I have been doing pretty well since I last wrote you. I did liturgy this last Sunday and other than butchering the benediction, I did fine. I was flowing along very nicely and decided to just shut my hymnal as I turned around to say the benediction. As soon as I shut the hymnal, my mind starting saying, "Don't mess up, don't mess up, don't mess up..." Well like I said, I messed up. However, I just paused, saw one of the other seminarians laughing (which actually help get me back on track), started over and rolled right through it with ease. It is funny how you know something very well, but as soon as you start thinking about being in front of people, and saying it just right, that is when you mess up. The one elder who always lets me know exactly what I did right or did wrong, told me it was good that I just started over and got though it. It is a good thing the congregation is all loving Christians who understand forgiveness.
I gave blood today. I felt fine afterwards, but my buddy Stein (nickname derived from his last name) got light headed and almost blacked out. The nurses laid him down and put his feet up and then I stood there and talked to him. I told him it's a good thing we are not Catholic or I would have said last rights just to scare him.
My thought for the day comes from Synoptic Gospels class. Dr. Voelz was talking about the inerrancy of Scripture. Dr. Voelz put it in a way I had never thought of it before, and I liked it so much I decided I would share it with you. We believe Jesus had two natures. He is 100 percent God (divine) and a 100 percent man (human). He looked like a human, walked like a human, and talked like a human. He was and is indeed human. However, we know He was and is still God. We also know Jesus is the Word. John 1 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." Jesus is the Word. So we know that Scripture (the Word) was written by human authors for human audiences. The four Gospels are not exactly, word-for-word, the same because they were written by four different guys. The Bible, when you just read it has human qualities. It looks like all other literature written by human authors. However, we know it is still divine. The Word has the same two natures of Christ because the Word is Christ. So if somebody tries to prove the Bible is not true because of what appears to be mistakes or contradictions in the human language or writing styles, we know it is true because while it has human authors, it is still fully divine as the Word of God. I just thought that was a really cool way to look at it and know we can always trust God's Word is at work in and with us through His Scripture. All Praise be to Him who gave us His Son, the Word, as a very important and wonderful gift completely free to us.
LSB Prayer 148
Blessed Lord, You have caused all Holy Scripture to be written for our learning. Grant that we may so hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them that, by patience and comfort of Your Holy Word, we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Continuing with the Small Catechism, the next three commandments
AS THE HEAD OF THE FAMILY SHOULD TEACH
THEM IN A SIMPLE WAY TO HIS HOUSEHOLD
The Fourth Commandment: Honor your father and Mother.
What does this mean? We should fear and love God so that we do not despise or anger our parents and other authorities, but honor them, serve and obey them, love and cherish them.
The Fifth Commandment: You shall not murder.
What does this mean? We should fear and love God so that we do not hurt or harm our neighbor in his body, but help and support him in every physical need.
The Sixth Commandment: You shall not commit adultery.
What does this mean? We should fear and love God so that we lead a sexually pure and decent life in what we say and do, and husband and wife lover and honor each other.
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