+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: John1:51
Theme: Heaven Opened
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
The Holy Spirit speaks a language we must learn over time. In the Scriptures He uses human vocabulary (which is always in flux) but His message is eternal and cannot be altered. The central premise of Christianity never changes: Jesus, the Christ, redeems the fallen human race. He did not cheat death but conquered it; not by a show of force but a genuine sacrifice.
He is the author of time and fulfillment of the ages. The problem He addresses never varies: Satan enslaves the unconverted soul. Regardless of the flux, the ebb and flow, the deviations in human culture and accomplishment; regardless of the heights to which human beings reach in knowledge, medicine, science or discovery; regardless of whether one age completely forgets the accomplishments or lessons of past civilizations Jesus Christ transcends all. Unmoved by the forces of the culture or the cosmos the Unchanging One instead transforms the most hardened heart and will.
To claim to have altered, superseded, or circumvented the will or purpose of God is utter foolishness. To find oneself converted to His purposes is perfect comfort. God does not adjust truth to human circumstances. Either human are adjusted to God’s truth or they are lost. The struggle against sin is the ongoing battle where this plays out.
Consider how easily we become desensitized to sin by the influence of society. St. Paul uses today the example of sexual immorality which he condemns forthrightly. Yet year by year the stress put on marriages grows greater. According to general statistics in 1870 there was one divorce for every 34 marriages. By 1900 it was one in five, and by 1950 it was one in three. Now today more than 50% of all marriages end in divorce. When will the trend reverse? When will we recognize the damage caused? More importantly, do such concerns move us to repentance? Think of what the apostle says here, “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.”1
Today as Jesus calls some of His first disciples they begin to understand what it means to be in His company. Nathanael is particularly impressed by the Lord’s perception. He is no mere prophet. Nathanael even confesses Him as the Son of God. But what does this all entail? Christ then gives a very fascinating response to Nathanael. “You will see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”2 When will these disciples see heaven open and what about the angels He speaks of? Will they see heaven opened in some vision? Will they see it at His baptism or ascension? Will they, like Stephen see it at their own martyrdom?
Yes, but more than that they will come to “see” that the presence and ministry of Jesus brings contact and communication with the blessings of heaven. The angels are creatures of this spiritual realm and they will accompany and be present. When Jesus says that they will see heaven opened, that is standing open; this is akin to Him saying the kingdom of heaven is near. It is the same as Him saying, “Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father.”3 The angels always attend Christ’s presence and we are given glimpses of that in His earthly ministry. About His temptation the Bible says, “He was in the desert forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended Him.”4 At His arrest He said, “Do you think I cannot call on My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels?”5 While in Gethsemane we read, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done. An angel from heaven appeared to Him and strengthened Him.”6 We should have the assurance angels attend our worship too. They are ambassadors of heaven.
When does heaven open for sinners? When the Father turns His face away from His Son suffering on the cross. When does heaven open for sinners? When the Holy Spirit bestows the gift of faith through baptismal water. When does heaven open for sinners? When the pastor says, “As a called and ordained servant of the Word…I forgive you all your sins, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”7 When does heaven open for sinners? When we kneel to receive His very body and blood in the sacred meal of bread and wine.
Jesus is the portal. He is the door. He is gate. He is image of the Father veiled in human flesh. He died for sins but He is risen for eternity. Heaven is not just within His grasp; heaven accompanies His presence. Where the penitent finds mercy in the compassion of God heaven is open.When the conscience is at peace in divine pardon heaven is open. When the heart is secure in the promises of the Spirit heaven is open. For the believer heaven stands open because Jesus stands immortally as the intercessor before the Father. An opened heaven isn’t a future dream, it is a present reality. We need only wait for the consummation to experience it.
And this is the public and private calling of the church. The church has a mission to let people know how heaven is opened. It does this not simply by way of information but by enacting the power of transformation. Forgiveness is the currency of reconciliation. The Christian congregation is a community of forgiven sinners and we seek to live as such. We are the body of Christ. Our hope is not fixed on human achievement but on divine promises. We value life differently than the secular world. The Scripture says, “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above…set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”8
In so doing we can expect to be ostracized by the world. The Christian may have to travel along a very lonely road. Jesus said even families will be divided. Yet God will never forget the faithful. Even Elijah feared he was the last believer. But God knew otherwise. We must learn to cherish the faithful believers God puts in our lives, not because they are nice people or useful to us, but because they are an encouragement to our faith. They share the most vital treasure we possess: The faith once delivered to all the saints. They share something fundamentally more important that all the interests and attractions of this temporal life. We may enjoy the common interests of others in sport or work or hobbies, but none compares to the mutual participation in the one holy, Christian and apostolic church that transcends the ages.
An elderly Christian lady, who was crippled with arthritis, used to hobble to church services on crutches. It was a great ordeal and required of her a considerable amount of toil and pain each time. A friend of hers observed her regular and faithful attendance and asked, "How do you manage to be at nearly every service?" Her answer was, "My heart gets there first, and my old legs just follow after." Dear friends the Scripture says, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”9 Thanks be to God that the Holy Spirit assures us every Lord’s Day that heaven has been opened and we are Christ’s treasured possession. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Second Sunday After Epiphany
15 January 2012
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
2 John 1:51
3 John 14:9
4 Mark 1:13
5 Matthew 26:53
6 Luke 22:42-43
7 Lutheran Hymnal with Supplement, p.7
8 Colossians 3:1-2
9 Matthew 6:21
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Sunday, January 8, 2012
First Sunday After Epiphany (B) 2012
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: Mark 1:1
Theme: Jesus- The Beginning
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Jesus was born not to visit humanity but to recover it. Where Christ is at work God is at work. Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by Himself; He can do only what He sees His Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.”1All that He does is always for our well-being. The struggle of faith is to believe that this is true. Trust is the gift of a conscience that rests peacefully in the promises of Christ.
The season of Epiphany concentrates on those events that reveal Jesus to be the Son of God. Epiphany means ‘revelation’ or ‘showing forth’. Today’s gospel narrates Mark’s account of His baptism. It was a Trinitarian event in which the Holy Spirit appeared as a dove and the Father’s voice spoke from heaven. Jesus was affirmed as the one who came to restore humanity. He would engage the struggle with Satan, sin, and death.
It is significant to note that John the Baptist prepared people for Jesus’ coming by calling them to repentance. He did not merely announce the advent of a hero but the coming of a Saviour. To be a Saviour presupposes the existence of sinners. No assumptions can be made here. The critical fact each of us must face is that we are included in that category. The First task of the Holy Spirit is to convict us of that truth. It can never be passed over.
Let’s explore for a moment the depth of human sinfulness and the progression of thought that rules the unbelieving heart. Humans like to be free from restrictions. But deeper than the irritation of an objective morality (a universal standard such as the Ten Commandments) is the demand for free expression of the will (including all feelings and desires) without any burden to conscience. Deeper still is the resentment of being accused of transgression. Deeper yet is the claim that forgiveness is necessary, that somehow amends have to be made with the heavenly Father. And deepest of all is the central teaching of the faith- that Christ alone can supply this atonement.
Here the self-defined individual is robbed even of the opportunity to make amends, to show self-worthiness. Ah, but this is precisely the point. This is where self-righteousness opposes grace with all its vigour. This is the core of idolatry- wanting to be, insisting on being self-justifiers and demanding that such efforts are meritorious before God. This is the essence of sin not because it denies the concept of God is possible, but it denies to Him the reason for the atonement. It denies the possibility the sinner can be damned; that the individual can be a culpable being, lost, consigned to perdition. In such rejection Christ is robbed of His glory. Such unbelief is utter blasphemy. Recognition of this truth is what drives honest repentance.
It is also what makes your presence in God’s house critical. Here is not only your place of refuge- a place of truth in a world of falsehood, a place of order in a world of chaos, a place of peace in a world of conflict- it is the place where you are restored to God’s intentions. Here you are absolved, forgiven and freed. And here we are equipped to critique the many secular and misguided views of our existence.
Today we are reminded that God is the author and architect of all that exists. But we know that most- even Christians- have been drawn away to the secular world-view. The deception lies in convincing the public that explanations of origins are the jurisdiction of science. Think just a moment about the impossibility of explaining such a claim scientifically. A highly condensed ball of intergalactic elements- which must be self-existing for this theory to work- suddenly explodes forming the immense universe that we observe. Then over huge spans of time life organizes itself from inert materials under the right conditions. This is not a scientific explanation (science is based on the repeatability of observable events) but a philosophical one- a ‘religious’ one, if you will. It is no bigger leap of faith to believe that an all-powerful God created the universe than it is to believe the universe popped itself into existence randomly and without purpose.
The question of origins, how the universe came into existence, will always be a metaphysical question. It will always be a question of faith. It is an unrepeatable, unobservable event. The biblical, creedal truth that God established a well-ordered, purposeful creation underpins Christian teaching. Christ did not come to a world of accidental and arbitrary existence. He did not come to a world generated without meaning and purpose. He came to a world turned against the purposes of its Creator. He came to world that still bore the evidence of an architect who had carefully crafted his handiwork; yet a world hopelessly lost and separated from His will.
The claim is made that the biblical witness is too parochial, narrow, and outdated to be relevant. Scientific discoveries about the universe have reportedly made the Bible obsolete. But the fact is only the Holy Scriptures make sense of the universe. If you follow atheistic evolution through to its completion humans become soulless creatures with little or no purpose at the mercy of the events of nature. With no created purpose life becomes a meaningless struggle. No wonder secular life becomes a selfish, lawless, narcissistic struggle of the survival of the fittest. Christians are called out of such despair. Life has redeeming value. Christ has not abandoned His creation.
What can be more exciting than knowing you have an eternal future with the Lord of the cosmos and Shepherd of souls? This future does not involve a monotonous boredom of forced devotion. It will rather be a spellbinding and transfixing continuous revelation of the fullness of God’s majesty and mercy. Of course keeping our hope fixed on this promise is not easy. You know the niggling questions and the obvious traumas that test your resolve and challenge your faith. What if modern science proves Christianity wrong? What if God’s too busy to deal with my problems? Will He really call me to account for my sinful actions? Is my church attendance really important to my goals and objectives in life? How can I face serious illness or death; does God matter? And the list could go on endlessly.
Then there are the questions of our witness in the world. Is my faith mostly lip-service?
Will I love someone enough to challenge the falsehoods to which they cling? Is my commitment to the truth stronger than the power of political correctness? Does my passion for another’s soul help govern my words and actions? Do my prayers focus on the spiritual well-being of others and not only on their physical prosperity? As we struggle through these issues the faithfulness of God remains unchanged. He who created the universe with a word loves you so deeply He reconciled you to Himself with the very flesh and blood of His Son.
Dear friends, it is not a coincidence our season of Epiphany begins with Christ’s baptism. Your baptism has meaning because it incorporates you into Christ and it gives you the name of the Holy Trinity. Jesus was not baptized because He needed the forgiveness of sins. He was baptized because we need the forgiveness of sins. In the Jordan Christ stood in solidarity with sinful humanity. He signaled His willingness to bear our sins to the cross. For this task He was anointed by the Holy Spirit without measure. He was crucified. He rose on the third day. Where Christ’s word is and the sacraments are administered the Holy Spirit is present- affirming, teaching, and pointing out Christ. He is the Living One. He said, “Just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom He is pleased to give it.”2 May He make it so for each of us in this season of Epiphany and into eternity. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
First Sunday After Epiphany
8 January 2012
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 John 5:19
2 John 5:21
Text: Mark 1:1
Theme: Jesus- The Beginning
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Jesus was born not to visit humanity but to recover it. Where Christ is at work God is at work. Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by Himself; He can do only what He sees His Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.”1All that He does is always for our well-being. The struggle of faith is to believe that this is true. Trust is the gift of a conscience that rests peacefully in the promises of Christ.
The season of Epiphany concentrates on those events that reveal Jesus to be the Son of God. Epiphany means ‘revelation’ or ‘showing forth’. Today’s gospel narrates Mark’s account of His baptism. It was a Trinitarian event in which the Holy Spirit appeared as a dove and the Father’s voice spoke from heaven. Jesus was affirmed as the one who came to restore humanity. He would engage the struggle with Satan, sin, and death.
It is significant to note that John the Baptist prepared people for Jesus’ coming by calling them to repentance. He did not merely announce the advent of a hero but the coming of a Saviour. To be a Saviour presupposes the existence of sinners. No assumptions can be made here. The critical fact each of us must face is that we are included in that category. The First task of the Holy Spirit is to convict us of that truth. It can never be passed over.
Let’s explore for a moment the depth of human sinfulness and the progression of thought that rules the unbelieving heart. Humans like to be free from restrictions. But deeper than the irritation of an objective morality (a universal standard such as the Ten Commandments) is the demand for free expression of the will (including all feelings and desires) without any burden to conscience. Deeper still is the resentment of being accused of transgression. Deeper yet is the claim that forgiveness is necessary, that somehow amends have to be made with the heavenly Father. And deepest of all is the central teaching of the faith- that Christ alone can supply this atonement.
Here the self-defined individual is robbed even of the opportunity to make amends, to show self-worthiness. Ah, but this is precisely the point. This is where self-righteousness opposes grace with all its vigour. This is the core of idolatry- wanting to be, insisting on being self-justifiers and demanding that such efforts are meritorious before God. This is the essence of sin not because it denies the concept of God is possible, but it denies to Him the reason for the atonement. It denies the possibility the sinner can be damned; that the individual can be a culpable being, lost, consigned to perdition. In such rejection Christ is robbed of His glory. Such unbelief is utter blasphemy. Recognition of this truth is what drives honest repentance.
It is also what makes your presence in God’s house critical. Here is not only your place of refuge- a place of truth in a world of falsehood, a place of order in a world of chaos, a place of peace in a world of conflict- it is the place where you are restored to God’s intentions. Here you are absolved, forgiven and freed. And here we are equipped to critique the many secular and misguided views of our existence.
Today we are reminded that God is the author and architect of all that exists. But we know that most- even Christians- have been drawn away to the secular world-view. The deception lies in convincing the public that explanations of origins are the jurisdiction of science. Think just a moment about the impossibility of explaining such a claim scientifically. A highly condensed ball of intergalactic elements- which must be self-existing for this theory to work- suddenly explodes forming the immense universe that we observe. Then over huge spans of time life organizes itself from inert materials under the right conditions. This is not a scientific explanation (science is based on the repeatability of observable events) but a philosophical one- a ‘religious’ one, if you will. It is no bigger leap of faith to believe that an all-powerful God created the universe than it is to believe the universe popped itself into existence randomly and without purpose.
The question of origins, how the universe came into existence, will always be a metaphysical question. It will always be a question of faith. It is an unrepeatable, unobservable event. The biblical, creedal truth that God established a well-ordered, purposeful creation underpins Christian teaching. Christ did not come to a world of accidental and arbitrary existence. He did not come to a world generated without meaning and purpose. He came to a world turned against the purposes of its Creator. He came to world that still bore the evidence of an architect who had carefully crafted his handiwork; yet a world hopelessly lost and separated from His will.
The claim is made that the biblical witness is too parochial, narrow, and outdated to be relevant. Scientific discoveries about the universe have reportedly made the Bible obsolete. But the fact is only the Holy Scriptures make sense of the universe. If you follow atheistic evolution through to its completion humans become soulless creatures with little or no purpose at the mercy of the events of nature. With no created purpose life becomes a meaningless struggle. No wonder secular life becomes a selfish, lawless, narcissistic struggle of the survival of the fittest. Christians are called out of such despair. Life has redeeming value. Christ has not abandoned His creation.
What can be more exciting than knowing you have an eternal future with the Lord of the cosmos and Shepherd of souls? This future does not involve a monotonous boredom of forced devotion. It will rather be a spellbinding and transfixing continuous revelation of the fullness of God’s majesty and mercy. Of course keeping our hope fixed on this promise is not easy. You know the niggling questions and the obvious traumas that test your resolve and challenge your faith. What if modern science proves Christianity wrong? What if God’s too busy to deal with my problems? Will He really call me to account for my sinful actions? Is my church attendance really important to my goals and objectives in life? How can I face serious illness or death; does God matter? And the list could go on endlessly.
Then there are the questions of our witness in the world. Is my faith mostly lip-service?
Will I love someone enough to challenge the falsehoods to which they cling? Is my commitment to the truth stronger than the power of political correctness? Does my passion for another’s soul help govern my words and actions? Do my prayers focus on the spiritual well-being of others and not only on their physical prosperity? As we struggle through these issues the faithfulness of God remains unchanged. He who created the universe with a word loves you so deeply He reconciled you to Himself with the very flesh and blood of His Son.
Dear friends, it is not a coincidence our season of Epiphany begins with Christ’s baptism. Your baptism has meaning because it incorporates you into Christ and it gives you the name of the Holy Trinity. Jesus was not baptized because He needed the forgiveness of sins. He was baptized because we need the forgiveness of sins. In the Jordan Christ stood in solidarity with sinful humanity. He signaled His willingness to bear our sins to the cross. For this task He was anointed by the Holy Spirit without measure. He was crucified. He rose on the third day. Where Christ’s word is and the sacraments are administered the Holy Spirit is present- affirming, teaching, and pointing out Christ. He is the Living One. He said, “Just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom He is pleased to give it.”2 May He make it so for each of us in this season of Epiphany and into eternity. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
First Sunday After Epiphany
8 January 2012
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 John 5:19
2 John 5:21
Sunday, January 1, 2012
First Sunday After Christmas (B) 2012
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: Luke 2:29
Theme: Set Free In Peace.
Dear Followers of the Newborn King,
Today we begin a new chapter in the calendar year. It’s an opportunity to renew hope and revitalize our aspirations. God is attentive to our needs. We don’t know what the future holds but we know God holds the future. The unprecedented event of Bethlehem sets the precedent for eternity. The Year of our Lord 2012 will be filled with a chronicle of events governed by the timeless mercy of our God. The baptismal promise He made to us will be one step closer to realization in Christ. As His history becomes better known by us His present and future blessings become more meaningful.
Jesus had faithful Jewish parents. On the eighth day they took Him to the temple for circumcision and the verse before our appointed gospel begins tells us He then received the name the angels had given- Jesus. The Bible says “God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”1
The events of today’s narrative happen forty days after His birth. They took Him to the temple according to the laws of purification. After Mary’s time of cleansing the family offered a sacrifice of two turtle doves, or pigeons according to the directive of the Torah. The fact they did not offer a lamb was an indication of their poverty. They were met in the temple by a man named Simeon. He rejoiced to see the Christ and spoke this word of blessing, “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed.”2 A seeming strange blessing with no further explanation offered it nevertheless shows Simeon had a clear understanding of what the birth of Jesus meant. The Prince of Peace would face conflict.
Jesus came to bring peace between God and humanity. To do so He had to wage war against the forces of sin in Satan’s domain and the sphere of the human heart. The only peace Satan would permit between His forces of evil and Christ, would be a peace in which he was in complete control. Such a situation would spell doom for humanity. Therefore Jesus must confront, sift, separate and divide and ultimately conquer. He must make clear those who are His. “Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division.”3 In short, every person must either be separated from sin and its control, or remain separated from God.
Jesus’ words and actions caused huge upheavals in Israel and they continue to do so in people’s hearts today. Christ rules alone. Either He unseats the favoured position of sin and self, or He does not rule at all. To be repentant; to be sorrowful over our sins entail the desire to be separated from them. To humble ourselves under God’s almighty hand means to push all pride and pretence from our hearts and strive to sin no more. Only the Holy Spirit can make this possible. To the humble and contrite heart, God promises peace. It is not easily achieved.
Take the example of the four preachers who met for a friendly gathering. During the conversation one preacher said, "Our people come to us and pour out their hearts, confess certain sins and needs. Let's do the same. Confession is good for the soul." In due time all agreed. One confessed he liked to go to movies and would sneak off when away from his church. The second confessed to liking to smoke cigars and the third one confessed to liking to play cards. When it came to the fourth one, he wouldn't confess. The others pressed him saying, "Come now, we confessed ours. What is your secret or vice?" Finally he answered, "It is gossiping and I can hardly wait to get out of here."
It’s only when we have the absolute certainty of the forgiveness of our sins that we can really have peace. The notion of divine peace leads us back to the first part of Simeon’s words in the temple. “Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace.”4 This is the beginning of what we sing in the liturgy upon returning from Holy Communion. Simeon received the infant Messiah into his arms. We receive His body and blood into our mouths and hearts. The word ‘depart’ may be translated as ‘set free’ or ‘release’. This may better help us to understand Jesus’ work of releasing us from the bonds of sin. This brings the peace the world cannot give.
Day by day we should learn Simeon’s focus and patience. Your life is purposeful exactly to the extent it is part of God’s plan. Our waiting for God is not a matter of idleness. It is a matter of persistence in following His will and clinging to His promises. The Scripture says, “We are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”5 Again it says, “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”6 “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”7
It is in this way that we ‘await’ His coming. Is there something you’d like to accomplish in 2012? Is there some hope you long for or something you’d like to see come to fruition? Is there something you’d like to live long enough to experience? A relationship reconciled? A lifelong achievement? A deeper appreciation of God’s mercy? Simeon’s heart pumped long enough to see the Emmanuel, God-in-the-flesh. He was privileged to hold in His arms the very Son of God. We are privileged to see with the eyes of faith even more. Simeon saw the Saviour at the beginning of His earthly life. He witnessed Him after coming from the manger. We witness Him after having come out of the grave. Simeon gave witness by his patience. This is our witness too. Simeon believed in the infant Christ, the Christ yet unburdened by sin. We believe in the crucified and risen Christ, the Christ who has overcome death and brought life and immortality to light. Like Simeon we have been set free in peace. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
First Sunday After Christmas
1 January 2012
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Philippians 2:9-11
2 Luke 2:34-35
3 Luke 12:51
4 Luke 2:29
5 Ephesians 2:10
6 Colossians 3:12-13
7 Colossians 3:17
Text: Luke 2:29
Theme: Set Free In Peace.
Dear Followers of the Newborn King,
Today we begin a new chapter in the calendar year. It’s an opportunity to renew hope and revitalize our aspirations. God is attentive to our needs. We don’t know what the future holds but we know God holds the future. The unprecedented event of Bethlehem sets the precedent for eternity. The Year of our Lord 2012 will be filled with a chronicle of events governed by the timeless mercy of our God. The baptismal promise He made to us will be one step closer to realization in Christ. As His history becomes better known by us His present and future blessings become more meaningful.
Jesus had faithful Jewish parents. On the eighth day they took Him to the temple for circumcision and the verse before our appointed gospel begins tells us He then received the name the angels had given- Jesus. The Bible says “God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”1
The events of today’s narrative happen forty days after His birth. They took Him to the temple according to the laws of purification. After Mary’s time of cleansing the family offered a sacrifice of two turtle doves, or pigeons according to the directive of the Torah. The fact they did not offer a lamb was an indication of their poverty. They were met in the temple by a man named Simeon. He rejoiced to see the Christ and spoke this word of blessing, “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed.”2 A seeming strange blessing with no further explanation offered it nevertheless shows Simeon had a clear understanding of what the birth of Jesus meant. The Prince of Peace would face conflict.
Jesus came to bring peace between God and humanity. To do so He had to wage war against the forces of sin in Satan’s domain and the sphere of the human heart. The only peace Satan would permit between His forces of evil and Christ, would be a peace in which he was in complete control. Such a situation would spell doom for humanity. Therefore Jesus must confront, sift, separate and divide and ultimately conquer. He must make clear those who are His. “Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division.”3 In short, every person must either be separated from sin and its control, or remain separated from God.
Jesus’ words and actions caused huge upheavals in Israel and they continue to do so in people’s hearts today. Christ rules alone. Either He unseats the favoured position of sin and self, or He does not rule at all. To be repentant; to be sorrowful over our sins entail the desire to be separated from them. To humble ourselves under God’s almighty hand means to push all pride and pretence from our hearts and strive to sin no more. Only the Holy Spirit can make this possible. To the humble and contrite heart, God promises peace. It is not easily achieved.
Take the example of the four preachers who met for a friendly gathering. During the conversation one preacher said, "Our people come to us and pour out their hearts, confess certain sins and needs. Let's do the same. Confession is good for the soul." In due time all agreed. One confessed he liked to go to movies and would sneak off when away from his church. The second confessed to liking to smoke cigars and the third one confessed to liking to play cards. When it came to the fourth one, he wouldn't confess. The others pressed him saying, "Come now, we confessed ours. What is your secret or vice?" Finally he answered, "It is gossiping and I can hardly wait to get out of here."
It’s only when we have the absolute certainty of the forgiveness of our sins that we can really have peace. The notion of divine peace leads us back to the first part of Simeon’s words in the temple. “Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace.”4 This is the beginning of what we sing in the liturgy upon returning from Holy Communion. Simeon received the infant Messiah into his arms. We receive His body and blood into our mouths and hearts. The word ‘depart’ may be translated as ‘set free’ or ‘release’. This may better help us to understand Jesus’ work of releasing us from the bonds of sin. This brings the peace the world cannot give.
Day by day we should learn Simeon’s focus and patience. Your life is purposeful exactly to the extent it is part of God’s plan. Our waiting for God is not a matter of idleness. It is a matter of persistence in following His will and clinging to His promises. The Scripture says, “We are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”5 Again it says, “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”6 “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”7
It is in this way that we ‘await’ His coming. Is there something you’d like to accomplish in 2012? Is there some hope you long for or something you’d like to see come to fruition? Is there something you’d like to live long enough to experience? A relationship reconciled? A lifelong achievement? A deeper appreciation of God’s mercy? Simeon’s heart pumped long enough to see the Emmanuel, God-in-the-flesh. He was privileged to hold in His arms the very Son of God. We are privileged to see with the eyes of faith even more. Simeon saw the Saviour at the beginning of His earthly life. He witnessed Him after coming from the manger. We witness Him after having come out of the grave. Simeon gave witness by his patience. This is our witness too. Simeon believed in the infant Christ, the Christ yet unburdened by sin. We believe in the crucified and risen Christ, the Christ who has overcome death and brought life and immortality to light. Like Simeon we have been set free in peace. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
First Sunday After Christmas
1 January 2012
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Philippians 2:9-11
2 Luke 2:34-35
3 Luke 12:51
4 Luke 2:29
5 Ephesians 2:10
6 Colossians 3:12-13
7 Colossians 3:17
Monday, December 26, 2011
Christmas Day (B) 2011
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: John 1:14
Theme: God Receives Humanity
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Not everything has a history. When God brings newness He doesn’t necessary recast, rework, restore or recover existing things. The news of a child to be born in Bethlehem has a long history but on that first Christmas God in human form did not. At Christmas we celebrate an unprecedented event- an event without a history. And it is concealed in one of the most common of occurrences. We celebrate God crossing into the category of His creation, the Immortal One assuming a mortal frame. It happens in the familiar manner of human birth. God breaks new ground using the same means He instituted for His creation.
“The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us…full of grace and truth.”1 This is the truth we celebrate today. In what manner did He come to dwell among us and what does it mean? We are shielded from His majesty but allowed to behold His humility. He sleeps. He cries. He eats. He grows. Yet He possesses the divinity of the Father. He would sometimes hide Himself from the Jews, but He commanded demons. He rebuked Pharisees but embraced children. He slept on a fishing vessel but subdued the raging waves. He possesses all the qualities of the human nature and all the Deity of the Godhead.
This union was necessary to rescue those who were condemned to suffer the final consequences of their fallen humanity. All that is dark, and sinister, false and selfish in your life accumulates on the human side of the equation. That is, until Jesus in His body gives access to the payment for sins, we are doomed to perish under the weight of divine wrath. God provides no other way. Our repentance and remorse is to be directed nowhere else because there is no other means. Neither should we think God has something to prove- that He needs to provide something greater than a manger, a cross and empty tomb- something more dramatic and unmistakably heavenly before we turn to Him.
We need to mature out of the idea that if God regularly exercised His might in public displays of power there would be more regular and consistent believers. That view of conversion has a long and failed track record. Think of Noah’s flood, the Exodus and all of the miracles of Christ. People can be motivated by fear, even awe, but apart from the Holy Spirit revealing to the sinners Christ’s compassion that doesn’t translate into faith. Outward obedience can be maintained by constant threat, even promise of reward. But then the very definition of faith would also be altered. Trust would no longer be a gift of the Holy Spirit with the promise of Christ as its object. It would be an act of the will that has been over-powered by sensory evidence. Jesus said to Thomas after His resurrection that seeing is believing. But blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.
The Saviour was born among us meekly, unpretentious and underprivileged. This was offensive even to well-meaning Jews who looked for a royal son of David to re-institute the glory of Solomon. But within His human frame God was dwelling among humanity. This was all to our advantage as one of the Church fathers has said, “By no means did He diminish His own nature by His condescension, but He raised us, who had always sat in disgrace and darkness, to unspeakable glory.”2 He is the reconciler of relationships, the anchor in stormy seas, and the only comfort in death.
We cannot turn back time. The truth of Christmas doesn’t live among us as a memory. The angels are not stage props that are stored away for another year. The Child of Bethlehem is not kept as an infant in perpetuity. Faith is not sustained by an annual remembrance of the nativity no matter how tightly the sentiment is held. Faith is nurtured as the words of Christ regularly reach our ears and His body and blood regularly reach our lips. When your heart sighs in repentance and is lifted by the sound of forgiveness you are breathing the air of your baptism. When you dine at His altar you ingest the food of immortality. In these seemingly common and mundane actions you interface with the uncommon King, the Saviour, the Resurrected One.
The truth that Christ is both God and man is a paradox that lies right at the heart of Christianity. It is the very mystery of Christmas. He hungered in the desert but He fed the masses. He descended into the pits of hell but He is the Dayspring from on high. He battled Satan one-on-one but He has countless legions of angels at His command. He is the Master of all powers and principalities but He stooped to wash His disciples’ feet. “He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief…stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.”3 Yet He is “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”4 His greatest glory was to wear a crown of thorns and bear the scars of those nails even in His resurrected body. He sweat drops of blood at the Mount of Olives but He will wipe away every tear from our eyes in the heavenly Zion.
This paradox informs every aspect of Christian living. The common, ordinary and even tedious routines of life are honoured by the sacred countenance of God when they are done in service to His name. Our vocations as husbands, wives, parents, children, employers and employees, students and retirees are sanctified by His Spirit. We are consecrated, set apart, to serve others in a self-defeating world. Our struggling, decaying, ageing humanity lives- and lives joyously- in the knowledge that it has been clothed with the righteousness of Christ and will be restored to His immortality. In short, what we are is being superseded by what we are becoming in Him. Bethlehem is the beginning of the journey but the heavenly Jerusalem is the place of permanent residence. “In Him was life, and that life was the light of men.”5 Not everything has a previous history but in Christ it has a permanent future.
Glory to God in the Highest! Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Nativity of Our Lord
Christmas Day
25 December 2011
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 John 1:14
2 Chrysostom
3 Isaiah 53:3-4
4 Isaiah 9:6
5 John 1:4
Text: John 1:14
Theme: God Receives Humanity
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Not everything has a history. When God brings newness He doesn’t necessary recast, rework, restore or recover existing things. The news of a child to be born in Bethlehem has a long history but on that first Christmas God in human form did not. At Christmas we celebrate an unprecedented event- an event without a history. And it is concealed in one of the most common of occurrences. We celebrate God crossing into the category of His creation, the Immortal One assuming a mortal frame. It happens in the familiar manner of human birth. God breaks new ground using the same means He instituted for His creation.
“The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us…full of grace and truth.”1 This is the truth we celebrate today. In what manner did He come to dwell among us and what does it mean? We are shielded from His majesty but allowed to behold His humility. He sleeps. He cries. He eats. He grows. Yet He possesses the divinity of the Father. He would sometimes hide Himself from the Jews, but He commanded demons. He rebuked Pharisees but embraced children. He slept on a fishing vessel but subdued the raging waves. He possesses all the qualities of the human nature and all the Deity of the Godhead.
This union was necessary to rescue those who were condemned to suffer the final consequences of their fallen humanity. All that is dark, and sinister, false and selfish in your life accumulates on the human side of the equation. That is, until Jesus in His body gives access to the payment for sins, we are doomed to perish under the weight of divine wrath. God provides no other way. Our repentance and remorse is to be directed nowhere else because there is no other means. Neither should we think God has something to prove- that He needs to provide something greater than a manger, a cross and empty tomb- something more dramatic and unmistakably heavenly before we turn to Him.
We need to mature out of the idea that if God regularly exercised His might in public displays of power there would be more regular and consistent believers. That view of conversion has a long and failed track record. Think of Noah’s flood, the Exodus and all of the miracles of Christ. People can be motivated by fear, even awe, but apart from the Holy Spirit revealing to the sinners Christ’s compassion that doesn’t translate into faith. Outward obedience can be maintained by constant threat, even promise of reward. But then the very definition of faith would also be altered. Trust would no longer be a gift of the Holy Spirit with the promise of Christ as its object. It would be an act of the will that has been over-powered by sensory evidence. Jesus said to Thomas after His resurrection that seeing is believing. But blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.
The Saviour was born among us meekly, unpretentious and underprivileged. This was offensive even to well-meaning Jews who looked for a royal son of David to re-institute the glory of Solomon. But within His human frame God was dwelling among humanity. This was all to our advantage as one of the Church fathers has said, “By no means did He diminish His own nature by His condescension, but He raised us, who had always sat in disgrace and darkness, to unspeakable glory.”2 He is the reconciler of relationships, the anchor in stormy seas, and the only comfort in death.
We cannot turn back time. The truth of Christmas doesn’t live among us as a memory. The angels are not stage props that are stored away for another year. The Child of Bethlehem is not kept as an infant in perpetuity. Faith is not sustained by an annual remembrance of the nativity no matter how tightly the sentiment is held. Faith is nurtured as the words of Christ regularly reach our ears and His body and blood regularly reach our lips. When your heart sighs in repentance and is lifted by the sound of forgiveness you are breathing the air of your baptism. When you dine at His altar you ingest the food of immortality. In these seemingly common and mundane actions you interface with the uncommon King, the Saviour, the Resurrected One.
The truth that Christ is both God and man is a paradox that lies right at the heart of Christianity. It is the very mystery of Christmas. He hungered in the desert but He fed the masses. He descended into the pits of hell but He is the Dayspring from on high. He battled Satan one-on-one but He has countless legions of angels at His command. He is the Master of all powers and principalities but He stooped to wash His disciples’ feet. “He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief…stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.”3 Yet He is “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”4 His greatest glory was to wear a crown of thorns and bear the scars of those nails even in His resurrected body. He sweat drops of blood at the Mount of Olives but He will wipe away every tear from our eyes in the heavenly Zion.
This paradox informs every aspect of Christian living. The common, ordinary and even tedious routines of life are honoured by the sacred countenance of God when they are done in service to His name. Our vocations as husbands, wives, parents, children, employers and employees, students and retirees are sanctified by His Spirit. We are consecrated, set apart, to serve others in a self-defeating world. Our struggling, decaying, ageing humanity lives- and lives joyously- in the knowledge that it has been clothed with the righteousness of Christ and will be restored to His immortality. In short, what we are is being superseded by what we are becoming in Him. Bethlehem is the beginning of the journey but the heavenly Jerusalem is the place of permanent residence. “In Him was life, and that life was the light of men.”5 Not everything has a previous history but in Christ it has a permanent future.
Glory to God in the Highest! Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Nativity of Our Lord
Christmas Day
25 December 2011
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 John 1:14
2 Chrysostom
3 Isaiah 53:3-4
4 Isaiah 9:6
5 John 1:4
Christmas Eve (B) 2011
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: Luke 2:15
Theme: The Son is Made Known
Dear worshippers of the Infant King,
Jesus Christ was born into the context of struggle. We’re not thinking here of the fact “there was no room for them in the inn.”1 Though undoubtedly this was symbolic of the much greater picture. John tells us He came to His own but His own did not receive Him.2 There really was no room for this Christ in the world- at least not when people started to understand who He was. The long-established “powers that be” were not willing to give way. A child seems innocent enough. Even some secular-minded people may find nativity scenes to be harmless but Herod did not share that sentiment. The greater struggle continues.
The finite always tries to subdue the infinite. Temporary pleasures always seek to supersede promises that have timeless significance. The indulgence of our senses-what we can see, touch, feel, taste, experience (the things that tend to saturate modern holiday celebrations)- these always threaten to blind us to greater, more spiritual truths. Why do we exist? What lies beyond? How will these things come to pass? If we openly or ignorantly claim to be or act as if we are material beings only, then we deny the reality of the soul and we deny the Creator. This is a perennial temptation of sinners.
What really happened on that first Christmas? Are our efforts to embrace it too hollow? When customs become more important than the meaning they are meant to convey they become dangerous. What are our Christmas customs? God would have us to take the narrative of the gospel at face value without making it trivial. Few people would be so bold as to suggest the mind of God can be understood. Is the combined intellect and accumulated wisdom of humanity any more than rudimentary knowledge in God’s sight? Is our understanding of reality not just the tip of the iceberg? Do we not believe there are both wonders and dangers far beyond our ability to fathom or cope with?
In the event of the incarnation God comes to meet humanity at our level. Jesus comes in humility. He comes to meet head on those issues that are beyond our ability to resolve. If we’re not talking about God in human flesh, then we’re not talking about Christmas and we’re not talking about a Saviour. The Babe of Bethlehem was the Sacrifice of Calvary. Was that what we had in mind? A death and resurrection: The true gift of God’s presence among us? A baptismal inheritance?
Life knocks us around. Yet sometimes we think we can manage in the end. We might even think we are in control. We might wish He came to give a stamp of approval to all our pursuits, to validate our desires and to ease our consciences with a message of tolerance- and some make the celebration of His birth into this- but this is to celebrate a humanistic Christmas where Satan leads the Christ Child story captive for His own purposes. The devil too knows how to spread joy and merriment. He knows how to lure the heart. He knows people are always tempted to live for the moment. Christ comes to tackle the big problems for you- guilt for sin, Satan, death- so that our “little problems” of life can be borne with purpose and hope.
We have constructed in our memories an iconic scene of that first Bethlehem Christmas. We’d like the story to be packaged up with a neat, happy ending. Some hardship, but angels, shepherds- and parents and newborn live happily ever after. The Child of humble means becomes a great King. But behind the manger looms the shadow of the cross. The Christ must be sacrificed. He must die. That we can’t even pretend to understand. We can’t solve that riddle. We can’t consign it to fate or circumstance. We can only receive it on faith, believing something profound happens there and ultimate things are at stake. His death addresses the deepest crisis of reality- the crisis of separation from God for eternity- and this is far beyond our knowing. But it is not beyond our worship. It is not beyond our daily activity.
Your life- as one who bears the name of Christ- is a reflection of the incarnation. That is, it reflects the presence of sacrifice, truth , order, forgiveness, and love in world of selfish relationships, hard-heartedness and a climate of captivating falsehoods. It reflects the presence of the One who is the Prince of Peace. The greater struggle continues. But for those who find refuge with the ChristChild the outcome is not in doubt. Jesus said, “I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”3
“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace…”4
Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Nativity of our Lord
Christmas Eve
24December 2011
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Luke 2:8
2 See John 1:11
3 John 17:33
4 Luke 2:14
Text: Luke 2:15
Theme: The Son is Made Known
Dear worshippers of the Infant King,
Jesus Christ was born into the context of struggle. We’re not thinking here of the fact “there was no room for them in the inn.”1 Though undoubtedly this was symbolic of the much greater picture. John tells us He came to His own but His own did not receive Him.2 There really was no room for this Christ in the world- at least not when people started to understand who He was. The long-established “powers that be” were not willing to give way. A child seems innocent enough. Even some secular-minded people may find nativity scenes to be harmless but Herod did not share that sentiment. The greater struggle continues.
The finite always tries to subdue the infinite. Temporary pleasures always seek to supersede promises that have timeless significance. The indulgence of our senses-what we can see, touch, feel, taste, experience (the things that tend to saturate modern holiday celebrations)- these always threaten to blind us to greater, more spiritual truths. Why do we exist? What lies beyond? How will these things come to pass? If we openly or ignorantly claim to be or act as if we are material beings only, then we deny the reality of the soul and we deny the Creator. This is a perennial temptation of sinners.
What really happened on that first Christmas? Are our efforts to embrace it too hollow? When customs become more important than the meaning they are meant to convey they become dangerous. What are our Christmas customs? God would have us to take the narrative of the gospel at face value without making it trivial. Few people would be so bold as to suggest the mind of God can be understood. Is the combined intellect and accumulated wisdom of humanity any more than rudimentary knowledge in God’s sight? Is our understanding of reality not just the tip of the iceberg? Do we not believe there are both wonders and dangers far beyond our ability to fathom or cope with?
In the event of the incarnation God comes to meet humanity at our level. Jesus comes in humility. He comes to meet head on those issues that are beyond our ability to resolve. If we’re not talking about God in human flesh, then we’re not talking about Christmas and we’re not talking about a Saviour. The Babe of Bethlehem was the Sacrifice of Calvary. Was that what we had in mind? A death and resurrection: The true gift of God’s presence among us? A baptismal inheritance?
Life knocks us around. Yet sometimes we think we can manage in the end. We might even think we are in control. We might wish He came to give a stamp of approval to all our pursuits, to validate our desires and to ease our consciences with a message of tolerance- and some make the celebration of His birth into this- but this is to celebrate a humanistic Christmas where Satan leads the Christ Child story captive for His own purposes. The devil too knows how to spread joy and merriment. He knows how to lure the heart. He knows people are always tempted to live for the moment. Christ comes to tackle the big problems for you- guilt for sin, Satan, death- so that our “little problems” of life can be borne with purpose and hope.
We have constructed in our memories an iconic scene of that first Bethlehem Christmas. We’d like the story to be packaged up with a neat, happy ending. Some hardship, but angels, shepherds- and parents and newborn live happily ever after. The Child of humble means becomes a great King. But behind the manger looms the shadow of the cross. The Christ must be sacrificed. He must die. That we can’t even pretend to understand. We can’t solve that riddle. We can’t consign it to fate or circumstance. We can only receive it on faith, believing something profound happens there and ultimate things are at stake. His death addresses the deepest crisis of reality- the crisis of separation from God for eternity- and this is far beyond our knowing. But it is not beyond our worship. It is not beyond our daily activity.
Your life- as one who bears the name of Christ- is a reflection of the incarnation. That is, it reflects the presence of sacrifice, truth , order, forgiveness, and love in world of selfish relationships, hard-heartedness and a climate of captivating falsehoods. It reflects the presence of the One who is the Prince of Peace. The greater struggle continues. But for those who find refuge with the ChristChild the outcome is not in doubt. Jesus said, “I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”3
“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace…”4
Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Nativity of our Lord
Christmas Eve
24December 2011
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Luke 2:8
2 See John 1:11
3 John 17:33
4 Luke 2:14
Monday, December 19, 2011
Fourth Sunday of Advent B (2011)
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: Luke 1:32
Theme: Son of the Most High
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Each day of participation in life is a gift. The question is whether it is embraced as such. We should hold no expectations about life’s duration or quality because we have had no promises made to us. Unfortunately we make assumptions. But about what lies beyond we have on the highest authority. This truth and its consequences are our highest priority. Advent reminds us that God does not remain aloof; He comes. He comes to us in the midst of sorrow and prosperity. He comes to us in the vigor of life and in the shadow of death.
Today He comes with ancient information that has the power to make new. The announcement of the birth of a child is always momentous. Today we hear it from the lips of Gabriel to Mary, “You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.”1 This announcement, made privately to a woman of peasant status, exceeds all announcements that have been made in the history of the world. Yet it was scarcely known beyond the small circle of Nazareth. All that would change when this Son of Mary was put to death on a cross but then showed Himself alive on the third day. This life, HIS life, is announced to us again today.
Christ came to a human race largely oblivious to the dangers that are always immanent.
Human nature is unable to diagnose its own spiritual disorder. We cannot recognize the depth of our depravity using intuition. Nor can we by any natural wisdom come to understand the urgency of our need. The malady itself prevents self-analysis. Like a blind person who has never been told others can see, we are naturally blind to the full consequences of sin. Sin, left undiagnosed, unrecognized, or unaddressed is always terminal. It results in spiritual death.
If we disregard the Holy Spirit’s promptings to repent of our unrighteousness, thinking rather that we can do as we please without fear of judgment then Luther reminds us we should not “be comforted with much babbling about the forgiveness of sins and grace in Christ.”2 Defiance destroys faith in the promise. The unrepentant cling to nothing but a false hope; a salve of conscience that will eventually destroy the soul. The Scriptures pose the question this way in the Psalms, “Why does the wicked man revile God? Why does he say to himself, ‘He won’t call me to account’?”3 It is foolish to put God to the test. In the end justice and judgment are rendered.
The meaning of the gospel is that Christ came to bear that judgment. In doing so He requires no contribution from us. Freely and unconditionally He loves us from the beginning, from eternity. Baptism takes us right to the heart of what it means that God is a God of grace. In this sacrament God brings spiritual life from the condition of deadness. Baptism is a creative act of the Holy Spirit in which the Word of God gives what is promised- faith, life, and the forgiveness of sins. It connects the baptized to the death and resurrection of Christ and gives then entrance into the kingdom of God and the holy Christian Church.
Matthew and Sara scheduled Mia’s baptism many months before she was born. (No offense Matthew but I think it was Sara and her commitment to getting things organized that came into play there.) It is a great testimony in an age in which little priority is given to the spiritual well-being of children. The Bible commends to us the trust of children holding it up as the model for all believers. Today Mia becomes part of the greater church by virtue of her gift of faith. She is now clothed with Jesus’ righteousness. This has been the understanding for 2000 years. She bears His name. The Bible says, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”4 This is truly Good News.
The age in which we live is very skeptical of the organized church. The church itself must shoulder much of the blame for forsaking the truth and pursuing misguided priorities. Much repentance and honest evaluation must take place. Yet these reasons should not serve as a convenient excuse for the individual. The nature of the church is perhaps misunderstood. The congregation of believers at any particular time and place is always a community of sinners. The integrity of the church isn’t constituted by the righteousness of its people. There are no perfect people. There are only forgiven people or people who will have no part of God’s forgiveness. The church’s integrity depends wholly on the presence and faithfulness of God and the means He employs. He we are gathered around His word. Here His sacraments are administered. Here forgiveness is proclaimed.
Christ alone is holy. Only the word of God is faultless. Only the Holy Spirit can consecrate our hearts and minds. Only the Son of God, Jesus, Immanuel, God-in-the-flesh possesses immortality as the very property of His existence in eternity with the Father. A church is always a spiritual hospital where the spiritually sick come for healing of soul and body. You should not be too put off knowing that the people around you are sinners. Of course they are. But God desires us not to be unrepentant sinners; people who defy God’s will but still want to claim His blessing. “Christian holiness…is found where the Holy Spirit gives people faith in Christ and sanctifies them[Acts 15:9], that is, he renews heart, soul, body, work, and conduct, inscribing the commandments of God not on tables of stone, but in hearts of flesh.”5
There is the story about the young children at a Catholic primary school who often forgot their sins when they went to confession with the parish priest. He suggested that teachers have the students make lists. The next week when one child came to confession, the priest could hear him unfolding a piece of paper. The youngster began reading the list, "I lied to my parents. I cheated on my exam. I fought with my brothers and..." There was a long pause. Then a small angry voice said, "Hey, this isn't my list!"
Dear friends, Christ’s list of sins isn’t His list. Yet it is so long it could never be numbered. He treats it as if He had committed every crime, every vice, and every treachery imaginable. He was our scapegoat. He is our substitute, our sacrifice- willingly and unconditionally. He took our punishment. This is the Good News of life for a dying world. At Bethlehem He joined the human race and in so doing He joined Himself to the sin of the human race. Now believers need not be separated from God. He suffered an agonizing death but rose again on the third day. He is the Resurrection and the Life.6
Every day we participate in the gift of life. This earthly life is only temporary. Death comes to all. But it does not have the final say. The children of God look forward to a new, transformed and abundant life. We await this even as we dwell in a crumbling world. Only in faith can we say, “The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.”7 Sara is not here to witness Mia’s baptism. But thanks be to God- there is life! Today the Lord gives. He gives Mia the promise of the forgiveness of sins and entrance into the holy Christian Church. Today love triumphs. Today Christ gives the victory no matter how long our earthly days. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Fourth Sunday of Advent
18 December 2011
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Luke 1:31-32
2 Luther “On the Councils and the Church”
3 Psalm 10:13
4 Acts 4:12
5 Luther, ibid
6 See John 11:25
7 Job 1:21
Text: Luke 1:32
Theme: Son of the Most High
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Each day of participation in life is a gift. The question is whether it is embraced as such. We should hold no expectations about life’s duration or quality because we have had no promises made to us. Unfortunately we make assumptions. But about what lies beyond we have on the highest authority. This truth and its consequences are our highest priority. Advent reminds us that God does not remain aloof; He comes. He comes to us in the midst of sorrow and prosperity. He comes to us in the vigor of life and in the shadow of death.
Today He comes with ancient information that has the power to make new. The announcement of the birth of a child is always momentous. Today we hear it from the lips of Gabriel to Mary, “You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.”1 This announcement, made privately to a woman of peasant status, exceeds all announcements that have been made in the history of the world. Yet it was scarcely known beyond the small circle of Nazareth. All that would change when this Son of Mary was put to death on a cross but then showed Himself alive on the third day. This life, HIS life, is announced to us again today.
Christ came to a human race largely oblivious to the dangers that are always immanent.
Human nature is unable to diagnose its own spiritual disorder. We cannot recognize the depth of our depravity using intuition. Nor can we by any natural wisdom come to understand the urgency of our need. The malady itself prevents self-analysis. Like a blind person who has never been told others can see, we are naturally blind to the full consequences of sin. Sin, left undiagnosed, unrecognized, or unaddressed is always terminal. It results in spiritual death.
If we disregard the Holy Spirit’s promptings to repent of our unrighteousness, thinking rather that we can do as we please without fear of judgment then Luther reminds us we should not “be comforted with much babbling about the forgiveness of sins and grace in Christ.”2 Defiance destroys faith in the promise. The unrepentant cling to nothing but a false hope; a salve of conscience that will eventually destroy the soul. The Scriptures pose the question this way in the Psalms, “Why does the wicked man revile God? Why does he say to himself, ‘He won’t call me to account’?”3 It is foolish to put God to the test. In the end justice and judgment are rendered.
The meaning of the gospel is that Christ came to bear that judgment. In doing so He requires no contribution from us. Freely and unconditionally He loves us from the beginning, from eternity. Baptism takes us right to the heart of what it means that God is a God of grace. In this sacrament God brings spiritual life from the condition of deadness. Baptism is a creative act of the Holy Spirit in which the Word of God gives what is promised- faith, life, and the forgiveness of sins. It connects the baptized to the death and resurrection of Christ and gives then entrance into the kingdom of God and the holy Christian Church.
Matthew and Sara scheduled Mia’s baptism many months before she was born. (No offense Matthew but I think it was Sara and her commitment to getting things organized that came into play there.) It is a great testimony in an age in which little priority is given to the spiritual well-being of children. The Bible commends to us the trust of children holding it up as the model for all believers. Today Mia becomes part of the greater church by virtue of her gift of faith. She is now clothed with Jesus’ righteousness. This has been the understanding for 2000 years. She bears His name. The Bible says, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”4 This is truly Good News.
The age in which we live is very skeptical of the organized church. The church itself must shoulder much of the blame for forsaking the truth and pursuing misguided priorities. Much repentance and honest evaluation must take place. Yet these reasons should not serve as a convenient excuse for the individual. The nature of the church is perhaps misunderstood. The congregation of believers at any particular time and place is always a community of sinners. The integrity of the church isn’t constituted by the righteousness of its people. There are no perfect people. There are only forgiven people or people who will have no part of God’s forgiveness. The church’s integrity depends wholly on the presence and faithfulness of God and the means He employs. He we are gathered around His word. Here His sacraments are administered. Here forgiveness is proclaimed.
Christ alone is holy. Only the word of God is faultless. Only the Holy Spirit can consecrate our hearts and minds. Only the Son of God, Jesus, Immanuel, God-in-the-flesh possesses immortality as the very property of His existence in eternity with the Father. A church is always a spiritual hospital where the spiritually sick come for healing of soul and body. You should not be too put off knowing that the people around you are sinners. Of course they are. But God desires us not to be unrepentant sinners; people who defy God’s will but still want to claim His blessing. “Christian holiness…is found where the Holy Spirit gives people faith in Christ and sanctifies them[Acts 15:9], that is, he renews heart, soul, body, work, and conduct, inscribing the commandments of God not on tables of stone, but in hearts of flesh.”5
There is the story about the young children at a Catholic primary school who often forgot their sins when they went to confession with the parish priest. He suggested that teachers have the students make lists. The next week when one child came to confession, the priest could hear him unfolding a piece of paper. The youngster began reading the list, "I lied to my parents. I cheated on my exam. I fought with my brothers and..." There was a long pause. Then a small angry voice said, "Hey, this isn't my list!"
Dear friends, Christ’s list of sins isn’t His list. Yet it is so long it could never be numbered. He treats it as if He had committed every crime, every vice, and every treachery imaginable. He was our scapegoat. He is our substitute, our sacrifice- willingly and unconditionally. He took our punishment. This is the Good News of life for a dying world. At Bethlehem He joined the human race and in so doing He joined Himself to the sin of the human race. Now believers need not be separated from God. He suffered an agonizing death but rose again on the third day. He is the Resurrection and the Life.6
Every day we participate in the gift of life. This earthly life is only temporary. Death comes to all. But it does not have the final say. The children of God look forward to a new, transformed and abundant life. We await this even as we dwell in a crumbling world. Only in faith can we say, “The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.”7 Sara is not here to witness Mia’s baptism. But thanks be to God- there is life! Today the Lord gives. He gives Mia the promise of the forgiveness of sins and entrance into the holy Christian Church. Today love triumphs. Today Christ gives the victory no matter how long our earthly days. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Fourth Sunday of Advent
18 December 2011
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Luke 1:31-32
2 Luther “On the Councils and the Church”
3 Psalm 10:13
4 Acts 4:12
5 Luther, ibid
6 See John 11:25
7 Job 1:21
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Third Sunday of Advent (B) 2011
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: John1:19-28
Theme: A Transparent Witness
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
In the season of Advent the Spirit undertakes to stimulate our recognition of His intentions. It is no small task. The call to repentance is always in the present tense. We are always sinners. The need for forgiveness is always vital. Still, throughout history there have been periods of heightened awareness of the activity and presence of God. Often these were times of particular unfaithfulness and hard-heartedness amongst God’s people. God intends to shield us from the shipwreck of our faith. Advent sounds the note of promise that Christ has come on our behalf. The coming of Christ puts an end to all speculation about humanity’s future. He is the new Adam; the image of the eternal Father.
Advent is an opportunity to rediscover the dependability of God in Christ. Our lives are full of ‘ifs’, ‘maybes’, ‘could-have-beens’, and ‘possibilities’. We are liable to contingency every minute of every hour of every day. “You don’t even know what will happen tomorrow,”1 warns the apostle James. We are vulnerable and that comes with serious liabilities. God however is not vulnerable to ‘ifs’ but operates with ‘whens’. He worries not about ‘maybes’ or ‘possibilities’. He is never ruled by regret. He need never justify His demands upon or promises to the sinful human race.
Today John the Baptist was asked to justify and explain his ministry. If he was not the Messiah by what authority was he preaching and baptizing? Though there were ulterior motives, the question from the Jewish authorities was a legitimate one. John answered forthrightly. He neither over-stepped his bounds, nor shied away from openly confessing His relationship to Christ. We are called also to give such witness in the world. As the pressure to openly or secretly deny Him grows our courage and faith will be challenged and tested. We have for a long time been able to witness the breakdown all around us. Sin is justified to excuse our indulgences and indiscretions. First cautiously, then boldly, then dogmatically. Soon the hypocrisy of claiming the name Christian is full-blown. We must face these realities honestly and with eyes wide-open.
Christians are not the cult of the historical Jesus; a group of followers merely inspired by Christ’s humanitarian efforts in the world. Those who follow Christ only as the finest practitioner of the Golden Rule- do unto others as you would have done unto you- might just as appropriately be adherents of Socrates, Confucius, Mother Theresa or any number of modern philanthropists. With such altruistic philosophy- understanding the burden of practicing it falls on others, not oneself- only the exceptionally hard-hearted could differ. We’re all quite happy for the next person to be generous and charitable. But we all like to think we fall into that category too. As soon as the teachings of Jesus are only for inspiration or guidance the crux of the matter has been lost.
The Jewish authorities wanted to know if John the Baptist was teaching truth. Jesus is not the truth because we’ve come to a consensus on the validity of His teachings. Jesus is the truth because there are no contenders for His bloody sacrifice for the sins of the world. Jesus is the truth because He is God-in-the-flesh. Jesus is the truth because he triumphed over the death and the grave. Jesus IS truth because His life defines the love and presence of God in and for the world. His is not the kind of truth to be debated or measured by human standards. (Though the historical facts of His birth, life, death, and resurrection are easy enough to assess. They are more than reliable by human standards.) It is the kind of truth that will draw a soul to faith, leave him mystified or trigger within him resentment and rejection. Jesus is the truth because the Holy Spirit bears witness to His Lordship. The Holy Spirit has no other purpose or goal than to give constant testimony to Jesus as this truth.
Christ’s life was not about seeking glory, reputation, leisure or pleasure. His was a life of total self-giving, a foregoing of personal establishment that He might establish a community of the redeemed within a condemned and narcissistic world. In the crucifixion we see the defining truth about God. In Christ you have the iron-clad guarantee of a righteousness that is not your own. That righteousness avails before the judgment throne to cover all your iniquity. It’s a gift you can never merit or earn. It is yours by grace.
Never discount as trivial what God has declared to be sacred. The blood of Christ has been shed. Hell is not a farce. Separation from God is not a joke. Eternity is not a dream. You have the pledge of the same body and blood shed on the cross offered to you on the altar. Through it the One who died for you unites you with Himself that you may have true life. Wisdom involves constantly re-orientating the purposes and activities of your baptismal life to reflect this transcendent reality. It involves offering a transparent witness. The Christian life is not an abstract concept but a grimy struggle. In Christ you are a new creation with new motives. The Spirit struggles within you against the flesh.
A relevant example is easily shone in the command to love ones’ neighbour. There is a difference between being driven by guilt and driven by obligation. The lines can be blurry because motives aren’t consistent between individuals. Obligation involves the duty or responsibility of one person to another. This could be on the basis of family, church, or community relationship. The Bible is full of mandates and exhortations of this sort. It is summarily called the love of neighbour. We seek to meet these obligations because we want to honour God and the well-being of others is our concern. Guilt, on the other hand, involves acting under compulsion and it has as its motivation fear. Fear of negative reaction. In other cases there may hope of reward; of receiving praise for our actions. But often fear underlies this too. We’re driven to act to avoid certain consequences. The use of guilt to manipulate others is common sinful behavior. It becomes so habitual that it’s often not recognized for what it is.
When St. Paul says, “Love must be sincere,”2 he is trying to foster the understanding that to love our neighbour properly we must believe we are loved unconditionally by God. And just as he says our giving should not be “under compulsion”3 so too the love of our neighbour. Dear friends, the word of the Holy Spirit never returns empty. He says today, “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”4 And the baptized have this promise: “The One (Christ) who is in you is greater than the one (Satan) who is in the world.” 5
The witness of John the Baptist was transparent. He had no hidden agendas. No secret reservations. He would lose his head for the cause of Christ. But in the process he would receive the crown of life. John was bound to Christ and in being bound in this way he was freed from the condemnation of the world. Advent is the proclamation of the One who comes to bring deliverance. The prophet records it in the Messiah’s own words, “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.”6
“Come, Lord Jesus.”7 Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Third Sunday of Advent
11 December 2011
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 James 4:14
2 Romans 12:9
3 2 Corinthians 9:7
4 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
5 1 John 4:4
6 Isaiah 61:1-2
7 Revelation 22:20
Text: John1:19-28
Theme: A Transparent Witness
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
In the season of Advent the Spirit undertakes to stimulate our recognition of His intentions. It is no small task. The call to repentance is always in the present tense. We are always sinners. The need for forgiveness is always vital. Still, throughout history there have been periods of heightened awareness of the activity and presence of God. Often these were times of particular unfaithfulness and hard-heartedness amongst God’s people. God intends to shield us from the shipwreck of our faith. Advent sounds the note of promise that Christ has come on our behalf. The coming of Christ puts an end to all speculation about humanity’s future. He is the new Adam; the image of the eternal Father.
Advent is an opportunity to rediscover the dependability of God in Christ. Our lives are full of ‘ifs’, ‘maybes’, ‘could-have-beens’, and ‘possibilities’. We are liable to contingency every minute of every hour of every day. “You don’t even know what will happen tomorrow,”1 warns the apostle James. We are vulnerable and that comes with serious liabilities. God however is not vulnerable to ‘ifs’ but operates with ‘whens’. He worries not about ‘maybes’ or ‘possibilities’. He is never ruled by regret. He need never justify His demands upon or promises to the sinful human race.
Today John the Baptist was asked to justify and explain his ministry. If he was not the Messiah by what authority was he preaching and baptizing? Though there were ulterior motives, the question from the Jewish authorities was a legitimate one. John answered forthrightly. He neither over-stepped his bounds, nor shied away from openly confessing His relationship to Christ. We are called also to give such witness in the world. As the pressure to openly or secretly deny Him grows our courage and faith will be challenged and tested. We have for a long time been able to witness the breakdown all around us. Sin is justified to excuse our indulgences and indiscretions. First cautiously, then boldly, then dogmatically. Soon the hypocrisy of claiming the name Christian is full-blown. We must face these realities honestly and with eyes wide-open.
Christians are not the cult of the historical Jesus; a group of followers merely inspired by Christ’s humanitarian efforts in the world. Those who follow Christ only as the finest practitioner of the Golden Rule- do unto others as you would have done unto you- might just as appropriately be adherents of Socrates, Confucius, Mother Theresa or any number of modern philanthropists. With such altruistic philosophy- understanding the burden of practicing it falls on others, not oneself- only the exceptionally hard-hearted could differ. We’re all quite happy for the next person to be generous and charitable. But we all like to think we fall into that category too. As soon as the teachings of Jesus are only for inspiration or guidance the crux of the matter has been lost.
The Jewish authorities wanted to know if John the Baptist was teaching truth. Jesus is not the truth because we’ve come to a consensus on the validity of His teachings. Jesus is the truth because there are no contenders for His bloody sacrifice for the sins of the world. Jesus is the truth because He is God-in-the-flesh. Jesus is the truth because he triumphed over the death and the grave. Jesus IS truth because His life defines the love and presence of God in and for the world. His is not the kind of truth to be debated or measured by human standards. (Though the historical facts of His birth, life, death, and resurrection are easy enough to assess. They are more than reliable by human standards.) It is the kind of truth that will draw a soul to faith, leave him mystified or trigger within him resentment and rejection. Jesus is the truth because the Holy Spirit bears witness to His Lordship. The Holy Spirit has no other purpose or goal than to give constant testimony to Jesus as this truth.
Christ’s life was not about seeking glory, reputation, leisure or pleasure. His was a life of total self-giving, a foregoing of personal establishment that He might establish a community of the redeemed within a condemned and narcissistic world. In the crucifixion we see the defining truth about God. In Christ you have the iron-clad guarantee of a righteousness that is not your own. That righteousness avails before the judgment throne to cover all your iniquity. It’s a gift you can never merit or earn. It is yours by grace.
Never discount as trivial what God has declared to be sacred. The blood of Christ has been shed. Hell is not a farce. Separation from God is not a joke. Eternity is not a dream. You have the pledge of the same body and blood shed on the cross offered to you on the altar. Through it the One who died for you unites you with Himself that you may have true life. Wisdom involves constantly re-orientating the purposes and activities of your baptismal life to reflect this transcendent reality. It involves offering a transparent witness. The Christian life is not an abstract concept but a grimy struggle. In Christ you are a new creation with new motives. The Spirit struggles within you against the flesh.
A relevant example is easily shone in the command to love ones’ neighbour. There is a difference between being driven by guilt and driven by obligation. The lines can be blurry because motives aren’t consistent between individuals. Obligation involves the duty or responsibility of one person to another. This could be on the basis of family, church, or community relationship. The Bible is full of mandates and exhortations of this sort. It is summarily called the love of neighbour. We seek to meet these obligations because we want to honour God and the well-being of others is our concern. Guilt, on the other hand, involves acting under compulsion and it has as its motivation fear. Fear of negative reaction. In other cases there may hope of reward; of receiving praise for our actions. But often fear underlies this too. We’re driven to act to avoid certain consequences. The use of guilt to manipulate others is common sinful behavior. It becomes so habitual that it’s often not recognized for what it is.
When St. Paul says, “Love must be sincere,”2 he is trying to foster the understanding that to love our neighbour properly we must believe we are loved unconditionally by God. And just as he says our giving should not be “under compulsion”3 so too the love of our neighbour. Dear friends, the word of the Holy Spirit never returns empty. He says today, “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”4 And the baptized have this promise: “The One (Christ) who is in you is greater than the one (Satan) who is in the world.” 5
The witness of John the Baptist was transparent. He had no hidden agendas. No secret reservations. He would lose his head for the cause of Christ. But in the process he would receive the crown of life. John was bound to Christ and in being bound in this way he was freed from the condemnation of the world. Advent is the proclamation of the One who comes to bring deliverance. The prophet records it in the Messiah’s own words, “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.”6
“Come, Lord Jesus.”7 Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Third Sunday of Advent
11 December 2011
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 James 4:14
2 Romans 12:9
3 2 Corinthians 9:7
4 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
5 1 John 4:4
6 Isaiah 61:1-2
7 Revelation 22:20
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