Holy Saturday

O Christ, to keep the Sabbath day

Your body in the tomb is laid.

One Sabbath day remains for rest:

Great Sabbath day, the last, the best!

Your work is finished, as You said;

Now to Your rest, Your body dead.

The perfect rest, none more complete;

Your heart has even stopped its beat!

God rested once. God rests again.

You are that God! Amen, amen!

Your day of rest will soon be past;

Then up from death, O First and Last!

In light of Easter, shadows flee;

O Christ alone, our Sabbath be!

Rest for our souls, not for a day;

O Christ, You take our sins away!

O Christ, You are the Father’s Son,

The Son with Father, Spirit, one.

To You, O holy Trinity,

All praise for all eternity!

Text: Matthew Richardt; Tune: Bonnie Rex

Holy Saturday marks the time when Jesus is resting in the tomb. Beginning with His burial on Friday at sunset and ending on Saturday at sunset. Since we do not have a service scheduled for this occasion, members and friends are encouraged to sing or read aloud the above hymn during this time.

Marriage: What It Is, Why It Matters, and the Consequences of Redefining It

Abstract

Marriage is based on the truth that men and women are complementary, the biological fact that reproduction depends on a man and a woman, and the reality that children need a mother and a father. Redefining marriage does not simply expand the existing understanding of marriage; it rejects these truths. Marriage is society’s least restrictive means of ensuring the well-being of children. By encouraging the norms of marriage—monogamy, sexual exclusivity, and permanence—the state strengthens civil society and reduces its own role. The future of this country depends on the future of marriage. The future of marriage depends on citizens understanding what it is and why it matters and demanding that government policies support, not undermine, true marriage.

Full Article, by Ryan T. Anderson

CrossTalk: Champions

The biblical account of David and Goliath (1 Samuel 17) is more than an ancient underdog drama. The man-on-man fight between a 10 foot tall giant and the kid with a slingshot was, in fact, a battle of nations. Israel and Philistia (ancient Palestine) were at war. Large armies were lined up on both sides of the valley. They were prepared for a large-scale, bloody battle. Against this backdrop, Goliath made an offer. "Let's cut down on the carnage. Let's boil this whole thing down to one man from each army." The battle between David and Goliath was a battle between champions.

A champion is someone who takes up your cause. He is someone who fights for you -- on your behalf. This is the most important feature of the story. It reminds us of the bigger story throughout the whole Bible -- the story of Jesus. He is our champion. He takes up the cause of the whole human race. One Man does battle for us all.

A second feature of the story of David and Goliath is the appearance of each warrior. Goliath is huge, unnaturally huge! David is small, too young to be in the army, too small to do anything but watch the sheep and be a go-for. By this massive difference in size, God reveals to us how He always works. The appearance of strength does not translate to the certainty of victory. Nor does might mean right. Appearances deceive. When you look around the world and wonder were God is at work, you will usually find Him at the point where the enemies of God look hopelessly overpowering. God will be at work in the smallest, weakest and most insignificant.

Think of Jesus on the cross and you will get what I mean. Jesus was one, unarmed, unimportant Man. He was standing against the whole leadership of the Jewish religion and the entire strength of the Roman occupation. Jesus is David. Satan is Goliath. The odds against Him are off the charts. But here is where He accomplished the greatest victory as the Champion of the human race.

When you look around your world and see all the power and influence on the side of Satan's interests, do not despair. Do not second guess God's Word. Do not become frantic and seek for some compromise. Remember that this is always the way God enters into the battle. Trust Him. Pray for your Champion to win the victory for you. Then, calmly do whatever God has given you to do.

David refused the use of Saul's battle equipment (1 Samuel 17:38-39). Instead, He chose five smooth stones from the brook. For God does not fight with conventional weapons of war. Satan is not overcome by the strength of arms, or by the power of the will. David said to Goliath, “You come at me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts” (v. 45). Jesus did not win by the wounds that He inflicted on His enemies. He won by the five wounds that they inflicted on Him.

David did not win the battle against Goliath. The Lord of hosts won that battle. Little David came to Goliath in the name of the Lord. The Lord did all the heavy lifting. “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord” (Luke 13:35). For Christ, alone, is your champion in the fight with Satan.

Living Lent

Whether or not you have been following the recent events in our Synod - events which made the national news - you will be heartened and encouraged by this video.

This is what Lent is all about. Jesus leads us to Jerusalem with its self-denial and humility in order that we might be raised to new life together with Him. I pray for you the same humble joy that President Harrison exhibits here.

He Remembers the Barren

The highlight of my week in Fort Wayne was meeting Katie Schuermann, the recipient of this year's Sabre of Boldness award.

She is the first woman and first layperson to ever win the award. Here is the reason she was nominated: Mrs. Schuermann is author of the book He Remembers the Barren, and had spoken to groups of women burdened like her with the affliction of barrenness. In the course of these meetings she soon found herself hearing from women who had turned to in vitro fertilization as a last resort to ease their pain. In spite of the sensitive nature of the matter, she felt constrained to tell the truth in love about the unacceptability of in vitro fertilization. For us who know that life begins at conception, there is really no ethical alternative than to reject in vitro fertilization, in whose process fertilized embryos are always discarded. For her to have the courage to say so in such circumstances, and to speak up for life, for which she has endured much grief and rejection, is commendable.

In addition to a book, Katie also maintains a blog by the same name. He Remembers the Barren.

CrossTalk: And A Happy New Year

“Happy New Year!” A week ago today we were greeting each other with this age old salutation. Did you ever wonder why? Why not “Merry New Year”? or “Solemn New Year”? or some other kind of New Year? Sure, nothing else has quite the right ring to it. But I think it goes deeper than that.

Think about the word “happy.” We all use it and know it as a good thing — a happy thing. But what exactly does it mean? Where does it come from?

It comes from an 800 year old English word “hap” which means a person’s luck, fortune or fate. From this word we get: haply, hapless, haphazzard, happen, happening, happenstance, happily, happiness and happy.

Given this background, it would seem that the word “happy” is a hold-over from some godless age. But wait, before you vow never to use it again, notice what happened when the Bible began to be translated into English. Instead of rejecting this word, the Christians knew that everything which happens, happens by God’s will. Even better, everything that God does is good.

It is for this reason that this entire word group took on a more ‘happy’ tone. No longer does it mean just blind luck, or fickle fate. Instead, it means good events, good things, and blessings. So Jesus says, “If you know these things, happy are ye if you do them” (John 13:17). And Job says, “Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth” (Job 5:17).

This brings us back to “Happy New Year!” When you say these words, you are wishing God’s blessings and joy to come in the next year. That’s what we want. It what you wish for those you love and what you hope for your own life.

Now that we’ve looked at the word “happy” we also have a much better idea of how happiness happens. Happiness is a result of God’s doing His will in our lives. Because everything that God does is good. That’s true even when He is correcting me through difficulties (remember Job 5:17 above).

When you are living according to Jesus words, you are guaranteed to have a happy new year. For “happy are you if you do them” (John 13:17). When you are praying for God’s will to be done, you are guaranteeing your happiness. Jesus says, “whatever you ask the Father in My name, He will give you” (John 16:23). These promises are absolute!

What could possibly make you happier? As you go forward into this new year, this is your certainty in the face of doubts. This is your confidence in the face of fears. This is your joy in the face of sorrow.

Your happiness does not depend on what things happen or don’t happen in your life. Rather, your happiness rests on the certainty that what happens in your life comes from God. With God’s Word in your ears and God’s will in your prayers, you can look forward to the very happiest of New Years.

Exceeding the Speed of Thought

In his clear and engaging review of the latest book advocating a new morality, Matthew J. Franck makes two necessary observations.

1. Unlike any other issue of social justice in the history of America (or the world) same-sex marriage has absolutely no history. No one ever -- Christian, pagan, homosexual or straight -- thought that homosexuals having the right to marry is a matter of social justice.

2. With the advocacy of same-sex marriage, it is less about respect and kindness toward homosexual behavior than it is about redefing the purpose of marriage. Instead of marriage existing for the sake of the children, every advocate of same-sex marriage contends that marriage is for the financial and social benefit of those who are married.

Read the full article here: Same-Sex Marriage and Social Change: Exceeding the Speed of Thought