Jesus, I Will Ponder Now

"Jesus, I Will Ponder Now"
by Sigismund v. Birken
Translated by August Crull, 1845-1923

Jesus, I will ponder now
On Thy holy Passion;
With Thy Spirit me endow
For such meditation.
Grant that I in love and faith
May the image cherish
Of Thy suffering, pain, and death,
That I may not perish.

Make me see Thy great distress,
Anguish, and affliction,
Bonds and stripes and wretchedness
And Thy crucifixion;
Make me see how scourge and rod,
Spear and nails, did wound Thee,
How for man Thou diedst, O God,
Who with thorns had crowned Thee.

Yet, O Lord, not thus alone
Make me see Thy Passion,
But its cause to me make known
And its termination.
Ah! I also and my sin
Wrought Thy deep affliction;
This indeed the cause hath been
Of Thy crucifixion.

Grant that I Thy Passion view
With repentant grieving
Nor Thee crucify anew
By unholy living.
How could I refuse to shun
Every sinful pleasure
Since for me God's only Son
Suffered without measure?

If my sins give me alarm
And my conscience grieve me,
Let Thy cross my fear disarm,
Peace of conscience give me.
Grant that I may trust in Thee
And Thy holy Passion.
If His Son so loveth me,
God must have compassion.

Grant that I may willingly
Bear with Thee my crosses,
Learning humbleness of Thee,
Peace mid pain and losses.
May I give Thee love for love!
Hear me, O my Savior,
That I may in heaven above
Sing Thy praise forever.

The Lutheran Hymnal
Hymn #140
Text: Luke 18: 31-34
Author: Sigismund v. Birken, 1653
Translated by: August Crull, 1923, alt.
Titled: "Jesu, deine Passion"
Composer: Melchior Vulpius, 1609
Tune: "Jesu Kreuz, Leiden und Pein"

Maunday Thursday.

Thanks Paul for the nice article on Maunday Thursday.

I can say nothing better than this:

"I Come, O Savior, to Thy Table"
by Friedrich C. Heyder, 1677-1754
Translated by composite

1. I come, O Savior, to Thy Table,
For weak and weary is my soul;
Thou, Bread of Life, alone art able
To satisfy and make me whole:

REFRAIN:
Lord, may Thy body and Thy blood
Be for my soul the highest good!

2. Oh, grant that I in manner worthy
May now approach Thy heavenly Board
And, as I lowly bow before Thee,
Look only unto Thee, O Lord!

3. Unworthy though I am, O Savior,
Because I have a sinful heart,
Yet Thou Thy lamb wilt banish never
For Thou my faithful Shepherd art!

4. Oh, let me loathe all sin forever
As death and poison to my soul
That I through wilful sinning never
May see Thy Judgment take its toll!

5. Thy heart is filled with fervent yearning
That sinners may salvation see
Who, Lord, to Thee in faith are turning;
So I, a sinner, come to Thee.

6. Weary am I and heavy laden,
With sin my soul is sore opprest;
Receive me graciously, and gladden
My heart, for I am now Thy guest.

7. Thou here wilt find a heart most lowly
That humbly falls before Thy feet,
That duly weeps o'er sin, yet solely
Thy merit pleads, as it is meet.

8. By faith I call Thy holy Table
The testament of Thy deep love;
For, lo, thereby I now am able
To see how love Thy heart doth move.

9. What higher gift can we inherit?
It is faith's bond and solid base;
It is the strength of heart and spirit,
The covenant of hope and grace.

10. This feast is manna, wealth abounding
Unto the poor, to weak ones power,
To angels joy, to hell confounding,
And life for us in death's dark hour.

11. Thy body, given for me, O Savior,
Thy blood which Thou for me didst shed,
These are my life and strength forever,
By them my hungry soul is fed.

12. With Thee, Lord, I am now united;
I live in Thee and Thou in me.
No sorrow fills my soul, delighted
It finds its only joy in Thee.

13. Who can condemn me now? For surely
The Lord is nigh, who justifies.
No hell I fear, and thus securely,
With Jesus I to heaven rise.

14. Though death may threaten with disaster,
It cannot rob me of my cheer;
For He who is of death the Master
With aid and comfort e'er is near.

15. My heart has now become Thy dwelling,
O blessed Holy Trinity.
With angels I, Thy praises telling,
Shall live in joy eternally.

Hymn #315
The Lutheran Hymnal
Text: 1 Cor. 11:28
Author: Friedrich C. Heyder, 1710, cento
Translated by: composite
Titled: "Ich komm' zu deinem Abendmahle"
Tune: "Ich sterbe taeglich"
1st Published in: Ms., Municipal Library
Town: Leipzig, 1756

Weekday Advent Service Four, O Lord, How Shall I Meet You

Weekday Advent Service Three
St. John’s Lutheran Church, Howard, SD
The Hymns of Advent
O Lord, How Shall I Meet You LW 19
By: Paul Gerhardt

O Lord, how shall I meet you,
How welcome you aright?
Your people long to greet you,
My hope, my heart's delight!
Oh, kindle, Lord most holy,
Your lamp within my breast
To do in spirit lowly
All that may please you best.

Your Zion strews before you
Green boughs and fairest palms;
And I too will adore you
With joyous songs and psalms.
My heart shall bloom forever
For you with praises new
And from your name shall never
With hold the honor due.

I lay in fetters, groaning;
You came to set me free.
I stood, my shame bemoaning;
You came to honor me.
A glorious crown you give me,
A treasure safe on high
That will not fail or leave me
As earthly riches fly.

Love caused your incarnation;
Love brought you down to me.
Your thirst for my salvation
Procured my liberty.
Oh, love beyond all telling,
That led you to embrace
In love, all love excelling,
Our lost and fallen race.

Rejoice, then, you sad-hearted,
Who sit in deepest gloom,
Who mourn your joys departed
And tremble at your doom.
Despair not; he is near you,
There, standing at the door,
Who best can help and cheer you
And bids you weep no more.

He comes to judge the nations,
A terror to his foes,
A light of consolations
And blessed hope to those
Who love the Lord's appearing.
O glorious Sun, now come,
Send forth your beams so cheering,
And guide us safely home.

Grace and peace to you from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

There’s something special about a Hymn that is also a prayer. There are a few that are like that. One of my father’s favorites was Lord, Take My Hand and Lead Me. I like it too. And that’s the very first thing that you notice about this one.

O Lord, how shall I meet you,
How welcome you aright?
Your people long to greet you,
My hope, my heart's delight!
Oh, kindle, Lord most holy,
Your lamp within my breast
To do in spirit lowly
All that may please you best.

It is the classic advent question. We think we know how to prepare for Christmas. The gift giving frenzy gets really hot as the last minutes are ticking away, especially with the threat of bad weather. And last week we had a wonderful telling of the reason for the season right here, given by the children of the congregation. We heard of angels and shepherds, magi and gifts, mother father and of course the Child. We are reminded that He was born to die for the sins of the whole world. We know that one of the best ways to prepare for Christmas is to re-tell the story of what God has done through the Best Gift. But this hymn really is asking a larger question. With the on going preparation for the Christmas and the picture of God-in-the-flesh lying in a manger in fresh in our minds; how do we prepare for the self-same Lord, to return again?

It begins an answer to that question by reciting who we are. Your people long to greet You. Your people, is a very warm and wet idea. In a way it is a phrase pulled right out of the Red Sea. God continually told the Israelites that they could know they were His people because of what He did for them by bringing them out of Egypt through the Red Sea waters. He said, “I will be your God and you will be My people. You remember, God parted the sea and they walked through on dry ground, while the Egyptian army was drowned. In our case we are His people through water too, our Adoption in Holy Baptism.

Speaking in the context of the work of the Holy Spirit in Baptism St. Paul tells us:

so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. (Titus 3:7, ESV)

We are God’s people having been justified through faith in Jesus Christ, given to us through our adoption in Baptism.
Oh, kindle, Lord most holy, Your lamp within my breast To do in spirit lowly All that may please you best. (There’s so much packed in these lines, I think we could do a whole Advent series right here!) They say, in essence, Lord, through the Work of Spirit and Word in me (gifts of Holy Baptism!), produce good works in my life, and keep my sinful pride out of the way. Do that in me, then be prepared for your coming.

Your Zion strews before you
Green boughs and fairest palms;
And I too will adore you
With joyous songs and psalms.
My heart shall bloom forever
For you with praises new
And from your name shall never
With hold the honor due.

These words put us on the road with those who honor Jesus on Palm Sunday waving Palm branches and shouting Hosanna! We shout though knowing the whole story. The Palms lead to Passion. Jesus goes to Jerusalem not to sit on a throne of gold but to hang on His heavenly throne of wood. And I too, means especially because we know the outcome. We see His bloody death we’ll shout all the more, and adore. Because of what He does there (and I just love this picture of eternal life with God) My heart will bloom forever for you with praises new…

I lay in fetters, groaning;
You came to set me free.
I stood, my shame bemoaning;
You came to honor me.
A glorious crown you give me,
A treasure safe on high
That will not fail or leave me
As earthly riches fly.

Here we have in more depth the reason for the joyful response to Jesus and what He has done. I lay in fetters, groaning; I stood, my shame bemoaning; You came to honor me. That’s where sin always leaves us, bound-up, in slavery, groaning our lives away because we are helpless to remove its chains. But our coming Lord has set us free. Jesus says it like this:

Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. (John 8:34-36, ESV)

But instead of what we should receive, punishment for our guilt and sin, we receive a King’s prize; a crown of eternal life. And not only that but one that is safe from theft and decay and that will last forever. (Matt 6:19ff)

Love caused your incarnation;
Love brought you down to me.
Your thirst for my salvation
Procured my liberty.
Oh, love beyond all telling,
That led you to embrace
In love, all love excelling,
Our lost and fallen race.

God is love (1 John 4:8). The word incarnation means coming in the flesh. Nothing shows us the true nature of God more clearly than His becoming a human being willing to suffer and die on the cross for us. It is His love that compelled Him to do that. It is His love that was not content to leave us in our sins forever to be separated from Him. He came down to us to retrieve us out of the mess of our own making. The hymn uses the wonderful phrase Your thirst for my salvation to purposely remind us of the way that our liberty was procured. It’s a play on the words of Our Lord on the cross. “I thirst.” (John 19:28) What He did there, as He was speaking those words is the love beyond all telling, the love that is above all other love excelling.

In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. (1 John 4:10, ESV)

There is no better way, the hymn says in answer to its own question, than to think about, speak about, shout about, and live in the salvation of our God brought to us through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

And that’s what the rest of the hymn says, too. It shifts from question to response. It’s only natural, because whenever God’s people hear the Good News of our salvation in Jesus Christ again (God’s Word spoken or sung!) We can’t help but respond in joy. It’s not really so much commanding us to rejoice, but describing the source of it.

Rejoice, then, you sad-hearted,
Who sit in deepest gloom,
Who mourn your joys departed
And tremble at your doom.
Despair not; he is near you,
There, standing at the door,
Who best can help and cheer you
And bids you weep no more.

We are realistic people, and yet, especially at this time of year we pretend to set aside the worlds cares and troubles, as if just saying the words Peace on Earth can make it true. But it all comes rushing back into our lives round about January with the new credit card bills. Our reason to rejoice in a troubled world is much deeper than looking for an easy life. Our peace in an un-peaceful world is found in a life where God really is near to us. He is near you There, standing at the door. And the picture of the Lamp-Holding-Jesus knocking has probably popped into your mind. That’s a picture of the incarnate, God-in-the-Flesh, Jesus coming to help and cheer you. Unfortunately we think of that picture as Jesus asking unbelievers to come to faith, it’s much more than that. It’s Jesus, promising to be near you who already believe. It’s Jesus bringing His Word to be placed into your heart.

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. (Revelation 3:20, ESV)

The context of this verse in Revelation is clear, Jesus is speaking to the church, He’s speaking to you and me. It’s Jesus inviting us to listen to His Word and eat with Him. Despair not Jesus is here in this place right now. Here is where you hear His voice and eat the food that He provides. Jesus says, “Bring your cares and troubles, your pain and sorrow here, and I will comfort you; I will help and cheer you with my presence.” You, dear Christian, are not alone, Jesus is here.

He comes to judge the nations,
A terror to his foes,
A light of consolations
And blessed hope to those
Who love the Lord's appearing.

Jesus is coming; a baby born in a Bethlehem stable; a judge to judge the nations. From the moment of His first breath He had enemies. King Herod, who thought Jesus was a threat to His place in the world, was willing to commit infanticide to kill Him. The religious leaders of the day, who couldn’t accept Jesus’ Words about forgiveness for all, had Jesus nailed to the cross to stop Him from speaking. And people today, from those who want Jesus to be a self-help guru, or as simply an example of a purpose filled life, to those who only want Jesus to be their path to prosperity, and those who want no Jesus at all, the day Jesus comes will be a terror, because they haven’t heard His voice at all, but were following their own hearts.

For you and me and all who love the Lord’s appearing, in the stable, in His Word and Sacraments, in His coming soon, it is a blessed hope a light of consolations knowing that this world of troubles will come to and end and we will live with God forever.

And so we end where we began, a prayer.

O glorious Sun, now come,
Send forth your beams so cheering,
And guide us safely home.

Come Lord Jesus, be our guest… Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come… or as the Beloved Apostle says in response to Jesus promise:

He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen. (Revelation 22:20-21, ESV)

Weekday Advent Service Three, Jesus Came, the Heavens Adoring (LSB 353)

Weekday Advent Service Three
St. John's Lutheran Church, Howard, SD
The Hymns of Advent
Jesus Came, the Heavens Adoring (LSB 353)
Godfrey Thring (1823-1903, alt)

Jesus came, the heav'ns adoring,
Came with peace from realms on high;
Jesus came to bring redemption,
Lowly came on earth to die;
Alleluia! Alleluia!

Came in deep humility.
Jesus comes again in mercy
When our hearts are worn with care;
Jesus comes again in answer
To and earnest, heartfelt prayer,
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Comes to save us from despair.

Jesus comes to hearts rejoicing,
Bringing news of sins forgiv'n;
Jesus comes with words of gladness,
Leading souls redeemed to heav'n.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Hope to all the world is giv'n.

Jesus comes in joy and sorrow,
Shares alike our hopes and fears;
Jesus comes, whate're befalls us,
Cheers our hearts and dries our tears;
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Comforts us in failing years.

Grace and peace to you from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Well, so far in our series of Advent Sermons we've looked at two fairly well known hymns. But tonight we're looking at a treasure from our older hymnal (a hymn in that is in the new one but not in the blue one). So, although it may be new to us now it is not a new hymn at all, in fact it was probably written around the time this congregation was just getting started. It is a very strong Christ centered hymn pointing us in two directions at once. You can see that very clearly if you look at the second word in verse one and verse two. Jesus came… Jesus comes… now one of the great features of this hymn is that it very nicely sets out for us what Jesus did, what he does and what he's going to do. Jesus is clearly at the center of all the doing in this hymn, that's what makes it a great one to study this evening.

Jesus came, the heav'ns adoring,
Came with peace from realms on high;
Jesus came to bring redemption,
Lowly came on earth to die;
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Came in deep humility.

This verse is deceptively simple. It packs a lot into a very small package. It sums up Jesus birth life, death and resurrection in such and economy of words that you can't get it all in one simple reading. One of the greatest things is how it reminds me of so many other hymns. Phrases like came with peace from realms on high remind me of wonderful Christmas hymns like Angels from the realms of glory, wing your flight o're all the earth and peace on earth and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled. When the hymn says Jesus came to bring redemption, I think about I know that my redeemer lives, what comfort this sweet sentence gives. Madison Master Singers sang right here in our church and one of the hymns they sang was a well known carol Infant lowly, infant holy for his bed a cattle stall; Oxen lowing, Little knowing Christ the child is Lord of all. (another new hymn in our new hymnal) echoing the words from this hymn Lowly he came on earth to die. Every time I read it, another connection to another great hymn pops into my head. I think that's because firstly, it is such a very well written hymn. Secondly it does what all good advent hymns do, (actually what all good Christian hymns should do) it talks about Jesus and what he did. His birth, perfect life, and death on the cross are all tied up in this small package. It says what St. Paul said to the Philippians.

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (Philippians 2:5-8, ESV)

All that is important because it sets Christmas time (that is Jesus being born in human flesh), the time we are getting prepared to celebrate, at the center of everything else the hymn is going to say. It's as if it says, "because He came from heaven as a humble infant, amid adoring angels singing God's peace on earth, and because He has redeemed us by coming to die; You can be sure that when He comes He's going to do this and this and this…" And there's that change from Jesus came to Jesus comes. And the whole rest of the hymn is about Jesus comes.

Jesus comes again in mercy
When our hearts are worn with care;
Jesus comes again in answer
To and earnest, heartfelt prayer,
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Comes to save us from despair.

There's a phrase we chant on Sunday mornings together, it's Lord, have mercy. It's a biblical phrase; it's asking God for promised blessings: For the peace of the whole world and for our salvation; for the well being of the church of God; for this holy house… Lord, have mercy. We get it from the bible. In the accounts of our Lord from Matthew, Mark, Luke and John people make requests of Jesus using that phrase. Every single one of them is asking for healing. Lord, have mercy on me, cure my blindness; cure my leprosy; cast out this demon. The hymn says Jesus comes in mercy when our hearts are worn with care. I just love the way that's said. You can just feel the ragged places on your own heart as you've dealt with illness in your family. We care when people we know are sick. We pray for them with heartfelt prayer. And Jesus answers by coming in mercy. During advent we rejoice in knowing that when Jesus comes as he has promised and brings all history to its conclusion all sickness will end forever. It will be a great day. The hymn talks about that, but it also talks about now. Through you and me, through God's Word spoken to comfort the sick and dying Jesus comes in mercy. Jesus comes in mercy when we help our neighbors and friends whose hearts are worn with the care, too. It is one of the things that Jesus has called us to do in this community.

Jesus comes to hearts rejoicing,
Bringing news of sins forgiv'n;
Jesus comes with words of gladness,
Leading souls redeemed to heav'n.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Hope to all the world is giv'n.

The key to this very is the third phrase. Leading souls redeemed to heaven. I think it's talking about death. Oh I know that's not usually a time we think about rejoicing, and yet, look at what it says. Jesus comes… bringing news of sins forgiven and words of gladness. When we are standing at graveside we need words of gladness, words of forgiveness. The hope for the whole world is the forgiveness of sins won by Our Lord on the cross that changes the sorrow of death to the joy of eternal life. One of the prayers we say at funerals uses the words Comfort us with the certain hope of the resurrection to everlasting life and a joyful reunion with those we love who have died in the faith. When we are staring at our loved ones dead and in the grave we need to know that Jesus' death means that the death we see isn't forever. Jesus comes in His Word right now to bring us that comfort and joy.

Jesus comes in joy and sorrow,
Shares alike our hopes and fears;
Jesus comes, whate're befalls us,
Cheers our hearts and dries our tears;
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Comforts us in failing years.

The last verse we've sung tonight talks about Jesus coming in what're befalls us. It says he comes in joy and sorrow and shares alike our hopes and fears. These words remind us of God's great promise in Jesus to be with us always. The last words he spoke to the disciples as he ascended into heaven was that very promise, And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:20b, ESV) And St. John tells us Jesus promise in a different way, I will not leave you as orphans (John 14:18 ESV) Jesus is with us through the presence of the Holy Spirit given to us in Holy Baptism. Every day when we rise we can begin each day weather facing joy or sorrow, hope or fear, in whate're befalls us, with Jesus. I like the way Martin Luther encourages us to start our day in the Small Catechism:

In the morning when you get up, make the sign of the holy cross and say:
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Then, kneeling or standing, repeat the Creed and the Lord's Prayer. If you choose, you may also say this little prayer:
I thank you, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, You dear Son, that You have kept me this night from all harm and danger; and I pray that You would keep me this day also from sin and every evil, that all my doings and life may please You. For into Your hands I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen.
Then go joyfully to your work, singing a hymn, like that of the Ten Commandments, or whatever your devotion may suggest.

Jesus, Our Savior, indeed cheers our hearts, and dries our tears, to the end of the age, in failing years the hymn says. We go through our life every day knowing we are not alone.

As Christmas draws near, we sing with the hymn, Alleluia! Alleluia! Because we are reminded again of Jesus, Our Savior; the one who was born in a stable for us, the one who died on the cross for us, the one who lives with us every day, and the one who, for us, is coming again. Amen.

The peace of God that passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Weekday Advent Service Two, Comfort, Comfort Ye My People

Weekday Advent Service Two       Updated, Dec 7!
St. John’s Lutheran Church, Howard, SD
The Hymns of AdventComfort, Comfort, Ye My People (TLH31 / LW28 / LSB347
by Johann Olearius, 1635-1711 Translated by Catherine Winkworth, 1829-1878

Comfort, comfort, ye My people,
Speak ye peace, thus saith our God;
Comfort those who sit in darkness,
Mourning 'neath their sorrows' load.
Speak ye to Jerusalem
Of the peace that waits for them;
Tell her that her sins I cover
And her warfare now is over.

Yea, her sins our God will pardon,
Blotting out each dark misdeed;
All that well deserved His anger
He no more will see or heed.
She hath suffered many a day,
Now her griefs have passed away;
God will change her pining sadness
Into ever-springing gladness.

Hark, the Herald's voice is crying
In the desert far and near,
Bidding all men to repentance
Since the Kingdom now is here.
Oh, that warning cry obey!
Now prepare for God a way;
Let the valleys rise to meet Him
And the hills bow down to greet Him.

Make ye straight what long was crooked,
Make the rougher places plain;
Let your hearts be true and humble,
As befits His holy reign.
For the glory of the Lord
Now o'er earth is shed abroad,
And all flesh shall see the token
That His Word is never broken.

Grace and peace to you from Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ

I love this hymn, but sometimes I wonder if we really need to sing it.  When I look at the way we live everyday, especially at this time of year, I don’t see the need what this hymn says, that is comfort.  I heard on the radio that the average person will spend over $700 on Christmas presents this year.  That’s over 100 bucks on family and about $60 for friends (each!).  And you know what I already said about those “Christmas Sale” flyers in the newspaper.  I’ve a weakness for them.  They present us with things we just can’t live without.  They tells us what will make our life better, more comfortable.  Today’s answer to fear, grief, pain and trouble is spending.  

God rest ye merry gentlemen let nothing you dismay.
Remember things are still on sale from now till Christmas day.
Just spend some cash and soon you’ll find some comfort on its way.
O buying of comfort and joy, comfort and joy, O buying of comfort and joy.

Do you remember the Peanuts Christmas special “You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown?”  Sally Charlie’s sister writes a letter to Santa Clause.  “I’ve been especially good this year so my list is long, please note the size and color of each item and send as many as possible.  If this is too much trouble just send cash, tens and twenties.”  

“Good grief!” Charlie Brown reacts.

Well, that’s the way we live.  If you don’t deny it, I won’t either.  Every day we act as if money is the answer to all our problems.  We act as if we can just buy our way into a more comfortable life.

But you and I are influenced by all this, too.  Sally is us.  You know what happens.  You’ve got to have what’s new.  The beautiful Christmas tree you bought this year instead of reusing the plastic one is a fire hazard at Christmas time because you couldn’t wait till after Thanksgiving to get one up.  The new extra expensive Christmas Ornament ends up glass shards on the carpet that the vacuum cleaner won’t pickup, but they very readily stick into your fingers.  Grandma says (and I’ve heard this from quite a few grandmas), I just don’t know what the (great) grand kids like so I just give cash.  Then they can get whatever they want.  

And that’s just at Christmas time, it goes on all year.  The cell phone you got last year isn’t up to snuff anymore.  Oh, you can make calls with it and all but it doesn’t take pictures, or allow you to get on to the web to do your shopping, or whatever else they do now.  The new car costs twice as much to maintain as the old one, and you don’t dare to open the hood ‘cause you couldn’t fix anything there anyway.  You’ve a kitchen cabinet full of gadgets you couldn’t live without that you’ve used just one time.  

Ah, you and I both know that the truth is none of this stuff brings comfort.  And these kind of things are just the tip of the ice burg as far as our lives go.  It’s just at this time of year, our brains go cloudy, it must be the twinkling lights, or the cold temps, or something.  We all know none of that stuff brings any kind of lasting comfort.  Life is hard and the only break from it, the only comfort we’ll really get is death.  Look at the hymn again.  

Comfort, comfort, ye My people,
Speak ye peace, thus saith our God;

God is saying that he wants us to have comfort, and He never gives anything half way.  When He says to give comfort He’s talking about the real thing.  The kind we know need when the lights go out; when rust takes over our possessions; when we get tired of taking care of the things that are suppose to take care of us; when towers fall on top of people and kill them; when accidents strike without warning; when we are personally staring down death; that’s when we need God’s comfort not the joy to the world feelings we have this time of year.  They are mostly just a very thin covering.

Jesus strips it all away and gets right to the heart of the matter (as he always does!).  When some people were talking about how Pontius Pilate killed some Galileans because they defied him, He said,

“Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” (Luke 13:2-5, ESV)

And there it is a pretty clear need for comfort.  You and I are no better than the folks who die every day by accident, or the folks in the World Trade Center, or those killed in tsunamis or earthquakes or even car accidents on SD Hwy 34.  That because the world is a dangerous place for sinners (that’s what Jesus says!).  I just doesn’t matter how much stuff you’ve got, or how much money, or farmland.  Sinful people, (and here you can insert your own name) need to be on guard.

So, I guess we do need comfort, don’t we.  I think we do need this hymn because it reminds us where real, true, and lasting comfort can be found.  And, not only that but it actually speaks God’s words and promise of comfort right into our ears and it says That His Word is never broken.

Comfort, comfort, ye My people,
Speak ye peace, thus saith our God;
Comfort those who sit in darkness,
Mourning 'neath their sorrows' load.
Speak ye to Jerusalem
Of the peace that waits for them;
Tell her that her sins I cover
And her warfare now is over.

The hymn recognizes our need, actually speaking back to God what He says about us.  We are under sorrows’ load.  But peace waits for us (whenever hymns like this one speak of the OT Church using terms like Jerusalem or Israel, we can apply it directly to us the NT church, baptized Christians).  The problem with the world for sinners is sin.  God promises peace to us because He covers over our sin.  The warfare against the sinner’s greatest enemy, God, is over.  That means that the troubles we experience in life can’t be punishment.  

Yea, her sins our God will pardon,Blotting out each dark misdeed;All that well deserved His angerHe no more will see or heed.

God pardons and blots out sin.  He doesn’t see it anymore.  It’s not because He sweeps it under the carpet and ignores it.  That wouldn’t really take care of it would it.  Dirt under the carpet has to be taken care of sometime or another.  No, for God to actually blot out and pardon sin, for His anger to be no more seen, sin has to be dealt with in the only way that sin can be dealt with… suffering.  

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, (1 Peter 3:18, ESV)

So God no longer sees the need to punish us for our sins.  They were suffered away by Jesus on the cross.  He was righteous but suffered for the sins of the unrighteous.  That’s you and me.  Now the hymn continues:

She hath suffered many a day,
Now her griefs have passed away;
God will change her pining sadness
Into ever-springing gladness.

How is pining sadness turned into ever-springing gladness?  Especially when we consider that our sadness, our troubles, our sufferings haven’t ended since the cross.  All those things that I talked about are really true for us.  Life is still difficult and full of sorrow and pain.  So, what’s the point of all this talk of comfort?  Just like that old commercial asks, “Where’s the beef?” we ask “Where’s the comfort?”

St. Paul:

For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort. (2 Corinthians 1:5-7, ESV)

St. Peter:

But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. (1 Peter 4:13, ESV)

What they are saying is this.  The comfort of God is this.  The trouble we’ve got every day isn’t as punishment for our sin, but to turn us to Jesus.  

Hark, the Herald's voice is cryingIn the desert far and near,Bidding all men to repentanceSince the Kingdom now is here.Oh, that warning cry obey!Now prepare for God a way;Let the valleys rise to meet HimAnd the hills bow down to greet Him.

This verse lands us squarely in Advent, standing right next to John the Baptizer, who is preparing the way for Jesus.  God is coming in the flesh Blotting out each dark misdeed.  God is coming headed for the cross.  God is coming to restore His control over the world and remove sin and all its consequences forever.  So, what’s this repentance that the Baptizer is calling for?  Repentance is simply recognizing that because of our sin we’ve got trouble; because of our sin we’re in trouble.  Life doesn’t work the way God intended.  We don’t work the way God intended and He’s the only one who can fix it.  Said simply, we are sinners in need of a Savior, God in Human flesh, Jesus Christ.  The things that we suffer, by our own sin and just because the world is a difficult place to live, actually prepare us for His coming when they turn us to God, looking for forgiveness through Jesus Christ.  That’s what repentance is.

So John says “Prepare for His coming.”  He was talking about Christ in the manger.  We are also looking forward to His coming again.  When He does he’ll bring everything that He accomplished to full completion.   That is, through faith in all that Jesus did we have all of His promises and all the comfort we need right now.  The comfort of knowing that:

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life,…

We could add in here, “any kind of trouble, little or big, any kind of failure, any kind of pain or sorrow,”

… nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:37-39, ESV)

That’s the comfort this hymn of Advent talks about.  And it ends looking forward to all that God promises yet to come in Jesus.

Make ye straight what long was crooked,
Make the rougher places plain;
Let your hearts be true and humble,
As befits His holy reign.
For the glory of the Lord
Now o'er earth is shed abroad,
And all flesh shall see the token
That His Word is never broken.

The peace of God that passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Weekday Advent Service One, Lo! He Comes with Clouds Descending

Weekday Advent Service One
St. John’s Lutheran Church, Howard, SD
The Hymns of Advent

Lo! He comes with Clouds Descending     (LW 15 / LSB 336, tune)By: Charles Wesley

Lo! He comes with clouds descending,
Once for ev'ry sinner slain;
Thousand thousand saints attending
Swell the triumph of his train:
Alleluia, alleluia!
Christ the Lord returns to reign.

Ev'ry eye shall now behold him
Robed in glorious majesty;
Those who set at nought and sold him,
Pierced and nailed him to the tree,
Deeply wailing, deeply wailing,
shall their true Messiah see.

Those dear tokens of his Passion
Still his dazzling body bears,
Cause of endless exultation
To his ransomed worshipers.
With what rapture, with what rapture
Gaze we on those glorious scars!

Yea, amen, let all adore thee,
High on thine eternal throne;
Savior, take the pow'r and glory,
Claim the kingdom for thine own.
Alleluia, alleluia!
Thou shalt reign, and thou a lone!

Grace and peace to you from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Tonight we are starting an Advent series based on a few great Advent hymns.  The question you might ask is why do we even have Advent hymns, or why do we even have Advent at all?  Why don’t we just jump right from Thanksgiving to Christmas just like the rest of the world does?  (Halloween?)  Well, we could.  Christmas is a very important part of our faith.  The old German traditions really emphasis that.  How many of you when you were young put up your Christmas tree on Christmas Eve?  How many opened presents then too?  How many of you were involved in a Children’s Christmas Eve program?  You see, Christmas is really very important to us.  After all if Jesus isn’t born a human being on Christmas Eve He couldn’t have died as a human being in our place on Good Friday and He couldn’t have risen from the dead in human flesh either.  Christmas marks the beginning of it all.  That’s why we sing with Angels the song of Christmas all year, Glory to God in the Highest!  But what’s the value of Advent?  What’s the value of delaying the celebration of Christmas?  What’s the value of singing these Advent hymns?  Well, that’s what this series is all about.

Tonight we are going to look at this wonderful hymn Lo! He comes with Clouds Descending.  It really covers a very important part of Advent, which is not just looking toward the stable but to the time in our future when Our Savior will come again.  It’s all about the anticipation of Jesus coming.  

One of the problems we face as Christians is that we’ve gotten our focus off of the most important thing of our faith.  It’s only natural for us because that’s the way life is for us.  Every day we struggle to survive.  We have to work day in and day out to make a living.  It’s a good idea to make plans for the future but you and I know that they are shaky at best.  Anything can happen to change the plans we’ve made.  “The best laid plans of mice and men often go astray.”  The old saying goes.  So we focus on the here and now: instant credit, instant gratification, instant access, and instant breakfast.  And no where is it more pronounced than at the “holiday season.”  We are bombarded by images of stuff to buy that’ll make us happier and we are encouraged to get it now.  If you’re like me you look through the Christmas sale flyers and instead of seeing gifts for others you see stuff that you’d like to get on sale!  We are just like the little girl who goes Christmas shopping but isn’t happy unless she gets something for herself, too.  With all the activity we are put to rush.  Hurry up to do Christmas Shopping in Sioux Falls, hurry up to go to the Christmas concert, hurry up to catch the parade, hurry only 26 shopping days left!  It’s as if speed is supposed to get us get the most enjoyment out of the season.  What it really accomplishes though is a “me centered” approach to it all.  Oh, we might drop some coins in the red kettle as we walk by to appease our conscience, but what we want is to have ourselves a merry little Christmas… now!

Well, Advent isn’t like that.  That’s why we take things a bit slower here one Wednesday nights.  That’s a part of what Advent is all about.  We slow down and contemplate who we are before God.  We step out of the rushing world for a few minutes and think about Jesus and what He’s done for us.  We focus on the fact that Christ is coming, and exactly what it means.  On these little holiday ‘vacations’ we have two things to think about in Jesus coming.  First, the one are very anxious to hear and to celebrate; the coming of baby Jesus, born to Mary and Joseph in a stable.  It’s the sweet Away in the Manger story of God as a helpless infant.  Now the second, which is no less important (maybe even more), we aren’t always that anxious to talk about is the emphasis of our Advent hymn this evening.  It’s Jesus second coming.  When He comes to judge the living and the dead, as we confess in the creed.  In our rush to celebrate Christmas we usually forget that our Lord is indeed coming again.  

So, let’s take a look at the hymn.  Lo means look, something important is happening.  That’s what we’re going to say when Jesus does return just as He left, in the clouds.  It’s reminds us of the disciples standing up on the hill after Jesus ascended.  They weren’t getting busy and the angel had to give them the swift kick to get started.  “Hey, He’s gone but He’s gonna come back just like He left.  So get busy!”  They said.  It’s the next line that sets the whole hymn in its proper contexts, because it gets right to the cross.  Notice how it sets Jesus death on the cross front and center.  It’s like it says, all that we are going to sing about, we can sing about because Jesus was once for every sinner slain.  If you want to know how to decide if a hymn is really a good one, that’s what you look for.  Christ crucified (1 Cor 1:23), and then (just like this one) what that means for you and me.

This hymn beautifully paints the picture of what it means for us.  We’ll be among the thousand thousand rejoicing in the salvation won for us by the coming King, Jesus.  Using the language of St. John’s revelation:

After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” (Revelation 7:9-10, ESV)

As they say in the commercial, “I just doesn’t get any better than this.”  That’s what we’ll say to each other on that wonderful day to come.

No Advent hymn would be complete though without describing our need for salvation.  This one does it in verse 2.  At first it would be easy to push what it says away from us and on to those who were responsible for the actual driving of the nails.  But it is fair warning to us, lest we sell out Jesus to the prevailing culture.  We are responsible for nailing Jesus to the cross.  It’s is my sin.  It is your sin that He is pierced for.  That sinfulness is reason enough for to be found deeply wailing.  We don’t deserve to be among the thousand thousand but among the damned.  In fact, we are guilty of selling out Jesus every day.  We go about our busy Christmas schedule only paying lip service to Jesus.  Instead of Jesus born for us to be crucified for us we think of Jesus as a cute story to inspire gift giving, and better relationships (peace on earth) among people.  When Christmas is really about our relationship to God, and what He does to restore it.

That’s where the next verse comes in.  This hymn just won’t let us get away from the cross.  Those dear tokens of his Passion are the wounds in His hands, feet and side.  These are the marks of His crucifixion for our sin.  It is exactly what God had done to redeem us, to set us free from the sin that would condemn us.  You see, without the bleeding and dying that the marks remind us of the Christmas story would be an empty celebration.  Jesus comes as a baby to die, and that’s why the joy.  We are the ransomed worshippers who see those marks as our Salvation.

You might not know it but up here on our altar we have a constant reminder of exactly what this hymn is saying.  You can’t see it but you should know that it’s here.  On this white cloth that covers the surface are five embroidered crosses.  (Some altars have them caved into the surface)  Why do you think there are five of them?  That’s right five wounds: two hands, two feet and the side.  It’s a reminder of those glorious scars.  And even more important that out of those wounds flowed Jesus blood.  Some pictures of the crucifixion have a stream of blood flowing into a chalice.  It’s here on this altar that Jesus gives to us in His very body and blood.  We gather around this table to receive the forgiveness that was purchased by the wounds that we see.  There is no more personal way to receive the ransom of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins that to open your mouth and receive Him there.

The hymn ends where history ends.  Jesus reigning on His eternal throne.  It’s really is the goal of our faith.  When Jesus return sin and death and Satan; pain and trouble and worry; evil and persecution and suffering will all come to an end forever.  Advent is a time when we can look forward to that great time.  And this hymn can help us to say it in an unforgettable way.  Amen.

The peace of God that passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.  Amen.