You’ve heard about the so-called “pastor” down in Florida who plans to burn the Qu’ran this Saturday. First, the guy is a publicity hound and his tiny little sect, consisting of no more than fifty members, are infamous in the Gainsville area for pulling stunts. The “academy” he runs down there is, to say the least, weird. You can read their “rules” here. Pastor Michael Walther had these excellent thoughts on the issue of burning the Qur’an:

“The announcement by a pastor in Florida to burn the Qur’an in a public protest has raised concerns by many. Foremost among the concerns is that radical Muslims will use the event and the images it generates as propaganda to incite violence against Christians.

“The violent activities of radical Muslims, the rampant religious intolerance in Muslim countries, and the hair-trigger sensitivity to any criticism of Islam frustrates many non-Muslims. But will it serve any purpose to use their own tactics? Absolutely not!

“The rising tide of Islam could not be possible without God’s allowance. Before we fall into the temptation to “fight fire with fire,” we need to think of our basic Christian principles. Christianity is not a religion that relies on physical force or violent protests. Christianity moves forward on the proclamation of God’s word of grace in Jesus and deeds of mercy done for the sake of our neighbors.

“Luther and his countrymen faced a much worse situation with the invasion of the Muslim Turks in the 1500s. Luther considered this invasion nothing less than punishment from God for a church and a society that had drifted from God’s word. He called the church to repentance and to renewal through the word of God. Could the American Christian church and culture stand a little reforming? I certainly think so!

“And what did he think about the Qur’an? Luther called for its publication and encouraged Christians to read it! He knew that side by side, the Bible would overwhelm the Qur’an with its truth and with its message of salvation.”
“

Check out this wonderful daily prayer that a gentleman in Pastor Beane’s church prays every day. Pastor Beane asked him to pray it and his wife taped it, after Bible class, so that explains the background noise. Below the video is a transcription that Pastor Beane kindly sent me.

Uncle Buddy’s Prayer

In the name of the Father, and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Heavenly Father we thank You for the many blessings that You have bestowed upon me and my family, me and my household. You have given us both temporal, earthly blessings and spiritual blessings. We do appreciate these blessings, Lord, and we thank and praise You for them. We thank You too for providing for the necessities of this life: our daily bread. You have truly exceeded our fondest hope and our greatest expectations.

Lord we pray that your Holy Spirit remain with us all the days of our lives, to guide, guard and protect us and keep us in the one true saving faith, until we finally we meet You in heaven. This we pray in our blessed savior’s name. Amen.

In the name of the Father, and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Uncle Buddy adds: “And then I say the Apostles’ Creed, the Lord’s Prayer, and the Benediction, and then I go to bed.”

Kindly take a moment to participate in a survey asking about your preference for Lent/Holy Week and Easter resources. Thanks so much. Here is the link.

“That the Evangelical Lutheran Church is a confessional church in the strict sense of the word, and that it ceases to be the Church of the Lutheran Reformation as soon as it ceases to be the Church of the Lutheran Confessions, is a matter which admits of no doubt. Here our opponents often see better than we Lutherans when, awed by the constantly repeated charge of “confessionalism,” we try to show that we are not so bad after all. One could fill an entire page with the terms of reproach that have been heaped upon us from the dawn of Pietism down to the days of the German Kirchenkampf (church struggle at the time of Hitler). And we must hear this reproach in an even stronger degree in our day because we are a confessional church, a church that takes seriously the confessions of the Fathers and dares to obligate its pastors to these confessions because (quia) they agree with the Word of God.

“If one surveys this unending contumely, if one seeks to understand the passionate nature of the polemics that are directed against this Lutheran confessionalism and which equal the bitterness with which the several confessions fought with each other in the Era of Orthodoxy, then one begins to ask whether these are not more than human forces which are here assailing the Lutheran Church. This is comparable to the attacks launched against the Church of the Augsburg Confession in the sixteenth century, which are not to be explained as the result of merely human passions and human opinions. So much the more it now becomes our solemn duty not merely to understand the confession which we are called to defend, but increasingly and more deeply to comprehend just what is the nature of a true confession and what are its functions in the Church.”

Herman Sasse

Letters to Lutheran Pastors 2
HT: MCH

Food for thought (no pun intended, well, ok I did intend it). There are a lot of people involved in youth ministry today who are convinced the key to successful youth ministry is a flurry of “fun” and “cool” activities. This has been the driving force behind a lot of youth ministry efforts across all churches in the last few decades. Guess what? It’s not working! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard from teenagers and young adult who come away from a youth event saying that the teaching was shallow, trite, silly, and well, just plain stupid. I’m sorry, I know that’s harsh, but it is the truth.

We pray:

O God, who alone knits all infants in the womb, You chose improbable servants—old  and childless— to conceive and parent the forerunner of Christ and, in so doing, demonstrated again Your strength in weakness. Grant us, who are as unlikely and unworthy as Zecharias and Elizabeth, the opportunity to love and serve You according to Your good and gracious will; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, now ad forever. Amen.

Zechariah (or Zachariah) and Elizabeth were “righteous before God, living blamelessly according to all the commandments and regulations of the Lord. (Luke 1:6)” The angel Gabriel greeted Zechariah, a priest in the temple in Jerusalem, announcing that Zechariah and Elizabeth would become parents of a son. Initially he didn’t believe Gabriel because of their old age. For this, Zechariah became unable to speak.

After their son was born, Elizabeth named the boy John, which means “Yahweh (the Lord) is gracious.” As friends and relatives sought to change her mind, thinking that he should be named for someone in their family, they asked Zechariah to write down what the boy’s name should be. Suddenly, his voice returned and he confirmed his wife’s choice.

In response to receiving his son and the return of his voice, Zechariah sang the Benedictus. This canticle beautifully summarizes God’s Old Testament promises and predicts John’s work as forerunner to the Messiah, who would be born in three more months (Luke 1:68-79).

We remember the faithful and pious examples of Zechariah and Elizabeth and honor them for raising the last great prophet of the coming Christ, Saint John the Baptist.

Those familiar with older English language Bibles might remember them slightly differently. That’s because the Authorized Version (King James) and some other translations use the Greek form of their names, calling them Zacharias and Elisabeth.

The Benedictus

Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,
for he has visited and redeemed his people
and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David,
as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,
that we should be saved from our enemies
and from the hand of all who hate us;
to show the mercy promised to our fathers
and to remember his holy covenant,
the oath that he swore to our father Abraham,
to grant us that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies,
might serve him without fear,
in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.
And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
to give knowledge of salvation to his people
in the forgiveness of their sins,
because of the tender mercy of our God,
whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high
to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace.

We pray:

Lord God, heavenly Father, through the prophet Moses, You began the prophetic pattern of teaching Your people the true fath and demonstrating through miraclesYour presence in creation to heal it of its brokenness. Grant that Your Church may see in Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, the final end-time prophet whose teaching and miracles continue in Your Church through the healing medicine of the Gospel and the Sacrament;through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Moses was born in Egypt several generations after Joseph brought his father Jacob and his brothers there to escape a famine in the land of Canaan. The descendants of Jacob had been enslaved by the Egyptians and were ordered to kill all their male children. When Moses was born his mother put him in a basket and set it afloat in the Nile River. He was found by Pharaoh’s daughter and raised by her as her own son (Exod 2:1–10). At age 40 Moses killed an Egyptian taskmaster and fled to the land of Midian, where he worked as a shepherd for forty years. Then the Lord called him to go back to Egypt and tell Pharaoh, “Let My people go, that they may hold a feast to Me in the wilderness” (5:1). Eventually Pharaoh gave in and, after the Israelites celebrated the first Passover, Moses led them out. At the Red Sea the Egyptian army was destroyed and the Israelites passed to safety on dry land (Exodus 12-15). At Mount Sinai they were given the Law and erected the Tabernacle (Exodus 19-40). But because of disobedience they had to wander in the wilderness for forty years. Moses himself was not allowed to enter the Promised Land, although God allowed him to view it (Deuteronomy 34). In the New Testament Moses is referred to as lawgiver and prophet. The first five books of the Bible are attributed to him.

My colleague, Rev. Scot Kinnaman, proudly announced the launch of a new blog site, Lutheranism 101, which is the companion blog site for the great new book, coming this Fall, not surprisingly titled Lutheranism 101. There is a nice sample from the book available for you to download and take a look at it, here.

On his third day in office as president of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, I was summoned for some remedial counseling. It was gracious of President Harrison to take the time to offer me words of wisdom and encouragement.

For old time’s sake, I took a seat in my office where I served as assistant to The LCMS president from 1992 to 2001, now enhanced and improved with the presence of Rev. Jon Vieker, Senior Assistant to the President of The LCMS.

Here is a photo of President Harrison with Rev. Vieker:

Rev. Dr. Al Collver kindly took this photo, I regret I did not shoot any of him, but…next time. Here I am admiring one of President Harrison’s wonderful rare books. The one I’m looking at is the first volume in the Jena edition of Luther’s Works [German edition]. The Jena edition was the collection of Luther’s Works commissioned by Elector Johann Friederich the Magnanimous.

And here is Rev. President Harrison at his desk. The old book on his desk is a copy of the “Apology of the Book of Concord.” I am encouraging President Harrison to work at translating it, even as Dr. J.A.O. Preus worked at translating the works of Martin Chemnitz during his years in office as Synodical President. Dr. Preus once told me, “I always found Martin Chemnitz to be the most delightful companion at the end of a long day. He and I never had any disagreements.”

We pray:

Almighty and merciful God, You raised up Gregory of Rome to be a pastor to those who shepherd God’s flock and inspired him to send missionaries to preach the Gospel to the English people. Preserve in Your Church the catholic and apostolic faith that your people may continue to be fruitful in every good work and receive the crown of glory that never fades away; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

One of the great leaders in Europe at the close of the sixth century, Gregory served in both the secular and sacred arenas of his era. As mayor of Rome, he restored economic vitality to his native city, which had been weakened by enemy invasions, pillage, and plague. After he sold his extensive properties and donated the proceeds to help the poor, he entered into full-time service in the Church. On September 3, 590 A.D., Gregory was elected to lead the church in Rome. As Bishop of Rome he oversaw changes and growth in the areas of church music and liturgical development, missionary outreach to northern Europe, and the establishment of a church-year calendar still used by many churches in the western World today. His book on pastoral care became a standard until the 20th century.

Read the extended entry for much more detail about Gregory’s life and work.

Read more…

We pray:

God the Father Almighty, maker of all things. You looked on the affliction of Your barren servant Hannah and did not forget her but answered her prayers with the gift of a son. So hear our supplications and petitions and fill our emptiness, granting us trust in Your provision, so that we, like Hannah, might render unto You all thankfulness and praise, and delight in the miraculous birth of Your Son, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Hannah was the favored wife of Elkanah the Ephraimite. For many years she remained barren, suffering the insults of Elkanah’s other wife, Peninnah — even though he said what he could to try comforting Hannah.

Finally the Lord relieved her of her bitterness (1 Samuel 1:6-8). After she poured herself out in prayer before the Tabernacle, the priest Eli sent her on the way with the promise that the Lord would hear and answer her prayer.

While Scripture gives no indication that Eli even knew the specifics of her petitions, his promise to the distraught woman came to pass and she bore a son, whom she named Samuel (“Heard by God”), “for she said, ‘I have asked for him from the Lord.’ (vv. 9-21)”

After weaning him, Hannah expressed gratitude by returning Samuel for a life of service in the House of the Lord with Elkanah’s consent and blessing (1:24-28). Her prayer of thanksgiving (2:1-10) foreshadows the Magnificat, the Song of Mary which would be sung centuries later during her Visitation to her cousin Elizabeth (Luke 1:46-55).

The name Hannah comes from the Hebrew word for “grace” or “favor,” the same root as the name John. We remember Hannah for joyfully keeping the vow she made before her son’s birth. We also praise our God who lavished His favor upon a childless woman and upon the Children of Israel — both through the gift of Samuel.

Concordia Publishing House Sells One Millionth Hymnal
Concordia Publishing House Aims to Put a Hymnal into the Hands of Every Lutheran

09.01.2010 – Saint Louis, MO—When you hear about a publishing company selling over a million copies in record time, you almost expect the book to have Harry Potter or Twilight in its title. However, Concordia Publishing House (CPH) is proud to announce that this time that is not the case. In fact, after just four years, Lutheran Service Book (LSB) has sold one million copies.

“People need a way to give voice to their faith. There are three core books that can do that: the Bible, the hymnal, and the catechism,” said Rev. Paul McCain, Concordia’s publisher. “The hymnal is the book that helps put our faith in a form that we can easily remember. That is a powerful influence in a Christian’s life.”

In fact, it is so powerful an influence, that even before its release, the hymnal saw great success. Its first print run of 250,000 copies sold out in preorders, and over the next four years, around 80% of the churches in The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod adopted LSB.

“We are absolutely thrilled to celebrate the overwhelming reception that Lutheran Service Book has had in our churches,” said President and CEO, Dr. Bruce G. Kintz. “At CPH, it is our mission to serve the church by providing resources for today’s ministry, and the hymnal’s success shows us that our mission is being fulfilled.”

Although the majority of the first million hymnals went to churches across the country, last month Pastor Gary Benedix made an uncommon purchase and bought a single hymnal. His church, Hope Lutheran in Jackpot, Nevada, was not a part of that 80%. When Pastor Benedix ordered LSB on the Web, he hoped to use it for two things: first, to use as a launching pad for introducing the hymnal to his congregation, and second, as a gift for his one and only confirmation student.

What came next was a bit more unexpected.

“I got a phone call from Dr. Kintz, and he told me that I had purchased the millionth hymnal,” said Pastor Benedix. “I was confused; I thought they were calling everyone to tell them the news, but he explained that I had actually, physically purchased the millionth hymnal. I couldn’t believe it!”

This retired pastor from Jackpot, Nevada, had indeed hit the jackpot. He had purchased one very special copy of Lutheran Service Book for his tiny church, whose attendance ranged from four to 25 on any given week.

With such a small attendance, the church had not been able to adopt LSB when it was released; but Pastor Benedix was not about to let that stand in his way.

“The liturgical aspect of worship is so important to me,” he said. “The beauty of the service, especially in LSB, adds depth and spirituality to each person that uses it.”

In fact, Pastor Benedix was so interested in getting LSB for his congregation that he hoped they would each purchase their own copies to use during worship and at home. As a surprise and special gift to Pastor Benedix, his congregation did not have to be without LSB for long. Because he purchased the millionth hymnal, CPH gave his congregation 30 hymnals as a way of saying thank you.

“We are so excited to get started with Lutheran Service Book and to continue this liturgical tradition with Word and Sacrament in Jackpot,” Pastor Benedix said.

Even though Pastor Benedix’s congregation can now use LSB at church, their pastor is still excited to utilize the hymnal outside of worship. Not only does he plan to start a few small Bible studies, but he also plans on using that one special hymnal to teach his only confirmation student, McKenzie Heileman.

“I’ll expect her to use it at home to read through the devotional services, the responsive prayer, and the chief parts,” said Pastor Benedix. “It’s difficult to get kids to memorize, but her memory work will be the prayers in the hymnal, which are marvelous.”

Pastor Benedix’s expectation for McKenzie to use the hymnal at home aligns perfectly with Concordia Publishing House’s hopes for the hymnal’s future, according to Peter Reske, managing editor of music and worship resources.

“If you only use the hymnal on Sunday, you will miss all the little things in there that are so important,” Reske said. “Many things often go overlooked.”

In order to help members of the LCMS realize what they have been overlooking over the last four years, CPH has introduced the Hymnal in Every Home campaign, that Pastor McCain hopes will show people just how the hymnal can be used at home.

“It gives great continuity between Sunday morning and home life, because it is basically your one-stop-shop. There are suggested daily Bible readings, hymns, prayers, psalms, and more,” he said. “Why only worship the Lord on Sunday? His word is our sustenance. Can you survive by eating only one day a week? Probably. But God’s buffet is open 24/7 and he invites us to enjoy richly.”

And so, as a way to promote the purchase of hymnals for every home, CPH has lowered their prices significantly—offering the Pew Edition for only $20 and the Gift Edition for $30.

“From the beginning this has been your hymnal,” said Reske, “and we want to make sure you have every opportunity to get your hands on it.”

To order or find out more about the Hymnal in Every Home campaign, visit cph.org/hymnal where you can find hymnal tips, videos, and more.