Encore Post: This is the more uncomfortable part of the worthiness question. As we discussed in the last post, worthiness is receiving with faith in Jesus’s words and promise.
Again, the Small Catechism helps us identify some answers. When are we unworthy and unprepared? We are unworthy and unprepared when we do not believe Christ’s words, or doubt them, since the words “for you” require all hearts to believe (Small Catechism 6.6).
Without faith, that is “unworthily,” what does a person receive? Again, let’s look at the catechism. Why should we be concerned about receiving the Sacrament worthily? The Sacrament of the Altar is not our supper, but the Lord’s Supper, where He gives us His body and blood for the forgiveness of our sins. To eat and drink the Lord’s body and blood without trust in His words, however, is to eat and drink judgement on oneself (Small Catechism 6.6)
For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. (1 Corinthians 11:26-29)
Without faith, that is “unworthily,” what does a person receive? Judgement. That should cause us to shudder a bit. As stewards of the mysteries of God, we can harm our neighbor by inviting them to unworthily receive Jesus’s cup of blessing.
Encore Post: That’s a great question. As a young boy in Kansas and Missouri, my pastors would commune last by the hand of an elder or assistant. The first time I saw a pastor commune himself before serving the assistants, I was shocked. Since I was even more quiet and reserved in those days, I waited until the handshake line to ask why.
Pastor was always kind and offered this explanation. “The pastor serves in the stead and by the command of Christ Jesus and is a sinner in need of forgiveness, just like the people he serves. When he hears the confession and absolution, he both delivers and receives those words. The pastor preaches to edify the people of which he is one. Similarly, pastor serves the body and blood of Christ under bread and wine to the people for the forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation. It follows that he also receives this blessing from the hand of the pastor.” This restored practice replaces the innovation of pastor refraining until after someone else communes.
Having heard that, I was quickly convinced.
Digging deeper later on, I found that Dr. Luther, Dr. Chemnitz, and C. F. W. Walther (fathers of the Lutheran church) all instructed pastors to commune themselves first, and then the assistants, followed by the congregation. It is further supported by our rubrics in the Lutheran Service Book pew edition which clearly instruct the pastor and assistants to commune first. (LSB p. 164, 181, 199, 210, and 217)
Similarly, the practices of purifying the people of Israel in the wilderness on Yom Kippur, the day of atonement, were also ordered this way. Aaron, the high priest offered a sacrifice first for himself and his household. Then, he sacrificed for the holy place and the Levites. Then, the Levites would purify the people. We should not be confused about whose work these sacrifices were. Hebrews chapter 10 and 11 disabuse us of any notion that the work of the priests and/or the people earned them anything. Faith in the promises of God deliver the gifts of God to the people of God.
This by no means an indication that the pastor has a special character in himself, or that the mass is a sacrifice. Rather, his office is the one that serves. And, the Lord delivers Himself in, with, and under the elements. The assistants, even when they are ordained men, receive from the celebrant just as he does. Then, they bring the body and blood of Jesus to you in their own freshly forgiven hands. Each person receives immediately in order of proximity to the Lord’s work attaching His promised gifts to the Body and Blood, bread and wine, forgiveness from the Lord, until all have communed.
May we all confidently receive God’s loving gifts: the forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation.
Encore Post: Worthily receiving refers our state before God in receiving the Sacrament of the Altar. We are concerned about own state before the Lord and that of others in the Lord’s Supper because all who come to the altar receive the true body and true blood of our Lord, Jesus Christ.
Our first stop should be the Small Catechism. “Who receives the sacrament worthily? Fasting and bodily preparation are certainly fine outward training. But that person is truly worthy and well prepared who has faith in these words: “Given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.” But anyone who does not believe these words or doubts them is unworthy and unprepared, for the words “for you” require all hearts to believe.” (Small Catechism 6.5 )
In Luther’s day, the requirements of fasting and penance before receiving the Sacrament were quite onerous. Sadly, those demands also directed our attention away from the center of God’s promise to us. His promise is the forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation. Those gifts are received worthily by faith. Trust in the words of Jesus, “Given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.” For those words bring the Body and Blood to us for the forgiveness of sins.
Those words are a good indicator that was or is about to be said shouldn’t be said, heard, shared, or thought about. The 8th Commandment is among the top ten commandments of the Lord. It applies to all Christians and unbelievers at all times. Yes, the 8th commandment is just as forceful as the prohibitions against murder (5th Commandment) or adultery (6th Commandment). Sadly, we Christians often grant ourselves a pass in the use of our words, thinking they can do no harm.
“I Just Thought You Should Know.” “Someone needs to hear this.” “So-and-so didn’t say I could share this, but…” “People are saying…” “I can’t say who said this, but…” The list of creative pardons from and side steps around the 8th never cease to grow. We’ll explain ourselves out from under the accusation of God’s Law as quick as a hopped-up 2JZ (ask your grandkids). These “little sins” are lower in our minds, more deserving of exception. It’s not murder after all, right?
St. Paul gives us some great framing about the severity of individual sins in his epistle to the Galatian Christians. “Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” (Galatians 5:19-21) He includes sexual immorality, idolatry, jealousy, envy, and drunkenness into a single list with other sins. He’s teaching that persistence in these seemingly big or little sins will separate us from the Kingdom of God, just the same.
In his Small Catechism, Martin Luther explains the commandments in an expansive way like our Lord did. Jesus taught the disciples concerning the 5th and 6th Commandments, expanding the limits to include anger and lust under murder and adultery (Matthew 5:21-30).
The first application for us is our own tongues. We should not say or spread anything that could harm our neighbor. A simple way to think about it might be: am I authorized by the original source/subject of the information to speak? No or maybe not? Then, don’t speak of, hint at, or allude to the thing you know.
In the second case, our ears are the problem. We should not listen to anything that may not be suitably spread. Again simply, are Abigail or Thom authorized by the original source/subject of the information to speak? No or maybe not? Then, don’t listen, step away, and speak in defense of your neighbor.
Third, We can’t let our minds gossip within us either. What does that even mean? Speculating on the thoughts, motivations, or unheard words of my neighbor is just like gossiping to myself. I’m not allowed to malign my neighbor that way either, even just in my own mind.
The fourth error against the 8th commandment falls in my desire to use a town crier in a positive way. We might think to ourselves, “I don’t want to speak about this. So, I’ll tell Bjørn. He’s unable to keep his mouth shut. And, I won’t have to say it myself.” Encouraging Bjørn in his sin is still an evil thing for me to do. It can’t be made righteous.
In the Fifth case, there can be no anonymous complaints among Christians. Both Matthew 18 & the 8th Commandment forbid anonymity. We don’t get to skip past confronting those who have maligned us, or hand it off to someone else.
“Can’t I ever rat out my neighbor in Christian way?” No, but there is a Christian way to confront sin. Are you directly confronting the one sinning against you? Yes? Then within the framing of Matthew 18, we find the right way to confront sin against us.
“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.” (Matthew 18:15-17)
When the sin is against you, then you should confront your neighbor and escalate in this way. The point here is not to expose our neighbor. The point is to turn then from their sin. As soon as they repent, forgiveness must follow. The discussion is also over. We don’t get to confess out neighbor’s sins. There is no room for, “Quentin apologized, but you need to know what he did to me…” Curbing our wicked tongues is prob’ly among the most difficult of Christian disciplines. It is one we need to undertake to better serve and love our neighbor.
Things We Say
The first application for us is our own tongues. We should not say or spread anything that could harm our neighbor. The commandment isn’t limited to speaking truth. Also, we are to put the best construction on everything, to protect and defend our neighbor’s good name.
Am I authorized by the original source/subject of the information to speak? To that let’s add: will sharing this information help my neighbor and improve their reputation? Usually, the answer is no. We are often aware of this.
“I’d like to tell you something. … Please don’t share this with anyone right now. … I appreciate your prayers.” That sort of framing around some personal information shared in common conversation reveals the sinful weakness within the house of Christianity. If we were any good at the eighth commandment, it would never need to be said this way. Furthermore, if we defaulted to silence rather than over-sharing, there would be no need.
Instead, we frame our sharing and request for brotherly Christian prayer with a restriction. “Don’t share this,” still, it gets out. Did you hear that concealment just now? Like a headline identifying an SUV as the cause of an accident or a handgun as the cause of a shooting, the culprit is excused. The SUV didn’t plow into a crowd. It was driven by a human acting maliciously or negligently. The gun didn’t go off on its own. A person acting negligently or maliciously pulled the trigger, firing the weapon. The same is true of the leak of a piece of private confidence.
“It gets out” means someone acting alone or with co-conspirators violated confidence. Worse, we violated God’s 8th commandment. It got out because I said it. It got out because you said it. It got out because trust and God’s Law weren’t on our hearts and lips. There is nothing that needs to be shared or said without clear permission to do so. The only information emergencies involve crimes and the police. Anything else is just evil gossip.
Things We Hear
In the second case, our ears are the problem. We should never hear anything that could harm our neighbor’s reputation. The commandment isn’t limited to hearing only the truth. We are also bound not to hear anything lacking the best construction, or leave uncharitable speaking uncontested. This requires of us a conscious response to the gossiper or concerning the gossip. A passive response isn’t adequate.
Consider these questions: Are Ainsley or Thom authorized by the original source/subject of the information to speak? Were Thom or Ainsley given a letter, but not permission to share it? Most often the case is, no. Then, don’t listen, step away, and speak in defense of your neighbor.
We aren’t granted to just wait it out. I may resolutely change the subject, and stop it from coming back up. You may condemn the gossip or contradict the poor inference. You should say, “this is gossip.” Or, “they could easily be driven by [a positive motive].” We could also physically leave the conversation. “Sorry, I can’t listen to this gossip.”
These are not options for us in fleeing from sin: Hear Ainsley out, because someone needs to know what she’s saying. Listen to what Thom says, so it can be reported back to the victim. Listen to them, but try not to pay attention. Avoid conflict by not reacting poorly to my neighbor’s obvious sin.
Why is it that we grant the sinful gossip latitude that we would never grant to someone else in another sin? Why do we compound their sinful tongues with our sinful ears and the encouragement they bring? We’re afraid of being unliked. We want to be thought of well, to the detriment of our neighbor’s good name.
We would never stand by while someone murders, harms, or expresses genuine hatred toward someone else, would we? We would never watch our friend steal a car, would we? We shouldn’t help a husband or wife create a lie to facilitate an adulterous tryst, should we? In the same way, we can’t allow gossip to enter our ears. We can’t allow it to hang in the air either.
What Will People Say?
Third, We can’t let our minds gossip within us either. What does that even mean? Speculating on the thoughts, motivations, or unheard words of my neighbor is just like gossiping to myself. I’m not allowed to malign my neighbor that way either, even just in my own mind.
When we speculate about our neighbors’ inward thoughts, we give in to the worst construction. Rather than interpreting everything in the kindest way, you choose to assume the worst reaction and respond to an unspoken, unknown deed. When I impugn my neighbors’ thoughts, I harm his good name in my mind. The commandment requires that we protect the name and reputation of our neighbor, even from ourselves.
This inward talking, concern over what people might say or think, is also a kind of idolatry. Usually, this kind of crass idolatry doesn’t even have an external god. It looks inward to the self. The imaginary opinion of our neighbor drives us in a desire to obtain or maintain respect or adoration. It’s a reflexive worship of self.
The fourth error against the 8th commandment falls in my desire to use a town crier in a positive way. We might think to ourselves, “I don’t want to speak about this. So, I’ll tell Bjørn. He’s unable to keep his mouth shut. And, I won’t have to say it myself.” Encouraging Bjørn in his sin is still an evil thing for me to do. It can’t be made righteous.
We speak at great length about how we cannot bless our neighbor’s sin into righteousness. Liberal sects calling themselves Christian publicly reject the Bible’s clear teachings on divorce, adultery, homosexuality, God’s gift of gender/sex, and the like. These attempts to bless sin reject God’s Word. The same thing applies to my neighbor’s 8th commandment sin. I can’t use his weakness to this sin against him, separating him from the Lord. This is hatred of my neighbor.
In the Fifth case, there can be no anonymous complaints among Christians. Both Matthew 18 & the 8th Commandment forbid anonymity. The sinner cannot be confronted by anyone, but the one who was maligned; just the two of you. Then, bring one or two others with you to confront your neighbor.
We don’t get to skip step one by dropping an anonymous letter in the office. We don’t get to skip step one and gossip to someone else, who will offer our anonymous complaint. Anonymity ignores Matthew 18 entirely. These sorts of discussions ought to die in the air. The letters are only fit for the rubbish heap or the fire.
How are we to speak? Can we say nothing? Let’s hear Luther’s Small Catechism again. “We should fear and love God so that we … defend [our neighbor], speak well of him, and explain everything in the kindest way.” Your neighbor’s good name is yours to defend. And, your good name is theirs.
Our Lord died to purchase forgiveness for our evil, gossiping tongues. Rise each day in that forgiveness and sin no more. Jesus was crucified for our evil ears, and the things they hear. Remember your baptism, you’re not a slave to your former sins.
Let our tongues only be used to praise God and uplift our neighbor.
Rev. Jason M. Kaspar Sole Pastor Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church & Preschool La Grange, TX
Bumper sticker theology always falls flat. There was a commercial on the Superb Owl* this past weekend. The HeGetsUs campaign ran an ad consisting of 12 four second images and two closing title cards. The cards read “Jesus didn’t preach hate” & “He washed feet.” With such little information contained in the ad, there is so much to unpack.
(*copyright safe term for the big game)
The promoting organization is a conservative Baptist Christian group to the best of my knowledge. The problems I see may or may not be deliberate. But that’s the dilemma with bumper sticker theology. What’s not said can be as important or more important than what is said.
Step one, let me offer a few quick impressions of the four second images. These flash by so quickly that we’re invited to make snap judgements. Some of them are nonsensical and contain no discernable conflict. I’ll ignore those. These images have an AI, hyper realistic look to them, which creates the possibility that the ghost in the machine may have added unknown or unintended details. Still, you can’t unring a bell or unsee a picture.
The second image is two men in an alley at night. The black man standing is sweaty and sort of disheveled. The Hispanic cop is washing the other man’s feet on a dairy crate. The flashing lights indicate a foot pursuit. The cop’s expression is submissive, though sour in some way. The standing man has a dominant position and expression.
The sixth image shows two women of similar age, seated abruptly on a kitchen floor. Alcohol bottles, empty and unfinished alike, surround the unkempt one. This image shows more discernable emotion than others. The unkempt lady seems to be in distress. The other woman seems to be giving comfort.
The eighth image has two women in front of a bus. This one is politically charged. The older, white woman has a look of reticent compliance, attentive to her washing task. The Hispanic woman, standing on one foot, holding a baby looks indignant and entitled. She seems to think she deserves the service.
The tenth image is emotionally charged. The backing cast is full of intensity and screaming. The Hispanic woman getting her feet washed is the only calm figure. The black woman doing the washing wears an expression of pure condescension. It’s unclear what is going on here. But the conflict is still raging.
Step two, I want to look more closely at the two images that grab the most attention with their austerity. The pregnancy clinic and the beach side bench are central to the ad. The lack of additional detail in these two images draws our attention more closely. They more quickly throw out a claim.
The fifth image shows two women in front of a pregnancy clinic that’s totally not Planned Parenthood (wink). This image is significant to the ad. It has much less going on. There are protesters and a seedy motel in the background. The younger women appears to be pregnant, with a steeled, serious expression. The older woman is focused on her washing task.
This image is the opposite of repentance. The image shows an excuse, “I didn’t really want to cause a pregnancy in that seedy motel.” It shows an unfair opposition. The protesters are just mean people, who don’t care/love enough. The morally superior woman washing the pregnant gal’s feet doesn’t seem to be doing a moral good. The clinic is a murder mill. The pregnant woman shows no indication of a change of intention.
The twelfth image is an austere beachside setting. Here a deliberately homosexual looking man gets his feet washed by an obvious clergyman. The setting invites us to see nothing but the action. A priest is symbolically baptizing sin into righteousness. This one is the most egregious of the pile.
This foot washing is an image of the failure of the progressive church. The Law condemns sin and the Gospel forgives repentant sinners. Mingling them together into an acceptance of sin as it is, destroys both the Law and the Gospel, leaving us with nothing.
Third, the title cards say, “Jesus didn’t preach hate” & “He washed feet.” This a non sequitur, the two statements don’t follow one from the other. No, Jesus didn’t preach hate. That’s not permission to love, permit, declare righteous, or embrace old sins. In addition to whipping money changers in the temple in His anger, don’t forget Jesus preaching this.
“Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household. Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. (Matthew 10:34-39)
Faith and unbelief will clash. God wants all to come to faith. But, some will not have Him. That recalcitrant, hateful unbelief earns God’s condemnation. Preaching against sin is what love actually sounds like. “I have loved you,” says the Lord. But you say, “How have you loved us?” “Is not Esau Jacob’s brother?” declares the Lord. “Yet I have loved Jacob but Esau I have hated. I have laid waste his hill country and left his heritage to jackals of the desert.” (Malachi 1:2-3). The unbelief of Edom separated them from God.
It’s only in Jesus that we find forgiveness and redemption. He comes with forgiveness and says “go forth and sin no more.” The work of the church can only ever identify sin, condemn it, and point to Jesus for faith and forgiveness.
Something else isn’t Christianity.
Rev. Jason M. Kaspar Sole Pastor Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church & Preschool La Grange, TX
In the Lutheran faith of the Reformation, we have the Absolution*. Like nose-blindness by the baker in his kitchen, we don’t always hear it with great joy. The spoken words of forgiveness are the sweetest sound in the ears of a Christian.
* (This post was inspired by a comment from Rev. Bryan Wolfmueller at his presentation for the Lutheran Writer Round-Up at Faith Lutheran High School of Central Texas on 09 Feb 2024)
“What is confession?” Confession has two parts. First, that we confess our sins, and second, that we receive absolution, that is forgiveness, from the pastor as from God himself, not doubting, but firmly believing that by it our sins are forgiven before God in heaven. (SC 5:1)
For the Romanists (Roman Catholics, Eastern Rite Catholics, Western Rite Orthodox, and the like) absolution exists privately. The penitent must confess. Also, there’s an exchange rate. (Contrition + Penance = a Narrow Absolution) The absolution in this exchange is only available for the specific sins confessed and only if the penance is done correctly. It’s limited. It’s not certain.
Evangelicals (Baptists, Reformed, Anabaptists, and the like) flatly reject verbal absolution. They’ll sometimes pop off, “only God can forgive sin.” This position doesn’t stand up against scripture as cited at the end of this article. They do have strong preaching and teaching of forgiveness. But, there’s no actual delivery. Worse, there’s a limited forgiveness for the “saved.” The concept of “backsliding” and the practice of rebaptism flow from that limitation of God’s grace.
Episcopalians & Anglicans, who lean heavily towards Rome, have a thing like the public absolution. Their assurance of forgiveness is not an actual absolution. Without verbally forgiving sin, the certainty is taken away.
The Enthusiasts (Pentecostals, Holiness Churches, AME Churches, and the like) look inside themselves for assurance. Their certainty rests upon feeling forgiven and demonstrating a zeal in the faith. Without emotional zeal and a feeling of forgiveness, there’s only hopelessness or uncertainty. With the internal zeal, there’s just pride.
Progressive Christians (including many denominations, but encompassing the whole of the ELCA) live in a psycho-social theology. Internally, they’ll embrace a notion that I just have to “Forgive myself.” Externally, they’ll reject the particulars of God’s Law, citing unkindness, racism, or colonialism. For the progressive there is a new Law with ever changing names (Political Correctness, Progressivism, Critical Theory, Wokeness, or whatever term comes next). Forgiveness for me but not for thee. Or, I don’t even need forgiveness. Like the medieval saintly system, the New Law only accepts penance/atonement by you. You have to set things right by being an ally and fighting the close-minded Christians.
Naturally, the pagans (Muslims, Jews, Mormons, Polytheists, Spiritualists, and the like) don’t get it either. They are trying to balance the scales even harder. Only Christianity features a God who comes to us. Only in the Lutheran church do we find the absolution spoken for you. Pastor speaks as he is commanded in the stead and by the command of Jesus. Yes, a man can and does forgive sins.
Pastor doesn’t forgive by his own power, ability, or volition. He does it in the stead and by the command of God. He’s following orders given, like a servant does. “When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; If you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.’” (John 20:22-23) “Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” (Matthew 18:18)
Pastors, faithful pastors, Lutheran pastors, forgive the sins of penitent sinners. It’s an inescapable demand of their office. God has given us this gift for our certainty, confidence, and comfort.
That’s forgiveness you can hear.
Rev. Jason M. Kaspar Sole Pastor Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church & Preschool La Grange, TX
Encore Post: For those outside the church and those in our midst, the answer to our complaints and questions can often be so easy that it escapes our notice. Plain as the nose on our face, we still miss it.
“I don’t feel like people at my church know me/want to talk to me.”
Have you tried going to church more often? We tend to engage with folks we see on a regular basis. The folks there are more likely to notice you, when they see you more. The folks there are going to feel like you’re interested in them, when they see you more often. Give them a chance. You may be surprised. Some of us are shy too.
“I will thank you in the great congregation; in the mighty throng I will praise you.” (Psalm 35:18)
“The hymns/songs are unfamiliar/hard to sing.”
Have you tried struggling through singing them? Have you tried being in the house of God more often to hear and learn the hymns you know less well? There are around 635 hymns in our hymnal. Some share tunes, but let’s assume there are 450 unique tunes. When you find one you don’t know, try this. Search for the hymn on your favorite video streaming service. In particular, checkout the short videos on the Rumble channel: Learn Every Hymn with Rev Kaspar. The channel is an ongoing project quickly introducing the melody of every LSB hymn and coaching us through rhythmic challenges. The project will be finished in early 2024.
In the long-long ago, we had to take our hymnals to a piano. I did this for most of my youth and young adult life. Plunking out a melody the old-fashioned way still works too. These hymns are our heritage, and are worth your time in learning.
The hymns in our hymnal are carefully selected to contain only true Christian doctrine using the words and concepts of the scriptures themselves. They are suggested for use and chosen to reinforce the lessons of each Sunday’s scriptural themes. Each one may not be your favorite. But, each one is good and useful in teaching us the faith.
“Blessed are those who dwell in your house, ever singing your praise! … For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness.” (Psalm 84:4, 10)
“The liturgy is confusing. I don’t know what page to turn to or when.”
Have you tried attending church more frequently? At Mt. Calvary, we use two settings of the Divine Service, and switch between them 4 times each year. Divine Service, setting Three (LSB 184) is used for the seasons of Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, and the 1st half of Trinity each year. Divine Service, setting 2 (LSB 167) is used for the seasons of Lent, Easter, and the 2nd half of Trinity each year.
Many other churches observe similarly long use of the settings of the Divine Service throughout the year. The service is quite literally the same each Sunday. The more we attend, the more familiar we will become. Also, when you know what is going on and see someone else struggling, help them to find their way.
“O LORD, I love the habitation of your house and the place where your glory dwells.” (Psalm 26:8)
“I don’t know how to contact the office/my elder/pastor.”
Have you tried coming to church? The office number and email are on the front of every bulletin, every Sunday. They are also on the website. The church can be contacted by phone, text, through social media, via the website, email, snail mail, and in person during office hours. We don’t make a habit of concealing the methods of communication.
“In my distress I called upon the LORD; to my God I cried for help. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears.” (Psalm 18:6)
“I don’t feel like Pastor knows who I am.”
Have you tried coming to church more often? Every pastor’s life actually revolves around preaching, teaching, and serving the people of God, in the Lord’s house on Sunday mornings (or it should). Putting your face in front of his more often will increase the likelihood that he’ll be able to get to know you. He’s also accessible via the contact methods listed above throughout the week. But, his primary day will always be Sunday. Those people will always be his people.
“Praise the LORD! I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart, in the company of the upright, in the congregation.” (Psalm 111:1)
Here is an incomplete list of additional psalm references encouraging frequent church attendance.
“But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love, will enter your house. I will bow down toward your holy temple in the fear of you.” (Psalm 5:7)
“The LORD is in his holy temple; the LORD’s throne is in heaven; his eyes see, his eyelids test the children of man.” (Psalm 11:4)
“I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will praise you… From you comes my praise in the great congregation; my vows I will perform before those who fear him.” (Psalm 22:22,25)
“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” (Psalm 23:6)
“One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in his temple.” (Psalm 27:4)
“The voice of the LORD makes the deer give birth and strips the forests bare, and in his temple all cry, ‘Glory!’” (Psalm 29:9)
“They feast on the abundance of your house, and you give them drink from the river of your delights.” (Psalm 36:8)
“I have told the glad news of deliverance in the great congregation; behold, I have not restrained my lips, as you know, O LORD. I have not hidden your deliverance within my heart; I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation; I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness from the great congregation.” (Psalm 40:9-10)
“These things I remember, as I pour out my soul: how I would go with the throng and lead them in procession to the house of God with glad shouts and songs of praise, a multitude keeping festival.” (Psalm 42:4)
“We have thought on your steadfast love, O God, in the midst of your temple.” (Psalm 48:9)
“But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God. I trust in the steadfast love of God forever and ever.” (Psalm 52:8)
“We used to take sweet counsel together; within God’s house we walked in the throng.” (Psalm 55:14)
“Blessed is the one you choose and bring near, to dwell in your courts! We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house, the holiness of your temple! … Blessed is the one you choose and bring near, to dwell in your courts! We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house, the holiness of your temple!” (Psalm 65:4, 29)
“I will come into your house with burnt offerings; I will perform my vows to you.” (Psalm 66:13)
“Bless God in the great congregation, the LORD, O you who are of Israel’s fountain!” (Psalm 68:26)
“Remember your congregation, which you have purchased of old, which you have redeemed to be the tribe of your heritage! Remember Mount Zion, where you have dwelt.” (Psalm 74:2)
“They are planted in the house of the LORD; they flourish in the courts of our God.” (Psalm 92:13)
“Your decrees are very trustworthy; holiness befits your house, O LORD, forevermore.” (Psalm 93:5)
“Let them extol him in the congregation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the elders.” (Psalm 107:32)
Rev. Jason M. Kaspar Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church & Preschool La Grange, TX and Mission planting pastoral team: Epiphany Lutheran Church Bastrop, TX
Encore Post: Every year we Christians are inundated with claims that December 25th isn’t the right day for Christmas, that Christianity co-opted pagan festival dates as their own, that all of the church calendar was a marketing scheme to pull pagans into different celebrations and convert them. These claims are not true. They are manufactured to sow doubt.
December 25th is a very accurate date for celebrating Christ’s birth. Christians initially celebrated the birth of Jesus on the same day as the Easter Triduum. (Triduum means three days, namely Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Vigil of Easter). This stemmed from an early church practice of recognizing a saint’s death date as the same date of their birth. The ancients seemed to like the symmetry of it.
When Christianity began to recognize Christ’s birth as a different day, the dates in December popped up quite quickly. Hippolytus of Rome argued for December 25th, in the early 200s AD. St. John Chrysostom seems to have closed additional discussion, declaring December 25th the right date in the 300s AD. There is a reasonable amount of data that supports the claim.
Zechariah served in the temple with his kinsmen, the sons of Abijah. They served in the 8th month of the Jewish year. Nissan, the 1st month, falls between early March and early April, and identifies the moveable feast of Easter. The 8th month falls between mid-October and mid-November.
Now while he was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty, according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense… And when his time of service was ended, he went to his home. After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she kept herself hidden, saying, “Thus the Lord has done for me in the days when he looked on me, to take away my reproach among people.” (Luke 1:8-9, 23-25)
After these days, Elizabeth conceived. We’ll assume an earlier date within the window, as the church fathers likely did. So, Elizabeth conceives around October 25th. Now, we leap forward to the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy and find this in the text.
And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her. In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. (Luke 1:35-40)
Mary conceives around March 25th. Then she visits Elizabeth, who is in the sixth month. John the Baptizer will be born around June 25th. Six months more will bring us to the next event.
And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. (Luke 2:6-8)
Jesus’s birth on December 25th is a thoroughly reasonable estimate. Early Christians’ selection of the date of Jesus’s birth seems to have been primarily influenced by the scriptures and some simple mathematics. Now, the date may not be entirely accurate. There are around 30 days of wiggle room in the start of the calculation. But, December 25th is the right time of year. It’s at least very close to the right day, if not exactly correct, which is also possible.
While a different day could be plausible, I’d suggest that a theoretical discussion is fruitless. A claim against December 25th needs to pass three bars. Name a day. Without a particular day in place of December 25th, the discussion is moot. Having named a day, back it up in the calendar calculations. If the alternate day suggested doesn’t fit the calendar math, we’re not getting anywhere. With a day in mind and calendar back-up, cite the opinions of Church fathers. The fathers were less than a quarter of the time away from events of Christ’s life compared to us. Without the backing of more Church fathers than the Christmas Day we know, it’s just and argument for argument’s sake.
Dear Christians, let us prepare our hearts and rejoice at our Savior’s birth.
Rev. Jason M. Kaspar Sole Pastor Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church & Preschool La Grange, TX and Mission planting pastoral team: Epiphany Lutheran Church Bastrop, TX
In speaking of a song or a book, we might say, “well, it’s Christian.” Or, we might say of a potential spouse for our child, “at least they are a Christian.” Perhaps we might glorify a church down the road, in a neighboring town, or a neighboring county, “it’s a Christian church.” We speak as if there’s a thing, visibly, tangibly Christian without more specificity.
Dear Christians, there is no generic “Christian” church, teaching, or publishing source for books or songs. Every church, teaching, or published work produced by Christendom flows from a sectarian root. [Sectarian – member or adherent of a sect or division within a larger, generic whole]. Since no later than 1054 A.D., there is no unified, generic Christian whole. In that year, the six patriarchs of the Eastern Christian church and the Patriarch (Pope) of Rome parted ways.
There were certainly schisms before that too. Since that day though, the history of Christianity is schism. Even within the Eastern Orthodox church, Russian and Ukrainian Orthodox Christians and their governments will have nothing to do with each other. We would be hard pressed to discern a difference from outside. Even in the Roman tradition we see divisions between Eastern rite and Western rite Catholics; between pre-Vatican II and post-Vatican II parishioners and priests.
Still, American non-Catholic Christians have grown nose-blind to the reality that we “protestants” are not the same either. Even within Martin Luther’s lifetime the radical reformers rejected images, vestments, hymnody, and the sacraments. Both Luther and the Lutheran reformers who followed him charted an initially narrow path between Rome and the Reformed Christians.
Cue the Jeff Foxworthy meme commonly shared in October and November: “If your Roman Catholic friends think you’re a Baptist, and your Baptist friends think you’re Catholic, you might be a Lutheran.” Comedically, that meme draws attention to a glaring sectarianism within Christianity. This may or may not be a good thing. But, it is unavoidable. On this side of the eschaton, we will not see a unified Christianity. [Eschaton – end of the world, last things, end of days]
Flashing forward into the current age, all “Christian” churches come from a sectarian root. The root does indeed matter. A Pentecostal rooted church will look for divine revelation apart from the Scriptures and a concurrent experience of the divine to back it up. A Calvinist Reformed rooted church will reject Jesus’ atoning death for the sins of all. A Baptist rooted church will reject Baptismal regeneration, infant faith, the verbal absolution, and the bodily presence of Christ in the Lord’s Supper.
Each of those groups may produce a church calling itself “Christian.” We should always ask, “what kind of Christian do you mean?” Their position on the sacraments, speaking in tongues, the atonement, and the like will identify their sectarian root.
It’s good to be honest. We are better neighbors to each other when our churches say what they are and from whence they come. “Who are you and who’s your daddy?” We all have God as our Father. Still, our Earthly Fathers color our beliefs and teachings as grown folks.
Each town, city, and county in this nation is littered with confusingly named churches. Whether it’s a Christian Fellowship, Cross Community Center, just Christian Church, Point of Grace Church, or any place claiming nondenominationality, know that’s just not so. The church has a root from which they spring. Their intent maybe to be welcoming or inclusive. The result is a sheep-stealing mess that doesn’t say what it is.
When you see books, bible studies, and songs published by Zondervan, Eerdmans, Moody, IVP, Vladimir Press, CPH, Tyndale, Lifeway, or Ave Maria, know that they have a firmly held theological position. The books, studies, and music they publish must fit that theological ethos.
When you engage with Christians of other sorts, know that they fervently hold beliefs contrary to your own. In Christian love, you ought to be trying to convince them of their error. They will certainly be doing the same with you, if they have love for you. The scriptures are clear in their teachings. We have the pure doctrine from the Word of God right here in the Lutheran Church.
Until the day when the Lord returns, hold fast to what you have learned.
Rev. Jason M. Kaspar Sole Pastor Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church & Preschool La Grange, TX And Mission Planting Pastoral team Epiphany Lutheran Church, Bastrop, TX
That’s just an attention-grabbing title. I absolutely DID NOT have a vision from God. But, I spoke with a person who claims just that. Not only that they had a vision. But, that the vision exposed Jesus’ will for Christians. Furthermore, they were to share with revelation with everybody.
Now, you might wonder what this matters to us. It is a direct concern for Christianity in our constant plight to seek only truth and purge error. The summary, rule, and norm of the Christian faith is the Holy Scriptures. Everything we believe teach and confess flows from that. The bible is also the cornerstone upon which heresy is dashed to pieces.
You may recall a story from a brother or sister in Christ, who had a positive, christianish supernatural experience. Maybe they felt the passing of the presence of a loved one, who had just died miles away. Perhaps, there was a vision of an angel. Or, they may have had a near-death experience seeing deceased loved-ones and Jesus. These dreams or visions have internally consistent proofs.
The loved ones look and speak like themselves. The angels are warm and loving. The Jesus just looks perfectly peaceful. They appear in a lighted scene, surrounded by light, clouds, or unidentified people.
The errors abound. Grandma and Grandpa in a loving embrace in a place where “they neither marry nor are given away in marriage.” (Mark 12:25) The appearance of angels that aren’t terrifying like all of the ones in the scriptures. A Jesus recognizable by His warmth or something, instead of His wounds. (John 20:24-29)
When pressed, the vision/dream reporters will say some thing like, “I just knew.” Or, “I felt this over whelming peace.” Or, “I knew it was Him when he spoke.” All the proofs are internal. The technical term for this is “self-referential.” You cannot refute a truth that doesn’t have an external proof or source. My feelings, sensations, or internally secret knowledge are above reproach.
What’s the harm? You might ask. I pray there is none. And, I’m quick to give this option. It was the pious imagination of a Christian expecting to see good things. The good things aren’t right in your imagination. But, no harm, no foul, ja? I recently had an interaction of a darker sort with a person. Their identity will remain hidden to conceal their sin.
The person said, “My being in the presence of the LORD happened [in a near death event], and Jesus Christ was in front of me, with arms outstretched, face aglow with love, welcoming me. The scene was like the garden of Gethsemane and the tree branches formed a tunnel; I experienced a peace beyond words. Jesus was emanating a soft, warm glow … People I knew were there, and some I didn’t, and they were so content, just standing together, waiting I suppose for the new Earth.”
This has many of the hallmarks of a vision/dream as we’ve heard before. The warmth, the glow, the people, the tranquil scene, and the sense of peace. So far this isn’t horribly bad. It’s prob’ly untrue. But, there’s no harm just yet.
Buckle up, buttercup! The person next said, “Jesus was emanating a soft, warm glow and without moving his lips, I received kind of a blast of information, and I also got a glimpse of Heaven. People I knew were there, and some I didn’t, and they were so content, just standing together, waiting I suppose for the new Earth. In the midst of them was my [gay uncle, who] loved the LORD.”
Now, we’re entering the danger zone. This unscarred “jesus” speaks without words. He’s delivering secret knowledge. Put your Christian ear protection on quickly in these situations. “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17) Nothing in the scriptures is wrong, outmoded, or abrogated.
“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already.” (1 John 4:1-3) Everything claiming Christianity must agree with the Word of God and confess Jesus as Lord and Savior.
“And if you say in your heart, ‘How may we know the word that the Lord has not spoken?’— when a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word that the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You need not be afraid of him.” (Deuteronomy 18:21-22) Be on guard, test visions, dreams, or prophecies with the scriptures.
Any claimed Jesus or angel will never speak against the revealed Word. If this “jesus” doesn’t look like the revealed Jesus, bearing the marks of your salvation by which He’s know, be on guard. If this “jesus” disagrees with the actual Jesus, beware.
The person then said, “The first thing Jesus Christ said was ‘you don’t have to be perfect’, and that He isn’t concerned about sexuality; He accepts those who know Him as their LORD and Savior and his concern is about self righteousness , and the lack of love we have for one another.” Is this consistent with what Jesus actually said? No, it’s not.
Matthew 5:17-18 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.” You do have to be perfect, if you expect to earn salvation. Jesus was perfect, without sin or error. Ministering to sinners, tax collectors, and prostitutes, He forgave their sin. And He told them to “sin no more.”
St. Paul also teaches in the Word of God at the end of his lengthy diatribe about salvation by faith not works, “Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.” (Romans 3:31)
This person specifically attacked Leviticus for condemning homosexuality, which is true. It’s is God’s Word and it does. But, does the New Testament speak that way too? Let’s test the spirits. “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” (1 Corinthians 6:9-11) Homosexuality is specifically included in the list of vices from which Christians must flee.
St. Paul also teaches in the Word of God according to 1 Timothy 1:8-11 “Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully, understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine, in accordance with the gospel of the glory of the blessed God with which I have been entrusted.”
When, not if, we transgress the Law, we remain in need of forgiveness and the command “Go and Sin no more.” Love can never embrace or encourage sin of any sort. Homosexuality is absolutely included here. In forgiveness, we are to turn away from it like all other sin and vice.
The person finally said, “After being in His presence on another occasion, I was compelled to somehow get that message, which isn’t some new revelation, across to those around me, including the LCMS.” This wasn’t pious imagination. This certainly wasn’t Jesus speaking. This man was likely visited by a demon. I can say this because the demon’s words are consistent with the Devil’s temptation in the garden. “[The Serpent/Satan] said to the woman, ‘Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’’?” (Genesis 3:1) If your vision disagrees with scripture, it is false. This one does. And, it is false.
But, it sounded “right” from the start. That’s true danger, dear Christians. Looking for a revelation from God apart from His revealed Word invites all manner of evil into our hearts and minds.
Now, some visons or dreams may be true. German Lutheran pastors have been reporting Muslims coming to them because of Jesus’ instruction them in dreams. Now, these dreams are reported to be troubling and frightening. In the dreams, Jesus tells them to go to a certain place at a certain time and speak to a certain priest. In hesitant fear, the people comply, learning about the true Jesus, and converting to Christianity.
That conversion can be a death sentence. The difference here is that the dream leads directly to the external truth. The Jesus in these dreams tells the dreamers to go to where they will learn of Him. No secrets or hidden truths are given; just a command: go and hear.
In many and various ways, God spoke to his people of old by the prophets.
But now in these last days, he has spoken to us by his son. (Hebrews 1:1-2a; LSB 238)
Rev. Jason M. Kaspar Sole Pastor Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church & Preschool La Grange, TX And Mission Planting Pastoral team Epiphany Lutheran Church, Bastrop, TX
