Advent 3

Almighty God, through John the Baptist, the forerunner of Christ, You once proclaimed salvation; now grant that we may know this salvation and serve You in holiness and righteousness all the days of our lives; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, One god, now and forever.

Our anxiety over life in a broken world gives way to the joy inside of our tears – as Christians we can experience real and lasting joy mid tears and sadness. We truly expect and actually prepare for the reception of God’s peace in the Christ child, a peace that passes all human understanding. The prophet Zephaniah announces the joy and demonstrates God’s presence in our midst while Luke shows us how the Holy Spirit helps us prepare by cleansing the way and anticipating the consummation of all things.

1. Joyful tears make now our patience before people.
A. Patience recognizes that the Lord is near. Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near (Vs.5)
B. This patience petitions God. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God (V.6)
1. We offer prayer and supplication.
2. We offer it with thanksgiving.
C. Patience keeps our hearts and minds in the peace of God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (V.7)

2. Joyful tears show our imitation of Christ.
A. We imitate His qualities. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things (v.8)
1. We receive these qualities in Baptism, when we become “Christ’s”
2. They are detailed in the Beatitudes of the Sermon on the Mount. You, dear friend are blessed. The Kingdom of Heaven is yours! You shall see God for you are called the sons of God - for you belong to Christ. (Matthew 5:1-12)I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death. (Philippians 3:10)
1. We suffer in our fight against opponents of the Gospel. For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him, since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have (Philippians1:29-30)



2. We suffer with the same mind of Christ detailed by Paul when he encouraged us
Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:5-11)
C. We imitate the apostolic tradition, which assures us that the God of peace will be with us. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4:9)
1. We recount what we have learned, received, heard, and seen from the apostles.
2. We proclaim the incarnate Word, whose birth we celebrate at Christmas.
3. We celebrate God’s peace in Communion.
The God of peace will be with you. Now that’s true comfort – comfort we need as we live in the midst of tears and sadness.

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Mid-week Advent 2

All powerful Father, as we await the healing power of Christ Your Son let us not be discouraged by our weakness as we prepare for His coming. Keep us steadfast in Your love for we ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.

In our preparations for the celebration of Christmas we prepare also our attitudes concerning our giving. In the book of Malachi God promises to send a messenger who would prepare the way of the Lord. The prophet asks a telling question “but who can endure the day of His coming?” (vs.2)

1. Can you take Christmas?
Who can take the coming of Christ at Christmas? Each year Christmas is becoming more and more difficult to endure it seems with the buying and exchanging of gifts and their cost. Social agencies report that at Christmas there are more stressors than at any other time of the year. There is more loneliness, more heartache, and more disappointments.

A. Can you endure the secularization of Christmas?

B. Can you endure the refiner’s fire of cleansing of sins? (3:3)

C. Can you endure the holy presence of Christ?

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Time in the Word - Advent 3

The Coming of Jesus Enables Us to Rejoice

The Third Sunday in Advent has traditionally been called by the Latin word, Gaudete, meaning ‘Rejoice!’ For as you are called to repentance, so also are you urged to rejoice in the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. By His own Cross, He has accomplished salvation for you; He has cleared away your enemies, taken away the judgments against you, and has come to reign in your midst. Indeed, He rejoices over you with gladness! (Zeph. 3:15–17). Therefore, even from prison St. Paul encourages us to rejoice in the Lord always, knowing that the peace of God will guard and keep us in Christ Jesus (Phil. 4:4, 7). We find an example and encouragement in the case of John the Baptizer. As he languishes in prison, he calls upon Jesus and is strengthened by the Word of the Gospel that he receives. The same good news is preached to you, by which all things are made new and even the dead are raised up (Luke 7:22). Do not be offended by the cross, therefore, but let your life be one of prayer and thanksgiving (Luke 7:23; Phil 4:6).

Monday, 7 December 2009—Psalm 146:5–8; Antiphon, Philippians 4:4—On this Gaudete (‘Rejoice’) Sunday, the antiphon urges us to Rejoice in the Lord always! We rejoice because the Lord has set the prisoners free, even we who are in bondage to the lusts of our fallen flesh. We rejoice because He opens the eyes of the blind, even we who are blinded by sin. We rejoice because He lifts up those who are bowed down, even we who are bowed down by our guilt. We rejoice because the Lord loves the righteous, even we who are righteous, not by our deeds, but by our faith in Jesus Christ, the Savior of mankind.

Tuesday, 8 December 2009—Psalm 85—The antiphon, v. 2, proclaims You forgave the iniquity of your people; you covered all their sin. This is the reason that we sinners can rejoice; in Christ, God has forgiven all our sin. The psalm reflects the fact that, even after we are forgiven, we again fall into sin must seek forgiveness. Because of the steadfast love of the Lord, He indeed revives us again, that we may rejoice in Him.

Wednesday, 9 December 2009—Zephaniah 3:14–20—The people of Israel—the people of God—are summoned to rejoice and exult because the Lord has taken away all judgments. He has done this for us—the people of God—by the Lord God who is in our midst: Christ, who came to earth as a man, and lived, died, and rose again for us. He still is in our midst, coming to us in His means of grace, Word and Sacrament, the mighty one who saves us.

Thursday, 10 December 2009—Philippians 4:4–7—Rejoice in the Lord always, says St Paul. Why? Jesus Christ, by His death and resurrection, has taken away the reproach of God for sin. We are now at peace with God, peace that surpasses all our understanding, for we can never fully understand the mystery of God assuming flesh, becoming sin for us, and dying to redeem us from the curse of our sin. We can only rejoice in the Lord that He has done so because of His grace and mercy.

Friday, 11 December 2009—Luke 7:18–28—‘Is Jesus the long-expected Messiah and Savior?’ ask John’s disciples. What do you see? The blind see, the lame walk…the dead are raised, and so on. Only God can do this, foreshadowing the restoration of fallen creation, which will be completed at the Second Coming of Christ. In the meantime, we who are spiritually poor have the Good News of the forgiveness of sins preached to us. Jesus Christ is the promised One, who by His death has healed us of the disease of iniquity and has raised us to life, who were dead in our trespasses and sins.

Saturday, 12 December 2009—The hymn of the day, O Come, O Come, Emmanuel (LSB 357), is an ancient hymn based upon seven even more ancient antiphons (called the ‘O’ Antiphons) which were used in the Office at Vespers (the evening office) during the last seven days of Advent. Each antiphon and each hymn stanza refers to a different title for Christ: Wisdom, Adonai (‘Lord’), Root (or Branch) of Jesse, Key of David, Dayspring, King of Nations, Emmanuel (‘God with Us’).

This week's Time in the Word is written by Pr. Jeffrey Keuning who serves St. John Dexter and Zion, Casey, IA
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St. Nicholas Day

He had a reputation for secret gift-giving, such as putting coins in the shoes of those who left them out for him, and thus became the model for Santa Claus, whose English name comes from the German Sankt Niklaus. His reputation evolved among the faithful, as is common for early Christian saints.[2] In 1087, his relics were furtively translated to Bari, in southern Italy; for this reason, he is also known as Nicholas of Bari.

The historical Saint Nicholas is remembered and revered among Catholic and Orthodox Christians. He is also honoured by various Anglican and Lutheran churches. Saint Nicholas is the patron saint of sailors, merchants, archers, and children, and students in Greece, Belgium, Romania, Bulgaria, Georgia, Russia, the Republic of Macedonia, Slovakia, Serbia and Montenegro. He is also the patron saint of Barranquilla, Bari, Amsterdam, Beit Jala, and Liverpool. In 1809, the New-York Historical Society convened and retroactively named Sancte Claus the patron saint of Nieuw Amsterdam, the Dutch name for New York City.[3] He was also a patron of the Varangian Guard of the Byzantine emperors, who protected his relics in Bari.

Messiah sing-along

At Quenn of Angels Catholic Church, 1500 W State Blvd, Fort Wayne, IN @ 2 pm 12/06/2009 The joy of singing Messiah is open to everyone in this Fourth Messiah Sing-Along with Thomas Remenschneider directing. If you have never been to an event like this, it is tons of fun. Brush up on your singing with members of the Bach Collegium. Bring your own score or borrow a copy we will have available for you. Holiday cookies and coffee will be served. Of course since I can NOT sing I will be doing it all in my head!

Advent 2

God of power and mercy, open our hearts in welcome. Remove the things that hinder us from receiving Christ with joy so that we may share His wisdom and become one with Him when He comes in glory, for He lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, One God for ever and ever. Amen

The person and activities of John the Baptist are part and parcel of the “gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God” (Mark 1:1) He is the Advent figure par excellence, serving as a paradigm of the church’s responsibility at the start of a new church year; namely, to concentrate on preparing the hearts and minds of its members for the approach of their Lord and Savior. We shall, therefore, celebrate this season of Advent with our ears attuned to Luke’s account of the public appearance of John as marking a signal moment in God’s dealings with us who are His people.

1. The setting for Christ’s coming.

A. Political institutions are decaying.

1. In 9 BC the political leaders of Asia Minor had issued a decree expressing their conviction that the great Augustus (Luke 2:1) had inaugurated a new ear of hope for all humanity. But Augustus was followed by Tiberius (3:1) who managed to ascend the throne by scheming and manipulation and soon turned into a madman. All five political figures named by Luke in 3:1 not only fix the moment of John’s prophetic activity but also remind us of the breakdown of Roman power. In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar—when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene—

2. We have begun a new church year amid the debris of many familiar political structures, on some which we have come to depend for a measure of stability and integrity. Yet some wonder if the world we have become accustomed to is coming apart at the seams. As we enter the month of December 2009 we have now been at war in Iraq longer then we were at war in Viet Nam.

B. Religious corruption is rampant.

1. Luke speaks of one high-priestly office but lists two names: Annas and Caiaphas. This is the evangelist’s way of indicating to what depths that office had fallen. Annas was able to get five of his sons as well as Caiaphas, his son-in-law, into an office established by God to be occupied by the successors of Aaron for the lifetime of each one. Annas it seems was the power broker who had much control within the temple and the Sanhedrin court.

2. We live in a day of brash blasphemy. Many have fallen prey to the occult, to various cults, to the worship of Satan, to Eastern religions of all kinds. Doctrinal disarray prevails almost everywhere in mainline Christian churches.

C. Yet, it is into such conditions of decay and darkness that God sends His prophetic Word. The Lord of the church asks us to take on the world as it is to prepare people for the coming of Jesus Christ. We are asked to serve as a light to a darkened world.

1. In the days of John there was a yearning to liberation. The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Christ. (vs.15)

2. Many sheep “look up but are not fed.” They need to hear the prophetic Word.

2. Its significance.

A. It is an example of recapitulation.
1. As the old Israel was turned into God’s special people by water (Red Sea), in the desert, and by the Voice from Mt. Sinai, so John was called into the desert as the prophetic voice to baptize with water.

2. Advent serves to remind us that the church (as now the new Israel) lives, as it were, in a desert, sustained by water and the voice of prophet and apostle. For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers, that our forefathers were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. They all ate the same spiritual food and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered over the desert. Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. (1 Corinthians 10:1-6)

B. It is a call to repentance.

1. John calls on Jews to repent even though by descent they were children of Abraham.
a. “Repentance” was a familiar term in that day, but the teachers put it like this: “Repent; then the kingdom of God will come.”
b. John turned the formula around. John said, “Repent; for the kingdom of God is upon you.” (Matthew 3:2)

2. We who are God’s children are to repent because God, in Baptism, has appropriated to us the forgiveness of sins.

C. It is a call to administer the Sacrament of Holy Baptism.

1. John baptized for the remission of sins. He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. (Luke 3:3)

2. Christian baptism has even greater significance; it takes us back into the crucifixion and resurrection of our Lord. Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. (Romans 6:3-5).

3. By Baptism we become members of Christ’s body, which is the church.
For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. (1 Corinthians 12:13)

3. The Sequel.

A. “Fruits” worthy of repentance are called for. Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham (Luke 3:8).

1. John spoke in harsh words of judgment over the Israel of his day But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. (Matthew 3:7-8) and uttered words of promising salvation. And all mankind will see God’s salvation (Luke 3:6)

2. In the same way Advent invites us to examine ourselves in light of God’s Law so that we may fully understand the measure of His grace.

B. By the Spirit’s power, changes take place in people’s lives.

1. John’s proclamation changes the life-style of many persons so radically that his work could be likened to leveling the mountains (of pride) and filling in the valleys (of humility). The words of Isaiah (40:3-5) were fulfilled in John as the voice in the desert.

2. The church’s Advent message aims to move us to bring forth more bountifully then ever what Paul calls “the fruit of the Spirit” (Galatians 5:22)

What today’s Gospel tells us of God’s signal moment in history, the season of Advent addresses to us in terms of our personal life with God. Before our baptism we belonged to the realm of darkness. Now we belong to the kingdom of light. Amid the growing darkness of the moment in which we live, let us, like John, testify to the true Light that came into this world to “enlighten every man” (John 1:9)

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Mid-Week Advent 1

Lord our God, grant that we may be ready to receive Christ when He comes in glory and to share in the banquet of heaven, where He lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen

As we begin our preparation for the celebration of Christmas through the season of Advent we anticipate Christ’s Second Advent – His return visibly to this earth as judge and king. In the Old Testament through the prophet Jeremiah we are told that God would send us His Messiah to execute justice and righteousness on this earth. God promises to send a Branch from David.

1. God promises to fulfill his promise –The days are coming,’ declares the LORD, ‘when I will fulfill the gracious promise I made to the house of Israel and to the house of Judah Vs. 14

a. Was not this promise fulfilled in Christ? Ultimately, they are combined in the highest sense in Christ and are yet to be fulfilled in His reign on earth. (cf. Ps 110:4) The Psalmist David under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit could look into time and see the coming Savior Jesus coming to assume His throne as a royal priest under a divine order. Says David, The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind: “You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.

b. There is still a promise to be fulfilled. That will come at the end of days. (Parousia) When Jesus breaks into time and space for a second time then all honor authority dominion will be given to Him when He returns as judge and king.

c. Has the promise been fulfilled in you? What is needed now, more then ever, is a personal experience with Jesus Christ. How does that happen? It happens when we meet Him where He will be found; in the waters of Holy Baptism, in His meal, in His word which is read, proclaimed, taught, shared. His desire is to grow deeper in a relationship with you.
True, the preparation for the season of Christmas is filled with its own hectic pace and its own agendas and plans. To this night, while it is still early in the Advent season, make an intentional plan to meet the Lord where He can be found so that you may grow in faith in this season.

2. Who then is the One who is coming?

a. He is the Son of David – royalty – vs.15 In those days and at that time I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David’s line; he will do what is just and right in the land. Jeremiah's picture of the coming Messiah is varied and unique. Those days" are the messianic times. It is through the Lord’s Messiah, the righteous One, that the restoration and attendant blessings will be realized.

b. His work; justice and righteousness vs.15b – he will do what is just and right in the land. This is the purpose of His coming. He chose to break into time and space to begin the work of your redemption. That plan was to restore the earth back to the Father. And how did He do this? Through the shedding of innocent blood. Through His sacrifice for sin. Through His innocent suffering and death. That, you might be His own and live before Him in righteousness and innocence forever.

c. Result of His coming – salvation – vs.16 - In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. This is the name by which it will be called: The LORD Our Righteousness.
Salvation and safety are in store for Judah and Jerusalem because of the presence of justice and righteousness personified in the person of Jesus Christ.

God promises to send a Branch from David. That Branch came in the person of Jesus Christ. His coming will result in new beginnings.


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