I grew up spending many, many long hours down at the bayou a few houses down from mine shooting, my pellet rifle. Hours upon hours of pumping it up and shooting one shot at a time, at tin cans bobbing in the water, and setting up all kinds of targets for myself along the shore line. Days upon days and hours upon hours. I particpated in the National Rifle Association’s shooting program for young guys like me, and loved every second of it. I had gotten away from any kind of shooting for many years, until my sons got into it with Boy Scouts, now I’m hooked again. I’m a member of a local rifle and pistol club and love getting away and spending some time on the range with my rifles, shotgun and pistol. My pride and joy is my Daniel Defense M4 Carbine, chambered in 5.56 NATO.

For gun geeks, here are the details, from muzzle to butt stock. he bipod is a T-Pod front grip.I’ve got a Trijicon ACOG on it, TA31 BAC, with a donut reticle, mounted on a LaRue mount. I’ve got a BCM Gunfighter charging handle, and a GL-Shock butt stock, along with a Vickers Blue Force sling. I use 30 round PMAGS from Magpul, but for display purposes here, I’ve just got a 20 round USGI aluminum magazine in it. My other guns include a Remington Express Tactical 870 shotgun, a Glock 17, a Ruger 10/22 and a Ruger Mark III Huntsman, and a Springfield Armory 1911 -A1 .45.

Fun times! Thank God for the Second Ammendment. Molon labe!

Daniel Defense M4 Rifle, chambered in 5.56/223 Remington, with a Trijicon ACOG optic, GL-Shock butt stock, a few other goodies

Springfield 1911-A1, .45 ACP

Broken AR15 extractor

By late Spring/early Summer, you will be able to start ordering Luther: Echoes of the Hammer – The Graphic Novel. Here’s a sneak peek at the cover. You are going to love it. This is a large poster form of it, that we have up in our graphic design department.

I’m very happy to announce that the CPH bookstores on the campus of both of our two seminaries are now available for you to shop from, 24/7/365, via their online store. You’ll enjoy browsing the textbook selection and buying your favorite seminary logowear and other items, etc. Check them out! Here is the link to our bookstore on the campus of Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and the link to our bookstore on the campus of Concordia Seminary, Saint Louis.

Lutheranism 101: The Survey. Would you take a minute to fill out this survey? It would be very helpful to us and you will, upon finishing it, have the satisfaction of knowing you have done at least one good deed for the day. Thanks.

Click here to take the survey.

My colleague, Rev. Dr. Benjamin Mayes, preached in our chapel service last year on St. Matthias. It was a memorable message and I present to you again.

Unremarkable Matthias

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Dearly Beloved:

Matthias is unremarkable. We have his feast on our Evangelical-Lutheran church year calendar simply because of this passage from Acts 1. From church history we know next to nothing of where he preached or what he did later. In Christian art he is often pictured with an axe, which means that Christians in ancient times believed that he was put to death by beheading, no doubt as a result of his bold confession of Jesus Christ as the Son of the one, true God, and his refusal to acknowledge and worship false gods. But our text tells us very little. We don’t learn anything about Matthias beyond his name. We even know more about the guy who wasn’t elected, since he has three names—Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also called Justus—while Matthias has only one name. Of course, we also know that Matthias accompanied the Lord Jesus and the Twelve and was a witness to the Lord’s resurrection. Matthias’ only claim to fame is that God chose him to be an apostle and sent him out to preach and administer sacraments and shepherd the flock of God. What can we learn from this? Not all of the men whom God chooses to preach, administer sacraments, and shepherd the church are remarkable. Most are pretty ordinary. Don’t be disappointed if your pastor is not the most dynamic or charismatic leader. Don’t be disappointed if he doesn’t have the business sense to manage a small corporation. Hold him to the qualifications set forth by Scripture. For the call of Matthias, what was important was that he have been a companion of Jesus and the Twelve from beginning to end, and that he be a witness of the resurrected Lord Jesus. For pastors today, their qualifications and duties are set forth in sufficient detail in Paul’s letters to Timothy and Titus. For that matter, we should learn from this to measure anyone in any God-given office by God’s standards in Scripture, not by whatever our emotions, eyes, or reason would require. Hold all church workers to the standards set forth in Scripture. Be satisfied with governmental leaders who are doing their duty. Fathers and mothers don’t have to be perfect, as long as they are doing what God sets forth in His Word.

Now, the treachery of Judas must have been a shock to the disciples. Here was one that the Lord Jesus had hand-chosen to be one of His inner circle. And yet he turned, betrayed the Lord, and ended his miserable life with an evil hanging of himself. It must have seemed like God’s plans were being thwarted by evil. But they were not. God knew what He was doing. In the same way, at the fall of Adam and Eve into sin, God already knew what He would do: send His Son to become a human being, to die and rise and redeem the world, winning them back for God. God’s plan was to create holy humanity to enjoy His blessings. Adam and Eve’s sin did not thwart God’s plan. He sent His Son to make it happen. So also here, at the treachery of Judas, God’s plan was not thwarted. The Lord’s plan was to have Twelve apostles, sent out to the twelve tribes of Israel, to be the foundation of the Church through their preaching of Christ. And even though Judas fell away, God’s plan was not thwarted. Peter and the other apostles studied the Old Testament Scripture, and they found a prophecy of Judas’ betrayal in Psalms 69 and 109. And the prophecy in Psalm 109 included the instruction, “let another take his office.” To us this seems obvious. If the pastor embezzels the congregation’s money or has an affair, he is removed from office and another pastor is called and installed. But it was probably not obvious to the apostles how they should deal with the fall of an apostle. What kind of an office was this? Was it like the Old Testament priesthood or kingship, in which the office could become vacant and passed on to others, or was it more like the Old Testament prophetic office, which God raised up when and where he pleased, and which did not automatically pass on to others, unless God said explicitly that the prophet’s student should become a prophet, too? (This happened with Elijah and Elisha.) Peter and the other apostles study Scripture, and they find this Scripture: “Let another take his office.” So it is an office, and it can be vacant, and someone else can take it. That may not have been obvious at first. We too, should search the Scriptures to find God’s will. Don’t look to your feelings and emotions, your fears and worries, or your reason and senses to determine God’s will for your life. If you want to know what God’s plan is, don’t look at success in the world, either. If doors seem to be opening to you, this might not be God’s will and plan. It might just be the path of least resistance. Instead, search the Scriptures. If you find it there, you know it is God’s will. If you don’t find it there, then don’t claim that it is God’s will and plan. Peter and the other apostles studied Scripture.

Finally, there’s something shocking about the “call committee” or “voters’ assembly” which was formed for the purpose of electing a new apostle. It’s not what we might expect. First, only men were present, or at least only they were being addressed by Peter (vv. 15–16). The Greek makes this clear, since Peter says not just “brothers,” but in the Greek, ἄνδρες ἀδελφοί, “men brothers.” Next, the qualifications for the new apostle were set forth by Peter, not by the congregation (vv. 21–22). The congregation did not go through a self-study process. They did not write up their own mission and ministry plan. They did not do a spiritual gifts inventory. Peter, as the leader, set forth the kind of man they were looking for, and clearly he was acting in accord with God’s will when he did so. Finally, nowhere does the text say that the congregation chose two out of many qualified candidates; in fact, Matthias and Joseph may have been the only two men qualified. It’s possible that this congregation of men did not nominate anyone. If they did, the text doesn’t make it clear. Finally, this congregation of men did not actually elect anyone either. The whole point of the passage is that the congregation did not choose, but God did.

Now, I’m not pointing out these differences from today’s LCMS call committees to say that our call committees or voters’ assemblies should be like this assembly of men around the apostles, in all respects. On the contrary, especially with the casting of lots, this is not something we should imitate. This is the only time in the New Testament where the casting of lots is used to select an apostle or pastor. The apostolic church afterwards abandoned this practice. After Pentecost it was never used again, and it is also not commanded to us that we practice it.

The reason I have pointed out these differences is to underline the main point of this Bible reading: that God chose Matthias to complete the Twelve and to be a witness of the resurrection. Matthias went forth and preached that Jesus conquered death for you, Jesus obtained forgiveness for you. God’s plan for your salvation is not thwarted by Judas, not by Adam and Eve, not even by your sins. Repent of your sins and believe in Christ, the same Christ whom unremarkable Matthias proclaimed. To Him be glory and honor, now and forever. Amen.

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Pope Benedict XVI, in today’s general audience, during his catechesis presentation, praises the nemesis of the Lutheran Reformation after the death of Luther, Robert Bellarmine. It was against Bellarmine that Martin Chemnitz and Johann Gerhard directed much of their work in systematic theology.

This is just a reminder that some things have not changed.

If you, like me, are curious about the actual process of beatification and what is involved in the ritual, here is an interesting story.

ScienceDaily:

Looking at both digital memory and analog devices, the researchers calculate that humankind is able to store at least 295 exabytes of information. (Yes, that’s a number with 20 zeroes in it.)

Put another way, if a single star is a bit of information, that’s a galaxy of information for every person in the world. That’s 315 times the number of grains of sand in the world. But it’s still less than one percent of the information that is stored in all the DNA molecules of a human being.

HT: Joe Carter via Justin Taylor

Martin Luther, born on November 10, 1483, in Eisleben, Germany, initially began studies leading toward a degree in law. However, after a close encounter with death, he switched to the study of theology, entered an Augustinian monastery, was ordained a priest in 1505, and received a doctorate in theology in 1512. As a professor at the newly-established University of Wittenberg, his scriptural studies led him to question many of the church’s teachings and practices, especially the selling of indulgences. His refusal to back down from his convictions resulted in his excommunication in 1521. Following a period of seclusion at the Wartburg castle, Luther returned to Wittenberg, where he spent the rest of his life preaching and teaching, translating the Scriptures, and writing hymns and numerous theological treatises. He is remembered and honored for his lifelong emphasis on the biblical truth that for Christ’s sake God declares us righteous by grace through faith alone. He died on February 18, 1546, while visiting the town of his birth.

In 1546 Luther set out for the counts of Mansfeld because they had summoned him to settle a dispute. Before he reached Eisleben, he became quite ill because it was at the end of January. On Feb. 17 he began to be very ill, being quite heavy of chest. With him were his three sons, Johannes, Martin, and Paul, and some other friends including Justus Jonas, minister of the church at Halle. Although he was quite weak, he ate lunch and supper with the rest. During supper he spoke about various matters. Among other things he kept asking this: “Will we recognize each other in eternal life?” When they wanted to learn this from him, he said: “What happened to Adam? He had never seen Eve, but when God made her, he was drowsy and fell into a very deep sleep. When he awoke and saw her, he did not ask who she was or where she came from, but said that she was flesh of his flesh and bone of his bones. But how did he know that? He declared this, being filled with the Holy Spirit and endowed with the true knowledge of God. In the same manner, we, too, will be renewed through Christ in the other life, and then we will know our parents, wives, children, and whatever it is much more perfectly than Adam knew Eve.”

When he left the table to pray, as was his custom, the pain of his chest began to increase. Then, at the advice of some, he drank a unicorn’s horn of wine and slept peacefully for an hour or two on a small cot in the stove room. When he awoke, he went into the bedroom and again settled himself to rest. He greeted his friends, who were there, and told them: “Pray God to preserve for us the teaching of the Gospel, for the pope and his council are planning harsh things.” After he said this, he became quiet and slept for a while, but after midnight the pressing pain of his illness aroused him. He complained about the pain in his chest and, perceiving that the end of his life was now imminent, he implored God with exactly these words:

“Heavenly Father, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, God of all consolation, I give You thanks that You have revealed Your Son, Jesus Christ, to me. I have believed in Him, I have confessed Him, I have loved Him, I have praised Him, whom the pope and the remaining crowd of the wicked persecute and insult. I ask You, my Lord Jesus Christ, receive my poor soul. Heavenly Father, though I am being plucked out of this life, though I will now have to put aside this body, yet I know for certain that I will remain with You forever and that no one can pluck me out of Your hands.”

Not much after that prayer, when He had commended His spirit into God’s hands once and again, he slowly departed from life as if going to sleep, with no pain of body that anyone could notice. That fatal year of Luther was his sixty-third, a year which generally is quite dangerous.

Johannes Sleidanus, De statu religionis et republicae, Carolo quinto, Caesare commentarij (Basel, 1556), quoted in Johann Gerhard, Theological Commonplaces XXV, On the Church, § 297.

We continue to experience a tremendous response to Lutheranism 101. It’s now been through several printings and tens of thousands have been printed and distributed. We hosted an event at our bookstore on the campus of Concordia Seminary, Saint Louis and here’s a short video, capturing some reactions to the book, and comments about it:

One of the major crises in worldwide Christendom is the fact that in most every major liberal mainline denominational institutions theology is treated as an academic pursuit, divorced from the actual mission of Christ. So, be very careful when you note that a person appears to be indulging their pet academic interests than in preparing servants of Christ’s people. If, or when, we notice that there is more interest in reading and studying theologians in the past century, beware. Our focus and interest should always be, first, and foremost, on studying Scripture, Confessions and the faithful teachers of our Lutheran Church, chiefly Martin Luther, and other faithful orthodox Lutheran fathers.

Hermann Sasse had something to say about this problem:

63 Clifton Street

Prospect, South Australia

April 7, 1962

Dear Professor [J.A.O.] Preus,

It is now almost two weeks that I came back from my trip around the world, a little exhausted from the rush of the last weeks, but refreshed in the spirit by the experiences of the months abroad… The way your students listened to the old foreigner and the confidence they showed in our discussions on the most vital questions of the Lutheran Church and its doctrine has been a source of great encouragement to me. …I had to think of them when I met in Germany a different type of students, sophisticated young existentialists who did not know how to bring home to the Christian congregation the “myths” of Christmas and Easter. Which means they believe in the “message,” but not in the historicity of the narratives… I met Bornkamm (Heinrich, the church historian) and had a most moving meeting with Peter Brunner with whom I was connected in the church struggle in Hitler’s time. He is now an old man and quite disappointed with Lutheranism in the EKiD. He told me he looked back at a frustrated life because all his attempts to restore the right of the Lutheran Church within the union had proved futile. In case his church would accept the ordination of women he would withdraw from all activities in the church. He was disgusted with the new Biblical theology which destroys all doctrine. To my question why he did not write against these men he replied he was too tired for further fights. It is an enigma how this theology which destroys the historic character of almost the whole “Heilsgeschichte” and is satisfied with the “Kerygma” which it finds behind the “legends” could get hold of the youth of German Protestantism. Why is it that old men in their high seventies carry away the youth of our churches, even in America, like Bultmann and Tillich? It is probably a return to the theology of the time before 1914, a revival of that historicism which has lost the ability to think in terms of dogmatics.

The practical result is that the generation of younger pastors can hardly be accustomed to practical work. Their sermons betray the contrast between their undogmatic theology and the need to preach the doctrine of the church. These split personalities produce sermons which leave behind the impression of mere intellectual exercises of technical discussions of problems which the average congregation cannot understand. And how can it be otherwise if I preach the resurrection of Christ with the conviction that the Easter gospel is a legend… The type of professor who at the same time was a Seelsorger has died out. Where such professors still exist, they are mocked, as Professor Trillhaus in Goettingen has lately pointed out… I did not find in Heidelberg Schlink, but heard he was in Rome. So I rang him up there and on the last leg of my trip I indulged in my old dream to see the city of the apostles. We spent many hours together while seeing the sights…

With kindest regards, Yours sincerely,

H. Sasse

Spiritual Lessons for Children —
New Curriculum Changes How We Think About God

The Center for Progressive Christianity and ProgressiveChristianity.org, continues to change the face of progressive Christianity with its groundbreaking children’s curriculum—A Joyful Path. Created for use in congregations, small groups, or individual families, it is ideal for those who are looking for spiritual affirmations for children freed from dogma and creed. The language is inclusive, inter-spiritual, and intelligent. Sensitively written and beautifully illustrated, this curriculum focuses on behavior before belief, creating and practicing a spiritual path, and knowing one’s true self. It celebrates children’s naturally joy-filled life, and draws upon their compassion and innate wisdom. Written with ages 6-10 in mind, the material can easily be simplified for younger children as young as three, or expanded for older children up to twelve by using the teacher material at the beginning of each lesson.
A Joyful Path has been described as a “breath of fresh air”, a “goldmine”, and “the best curriculum I’ve ever taught”. Teachers the world over have raved about how this curriculum encourages children to listen and respect all people, to think of the entire world as our family, to celebrate and care for our earth, and to see God within everyone. While it offers a way of life which centers around Jesus’ teachings, this curriculum respects the teachings of other wisdom paths and avoids the exclusivity often associated with religious studies.

It differs from traditional church curriculum in many ways. This curriculum avoids speaking at children, telling them what to believe or how to behave. Rather, it creates space for children to learn on their own. It is fun and interactive, full of activities, games, and ideas to use children’s own experiences to help them discover truth for themselves. While it uses the Bible as inspiration, it is not bible centered, nor does it refer to God as something outside of ourselves as a powerful deity with human like qualities. Based upon our most current understanding of the universe, and drawing upon a plethora of wisdom teachings, each lesson or affirmation encourages children to use their energy in positive ways and to see themselves as interconnected to all.

Parents, educators, churches, and communities can all benefit from curriculum that is spiritually progressive and relevant in today’s world. For more information, contact us at center@tcpc.org or go to www.ProgressiveChristianity.org to see for yourself.

This is a “must watch.”

President Harrison LCEF Presentation from VimeoLCMS on Vimeo.

A good friend just said something to me, “If I flee from what I fear it’s only going to get bigger, and cause real problems, ones greater than fear.”