Good morning. I’m firmly of the opinion that you get one really good peach a year, if you’re lucky, if you don’t live in the South or next to a peach orchard. One peach, soft and juicy and sweet. That’s something to treasure. When I get one, I eat it slowly, with joy…
Well, I remember those cling-peaches planted by my father on the missionstation “Roodepoort” near Ventersdorp in the old West-Transvaal just before we moved to “Enhlanhleni.” They would ripen after the mild and soaking “yellow-peaches-rain” (“geel perske rëen”) at the height of summer in February. They were the best – not just going by the looks, but also by taste. They could be enjoyed plucked from the tree, stuffed into puddings and cakes, liquified and fired-up to last as “mampoer” (peach brandy) or just laid out on racks to dry in the sun – something of a vegetarian version of biltong/jerky.
Here along the backwaters of the Elbe, I´ve not found the right peach yet. Not this year anyway, but the year is long from over. The ones I´ve tried look ok, but they are more like some foreign version of edible paper or sponge than fruit. So, I´ll keep looking as I remember the good ones – “daar in die ou Transvaal”:
From blossoms comes this brown paper bag of peaches we bought from the boy at the bend in the road where we turned toward signs painted Peaches.
From laden boughs, from hands, from sweet fellowship in the bins, comes nectar at the roadside, succulent peaches we devour, dusty skin and all, comes the familiar dust of summer, dust we eat.
O, to take what we love inside, to carry within us an orchard, to eat not only the skin, but the shade, not only the sugar, but the days, to hold the fruit in our hands, adore it, then bite into the round jubilance of peach.
There are days we live as if death were nowhere in the background; from joy to joy to joy, from wing to wing, from blossom to blossom to impossible blossom, to sweet impossible blossom.
Long, long ago there lived a people… No computers. No smartphones. No email. No texting. Just the lost art of sending a letter… I got to know some of them. My parents were both avid communicators and diligent composers of weekly letters – as were both my grandmothers too. My granny told her daughter – my mother: “Every day I get a letter from You is mother´s day!” I remember my father standing in the dining room before lunch to open the mail, which Hanns Gnauk had picked up punctually in Pomeroy at 11h00 every day. And most of these forebears I can still picture at some table inside or outside the house, drafting letters by hand. It was only later on, when my siblings came of age, that my parents switched to the typewriter as the young ones couldn´t read their handwriting, which was perfectly legible, very structured and uniform really. Still, that´s how things change in large families as the years pass and the generations change. I never got to see a letter from either of my grandfathers as far as I know. There might be some note of my grandfather Weber in the old books still…
My grandfather Paul Ziegenhagen wrote letters to his young bride from the Russian front, sometimes even twice a day. Then one day these letters stopped. My grandmother stopped writing, but not hoping yet. That would happen years later… On the way out – not when they tried to flee from the Russians on the last train, but rather when they were later expelled by the Poles, all those love letters were scattered violently in their house. Worse happened, so nobody considered gathering old letters. No use to cry over spilled milk. My grandmother later voiced her hope, that nobody would have been able to read her husband´s handwriting anyway. As her father had quipped: “That´s not a handwriting, that´s an impertinence!” (“Zumutung!”) So, in the end none of those letters made it to prosperity, but got lost in the ensuing chaos of a lost war. The other grandfather – Christian Heinrich Wilhelm Weber – had probably just outgrown that habit of writing letters by the time I was able to read anything.
A letter from Pomeroy (“Enhlanhleni” P.O.Box 11) took a few day to get to the board school in Wartburg (“Wartburg Kirchdorf Schülerheim”) and just about the same to get to Pretoria (Boekenhout: “Mans koshuis” UP) and “Valhalla”, “Voortrekkerhoogte”, “Murrayhill” and all the other army bases). Even to Altkönigstraße 150 (Oberursel i.T) or Fahrstraße 15 (Erlangen, Franken) it didn´t take longer than that. A letter a week – that was the regular norm. We even planned our wedding in Lüneburg, KZN using the mail back then, but that´s another story…
Some of my best friends still use this ancient style, which has proven itself over the ages – and not only at Christmas or Thanksgiving. Thank God! It´s a good feeling opening the postbox and getting a letter all the way from Seattle or Melbourne even. Sometime in the nineties I switched my weekly circular to email and just stopped using snail-mail. My father continued both methods to the end – and I´m sure, his old friends not connected by email were grateful for that.
Here in Germany the postbox is not red like in the old colony South Africa, but yellow. Even the old GDR, which had some of the most beautiful stamps – just like Romania, Bulgaria and Poland in those days, used those colours. Well, there´s still a box like that fixed to our house in Wittenberg – and the postman comes by every day – punctual as ever. Even though I´m no longer waiting for post from Africa – that just doesn´t happen that way anymore. It´s either email or nothing. I guess it does save some paper and every time the computer rings “You´ve got mail“, I´m bound to jump and sing:
Kommt ein Vogel geflogen, setzt sich nieder auf mein’ Fuß, hat ein’ Zettel im Schnabel, von der Mutter ein’ Gruß.
Lieber Vogel, fliege weiter, nimm ein Gruß mit und ein Kuss, denn ich kann dich nicht begleiten, weil ich hier bleiben muss.
As a deer longs for streams of water, so I long for you, O God! I thirst for God, for the living God.
I say, “When will I be able to go and appear in God’s presence?” I cannot eat; I weep day and night. All day long they say to me,“Where is your God?”
I will remember and weep. For I was once walking along with the great throng to the temple of God shouting and giving thanks along with the crowd as we celebrated the holy festival.
Why are you depressed, O my soul? Why are you upset? Wait for God! For I will again give thanks to my God for his saving intervention.
I am depressed, so I will pray to you while in the region of the upper Jordan, from Hermon, from Mount Mizar. One deep stream calls out to another at the sound of your waterfalls; all your billows and waves overwhelm me.
By day the Lord decrees his loyal love, and by night he gives me a song, a prayer to the God of my life. I will pray to God, my high ridge: “Why do you ignore me? Why must I walk around mourning because my enemies oppress me?” My enemies’ taunts cut me to the bone, as they say to me all day long, “Where is your God?”
Why are you depressed, O my soul? Why are you upset? Wait for God! For I will again give thanks to my God for his saving intervention.
Psalm 42: For the music director, a well-written song by the Korahites.
Good morning from lovely Wittenberg. The sun is out. The little rain we got, is long gone even as the clouds hang in there and the summer heat is not quite back yet. Like every morning the people walk their dogs, people open up their windows, the organists drives in on her bicycle to unlock St. Mary´s staircase to go through her routine and the pretty woman in bright colors and from the Far East does her round past St. Marys to start off another day in these parts.
My task is cut out. I´ve got the basics laid out. The chapel is cleaned out. The floors swept, the chairs straightened, and the many bookmarkers adjusted to the right place. Well, it´s all about our good Lord´s big and gracious invitation on this 2nd Sunday after Trinity. His huge banquet is prepared. He´s just so eager to welcome all his invited guests at his table. He´s done all and everything to make sure, that´s all is set for us and our salvation. His invitation has gone out – and he´s full of great expectations to see his house full and the party started and everybody having a ball. He´s burning with longing to have you as his guest and with him too. Now, that´s no surprise. He is like that. From the very start. The great prophet Isaiah puts this holy desire into words for our Old Testament lesson:
“Hey, all who are thirsty, come to the water! You who have no money, come! Buy and eat! Come! Buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why pay money for something that will not nourish you? Why spendyour hard-earned money on something that will not satisfy? Listen carefully to me and eat what is nourishing! Enjoy fine food. Pay attention and come to me. Listen, so you can live. Then I will make an unconditional covenantal promise to you, just like the reliable covenantal promises I made to David.
Look, I made him a witness to nations, a ruler and commander of nations.” Look, you will summon nations you did not previously know; nations that did not previously know you will run to you, because of the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he bestows honor on you.
Isaiah 55:1-5
And we respond to this ancient goodness and godly pining with this Sunday´s Introit
O Lord, your loyal love reaches to the sky, your faithfulness to the clouds. Your justice is like the highest mountains, your fairness like the deepest sea; you, Lord, preserve mankind and the animal kingdom. How precious is your loyal love, O God! The human race finds shelter under your wings. They are filled with food from your house, and you allow them to drink from the river of your delicacies. For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.
Psalm 36:6-10
So far, so good. Everybody in his right mind would now agree and intone: “Blessed is everyone who will feast in the kingdom of God!” No surprises there. That speaks for itself. And that´s the introduction for this Sunday´s gospel. Our good Lord Jesus Christ, however, points out, that there is unexpected and really very serious trouble. This is our fault – humankind´s sin in general. Something like original sin. Instead of taking this wonderful invitation seriously, we find all sorts of excuses, find better things to do than to follow the calling of our good Lord and get lost in all sorts of other business. It´s mind boggling and downright impudent. Imagine Your best friend hosting a huge celebration and you´re invited in good time, but you´re just not interested and stay away. Surely, this is unheard of. It´s just not done. It´s disrespectful, disloyal and just plain rude. However, that´s the message of his story retold in this Sunday´s gospel.
When one of those at the meal with Jesus heard this, he said to him, “Blessed is everyone who will feastin the kingdom of God!” But Jesus said to him, “A man once gave a great banquet and invited many guests. At the time for the banque the sent his slave to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, because everything is now ready.’ But one after another they all began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. Please excuse me.’Another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going out to examine them. Please excuse me.’ Another said, ‘I just got married, and I cannot come.’ So,the slave came back and reported this to his master. Then the master of the household was furious and said to his slave, ‘Go out quickly to the streets and alleys of the city, and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.’ Then the slave said, ‘Sir, what you instructed has been done, and there is still room.’ So, the master said to his slave, ‘Go out to the highways and country roads and urge people to come in, so that my house will be filled. For I tell you, not one of those individuals who were invited will taste my banquet!’”
Luke 14:15-24
Yes. It is quite understandable that the man got furious. But he´s no fool. Instead of ruining the feast, he goes on and makes it even better. The house gets filled. The party gets going and it´s a heavenly sensation and once in a life-time celebration – going on without end. However, not with the first choice, but rather with the second and third … smallest, most unlikely and very last groups, the outcasts and good-for-nothings. He says: ‘Go out quickly to the streets and alleys of the city, and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.’ And then, when that´s successfully accomplished and there´s still room: ‘Go out to the highways and country roads and urge people to come in, so that my house will be filled.” In other places, he categorized these very last remnants and leftovers (“Allerletzten”) as “prostitutes and tax-collectors”! And that, because the first choice, the eldest brothers, the scribes and leaders, the crème de la crème – just wouldn´t come. Too proud! Too rich! Too self-satisfied, complacent and smug in their own little world to heed the call of God out of this passing world and into His coming kingdom.
Please, can I have some more +
So, our Lord passes out the invitation. It´s standing. It´s open – still. He invites all and every one: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Watchword from Mt.11:28) Who would not think of those, who are breathing heavily because of Coronna or of those, who are suffocating under the heavy knee of brutal force, racism, slavery, political discrimination and other terrible exploitation? Misuse of police authority and parental abuse comes to mind. Our Lord invites them, to come to him and find peace with him – solace there! He is the peace maker. He forgives sins and heals all our iniquities. Just as the epistle for this Sunday makes us recall:
Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh—who are called “uncircumcision” by the so-called “circumcision” that is performed on the body by human hands— that you were at that time without the Messiah, alienated from the citizenship of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who used to be far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, the one who made both groups into one and who destroyed the middle wall of partition, the hostility, when he nullified in his flesh the law of commandments in decrees. He did this to create in himself one new man out of two, thus making peace, and to reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by which the hostility has been killed. And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near, so that through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer foreigners and noncitizens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of God’s household, because you have been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. In him the whole building, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord,in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.
Ephesians 2: (11-16) 17-22
Our good Lord himself rejoices in this salvation and heavenly celebration of sinners being saved, little children finding their heavenly Father and foreign strangers a new birthright and lasting citizenship in God´s family and Christian Church. The words for this Sunday´s sermon:
At that time Jesus said,“I praise you, Father, Lordof heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son decidesto reveal him. Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke on you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and my load is not hard to carry.”
Matthew 11:25-30
So, we confess with all the Christian Church exclaiming “My God is my rocky summit where I take shelter, my shield, the horn that saves me, and my refuge.” (Psalm 18:2) and sing joyfully as we gladly follow His gracious invitation:
Come, we that love the Lord, And let our joys be known; Join in a song with sweet accord, And thus surround the throne.
Refrain: We’re marching to Zion, Beautiful, beautiful Zion; We’re marching upward to Zion, The beautiful city of God.
The sorrows of the mind Be banished from the place; Religion never was designed To make our pleasures less.
Let those refuse to sing, Who never knew our God; But children of the heav’nly King May speak their joys abroad.
The men of grace have found Glory begun below; Celestial fruits on earthly ground From faith and hope may grow.
The hill of Zion yields A thousand sacred sweets Before we reach the heav’nly fields, Or walk the golden streets.
Then let our songs abound, And every tear be dry; We’re marching through Immanuel’s ground To fairer worlds on high.
A good friend of mine and foreign pastor in these lands phoned me yesterday. Whereas I only use the phone for urgent messages, something like the original telegraph, he obviously uses it to catch up on visitation and the blessings per mutuum colloquium et consolationem fratrum (Smalcald Articles III,4: Concerning the gospel), which William Russel translates as “through the mutual conversation and consolation of brothers and sisters.” (Kolb/Wengert, Pg.319). How grateful can we be for the Lord´s promise: “Where 2 or 3 are gathered in my name, there I am with them!” (Mt.18:20)
Matthias Grünewald: St. Paul and St. Anthony in the desert (Isenheimer Altar)
In these times of “social distancing” this telephonic chatroom is a wonderful way to share comforts of a friendly voice and catch up on some fraternal news outside the provincial bubble. Thank God, we have such good fellowship even as we rejoice in that of our books, podcasts and films too. Of course, this ever growing freight is also a great distraction and can become an excessive overload. The good old Saint Anthony – like all desert fathers and other hermits – knew all about these temptations – even outside in the desert. The present situation is very helpful in reducing this ever-expanding surplus of diversions to a healthy, still stimulating, but sustainable level. Very much like a necessary fast or at least healthy diet. Part of the basic daily schedule remains the quality time in dialogue with our maker – the triune God – in reading His Word and bringing our all to Him in prayer. For me it works best to start the day with that before I get lost in daily business…
You, however, must continue in the things you have learned and are confident about. You know who taught you and how from infancy you have known the holy writings, which are able to give you wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. Every scripture is inspired by God and useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness… (2.Tim.3,14ff)
This morning’s readings prompted these subsequent thoughts. So, allow me to share those with You too, starting off in reverse order i.e. from the passages in the “Anthology” (Dobberstein Pg. 354-6) for Thursdays – to the Scriptural meditations for the day on “The minister as pastor” (ebd. 34) – on Ezekiel 34:1-16 and Isaiah 40:11. Here are those readings from the Anthology on “Christ´s curates” and on “being close to the Chief Shepherd”:
Lest You be overwhelmed with the greatness of Your task, remember no church is given to any man without the Saviour of the church and of him. After all it is Christ´s Church more than yours. He is the real Pastor of every real church, and the Bishop of its minister. You are but his curate.
When Jesus handed over to Simon Peter the charge of the Christian Church, he was careful to use the possessive pronoun “my”. “Feed my lambs! Tend My sheep! Feed my sheep!” It is the mightiest pronoun in the New Testament for the saving or the minister from lordliness. “Simon, son of Jonas, feed my lambs . They are not yours, they are mine, but I wish you to look after them for a little while. I do not give them to you. They belong to me. Mine they always shall remain, but I ask you to tend them for a season for me. Feed my sheep. They are not yours. Not all one of them shall ever pass from my possession, but I am going away for a few days, and I leave them with you. Guard them, feed them, guide them, be good to them for my sake. Follow me. Remember my gentleness, my watchfulness, my considerateness, my patience, my compassion, my readiness to help, my swiftness to heal, my gladness to sacrifice. Be the kind of shepherd to my lambs and my sheep that I have been to you. Follow me!
The real vital question of the ministry is that every individual Shepherd be constantly and earnestly concerned to be remaining in immediate contact with the chief Shepherd, from whom he has received his office and to whom he will one day be accountable for it … only daily, direct encounter with the Chief Shepherd will keep the shepherd alert to the cares and needs of his flock. Only this will carry him across the abyss of proud or conceited self-satisfaction on the left or the abyss of tedium and resignation on the right. The shepherd needs the Chief Shepherd; if he is no longer conscious of this, if he constructs his own ministry, he’s already lost.
For pastors, therefore, it must again become simply a matter of course that there shall be time set aside for daily Scripture reading and daily prayer, and this not only in the form of general family worship. The pastoral ministry requires pastoral study of the Scriptures and pastoral prayer. This is not merely a pious pastime which a few pastors indulge in alongside of the ministry. Because of his office and for the sake of his office the pastor must study the Bible. When a man knows of no more than texts of the pericopes and Bible class lessons on which he has to speak to the congregation it will soon be found, when his work is objectively tested, that he cannot preach rightly on these texts either.
And for the sake of his office the pastor must continue in prayer. He cannot be a real pastor to the endangered and suffering in his congregation without practising priestly intercession for them. Here, too, there’s a deep gulf between pastoral care with prayer and pastoral care without prayer. Let not the pastor tell himself, that he is “praying without ceasing”. Let him set aside a daily quiet time for Scripture reading and prayer. Many an error and scandal in the doctrine life of our church would have been prevented if all pastors had kept this rule, if they had not allowed themselves to be led astray by the business of their Sunday and everyday life into the slothfulness of the inner man.
Thank God, He himself keeps the bad shepherds out and takes good care of His own as the very good Shepherd – Jesus Christ:
The Lord’s message came to me: “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy, and say to them—to the shepherds: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to the shepherds of Israel who have been feeding themselves! Should not shepherds feed the flock? 3 You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the choice animals, but you do not feed the sheep! 4 You have not strengthened the weak, healed the sick, bandaged the injured, brought back the strays, or sought the lost, but with force and harshness[b] you have ruled over them. 5 They were scattered because they had no shepherd, and they became food for every wild beast.[c]6 My sheep wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. My sheep were scattered over the entire face of the earth with no one looking or searching for them.
“‘Therefore, you shepherds, listen to the Lord’s message: 8 As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, my sheep have become prey and have become food for all the wild beasts. There was no shepherd, and my shepherds did not search for my flock, but fed themselves and did not feed my sheep. 9 Therefore, you shepherds, listen to the Lord’s message. 10 This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Look, I am against the shepherds, and I will demand my sheep from their hand. I will no longer let them be shepherds;[d] the shepherds will not feed themselves anymore. I will rescue my sheep from their mouths, so that they will no longer be food for them.
11 “‘For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Look, I myself will search for my sheep and seek them out. 12 As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his scattered sheep, so I will seek out my flock. I will rescue them from all the places where they have been scattered on a cloudy, dark day.[e]13 I will bring them out from among the peoples and gather them from foreign countries; I will bring them to their own land. I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the streams and all the inhabited places of the land. 14 In a good pasture I will feed them; the mountain heights of Israel will be their pasture. There they will lie down in a lush[f] pasture, and they will feed on rich grass on the mountains of Israel. 15 I myself will feed my sheep and I myself will make them lie down, declares the Sovereign Lord. 16 I will seek the lost and bring back the strays; I will bandage the injured and strengthen the sick, but the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them—with judgment!
Ezekiel 34:1-16
And the brief passage for meditation on this:
Like a shepherd he tends his flock; he gathers up the lambs with his arm; he carries them close to his heart; he leads the ewes along.
Isaiah 40:11
We sing and praise His name – now and always:
1 What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear! What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer! O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear, all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer!
2 Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere? We should never be discouraged; take it to the Lord in prayer! Can we find a friend so faithful who will all our sorrows share? Jesus knows our every weakness; take it to the Lord in prayer!
3 Are we weak and heavy laden, cumbered with a load of care? Precious Savior, still our refuge– take it to the Lord in prayer! Do your friends despise, forsake you? Take it to the Lord in prayer! In his arms he’ll take and shield you; you will find a solace there.
I will praise the Lord at all times; my mouth will continually praise him. I will boast in the Lord; let the oppressed hear and rejoice. Magnify the Lord with me. Let us praise his name together. I sought the Lord’s help and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. Look to him and be radiant; do not let your faces be ashamed. This oppressed man cried out and the Lord heard; he saved him from all his troubles. The angel of the Lord camps around the Lord’s loyal followers and delivers them. Taste and see that the Lord is good. How blessed is the one who takes shelter in him. Fear the Lord, you chosen people of his, for those who fear him lack nothing. Even young lions sometimes lack food and are hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing. Come children. Listen to me. I will teach you what it means to fear the Lord. Do you want to really live? Would you love to live a long, happy life? Then make sure you don’t speak evil words or use deceptive speech. Turn away from evil and do what is right. Strive for peace and promote it. The Lord pays attention to the godly and hears their cry for help. But the Lord opposes evildoers and wipes out all memory of them from the earth. The godly cry out and the Lord hears; he saves them from all their troubles. The Lord is near the brokenhearted; he delivers those who are discouraged. The godly face many dangers, but the Lord saves them from each one of them. He protects all his bones; not one of them is broken. Evil people self-destruct; those who hate the godly are punished. The Lord rescues his servants; all who take shelter in him escape punishment.
Psalm 34 by David, when he pretended to be insane before Abimelech.
The hymn for this 1st Sunday after Trinity
From God can nothing move me; He will not step aside But gently will reprove me And be my constant guide. He stretches out His hand In evening and in morning, My life with grace adorning Wherever I may stand.
When those whom I regarded As trustworthy and sure Have long from me departed, God’s grace shall still endure. He rescues me from sin And breaks the chains that bind me. I leave death’s fear behind me; His peace I have within.
The Lord my life arranges; Who can His work destroy? In His good time He changes All sorrows into joy. So let me then be still My body. Soul, and spirit His tender care inherit According to His will
Each day at His good pleasure God’s gracious will is done. He sent His greatest treasure In Jesus Christ, His Son. He ev’ry gift imparts. The bread of earth and heaven Are by His kindness given. Praise Him with thankful hearts!
Praise God with acclamation And in His gifts rejoice. Each day finds its vocation Responding to His voice. Soon years on earth are past; But time we spend expressing The love of God brings blessing That will forever last!
Yet even though I suffer The world’s unpleasantness, And though the day’s grow rougher And bring me great distress, That day of bliss divine, Which knows no end or measure, And Christ, who is my pleasure, Forever shall be mine.
For thus the Father willed it, Who fashioned us from clay; And His own Son fulfilled it And brought eternal day. The Spirit now has come, To us true faith has given; He leads us home to heaven. O praise the Three in One!
Ludwig Helmbold (1532-1598): “Von Gott will ich nicht lassen…”
Watchword for this 1st Sunday after Trinity
The one who listens to you listens to me, and the one who rejects you rejects me, and the one who rejects me rejects the one who sent me.
Luke 10:16
The Old Testament lesson for the 1st Sunday after Trinity:
These words I am commanding you today must be kept in mind, and you must teach them to your children and speak of them as you sit in your house, as you walk along the road, as you lie down, and as you get up. You should tie them as a reminder on your forearm and fasten them as symbols on your forehead. Inscribe them on the doorframes of your houses and gates.
Deuteronomy (5th Book of Moses) 6:4-9
The epistle lesson for the 1st Sunday after Trinity
God is love, and the one who resides in love resides in God, and God resides in him. By this love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment, because just as Jesus is, so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears punishment has not been perfected in love. We love because he loved us first.
If anyone says “I love God” and yet hates his fellow Christian, he is a liar, because the one who does not love his fellow Christian whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And the commandment we have from him is this: that the one who loves God should love his fellow Christian too.
1st Letter of St. John 4:16b-21
The Holy Gospel for the 1st Sunday after Trinity
Our Lord Jesus Christ told this parable: “There was a rich man who dressed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. But at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus whose body was covered with sores, who longed to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. In addition, the dogs came and licked his sores.
“Now the poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. And in Hades, as he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far off with Lazarus at his side. Sohe called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in anguish in this fire.’ But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things and Lazarus likewise bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in anguish. Besides all this, a great chasm has been fixed between us, so that those who want to cross over from here to you cannot do so, and no one can cross from there to us.’ So[ch] the rich man said, ‘Then I beg you, father—send Lazarus to my father’s house (for I have five brothers) to warn them so that they don’t come into this place of torment.’ But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; they must respond to them.’ Then the rich man said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ He replied to him, ‘If they do not respond to Moses and the prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”
St. Luke 16:19-31 (The rich man and Lazarus)
The Sermon for the 1st Sunday after Trinity is on the following reading
The group of those who believed were of one heart and mind, and no one said that any of his possessions was his own, but everything was held in common. With great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was on them all. For there was no one needy among them, because those who were owners of land or houses were selling them and bringing the proceeds from the sales and placing them at the apostles’ feet. The proceeds were distributed to each, as anyone had need. So Joseph, a Levite who was a native of Cyprus, called by the apostles Barnabas (which is translated “son of encouragement”),sold a field that belonged to him and brought the money and placed it at the apostles’ feet.
J.K. Rowlings has made herself a name writing. She´s found her voice in many ways and needs no introduction. She´s famous for going to dark places and not shying away before monsters and fiendish beasts in fables and stories, in myth and dark alleys of that spooky Island. Now her brave stand against yet another shitstorm has drawn the attention of the popular German magazine “Spiegel”, because she has not gone into hiding, but come out with her guns firing.
Her thoughtful response to this complicated issue is authentic, even convincing in parts. She eloquently tiptoes, where angels fear to tread. She´s no Voldemort, nor Dolores Umbridge either, but like the rest of us part of a fallen and broken world, where paradise is long lost and we´re all on our way back – seeking everywhere to find it and by all means to regain it. It´s complicated terrain – and with all those trolls out there, difficult to find one´s way.
We know full well, that none of us is going to get there by biology, economy, force or intellect – but only by grace through faith – even if all devils try to oppose that and his ilk is having a wail of a time wrecking havoc – in what was origianlly supposed to be safe havens like families, clans, tribes and nations.
In the meantime, we will continue to stick to our Lord and our God, who is a mighty fortress indeed as Psalm 46 teaches us and the theological Doctor sings with the Church:
1 A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing; our helper he, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing. For still our ancient foe does seek to work us woe; his craft and power are great, and armed with cruel hate, on earth is not his equal.
2 Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing, were not the right Man on our side, the Man of God’s own choosing. You ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is he; Lord Sabaoth his name, from age to age the same; and he must win the battle.
3 And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us, we will not fear, for God has willed his truth to triumph through us. The prince of darkness grim, we tremble not for him; his rage we can endure, for lo! his doom is sure; one little word shall fell him.
4 That Word above all earthly powers no thanks to them abideth; the Spirit and the gifts are ours through him who with us sideth. Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also; the body they may kill: God’s truth abideth still; his kingdom is forever!
Dr. Martin Luther 1483-1546 Psalter Hymnal, (Gray), 1987
Wonderful morning in Wittenberg and some drizzle´s in the air. Not much, no, but still. Last night various weather applications forecast rains from around 4h00 this morning right until first tea, but that was false alarm. I could have gone out into the wilds and across the Elbe onto the flats without getting wet. However, it did not happen. That´s what happens if You trust in princes. I mean, men and their devices. When I first opened my eyes – without alarm – cleaners were busy on the church square – polishing the pavements, all the cobble stones and even our school´s entrance. The epidemic might be spreading. The rain may be coming one day. For now, the tourists are keeping away, the cleaners continue their job and we with ours anyway. It´s an orderly world. At least in some parts. I love it.
This morning’s prayer is in line with the general admonition of the holy apostle St. Paul to his student pastor and bishop St. Timothy the first letter chapter 2 that we pray for all people – especially the Christian Church.
O God, most merciful and most gracious, who hast encouraged us in Thy holy Word to make supplication for all men, we beseech Thee for all Thy brethren of this nation, of the great cities and quiet country places, high and low, rich and poor together, that Thou wouldst prosper agriculture, manufacture, commerce and every lawful industry; that Thou woulds cleanse our national life from besetting sins, and remove all causes of division from amongst the people; that Thou wouldst fill our hearts with Thy love and our homes with Thy peace.
And for all the nations of the human race, with their rulers, that Thou in thy Providence wouldst make an end of war, cruelty, oppression, and ignorance, and grant unto every land the blessings of peace and order, justice and spiritual knowledge.
We beseech Thee for the church universal, throughout the world, in all its branches and in all its ministries; that Thou wouldst further with Thy continual favor her work in this land, and in the distant parts of the earth; that Thou wouldst heal the divisions among Thy Son´s disciples, and hasten everywhere the coming of the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ: in whose name we pray. Amen
Dobberstein Pg. 37
We sing to the Lord and bring all our joys and sorrows before Him, because He cares for us and all the world – with fatherly goodness, divine favor and unending love:
1 When aimless violence takes those we love, When random death strikes childhood’s promise down, When wrenching loss becomes our daily bread, We know, O God, You leave us not alone.
2 When passing years rob sight and strength and mind Yet fail to still a strongly beating heart, And grief becomes the fabric of our days, Dear Lord, You do not stand from us apart.
3 Our faith may flicker low, and hope grow dim, Yet You, O God, are with us in our pain; You grieve with us and for us day by day, And with us, sharing sorrow, will remain.
4 Because Your Son knew agony and loss, Felt desolation, grief and scorn and shame, We know You will be with us, come what may, Your loving presence near, always the same.
5 Through long grief-darkened days help us, dear Lord, To trust Your grace for courage to endure, To rest our souls in Your supporting love, And find our hope within Your mercy sure.
During this time, people are anxious to get out into the open once again. It´s normal, if you consider that the average living space in Germany is just a little more than 40 square meters per person. That´s why they talk about “die Decke fällt uns auf den Kopf!” (Literally: „The ceiling falls on our heads!“ i.e. it´s just too cramped and uptight). No small wonder, most people are rejoicing that public spaces are opening up again. Kids are going to school; restaurants are serving up a storm and even churches are back in business – and not just online. Tourist bureaus are coming up with all sorts of ideas of getting people to come and visit. The various federal states are trying to outgun each other, putting the best foot forward and playing their trump cards as effectively as possible. So, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern is not going to be outgunned, opened up its many holiday destinations in a concerted effort to get the tourist branch flourishing once again. One of the favorite destinations there for all Germany is the island “Rügen”.
A guy standing on the dyke, happy on the German coast, finds God standing next to him. Amazed he asks: “God, what are you doing here?” God responds with a smile: “Homeoffice!”
Although in normal years, this German outpost in the “Baltic sea” is full with campers, cars, bicycles, pedestrians, sunbathers and other holidaymakers, numbers are down quite drastic. You can actually get to see the sea and the many beautiful landmarks and get your lungs full of fresh air which pummels you more or less constantly with tangy wisps of free flying sea-salt. But it´s more than just the sea on this Island, which is stoically engaged in its ongoing struggle to maintain itself against the ever now and again brutal upheaval of hurtling waves or sometimes deceptively calm waters nibbling away at the shoreline, but never tiring of undermining the lofty chalk cliffs, always testing them, waiting season for season and day in day out, seeking their fatal fall into oblivion in the ocean below – just because they can. But still, the Island holds and for long stretches goes about its farming business as if there was no sea. Poppy fields as beautiful as never. Nowhere else in Germany have I seen them stretch out as wide and colorful as this. Canola fields in the brightest yellow too, but then you have corn fields plain and simple. Miles of the most impressive avenues of oaks, linden, chestnuts and others too linking the pristine beech forests, which are an world natural heritage site and understandably so. Very impressive trees – and for as far as you can see…
The old islanders were not very rich. Fishing, farming, working all day, perhaps even smuggling a bit, who knows? Sounds romantic and recalls days of pirates in the legendary league of Störtebeker and Co. Ernst Moritz Arndt for his part was more land-bound, but not less courageous he first fled to Sweden only to return and fight as rebel and turn-coat on the side of the Russians against the tyrannical French emperor Napoleon, who had defeated Prussia in Jena and Auerstadt. Although I know him from his clear confession “Vom Fels des Heils”, he wrotes some really revolutionary stuff too:
Der Mensch soll gehorchen mit Freiheit und das Rechte tun, weil es seinem Herzen gefällt. Und es sind viele Laster schändlich zu nennen, doch das Schändlichste von allen ist ein knechtischer Sinn. Denn wer die Freiheit verlor, der verlor jede Tugend, und dem zerbrochenen Mut hängen die Schanden sich an. Wer mit hündischen Sinn das Rechte verschweiget, der umschleicht mit dem Unrecht bald auch das Recht.
Katechimus Pg.8
The true treasure of the church is the gospel of our Lord IX
The low-lying houses seeking the protection of the ground against the storms from the artic North, framed by cute little gardens – orchards, vegetable patches and always a myriad of flowers. Reminders of paradise lost. Robust churches, chapels and cathedrals even. Stocky. Firm. Somewhat daunting in their manly abrasiveness, but actually most comforting for those, who knew to trust in their enduring protection and safety. Unmoving, steadfast, confessional stalwarts – for eternities – just like the divine treasures guarded therein. Tourists come and go. And no wonder, they discover an idyllic destination – hiking trails without end, excellent biking trails too. Forests, glades and moors, lakes and rivers, hills and fields, towns and nearby cities, beaches, spas, saunas and the wide-open sea. What do you need more for a holiday? It´s enough for decent living – nearly perfect – if you ask me. “Rügen” is worth a trip any day… good for a stopover, perhaps even for longer than that. Perhaps You should hurry though, before the Chinese get it. Don´t say I (or F.C. Delius!) didn´t warn you 🙂
Here´s the hymn “Vom Fels des Heils” – and hey, I am sorry, I didn´t find a translation:
1) Ich weiß, woran ich glaube, ich weiß, was fest besteht, wenn alles hier im Staube wie Sand und Staub verweht; ich weiß, was ewig bleibet, wo alles wankt und fällt, wo Wahn die Weisen treibet und Trug die Klugen prellt.
2) Ich weiß, was ewig dauert, ich weiß, was nimmer lässt; auf ewgen Grund gemauert steht diese Schutzwehr fest. Es sind des Heilands Worte, die Worte fest und klar; an diesem Felsenhorte halt ich unwandelbar.
3) Auch kenn ich wohl den Meister, der mir die Feste baut; er heißt der Fürst der Geister, auf den der Himmel schaut, vor dem die Seraphinen anbetend niederknien, um den die Engel dienen: ich weiß und kenne ihn.
4) Das ist das Licht der Höhe, das ist der Jesus Christ, der Fels, auf dem ich stehe, der diamanten ist, der nimmermehr kann wanken, der Heiland und der Hort, die Leuchte der Gedanken, die leuchtet hier und dort.
5) So weiß ich, was ich glaube, ich weiß, was fest besteht und in dem Erdenstaube nicht mit als Staub verweht; ich weiß, was in dem Grauen des Todes ewig bleibt und selbst auf Erdenauen schon Himmelsblumen treibt.
I´ve still got some unkept promises. Some of those are to still take You further through Weimar. Now that the poster depicting the Cranach altar in St.Peter & Paul (Herderkirche) is up in my office, I´ve got another incentive to keep those commitments. Well, there are 3 more places in Weimar and one more on its outskirts, that I want to address today.
Firstly, there´s the Duchess Anna Amalia library (and a new website for this), that caught fire in 2004 and lost a substantial part of its treasures. There were old wires, that caused a short – and the whole thing nearly went up in flames. Thank God, lots of the books had been stashed for urgent renovations – and so the damage was by far less, than it could have been. Here´s a link to the Panorama of the place, with views before and after the fire. There´s not much to be added to these wonderful websites, except the enthusiastic encouragement: Go see this for Yourself. It is truly amazing!
Weimar Platz der Demokratie 1 Herzogin-Anna-Amalia-Bibliothek
Two more are the houses of Goethe and Schiller. Today they are both museums and in good condition, giving excellent insights into the living conditions of these famous exponents of Germany´s classical period.
Im Schatten der Großen
Another must see in Weimar is the historical graveyard with the “Fürstengruft”. Here You have plenty to see. It´s a big place – thousands of graves spreading wide under ancient trees and over hectares and hectares of well-kept gardens, flowerbeds and shrubs. The ducal vault with the coffins of both Goethe and Schiller too is a somewhat morbid affair – big coffins one next to the other. Not much else. Well, it´s what it come down to in the end – a “little wooden box” as old Arnold Hiestermann put it. The Russian chapel is cute and rather exotic, but not much to talk about either. Now You may ask, why go to Weimar if You can just check it out online. Well, for one thing, the birds singing up in the trees and the fresh air in those green arcades and walkways, but there´s more even. Like meeting with the old architect, who lost his wife recently after sharing much of his life with her in Weimar for more than 75 years. That´s a long and happy dance as he described it. He was a typical German humanist – quoting Latin, getting excited about the classics and even taking photos of some dead poet’s grave (C.A Vulpius – Goethe´s brother-in-law) on that very day. He had the same bright, blue eyes like my father-in-law, displayed the same sharp wit although he was well beyond 90 years old and when he heard that Angelika was a German teacher, he was in his element. Now, You don´t meet such people online. He doesn´t even have email. He shared his house address and invited us to call on him. That´s one of the special take-aways that illustrate, why visiting in person is such so special – even in times of Corona.
Now, one could get the impression as if all is just perfect in Weimar. Well, there are also dark chapters – and on the last day, we confronted one – the concentration camp of Buchenwald. Now, this is a perfect example for euphemism. The camp lies hidden on the hills above Weimar – hidden by the absolutely gorgeous beeches – enshrouding the hills, but also their dark history and the lingering memories. Angelika won´t let me bypass this, so we download the online app and listen in on that frightful chapter of our history before we drive all the way up there – and down the Blutstraße. This was the best way to visit this otherwise deserted place – due to Corona. There were no guided tours – and we saw other visitors without this help rather lost in the ruins and wide-open spaces. Putting this into relation with the British concentration camps for the Boers in South Africa or the Russian and Chinese versions later, there´s lots of brutality and sinister evil festering in such places – very much worse than Mordor or other killing fields. Here people were incarcerated due to ideological incompatibility into the ruling tyranny and system – racial, religious, national, sexual, political criteria. Something, which continued even after the 2nd World War, because the Soviets used this very camp to continue the dreadful practices of starvation, isolation, torture and other forms of killing and murder for years to come. The Nazis were no longer in control. Now, it was the communists. For the inmates it didn´t change much. They were both lethal experts – one as ruthless as the other: Soviet Special Camp No.2. It´s just bad news – and thank God, that we´re living in better times and in safer places – but don´t stop crying for those, who still suffer this kind of despotic tyranny – in N.Korea, China and other dark terrorist hideouts.
On the way out, we slowly recovered. That normally takes time – even though Buchenwald is not as frightful as Auschwitz. Still, the terror gets to You – and it doesn´t want to let go. Much like the dementors (J.K.Rawling) sucking out Your very breath of life. Chocolate helps. We resorted to a local street festival somewhere in a village up in the hills. They were celebrating “family day” or something – and all the villagers were gathered around the grill – munching away on fried meats with potato salad and washing that down with all sorts of traditional brews. Obviously, they had been at this for some time, because they were as gregarious as they come. As soon as we greeted them, they knew, we were foreigners: Welcome to Thuringia! With proverbial hospitality they made us welcome and forget, where we had just come from. In next to no time, we were made at home and special – right there on some village street in the backwaters of the German hinterland.
In the end, we still went to see the “Lutherstone” near Stotternheim. Not much to see – it´s a lot of myths and speculation, but one big stone – and then many brown sun-seekers and other half- or totally naked Germans enjoying the sunshine around the many industrial lakes and dams there. Wonder, what Luther would have said? I´m sure, he would have had a ball! Well, so much for the outing to Weimar – and my promise – to take You to some more sights there. I´m looking forward to the next ride. Until then: Tschüs!
