A New Song For Old People

I've mentioned my Grandpa Henry before. He was a pious farmer who taught me when I was a small boy. He taught me to believe in Jesus and the resurrection from the dead. I have vivid memories of him teaching me the beloved hymn Abide With Me as I sat next to him on his bed. He later died from cancer. Each time I join in the singing of that hymn that memory floods back. And, now that I'm a Grandpa, his example encourages me to follow his wise example.

Listen to the psalmist.

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever! - Psa 111:10 ESV

 In my last post we were reminded that Jesus is God's wisdom (1 Cor. 1:17-30). The wise man loves Jesus because he knows that in Jesus God loves and forgives us and gives to us life in abundance. So abundant is that life that we can never die (John 11:25). This faith is included in the psalmist's phrase the fear of the LORD.


That phrase is an interesting Biblical way of speaking about faith. We find it everywhere in the Psalms. Some additional examples:

Come, O children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD. - Psa 34:11 ESV 

You who fear the LORD, praise him! All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him, and stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel! - Psa 22:23 ESV 

The friendship of the LORD is for those who fear him, and he makes known to them his covenant. - Psa 25:14 ESV 

He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the LORD. - Psa 40:3 ESV

The Hebrew word for fear is yareh. As you can see from the examples above it means much more than being afraid. It means to stand in awe of, to reverence and honor. The believer in Jesus knows about this. The story of Peter when his boat was filled with fish illustrates it.

And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking. They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord." For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken, and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men." And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him. - Luk 5:6-11 ESV

Peter was awed by the gracious and undeserving gift from Jesus as represented by the huge catch of fish. Why would Jesus give this to him, especially since he was a sinful man? Notice the astonishment and fear that fell upon all the fishermen. But they were to move beyond that. Jesus was calling them to follow Him. And so they did. In terms of what we are speaking about they moved from fear to a life of wisdom. "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom."

And so we come to my point about us seniors who have attained a certain amount of wisdom that grows out of the fear of the LORD. We may find purpose and meaning to these final years by seizing the opportunities to do what the psalm encourages: 

Come, O children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD. - Psa 34:11 ESV

Our lives can become the way by which we teach our children the fear of the LORD. You don't need to be a trained teacher. My Grandpa Henry certainly was not. Yet by his example, with his words and prayers he taught me at an early age the meaning of the fear of the LORD, a lesson I have never forgotten. Piety, prayers, our manner of life, how we spend our money, what we say and do to give encouragement—all this and more becomes our way of leading our children to fear the LORD. And note, by children I refer not only to our families, but to all who are younger than we are and who are
not as far down the path of wisdom as we may be.

To assist us in this gracious task the LORD has given us the books of wisdom in the Scriptures. Meditate and ponder Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and the Song of Solomon. There we find much to guide us as we join all of God's wise people in the great and joyous task of making disciples of Jesus. Even in your good old age you too will be able to join the psalmist as he says,

He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the LORD. - Psa 40:3 ESV

Gender Hierarchy In Marriage

We who hold that marriage must be defined as the union of one man and one woman for life, are often criticized for promoting marriage as a male hierarchic institution. That is to say, we believe and teach that the man is and must be the head of the marriage and the woman must submit to whatever he says or demands. The classic quote is from Paul's guidance about the marriage relationship:

Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so [let] the wives [be] to their own husbands in every thing" (Ephesians 5:22-24 - KJV). 

Many young women meeting with me in pre-marital sessions made it very clear that they were not willing to vow to submit to their husband in everything. They had heard too many times about how a domineering husband defended his actions by insisting his domineering was a God-given right. These young women did not believe it and insisted that they were every bit the equal of their husbands-to-be.

On the other hand, I have also heard a battered wife tell me that her husbands was sorry for what he had done. So she was returning to the marriage. After all, this is the Lord's will, regardless of what he has been doing. And, the Bible says that a wife is to submit in every thing.

Is that really what the Apostle says in Ephesians 5? Is that God's plan? Is there to be a gender hierarchy in marriage?

Lets look at the Ephesians quote again. We'll start with the Greek verb hypotasso, translated as submit or be subject to. The word occurs 49 times in 32 N.T. verses. For instance, we read that Jesus Himself submitted to His parents after they found Him in the temple (Luke 2:51). And the disciples sent out by Jesus came back rejoicing that the demons were subject to them in Jesus' name (Luke 10:17). Again the Apostles teach that we must all submit to established governing authorities, because they have their authority from God (Roman 13:1). Those uses of the verb must mean the wife is to submit to her husband—except that her husband is also to submit to her! Paul writes,

"And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ" (Ephesians 5:18-21). 

What's going on here? We believers are to sing together with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. This no doubt refers to worshipping together, not merely by mouthing the music, but by "making melody to the Lord" from our hearts, giving thanks always and for everything in our lives to the Father. And always in Jesus' name, because He is the living source of our forgiveness, hope and life. The Apostle urges us to this literally "in the fear of Christ."

What does it mean to fear Christ or to fear God? In the Bible there are indeed two kinds of fear when it comes to our relationship with God.

1. Terror of the LORD: "Enter into the rock and hide in the dust from before the terror of the LORD, and from the splendor of his majesty" (Isaiah 2:10). The LORD is coming to judge and punish the sinner. There is no escape. The Hebrew word is pachad.  

2. Fear of the LORD: "The fear (Hebrew: yirah) of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!" (Psalm 111:10). This is not terror, but awe, reverence and love. John writes, "By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. We love because he first loved us" (1 John 4:17-19).

So Paul teaches that all of us believers in Christ, out of reverence for Him and His awesome, undeserved and gracious love for us sinners, will gladly and willingly emulate His love. Thus a wife will submit to her husband and a husband will joyfully submit to his wife. Paul goes on to illustrate how that will be: "Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word . . ." (Ephesians 5:25-26). In other words, Christ became the Suffering Servant of the church, His bride. He assumed responsibility for the sins of His bride. He gave up His life in her place. He died that she might live (Isa. 53:1-12). This is the way Christ, the head, cares for His body. This then also is why a believing wife gladly submits to her husband out of reverence for Christ. The believing husband likewise submits to his wife, ever ready to give himself up for her as Christ did for the church. Quite a different image from the world's view of the domineering husband who always insists on his own way.

More on this another day when we explore gender roles in marriage.

No Marriages In Heaven

In my last post I spoke about a trip we we were about to make and about the transiency of life. Our journey is over now. We are back home. We have completed our visit to a family reunion in Illinois. While there, I spoke with several widows. One of them commented that she still misses her husband greatly and is sad that the two of them will not be husband and wife in heaven. That, at least, is what she understands our Lord Jesus to have said, as recorded by the Gospel of Matthew.

The same day Sadducees came to him, who say that there is no resurrection, and they asked him a question, saying, "Teacher, Moses said, 'If a man dies having no children, his brother must marry the widow and raise up children for his brother.'

Now there were seven brothers among us. The first married and died, and having no children left his wife to his brother. So too the second and third, down to the seventh. After them all, the woman died. In the resurrection, therefore, of the seven, whose wife will she be? For they all had her."

But Jesus answered them, "You are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God. For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven." (Matthew 22:23-30)

Jesus pointed the Sadducees to the Scriptures and the power of God. What Scriptures? Where is it written that men and women "neither marry nor are given in marriage" in the resurrection? Since the Sadducees looked primarily to the Torah or the five books of Moses as the Scriptural source of God's commands, it is best to move there. What does the Torah teach about marriage? We look to the very beginning of Creation and Genesis 2 where we read,

The man gave names to all livestock and to the birds of the heavens and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper fit for him. So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And the rib that the LORD God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. Then the man said, "This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man."

Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed. (Genesis 2:20-25).

The Apostle Paul interprets this passage as he discusses the relationship between a husband and wife.

And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.

In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body.

"Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh."

This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband. (Ephesians 5:18-33)

 Paul speaks about a great mystery. The mystery revealed through the Apostles is that God is a God of grace. His forgiveness and mercy have been revealed in Christ, mercy that extends to all mankind (Ephesians 3:6). It is grace, a gift. It cannot be earned. All mankind, all races, all genders, everyone is to be one flesh, one body in Christ. This has been God's eternal purpose from the beginning (Ephesians 3:9-11).

Even now in this present age Christian marriage reflects that plan. Wives reflect it by submitting to their husbands in everything just as the church submits to Christ. The word we translate as "submit" has obviously been a stumbling block for many wives. "In everything?" I've heard them ask. "You've got to be kidding."

The point is this: "the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior." What does that mean? Simply this. The body depends upon the head to nourish and cherish it. Eyes, ears, nose, mouth and brain are all located in the head. Cut off the head and the body dies. The head sees, hears, smells and tastes. This information is forwarded to the brain where it is interpreted. The mouth receives food and drink, tastes and swallows it. The body then receives it, absorbs it and is nourished and strengthened.

In the same manner, we are totally dependent upon Christ. We who are His body are utterly, totally and completely dependent upon His grace—all of us, regardless of age, size, race, culture or sex. This is why we respond in faith by exercising our wills, openly submitting, yielding to and obeying Jesus Christ as our Lord and God. We do it out of phobos, a Greek word often translated as "fear", a translation that needs to be expanded. It is more than "reverence" for Christ.  Fear of God in Christ has its roots in the O.T. It speaks of total awe, wonder, terror, dread, reverence, and respect for a perfectly holy, righteous, and just Creator. 


So all of us, male and female, willingly submit, subject and yield ourselves to the other members of the body out of phobos for Christ. We stand in wonder, awe, reverence, and the deepest respect before Him. He is our Head, Savior, Master, Redeemer and Lord. We respond to His grace by submitting ourselves to one another. 


In marriage this means that we husbands submit, subject and yield ourselves to our wives, acting as their heads. We nourish guide, protect and provide for our wives, all because we believe this is what Jesus, our Head, does for us. 


A Christian wife believes the same thing. Out of reverence (phobos) for Christ, she respects, subjects and yields herself to her husband. Paul actually uses the verb form of phobos when he speaks of this respect. His point is that the believing wife treats her husband as if  he were Christ. She shows her love for Jesus by this kind of respect for her husband. 


So where is all this going? Simply here. In the resurrection the mystery will be completed. In the new creation all of us will joyfully and willingly have only Jesus as our LORD and God. We will completely love, honor and serve Him and in so doing we will honor His Father (John 14:9-14). Marriage in this age is a type of Christ's union with His body, the church, His bride. He came to earth to unite us to Himself. We are made to be one with Him, His flesh and bone, but were are separated from Him by our sinful nature (Pss. 51:5; 58:3). We have now come with Him from the "deep sleep" of His death into a new life of oneness with Him. We are bone of His bone and flesh of His flesh. And when He returns the wonder of that gift will be fully realized. 


We have here but a glimpse of what that fullness will mean. On that day we will be like the angels, ever rejoicing together in His presence and power forever. We will certainly know one another in heaven. We will not miss our marriages nor pine away for their loss as do some widows in this age. Something more wondrous awaits us all, as we are bonded to our heavenly Husband and His Father and to one another in ways never before possible, even in marriage. 

My Treasured Possession

Last Sunday, following my Bible class, a lady came up to ask what it means that the devil can appear as an angel of light. In particular, she wondered about those folks who have had a near-death experience of light shining as they moved away from their bodies. Were they, she asked, really seeing the glories of heaven or were they possibly being deceived by the devil appearing to them as an angel or messenger of light (2 Corinthians 11:13-15)?


Good question. I shared with her what one Christian woman whom I served said about her near-death experience. She was convinced she had gone to heaven after a swift journey through a tunnel of blazing light. She was greeted by relatives and was ready to go with them when she heard a voice calling her back. As a result of this, she was completely unafraid of death now. She knew she would be with Jesus and her family when she died.


I also shared with my Bible class questioner that Satan can indeed deceive us into thinking he bears a message of light and understanding. In the context of the passage about Satan appearing as an angel of light the Apostle speaks about false workmen who disguise themselves as apostles of Christ. The world is full of such messengers.


The Old Testament lesson for next Sunday, the final Sunday in the Church Year, is from Malachi 3:13-18 and speaks to this question. The writer of this prophecy is not identified. Across the centuries people have come up with many guesses. For now, we'll let that pass. It is enough to know that Malachi was the last of the prophets before Christ's coming and that the title of his book means simply "My Messenger," with the 'My' referring to God.


The LORD is gravely concerned about the empty faith and the total disobedience of so many of those who claim to be God's people, says Malachi. But this will not be allowed forever. A Day of judgment is coming. On that Day the Book of Remembrance will be opened (Malachi 3:16-18). This reminds me of that day when the Children of Israel finally left the wilderness for good and passed over the dried up Jordan riverbed into the promised land. On that day the LORD commanded the priests to take twelve boulders and pile them on the river's edge where the priests and levites stepped out on to the land. The writer says, "And they are there to this day" as stones of remembrance (Joshua 4:1-11). The stones were there to remind the people of how the LORD had graciously brought them from slavery to this beautiful land. They were his treasured possession. That's what the LORD loved to call His people, His treasured possession (Exodus 19:5; Deuteronomy 7:6; 14:2).


Is that not a beautiful image—treasured possession? We all have treasured possessions. Sometimes they are pieces of jewelry, like a wedding ring or a special painting received from one who loves you. Some treasured possessions are photographs and family letters, preserved in books or on electronic recording devices. Here the LORD speaks not about things, but about people. They are His children, His family, His beloved and His treasured possessions. He has purchased them, not with gold and silver, but with His holy and precious blood (Ephesians 2:12-14). His newborn children fear and love Him. They esteem His name above all names. He loves them. They love Him. And their names are recorded in the LORD's book of remembrance.


Now back to the question my Bible class student asked about the ability of the devil to appear as an angel of light. He does indeed, especially as he fosters the false teaching that suggests there is no distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between God's children and those who despise and disobey Him (Malachi 3:18). The LORD makes it very clear. There is a distinction. 

"But the LORD said to Moses, "Whoever has sinned against me, I will blot out of my book" (Exodus 32:33). 

If you fear death or believe yourself close to death, do not overlook the distinction, but know also that Jesus is our righteousness. He is the One who has provided for us the all atoning sacrifice accepted by the heavenly Father (1 John 2:1-2). Put your trust in Him. Follow His ways and when the Book of Remembrance is opened, your name will be read out as one of the LORD's precious possessions. 

The Clothing We Wear to Church

The Day of Rest
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Biblical Teaching About Time

—An online book about rest and worship—
By Dr. Al Franzmeier

Chapter 8

God's Word of Power in Worship

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I have a question about clothing as we begin this chapter. Worshipers of all ages have begun to come to worship in casual clothing. Very few dress up any more. Only occasionally does one see a man in a suit or a woman in a party dress. Yes, I know. This is the twenty-first century and clothing styles have changed. Yet it seems strange to some of us. A couple generations ago men put on a white shirt, tie and a suit to go to church and women wore party dresses. It was an important affair. Of course, that was then. In those days everybody dressed up to go to the movies or to ride on an airplane. Now no one does. Clothing styles change, as does art and music.

Let's move on to a more thoughtful discussion about modern worship. Here is a quotation from a book Edward Farley wrote a few years back: 

“Most American religious communities are deeply entwined with the moods, trends, and institutions of modern culture . . . Churches are gatherings of individuals who spend most of their time and energy in non-church settings like families, schools, and businesses.  In those settings, virtually everything we experience is mediated through written, visual, or auditory communications we call the media.  From a massive system of communications, we get entertainments, political interpretations, images of the good life, and what it means to be a woman or man.  Accordingly, few religious communities can claim real isolation from post-modern society . . .  To grow up in a church now is, hopefully, to learn its stories and to participate in its symbols.  But that is only one voice amid the myriad voices of peer groups, subcultures, gender, class, ethnic, and political groups.”

Farley is talking about atrophy. Atrophy is a word from the science of biology. It refers to what happens when body organs or tissues do not receive sufficient nourishment. Soon they begin to wither and waste away. They atrophy. Finally, they die.

Most of us have seen that happen to diabetics when their blood did not circulate properly to their feet. Eventually the feet turned black and died. Those dead feet must be amputated or they will infect the entire body with disease.

The same thing happens to the tools of communication. Vehicles of communication like words, symbols, symbolical actions, images, music, even modes of dress like I was talking about, can become atrophied. They no longer convey the meaning intended by the Spirit of God. As a result, they lose their power to communicate God’s forgiveness and love.

This may be what people mean when they talk about old fashioned, boring worship? People go through memorized motions, not thinking about what they’re doing. They hear sounds and see shapes, but don’t really hear them or see them. If these things have any deeper meaning, they’re not getting it. 

We are a modern church
Let me give you another example. I knew a Lutheran pastor who decided not to wear a gown when he led his congregation in Sunday worship. He used to wear an alb with a matching stole in the color of the season of the church year, but no longer. Instead he simply wore a business suit. His idea was that wearing an alb and stole gave the wrong impression to the people he wanted his church to reach. The church he served was in an area where many people had some attachment to the Roman Catholic Church.  In Catholic churches albs, stoles and other clergy dress are still common, even required. So this pastor wanted to reach unchurched people by showing them that his church was definitely not Roman Catholic. He wanted to tell them by his clothes that he was free in Christ from the burdens of the Roman Catholic Church and he wanted them to know about that freedom as well.

Did it work? No. People became confused by his mixed messages. His church building still had all the traditional furniture: altar, pulpit (which he never used), baptismal font, communion railing, pews, plus stained glass windows. It was an older church, built about forty years ago.

I attended worship at that church, a building with all the traditional and liturgically symbolical elements. The whole experience was jarring, disturbing. Tensions increased. The outreach didn't work. That pastor had to move on. The congregation returned to its liturgical heritage.

Many other pastors have successfully led their formerly liturgical churches to abandon that heritage. They have removed altar, pulpit and most of the familiar traditional symbols, including even the cross. Their congregations worship in an auditorium, with a stage, drop down projection screens, altar-table on wheels—if an altar at all—plain windows, choirs without robes and praise bands with acoustical instruments. This approach is the norm in many Protestant churches in metropolitan areas like the one I live in. Many Lutheran churches want to join that Protestant bandwagon.

What is the message?  That the congregation is up-to-date, with a relevant message for the people of today? That they use the means and methods of modern communication to share a modern message?  Apparently.

So don’t dress up. This is a place for comfort, consolation, friendliness, family and relevance, a church for today and tomorrow. The past is past. We're moving on. Come in blue jeans, khakis, open neck shirts, shorts, cut-offs, sun-dresses, sneakers and flip-flops. Be comfortable, be casual, be at home. At least the message is not mixed. The Bible doesn't say we have to wear special clothing to church. The God of the Bible is Jesus, our Friend and Lover.

So what's the problem? It has something to do with the Biblical word 'Fear'. Let me explain.

Fear the LORD Your God

Back in the Old Covenant when the Israel had been delivered from slavery in Egypt they gathered around Mount Sinai. Then God came down in a cloud of thunder and lightning. The whole mountain was covered with smoke like a furnace. It shook like a big earthquake. Everybody was frightened and terrified, as well they should have been. They had only recently witnessed God's power to destroy His enemies by drowning Egypt's great army in the sea.

Moses had gone up to Mt. Sinai to receive instructions for the people on how to prepare to come before this holy, almighty God. While he was up there, the LORD commanded them to consecrate themselves for two days and be ready by the third. To consecrate means to set aside for God’s purposes. The people were to wash their clothes and clean up. In other words, by coming in clean, washed clothing they were demonstrating that in their hearts they were meeting the LORD and committing themselves to him. They were coming before this mighty LORD with reverence and holy fear.

They didn’t have what we call dress up clothes, but they were at least to clean up. Their outwardly clean clothing reflected an inner attitude of humility and faith. The same thing can be said about people’s clothing today—it reflects an inner attitude. Consider the traditional high school Spring Prom dances. Teens all wear fancy dresses and tuxedos. Why? Because this is a big deal, a very special affair. So how big a deal is it to be invited to God’s house to be served by the King of kings and the Lord of lords? It is a big deal, a very big deal, especially because we have no right to come before Him. We are sinners and have deserved to be drowned along with the Egyptians.

And yet He invites us into His presence—for the sake of Jesus who bore our sins and carried our guilt to the cross. This is the wondrous message. Yes indeed. Jesus is our Friend, our Brother and we are part of his family. There’s that side too. And we don’t dress up when we're at home. But we do dress up when we come into the presence of majesty and power. So we dare not release this tension when we gather to worship. It's what Dr. Martin Luther taught us when he interpreted every commandment with the words 'fear and love' the Lord your God.

A bit more on this clothes thing. Moses got some clothing instructions when he met the LORD in the burning bush that first time. He was commanded to take off his shoes, because the ground he was standing on was holy. There’s even a modern song about us standing on holy ground. What is the significance of being barefoot when you’re standing on holy ground?

It has to do with sandals carrying dirt from many places. The people in those many places may have been godless, idol worshippers with no regard for the LORD. So the LORD was saying to Moses, “This is my mountain. This is where you are meeting me! And I’m holy, not like you or this sinful world. So when you come into my presence, leave your sandals and all your dirt behind. You and everything about you must be committed to me. You must be holy, even as I am holy, for you are here in the presence of the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I am the great and eternal God of your ancestors, the Creator of heaven and earth. Be aware that you are not tending sheep now. You are talking with the Almighty! So take off your shoes as a sign of humility and kneel down. In other words, show fear, respect and reverence!

There are other examples from the life of the Old Covenant that had to do with clothing, the clothing of those who held the office of priest, for instance. Moses’ brother Aaron and his sons Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar were appointed by the LORD to serve as priests. God himself commanded the priests to wear a breast piece, an ephod, a robe, a woven tunic, a turban and a sash. These garments were prepared according to specific instructions. They were woven with gold, blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen. In other words, no expense was spared. Their special dress, says the Holy Spirit, was to give them “dignity and honor.” The King James Bible translates the Hebrew in that passage with the words “glory and beauty” (Exodus 28:2-40). The point is that the priests were to represent the people before God and were to teach God’s Word to the people. They had a special office and the duty of serving the Almighty. Hence their office was to be held in the highest regard. Their clothing reflected the dignity, glory, honor and beauty of their high office. With their special clothing they taught the people that the Lord God, the God of the covenant, was among them to grant his mercy and forgiveness. Their clothing was teaching the people the majesty, the glory and the beauty of God’s Word to them.

Something like that goes on when judges wear black gowns in courtrooms. Their robes give them special honor as representatives of the government. But who is to say what kind of gown or suit a pastor is to wear, as long as he presents himself with dignity and honor? I’ve seen old photos of pastors wearing black academic robes or black cassocks with a white garment of some sort over the top, instead of the albs many wear today.

Nobody can make hard and fast rules about this. My only point—and it is a very important one—is that the pastor must always be aware that he is teaching, also with his clothing. His office is to teach God’s Word. That is his calling. Nothing dare detract from that. So, if he chooses to wear traditional garments like an alb, stole and chasuble he should teach his people significance of those garments, give them up-to-date meanings and help them to appreciate why he wears them. If he wears a business suit or something like it, he must also teach what that means and why he is doing that. In every way, his task is to teach his people God’s Word. His clothing reflects the high, wondrous and beautiful office of a preacher and teacher of God’s Word.

As for you who are worshippers in the congregation, I'm only urging you to consider what you too are saying to the people around you when you gather with them to worship. Clothing is not only for protection and warmth. It is also a statement about us and about whom we believe ourselves to be. We are all, members of the same family, fathers, mothers, brothers and sisters in the family of God, members of the Body of Christ. This is a high privilege and calling, granted to us by the undeserved grace of God in Christ. In love, we all have a responsibility to encourage one another in this faith.

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Next time we'll finish the chapter and the book with a brief discussion about rites, rituals and the music of Christian worship.

Living in the Living Savior

The first of this month of March I began to serve what we, in our circles, call a vacancy. That's not a Biblical term. It is simply a way of saying that the congregation is searching for a full time, permanent pastor and in the meantime another pastor--or in our case two--is called by the Lord through the congregation to serve them with the Word of God and the Sacraments. That's where I am. I'm one of a team of two pastors serving Living Savior Lutheran Church in this 'vacancy'.

I love the name of this congregation--Living Savior. I love it because it points directly to Jesus. When the LORD confronted Moses on Mount Horeb to send him to lead Israel out of captivity, Moses asked, "Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' Then what shall I tell them?"

God said to Moses, "I am who I am . This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you.' "

The name means not only that the Lord exists, but that He is present and active in the lives of His chosen people. He is the Living One, the Eternal One who is sending Moses in answer to their prayers. That is His name. This name became known among them by four letters, YHWH. In Hebrew the vowels are implied, but were not originally written in the text until after the time of Christ.

Anyway, to make a well known story short, they began to regard this Name as being so unique and holy that they would not even speak it. Instead, they substituted their word for LORD or Master whenever they saw it written in the sacred texts. In many English translations we see all the letters of the name capitalized as LORD. This is a way of indicating that the Name YHWH is in the original Hebrew, a name unspoken by the pious Israelites, because they feared to take the Name of the LORD in vain.

When Jesus, the Word of God, came among us, He laid claim to this Name. The Apostle John records many instances of this in his Gospel. For instance, confronted by the Pharisees about His age and His claims, Jesus replied, "Before Abraham was, I AM!" Of course, they all knew what He meant. That's why they tried to stone Him to death. He was making himself equal to the LORD.

This LORD tells us directly why He has come among us. In that same Gospel we hear Him speaking of Himself as the sheep gate through whom His sheep pass on their way to abundant and full life. He says, "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."

We who call ourselves by His Name (we translate it as Living Savior), are now asking ourselves what it means to go through Him to live. What is this abundant life that this Living One, this Living Savior, brings? And how is He leading us to live it?

We have some clues. We have much to learn. One of the vital clues is to be found in the writings of the Apostles. Peter, for instance, speaks of us Christians as living stones built upon THE Living Stone. Paul picks up this understanding when he asks the question, "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body." In this instance the words 'your body' are plural. That is, Paul is not talking about a single person, but rather about the entire body of believers gathered by and filled with the Holy Spirit.

So we Living Savior people are asking ourselves what this means for us. How is the Living Spirit of the Living Savior living in us leading us to live? As we grow together and prepare to go together out into our part of the world, we will keep asking such questions. I am quite assured that our Living Savior will answer them. We need only to listen and to follow.

My Search For Wisdom

It took a while to work out the kinks this morning. Somehow the usual stretching exercises didn't quite take the pains out of my lower back. People my age understand that. The rest of you don't. Besides, I talked with my grandson last night. He's all excited about the amount of snow on the mountains outside our Colorado retreat home and looking forward to the annual Christmas ski vacation with the family. The way my back feels this morning, I'm thinking my downhill skiing days may be over.

And so . . . inevitably I get to thinking about old age. What a topic. I try to avoid it at every turn, but it keeps coming back in the most unexpected ways. Some thoughts about old age floating about:

* Old age is when former classmates are so gray and wrinkled and bald, they don't recognize you.

*Why you age is up to nature. How you age is up to you.

*Optimists age like wine. Pessimists age like milk.

*When you are dissatisfied and would like to go back to your youth.... Remember about Algebra.

*Some people try to turn back their odometers. Not me, I want people to know "why" I look this way. I've traveled a long way and some of the roads weren't paved.

These days commercials bombard us for products and procedures in response to the physical ravages of old age: denture and face creams, adult diapers and hair coloring, tummy tucks and exercise programs. They're all intended to make us seniors “look and feel younger.” According to these ads looking “old” is unacceptable.

Looking young is a multi-billion-dollar industry. Ageism is not only directed at today’s old, but also at the old of tomorrow. Growing old is stereotyped as the enemy we have to head off at the pass. On top of that we hear a constant drum beat that the “baby boomers” — the next generation of old persons — are about to overwhelm society’s health care and retirement systems and break the federal budget, causing massive reductions in spending for other legitimate needs.

Does all this mean that anyone who belongs to AARP and gets senior privileges at the movies is actually of less value to society, their families and to themselves? I certainly hope not, even if that is the underlying message.

I prefer to believe that with old age comes many positives, especially the lived experiences and perspectives that are referred to as wisdom. Wisdom is in short shrift, even as it has always been.

The search for wisdom got all messed up right at the beginning when our first parents tried to be like God:

"For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil. When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it," Genesis 3:5,6.

Moses had it right when he taught us to pray: "Lord, teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom," Psalm 90:12.

Whence such wisdom? The ancient, oft-heard answer: "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise," Psalm 111:10.

In this case 'fear' refers to reverence, respect and awe, as well as dread. The real joy is to know that this LORD who teaches us wisdom is the One who became a Child, dwelling among us in order to assume our guilt, foolishness and suffering. The Apostle put it like this:

"For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written:
'I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;
the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.'" (1 Corinthians 1:17-19)

Someone once asked, What do you get when you cross a Lutheran and a Buddhist?
      Someone who sits up all night worrying about nothing.

I've decided not to mix my Lutheranism with any other faith or with the wisdom of this world. This day I will return to the ageless and eternal LORD in whose hands I reside, young or old. That's at least the beginning of wisdom, even if I still don't have much of it.