the faithpal

coffee with jesus

2012-01-26T08:22:00.000-08:00

choose life

2012-01-24T08:46:00.000-08:00

shipwrecked

2012-01-18T08:10:00.000-08:00

Perhaps you have been following the unfolding story of the “Costa Concordia,” the cruise liner that capsized off the coast of Italy. So far 40 people are either dead or missing. Nearly 300 years ago another “Concordia” ran into bad weather and disappeared off the coast of Africa in the Indian Ocean. 130 people on board were lost. More recently, in 2010, another “Concordia” sank off the coast of Brazil, and 64 people were saved.

At that time Dale Meyer, the president of Concordia Seminary, taped the news story to his office door as a reminder that poor leadership can be disastrous when you’re steering a ship or institution named “Concordia.” The captain is the focus of attention in the most recent tragedy. He’s been placed under arrest on charges of manslaughter, shipwreck, and abandoning ship with passengers aboard.

Concordia is a greek word that means peace or harmony. This is what we should strive for in the church as the body of Christ. In 1 Timothy chapter 1 Paul speaks of this wonderful gift of God, and then adds a warning for Timothy and for us -

"The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. Some have wandered away from this and turned to meaningless talk ... My son, I give you this instruction in keeping with the prophecies once made, so that by following them you may fight the good fight, holding on to faith and a good conscience. Some have rejected these and so have shipwrecked their faith."

May the Lord lead the ark of His church into quiet and peaceful waters ... May we ever follow our Captain regardless of what lies ahead... And may the prevailing wind of the Holy Spirit continue to guide and direct our paths on the sea.

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following jesus

2012-01-17T14:37:00.000-08:00

What does it mean to follow Jesus?

- to believe in Him and what He has done for you in His life, death, and resurrection
- to confess your sins and receive His forgiveness
- to trust in Him alone for your salvation
- to grow in grace and exercise your faith
- to be in the Word, in prayer, and in worship with His people
- to be called out and sent out
- to be in the world but not of the world
- to love and forgive those who have wronged you
- to serve one another and bear each others' burdens
- to suffer and die
- to rise and live

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the divine drama

2012-01-12T14:35:00.000-08:00

Once upon a time ....

That's how all the great stories and fairy tales begin.
But how about you? Where did you begin? Where does your story start?

Most of us think of the day of our birth. That's only natural, but actually each one of our stories goes back much farther. It goes back to when you were conceived, back to when your parents were married, back to when they first met, back to your grandparents and great grandparents generation, back to when your ansestors emigrated to America.

Our stories are connected and intertwined with many others - famiy, friends, neighbors, citizens.

And on a grander scale our stories are connected and caught up into the grand story - the great and grand cosmic story of God's salvation and redemption for all people.

That's why the Gospel story from Mark about the beginning of Jesus' ministry is connected with the beginning of creation in Genesis 1. We might think the Gospel story begins with Jesus birth which we celebrated at Christmas, or with the Baptism of Jesus as He begins His ministry. But the truth is that the genesis of this story goes back much much farther, and encompasses much much more than we could ever imagine.

Someone once asked the novelist Stephen King if the story of good vs. evil makes the best story.
He replied by saying that not only did it make the best story, but that it may very well be the only story.

The story of good and evil is in a sense the only story. The story all others are based on. It is the divine drama - the grand story of the creation, fall, redemption, and restoration of all people and all things. And that includes you and me here today.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. - Gen. 1:1

The beginning point of the story is God. We have been conditioned in this country to think that all things begin and end with us. But the Bible has a different subject of the story. “God created” “The Spirit of God was hovering” “And God said it was good”. God is the subject, and creation is the object, the recipient.

Many today no longer believe that creation is “good". Many no longer believe in a God who created all things. Our sinful nature wants to place us as the subject of the story; and we begin to live in rebellion against God. It is as though we have lost our story.

But God has not left us alone in our misery. He has not left us to our own devices.
From the very beginning He put into place and set into motion his rescue mission for His creation.
After the fall He called His people out of the darkness of their sin. He spoke words of promise to Abraham, Moses, to the patriarchs and to the prophets. And just as He spoke at the beginning of creation He speaks at the beginning of the restoration of that creation - at Jesus' baptism, announcing him as His Son and proclaiming that His kingdom has now come. He speaks in claiming us as his children in our baptism, burying us with him in a death like his so that we could be raised to life in a resurrection like his.

God comes to bring light into darkness - to bring order out of chaos - to bring life out of death.

That's the significance of the Baptism of Jesus, one of the few events recorded in all four Gospels, as Jesus stand in the Jordan river in our place as the one true Israelite - Israel reduced to one - the one who would set out to do what neither we nor Israel could ever do. To live a perfect life - die a sacrificial death - and rise from the dead - all for us and in our place - all in order to bring us back to God.

And as he does so He makes us righteous and holy before God, acceptable in His sight once again, restoring the relationship between God and man, so that we might come home and live forever in heaven with Him for all eternity.

God comes in Christ to bring salvation, redemption, forgiveness, wholeness, restoration - new creation. And just as before, there is light in the darkness, order in the chaos, life in the midst of death.

And once again, all is well. For in Him we really can live happily ever after ....

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jesus begins his ministry

2012-01-10T15:14:00.001-08:00

blessed epiphany

2012-01-06T09:08:00.000-08:00

Epiphany is the climax of the Advent/Christmas Season and the Twelve Days of Christmas, from December 25th until January 6th.
For many traditions, the season of Epiphany extends from January 6th until Ash Wednesday, which begins the season of Lent leading to Easter.
The term epiphany means "to show", "to reveal", or to "make known".
We remember the coming of the wise men bringing gifts to visit the Christ child, who by doing so "reveal" Jesus to the world as King and Lord of all.

the great adventure

2012-01-04T19:05:00.000-08:00

Mark begins with these words - "The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God."
This is what it's all about. This is what's important - the foundation, the standard, the primary stuff of the gospel. The entire book of Mark can be seen as the "beginning of the gospel". This is only the beginning. There is much more to come. The end is not yet here. The story continues on and on as the good news of the gospel is proclaimed to all nations.

Join us at Bethany this new year on a Great Adventure from Epiphany to Easter, as we mine the treasures and explore the mysteries within the pages of the Gospel of Mark.

“The Great Adventure of the Gospel of Mark”

1/1 – The Last Year of Your Life
1/8 – The Divine Drama
1/15 – Come and See
1/22 – The Call
1/29 – The Authority

2/5 – The Healing
2/12 – The Cleansing
2/19 – The Transforming
2/26 – The Proclaiming

3/4 – The Turning Point
3/11 – The Law
3/18 – The Gospel
3/25 – The Ransom

4/1 – The Parade (Palm Sunday)
4/5 – The Passover (Holy Thursday)
4/6 – The End (Good Friday)
4/8 – The Beginning (Easter Sunday)

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name above all names

2012-01-02T08:14:00.001-08:00

first christmas

2011-12-26T07:55:00.000-08:00

In the year 2015 from the birth of Abraham, in the year 1510 from the exodus of the people of Israel out of Egypt, in the year 1032 from the enthronement of David the Prophet and King, in the sixtieth "week" of the prophecy of Daniel, in the forty-second year of the reign of Caesar Augustus, in the thirty-third year of the reign of Herod, when the staff had gone from Judah has had been prophesied by Jacob the Patriarch, at a time when the whole world was at peace, it pleased God to send His only-begotten Son and Eternal Word to the world to become Man and to teach us God's love, to suffer, die, and rise from the dead for our salvation.

At that time, the Lord Jesus was born in a humble cave in Bethlehem of Judah, and no one knew of it but the Virgin Mary his Mother and Joseph her spouse. No one heard of this miracle surpassing all miracles but a few humble shepherds who had been told by angels in the sky that sang this hymn: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will towards men." Then the Magi came from the East, led by a star in the heaven: they found their way to where the Divine Infant rested, and they adored Him, and opening their treasures, they offered Him gifts of gold, incense and myrrh.

To God Incarnate, to the suckling Infant who humbled Himself and took our form, becoming one of us to make us divine; to the One who later walked among us to teach us the way of salvation and who loved us so much as to give His life for it: to Him be glory, honor, and adoration forever and ever. Oh, come, let us adore Him!

(from the kalends - an ancient latin liturgy)

nativity

2011-12-23T20:01:00.000-08:00

It was not decent, that birth in the straw.
It did not smell of antiseptic, but dung.
No midwives to guide, just two rough, awkward hands.
Not the way to imagine your first son’s birth,
much less the birth of a God.
Another irony added to the tale;
one would think He delighted in them.
Yet how compassionate,
that in calling others to stoop low He asks them to go no lower than Himself.
A King for the people, among the people,
with the lips, and hands, and feet of a child.
Like the first Adam, greeted by the beasts at his first arrival,
But His destiny to release, not bind their chains of corruption.
Those groans of labor cried so that all the world might groan no more.

(from "the lay of the lord" by chris yokel)

shroud of turin authentic?

2011-12-21T13:44:00.000-08:00

Experiments done recently by Italian researchers indicate the possibility that the Shroud of Turin is authentic.

Researchers from Italy's National Agency for New Technologiest believe their findings undermine previous theories that the shroud was a fake from medieval times.

Scientists were able to replicate marks on the cloth using highly advanced ultraviolet techniques that weren't available 2,000 years ago -- or during medieval times.

Since the shroud still can't be replicated using today's top-notch technology, researchers say its not possible for the original image to have been created in either period.

Of course, the "authenticity" of the Shroud has no implications on whether or not Christ was real, or whether He was divine. If it does turn out to be a medieval forgery, it doesn't have any bearing on our faith.

But you have to admit - it is pretty fascinating.

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winter, by robert burns

2011-12-19T08:03:00.000-08:00

The wintry west extends his blast,
And hail and rain does blow;
Or the stormy north sends driving forth
The blinding sleet and snaw:
While, tumbling brown, the burn comes down,
And roars frae bank to brae;
And bird and beast in covert rest,
And pass the heartless day.

“The sweeping blast, the sky o’ercast,”
The joyless winter day
Let others fear, to me more dear
Than all the pride of May:
The tempest’s howl, it soothes my soul,
My griefs it seems to join;
The leafless trees my fancy please,
Their fate resembles mine!

Thou Power Supreme, whose mighty scheme
These woes of mine fulfil,
Here firm I rest; they must be best,
Because they are Thy will!
Then all I want, O do Thou grant
This one request of mine,
Since to enjoy Thou dost deny,
Assist me to resign.

rare arctic white rainbow near the north pole

2011-12-16T07:33:00.000-08:00

the adventure begins ...

2011-12-13T13:51:00.000-08:00

Many people today are asking questions like "Who really was Jesus?" "What does it mean to be a Christian?" and "Why does it really matter to me?"

This is precisely why Mark wrote his Gospel nearly 2000 years ago – to answer these questions and to help second generation Christians who were being persecuted know how their faith began, to help them know the truth of what they believed, and to give them comfort and strength in the midst of their sufferings. Mark writes his Gospel to remind his fellow Christians that its all true. It really happened, just as God planned, just as Jesus said, just as you have been taught. And its not only true, but it is worth living, suffering, and even dying for.

Up until this time, Christians came together to gather and worship without a complete Bible.
They didn’t yet have the entire written New Testament. They relied on the oral tradition, on sermons, teachings, and stories told them by other believers to learn about Jesus.

That’s where Mark’s Gospel comes in. Mark writes his Gospel to chronicle the origin of the Christian faith. Mark was not an eyewitness to Jesus, so he writes himself as a second generation Christian. But ancient sources tell us that Mark based his story on the recollections of the apostle Peter. Mark was Peter’s personal assistant, so he was familiar with the sermons and stories Peter told. And Peter was an eyewitness to the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.

Mark begins with these words - The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
In other words, this is what its all about. This is whats important, the foundation, the standard, the primary stuff of the gospel. And its not just the first sentence, or the first chapter, but really the entire book of Mark can be seen as the "beginning of the gospel". For this book is only the beginning of the gospel. There is much more to come. The end is not yet here. The story continues on and on as the good news of the gospel is proclaimed to all nations.

Stay tuned, as we go on a great adventure this next year to explore the mysteries and mine the treasures hidden within the pages of the Gospel of Mark.

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2011-12-09T07:05:00.001-08:00

a sacred christmas eve

2011-12-08T12:25:00.001-08:00

from "A Christmas Poem", by John Betjeman

2011-12-07T13:34:00.000-08:00

Is it true? Is it true?
This most tremendous tale of all,
Seen in a stained-glass window’s hue,
A Baby in an ox’s stall?
The Maker of the stars and sea
Become a Child on earth for me?

Is it true? For if it is,
No loving fingers tying strings
Around those tissued fripperies,
The sweet and silly Christmas things,
Bath salts and inexpensive scent
And hideous tie so kindly meant,

No love that in a family dwells,
Nor carolling in frosty air,
Nor all the steeple-shaking bells
Can with this single Truth compare
That God was Man in Palestine
And lives today in Bread and Wine.

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genealogy of jesus

2011-12-05T09:20:00.000-08:00

christmas tree at concordia seminary library

2011-12-01T19:39:00.003-08:00

the advent season

2011-11-28T08:20:00.000-08:00

It's the first Sunday of Advent - the beginning of a new church year. What is Advent? Advent is the season of getting ready for Christmas - the time to get ready for Jesus.

Advent is the season of watching and waiting. It is the opposite of our culture's demand for instant gratification. It is the church's way of saying, "Not yet, but very soon." It is a season of waiting in expectation for God's promises to be fulfilled. It is Jesus' way of saying, "Ready or not, here I come!" It is the present reality of a past event that determines our future. It is a wake-up call to remind us that the Messiah who once came is coming again, and is here among us now. It is the time to remember, repent, and be ready.

As we slow down and take the time to allow God's Word to soak in and saturate our lives this Advent season, we will begin to see ourselves as one of the characters in God's great story of salvation. And as we continue to move throughout the seasons of the church year, we begin to find that God's story becomes our story - Jesus' life becomes our life, Jesus' death becomes our death, Jesus' resurrection becomes our resurrection. Have a blessed Advent.

(picture - diane meyer, respublica)

the schuettes and the langes at thanksgiving

2011-11-27T20:57:00.001-08:00

the a-team in hk

2011-11-24T07:43:00.000-08:00

hk scrapbook

2011-11-23T09:29:00.000-08:00

kids in hk

2011-11-22T06:12:00.001-08:00

george winston - thanksgiving

2011-11-20T15:09:00.001-08:00

hong kong in fifty words or less

2011-11-17T13:57:00.000-08:00

big, bright, loud, life, lights, energy, water, land, islands, mountains, buildings, steel, metal, concrete, jungle, sights, sounds, smells, tastes, delightful, delicious, food heaven, free, international, money, finance, labor, workers, moving, busy, students, teachers, classes, schools, gertrude simon, strong women, brave men, old message, new friends, good people, great god

mini lange reunion

2011-11-09T23:01:00.000-08:00

a mini lange reunion with josh at lcms mission headquarters in hong kong

sunset at ocean park

yuen long park (right across from the school)

2011-11-08T16:16:00.000-08:00

2011-11-07T19:29:00.000-08:00

here is a map of hong kong showing where we are - an area just west of the new territories called yuen long.

2011-11-05T15:30:00.000-07:00

the school motto is matthew 5:14 - "you are the light of the world"

gertrude simon school in hong kong

2011-11-05T15:27:00.000-07:00

this is the school we are at this week teaching english, making new friends, building relationships, and sharing the gospel.

hong kong bound!

2011-11-03T23:52:00.000-07:00

reformed by the gospel

2011-10-31T07:45:00.000-07:00

Like a lightning bolt from heaven, the revelation of God's salvation in Jesus Christ comes down and does its thing, cutting sinners to the heart with the demands of the law, and then comforting and saving them by the power of the Gospel. That's what happened 500 years ago to a monk named Martin Luther, as he searched the Scriptures and discovered in the book of Romans that the righteousness of God was not something that he had to attain on his own by his own merit, but instead was a free gift from God by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.

2011-10-26T16:45:00.000-07:00

"It is not we who build. Christ builds the church. No man builds the church but Christ alone. Whoever is minded to build the church is surely well on the way to destroying it; for he will build a temple to idols without wishing or knowing it. We must confess – he builds. We must proclaim – he builds. We must pray to him – that he may build.

We do not know his plans. We cannot see whether he is building or pulling down. It may be that the times which by human standards are times of collapse are for him the great times of construction. It may be that the times which from a human point of view are great times for the church are times when it is pulled down.

It is a great comfort which Christ gives to his church: you confess, preach, bear witness to me and I alone will build where it pleases me. Do not meddle in what is my province. Do what is given to you to do well and you have done enough. But do it well. Pay no heed to views and opinions. Don’t ask for judgments. Don’t always be calculating what will happen. Don’t always be on the lookout for another refuge! Church, stay a church! But church, confess, confess, confess! Christ alone is your Lord; from his grace alone can you live as you are. Christ builds." - Dietrich Bonhoeffer

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happy birthday ferdinand

2011-10-26T08:12:00.000-07:00

Yesterday marked the 200th anniversary of the birth of C.F.W. Walther, the first president of both Concordia Seminary and the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod. Happy Birthday Ferdinand - and thanks for not giving up.
(ht - respublica)

pastor appreciation

2011-10-23T11:49:00.000-07:00

(from the blog - We Are All Beggars)

There are many ways for a congregation to celebrate its pastor. A card, a gift, a special dinner.
These things are all well and good. But this is not how you really appreciate your pastor.
So how should you show that you appreciate your pastor? We'll get to that in a second.
First - why should a pastor be appreciated in the first place?

It’s not because he’s popular, has a good personality, or is a snappy dresser. It’s not because he’s great with kids or tells funny jokes. It’s not because he’s likable in any way. Even if you don't really like your pastor that much, you should still appreciate him. Why? Because he’s the one who has been chosen to stand in the place of Christ for you. He’s Christ’s mouth for you, delivering the Holy Words of God in Law and Gospel. He’s Christ’s hands for you, delivering life, salvation, and the forgiveness of sins in the Sacrament. You appreciate your pastor not because of who he is as an individual, but because of the office in which he stands.

So how should you show appreciation for your pastor? By simply letting him do the things he is called to do. Go to Church. Go to Bible Study. Confess your sins to him and allow him to forgive you. Let your ears be filled with the Word of God and your mouths be filled with the Body and Blood of Christ. Receive what your Pastor is there to give you. Do this and your pastor will feel more appreciated than ever.

“For the gospel is not delivered unto us that we should thereby seek our own praise and glory, or that the people should honor and magnify us the ministers; but to the end that the benefit and glory of Christ might be preached, and that the Father might be glorified in his mercy offered unto us in Christ His Son, whom he delivered for us all, and with whom has given us all things.”

{Martin Luther - Commentary on Galatians}

occupy your church

2011-10-19T07:38:00.000-07:00

occupy your local congregation this sunday in peaceful demonstration against greed, pride, lust, envy, and malice ... by confessing your sins and receiving god's forgiveness in jesus christ

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deutsch days in marthasville

2011-10-17T07:35:00.000-07:00

making candles ...

the osage trail where craftsman, artisans, and native americans make, show, and sell their wares

the lucky winners of a handmade cherry wood table

from fear to faith in five verses

2011-10-14T15:20:00.000-07:00

from fear to faith in five verses ....

all children of adam and eve are sinners - romans 3:23

penalty of sin is death and hell - romans 6:23

jesus christ paid the price for your sin - romans 5:8

through faith in him you are justified and have peace with god - romans 5:1

nothing can separate you from the love of god in jesus christ our lord - romans 8:39

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doorkeeper

2011-10-09T13:45:00.000-07:00

The Doorkeeper
By John William Taylor

To keep God’s door – I am not fit.
I would not ask for more than this, to stand or sit upon the threshold of God’s House,
Out of the reach of sin, to open wide His door, to those who come,
To welcome home, His children and His poor.
To wait and watch the gladness on the face of those that are within.
Sometimes to catch a glimpse or trace of those I love the best,
And know that all I failed to be, and all I failed to do has not sufficed,
To bar them from the Tree of Life, the Paradise of God, the Face of Christ.

“I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of God than to dwell in the tents of the wicked.”
(Psalm 84)

ht - internet monk

creation animation

2011-10-07T15:28:00.001-07:00

top ten things needing to be reformed

2011-10-06T18:04:00.000-07:00

Top 10 Things Needing to be Reformed in the Church (in no particular order)

1. Altar Calls

2. The Sinner's Prayer

3. The Prosperity Gospel

4. The Word/Faith Movement

5. Maryolatry

6. Works Righteousness

7. Materialism

8. Nationalism

9. Individualism

10. Millenialism

dead sea scrolls now online

2011-10-03T14:09:00.001-07:00

michael and all angels

2011-09-29T20:16:00.000-07:00

"And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.

Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down." (Rev. 12)

2011-09-27T08:22:00.001-07:00

fields of gold

2011-09-26T09:05:00.000-07:00

when gazing out on the fields of gold
where the deer and foxes play
come longing thoughts of yesteryear
and where the future lay

gone is the freshness of the spring
and the fiery heat of the day
now comes the calm, the quiet and cool
as the farmer mows the hay

what comes next in this short verse
what else is there to say
although a chill is in the air
i know that it will be okay

in the fog

2011-09-25T18:31:00.000-07:00

clouds

2011-09-23T07:13:00.000-07:00

The clouds tell the story. In between the time God promised to send a Savior and the moment the angels sang in the sky above Bethlehem, and in between the day Jesus ascended into heaven and the day He will descend from heaven, clouds have been and continue to be a constant reminder to us of God's presence.
For behind every dark cloud in the Scriptures, there's a glimmering golden Gospel lining.

After Creation and after the fall into sin, the sin and evil on the earth became so great that God had to destroy the earth by way of a Flood. And though He had to punish the sin and judge the evildoers, He also promised to save the one faithful family left - Noah and his wife and family - 8 people in all.

After the flood, God gave Noah and his family a sign when he placed a rainbow in the clouds.
It was the sign of God’s promise to Noah, and to all mankind, that he would not destroy the earth again with a flood.

The rainbow in the clouds remind us even today that God always keeps his promises.

God led the Children of Israel out of Egypt, into the wilderness, and into the promised land with a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. When God gave Moses the law at Mt. Sinai, a great cloud enveloped the mountain as He spoke. And God appeared to Aaron in the temple on the Day of Atonement in a cloud in the Holy of Holies.

Later when Israel rebelled, the glory of the Lord left the Temple in Jerusalem, in a cloud.
But the cloud returned when Messiah came, as God spoke in a cloud at the transfiguration of Jesus.
Jesus ascended into heaven in a cloud, and He will come again with the clouds, when we will be caught up with Him in the sky on the Last Day.

The clouds tell the story - the story of a promise kept.

Jesus is the promise kept, the ultimate example of God's promise fulfilled. All of the promises of God are yes and amen in Jesus Christ. He is the answer to all of the covenant promises of God. He is the promised Messiah, the Savior and Redeemer of the world, for God laid on Him our sins and the sins of all the world. The ransom is paid, the redemption completed, the promise kept. We are forgiven and set free.

And yet, we still live in the between time, in the now and the not yet.
So in this in between time we hold fast to the promises of God, as we with all creation await the time when God will fulfill his final promise once and for all.

Christ has died, Christ has risen, Christ will come again. Of this we can be sure.
So we don't need to spend all our time gazing up at the clouds, looking into the mystery of what may or may not happen in the future. No, our job is to thank, praise, serve, and obey Him until He comes again ....
when He comes with the clouds.

Remember - behind every cloud is a golden lining of the Gospel, and the story of God’s great love for you in Jesus Christ.

2011-09-21T11:39:00.001-07:00

(from the sacred sandwich)

2011-09-19T06:52:00.000-07:00

Today is the day to "seek the LORD while he may be found, and call on him while he is near, to let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him and to our God, for he will freely pardon." (Isaiah 55)

"Now is the time of God's favor - today is the day of salvation." (2 Cor. 6)

co-exist?

2011-09-15T19:07:00.001-07:00

bald is beautiful

2011-09-14T09:11:00.000-07:00

Going bald can be difficult for a man – especially if he is in his 20s or 30s.

However, a study from the Cleveland Clinic finds that men who embrace their receding hairline tend to do better than men who try compensation techniques, such as surgery or medicine.

“Just feeling awful about the way you look is a horrible way to feel,” said Michael McKee, Ph. D.

And then you lose confidence, and you begin to stumble around. Just go with it the way it is.”

Those men who tried medicine were often disappointed because of the side effects and cost.

Those who tried hair replacement strategies were more stressed than those who did not.

(from fox news)

a hopeful lamentation (from rev. matthew harrison)

2011-09-12T08:00:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, September 11th, the world will stand still as the first post-9/11 decade comes to a close.

As I pause to pen this note to the church, I’m flooded with a swirl of disparate and even conflicting thoughts and feelings. I recall the progression that morning from interest that a “small plane” should have hit the World Trade Center, then the shocking news of a jet airliner hitting the first tower, by mistake? Then the second. The Pentagon. The plane down in Pennsylvania. Confusion. Disbelief. Fear. Frustration. Anger. Revenge. All of that took place for me in the LCMS International Center from which I write now. We all have a story.
Having visited Manhattan the week after the event, and then Ground Zero later, speaking with our LCMS brothers and sisters who lost family and friends (one dear brother shared with me, as we surveyed Ground Zero on an anniversary years later, that he had lost 30 friends that day), I feel ashamed even to write of my own insignificant thoughts. This week the pain that invaded the lives of thousands upon thousands is re-lived, as though the event were just last week. Our own struggles in the Missouri Synod at the time cause me deep lamentation still. Lord, have mercy upon us all. But it is a hopeful lamentation.

The people of the LCMS responded in overwhelming generosity. Thousands upon thousands were assisted
through Lutheran Disaster Response of New York (LDRNY), to which we provided funding. We assisted children who lost parents, provided tuition, counseling, care and much more. LDRNY concentrated on help for victims’ families, and was a major force in the September 11th Families’ Association, which throughout it all has been committed to attending to the concerns and needs of affected families.

The Lord Jesus Himself, in the face of the profound suffering He would undergo for the sins of the world, prayed, “Take this cup from Me. Yet not My will, but Thine be done” (Matt. 26:39). And so it is human and by no means wrong for those so terribly hurt by the senseless carnage 10 years ago, to lament their loss and pain even today, and to cry out, “Why, Lord?” Somehow, in an unfathomable way, the Lord’s hand is not shortened and His universe is still His, despite the carnage of a few madmen. And like His very cross—which appeared senseless and pointless and an end of all hope—so this suffering is purposeful. “My strength is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:9).

At the last, we have one thing to say. One thing to hope. One thing to trust. And that is Christ.

Let us join in prayer for the LCMS Atlantic, Southeastern and Eastern Districts, and for all their leaders and
people, for the witness of the Gospel in New York from Ground Zero, to the Pentagon, to Pennsylvania and
beyond. Let us pray for our nation, our president and the military, for faithfulness in duty and an increase of all
honorable vocations in public and military life. Let us pray especially for those who still suffer the loss of loved
ones. Grant faith, O Lord, in the resurrection and in Your blessed Gospel. Let us pray for our enemies, for justice and for peace. And finally, as we lament this sinful world of pain and loss, let us lament in hope. Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy, Lord, have mercy.

“Through Christ we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in
hope of the glory of God” (Rom. 5:2).

Pastor Matthew C. Harrison
President, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod

2011-09-09T06:42:00.001-07:00

paul maier coming to missouri

2011-09-03T11:07:00.000-07:00

CHRISTIANITY vs. the COMPETITION

Dr. Paul Maier - Tuesday, September 6, 7pm - Faith Lutheran Church / Jeff City

Compared to the bewildering variety of religions, philosophies, sects, cults, and belief systems across the world, the claims of the Christian faith are rooted in much stronger evidence from both sacred and secular sources, such as ancient history, archaeology, and other disciplines.

Join Dr. Maier, the author of such works as “In the Fullness of Time”, “Pontius Pilate”, and “A Skeleton in God’s Closet”, as he weaves his way through the Scriptures, geography, archaeology, and church history to show the unique nature of the Christian faith.

Refreshments will be served and a free-will offering will be taken.

missions in new guinea

2011-09-01T07:52:00.000-07:00

my cousin-in-law john mehl meeting a tribal chief in new guinea.

"the nations will see your righteousness and the kings your glory."

grammar lesson

2011-08-29T17:29:00.000-07:00

Verbs has to agree with their subjects.

Prepositions are not words to end sentences with.

And don't start a sentence with a conjunction.

It is wrong to ever split an infinitive.

Avoid clichés like the plague. (They're old hat.)

...Also, always avoid annoying alliteration.

Parenthetical remarks (however relevant) are (usually) unnecessary.

Also too, never, ever use repetitive redundancies.

No sentence fragments.

Foreign words and phrases are not apropos.

the joy of pot-luck

2011-08-26T09:56:00.000-07:00

nice to see president harrison enjoying what some call the third sacrament ... the pot-luck dinner.

east coast earthquake damage

2011-08-23T19:50:00.000-07:00

thanks for all the support ... hopefully with your help they can recover from the devastation of today's quake.

camping at the lake

2011-08-22T15:48:00.000-07:00

one last camping fling with josh before he leaves for china. we'll miss ya bro...

koinonia - life together

2011-08-18T08:16:00.000-07:00

Koinonia (fellowship, or life together) is perhaps the easiest as well as the hardest to describe in the church.

As the church, we have fellowship and life together in our Savior Jesus Christ. Jesus shares His life with us in the church through the Word and the Sacraments. Gathered together in His name, we hear Him speak and preach His Word to us. Assembled around His supper, we receive His body and blood for our forgiveness and salvation. From this life together in Christ, the church expands outward to carry Jesus' life to the world.

hercules statue

2011-08-16T08:44:00.000-07:00

(photo - Israel Antiquities Authority)

A marble statue of Hercules from the second century has been uncovered in Israel around the Jezreel Valley.
Hailed as a rare discovery, the statue was part of the decoration of a bathhouse pool that was exposed during excavations. It is made of smoothed white marble and is of exceptional artistic quality.
The hero Hercules, of Greek and Roman mythology, was the son of the god Zeus. Hercules was considered the strongest man in the world, a symbol of power, courage and superhuman strength; one of the most famous legendary heroes of ancient Greece who battled the forces of the netherworld on behalf of the Olympian gods.

a god who loves sinners

2011-08-15T12:32:00.000-07:00

The God that Jesus has come to reveal to us is a God of abounding grace and generosity, a God of unlimited mercy and forgiveness, a God who loves sinners, even in their fallen state.... who comes after them, searches for them, finds them, redeems them, saves them, and brings them to repentance.

happy birthday missouri

2011-08-10T12:43:00.000-07:00

On this date in 1821 Missouri became the 24th state.

The name came from an Algonquian Indian word which means "river of the big canoes".

Missouri borders parts of 8 other states, tying Tennessee with the most.

State Motto: Salus populi suprema lex esto - "The welfare of the people shall be the supreme law."

State song: Missouri Waltz

State Bird Bluebird

The state animal Missouri Mule

The state insect Honey Bee

State flower White Hawthorne

State Tree Flowering Dogwood

fred lange - circuit rider

2011-08-09T06:21:00.000-07:00

It was a long and hot train ride for the young Rev. Fred W. Lange in July of 1861. The Civil War was raging; and it was prudent for him to take a northern jog on his journey from Ft. Wayne, Indiana, to his first assignment in Clarks Creek, Kan. He was the first traveling missionary sent to Kansas, the first of the traveling missionaries who became known as the "circuit riders".

As the locomotive chugged through the states of Illinois and Iowa (avoiding the dangers of crossing Missouri in a time of war), his mind must have been racing. Thoughts of the great adventure ahead, concerns about his first assignment as a Pastor, and a burning desire to proclaim Christ to the scattered German communities of northeast Kansas must have made for a short train ride to Iowa City. But it would be three long weeks of travel till he arrived in Clarks Creek where he would give his first sermon four days later.

He preached his first sermon in Kansas on August 17,1861. Based on John 3:16, the sermon was heard by four families and several single people.

The Lutheran congregations planted by Rev. Lange and the other Circuit Riders have grown and prospered in the state of Kansas and throughout the midwest.

(from the Emporia Gazette)

mercy / diakonia

2011-08-08T08:57:00.000-07:00

When people came to Jesus for help in the Gospels, they would say "Kyrie Eleison" (Lord have mercy).
And Jesus had compassion on them. He fed them, healed them, consoled them, and proclaimed to them that the kingdom of heaven was near. Like Jesus, when Christians hear the cries of their neighbors, they have compassion on them and respond by providing for their needs as well.

The greek word diakonia usually is translated as service or ministry. When associated with mercy, however, diakonia describes specific works like feeding the poor, taking care of the sick, and caring for orphans and widows. Diakonia is caring for our neighbors in concrete and effective ways because of what Jesus has done for us. As Christians we show mercy by serving our neighbor in Christ's love.

philip's tomb?

2011-08-06T20:04:00.000-07:00

Italian archaeologists working at the site of Hierapolis in southwestern Turkey believe they have discovered the tomb of St. Philip, one of Jesus’ 12 apostles. According to excavator Francesco D’Andria, Philip’s tomb has traditionally been associated with the martyrium church built at the site, though no evidence of the ancient burial was ever found. Last month, D’Andria and his team located a smaller church less than 150 feet away from the martyrium that appears to contain the grave of the apostle.
“As we were cleaning out the new church we discovered a month ago, we finally found the grave,” said D’Andria. “With close examination, we determined that the grave had been moved from its previous location in the St. Philip Church to this new church in the fifth century, during the Byzantine era.” Excavation of the tomb will begin in the near future.

(from bibarch)

fresh sweet corn

2011-08-03T07:38:00.000-07:00

"As we travel along on our earthly path
Through this beautiful world God has made
Tramping along at a stately pace
Like elephants on parade.
We discover the pleasure of grass and sun
And music and light and talk
And the joy when a day of hard work is done
And you’ve cleared five acres of rocks.
The joy as you climb in your bed at night
The joy of the brand-new morn
But of all these pleasures the greatest delight
Is a supper of fresh sweet corn.

O that fresh sweet corn that the Lord sent down
So we know how heaven will be,
No grief, no tears, just the young golden ears
Plenty for you and for me.
Though the road be hard and deep is the night
And the future we cannot see
Take my hand, dear Lord, and I’ll be all right
If you’ll save a few ears for me.

…We praise you Lord for this good good life
And praise you for the day we were born
And thank you for the gifts you have given, and this heavenly fresh sweet corn."

- from the Prairie Home Companion

(ht internet monk)

martyria

2011-08-01T09:10:00.000-07:00

The Greek word martyria is a courtroom term. It originally meant something like "eyewitness testimony".
In the New Testament, martyria is the eyewitness testimony by the apostles and others who saw and heard Jesus. This testimony about Jesus and His Gospel began with His apostles and then expanded to include all those who came to faith through their preaching and teaching. The church continues to bear witness to Jesus today - as every Christian testifies to Jesus through the vocations God has called them to.

Witness, Mercy, Life Together - Life In Christ for the Church and the World.

breaking news

2011-07-29T07:18:00.001-07:00

witness + mercy + life together

2011-07-25T08:56:00.001-07:00

2000 year old bell still rings

2011-07-24T19:47:00.000-07:00

A tiny golden bell pulled from an ancient sewer beneath the Old City of Jerusalem was shown Sunday by Israeli archaeologists, who hailed it as a rare find. It appears to have been sewn as an ornament onto the clothes of a wealthy resident of the city two millennia ago.

The relic, found last week, is the only such bell to be found in Jerusalem from the Second Temple period, and as such is a rare find.

The Book of Exodus mentions tiny golden bells sewn onto the hem of the robes of Temple priests, along with decorative pomegranates. Those in charge of making the priestly clothes and implements "made bells of pure gold, and attached the bells around the hem of the robe between the pomegranates."

(from AP)

there and back again

2011-07-22T12:48:00.000-07:00

I'm still basking in the glow of the glory of God's creation after arriving home from the Lange Family Reunion near Glacier National Park in Montana. Northwest Montana is a long, long way way from Central Missouri, but it is so worth the trip. Words like magnificent, spectacular, amazing, and incredible were continually used during the course of the week as we explored the splendors of God's creation there. The beauty of the natural world, the cool mountain air, and the warmth of the extended family time we shared combined for a very memorable trip.

"O Lord, our Lord, how Majestic is Your Name in all the Earth" - Psalm 8

its hot

2011-07-20T08:01:00.001-07:00

lange reunion in montana

2011-07-16T22:31:00.000-07:00

lange siblings in montana

2011-07-15T09:49:00.000-07:00

going to the sun road

2011-07-14T07:01:00.001-07:00

glacier national park

2011-07-12T22:55:00.000-07:00

lake mcdonald - on the way into glacier national park

avalanche creek

avalanche lake at the end of the trail

amazing astronomical time-lapse photography

2011-07-07T16:33:00.000-07:00

Ocean Sky from Alex Cherney on Vimeo.

getting ready for glacier

2011-07-06T07:46:00.000-07:00

the bighorn sheep are awaiting my arrival ....

perry county (cont.)

2011-07-01T13:12:00.000-07:00

This past Wednesday, several of us from our church had the opportunity to go with fellow saints from our circuit on a bus tour to Perry County, Missouri. That area in southeast Missouri is full of history, for it was there that the first German Lutherans settled in the early days of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod.

Their story began in the early 1800's in the German Kingdom of Saxony, when a number of Lutheran pastors found themselves increasingly at odds with the rationalism and unionism of the established church there.

In the neighboring Kingdom of Prussia, the Prussian Union of 1817 sought to put into place one Protestant Church, which would have essentially non-Lutheran baptismal and communion practices. In order to freely practice their Christian faith in accordance with the Lutheran confessions outlined in the Book of Concord, nearly 1,100 Saxon Lutherans left for the United States in November 1838.

Their ships arrived January 5, 1839 in New Orleans with one ship lost at sea. After heading up the Mississippi to St. Louis to look for land, most of the remaining 750 immigrants settled in Perry County, Missouri. Though Martin Stephan was initially the leader (and self-appointed bishop) of the new settlement, he became embroiled in charges of corruption and misconduct with members of the congregation and was expelled from the settlement, leaving C.F.W.Walther as the leader of the colony.

Walther was one of the early Lutheran heroes in America, as he went on to become the first president of both the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod and Concordia Seminary.

I continue to be struck by the firm faith, dogged determination, and core commitment of these first German Lutheran immigrants from Saxony. May God grant us a bit of their courage and resolve in these times.

historic perry county

2011-06-28T14:38:00.000-07:00

A tour of historic Perry County, MO - the area where the Saxon Lutherans first settled in 1839.

the spot where the Saxons hit a rock and were stranded in the middle of the MississippiRiver..

Wittenberg - the very first settlement established by the Saxon Lutherans in Perry County.
Not much there now due to the flooding of the mighty Mississippi ...

Trinity Lutheran in Altenburg

the first school built in in Altenburg in 1839

augsburg confession

2011-06-26T18:49:00.000-07:00

Apart from the Lord’s salvific events recorded in the Old and New Testaments, particularly Christ’s birth, death, resurrection, and ascension, “one of the greatest days in history” (says Eugene Klug) was when the Augsburg Confession was first publicly read before the emperor. Martin Luther called the Diet of Augsburg where the Augsburg Confession was read, “the last trumpet before Judgment Day.” The Presentation of the Augsburg Confession 481 years ago changed the world. Arguably, the Presentation of the Augsburg Confession is even more important than when Luther nailed the Ninety-five Theses on the castle door in Wittenberg in 1517.
The Augsburg Confession was read in German on June 25 at 3 p.m. by Chancellor Beyer. He read with a clear, loud voice for nearly two hours. At least seven Electors and Princes of the Holy Roman Empire signed the Augsburg Confession. George of Brandenburg declared, “Rather than deny my God and suffer the Word of God to be taken from me, I will kneel down and have my head struck off.”

The Augsburg Confession continues to be the bold confession of the Lutheran Church, to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the world.

(from the wmlt blog)

a cool church

2011-06-21T19:43:00.000-07:00

cool lutheran church - cool, california

family reunions

2011-06-20T13:52:00.000-07:00

Summertime is the time for weddings, anniversaries, and reunions. Along with most of you, I'll be attending a number of these this summer. Each one is special and unique in its own way, and yet each one is also the same. For each one reminds us of God's covenant and commitment to His people.

God instituted marriage between a man and a woman with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. It was and is a beautiful picture of God's love and commitment. God loved His people so much and was so committed to them, that even after they strayed and disobeyed, He sent them His own Son to lay down His life for them, so that they might be His forever. As the bridegroom, Jesus has come to redeem His bride, the church. He has claimed His bride as His own, and will come back to take her home to be with Him someday.

This mystery is not something that is distant and far off, but a reality in which all God's people can share. Every time we share in the Lord's Supper together, we celebrate an anniversary. We partake in the Wedding Feast of the Lamb, and we proclaim His death and resurrection until He comes again. And as we celebrate, we look forward to that great family reunion together in heaven someday. It will be the best wedding, anniversary, and reunion you've ever attended - all wrapped up into one! It will be the best party you have ever been to, because it's the one party that will never end.

In the mean time we await with eager anticipation the coming of the Bridegroom on the last day, the day when every knee will bow, and every tongue confess, that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

free-est states in the union

2011-06-16T14:37:00.000-07:00

I'm quite happy to be living in Missouri - the fifth free-est state in the union. Other notables in the study done by George Mason University are Illinois at # 41, California at #48, and New York in dead last place at #50.

tec

2011-06-14T06:37:00.000-07:00

TEC is a special weekend set aside to experience the Risen Christ, and to share in His life, death and resurrection in a personal way. Participants experience the mystery relived in their own daily life of struggles, joys, and triumphs as they move forward on their pilgrim journey in their life with God.
If you ever have the opportunity to go on a TEC weekend - by all means do it!

it's pentecost

2011-06-09T08:01:00.001-07:00

"vigorous lutheranism"

2011-06-05T17:55:00.000-07:00

"What do I hope for at this moment? My hope is for time, for patience, for prayer, for love, for kindness. My hope is for a time of peace, as God wills. My hope is for a church, which is and remains faithful to the inerrant word of God, and unreservedly to the Lutheran Confessions. My hope is for pastors and people who love the Word of God and read it vigorously. My hope is that wherever I fail, wherever we fail, whatever we have done or do to make our life together bitter, that God grant us repentance, and faith. My hope and dream is for a church which loves its pastors, pastors who care for their people, pastors who visit their members, pastors who head into their communities to “seek and save the lost.” My hope is for preaching which is lively and pulsing with damning law and the joyous, forgiving and faith-creating gospel of free forgiveness in Jesus’ cross. My desire is preaching which is both textual (biblical) and grabs the hearer by the neck, heart and toes, throws him/her to hell, then carries them to heaven. My hope is for laypeople equipped to share Christ in their vocations. My hope and prayer is for laypeople who are delighted to invite friends and family to church. My hope is for a lively mission of mercy where zeal is as great for orthodoxy as for mercy and vice versa. My hope is for continuing joy and success in reaching different ethnic communities, and through them, reaching the nations of the world. My hope is for a growing appreciation for the Synod’s national and international mission, for improvement in that mission, for advancement in what is good, and the support and participation of our pastors, congregations, districts, and people."

“I’m praying for you….” I hear that every day. Though my prayers often falter and are weak, very often I respond, “I’m praying for you too.” I would ask that you pray for repentance, for me and for all of us. And for strong, undaunted faith in Jesus, to stand into the future with courage and joy."

"God grant us repentance, and a vigorous Lutheranism."

(Matthew Harrison - from his WMLT blog)

cicadas

2011-06-04T07:05:00.000-07:00

The cicadas are here, and they're singing and/or screeching depending on where you live.

The new thing this year is figuring out how to make a meal out of them - Cicada stir fries, cicada salsa, cicada cookies, cicada ice cream, as well as quiche, tacos, and pasta.

There are lots of tips for gathering and fixing cicadas for dinner if you are interested. Just watch out for the legs - they tickle a little going down.

old-school ascension day

2011-06-02T17:55:00.000-07:00

"The Ascension of Christ" by Domingos Antonio de Sequeira (1768-1837)

when meta-narratives meet...

2011-06-01T10:09:00.000-07:00

(ht - anthony cook)

a summer wish

2011-05-31T07:49:00.000-07:00

"Oh that it were with me
As with the flower;
Blooming on its own tree
For butterfly and bee
Its summer morns:
That I might bloom mine hour
A rose in spite of thorns.

Oh that my work were done
As birds' that soar
Rejoicing in the sun:
That when my time is run
And daylight too,
I so might rest once more
Cool with refreshing dew."

- Christina Rosetti, A Summer Wish, 1880

joplin relief (cont.)

2011-05-26T19:19:00.001-07:00

joplin relief

2011-05-25T09:57:00.000-07:00

Here are some options if you're looking for a way to help with the relief efforts in Joplin...

The Missouri District Disaster Fund

The Missouri District - LCMS

660 Mason Ridge Center Dr. – Suite 100

St. Louis, MO 63141

Lutheran World Relief and Human Care

1333 S. Kirkwood Rd.

St. Louis, MO 63122

Lutheran Disaster Response

39330 Treasury Center

Chicago, IL 60694-9300

We mourn the lives which were lost but also thank God for the countless lives that were spared.

We pray God’s comfort and blessings upon all of the families that mourn the death of loved ones.

And we ask God to bless those who are injured and upon all the recovery efforts.

Please keep all the residents of Joplin in your prayers.

Through this disaster in Joplin we are once again reminded how temporary this world is.

Thanks be to God that through faith in His Son Jesus Christ, all who believe in Him have eternal life.

night is fading ... the storm is past

2011-05-22T18:59:00.000-07:00

I see the morning moving over the hills
I can see the shadows on the western side
And all those illusions that I had
They just vanish in Your light
Though the chill in the night still hangs in the air
I can feel the warmth of morning on my face
Though the storm had tossed me
'Til I thought I'd nearly lost my way

And now the night is fading and the storm is past
And everything that could be shaken was
And all that remains is all I ever really had

What I'd have settled for
You've blown so far away
What You brought me to
I thought I could not reach
And I came so close to giving up
But You never did give up on me

I see the morning moving over the hills
I feel the rush of life here where the darkness broke
And I am in You and You're in me
Here where the winds of Heaven blow

And now the night is fading
And the storm is through
And everything You sent to shake me
From my dreams they come to wake me
In the love I find in You
And now the morning comes
And everything that really matters
Become the wings You send to gather me home

I'm going home

(Rich Mullins)

my last blog post (if the world does indeed end tomorrow)

2011-05-20T20:13:00.000-07:00

"Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree." - Martin Luther

hk on high

2011-05-17T09:49:00.001-07:00

2011-05-16T10:42:00.000-07:00

It seems that most everyone today wants to have an abundant life. But what is it? How do you get it?
The abundant life is not something way out there somewhere for you to reach for, something for you to earn, achieve, or barter for. No, it is a pure gift, the sheer gift of a gracious God who comes to give it to you.
He has loved you with an everlasting love. He has sent His one and only Son from heaven to lay down his life for you, to die for you and raise you up again, and to give you a new and abundant life in Him. He offers you His free forgiveness and full salvation, not only for this life but also for the life to come. Your eternal life with God begins now, at your baptism or at the moment you first believe, and it continues on and on by the power of the Holy Spirit into life eternal.

Jesus comes to you, calling you by name, so you may believe and receive the good news gospel truth of God's great love for you, and the full, abundant, abounding, overflowing life He offers.

"I have come that they might have life, and have it to the full." (John 10)

"These things are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing, you may have life in His name." John 20