One Foundation

 

"The Church's one foundation is Jesus Christ her Lord"

When I first walked into the narthex of the church I currently serve, the western wall is what I noticed first. It's a wall of stones of varying size, shape, color, and texture. And of course, there in the lower right hand corner, is the cornerstone. It's an apt representation of the words from 1 Peter 2.

"As you come to him, the living Stone, rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him, you also like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For in Scripture it says: 'See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.' Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, 'The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,' and, 'A stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.' But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy."

This western wall portrays not only the scripture passage, but the members of the church as well. They all have different shapes, colors, and sizes, as well as varied gifts, talents, interests, and backgrounds. And yet, they are all being built together like living stones into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood acceptable to God through Jesus Christ our Lord. 

"She is his new creation by water and the word"

Dr. Rod Rosenbladt used to say the only reason to go to church was the water and the word, the bread and the wine, and the gospel preached into our earballs. The foundation of the new creation in Christ is Baptism, where we are brought into the family of God through water and the word in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has gone, the new has come”.   

"He saved us not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit."  (Titus 3:5)

"Do you not know that all who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life."  (Romans 6:3)

"From heaven he came and sought her to be his holy bride"

God made Israel to be his own people, his segulah, his prized possession. He loved her and cared for her as a faithful husband would. But then Israel strayed and disobeyed and went whoring after false gods. But even when his bride was faithless, God was faithful, for he cannot deny himself. So Jesus came from the heights of heaven above to the depths of earth below to rescue and redeem his long lost love. He came to remove the veil, replace the headdress, and restore her pure white dress of righteousness.

"With his own blood he bought her and for her life he died."

From the first sign of blood at his circumcision, to sweating drops of blood in the Garden of Gethsemane, all the way to the shedding of his blood on the cross of Calvary, Jesus gave his lifeblood for the life of the world, for the life of his bride, the church.   

"Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sin." (Heb. 9:22)  

"It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sin." (Heb. 10:4)

"Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world." (John 1:29)

When I visited the western (wailing) wall in Jerusalem, I knew about the paper prayers that people would stuff into the crevices of the rock. But what I didn't know was that it wasn't just the Jews doing it. It was everybody - Jews, Christians, Africans, Asians, Europeans - people of all sizes, shapes and colors, of all tribes and nations and languages. And if you get real close to the wall and look up, you will not only see the paper prayers stuffed into the side of it, you will also notice that birds have made their nests in some of those crevices as well.     

It reminded me of Pentecost and the early church. It reminded me of my church and the holy Christian Church on earth. It reminded me once again that it is Christ's church. 

     

The Church’s one foundation is Jesus Christ her Lord,

She is his new creation by water and the Word,

From heaven he came and sought her to be his holy bride,

With his own blood he bought her and for her life he died.

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The Color Green

 

Green wasn't always my favorite color. 

When I was a kid, my favorite color was blue. Royal blue in particular, growing up near Kansas City as a fan of the Royals. This continued on into high school as I proudly wore the blue uniforms of the one and only St. Paul Saints. (ok, there may be a baseball team up north with that name too.) 

Things began to change when I went off to college in California. The color for the Concordia/Irvine Eagles was green, but the landscape, not so much. Lots of tan and brown and beige. Southern California has its own beauty, but it's definitely a different kind of beauty than Missouri. When I flew home for the summer, I remember the lush and glorious canopy of green spreading out for miles below as we made our final approach. I had a newfound appreciation for my home, as well as a new favorite color.

After tearing up my knee in my 20's playing church league basketball, I had to look for a new sport, so I started playing golf. I was immediately drawn to the lovely landscapes, the fresh fairways, the vibrant and verdant views all around. To this day I'm continually drawn back to the Psalms when I see a well manicured golf course with its vast array of green pastures and still waters. It may not always be easy to maintain, but it's good to be green.

This applies to the Christian life as well. Green is the color for "ordinary time" in the liturgical church year. It's the regular time of year that always gets overshadowed by other seasons such as Advent, Christmas, Lent, and Easter. But the long Trinity (or Pentecost) season is important as well because it gives us time to ponder and reflect upon the great truths we celebrated earlier in the year. It provides time for us to "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." (2 Pet. 3) 

This is a time of nurture and growth for us as we safely graze in God's green pastures and drink freely from his still waters, all the while abiding in his abundant Word and Sacraments. It’s also a time to step outside and enjoy God’s good and gracious gift of creation. This was an important element for Rich Mullins in the writing of his song, The Color Green, from 1993. Here's the refrain ..

"Be praised for all Your tenderness by these works of Your hands

Suns that rise and rains that fall to bless and bring to life Your land

Look down upon this winter wheat and be glad that You have made

Blue for the sky and the color green that fills these fields with praise"

We go back to basics during this season, back to the source, back to the Word, back to the catechism. Although green is not one of the primary colors used in Luther’s Rose, it does show up in some depictions as branches reaching outward toward the golden circle of heaven. This reminds us of the growth and abundance God provides through his good gifts and Spirit. 

"Fruitful trees, the Spirit's sowing,

may we ripen and increase,

fruit to life eternal growing,

                      rich in love and joy and peace."   (LSB 691)

Green is a rich and wonderful color, and so is this season of the church year. And when the green season is over, we return to our normal ordinary lives refreshed, restored, and renewed, ready to freely and joyfully live for the  Lord and serve our neighbor in love.

Christ is Risen. Jesus is Living. You’ve got the green light. 

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the first age

 

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Something You Could Not Have Guessed

 

One of the greatest college football games ever played took place on November 23, 1984. Boston College vs. Miami at the Orange Bowl. It went back and forth the whole way, and finally came down to one legendary play, a 65 yard Hail Mary pass from Doug Flutie to Gerald Phelan for a 47-45 Boston College victory.

What followed was a scene of total chaos and sheer pandemonium. No one could believe what had just happened. People were running wildly all over the field. Players were experiencing the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. Reporters were trying to process and make sense of what they had just witnessed. 

Brent Musburger, the lead announcer for CBS, didn't see who caught the winning touchdown. No one in the booth could figure out who caught it either. They had to have someone in the production truck tell them that it was Gerald Phelan. Not even Doug Flutie saw who caught his game winning pass. He knew someone must have caught it because all of his teammates were jumping up and down like crazy. Only later in the locker room did Flutie find out that it was his best friend and roommate, Gerald Phelan. 

You won't hear stories like this right after an epic game or monumental event occurs. These are the kinds of stories that get passed on later as people try to figure out what actually happened. In the immediate aftermath there is all of the motion, emotion, and commotion of the moment. No one is quite sure what is going on or what to make of it. It takes time for the personal stories and individual accounts to surface and take shape.

The same goes for the resurrection appearances of Jesus in the Gospels. At first blush, the details seem chaotic, confusing, perhaps even contradictory. There are worried women, multiple Marys, disbelieving disciples, fearful followers. Jesus is appearing and disappearing, showing up on the road, walking through walls. Where are they now? In Galilee? In Judea? What's going on?!  

Let’s take a step back and think for a minute. If this is indeed the central event in all of human history, if the cross and empty tomb stand at the very crux of the cosmos, if the Risen Christ is ushering in a new kingdom and a new creation, then maybe we shouldn't be surprised to see some earth-shaking and mind-blowing things taking place. Maybe we should actually expect some strange and supernatural events to occur. Also, if the stories had a vanilla quality about them and all sounded exactly the same, the whole thing would reek of collusion. The truth is, each Gospel writer had their own unique perspective based upon eyewitness accounts of the people who were there and experienced it firsthand.

No, the Easter stories don't always fit nicely into our 21st century way of thinking and understanding. But if we read the Gospel accounts carefully, we begin to realize that the story of the resurrection has a real ring of truth to it, an air of authenticity, a vibrant veracity.

CS Lewis famously wrote in Mere Christianity, "Reality, in fact, is usually something you could not have guessed. That is one of the reasons I believe Christianity. It is a religion that you could not have guessed. If it offered us just the kind of universe we had always expected, I should feel we were making it up. But, in fact, it is not the sort of thing anyone would have made up. It has just that odd twist about it that real things have." 

God has a funny way of taking our expectations and presuppositions and turning them on their head. His  mysterious ways always seem to turn the things of this world upside down and inside out. Like Miami's defense before that famous “Hail Mary” pass. They didn't think little Doug Flutie could throw the football that far. They were wrong. Just like the devil and the powers of darkness. They didn't think Jesus had the power to rise from the dead. They were wrong. And the rest is history. 

"For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. After that He was seen by over five hundred brothers at once, most of whom are still living, but some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared also to me. (1 Cor. 15)

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Lord Of All

 

The mausoleum of Caesar Augustus in Rome has recently been reopened to the public after many years of neglect. This place of the dead, located north of the old city along the Tiber River, is back on the tourist map and alive with activity once again.

Augustus, whose real name was Gaius Octavius (or Octavion), was a man of great ambition. This is evidenced by the fact that he began designing his own mausoleum even before he was named the emperor! It is the largest cylindrical tomb in the world, originally crowned with a large bronze statue of the great leader, and surrounded by pillars and a plaque listing all of his accomplishments.  

Octavion's career began after the betrayal and murder of his famous great-uncle Julius Caesar by Brutus on March 15th (the Ides of March) in 44 BC. At the time, a comet appeared that was so bright it could be seen in the vicinity of Rome for an entire week. Most interpreted this cosmic event as proof that Caesar was a god. Octavian soon proclaimed his adopted father to be divine, and later titled himself to be a "son of god" when he became emperor in 27 BC. He would later change his name to Augustus, a title of ultimate majesty and divinity. The cult of emperor worship became firmly established under his reign, complete with inscriptions like, “Emperor Augustus Caesar, God and Lord”.

In a sense, Augustus did the kinds of things only gods can do. He brought peace to the empire through the "Pax Romana". He instilled unity out of the great diversity around the region. He established laws to ward off the chaos of warring hordes, and built roads to connect peoples and regions. No wonder the birthday of Augustus was hailed as a euangelion, a proclamation of good news. The emperor was the kyrios after all, the lord of the world, the one who claimed the allegiance and loyalty of subjects throughout the empire. When he would come in person to pay a visit to a colony or province, the word for his royal presence was parousia.

In the New Testament, a new kind of gospel message was introduced, the euangelion of the Lord Jesus Christ, the kyrios of the whole world. The mission of his apostolos was to bring the whole world, all nations, under the authority of this universal God and Lord. This euangelion was announced to all people, the good report of God’s forgiveness and salvation for all subjects in the kingdom who believe, whether Jew or Gentile, male or female, rich or poor, slave or free.

In this gospel message of the death and resurrection of the Son of God on behalf of sinners, the justice and mercy of the one true God is on full display, with the promise that in his parousia on the last day, all things in heaven and on earth will finally be revealed once and for all. Ultimately, there is only one Lord of the Universe, and he does not share power. If Jesus is Lord, Caesar is not. 

The so-called god and lord Caesar Augustus died in 14 AD, on the 19th day of the 8th month. But the true Son of God and Lord of all, Jesus Christ, died and rose again from the dead in 33 AD, now risen and living, ruling and reigning over all things. Augustus may have been the “first citizen” (princeps civitatis), but Jesus is the firstborn of all creation and the firstborn of the dead, the “Living One.” 

The last words of Augustus were, “Have I played the part well? Then applaud as I exit.” The last words of Jesus before his ascension were, "I will be with you always, to the very end of the age." 

"The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross."  (Col. 1:15-20)

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Names of God

 

There is a lot of time, attention, and consideration given to the naming of a child. Why? Because names are important to us. Before my wife and I named our children, there were a whole host of names in the running for us to consider. There were male names, female names, family names, names suggested by friends. It was all a bit overwhelming. But we got through it somehow and have been blessed with three children in our family.

When our youngest was born, we named him Benjamin Joseph after the two youngest sons of Jacob and Rachel in the book of Genesis. Like most people, he’s had a number of nicknames over the years that define and describe him, who he is, what he does, what he is all about. His friends and close family members often use these names, but most people simply know him as Ben. 

Names are important to us and to God. There are a lot of names for God in the Bible. It may seem a bit overkill at first, but all of these names in Scripture are significant because they define and describe who God is, what he does, and what he is all about. They give us insight into his nature, person, and character.

Elohim is the first and most basic name used for God in the Old Testament. It’s merely the Hebrew word for “god,” but the way it is used in Scripture is typically in terms of Creator God or Almighty God. “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Gen 1). Elohim is the One who was there at the beginning and who brought all things into existence. It’s interesting to note that Elohim is a plural noun that operates in a singular way. How can this Elohim God exist in plurality and operate in singularity? Could it be one God in three persons, perhaps?

Yahweh is God’s name, and the name for God used most often in the Bible. It first shows up in Genesis 2 when it comes time to talk about the crown of God’s creation, man and woman, Adam and Eve. The name Yahweh always shows up at important times in salvation history and in the story of God’s people. When God appears to Moses through the burning bush, he says of himself, “I AM WHO I AM ... Tell them I AM has sent me to you” (Ex 3:14). Yahweh always has been, is now, and always will be. He is always in the present to deliver and to save his people.

Adonai is the name for God that means “Lord.” Psalm 97 says that “God is the Lord over all the earth.” God is not only Elohim the creator, but also Adonai, the lord and ruler of all things. Adonai became the standard name for God used among the Jews, who considered God’s personal name of Yahweh too holy to be written or uttered.  

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem, the angel Gabriel told Joseph what his name would be. “You are to give him the name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins” (Matt 2). In Hebrew, Jesus’ name is Y’shua, or Joshua, which means “Yahweh saves.” Jesus is Yahweh incarnate, Yahweh in the flesh, sent from heaven to earth to save his people from their sins. From the womb to the tomb, from the cradle to the grave, Jesus’ name defines and describes who he is and what he is all about. 

At the end of his earthly ministry, before his ascension, Jesus finally reveals God’s true nature as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit” (Matt. 28). The God of the Bible is the creator, redeemer, and sustainer of all things. Three in one and one in three, the holy and blessed Trinity. 

Names are important to us and to God. By the time this article is published, my son Ben and his wife Laura will be welcoming their first child into the world, a son. He will be given a name and will surely have plenty of nicknames along the way. But the most important name he will have is the one placed on him in the sanctuary and at the font, where through water and the word, in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, he will be named a child of God.

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