“And the angel said to them:  ‘Fear not, for behold I “good-report” to you great joy which is unto all the people…’” (Luke 2:10). Although traditionally the words of the Christmas herald are said:  “I bring you good tidings of…,” literally, the angel said “I good-report to you.” A euaggelion (Greek) is the report of good news (e.g., the report of a battle victory).  The angel makes a verb out of it:  euaggelizomai—I ‘good-report,’ or ‘bear a good report,’ to you.

Too often the good report of the euaggelion (or Latin, evangel; or English, gospel) is not permitted to sing above the fields of our lives in its full glory.  Why?  Well-meaning church leaders hoping to incite Christians to share the gospel unintentionally reform the good-report into a work-order.  It’s done via that caveat:  “…the Word and the Sacraments are important, but… (here, usually some form of admonition or exhortation to share the word follows as a required duty of the Christian life).  As soon as one adds the caveat “but,” it frankly doesn’t matter what’s said next.  The good-report is diminished.  It’s mingled, diluted.  The fact that the incarnate God, crucified for the iniquities of all humanity, comes to meet humanity within His chosen means to bear to us eternal life and salvation is the gospel!  Add no “have to, must, need to, etc.” to it, or the gospel will be taken from the sheep—they’ll not be allowed simply to graze.  While sharing the news is important, so as not to take away from the gospel instead say, “The Word and the Sacraments [bearing Christ to us] are important!  Now (taking nothing away from their importance), will we not share the good-report with others?”

How will we?  I write this with Christmas on the near horizon.  Last night my wife wrapped the first of the presents to be placed under the tree.  This morning, my oldest son, John, found them.  When he woke, my second son, Jacob, came to me; and one of the first things he said was:  “There are presents under the tree!  …John showed them to me.”  John showed them to me…John understood what the presents meant, and he couldn’t contain the news.

Isn’t that how the news of God-incarnate’s presence/presents with/for us is naturally shared?  Sure, at times an organized effort will be helpful.  But, when Goliath fell, did the word not spread from house to house “organically”?  They knew what their newly-won freedom meant.  But far more:  “Unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, Christ the Lord!” It’s a great report that incites its being shared.  Brothers share it with brothers; mothers with daughters; friends with neighbors…organically.  It’s how Nathanael heard if from Phillip (“We have found the Christ!” John 1).  No yoke of duty was hung on the necks of the shepherds, either.  The joy of the news is the wind in the sail that moves the ship bearing the gospel, not the drumbeat driving the oarsmen! Rejoicing in the gift given, they couldn’t help but spread the news:  “And when they saw it [the manger with the Christ therein], they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this Child…And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them” (Luke 2:17, 20).

Question:   In the Old Testament reading for the Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost (Oct. 16; three-year reading series), Isaiah reports that God said: “I am the LORD, and there is no other. I form light and I create darkness, I make well-being and create calamity…” (Is. 45:6b-7). How can that be, since God isn’t the author of evil? And, does this give people the right to blame God for catastrophes that they encounter in life?

Answer:   A good question, and one that—on its surface—becomes even more confusing when considering other viable translations for the Hebrew word in question, ra—here translated “calamity” (English Standard Version) but elsewhere translated “evil” (e.g., King James Version). Is God the author/creator of evil? No.

While even the translation “evil” would be appropriate for the word ra, God is not saying that He’s the author/creator/generator of moral bad (e.g., immorality, hatred). Holy Scripture is clear that evil—as we understand that term today—is the product of human sin and the devil (Rom. 5:12; Jms. 1:13-15; Jn. 8:44). Moses tells us that “God saw all that He had made and it was very good” (Gen. 1:31).

So what’s the LORD saying in this verse? In the surrounding context the LORD is making plain that He, and He alone, is God (He says three times in two verses: there is none other, Is. 45:5-6). Polytheism (the belief that there are many gods) was commonly held among the ancient peoples. Also, there was a widely-held view that good and evil are brought forth from two dueling and rather equal opposing forces—metaphorically characterized by “light” and “darkness.” The LORD (with all capital letters, a translation of the Hebrew YHWH—God’s proper/covenant name) here makes plain that such is not the case! “I am the LORD (YHWH), and there is no other. I form light and create darkness, I make well-being (shalom) and create calamity (ra), I am the LORD (YHWH), who does all these things.” In other words, there is no dueling force equal to Me; in My hand I hold the power over all that is “light” (good), and over all that is “darkness” (bad). Martin Luther, in his commentary on Isaiah, includes this helpful explanation of the verse: God is saying: “When I bestow peace, no one can take it away. On the contrary, when I take it away, no one shall restore it. So you must acknowledge Me as the only God to whom you can flee for refuge” (Luther’s Works: American Edition, vol. 17, p. 125).

So, does this give us the right to blame God when catastrophes befall us? Is God punishing people by sending upon them tornados or tsunamis? While God will often work through the fallout of human sin/wrongdoing to bring about the good that He purposes (cf. Rom. 8:28), it can often be very difficult from the human vantage point to draw direct lines between what befalls a person and particular sin, or a “personal degree” of sin. Of the eighteen persons upon whom the tower of Siloam fell and killed them (Lk. 13:4), Jesus said: “Do you think that these were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.” Our Lord—who by His almighty power subdues all things to Himself—uses such events for good (even the plagues on Pharaoh’s Egypt, or the serpents in the wilderness!).  By them He leads us to repent of our sin (no matter who we may be) and, as Luther said, with the report of salvation in Jesus Christ to acknowledge our Lord God as the only God to whom you can flee for refuge–promised for Jesus’ sake.

“Praise God from Whom all blessings flow!”

     A  unique and annual LCOS event:  HERITAGE SUNDAY.   It’s the second Sunday of September when the congregation celebrates two important facets of our life together:  LUTHERAN EDUCATION and GRANDPARENTS DAY. 

Our Lutheran convictions are confessed from generation to generation as they are passed on from  grandparents to parents to grandchildren in our homes as they are supported by the educational classes of the congregation.

Nearly 150 members celebrated the event this year.  Following the morning divine services, many remained or returned to the campus’ school courtyard where the grills were smokin’ hot with burgers, sausages, and chicken wings and the children were jumping off their energy in the Noah’s ark jumphouse while the grandparents and parents were enjoying the bluegrass music of our own Campbell Family Singers and the patriotic harmonica of Don James.

During the picnic, drawings were held for ‘Here I Stand’ golf balls and socks and other ‘Old Lutheran’  “periFUNalia.”  Children were entertained by face-painters, a balloon artist, and received gifts of Lutheran books.

Because this Heritage Sunday coincided with the decade  commemoration of the  9-11 attack on America,  the solemn tolling of the church bells called all to the sanctuary for a special service of Remembering 9-ll. 

Our thanks to the Board of Education for preparing and coordinating the event which was enjoyed by all!

Polycarp burned at the stake

Commendations to the 45 adults of LCOS who were directly involved in this year’s Vacation Bible School which featured ‘THE FAITH OF OUR FATHERS.’  

The ‘fathers’ of whom the title speaks are the Church Fathers who, after the New Testament era of Church history, confessed the apostolic faith ‘at all times and in all places,’ even though it often cost them their lives.  So, to the left, you see POLYCARP being burned at the stake because of his confession of Christ. 

Arius being confronted by Athanasius

 

Other ‘Church Fathers” introduced to the children were ATHANASIUS who vigorously defended the faith against heretic Arius who taught that Jesus was less than fully God. The heated controversy between Athanasius and Arius resulted in the Church’s writing of and adoption of the Nicene Creed which states so clearly that Jesus Christ is “God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made….” 

 

 

Ambrose of Milan defending the Church to the Empress

The third Church Father that the children learned of was AMBROSE, the fourth century ‘father’ who, despite protests from the Empress [see photo below], defended the Church and  expressed his faith in Christ through hymns and liturgy written for the Church….and used throughout the centuries and by the Church yet today.  Examples?   “Savior of the Nations, Come,”  the Te Deum, sung so often with the Order of Matins [and written by Ambrose for the baptism of one of his students named Augustine!] 

Yes, AUGUSTINE!  Perhaps the best known of all the Church Fathers.  Converted to the Christian faith by the Holy Spirit through the faithful  witness of Augustine’s mother, Monica.   Augustine was the Church Father who emphasized the absolute necessity of God’s grace in creating and sustaining the Christian faith.  He wrote the famous “The City of God,” spoke the famous words, “Thou hast made us for Thyself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in Thee,” as well as “Do not seek to understand so that you may believe;  believe that you may understand.”   The teachings of Augustine, especially his emphasis on the grace of God and his dispute with a heretic named Pelagius who taught that salvation depended upon the ‘free will choices of man,’  not the grace of God,  had a great impact upon Martin Luther.

The final church father introduced to the children was John CHRYSOSTOM,  John the ‘golden-mouthed’ …so called because of his great skills as an orator and, more importantly, because of the priceless teachings of the faith which he lifted them from the Scriptures and so powerfully communicated to the Church.

 Chrysostom distributing the Sacrament of the Altar

Each day the 60+ children enrolled in the VBS met these notable church figures of the past and learned from them the importance of being bold confessors of the faith in each generation.  Each day the lessons focused on one of the chief parts of Luther’s Small Catechism as it related to each church father.  They were led on adventure tours where they met Biblical characters which are linked by Scripture to those catechetical parts….like Moses with the Ten Commandments and Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane and John the Baptist who was even eating real locusts!!!

VBS Children meet John the Baptist showing the children his meal of locust and honey and speaking to them about baptism into Christ.

Catechesis in the Classroom

The Creed says of Christ and we confess  ”…and He ascended into heaven…”    It remains an important confession because its meaning has been so altered over time, altered as oddly as Salvador Dali’s famous 1958 portrayal of the event, entitled, “The Ascension of Christ.”  [pictured here.] 

Dali says that his “inspiration” for this painting came from a “cosmic dream” that he had in 1950.  That was eight years before he completed the painting.  In this dream he saw the nucleus of an atom which, he says,  represents the unifying spirit of Christ. 

I haven’t the slightest idea what a “cosmic dream” is and surely wouldn’t consider it to be divinely inspired like those of Jacob or Joseph in the Old Testament or like the foster-father of our Lord in the New.  But,  putting the best construction on Dali’s statement, one might interpret it to mean what St. Paul meant when, in Colossians 1:17, he says that “…in Him [Christ] all things hold together…”  He is, in that sense, the “unifying principle” of the entire universe, visible and invisible.   Christ, the Head of the Church [Col. 1:18] holding every created thing together.  Christ  ‘reconciling the whole world” unto His Father through His death and resurrection [Col.1:20] for the the sin which hurled humanity into the darkness of His absence [Col.1:13] and then ascending into Heaven from where He ‘holds all things together.’  

I’d like to think that Salvador Dali had this in mind when he painted “The Ascension of Christ.”  Of course, for Dali —like for so many other artists— there is often a more personal dimension to their paintings.  Where’s the personal in this painting?  Look at it again.  Do you know who is weeping above Christ?  It’s Gala.  Who is Gala?  That was the name that Dali gave his wife, a Russian divorcee named Elena Diakanova, a woman he had lived with for five years before marrying her in a civil ceremony, finally receiving a special dispensation from the Pope to be married to a divorcee in 1958, the year he completed painting ”The Ascension of Christ.”   Could it  be that Dali is saying that the ascending Christ had reconciled ‘all things’ to God the Father,  including he and Gala, the ‘love of his life.’ 

Whether this was Dali’s intent or not, I don’t know.  I would hope so, though there’s good reason to believe that he was quite caught up in mysticism as well and that he and his wife entertained some distinctly un-Christian ideas later in life.

Whatever, I prefer the other painting of the Ascension which is presented here.   It’s a 1520 painting by the late Renaissance artist Garofalo (1481-1559) who, in his last years, became blind.  How precious the memories of his paintings must have been to him…and what a blessing this painting and the more than  twenty-five others of Christ and His work have meant for millions who, in the words of the hymn writer Bede:    

You see Him now ascending high,   Up to the portals of the sky. Alleluia!                  

Hereafter Jesus you shall see,   Returning in great majesty! 

Alleluia!  Alleluia!  Alleluia!

SUNDAY, MAY 22:  A ONE-SERVICE SUNDAY…

Divine Service w/ Holy Communion:  10:00 a.m.

Christian Education Hour (all ages):  8:30 – 9:30 a.m.

He is Risen!  Indeed!  In the wake of the celebration of our Lord’s glorious resurrection, we mark and receive in this Eastertide the fruits of it.  The risen and living Christ sends His Holy Spirit through His Word and holy Sacraments, and so enables  hearts to believe and tongues to confess the livng Jesus Christ as Lord.

On your calendars, mark SUNDAY, MAY 22 as a ONE-SERVICE SUNDAY–Divine Service at 10 a.m. (Christian Education from 8:30 – 9:30 a.m.).  Within the morning’s divine service we’ll hear this year’s confirmands publicly confess the faith of their baptism in the Rite of Confirmation.  Having been duly instructed in the faith and prepared to receive the blessed Supper, these individuals also will join us at the Lord’s table to receive the Sacrament of Holy Communion.

SUNDAY, MAY 22…

     Divine Service – 10:00 a.m.

     Christian Education – 8:30 a.m.

VOTERS ASSEMBLY QUARTERLY MEETING

Voters of the Lutheran Church of Our Savior meet WEDNESDAY, April 27th, at 7:30 pm in the Fireside Room. 

who are unable to attend due to sickness or business obligations may be excused by phoning or emailing the Church Office [252-0345 / office@lcos.org]  by 4:30 pm on Wednesday.  

Business items to be considered should be announced to the President,  David Carlson, prior to the meeting. 

PALM SUNDAY, April 17 ~ 8 a.m. or 11 a.m.   Children’s choir and palm procession

MAUNDY THURSDAY, April 21 ~ 7:30 p.m.   Divine Service commemorating the institution of the Lord’s Supper

GOOD FRIDAY, April 22 ~ 7:30 p.m.    Tenebrae service of gradual darkness, Passion readings, and preaching

THE RESURRECTION OF OUR LORD:  EASTER, April 24…

         Easter Sunrise Service ~ 7:30 a.m.

        Easter Festival Divine Service of the Resurrection ~ 10:00 a.m.

        (Easter breakfast served beginning at 8:45; children’s activities at 9:15)

When the LORD prepared His people to be delivered from their bondage, He told Moses that a pure lamb would be slain, its blood applied to the dwellings of His people, and that death would pass over all who bore the mark of the lamb.  He then drew them out as His people through the waters; and He fed them with bread from heaven until He brought them across the River Jordan, and into the promised land.

To this people He would deliver, He said:  “This month shall be your beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you” (Exodus 12:2).  The LORD recast for them time.  They were a people–just as are we– in the world, but not of it.  While the world marks its time and the things it considers most notable on its calendar, so does the Church.

Join us in this week to mark the sacred solemnities of our Lord Jesus Christ’s passion, death, and resurrection…  For by these events the LORD has brought us out of bondage.  May we observe these days–the substance and fulfillment of the former types and shadows–with the same reverent gratitude.

From the pen of Hermann Sasse, one of the premier confessional Lutheran theologians of the twentieth century…

Kyrios Jesous Christos, “Jesus Christ is Lord.”  This is the original confession of the church.  With it the Christian faith once entered world history.  To understand the sense of this confession ever more deeply is the great, yes, basically the only task of all Christian theology.  To repeat this confession, to speak it in ever new forms, to translate it into the language of alltimes and peoples, to protect it against misunderstandings and reinterpretations, and to understand its meaning for all areas of life–that is the task of all confession building within Christendom.  No later confession of the church can and wants to be anything else than a renewal of the origianl confession to Jesus as Christ and Lord.  This is true of the Apostles’ Creed, the Nicene Creed, the confessional writings of the Reformation, and any confession in which the Christendom of the future may want to speak its faith.  As this confession stood at the beginning of the church’s history, so it will stand at its end.  Then will be fulfilled that great word of the apostle:  “At the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, in heaven and on the earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord , to the glory of God the Father” (Phil. 2:10 f.).

(Sasse, “Jesus Christ Is Lord:  The Church’s Original Confession,”

fr. We Confess Anthology, 9.)

Join us Wednesdays, 7:30 – 8:15 PM, for our Lenten Midweek Series:  “Stricken, Smitten, and Afflicted:  Lent by Isaiah’s Report.”  Hear read and preached the prophecies from the last and greatest of Isaiah’s Servant Songs (Isaiah 52:13-Isaiah 53:12), and their fulfillment in Jesus Christ; sing the age-old service of Vespers and the hymns of the Lenten season; pray the historic Litany with your fellow redeemed. 

    “STRICKEN, SMITTEN, & AFFLICTED:  Lent by Isaiah’s Report”