Tears No More

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away." – Revelation 21:1-4

The visions of St. John’s revelation span all of eternal history, showing in dramatic form what is the essence of the entire purpose and will of the Creator. This same eternal history and plan is brought to bear in simple form as the children of this age are sundered from the grip of sin, death, and the devil through Holy Baptism.

Here we see frail flesh brought into the new heaven and the new earth prepared from the foundation of the world. We hear a quiet voice through which the Word is spoken while joined to water, for today there is a sea of washing that must needs apply to those who are forgiven of all sin and brought to everlasting life. In the age to come there will be no such sea.

The basis for this forgiveness is nothing other than the merits and righteousness of Jesus Christ, The Alpha and the Omega, Whose atoning sacrifice on the cross was sufficient for all people for all time; Whose righteousness is brought to bear in precisely this way: that He calls you by name, washes you in Holy Baptism, and thereby dwells with you to the extent you are delivered from all evil.

To be sure, there are at present tears, death, mourning, crying, and pain. They are enmeshed in the flesh inherited from the first Adam. All of these belong to you, yet also to Christ Jesus in this age, even as His Love endures such things on your behalf. The Good Shepherd and Bridegroom goes with you, and ahead of you, to bring you into everlasting joy.
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The Liturgy

Today my Pastor stands before an audience in Austin, Texas to set forth why Emmaus Evangelical Lutheran Church, South Bend, makes use of particular forms while confessing the Faith. He was asked to present these things with an eye toward what some people call a “high church” approach to the liturgy.

Having been a parishioner at Emmaus for over 17 years, the words “high church” have never come to mind. To be sure, there is a great amount of consistency, but it is not some kind of lifeless, robotic, rote, perfunctory set of rubrics. Not that that is what people mean when they speak of “high church,” either.

There are parishes where such strict attention is given to rubrics (the red-letter instructions given to assist Pastors and Congregations in reverent conduct) that they might be considered as important as the remaining substance given to create and sustain faith. There are a good many parishes where the liturgical practice is far more elaborate than at Emmaus.

It is absolutely critical to understand that Divine Service is God’s way of dealing with you; meeting you face to face as it were, to stoop down, draw near, and tenderly forgive all your sin and iniquity, no matter how great. It is the King of the Universe Who meets you there, so that He might lavish His love upon you and teach you of the cross He endured for you and all people, so that you might be drawn to follow Him.

As soon as you introduce the notion that Divine Service is something you must do to please God, you’ve turned the whole thing into a sham. This notion is so ingrained in your old Adam, it will never go away completely until your baptism is complete and you enter into glory.

Since God, in His most bare moments of revelation in declaring Who He Is, came down from heaven and was incarnate of the Virgin Mary to suffer and die in your place, and has also declared from ancient times how He is slow to anger and abounding in mercy, you may confidently draw near to where He has promised to be, and that is in His Word.

The Divine service is characterized above all things by rich reading and hearing from the very texts given among men whereby God revels Himself. To that Word He was also attached Holy Baptism, Sacrament of the Altar, and Holy Absolution, all of which are regularly practiced in Divine Service.

Inasmuch as God could turn stones into voices giving praise, He instead has turned your heart of stone into a heart of flesh, so that you may receive the benefits of everlasting life in His presence both now and forever.

Because the sum and substance of the gifts delivered in Divine Service reach back into all of time, we treat them with reverence and awe, and yet keep in mind that these things are not a method of some kind that we have cobbled together, but a carrying-on of what has been handed down from one generation to the next.

Divine Service at Emmaus Evangelical Lutheran Church, South Bend, takes the best of what has been received, and continues to distribute the gifts of heaven in truly evangelical fashion, not making a law of liturgy, but treating it as a reverent, ordered pattern whereby the benefits of Christ may be delivered in person to all mankind in that place. Christ be praised!
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Tend My Sheep

And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Tend My sheep.

God has so arranged matters in the Church that one man, namely a Pastor, is given to preach and administer the Sacraments. In this way grace and peace are multiplied toward all mankind. It would be a real mess if everyone and his brother all got up at the same time to speak.

Beneath the office of Pastor is hidden all the glory, majesty, eternity, and blessing that comes with being in His presence. He has established this ministry as a means of dwelling in your midst in tender mercy and compassion, so that you are not dealt with as your sin deserves.

The same happens, in a way, when the head of the household teaches his children. The majesty and glory of God are hidden there, as His Name is brought to bear in truth and purity upon lives from one generation to the next.

No Pastor is able to undertake this work of his own accord or with his own genius. No, he takes what he himself has received, and distributes it. You see, by one man preaching and doing this work of distributing the gifts of forgiveness of sins, many are blessed as this grace and peace is multiplied.

Some may take offense at being called “sheep,” but this is one of the most apt descriptions for poor sinners, whose will is constantly at odds with the Creator, who have an inclination toward a herd mentality, and who must be fed proper food if they are to flourish in peace.

It is best if we admit and confess who we are as Christ Jesus calls us this name of “sheep,” despite how lowly the attribution might be. What this means is that you have been taught to hunger for righteousness and receive it in the Sacrament of the Altar.

A faithful Pastor does not consider the people to whom he preaches as his own possession, but rather Christ’s, who were purchased at the price of His holy precious blood; His innocent suffering and death, His resurrection from the dead.

“Shepherd My sheep.” The admonishment leaves out every kind of trickery, gimmick, and program that people would use to wield power over one another. Instead it places firmly within the Pastor’s prerogative the gifts and blessings needed to bring poor sinners into the Kingdom of Heaven, namely the Word to which God Himself is bound forever, and the Sacraments to which He and His Word are also bound
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