Mona Planted, I Watered...

This week a guest, named Johnny, showed up at Redeemer for the Advent midweek service. Immediately I recognized him. I had met him on campus at Golden West College - our local community college where Redeemer sets up a table once a month for on campus outreach. We had talked over a month ago about the church and cars and a whole host of other things. And then, low and behold, who comes through the line at the end of the service, but Johnny. The blessed irony of this all was that even though I had invited him to church and join us for services, that was not the reason he showed up this particular Wednesday evening. Another friend of ours at Redeemer, Mona, had invited him. The temptation for me was clear...rejoice in my efforts to reach people on campus and look at all I've done...it works! But of course that would be foolish. This whole event demonstrates quite clearly that neither I nor Mona nor anyone else is really the one giving any growth or life (And a side note should be mentioned here since this event flies in the face of the absolute foolishness and rubbish known as the Church Growth Movement). For Mona planted, I watered, but God gave the growth. From our perspective, you couldn't have predicted how Johnny showed up last Wednesday night at Advent services. But then again, from the Holy Spirit's perspective, it's just another day's work through the Word that goes out and does not return void or empty. Thus, any boasting is made by boasting in the Spirit who works through Christ's Word from tables on campus to friend's conversations to the midweek services to wherever Christ comes to us by water, word, bread and wine.

Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one? ⁶ I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. ⁷ So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. ⁸ Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor.
⁹ For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building. ¹⁰ According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. ¹¹ For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

Advent Midweek Sermon: "Better Than Isaac"

+ Wednesday of Advent 2 – December 7, 2011 +

Text: Genesis 26

In the Name of the Father and of + the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

            Drought. Famine. Horrible Economy. Families in trouble and in need. Moses could have been reporting today’s news for the OC Register. But that was life according to Genesis 26. Egypt had all the goods. The grass was greener, literally. Wealth. Livestock. Food enough to make famine a dinner time joke. And relative security, at least, compared to Isaac’s friendly Philistine neighbors – “sure Isaac, we’ll watch your house while you’re out searching for a water hole.”

            The Egyptians have their comfort and the Philistines have their kingdom but the son of Abraham has nowhere to rest his head. Egypt appeared to have it all and yet the Lord appears to Isaac and says: “Do not go down to Egypt; dwell in the land of which I shall tell you. Sojourn here. I will be with you. I will bless you. I will establish the oath I swore to your father Abraham.”

            Isaac was the son of the Promise, the seed of Abraham, who was to inherit the land. But how will the Lord’s promise be fulfilled in a land that is anything but promising – full of drought and famine and enemies around every corner? Isaac’s offspring was to be multiplied like the stars of the heavens. But how will the Lord’s promise to have many sons come true if Isaac is traveling around without any place to call home, let alone raise a family? Isaac was to be the recipient of blessing, the one through whom the Lord would bless all nations on the earth. But how will the Lord’s promise to bless all nations come true when it appears that the land cursed as far as the eye can see?

            In a drought stricken land, surrounded by men with murder in their hearts and lust in their eyes – it would have seemed logical to head for the green grass of Egypt. But the wisdom of men is made foolish by God and the foolishness of God is the greater wisdom. “Stay here,” the Lord says. Have you so quickly forgotten how foolish my wisdom looked when you were carrying the wood for the sacrifice? Fear not. I rescued you then. I will rescue you now. Sojourn here. I will be with you. I will bless you. I will establish the oath that I swore to your father Abraham.”

            And what did Isaac do? He stayed. The Land. The promise. The offspring. Isaac and his family - They all belonged to the Lord. Even so, the Lord blessed them. Isaac sowed and the land produced a hundred-fold the next year, a bumper crop. He grew richer and wealthier. His flocks and household grew larger. The Philistine king even declared protection over his family.

            Isaac came to understand God’s foolish wisdom – at least foolish in the eyes of the world – that the blessings of God are found where God seems not to be…yet precisely where He has promised to be. This is true throughout the OT:

            Abraham was as good as dead and Sarah was barren – yet the Lord gave them Isaac even when His promise seemed laughable; unto Abraham and Sarah a child was born, a son was given.

            Moses was a stuttering, fearful man – and yet through him the Lord led his people out of Egypt through the wilderness to the edge of the very land he had promised Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

            Jesse’s family tree was nothing but a stump: the people were in exile, they had forgotten the Lord and whored after other gods – and yet, from this stump, the root of Jesse, David’s righteous Branch would shoot forth with new life.

God works the same way in the NT:

            A Virgin is found pregnant and nearly divorced – and yet there in the womb of Mary, the Lord himself appears in the  flesh and blood of Mary– Immanuel, God with us - just as Isaiah foretold.

            An infant boy, clothed in the weakness of human flesh, a child utterly dependent upon his mother for food, security and life – and yet Mary and all people are utterly dependent upon this child for food, life and everlasting peace.

            Thin wafers of bread, ordinary wine and tap water, words read from a page – and yet there God is doing his greatest work, Christ Crucified comes to bless you to fulfill the oath he swore to A, I and J.

            He comes not in the enthusiasm of men or the strength of their eloquence…but right where God promises to be…in His Word just as He spoke to Isaac.

            This Advent, where do you look for God’s blessings? Sure, God’s promises to Isaac sound all well and good, we say. But you can’t eat a promise. That won’t pay the mortgage or find me a job. Besides, God appeared to Isaac and Abraham had dreams and visions and Jacob had angels visit him. I haven’t seen any of that lately. If only God appeared to me in a dream or a vision or in person right now…then I’d believe his promises.

            It is as St. Augustine once said, “Our hearts are restless, O Lord, until we find our rest in thee.” You and I, we’re not so different from Isaac after all. We look for God’s blessings in all the wrong places. We begin not with the richness of the Word of God or his promises…but in the poverty of our heart. And out of our sinful heart comes all vanities of earthly pleasures enough to make the Philistines blush. We fear, love and trust in anything but God’s promises. And yet, we’re restless. We want more. We crave our gods like a drug. Until we overdose and die.

            And there in our death. Christ comes to save us by his death.

           

            The sin of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Your sin. Your neighbor’s sin. The sin of the world. All the drought. Famine. Illness. Grief. Shame. Broken lives and brokenness of creation. Jesus takes it all into himself in his death on the cross, fulfilling his oath to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and to you. There in human flesh, crucified on the cross, God is working his greatest blessing where God seems not to be; yet where has promised to be. He takes the poverty of your sinful heart – crucifies it with Him and gives you a new heart.

           

Just as God promised Isaac before so too he works for you now: precisely where He has promised to be, among sinners, for sinners. For you.

            You are mistaken who think that God no longer appears among his people. God appears before you stronger, clearer and in more numerous ways than he did for Isaac. Does he not appear before you in the humility of His Word? Does he not visit you in the waters of Holy Baptism making you His child? Has he not sent you messengers, known as pastors, who declare God’s promises to you? And does he not sojourn among you with his own flesh and blood to feed your flesh and blood in the Supper? There’s one promise of God you can eat.

            He has and he will continue to do it. He did it for Abraham and Isaac; and He does it for you. God is here again working his great blessings where God seems to not to be…but it is precisely where He has promised to be.

            Indeed, you have it better than Isaac. Whereas Isaac was spared the sacrifice, Christ would not spare himself for your sake. Whereas Isaac hoped for the Promised Land, Christ comes again to usher in a new heavens and a new earth, the home of righteousness. Your home in Christ.

            Whereas Isaac, along with the OT saints, awaited Christ’s birth – his first Advent, We await his second advent in confidence because of his first Advent in human flesh.

            That is why we approach Christmas with unrestrained, jubilant, rejoicing. God’s promise to Isaac is here. The Seed of Abraham long expected has come. The blessing, the promise, the daily bread – all that you seek, all that you need, all that causes you to be restless is found in Christ. Your rest is found in Him who found you.

            The one who came in the flesh. The one who comes to you now. The one who will come again in glory. Says to you, “Sojourn here. I will be with you. I will bless you. I will establish the oath that I swore to your father Abraham.”

In the Name of the Father and of + the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Advent Drama

The other day, while watching the Sopranos, oddly enough, I thought of yet another image or illustration for the themes of the season of Advent. Advent is dramatic. Not in the manner of teenage girls hyped up on nail polish fumes, reading Twilight books all while listening to Justin Bieber. But rather in the artful fashion of a suspenseful, drama film. What is the one thing that makes a movie dramatic? The music. It's the dramatic music that holds the viewer in tension throughout the movie (good writers,such as Lewis, Tolkien, Rowling, Riordan and Suzanne Collins - among many others - do a similar thing with pace and language, creating suspense in the imagination where movies use other senses). The music keeps you on the edge of your seat, waiting and anticipating what comes next. Who's around the corner? What's going to happen? When will the plot unfold? How will the story end? That's Advent. Dramatic. Suspenseful. Expectant. And just like the movies, although in a far greater way, Advent has some of the best hymns around. The music helps set the tension - He came, He comes, He will come again. Who is coming? Jesus. What's going to happen? A new heavens and a new earth...the resurrection of the dead and the life everlasting. How will the story end? Read the book of Revelation for a glimpse: An eternal Divine Service surrounding the Lamb and His feast; palm branches waving; incense wafting in prayer and thanksgiving and the saints bowed down in endless praise.When? Soon. Rejoice, Rejoice Believers! The Night Will Soon Be Ending! Lift Up Your Heads You Mighty Gates. So, enjoy the hymns of Advent for they prepare us to welcome the Advent of our King as we celebrate his first coming in the flesh and as He prepares us for His second coming in glory by means of His advent in bread, wine, water and word.

Your Zion strews before You, Green boughs and fairest palms;

And I too will adore You With joyous songs and psalms.

My heart shall bloom forever For You with praises new

And from Your name shall never with-hold the honor due.



Twas the Very First Advent

Every year at Redeemer the LWML ladies host an Advent by candlelight. I've been honored to join them and share a devotion along with the tea and table fellowship. Here's the devotion from last night...along with something completely different at the end! Enjoy. And a Merry Advent to you all.

Advent is a peculiar season with a peculiar name. Thankfully, the word itself gives us the answer: Advent, from the Latin adventus, meaning to come, or appear. And knowing this simple definition helps us sort out the blessed peculiarity once we ask ourselves the Lutheran question, "what does this mean?" Who or what comes in Advent? Why do we celebrate this season? During this peculiar season, Christians must learn, not to be ambidextrous, but Advent-idextrous (yes, I just made that up. If you're in the Scripps national spelling bee the definition means to hold three teachings of Jesus in tension at one time; Language of origin - Latin and general Schuldheisz silliness). For Advent is somewhat like a triangle. Jesus' Advent is three-fold: He came. He comes. He will come again.

Now we all know about Jesus' first coming in human flesh, the God-man, the boy who lived come to die. But there's more. That's God's way of doing things; there's always more: more life, more forgiveness, more than you can ever ask for. The greatest joy in Advent is our hope of Christ's coming in glory, precisely because he came in the flesh. We await this coming with hopeful and joyful, pregnant expectation. It's like a mother in her 8th month of pregnancy. Baby's coming soon. Can't wait! So much to prepare. Readiness. Eager expectation. Holy fear. That's Advent. Therefore we can be confident in Jesus' second coming because of his first coming in the flesh. He came. He will come again.

And yet Jesus is not done Adventing himself among us. As we joyfully celebrate his first coming in Bethlehem and as we await his second coming in glory. He comes now - not as a child in a manger - but as a crucified and risen Savior. Jesus advents himself in His Word of truth. Jesus advents himself in the water of Baptism, washing us in his death and resurrection. Jesus advents himself in the absolution, announcing peace on earth and good will towards sinful men. Jesus advents himself in the Lord's Supper, feeding us with the same body and blood that once lay in a manger, born of Mary. That's Jesus' three-fold Advent. Now, I'm not suggesting you twist your Advent wreath into a triangle - although that might be an interesting concept - but we do well to keep the three advents alive during this season.

Just like St. Bernard, a monk from the middle ages once said, "In the first coming, Christ comes in the flesh and in weakness; in the second, He comes in Spirit and power; in the third, He comes in glory and majesty; and the second coming is the means whereby we pass from the first to the third."

So with that in mind...enjoy a new twist on an old favorite: Twas the Night Before Christmas...Advent style!

Twas the very first Advent when all through the earth,

All creation was groaning for life and new birth.

Though sin, death and darkness had caused such great fear,

There's hope that a Savior soon will appear.

It starts with old Zach surrounded by holy smoke,

When right through the cloud of incense he spoke:

Mighty Gabriel came and promised a son,

John the forerunner of this Promised One.

Meanwhile in Nazareth of Galilee,

There dwelt a Virgin, favored and holy,

To whom the Lord sent the angel Gabriel,

Announcing a Savior from sin, death and hell.

When out of her mouth there arose such a wonder,

"I'm but a Virgin, how can this be, I ponder?"

"Do not be afraid," was the angel's word,

"For nothing is impossible for the Lord."

In the months leading up to that first Christmas Day,

Joe's fiance was pregnant - wait; what did you say?!

Unwilling to let his betrothed suffer shame,

He vowed not to let Mary take his last name.

While Joseph was nestled all snug in his bed,

The Angel Gabriel appeared over head:

"Do not fear to take Mary as  your dear wife.

The Holy Spirit conceived this child's own life.

You shall call his name, Jesus, that child within.

For he is the Savior from death, hell and sin."

Isaiah foretold this great Immanuel:

His name means, "God with his people shall dwell."

As the time of his birth drew closer at hand,

A census was ordered throughout the land.

"Man, woman and child: Go back where you're from."

So it's off on the donkey to Bethlehem home.

In comfort the Emperor lay down his head,

While a Virgin and husband search for a bed.

No room was found but a manger lowly,

Jesus' first Advent was humble yet holy.

When out in the fields there arose such a clatter.

The shepherd awoke to see what was the matter.

A myriad of heavenly hosts didst appear,

"I bring you good news of great joy, do not fear."

"A Savior's born yonder in Bethlehem town,

You'll find him swaddled, with hay for a crown,

Glory to God and on earth, He brings peace."

This child has come, your sin to release.

Away from the hillside they flew with great haste:

"We must find this child, not a moment to waste."

When, what to there wondering eyes should appear,

But a God-man, and Savior whose birth gives great cheer.

So the shepherds went forth with great joy and praising,

On mountains! On hillsides! Their voices were raising,

"Behold Zion's watchmen on top of the wall!

The Savior is born, now tell all! Tell all!"

And that is the story of Christ's first Advent-tide.

Yet still with his people he deigns to reside,

His Advent brings forgiveness in body and blood,

Through water and word in a Baptismal flood.

By his life and death he gives us new birth,

A blessed exchange, his death for our mirth.

But 'tis not the end of Christ's Advent story,

Still we await his Advent in glory.

This Advent-tide let your wreath flicker with cheer,

In hopes that Christ's second Advent soon will be here.

Come quickly, Lord Jesus. Come quickly, we pray.

We yearn for the dawn of that great Sabbath Day.

When not in a manger as in days long ago,

But a radiant Lamb, his glory to show.

When trumpets will herald our crucified King,

And the heavens with loud hosannas will ring.

He will spring to the earth, give his angels a whistle:

"Away sin and death and curse of the thistle."

With rejoicing we'll bow as he comes into sight.

A merry Advent to all, and to all a good night.

Also, a special thanks to Mark Beutow for the "emperor" line and Sean Daenzer for the shock and awe of Joe.

P.S. I found a triangle Advent wreath!  Check it out, here.

St. Andrew's Day

In a book of daily readings for the Church Year from C.S. Lewis, the following quotation from Mere Christianity was quoted for St. Andrew's Day. For today we remember the work of Christ among his Apostles, especially Andrew who looked not to the world, but to Christ and pointed others to him as well.

If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were just those who thought most of the next. The Apostles themselves, who set foot the conversion of the Roman Empire, the great men who built up the Middle Ages, the English Evangelicals who abolished the slave trade, all left their mark on earth, precisely because their minds were occupied with heaven. It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so innefective in this. Aim at heaven and you will get earth 'thrown in'; aim at earth and you will get neither. It seems a strange rule, but something like it can be seen in other matters. Health is a great blessing, but the moment you make health one of your main, direct objects you start becoming a crank imagining there is something wrong with you. You are only likely to get health provided you want other things more - food, games, work, fun, open air. In the same way, we shall never save civilization as long as civilization is our main object. We must learn to want something else even more. Mere Christianity, book III, chapter 10.

That seems to be a rather prominent theme in the life of the disciples, especially after Christ's death and resurrection. You can find it in a quote attributed to St. Andrew who was martyred on an X shaped cross, "Hail, precious cross, you who were dedicated by the body of Christ; may He receive me through you, who redeemed me through you." And so with that in mind, we join in thanks and praise for the work of Christ through his servant, Andrew.

All praise, O Lord, for Andrew,

The first to welcome You,

Whose witness to his brother

Named You Messiah true.

May we, with hearts kept open

To You throughout the year,

Confess to friend and neighbor

Your advent ever near.

The Treasury of Daily Prayer also has a fantastic quotation from Valerius Herberger on St. Andrew. Here's a portion of that reading:

Reverent hearts, we hold the feast of the apostle Andrew in Christendom the first in the church year not only because it falls near the season of Advent but also because Andrew was called first, before the other apostles, by the Lord Jesus...Now history tells us how St. Andrew together with his fellows conducted their new office. Right away they left their nets and followed Jesus. And again, right away they left the ship and their father and followed him. To them Jesus is now the most precious one on earth - according to his mind they learn, according to his words they teach, according to his will they live, according to his decree they suffer and die. When St. Andrew was threatened with the cross, he joyfully said, "If I feared the punishment of the cross, I would never have preached the mystery of the cross."

Happy Birthday, C.S. Lewis

Today is C.S. Lewis's birthday. He would have been 113 years old, two years past his eleventy first birthday.  So, instead of writing a tribute essay or some such thing - I asked the facebook world today to list their favorite C.S. Lewis quote. If you have any to contribute this is a fine place to do so. After all, this blog, E-nklings, is, at least in part, dedicated to the fine work of the Inklings (of whom Lewis was a major player). And it seemed most fitting to include a few words of the man known as Jack, or now better known as Saint Jack. Thanks for all your writing. I certainly looking forward to seeing this man in the resurrection counted among the many faithful in the great cloud of witnesses. Enjoy the quotes. Under the mercy.

"God never meant man to be a purely spiritual creature. That is why He uses material things like bread and wine to put the new life into us. We may think this rather crude and unspiritual. God does not: He invented eating. He likes matter. He invented it." Mere Christianity, book 2, chapter 5.

He is not a tame lion. Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe.

 “Experience is a brutal teacher, but you learn. My God, do you learn.” - attributed to Lewis, possibly from the Problem of Pain.

‎"But how can the characters in a play guess the plot? We are not the playwright, we are not the producer, we are not even the audience. We are on the stage. To play well the scenes in which we are “on” concerns us much more than to guess about the scenes that follow it."  The World's Last Night.

“To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly be broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up save in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket - safe, dark, motionless, airless - it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. The alternative to tragedy, or at least to the risk of tragedy, is damnation. The only place outside of Heaven where you can be perfectly safe from all the dangers and perturbations of love is Hell.” - The Four Love.

‎"The mark of Friendship is not that help will be given when the pinch comes (of course it will) but that, having been given, it makes no difference at all." 

"A young man who wishes to remain a sound Atheist cannot be too careful of his reading. There are traps everywhere -- 'Bibles laid open, millions of surprises,' as Herbert says, 'fine nets and stratagems.' God is, if I may say it, very unscrupulous." 
 
"The term is over: the holidays have begun. The dream is ended: this is the morning."
     And as He spoke, He no longer looked to them like a lion; but the things that began to happen after that were so great and beautiful that I cannot write them. And for us this is the end of all the stories, and we can most truly say that they all lived happily ever after. But for them it was only the beginning of the real story. All their life in this world and all their adventures in Narnia had only been the cover and the title page: now at least they were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story which no one on earth has read: which goes on for ever: in which every chapter is better than the one before."  The Last Battle.

"Oh, Aslan!" whispered Susan...Can't we do something about the Deep Magic? "Work against the EMPEROR'S Magic?"... said Aslan with something like a frown...nobody EVER made that suggestion to Him again..."What does it mean? Is it more magic?" "It means said Aslan, that though the Witch knew the Deep Magic, there is a magic deeper still which she does not know. Her knowledge goes back only to the dawn of time. But if she could have looked further back...before Time dawned...She would have known...when a willing victim who had committed no treachery was killed in a traitors stead...Death itself would start working backward". Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe.

Of Mice and Men

Twas the season of Advent and all through the house, not a creature was stirring except for that mouse.

Expectant joy. Readiness. Anticipation. Eagerness. These are all words used to describe the church as she celebrates Advent - as she awaits the return of the King. They also happen to be words that describe one particularly valiant mouse, Reepicheep. Would that we all looked to Advent as Reepicheep yearned for Aslan's country. When it comes to Advent, let us rejoice, hope and expect Christ's coming. For he is coming soon. Ignore the Christmas celebrations of men. We are children of the day. In Advent the church is as valiant as a mouse, awaiting the dawn of the Morning Star and the coming of Christ and his country.

"My own plans are made. While I can, I sail east in the Dawn Treader. When she fails me, I paddle east in my coracle. When she sinks, I shall swim east with my four paws. And when I can swim no longer, if I have not reached Aslan's country, or shot over the edge of the world in some vast cataract, I shall sink with my nose to the sunrise and Peepicheek will be head of the talking mice in Narnia."

"Hear, hear," said a sailor, "I'll say the same, barring the bit about the coracle, which wouldn't bear me." He added in a lower voice, "I'm not going to be out done by a mouse."

A blessed, merry and mousy Advent to you all!