The Lutheran Review

A Mouth filled with Praise

 

Psalm 34: 1-8, is this week’s psalm.  It seeks to connect the psalm with the brief event in I Samuel 21:10-15 when David pretended to be insane in order escape his captors.  The king asks his advisors why they brought a madman to him, “Do I lack madmen that you brought this fellow to behave as a madman in my presence?”

This story is one of many in the Bible and in Jewish literature in which a Jewish person caught in a position of weakness outwits the supposedly more powerful Gentile.

In I Samuel the king is Achish, however, whoever wrote the superscription for the psalm names him Abimelech, who appears in Gen. 20.  The psalm does praise God for his rescuing power.

The psalm begins, “I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth.”  In verse 3 the psalmist invites us to join him, “Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together.” The psalmist, verse 4, testifies that “I sought the Lord and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears.”  Not only does the Lord deliver us but his angel sets up camp around those who fear him, perhaps thinking of a military camp, and “delivers them their troubles.”

The Lord’s deliverance is so real that the psalmist can taste it. The taste of the Lord’s goodness is the flavor of his praise which continually is in his mouth.  In Holy Communion we get a taste of Christ’s goodness as we eat the bread of life and taste the wine, his body and blood given and shed for our life and salvation.

    

What is it?

 

In Exodus 16:2-15we read, “And the whole congregation of the people of Israel grumbled.” They misremembered their time under slavery, “when we sat by the meat pots and ate bread to the full.” The Lord heard their grumbling and promised to rain bread from heaven and quail from heaven.  When Israel saw the flakelike bread lying like frost on the ground, they asked, “What is it?”

There may be times when we sit down at our tables and see the food in front of us and want to ask, “What is it?”  We do well to remember that, “It is the bread which the Lord has given you to eat.”  And when the bread is set upon the altar together with the wine and we come forward to receive it, we do well to ask ourselves, “What is it?”  Then we may also hear an answer similar to that above, “It is the bread of life which the has given your to eat.”

Then we will know that it is the Lord who brought us out of slavery to sin and death into life and who cares for us now and in eternity.  Then we too will know that God is our God and there is no other.  Then we too can take our rest in the assurance that we resting in the hands and care of God.  Then we will know that our grumbling is replaced by God’s grace.

Eager to Maintain the Spirit's Gift of Unity

 

The epistle for this week, Ephesians 4:1-16, is loaded with enough material for weeks of discussion.  Paul urges us, “to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called.”

In verse three he urges us to be “eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”  Paul is bonded or fettered under house arrest.  He urges his readers to be bonded or fettered to one another by peace.  The material which makes up the bond of peace has been woven together by the Holy Spirit.  The bond is made up of humility, gentleness, patience, bearing with one another in love.

The last of these materials is, “bearing with one another in love.”  It assumes that we will fail one another.  It realistically takes into account that we will sin against one another.  Therefore, we need to bear with one another in love.  Love does not mean overlooking our failures and sins, but it means facing them in one another in humility, dealing with one another with gentleness and with patience in the same way that God dealt with us through Jesus, with forgiveness.

The implications are clear when we seek to apply them to the local congregation.  But what of  other congregations?  Other denominations?  Does not Paul’s word to maintain the unity which the Spirit gave to the church apply to how we view the congregations of another denomination just down the street?  Is it enough to speak of the invisible church, that is, true believers in other church bodies?  That can be an excuse for not seeking the Spirit’s bond of peace with those with whom we do not agree 100%.  Should the church ever be invisible?  Just as God gives the gift of diversity within a congregation, might he also be doing the same within the broader church?

In a post communion prayer we ask God to strengthen us in faith toward Himself and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ…   Think how that petition might be applied, not only to those within the walls of our church building, but extended to all believers throughout the whole world.

 

     

Fettered for the Lord

 

Paul concludes chapter 3 of Ephesians with a glorification of God for the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ which has united humanity into one new person through the church.

Chapter 4 begins, “I, therefore, a prisoner for the Lord…”  Paul is under house arrest fettered or chained to a guard, a first century version of an ankle bracelet.  The word for prisoner comes from the Greek word for bond or fetter.

Paul is fettered for Christ Jesus.  If he had not been preaching Jesus Christ, he would not be a captive.  However, ever since his call and commission to be an apostle “of Christ Jesus by the will of God” (1:1) he has been a captive of Christ.  He is fettered or bonded to Christ.  He is a double prisoner.  A captive for Christ Jesus in this world and a captive of Christ in the Kingdom of God.  However, with a difference, being a fettered to a guard in this life could, and in Paul’s case, will lead to his death.  On the other hand, because he is in bonds to Christ he will live, for his and our true life is already safely kept for us in the heavenly places where Christ rules with unfettered grace, which is already granted to us even now.

Therefore, Paul urges us to “walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called.”  “Eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”  The unity we have in the church is not our work but a gift to the church through the Holy Spirit.  This unity transcends all human divisions.

In verse 3, Paul uses a play on words.  The bond which holds the church together is peace.  Walking with one another in humility, gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love are the elements which make up the bond of peace and keep believers connected to one another and to Christ.

Paul urges us with all his authority as an apostle, “I, therefore,…urge you.”  Paul intends us to take this seriously and strive to put into practice what is already the case among believers.     

 

It Rained Bread and Birds

 

 Bread threads its way through the lessons for Pentecost 10.  Specifically, the bread which came down from God when Israel was in the wilderness and Jesus who proclaims himself the bread from heaven, the bread of life.

Psalm 78 poetically tells the story of Israel’s unfaithfulness as they traversed the wilderness.  The poem recounts how God divided the sea and brought them through…led them by a cloud by day and a glowing fire at night.  He split the rock and gave them water…”But they sinned against him yet again.”  Again and again we read, “In spite of all, they persisted in their sin and had no faith in his wonders…still they sought to beguile him with their words and deceive him with their tongues…Yet they provoked and defied God Most High.”

Interspersed between Israel’s faithlessness are Gospel statements “Yet He was merciful, wiping out guilt and not destroying…He remembered that they were but mortal, a breath of air which passes by and does not return.  As the Psalm closes we read clearly Messianic passages pointing to Jesus, “He chose David to be his servant…he shepherded them in singleness of heart and guided them with a skillful hand.”

The Introit for this Sunday were taken from verses 23-25.  Though we likely read them this morning, they are worth reconsidering this evening.

“Then he gave orders to the skies above and threw open heaven’s doors; he rained down manna for them to eat and gave them the grain of heaven.  So everyone ate the brad of angels.”  In words remindful of the flood, grain comes pouring out of the heavenly granary upon the camp of the Israelites.  They ate the bread of which the angels partook.

The psalm goes on to speak of meat raining down like a dust storm.  “He let loosed the east wind from heaven and drove the south wind by his power; he rained meat down on them like a dust storm, birds flying thick as the sand of the seashore.  He made them fall within the camp, all around their tents.

  This morning God’s life giving bread and meat came to us with less dramatically, but in a more powerful way.  Our ears heard of Jesus the Word of Life, our taste buds felt the tang of the wine as we received his blood and our hands reached out to receive the Bread of Life.

 In the Preface prior to communion  we heard why we needed the Word and Sacrament, “Our Lord, who, out of love for His fallen creation, humbled Himself by taking the form of a servant, becoming obedient unto death, even death of the cross.  Risen from the dead, He has freed us from eternal death and given us life everlasting.”

 

At the Airport

 

Becky and I were at the airport waiting for our daughter and family to return from Florida.  Becky likes to get there earlier than early so there was a lot of time to read and people watch.  During a bit of a walk I said that getting on board a plane seems like a complicated business.  But then I have flown commercially for 40 years.

Of course there are those periodic announcements which are completely unintelligible except in the rest room.  But who wants to hang out in the rest room waiting for clarity?

Eventually the arrival board listed our expected plane as “In Range;” then “Landed;” finally ”At the Gate.”  You may have noticed that some of our Gospel lessons for recent Sundays feature Jesus and the disciples rowing or sailing back and forth across the Sea of Galilee.  Every time they land, there is the crowd waiting expectantly.  In fact we have something of that sort of thing tomorrow in John 6:22-35.

Waiting for people at the airport has the feel of those crowds expectantly waiting for Jesus.  The air of expectation increases as people look down the hallway for their people to show up.  People begin to move forward as the time nears.  Suddenly, “There they are.”  Smiles and hugs are passed all around.

Will we wait tomorrow morning for the arrival of the Word with such expectation?  The organist will play the preservice music.  We may all join in a hymn and then the pastor will announce, hopefully in an intelligible voice, “In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”  We, the expectant will respond, “Amen.”  Maybe that would be the time to greet one another with the peace of the Lord.  We have waited all week to hear that once more we are in the presence of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  Once more they have arrived to be with us.  We can get down to the business of worship.  That is worthy of smiles and hugs all around.  

Authors of Lutheranism I

 

The Period of the Reformation

For over 50 years I’ve noticed the names listed on the rail of the balcony overlooking the first floor of the library at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis.  Some I have come to be familiar with and others remained just names.

A new booklet published by the seminary provides some basic information about the twenty individuals. 

I have added some information to that contained in the booklet.

Georg Rhau – German, 1488-1548

He first served as Kantor in Leipzig before moving to Eisleben.  He settled in Wittenberg where he became a printer. He printed several of the first editions of Marin Luther’s writings.  He also published numerous collection of musical works.  He, himself, was an outstanding musician and composer.

 

Olavus Petri – Swedish, 1473 1552

After completing his university studies in Uppsala he became a student of Martin Luther at Wittenberg from 1516-1518.  After his return to Sweden, King Gustav urged Olavus and his brother Laurentius to translate the New Testament into Swedish.  That work was completed in 1526.  He translated Luther’s Small Catechism in 1530 and produced a Psalm book in Swedish in 1536.

 

Martin Luther – German, 1483-1546

He was the leader in the Protestant Reformation in the 16^th century.  His numerous writings were published between 1539-1558.  He works have been reissued several times.  The latest, the American edition is the most complete and well referenced of the English translations of his works.

 

Robert Barnes – English, 1595-1550

He was condemned for a so preaching an evangelical sermon centered on the gospel of Christ and was sentenced to be burned.  In 1528 he escaped to continental Europe, where he met Martin Luther.  He returned to England and was at first in the favor of Henry VIII.  He was sent to Wittenberg in 1535 and embraced Lutheranism.  However, upon returning to England he eventually fell out of favor with Henry VIII and was seized and condemned to be burned.

 

Martin Chemnitz – German, 1522-1773

He is referred to as, ”The Second Martin.”  Regarded as one of the most learned theologians of his day he brought the teaching of Lutheranism together and took the lead in developing and issuing the Book of Concord.  He wrote serval other works that have contributed to Lutheran theology including a four volume examination of the Council of Trent (1565-1573)

 

 

 

Its Ark not Arch

The Non Sequitur cartoon this morning features Noah standing with an umbrella.  A saw horse and some boards rest nearby.  Behind Noah stands a wood arch and behind the arch are pairs of birds, cats, dogs, sheep, bears, giraffes, oxen and pigs.  A voice speaks from the cloud, "No, that's not what I said.  Now let's go over it again..."

The cartoon is labeled Noah's Beta Version.

Noah not only needed to be obedient, but he needed to listen carefully to God's instruction.

Faith also involves listening and obeying.  It was important that Noah not only believe the Lord, but the future of the world and the human race, the future of all creation was dependent on Noah listening and obeying.

Mark 6:45-56 follows Jesus' feeding of the 5,000 in the deserted place he had originally gone for some down time with the disciples.  However, when they arrived a huge throng met them.  So Jesus spent the rest of the day teaching the crowd until the disciples reminded him that the afternoon was wearing on and the people should be dismissed to go home for supper.   Jesus used the five loaves, one per thousand, and the two fish to provide enough so that the disciples picked twelve baskets of leftovers, much more than they had furnished Jesus.

 Afterward Jesus directed his disciples to get in the boat and head for the opposite shore.  Jesus dismissed the crowd.  But the disciples encountered a strong headwind and weren't making much headway.  When they saw someone walking on the sea they thought it was a ghost, and who wouldn't wonder about such an apparition?  On this occasion Jesus doesn't criticize them for their lack of faith, but says, "Take heart; It is I.  Do not be afraid."  When he got into the boat with and the wind ceased, they were utterly astounded.

They didn't understand about the loaves which pointed to Jesus as the Bread from heaven, the new manna in the wilderness, and they apparently hadn't listened to what he said the previous afternoon.  Their hearts were hardened, they stubbornly refused to see into who Jesus was, who provided bread and calmed the waves.

The lesson seems to be that those closest to Jesus failed to recognize who he was, while the crowds "immediately recognized him."  Sometimes the church is like those disciples, failing to recognize Jesus working in its life and in the villages, cities and countryside in which we live.

Jesus is the second Noah, who listened to and obeyed his heavenly Father, through the gift of the Holy Spirit build an ark, the church, on which we sail through the storms of life to get to the otherside.  Along the way we are the crew of God's rescue vessel taking on board the drowning.

Look around.  Where is Jesus working today?  Who is it that needs rescuing from the storms of life among the crowds of people.  Will they recognize Jesus' in us? 

A Rainbow for You and Me

 

Genesis 9:16 When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.

Pastor Bronner preached on Genesis 9:8-17 on Sunday.  He said, “When I see a rainbow I know it’s for me.”  Then he motioned toward Rev Labore on the other side other chancel and said, “If Rev. would see the rainbow it would be his rainbow alone.  The reason is that He would be looking at a different rainbow, because he would be looking through different rain drops than I would be.”

Yet the rainbow is “a sign of the covenant between me and the earth.”  The rainbow is a personal promise to me that God will never again flood the earth as he did in Noah’s time.  But it’s also a promise to “all flesh that is on the earth.”  We are in on the promise individually and together with all creation.

We might say the same thing of Christ.  He is my personal Savior, but he is also the Savior of the Church which is his body of which I am a member.  We are in on His salvation individually and together.

St. Paul writes in Romans 8, “For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God…the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God…and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.”

The unconditional agreement promise given in with the appearance of the rainbow after the flood was a precursor of the unconditional promise given in Christ to you and me and all creation. 

A Psalm for the Shower: Ps.145

 

“I confess that for many years I have habitually sung this psalm in the shower.” So writes Patrick Henry Reardon in his commentary on the Psalms, “Christ in the Psalms.”

A portion of the psalm was assigned for the Introit or Entrance Psalm this morning.  We may not have appreciated it, if the pastor had said, “Let’s take some time and unpack this word of God before moving on.”  He was probably wise enough not to bring the movement of the service to a screeching halt.  But it would have been worthwhile to take a bit of a detour.

The psalm is written in an acrostic in the Hebrew, that is, it begins with a word starting with Aleph, the first letter in the Hebrew alphabet and the last verse starts with a tov the last letter in the alphabet.  It’s not possible to duplicate it in English.

Thus verse 1, Let me EXALT You, my God the King, and let me bless Your name forever.

Verse 21, The Lord’s PRAISE let my mouth speak, and let all flesh bless his holy name forevermore.

The psalmist also moves from exalting and praising the Lord by requesting that “all flesh” join him in blessing God’s name forever.

Reardon goes on to write that an acrostic enables that God be praised, “By every sort of sound, that every conceivable formulation of throat and tongue and lips is to be directed to the divine glory.”

By taking a key word from each verse will involve numerous movements tongue, lips and voice as we praise God. In Jesus Christ.

In the words below I have chosen one word from each verse.  Notice the movement of your mouth, tongue and throat in pronouncing in praise of God.

Exalt, bless, great, extol, majesty, power, goodness, gracious, mercy, all, kingship, humankind, dominion, stand erect, hope, opening, faithful, close, pleasure, guards, praise.

Ps. 145: 16, You open your hand and satisfy every living creature with your favor.