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St. Andrew

The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, “What are you seeking?” And they said to him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?” He said to them, “Come and you will see.” So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour. One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ). He brought him to Jesus.
John 1:35-42a

Today is the feast of St. Andrew, the apostle recognized as the first of Christ’s disciples. You can find his shield in Wyneken Hall (pictured here), which shows the boat hook of a fisherman and an “X” shaped cross. As we fast approach the Advent season, this symbol of Andrew’s martyrdom directs our focus on the life poured out on us from another cross, where the lamb of God was crucified for our transgressions in order to win us salvation. Come, Lord Jesus!

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All Saints’ Day 2017

As the 500th anniversary of the Reformation rolls into All Saints’ Day, I find myself thinking especially of my grandparents, gone home to eternal peace. They faithfully brought their children up in the Church, and my parents in turn did the same for me and my siblings. Who are you remembering this All Saints’ Day?

After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”

Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?” I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”

Revelation 7:9-14

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Reformation 2017 Wrap-up

Here are a handful of pictures from the Reformation service last night. If anyone missed it (or simply wants to watch again), the video of the service will be up for the next seven days. You can either find it by scrolling down our Facebook page, or by visiting http://www.ctsfw.edu/reformation500/.


‍‍‍‍‍‍ We’ve had a few people ask about attendance and online viewership, and so far we’ve counted almost 800 people in attendance at the service (most of them in Kramer Chapel, with overflow in Sihler Auditorium), with nearly 14,000 views on Facebook and another 2,500 who watched the livestream on our website.
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While the 500th anniversary may itself be over, there’s still a lot happening on campus. In commemoration of the importance of God’s Word to the Reformation, tomorrow the Student Association is going to begin a public reading of the entire Bible, beginning at 3 p.m. this Thursday, November 2nd, and ending at 3 p.m. on Sunday, November 5th. The continuous reading of the Scripture from Genesis to Revelation is open to everyone. You are welcome to come to Sihler Auditorium day or night, to listen for as long (or as short) as you’d like. To view the reading schedule, go here: https://my.ctsfw.edu/document.doc?id=3180.
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Following that, this Sunday and Monday there are several Music Events taking place in Kramer Chapel, all of which are also open to the public. On November 5th, you can come and listen to an organ recital at 4:30 p.m., then later come for the All Saints’ Choral Vespers at 7:30 pm. On November 6th, there is Choral Evening Prayer at 5:00 p.m., and a Hymn Festival at 7:30 p.m. Most of these will be livestreamed. We’ll post more details later this week.

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Reformation 2017: Luther’s Evening Prayer

In the evening when you go to bed, make the sign of the holy cross and say:
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“In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”
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Then kneeling or standing, repeat the Creed and the Lord’s Prayer. If you choose, you may also say this little prayer:
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“I thank You, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have graciously kept me this day; and I pray that You would forgive me all my sins where I have done wrong, and graciously keep me this night. For into Your hands I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen.”
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Then go to sleep at once and in good cheer.

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Reformation 2017: Luther’s Morning Prayer

In the morning when you get up, make the sign of the holy cross and say:
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“In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”
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Then, kneeling or standing, repeat the Creed and the Lord’s Prayer. If you choose, you may also say this little prayer:
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“I thank You, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have kept me this night from all harm and danger; and I pray that You would keep me this day also from sin and every evil, that all my doings and life may please You. For into Your hands I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen.”
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Then go joyfully to your work, singing a hymn, like that of the Ten Commandments, or whatever your devotion may suggest.
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(Luther’s Small Catechism: “How the head of the family should teach his household to pray morning and evening”)

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St. James, Brother of Jesus and Martyr

James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,

To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion:

Greetings.

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass he will pass away. For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits.

Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.

James 1:1-12

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St. Luke, Evangelist

Today we celebrate the feast of St. Luke, Evangelist. The physician wrote the Gospel of Luke and recorded the history of the early Church and the work of the apostles in the book of Acts. Because of his detailed account of Christ’s sacrificial work, St. Luke’s shield (which can be viewed in Wyneken Hall) portrays the winged ox, the symbol of highest sacrifice.

“After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go. And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. Carry no moneybag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road. Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house!’ And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him. But if not, it will return to you. And remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, for the laborer deserves his wages. Do not go from house to house. Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you. Heal the sick in it and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’”
Luke 10:1-9

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St. Michael and All Angels

Lutherans observe St. Michael and All Angels in our liturgical calendar because it is a feast day that points directly to Christ. Throughout Scripture angels are warriors and messengers, appearing on God’s command to deliver either judgment or His Gospel message. They announced Jesus’ birth, ministered to Him after Satan tempted him in the wilderness, and were present at His resurrection and ascension. We celebrate Michaelmas (an old name for the day) because it points to Jesus.

Philipp Melanchthon, a colleague of Martin Luther, wrote a hymn commemorating the day. You can find “Lord God, to Thee We Give All Praise” in the Lutheran Service Book, number 522.

Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!”
Revelation 12:7-12

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St. Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist

Before Jesus called Matthew as one of His twelve disciples, he was a tax collector, in his time seen as the worst of sinners. But through God’s great love and mercy, this sinner also became a saint, the author of the first book of the New Testament, and a gift from the Lord to His Church.

St. Matthew’s shield can be viewed on the upper level of Wyneken Hall. The three bags remind us of the apostle’s former occupation.

“As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And he rose and followed him.

“And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples. And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, ‘Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?’ But when he heard it, he said, ‘Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means: “I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.” For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.'” Matthew 9:9-13

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Holy Cross Day

1 Corinthians 1:18-25

For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written,

“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”

Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.