Scotland's National Anthem

Here is a nice rendition of Scotland's National Anthem, Flower of Scotland, a surprisingly modern tune (written in 1967). In its short existence, it has become the true national anthem of Scotland - along with being a separatist tribute to Scottish independence. Here is a beautiful rendition in a football stadium before a match, and here is another example of the anthem being sung for the first time as the National Anthem in a French stadium before a rugby game against England (!) in 1990.

Scotland has been assertive of autonomy and independence for centuries. My own ancestors from Clan MacBean (sometimes spelled MacBain) in the Scottish highlands have been proponents of a free Scotland since the 14th century. They supported Scottish independence in 1715 and 1745 - and their defeat in those uprisings led many of them to settle in the American South - including Virginia, where all of my Bean/Beane ancestors ended up.

Clan MacBean was also a member of a confederacy called Clan Chattan (the Clan of Cats). Our motto was "touch not the cat without a glove" - which is a poetic and heraldic way of saying "don't mess with us."

While I was serving as a vicar in South Carolina, Mrs. H. and I had the joy to meet Lee and Sharon Honeycutt. Lee is of Scottish heritage, a member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, and a former U.S. Marine. He would sometimes wear a kilt to church. Lee is a true Christian gentleman, but he is also a fellow not to mess with.

On one occasion, Lee gave us a tour of Columbia, including the many war memorials. One of them was a statue of a rather sad-looking American veteran of the Korean conflict, standing in the rain, looking defeated. Lee did not approve. He said that had this been a Scottish war memorial, it would have looked something like this: the Scot would be standing triumphantly in the pouring rain, head held high with a look of triumph on his face. He would be holding the severed head of his enemy aloft by the hair as he gave a cry of victory.

It was quite a remarkable and spell-binding monologue. I wish I had a recording of it. It was classic. Lee was the first person I ever heard use the word "Sassenach" - often accompanied by expectoration.

Anyway, here's to the Scots, the Highlanders, the Chattan Confederacy, the MacBeans, and home rule, freedom, independence, and courageous opposition everywhere to government that believes it is a master instead of a servant. People all over the world crave freedom, to be left alone in their "wee bit hill and glen." It is a universal aspiration of mankind to seek liberty against all forms of tyranny. Flower of Scotland is a tribute to freedom and the courage to bleed and die for it.

In my defens God me defend.

Sermon: Quinquagesima and St. Valentine

14 February 2010 at Salem Lutheran Church, Gretna, LA

Text: Luke 8:31-43 (Isa 35:3-7, 1 Cor 13:1-13)

In the name of + Jesus. Amen.

Today, all the world focuses on love. For it’s Valentine’s Day. More accurately, it is St. Valentine’s Day, a commemoration the Church has given the world, a day to reflect on love and its true meaning. And even though the world has largely diluted the meaning of St. Valentine’s Day – because the world largely does not know love – we Christians know love, true love, everlasting love.

For God Himself teaches us about love through St. Paul: “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.”

“Love never ends” dear brothers and sisters in Christ. Love is eternal. True love is impervious to its enemies. Love survives even death and the grave. In fact, love conquers death and the grave. Love defeats the devil. Love reweaves and brightens the tapestry of life unraveled and faded by the fall. Love conquers all.

Love is superior to prophecies. Love is greater than the ability to speak in exotic languages. Love is more enduring than knowledge. “Faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”

The third-century Roman Valentinus, who was both a priest and a physician, was executed for holding the Christian faith in a time of persecution. And even in death, this healer of both body and soul, did not put his faith in his faith, nor hope for the sake of hope. He did not become bitter or hateful against his captors.

St. Valentine, the beloved of the Lord Jesus Christ, redeemed by the blood of Christ, saved by the passion and death of Christ, and empowered by the resurrection of Christ, continued to display the love of Christ in the face of his own martyrdom. And his act of love toward his jailer’s daughter, leaving her a tender and gentle note on a piece of paper, has become synonymous with the kind of love about which St. Paul preaches to us today. It is a selfless love, a love that shrugs at, even scoffs at, death – knowing that sin, death, and the devil are impotent in the presence of the cross of our Blessed Lord, of the blood of Christ, of the love of the Lord Jesus whose death has given us life and whose love is shared with a dark and desperate world through the light of the holy Church, our Lord’s beloved bride.

For she confesses and proclaims her Bridegroom, “God of God, light of light.” It is this holy light with which we illuminate the world. This is the love that never ends, that abides, that is the greatest of all virtues.

This same love is not merely spoken of, but demonstrated by our Lord Jesus. He knew beforehand what Love would ask of Him, and He loves His Father and His creation to the point of handing Himself over to His enemies for the sake of His beloved. As He Himself said: “For He will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon. And after flogging Him, they will kill Him, and on the third day He will rise.”

The twelve were baffled. For this was not the Messiah they had in mind. This was a “Man of Sorrows” as Isaiah prophesied. They were happy enough with Isaiah’s prophecies that “the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped, then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy.” But they were not quite as eager to embrace a Savior who is “stricken, smitten, and afflicted.”

For it is in this selfless act of sacrifice, this cruciform payment of man’s sin-ransom, that the love of God shines forth. It is in His suffering and death that the disciples would truly learn the love that God has for them, the love that God has given to them, the love that God calls them to proclaim to, and share with, a loveless and forlorn world.

On this day, in honor of St. Valentine’s act of love in the face of his own death, the world exchanges heart-shaped cards, symbolizing love as flowing from the heart. And we Lutherans are familiar with the symbol of the heart in Luther’s seal, symbolizing the Lord’s boundless love for His people. And Luther’s seal adds what is missing in the world’s cleaned-up version of the Valentine heart. For our heart contains a cross in the center. At the heart of the heart is the cross, the passion that isn’t merely emotion, but a passion that is suffering for the sake of the beloved. True love offers its own life as a gift for the sake of the beloved – and this, dear friends, is the Word of the cross, the message the Church is given to proclaim to the world, the love of Christ that we are called to not only proclaim with words, but to demonstrate and carry out in deed and in truth.

Our Lord demonstrates what this love, true love, divine love, ultimately accomplishes. For a man begs to Jesus for help. He suffers the effects of the fall. He is blind. Sin has rendered him unable to see – not only in the spiritual sense, but even physically. Seeking to live a life of illumination, he is condemned to live instead in perpetual darkness. But the Lord Jesus did not come to condemn, but to save. In response to the blind beggar’s cry: “Lord, have mercy,” our Blessed Lord overturns the man’s condemnation to darkness, and the “God of God, light of light” shines love upon him, bringing illumination to his world.

Our Lord’s love is received by belief, and the blind man is healed, for his “faith has made [him] well.” And as great as his faith is, it is love that is greatest. The love of Jesus works a miracle of physical healing and spiritual enlightenment. For this beloved of the Lord, the one upon whom the Lord has mercy, immediately became a follower of Jesus, and glorified God. And this formerly blind beggar’s testimony called others to “give praise to God.”

Dear friends, we are like this blind beggar. We cry “Lord, have mercy” again and again. And the Lord hears our cries for mercy, and loves us, shows mercy to us, forgives us, and enlightens the darkness of our world. The Lord overcomes suffering by suffering, defeats death by dying, and embodies the love of God by loving us in word and in deed, in spirit and in truth, with a divine love that never ends.

The Lord calls us to hold this image of love before our eyes, even as we keep the cross before our faces as a reminder of the boundless love of God. The heart is truly a symbol of love, as it was the Lord’s pierced heart that issued forth blood and water, even teaching us after His death that His love has brought forth His sacraments of Holy Communion and Holy Baptism – flowing from His very heart. Hearts are depicted as red, for the heart is filled with blood, and it is the blood of Christ shed for us and for the forgiveness of sins that embodies this love, so craved by the world, beating in the very chest of the Church.

But the image of the cross should never be severed from the symbol of the heart. For it is in the suffering, death, and resurrection of our Lord that embodies true and abiding love.

And it is this kind of love that the world desperately needs, even as we do, dear brothers and sisters. For hear the love your Father has for you in His prophetic promise:

“Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who have an anxious heart, ‘Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you.”

May this saving love continue to strengthen the weak and firm up the feeble. May anxious hearts be comforted by the love of God, which never ends. Amen.

In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The Olympics are Underway!

The Hollywoods are doing something kind of rare - watching TV. The opening ceremonies of the winter Olympics are on the telly.

Mrs. H. is drooling over Vancouver - her hometown for a brief period. It is also one of my favorite cities. My first visit to Vancouver was unforgettable, thanks to my cousin and her husband who lived there at the time. My first exposure to Indian food was in Vancouver. I've always found it clean, beautiful, cosmopolitan, and quintessentially Canadian. And in the Hollywood household - at least among the human denizens - the Canadians outnumber the non-Canadians two to one.

The athletes have just finished parading in. Canada has just made its entrance to the roars of the crowd. I could do without the disturbing idols set up on the stage, though. But political correctness is part of Canadian (and Olympic) culture.

The Canadian national anthem is rather shocking - mentioning both "God" and "the cross." Strangely, this is not the stuff of lawsuits in the Great White North. It is sad, however, to see that O Canada is now being warbled up American Idol style in the same way that the Star Spangled Banner is routinely butchered. It is a pretty awesome thing to see the Maple Leaf brought in by a unit of Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

Hopefully, all the athletes will be safe and there will be no more fatal mishaps as happened to Georgia's luger, Nodar Kumaritashvili, in whose memory the games are being dedicated.

17 Revisions of Ugly

not the proposed condos, but not that far off either...

Overall, our local government in Gretna does a good job of running our small city. But I think they caved with this latest vote. Was there ever really any doubt?

I like the idea of upscale condos going up in our neighborhood (this building will be just around the corner from my home and our church). However, one would think after being sent back to the drawing board 17 times the developers would get the idea - it's ugly.

The design looks more like an East German prison complex than Gretna homes in the historic district. I mean, how difficult would it be to make something beautiful, something that fits in with the area rather than plunking down an ugly, industrial looking slab of bricks that could serve as a strip mall in Suburban Anyville, USA?

In the end, the lure of tax revenue won the day, as did ugliness. Did I mention that the proposed building is ugly, hideous, wretched, devoid of charm, generic, and, well, ugly?

But I'm going to look on the bright side. Maybe people will actually spend half a million dollars to live in an ugly (did I mention the ugliness?) neo-gulag home. Like I said, I'm all for gentrification. I would ask anyone on a boat along the Mississippi River to look away from Gretna when you pass. I would appreciate it. And I suppose I'll just have to turn away when I'm on the bike trail at the levee. Unless, of course, the City Council will be providing vomit stations along the path. Preferably every ten feet. And think of the jobs this will create in professional bodily fluid cleanup!

I do have some positive ideas, like putting up a concrete wall around the complex for people to write graffiti slogans about liberty - especially if they were in German, as that would highlight Gretna's Teutonic heritage. The City could also do like Pravda in the French Quarter, and put together a whole Soviet Chic thing. And I suppose the ugliness will make the rest of our homes look a notch better by comparison. I'm willing to see the glass half-full. Of what, I'm not sure...

And, as a bonus, if things don't work out, the building will be just a stone's throw from both the Jefferson Parish Court House and the Gretna City Hall. Converting the complex into a prison will be a cinch - just add barbed wire - and maybe a machine gun turret or two.

This will really be convenient for our politicians, who can combine their customary high-style condo living with prison life - you know, for guys like U.S. Rep. Bill Jefferson, Louisiana Sen. Derrick Shepherd, and our own Gretna hometown hero, Gretna Councilman Jonathan Bolar (who was actually absent for the unanimous vote to proceed with the uglification (did I mention the "ugly" thing?). And if we need representation from the Executive Branch, we could always work out a transfer for our incarcerated governor, Edwin Edwards. And if you really think about it, prison and politicians go together here like red beans and rice.

Maybe the ugly condo isn't so out of place here after all!

Interposition is Cool Again

Here are a couple of well-done articles showing the revival of interest in a concept that was largely pronounced dead in 1865 - "Interposition" - (which is often described in a negative way by the term "Nullification").

The idea that the states have the power to overrule the federal government within their own boundaries (an idea that most people are shocked to find imbedded within the Constitution as well as in the writings of the founders themselves) has been revived by both the left (e.g. medical marijuana) and the right (e.g. gun rights).

States rights is not a "conservative" or "liberal" issue, but rather an issue of liberty, of keeping the federal government within the parameters of its Constitutional box.

These two articles, one by Clyde Wilson, and the other by Patrick Buchanan, both demonstrate the historical "Americanness" of interposition, as well as its importance in political thought today. It is an exciting and hopeful thing to see the dust blown off of the Tenth Amendment, and even hear the word "secession" spoken of once more in polite society, and not just in America, but also around the world.

Interposition is largely confused with secession, when in fact, interposition is a way for dissenting states to exercise their internal sovereignty within the union without having to resort to secession. Far from breaking up the United States, a revival of interposition would make the union stronger and more vibrant, while serving to shrink the gargantuan scope and stifling centralization of the federal government (which ultimately threatens the survival of our republic).

If the union is ultimately saved, it will be thanks to John C. Calhoun (1782-1850) - whose papers Dr. Wilson edited).

"Nothing is sacred..."

Here is another cultural snapshot that demonstrates that the Christian Church has largely lost its faith, putting its trust in marketing and business savvy over and against trusting the Holy Spirit working through the humble means chosen by God for the propagation of the Kingdom.

The above quote from the article ("Nothing is sacred") from former GE CEO Jack Welch (whose "business philosophy to ruthlessly question the premise of every company product") sums it up quite well.

Unfortunately, a lot of suits in our synod (not to mention modern-day church culture gurus from all over the American church scene) agree with Welch.

Traditionalist Lutheran Happy Clappy Liturgical Dance...

Well, sort of.

This exuberant performance of Bach's Gigue Fugue by the incomparable Virgil Fox (1912-1980) would not be appropriate in church, but it does demonstrate the resilience, brilliance, and timeless beauty of Lutheranism's and Christendom's greatest composer and musical genius.

In spite of the current fad of playing pop music in church services - theologically shallow, generationally parochial, and virtually impossible to sing with - the dross will be burned away and the pure will always rise to the surface. Bach continues to hold his own among serious musicians, church hymnody, and even in contemporary popular tunes.

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750), who always signed his music "S.D.G." (Soli Deo Gloria - to God alone be the glory) simply has no equal.

Virgil Fox, with his mass appeal and faith in Bach to move even the radically jaded-against-tradition Woodstock crowd, turned a whole generation onto Bach and the magnificence of the pipe organ. Fox's work never disappoints. At least not me - and this is my blog after all. Mr. Fox's Heavy Organ CD is simply unlike anything else you will ever hear.

And a HT to Brother Latif for this post, which illustrates the genius behind Bach's intricate and intoxicating Toccata and Fugue in D-Minor in a mesmerizing visual way.

What are these parents thinking?

Stacy McDonald has a disturbing report here regarding the loss of innocence among pre-teen girls - not only with the lucrative encouragement of corporate America, but also with the blessing of their own parents. This sexual exploitation of children was the predictable result of feminism replacing Christianity as the dominant worldview in our culture - as certain as day follows night.

One can only hope the pendulum will soon swing back the other way before yet more children are psychologically and spiritually damaged by this unbelievable lack of judgment and common sense by immature parents who are more concerned with being "cool" than being godly protectors of children and loving mothers and fathers.

Hopefully, these young kids will grow up and prove to be better mothers than their own "absentee landlords."

Lombardi Gras or Dat Tuesday?

Yesterday's parade for the New Orleans Saints was really quite something.

Our schools closed early so people could start the parade, and American Idol was preempted so people could watch the end of the parade on TV (which is how I and my very cold-blooded family watched the festivities).

Here is an article about the goings on.

Some 500,000 people were apparently huddled in the Central Business District as the team and the entire behind-the-scenes group of personnel that work for the team rode 10 elite floats all loaned by the biggest Mardi Gras krewes - the likes of which has never been done in New Orleans before.

The players - some of whom had never been to a Mardi Gras parade before - partied and tossed armloads of beads to the crowds. It was a rather surreal scene to see Saints defensive end Jeff Charleston smoke a cigar, dance, and drink champagne on top of a gigantic green alligator float as the commentators told his story of being cut by Indianapolis early in the season, only to be picked up by the Saints, win the Super Bowl against the team that released him - and to top it off, he gave the Lombardi trophy a lick when it was passed around by the players.

He has apparently gone native. That's our kind of guy.

The floats all passed in review in front of just about every dignitary imaginable - from government bureaucrats high and low, captains of industry, and even an archbishop.

The goofy New Orleans mayor Ray Nagin (who leaves office in a few days) was actually a funny host, guzzling champagne and cracking jokes about the need to drink more to stave off the cold. The governor was on hand, both U.S. senators, several U.S. congressmen, state legislators, colorful city council members across the political spectrum, the incoming mayor, and area parish presidents. The team's owner and his family danced with black and gold umbrellas as bands (everything from high school marching bands to the U.S. Marine Corp's band) played the ubiquitous Ying Yang Twins' ditty Stand Up and Get Crunk. And if that weren't enough, the "twins" themselves were there to perform the anthem live as apparently even the politicians and aristocrats of Crescent City high society know all the words.

The 610 Stompers - a group of middle-aged guys with Saints season tickets and gym shorts from Superdome section 610 who resorted to starting a male dance team to hang onto their season tickets in tough economic times (think The Full Monty without the nudity) also marched in the parade. Surprisingly, there were no men in dresses. That was a different parade. And no, it isn't what you're probably thinking.

And now, if this weren't enough, we're just starting the big part of carnival. Mardi Gras is still a week away. It is going to be a blur of a week! "Throw me something, mister," and "Who dat?" all rolled into one big party. I better get the espresso started now...

The really cool part about the parade is that it was all set up before the Super Bowl, win or lose - the same floats, bands, parade route, everything. I do think it would have been basically the same party even if the Saints had lost the game. I was kind of stunned to read this, that only 11 people came to the airport to greet the returning Indy Colts. I know that the folks in Cleveland would have shown up en masse if their beloved Browns had made it to Miami and come in second. Hopefully, it was just a matter of bad weather.

Anyway, here's a little music video treat for lovers of New Orleans and/or fans of the Saints:

Who Dat?

This birthday present from a family in our parish was called into service this evening.

Salem's New Chasuble

Battling some mechanical and technical issues until this morning, Mrs. H. finished the green chasuble for Salem Lutheran Church - the third in the series (including purple and white) so far.

Here are more photos of the construction process.

The fleur-de-lis is not only a beloved symbol associated with the Louisiana and French heritage, it is also a Christian symbol - a lily (symbol of the resurrection) with the Most Holy Trinity represented in the trefoils. We are undecided at this point whether or not to send a "cease and desist" order to the NFL...

Thank you, Miz Grace and to the benefactors who donated the funds for this beautiful addition to the sanctuary of Salem Lutheran Church. Also, a big "thank you" to Kelly at Probst Decorating who was an answer to a prayer, providing the material for the "halo" around the fleur-de-lis - even refusing to take a penny for it!

Soli Deo gloria.

Sermon: Sexagesima

7 February 2010 at Salem Lutheran Church, Gretna, LA

Text: Luke 8:4-15

In the name of + Jesus. Amen.

The best stories are simple, and yet profound. The Lord’s Parable of the Sower is a prime example.

There are very few elements in this tale: a farmer, some seed, and four places where the seed lands. In three of the four situations, there are complications that result in failure. In only one case does the seed not only germinate, but grow, mature into fruit, and reproduce itself in a multitude of new seeds, so as to repeat the process.

Such a basic and barebones tale – and yet what a treasure trove of revelation about God and life and the kingdom! From our Lord’s simple little story, we learn about preaching, the Word of God, salvation, the devil, testing, the fruit of good works, sanctification and growth in the Christian life, patience, and the propagation of God’s love.

Our Blessed Lord reveals to us deep and profound theology: salvation by grace alone, the efficaciousness of preaching, the nature of evil, the relationship of faith to salvation, the theology of the cross, and the Christian’s vocation of bearing evangelical good fruit. All summed up in seventy five words as translated into English from Luke’s version of the parable. Christians have been considering, studying, teaching, preaching, and praying this passage for two millennia, and we never run out of things to say about it.

For this is God’s Word. And the power and efficiency of that Word is summed up in the image of the seed. One little kernel in the hands of a rather careless farmer has the power to create a world full of fruit-bearing plants. The Word of God carries its power within, self-contained, and unseen by the eye. But when proclaimed by a preacher, and when making contact with a hearer, the result is as natural and predictable as a seed sinking into soil.

But notice all the impediments and dangers lurking about, threatening to prevent the seed from becoming what its Maker designed and programmed it to be in its fullness. Three of the Lord’s four examples do not end well for the seed and the life it bears within.

In the first, the Word cannot penetrate through to the heart of the hearer, and the devil is able to pluck it away. This is what happens when hearts are hard and people make themselves impenetrable. In the second, the mixed conditions of the heart bear a mixed result – rapid growth followed by rapid death, thanks to a shallowness and rootlessness, a lack of discipline for the long haul that becomes a broken, lost faith in a time of trial. In the third, a triad of “cares, riches, and pleasures” conspire to choke out the growth that the Word of God creates, resulting in immature fruit and an eventual falling away.

And these tragic outcomes continue to play themselves out in the same way even today, nearly twenty centuries after our Lord’s warning.

In the example of the thorny soil, the Word of God is preached and it is heard. The transaction from sower to soil, from preacher to hearer, is made. Such a faith is even watered by Holy Baptism and made to grow. The soil does not make the seed sprout, for only the Lord’s creative power within the Word itself can do it, and does do it. And yet, in spite of the Lord’s power in the seed and in the growing plant, if the hearer of the Word surrounds himself and overly concerns himself with “thorns,” that is, the kinds of things that have the potential to choke the plant, it should be no surprise to see that a person falls away.

“Cares, riches, and pleasures of life” can often prove fatal to a Christian. The word translated as “cares” means “worries” and “anxieties.” And in this fallen world, what soil is without some of these thorns? And yet, wallowing in our worries, allowing our concerns and burdens to take precedence over hearing God’s Word, permitting our fears and anxieties to cause us to shrink from God’s Word is a formula for killing the New Adam the Lord has implanted within us by the Word. Our Lord is warning us not to do this!

Depression is no reason to flee the church. Difficulties in life are no reason to distance oneself from God’s Word. Times of struggle and temptation are especially the times when you need to make the Word of God a priority. Do not allow these thorns to become an entanglement to the Gospel! This is exactly what Jesus is warning us against, dear brothers and sisters!

And likewise with the thorns of “riches.” One does not need to be wealthy to allow riches to choke out God’s Word. Poor people can be as greedy as the rich. The Lord has given us six days to labor, and a seventh to rest. While we must do what we must to survive and take care of our families, we must not allow the seed of God’s Word to be choked out by the anxieties of making money. Our Lord Himself tells us not to ask “What shall we eat?” and “What shall we drink?” and “What shall we wear?” – reminding us that birds do not have barns, and flowers are clothed better than King Solomon. What profit is it to gain the world and lose one’s soul? Dear Christians, do not take God’s Word lightly. Grab hold of the seed. Treasure it. Water it. Nurture it. Make it a priority. Refuse to let it go – not for love or money – for it is true love and it is eternal treasure.

There is another class of thorns according to our Blessed Lord: “pleasures of life.” This is a little tricky to translate. It can be understood as “passions” or “lusts” – but they need not be sexual. For pleasure is subjective. How it manifests itself will be different in each person. No matter what your pleasure is, your joy, your passion; no matter how innocent it is, no matter how beneficial it may even be to the kingdom in and of itself – if it chokes off the Word of God, it is a death-trap – and our Lord tells us to cut it off. For it is better to enter the kingdom blind or maimed than to be cast into hell.

The triple thorns of “cares, riches, and pleasures” are especially dangerous to us, dear friends. We live in a high-stress, high-anxiety culture. In spite of our recent economic downturn, we remain one of the wealthiest nations on earth, surrounded by countless distractions to draw us away from God’s Word and to lure our resources away from the Lord and to our own selfish desires. And we are a people of many hobbies and interests – with more leisure time than any people in history. Indeed, we are surrounded by thorns.

There is an old saying: “Before you complain that the roses have thorns, rejoice that the thorns have roses.” And while this may be a clever turn of phrase to remind us to be optimistic, we must remember where the thorns came from in the first place, dear friends. Thorns are manifestations of sin, a curse of the Fall. They are nothing to rejoice over, philosophize into a good, nor excuse as “normal.”

The sacrificial lamb that was slaughtered as a symbolic substitutionary atonement for the boy Isaac was captured headfirst in thorns. The real Sacrificial Lamb (“that takest away the sin of the world”) that was the true substitutionary atonement for Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and even the whole world, our Savior Jesus Christ, was crucified with His “sacred head now wounded” by thorns.

There will be no thorns when paradise is restored.

And this restored paradise, this new heaven and new earth, this remade and reborn universe bereft of sin, Satan, and death, is why it is so important to clear out the thorns and give the devil no stronghold to use against us. We rid ourselves of thorns by repenting, by allowing the Word of God access to our ears, to our hearts, and to our lives.

God has made us a priority, dear friends, and so we are freed to make Him a priority. The Word made flesh has borne the pain and shame of the thorns so that we might live without thorns. The Word of God comes to us to teach us to discern between good and rocky soil so that we might seek to be rid of the rocks which make our faith shallow and rootless, instead seeking the rock of St. Peter’s good confession that protects, rather than impedes, the implantation of the Word within our hearts. And the good Word softens our hearts, so that the Word does not lie vulnerable to Satanic counterattack as we push God away – instead yielding a place for Him to bore into us, grow within us, and bear fruit through us – a hundredfold.

Let us offer thanks and praise for our Lord’s warnings, for His wisdom, and for His Word – the Word that is the Seed of the woman who crushes the serpent’s head, the Seed who has become the vine to our branches, the Seed cast by the sower who “sows; his reckless love / Scatters abroad the goodly seed, / Intent alone that all may have / the wholesome loaves that all men need.”

“He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” Amen.

In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Found my birth certificate...

(click to enlarge)

Well, does this mean I can never become president of the United States?

Does Anyone Know This Swedish Lutheran Hero?

You can watch the video here! (with subtitles for Anglophone goodness).

A Letter to New Orleans from a Viking Fan

Here is a nice letter to the editor from a Minnesota Vikings fan.

I have overwhelmingly heard and seen the same thing from the many visitors to New Orleans. The French Quarter and the Riverwalk are now a literal walk from my front door thanks to the rerouting of the Gretna Ferry. It is common in New Orleans to see opposing jerseys on tourists in town for big college and NFL football games. They are often wearing beads and carrying beers, daiquiris, or hand grenades (not the real ones) and big smiles.

Like I said, living in the town of Gretna (home of Zatarain's, Mel Ott, Heritage Fest, and Pelican Publishing) - a short walk from New Orleans - I have seen this same scenario again and again with my own eyes (such as a lot of Ohio State fans in scarlet and gray strolling around Canal Street and the Riverwalk high-fiving with LSU-clad folk right before the national championship two years ago). The local merchants likewise have no problem selling merchandise of the opposing team and putting them on prominent display. I have never once seen a person attacked or being rudely treated for being on the "wrong" side. To the contrary, it is a well-known fact that the local culture of New Orleans is rooted in hospitality to tourists visiting us, and though I'm sure there are exceptions, they only serve to prove the rule.

I grew up in Northeastern Ohio and worked for a while in downtown Cleveland. And I can tell you from experience, you do not want to walk around near East Ninth and Superior in a black and gold shirt. In fact, I would advise the clergy in the "best location in the nation" (the land of Ghoulardi, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the twice-"ablaze"-Cuyahoga River, and Drew Carey) to avoid wearing gold crucifixes with black clericals if it is a Steelers-Browns weekend. I'm kidding, of course - but only a little. But even all that being said, the vast majority of Browns fans were good-natured and well-behaved. There's also the whole OSU-Michigan thing as well. Now that's a rivalry that made some blood boil!

I have lived all over the country - and as much as I did enjoy my time in Philly, we honestly got out of town when any Philadelphia team was in any championship game. A lot of people in Philly secretly rooted for the visiting team out of fear of a riot. And it goes without saying that the vast majority of Philadelphians did not set cars on fire and loot and create terror. But there were enough bad apples to create a lot of bad press for the City of Brotherly Love - as well as a lot of uncomfortable residents of the city.

The Crescent City (like any other place on the globe) is not without some bad apples of her own, but the overall culture of the city, and overwhelmingly so, is joie-de-vivre and laissez les bons temps rouler.

And here is an Open Letter to the City of Miami that kind of sums up how we roll in da Big Easy.

But win or lose, there will be a parade. Of course, if we didn't have the Saints, there'd still be a parade for some reason or other, dawlin'. And for lagniappe, we been having crawfish season a p'ti bit early now that winter's jus bout ovuh. If you want to trade in the snow for some beads and king cake, jazz and blues, and hospitality that's so Southern Fried that Southern Mississippi is considered "up north," - now's the time.

Y'all come!

Sermon: Funeral of Barbara Althage

31 January 2010 at Salem Lutheran Church, Gretna, LA

Text: John 14:1-6 (Ps 25:1-9, 16-21; Rom 8:28-39)

In the name of + Jesus. Amen.

Dear Rich, Carol, Kristin, Joey, Matthew, family, friends, brothers and sisters in Christ, and dear guests:

“Peace be with you.”

With these words, our risen and victorious Lord greeted His disciples as they mourned His death: “Peace be with you.” And what a bold greeting this was from our Lord. For death is anything but peaceful. Death is the condition of our fallen world, it is the wages of sin, and it is our constant enemy. We are at war with this foe, and like the cancer that mercilessly ravaged Barbara’s body, this enemy turns even our own flesh against itself. What a contrast it was when our Lord, having just defeated death, greeted us, His beloved Church, with the words: “Peace be with you.”

For we “poor, miserable sinners” have been at war for so long – war against ourselves, war against God, war against all that is right, even war against our own bodies – that we can’t even begin to imagine what true peace is like. At best, we get little glimpses of it – when a war ends, when opponents reconcile, when an ailing body is made well. But even then, we don’t know what real peace is, the kind that St. Paul says “passes all understanding.”

But Barbara does! Her strife is over, her battle done. Alleluia.

And even as we mourn, Barbara rejoices. Even as we feel the pain of separation, Barbara truly proclaims victoriously: “O death, where is your sting?” Even as we soldier on upon this weary battleground of sickness and death, Barbara basks in the eternal glow of glory and life. That, dear friends, is the meaning of “peace.” The war is over, because the enemy is defeated.

That is why the word “peace” appears more than 340 times in Scripture. That is why people all over the word greet one another with the hopeful salutation: “peace.” The word “peace” is all over our liturgy as well, even being the last word the pastor speaks before the final “Amen.” Even this congregation, where Barbara heard the Word of God, received absolution, and took part in Holy Communion – is named “Salem” – which means “peace.”

For hear again the Prince of Peace’s comforting words to us, dear friends: “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.”

These hopeful words of promise and peace brought comfort and assurance to Barbara when it became apparent that her cancer was not going to be fixed by science and medicine. We can most certainly find peace even in the stressful valley of the shadow of death, for Jesus Himself tells us not to be troubled, but to be at peace – for He has already prepared a place for us. He would not have told us this if it were not true. For to us Christians, heaven is no mere philosophical speculation. We have the Word of Him who died, conquered death and the grave, defeated Satan, and walked victoriously out of His own tomb. And where He has gone, so will we, His beloved sheep, follow.

What joyful comfort this is for us, dear friends, even in the midst of our mourning! For indeed we mourn, but not as unbelievers. For we have hope. We have the promise: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” We have the peace that passes all understanding – even if imperfectly right now. But once again, our dear sister Barbara has that peace in its radiant fullness, and nothing will ever take that from her, nor can it be taken from us.

In fact, St. Paul has once more preached this reality into our ears and hearts though the Word of God: “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose…. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him graciously give us all things?” And “who shall separate us from the love of Christ?”

St. Paul answers His own question with a resounding “Nobody” and “Nothing.” Neither Satan nor death has the power to separate us from God’s love. Nobody and nothing can undo what the Lord Jesus Christ has done for us, and to us.

The apostle continues: “in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

That, dear friends, is the peace that the risen Christ places on all the baptized, upon all those who sins are forgiven, on all those who confess His name. Nothing will, or even can, separate us from God’s love. Not cancer. Not death. Not our sins (which have been forgiven) and not the devil (who has been defeated). Nobody and nothing.

As her time for leaving this fallen world approached, Barbara prayed with the Psalmist: “Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long.”

But now, she no longer waits, but rather stands before the God of her salvation in eternal fullness and joy. She no longer prays to know God’s ways, for she sees the Lord face to face. She no longer must plead for understanding, for now she is in the presence of the One who knows all things, who created the universe, who redeemed Barbara and all of her fellow baptized, whose Son died so that Barbara might live forever.

And while there will be difficult days ahead for all of you, and while all of us who love Barbara will continue to feel the pang of longing and loss until the coming of the time of our own victory over sin, death, and the devil – we can take comfort in the same Word of God that brought comfort to Barbara, and we can place our trust and faith in the same Christ that bore Barbara safely to His Father’s house. We can claim the same baptism in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit through which Barbara was given a second birth, buried with Christ, and raised to life eternal.

And when we kneel in the presence of the Lord Himself in His Holy Supper, we know that Barbara is also eternally present before the very same most holy body of our victorious Lord, separated from us by the thinnest of veils, and though unseen, she is truly there, singing with us the praise and glory to the Lord in whose presence she remains eternally, peacefully waiting for us to join her in the full, complete, and eternal peace of God.

That, dear brothers and sisters is Barbara’s peace. That is Christ’s peace. That is the Christian’s peace. And may that peace of God, the peace Barbara enjoys to the full, the victorious and eternal peace won for us by our Lord Jesus Christ on the cross, the peace that passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

“Peace be with you…”

...in the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Sermon: Septuagesima

31 January 2010 at Salem Lutheran Church, Gretna, LA

Text: Matt 20:1-16 (Ex 17:1-7)

In the name of + Jesus. Amen.

God is not fair. He is the kind of boss that we complain about. He pays the guy who works little the same as the guy who works a lot. When the wages are calculated on an hourly rate, the guy who makes the most by far is the one who does the least work.

God does not pay us what we deserve, and thanks be to Him that He doesn’t! For even if we may seem to be more diligent or harder working than the next person, we all know the wages we truly deserve – “the wages of sin is death.” To be honest about it, every one of us who labors in the Lord’s vineyard is pretty much worthless. We’re not exactly “employee of the month” material. Anyone who says otherwise is also a liar. We are shiftless and lazy, we are dishonest and unmotivated, we are litigious and we do nothing but grumble.

Moses knew a thing or two about grumbling. After leading the people out of Egypt, out of slavery, they griped and moaned about all sorts of things, from the lack of variety on the menu to the fact that others were not permitted to exercise the kind of authority Moses did among the people. On more than one occasion, Moses prayed the “just kill me now” prayer – which is fortunately not included in most prayer books of the Church.

In spite of the constant grumbling of the people, the Lord provided for their needs in the form of life-giving water from the rock – even though the people’s response was to doubt the Lord’s presence among them.

God has a history of not giving His people what they deserve. And again, how grateful we ought to be, dear brothers and sisters of that Rock that continues to bear life-giving water among us who grumble and complain and doubt the Lord’s presence in our midst!

In paying all of His laborers the same, in making the last first, and the first last, in granting free and full salvation to those who came to the faith early in life as well as those who have made deathbed conversions, the Lord is proving that He is indeed the Boss. And in His unfairness, He shows Himself to be merciful. In His refusal to pay wages according to the dictates of reason, He demonstrates His grace.

For which of us lazy, grumbling, dishonest, and greedy workers wants to actually be paid what we deserve?

And so how is it that St. Paul speaks of the Christian faith with an athletic metaphor? For only one person wins the gold medal. And in order to win it, an athlete must train, work hard, be diligent, and persevere. And so must we, dear friends. This is no contradiction. For the Lord Jesus has run the race and won the prize. He has gained the victor’s crown for finishing in first place. But we are His followers. As His disciples and followers, we too discipline ourselves. Not so that we can earn our own prize, but rather because we share in His. We run the race knowing that we too have a share in His prize. And that reality ought not make us lazy, but it should encourage us to train even harder, knowing that the prize of eternal life given to the Victor is given to us as well. For St. Paul says that we are “more than conquerors.”

And even as we train and practice self-discipline, even as we run with perseverance, we keep our eye on the prize so as not to lose it. For we already know it will not be taken away from us. Furthermore, we know that though our efforts do not earn us salvation, our efforts do bear fruit for the good of the kingdom, bringing more and more people to the victor’s stand with us to share the prize.

And only our own petty sense of greed could make us grumble that we share the victor’s podium with a multitude of our fellow-redeemed. Only our own sense of inflated self-worth could ever lead us to complain that we who work eleven hours are paid at the same rate as those who work only one. May it not be so among us!

And when we realize that the denarius in the parable is not just a day’s wages, but rather the unearned wages of everlasting life – that should remove from us any desire for God to be “fair” in the eyes of the world, or that we should grumble that God has “made them equal to us.” For when we realize what the denarius is, when we really comprehend how we have cheated the hangman, when we truly meditate on what it means that “salvation unto us has come,” and that “by grace I’m saved,” what, dear friends, do any of us have to gripe about?

We’re free! We’re rich beyond all measure! We are not paid according to the wages we deserve, but rather according to the wages that Jesus deserves. His work on the cross is credited to us. His bearing of the “burden of the day and the scorching heat” of his passion and death are borne unfairly by Him while we, the eleventh-hour malingerers, strut into heaven without so much as a paper cut’s worth of blood of our own by which to plead worthiness or even a drop of sweat by which we have earned salvation.

And yet Jesus does not grumble. He does not shake His fist at God and complain of the unfairness of it all. He who is first does not spurn being last. Rather He embraces this happy exchange of our sin for His righteousness, all for us, all out of love, not begrudging the Father’s generosity toward us in the least, but rather rejoicing with us and for us.

And this is the thing about the Christian faith that confounds the world. The Eastern religions teach of karma, but Christianity proclaims grace. The world speaks of revenge, and the Church proclaims forgiveness. Our sinful nature thumps its chest and cries out for fairness, while our emerging New Man drowns the Old Adam in the water that flowed from the Rock, and proclaims this “unfair” Good News before all nations.

God is indeed not fair! And we Christians, we forgiven sinners, we the undeserving redeemed and beloved of God – should not want it any other way. It is a cause of rejoicing. It is the Good News we have to offer a grumbling world stuck in karma, revenge, and delusions of self-justification. We are not paid the wages we deserve, and thanks be to God – now and unto eternity. Amen.

In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Some Helpful Hints for the Poor NFL

New Orleans Saints fans are shocked (shocked!) that the National Football League is claiming ownership of words, colors, and ethnic symbols that have been around for a long time. Here's the story.

And I know it seems natural to bash the NFL, after all, it is a ginormous corporation that has an annual budget bigger than many countries around the world, it enjoys a sweetheart congressional exemption from federal antitrust laws that everyone else is subject to, and there is a legal "good old boy" collusion between the owners of the teams, er "franchises."

Which reminds me, how about a drinking game involving whenever one of the commentators uses the word "franchise" during the Super Bowl? I'll have the B&B at the ready during the game. Somebody take my keys away from me...

Anyway, I think the poor, poor, pitiful NFL deserves our sympathy. After all, they have a lot of big salaries to pay. And let's face it, those little 30-second commercials during the Super Bowl can't pay that much. And somebody has to buy those gold rings for the champions (hopefully, the Commissioner has been hoarding some Krugerrands to melt down, have you seen the price of gold lately?).

And Father H. is here to offer some kind assistance and help to the NFL in the form of additional things for them to copyright:

• Roman numerals - The article mentions the use of Roman numerals. Obviously, Roman numerals are used to denote which Super Bowl we're watching. Claiming ownership of Roman numerals is utterly brilliant. If the NFL can secure copyrights specifically on the letters of the Roman alphabet I, V, X, L, and C, they will have a clear title to a half-millennium of Super Bowl designations, not to mention movie sequels and watch sales. But why stop there?
• Arabic numerals - The decimal system that we use today was borrowed from Arabic, and frankly, I can't believe the legal eagles at the NFL didn't consider this: every jersey worn by every player in the NFL contains Arabic numerals. Any use of the digits 0 through 9 outside of the NFL should constitute a gross infringement on the legal rights of the NFL. Grade schools across the country should be required to prominently display the NFL logo next to any use of any numbers.
• Colors - All NFL teams, er, "franchises" have a white jersey. Therefore, the color white is really the property of the NFL - whether used by paint companies, tacky Ku Klux Klan bumper stickers, or among the millions of people in the U.S. who have "White" as a last name. Also, given that the Cleveland Browns team (er, "franchise" - down the hatch!) logo is a plain field of orange (no, they were never the Cleveland Oranges, citrus doesn't grow in the Buckeye State, y'all), this color is clearly property of the National Football League, and any use or description of orange is prohibited. The country of Ireland should receive a "cease and desist" order for having a third of its national flag encroaching (five yard penalty) on the rights of the NFL. The Dutch should consult legal counsel before making historic references to William of Orange. Ditto for the citrus folks in Florida, California, and my own Louisiana.
• Foot and Ball - The "F" in NFL is short for "football." Therefore, the two constituent vocables of this compound word belong to the NFL. The league should scour podiatrist offices, companies that make 12-inch rulers, and shoe stores to monitor illegal word usages "without express written consent of the National Football League." Likewise for "ball." Major League Baseball and NBA Basketball should pay the NFL for their encroachment (another five yards...) on the property of the NFL. After all, they do have salaries to pay. I mean, Art Modell's Rolls isn't going to pay for itself. Is Art Modell still alive? Goodness, I have been away from Ohio for a long time. This B&B is really tasty...
  
• Mardi Gras - Here in New Orleans, we have a lot of merchandise that employ the combination of purple, green, and gold with the words "Mardi Gras." This juxtaposition of words and colors is right up the NFL's alley. No matter that the words "Mardi Gras" and the associated colors date back to Colonial (if not Medieval times), somebody's got to make the money and own the combo. It might as well be the NFL.
• National - There are many times in which the word "national" is used without "express written consent." First National Bank. National Car Rental. National Debt. National Anthem. The list is endless. Like I said, I am glad to help the league in any way I can...
• Saints - Many churches employ this word that is already owned by the NFL (per the article). Perhaps a royalty should be paid by Bible, hymnal, and missal publishers whenever this NFL-owned word is used. "All Saints Day" should include the NFL logo prominently displayed in the front of the church, and the hymn "For All The Saints" should really include a verse about the Pro Bowl. It's only fair.
• Eagles - This is a job for the Obama Administration and Capitol Hill. The United States' use of the logo of the Philadelphia NFL franchise (am I still legal to drive at this point?) is unconscionable. The federal government must "cease and desist."
• League - Just because the "L" is in third place in "NFL" is no excuse to let it slide. Bowling leagues, little leagues, and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea need to make sure they stop cheating the National Football League out of its fair share.

Finally, the NFL really has to put some teeth into its disclaimer (let's say it together, children):

This telecast is copyrighted by the NFL for the private use of our audience. Any other use of this telecast or any pictures, descriptions, or accounts of the game without the NFL's consent is prohibited.

Don't you love that word "descriptions"? They really need to start turning the screws here. Maybe there should be a little jar next to the water cooler at work, so when someone describes the game as "great" or describes the ghastly throwback uniforms, or when a co-worker mentions that the game went into overtime, or that the players are big, the grass is green, the football is not round, or that the referees look like zebras - they can drop a quarter into the pot.

After all, it's all about sportsmanship and following the rules. So, I'm going to be very careful here and use a legally unencumbered cheer for the New Orleans "franchise" as proposed in the article:

Who exactly is it that states they are going to defeat the football team from New Orleans?

No fleur-de-lis, no "who dat?" and no Roman numerals. I think I'm legal. But I am going to say "franchise" just one more time, because the B&B is really good tonight.

A Stellar Performance

The honey-voiced David Gilmour joins his former Pink Floyd bandmate, the gritty-throated Rick Wright, a 40-member string orchestra, lasers, his euphonic, heavenly sounding guitar, and thousands of his best friends in an epic live performance of "Comfortably Numb" in Gdansk in 2006.

Wow.

Obviously, this is a subjective value-judgment from a non-guitar player, but Gilmour's solo at the end of "Comfortably Numb" has to rank with the greatest performances of guitaric virtuosity in the short history of rock music. It is one of the few solos that I want to go on and on.

Thy Strong Word

Does anyone know of a nice recording of the hymn "Thy Strong Word" (LSB 578) by the now sainted Rev. Dr. Martin Franzmann?

It is a beloved hymn in my parish. We sang it last night at the Mass in observance of the commemoration of St. John Chrysostom (along with another profound Franzmann hymn, 586 - "Preach You the Word"). A catechumen in our parish is absolutely smitten with "Thy Strong Word" and is looking for a recording of it. It has always been one of my favorites - as are all the sermons, hymns, and poetry of Dr. Franzmann - one of the greatest wordsmiths and proclaimers of the Gospel in the history of the LCMS.

So if any of you know of a CD out there, please let me know! I would love to have a recording of it as well. YouTube did not have much to offer along the lines of what I'm looking for. So please help!

For other Franzmann texts, see the following hymns...

LSB (Lutheran Service Book):

473 - "Our Paschal Lamb That Sets Us Free"
569 - "In Adam We Have All Been One"
578 - "Thy Strong Word"
586 - "Preach You the Word"
834 - "O God, O Lord of Heaven and Earth".

In addition, there is a magnificent hymn that was in our previous hymnal, Lutheran Worship, that was not carried over into LSB, an admittedly difficult hymn, but rich and glorious nonetheless:

LW 346- "O Kingly Love" (You can find a beautifully rendered recording here).

And if you want to treat yourself to some of Franzmann's potent and poetic preaching that will resonate in your very heart and soul, you will want to pick this up post haste!