Go Tell It on Mount Olympus

I'll be honest--- I'm an Olympics junkie. A Summer Olympics junkie that is. These are my 6th Summer Olympics. Of course, my first Olympics (Barcelona '92) occurred when I was still unborn and I can't exactly remember the next two either. But these past three Games, I've been inspired as well as glued to my television. I used to question the reason for my fascination with the Olympic Games. I like sports, but certainly not all the sports that somehow seem to make the Games. And I also like the historical significance of them. But my favorite part of the Olympics, and the real reason I am so inspired by them, is the unity it seems to bring to the world. There is no unity quite like the Olympics... Well, except that unity with our fellow Christians of the past and present when we partake of Christ's Body and Blood during Communion... And our unity with Christians of the past 2000 years when we read and hear the Word... Not to mention our unity with our LORD when we receive these things.... Come to think of it, the Olympics don't hold a candle (or should I say 'torch') to any given Sunday. After all, which is more astounding: An athlete breaking an Olympic record? Or Jesus Christ breaking apart our record of detestable sins, wiping our slate clean with His sacrifice? I'll go with the latter. So a happy Olympics to all! And to all, a life rich with Christ's blessings and gifts.

P.S. Go Team USA!

-- Jonathan

Untitled

This is my first entry ever! I want to talk about two trees. Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden, which I think must have been a pretty spectacular place (being perfect and all). There were two trees with special purposes and special rules- the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil and also the Tree of Life. Adam and Eve were in paradise and were walking with God in the garden!!! Yet, even though this was true, they chose to eat of the first tree anyway. Though they only had one rule to follow and paradise to enjoy, they broke that rule and were banned from paradise.

We are sinful just as Adam and Eve were. We are born sinful and are naturally inclined to "have it our way" rather than God's way. We rebel, as Adam did, against God's will. We all think in our own minds that we know better than God, the God who gives breath and takes away, the God who created the entire universe in six days (though six seconds would have sufficed). 

We are wrong. We hurt ourselves when we sin. We are condemned because of it. We will always sin, but we must repent. We have no hope in our sin because our holy God has no tolerance for contaminated sinners. 

The second tree in the Garden was the Tree of Life. Adam and Eve were banned from it. But God had a plan. He was going to save His people. He would reconcile His people to Himself. A sacrifice was needed to atone for the sins of His people. He sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, down to earth. Jesus died upon the Tree at Calvary. Though Jesus died there, that tree is not a tree of death for us. It is the Tree of Life. From His sacrifice on Good Friday and resurrection victory on Easter, we have life after death. We have forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation because of His death for our sake. His death on that cross gives us life. This Jesus on that cross is our only hope for the forgiveness of sins that we so desperately need. We are now and forever clothed with Christ's righteousness. What a great thing! That's an understatement). Thanks be to God, who cares, guides, protects, and provides for us each and every day.

-- James (Guest Writer)

July 4th and the Church

Happy Independence Day, American blog-o-sphere! I want to wish the USA a happy 236th birthday. Not a day goes by when I'm not happy to live in America. So I'd like to thank all of the soldiers, politicians, and common American people who have worked so hard to make this country great. I'd also like to thank all of the faithful pastors out there (including my own) who focused on Christ last Sunday, and not on America. Every Sunday before the 4th of July, pastors all around this great country fall into the temptation to get patriotic from the pulpit. While these servants of Christ are almost always well-meaning, and while patriotism is objectively a good thing, bringing the 4th of July celebration into church is not appropriate. The Church exceeds all borders and ethnicities, and therefore sermons and church services need to reflect that fact. So while God Bless America is a wonderful song, let's not sing it in church. Let's sing songs that Christians around the World can join together in singing. Let's praise the One who died and rose again for the forgiveness of our many sins, including the sin of losing sight of Christ during the  n th Sunday after Pentecost. So thank you, pastors who preached sermons focused on the Gospel reading last Sunday instead of on the American flag. Thank you for fulfilling your vocations marvelously by the Grace of God through preaching the Word and administering the Sacraments to us. Because even on Independence Day, all Christians need a little break from national pride and a large dose of Jesus Christ, crucified and risen for us. God bless you pastors, and God bless this country.

-- Jonathan

Why I love the Creeds

According to the Small Catechism, "A creed is a statement of what we believe, teach, and confess." And for a Scripture reference, it cites Romans 10:10 ("For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved."). I'm reminded of another Scripture passage when I study and confess the three Ecumenical Creeds. In the 16th chapter of Matthew's Gospel, Jesus asks His disciples, "Who do you say that I am?" And Simon Peter answers, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." This reminds me of the Creeds. Who do we say Jesus is? It's easy to think, "This is my perception of Jesus..." or "This is who I think Jesus is..." But who do we say He is? The Creeds answer this question. Who do we say God is? We believe in the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth. And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

-- Jonathan

Worldly vs. Biblical Philosophy

"See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ." -- Colossians 2:8 (NASB)


As a college student, I run across many different philosophies and worldviews, and it's certainly a temptation to simply shrug them off and surrender to the whim that everyone's entitled to their own opinion and interpretation of the Bible. It's a temptation I've fallen into myself; but reading Paul's words here in Colossians, I see how immensely important it is to have a discerning heart and mind when it comes to worldly philosophies. Paul lived in the days of Greek philosophers who told the public to look within themselves to find fulfillment and meaning. It's easy to be taken captive by these ideas, but we must remember that Christ is where we should look to, not ourselves. We live in a world with countless corrupt philosophies including evolution and moral relativism. The world blindly accepts them, but we must be on our guard not to. Don't be like the world. We now have the mind of Christ. Don't corrupt that mind... But even as it is, if and when we do fall into these non-biblical worldviews and are taken captive through philosophy and empty deception, Christ forgives us, and welcomes us back to His Word and Sacraments, in which are no sinful philosophies to be found.

-- Jonathan

Where Heaven Meets Earth

"They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer." -- Acts 2:42 (NASB)


Since the First Century, Christians have been gathering to 1. Hear the Word of God, 2. Have fellowship with one another as the Body of Christ (not the type of fellowship that the world thinks of, simply spending time together, but actually unifying as one Body), 3. Take Holy Communion, and 4. Pray (prayers consisting of psalms and hymns). Christianity (known then as "The Way") has always gathered for the Word and Sacraments in a setting similar to what we call Church. When we talk about "the historic liturgy," we're not tossing about a meaningless term. The Liturgy of the Church is hundreds upon hundreds of years old, and much of it is taken from biblical texts that are thousands of years old. The liturgy creates such unity between the church of today and the church of the First century. People, in their own laziness or arrogance, often ask why they need church if they already have faith. Because it's where Heaven meets Earth. It's where God pours out His Gifts. And genuine, saving faith in Christ does not refuse the Gifts of Christ. The Christians of the AD 30s knew this. But it seems like a lot of Christians have forgotten.

-- Jonathan

The Grandeur of the Gospels

Every time I crack open my Bible to one the the Gospels, I get something new out of what I read that I've never gotten before. No matter how many times I read Matthew's account of Jesus' parables, Mark's account of Jesus' miracles, Luke's Passion narrative, or John's writing of Jesus' words and deeds after the Resurrection, something new pops out at me. Digging through the many levels of the Gospels is never boring to me. How could I be bored with something so complex, something that I'll never master the understanding of? I always enjoy standing for the Gospel reading before the Sermon. So often, the Gospel reading contains words from the very lips of Jesus! I just love each and every Gospel, and one could make a case for each one as to which is the best. Matthew's writing makes so many parallels to the Old Testament, helping the Jews make the connection. It's organized and neat, making it the favorite of most Type A personalities. Mark's writing is fast-paced and exciting, giving it the nickname of "the man's Gospel." Luke's writing is certainly the most intellectual, making it the Gospel of choice for most academics. And who could forget John? The disciple whom Jesus loved... His Gospel contains deep emotion that Christian women often find moving and relatable. But no matter which Gospel happens to be your favorite, it is a Gift from the Lord, every word of which was inspired by the Holy Spirit, some of which were spoken by the Father and the Son Himself. Give thanks for the Gospels! Their majesty is unmatched.

--Jonathan