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The Feast of the Holy Innocents

2011-12-28T15:12:00.009-06:00

Christmas Joy Meets Satanic Slaughter

The ancient calendar followed by most of the Christian Church for almost two millennia intersperses beauty and awe with violence and death. Aside from Holy Week and Easter, this is nowhere more apparent than during the days of Christmastide.

Following the joyful celebration of our Savior’s nativity, the Second Day of Christmas commemorates Stephen, the Church’s first martyr, on the 26th. Saint John, the only apostle believed to have avoided a violent death, is remembered the next day. Through him, the Holy Spirit provides theological depth to the Gospels. John’s writings offer a treasury of understanding and living our lives as forgiven sinners, the promise of divine protection even in times of persecution, and the unshakeable, certain hope of our resurrection to eternal life.

The uplift of the Feast of Saint John dissolves into bloodshed on 28 December, the Fourth Day of Christmas. Holy Innocents Day marks the massacre of Bethlehem’s children by Herod the Great.

The account of the Wise Men who traveled to find the King of the Jews (see Matthew 2:1-12) inflamed Herod’s jealousy. In response, he sent his soldiers to kill all of Bethlehem’s boys two years old and younger in order to protect his throne and lineage. This was one of the last major decisions Herod made in a life filled with vainglory and descending into bodily sickness and increasing madness.

Matthew 18:13-18 records what happened following the Wise Men’s visit. The evangelist concludes his account with a heartbreaking quote from the Old Testament: “A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be comforted, because they are no more. (v. 18; from Jeremiah 31:15)”

The slaughter of Bethlehem’s boys testifies to the world’s denial of God’s rule and its rejection of Christ’s Gospel of forgiveness. Fear drove Herod to do what he could to destroy Jesus. God rescued His Son but allowed the other young sons to be killed.

Some try to use this massacre to accuse God of lovelessness. However, He intends it to strengthen our faith. The story of Christ’s Nativity may belong to the “milk” of Christian doctrine (cf. 1 Corinthians 3:2); the slaughter of the Innocents is certainly tough meat, a food for which we often still find ourselves “not yet ready.” Dining on the Word’s difficult passages fortifies us to face similar trials to those of Scripture’s saints. We learn that there is no “pain-free” Christianity anymore than there was a pain-free Christ. Though we are healed by Jesus’ wounds, devil and world remain eager to wound us anew.

Even though God allowed it to happen, He certainly took no pleasure in infanticide and bereavement, nor did He ignore the pain of the victims and their survivors. Callous disregard was Herod’s way, not God’s. We know how the Father’s heart was stricken because we see the depth of His Son’s woe at other times of spiritual or physical loss: Jesus cried over Mary and Martha’s loss of Lazarus (John 11:32-36) and wept for sinful Jerusalem (Luke 19:41-44).

Bethlehem lost her children because of God’s sympathy for our plight. They were part of the painful cost Christ accepted when He came to save us. He died not to keep these children from Herod but from Hell. He knew personally and intimately the pain felt by sword-pierced babies and grief-stricken parents. He carried it in His flesh and felt it fully as He hung from the cross.

Until this world ends, God will continue to use death, often savage and sometimes seemingly senseless, to open the gates of eternal life. Baptism is our participation in the death and resurrection of Jesus. Each saint’s death reminds us of the Savior’s death. Funereal sorrow gives way to supernal joy as we remember the One who died for us, since “to live is Christ, and to die is gain. (Philippians 1:21)”

May the Lord use the account of the Holy Innocents to lead us to sorrow over our sins and joy in His redemption. So we ask in the traditional prayer for this day: “Almighty God, the martyred innocents of Bethlehem showed forth Your praise not by speaking but by dying. Put to death in us all that is in conflict with Your will that our lives may bear witness to the faith we profess with our lips; through Lord Jesus, our Christ, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.”

See related material at Cyberbrethren, Father Watson, and Aardvark Alley as well the archived posts on The Witness Days and The Days After Christmas here on Ask the Pastor.

Images of the paintings and the stained glass are in the public domain. The line drawing is © 2004 by Ed Riojas and part of a collection available for purchase through the Higher Things Store.

Scripture quoted from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, © 2001 by Crossway Bibles.

Send email to Ask the Pastor.

Walter Snyder is a Lutheran pastor, conference speaker, author of the book What Do Lutherans Believe, and writer of numerous published devotions, prayers, and sermons.

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Based on my article from The Concordian of 28 December AD 2011

Help Me, Mr. Wizard!

2011-10-23T21:33:00.006-05:00

Many of us who watched television as children in the early 1960s included King Leonardo and his Short Subjects (later renamed The King and Odie) in our Saturday morning schedule. One recurring segment involved Tooter Turtle, a young turtle living in the forest who wasn’t content with being a young turtle living in the forest. Because of this, he regularly (over 39 episodes) visited the lizard known as Mr. Wizard, asking him to change the time and place of his circumstances.

Tooter thought that going to another time and place would give him the opportunity to remake himself. In every episode, Mr. Wizard sent him off to new experiences, including working high iron, exploring the polar regions, flying a plane, and even riding with the U. S. Cavalry (which ended at Little Big Horn). The trouble was always the same: You can take the turtle out of the forest, but you can’t take the foolish thinking out of the turtle.

However, Tooter never suffered permanent consequences — at least not until his cartoon show was cancelled. Whenever a new endeavor collapsed and he was on the brink of absolute ruin or certain death, he would call out, “Help me, Mr. Wizard!”

As soon he cried out for help, Mr. Wizard chanted, “Drizzle, drazzle, druzzle, drome; time for zis one to come home.” A swirling spell surrounded Tooter, who quickly reappeared in the lizard’s presence. After his return, Mr. Wizard gave him the same advice every time: “Be just vhat you is, not vhat you is not. Folks vhat do zis are ze happiest lot.”

Discontent with our own lives may lead us into like troubles. We may try to be someone we are not or do things for which we are unprepared. People reinvent their pasts and tell a story contrary to their personal histories. They become heroes when they were once participants, participants when they were once observers, or observers when they were once uninvolved.

Among our cultural stereotypes is the man facing a mid-life crisis. This movie and television plot staple feels trapped by a dead-end job or a marriage without the zest it once had. In milder settings, he makes foolish purchases of a motorcycle or a sports car or he starts dressing, talking, and acting like someone years younger. In more serious shows, he may have an affair or just walk out on his family, perhaps taking a new, younger wife. The reason this Hollywood stereotype abounds is that it’s built on actual events that happen all too often in the “real world.”

While aging white men are the customary on-screen culprits, no segment of society is without people desiring to be something — or someone — different and better from the way they perceive themselves. Yet, like Tooter Turtle, the fantasies they invent for themselves always seems to unravel, often with extreme consequences.

This isn’t to say that we shouldn’t examine ourselves nor that we should be satisfied with our personal mediocrity. It means that we should pin our hopes for positive, real, and permanent change on something more than reinterpreted memories and wishful thinking. For example, the imprisoned Saint Paul wrote, “I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. (Philippians 4:11)”

However, Paul’s contentment was with his station in life, not who he was by nature. For this same apostle could also complain about himself, “I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh.... Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? (Romans 7:18, 24)”

Paul recognized that the Source of his contentment was also his Rescuer from discontent: Rather than inventing a new version of himself, he turned over his old, sinful self to God. Instead of chasing fantasies of what might have been, Paul focused on the reality of Christ crucified for his sins and raised for his justification (cf. Romans 4:23-25).

Paul realized that it wasn’t his circumstances, his friends, or his past that needed changing but rather his present, sinful self. He was certain that such a change didn’t come from within but from without, therefore, “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! (Romans 7:25)”

Rarely does God reach out and save us unscathed from the consequences of our fantasies of discontent. To do so might leave us thinking that we could continue to fall back into the same sinful desires with no lasting ill effect. However, he never abandons us. When we cry, “Help me, God,” He hears and responds by forgiving that which we have thought, said, and done. He may not stop the catastrophe but He always leads us through. We may carry scars in our flesh or in our memories but we also trust His words: “I will never leave you nor forsake you. (Hebrews 13:5)”

If we hear Him in time and take Him at His Word, we may never find ourselves hopeless at the edge of existence. When we realize that our root problem isn’t that we aren’t smart enough, heroic enough, or well-enough liked but that we are “brought forth in iniquity” and from conception tainted by sin (Psalm 51:5), God also teaches us that our problem isn’t fixed by reinventing ourselves but by being remade by Him. Only from the Lord do we receive “a right spirit” and “a clean heart (v. 10)”

Our rescue isn’t a cheap magic trick. There’s no Mr. Wizard or genii in a bottle to bail us out. The only salvation we have comes through brutally hard work and absolute adherence to the Word and the will of God. Yet it’s not our work or our faithfulness that saves but that of Christ. By the grace of God, through faith in Jesus, we receive the benefits of His perfect obedience and innocent suffering and death.

As God changes our condition, He continues to work on our persons. His discontent with our sinful natures leads Him not to banish us but to repair, restore, and redeem us. He blesses us with the same contentment Paul carried; that is, the peace of knowing that we’re in His care while He works through Word and Holy Spirit to recreate us in the divine image our first parents abandoned in Eden.

We remain works-in-progress as long as we remain on earth. Yet we know that our healing will be complete in the Resurrection. Finally, we will be free of all our sin-brought discontent when we stand before our Savior on the Last Day and hear His invitation to enter His Father’s eternal presence in purity and glory. This story has the real “happily ever after” ending that our broken spirits crave — an ending already guaranteed by our living, loving Lord Jesus Christ.

Scripture quoted from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, © 2001 by Crossway Bibles.

Send email to Ask the Pastor.

Walter Snyder is a Lutheran pastor, conference speaker, author of the book What Do Lutherans Believe, and writer of numerous published devotions, prayers, and sermons.

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Expanded from newspaper column of 19 October AD 2011

Sexually Pleasuring Yourself

2011-09-27T19:24:00.004-05:00

From the Archives

Q: Is masturbation a sin?

A: I receive this question with a fair degree of regularity. It’s true that the Bible does not specifically prohibit it. However, I believe that Scripture generally speaks against the thoughts and feelings involved in the action.

Among Christians and many Jews, masturbation often is called “onanism,” after the sin of Onan, who would not fulfill his responsibility with Tamar, Judah’s daughter-in-law. His was only one of several transgressions committed by Judah’s family in Genesis 38 which the Lord needed to confront.

Technically, Onan wasn’t condemned for the act of masturbation per se, but for failure to act as husband in all aspects in completing the duties of his deceased brother for his sister-in-law. It appears that his actual, physical sin was premature withdrawal in order to avoid fathering a child. Verse 9 says, “Onan knew that the offspring would not be his. So whenever he went in to his brother’s wife he would waste the semen on the ground, so as not to give offspring to his brother.” In so doing, Onan experienced sexual pleasure without living up to the moral and familial obligations that sex entails.

We know that just because one feels guilty about a particular action doesn’t automatically make it wrong, since Satan would have us feel guilty about many guilt-free activities, thus burdening our consciences. Still, since masturbation normally accompanies lustful desires and erotic fantasies, it is best left alone. In other words, it may not be the action but is certainly the accompanying desire that is both sinful and hurtful to the one involved.

Jesus said, “Everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. (Matthew 5:28)” This includes looking with our imaginations in the privacy of our own rooms. Therefore, the sins of lust, covetousness, and adultery can all be involved in masturbation, although it may not be true that all are involved every time.

Also, masturbation may become part of a pattern of psychological and spiritual addiction. Desire for self-gratification can outweigh a relationship with the Giver of all good things. It can lead one to avoid establishing and maintaining good relationships with others of the opposite sex. In short, while someone may argue that masturbation isn’t always wrong, you cannot convince me that it’s the most right thing to do.

I’m going to let Martin Luther have the final word here. In explaining the 6th Commandment, “You shall not commit adultery,” he wrote, “We should fear and love God that we may lead a chaste and decent life in words and deeds, and each love and honor his spouse. (Small Catechism)” I fail to see how masturbation and the accompanying imaginations of the heart are at all “chaste and decent.”

Meaning of the Sixth Commandment quoted from The Small Catechism by Martin Luther, a public domain text.

Scripture quoted from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, © 2001 by Crossway Bibles.

Send email to Ask the Pastor.

Walter Snyder is a Lutheran pastor, conference speaker, author of the book What Do Lutherans Believe, and writer of numerous published devotions, prayers, and sermons.

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Expanded from newspaper column #143:3

A Hug Is Just a Hug ... or Is It?

2011-09-19T20:45:00.005-05:00

If a man allows himself to be hugged by his ex-girlfriend is he committing adultery?

Normally, I'd say no. However, if he finds himself still desiring her, then yes. Of course, the desire would probably be there before the hug. I think that most men and women probably hug at least one former boy- or girlfriend after they've started dating, become engaged to, or married someone else. The vast majority of these are, likely, completely innocent.

You should also ask yourself why you want the answer. If this is the man you’ve married or are otherwise committed to, has he ever given you occasion to doubt his sincerity and commitment to you? Or is this a bit of unfounded suspicion that could tear apart the relationship you now have?

Of course, there are times when even innocent-seeming actions are wrong. Jesus’ words are certainly true: “I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. (Matthew 5:28)” The same goes for hugging and any displays of affection or flirtatiousness. For example read what I wrote in Flirting with Disaster.

Bottom line: Unless you have good reason to doubt him, try investing the same energy you’re spending in questioning him — and more — in showing your love for him.

Scripture quoted from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, © 2001 by Crossway Bibles.

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Walter Snyder is a Lutheran pastor, conference speaker, author of the book What Do Lutherans Believe, and writer of numerous published devotions, prayers, and sermons.

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Blessed Virgin Mary: Mother of God

2011-08-15T10:37:00.003-05:00

Q: You refer to Mary as “God’s mother.” Is that the same as saying “Mother of God”?

A: This question came in response to one of last week’s posts, Jesus Is Immanuel, concerning matters of Christmas and Epiphany, wherein I wrote, “Immanuel means that the Virgin conceived and bore a Son without human father; God assumed our flesh and joined Himself to mankind; a human woman became God’s mother.”

If Mary is not the “Mother of God,” then Christ is not true God and our faith is built upon a lie. Perhaps because of persistent anti-Roman Catholicism, particularly among American Lutherans and Protestants, many parts of the Church became uncomfortable referring to Mary by this title. However, if we are heirs of the true theology of Scripture, the early Church fathers, and the Reformation, we cannot abandon this teaching.

Calling the Blessed Virgin “Mother of God” doesn’t mean we worship Mary. It means that we are worshiping the God who chose such miraculous means to come into His Creation and deliver sinful mankind. However, thinking and speaking in such manner does fulfill the prophecy Mary uttered when visiting Elizabeth: “For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. (Luke 1:48-49)” Notice how she herself distinguishes between the honor she receives and the total majesty of almighty God.

After centuries of common use, the Council of Ephesus (AD 431) officially sanctioned the title Theotokos (God-bearer) for the Virgin. Somewhat amazingly to our modern sensibilities, this council officially condemned another title, Christotokos (Christ-bearer). This wasn’t done to dishonor the Christ but to remove one possible way for heretics to point to a Christ who wasn’t truly and completely God and one with His Father.

During its formative days, the Lutheran Church carefully aligned itself with historic Biblical Christianity. Thus, regarding Mary, the Formula of Concord (1577) clearly states, “We believe, teach, and confess that Mary conceived and bore not a mere man and no more, but the true Son of God; therefore she also is rightly called and truly is the mother of God. (Epitome VIII:7)”

For more on her feast day, please see Saint Mary, Mother of God at Aardvark Alley.

Reposted from 2006.

Scripture quoted from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version™, © 2001 by Crossway Bibles.

Send email to Ask the Pastor.

Walter Snyder is a Lutheran pastor, conference speaker, author of the book What Do Lutherans Believe, and writer of numerous published devotions, prayers, and sermons.

Remembering the Saints

2011-08-03T10:07:00.001-05:00

Q: What are some of the reasons why we celebrate saints’ days?

A: Scripture commends our remembering the lives of earlier believers. The writer of Hebrews cites examples in chapter 11. Chapter 12 concludes this catalog of faithfulness by saying, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. (vv. 1-2)”

When and how we remember them is a matter of Christian freedom; that we do so is a way by which the Lord both corrects and inspires His Church. The correction comes both when we compare our faithlessness to their faithfulness and when we remember that many of the great heroes of the Faith also committed grievous sins — just as do you and I. The inspiration and encouragement come as we see how God takes ordinary people and does extraordinary things through them.

Let’s use today’s commemoration as our example. The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod chose this day, 3 August, to commemorate three faithful women, the “Myrrh Bearers” Joanna, Mary, and Salome. These, along with Mary Magdalene, are the first people the Bible names who came to Jesus’ tomb early on that Sunday morning following His crucifixion. It appears from Luke 24:10 that other women accompanied them, these are the only ones we know.

Easter morn isn’t the first time they appear in Scripture. Luke 8:1-3 mentions Mary Magdalene and Joanna among the women providing financial support to Jesus and the Twelve. Salome was mother of James and John, so she had a very early knowledge of His work and she, along with Mary the mother of James the younger, joined the mourners as the Lord hung on the cross.

None of them seem to have come to the tomb because they were feeling extraordinarily holy. Instead, they came for the same reason that so many others visit so many different graves: They’d lost someone for whom they deeply cared and they wanted to honor Him by completing His burial preparations that the Sabbath had interrupted. They were so caught up in sorrow that they didn’t realize they were acting as faithful children of God.

Their faithfulness to One they thought dead was rewarded in spectacular fashion. When they arrived at the sepulcher, tearfully wondering who they would find to move the stone from its mouth, angels greeted them with the wondrous message of the Resurrection. One angel charged them with telling the disciples, and the women “departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell. (Matthew 28:8)”

So it was that the earliest witnesses of the empty tomb and the risen Savior weren’t Peter, James, or John. Instead, it was some of Jesus’ quiet followers who first discovered that death was undone.

In these women, we have a wonderful example of faithful living and an indication that God often chooses ordinary people in ordinary situations to carry out His will. These were holy, pious, God-fearing women but they likely didn’t see themselves as that. To themselves, they were probably just Joanna, Mary, and Salome, three women who loved Jesus because He first loved them.

We, also, are most likely to act in true, selfless faith when we are least conscious of how holy, pious, or God-fearing we might be. Instead, we do right because it’s the right thing to do and only later — maybe not until the Last Day, do we find out that our deeds were righteous and praised by the Lord.

Jesus taught this lesson when speaking about the judgment of the sheep and the goats, when the righteous ask Him, “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you? (Matthew 25:37-39)” These three women — with Mary Magdalene and whomever else may have accompanied them — lived it out in their support of Jesus’ ministry, their visit to His tomb, and their fearful yet joyful return to Jerusalem with the news that He was alive and coming soon to be with them.

For suggested readings and a prayer for the day, please see Joanna, Mary, and Salome at Aardvark Alley.

Scripture quoted from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, © 2001 by Crossway Bibles.

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Walter Snyder is a Lutheran pastor, conference speaker, author of the book What Do Lutherans Believe, and writer of numerous published devotions, prayers, and sermons.

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The Presentation of the Augsburg Confession

2011-06-25T10:07:00.001-05:00

As a Lutheran pastor and theologian, I continually receive questions about my church: Who are we, where do we come from, what do we believe? Since we Lutherans have a very special remembrance today, I thought this a good time to share a bit of our history and teaching.

In 1530, our Lutheran forefathers made public proclamation of a new summary of the ancient Scripture truth: Mankind is justified by God’s grace through faith in Christ Jesus. They set forth this notion in a religious document affirmed by secular rulers. Written by Philipp Melanchthon, approved by Martin Luther, and signed by princes, dukes, and other civil leaders, the Augsburg Confession was presented to Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor, on 25 June AD 1530.

Some thirteen years of activity preceded this gathering. Many Lutherans (and a considerable number of non-Lutherans) date the beginning of the Lutheran Church to Martin Luther’s posting of the Ninety-five Theses on the Wittenberg church doors on 31 October 1517. However, when he did this, he considered himself a faithful son of the Roman Catholic Church. When ecclesiastical leaders resisted debate and discussion, defending doctrines and practices Luther considered Biblically indefensible, his efforts for reform increased and others began following his lead.

By the time the Charles declared a diet (an imperial assembly) in Augsburg and summoned German princes and free territories to explain themselves and their “new” religious convictions, almost ten years had passed since Luther had been excommunicated by Rome and subsequently declared an “outlaw” by the empire. His theological understanding had grown, his differences with Rome and its papacy sharpened, and few of his followers believed that the possibility of reconciliation existed.

Still, they came to Augsburg — or at least some of them did. Luther’s ruler, John “the Steadfast” of Saxony, forbad Luther to attend, fearing he would be arrested or killed outright. When Melanchthon sat down to compose a statement of belief for the Evangelicals (evangelical means “of the Gospel”), he based the document on the Torgau Articles, written by Luther with input from a number of other theologians.

After completing an early draft, he sent it to Luther, who made a few suggestions but approved of its overall content. Some of the other religious leaders added their ideas and “Master Philipp” put it all together into a statement of Evangelical belief, citing supporting Scriptures and quoting the Church fathers to show that what was written was no novelty but was fully supported and attested by Holy Writ and the orthodox theology of the ancient Church.

This wasn’t what the emperor wanted. He desired peace, unity, and an organized resistance against Islamic Turks who were invading Europe. Instead, a group of the empire’s foremost leaders, including some responsible for the election of emperors, affixed their names to a document claiming that much of what the emperor believed was wrong and stating that his church misunderstood, obscured, and misapplied much of the Gospel.

When the German leaders wanted to make a public reading of their articles of faith, Charles first denied them. He then shifted the venue into a small chapel where no spectators would hear. On 25 June 1530, Saxon chancellors Bruck and Beyer brought German and Latin copies of the document into the room. Although Charles objected, the German copy was read aloud, then both copies were given to him. He kept the Latin, giving the German to his chancellor, probably because he barely understood the language spoken by a large number of his subjects.

From this time forward, the Evangelicals (later to be known as Protestants and Lutherans) were clearly distinguishable. The leaders had made a confession — not that they had done wrong, but rather of what they believed to be right. Perhaps the 95 Theses had announced the beginning of the end for the medieval Church but it wasn’t until Augsburg, when rulers and theologians and rulers publically clarified their ongoing and irreconcilable differences with Rome, that we see what we might term a distinct Lutheran Church.

As the Evangelical movement spread, the Augsburg Confession became a test of Evangelical fidelity and a sort of “constitution” for Lutheranism. In some ways, we might draw a parallel from American history, where the Declaration of Independence set in motion events which culminated in the United States Constitution and the federal republic it established.

After Holy Scripture, the Augsburg Confession is the heart of the Lutheran Church. Based on Luther’s writings and in accord with his teaching, it also bears the mark of the gentler, more refined Philipp Melanchthon. It never seeks to be combative but in simple language states exactly what the Evangelicals believed, which Scriptures supported their faith, what beliefs and practices of Rome they thought contrary to the Gospel, and in what areas there was already agreement.

This “heart of Lutheranism” itself has a “heart” — the unmerited but full forgiveness of our sins won by Christ on the cross. The first three articles tell who God is, declare His wrath at sin, and proclaim the incarnation, suffering, death, and resurrection of Christ. In Article IV, we then learn how God fixes all that is wrong in us: “[We] teach that men cannot be justified before God by their own strength, merits, or works, but are freely justified for Christ’s sake, through faith, when they believe that they are received into favor, and that their sins are forgiven for Christ’s sake, who, by His death, has made satisfaction for our sins. This faith God imputes for righteousness in His sight. Romans 3 and 4.”

How does this salvation come to us? Article V says, “That we may obtain this faith, the Ministry of Teaching the Gospel and administering the Sacraments was instituted. For through the Word and Sacraments, as through instruments, the Holy Ghost is given, who works faith; where and when it pleases God, in them that hear the Gospel, to wit, that God, not for our own merits, but for Christ’s sake, justifies those who believe that they are received into grace for Christ’s sake.”

The Confession continues by defining the Church in terms of the Gospel, condemning anything that obscures the Gospel or devalues Christ and detailing changes implemented by the Evangelicals to correct doctrinal abuses. It invites the reader (particularly Charles V) to see for himself that the Evangelicals had not tossed out any babies with the dirty bath water, but had kept any and all practices, ceremonies, and teachings that were not contrary to the Gospel.

Other statements of belief, ranging from the ecumenical Christian creeds of earlier centuries to other Lutheran documents of the 1500s, joined the Augsburg Confession in Concordia, the Lutheran Book of Concord (Agreement), in 1580. Just as a handful of thoroughly convinced public leaders signed the Augsburg Confession, so a large number of rulers and town council members joined in the initial subscription to Concordia. Meanwhile, over 8000 pastors and theologians had already become subscribers to the Formula of Concord, the summary confessional document in Concordia.

To this day, in The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod, every pastor, teacher, and congregation pledges wholehearted agreement with Holy Scripture and with the entire Book of Concord, including the Augsburg Confession. This follows the practice of solidly Lutheran bodies around the world.

Of course, some always find disagreement with Biblical dogma and may try to weaken the force of a doctrinal statement in order to include a wider confessional range within its teaching. This happened with the Augsburg Confession. Philipp Melanchthon, as previously noted, was gentler and more conciliatory in nature than many of his contemporaries and wanted to expand Evangelicalism to include the followers of John Calvin and others and, perhaps, also extend olive branches to Rome. Furthermore, since he’d written the Augsburg Confession, he seemed to think of it as his own, a document he could change to suit circumstances rather than a fixed exposition of Lutheran theology.

Melanchthon developed several alternate texts, the most noted being the Variata of 1540. It so weakened communion theology that John Calvin could accept it in good conscience. Therefore, later confessional Lutherans learned to specify that their subscription was to the Unaltered Augsburg Confession (UAC), not to the Variata. That is why many Lutheran cornerstones here in the United States include the initials UAC, as an expression agreement with the document presented on 25 June 1530.

Those who call themselves “confessional Lutherans” continue subscribing (signing on) to its theology because they believe that the creeds and confessions of Concordia are true expositions of Holy Scripture. These do not supplant nor supplement God’s Word; they merely focus on particular teachings in an orderly fashion.

We sometimes speak of Scripture as the norma normans (ruling rule) — it defines and establishes all doctrine. The Augsburg Confession, as are the other creedal statements, is norma normata (ruled rule) — it draws its entire content from Scripture. In other words, Concordia “rules” in confessional Lutheranism because Holy Scripture “rules” the creeds and confessions.

Because of this, confessional Lutherans practice quia (because) and not quatenus (insofar as) subscription: We agree with the Lutheran Confessions because they agree with Scripture, not insofar as they agree. In other words, we don’t pick and choose which of Concordia’s doctrines we will uphold and which we will deny. Instead, we believe that since all of the theology of the Book of Concord is the theology of God’s Word, all of Concordia is suitable for the tasks of teaching the Church, reproving false doctrine, correcting behavior, and encouraging the saints.

Augsburg Confession quotes public domain from the Triglot Concordia of 1921 as found at The Book of Concord Online Edition.

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Reposted with slight changes from 21 June 2006.

Walter Snyder is a Lutheran pastor, conference speaker, author of the book What Do Lutherans Believe, and writer of numerous published devotions, prayers, and sermons.

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Doing the Judgment Day Math

2011-05-18T20:57:00.005-05:00

According to certain people, if you don’t read this column before the weekend, you’ll never have the opportunity. That’s because they’ve been spreading the word that the world will end on Saturday. They do this by tallying certain selected numbers from Scripture and using linguistic leaps of logic to tell us that Jesus clearly said one thing yet actually meant quite another.

Of course, there’s nothing novel about these predictions. Almost as soon as Jesus ascended on the fortieth day of His resurrection, His followers started wondering when He was coming back. There’s nothing wrong with wondering — and truly much commendable about hoping that the day is near — but once we start attempting to pin down a date, we also start leaving behind God’s clear Word in favor of human assumptions.

What could be more authoritative for Christians than Christ’s own words? I can make only one clear interpretation of what He said in the week before His crucifixion: “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. (Matthew 24:36)” Likewise, after His resurrection and immediately before His ascension, He told the disciples, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. (Acts 1:7)”

Throughout the New Testament, the writers warn believers to be ready but never tell them when their anticipation will see fruition. Instead, they keep pointing to the Savior. At times they urge the Church to stand firm and at others to move forth boldly, but always to be “looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith. (Hebrews 12:2)”

The most specific signs of the end times have been surrounding mankind almost since the fall. Consider, for instance, Matthew 24:6-7. Jesus said, there will be “wars and rumors of wars.... Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places.” These are the signs of a decaying, dying world. However, they’re also “but the beginning of the birth pains. (v. 8)”

When we concentrate on the Author of Scripture, He turns our eyes away from this world and its signs and toward Himself, the Fulfillment of prophecy and the Keeper of the divine promises. Holy Baptism, attention to the Word, faithfulness in attending a church that proclaims the Gospel truth in love, and receiving Absolution and the Lord’s Supper bring far more blessing than playing guessing games with God.

Not only does He command us to be faithful until the end (instead of saying, “Why bother?”). He also enables us to remain faithful, strengthening us through His Church, His Gospel and His Supper until the Day of the Lord is revealed. Even the Bible’s splendid and most terrifying visions exist only to keep us constantly on guard.

The speculators cause two major problems. First, many well-meaning people are taken in by them. History is filled with examples of false prophecies of the End Times leading numbers of people into giving away all they have and rushing away to a predicted sacred spot to await Jesus’ return. The other negative consequence is probably much more wide-spread and damaging: It leads to disregarding the certainty of our end on earth, whether on Judgment Day or on the day we die.

Every false prophecy in the name of Christ brings that name into disrepute. Already I’m reading humorous invitations to join in the post-rapture looting of the property left behind by those who’ve been taken away. Eager to poke fun at a perceived band of kooks, some are also taking lightly their Creator.

Additionally, the Bible warns not only of that final “great and awesome day of the Lord. (Joel 2:31)” It also reminds us that our personal ends may come at any time and that we shouldn’t be encumbered with the things of this world at the expense of eternal treasure. For example, Jesus told the story of the rich man who thought to add to and hoard his wealth with no regard of final judgment: “God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ (Luke 12:20)”

Bottom line: “No one knows.” It might be Saturday. It could also be today or tomorrow. And whether or not you’re reading this on Wednesday or Sunday, perhaps I might not be here to receive your comments. You and I — and all believers — will be much better served by “looking to Jesus” than to internet gurus, Mayan calendar makers, or Bible numbers-crunchers.

“Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved. (Acts 16:31)” Believe anything else and your eternal life is in jeopardy, no matter when your end — or that of the world — happens to arrive.

And should you be reading this in the weeks, months, or years ahead, please try dealing gently with those who initiated this false prophecy of the End and with those who succumbed to their lies. For they, too, are lost sheep who definitely need the loving guidance of the Good Shepherd.

For more from this blog, see The End of the World and “Kooks on TV” and earlier posts linked from it.

Scripture quoted from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, © 2001 by Crossway Bibles.

Send email to Ask the Pastor.

Walter Snyder is a Lutheran pastor, conference speaker, author of the book What Do Lutherans Believe, and writer of numerous published devotions, prayers, and sermons.

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Why Doesn’t Easter Settle Down to One Date?

2011-05-07T22:22:00.003-05:00

From the Archives

Q: Some people have told me that the way the day Easter is determined is by what day there is a full moon in March. Is this true? I also wanted to let you know that I find your “Ask the Pastor” wonderful and for all denominations, not just Lutherans. Thank you very much.

A: You are very much welcome! Basically, you’ve been told correctly, but there’s more to the calculations and a lot more to the history. We’ll look at our past so as to lead up to our present method of determining when we will celebrate Easter. This also determines when we begin Lent, as we will see in an upcoming post.

In the early days of the Church, the Good Friday-Easter events were commemorated every week. A vestige of this remains in most churches, with our regular Sunday services. This is why many churches that observe Lent do not include Sundays in its 40 days, since no celebration of the Resurrection, even weekly, well fits a penitential season. It also explains why certain churches fast (or restrict the diet) on Fridays. Every Friday was to be a reminder of the Savior’s death, while each Sunday was a new celebration of His resurrection. Later, the Church began to focus on an annual Easter observance.

With scattered congregations, differing languages and theologies, and often poor communication, the date of the annual remembrance of the Resurrection was argued about. With all the early Christian defenses of the humanity and the deity of Jesus Christ, you might be surprised to learn that they fought almost as hard over the date of Easter as they did over the person and nature of Christ.

Much of the Eastern Church, basing its calculations on the date for Passover, commemorated the death of Christ on the 14th day of the Hebrew month Nisan, which could be any day of the week. The West focused on his Sunday resurrection, commemorating His death on the preceding Friday. The Western Church judged that the East’s practice over-emphasized His death at the expense of His resurrection. The dispute almost broke the Church apart before the Council of Nicea ruled against the Quartodecimans (the 14thers), who were then treated as heretics.

The Nicene council then moved to establish one date, based not on the Hebrew calendar and the time of Passover, but on the western calendar. The decree was that Easter would be celebrated on the first Sunday after the first full moon on or after the vernal (spring) equinox — unless that full moon falls on a Sunday, when the date is moved one week later. The date was refined in later days, when our current calendar came into effect.

However, even this agreement isn’t perfect. The Western Church bases its calculations on the Gregorian Calendar. Meanwhile, Eastern Christianity, by and large, uses the Julian Calendar for liturgical purposes. Therefore, East and West rarely celebrate the Lord’s Resurrection on the same day. In fact, in the forty-one years from 1982 through 2022, Eastern and Western Christendom share a same-day celebration only ten times. Otherwise, the observations may be anywhere from a week to more than a month separated from each other. Just once during this span, in 2010 and 2011, do we see back-to-back years where the churches agree on the day.

A recent development leads to more “controversy” about the day on which Easter falls. In the United States, Daylight Saving Time recently was extended, from the last Sunday in April to the first Sunday and then to the last Sunday in March. Since this happened, there is a possibility that Easter will fall on the date of the time change. The time change regularly causes problems with people forgetting to reset their clocks and coming to church an hour late — and those who attend are still tired because of a short night’s sleep. It becomes worse when our worship includes Saturday night’s Easter Vigil or a Sunday sunrise service commemorating the women’s early visit to the tomb.

See also Notes on the Christian Calendar and Setting a Date for Easter.

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Walter Snyder is a Lutheran pastor, conference speaker, author of the book What Do Lutherans Believe, and writer of numerous published devotions, prayers, and sermons.

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Updated from newspaper column #22

The Good Book and Good Books

2011-05-04T00:58:00.006-05:00

From the Archives

I’ve learned any number of things since leaving school for the “real world.” If you’re out of school, you’ll probably say the same for yourself. If you’re still in school and haven’t yet discovered this truth, I’ll break it to you gently: You never really get out of school. Every day brings new learning, and many of the tests are much more serious.

Not all of the information is earthshaking. Some is common sense; much is mundane. For instance, in all my years of college and seminary, no one ever taught me that a shovel is an essential item for the pastor’s study. It took months of being buried by offers from This, That, or The Other Company before I got a handle on the mail.

The ministry is a reading-intensive calling. However, I find some publishers wanting to push that intensiveness to intensive care. I mean, just carrying the printed ads and catalogs home is enough to put me in the hospital. Commentaries, Bible studies, sermon helps, and more — some people seem to think that I can’t preach or teach without their latest offerings. What they don’t realize is that my trash can often ranks right behind the Bible as a tool for effective ministry.

Still, there’s plenty of good reading to be found. Separating this wheat from the chaff brings us to this week’s question.

Q: The Christian book stores and catalogs are full of choices. I’m looking for devotional reading and for help with some of the difficult parts of the Bible. How do I find something that’s right for me?

A: Not too many years ago, few people would have had this question. Pastors and lay people alike would have gone to their church bodies’ official book catalogs, ordered what they wanted, and been done. Now, Christianity is “big bucks,” and countless publishers are competing for your devotional dollars.

Along with the blessing of having real options come some problems. First of all, there are often too many choices. For a given topic, there may be several adequate texts. As Ecclesiastes 12:12 says, “Of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh.”

With the glut in publishers and their products comes also the problem of wolves in sheep’s clothing. We are warned about false prophets — and Satan can utilize the printing press quite well. Many cults and Christian fringe groups, as well as people completely removed from Christianity, have produced materials that seem to be solid, Biblical, and orthodox. Only close study reveals some of their errors.

In my own congregations, I recommend first those devotions, studies, and commentaries published by our church body’s Concordia Publishing House. Then, I keep my eyes open for quality works from others. If the saving work of Christ is not central, then I’d say, “Avoid it.” If Scripture is used as a springboard for human speculation, again I’d say, “Avoid it.”

As you seek to build your own Christian library, start with what you know — and with whom you know. If a publisher or an author has previously been a good read and has stayed true to the Bible, assume the same for current works unless proven otherwise. Ask people whom you respect what they read and what they got out of it. Most folks enjoy being consulted as experts.

In picking devotions, personal preferences are probably more important than in other works. Private or family Bible study and meditation needs to fit your personality, your age, and your station in life. If you have a chance, read a bit of what you’re considering buying before taking it out of the store. However, Christ’s work for you should still be the central theme of any good devotional series.

Concordia Publishing House (CPH) of The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod is one good source for devotions, Bible studies, and study Bibles. Portals of Prayer is an excellent series of daily meditations published quarterly and the new Lutheran Study Bible has outstanding resources both for learning and for devotions.

If establishing a stronger, more formal personal or family devotional life interests you, see what I wrote concerning The Why and How of Home Altars.

You also mentioned wanting to work through some of the more difficult to understand parts of Scripture. To this end, I recommend William Arndt’s Bible Difficulties and Seeming Contradictions. It is printed by CPH, and you can order it online through most Christian and secular book stores. Also quite helpful is the Hard Sayings series from InterVarsity Press.

Scripture quoted from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version™, © 2001 by Crossway Bibles.

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Walter Snyder is a Lutheran pastor, conference speaker, author of the book What Do Lutherans Believe, and writer of numerous published devotions, prayers, and sermons.

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Revised and updated from newspaper column #20

A Loving God in a Disaster Filled World

2011-05-02T20:23:00.005-05:00

From the Archives

I thought this a good time to bring this question out of the archives as we continue our Easter celebration even in the aftermath of earthquakes, tsunamis, and killer tornadoes.

Q: Why do evil things happen to good people?

A: This question comes to pastors more often than almost any other spiritual query. As I visit sick and, especially, dying people, I ask, too. Why this saintly person? Why not that other “not-so-good” person?

Others’ (or my own) pain and suffering reminds me of my grandparents’ deaths. One grandfather died slowly, fighting for breath as emphysema overtook him. The other went suddenly with a massive heart attack. Prepared for the first, our family’s pain and shock was lessened somewhat. Similarly, one grandmother died of liver cancer, which filled her body with pain. Near the end, every little movement of the hospital sheets across her skin brought agony. The other slipped quietly away in her sleep. Again, the family’s pain was lessened in the former’s passing, since we had time to prepare and to begin our mourning while she was still with us. But her own physical pain was much greater.

Searching the Scriptures, we find the basics: Pain, suffering, and death entered the world because of Adam’s fall into sin. Each of us earns the “wages of sin,” which, Paul reminds us, “is death. (Romans 6:23)” Each of us faces toil and hardship, whether physical, emotional, mental, or spiritual.

While we know this by faith and by intellect, the specifics bother us. And comparisons — a form of unscriptural judging — often trigger our problem: Why did the most overtly God-fearing, practicing Christian among my grandparents suffer the most painful death? Why did she, years before, have to watch her husband slowly strangle under his failing lungs?

These events can cause even strong believers to ask, “God, why’d You do this to such a saint instead of to that sinner down the street?” Why do we sometimes still cry over memories, years after a final hospital visit, long after a coffin was lowered? It’s not fair, is it? When we get in God’s face and start yelling our rage, our pain, our frustration, where’s our answer? Why doesn’t He give us a clear sign?

Maybe, though, He already has; perhaps He even gave us multiple signs, if we would only remember where to look and how to see.

Look first at Job: Remember his terrible suffering. Remember also a God who basically says to this righteous man (and to us): “Mind your own business. When you’re God, then you can make the rules.” We keep running up against One who says, “My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways. (Isaiah 55:8)” The Psalms are likewise full of laments at personal or societal suffering, when no end seems in sight. Yet when we look closer, we see hope glimmering. These same Psalms which complain about the pain also say, “Yet will I still praise God.” And so will we.

God sometimes uses suffering as a teaching tool. Pain may turn us from what is unnecessary or wrong to Him who is truly the One thing needed. He even uses our afflictions to draw attention and praise to Himself. Remember the healing of the man who was blind from birth in John 9. Jesus was asked whose sin it was that caused the blindness: Was it the parents’ fault, or did God anticipate a future infraction in the man and punish it in advance? Neither, is what Jesus said. This happened so God could be glorified, said the Savior — who then proceeded to heal the man.

Ultimately, we’ll never have a full answer in this life as to why bad things happen to good people — with one great exception. Otherwise, even the beauty of the Easter Gospel at a funeral, even all the other Bible words of hope and consolation sound trite and hollow when our pain is so great. The exception is in the totally unwarranted agony of Jesus. “Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows.... He was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. (Isaiah 53:4-5)”

We know why He suffered. He paid the price demanded for our failure. His loss was our gain, His pain our pleasure, His agony our ecstasy. Sitting in the rubble of his life, Job could still look forward to his Savior’s day and say, “I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. My heart faints within me! (19:25-27)” The hymn based on this Scripture concludes: “He lives, all glory to His Name! He lives, my Jesus, still the same. Oh, the sweet joy this sentence gives, ‘I know that my Redeemer lives!’”

He lives, and because He lives, we shall live also (cf. John 14:19). In the worst of times, we know we have One on our side who’s already faced the same terrible pain, who’s already shouldered the same staggering load, and who’s already crushed sin, death, and devil beneath His almighty foot. He is the clear Sign that God loves us. He has shown us the height and the depth of His love for us. “All glory to His Name!” Amen.

Search this blog for related columns, including Why Suffering and Death?

Scripture quoted from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version™, © 2001 by Crossway Bibles.

Send email to Ask the Pastor.

Walter Snyder is a Lutheran pastor, conference speaker, author of the book What Do Lutherans Believe, and writer of numerous published devotions, prayers, and sermons.

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Expanded from newspaper column #15

The Jesus Seminar

2011-04-24T23:57:00.003-05:00

From the Archives

Q: What is the “Jesus Seminar?” I’ve seen them mentioned in the news from time to time, usually suggesting that our understanding of the Bible is wrong.

A: The “Jesus Seminar” is a group of people who’ve come together under the basic assumption that much ... or most ... or all ... of the New Testament is a collection of myths, folk tales, or fabrications of the early Christians. Under the banner of “scholarship,” they assemble to discuss and then vote whether or not they believe that Jesus said or did the things recorded in Scripture and whether or not the records of His followers are true.

Because of their biases coming in, they’ve decided that the miracles didn’t really happen, that Jesus’ words about Himself as divine are later fabrications, and that most of what we believe about the Savior is — if not an outright lie — wishful thinking. These people’s lack of faith is to be pitied, their conclusions are to be denied, and their conversion to the true faith to be prayed for.

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Walter Snyder is a Lutheran pastor, conference speaker, author of the book What Do Lutherans Believe, and writer of numerous published devotions, prayers, and sermons.

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Revised and expanded from newspaper column #10:2

Confessional Lutheranism

2011-04-24T23:21:00.006-05:00

From the Archives

Q: I’ve read that call yourself a “confessional” Lutheran. What does this mean?

A: Most of us are familiar with conservatism. In the case of our church (and many others), it means those unwilling or unlikely to make hasty change, who are connected to their past, and who interpret the Bible assuming that it is God’s revealed, true Word. We officially reject those who call the Bible a human invention, or a mixture of the divine and the human.

The word “confessional” is not so commonly used. Normally, we think of a confession as an admission of guilt. “Confess” has a root meaning of “acknowledge together.” In matters of error, we state that we have, indeed, done what’s wrong — we “fess up.” But confession also has positive application: It can be used to declare faith. Thus, “Jesus Christ is Lord,” is a confession.

Christians have always made such confessions. Lutherans emphasize the place of formalized confession of Scriptural teaching. We officially accept three of the early Creeds (statements of belief) of the Christian Church. These are the Apostles’, Nicene, and Athanasian Creeds. Each of these is a summary of Christian, Biblical teaching (doctrine).

During the time of the Reformation, in the mid-1500s, various interpretations of the Bible were being used by the parties involved. The reformers went to Scripture to assemble statements of faith which were topically arranged. For example, how many places in the Bible speak of Jesus’ return in judgment on the Last Day? A formal confession pulls all these references together into a unified article with which all can agree.

Many confessions were produced. Six were drawn together with the Creeds into The Book of Concord (Agreement). All who claimed the title Lutheran (or “Evangelical”) were asked to subscribe to, or agree with, the Holy Scriptures as the source and norm of all Christian teaching and these confessions as being correct expositions of Scripture.

Pastors, other church workers, and congregations of The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod and other confessional Lutheran bodies are asked to do the same if they wish to join themselves to our body. A quick summary of this wholehearted agreement with the Confessions may be found at Aardvark Alley in the post Who You Calling Quia?

Confession is finally and ultimately done in the lives of individual Christians. Our confession of faith involves all we say, think, or do. It includes our confession of sins, since this acknowledges our guilt before God. It involves doing everything in life under the cross of Christ, directed ourselves toward a heavenly end. Confession’s goal is to give all praise, honor, and glory to God.

The heart of our confession of faith is that we are justified (declared righteous) by grace through faith in Christ. This is clearly expressed in Article IV of the Augsburg Confession: “Our churches teach that people cannot be justified before God by their own strength, merits, or works. People are freely justified for Christ’s sake, through faith, when they believe that they are received into favor and that their sins are forgiven for Christ’s sake. By His death, Christ made satisfaction for our sins. God counts this faith for righteousness in His sight (Romans 3 and 4 [3:21–26; 4:5].”

Augsburg Confession quoted from Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions. 2005 (Edited by Paul Timothy McCain) (33). St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House.

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Walter Snyder is a Lutheran pastor, conference speaker, author of the book What Do Lutherans Believe, and writer of numerous published devotions, prayers, and sermons.

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Revised and expanded from newspaper column #10:1

Come, Join the Easter Parade

2011-04-24T00:01:00.007-05:00

(Bonnet Not Needed)

Sitting high on Dad’s shoulders ... watching a parade ... wishing to be part of it.... Grand and glorious ... beautiful floats ... bright costumes ... flags and horses ... thundering bands. Only years later would I realize that I was already in the grandest, most glorious parade this world has ever known.

These past eight days, from Palm Sunday through the Feast of the Resurrection open the heart and soul of Christianity for all to see. Christ’s parade through this world is here to watch and to join. The angels’ Christmas message of “peace” was not because a Baby lay quiet in a manger; it was because that Baby would remove our sins and make peace with God. Pentecost’s wonder wasn’t because Galilean fishermen spoke in different languages. Rather, in those languages they proclaimed Jesus Christ, the crucified and risen Savior of the world.

Jesus’ assigned path was laid out from all eternity. He came to earth not to entertain watchers, but to save sinners. He refused to be tempted from this path, either by Satan or by His own desires. He couldn’t be threatened or bullied from the route by religious or secular authorities.

A parade for God Incarnate should be glorious, yet much of it was hideously ugly, grotesquely violent. This week — “Holy Week” — parades past us the lowest and the highest points of Christ’s entire life on earth.

To human eyes, Palm Sunday topped Jesus’ life. The crowd sang his praises, “Hosanna! Save us, we pray!” He was cheered as conquering king and hero of the day. So He would be, but not in the way expected.

The crowds thinned; Jesus kept on the route. He established His New Testament and called to Himself a new covenant people.

Then He was betrayed, tortured, and killed. His parade left the city. Instead of being carried (on donkey-back) and cheered, He carried (His cross and our sins) and was jeered. The route appeared to end at a place called Skull. He was lifted up and nailed to the cross. The voices weren’t saying “save us.” Instead they taunted, “He saved others, Himself he cannot save.”

In His pain, how much could Jesus have desired that the elements would wipe out his parade, so He didn’t have to endure its conclusion? The skies darkened. The earth even shook, but He stayed on the cross until His last breath left Him. In so doing, He rained on Satan’s parade. He interrupted the devil’s schemes to lead all humanity to hell, and fulfilled God’s plans to lead His people to heaven.

He was taken down and buried. The procession seemed ended.

But on the third day — miracle of miracles! — the parade resumed. Jesus was raised from the dead. Those who watched Him pass by to His death, who directly participated in it, or who were responsible for it because of their own sinfulness are all invited to join in the procession. Satan’s prisoners are forgiven and are free to follow joyfully where Christ Jesus leads. “Therefore it says, ‘When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.’ (Ephesians 4:8)”

The march is big and beautiful. Those with Him make music with their songs of praise. They are beautifully clothed, not in earthly attire, but with the righteousness of Christ which has been given them in Baptism and His Word.

Everyone who believes in Him as Savior and who has been baptized in His Name has traveled this route with Him. We are “buried ... with him by baptism into [His] death. (Romans 6:4)” We are raised through that same baptism into life eternal. His death puts our sinful natures to death. His resurrection raises us to new life.

Look to see who He brought into his ranks. Ahead of you marched Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, Moses and Elijah. Peter, James, and John left all they had and followed Him. Look closer, now. There are faces less familiar. People throughout history and from around the world take up their cross and follow Him.

See, there you are ... and there am I. Heaven stands open before us, the true end of this parade route. Our Palm Sunday “hosanna” is answered. We have been saved. Now the alleluias of Easter ring out again. “Praise the Lord!” The host of captives is free and is marching home, bearing Christ’s gifts.

Christ continually gives his gifts in His Word and sacraments. You are invited to join the celebration throughout His Church. Lutherans (and other Christians) around the world will join in worship today, receiving the forgiveness and new life won on the cross and guaranteed by Jesus’ resurrection. His body and blood, given and shed for us, are our Easter feast and our sustaining food as we continue in the parade toward our eternal home with Him who saved us and our Father who sent our Savior to take our flesh upon Himself.

This celebration will never end throughout time and will attain eternal perfection in the day of our own resurrection to life everlasting.

Ecclesiastical art by Ed Riojas. Graphics for the Church Year (1-Year and 3-Year Lectionaries) are available for for purchase on CD or by ZIP download from the Higher Things Store.

Scripture quoted from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version™, © 2001 by Crossway Bibles.

Send email to Ask the Pastor.

Walter Snyder is a Lutheran pastor, conference speaker, author of the book What Do Lutherans Believe, and writer of numerous published devotions, prayers, and sermons.

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Revised from newspaper column #78

Christ’s Humiliation Ends in the Tomb

2011-04-23T00:09:00.002-05:00

Reposted Thoughts for Holy Saturday

Q: An elder in my church said that Jesus is a little lower than God. Where is Jesus in relationship to God?

A: Sometimes the Bible uses “God” and “Father” almost interchangeably. At other times, Scripture makes it clear that Jesus is God, as are the Father and the Holy Spirit. Jesus is “lower” than the Father only in that He is eternally begotten of the Father and will always serve and obey Him. However, He is also the Father’s equal as touches His being God and possessing all divine attributes, including omnipotence, omniscience, omnipresence, and the like. Jesus says of Himself in John 10:30, “I and the Father are One.”

Regarding His incarnation and birth, the Bible (e.g., Psalm 8 and Hebrews 2) testifies to the Messiah, Jesus, being made lower than the heavenly beings or angels “for a little while. (Hebrews 2:7)” This is sometimes called Christ’s “state of humiliation” by the Christian Church. In this state, even though He remained fully God, He did not fully use all His divine powers. “Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him. But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. (Hebrews 2:8-9)”

Corresponding to His humiliation, we have a term for the Son’s condition before His incarnation and after His resurrection. This the Church calls Christ’s “state of exaltation.”

Here in the quiet between Good Friday and the celebration of Christ’s resurrection in the coming services, we straddle the border between Christ’s humiliation and His exaltation. His Sabbath rest came after He fulfilled the fullness of the Law and suffered on our behalf. At some point during His time in the tomb, the Father granted Him life once again. Most likely, this is when He — the now exalted Son of God — descended into Hell to proclaim His victory over sin, death, and Satan.

I invite you to read some of what I wrote previously concerning Jesus being God and about His descent into Hell in these following posts:

   § Jesus Christ: True God
   § Questions about God and Jesus
   § The Humanity and Deity of Christ
   § He Descended into Hell

You can find more by browsing this blog if you use the search box at the top of this blog with the terms Jesus and God.

Scripture quoted from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version™, © 2001 by Crossway Bibles.

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Walter Snyder is the pastor of Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Emma, Missouri and coauthor of the book What Do Lutherans Believe.

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Maundy Thursday

2011-04-21T00:01:00.001-05:00

Reposted

Q: Where do we get the term Maundy Thursday?

A: Also known as “Holy Thursday,” the Church uses this fifth day of Holy Week to remember the institution of the Lord’s Supper. From the account of the Upper Room in John 13:1-15, some have called it the Day of Food Washing.

“Maundy” may come from the Latin Bible’s rendering of John 13:34, where Jesus gave the disciples a new mandatum (commandment) in the upper room: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.”

Another idea is that it grew out from an ancient custom of carrying gifts to the poor in hand baskets (known as “maunds” or “maund baskets”) on that day.

Scripture quoted from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version™, © 2001 by Crossway Bibles.

Walter Snyder is a Lutheran pastor, conference speaker, author of the book What Do Lutherans Believe, and writer of numerous published devotions, prayers, and sermons.

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Holy Week: The Passover of Our God

2011-04-20T00:01:00.001-05:00

Reposted

We now stand in the heart of Holy Week. Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday and the Vigil, and Easter Sunday lie ahead. These next few days are intimately and intricately connected with the Old Testament feast of the Passover. Back around A.D. 750, John of Damascus penned the hymn, The Day of Resurrection. It begins, “The day of resurrection, Earth, tell it out abroad, The Passover of gladness, The Passover of God. From death to life eternal, From this world to the sky, Our Christ has brought us over With hymns of victory.”

The Passover foreshadowed the events of Holy Week, exactly as God intended. The Son came to earth to assume human flesh and to live perfectly in the stead of imperfect humanity. He carried our weaknesses in himself, resisting temptation to depart from his chosen path. He came knowing not only that he would die on our behalf, but choosing so to do. His death came during the time of Passover in Judah, as the children of Abraham praised God for his deliverance of his people from Egypt, the land of bondage.

As the Children of Israel remembered the lambs’ blood painted over their forefathers’ doors, the ultimate Passover Lamb prepared Himself for the slaughter. His blood would be painted over sinful humanity, and all who believed that the death of Jesus brought the final deliverance from their sins would become heirs of new life in His resurrection from the dead.

God established the Passover as the defining moment of His chosen people Israel. Through it, He called them out of slavery and into His family. Hundreds of years later, all of human history reached its defining moment as God used His Son to call people out of slavery to sin and into the family of Jesus Christ.

The Passover observed at the time of Jesus looked back to the Angel of Death passing over the blood-stained doors of Israel. It remembered the Children of Israel passing over the Red Sea on dry land and the destruction of Pharaoh’s army. It recalled a faithful God’s promises to an often faithless people. The New Testament Passover of Christ’s death and resurrection looks back to Jesus’ death and resurrection and forward to our own resurrection and eternal life.

Christ passed over from life to death to life forevermore. As God used Moses with his staff, so on a far greater scale the Father used Jesus and His cross. Moses stretched out the staff in his arms to rescue God’s people from death on the shores of the sea. Jesus stretched out His arms on the cross to rescue all people from eternal death in hell. He leads the believers across death to life eternal in heaven. His Passover becomes ours. His resurrection is the guarantee that we too will rise to new life.

The hymn continues: “Our hearts be pure from evil That we may see aright The Lord in rays eternal Of resurrection light And, list’ning to His accents, May hear, so calm and plain, His own ‘All hail!’ and hearing, May raise the victor strain.” The joy of knowing that Jesus is alive translates into the joy of knowing that we are alive. He cheers us on, telling us that we will make it safely to the other side.

As we grow in the Faith, Easter takes its rightful place as the defining moment in our lives. Knowing better our sinfulness, we appreciate better our salvation. We need not fear death, grave, and decay: We will rise to live with our Savior forever. All sins, great and small, are washed away and Christ dresses us as kings and priests. God treats us as His dear children rather than as the illegitimate offspring of Satan.

The ancient words of celebration become our own. John of Damascus’ hymn and others like it are our victory cheers until we join with the heavenly host in the unending celebration. “Now let the heav’ns be joyful, Let earth her song begin, Let all the world keep triumph And all that is therein. Let all things, seen and unseen, Their notes of gladness blend; For Christ the Lord hath risen — Our joy that hath no end.”

God grant you full measure of that joy as you pass with His Son through this life and into life eternal, singing with all Christ’s Church our “hymns of victory.”

Visit LutheranHymnal.com for MIDI audio for The Day of Resurrection.

Send email to Ask the Pastor.

Walter Snyder is a Lutheran pastor, conference speaker, author of the book What Do Lutherans Believe, and writer of numerous published devotions, prayers, and sermons.

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Do All Dogs — and Cats — Go to Heaven?

2011-04-17T23:04:00.010-05:00

From the Archives

Q: I recently had to put down a beloved pet cat. Is there any hope from Scripture that she is in heaven or do animals just cease to exist?

A: I am truly sorry to hear this. I’ve always been more of a dog person (please don’t throw rocks, cat lovers) but I can empathize with your sadness. Our relationships with our animals are often close and special. When death intrudes, it may well grieve us almost as much as the loss of a close human friend or family member.

It’s especially trying when we are the agents of our pets’ deaths. I went through this several years ago. We had three dogs — the mom and pups from two different litters. The two older dogs loved to roam and hunt. Duchess could catch jackrabbits on the run, and Duke benefitted from mom’s speed and agility as she shared her catch.

They crossed a porcupine one night, and that proved their undoing. Duchess was so filled with quills that the vet couldn’t remove them all and we had to have her put down to spare her the ever-increasing pain she felt. She was our family’s all-time favorite dog, and Dad buried her under a huge sandstone slab in our church’s patio, so scavengers could never get to her.

A few weeks later, I found Duke dead on the back porch, evidently from a quill we’d missed which had worked its way into her brain. I picked him up and hid him in our camper so my younger brothers and sister wouldn’t see him as they left for school. I told Dad in private, and he prepared to tell everyone when they got back home that afternoon.

Since my dad was a pastor, he worked through this with his five children. I was finishing high school, while the youngest was about ten, so we each got as much as Dad thought we could take. We also had the benefit of Princess, another of Duchess’s progeny. Through her, Duchess and Duke lived on, even as she blessed us with her own particular personality.

More recently, just before Christmas 2010, our beloved Sparky died after nine years with us. She showed up on our porch on a cold, wet day in early spring, limping and underfed. We couldn’t resist her and she soon wormed her way into our hearts and lives. She was a bird dog and bull terrier cross with the sweetest disposition imaginable. Her main drawback was the ability to dig like a badger, so wherever she was looked like drop zone for bombing runs.

Again, we’ve had help in dealing with our loss. This time, it’s a coon hound who was impounded and slated for death. The life we gave her has certainly added life to our family. She’s scatter-brained but smart and daily re-earns her name, Adhdie.

I say all this to establish my pet-lover credentials, so you’ll know that I understand your concerns. My family owned probably a dozen dogs and was owned by three or four cats while I grew up. My theological credentials should be established by my years of college and seminary, plus my time putting it into action.

The short answer to your question is, “I don’t know.” We do know that humans are the only creatures on earth who were made in the image of God. This sets us apart from the animals more than logic, planning for the future, or anything else that behavioral scientists and biologists might indicate.

Perhaps heaven will have its share of animals. Still, the only “animal” definitely mentioned in heaven is the Lamb — who is, of course, Jesus Christ. I guess that you could also say that the “sheep” get to heaven, while the “goats” are definitely culled out. We do know that a new heaven and a new earth will be established. How the new life will be populated — except for God, the heavenly beings, and the saints who were saved by faith in Christ — we aren’t told. It could be that earthly animals will be replaced by something else altogether. Maybe only certain creatures will be introduced into the new creation.

It may be that animals, while they glorify God by their very existence on earth, are destined to pass away at the end of time. Pets may be part of God’s providence to a world filled with sin and sorrow. Most people know by experience (and scientific experimentation bears us out) that pets are usually good for us. They help to provide companionship for people who feel lonely or alienated. Their mere presence around the sick and the elderly helps to ease physical and emotional symptoms. Spending a few minutes each day petting a dog or cat can dramatically lower blood pressure. Pets help parents teach children responsibility.

I do know that the special relationship between dogs and their masters is a theme depicted in a number of medieval, Renaissance, and later works of art. Several different artists who depict the banishment of Adam and Eve from the Garden show animals either running away in fear of man or else threatening to attack.

However, a number of these also show one animal remaining with him — the faithful dog. For example, this woodcut depicts a loyal dog just behind the angel’s sword, preparing to follow Adam and Eve into the world. So the love and fidelity became a theological model, showing that even in a fallen world, God provided mankind companionship and protection through at least one of His creatures.

Regarding life on earth, much of what we assume as “normal” is not forever, or even truly normal and natural. Death itself was an intruder brought into our world by sin. Marriage, which God instituted and blessed, and which is the greatest and best of human relationships on earth, is only “until death do us part.” Jesus told the Sadducees who came to challenge Him, “In the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. (Matthew 22:30 )” So also it may be with our other earthly relationships.

What truly matters is our faith relationship with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Heaven and earth can pass away. We might forget everyone and everything we knew on earth. We’ll still know no loss, because what is gained is an eternity with the God who loves us, who has made us His own forever.

Woodcut of the banishment of Adam and Eve courtesy of the World Mission Collection of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod. It was created by Julius Schnoor von Carolsfeld and scanned from Das Buch der Bücher in Bilden and has been used according to published terms.

Pet photos from my Facebook album Critters.

Scripture quoted from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version™, © 2001 by Crossway Bibles.

Send email to Ask the Pastor.

Walter Snyder is a Lutheran pastor, conference speaker, author of the book What Do Lutherans Believe, and writer of numerous published devotions, prayers, and sermons.

Technorati Tags: pets | dogs | cats | animals | heaven | resurrection | Creation | the Fall | Pastor Walter P. Snyder | Walter Snyder | Ask the Pastor

Revised and expanded from newspaper column #63

Hosannas and Palm Branches

2011-04-17T00:01:00.000-05:00

Reposted

“Everyone loves a parade.” This old expression indicates that whenever there’s some sort of festivities, all are happy to join in. Of course, “everyone” is an exaggeration. There’s almost always someone who’d rather not join in the fun. In fact, if the parade is organized by people we despise, we’ll go out of our way not to participate.

Palm Sunday celebrates such a parade. Jesus’ reputation kept growing throughout His public ministry; when He entered Jerusalem on the donkey, the noise and celebration might make an observer think that finally a parade had come that all could join. No marching bands, no fancy costumes — Jesus was the sole draw. He and his disciples came through the gate with a growing crowd; the sounds of praise attracted more and more people to the celebration. The Son of David, the King of the Jews, was entering God’s city. Coats and palm branches paved the way, people waved their branches to honor this Healer and Teacher of whom they had heard so much.

“Hosanna (save, we pray)” was the refrain of the songs of praise. It was used at various religious festivals. On Palm Sunday, the people sang it to this traveling Rabbi. Many of them anticipated an end to Roman oppression. They desired for the long-gone days when an anointed king ruled from his throne in Jerusalem. Jesus was their hope that the kingdom would be restored.

The leaders of the Jewish people had other ideas. Jesus upset the status quo. He preached against some of their cherished beliefs. He had the potential to lead the common people into rebellion, which would bring the Roman armies down in crushing weight. The parade into Jerusalem made it clear: He had to be stopped. Amazingly enough, that’s just what the Father had in mind! Sinful thoughts were used to carry out His divine will.

The festivities of the Palm Sunday parade are, of course, tempered by knowing its outcome. The King came Jerusalem to claim His kingdom — but not the kingdom everyone thought. As He would tell Pontius Pilate a few days later, “My kingdom is not of this world. (John 18:36)”

Just as His kingdom was different, so were His ascent to the throne and His coronation. Palm Sunday’s hymnody is rich in irony; triumph is tinged with tragedy. One hymn begins: “Ride on, ride on, in majesty! Hark! all the tribes hosanna cry. O Savior meek, pursue Thy road, With palms and scattered garments strowed.” This sounds like the beginning of a huge celebration. But the next four stanzas change course. They anticipate the Passion of the Lord — betrayal and denial, trials and tortures, suffering and death.

The King climbed to His throne on the ladder of the cross. He went alone, His followers scared to take a stand and running off. His own heavenly Father abandons him. The shouts of praise are replaced by taunts.

Does everyone still love a parade? This parade? I do. “Ride on, ride on, in majesty! In lowly pomp ride on to die. O Christ, Thy triumphs now begin O’er captive death and conquered sin.” I hate what they did to Jesus. Even more, I hate what I did to Him. But oh, do I love what He did for me.

As disciples and hangers-on deserted Him on His parade to the cross, one thing remained: Sin ... all sin ... your sin and my sin — all the sins of the world were in that procession. God lifted our collective guilt and placed it on His sinless Son. The Christ carried that sin to the cross and accepted the punishment that was our due. He died with our sins so that we might die to them. We claim this death and receive its saving benefits in Baptism; there, we also claim the new life that burst from the tomb on the Third Day.

Use this week to trace again the parade route. Go forth from the palms and hosannas; listen to His final words. Climb with Him to the upper room where He prepares his Supper on Maundy Thursday; then watch with Him as he prays and see him captured. Observe the trial and the crucifixion on Good Friday. But remember, the parade does not end in the tomb. Christ did not stay dead and buried. The route leads through the grave and on to the heavenly realms. And we who believe are free to follow Him the whole distance.

“Ride on, ride on, in majesty! In lowly pomp ride on to die. Bow Thy meek head to mortal pain, Then take, O Christ, Thy pow’r and reign.” From praise to praise, the parade runs its course. Feeble, flickering earthy honor fades in the light of eternal glory for the Savior of the world. There will be no more hosannas — we’ll have nothing from which to be saved. Instead, we will join in the eternal “Alleluia (praise the Lord)!” — blessing the Lamb who was slain who now lives forevermore.

I encourage you to focus with full intent on the loving sacrifice of your Jesus through the coming days. Attend whatever services you can during this Holy Week. Especially, make sure to hear for yourself the wonderful news of the Resurrection during the Easter services. Don’t let the parade pass you by — join in as it leads you home.

Scripture quoted from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version™, © 2001 by Crossway Bibles.

Send email to Ask the Pastor.

Walter Snyder is a Lutheran pastor, conference speaker, author of the book What Do Lutherans Believe, and writer of numerous published devotions, prayers, and sermons.

Technorati Tags: Palm Sunday | Holy Week | Passion | Lent | Easter | resurrection | The Resurrection of Our Lord | worship | Pastor Walter P. Snyder | Walter Snyder | Ask the Pastor

Cursing God

2011-04-08T21:23:00.004-05:00

Q: I have had these bad thoughts about cursing God. I love Him with all my heart, I believe in Him from my heart, yet I can’t control these thoughts. Please help. I think I’m going to hell. I’m scared and crying; I pray about it — I don’t want to go to hell.

A: You don’t say what’s causing these bad thoughts. Are they popping up on their own or are you angry at Him for a specific reason? In other words, are they the result of emotional or mental problems or because things aren’t going your way in external situations? After being assured of His love for you, you also need to address the cause, both because it’s wrong of itself and because of the ongoing misery it’s bringing to you.

If either leads to cursing at God, you have, of course, sinned. However, your getting to the root of the problem will take different courses depending upon the cause. As for the cursing itself, I suspect that you’re concerned that you are on the brink of committing an unforgivable sin. Yet your very worries lead me to think that this isn’t the case.

The person whose sin remains unforgiven is the person who denies God’s power to forgive or His right to hold us in judgment. Such a person rejects either God’s holiness and wrath over sin or else denies the Savior’s blood-bought forgiveness on the cross.

Anger against God is not usually unforgivable. Most often, those who yell at God do it because they know God’s power and His mercy and are upset because they aren’t seeing this concern more clearly in their own lives. Trust His forgiveness and give your sin to Him, just as you gave Him your anger.

Then ask Him to lead you through a thorough assessment of yourself, whether on your own or under guidance of counselor, psychologist or others — along with a caring pastor.

Remember this: God forgives sin, even the sin of anger at Him. Scripture occasionally shows Him allowing it to continue for an extended time, as witness Moses’s several outbursts in the Wilderness, some of the Psalms, or Jeremiah (see chapter 15, where the Lord rebukes the prophet more for doubting Him than for yelling at Him).

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Lutheran Carnival of Blogs

2011-04-01T22:45:00.002-05:00

Pastor Alex Klages bids you Welcome to the Carnival! at his blog A Beggar at the Table. For the first time in several years, someone has compiled a cross-section of the confessional Lutheran blogosphere, featuring a number of posts involving the season of Lent and a few from other categories.

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Stations of the Cross

2011-03-31T20:43:00.001-05:00

Q: I’m curious about the “Stations of the Cross.” What are they and are they found in Scripture?

A: The Stations of the Cross remember various stages of the Passion. Some Lutheran, Episcopal, and other churches set them up, although they are most used in Catholicism. I’ve seen several churches that have plaques or the like indoors, but they began as outdoor shrines, where one could “walk with the Savior,” stopping to think and pray at each.

They are most usually arranged at intervals around the walls of a church nave. The traditional Stations trace a path known as the Via Dolorosa (Way of Sorrow) as Jesus was led out from Jerusalem to be crucified.

The Stations may be of stone, wood, or metal, sculptured or carved, or they may be painted or engraved. Some are renowned art works, such as those in the cathedral in Antwerp, Belgium.

The construction and use of the Stations become common somewhere around the end of the seventeenth century and but they are now found in most Catholic churches.

For some time, the number of Stations varied, but fourteen are now prescribed by Roman Catholic authority. As you read about them below, you see that some have Scriptural background, while others are derived from pious fable or myth.

The fourteen accepted by Rome are 1) Christ condemned to death; 2) the cross laid upon Him; 3) His first fall; 4) He meets His mother along the way; 5) Simon of Cyrene is forced to carry the cross; 6) Christ’s face is wiped by Veronica (the origin of the story of the veil that supposedly held the image of His face from that time forward); 7) His second fall; 8) He meets the women of Jerusalem; 9) His third fall; 10) Stripped of His garments; 11) His crucifixion; 12) His death on the cross; 13) His body taken down from the cross; and 14) laid in the tomb. In non-Roman Catholic versions, the multiple falls are usually omitted, as is the Veronica Station.

A variant that doesn’t follow these exact steps originated in the Vienna area around the year 1800. Its eleven steps are 1) Agony in the Garden; 2) Betrayal by Judas; 3) Scourging; 4) Crowning with thorns; 5) Christ condemned to death; 6) Meeting Simon of Cyrene; 7) Women of Jerusalem; 8) Tasting the gall; 9) Nailed to the cross; 10) Death on the cross; and 11) His body taken down from the cross. Those uncomfortable with the Roman Catholic insertions of non-Scriptural Stations choose this latter variant or some other format that holds only Biblically attested events.

I’ve seen some displays that work a Pietà (a portrayal of the dead Christ in His mother’s arms) into the station where He is removed from the cross.

A few other optional stations have also arisen. One shows the Savior’s agony in the Garden prior to His arrest. Another, gaining considerable popularity, concludes the Stations with the Resurrection.

Indoor settings are normally permanently mounted for display and use as devotional aids. This is so for many outdoor Stations also, although some are only displayed during the Lenten season.

The outdoor arrangement is becoming more common in many parts of the United States. Churches will set them on their lawns, in their parking lots, or elsewhere room permits, often including benches or other seating for those who wish to stop for a time to rest, contemplate, and pray at each Station.

However the stations are displayed, they should not be considered as granting some special spiritual blessing; nor should hosting churches or individuals force visitors to the Stations pray or meditate according to any one set form.

Still, when used correctly by faithful Christians, the Stations of the Cross are a powerful and potentially edifying series of devotional settings.

So how does one approach the Stations of the Cross? The simple answer is that Christians should come with faith grounded in the death and resurrection of Jesus as recorded in Holy Scripture.

Beyond this, the believer should avoid seeking emotional stimulation. I don’t mean that we view the Stations as zombies. The visual power of the images coupled with the testimony of Scripture will, of course, trigger our emotions but placing emotionalism above edification certainly lessens their spiritual impact.

To guard against this, it helps to approach the Stations after having recently read the Scriptural accounts of the Passion or following a sermon on Christ’s suffering and death. Take along prepared prayers, meditate on the Ten Commandments and your failure to keep them, pray the Our Father, and confess the Creed.

Some people might want to travel the Stations by themselves. This can help them look honestly at their own sins without fearing the judgment of companions. However, others may find greater benefit in going with close friends or family. This allows them to comfort, pray with and for, and forgive each other. It also gives the individuals opportunity to confess their faith with like-minded people, perhaps encouraging them also to be more comfortable sharing their faith with unbelievers.

Obviously, Lent is the peak season for meditation upon the Stations of the Cross. Yet is there any time of the year when sin fails to oppress us, doubt assail us, or Satan confound us? If you find value in such contemplation during Lententide, you will during the rest of the year, as well.

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Walter Snyder is a Lutheran pastor, conference speaker, author of the book What Do Lutherans Believe, and writer of numerous published devotions, prayers, and sermons.

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Shrove Tuesday

2011-03-07T20:42:00.003-06:00

Q: What is Shroud Tuesday?

A: I believe that you are thinking of “Shrove Tuesday,” the last day before Ash Wednesday and Lent’s beginning. This day marks the end of the Carnival celebrations in Latin America and elsewhere. “Shrove” comes from “shrive,” an English word that’s almost lost in current usage. It involves confessing sins and receiving absolution. In many places, Shrove Tuesday actually is the third and final day of Shrovetide, days set aside for making pre-Lenten confession which also gave opportunity for a final round of festivities before the penitential season began. At this time, the things not to be eaten and drunk during the Lenten season were consumed or removed from the home.

Strictly imposed Lenten fasts include the removal of oils and other fats, sugar, and meat from the diet. People often try to use them up before Ash Wednesday. Large amounts of food might be cooked and eaten during these last few days. In parts of the world, this meant eating pancakes, since they contain oil, are cooked in it or other fat, and are often covered with the fat and sugar of butter and syrup. For many, this day brings a great “farewell dinner” for these sweet and fatty foods. In some places, it also means annual pancake races. Mardi Gras (literally Fat Tuesday) was named for this final pre-Lent feast.

Americans are probably familiar with the pre-Lenten partying in New Orleans. Although shameful excesses occur there and elsewhere, festivities such as Shrovetide, Mardi Gras, and Fat Tuesday began as ways of preparing hearts and households for the forty days of Lent. As such, even celebratory eating and drinking may be done in thanksgiving to our gracious God. Feasting before giving up some or all of these “luxuries” for a time helps remind us of our Savior leaving heaven and setting aside for a time His divine glory and might through His incarnation, life, and passion.

Reprinted from 2007.

Send email to Ask the Pastor.

Walter Snyder is a Lutheran pastor, conference speaker, author of the book What Do Lutherans Believe, and writer of numerous published devotions, prayers, and sermons.

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Dirty Secrets of the “Pure” Church

2011-03-03T13:32:00.009-06:00

You can’t vacuum the Church. No, I don’t mean that you won’t be able to clean the carpet, dust the corners, or otherwise tidy up your building. What I mean is that you cannot practice true Christianity apart from Christ, Christians, and the world that surrounds us. The Church isn’t a sterile lab with carefully controlled experiments. It’s filled with a dazzling array of variables, many of which make us uncomfortable.

Granted, Christianity is, by nature, pure as its Head, Jesus Christ. However, it’s also dirty, bloody, and often — at least in our own eyes — a total mess. Our surface views often show an entity crying out for order, cleanliness, and careful regulation. And as we look around, we discover many instances of people attempting to establish and maintain a “pure” Christian Church. Yet they always end up having neither Church nor purity.

Obviously, when we consider Christ, Christians, and the world, Jesus is the most important of these emphases — yet some people make serious efforts to get Him out of their “Christianity” as much as possible. Sometimes this is done by partial omission, when Jesus is accepted as a great teacher, an outstanding moralist, a good man, or even God in a limited sense.

Many people, appalled by the bloody, messy Jesus of Calvary — and by crucifixes and other religious works of art emphasizing His atoning sacrifice — opt for Friend Jesus while ignoring what His friendship with fallen man cost Him. This, in turn, led to parodies of what is already a parody of true Christianity, such as the Buddy Christ of the film Dogma.

Playing His assets against each other is another means used to marginalize the Lord. When His holiness trumps His love, you get people who wage protests because they worship a God who hates sin so completely that they feel compelled to picket the funerals of soldiers who die defending a country that refuses to persecute those of a different moral code. Others are so blinded by their image of a loving God that they refuse to acknowledge Jesus’ claims that He will return in judgment and that unrepentant unbelievers will face everlasting punishment.

This sort of distortion continues with Environmentalist Jesus, Outsider Jesus, Republican Jesus, Democrat Jesus, and all the other false christs substituted for the genuine article.

So if you want to be truly involved with the authentic Church, you need first to believe in an authentic Jesus Christ. This includes God and man, blood and dirt, absolute judgment and unlimited love — the whole incarnate package as revealed in the Scriptures and confessed in the Creeds. Until the end of time, the pure doctrine of our pure Savior is the only purity we can expect.

Next, you need to be in fellowship (Greek: κοινωνία; communion, as the King James translation says) with Christians. We’re not talking about a group of pumped-up do-gooders, moralists, or crusaders. I mean real Christians ... the blood-stained butcher, the flour-covered baker, the wax-spattered candlestick maker ... also the weak and the meek, the strong and the dynamic, the tolerable and those who make you glad you have caller ID.

Yep, you’re stuck with liars and cheats, with people of loose tempers, loose mouths, and (gasp!) loose morals — completely surrounded by born and bred sinners! And true Christianity doesn’t just mean acknowledging that they’re believers, just as you are. It means welcoming them to worship and supporting them in their daily lives. True Christians don’t separate fellow believers into black, white, or red Christians. The only black and white that matters is the black and white contrast of sin and grace, Law and Gospel, damnation or salvation and the only red worth anything is the blood that Jesus spilled for us.

Obviously, where we live makes a difference concerning with whom we worship but any congregation or larger corporate body that excludes others by race, wealth, language, or the like also excludes the Lord of the Church from its midst. More subtle discrimination is also wrong, whether it’s those who resent the racket of young children disturbing the tranquility of their worship or those whose contemporary practices push old-timers out the door.

Then there’s the matter of being “in the world (cf. John 17:11)” without joining ourselves to its sinful desires and practices. The Church remains on earth until the end of time as the means through which our Lord reaches out to sinners, inviting them to faith, forgiveness, and fellowship. If your church is barely distinguishable from the surrounding society, then it’s barely distinguishable as part of the body of Christ. Pandering to the world never grows the Church.

Likewise, if your church won’t reach out in love to those in need — whether spiritual, physical, or emotional — then it’s not acting in the manner modeled and prescribed by the Lord of the Church. Jesus calls us to get “down and dirty” with the citizens of this world without “wallowing in the mud” — just as He did during His years on earth.

Pure doctrine, rightly taught and correctly believed, practiced by forgiven sinners in fellowship with each other and in compassion for the world ... now we’re starting to think, look, and act like the Church for which Jesus prayed in John 17. And what if we fall short in accepting and embracing living as Christ’s people? Even if “anyone” — or any congregation or any church body — “does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. (1 John 2:1)”

May Christ grant each of us the courage — not of our convictions, but of His — to live lovingly and faithfully in His service, both for the benefit of our fellow believers and for the whole wide world around us. Instead of longing for a sanitized Church, may we pray for hearts cleansed and purified by the blood of the Lamb, that we may plainly speak and live holy lives in the world until we achieve our eternal, perfect home.

Scripture quoted from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version™, © 2001 by Crossway Bibles.

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Walter Snyder is a Lutheran pastor, conference speaker, author of the book What Do Lutherans Believe, and writer of numerous published devotions, prayers, and sermons.

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Alcohol, Marijuana, and the College Student

2011-02-23T20:27:00.003-06:00

Q: I’m a college student that has never smoked and has never been drunk. I feel strongly against getting drunk so I always stop drinking when I feel myself begin to drift off a little bit.

I have two questions. First, is it wrong to drink and not get drunk while at a party? The reason why I drink is not to escape problems or because I need alcohol to have fun. I do it occasionally because I do enjoy the socializing and games that are associated with it; is that wrong?

Second, is it wrong to smoke marijuana if the intent is not to escape troubles? If alcohol is acceptable to consume as long as the intent isn’t misuse, why wouldn’t marijuana be the same since it’s not a hallucinogenic substance? I’ve had friends tell me weed helps them focus and relax, and that doesn’t seem like an “evil” substance to me.

A: You’ll not find many self-professed Lutherans who promote alcoholic abstinence. Most of us take the attitude that moderate use of a legal substance is not wrong. We read in Scripture that God used wine not only sacramentally (as the means of giving His Son’s blood for us to drink) but also celebratorily, as in the Passover celebration and at the wedding in Cana.

Note that the first two of these examples involve religious celebration while the final is essentially secular. Yet even at this party, the Lord Himself provides wine ... good wine ... lots of good wine! He realized that most of the guests would drink enough to elevate their already high spirits and some might even go too far, yet He gave it as His gift.

Of course, He didn’t force it on anyone who didn’t want to drink and He certainly didn’t encourage anyone drinking to do so to oblivion. He also didn’t have to worry that one of the guests would leave the party bombed and drive his car into a minivan full of children, nor was he providing alcohol contrary to the law of the land.

Now when you as about drinking as “a college student,” I realize that traditional students don’t normally reach the legal age for alcohol consumption until sometime during their junior years. Are you asking about drinking as a minor, contrary to state law (and maybe campus rules, as well)? If so, I cannot approve — nor does Scripture. For even if it’s not “fair” or if younger people can drink in other countries, your “governing authorities” to whom God requires you to “be subject (Romans 13:1)” say otherwise.

Current marijuana laws make the answer even more simple, in response to your second question: “Yes, it’s wrong. Period.” Even if pot’s benefits completely overshadowed its liabilities (and the debate is open on this), those “governing authorities” have said, “Thou shalt not do weed, neither shalt thou grow it nor shalt thou distribute it.” And the apostle, inspired by the Holy Spirit, says, “That’s the breaks.” Or something like that.

Of course, if marijuana were legal here, as it is in some countries, you’d need to do a lot more research. For one thing, does weed really help you “focus and relax”? Relax? Quite likely — unless you’re smoking it illegally. Then, it might make you paranoid about getting busted. Focus? Um, yeah, but likely more on water dripping from a faucet, fish swimming in an aquarium, or a repetitious drum riff on the stereo than on your calculus homework.

Also, contrary to what you’ve been told, marijuana is classified as an hallucinogen — albeit mild compared to substances such as LSD. However, even the weed available when I was in college could actively deceive your perceptions and most of what’s sold and used now has much higher THC levels.

See previous articles, including Christian Use of Drugs and Alcohol, Two Wines? Too Much!, and Mushrooms: Magic or Menace? as you continue to think about what’s allowed and what’s truly profitable for you. You can also get a good look a the Scripture vs. moralism arguments in Father Hollywood’s Alcohol, Christianity, and Truth.

I hope this helps you determine what is good and right for you — both now, as a student, and later, as you continue living a responsible Christian life as an adult. God bless you.

Scripture quoted from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version™, © 2001 by Crossway Bibles.

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Walter Snyder is a Lutheran pastor, conference speaker, author of the book What Do Lutherans Believe, and writer of numerous published devotions, prayers, and sermons.

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Revamped Blogroll and Links

2011-02-08T21:04:00.003-06:00

I just updated my links, using The Big Blogroll O’ Vark®™© from Aardvark Alley as my main source. One of the largest lists of active bloggers among confessional Lutherans, the BBOV also includes other Lutheran and Christian links, plus other sites of interest to the Aardvark. If you’re a Lutheran blogger or enjoy reading solid Lutheran theology (plus other stuff Lutherans say), then check out the full list and — if you’re so minded — suggest more blogs to be included in the next update.

Cross-posted from Happenings.

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Life!

2011-01-22T00:01:00.000-06:00

On Facebook, a Pro-life Virtual Protest runs all day on 22 January. If you have a Facebook account, I encourage you to participate with a pro-life status message and, if you wish, a pro-life profile picture.

If you are looking for life resources or if you’re wondering if or why you should be pro-life, please visit one or more of the online resources dedicated to ending abortion, euthanasia, and other assaults against God’s first great gift to mankind. These sites include Lutherans for Life, the Vitae Foundation, National Right to Life, Blogs4Life, and Pro-Life Blogs.

If you’d like to use this image, please feel free to do so. I created it to share with others.

May God bless the message and the messengers.

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Levels of Heaven and Hell

2011-01-17T20:24:00.002-06:00

Q: Are there different levels to heaven or hell? If so, what are they?

A. Regarding hell, unbelievers will suffer condemnation and eternal separation from God in both body and soul (see Matthew 18:8; 25:46; Mark 9:43; John 3:36; 2 Thessalonians 1:9; Jude 13; Revalation 14:11). While the damned will experience indescribable torment, varying degrees may be determined by the nature of the sins to be punished (Matthew 11:20-24; 23:15; Luke 12:47-48).

As for what some term the “degrees of glory” in heaven, the Scriptures depict eternal life as a state of never-ending “blessedness.” This means that Christians will live forever in perfect freedom from sin, death, the devil, and every evil (Isaiah 25:8; 49:10; 1 Corinthians 15:26, 55-57; Revelation 2:7, 11; 20:14; 21:4). They will also enjoy the never-ending joy of being with God in the new heavens and new earth (e.g., Revelation 21-22; Psalm 16:11). Falling away from God will be impossible.

This blessedness includes the joy of being in eternal communion with our fellow believers. Matthew 17:3 hints that we may well recognize them when we are translated to glory. While all the saints will enjoy unlimited happiness and blessed peace, there will be degrees of glory corresponding to differences of deeds and faithfulness while on earth. This will result in even greater praise to God but will provoke no envy among the saved (see 2 Corinthians 9:6; Matthew 20:23).

Article reposted to answer a question on the Facebook Ask the Pastor group page.

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Walter Snyder is a Lutheran pastor, conference speaker, author of the book What Do Lutherans Believe, and writer of numerous published devotions, prayers, and sermons.

Epiphany

2011-01-06T00:15:00.004-06:00

Q: Is Epiphany an important part of the Church calendar?

A: Epiphany is both a specific day celebrated in the Church and the season which follows. Literally meaning “appearance, manifestation, showing,” the day celebrates the visit of the wise men recorded in Matthew 2:1-12. In most of Christianity, 6 January is the date that The Epiphany of Our Lord is observed.

The Sunday after Epiphany Day traditionally remembers His baptism (Matthew 3:13-17). Subsequent Sundays show how the Christ was manifested through preaching and miracles. For example, Saint John concludes his account of the miracle at Cana, by telling, “This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him. (2:11)” See Aardvark Alley for an excursis on this miracle and general comments about wine in Scripture.

Many churches conclude the Epiphany season with Jesus’ last great pre-suffering manifestation, His Transfiguration on the mountaintop before Peter, James, and John (see Matthew 17:1-13). One clearly important part of Epiphany is that Jesus shows Himself to be Savior not only of the Jews but also of the Gentiles.

Scripture quoted from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version™, © 2001 by Crossway Bibles.

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Walter Snyder is a Lutheran pastor, conference speaker, author of the book What Do Lutherans Believe, and writer of numerous published devotions, prayers, and sermons.

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Epiphany Hymn

2011-01-02T19:09:00.002-06:00

Baby Jesus Got Lojack

2010-12-16T15:18:00.005-06:00

In many mysteries and crime dramas, a missing person is part of the problem that investigators must overcome. Was it a voluntary disappearance, a kidnapping, or a murder? Without a person — or a body — how can we discover what happened?

Here’s a seasonal variation involving traditional holiday displays: Thieves often target nativity scenes, stealing some or all of the figurines. Hanukkah and secular Christmas decorations are similarly raided. Whether vandalism, theft for profit, or hate crimes, replacement costs can be quite high.

Now, however, high tech joins the war on holiday body-snatching. Along with video surveillance, many churches, synagogues, and others have begun installing GPS trackers in their nativity figures, menorahs, and sleigh scenes. While not a perfect solution, GPS has already led to returned Christ children and arrested thieves.

Of course, some Christians question the worth of putting a bundled baby doll on the lawn from Thanksgiving until New Year’s Day (or the beginning of Advent until Epiphany). They wonder what sort of deep religious message a piece of hollow plastic filled with a glowing light bulb conveys. Yet unless they oppose all religious images, most Christians welcome the annual appearance of nativity scenes — at least those that seem reasonably reverent.

A few believers opt for more symbolism. They set up a stable but only Mary and Joseph are there until through the Advent season. On Christmas, the Babe is set in the manger and shepherds pay their visit. These same people may introduce the Magi somewhere across the lawn, moving them slowly closer until Epiphany (6 January) celebrates their visit to the infant Christ. Then it all comes down until the next year.

But setting aside theft or symbolic delays in the display, what would you think of a neighbor who centered a manger in a stable on his front lawn, lit the lights, and maybe even placed statues of Mary, Joseph, animals, and Wise Men — but never set a baby in the manger? Christmas without the Christ Child? How could this be? Wouldn’t this be like building a house but intentionally omitting any bedrooms?

Some wise person might say, “But Pastor, we know that Jesus grew up and left the stable. We don’t need to keep the physical reminder.” Maybe not, but if we set out the manger, shouldn’t we also make clear that its Occupant is the “Reason for the Season”?

I ask this because, in the absence of a security system (or the ongoing teaching of God’s people), another body often disappears — the body of this same Babe, now grown to adulthood and condemned to die for the sins of all people. Many of the same people who welcome artistic representations of the Christ Child in their nativities recoil at the notion of images of the God-Man Jesus hanging on the cross.

How can you have one without the other? Jesus didn’t come as a baby so He could attract people by His cuteness. He came as a baby so He could live a full human life — albeit in holiness and perfection — and so that He could grow up until the Father called Him to suffer and die on the cross, bearing the weight of mankind’s sins. In my mind, an empty cross testifies to much the same as an empty manger: They imply that, somehow, we just don’t need the fulness of Jesus’ humanity, especially His suffering on our behalf.

Be they beautiful Baby or cruelly tortured Man, the images remind us that we have One who intimately knows our entire human experience, birth to death, womb to tomb. Furthermore, before anything was, Jesus is, and after everything else has gone, Jesus still is. Neither manger scene nor crucifix — not even both together — fully tells the story of God’s love for fallen humanity. Yet both are part of our teaching that in Christ Jesus, God took on human flesh in order to redeem us and to restore us to an eternity of perfection.

We don’t need Lojack or OnStar to find Jesus. Instead, He finds us. Through His Word and the Holy Spirit He calls seeks us out, calling us to believe in Him and live. But in a world that offers the testimony of false prophets and liars as options for living a good life, shouldn’t we seek to give “eyewitness” testimony of the central teaching of the True Faith? As Paul wrote, “While we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly ... [and] God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:6, 8)”

So show Jesus in the manger and on the cross. The former tells us that He came, the latter tells us why.

Thanks to Tony Bruno, host of Into the Night, for the title, which he coined in response to a news update by Miss Robin. Additional info came from GPS, Hidden Cameras Watching Over Baby Jesus at USA Today. And thanks to the question posed by the Rev. Paul T. McCain on Facebook and the responses it generated: “Why is it that many who love to put sweet baby Jesus on display, in their churches, or homes, recoil at the thought of using a Crucifix?”

Scripture quoted from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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Walter Snyder is a Lutheran pastor, conference speaker, author of the book What Do Lutherans Believe, and writer of numerous published devotions, prayers, and sermons.

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Logos Owners: Last Chance for Cheap Upgrade

2010-01-29T16:49:00.004-06:00

Owners of Logos Bible Software have until the end of the weekend to take advantage of steeply discounted upgrade costs to move to Version 4. They provide a handy Upgrade Discounter tool to help with your decision. If you’re wavering — or committed and wanting a chuckle — you should read Top Ten Reasons Not to Upgrade to Logos 4 while Mac users can also peruse 9 Reasons Mac Users Should Upgrade.

If you want to speak with a person rather than order online, you have less than 2 hours from the time this is posted, so call 800-875-6467 before today (Friday 29 January) at 5:00pm Pacific Standard Time (0100 Zulu on Saturday 30 January).

Matt Harrison and LCMS World Relief

2009-10-21T20:13:00.005-05:00

Just a quick update. I was at our pastors’ conference and returned home quite enthused with our presenter, the Rev. Matthew Harrison, author of several books, including the just completed At Home in the House of My Fathers.

I wrote a bit in response to his conference essay at Happenings. Over the course of two days, he detailed the personalities, struggles, and successes of the leaders of The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod during its first hundred years. From their lives, Harrison then offered suggestions about how the church could truly benefit from taking their thoughts and attitudes to heart and putting them into action.

In a separate post, I noted a positive mention by National Public Radio of a project in which LCMS World Relief and Human Care is heavily involved. Pastor Harrison is executive director of LCMS WR-HC.

Please see Harrison, History, and Harmony and NPR Lauds LCMS WR-HC for more on these two topics.

Showing Righteous Anger

2009-10-02T15:14:00.007-05:00

Q: Are we ever entitled to show “righteous anger”? What would be its Biblical definition?

A: Entitled — now there’s a word we Christians need to use carefully. Claiming entitlement often equates to seeking an excuse. It may lead us to selectively apply Scripture, as is Satan’s wont.

Let’s begin by defining righteousness. Often synonymous with holiness or sinlessness, do we dare pair it with our own anger? Is it possible for any human being to be angry without sinning?

In Matthew 5:21-22, Christ ties hatred to homicide: “You have heard that ... ‘whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say ... that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment.” Similarly, Jesus’ beloved disciple later wrote, “Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. (1 John 2:9)” Jesus’ warning led medieval theologians to include anger among the Seven Deadly Sins, since it certainly may lead “to judgment.”

Some try using Ephesians 4:26-27 as justification for displaying their anger. Paul wrote, “Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.” The apostle certainly connects righteousness (“do not sin”) with wrath (“be angry”).

We face a two-fold problem with this Ephesians passage. For one thing, Paul sets a strict limit. By saying “do not let the sun go down,” the apostle tells us that we should never let anger turn into the enduring hatred of grudge-bearing. The other difficulty we face comes from the imperative: “Do not sin.” How many of us could take a full and honest inventory of ourselves and find a time when we truly burned with anger yet harbored no sin in our hearts?

“But,” you might ask, “how about Jesus?” We imagine that He was angry when He made “a whip of cords” and “drove [the money changers] all out of the temple. (John 2:15)” Because Jesus is the sinless Son of God, we know that His wrath is always and completely righteous. His actions in the temple even led His disciples back to the Bible as they “remembered that it was written, ‘Zeal for your house will consume me.’ (v. 17; cf. Psalm 69:9)”

Of course, this is Jesus. When facing abuses of divine justice or when confronting hatred and extreme violations of God’s Law, we often feel anger towards those whose actions inflict hurt and advance hate. Yet if we act according to our anger, we’re most likely to do so as vigilantes.

God claims exclusive right of retaliation. Hebrews 10:30 echoes the Old Testament, drawing upon Law, Prophets, and Psalms and the reflects the New (specifically Saint Paul in Romans 12:19): “We know him who said, ‘Vengeance is mine; I will repay.’ And again, ‘The Lord will judge his people.’ It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”

Christ’s Church may excommunicate impenitents and exclude avowed unbelievers from its midst. The Church may not persecute even the most brazen or brutal sinners. Instead, we allow God to judge, knowing that the final verdict will be delivered by the returning Jesus on the Last Day. Until then, we trust Him to work through the governments He ordains, knowing that the “one who is in authority ... does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. (Romans 13:3-4)”

How, then, might a devout Christian “be angry” yet “not sin”? I suggest that we channel our emotional responses to injustice and evil according to the will of God. Unless acting according to a specific command of God or as agents of the government, Scripture leaves us few options.

If we anger because we have been wronged, Christians heeds their Lord: “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you. (Luke 6:27)” Instead of getting even, we provide aid and comfort whenever our enemies have need (cf. Romans 12:20).

If we burn because of wrongs against others, rather than retaliating against the villains, we provided redress for the victims. Feeling anger — and addressing our actions — against various perpetrators rarely comes without sin. Perhaps our anger is best resolved by our actions against the circumstances.

God doesn’t tell us to hate those who impoverish others; He calls us to “remember the poor (Galatians 2:10)” and, as Jesus says, feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, and clothe the naked (see Matthew 25:35-36). Likewise, He commands governments to visit His punishment upon the wicked but calls Christians to visit those imprisoned with love.

Are you blessed with restraint and perception far beyond the capabilities of other believers? If not, heed Saint Paul and exercise your “righteous anger” by exercising Christian charity: “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:21)”

For more, see the 2006 post Praying Evil Upon Our Enemies.

Looking for more ways to care for the needy? Stop by LCMS World Relief and Human Care for a place to start showing “Mercy Forever.”

Scripture quoted from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version™, © 2001 by Crossway Bibles.

Send email to Ask the Pastor.

Walter Snyder is a Lutheran pastor, conference speaker, author of the book What Do Lutherans Believe, and writer of numerous published devotions, prayers, and sermons.

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Newspaper column #588:1

A Blood Donor Saved My Life

2009-09-18T15:39:00.004-05:00

Some readers might recognize this post’s title from a popular Christian t-shirt. However, Christians who wear these shirts (and those among us who eschew theology by slogan) might stop and consider the earthly reference in this clothing parable.

Is good health one of the blessings God has given you that you can invest in the welfare of your neighbor? How can we use our physical attributes in service of others? Consider our Lord’s words: “I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me. (Matthew 25:36)”

One possibility for the healthy among us is in blood donation. With this in mind, I’m heading into the city so Community Blood Center can pull a pint of O+ out of me.

Personally, I find donation a relatively painless way of exercising charity and I challenge healthy ATP followers who are eligible to donate to consider doing the same. The KC metro area is at a critical level and I imagine that other regions might be similarly strapped.

You might also consider donation as a socio-political statement: If you're against rationing health care then don't make lack of blood a reason that someone cannot be treated or operated upon.

Scripture quoted from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version™, © 2001 by Crossway Bibles.

Send email to Ask the Pastor.

Walter Snyder is a Lutheran pastor, conference speaker, author of the book What Do Lutherans Believe, and writer of numerous published devotions, prayers, and sermons.

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Time to Move

2009-08-21T16:01:00.000-05:00

No pressure, no guilt, but ... the move imposed upon us is here and we’re ready for assistance.

Over the past couple months, several people have offered to help, if possible, when we packed, cleaned up, and left the house. We need to be out of the Emma parsonage at the end of 31 August or face suspension of severance checks until the job’s complete. Our new home, until God leads us elsewhere, is the Nierman family farm home on the north outer road between Concordia and Emma, only about 2.5 miles door-to-door.

If you were one of these volunteers, are free over the next 10 days, and are still able and willing to join in, we’d sure appreciate whatever aid and comfort you might lend. The trustees parked an 18' covered trailer on the lawn, so we can move some of the items into it and then haul a full load. I no longer own a pickup but we do have the old Pontiac Transport and our newer Jeep Compass, so we can shuttle medium-sized and smaller items relatively easy.

We would also appreciate cardboard boxes of various sizes (not too big for books, larger for lighter but bulkier items) and the loan of some tubs (Rubbermaid, Sterlite, or the like) for “fill and dump” of many smaller items.

Steph and I both have a few commitments, so check to see if your times match ours before dropping by. Facebook friends can find cell numbers for Steph and me under our “Info” tabs and email. Also, click here for a Tiny URL that loads my edress.

If you can’ t be here in body, please be here with your prayers that things go smoothly and that the weather cooperates. Most of all, please continue praying that God’ s will be done regarding my vocation in the months and years to come and that our family’ s faith would be strengthened during these times.

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SPLHS Hymn and Sermon Audio

2009-08-17T21:10:00.003-05:00

New Hymn

2009-08-15T14:05:00.002-05:00

Suicide, Scripture, and Salvation

2009-08-14T02:54:00.003-05:00

Q: Dear pastor, a couple of years ago a local pastor preached on suicide. In the Bible was a verse that stated something about people of not sound mind are not held accountable for their actions. Do you know where I can find that verse? I would greatly appreciate it: My mother committed suicide 5 1/2 years ago and my father and brothers would like to read it!

A: Dear friend, I imagine that pain and doubt still cloud memories of your mother. I ask God to continue bringing healing to all of you. Since I didn’t hear him, I don’t know just what passage the pastor may have used. No Scriptural references to competence or sanity offer absolute excuses for our actions. However, it seems that lack of adult reason tends to place a person under divine judgment as a child.

Still, we need not absolutely reject the idea of salvation. God knows that we are weak and that we often and easily succumb to temptation. Historically, some Christians judged suicides harshly, while others argued that momentary despair did not automatically damn a person. In other words, temporary surrender to incredible stress may not reflect total rejection of God and His grace.

The so-called Sin Against the Holy Spirit is the only guaranteed way to damn oneself — and this happens only when a person intentionally rejects the Spirit’s work of creating and sustaining faith in Christ Jesus. A fairly substantial part of Christendom says that anyone who commits suicide rejects the Spirit. I disagree, siding with those who say that a suicide truly “grieve[s] the Holy Spirit of God (Ephesians 4:30)” only if the person denies or renounces Christ’s sacrificial atonement.

Martin Luther, a fabulous Bible scholar who struggled with depression and despair for much of his life, offers these words of hope: “I don’t share the opinion that suicides are certainly to be damned.... They do not wish to kill themselves but are overcome by the power of the devil. They are like a man who is murdered in the woods by a robber.... Such persons do not die by free choice or by law.... They are examples by which our Lord God wishes to show that the devil is powerful and also that we should be diligent in prayer. But for these examples, we would not fear God. Hence he must teach us in this way. (Luther’s Works, Vol. 54)”

Suicide is an evil deed committed by sinners. But then we can say the same about all other wrong behavior. In Romans 7:7-25, Paul lamented his inability to avoid sin no matter how hard he tried to do good but he also confessed faith that none of his sins could exceed God’s grace in Christ. John also acknowledged that while God wants us to walk in the light, He also forgives our deeds of darkness (1 John 1:5-10). He beautifully summed this up, saying that his writings were intended to lead us away from sin but that “if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. (2:1)”

For more on the state of mind that might lead to suicide, please see Mental Health Help and the previous columns to which it links.

Luther quoted from Luther’s Works Vol. 54: Table Talk, © 1967 by Fortress Press.

Scripture quoted from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version™, © 2001 by Crossway Bibles.

Send email to Ask the Pastor.

Walter Snyder is a Lutheran pastor, conference speaker, author of the book What Do Lutherans Believe, and writer of numerous published devotions, prayers, and sermons.

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Newspaper column #587:3

Alon, Elon, and Elah

2009-08-14T02:38:00.002-05:00

Q: Who in the Bible is “Alon”? What is the significance of the name; what does it mean?

A: While there is no Alon in Scripture, there are mentions of people or places named Elon. Esau’s father-in-law was Elon the Hittite (Genesis 26:34; 36:2). Jacob’s son (Esau’s nephew) Zebulun, had a son named Elon. Centuries later, the name recurred in Zebulun’s family tree: “After [Ibzan] Elon the Zebulunite judged Israel, and he judged Israel ten years. (Judges 12:11)” Elon was also town in southern Dan (Joshua 19:43) — perhaps the same town as Elonbeth-hanan in 1 Kings 4:9.

Elon (or Elah) means “terebinth tree.” The Elah Valley gained fame after David slew Goliath there (see 1 Samuel 17:1-58 and 21:9). There were also people named Elah: A tribal prince of Edom (Genesis 36:41; 1 Chronicles 1:52); a king of Israel (1 Kings 16:6-14); the father of Hoshea, Israel’s last king (2 Kings 15:30; 17:1; 18:1, 9); the second son of Caleb (1 Chronicles 4:15); and one of the returning exiles from Babylon (1 Chronicles 9:8).

Scripture quoted from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version™, © 2001 by Crossway Bibles.

Send email to Ask the Pastor.

Walter Snyder is a Lutheran pastor, conference speaker, author of the book What Do Lutherans Believe, and writer of numerous published devotions, prayers, and sermons.

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Newspaper column #587:2

The Sons of Korah

2009-08-14T02:11:00.003-05:00

Q: Some Psalm titles attribute them to the “sons of Korah.” Who are these people?

A: Korah was “the son of Izhar, son of Kohath. (Numbers 16:1)” Numbers 4:2-3 tells us that the Lord set aside able-bodied “sons of Kohath from among the sons of Levi ... from thirty years old up to fifty years old ... to do the work in the tent of meeting.” The chapter describes their specific duties in the tabernacle, along with those of the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari.

The Korah named in certain Psalms was evidently the same person as the one who, with others, “assembled themselves against Moses and against Aaron” and accused them of exalting themselves “above the assembly of the Lord. (Numbers 16:3)” Moses in turn accused Korah of wrongly attempting to “seek the priesthood. (v. 10)”

After Moses pronounced the Lord’s judgment, “the ground under them split apart. And the earth ... swallowed them up, with their households and all ... who belonged to Korah and all their goods. So they ... went down alive into Sheol, and the earth closed over them.... (vv. 31-33)”

Some of Korah’s heirs remained alive and continued serving in the tabernacle: “The sons of Kohath ... [and] Korah ...” were among “the men whom David put in charge of the service of song in the house of the Lord after the ark rested there. They ministered with song before the tabernacle ... until Solomon built the house of the Lord in Jerusalem. (1 Chronicles 6:22, 31-32)”

So even though Korah died under divine judgment, the Lord allowed his heirs to continue serving Him. They led liturgical worship, quite possibly chanting and singing antiphonally (back and forth among two or more individuals or groups). This pattern remains common among Christian congregations who continue the Biblical pattern of liturgical worship.

Scripture quoted from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version™, © 2001 by Crossway Bibles.

Send email to Ask the Pastor.

Walter Snyder is a Lutheran pastor, conference speaker, author of the book What Do Lutherans Believe, and writer of numerous published devotions, prayers, and sermons.

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Newspaper column #587:1

Thank You

2009-08-05T16:00:00.005-05:00

Thanks to those who responded to my requests, the column has a direct URL on Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/askthepastor

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Needed: A Few More Friends

2009-08-05T14:47:00.003-05:00

I’m finishing the setup for the new Facebook page for Ask the Pastor. If four more FB users become fans of the page, it qualifies for a “direct URL” that will be shorter and easier to remember and use than the current one. If you’re on FB and haven’t done so, please consider pressing the button.

Thanks much!

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Now on Facebook

2009-07-31T01:35:00.002-05:00

I’ve begun an Ask the Pastor page on Facebook to complement the blog and e-list. If you’d like to visit or become a fan, just click.

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A Most Excellent Friend

2009-07-15T04:49:00.003-05:00

When a pastor is forced to empty his study before a deadline set by his (ex-) congregation expires, a friendly person wishes him well. A friend volunteers his truck. A good friend helps to carry things out to his truck and to unload them at the new destination. An outstanding friend calls for another reason, finds out what the pastor is doing, and helps pack all his books and periodicals, tote them, filing cabinets, bookcases, bust of Martin Luther, works of art, and various knickknacks, doodads, and fixtures to his truck, and then helps to unload it all at its new location.

My deadline was today, 15 July.

My outstanding friend was (and is and, God willing, will remain) the Rev. William Heine, religion instructor and Dean of Chapel for Saint Paul Lutheran High School in Concordia. He called to ask me about writing a hymn and wondered how things were going since the church forced me to resign. When he heard what I was up against, he finished a couple things at his place, then came over here and put in about 7 hours of heavy, dusty work.

Thank you again, Bill.

Cross-posted from Happenings.

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Win a Bible

2009-07-06T21:10:00.003-05:00

A Contest from Logos Bible Software

Here’s the official announcement: Logos Bible Software is celebrating the launch of their new online Bible by giving away 72 ultra-premium print Bibles at a rate of 12 per month for six months. The Bible giveaway is being held at Bible.Logos.com and you can get up to five different entries each month! After you enter, be sure to check out Logos and see how it can revolutionize your Bible study.

And here’s my abbreviated “testimonial” about Logos: I’ve been using the software almost as long as I’ve been a pastor. Its ever-growing library and increasing power and flexibility of searching and referencing keep Logos atop my list of “absolutely necessary” Bible study and theological research tools.

A Matter Personal and Professional

2009-06-18T00:41:00.002-05:00

Preface:This may surprise some readers of Ask the Pastor: I’ve been asked to resign my pastorate here in Emma, Missouri. I’ll provide a bit of background in this preface and then let you read the following letter, one that I delivered verbally and in print to the congregation following the service on 7 June 2009.

It follows a month of serious soul-searching, including many prayers and hours of conversation with some of the members of Holy Cross Lutheran. I’ll not get into personalities nor attempt to ascribe motives, since these are sinful activities involving judging others. Likewise, I won’t catalogue the list of reasons that were appended to the request for my resignation.

I do, however, wish to highlight one issue. Among other complaints, one item read, “Has frequently embarrassed HC with newspaper articles.” As you know, I’ve talked about confessional, liturgical Lutheranism. I have occasionally highlighted differences among the various parts of Christendom and those between orthodox Christianity and various sects and cults. I’ve addressed sexuality, abusive behavior, family dynamics, evolution and creation, sacramental theology, suffering and death, and seemingly almost “everything that is done under the sun. (Ecclesiastes 1:14)”

In all of these, I tried to be as gentle as possible with my responses but never less than absolutely forthright and firm in my beliefs. I drew upon Scripture, the Creeds, the Lutheran Confessions, and experts in the fields about which I was asked. I hope that none of my readers has thought less of Holy Cross because of these collected writings of its pastor. If you have, please tell me, so that I may apologize to you and to the flock here.

I will not be attending the voters’ meeting this coming Sunday. Rather, our circuit counselor will be present. I have no certainty as to the outcome, although I imagine that even many of my supporters would rather let me “quietly” resign rather than undergo protracted struggle within the congregation. However, if people continue asking questions, expecting a thoughtful, Christ-centered response, I will continue to reply as I am able.

Beyond the next few weeks, I’ve not done much planning. I imagine that will soon change. I ask for your prayers and trust that the Lord will provide. Please pray also for my family here and elsewhere. Pray that Holy Cross finds true peace, not because I am gone but rather because they are living under the grace of God in Christ Jesus.

My own hope centers upon my desire — even need — to continue preaching and teaching the Word of God, particularly salvation by grace through faith in Christ. I imagine that I’d be delighted to enter another parish, one that wants Law and Gospel preaching, liturgical worship, and thought-provoking Bible study.

Of late, I’ve also been thinking more seriously about attempting to enter the Lutheran classroom on either the high school or collegiate level. While I could certainly teach religion, I’d almost rather teach the humanities (my college major) or history (my minor), in a setting where I could freely integrate the Faith with the curriculum. If God calls me into this arena, I hope that He allows me to also shepherd a small congregation or else work with the pastors in a larger church.

Finally, if you wish to contact me or the congregation, you may send email or write a letter. I include the addresses below the letter. And please keep an eye out for what happens next. If I am to leave, I’d love to have as many people as possible celebrate Christ’s forgiveness proclaimed through the pastoral office during one final service at the end of this month. Should there be opportunity for a farewell service, I hope that we’ll find a way to bend wrists and elbows to plate and cup after bending our hearts and knees to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Addendum to the preface: Please do not think that this column was the primary complaint given by the church officers, nor only one of a handful. They were listed, although not in any order of seriousness, from one through thirteen(!). As I say below, I am a sinner and know better than anyone but God how rotten I can be. I’ve not been all that I could be as man, husband, father, son, or brother, so it’s no surprise that I’ve also fallen short of the mark as a pastor.

Out of the list of complaints, the items with which I most closely agree involve time and space management. I over-schedule, under-plan, and thus am often racing the clock. I’m somewhat of a stranger to arriving early and while I’m not racing the bells to church, I don’t always get there as soon as some desire. There’s always one more “squeaking wheel” that I think I must immediately “grease” before moving on to what’s already on the schedule.

Evening meetings are often worse, since I’ll try to squeeze in one more visit or try to get one more thing done before beginning my visits. Either of these can easily make me late for meetings. Also in this realm, some thought that I missed meetings I should have attended. I tried to be present for all meetings with elders and council and never intentionally avoided either. As far as I know, I skipped these “essential” assemblies only when out of town for visitation or vacation or sick at home.

One item objected to the way I dressed at times, although no one ever came to me with a first- (or even second-) hand example of unprofessional attire in “public arenas.” Perhaps it involves my 52 year old body at the public pool, picking up trash in ditches, wearing a t-shirt and shorts on a hot summer day while dining uptown, or just being in one of the towns not on official business and thus not dressed to the nines (or even the 6.5s). Some of the complaints are more personal or would need first-hand observation in order to comment or draw conclusions, so I’ll not include them.

Anyhow, it wasn’t only — or even primarily — my answers to people’s questions that led to this situation. However, perception often trumps reality, so even minor points likely fanned the flames already burning in some folks’ bellies over more major items of contention.

Therefore, if anyone is moved to squawk, please don’t put all the eggs into the rickety basket of Ask the Pastor.

1 June AD 2009

Holy Cross Lutheran Church
Emma, Missouri

Dear members of Holy Cross,

On 5 May 2009 the chairman and elders of Holy Cross presented me with a request that I resign as pastor of this congregation. They asked that I do so in writing by 1 June with an effective date of 30 June.

The request stated that if I were to tender a resignation during the set period, I would be offered a severance package, including continuation of compensation, parsonage housing, and health insurance. Each of these was set for a different duration and details will be made available.

I spent much time in discussion with my family and with brother pastors, synodical officials, and Lutheran lay people whose judgment I trust. They have offered a number of conflicting recommendations and their advice varied so widely that it left me with no one clear course of action. Not able to discern how each different decision might play out in the future, I decided upon a response that I think best suits the immediate situation.

I do not desire a protracted struggle that might hurt my family nor do I want to further divide Holy Cross. Therefore, on 1 June I presented [our congregational chairman] with notice that I accepted the request for my resignation. However, I asked that this not be publicized until I made an official announcement after the service on 7 June. At the same time as I wrote to the church officers, I composed this message for the entire congregation. I shall read it and then make it available in print.

In short, I tender Holy Cross Congregation my resignation as its pastor, effective 30 June 2009. Since the voters’ assembly is the official calling body of a synodical congregation, the voters must accept this resignation at a duly called meeting. Therefore, at the 21 June congregational meeting, you will be asked to do so and to make official the end of my duties here. If my resignation is accepted, you will be asked to approve the severance package and attend to any other details.

It has been my pleasure and privilege to be your pastor for the past ten years. When I came, I promised to preach and teach “nothing except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. (1 Corinthians 2:2)” Through Word and Sacrament, in sermons and classes, in hospitals welcoming new babies or ministering to the sick, the injured, and the dying, at weddings and at funerals, I believe I was able, by God’s grace, to accomplish this goal.

Of course, I am, as are all of Christ’s people, still a poor miserable sinner as well as a saint, that is, a redeemed child of God through faith in Christ Jesus. If I mis-spoke, I pray that I always clarified or corrected my words. If any think that I have wronged them and that we have not yet reconciled, I ask that they come to me so that we might be reunited in “the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. (Ephesians 4:3)” At those times that my priorities and emphases differed from those of others, rest assured that those differences stemmed from who I am and how I was raised and trained, not from animosity toward any members of this church.

Please pray for wisdom as you prepare for the June voters’ meeting and the decisions you must make. Pray also for Holy Cross, for the Snyder family, and for me.

Yours in Christ,
(signed) Pastor Walter P. Snyder

Pastor Walter Snyder [click to send email]
PO Box 12
Emma, Missouri 65327

Holy Cross Lutheran Church [click to send email]
PO Box 86
Emma, Missouri 65327

Ponderings Prior to Preaching on Trinity Sunday

2009-06-07T00:05:00.002-05:00

Root and Branch

2009-06-03T22:28:00.007-05:00

Q: When studying prophecy about the “branch” of a tree, I assume that this is a reference to Jesus. How does the Branch then relate to Jesse and to David?

A: Obviously a branch is the outgrowth of a tree. Regarding this Biblical Branch, interpretations make sense especially when we think of the “family” tree. The Lord promised David the son of Jesse an everlasting throne, so whomever followed him would have to be of his family in order to be a true king of the Lord’s people.

Prophetic references to this throne include 2 Samuel 7:11-13; Psalm 89:4; and Isaiah 9:6-7. Gabriel’s words to the Virgin in Luke 1:32-33 clearly indicate that Jesus is the One who fulfills this prophecy: “The Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

Jeremiah 33:15 is one of the Messianic prophecies citing a branch: “I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David.” This Branch would unite Israel’s sundered tribes under the Lord’s righteous rule. Meanwhile, in Isaiah 11 the Lord “ignored” David, choosing instead to “root” the prophecy in David’s father Jesse. Speaking of the promised Messiah, He said, “There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. (v. 1)”

Some speculate that the Lord chose to mention Jesse rather than David both as a reminder that the promise extended beyond royalty, since Jesse was a herdsman. Perhaps David’s own sins, particularly his adultery and subsequent murder of Uriah, also prompted this wording. It wasn’t because Israel deserved such a Branch — but rather, because it needed Him — that the Lord made His promise.

At any rate, by the time Jesus was born, Jesse’s family truly resembled a “stump.” No real vitality had been detected for centuries. Even though many genealogies carefully traced his descendants through David and beyond, there was no living memory of the last time a king from this house had ruled from Jerusalem. Indeed, the stump of Jesse seemed completely lifeless — as do the stumps we find elsewhere whenever mighty trees are felled.

However, while the kingly household appeared dormant, God remained active. At His appointed time, the dead stump finally showed signs of life. Yet in fulfilling the prophecy, the Lord followed His own plan rather than man’s expectations. The King’s coronation processional saw Him riding into the royal city not on a war horse or in a chariot but, as Zechariah predicted, “humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. (9:9)”

By human estimation, this Branch never finished growing before being cut down. His own words to the crowd as He carried His cross out of Jerusalem would almost support this thought: “Turning to them Jesus said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.... For if they do these things when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?’ (Luke 23:28, 31)”

However, the story didn’t end with the Lord’s crucifixion since He was raised from the dead. This resurrected branch, “the root of Jesse, [stands] as a signal for the peoples. (Isaiah 11:10)” He who grew as a branch of David’s family tree, who sprouted forth from Jesse’s stump, now has His own family tree. Jesus, the true Vine, bears His own branches (John 15:1-11). We weren’t born into this family but were grafted to our Lord and thus also made part of the house of Israel (Romans 11:11-24).

The Church’s liturgy and hymnody have long confessed Jesus as the incarnation of the promised Root and Branch. During Advent, the ancient O Antiphons and hymns such as Oh, Come, Oh, Come, Emmanuel and Behold, a Branch is Growing bear testimony of these Scriptures:

“There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. (Isaiah 11:1)” “In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples — of him shall the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious. (Isaiah 11:10)” See also Micah 5:2, Romans 15:12; Revelation 5:5.

℣ O Radix Jesse, qui stas in signum populorum, super quem continebunt reges os suum, quem gentes deprecabuntur;
℟ veni ad liberandum nos, iam noli tardere.

℣ O Root of Jesse, standing as an ensign before the peoples, before whom all kings are mute, to whom they will do | homage:*
℟ Come quickly to de- | liver us.

   O come, Thou Branch of Jesse’s tree,
   Free them from Satan’s tyranny
   That trust Thy mighty pow’r to save,
   And give them vict’ry o’er the grave.
   Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
   Shall come to you, O Israel!

   Behold a branch is growing
   As of loveliest form and grace,
   As prophets sung, foreknowing;
   It springs from Jesse’s race
   And bears one little Flower
   In midst of coldest winter,
   At deepest midnight hour.

Scripture quoted from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version™, © 2001 by Crossway Bibles.

Send email to Ask the Pastor.

Walter Snyder is a Lutheran pastor, conference speaker, author of the book What Do Lutherans Believe, and writer of numerous published devotions, prayers, and sermons.

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Newspaper column #586:2

What Happens to Palm Sunday Palms?

2009-06-03T22:03:00.004-05:00

Q: What do we do with left over palm branches after Palm Sunday?

A: We find differences among those church bodies that follow a liturgical calendar and observe Palm Sunday. Even within the same body, regional and congregational differences exist. Often used in choir or children’s processions at the beginning of the first service of Holy Week, the palms may be sent home as mementos of the day, either to all congregants or else to only the young people.

Other congregations merely gather them and dispose of them after church. While most of these churches try to find a reverent means of disposal, others haul them out with the rest of the trash.

An ancient practice followed in much of Christianity involves gathering whatever branches are not taken home. These are usually dried as completely as possible and are then burned in “clean” receptacles that are free of refuse, burnt food waste, and the like. The burning is conducted carefully so the ashes remain and do not fly up and blow away.

After being burned and cooled, the ashes are carefully sifted to remove any remaining bits of branch or unburned leaves — especially the thorny tips common to certain palms. The remnant may be further ground before the ashes are gathered and set aside until the following Lenten season. On Ash Wednesday, they are used in a ceremonial imposition of ashes upon the foreheads of those coming to church.

Ash Wednesday receives its name from the ancient practice of placing ashes on the foreheads of Christians to mark the beginning of the Lenten fast. Liturgical churches usually use part of Matthew 6 as the Gospel of the day. In this portion of the so-called “Sermon on the Mount,” Jesus differentiated between the proper and improper practice of three major spiritual disciplines. These are almsgiving, or helping the poor (vv. 1-4), prayer, (vv. 5-6), and fasting (vv. 16-18).

Normally, the palm ashes are soon removed and are not reapplied. This is in line with Jesus’ words on fasting: “When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. (Matthew 6:16)” Even though many of us fast during Lent, we try to make our fasting as inconspicuous as possible. We aren’t putting on a show for others but are rather humbling ourselves before the Lord: “When you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. (vv. 17-18)”

Scripture quoted from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version™, © 2001 by Crossway Bibles.

Send email to Ask the Pastor.

Walter Snyder is a Lutheran pastor, conference speaker, author of the book What Do Lutherans Believe, and writer of numerous published devotions, prayers, and sermons.

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Newspaper column #586:1

An Unequal Friendship

2009-05-22T00:33:00.006-05:00

Q: A friend now thinks it’s wrong to be my friend or even talk to me because I’m not the strong Christian she is. I have doubts and problems with belief and rarely go to church. Does anything in the Bible say that God doesn’t want you to be friends with people who aren’t like minded or holding the same morals, beliefs, etc.? She tends to stick to the literal wordings of the Bible rather than what it actually means, and I would be grateful if I could help her realize that God wants us to love everyone.

A: Depending on several things, your friend may or may not be mistaken about Scripture forcing her to abandon your friendship. A literal interpretation of Scripture reveals that God wants us to love our neighbor. However, it also cautions believers to choose their companions carefully.

She needs to evaluate her relationship with God before evaluating her relationship with you. If remaining close to you weakens her faith or encourages her to think or speak sinfully, she shouldn’t sustain the friendship. Paul warned, “Do not be deceived: ‘Bad company ruins good morals.’ (1 Corinthians 15:33)” If she fears that your doubts and your attitude toward church attendance will rub off on her, then she’s not prepared to remain a friend.

Yet if she seeks a way to closely follow God’s Word while preserving your friendship, I’ll offer you what you might consider a mixed blessing. On one hand, it’s a powerful stimulus for her to rethink her decision; on the other, it will invite her to “meddle” more completely in your spiritual affairs. In 1 Thessalonians 5:14, we read, “And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all.”

Are you prepared for a concerted effort to get you into God’s house more frequently? Are you ready to have her address you doubts or finding help from others concerning your “problems with belief”? If so, ask her to read this reply to you. Ask her if she truly fears that continuing the friendship will corrupt her “good morals.” Then ask her if she wouldn’t rather elevate the friendship, getting in your face when necessary while also opening her heart to you farther than she ever has.

Keeping this friend might mean inviting her to “admonish” your church attendance or other sinful attitudes and acts. It may involve asking that she “encourage” your faith walk,“help” you during times of spiritual weakness, and “be patient” — not only with you but also with the Holy Spirit, who will work on you through the Word according to His own schedule, not hers. Remind her: “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. (2 Peter 3:9)” Is she ready for all of this? Are you? If so, I pray that you not only grow as friends but also as sisters in Christ.

Along these lines, I answered a previous question about having non-Christian friends in Birds of a (Different) Feather.

Scripture quoted from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version™, © 2001 by Crossway Bibles.

Send email to Ask the Pastor.

Walter Snyder is a Lutheran pastor, conference speaker, author of the book What Do Lutherans Believe, and writer of numerous published devotions, prayers, and sermons.

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Newspaper column #585:2

Designating One’s Tithe

2009-05-22T00:08:00.005-05:00

Q: Does my tithe always have to go to my church? We’re in fine financial shape while another church in our city ministers to the poor. I’d like to give one year’s tithe to them. My husband tithes from his money to our church. I tithe from my personal account.

A: When God commanded tithing, the tithe was given directly to His Church and thus, through it, to Him. Numbers 18:24 tells us that “the people of Israel” made this contribution “to the Lord” who told Israel, “I have given [the tithe] to the Levites for an inheritance.”

Thus, it served two purposes. On a pragmatic basis, it fed, clothed, and housed the Levites, the tribe that had no land inheritance but served the Lord while receiving support from the other tribes. The tithe also had underlying spiritual value, teaching Israel that the Lord would provide more than they needed so they would learn to always trust in Him to provide.

If you look at Old Testament evidence only, you would be presenting your tithe to the ministers of God and they, in turn, would devote “a tithe of the tithe (Numbers 18:26)” to the Lord. However, we don’t have Levites, tabernacle or temple, animal sacrifices, and the like. We don’t have one central location of worship or one united church. What do we do now?

We turn to the New Testament! We read about Jesus pronouncing “woe” upon hypocritical “scribes and Pharisees” who followed tithing regulations while neglecting “the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. (Matthew 23:23)” Luke 18 introduces Jesus’ parable of the Pharisee who said, “I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get. (v. 12)” Instead of honoring a man who so slavishly kept the Law, Jesus commended a “tax collector” who “beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ (v. 13)” Neither account encourages tithing.

The only other mention of tithing in the entire New Testament comes in Hebrews 7. The tithe referenced here didn’t come from Israelite worship but from the life of Israel’s (Jacob’s) grandfather Abram, who “gave a tenth of the spoils (v. 4)” to Melchizedek, king of Salem after the king blessed him (cf. Genesis 14:18-20).

When we read through Acts and the epistles, we find no mention of tithing anywhere in the Christian Church. Why? Because the tithe was commanded only to Israel, under the Mosaic covenant.

We Christians are free to give however we want. If people want to give a tenth, they can — however, they don’t have to. The Lord wants our riches freely given in response to His free lover for us: “Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. (2 Corinthians 9:7)”

Meeting your question directly, you have a degree of freedom to give as you see fit. Help the needy? Paul commended the believers in “Macedonia and Achaia” for their “contribution for the poor among the saints at Jerusalem. (Romans 15:26)” Sustain existing ministry? The Epistles commend (and command) offerings given to support the ministers of the Gospel (e.g., 1 Corinthians 9:14; 1 Timothy 5:17-18; Galatians 6:6-7).

Using Scripture as a guide, think about a “both-and” rather than an “either-or” response. Your gifts to your own congregation support the proclamation of the Gospel there while gifts to the other flock bring both the Word and physical blessings to those in need. Instead of wondering how much you should give to each, consider how much you’re able to give.

Generally speaking, I think that we often use a faulty model for our offerings and alms. How often are we encouraged to “give until it hurts”? Would it not be more Scripturally accurate and God-pleasing to “give until it feels good”?

Scripture quoted from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version™, © 2001 by Crossway Bibles.

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Walter Snyder is a Lutheran pastor, conference speaker, author of the book What Do Lutherans Believe, and writer of numerous published devotions, prayers, and sermons.

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Newspaper column #585:1

Black Christians in America

2009-05-21T14:25:00.003-05:00

Q: As a black person myself, I’d like your opinion: Why do you think so many black people are so religious? This isn’t meant to be disrespectful, but most blacks I know or know of are very religious. I’m not saying that all black people fall into this category and certainly those who do aren’t perfect people living perfect lives. And while some are Muslims, I don’t know of many belonging to other world religions. It seems to me that most African Americans who practice a religion are Christian and that most of these are fairly devout.

A: While I’m not familiar with all of America’s black history nor with every aspect of our nation’s religious beliefs, I’ve studied and observed enough to provide an informed opinion. Of course, I’ll be drawing on sociology, anthropology, and history as much as theology.

Generally speaking, people belonging to parts of society that are often controlled, directed, or dominated by other parts of that society — and who have little power for themselves and their group — are more likely to cling to religion for strength, hope, and comfort. While the Gospel reaches all social strata, we see even in the Church’s earliest days a disproportionate conversion rate among the lower social classes.

Conversely, those most affluent and in control get to thinking that they are, if not gods themselves, at least God’s gift to everyone else. Since they think they have things made, they’re less likely to seek divine intervention in their lives.

Didn’t Jesus say, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God (Matthew 19:24)”? Accordingly, the proportion of rich, socially influential people in Christian congregations is far lower than that of the poor and middle classes.

Now to which parts of American society have most blacks traditionally belonged?

Scripture quoted from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version™, © 2001 by Crossway Bibles.

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Walter Snyder is a Lutheran pastor, conference speaker, author of the book What Do Lutherans Believe, and writer of numerous published devotions, prayers, and sermons.

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Newspaper column #584:3

Biblical Translation and Inspiriation

2009-05-21T14:24:00.003-05:00

Q: How does the translation process impact the inspiration, inerrancy, and infallibility of the Bible?

A: When I was taking my Biblical language classes, professor after professor reminded us of one important truth: All translation is interpretation. Certainly, good translators try to find the closest possible comparisons to the target language but word equivalents don't always exist.

Hebrew and Greek both have verb tenses that don’t exist in English and a few of the words only occur one time in the entire Bible, so the occasional educated guess is also necessary. Still, when teams of people who genuinely want to combine the closest word for word translation with the smoothest possible sentence structure sit down to do their work, it’s hard to fault their results.

Whenever I start immersing myself in any version of Scripture, I can find something I think isn’t quite the best translation possible. However, few wave enough red flags to make me want to translate large sections of the original languages just to check their work. Areas of disagreement usually involve differences in theological presuppositions.

No matter what the religion — or lack thereof — every person holds certain a priori assumptions by which the rest of life is understood. In matters of faith, these may be expressed as the formal principle and the material principle. A formal principle is the sacred texts or other official sources from which doctrine is drawn and by which it is formed. A material principle is the central tenet or doctrine of that belief system.

The material principle is also the lens through which the faithful study their formal principle. The Bible comprises all or part of the formal principle of all Christianity. The formal principle of many parts of the Church combines Scripture with reason, tradition, direct revelation, or the teachings of the Church fathers.

Lutheranism has the Bible alone as its material principle. We believe that all Biblical doctrines are our doctrines and that all of our doctrines are Biblical doctrines. Our material principle is justification by grace through faith in Christ alone.

Therefore, when Lutherans read the Bible, we read it with the assumption that its primary purpose is to reveal Jesus Christ as mankind’s Savior. This is congruent with Jesus’ own assertation about His place in Scripture: “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me. (John 5:39)” This means that Lutheran translators always favor the interpretation of a passage that bears witness to Jesus Christ.

Both to check and to reinforce my understanding, when I’m lesson planning, writing devotions, or preparing sermons, I usually do at least a bit of in-depth original language work. This helps me verify the translation while also allowing the Lord speak to me in the words He first chose to use.

And what effect does all this have on inspiration and inerrancy? The original word was certainly inspired, as we read from 2 Peter 1:21, “Men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” The Scriptures provide no such “warranty” for transmission through the same language or translation into new tongues.

However, we know when we compare various original language manuscripts with each other that very few contain significant differences from each other. This testifies to the ongoing veracity of textual transmission. Similarly, when we compare various translations with each other and with the original languages, most are in close agreement.

I wouldn’t say categorically that an English language Bible is either inspired or completely inerrant. I will certainly claim that the full, truthful revelation of Jesus Christ is ours to read. Furthermore, I believe that the Holy Spirit uses these translations to create and sustain faith.

Scripture quoted from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version™, © 2001 by Crossway Bibles.

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Walter Snyder is a Lutheran pastor, conference speaker, author of the book What Do Lutherans Believe, and writer of numerous published devotions, prayers, and sermons.

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Newspaper column #584:2

Why Be Thankful?

2009-05-21T13:47:00.004-05:00

Q: Why should I thank God for a creation I didn’t ask for?

A: Ultimately, no one “should” thank anyone. Thankfulness is only genuine when it’s not coerced. If you have no love for either the creation or its Creator, you shouldn’t be a hypocrite and utter thanks you don’t mean. However, the very fact that you’ve even suggested the existence of a creator tells me that you’re open to being convinced by Him and are not necessarily trapped by an atheistic mind set.

So what is it that leads you to reject giving thanks? What about this world and its Maker sets your teeth on edge? If you blame creation and its Creator, are you ready to talk about these issues? If so, I encourage you to find a knowledgeable Bible student who has the time and the temperament to sit down and hold extended discussions with you. Look for someone, either clergy or lay, who accepts that “in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. (Genesis 1:1)” This person should also believe that this God cares enough about His creation to intervene in its history in order to undo the damages that evidently sour your opinion of Him and His handiwork.

I pray that as you learn more about the destructive power of sin and the broken state of the cosmos, you’ll also discover the need for personal and universal redemption, reconciliation, and renewal. Then I hope that you will realize that the only cure for our diseased world is God’s only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ.

In Romans 8 the apostle Paul pointed out the mess that surrounds us: Currently, “the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. (v. 19)” This is because it “was subjected to futility ... in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption.... (vv. 20-21)” Paul then established a connection between the creation and Christians: “For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth ... not only the creation, but we ourselves ... groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. (vv. 22-23)”

God recognizes that His creation is a mess. Even though He’s not responsible for its fallen state, He has assumed responsibility for its remaking. Likewise, He isn’t to blame for the corruption of mankind, yet He sent His Son, “the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father. (Galatians 1:3-4)”

Once you discover and believe in Jesus’ redemptive work on your behalf, you’ll discover that God has a place and a purpose for you in this life — in this creation. And once you know His care and concern for You, you’ll be able to honestly and without compulsion thank Him — both for the eternal life you have in Christ and for the current life you live here on earth. God bless you on this journey of discovery.

As believers grow in faith, they also grow in thankfulness. As we look throughout Scripture and Church history, we find many examples of people praising their Creator in the midst of their distress. Among those whose thankfulness belied their earthly plight were Lutheran theologian Paul Gerhardt, whose story I summarized Thanks in All Seasons and Pastor Martin Rinkart, whose sufferings helped to form the hymn Now Thank We All Our God.

Scripture quoted from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version™, © 2001 by Crossway Bibles.

Send email to Ask the Pastor.

Walter Snyder is a Lutheran pastor, conference speaker, author of the book What Do Lutherans Believe, and writer of numerous published devotions, prayers, and sermons.

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Newspaper column #584:1

Young Jesus: Home, School, and Play

2009-05-16T12:37:00.009-05:00

Q: I am doing a school project on life of Jesus. What leisure activities and education did He do when growing up?

A: Scripture only reveals the events from His conception through the family’s flight to Egypt and subsequent return until the one reference to His temple visit at age twelve (see Luke 1:5-2:52 Matthew 1:18-2:23). Therefore, the best we can do is make inferences based upon what we know of Palestine in the First Century. One is that because of his trade, Joseph’s family would have been among the “middle class,” had that distinction been observed at the time.

Since God chose devout Israelites to raise Jesus, we trust that Joseph taught Him the Scriptures, particularly the five Books of Moses, from early on. This is in keeping with Deuteronomy 6:7, where the Lord spoke through Moses, saying, “You shall teach [all God’s statutes and his commandments, cf. vv. 2, 4-5] diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.”

Mary, likewise, would have taken advantage of all available opportunities to train Him in the Word. However, according to the Lord, the primary responsibility for religious education belonged to the fathers, so Joseph likely assumed that responsibility until Jesus was old enough to participate in the formal education of His day.

Throughout the Gospels and Acts, as well as in many of the Epistles, we see Jesus, Peter, Paul, and others heading for a community’s synagogue and using it as their initial point of proclamation and teaching. This followed the pattern of their own raising, since these were the centers of worship and education for Jews in Galilee, Judea, and those scattered amidst the Gentiles.

Generally speaking, when they reached age five, Jewish boys commenced their formal education under a local rabbi. Along with ongoing biblical instruction, reading and writing were among their first lessons. Around the age of ten, boys began in-depth study of Jewish law. This included not only the Scriptures but also rabbinical commentary. “School” education usually wrapped up when they were 18.

The synagogue school taught only the boys of the area. Young girls learned at home from their mothers and other women. This segregation of the sexes didn’t mean that they were raised to be illiterate — a large number of women also read, wrote, and knew their arithmetic. This shouldn’t surprise us, since the wife largely directed the economy of the household and she needed these skills in the marketplace. Such a pattern was commended already in the Old Testament, particularly Proverbs 31:10-31.

At the same time as their book learning, boys (and girls) also learned life skills and their future vocations under parents or trusted relatives or friends. As was the way in other cultures throughout history, children tended to follow their parents’ ways. Girls became wives, mothers, and often also business women who made or traded for goods to be sold or who provided services to others. Meanwhile, boys normally entered their fathers’ trades and professions. First they watched, then they worked under close supervision, and finally they either entered the family business or moved elsewhere while practicing the same trade.

The exceptions were few — one being the vocations that required extended education and probationary periods under others. The “scribes” mentioned throughout the Gospels were among these. Their communication skills were polished and their knowledge of the Scriptures and rabbinic interpretations more completely developed by their internships. The scribes did more than just keep written records, as their name implies. Along with providing religious and, quite often, civic, leadership, many scribes also served in offices similar to modern notaries, attorneys, and other professions involving legal or financial issues.

Particularly bright (and often ambitious) students occasionally moved on to more noted rabbis, making themselves disciples to these men in order to themselves become rabbis. Those teachers with the greatest reputations often attracted disciples from beyond their own communities and their reputations sometimes extended internationally. As an aside, consider the difference between these men and the thirty-plus year old Jesus: He was the only known rabbi who so actively went out and called disciples to Himself.

Book learning, instruction in their fathers’ trades, and religious services and education occupied much of their time. Still, boys of that period likely enjoyed toys, games, and general play. Tidbits from the Old and New Testament provide very little information about these activities, although one of Jesus’ illustrations shows that young boys did play together and often learned and played music: “But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their playmates,‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.’ (Matthew 11:16-17)” As common the world over, running, throwing, and physically challenging oneself and others was probably standard boy behavior.

Archaeology often helps as much as or more than written accounts when we look at ancient family life. Discovered artifacts indicate that most toys were homemade. We’ve lost much of the evidence since people likely used their toys until they broke or were outgrown. If these junked or abandoned toys were made of wood, they likely became fuel for a cooking or heating fire.

Boys dressed in scaled-down versions of adult wear. The undergarment was a “tunic.” The outer garment was called a “cloak” or a “mantle” — loose fitting and fringed, it was bound by blue ribbon. Men almost always wore a belt in public. This was either a wide leather strap or a cloth sash. The “girdle” of the King James Version and other early translations refers to a belt, not to a compression undergarment.

In conclusion, while we have a fairly good idea about his education, Jesus’ leisure activities are open to much conjecture. Yet we are certain that however He may have played, competed, or participated the affairs common to the boys of Nazareth, one difference remains: He never cheated or took sinful advantage over others, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. (Hebrews 4:15)” Yes, Jesus can “sympathize” with our childhood sins, yet because He remained “without sin,” He also brings forgiveness for each and every one of them.

Scripture quoted from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version™, © 2001 by Crossway Bibles.

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Walter Snyder is a Lutheran pastor, conference speaker, author of the book What Do Lutherans Believe, and writer of numerous published devotions, prayers, and sermons.

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Newspaper column #583

Communion and Anti-Catholicism

2009-05-15T21:28:00.007-05:00

Q: Your Frequency of Communion column was great. I’m an Episcopalian and since the 1979 Prayer Book, we pretty much have the Eucharist every Sunday at every service — and I’m glad for it.

Beyond what you wrote, how did it fall into such complete disfavor? Wasn’t the Mass itself attacked on theological grounds by Protestants? Did it not become a general sense among many that “if the Catholics do it, we don’t want it”? Could it be like those churches one sees while driving that have a steeple but no cross on top? I wonder if, over time, people didn’t forget why we put the cross up there in the first place.

A: I’m flattered to be remembered almost two years after I wrote the article and pleased that you still find it of value. You point out a weakness of the column format: I can’t always address every part of each question. In the column you cite, I was focused on the internals of Lutheranism, particularly in the questioner’s native Australia.

So to continue, you note a major difference between Episcopalianism and much of American Protestantism. First of all, much of Protestant Christianity has roots in theologies that treat Holy Communion strictly as a memorial or else teaches only a general spiritual presence of Christ in the meal. Human reason rebels at something (Jesus body and blood) being there when one can only see, touch, and taste bread and wine (or, in most of modern Protestantism, grape juice).

Secondly, anti-Catholicism entered North America at an early time. Many Protestant sects came to the New World because they couldn’t freely practice beliefs contrary to their countries’ official religions. In establishing laws for their American settlements, the colonists usually made their own church the only legal faith within their boundaries. Among the English colonies, Catholics came to Lord Baltimore’s specifically Catholic colony in Maryland, to New York, when the Duke of York converted to Catholicism, and, for a time, to the somewhat tolerant Pennsylvania.

General intolerance in the English colonies had several sources outside of actual theological differences. These included 1) England’s ongoing attempt to subdue Catholic Ireland; 2) Foxe’s Book of Martyrs fanning anti-Roman flames by telling of the nearly 300 Protestants burned to death during the reign of Queen Mary I; and 3) the Gunpowder Conspiracy of 1605, which was a failed assassination attempt by a group of provincial English Catholics against King James I, the “Bible King.” The colonial period saw ten of the thirteen colonies subjecting Catholics to various penal measures. Virginia, for example, proscribed Catholics and their priests in 1642. Many of the New England colonies established even more severe prohibitions.

Catholic scholar Marian T. Horvat, Ph.D. wrote, “Even in ... Maryland, the tables had turned against Catholics by the 1700s.... The penal code ... included test oaths ... to keep Catholics out of office, legislation that barred Catholics from ... certain professions ... and measures ... to make them incapable of inheriting or purchasing land. By 1718 the ballot had been denied to Catholics ... and parents could even be fined for sending children abroad to be educated as Catholics.” See Let None Dare Call it Liberty: The Catholic Church in Colonial America for the complete text.

Church and state throughout the new land continued both official restrictions and unofficial intolerance for years. The largely Protestant colonies had grown into a largely Protestant land. Even many Lutherans were viewed with suspicion, not so much because of language differences but more so because so many of them retained vestments, candles, processions, and a communion theology that confessed the Real Presence of Christ in His Supper.

Anti-Catholicism contributed to the failure of the Al Smith presidential campaign and was part of the rhetoric prior to JFK’s election. Religious pamphleteers such as Jack Chick continue to include Catholics as evil, blaming Rome for Islam, Mormonism, Jehovah’s Witnesses, the Holocaust, and Communism. While few Protestants go to such extremes, many hold the Catholic Church and many of its common practices in disdain.

I’ve written previously about Lutheran-Catholic Differences. However, the Reformation Lutheranism remained close to many Roman practices. As we’ve noted, these included such staples of the ancient Church as regular (every Sunday) celebration of the Lord’s Supper, individual confession, a liturgy anchored in the Scriptures, and displaying the crucifix. Now, some Protestants despise even an empty cross. Perhaps with so much anti-Catholic “thinking” in America, we should wonder how parts of Lutheranism and Episcopalianism were able to hold on to any of these practices or regain them in recent years.

Except in Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, and parts of Lutheranism and Anglicanism, many practices that Christianity sustained through most of its first sixteen centuries almost disappeared for several hundred years. Only recently have some attempted to reclaim what their forefathers rejected in their anti-Catholic zeal. And, in so doing, they hope to more fully receive and more completely celebrate not only receiving Jesus’ body and blood but the entire gift of salvation won by “Jesus Christ and him crucified. (1 Corinthians 2:2)”

Scripture quoted from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version™, © 2001 by Crossway Bibles.

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Walter Snyder is a Lutheran pastor, conference speaker, author of the book What Do Lutherans Believe, and writer of numerous published devotions, prayers, and sermons.

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Newspaper column #582:2