Rest in Peace, Dear Brother

Just learned that my brother in Christ, Rev. Allen Vomhof, was called home by our Lord last night. He had been suffering with cancer that had moved to his brain for quite some time, and was most recently on hospice. I was able to be with him and his family a couple of weeks ago and to give them the Lord's Supper. Now Al is enjoying his eternal rest in Jesus, triumphant over his cancer finally. Yes, triumphant! For his cancer did not win and it did not take his life. It couldn't! His life was safe in Jesus since the day of his baptism, and Jesus has now fulfilled the promise He made to Al in that wonderful, magnificent water. And this promise too: Today, Al, you will be with me in Paradise. Today forgiven. Today alive. Today at rest. Rest in peace, dear brother.

They Could Have Been . . .

Found this on another blog:

There was a theologian who, when discouraged, would keep repeating to himself, “I [am] baptized.” Since the Prince of Lies has discouragement as his chief strategy and purpose, the Rite of Baptism includes an exorcism: an explicit renunciation of Satan, and all his works, and all his empty promises.  . . .

Ever since the legalization of abortion in our country, the Church has resisted the temptation to discouragement in defending innocent life. January 22 will mark the 41st annual March for Life in Washington. The March has gone on in weather fair and foul, whether government administrations have been friend or foe. In those years, more than 56 million babies in our country alone have been destroyed in their mothers’ wombs.  . . .

Last year at this time, I cited a statistical abstract using the ratio of professions to population and the number of infants aborted. The resulting estimate showed that in the last 35 years, those lives destroyed could have included: two U.S. presidents; seven Supreme Court justices; 102 U.S. senators and 589 congressmen; 8,123 judges; 31 Nobel Prize laureates; 328 Olympic medalists; 6,092 professional athletes; 134,841 physicians and surgeons; 392,500 registered nurses; 70,669 clergy, including 6,852 Catholic priests and 11,010 nuns; 1,102,443 elementary and high-school teachers; 553,821 truck drivers; 224,518 maids and housekeepers; 33,939 janitors; 134,028 farmers and ranchers; 109,984 police officers; and 39,477 firefighters.

None of those infants lived to be baptized, and they are entrusted to the mercy of God. Our nation now has the lowest birthrate in its history, and may be approaching the demographic winter that is destroying many other countries. The good news is that contending for life year in and year out has raised consciences, and the rate of abortions is at an all-time low. So when facing Satan and all his works and all his empty promises, say with good courage: I [am] baptized.

HT: Father Z

Baptism is Bigger Than You Think

If you had to name the three biggest feasts in the Church year, I think there would be little argument - they are Christmas, Easter, and Pentecost.

Don't know why, but it occurred to me today that Baptism is linked to all three.

Christmas is the incarnation of the Son of God as a son of man; in Holy Baptism we sons of men are made sons of God. He is born here below, we are born from above (John 3:3).

Easter is the resurrection of our Lord; in Holy Baptism the old Adam in us is drowned and a new man raised up. Or as Paul puts it in Romans (6:5): in Holy Baptism, we are joined to Christ in His death and resurrection.

Pentecost is the sending of the Holy Spirit upon the Church; in Holy Baptism the Spirit is given to us through water and the Word (Acts 2:38).

So perhaps we could say that Holy Baptism gives us the whole Christ - from birth to resurrection to the sending of His Spirit. Or as Luther put it: "Therefore, Baptism is not only natural water, but a divine, heavenly, holy, and blessed water, and whatever other terms we can find to praise it. This is all because of the Word, which is a heavenly, holy Word, which no one can praise enough. For it has, and is able to do, all that God is and can do." (Large Catechism)

Some Do, Some Don't

It jumped out at me this week as I was reading. After Peter's Pentecost sermon . . .

Acts 2:37 - "Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?" "

But then after Stephen's very similar sermon . . .

Acts 7:54 - "Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him."

Just like today. Some hear the message, repent, and are baptized, as after Peter's sermon, and some hear the message, become enraged, and reject both the Word and the messenger who brings it. But the result is not up to us; that is the work of the Holy Spirit. It is for us to simply preach the Word. Always. Sometimes it will bring us the joy of baptism and new life, and sometimes it will bring stones hurled at us - both physical and verbal. When it does, may we be like Stephen, who was like Christ, and pray: Father, forgive them.

Very, Very Cool!

A parishioner sent this to me . . . just too cool:

The Lord baptized me at 2 p.m., March 30, 1952. He baptized me at First Lutheran Church of Norfolk (VA). I want to say the Rev. Dr. Luther W. Strickler was the attending physician ;0)  ,that is he is the one who administered the antidote which saved me from certain death.

I went back recently to see the church, an enormous stone one. And there was the marble font which has never changed since the church was built. So I got to see where the Lord and I had the blessed moment together.

And I gave thanks.

Welcome Lucy!

Welcome to the family of God, Lucy Hensley!

P.S. Like the banner in the background? It is a copy of the images embossed on the back cover of the Lutheran Service Book. We have one on the other side of the chancel too, with the images from the front cover of the hymnal. One of our ladies did this. Isn't it great!

Today's TDP Reading

This morning, we read of Israel being pursued by the Egyptians to the edge of the Red Sea, and that this was no accident - the Lord had them go this way *so that* the Egyptians would come out against them. I thought of how we are being pursued by death every day of our lives. But just as God would provide a rescue from the pursuing Egyptians, so He has provided a rescue for us from pursuing death - both through water! Tonight we will remember this in the Vigil, and celebrate tomorrow with our full-throated Alleluias! This is the night of our Passover. Thanks be to God.

Confirmation

Today was the confirmation of my second child and first daughter, Sarah. Whenever you have a confirmation, I highly recommend singing the hymn "God's Own Child I Gladly Say It: I am Baptized into Christ." We sang this as our opening hymn today and it definitely set the emphasis for the day in the right place - not on what Sarah has done, but on what Jesus has done, and continues to do, for her. Click here to read the sermon, in which I used this hymn. (And in case you're wondering . . . no, we do not project stuff on the screen behind us in the Divine Service! We're stuck with that there in the building that we rent.)

A Cool Picture (and Blog!)

This is a nice blog to go and read when you have the time. This pastor has consistently been posting some pretty good stuff! But the reason I am bringing it up today is this picture - this is a baptismal font! Does it not look like this man is being brought up out of the tomb? Is that not what happens in baptism? We are given a new birth to a new life through the resurrection of Jesus from the dead to whom we now are joined. Just great. If we ever get to have our own church building, I am going to push for a font like this! :-)

Way Two Cool

I simply cannot tell you how cool it is that I have two baptisms this Sunday! How cool will it be? Well, standing side-by-side at the Font will be a two week old baby and an adult woman. What a great picture of the grace of God given to all people the same. What a great confession that God creates faith the same way in infants and adults alike - through His living Word.

Binding and Loosing Satan

A footnote in a paper I have be reading has this wonderful interpretation of the "binding and loosing of satan" in Revelation 20. Ever wonder why God would suddenly, someday loose satan into the world? Read on, my friends . . .

"Christ binds Satan not with chains of iron but with none other than what He accomplished in His ministry, death, resurrection and ascension communicated now through Word and sacraments. The Word, the holy name of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, strikes a blow at the Devil. And Holy Baptism wraps another chain about him. When in the last days these means of grace are derided, not only in the world but even in institutional churches so-called, that binding must consequently be loosed." (Rev. Thomas Aadland, A Straw in God's Hand: The Doctrine and Practice of Holy Baptism)

The Ascension of Elijah

Tomorrow's Old Testament reading for the Transfiguration of our Lord is the taking of Elijah to heaven (2 Kings 2:1-12). Where does this happen? Not at Gilgal, nor Bethel, nor Jericho (isn't it interesting how all of this is described in detail) . . . only after they pass through the waters of the Jordan is Heaven then opened to Elijah. Hmmm, coincidence? Or a picture of Holy Baptism!