The Theology of the Cross: Reflections on His Cross and Ours

I intended this review to go out shortly after Easter, but the Lord dismissed my intentions with the gift of a son and a busier ministry. So now it’s Advent, but a time just as appropriate. During this season we are made all the more aware of the theology of the cross as we prepare our hearts for the coming of Christ, and so the review…

“Read it every year for the first ten years of your ministry…”

Going through college and seminary, it was not unusual for professors to step away from their lectures for a moment to offer some practical advice from their own experience in the pastoral ministry. Quite often those discussions were some of the most valuable lessons we learned from those professors. I recall one Seminary professor  in one of those moments give the advice above regarding Dr. C.F.W. Walther’s The Proper Distinction Between Law and Gospel.

Great advice for young men entering the pastoral ministry. In that collection of Walther’s lectures, one not only finds lesson after lesson about distinguishing between Law and Gospel, but one also finds there a treasury of practical pastoral advice that applies as much in the 21st Century as it did in the 19th. It’s a classic of Lutheran theology that should be on the shelf and on the annual reading list of every Lutheran shepherd.

Rarely does one find such a treasure like Law and Gospel that deserves as much of the shepherd’s time and attention  year in and year out (besides Scripture and the Confessions, of course!). Yes, there are plenty of classics out there worth your reading, but few that a shepherd and his flock should be reading over and over again. The time has come, however, to make that recommendation about another book that came out about a year ago, a book that I am convinced deserves to be regarded as  a treasure of Lutheran theology for many years to come — The Theology of the Cross: Reflections on His Cross and Ours by Prof. Em. Daniel M. Deutschlander (Northwestern Publishing House, 2008).

I had the privilege of sitting at the feet of Prof. Deutschlander for German and history courses throughout my college years. Like many others in the pastor track there, I  also spent plenty of time talking with him in his office. I would have to say he had one of the greatest impacts on me being the pastor that I am today. Theology of the Cross is not unlike sitting in his classroom or in his office, and it comes as a fruit of the labors of a faithful shepherd who served in the ministry for 40 years.

Theology of the Cross is a book that is an in-depth study of a vitally important, though oft-ignored, teaching of Holy Scripture – the cross of the Christian in his life of faith and the centrality of Christ’s cross in the life of the Christian and the church. In this day and age, that’s not a popular teaching in Christianity. “Who wants to hear about suffering and struggle and loss and cross anyway?” With that attitude, many Christians, congregations, and church bodies go the way of the theology of glory. There the prophets of glory promise success and ease and outward results if you only follow their forty easy steps, seven simple rules, or at least set aside all that negative talk of self denial. Such a theology of glory plays right into the hands of our sinful selves that want nothing more than to gratify themselves in any way they can, but in reality such a theology not only rejects the cross, but also Christ.

In his rich devotional and teaching style, Prof. Deutschlander takes the reader back to Holy Scripture, where one finds not the theology of glory, but the theology of the cross as displayed in the life, death, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. That’s why this book is so appropriate to be read in church seasons like Advent and Lent. While the rest of the world focuses on the tinsel and twinkling lights of Christmas, the Church ponders the reason why a Savior had to come in the first place, not to take his place on a throne of glory, but to become the sinless Substitute for damned, undeserving, ungrateful sinners ultimately taking up the cross to save them from their sins. The chapter on “The Theology of the Cross and the Hidden God” emphasizes this reality: “God remains hidden in and under the cross, in weakness and in struggle, and he chooses to be found nowhere else.” (pgs. 113-114)

Unlike most books that take up such a dogmatic or doctrinal subject, this book is not simply geared for the trained professional shepherd. It is just as edifying for the layperson. Now don’t get me wrong. As one would expect from Prof. Deutschlander, Theology of the Cross is not light, fluffy writing that will make you feel good about yourself. In fact, the chapters on “Slivers on the Cross” and “Slivers Under the Cross” leave the reader feeling positively wretched for all those times when he or she has allowed the sinful self to gladly consider dumping the cross for an easier journey through this life. Yes, this book has some heavy theological lifting and is not to be read quickly, but it’s worth every minute, because the theology of the cross is so vitally important for the present day.

Prof. Deutschlander provides an in-depth, practical discussion of the paradox of the cross (including how it plays into the doctrines of the means of grace and justification), a look at the “slivers” on and under the cross (including self denial in the life of a Christian, and a theology-of-the-cross look at 1 Corinthians 13 and Luther’s Table of Duties from the Small Catechism), and an insightful look at the hiddenness of God in the life of Christ and the Christian. Arguably the most valuable sections of the entire book are found in the last three chapters, where Prof. Deutschlander examines “particular and changing aspects of the cross in the life of the Christian and in the life of the church.” (pg. 2) In particular, he devotes one whole chapter to the special crosses of pastor and the visible church. That chapter alone makes this book a must-read for every Lutheran pastor or  called worker, as well as every Lutheran leader. Prof. Deutschlander also provides a summary of Hermann Sasse’s “Luther’s Theology of the Cross” and a Lenten sermon series that Prof. Deutschlander wrote for Lent 2007.

There are applications in this book that can be used for every setting of ministry, for every generation, and every Christian who wants to grow in his faith and understanding of Holy Scripture. I have personally found that to be the case. Prof. Deutschlander writes with a devotional style that is both refreshing and edifying. I read the book for the first time during the forty days of Lent, simply reading about 5 pages a day between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday. Every time I re-read this book, the Lord has provided better focus in my preaching, teaching, and counseling of God’s people, not to mention the spiritual growth I personally enjoyed along the way. Below are a few quotations that I’ve shared on this blog as I read the book during Lent. Take time to check them out…

• A Reflection on the Theology of the Cross (20 February 2009)
• The Liturgy: Healing for the Cross-Bearer (23 February 2009)
• The Facts About the Cross (24 February 2009)
• The Essence of the Cross (26 February 2009)
• Strengthening the Cross-Bearers (9 March 2009)
• The Precious Gift of the Cross (10 March 2009)
• A Sliver on the Cross: Spiritual Laziness (16 March 2009)
• Following Jesus Beneath the Cross (20 March 2009)
• Saved…Through Hidden Glory (27 March 2009)
• When the Cross Becomes Hidden… (30 March 2009)
• Sing, My Tongue the Glorious Battle (10 April 2009)
• The Nativity of St. John the Baptist – A Festival for Shepherds of the Cross (24 June 2009)

This book is truly a classic of Lutheran theology. It should be in the library of every Lutheran shepherd and  in every Lutheran home. A Lutheran shepherd should read it every year for the first ten years of his ministry and then at least every couple years after that as life and ministry constantly change. This is a book that should never gather dust and is worthy of study among pastors, church staff, church councils, and Bible study groups. Need I say more? Others have. Here are some reviews from other Lutheran pastors and professors on the web:

• Prof. James Korthals of Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary
• Pr. Johann Caauwe @ A Shepherd’s Story
• Pr. Johnold Strey @ Pastor Strey’s Weblog

Here’s a link to an interview Prof. Deutschlander did on the theology of the cross on Issues, Etc. Finally and most importantly, here is a link to the book on the Northwestern Publishing House website. (NPH also offers a 20% discount for pastors, teachers, staff ministers, and seminary students!) Good reading!

A Thanksgiving Trifecta: Giving Thanks for Our Vocations – Part 3

This year for our Thanksgiving Eve worship at Cross of Christ, we focused our giving thanks on the blessings the Lord provides through God’s gift of vocation in the areas of the home, the community, and the church. So for your Thanksgiving blog reading enjoyment, here is the third and final commentary of the three-part series. Have a blessed Thanksgiving!

Giving Thanks for Our Callings in the Church – 1 Peter 2:4-10

Did you hear it in there? “You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” The Greek word used there – ekklesia – was a word used when citizens of a town “called out” of their homes for a town assembly. It was a word the early Christian church used to describe the church, because everyone there had been “called…out of darkness into [Christ’s] wonderful light”.

When it comes to our callings in the church, it’s important that we keep that in mind. Christ has called us out of darkness through the wonderful light of his Gospel. His Holy Spirit worked through that good news of sins forgiven, death destroyed, and salvation won to create faith in our hearts, to bring sight to our sin-blinded eyes, and to free us from the captivity of sin—to call us out of darkness into the light of life through Christ. Through the waters of Holy Baptism, Christ called us out of slavery as he welcomed us into his holy family. Through the Holy Supper, Christ calls us back from the sins that plague us with the forgiveness found in his body and blood with bread and wine. When we get careless with our vocations or take them for granted or see them as drudgery, we need to hear God’s Law condemn us for our carelessness with his gifts, but then we also need to hear the good news of Christ’s forgiveness to cleanse our hearts and motivate us to faithfully serve. But where does God provide those blessings of grace?

He pours out those blessings in the church through pastors called to proclaim the Word of God in its truth and purity and to administer the Sacraments of Holy Baptism and Holy Communion as God intended. They are called into public service to shepherd God’s flock and equip us to see our vocations as opportunities to serve the Lord by serving our neighbor. The Lord also pours out those blessings of grace through faithful teachers of Lutheran schools and Sunday Schools, so the Shepherd’s little lambs are taught to follow him to eternal life.

The Lord also pours out those blessings through faithful, fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, who provide models of service or encouragement, support, wisdom, and admonition from the Word of God when we need to hear it. It could be a preschooler reveling in the knowledge that Jesus loves me, a sister in Christ providing a loving shoulder for those who weep, or an elder providing admonition when we stray from Christ and his church.

The Lord pours out his blessings through our callings, not because we have earned or deserved them, but because he purchased us with his holy, precious blood and his innocent sufferings and death. It is that good news that called us out of darkness and it is that good news that we are called to share. What greater way could the Lord bless your neighbor—whether at home or in the community—than to use you to share the good news of Christ Jesus with them so they enjoy eternity in heaven with him and you forever! May our gracious Lord continue to bless you through the callings he has given you, and for those blessings we give grateful thanks!

A Thanksgiving Trifecta: Giving Thanks for Our Vocations – Part 2

This year for our Thanksgiving Eve worship at Cross of Christ, we focused our giving thanks on the blessings the Lord provides through God’s gift of vocation in the areas of the home, the community, and the church. So for your Thanksgiving blog reading enjoyment, here is the second commentary of the three-part series…

Giving Thanks for Our Callings in the Community – Jeremiah 29:4-7

Why in the world would the Lord give such a command to his exiled people? They were strangers living in a strange land where they spoke a strange language. How could God command them to settle down there?

Yes, they were exiles. They were in the world, but not of it, but God was not calling them to be hermits out in the desert or to hide away behind locked doors. No, the Lord was calling them to put his love into action—a tall order considering their “neighbors” in the community had been their enemies.

You and I are “strangers in a strange land” on a pilgrimage to our heavenly home. Like those Jews, we’re not home yet either, but also like them, God does not call us to lock ourselves away in a monastery, live alone out in the wilderness, or simply avoid the community around us by holing ourselves up in the church like some fortress of solitude.

No, the Lord calls each of us to “seek the peace and prosperity of the city…”, to “pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” So how does that play out in our daily lives? How does the Lord use us to bless the community around us? There are two basic areas where most, if not all, of us are called to serve—as workers and as citizens.

Work has been a gift from the Lord from the beginning. Adam was called to tend the Garden of Eden until he and his wife, Eve, fell into sin. Then work became a struggle, toil, labor, but since that time, the Lord has used vocations of work to benefit every one of us, whether it’s using our own work to provide products or services to customers who need them or using our employment to provide income for us and our families or other ways.

When we faithfully carry out our calling as employee or employer, the Lord provides countless blessings, which we often don’t think about—like how the bread on our table got there. At the same time, God’s hand of blessing is often most evident when work is faithfully carried out. The Lord commends faithful work, even taking on the vocation of carpenter before his ministry began. No legal, God-pleasing job is excluded from his use to bless us and others. Whether it’s the dairy farmer or the tech guru, God uses them all.

Every one of us is also a citizen. God commands us to show honor and respect for the governing authorities, submitting to their will unless commanded to sin against him. We do this by obeying the laws, paying taxes, and even praying for those in positions of government whether on the town board or in the White House. Jesus himself taught, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” (Matthew 22:21). Through his apostles Paul (Romans 13:1-7) and Peter (1 Peter 2:13-17), he commands us to faithfully serve those in authority.

God blesses us through the local, state, and federal government as he provides blessings like paved roads, military protection, and various freedoms. At the same time, in our governmental system, the Lord also provides us with the blessing and responsibility of being active citizens in our nation. The Lord blesses a nation when its Christian citizens take an active role, not to legislate morality, but to stand up for what is God-pleasing. As worker or student, soldier or citizen, may our gracious Lord continue to bless you, and for those blessings we give grateful thanks!

A Thanksgiving Trifecta: Giving Thanks for Our Vocations – Part 1

This year for our Thanksgiving Eve worship at Cross of Christ, we focused our giving thanks on the blessings the Lord provides through God’s gift of vocation in the areas of the home, the community, and the church. So for your Thanksgiving blog reading enjoyment, here is the first commentary of the three-part series…

Giving Thanks for Our Callings in the Home – Ephesians 5:21-6:4

You hear the word “vocation” and I would guess you think of a job. You hear the word “calling” and perhaps you think of someone like a pastor who serves in the church. The fact is, every one of us has been called by the Lord to serve, not just here in church though. No, he calls each and every one of us to serve our neighbor out there in the wide world.

Who is that elusive “neighbor”? Every person God has seen fit to bless through the callings he has given to each of us in three basic areas—the home, the community, and the church. That neighbor could be the person next door, the customer of your business, the child under your care, or the sibling in Christ with you here. Basically God blesses your neighbor, whoever that is and wherever they might be, through you. At the same time, you serve the Lord when you faithfully carry out those God-given callings.

Think about it. You wouldn’t be in church if the Lord had not used the callings of others to get you here, whether the parents who raised or raise you, the pastor who shared the Gospel with you, the factory workers who built your vehicle, or the farmers who produced the food you ate for supper. God uses all these callings to bless us and all our callings to bless others.

So why talk about them on Thanksgiving? It should be obvious. The Lord in his grace could use miracles, but normally he uses our vocations to provide blessing to us and others. As we gather to give thanks for those countless blessings, we ought to also give thanks for God’s blessings of our vocations.

The most basic of all those vocations is found in the home—the family. Every one of us has been called into a family. Now our callings in that family may change from child and sibling to spouse or grandparent or extended family, but we’re still blessed by being part of a family. In fact, the Lord uses the family to provide the basic building block that gives structure to society and even provides the basis for our callings as citizens and workers. God cares very much about the family. If he didn’t, he wouldn’t devote so many verses and so many chapters throughout his Word to the family.

Within the family, we have the blessed gift of marriage. St. Paul lifts up marriage as a beautiful illustration of the intimate union Christ has with his Church—Christ with his servant-leadership willing to sacrifice it all out of love for his bride, and the Church willingly submitting out of respect for Christ’s headship. Struggle and strife and pain can come when marriage isn’t seen this way, but by God’s grace through marriage, God provides countless blessings to husband and wife. He provides loving companionship without comparison, sexual happiness that is only allowable in the intimate union of husband and wife, and children.

Yes, children are a blessing and the family is a blessing to them. Through the family, God cares for children as parents are called to be the source of his blessing, even when diapers need to be changed, flu bugs attack, shoes need to be bought, or kids go off to college. Parents, especially fathers, are also called to train their children in the ways of the Lord, so they know about their Savior, starting when parents bring them to Baptism.

Children have a holy calling too. They are to obey their parents as if they were obeying the Lord himself, which really they are. As all the family members, then, carry out their God-given callings within the family, they are to do it in Christ-like love by which God blesses the family and society. All this is possible because God values the family, even putting himself into a family when Jesus became a son. May our gracious Lord then continue to bless you through your callings in the home, and for those blessings we give grateful thanks!

Thank a Veteran Today!

I wrote this post on 11 November 2008, but I thought I’d share it again! Happy Veteran’s Day!

Veterans and those serving in our nation’s military have always held a special place of honor in the hearts of my family. It’s time to say thank you.

On my father’s side of the family, the three generations before him served in America’s largest conflicts. My great-great grandfather, John Peter Gumm, served under Gen. W.T. Sherman in the 3rd Wisconsin Infantry as they fought through the Carolinas at the end of the Civil War. (Years ago I had opportunity to walk the battlefields where he had fought and found out his company was right in the thick of the fighting during the Battle of Averasboro, NC. I give thanks for God’s grace that no harm came to him!)

My great-grandfather, Clarence Gumm, served as an Army mechanic during the First World War and his five sons all served in the Second World War – John as a radio operator/gunner on B-24 Liberators & B-17 Flying Fortresses in North Africa, Italy and Europe, even being shot down and rescued by the Italian underground once; Clarence in the infantry in the Pacific; Marvin in the infantry stateside; my grandfather George as a tank and half-track driver in the 753rd Tank Battalion, who also helped liberate the Dachau Concentration Camp, and their brother Hank; who served as a paratrooper in the 11th Airborne and lost his life while his unit tried to take out a Japanese machine gun nest during the push to take back Manila in the Philippines.

On my mother’s side of the family, my great-great grandfather, Carl, served briefly in the Civil War and my grandfather, Willard Degnitz, as part of the XIX Corps, laid communication lines with little cover along the front as the Allies advanced through Europe, even having to hide in streams and haystacks when German patrols came near. I’m told those who had his job were often a primary target of German snipers.

For good reason, veterans and those serving in our nation’s military have always held a special place of honor in the hearts of my family. Even as part of my current ministry, I have the privilege of serving as the Civilian Chaplain to WELS military personnel of the Army’s 10th Mountain Divison at Ft. Drum, NY. Growing up in a family with a history of military service, I consider it an honor to minister to young men and women deploying to serve our nation in faraway lands and to protect the freedoms our gracious God has allowed us to enjoy here in the United States.

Today is that one day a year when we are reminded to do something we ought to do every day of the year – thank a veteran. So take some time to thank a veteran today, whether an aged veteran of the 2nd World War or a recent veteran of the War on Terror, for making possible the freedoms we enjoy, and give thanks to our gracious God for their faithful service on our behalf and on behalf of our nation.

(Color Photo – Taken by Jeremiah Gumm @ Veterans Memorial, West Bend Historical Society Museum, West Bend, WI – 9 July 2005)

(Black and White Photo – My great-grandparents, Clarence Sr. and Helen Gumm with a Blue Star flag with four stars honoring their four oldest sons enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1943. Their fifth son and my paternal grandfather, George, enlisted shortly after. We ought not forget to thank those Blue and Gold Star families who have given their sons and daughters in service to our nation.)

It’s Not About You

Another great post from Pr. Larry Peters over at Pastoral Meanderings – a good reminder for every one of us who shepherd the Lord’s flocks, and a good reminder for God’s people too when it comes to their relationship with their shepherd(s). This is a lesson that is often only learned in the crucible of experience. Shepherds need to take the Church and its work seriously, but not themselves, let alone make everything personal. Take a read…

I was given good counsel when about to begin my life as a Pastor of the Church. A wise Pastor with many years of service to the Lord told me to take the Church seriously, take the work of the Church seriously, but do not take yourself seriously. I must admit that when first told these words I was not so sure this was sage advice and proven wisdom. Now some thirty years later, I can see the truth and wisdom in it.

When we take ourselves seriously, everything is personal. And that is one thing a Pastor cannot afford to do — to take things personally. It cannot be about me. I cannot afford to take personally everything that happens in conjunction with what I do as Pastor or every that is done to me or around me as Pastor. The tone of voice, the challenge that seems pretty personal, the upset… these are the things I must learn to look beyond or they will become the barriers and roadblocks to my ministry that will alienate me from the people and prevent me from serving them as I am called to do.

Often I have people who come into my study or call on the phone or email me with complaints about this or that in the Church. Implicit in their complaints is always the threat to leave and find another congregation. Often I have people who come to me wounded by this or that in life and work and somehow I end up getting the brunt of their backlash though it seldom has anything to do with me. Often I have been there when people exploded in anger, frustration, or sorrow only to find out that the trigger may have had some small connection to me but the cause was something unrelated to me or the Church. In those moments, a Pastor cannot afford to take it personally. Indeed, the challenge of the calling is to learn to look beyond the momentary outburst and extend to these wounded and hurting Christians, the love, forgiveness, mercy, guidance, counsel and Word of the Lord.

I do not always heed these words about not taking yourself personally, and when I do not, I always regret my failure to heed this good and wise counsel. When I fail to listen to this wisdom, I end up looking the fool I was trying to avoid and apologizing and begging forgiveness to clear up what my failed response did to exacerbate the situation.

Do not take yourself too seriously — do not be too concerned about respect or authority or honor that should be due you. Instead focus your concern upon the Church and her work — and your part in that work — and these other things will probably come. Take the Church seriously – her image and stature in the community, her life flowing from and back to the Word and Sacraments, her mission of witness and proclamation to the world, her community of life as the baptized people of God who share a common life in Christ, her welcome to the stranger that walks through the door, her service to the poor and needy who are always with us, her doctrine and confession of faith that we receive from the fathers and profess with our own voice and then pass on to those to come — these are the things a Pastor must take seriously. But not so much himself.

I understand this and even though I do not always heed the good counsel I was given, I accept this wisdom and truth as key to who I am as a Pastor of the Church and what I do in service to the Lord and His people. But, my family, well that is a more complicated situation.

It is very hard for a Pastor’s family to not take seriously words and actions that are intended to threaten, wound, or demean their husband and father. It is natural for a family to circle the wagons around a family member who is hurt by the words or actions of others. It is a mark of love that we do this for those whom we care about. The old adage about how it is okay for a family member to criticize, mock, make fun of, or challenge another family member but not for others to do so — it is true. The same is true when the Pastor’s family becomes the victim of the slings and arrows of others. What I struggle not to take seriously when it involves me, I must take seriously when it involves my family. That does not mean that we cede all objectivity away and blindly defend those who have been wounded by truth. It does mean that what we work out in private as a family is different that how we stand together before others.

I do not fear personal slights or critical words or complaints or even attacks — I do not welcome them or like them but I do not fear them. As a Pastor I will have to account for all my actions and for all my failures to act before the Lord. This accountability is of greater consequence to me that the understanding or appreciation of others around me. I have to separate me from the mix of things and make sure that I do not take myself too seriously or take things too personally. It is a wise man who can do this most of the time and it is something I struggle with every day as a Pastor.

It is also a difficult situation for my family — who love me, support me, and who sacrifice a great deal for me so that I can serve as a Pastor. For this reason, I honor them in my heart and in public for their great love, patience, and encouragement to me. I am humbled by what they often endure from me and from others because I am a Pastor. Sometimes with great resolution and sometimes with tears they find themselves caught between circling the wagons around me to defend me against any and all — and the knowledge that in doing this they may inadvertently make things more difficult so they bear the wound in silence and try to walk beyond it.

So today I sing a Te Deum Laudamus for my wife and children, parents and in-laws, who know me and all my weaknesses and still love me… who defend me and stand up for me always… who tell me what I need to hear when no one else will say it… and who endure the sometimes rocky road that belongs to a Pastor’s family. I take them seriously. I take the Church seriously. I take the work of the Church and my calling as part of it seriously. But I do not make things personal to me or take myself too seriously or all their many sacrifices would be in vain…

Welcome, New Readers!

This past week has seen the highest increase in daily visitors to The Shepherd’s Study in its nearly two-year history. For that, thank you to all of you who’ve spent some of your valuable time here! I think a big thanks goes to the folks over at Issues, Etc. and their pick of The Shepherd’s Study as blog of the week last week. I thought it would only be fair to post one of their latest promo videos below

If you have a moment and you are a new reader or have been lurking for a while, but haven’t made yourself known, please feel free to add a comment and let us know who you are and where you’re from. Whether you’ve been following The Shepherd’s Study for a while or have just started, thanks for reading!

The Clear Voice of the Gospel Still Rings Out!

Sermon for the 1st Sunday of End Time: The Festival of the Reformation – 1 November 2009

It was one of the busiest days of the year in little Wittenberg. Travelers from all over Europe streamed into the city. Children chased each other through the crowds. Vendors hawked their wares and pilgrims snapped them up. Wittenberg was abuzz with people gathered to celebrate All Saints Day over at All Saints Church, known as the Castle Church because it looked like a tall castle. It wasn’t the appearance of the church that drew the crowds, though. It was the relics—vials of milk from the virgin Mary, straw from Christ’s manger, wood from the cross, and other relics that were supposed to take off years of punishment in purgatory with every pious viewing. All Saints Day drew thousands every fall to the city of Wittenberg.

Over the noise of the crowds, the clear voice of a hammer striking a large nail rang out. Martin Luther—a local university professor, Augustinian monk, and pastor over at St. Mary’s down the street—was nailing a large roll of parchment to the door of the Castle Church, which served as the community bulletin board.

Little did he realize, but that parchment would start a fire that still burns today. He had written 95 theses arguing against the practice of selling indulgences, pieces of paper sold to willing buyers with the promise of forgiveness for a price. Those pieces of paper had quickly become licenses to sin. Out of pastoral concern for God’s people, Martin Luther offered a debate on indulgences and other abuses in the church. Pastor Luther wanted the clear voice of the Gospel of Jesus Christ—to be heard. He wanted his flock to enjoy real freedom from sin and guilt in Christ.

With the ring of a hammer 492 years ago, the clear voice of the Gospel soon was heard once again. Since the earliest days, that clear voice of the Gospel has sounded in spite of attempts by Satan and our world to confuse or silence it. The Romans tried to persecute its proclamation into silence. The Papists nearly silenced it with false teaching that turned Christ into an angry judge and made man responsible for his salvation. Countless voices try to drown it out today with the denial of Holy Scripture as the Word of God, the denial of absolute truth, and the denial of the need for Christ, yet THE CLEAR VOICE OF THE GOSPEL STILL RINGS OUT!

Then I saw another angel flying in midair, and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth—to every nation, tribe, language and people. He said in a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water.” – Revelation 14:6-7

It was a dark time for the Apostle John. Seventy or so years had passed since the Lord had called him to leave his fishing nets beside the Sea of Galilee and follow him. The years had flown by, yet with God’s help, John had proclaimed the good news of Christ Jesus. Now he was an old man, the last living apostle, and sentenced to end his days in exile on the tiny Greek island of Patmos for his Christian faith. Darkness loomed.

Throughout those many years, though, John had seen how the light of the Gospel broke through the darkness of sin and guilt and unbelief. He had seen how pagan unbelievers who had once reveled in awful lifestyles now stood firm in the Christian faith even in the face of death. He had seen the light of the Gospel break through the darkness of unbelief in lands all across the known world. The Holy Spirit had used John’s writings to strengthen God’s people with the clear voice of the Gospel. Now the Lord had one more letter for him to write to prepare the Church for the challenges ahead, and to encourage God’s people with the final victory already won by Christ.

God’s people needed to know that the Gospel rings out with a clear voice. Without a clear voice, the Gospel wasn’t the Gospel—the good news of all sins freely forgiven and salvation won through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Plenty of other voices threatened to overwhelm that clear voice of the Gospel. Some threatened to rob Christ of the glory he deserved by giving man a role in his salvation, that Christ’s saving work was incomplete without man’s cooperation. Some threatened to overthrow Christ’s authority with their own. Some argued that Jesus was just a man and not God, while others twisted Holy Scripture for their own personal gain. Some tempted God’s people to desert Christ in their hour of suffering or persecution or hardship, arguing that the Gospel was powerless.

Into all this darkness, the Savior shined the pure, clear light of the Gospel, shattering the darkness and putting the clear Gospel out of reach of all its clamoring enemies. In so doing, he assured his Church he will never abandon her. John wrote, “Then I saw another angel flying in midair, and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth—to every nation, tribe, language and people.”

The Word of God would not be overcome by Satan or his hellish forces. The “eternal Gospel” would endure forever ringing out with a clear voice. Those of us sitting here can attest to that fact since that Gospel brought us here, but still today so many misleading voices clamor to drown out the Gospel’s clear voice. They deny absolute truth. They transform Christ into just another moral teacher. They trade Christ and his cross in Christianity for the latest pop fad, and promote the worship of self as my sin, my lifestyle, my choice, my life, my body, my will take priority over God’s holy will. These voices diminish the importance of what Christ did on the cross so it doesn’t offend, and remove the teachings of sin and hell for a message that sounds pleasing to the ear, but is poisonous to the heart. These voices clamor for unity amidst diversity, even if that unity includes watering down the pure teaching of God’s Word or condoning sin as a matter of choice or an alternative lifestyle. Woe to those who follow those voices!

Sadly we so often do. A congregation allows a little error to stand or looks the other way when it comes to unrepentant sin, and the clear voice of the Gospel is lost. Gospel-taught Christians like you and me become ashamed of that Gospel when faced with an awkward situation or a little heat for our Christian faith. At times, you and I put more confidence in our own abilities, our own wisdom, or our own intelligence rather than the eternal Gospel of Jesus Christ proclaimed from heaven. When we’re so bombarded with those misleading voices, we easily let them confuse the clear voice of the Gospel.

We need to know that the eternal Gospel rings out with a clear voice! It rang out clearly when God in his grace forgave our first parents who disobeyed him. “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers. He will crush your head and you will strike his heel.” (Genesis 3:15) It rang out clearly when the cry of a baby conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin rang out in a Bethlehem stable. It rang out clearly when that baby grew into a man and began three long years of difficult ministry with one sole purpose—to proclaim the good news of sins forgiven, of guilt wiped away, of death destroyed. It rang out clearly when a hammer pounded nails through the hands of the Son of God pinning him to a cross. It rang out clearly when that same Son of God cried out with his dying breath, “It is finished!” (John 19:30) It rang out clearly when three days later an angel told some frightened women, “He is not here. He is risen!” (Matthew 28:6) It rang out clearly when the risen Christ entered the heavens victorious and sent his Holy Spirit so his followers could clearly proclaim his Gospel. It rang out clearly from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth. It rang out clearly when the Lord raised up Martin Luther and others to restore the truth of the Gospel to his church. It rang out clearly when that message traveled across oceans to the Americas. That clear voice of the Gospel still rings out today!

In all those places at all those times, the clear voice of the Gospel overcame every misleading voice with the truth of God’s holy Word. The clear voice of the Gospel has always outlasted every attempt of sinful man, Satan, and the sinful world to overcome it. The clear voice of the Gospel brings forgiveness from Christ for your guilt, confidence and strength for your weak and struggling heart, truth and clarity for the confusion of our present age.

The Gospel still needs to ring out though. The angel proclaims the purpose for proclaiming that Gospel, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water.” He doesn’t command us to be terrified of God, but to give him glory in childlike awe and respect. Yes, God’s holiness terrifies our sinful natures, but his gracious love makes us his beloved children who respond with praise as the Psalmist wrote, “With you there is forgiveness; therefore you are feared.” (Psalm 130:4)

There is no time but the present for this to take place “because the hour of his judgment has come.” With every passing day and hour, the Last Day looms closer when there will be no more opportunity to proclaim the Gospel.

So who will go? Who will proclaim that good news? God in his grace has provided pastors and teachers to proclaim this Good News, but the truth is, we pastors and teachers have never been able to go to every nation, tribe, language, and people. That messenger with the eternal Gospel, then, is also you. God gives you the simple message of Christ crucified for you to forgive your sins and save sinners like you. The Lord doesn’t call you to blow people away with some complicated kind of shock and awe, but to simply confess what you know and believe, to sound the clear voice of the Gospel in an age of confusion and error and lies. The Gospel needs to ring out if people you know and love are to join you with all believers in Christ around the throne of the Lamb of God. Find strength and ability to do that, then, by spending time in the Word and at the Lord’s Table. Wake up each morning remembering your Baptism with repentance and living each day as a forgiven child of God equipped with the clear voice of the Gospel.

We live in times that grow darker with each passing day. The Last Day is coming soon, when Christ will come to judge the living and the dead. Hostility grows against those who hold to Holy Scripture as God’s Word and who live out their Christian faith, but Christ will never abandon you, even in your darkest hour, even when it seems the misleading noise of the present age will overwhelm the clear voice of the Gospel once and for all. Instead let that clear voice of the Gospel be heard. Let it ring out with the message of freedom from guilt and despair and death in Christ. Let it ring out with the good news of salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone found in Scripture alone. May the eternal Gospel ring out clearly through you and all believers in Christ until He returns at last! Amen.

[Graphic #1 Source: National Geographic Photography]
[Graphic #2 Source: Wikimedia Commons]

Logos 4 Released Today!

Word came out from Logos Bible Software that they release Logos 4 today. For those of you who make use of Logos with the Libronix Digital Library System, this is quite a new release, since Logos basically did a “from-the-ground-up” restructuring of their previous release of Logos 3.x.

For those not familiar with Logos Bible Software, the name gives a pretty good idea of what it is – great Bible study software, but for pastors wanting to do deeper exegetical studies, Logos is second to none in my opinion. At the same time, one can also build quite the digital library with a host of resources from various publishing companies, including Concordia Publishing House and Northwestern Publishing House.

I personally have not seen the software, but Pr. Aaron Frey – WELS pastor, founder of the Logos for Lutherans newsgroup, and teacher of the Exegesis with Logos course at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary – has been posting various reviews of different aspects of the new release on his blog. Here are links to his latest reviews.

• Logos 4 Initial Impressions
• Text Studies, Guides and Searching
• Library and Resource Management, Conclusion
  

A Mighty Fortress Is Our God!

Four hundred and ninety-two years ago today, with roll of parchment, hammer, and nails in hand, an Augustinian monk and faithful shepherd named Martin Luther made his way to the door of All Saints Church, “the Schlosskirche” (Castle Church), in Wittenberg, Germany.  He made his way to post a broadsheet of 95 theses against the practice of indulgences in the church for the purpose of holding a debate on the subject. He went out of pastoral concern for the flock which God had placed under his care. He went as a watchman of the Lord standing high on Zion’s wall and sounding the warning to God’s people, as every shepherd of God’s flock is called to do (Ezekiel 33:7ff.). Little did the shepherd realize, but the Lord would reform his Church (not just Luther’s!) and change the world as the Gospel was given free reign once again in the years that followed. For this, we give thanks to the Lord and praise His holy name!

For further Reformation reading, here are four posts worth a look:

• Fifteen Minutes that Changed the World: Thoughts on the Festival of the Reformation, October 31 (Cyberbrethren)
• The Reformation in Luther’s Own Words (The Blog of St. Mark)
• The New Reformation (Pastoral Meanderings)
• Reformation Reflections (Pastor Strey’s Weblog)

In celebration of the 492nd Commemoration of the Lutheran Reformation of the Church, below you will find “the Battle Hymn of the Lutheran Reformation” – A Mighty Fortress Is Our God (Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott), followed by a video featuring one of the many English translations and depicting works of art from the era of the Reformation.

Christian Worship: Handbook explains about the hymn,

It was a hymn of great comfort to Luther and his followers because when he was discouraged he would often invite his friends to sing it for courage and strength (“Kommt, lasst uns den 46. Psalm singen“) and he apparently sang it regularly while being sheltered at the Coburg castle. Called the “Marseillaise Hymn of the Reformation” by the 19th-century literary figure Heinrich Heine, the hymn spread rapidly throughout Germany. Philipp Melanchthon, Justus Jonas, and Casper Cruciger, during their banishment in 1547, were comforted by hearing a young girl sing it in Weimar. It was sung at the Diet of Augsburg. Gustavus Adolphus caused it to be sung by his army before the battle of Leipzig in 1631. It has been translated into a host of other languages, with over one hundred English translations alone.

In the spirit of the Reformers, then, come let us sing the 46th Psalm!

A mighty fortress is our God, a trusty shield and weapon;
He helps us free from ev’ry need that has us now o’ertaken.
The old evil foe now means deadly woe;
Deep guile and great might are his dread arms in fight;
On earth is not his equal.

With might of ours can naught be done; Soon were our loss effected.
But for us fights the valiant one whom God himself elected.
You ask, “Who is this?”
Jesus Christ it is, the almighty Lord.
And there’s no other God; He holds the field forever.

Though devils all the world should fill, all eager to devour us.
We tremble not, we fear no ill; They shall not overpow’r us.
This world’s prince may still scowl fierce as he will, he can harm us none.
He’s judged; the deed is done! One little word can fell him.

The Word they still shall let remain nor any thanks have for it;
He’s by our side upon the plain with His good gifts and Spirit.
And take they our life, goods, fame, child, and wife,
Let these all be gone, they yet have nothing won;
The Kingdom ours remaineth.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

A Mighty Fortress Is Our God
Author: Martin Luther (1483-1546)
Sources: Christian Worship 200:1-3, The Lutheran Hymnal 262:4 (Also Evangelical Lutheran Hymnary 250, Lutheran Service Book 656)
Tune: Ein feste Burg

E’en So, Lord Jesus, Quickly Come

Peace be to you and grace from Him
Who freed us from our sin
Who loved us all, and shed his blood
That we might saved be.
Sing holy, holy to our Lord
The Lord almighty God
Who was and is, and is to come
Sing holy, holy Lord.
Rejoice in heaven,
all ye that dwell therein
Rejoice on earth, ye saints below
For Christ is coming,
Is coming soon
For Christ is coming soon.
E’en so Lord Jesus quickly come
And night shall be no more
They need no light, no lamp, nor sun
For Christ will be their All!

The church music world mourns today following this news announcement from Morningstar Publishers:

Beloved composer, organist, and church musician Dr. Paul Manz passed away in St. Paul Minnesota on Wednesday evening, October 29, after several weeks of hospice care.  He was 90 years old.  He died surrounded by his family while they sang his famous motet “E’en So, Lord Jesus, Quickly Come.”  Funeral services will be held in St. Paul on Sunday afternoon, November 8.  Paul’s many compositions, recordings, and hymn festivals have influenced the art and practice of church music in the United States since the 1960’s. His playing and teaching has influenced untold numbers of organists throughout this country who considered him a mentor and friend.

Here is the full obituary from Morningstar Publishers.

Much has and could be written about this man who has made such a profound influence on church music in the United States. As an organist, his hymn improvisations are familiar to many a Lutheran organist. My favorites were his “Praise to the Lord, the Almighty”, which was the Recessional for our wedding, and “Jesus, Lead Thou On”.  His motet, “E’en So, Lord Jesus, Quickly Come” is world-renowned and has been recorded numerous times, even by choirs of which I’ve been a part.  The haunting beauty of that peace coupled with the confidence of faith in Christ expressed there makes the piece unforgettable. Here’s a snippet from an excellent post on this piece written by Pr. Larry Peters,

If you want to know what is genius in liturgy and music, I think of this anthem. I think of the faith rooted in Jesus Christ from which the words flowed and the music of the man so anxious about his son and the mystery of the moment of pain that gave birth to such words and music of hope, confidence, and peace. It is one of those wonderful intersections of music and words where neither is bigger than the other but both form a piece of what is larger than either — the message understood in the mind with words but felt in the soul with the notes that speak the same message.

When I die I want the choir to sing this piece in the funeral. It is about all that needs to be said of me… of any Christian… Even so, Lord Jesus, quickly come….

Below I’ve provided one of several recordings of the motet with scenes from the Castle Church in Wittenberg. E’en so, Lord Jesus, quickly come!

“God Hates the Sin, Not the Sinner”…Really?

In some recent conversations, including one with some fellow pastors, I’ve heard the familiar statement, “God hates the sin, not the sinner”. For some time now I’ve been thinking about that statement and have wondered if that’s really a proper Scriptural statement we can make.

It seems to me that that something is missing from that statement. Now I realize that when a statement is made in such a pithy way, there’s usually more that could be said or at least more explanation.  The missing component in this particular statement, “God hates the sin, not the sinner”, however, seems to make this statement not quite scriptural or at the very least vague enough that it could be easily misunderstood.

The component that seems to me to be missing is the fact that apart from Christ, does not God, who is holy and just,  hate the sinner because of the sin? At the same time, does not the same God, who is also gracious and loving, love the sinner because of the Savior? Perhaps such questions could be put into a pithy form that is clearer than the statement above:

God hates the sinner because of the sin.
God loves the sinner because of the Savior.

Like I said, I’ve been mulling over this for some time. Still perhaps I’m off-base on this and misunderstand. What do you think? Your thoughts are welcome!

Update – 11/02/09 – Thanks to Issues, Etc. host Pastor Todd Wilken for picking this post as his “Blog of the Week” on Friday, 30 October 2009. Here is an audio link for the ”Blog of the Week” segment.

A Man Named George

Monday was a bittersweet day in our family. Five years ago on 26 October 2004, the Lord in his grace called from this vale of tears to himself in heaven the soul of my paternal grandfather, George Jacob Gumm. I remember receiving the phone call from my father in the midst of my last class period of the day during my final year at the Seminary. Ironically, it was counseling class and we were beginning our unit on of all things, grief counseling. My grandfather’s death was not unexpected. In fact, it was only by the grace of God that he had not died any number of times before in the years previous, because as you can read below, he led a hard life for a long time. It was hard as it was with the death of my maternal grandfather years before.

What made it different this time around though was that less than one week before I had had the privilege of conducting my first solo shut-in call visiting my grandfather. I had managed to not make a single shut-in call during my vicar year, since we had none at the time. So I brought him the Holy Supper and all the wonderful blessings that come with it. I shared with him the Gospel as we considered Psalm 121 together and spiritually lifted our eyes to the Savior who watches over us. I reminded him of God’s grace, which he hadn’t truly understood until he was much older.  Just days later, he was enjoying the marriage feast of heaven with the Church Triumphant and lifting his eyes to the Lamb on the throne.

My brother, Joe, who was serving as a tutor (dorm supervisor & teacher) at Luther Preparatory School in Watertown, WI, had the unenviable task of conducting evening chapel about the same time, but the Lord blessed the opportunity as he always does whenever his Gospel is proclaimed. So I share his devotion with you and pray the Lord blesses you through the hearing of his Gospel too.

I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.” (Romans 1:16-17)

I once knew a man named George.  George was a bartender – his father owned a tavern-restaurant and when he retired, George took over the family business.  And he was quite successful at it, too.  He earned quite a living for his wife and his two sons.  He made a name for himself for two things: for his burgers and for his storytelling.  Yet his lifestyle left something to be desired.  Years of carousing, hard living, and alcohol abuse began to take their toll not only on his body but also on his family life.  Once, in a drunken rage, he tried to hit his oldest son with a car.  In the eyes of God, this man, George, was a worthless sinner.  Even if he had piled up all his successes and all the worldly merits that he had ever scored, they could not compare to the staggering price demanded by God because of his sin.  By his own efforts, George would have never been able to earn righteousness before God.

Yet, somewhere along the way, George heard the gospel message, God’s powerful good news that his sins would not count against him, that God had punished his perfect Son in his place, so that one day he would not go to the eternal fires of hell but rather to the eternal joy and happiness of heaven.  The Holy Spirit, through the power of the gospel, worked faith in George’s heart.  And by that faith, George, who was once the worst of sinners, now stands justified before God, clothed in the robe of righteousness earned by Christ’s perfect sacrifice.

Couldn’t we put our own names into this story, maybe with a few changes in the circumstances surrounding our childhoods, but yet keeping the main ideas?  We were once spiritually dead.  Nothing we could do could ever get us out of the hopeless situation we were in – looking forward to death and an eternity of despair.  Even if we tried and performed countless good works, Isaiah reminds us (64:6), “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.”

Yet, somewhere along the way, we heard the gospel message, the powerful good news of God.  Our pastor or our teacher in our Christian school or our parents or whoever it may be told us that our sins did not count against us any longer, that God had punished his Son in our stead, that one day an eternity in heaven awaits us.  Those pastors and teachers and parents – they were not ashamed of the gospel, they were not ashamed to tell you that you were saved, they were not ashamed to point you to Jesus, because by faith they knew that God’s gospel was powerful and that through it you might be saved.

Let’s talk about George for a little while longer.  He got out of the tavern business and kicked his drinking habits.  As the years passed, the years of hard living finally caught up to him.  Slowly arthritis took away his ability to walk and rendered his hands useless.  On Monday, he went to the hospital for heart surgery.  As he lay on the table with the nurses preparing him for the operation, George said a prayer aloud, asking God to guide the hands of the surgeons.  When the doctors opened him up, they found that no amount of surgery was going to help – George’s heart was too tired.  All George and his wife and his family could do was wait for the end.  Yet after the surgery, George told the pastor, his son, that he wanted to bring one more soul to faith, that he wanted the opportunity to tell one more person about Jesus.  George was not ashamed of the gospel, because he knew it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes.

On Tuesday morning, this man, George, my grandpa, passed away, a believer in Jesus, and he was awarded the crown of life by his Savior.  No longer is he confined to a wheelchair by arthritis, but stands before the throne of God with all the multitudes who have come out of the great tribulation, those who have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb, those who during their sojourn here on earth heard the gospel and believed its promise.  May we never be ashamed of the gospel, but proclaim with the apostle Paul, “The righteous will live by faith.”  Amen.

[Devotion delivered by Tutor Joseph Gumm - Luther Preparatory School, Watertown, WI - 29 October 2004]

For the Disgruntled Lutheran…

A few months ago I noticed that a blog called No Church Home had linked up to The Shepherd’s Study. I found that it was the blog of a self-described “disgruntled Evangelical” named Doug Cohenour, who had left Evangelicalism in search of a new church home. His and his family’s search from church to church finally ended at a confessional Lutheran church.

I’ve read Doug’s posts with interest since coming across his blog and have found some very insightful writing about a former Evangelical’s journey from Evangelicalism to confessional Lutheranism. This afternoon an interesting post from No Church Home came across my newsreader entitled A Word for the Disgruntled Lutheran. It’s a very Christ-centered response to those who have grown “disgruntled” with Lutheranism and worth a read. Rather than publish the entire post, here’s an excerpt…

Search for Christ

You have probably heard it before, but it bears repeating; there are no perfect churches. As long as there are people involved, there will always be something that we can find to be unhappy about. Lutheranism, for all of its faults, is one of the last refuges of truth in our day and age. The church at large is disintegrating. It is on the decline. If you care about the church, about doctrine, about fidelity to God’s Word, about faith in Christ alone for salvation, and about all of the things that mark the true church, you are in the minority. I have seen enough evidence of this trend over the last 20 years to convince me that we live in a time of decline for the church.

Jesus said that the gates of hell would not prevail against the church. I believe this. But He also wonder if He would find faith on the earth when He returned again. I wonder this myself. Before you reject Lutheranism, maybe it deserves a fresh look. Perhaps you are disgruntled because you do not really know what your church teaches. It may be that if you gain a fresh perspective on the doctrines of the Reformation, the Lutheran confessions, The Word of God, and the finished work of Jesus Christ on your behalf, that the Lutheran church will not seem like such a bad place to be after all.

It’s really all about Jesus Christ and what He has done. It’s not about you, or professional clergy and their vision, or synods and their decisions, or the politics of your local church. Your personal worship preferences are not relevant, and neither are your felt needs. Being turned inward on yourself leads to being disgruntled. Search for Christ instead. Look for the place where you get the most of Christ, Jesus in all of His fullness, crucified for you.

You will find this in the churches of the Reformation. You will find this in confessional Lutheranism. For where Jesus is, there is life and salvation.

[HT: No Church Home - Now linked on the blogroll too!]

Here, O My Lord, I See You Face to Face

Here, O my Lord, I see you face to face;
Here would I touch and handle things unseen,
Here grasp with firmer hand eternal grace,
And all my weariness upon you lean.

(Christian Worship 315:1/Lutheran Service Book 631:1)

Last week our Colonial North Conference (North Atlantic District-WELS) met for a conference focused on “God’s Gift to Us: The Lord’s Supper and Its Importance in the Life of the Church”. We had a great exegesis of Luke 22:7-20 and presentation of Formula of Concord: Article VII: Of the Holy Supper. I had opportunity to present the practical paper for our conference on the subject of “Encouraging Frequent Reception of the Holy Supper”.

That paper was one of the main reasons why The Shepherd’s Study has been rather quiet in the last couple weeks (apart from the usual busyness of ministry!). It was really quite a joy to study this subject, which only a couple years ago was a hot topic in our congregation here. So for your reading pleasure (or if you need sleep or something to put at the bottom of your bird cage…), I’ve provided a PDF copy of my paper below.

Here, O My Lord, I See You Face to Face:
Encouraging Frequent Reception of the Holy Supper

[Graphic Source]