Monthly Archives: August 2007

Mets Swept By Phils…..

Posted on by Standard 3

What do you do when your team starts slumping at a bad time?  You don’t get down on them.  You support them.  It’s painful to watch players you love struggling.  They are trying the best they can.  They want to win.  They just aren’t. 

I sure hope the LSU game today goes better than the four games the Mets lost to the Phillies..  Wow.

St. Luke 18:9-14 – Trinity 11 (2007) w/ Audio

Posted on by Standard 1

Sermon audio is back!!!!

St. Luke 18:9-14 – The Eleventh Sunday after Holy Trinity
St. Mark Lutheran Church – Conroe, TX
Homily-Length-O-Meter: 11:27 min.
Listen Here!

In the name of Jesus. Amen. Two men in the temple. The first with tons of religion. The other with nothing but sins. Who goes home justified?

Imagine the first. He is basically good – in fact before every bad thing he could come up with was a “am not.” “I’m not swindler. I’m not unjust. I’ve never committed adultery.”

I’m an upstanding member of my church. I give my ten percent – off the gross. Other people only give a tithe from the take home. But, I give ten percent of everything.

I am a good man or a good woman. I have sins, but unlike some people, I’m working through them. Thank God, I’m not like… that guy.

Now, imagine that guy. Sitting next to you in church. I mean – a filthy rotten sinner. Maybe they are simply different than you – in the way they dress, or they not from your culture, or maybe they are a different color than you.

Perhaps she’s a woman who is pregnant and shouldn’t be or a man who has a history… and not a good one. They’ve made mistakes, they’ve not lived as they should. They wronged me, they messed up, they just don’t carry their weight in this church. Why are they even here? We all know what they did. They just don’t fit in. They just aren’t right.

They do that for a living. It’s unbecoming. It’s disgusting or kinda sleezy or whatever we just don’t think someone should be doing.

Like in the ancient world – you don’t get much worse than a tax collector. They were extortioners and thieves. They would over charge taxes and keep the extra bit. No one likes that guy.

It’s true even today – who wants an IRS agent around?

All of this is missing Christ. Not one mention of Him from the Pharisee – just us us us. Me, me, me. Me against you. You against me. People who think they haven’t sinned vs. people who know they have.

Christ died for both the pharisees and the tax collector. In doing so, He reconciles all of us with the Father not by us making ourselves something else, but by His death for us.

Jesus died for all – for you, for me. Not just for the good people here, but for the bad people. He died for the bad people who despise the good people. He died for the good people who despise the bad.

In fact – his horrific bloody death shows that good and bad are all sinners in need of saving. No one is good, not even one. The wrath of Almighty God doesn’t hit you, but hits Him. But it’s so great, so mighty against your sin, that it kills Him. Kills God Himself.

We are so twisted, so out of wack, so messed up, we turn this parable into a chance to look down on people. What do I mean? Try this..

You’re here and other people judge you. They wreck and squish your joy with their funny looks. They complain, cause drama, moan and groan. They are the problem in our church – with all the nasty looks they give you. They are grumpy. They don’t know what it’s like to sin. They just popped out holy, it seems. Thank God for this text, finally Pastor is preaching against them.

How many people will leave church this week through out our church body thanking God that they aren’t Pharisees?

Yet, by our despising of the people around us, we have become just that…

Repent. Both Pharisee and Publican. Repent. Stop despising one another and justifying yourself before Almighty God. Stop justifying yourself before God as if you aren’t evil.

All about you is exalting you. All about me exalts me. We will be humbled. We will be laid low. How on earth will God not simply demolish us?

“Oh God be merciful to me, a sinner.” Beat your breast. You have no hope inside yourself. Nothing within you can save you.

At that point, when you realize the wretchedness that is you. Then whether we are in church or alone in your room, you are on your knees will beat your breast and plead for mercy.

The one who exalts himself is humbled. The one who humbled Himself is exalted. Christ. He is the one who truly humbled Himself. Nothing He did was for Himself.

That counts for you. That counts for me. His humility. His saving. His life. His death. He is your Justification. Freely given – paid by His death. Freely received, that’s faith.

God is merciful. He won’t treat you as you merit. He sets your sins aside, sets them on Christ. Christ keep the Law in your place, humbled Himself before God for you, suffers the punishment due you for all your exalting yourself before Him.

St. Paul says it today:  Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, He was buried, and He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.

Christ is crucified. The just for the unjust. He is the one who justifies you – who declares you righteous.

Christ is crucified and was buried. We are crucified with Him in baptism. We were buried with Him. Our sins remain in the tomb. The pharisee who despises those around him dies at the font. Dies as little baby Mariah died today.

Christ rose from the dead. The One who humbled Himself has been exalted above all things – to the very right hand of the Father.

Christ rose from the dead. Little Mariah rose too. You rose too. He is exalted, you too. Right hand of God. All because of Christ.

You have risen. You need not to despise others or justify yourself any longer. His death saves you. His resurrection is your justification.

So, how can someone like you be saved? Christ died for me. Christ rose and I rose with Him.

Are you are a pharisee or the sinner? Both. I behave like the pharisee all the time. Christ died for even me and I rose with Him. The only hope I have is in Him alone.

What’s the final Word on your life? Christ died. Christ rose. Not me, not what’s up with you. Instead, Christ died and Christ rose for me.

Then, instead of looking down on others, you can serve them. You can put them first – the tax collector, the sinner, that guy, the person with that job, the person you don’t like, the one who sinned against you, the one who hurt you at church. Them before you, as Christ put you before Himself.

 

Christ, not you. Always Him. He reconciles. He makes one. He does that today at His Supper. He puts His body into you, you, you, and me. Into each of us He puts His Body and Blood and so bodies and bloods us together at His Sacrament. There the many are made one with the one bread.

His forgiveness. His life. His salvation. His reconciliation. His justification. His resurrection. Yours too in Him.

Two men in the temple. The first with tons of religion. The other with nothing but sins. Who goes home justified?

You do. I do too. Christ died for us. Christ rose for us. In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Posted on by Standard Reply

Matthew 19:4-6 – Rachel and James’ Wedding
Saturday, August 18, 2007 – St. Mark Lutheran Church, Conroe, TX

In the name of Jesus. Amen. Mine. Mine. Mine. Christ says of His Church – she’s mine. She’s mine and no one else’s. She’s mine and there is no one like her, no one more beautiful, no one more perfect.

“My Church.” Bought with My blood. My Church washed clean in the waters of her Baptism. I cleansed her. I made her clean.

She doesn’t deserve Him. We sin daily and much. We deny Him – both in our words and our actions. We betray Him. We forsake Him.

He will hear none of it. That’ll be true over Christ’s dead body! And we did just that – He is crucified.

“From heaven he came and sought her to be His holy bride and with His own blood He bought her and for her life He died.”

From the Cross, from the agony of suffering for your sins, my sins, comes the proclamation: “She’s mine. My Church. My beautiful Bride. Mine.”

He chose her to be His Bride before the creation of the world. He won her salvation on the Cross. He makes His ours forgiveness in Baptism. He loved her – giving up His life for her.

Now, from the looks of it yesterday, Rachel did the choosing. She all but said “I will” for James at the rehearsal. She’ll probably try to do that in a bit too..

That’s what it looks like, let me tell you what actually has gone on. The Lord, who does the choosing, choose James for Rachel.

He made Rachel for James then gave her to him. He does the choosing. We do the receiving. That’s His way. And in this wedding we see the picture of how it is between Christ and His Bride, the Church.

Rachel, this is your James. Yours. James is the Greek word related to the Hebrew name Jacob. James, like Jacob, means “He grasps.” Jacob was the father of God’s people, Israel.

James, this is your Rachel. Yours. Her name is the Hebrew word for “ewe” or “sheep.” I’m sure that’s gonna get me in trouble, but bear with me.

Now in the Scriptures, Jacob had a wife. Her name was Rachel. Jacob had to do a lot of shepherding to win Rachel’s hand from her father. I’m sure Mr. Yeager is going to give Rachel to you as gift or with simply a “take her, she’s yours!”

So, this particular Rachel goes with this particular James from this moment on – you for you and you for you until death parts you.

God has done this. He has brought you two together. No accidents. No mistakes. No do-overs. What He joins together, let no one put asunder. No one separate.

Don’t be pulled apart. Don’t doubt. He’s done this. Rachel, you didn’t do it. You didn’t do it, James. Christ has done it.

The Lord brings together – Eve for Adam. Rachel for Jacob. Rachel for James. That bringing together, that promise, His Word carries you through each day – through arguments, through disagreements, through growing, through changing, through richer, through poorer, through sickness, and through health.

James, be Christ for Rachel. Make sure she hears the Word. When she sins, wash her. Cleanse her with Christ’s words. Love her, care for her, protect her, be her husband, her shepherd, until death parts you.

Always put her needs ahead of your own. Treat her as the most beautiful woman in the world – for that is who she is to you. Serve her as Christ does the Church.

Rachel, respect your husband. Receive from him. Submit to Him. Love Him. Let him give His life for you – in everything he does, in everything he says, in everything you do. When he sins, forgive him.

Marriage is hard. It takes work. But the work isn’t done by you two. That would fail. Christ does the joining. He does the work – He took upon Himself your sins. Lived the life you should live. Suffered the punishment that you deserve for your unfaithfulness and died the death you deserve.

He rose on the third day. You rose with Him in Baptism. There in the font you were washed, your spots and blemishes forgiven, and declared holy!

Holy is His. He declared you His own. Declared, “Mine. Mine. Mine.” She’s mine and no one can have her. She’s mine and there is no one like her, no one more beautiful, no one more perfect.

That’s you in Christ, Rachel. That’s you in Christ, James. This is how God gives. This is your James, Rachel. This is your Rachel, James. There are no longer two, but one. In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Mean Dean…

Posted on by Standard 1

This is the fun of living near the Gulf Coast.  When you say to yourself, "we haven’t had a hurricane this year," then comes one!

Once again we are reminded of the fragile nature of our lives.  There are so many things we can’t control or predict.  Where will Dean go?  Which way will he go?

Storm Tracks are cool.  Computer projections on where he might go.  Where will the winds might take him?

Prayer.  Praying for him to miss is praying for him to hit someone else. 

Christ.  Remember Jesus.  Nothing comes, no wind blows, no water falls, there are no storm comes apart from Him. 

He’s not angry with us.  He’s not punishing us.  No, He’s bought us with His blood  – redeemed us.  He saved us. 

He has saved us – Dean or not.  We are His as certain as the water that was poured on us at Baptism.

So, when it gets wet, get your hymnals out.  Open to Luther’s Flood Prayer (LSB 268-9).  Remember your Baptism.  INI.Amen.

Compiz Fusion

Posted on by Standard 3

While I wait for the Dell tech. to arrive today to replace my keyboard, I have some thoughts…

As many of you know, I’m a linux user (ubuntu).  When i first switched to Linux, it was because of the stability.  Then, I started dabbling in the more bleeding edge advancements in linux and I truly got addicted.

I’ve raved in the past about the composite window manager Beryl.  This is a program which takes the regular windows interface and adds unbelievable eyecandy to it.

My windows wobble.  They disappear when I minimize them, or they shred, or they beam out like Star Trek.  When I want to move a window, it snaps to the side of the screen, or I can put it off the screen onto another desktop.  In the picture above, you’ll see my desktop moving from one desktop to another.

Beryl was born out of compiz.  I thought it surpassed compiz in features.   It was brand new, so lacked stability.  When I first heard that Compiz and Beryl had merged, I must admit I was bit disappointed.   Compiz didn’t impress me.  Now, I must repent. 

This week I broke down and installed the new compiz.  If Beryl is no more, why use it?  Right?  Wow.  Compiz 5.02 has beryl’s unbelievable graphics and plugins and the increased speed and stability of the latest compiz.  It really took my breath away.  Nothing is choppy.  Every thing is lightning fast and stable.  It truly is amazing.

If you are a Vista user, I suggest exploring Ubuntu today.  Why suffer through Vista’s strange permissions and crawling speed?  Why pay $800 for the top-end Vista with all the bells and whistles? 

Yes, you can get a mac.  They rock.  But, they also are expensive and you need all new software for them.  Linux is free.  The new compiz’s graphics and eyecandy are far superior to any Vista or other fruity product.   Take a look at this YouTube demonstration.

You might just find that once you go penguin, you’ll never go back!

Gimme an "F!"

Posted on by Standard 3

What do you do when your "f" key is sticking and then starts popping up whenever you hit it?  You call Dell. 

What words can you not type by without the "f" key?

ACK.. there it went again..

Come on, Dell, hurry.  This "f" thing is driving me nuts!!!

Now there goes the space bar.

Iguessi’llbechattinglikethissoon!