Celebrating the Reformation amid chikungunya

On Sunday, Oct. 26, 2014, we celebrated Reformation Day together with members of Corpus Christi Lutheran Church in Barinas, in keeping with the liturgical custom of remembering Martin Luther´s posting of the 95 Theses on or the Sunday before October 31.

On that date in 1517, Luther got the Reformation ball rolling by nailing a copy of the 95 Theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany. The paper challenged the validity of papal indulgences (letters of release from having to do penance for sins, including punishment in púrgatory), but beyond that, questioned the very concept of "doing penance", repentance as an outward, legalistic requirement to regain God's favor, rather than an inward transformation of heart and mind accomplished not by one's own works, but the action of the Holy Spirit. Even beyond that, Luther asked why the Pope, if indeed he had the power to impose penalties on people who had passed from this life, would not simply release all souls from purgatory out of Christian love.

Even that wasn't the end of it. Luther's theses by impĺication raised other issues. When asked by what authority he challenged the authority of the Roman church, Luther cited the Holy Scriptures as an authority greater than that of popes and councils. This led to one of the great rallying cries of the Reformation, "Sola Scriptura" (Scripture alone is the only infallible rule of faith). 

Our appointed epistle lesson, Romans 3:21-28, covers the other two, sola gratia ("For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;  Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus..." verses 23-24) and sola fide ("Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law." verse 28). But also we find an emphasis on the power and certainty of God's abiding Word:  "But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;  Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe..." verse 21-22.

This theme we find in the Old Testament lesson, 1 Samuel 3:19-21: "And all Israel from Dan even to Beer–sheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the LORD...for the LORD revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the LORD." verse 20-21. And also in the Gospel, John 8:31-36: "If you continue in my word, then are you my disciples indeed; And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." verses 31-32. The freedom spoken of here is not political liberty, as Jesus makes clear, but freedom from the condemnation of original and actual sin in the eyes of God.

The written Word is the testimony of the prophets and apostles, who were eyewitnesses to the mighty, revelatory acts of God within human history. But their writings are authoritative not only because of what they saw and heard for themselves of God's revelation, but because God the Holy Spirit revealed through them both God's Law and Gospel (2 Timothy 3:16; Romans 16:26; Ephesians 2:20; Ephesians 3:5; Hebrews 1:1-2; 2 Peter 3:2). The Holy Spirit not only spoke to the prophets and apostles hundreds of years ago, but continues to speak to us today through the Scriptures. It is through the Scriptures that we, who have not seen Christ in visible form, still come to know Him as Lord and Savior, and it is on the Scriptures that the authority of the Church and the validity of its sacraments are based. To the extent that the Reformation reaffirmed the authority, sufficiency and clarity of the Scriptures, it was a victory and evidence of the Holy Spirit continuing to guide the church into all truth.

Chikungunya arrives in La Caramuca

The chikungunya virus was discovered in 1952, following an outbreak on the Makonde Plateau, a border area between Mozambique and Tanzania. The name chikungunya is derived from a Makonde word that describes the stooped posture that results from the arthritic symptoms of the disease. Subsequent outbreaks of the mosquito-borne disease occurred in Africa, Asia and Europe at intervals of two to 20 years. In late 2013, the chikungunya virus was found for the first time in the Americas on islands in the Caribbean.  The first cases of chikungunya in Venezuela were reported on June 12, 2014. As of early October, 788 cases of chikungunya had been confirmed in Venezuela.

These are more than statistics to us now as three of Luz Maria's grandchildren have been diagnosed with the disease: Aaron and Oriana Montoya, and Jhoan Andrés Leal. Also we have heard that Graciela de Brito, a member of Corpus Christi Lutheran Church has been stricken.

The most common symptoms of chikungunya virus infection are fever and joint pain. Other symptoms may include headache, muscle pain, joint swelling, or rash. Chikungunya disease does not often result in death, but the symptoms can be severe and disabling. Most patients feel better within a week. In some people, the joint pain may persist for months. People at risk for more severe disease include newborns infected around the time of birth, older adults, and people with medical conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, or heart disease.

There is no vaccine or treatment for chikungunya except for the use of painkillers like acetaminophen. Unfortunately, such common medications are in short supply here. On Friday, Oct. 24, when Luz Maria, her daughter, Charli, and I traveled to Barquisimeto, Venezuela's fourth-largest city, to receive our certificates for on-line teaching from Universidad Centrooccidente "Lisandro Alvarado", we looked for acetaminophen in five pharmacies, including a hospital pharmacy and could find none.

Venezuela also is faced with new outbreaks of dengue fever, and malaria. It is feared that with the shortages of foodstuffs and basic medicines, Venezuela will be particularly vulnerable to an outbreak of ebola.

Please pray for us as we confront this public health threat.

Related articles

• Chikungunya (Chik V) Bulldozing its Way Across the Caribbean
• Chikungunya : Mosquito-borne virus infects Cdn travellers
• How to Recover from Chikungunya
• Guyana acquires Chikungunya testing kits
• Why Are So Many Deadly Diseases Breaking Out All Over The Globe Right Now?

Truth and freedom, church and state

In 1821, James Madison, fourth president of the United States of America and also noted for being instrumental in the drafting of the U.S. Constitution and as the key champion and author of the Bill of Rights, wrote to F.L. Schaefer:

James Madison, Hamilton's major collaborator, later President of the United States and "Father of the Constitution" (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

“I have received, with your letter of November 19th, the copy of your address at the ceremonial of laying of the corner-stone of St. Matthew's Church in New York. It is a pleasing and persuasive example of pious zeal, united with pure benevolence, and of cordial attachment to a particular creed, untinctured by sectarian illiberality. It illustrates the excellence of a system which, by a due distinction, to which the genius and courage of Luther led the way, between what is due to Caesar and what is due to God, promotes the discharge of both obligations.”

Indeed there is a Scriptural basis forseparation of , or more precisely, distinction between church and state that Luther championed, although something like this happy balance would become a reality before the American Revolution. He spoke of “the two kingdoms”, one of law and one of grace. By this he meant that God had instituted both the church and civil government, but for different purposes and had given them different types of authority. All lawful forms of authority have been established by God. As Jesus said to Pontius Pilate: ‘You would have no power over me unless it had been given you from above’ (John 19:11).

The government has the right of the sword , that is, to use force of arms to maintain order in this fallen world , according to the Law of God. The government has jurisdiction over the exterior acts of men , and can punish them for evil deeds (Genesis 9:6 ; Exodus 21:14). . The government has no jurisdiction over the souls of men , ie can not demand confessions of faith or decide matters of faith.

The two classical texts that deal with the God-given authority of the state are Romans 13:1-5 and 1 Peter 2:13,14. When Paul then in Romans 13:1 says: ‘There is no authority except from God, and those authorities that exist have been instituted by God’, he is stating that secular government has been established by God.

Earthly authority also include parents (Ephesians 6:1-4) as well as others in positions of responsibility. When Luther explains the fourth commandment in his Large Catechism he says that the primary locus of authority resides with parents, and that all other human authority derives from that.

Revelation 13 presents a situation that is the exact opposite of Romans 13. The unlawful authority of the demonic state is most evident in the absolute claims made on body and soul by the satanic forces behind totalitarian regimes. Here the church must refuse obedience, in line with Peter’s principle in Acts 5:29, even if that means martyrdom, for obedience here would amount to idolatry. Obedience to all forms of human government is never absolute but always limited and conditional. If it means disobedience to God, our allegiance to God must come first.

According to Article XVI of the Augsburg Confession, “All government and all established rule and laws were instituted by God for the sake of good order, and that Christians may without sin occupy civil offices and engage in all manner of civil affairs’ (such as serving as soldiers, buying and selling,

taking oaths where required, owning property, getting married etc). The article also states that ‘the gospel does not overthrow civil authority, the state, and marriage but requires that all these be kept as true divine orders’ (sometimes called orders of creation), unless to do so would mean disobeying God.

The mission of the church is to proclaim the message of God's grace . It has no right to punish exterior actions with the sword, or command faith. Nor can it teach doctrines contrary to the teachings of the Holy Scriptures. It can only proclaim the forgiveness of sins to those who repent or God's condemnation to those who do not repent .

Article XXVIII of the Augsburg Confession makes it clear that ecclesiastical and civil power are not to be confused. The church should not interfere with civil government or try to tell civil rulers how they should govern. For Christ says that his kingdom is ‘not of this world’ (John 18:33,36), and when asked to settle a legal dispute he replied: ‘Who made me judge or an arbiter between you?’ (Luke 12:14).

When the church and the government recognize their own positions , when there is a balance between them with respect for human rights , this situation is according to the design of God and is a blessing for all. For the concept of human rights is based on the biblical perspective. First, each human being is a creature of God, who has value in God's eyes no matter their condition in life . Second, although all are sinners , Christ died for all, to give us another chance to live as children of God. The new life in Christ is a gift from God in His mercy. So, salvation belongs to the kingdom of grace, not the realm of law.

This view of the proper roles of church and state influenced James Madison and other framers of the U.S. Constitution. For this reason, Luther often is hailed as a champion of human rights and particularly the individual conscience, first for his posting of the 95 Theses on the door of the castle church in Wittenberg, Germany, on Oct. 31, 1517, and later for his heroic stand before the Diet of Worms in 1521.

When diet ordered Luther to recant his criticisms of the teachings of the church of Rome, Luther answered , "Unless I am convinced by the testimony of the Scriptures or by clear reason , for I can believe neither pope nor councils alone, since it is evident that they have been wrong several times and contradicted themselves , I consider myself convicted by the testimony of Holy Scripture, which is my foundation , my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I can not and will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe . Here I am , I can not do otherwise, so help me God . Amen . "

But what Luther defended at the Diet of Worms was not simply his personal liberty of conscience or a political ideal, but something much more: absolute and objective truth revealed by God Himself in the person of Jesus Christ.

This is why John 8:31-36 is the appointed Gospel reading for Reformation Day. “And ye shall know the truth , and the truth shall make you free . " What is the truth of which Jesus speaks ? The Greek philosophers used the Greek word , αληθεια , which translates as the word truth , to designate the absolute reality . Not something attainable through human reason , but only by some transcendental means, such as divine revelation . Knowing the truth would mean an encounter with the divine, mystical contemplation of the glory of God.

The meaning of tthis truth could also be interpreted within the Hebrew context, the word , אֱמֶת , which means faithfulness to God's plan or purpose . We could say the revelation of the glory of God , the truth is that God so loved the world that he sent his only Son to save it. The truth is that the blood of Christ cleanses us from all sin . Jesus Christ is not only a great prophet, not only the Messiah promised to the Jews. He is the Son of God made flesh . The truth that will set us free is not an abstract concept , not any political, economic or scientific truth, but what God has revealed about our salvation in Christ.

For nationalist groups among the Jews , freedom consisted only of recognizing God as King of kings . Nationalists , or zealots, were ready to fight to the death to defend their freedom to serve only the Lord, the God of Israel. Other Jews thought they were free , regardless of the dominion of the Roman conquerors . Outwardly ruled by the Romans, but inwardly they were free because they did not worship the idols of the Romans but the true God. Sadly , by human nature no one can love God as He deserves , or his neighbor as himself. No one , except Jesus Christ can fulfill the law perfectly , so no one can be truly free by their own efforts.

"Jesus answered them , Verily , verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. " Jesus made clear that he was not talking about political slavery , but spiritual slavery . Many believe themselves to be free when in fact they are enslaved in many parts of their lives. That's why we need to examine our lives in the light of the gospel. Many conflicts arise in our lives and in our communities because we have been enslaved by vain philosophies , the desire to be accepted , prejudices , misplaced loyalties and more .

" So if the Son sets you free, you shall be free indeed. " Jesus' statements about freedom have been interpreted to mean that all the truth has a liberating character . Citing this text, it is said that philosophical, scientific or political truths have the power to grant freedom to humans. These truths can give us some measure of freedom in certain areas of human life , but they can not give us the freedom of which Jesus speaks.

None of these truths can free humans from the need to stand before the throne of God and give an account of their deeds . However, he who has come to know the truth of the gospel has been delivered from eternal death and the power of the devil . The new birth by the Holy Spirit is for all men, in any country and at any stage of life.

Related articles

• "A Reformation in Catechesis" (Sermon on John 8:31-36, by Pr. Charles Henrickson) (steadfastlutherans.org)

Confirmation and first communion for Gianny Vanessa Roa Ruiz

 Here is the English text of the sermon that I preached for the confirmation and first communion of Gianny Vanessa Roa Ruiz. It was based on Proverbs 9:1-10 and Luke 14:15-24, the appointed Old Testament and Gospel readings for the second Sunday after Trinity, according to the one-year lectionary.


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

Many of you are here at the invitation of our sister, Gianny Vanessa Roa Ruiz, because today is the day of her confirmation and first communion She wants to share her joy with you.

We find an invitation in our reading of the Old Testament. "Wisdom has built her house, hewn out its seven pillars killed her victims, mingled her wine, and set her table. She has sent her maids on the topto the rooftops of the town to cry, Whoever is simple, come here.”

In the book of Proverbs, the concept of wisdom is symbolized by the figure of a woman. In chapters before the ninth, is the contrast between the figure of Wisdom, who is good, and a tempting adulteress. These women represent two lifestyles, or two ways. Wisdom is the way of the Lord, that is, how to live according to the will of God. This is the way of happiness that lasts forever. The other is the path of destruction, in which there is the promise of many vain pleasures, but in the end is only a trap.

There is something more, because in our text for today we have a picture of a great feast, prepared by the figure of wisdom with an invitation for everyone. "Come, eat my bread, and drink the wine I have mixed." T his is a foreshadowing of Jesus Christ, who would be the true incarnation of divine wisdom and who has invited us to eat bread and drink wine, and also His body and blood in the Lord's Supper.
Furthermore,in our gospel for today, our Lord tells a parable, ie a symbolic story, of a man who prepared a great banquet and invited many. "And at the time of the banquet he sent his servant to say to those invited, Come, for everything is now ready."

But what happened? "And they all began to make excuses. The first said: I have bought a field, and I must go and see it: I pray thee have me excused. And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I'll try them out, excuse me. And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot go. "

What was Jesus talking about in this parable? Obviously, the father of the family is God the Father Almighty. His feast is eternal life in heaven. Why do so many refuse the invitation?  They do not see with eyes of faith the invitation to hear the word and receive the sacraments as a preview of the eternal feast in heaven. They are preoccupied with their businesses or their own personal matters. The same contrast is found in the book of Proverbs. Earthly affairs often seem more urgent or more attractive than seeking first the kingdom of God. However, the wise man, his mind enlightened by the Holy Spirit, understands that heavenly joy lasts forever, not just for the moment.

Furthermore, although the invitation to the Lord's Supper is free and for all, it is available only for a while. When our earthly life is over, so is the invitation and there is no second chance.

Look, many of you have received an invitation card for a wedding. The invitation is a gift for you. It's yours. Nobody can offer money to buy an invitation to a wedding. But what if someone takes an invitation card and throws it in the trash? He is not likely to get another invitation.

It is a more serious matter with the invitation to the Lord's Supper. We speak of the two kingdoms, the kingdom of God's power nd the kingdom of God's grace. The kingdom of divine power is the order of creation, the domain of His Law. The moral Law is the universal will of God for our lives. All humans are suubject to this Law and only one has fulfilled the Law, the will of God, perfectly. Therefore, to live under the Law is a sentence of physical and spiritual death.

However, one has fulfilled all the Law in our place, Jesus Christ. He paid the price for our sins, so we have our invitation to share in the joy of the Lord's Supper. One day we will be with Him in heaven, but in this world we have the opportunity to receive His body and blood in, with and under the bread and wine of the sacrament. "Do this in remembrance of me" does not just mean looking back to the first century, but also to anticipate the great feast with the church triumphant after the end of the world.
We have eternal life only by grace. No one can buy it and nobody earns eternal life on their own merits, however, we may decline the invitation and there is no other chance to escape eternal death.

We receive eternal life by faith alone through baptism. By our baptism, we are members of the body of Christ, the communion of saints, which is the church. The Bible says the invitation to baptism is for all nations, all families, men, women, old, young and babies. Why not share the sacrament with everyone?

In the Lutheran Church, we recognize only two sacraments, not seven as does the Roman Catholic church. By our definition, a sacrament should be instituted and commanded by our Lord Jesus Christ, should be a means of grace (forgiveness), and must have a visible element linked with the Word of God. In the case of baptism, the visible element is water, in the Lord's Supper the visible elements are the bread and wine.

 Confirmation is not a sacrament, it does not give a measure of grace that baptism that does not deliver. It is a ritual that marks the culmination of the preparation for first communion. The difference between the sacrament of baptism and the Lord's Supper is the warnings that to receive the Lord's Supper worthily, a person must examine his conscience and consciously repent of his sins, and discern the body and blood of Christ in the sacrament. To receive the sacrament unworthily is to receive condemnation, not a blessing.

So we teach these things to young believers with the Small Catechism of Dr. Martin Luther, written for parents to teach their children. The catechism contains the Ten Commandments, the Apostles' Creed, the Our Father and basic doctrine. Confirmation is a public testimony of faith and a sign that the believer is ready to receive the sacrament.

Now our sister, Gianny Vanessa, has chosen the better portion, like Mary of Bethany. She is a wise girl. Let's welcome her as a communicant member.
.
The peace that passes all understanding be with each of you forever. Amen.

Related articles

• FW: If You Dismiss The Sacraments, You Lose Lutheranism!
• Fruit of Which Vine?
• The Spirit-Filled Church Is Known By Hearing, Eating and Drinking

Oriana's confirmation

We began the Sunday service by singing “Castillo Fuerte” (“A Mighty Fortress”). Then I explained why I was wearing a red stole and pectoral cross, and why the altar paraments were red.

First, because the Holy Spirit appeared as fire on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:3), and also the Scriptures say, “he shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit, and with fire” (Mateo 3:11, Luke 3:16); and “our God is a consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:29). So the color of fire symbolizes the force and energy of the Holy Spirit, active among us through the preaching of the pure Word and the administration of the sacraments as our Lord commanded. Since no one can confess Jesus as Lord except by the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:3), on Reformation Sunday we recognize the continuing work of the Holy Spirit in the public confession of the blessed Martin Luther, who stood before the powers of the world and declared his consciences was captive to the Word of God. Thus began the Reformation, which we accept as proof that the Spirit still guides the Church and keeps it in the true doctrine, not by new revelation, but rather by reaffirmation of the faith once delivered to the saints.

Second, red is the color of blood. For us especially, it symbolizes the blood of the holy martyrs, those who confessed Christ at the cost of their own lives. While God does not lay this destiny on all of us, He does demand that all of us offer ourselves as living sacrifices. That is to say, we are to be in every aspect of our lives, witnesses to Christ. The word “martyr” means “witness”, and so, with the martyrs as our examples, we understand every act of public confession to imply the promise that we formally make in the rite of confirmation, to remain faithful to the teachings of Christ to the point of death.

I preached on the appointed Old Testament lesson, 1 Samuel 3:19-21), explaining that in the context of this chapter, Samuel was a small boy, dedicated by his parents to the service of the Lord's temple in Shiloh where he lived and worked as the servant of the high priest, Eli. But Eli and his sons, the priests of Israel, were worldly and corrupt, and there were no true men of God to preach the Word of God to the people, and the people lost sight of God's will and drifted into unbelief.

But the Lord called audibly to Samuel while he slept, and the boy, thinking it was the high priest calling him, interrupted his master's sleep. Understandably irritated, Eli said that he had no called and told the boy to go back to bed. This happened three more times before Eli figured out that perhaps something unusual was taking place, and told Samuel the next time to answer the voice directly and immediately. This Samuel did, and received the first prophetic message that he was to deliver in the name of the Lord: To pronounce a judgment of death against Eli and his sons.

Of course, Samuel was afraid to do this, but since he realized he could not change the Word of the Lord and dare not disobey God's command, he did so anyway. Eli did not punish the boy, but, because of the remnant of faith left in his heart, recognized God s judgment as just and accepted it. The Lord continued to bless Samuel and as he mature, made him into a mighty and faithful prophet.

The application for us today is that as Christ has won for us salvation and eternal life through His death and resurrection, we must live by this truth and confess it publicly, even if it does not win us any popularity contests and even it means risking the loss of our lives. For we must love and obey God rather than men. “Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God: But he that denies me before men shall be denied before the angels of God” (Lucas 12:8-9).

This story of the boy Samuel was especially appropriate as the sermon text, because following the sermon, Luz Maria's granddaughter, Oriana Montoya, came forward for confirmation. At nine years of age, she is the youngest person who has been confirmed as a member of our mission congregation.

Oriana was born and baptized a few months before I arrived in Venezuela in 2003. I suppose that I can say that I have known her all of her life, and that she cannot remember a time when I was not a part of her life and her grandmother's life.

There was no rite of confirmation apart from the sacrament of baptism in the early church. Unlike baptism, confession and absolution of sins, and the sacrament of the altar, “confirmation” was not instituted or commanded by Christ. It emerged as a separate ceremony and eventually was declared a “sacrament” in itself by the western Latin-speaking Church. In Eastern Orthodox churches to this day, both infant children and adult converts are baptized, anointed with the laying on of hands (“chrismation”), and communed on the same occasion, in unbroken succession.

The Lutheran Reformers decided to retain the rite of confirmation, while denying that it was a divinely appointed means of grace, and against infant communion. This is because while the Scriptures place no reservations on who may receive the blessings of baptism, there are stern warnings against receiving the sacrament of the Lord's Supper “unworthily.” In order to participate in the sacrament of the altar, one must be able to examine his or her conscience and repent of sin (1 Corinthians 11:28), and discern the presence of Christ's body and blood in the sacrament (1 Corinthians 10:16; 1 Corinthians 11:29). The Reformers accept the western tradition of age 7 as the minimum age at which this level of understanding was possible, and 16th Century Lutheran church orders specify ages 7 to 12 as the optimum range for preparing children for first communion.

Later, in the 17th Century, under the growing influences of Calvinism and rationalism, the typical age of Lutheran confirmation was raised to 14 to 16 years, as confirmation came to be viewed more as a rite of passage into adulthood and the “completion” of a process begun with baptism.

Theologically speaking, however, baptism is the point of entry into the communion of the saints, and it isin baptism that one is covered with the righteousness of Christ, adopted as a child of God and receives the full promise of eternal life. There is no need to “complete” this process. On the other hand, it always has been the Lutheran understanding that catechesis, or instruction in the faith, is something that is a necessary part of sanctification (the Holy Spirit's work of molding us into the people God wants us to be), a process which is not complete until death. Therefore, catechesis should not stop at age 9, 12 or 16, but rather continue throughout adult life.

Therefore, having instructed and examined Oriana, and knowing of her desire to receive first communion with all of her friends and family as witnesses, I welcomed her into communicant membership in our mission.

As we prayed for Oriana and all those who had been baptized and confirmed at La Caramuca Lutheran Mission, I thought of another girl that I had known from birth through confirmation: my niece, Ashley Baltazar. I had stood up as a sponsor at her baptism, but at that moment I was particularly reminded of her confirmation at Zion Lutheran Church in Matteson, Illinois.

It was a congregation of mixed ethnic background in a similarly mixed community, and Ashley was confirmed along with young people of Caucasian, African and Latin American ancestry. Since Ashley's father, Mark, comes from a family that is Portuguese, Irish and Filipino, but mostly Filipino, the confirmation dinner consisted of traditional Filipino food. For me, mixed with the joy of Ashley's confirmation was a vision of what could be, a foreshadowing of Revelation 7, with a great multitude of all nations, all tribes and all races gathered around the throne of the Lamb. And it got me to thinking about the overseas mission field.

So at that moment I prayed for Oriana, for Ashley and for all who had made their vows of faith, that the Lord might keep them always in the true faith, strengthen them and call them back if they might stray. Amen.

Related articles

• The Quotable Luther
• Reformation Day Reflections from Around the Web

Kyrie, eleison, eleison

We observed Ash Wednesday with a service of evening prayer centered around a version of the Great Litany and the imposition of ashes. We had about 15 people in attendance.

"Litany" with a small "l" means "a liturgical prayer consisting of a series of petitions recited by a leader alternating with fixed responses by the congregation." Litanies are among the oldest forms of Christian prayer. As it is sometimes said that the first creed of the church was "Jesus is Lord", in contrast to "Caesar is Lord" (with the word, kyrios, implying lordship in a divine sense), the earliest litanies incorporated "Kyrie eleison" ("Lord have mercy") as the fixed responses.

"Kyrie eleison" is believed to have originally been a supplication to Caesar. This type of litany survives to this day in forms like this:

P: In peace, let us pray to the Lord.
C: Lord, have mercy.

P: For the peace from above and for our salvation let us pray to the Lord.
C: Lord, have mercy.

P: For the peace of the whole world, for the well-being of the church of God, and for the unity of all let us pray to the Lord.
C: Lord, have mercy.

P: For this holy hourse and for all who offer here their worship and praise let us pray to the Lord.
C: Lord, have mercy.

P: Help, save, comfort, and defend us, gracious Lord.
C: Amen.


However, in the order of the Divine Service that we follow on Sunday mornings here in Venezuela, as well as other places, "the Kyrie" is "extracted" from the prayers and follows the Introit, sandwiched between the Gloria Patri and the Gloria in Excelsis:

Lord have mercy upon us
Christ have mercy upon us.
Lord have mercy upon

The Great Litany, the super-deluxe model, first appeared around the sixth century A.D. and in western Christendom came to be known as "the Litany of the Saints" and in Greek Orthodox Christianity as "the Litany of Peace." At the time of the Reformation, Martin Luther revised "the Litany of the Saints", mainly by removing pleas to the Virgin Mary and the saints, and intercessory prayers for the dead and for the Pope. Luther published this litany in both Latin and German, and it is this form of the Great Litany that is used in Lutheran churches today. In addition, Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Cranmer essentially translated Luther's version of the litany into English and included it in the first edition of the Book of Common Prayer, so Lutheran and Anglican versions of the litany are very similar.

The Great Litany is essentially a penitential prayer, asking God for forgiveness of sins and remembering Christ's suffering and death on the cross, as well as imploring His protection and blessing in all circumstances of earthly life. So it is appropriate to use the litany during an Ash Wednesday evening service.

Maybe next year we will try singing it.

Related articles

• Let's pray the litany for Lent (geneveith.com)

Six confirmed on Reformation Sunday 2010

Six young people were confirmed at our mission on Oct. 31, 2010. Here is the list of their names and confirmation verses:

• Jeison Manuel Arellano Farías, Philippians 4:7
• Jimmy Orlando Pérez Chinchilla, Joshua 1:9
• Angie Yoximar Pérez Chinchilla, John 10:27-28
• Yhonny Alexander Torres Ortega, Philippians 4:13
• Pedro José Santana Reimi, Psalm 50:15
• Karelis Santana Reimi, Psalm 51:10

This is the message that I had for them:

Today, Reformation Sunday, is a day of confession in two ways.

First, the confession of our sins. Every Sunday we begin the Divine Servie with the general confession of sins and receive absolution before the sacrament of the Lord's Supper. This is the day of first communion for six of you.

These six have been instructed according to the Small Catechism of Martin Luther, so they understand the importance of confession and repentance of all immorality and false belief before receiving the true body and true blood of Jesus Christ in, with, and under the bread and wine. Because he does not believe the words “given for you” or “shed for you for the forgiveness of sins,” or doubts them, is not worthy, nor is ready to receive Christ's body and blood. As St. Paul says, “Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself” (1 Corinthians 11:28-29).

By confession, we also mean public confession of the faith. In today's text (John 8:31-36), our Lord tells us, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” The freedom Christ speaks of is freedom from sin. The truth of Christ, that is to say, His sacrifice on the cross, frees us from slavery to sin and Satan. Christ paid the price for the sins of the whole world on the cross, and so we are justified by faith in Him, and not by our own works. However, to remain true disciples of Christ, we must abide in His Word.

In holy baptism we received the complete assurance of eternal life in Christ and began the life of faith, we were born again of the Holy Spirit. Baptism was our first confession of faith by the work of the Holy Spirit. As it says in Mark 16:16, “He who believes and is baptized, will be saved; but he does not believe, will be condemned.” In baptism we receive the gift of saving faith.

But, it is possible to lose the benefits of baptism, if we do not abide in the Word of God. We have this Word in the Holy Scriptures, the source and rule of our faith. The Scriptures, written by the apostles and the prophets, and inspired by the Holy Spirit, tell us all that we need to know for our salvation. In the Bible, God speaks to every one of us.

But abiding in the Word is not just a matter of listening, reading and reflecting inwardly. The Word at times demands a verbal response.

For it also is the work of the Holy Spirit when we say “I believe” in the Word of God. As St. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 12:3, “No one can say Jesus is Lord, except by the Holy Spirit.”

Also, when Simon Peter said, “You are the Christ, the son of the living God,” our Lord replied, “Blessed are you, Simon, son of Jonah; for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father, Who is in heaven” (Matthew 16:17).

On the day of their wedding, a bride and groom promise each other to love and live together until death. But, for them to fulfill this commitment, it will be necessary, at times, to reaffirm these vows in the years to come, in times of joy or grief. What do you think, should it be sufficient for a man and wife to say to each other, “I love you” on their wedding day and never again? For a man to kiss his wife on the wedding day and never again? Of course not!

In the same way, the promise of salvation and faith that we receive in baptism is for always. But a times we must reaffirm our trust in the Word of God, not just to reinforce our own faith, but to testify of Christ's truth to the world.

That is why on October 31, 1517, Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses on the door of the castle church in Wittenberg, Germany, calling the church back to the basic truths of the Holy Scriptures: justification by faith alone, salvation by grace alone and the Scriptures as the only infallible rule of faith. Later, Luther, a simple German monk, stood before Charles V, in his day emperor of all Europe and as King of Spain, ruler of the Spanish colonies in the New World, including Venezuela, and representatives of the Roman church and the empire and confessed this faith.

Karelis, Pedro, Jeison, Yhonny, Angie, Jimmy.

They said to him, “Recant the teachings of justification by faith alone, salvation by grace alone and the Scriptures as the only rule of faith under pain of death.” And Luther replied, "Unless I am convinced by Scripture and plain reason - I do not accept the authority of the popes and councils, for they have contradicteyd each other - my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and I will not recant anything for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. God help me. Amen."

In your confirmation today, six of you will publicly confess the faith in which you were baptized. Let us thank God that we live in a country where there is freedom of conscience, so that you do not confess under pain of death at this very moment. However, as you have abided in the Word of God until this moment, you must testify to its truth with your lips. Also, today we remember Luther and others who risked their lives for the pure doctrine of the Bible and express our solidarity with believers in countries where Christians are persecuted.

May God bless you richly on this Reformation Day, and this day of your first communion. Amen.

Two confirmed on Reformation Sunday

Dexi Yovana Torres Ortega and Yovany Javier Torres Ortega were confirmed as members of our little flock on Reformation Sunday, October 25, 2009. The siblings were baptized together at La Caramuca Lutheran Mission on March 30, 2007. Since 2004 we have had 11 baptisms and seven confirmations here.

This was the first time I presided over the rite of confirmation (prior to my ordination in December 2008, baptisms and confirmations were conducted by visiting pastors when they had the time to travel to La Caramuca).I have attended many confirmation ceremonies in my life (my own was 37 years ago), so I was familiar with the order of service, but it was like looking at it from the other side of the looking-glass, so to speak.

Since it was Reformation Sunday, our hymns included the Spanish versions of "A Mighty Fortress" ("Castillo Fuerte") and "Lord, Keep Us Steadfast in Thy Word." ("Sostennos Firmes, Oh Señor"). I do not have recording of our congregation singing "A Mighty Fortress", but I do have one of the members of El Redentor (Redeemer) Lutheran Church in San Antonio de Capayuacuar singing it on Reformation Sunday 2004. Their version sounds a lot like that of La Caramuca Lutheran Mission.

My sermon text was John 8:31-36, which contains the often misinterpreted saying of Jesus: "You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." In fact, the text itself indicates that Jesus' original listeners misinterpreted His words. They thought he was referring to political liberty. To live as free citizens under a just government is a great blessing from God, as are things like plenty of money in the bank, many friends, a nice house, a happy marriage and children. But the greatest gift from God is the spiritual liberty that we have through justification by faith in Jesus Christ.

Justification by faith alone is the central doctrine that had nevertheless been almost forgotten by the time of Martin Luther. As the epistle reading (Romans 3:21-28) said, "All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, and are justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus."

This truth frees us from the most profound slavery, the slavery to sin. We may have this spiritual liberty even in the absence of all the blessings mentioned above, including political liberty. As the hymn says, "Take they our life, goods, fame, child or wife, the Kingdom ours remaineth." On the other hand, without this spiritual liberty, we will not find lasting happiness in any of the other blessings of life. In fact, the power of sin will in time destroy them all.

We also gave thanks for Johannes Gutenberg's invention of the moveable-type printing press. During the week I had talked with the preschool children about this in terms that I hope they understood. I told them once upon a time, books were very expensive, about the price of a house or a farm, because every copy of a book had to be written out by hand. So many people did not bother learning to read and they did not have copies of the Bible translated into their own language. Then a man made a machine that could print many copies of books at one time. The first book he copied with his machine was the Bible, because so many people wanted to read the Bible for themselves.

Soon there were many translations of the Bible, and many people were reading it and talking about it. And their faith was greatly strengthened. Soon many other books were being printed and people were reading them. That is why it is a blessing from God that we all have the opportunity to learn to read, and study the Bible and other books for ourselves when people in the olden days could not.

A day of the living, not the dead

The following Sunday was All Saints Day and also in Venezuela, the Day of the Dead. The Day of the Dead celebration originated with the ancient indigenous cultures of the Aztecs, Mayas and others who for 3,000 years before the arrival of Christopher Columbus observed rituals in honor of their ancestors. It is a relatively innocuous custom in Venezuela, the day on which people honor the departed by bringing flowers to the cemetery to adorn the graves, which they also take the time to clean. There are no important rituals or feasts associated with the Day of the Dead outside of the privacy of the home.

Remembering friends and family members who are no longer with us is not itself a sin. But, as I explained, in other Latin American countries, like Mexico, where the Day of the Dead involves graveside altars and offerings of food and drink to the ghosts of ancestors, the people have crossed the line from respect for the dead into idolatry. Likewise, the Bible says there is a great gulf between our world and where the souls of the departed await Judgment Day. So it is wrong on the one hand to consult witches and mediums, and on the other, to pray for the souls of departed Christians or to ask them to intercede with God for us, for we cannot help them and they cannot help us.

Also as Christians we need not fear the power of ghosts or fallen angels. Halloween is gaining ground in Venezuela as an "imported" holiday. The custom of "trick or treat" seems harmless, but in its cultural context it is based on a belief that is contrary to the Bible, too. That is, on one night each year, the spirits of the dead and other supernatural beings are able to enter our world and do harm to those who do not offer them food and other gifts.

So why as a church do we celebrate All Saints Day? In part to remember those Christians have gone before us into God's kingdom of glory as examples for us to follow in our own lives. but more to celebrate our own hope for the future. For the word "saint" does not mean someone who is more righteous than anyone else, but all who belong to the Body of Christ through baptism. For us, All Saints Day is a day of those who are living, now and forever, not a day of the dead.

Education for older children

Not only do we have 20 children, ages 2 to 6, in our preschool every morning, every afternoon Luz Maria is tutoring 18 older children (ages 6 to 11). Many in this age-group in our community need remedial classes in reading, writing, arithmetic and other subjects. Most of our confirmed youth (Dexi and Yovany Torres, Noel Marquina and Sandro Perez) are helping Luz Maria with this project.

We are thankful that we have been able to continue the preschool and the tutoring despite that the fact that power outages have continued, plus the community was without a public water supply for 15 days. Because of our water storage system, we were able to weather this storm by conserving our drinking water and pumping water for washing from our well. Fortunately, we were not struck by the double whammy of the electricity being down when we needed to pump water (our pump is electric).

The Reformation always has crossed cultural lines

The ecclesiastical calendar developed for the new Lutheran Service Book has some interesting additions. For instance, July 30 has been designated a day of commemoration for the English Lutheran martyr, Robert Barnes. I thought of Barnes on that day, and also of two Spanish-speaking heroes of the Reformation, Casiodoro de Reina and Juan de Frias. It is good to remember such people because:

• Their stories show the Reformation was an international movement that crossed boundaries of culture and language.
• The Reformation was an ecumenical movement in the true sense of calling all Christians away from false doctrine and back to the Holy Scriptures.
• We are reminded that martyrdom is not something that only happened in the first century A.D., but continues to this day.
• And, indeed, religious liberty and the ability to read and study the Bible for ourselves are gifts for which some paid the highest price.

Let's start with the remarkable life of Robert Barnes and I will continue with the others in future posts.

Robert Barnes was born in Norfolk, England, in 1495. As a young man, Barnes joined the Augustinian Order as a friar and became prior of the Augustinian monastery in Cambridge, England, and, in 1523 earned his doctorate in divinity from the University of Cambridge. He also studied at the University of Louvain in Belgium from 1514 to 1521, where he may have had his initial exposure to the works of Luther and Erasmus (one of the Belgian university's distinguished alumni).

While at Cambridge, Barnes become a prominent member of a group of scholars that would gather after-hours at the White Horse Inn for Bible reading and lively discussion of the writings of Martin Luther.

David Knowles writes in his book, The Religious Orders in England that:

From 1520 onwards the opinions and writings of Luther were being diffused at Cambridge by a group of exceptionally gifted young men who were to be the leaders of opinion ten and fifteen years later and who were almost all, in one way or another, to suffer for their opinions...their meeting-place, the White Horse tavern, passed into legend as the cradle of one, at least, of the schools of English Reform.

Other regulars at the White Horse Inn included:

Image via Wikipedia

• Thomas Cranmer, future Archbishop of Canterbury and primary author of the original Anglican Book of Common Prayer. He was burned at the stake in 1556.
• Hugh Latimer, future Bishop of Worcester. A farmer's son who became one of the most popular preachers of his day, Latimer was burned at the stake in 1555. As the flames rose, he called out to Nicholas Ridley, former Bishop of London, who was being burned with him, "Be of good cheer, Master Ridley, and play the man, for we shall this day light such a candle in England as I trust by God's grace shall never be put out."
• Miles Coverdale, who in 1535 produced the first complete English translation of the Bible to be printed in England. He was twice exiled from England.
• William Tyndale, who in 1526 produced the first full printed edition of the New Testament in English. Tyndale also translated about half of the Old Testament before his death, and much of his work was later incorporated into the King James Bible of 1611. Tyndale was strangled to death, then his body burned in 1536.

On Christmas Eve 1525, Robert Barnes preached a sermon at the Church of St. Edward, King and Martyr, that would be called the "first sermon of the English Reformation." The sermon was based on Philippians 4:4-7 and quoted from one of Luther's postils. However, Carl R. Trueman, in his book, "Luther's Legacy: Salvation and English Reformers 1525.1556", suggests that the sermon may not have been that radical in terms of doctrine (the original sermon text was lost). Rather, it was because Barnes openly criticized the corruption of the English church hierarchy that he was arrested and imprisoned in 1526.

In 1528 Barnes escaped from England and lived for a time in exile on the European continent. He journeyed to Wittenberg, Germany, where he met Martin Luther face to face. Thus began a friendship that would last the rest of Barnes' life.

In "Martyrs and martyrdom in England, c. 1400-1700", Thomas S. Freeman and Thomas Frederick Mayer write:

(In Wittenberg) he flourished; he became intimate with Luther himself, as well as with Melanchthon and Bugenhagen, and from this point on, his theology became thoroughly and unambiguously Lutheran.

In 1531, Barnes was allowed to return to England, thanks to the influence of Thomas Cro

Image via Wikipedia

mwell, chief advisor to King Henry VIII. This was not an act of kindness, as Cromwell had a political goal of building an alliance between England and Lutheran Germany against the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V, and Cromwell wanted to exploit Barnes' German connections. In 1535 Barnes was given the thankless task of seeking Luther's approval of the King's divorce from his first wife, the Spanish princess Catherine of Aragon (who, incidentally, was the Emperor's aunt).

Contrary to a popular misconception, there was no clean break between Rome and the Church of England during Henry VIII's lifetime. Henry had no profound theological differences with Rome. Rather, he was solely obsessed with justifying the abandonment of his 24-year marriage to Catherine, who he blamed for his lack of a male heir. In 1521 the King published a book intended to refute Luther's teaching on the sacraments and for that was honored by the Pope with the title, "Defender of the Faith."

Nevertheless, when the Pope would not grant an "annulment" of the King's marriage to Catherine of Aragon, Henry apparently thought Luther might provide him with some kind of moral justification (which would provide the foundation for a German-English alliance). But to no avail; Luther and the Pope were of one mind on this matter.

Robert Barnes was again pressed into diplomatic service in 1539 to secure a politically advantageous marriage between Henry VIII and German noblewoman Anne of Cleves. This effort was more successful at first; the King actually went through with the ceremony. But since neither the King nor Anne of Cleves found each other physically attractive in the slightest degree, the marriage was never consummated and was quickly dissolved.

Moreover, in 1538 King Henry rejected a German proposal for an Anglican statement of faith ba

Image via Wikipedia

sed on the Augsburg Confession. In 1539, Parliament approved the Six Articles of Religion, which reaffirmed Roman teaching on six key points:

1. Transubstantiation;
2. Withholding of the cup from the laity during communion;
3. Clerical celibacy;
4. Observance of vows of chastity;
5. Private masses;
6. The necessity of private confession.

During his period of favor with the King, Barnes had the opportunity to continue presenting Lutheran doctrine to English listeners, sometimes in personal audiences with the King himself, and to promote Tyndale's translation of the New Testament. Barnes' written works include "Sententiae", a Latin summary of the main doctrines of the Augsburg Confession, and a history of the rise of the Papacy, considered to be the first treatment of the topic from a Protestant perspective.

However, the events of 1538-1539 ended any plans for an alliance between England and Germany. Because of this, Thomas Cromwell's enemies were able to turn the King against Cromwell, who was beheaded on July 28, 1540. Robert Barnes was burned at the stake two days later, on July 30, 1540.

King Henry continued to regard himself as a good Catholic through the end of his life. His idea that he, and not the Pope, was the head of the English church was really not consistent with Roman teaching. But he was able to separate his religious identity from what he considered a political matter. Henry's attitude perhaps was not much different than some prominent Roman Catholic politicians today in regard to abortion in the United States. But it was not just a political matter as decades of religious strife would show.

The very manner in which Robert Barnes was executed illustrates the terrible confusion between secular and spiritual matters that existed under Henry VIII. Barnes was burned alive with two other men who had violated the Six Articles statute (this was the punishment for heretics, or religious dissidents). At the same time, three Roman Catholics were hanged, beheaded and quartered for treason (political dissent) for refusing to sign an oath affirming that the King's authority was greater than the Pope's.

But before he died, Barnes wrote a final confession of his faith. Luther had this document published under a German title with his own foreword. Luther spoke of Barnes as “our good, pious table companion and guest of our home, this holy martyr, Saint Robertus.”

One additional observation: We are instructed as Christians to respect and obey the civil authorities, whether just or unjust (Romans 13:1-7), except when the commands of human government directly conflict with the will of God (Acts 4:19-20, 5:29). Since the kingdom of God is not of this world, we should avoid confusing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with a particular political platform or ideology. But when the secular government lays claim to religious authority, even in the name of Christ, it becomes more and more difficult to remain untouched by political controversy. Robert Barnes and all of the men mentioned above were for years torn between their passion for the truth of God's Word and their keen sense of loyalty to king and country. Those who died a martyr's death in the end took their stand on God's Word and gave testimony to their faith in eternal life in Christ. May God grant that we all would have both the wisdom and courage to do the same under similar circumstances.

Related articles by Zemanta:

• Vatican opens Secret Archives on Henry VIII