Shining the light of Christ

Scented gift candles made from leftover wax from altar candles.

“For this holy house, and for all who offer here their worship and praise, let us pray to the Lord” (from the long-form Kyrie),

On Sunday, January 5, 2025, we celebrated the Epiphany of our Lord and the eighth anniversary of the consecration of our sanctuary. We began construction of a two-story church and school building a year earlier, thanks to a donation from Venezuela Lutheran Mission Partnership (VLMP). 

It was kairos, the right time. Four years of hyperinflation would follow, emigration from Venezuela would become a stampede, and that was before COVID-19. We would not have been able to build this holy house at any point afterward.As in past years, members of our sister congregation, Corpus Christi Lutheran Church in Barinas, worshipped with us and later joined us for a meal and cake.

Luz para las naciones

The children who attended our vacation Bible school sang “Brilla, Jesús”, a Spanish version of “Shine, Jesus, shine” in sign language, their project for the week. The simple praise song, written by Graham Kendrick in 1987, is a favorite in Venezuela. It is based on Genesis 1:3; Psalm 139:23; John 1:5; John 8:12; John 8:32; 2 Corinthians 3:18; and Revelation 22:1-2.

This fit with the theme of our vacation Bible school, “Light for the nations”. This phrase appears in the messianic prophecies of Isaiah 42:6 and Isaiah 49.6. The Hebrew word translated as “nations” refers to those outside the covenant people of Israel, and thus could also be translated as “gentiles”. A form of the phrase is used with the corresponding Greek word in Luke 2:32, as part of the Nunc Dimittis or “Song of Simeon”, that we sing after the Eucharist every Sunday: “A light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.” In Acts 13:47, Paul and Barnabas justify preaching the Gospel to gentiles with a more direct citation of Isaiah 49:6. “For so the Lord has commanded us: “I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.”
The first day of vacation Bible school was Thursday, January 2, the day after the Circumcision and Naming of Jesus on the church calendar (because it’s eight days after Christmas). So the activity involved identifying the names (or titles) given to Jesus in the Bible and choosing a favorite. Most chose “King of Kings”, but some chose “Light of the World”, “Messiah”, “Good Shepherd” and “Emmanuel”.

On the second day of vacation Bible school, we compared the verses John 8:12 and Matthew 5:14-16. If Jesus said, “I am the Light of the world”, how could He also say, “You are the light of the world”? Because we are sent out into the world to shine the light of Christ into its darkness. The second part of John 8:12 reads, “He who follows me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” Our Lord also says in Matthew 5:14-16: “Let your light so shine before men that they may see you good works and glorify you Father in heaven.” So we studied the 10 Commandments and what the Small Catechism says about the third use of the law as a guide for living the Christian life.

Keeping the Mass in Christmas

On Sunday, December 29, 2024, we celebrated the Mass of the Nativity in the morning in La Caramuca and in the afternoon at Corpus Christi Lutheran Church in Barinas. This was the eucharistic service. On December 24, we marked Christmas Eve with a vespers service in La Caramuca. At both locations, worship was followed by a traditional Venezuelan Christmas dinner of hallacas, chicken salad and pan de jamón (ham-filled bread).

Creating hallacas involves wrapping a mixture of seasoned beef/pork, capers, raisins, olives, onions, garlic, peppers, and spices in masa, a corn dough. Banana leaves are used to cover the filled parcel before it’s secured with twine or string. To a gringo, the hallaca may look like a tamale, but do not call it that. With the tamale, a dish typically associated with Mexico and Central America, masa dough is filled with meats, cheese and veggies, wrapped up in corn husks and steamed. The corn husks impart a different texture and flavor.

Witnesses till the end

On St. John’s Day, December 27, 2024, we met with local coordinators of other LeadaChild projects in Venezuela in a Zoom conference. We thanked everyone for their work over the past year, including Elsy Machado, national director of LeadaChild Venezuela; Nury de Milian, director of LeadaChile Latin America; and Dr. Philip Frusti, executive director of LeadaChild in the United States.

We meditated on the fact that “martyr” means “witness” in Greek. From St. Stephen (Acts 7) to the present day, many Christians have died for faith in Jesus Christ. We give thanks for their testimony, which has been the seed of the church. Even those who die for Christ without giving voice, like the Holy Innocents of Bethlehem (Matthew 2:13-23), show by their death the depth of evil and the truth of God’s Word. We also gave thanks for St. John the Evangelist, the only one among the apostles to die of old age (John 21:21-24). Some face a violent death with the help of the Holy Spirit and by their example bear witness to the truth of God’s Word. But others, like John, are blessed with a long life to teach new Christians. Those of us involved with LeadaChild are committed to seeing children grow in faith and to teaching that faith to their children.

From end to beginning

Luz Maria and I wish all of you a blessed Christmas/Epiphany season and a prosperous New Year!

As always, our December was taken up with preparations for the day designated as that of our Lord’s birth. This time the big twist was that the fourth Sunday of Advent, which is typically the last Sunday before Christmas Eve, fell on December 24. There are a number of ways a congregation might deal with this unusual circumstance. The full-scale treatment would be fourth Sunday of Advent service in the morning, Christmas Eve in the evening, midnight mass at, um, midnight, and perhaps two Christmas services the following morning.

Well, we did not do that. Rather, our morning service on December 24 was last of Advent, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day rolled into one. In contrast to the United States (at least, the United States as I remember it), church attendance here hits rock bottom during Christmas and Easter. Nearly everyone thinks of the two weeks from December 24 to January 6 (Epiphany) as vacation time and either a) takes off for the mountains or the beaches; or b) spends the time visiting family and friends. (The same thing is true of Holy Week.) So we scheduled our Christmas celebration before everyone would be traveling out of town. We pray that this might change and someday we will have to answer the demand for multiple Christmas services! We do have a vacation Bible school planned for the week of Epiphany, when many will have returned.

Christmas dinner.

Hallaca.

Our morning service was followed by Christmas dinner, complete with hallacas, pan de jamón (bread filled with ham and olives) and chicken salad. This is the traditional Venezuelan Christmas meal and the hallaca is the centerpiece. What is the hallaca? It consists of corn dough stuffed with beef, pork, and/or chicken and other ingredients such as raisins and olives (there are regional variations). Hallacas are folded in plantain leaves, tied with strings, and boiled. The unwrapped hallaca looks something like a tamale, but do not say that to a Venezuelan unless you want an argument. As for me, tamales were a favorite food before I came to Venezuela and now I like both tamales and hallacas. Bearing in mind the dispersion of Venezuelans throughout the world, it was big news when the New York Times, for the first time ever, published a recipe for hallacas.

Nativity scene.

Hallacas also were on the menu for our preschool Christmas party on December 11 (because the schools close for holiday break on December 15). There also was an opening devotion for the children and their families, traditional dance by the children, Christmas cards made by the children for their parents, and the display of a Nativity scene made from recycled material by Luz Maria’s daughter, Angi Sarai Santana. Venezuelan nativity scenes are very elaborate and often include an entire landscape surrounding the stable. This one was a towering sculpture that won a prize in a competition at the university where Angi is working toward a master’s degree in early childhood education.

Making hallacas.

More hallacas in Ciudad Guayana

On December 14, we shared a Christmas devotion and dinner, complete with hallacas, with the people of the Lutheran mission in Core 8, a poor neighborhood located within the metropolitan area of Ciudad Guayana on the eastern end of the country. It was the first time that I visited Core 8 since my first tour of Venezuela in 2003. Because of its economic condition, the mission has for years been unable to support a full-time pastor. But the people remain faithful. We were able to meet face to face Ignacio Vera y his wife, Emperatriz, the in-laws of Eliezer Mendoza, director of the Juan de Frias Theological Institute and pastor of Cristo es Amor (Christ is Love) Lutheran Church in Barquisimeto (three hours north of Barinas). Emperatriz is a graduate of the deaconess program sponsored the Juan de Frias Institute and Concordia El Reformador Seminary in the Dominican Republic. So also are Rubys Cortina and Laura Cedeño, other women of Core 8.

Deaconess students.

Luz Maria with students.

For that is why we were in Ciudad Guayana: To help Pastor Eliezer lead a seminar for women currently enrolled in the deaconess program. The seminar on the Divine Service was held at La Ascensión (Ascension) Lutheran Church. One of the oldest congregations in the Lutheran Church of Venezuela, it grew from the evangelistic work of Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod missionaries in 1964 and its current sanctuary was dedicated in 1972. Luz Maria was a member of La Ascensión when she lived in Ciudad Guayana in the 1990s. Next door to the church sits a large mosque, one of four in Ciudad Guayana, and we often had to continue our activities over daily Muslim calls to prayer. About 15 students attended the seminar, representing congregations in the cities of Ciudad Guayana, Maturin, Caracas and Maracay.

Luz Maria and I traveled to Ciudad Guyana by air, our first flight since 2019. The airline industry in Venezuela is a state of modest and tentative recovery, and ticket promotions make it more economical as well as more secure to cross the country by plane, rather than bus or car. The security advantage was demonstrated for us as, by the grace of God, we avoided the disastrous explosion of a tanker truck on the main highway into Caracas which claimed about 16 lives and damaged 17 vehicles. We are grateful to Marivick Lopez, another graduate of the deaconess program, and her husband, Oscar, both members of La Ascensión, for their hospitality during our stay in Ciudad Guayana.

With Carlos Schumann.

Course in ecclesiology.

On the church and its music

We did travel by car during the final week of November to attend a seminar for Lutheran Church of Venezuela pastors on ecclesiology (the doctrine of the church and its ministry). The course was taught by Carlos Schumann on behalf of Luther Academy. Pastor Schumann, originally of Argentina and later Chile, serves as the director of Luther Academy conferences for LCMS missions and partner churches in Latin America and the Caribbean region. The following week, we completed an online course in church music, especially related to the new Spanish hymnal, Himnario Luterano. This course was led by Gustavo Arturo Maita, who grew up as a member of Cristo Rey (Christ the King) Lutheran Church in Maturin, Venezuela. In 1996, he became the first child in Venezuela to receive a Christian education scholarship from LeadaChild, which has been one of our mission’s sponsoring organizations since 2006. Now Arturo Maita is the pastor of Príncipe de Paz (Prince of Peace) Lutheran Church in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico.

Prayer for the day of the Circumcision of Jesus

Lord God, heavenly Father, forgive us the sins of past, and breathe into us the Spirit of Your Son that we may serve You in the new year. On this day You placed Your Son under the Law to fulfill all righteousness for us. On this day our Lord was given His name according to Your Word. May we be known by His name. In Him, our Alpha and Omega, we find the courage to begin again. In Him this year and all things are made new because we are forgiven. For His sake, help to live as Your obedient children. Amen.

(Lutheran Book of Prayer, Concordia Publishing House, 1970.)

Rays of hope in the night

Merry Christmastide and a blessed and prosperous New Year to all of you!

As I mentioned in our last newsletter, we were able to open the preschool share some lessons on the meaning of Christmas with the children. We even made a video with them which you see on YouTube. There was a visit from “Papa Noel” or St. Nicholas, and his helpers, as well (teachers from other schools volunteering their time to distribute goodies). To begin the Christmas season proper, two of our members (Eduar Garrido and Diana Torres) dressed as Joseph and Mary visited homes in the surrounding community with an invitation to our Christmas Eve service.

Christmas Eve was a service of prayer and praise with plenty of villancicos, or Christmas carols. Afterward, there was Christmas dinner with the traditional Venezuelan servings of hallacas, pan de jamón and chicken salad. An hallaca looks something like a tamale, but do not ever say that to a Venezuelan. Nor should you serve an hallaca with mayonnaise, as some foreigners do. The hallaca consists of corn dough stuffed with beef, pork, or chicken and other ingredients such as raisins, capers, and olives, fresh onion rings, red and green bell pepper slices (there are variations for the different regions of Venezuela). Hallacas are folded in plantain leaves, tied with strings, and boiled. The dish is not only served to houseguests, but given to neighbors as gifts, which we did as well.

Pan de jamón (ham bread) is a Christmas bread, filled with ham, raisins and green olives. The recipe is believed to be created in December 1905 by Gustavo Ramella, owner of a bakery in Caracas. Venezuelan chicken salad is also served at celebrations of weddings, baptisms and first communion, but especially for Christmas.

The complete Christmas meal would include roast beef or pernil (roast leg of pork), but just the preparation of a typical batch of hallacas now costs more than 20 times the minimum wage of $1.45 per month. If you buy the ingredients to make 50 hallacas, the cost goes from 36 to 70 dollars, that is, every hallaca could cost you from 70 cents to $1.40. Hallacas can be purchased ready-made, but for a family of four, a hallaca for each member costs around $8.

A loaf of pan de jamón costs $10 at the panadería or bakery. By the way, the price is posted in dollars, as U.S. currency is replacing the Venezuelan bolivar as the medium of exchange. Dollars have been available on the black market for some time, but now can be obtained from Venezuelan banks. This “dollarization” of the economy offers some hope for an end to four years of “hyperinflation” (price increases of more than 50 percent per month). Please pray that in 2022, the Venezuelan economy might stabilize and even grow a little to provide more jobs and higher wages.

Deaconess candidates complete theological studies

Luz Maria continues mentoring Venezuelan women studying to become deaconesses of the Lutheran Church of Venezuela. Her students have complete a year of theological studies and have put into practice projects of spiritual care, mercy work and Christian education.  Luz Maria oversees the women's progress in coursework provided by instructors at Concordia El Reformador Seminary in the Dominican Republic. About 40 Venezuelan women are enrolled in the program.

 

The name given to the holy Child and to us

On Christmas Eve, the sermon text was the first part of Luke’s account of the Nativity (Luke 2:1-14), while on Sunday the final portion (Luke 2:15-20) was read, with a meditation on Titus 3:4-7.

New Years Eve was again a vespers service with an admonition to remain vigilant for the Lord’s return. The following Sunday, January 2, we marked the circumcision and naming of Jesus (because eight days after His birth, He was circumcised according to God’s covenant with Abraham, Genesis 17:10). Jesus placed himself under the Old Testament law and perfectly obeyed not only the moral law, but also all the Old Testament rites and ceremonies. Jesus was declared a member of the Old Testament people of God by circumcision. He was also given a name by which he should be distinguished in the congregation of God's people. As the angel had told Mary at the time of the Annunciation, as he had told Joseph in a dream, Matthew 1:21, so it was done.

Jesus is the Greek form of the name Joshua. In Hebrew it is Yehoshua, which means "The Lord saves." Because He also submitted to John’s baptism of repentance for sin, although he was without sin, we are now baptized in His name, the only name which gives salvation.

“For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus, because all of you who have been baptized into Christ are clothed with Christ. There is no longer Jew or Greek; there is neither slave nor free; there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to promise. " (Galatians 3:26-29)

 

 

Baptisms and confirmations from Advent to Epiphany

One challenge to Advent observance is convincing people that it is not yet the season to be jolly. In principle, Advent is supposed to parallel Lent as a season of reflection and repentance. In one case, we prepare ourselves to, in humility and gratitude, celebrate the mystery of the Incarnation, in the other, the mystery of the Resurrection. But the world wants to party and so it does.

In the cultural context of Venezuela, everyone is given time off for most of December and the first week of January. In the past, most have used this free time for vacations in the mountains or the beaches, or for visits with family members (even if these are relatives that they see every other day of the year anyway). Because of the current economic cristis, much of this activity has been scaled way back. But still too many have forgotten the real reason to celebrate in due time.

The long national holiday includes the closing of all schools, which is a rule that we must live by. So during the first week in December, we had our Christmas party for the preschool children and their parents. This was an opportunity to present the true message of Christmas as well as share food and gifts. One couple, Samantha and Sandro, parents of our preschool student, Juan Diego, portrayed Mary and Joseph. Their newborn son, Sandro Dionel, stood in for the Christ Child.

The following Sunday, December 8, Eduardo Garrido, a former preschool student and recipient of a scholarship for Christian education from the LeadaChild mission society, received the gift of eternal life in Christ through holy Baptism. The appointed text was Luke 21:25-26, and as I said in the sermon, the promise of the new covenant in Christ is for all nations. The hallmark of this new covenant is not circumcision as in the old covenant, but the baptism that Eduardo Garrido will receive today. No matter our race or tribe, we are Abraham's heirs in the water linked to the Word of God. Therefore, our hope is not only for Christmas next year, but for the day when Christ comes again in glory. Because in baptism we are also heirs of eternal life that Christ won for us on the cross. He was punished for our sins on the cross, but let us share in his resurrection from death because of baptism. Christmas points to Holy Week. Jesus was born in this world to suffer and die on the cross. He began his way to the cross with His baptism in the Jordan River by John the Baptist. Like the baptism of Jesus, the Father's voice spoke from the heavens and the Holy Spirit descended in the form of a dove, in each Christian baptism, the Father and the Son send the Holy Spirit to live in us.

 

The following Sunday, December 15, Juan Diego and Sandro Dionel were baptized. The appointed text was Matthew 11:2-10. As I said in the sermon, "He who is least in the kingdom of heaven" means any believer in the new covenant in the blood of Jesus Christ. John did not baptize with the Holy Spirit, but Jesus Christ did. The same Holy Spirit who descended upon Jesus at his baptism was poured out on the church on the day of Pentecost. Today Sandro Dionel Pérez and Juan Diego Rodriguez will receive new life in Christ through baptism. I am not John the Baptist, but I baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit with the same authority as the apostles. In addition, according to the old covenant, only the high priest could enter the Most Holy Place once a year to sacrifice the blood of animals for the sins of the people. But Christ sacrificed Himself once forever and now every Christian can enter the Most Holy Place, that is, the presence of God, at any time by the blood of Christ. Because of His baptism, every Christian has more power and authority than the high priest in the Temple of Jerusalem. The priests are not only the descendants of Aaron, brother of Moses, but all consecrated in the baptism of Jesus are heirs of the priests, prophets and patriarchs of the Old Testament. According to the old covenant, only the high priest could enter the Holy of Holies once a year to sacrifice the blood of animals for the sins of the people. But Christ sacrificed himself once forever and now every Christian can enter the Holy of Holies, that is, the presence of God, at any time by the blood of Christ. Because of his baptism, every Christian has more power and authority than the high priest in the Temple of Jerusalem. Priests are not only the descendants of Aaron, brother of Moses, but all consecrated in the baptism of Jesus are heirs of the priests, prophets and patriarchs of the Old Testament. The miracle of baptism that will occur today is greater than thunder and lightning on Mount Sinai, larger than the division of the waters of the Red Sea. In baptism we have the promise of eternal life and in that the peace that surpasses all understanding. Amen.

A rude awakening

We celebrated Christmas on Christmas Eve and the following Sunday, December 29. On the evening of December 31, we celebrated the circumcision and naming of Jesus. The service went well, but at 3 a.m., January 1, Luz Maria and I were awakened by the cries of our neighbors. There was a fire in the church! A ventilation fan had been left on, and it short-circuited and burst into flame. One fellow jumped on his motorcycle and went throughout the neighborhood alerting everyone of the fire. Thanks to everyone’s help, we were able to put it out before there was irreparable damage (except to the fan). But all the smoke had left a layer of stickly soot over everything but the altar (which was covered by a plastic sheet. We do that to prevent damage to the altar cloths from flying insects and birds). Fortunately, we were able to clean it all and repaint the walls before Sunday. 

At the same time that volunteers were cleaning and repainting the chapel, Luz Maria and I led a vacation Bible school on the work and mission of the church and the means of grace. There were perhaps as many adults as children in attendance. 

First communion on Epiphany

We celebrated the Epiphany on January 5, and also the third anniversary of the dedication of our chapel. Karla Valeria Frías Torrealba received her first communion that Sunday. Her mother, Yudy Torreabla, who joined our congregation by affirmation of faith, was by her side.

I included in the reading of the story of the Magi the account of the massacre of the Holy Innocents of Bethlehem. The visit of the Magi signifies that the promise of salvation is by grace (or gift) for believers of all nations. But the confirmation vow reminds that we must, with the help of the Holy Spirit, persever in our confession of faith, even under pain of death. We remembered in prayer the persecuted Christians of Nigeria, China and other parts of the globe.

Lord God, revealed in the Christ as the One whose foolishness is wiser than men and whose weakness is stronger than men, help those who suffer for the sake of truth to find Your strength in their weakness, to see your glory in what is despised, and to feel Your presence in what is desolate. Help them to understand that in Your gentleness there is power, that in Your grace there is strength, and that in Your forgiveness there is life. Relieve them from torture and pain, from strain of the emotions, and from temptation, danger and agony of soul. Use their suffering for the conversion of those who torment them, for the strengthening of those who love them, and for the welfare of Your people everywhere. Keep them in your steadfast love in Christ, our Lord, for His sake. Amen.

Lutheran Book of Prayer, Concordia Publishing House, 1970.

The light that shines in darkness

"In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." John 1:45

We began 2018 with the loss of artificial light: A power outage that lasted from 4:30 to 8:30 a.m. on January 1. These outages have become a fact of life as Venezuela's economic crisis worsens. There is a spiritual darkness here much worse than when the electricity goes down before dawn. There is the loss of joy and hope as children die of starvation and diseases that once had been nearly eradicated; the mourning of old people as their children and grandchildren flee to other lands, perhaps never to return; the fear of someone trying the lock on your front door in the middle of the night.

But there is the light that no darkness can overcome, and that is the light of Christ. We began the chuch's year by lighting Advent candles and celebrated the beginning of the Christmas season with the baptism of Emily Antonella Torres on Sunday, December 24. Her mother, Deisi, was baptized at our mission in 2007, along with her sisters, Yexi and Yaneth, and brothers, Yovani and Jhonny. Yexi's daughter, Diana, was baptized on January 8, 2017, at the consecration of our chapel. Deisi and Yovani were confirmed on October 25, 2009. Yaneth was confirmed on December 15, 2015.

The following Sunday, December 31, we remembered the circumcision and naming of Jesus. On Wednesday of the following week, we began a vacation Bible school (since schools were closed and most people were on vacation until January 6).  The theme of vacation Bible school was "epiphany" as the manifestation of the divinity of Jesus Christ.

On Sunday, January 7, we remembered the visit of the Magi to the baby Jesus in Bethlehem and celebrated the first anniversary of the consecration of our chapel. Our preschool resumed on January 8. In the weeks that followed, I shared with the preschool children the stories of the baptism of Jesus and 12-year-old Jesus in the Temple. We concluded the season of Epiphany with the celebration of the Transfiguration of our Lord on Sunday, January 21.

The book of Genesis says that in the beginning God created light by the power of His Word. The Apostle John says that by this Word all things were made, in fact, because the Word existed in the beginning with God, that is, with the Father and the Spirit who hovered over the face of the great deep. This Word was God, along with the Father and the Spirit, and it may be spoken of as the Son, for it it was begotten, but not made, in the mind of the Father from eternity. This same Word was made flesh in the person of Jesus of Nazareth, and He became the light and life of men through His death and resurrection. By the power of the Word that created the world, sinful humans gain new life through baptism. In this there is joy, hope and love that lasts forever, which casts out fear, sadness and despair. Amen.

Baptism now saves you (1 Peter 3:21)

During the season of Advent, many of our appointed texts focus on John the Baptist: How he prepared the way for the first coming of Christ, and how the baptism of John differed from the baptism of Jesus.

For example, in the Gospel reading for the fourth Sunday of Advent, John 1:19-28, the Pharisees ask John, “Then why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” John answered them, “I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know, even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.”

John already had quoted the prophet Isaiah in response to the Pharisees' demand to know who he was. “A voice cries in the wilderness, prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.” (Isaiah 40:3). By calling the people of Israel to repentance and a ritual bath as a sign of repentance, John prepared the way for Israel's promised Messiah, the Savior of the world. Through the water of baptism he confirmed and sealed his preaching unto repentance. He admonished the people of Israel that they were in need of a cleansing from sins. Those that were baptized by John confessed their sins.

But still the baptism of John only pointed forward to the fulfillment of the redemption in Christ. And the Messiah was even then in the world, He was living in the midst of the Jewish people, though as yet unknown to them. John was the last and greatest prophet of the old covenant, preaching the Law so that it might touch the people's hearts and convince them of their need for a Savior. The Law still serves to convict us of our sin, but in Christian baptism, we have the Gospel, the good news of salvation in Jesus, made tangible for us in the water and the Word. Because Christ died in our place on the cross and rose again on the third day, baptism is death to sin and the beginning of new life (Romans 6:3-5). Jesus' death and resurrection were made possible by His birth, so Christmas is a celebration of His birth, yet also a celebration of our new birth.

We began the new year by remembering the holy Child's circumcision and naming. According to the Jewish law, male babies were circumcised on the eighth day of their birth to signify that through them the seed of Abraham would continue until the birth of one particular descendant of Abraham, the Messiah. By being circumsized Himself, the Messiah fulfilled all the law of Moses in our place, then by being baptized Himself by John, Jesus assured all who believe in Him that baptism with water seals them as part of His people. Not by circumcision of the male line, but by the direct spiritual regeneration of all who receive the sacrament, regardless of racial/ethnic background, sex or social class (Gálatas 3:23-29).

So it is fitting that in 2017, the 500th anniversary of the renewal of the church, the culmination of the Christmas and Epiphany seasons will be the dedication of our new chapel on January 8, the Sunday on which we celebrate the baptism of Jesus. Three children will be baptized that day and five young people take take their first communion. May God grant that the work of the Holy Spirit continue in the lives of these, His children, throughout this new year and for all the days to come. Amen.

Epiphany's end: a fruitful year

January 6, 2016, the traditional date for the celebration of the Epiphany, for us marked not only the end of the Christmas season, but also an extended period of vacation for our preschool children. Normally all schools are closed for the last two weeks of December and the first week of January, but this time the year-end vacation period included the entire month of December. This was because of national elections that were scheduled for December 6.

The high level of political tension in Venezuela raised fears of violence, so schools were closed early. In fact, there was an apparent assassination, but nevertheless the elections took place and proved to be historic. Opponents of the current government of Venezuela won a majority in the national legislature for the first time in 18 years. We continue to pray for political and economic stability, and the peaceful and just resolution of the country's problems. Luz Maria continued her afterschool tutoring for most of the vacation period.

Following the baptism of Maria Rosales and the confirmations of Elias Montoya and Yaneth Torres on December 13, we celebrated Christmas Eve on Thursday, December 24; Christmas on Sunday, December 27; the Circumcision and Naming of Jesus on Thursday, December 31: and Epiphany (the visit of the Magi) on Sunday, January 3. Finally, we closed the season of Epiphany with the Sunday of the Transfiguration on January 17.

 We follow the lectionary from "Culto Cristiano", a Spanish-language hymnal first published in 1948 and still published today by Concordia Publishing House. This is the historic one-year lectionary (although the Old Testament lessons are somewhat different from other versions of the lectionary that I have seen), which retains the three "pre-Lenten" Sundays of Septuagesima, Sexagesima and Quinquagesima (also found in the 1941 Lutheran Hymnal). The revised three-year lectionary omits them, continuing with Sundays after Epiphany until celebrating the Transfiguration on the last Sunday before Ash Wednesday (which would be February 7 this year).

Anyway, I was pleased with the attendance at these services, because the Christmas/New Year holiday generally is a time for most Venezuelans to head for the beaches or the mountains, or stay home and party, rather than attend worship services. The reason we scheduled some of our services for early in the evening before the appointed dates was to avoid interference by the street parties that begin late in the evening and last until the morning hours.

In keeping with the season of gift-giving, our mission was blessed with some donations. We received a shipment of Spanish-language Arch Books and other educational materials from LeadaChild, a missionary society that sponsors Christian education around the world. As soon as preschool classes resumed, I used one of the Arch Books to teach the children the story of 12-year-old Jesus in the Temple. Luz Maria uses the Arch Books every day in her tutoring. We also received a donation of textbooks from Fundación de Edificaciones y Dotaciones Educativas (FEDE), a Venezuelan foundation dedicated to improving education. Of course, we are grateful for the end-of-the-year financial gifts at our crowdfunding site.

We give thanks that the preschool playhouse has been restored after a bout of severe termite damage, due to the hard work of Luz Maria's grandson, Pedro José Santana. He also built a chicken coop, for we have been provided with chickens to raise, in return for sharing the eggs and meat.

May God bless everyone in this new year!

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• Venezuela has elected an opposition coalition - the ramifications could be huge (moneyweek.com)

Rejoicing in the mysteries of God

The third Sunday in Advent is called "Gaudete Sunday". The introit quotes Philippian 4:4, "Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, rejoice". The Latin words are "Gaudete in Domino semper: iterum dico, gaudete." We lit a reddish-pink candle on our Advent wreath in addition to two blue ones.

The basis of this tradition is that while the Scripture readings for the first two Sundays in Advent are rather grim lessons about Christ's purpose for being born in Bethlehem (to suffer and die on the cross) and His second coming in glory and judgment, in keeping with the idea of Advent as a season of repentance and reflection, on Gaudete Sunday the mood shifts more toward joy and hope as the celebration of the Nativity draws near.

We certainly had cause to rejoice on December 13, 2015, as Maria Gabriela Rosales was baptized, and Elias Montoya and Yaneth Torres were confirmed and received their first communion. My sermon text was the epistle, 1 Corinthians 4:1-5, which speaks of the ministers of the church as "servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God." What are the "mysteries of God" but the sacraments of baptism and the Lord's Supper, which we recognize, along with the preaching of the Word, as being central to our worship. You may read the complete English text of my sermon here.

Truly we rejoice in these young people and pray for them: Dearest Lord, we thank You that in the sacrament of baptism you bring new birth and life, making us members of Your holy family. We recall with gratitude our own baptisms, and pray that you would preserve Maria and us in Your baptismal grace. Help us to live in this world as Your redeemed children, serving You and our neighbors in love and devotion.

As You have made us all Your children in holy baptism, You have brought Elias and Yaneth through study of Your holy Word to know the meaning of their baptisms, and confess Your name as the only true God in Whom we have life eternal.

Always renew the strength of these young people that they shall rise up with wings like eagles. Grant them the faith of young Isaac; the vision of young Joseph; the obedience of young Samuel; the vigor of young David; the tenderness of young Jonathan; the wisdom of young Solomon; the courage of young Daniel; and the zeal of young Timothy. Deliver them from the temptations of youth, from unbelief, from forgetting their baptism, and losing the gift of Your Holy Spirit. Hear us for the sake of Your Son, Who redeemed us by His grace. Amén.

(Adapted from the "Lutheran Book of Prayer", Concordia Publishing House, 1970.)

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• Nations shall come to your light (venezuelaview.blogspot.com)
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Nations shall come to your light

"For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the LORD will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you. And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising." (ESV)

 While I read from Isaiah 60:2-3, José Ignacio Garrido lit the first candle in our Advent wreath on November 29, the first Sunday in Advent 2015. The words are addressed to the people of God, who were the children of Israel in Isaiah's day, but now the verses speakto the Church of the New Testament.  They announce the opening of the Messianic period. In Jesus the glory of the Lord has arisen upon the Church, like the sun in all its splendor and majesty. While the earth as a whole still is covered by the darkness of sin and iniquity, the light of Christ upon the Church, which shone upon those who awaited the Messiah, arose and shone during all the long centuries since the Gospel first was proclaimed. This light will shine through the Church into the darkness and draw the nations to it, as light of a heavenly chorus drew the shepherds and later the miraculous star drew the Magi to Bethlehem.

This is the first years that we have used an Advent wreath during this season in our worship at Epiphany Lutheran Mission of La Caramuca. The candlestand was built by ironworker Ciro Mendoza, and was decorated by Luz Maria and her daughter, Angi Santana. As I explained, the circle of candles appears to be adorned with pine branches, but the spines really represent the crown of thorns on the Lord's head as He made His journey to the cross for us. 

That is why our first Gospel reading for Advent was Matthew 21:1-9. This is Matthew's account of the Lord's last entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. We remember it as we begin our preparation for the celebration of His birth, because His Incarnation also was a joyous entry into this world, at which time He was hailed and adored. But it also was the beginning of His road to the cross, because He was born into this world to suffer and die for us. 

We closed the old church year amid news of disasters, terrorist attacks, an international refugee crisis and the possibility of another global war. There were Venezuelans who, with people of other nations, died in the terrorist actions in Paris and Mali. Closer to home, starting on November 7, the neighboring state of Mérida, Venezuela, was struck with a series of earthquakes measuring as high as 5.3 in magnitude, and resulting in death, injuries and damages to homes and public buildings. Our preschool, as well as other schools, was ordered to close early for the year, as critical national elections have been scheduled for December 6. Many hope these elections will bring about changes in a country that has for years been plagued by runaway inflation, shortages of foodstuffs and medicines, and one of the world's highest rates of violent crime. Unfortunately, fears for public safety during this politically tense period proved valid as one candidate, Luis Manuel Diaz, was assassinated on the campaign trail.

Of course, the Scripture readings for the last three Sundays of the church year deal with the end times, the trials to come and the ultimate victory of Christ. We have been able to take comfort in such passages as Matthew 24:6-13, "And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you dare not be alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains. 

“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come." (ESV)

Due to the early closing of the preschool, we held a Christmas party for the children and their parents on November 26, as we may not see some of them again until January. All the children received presents and they sang their favorite Christmas songs, such as "Campanas Por Doquier" which sound like "Jingle Bells", but really is about the Nativity). On November 18, the preschool children exchanged Christmas greetings with the preschoolers of St. Michael's Lutheran Church, Bloomington, Minnesota, by way of an Internet videoconference. We only recently have had the bandwidth to try something like that.

We ask you to remember Venezuela in your prayers in the days to come, and especially to ask for a peaceful solution to the country's problems and a brighter future in 2016.



El Amor de Dios/Campanas Por Doquier from David Ernst on Vimeo.

Christ For All The Nations

The theme of my Epiphany sermon was "Cristo para todas las naciones" ("Christ for all the nations"). That phrase has particular significance for us and was one reason why we named our mission, "Epiphany Lutheran Mission of La Caramuca." I will explain why.

First, why "Christ for all the nations" was my theme for Epiphany. We began the celebration of the Nativity on Christmas Eve with the story of the shepherds in Luke 2:1-12. Contrary to popular representations of the Nativity, the "wise men" or Magi, did not arrive at the stable where Mary laid her baby in the manger on the same night as the shepherds. Rather, they arrived a year or two later, the duration The ancient Magi were a hereditary priesthood of the Medes (known today as the Kurds)of their journey from "the east", which probably indicates Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq) or Persia (Iran). As Matthew 2:1-12 relates, King Herod slyly asked them just when the star appeared to them, and, based on their answer, would later order the deaths of all male children in Bethlehem two years old or younger. Whether the star of Bethlehem was a comet, nova, conjunction of planets or something else altogether is an entire discussion in itself, which I will not pursue.

Nor are we told exactly why the Magi believed the star signified the birth of the Jewish Messiah. The ancient Magi were a hereditary priestly caste of the Medes, inhabitants of western Iran who may have been ancestors of modern-day Kurds. The Magi were believed to have extraordinary knowledge of the natural and supernatural worlds. They were both astronomers and astrologers in an era when there was no sharp distinction between those occupations. "Magi" is, of course, the root of the English words, "magic" and "magician." 

During their period of exile and captivity, the Judeans (or Jews) first were subjects of the Babylonians, whose empire was based in southern Iraq. Later they lived under the rule of the Medes, followed by the Persians. It is likely that that they talked of their prophecied Messiah and that some vestige of this legend had been passed down to the Magi at the time of Jesus. The important thing is that they followed the star and at Bethlehem recognized the Christ Child as the one foretold to be both the Promised One of Israel and the Savior of the entire world. They presented Him with gifts worthy of a king. If you assume, for the purpose of visualizing the scene, one Magi presenting Jesus with gold, one presenting Him with frankincense, and one presenting Him with myrrh, that is where you get the idea of three Magi, even though St. Matthew's account does not specify how many Magi there were. More could be said about the significance of these gifts, but I won't go there, either.

The shepherds were humble men of Israel. Their visit to Jesus in the stable foreshadows the beginning of His public ministry first among the common people of Galilee and the preaching of the Gospel first to the chosen people of the Old Testament, according to the promises that God made to their forefathers.

Later Jesus would commission the apostles to go and make disciples of all nations and St. John would receive a vision of "a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands..." (Revelation 7:9). The visit of the Magi some time after the shepherds represents the first rays of the light of Christ penetrating the darkness of the pagan world. That is why we celebrate it as a separate event on the church calendar. It is why we sing in the Nunc Dimittis, "For mine eyes have seen thy salvation,  which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel." (Luke 2:30-32).

Now, "Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones" (CPTLN) is the name of the Spanish-language version of "The Lutheran Hour" radio program. CPTLN began broadcasting in Venezuela and other Spanish-speaking countries in 1940. CPTLN Venezuela was for many years a fixture on Venezuelan radio and also printed many tracts for distribution by Lutheran churches in Venezuela. Unfortunately, due to budget cutbacks by Lutheran Hour Ministries International in 2007, CPTLN Venezuela was force to move from its historic headquarters in Caracas to the city of Valencia and scale back its operations. However, we still regularly receive packages of tracts from CPTLN Venezuela and distribute them around our community.

That is why, a few years back when the public school system published a profile of the town of La Caramuca, two churches were mentioned: The Roman Catholic church on the plaza, and "Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones", which is how they identified us. Actually there also are some small Pentecostalist churches in La Caramuca, but they are not as well known. So when we chose a name for our mission, we wanted to distinguish ourselves from the CPTLN ministry, yet build on the theme of "Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones". And Epiphany is all about "Christ For All The Nations."