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Therefore the church is a mouth-house, not a pen-house, for since Christ’s advent that Gospel is preached orally which before was hidden in written books. It is the way of the Gospel and of the New Testament that it is to be preached and discussed orally with a living voice. Christ Himself wrote nothing, nor did he give command to write, but to preach orally. Thus the apostles were not sent out until Christ came to His mouth-house, that is, until the time had come to preach orally and to bring the Gospel from dead writing and pen-work to the living voice and mouth. From this time the Church is rightly called Bethphage, since she has and hears the living voice of the Gospel.
- Blessed Martin Luther, Church Postil for Advent 1
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A New Testament teacher must be taught by God (Jeremiah 31:33-34); in his heart must be the light of divine truth and the law of divine commandments; then he will be able to teach others with good effect. The divine service of the New Testament consists not of much ceremony and opulent display, but it is inward; it consists in the inner peace and joy of the heart, as stated in Luke 17:21: "God's kingdom is within you." Therefore, a proper New Testament teacher looks first to the edification of the inner man. however, if that is to happen, the teacher must himself speak from his own inner man.
We are given here a further mark of the proper teacher: He does not regard the person of another man. Why? He knows that he serves God and must give an account of his service to Him alone, as St. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 4:3-5: "It is a small thing to be judged by you or by a human court." The reason soon follows: "It is the Lord who judges me, therefore do not judge before the time when the Lord comes."
Hence, when a teacher wishes to conduct his office rightly, he must have a strong and pure love for God. He must not strive to please anyone other than God alone, and must not fear to displease anyone other than God alone. This is why, before Christ enjoined Peter to tend His sheep [John 21:15], He asked him several times: "Peter, do you love Me?" Wherever this love does not exist, one cannot accomplish the goals of a proper teaching ministry. He who highly regards the favor or disfavor of men will stray from the guiding principle of his profession. Thus, St. Paul says: "If I were to please men, I would not be Christ's servant." [Galatians 1:10]. Whoever prefers men's approval to that of God will ultimately lose both; for in death man's favor cannot help him, and he has forfeited god's grace as well. There will be nothing to bring peace to his heart. God's grace endures forever; man's grace is inconsistent and fleeting. Whoever sets his heart on the eternity of divine grace will easily disregard the lowly grace of man.
--Blessed Johann Gerhard, Postil for Trinity XXIII, Postilla, Volume 2, page 235
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In particular, it was not the external Synodical constitution that was to be the bond of unity. "Our Lutheran Church has no special ecclesiastical constitution to hold it together," wrote F. Pieper in 1880. Therefore the various Lutheran churches throughout the world have very different constitutions. "To the true unity of the church," he continued, "there belongs, as our Confession says, only the pure Word and the right administration of the sacraments. The fact that the sects put so much stock in external forms is due to the fact that they do not maintain the distinction between Law and Gospel." The whole point of the Synodical arrangements, Pieper wrote in his later essay on church government, is to implement, not to supplement the Word of God:
"Therefore also we elect as Visitors and Presidents not people who are perhaps clever with documents or are better versed than others in our 'Synodical Handbook,' but people who are well experienced in God's Word and are better able than others clearly to present and apply it with reference to existing circumstances. The supervising offices established by our Synodical order are not to supplement God's Word, but serve God's Word, so that it - God's Word - might hold sway."
--Kurt Marquart, "Confessional Lutheran Dogmatics" Volume IX, p. 213
The first Pieper quote is from his 1880 LC-MS Iowa District Essay, "Theses on the Distinction of Law and Gospel". The second and longer quote is from his 1896 LC-MS Synod Convention Essay, "Kirche und Kirchenregiment".
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That same Holy Scripture which is able to make sinners wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus (2 Tim. 3:15) is also "profitable" for all those things with which the "man of God," the preacher of the Gospel, needs to be "outfitted" for "every good work" of his office (vv. 16.17). Steeped in the Spirit-taught didaktois, 1 Cor. 2:13) words from the "mind of Christ" (v. 16), he becomes "apt to teach" (didaktikon, 1 Tim. 3:2) others, as a resourceful householder, ever drawing out of his treasury things new and old (Mt. 13:52).
This needs to be stressed today in the face of what often passes for theological education but actually unfits a man for the ministry in general and for preaching in particular - either by robbing him outright of any and every firm Word from God, or by sidelining serious preoccupation with revealed truth as "impractical". The historical-critical or pragmatic stones substituted for the Bread of Life cannot of course nourish or sustain their victims, let along build the church or advance her mission. Where real theology is destroyed or despised, heaps of "practical" courses are then piled up, designed to equip the future minister with the psychological and sociological "skills" necessary to manipulate people in the mass market of religion. No longer a man of God, shaped by wrestling with God (Gen. 32:24-31) in hallowed text and sacrament, by prayer, study, and trial (oratio, meditatio, tentatio), the "minister" is then but a hollow functionary plying his trade for profit and success.
Faithful churches and ministers will recoil from the false glitter (Mt. 4:1-11!) of this travesty, pray the Lord of the harvest to send workers into His harvest (Mt. 9:38), and do all in their power to hand on the faith to faithful men who will in turn be able to teach others (2 Tim. 2:2). A serious and solid theological preparation honors the primacy of God's Word and therefore of preaching in the church. The substance of the Gospel itself will then determine and integrate all exegetical, dogmatical, historical, and practical disciplines, without the fatal "theory/practice" schizophrenia of modern pragmatic church-marketeering. "Not by might nor by power but by My Spirit, says the Lord Almighty" (Zech. 4:6). The man of God renounces the technician's contrivance and manipulation (2 Cor. 2:17; 11:20; Gal. 4:7; Eph. 4:14), because he trusts the divine message he "stewards" but does not control (Augsburg Confession V) - and just so he unleashes in the Gospel not mere words but power (1 Thess. 1:5).
--Kurt E. Marquart, "Confessional Lutheran Dogmatics", Volume IX, page 204-205
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We would prefer, when it is feasible, to happily stand together in a churchly manner with all who call themselves Lutheran - indeed, with all who call themselves Christians. We take no pleasure in struggle, indeed, would desire to live in the deepest peace with everyone. But this peace does not rest in our hands. Since we teach the religion of grace and stand only on God's Word, all good [Roman] Catholics and all weak Protestants, local and foreign Lutherans together, battle us. Our only choice is battle or denial. We choose the battle and cry to God that He be our strength and protection.
And we may do this with complete confidence. God is on our side, because we stick to His Word. Therefore, in this onslaught of hell, from the world, from false and misled Christians, we can hide ourselves behind God. Only in this way, but most certainly in t his way, can we be sustained in the struggle in which we stand. We are, as regards our own persons, entirely poor sinners. Indeed, we confess that we are sinners worse than others. Through our manifold unthankfulness, lukewarmness, and laziness in the face of the gift of the pure Gospel, we have merited more than others God's wrath and displeasure. In light of this sin, we humble ourselves before God, and we seek forgiveness for the sake of Christ. But we do not sin in teaching and confessing God's Word. Here God is on our side, and His face is turned against all who oppose and fight against us.
Therefore we shall and can be confident and joyous in the opposing position that we must take. We remain only on the correct path, namely trusting in God's grace and the Word of God. But to this belongs humility, the humility that entirely forsakes its own worthiness and its own wisdom. We must not forget: God is present with His grace only among the humble. He who would be something in the Church only apparently accomplishes something. And finally God casts him aside. God's power has the unique property that it is only powerful in the weak. Let us be so minded by God's grace that we are nothing, and that God's grace and God's Word are everything. God grant that we never advocate for something that is ours, but only and always for God's Word! In doing so we will certainly find no recognition in the world or by erring spirits. We will much rather, in the present as in the past, so also in the future, be arrogantly and proudly abused. But that does us no harm. Let us only see to it that we have hearts that are truly humble before God and have regard for neither possessions nor honor, but only for God and His Word. God grant this to us by grace for the sake of Christ, through the working of the Holy Spirit! Amen.
--Franz Pieper, "Contending for the Truth for All Christianity", 1908 Synodical Address
Taken from Matthew Harrison, "At Home in the House of My Fathers", p. 640-642
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BBC Radio 3 Choral Evensong this week is from All Saints Church, Margaret Street, London.
You can hear the thurible smoking the altar during the Magnificat!
Total geekout!
Sic satis superque
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...here is BWV 532, "Prelude and Fugue in D Major" by J.S. Bach.
Soli Deo Gloria!
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But worse still, surpassing all the rest, is that we who have the gospel snore away during the sermon and then in the same hour amble off to the marketplace by the gate, then into the alehouses, or sit and loll around in the amusement park. Our fellow citizens are steeped in sin up to the ears, despising not only the Word, but also scoffing at the preachers and saying, “Our pastor preaches about nothing else but faith, about love, about the cross!” And meanwhile they shuffle off to destruction. It breaks my heart to see this happening. God will surely punish them horribly because of this, letting false doctrine and factious spirits engulf them, causing dissension and defection of countless people from God’s Word.
- First House Postil for Trinity 20, A.D. 1532
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One of the reasons I have all but given up e-mail chat lists is because brothers in Office refuse to act like brothers in Christ. Rather than snipe and jab at our flock, we snipe and jab at other brother pastors. Sure, it feels like good therapy. But such talk among brothers does not build up one another, but break down one another.
Focus the anger toward Satan. He has so much fun destroying Christ's holy Church. Not only does Satan use angered parishoners, he uses angered pastors to eat each other.
We are worse than lions! God save us!
Sic satis superque
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In sum, the world nowadays plays with the preaching office like hooligans with blind dice at their bench: whoever tells them a little something that doesn't please them, must be gone, and another be put in his place, who will do according to what we can endure and tolerate....[They imagine] the preacher has his office from them, since they pay him. Therefore he must do as they wish, or else they have every right and power to dismiss him, as every master has in respect of his servant. So also the dear N. regards the ministry [preaching office] and the call of a preacher as nothing other than a contract of the sort one makes with a cowherd or sowherd...but I ask, for God's sake, tell me whoever can: By whom was the preacher called and placed into his office through orderly means?
--Joachim Moerlin, quoted in Kurt Marquart, "Confessional Lutheran Dogmatics Volume IX", page 158, footnote 29
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The Juhl family sneaked up to Wisconsin this weekend to surprise my friend, brother-in-office, and former pastor Tim Mech to celebrate the 20th anniversary of receiving Holy Orders. I would have been happy just to sit in the pew and bask in the glow of hearing Prof. John T. Pless preach Jesus Christ (if any of the Issues, Etc. people read this blog, it would be nice to hear Pr. Wilken review Prof. Pless' sermon). It was also nice to meet Sem. Joe Hoem, a second-year student at Ft. Wayne and son of Trinity, Sheboygan. I met a certain reader of this blog too. Suffice to say it was a tremendous weekend.
It was a full circle moment for Tim and your blogger. Tim was my pastor from August of 1989 until April of 1998. That covers my senior year of high school through college until two months before I made the decision to attend seminary. Tim was the one who put Logia, Hermann Sasse, Norman Nagel, and many other Lutheran theologians into my hands. He took a day out of his schedule to show me around his alma mater, Concordia Seminary. If seminary instilled a Lutheran habitus in me, he instilled a Lutheran ethos in me through preaching and teaching. He fed me Christ's Body and Blood. He was my pastor and I love him dearly.
It was heartwarming to see how much Trinity, Sheboygan love their pastors. Like the good people of Bethel, Du Quoin, IL, they have learned what it means to be Lutheran. They have a faithful Lutheran ethos and two shepherds to feed them Jesus. Dozens of men and women hugged him after Divine Services. Church members performed a funny skit about real life moments during his service in Sheboygan. I was happy to be the Du Quoin tie (of sorts) to his years in the Ministry. He had some serious challenges during his 8.5 years at Bethel. The Lord helped us all work together to proclaim Christ's forgiveness to our community. His shadow looms large over Bethel, still a faithful Lutheran congregation with a faithful pastor.
Unconsciously, much of who I am as a pastor I learned from Tim Mech during his time in Du Quoin. I am a teaching pastor because I had a teaching pastor. I treasure the Gifts of Grace because I had a pastor who treasured them and taught me to treasure them.
God bless all our faithful Lutheran pastors who treasure the Gospel in Word and Sacraments! God bless our faithful seminarists who one day, God willing, will steward the mysteries to their flocks. Who knows, one young man might rise up and attend seminary because of that pastor who treasures the Gospel.
Sic satis superque
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One reason why I like This Week at Seminary?
NO SYNODICAL POLITICS!
Sic satis superque
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It was a rainy, windy, and chilly October day, much like today, in Jefferson, WI. I arrived the night before with my second cousin Matt in tow. We made the long drive from rural Carlinville, IL, where I attended the SID Pastors Conference. Becky and I walked down to the florist to pick up a bouquet and boutonniere from a local florist. Karen was busy cooking the meal. John had the sermon written. We got the license the week before in Milwaukee. Sarah made the cake. Family began to arrive. Pictures were taken. Music was selected. Everyone was seated in the church. We waited for the 11:00 bells to ring.
30 minutes later we were married. Me in my clerical collar, Becky in her $99 wedding dress. Her ring came from an estate sale. Mine bought new at the same small jeweler in Salem, IL.
Approximately 30 people witnessed the ceremony. We moved it up six weeks because we took 1 Corinthians chapter seven seriously. My second cousin was the only family member present to witness the ceremony. It wasn't because my family was against the marriage. They didn't come because it was a long drive. My parents were convinced they didn't need to be present. My Aunt Pauline died a few days before. It was happenstance that Matt was in town for the funeral. He changed his flight plans to fly back to Chapel Hill from Milwaukee rather than St. Louis.
The meal was fantastic. So was the cake. Lots of useful presents. Icing graffiti on my truck and Becky's Saturn. Yes, we drove separate vehicles. Lots of strange looks on I-39 heading south.
Our first night together was in Bloomington, IL, halfway between Jefferson, WI and Iuka, IL, at a Bed and Breakfast. When we returned from Aunt Nancy's house (where my truck and our presents were stashed), roses and snacks awaited us. You don't need to know about the rest of the night.
We woke up to a fabulous breakfast. A quick stop by the Beer Nuts factory outlet store first, then home to Iuka. Someone was nice enough to TP the parsonage porch. I struggled to carry Becky over the threshold.
The next morning I was preaching and celebrating the Sacrament.
Two weeks later we rented a Budget truck, drove to Milwaukee, and moved Becky's possessions to Iuka. Six years later we have moved from Iuka to Momence, have two children, and countless memories (good and not-so-good) of our six years together. I wouldn't change a minute of it. I love you, Becky. God grant us many more years! Sic satis superque
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I was gone most of the week at our regional Pastors Conference. Here is a sermon from the fall of 2003 written by Pr. C.S. Esget.
( Luke 14:1-11 )
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...died suddenly Wednesday night at his home in Cooksville, IL. He would have been 67 in December.
I was fairly close to Uncle Russell. His children are around my age. Little did I know my cousin Frank lives about 75 minutes away!
Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, "Write: 'Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.' " "Yes," says the Spirit, "that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them." (Rev. 14:13 NKJV)
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