And [Abram] believed the Lord, and He counted it to him as righteousness. Gen 15:6 

Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.” Mark 5:36 

An old man who never saw his dream of having a son fulfilled.  A woman who for 12 years suffered from an illness no doctor could cure.  A man whose 12 year-old daughter has just died.  What do these have in common?  They have fear.  Fear that nothing can possibly change their lot, that any hope would be vain and self-deceiving, that people would look at them with nothing but pity.

They have one more thing in common.  God draws near, reaching out to them with His grace.  A son is promised, healing comes within reach, a prophet announces, "Do not fear, only believe."  And so they do.  They believe, putting their whole trust in the promise of God that when faith conquers fear, the power of God overcomes our weakness and bringsq the impossible to reality.

God accepts this faith as righteousness.  This faith that heals and justifies gives also peace with God.  This faith conquers all things, even death, taking hold of that life that God imparts, a life of joy that enables us to walk in the presence of God without fear.

"Do not fear, only believe."  As you read and ponder these words, think of all that frightens you.  Sadness, sickness, loneliness, depression, unemployment, addiction, persecution, hunger, violence - these and many other ghost may daily haunt and distress you.  What a comfort it is, then, when they come near, to remember the words of Jesus, and truly hear the voice of the Good Shepherd:  "Do not fear, only believe."  Assured by that voice, go forth in peace to live in faith and joy, knowing our Saviour's hand is sustaining, holding, guiding, and blessing His children.

1. Let us ever walk with Jesus,Follow His example pure,Flee the world, which would deceive usAnd to sin our souls allure.Ever in His footsteps treading,Body here, yet soul above,Full of faith and hope and love,Let us do the Father's bidding.Faithful Lord, abide with me;Savior, lead, I follow Thee. 

4. Let us gladly live with Jesus;Since He's risen from the dead,Death and grave must soon release us.Jesus, Thou art now our Head,We are truly Thine own members;Where Thou livest, there live we.Take and own us constantly,Faithful Friend, as Thy dear brethren.Jesus, here I live to Thee,Also there eternally. 

The Lutheran Hymnal, 409Sigismund von Birken, 1653

If you would like to pray...

...during Lent and need some encouragement, here's some:

Blessed Lent from VimeoLCMS on Vimeo.

2010 Photo Book

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Second Sunday after Christmas [3 Jan 10]

In memory of the Canadian military and civilian killed in Afghanistan, 2002-10.

Holy Gospel: St. Matthew 2:13-23

See how Herod seeks to destroy the saviour. First he tried to outwit the Magi into telling him where the child was to be found (v. 8). He wishes a clean, economic job: one slash of a sword shall do it. But now that his intent failed, Herod resorts to plan B – and that is messier. Let all infants in Bethlehem perish, so this one is destroyed.

See how different is God’s plan! For He wills that one perish for the salvation of all mankind. He does not look for a clean, easy job, but pays the highest price, the only way to satisfy His holiness and His mercy: that His Son should come into the world, an outcast rejected and at last put to death on a cross to bear the sin of all.

And so these two different plans have different fates. While Herod’s main effort fails to accomplish his end state – the elimination of this newborn king – God’s plan retains its course, fulfilling the prophetic words, “I called my Son out of Egypt” (Hos 11:1) and “he shall be called a Nazarene” (probably from Judges 13:5,7, “the child shall be a Nazirite.” The lack of vowels in ancient Hebrew allowed the word n^ezîr, Nazirite, to be read as Nazarene).

But what about the innocent martyrs, one asks. In the war of terror that Satan wages against Christ and his kingdom, they are civilian casualties. They just happened to be in the path of the tyrant’s random madness as he resorts to violence and bloodshed in his quest to crush the opposition and impose his rule. Christ, on the other hand, takes the route of weakness, of powerlessness, and pours out His own blood to quell the tyrant’s might and rob him of his reign.

In the sacrifice of Christ, the lives and yes, even the deaths of the innocent are vindicated. No one lives or dies in vain who trusts the work of Christ to establish justice and peace without bounds and without end.

Holy Gospel: St. Matthew 2:13-23

NKJV 13 Now when [the Magi] had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, "Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him." 14 When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt, 15 and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, "Out of Egypt I called My Son." 16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men. 17 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying: 18 "A voice was heard in Ramah, Lamentation, weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, Refusing to be comforted, Because they are no more." 19 But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, 20 saying, "Arise, take the young Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the young Child's life are dead." 21 Then he arose, took the young Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea instead of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And being warned by God in a dream, he turned aside into the region of Galilee. 23 And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, "He shall be called a Nazarene."

"Come, Your Hearts and Voices Raising"

by Paul Gerhardt, 1607-1676
The Lutheran Hymnal, 90

Come, your hearts and voices raising,
Christ the Lord with gladness praising;
Loudly sing His love amazing,
Worthy folk of Christendom.

Christ, from heaven to us descending
And in love our race befriending,
In our need His help extending,
Saved us from the wily Foe.

Jacob's Star in all its splendor
Beams with comfort sweet and tender,
Forcing Satan to surrender,
Breaking all the powers of hell.

From the bondage that oppressed us,
From sin's fetters that possessed us,
From the grief that sore distressed us,
We, the captives, now are free.

Oh, the joy beyond expressing
When by faith we grasp this blessing
And to Thee we come confessing,
That our freedom thou hast wrought!

Gracious Child, we pray Thee, hear us,
From Thy lowly manger cheer us,
Gently lead us and be near us
Till we join the angelic choir.

The Church's One Foundation (LSB 644)

Samuel J. Stone, 1866.
The Lutheran Hymnal, 473.

The Church's one foundation Is Jesus Christ, her Lord;
She is His new creation By water and the Word.
From heaven He came and sought her To be His holy bride;
With His own blood He bought her, And for her life He died.

Elect from every nation, Yet one o'er all the earth,
Her charter of salvation One Lord, one faith, one birth.
One holy name she blesses, Partakes one holy food,
And to one hope she presses, With every grace endued.

The Church shall never perish! Her dear Lord, to defend,
To guide, sustain, and cherish, Is with her to the end.
Though there be those that hate her. False sons within her pale,
Against both foe and traitor She ever shall prevail.

Though with a scornful wonder Men see her sore oppressed,
By schisms rent asunder, By heresies distressed,
Yet saints their watch are keeping; Their cry goes up, "How long?"
And soon the night of weeping Shall be the morn of song.

Mid toil and tribulation And tumult of her war
She waits the consummation Of peace forevermore,
Til with the vision glorious Her longing eyes are blest
And the great Church victorious Shall be the Church at rest.

Yet she on earth has union With God, the Three in One,
And mystic sweet communion With those whose rest is won.
O blessed heavenly chorus! Lord, save us by your grace
That we, like saints before us, May see you face to face.

How often do we find ourselves in distress over the future of the church! Our values seem overthrown everywhere, the childlike faith in Christ’s promises almost extinct, regard for His word and sacraments a remnant of medieval times, commitment to the pure doctrine and confession the pursuit of the antiquated intolerant, love for the liturgy an eccentricity.

As we look around, religious organizations seem to thrive on shallow messages, disposable music and entertaining worship. The “church” becomes more about us than about Him: what we do to attract and retain the crowds, what we feel while we’re together, what kind of services we get out of the institution.

Penned by Anglican minister Samuel Stone to catechise his South African parish, the words of this hymn teach and confess what we must believe according to Holy Scripture – the church rests on one foundation, the Lord Jesus Christ, who died to make her alive. What a comfort to be reminded that the church shall never perish, for her Lord defends her from all evil, both from within and from without.

May the Lord strengthen His church that she may never tire of being faithful, and that the roaring of the enemy may never scatter her away from the blessed union with the triune God and the mystic communion with those who finished their course. Then, saved by God’s grace, the church will rest at last, triumphant, seeing not with the eyes of faith, but with her very own eyes the heavenly Bride shall in unquenchable joy contemplate her Beloved’s face.

Let us pray:
1. Lord, keep us steadfast in Thy Word;
Curb those who fain by craft and sword
Would wrest the Kingdom from Thy Son
And set at naught all He hath done.

2. Lord Jesus Christ, Thy power make known,
For Thou art Lord of lords alone;
Defend Thy Christendom that we
May evermore sing praise to Thee.

3. O Comforter of priceless worth.
Send peace and unity on earth.
Support us in our final strife
And lead us out of death to life. Amen.
(Martin Luther, 1541)

Te lucis ante terminum

Latin, c. 5th to 9th century
Translated by John Mason Neale, 1818-66.

Before the ending of the day,
Creator of the world, we pray
That with Thy wonted favor, Thou
Wouldst be our guard and keeper now.

From all ill dreams defend our eyes,
From nightly fears and fantasies;
Tread under foot our ghostly foe,
That no pollution we may know.

O Father, that we ask be done,
Through Jesus Christ, Thine only Son;
Who, with the Holy Ghost and Thee,
Doth live and reign eternally.

In an age of electric light and reasonable safety, we may find this old treasure of catholic hymnody strange. I still remember one of my professors at seminary (!) decrying the antiquate character of Luther's morning prayer, in which we thank God for keeping us "this night from all harm and danger."

I guess that gentleman had learned the secular ways of taking for granted the gracious preservation that the Creator of all things extends to us out of fatherly, divine goodness and mercy, without any merit or worthiness on our part. For yes, even amid the social unrest that haunts our society, we have come a long way from the ancient times, in which the hours of darkness lay unprotected by police, alarms, etc.

In those days people had no defence from evildoers. And so the church would pray for the One who never slumbers or sleeps to guard her from all evil of body and soul. Compline, the service at the close of the day, would frame this hymn with prayers like the following:

Thou, O Lord, art in the midst of us,
and we are called by Thy Name;
leave us not, O Lord our God. (Jeremiah. 14:9.)

Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping;
That awake we may watch with Christ
And asleep we may rest in peace.

I will lay me down in peace, and sleep:
For Thou, LORD, only, makest me dwell in safety. (Psalm 4:8)

Into Thy hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit,
For Thou hast redeemed us, O LORD, Thou God of truth. (Psalm 31:5)

Praise be to God for His faithful protection, and let us not forget all His benefits to us, but with humble hearts evermore raise our songs and prayers to His throne, where the Spirit makes them perfect and the Son makes them acceptable in the sight of the Father.

Let us pray:
Visit, we beseech thee, O Lord, this habitation,
and drive far from it all snares of the enemy:
let thy holy angels dwell herein, to preserve us in peace;
and let thy blessing be always upon us.
Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord,
who liveth and reigneth with thee,
in the unity of the Holy Ghost,
ever one God, world without end. Amen.


P.S.: My deep gratitude to Rev. Benjamin Mayes and Rev. Michael Frese, without whose work in putting together "The Brotherhood Prayerbook" I might never discover such treasures of the church.

How lovely shines the Morning Star (TLH 343/LSB 395)

Philipp Nicolai, 1556-1608

How lovely shines the Morning Star!
The nations see and hail afar
The light in Judah shining.
Thou David's Son of Jacob's race,
My Bridegroom and my King of Grace,
For Thee my heart is pining.
Lowly,
Holy,
Great and glorious,
Thou victorious
Prince of graces,
Filling all the heavenly places.

O highest joy by mortals won,
True Son of God and Mary's Son,
Thou high-born King of ages!
Thou art my heart's most beauteous Flower,
And Thy blest Gospel's saving power
My raptured soul engages.
Thou mine,
I Thine;
Sing hosanna!
Heavenly manna
Tasting, eating,
Whilst Thy love in songs repeating.

Now richly to my waiting heart,
O Thou, my God, deign to impart
The grace of love undying.
In Thy blest body let me be,
E'en as the branch is in the tree,
Thy life my life supplying.
Sighing,
Crying.
For the savor
Of Thy favor;
Resting never,
Till I rest in Thee forever.

A pledge of peace from God I see
When Thy pure eyes are turned to me
To show me Thy good pleasure.
Jesus, Thy Spirit and Thy Word,
Thy body and Thy blood, afford
My soul its dearest treasure.
Keep me
Kindly
In Thy favor,
O my Savior!
Thou wilt cheer me;
Thy Word calls me to draw near Thee.

Thou, mighty Father, in Thy Son
Didst love me ere Thou hadst begun
This ancient world's foundation.
Thy Son hath made a friend of me,
And when in spirit Him I see,
I joy in tribulation.
What bliss
Is this!
He that liveth
To me giveth
Life forever;
Nothing me from Him can sever.

Lift up the voice and strike the string.
Let all glad sounds of music ring
In God's high praises blended.
Christ will be with me all the way,
Today, tomorrow, every day,
Till traveling days be ended.
Sing out,
Ring out
Triumph glorious,
O victorious,
Chosen nation;
Praise the God of your salvation.

Oh, joy to know that Thou, my Friend,
Art Lord, Beginning without end,
The First and Last, Eternal!
And Thou at length – O glorious grace! –
Wilt take me to that holy place,
The home of joys supernal.
Amen,
Amen!
Come and meet me!
Quickly greet me!
With deep yearning
Lord, I look for Thy returning.

Each morning we wake up to a new light-flooded day and, guided by the sunlight, we go about our work. In this hymn by Lutheran pastor Phillip Nikolai, that light is not taken for granted. The appearance in the sky of the morning star gives the clue for the author’s singing of Christ, the light of the world and the bright star that guides the church in this world of darkness. With Christ, our morning star fair and bright, we begin the task of our day rejoicing.

This is a hymn that transcends any brief reflection. The marvellous tune, “Wie schön leuchtet,” also known as “the queen of chorales,” is matched to a text of deep evangelical piety, a true teacher of the most genuine Lutheran faith. The true Son of God becomes Mary’s son; He comes to earth to give His life for us that we may live for Him and say: “Thou mine, I Thine; Sing hosanna!”

That union, in which the Son of God binds us to Himself with cords of sacrificial love, finds its most profound expression in the Sacrament of the Altar. There He gives us His body to eat, His blood to drink, that we become branches of the life-giving vine and members of His body, the church.

In this life-giving supper God reveals the love He had for us before the world’s foundation, revealed now in the appearance of His Son in the flesh to make of us, who where enemies, friends of God. This assurance that the Living Christ is our source of life helps us sing even in tribulation, for nothing can separate us from God since the body and blood of Christ have united us to Him.

This is the Christian faith. We live under the cross, yet we rejoice, for Christ bore our sins on His cross to crown us with His glory. "Christ will be with me all the way, Today, tomorrow, every day;" and so we go into our earthly vocations – our jobs or roles in which as a holy priesthood we praise God in serving our neighbour. We rise each new morning, begin each new year, with the prayer that the Lord will soon come and take us into the eternal rest in His kingdom:

“I, Jesus, have sent my angel
to testify to you about these things for the churches.
I am the root and the descendant of David,
the bright morning star.”
The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.”
And let the one who hears say, “Come.”
And let the one who is thirsty come;
let the one who desires take the water of life without price.
He who testifies to these things says,
“Surely I am coming soon.”
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!

Revelation 22:16.17.20