Sharing the peace anew

During the COVID-19 crisis in Venezuela, we temporarily changed our practice of “sharing the peace”. People stood at a distance from each other, waved and said, “The peace of the Lord be with you.” This may sound how it’s typically done in North American congregations, but in the Lutheran Church of Venezuela, the sharing of the peace meant shaking hands, embracing and perhaps a kiss on the cheek for everyone present. Now that the panic has passed and most restrictions lifted, we have returned to the previous custom.

The sharing of the peace is an act of reconciliation that serves as a transition between the service of the Word and the service of the Lord’s Supper in the liturgy. It is not to be understood as a moment of informality in which everyone shares a sociable greeting. United in holy Baptism, confession and abolution of sins, the congregation prays for unity in the church and just peace in the world, and. Then the members of the congregation offer forgiveness and reconciliation to one another before approaching the altar for holy Communion.

The sharing of the peace fulfills the admonition to “greet one another with a holy kiss” repeated in Romans 16:16; 1 Corinthians 16:20; 2 Corinthians 13:12: and 1 Thessalonians 5:26, and “Greet one another with a kiss of love” (1 Peter 5:26). It was the widespread custom in the ancient Mediterranean world for men and women to greet each other with a kiss. (Judas, of course, betrayed Jesus with a kiss.) As the epistles from the beginning were read in the context of public worship, the sharing of the peace also was incorporated in to the liturgy (although the form may have changed from a kiss to a handshake over the centuries), after prayer and before the sacrament, on the basis of Matthew 5:23-24: “Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you; Leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.”

The word translated as “gift” is δῶρον (dóron) which also means “offering” or “sacrifice”. The sacrament of the altar is sacrificial in this sense: We present ourselves as living sacrifices in gratitude for the Lord’s gift of His body and blood. That the early church understood both the sharing of the peace and the sacrament in this way is affirmed in the Didache, an early Christian catechism, the sermons of St. Augustine and other post-apostolic writings.

Nury de Milian.

Looking forward with LeadaChild

Although the COVID-19 panic is over, the country continues to feel the impact of school closures due to the pandemic and subsequent threats of teacher’s strikes. Because of low pay and poor working conditions,, 68,000 teachers from elementary, middle and high schools left the country. between 2018 and 202. In January 2023, hundreds of Venezuelan teachers took to the streets to demand higher wages and the restoration of collective bargaining rights, including social and medical insurance. Because of these problems, many schools in the last academic year, were open for classes only two to three days per week.

Victoria and Victor.

We have been able to keep our preschool open thanks to donations from groups and individuals in the United States, such as LeadaChild, a mission society based in Olathe, Kansas. Since 2006, LeadaChild has provided scholarships that have enabled children of our mission not only to remain in our preschool, but also to advance to the elementary school and high school in La Caramuca. LeadaChild also has supplemented the salaries of our teachers. In anticipation of the new school year, which begins October 2, we participated in a September 20 videoconference with Nury de Milian, director of Latin American projects for LeadaChild. Together with the coordinators of other Christian educational projects that LeadaChild supports in Venezuela, we were able to talk with her about our successes and the challenges that we face because of the economic crisis and the growing influence of “gender ideology”. This summer many Lutheran Church of Venezuela congregations sponsored a vacation Bible school program emphasizing Biblical teachings on marriage, family and sexuality.

We have 22 children enrolled in our preschool for the 2023/2024 school year. Two of them from last year visited us this week, Victoria Sofía and her younger brother, Victor. Victoria, who is hearing-impaired, was one of our special needs students. Victor will be attending the preschool again this year.

Luz Maria already has started her afterschool tutoring with five students. We have 15 young people attending our youth Bible study on Sunday afternoon. They have been memorizing the books of the Old Testament and looking for examples of both Law and Gospel in the Old Testament. Before begnning the New Testament, we had a study focused on the doctrine of justification and how it relates to both Law and Gospel.

On the evening of September 21, we met in videoconference with representatives of Concordia El Reformador Seminary, pastors and deaconess students from across Latin America as we began the online course, “Diaconal Practice 2”. The seminary has 84 women in the entire region of Latin America and the Caribbean enrolled in the new fall cohort of its deaconess training program, 25 of them from Venezuela. The three-year program includes in-person intensive courses, online classes, readings, projects, exams and practical application of the classroom material with supervision and guidance from the local pastor and deaconess mentor in the home country. Luz Maria is a deaconess mentor for Venezuela. Also directing the program in Venezuela are Pastor Eliezer Ángel Mendoza, director of the Juan de Frías Theological Institute; Ginnatriz, his wife who is also a deaconess; and deaconess Elsy Valladares de Machado.

Deaconess Danelle Putnam.

Each year of the diaconal practicum has a different focus and builds on classroom learning and the experiences that the student has had in her courses each year. Diaconal practice includes elements of the three pillars of service diaconal: teaching of faith, spiritual care and works of mercy. Diaconal Practice 2 focuses on spiritual care and the teaching of the Christian faith. An important part of diaconal practice is the development of the working relationship between the future deaconess and her pastor, so the videoconference with pastors and students was preceded by one with pastors the week before.

Merry Michaelmas!

The Feast of St. Michael and All Angels, also known as Michaelmas, is celebrated on September 29. Philip Melanchthon wrote a hymn for the day that is still sung in Lutheran churches: "Lord God, We All to Thee Give Praise". St. Michael’s Lutheran Church of Bloomington, Minnesota, was my sending church when I first arrived in Venezuela as a volunteer and still supports our mission. St. Michael was the guardian angel of Israel in the Old Testament, and now is understood as the protector of the new Israel, Christ’s church. Although we believe that both angels and the church triumphant pray for the church on earth (Apology of the Augsburg Confession, Article XXI), the souls of the departed do not communicate with us directly and the holy angels only do and say what God directs of them. So we do not invoke them as mediators, for there is only the one Mediator between God and men, Jesus.

“And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. And many of those that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. Those who are wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.” Daniel 12:1-3

Oh everlasting God, who has ordained and constituted the services of angels and men in a wonderful order, mercifully grant that, as your holy angels always serve you in heaven, so by your divine appointment may they help and defend us on earth. Amen.

Darkness before dawn

The season of advent has arrived. In the week following Christ the King Sunday (last Sunday of the church year) we celebrated Christmas early with the preschool children and their teachers. Many of them do not regularly attend Sunday service at our mission and we may not see them for another month. The preschool will be closed for the first week in December due to critical national elections and the regular Christmas-New Year break begins December 16. The preschool will not be officially closed between Dec. 8 and 16, but is unlikely that many of the parents will bring their children to the preschool for just one week in December.

Anyway, our Christmas party for the preschool was Friday, November 29. During the opening devotion, the children sang “Din, din, din”, a traditional Venezuelan Christmas carol about Joseph and Mary preparing to leave on their journey to Bethlehem.

On December 1, the first Sunday in Advent, the altar was lit with blue candles and for the first time I wore a blue stole, made for me by Yoxandris Marcano de Maita, the wife of Pastor Sergio Maita of Cristo Rey Lutheran Church in the city of Maturin in the eastern Venezuelan state of Monagas. This particular shade of blue is called “Sarum blue” because it was used as a liturgical color in the Sarum Rite, a pre-Reformation version of the Latin Mass used in southern England from the 11th to the 16th centuries (“Sarum” is the old Roman name for Salisbury, England). Blue was used as a liturgical color in the Mozarabic Rite, a form of the Mass used throughout Spain and Portugal during the days when Muslims ruled most of the Iberian Peninsula. Also, I understand that the blue has long been a traditional Advent color in the Lutheran Church of Sweden. Dark blue is used as a liturgical color in the Eastern Orthodox churches, but typically during Lent. The predominant practice in Western Christendom has been to use purple as the liturgical color of both Advent and Lent, but recently there has been a revival of the use of blue during Advent.

Of course, many of the members of our congregation are very young, so I try not to overload them with information. I simply explained that we were using this shade of blue because it was the color of the predawn sky just before the first rays of the sun break the horizon. Thus it symbolizes our hope and anticipation of the light of Christ breaking into a dark world.

The appointed sermon text was Luke 3:1-6.  “Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Cæsar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judæa, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene,  Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.  And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins; As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.  Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth;  And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.”

 I might also have used John 1:5-9. "And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.  There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.  The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.  He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.  That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. “

 I explained that John prepared the way for Jesus by calling the people of Israel to repentance. The darkness of the world without Christ is not only around us, but within us as well.  “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies...” (Matthew 15:19). Before the preaching of the Good News for us, that Jesus Christ has paid the price for our sins on the cross, we must hear the law, that is, the preaching of condemnation in order to acknowledge our sins and repent.

Repentance is not as when a thief in jail feels sad about his crimes because the result was jail. True repentance is when a thief changes his mind to acknowledge his sin against God, and rebellion against God. It is the same with each of us. Repentance is a change of mind and heart to reject the sin in us. If we do not recognize the darkness inside of us, what does the death of Christ for us? Nothing. So, we must preach the Law before the Gospel. The Holy Spirit works in the preaching of both Law and Gospel to touch the human heart, to convert our minds and hearts to true repentance, and to faith in Christ.

The true penitent will not seek to escape the short-term consequences of his own sins, but rather seeks to make right that which was wrong, even at his own cost, knowing that Christ has set us all free from the long-term consequence of our sin and restored us to a right relationship with God. With heart and mind illumined by the Holy Spirit as to what Christ has done for us, the penitent sinner, having received a second opportunity to live as a child of God, seeks with God's help to avoid falling back into the darkness of his own heart. He does not try to justify himself before God by his own works, but avoids that which obscures the light of God's love in confident expectation that the trials of this life are only for a short time.

Thus St. Paul writes in the epistle for the first Advent Sunday (Romans  13:11-14), "And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof."

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Reaffirmation on St. Michael and All Angels Day

Angi Sarai Santana de Garrido with her husband, José, and children, Edwar, Ignacio and Anyi.

On Sunday, September 29, 2013, we observed St. Michael and All Angels Day, a “minor” festival of the church year that offers the opportunity to teach the correct doctrine regarding these beings. We also received as a communicant member by reaffirmation of faith, Luz Maria's daughter, Angi Sarai Santana de Garrido.

She was baptized and confirmed at Corpus Christi Lutheran Church in Barinas, but has not attended services there for some time. Now, after a period of regularly attending our Sunday service, we have formally received her into membership.

St. Michael's Lutheran Church (Photo credit: dernst)

St. Michael's Lutheran Church monument (Photo credit: dernst)

Known among Anglicans as “Michaelmas”, St. Michaels and All Angels Day has been celebrated In the Western church since the 12th century, although Christian churches have been named in honor of the Archangel Michael since as early as the fifth century after Christ. While living in Minnesota, I was a member of St. Michael's Lutheran Church of Bloomington, and while living in Dodge City, Kansas, I heard stories from former members of a St. Michael's Lutheran Church that once flourished in rural Hodgeman County.

The Lutheran Reformers retained St. Michael and All Angels Day on the church calendar and Philip Melanchthon even wrote a hymn specifically for the festival, “Lord God, To Thee We Give All Praise”.

I found it difficult to choose a sermon text from among the appointed lessons, because they all are so rich in meaning. Psalm 91 contains the well-known text, “For he will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. on their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.”

In the Old Testament reading, 2 Kings 6:8-17, the prophet Elisha's servant sees the angels surrounding his master as “horses and chariots of fire” arrayed against the Syrian army. The Gospel reading, Matthew 18:1-10, Jesus says that the angels who have been charged with protecting little children see God the Father's face in each one.

A popular image of St. Michael.

But I chose Revelation 12:7-12: “Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, but he was defeated and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. and I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now, the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, who accused them day and night before our God. And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!”

Here is the English version of my sermon (it also may be found here). I mention that only three angels are given names in the Bible: Michael, Gabriel and Satan. Some might quibble and say that “the angel of the bottomless pit” in Revelation 9:11 is named “Abaddon” or “Apollyon”. But it is not clear from this single verse whether the angel of the bottomless pit is an image of Satan, the Antichrist or some third entity. “Abaddon” is used as a place-name in the Old Testament. In Hebrew it means “place of destruction” and refers to the realm of the dead. Apollyon is derived from a Greek verb meaning “to destroy” and may be literally translated as “The Destroyer”. An angle named Raphael appears only in the apocryphal or deuterocanonical book of Tobit, but not in any books of the original Hebrew canon.

Grace and peace in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

There are people who think in their curiosity about the possibility of a species with intelligence equal to or greater than human beings. Perhaps these beings are not limited to one planet. Some of these people have sent signals to the stars, in the hope of an answer. Their motto is we're not alone.

The Scriptures say if there are beings more intelligent than humans and who are not limited to the earth or another planet. We may describe them as extraterrestrials. But contact with them is problematic, as I will explain.

Other people think that around our visible, material world is an invisible and intangible plane, where there are spirits that can influence events in our world. The Scriptures say if this spiritual world exists. But it is best not to try to communicate with these spirits.

We find in Spanish and English, the word "angel", derived from the Greek word αγγελος which means "messenger." This Greek word is used in the New Testament, which was written in Greek. In the Old Testament, there is a Hebrew word for "angel", מַלְאַך. It also means "messenger."

Sometimes the words translated as angel mean humans. For example, in the Apocalypse of St. John, the Lord commanded the apostle to write letters to the angels of seven churches in Asia Minor. In this case, angel means the pastor of the church, because he who publicly preaches the Word of God is the messenger of God to the church. On the other hand, sometimes in the Old Testament, the angel, or messenger of God is obviously God Himself, as in the story of the patriarch Jacob at Bethel. Many Bible scholars think that in these cases, the Angel of the Lord is the second person of the Holy Trinity, the Son of God appearing before His incarnation as Jesus of Nazareth.

In other instances, however, angel means one who is not God, but not a human being, either. We confess in the Nicene Creed that God is the Creator of all things, visible and invisible. We believe that angels, in this sense, are the primary creatures of the invisible world. They are spiritual beings, who normally have no physical forms, but sometimes can take a physical form for a while. They have not existed from eternity, like God, but are immortal. They never die, nor sleep, nor need food or drink. They do not have power or intelligence equal to God, but have power and intelligence beyond any human. Angels have the power to influence events in our world. The Apocalypse of St. John says there are angels who have the power to destroy the earth if God would permit it, but God did not allow it.

There are many questions about these spiritual beings to which we do not have the answers. When did God create the angels? He created Adam and Eve on the sixth day, but the book of Genesis does not say on what day He created angels. If we are surrounded by these powerful spirits, why does the Bible forbid direct communication with them? God, in His Word, forbids all manner of spiritism or witchcraft. So why speak of spiritual beings?

There are many false teachings about angels in Venezuela.

Moreover, according to the Bible there are many angels and archangels, but only three are named in the inspired Scriptures. We find one in our text for today. San Miguel, one of the chief angels, that is, an archangel, is mentioned for the first time in the Old Testament book of the prophet Daniel (Daniel 10:13-21, 12:1) and in the New Testament in Jude 1:9 and in our text for today. Another angel named in the Bible is Gabriel, best known for his announcement to the Virgin Mary, Blessed are you among women, because you will be the mother of the Savior, Jesus.

Who is the third angel named in the Bible? Our text reads: And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon fought and his angels. And they prevailed not, neither was their place found any more in heaven. Thrown down was the great dragon, that old serpent, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

Satan, or the devil, is the rebellious archangel and the head of the rebel angels. Nor does the Bible say when this rebellion against God happened, but it was at the beginning of the world, because it was Satan who deceived Adam and Eve in the garden. Satan and the rebel angels are evil angels, enemies of God and man, who strive to destroy the works of God.

The angels who remained loyal to God are holy and powerful beings, and as confirmed in bliss, praising God around His heavenly throne, and executing the commands of God and serving men on earth.

The Lord has revealed something about the angels to show three points:

1. Satan is not equal to God. He and his angels are creatures of God and under God's control.

2. At the same time, Satan and his angels are more intelligent and powerful than any human being, so no one can resist them by their own forces.
3. We are not alone in the fight against the devil, because God has commissioned the good angels with our protection, even children as says the gospel for today (Matthew 18:1-10).

Now, mind you, the good angels only execute the will of God and bear God's messages. As the pastor of the church can not proclaim anything more than the written Word of God, the good angels have no new revelations for us. They do nothing that God has not commanded. Therefore, it is useless to attempt to communicate with them, much less pray to them. There is only one mediator between God and us, the Lord Jesus Christ.

If it seems someone is in contact with a supernatural entity, who has knowledge that no human being can have, the entity has to be an evil angel, a devil, bent on deceiving us. That is why Scripture says, we just have to trust God and bring our supplications to Him, and avoid spiritism and witchcraft.

Because the war in heaven that our text describes was not the original rebellion of the devil and his angels. John writes, "And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying: Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they loved not their lives unto the death. "

This passage describes the victory of Christ from the heavenly perspective. On earth people saw a man dying on the cross. But by the suffering and death of this man, the devil was cast out of the presence of God forever. He could stand before the throne of God only to accuse us of our sins and claim our souls for damnation. The devil and his angels attacked believers, that is, accused them before God day and night, carefully maintaining an account of every failure and every transgression that may have been charged to their account, and then shouted it in the ears of the Lord continuously.

But the hymn of victory is presented, giving all honor to God the Father, the Author of our salvation, and His Son, Jesus Christ, who wrought out full salvation for us. His kingdom is established forever, and all subjects of this kingdom, all true believers are secure in its power. All the accusations of the devil, true and serious as they would be in themselves have lost their force in view of the fact that the atonement of Christ has covered all these sins and guilt, that in the redemption He has carried out for us a complete reconciliation with God. The inhabitants of heaven were also called to rejoice in the victory of Christ, even the good angels took part in the victory over the powers of darkness.

The angels rejoice with us in our salvation and defend us from all evil, as the Lord has sent.

O God, heavenly Father, you have given all creatures, those which are seen and which are not, the opportunity to serve You. You have created the holy angels to serve You in all things. On this day of St. Michael and All Angels, we praise you for all the holy angels and the work they do in response to Your holy will. May they continue protecting and keeping Your people safe from all evil that threatens them. Allow your angels to do Your will and guard us in all our actions, whether awake or asleep, so that when our journey here is over, we can join the hosts of heaven in praise to you forever. Amen.

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The way of the Cross

“Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.” Luke 14:27

It would have been more fitting to have had the procession of the Cross on Palm Sunday. However, our visitors from Barquisimeto were not due to arrive until the following day, so it became part of the opening worship for our three-day regional retreat for preteens on Monday.

We had the cross made for the processional. It is a plain, wooden cross three meters in height (that's an inch and a fraction short of 10 feet). I carried it in front of the group as we marched around Barrio Las Lomas, singing hymns. The cross did not seem so heavy at first, but my arms and shoulders were aching at the end of the trail.

The Ark of the Covenant, symbol of the promises God made to Israel at Mount Sinai, was solemnly carried in front of the people of Israel as they crossed the Jordan River into the Promised Land (Joshua, chapters 3 and 4) and also before the people in a march around the city of Jericho (Joshua 6). When King Solomon had built the first Temple of Jerusalem, the ark was carried in solemn procession into the innermost part. Processions of the cross reflect this Old Testament imagery.

Christians began marching in the streets behind a processional cross in the fourth century A.D., when such demonstrations became tolerated in the Roman Empire. The processions moved from church to church, with participants, alternately saying or singing prayers, psalms, and litanies.

The procession of the Cross also embodies another metaphor from the ancient world used in both the Old and New Testaments, that of the triumphant king's victory parade. Isaiah 60:11 says.

Your gates shall be open continually;
day and night they shall not be shut,
that people may bring to you the wealth of the nations, with their kings led in procession.

Also 2 Corinthians 2:14:

But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere.

Processions of the cross, with either a plain cross or a crucifix, also have a long and honorable history in Lutheranism. The Reformers objected specifically to the Corpus Christi procession, because it involved actual public display and adoration of the host (communion bread). They did not, however, object to the idea of a procession of the Cross. Many Lutheran churches have never abandoned the practice of processionals, especially on festival days. For it is a principle of our confession that the practices of the ancient church, if they do not conflict with the clear teaching of Scripture, should be preserved to every extent possible.

In Venezuela, of course, one must walk a certain fine line. On the one hand, many of the evangelical/pentecostal sects here consider even the display of a plain cross to be too “papist”.It is not our intention to give offense, or create a stumbling-block for the faith of these people (per 1 Corinthians 8:13), but for Lutherans this position is completely unacceptable. The cross, and not just the unadorned cross, but especially the crucifix, is the central symbol of the faith, the visual expression of what itś all about. We call our theology the “theology of the cross”, because Christ's suffering and death on the cross was His victory and ours. He atoned for our sins on the cross and thus gained for us the hope of eternal life. Certainly, “if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins” (1 Corinthians 15:17), but to celebrate Easter without Good Friday is to preach a gospel of “cheap grace,” of salvation without atonement.

On the other hand, in popular Roman Catholic piety here (as elsewhere in the world), people often will pray to the image of the Crucified. Thus, to avoid tempting anyone to the sin of idolatry, we chose a plain cross for our procession.

Fun for preteens of all ages

Our guests during the first three days of Holy Week included Miguelangel Perez, pastor of El Paraiso Lutheran Church in Barquisimeto, and Sandra Lopez, Katharina Ramones and two young girls from Nueva Vida Lutheran Mission in Barquisimeto. The rest of the children attending the retreat were from our neighborhood in La Caramuca. Total attendance was around 50 people.

Tuesday was devoted to Bible study and activities reminiscent of vacation Bible school. The theme of the retreat was “Timothy: A Good Soldier of Christ Jesus” with special emphasis on 2 Timothy, chapter 3, verse 15:

“And how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.”

Wednesday's event was an outing to the Paguey River. The people from Barquisimeto had all returned home by end of day Wednesday, but for us Holy Week activities were not over. We observed Good Friday with a 5 p.m. Service and celebrated Easter as part of our regular Sunday service. Children who attended the Easter service received leftover watermelon and other goodies.

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The baptism of Jhoan Andrés Leal Santana

Jhoan Andrés Leal Santana was baptized Sunday, March 3, 2013. He is Luz Maria's tenth grandchild, the firstborn son of her daughter, Charli, and the 15th person to be baptized here in Epiphany Lutheran Mission of La Caramuca.

It was Oculi, the third Sunday in Lent. The name.”Oculi”, is derived from the first line of the introit, which is taken from Psalm 25:15. In the Vulgate (Latin) Bible, this reads:

“Oculi mei semper ad Dominum quia ipse educet de rete pedes meos.”

The introit is an excerpt from verses 15-20, a declaration of confidence in the Lord, the God of Israel, and a prayer for protection from all danger and for the forgiveness of sins.

“Mine eyes are ever toward the LORD; for he shall pluck my feet out of the net. Turn thee unto me, and have mercy upon me; for I am desolate and afflicted. The troubles of my heart are enlarged: O bring thou me out of my distresses. Look upon mine affliction and my pain; and forgive all my sins. Consider mine enemies; for they are many; and they hate me with cruel hatred. O keep my soul, and deliver me: let me not be ashamed; for I put my trust in thee.”

This was an appropriate verse to read on a day of baptism, for in baptism the Lord answers this prayer for protection and pardon by declaring us His beloved children, redeemed by the blood of our Savior, Jesus. The Gospel reading, Luke 11:14-28, also was quite appropriate, for two reasons.

First, because in the two weeks prior I had had conversations with various people on the subject of the influence of evil spirits. The passage from Luke is one of many New Testament stories about demonic possession and exorcism, Next to end-of-the-world prophecies, these are the passages that provide the most fuel for idle speculation.

However, in Venezuela there is cause for more than idle speculation because of the prevalence of brujeria (witchcraft) and espiritismo (necromancy). 
I tell people that based on the testimony of the Holy Scriptures and certain personal experiences, I do believe in the possibility of demonic possession, or the complete domination of the human personality by an unclean spirit.

I also believe the influence of evil spirits more often is of a more subtle and less obvious type. All who have not received the gift of faith and the new life in Christ are slaves to sin, and thus to the suggestive power of the devil and his angels.

Which brings up the second reason why I thought the Gospel reading was most appropriate, because the most common form of exorcism, which occurs every day, is holy baptism according to the Lord's command. In baptism we are set free from sin and the power of the devil, and are promised the protection of the Lord and His angels.

But what then? Is one who has been baptized totally immune from the influence of evil spirits? We find a clue in Luke 11:24-26:

“When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my house whence I came out. And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in, and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first.”

In Venezuela, if you leave a house or parcel of land stand empty, after a time you usually will find that squatters have taken up residence there. Evicting them is very difficult, and a violent confrontation may ensue. And if you do not continue to guard the property, they will return with more of their friends and family.

Likewise, in Jesus' illustration, if you leave “the house” (soul and body) empty, the unclean spirits will return with friends. Empty of what? The preaching and study of God's Word (the Bible) and the sacrament of the altar, which nourish and strengthen the faith created by the Holy Spirit in baptism. So we must remain constant in these and avoid all forms of occultism and anything else that invites the influence of evil spirits into our lives. May God grant this for Jhoan Andrés. Amen.

Pray for Venezuela 

On March 5, 2913, the government of Venezuela announced the death of President Hugo Rafael Chavez Frias. Shortly after winning reelection to another term last year, he was taken to Cuba for cancer treatment. He was never seen in public again, even after returning to a military hospital in Venezuela. A constitutional crisis occurred as he was not able to take the required oath of office on January 10. Now another presidential election must be held within 30 days.

One time of uncertainty (about whether the nation's president would live or die) has ended for Venezuela. Now we have entered a time of uncertainty about the nation's future.

On the day that Chavez was reelected, our power went down around midnight. Nevertheless, the sky was lit with fireworks and a stream of cars passed through our neighborhood, with honking horns and shouts of victory. On the day that his death was announced, our power also went down around midnight. There were no fireworks or motorcade. There were not even the sounds of a normal evening, when even after midnight, dogs bark at passers-by in the street, and the occasional car or motorcycle cruises by. There was only darkness, without the light of moon or stars, and deep silence.

As the Scriptures advise (1 Timothy 2:1-2), we offered a common prayer every Sunday for the health and recovery of Hugo Chavez, and now we will pray for the security of the country and for whatever new government emerges.

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A Light to shine on all nations

Simeon's song of praise. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

According to the historic one-year lectionary, the Song of Simeon is to be read as part of the Gospel lesson (Luke 2:22-32) for February 2. This is the celebration of the presentation of our Lord in the Temple. The reading is meant to bring to a close the Epiphany season in anticipation of Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent (February 13 this year),

Verses 22-26 say this: “And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord; (As it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord;)  And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons. And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him. And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ.”

All of this was 40 days after Jesus' birth, in accordance with the Old Testament law set forth in the book of Leviticus, chapter 12 (Luke notes that Joseph and Mary took the option available to parents who could not afford a young lamb for sacrifice, another indication that this was a family of modest means). The second day of February is the 40th day after Christmas, thus is the date for remembering this episode in the life of Christ.

Upon entering the Temple, Simeon saw the baby Jesus, took him in his arms and prayed the prayer that has become known as the Song of Simeon:

Lord, now lettest thou Thy servant depart in peace, according to Thy word:

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.

Of course, here we sing a version of the Song of Simeon every Sunday after the sacrament of the altar. This is known as the Nunc Dimittis (Latin for “Now you dismiss...”).We have another reason to remember especially Luke 2:32, the verse that epitomizes the Epiphany theme of Christ as the Light of the world. On Transfiguration Sunday, January 20, 2013, our little flock decided to name itself Epiphany Lutheran Mission of La Caramuca.

Here is the original Greek text: φως εις αποκαλυψιν εθνων και δοξαν λαου σου ισραηλ

Transliterating the Greek into the English alphabet, we get “phos eis apokalypsin ethnon kai doxan laou sou Israél.”

For a major portion of my life I recited this as part of the Nunc Dimittis in good King James English: “A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.” That still resonates for me although, nowadays “lighten” is no longer used very often in the sense of “enlighten” or  “illuminate.” Rather more in the sense of “make less heavy,” as in, “Here, let me lighten your load.”

The Reina-Valera Bible's Spanish translation renders it thus: “Luz para revelación a los gentiles, y gloria de tu pueblo Israel.” Of course, “revelación” is “revelation” in English. In the English-speaking world, the last book of the Bible is called “Revelation” or “Revelations” or sometimes “the Apocalypse of St. John.” In Spanish it is “Apocalipsis.” The original word is ἀποκάλυψις,or “apokalupsis.”

People frequently use the word “apocalypse” as a synonym for the end of the world, because they are dimly aware that the last book of the Bible talks about the end of the world. There is even a genre of science fiction movie called “post-apocalyptic” (about people who survive the end of the world, at least as we know it). Think “Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome.” However, people who use the word, “apocalypse”, in this way, usually do not understand what “Apocalipsis” says about the end of the world, or that it does not deal only with the end of the world. The three main points of the book may be summarized in this way:

1. Even as each of us are appointed to live on this earth for a certain amount of time, the earth itself will one day meet its end. But if we have faith in Christ, it should not matter to us whether we face the hour of our own death or the final day of the entire world. We have the promise of eternal life with Christ regardless.
2. No matter what trials and tribulations we face in this life, even if it seems all is falling into chaos around us, God is in charge and His will shall prevail. Even as His angels guard and protect us until whatever purpose that God has for our lives has been fulfilled, His will keeps the earth spinning in its orbit, with the sun shining and the rain falling on the just and unjust alike, until the appointed hour of Christ's return.
3. Those who refuse baptismal grace will find themselves without excuse or further opportunity to repent before the victorious Christ enthroned in judgment. Fair warning has been given.

The Greek word, apokalupsis, actually means “an unveiling”, as in “to uncover” or “to lay bare.” In New T.estament language, it means a. a disclosure of truth, or instruction concerning divine things before unknown, especially those relating to the Christian salvation, given to the soul by God Himself, especially through the operation of the Holy Spirit. There are only 18 occurrences of this word, in various forms, in the New Testament. Because it implies that which was hidden has been made visible to all the phrase in Luke 2:32 may be rendered, “a light to lighten the Gentiles,” “a light to appear to the Gentiles” or “a light for revelation to the Gentiles.”

The word, ἔθνος or “ethnos” is the Greek root word from which we derive “ethnic” or “ethnicity” (“etnía or “étnico” in Spanish). It often used in the New Testament to mean people of non-Jewish background, even non-Jewish Christians (Romans 11:13, 15:27 16:4 and Galatians 2:12), but sometimes in reference to the Jewish people themselves (Luke 7:5, 23:2; John 11:48, 50-53, 18.35; Acts 10:22 and 24:2). It also is translated as “the nations” or “all nations” (Matthew 24:9, 14, 25:32, 28:19; Mark 11:17, 13:10; and Luke 12:30).

On the other hand, λαός or “laos”, is the word from which we derive “laity” or “laypeople” (“laicos” in Spanish). It means “people”, but generally is used in the Bible to mean “the people of God”. In the Septuagint (first Greek translation of the Old Testament) and at times in the New Testament it refers to Jews (Matthew 4:23, 13:15; Mark 7:6, Luke 2:10 and John 11.50) and also to the church, the community of believers in Christ, both Jews and Gentiles (Hebrews 4:9, Revelation 18:4). Sometimes, but rarely, it means simply "the people" or "the crowds."

Like apocalypse, the word, “epiphany”, these days is often misused. To many people it has come to mean simply a moment of clarity. Some even speak of a “love epiphany,” when someone realizes he/she has romantic feelings for.someone else.

But for us, Epiphany is that moment when the light of God's love break through the world's darkness in the form of Christ, and especially when that light was first revealed to “the nations” with the visit of the Magi to Bethlehem. Our Lord's missionary charge to His church, “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations....” (Matthew 28:19) is foreshadowed in the words of Simeon, “A light for revelation to all nations.”

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We survived Doom Sunday

It seems that the last Sunday in the church year is known as “Doom Sunday” in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Sweden and Bangsar Lutheran Church of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. That certainly sounds more dramatic than “Sunday of the Fulfillment”, although they mean much the same thing.

“Doom” means “judgment” (as in a sentence handed down by a judge) or “destiny.” Churches that use “Sunday of the Fulfillment” in reference to the last Sunday of the church year use “fulfillment” in the sense of “bringing things to a close” or “bringing things to completion.” Roman Catholic, Anglican and some Lutheran churches refer to this day as “Christ the King Sunday.” I prefer “Christ the King” (Cristo Rey in Spanish) because it is a phrase that it is a little easier for many people here to understand.

All express the same idea as this line from the Nicene Creed: “And He shall come again with glory to judge both the quick and the dead; Whose kingdom shall have no end.” As a matter of fact, all the appointed Scripture readings in the historic lectionary for the last three Sundays in the church year deal with “the end times.”

Our liturgical calendar for the first half of the year recapitulates the life, death, resurrection and ascension of Christ, as well as the founding of His church on earth. The remainder of the liturgical calendar focuses on the continuing work of the Holy Spirit in gathering people into the community of faith, using the church as His instrument. These themes, and the associated passages from the Bible, are organized in a logical progression that fits the annual cycle of days and weeks.

However, the objective of this calendar is not simply to recall past events, but to anticipate what will happen at some point in the future: the Second Coming of Christ in glory. The exact day or hour of this event has not been revealed to anyone (Mark 13:32),  “But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” (2 Peter 4:8-9)

The unspecified span of time between Christ's ascension into heaven and His return in glory is God's grace period, in which those who hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ may repent of their sins and be justified by faith. The faithful who already have passed from this world are already with Christ, but we who still live on earth cannot and should not try to communicate with them (Deuteronomy 18:10-12). But on the great and glorious day of Christ's return in visible form, the believers living on earth at that time will join those who have been raised bodily from the dead and all will be together with Him forever (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).

This hope is woven throughout the fabric of the liturgical calendar, even from it beginning. The church year begins four Sundays before December 25 with the season of Advent, ostensibly a time pf preparation for celebrating the birth of Christ. Yet the lessons of Advent foreshadow two other events:

1. Holy Week, because Christ was born into this world for the express purpose of suffering and dying on the cross. That is why in many churches, the liturgical color for Advent is purple, the same as Lent (Christ was wrapped in a purple robe and crowned with thorns before being sent to the Cross).
2. The Second Coming. The Latin word adventus is a translation of the Greek word, parousia, which means “an important arrival.” Parousia is used 24 times in the New Testament, of which 16 refer explicitly to the Second Coming. So an alternative liturgical color for Advent is “Sarum blue”, a dark shade of blue originally used in the Sarum and Mozarabic rites, pre-Tridentine versions of the Latin Mass celebrated respectively in England and Spain. This shade of blue is supposed to represent the color of the early-morning sky, just before the first rays of dawn, thus symbolizing the hope of the resurrection and the Second Coming.

We have no command from the Lord that we must follow the liturgical calendar in its entirety, or even one particular form of it. Yet as Christians we are commanded to gather regularly to hear the Word of God and to receive the Lord's body and blood, in order “to proclaim the Lord's death until He comes” (1 Corinthians 11:23-26). We are to mark the days until He comes, and to be always ready either for the hour of our own physical death or the day the world ends. Either way we have the assurance of eternal life. But the danger is that we may be distracted by the cares and pleasures of the world, losing track of the time until it is too late.

This is the point of the parable of the wise and foolish virgins in our Gospel reading for last Sunday (Matthew 25:1-13). Their assigned task was simple enough; to carry lamps in an evening wedding procession, according to the custom of that time and place. Yet those who fell asleep were not ready when the Bridegroom appeared and lost the chance to enter into the wedding feast. The liturgical calendar is like a fine timepiece, designed for this purpose: To help us order our days in anticipation of the Lord's return.

This does not mean selling all we have and abandoning our work and relationships to go sit on a mountaintop. That would be trying to second-guess God's design, which is what our Lord warns us that false prophets will do.  "Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe it.  For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.  See, I have told you beforehand.  So, if they say to you, ‘Look, he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out. If they say, ‘Look, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it.   For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. " (Matthew 24:23-27)

Rather we should lve the lives that God has given us, in sobriety and moderation, secure in the promise of eternal life. "For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,  Who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him.  Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. " (1 Thessalonians 5:9-11)