A Change in Peter

Do you remember the story in Luke 8 and Mark 4, where the disciples' boat was caught in a storm, and Jesus was sleeping through it all? The men accused Him of not caring about them: He was snoozing instead of being panic-driven and frantically helping them save their ship.

Do you remember the story in Acts 12, where Herod executed James and discovered that it pleased the Jews? He decided to earn more brownie-points with the Jews by killing Peter too. But while Peter was in jail, awaiting his death, an angel came and released him. We read:
Constant prayer was offered to God for Peter by the Church. And when Herod was about to bring him out, that night Peter was sleeping, bound with two chains between two soldiers,...

Peter is sleeping. He is on death row, and he's sleeping. He is no longer panic-driven and frantic in the face of death. Now he's looking more like Jesus, trusting in the Father though the circumstances bode ill.


Entrust your days and burdens
to God's almighty hand.
He cares for you while ruling
the sky, the sea, the land.
For He who guides the tempests
along their thunderous ways
will find for you a pathway
and guide you all your days.

Acts 8:2

Despised and scorned, they sojourned here.
But now, how glorious they appear!
Those martyrs stand,
a priestly band,
God's throne forever near.
So oft, in troubled days gone by,
in anguish they would weep and sigh.
At home, above, the God of love
for aye their tears shall dry.
They now enjoy their Sabbath rest,
the paschal banquet of the blessed:
the Lamb, their Lord, at festal board
Himself is host and guest.


Evil world, I leave thee;
thou canst not deceive me;
thine appeal is vain.
Sin that once did blind me,
Get thee far behind me;
Come not forth again.
Past thy hour, o pride and power;
sinful life, thy bonds I sever,
leave thee now forever.


For those who will ask, TLH 347 (aka LSB 743)
and TLH 656 (which has some similarity to LSB 676).

Acts of Mercy

In Bible class last week, somebody asked about whether "we" (as in, the congregation as an organized entity) should be doing more good works to help people, be they Christian or non-Christian. She wondered if it mightn't be easier for people to hear the Gospel and come to faith if first their temporal needs are met. That is a standard line you hear from most missionaries. And she's right about the kindnesses we show to others not being contigent upon what they believe, but that these things are done for the sake of being kind and merciful and good to anyone, particularly to those who don't "deserve" it.

In the last couple of years, "acts of mercy" has become a popular new buzzword, frequently heard from the folks running our deaconess programs and synod's Human Care office. But there are a few things I don't understand.

1. If we say that people will be more willing to hear the Gospel if we first attend to their temporal needs, are we trusting in our good works to change their hearts instead of depending upon the Word of God to create faith in them?

2. Sometimes it almost sounds like good works are being promoted to intentionally entice people into the Church, rather than good works being the natural outgrowth of a lively faith.

3. So many people are already doing "acts of mercy" simply by changing their children's diapers, or taking their elderly grandparents to the doctor, or helping neighbors, or adopting an abandoned child, or working in hospice. But I've heard professors and synodical officials speak as though these mundane everyday acts "aren't enough" and we need to be doing different "bigger" acts of mercy.

4. If we institutionalize our "acts of mercy" through church programs and paid employees, is it easier for people to excuse themselves from actually getting involved in their neighbors' lives?

5. If we start programs (food pantry, English as a Second Language, homeless shelter, day care, etc), will it ever be enough? Of course, like Coral posted a while ago, we do what we can, and those small efforts matter a great deal to the ones who receive these temporal blessings. But we must also take care not to buy into the idea that these things are necessary to "get people to listen." If so, then churches will turn into social agencies, because we will never be able to do enough to solve all poverty and suffering. I think Jesus might've even said something about having the poor with us always. That's not to say Christians are callous to suffering, but that the Church's focus is on Jesus and not on social work.

6. Do we ever fall into the theology-of-glory trap of thinking that Christianity is primarily about having less suffering in this life?

7. Are these programs in our congregations being run entirely by willing volunteers, or is it possible that people are being guilt-tripped into maintaining these programs? Are we taking care that volunteers are never encouraged to consider "helping others" to be more important than the time they need to spend caring for their own families? Are young women encouraged to go into church work instead of into the holy estate of being wives and mothers?

8. In this synod, it is not common to hear the Gospel preached in all its sweetness; there's too much moralism preached. Furthermore, it is an exceedingly rare thing to hear the Law preached fully, with intent to kill the sinful flesh. If we can't get the basic message of Christianity preached rightly in our pulpits, it seems a dangerous thing to branch off from that into encouraging "acts of mercy." If we really believe the Law, and if we really trust the Gospel to be the power of God, and if it were really preached rightly, then wouldn't that Gospel capture hearts and change lives, and wouldn't "acts of mercy" just be abounding all over the place?

Acts 8:2

The Rev Dr Stephen Wiest entered eternal glory on October 4, 2003. Three years ago today we buried him. "And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him."