… great cloud of witnesses (Hb.12,1-7)

Posted on February 20, 2013 by Wilhelm Weber

ADuerer on ApokTherefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son.” Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? (Heb 12:1-7 NIV)

A wonderful confessional! As so often I find that the lectionary fits the occasion tailor-made. This week is under the watchword from 1.John 3,8b: The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work and the theme given by Sunday Invocavit’s gospel is temptation and how to overcome it. Just as we heard in the previous devotions on Monday and Tuesday. Today this again is the theme of our confessional.

  • Goal:    To overcome temptation! Endure hardship as discipline!
  • Malady: Hindered and entangle by sin! Shame! Opposition from sinful men! Growing weary and loosing heart! Forgetting the word of encouragement: Lord’s discipline
  • Means: Discipline is a sign of God’s love and that he has accepted you as sons and that he is treating you as sons. (Story of the two brothers playing ball in the park!)
    • Go about your calling as sons of God!
      • Pray and Read his word +
      • Do your homework & tasks
      • Live friendly together with your brothers, housemates and fellow Seminarians and even outsiders.
  • Trouble of sin, shame, opposition, growing weary & loosing heart
    • Illness – accidents do happen!
    • Opposition/stumbling blocks
    • Forgetting word’s of encouragement, our calling, our destiny
  • Examples from holy Scripture (great cloud of witnesses!)
    • Joseph in Egypt
    • King David
    • Job – and all the Prophets: Starting off with Amos right through Ezekiel, Isaiah and Jeremiah.
    • Apostle St. Paul
    • Jesus himself – and his holy passion.

Read the first part of the reading again Heb.12,1-3. Confessional: Weary/losing heart/forgetting God’s goodness, mercy and love – that’s our sin, isn’t it? Now God wants to forgive, justify and heal + Revive our joy and place us under his gracious hand, protection and blessing +

The blood shedding has been accomplished by his son – under Pilates’ soldiers. Whipping, scorning, shaming, hurting, bleeding, thirsting, falling, pierced, stabbed, tortured and finally put to death – for us and our salvation. He did that for you + So that you would not lose heart or grow weary under the burden of your sins. Look up and see him on the right hand of the throne of the Father. Consider him and what he did for you. He proclaims with all authority in heaven and on earth: I forgive you all your sins + Depart in peace + joy of the Lord, your God. Amen.

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LÖHE ON HEBREWS 12:4

Posted on February 20, 2013 by Wilhelm Weber

AquilaIn your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. (Heb 12:4 NIV)

Our Lord is prepared to instruct us to use his weaponry and with this armor triumph. However these weapons do not necessarily fit our preference. We resist their proper use even if the Holy Spirit reminds us with some insistence that victory could easily be ours, we’d overcome most serious afflictions if we’d use what he offers us. However we tend to resist with indignant vehemence. Oh how easily we put off God’s word and crystal clear commands! Daily the powers of the coming Age are there to refresh us in showers of grace and vitalize us by submerging us in them. We are encouraged to dress up daily with Christ’s armaments and attain one crucial victory after the other. Yes, move from strength to strength as we battle in the name of the Lord. Yet too often we just don’t feel like it. We’re not up to the struggle against the enemy, whose just out to get us and destroy us for ever. We lazily remain in our afflicted state and hesitate precariously instead of moving decisively from the broad onto the narrow way to our salvation. This is playing with fire.

We’re double sinners really. On the one side we can’t say that the enemy is to powerful and we are incapable of standing up to him, because we have only had to deal with human struggles up to now. In no temptation did we have to fight to the point of shedding our blood. We always had a word of God at hand, with which the old evil foe is put into a corner and down and out. The Holy Spirit was always there with vigorous help indeed – to carry us up and away as on eagle’s wings miles above the long stretch of deserts, treacherous precipices and insurmountable cliffs of temptation. Yet, we have to confess that we did not take our refuge solely in him, but were distracted from his goodness and instead attracted fatally to evil and its empty promises. Too little regret and far too late as well.

Up, up o my soul get on with the fight. Get up and off you go to triumph! In this world and age you’ll find no rest. If you don’t fight here, you’ll not bear the crown of glory there.

The devil stirs with treachery, the world joins in with its vainglory and our desires play their part to pull us on their side, o my soul! Watch out they’re out to get you and if you don’t resist bravely like a man, you’re half gone and have already lost.

Remember that you’re bound by your baptismal oath to stand at your Lord’s side. Remember that you’re called to fight like a man; remember that without a fight and eventual victory nobody ever came to triumph yet.

Whoever overcomes and crosses the track triumphantly, will eventually eat of the tree of life in paradise eternally. Whoever overcomes will not taste sorrow or death in eternity. Amen

(Johann Scheffler, 1624-1677. The translation of the hymn is rather literal, but not poetical. The preceding devotion is a translation of Wilhelm Löhe’s devotion for Wednesday after the Sunday Invocavit (First Sunday in Lent) as found on Pg. 120 in Lob sei Dir ewig, o Jesu!   (Eternal Praise to you o Jesus!) edited by A. Schuster and puplished in the Freimund Verlag, Neuendettelsau 1949.

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Herrenhuter readings for Wednesday, the 20th February 2013

Posted on February 20, 2013 by Wilhelm Weber

Jesus healsI will not accuse forever, nor will I always be angry! (Isaiah 57:16 NIV)

Jesus said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.” (Luke 5:20 NIV)

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LÖHE ON 1.CORINTHIANS 4:16

Posted on February 19, 2013 by Wilhelm Weber

faith and truthTherefore I urge you to imitate me. (1Co 4:16 NIV)  It is a stain on our protestant congregations otherwise impressive slate that they generally choose their examples from too lowly spheres. Many protestants have the idea that they are just a bit too plain for holiness and sainthood and they often make that impression on others too. Is this wrong inclination not sinful even and should we not rather contemplate seriously where we should aspire to follow more challenging models in a meaningful, blessed and sanctified Christian life? No doubt, a Christian needs demanding examples, that he can strive to emulate. It depends on these examples whether this striving will serve to elevate or just stagnate or even deflate the desired sanctification and edification and growth in Christian faith, hope and love. It might sound feasible to take the Lord himself as only example, but this claim often turns out to be just an empty phrase and might even reflect an unreal relationship to the living Lord. Nobody will deny that following Jesus is a biblical concept, but perhaps too few have contemplated whether this is truly desirable and doable to follow Jesus in all aspects and what it actually means to follow Jesus. If a person genuinely wants to follow Jesus and if we truly want to imitate our Lord, then it should be in self-denial and humility. However it might be that quite rapidly we become truly grateful for somewhat lesser models like for instance that of the apostle St. Paul, who presents a model that is challenging enough for sure. In the letter to the Corinthians he is described as a true example to follow and we soon recognise our relative poverty in comparison with him. This should motivate us to strive even more and consistently to follow his shining example.

May we have eyes to see this model character of his live, ears to listen to his motivating admonitions, endurance and strength not to receive God’s grace in vain.  May repentance thrive in us, righteousness flourish in our midst and the imitation of St. Paul ripen as a timely fruit of the tremendous work of the apostle amongst us in this our time and generation.

O Lord, all stars shine just for you in the heavens above. Compared with your brightness they are put pale and frail. All glory be to you o Lord . The fellowship of the saints leads us on to worship you there and follow your directions here. Help us towards this by the true teaching and living example of your holy apostles St. Paul, who focused his eyes, heart and being on you primarily and lived first and foremost in expectation of your kingdom. Grant that we follow his example on the way to our true home and finally reach our heavenly abode that you have prepared in your grace and goodness for us and our eternal salvation +

Give to your Church the spirit of faithful witness, which moved your apostles and prophets of old, to proclaim your saving cross and justifying sacrifice to the world, which despises and even persecutes these blessed messengers. Let us confess the truth, that liberated us and made us rejoice; grant that we can’t let this gospel be, but rather carry it and us to victory. (Karl J.P.Spitta 1801-1859. The translation of the hymn is rather literal, but not poetical. The preceding devotion is a translation of Wilhelm Löhe’s devotion for Tuesday after the Sunday Invocavit (First Sunday in Lent) as found on Pg. 119 in Lob sei Dir ewig, o Jesu!   (Eternal Praise to you o Jesus!) edited by A. Schuster and puplished in the Freimund Verlag, Neuendettelsau 1949.

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Herrenhuter readings for Tuesday, the 19th February 2013

Posted on February 19, 2013 by Wilhelm Weber

right lega“From the least to the greatest, all are greedy for gain; prophets and priests alike, all practice deceit. They dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious. ‘Peace, peace,’ they say, when there is no peace.”(Jeremiah 6:13-14 NIV)

For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of men. (2. Corinthians 8:21 NIV)

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LÖHE ON JOHN 17:4 AND 2.CORINTHIANS 9:11

Posted on February 18, 2013 by Wilhelm Weber

Verklaerung2I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. (Joh 17:4 NIV) and You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion. (2Co 9:11 NIV)

I would not recognize the apostle as true replicas of their Lord if certain elements would be missing. Most of all virtues I would look for the shining simplicity and unity of purpose and being, which prevails in his holiness throughout all suffering and pain. From the beginning of his most holy life up to the blessed hour of his death the Lord strives for one thing more and above all else. At all costs he puts his mind to be the shepherd for the lost sheep, the king of the lost kingdom, the priest for an apostate world, with other words: He would be our Lord and master. That’s what he desired, that was his purpose, that’s what he is and that’s what he remained – and therein we find his divine simplicity and unity of purpose and being.  In all suffering and in the practice of all his virtues our Lord Jesus Christ kept that in mind and thus focused on that goal. Similarly the apostles kept focussed on God’s kingdom amidst all suffering and while living out their calling and mission consistently. The Lord and his servants pursue the one thing – both in their specific callings and missions. He entirely the Lord, they totally servants of his kingdom. So we can see him in his disciples. We should recognise him in us too and let others recognise him there as well – in suffering and with all purpose striving for his kingdom. We should yes, we should, but sadly much more can probably not be said of us. Looking at ourselves, we have all reason to repent and confess of our shortcomings and failures at this.

This devotion is a translation of Wilhelm Löhe’s devotion for Monday after the Sunday Invocavit (First Sunday in Lent) as found on Pg. 118 in Lob sei Dir ewig, o Jesu!   (Eternal Praise to you o Jesus!) edited by A. Schuster and puplished in the Freimund Verlag, Neuendettelsau 1949.

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Herrenhuter readings for Monday, the 18th February 2013

Posted on February 18, 2013 by Wilhelm Weber

spiritual-warfareO God, do not keep silent; be not quiet, O God, be not still. See how your enemies are astir, how your foes rear their heads. (Psalm 83:1-2 NIV)

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. (2.Peter 3:9 NIV)

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LÖHE ON 2. CORINTHIANS 6:3-4

Posted on February 17, 2013 by Wilhelm Weber

stumbling blocksWe put no stumbling block in anyone’s path, so that our ministry will not be discredited.  Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way. (2Co 6:3-4 NIV)

Quite a few of the gospel and epistle readings in this Lenten tide do not seem to fit all that well to this season in which the Church commemorates the suffering of our praiseworthy Lord and savior. So it seems at least to the more superficial observer. Yet these readings preach of his suffering too. In today’s epistle I see our Saviour’s suffering clearly – in the picture of his disciples and servants. Just as he was in the world, his disciples were in this world too. They carried the suffering of their Lord on their bodies too. Everybody could recognise the Lord in his servants. Just contemplate those words: “in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses” or “in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger” or “through glory and dishonour, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors” or “known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed” and finally “sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything!” (2Co 6:5-10 NIV) Does this biography just tell the story of the ardour and suffering of the apostle or does it not also reflect on his Lord and saviour? Truly the suffering of the holy apostle preach loud and clear about the Lord’s suffering too.

It is not only about the sufferings we see the Lord going through. Suffering occurs to those on earth and in hell, but the way he suffered is unique. Or do we? Yes, there are split images, copies of his divine template he gave in patience, chastity, understanding, endurance, friendliness, true spirituality of the Holy Spirit, unsullied love and his holy struggles in those of the apostle. Yes, as he was in the world, they were in the world too. In them his virtues were duplicated and multiplied – just as his sufferings. He suffered in them and they did not receive his grace in vain or for nothing.

Rejoice if you endure miseries, temptations and distress even instead of kind reviews. Know that whoever is to be revived by God will first suffer and die with Christ. If you want to live with Jesus, you’ll have to die with him first. You can’t get to heaven without bearing the cross.

His almighty power proves itself most mightily in those powerless. They praise his name above all else and that’s why he prefers to give those trembling with fear joyful confidence – instead of those, who walk tall anyway. Therefore o Jesus grant that I trust you firmly even where I do not see you close and do not feel your help near by. 

(Christian Ludwig Ebeling, 1676-1742. The translation of the hymn is somewhat liberal, not quite literal and not poetical either. The devotion is a translation of Wilhelm Löhe’s devotion for the Sunday Invocavit (First Sunday in Lent) as found on Pg. 117 in Lob sei Dir ewig, o Jesu!   (Eternal Praise to you o Jesus!) edited by A. Schuster and puplished in the Freimund Verlag, Neuendettelsau 1949.

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Herrenhuter readings for Sunday, the 17th February 2013

Posted on February 17, 2013 by Wilhelm Weber

Joseph and Potiphars wifeHow then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God? (Genesis 39:9 NIV)

Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. (Hebrews 12:1 NIV)

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LÖHE ON JEREMIAH 22:29

Posted on February 16, 2013 by Wilhelm Weber

Golgotha E.MunchO land, land, land, hear the word of the LORD! (Jer 22:29 NIV)

O if I but had a trombone or trumpet to penetrate the spiritually deaf ears and awake them to join us in our prayers and pleas to the living God during this Lenten tide! Whoever does not learn to understand and trust the suffering of Jesus in this life, was born in vain – is but a sorry miscarriage and deserves all tears and mourning of his/her unhappy mother. Whoever does not learn to understand the suffering of Jesus while living, lives, learns, struggles, dies all for nothing and in vain. For it is the very purpose of life and the reward of life too to get to know to love and trust the suffering, dying, resurrected and living Christ + In suffering Jesus reveals his saving wisdom, blessed redemption and sweet life even in the bitter hours of death and dying. Life, eternal, blessed and joyful life is the fruit of Jesus suffering, sacrifice and death.

Or is this putting it a wee bit too thick? Do I say too much? Are we preachers like screaming hawkers promising all and keeping nothing? Why do you not pray to the living God for true enlightenment and that he reveal to you, whether its just empty talk or witness of the blessed truth after all?

Blessed are those who pray, o Lord, to you and who proceed from being heard once to being heard more and more and thus progress to more and more faithful clarity until they finally reach that bright and joyful day waiting way ahead, thus coming closer and closer to you as they move along through their lives until they are with you for ever.  First it’s the cross illuminated by the light, then the light in the cross, the world in the light of the cross, in heaven’s light the cross and then seeing the heavens in the cross’s light. You Son of David – hear my prayer, have mercy upon me and all those others suffering from hard-hearing and spiritual blindness. Let us hear clearly and let us see more and more. Your cross is before us in the middle of the dark night at noon on Good Friday: Let us see it in the light of the evening, when the son is setting, in the light of fulfillment and the promise: “It is done, complete, finished!” Grant that the blocking scales fall from our eyes, that we simply see und faithfully trust too – you and your glorious splendor in your patient suffering and in this perception are saved by holding on to your revealed promises. Let us enter our temporal dwellings with joyful witness to our children at home, that they too hear of your glory and kingship – and then let us finally enter the eternal dwellings to see you as you are, o Lord Jesus Christ and praise, glorify and worship you without end being at home at last. Amen  (Wilhelm Löhe)

Would you be a trumpet of God’s grace? Then trust him primarily and praise those holy wounds that have saved and forgiven you.

Together with the holy Church militant we gather under the cross and give confident witness to the one and only all sufficient sacrifice for all the sins of the world by the one hanging up there on the cross of Golgotha. Our Lord Jesus Christ did that for you and the rest of the world +

(Nikolaus Ludwig Graf von Zinzendorf, 1700-1760. The translation is somewhat liberal, not quite literal and not poetical either)

Translation of Wilhelm Löhe’s devotion for Saturday after the Sunday Estomihi (Last Sunday before Lent) as found on Pg. 116 in Lob sei Dir ewig, o Jesu!   (Eternal Praise to you o Jesus!) edited by A. Schuster and puplished in the Freimund Verlag, Neuendettelsau 1949.

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