to copy, share and display freely for non-commercial purposes. Direct all other rights and permissions inquiries to cosmithb@gmail.com

Introduction: One Hundred and Eighty-six years ago, a dense forest stretched from the Great Lakes west to the Illinois prairie and south to the Ohio River Valley. Majestic oaks and sycamores, elms and maples, chestnuts, pines and cedars lined the paths and newly hewn roads, moved even young banker Hugh McCulloch to awe. Into this frontier poured first thousands and soon tens of thousands of Germans and Irishmen, drawn by the promise of the most fertile land in the world, where anyone was free to carve out a farmstead and leave a heritage to his children. They found it hard work in a hard climate. Isolated in the wilderness, where the bush might keep you from knowing you even had neighbors, you were very much alone and isolated. No church bells would call you to worship in non-existent churches. You see, while they came, pastors, by and large, did not.

Even when you were blessed with a servant of the word and the Lord’s house, tragedy often struck. In the frontier village of Fort Wayne, St. Paul’s Lutheran Congregation was in mourning. Their young German American pastor had just died. Their elder Adam Wesel wrote the Pennsylvania Ministerium Mission society on June 4^th: “If you canvas the northern part of Indiana, you will soon see how important it is that you send us a faithful Shepherd. The harvest is great, but unfortunately there are no workers. If it is not possible to send us a pastor, dear brothers, then send us a circuit rider. We hunger and thirst for the Word of God.”

God heard their prayer. Three days before their pastor died, Friedrich Wyneken set sail for Baltimore on the Brig Apollo. As Adam Wesel’s letter arrived in Pennsylvania, he presented himself before the mission society, prepared to receive a call as a missionary. They sent him to gather the scattered Germany Protestants of Indiana, Ohio and Michigan. And he did.

1. God has called you to proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light

a) As God’s people prayed for a pastor then, so they do now.        
b) As God answered their prayer, sending Wyneken, so he answers their prayer and sends you.       
c) You bear the same call that Wyneken did       
d) You have the same gospel to proclaim, the same baptism to administer; the same absolution to grant; the same Supper to celebrate.

2. Yet you are aliens and exiles in this world

a) While a remnant of Christian America remains, we live a pagan culture.    
b) The fear of death drives their lives and actions       
c) What little they know about Jesus and the church is a caricature.       
d) Peter’s advice is sound: live an honorable life among them.

3. We are founded on the living cornerstone, chosen and precious

a) We are not redeemed by silver and gold, but his precious blood.       
b) We are now his own holy nation, a royal priesthood.       
c) Though we may seem alone, we are never alone.

Rev. Robert E. Smith
Concordia Theological Seminary
Fort Wayne, Indiana

©2020-2024 Robert E. Smith. All rights reserved. Permission granted to copy, share and display freely for non-commercial purposes. Direct all other rights and permissions inquiries to cosmithb@gmail.com