Some Unvaxed Philistine?

Can A Christian Assume Some Unvaxed Philistine Infected Them?

This one stems from a series of conversations in person and online concerning a resurgence of COVID among vaccinated and unvaccinated people. Though no one in particular asked, it’s a question worth examining. The distilled logic goes something like this, “I am vaccinated, and have contracted the plague. Therefore, there is a certain human being in my imagination. That person is unvaccinated. And, they are to blame for my infection.”

Before diving into the Christian life aspect of this question, let us also consider the logic. If I am the one speaking this way, I imply that only an unvaccinated person can pass the disease to another human being. This is untrue. Generally speaking, a person who is symptomatic with a fever is infectious to others. Their vaccination status has nothing to do with this reality.

It is logically inconsistent to assume the unknown source of infection to be of one patient population or another. This is a bit like Schrödinger’s Cat. The difference being that upon opening the box, we can determine if the cat is alive or dead. The state of quantum uncertainty revolving around an unknown infection source can never be removed from its state of uncertainty outside of evidence and identification. Apart from that evidence, the only thing certain is that a virus is to blame for infection.

Even for pagans, that is the answer. Now, for Christians there is even more at play. We must also consider how we are to talk about our neighbor. The Eighth Commandment teaches us to only use our words about our neighbor to uplift them.

The Eighth Commandment – You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. What does this mean? We should fear and love God so that we do not tell lies about our neighbor, betray him, slander him, or hurt his reputation, but defend him, speak well of him, and explain everything in the kindest way. [Luther’s Small Catechism 1.8 (1529)]

Dr. Luther didn’t pull this idea of expanding the letter of Decalogue (the 10 Commandments) out of his stylish German hat. He used the exact model laid down by Jesus in Matthew’s Gospel.

“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.” … “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” [Matthew 5:21-22, 27-28]

So, how does this apply to us regarding that unknown Philistine, who infected me or my loved ones with the virus?

It applies this way. Not knowing who they were, neither gender nor ethnicity, age nor education, religion nor vaccination status, we may not impugn their character. Breakthrough infections are proof that vaccinated people can be vectors of transmission. The unknown source of whom we speak here can’t be spoken ill of by a Christian, especially in their state of quantum uncertainty. Moreover, we also can’t use the unknown person to malign other people either.

Dear Christians, let us only speak well of our neighbor.

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

What are people praying before and after the Lord’s Supper?

You may have noticed folks who seem to be praying before coming to the altar of the Lord or after returning to their seats. What is it that they pray? Or, what/how should I pray, if I’m so inclined?

This question exists within the sphere of “what should I pray?” or “what if I don’t know what to say?” There is no shame in not knowing what to pray. The disciples asked Jesus the exact same thing.

“Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.’” [Luke 11:1]

And, He did. Jesus also taught us a good reason to pray at your seat, when you pray alone during lulls in the divine service.

“And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” [Matthew 6:5-6]

There are two ways that Christians pray: corporately and privately. For corporate prayer, think of the depictions in Exodus, Samuel, and Chronicles. The divine service is that sort of prayer, all together, with one voice. Jesus is exhorting here about private prayer, humble, unobtrusive.

The very front of your hymnal (Lutheran Service Book) has a list of prayers for your benefit on the unnumbered page. Two of them are for before and after communion.

Before communing : “Dear Savior, at Your gracious invitation I come to Your table to eat and drink Your holy body and blood. Let me find favor in Your eyes to receive this holy Sacrament in faith for the salvation of my soul and the glory of Your holy name; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.” [LSB -ii]

Thanksgiving after receiving the Sacrament: “Almighty and everlasting God, I thank and praise You for feeding me the life-giving body and blood of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ. Send Your Holy Spirit that, having with my mouth received the holy Sacrament, I may by faith obtain and eternally enjoy Your divine grace, the forgiveness of sins, unity with Christ, and life eternal; through Jesus Christ, my Lord, Amen.” [LSB -ii]

Both of these are fine examples of how to pray. They are individual, first person prayers. But, they are written focusing on the given faith, which receives the gifts of God. When you pray, pray like this.

Apart from faith we receive condemnation. But, in and through faith, we receive forgiveness, life, and salvation.

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

Aren’t Physical Deformities the Same as Gender Dysphoria?

This great question identifies a conflation of the corrupting force of Original Sin and the brokenness of this fallen creation. It ties-in to the discussion about love is love and homosexual inclinations.

To state it another way, “sin entered the world, and all of the world exhibits brokenness as a result of sin; that brokenness is sin.” The question is a logical fallacy. Sin’s corruption in the world is plainly visible from violence in the animal kingdom to viruses that sicken and kill, from weather disasters to birth defects. These things are not sin, nor are they sinful.

All of the physical weaknesses and brokenness in our flesh are a result of sin entering the world and are part of its curse. “… cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken…” [Genesis 3:17b-19a] Even the ground suffers under the curse of sin without the ability to sin.

Not all of the aspects of the curse of sin in the world and in our bodies are sin. A cleft palate, a club foot, phenylketonuria, etc.; these are examples of the brokenness of creation caused by sin’s curse on the world. They are not sin, nor are they sinful.

Sin is, however, in the things we do. And we are inclined to sin from our birth. Each of us suffers differently with the sinful inclination of our corrupted nature. Some struggle with hatred/murder, some disobedience, and others covetousness. The sin confusing our culture most today is the sin of adultery. God created us man and woman. God has commanded sex as His gift only to those joined together in life-long marriage between a woman and a man.

Our inclinations to live life outside of God’s commandments are sinful. We are to turn from that sin in ourselves. We are to condemn sin in the world too. Love of our neighbor can never excuse sin. Love of our neighbor can never embrace sin and call it righteous.

That’s not end of it either. Jesus came into the world to save us from sin and from its curse. “For our sake [the Father] made [Jesus] to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” [2 Corinthians 5:21] Forgiveness in Jesus is freedom from sin. That’s exact opposite of calling sin righteousness. He gives us forgiveness and faith that pursues righteousness.

The modern virtue of acceptance fights against the faith in us that wants to flee from sin. “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who have died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.” [Romans 6:1-4]

Jesus forgiving sin and driving us away from it is the struggle of this life for Christians. We are forgiven. Yet, we still battle within ourselves against sin. We still live in a world broken by the ravages of sin. But, this will be restored on the last day. “Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him.” [Revelation 22:1-3]

In the resurrection even the earth will be restored/recreated from its brokenness. Sin will be wiped away forever. The sin of our deeds in faith is forgiven and will be eradicated from us on that day. The brokenness of creation as a result of sin will also be undone.

Praise be to the God of the resurrection!

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

What About That Kid, Who Was Always Homosexually Inclined?

This ties very closely into the love-is-love discussion and another one about what hatred actually is. The premise we are expected to buy here is that this child was hatched in a particular state and we dare not discourage that behavior.

The premise is faulty. We discourage behaviors in children constantly. “Don’t pee on the neighbor’s porch.” “Don’t touch that hot stove.” “Cough into your elbow.” “Please be quiet while Ms. Isolde is talking.”

We are born with an inclination to sin in general. And, we are each susceptible to particular sins more than others. I don’t have to go into great detail here. We know who we are and what we do.

“Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.” [Psalm 51:5]

Baptized into Christ, we live a life in conflict with sin. While our corrupted nature is inclined to sin, the new person of faith in Christ fights against them. That’s why we bother to instruct young and old in righteousness, because the faithful Christian in you does want to be good.

“What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?”
[Romans 6:1-2]

The premise, Johnny was born gay, falls apart when sin substitution is done. If the premise is true, then every sinful inclination must also be good.

If Suzie had an internal inclination to be irrationally defiant to authority, we wouldn’t allow or encourage that. 4th commandment, you shall obey authorities that it may be well with you and you may live long upon the earth.

If Bobby had an inclination to steal every shiny thing he saw, we wouldn’t allow or encourage that. 7th commandment, stealing is a sin and you’ll wind up in jail.

There’s also a more hyperbolic, but not impossible example. If Helmut had an inclination to torturing and dismembering the neighbors’ pets,
We
Would
Be
Horrified.
And, rightly so. That’s a serial killer in the making. 5th Commandment, you shall not murder. That kid is a serial killer on the way.

The problem we’re having here comes from the love-is-love argument. In society, we stratify sin into categories of severity and deal out punishments appropriately. That’s a coram mundo (before man) understanding. Coram Deo (before God), all sin is equally damning.

Loving parents cannot encourage their children in sin. That’s a 4th commandment responsibility parents have to their children. They are to obey, you are to instruct in righteousness. God wants us to turn from sin. God turns us from sin.

“Behold, You delight in truth in the inward being, and You teach me wisdom in the secret heart.” [Psalm 51:6]

“Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.” [Romans 6:3-4]

Turn from your sin, dear Christians,
Jesus has set you free from it.

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

What’s Wrong With The “Sinner’s Prayer?”

Here are three common versions of the Sinner’s Prayer.

“Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner, and I ask for Your forgiveness. I believe You died for my sins and rose from the dead. I turn from my sins and invite You to come into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow You as my Lord and Savior. In Your Name.” (Billy Graham Ministries)

“Lord Jesus, I need You. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life and receive You as my Savior and Lord. Thank You for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Take control of the throne of my life. Make me the kind of person You want me to be.” (Campus Crusade for Christ)

“Dear Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner. I believe You died for my sins. Right now, I turn from my sins and open the door of my heart and life. I confess You as my personal Lord and Savior. Thank You for saving me.” (Greg Laurie)

Unlike so much of modern Christianity, these prayers do acknowledge sin in some way. They also acknowledge Jesus as our forgiveness. But, we’re missing what confession does. That’s why the church pulls confession and absolution into their own area.

In the confessional prayer at the beginning of the divine service we say, “most merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean. We have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We justly deserve your present and eternal punishment. For the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways to the glory of your holy name. Amen.”

The Greg Laurie version is particularly problematic. It flips the confession after the acknowledgement of forgiveness.

All three of these have a very high anthropology. That is to say, they put me into a high position relative to God. “I turn… I open… I invite…” This language is the opposite of what scripture teaches us concerning forgiveness. We were dead in our trespasses and sin. Lost, and hopelessly trapped, Jesus sought and found us.

“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.” [Ephesians 2:4-9]

The inviting, opening, and turning puts all the work of Jesus back onto to me. We rarely see it this way, but the Sinner’s Prayer is a works righteousness view of Christianity. It requires Jesus to wait on me to invite Him. The Bible calls us dead. Dead things don’t make decisions or open doors.

On the contrary, our Sunday morning prayers use a form that consists of address, rationale, petition, benefit, and conclusion. We do this, because it teaches us to pray from the word of God about the blessings God has already promised to us.

Address: Heavenly Father, O God, O Lord, etc.
We pray to the Father directly because Jesus taught us to pray this way. He is our advocate with the Father, who hears us when we pray.

Rationale: You give us all worldly leaders and authorities for our benefit.
We should always remember and acknowledge that every good gift comes from our Father in heaven.

Petition: Grant us relief from tyrants and wicked men.
This is the ask. What is it that we beg of God today? The rationale and the petition go together. The Father has blessed us and we want Him to keep lovingly giving us His blessings.

Benefit: That through this temporal relief we may be free to love and serve You and to better serve our neighbor.
Why? There are things that God’s blessings grant to us. His blessings are not just for us, but also that we may be a blessing to others.

Conclusion: In Jesus name. Amen
We should always pray in Jesus’s name. He is our advocate with the Father.

There’s probably more to be said. The whole thing also centers around the idea that Jesus doesn’t enter my heart without my invitation. This is entirely oppositional to the witness of the Scriptures. We are dead in our trespasses and sin. There is nothing we can do or ask apart from the gift of the Holy Spirit to trust in Jesus Christ.

Pray to the Lord, the God of our salvation!

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

Formula of Concord #2: A Look at the Epitome

Article 1 – Original Sin

Original Sin? It’s just human nature, isn’t it?

That question was heavy on the minds of the reformation Lutherans preceding adoption the Formula of Concord in 1580 AD too.

For our time, their diligence still gives wisdom to us. Our society also misunderstands what it is and how it works. There are no societal “original sins,” not racism, classism, nor colonialism. Original Sin only comes into us by the fall in the garden. It is forgiven only in Jesus Christ. And, it is only fully relieved from us in the resurrection. We cannot atone for it ourselves. There is no sin for which Jesus didn’t die. Here are some of points from The Formula of Concord, the Epitome.

Original sin comes to us from the fall. “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned. [Romans 5:12]”

Original Sin is inherited by natural conception and birth. (In vitro fertilization and c-section birth are still natural. The virgin conception and birth of Jesus are divinely supernatural and outside of Original Sin). “Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment. Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.“[Psalm 51:4-5]

Concupiscence, which is real sin, is broken by Baptism and the Holy Spirit. Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit“. [John 3:5-6]

Human nature is created perfect. “God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.” [Genesis 1:31]

It is still God who creates and preserves life. “You were unmindful of the Rock that bore you ,and you forgot the God who gave you birth.” [Deuteronomy 32:18]

The only human born in a supernatural way without Original Sin is Jesus. “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” [John 1:14]

Jesus suffered all that human nature and life are including temptation by the Devil. “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.” [Hebrews 4:15]

Original Sin is an inward corruption of our Human Nature, that remains with us until the resurrection of all flesh on the last day. “As it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.”” [Romans 3:10-12 (citing: Ps. 14:1-3; 53:1-3)]

We are not able to fully describe or number our sins. “Who can discern his errors? Declare me innocent from hidden faults.” [Psalm 19:12] In the resurrection, we will finally be from the corruption of Original Sin. “After my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God, I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. My heart yearns within me!” [Job 19:26-27]

Jesus died to forgive your Original Sin and to free you from it on the last day.

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

Formula of Concord #1: A Look at the Epitome

Who are Norma Normans and Norma Normata?

Norma Normans, Norma Normata. These two Latin phrases describe our understanding of the Word of God. They also tell us how the Lutheran Confessions fit into our understanding of the Christian faith.

Norma Normans, the norming norm, that’s a peculiar way of saying that the Word of God, the Bible, is chief over all Christians and Christianity. We read, mark, and inwardly digest the scriptures.

Blessed Lord, You have caused all Holy Scriptures to be written for our learning. Grant that we may so hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them that, by patience and comfort of Your holy Word, we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. [Collect for the Word, LSB 265]

Our hermeneutic (principle of interpretation) is that scripture interprets scripture. The clearer passages help to understand the less clear. And all of it is given to us for our good, to instruct the Christian life. And how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 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 competent, equipped for every good work. [2 Timothy 3:15-17]

It is through this very Word that the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, guides us in all truth. Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. [Psalm 119:105]

Norma Normata, the norm which is normed, is the theology we draw from the scriptures. It must never conflict with the Word of God. The norm, the scriptures, stands above our doctrine and always stands to correct it. Similarly, we should not tolerate preaching or teaching that deviates from the Word of God, not even from an apparent vision from heaven. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. [Galatians 1:8]

Every teacher is subject to the plain teaching of scripture. There were false teachers at the time of the apostles too. They didn’t stand for false teaching within the Body of Christ. And the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets. 33For God is not a God of confusion but of peace. [1 Corinthians 14:32-33]

Those doctrines which stand the test ought to be upheld. False teaching is to be rejected. But, right teaching edifies the church and protects us from sin and great harm. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil. [1 Thessalonians 5:19-22]

It’s our duty to preserve and uphold right teaching, not just among us. But it is also our responsibility to retain the right teaching we have received, to discern the former errors and stand watch against them too.

Lord, preserve us by Your Word.

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

The Sign of the Cross?

You may have noticed throughout your own life, your travels, and even here at Mt. Calvary, La Grange, Texas, that some people make the sign of the cross on themselves at various points in the divine service.

Now, that crotchety old German uncle who resides in back of every American Lutheran’s head may currently be screaming, “daß ist Katholisch!” (That’s Catholic). And, he was likely even more incensed last Sunday as we confessed the Athanasian Creed. That’s the one that identifies us and the Christian faith as “catholic” several times.

We do differ with the church of Rome on several key points of Christian doctrine. But, the use of words like mass or catholic are not among our differences. Those terms are not dirty words. We should not recoil from them like a vampire from sunlight.

Ignoring Uncle Helmut for a moment, let’s first talk about when we do the things we do. Making the sign of the cross has a broad range of occurrences in the divine service. If you have one handy, open your Lutheran Service Book to page 184, and follow along.

The service opens with the invocation. You’ll notice a rubric cross in the middle of “the Son.” The pastor makes to sign of the cross there. Some pastors will do it towards the congregation. More frequently, you’ll see him cross himself, facing the altar.

The next cross rubric is in the Absolution. The pastor will face the congregation to deliver the goods. He is doing the deed of forgiving sins as he is commanded to do. Again, the rubric cross stands right in the middle of “the Son.”

Even disquieted Uncle Albrecht may have noticed by now that this crossing is somehow Trinitarian. Every time the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are uttered, someone is prob’ly making the sign. But why in the world would they do that?

Baptism, it’s all about baptism. When God marked you as His own in Holy Baptism, you received the sign of the cross upon your forehead and upon your heart. He delivered the forgiveness of sins and faith to trust in His promise to you by His name, in that water, by His word, and through the Hand of the Christian who baptized you.

We will also see folks crossing at spots like: “the life of the world to come/everlasting” in the Creeds, “but deliver us from evil” in the Lord’s Prayer, “this is My Body, this is My Blood” at the consecration, and at the pax domini. These too are part of that same promise of our baptism. The promise of life everlasting and deliverance from evil are brought in Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Through those means of grace we receive the forgiveness of sins by Jesus’ death on the cross.

Uncle Rudolph may not be keen on the idea, but it changes nothing. The sign of the cross marks our understanding and teaches us to be attentive to Jesus’ work and His gifts to us. So, please grant your Christian friends a kind opinion of their baptismal remembrances. Perhaps even consider it as part of your own piety.

Remember your baptism with the sign of Jesus’ cross.

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

Does Revelation 6:2 predict the coronavirus and masks?

I have to admit that this modern prophetic interpretation caught me by surprise. I quickly found several online discussion threads, which said exactly what I was asked in the same manner.

“Now I watched when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures say with a voice like thunder, ‘Come!’ And I looked, and behold, a white horse! And its rider had a bow, and a crown was given to him, and he came out conquering, and to conquer.” [Revelation 6:1-2 ESV]

Generally, these are the claims.

1 – Corona is Latin for “crown,” therefore, coronavirus = “crown” virus.

2 – A bow, toxon in Greek (τόξον), is the root of toxic in English = a toxic “fake” virus.

3 – The base of bow from tikto (τίκτω) indicates fabric, like a mask. If you want to bypass the linguistic nerd stuff, skip ahead to the *.

First, corona is Latin for “crown.” The interpretation here requires the Greek, stephanos (στέφανος), to be translated in Latin, but only Latin, and only that word. Our understanding of corona as a Latin root term is broad in application. Coronas can be the outer atmosphere of a star, a radiating architectural feature, or even just a Mexican beer. Corona is also the name of the circle of clergy singing in the ancient mass around the altar, which is the root of choir. It is also the name of a class of viruses with radiating external structures. None of those uses predict or exclude another.

Second, toxon (τόξον) is Greek for “bow.” It is not the origin of toxic. Toxicon (τοξικόν) is the poison for an arrow, bellos (βέλος), to poison a target. Toxicon passes into Latin as toxicum (poison), which gives us toxic in English. Toxon is a New Testament hapax, a word used only once. But, we find the same word used throughout the Septuagint, the 3rd century BC Old Testament Greek translation. Rarely are toxon and bellos used together. One seems to be understood by way of the other.

Third, the base of bow from tikto (τίκτω) indicates fabric like a mask. Tikto (τίκτω) is a verb meaning: to beget, give birth to, bear, produce, or generate. The root, tik (τίκ-), seems to indicate production or fabrication leading to nouns like: builder, craft, or bow. Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance was the only reference source I could find using the phrase, “’From the base of tikto; a bow (apparently as the simplest fabric) — bow.” This is mostly likely a typo or intended to be understood as formation, production, or fabrication.

This boils down to the way we look at the scriptures. In the Lutheran church, we look at the scriptures through exegesis (ex-e-JE-sus). We examine the text itself, its context in chapter, book, and the whole bible. We may also look at the historical context, if it’s useful. Most importantly, we let scripture interpret scripture.

This coronavirus application of Revelation 6:2 is process called eisegesis (ice-e-JE-sus). The method brings an idea into the scriptures, looking for a proof of it. It examines the text in isolation. And, it tends to make interpretive leaps from limited or incomplete information.

The four riders in Revelation are the first of the sets of seven expressions of tribulation indicating the triumphant return of the Lamb. It may help to think of the description in the apocalyptic literature of the Revelation of St. John like a four year-old trying to explain a trip to Disney World. With great speed, an ever-increasing intensity, the description circles back upon itself. Each telling adds to the detail of what’s already been explained. And, we get ever more confused about where we started and where we’re ending.

John starts in the divine service on Sunday morning. He tells us a fantastic description of the day to come. And he closes us out in the resurrection itself with the lamb in his Kingdom.

We gain context from the whole of what St. John is relating to us. “Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “‘Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?’ I said to him, ‘Sir, you know.’ And he said to me, ‘These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.’” [Revelation 7:13-14 ESV] This is happening right now! All who have died in the faith for the 2000 years since Jesus’ ascension are coming out of the great tribulation. Today is no different. Tomorrow will likely be the same.

Today is the day of salvation, and the resurrection is soon!

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

What are the red words in the hymnal doing there?

The things we noticed after a prolonged absence are interesting. Now that we are using our hymnals again after the recent unpleasantness of the plague, we will no doubt see elements within them that we didn’t notice before. The red words in the hymnal are one of those items.

These are not to be confused with the red letters that appear in some of our bibles. In the latter part of the 20th century, it became popular to make the words of Jesus appear red in the printing of some bibles. This probably rose out of the historical-critical method of viewing the scriptures. This view held that some words of the scriptures are more important than others. But that’s a discussion for another time.

The red text in your hymnal are instructions for us in conducting worship. These red texts are called rubrics. In academics a rubric is an explanatory note or a listing of expectations in completion of an assignment or project. The academic usage comes out of for the liturgical usage.

The copyists of liturgical texts would use a method of underlining or writing in and contrasting color like red to set off instructions or notations within a text. This practice was used in various ways. The days assigned to observe the various feasts and festivals and saints’ days were often indicated with red in the calendars or listing of readings. This gave rise to the expression “red-letter day.”

Within the worship service, and in our hymnal, we find instructions for conduct in red text which is often also italicized. Even the bulletins we generate out of the online format of Lutheran Service Builder produces rubrics. Since the font rendering is monochromatic, we don’t get the red but the italics remain.

Rubrics come in two forms. Some rubrics are spoken in an optional style. “A hymn of invocation may be sung.” It may surprise us to learn that the opening and closing hymns are both optional practices. Not every congregation, in every place observes these optional rubrics.

Other rubrics are stated in the absolute. “During Advent and Lent, the hymn of praise is omitted.” These absolute rubrics are given so we will understand those elements of the service that should always be done in a particular way.

In addition to those forms, some rubrics function to provide options. “The Creed may be confessed here or after the sermon.” The Creed, hymn of the day, sermon, offertory, offering, and prayers can follow the exact order above. Or, they may observe an order that is less familiar to us like we may find in Divine Service, setting one or two. The may function of this rubric doesn’t leave an option to omit. But, it does allow for variations in sequence.

Rubrics can also serve to redirect the flow of the service. Prior to the Service of the Sacrament we find a rubric indicating a variation in the conclusion of the service. “If there is no Communion, the service concludes with the Lord’s prayer, a concluding collect, and the benediction.” The service as written allows for the diminishing practice of alternating Sunday communion. That rubric gives us direction for how to proceed.

Probably the most important function for rubrics removes the necessity for verbal instruction or metadiscourse within the Divine Service. I’ll leave you with the wise advice of a former pastor of mine, which he heard from another, which he heard from another, which he heard from another, ad infinitum.

Do the red. Say the black.

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