Good advice on prayer, and not just for teenagers

Pastor Will Weedon wrote a post on his blog entitled "Helping a Teen Ager Use the Treasury." His advice applies to people of all ages, not just teenagers. The Treasury of Daily Prayer is just that...a treasure chest full of scripture, song, and prayer to help guide us in our daily life of prayer and teaches us how to pray.

I have frequently commented that Luther really didn't get rid of monasteries; his idea was to move the monastery into the home! I mean, he PREACHED at home, for heaven's sake. Not to mention hymns and prayers and Bible reading and such.

But it is true that most people are not called the monastic life and cannot actually pray the daily office, even in the sense of three offices of Matins, Vespers and Compline that comprise the heart of the office for Lutherans.

So what can a young person do who laments that they just don't know how to pray? I had this conversation last night. "But I always only think about myself. My prayers are so narcissistic."

My answer is: "take up the Treasury." A very simple discipline can be made of praying each day the Psalm (printed out for the day) and one of the Bible readings and the prayer for the day and then the prayer for the day of the week (pages 1306ff.) and wrap up with the Lord's Prayer. Simple, really. It does NOT need to be elaborate. It does need to be consistent, but even with when you fail to pray on a certain day, remember - as Pr. Kinnaman wrote so beautifully in the intro - that others of the Body of Christ are praying that day and you are not alone; you are joining a vast company who bear your weaknesses. Doing this much will keep you praying for all sorts and conditions of people, will draw you out of yourself into the Word and into the world as you bear the burdens of others. Yesterday was Wednesday, and I pointed out that by praying the week day prayers we remembered all those whose pilgrimages are coming to an end, and asked God's grace and mercy on them.

Making disciplined, daily prayer a part of one's life is a battle - and Satan wants nothing more than to see you go for days without being fortified by the Word or calling on God. Remember above all: the discipline of prayer is FOR YOUR BENEFIT. It doesn't make God love you any more than He already does (His fullness of love for you can never be diminished). He doesn't NEED your prayer; YOU need Him, and that's why you pray. He comes to you in His Word (and that's why praying the Psalm and the Bible reading are vital to the discipline). Treasury simply makes these much easier.

Too many start out trying to do too much in prayer. It's a formula for failure. Start out small, do so consistently, and it will grow. It can't not.

My two cents on the topic.

Rath Dé ort! Happy St. Patrick's Day!

My Irish blood (on me ma's side) gets all giddy on March 17, although I'm not one to go out and raise too many jars on a day like today. Besides, I have to preach tonight. Nevertheless, I'll give thanks to God today for sending preachers and defenders of the faith like Patrick. Here is a brief bio from the LCMS website:

Patrick is one of the best-known of the missionary saints. Born to a Christian family in Britain around the year 389, he was captured as a teenager by raiders, taken to Ireland, and forced to serve as a herdsman. After six years he escaped and found his way to a monastery community in France. Ordained a bishop in 432, he made his way back to Ireland, where he spent the rest of his long life spreading the Gospel and organizing Christian communities. He strongly defended the doctrine of the Holy Trinity in a time when it was not popular to do so. His literary legacy includes his autobiography, Confessio, and several prayers and hymns still used in the church today. Patrick died around the year 466.

For a longer bio, click here to go another Irishman's website, the Rev. Paul McCain's Cyberbrethren.

By the way, in case you were wondering, "Rath Dé ort!" is "God bless you!" in Gaelic.

Properly Honoring Mary

Paul McCain has an excellent post over at his blog Cyberbrethren about the proper respect that is due Mary, the Mother of Our Lord. Read it by clicking on the link below...

http://ping.fm/I8Ybp

The real Valentine

Along with sending flowers and chocolates and cute Hallmark cards to our sweethearts today, we also commemorate one of the Church's martyrs.

There is some disagreement about who the real Valentine was as you can see at the Wikipedia entry. However, here's how he is described on the LCMS Commission on Worship webpage:

A physician and priest living in Rome during the rule of the Emperor Claudius, Valentine become one of the noted martyrs of the third century. The commemoration of his death, which occurred in the year 270, became part of the calendar of remembrance in the early church of the West. Tradition suggests that on the day of his execution for his Christian faith, he left a note of encouragement for a child of his jailer written on an irregularly-shaped piece of paper. This greeting became a pattern for millions of written expressions of love and caring that now are the highlight of Valentine's Day in many nations. [From "Commemorations Biographies," Lutheran Service Book LCMS Commission on Worship]

Why is my blog's "About Me" picture Ambrose of Milan?

Today on our church calendar St. Ambrose of Milan is commemorated. You can read more about him by clicking here.

I've had a mosaic picture of him as my blog's "About Me" picture for quite some time now. Don't get me wrong. In no way am I comparing myself to Ambrose. But I chose this picture for three reasons...

1) Ambrose died on April 4, which is my birthday.

2) He has a short beard. I have a short beard.

3) I liked the picture.

So now you know.

Our St. Nicholas Day Remembrance

I grew up with Santa Claus. I think I turned out all right. I know that Christmas is all about Jesus (although I did milk the Santa thing for a few extra years to get more presents, even after I'd figured it out). My wife, on the other hand, did not grow up with Santa as part of her family Christmas traditions. Her parents made the decision not to do the whole Santa thing.

So once a kid (and soon to be plural...click here for more on that) arrived on the scene, we had some decisions to make. We decided to do St. Nicholas' Day, which falls on December 6. We wanted to add a family tradition with some surprise and wonder, while at the same time teaching our children about who the real Santa Claus was. This way, we could insert some of the St. Nick fun, while having it early in the month to keep it from overshadowing our celebration of Christ's birth.

We have adapted some German traditions, such as putting out boots or shoes outside the door (we use the bedroom door, not the front porch) on the eve of St. Nicholas' Day. In the morning, the shoes are filled with sweets, fruit, nuts, and coins. Those gold-colored $1 US presidents coins work well...not to mention the gold foil-wrapped chocolate coins. I also save all the spare change I get throughout the year and go to the local coin store to buy collectible coins to give when the kids are older and will appreciate their value.

As our children grow, we will continue to tell them about St. Nicholas, and how he helped the poor and needy because he had faith in Jesus and knew how much he had been blessed by Jesus. And so, we also have made it a custom that we deliver a toy to the nearest "Toys for Tots" collection center on St. Nicholas' Day.

Later, we'll tell our children the history of the Council of Nicaea, which was attended by Nicholas, the Bishop of Myra. I'm sure we'll eventually get to the part where Nicholas put the smack-down on the arch-heretic Arius.

Henry Melchior Muhlenberg, October 7 ... and a visit to one of his congregations

Today Henry Melchior Muhlenberg is commemorated on our church calendar. He was an influential German Lutheran pastor during the colonial era in America. You can read more about him by clicking here. His son, Peter, by the way, was a pastor, later a major general in the Continental Army, and also served in the U.S. Congress.

This last summer, 8 youth and 3 adults attended the Higher Things youth conference in Scranton, PA. After the conference, we drove down to Philadelphia to see the sights there. On Sunday morning, we attended the Divine Service at Old Zion Lutheran Church, a congregation that was once served by H.M. Muhlenberg.

The people of Old Zion were very warm and welcoming. They invited us to stay for a time of refreshments after the service and shared some of the history of the church. They still have many German speaking people attend from various parts of the city. One of the hymns we sang alternated stanzas in English and German, and during the speaking of the creed and the praying of the Lord's Prayer, you could hear others around you saying them in German.

Below are some pictures taken when we were there. Thanks to Ron Pratt for the great shots.

This last one is not a statue of Muhlenberg. It's Rocky Balboa, situated outside of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and yours truly at his feet. Now, I know what you're thinking: "Is Sylvester Stallone on our church calendar?" No. I threw this one in just to prove I was really in Philadelphia since I'm not in any of the other pictures above. But I did run up the steps of the museum like Rocky did in the movie (actually, on our tour of Philly we learned it was a stunt double).

Here's how I felt afterward ... and that's not my stunt double.

Festivals and Commemorations

A while back I started posting on days when we had a feast day for a particular saint or on days when a particular person was commemorated on the calendar (according to the liturgical calendar in Lutheran Service Book). That didn't last very long. What I've done now, instead, is included these on our congregational calendar on our church website. If you want to read the details about a particular feast or commemoration, you can click on the item on the calendar. It's still a work in progress, but I plan to have it completed soon.

Exciting New Devotional Resource

I'm sort of jumping the gun on October's book of the month, which will be what you see above. I'd like to see our congregation use this as our annual prayer and devotional resource, much as we've done in the past with "God Grant It" and "The Lord Will Answer: A Daily Prayer Catechism."

There's been a huge "buzz" about the new "Treasury of Daily Prayer" from Concordia Publishing House. In order to pique your interest, I thought I should direct you to some posts that tell you more about it. Apparently, it's supposed to be one of the best one-volume devotional resources ever. And I'm not trying to be parochial nor a shill for CPH. There are a lot of superlatives about this book being thrown around by some non-Lutheran folks, too.

Below are links to some posts about the new "Treasury of Daily Prayer." I think you will agree that this will prove to be a very valuable resource for years to come. Make sure to get your name on the list at the church. We already have 20 books on order to avoid having to wait for backorders.

A Treasure Chest Full of Gems

"Nothing this good, or even close" -- words of praise for Treasury of Daily Prayer

Having Looked Through it in Even More Detail...

Treasury of Daily Prayer: White Papers

John Pless' Words of Praise for Treasury of Daily Prayer

Treasury of Daily Prayer Excerpts Ready to View

Lucas Cranach and Albrecht Durer, Artists (April 6)

Lucas Cranach (1472-1553), a close friend of Martin Luther, was a celebrated painter of portraits and altar pieces and a producer of woodcuts of religious subjects. Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528), a native of Nuernberg, Germany, was one of the most learned of Renaissance artists and also an ardent admirer of Martin Luther. His paintings and woodcuts include examples of the splendor of creation and skilled portrayals of biblical narratives. Both Cranach and Dürer are remembered and honored for the grandeur of their works of art that depict the glory and majesty and the grace and mercy of the Triune God. [From "Commemorations Biographies," Lutheran Service Book, LCMS Commission on Worship]

To read more about Albrecht Dürer, see the information here at Artsy.

Perpetua and Felicitas, Martyrs (March 7)

At the beginning of the third century, the Roman emperor Septimus Severus forbade conversions to Christianity. Among those disobeying that edict were Perpetua, a young noblewoman, and her maidservant Felicitas. Both were jailed at Carthage in North Africa along with three fellow Christians. During their imprisonment, Perpetua and Felicitas witnessed to their faith with such conviction that the officer in charge became a follower of Jesus. After making arrangements for the well-being of their children, Perpetua and Felicitas were executed on 7 March 203. Tradition holds that Perpetua showed mercy to her captors by falling on a sword because they could not bear to put her to death. The story of this martyrdom has been told ever since as an encouragement to persecuted Christians. [From "Commemorations Biographies," Lutheran Service Book, LCMS Commission on Worship]

Polycarp of Smyrna, Pastor and Martyr (Feb. 23)

Born c. 69, Polycarp was a central figure in the early church. A disciple of the evangelist John, he linked the first generation of believers to later Christians. After serving for many years as bishop of Smyrna, Polycarp was arrested, tried and executed for his faith on 23 February ca. 156. An eyewitness narrative of his death, The Martyrdom of Polycarp, continues to encourage believers in times of persecution. [From "Commemorations Biographies," Lutheran Service Book, LCMS Commission on Worship]

Martin Luther, Doctor and Reformer (Feb. 18)

Martin Luther, born on 10 November 1483 in Eisleben, Germany, initially began studies leading toward a degree in law. However, after a close encounter with death, he switched to the study of theology, entered an Augustinian monastery, was ordained a priest in 1505 and received a doctorate in theology in 1512. As a professor at the newly established University of Wittenberg, his scriptural studies led him to question many of the church's teachings and practices, especially the selling of indulgences. His refusal to back down from his convictions resulted in his excommunication in 1521. Following a period of seclusion at the Wartburg castle, Luther returned to Wittenberg, where he spent the rest of his life preaching and teaching, translating the Scriptures and writing hymns and numerous theological treatises. He is remembered and honored for his lifelong emphasis on the biblical truth that for Christ's sake God declares us righteous by grace through faith alone. He died on 18 February 1546 while visiting the town of his birth. [From "Commemorations Biographies," Lutheran Service Book, LCMS Commission on Worship, ]

Phillip Melanchthon, Confessor (Feb. 16)

Missed this one yesterday...

Philipp Melanchthon (born on this date in 1497) was a brilliant student of the classics and a humanist scholar. In 1518 he was appointed to teach along with Martin Luther at the University of Wittenberg. At Luther's urging, Melanchthon began teaching theology and Scripture in addition to his courses in classical studies. In April 1530 Emperor Charles V called an official meeting between the representative of Lutheranism and Roman Catholicism, hoping to effect a meeting of minds between two opposing groups. Since Luther was at that time under papal excommunication and an imperial ban, Melanchthon was assigned the duty of being the chief Lutheran representative at this meeting. He is especially remembered and honored as the author of the Augsburg Confession, which was officially presented by the German princes to the emperor on 25 June 1530, as the defining document of Lutheranism within Christendom. Melanchthon died on 19 April 1560.[From "Commemorations Biographies," Lutheran Service Book, LCMS Commission on Worship]

Philemon and Onesimus (February 15)

Philemon was a prominent first-century Christian who owned a slave named Onesimus. Although the name "Onesimus" means "useful," Onesimus proved himself "useless" when he ran away from his master and perhaps even stole from him (Philemon 18). Somehow Onesimus came into contact with the apostle Paul while the latter was in prison (possibly in Rome), and through Paul's proclamation of the Gospel he became a Christian. After confessing to the apostle that he was a runaway slave, he was directed by Paul to return to his master and become "useful" again. In order to help pave the way for Onesimus's peaceful return home, Paul sent him on his way with a letter addressed to Philemon, a letter in which he urged Philemon to forgive his slave for having run away and "to receive him as you would receive me" (v. 17), "no longer as a slave, but as a beloved brother" (v. 16). The letter was eventually included by the church as one of the books of the New Testament. [From "Commemorations Biographies," Lutheran Service Book, LCMS Commission on Worship]

Valentine, Martyr (February 14)

Click here to read Gene Veith's post on St. Valentine. It's more about the love of Christ than the love that is normally celebrated on this day. Although having said that, isn't it the love of Christ the Bridegroom for his bride the Church that is the model and motivation for Christian husbands and wives? So go out and buy your "Valentine" a card after all.

Aquila, Priscilla, Apollos (February 13)

Aquila and his wife Priscilla (Prisca), Jewish contemporaries of Saint Paul, traveled widely. Because of persecution in Rome, they went to Corinth where they met the apostle Paul, who joined them in their trade of tent making (Acts 18:1-3). They in turn joined him in his mission of proclaiming the Christian Gospel. The couple later traveled with Paul from Corinth to Ephesus (Acts 18:18), where the two of them established a home that served as hospitality headquarters for new converts to Christianity. Apollos was one of their numerous Jewish pupils in the faith. An eloquent man, Apollos "spoke with burning enthusiasm and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus" (Acts 18:25). He later traveled from Corinth to the province of Achaia, where he "showed by the Scriptures that the Messiah is Jesus" (Acts 18:28). Aquila, Priscilla and Apollos are all remembered and honored for their great missionary zeal. [From "Commemorations Biographies," Lutheran Service Book, LCMS Commission on Worship]

Jacob (Israel), Patriarch (February 5)

Jacob, the third of the three Hebrew patriarchs, was the younger of the twin sons of Isaac and Rebekah. After wrestling with the Angel of the Lord, Jacob, whose name means "deceiver," was renamed "Israel," which means "he strives with God" (Gen. 25:26; 32:28). His family life was filled with trouble, caused by his acts of deception toward his father and his brother Esau and his parental favoritism toward his son Joseph (March 31). Much of his adult life was spent grieving over the death of his beloved wife Rachel and the presumed death of Joseph, who had been appointed by the Egyptian Pharaoh to be in charge of food distribution during a time of famine in the land. Prior to Jacob's death during the blessing of his sons, God gave the promise that the Messiah would come through the line of Jacob's fourth son, Judah (Genesis 49). [From "Commemorations Biographies," Lutheran Service Book, LCMS Commission on Worship]

John Chrysostom, Preacher (January 27)

Given the added name of Chrysostom, which means "golden-mouthed" in Greek, Saint John was a dominant force in the fourth-century Christian church. Born in Antioch around the year 347, John was instructed in the Christian faith by his pious mother, Anthusa. After serving in a number of Christian offices, including acolyte and lector, John was ordained a presbyter and given preaching responsibilities. His simple but direct messages found an audience well beyond his home town. In 398 John Chrysostom was made patriarch of Constantinople. His determination to reform the church, court and city there brought him into conflict with established authorities. Eventually he was exiled from his adopted city. Although removed from his parishes and people, he continued writing and preaching until the time of his death in 407. It is reported that his final words were "Glory be to God for all things. Amen." [From "Commemorations Biographies," Lutheran Service Book, LCMS Commission on Worship]

Katharina von Bora (December 20)

Katharina von Bora (1499-1552) was placed in a convent when still a child and became a nun in 1515. In April 1523 she and eight other nuns were rescued from the convent and brought to Wittenberg. There Martin Luther helped return some to their former homes and placed the rest in good families. Katharina and Martin were married on June 13, 1525. Their marriage was a happy one and blessed with six children. Katharina skillfully managed the Luther household, which always seemed to grow because of his generous hospitality. After Luther's death in 1546, Katharina remained in Wittenberg but lived much of the time in poverty. She died in an accident while traveling with her children to Torgau in order to escape the plague. [From "Commemorations Biographies," Lutheran Service Book, LCMS Commission on Worship]