Letters On The Page

The gift of the cross of Christ   “That is the mystery which is rich in divine grace to sinners: wherein by a wonderful exchange our sins are no longer ours but Christ’s and the righteousness of Christ not Christ’s but ours. He has emptied Himself of His righteousness that He might clothe us with it, and fill us with it. And He has taken our evils upon Himself that He might deliver us from them… in the same manner as He grieved and suffered in our sins, and was confounded, in the same manner we rejoice and glory in His righteousness.” –Martin Luther, Werke (Weimar, 1883), 5: 608.  

 2022-10-26 Deuteronomy 28:1-22 “Blessings and Curses”  In the name of the Father, +Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.  For those of you who follow the daily lectionary for your devotional reading, which is what we do here on most Mondays and Wednesdays, I dare tell you that you are not experiencing the full weight of chapter 28. By weight, I mean not only the chapter’s length, but also the fullness of the blessings and curses. There are 68 verses in chapter 28.  These 68 verses contain 14 blessings and 66 curses. This follows after chapter 27, where from verses 15-26, we encountered a liturgy that Moses is inspired to write.  He commanded that this liturgy be repeated when the people have crossed the Jordan River and entered the Promised Land.   The liturgy begins, “Cursed be the man who takes a carved or cast metal image, an abomination to the Lord, a thing made by the hands of a craftsman, and sets it up in secret. And all the people shall answer and say, Amen.”  There are 11 more curse

  2022-10-24 Deuteronomy 26 - “Responding to Grace” In the name of the Father, +Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.  As I read through the lesson from Deuteronomy, I had the impression that I was reading an instruction manual.  For example, this is what I heard.  Step one - plant the seeds Step two - after the gathering of the first fruits, put a portion into a basket Step three - Take the basket of food to where the priest and sanctuary are Step four - say the following words, “I declare today to the LORD your God that I have                     come into the land that the LORD swore to our fathers to give us.”  Step five - Priest places basket in front of Altar.  Step six - Say these words, “A wandering Aramean was my father, etc.”  Step seven - Worship the LORD. Step eight - Go away rejoicing. “Rejoice in all the good that the LORD your God has given           to you and your house, you, and the Levite, and the sojourner who is among you.” Step nine - keep it all up in years 1 and

 2022-10-23 Angels 5 - Genesis 4:1-15; 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18; Luke 18:9-17 In the name of the Father, + Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.  On page 1335 of the new Lutheran Study Bible is a page dedicated to introducing the reader to incidents of humor and comedy in the Bible. On that page are definitions and biblical examples of Euphemism, Foolishness, Hyperbole, Irony, Puns, Riddles, Sarcasm, Parody, and the Gospel as comedy. Also included in that list is Satire which we find in today’s gospel.   Satire is defined as “an oral or literary composition that ridicules someone’s vices or foolishness.” I prefer the way that Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary defines satire in it’s second definition:  trenchant wit, irony, or sarcasm used to expose and discredit vice or folly. We don’t know for certain, but I can imagine that Jesus’ patience may have been running a bit thin regarding the more stridently righteous of the brethren, and that he spoke his parable with a certain stone faced irony or

 2022-10-19 - Wednesday Evening Prayer - “The Prophet to Come” Deuteronomy 18:1-22           Matthew 14:22-36 In the name of the Father, +Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.  A short time after Jesus’ resurrection, he joined Cleopas and another disciple as they walked toward the village of Emmaus. After Jesus heard their report of what he had just lived through, 25 And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” Then Luke continues his narration with 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. (Luke 24) Jesus taught the disciples to read the Old Testament christologically. Luke tells us that Jesus did this before in Luke 4 in the Synagogue in Nazareth.  Jesus read to the congregation Isaiah 61 and then began his sermon by announcing that this scripture is fulfilled in

 2022-10-17     Eve of the Feast of St. Luke, Evangelist Isaiah 35:5-82 Timothy 4:5-18Luke 10:1-9 In the name of the Father, +Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.  As we gather today for the Feast of St. Luke, Evangelist, I do want to draw our attention briefly to the fact that today the church commemorates Ignatius of Antioch, Pastor and Martyr. Ignatius was the bishop of Antioch in Syria at the beginning of the 2nd century AD.  He was martyred for the faith. He was arrested during the reign of the Roman Emperor Trajan and taken to Rome where he eventually was killed in the arena by wild animals for the amusement of the attendees. On his way to Rome, Ignatius wrote letters to the Christians at Ephesus, Magnesia, Tralles, Rome, Philadelphia, and Smyrna. In his letters he stressed the importance of obedience to God and the resident Bishop. He also stressed the importance of sound doctrine. In particular he affirmed that Jesus is full man and at the same time fully divine.  He also confessed the

 2022-10-16  - 18th Sunday after Trinity - Preached at First Lutheran, Hanna, IN.  Deuteronomy 10:12-21; Psalm 34:8-22; 1 Corinthians 1:1-9; Matthew 22:34-46 In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen. As I earned my various degrees over the years, I have had to plow my way through numerous lengthy articles, reports, and books.  I learned quickly to appreciate abstracts and executive summaries.  Those brief summaries and bullet point highlights helped me quickly discern whether this was the best article, report, or book for me to read and use for my research.  They give the reader the heart of the argument and evidence to support the author’s conclusion.   When we hear Jesus’ response to the Pharisee’s question about “which is the great commandment in the Law?” we get an executive summary.  Jesus quotes Scripture.  “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” is from Deuteronomy 6:5.  The other command that Jesus quotes

Literature adds to reality, it does not simply describe it. It enriches the necessary competencies that daily life requires and provides; and in this respect, it irrigates the deserts that our lives have already become. C.S. Lewis There are books that are of the same chemical composition as dynamite. The only difference is that a piece of dynamite explodes only once, while a book explodes a thousand times. Yevgeny Zamyatin I found these quotes while hunting down information on Alethea Hayter, author of A Sultry Month, which was recently re-published.  The quotes were found on the Royal Society of Literature:   https://rsliterature.org/

  2022-10-12 Evening Prayer Homily  Psalm 111       Deuteronomy 11:1-25      Matthew 12:1-21 In the name of the Father, +Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.  Psalm 111 concludes with the words “ The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding .”  The honest questions that follow might be: How do we learn that fear? How do we learn the wisdom that follows from a proper fear of the LORD?  Like almost all education practices, it begins at home.  At home, we read the Bible devotionally, study as we are able, and we recite prayers and the catechism.  Then, we move beyond the family and home experience into the congregational setting.  We join with others of like mind to sing hymns, listen to the Scriptures read and expounded upon publicly. Here, in the congregation, the Word works upon us orally, as well as through the Sacraments of Holy Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.  Every Divine Service and every Prayer Office brings miracles that are often ta

 2022-10-10 Monday of Third Week in Angels’ Tide  Deuteronomy 9:1-22 Promise and Gift In the name of the Father, + Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.  The First Lesson takes us into the midst of the second of three sermons by Moses that make up the bulk of the book of Deuteronomy.  They are written and spoken to Israel in 1406 BC. Israel will shortly cross the Jordan River and begin the process of taking possession of the Promised Land.    Like any sermon worthy of our time, there is both Law and Gospel presented so that the listeners may be moved to repentance and faith.  Excitement is building amongst the people as it becomes clear that they will finally be allowed to emerge from the desert wanderings so that they can claim a land that will be theirs.  The Promised Land has been in their thoughts since the beginning of their journey out of Egypt. Before the contest between the Lord God and the Pharoah’s hardness of heart began, God extended his promise of release and the Promised Land to

Boyle, Mark. The Way Home: Tales from a Life without Technology. 2021     Boyle's first book was about his years living without money. Now, he has taken all of his concerns about the industrialization of every aspect of modern life and decided to participate in them as little as possible. He purchased a small landholding in western Ireland where he built a simple cabin that has no electricity, natural gas, or running water. He gave up all modern communication devices. He communicates face to face or through the post office. He grows or forages his own food. He eats wild game and fish that he hunts and fishes. He makes his own wine, although he does go to the local pub to meet up with friends and share a pint. This is Ireland, after all. Boyle also gave up automobiles. He uses a bicycle for transportation or he walks. However, he will hitch rides with people and take trains if he has far to travel. On his property he also has a simple hostel. He accepts donations but does not charge

 2022-10-9 Ruth 1:1-19a 2 Timothy 2:1-13 Luke 17:11-19 In the name of the Father, + Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen. I have not read the book, but I have always liked the title of President George W. Bush’s book about his presidency: Decision Points.  All presidents have to make decisions that not only invite scrutiny upon their presidency, but that also have intended and unintended consequences and can affect millions of people in this country as well as throughout the world.  The title Decision Points came to mind as I reflected upon the different decisions that Ruth and our unnamed leprous Samaritan made. If we were privileged to read their life and faith memoirs, we would be impressed by their similarities.  There is a paralyzing desperation. Ruth’s husband, brother in law, and father in law have all died. There is no obvious way forward. The Leper has leprosy, a certain, ugly, and painful death sentence. In the border lands, he is forced to leave all that is familiar and take

 On page 878 of Lenski's commentary on Luke, commenting on 17:15, he conjectures that the one leper that returned must have argued with his nine companion about whether or not they should all return to Jesus in order to express their praise to God for their healing.  He then says this: "Majorities impress us too much.  What would you have done if you had stood alone against the nine? Majorities can go wrong as easily as an individual may go wrong. The decisive thing is the right, the true, and not the numbers. Luther stood against the world of his day; he stood with and for the truth.  It is still true that God and one make a majority.  It was right that this man should return, right that he should do so by glorifying God with a loud voice when he came back to Jesus and the crowd that was with him in the village, which now included the villagers.  He praised God for healing him through Jesus even as Jesus did all his works to glorify God.  By glorifying God he withheld nothing

  2022-10-5 Deuteronomy 5:1-21 Matthew 8:18-34 In the name of the Father, + Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.  In yesterday’s New Testament reading from Matthew 8, we encountered three people who recognized the authority of Jesus.  They not only recognized His authority, but they had a good idea of what that authority meant for them and how it could shape their life. The leper knew that Jesus had the authority to heal him. The Centurion knew that Jesus’ authority extended beyond his own body.  If Jesus only spoke the word that the Centurion’s servant is healed, even from a distance, then the Centurion knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that when he returned home, his servant would be healed. Then, Peter’s mother-in-law, received Jesus’ healing. She trusts that he has the authority to make her well so that she may offer proper hospitality to him.   Today’s New Testament reading is the second half of Matthew 8. Here we encounter three situations where Jesus’ authority is clarified. His au

 2022-10-3 Vespers  Deuteronomy 4:1-20 Matthew 7:13-29 In the name of the Father, + Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.  As I am interested in farming and ranching, I notice fencing and gates. I don’t think that my  property or garden will get much bigger than it is, and I won’t have much more than chickens.  But, I do like to look around and think about possibilities. When one has animals, barriers of some kind or another become very important. And if you have a barrier, such as a fence or a low wall, you want to be able to get in and out with ease.  So, a gate is important too.  Gates come in all manner of shapes and sizes. The size that is chosen depends on the purpose of the opening. Will small sheds, tractors, front end loaders, or pick up trucks and trailers, need to come through? There are sizes for that?  If it is a corral or a chute, there are other sizes.  If it is just for one animal or person at a time, there are those sizes too.  The purpose of the opening is what dictates the s