All Saints' Blog

Where have we been?  There was the short and intense Canadian summer.  There were irritants with online activity, including some malware on this blog.  There were travels and visitors and books to read.  We also adopted a new diet and cooking program, one more plant-based, as they say, which required a considerable amount of time and dedication to implement.  Indeed, I am spending much more time in the kitchen. What can we do.

But, I have missed the blogging, as of late.  I think mostly, it is the mental hygiene of getting somethings off your mind and onto the page.  Moreover, there is a benefit to exercising vocabulary, before losses to inevitable old age or declining brain power use up the neural circuits.  Use it or lose it.  Also, blogging puts things into your mind as your use it.  Your focus is sharpened. There is clarity that emerges, which is vastly better than grey fogginess, which is symbolized by the weather that has crept up on us.

So, as the more dreary, darker days of winter descend on us, together with the snow in the forecase, I think I would like to post some more.  Google Blogger wants me to start a different blog.  I wonder about this, as my format is very old.  I will have to think about this.  For now, good wishes for a good week and blessings for the days of All Saints' and Reformation.  Yesterday, we put the family fun of spooky Halloween behind us for another year, but more constructively, we now want to consider the eternal home of our souls with the Lord, which is granted to us purely out of his immeasurable, and superabundant grace, the fount of all true and lasting joy and pleasure.  Thanks be to God.

I feel better already.

From my a friend

Why do you need to be online?  He asks me.  US Government recruits people to disrupts other people's websites, destroy reputations...

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-02-24/conspiracy-theory-true-agents-infiltrate-websites-intending-manipulate-deceive-and-d

Hitchens Who? Funny how real life is.

We live in the wild west.  People drink beer, watch hockey, women scrapbook.  Many golf when it is not winter, which is not much of the year.  Many have horses...

I am stereotyping.  They are dear.  But say to one of them:  "Christopher Hitchens died."  They say:  "Who is that?"  This is why I can't give up my on-line life, though I often wish I did.

Blogging slow down

Dear Friends:  what happened to this blog?  It's been two weeks, or so.

Mostly, after going through Flannery O'Connor's letters, I have been reading some authors I never read before:  Nathaniel Hawthorne and Ralph Waldo Emerson.  Emerson I don't like as much as Hawthorne, and the whole Isolationist and Transcendental scene is problematic to me, as far as I can know it and understand it, at this point.  Still, it seems good to me to know what they were about.

I also did a little bit of translating for James Swan, here.  It is always great fun for me to translate some Luther. The original sermon was found here.  It might be worth looking at in its entirety some other time.  It is a worthwhile treatment regarding faith and love. Basically, faith needs to be exercised in love, or it will be weak and gradually go out altogether.  Still, we cannot be saved by our having love but only by trusting in Christ's work.

Today, it snowed for the first time this winter.  This was no surprise and we are ready for it,  having enjoyed a long and wonderful fall.  I pray everyone will stay safe on winter roads and drive carefully according to the conditions.

Also, I've got into the habit of going swimming regularly and am hoping I can keep up the habit when it gets to be really cold and a person neither feels like going out or getting wet.

So much for today.  :)

Blogging in September

We need to finish the Becker, but there won't be much blogging possible in September.

New blog

http://goandmake.ca/

Rev. Glenn Schaeffer has started a blog on missions!

"Stop Forwarding..."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPkSjtbL8Bw&feature=player_embedded

Commenting here

I've been commenting here:

http://www.calledtocommunion.com/2010/12/signs-of-predestination-a-catholic-discusses-election/

"All Morgen ist ganz frisch und neu, des Herren Gnad und grosse Treu"

[If you think, I am blogging too much for a time when I am not blogging, you might be right.  But this did not take long, nor was hard to do, nor made me open any book, which is the key right now.  It's just sending me on my day singing.]  [English further down.]

All Morgen ist ganz frisch und neu
Johannes Zwick -
1. All Morgen ist ganz frisch und neu
des Herren Gnad und große Treu;
sie hat kein End den langen Tag,
drauf jeder sich verlassen mag.
2. O Gott, du schöner Morgenstern,
gib uns, was wir von dir begehrn:
Zünd deine Lichter in uns an,
laß uns an Gnad kein Mangel han.
3. Treib aus, o Licht, all Finsternis,
behüt uns, Herr, vor Ärgernis,
vor Blindheit und vor aller Schand
und reich uns Tag und Nacht dein Hand,
4. zu wandeln als am lichten Tag,
damit, was immer sich zutrag,
wir stehn im Glauben bis ans End
und bleiben von dir ungetrennt



Sometimes, I wake up with this song in my head. It can be sung much more cheerfully and energetically than on this video.  It strikes a clarion call with the three high notes in the beginning:  "All Morgen ist ganz frisch und neu, des Herren Gnad und grosse Treu!!!"  --  "Every morning is fresh and new--the Lord's grace and great faithfulness!!!!!!!"

It's just a fabulous first line to begin with.  Start it nice and high and loud.  Like a trumpet blast.

For some reason I know the whole song by heart.  We must have used it often.  I also used to play in a brass band like this where all the congregational singing was led by it.

I'll give you the rest of the song.  It does not seem to be in the LSB.

1.  Every morning is fresh and new, the Lord's great grace and faithfulness.  It has no end the entire day long; you may rely on it.

2.  Oh, God, you beautiful morning star, give us what we desire of you;  in us, strike up your light, so that we shall have no lack of your grace.

3.  O Light, drive out all darkness;  protect us, O Lord, from all trouble, from blindness and all confounding;  hold out your hand to us all day.

4. That we shall walk as in the light of day, so that no matter what happens, we stand in faith until the very end and nothing can separate us from you.

(It strikes me now, that Zwick was from Switzerland, that this hymn is more Reformed than Lutheran.  Maybe that's why it's not in the LSB. Though it speaks so beautifully about God's grace and light, it does not mention any Means of Grace. So when we Lutherans rise in the morning to recall God's grace, we recall our baptism into the name of the triune God, specifically.  A full reassurance.)

Christ have Mercy 1

The Foreword is by Rev. Ray Wilke.  He is saying that people in the LCMS have been doing all kinds of mercy missions all along, but they need a theological framework.

"Our presentation of the Gospel must be based on good scholarly theology or we cannot function.  We dabble in feelings, but we don't trust them.  We respect authority, but we don't submit to the 'Vicar of Christ'.  We think logically but we are suspect of 'reason'.  What are we to do with all of Jesus' invitations to follow Him into the muddle and misery of people's lives?  If it doesn't fit the formula of Word and Sacrament, we struggle.  Well, perhaps there is more to Word and Sacrament ministry than we thought.  What if the evidence was there all along, lying right there, undiscovered, int eh Word, in the confessions, in the writing of our revered Church Fathers?  What if it could be proven from good sound theology that the urges of our heart to help the ones who have been beaten down sprig from Christ's own heart?  These urges toward acts of human mercy are bound to the cross and to the cup and to the inviolable Word, even to the water poured over to vicariously make us righteous.  The evidence of such things is all there, buried int he writings of Luther, the Confessions, and the church Fathers, waiting to be translated and interpreted and arranged into what has become known as systematic theology."

Nothing new is going to be said, but lets pull some things together to fit into our systematic theology, so it will help us.  These things have always been there, is what is asserted.

Another interesting part of the Foreward is the quote and use of a passage from the Smalcald Articles.

This is what Luther wrote in the Smalcald Articles:  "We will now return to the Gospel, which does not give us counsel and aid against sin in only one way.  God is superabundantly generous in His grace:  First, through the spoken Word, by which the forgiveness of sins is preached in the whole world (Luke 24).  This is the particular office of the Gospel.  Second, through Baptism.  third,through the holy Sacrament of the Altar.  Fourth, through the Power of the Keys.  Also through the mutual conversation and consolation of brethren.'  How few Lutheran believers recall that Luther identified this consolation as an extension of the gospel and therefore as a means of grace.  How powerful has become this fireside/riverside/ bedside/field and forest conversation among us, even while not being fully aware that it is truly a God-ordained conversation and consolation that we share.

Indeed, the 'mutual conversation and consolation of brethren' might be overheard by a refugee mother and child who are waiting outside a portable LCMS World Relief and Human Care clinic in Malakal, Sudan.  An Islamic tsunami widow in the east of India may hear with gladness the 'mutual conversation and consolation of brethren' when it is served with bandages, food, and shelter for her fatherless children.

Truly, there is nothing new here and we know exactly what Christ said and did.

Personally, I don't see myself anywhere in a foreign country any time soon, but the message applies to each of us individually and as a congregation corporately.  We are all called to say something to help each other and to bring this into a myriad of situations, and not just to say but also do.  Still, let's not forget to say when doing, whenever the time is right.

In terms of the blogging, I think that's why many of us like it.  There is a mutual consolation found, which is a great gift.  Sometimes, when you don't get a response and everyone is busy, or you don't know what someone is thinking, it does not seem very mutual and it feels like upward slogging all by yourself.  So, for those who read, it is really nice if you say something.  :)   So, it's good to have a statcounter, which tells you that someone at least has been reading, and there is grace in that.

This quote makes me think of another thing.  Sometimes you hear people talk of Bible study as a "pooling of ignorance".  I think that is a destructive comment.  It can occasionally be that.  And there are different kinds of Bible studies.  Some are lecture format and they are good.  Other Bible studies are more discussion oriented and these allow people to express something of their own faith.  This is good practice.  If you can learn to say something about the mercy you know in Jesus Christ, you might actually be ready to say it to someone else outside of the church and maybe even in a hostile setting. 

Personally, I'm very big on these studies.  If there is a conflict and I have to chose between going to divine service and Bible study, I tend to go to the Bible study.  Sadly, I find they are not to be had very many places.  We have let them slide and go by the wayside.  This is a totally destructive trend.  President Bugbee talks a lot about our Biblical illiteracy and he is right. 

So much for today.

Brahms and Requiems/Michael Spencer

I-Monk, Michael Spencer died on Easter Monday.  He was only 53 and well-loved and will be sorely missed, having been taken rather suddenly.  I enjoyed reading and commenting on his blog.  I have no idea how he did all the things he did.  We did not agree  with all of  his theology, but he made many think about the right things and he questioned very bravely  many wrong things.  In a sense he was a bit of a giant, speaking truth and allowing people to meet and talk that usually would not.

He had a way of making it happen, though he sometimes shut down conversations and comments we thought we should have been able to make. I almost was moderated a couple of times.  (Only almost.)   But he was an honest, humble, transparent person who knew that his only hope was in Jesus Christ.  Would that somebody could say that about me in the end.  Thanks be to God who can bring us to this grace.

For all mourners, which are many, here is a bit of Brahm's requiem which was performed in Edmonton this Good Friday.  Someone brought me the program, since I had to miss it.  It would have been amazing to go.  On Wikipedia, you can have all the words in German and English, all Bible passages from Luther's translation, as well as the music. Scroll down just a little.  It does not seem the right music for the Kentuckian.  But the words are good for us all.   I will always remember the way he said "I".  I sounded like "AAHH".  When Jesus says:  "Michael Spencer".  He'll say:  "AAHH'm here."

What to do with this blog

Somewhere along the line, this blog made it onto Google consciousness. For example when you go to Google Images and search for "silesia expulsion" (I hate to type it here because now the poor googlers will be directed to this useless post) you will find that my grandpa's picture comes up first. If you type in "silesia expulsion" not searching for images, it's on the first page, too. Thus most times I post something, it ends up googled. The last post has a picture and story of Solomon, so I would not be surprised if someone googles Solomon, they will have that listing.

Nothing I write is thought through well enough to send helpless googlers over here. I feel kind of bad for them, though I think my grandpa's picture is very good. Makes me think I should either disable the google feature or create a better blog.

Conversation with Man from South America

In Calgary, last week, it became my chore to run an errand that involved riding a shuttle bus with one other person, the driver--a man, not young, originally from South America for about 40 min. (The above is not his real picture, btw.)

He was a real talkative guy, preacher material and he preached. I introduced myself first and he told me a bunch of things about himself right away. By the time we were in the vehicle, we already knew each other's family situations, how many children, grandchildren, how we like the Canadian winters and that I lost a son on an icy road. Being a family man, he was truly sympathetic.

By the time we hit Memorial Drive, he knew about what am doing, not doing, my education, my church involvement.

WELL! HE! is a kind of Catholic, but only to honor his mother. He has all these beefs about the church, etc. I always tell these disgruntled Catholic's that they would make very good Lutherans. But that's not what he wanted to hear.

No, no, no, when Jesus Christ comes, and he will come for sure (!), we will know by sure by his DNA (???) says the man. Christ will get his DNA checked out and we will know. Says I that's not what we're told how we'll know. Anyhow, make a long story short, Jesus Christ will be some kind of revolutionary setting up a brand new world on this earth. But he is not God and there is no eternal life, says he vehemently, after I inquire of him.

Says I, that's not what he said, and revolutionaries and Utopian dreams this world has also seen plenty of. I am going with a bunch of stuff from Uwe Siemon-Netto now. I pick on all his communist favorites, and how they all set up their own dictatorships and elite systems. How we can certainly work on improving our systems, but Christ's own kingdom is not of this world and he said so.

That was one thread. One other one had to do with all the badmouthing of Christianity he is always listening to on these rides, but really the Bible is a book of love, says he. There was a Muslim rider who told him about how everything a Christian believes the Muslim believes, too, that God is the same and Christ is the prophet, etc. but then he flips it around and says that the Christian God is really bad and punishes, and the apple in the garden all had to do with sex, and God demolished Sodom and Gomorrah, and all that is unjust, and God kills here and there and everywhere, and the crusades were bad, and the inquisition was bad, and now the poor Muslim gets blamed for 9-11, when it's really God's doing.

Somehow, he had absorbed this idea that God is to blame for everything and man for nothing, which needed to be countered. Human beings are always killing, yes, sometimes in the name of various religions, but more often in the name of no religion. A dozen atheist dictators killed 140 million civilians in the last century along (Truth Project). Etc.

Then he tells me about some "controversial" book that is coming out of South America, something to do with the Jews, etc. blah, blah, I interrupt him, we're almost back now, he talked for at least 80% of the time, and time for this non-sense to get a final reply. I picked up on his idea of the Bible being a book of love, and that it is we who are to be blamed and it is wrong to blame God, that Christ died for the forgiveness of sins, and what is changed are hearts not governements, that he said so himself, and that he promised everlasting life through him.

Then we were at the door and he wished me a good day, and I him. He did not seem entirely happy with me. He did say it was a good conversation and that I had listened to him.

May the Lord, make it so some good.

What this exchange makes me wonder is how many Christians would actually say something against all this non-sense and anti-Christian rhetoric. Are we in touch with what goes on in other people's minds? Are we ready? Do we need to prepare better? Do we need to learn and practice more apologetics? How much? How have things changed from the books we used to learn from regarding cults and other religions? Do we need additional confessional material that deals with all these other attacks?

From the blogging, I think, I can carry on a conversation like this without raising the blood pressure.

On the other hand, in talking with Martin, I wonder how much the RC church is involved in hardening poor people in South America, if it is implicated in a lot of oppression. Martin thought it might be. There are some cultural things, which we may not be aware of.

In any case, I keep running into people who are very sour on the Catholic church, and they, like some ex-Mormons, now don't want to have anything to do with a biblical Christ or the Christian church, which is terribly sad.

When I got back, and told my sister-in-law about this encounter she wondered how I get into these conversations and how on earth do you figure out what to say. It's really not that difficult, once you reveal anything about what you yourself think and believe or you mention Christ, or ask them questions about themselves. You have to have it in your mind, that you would like to have this conversation. This one, however, was dropped into my lap. Deal with it, Brigitte. But generally, it's easier with non-Canadians. Canadians can be non-controversial in the extreme. I'd rather talk with a hot South American revolutionary than deal with bland nothingness.

Blogging adventures

Cleaning is moving along. Friend coming over stay for a while. The path to the treadmill is cleared now. Perhaps we will use it.

Interesting thread I've been involved in. Interesting to me, at least. James Swan has kindly mentioned my Fabricated Luther series of posts in it. Paul McCain's answer is perhaps the most sensible one in the context.

I'll finish typing yesterday's devotion by Giertz, as well. It just finishes beautifully with a prayer one should think about.

There was a revival in Ephesus and many came forth and confessed what they had done. It's part of a true conversion to confess that one has lied, to make up for the damage one caused others, to as one's enemies for forgiveness, or to return things that one came into the possession of in a wrong way or kept out of negligence.

Among the things that emerged from the people in Ephesus were the superstitions that existed among this modern and enlightened people. Witchcraft and magic, which entails trying to control and benefit from covert powers, have always existed as a degenerate side of religion. They can be conquered only by a vibrant faith. In Europe these practices and superstitions were prevalent until the national revivals of the 1800s. They continue even today, and show signs of increasing and returning in new and different forms (such as amulets and horoscopes and belief in lucky and unlucky days). This is a natural consequence of the disappearance of a living faith. When Christ becomes our Savior, we see that this kind of fear for unknown forces and all attempts to appease them is just a lack of faith and idol worship.

Lord, reveal for me everything I should confess to others. Help me to make amends for everything I can. Lord, is there anything I've hidden and tried to forget that stands between us? If there is anyone who is suffering or mourning for my sake, Lord, show me the way to make it right again. and if I can't bless twofold whomever I've caused grief and injury to. You can turn evil into good and damage into profit. If this can happen through me, so be it, for Your name's sake.

I suppose it's also another item to keep in mind when blogging--not to inflict grief or injury.

Blogging, the public ministry and Priscilla, and Bo Giertz

I am cleaning house, can you tell. (Did some already.)

In this house we read from the Giertz devotions periodically, truly, we do (To Live with Christ, CPH), never from the right place, though. Today we were on p. 640. Here we have a devotion on Acts 19:18 "Many of those who were now believers came, confessing and divulging their practices."

Giertz writes:
...Ephesus, which is in ruins today, used to be the fourth largest city in the Roman Empire. There were already the beginnings of a church here under the leadership of the learned Apollos, who was instructed by the tent maker Aquila, or probably even more so by his wife, Priscilla. In the ancient church, everyone realized their duty to bring others to the faith. Only men appeared in public as teachers, according to the commandment of God, but in private it was not only a right by a duty for a christian--man or woman--to clearly show the way of God when someone found that another Christian lacked the necessary knowledge. this happened quite often. Many became disciples of Christ during His lifetime, then left Palestine. They weren't there at Easter or Pentecost. Maybe they were baptized by John in the Jordan River. Therefore, there may have been dedicated disciples who spoke of Jesus without having been baptized and without having heard the news of God fulfilling His promise of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Apollos was one of those disciples, along with the twelve men Paul met when he came to Ephesus. We see that they immediately were acknowledged as christian brothers, but at the same time it was made clear to them what was lacking, and they were grateful to find that out.

I've heard or read Bror make this distinction between the public ministry and what people like Priscilla were doing and we read it here in Giertz.

I think women can be super-good at correcting people. It must be from the child-rearing instinct and practice. However, men are not their children and it is better if a woman thinks twice about making a kerfuffle or scene about anything even in private.

Now, let's say we agree with this distinction. Women did not take the public role, but all Christians witnessed where ever they could. How does this distinction apply to say our current practice of blogging. Is it private or public? In a way it is privately in public. Nobody has to read it or take it seriously, nor does it necessarily get read at all or widely read, yet it could be.

Surprisingly, many of the very good theological blogs are apparently participated in by a lot of males. I am really glad to see it, quite heartened in fact. Often it seems the women are willing to do all the work in the church, but in theological discussion and debates, the men are very passionate in defending the Gospel and teaching. Very, very heartening.

I've also heard it said, that a blog of both male and female commenting helps people get the perspective of the opposite sex, which is something perhaps men in seminary have missed out on. Well, that could be. Dialogue is always good.

Where does that leave the women bloggers? No idea. Maybe they should be cleaning their houses. Ok, back to that. Blog again some other time.

Blogging's top hits here

I do have a site meter on the blog and I will tell you what happens. When I'm in low blogging mode and not leaving comments somewhere else, there are about 10 readers per day and maybe 20 page loads, not counting my own when I'm fiddling with a post, or accidental traffic, or Google searches. Maybe average. I am surprised at who does read along and will mention it to me and who does not. People seem to either like the medium or not (or maybe the posts or not :)). It's nice to get comments. I appreciate them all. You don't feel like you exist in a vacuum. Sometimes the German aunts are there. Sometimes not. And so on and so it goes. Lot's of fun.

When I'm commenting a lot elsewhere, the count goes up a significantly. But I feel I need to limit myself, because I could probably blog all day, and have done that, too.

What is interesting from the site meter log is which entries attract people from Google searches. Recently, the "Motherhood Quotes" post started generating a lot of traffic. In that post was also a quote by Nancy Friday, whom I did not know about. But she must have written some interesting sexual stuff, as Google is bringing in some unusual connections (Islamabad via "masturbation techniques"--wrong blo-og!).

The other terms creating Google traffic are "Tilmann Riemenschneider", "Frankfurt airport" and the road trips mentioning cities and states. Occasionally something comes via Luther topics. The winner, however, is by far "Motherhood Quotes" and "Nancy Friday", which is all quotes and nothing I've written.

For Tante Ilse

Tante Ilse from Hannover sent me an e-mail about the blogging and how I should keep doing it. Thanks, Tante Ilse. You can leave a comment in German, too, if you feel like it.

The situation at our house has changed somewhat over the last few days. Where there were so many people to hug and talk to everyday, mostly quite briefly, we are still talking to people but in longer conversations with fewer individuals. This still takes a lot of time. In fact, I've spent the whole morning talking to one dear old friend, Stefan's birthmom and my sister.

Someone told me, just let things go to message, but really, these are important conversations. These conversations are not something one really blog about either.

Thanks for all the phone calls from Hannover. Love to all.

To blog or not to blog

The last two weeks I've been conflicted about blogging. Is it frivolous to blog when you are burying your child?

Blogging allowed me to share with more people than I had time to communicate with otherwise. It allowed me to hang to more positive thoughts than I might have otherwise. It allowed me to post the sermon, where it is accessible. It allowed me to say things when I had the time and felt like it. It gave me some control to arrange thoughts and pictures, when there was not much control otherwise. It was a bit of a help and a crutch. I won't judge myself for it.

Yet, I feel I need to stop for a while or at least to try and curtail it. But if it's going to be blogging vs. Valium, I will go to the blogging.

Relativity

At some point in our theological lives, we learn that time and space were created. This seemed revolutionary to me the first time I heard it.

Somehow, time and space seem fixed forever, measured easily by clocks and sticks. Yet, Einstein convinced everyone that time is not so manageable. If you fly around the universe at the speed of light, you will end up in different time.

With God, a day is like a thousand years and vice versa.

With me, a couple of hours on the computer are like 10 minutes, and 10 minutes of cleaning seem like a couple of hours. It seems like all the clocks are wrong. Has this happened to you? If I could split myself in two, the computing half would be centuries ahead of the cleaning half.

The twelfth post--to blog or not to blog

This is my twelfth post. Why blog? People have read the posts, but rarely comment.

Blogging is like planting a little flag in cyberspace. I was here and this is my spot. You may join me if you like.

Some cannot understand why one would put oneself out there when you could use the time retreating into your private sphere. I think it depends on how busy you are and what your needs are at the time. If I were teaching school right now, I certainly would not chose to spend any extra time on the computer, other than researching and making up assignments. Nor would I care to connect with any more people than I already am. However, there are teachers, professors and pastors on wonderful, interesting blogs.

One thing I've found is that spending time thinking about what to post helps me focus on positive things. When one spends too much time just thinking, one inevitably tends to veer to the side, like a car needing a wheel-alignment.

I know I am not the only one who starts focusing on what I should have done, could have done, what others should have done, could have done... The possibilities are endless. I know many people, often women, young and old, who are very angry and accusing. They have obviously spent too much time thinking about how they have been wronged. Of course, their concerns can be highly legitimate. Yet, it does not help to go on and on, to magnify, ruminate, go deeper and wider.

Instead of accusing (which is occasionally indeed necessary), it would be better to try to understand. Blogging helps understand others and yourself. It exercises creativity and writing skills. It can make you think about what matters.