Wednesday, August 21, 2013 Learning from Luther

We continue with Luther's letter to Elector Frederick who has asked him to write a church postil (commentary of sorts) on the Lectionary texts:

Luther wrote: "I hope, however, that I shall do enough, if I uncover the purest and simplest sense of the Gospel as well as I can, and if I answer some of those unskillful glosses, in order that the Christian people may hear, instead of fables and dreams, the Words of their God, unadulterated by human filth. For I promise nothing except the pure, unalloyed sense of the Gospel suitable for the low, humble people."

How often do we try to make the Gospel more difficult than it has to be? It is so simple! Luther, his commentary on 1 Peter, said the pure gospel is spiritual milk. To go deeper into the Gospel when one is a ready and willing disciple is the "wine" of the cross. That is where we engage with the text and Christ and share in his suffering. 

How have you experienced the "pure gospel" as well as the "wine" of suffering?

Learning from Luther: Dedication to Frederick the Elector, 1521

DEDICATION TO FREDERICK, THE ELECTOR,

Before the Postil, or the interpretation of the Epistles and Gospels of the Advent Circle was issued in Latin in 1521, and immediately translated into German.
(for the whole pdf go to http://media.sabda.org/alkitab-8/LIBRARY/LUT_SER1.PDF)

I do not know, most illustrious, most gracious Lord, at whose door I should lay the fault that I, having been hindered day after day through numerous circumstances, have not been able to comply with your wishes. Your Electoral Grace has counseled well that I should turn from the quarrelsome, sharp, and entangling writings, with which I have been engaged nigh unto three years, and that I should occupy myself with the holy and kindly doctrine, beside the work of the interpretation of the Psalter, labor in the interpretation of the Epistles and Gospels (which is called Postil) for the benefit of the ministers and their subjects: you having been of the opinion that I, burdened with such an amount of work, would the sooner attain peace also against the attacks of my enemies. So noble is, according to the peaceful name of Your Electoral Grace, the natural soul of Your Electoral Grace that you have often plainly told me how tiresome the quarrels and useless questions concerning the goat-wool are to Your Electoral Grace. 

How do you think Luther felt as he had to endure the conflict and criticism being thrown at him? Obviously he knew that Elector Frederick didn't like it, but it's almost as if he's saying, "YOU don't like? What about me?" Think of Jesus' words in today's Gospel from Luke 12: I have not come to peace but division.

How is division a part of following Jesus?

How hard is it to endure that division?

Monday:

Luther writes to Elector Frederick, who has requested that he pen a commentary (postil) on the lectionary texts: http://media.sabda.org/alkitab-8/LIBRARY/LUT_SER1.PDF

I myself do not wish to say how I have been affected by these storms and have been kept from my studies, so that I desired to give my flesh and blood free play, yes, have not abstained from answering these evil writings somewhat more pointedly than is becoming to a clergyman. I hope, however, just as I confess my guilt, that I may not reap the displeasure of all those who think differently what fierce Lions of Moab, what Rabsake of Assyria, what evil, poisonous Simei I alone had to endure, to the detriment of myself and of many to whom I might have been of service in the Word of God. In such storms, however, I have always firmly hoped that I would attain peace so that I could comply with the wishes of Your Electoral Grace, through which the mercy of God has, without doubt, done much good to the Gospel of Christ. 
How often do the pressures of life, and the conflicts around us (even in the church, or especially in the church we might say) keep us from serving others? 
Luther confesses that his words to his opponents haven't always been "becoming to a clergyman." How do we get maintain our "cool" in the face of certain conflict?

He goes on: 
But now when I see that my hope has been a very human thought and that, with every day, I sink deeper into the deep great sea, in which there are numberless creeping animals that help one another and are against me: then I also see that the devil with such vexations of my hope had nothing else in view but that I may finally abandon my purpose and would much sooner have to go to Babylon than to furnish my Jerusalem with armor’s nourishment. This is his wickedness. In consideration of it I have thought of the holy Nehemiah, and, forsaking the useless visions of Ezra, the scribe, have begun not to hope for peace, have prepared for peace as well as war, have taken the sword into one hand, to fight my Arabs, and wished to build the wall with the other, in order that I while applying myself to one work only, may not fail in completing both faster. For St. Jerome also says that not to withstand the enemies is just as detrimental to the church, as if we would only build. And the Apostle commands that a bishop ought to be able not only to exhort the people in the sound doctrine but also to convict the gainsayers. I do not say that I think I am a bishop, for I have neither riches nor an island, which in these days constitute the office of bishop; but that he who adminsters the office of the Word of God ought also to be able to fulfill the duties of a bishop, who must be capable with both hands, as Ehud, and able to kill the strong Aeglon with the left hand. 

​What is Luther's Jerusalem? 

What is your Jerusalem?

How does the devil try to stop you from your work?

Learning from Luther

At the prodding of a couple of my friends who are hungry to learn more about Jesus and who are distinctly Lutheran in their self-understanding, I decided to say "yes" to an experiment of online study. I will choose a sermon of Martin Luther, scan the text into a jpeg file and post it here with some questions in the margins. It won't be fancy, that's for sure. But perhaps it will spark some conversation about the discipleship journey we are all on. The first one comes from a sermon of Luther's in 1518 on John 9- The Man Born Blind. Think of the context of this sermon as coming on the heels of that church changing event, the posting of the 95 theses by Luther on the Castle Church Door in Wittenberg, Germany, October 31, 1517. Read on and post some reflections for all of us to chew on. Pass on the link to your friends who might be interested. It will be once a week so we all have time to get to it! This is the first page of it which can be found in LW Volume 51. Email me if you want to full text. . . this is just a teaser.

Blessings!
amy

A Letter to Rose #3: Christmas

My dearest goddaughter, Rose,

It's almost Christmas time- your very first! It is going to be one of the best Christmases for all of us since you're here with us. I want to tell you a story. . . it's not about Santa or the Grinch or even that little guy from the movie with the leg lamp (ask your Daddy about that one). It's about Jesus. 

A long, long time ago when the world was groaning in a pain and sin, not unlike today actually, God sent a message to a young girl named Mary. The message was that she would become pregnant and have a son and he would be called Jesus which means "he saves." Now this was not news that made the morning papers.  It was not news that one would find on CNN or MSNBC or even Fox. This was news that was meant for the poor and lowly, it was news that threatened those in power. It was controversial and yet at the same time it was joyous, hopeful, and dangerous too. 

Mary was not even married yet, which in her day was an absolute scandal, not like today where no one bats an eyelash about such situations. However, in Mary's day she could have stoned to death for being pregnant out of marriage so this was very serious. She was betrothed, that means she was promised to someone for marriage. His name was Joseph and he was older than her. It took an angel to come to him to convince him not to just let her go, to leave her in shame and in danger, but that angel convinced him that this child was indeed God's child. This child was the promised One of Israel. So Joseph took Mary and married her and the child was born far away from home in a town called Bethlehem because the couple had business there that had to be tended to.

The danger was not over though, Rose. Jesus was not born in a nice, sterile hospital with a gift shop like you were. Oh no, he was born in a stable. You know what that is, right? A barn! (If you ever hear your mama say, "Rose, were you born in a barn?" You can always tell her, "No, but Jesus our Savior was!") Jesus' delivery was a dangerous situation. He could have died out there in that strange town in that barn full of animals. But God protected him because he was to be the One to save his people from sin, death and the power of the devil. Joseph then had a dream which told him that the danger was far from over. . . he was to take Mary and Jesus and get out of town and go to the country of Egypt to wait out the danger. The King called Herod was on a rampage, he wanted that baby king to be killed so he killed every baby he could put his hands on. Horrific isn't it? But Jesus was spared thanks to divine intervention. 

There is more to the story, of course, but we get to that in due time. For now I just wanted you to know the real reason we celebrate Christmas. Jesus. He is the reason, because through his life, death and resurrection Christ has given us everything that is important! He has given us a relationship with the Creator, salvation from our sins and life eternal when we pass forward. 

I can't wait to see you again! Remember I love you and God loves you! 

Merry Christmas Sweetie,

Aunt Amy

In the "Mean"time

Zephaniah 3:14-20

¹⁴Sing aloud, O daughter Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem! ¹⁵The Lord has taken away the judgments against you, he has turned away your enemies. The king of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst; you shall fear disaster no more. ¹⁶On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: Do not fear, O Zion; do not let your hands grow weak. ¹⁷The Lord, your God, is in your midst, a warrior who gives victory; he will rejoice over you with gladness, he will renew you in his love; he will exult over you with loud singing ¹⁸as on a day of festival. I will remove disaster from you, so that you will not bear reproach for it. ¹⁹I will deal with all your oppressors at that time. And I will save the lame and gather the outcast, and I will change their shame into praise and renown in all the earth. ²⁰At that time I will bring you home, at the time when I gather you; for I will make you renowned and praised among all the peoples of the earth, when I restore your fortunes before your eyes, says the Lord.

The news this past week is extremely sad and horrifying. For many it begs questions about theodicy, or why does God allow evil in the world? There are no good or satisfying answers to that question for sure. The only way I can wrap my brain around it is to understand that God created humanity in freedom, which unfortunately means that some human beings totally disregard the existence of God at all; they do not hold life to be precious and commit atrocities against others in their fear, anger and extreme brokenness. We can name in our own lifetime half a dozen examples: 9/11, Virginia Tech, Columbine and the list goes on. And each and every time it happens we are stunned, horrified and heartbroken. And so is God.

Our God is a god who knows and understands our grief, confusion, anger and horror! He weeps with us as we weep for the dead and injured. His heart is broken over the brokenness of humanity, and it's been that way since the garden of Eden. It's been that way since the first brother murdered the second brother. 

Back in Egypt when God’s people were bound in slavery and oppression, when the kind knew nothing of Joseph and his clan, Pharaoh murdered as many Hebrew baby boys as he could get his hands on. He feared the way they were multiplying, he was anxious that they would one day take over his kingdom. One was saved, Moses, and he led God’s people out of slavery and into the promised land. God made a way where there was no way. (Please hear very clearly that I am not implying that the other infants were less important than Moses. . . only that God used a horrific situation and made something out of it, something that in the end freed a people.)

In Jerusalem 2,000 years ago, King Herod ordered all baby boys under the age of two to be killed, because he feared  the magi's report of a new king which he thought threatened his power and way of life. St. Luke writes about the mothers who clung to their dead babies bodies as they wept in horror and grief.  But one was saved, the promised One, Jesus the Christ. God made a way where there was no way. 

The TV seems better left off if you want to have any peace at all these days: 22 children in China slashed with a knife on Friday; in Sandusky not long ago 2 children and their mother were murdered by an ex-convict who had just finished serving a 15+ year prison term for the same crime; in Vermillion an 18 month old was left to die of starvation; baby girls in China are slaughtered for being female and being the second child in a family; and in Newtown CT, 20 Kindergartners and 6 brave teachers were killed by a crazed gunman. 

There is a war on children. There has always been a war on children. There will continue to be a war on innocent life until the last days, when Jesus comes again and the old kingdom of this earth passes away. Until then, in the meantime we live in the MEAN time. It is mean and nasty and filled with terror, not everyday thanks be to God, but far too often to be sure! For the moment, we as God's children are called to be advocates to all children, to speak out and act out on behalf of those who are most precious to Jesus. Jesus made it very clear that children were a priority for him: he called them to his lap, he urged people to believe like they did, he knew they were precious and in need of protection. Perhaps he would have said it that way too: There is a WAR on children.

Our hope and consolation in times like this is that we know with certainty that God is with these families: Jesus our Emmanuel is certainly One who fully understands the horror, fear and pain of violence and murder, having experienced it firsthand. Christ is with the community of Newtown, with the families in China and with all those who suffer at the hands of violent, malevolent, cowards who neither love God nor fear him. We live in a world filled with people who are dark, who are plagued with fear and doubt and are susceptible to the evil one. But still, in this Third Week of Advent,  we are called to rejoice.. . called to hope, called to love, called to be people of peace in a world of violence, hate and terror. 

Advent promises us a new beginning, but still it is ONLY a promise so far-- we are not there yet. We continue to wait and watch for Christ's return when all will be made new, when there will be no more crying and pain, no more murder and violence. But we aren't there yet. The prophet Zephaniah proclaims God’s good news to us in the face of our enemies. Our enemies will be taken away. We shall fear no more. We will be renewed in love and brought HOME! Home is where God is. Home is where Jesus dwells. For now he dwells within our hearts and for the meantime that simply has to be enough. 

God's peace to you and his comfort and joy as well!

ACL