sin boldly

Campus Ministry Sunday sermon

Sun, 21 Apr 2013 13:41:19 -0500

Here is the text of the sermon LCM Peer Minister Luther Rinehart preached today for Campus Ministry Sunday.

Today is Good Shepherd Sunday, and this year’s lectionary brings us a gospel reading which seems a bit out of place. In the midst of this Easter season of joy and new life, we take some time to look back to the more difficult and frightening winter time before Jesus’ crucifixion. In a way, we are like the disciples who, in the uncertain days after the resurrection, might have looked back on their time with Jesus to try to understand the meaning of what Jesus had been and done, to discern what they might have been missing before.

We find Jesus in the temple, surrounded by a frustrated crowd of people, desperate for Jesus to relieve their suspense, and to declare his purpose openly. It is a tragic situation for both Jesus and the crowd, as the people cry out in longing for clarity, and as Jesus once again faces misunderstanding, rejection, and the threat of death, since immediately following this reading, the crowd will take up stones and attempt to stone Jesus for the perceived blasphemy of his words “The Father and I are one.”

Today’s gospel serves to remind us of the God who is present with us, and cares for us, even in times when we are confronted by a world of danger and doubt, when we feel held in suspense, not knowing if the path we are following will turn out for the best. It is good to remember, even in the safety and celebration of the resurrection, that Jesus the good shepherd, like any shepherd, tends his flock not only in spring time, but even in the dangerous, difficult winter. This Jesus will hold on to us forever, and no one and nothing will snatch us out of his hand.

We learn at the opening of the reading that Jesus was in Jerusalem to celebrate the festival of the Dedication, which we also know as Hanukkah. This festival celebrates God’s unexpected act of bringing light and the freedom to worship, in the midst of a time of great suspense, uncertainty, and fear in Jewish history. Just such freedom, to draw near to God even in the midst of fear, has been given to us in Jesus, who is with us both in the dark times, and in the light.

Today, we have an opportunity to examine the times when we feel like lost sheep, and to recognize the many great and good works which Jesus continues to do every day in testimony to his love for us: at the font, at the table, and in our community. But how do we recognize Christ’s presence? The many works that Jesus does in our lives do bear witness to him. But they are not like the works which the disciples saw. Jesus is present with us, but not in the same way that he was present to the disciples. When Jesus spoke to the crowd in the temple, God’s work of redemption and reconciliation had not yet been completed. But now, God’s work in Jesus is completed. In God’s most perfect self-revelation on the cross, Christ reconciled the world to himself, such that now no suffering or fear or doubt is beyond God’s grace.

Of all the danger and suspense we face in life, among the most serious and the most harmful is certainly our own sinfulness. Our continual turning away from God, and turning away from each other, would seem to be the deepest, most insurmountable obstacle to life in God as God intended. But even this we do not need to fear, because it has been entirely blotted out by the cross and the resurrection.

Now not only are we reconciled to God, but also we have received the witness of the Holy Spirit, who testifies to the truth of Jesus Christ. In a few weeks, we will celebrate the moment when the Holy Spirit burst in upon the first believers, fulfilling Jesus’ promise to send an Advocate who would lead us into the truth. This gift of the Holy Spirit is the greatest testimony of all, and without it we would have no hope of believing. It is in this way that God shows us who God is and what God does. It is the Holy Spirit’s testimony which assures us that Jesus in the messiah, and that we belong to him. This testimony is what is promised to us, indeed, inscribed on us through God’s word and the waters of baptism. It becomes part of our identity, drawing us into belonging so directly and so deeply that we need no plainer testimony.

There is a deep connection between believing and belonging. Jesus’ words to the crowd reflect this fact, that believing in Jesus comes only through the enfolding grace of the Holy Spirit. It becomes part of our very being. Believing is not something we choose. It is not even something we do. It is something we are.

Thus we can be confident that Jesus the Good Shepherd will keep us, guide us, and protect us, but what makes him the good shepherd, indeed the best shepherd, is that he values his sheep more than anything else. “What my Father has given me is greater than all else.” In these words, Jesus proclaims his ultimate, all-surpassing concern for his people.

“What my Father has given me is greater than all else.” There is another translation of this verse which has slightly different meaning. It reads “My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all else.” But there is a sense in which these two interpretations reflect the same idea. They both direct our attention toward what is truly valuable. The Father, who is indeed greater than all else, has given us to live in communion with Christ and with each other. When we value the Father, we also value the Son. When we value the Son, we also value all those whom the Father has given to the Son, those to whom the Son was sent to love and serve. Since we live in Christ, we too receive these two greatest gifts, the gift of the Father, and the gift of one another. Having received one another in communion with Christ, we are called to value one another as Christ values us, that is, as greater than anything else. We are called to treat each and every person as individually the greatest good to which we could devote ourselves, valued in themselves, in the way that Jesus knows them.

To this end, we trust in the Holy Spirit, and pray:

O God, you love us even in the deepest peril. Give us grace to love as we are loved, for the sake of your son Jesus Christ. Amen.

Submissions welcome

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 13:13:41 -0500

Sin Boldly welcomes your submissions. Submit articles at http://sinboldly.tumblr.com/submit

Christ the King Sunday

Sun, 25 Nov 2012 16:56:29 -0600

Today the choir sang a new anthem by Dan Schwandt. The text is Melvin Farrell’s translation of a 9th century Latin hymn:

O Lord of light who made the stars,

O Dawn by whom we see the way,

O Christ redeemer of the world:

Come now and listen as we pray!

In lowliness you came on earth

To rescue us from Satan’s snares;

O wondrous love that healed our wounds

By taking on our mortal cares.

To pay the debt we owed for sin

Your painful cross was made the price;

From blessed Mary’s womb you came,

A victim pure for sacrifice.

But now you reign, the King of kings,

Adored in highest majesty;

Your very name is held in awe

From pole to pole and sea to sea.

Great judge of all, on earth’s last day

Have pity on your children’s plight;

Rise up to shield us with your grace;

Deliver us from Satan’s might.

To God the Father and the Son

And Holy Spirit, Three in One,

Praise, honor, might, and glory be

From age to age eternally.

Faith and Belief

Tue, 20 Nov 2012 21:14:40 -0600

Last Sunday we had a discussion about “the emerging church,” which refers to a collection of new ideas which some people see as emerging in Christianity. These ideas include, in very broad terms, an emphasis on transformation, a reformulation of the authority and interpretation of scripture, concern for caring for the world, a belief that salvation concerns this life and not the next, etc.

One aspect we discussed which I find very compelling is a distinction between belief and faith. As a Lutheran, I enthusiastically support the idea that we are saved “by faith alone, apart from works.” But when I have talked about this idea with my friends, I have found it to be a major stumbling block for many. This is because so many people are familiar with the idea of faith as a set of professed beliefs. Consequently, they interpret the protestant maxim to mean that in order to be saved, one must believe the correct things about God. It is concluded, I think correctly, that this principle so formulated is problematic if not unacceptable. If I thought that this was what Christianity really teaches, I would most likely join my friends in avoiding Christianity. On the one hand, belief seems a quite arbitrary and fruitless matter to be the condition of salvation. Shouldn’t salvation be the result of something with inherent goodness and substance? Emphasis on belief also seems a gateway to arrogance and narrow-mindedness. Blind acceptance of improbable, seemingly arbitrary doctrines seems foolish and contrary to reason. For many, the worst aspect of this view is its exclusivism, the claim that ultimate salvation is dependent on a set of ideas held by some people but not others. How can we be so sure that we are right and everyone else is wrong?

I think the correct answer to these issues is to recognize a distinction between belief and faith. Belief means what ideas we hold to be true. Faith is different. Faith is the trust and hope we place in the things we believe (or occasionally doubt), the ability to love what is good and trust in the saving and transforming power of God. Properly considered, belief is itself a work, because it is something that we ourselves do. Faith we cannot do. It must come from God. Understood in this way, it is obvious why faith is the condition of salvation. It is truly the thing which makes us good. I would argue that this formulation does not require us to believe any arbitrary maxims if we cannot rationally accept them, although miraculous or incomprehensible aspects of God can still be important objects of faith. Lastly, faith as distinct from belief does not necessarily exclude non-Christians from salvation. Their salvation, I think, would have to depend on the goodness of the faith they have in their own beliefs.

Genesis 22 Conference Day 2

Fri, 16 Nov 2012 15:10:01 -0600

Two speakers today on the exegesis of the binding of Isaac. Jorg Jeremias began by speaking about how the story might be understood after the break of the European enlightenment. He discussed the harsh critique of Kant and others who felt that the true God should be identified with moral perfection, and could never command such an immoral act. They would not be convinced of the divinity of such a command even if God “would shout from heaven.” Jeremias argued that that critique can be answered by interpreting the story from its end, namely the fact that God ultimately spares Isaac. While making some comparisons to other stories, Jeremias also suggested that the meaning of this event as a test should be understood in the older meaning of “test,” as a pedagogical test to teach Abraham the fear of God. His concluding theme was that the binding of Isaac is a story which speaks to the general human need of confronting the hidden, adversarial God, and to keep faith in God’s promises even in the face of divine abandonment. The lack of explicit description of Abraham’s feelings invites the reader to relate the story to their own experience.

Next, James Crenshaw spoke against various attempts to justify the story, claiming that the story is not justifiable, certainly not by its great literary quality, but also not even by its “happy” ending. (I would note in this regard, as other speakers did, that despite the happy ending, this is the last time Abraham has any direct contact with God, and afterwards he never feels joy again, quite understandable considering the horrific nature of the experience.) The substitution of the ram is not good enough to cover the problems of the story because, as in both Jewish and Christian traditions, shed blood is still required for redemption. Crenshaw’s thesis was that the binding of Isaac takes on cosmic significance in exposing God’s deep vulnerability, His self-emptying love in creating the universe, as the “most-moved mover.” Crenshaw ended with the thought that we today in confronting this story face a monumental test similar to the test Abraham faced: whether to take a leap of faith in trusting in a God who is so hidden and frightening.

Genesis 22 Conference Day 1

Thu, 15 Nov 2012 23:01:19 -0600

This evening was the first day of our conference on Genesis 22, the binding of Isaac. I’ll present some very rough outlines. The conference is being organized by Klaus-Peter Adam and Pastor Elizabeth Palmer at LSTC. The theme of the night was the vastly diverse history and cultural spectrum of thought about this story of Abraham’s near sacrifice of his son Isaac at the command of God. It is a story that has been important throughout all of the history of the Abrahamic faiths of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

Isaac Kalimi spoke first, presenting a broad outline of the history of the interpretation of the Aqedah, as this story is called, in rabbinic thought. He presented the idea that the rabbis’ main concern in their interpretation of the Aqedah was mainly to emphasize the nature of the events as a test of Abraham’s faith, a test which he passed. They were not interested in criticizing Abraham (or God), but they were well aware of the deep moral and religious tensions the story presents. Some specific thoughts of the rabbis he discussed were:

· Perhaps God did not in fact demand a sacrifice, but only demanded a demonstration of Abraham’s faithfulness. But if God knew the outcome of the test, why test? Perhaps to demonstrate to others Abraham’s faithfulness.

· Also perhaps Abraham misunderstood God entirely. For this, the rabbis cite later words of God such as Jeremiah 7:31: “which I did not command [sacrifice], nor did it come into my mind.”

· There may be an element of theodicy in some interpretations, by citing the reason for the test in Abraham’s previously honoring Isaac with feasts, instead of honoring God.

· There is also a relation to a concept like martyrdom, in the sacrificing of a life for the sake of God.

Walid Saleh then presented on some aspects of Quranic interpretation. His discussion was about the early history and thought of Islam in general, but it related to the binding of Isaac in the concept of familial ties and spiritual inheritance. The binding of Isaac in Genesis contains a passage where God bestows blessings on the descendants of Abraham. Saleh suggested that the Quran’s account of the binding of Isaac is meant to problematize and move away from filial ties as a factor in salvation. Muhammad was in a position of needing to appropriate the God of Israel and make His message universal. A theme of the Quran that addresses this need is that faith in God is not something that is particular to one people such as Israel. Israel’s story is only one example in a repetitive paradigm. The early Muslims were also faced with the challenges of creating a new community that was independent of the strong familial ties and traditions that bound medieval Arabia. Hence in the Quran, salvation has nothing to do with one’s family connections. God blesses Abraham for his obedience, but his blessing extends to his descendants only to the extent that they also are obedient. The progeny are treated no different from anyone else. There is a history of disagreement in Islam as to whether the nearly-sacrificed son was Isaac or Ishmael, but crucially, the Quran does not say, because salvation depends on personal virtue and faith, and not on inheritance.

Third on the schedule, Esther Menn led us in a close reading of the story as found in the Targum Pseudo-Jonathan text. Highlights from this investigation included:

· Isaac himself claims to be willing to sacrifice his life for God.

· The event is not only a test of Abraham and Isaac, but also of God, to see if He will keep his promise to grant Abraham descendants.

· The location is a familiar site of worship, being the same place as the altars of Adam and Noah, and of the later temple mount.

· Isaac requests to be bound, lest in his weakness he struggle or otherwise shrink away from his fate, thus making his sacrifice less than sincere and hence less than perfect. Abraham expresses a similar sentiment by praying “I sought to perform your decree with joy.”

· There is something special (messianic?) about the ram which I do not quite understand. It is “the ram created at twilight when the world was created.”

Sadly, I had to depart before Pastor Elizabeth’s talk “Faith Fleeing and Leaping: Luther and Kierkegaard’s Readings of Genesis 22.” I’m sure it was fascinating. More to follow tomorrow on contemporary exegesis!

Prayer for Election Day

Tue, 06 Nov 2012 15:29:54 -0600

Lord God, you call your people to honor those in authority. Help us elect trustworthy leaders, participate in wise decisions for our common life, and serve our neighbors in local communities. Bless the leaders of our land, that we may be at peace among ourselves and a blessing to other nations of the earth; through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

- Evangelical Lutheran Worship, pg. 77

All Saints Day

Thu, 01 Nov 2012 15:05:59 -0500

I always like this passage from the annual King’s College, Cambridge, Christmas Eve service:

“Lastly let us remember before God all those who rejoice with us, but upon another shore and in a greater light, that multitude which no man can number, whose hope was in the Word made flesh, and with whom, in this Lord Jesus, we for evermore are one.”

Social Justice Theology?

Tue, 30 Oct 2012 22:46:05 -0500

I have some questions and confusions to raise, and I should say that my views are not necessarily those of LCM or the other blog contributors. I’m currently feeling uncertain about the theology of social justice. It seems to be an open problem, at least for me, to frame social justice theology in a manner consistent with the gospel and our Lutheran commitment to universal human sinfulness and the fundamental importance of God’s grace. I probably agree with most of the progressive ideas that I have encountered on this subject, but the language used to express them often seems problematic to me, and I think it needs better explication, if not reformulation. For example, I think it is better to talk about social justice as being a matter of law, and not gospel. Gospel would involve proclaiming love and forgiveness even to those who perpetrate social injustices. I am also troubled by language that frames social justice as being about power and opposition, rather than self-determination and reconciliation. Nevertheless, uncertainty on the theology does not mean that we should not act. Indeed, we must act on behalf of the good to which the Holy Spirit calls us, even if we do not understand. I will say that when we act for social justice, I think we must do so with nothing but love and humility.

Some reasons why LCM is an important ministry

Mon, 29 Oct 2012 22:02:45 -0500

Lutheran Campus Ministry is a place where, through word and sacrament and Christian living, people can experience God’s grace and power in their lives. Our goal is to provide a welcoming and supportive community, with a view toward living in God’s grace and in service to others. Existing at the intersection of “church, community, and campuses,” we are a ministry where worship, service, and study come together.

Simone Weil: “The love of our neighbour in all its...

Mon, 08 Oct 2012 23:30:56 -0500

Simone Weil:

“The love of our neighbour in all its fullness simply means being able to say to him:

“What are you going through?” It is a recognition that the sufferer exists, not only as a unit in a

collection, or a specimen from the social category labelled “unfortunate,” but as a man, exactly

like us, who was one day stamped with a special mark by affliction.”

Sin Boldly Blog Welcomes Pastor Jaeger

Mon, 01 Oct 2012 14:52:59 -0500

Yesterday was the installation service for Augustana’s new pastor, Stephanie Jaeger. Biship Wayne Miller presided and preached, using a jar of sourdough starter as an excellent metaphor for various aspects of God’s work in the world. Cantor Dan Schwandt, with a diverse collection of other musicians, “pulled out all the stops” for the occasion. We in campus ministry are enthusiastic about welcoming Pastor Jaeger into her new ministry here, and look forward to doing many great things together in Christ.

Kant says...

Fri, 10 Aug 2012 15:40:00 -0500

In the Foundations of the Metaphysics of Morals, we read that “the good will is not good because of what it effects or accomplishes or because of its competence to achieve some intended end; it is good only because of its willing.” Sounds to me like justification by faith apart from works!

Meal blessing

Mon, 06 Aug 2012 15:05:46 -0500

Written during campus ministry camping trip in Wisconsin.

Heavenly Father, we thank you for your boundless grace in giving us this day that we may live to your praise, in bringing us this food that we may be strengthened in serving you, and in gathering us together that we may share with one another the peace and love which come only from you.

Bless this food and all who worked to prepare it. Be with all those who are alone this night, or who do not have enough food to eat, and help us to bring to all people the loving kindness you have shown us in this meal.

Strengthen us in the communion of faith, the true bread of life Jesus Christ, that we may come to rejoice with you on the day of that great feast which has no end. Amen

Luther insults

Sat, 25 Feb 2012 17:41:37 -0600

Luther insults:

And this is why we don’t literally emulate everything Luther ever wrote.

Lunch discussion on the Gospel of Mark

Sat, 03 Dec 2011 16:49:53 -0600

Tomorrow for our lunch discussion we will discuss six things you should know about the Gospel of Mark. The new lectionary cycle uses Mark as its central gospel. The handout for the discussion is here (link). Hope to see you all there!

Goodbye, Pastor Gorder! Welcome, Pastor Beckmann!

Tue, 06 Sep 2011 10:35:38 -0500

Goodbye, Pastor Gorder!

Welcome, Pastor Beckmann!

The Woman at the Well (link)

Fri, 22 Jul 2011 21:18:00 -0500

The Woman at the Well (link):

Thanks, Pastor Kim Beckmann, for this link!

Extra points for anyone who can translate this Bible verse :-)

Sat, 02 Apr 2011 09:47:01 -0500

Extra points for anyone who can translate this Bible verse :-)

Lunch discussion on the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification

Wed, 19 Jan 2011 23:02:50 -0600

Our Sunday lunch discussion will be on the Lutheran-Catholic Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification. Some info on this document and the process leading to it is here: (link). Here is a version of the Declaration I have pared down to a (hopefully) manageable length: (link). It includes a few questions to think about which we may use for our discussion. Here is the full text: (link). Hope to see you all there!