These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us. (1Co 10:11 NIV)

This reminds me of the great festivities of the living God recorded in the Old Testament, during which the people joyfully celebrated God’s goodness and mercy, thanking and praising him and worshipping his glory while eating, drinking, singing and being merry with dance and music. I think too of the celebrations of the living God in the New Testament – Christmas, Easter, Pentecost and Church anniversaries – and there too people eat, drink and are merry. And then the people refer back to the Old Testament and want to excuse their merriment while eating, drinking and dancing with this historic referral: These are not pagan festivals, that we are celebrating. Yet the people are misguided. I regret this from the bottom of my heart. It is true: The early Christians ate their meals together. Body and soul rejoiced in the living God while at it. Yet, when many Christians rejoice in celebrations and festivities, then they go beyond the merriment of the early Church in their revelry and carousing. Many eat and drink too much. Their merriment is not just in praise of the living God, nor does it reflect the love of Jesus Christ, but rather forgets the creator and giver of all good and perfect gifts. His word is ignored, talk is uncouth and downright rude. Food and drink are spiced up with cursing and swearing. Such entertainment is more sinful than good, serving the archenemy and his evil cause and thus becoming more of a pagan party than one of faithful Christians. Therefore this word is also written as a warning for us and I pray earnestly that we would heed his warning and return to the good old ways of the Church in humility, sobriety, purity and holiness. After all that is joy and happiness in the Lord! O faithful Lord Jesus, you are our teacher and guide in all things. Keep us on the right track. Grant that we don’t sin against you. Especially if we are merry and happy together, let us not forget to invite you as our main guest and that we consciously eat and drink in your presence, that we listen and speak with the assured that you are in our midst and listening too. Grant us the sensitivity to realize where we should not go or be without betraying you and your holy ways. Let us live in your holy and gracious presence all our lives – also in this coming night – until the very end, so that we will be with you now and forever. Amen. “Away from us!” the demon cried When Christ, the Lord, drew near. “Our dank, disordered world is lost When You, the Light, appear!” But Jesus spoke with God’s own pow’r; “Come forth!” was His command; For evil cannot bear the Light Nor sin the Truth withstand. O risen Christ, God’s living Word, To us, we pray, draw near. Come, speak the truth that cleanses sin With love that conquers fear. Drive out the doubt that cripples faith; Expel our pride and greed That we, from pow’rs that threaten us, May, by Your grace, be freed. Then help us, Lord, to greet each day With hearts and wills made new And, when You call us forth to serve, To rise and follow You. (Hermann G. Stuempfle Jr. *1923) This is a rather free translation of Wilhelm Löhe’s devotion for Friday after the ninth Sunday after the high holiday and festival of the Holy Trinity. It is found on Pg. 283 in Lob sei Dir ewig, o Jesu!   (Eternal Praise to you o Jesus!) edited by A. Schuster and published in the Freimund Verlag, Neuendettelsau 1949.