The need for creeds

Luz Maria and I traveled north to Barquisimeto for a pastor’s conference at Cristo es Amor (Christ is Love) Lutheran Church from June 25 to 26. It was privilege to celebrate the 495th anniversary of the Presentation of the Augsburg Confession with other pastors of our national church, the Lutheran Church of Venezuela.

Argénis Hernández, pastor of Ascension Lutheran Church in San Félix de Guayana, offered a meditation on Matthew 10:26-33 at the opening Matins service on June 25. I did the same for the appointed epistle, 1 Timothy 6:11-16, at Vespers.

The word “confession” is used in different ways. Perhaps most widely understood is the confession of sins. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness”, 1 John 1:9. In the Lutheran church, confession of sin may be public or private. The dialogue of communal confession of sin by the congregation and absolution by the pastor as part of the Divine Service is of ancient origin. But Lutherans also retain the practice of private confession, either specific sins to a neighbor one has wronged, or sins that weigh particularly heavy on the heart to the pastor. Private confession is not a requirement, but a gift.

“Confession” as declaration of faith, or creed, is always understood as a public, not a private matter. (The word “creed” is derived from the Latin “credo” or “I believe”.) This is the essence of public worship, as shown in Nehemiah 8:1-12, the Old Testament lesson which was not read. Ezrah the priest publicly read from the books of Moses and all the people answered “Amen, Amen!”, while lifting up their hands. “And they bowed their heads and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground.” God speaks to us in his infallible Scriptures, and we respond.Whether one says “I believe” or “we believe” does not matter, for what follows is not personal opinion, but an authoritative articulation of what the Scriptures say. An open proclamation of the truth and a steadfast defense of the truth, is demanded for every follower of Christ.

“Therefore whoever confesses me before men, him will I confess also before my Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies me before men, him will I also deny before my Father who is in heaven”, Matthew 10:33.

“Do the work of an evangelist”

St. Paul also tells his disciple in 2 Timothy 4, “But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.” This served as the basis for another highlight of the pastor’s conference was a presentation by Carlos Ventura on “The Pastor as Evangelist”.The word εὐαγγελιστής (euaggelistés) is used in only two passages of the New Testament. Ephesians 4:11 sets evangelists among Christ’s gifts to His church: “And it was He who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers”.Apostles and prophets are those who received direct revelation from God. Because the canonical books of the Old and New Testaments contain all we need to know for salvation, there is no need for new revelation, therefore apostles and prophets do not exist in the contemporary church.

“Pastors and teachers” describes the regular ministry of publicly preaching the Word and administering the sacrament, which in all periods of the church has been and remained the same. The expression “teachers” probably refers chiefly to the public activity, while the other, “pastors,” to the application of the pastoral office to the individual members of the congregation. “Evangelists” is placed on the list in between apostles and prophets, and pastors and teachers.
In Acts 21:8, the title of evangelist is given to Philip, one of the original deacons of the church selected by the congregation at Jerusalem in Acts 6, but driven from the city by later persecution. Philip’s activities in Acts 8 are the only description given of “the work of an evangelist”.

He travels as an itinerant missionary, preaching and baptizing, performing miracles in Christ’s name, but under the authority of the apostles. Peter and John had to travel to Samaria to confirm the validity of Philip’s baptisms (Acts 8:14-17).

So what of Paul’s admonition to Timothy, a pastor and bishop, to do the work of an evangelist? We may conclude that even as the apostolic mission of the church continues without the apostles (Matthew 28:16-20; Mark 16:15-16; Lucas 24:47-48; Acts 1:8), the work of an evangelist is not limited to the pastoral office. For Acts 8:4 says all who fled Jerusalem “went everywhere announcing the good news” (literally, εὐαγγελιζόμενοι, euangelizomenoi, evangelizing). It is highly desirable for all members of a local congregation to share the Gospel with family, friends and co-workers, pray for them and invite them to church. But the pastor also has an important rose to play in evangelism, as a teacher, guide and planner of intentional strategies.

Pastor Carlos Ventura and his wife, Berkis, with Meduardo Aparismo, the youngest of the five children of Rafael and Sabrina Aparismo, one of the founding families of El Redentor Lutheran Church.

A pioneer pastor

This month El Redentor (Redeemer) Lutheran Church of San Antonio de Capayacuar, Monagas state, will celebrate its 70th anniversary. During our spare moments in Barquisimeto, its current pastor, Carlos Ventura, talked with me about Heinrich Zeuch, its first pastor, installed in 1955. Zeuch was ordained as a deacon in Germany.  During World War II, his home in Berlin was destroyed by Allied bombing, leaving his family without a place to live. After the war, the Zeuchs arrived in Venezuela in refugees on an Italian ship, thanks to Gerhard Zeuch, Heinrich's son, who already had a job as an agronomist on a tobacco plantation. After many struggles and difficulties, they settled in San Antonio. At that time, San Antonio did not have electricity, a hospital or paved roads. Heinrich taught adult Bible classes and vacation Bible schools in the area, and was colloquized as Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod missionary before being called to serve El Redentor. San Antonio de Maturín became for many years in the center of a growing Lutheran presence in the state of Monagas and the southern zone of Sucre state.

Wind, rain and a wild ride

We returned from Barquisimeto on Friday. Day after day of heavy rains and strong winds in northwestern Venezuela made the rivers overflow, the dams explode, landslides and closed roads. The government quickly declared an emergency state in the mountain states of Trujillo, Tachira and Mérida, and eight of the 12 municipalities in the state of Barinas. In the afternoon Wednesday, June 25, 2025, the intense rainfall affected the state of Portuguesa, leaving the overflow of several rivers and the flooding of communities near the road that leads to the city of Guanare. Flooding of the Ospino River and overflow of a dam caused the collapse of the La Trinidad bridge on the José Antonio Páez highway, between Barquisimeto and Barinas. A detour around the collapsed bridge took us on a wild ride on a old, two-lane road as heavy traffic continued to flow as if on four lanes and roadside crews removed debris. We are now high and dry on our hilltop, but we ask you to please pray for those left homeless and otherwise affected by the inclement weather (200,000 families in Barinas state alone).

The Word of the Lord endures forever

On October 3, 2024, we celebrated, along with our preschool children and their families, 21 years of our Christian preschool. On October 7, local authorities shut it down. We knew we were approaching a turning point and had been hopeful that we might be able to expand our community education program this school year. But the decision went the other way.

What happened? Since mid-September we were involved in the latest round of a struggle that continued for more than a decade. To begin at the beginning, we started our preschool with the help of a non-governmental organization that existed in the early 2000s. This philanthropic enterprise, Fundación del Niño, provided foodstuffs for preparing nutritionally balanced breakfast and lunch, and certified teachers to establish neighborhood preschools in private homes that met certain standards for health and safety. Luz Maria enrolled her home in this program and we were off to the races. The foundation was quite pleased with our ability to meet the material needs of the children, and had no problem with the fact that our daily routine included prayer, Bible readings, Christian songs and Biblically oriented crafts.

As time went on, the Ministry of Education of the state of Barinas took over more and more of the funding and administration of the program. Eventually, all of the in-home preschools but ours were closed. We were able to keep ours open because of overwhelming support from the surrounding community. But every year since 2012 we have had to contend with a faction within the state bureacracy that wants to close our preschool. Every year we have won the argument with support from the families of our preschool children, although with constantly changing, at times arbitrary regulations. From 2003 to 2020, children attended our preschool from two to six years of age, with a graduation ceremony to see them off to first grade. Since 2020, the parents, although they prefer our preschool, have had to transfer their children to state-run preschools at three years of age with no farewell.

We have long suspected this oposition was ideological in nature. Luz Maria recalls how, some time ago, a representative of the school district told her that we should be prepared to be assigned a homosexual teacher. Luz Maria told the representative that was a non-negociable “No”. 

This time we were told plainly that the only way our preschool could continue to operate was if a) we turned our property over to the state; and b) eliminated all the religious content from our educational program. Once again, the community rallied to our support. More than 200 people signed a petition to keep our preschool open. For awhile it seemed like the fight was in our favor, with the possibility we might even be able expand beyond the preschool level. Then came the October 7 announcement and, two days later, the confiscation of preschool furniture and equipment that had been lent to us in 2003. The families staged a protest at the preschool to which their children had been transferred. They have not given up and plan to make further appeals.

So we are considering ways to continue our ministry in a somewhat different form. One option still open to us is registering as a completely private school. This would require, first of all, that we would have to charge tuition. Since the community wants what we have to offer, at least some parents may well be willing to pay minimal tuition. Third, we would be completely responsible for paying at least one teacher with full benefits. 

Otherwise, we still have Luz Maria´s afterschool tutoring. We could expand that program to include weekend workshops in remedial mathematics and English, for example. Also, there is the possibility of seminars in other subjects of interest to the community, such as gardening and food preparation. In any event, we will have to turn the page and start a new chapter in our ministry, God willing. We have walked in faith since the beginning, and, by His grace, have stayed the course for 21 years. Thanks be to the Lord for that, and we trust that the future is in His hands.

507 years of the Reformation

On Sunday, October 27, we observed Reformation Sunday at our mission in La Caramuca. It was a low-key event this year, although in the past a number of people have received first communion at our Reformation service. These include Diana Carolina Torres, Jeckson Gabriel Marquez, Kimberly Marquez, Sandro Perez, Noel Alexander Marquina, Pedro Santana, Karelis Santana, Jimmy Perez, Angi Perez, Deisi Torres, Yovanny Torres, Yhonny Torres, Jeison Manuel Arellano, Anyi Garrido and Oriana Montoya, 
On October 31, we observed Reformation Day with an evening service at Corpus Christi Lutheran Church, our sister congregation in Barrio El Cambio, Barinas. Corpus Christi currently does not have a full-time pastor. After the service, we celebrated with cake and popcorn, not only the Reformation, but 25 years of marriage for Ludy and Adonay Tarazona, members of Corpus Christi.
The sermon text was the same for both services: "Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting Gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth -- to ever nation, tribe, tongue, and people -- saying with a loud voice, Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water" (Revelation 14:6-7). 
This verse teaches that evangelism involves proclamation of God's righteousness (the Law) and God's mercy (the good news or Gospel of salvation through faith in Christ). All have sinned and fallen short of God's righteous, but Jesus paid the penalty for all on the cross. But for forgiveness to be received, there must be recognition of sin, which the Law brings, and repentance which flows from faith in God's Word.

Lex orandi, lex credendi: 500 years of Lutheran hymnals

Prosper of Aquitaine, a disciple of St. Augustine, coined the Latin phrase, "Lex orandi, lex credendi". Literally it means, "Rule of prayer, rule of belief". More broadly, the structure and content of worship both reflects and shapes personal belief. This has been the guiding philosophy of 500 years of Lutheran hymnals, as we learned from the Rev. Dr. Sergio Fritzler, director of Concordia El Reformador Seminary in the Dominican Republic. Dr. Fritzler presented an overview of the development of hymnals up until the time of Johann S. Bach in a October 30 Facebook conference.The first distinctly Lutheran hymnal was published in 1524. Although it was a complete paragraph of German text, it was more widely known as "Achtliederbuch" ("The Book of Eight Songs"). Five songs were written by Martin Luther, two by Paul Speratus and one by Justus Jonas. The Luther songs are included, in Himnario Luterano, the new Spanish-language hymnal published by the Lutheran Heritage Foundation.

On October 25, Luz Maria and I participated in a Zoom conference in which Dr. Douglas Rutt, professor emeritus  at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. Missouri, spoke on the "Reformation in its Global Contact", particulary with reference to the European colonization of the Western Hemisphere.

God is our refuge and strength

To prepare for our celebration of Reformation Sunday on October 29, our youth made copies of Luther’s Rose out of construction paper and tissue while learning the significance of the symbol. We also practiced singing “Castillo Fuerte” (“A Mighty Fortress”) and “Dios es nuestro amparo” (“God is our refuge”). Both of these hymns are based on Psalm 46. “Castillo Fuerte”, number 546 in our new hymnal, is a Spanish translation of Martin Luther’s “Ein Feste Burg” by Juan Bautista Cabrera (1837-1916), with the musical arrangement by Johann Sebastian Bach. The author of “Dios es nuestro amparo”, number 545 in Himnario Luterano, is unknown, but it is a favorite among Venezuelan Lutherans. Other Reformation Day hymns included “Justificados, pues, por fe”, 802 in our hymnal. It’s another anonymous tune, but the lyrics are straight from Romans 5:1 in the Reina-Valera Bible (equivalent to the King James Bible in the Spanish-speaking world).

Angi Santana.

Angi Santana, Luz Maria’s daughter, mounted the Luther roses on more solid cardboard for wall mounting. Then, on Sunday, each of the youth were presented with their plaque and encouraged to explain its significance to family members who were not in attendance.

During the week following Reformation Sunday, I shared with the preschool children the story of King Josiah's reformation in 2 Kings 22:1-23:30. The people of Judah had fallen into idolatry and error. The Temple of Jerusalem was in disrepair. The king and high priest were surprised when they found an original copy of the writings of Moses. He publicly read the book of the covenant to the people, beginning the restoration of true worship.

Next Sunday we will observe All Saints Day. Of course, October 31, 1517, is the exact date on which Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses on the doors of what is often called “the Castle Church” in Wittenberg, Germany, signalling the start of the Reformation of the 16th Century. In fact, the name of the church is All Saints Church. It was the chapel for Wittenberg University and the common practice was posting news and announcements on its wooden doors for the university community. Very likely no one gave Luther a second glance as he put up his document. Nowadays the doors are made of cast bronze with the 95 Theses engraved on them.

Presentation of plaques.

We cannot know exactly what Luther was thinking at the time, but it was fortuituous for him to post the 95 theses on the doors of All Saints Church on the eve of All Saints Day. In his theses, a series of propositions offered for academic debate, Luther challenged the idea that the Pope could use a treasury of merit earned through devotion and good works by people declared to be “saints” by the Roman church to alleviate the time served by less exemplary people as penance in Purgatory with letters of indulgence.

The early Christian church singled out for special honor those departed believers who had suffered imprisonment, torture, exile or death for their faith. Near the end of the second century, confessors (those who suffered for the faith, but were not put to death) were distinguished from martyrs (those who died for the faith). After the end of Roman persecutions, a confessor was a Christian noted for virtuous life. The building of churches above the graves of confessors and martyrs by the third century developed into the custom of placing their relics under or in altars and invoking their intercession. We still follow the custom of acknowledging heroes of the faith in the New Testament or early church history with the title of saint (e.g., St. Paul, St. Augustine). But, thanks to Luther and his fellow reformers, we now understand the entire church, both on earth and in heaven, to be the communion of the saints, who are all who have been declared righteous in God’s eyes through faith in Jesus Christ. According to the Lutheran Confessions, the saints in heaven may pray for the church on earth (Apology to the Augsburg Confession XXI 9), yet it does not follow that they are to be invoked. The saints in heaven are not mediators of intercession or redemption (Apology XXI 14–30). Invocation and prayers to saints are prohibited (Smalcald Articles-II II 25), but the confessions approve honoring the saints (Augsburg Confession XXI 4) in three ways: 1. By thanking God for examples of His mercy; 2. By using the saints as example for strengthening our faith; 3. By imitating their faith and other virtues.

The reformation of King Josiah.

A special day to honor all was kept on May 13 in the churches of the eastern Roman Empire according to Ephraem Syrus (who died around 373 A.D.) This may be why Pope Boniface IV dedicated the Pantheon, a former pagan temple, in Rome and an architectural marvel with the world’s largest masonry dome, as a church in honor of the Virgin Mary and all martyrs on May 13, 609 (which it remains to this day). But early in the eighth century, Pope Gregory III dedicated a chapel in Rome on November 1 in honor of all departed saints. In 837 Pope Gregory IV ordered the observance of All Saints Day on November 1 throughout western Christendom. By the end of the 13th Century, November 2 was designated as All Souls Day to follow All Saints Day as the day to request requiem masses for those believed to be in purgatory.

In Venezuela, the second day of November often is called el Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), but unlike Mexico there is no skull candy, parades or altars in the graveyard with food offerings for the departed. For many people, the day has little religious significance, but rather is the customary time to visit, clean and place fresh flowers on the graves of loved ones. Halloween is considered a North American holiday. Although retail stores will put up Halloween displays and sell Halloween-related merchandise, many evangelical sects strongly oppose Halloween for its supposed pagan origins.

So what about those pagan origins? The Samhain harvest festival appears to be a purely Irish, not a pan-Celtic, tradition. It’s not even mentioned in any historical documents until the ninth century, long after St. Patrick evangelized Ireland in the fifth century. Whether either Pope Gregory III in 731 or Pope Gregory IV in 837 was worried about any survival of Irish paganism is not certain. Scottish and Irish immigrants did bring some of their folkways to the United States in the 19th Century, which became popularized as Halloween traditions. For example, their skill at carving out turnips or beets to place candles inside was applied to the pumpkin, a very North American plant. (A similar type of giant squash, known as auyama, is found in Venezuela, but it is a different species (Cucurbita moschata) than the North American pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo).) “Trick or treating”, as we know it, began in Canada in the 1920s. While a direct link between modern Halloween and ancient Celtic paganism is dubious at best, there is reason to think of Halloween as primarily a North American secular holiday.

What we must consider is not the origin of Halloween, but what it has become, which is, for many people, an excuse to dabble in the occult. Certainly in my own experience, Halloween was a lot more fun in a social environment where witchcraft was only make-believe. That’s not the environment in which we now live. So we prefer to emphasize the significance of All Saints Day in church history, especially in relation to the Reformation. On this All Saints Sunday, we will remember the members or relatives of our members who have passed to eternal life:

• Marisol Torrealba

• Daniel Ramírez

• Xiomara del Carmen Torrealba

• Carmen Benicia Garrido

• Ramón Escorcha

The church sings the faith

From October 21 until December 2, Luz Maria and I will be participating in an online course in introducing the new Spanish hymnal led by Gustavo Arturo Maita, the pastor of Príncipe de Paz (Prince of Peace) Lutheran Church, Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. He was baptized and raised as a member of Cristo Rey (Christ the King) Lutheran Church in Maturín, Venezuela, and was, in fact, the first child in Venezuela to receive a Lutheran education scholarship from LeadaChild. The Olathe, Kansas-based mission agency has provided similar scholarships to our preschool children since 2006.

Gustavo Arturo Maita.

Pastor Maita began formal theological studies with the Juan de Frías Theological Institute in Venezuela and continued at Concordia Seminary in Buenos Aires,Argentina. He served his vicarage in the Dominican Republic and graduated from Concordia Seminary in Argentina. In 2017, he received a divine call from the Lutheran Church of Venezuela to serve as an Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod alliance missionary in Puerto Rico. As a church-planting pastor, he has shared preaching and teaching responsibilities at multiple church plants. Additionally, Pastor Maita is the Disaster Response Coordinator for Puerto Rico and provides long-distance disaster response consulting and in-person workshops for church leaders and laity in countries across the Caribbean.He is married to LCMS missionary Ruth Maita, a teacher who also serves in Puerto Rico. The couple has been blessed with two children, Mikhaela and Isaiah.

Go Beyond with Team South America

On November 8-9, 2023, we will participate with other Global Lutheran Outreach (GLO) missionaries in an online event to raise money for GLO to provide us with critical support services without increasing the current 10 percent missionary assessment. For just one day, your donation to GLO will be tripled thanks to our generous campaign sponsors! All contributions received through the Go Beyond! event will be directed to the GLO general fund, and not to a specific missionary. We will ask you to give directly to GLO so that it may continue its vital role as our sponsoring organization. Through GLO we receive international health insurance, plus accounting and tax services. GLO also underwrites the Medicine for Venezuela project, which supplies non-prescription medicines to members of Lutheran congregations throughout Venezuela; ministry to Venezuelan immigrants in Santiago, Chile; and enables the sending of missionaries by national Lutheran church-bodies around the world that lack a missionary support infrastructure.

Adrian Ventura in Wittenberg.

Luz Maria and I will be part of Team South America, which also includes Pastor Adrian and Cruz Maria Ventura, Corali García Ramos, and Elianeth Pineda Vielma, all Venezuelan expatriates in Chile, and Maira Ferrari de Muller, a Lutheran teacher and GLO board member in Montevideo, Urugay. We have set a goal of raising $4,000 for GLO, which with matching funds will total $12,000. Team South America will have its own Web page to receive online donations. The Go Beyond event will last from 2:00 pm US Eastern time, November 8 until 2:00 pm ET November 9. 

Here is where to find our Team South America Web site:

https://charidy.com/glo/samer

Adrian Ventura is the first Venezuelan national pastor that I met in 2002. For 20 years he was the pastor of Cristo Rey (Christ the King) Lutheran Church in Maturín, Venezuela, and twice served as president of the Lutheran Church of Venezuela. He is now the pastor of Divine Providence Lutheran Church in Santiago, Chile. We ask the God of all comfort to bring peace and comfort to his wife, Cruz Maria, upon the recent death of her father. May the promise of a blessed reunion in heaven be the balm that heals hearts which are separated by distance.

When the saints come marching in

On Sunday, November 1, 2020, we celebrated the 503rd anniversary of the Reformation and All Saints Day with first communion for four young women and one adult reaffirmation of faith. 

November 1 is often called “the Day of the Dead” in Venezuela, but it’s not like the Day of the Dead in Mexico, with elaborate rituals involving candy skulls and offerings of food to the departed. Rather, the first two days of November are when people lay flowers on the graves of loved ones, much like Memorial Day in the United States. As with the Mexican holiday and Halloween, it is related to the ancient church calendar which designates October 31, November 1 and November 2 as respectively, All Saints Eve, All Saints Day and All Souls Day. And so is the Reformation.

The tradition of All Saints Day began in the fourth century A.D. as the day to honor all who had died for the faith during 300 years of persecution by the Roman Empire. The original date was May 13 and Eastern Orthodox churches still celebrate All Saints Day on the first Sunday after Pentecost. In western Christendom, Pope Gregory III set the date as November 1 in the eighth century, when he consecrated a chapel to all the martyrs in Saint Peter's Basilica in Rome. 

In time, a prayer vigil on the preceding evening was added, which is All Hallows (Saints) Eve, from which the word Halloween is derived. Then November 2 was designated as All Souls Day in the 11th century as the day when prayers were offered for souls in Purgatory. By the end of the 12th century, it had become commonplace to ring church bells during these three days to remind people to pray for the souls of their loved ones in Purgatory. Not only was the false doctrine of Purgatory incorporated into these observances, in many regions so were pre-Christian customs associated either with harvesttime or honoring and/or placating the spirits of the dead. 

Lutherans added another twist to this tradition by establishing October 31 as the anniversary of the Reformation. Martin Luther is said to have begun the Reformation when he posted his 95 Theses on the door of All Saints Church in Wittenberg, Germany, on All Saints Eve 1517. This surely was not happenstance, as the 95 Theses deal with medieval conceptions of penance, purgatory, merits of the saints and the authority of the papacy.

The Roman church still teaches that in baptism we receive redemption from original sin and eternal death. We agree and therefore recognize baptism in a Roman Catholic church. But, after baptism, when the Christian falls into sin because of the sinful nature, he must do penance, because repentance is not a change of mind and heart effected by the Holy Spirit, but an act of recompense done by the sinner. If the sinner cannot do enough penance in this life, he may suffer in purgatory before entering the eternal life promised in baptism. Suffering in purgatory is not forever, and the Pope has the authority to cut the sentence in purgatory by a letter of indulgence. This is still the teaching of the Roman church, no matter that no part of it is found in the Holy Scriptures. It is the fine print that denies the good news of the new life in Jesus Christ. This system that contradicts God's Word arose because many did not believe that we cannot do anything to receive God's grace. 

 Furthermore, in the Roman church, the saints are the ones who have avoided purgatory on their own merits. We can know someone is a saint when requests to this person are answered by miracles verified by the church of Rome. The treasure of the church, according to this belief, is the abundance of the merits of the saints that the Pope can apply to the account of others. This idea is not from Scripture either. 

In contrast, Luther wrote thus in the theses: “Any truly repentant Christian is entitled to full remission of penalty and guilt, even without indulgence letters. Every true Christian, living or dead, shares in all the blessings of Christ and the church; and this is granted to him by God, even without indulgence letters ... The true treasure of the church is the most holy gospel of the glory and grace of God." 

So this year we received five sinners by Adam’s fall and saints by Christ’s resurrection and their baptisms into the full blessing and fellowship of the church. 

Rita Maria Zapata. “And, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” Mateo 28:20b 

Yusmelvis Naikeli Salas Medina. “Delight yourself also in the Lord; and he shall give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:4 

Lorena Alexandra Rujano Contreras. “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that you should sho forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.” 1 Peter 2:9 

Anyelimar Katiusca Meza Ruiz. “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” Philippians 4:13 

Jariannys Nathaly Rojas Arias. “Jesus sad to him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes unto the Father, but by me.” John 14:6 

Answered prayer 

We had a positive and productive meeting October 23, 2020, with representatives of the Ministry of Education charged with the care and education of preschool children. Most of them had not visited our campus before, and were surprised by its size and condition. They were impressed by our commitment and service to the community as a church (in the sense of a local congregation), tending to both spiritual and material needs. This bodes well for when we reopen regular classes in January. For now, our teachers continue to distribute food and online lesson plans to our preschool families.

 

The Holy Spirit guides us by Word and sacrament

“These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” Revelation 7:14

A saint is a holy person, someone set apart from what is common or unclean. When Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses on the doors of All Saints Church in Wittenberg, Germany, on All Saints Eve 1517, he struck his first blow agains the idea of saints as those who had made themselves holy through good works. All have fallen short of perfect obedience to God’s will (Romans 3:23), yet all have received the new life in Christ through baptism with water and the Word (John 3:5). The true saints are those who have been declared righteous in God’s eyes through the righteousness and innocent suffering and death of Jesus Christ. We are justified by faith in this promise, and not by our merits, and this faith itself does not well from within us, but is given by the Holy Spirit.

One Lord, one faith, one baptism

Dubraska Rachell Alexandra Santana received the new life in baptism on October 13, 2019. Ephesians 4:1-6 was the appointed epistle lesson for the 17th Sunday after Trinity. For her, as for all, baptism was the invitation to the wedding feast that the Lord speaks in the day’s gospel reading (Luke 14: 1-11). It is not the only instance that He spoke of the kingdom of God as a banquet or wedding party.

But St. Paul makes another comparison. If Christ is our Passover lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7), baptism is our crossing of the Red Sea from slavery to Egypt (1 Corinthians 10:1-2). But we still have our pilgrimage through the desert with miraculous food and drink to sustain us (1 Corinthians 10:3-4).

To continue in the Word

Anyi Vanesa Garrido received the body and blood of our Lord in the Eucharist on October 27, 2019. On that Sunday, we celebrated the anniversary of the Reformation with our brothers and sisters from Corpus Christi Lutheran Church in Barinas, and Christ is Love Lutheran Church in Barquisimeto, Venezuela. Raimundo Brito, pastor of Corpus Christi, led the service of the Word. I led the service of the Lord’s Supper and the rite of public confession and first communion for Anyi. Eliezer Mendoza, pastor of Christ is Love, preached on John 8:31-36. Starting in the Garden of Eden, Pastor Eliezer said, Satan has twisted God’s Word into a lie to keep us enslaved to sin. But the pure Word brings forgiveness and freedom from the power of the devil. Thos who continue in the pure Word and receive the sacraments as He commanded remain His true disciples.

But what of those who have crossed the Jordan River ahead of us to enter into the Lord’s promised kingdom? “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.” (Hebrews 12:1) For this reason, Lutherans honor them on All Saints Day. As early as fourth century A.D., long before the medieval cult of the saints, the ancient church set aside a day to honor those who died for the faith under 300 years of Roman persecution. Later, all who had died in the faith were remembered.

Trick or treat?

For western European Christendom, November 1 has been the official date of All Saints Day since 835 A.D, with the observance starting the night before, as with Christmas. Because of the emphasis on remembrance of the departed, many different customs and beliefs associated with death and the hereafter have become associated with All Saints Day. Because of Spanish cultural influence, the first two days of November are when Venezuelans lay flowers on the graves of loved ones. Given the prevalence of witchcraft and all types of occultism in Venezuela, it is a little surprising that’s all there is. No altars and offerings to the dead as in Mexico’s Day of the Dead. On the other hand, Venezuelans who have been delivered from genuine experiences of the demonic are repelled by the foreign holiday of Halloween and regard it as purely satanic.

Halloween as we know it is, as a matter of fact, largely a concoction of North Americans in the 19th and 20th centuries. People of a more secularized and rationalistic age began playing with the superstitions and folklore that immigrants brought from their homelands, and some made-in-America legends as well. However, it is not a good idea to play at being a witch in a time and place where witchcraft is serious business. I like to say that what concerns me about Halloween is not where it came from, but what it has become. The original Christian significance has been almost entirely forgotten, and there is an unhealthy focus on death and the demonic. I do not condemn the harmless carving of pumpkins (or the resultng pumpkin pie), but I do think it is better to remember the Reformation on All Hallows Eve and honor the blessed dead on the following day.

Prayers for Chile and Ecuador

We continue to pray for natives and Venezuelan expatriates in Chile and Ecuador. The eruption of street violence in Santiago, Chile, was unexpected because of Chile’s reputation as one of the more prosperous nations in South America. The Confessional Lutheran Church of Chile, including former members of the Lutheran Church of Venezuela who have moved to Chile, have been instrumental in sending needed medical supplies to Venezuela. James Tino, director of Global Lutheran Outreach and former missionary to Venezuela, now serves as a missionary pastor in Chile. So does Adrian Ventura, former pastor of Christ the King Lutheran Church in Maturin, Venezuela, and the first national pastor that I ever met.

So great a cloud of witnesses

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:1-2

There will be no tricks or treats in La Caramuca this year. Perhaps that’s not surprising, given economic condition of the country. But, in fact, there were no tricks or treats here even when times were good. Carnaval, the Monday and Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, is the time for children to dress up as make-believe characters. We have a masquerade party in the preschool every year.

Carnaval is the time of mystery and masquerade.

Venezuelans know what is the custom of “trucos o dulces”. But Halloween and everything associated with it is considered foreign. It’s a North American holiday that manifests itself mainly as horror movie marathons on cable television throughout the week.

The cultural tradition in Venezuela is to place flowers on the graves of departed loved ones on November 1 and 2. To an extent, this is closer to the thoroughly Christian origin of All Saints Day, yet it also fall short of the deeper meaning as much as the horror movies. In other Latin American countries, such as Mexico, pre-Columbian traditions into Roman Catholic observances on October 31, and Nov. 1 and 2.

It is a great blessing that, in our Lutheran churches, we prepare for All Saints Day by celebrating the Reformation. Martin Luther knew what he was doing when he posted the 95 Theses on the doors of All Saints Church on All Saints Eve of 1517.

But first, let’s travel a little farther back in time. All Saints Day originally was dedicated to remembering and honoring the martyrs, the many people who died for the faith during the 300 years of Roman persecution. References to a day or days dedicated to the martyrs date back to Turkey or Syria in the second century AD. By the late fourth century, John Chrysostom wrote that All Saints Day was celebrated on the first Sunday after Pentecost, as it is to this day in the Greek Orthodox churches of eastern Europe and Asia.

But two interesting changes occurred in western European, Latin-speaking Christendom. On May 13, 613 AD, Pope Boniface IV consecrated the Pantheon, a former pagan temple in Rome, as the Church of the Virgin Mary and the Martyrs. In doing so, he proclaimed that date as All Saints Day, and so it was observed in Rome and many other parts of Europe. Some scholars point to that fact that May 9 to 13 was the time of the Lemuralia, a pagan festival dedicated to the appeasing of vengeful spirits of the dead. Although Christianity was the official religion of the Roman Empire by that point, and pagan worship prohibited, perhaps the Pope chose May 13 as a way of quashing any surviving pagan rituals by replacing them with a Christian holy day. But that´s really speculation.

In any event, in 740 AD, Pope Gregory III changed the date again, to November 1, with the consecration of a chapel in the first Basilica of St. Peter. Yet November 1 as All Saints Day did not become a hard and fast rule in western Christendom until the rule of Pope Gregory IV (827-844). Some time later, around 1048 AD, November 2 came to be designated as All Soul’s Day, when those who died in the faith, but not as martyrs, were remembered.

So, you ask, what about the ancient druidic festival of Samhain? Many people believe this to be the basis of Halloween, because it supposedly was celebrated from late October to early November. Did Pope Gregory III choose November 1 to steal some thunder from Irish druids? Well, the earliest written references to Samhain are found in Irish manuscripts from the ninth century AD, which is some time after Pope Gregory III, and, in fact, long after St. Patrick and the Christianization of Ireland. Nevertheless, there are some who claim the Samhain celebration dates back to the druids and the Romans may have incorporated some of the druidic rituals into their own pre-Christian observances. Except that the ancient Romans hated the druids and persecuted them as much as they did Christians, so a connection between the druids and an eighth century pope seems unlikely.

In fact, Halloween as it is known today is very much a North American development. In the 13 Colonies, All Saints Day was seldom observed because the Puritans and others considered it “popish superstition” in light of the veneration of the Virgin Mary and the saints as defined by the Roman Catholic Church. By the mid-1800s, however, Irish and other immigrants had brought with them many folkways concerning fall harvest and lengthening winter nights. In a more secularized society, these were seen as colorful and entertaining, especially when adapted to an American setting. For example, in the British Isles since antiquity, it had been the custom to hollow out turnips and insert a candle for use as a lantern. Often the carvings were creative and so were the stories invented to explain them. Irish immigrants adapted this carving skill to pumpkins, a plant native to North America, and a new fad was born.

Of course, although many people, such as myself, grew up thinking of the carving of jack o’lanterns as a means to an end (pumpkin pie), and dressing up as witches and goblins as a harmless pastime, we must realize that we live in a different world than that of my youth. Sad to say, for many people the Christian significance of All Saints Day has been completely lost. Either it’s just a celebration of autumn or an excuse to indulge an unhealthy interest in the occult.

Martin Luther.

But, thanks be to God, Martin Luther has been down this road before us, and challenged an even greater error about All Saints Day. The 95 Theses questioned the false doctrine of Purgatory and affirmed all Christians, living or dead, had claim on all the blessings of Christ and His church by grace and faith alone, and not by works.

Over the centuries, the practice of remembering and honoring those who had died as witnesses to the faith grew into the cult of the saints, in which “saints” were those known to be in heaven because prayers to them had been answered with miracles. The medieval concept of penance and purgatory undermined the promise of eternal life in baptism and “the communion of the saints” in which all Christians, here on earth or in heaven, are to be considered saints (holy ones) of God, made holy by the blood of Christ.

Luther would write in the Large Catechism under the explanation of the third article of the Apostle’s Creed: “The Creed denominates the holy Christian Church, communionem sanctorum, a communion of saints...But this is the meaning and substance of this addition: I believe that there is upon earth a little holy group and congregation of pure saints, under one head, even Christ, called together by the Holy Ghost in one faith, one mind, and understanding, with manifold gifts, yet agreeing in love, without sects or schisms. I am also a part and member of the same, a sharer and joint owner of all the goods it possesses, brought to it and incorporated into it by the Holy Ghost by having heard and continuing to hear the Word of God, which is the beginning of entering it.”

But while the church, the communion of saints on earth, may be small and surrounded by overwhelming forces of evil, we are not alone. There are, as the writer of Hebrews says, the great cloud of witnesses, by which he means the believers of the Old Testament. For us today, the great cloud includes apostles and other heroes of the New Testament, the martyrs of all eras, and even those of our own family have testified to us of the worth of faith.

Article XXI of the Apology of the Augsburg Confession speaks of these saints in heaven, the church triumphant: “Our Confession approves honors to the saints. For here a threefold honor is to be approved. The first is thanksgiving. For we ought to give thanks to God because He has shown examples of mercy; because He has shown that He wishes to save men; because He has given teachers or other gifts to the Church. And these gifts, as they are the greatest, should be amplified, and the saints themselves should be praised, who have faithfully used these gifts, just as Christ praises faithful businessmen, Matt. 25,21. 23. The second service is the strengthening of our faith; when we see the denial forgiven Peter, we also are encouraged to believe the more that grace truly superabounds over sin, Rom. 5, 20. The third honor is the imitation, first, of faith, then of the other virtues, which every one should imitate according to his calling. These true honors the adversaries do not require. They dispute only concerning invocation, which, even though it would have no danger, nevertheless is not necessary.”

Not only do we confidently believe, that by God’s grace, we may follow in the footsteps of those who have risen to glory, but we join with them now in prayer and song. For the structure of our worship is based on the Apostle John’s vision in which he saw an uncountable multitude of the faithful from every tribe, race and nation gathered around the throne of God with angels, archangels and all the celestial beings in eternal adoration and joy (Revelation 7:9-17).

So, in our commemoration of the Reformation, we recall the true significance of All Saints Day: Not the fear and wonder of what might happen to us after death, but the sure promise of the spiritual life that begins with baptism and culminates with our own resurrection and ascension to join the hosts of heaven.

Oh almighty God, who has knit together your elect in one communion and fellowship in the mystical body of your Son Jesus Christ, our Lord, grant us grace so to follow your blessed saints in all virtuous and godly living that we may come to those unspeakable joys which you have prepared for those who unfeignedly love you. Through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigna with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

This October we commended to the Lord the sould of Eladio Azuaje. Last year he received medicine, thanks to Global Lutheran Outreach.

500 years and counting

So what's the best film about Martin Luther and the Reformation? Martin Luther (1953) or Luther (2003)? The 2017 PBS documentary, Martin Luther: The Idea That Changed The World or its Wisconsin Synod remix, Return to Grace: Luther's Life and Legacy?

We did not have much of a choice. The 1953 film is not widely available here, nor is the 2017 documentary in either version. The 2003 film was shown in Venezuelan movie theaters and is available on DVD. In fact, I have a copy that I bought in Barquisimeto. We showed clips from that one as part of celebration of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, first on October 21 and also on October 28.

I have fond memories of the 1953 film, having seen many screenings in church basements as a child. As an adult, living in Topeka, Kansas, from 1983 to 1986, I remember the local PBS station showing the film every year during the last week in October. There was an introduction by David Soul, who some may remember from the classic 1970s television series, “Starsky and Hutch”. The actor also is the son of Dr. Richard Solberg, a Lutheran minister who served as a religious affairs advisor to the U.S. High Commission in Berlin and as senior representative for the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) refugee relief agency that was involved in the post World War II reconstruction of Germany.

“Martin Luther” still has its strong points, I think, but there are some things that make it less than the best introduction to the Reformation for contemporary audiences. It's in black-and-white, of course, and slow-paced, with less fluid camera work than more current films. Then there's the curious fact that the British-made film has all the people of higher education and status speak Oxford English, while the peasants speak with working-class accents. That's something that's hard for people not raised with British class consciousness to appreciate, even if one speaks English in the first place.

The 2003 film has its weaknesses, too. Mainly, I think, because it tries to present a broader historical context, yet within the confines of a two-hour featur film, it presents too much information and yet not enough. Who are all these people, and what is their relationship to Martin Luther? It's hard to keep track, if you do not already know. I have heard the 2017 documentary is even better, but I have not had the chance to see it.

At any rate, we showed what I think are the best parts of the 2003 film: Luther´s pilgrimage to Rome in 1511; the entire segment on Tetzel's sale of indulgences and Luther's posting of the 95 Theses; the Diet of Worms; and the Presentation of the Augsburg Confession. We invited people from the community, and the time between the clips allowed for plenty of discussion about issues which still divide us from the Roman Catholic church (penance, purgatory and the papacy), and the enduring significance of “Scripture alone”, “faith alone” and “grace alone”.

Also, in the week before our special Reformation Day service on October 29, Luz Maria presented vacation Bible school lessons emphasize salvation by faith and grace in place of her regular afterschool tutoring. The preschool children heard of the importance of everyone being able to read the Bible in their own language and made a representation of Luther's seal.

During an opening prayer service on Monday, October 30, I spoke to the families of our preschool children and their teachers about impact of the Reformation on education. The rallying cry of “Scripture alone” resulted in the translation of the Bible into many languages; the motive for printing copies of the Bible in the common tongue through the use of Gutenberg's moveable-type press; and the promotion of public education (public in the sense of teaching all to read and write, as well as other useful skills, not just a fortunate few).

But the real high point of it all was on Sunday, October 29, when we received Jeckson Gabriel Marquiz Marquina and Kimberly Gabriela Roa Marquina as communicant members of our congregation by public confession of faith. As I stressed in the sermon, public confession is not only good for the soul, it could change the world.