+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: Matthew 14:22-33
Theme: No Ordinary Prophet
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Blindness is inherited. Sight is gifted. The eyes of faith do not open at birth. They are opened when the Spirit gives sight. Spiritual blindness is biblically synonymous with separation from God. It denotes allegiance with the forces of darkness. Let’s be clear, the unbelieving person doesn’t necessarily set out to make an adversary of God. (Though without faith God is an enemy by definition) No, the open-minded, respectable person simply desires that God be manageable. That’s how human nature sees it. If God cannot be managed on human terms then a relationship with Him becomes a huge risk and liability. The possibility, even the probability then exists that we’ll have to concede to His authority and not the other way around. This is not a question faith would be concerned with.
Such concerns are symptomatic not only of the unbelieving world, but also of the baptized who have drifted so far from the Shepherd so as to hardly recognize His voice. Even within the church God has been largely domesticated and the teachings of Scripture rendered mere formalities among a large number of nominal believers. That suits the lukewarm Christian just fine. It makes the God-stuff manageable and the commitment optional. At the same time it appears to let one remain as a benefactor of all the promises and blessings. After all, need we not only believe? Doesn’t the Bible say we are saved by faith? Yes, but believing is the hardest thing of all. And believing affects behavior. Be very wary of thinking genuine faith is only an intellectual assent. This is the devil’s trap.
God cannot be boxed in by our self-constructed parameters. Which of you, had you been among the disciples on that wind-driven sea would have sought to domesticate the Christ walking on its surface? Would you dare to advise Him? Question Him? Make excuses in front of Him? Would you be so bold as to negotiate your half-hearted allegiance? Would you even think to do so? How foolish are all attempts to keep God at arm’s length! When the living Christ is in the boat can He be safely ignored?
Dear friends, nothing can be hidden from the sight of God. Does God’s unlimited knowledge not drive us to repentance? Solomon says, “Death and Destruction lie open before the Lord- how much more the hearts of men.”1 God knows our sins. If knowing that He knows doesn’t elicit shame and remorse then our spiritual well-being is in jeopardy. We must then reflect on some serious questions. Do we consider our sins to be trivial? Or do we think God cares nothing of them? Or do we even believe He is serious about His judgments? The person secure in his or her sins has not yet been condemned by the law.
On the surface of it people seem to suffer God as long as He is manageable. But deep down the unrepentant sinner grows to despise His presence. The wicked heart plots to be free of Him altogether. But the believer longs for God’s consolation and deliverance. Have no doubt that He who walks on the waves will come to you when you are barely able to keep your head above water. Have no doubt that the Good Shepherd seeks out His lambs who are in need. When He acts there is no delay.
Immediately! That’s the speed with which Christ responded to save Peter. In fact, this whole narrative is marked by immediacy. After the feeding of the 5000 Jesus immediately told the disciples to get into the boat. When He came walking to them on the water He immediately reassured them when they thought He was a ghost. And John tells us that at the end of this event their boat immediately reached the shore2. It’s reminder of how Christ is unrestricted by any obstacles when He desires to expedite His aid. But how can we reconcile the seeming contradiction that God can work immediately for our well-being but often appears to prolong the sending of His aid? Through such measures God seeks to draw us closer to Himself.
This drawing closer is the life-long activity of maturing in the faith. But faith only matures as it is enlightened by and educated in the truth. After hearing his dad preach on "justification," "sanctification," and all the other "-ations," a minister's son was ready when his Sunday school teacher asked if anybody knew what "procrastination" meant. The boy said, "I'm not sure what it means, but I know our church believes in it!" Do we know what the Bible teaches and if we do, do we consider ourselves to be bound by it? Some of the most fundamental of beliefs are under serious threat. Do we believe God created the universe and understand that sin has dire consequences for the whole of creation? Do we know the Bible affirms the sanctity of human life, marriage between a man and a woman only and fidelity within that marriage? Is Christ and His grace alone clung to as the sole means of salvation from sin, death, and Satan? Do we cherish our baptismal identity in Christ and eagerly look forward to receiving His body and blood in the Lord’s Supper? When these foundational things are forfeited all other church activity becomes peripheral.
Dear friends, the event of Jesus walking on the water is a proof of His divinity. It wasn’t a nifty trick or optical illusion. It cannot be rationalized by natural means. The skeptic won’t be satisfied with any explanation. Jesus was not merely accessing supernatural powers. He embodied them. The prophet of God borrows authority from on high and uses it below. But the Son of God frees creation from its restraints merely by the utterance of a word. His contravening of the laws of nature didn’t require prayers or incantations to the Almighty. He did not have to wait for results. With the ease of common movement He was master over, wind, wave, and sea. More importantly He was Master over the all the powers of comprehension the disciples could muster.
How do they respond? Fear and then worship. And there is surely what is known as a ‘primal’ emotion involved here. They were in the presence of someone incomprehensible and overpowering. This Jesus was no mere human. He was more than a prophet. There in their small boat, on that little lake they sailed with the creator of the universe. When Peter began to walk on the water to Jesus he was in no danger. But then fear of the wind and waves overtook him. How often are the disciples chastised for their lack of faith!
Where does that leave us? Christ doesn’t ask you to walk on water. He asks you to stay focused on the One who can subdue the storms and turbulence of your life. The Scripture says, “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross.”3 Christ has already endured the cross. Do we need any other sign of His unconditional love? His resurrection guarantees that death has no power of Him. And therefore death has no power over those who are His. Amen.
+ in nomine Jesu +
Eighth Sunday After Pentecost
7 August, 2011
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Proverbs 15:11
2 See John 6:21
3 Hebrews 12:2
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Seventh Sunday After Pentecost (A) 2011
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: Matthew 14:20
Theme: Limitless Compassion
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
How can we fathom the compassion of Christ? We dare not compare His mercy to our feeble attempts at pity or sympathy. The nails were not driven through our hands. The spear was not into thrust into our sides. The blood did not flow from our wounds. The Father does not leave us in the hour of utmost need. In a way it seems that Jesus’ feeding of the 5000 today is a woefully inadequate expression of His divine compassion. It seems almost trivial to concern oneself with empty stomachs when lost souls are on the precipice of darkness. But Christ does not neglect the one at the expense of the other. The provider of food for the body and place of refuge for the soul are one in the same.
But does humanity really require the assistance or benevolence of God to feed itself physically and spiritually? Do we believe this? Isn’t God being rendered obsolete? Many will stand up and assert (as they have in nearly every age) that humanity’s achievements have reached new heights. We can send probes to the edge of the solar system. We can manipulate the genes of an unborn infant. We can transmit data instantly across the face of the globe. But no achievement is immune from arrogance and abuse. The builders of Babel also triumphed in human achievement. They said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves.”1 Their motive was pride. It was a display of arrogance. But God scrambled their logistics.
The humble too have accomplished great feats. Noah built an ark; a mammoth vessel that contained all the organisms that would repopulate the earth. But what was the difference between the builder of the ark and the builders of Babel? One had the command and countenance of God and the others did not. Noah served God in faith. The builders of Babel served themselves in defiance. Do we use the gifts of God to serve our neighbour in love and defend the truth of God in Christ? Or do they primarily become tools of manipulation, selfishness and the attainment of power and pleasure?
Quoting the Scripture Jesus said, “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”2 But He wasn’t denigrating physical food and its purpose. Food is more than a bodily necessity. It is one of humanity’s greatest sources of pleasure. Remember Jesus turned the water into wine at the Cana wedding feast. Jesus deliberately used meals for social contact, social connection, and social inclusion. In doing so He often transgressed the religious customs of the time. His rules for table fellowship usually angered the Pharisees.
John tells us that after everyone was fed Jesus said, “Let nothing be wasted.”3 These words ring out as a stinging indictment against society today. Yet, God still provides abundantly for His creation. He prefers to cajole us into appreciation rather than shock us into such recognition through His judgments. The Scripture says, “Do you show contempt for the riches of His kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you towards repentance?”4 But the track record for people being led to repentance through God’s kindness is not too stellar. Of course there must be a place for the law to function. True spiritual hunger must be created. Only then can people be fed with the fruit of the cross and roused by the power of the resurrection.
Dear friends, the assumptions taken for granted in the past- for example that the average person will see the value of Christianity for society- no longer hold true, if they ever really did. Without making the effort to do justice to the complexities, certain general observations can be made. Historically recognized or tolerated tenets are now breaking down. The incumbency of a Christian framework as the world view of the culture is not a given. Darwinism rules the scientific arena and claims supremacy in regards to all living systems. Relativism rules the arena of truth and objectivity and rejects all claims of absolute authority. Ironically, Darwinism and relativism are incompatible but manage to coexist. In the realm of ethics and morality Western society is driven largely by a practical approach, the same relativism (what’s true or good for you isn’t necessarily true or good for me) and a fierce individualism. The feeling and right of the individual usually reigns supreme.
None of these philosophies or ideals is new. The Christian cannot be exempt from the burdensome task of critiquing the prevailing falsehoods of the time. It does not suffice to bury one’s head in the sand. The church’s response has for a long time now involved a sustained effort to find common ground. As the average parishioner adopts more of a secular mindset the appeal and value of the faith weakens. Are the pious promises of God more important than what the world has on offer? Increasingly the answer is no. The competition for allegiance becomes fierce. Jacob wrestled with God. Faith wrestles with temptation and truth.
Where does the restless human soul find comfort? It’s no good occupying ourselves with an endless number of distractions. Idols are easily made. They are not so easily deconstructed. The gospel is never abundantly obvious to human reason. Common sense does not automatically lead to an understanding of the gospel. The sinner can appreciate Christ as a martyr but cannot own Him as a Saviour. It is beyond human ability. Grace must be defined in this way or it is forfeited. The gift of repentance is the gift of God’s forbearance in Christ. The Holy Spirit’s endowment of contrition, sorrow for sins; and His concomitant bequest of faith, trust in Christ for the forgiveness of those sins, reconciles the previously estranged believer to the heavenly Father.
The gospel announces that this reality is both constituted and consummated in Christ. Baptism is the power and locality of this action. The eternal Son of God who becomes Immanuel, God-With-Us in the flesh of Jesus nevertheless remains chronologically distant until the command of baptism is enacted. When faith exists before baptism, as it certainly can, it still looks forward to baptism’s completion.
We rightly pray for our daily bread. Christ provides what we need, not always what we want. Jesus calls Himself the Bread of Life. “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”5 Holy Communion is the true manna from heaven. It is nurture for the body and food for the soul. It is the only meal consumed with and consisting of the crucified and living Christ. Through it forgiveness is ingested for the benefit of the soul. Amen.
+ in nomine Jesu +
Seventh Sunday After Pentecost
31th July, 2011
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Genesis 11:4
2 Matthew 4:4
3 John 6:12
4 Romans 2:4
5 John 6:51
Text: Matthew 14:20
Theme: Limitless Compassion
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
How can we fathom the compassion of Christ? We dare not compare His mercy to our feeble attempts at pity or sympathy. The nails were not driven through our hands. The spear was not into thrust into our sides. The blood did not flow from our wounds. The Father does not leave us in the hour of utmost need. In a way it seems that Jesus’ feeding of the 5000 today is a woefully inadequate expression of His divine compassion. It seems almost trivial to concern oneself with empty stomachs when lost souls are on the precipice of darkness. But Christ does not neglect the one at the expense of the other. The provider of food for the body and place of refuge for the soul are one in the same.
But does humanity really require the assistance or benevolence of God to feed itself physically and spiritually? Do we believe this? Isn’t God being rendered obsolete? Many will stand up and assert (as they have in nearly every age) that humanity’s achievements have reached new heights. We can send probes to the edge of the solar system. We can manipulate the genes of an unborn infant. We can transmit data instantly across the face of the globe. But no achievement is immune from arrogance and abuse. The builders of Babel also triumphed in human achievement. They said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves.”1 Their motive was pride. It was a display of arrogance. But God scrambled their logistics.
The humble too have accomplished great feats. Noah built an ark; a mammoth vessel that contained all the organisms that would repopulate the earth. But what was the difference between the builder of the ark and the builders of Babel? One had the command and countenance of God and the others did not. Noah served God in faith. The builders of Babel served themselves in defiance. Do we use the gifts of God to serve our neighbour in love and defend the truth of God in Christ? Or do they primarily become tools of manipulation, selfishness and the attainment of power and pleasure?
Quoting the Scripture Jesus said, “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”2 But He wasn’t denigrating physical food and its purpose. Food is more than a bodily necessity. It is one of humanity’s greatest sources of pleasure. Remember Jesus turned the water into wine at the Cana wedding feast. Jesus deliberately used meals for social contact, social connection, and social inclusion. In doing so He often transgressed the religious customs of the time. His rules for table fellowship usually angered the Pharisees.
John tells us that after everyone was fed Jesus said, “Let nothing be wasted.”3 These words ring out as a stinging indictment against society today. Yet, God still provides abundantly for His creation. He prefers to cajole us into appreciation rather than shock us into such recognition through His judgments. The Scripture says, “Do you show contempt for the riches of His kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you towards repentance?”4 But the track record for people being led to repentance through God’s kindness is not too stellar. Of course there must be a place for the law to function. True spiritual hunger must be created. Only then can people be fed with the fruit of the cross and roused by the power of the resurrection.
Dear friends, the assumptions taken for granted in the past- for example that the average person will see the value of Christianity for society- no longer hold true, if they ever really did. Without making the effort to do justice to the complexities, certain general observations can be made. Historically recognized or tolerated tenets are now breaking down. The incumbency of a Christian framework as the world view of the culture is not a given. Darwinism rules the scientific arena and claims supremacy in regards to all living systems. Relativism rules the arena of truth and objectivity and rejects all claims of absolute authority. Ironically, Darwinism and relativism are incompatible but manage to coexist. In the realm of ethics and morality Western society is driven largely by a practical approach, the same relativism (what’s true or good for you isn’t necessarily true or good for me) and a fierce individualism. The feeling and right of the individual usually reigns supreme.
None of these philosophies or ideals is new. The Christian cannot be exempt from the burdensome task of critiquing the prevailing falsehoods of the time. It does not suffice to bury one’s head in the sand. The church’s response has for a long time now involved a sustained effort to find common ground. As the average parishioner adopts more of a secular mindset the appeal and value of the faith weakens. Are the pious promises of God more important than what the world has on offer? Increasingly the answer is no. The competition for allegiance becomes fierce. Jacob wrestled with God. Faith wrestles with temptation and truth.
Where does the restless human soul find comfort? It’s no good occupying ourselves with an endless number of distractions. Idols are easily made. They are not so easily deconstructed. The gospel is never abundantly obvious to human reason. Common sense does not automatically lead to an understanding of the gospel. The sinner can appreciate Christ as a martyr but cannot own Him as a Saviour. It is beyond human ability. Grace must be defined in this way or it is forfeited. The gift of repentance is the gift of God’s forbearance in Christ. The Holy Spirit’s endowment of contrition, sorrow for sins; and His concomitant bequest of faith, trust in Christ for the forgiveness of those sins, reconciles the previously estranged believer to the heavenly Father.
The gospel announces that this reality is both constituted and consummated in Christ. Baptism is the power and locality of this action. The eternal Son of God who becomes Immanuel, God-With-Us in the flesh of Jesus nevertheless remains chronologically distant until the command of baptism is enacted. When faith exists before baptism, as it certainly can, it still looks forward to baptism’s completion.
We rightly pray for our daily bread. Christ provides what we need, not always what we want. Jesus calls Himself the Bread of Life. “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”5 Holy Communion is the true manna from heaven. It is nurture for the body and food for the soul. It is the only meal consumed with and consisting of the crucified and living Christ. Through it forgiveness is ingested for the benefit of the soul. Amen.
+ in nomine Jesu +
Seventh Sunday After Pentecost
31th July, 2011
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Genesis 11:4
2 Matthew 4:4
3 John 6:12
4 Romans 2:4
5 John 6:51
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Sixth Sunday After Pentecost A (2011)
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: Matthew 13:44-52
Theme: Parables
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
The work of God is comprehensive. “Fish of every kind”1 will be gathered by the net at the end of the age. The analogy compares fish to people and certainly means that all people will stand before God. No one will fall between the cracks. No one will deceptively, or politely, or forcefully be able to avoid the gathering of all humanity before the Almighty’s throne. We are wise not to push this pending reality to the back burner. Life can end suddenly and Christ also promises to return without prior warning. In present perspective, God is always speaking to you through His word- and in the here and now.
Today Jesus again teaches about the kingdom of God with various parables. The parable of the treasure buried in the field illustrates the incomparable value of eternal life with God. The parable of the pearl of great price is in the same vein. It seems as though in ancient times there were money lenders, but there were no banks. It was common practice to bury valuables in the ground for safe-keeping. These treasures could easily be lost track of, especially in times of war or upheaval. When these stashes of riches were found it could be quite a momentous occasion. Still today such archeological treasures of this type are unearthed.
Though the parable is commonly interpreted as showing that the kingdom of heaven is like a treasure of great worth- something that we should acquire above all else- we should understand Christ as the key to the interpretation. Christ considers humanity so exceedingly ‘valuable’ that He sacrificed His own life to acquire our presence in eternity. The parables should never be understood as mere moralisms. A moralism requires a human resolution to a problem insofar as it teaches right from wrong and expects the hearer to learn and obey the lesson. The parables primarily teach the nature of Christ’s activities within and on behalf of the world.
But certainly Christ’s parables teach us to take very seriously His warnings about the temptations of the world and how easily they can shipwreck faith and lead someone down the broad road to destruction. The question maybe asked why the church is not more forceful or heavy-handed when it comes to marginal, lapsed, or inactive members. Why isn’t there more of an ultimatum to be involved? It is a valid question that deserves some discussion. Living according to the truth and bearing the cross are serious matters. But the Holy Spirit must do the heavy lifting. We can speak words, and we must learn to speak them clearly and truthfully; and we can follow through with consistent actions, but only God can change the heart and motivate from within. Until faith germinates and begins to grow it will do no good to coerce the individual.
You see, if someone doesn’t believe, then to force some external participation in church life from them is essentially pointless. It can easily cause bitterness and resentment. Furthermore it is likely to give the false impression that God’s favour can be earned through such efforts. If one just keeps up a nominal connection then the thought is that the religious box is ticked for another season or another year. Then faith in the gospel is hindered even more.
No, the Holy Spirit must block off every avenue of escape. As long as there remains even one emergency exit the sinful human nature will always run for that rather than face the truth. This is how God’s law functions: It finally blocks off all the exits. You cannot really repent while at the same time searching for an excuse or an escape. Repentance involves recognition that you can’t have Christ (or His help) on your own terms. He is outside your control and He applies righteousness to you from without.
What does this righteousness applied to you from without mean? It means that believers are justified before God not by any virtue or rectitude that can be discovered or nurtured from within. The blood of Christ protects you from the judgment of God. It means that any uncertainty about whether the favour of God depends on your strength, your holiness, your knowledge, or your efforts is completely laid to rest. You are in God’s good graces- and remain there- solely by the worth and work of Christ. Even though the Holy Spirit changes the believer from within, the saving benefits of Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection are always credited to us from without- as it were. The Scripture says, “All of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.”2 For this we should be very grateful.
We would of course like to clearly understand how God can be a God of infinite compassion and unconditional love while at the same time being a God of justice who often appears to threaten us with His judgments. But if we could comprehend this paradox then there would be no purpose for faith. The mystery of why God acts as He does towards us in any particular circumstance would be revealed. It would in effect mean that sin no longer had any consequences worth worrying about. If we could reconcile God’s mercy and His justice there would be no need for Christ, no need for His atonement, no need for sacrifice, no need for a crucifixion. There would be no need for the forgiveness of sins. There would be no need for you to partake of this gift of His body and blood for that forgiveness. The sacrament would truly become nothing more than a hollow ritual of remembrance.
But that is not the way of God. Maturity of faith involves coming to terms with such truths. Reality doesn’t operate according to our preferences and there is a very good reason it doesn’t. The very organic nature of the parables reminds us that God is present and active in the common events of life. That doesn’t make the parables simple. It means life is vested with more depth of meaning than we normally think of. Christ is with us in the fray.
What does St. Paul say today in his dramatic and comforting conclusion to Romans chapter eight? “If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all- how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?3. No power or evil that believers face- physical persecution, spiritual assault, angels, demons, even death itself- can overcome the work of Christ. None of these things can separate us- through violence, deception, or subtlety- from Christ’s redeeming and eternal love? What evidence do we have? Christ died. He was raised to life. He now intercedes at God’s right hand. There He prepares our eternal home. Amen.
+ in nomine Jesu +
Sixth Sunday After Pentecost
24th July, 2011
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Matthew 13:47
2 Galatians 3:27
3 Romans 8:32
Text: Matthew 13:44-52
Theme: Parables
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
The work of God is comprehensive. “Fish of every kind”1 will be gathered by the net at the end of the age. The analogy compares fish to people and certainly means that all people will stand before God. No one will fall between the cracks. No one will deceptively, or politely, or forcefully be able to avoid the gathering of all humanity before the Almighty’s throne. We are wise not to push this pending reality to the back burner. Life can end suddenly and Christ also promises to return without prior warning. In present perspective, God is always speaking to you through His word- and in the here and now.
Today Jesus again teaches about the kingdom of God with various parables. The parable of the treasure buried in the field illustrates the incomparable value of eternal life with God. The parable of the pearl of great price is in the same vein. It seems as though in ancient times there were money lenders, but there were no banks. It was common practice to bury valuables in the ground for safe-keeping. These treasures could easily be lost track of, especially in times of war or upheaval. When these stashes of riches were found it could be quite a momentous occasion. Still today such archeological treasures of this type are unearthed.
Though the parable is commonly interpreted as showing that the kingdom of heaven is like a treasure of great worth- something that we should acquire above all else- we should understand Christ as the key to the interpretation. Christ considers humanity so exceedingly ‘valuable’ that He sacrificed His own life to acquire our presence in eternity. The parables should never be understood as mere moralisms. A moralism requires a human resolution to a problem insofar as it teaches right from wrong and expects the hearer to learn and obey the lesson. The parables primarily teach the nature of Christ’s activities within and on behalf of the world.
But certainly Christ’s parables teach us to take very seriously His warnings about the temptations of the world and how easily they can shipwreck faith and lead someone down the broad road to destruction. The question maybe asked why the church is not more forceful or heavy-handed when it comes to marginal, lapsed, or inactive members. Why isn’t there more of an ultimatum to be involved? It is a valid question that deserves some discussion. Living according to the truth and bearing the cross are serious matters. But the Holy Spirit must do the heavy lifting. We can speak words, and we must learn to speak them clearly and truthfully; and we can follow through with consistent actions, but only God can change the heart and motivate from within. Until faith germinates and begins to grow it will do no good to coerce the individual.
You see, if someone doesn’t believe, then to force some external participation in church life from them is essentially pointless. It can easily cause bitterness and resentment. Furthermore it is likely to give the false impression that God’s favour can be earned through such efforts. If one just keeps up a nominal connection then the thought is that the religious box is ticked for another season or another year. Then faith in the gospel is hindered even more.
No, the Holy Spirit must block off every avenue of escape. As long as there remains even one emergency exit the sinful human nature will always run for that rather than face the truth. This is how God’s law functions: It finally blocks off all the exits. You cannot really repent while at the same time searching for an excuse or an escape. Repentance involves recognition that you can’t have Christ (or His help) on your own terms. He is outside your control and He applies righteousness to you from without.
What does this righteousness applied to you from without mean? It means that believers are justified before God not by any virtue or rectitude that can be discovered or nurtured from within. The blood of Christ protects you from the judgment of God. It means that any uncertainty about whether the favour of God depends on your strength, your holiness, your knowledge, or your efforts is completely laid to rest. You are in God’s good graces- and remain there- solely by the worth and work of Christ. Even though the Holy Spirit changes the believer from within, the saving benefits of Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection are always credited to us from without- as it were. The Scripture says, “All of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.”2 For this we should be very grateful.
We would of course like to clearly understand how God can be a God of infinite compassion and unconditional love while at the same time being a God of justice who often appears to threaten us with His judgments. But if we could comprehend this paradox then there would be no purpose for faith. The mystery of why God acts as He does towards us in any particular circumstance would be revealed. It would in effect mean that sin no longer had any consequences worth worrying about. If we could reconcile God’s mercy and His justice there would be no need for Christ, no need for His atonement, no need for sacrifice, no need for a crucifixion. There would be no need for the forgiveness of sins. There would be no need for you to partake of this gift of His body and blood for that forgiveness. The sacrament would truly become nothing more than a hollow ritual of remembrance.
But that is not the way of God. Maturity of faith involves coming to terms with such truths. Reality doesn’t operate according to our preferences and there is a very good reason it doesn’t. The very organic nature of the parables reminds us that God is present and active in the common events of life. That doesn’t make the parables simple. It means life is vested with more depth of meaning than we normally think of. Christ is with us in the fray.
What does St. Paul say today in his dramatic and comforting conclusion to Romans chapter eight? “If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all- how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?3. No power or evil that believers face- physical persecution, spiritual assault, angels, demons, even death itself- can overcome the work of Christ. None of these things can separate us- through violence, deception, or subtlety- from Christ’s redeeming and eternal love? What evidence do we have? Christ died. He was raised to life. He now intercedes at God’s right hand. There He prepares our eternal home. Amen.
+ in nomine Jesu +
Sixth Sunday After Pentecost
24th July, 2011
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Matthew 13:47
2 Galatians 3:27
3 Romans 8:32
Monday, July 18, 2011
Fifth Sunday After Pentecost A (2011)
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: Matthew 13:24-30
Theme: Divine Insight
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
The witness of Holy Scripture is a chronicle of reverence for the aged. They are understood collectively as a living repository of wisdom. Each age must face the challenge of maintaining humility in respect to the generations that have gone before. Restraint of arrogance and genuine modesty is essential to the implementation of any new wisdom for the progress of society. The question is not whether each new age has more accumulated knowledge and information than the previous one. It nearly always has. The question is one of perceived superiority- moral, technological, sociological- or otherwise. Is the past devalued in light of the perceived superiority of the present? How does spiritual truth and reality fit into the picture?
The truth of God’s unchanging all-knowing-ness should be born in mind. At the dawn of a new day God is not more or less wise than He was previously. He is eternal wisdom. Christ is the embodiment of divine wisdom. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”1And of very practical importance to us is the parallel truth that His words, the Holy Scriptures, are not more or less valid or relevant in any era. Through the Bible the Holy Spirit always speaks to human beings who are fundamentally no different than people were in the past decade, the past century, the past millennia or since the fall of Adam and Eve. God always deals with sinners.
Today Christ speaks His divine wisdom in the form of another parable. The content is uncomplicated, but the reasons are impenetrable. The visible church is a mixture of believers and unbelievers, of wheat and weeds. It always has been so and always will be. Christ sows the wheat. Satan sows the weeds. They grow together until the Second Coming. God will sort it out at the final harvest. The weeds will be burned in the fire. How do such outcomes come to pass?
Human intellect is never a match for divine wisdom. The parable, among other things, is a warning against human arrogance. We cannot judge the hearts of others. We cannot look into the soul of another. God alone is arbiter and judge of the secret thoughts of the heart. We do however have the responsibility of judging words and actions. The claim “We shouldn’t judge,” (after all isn’t that what the Bible says) is too often used as an excuse to avoid standing up for the truth. Believers are accountable to one another. This is a necessary safeguard for Christian community. We are the body of Christ collectively, not individually. Our words, actions, and beliefs invariably impact and influence others. And the higher the degree of respect and trust generally the higher the influence.
Dear friends, no one but you is ultimately accountable for your spiritual well-being. You cannot pass the blame. Another person cannot believe or not believe for you. Yet the Christian’s greatest concern is always for soul of another. Of first priority are those means by which God creates and nurtures spiritual life. This is again the focus of our gathering in the Lord’s house today.
The practice of baptism is ancient. But each time it is administered the Holy Spirit works a new creation. The newly baptized is blessed with a new spiritual life of faith and brought into fellowship with the saints across the ages. Only by being made new do we participate in something ancient. Forgiveness is the transaction that makes this possible. Yes, Maddalyn, like all who are conceived and born into this world needs the forgiveness of sins. And Christ does not deny this to her. Her status before God is essentially no different than that of the most mature believer. She is in His favour through grace.
Now we don’t pretend to fully understand this mystery. How can it be that the simple act of using water in baptism does such great things? Luther’s explanation remains valid. “Certainly not just water, but the word of God in and with the water does these things, along with faith which trusts this word of God in the water. For without God’s word the water is plain water and no Baptism. But with the word of God it is a Baptism, that is, a life-giving water, rich in grace.”2
The promises of Christ are life-giving because His life was given. Everything stands or falls on the consequences of this truth. If we ever pretend that we readily understand the gospel then we haven’t grasped the seriousness of sin and its effects. The historical facts may be simple enough. Jesus is born. He lives a selfless life. He is atrociously tortured and crucified. On the third day He rises from death and then ascends to heaven. These facts form the heart of our creed. Yet to have this man, this Lord- made- sinner, as your sacrifice, your substitute, your atonement; to have Him as your life because He succumbed to death to rescue you from eternal death; to face death with the singular focus that the cross is the portal to eternal life- that moves one closer to the gospel. And to move closer to the gospel we necessarily have to move further away from ourselves, our selfish motives and desires, our fear of losing power and control over our own agendas.
The Psalmist says, “Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”3 Is each day an end in itself? Or is it a means to an end? That is, do we crave and pursue only the satisfactions this life has to offer? Or do we long for the fulfillment of God’s promises and live accordingly. Here is where faith is constantly tested. God uses suffering to sharpen our spiritual eyesight. Christ promises a resurrection. Our trust rests in the certain fulfillment of His promise; a baptismal inheritance we already possess.
The Apostle Paul says today, “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.”4 People spend great energy and effort trying to avoid suffering and discomfort in life. This is natural human behavior. Pain makes life difficult and distasteful. Yet for the Christian it should never betray an absence of desire to be relieved of the burdens of this mortal life. Our concerns stretch far beyond the horizons of this temporal life.
It doesn’t mean we are relieved of our current struggles. But is does cast them in a different light and give them purpose. Do you feel your suffering is nearly unbearable? Physical? Emotional? Psychological pain? Perhaps you’re being choked out by the weeds or other countless assaults of Satan. The Scriptures do not make light of such suffering. God does not remain remote or aloof from human frailty. “We do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have One who has been tempted in every way, just as we are- yet was without sin.”5 When you partake of the Supper you partake of the Sufferer. The Spirit intercedes for us6, the bondage to decay will end7, Christian hope will not be left unrealized. Jacob’s vision of angels8 will be our reality. Christ has redeemed His people and He will gather them for eternity. Amen.
+ in nomine Jesu +
Fifth Sunday After Pentecost
17th July, 2011
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Hebrews 13:8
2 Luther’s Small Catechism
3 Psalm 90:12
4 Romans 8:18
5 Hebrews 4:15
6 See Romans 8:26
7 See Romans 8:21
8 See Genesis 28:12
Text: Matthew 13:24-30
Theme: Divine Insight
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
The witness of Holy Scripture is a chronicle of reverence for the aged. They are understood collectively as a living repository of wisdom. Each age must face the challenge of maintaining humility in respect to the generations that have gone before. Restraint of arrogance and genuine modesty is essential to the implementation of any new wisdom for the progress of society. The question is not whether each new age has more accumulated knowledge and information than the previous one. It nearly always has. The question is one of perceived superiority- moral, technological, sociological- or otherwise. Is the past devalued in light of the perceived superiority of the present? How does spiritual truth and reality fit into the picture?
The truth of God’s unchanging all-knowing-ness should be born in mind. At the dawn of a new day God is not more or less wise than He was previously. He is eternal wisdom. Christ is the embodiment of divine wisdom. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”1And of very practical importance to us is the parallel truth that His words, the Holy Scriptures, are not more or less valid or relevant in any era. Through the Bible the Holy Spirit always speaks to human beings who are fundamentally no different than people were in the past decade, the past century, the past millennia or since the fall of Adam and Eve. God always deals with sinners.
Today Christ speaks His divine wisdom in the form of another parable. The content is uncomplicated, but the reasons are impenetrable. The visible church is a mixture of believers and unbelievers, of wheat and weeds. It always has been so and always will be. Christ sows the wheat. Satan sows the weeds. They grow together until the Second Coming. God will sort it out at the final harvest. The weeds will be burned in the fire. How do such outcomes come to pass?
Human intellect is never a match for divine wisdom. The parable, among other things, is a warning against human arrogance. We cannot judge the hearts of others. We cannot look into the soul of another. God alone is arbiter and judge of the secret thoughts of the heart. We do however have the responsibility of judging words and actions. The claim “We shouldn’t judge,” (after all isn’t that what the Bible says) is too often used as an excuse to avoid standing up for the truth. Believers are accountable to one another. This is a necessary safeguard for Christian community. We are the body of Christ collectively, not individually. Our words, actions, and beliefs invariably impact and influence others. And the higher the degree of respect and trust generally the higher the influence.
Dear friends, no one but you is ultimately accountable for your spiritual well-being. You cannot pass the blame. Another person cannot believe or not believe for you. Yet the Christian’s greatest concern is always for soul of another. Of first priority are those means by which God creates and nurtures spiritual life. This is again the focus of our gathering in the Lord’s house today.
The practice of baptism is ancient. But each time it is administered the Holy Spirit works a new creation. The newly baptized is blessed with a new spiritual life of faith and brought into fellowship with the saints across the ages. Only by being made new do we participate in something ancient. Forgiveness is the transaction that makes this possible. Yes, Maddalyn, like all who are conceived and born into this world needs the forgiveness of sins. And Christ does not deny this to her. Her status before God is essentially no different than that of the most mature believer. She is in His favour through grace.
Now we don’t pretend to fully understand this mystery. How can it be that the simple act of using water in baptism does such great things? Luther’s explanation remains valid. “Certainly not just water, but the word of God in and with the water does these things, along with faith which trusts this word of God in the water. For without God’s word the water is plain water and no Baptism. But with the word of God it is a Baptism, that is, a life-giving water, rich in grace.”2
The promises of Christ are life-giving because His life was given. Everything stands or falls on the consequences of this truth. If we ever pretend that we readily understand the gospel then we haven’t grasped the seriousness of sin and its effects. The historical facts may be simple enough. Jesus is born. He lives a selfless life. He is atrociously tortured and crucified. On the third day He rises from death and then ascends to heaven. These facts form the heart of our creed. Yet to have this man, this Lord- made- sinner, as your sacrifice, your substitute, your atonement; to have Him as your life because He succumbed to death to rescue you from eternal death; to face death with the singular focus that the cross is the portal to eternal life- that moves one closer to the gospel. And to move closer to the gospel we necessarily have to move further away from ourselves, our selfish motives and desires, our fear of losing power and control over our own agendas.
The Psalmist says, “Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”3 Is each day an end in itself? Or is it a means to an end? That is, do we crave and pursue only the satisfactions this life has to offer? Or do we long for the fulfillment of God’s promises and live accordingly. Here is where faith is constantly tested. God uses suffering to sharpen our spiritual eyesight. Christ promises a resurrection. Our trust rests in the certain fulfillment of His promise; a baptismal inheritance we already possess.
The Apostle Paul says today, “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.”4 People spend great energy and effort trying to avoid suffering and discomfort in life. This is natural human behavior. Pain makes life difficult and distasteful. Yet for the Christian it should never betray an absence of desire to be relieved of the burdens of this mortal life. Our concerns stretch far beyond the horizons of this temporal life.
It doesn’t mean we are relieved of our current struggles. But is does cast them in a different light and give them purpose. Do you feel your suffering is nearly unbearable? Physical? Emotional? Psychological pain? Perhaps you’re being choked out by the weeds or other countless assaults of Satan. The Scriptures do not make light of such suffering. God does not remain remote or aloof from human frailty. “We do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have One who has been tempted in every way, just as we are- yet was without sin.”5 When you partake of the Supper you partake of the Sufferer. The Spirit intercedes for us6, the bondage to decay will end7, Christian hope will not be left unrealized. Jacob’s vision of angels8 will be our reality. Christ has redeemed His people and He will gather them for eternity. Amen.
+ in nomine Jesu +
Fifth Sunday After Pentecost
17th July, 2011
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Hebrews 13:8
2 Luther’s Small Catechism
3 Psalm 90:12
4 Romans 8:18
5 Hebrews 4:15
6 See Romans 8:26
7 See Romans 8:21
8 See Genesis 28:12
Monday, July 11, 2011
Fourth Sunday After Pentecost A (2011)
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: Matthew 13:18-23
Theme: Sown In The Heart
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
The parable of the sower is one of the most instructive passages in the Bible. In the parable the seed is the word of God that is sown in peoples’ lives. The birds represent the activity of Satan who always seeks to snatch the word away before it can germinate. The rocky stones and thorns represent ways in which the sprouted plant is prevented from producing a harvest. Finally, the good soil is an analogy for the believer whose faith is evidenced by his or her works. Clearly the parable is meant to cover the full range of possibilities and circumstances regarding how the message of Christianity is rejected or received.
Now, it’s important to note that the parable explains observable outcomes. It does not answer the fundamental “why” questions. Why did the birds come? Why did some seed fall on rocky soil? Why did some get choked out? Why did some produce a harvest? In fact, these questions are beyond our comprehension. We can say no more than what must be said. Faith is entirely a gift of the Holy Spirit and in no way comes about by human effort. No one is born as “good soil”. Conversely, the blame for unbelief and rejection of Christ lies entirely with the individual. God cannot be blamed. These truths involve a mystery we must live with. But we must nevertheless confess these mysteries with absolute clarity. The comfort and security of souls is at stake.
Though the full range of circumstances Christ mentions is relevant to every age, certain possibilities are more applicable at different times. In the first century, when Christianity was just spreading in a largely pagan world, we might surmise the example of the person who initially received the message positively but soon fell away in times of trial because of a shallow faith was a common occurrence. In our age of declining Christianity in the West, the example of those whose faith is choked out by “the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth”1 seems particularly relevant.
Dear friends, how common is the person who has fallen away from the church because of the pursuit of material riches or the distractions of this world’s activities? These are not temptations any of us are immune to. Wealth is still the most popular idol many centuries running. A magazine cartoonist depicted two well-dressed businessmen having lunch in a posh restaurant. One of the men has a look of horror on his face as he says to the other, "I had the most terrifying dream last night. I dreamed that the value of the dollar had slipped so low that it was no longer worth worshiping."
The number of different things that can stifle faith is nearly infinite. But they all have these things in common; they originate in and are orientated towards the concerns of the world, and they all supplant the place of God as pre-eminent in the person’s life. Every sin, every transgression is in a real way the sin of idolatry. When people believe they need not the blessing, grace, or salvation of God, then they either think there is nothing to be saved from or that they have worked it out themselves. Remember, faith is rarely extinguished instantly. Typically, it succumbs over time. The boiled frog does not recognize the danger at that moment before the end comes. Repentance always involves coming clean about trying to justify ourselves. We pretend, or try to convince ourselves or others that Christ is our sole source of help, comfort, and salvation. Meanwhile, we go on collecting many eggs in many different baskets.
Nevertheless, the mercy of God is persistent and unaltered. The Scripture says, “When the kindness and love of God our Saviour appeared, He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy.”2 The sole motivation for our rescue from sin, death, and Satan is the mercy of God in Christ. Now, we may wonder what kind of rationale that is. What activates the mercy of God? Is it something He sees in us; even something He knows we will do in the future? No! Grace means that God is moved with compassion towards us as the very expression of His nature. The embodiment of that nature is Christ. Saint Paul says, “In Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form.”3 Because Christ came in flesh and blood the mercy of God cannot be perceived to be an unrealistic ideal. It is not a construct about distant but impotent deities. In other words, apart from Christ we could have no definitive assurance of divine love.
Another miracle of this truth is that it applies to people of every age and every circumstance. The newly baptized infant also becomes a recipient of that love based solely on the Holy Spirit’s operation. Baptism is not made valid by any predisposition within an individual or by the piety of the parents who bring a child to be baptized. The fact that the promises and faith given in baptism can later be rejected in no way changes the fact that the granting of spiritual life is Christ’s power alone. Until death the Christian possesses the baptismal inheritance by grace. Otherwise the person has fallen back under the rule of the law and will have to make his or her claim on personal accomplishment.
What does it matter to you? It is the central concern in the believer’s life. We are never far from falling back under the jurisdiction of spiritual legalism. Remember what the apostle says today, “What the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering.”4 You see, the law tells us what to do and not to do, and warns of God’s judgment, but it is powerless in inspiring in us true godly motivation. The law can only accuse and condemn us. And it is important that it does so that the Spirit can properly motivate us through the gospel.
We can only have comfort, hope, and consolation as we live in and through the death and resurrection of Jesus. Only in Him do we participate in incorruptible life.
The specificity of Christ is also immensely important for our witness in and to the world. When the church sows the word of God it must sow a specific kind of seed. To speak in general terms about God is not nearly as confronting or offensive to some as to speak specifically about Christ. When people speak of God generically they often mean nothing more than an impersonal force or power that exceeds human ability. The philosopher may speak of a God-concept as a backdrop to human morality. Even a Darwinian scientist may refer to a “God-factor”; meaning an unexplainable and game-changing intervention.
All of these are much different than confessing the specificity of God in the personhood of Jesus Christ. In Jesus God becomes relational. Only this Jesus, the Child of Bethlehem, the Prophet of Nazareth, the One who died a criminal’s death on the cross and rose victoriously from the grave; only He opens the gates of heaven.
Dear friends, in coming parables Christ will speak of the final harvest. But now we keep on sowing, cultivating, watering, fertilizing, and tending. The outcomes are God’s to determine. He has already produced in you a crop of many-fold and in the end will gather you safely as wheat into His barn. Amen.
+ in nomine Jesu +
Fourth Sunday After Pentecost
10rd July, 2011
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Matthew 13:22
2 Titus 3:4-5
3 Colossians 2:9
4 Romans 8:3
Text: Matthew 13:18-23
Theme: Sown In The Heart
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
The parable of the sower is one of the most instructive passages in the Bible. In the parable the seed is the word of God that is sown in peoples’ lives. The birds represent the activity of Satan who always seeks to snatch the word away before it can germinate. The rocky stones and thorns represent ways in which the sprouted plant is prevented from producing a harvest. Finally, the good soil is an analogy for the believer whose faith is evidenced by his or her works. Clearly the parable is meant to cover the full range of possibilities and circumstances regarding how the message of Christianity is rejected or received.
Now, it’s important to note that the parable explains observable outcomes. It does not answer the fundamental “why” questions. Why did the birds come? Why did some seed fall on rocky soil? Why did some get choked out? Why did some produce a harvest? In fact, these questions are beyond our comprehension. We can say no more than what must be said. Faith is entirely a gift of the Holy Spirit and in no way comes about by human effort. No one is born as “good soil”. Conversely, the blame for unbelief and rejection of Christ lies entirely with the individual. God cannot be blamed. These truths involve a mystery we must live with. But we must nevertheless confess these mysteries with absolute clarity. The comfort and security of souls is at stake.
Though the full range of circumstances Christ mentions is relevant to every age, certain possibilities are more applicable at different times. In the first century, when Christianity was just spreading in a largely pagan world, we might surmise the example of the person who initially received the message positively but soon fell away in times of trial because of a shallow faith was a common occurrence. In our age of declining Christianity in the West, the example of those whose faith is choked out by “the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth”1 seems particularly relevant.
Dear friends, how common is the person who has fallen away from the church because of the pursuit of material riches or the distractions of this world’s activities? These are not temptations any of us are immune to. Wealth is still the most popular idol many centuries running. A magazine cartoonist depicted two well-dressed businessmen having lunch in a posh restaurant. One of the men has a look of horror on his face as he says to the other, "I had the most terrifying dream last night. I dreamed that the value of the dollar had slipped so low that it was no longer worth worshiping."
The number of different things that can stifle faith is nearly infinite. But they all have these things in common; they originate in and are orientated towards the concerns of the world, and they all supplant the place of God as pre-eminent in the person’s life. Every sin, every transgression is in a real way the sin of idolatry. When people believe they need not the blessing, grace, or salvation of God, then they either think there is nothing to be saved from or that they have worked it out themselves. Remember, faith is rarely extinguished instantly. Typically, it succumbs over time. The boiled frog does not recognize the danger at that moment before the end comes. Repentance always involves coming clean about trying to justify ourselves. We pretend, or try to convince ourselves or others that Christ is our sole source of help, comfort, and salvation. Meanwhile, we go on collecting many eggs in many different baskets.
Nevertheless, the mercy of God is persistent and unaltered. The Scripture says, “When the kindness and love of God our Saviour appeared, He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy.”2 The sole motivation for our rescue from sin, death, and Satan is the mercy of God in Christ. Now, we may wonder what kind of rationale that is. What activates the mercy of God? Is it something He sees in us; even something He knows we will do in the future? No! Grace means that God is moved with compassion towards us as the very expression of His nature. The embodiment of that nature is Christ. Saint Paul says, “In Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form.”3 Because Christ came in flesh and blood the mercy of God cannot be perceived to be an unrealistic ideal. It is not a construct about distant but impotent deities. In other words, apart from Christ we could have no definitive assurance of divine love.
Another miracle of this truth is that it applies to people of every age and every circumstance. The newly baptized infant also becomes a recipient of that love based solely on the Holy Spirit’s operation. Baptism is not made valid by any predisposition within an individual or by the piety of the parents who bring a child to be baptized. The fact that the promises and faith given in baptism can later be rejected in no way changes the fact that the granting of spiritual life is Christ’s power alone. Until death the Christian possesses the baptismal inheritance by grace. Otherwise the person has fallen back under the rule of the law and will have to make his or her claim on personal accomplishment.
What does it matter to you? It is the central concern in the believer’s life. We are never far from falling back under the jurisdiction of spiritual legalism. Remember what the apostle says today, “What the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering.”4 You see, the law tells us what to do and not to do, and warns of God’s judgment, but it is powerless in inspiring in us true godly motivation. The law can only accuse and condemn us. And it is important that it does so that the Spirit can properly motivate us through the gospel.
We can only have comfort, hope, and consolation as we live in and through the death and resurrection of Jesus. Only in Him do we participate in incorruptible life.
The specificity of Christ is also immensely important for our witness in and to the world. When the church sows the word of God it must sow a specific kind of seed. To speak in general terms about God is not nearly as confronting or offensive to some as to speak specifically about Christ. When people speak of God generically they often mean nothing more than an impersonal force or power that exceeds human ability. The philosopher may speak of a God-concept as a backdrop to human morality. Even a Darwinian scientist may refer to a “God-factor”; meaning an unexplainable and game-changing intervention.
All of these are much different than confessing the specificity of God in the personhood of Jesus Christ. In Jesus God becomes relational. Only this Jesus, the Child of Bethlehem, the Prophet of Nazareth, the One who died a criminal’s death on the cross and rose victoriously from the grave; only He opens the gates of heaven.
Dear friends, in coming parables Christ will speak of the final harvest. But now we keep on sowing, cultivating, watering, fertilizing, and tending. The outcomes are God’s to determine. He has already produced in you a crop of many-fold and in the end will gather you safely as wheat into His barn. Amen.
+ in nomine Jesu +
Fourth Sunday After Pentecost
10rd July, 2011
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Matthew 13:22
2 Titus 3:4-5
3 Colossians 2:9
4 Romans 8:3
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Third Sunday After Pentecost (A) 2011
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: Matthew 11:19
Theme: In The Company of Sinners
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Jesus keeps company with sinners. It was true in the beginning. Thankfully it is still true today. If Christ were to receive us on our own merits we would be forever shut out of the presence of God. But the Holy Spirit gathers God’s people and welcomes them with divine gifts unavailable anywhere else. That is why we are here.
Today Jesus addresses His opponents with this rhetorical question: “To what can I compare this generation?”1 It was a means of conviction implying the prevalence of unbelief. “They are like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others: ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.’”2 What on earth does this mean?
Music and dancing marked joyous celebrations such as weddings. Dirges struck the tone of grief at funerals. Each statement is directed symbolically against John the Baptist and Jesus respectively. John was accused of being too serious in His preaching of repentance leaving little room for joy. Christ, on the other hand, was accused of hob-knobbing with sinners, eating, drinking, and celebrating with them and thus not practicing sobriety in the holy things of God. Yet both personified the in-breaking of God’s kingdom into the world through the person of His Son as foretold by the prophets. This is exactly what the authorities of the day would not tolerate.
There was no pleasing the religious leaders of the time? The phrase we still use is: “There’s just no pleasing some people.” Dear friends, in the broadest sense, we’re those people. But in the context here it refers to all who resist the truth and mission of Christ. John the Baptist was martyred by beheading; Jesus was crucified. Today too, bold proclaimers of the truth are marginalized, ridiculed, and even silenced. The threat to the autonomy of the human will is too great. As long as the sun rises and sets upon the earth this reality will never change. People prefer to direct their own destiny, make their own decisions, moving to the next life being no exception.
Of course this rash foolishness will one day be frighteningly exposed. We cannot control God, much less usurp His authority. This is the height of self-righteousness. Ignoring Him won’t help either. So why is it so common? Firstly, that is the nature of sin and we are all sinners. Secondly, there is strength in numbers and we can be overwhelmed by the sentiment of the masses. Of course with the disproportional influence of the modern media those masses may not be nearly as large as they are made to appear. But fear is a powerful motivator. The Lord warned the prophet Isaiah not to follow the way of the people saying, “Do not call conspiracy everything that these people call conspiracy; do not fear what they fear and do not dread it. The Lord Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy, He is the one you are to fear, he is the one you are to dread.”3 All the combined gloom and doom and desperate fatalism of humanity could never dampen the spirit of hope embodied in Christ. He lives and even death cannot undo what He has done.
If the church seems out of sync with the prevailing ideals of society there is a probably a very good reason for it. The world is never eager to hear or live by truth that isn’t transparently beneficial to the individual. Forgiveness, unconditional compassion, and self-sacrifice have never been the mottos of secular society. They never will be. But if the church is out of touch with peoples’ needs, their pains, their hardships, their struggles then that indicates a problem. The church doesn’t exist for its own sake. It is the salt and leaven of Christ in the world. The church is the beacon of light and truth. It is to mirror Christ’s forgiveness and reconciliation.
These things- truth and forgiveness- are not merely attendant circumstances; they constitute the church and maintain it. People may be drawn into a fellowship through hospitality and mutual interests. But they are not likely to remain unless anchored by something deeper. What anchors people to the church is the forgiveness of sins present and offered through the crucified and risen Jesus. The sacrament of Holy Communion is not under private jurisdiction. Christ offers His sacrificial body and blood in the public gathering. What must anchor people is the objective and unchanging promises of the ancient Spirit working through the creating and redeeming Word. We are new creations in Christ because ancient covenants have been honoured and are still kept.
If you were to come to God’s house as the only attendee and the pastor proclaimed to you alone the remission of all your sins, you would still have the assurance of knowing you are in fellowship with the one, holy, Christian and apostolic church. You are not baptized into a ritual membership or religious organization. In your baptism you become a co-heir with Christ of the eternal inheritance. You are in fellowship with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and the entire company of saints. This is of greater worth than any circle of friends or assembly of support you have in this life that is estranged from or ignorant of the wisdom of God in Christ. Indeed, we are to make the most of worldly friendships, but without becoming friends of the world.4
Each day of bearing the cross is a reminder of our temporary, mortal existence. There is no let up from Satan and even the temptations of the sinful nature change as we mature. Paul expresses the struggle well in His famous words today, “I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do- this I keep on doing…What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God-through Jesus Christ our Lord!”5
Yes, we are nothing in and of ourselves. We are everything in Christ. Our self-image maybe constantly over-inflated, habitually under-stated, or sporadically lurching and tossing everywhere in between; but is has no basis, no grounding, no legitimacy apart from our identity as redeemed servants of the Crucified. It has no sense of bearing apart from reference to the cross. Like a compass that always faithfully pointing north, the cross always gives us our bearings. Jesus said, “Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”6
So relax here in the company of sinners. Christ became the greatest sinner of all. He did it for you and your salvation. Enjoy this company of sinners, who in God’s sight are already saints by faith. You are in good company. You are in God’s company.
+ in nomine Jesu +
Third Sunday After Pentecost
3rd July, 2011
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Matthew 11:16
2 Matthew 11:17
3 Isaiah 8:12-13
4 See 1 John 2:15
5 Romans 7:18-19, 24-25
6 Matthew 11:28-29
Text: Matthew 11:19
Theme: In The Company of Sinners
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Jesus keeps company with sinners. It was true in the beginning. Thankfully it is still true today. If Christ were to receive us on our own merits we would be forever shut out of the presence of God. But the Holy Spirit gathers God’s people and welcomes them with divine gifts unavailable anywhere else. That is why we are here.
Today Jesus addresses His opponents with this rhetorical question: “To what can I compare this generation?”1 It was a means of conviction implying the prevalence of unbelief. “They are like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others: ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.’”2 What on earth does this mean?
Music and dancing marked joyous celebrations such as weddings. Dirges struck the tone of grief at funerals. Each statement is directed symbolically against John the Baptist and Jesus respectively. John was accused of being too serious in His preaching of repentance leaving little room for joy. Christ, on the other hand, was accused of hob-knobbing with sinners, eating, drinking, and celebrating with them and thus not practicing sobriety in the holy things of God. Yet both personified the in-breaking of God’s kingdom into the world through the person of His Son as foretold by the prophets. This is exactly what the authorities of the day would not tolerate.
There was no pleasing the religious leaders of the time? The phrase we still use is: “There’s just no pleasing some people.” Dear friends, in the broadest sense, we’re those people. But in the context here it refers to all who resist the truth and mission of Christ. John the Baptist was martyred by beheading; Jesus was crucified. Today too, bold proclaimers of the truth are marginalized, ridiculed, and even silenced. The threat to the autonomy of the human will is too great. As long as the sun rises and sets upon the earth this reality will never change. People prefer to direct their own destiny, make their own decisions, moving to the next life being no exception.
Of course this rash foolishness will one day be frighteningly exposed. We cannot control God, much less usurp His authority. This is the height of self-righteousness. Ignoring Him won’t help either. So why is it so common? Firstly, that is the nature of sin and we are all sinners. Secondly, there is strength in numbers and we can be overwhelmed by the sentiment of the masses. Of course with the disproportional influence of the modern media those masses may not be nearly as large as they are made to appear. But fear is a powerful motivator. The Lord warned the prophet Isaiah not to follow the way of the people saying, “Do not call conspiracy everything that these people call conspiracy; do not fear what they fear and do not dread it. The Lord Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy, He is the one you are to fear, he is the one you are to dread.”3 All the combined gloom and doom and desperate fatalism of humanity could never dampen the spirit of hope embodied in Christ. He lives and even death cannot undo what He has done.
If the church seems out of sync with the prevailing ideals of society there is a probably a very good reason for it. The world is never eager to hear or live by truth that isn’t transparently beneficial to the individual. Forgiveness, unconditional compassion, and self-sacrifice have never been the mottos of secular society. They never will be. But if the church is out of touch with peoples’ needs, their pains, their hardships, their struggles then that indicates a problem. The church doesn’t exist for its own sake. It is the salt and leaven of Christ in the world. The church is the beacon of light and truth. It is to mirror Christ’s forgiveness and reconciliation.
These things- truth and forgiveness- are not merely attendant circumstances; they constitute the church and maintain it. People may be drawn into a fellowship through hospitality and mutual interests. But they are not likely to remain unless anchored by something deeper. What anchors people to the church is the forgiveness of sins present and offered through the crucified and risen Jesus. The sacrament of Holy Communion is not under private jurisdiction. Christ offers His sacrificial body and blood in the public gathering. What must anchor people is the objective and unchanging promises of the ancient Spirit working through the creating and redeeming Word. We are new creations in Christ because ancient covenants have been honoured and are still kept.
If you were to come to God’s house as the only attendee and the pastor proclaimed to you alone the remission of all your sins, you would still have the assurance of knowing you are in fellowship with the one, holy, Christian and apostolic church. You are not baptized into a ritual membership or religious organization. In your baptism you become a co-heir with Christ of the eternal inheritance. You are in fellowship with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and the entire company of saints. This is of greater worth than any circle of friends or assembly of support you have in this life that is estranged from or ignorant of the wisdom of God in Christ. Indeed, we are to make the most of worldly friendships, but without becoming friends of the world.4
Each day of bearing the cross is a reminder of our temporary, mortal existence. There is no let up from Satan and even the temptations of the sinful nature change as we mature. Paul expresses the struggle well in His famous words today, “I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do- this I keep on doing…What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God-through Jesus Christ our Lord!”5
Yes, we are nothing in and of ourselves. We are everything in Christ. Our self-image maybe constantly over-inflated, habitually under-stated, or sporadically lurching and tossing everywhere in between; but is has no basis, no grounding, no legitimacy apart from our identity as redeemed servants of the Crucified. It has no sense of bearing apart from reference to the cross. Like a compass that always faithfully pointing north, the cross always gives us our bearings. Jesus said, “Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”6
So relax here in the company of sinners. Christ became the greatest sinner of all. He did it for you and your salvation. Enjoy this company of sinners, who in God’s sight are already saints by faith. You are in good company. You are in God’s company.
+ in nomine Jesu +
Third Sunday After Pentecost
3rd July, 2011
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Matthew 11:16
2 Matthew 11:17
3 Isaiah 8:12-13
4 See 1 John 2:15
5 Romans 7:18-19, 24-25
6 Matthew 11:28-29
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
First Sunday After Pentecost (A) 2011
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: Matthew 28:18
Theme: Authority Over Heaven and Earth
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
God the Father spoke creation into existence. And He did it with the participation of Christ and in conjunction with the Holy Spirit. Jesus is not a created being designated by God for a mighty mission. Christ is the eternal Son of the Father. He was present at and participated in creation. He completed our salvation and will rule for eternity. He has been vested with all power and authority. These miracles are foundational Christian truths and must be recognized as such.
“The universe was formed at God’s command,”1 so says Holy Scripture. Creation from nothing is the point where the logical has no room to coexist with the miraculous. To make the jump from nonexistence to existence, to go from empty space to this building, the trees outside; to go from a nonentity to our bodies and minds, even to the tiny molecules of air that we breathe, that requires something fundamentally more than eons of time and countless random combinations of events. It requires a creative power that defies logic. It requires God and God requires faith.
The arguments are often misrepresented. The evolutionist must acknowledge the pre-existence of some mysterious and immeasurable power. Many label it the “big bang”. Christians acknowledge the pre-existence of God. But to use the big bang theory to describe how the universe came into existence is to make a statement of faith. You are saying you believe the cosmos, matter and life in all of its forms, spontaneously appeared. That is not science. It is conjecture. And it’s a big leap of faith. There is absolutely no proof that life was able to organize itself out of a cloud of dust.
The Christian, of course, takes a leap of faith too. But it is trust in a powerful, creative and compassionate God. God creates life and He orders the life He has created. The implications are enormous. Human beings are invested with moral capacity. The consistent materialist, the denier of God’s creative work, must maintain a morally neutral position of human beings in relation to a higher power. One’s status before God is then of little concern.
Perhaps this is already the default position of a society with waning Christian influence and has infected our spiritual understandings also. Have you noticed that sin isn’t much of a worry to people today except in so far as it impacts negatively on their life experiences? That is, if we are laboring under the pain of broken relationships, feeling ostracized, or inadequate among our peers; if we sense resistance or face shame or correction directly resulting from our dishonesty, shortcomings, or wrong doing then some restoration is desirable.
But is it understood to involve guilt for which we need forgiveness? Or is our sense of sinfulness governed only by the negative feedback we receive from those around us? Do we otherwise believe our transgressions need not be reckoned with? If so, our repentance will be shallow or even nonexistent- perhaps a Sunday ritual, lip-service without substance. The Bible confronts us with a much more serious perspective. It calls us to account for our unchecked selfishness, our jealousies, or lack of compassion and generosity, our apathy about truth and the gospel. It indicts us not only for the uncharitable things we say or do but for the very desires that show we are sinful to the core. And then it tells us in no uncertain terms that we are deserving only of judgment and punishment. “Scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin.”2
And that leaves us in a very different place than those who erroneously believe in moral neutrality. It makes access to the forgiveness of sins a top priority. It is why you come to the Lord’s house. It is why you come to Holy Communion. It is why you can’t settle for half-truths or hollow depictions of Jesus. It is why therapies or philosophies posing as solutions to your deepest pains will never do. What you need was hung upon a cross. What you need was poured out on Pentecost. What everyone needs is the promise of the Word-become-flesh. The gracious heavenly Father doesn’t fail to give us all we need.
You see we must have all of Christ- the divine Son of the eternal Deity and the Jesus born of the Virgin Mary- we must have this complete God-man, or in the end we might as well have none of Him. Without His perfect humanity- His flesh and blood, law-fulfilling, living breathing, perfect obedience offered as a sacrifice in His body on the cross- we would have no sufficient substitute to cover the guilt of our sins. And without His perfect divinity- the Son of God, Second Person of the Godhead, almighty and omnipotent- death would not have been defeated, Satan conquered, and hell vanquished. This Christ, the crucified and risen Saviour and Redeemer, is your sole comfort when you draw your final breath.
He says to His disciples today, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”3 Our God of faithfulness in the past is the One present with us now and He promises to guide the future. As members of His body, the church, He recruits us to be His witnesses to the ends of the earth.
Making disciples of all nations includes passing the faith to the next generation. Parents especially, but also grandparents and members of the supporting community must ask themselves why they want the faith passed on to their children. Is it mostly a family custom, or for a good moral foundation? Is it to tick all the boxes and fill in all the blanks of religious education? Our motives will determine the resources we invest and how that investment is made. What sacrifices will we make and what compromises will we avoid? Children too can recognize the voice of the Shepherd. Where the gospel is proclaimed purely and the sacraments administered rightly the Holy Spirit gathers His people. Baptism initiates one into the family of God.
But life in God’s family is not a matter of leisure. It comes with great privilege and responsibility. Everything a Christian does is important in its own context. It’s like the ssenator in a restaurant when the waiter brought over the rolls, but no butter. "May I have some butter, please?" The waiter gives a slight nod and wanders off. A few minutes later, still no butter. The senator catches the waiter’s eye." May I have some butter, Please? "Still the vaguest of responses, and after ten more minutes, still no butter." Finally the senator stops the very busy waiter and says, “Maybe you don't know who I am. I'm a Princeton graduate, and a Rhodes scholar. I'm currently chairman of the International Debt Subcommittee of the Senate Finance Committee and a member of the Senate Select Intelligence Committee for the defense of the nation." To which the reply came, "Maybe you don't know who I am," said the waiter. "I'm the guy who's in charge of the butter".
Dear friends you know whose you are and you know your charge. In your vocation as parent or child, husband or wife, teacher or farmer, mentor or friends, tend to those people and resources in your charge to the best of your ability. Do it with humility, generosity, compassion, and above all for peoples’ spiritual well-being. You may not be the mayor, or the principal, the pastor, or the head of the P&F, but you step into the fray each day as an agent of the kingdom. You may be the one in charge of the butter. Every moment you will influence people by your words, your actions and the commitments you devote your time, money, and energy to. People soon learn the things we value.
On this Trinity Sunday, may the Father who created you in uniqueness, and the Son who redeemed you with His blood, and the Holy Spirit who called you to faith in Christ and sustains that faith, richly bless in body and soul to life everlasting. Amen.
+ in nomine Jesu +
First Sunday After Pentecost
Holy Trinity
19th June, 2011
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Hebrews 11:3
2 Galatians 3:22
3 Matthew 28:19-20
Text: Matthew 28:18
Theme: Authority Over Heaven and Earth
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
God the Father spoke creation into existence. And He did it with the participation of Christ and in conjunction with the Holy Spirit. Jesus is not a created being designated by God for a mighty mission. Christ is the eternal Son of the Father. He was present at and participated in creation. He completed our salvation and will rule for eternity. He has been vested with all power and authority. These miracles are foundational Christian truths and must be recognized as such.
“The universe was formed at God’s command,”1 so says Holy Scripture. Creation from nothing is the point where the logical has no room to coexist with the miraculous. To make the jump from nonexistence to existence, to go from empty space to this building, the trees outside; to go from a nonentity to our bodies and minds, even to the tiny molecules of air that we breathe, that requires something fundamentally more than eons of time and countless random combinations of events. It requires a creative power that defies logic. It requires God and God requires faith.
The arguments are often misrepresented. The evolutionist must acknowledge the pre-existence of some mysterious and immeasurable power. Many label it the “big bang”. Christians acknowledge the pre-existence of God. But to use the big bang theory to describe how the universe came into existence is to make a statement of faith. You are saying you believe the cosmos, matter and life in all of its forms, spontaneously appeared. That is not science. It is conjecture. And it’s a big leap of faith. There is absolutely no proof that life was able to organize itself out of a cloud of dust.
The Christian, of course, takes a leap of faith too. But it is trust in a powerful, creative and compassionate God. God creates life and He orders the life He has created. The implications are enormous. Human beings are invested with moral capacity. The consistent materialist, the denier of God’s creative work, must maintain a morally neutral position of human beings in relation to a higher power. One’s status before God is then of little concern.
Perhaps this is already the default position of a society with waning Christian influence and has infected our spiritual understandings also. Have you noticed that sin isn’t much of a worry to people today except in so far as it impacts negatively on their life experiences? That is, if we are laboring under the pain of broken relationships, feeling ostracized, or inadequate among our peers; if we sense resistance or face shame or correction directly resulting from our dishonesty, shortcomings, or wrong doing then some restoration is desirable.
But is it understood to involve guilt for which we need forgiveness? Or is our sense of sinfulness governed only by the negative feedback we receive from those around us? Do we otherwise believe our transgressions need not be reckoned with? If so, our repentance will be shallow or even nonexistent- perhaps a Sunday ritual, lip-service without substance. The Bible confronts us with a much more serious perspective. It calls us to account for our unchecked selfishness, our jealousies, or lack of compassion and generosity, our apathy about truth and the gospel. It indicts us not only for the uncharitable things we say or do but for the very desires that show we are sinful to the core. And then it tells us in no uncertain terms that we are deserving only of judgment and punishment. “Scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin.”2
And that leaves us in a very different place than those who erroneously believe in moral neutrality. It makes access to the forgiveness of sins a top priority. It is why you come to the Lord’s house. It is why you come to Holy Communion. It is why you can’t settle for half-truths or hollow depictions of Jesus. It is why therapies or philosophies posing as solutions to your deepest pains will never do. What you need was hung upon a cross. What you need was poured out on Pentecost. What everyone needs is the promise of the Word-become-flesh. The gracious heavenly Father doesn’t fail to give us all we need.
You see we must have all of Christ- the divine Son of the eternal Deity and the Jesus born of the Virgin Mary- we must have this complete God-man, or in the end we might as well have none of Him. Without His perfect humanity- His flesh and blood, law-fulfilling, living breathing, perfect obedience offered as a sacrifice in His body on the cross- we would have no sufficient substitute to cover the guilt of our sins. And without His perfect divinity- the Son of God, Second Person of the Godhead, almighty and omnipotent- death would not have been defeated, Satan conquered, and hell vanquished. This Christ, the crucified and risen Saviour and Redeemer, is your sole comfort when you draw your final breath.
He says to His disciples today, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”3 Our God of faithfulness in the past is the One present with us now and He promises to guide the future. As members of His body, the church, He recruits us to be His witnesses to the ends of the earth.
Making disciples of all nations includes passing the faith to the next generation. Parents especially, but also grandparents and members of the supporting community must ask themselves why they want the faith passed on to their children. Is it mostly a family custom, or for a good moral foundation? Is it to tick all the boxes and fill in all the blanks of religious education? Our motives will determine the resources we invest and how that investment is made. What sacrifices will we make and what compromises will we avoid? Children too can recognize the voice of the Shepherd. Where the gospel is proclaimed purely and the sacraments administered rightly the Holy Spirit gathers His people. Baptism initiates one into the family of God.
But life in God’s family is not a matter of leisure. It comes with great privilege and responsibility. Everything a Christian does is important in its own context. It’s like the ssenator in a restaurant when the waiter brought over the rolls, but no butter. "May I have some butter, please?" The waiter gives a slight nod and wanders off. A few minutes later, still no butter. The senator catches the waiter’s eye." May I have some butter, Please? "Still the vaguest of responses, and after ten more minutes, still no butter." Finally the senator stops the very busy waiter and says, “Maybe you don't know who I am. I'm a Princeton graduate, and a Rhodes scholar. I'm currently chairman of the International Debt Subcommittee of the Senate Finance Committee and a member of the Senate Select Intelligence Committee for the defense of the nation." To which the reply came, "Maybe you don't know who I am," said the waiter. "I'm the guy who's in charge of the butter".
Dear friends you know whose you are and you know your charge. In your vocation as parent or child, husband or wife, teacher or farmer, mentor or friends, tend to those people and resources in your charge to the best of your ability. Do it with humility, generosity, compassion, and above all for peoples’ spiritual well-being. You may not be the mayor, or the principal, the pastor, or the head of the P&F, but you step into the fray each day as an agent of the kingdom. You may be the one in charge of the butter. Every moment you will influence people by your words, your actions and the commitments you devote your time, money, and energy to. People soon learn the things we value.
On this Trinity Sunday, may the Father who created you in uniqueness, and the Son who redeemed you with His blood, and the Holy Spirit who called you to faith in Christ and sustains that faith, richly bless in body and soul to life everlasting. Amen.
+ in nomine Jesu +
First Sunday After Pentecost
Holy Trinity
19th June, 2011
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Hebrews 11:3
2 Galatians 3:22
3 Matthew 28:19-20
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)