Pilgrim Hope Obamicons

These are a couple of self portraits.  Apparently, everyone has been making these obamicons.  They are fun.

I learned about this from another Lutheran blogger, and you can get your own obamicon here.

I entitle these posters “Pilgrim feet” and “Hope in Christ for the future.”

In this world, we are pilgrims journeying to a heavenly land.  In Christ, we leave behind our original homelands, families, and even our own earthly lives for the promise of something better.

On our journey, we tell others this good news about Jesus: he paid our ransom debt, and he is The Way.  We face hardship, as he did, but through him our feet keep walking, and our eyes stay focused on him because he is our hope for the future.

The player below is from SoundCloud, hands down the best audio widget for WordPress.com.

Pilgrim feet walk to the beat.

Endless Praise

Some scoff at the idea of heaven, thinking that all we will do there is sing and play the harp, and nothing else.  But God will give us a role, and create us for that role.  (Ephesians 2:10).

In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back…  Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under his wings.  Day and night they never stop saying: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.”  [Revelation 4:6, 8].

The four creatures seem grotesque.  But John is not saying that they are literally covered with eyes; I think what he is really saying is that the creatures see all that God does.  They stand in God’s presence encircling His throne, and each looks at God and also out in each direction to the four corners of the universe.  Because they see so much, their natural response is to never stop saying, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.”  (These words represent the gist of what they say; their real words are beyond human understanding).

We see in part, and we praise in part.  We glorify God to the extent of our limited view.  They see without end, and their praise never ends.  They glorify God through the breadth of the sight He has granted.

Even when they see our lives and all the troubles we go through and all the problems in this world, they never stop saying, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.”  They see God’s full picture.

God has created different kinds of creatures to fill different roles.  We may not be able to see everything in God’s grand design, and thus we were not created for ceaseless words of praise, but we can learn from these blessed created creatures.  We learn that God is in control and that he is always worthy “to receive glory and honor and praise.” (Revelation 5:12).  We also learn that if we always keep at least one eye on Jesus, we will always have a good perspective on life.  (Psalm 111:10).

“You are worthy … because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God …”  [Revelation 5:9].

Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor, and thanks to him who sits on the throne … the twenty-four elders [of heaven] fall down … and worship him who lives forever and ever.  [They throw their crowns at the feet of our Lord, and proclaim], “You are worthy … for you created all things” [Revelation 4:9-11].

So no matter what happens in your life, remember these unending words of truth:  “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.”

copyright © 2002 @ vdma.wordpress.com

Notes:  This article was first published in the St. Peter Church newsletter, October 2002 A.D.  Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NIV © 1973, 1978 by the International Bible Society.

Remembering the Victims of Communism

On November 9, 1989, the Berlin Wall fell.  We should never forget why it was built and why it fell.  Remembering where we came from will tell us who we are.

The above video is an interview with author and historian Lee Edwards about the creation of the Victims of Communism Memorial dedicated to those who perished under Communist regimes between 1917 and 1989.

Fall of the Berlin Wall: the moment the barriers came down:

Approximately 2000 years ago, one man tore down another wall on a hill in Jerusalem.  That wall also separated a land of freedom from a land of slavery.  Actually, it was a curtain, and by his sacrifice he tore it in two:

And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.  At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.  [Matthew 27:50-51].

Remember.  And tell the good news.

Who Builds the Church?

It is not we who build.  [Christ] builds the church.  No man builds the church but Christ alone.  Whoever is minded to build the church is surely well on the way to destroying it; for he will build a temple to idols without wishing or knowing it.  We must confess—he builds.  We must proclaim—he builds.  We must pray to him—that he may build.

We do not know his plan.  We cannot see whether he is building or pulling down.  It may be that the times which by human standards are times of collapse are for him the great times of construction.  It may be that the times which from a human point of view are great times for the church are times when it is pulled down.

It is a great comfort which Christ gives to his church: you confess, preach, bear witness to me and I alone will build where it pleases me.  Do not meddle in what is my province.  Do what is given to you to do well and you have done enough.  But do it well.  Pay no heed to views and opinions.  Don’t ask for judgments.  Don’t always be calculating what will happen.  Don’t always be on the lookout for another refuge!  Church, stay a church!  But church: confess, confess, confess!  Christ alone is your Lord; from his grace alone can you live as you are.  Christ builds.

— Dietrich Bonhoeffer.  (Reading for October 23, Treasury of Daily Prayer, 840-41).

Holy Voices of All Saints

Happy All Saints Day!

The saints on earth and those above
But one communion make;
Joined to their Lord in bonds of love,
All of His grace partake.

— The Lutheran Hymnal, “The Saints on Earth and Those Above,” 478:1.

Hark! the sound of holy voices
Chanting at the crystal sea,
Alleluia, Alleluia,
Alleluia, Lord, to Thee.
Multitudes which none can number
Like the stars in glory stand,
Clothed in white apparel, holding
Palms of vict’ry in their hand.

They have come from tribulation
And have washed their robes in blood,
Washed them in the blood of Jesus;
Tried they were, and firm they stood.
Mocked, imprisoned, stoned, tormented,
Sawn asunder, slain with sword,
They have conquered death and Satan
By the might of Christ the Lord.

Marching with Thy cross, their banner,
They have triumphed, following
Thee, the Captain of salvation,
Thee, their savior and their King.
Gladly, Lord, with Thee they suffered,
Gladly, Lord, with Thee they died,
And by death to life immortal
They were born and glorified.

Now they reign in heavenly glory,
Now they walk in golden light,
Now they drink, as from a river,
Holy bliss and infinite.
Love and peace they taste forever
And all truth and knowledge see
In the beatific vision
of the blessed Trinity.

God of God, the One-begotten
Light of Light, Emmanuel,
In whose body, joined together,
All the saints forever dwell,
Pour upon us of Thy fulness
That we may forevermore
God the Father, God the Spirit,
One with Thee on high, adore.

— The Lutheran Hymnal, “Hark! the Sound of Holy Voices,” 471:1, 3-6.

Notes: The picture above is of St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran Church in downtown Appleton, WI.

Hallowe’en Moon

Those waves in the video are from billows of rising air heated by the sun.  We see this effect above fires, and a similar effect causes the stars to twinkle.  The moon’s movement from left to right in the picture is caused by the earth’s rotation.

When Jesus was on earth, he looked at the same moon and the same stars.  Happy Hallowe’en and All Saints Day.

Joshua said to the LORD in the presence of Israel:
“O sun, stand still over Gibeon,
O moon, over the Valley of Aijalon.”

So the sun stood still,
and the moon stopped,  [Joshua 10:12-13].

Therefore, we sing to God:

O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory
above the heavens.

From the lips of children and infants
you have ordained praise…

When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,

what is man that you are mindful of him,
the son of man that you care for him?

You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings
and crowned him with glory and honor

You made him ruler over the works of your hands;
you put everything under his feet.  [Psalm 8:1-6].

The son of man and the son of David is Jesus.  He is the reason God cares for us, he atoned for our sins, and as a man he has been made ruler over even the stars.  About Jesus, God says:

I will not take my love from him,
nor will I ever betray my faithfulness.

I will not violate my covenant
or alter what my lips have uttered.

Once for all, I have sworn by my holiness—
and I will not lie to David—
that his line will continue forever
and his throne endure before me like the sun;

it will be established forever like the moon,
the faithful witness in the sky.”   [Psalm 89:33-37]

Jesus reigns forever, and all creation sings:

Praise the LORD from the heavens,
praise him in the heights above.

Praise him, all his angels,
praise him, all his heavenly hosts.

Praise him, sun and moon,
praise him, all you shining stars.   [Psalm 148:1-3]

Amen.

Photographic Interlude

May God bless you.

So I hated life

So I hated life.

— Ecclesiastes 2:17.

It can be good to hear things like this in the Bible because being sick and tired of life is something that happens to us all.  It’s hard to function when you feel like that…

On top of the pain and boredom, there’s also the fact that there is so much injustice and revolt…  What was the purpose of all this?

The preacher has seen it all.  Even the loneliness that chills and isolates a person.  “Woe to him who is alone when he falls!”  (Ecclesiastes 4:10).  And there’s so little we can do about it, not even for ourselves and our faults.  What’s crooked can’t be made straight again.

That’s exactly the way it feels when a person gets old or tired or depressed or maybe is still young but has no goal or desire or maybe just pressured by his own inexorable clear sight that sees through all the humbug in everything.

All this is described in the Bible!  It’s there so we will know it’s something God recognizes and cares about.  Even those who are tired of life are included in God’s mercy.  Their needs and thoughts are inscribed in God’s Book because they’re written in God’s heart.

There are a hundred reasons to be tired of life.  There’s just one reason, however—that’s better and more important—to have the strength to get through life cheerfully.  That reason is Jesus Christ.  Just because there are so many reasons to despair, we’ve received this one tremendous reason to trust, despite everything and in the middle of everything that seems so hopeless.

— This is an excerpt from To Live with Christ by Bo Giertz, currently my favorite devotional book.  (“Devotion for the Wednesday after fifteenth Sunday after Trinity,” 598).  To Live with Christ is currently on sale for an excellent price.

Light Bulbs vs. The Nanny State

As an amateur photographer, I can attest to the inferior quality of CFL light.  They give off an unhealthy looking green glow, and have ruined many a photograph.  Compact Florescent Lights have good uses, but we should not ban beautiful incandescent lights.

If the government is going to start outlawing beautiful objects just because they allegedly consume too much energy, then there are many things government could outlaw: holiday lights, water fountains, fireworks, beautiful architecture, etc.  Banning these inventions might save energy, but what would be the effect on our quality of life?

This country needs to return to the often misunderstood and forgotten concept of freedom.

First Fall Colors

They say the Autumn colors won’t be as vibrant this year.  Says who?

Autumn is a yearly reminder that this world is having its season, but it will come to an end.  On the day Christ returns, the sky will be rolled up like a scroll, and the starry host will fall like Autumn leaves.  (Isaiah 34:4).

Already, we see the colors changing.

I am often amazed by the rich blue of the Autumn sky, and assume it has something to do with the lower angle of the October sun.

blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD …
He will be like a tree planted by the water …
its leaves are always green.  [Jeremiah 17:7-8].

On the day Jesus returns, the season of Adam will end, and the new season of Christ will begin.  His season will never end.  His leaves will never fall.

In heaven stands the tree of life.  It bears “twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month.  And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.  No longer will there be any curse.”  (Revelation 22:2-3).

This tree is the cross of Christ.  The prophet said, “Cursed is anyone who is hung on a tree” (Deuteronomy 21:23), but Christ is raised, and death is swallowed up in victory.  The curse is lifted.  We designed the cross as an instrument of torture and death, but Life himself hung on that tree; and since “a tree is recognized by its fruit,” the cross is a tree of life.  (Matthew 12:33).

Once in history, God said, “Do not let man reach out his hand to eat from the tree of life,” but now He says, “Take, and eat.”  This is “given for you.”  (Genesis 3:22, Matthew 26:26, Luke 22:19).  The Lord’s Supper is the actual fruit of the tree of life, given to you, today.