Heading Out for the Gathering

In Acts, we read a couple of times about how Paul wanted to go to Jerusalem for Pentecost.

You know what it sounds like to me?  It sounds like the great Lutheran migration to Fort Wayne in January (or maybe even here in June).  It requires planning and travel.  Other work must be arranged around the pilgrimage.  For those who can go, they eagerly anticipate the worship and theological discussion and seeing friends.  Those who cannot make the trip know they're missing out on something, but nevertheless stay where they are and do what's necessary at home.

Kneeling

During Weinrich's presentation at symposium last week, he mentioned that worship in a mosque involves the Muslims kneeling on the ground, faces to the ground, but that Christians are free sons and stand before their God.

I kept wondering about that. We kneel. We do.

Then it came up in Sunday's sermon here. So I asked about it.

Pastor pointed out two things. Simplest first: yes, Christians would kneel before their Lord. The disciples on the Mount of Transfiguration. The Canaanite woman. The wise men. The Israelites who returned to Jerusalem from Babylon (Nehemiah 8). But what does He do? He raises us up. Muslims start their worship with their faces to the ground, stay that way throughout worship, and end that way. Christians kneel in worship, but our Lord does not leave us in the dirt.

Second: Muslims kneel because of the grandeur and majesty that they believe is glorious beyond their reach. When do Christians kneel? At the homo factus est and at the Words of Institution and when receiving the Sacrament. Christians kneel for Jesus' condescension. Christians kneel at the words which proclaim how our Lord came down to us, not because He is majestic and glorious and awesome.



Hmmm. This may be the answer to another question I've had. Some pastors genuflect during the Sanctus at "Holy, holy, holy." Other pastors kneel during the Sanctus at the words "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord." Maybe this is why???

Scholarliness

Last January at the symposia in Fort Wayne, I couldn't believe how MUCH talking could be done about minor points. Sometimes a whole hour-long lecture could've been summed in 1-2 minutes of plain English. Now, don't get me wrong: hours upon hours of talking (and even debating) theology does not bore me or tire me out. But what surprised me at symposia was how obvious topics could be belabored and questioned and picked to pieces.

The topic of symposium last year was the atonement. Some of the speakers spoke for their whole hour, weighing the opposing viewpoints and intellectual evidence, and came to a conclusion that most Christian 7-yr-olds would know. Or worse yet, came to a conclusion that a young Christian child could easily debunk.

Now, given the topic, those three days could've been spent talking about the atonement in a way that would be not only academic/educational, but it would have been nice too if the atonement had been "preached." I remember after one of the lectures, talking to Sandy. She and I both noticed that in one sermon, either of our pastors could teach all the worthwhile academics in some of those [much longer] lectures, while nevertheless focusing primarily on preaching Jesus and bringing the comfort of the forgiveness that's found in the atonement.

I realize there's a place for academic, high-falutin' speeches and debate and examination of issues. But somehow, last year, I would've preferred to hear about the atonement as we teach it to little kids instead of to grown-up, intelligent, theological experts.

Kinda makes me nervous about this year's symposium. I'm thinking that I may spend more time playing patty-cake with a grand-daughter than listening to lectures.

Weinrich's Lecture at Symposium

As a couple of pastors said at the end of Weinrich's paper (which is not published yet, but hopefully will be soon), they could've just let him talk alllll morning! Wow, it was good! My pastor commented on Thursday afternoon after the panel discussion that it seems that Weinrich always preaches even when he's "teaching."

I began noticing about 10 minutes into the lecture that he seemed to be using a lot of terms that were in the preface from the Easter Vigil. I don't think it was intentional -- just that he was talking about the incarnation and the atonement, and how the incarnation has meaning only in that it's connected to the atonement, and how the atonement for sin could only be made by an incarnate God. He talked about being delivered from bondage to sin. He talked about how we are restored to life. He talked about the new creation. He talked about the atonement working our innocence, and restoring us to joy in Christ the Light. So all through his lecture, it was like I had two transparencies in my mind, the lecture and the preface, all mixed up and entwined in a beautiful montage.

For He is the very Paschal Lamb
who offered Himself for the sin of the world,
who has cleansed us by the shedding of His precious blood.
This is the night when You brought our fathers, the children of Israel, out of bondage in Egypt and led them through the Red Sea on dry ground.
This is the night when all who believe in Christ are delivered from bondage to sin and are restored to life and immortality.
This is the night when Christ, the Life, arose from the dead. The seal of the grave is broken, and the morning of the new creation breaks forth out of night.
Oh, how wonderful and beyond all telling is Your mercy toward us, o God, that to redeem a slave You gave Your Son.
How holy is this night when all wickedness is put to flight and sin is washed away.
How holy is this night when innocence is restored to the fallen and joy is given to those downcast.
How blessed is this night when man is reconciled to God in Christ.
Holy Father, accept now the evening sacrifices of our thanksgiving and praise.
Let Christ, the true Light and Morning-star, shine in our hearts, He who gives light to all creation.