The Ransomed Shall Return

Read this today as part of CPH's daily devotion, Portals of Prayer. This passage really speaks to Advent, in my opinion. I think it's one of the most beautiful pieces of scripture that I haven't stumbled upon yet. So much of Isaiah gets wrapped up in Isaiah 6, 40, 53, 55, and hey those are some great places to read/reflect/and to meditate. But Isaiah 35 is an absolute gem in my opinion. The ESV heading gets you ready for it, "The Ransomed Shall Return." God's vengeance is stored up for our enemies: sin, death, and the devil. This will be one heck of a parade on this Highway of Righteousness! Happy reading.

The Ransomed Shall Return

What Shall We Do?

Today's post comes from Concordia Publishing House's daily devotional, Portals of Prayer:

Devotional Reading for: 12/6/2009 Associated Scripture Readings: Luke 3:10-18 Psalm 66:1-12

What Shall We Do?

The crowds asked him, “What then shall we do?” Luke 3:10

As we live in this time after Jesus’ first coming in Bethlehem and waiting for His second coming at the end of time, many people want to know: what shall we do? What does God expect of us? The crowds asked this question of John the Baptist as he prepared the way for Jesus. John’s answer was simply this: do what has been given you to do. Perform your vocations in honesty and love. Some people think that is not enough. We must do bigger and better things for God! But it is enough, because Jesus came to do all that is required of us. His perfect life, death, and resurrection set us free from the obligation of the Law. In Jesus, we are children of God. Our sins are forgiven, and we have the promise of eternal life. Jesus has done it all for us! What then is there for us to do to earn God’s love? Nothing? Freed from the burden of the Law, we give ourselves in service to God and service to our neighbor. As Luther said, “God doesn’t need our good works, but our neighbor does.” Jesus has set you free to love and serve others, whether you are a parent, student, soldier, or baptizer. What you do is important.

Lord God, thank You for setting me free from my sins in Christ Jesus. Help me to use my freedom to serve my neighbor in honesty and love. Amen.

December 25th

Maybe this seems more appropriate to be an actual December 25th post, but I found this too good to not share right away.

In our culture there is this profound "fact" that December 25th is strictly a pagan holiday adopted by Christians. Granted, as the article points out, many pagan practices do come over to the more modern (and postmodern) sector but the actual origins of celebrating Christmas on December 25th come from this idea of tying creation/redemption together. The author posits, with evidence provided, that early Christians tied Jesus' conception (March 25th) to his passion (on or around March 25th). And exactly nine months following March 25th is, you guessed it, December 25th. He cites St. Augustine among others for this.

Have at it yourself and weigh it against the abundance of other noise in our culture. I found it to be a nice read which gives Christians of all stripes a reason to celebrate Christmas on December 25th even if in the past they were afraid of celebrating it because it is "pagan." And most importantly this idea that Christmas also points to the cross. That's really what the origins of celebrating Christmas on December 25th seem to be about. Enjoy!

Why December 25th?

The Useful Sinner

Over the summer while shadowing Pr. Jonathan Priest of St. John's Brooklyn, I had the opportunity to follow him in his day to day life as a pastor. Part of that day to day life was going into Manhattan really early (7am) on Thursday mornings to meet up with a group of young 30-somethings, also living in the Greatest City in the World, who are devout Christians. A few of these guys happen to run/post on the renowned Christian blog, Mockingbird. During one of those Thursday mornings one of the guys who runs the blog, David Zahl, tossed me a tiny book called The Useful Sinner by J. David Hawkins.

The Useful Sinner is about a man who had a long sexual relationship with a woman who is not his wife and the aftermath of the whole thing. The first thing his wife did when he confessed to her was grab his hand and make him kneel at the bed with her and to pray. In the midst of her hurt, in the midst of her anguish, she gave her traitor husband grace. The book goes on to detail how just because they both wanted to work it out did not make it easy. They had to deal with the other woman and her husband, how their marriage ended because of it, and the public perceptions caused by the affair. The man's image was tarnished, and even worse his own wife now had a tarnished image for being attached to such a creep. Yet in the end through much prayer and counseling they worked it out.

I bring this up because of the findings of the last week of this weird Tiger Woods story. Today the world's #1 golfer, and richest athlete admitted to letting his family down and "transgressions." I hope and pray for Tiger's sake that his wife Elin is as gracious as the woman in the story. And that they would seek out the God of reconciliation in hopes of repairing their badly damaged marriage.

I think the problem with lifting up celebrities is we expect them to be better than ourselves. We want celebrities to be what we cannot be, gods on earth. This does not excuse Tiger's behavior whatsoever, but I think it is a common result of what happens when we push pride ahead of what we really are--dirty, rotten sinners. Tiger is fully responsible for what happened to his family and nobody else. But the idolizing of him that so many have done, myself being chief, does not help. Celebrities begin to believe their invincibility and seek out hidden lives to suppress something they never could handle. And many times this comes in the form of sexual sin and as a result despair.

Tiger seems to be in despair, and I hope he is. What he did is inexcusable and he needs to be forthright in that and feel the sting of that. But I also hope Tiger and his family find reconciliation in the Gospel of Hope that extends further beyond any possible despair or sin. Tiger Woods is a sinner, no kidding, he is a human being. This above any injury or "loss" on the golf course proves this. The question of whether or not Tiger Woods was really human stops with this story. He is human, the same fallen human the rest of us are. I think it would do everyone, myself included, a lot to just admit we're sinners and combat temptation that way instead of pretending we're above temptation or falling. Any one of us could fall like Tiger has, and that is the lesson we should take away from this.

In The Useful Sinner, the adulterous husband comes across St. Paul's words in Romans 7, "For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me." --Romans 7:15-20

This is the cry of every human. We always do things we hate. Tiger Woods is no exception. Our hope is found in Jesus Christ who, in the flesh, overcame every temptation that we cannot withstand. I hope in this Advent Season Tiger and his wife Elin and their whole family can find the restoration, hope, and reconciliation that is only found in the God who took up residence in human flesh to beat back sin, death, and every evil.

Give Thanks With a Grateful Heart

Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our father and our Lord Jesus Christ, powerful blessings to you from the Holy Spirit, Amen. On the basis of the Gospel lesson this evening, “Give thanks with a grateful heart.”

Brothers and sisters it is good to be here with you this Thanksgiving Eve. It is good to be back here with you after spending an incredible summer here. I give thanks to God for you, the people of St. John’s Williamsburg, and bring you greetings from one of your seminaries Concordia St. Louis.

This Gospel text, though only 7 verses, really packs a punch in what Luke is conveying to us. Appropriately this is the traditional text for this special evening service we call “Thanksgiving Eve Prayer.” In this story we see ten lepers, the untouchables of society, being cleansed by Jesus. It’s a remarkable story for sure, but the interesting this is that only one comes back. This means that 90% of the people just healed by Jesus do not come back to give thanks to him for what he has done to them and for them. St. Luke seems to be teaching us a lesson on proper manners. It seems that giving thanks, as it is today, was also then taken for granted. St. Luke seems to be telling us to give thanks with a grateful heart. What is it that you all are thankful for? (assume rhetorical question will be answered). I’m thankful for my family, my friends, my education, and for each day God gives me. We have a tradition at our table for Thanksgiving that before we dig into the meal we go around saying one thing we are thankful for. I’ll have to tell you that we have Thanksgiving at a very big house on Long Island every year. So one year we were going around the table and when it came to one of my cousins to say what he was thankful for he declared, “Uncle Harvey’s paycheck.” Give thanks with a grateful heart.

It always amazes me how quickly Thanksgiving comes around. It seems like just yesterday I was helping out with Vacation Bible School here in August, and now I am here for Thanksgiving Eve. It seems that once Halloween ends the run up to Christmas begins. I have seen some homes remove Halloween decorations and put up Christmas ones immediately after. Do you all get the feeling that I do that Thanksgiving has become a forgotten holiday? Oh sure, we know it’s there because it usually involves eating food, maybe with family, maybe with friends, in some form or another we are aware of its existence. Thanksgiving is also the unofficial official start to the Christmas season. The day after Thanksgiving is commonly known as “Black Friday” when people go out and shop till they drop for the next months holidays best deals. There’s a parade that happens across the bridge here that you all may be aware of, but how does that parade end? It ends with Santa Claus, a symbol of Christmas, riding down Broadway in his sleigh. Yeah we know this “Turkey Day” exists but I’m talking about the actual Holiday of Thanksgiving, do we celebrate it?

Our culture and our own selves have become so engulfed by this commercialization of not only Christmas but our entire lives that we acknowledge the presence of Thanksgiving, but I have a feeling we leave out the Thanks and the Giving part. So much so that isn’t it the case that we have given a nickname for this holiday that completely eliminates the name “Thanksgiving?” Yes, in fact, I just used it myself, “Turkey Day!” Give thanks with a grateful heart? More like “give thanks with a full tummy!” The problem is, my brothers and sisters, that we do not give thanks with a grateful heart. All too often we go through life making excuses for why we cannot give thanks with a grateful heart. But all too often we give thanks for the things that fill our stomachs. Whether it be food or whether it be the fact we fill our minds and bodies with so much useless stuff that it absolutely renders us unable to give thanks with a grateful heart.

Leprosy was the untouchable disease. There are pages and pages of laws concerning how to deal with leprosy in an Old Testament book called Leviticus. Lepers were unclean and cut off from society because of their disease. They could not engage in worship, they could not live at home, they had to live in isolation or in colonies with other lepers. It was a incurable, nasty, hideous, devastating disease. Another thing here is that Jesus was passing by near the border of Samaria. Samaria was a place inhabited by people called Samaritans. Samaritans were absolutely detestable people to the Jews. They were incredibly unclean even without disease. The disease in and of itself was that they existed! So wonder of wonders that amongst the ten lepers here one of them is, you guessed it, a Samaritan.

In our own lives we have the untouchables of society, don’t we? There are many people outside these very walls who society has deemed “untouchable.” They are the poor, they are the homeless, they are the teenage boys and young men who take solace in gangs, they are the teenage girls who become pregnant and are deserted by the boys who took part in this. The untouchables are the mentally disabled, the untouchables are those whose skin color are darker than others, the untouchables are those who speak a different language, the untouchables are the babies aborted by the millions each year because of the sins of their parents. Our society is full of untouchables. At first glance it seems Jesus here kind of waves them off. They, the untouchables, cry out to Jesus from afar and he tells them to go on their way and show themselves to the priests. What is this? Where is the Jesus who touches and heals? Where is the Jesus who is face to face when he heals? Why the seemingly impersonal send off to be someone elses problem? It is worth noting that according to those laws in Leviticus that in order to be declared clean and to re-enter society one must show themselves to the priests. So if these ten lepers wanted to be declared well, to be declared clean, they had to go show themselves to the priests to prove they were clean. If they did not do this, they could not be told they were well, and they could not re-enter society.

While going along the way the lepers were cleansed. The text does not say whether or not there was a debate to go back and thank Jesus first then go to the priests, it just says one of them turned back. Give thanks with a grateful heart. This left this one former leper in a minority of one. And just to add to the mess, this one leper who was returning back to thank Jesus was the one Leper who was also a Samaritan! How ridiculous is this? Why would this guy disobey Jesus and not go to the priest to be told he was made well and could re-enter society? Does he also not remember that just because he was cleansed of his leprosy that he is still a Samaritan and cannot be in contact with Jews, for Jesus was a Jew. What was this guy thinking? He had to go show himself to the priest if he wanted any chance at being declared well and re-entering society.

Brothers and sisters, was there ever a time when you were supposed to be going along about your day to be involved in society, to enter it so to speak, when you stopped right in your tracks with great news, with great healing? Was there ever a time when you may have been on your way to run an errand when you received the phone call that someone you loved had been healed? Was there ever a time when you realized you had become healed? Did you ever fall on your face to thank God? This man, in that moment, could not have cared less about seeing the priest in the temple or re-entering society. At that moment, this dirty untouchable Samaritan had to do one thing and that was “praise God in a loud voice.” So he went back to Jesus, threw himself before him and gave thanks with a grateful heart. In the book of Hebrews the writer tells us that Jesus is our High Priest. He is the one who declares us clean on account of his sacrifice. This Samaritan did not disobey Jesus, this Samaritan showed himself to a priest, the priest, the high priest, Jesus Christ, and gave thanks with a grateful heart.

Jesus is the one who declares us well and makes us clean. Just like in this story when Jesus tells the former Leper, yet still Samaritan sinner, to go because “your faith has made you well” so too Jesus cleanses us in the waters of Holy Baptism and declares to us that we have been made clean and in our faith we go on our way. Brothers and sisters Jesus is the great High Priest who has the authority to declare what is clean and who is clean on account of his death on the cross and his resurrection from the tomb. Give thanks with a grateful heart. Give thanks with a grateful heart for the untouchables outside tonight who, in Christ, are declared well and clean. Give thanks with a grateful heart that Jesus woke you up this morning and that he sustains you in life by providing us with all that we need, as we see in Martin Luther’s explanation to the first article of that great, ancient creed. Give thanks with a grateful heart for even the trials that come in your life because as one belonging to Christ he said you will be persecuted because of him. Give thanks with a grateful heart that Jesus has overcome this world and all its evils and that with him you too overcome this world. Give thanks with a grateful heart that even in death the world could not hold him in and Jesus broke free from that bondage. Give thanks with a grateful heart that Jesus kills your sin and makes you alive in baptism and sustains you in that faith he gave you by giving himself to you in this little feast we have ourselves called “Holy Communion.” Give thanks with a grateful heart that just like the grave could not hold Jesus in, nor will it be able to hold you in. On that last day Jesus will raise us to life in our bodies and we will walk in the glory of his light forever on the new earth. Give thanks with a grateful heart that this world does not have the final say. Give thanks, give thanks, give thanks, Jesus has created a new heart within you. With that heart give thanks to the one who overcame death and grave on your behalf. Give thanks with a grateful heart, give thanks! Amen.

Quarter Break

Time to crack open November I suppose! I write this from Orlando International Airport awaiting my flight home to Islip, Long Island, New York. At seminary we are on a quarter schedule, each quarter lasts ten weeks, and what a quick ten weeks that was. The nice thing about the quarter system is you work really hard for ten weeks straight and then get two weeks off for break at a time (with the winter quarter being interrupted by Christmas/New Years). The other nice thing about being on a quarter system is that by the time I'm beginning to grow weary of classes I only have to make one more push to finish out strong. Fourteen weeks worth of semesters=several pushes to get through to the end.

All that being said, I thoroughly enjoyed myself in St. Louis. The city itself is a nice town with a lot to offer. I often found myself taking solace in Forest Park on the nice days we did have (October was a wash out, November has been beautiful, September was great). One of my favorite things to do is people watch. Not in the creepy stalker way but in the taking in creation way. I'm always wondering where people are running off to. Mainly I decide that people are off running to do similar things as I, such as taking a break from "life" in a beautiful park. But even with that there are time constraints that hold us back from what we would otherwise enjoy in the moment. Even sitting there reading or people watching I'm ever mindful of this annoying clock that keeps telling me what time it is and what I have to do. That's more of a sidetrack rant, but I stand by it. So to recap of the classes:

Lutheran Mind: This class was literally about the mind. There were many days I came back to my room needing a nap because of the mental beating I had just taken. Because of those continuous mental beatings I enjoyed that class immensely. Most of the lectures were engaging and the class discussions on Thursdays were great. It was awesome to bounce ideas off of our Professor, Dr. Biermann, and listen to him respond with his wealth of knowledge and passion. At first glance the course "Lutheran Mind" looks like/sounds like a typical hoop to jump through. But it was not that at all, Lutheran Mind is a brilliant course that has me fired up for systematics the rest of the way here.

Pastoral Ministry: This introduction to Pastoral Ministry was a lot of fun. The lectures were the absolute best part, the grading was a bit annoying but whatever, and the class discussions that filtered from the lectures were very fruitful. Dr. Utech's ability to story tell made that class so engaging. He has such experiential depth that I could only hope to have by the time I retire, and this guy is still relatively young.

Greek Readings: Greek Readings is a course that has the intention to make you ever more familiar with the language and give you a foundation before getting into the exegetical courses. The professor, Dr. Oschwald, is a very pastoral man with you guessed it--vast knowledge. Our section was kind of his guinea pigs on test styles for the course but aside from that it was fun to run through selected texts of the New Testament with him in the original Greek.

Hebrew Readings: Same purpose as Greek Readings except in Hebrew! This was my only class on Friday, and at 2pm, at first I was thinking this would be cause to gaze out the window in hopes of weekend glory. Yet it turned out I found myself wanting more time in the class. Dr. Bartelt is the guy for Hebrew in the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. The standard Hebrew text bears his authorship and once again he is another person with a knowledge that makes me long to be half as smart by the end of my time in ministry. This class often went over the allotted time as we listened to Dr. Bartelt share with us the wonders of the Old Testament and the Hebrew text. Seriously, this class was great. My only gripe is that Dr. Bartelt was gone for 2 weeks guest lecturing at a seminary in South Africa. Oh well, I'll get over it since he was helping further advance the kingdom to our brothers in Africa.

So there ya have it. Next quarter, which begins November 30th, I will be taking Worship, Intro to Exegetical, Intro to Historical Theology, Lutheran Confessions I, and Pastor as Counselor. I am looking forward to getting into these classes.

One more note before I shut down and board, I am finding that seminary is not the hoop jumping experience I thought it would be. Every faculty member I have run into so far, even beyond my own classes, has been extremely pastoral and relevant. The seminary led by President Dale Meyer are making great strides to engage this fallen world with the true Gospel. Theology does not have to be sacrificed to do this and they recognize this. It seems to be full steam ahead with reaching out and I could not be happier.

For now I'm off to Islip to enjoy a nice long break at home, a Phish concert in Philadelphia, a return to St. John's Brooklyn Thanksgiving Eve to preach, and Thanksgiving my favorite holiday.

Sola Fide - Reformation Day (observed)

"At first I clearly saw that the free grace of God is absolutely necessary to attain to light and eternal life; and I anxiously and busily worked to understand the word of Paul in Romans 1:17: The righteousness of God is revealed in the Gospel. I questioned this passage for a long time and labored over it, for the expression 'righteousness of God' barred my way. This phrase was customarily explained to mean that the righteousness of God is a virtue by which He is Himself righteous and condemns sinners. In this way all teachers of the church except Augustine had interpreted the passage. They had said: The righteousness of God, that is, the wrath of God. But as often as I read this passage, I wished that God had never revealed the Gospel; for who could love a God who was angry, who judged and condemned people? This misunderstanding continued until, enlightened by the Holy Spirit, I finally examined more carefully the word of Habakkuk: 'The just shall live by his faith' (2:4). From this passage I concluded that life must be derived from faith...Then the entire Holy Scripture became clear to me, and heaven itself was opened to me. Now we see this brilliant light very clearly, and we are privileged to enjoy it abundantly."

-Dr. Martin Luther

Ministering Cross-Culturally

The title of the post is also the title of a book by Sherwood Lingenfelter and Marvin K. Mayers. As if, to me anyway, the title wasn't cool enough the subtitle is even cooler: An Incarnational Model for Personal Relationships.

Too obvious? We were required to read this book for Pastoral Ministry 101 and, coupled with The Poisonwood Bible, write a short reaction to it. I found this book very refreshing. It speaks plain truths about mission work that we're either unaware of or purposely deaf to. The authors of this book argue for a ministry that is deeply personal. The book talks about common errors that western minded missionaries will make when they go to non western places to minister. Some go in there with a western mindset, because that is where they came from, and wind up mostly unintentionally offending the people they are trying to reach. Using the model of the Incarnate One, Lingenfelter and Mayers argue passionately for ministry to be done in a manner that makes the missionary a part of the very fabric of that society. Things like learning the language and customs of the people although seeming obvious are apparently distant in our minds with missionary work.

There is this overwhelming feeling among many, some, whatever that when it comes to ministry there is a one size fits all. What we learn at American seminaries will not always translate to what is going on in the field in America, let alone other countries (especially non western ones!). Now obviously the Gospel is universal and preaching it and administering the sacraments cuts through cultures, but unfortunately we are still sinful people and we do take with us our pre conceived notions and biases to other places. "This worked in Iowa, so this will work here, it is the Gospel." OR "This worked in NYC so this will work in Tennessee." Both attitudes are wrong. What it means to be incarnational in ministry is to embody the Gospel but bringing it directly to where the people are.

One of the biggest examples the book gave was the difference between "time-oriented people" and "event-oriented people." What I loved about this chapter was that it spoke directly at me in a lot of ways. I assume it speaks directly at a lot of people in the west. If things don't start on time we become unbelievably impatient and see it as a failed cause at the worst, or a complete annoyance at the least. In other countries, again specifically non western ones, this is simply the norm. Church cannot and does not start right at 9am. People will trickle in a different times and it will start at some point and the people will come away with it valuing the experience they had, and not that the service ran late and they didn't get home in time for kickoff. Many services will last for a few hours at the minimum in these contexts!

This summer when I was in Brooklyn I remember having a conversation with Pr. Priest about the structure of his 11am service. After the first one he asked me to point out things that seemed different to me. The first thing I noticed was that confession/absolution was placed right before Communion instead of at the beginning of the service. He said this was because many people would walk in late, sometimes right before or during the sermon and would miss confession/absolution so he simply met the people where they were at and placed it right before the Liturgy of The Eucharist.

Another thing I remember is sitting outside the church for our first youth night which we said would begin at six and by 6:10 I was already getting antsy that nobody was there. Pr. Priest sensed this and told me something to the akin of "This is how it is in the city, people don't show up on time, but they do show up and they enjoy the overall experience." We always said youth nights would begin at 6, most of them didn't start until 7 or later. But the youth came, and they had an experience.

Being incarnational is about doing just that, meeting the people where they are at. Sometimes people may not show up but you remain or you go anyway. Because what people need to see is that you're consistent. And in your consistency they will know you care. Especially for those in settings where they don't know who or what cares for them the simple act of being there goes a long way. It speaks volumes and they will begin to inquire about why you act the way you do. For many in other cultures I would imagine a new comer to the culture would be met with some sort of uncertainty and distrust. But once the relationship begins to develop and the incarnational ministry take hold the people will see that you are serious, and that you do care. That ministry isn't about you it's about something greater than you. They will ask just what that is, and then the excitement really begins to happen.

Nothing But the Water

One of my favorite music artists out there right now is Grace Potter. I absolutely love everything about this young woman. She can sing, she can play guitar, she can rock the Hammond Organ, she can dance, and she is beautiful. I would be a liar if I said the last thing I mentioned didn't help, because it does. I'm a sinner, I'm working on it...

A lot of her songs deal with real life in story telling fashion. You may be thinking, what the heck is so creative about that? Well nothing on the surface, but in the way she tells the story you are captivated and engaged. There are a lot of sin/grace elements in her songs. Since the Law of God, natural Law, is written upon the hearts of all it is the case that many times maybe even most of the time humans do the Law out of created instinct. Now, is this doing of the Law salvific? No, it is not. But nevertheless there is still a doing of the Law that ensues even from those who do not believe, like Ms. Potter.

All of that is for another post. What I want to deal with specifically is her song, Nothing But the Water. It may be one of the strongest non Christian songs I have ever heard about Baptism, check out the lyrics:

I have seen what man can do
When the evil lives inside of you
Many are the weak
And the strong are few
But with the water
We’ll start anew

Well, won’t you take me down to the levy, take me down to the stream, take me down to the water, we’re gonna wash our souls clean, take me down to the river, take me down to the lake, Yes, we’ll all go together, we’re gonna do it for the good lord’s sake

I have fallen so many times
For the devil’s sweet, cunning rhymes
And this old world
Has brought me pain
But there’s hope
For me again

Well, won’t you take me down to the levy, take me down to the stream, take my down to the water, we’re gonna wash our souls clean, take me down to the river, take me down to the lake, Yes, we’ll all go together, we’re gonna do it for the good lord’s sake

Tried my hand at the bible, tried my hand at prayer, but now nothing but the water is gonna bring my soul to bare, but now nothing but the water is gonna bring my soul to bare

These lyrics scream Baptism at you. This is a two part song, with this first part being sung slowly and to little or no instrumentation, just her powerful voice. I have seen what man can do when the evil lives inside of you. Evil lives inside of man, of humanity, and we are capable of some pretty destructive things. The only reason we do not outright destroy each other is because the Law keeps us in check (again a further exposition on the Law is for another post sometime). Many are weak and the strong are few, but with the water we'll start anew.

Where is it that we start anew? At the waters of baptism. Take me down to the water, we're gonna wash our souls clean. We go down to the waters of baptism because it is God's promise to us. God claims us and gives us our names at Baptism. This is of no doing on our own, it is a means of grace. "Well wait a minute, what about when I came to faith and believed on my own, I made the choice to then get baptized, when was I justified?" Good question. One could make the point that they were "saved" or justified at the moment of their believing, but then the whole process of that and subsequent education all culminates in Baptism which is entirely God's work. Our coming to faith and being baptized is 100% God's work and no part of our own.

Grace is invoking rich spiritual imagery with baptism here. Whether or not she is specifically speaking to baptism I would think it is safe to say she had the Christian concept of baptism in mind when writing this song. I have fallen so many times for the devils sweet cunning lies, And this old world has brought me pain, But there's hope for me again. It is undoubtedly the case that we fall so many times in this world for the devil and his sweet cunning lies. This world does bring us pain, but because of THE WATER there is hope for humanity again. We go to the water because it is not just water but water and GOD'S WORD. God's Word together with the water is what frees us and makes us a child of God.

I also love the last line, Tried my hand at the bible tried my hand at prayer, but now nothing but the water is gonna bring my soul to bare. This is not at all to dismiss the importance of God's Word or prayer, both are embodied in scripture, the very Word of God. But I like the twist one can make off of her words here. It doesn't matter the biblical scholar you were in life, or that you followed the book perfectly, or tried to anyway because that is what Grace means when she says, "tried my hand at the bible," she sees it completely as law. She tried living up to the standards of the bible, and even in her prayer she could not live up to the standards. So what at the end of our life is there left to bring our soul to bare? The water and Word of God which washes us clean in baptism is what gives us our comfort and our hope. It is nothing we do, it is everything God has done and will do. He attaches us to that promise in the water, in Baptism.

I have tried to find my way, to make it through to a better day
I have cried a mighty song, but in the morning everything was gone
So come on water sweet water, wash me down
So come on water sweet water, wash me down

I have tried so many times to put out the devils fire
But every time I sit down to pray, the devils charm pulls me away
So come on water sweet water, wash me down
So come on water sweet water, wash me down
Up in heaven, they know the rule, you’ve got to get down to the bathing pool
Everybody, you’ve got to get in line
Down at the river, we’re doing fine with the water sweet water, wash me down
Come on water sweet water, wash me down

Now I’m ready and it’s my time and if I give a nickel, I might get a dime
Only the water can help me now
I’ll find glory somewhere, somehow with the water sweet water, wash me down
Come on water sweet water, wash me down

Grace shows us she was dealing with "what she tried to do" by the opening lyrics of Nothing But the Water part II. She has tried everything, so come on sweet water, wash me down. We cannot put out the devil's fire, every time we try to sit down and praise God whether before during or after, the devil is there to charm us away. Up in heaven, they know the rule, you got to get down to the bathing pool. To get into God's Kingdom one is to be baptized and in that baptism united with Christ's death and resurrection. This is entirely the work of God (Mark 16:6, Romans 6).

This is all God's promise, we find our glory in the glory of what Jesus Christ has done for us, and the sweet water and Word of God wash us down and cleanse us from our sin, uniting us in that victory. So when we realize we haven't done enough (even though we are called to do), and that we are not good enough, we can and will rest assured in the promise God gave to us in our Baptism by the water.

Identity Crisis

Ever feel like you just have no clue who you are or what on earth you are doing? If you're a human you probably have felt this way at some point. In fact, you may even feel this way right now. For some it comes along like Batman here. You get a sense of needing to grow up or wondering how you ended up where you did.

Evidently Batman went to school to be an accountant. And now he is, as he puts it, running around in a bat costume as a grown man. This is definitely something we will do however. We get to a point, or many points, in life where we're wondering just what it is we are doing with ourselves. "Why am I here? What are my responsibilities to others? Does anybody care?" It can be quite the traumatic time. The trouble is when we have identity crises or feel like you are having them we usually will look introspectively to fix the manner. "I get help myself, I can get myself out of this, I don't need anyone else."

What is remarkable about this approach is that it takes us to a place that yes is selfish and introspective but when we begin to identify what the problem may be or others begin to identify it for us, all of the sudden we're not so introspective. All of the sudden we become the best goaltenders you have ever seen. "Well, no not me, not my fault. This was this persons fault, or this persons fault. You just don't know what it's really like." It's the classic approach to deflect criticism from others to the external because even though internally I am trying to fix a problem it is not because of me. How confusing!

So what is an identity crisis? The psychology theorist Erik Erikson coined the term identity crisis. He defined it as being a coming of age struggle of sorts that especially a lot of young people go through. Sometimes when we think of an identity crisis we typically think of the middle aged man who goes out and buys a brand new sports car or gets divorced to date younger women to find some source of self identity. In is definitely the case however that most young people deal head on with an identity crisis. Erikson defined identity as, "

a subjective sense as well as an observable quality of personal sameness and continuity, paired with some belief in the sameness and continuity of some shared world image. As a quality of

unself-conscious living, this can be gloriously obvious in a young person who has found himself as he has found his communality. In him we see emerge a unique unification of what is irreversibly given--that is, body type and temperament, giftedness and

vulnerability, infantile models and acquired ideals--with the open choices provided in available roles, occupational

possibilities, values offered, mentors met, friendships made, and first sexual encounters." (Erikson, 1970.)

So what do we do? Well we

usually look for acceptance in areas that are probably not the best areas to be looking. Maybe we even turn to destructive behavioral patterns/habits as a way to find out who we are. Sometimes we push back those we love and who love us in an attempt to fill whatever we feel needs to be filled.

Everybody wants an identity. And everyone should want an identity. But what type of an identity are we looking for? Are we looking for acceptance and an identity that is wrapped up in the world? That is a place where only heartbreak can ensue. We are sinful human beings. The plight of humanity to plunge itself into despair over some identity crisis puts an exclamation point on our depravity. We deflect all responsibility away from ourselves and neglect those around us to selfishly look inside to solve this problem. It's a one way street, and it is one that leads nowhere, because looking inside yourself leads nowhere.

It's like the addict. The addict is not capable of bringing him/herself up from the pit. The addict needs to admit first and foremost that they are helpless and need external help to get healthy. For the sinner, so mired in self and a self of ones own identity, the sinner loses sight of what his/her identity really is: A creature created in God's image.

But it goes even further than that. For those who are baptized, they already have their identity. Their identity is Christ's identity and flowing from that the identity of a body, a family, which supports it in any and all circumstances. Searching intrinsically will only lead you to stay within your own self. When you search inside of self you dig and dig and dig to "get to the bottom" of who you are. Those on the outside your family, the body of Christ, know who you are. You will never find satisfaction in who you are by looking intrinsically. The joy and satisfaction of life come from knowing you are a child of God and no identity crisis can take that away. God claimed you at the font and that is where you belong. The rest of the world may tell you different, but the Word of God is what remains.

And resting in that identity allows us to serve others. The identity of being a baptized believer a part of the priesthood is what gives purpose to life. Finding out this, our baptized identity, leads us outward as justified people serving and living for those around us. The creature does what the Creator asks, and in this baptized state the creature lives for it.

Fall Thoughts....sort of

Man the chilly weather hit us in a big way this week here in St. Louis. Waking up with temps in the high 40s and low 50s makes this loather(word?) of the cold nervous. But I realize the seasons do have their place. Fall is actually a nice time of year, so I am definitely looking forward to it.

Couple thoughts before I head off to lunch and then class: In the past year we have seen some pretty dynamite things. For one, it was one year ago tomorrow when Phish announced via their website they would be coming back. Okay, I may be the only one who actually cares about this, but it was important to me! But something else, more pertinent to everyone in general, we saw was the utter collapse of the American economy and the United States Dollar.

Yesterday, the Mockingbird blog (which if you are not reading them stop reading me and go there), had an article on the collapse of the economy and human nature. What's funny is how closely related the two are. Now in an economics class and on CNN or FoxNews one would be howled at for getting theological on the present situation the US and the world finds itself in. But nevertheless the two are closely associated. Humans are completely greedy. Even socialists and communists are greedy, their greed just manifests in different ways.

Today we had a convocation on Dietrich Bonhoeffer's book Life Together. Although Bonhoeffer definitely alludes to the idea of Christian community being found in seminary, for that is what he was writing for, his overall idea and exploration of Christian Community can be translated to the local parish. We worship mostly in the mornings to start off the week on the Lord's Day, as the Apostles called it. But every morning belongs to the Lord. So every morning Bonhoeffer writes,

"For Christians the beginning of the day should not be burdened and oppressed with besetting concerns for the day's work. At the threshold of the new day stands the Lord who made it. All the darkness and distraction of the dreams of night retreat before the clear light of Jesus Christ and his wakening Word. All unrest, all impurity, all care and anxiety flee before him. Therefore, at the beginning of the day let all distraction and empty talk be silenced and let the first thought and the first word belong to him to whom our whole life belongs. 'Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light' (Ephesians 5:14)."

Life Together, 43

This is the importance of worship for the Christian. The classic argument is, "What I can't be a Christian on my own? I can believe what I want I don't have to go to church." No, I suppose you don't have to but isn't that just the attitude of the American? "I don't need anyone else, I just need myself."

Oh how wrong that is. We need others in this journey we call life. And we also need to hear the Word preach and receive the Sacraments. Because these are God's gifts to the church. So turn over a new leaf, even if it is a dead one since Fall is here, and join with Jesus and the church who by the power of Christ's own death and resurrection the fall has been kicked back and with the light of each new day is the light of Christ to be enjoyed in community with one another.

Re-defining "Church Music"

On September 22nd, the David Crowder* Band dropped their 5th full-length album, and first since 2007, entitled Church Music. I have been really intrigued by this project ever since they announced recording back in either January or February. And I became even more intrigued when I heard that the album was going to be called, Church Music. The concept for this album is a way to re-establish the mission or motives of the band.

If you pre-ordered the album a cool Church Music Magazine came along with it and this magazine shed some light into just what the band was thinking when they were writing/recording. In one of the articles, which was a transcript (with side notes) on a recent talk head guy David Crowder gave, Crowder concluded that the future of "worship music" is this: "It will reconcile order and perceived chaos, that it will point to the chaos, that it will point to the limitlessness of things, that it will point to the irrationality of where we are and in so doing, it will probably point to the most irrational thing of all, which is grace."

As a Lutheran I love that. I love that he recognizes, coming from the "evangelical" world, that worship is about an order amidst what may seem like chaos. The chaos, as he revealed earlier in the article, is usually the world surrounding and what people bring to the table as they come to church. People have chaotic lives, the world is chaotic, and in worship order brings a reconciliation of this chaos driven world. Chaotic sinful human beings engage order in worship done right.

His take on the limitlessness of things caught my eye too. I am someone who outside of faith related things doesn't show very much emotion. And yet while there seems to be a "limited" function in the church service it is really the limitlessness that defines what is all about: Sins are forgiven, the Word is preached, and the Sacrament is given. In conjunction with this being "limitless" it smoothly goes into what he was talking about being irrational. Sins being forgiven, the Gospel being preached, and Jesus being present in the Sacrament are all extremely irrational things.

In 1 Corinthians 1 we see St. Paul talking about how "rational" this all is when he calls the cross "the folly" or "the foolishness" because of how utterly ridiculous it truly all sounds. Yet, amidst the chaos, and amidst the irrationality the cross is "the power" to those being saved.

I could not do the band justice by doing a full blown album review. The album is 17 tracks long and each track flows seamlessly into the next as though the near 90 minute excursion were one big song. This album transcends music period. If you're a fan of music and not even a fan of Christianity you cannot give this album an objective spin and not coming out realizing the genius of it all. Get the album, spend the 11 or 12 bucks it will cost you. You will not be disappointed.

It's a musical and spiritual endeavor that engages a chaotic culture head on and brings with it the very Gospel of Hope that changes the world.

Last Words

Found this on the New York Times website. The op-ed author is Claire Cameron. I was intrigued by the title of the piece and I was even more intrigued by the actual words of those moments from execution. Notice how many look for forgiveness, beg for forgiveness.

Last Words

I add last words from another criminal facing execution:

"Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."

Sem Life 101

One of the biggest positives about being here at Concordia Seminary is the fact that the vast majority of people here, married/engaged/in a relationship/single, are here for the same purpose: To learn and grow together in God's Word and to become ordained pastors in Christ's Church. It's a humbling thing to be going through.

Another big positive is the access to the minds that are here on campus. Some of the best and the brightest "in the business" are on campus here and are extremely accessible. It's important to be able to hang out at "Prof 'N Stein" on Friday afternoons with your professors to talk about theology or anything in life and throw back a couple beers. It's also important that so many of them have an open door policy that makes them that much more accessible.

The idea of fostering community, and not just any community, but a community centered around Jesus Christ and His Church is an awesome thing to be experiencing. Exciting times for sure here at Concordia Seminary, and I am grateful for the opportunity. I imagine that in some way similarities abound in graduate studies altogether: The material and course work is intense but it is very intentional and specific. After being in college and majoring something that you choose but still having to take classes you don't want to, it is a joy to be straight up taking classes that in some form or another interest you. I don't feel like I am laboring to go to class. That's a good thing, in my estimation.

My favorite part so far has been daily chapel where at 9:40am Monday through Friday we gather as a community around the Word, and on Wednesday's The Sacrament, to be enriched by God's fulfilling means of grace. It is great to hear the different preaching styles/perspectives each member of the faculty brings to the pulpit as they preach. Each homily is meaningful to the situation the student is dealing with. What I am finding is that seminary is very much real life. The campus is an easy walk away from Forest Park, a city park BIGGER than Central Park, as well as a short drive or a long walk from Washington University St. Louis, "The Loop," and other neighborhood areas with coffee shops, wine bars, and restaurants.

What we're learning at seminary is about digesting it and bringing it to the world, just as we would with anything we learn at church normally. It's good to hear we are encouraged to get off campus and to explore what is "out there" in a fun little city full of people and culture.

The Gospel is at the very center of how Lutherans operate so it should come as no surprise that engaging the world with the Gospel of hope is what we do.

The Rising

Every year on this date I am brought to tears thinking about what transpired. The thing that bothered me most was that I woke up well after the first national moment of silence at 8:46 am (I have always made sure I was awake throughout college to observe), and that I was utterly clueless as to what day it was until I looked at the upper right corner of my computer which told me the date: September 11, 2009.

September 11, 2001 I was sitting in lunch as a freshman in high school. When the seniors from lunch started coming back and breaking the news to us it did not seem real. The entire cafeteria was fired up with loud talking and wondering what truly happened. wild rumors were flying around: The Empire State Building and Statue of Liberty were gone too. As I said, none of it seemed real. Then after the second (1st WTC) fell lunch had ended, yes we ate that early, off to Design, Drawing, and Production I went. As I got close to the classroom I noticed an eery silence and saw no light coming from the classroom. As I entered for the first time it hit me. I watched in numbness as I saw two beloved buildings completely collapse. I saw the horror on faces of classmates whose parents worked in the city, whose parents worked at the World Trade Center complex. I sat with a childhood friend who wondered if his father, who had gone in that day, was indeed still alive. Thank God he was.

Not all of my friends and not all of my school mates at Islip High School on Long Island, NY were so lucky. Many of them lost loved ones that day. Each and every September 11th those people and their families are in my thoughts and prayers.

I remember that the only place I wanted to be that day was in Mr. Brown's social studies class. Surely Mr. Brown would know what had happened and why, and surely his classroom was a safe place to be. As I got there for the second to last period of the day I had never seen the man so sad in my life. I'm glad I was spared having him when the news was broken to his 4th period class that our nation was under attack. We read an article, an op-ed, by Thomas Friedman of The New York Times which was written from the viewpoint of Osama bin Laden that past summer. In it Friedman wrote as bin Laden mocked Americans and said we would run from all places of the world as al-Qaeda attacked. He stopped short of saying al-Qaeda would strike on American soil.

Osama bin Laden never being caught is a drastic reminder to us that evil exists and is still very real. Many try to write off the attacks of September 11th as something less than pure evil. What al-Qaeda did that day was evil, plain and simple. But 9/11 should also serve as a reminder that evil exists in many forms and Satan prowls around looking to devour. Because of sin this world is full of hate, it is full of pain, and it is full of anger. There is anger and madness from people all over the world this day. The anger is not just from America to terrorists hiding in caves in Afghanistan, the anger is also from those in the Middle East to the United States of America. The anger and madness comes from within America as there are those who believe it was an inside job by the government. Satan is all about evil and is all about creating chaos in the world. What al-Qaeda did that late summer Tuesday morning was create chaos. Death, sadness, fright, horror, madness, and chaos all ruled that day and in many ways it seems like they rule everyday.

In 1 Corinthians 15:55 St. Paul asks two questions one right after the other: "O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?" Those who die in Christ are the ones with the real victory, they are the ones carrying the sting to bring to death. Jesus came to earth to die for sadness, for those frightened, for horror, for those engulfed in madness, for chaos, and finally for death. All of these things and more are the very embodiment of sin. Sin is going against the perfect will of God, and death is its punishment. Death is a separation, it is a very real and very troubling thing that humanity goes through. But because of what the ultimate man, Jesus Christ, went through it has no victory, and it carries no sting.

Jesus went to the cross knowing about death and was willing to experience it for the sake of humanity. Jesus went to the cross knowing about 9/11/01 and all days when people from all places would die. Jesus hung on the cross for our salvation, He defeated sin, death, and the devil.

During the summer of 2002, Bruce Springsteen came out with an album called The Rising. It is a wonderful album with a collection of songs telling the story of those let behind because of the 9/11 attacks. The lyrics to the title track, The Rising, parallel a biblical story/concept that sometimes gets lost in the shuffle, believe it or not:

There's spirits above and behind me,

Faces gone black, eyes burnin bright,

May their precious blood bind me,

Lord, as I stand before your fiery light...

Come on up for the rising,

Come on up, lay your hands in mine

Come on up for the rising,

Come on up for the rising tonight

The rising. Not only did Jesus the Christ die for our sins, but he also rose for them. Jesus not only conquered sin, death, and the grave through dying, but through rising. The rising that Christians can look forward to and sing shouts of joy about is the rising we will receive on the last day. On that glorious day we will be reunited with those who died before us and those of us who die ourselves will be raised in body to the sounds of trumpets.

My prayer this September 11th, all September 11th's, and all days is that those who suffer loss and tragedy be comforted in the glorious hope of the resurrection. Just as death is real, resurrection is real. And more than that, unlike in this world where death seemingly has the final say, in the new world resurrection has the final and everlasting say.

Come on up for the rising!

Album Review: "Joy" by Phish

One of the best things about having your own blog, whether or not people care is another story, is having the luxury to write about anything you want. In an attempt to relate theology more culturally I begin by embarking on a journey to review and relate a brand new album dropped today by my all time favorite musical act, Phish.

The sound of Phish is extremely eclectic. They began in 1983 at the University of Vermont and over the course of 25-plus years have toured extensively and have sold out some of the greatest venues in the world numerous times. They also have had hundreds of thousands of people show up to their 6 2-day festivals over the years (their next festival will be a 3 day stay in the desert of southern california over Halloween). Phish is most definitely known for it's prowess of a live act. They inherited the throne left by the Grateful Dead in 1995 when Jerry Garcia passed. Each concert is something new where songs are rarely repeated and when they are, many of them do not sound the same. It's an adventurous 3 hours going to a Phish show, and I always enjoy it.

The story of the Phish scene however, much like their predecessors the Grateful Dead (It's worth noting that Phish and the Grateful Dead actually do have remarkably different sounds, but are oft compared due to their ever changing set lists and extensive jamming), is one of tragedy. The role of drugs sunk Phish at their "breakup" in 2004. Drugs most notably took a toll on frontman, Trey Anastasio. He was arrested in upstate NY in 2006 for possession of heroin. Trey had hit rock bottom, and before that "Phish" collectively had hit rock bottom.

On October 1, 2008, Phish announced a comeback weekend March 6,7, and 8th at the Hampton Coliseum in Hampton, VA. Trey had cleaned up his act, served some time (mostly community service) and the band followed suit showing up the reunion acts sober. Shortly thereafter Phish announced a new album and full summer tour in which every show sold out within a couple of minutes of tickets being released. This post is about Phish' new album, Joy. It is a story of tragedy and triumph, a story of falling and flying, and I figured I could relate the theological elements to their story. Phish is by no means a Christian act, none of the band members to my knowledge are Christians. But in a culture so seduced by getting so far ahead and leaving others behind it is refreshing to listen to music that tells a story lyrically AND musically. Joy fits that very paradigm. Without further ado, here it is:

Backwards Down the Number Line: While in the very thick of his troubles with the law on account of a drug addiction, Trey Anastasio (last name from the Greek word "resurrection") received a poem from his longtime friend and longtime Phish lyricist, Tom Marshall. The lyrics tell the story opening up with the first two words being, "Happy, happy." There are those Phish phans who would hear this song and say it is pop crap. But there are much more, most I would say, who cherish the song for the message it contains in the lyrics. "We pushed through hardships, tasted tears, made a promise one to keep." Marshall wrote the poem for Anastasio on his birthday. The song speaks of remembering your friends and giving them a loving ring on their birthday. The chorus rings with new beginning, "resurrection" as it were. "You decide what it contains, how long it goes, but this remains, the only rule is it begins, happy happy oh my friends." From there the song dives into an incredible guitar solo which many are saying is Jerry-esque (that is Jerry Garcia). The solo goes on for a good 2 and a half to 3 minutes and never becomes tiresome. It captures the lyrics by continuing on with a fun, and full sounding jam that speaks of new beginnings. It was the song of the summer on tour, and was debuted at the start of the second set their very first night back March 6th, I was there, you could tell the band was serious about starting again. The only rule is it begins is a great way to start their first studio album in over 5 years.

Stealing Time from the Faulty Plan: From the outset the song let's you know the direction it is taking, "I've got a blank space where my mind should be..." I also saw this songs debut at Jones Beach Ampitheater on Long Island in June. Although the main chorus of the song, Gotta blank space where my mind should be, will no doubt be heralded by some phanners into "the scene" I think Trey and the band were writing about failure. The songs somewhat upbeat nature does not lend to this, but lines like that and "I've got memories of being free" lead me to believe Phish is showing us the blank spaces of their past while forging ahead to an unknown but hopefully a profitable (in the sense of "life) future. This song is also complete with a dirty guitar solo and jam that swings quite nicely back into the refrain. Phish has to steal time from their faulty plan of the past to fill that emptiness or that "blank space where my mind should be."

Joy: The title track is a beautiful ballad with strong emotional meaning. Just this past summer Anastasio's sister, Kristie Anastasio Manning, died of brain cancer. Trey wrote this song for his sister as she was in the final days of battling the disease. This song shows a lot of the struggle between despair and well, joy. The words of the chorus, "We want you to be happy, don't live inside the gloom, we want you to be happy, come step outside your room, we want you to be happy cause this is your song too" drip with emotion. Trey is singing to himself as much as he is singing to others. The band is looking also to find its own Joy. "When we were young we thought life was a game, but then somebody leaves you and you're never the same." This song shows the incredible struggle life can be, how it is unfair and how it is difficult to overcome. But at the end of it all is a hope, and that hope is Joy, as St. Paul writes in Philippians chapters 3 and 4.

Sugar Shack: Written by Phish bassist, Mike Gordon, it is one of my favorite tracks on the album. "Standing on the edge of a cliff, I start to slip. Don't mind if I slide off." Have you ever been at that moment in time where you just wanted to give up and really couldn't care any less? Mike is showing us where he was during the Phish breakup. The chorus talks about running through the dark woods to that sugar shack. Sugar gives us energy, it is quite biological and essential to "life" as it were. "I was followed and chased and caught up and tied by the hay right until I made my escape." Run to that old sugar shack for some rejuvenation.

Ocelot: A fun "dead-like" (Grateful Dead) tune that talks about finding oneself again. The opening line, "Ocelot, Ocelot, where have you gone?" It's a journey through ordinary days of life and wondering where the goodness of life has gone. "Don't be the only one left on the block" seems to indicate not to be left behind in what life was but to step outside your door and experience life as it is coming. "Ocelot, Ocelot, where are you now?" Well, where are you now? Are you up? Are you down? Are you prancing "with the beast that parades every night," or are you with the "herd and float(ing) with the flock?" Phish seems to be exploring their creativity with this song that turned into somewhat of a fun jam vehicle over the summer. Almost as if Phish is calling to their old friends, the phans, and themselves asking everyone, "won't you come out to play?" You'll have to give the tune a live listen to really understand its potential.

Kill Devil Falls: This is the ultimate song about hitting the bottom and falling flat on your face. Trey is no doubt channeling his drug addiction and trouble with the law as he sings each word. It's a fun rocker that lit up the Long Island sky the night it was debuted at Jones Beach.

"How could you leave me, you heard what I said I’d be at the waterfall clearing my head Soaking up nature and thinking of you And leavings the last thing I thought you would do I did not plan to stop at the bar But Kill Devil Falls is really so far Who knew a day would turn into a week But I learned my lesson And I can still remember the last one But this time will be different Until I do it again." Trey is writing as a warning to himself physically and to Phish metaphorically, "Don't go back to Kill Devil Falls." That is to say, it's time to go on and not stay behind where you once were.

Light: In terms of theological relatability, this is my favorite. Jesus is the Light of salvation unto the world, so this comes as no surprise. "In fending off fears, and hearing the call" sings Trey, as he can see his past memories far behind of an old and fallen life, and the Light is growing brighter now. Musically I love this song as well, it starts off ambiguous and strange with no real connection to how the songs develops. But then it drops into certainty and something that shows how for Phish and for the fallen Trey, a new day has dawned. The last lyrics of the song, "Guide us to our goal, purify our soul" obviously clinches why I think this song fits best in relation to theology. The Light of Christ is what purifies our soul. I bet the band did not realize they were being so prophetic!

I've Been Around: This short, fun song, sung by the pianist/keyboardist Page McConnell quickly tells a story of where somebody's been. It starts off with Trey asking Page where he's been, and Page triumphantly tells him, "I've been around a while, I lived in town a while, I threw it down a while, and the town threw down on me." Yet here he is, back in triumphant fashion, ready to take on whatever comes next. In our lives we can sometimes get lost in where we've been and lose sight of how far we've come and where we are headed.

Time Turns Elastic: This piece is a 13 minute plus "progressive rock" song written originally to be accompanied by an orchestra. Yet like most of Anastasio's compositions, they turn into Phish songs and Phish classics (Divided Sky, You Enjoy Myself, Fluffhead, Guyute). Many phans dislike the song for its seemingly awkward changes, mostly due to awkward lyrics. But if there is one thing that can be related in this tune it is that time is very much so elastic. In and out of focus, time turns elastic." This is no doubt, critique it however you want, a song both lyrically and musically about where Trey Anastasio has been and where he is now. And in a common double meaning, it shows where Phish is headed. Phish is a living, breathing organism willing to take on new challenges, and whether or not you like the song, Phish does just that with Time Turns Elastic.

Twenty Years Later: I had the pleasure of seeing four of these songs debuted live. Unfortunately, I did not see any of the other six performed at all. But you take what you can get for sure! I really like this song and especially liked it's placement toward the middle end of the second set during a rain drenched night at the beach. Twenty Years Later shows you where Phish is now. It can be applied by how it speaks of the past in terms of experience, whether good or bad experiences. "Twenty years later, I'm still upside down." Despite all the experiences of life, you are still upside down, and will always be upside down on your own without the intervention of God in your life. This of course is NOT where the band was going with it (again I at least don't think so). "We build a foundation, but where do we stand?" Where do you stand? On a house built on a foundation of rock, the Rock, or sand? Phish built their previous life on a foundation of sand, "where all air is water and all water is land." Yet they look ahead to a new day and a new way that shows building a strong foundation, and how it almost has to occur outside of themselves. Their egos and their drug habits are what brought them down yet, "Feel it turn in circles and you're never the same again." The song takes on a musical edge that shows the road onward and upward. "Inside this silence see, all are free, all are free, the second time around..." The second time around. The first time around, like "Phish" despite the "greatness" or perceived greatness of humanity we failed and were doomed to live in failure, in sin and death. The first man the first time around could not handle it. No we needed the second man, Jesus, the second time around to free us from sin and bondage.

The album begins with "happy, happy" and ends with "the second time around." How true for us to find our happiness, our Joy, the second time around in the second man, Jesus Christ!

Welcome to the Big Leagues

So I guess you could say I am all settled in at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, MO. After three long winded days of orientation I am definitely ready to start hitting the pavement running with classes and modules. The thing that is especially exciting for me is that my dad is in the Synod's new distance education program called the "Specific Ministry Pastoral Program" (SMP). So Dad has been out here all week orientating as well, most people react to that with words like, "sweet," "awesome," "cool," etc, etc. In fact, the coolest thing for the two of us is that we will both be enrolled in Intro to Pastoral Ministry beginning Tuesday. We just may have to compare notes!

In all honesty the most interesting and lasting things that we heard from orientation were on day one. Dr. Hartung talked about how Satan comes after seminarians because we are deep into the study of God's Word and are preparing to be ordained ministers of the church. That is no small task evidently. President Meyer spoke to us first thing Wednesday morning and stressed the importance of getting off of this 72 acre gothic campus and hitting the surrounding neighborhoods and seeing all of the things St. Louis has to offer.

What I've heard from many pastor mentors here as well for SMP orientation is that those two things that Dr. Hartung and Pres. Meyer brought up were beyond refreshing because in their time at the seminary they were never spoken about or encouraged. I feel excited to be at a crossroads for this seminary and how they are looking to awaken the sleeping giant that is the LCMS and bring the world's best theology, that which is the teachings of the church, into the brokenness of the world.

Buckle up....and keep us in prayer.

On Sharing the Gospel

The last day of VBS I was downstairs in "the center" (basement where all church social activity occurs) going over the story of the resurrection and the disciples on the road to Emmaus. As I was chugging along with the story and asking/answering questions I was stopped abruptly in my tracks by a kid who looked at me puzzled when I asked, "Why is this an important message to share?" He said to me, "You're going to have to explain this a little bit more, for some of us this is our first time here."

The world is our mission field. The Lord of the Harvest is constantly planting seeds and using us to cultivate the crop. How did I answer this kids question? With a question of my own of course. I asked them all what they thought of the world. And as real life as it gets they shared with me the things they have seen even at the young ages of 12-16. They concluded, with no help of my own, that the world is full of hate, anger, and pain. Based on that they told me the world is not perfect and in many ways it does not even come close. So then I asked another question, "What is it that you think people really want most in this world?" One of the older boys spoke up and said, "People want hope, and people want peace."

So from there I did the only thing I knew I could, I shared with them the Hope of the Gospel and how that can and will change us. I shared with them how sin, death, and the devil were stopped abruptly in their pursuit of humanity and defeated at the cross, and I shared with them that we have hope in seeing loved ones departed again because of the hope of the Risen Jesus. I was clear that in the here and now this message won't change all and won't make things necessarily any less difficult, but it will give all people what all people really want: hope and peace.

No gimmicks, no games, just sharing the Gospel of Hope with those who need it.

Smashing Stereotypes

I would bet on some more summer/post internship thoughts to be posted on as I have time to digest everything that just transpired the past ten weeks. BUT I had to immediately address one thing that has been on my heart.

When you grow up in a town like Islip, NY in the middle of suburbia Long Island, you come away from life with pre-conceived notions. Essentially, you are a victim of your circumstance. And this is not to hate on Islip or to bash it, it was a wonderful place to grow up and given the choice I'd do it again. But, what I mean by being a victim of circumstance is when you grow up in a mostly homogenous town you miss out on all the glorious wonders of God's creation.

The first week in Brooklyn I was a psychological wreck. Satan (yes post modern scoffers of the evil one) was coming at me full force telling me the differences were too great and I could not handle it. Yet then an amazing thing happened. Each week went by and the more and more comfortable I became. From a social standpoint, the best moment for me was walking into the home of a Puerto Rican lady in her early 80's. Why you ask? Was it the delicious empanadas she had made for us for lunch? Certainly that was part of it, but the greater reason was because as this white bread boy from Islip, Long Island walked through her doors in THE PROJECTS I was introduced to a world I otherwise never knew and was quite frankly scared of.

The projects were a place where bullets flew and all sorts of crime and horror ran rampant in my mind. The hollywood portrayals, if you will, of the projects had fueled this ignorant mind. But then I walked into one of the homes and got to see it for what it was--a home. And then even more than that, over the course of the next ten weeks I got to know THE PEOPLE. And the people are what makes the projects what they are, namely a community. I got to know so many people who live there and it destroyed every single pre conceived notion and smashed every stereotype I had coming in. The projects are not some scary crime ridden place. No, the projects are home.

This week was a whirlwind with Vacation Bible School and having a sweet group of teens and adults in from Owatonna, Minnesota. My favorite day/night was Thursday. We were outside all day with the service project group from Minnesota and there was a real buzz about the neighborhood concerning Vacation Bible School. The kids from the Williamsburg Houses across the street were just waiting to pounce for VBS to begin. They came, they sang, they ate, they had fun, they learned about God, and they went home. And as we were standing there saying goodbye to the Minnesota group for the evening we looked across the street and saw the kids of the neighborhood, the kids of the big bad projects, playing manhunt with each other. This only furthered the new stereotype in my mind. The stereotype that shows the projects are not a scary place but a loving community. Because of this experience that is the only way I can approach each new set of housing projects. This is a place of love and community, not a place of crime.

More thoughts to come....

Finals Week

The rush and the whirl of VBS week at a church can really tax energy on those running it, namely the pastor. The pastor I am working with this summer actually referred to VBS week as his finals week. There is all this preparation leading up to it, but once you're in it, you just do it. And even though you may not be doing much in the moment, much is getting done.

This also happens to be my last week here in Brooklyn. I am feeling a lot of rush and whirl. A lot of what I've been working at all summer is coming to this week with all the kids being around for this great week-long evening event. So for me it is really cool to see all of the hard work Pastor and I and others have put in be put to practical use.

We have a service group in from Owatonna, Minnesota this week. They are a wonderful group of 14 teenagers and 4 adults. Everyone of them has a great attitude and is a hard worker. That much is appreciated and certainly goes a long way in doing jobs for a relatively poor church. And to serve in the name of Jesus is also something awesome to see. During the day they work and sweat their butts off in the projects and at night they have been helping us out with VBS. Tonight, however, they went sight seeing in Manhattan and that left VBS being a purely St. Johns night.

Registration for VBS is a lot different in the city than it is in the suburbs. For one there is no fee and there is no strict registration deadline. The kids come through the door and the register at will. We worked up to 30 kids strong tonight, and every one of them wanted to be there. What was neat for me personally was seeing how much the youth of the neighborhood came out of their shells once the Minnesota teenagers weren't around. The first two days they seemed really reserved, especially Monday. But today they read, and they shared in the question answering. These kids know their stuff and it was a joy for me to spend that time with them.

At the end of the night we went around the Baptismal font as we have the past two nights for a teaching point by Pastor Priest. He spoke once more about baptism and a young man about 7th grade age stated firmly, "I'm going to get baptized." He said it in such a voice that most 7th graders would use when talking about getting a new video game. There was a firm and confident sound to his voice when he said it. It was matter of fact to him, he had not yet been baptized, but he made it clear in a distinct voice that he wanted to be.

It's things like that that capture your attention at the end of another long and hot day and make you realize why you keep coming back. Oh, did I mention todays Bible story lesson was on Jesus planting seeds? And that those seeds represent the faith planted in people?

Whoever has ears let him hear indeed.

Jesus the Behavioralist

"You have to have a personal relationship with God, that is how you know you are saved. And how do you know you do? Well you do everything God commands, that's how. If not, you are not where God wants you to be."

"God wants us to decide for ourselves the path we want to take. He gives us the choice. God is all about personal responsibility."

"We are not under the old Law, but we're under a more perfect law that Jesus calls us to."

"You aren't born again if you live a life of sin. It is dangerous to preach faith alone because it means people do not have any accountability and can do whatever they want with no consequence."

"Jesus died for us, but He wants us to work toward perfection and to produce works to show our worthiness."

Ever hear a Christian talk like this? I know I have. The Christian who talks like this is a person who loves to harp on works righteousness but will also jump all over you the very second you accuse them of teaching/proclaiming works righteousness. What it comes down to is looking at just what exactly Christ saved us from. And also, along with that, just what exactly the focus scripture is.

The theologian of glory acknowledges the importance (even vast importance) of the cross and Jesus' life in scripture. But that is not the sole focus. The other focus is on God's Law and His relationship with the physical nation Israel and what God still has to accomplish. This same theologian of glory will also recognize the importance, again maybe even vast importance, of Jesus' death on the cross, but they will also harp on the moral teachings and "codes" that Jesus presents throughout His life as we see them in the Gospels.

For the theologian of glory, the end result in eternity is about earning enough of God's favor to be a "ruler" in the new creation. The idea is that yeah Jesus paved the way, but now we have to continue and better the walk. For this type of theologian baptism is about what humans do in response to God. The theologian of glory sees communion as a way to remember Jesus and to show devotion in that manner. This type of person sees Jesus as someone who came and died to save us as a way to set an example and to be the perfect example for how we are to live in the here and now. The theologian of glory makes Jesus out to be a behavioralist.

The theologian of the cross sees that the central focal point of scripture from "In the beginning" to "Amen, Come Lord Jesus" (Revelation) is Jesus the Christ. That God's relationship with Israel is a picture of God and how He interacts with His people and also is a lead up to the redemptive work on the cross of Jesus. In addition to that God and Israel are fulfilled in the church today. This same theologian of the cross will recognize not only the vast importance but the utmost importance of Jesus' death and resurrection as accounted in the Gospels.

For the theologian of the cross the end result is to dwell forever with the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world in their resurrected bodies. The idea is that yeah Jesus paved the way because He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and He came to save us and not to have humanity partake in saving itself. For this type of theologian baptism is an act which God performs and bestows His promises upon the one receiving this new birth. The theologian of the cross sees Communion as partaking in the literal body and blood of Jesus Christ as He is present within the elements of the bread and wine. And yet again it is an act where God performs a miracle by coming to His own people, and not His own people trying to come to Him. This type of person sees Jesus as someone who came and died to put humanity back at right with God. The theologian of the cross, despite recognizing their wretchedness, makes Jesus out to be the King of King and Lord of Lords who came and saved the world from its pitiful sin.

So which is it? Did Jesus come because He wants us to be "good" and "nice" people? Or did Jesus come to save us from the very depths of hell and that despite our absolute wretchedness and sin we are saved because the saving work of God is an act that He performs and we receive as a gift from Him and Him alone?

Is Jesus about changing our behaviors? Is He some sort of behavioral psychologist? Or is Jesus the very conquerer over sin, death, and the devil? Does Jesus give us a choice to make the right decision and leave it up to us for our own salvation? Or does Jesus mark us as His very own through His death and resurrection in our baptisms?

I'll let you decide ;).