Baptized as a Baby, and it Counted!

I was at a hospital in metro-Detroit to visit a man who was dying.  His son was a member of my congregation, but the man, himself, was somewhat disconnected from his Roman Catholic upbringing.  The son was distraught, concerned for his father’s health and salvation, so he had asked me to come.  So there I was. 

What I hadn’t been told was that the man had a daughter who was a born-again, re-baptized, non-denominational Baptist who was adamant that her father’s baptism didn’t count because he was an infant when he was baptized.  It was like stepping into a Cold War meeting of the U.S. and Soviet Union; thick with tension, each party waiting for the other to flinch, and my presence was just the spark needed to get things going. 

I began to speak to the man about God’s faithfulness and the gift God gave him in his baptism, and that’s when the daughter went off.  She began lecturing and saying that her dad’s baptism was invalid because he was a baby, he wasn’t immersed, and baptism can’t give faith or forgiveness.  I could see the questions and fear in the old man’s eyes, and I made a decision.  I excused myself and asked the children to come in the hallway with me and we had a stern talk about not upsetting their dying father. 

The daughter got in my face and cited this past week’s gospel lesson (Luke 3:15-22) to prove that baptism must be done by immersion and only for adults.  It was a militant stance, and as I stepped into the theological debate I knew two things:  (1) she would not be convinced, no matter what Bible verses I pointed her to because she had put human traditions over God’s Word and (2) this conversation was not going to serve God’s kingdom or the old man in the hospital room. 

Sigh!

Baptism is a great gift God has given us.   It is far more than a nostalgic moment where we offer our children to the Lord.  God places His name on those who are baptized and fills them with the Holy Spirit.  He creates faith, washes away sin, and gives us all His gifts.  (Titus 3) Baptism saves.  (1 Peter 3:21)  The reason it saves is because it delivers the benefits of Jesus’ death and resurrection to us.  (Romans 6:3-7)  What is more, our Lord Jesus commands baptism as part of making disciples – not choosing to be disciples – but making disciples.  (Matthew 28:19-20)

Brothers and sisters, I urge you to cherish your baptism.  Turn there when you feel doubts about your faith, or have questions about your salvation.  You are baptized!  God has touched you to mark you as His own, and to give you all of the benefits of being His child!  Then share the good news of what God has done for you so others can know God’s love and blessings in their lives, too!  (And if you’re not baptized: why not?  Let’s talk about that!)

Questions to Ponder

-          Who did people wonder John might be?

-          How does John describe Jesus in Luke 3:16?  What does this mean for Jesus’ baptism?

-          Where do we see each person of the Trinity in Luke 3:21-22?

-          When and where were you baptized?  How old were you?  Who was there?  What do you know about that day?

-          How might knowing that God was at work in your baptism comfort you when you have doubts, troubles or struggles?

-          Which of the passages cited above is the most meaningful or challenging to you?  Why not memorize it and meditate on it?  

And the Christmas Season Comes to an End

Well, Christmas has come and gone again, but the Christ Child, who was born to save us from our sins, lives and reigns to all eternity and is still at work in our world!  This past Sunday, January 6, was the Feast of Epiphany – the 12^th Day of Christmas – and the, “12 drummers drumming,” bring the Christmas festivities to an end.  The decorations have come down from the sanctuary, and we have entered the Season of Epiphany which focuses us to see Jesus as the God-Man who came to save us.  The season kicks off with the visit of the Magi, which you can read about in Matthew 2:1-12. 

It is interesting how the visit of the Magi has been romanticized and sanitized.  Many a nativity scene shows these visitors from the Orient bowing offering their gifts at Jesus’ cradle, but the truth is Jesus’ family had moved into a house by the time the Magi arrived, and He was likely a year-or-two old.  Songs and legends refer to them as kings, but they were not.  Magi served kings.  We also tend to call them wise men, and this they were in a manner of speaking.  They were likely a mix of scientist and sorcerer, studying the stars and nature to predict the future and harness their powers. 

You might be wondering at this point, “What in the world are people like that doing visiting Jesus and worshipping Him?”  And if you are, I would argue that you have hit on the point Matthew is making as he records this event. 

The Magi were the worst kind of false religion practitioners you can find, and they come to Jesus.  Think through Jesus’ ministry.  Was it the priests, Pharisees and scribes who flocked to Jesus, or was it the tax-collectors, prostitutes, and “sinners”?  As Jesus, Himself, said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.  I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”  (Luke 5:31-32) 

Jesus comes for sinners.  He is the demonstration of God’s all-powerful love for people just like you and me who disobey Him, rebel against Him, and even pretend we don’t need Him.  The Magi are a living picture of the kind of people God redeems in Jesus. 

Here is the rub for us in this scenario.  Where do you want to be on the continuum between Magi and Pharisee?  Are you a sinner who needs Jesus to shed His blood for you?  Or are you basically a good person who just occasionally messes up a little? 

For my part, I am a sinner.  Apart from the blood of Jesus, I have no hope for salvation.  I hope that you will join me in that answer so that you can know the amazingness of God’s grace; that He welcomes people like us into His presence through Jesus’ birth, life, death, and resurrection. 

P.S.  This reading also demonstrates the importance of reading the Bible to know what it actually says.  If you are not reading the Bible please join me in reading through the New Testament this year.  You can get the readings and a devotion based on the readings through the church web site – here.  Or you can follow through my web page here. 

Questions to Ponder

-          Somehow the Magi knew a King of the Jews had been born by observing the stars.  There is much speculation as to how they knew that Jesus had been born, but the text is clear as to how they knew where He was born.  How did they find out where Jesus was born?

-          What did King Herod say was his intention in helping the Magi to find the newborn king?  What was his real intention?  What important information did Herod get from them Magi in v. 7?

-          What was the Magi’s response at seeing the star after visiting Jerusalem?

-          If the visit of the Magi really shows that God welcome’s sinners, what is the significance of having confession and absolution in every worship service?  What is your response at hearing that your sins are forgiven?

-          Herod was not about to worship Jesus or acknowledge Him as a true king.  How do you resist Jesus’ lordship in your life?  Where do you try to remain “king”?

-          How might knowing the scandalous background of the Magi impact who you share the Gospel with?  

Rejoice? After Sandy Hook?

It has been a week of mixed emotions as we prepare for Christmas.  There is a heavy sadness that hangs over our nation at the atrocious violence in Newtown, CT.  All week I have seen tributes and prayers for the families who have had their lives torn apart by what now seems to be a cold calculated killer.  Alas, that anyone should face such days!  At the same time several families in our congregation are dealing with the loss of loved ones ranging in age from newborn to nonagenarian.  There is so much sadness in this life! 

These days before Christmas are usually seen as days of celebrations and delight.  We resonate with the first half of Paul’s words in Romans 12:15, “Rejoice with those who rejoice!” as we bake cookies, read Christmas stories, watch movies, go caroling, and the like.  However, this week we have also been confronted with the last half of Paul’s message in Romans 12:15, “Weep with those who weep.” 

Such sorrow and sadness in our world confirms the suspicion that all is not as it should be.  Indeed, Jesus confronts us with the truth that our world is broken, held hostage, and in rebellion against the God who made it to be good. 

How, then, do we respond to such awful events?  Lately, I have found myself constantly thinking for political solutions to problems like these, wondering why all these shooters are white males between the ages of 14 and 25, and feeling agitated, bothered, distracted, and upset.  I feel the pull to respond to the tragedies we have faced this month as the world would respond to them.  I need to learn to be in the world while not being of it. 

When we are in the world but not of it, we will certainly grieve over such injustice, but there will be peace for God is still God and we trust Him to make all things right.  We may experience anger and frustration, but it will flow from love for those who are hurt or have been lost.  We will deliver the fruits of the Spirit - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and self-control – to a world which lacks all these things. 

Don’t get me wrong.  I’m not berating you or anyone if you’re feeling the weight of sorrow on your shoulders right now.  You’ll find no pie-in-the-sky, Polly Anna, proclamations of forced happiness or faked perfection here.  What I am saying is to take a good look at the baby in the manger and think about His life.  He dealt with reality and gave us hope.  He was crushed by sin’s consequence, but He also overcame it for us so we can live.  He could have stayed in heaven and avoided all the suffering and sorrow of our world, but because He loves us He became one of us, leaving the glory of His home for the brokenness of ours. 

Jesus gives us the ability to have a clear view of life.  We see the reality of evil.  We experience the presence of pain.  We do not gloss over these and pretend that they are aberrations in world that is basically good.  This is the way of a world that has fallen, been redeemed, and will be renewed, and the hope we have in Jesus is the Good News that will renew it.  We bear that hope and message into the world. 

Remember, as it says in Philippians 4:  The Lord is near!  Christmas shows that to us so clearly as Immanuel, whose name means, God with us, comes to us in the flesh.  He is at work, even when you cannot see or imagine how, and He loves you.  So we say, “Rejoice in the Lord!” in the face of all that would cause us to doubt His presence, love, and goodness for Jesus has won the victory. 

Questions to Ponder

-          What is the cause of all the woes of the world?

-          What did God do about it?

-          When have you wept with those who weep?  How can simply weeping with someone be a comfort to them? 

-          When have you rejoiced with those who rejoice? 

-          Seeing the events of the last week, what do you weep over?  What do you rejoice in? 

-          How can our belief in Humanity’s Fall into Sin and Jesus’ Atonement for Sin help us deal with evil in the world?  

Dear Malachi - yeah, I'm talking to you!

Dear Malachi,

Yes, I mean you, dear reader!  You might be saying, “My name is not Malachi!” but it is a good title for us as followers of Jesus.  You see, the name Malachi means, “My messenger.”  Each of us has heard the Word of the Lord proclaiming God’s forgiveness, love, and salvation, and we are all authorized to share that message with others.  So, …

Dear Malachi,

We are well into our preparations for Christmas, and this past Sunday we ran into one of the key figures of the Advent Season:  John the Baptizer.  (I know it is more common to call him, “the Baptist,” but John was by no means a Baptist, as in today’s denomination, but he certainly was one who baptized people – a Baptizer.)  It was almost obligatory that we should sing, “On Jordan’s bank the Baptist’s cry announces that the Lord is nigh….” 

John came to prepare the way for the Lord.  He called people to repentance.  That is, he called them to turn away from their sins and to return to God.  He urged them to turn away from their sinful behaviors and return to the God who had saved them.  Throughout his ministry his message was, “The kingdom of God is at hand.”  He reminded the world that it had a King – and it was not Herod or Caesar.  His preaching found its highest point when he pointed to that King and said, “Look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” 

Like John, we modern day Malachim (plural of Malachi) share the same message.  We still call people to turn away from sin and proclaim forgiveness in Jesus’ name.  We remind the world that the King will come again.  He is not far away, disinterested, or non-existent as some suppose, but He is nigh, close at hand, at work in the Word and Sacraments to touch us, transform us, and give us life.  And, we point to Jesus as say, “Look!  The Lamb of God!”  It is by Jesus blood shed on the cross that our sins are paid.  And, of course, we remind the world that Jesus not only died, but rose in victory, lives, reigns to all eternity and will come again. 

How do we do that, though?  We have not been called to go out to the Cuyahoga River dressed in camels’ hair to cry out, “You brood of vipers!  Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?”  Instead, our sharing of the message happens in a variety of ways.  The message in our Christmas cards is one; we point people to the real meaning of Christmas.  Our conversations are another opportunity to declare to people the King has come and has saved us as we discuss the matters of our lives.  Our actions also speak a message to others.  When our choices flow from the forgiveness we have received people will see mercy, generosity, kindness, humility, and Christlikeness in us, and they will hear loud and clear. 

So, share the message.  Remind your children about the real meaning of Christmas.  Tell a friend, “I think Christmas is all about God’s love for us and that He came to be one of us!”  There are many ways to say the message that Jesus is the Lord Who Saves His People – literally. 

Questions to Ponder

Read Luke 3:1-14

-          Why does Luke go through the trouble of naming so many people at the beginning of this reading?  How is it significant to place the historical setting of this event?

-          What was John’s message to his listeners?

-          What did John tell the crowd, tax collectors, and soldiers they should do? 

-          What is your impression of John?  What do you feel is the most important part of his message in this reading?

-          Luke quoted Isaiah in vv. 4-6.  What message did Isaiah say John would proclaim?  How do you prepare for the coming of Jesus? 

-          God comes to us in the Word and Sacraments when we gather for worship.  How do you prepare for coming to meet the Lord on Sunday morning?  What kinds of things do you/could you do to prepare for worship?  

Christmas is about Jesus. Duh!

I once heard a story about a person who called tech support because his computer would not turn on.  Tech support walked the man through several steps to try to fix the problem.  He was urged to try “Control-Alt-Delete.”  It didn’t work.  He was instructed to press and hold the power button for fifteen seconds and then release it, wait a minute, then press it again.  Nothing.  Tech support asked the man to check to see if the computer was plugged in.  It was, but would still not turn on.  Finally the technician asked the man to check the cable connecting the screen to the processing unit.  The man said, “I’ll try, but it’s really hard to see in here.”  The tech asked why it was hard to see.  The man replied, “Well, the power is out in the whole building, so we don’t have any lights.”  Technical support replied, “I think I’ve found the problem.” 

It may seem obvious, but if the power is not on your computer will not work. 

It may seem obvious, but Christmas is about the birth of Jesus Christ. 

That fact, which may be so obvious to us, seems to be lost in our world.  And as we live in the world and experience its influence in our lives we must take care to not lose sight of the truth, nor let our children buy into the world’s agenda for the holidays. 

If you will allow the analogy, it is essential to our faith to remain “plugged in” during the Christmas season.  While some would have us plug into festivities and sentimentality – both of which can be quite nice and good – we are urged to plug into Christ.  Advent gives us exactly that opportunity as we dig into God’s promises, remember the prophecies regarding Jesus’ birth, and reflect on our need for the savior who was born in a stable. 

Advent also brings us to the beginning of a new church year.  You will notice that our Gospel Lessons will come to us primarily from the Book of Luke.  Last night at our midweek Advent service I commented that Luke 1 is one of the most overlooked sections of the New Testament.  I’d like to encourage you to look it over to see what God did to prepare for the first Christmas, and to draw from there what we can do to prepare for our Christmas celebration and to get ready for Jesus’ second coming. 

Luke is also the book that we will begin with if you join me in the challenge to read the New Testament next year.  It just seems right since we’ll be reading from it almost every Sunday this year. 

So, let me state a couple of things that are obvious: 

1.       Christmas is about Jesus.  Look for ways to remember and remind people about him in your celebrations, as you listen to Christmas music, and as you prepare. 

2.       You have to have power to live the Christian life.  That power comes through the presence of the Holy Spirit, proceeding from the Father and the Son, through the Word and Sacraments.  Reading God’s Word, hearing it, singing it, etc. are like plugging in.  God gives us great gifts in His Word and through the Sacraments – including forgiveness, life, hope, peace, joy, love, salvation, and so much more. 

God bless you as you prepare for Christmas!

It's the End of the World!

Back in 1987 pop band R.E.M. sang a song called, It’s the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine).  It’s a catchy song with fast moving lyrics and it touches on the question that many ask at some point or another; “When will this world end?” 

In our Gospel lesson this past Sunday, Mark 13:24-37, Jesus spoke of the End.  This was in response to a question asked by the disciples back in v. 4 in regard to Jesus’ prediction of the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem.  That destruction took place in 70 A.D.  The final end is yet to come. 

It is said that Martin Luther was once asked, “What would you do if you knew Christ was returning tomorrow?”  His response was, “I would plant an apple tree.” 

I don’t know if Luther actually said that, but there is wisdom in that statement that goes nicely with Jesus’ comments regarding the end.  Jesus said that no one know when the end will be.  We are to pay attention – “keep our heads in the game” – and be about the work God has given us to do. 

Every day is lived in anticipation of the End when Jesus will return.  We must not be lulled to sleep by the comforts and pleasures of this world, and thereby lose sight of God’s calling on our lives. 

We are God’s witnesses in this world, displaying what it means to be forgiven, redeemed, and loved.  God gives us this privilege in each of our vocations – our “life callings.”  I get to do this as a pastor; preaching and teaching.  Some of you get to do this as teachers, others as lawyers, some as laborers, many as moms or dads, wives or husbands. 

Luther’s supposed statement, “I would plant an apple tree,” says nothing more than, “I would live my life as God has called me.”  We live in the confidence of God’s grace through the cross and empty tomb, so the Last Day is as any other day. 

When I was a little boy, my parents taught me to pray, “Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep.  If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take.”  Whether we lay down or get up, if we live or die, on the First Day or the Last Day our confidence and meaning for life is the same:  “Jesus died and rose for me.”  And that is how we live. 

Questions to Ponder

-          Jesus speaks of the darkening of the skies in Mark 13:25, but in v. 26 he speaks of something that will be seen despite the darkness.  What is it?

-          What lesson does Jesus want us to learn from the fig tree?

-          Why is it important to know that, although we might not know when, we do know that Jesus will come again in light of vv.32-27?  How is this a statement of God’s Law?  How is it a reminder of the Gospel?

-          How do you feel about the End?  What emotions, questions, or images come to your mind?

-          I argue that the word translated, “Watch!” in the NIV has a fuller meaning of seeing what’s going on around you and that Jesus is urging us here to, “Keep your head in the game.”  What distracts you from God’s love and word?  How do reading the Bible, praying, and going to church services help keep our heads in the game?

-          Verse 31 says, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.”  How can knowing that God’s Word will never pass away give you confidence to live the faith in this life?

God's Mission is Now

It was wonderful to have the opportunity to worship with over 700 Lutheran Christians this past Sunday at the Lutheran Church Extension Fund (LCEF) Leadership Conference.  It was exhilarating to sing Built on the Rock (one of my favorite hymns) with so many voices united in the hope that the message of the Gospel will never stop being declared, no matter what we experience in the world. 

Something that came home to me during the conference was that these are interesting days that we live in.  Every generation faces its challenges and struggles (and every generation believes they have it harder than the previous).  I don’t think that what we face in the world today is better or worse than what the Church faced when we were children, or at some other point of history.  It is just different from the recent past. 

There was a time that the church was central to U.S. American society; as we learned in Mission U, we were “insiders.”  White Anglo-Saxon Protestants (WASPs) were the dominant demographic in American politics, and while Lutherans really don’t fit into that category, we look enough like WASPs to have benefitted from their dominance.  In that culture the primary temptation we faced in the church was complacency.  People came to us for weddings, baptisms, funerals, and other needs, and we were content in our buildings magnanimously welcoming the masses to the Light. 

Today the church finds itself more and more as an outsider.  More and more voices are calling to end the church’s tax exempt status saying, “End the Free Ride!”  The government is placing more pressure on church bodies to compromise core values through mandates like the recent one from the Health and Human Services Department.  There has been a federal case that challenged a LCMS congregation on who they can retain as a minister.  The temptation we face is to throw up our hands, cry out, “Woe is me!” and hide in our churches; effectively removing ourselves from society. 

The Scriptures teach, “And he [God] made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, ²⁷ that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, ²⁸ for "'In him we live and move and have our being'; as even some of your own poets have said, "'For we are indeed his offspring.'”  (Acts 17:26-28 ESV)  This means that God has chosen the time and place for our own lives for the purpose of drawing people to Him. 

God’s mission is clear.  He desires all people to be saved.  (1 Timothy 2:4) He calls us to make disciples of all nations baptizing and teaching.  (Matthew 28:19-20)  No matter what changes take place in the world, God’s Word remains eternally.  As Luther wrote, “God’s Word forever shall abide, no thanks to foes who fear it; For God himself fights by our side With weapons of the Spirit.”  (A Mighty Fortress, v. 4) 

We have been called for this time to serve in this place to reach people with the Gospel.  As the sermon at the LCEF worship service said, “Now is the time!”  Now is the time we get to be the Church, servants of God, the body of Christ, and vessels of the Holy Spirit.  Now we get to share the good news that the Man from Galilee was, indeed, crucified and died, but He is risen and reigns to all eternity. 

Questions:

-          How has the world (or even just our country) changed in your lifetime in a way that causes you anxiety or frustration?

-          In Acts 17 Paul spoke to a group of pagans in Athens.  What do his words in vv. 26-28 say about: (a) God’s desire for mankind?  (b) Our placement in history and geography?

-          Look at 1 Timothy 2:4 and Matthew 28:19-20.  Summarize what God’s purpose is for us. 

-          One of the ways you can share the Gospel with others is to bring them to church with you.  What hinders you from asking a friend to join you for church?  (If there is anything in our services that keeps you from asking people to come to church with us, I definitely want to know!) 

-          Luther ended his hymn A Mighty Fortress saying, “God’s Word forever shall abide, no thanks to foes who fear it; For God himself fights by our side With weapons of the Spirit.  Were they to take our house, Goods, fame, child, or spouse, Though life be wrenched away, They cannot win the day.  The Kingdom’s ours forever.”  Where does he point us for our confidence for the future?  What place does God’s Word hold in your life?