"Since God So Wills It"

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

In peace and joy I now depart

Since God so wills it.

Serene and confident my heart;

Stillness fills it.

For the Lord has promised me

That death is but a slumber (LSB 938.1).

So goes the first stanza of Luther's hymnic paraphrase of the Nunc Dimittis – the Song of Simeon which you heard read in today's Gospel lesson. What an amazing song of faith Simeon sings! His song, so simple in its words, gives voice to a faith that is unshakeable in its trust in God to do what He says.

Throughout the Advent and Christmas season, you have heard a great deal about death. Jesus came to die. He came to die the death due for your sins. This is the reason for His incarnation, the reason we celebrate and highly exalt the mystery of His birth in the flesh. But what connection does Jesus' birth have to the death of a Christian?

"We Beheld His Glory"

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

“Oh, sing to the Lord a new song, for He has done marvelous things!” Rejoice and sing this bright Christmas morning, because the Eternal Light has dawned upon this benighted sphere. The Light of the World has come upon the world, and we behold His glory. The everlasting Son of the eternal Father has been born this day into your flesh.

The virgin has conceived and has borne a son. Why do you marvel at this? The eternal Father, existing before all worlds, begot a Son from all eternity without a mother. When did this happen? That is beyond knowing; that is the wrong question. But the Blessed Virgin bore a son without a father. When did this happen? That is a good question. For the birth of the Son of God happened not in eternity, not in abstraction, but in the flesh, of the flesh and blood of Mary in the stable in Bethlehem. Marvel not that God has a Son, but that the Son of God is born of a woman.

Glory and Peace - Now!

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” So called out the multitude of the heavenly host who appeared in the Bethlehem sky on the occasion of our Lord's birth. The glory of the Lord has broken out upon the earth. No longer is God merely an unseen force above the highest heavens.

What an odd juxtaposition we have on this night! In the same sitting, you sing “Away in a Manger” and “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing”. You are called upon to contemplate the baby born in a stable, and the words of the army of heaven who lit up the dark Judean wilderness. Fear not, proclaims the angel. Your savior is born this night in the City of David. And what a savior He is, indeed! Your savior is a baby. A child born of the flesh of a woman, born of natural means following the natural course of man. And yet that baby, so frail and feeble and dependent, is at once the Lord of Hosts, the King of the Universe, the Creator of all that is and all that ever shall have been. Consider this: the angels light up the sky and their song resounds through the cosmos to worship one who suckles at the breast of a virgin mother.

Fighting with Food

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah, you are the tiniest of the towns in all of Judah. You are nobody. You are of no account. Why should anyone even know where you are? After all, nothing of any account can come of such a small and insignificant place.

But you, O Church of God, you are the weakest of all the institutions of mankind. You are nobody. You are of no account. Why should anyone even listen to you? After all, nothing but nagging and hate-mongering and oppression can come of such small and limited minds.

But you, O people of God, you are the most pitiful of all the myriads of people who wander this terrestrial sphere. You are nobodies. You are of no account. Why should anyone take heed of you or care about you? After all, you are meek and sad and poor and helpless. Nothing of any great value can come from you.

"We Give Thanks to Thee for Thy Great Glory!"

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of gods,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
Give thanks to the Lord of lords,
for his steadfast love endures forever. (Psalm 136:1-3)

Giving thanks is something you hear spoken of quite a bit around this time of year. Every year, people come up with new gimmicks for spending the month of November being thankful. One of the primary social skills we teach children is to say “please” and “thank you” whenever appropriate. And all of that certainly is good. But often what we hear, especially in the mainstream media, fails to answer two fundamental questions about giving thanks.

First, to what or to whom should you be giving thanks? Proper thanksgiving only occurs if and when you are thankful to some source. It is not enough simply to meditate on “Gee, it sure is nice that I have this neat thing.” That is not thanksgiving. Gratitude has an object, a reference point, a focus. The Psalmist demonstrates this in the opening verses of Psalm 136. To whom must you give thanks? To the Lord, the God of Gods, the Lord of Lords. He is the object of your gratitude, the focus of your thanksgiving. Direct your thanks to Him.

Reasonableness and Rejoicing

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Reasonableness and rejoicing are two concepts that seem to go hand in hand according to St. Paul. You have among you the mind of Christ, which fosters reasonableness, which therefore leads to rejoicing. And, having this mind about you, think about what is noble and good.

Reasonableness and rejoicing are not two concepts that one might use to describe our world these days, however. It seems that wherever you look, whatever you hear, people are talking about two crises, real or imagined. The end of the Mayan calendar and the “fiscal cliff”.

St. Paul says that “The Lord is at hand.” The Mayan calendar may come to an end this coming Friday. It is possible – as likely as not – that the world as we know it will come to an end. It is even possible that Christ will come again in glory this weekend. So what? The Lord is already at hand. If the Lord comes again next weekend, all your pain and suffering, all your unpaid bills and unwanted expenses will pass away. The Lord will come to call you home to Himself in heaven, where there is only rejoicing at the marriage feast of the Lamb.

"We Worship Thee"

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

“The woman said to [Jesus], 'Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet.'” The Samaritan woman at the well was astute enough to realize that Jesus was a prophet. What this meant to her is another story, but she could not but confess that the man talking to her was the messenger of the Lord sent to her. Being that Jesus had already spoken to her of her thirst and the gift of living waters, it was no surprise that she took Him to be a prophet. But her question is meant to uncover more than a mere prophet.

Something about her acknowledgment of Jesus is a little off, at least to certain ears. We cannot know her true intent, but it almost seems as though she is out to test Jesus with a “tough question”. It is like when you meet someone, and he finds out you are a Christian, so he asks you the most ridiculous, most potentially offensive question he can come up with. “Why do you hate gay people?” or “Why do you believe in a Bible so full of contradictions?” This woman's question is akin to asking, “Why should I go to your church every week?”

Who Warned You?

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

“Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?” Thus John greets the crowds of Jews who have come to the Jordan to be baptized by him. Who was it that told you that there is great wrath coming, and that you must come here to be saved from it? Who told you that you must be baptized into the forgiveness of sins? Did you simply come to stare and gawk at the circus freak ranting in the desert?

Of course, John is more than simply a lunatic screaming into the wind. He is the child of whom his father Zechariah prophesied, “You, child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare His way.” He is the one upon whom the word of God came, that he might preach a baptism of repentance into the forgiveness of sins. He is the one of whom Isaiah spoke in days of old when he foretold of “the voice of one crying in the wilderness, 'Prepare the way of the Lord!'”

John is precisely the one who called the people to come to the waters of the Jordan, to repent of their sins, and to be baptized into the forgiveness of sins. And he could only do so because the Word of God had come upon him. He preached what was put into his mouth. He proclaimed the message prepared for him from the foundation of the world. He was the one given to be the faceless voice in the wilderness, the voice of the herald who called out before the coming King. He was the prophet calling the people of God to repent and return to the Lord their God. But John did not come to make nice to the establishment.

In the same way, God has sent His men to call people to repentance in this and every age. He has sent His men to be the voice crying in the wilderness to prepare the way of the Lord. For the same Word of God that came upon John in the Judean wilderness is the same Word of God that sounds forth from the mouths of the preachers in every Church of God in every land. John called the people of Israel to a baptism of repentance into the forgiveness of sins in preparation to receive the One who comes in the Name of the Lord. The called and ordained minister of God calls you to a baptism of repentance into the forgiveness of sins, that the One who sanctified all waters to be a life-giving flood might enter into your heart and cleanse you from your sin. The one who preaches Christ crucified into the ears and hearts of men prepares the way of the Lord, that faith come by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.

But why are you here? What brought you to this riverside, to hear the voice crying in the wind? Perhaps it was tradition. After all, when John commanded the Jews to repent and be baptized, they replied, “We have Abraham as our father.” As though that made things all better. Simply being of the house and line of Abraham is a “get out of jail free” card. Just maintain the proper bloodlines, make sure your genealogy is in order, and you are golden. How can anyone proclaim to you that you are a sinner in need of repentance and forgiveness?

After all, you are a good Lutheran. You have the blessed Reformer as your spiritual father. Your grandfathers built this church, and your fathers sustained it, and now here you are, in the same place they once sat, possibly for the same reasons they did. Tradition is a powerful motivator. The force of doing what you have always done is tough to resist. Change is hard, sometimes painful. And certainly the Church is no big proponent of change – we still worship the same God with the same words and songs our forefathers did millennia ago, and which our great-grandchildren will continue to use until our Lord Christ comes again in glory.

But “the way we always did it” is not the way of salvation. Martin Luther is not the savior, no more than Abraham or Jacob or David, or any of the saints of old. If you are here because of tradition, then you are in the wrong place.

Some of the people came and asked John, “What then shall we do?” How should we live now? What is the prescription of the Law? And John told them what the Law says – do unto others as you would have them do to you. They knew this law, and so do you. If you are coming to church to be told how to live, then you are in the wrong place. John was no life coach. He yelled and screamed at people. He cut them down with sharp words and a message of wrath and condemnation.

Likewise, the pastor sent by God to you is not your guide or coach. He is not here to preach nice things to soothe your tired ears. He is not here to lay out formulae to lead you in the way of happiness or success or purpose-driven living. When the pastor speaks to you, he speaks the Word of God, just as John did. Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand. Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

You do not need a life coach or a twelve-step guide to living the Christian life. You already know what good works are. You are a Christian, and therefore you are doing good works, because Christ lives in you. But you are also a sinner, who does not want God's Name hallowed or His kingdom to come. So you resist doing the good works you ought to do for your neighbor. If you need to be told to do good works, it is because your pride wants a pat on the back, positive reinforcement that you are doing a good job in life. Repent.

Perhaps you are here to fulfill a social need. This is not uncommon, although socialization is waning in importance as our world is filled more and more with TV, phones, and the Internet everywhere you go. But church is a significant social outlet for many people.

Humans need socialization. People need to be around other people who share a common bond, a shared interest, a mutual cause. You need positive reinforcement that you are living the right way. You need to see your friends and neighbors. You need to be in the company of others who seem to care about you.

But St. John says that “even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees.” Social time is nice and serves its own purpose, but that is not the primary purpose of Church. Hanging out with friends will not cause you to bear fruit in keeping with repentance. Sitting across from people you would not otherwise speak to on the street does not somehow make you holier than those who are at home snug in their beds right now. Repent.

However, if you are here because you are broken, if you are here because you are struggling, if you are here because you cannot fix your life or live the good life – if you are here because the Word of God has been laid upon you and convicted you of your sin – then you are in the right place. Welcome to the temple of the Lord.

This is the place for sinners. This is the place where the repentance into the forgiveness of sins is preached, and the baptism is given which delivers that forgiveness. This is the place where broken people are made whole. This is the place where the path of the Lord becomes easy, where the valleys are filled and the mountains are lowered, where the rough places are made plain. This is the place where “all flesh shall see the salvation of God.”

For the axe is even now laid at the root of the trees, and your tree is barren. You must be cut off from your roots. You must die.

On the mountain, however, stands the Tree of Life. Upon Mount Zion is the one tree which bears fruit eternally growing and blossoming and giving life. And into this tree you are grafted. You who are cut off from your former ways are grafted into the life of Christ.

Upon this mountain, the one mountain which shall stand above all others, the tree of your salvation stands. The cross, which blossoms forth into bloody fruit, stands for all to see and to partake. Upon this cross, the instrument of death became the tree of Life. What was once forbidden is now commanded. You may – no, you must be grafted into this tree. You must eat of this fruit. This is offered to you, for the forgiveness of your sins. As by a tree in the garden did the devil once overcome, so now by a tree in this garden is the devil himself overcome by our Lord Jesus Christ. Come, see, and eat. Be grafted in, and have His life coursing through you.

The Lord comes to visit His people and redeem them. He comes to give life and health and healing. He comes to wash away sin and give the forgiveness of sins. And He comes to bring light to those who sit in darkness, even to you.

“'Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming,' says the LORD of hosts.” (Malachi 3:1) The Lord sends His messengers in every time and place to prepare the way of the Lord. He sent John to prepare the road to Calvary, and the Lord suddenly occupied His temple.

The Lord sends His messengers of the covenant to prepare the way of the Lord, who will suddenly come to His temple. Delight in the messenger of the covenant, for he proclaims to you peace, the forgiveness of sins, and life everlasting. He sends His messenger to you to cause His Word to resound in your ears and lodge in your heart. He sends His messenger to you who gives you Jesus, because He comes to this temple, to this altar, to forgive your sins.

Thus says the Lord, “For I the LORD do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.” (Mal. 3:6) Wrath is gone. You are at peace. Your sins are no more.

In the Name of Jesus. Amen.

"We Praise Thee; We Bless Thee!"

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and all that is within me,
bless his holy name!
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits. (Psalm 103:1-2)

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 1:3)

Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people. (Luke 1:68)

Thus begin each of our lessons this evening, with ascriptions of blessing and praise to the Lord God. But what does it mean to bless, and how and why do we bless God?

First, consider who is blessed. The Holy Scriptures declare that God alone is truly blessed, just as He alone is truly good, truly holy, and truly righteous. He alone is blessed, and He remains so without respect to you or to anything in all creation. Just as God's Name is certainly holy in itself, so also is He blessed in Himself. He does not rely on your favor or your blessing to be so, for this is who God is.

The Lord God alone, being the eternally Blessed One, is the one and only source of all blessing. For He is the Lord of Hosts, the creator of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible. He is the king of the universe. Without Him was nothing made, and in Him all things live and move and have their being. To Him do you cry out, and He alone answers.

FAQs about Weekly Communion

Frequently Asked Questions about Weekly Communion

These FAQs are offered for consideration in our ongoing discussion regarding this matter. They are by no means exhaustive. If you have questions or concerns, please contact Pr. McDermott or one of the elders.

Q: Why would the church desire to have celebrate the Lord's Supper in the Divine
Service each Sunday?

A: Since in the Lord's Supper we receive our Lord Jesus' very body and blood for the forgiveness of sins it is a great gift to us and is central to the Divine Service. The holy Christian church throughout the ages has identified the Lord's Day (Sunday) with the Lord's Supper. As such the Lord's Supper was never viewed as an occasional extra or as somehow not as important as the other means of grace (Word, Absolution, Holy Baptism). In the Supper the Church, the Bride of Christ, sees herself clearly as the Body of Christ, being "one flesh" with Christ Jesus -- a great mystery indeed (Ephesians 5). The Supper is our Lord's last will and testament where we receive Him in all His life-giving mercy.

Also, since each day and each week we are in need of the Lord's forgiveness and strength, we are therefore in need of the Lord's Supper much in every way. Today, our increasingly less and less Christianly influenced culture threatens our faith daily, along with the help of Satan and our own sinful desires (old Adam). In the Christian Questions and Answers in the Small Catechism Luther writes the following, admonishing us to frequently receive the gift of Communion:

"What should admonish and incite a Christian to receive the sacrament frequently? In respect to God, both the command and the promise of Christ the Lord should move him, and in respect to himself, the trouble that lies heavy on him, on account of which such command, encouragement, and promise are given."

His Way

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

“Make me to know your ways, O LORD; teach me your paths.” Thus David prays in the appointed Psalm for this, the first Sunday of a new church year. How fitting it is that we beseech the Lord to direct and guide all our ways and deeds in this new year, and throughout each year.

In this world, there are many ways. Just think of the sayings we have in the English language to talk about this. “All roads lead to Rome.” “There's more than one way to skin a cat.” “Life is a maze.” “Life is a riddle.” And we could go on and on. It is a popular notion that life is what you make of it, and your task in life is simply to do the best you can with what you have.

But how do you know the way? If life is a maze, then how do you find the solution? Of course, some would say that there is no one definite solution. You must bumble along in the dark, groping blindly, until you come finally to the end, and hopefully you will reach the light at the end of the tunnel. If you are virtuous and good, you will enjoy the journey, however hard it may be, and you will lead others along with you in a way that seems nice to you.