We are Baptized into Christ

When Lutherans have a spiritual discussion, many times the subject of baptism arises. It is not surprising. For Lutherans, our life in Christ begins in and with baptism. It is at that time that we commit our lives to God. It is at the time of our baptism that we recognize, just as Paul said, “It is no longer we who live, but it is Christ who lives within us.” It is at the time of our baptism that we are made members of the body of Christ. It is at the time of our baptism that we are sealed by the Holy Spirit and marked with the cross of Christ forever. It is at the time of baptism that we are buried with Jesus into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.

However, baptism is not just an event. It is not something that is done, or needs to be done, more than once. As Paul says in Ephesians, chapter 4:4-6, “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.” One might say that before we are baptized, we are human beings on a spiritual journey. After we are baptized, we are spiritual beings on a human journey. Our lives now can become channels of God’s grace, mercy, and love. In our baptismal process, we commit ourselves to the following five actions: 1) to live among God’s faithful people, 2) to hear God’s word and share in God’s supper, 3) to proclaim the good news of God in Christ through word and deed, 4) to serve all people, following the example of our Lord Jesus Christ, 5) and to strive for justice and peace in all the earth. Our baptismal life becomes a challenging life, a selfless life, a life of commitment, a life of change, and a life of service.

Lutherans also believe that there is no specific time for the baptism of an individual. A person might be baptized soon after birth, as a young child, when a person reaches the age of reason, or as a mature adult. Baptism is an act of God, not an act of humans. Yes, humans perform the rite with water and, sometimes, oil, which is used to symbolize being sealed by the Holy Spirit. Baptism occurs on God’s time, not on our time.

Infant baptism is encouraged by Lutherans for two basic reasons. First, we are justified by faith through grace. It is God’s grace, and God’s grace is totally in God’s power. There is nothing we need to do nor is there anything we need to be as recipients of God’s grace. Furthermore, in the scripture, whole households were baptized, such as cited in the Acts of the Apostles, chapter 16, verse 33, when Paul remained in prison after an earthquake, and he baptized the jailer’s whole family. The author says, “At the same hour of the night he took them and washed their wounds; then he and his entire family were baptized without delay.” Entire families would include small children and babies.

There is a question that is asked quite often. “If a person is not baptized, will that person go to hell?” First of all, it is not baptism that saves. It is God’s grace, mercy, and love that save, through Jesus Christ, who died on the cross and was raised from death. Remember the thief on the cross, as reported in the Gospel of Luke? Jesus said, “Today you will be with me in paradise.” Certainly the thief on the cross was not baptized. In scripture there is no citation that indicates a person will not be saved if the person is not baptized. However, Jesus does say that we are to make disciples of all nations, baptizing in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Thus, the answer to the question is one of the mysteries of our life in Christ.

We are to live a baptismal life as children who have been adopted by God and who are inheritors of God’s kingdom.

“HE’S HERE!”

Okay, everybody, he’s here. Jesus is here. We commemorated his arrival on Christmas Eve. According to the Gospel of Luke, he arrived in his mother’s arms, wrapped in bands of cloth, and was laid in a feeding trough, in a stable, where his parents were. We also believe that God came to shepherds in the field, through God’s angels, and announced his birth.

We celebrate his birth on December 25. We began our journey to the manger on November 28, the First Sunday in Advent, when the new church year began. We listened to Jesus’ comments about the last days. We spent two Sundays thinking about the meaning of John the Baptist who prepared the way for Jesus. Then we heard the birth story of Jesus, according to the Gospel of Matthew. Joseph heard an angel in a dream tell Joseph to take Mary as his wife, even though she was pregnant. He did so and named the child Jesus.

Since December 25, we have been celebrating the birth of Jesus during the twelve days of Christmas. Jesus is here!

We begin to think about the meaning of his being here on January 6. It is the Day of Epiphany and begins the season of Epiphany. This season of the church year ends with Ash Wednesday, when we begin the season of Lent. And we have a long Epiphany season this year since Easter is the latest that it can be, April 24. Ash Wednesday is March 9. There are nine Sundays in the season of Epiphany, the most we can have. The first Sunday is always the time we celebrate the baptism of Jesus. The last Sunday of Epiphany we celebrate the Transfiguration of Our Lord.

Why is the season of Epiphany so important? We can begin our understanding of this season by remembering that on the Day of Epiphany, the “Wise Men” came from the East to bring gifts to Jesus as Lord and king. They were the first Gentiles to acknowledge the kingship of Jesus. By this action, Jesus was “revealed” to the world. The word epiphany means “to show,” “to make known,” or “to reveal.”

Scripture reports that the Magi brought three gifts to Jesus: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Because there were three gifts, it is traditional to recognize that there were three Magi. However, scripture does not mention the number that came. Traditionally, the names given to the Magi are: Balthasar, Caspar, and Melchior.

Besides our celebration of Jesus being revealed to the world, we consider that during the season of Epiphany, the “Light” has burst forth to all nations and the prophecy is fulfilled: "The Gentiles shall walk in Thy light, and kings in the brightness of Thy rising." The mysterious star of Epiphany, "flashing like a flame," is a facet of the light-motif, a symbol capable of being interpreted in a dozen different ways.

We began this church year in Advent, recognizing that the world has lived in darkness. With the Christmas season, we acknowledge the coming of the Son of God to the world, even though his presence is dimly seen by shepherds, and his parents have to flee to Egypt to save his life.

On the Day of Epiphany, January 6, we recognize that Jesus has burst forth as God’s son, our Lord, the Messiah. The season of Epiphany continues through February until March 8. We celebrate that the light truly has come into the world, as the Gospel of John says, “full of grace and truth.”

“ADVENT”

On November 28, 2010, we began a new church year. It began with Advent. This is the middle of the Advent season. We are preparing for the coming of Christ.

As Lutherans, we are liturgical. We acknowledge the season of the year. We remember what the season represents and we attempt to follow that which the symbols suggest. The basic focal point is the color that we use. The color is blue. It represents hope that comes from waiting. We are waiting for the Messiah, the anointed one. We are waiting for our Lord. We are waiting for the Son of God. Our hope is that God, through Christ, will bring peace to the world through love. We hope for social justice, political freedom, and economic equality which are all considered in scripture.

What we are waiting for and what we are hoping for is shaped by the reality of life. We read from the prophets and hear about the beauty of life that is promised. However, we recognize that such life comes from waiting, knowing that God’s time is not our time. We look for social justice, but realize that what we hope for is ideal. We continue to work for it and look to God for direction. We dream of political freedom, but know that those in power are as weak as we are. We continue to strive for such freedom. We wish for all people to live securely in safety, but know that evil is present in this world.

So, what are we truly waiting and hoping for? We begin by focusing on the arrival of Jesus. We look for his coming in the manger. We realize that the manger, the feeding trough, in which he was laid was not the kind that we place on our mantles or tables. Jesus was born in squalor. He was born, without a doctor, nurse, or mid-wife, in a shelter for animals. Manure was on the floor mixed with straw. There had to be vermin, such as rats and mice. Mosquitoes and flies would be ever present. The odor of the place would be a mixture of animals sheltered there. He was born, not set apart from us, but born to be one of us and to live with us and among us.

It doesn’t stop there. When we begin to “take in” all that it means for Jesus to be born in a manger, we realize that it is possible for Jesus to come to us every day. He comes to us in the manger of our hearts. He comes to us as we are. He lives among the “smells” of our lives and the squalor of our living. He resides with us as we open ourselves to prayer, join with one another in worship, and seek Jesus in scripture as we open the book of faith.

We also know that although he comes to us each day as the Holy Spirit opens our hearts, he will come again on that last day when he takes us all to be with him in his kingdom and we no longer have to hope for peace, security, and safety. We will be alive in the presence of God’s love beyond all time.

It won’t be long until we will be singing, “Joy to the world, the Lord has come.” Advent is the season of preparation when we can recognize that we are able to sing it each day of our life.

PREPARING FOR JESUS

On November 28, 2010, we begin a new church year. It begins with Advent. We prepare for the coming of Christ.

As Lutherans, we are liturgical. We follow a calendar in a myriad of ways. However, some denominations don’t. (I don’t think God gives extra credit one way or the other.) We all worship in different ways. Personally, I think the church calendar is a blessing to the church. It can help us to focus on how and why we worship the way we do.

The church calendar can keep us in focus preparing for Christ’s coming and following him along the way. We can focus our attention on various aspects of our relationship with Jesus, the Christ.

One part of the church year is the seasons of the year. The church year begins with Advent. The next season is the Twelve Days of Christmas. This is followed by the season of Epiphany. Then, we have the season of Lent. The highlight of the year is the Easter season which begins with the Day of Resurrection and then continues through the Fifty Days of Easter. The Easter season ends with the Day of Pentecost. The following Sunday is Holy Trinity Sunday. For the rest of the church year we follow what is called Ordinary Time, or the Sundays after Pentecost.

The calendar is predicated on two festivals: Christmas, the birth of Jesus; and the Day of Resurrection. Christmas is always December 25th. The Day of Resurrection is the first Sunday after the first full moon after the Vernal Equinox. The Epiphany is always January 6. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, which is forty days before the Day of Resurrection, excluding Sundays.

Here is how the different seasons of the church year can enhance our relationship with God, through Jesus Christ. Advent is a time for preparing for the coming of Jesus. We consider his coming into the manger, his coming into our hearts, and his coming again. During the Twelve Days of Christmas we celebrate the incarnation of Jesus. We celebrate the reality that God loved us so much that his son became one of us, not in a supernatural or exclusive way, but in the simplicity of life. Epiphany season is the time to consider that the light of the world has come, and God has made himself manifest in Jesus. By remembering that the Magi from the East came to worship Jesus, we recognize that God’s son is here for the entire world. Lent is a time for penitence, reflecting on our sinfulness. We acknowledge who we are and whose we are. Easter is a time of celebration. In the risen Christ, we recognize that we have been raised to a new life in Jesus Christ. Pentecost gives us an opportunity to consider the power of the Holy Spirit. It is through this power that we are empowered to proclaim the love of God through Jesus. Holy Trinity Sunday helps us to consider the mystery of the God-Head. There is one God, three Persons; it is all beyond our human grasp. Ordinary Time is when we ponder who we are as the body of Christ and our responsibility as Jesus’ Disciples. We are the church and are called to proclaim the saving grace of God to the world.

Another way we observe the calendar is by using the lectionary, a set list of scripture readings for each specific Sunday. The texts are determined with the season of the year in mind. There is a reading from the Hebrew Testament, a Psalm, a letter from one of the writers of the New Testament, and a Gospel reading. There are three different sets of readings. The set is determined by the gospel to be read. The first year of a cycle is the Gospel of Matthew. The second year is the Gospel of Mark, and the third year is the Gospel of Luke. Interspersed through each year of a cycle are readings from the Gospel of John, especially during the Easter season. One benefit of this tradition is to ensure that much of the scripture is being presented to the community of faithful. It is interesting how much the readings seem to fit the circumstances of a particular community of faith.

There is much to consider and much to think about each day of each year. The liturgical calendar assists us with our thinking.

“How Lutherans Interpret Scripture – Part III”

For the previous two editions of the “God Talk” blog, we have discussed various concepts of how Lutherans interpret scripture. However, no one comes to scripture with a totally neutral or open mind. Let me give an example from Mark Allen Powell that might help us to understand this reality.

Powell was doing research on a paper or his doctoral thesis. As part of the process, he surveyed three different cultures with the story that is commonly known as the Prodigal Son. Most of us know the story. The younger son asked for his inheritance. The father gave it to him. He squandered it on loose living. A famine developed where he had gone. No one would give him anything to eat. He ended up eating the food that is given to pigs. Powell’s question was, “Why did the younger son end up in a pig sty eating the food that pigs were given?”

Initially he asked that question to seminary students in the United States. The resounding answer was that he squandered the money. Powell noted that our culture is capitalistic. This would be an understandable answer.

Then he went to Tanzania and asked seminary students of that culture. The answer was quite different. The high percentage of responses was that no one would give the younger son something to eat. Powell said that in Tanzania, hospitality is considered very important for their way of life.

Powell also went to Russia. There he asked the same question. This time the greater majority of answers were that there was a famine. In the Russian culture, it has been deeply embedded in their thinking of the two year siege of Moscow during World War II where millions died of starvation.

All of the answers are truthful. All of the answers provide an insight into the relevant components of the culture.

Besides cultural influences of interpreting scripture, there could be circumstances in the culture or society that are different than when Jesus was on earth for his human ministry, along with the western culture and society that developed the norm for understanding scripture. Here is an example of this dynamic.

Lutherans were prevalent in Tanzania. At the time that missionaries were having some success with conversion to Christianity, they came face-to-face with a challenge. The Tanzania culture embraced polygamy. This was clearly against the understanding of how we were to live our lives as revealed in the Christian Testament. How should the missionaries respond? They could require that polygamy cease immediately, if they wished to sincerely proclaim their belief in Christ. However, what would happen to the wives that would be removed from the family? Their entire economic situation was dependent upon the husband. Also, they would also display sexual desires. Would they be cut off from all of that? Would that be the “Christian way” to deal with the situation? And who would be the wives that would be removed? Would it be the latter ones? Why? And if it was concluded that polygamy would cease immediately, how would that set with our understanding of divorce, as stipulated by Jesus? And what about the children of all the wives; how would their lives be affected?

The Lutheran Church of Tanzania responded by embracing polygamy, as it was practiced when people converted to Christianity. However, the practice of continued polygamy was stopped. No more wives could be added and those who married for the first time were asked to remain monogomistic.

All of what we have discussed, as far as interpreting scripture, requires prayer and understanding, along with justice and mercy. As Jesus said, God requires mercy, not sacrifice.

In all situations we must remember some basic instructions from Jesus:

• Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and love your neighbor as yourself.
• Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
  
• Love one another as I have loved you.

“How Lutherans Interpret Scripture – Part II”

Let me begin this second part of this discussion by repeating my introduction from last week. “If we want to be honest, Lutherans interpret scripture almost any way that they want to . . . . . there really is no clear cut definition of how Lutherans interpret scripture.” Continuing from last week, there are the following additional considerations:

· Context There are two fundamental considerations to think about. The first is the literary form. Is it a historical story, poetry, or some other literary form? Second, what is the historical context of the situation?

· Analogy When we consider the historical context, we ask ourselves if there are situations similar in our own context of the modern world.

· “Scripture in light of Scripture” This means that we try to reconcile what is said in one part of scripture with what is said in other parts of scripture, sometimes recognizing tensions between texts that seem to say different things. We try to be faithful to the entire Bible rather than just picking some parts and leaving others alone.

· Priority There are some books of the Bible and some texts that are more important than others. For example, Paul says in his first letter to the Corinthians, “For I handed on to you as of first importance what I in turn had received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures.” Jesus made the comment that we are to do unto others as we wish them to do unto us for this is all of the law and the prophets.” (When Jesus said “the law and the prophets,” he meant all of the Hebrew scripture at the time of his ministry.)

· Responsibility for Interpretation We believe the Church has the responsibility for interpretation. For example, although the Bible says otherwise, we believe slavery is a sin. On the other side of the coin, the Church believes it is appropriate to save for retirement, although scripture says otherwise.

· Binding and Loosing Jesus has given the Church the responsibility for “binding or loosing” the law. For example, Jesus bound the law when he said that to be angry with someone is the same thing as murder. Yet, Jesus loosed the law when he said that one could do work on the Sabbath to heal or satisfy one’s hunger.

We need to have principles in using the approach of binding and loosing. To begin with, Jesus gave us the Golden Rule, which is cited above. Jesus also said, “Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have come to call not the righteous, but sinners.”

We need to apply another principle, one that has been said throughout scripture, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength, and love your neighbor as yourself.”

And, finally, in all our deliberations we need to consider, justice, mercy and faith.

“How Lutherans Interpret Scripture”

Well, if we want to be honest, Lutherans interpret scripture almost any way that they want to. Of course, I’m being a little tongue in cheek when I say that, but there really is no clear cut definition of how Lutherans interpret scripture.

There are many Lutherans who believe that the Bible should be interpreted literally. For example, this world was created in eight days, Noah truly took all of the animals on an ark, and Jonah was swallowed by a large fish. They believe that God guided every word that was spoken.

In response to the above, many more Lutherans don’t concern themselves with how the world was created. They believe the initial story in Genesis is a message of God’s love for humanity iby creating the world for us and of our responsibility to take care of it. In addition, we know that most civilizations have a story of the flood. It could be connected to when the earth shifted on its axis or some other cataclysmic event that separated the continents. Furthermore, Lutherans see the story of Jonah as just that, a major “parable” with messages for us to ponder.

Then there are those who are more extreme. They do not believe that Jesus was born of a virgin woman. They believe many of the stories in the Hebrew Testament are what we today would call “fictional. Furthermore, the Bible interpretation needs to be “adjusted” for current understanding of science, culture, and the dynamics in which we live.

There is one basic understanding of scripture from all Lutherans: we are justified by faith through grace. We have been made one through Jesus Christ who sacrificed himself on the cross so that our sinfulness would be “taken away” and we would be justified in the eyes of God.

There are other basic understandings: 1) Jesus Christ was both fully human and divine, 2) Jesus was on this earth for a period of time and had a ministry that lasted somewhere between one to three years, 3) Jesus was arrested, beaten, hung on a cross, and died, 4) Christ rose from death, not by being resuscitated, but in a new a “human” form, 5) He will come again to judge the living and the dead. All other understandings and interpretations are acceptable as long as these are not denied.

With this in mind, I would like to summarize what a contemporary theologian has suggested for Lutherans in their understanding of scripture.

Initially we look at the constitution of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) to see what it says about the Bible. The ELCA Constitution has two statements regarding the Bible. First, there is a general statement about the Word of God, which is understood in a threefold sense: 1) Jesus Christ (the incarnate Word); 2) the message of law and gospel (the proclaimed Word); and 3) the Bible (the written word). Second, there is a specific statement about the Bible as authoritative for the church’s proclamation, faith, and life. The ELCA accepts the canonical Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as the inspired Word of God and the authoritative source and norm of its proclamation, faith, and life.

Mark Allen Powell identifies four phrases that Lutherans often use when talking about the Bible.

Law and Gospel: Lutherans say that the Word of God speaks both law and gospel and that both must be held together for God’s Word to be fulfilled: the law is that which accuses us and judges us, and the Gospel is that which comforts us and saves us. This message of law and gospel is at the heart of scripture: faithful interpretation discerns this message; faithful proclamation declares this message.

Sola Scriptura (scripture alone): Lutherans say that scripture is the “only rule and norm” according to which doctrines are to be established and evaluated. This does not mean that Lutherans do not respect the validity of sound reason or the legitimacy of human experience. Scripture has unique authority as the only record of revealed truth, and it, therefore, provides a perspective from which human reason and experience are best understood.

The Plain Sense: Lutherans say that scripture is to be interpreted in line with its “plain sense.” This means that passages are to be understood in the sense that would have seemed obvious to their original readers (e.g., “metaphorical” or “literal”). Secret systems of “coded meaning” are not to be imposed on scripture to produce interpretations unavailable to the original audience.

Public Interpretation: Lutherans say that the interpretation of scripture is a public act rather than a private one. Individuals should not view the Bible as a conduit for receiving private messages from God but should recognize that the Bible presents God's word to the Church as a whole. The meaning of scripture for individuals is to be found by seeking application of its universal message to personal situations.

There is more to be said about this. I will continue this discussion in the next addition of “God Talk.”