The dark side of Christmas

For our afternoon Bible study on December, we had the youth and children color a picture of the Holy Family’s flight to Egypt. The Scriptures provide no descriptions of Mary riding a donkey, either to Bethlehem or Egypt, but it only makes sense that she would, given the distances involved and that, in one instance she was nearly ready to give birth and cradling a small child on way to Egypt.

In Venezuela, as in most Spanish-speaking countries, December 28 rather than April 1 is the day for pranks, practical jokes and hoaxes. In Caucagua, Venezuela, there is every year an elaborate festival based on the fact that, before slavery was abolished, African slaves would be given that day off. During that time, they would be free to mock their masters. The Monkey Dance of Caicara de Maturín, based on indigenous traditions, takes place on December 28 and has become a major tourist attraction.

According to our historic church calendar, December 28 is the day we remember the Holy Innocents, the male babies of Bethlehem who were massacred by order of King Herod the Great. The rationale for the jesting and tomfoolery is that the Magi made a fool of King Herod by telling him they would lead him to the Christ Child, but departing by a different route (Matthew 2:7-12).

So, why do our churches remember the Holy Innocents two days after Christmas when we celebrate Epiphany, the visit of the Magi, on January 6? Chronologically, the Magi arrived in Bethlehem about two years after the shepherds on the night of the Savior’s birth. That is why Herod asks the Magi when they first saw the star (Matthew 2:7). The star appeared to them on the night of Christ’s birth and it took them two years to travel to Jerusalem (the Magi probably lived in what is nowadays Iran or Iraq). The massacre of the infants definitely took place after the Magi left.

But the purpose of the church calendar is not simply to teach the chronology of our Lord’s life, but also to highlight certain themes when most appropriate. The festival of the Holy Innocents is the dark side of Christmas, a counterpoint to all the love, peace and good will.

The light of Christ first shone, and continues to shine, in a very dark world. Like Herod, there still are those who say they want to find the light, but only want to put it out.

But there is comfort in the story of the Holy Innocents. We know that every human life, no matter how brief, serves God’s purpose, although we may not understand that purpose. That is true for the children of Bethlehem, also for the stillborn, the aborted and all who die before growing old enough to have children of their own. It’s also true of all those who outlive their own children, other family and friends, wondering why God has left them in this world of trouble and strife.

 

'Tis the season for hallacas

It would not be Christmas in Venezuela without the traditional holiday meal of hallacas, pan de jamón (bread filled with ham, raisins and olives) and potato salad. Hallacas resemble Mexican tamales, but do not say that out loud. Tamales are more corn dough than filling, while the hallaca's rich filling is surrounded by a very thin layer of dough. Hallacas are made by stuffing a mixture of seasoned meats (chicken, beef and pork), olives, raisins, and capers into a masa (corn dough) made from a blend of cornmeal and various spices, then boiling it while wrapped in banana leaves. The filling can vary from region to region and even from family to family. Hallacas are not only served for Christmas dinner, but given as gifts. After our Christmas Eve service on December 24, we served all who attended a dinner of hallacas, pan de jamón and salad. We sent packages of hallacas to shut-ins around the neighborhood. And we had enough left over to have potato salad and pan de jamón for our breakfast on Christmas Day!

We were able to celebrate the second Sunday of Advent (Populus Zion) with the members of Corpus Christi Lutheran Church. The service was held in their roofed patio because of the breakdown of the electrical system in the church building. Due to car trouble, we were not able to attend their annual Christmas dinner. But they sent Eliezer Montoya with a care package of cake and hallacas, plus a bottle of sangria wine. Luz Maria and I used the sangria to toast the New Year. 

LeadaChild: In it for the long haul

Once again, we would like to thank LeadaChild, a mission society based in Olathe, Kansas, for supporting our Christian education initiative. Because of LeadaChild's support, not only our afterschool tutoring students, but Luz María's teaching assistants (all high school students and communicant members of the mission) continue to get good grades.

Here are some thoughts from Dr. Phil Frusti, executive director of LeadaChild:

"Some fruit of our Christian labor can be seen quickly, especially when we provide human care and acts of mercy and service to those in need or experiencing great hardships. However, the fruit of our labor in Christian education may not be revealed for many years… sometimes generations. Educational ministry and mission is an 'in it for the long haul' commitment. Children attend school for many years; discipleship is an ongoing and drawn-out process. For many educators, they may not experience the fruit in the lives of many of the children that they helped develop through their teaching, correction, encouragement…. and especially prayer."

Celebrating light and love

My weekly readings on line from the Greek New Testament with Dr. Roberto Bustamante and seminarians from Concordia El Reformador Seminary in the Dominican Republic are now synchronized with the appointed Gospel texts for the following Sunday. I find this very helpful. 

For the last week in January we read Luke 2:22-32. This is part of Luke’s last story of Jesus as a baby. Chronologically it took place before the visit of the Magi and the flight of the Holy Family to Egypt, all of which is recounted in Matthew’s Gospel, but not by Luke. Forty days after the birth of Jesus, Joseph and Mary took Him to the Temple of Jerusalem to fulfill two requirements of the Old Testament ceremonial law: Mary’s ritual purification after childbirth (Leviticus 12:1-8) and the redemption of Mary’s firstborn son from service in the Temple (Exodus 13:1-2; 11-16; Numbers 18:15-16). As the epistle reading (Hebrews 2:14-18) emphasizes, Jesus was born not simply as true man, but also as a descendant of Abraham. Even as an infant, he lived a life of perfect obedience to the moral law (10 Commandments), but also to all the ceremonial laws established by Moses. 

But that’s not all. The Gospel lesson also includes the story of Simeon. Guided by the Holy Spirit, Simeon finds the Christ Child among all the children that must have been present in the Temple that day. The words of his blessing are the Nunc Dimittis (“Lord, now let your servant depart in peace according to your word...”), which we sing every Sunday after receiving the Lord’s Supper. Here are the key words for this day: “For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared before the face of all people; A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.” This is followed by the account of Anna the prophetess (Lucas 2:33-40), but that may be read separately on the first Sunday after December 25, because it’s thematically a little different.

The Feast of the Purification of Mary and the Presentation of Our Lord is a mouthful for a minor festival. Because of the focus on Christ as the Light of the world, this festival is often known simply as Candlemas in English-speaking countries and Candelaria in Latin America. Unfortunately, here the celebration of Candelaria often involves the unacceptable veneration of the Virgin Mary. Scripturally compatible traditions include candlelight processions and the blessing of candles to be used in the church in the upcoming year. We had already made new candles from last year’s used-up candles for distribution to children on Epiphany Sunday, so we did not do anything special with candles on February 2. However, we did follow another associated tradition of leaving up the Christmas decorations, then removing them by this date Another theme for the day is that fertility is a blessing from God and all children really belong to Him, which is emphasized in the Old Testament lesson, 1 Samuel 1:21-28. So we gave thanks for the birth of Brianna Gisell, grandchild of Mairelys Pereira, who had been one of our preschool teachers. We presented her daughter with infant clothes that had been sent to us by Yepci Santana, Luz Maria’s daughter, who is an active member of the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod mission in Lima, Peru.  

Afterschool program, Bible study grows 

 Since our preschool was shut down, we have been working to expand our afterschool tutoring program and Sunday afternoon youth Bible study. We have met with some success and there is, in fact, some overlap between the two groups, with some of our new afterschool students attending the Bible study. Luz Maria has enlisted her granddaughter, Anyi Garrido, and Yusmelvis Salas, another young lady from the neighborhood, to help her with the afterschool classes. 

The Sunday youth group continues learning to "sing" in sign language. There are 1.2 million deaf people in Venezuela, with an estimated 15,000 congenitally deaf people. There were over 3,000 deaf children in the national public school system in 2004. Sunday afternoons are devoted entirely to prayer and Bible study. Afterschool classes include remedial language skills, mathematics and other subjects as well daily Bible reading and prayer. Many of our students have basic learning disabilities as well as having to deal with a shortage of teachers and the legacy of two years of closed schools due to the COVID-19 crisis.

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.

He pitches His tent among us

Vacation Bible school.

On January 22, we celebrated the Transfiguration of our Lord, witnessed by the apostles Peter, James and John (Matthew 17:1-9; Mark 9:2-13; Lucas 9:28-26). This last manifestation of the divine nature in Christ before His suffering, death and resurrection concludes the Christmas/Epiphany season.

The Tabernacle.

St. John recalls the Transfiguration in this way: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). This verse also proclaims the Incarnation. So it provided the theme for the vacation Bible school with which we ended the 12 days of Christmas and began the Epiphany season from January 4 to 7.

In the Greek text, the word translated as “dwelt” is eskenosen, which literally means He “pitched a tent” among us. This provided the theme for the vacation Bible school with which we began the Epiphany season from January 4 to 7. God pitched a tent among the people of Israel during their journey to the Promised Land. This was the Tabernacle, the portable sanctuary constructed by Moses according to God’s specifications as a place of worship. The English word tabernacle derives from the Latin tabernāculum, meaning "tent" or "hut". It was in the Tabernacle that God manifested His presence and communicated His will to His chosen people of the Old Testament. Later on, King Solomon would build a permanent structure , or temple, based on the Tabernacle’s design, in Jerusalem.

Ark of the Covenant.

Luz Maria and her daughter, Angi Sarai, built a model of the Tabernacle which showed in detail the outer court, the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies. In the outer court stood the altar of sacrifice for burnt offerings and a basin of water used by the priests for ritual washings. Only priests entered the Holy Place, where there was the table on which the bread of the Presence was placed, the altar of incense and the seven-branched candelabra (menorah). Within the Holy Place, but separated from it by a curtain as the Holy Place was separated from the outer court, was the Holy of Holies where the Ark of the Covenant was kept. The high priest would enter the Holy of Holies only once a year, to offer sacrifices on the Day of Atonement. Luz Maria and Sarai made models of all these things to show the children.

The menorah.

In our vacation Bible school, we emphasized that even as the Tabernacle was replaced by the Temple of Jerusalem, the Temple was replaced by Jesus Himself as God walked among men in the tabernacle of His body. Jesus would say, “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up” in reference to His body (John 2:19-21). And, after describing the earthly Tabernacle, the writer of Hebrews says, “But Christ came as the High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal salvation” (Hebrews 9:11-12). The Temple of Jerusalem would be destroyed in 70 A.D., and never rebuilt, but even before that, on the day of His crucifixion, the veil of the Holy of Holies would be torn in two (Matthew 27:51; Mark 15:38), signifying that all clothed in Christ’s righteousness through baptism may enter into God’s presence without fear.

Solomon's Temple.

Now New Testament believers have the promise that Jesus still dwells among us, wherever two or three are gathered in His name (Matthew 18:20). But we dedicate physical locations and hours to the gathering of God’s people to hear the preaching of the Word and receive the sacraments. And even as elements of Old Testament worship prefigured those of the New Testament (the bronze basin for the baptismal fount, and the bread of the presence for the visible elements of bread and wine in the Lord’s Supper), our worship shows continuity with the Old Testament in the singing of psalms; the centrality of the altar or Lord’s table; and vestments for those who act as stewards of God’s mysteries.

Epiphany Sunday.

Seventh anniversary of our temple

Alfredo and Gladys Rivas.

Also on Sunday, January 7, we celebrated the seventh anniversary of the dedication of our “templo” or permanent sanctuary. For 13 years before that, we worshiped in a roofed patio with no walls. Every Sunday the altar and chairs were set up and taken down. It was our tabernacle. During that time there were 16 baptisms and 22 confirmations and reaffirmations of faith. Since January 2017, I have baptized 14 and received 16 communicant members through confirmation or reaffirmation of faith. In other words, comparable numbers of baptisms, confirmations and reaffirmations of faith in about half the number of years, praise be to God.

Members from Corpus Christi Lutheran Church, our sister congregation in the city of Barinas, attended our dedication service in 2017. Most of the same people returned for our seventh anniversary service, plus Alfredo Rivas, who designed and cut our stained glass, and his wife, Gladys, the sister of Ludy de Tarazona of Corpus Christi. Two who were not able to visit us on January 8, Virginia Jímenez and Roamird Castillo, attended the following Sunday.

Septuagesima or Carnival?

Carnaval princess.

With the Epiphany season behind us, we move into a time that sometimes is called Septuagesima after the first of three Sundays between the Transfiguration and Ash Wednesday. Septuagesima is Latin for “seventieth”. The following Sundays are called Sexagesima (sixtieth), and Quinquagesima (fiftieth). In very round numbers, this means 70, 60 and 50 days before Easter. The first Sunday in Lent was once known as Cuadragesima (fortieth) for the 40 days of Lent, and this is the basis for Cuaresma, the Spanish word for Lent. These pre-Lenten Sundays, mentioned as early as 541 A.D., are supposed to be a time of transition from the joyous festivities of Christmas and Epiphany to the darker, more somber mood of Lent.

However, in medieval times, Lenten fasting was required, and the rules were very strict. So, as something of a practical matter, people got into the habit of conspicuous consumption during the pre-Lenten period: Throwing big parties to use up those foods which could not be eaten during Lent, and which could not even be kept in homes during the fast – meat, butter, cheese, milk, eggs, fats, and bacon – as well as other rich foods and pastries. Later on, the revelry came to include parades and masquerade balls. This came to be known as Carnival (or Carnaval in Spanish) from the Latin “Carnem levare” which means withdrawal or removal of meat. The tradition continues in Latin American countries, although in Venezuela, the celebration of Carnaval is officially limited to the Monday and Tuesday before Ash Wednesday (which, as it happens, falls on February 14, Valentine’s Day, this year).

We will hold a masquerade party for our preschool children as we have every year, but we will also use the selected readings for the pre-Lenten Sundays to emphasize the three solas of the Reformation. The readings for Septuagesima Sunday teach salvation through grace alone (Exodus 17:1-7; 1 Corinthians 9:24-10:5; Matthew 20:1-16); for Sexagesima, sola Scriptura (Isaiah 55:10-13; Hebrews 4:9-14; Luke 8:4-15); and for Quinquagesima, faith alone (1 Samuel 16:1-13; 1 Corinthians 13:1-13; Luke 8:31-43).

Our 2023 Carnaval parade float.

We give Thee but thine own, whate'er the gift

  

In Matthew’s account of the Epiphany, when the Magi came to the house where Joseph, Mary and Jesus were living in Bethlehem, they saw the young child with Mary, and fell down, and worshipped him. Then they presented Him with precious gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. All of these were gifts fit for a king; but all were used in religious ceremonies of the time as well.

Worship and the giving of gifts to the Lord always have gone hand in hand. The first recorded sacrifice of thanksgiving is found in Genesis 4: 3-4. It appears that both Cain and Abel freely gave the firstfruits of their fields and flocks to God in response to God's blessing. Abel's offering was acceptable in God's eyes, while Cain's offering was not, because the Lord judges the hearts of men. Abel gave an offering in sincere gratitude as Cain sought to gain more of God's favor.

The next mention we have in the Bible regarding the sacrifice is in Genesis 8:20 when Noah exits the ark. Here is the first mention of the construction of an altar and burnt offerings. We do not find any written command from God. This was Noah's grateful response to God's mercy. Abraham built altars and called on the name of Jehovah (Genesis 12: 7-8). We have no idea what kind of sacrifice was offered on these altars, but we do know that they came from a thankful heart (responding to God's grace and promises).

It was not until the covenant made with the Israelites on Mount Sinai that God actually gave the command to build altars and offer sacrifices (Exodus 20:24). God gave Moses plans to support the priesthood of Aaron and his children (Exodus 29: 26-34), and the work of the Levites in the tabernacle, later the Temple of Jerusalem (Exodus 30: 11-16).

In Genesis 14:20 that we find the first mention of the word "tithe" in Scripture. Once again, we do not find any command from God. The tithe was given to Melchizedek, King of Salem, who blessed Abraham after Abraham had won a great victory over the surrounding enemies. In response to this, Abram gave him one-tenth of all spoils of war (Genesis 14: 18-20). In the book of Leviticus 27:30 there is the first mention of the tithe as "belonging to the Lord." The principle was clear: one-tenth of the crops belonged to the Lord, as well as one-tenth of the cattle, sheep, and goats. Moses laid out God's expectations and promises even more in detail in Numbers 15-19; 28-36; Deuteronomy 1-30). In addition to the annual tithe, there were second and third tithes, every two or three years, that included provisions for the poor. In addition to tithes, there were special offerings and a "temple tax."

Today our worship does not require sacrifices of animals to appease God’s righteous anger over our sin. Jesus made that perfect sacrifice once for all on the cross to restore peace between God and human beings. Nor are we required to tithe, as were Old Testament believers. Tithing is not a requirement of the 10 Commandments, which are God's universal moral law that still guides us today. Rather, it is part of the ceremonial law of the Old Testament, which separated the people of Israel from other nations, taught them about the holiness and justice of God, and pointed the way to the coming of Jesus Christ. As with animal sacrifices, circumcision, and special dietary practices, tithing is not required of those baptized in the new covenant in the blood of Christ.

As we read in the book of Acts, some of the early believers sold everything they had and gave it to the church, but not as a way to justify themselves before God. Ananias and Sapphira were not condemned because they did not tithe, nor because they did not give a certain amount, but because they lied and therefore were not faithful to God (Acts 5: 1-9). As we read in the Epistles, caring for the widows, orphans, and the less fortunate. Loving and caring for others it is a manifestation of the love with which God first loved us in Christ. The quantity of the offering is not what matters to God. In Luke 21:1-4 and Mark 12:41-44, Jesus observes that the offering of a poor widow meant much more than the larger sums of money that the rich men gave of their abundance.

Now, as God's redeemed people and a royal priesthood, we are privileged to bring our offerings, as well as praise and prayers, before God's altar. The offering, or sacrifice of thanksgiving, is a confession and recognition that everything we possess and all the good things in life belong to God, and that He alone is the source of all blessings.

In 1 Corinthians 16: 1-2, Saint Paul speaks of an offering that he is gathering from the churches in Galatia and Macedonia for the believers in Jerusalem who suffered from hunger. Several points can be learned from this verse. First, our offering should be regular, "the first day of the week." The first day of the week is Sunday when the first Christians worshiped. For the sake of order and proper worship, St. Paul suggests that Christians put their donations on a regular basis by giving at every Sunday service they attend. We have here the first mention of Sunday as an appropriate day for public worship, although it is not the exclusive day for church services, and it is not reserved by divine mandate.

As early as the fourth century A.D., the time of St. Augustine, it was customary for believers to place their offerings on the altar before receiving the Lord’s Supper. The Lutheran liturgy in its current form reflects this ancient practice. The offertory combines the offering with songs of praise and prayers of intercession in anticipation of partaking of the Lord’s body and blood. The offering isn’t a break in the Divine Service, but an act of worship.

Now, as the story of the poor widow shows, coins of gold, silver and copper were presented as offerings in ancient times. In modern times, metal currency was largely replaced by paper, either government-issued bills or checks. In our congregational life, cash or checks are what we have come to expect in the collection plate. That was true where I grew up, and, until recently, in Venezuela, too.

Cell phones and empty wallets

In the science-fiction magazines that I loved to read as a boy, there was the expectation that by the 21st Century electronic transfer of computerized “credits” would supercede paper money. I was thrilled, because, of course, I was sure I would live to see this future world, which also would include flying cars and vacations on the moon and Mars. I am as old as my grandfather was then, and the future is not what it used to be.

Venezuela is close to being a cashless society, in part due to technological advances, but also because of the hyperinflation that has made Venezuelan currency completely worthless. Almost all financial transactions are done via debit/credit card or cellphone, which nearly everyone has. Even street vendors have wireless point-of-sale devices, and no one writes checks because electronic payment with a card or cell phone is almost immediate. Any cash payments are in US dollars or Colombian pesos that have somehow filtered across the border, but still are not available from banks. In fact, all prices are posted in dollars and if you don't have dollars, you have to ask what the rate of exchange is at that moment in time to make your electronic transfer. People who do not have access to electronic account transfer or foreign currency have largely gone back to the barter system.

The problem for us is, if no one carries cash anymore, what’s left to put in the collection plate? Again, it’s not the quantity collected, it’s actually having something to place on the altar as part of our worship.

Of course, we can give people the data to make electronic deposits to the missions account and we certainly will. But what of the visible, public confession that is the offering? One alternative is having people write the amount of their electronic deposits on a piece paper and put it in an envelope for the offering. We also will renew our effort, which we started some time ago, to encourage offerings in kind. Clothes, food, household items whatever they may have to share.

To be sure, online banking enables to receive your donations and continue our service to our people in these difficult economic times. Thanks to all who contributed to Epiphany Lutheran Mission this past year!

Prophetic puppet show

We started a vacation Bible school for the children of the Las Lomas Sector on Epiphany, January 6, 2021. There were 38 children in attendance the first day, 36 on the second, and 38 on the third.

The theme was "The Law and the Prophets point to Christ." Moses, Elijah, and John the Baptist spoke to the children in the form of puppets. Every day of the vacation Bible school there was time for crafts, games, snacks and finally, prizes for everyone. We still use puppets made for us in 2003/2004 by Nancy Kapernick and volunteers from Woodbury Lutheran Church of Woodbury, Minnesota, and St. Michael’s Lutheran Church of Bloomington, Minnesota.

We find the story of the Epiphany, or the visit of the Magi, in Matthew 2: 1-23. Among the four gospels, the Gospel according to St. Matthew in particular emphasizes the fulfillment of the Messianic prophecies of the Old Testament in Jesus Christ.

The first people who paid homage to Jesus from outside Bethlehem were the wise men from the East. In their exile in the eastern regions of Palestine, the Jews spoke of the prophecies of the Messiah, the King of kings and Savior of the world promised in the Old Testament books from Abraham to Moses and prophets like Elijah. They had heard the prophecies as legend and guided by a star, the magi traveled to the land of the Jews.

The season of the Epiphany ends with the celebration of the Transfiguration when Moses and Elijah appeared next to Jesus. Also in the Epiphany season we celebrate the baptism of our Lord by John the Baptist, the last of the old covenant prophets with Israel.

Until day dawns and the morning star rises

Studying the Transfiguration.

It began with a star.

 

In Venezuela, dates are written day/month/year, rather than month/day/year as in the United States. But on the first Sunday of this month, that distinction did not matter, as it was 02/02/2020 either way. Not only that, but the date could be read the same way from left to right or right to left. This was the first such “palindrome day” in 909 years and the only one that will occur in this century.

Of course, Sunday also was Groundhog Day (the prediction is an early spring) and the first time the Kansas City Chiefs won the Super Bowl in 50 years. 

For us, however, it was Transfiguration Sunday. Epiphany season is all about the light of Christ. The Magi saw it in the Star of Bethlehem. Three of the disciples, Peter, James and John, saw one last vision of it before the darkness of Gethsemane.

. “For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty. For when He received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to Him by the Majestic Glory, this is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased, we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with Him on the holy mountain. And we have something more sure, the prophetic word, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone's own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were inspired by the Holy Spirit.” 2 Peter 1:16-21

Baptism of Jesus.

Just three of the apostles were taken to the top of the mountain where they saw the light of Christ made visible and audibly heard the voice of the Father. But our faith does not depend on mountaintop experiences, but rather the Holy Spirit speaking to us in the clear Word of the Scriptures.

Likewise the sacraments. As at the Transfiguration, the Father’s voice said, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Listen to Him” at the baptism of Jesus, which was our theme for the first Sunday after Epiphany. Father, Son and Holy Spirit are present at the baptism of every Christian.

Please pray for us

Well, January 2020 was a month that got people talking about end-time texts, what with earthquakes in Puerto Rico and other parts of the world, wildfires in Australia and floods in Indonesia.

We continue to pray for the victims of these natural disasters. We would ask you to pray for us as Venezuela already is in the midst of a public health crisis due to shortages of medicines, and is not prepared to face the threat of a new virus from China. Venezuela was hit hard by the last great pandemic, the Spanish flu of 1918.

Our preschool is back in session, but of 31 children enrolled, eight have at least one parent who has left Venezuela to find better-paying work abroad. Please pray for the restoration of united families.

Heavenly Father, bring relief to all who suffer this day.  Ease the anxieties of those who are distressed. Send help to those who are distraught. Graciously defend all from fire and flood, war and pestilence, hunger and want. Deliver us from our trials that we may be free to give You thanks and praise. Amen.

Studying geography.

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.

One flock, one Shepherd

Jesuly Marianyelis Fernández Torres and Josué Manuel Fernández Torres were baptized on January 6, 2019. Their older sister, Diana, was baptized January 8, 2017, at the dedication of our chapel, an anniversary that we marked on this Epiphany Sunday as well.

Their mother, Yexi Karina Torres, was baptized at Epiphany Lutheran Mission, along with her siblings, Deisi, Yovanny, Yhonny and Yaneth, March 23, 2007. Deisi and Yovanny received first communion on October 25, 2009, and Yhonny on October 31, 2010. Yaneth received first communion on December 13, 2015. Deisi’s daughter, Emily Antonella, was baptized on December 24, 2017. We give thanks for the grace that God has shown the Torres family.

In the week before Epiphany, the mission hosted a vacation Bible school with total attendance of 70 children over three days. “Jesus the Good Shepherd” was the theme. The first day focused on the shepherds who visited the Christ Child in Luke 2:8-20. The Bible story for day two was David the shepherd boy who faced the giant, Goliath, in 1 Samuel 17. On the third day we looked at John 10 and what Jesus meant when he said “I am the Good Shepherd; I know My sheep and My sheep know Me.” (verse 14). Also, how the words of verse 16, “I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd” relates to the Great Commission, “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them all that I have commanded you.” (Matthew 28:19-20).

We distributed among the families of the vacation Bible school children copies of “A Child’s Garden of Bible Stories in Spanish”. The original English version by Arthur W. Gross was first published in 1948. The Spanish version was made available to us through the efforts of the Lutheran Heritage Foundation. Some copies received from Castillo Fuerte Lutheran Church in Lima, Peru, during our visit there. Others were shipped to the Lutheran Church of Venezuela and brought to us by Roamird Castillo, Luz Maria’s nephew. The Spanish translation was by Luz Guerrero-Pacheco, a deaconess at Woodbury Lutheran Church of Woodbury, Minnesota. She, Luz Maria and myself served as volunteers in Monagas state, Venezuela, in 2004. In 2006, Luz Guerrero visited us in Barinas with a short-term mission team from Woodbury. We also put on a puppet show for the vacation Bible school with handpuppets given to us by Nancy Kapernick of Woodbury Lutheran Church in 2004.

We celebrated Christmas Eve with a vespers service on December 24 and the Divine Service of Christmas on Sunday, December 30. At our New Years Eve vespers service, we thanked the Lord for His protection and guidance in years past and prayed for more of the same in 2019.

Challenges ahead

About three weeks have passed without power outages that lasted more than an hour (we still may lose electricity at any time night or day, but not the entire day). This is good, because we have to rely on our electric stove for cooking, as there is an extreme shortage of LP gas. We have both electric and LP stoves in our living quarters. During the lengthy power outages, the LP gas stove held us in good stead. Now it’s the electric range’s turn. The preschool has its own LP gas stove, but we will have to replace it soon, because of its bad state of repair.

Last week a neighbor right across the street from us was robbed in the wee hours of the morning. He asked if we could review our security camera recordings, as we have a camera trained on the street in front of the mission. I did so, but was unable to find images of suspicious activity. The thieves had figured out that the neighbor’s house was in a blind spot, since the camera does not turn automatically. We are thinking about installing another camera for a more panoramic view of the street.

The lack of public transportation is getting to be more and more of a problem. For years, the government kept gasoline prices artificially low, which allowed dozens of bus and taxi lines to operate. Once there were three taxi lines operating full-time in La Caramuca’s plaza, now there is one that only sporadically working. Even gasoline is scarce in Venezuela now and it’s no longer true that a liter of gas is cheaper than a liter of water. What that means for us is that it takes all morning and most of the afternoon to run two or three errands in Barinas. We lose a lot of time just waiting for a bus (we no longer use taxis, because they require more cash than we usually have on hand). It would be very helpful now to have a truck or van to haul people and supplies for the mission. We even have worked out a plan for parking it at an undisclosed location in the evening, so we do not have to build a fortified bunker of a garage. But the challenge remains of finding a reliable vehicle at an affordable price.

A prayer for refugees

The coda to the story of the Magi in Matthew 2:1-12, of course, is the massacre of children in Bethlehem and the Holy Family’s flight to Egypt (Matthew 2:13-23). This year is a particularly good year to reflect on this narrative.

According to the 1951 United Nations Convention and Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees, “Refugees are people who have fled war, violence, conflict or persecution and have crossed an international border to find safety in another country.” It is estimated that record numbers of people were driven from their homes in 2017 by wars, violence and persecution, bringing the number of forcibly displaced people living around the world to 68.5 million.

Joseph, Mary and the Child in Mary’s womb were not refugees on the journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem as recorded in Luke 2:1-20. They did not flee war, violence, conflict or persecution and they did not cross an international border. However, when Joseph and Mary took Jesus and fled to Egypt (Matthew 2:13-23) , they certainly were fleeing politically motivated violence and persecution, of which Jesus was, in fact, the prime target. Did they cross an international border? You could argue that nearly that they never left the Roman Empire, even by traveling from the Holy Land to Egypt. Yet they were escaping from one jurisdiction to another. The Romans had declared Herod the Great king over all of Palestine in return for his defeat, on behalf of Rome, of an invasion by the rival Parthian Empire. The Romans gave Herod a free hand, for he also had executed his own wife, two brothers-in-law, three of his sons, and hundreds of non-relatives that he considered his political enemies, or just people he did not like very much.

The Scriptures have much to say about people we would classify as refugees today, and homeless and displaced persons in general. To unpack these verses in all their profundity, and avoid adding fuel to the fire of current political debates, requires discussion of the different Hebrew and Greek words that can be translated as “foreigner” and explaining the historical-cultural context of each passage. Someday I would like to prepare a lecture on the whole topic, but today is not that day.

Suffice it to say that the Scriptures in general teach us that God’s mercy and love knows no national boundaries, and therefore our compassion should not be limited to those of our own family, tribe or nation (see Luke 10:25-37; 17:11-19; John 4:1-30).

In fact, the visit of the Magi is all about the first revelation of God’s love in Christ to “all the nations” (etnias). So here is a prayer for all the refugees:

Heavenly Father, you who led the Magi to the Savior’s light and delivered the Christ Child from Herod’s wrath, preserve and protect all who travel by land, sea and air; especially those who are in danger or need. Defend them from fire and flood, war and want. Suppress the evil influence of all who would disturb the peace and order of human society and persecute your church. As we all are strangers and pilgrims on earth, guide to share your love with the less fortunate as we prepare for the life to come. Amen.

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.