3rd Sunday after Easter: Jubilate

Posted on April 14, 2016 by Wilhelm Weber

Jubilate Sunday is the third Sunday after Easter. It is called this because in the liturgy the first line of the introit is “Jubilate Deo omnis terra” (“Shout with joy to God, all the earth”) from Psalm 66 (65).

Watchword for the 4th Sunday in Easter called “Jubilate” from 2 Corinthians 5:17. The apostle St.Paul writes: “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”

Old Testament reading from the first book of Moses (Genesis) 1:1-4a. 26-31a.2,1-4a:  In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.  2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.  3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.  4 God saw that the light was good… 26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”  27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.  28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”  29 Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.  30 And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground– everything that has the breath of life in it– I give every green plant for food.” And it was so.  31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good… Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array.  2 By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work.  3 And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.  4 This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created.

First letter of St. John the 5th chapter:  Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well.  2 This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands.  3 This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome,  4 for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.

Gospel of St. John the 15th chapter: “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. 5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. (Joh 15:1-8 NIV)

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Confessional address

Posted on April 13, 2016 by Wilhelm Weber

Here’s this morning’s confessional address by Professor Dr. John G. Nordling (CTS Ft.Wayne) as held in the chapel of St.Timothy at the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Tshwane: John 21.15-19 JN 2016.4.13

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Sermon at Morning Prayer

Posted on April 12, 2016 by Wilhelm Weber

Here’s the promised sermon by Rev. Dr. Karl Böhmer on the gospel of Matthew chapter 14:22-27:

“It all started just before WW2 – the superhero craze, I mean. Oh, there had been heroes before, popular heroes, superheroes even, champions of legend and mythology like Hercules and Thor and Neptune/Poseidon, the god of the sea. But fictional heroes waned in western culture until just before WW2. That’s when Superman and his fellow superheroes made their first appearance, back in 1938, followed by Captain Marvel, Batman, The Phantom, and all the rest. Recently, the superhero genre has experienced a massive boom in the film industry. X-Men. Spiderman. Batman vs. Superman. And there is a whole whack of superhero movies in the making.

What does this phenomenon tell us about the human psyche? It tells us that there is a connection between the weal and woe of the times, and what people want. Consider the connection between the turmoil of WW2 – and the creation of the superheroes. Or the connection between the rise in terrorism, Islamism, the economic collapse, and the global uncertainty of the present. It seems to me that when people face great difficulty or uncertain times, they instinctively resonate with stories of superhuman saviours who are generally benevolent, extremely powerful, and willing to intervene in world history for the benefit of mankind. One might almost think that we are programmed that way. That when danger threatens, we look to the skies for help, for help to come from above, to neutralize evil, make things safe, and ensure a nice, satisfying “happily ever after…” Could it be that this yearning was planted in us? We read in Acts that the God who made the world and everything in it … made from one man every nation of mankind… that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us… (Acts 17:24-27) God has made all people so that they would seek Him, but you find God only where He comes to find you. That’s what’s going on in our reading. The events we hear about today happen immediately after the feeding of the 5,000. This is the second time in Mt that Jesus is with the disciples out on the water at night in adverse conditions. But this is not just another stilling of the storm.

First, Jesus is personally responsible for the separation between disciples and himself. They are out on the water in a boat at night, away from him, because he sent them there. He made the disciples get into the boat and go before him while he dismisses the crowd and goes up on the mountain to find rest in prayer. Jesus is clearly in charge of the scene. Why send them out like this into a headwind? Sailing in a headwind can be done, but it takes hard work. Now, the lake is big, and the night is long, but it’s not as if they are in great danger. It’s not life-threatening – it’s just difficult. These are experienced sailors. So Jesus lets them go until they are about halfway. And then he comes to them walking on the lake between 3 am and 6 am. The men are not afraid – until Jesus shows up. Why?

The way Mt tells the story, you have to notice that Jesus is doing all of the verbs. He created the situation, he is in charge of it, and he is showing himself in this way to make a point. He is doing what God does whenever He offers a theophany, God showing Himself. Think about the time Moses asks to see God. Moses has to hide in the cleft of a rock – and God passes by, demonstrating who He is. What Jesus is doing is a demonstration of deity. Forget superhuman. Forget superhero. This is a manifestation of supreme authority, this is the amazing truth that he, the man from Galilee, is the master of the storm. Forget Neptune and Poseidon. Jesus is the God of the storm. That’s the first point. Jesus sends the disciples out and he comes to them in this amazing way because he wants to show who he is. But the thing is – they don’t get it. They didn’t recognize him for who he is the first time he stilled a storm. They didn’t recognize him for who he is earlier at the feeding of the 5,000, and they don’t recognize him now. Try for a moment to see Jesus the way they would have. The wind is blowing in your face, hard. It’s been doing that all night, and you’re really tired of it. In fact, you’re tired, period. You’re just about halfway, it’s 3 am, and it’s not smooth sailing. You keep having to duck as the sail snaps past to the other side and the boat changes direction, yet again. Back and forth, back and forth. Nobody gets to sleep. The wind is blowing something awful. And then suddenly, you notice a figure inserting himself into the situation, approaching the boat, walking over the waves, straight into the wind. A vision that is out of this world. But what really gets you is that this figure is absolutely calm, absolutely in control, even as the wind whips at him, and he’s headed in a fixed direction while you struggle to maintain any direction at all. He’s resolutely striding, very determined, a picture of total control. It’s totally eerie. It’s incredible, unbelievable. The sailors think he’s some kind of apparition, something like Neptune riding on the roiling sea. Here their Lord who stunningly mastered the storm, now walks on the storm. In him the fullness of deity dwells in bodily form, and that body walks on the water. They are totally freaked out. And so they cry out, in fear.

So the demonstration isn’t working – because of their unbelief. And so Jesus identifies himself. He comes right to his exhausted, terrified followers and he speaks those bracing words: Take heart. Ego eimi! That is how the Lord identified Himself to Moses, it is the name of God. It is the presence of the eternal God, it is how Jesus identifies himself: I am the bread of life, the light of the world, the door for the sheep, the Good Shepherd, the way, the truth, the life. The words of Jesus are never empty phrases. They are always connected with who he is and what he does. And just like the disciples, when you are being battered and you have the wind head-on, when it’s dark and it seems things couldn’t be worse, this same voice that you know and recognize speaks out of the water of your baptism, right beside you: Take heart; Ego eimi. Your Lord is right there, the great “I am”, who chose you, who called you, who has been guiding you, who has given you proofs of his power and love. Do not be afraid. Now with these water stories in the Gospels, pastors love allegorizing and drawing parallels to the storms of life. But that’s really dangerous, because you often end up saying something that’s not true. It’s not true that Jesus calms the storms of life, or at least, by no means all of them. Here, he has sent his people into the wind and weather! He is testing them. Every believer knows that Jesus sometimes sends you into raging headwind. The events of our reading tells you something about Jesus, something that blows your socks off and puts even the best superhero movie to absolute shame. It is this: Jesus is in fact the Creator. He is the Word through whom all things were made (John 1). He is the image of the invisible God (Col. 1). He has absolute power over the whole creation. But more: This Jesus graciously identifies himself to disciples who don’t get it when they should. So who is Jesus? He is the good shepherd – not some willowy figure wending his way through woolly landscapes, but the powerful defender of the sheep, the expert smasher-in of wolf skulls. Jesus is not your warm and fuzzy buddy, or always gentle Jesus meek and mild. He is God. Not merely a superhuman being born on a different planet, but the Creator who made all the planets and the solar systems and who came here to be born in this one. He is God, so powerful and so majestic that his own disciples don’t even recognize him and cry out in fear. There are times when we need to remind ourselves, especially in today’s culture, where everything is casual and we’re all buddy-buddy and we have lost the ability to distinguish between occasions that are formal and those which are informal: This is not healthy for human beings. There are things we ought to fear, and there are times and places when we ought to be silent and to show respect.

Now, here’s the deal: That same Jesus, that God, is willing to come and reveal himself patiently and repeatedly. He does not reject his followers when they don’t get it. He does not reject you when you don’t get it. He is willing to come to you and bear with you and reveal himself to you for who he is. The greatest event of course when our Saviour does this is when he cloaks his majesty, hides his power and reveals himself in the unexpected death – unexpected for us – death on the cross, only to have it revealed when he is raised from the tomb and shows himself yet again to these same disciples. It seems to me that we need to recapture the wonder, and the shock, and the surprise, and the joy in this promise that Jesus is who he is, he is who he says he is, and graciously reveals himself to us. Because in the long night of your headwind and struggle you get angry at God for sending you this distress, and demand that He prove himself to you and explain Himself to you. But this is the height of pride, the height of hubris and idolatry. Set your pride and hubris aside and repent. God is God – you are not. The Lord does not deign to explain everything He does, every difficult event that takes place in the creation, in your life; you do not know the ways of God. He has not revealed his hidden ways to you. But he has condescended to reveal to you his identity in Jesus Christ, and he invites you to believe in him, the powerful Good Shepherd of the resurrection. The disciples didn’t yet. They couldn’t understand him. But in light of his self-revelation and Good Friday and Easter, and the Word that comes to you week after week, day after day, you can marvel that the great, amazing, incredible, superhuman, all-powerful Creator God would be so kind, and so patient, and so loving as to reveal himself to you in his cross and in his empty tomb and resurrection presence. When the headwind rages, do not look to any superhero or human creation. Their power is nothing. Look to Him who created you. The injustice of his death spells the death of injustice, and you receive the power of his life for the triumph of righteousness and the real happily ever after. Amen.

 

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Fontane: Der Stechlin

Posted on April 8, 2016 by Wilhelm Weber

“… zwei Junge heiraten sich; – das ist so ziemlich alles, was auf 500 Seiten geschieht, hat Theodor Fontane über seinen letzten Roman “Der Stechlin” gesagt. Da kann man sogar reinhören: Das erste Kapitel vorgelesen.  Und hier ist noch mehr dazu nach Wikepedia zB dieses “Im Roman enthalten ist eine Kritik an Friedrich Nietzsches Konzept des Übermenschen, wenn der alte Stechlin sagt: „Jetzt hat man statt des wirklichen Menschen den sogenannten Übermenschen etabliert; eigentlich gibt es aber bloß noch Untermenschen, und mitunter sind es gerade die, die man durchaus zu einem „Über“ machen will. Ich habe von solchen Leuten gelesen und auch welche gesehn. Ein Glück, daß es, nach meiner Wahrnehmung, immer entschieden komische Figuren sind, sonst könnte man verzweifeln.“[6]

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Misericordias Domini

Posted on April 8, 2016 by Wilhelm Weber

Watchword for the 3rd Sunday in Easter from the gospel of John 10:11a; 10:27-28: Jesus Christ says: “I am the good shepherd…My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish.” That is why this Sunday is also called “Good Shepherd Sunday!

Ezekiel 34:1-16.31 The word of the LORD came to me:  2 “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Woe to the shepherds of Israel who only take care of themselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock?  3 You eat the curds, clothe yourselves with the wool and slaughter the choice animals, but you do not take care of the flock.  4 You have not strengthened the weak or healed the sick or bound up the injured. You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost. You have ruled them harshly and brutally.  5 So they were scattered because there was no shepherd, and when they were scattered they became food for all the wild animals.  6 My sheep wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. They were scattered over the whole earth, and no one searched or looked for them.  7 “‘Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the LORD:  8 As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, because my flock lacks a shepherd and so has been plundered and has become food for all the wild animals, and because my shepherds did not search for my flock but cared for themselves rather than for my flock,  9 therefore, O shepherds, hear the word of the LORD:  10 This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am against the shepherds and will hold them accountable for my flock. I will remove them from tending the flock so that the shepherds can no longer feed themselves. I will rescue my flock from their mouths, and it will no longer be food for them.  11 “‘For this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I myself will search for my sheep and look after them.  12 As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness.  13 I will bring them out from the nations and gather them from the countries, and I will bring them into their own land. I will pasture them on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines and in all the settlements in the land.  14 I will tend them in a good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel will be their grazing land. There they will lie down in good grazing land, and there they will feed in a rich pasture on the mountains of Israel.  15 I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down, declares the Sovereign LORD.  16 I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, but the sleek and the strong I will destroy. I will shepherd the flock with justice…31 You my sheep, the sheep of my pasture, are people, and I am your God, declares the Sovereign LORD.'”

1 Peter 2:21b-25  Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.  22 “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.”  23 When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.  24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.  25 For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

John 10:11-16.27-30  “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.  12 The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it.  13 The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.  14 “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me–  15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father– and I lay down my life for the sheep.  16 I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd… 27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.  28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.  29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.  30 I and the Father are one.  

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Sermon on 1.Timothy 1:12-17

Posted on April 7, 2016 by Wilhelm Weber

This morning’s sermon during Matins in St.Timothy’s chapel at the Lutheran Theological Seminary was on the apostle St. Paul’s first letter to the very same name’s patron St. Timothy chapter 1 verses 12-17. You can read it here (1Ti1,12-17 Matins 2016.4.7) or listen to it here:

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Confessional address in St.Timothy

Posted on April 6, 2016 by Wilhelm Weber

Today Professor Dr. John G. Nordling preached during the confessional service in the chapel of St.Timothy at the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Tshwane. Here is his sermon for your edification: 2016.4.6 LTS 2 Tim 1.6-10 JN

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Sermon on 2.Timothy 2:1-7

Posted on April 5, 2016 by Wilhelm Weber

Here’s the sermon by Dr. Karl Böhmer held during Morning prayer at the LTS chapel of St. Timothy on 2 Tim. 2:1-7

1 You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, 2 and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. 3 Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him. 5 An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. 6 It is the hard-working farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops. 7 Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.

In the Name of Jesus. Amen.

One of the great buzzwords of our time is “multitasking.” Multitasking is the apparent ability to do more than one thing at the same time. Multitasking brings to mind pictures of multi-armed people typing emails, drinking coffee, chatting on the phone, taking care of babies, planning the next meeting, and all at the same time. The human mind is a wonderful thing, they say, able to do so much if you only train it. But I have serious doubts about how efficient multitasking really is when I see people trying to manage even just two things at once, like driving while sms’ing on their cell phones, or taxi drivers trying to pick up passengers on both sides of the street at the same time. I suspect that Wiley’s Dictionary is correct when it defines multitasking as “messing up several things at once.” More and more, business gurus and social science are realizing that multitasking drastically decreases efficiency, inhibits creative thinking, and makes for stupid decisions. Why? Because multitasking fosters distraction, and distraction is a recipe for failure. It’s a soccer player keeping his eyes off many soccer balls at the same time.

Now St. Paul is writing here to his protégé, the young pastor Timothy. He is writing to him from prison shortly before his death. Even so, Paul’s main concern is the church of God. In ch. 1, Paul reminds Timothy of the gift he received at his ordination, and the urgent need to use his gifts for the testimony of Christ, to evangelize, to go about the holy calling of preaching Christ Jesus, Law and Gospel, guarding the deposit of sound doctrine given to him by the power of the Holy Spirit. In other words, Paul is saying: The fields are ready for harvesting, the world is in urgent need of the sound Gospel, and that’s the reason you were ordained. So preach it! Live it! Be the minister of Christ you are gifted to be! False teachers are turning away from sound doctrine. People are burning with love for themselves and for money rather than the love of God, they will itch for false teaching because it tickles their fancy and strokes their vanity. But the ministry is about the Gospel of Jesus Christ and him crucified! So that’s what you are about!

Now listening to Paul talk in our text about the soldier and the athlete and the farmer sounds almost as if he is calling Timothy to multitask. As if Paul is saying: Timothy, you are a pastor, and there is a lot to be done. You’d better learn to multitask, my friend. As if Paul is saying: Timothy, you are a minister and God’s many people have many needs for you. So make sure that you perform 24/7 and that you work yourself to the bone, because burn-out is such a noble sacrifice. As if Paul is saying: Remember, only you are the pastor, so make sure that you control every decision that gets made in the church. Oh, and if you have time, maybe get an apprentice or two to boss around, that always makes the impression that you’re in command.

Actually, Paul isn’t saying any of those things. Not one. No, Paul says: Timothy – you can’t do this alone. So don’t try. And don’t make it look like you’re carrying the load alone. Focus instead on training other pastors. In other words, get busy teaching theology students. What you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. This sounds an awful lot like seminary training, doesn’t it? Paul is telling Timothy to select faithful candidates, suitable men who will be good teachers and good preachers, and to give them formal teaching in the Gospel and in the ministry. So many churches these days think it’s just fine to allow anyone to teach and preach. So many people just stand up of their own accord and arrogate the pastoral office to themselves. Is it any wonder that the office of the ministry is looked at with derision in this country? Is it any wonder that we have churches in South Africa where pastors drink petrol or pour boiling water on themselves and get their congregants to do the same? Or pastors zipping off to heaven on a jolly jaunt and taking selfies to prove it? Other churches insist on ordination, but ordain just about anybody, regardless of training. You can go online and get ordained free within minutes these days. And we find even in our day and age a strong movement even within the confessional Lutheran church to move away from seminaries altogether, as if seminary training is old-fashioned and out-moded and just so passé, far too theoretical for today’s fast-moving praxis-based church. Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, here in our text we find St. Paul commanding and commending formal education in theology, in the things of God. So that’s what we want to do as we seek to be faithful to Christ. We find that this is the model that Scripture uses all along, ranging from the sons-of-the-prophets theology schools in the Old Covenant to the multiyear discipleship training curricula of the New, and here 2 Tim calls for formal theology studies of suitable men for the pastoral office as well. And not just as a once-off thing; these men are to go and teach other faithful men also, etc.

One of the most obvious reasons for this is that no one man can be pastor of all God’s people by himself, although some like this idea very much, or at least the power and prestige it seems to promise. No, this is not the model of Scripture. No, the truth is that the need for solid preaching and sound ministry, the need for encouragement and education in the things of God, the need for counseling, the needs of the hearers and the needs of the Gospel-starved world are simply too great for one pastor to supply. Now the answer is not to learn to multitask better, which would really mean sanctioning distraction and inefficiency. No, the answer lies in the formal training of faithful pastors, and in training them well, and in replicating this process around the world. It means choosing the rifle over the shotgun. It lies in being focused on, dedicated and committed to one thing, and one thing only. The pastor goes about the ministry of Christ on this basis and in this strength for one goal, and one goal only: For the sake of the elect. For the salvation of those whom God calls to eternal glory with him. The pastor of God does not say to the sheep: “Follow me and let me be your shepherd,” and then fleeces them and slaughters them and steals them blind, like other would-be shepherds are wont to do. No, the pastor serves for the sake of the elect.

Not by his own strength! That is why St. Paul emphasizes: Be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus. The grace of Christ, the promise of Christ, the power of Christ, the ministry of Christ, the life of Christ, the blood of Christ, the resurrection of Christ, Christ and him crucified, this is the grace, the deposit, the teaching that has been entrusted to you; be strengthened by it, safeguard it and entrust it to others also. For that one goal, the pastor endures suffering, if needs be; not because suffering is good for you per se, but for the sake of the Gospel, for the sake of Christ, and for the sake of the elect. He remains goal-directed on Christ and on giving the gifts of Christ. He avoids distraction; he is a soldier who gives all and takes all in order to please his general; he is an athlete who trains hard, fights with determination and abides by the rules to win the contest; he is a farmer who works diligently for the harvest, and for that reason receives also the first share of the crops. This is the single-minded devotion of the pastor. All this the pastor is only in and by the Gospel of Christ and his forgiveness. This goal is attained only by the power of God in Christ. This is the Holy Office of the ministry, the pastor’s vocation. So the Lord has ordained it, to this end He teaches and ordains qualified men. It is because the pastor knows that it’s not all about him, but about Christ and his elect, that he serves all the more with that focus, knowing that Christ will give success in his way and in his time and will finally make all things well. Amen.

 

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Sunday after Easter: Quasimodogeniti

Posted on April 2, 2016 by Wilhelm Weber

Watchword from the gospel of 1 Peter 1:3: Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

Old Testament reading from the prophet Isaiah 40:26 – 31  26 Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.  27 Why do you say, O Jacob, and complain, O Israel, “My way is hidden from the LORD; my cause is disregarded by my God”?  28 Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.  29 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.  30 Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall;  31 but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

 1 Peter 1:3-9  3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,  4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade– kept in heaven for you,  5 who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.  6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.  7 These have come so that your faith– of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire– may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.  8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy,  9 for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

John 20:19-29  9 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!”  20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.  21 Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”  22 And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.  23 If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”  24 Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came.  25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it.”  26 A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!”  27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”  28 Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”  29 Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

Prayer of the Church:

P:   Now is the time of rejoicing! Now is the time to sound forth the trumpet of salvation and proclaim the triumph of our King. Acknowledging that the tomb is empty and our Lord is risen, let us pray for the whole people of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.

P:   O Lord, in Your mercy You sent Your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, made Him an offering for our sin, raised Him from the dead, and made Him ruler over all things. Let Your word of life be spoken faithfully in every congregation and carried to every corner of the earth. Grant that Your church in all circumstances may not be faithless but believing, especially when challenged by doubts, hardships, and persecution. Send witnesses of Your grace to all who have wandered from the faith that they might once again know Your Son who is the Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last. Lord, in Your mercy,

C:  hear our prayer.

P:   Almighty God, You have always ruled the nations of this earth according to Your will. Give good government in our towns and cities. Lead our state officials to serve with honesty and good judgment. Guide all who work in our federal government to be faithful servants of their fellow citizens. Curb hatred and violence among the nations so that all may live in peace and safety. Lord, in Your mercy,

C:  hear our prayer.

P:   Gracious Father, watch over and provide help to children who have lost their parents, widows and widowers who have no family to care for them, those who have been abused, those who are lonely and friendless, those who have no work, and those who seek a purpose in life. Lead us to be generous to the helpless and to the agencies that serve them. Lord, in Your mercy,

C:  hear our prayer.

P:   O Lord, we give You thanks and praise for all Your wonderful acts. Help all in this congregation who have been joined to Christ in Holy Baptism to grow in their faith and in their service to You. Bless our worship, our Sunday School and Bible classes, and our daily study of Your Word that we may increase in our love for Christ who loved us, washed us from our sins, and made us kings and priests. Lord, in Your mercy,

C:  hear our prayer.

P:   Father in heaven, Your mercy has no boundaries and no limits. We pray for those who are ill. Be with them, and strengthen and heal them according to Your will. We pray for those families who mourn the loss of a loved one. Be with them, comfort them with the hope of resurrection in Christ, and strengthen them during their time of sorrow. Lord, in Your mercy,

C:  hear our prayer.

P:   Father, Your own Son is the stone rejected by the builders but who has now become the very cornerstone of the world’s redemption. Give us the peace and joy that comes in receiving His body and blood in this feast of His Holy Supper, so that we may be cleansed and forgiven, and receive strength to serve faithfully wherever we live or work. Lord, in Your mercy,

C:  hear our prayer.

P:   Rejoicing with the whole Church, now clothed in the brightness of Christ’s resurrection light, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in Your mercy; through Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord.

C:  Amen.

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Karsamstag

Posted on March 26, 2016 by Wilhelm Weber

Old Testament reading from the prophet Ezekiel 37: The hand of the Lord was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones, And caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry. And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord God, thou knowest. Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus saith the Lord God unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live: And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the Lord. So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone. And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath in them. Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord God; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live. So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army. Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts. Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. And ye shall know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves, And shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the Lord have spoken it, and performed it, saith the Lord. (Ezekiel 37:1-14 KJV) 

Epistle from 1.Peter 3:18-22 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ: Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.

Gospel from the evangelist St. Matthew 27:57-66 When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathaea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus’ disciple: He went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered. And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth,  And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed. And there was Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, sitting over against the sepulchre. Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate, Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again. Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first. Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as ye can. So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch.

  1. We bless Thee, Jesus Christ our Lord;
    Forever be Thy name adored:
    For Thou, the sinless One, hast died,
    That sinners might be justified.
  2. O very Man, and very God,
    Who hast redeemed us with Thy blood;
    From death eternal set us free,
    And make us one with God in Thee.
  3. From sin and shame defend us still,
    And work in us Thy steadfast will,
    The cross with patience to sustain,
    And bravely bear its utmost pain.
  4. In Thee we trust, in Thee alone;
    For Thou forsakest not Thine own;
    To all the meek Thy strength is giv’n,
    Who by Thy cross ascend to heav’n.

Christoph Fischer 1568

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