July 30 - Robert Barnes

If you know about the White Horse Inn, then you should know about Robert Barnes.  Though no one was able to tell me where it had been located when I was there.
Last year I wrote this.
Resurrection Lutheran isn't updating sermons nearly as often as in the past, but it is an attractive site with lots of info about our brothers and sisters in the faith across the pond (and part of the reason I'd rather not have an American flag in the sanctuary.  Not that I'm working in any way to remove it from my congregation, but Christianity stretches far beyond this country's borders in time and space.)
Paul McCain includes this image of the preparation for Barnes' martyrdom.

July 30 - 1 Samuel 15, What others are saying - Little in Your Own Eyes

all I can say to what The Sober Peasant writes today is, "Amen." Thank you, dear friend (and fellow Pr. James!)

On another topic, namely our shared name, last Sunday (July 25) was a vacation day for me. The pastor preached on the occassion of St. James the Elder's day. He had a great line that made me giggle internally, though no one else thought it was funny. "James received the same body and blood of Jesus that you receive." How redundant, my brain laughed - of course I receive the same as what I receive! But you know, my little moment of personal mirth led me to remember the pastor's intended point all week long. Maybe another local brother (Pr. Antonin Troup) has a point in his DMin thesis about the use of humor in preaching.

what others said - very cool

might need to find a babysitter - or else not vest and sit with the congregation... but...

The ABC3s of Miscellany: Service of Installation Invitation for September 11: "Here is the official invitation for the Service of Installation for Rev. Matthew C Harrison, The Praesidium, and other Officers, Boards and..."

What Luther said

HT: LCMS President-elect Matthew Harrison Luther on the Marks of the Church
I posted the link over on facebook (a website which has helped me to neglect my blog, as well as far more important duties) - and finally realized I should put it here too.

What others are saying

HT to RPW (who I'm glad to announce is blogging again) for linking to this:
Gottesblog: Sunday Morning is for Church

Not that it should surprise us. And perhaps we should be expecting that more benefits the Church used to enjoy will be disappearing within our lifetimes.
Still, the early Church had far worse things going against it. Christians then had employers and gov't officials who not only didn't give them time to gather, but tried destroying such congregations. Temporally speaking, the future looks pretty dark for Christians in Europe, America and Muslim controlled parts of Africa. Yet the Holy Spirit sustained the first Christians , even as He shall sustain us and all His faithful into the future. There is a reason we remember the Apostle James the elder last Sunday - to encourage us in our day that persecutions will not separate us from the love of God in Christ.

Education and Keeping of the Faith

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Dr. Larry Rast started an interesting discussion on his blog about teaching the faith and protecting the church from unbelief.  Or something like that - as you, dear reader, know how internet discussions go in different directions than first intended.  Anyway, take time to read the post and the comments and chime in here.

July 26 - OT, a little on the lighter side

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You never know how a devotional reading will end up being used in a day.  So on July 26, we read about Saul chasing after dad's donkeys and ending up as King.  One of my young members (either the first or second I baptized) is a Cub Scout working on a "God and Me" patch through a Bible Study with me.  Bright kid, attends a local Lutheran school, so a lot will be review.  Anyway I ask how his day was so far, and he said that he was helping to chase after Grandpa's donkeys!  So I talk to him about King Saul and ask what he thought would happen if he came home from the donkey hunt and told his dad he was now King of America.  He stood up and pretended to faint onto the floor.  Fun.

I'm still here

I feel a bit like the Samaritan of Luke 10 (last Sunday's 3 year Gospel text) - on my way to my desired goal of posting, I have been seeing many neighbors in need of compassion.  And then there is the topic the whole rest of the LCMS social media is abuzz over.  But now "It's Time" for me to journey on vacation - staycation really... so I'll be afk for a while. 

But I do have this for you: Give your pastor a call.  Find out what treasure of insight he has about the text in today's Treasury of Daily Prayer.  Pray for him (as many members and friends have let me know they have been doing for me.  It means a ton.)  And ask him to pray for you.  It will probably brighten his day.

And you pastors - get thee to your father confessor and see what insights he has for you from these texts.  Ask him to pray for you and bless you.  If you don't have a pastor, please take this as an encouragement in the Gospel to find one.  I have a great one - got to see him Monday and hear God's forgiveness through him.  And I wouldn't mind sharing him if I have to.

July 7 - OT Prayer

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Father, just like Israel in the time after Joshua was prone to bowing to Baal, You know how prone we are to bow to the false gods of this world. Preserve us from false worship, dear Father in heaven! Teach us to treasure not the persuasive words of our culture but to hold fast to the wisdom of Christ crucified for our salvation. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

(slightly adapted from Let Us Pray email for July 4, 2010)

July 5 - Writing

Unlike a different GK, Mr. Chesterton says that it is not only still our grandfathers' church, they also get a vote!

July 2 - Joshua 7

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Keep in mind Ezekiel 33:11 - God doesn't desire the death of a sinner, but that Achan would turn and live.  In Joshua 7, God gives Achan and his family a TON of time to step forward and say, "I'm sorry. It was me. I sinned, etc." (Remember, they are living in tents - no way Achan could have kept hidden from them his loot.)  But nothing, just unrepentance.  If God had not responded, Achan's unbelief would have spread like gangrene amongst the whole Israelite community, destroying the people of faith.  God forbid we set our hearts on ill-gotten gains, but always trust in Him who gives daily bread - and more importantly, made Himself poor so that we would be rich.

July 1 - Psalm 47

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because of Psalm 47's use on Ascension Day, that's where my mind was when I first prayed it.  But then "Reading the Psalms with Luther" made the connections for me to the OT (Joshua 6) and NT (Acts 10) readings.  Luther connects Psalm 47's trumpets to Jericho (and Christ's victory over evil) in the intro, and in the prayers asks that salvation be spread to all nations (Hello Cornelius!)
(Sorry, don't have it here so I can't quote it.)