Greetings everyone. I am extremely busy now that we are down to a week and a half left of this quarter. I have to finish my exegetical of Psalm 82, write one more history paper, and take two tests. I have my sermon wrote, now I just have to keep practicing it so I can preach it Sunday. I will preach it first, make any adjustments I decide upon last minute to the manuscript and post it up here on Sunday. So preview alert, sermon will be up Sunday, I promise. My exegetical on Psalm 82 is really fascinating because it is one of the most controversial Psalms written. Before you say, "Why did you pick the most controversial one?", realize I was assigned it and did not pick it. However, it has been a fun project, I just need to turn all my notes and highlights into a ten page academic paper, which will take some time yet. I did receive two care packages this week, so that was an amazing blessing for finals week. One was from my field work church and the other was from a church in Minnesota. Why the church in Minnesota you ask? Because the fourth year student from my field work church last year took a call there last May and is now the pastor there. His LWML group sends these packages out to all of their college students and in their sweet note told me I qualified. They sent me post-it notes, a pen, and then cookies, bars and candy, and last but not least a tooth brush and toothpaste. They aren't helping me lose any weight, but they are helping me take care of my teeth against all of that sugar. I thought it was very sweet of them and sent them a thank you letter. Other than that I am just going about my normal life. We lost in the IM Championship Flag Football game today, but it was against a fun team so it wasn't that bad. We are in the IM Championship Ultimate Frisbee game on Thursday. This is my last week with the sixth graders so I am trying to plan some fun projects for them. I am going to miss them after this quarter.
In New Testament Lectionary, we discussed some pretty powerful and amazing stuff over our eschatological theology while translating 1 John 3:1-3 from the Greek. If you are not sure what eschatological means, it is all of the end time stuff like death, second coming of our Lord, resurrection of the body, and how it will all happen. I will try to get that discussion up here when I have more time. Dr. Gibbs is the eschatological guy on campus and he has some really amazing views on the subject. The best part is they are all scriptural based. However, what I do want to give you to think about is 1 Corinthians 13:13. This is most commonly used at weddings and the previous verses as I'm sure you all know give a great definition of love. However, in this verse it gives use the three great blessings the Lord gives us: faith, hope and love. Love is the greatest of these three. Dr. Gibbs, the eschatological guy, told us how he understands this verse. Paul here is writing this as an eschatological view that when the Lord comes back the second time and every knee bows and every tongue confesses He is the Lord, love is the greatest of these three blessings. It is the greatest because it is the only one left. Faith will give out to sight as we kneel in the glory of our Lord, hope to will give out to reality since we will then have what we have been hoping for all this time, and love is the only thing left. The love our God freely shows us, even though we do not deserve it. The love that caused Him to send His Son as our Redeemer from sin, death, and the Devil. The love that will cause Him to send His Son the second time to call all believers home, restored in their resurrected bodies and ready to enter the new creation. This amazing and powerful love that He gives us is all that is left. So it truly is the greatest and what comfort that gives us that even when faith and hope are gone because we have our Savior in front of us, we know we still have His love upon us as His called and redeemed children. All Praise be to Him who gives us this love, the greatest blessing He gives us, for it is out of this love that He created us, redeemed us, and calls us His own. Amen.
Dear Heavenly Father,
We thank you so much for the gift of the faith you have called us into, the hope you give us through that faith, and especially the love you freely give us at all times. We do not deserve to be called Your children, but because of Your love for us, we are just that. Give us Your Spirit to strengthen our faith, keeping us in the one true hope of Your Son's return, and help us to love You as the one true Almighty God that You are. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Friday, October 26, 2012
Half a month in a page
Greetings to you all in the blessed name of our Lord and Savior. It has been two weeks since I last wrote to you. Some of the major high lights of those two weeks include my family's visit, two successful weeks of teaching, and another great secession of Bible Study. Mom, Dad, and JoAnna were here from Thursday night through Sunday morning last weekend. Friday, Mom and JoAnna went to chapel with me, and then after my classes were done, we all went down to the Anheuser Busch brewery for their free tour. It was a lot of fun and it is a great tour. I highly recommend it if you ever get the chance. One out of every two beers sold in America is a product of Anheuser Busch; that's A LOT of beer! I thought it was really cool because after taking the Schlafly brewery tour twice now, both times they ended it with the fact that all the beer they make in a year, Anheuser Busch can make in four hours. I believe it after seeing the place. Then we went to Ted Dewes, a must do in St. Louis. The rest of the evening was just supper and then chilling. After they went to bed, a friend was having a birthday party in the cafeteria. It ended up being about thirty guys and two kegs, but it was a lot of fun. Then Saturday morning, Nate, Kari, and the nephews came over from Illinois, and we went down to the arch. It took four hours of waiting around, sitting around, and trying to entertain the boys, but they enjoyed the ten minutes they were at the top. Sunday they went home and I went to church. Bible Study after church went great. We had some of the original regulars come back, plus some of the new ones who tried it the week before came back. It was the first week we did not get through the lesson, and we did not even get half way through it. We got off on some major tangents, but they were incredibly important points for the chapter. The one guy who is now coming asks some great questions and it has been good to have him. Towards the end, James, the other seminary student came in and we worked well together bouncing ideas back and forth. It was kind of funny though because he was in the back and I was at the front so as we talked back and forth discussing exactly what we were trying to explain to the group, they looked like a crowd watching tennis, moving their focus back and forth. So this Sunday we will finish chapter four and hopefully make it through most of chapter five too. I have been so thankful that not only has the Lord given me curious members who ask great questions, but most of the time, I can draw back on things we discussed in class or with professors to help me be confident in my answers. I pray it keeps going well for all of our benefit.
Teaching six grade for the last two weeks has been so much fun. At first I was kind of glad that I did not pursue my teaching degree because I could see that I am much happier at the seminary and field work church than I was in the classroom. However, as I get to know the students more and more, and am getting more in depth in the lessons I am teaching, I really am remembering how much I love working with kids and being in the classroom. However, I still think I chose the best path because hopefully as a pastor I will get the best of both worlds. I will get to work with the kids in Confirmation classes and youth group, but still not be in a classroom all day every day. I have one week left, and to be honest I am going to miss both the time in the classroom and the kids. They are a great group of sixth graders. Their knowledge of their faith impresses me so much and has shown me the vital importance of sending your kids through the Lutheran education system if possible. As a sixth grader at public school, I didn't know a fourth of what these kids know about the Bible and the church. God is at work in these schools for sure and I pray He continues to bless all the students fortunate enough to be there.
Other than all of that, my life is going good. We are down to two weeks left of the quarter which just does not seem possible. I have a lot to get done in those two weeks, but I will survive. My thought for the day comes from Psalms and Writing class. We were discussing Psalm 23, which is a famous Psalm most of you probably know by heart, and looking at the 7 (a holy number) connections to the longings of the righteous in the Psalter. We read the book by Creach at the beginning of the quarter which discusses the life of the righteous longing to be in the presence of God. The 7 connections to Psalm 23 that correlate with this idea of longing to be with God are: (Some of these translations are according to the Hebrew)
1. Psalm 27 verse 4- One thing I ask of the Lord, that I will seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the
Lord all the days of my life
2. Psalm 73 verse 25- Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides
you.
3. Psalm 84 verse 10- For one day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere, I would rather be the
door keeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.
4. Psalm 92 verse 13- They are transplanted in the house of the Lord, they flourish
in the gardens of our God.
5. Psalm 23 verse 1- The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not lack anything.
6. Psalm 23 verse 6- I shall return to the house of the Lord all the days of my life.
7. Psalm 23 verse 4- for you are with me.
The first 4 are the idea of the righteous longing for the Lord outside of Psalm 23. Psalm 92 directly correlates with Psalm 1, where the trees are not planted but transplanted by streams of running water. We see here God takes us from the world of sin and transplants us into His gardens next to streams of running water where we can flourish. Then in Psalm 23, there are the main three places that show the righteous longing to be with their Lord. All the righteous need is their Lord, when they are with Him, they literally need nothing else. Verse six goes back to being in His house like Psalm 84 and 27, but the verse is not simply dwell, but to return back to His house where we belong. Then in verse four is the most important part of the entire Psalm. Some commentaries say that this one line is the purpose or theme of the entire Psalter. There are 26 words (in the Hebrew) then these three words, and then another 26 words. Hebrew poetry has this style of putting the most important point exactly in the middle. The three words are (in Hebrew its three words): for you are with me. That is the message this Psalmist was trying to tell us is the most important point. Then like I said, some people believe this is the most important point of the entire Psalter: for I am with you. Three words in the Hebrew, five in English, but what more powerful words could there be than our God telling us, for I am with you. He is literally all we need, because with Him we have everything. Not because of anything we have done, but because He has done everything for us out of His free grace and mercy. He gives us our faith, our daily bread to strengthen and nourish that faith, our Savior that saves us from our sins, and our eternal life we already have in Him. He gives us everything including the very breath we breathe each and every day. What an amazing God we have, and we know we have Him with us because He specifically tells us in His Word, and in this Psalm, for I am with you. All Praise be to Him who gives us everything so that we lack nothing, and tells us, "for I am with you."
Thank you Heavenly Father,
For with You as our God we have everything we could possibly ever need and more. Give us Your Spirit to long for You, to long to be in Your presence just as the righteous of the Psalter did. Be with us each and every day and in all that we do, just have You have told us You will be with us. Thank you for the life we have in Your name, made possible through Your Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Teaching six grade for the last two weeks has been so much fun. At first I was kind of glad that I did not pursue my teaching degree because I could see that I am much happier at the seminary and field work church than I was in the classroom. However, as I get to know the students more and more, and am getting more in depth in the lessons I am teaching, I really am remembering how much I love working with kids and being in the classroom. However, I still think I chose the best path because hopefully as a pastor I will get the best of both worlds. I will get to work with the kids in Confirmation classes and youth group, but still not be in a classroom all day every day. I have one week left, and to be honest I am going to miss both the time in the classroom and the kids. They are a great group of sixth graders. Their knowledge of their faith impresses me so much and has shown me the vital importance of sending your kids through the Lutheran education system if possible. As a sixth grader at public school, I didn't know a fourth of what these kids know about the Bible and the church. God is at work in these schools for sure and I pray He continues to bless all the students fortunate enough to be there.
Other than all of that, my life is going good. We are down to two weeks left of the quarter which just does not seem possible. I have a lot to get done in those two weeks, but I will survive. My thought for the day comes from Psalms and Writing class. We were discussing Psalm 23, which is a famous Psalm most of you probably know by heart, and looking at the 7 (a holy number) connections to the longings of the righteous in the Psalter. We read the book by Creach at the beginning of the quarter which discusses the life of the righteous longing to be in the presence of God. The 7 connections to Psalm 23 that correlate with this idea of longing to be with God are: (Some of these translations are according to the Hebrew)
1. Psalm 27 verse 4- One thing I ask of the Lord, that I will seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the
Lord all the days of my life
2. Psalm 73 verse 25- Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides
you.
3. Psalm 84 verse 10- For one day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere, I would rather be the
door keeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.
4. Psalm 92 verse 13- They are transplanted in the house of the Lord, they flourish
in the gardens of our God.
5. Psalm 23 verse 1- The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not lack anything.
6. Psalm 23 verse 6- I shall return to the house of the Lord all the days of my life.
7. Psalm 23 verse 4- for you are with me.
The first 4 are the idea of the righteous longing for the Lord outside of Psalm 23. Psalm 92 directly correlates with Psalm 1, where the trees are not planted but transplanted by streams of running water. We see here God takes us from the world of sin and transplants us into His gardens next to streams of running water where we can flourish. Then in Psalm 23, there are the main three places that show the righteous longing to be with their Lord. All the righteous need is their Lord, when they are with Him, they literally need nothing else. Verse six goes back to being in His house like Psalm 84 and 27, but the verse is not simply dwell, but to return back to His house where we belong. Then in verse four is the most important part of the entire Psalm. Some commentaries say that this one line is the purpose or theme of the entire Psalter. There are 26 words (in the Hebrew) then these three words, and then another 26 words. Hebrew poetry has this style of putting the most important point exactly in the middle. The three words are (in Hebrew its three words): for you are with me. That is the message this Psalmist was trying to tell us is the most important point. Then like I said, some people believe this is the most important point of the entire Psalter: for I am with you. Three words in the Hebrew, five in English, but what more powerful words could there be than our God telling us, for I am with you. He is literally all we need, because with Him we have everything. Not because of anything we have done, but because He has done everything for us out of His free grace and mercy. He gives us our faith, our daily bread to strengthen and nourish that faith, our Savior that saves us from our sins, and our eternal life we already have in Him. He gives us everything including the very breath we breathe each and every day. What an amazing God we have, and we know we have Him with us because He specifically tells us in His Word, and in this Psalm, for I am with you. All Praise be to Him who gives us everything so that we lack nothing, and tells us, "for I am with you."
Thank you Heavenly Father,
For with You as our God we have everything we could possibly ever need and more. Give us Your Spirit to long for You, to long to be in Your presence just as the righteous of the Psalter did. Be with us each and every day and in all that we do, just have You have told us You will be with us. Thank you for the life we have in Your name, made possible through Your Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Thursday, October 11, 2012
Managed Midterms
Hello and greetings in the name of our Lord. The last couple weeks have been very busy with a wedding, travels, midterms, and all the other stuff that seems to pile on top. Last Tuesday I made it to Nebraska safely. I did pass a wreck going the other direction that had body bags around what little was left of the vehicle. I looked up the accident report online the next day and saw two kids in their twenties died so that was kind of sad. However, the Lord blessed my travels. Wednesday I got to hold one of the most precious babies girls I have ever held. Bill and Jami, my family that adopted me in Nebraska had a baby girl on the 18th of September, her name is Jordyn Lynn. She is so adorable and just that amazing stage to hold and snuggle with. However, I had to cut my snuggle time short because Dillon their two year old son who is my little buddy had to wrestle with me too. Wednesday night the guys of the wedding went out for a mini bachelor party. Nothing too crazy but some good stories. Thursday after decorating the reception hall, us guys went golfing. I played some of the best golf I have played in a long time so that felt good. Then after rehearsal at the church, we went to the dinner at Valentino's. It had been quite awhile since I have eaten there, but it was good. Then the wedding party went bowling together, which was a blast, and a good way to get to know each other a little better. All of the bridesmaids were from California and all of the groomsmen were from Nebraska so it was a fun mix. Then the bridesmaids and bride went home because they had to be up early Friday for makeup and hair. The guys hit a bar or two on the way home and then finally called it a night. Then Friday was pictures and the wedding. The wedding was beautiful and everything went very well. The reception and the rest of the night was a blast. It was just a really good three days to forget all reality and just enjoy the vacation time of relaxation and laughter with friends. Then Saturday I drove back to St. Louis and went to bed as soon as I got back because it was kind of late.
Sunday, all reality of homework and midterms hit and it hit hard. However, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday were four straight days of nothing but class, work, and locking myself in my room to do homework. It was not much fun but I got everything done, and I feel done well. I got one back already and got a high B on it so I was happy with that, since it was for my Hebrew class and I am not an expert in Hebrew. Last night was our first vicarage meeting workshop. It was long and boring, but pretty important information I guess. It just stinks because every time vicarage is even mentioned I get more and more excited for call day (which will be Wednesday, May 1st for anyone wondering) and my vicarage. I then get bummed out because I still have to get through two and a half more quarters before it is here. The more I talk with my classmates the more we all realize second year is a completely different from first year. And it's not like its a bad different, just definitely different. Its hard to explain unless you're here for two years straight. I keep telling myself if I can get through the rest of this quarter I will be fine. However, I got my classes ready for registration for next quarter and I think next quarter is going to be even harder. Partially because I am taking more classes and some decently hard ones, but also partially because Christmas break in the middle of the quarter kind of messes with schedules and classes. But do not get me wrong I will gladly accept any two week break they give me. I do feel like my head is finally above water again though so I am getting more back to my happy-go-lucky self each day.
I am also excited because my family will be here in a week from tomorrow. Now I just have to make sure I use next week wisely to get ahead of homework so I can spend time with them when they are here.
Oh I forgot to mention today was my first day in the sixth grade classroom at Abiding Savior Lutheran School. I am in Pastor as Educator class, which requires three weeks in the classroom teaching religion class. I have 23 sixth graders I will be teaching four mornings a week for three weeks. I am pretty excited about it because I always did enjoy being in the classroom and working with kids. I think it will be a great experience and a fun time, the only downfall is getting up extra early to be at the school by 8 every morning. It is about 25 minutes away, but there are four of us at this school so we carpool. I just observed today, will observe again tomorrow, but start teaching first thing Monday morning. Since I have had experience in the classroom with sixth graders at Seward, my teacher Mrs. Johnson, told me she is just going to let me do my own thing and help me if I need any tweaking along the way. So again it is exciting, but it is also one more thing of doing a lesson plan every night for the class each day.
I have some pretty amazing things I am learning in class right now and I really want to share them with you all. However, I have been so busy writing papers, reading, and getting ready for tests I have not had the time or desire to type them out for you. I apologize, but will try to get some good ones in the days to come. My thought for today is pretty short because I have to be at a meeting in twenty minutes. However, it is one I personally struggled through this week. No matter how busy life gets, no matter how little sleep we have gotten, no matter how many things just seem like they were put in your life to cause you stress, we must always try to remain positive and remember who we are serving. There have been a lot of things lately I have found myself complaining about, and I hate being a negative person who finds it easier to complain than to just remember the Lord is with me and I have such a happy blessed life from Him. While studying the Psalms Dr. Lessing pointed out that so often in the Psalms, especially Psalm 19, we see the voice of creation praising God. We see the rocks, the sun, the moon, and all of creation have a voice that cannot be silenced. How does creation have a voice that is praising God? Creation is praising God when it is doing exactly what God made it to do. The grass that grows, the leaves changing color in the fall, the sun rising every morning, the moon following its phases; these are all ways creation sings it praises to the God who created it. But Dr. Lessing pointed out that isn't it kind of funny, that humankind, the prize possession of His creation, put above the rest of creation to have dominion over it, is the one creature that complains and whines the most? The lowly grass that gets walked on praises God daily, and yet we who have a happy healthy life, complain at the smallest things. We who know what He did for us, His act of salvation through the death and resurrection of His Son, for our sinful lives, whine when we do not get our way in the littlest aspect. We who have His Spirit with us, living and reigning in our hearts, would rather speak badly about someone, or be upset by things that do not even affect us, instead of just singing His praises for the daily and abundant riches He gives us, His undeserving children. I will admit, especially this week, I have been very guilty of this. However, we have so much around us to remind us who we should be praising. Every time you see the green grass, the trees standing tall, the rain falling, the wind blowing, or even a bug flying around, remember they are serving the only God they know and praise Him by doing what they were created to do. We need to do the same and really should be setting the example for the rest of creation, not the other way around. Especially since we have and are able to read and know God's Word telling us exactly what He wants us to be doing. All Praise Him who forgives our whining, complaining, and unnecessary bad moods, but loves us and continues to bless us as His children, not because of anything we did, but because of what He did for us through our Savior Jesus Christ.
Dear Heavenly Father,
Please help us to remember that everything we do is for Your glory. Everything we have and are blessed with comes from You out of Your free grace and mercy. Help us to be strong in our faith, positive in our attitudes, and live a life that shows the love You give us no matter what is going on in our lives. Let all we do and say be for Your glory only. In Your Son's name we pray. Amen.
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Wedding and Praise
Greetings and blessings to you all. I am finding that the constant feeling of being behind and needing to catch up is an exhausting feeling. However, last night I crawled into bed about seven and was asleep by nine. I was very tired from a major lack of sleep from this weekend, but I feel must better today after a good, long nights sleep. This weekend was a blast. I left Friday morning about three twenty in the morning central time and made it to Michigan to meet up with my friend and his family at about eleven thirty eastern time. We dropped the girls off at the house where stage one of the bachelorette party was taking place. Then us guys drove to the groom's grandparents' house where we grilled lunch and played golf with foam golf balls in the back yard. They live right on a lake so it was a beautiful property. Then we had a private brewery tour which included a free beer. Then we had tickets to a comedy club. I had never been to one before, but it was a lot of fun and we got a lot of laughs out of the whole thing. Then we hit one last bar quick before we headed back to the grandparents' house. My friend, the bachelor, was well ready for bed we'll say when we got back, so we put him to bed. The rest of us stayed up and played cards for a couple hours, again filled with many laughs. They taught me Euchre which is a pretty fun game. The next morning we got up and drove to the golf course, but right as we got there it started to rain and radar showed it wasn't going to stop any time soon. So we changed our plans and went bowling instead. The rehearsal and rehearsal dinner were Saturday night, and then we just went back and hung out in the hotel. Sunday morning, I watched some T.V. and got some reading for class done in my hotel room before the wedding. The wedding was beautiful and everything went perfect. The reception was very classy and a ton of fun. I decided to go back to the after party at the hotel, which was also very fun. I got to talk to my friend's cousin, who is a fellow seminarian. We got to know each other last year when he was on campus, but this year he is on vicarage so it was good to see him and catch up with him again. Monday morning I was on the road by six Michigan time and was back on campus by noon our time. I took a quick nap before class and then made it to class at two. So while it was a very busy weekend, constantly on the go, not much sleep, just over 1200 miles on my car, and a little bit of money, it was totally worth it to be there to help my friends celebrate their special day, get to know their families better, and get a mini vacation all at once.
This week is a busy week of catch up and try to get ahead. I have another wedding, I am actually in this one, next week in Lincoln. I am excited, but again it is forcing me to stay on top of homework. If I can survive the next two weeks, the rest of my quarter will be a breeze. I just thank the good Lord he has given me the ability to be able to do all this extra stuff while still completing all my school stuff.
I am writing a book report on a book titled The Destiny of the Righteous in the Psalms, written by Jerome Creach. It is an amazing book and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for good material to read. For me it brings the Psalms alive, makes them understandable, and most importantly practical for our lives today. It is a pretty easy read, and only 155 pages. I will definitely keep it on my shelf and read it more than once in my life time. I will let you buy the book (it's not very expensive) and read it for yourself, but today I want to share one small part of it with you. This is a quote from chapter two titled: "The Activity of the Righteous". "Praise is not just a way of speaking about or to our God; it is also a way of living in light of one's relationship with God. Praise is the most basic "activity" of the righteous, the action from which all else emerges." (p.31). The book defines "the righteous" not as moral purity, but rather as essentially a relational term, referring to our righteousness being only from God. It is the understanding that at all times and in all places "the Lord reigns". He is creator and we are creatures who depend on Him. So when we know that He reigns, and we depend on Him, we should live our lives through praising Him. This then goes back to the fact that praising Him does not mean we sit around and talk or sing praise to Him (not that we shouldn't do this), but more importantly that praise should be everything we do in actions and words. Living a life that is pleasing in His sight and through all we do and all we say gives the glory to His name. People should be able to see through our lives that we know, understand, and live by the fact that we are creatures created by the creator, our Great Lord and God. I brought this out with my Galatians Bible study through the most dreaded verse by Lutherans, James 2:17, "So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead."(ESV). We Lutherans do not like this verse because we're scared it will sound too much like works righteousness. However, we know we are saved by faith in Christ alone by his grace. So not that we know that, we should not sit idly by and not work for fear of looking like works righteousness, but praise Him in the sense that we live the activity of our righteousness to show we know our relationship with Him. Now I know this is easier said than done, because trust me I fail at this day in and day out too. However, the more we try and ask the Spirit to give us the strength to live a life of praise (by the above definition), the more we will find ourselves actually living that life of praise. All Praise (as an activity and song) be to Him who is our creator, creating us in a life that is in relationship with Him, making us His righteous children.
LSB Hymn 558 (1,4)- this hymn is written based on Psalm 115
Not unto us, not unto us be glory, Lord
Not unto us but to Your name be praise
Not unto us but to Your name all honor be giv'n
For matchless mercy, forgiveness, and grace
Not unto us but to Your name be glory, Lord
For grace so rich, so wide, so high, so free
Abide with us, till trav'ling days are over and done
And pilgrim feet lead us home, Lord, to You. Amen.
This week is a busy week of catch up and try to get ahead. I have another wedding, I am actually in this one, next week in Lincoln. I am excited, but again it is forcing me to stay on top of homework. If I can survive the next two weeks, the rest of my quarter will be a breeze. I just thank the good Lord he has given me the ability to be able to do all this extra stuff while still completing all my school stuff.
I am writing a book report on a book titled The Destiny of the Righteous in the Psalms, written by Jerome Creach. It is an amazing book and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for good material to read. For me it brings the Psalms alive, makes them understandable, and most importantly practical for our lives today. It is a pretty easy read, and only 155 pages. I will definitely keep it on my shelf and read it more than once in my life time. I will let you buy the book (it's not very expensive) and read it for yourself, but today I want to share one small part of it with you. This is a quote from chapter two titled: "The Activity of the Righteous". "Praise is not just a way of speaking about or to our God; it is also a way of living in light of one's relationship with God. Praise is the most basic "activity" of the righteous, the action from which all else emerges." (p.31). The book defines "the righteous" not as moral purity, but rather as essentially a relational term, referring to our righteousness being only from God. It is the understanding that at all times and in all places "the Lord reigns". He is creator and we are creatures who depend on Him. So when we know that He reigns, and we depend on Him, we should live our lives through praising Him. This then goes back to the fact that praising Him does not mean we sit around and talk or sing praise to Him (not that we shouldn't do this), but more importantly that praise should be everything we do in actions and words. Living a life that is pleasing in His sight and through all we do and all we say gives the glory to His name. People should be able to see through our lives that we know, understand, and live by the fact that we are creatures created by the creator, our Great Lord and God. I brought this out with my Galatians Bible study through the most dreaded verse by Lutherans, James 2:17, "So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead."(ESV). We Lutherans do not like this verse because we're scared it will sound too much like works righteousness. However, we know we are saved by faith in Christ alone by his grace. So not that we know that, we should not sit idly by and not work for fear of looking like works righteousness, but praise Him in the sense that we live the activity of our righteousness to show we know our relationship with Him. Now I know this is easier said than done, because trust me I fail at this day in and day out too. However, the more we try and ask the Spirit to give us the strength to live a life of praise (by the above definition), the more we will find ourselves actually living that life of praise. All Praise (as an activity and song) be to Him who is our creator, creating us in a life that is in relationship with Him, making us His righteous children.
LSB Hymn 558 (1,4)- this hymn is written based on Psalm 115
Not unto us, not unto us be glory, Lord
Not unto us but to Your name be praise
Not unto us but to Your name all honor be giv'n
For matchless mercy, forgiveness, and grace
Not unto us but to Your name be glory, Lord
For grace so rich, so wide, so high, so free
Abide with us, till trav'ling days are over and done
And pilgrim feet lead us home, Lord, to You. Amen.
Sunday, September 16, 2012
Bible Study
Greetings to you in the name of our Christ and Lord. This week was a busy one. I worked nine straight hours Wednesday for all three jobs since I do not have classes on Wednesdays. This coming week is going to be busy too because symposium is Tuesday and Wednesday. However, we do not have classes those days either so hopefully I can get caught back up on reading and homework. The next couple weeks are going to be crazy as I am traveling to Michigan for a fellow seminarian's wedding, and then am in a wedding in Nebraska for some college friends. It will be a lot of traveling, but I think I can manage to keep caught up as long as I work a little harder while I am here.
I led my first Adult Bible class today after church. Last year the second year guy led it over Job, and the most he ever had was six people. I changed a few things, had two weeks worth of notice in the bulletin, and thought I would be optimistic and make eight copies of my handout plus the original. Then as I was getting the coffee out and all of my stuff ready, more and more people kept coming into the classroom. I ended up with eleven people so a few couples had to share handouts. It was a blessed surprise. I led them through the introduction of Galatians, a few key terms and definitions, and then explained two kinds of righteousness to them as in my mind that is key to understanding Galatians. We then dove into chapter one and got through all of the questions with even some deep discussions and side tangents. I was very pleased with how well it went and thank the Lord that He was with me. Afterwards they all seemed excited to continue on next time and I do hope they all come back. The one little old lady told me I will make a great Pastor. I jokingly told her to hold that opinion until she hears me preach in about a month. I hope it continues to go well, because I would like to keep the motivation to put in the time and effort to be well prepared and intentional about the Bible study which is easier to do if they are excited about it too. I know though it's not just me, but the Lord is with me and my teaching too.
I will either preach the last Sunday in October or the first Sunday in November. I will also continue to be lectern and do liturgy. As active as I am going to be in the church on Sunday's, I will be well prepared for vicarage, hopefully.
One of the themes from our Bible study that is pretty basic but can never be emphasized enough is the love and Christian attitude we use when dealing with all people. It doesn't matter whether they are religious of a different denomination or non-religious at all, the more love and genuine care we show to that person, the better chance of building a relationship with them we have. If someone of a different religion tells us we are wrong, we need to be patient, kind, considerate, and loving to that person. If we just get mad and say, "Am not, YOU'RE wrong!" we sound like a fifth grader and all hope of changing their opinion is gone. However, if we just dialogue with them, ask them what they truly believe and compare faiths with them, we stand a better chance of inviting them to listen to our side. If we remain calm and have a mature conversation with that person we have a chance to plant the seed of truth and pray that the Holy Spirit makes it grow. All we can do is share the truth we know with everyone and hope it is the seed that the Holy Spirit causes to grow. We cannot convince them or try to force them to come to the faith. We are called to share the Gospel, and that means both through our words and even more importantly through our actions in our relationships. So next time someone wants to argue with you over anything, remember to show them the same love and compassion Christ shows you and see what happens. Then afterward, pray for that person that he or she may someday find the truth and become a baptized child of God who knows the truth of His Gospel. All Praise Him who forgives us and gives us His free grace, mercy and love, allowing us to live lives that reflect those unto our neighbors so that they too may know what a wonderful God we have and serve.
Hymn 783 LSB
Dear Father in Heaven,
Take my life and let it be, Consecrated, Lord, to thee,
Take my moments and my days, Let them flow in ceaseless praise
Take my will and make it Thine, It shall be no longer mine
Take my heart, it is Thine own, It shall be Thy royal throne
Take my love, my Lord, I pour, At Thy feet its treasure store
Take myself, and I will be, Ever, only, all for Thee
In Your name we pray, Amen.
I led my first Adult Bible class today after church. Last year the second year guy led it over Job, and the most he ever had was six people. I changed a few things, had two weeks worth of notice in the bulletin, and thought I would be optimistic and make eight copies of my handout plus the original. Then as I was getting the coffee out and all of my stuff ready, more and more people kept coming into the classroom. I ended up with eleven people so a few couples had to share handouts. It was a blessed surprise. I led them through the introduction of Galatians, a few key terms and definitions, and then explained two kinds of righteousness to them as in my mind that is key to understanding Galatians. We then dove into chapter one and got through all of the questions with even some deep discussions and side tangents. I was very pleased with how well it went and thank the Lord that He was with me. Afterwards they all seemed excited to continue on next time and I do hope they all come back. The one little old lady told me I will make a great Pastor. I jokingly told her to hold that opinion until she hears me preach in about a month. I hope it continues to go well, because I would like to keep the motivation to put in the time and effort to be well prepared and intentional about the Bible study which is easier to do if they are excited about it too. I know though it's not just me, but the Lord is with me and my teaching too.
I will either preach the last Sunday in October or the first Sunday in November. I will also continue to be lectern and do liturgy. As active as I am going to be in the church on Sunday's, I will be well prepared for vicarage, hopefully.
One of the themes from our Bible study that is pretty basic but can never be emphasized enough is the love and Christian attitude we use when dealing with all people. It doesn't matter whether they are religious of a different denomination or non-religious at all, the more love and genuine care we show to that person, the better chance of building a relationship with them we have. If someone of a different religion tells us we are wrong, we need to be patient, kind, considerate, and loving to that person. If we just get mad and say, "Am not, YOU'RE wrong!" we sound like a fifth grader and all hope of changing their opinion is gone. However, if we just dialogue with them, ask them what they truly believe and compare faiths with them, we stand a better chance of inviting them to listen to our side. If we remain calm and have a mature conversation with that person we have a chance to plant the seed of truth and pray that the Holy Spirit makes it grow. All we can do is share the truth we know with everyone and hope it is the seed that the Holy Spirit causes to grow. We cannot convince them or try to force them to come to the faith. We are called to share the Gospel, and that means both through our words and even more importantly through our actions in our relationships. So next time someone wants to argue with you over anything, remember to show them the same love and compassion Christ shows you and see what happens. Then afterward, pray for that person that he or she may someday find the truth and become a baptized child of God who knows the truth of His Gospel. All Praise Him who forgives us and gives us His free grace, mercy and love, allowing us to live lives that reflect those unto our neighbors so that they too may know what a wonderful God we have and serve.
Hymn 783 LSB
Dear Father in Heaven,
Take my life and let it be, Consecrated, Lord, to thee,
Take my moments and my days, Let them flow in ceaseless praise
Take my will and make it Thine, It shall be no longer mine
Take my heart, it is Thine own, It shall be Thy royal throne
Take my love, my Lord, I pour, At Thy feet its treasure store
Take myself, and I will be, Ever, only, all for Thee
In Your name we pray, Amen.
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Settled in/ Leaky kind of People!
Greetings to you all. Well I am finally all unpack and organized in my new room. It is weird though because as I started putting things away in drawers, I realized how much more free space I have every where. Not only is my room actually bigger in size, but I have a second book shelf and a huge storage space under my bed. I cannot believe how many free drawers I have and just open space I have for a dorm room. Now some might walk into my room and say this is the small room you are bragging about. However, I would then proceed to show them the TINY room I lived in last year and let them see how big this one is relatively speaking. It just feels good to know where everything is and to be able to call it home for the year.
I also played in our first intramural flag football game today. We lost on the very last play of the game but it was still fun. Last year I did not get to play football because I worked every Tuesday, plus my team was not very good. It felt good to hear I went decently high in the draft this year from the other captains. One of my friends was going to draft me, but he said I went before he was ready to pick me. Now I am just hoping to help support my team so they feel I was worthy of that pick. Other than that I am just trying to get into school work and classes again. I am fighting a cold that at first I thought was a sinus infection, but now is just the sniffles and a slight cough. However, it seems to be getting better each day. I have also been spending quite a bit of time just reading the Bible. I am realizing how unfamiliar I am with the themes of the individual books, and where important themes and verses are. So, my goal is to spend some part of every day in the Word, just reading, studying, and reflecting. We are still doing our morning Bible study, but I also am making a point to do more on my own too. This some times comes in the way of other reading, but I figure the professors cannot really be mad at me for putting the Word of God ahead of a textbook written by man.
I also still have to hammer out exactly what I plan to teach this Sunday as my adult Bible study begins, but I will get the questions finalized, my key to my answers finished, and just a general lesson plan to keep us on topic. Please keep my teaching abilities in your prayers as I will need the Lord's help to get the truth of His Word to these people.
I think my favorite class this quarter is most likely going to be Pastor as Educator. Dr. Bacon is an amazing man and has me excited to be back in the classroom. If your asking why I said again, it is because I was in the education program at Seward for awhile and did forty hours of classroom experience through those classes. I always did enjoy spending time in the classroom with the kids. The other class I really enjoy is my Hebrew exegetical. I am not so sure I will like the work for the class, because my Hebrew is not as sharp as it used to be, but I enjoy Dr. Lessing's insights. We were looking at key New Testament verses the other day that point back to the "wisdom literature" of the Old Testament. The class is Psalms and Writings so the "wisdom literature" of Proverbs, Job, Jonah, etc. is what we will be looking at besides the Psalms obviously. One key set of verses we looked at is Ephesians 5:15-21. This points us to living not in foolishness like getting drunk, but to live in the wise life, that is Christ's example. However, verse 18 in particular is what we looked at. It states in the ESV, "And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit." Now when you look at the last half of this verse, "...be filled with the spirit," it is best to look at it in the Greek. The Greek verb for "to be filled" is parsed as present, passive, imperative, second person plural from the verb stem meaning "to fill". Each part of that parsing is important, and this is one of the times the original language makes a huge theological importance. The fact that it is an imperative means that it is a command. This is not something we are suggested or hinted at to do, but commanded to do. It's important we do this because God's Word commands us to. The fact that it is present tense is important, because in Greek the present tense does not have the same meaning the present tense does in English. In Greek the present tense means that the action is happening right now, but has an ongoing result. It doesn't just happen and is done, but is continued to be done and keeps going. The fact that it is passive means that it is not something we do but something that is done to us. So we are not the ones who fills us, but we are filled by God with the Spirit. The second person plural shows that it is for "you" but plural meaning everyone. So this one verb by its parsing shows us that this phrase is a command that is for everyone, done by God, and done continuously. This is where Dr. Lessing in his very loud voice said, "See Christians leak!" We are not filled with the Spirit once, but CONTINUOUSLY keep being filled with the Spirit. It is an ongoing process that the Lord commands us to do, even though He is the one who does it to us. So next time your thinking your feeling pretty holy and doing a good job of being a faithful Christian, just remember that you leak! You need to be continuously filled with the Spirit, by spending time in the Word, faithfully praying, and always asking God to keep filling you with the Spirit. All praise Him who is the one who fills us with His Spirit, not abandoning us after raising His Son who redeemed us to His right hand, but continuously filling us with His Spirit to guide us, strengthen us, and keep us in the one true faith.
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you so much for the many blessings you so daily and abundantly enrich our lives with. Please fill us with Your Spirit, not just once, but continuously as You so command us to be. Thank you for giving us Your Spirit, and we ask the He may guide us, strengthen us, and keep us in the protection of Your hand until You call us home to live with You, Your Son, and Your Spirit, our One True God. In Your name we pray, Amen.
I also played in our first intramural flag football game today. We lost on the very last play of the game but it was still fun. Last year I did not get to play football because I worked every Tuesday, plus my team was not very good. It felt good to hear I went decently high in the draft this year from the other captains. One of my friends was going to draft me, but he said I went before he was ready to pick me. Now I am just hoping to help support my team so they feel I was worthy of that pick. Other than that I am just trying to get into school work and classes again. I am fighting a cold that at first I thought was a sinus infection, but now is just the sniffles and a slight cough. However, it seems to be getting better each day. I have also been spending quite a bit of time just reading the Bible. I am realizing how unfamiliar I am with the themes of the individual books, and where important themes and verses are. So, my goal is to spend some part of every day in the Word, just reading, studying, and reflecting. We are still doing our morning Bible study, but I also am making a point to do more on my own too. This some times comes in the way of other reading, but I figure the professors cannot really be mad at me for putting the Word of God ahead of a textbook written by man.
I also still have to hammer out exactly what I plan to teach this Sunday as my adult Bible study begins, but I will get the questions finalized, my key to my answers finished, and just a general lesson plan to keep us on topic. Please keep my teaching abilities in your prayers as I will need the Lord's help to get the truth of His Word to these people.
I think my favorite class this quarter is most likely going to be Pastor as Educator. Dr. Bacon is an amazing man and has me excited to be back in the classroom. If your asking why I said again, it is because I was in the education program at Seward for awhile and did forty hours of classroom experience through those classes. I always did enjoy spending time in the classroom with the kids. The other class I really enjoy is my Hebrew exegetical. I am not so sure I will like the work for the class, because my Hebrew is not as sharp as it used to be, but I enjoy Dr. Lessing's insights. We were looking at key New Testament verses the other day that point back to the "wisdom literature" of the Old Testament. The class is Psalms and Writings so the "wisdom literature" of Proverbs, Job, Jonah, etc. is what we will be looking at besides the Psalms obviously. One key set of verses we looked at is Ephesians 5:15-21. This points us to living not in foolishness like getting drunk, but to live in the wise life, that is Christ's example. However, verse 18 in particular is what we looked at. It states in the ESV, "And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit." Now when you look at the last half of this verse, "...be filled with the spirit," it is best to look at it in the Greek. The Greek verb for "to be filled" is parsed as present, passive, imperative, second person plural from the verb stem meaning "to fill". Each part of that parsing is important, and this is one of the times the original language makes a huge theological importance. The fact that it is an imperative means that it is a command. This is not something we are suggested or hinted at to do, but commanded to do. It's important we do this because God's Word commands us to. The fact that it is present tense is important, because in Greek the present tense does not have the same meaning the present tense does in English. In Greek the present tense means that the action is happening right now, but has an ongoing result. It doesn't just happen and is done, but is continued to be done and keeps going. The fact that it is passive means that it is not something we do but something that is done to us. So we are not the ones who fills us, but we are filled by God with the Spirit. The second person plural shows that it is for "you" but plural meaning everyone. So this one verb by its parsing shows us that this phrase is a command that is for everyone, done by God, and done continuously. This is where Dr. Lessing in his very loud voice said, "See Christians leak!" We are not filled with the Spirit once, but CONTINUOUSLY keep being filled with the Spirit. It is an ongoing process that the Lord commands us to do, even though He is the one who does it to us. So next time your thinking your feeling pretty holy and doing a good job of being a faithful Christian, just remember that you leak! You need to be continuously filled with the Spirit, by spending time in the Word, faithfully praying, and always asking God to keep filling you with the Spirit. All praise Him who is the one who fills us with His Spirit, not abandoning us after raising His Son who redeemed us to His right hand, but continuously filling us with His Spirit to guide us, strengthen us, and keep us in the one true faith.
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you so much for the many blessings you so daily and abundantly enrich our lives with. Please fill us with Your Spirit, not just once, but continuously as You so command us to be. Thank you for giving us Your Spirit, and we ask the He may guide us, strengthen us, and keep us in the protection of Your hand until You call us home to live with You, Your Son, and Your Spirit, our One True God. In Your name we pray, Amen.
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Early to bed.. Early to rise..
Good morning and greetings to you through Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior. For those of you who know me well, you know I am a late night kind of guy who is most definitely not a morning person. However, so far this school year I have been going to bed about eleven thirty every night and have been getting up at six thirty each morning. Now I was up at six thirty every morning this summer for work, so it probably does not seem like that big of a deal that I am still getting up that early. However, getting up for work I have always been able to do, because being late to work just is not an option. Getting up that early on my own free will is impossible. I tried the first couple mornings I was down here, before classes started, and I ended up rolling out of bed anywhere from nine to even ten thirty. However, my dear friend Chris wanted to do a Bible study and the only real time we could do it together every day is that early in the morning. Now, I do not want it to seem like I do not think Bible studies are important or that it is not worth getting out of bed for, but when that alarm goes off the first thought through my head is, "Nope, not today." It's a good thing Chris is my neighbor and I know if I do not get out of bed and get dressed he will be over pounding on my door. Once I get out of bed, use the restroom, and get that first sip of coffee I am wide awake and excited to be up. It is just a very slow and kind of cranky process making it through those first three steps, especially the first one. Then when I stop and think about it, isn't it kind of funny how that works. To get up for work, of course I do not want to get up but I know I have to so I always do. Or when I get up before day light during hunting season to be out in the blind before sunrise, I have very few problems getting myself up and ready. But ask me to get up for a Bible study and it takes everything in my power to drag myself out a of bed. This is my sinful nature at work in me. My sinful nature is more than happy to allow me to do fun things like hunting or things that just seem mandatory like work. However, my sinful nature resists anything to do with God or faith. The Devil just whispers in my ear, "Doesn't your bed just feel so comfortable? You can skip just this one day of Bible study and still be a good Christian." And if it was not for good friends holding each other accountable I would listen to those whispers everyday. Thank the Lord He has given me good friends who can support each other to not listen to those temptations.
Once I'm up, I love our time together and the studying and meditation we accomplish. We are working through the book of Galatians right now and it brings up some great discussions. It is especially good for me because that is the book I will be using for my Bible study at my field work church. I truly do believe there is no better way to start every day then to be able to sit outside while it is still cool, drink a hot cup of coffee, and read and discuss the Word. If you have never tried it, I highly recommend it. But again, I suggest doing it with a friend or group to hold you accountable to actually doing it.
Once I'm up, I love our time together and the studying and meditation we accomplish. We are working through the book of Galatians right now and it brings up some great discussions. It is especially good for me because that is the book I will be using for my Bible study at my field work church. I truly do believe there is no better way to start every day then to be able to sit outside while it is still cool, drink a hot cup of coffee, and read and discuss the Word. If you have never tried it, I highly recommend it. But again, I suggest doing it with a friend or group to hold you accountable to actually doing it.
Other than that I am just slowly getting back into school mode with classes and work. Right now I have the advantage that my books have not come in the mail yet so I have a valid excuse to not read. However, that will sadly only last another day or two and then I will have to play catch up. I am super excited though because this weekend is a big one. I get to move into my bigger room which means I can finally unpack and get everything out of storage and feel like I actually live in my own room. I am also excited because my good friend Aaron Sailor is coming into town. Not only do I get to hang out with him, but he is taking me to a Cardinals game. I told myself this would be the year I get to one and sure enough he is helping me accomplish that goal. I told him I would buy his beer and snacks since he is paying for my ticket. I know it will be a blast, just have to pray for nice weather.
One thing that came up in our discussion through our Bible study was the idea of justified through Christ. Galatians 2:16 is sometimes referred to as Luther's verse, because it was one of the main verses he used to defend his view at the diets during the reformation. Every good Lutheran knows we are justified by Christ alone through faith alone, but what does it really mean to be justified in Christ? I hope you think about this on your own for awhile and try to really hammer out what that sweet statement means to you and your faith. So go ahead and stop reading this for a couple minutes and then when you have pondered on it, continue reading to see what little old me has to say.
OK, you have thought about it? Well here is what I will say about it. A professor of mine, while explaining two kinds of righteousness (which if you do not know what that is please ask me and I will GLADLY explain it to you), explained it this way. When we lay in bed at night at the end of the day, we begin to think about what we did that day and how we did that day. We may think was I the best mother/father I could have been? Was I the best husband/wife I could have been? Was I the best boss/employee I could have been? Was I the best/most faithful neighbor I could have been? The answers to these questions will most likely always come up as no. While we may not have done anything wrong that day, we will always feel like we could have done more or done better. We will always fall short of perfection when looking at how we live our lives. We are sinners and we fail daily, hard truth of life. However, while we know we might have let down our spouse, child, co-worker, or neighbor, we also have the assurance we are justified in God's eyes. We are righteous in our relationship with Him. Not because of anything we did, because we sinned and failed to keep His expectations too, but because of Christ's righteousness which we have upon us. We know that we are righteous and justified in the eyes of our Lord each and every night. This gives us comfort and hope. It also gives us the strength to wake up the next day and try harder to be a better spouse, child, parent, employee, etc. We wake up every morning with a clean slate to try our very best to be the best person we can be. Not because it is for our salvation, but because it is what we are called to do. And every night when we think about what we could have done better, we have the assurance we are still blameless and pure in the eyes of the Lord because of the simple fact that we are justified through Christ. All Praise be to Him who sent His one and only Son to die for us, allowing us terrible, failing sinners to be justified and righteous in His sight because through baptism we were clothed with the holy, pure, and eternal righteousness of Christ our Savior.
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you so much for the people you have placed in our lives. Help us each to hold our brothers and sisters accountable to growing closer to You, stronger in our faith, and closer to each other. Thank you for also giving us our salvation and justification completely through Your free grace and mercy. We deserve nothing besides eternal punishment for the lives we live. But through Your gracious mercy, You gave us our salvation at the cost of Your Son's life. Help us to be the best children of Your's we can be each and every day, knowing that even when we fall short we are still justified in Your eyes. We ask all this in the name of our Lord, Jesus. Amen.
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