Standing in the Baptismal Font

"Don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.

Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him." -Romans 6:3-8

"Thus it appears what a great, excellent thing Baptism is, which delivers us from the jaws of the devil and makes us God's own, suppresses and takes away sin, and then daily strengthens the new man; and is and remains ever efficacious until we pass from this estate of misery to eternal glory.

For this reason let every one esteem his Baptism as a daily dress in which he is to walk constantly, that he may ever be found in the faith and its fruits" -Large Catechism

"...we do not forget that justifying faith is not the matter of a single moment, but the substance of our whole lives. Such faith is not some act of our commitment to God that is particularly perceived and experienced in some isolated moments of our life. Rather, it is the constant though always clouded reliance on the Gospel's promise of grace. Repentance also, according to the Gospel, is not just a single act but goes on our whole life long. So also our Baptism is not an isolated act, but something that goes on in all our life. Being a Christian does not just mean that we were once baptized but that we live in the strength of our Baptism and again and again return to it" (Herman Sasse's We Confess: The Sacraments, pp. 45-46).

"Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand" -1 Corinthians 15:1 KJV (emphasis mine)

How is it that we return to our Baptism? In what place do we find such consolation and assurance that we still stand in our baptism and in the true faith?

In this regard, is anything more precious than that God has given to ordinary sinful men the ability to forgive sins in his name and stead? Confession and absolution is truly a return to our Baptism. If we believe with sincerity that when our Pastor says "I forgive you of all your sins" that it is not his words which are pronounced but the very words of God then we know what it is to return to our baptism.

Now, this is not the only place we experience this. What about those times when your perception tells you that you are alone, and it feels like the guilt of your sin is eating you alive? Your wounds stink and the smell of them is nauseous to you. You think to yourself, "Who would want to come near me?" Remember him who did not shrink from the leper but healed him. You are not alone. He is always with you.

Look to the cross. Meditate on our Lord Jesus Christ and his passion. Say...

"Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy upon me, a sinner."

Then remember those words which most of us were taught to memorize as children,

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved."

Jesus Christ has given himself for you. The Lamb of God was not sent into the world for your condemnation but because he has literally loved you to death. He alone has paid the cost of your salvation. You must know that you are poor and have nothing of worth to offer before an infinitely righteous God, but remember this: to be a beggar at the foot of the Cross is better than to be adorned with fine linen and to be lavished with an abundance of earthly gifts.

You have been baptized into his death; therefore hope in his resurrection, but until then take up your cross and follow him.

Scripture Reading and excerpts from the Book of Concord, Quenstedt's The Church, and Loehe's Aphorisms on the offices of the New Testament

All emphasis mine:

"Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you." -1 Timothy 4:14 NIV

"But if ordination be understood as applying to the ministry of the Word, we are not unwilling to call ordination a sacrament. For the ministry of the Word has God's command and glorious promises, Rom. 1:16: The Gospel is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth. Likewise, Is. 55:11: So shall My Word be that goeth forth out of My mouth; it shall not return unto Me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please. 12] If ordination be understood in this way, neither will we refuse to call the imposition of hands a sacrament. For the Church has the command to appoint ministers, which should be most pleasing to us, because we know that God approves this ministry, and is present in the ministry [that God will preach and work through men and those who have been chosen by men]." -Defense of The Augsburg Confession

"This brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them. So Paul and Barnabas were appointed, along with some other believers, to go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders about this question." -Acts 15:2

"...there is in the New Testament only one office for the governance and feeding of the congregation, the presbyterate" -Loehe

"The reason I left you in Crete was that you might straighten out what was left unfinished and appoint elders in every town, as I directed you. An elder must be blameless, the husband of but one wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. Since an overseer is entrusted with God's work, he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain." -Titus 1:5-7 (New International Version)

"If this passage does not prove the matter [That there is but one office for the governance and feeding of the congregation], then I don't know what in all the world will..." -Loehe. Aphorisms.., page 45, Repristination Press"

"It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up..." -Ephesians 4:11-12

"We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God." -2 Corinthians 5:20

"The ministerial cause that God uses in gathering and preserving the church are the ministers of the word" -Quenstedt's _The Church_ "Thesis XV" page 11 Repistination Press

"Later Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating; he rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen.

He said to them, 'Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.'" -Mark 16:14-16

"Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.'" -Mathew 28:16-20

"The efficiant principle cause of the synthetic church is the Holy Trinity..." -Quenstedt Thesis XIII

"The definition of the synthetic church is this: The synthetic church is the mixed assembly of people called and gathered, by the preaching of the Word and the administration of the Sacraments..." -Quenstedt's The Church Thesis XXI (Emphasis mine)

"That we may obtain this faith, the Ministry of Teaching the Gospel and administering the Sacraments was instituted. For through the Word and Sacraments, as through instruments, the Holy Ghost is given, who works faith; where and when it pleases God, in them that hear the Gospel, to wit, that God, not for our own merits, but for Christ's sake, justifies those who believe that they are received into grace for Christ's sake." -Augsburg Confession

"How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?" -Romans 10:14

"Everywhere in the New Testament we see that the holy office begets the congregations, never that the office is simply a transferal of congregational rights and authority where the congregation gives the office. The office stands in the midst of the congregations as a fruitful tree that contains its own seed." -Loehe page 55

The Body and Blood of Christ as protection against the evil one

"Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day." [John 6:54 NIV]

"Christ says, 'My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He who eats My Flesh and drinks My Blood abides in Me and I in him.' Concerning the truth of His Flesh and Blood there is no room for doubt, for now by the Lord's own declaration and by our faith it is true Flesh and true Blood. And as we are receiving these, we are made to be in Christ, and Christ in us." [St. Eligius. "Homily 8 on the Lord's Supper." 7th Century]

"As one points at the bread, it is entirely correct to say, 'this is Christ's Body!' and whoever sees this bread sees Christ's body. John has said the same thing, as we heard, that he saw the Holy Spirit when he saw the dove. So we also rightly say, 'Whoever attacks this bread attacks Christ's body, and whoever eats this bread eats Christ's body, and whoever presses this bread with his teeth or tongue presses the body of Christ with his teeth or tongue. And yet, it remains true in every respect that no one sees, grasps, eats, or crushes Christ's body like other, visible flesh is seen and crushed. For what we do to the bread is correctly and properly attributed to the body of Christ because of their sacramental union." [Luther. "The Lord's Supper." 1528]

"Jesus said to them, 'I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.'" [John 6:53 NIV]

"And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”

In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you." [Luke 22:19-20]

"Those whom we urge and encourage to fight, let us not leave them unarmed, but arm them with the protection of the Body and Blood of Christ. The Eucharist is meant to be a guard for those who receive it. If we want to make them safe against the enemy, let us arm them with the fullness of the Lord." [St. Cyprian. "Epistle 54 to Cornelius." 3rd Century]

How is the Lord's supper a guard and protection for the Christian against the evil one? It's simple; so simple that modern man with all of his complexities and empirical and rational "wisdom" cannot fathom it. It is simply Christ. There is no protection from the enemy outside of Jesus Christ and the Bread and Wine in the Lord's Supper is that very Christ. The Word become flesh has revealed to us that he has not only condescended to our mortal nature for our salvation, but now he shows us that he has gone further. He has hidden his great glory in plain bread and wine except to those who have faith. The eyes of faith see his body and blood in the supper. The eyes of faith also know that his body and blood are not separated from his divinity. To partake of his body and blood is to feed on Jesus Christ wholly. We know that he is one Christ and is not divisible because God is one and he is God; therefore, what better protection do we have than his Holy Supper? Whenever we are attacked by doubt and Satan's accusations, when the serpent tells us that God does not love us and has not forgiven us because our sins are just beyond his grace and loving-kindness, faith in the Lord's Supper shuts him up. We say, "That is a lie Satan because he gave me his Body to eat which was broken for me, and he gave me his blood to drink which was shed for the remission of my sins. One crumb of the bread of heaven and one drop of his precious blood leaves me forgiven and you utterly defeated. Go away in the name of Jesus!"

A prayer to be said in remembrance of your last reception of Holy Communion (partly taken from St. Basil's post-communion prayers):

O you who willingly give your flesh to me as food and your blood as drink, You who are a Fire, consuming the unworthy, Do not consume me, O my Creator; But rather pass through all my body parts, Into all my joints, my veins, my heart. Burn the thorns of all my transgressions, Cleanse my soul, and sanctify my thoughts. Make firm my knees and my bones; Enlighten my faith, Establish me wholly in Godly fear; Shelter me always, and guard and keep me from every soul-destroying action and word. Chasten me, purify me, and control me; Adorn me and teach me by your Holy Spirit. Make me a Tabernacle of this same Spirit only, And not the dwelling-place of sin, that from me, your habitation, through the entrance of your Holy Communion, Every evil action and every evil thought may flee as from fire. For you alone, Good Lord, are the justification and sanctification of our souls and bodies. Lord Jesus Christ, God and Master, we the whole body of your Church give thanksgiving and glorify your name forever and ever. Amen

Thanks be to God

This may seem to be outside of the intended subject of this blog, but I hope it is worth saying.

I've been following the convention on the live stream since the beginning, and to be totally honest, most of it has made me kind of nauseous. The beautiful classic hymns turned into 3rd rate rock songs, the seeming indifference of the (now former) president and standing committee to the serious issues brought up by faithful pastors, the political sophistry in the guise of a "meditation and devotion" before the presidential election; all of these things were rather disturbing, yet when Harrison was elected and took the microphone, it was as if all of the nonsense hushed.

"You have kept your long-standing tradition of electing sinners to this office."

With an acknowledgement of the hurt which filled many hearts at that place and time, President Harrison spoke words of healing and forgiveness, and I again remembered that confessional Lutheran doctrine, at its heart, isn't about angry polemics. How easy it is to forget that confessional teaching and living loses its very foundation without compassion, kindness, and forgiveness, for these are the very things which we see revealed by God through the cross of Jesus Christ.

Thanks be to God and may President Harrison faithfully lead our synod and all of its congregations in living a life of repentance through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

An Order of Prayer Before Holy Communion

Read John 1:1-18 understanding that this same Word of God, who has become flesh is united with the bread and wine in the Lord's Supper.

Lord,
I have been unfruitful today
I have not lived up to your Law's demands.

Many times I have rejected your sanctifying grace,
I have not clung to Christ alone,
I am still struggling with the Old Adam.

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, Have mercy on me, a miserable sinner.

For the sake of your sorrowful passion, Have mercy upon me and upon the whole world.

Oh Son of God, you have revealed to your Christian Church that you have delivered your body to be broken, and your blood to be shed for the forgiveness of sins, so that we may live in the hope of sharing in your resurrection. Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world, Have mercy upon us by your Holy Sacrament. Your Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church thanks you for inviting us to this heavenly and spiritual banquet, where your Body is true food, and your Blood is true drink.

Oh Heavenly Comforter, the Holy Spirit of Truth, we thank you for revealing through the Word of God that this simple, yet heavenly and unfathomable, bread and cup offers us the forgiveness of sins.

Jesus Christ, you who are Son of God, God the Son, and son of Mary, we praise you, for you have died for our sins on the agonizing cross. This revelation of your love, shows us that you payed the ultimate price for our attendance at your Holy Supper. In fact, no supper has ever been so costly; therefore, we know that you are delighted to see your children around your table. Gather your Church together Oh Lord, as a mother hen gathers her chicks. Lord Jesus Christ, Grant that we may eat your body and drink your blood, to the saving of our souls and bodies.


Our Father in Heaven,

Hallowed be your name.

Your kingdom come, and Your will be done

On Earth as it is in Heaven,

Give us this day our Daily bread,

And Forgive us of our sins,

As we forgive those who sin against us.

Lead us not into temptation.

But deliver us from evil. Amen


Heavenly Father,
Clothe your church with Robes of righteousness, Through the forgiveness of our sins, in Christ Jesus, that all who attend your supper throughout the whole Church on Earth may receive you with faith in your precious promises. All of this we pray in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit eternally.

Amen.