Fourth Sunday of Easter (April 29, 2007)
Acts 20:17-35
Do you remember those two Warner Bros. cartoon characters Sam Sheepdog and Ralph Wolf? Sam was a big burly sheepdog and Ralph was a scrawny wolf who looked a lot like the Road Runner’s nemesis Wile E. Coyote. Each episode started at the beginning of the workday, in which Ralph and Sam go to a meadow where sheep graze. Like two friendly co-workers, they greet each other with “Mornin’ Sam”... “Mornin’ Ralph” and punch into the time clock hanging on the side of a tree. Work having officially begun, Ralph repeatedly tries to abduct the helpless sheep and invariably fails, either through his own ineptitude or the minimal efforts of Sam, who usually grabs Ralph by the throat and punches him square in the face...or gives him some other form of severe punishment. The day ends, the whistle blows, and Sam and Ralph punch out their time cards, chat amiably, and leave, presumably to come back the next day and do it all over again.
Well, as much of a comfort it would be to have Sam around the flock, you and I have a much greater protector. Jesus Christ is our Good Shepherd who guards and guides his flock, the Church, through his Word and Sacraments. And our Good Shepherd provides undershepherds, or pastors, to bring his Word and administer the Sacraments to Christ’s flock. But there are wolves out there who seek to attack the flock...wolves much more fierce and able than the inept Ralph.
Today’s reading from the Book of Acts teaches us about all of this. It begins with St. Paul in the city of Miletus, about 36 miles south of the city of Ephesus on the western coast of Asia Minor, which today is the nation of Turkey. This was toward the end of his Third Missionary Journey as he was on his way to Jerusalem, where he figured he would have to endure more suffering for Christ’s name. Earlier in his journey, he had spent close to 3 years in Ephesus, teaching and proclaiming the message about Jesus. Now, in Miletus, he sends a message to the Christians in Ephesus. He wants them to send their elders, which in the New Testament is another word for pastor, to come visit him. When they arrived, this was Paul’s message to them:
"You yourselves know how I lived among you the whole time from the first day that I set foot in Asia, serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials that happened to me through the plots of the Jews; how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house, testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me. But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. And now, behold, I know that none of you among whom I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom will see my face again. Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all of you, for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God. Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish everyone with tears. And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. I coveted no one's silver or gold or apparel. You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities and to those who were with me. In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'" (Acts 20:18-35)
Fierce Wolves
Paul warned the Ephesian elders of the danger of false teachers from without and within. He knew that after he left them, “fierce wolves” as he calls them would attempt to infiltrate their ranks and speak “twisted things.” What kind of twisted things would they be speaking? It’s hard to say exactly what Paul is referring to here. It could be the Judaizing heresy of the day that said you had to live like a Jew before you could become a Christian...get circumcised, obey the dietary and ceremonial laws of the Old Covenant, and so forth. Or it could be an early form of Gnosticism that afflicted that region, in which people taught that you had to gain some secret knowledge about the true nature of God that was only revealed to the disciples but not written down in their letters or Gospels. Whatever these “twisted things” were, they were such that the spiritual rug would be pulled out from underneath them. The very foundations of their faith would be shaken. These “fierce wolves” would attack the flock by undermining the doctrines in which the flock was taught and by stirring up controversy for their own benefit and power-hungry hearts.
What kind of “fierce wolves” and their “twisted” teachings endanger our faith today? Things are not much different today as in Paul’s day. There are all kinds of teachers and groups who “twist” Scripture to fit their own preconceived notions of what it ought to say. They take Scripture passages out of context. They don’t follow the standard interpretation principle of letting Scripture interpret Scripture...in other words, letting the clearer passages of Scripture help us understand the less clear passages. Like the first-century Judaizers, we have our twenty-first century Judaizers within the Church who say that you have to behave a certain way, act a certain way, dress a certain way, only listen to a certain kind of music, and so on, before you can be considered a truly dedicated Christian. And like the first-century Gnostics, we have our twenty-first century Gnostics who say that the path to success is simply to visualize what you want in order to get it. In fact, that’s the basic premise of a new book called “The Secret” which also uses Bible verses to support its claims. This is just the same old positive thinking, name-it-and-claim it, prosperity gospel heresy of people like Joyce Meyer and Joel Osteen and almost everybody else you see on the so-called Christian networks.
All of this false teaching leads us away from Jesus. It leads us away from the cross. It causes us to focus on what we must do for God rather than on what he has done for us. It causes us to focus on material wealth and prosperity rather than on the true riches of forgiveness, eternal life, and salvation.
Shepherding the Flock
This is all why God has given the Church pastors who are called to teach and to focus our attention upon the work of Jesus. Pastors are to follow Paul’s example, as he says in today’s text: “I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you from house to house, testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.” (v. 20, 21) “I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.” (v. 24) “I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God.” (v. 27) And elsewhere in his letters to two young pastors by the names of Timothy and Titus, he says similar things, such as, “If you put these things before the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that you have followed” (1 Tim. 4:6) and “teach what accords with sound doctrine.” (Titus 2:1)
Pastors are called by the Holy Spirit through the congregation to teach and preach and to administer the Sacraments, to feed the flock. That’s what Paul said to the Ephesian elders: “Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.” (v. 28) By the way, that’s an important phrase there which testifies to the deity of Christ and his saving work for you and for me... “the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.” Jesus is God in the flesh, who has purchased and won you and me with his precious blood shed at the cross. Not only is he the perfect Lamb who shed his blood. He is also the Good Shepherd, as he tells us in John chapter 10.
We can call Jesus our Chief Pastor, because that word “pastor” simply means “shepherd.” Earthly pastors are called to be undershepherds of the Good Shepherd Jesus. They are to speak the words of the Good Shepherd. Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” (John 10:27) Christ’s undershepherds must listen to no other voice than that of Jesus, so that they might also preach no other word than that of Jesus.
It’s also their job to point out false teaching when it arises. Paul told Titus that a pastor “must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.” (Titus 1:9)
You know, it’s kind of awkward for pastors to preach this stuff, because when we do, it sounds like we’re tooting our own horn. But that’s not the point. The point is that we have a Good Shepherd who loves us so much so that he has not left his flock without shepherds to personally care for it. And as your pastor serves you with God’s Word...as he uses his hands to pour water over you in the name of the Triune God... as he places into your mouth the body and blood of the Lamb of God...it’s really your Pastor Jesus who is serving you with his love and forgiveness.
Paul closes his speech to the elders of Ephesus by saying, “and now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.” (v. 31-32) Your job is to listen to that word of grace. “My sheep hear my voice,” Jesus said. Listen to that voice. Receive it in faith. It is God’s Word of grace that builds you up in your faith and gives you that heavenly inheritance that awaits all God’s baptized lambs. “My sheep hear my voice...I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.” The Holy Spirit will make us strong in the face of opposition. He enlightens us to hear and understand God’s Word and to recognize false teaching when it comes our way. We respond with thanksgiving and praise and good works, without thought of material reward as the apostle said, “In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” (v. 35)
Jesus certainly knew what he was talking about, because he loves to keep on giving, and he loves it when we receive what he has to give.
Amen.
Saturday, April 28, 2007
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Saturday, April 21, 2007
Sermon for the Third Sunday of Easter
Third Sunday of Easter (April 22, 2007)
Acts 9:1-22
Give me a word. Give me a sign. Show me where to look. Tell me what will I find.
Lay me on the ground. Fly me in the sky. Show me where to look. Tell me what will I find.
Oh, heaven let your light shine down.
Love is in the water. Love is in the air. Show me where to go. Tell me will love be there.
Teach me how to speak. Teach me how to share. Teach me where to go. Tell me will love be there.
Oh, heaven let your light shine down.
I’m going to let it shine. I’m going to let it shine.
Heaven’s little light gonna shine on me...Its gonna shine, shine on me.
Its gonna shine, come on in shine.
Those are the lyrics to a song that Cho Seung-Hui’s roommate at Virginia Tech said that Cho often listened to. Cho and his parents attended Korean Christian churches near their home, where one would assume a lot would have been said about “heaven,” and “love” and “light.” But apparently, there was a lot of darkness in Cho Seung-Hui’s heart and mind. The evidence lies in the videos he taped and sent to the network news...not to mention the carnage left behind in the classrooms at his school.
We can only guess at the source of all that darkness. Everyone is trying to figure out what would drive someone like him to do what he did....just as everyone still wonders why two church-going kids in Colorado acted in a similar fashion several years ago. Of course, we know that Satan is behind all darkness in the world. But how did that darkness manage to manifest itself in such awful ways in the lives of these young men?
Darkness doesn’t only reside in the hearts of the disturbed. It resides in those who are upstanding, law-abiding citizens, as well. Look at Saul in today’s reading from the Book of Acts. Chapter 9 begins by telling us that Saul was “breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord.” Saul’s mission was to arrest and kill as many people as possible who claimed to belong to the Way...which was what Christianity was initially called. He had gone to get letters from the high priest in Jerusalem so that he could present them to the synagogues in Damascus, informing them that he had authority to arrest anyone claiming to believe in Jesus. Whether Saul killed anyone with his own hands, we don’t know. However, we know that he certainly oversaw these murders. Back in chapter 7, St. Stephen is being stoned to death and verse 58 says, “the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.”
Who was this Saul? He was a member of the party of the Pharisees, concerned with a strict keeping of the Law of God. He was a member of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish ruling council. Saul was born a Roman citizen, therefore his Jewish father or perhaps his grandfather must have had the means to purchase citizenship, and that wasn’t cheap. Therefore, his family may have been wealthy. Saul was raised in Tarsus, a thriving intellectual and commercial center of southern Asia Minor...modern-day Turkey. He was educated in Jerusalem under Gamaliel, the most-famous rabbi of the day. He had a sharp mind and was able to debate with the best minds of the day.
We even know what he looked like. A 2nd century writer describes him this way: “a man small of stature, with a bald head and crooked legs, in a good state of body, with eyebrows meeting and nose somewhat hooked.” Kind of reminds me of the newspaper ad for the lost dog with one eye, three-legs, half a tail, mangy fur, and who answers to the name “Lucky.”
Despite his looks, Saul was a cosmopolitan kind of guy. He was a man of the city, a man about town. People would have considered him to be a pretty sharp cookie and a real sophisticated dude. Above all else, people would have seen him and said, “There goes a very religious and righteous man.”
Darkness: Who Are You, Lord?
Shady Behavior and a Darkened Heart: But there was darkness present in his heart. He was engaged in some pretty “shady” behavior. He had contempt for those who believed differently than he did. So much so, that he thought he was doing God a favor by having them put away or put to death.
But Saul really didn’t know God at all. On the road to Damascus, heaven’s light shined down upon him. Here was God actually revealing himself to Saul, and Saul had no idea who he was. And what was Saul’s response? “Who are you, Lord?” he asked. And so the Risen Lord Jesus explains, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.”
Saul thought he knew God. Here he was, one of the most educated, religious men of his day, and he did not know God. He had rejected Jesus as the Messiah. And when you don’t know the Son, you don’t know the Father. Jesus said, “He who has seen me has seen the Father.” (John 14:9)
There are plenty of religious, church-going people who think they know God, but really don’t. They come to church. They act real pious. They dress well. They say all the right words. They go through all the right motions...stand up, sit down, bow your head, fold your hands. But they still don’t know God. They come out of obligation. They come thinking they can earn God’s favor by filling a pew or putting a few bucks in the plate. It’s possible to think that you know God, but you really don’t. And like in the case of Saul, he may be standing right before you and you don’t even recognize him. He’s not here in a blinding flash of light, but he’s here in the words you hear. He’s here in the bread and wine that you will eat and drink. He’s here because the Bible says that where two or three are gathered in Christ’s name, there he is among them. Jesus is here right now as his baptized people gather together to receive his gifts of grace and forgiveness. Don’t miss him.
Dark Existence for Eternity: If you do, there will only be a dark existence for you for eternity. Jesus once referred to people like Saul, the people of Israel who thought they knew God. He said, “I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 8:11-12)
Light: Behold, me, Lord!
Contrast Saul’s response with Ananias’ response. Saul said, “Who are you, Lord?” When Jesus appeared to Ananias in a vision, Ananias responded, “Here I am, Lord” or more literally, “Behold, me, Lord.” “I know who you are. You are Jesus, my Savior. Behold, me, Lord. Look at me. And although you are indeed able to look at me and see all my sins and shortcomings, yet you still see me as cleansed and forgiven because of your shed blood at the cross. Behold, me, Lord. Here I am, at your disposal. And I will go to this man Saul, even though I know all about him. I know that he has done so much evil to your saints. Nevertheless, I will go because of your word of promise to me.”
Living in the Light for Eternity: After seeing that flash of light, Saul was blinded. He was kept in the dark for three days. But Christ, too, was kept in the dark for three days. After dying for the sins of the world, his body was sealed in a dark tomb. On the third day, Jesus rose to life, appeared alive to his disciples, and later to Saul on the road to Damascus. And now, living in the light of the resurrection, all who trust in Christ will live in his Light for all eternity.
Enlightened Response: Ananias answered God’s call and brought Word and Sacrament to Saul. Through the preached Word of Christ, Saul was filled with the Holy Spirit. Scales fell from his eyes and he regained his sight. But he regained more than just his sight. Now he knew God truly. The Christ who exited the tomb on the third day is now the one in whom Saul trusts on his own personal third day, when he came out of the darkness of his unbelief and into the light of Christ. He got up, was baptized, took food, and was strengthened.
You, too, have had your own personal “third day.” When you were baptized, God the Holy Spirit came to you. God’s Word of forgiveness was spoken to you. Then, you knew God truly. You came out of the darkness and were brought into the light and life of Christ. You were born again. And now, every day, you can remind yourself that you are God’s baptized child. You can come to this altar every week and take food and be strengthened. You can say, “Behold, me, Lord. I know that I am a sinner, but I also know that you are my Savior. Here I am. Help me to serve you and do your will.”
Taking the Light to Others: Finally, notice what happened to Saul. He spent some time with the disciples in Damascus, the very ones whom he was chasing after in the first place. Now, Saul becomes the disciple, the learner, and then goes out and begins taking the Light of Christ to others. He begins proclaiming that Jesus is the Son of God.
What a radical change that God created in Saul, later to be called the Apostle Paul. But that’s the kind of radical change that the resurrection power of Jesus creates. That’s the kind of radical change that the resurrection power of Jesus creates in us. He can take away the fear of death and doom. He can take away guilt and shame. He can comfort us when tremendous tragedy strikes. He can make us bold to tell others that Jesus is the only Savior of the world...and that it is only through Christ that heaven’s light and love shine down.
Amen.
Acts 9:1-22
Give me a word. Give me a sign. Show me where to look. Tell me what will I find.
Lay me on the ground. Fly me in the sky. Show me where to look. Tell me what will I find.
Oh, heaven let your light shine down.
Love is in the water. Love is in the air. Show me where to go. Tell me will love be there.
Teach me how to speak. Teach me how to share. Teach me where to go. Tell me will love be there.
Oh, heaven let your light shine down.
I’m going to let it shine. I’m going to let it shine.
Heaven’s little light gonna shine on me...Its gonna shine, shine on me.
Its gonna shine, come on in shine.
Those are the lyrics to a song that Cho Seung-Hui’s roommate at Virginia Tech said that Cho often listened to. Cho and his parents attended Korean Christian churches near their home, where one would assume a lot would have been said about “heaven,” and “love” and “light.” But apparently, there was a lot of darkness in Cho Seung-Hui’s heart and mind. The evidence lies in the videos he taped and sent to the network news...not to mention the carnage left behind in the classrooms at his school.
We can only guess at the source of all that darkness. Everyone is trying to figure out what would drive someone like him to do what he did....just as everyone still wonders why two church-going kids in Colorado acted in a similar fashion several years ago. Of course, we know that Satan is behind all darkness in the world. But how did that darkness manage to manifest itself in such awful ways in the lives of these young men?
Darkness doesn’t only reside in the hearts of the disturbed. It resides in those who are upstanding, law-abiding citizens, as well. Look at Saul in today’s reading from the Book of Acts. Chapter 9 begins by telling us that Saul was “breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord.” Saul’s mission was to arrest and kill as many people as possible who claimed to belong to the Way...which was what Christianity was initially called. He had gone to get letters from the high priest in Jerusalem so that he could present them to the synagogues in Damascus, informing them that he had authority to arrest anyone claiming to believe in Jesus. Whether Saul killed anyone with his own hands, we don’t know. However, we know that he certainly oversaw these murders. Back in chapter 7, St. Stephen is being stoned to death and verse 58 says, “the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.”
Who was this Saul? He was a member of the party of the Pharisees, concerned with a strict keeping of the Law of God. He was a member of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish ruling council. Saul was born a Roman citizen, therefore his Jewish father or perhaps his grandfather must have had the means to purchase citizenship, and that wasn’t cheap. Therefore, his family may have been wealthy. Saul was raised in Tarsus, a thriving intellectual and commercial center of southern Asia Minor...modern-day Turkey. He was educated in Jerusalem under Gamaliel, the most-famous rabbi of the day. He had a sharp mind and was able to debate with the best minds of the day.
We even know what he looked like. A 2nd century writer describes him this way: “a man small of stature, with a bald head and crooked legs, in a good state of body, with eyebrows meeting and nose somewhat hooked.” Kind of reminds me of the newspaper ad for the lost dog with one eye, three-legs, half a tail, mangy fur, and who answers to the name “Lucky.”
Despite his looks, Saul was a cosmopolitan kind of guy. He was a man of the city, a man about town. People would have considered him to be a pretty sharp cookie and a real sophisticated dude. Above all else, people would have seen him and said, “There goes a very religious and righteous man.”
Darkness: Who Are You, Lord?
Shady Behavior and a Darkened Heart: But there was darkness present in his heart. He was engaged in some pretty “shady” behavior. He had contempt for those who believed differently than he did. So much so, that he thought he was doing God a favor by having them put away or put to death.
But Saul really didn’t know God at all. On the road to Damascus, heaven’s light shined down upon him. Here was God actually revealing himself to Saul, and Saul had no idea who he was. And what was Saul’s response? “Who are you, Lord?” he asked. And so the Risen Lord Jesus explains, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.”
Saul thought he knew God. Here he was, one of the most educated, religious men of his day, and he did not know God. He had rejected Jesus as the Messiah. And when you don’t know the Son, you don’t know the Father. Jesus said, “He who has seen me has seen the Father.” (John 14:9)
There are plenty of religious, church-going people who think they know God, but really don’t. They come to church. They act real pious. They dress well. They say all the right words. They go through all the right motions...stand up, sit down, bow your head, fold your hands. But they still don’t know God. They come out of obligation. They come thinking they can earn God’s favor by filling a pew or putting a few bucks in the plate. It’s possible to think that you know God, but you really don’t. And like in the case of Saul, he may be standing right before you and you don’t even recognize him. He’s not here in a blinding flash of light, but he’s here in the words you hear. He’s here in the bread and wine that you will eat and drink. He’s here because the Bible says that where two or three are gathered in Christ’s name, there he is among them. Jesus is here right now as his baptized people gather together to receive his gifts of grace and forgiveness. Don’t miss him.
Dark Existence for Eternity: If you do, there will only be a dark existence for you for eternity. Jesus once referred to people like Saul, the people of Israel who thought they knew God. He said, “I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 8:11-12)
Light: Behold, me, Lord!
Contrast Saul’s response with Ananias’ response. Saul said, “Who are you, Lord?” When Jesus appeared to Ananias in a vision, Ananias responded, “Here I am, Lord” or more literally, “Behold, me, Lord.” “I know who you are. You are Jesus, my Savior. Behold, me, Lord. Look at me. And although you are indeed able to look at me and see all my sins and shortcomings, yet you still see me as cleansed and forgiven because of your shed blood at the cross. Behold, me, Lord. Here I am, at your disposal. And I will go to this man Saul, even though I know all about him. I know that he has done so much evil to your saints. Nevertheless, I will go because of your word of promise to me.”
Living in the Light for Eternity: After seeing that flash of light, Saul was blinded. He was kept in the dark for three days. But Christ, too, was kept in the dark for three days. After dying for the sins of the world, his body was sealed in a dark tomb. On the third day, Jesus rose to life, appeared alive to his disciples, and later to Saul on the road to Damascus. And now, living in the light of the resurrection, all who trust in Christ will live in his Light for all eternity.
Enlightened Response: Ananias answered God’s call and brought Word and Sacrament to Saul. Through the preached Word of Christ, Saul was filled with the Holy Spirit. Scales fell from his eyes and he regained his sight. But he regained more than just his sight. Now he knew God truly. The Christ who exited the tomb on the third day is now the one in whom Saul trusts on his own personal third day, when he came out of the darkness of his unbelief and into the light of Christ. He got up, was baptized, took food, and was strengthened.
You, too, have had your own personal “third day.” When you were baptized, God the Holy Spirit came to you. God’s Word of forgiveness was spoken to you. Then, you knew God truly. You came out of the darkness and were brought into the light and life of Christ. You were born again. And now, every day, you can remind yourself that you are God’s baptized child. You can come to this altar every week and take food and be strengthened. You can say, “Behold, me, Lord. I know that I am a sinner, but I also know that you are my Savior. Here I am. Help me to serve you and do your will.”
Taking the Light to Others: Finally, notice what happened to Saul. He spent some time with the disciples in Damascus, the very ones whom he was chasing after in the first place. Now, Saul becomes the disciple, the learner, and then goes out and begins taking the Light of Christ to others. He begins proclaiming that Jesus is the Son of God.
What a radical change that God created in Saul, later to be called the Apostle Paul. But that’s the kind of radical change that the resurrection power of Jesus creates. That’s the kind of radical change that the resurrection power of Jesus creates in us. He can take away the fear of death and doom. He can take away guilt and shame. He can comfort us when tremendous tragedy strikes. He can make us bold to tell others that Jesus is the only Savior of the world...and that it is only through Christ that heaven’s light and love shine down.
Amen.
Friday, April 20, 2007
Persecution of Confessional Lutherans in Finland
I received this email from "Confess and Teach for Unity" regarding the persecution of our confessional Lutheran brothers in Finland. Read on...
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Dear friends,
A few days ago I received an e-mail from Dr. Martti Vaahtoranta. Dr. Vaahtoranta leads the Finnish Lutheran "Evangelical Lutheran Institute of Religion—Mannheim" (ELRIM, www.elrim.org), a Lutheran research agency dedicated to mission to Muslims, especially the Turks living in Germany. A few years ago he wrote a great German dissertation on Johann Gerhard and union with Christ.
Now, sadly, he and other confessional Lutherans you may know, such as Dr. Anssi Simojoki, are facing troubles from their home church, the Lutheran Church of Finland. Here is my translation from Dr. Vaahtoranta's German e-mail to me, dated April 16, 2007:
"You probably already know this, that the spiral of division in the Finnish Church is spinning ever more rapidly. Investigations are being conducted in two cathedral chapters against two good pastors just because they have refused to conduct services with female pastors. A good friend of mine has taken sabbatical from his service as a chaplain in order to avoid this 'examination' and to learn a new occupation (bus driver). One pastor is on an educational sabbatical, but after its end he too will be placed under examination. One brother is even being investigated by the police.
"And now it's my turn, together with brother Dr. Simojoki. In February we together sent a letter to the cathedral chapter in Turku with both of its bishops and in this letter protested, admittedly somewhat sharply, the latest developments in the church and especially the treatment of the two aforementioned brothers. (For support of these brother, approximately 90 pastors published an open letter. In this letter they affirmed that they would act similarly in a similar situation. This letter, however, was very moderate in style, something that can probably not be said for our private letter.)
"Last Wednesday the reaction came: official research is now taking place in our cathedral chapter to determine whether we with our letter have perhaps acted contrary to our duties (above all against loyalty toward the bishop or against our pastoral vow) and for this should be punished."
Then today, April 19, 2007, this e-mail came:
"+ Dear brother Mayes,
"I haven't been able to write you a proper report on the situation with us in Finland. Of course, this actually would be impossible to do, since almost every day new, terrible things happen.
"Today it has gone so far that the police—yes really, the police—are officially investigating a few pastors and a laywoman due to a possible infringement of the Equal Treatment Law. A missionary from the Finnish Lutheran Gospel Society, who is confessional and conservative, had been invited to preach at a mission festival which also was the regular worship service of the congregation. A lady from the congregation, who had organized this service, had long before made sure that no female pastor was scheduled for the aforementioned Sunday.
"Shortly before the beginning of the service, a female pastor nevertheless appears in the sacristy and says that she was supposed to help in the distribution of the Lord's Supper. To this, the missionary who had been invited to serve as preacher said that this would be against his convictions, but that he could get out of the way. After that, however, the female pastor said that she had a lot to do anyway, and left.
"And now this encounter is being investigated as a possible crime. The maximum penalty for this is a half-year in prison.
"These developments should be made public internationally and ecumenically. Yet I myself have almost spent all my energies with many internet discussions and also with many difficult things and now I don't know how to go forward. Perhaps someone else in Finland will take over responsibility for this.
"In a collection of essays from the symposium in Oberursel [Lutherische Theologische Hochschule, Oberursel/Ts., Germany] last fall I reported on the situation in Finland in general. The book should appear soon.
"I ask you to pass this matter on to the brothers and sisters as you are able, and to pray for Pastor Ari Norro, the pastor affected by this, and for us all.
"Be commended to God, Your
"Martti Vaahtoranta"
As you can see, our fellow Christians in Finland need our prayers. If you can't think of the right words to pray, I'd encourage you to pray the Litany (Lutheran Service Book, p. 288; The Lutheran Hymnal, p. 110) or this collect:
Almighty God, cast not away Thy people who cry unto Thee in their tribulation (especially Pr. Ari Norro, Dr. Marrti Vaahtoranta, Dr. Annsi Simojoki, and all those who suffer under unjust laws), but for the glory of Thy name be pleased to help the afflicted; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord. Amen.
--
Rev. Benjamin T. G. Mayes
St. Louis, MO USA
www.llpb.us
+ + + Confess and Teach for Unity + + +
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Dear friends,
A few days ago I received an e-mail from Dr. Martti Vaahtoranta. Dr. Vaahtoranta leads the Finnish Lutheran "Evangelical Lutheran Institute of Religion—Mannheim" (ELRIM, www.elrim.org), a Lutheran research agency dedicated to mission to Muslims, especially the Turks living in Germany. A few years ago he wrote a great German dissertation on Johann Gerhard and union with Christ.
Now, sadly, he and other confessional Lutherans you may know, such as Dr. Anssi Simojoki, are facing troubles from their home church, the Lutheran Church of Finland. Here is my translation from Dr. Vaahtoranta's German e-mail to me, dated April 16, 2007:
"You probably already know this, that the spiral of division in the Finnish Church is spinning ever more rapidly. Investigations are being conducted in two cathedral chapters against two good pastors just because they have refused to conduct services with female pastors. A good friend of mine has taken sabbatical from his service as a chaplain in order to avoid this 'examination' and to learn a new occupation (bus driver). One pastor is on an educational sabbatical, but after its end he too will be placed under examination. One brother is even being investigated by the police.
"And now it's my turn, together with brother Dr. Simojoki. In February we together sent a letter to the cathedral chapter in Turku with both of its bishops and in this letter protested, admittedly somewhat sharply, the latest developments in the church and especially the treatment of the two aforementioned brothers. (For support of these brother, approximately 90 pastors published an open letter. In this letter they affirmed that they would act similarly in a similar situation. This letter, however, was very moderate in style, something that can probably not be said for our private letter.)
"Last Wednesday the reaction came: official research is now taking place in our cathedral chapter to determine whether we with our letter have perhaps acted contrary to our duties (above all against loyalty toward the bishop or against our pastoral vow) and for this should be punished."
Then today, April 19, 2007, this e-mail came:
"+ Dear brother Mayes,
"I haven't been able to write you a proper report on the situation with us in Finland. Of course, this actually would be impossible to do, since almost every day new, terrible things happen.
"Today it has gone so far that the police—yes really, the police—are officially investigating a few pastors and a laywoman due to a possible infringement of the Equal Treatment Law. A missionary from the Finnish Lutheran Gospel Society, who is confessional and conservative, had been invited to preach at a mission festival which also was the regular worship service of the congregation. A lady from the congregation, who had organized this service, had long before made sure that no female pastor was scheduled for the aforementioned Sunday.
"Shortly before the beginning of the service, a female pastor nevertheless appears in the sacristy and says that she was supposed to help in the distribution of the Lord's Supper. To this, the missionary who had been invited to serve as preacher said that this would be against his convictions, but that he could get out of the way. After that, however, the female pastor said that she had a lot to do anyway, and left.
"And now this encounter is being investigated as a possible crime. The maximum penalty for this is a half-year in prison.
"These developments should be made public internationally and ecumenically. Yet I myself have almost spent all my energies with many internet discussions and also with many difficult things and now I don't know how to go forward. Perhaps someone else in Finland will take over responsibility for this.
"In a collection of essays from the symposium in Oberursel [Lutherische Theologische Hochschule, Oberursel/Ts., Germany] last fall I reported on the situation in Finland in general. The book should appear soon.
"I ask you to pass this matter on to the brothers and sisters as you are able, and to pray for Pastor Ari Norro, the pastor affected by this, and for us all.
"Be commended to God, Your
"Martti Vaahtoranta"
As you can see, our fellow Christians in Finland need our prayers. If you can't think of the right words to pray, I'd encourage you to pray the Litany (Lutheran Service Book, p. 288; The Lutheran Hymnal, p. 110) or this collect:
Almighty God, cast not away Thy people who cry unto Thee in their tribulation (especially Pr. Ari Norro, Dr. Marrti Vaahtoranta, Dr. Annsi Simojoki, and all those who suffer under unjust laws), but for the glory of Thy name be pleased to help the afflicted; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord. Amen.
--
Rev. Benjamin T. G. Mayes
St. Louis, MO USA
www.llpb.us
+ + + Confess and Teach for Unity
The preceding is a message from the Confess and Teach For Unity ListAdministrator; you are receiving it because you are *or have been* asubscriber to one or more email lists run by Confess and Teach for Unity(CAT41.org). If you are no longer on any CAT 41 list and do not wish toreceive such periodic mailings regarding new mail lists and otherservices, please send ANY note to:
Update-off@CAT41.org
NOTE: if you are on a CAT 41 list or resubscribe to any CAT 41 list, youwill be re-added to this list, as this list is the venue for necessarysystem notices, etc.
To Subscribe, send ANY note to:
Update-on@CAT41.org
Unless otherwise noted, posts from this list may be forwarded and/orrepublished via other media, provided they are not altered and listsubscription information is included.
For any further information or problems in unsubscribing, please contactthe list administrator by writing to:
Mom@CAT41.org
True Lutheranism still miles apart from Rome
See the post at Cyberbrethren by clicking here...straight from the horse's mouth from Rome's catechism.
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Sermon for the Second Sunday of Easter
Second Sunday of Easter (April 15, 2007)
“The Freedom of Talking about Jesus” (Acts 5:12-32)
What can you say and not say in public? That’s been all the talk this week following the reprehensible comment that radio host Don Imus made about the Rutgers Women’s Basketball team. I’m not going to repeat what he said. If you listen to the news, you’ve already heard it. If you don’t, then you’re probably better off anyways. The whole thing has sparked a new debate about free speech, offensive speech, politically correct language, and what you can and cannot say in public.
But really, the debate over offensive speech and politically correct language is nothing new. This was even around in the first century. Just look at what happened to the apostles in today’s first reading from the book of Acts.
Offensive Speech Gets You into Trouble
After Easter, Ascension, and Pentecost, the apostles followed Jesus’ command to be his witnesses. They went out and preached the death and resurrection of Christ. They preached that all who repent and are baptized into Christ’s name receive forgiveness of sins and everlasting life. Jesus also gave them authority to heal and cast out demons...some of the very same things he did in his earthly ministry. These actions were in a sense their “calling cards” as Christ’s authoritative witnesses and representatives.
But there were some who didn’t like what they were doing. The Jewish leaders were jealous of all the attention the apostles were getting. Nor did they like the message that came with the healings and the exorcisms. Our text today doesn’t mention that they preached Jesus when they healed people. But it’s certain that the apostles made it clear where their authority came from. For example, two chapters earlier in Acts 3, Peter says to a lame beggar, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!” And he did. Peter clearly was testifying that this Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ, the Messiah, the long-awaited Savior of the world. And it is he who gives healing not only of the body but primarily of the soul through the forgiveness of sins.
The mention of the name “Jesus” got the apostles into trouble. It was not politically or theologically correct to talk about him. And so they were put into prison. But God had other plans. He sent an angel to open the prison doors and led them out, saying, “Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life.”
Now, normally, fugitives from the law will high-tail it and find a suitable hiding place. But not these fugitives. They went right back into the public arena and started preaching again. And this from men who not long before this were hiding in fear behind locked doors. When the officials heard about this, they had them brought before the Sanhedrin, the Jewish ruling council. The high priest said, “We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.” But Peter and the other apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”
Talking about Jesus and upholding the teachings of the Bible in our world today is clearly not politically correct, either. On the TV show “The View” Rosie O’Donnell recently said, “Radical Christianity is just as threatening as radical Islam.” A couple of years ago, a Swedish pastor was sentenced to a month in prison for preaching against homosexuality. In 2004, a Spanish Cardinal went on trial in Madrid for the same offense. Also, a law was recently passed in Canada outlawing speech that could “incite hatred against an identifiable group.” I’m not aware of any pastors being arrested in Canada under this law, but that language is pretty broad. It could be interpreted to include any negative statements against any group whose behavior or beliefs conflict with yours. And it certainly seems like the atmosphere in our own land is becoming eerily similar to George Orwell’s novel 1984, where the government’s “Thought Police” attempts to control the speech and actions of its citizens. And lately, it’s become quite fashionable to criticize Christianity, but everyone else seems to get a pass.
Now don’t get me wrong. I’m not excusing insensitive, insulting, offensive behavior. That’s part of what the 8th Commandment is all about...the part about not slandering our neighbor or hurting his reputation, but instead defending him and speaking well of him. And what comes out of our mouths only reflects the attitudes and insensitivities in our hearts. “Evil thoughts,” “false witness,” and “slander” are three of the things that Jesus said come out of our hearts. James, in his epistle, talks about what a dangerous and hurtful weapon the tongue can become: “The tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness,” he writes. “The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell.”
Certainly, racially offensive remarks must be avoided. Degrading someone because of their gender is wrong. God has created both men and women in the image of God, and we must uphold that truth. We honor all human beings no matter what their economic status, racial background, or educational degrees because of who they are as God’s special creation.
But talking about Jesus is another matter altogether. When you talk about him, this may also get you into trouble. But we must talk about him, no matter how offended people get.
It’s a matter of obeying God rather than men. It’s a matter of not keeping our mouth shut when it is time to testify about Jesus. If you do shut it, you may be keeping someone from hearing the truth about Christ. The Law has to be preached so that people know their condition as sinners and are led to repentance. The Gospel has to be preached so people know they have a Savior from sin to whom they can turn in repentant trust. Who cares if talking about Jesus is politically incorrect? It’s theologically incorrect not to talk about Jesus. It’s eternally threatening, both for you...because by not talking about Jesus you disobeyed God...and for the other person, because they need to hear that Jesus died and rose for them.
Preaching about Jesus gives freedom
Preaching the death and resurrection of Jesus got the apostles into hot water. More than that, it got them into prison. And today’s text is not the only example of that. Throughout the Book of Acts, we see other instances where they were arrested for talking about Jesus. In today's reading from Revelation, St. John says that he is in exile on the island of Patmos because he was talking about Jesus. Over the centuries, and even today in parts of the world, Christians have been incarcerated...and even executed...for talking about Jesus. But even though there are some who would like to take our freedom to talk about Jesus away from us, talking about Jesus is the only thing that brings true freedom. The death and resurrection of Jesus brings freedom from the fear of death, freedom from the accusations of the devil, freedom from the slavery to sin and shame that we all have because of our guilty consciences.
The high priest accused the apostles, saying “you intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.” In other words, he was saying, “You are blaming us for this man’s death.” Peter did indeed say, “You killed [him] by hanging him on a tree.” But in reality, all of us sent Jesus to the cross. It was our sins that sent him there, not just the schemes of the Sanhedrin. And the intention of all preaching of Jesus is to truly “bring [that] man’s blood upon us,” because it is only through the shed blood of Jesus that our sins are covered. So bring it on, Lord...bring it on! It is only through the death of Jesus that we are forgiven. It’s only through Jesus that we have true freedom, even if we are imprisoned for preaching his precious name. St. John declared that he is the one who “loves us and has freed us from our sins and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father.” (Rev. 1)
By virtue of our Baptism, you and I have the same Holy Spirit that was breathed upon the disciples. To his Church Christ has given the responsibility to forgive the sins of those who are repentant and to withhold forgiveness from those who are impenitent. Through the witness of the apostle John in his Gospel, we get to see the nail marks in his hands and the spear mark in his side. We hear the words “Peace be with you” spoken to us, and real peace between us and God is delivered to us because we are reconciled to the Father through Jesus. We bow down with Thomas and the other disciples and call him, “My Lord and my God!” The Risen Jesus comes to us personally through his Word and through his Sacrament, and we believe and have life in his name.
Living in the light of the resurrection, the resurrection life of Jesus empowers us to “obey God rather than men.” It may not be politically correct to make exclusive claims about Christ, but that is what the Bible teaches. Therefore, that is what the Church preaches. So go...and “speak to the people all the words of this Life.” Life with a capital L. The Life of the Risen Lord.
Amen.
“The Freedom of Talking about Jesus” (Acts 5:12-32)
What can you say and not say in public? That’s been all the talk this week following the reprehensible comment that radio host Don Imus made about the Rutgers Women’s Basketball team. I’m not going to repeat what he said. If you listen to the news, you’ve already heard it. If you don’t, then you’re probably better off anyways. The whole thing has sparked a new debate about free speech, offensive speech, politically correct language, and what you can and cannot say in public.
But really, the debate over offensive speech and politically correct language is nothing new. This was even around in the first century. Just look at what happened to the apostles in today’s first reading from the book of Acts.
Offensive Speech Gets You into Trouble
After Easter, Ascension, and Pentecost, the apostles followed Jesus’ command to be his witnesses. They went out and preached the death and resurrection of Christ. They preached that all who repent and are baptized into Christ’s name receive forgiveness of sins and everlasting life. Jesus also gave them authority to heal and cast out demons...some of the very same things he did in his earthly ministry. These actions were in a sense their “calling cards” as Christ’s authoritative witnesses and representatives.
But there were some who didn’t like what they were doing. The Jewish leaders were jealous of all the attention the apostles were getting. Nor did they like the message that came with the healings and the exorcisms. Our text today doesn’t mention that they preached Jesus when they healed people. But it’s certain that the apostles made it clear where their authority came from. For example, two chapters earlier in Acts 3, Peter says to a lame beggar, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!” And he did. Peter clearly was testifying that this Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ, the Messiah, the long-awaited Savior of the world. And it is he who gives healing not only of the body but primarily of the soul through the forgiveness of sins.
The mention of the name “Jesus” got the apostles into trouble. It was not politically or theologically correct to talk about him. And so they were put into prison. But God had other plans. He sent an angel to open the prison doors and led them out, saying, “Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life.”
Now, normally, fugitives from the law will high-tail it and find a suitable hiding place. But not these fugitives. They went right back into the public arena and started preaching again. And this from men who not long before this were hiding in fear behind locked doors. When the officials heard about this, they had them brought before the Sanhedrin, the Jewish ruling council. The high priest said, “We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.” But Peter and the other apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”
Talking about Jesus and upholding the teachings of the Bible in our world today is clearly not politically correct, either. On the TV show “The View” Rosie O’Donnell recently said, “Radical Christianity is just as threatening as radical Islam.” A couple of years ago, a Swedish pastor was sentenced to a month in prison for preaching against homosexuality. In 2004, a Spanish Cardinal went on trial in Madrid for the same offense. Also, a law was recently passed in Canada outlawing speech that could “incite hatred against an identifiable group.” I’m not aware of any pastors being arrested in Canada under this law, but that language is pretty broad. It could be interpreted to include any negative statements against any group whose behavior or beliefs conflict with yours. And it certainly seems like the atmosphere in our own land is becoming eerily similar to George Orwell’s novel 1984, where the government’s “Thought Police” attempts to control the speech and actions of its citizens. And lately, it’s become quite fashionable to criticize Christianity, but everyone else seems to get a pass.
Now don’t get me wrong. I’m not excusing insensitive, insulting, offensive behavior. That’s part of what the 8th Commandment is all about...the part about not slandering our neighbor or hurting his reputation, but instead defending him and speaking well of him. And what comes out of our mouths only reflects the attitudes and insensitivities in our hearts. “Evil thoughts,” “false witness,” and “slander” are three of the things that Jesus said come out of our hearts. James, in his epistle, talks about what a dangerous and hurtful weapon the tongue can become: “The tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness,” he writes. “The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell.”
Certainly, racially offensive remarks must be avoided. Degrading someone because of their gender is wrong. God has created both men and women in the image of God, and we must uphold that truth. We honor all human beings no matter what their economic status, racial background, or educational degrees because of who they are as God’s special creation.
But talking about Jesus is another matter altogether. When you talk about him, this may also get you into trouble. But we must talk about him, no matter how offended people get.
It’s a matter of obeying God rather than men. It’s a matter of not keeping our mouth shut when it is time to testify about Jesus. If you do shut it, you may be keeping someone from hearing the truth about Christ. The Law has to be preached so that people know their condition as sinners and are led to repentance. The Gospel has to be preached so people know they have a Savior from sin to whom they can turn in repentant trust. Who cares if talking about Jesus is politically incorrect? It’s theologically incorrect not to talk about Jesus. It’s eternally threatening, both for you...because by not talking about Jesus you disobeyed God...and for the other person, because they need to hear that Jesus died and rose for them.
Preaching about Jesus gives freedom
Preaching the death and resurrection of Jesus got the apostles into hot water. More than that, it got them into prison. And today’s text is not the only example of that. Throughout the Book of Acts, we see other instances where they were arrested for talking about Jesus. In today's reading from Revelation, St. John says that he is in exile on the island of Patmos because he was talking about Jesus. Over the centuries, and even today in parts of the world, Christians have been incarcerated...and even executed...for talking about Jesus. But even though there are some who would like to take our freedom to talk about Jesus away from us, talking about Jesus is the only thing that brings true freedom. The death and resurrection of Jesus brings freedom from the fear of death, freedom from the accusations of the devil, freedom from the slavery to sin and shame that we all have because of our guilty consciences.
The high priest accused the apostles, saying “you intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.” In other words, he was saying, “You are blaming us for this man’s death.” Peter did indeed say, “You killed [him] by hanging him on a tree.” But in reality, all of us sent Jesus to the cross. It was our sins that sent him there, not just the schemes of the Sanhedrin. And the intention of all preaching of Jesus is to truly “bring [that] man’s blood upon us,” because it is only through the shed blood of Jesus that our sins are covered. So bring it on, Lord...bring it on! It is only through the death of Jesus that we are forgiven. It’s only through Jesus that we have true freedom, even if we are imprisoned for preaching his precious name. St. John declared that he is the one who “loves us and has freed us from our sins and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father.” (Rev. 1)
By virtue of our Baptism, you and I have the same Holy Spirit that was breathed upon the disciples. To his Church Christ has given the responsibility to forgive the sins of those who are repentant and to withhold forgiveness from those who are impenitent. Through the witness of the apostle John in his Gospel, we get to see the nail marks in his hands and the spear mark in his side. We hear the words “Peace be with you” spoken to us, and real peace between us and God is delivered to us because we are reconciled to the Father through Jesus. We bow down with Thomas and the other disciples and call him, “My Lord and my God!” The Risen Jesus comes to us personally through his Word and through his Sacrament, and we believe and have life in his name.
Living in the light of the resurrection, the resurrection life of Jesus empowers us to “obey God rather than men.” It may not be politically correct to make exclusive claims about Christ, but that is what the Bible teaches. Therefore, that is what the Church preaches. So go...and “speak to the people all the words of this Life.” Life with a capital L. The Life of the Risen Lord.
Amen.
Friday, April 13, 2007
Building Committee, Anyone?
Check out these beautiful pictures of the Torgau Castle chapel at Torgau, Germany. Click here or go to Paul McCain's Cyberbrethren blog at
http://cyberbrethren.typepad.com/cyberbrethren/2007/04/torgau_castle_c.html
http://cyberbrethren.typepad.com/cyberbrethren/2007/04/torgau_castle_c.html
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Can We Finally Roll the Stone Back On This One?
Read the article "Jesus tomb film scholars backtrack" at the Jerusalem Post website.
Creator of "B.C." Dies
After a busy Holy Week and Easter, I'm back to posting. Today I ran across a story that I missed over the weekend. Johnny Hart, the creator of "B.C." and other comic strips died April 7. Click here to read Michelle Malkin's column about Hart and his Christian faith. Hart always used to ruffle the feathers of folks around the holidays (i.e. "holy" days) with his overt mention of Christ and the real meaning of the seasons. He will be missed.
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