As soon as the Holy Ghost enters into the heart of an individual, he becomes smaller and more modest. He no longer knows anything about himself in which he can boast, and he no longer despairs on account of his sins. He is insignificant in his own eyes, but he recognizes how great is the love of God, the patience of the Father, the redemption of Christ, and the comfort of the Holy Ghost. C. F. W. Walther, God Grant It! p. 460

I will be returning from California next week.

Until then.. Maranatha!

In pursuit of “the good life,” busy couples can let everything take priority over the two most important things: God and marriage. Author David Goetz discusses how to make sure that doesn’t happen.

Posted using ShareThis

To Be Rid of Some Current and Popular Illusions
Rid us, O Lord, of the arrogant delusion that our age is harder to live in, harder to live through and be decent in than any age that ever was, that we are being tried as our fathers never were, that we have more excuse for our neurotic screaming, our pitiful muddling, our eroded standards, our sentimental slobbering, our pinching terror at the shadows of the future cast upon our way than any men who ever walked beneath your heaven and on Your earth.

Teach us, O Lord, by your sane and steadying Word that we stand before You as we always stood, living of Your grace and moving toward Your judgment, that the Bomb and the terrible technological trifles of our time have not altered the great, plain, steady fact that You are Lord and have not changed the blessed time of Your coming as a thief in the night.

Dr. Martin Franzmann titled, Pray for Joy,

My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord, of that Lord by whom all things were made and who was made [flesh] amid all the works of His hands; who is the Manifestor of His Father, the Creator of His Mother;  Son of God born of the Father without a mother, Son of Man born of a mother without a father;  the great Day of the angels, small in the day of men;  the Word as God existing before all time, the Word as flesh existing only for an allotted time;  the Creator of the sun created under the light of the sun; ordering all ages from the bosom of of His Father, from the womb of His Mother consecrating this day; remaining there, yet proceeding hither; Maker of heaven and earth brought forth on this earth overshadowed by the heavens; unspeakably wise, wisely speechless;  filling the whole world, lying in a manger;  guiding the stars, a nursling at the breast; though insignificant in the form of man, so great in the form of God that His greatness was not lessened by His insignificance nor was His smallness crushed by – His might. When He assumed human form He did not abandon His divine operations, nor did He cease to reach from end to end mightily and to order all things sweetly. When clothed in the weakness of our flesh He was received, not imprisoned, in the Virgin’s womb so that without the Food of Wisdom being withdrawn from the angels we might taste how sweet is the Lord.

Posted using ShareThis

We will gather and prayerfully ask that GOD would guide our conversation and deliberation. We will explore the gifts and needs of our synod. We will outline ministry priorities. We will also examine what all this suggests are necessary gifts for our next Bishop to possess. Finally, we will lift up three names of ordained leaders within the ELCA who we feel possess these gifts and talents and call to leadership.

Other important calendar dates:

November 2 and 3 (6:30 – 9PM) at Resurrection Lutheran in Racine – Identified Leaders Forum. A number of potential candidates for Bishop who have been lifted up in cluster meetings will be available to answer questions. These forums will also be an opportunity to get to know these leaders better. These forums will also happen on November 4 and 5 at Lake Park Lutheran in Milwaukee.

December 4 and 5 at Our Saviors Lutheran in Milwaukee (30^th and Wisconsin) – Bishop Election. We will gather for the election of the next Bishop of the Greater Milwaukee Synod. Our special assembly will start at 6PM on December 4 and at 8AM on December 5.

March 14, 2010 at Holy Cross Lutheran in Menomonee Falls – Installation of the new Bishop.

… in order to get a picture of Heaven–which will one day be centered on the New Earth–you don’t need to look up at the clouds; you simply need to look around you and imagine what all this would be like without sin and death and suffering and corruption.

Revelation 21:1-6  Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.  (2)  And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.  (3)  And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.  (4)  He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away."  (5)  And he who was seated on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new." Also he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true."  (6)  And he said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment.

You can read Pastor Baucham’s reflection HERE. Here is a nice quote:

Modern American sports serve as an incubator for the self-centeredness that resides in each of us.  The better one performs, the harder it is to avoid “the big-head.”  I cannot imagine how difficult it would be do handle Michael Jordan’s level of success.  What else could he be?  Where would he acquire humility, class, and selflessness?  Ironically, many argue that these are the very character traits team sports build in young people.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  Nevertheless, these traits were definitely present in David Robinson.  But where did they come from?  Did the Spurs do a better job at fostering this character than the Bulls?  I doubt it.  Did the Naval Academy do a better job at fostering it than the University of North Carolina?  Perhaps.  However, I believe the key is in the speech.  The “seed of faith” planted by his mom and dad; the ‘preaching’ by teammates like Avery Johnson, and the Christ to whom Robinson referred in his closing remarks all came together to shape the man who made that speech. 

David Robinson is far from perfect.  I’m sure he has as many flaws, foibles and faults as the rest of us.  However, for seven minutes, he represented his team, his family, and his Lord very well.  And he showed us all how attractive humility and grace can be.