All Saint's Day-Isaiah 26

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son,+ and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

‘You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.’ (V. 3)

During his years of conquest, Alexander the Great became ill. He had great confidence in his friend and physician. After the physician had mixed for the great conqueror a potion to heal his illness, a letter was placed in Alexander’s hand. This letter warned him not to drink the potion as it contained poison.

He held the cup in one hand and the letter in the other hand. In the presence of his friend and physician he drank up the draught. After Alexander had drained that potion, he encouraged his friend to look at the letter and what it said. He wanted the physician to judge his confidence. Alexander had unstaggering faith in his friend that did not admit of doubt. “See now,” he said, “how I have trusted you?”

This is the assurance you and I should exercise toward God. Though the cup is very bitter, and some tell us it will prove deadly. That is, it is so terrible and nauseous that we will never survive drinking it. Unbelief and doubt whispers in your ear, “Your coming tribulation will utterly crush you.”

Drink down the cup to the dregs, saying, “If the Father slay me, yet will I trust in Him.” It cannot be that God should be unfaithful to His promise or unmindful of His covenant.[1]

This is exactly what Isaiah is telling us to do in this song that the Holy Spirit records through the prophet here. Why is it that you or I can have such perfect peace? We do have such peace because of the words that begin this song. Isaiah speaks to us of a ‘strong city’ of walls and towers and ramparts to protect. The song proclaims that the gates should swing wide for those who keep faith should enter.

This is how God keeps the faithful man in perfect peace.

We are able to do this not because of anything that you have done. It is not because of anything that I have done. No, this is not what keeps us in that peace. Instead, it is something entirely outside of you or me. This is what keeps us in His peace. That which keeps us in this peace is the strong city Isaiah speaks of. Who does Isaiah refer to by speaking of a ‘rock’ or a ‘strong city’? It is Christ (1 Cor. 10:4)! He is the rock and strong city we are hearing about.

‘My soul yearns for you in the night; my spirit within me seeks you. For when your judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.’ (V. 9)

It is all very easy to say ‘dwell in perfect peace’. It is also something that we all know very well. Yet, this is not often how many of us feel in our daily life. We do not feel as if we are dwelling in perfect peace. This is what the just quoted verse is getting at. This present life is the night. We yearn for our Savior in the night of this life. More often than not, we live by faith. That is, we live our life covered in a mist of uncertain imaginations so that we cannot feel or even see our life in Christ.

It is there nonetheless. Our faith is not a faith that is based on feelings.

So, Isaiah sings for us that when God’s judgements are on this earth, those of us who still dwell in this world learn righteousness. That is the cup of which we drink. You drink it to the dregs trusting that your Savior will not abandon His promises. Though He may kill you, your will be kept safe in Him. He is your strong city.

With our eyes of faith we see our Savior in this life. Yet, we long to see Him with these physical eyes as well. We do not want to wait until eternal life to see our Savior face to face. So, we cling to the promises we have been given in His word. We long to learn righteousness. This in spite of being surrounded by the mist of infirmity even still.[2]

‘O LORD, you will ordain peace for us; you have done for us all our works.’ (V. 12

However, it is possible for us to dwell in perfect peace. This is not so because of anything that you or I do. No. Rather, peace is yours because the Lord has ordained this for you. This is outside of anything that you accomplish. This peace is yours not because of any work that you have done to earn it or deserve it. Instead, this peace the Lord ordains is yours because He has said so.

This peace belongs to each of us as Christians because Christ Jesus has done all your works for you. As St. Paul tells us that there are works created for us from before the beginning of the world (Eph. 2:10). So, Isaiah tells us that these works have been done for us. It is Jesus living in you who does the good works created for you (SC II: 3rd). ‘For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, … For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.’ (Rom. 3:24-24, 28)

So we do not lose heart. We know that this outer sinful nature of ours is wasting away and that we are being renewed day by day. Thus, this momentary affliction prepares us for eternal glory that is beyond comparing to what comes now. We keep our eyes on the things unseen, those eternal things which bring us a true joy and peace not dependent on our daily experience.

Again, when we think on this verse, the first thought is, ‘what man can understand His way?’ (Prov. 20:24) The words of Isaiah make clear that whatever good dwells in us is of our Savior’s making. Thank God that this is true. If we were left to our own, our thoughts would be only evil continually. As the Psalmist reminds ‘There is none who does good, no not one.’ (Ps. 14:3; Rom. 3:12)

‘Your dead shall live; their bodies shall rise. You who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for you! For your dew is a dew of light, and the earth will give birth to the dead.’ (V. 19)

We know from the Gospel accounts that this is true. After all, since Jesus lives, so shall you! You and all those who sleep in Christ shall live eternally (1 Thess. 4:13-18). Even at the resurrection of Jesus we see this being accomplished. As Matthew records for us, the rocks were torn apart and those saints who slept rose in their bodies (St. Mt. 27:51-52).

Even before the coming of the fulfillment of the promised Messiah. That Redeemer who would come and cleanse us from our sins for so many centuries in the Old Testament, even before that fulfillment Isaiah again proclaims this for you and me. He declares very plainly that there shall be joy at the resurrection. There will be joy of this nature at the resurrection of the just[3]. Those who have been committed to the dust before the return of our King, this rising gives you joy. You have joy; you have peace unlike that of the world because you know what is to come. Death now has no mastery over any of us here because we know what comes on the other side.

You know that everlasting life awaits you and those who have gone before you in the faith.

‘From earth’s wide bounds, from ocean’s farthest coast,
Through gates of pearl, streams in the countless host,
Singing to Father, Son and Holy Ghost,
Alleluia! Alleluia!’ (TLH 463:7)

In Jesus’+ Name. Amen.

[1] Encyclopedia of Sermon Illustrations, CPH pp. 75-6, entry #324.
[2] ACCS OT X pp. 171-2 St. Gregory the Great Morals on the Book of Job 5.23.39.
[3] ACCS OT X p. 181 Irenaeus Against Heresies 5.34.1.

Tuna Chowder

This is a wonderfully easy dish. It takes time to cook the potatoes through, but other than that it is very simple. I made this while the housemother and boys were at ECFE (Early Childhood Family Education). Also, any kind of canned fish would work in place of the tuna, assuming it can be flaked like tuna usually is (e.g., salmon, sardines, etc.).

Tuna Chowder

Serves 2

2 Tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, chopped (3/4 to 1 cup)
8 ounces all-purpose or new potatoes, peeled (if thick-skinned), cut into 1/2-inch dice (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 cup milk
One 6 1/2 ounce can tuna (chunk light, in oil or water), drained
1/4 teaspoon salt

1. In a small saucepan, over medium heat, melt butter and saute onion for about 8 minutes, until golden.
2. Add the diced potatoes and milk. Bring to a simmer and cook about 10 minutes, until potatoes are very tender.
3. Add tuna and salt. Stir and heat through.
4. Serve very hot.

You may multiply this dish as you need. We doubled it and it was just enough for the five of us. I did not include the salt. I figured between the natural salt in the onions and the salt in the canned fish we did not need any extra. I also had a few minutes to allow this to thicken and it was even better. We did not serve this to the boys very hot, because I had that few minutes for it to stand it cooled so that the boys could have it out of the pot and we adults could have it out of the pot and it was still hot enough for us as well.

So, you might be wondering, what is the difference between chowder and soup? Very little, except that chowder is made with potatoes, the fat is usually salt pork or bacon, and most chowders are made with milk or cream. This is meant to be a quickie supper, but if you let it stand awhile--even refrigerate it overnight--the potatoes thicken the liquid even more and make the chowder even more comforting.

Thank you to "What to Cook..."

Reformation Sunday-Jeremiah 31:31-34

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son,+ and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

‘"And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘know the LORD,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”’ (V. 34)

We as Christians know this is true. We know the gospel that we heard in the letter to the Romans today. You and I know that our salvation is pure gift. None of us do any thing to earn it nor do we do anything to prepare ourselves to receive it. It is given to us by the Holy Spirit as He makes us new creations in Christ Jesus. We know this and yet there are times in our lives when we do not understand how we could still be on this path.

Such a time may be a period of unemployment. It may be a time in our lives, such as retirement, when we make a transition from one stage to the next and become unsure of ourselves. When this happens, you or I seek to regain our footing regarding “who am I”. Such a time may come if we are told that we have some disease like cancer or diabetes or a form of dementia or ________. Such a time may come when a family member or friend of ours is in danger for a time. We are rightfully afraid for that individual.

These situations are made all the more difficult more often than not, because we may lose our job because of economic hard times. This difficult situation may come regardless of how well we have done at doing our best at what had been given to us to do. You or I may be in a job where we were an exemplary employee, and yet have our job terminated any way.

It is at times like these and in many other circumstances when we may feel that God is far from us. You or I might come into such a situation and think that we are abandoned. This is a frequent topic in the book of the Psalms (see, Ps. 69, 17, 10, 42, 13, 22, 38, 25, 51, 55, 88, 41, 6). ‘The LORD knows the way of the righteous’ (Ps. 1:6). This is a reversal of the oft repeated statement that the righteous know the way of the LORD; that is, His law. Yet, this is true.

As we read in this passage from the prophet, we know the destination. You also know that this is a certain destination for you. It is impossible for anyone or anything to snatch us from our heavenly Father’s hand (St. Jn. 17). What the psalmist is telling us is, “yes, you know the destination, but you are blind as to the path. You are being led about in the darkness”.

Which is to say, you who are the righteous do not know your way. You do not know where you are going as you walk the path of the righteous. You travel on an unseen journey with an unseen guide. We who are the righteous, our Lord and Savior knows your way. It is He who invisibly leads you step-by-step along on your way with Him. That narrow way which leads to eternal life.

The Holy Spirit, as He speaks through the prophet Jeremiah, is encouraging the people of Israel. They have not been following their Lord and they are headed toward exile. That is the constant drumbeat of Jeremiah’s book. He is continually speaking woe and condemnation to any number of nations and individuals. Here chapters thirty and thirty-one stand out like an oasis in a desert. They tell us of the destination that we are headed to. The Israelites along with us are reminded as we read through Jeremiah’s book, that it is not all condemnation. God, in Christ Jesus, really has rescued you and me and all mankind out of that quicksand pit of condemnation we were caught in. ‘This God is our God for ever and ever; He will be our guide even to the end’ (Ps. 48:14)

‘[Jeremiah writes:] “But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people.”’ (V. 33)

Praise God that He has placed you on that road to salvation. For this is the covenant to which Jeremiah refers: ‘for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus’ (Vv. 23-4). This is your faith. This is my faith. This is the faith of every Christian. We all trust in Jesus to have done it all for us. So, praise God that He has placed you on the road to salvation.

This is the real thanksgiving for us as Lutherans. For us, we know that in Dr. Luther, God gave us confidence in the knowledge of our own salvation. What joy these words of the Holy Spirit in the book of Jeremiah bring to us. After all, the old covenant, that one given to Moses at Mt. Sinai, was nothing but demand and requirement. All that does for you or me as a sinner is to give humiliation. No matter how hard we try, the law of God cannot be fulfilled. What glorious news this must have been for those who first heard Jeremiah’s words.

The prophet was telling them, and us, “yes, you did not keep the law. Yes, you have failed to do as your God commanded at every turn. In spite of that, God still loves you and wishes to be your God. He declares that He will be your God and you will be His people. He will make this reality.” Jeremiah, and St. Paul, tells us this morning that in Jesus, God has now accomplished this prophecy.

Praise God that He has effected your salvation!

So, as Martin Luther intended, find rest in the words of his great hymn of comfort.
‘A mighty fortress is our God,
A trusty Shield and weapon;
He helps us free from every need…
For us fights the Valiant One,
Whom God Himself elected.
Ask Ye, Who is this?
Jesus Christ it is,
Of Sabaoth Lord,
And there’s none other God;
He holds the field forever.’ (TLH 262:1, 2)

What comfort it is that Jesus holds the field. That is to say, He has now defeated the devil. The devil now has no power of you or I, we who believe the gospel. None of this is to say that there were none under the old covenant who had the law in their hearts. All we have to do is read our Introit Psalm for this morning to understand that. After all, it begins with a verse from Psalm 119: ‘I will speak of your statutes before kings, O Lord, and will not be put to shame’ (V. 46). The writer of that psalm makes it clear that he, at least, has the law of God in his heart. We are also repeatedly told, there is a remnant that remains faithful to our God. This could be in the Old Testament (1 Kgs. 19:1-18). This could be in the New Testament (Rom. 11:5, 6). This could even apply to us today. There will always be a remnant, ‘chosen by grace’.

This new covenant will be made reality when this prophecy is brought to full completion at the end of time. It is then when we will be made saints in reality. For now we ‘see as in a mirror darkly, then we will see face to face’ (1 Cor. 13:12). It is even now ours. We live in the “now, not yet”. We are now saints, but we are also sinners. Then we will no longer be sinners.

It is of that time that the prophet speaks of here, when we will have that intimate knowledge of God’s holy will. It is only when the Holy Spirit pours this out, as He has done, can you truly be God’s people and He your God.

‘"And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘know the LORD,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”’ (V. 34)

All of this must have comforted the Israelites amid all of the woe in the rest of the book. This is a great comfort for you and me as well. We are comforted in these words as we give thanks to our merciful God for making this gospel of forgiveness clear again in the work of His servant Dr. Martin Luther.[1]

We are assured now that, despite our own wickedness of which we repent of daily, we have broken the law of God just as surely as the people of Israel to whom Jeremiah spoke his prophecy had broken the old covenant. The promise of salvation was still theirs, it is still yours, through the new covenant established by God. That covenant is a covenant of pure grace, pure mercy.

Praise your merciful Father that you are a recipient of this salvation by grace in Jesus.

In Jesus’+ Name. Amen.

[1] Sermon Studies on the Old Testament, Series B pp. 397-8.

Pentecost 20-Hebrews 2:9-11 (12-18)

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son,+ and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

‘But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.’ (V. 9)

So what is this verse saying? The writer is not simply speaking about himself and those who first received this letter. When the Holy Spirit wrote the Scriptures, He intended that such as was recorded would be taken to heart even by you and me. So, when this writer, by inspiration, states here that we see Jesus, he speaks to you.

So, how is it that you and I see Jesus? Where do we see Him? As Jesus himself states, we see Him in the least of those in this world. Those who are in need that we give them clothes, we visit them when they are sick or in prison, we feed them or give to someone a cold drink of water. (St. Mt. 25) However it is that we show mercy to those around us. It is in those that we see Jesus.

This is not the only way in which we see Jesus with our eyes of faith. We do not see Jesus in these with the eyes that are inside of our heads. You here today also see Jesus here in church, not just in your day to day life. You see Him in the word preached and in the sacrament when it is offered. Jesus comes to each of us, and we see Him, when we consume Him in His body and blood.

What the writer to the Hebrews is saying in our lesson is that death has been defeated! Our old foe has been de-fanged. Death for the Christian is like an old wolf or bear, toothless and weak, unable to harm anyone any longer. What Jesus did for you and me is prefigured in an old Greek myth that, for its hearers, held no hope.

It runs like this.

One day, Ulysses returned home from one of his adventures only to find his entire nation in mourning. Naturally, he asked what was wrong. The reply came back that the queen had died! Not believing such shocking news, Ulysses ran to the palace only to find that this news was sadly true. So, he went on his most dangerous adventure. He went to the lonely tomb and wrestled with the ancient enemy, death, and fought death for the life of the queen.

In this battle, the hero of the fable was able to snatch from death the life of his queen and take her back to the palace in his arms, giving her back to a stunned king alive. As I said, in the ancient tale, there was no hope that this was true. Even after hearing this story, those hearers long ago still saw their loved ones snatched from them by death. They had no hope of seeing them alive again.

If we bring this story over into Christianity, we can see how it is actually true! After all, our hero, our Christ, went to that lonely grave and wrestled death and conquered it for us. He now stands outside the tomb victorious, saying to all, all those who will listen, “I am alive, and because I live, you shall live also!”[1] In this way, we see how our God has used even ancient pagan myths to pave the way for this old wicked world to be ready for the coming of His Son in the incarnation at Bethlehem.

However, there is more to this verse. After all, for whom is this salvation for? Why was Jesus made a little lower than the angels? For whom is it that Jesus suffered and died as a human?

Your Savior did not just die for you. He did not only die for me. Jesus did not die only for those who believe in Him. Jesus did not even die only for the redemption of humanity. Jesus died for each and every human who has lived, is living and will live. This death was adequate for all, and able to rescue everyone from sin. Though, this death of Christ was effective only for some. Jesus also died for all of creation. It would be a strange thing indeed if Jesus had tasted death only for human sins and not for any other creature, when He knew all of creation had fallen.

We know this is real because of the witness of Scripture in other places. This is most obvious in the book of Romans: ‘For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.’ (Rom. 8:21; see also, Gen. 3:14)

Jesus also speaks of this when He speaks to us of creation groaning and of the birth pangs before the end. (St. Mk. 13:3-13) The patriarch Job also refers to the redemption of creation by saying: ‘the stars are not clean in His sight’ (Job 25:5).

‘For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering.’ (V. 10)

So, we now see that Jesus is one of us. He truly became part of our family when He came as a baby in Bethlehem. All that we need to do is think of that familiar verse from John’s gospel: ‘For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.’ (St. Jn. 3:16) In this way, we get the idea of what the writer is getting at. This passage is showing us what kind of humility this is. This was a proper thing for God to do however. That is, Jesus the Son being made a little lower than the angels. The thought of this statement does not seem to make sense to us. Our fallen human reason does not want to allow for the possibility that God could be humbled.

Much less that God could be put to death in so cruel a fashion.

Our sinful nature wants to say that the incarnation was somehow not what the Bible presents it as. That is, the incarnation was the Son of God, true God Himself, taking on our fallen flesh and blood that He might redeem it and make that humanity, mine and yours, new again.

This does not make sense to us because, as this writer states for us ‘that he, for whom and by whom all things exist,’ took on this fallen humanity. We want to be offended by all of this. Your eyes of faith are not offended though. That faith, given to you by the Holy Spirit, remembers that God’s plan for your salvation did in fact include even this great humiliation. Even this works out to the glory of God.

Jesus is our elder brother. He is the author, He is the founder of our salvation. He is the leader of the sons of God (Rom. 8:29). There was no sin in Jesus, but He lived His human life in order to be truly our sympathizing and effective leader in His work of salvation. One cannot know human life without living it.

All of this was necessary. The shedding of blood was necessary for your salvation, as the writer to the Hebrews will later speak of (9:14). This High Priest of ours is Himself both host and sacrifice. He enters into the Holy of Holies before God and sacrifices Himself for the forgiveness of your sins and mine.

This death was offered once for you and me in order that we might be saved. You and I have now been changed from despicable sinners into the Father’s children. This was done so that we, each of us, might live forever with Jesus before the Father in heaven. We are our heavenly Father’s sons by adoption (Gal. 4:4). We will ‘dwell in the house of the Lord forever’ (Ps. 23:6). Because of this, we now sing:

‘So let us keep the festival
Whereto the Lord invites us;
Christ is Himself the Joy of all,
The Sun that warms and lights us
By His grace He doth impart
Eternal sunshine to the heart;
The night of sin is ended. Hallelujah!’
(TLH 195:4)

In Jesus’+ Name. Amen.


[1] Encyclopedia of Sermon Illustrations, CPH, p. 57 entry #223.

Guess who is going to Houston?

That would be me!

If you know me at all, you know that I do not do well with heat. I especially do not do well with humidity. Thankfully, this trip I will be required to stay indoors.

I will be traveling down to the Lone Star state because of the national convention for my church body, the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod coming up in 2010. And no, we are not the same as the Lutherans that you heard about this past summer. I will get to go instead of another pastor from my immediate area because the people here chose me to be the Pastoral representative. So, this will be a wonderful opportunity for me to see how my church body really operates. It will be interesting to observe the church politics involved (And if you don't think that there is such a thing, you have not been paying attention.). This will be a wonderful opportunity just to meet new people, as well as, those who lead us as Missouri Synod Lutherans.

Those are the same ones we pray for on a weekly basis in church so I will be glad for an opportunity to actually meet some of them, if the chance arises.

So, pray for me that I will be able to process the mountains of paper that will come my way through the Post Office over the next year. Many groups will try to persuade me to vote their way. I will need our heavenly Father's wisdom to know the best way to cast my vote when the time comes.

Russian Borscht

This is the original Russian borscht, meaty and brimming with tomatoes and cabbage. The beets in this version are roasted instead of boiled, for added flavor. For a complete meal, serve with black bread and butter. This description from the cookbook is really true. This smelled so wonderful as it was cooking. We used our usual whole wheat bread and it truly was a meal.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Scrub:
12 ounces of beets (I used my housemother's prepared, frozen beets given by a church member instead of baking the beets.)
Wrap the beets together in aluminum foil and roast on a baking sheet until they can easily be pierced with a fork, about 1 hour. Let cool, peal, then slice and cut into thin strips.
While the beets are roasting, prepare:
1 pound boneless beef chuck, cubed, or 1 1/2 pounds pork spareribs, cut into single ribs (we used the pork as we had that in the freezer, remember to defrost first! :-)).
Lightly dredge with:
All-purpose flour
Heat in a soup pot, over medium-high heat:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (I used olive instead.)
Add the meat and brown on all sides. Stir in:
4 1/2 cups Beef broth, or water
One 28-ounce can whole plum tomatoes, drained and chopped (I used fresh ones from our garden, halved and sliced)
Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer, partially covered, until the meat is almost tender, about 30 minutes. Stir in:
2 cups shredded green or red cabbage (with a small cabbage, this will be approximately a quarter of a head).
1 medium onion, chopped
2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
2 medium celery stalks, sliced
1 1/2 teaspoons tomato paste (if you open a can of paste, plan to use the rest in something later in the week.)
Simmer, partially covered, until the vegetables and meat are tender, about 30 minutes. Stir in the beets along with:
2 tablespoons vinegar (whatever you have)
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon, salt, or to taste
3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Simmer, partially covered, for 15 minutes. Thin the soup with water if necessary (ours did not need it.). Ladle into bowls.
Garnish with:
Sour cream
Snipped fresh dill

I had always pictured this soup with potatoes or with turnips or rutabagas for some reason. Maybe I am thinking of a different soup. Perhaps because it is Russian? I also had always had the image of this as a stodgy or thick soup, it is neither. It is just a wonderfully tasty vegetable soup. Once the soup was done, I fished out each sparerib and chopped them into bite sized pieces. If you have hungry children, or perhaps a hungry spouse, try this sometime as you are able. This is a very filling meal. It even filled up this perpetually hungry boy after only a bowl and a half! Our boys, who are never usually hungry while they are sick, and they were sick tonight, they ate what they were given. They enjoyed the soup even! :-)

I am glad and thankful for the member who gave us the beets. As he came to the door and handed off a sack full of the biggest beets I have ever seen (the size of softballs!) and said, "Make some soup." So, when we put the soup away tonight, we made up a package for him as well.

October meeting for ECI-Ortonville

This past week has been so busy it was a bit of a blur. For the beginning I helped comfort a parishioner who was dying and her family. Then, on Thursday, her funeral. On Wednesday, I was up early to travel to the hospital by 8a.m., an hour and a half drive away. Also, on Thursday, I had another family to visit and a night meeting. As well as other responsibilities and enjoyments. So, it has been a bit of a blur.

Nonetheless, on Thursday, I was able to attend part of the Early Childhood Initiative's (ECI) planning meeting for our area. This is something I am interested in, as it is important to stress reading and nutrition and other things for the 0-5 age group. This is the ages of our boys, and for all children, this is the foundation upon which they will build the rest of their education on.

So, what I was involved with was mainly to decide if we wanted to continue past the grant money that the initiative had begun with or not. We chose to continue. So, we have a lot of work ahead of us. We need to begin fundraising so that we are ready when the money given for this work runs out.

That was the main important accomplishment for this meeting. We also needed to decide if we want to give the newborns of our area a readers bag or a onesie or both. The onesie was to have printed on it, "Read, Eat, Sleep, Repeat". It was a cute idea, and to the point. By the time we covered that, I needed to take off. As I said above, I had other work related things that needed my attention.

As much as I enjoy the work of this committee, I will have to continue to be aware of focusing on work first then this. It is something that I have been successful at so far, but it is something that will require me to be continually aware.

Luther on Meditation

"When you open the book containing the gospels and read or hear how Christ comes here or there, or how someone is brought to him, you should therin perceive the sermon or the gospel through which he is coming to you, or you are being brought to him. For the preaching of the gospel is nothing else than Christ coming to us, or we being brought to him. When you see how he works, however, and how he helps everyone to whom he comes or who is brought to him, then rest assured that faith is accomplishing this in you and that he is offering your soul exactly the same sort of help and favor through the gospel. If you pause here and let him do you good, that is, if you believe that he benefits and helps you, then you really have it. Then Christ is yours, presented to you as a gift." A Brief Instruction on What to Look for and Expect in the Gospels, 1521. AE 35:121.

There are three ways in which we are to look at what Luther writes here.

First, meditation is an ancient tradition. We should be reading the gospels evangelically. That is, we should read them as if it is a sermon. It is telling us good news not a series of moral aphorisms or rules that we must follow. That is the other thing about how to read the gospels. Read them as if it speaks to you. Without Christ, this is only wishful thinking. It would accomplish nothing without Christ working in we who believe. Jesus is actively with you. He is working and accomplishing in you what His word is telling you. What Jesus said and did then, He says and does now. So, each story about Jesus is meant to be an aid to our meditation.

Secondly, Luther encourages us to read the stories about Jesus that we find in the gospels, faithfully. He assumes that each story is meant for us and is intended to inspire us to trust more fully in Jesus and to turn to Him for help. So, we then believe that Jesus is now saying and doing the same good thing for us as He did for those who came to Him or were brought to Him and cried out, "Lord, have mercy". As we do this, we experience Jesus' hidden intervention in the here and now. So, by faithful meditation on the Word of God, we receive Christ as a gift.

Finally, meditation is meant to engage all five senses. This happens as we imagine the scenario of the event. As we imagine those men tearing a hole in the roof of the house where Jesus was teaching so they might lower their crippled friend down for Jesus to heal him. All this because they could not otherwise get close to Jesus for the great crowd. It takes our eyes to read the words, our ears to hear the noises of such as scene, our noses as we smell the imagined smells of a first century city, our touch as we help our friend and as we dig with our hands in the roof of the building and finally, our taste as we get dust and other debris in our mouths while we dig. Think of it!

All as we ponder such a scene, and many others and hear the words Christ would teach us. Thinking how we might also respond in our own lives in obedience to Jesus. So, in all of this, meditation becomes a matter of reception from Him rather than an act of obedience to Him.

Such is just a taste of the book on Christian spirituality that I have been slowly reading through. Dr. Kleinig has given us a great gift. Especially his chapter explaining the mystery of meditation. That part in particular, as you have seen has been helpful to me. I always find myself racing through any book that I read. I need to continually remember to slow down and really take in what it is that I am reading. Maybe as I grow older, I will begin to do better?

When I will stumble upon some other gems that will be interesting to ponder more deeply. I will share them with all of you.

Thank you Dr. Kleinig for writing Grace Upon Grace: Spirituality for Today.

Jalapeno Poppers--Yum!

These provide an extra spiciness that is slightly addictive. It is easier to get through one of these than another pepper.

Remember however, if you do not like very spicy foods, DO NOT make these! Also, when you are handling any hot peppers, that is, cutting them up or cleaning out the seeds and ribs, always, always wash with soap and water after that step. Never, ever, touch your eyes or rub your nose while you are handling cut peppers. It will burn for a long time.

Allow to warm on the counter enough cream cheese for about a tablespoon per pepper. This is for 14 fresh jalapeno peppers, stems intact. Make a T-shaped slit in the sides of each pepper. The top of the T should be just below and parallel with the top of the pepper (no wider than 1/2 inch); the long part of the T should extend from the stem to the point. Fill a large saucepan with about 3 inches of water and add:
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt

Bring this mixture to a boil, stir it to allow the sugar and salt to fully dissolve. Add all of the jalapenos and turn the heat down to a simmer. Cook the peppers, stirring occasionally, until they are tender, about 5 or 6 minutes. Remove the peppers with a slotted spoon and drain them cut side down. then, with a small spoon, scrape out all the seeds and ribs.

Stuff each jalapeno with about 1 tablespoon of the room temperature cream cheese. Be sure to mold them back into their original shape. At this point, you can firm them up in the freezer for 30-60 minutes but I found it was not necessary. Next, warm 3/4 inches of oil in the same large saucepan. While that is warming up (it is ready when a drop of water sizzles in the oil), spread on a shallow plate:
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 cup corn meal

Warm 1 to 3 large eggs on the counter and scramble them in a bowl next to the flour mixture. Dredge each jalapeno in the egg and then in the flour and set aside. When all of them are ready gently place 4 or 5 (depending on the size of your pan) in the hot oil and allow them to cook to a golden brown. When they are ready, turn them with your slotted spoon and cook the second side. Then remove them and drain them on some paper towels or other method.

If you wish, you can eat them straight or with a dollop of salsa. I prefer them straight with or without a cracker or piece of bread.

Remember, if you can help it, do not try to wash the spicy heat of these peppers down with water. That will only serve to move the spicy around in your mouth. Instead, use bread or milk or crackers. That will soak up the spicy that is burning your mouth.

Again, while you prepare these, DO NOT touch your eyes or any other sensitive spots (like open cuts), it will burn. In fact, it is recommended to use rubber gloves if you need to. Also, remember that this treat is VERY spicy. Be sure you like very spicy foods.

Thank you Joy of Cooking!

Next up, Borscht!

Pentecost 19-St. Mark 9:38-50

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son,+ and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

‘"Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea."’ (V. 42)

It is said that Hell should be preached in all its fury and terribleness. It is no kindness to sugar coat it. That is, it is not a kindness to spread a pretty covering of leafy branches over a pit into which many have fallen and broken their necks. After all, why would we want to be led into a hole in the ground? This may be the business of the cunning hunter, but that is not you or I.

That also is not the business of the preacher.

The one who hunts the world for souls makes this his business. He would like to see us led down the wide path, which will bring us to this leaf-covered pit. He would see us ruined. It is not the business of the preacher to ruin people in order to make sure their feelings are not hurt.[1] Instead, it is the business of the preacher to make sure that all who hear his message understand the seriousness of hell. Jesus is just such a preacher.

Yet, Jesus does not do what we might expect Him to do. Jesus does not preach a “so-called” fire and brimstone sermon. He does not beat any of His hearers over the head with the realities of hell. Jesus is subtle, He simply says, the one who causes a little one to sin, woe to him. Jesus simply says, what will happen if salt loses its saltiness? This question seems almost non-sensical. How is this possible?

‘John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.” But Jesus said, “Do not stop him, for no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. For the one who is not against us is for us. For truly, I say to you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ will by no means lose his reward."’ (V. 38-41)

It is interesting how this passage begins. It is directly following the Transfiguration and John walks up to Jesus. He has been somewhere; perhaps John went off to get some food for the group or something. Well, John returns and tells Jesus of the things he had seen while away. Something had been going on and John thought it was a bad thing. We hear of this guy who is casting out demons in the name of Jesus! What a wonderful thing!

Jesus does not respond as we might think. Jesus tells John, you reacted wrongly.

Jesus tells John and the other disciples, leave such people alone. They are with us. As Jesus tells them, ‘"For the one who is not against us is for us."’ (V. 40) That is, there is no middle ground. As John later writes in his Revelation, we are to be either hot or cold. If we are lukewarm, Jesus will spit that person out of His mouth. There is no middle ground. If the man was on the side of Christ he should not be treated as an enemy. Rather, Jesus is saying, “rejoice, in the success of this other one and do not hinder him.” Jesus is telling them, “This man shows you that you twelve are not the only ones. You are not alone.”

The man that John tells us about here needs encouragement, not condemnation. These next words are ones that we sit up and take notice of as we read Mark’s gospel. Especially if we hear them with the meaning the Greek words carry with them. ‘"Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea."’ (V. 42)

The words there translated, as “little ones” do not simply refer to a small child. That is true, but it also refers to all who are infants in their faith, no matter their physical age. Again, there is more. The Greek word skandalidzo refers to the trigger stick attached to the bait in a deadfall trap. That is, a trap that has a cage held up with a stick. The bait is under the cage and when moved will pull loose that stick. When that happens, the heavy weight of the cage comes crashing down.[2]

We know the picture. It is one of someone being led away from faith in Jesus. Such a person will be held to account for such actions. We all know what happens if you tie a stone the size of a millstone around someone’s neck. It would not be possible for anyone to again harm another in the faith. What Jesus is saying is better than the consequences of harming a little one is utterly final.

If this is not shocking enough, Jesus continues. He tells us again and again, “do not cause anyone to sin! The consequences are too terrible.”

‘"And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell."’ (V. 43-47)

The things Jesus says here are blunt. This is drastic stuff. And, remember, Jesus means what He says here. He is not simply saying this to mean something else. Jesus means what He says. It is like the surgeon we go to when we need medical help. The doctor will cut off or cut out that which must be removed so that we will continue in good health. This is what Jesus is describing for us here.

Yet, as we read through this passage at the end of Mark’s ninth chapter, we begin to see something else going on. Jesus is not simply telling us to be as drastic as to dig out our eye if it causes us to sin. Jesus does mean what He says, but it is also clear that Jesus is telling His listeners two messages. The one is the obvious one. If one of your body parts cause you to sin, cut it off. If a book or magazine causes you to sin, throw it away. If the television is causing you to sin, turn it off. Or, better, stop paying for cable. Removing a stumbling block from your life may require you to even change jobs or friends.

The point is, whatever it takes to prevent your or someone else being led away from sin. That is what you are to do.

If this sounds too difficult, try the alternative. ‘ "It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, ‘where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’"’ (Vv. 47-48) What do those words that Jesus quotes Isaiah (66:24) really mean? Think about it. So, if we fall from the faith this is what our alternative is. An eternity in hell, where the worm does not die, nor is the fire quenched. So, the fire in hell burns eternally. That is, it truly burns, like touching a hot stove burner but does not consume (Ex. 3).

Most of us have touched either a hot stove or something else and received a burn, at least once. We know how painful that is for just a short time. Now, extend that out endlessly. Now, add the other half of that quote.

The Holy Spirit also includes an endless worm as well in that quote.

But, what kind of worm are we talking about? These are maggots. They also feast on the rotting flesh of that soul in hell but they never consume the body and put it out of its misery. This is also something all of us are familiar with. Those worms or maggots which feast on the rotting body of an animal or trunk of a tree. What a terrible fate. If we consider this end, we realize the necessity of maintaining our own faith in Jesus as well as encouraging others in their faith. That is, not causing anyone to stumble. This is a higher goal than any other is. Certainly higher than seeking riches or fame.

The use of salt in Scripture we see a number of times. In St. Matthew (5:13), Jesus says that the disciples are the light of the world. Here Jesus uses this word, salt, to mean something that is within you. That word of God given at baptism and throughout our Christian life. Jesus is speaking of the word of God that power of God that is given to us with our faith. It is continued and sustained in you and in me through Bible study, confirmation class, daily devotional reading in the Bible, etc. This is the salt that is within each of us. The Word of God creates and sustains the faith in us as believers that it speaks of.

‘"For everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, how will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”’ (Vv. 49, 50)

Here we are back to that strange statement of Jesus. What happens when salt loses its saltiness? Now we understand the answer. In the physical world, salt actually can lose its saltiness. The same can happen to you and to me. We can lose that saltiness given to us by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. If we fall out of the habit of church attendance and partaking of the sacraments or Bible study, or devotional reading. In these ways, we can lose our saltiness. Yet, if we are continuing in faith through the use of these things, we will not lose our faith. It will not matter how often we continue to speak to our neighbor about the hope that has been given you.

So, each of us is a well-seasoned disciple. After all, we are filled with the Word of God. We are filled with salvation through Christ.

In Jesus’+ Name. Amen.

[1] Encyclopedia of Sermon Illustrations, CPH, pp. 99-100.
[2] Sermon Studies on the Gospels, Series B, NPH p. 325.

+Funeral Sermon for Elfern T.-John 10+

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son,+ and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

‘“I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”’ (Vv. 10b-11)

Elfern loved life. She enjoyed caring for her house here in Odessa until it was necessary for her to move to the nursing home. Elfern was one of the first people I went to visit after I arrived in Odessa. It was something relatively minor that still needed a visit from the pastor.

At that time I remember seeing her out in the yard, mowing her lawn. I wish I had been able to get to know Elfern better before she went through the brain aneurysm that required her to enter the nursing home. Even after that hospital stay, I still always enjoyed visiting with Elfern whenever I was able.

Elfern could live as she did, as one whose future was secure, because of what our Gospel lesson speaks about. Jesus is the good shepherd. Jesus laid down His life on the cross and His burial and took it up again at His resurrection. Jesus did all of this for our salvation. Those of us who are baptized and continue in the faith given at that time are confident that as Elfern was.

Elfern knew where she was going when she died.

Elfern knew that this life is a valley of the dark shadow of death (Ps. 23). She knew that a better life lay ahead for her. Elfern knew that same life lay ahead for any that trusted in Jesus for their salvation, as their personal Savior. That is you and I.

‘He lives and grants me daily breath
He lives, and I shall conquer death;
He lives my mansion to prepare;
He lives to bring me safely there.’ (LSB 461:7)

So, because of this confidence, Elfern lived her life. She married, raised her children, and she enjoyed Twins baseball. Elfern could do the mundane tasks of life with all of her ability, doing them right the first time. She could do this because Elfern knew that this was the work God had put before her. She knew these were the good works given for her to do by our heavenly Father.

‘“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” … “And no one will snatch them out of my hand.”’ (Vv. 27-28)

We are the sheep of this passage. We who believe and trust in Jesus for our salvation, we know the voice of Jesus our good shepherd. Because of this, we then follow our Savior wherever He leads us. Elfern throughout her life trusted Jesus as her good shepherd. So, she went through her life, knowing that our God’s mercies are new every morning. Elfern went through life knowing where she was headed. So, she could enjoy her children and grandchildren. I always remember talking with her about going out to visit with her family and seeing all the many and changing pictures on her wall when I visited.

The beautiful thing about our Savior is the complete confidence with which He has allowed us to live our lives. Since the Father loved us so much that He sent His only Son, Jesus, to redeem the world from our sins (St. Jn. 3:16) we are confident. We are confident because of what Jesus tells us here. Because of what Jesus told Elfern throughout her life here in these verses: ‘“And no one will snatch them out of my hand.”’ (V. 28)

What a beautiful few words. This is second only to those places that Jesus tells us of our salvation. Here we learn that such complete salvation as we have received is for sure. There is nothing that can be done to change this other than our own rejection. The Father will not let us go; no devil can snatch us from His hand.

We know from this passage that our good shepherd will be with us to the very end as He walked with Elfern to the very end of her life. Our Savior walks with us as he walked with Elfern. He goes the distance; He walks in this valley of the shadow until His own holy angels come to gather us to the bosom of our Father who is in heaven.

‘O blessed saints in bright array
Now safely home in endless day,
Extol the Lord,
Who with His Word
Sustained you on the way.
The steep and narrow path you trod;
O blessed saints in bright array
Now safely home in endless day,
Extol the Lord,
Who with His Word
Sustained you on the way.
The steep and narrow path you trod;
You toiled and sowed the Word abroad;
Rejoice and bring
Your fruits and sing
Before the throne of God.
The myriad angels raise their song;
O saints, sing with that happy throng!
Lift up one voice;
Let heaven rejoice
In our Redeemer’s song!’ (LSB 676:3)

In Jesus’+ Name. Amen.

LWML Sunday-St. John 3:16 & St. John 17:1-3, 6-8, 20-26

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son,+ and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

‘ “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”’ (St. Jn. 3:16)

It is this love of God given to you and I through the Son, Jesus, that we see poured out in the only prayer of Jesus that is recorded for our knowledge. This is a prayer like the Lord’s Prayer (St. Mt. 6:9-15), which gives us a form in which to pray.

Like the Lord’s Prayer, we see in our reading from chapter seventeen what it is we are to pray for. We also see Jesus praying the Lord’s Prayer in a more drawn out fashion. He here expands on each of the petitions for us.

An illustration for both of these passages of Christ’s words comes to us as follows. One rainy Sunday afternoon, a father was babysitting his children and had the task of keeping them entertained. He assigned a specific task to each child.

To keep his ten-year old son occupied; the father had torn a full-page map from out of a magazine, cut it into small pieces, and told his son to reassemble it. To his father’s amazement, this son presented him with the completed puzzle in just a few minutes. I would expect he had intended this to occupy the entire afternoon and was shocked when, with so many small pieces, the son returned so quickly. After all, many adults cannot complete even a familiar picture when it is cut up as a jigsaw puzzle usually is.

“How did you do it?” he asked. “It was easy,” the boy replied. “At first, when I tried to fit together all those little lines and dots and the small print on the map, it looked like an impossible job. Then I saw part of a man’s face on the back of one of the pieces. So I turned the pieces over, and when I got the man together, the United States took care of itself.” Depending on the magazine, that man may have been Jesus. Unfortunately for us, the majority of magazines do not seem to include anything about our Christian faith on their pages, much less the image of mankind’s Savior.

This small story illustrates for us that the jigsaw puzzle of this life makes sense and we get it all together when we live our life against the background of Christ. This is to say, faith in Christ as Redeemer and Lord makes all the pieces fit.[1]

As Jesus describes in the verses of chapter seventeen His prayer and plans for His Apostles and other later disciples and believers, we see the love described in St. John 3:16 as it plays out in our own lives. Jesus is again illustrating His own earlier words for us with this High Priestly Prayer.

In all of our lives Jesus wishes for us as His followers that we would behave in this life with mercy. Those of us who have the jigsaw of life put together through our focus on our Savior this becomes easy. We are given power through the Holy Spirit to live a life of love to those around us. This includes both our family and friends, but also our enemies. As we have been shown mercy by our Father through Jesus, so also do we show mercy to our neighbors. Those whom we meet in our daily life.

‘After Jesus had said this, He looked toward heaven and prayed: “Father, the time has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son may glorify You. For You granted Him authority over all people that He might give eternal life to all those You have given Him. Now this is eternal life: that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent.”’ (St. Jn. 17:1-3)

Those first statements of Jesus made in this prayer, that the Father would glorify Him, is the only petition referring to Jesus. The rest of this long prayer is for you and for me and for the Apostles as they, and we, spread the word to a lost world. Jesus is not simply asking for strength to face His passion and the death of the cross, but that He would glorify the Father in all of those actions. Also and especially that in the resurrection and ascension that “Your Son may glorify You.”

The third verse in this chapter, this is a restatement of what Jesus had said to Nicodemus in 3:16: ‘"Now this is eternal life: that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent.”’ (V. 3) The continuing nature of this statement of Jesus, ‘that they may know You’, is better expressed by the Greek text. For there it tells us that Jesus is trying to say something like this: “should keep on knowing”.

As Jesus says here, knowledge of the only true God is through Jesus Christ (see also, 14:6-9).

‘“I have revealed You to those whom You gave Me out of the world. They were Yours; You gave them to Me and they have obeyed Your word. Now they know that everything You have given Me comes from You. For I gave them the words You gave Me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from You, and they believed that You sent Me.”’ (Vv. 6-8)

The word Jesus uses here, translated as “revealed”, is another way of saying that He has accomplished everything. Jesus is speaking of in the future tense here the same thing He will say from the cross later, “It is finished!” As the disciples listen in, Jesus is praying here of His glorification, His crucifixion, as if it has already been completed.

It is interesting to note how Jesus refers to His Apostles here. The same terminology applies to you and me as well. Jesus refers to these men as the Father’s gift to Him. These fishermen and a tax-gatherer and others were not won over by clever arguments. Jesus did not talk them into the faith. Instead, Jesus tells us here that we all as Christians are the Father’s gift to Him. Most especially as shown in this prayer it is the eleven. As you will note if you read it again this evening, and I recommend you do, Judas is not present for this High Priestly Prayer of Jesus, he left earlier in the evening (13:2-3; 18:3-11).

Jesus then goes on to tell us that His disciples now know everything that the Father had given Him to tell them. They knew everything and yet, as we see from the last chapter of St. Luke, these men did not yet understand all that Jesus had taught them. Though, they did understand more than they are sometimes given credit for. At this point though, there were certain things, as John notes periodically in this Gospel, which these eleven men did not understand until after the resurrection. Yet, they still knew these things by this point, on the night that Jesus was to be betrayed.

These men, after all, had been given the words the Father gave to Jesus to give to the Apostles. With the passing of the Transfiguration, as well as other proofs, these men knew with certainty that Jesus had come from the Almighty God. It is interesting to note that this fact is a great comfort to Jesus. We see this in the words of His prayer. We often do not remember to give human feelings to Jesus as we would to another man. We too often view Jesus as somehow more than human. Yet, we are reminded by such passages of Scripture as this, Jesus was no more and no less human than you or me.

We are reminded again in this prayer that as Peter, James, John and all the others were Apostles to all of us and to our ancestors, so also, Christ is God’s Apostle to man (Heb. 3:1). That is, Christ Jesus is God’s “sent one” to man.

This is the final teaching for these men who would be given “beautiful feet” (Is. 52:7) for their mission of spreading the Gospel of God’s mercy in Christ to all men after the resurrection. This is the initial fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy that we heard this morning.

After all, as we commonly pray in the words of the Kyrie: “Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.” (St. Mk. 10:47) What the Father by inspiration of the Holy Spirit tells us through Isaiah, and John, in answer to this prayer of ours is a resounding, glorious beautiful, “YES! Yes, dear child, I will be merciful and forgive your sins for the sake of Jesus.”

This mercy is what we live for. This forgiveness and mercy is what each of us received in our baptisms. This forgiveness and mercy is what we receive again in the Absolution each week. This forgiveness and mercy is what we eat (see Ps. 119:103; Ezek. 3:3-4) and drink each time we partake of the Lord’s Supper. It is in this that our souls, if not our physical mouths, shout for joy with the watchmen of Isaiah’s prophecy. For it is in these places that we are finally and resoundingly told “Yes, my dear child, I will be merciful and will forgive all of your sins for Jesus’ sake,” by our Righteous Father.

And so, as with Simeon when he held the infant Jesus (St. Lk. 2:25-35), we can now joyously depart in peace. We have seen our salvation!

In Jesus’+ Name. Amen.

[1] Encyclopedia of Sermon Illustrations, p. 75 entry #321.

Baked Oatmeal

This is a very yummy meal. It tastes so warm and home-y. My housemother found it here and I put it in the crockpot to cook last night. We all had a wonderful treat for breakfast this morning. It was so wonderful to come into the kitchen and smell. It was so nice for our oldest blessing to not be whining for food constantly while I try to prepare it.

Mix up (using a food processor if you prefer) a generous spoonful of ground flax seeds, a stream of honey, a spoonful of flax oil and about a half cup of milk. (I used to generous spoonfuls of flax seed as we do not yet have any flax oil in the house.)

Meanwhile, in your crockpot, put a bunch of uncooked rolled oats (the old fashioned kind, of which I put three cups for our crew). Add some ground dried beans, too, ground to powder (for this I used a coffee grinder, if you only have one clean it really well first! ;-)). Add the mixture from the crockpot and then a bunch of milk so it is really soupy. Let this sit on your slow cooker all night. In the morning, you will enter the kitchen to the smell of a nutritious, high protein, high fiber, oatmeal with lots of Omega 3 fatty acids to be put into a bowl and eaten!

This will give you a true breakfast of champions.

Nasal Irrigation

Yesterday, on the way home from a pastor's conference, we stopped at the grocery store. While we were in there, my housemother picked up for us what is called a Neti Pot. This is a little ceramic pot that you use to pour a saline solution through your nostrils and sinuses. Last night, I tried this for the first time. It was not what I expected at all. Though, I suppose I did not really have any expectations.

It took me a couple of tries to get the right angle. Once I did though, it was kind of neat to see a steady stream of water running out of my nose. Once I had done this, I felt like my head was finally clear for the first time in years. I do not think I have breathed this well for a while.

Tonight, my wife tried this for the first time. She was scared, even thought it was her idea to get this product. I coached her through it and she did just fine. In fact, she did better than I did the first time. Tonight, I did it again, last night it just did not seem like my head was fully cleared. This was time was much easier!