What a Gift!

One of my greatest joys in being a pastor is celebrating the Eucharist with the people of God - at two Sunday morning services and a Wednesday evening service each week in my parish. Just celebrating the Eucharist has sustained me through many a dark time through the years. Actually, I should say, the Lord's great gift of Himself in the Holy Meal has sustained me! What else comes delivered in that gift? As Dr. A. C. Piepkorn might say, forgiveness and a whole lot more. Here's what Piepkorn said:

The Catechism's emphasis upon the forgiveness of sins that we receive in the Holy Sacrament - a necessary emphasis in the days when the Mass was regarded as a propitiatory sacrifice for the sins of the living and the dead - has, in one of the amazing perversions that popular thinking sometimes undergoes, made Holy Communion for many Lutheran Christians nothing more than the last act in a periodic orgy of repentance and contrition and remorse. But the Sacrament is more than a seal of absolution, pardon, and remission. It is a Eucharist - a giving of thanks, the most perfect oblation of gratitude that we can offer. It is a Commission - the most intimate fellowship and union with our Saviour into which sinful man can enter. It is a Medicine of Immortality - the immortal body of the conquering Christ fortifying and strengthening us with all virtue and power and strength and grace. It is Christ coming to men - more than that, it is Christ coming to me, to become mine and to make me His ("The Lutheran Church - A Sacramental Church," in *The Church,* p. 85).

What a gift indeed!

"Work" is not a four-letter word.

For many the Labor Day holiday is merely the end of the summer-time fun and frivolity, a somber reminder that the seriousness of work and school must once again, reluctantly, resume. It's even called the "unofficial end" to summer. And I must admit that once the school year begins, it sure is nice to have a holiday for sleeping in, taking it easy, and getting a shot in the arm before really getting down to the business of Fall activities (such as catechesis classes and meetings resuming), which lead to Advent and Christmas busy-ness (with added services and preaching), which leads to Lent and Easter busy-ness (with even more services and preaching).

Perhaps the better way to view Labor Day is to realize that work and labor, though tainted and infected by sin, are not bad things. In fact, God created work before the fall into sin (see Genesis 2:15) as an integral part of His "very good" creation. "Work" is not a four-letter word, at least not by God's design! From the Christian viewpoint, work is our calling from God to care for and manage His creation, our calling to serve our neighbor in love. Surely we can say that we are God's co-workers in tending His world.

The website of the U.S. Department of Labor explains the purpose of Labor Day thus:

Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.

(I'm also tickled to see that my own home state of Oregon was the first state in the Union to pass a bill, on February 21, 1887, to observe Labor Day. New York may have started the process first, but Oregon got it done first! :-)

As Christians, we can and should most certainly embrace giving tribute to workers, for workers of all kinds are God's agents to take care of His creation and supply "everything that has to do with the support and needs of the body" (Small Catechism, Fourth Petition). Dr. Veith, at his Cranach blog, suggests co-opting Labor Day and calling it "Vocation Day." He says:

Let us engage in cultural evangelism as the church did centuries ago, co-opting non-Christian festivals and turning them into Christian feasts. Join my crusade to turn Labor Day into a celebration of the Christian doctrine of vocation.

And permit me this bit of wisdom from Dr. Veith on Christian vocation in the workplace, this time from his book God at Work, pp. 67-68:

Christians are engaged in the world by carrying out their vocations. This is how they can be a positive influence in the culture. Christian actors, musicians, and artists can be salt and light in a realm that is often tasteless and dark. This is why we need Christians in law, politics, science, journalism, education, academia, and all the other culture-making professions.

Furthermore, it is in vocation that evangelism can most effectively happen. How can non-Christians be reached with the Gospel? By definition, they are unlikely to come to church. Perhaps an evangelist might knock on their doors, but these days they may never let him in. But in the workplace, non-Christians and Christians work together and get to know each other. Occasions for witnessing and inviting a colleague to church come up in natural ways--over the watercooler or during a coffee break, discussing a disaster like the World Trade Center attack or a failing marriage, or in times of joy such as the birth of a child. Christians penetrating their world in vocations have access to more nonbelievers than a pastor does.

So let's celebrate this Labor Day as Vocation Day, a time to celebrate the vocations and the work that our gracious God has given us in this world. Because, after all, "work" is not a four-letter word!

Lord Jesus Christ, as once You shared in our human toil and thus hallowed the work of our hands, bless and prosper those who maintain the industries and service sectors of this land. Give them a right regard for their labors, and grant them the just reward for their work that they may find joy in serving You and in supplying our needs; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen (Collect for Industry and Commerce, Lutheran Service Book, p. 314).

Heavenly Father, we commend to Your care those who suffer want and anxiety from lack of work. Grant that the wealth and resources of this rich land be profitably used so that all persons may find suitable and fulfilling employment and receive just payment for their labor; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen (Collect for The Unemployed, Lutheran Service Book, p. 317).

Homily - Trinity 13

"Brother's Keeper"
Luke 10:23-37

Michael Horton, host of the radio program The White Horse Inn, once wrote: “No church program, evangelistic meeting, or small group can do what honest, spontaneous friendships do” (Made in America, p. 130). He was talking about Christ’s Church giving needed community in the midst of our individualistic society. Horton also said: “In church, at school, at work, in hospitals, in communities, and in prisons, Christians must be recognized as people who treat everybody with the dignity that being created in God’s image deserves. We have to be more interested in people than in numbers” (p. 129-130). In other words, Christians need to be their brother’s keeper. And trusting God’s care and keeping turns you into your brother’s keeper, because, after all, Jesus is the brother’s keeper for you.

Today Jesus uses a most familiar story to show us the fruit of His forgiveness and life for sinners. A law-man wants to test Jesus. This law-man was the upstanding, religious sort. He knew his Bible. He went to church every Sabbath. And still he dares ask, “What shall I do to inherit eternal life?” The problem is: you don’t do anything for an inheritance; an inheritance is an undeserved gift. But Jesus plays along to help the man. “What does the Law say?” Answer: “Love God and love your neighbor.” So, Jesus says: “That’s the right answer. Now do it. Practice this love, and you will live. Don’t worry about super-religious works like church programs or evangelistic meetings or small groups. Simply love God and love your neighbor, and you have life.”

But the law-man tried to wiggle out from under the Law. It sounds like something we might do! “Ah, but who is my neighbor?” He wanted to protect himself and let himself off the hook. If he could choose his neighbor, then perhaps he could handle the command to love his neighbor. If he could carefully select his own neighbor, then he could surely keep his reputation for being good, upstanding, and religious.

So Jesus tells a story. “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho.” Jesus doesn’t name the man. He doesn’t even say what kind of man he was. He could be anybody; he could be Adam. And that’s the point. Your neighbor could be anybody—your spouse, your children, your parents, your co-workers, your government authorities, your pastor, your fellow Christian. And this man, this neighbor, fell among robbers. He was stricken, smitten, and afflicted by the robbers, and left to die along the road. The neighbor certainly had a genuine need.

So who would be this brother’s keeper? Who would help this neighbor in need? Who would love his neighbor as himself? Just by chance, a priest walked by. He saw the beaten, bloody man, but did nothing. He was called to lead the temple liturgy. However, he was not rushing to the temple; most likely he was going home after his time of serving in the liturgy. Why didn’t he help? Who knows? The point is: he just didn’t. He refused to be his brother’s keeper.

Next came a Levite. He was not a priest but he probably assisted the priest in the liturgy. He also ignored the dying man, the neighbor in need. The law-man before Jesus, and the priest and the Levite in the story—they all had heard God’s Word, but it didn’t get from the ear to the heart and from the heart to the life. All of these men were just as good and religious as you are. But being good and religious does not guarantee that you’ll be your brother’s keeper.

You see, when Jesus enlivens people by His grace and mercy, He makes people like the Samaritan. He is gentle, compassionate and merciful. The Samaritan is not worried about himself or his reputation. He simply serves as his brother’s keeper. He did not have to ask, “Who is my neighbor?” He saw his neighbor right in front of him. The Samaritan figured out how to be a neighbor to the dying man. And notice what he did. He did the dirty, little things that needed to be done. He bandaged the wounds. He poured on the healing salve of oil and the cleansing wine. He put the man on his own means of transportation. He provided a bed for him and kept vigil with him through the night. Then when he absolutely had to leave, the Samaritan arranged for the innkeeper to give the man the best care possible, and he would pay the whole bill later. These are the things you do when you are your brother’s keeper.

Notice how Jesus commends these simple, everyday, dirty little deeds. They’re not flashy good works. They don’t get newspaper headlines. They don’t need board or committee or government approval. They just happen. They happen by God’s grace and mercy. They happen when you are more like the Samaritan and less like the priest or the Levite. You see, if your brand of holiness is the same as that of the priest and the Levite, you won’t help your neighbor. You’ll worry about your time, your reputation, about getting your hands messy or your clothes dirty. You’ll worry about not having enough money left after you give to your church and other charitable causes. You’ll let others hurt while you ask, “What special good works shall I do to inherit life?” While your neighbor is right in front of you—at home, at work, at the grocery store, in the congregation—you’ll be asking, “Who really qualifies as my neighbor?”

It’s easy to say, “I love God” or “I love Jesus.” But it’s most difficult to show it by loving the neighbors He gives you. If you want to know who truly loves God, then look for things like this: Look to see how children honor their parents. Look for parents who take care of their children and spend time with them, learning Bible stories together, learning the Catechism together, doing homework or even playing games together with the TV turned off. Look for spouses who respect and serve each other. Look for workers who cooperate with their supervisors, and supervisors who take care of their workers. Look for pastors who admonish and comfort God’s people only with the mercies of God in Jesus Christ. Look for teachers who give of their time and energy to help our children become life-long learners. Look for congregations who support the work of the Gospel through their prayers and their offerings.

Each of you, in your own callings in life, shows by your deeds just how you love God. And you do so simply by being your brother’s keeper, by being the Samaritan to your neighbor. And you don’t have to search for your neighbor. You’ll find your neighbor at home, at church, at work, at the store, across the street, and so on. Here’s what God says, “If you want to love and serve Me, then love and serve your neighbor.”

Now you’re probably realizing how little you really do love God or your neighbor. When you try, your efforts are never quite good enough. Let the story of the Samaritan comfort you. Jesus is your Good Samaritan. Yes, you are the beaten, bloody man on the road. Your love for God falters. Your love for your neighbor falls flat on its face. Jesus is your Samaritan, your brother’s keeper. He comes to take care of you. And notice what He does, because He will lead you to love God and neighbor.

Jesus comes to you on the road and has compassion on you. Like the Samaritan, Jesus was rejected by the religious community. But He was not worried about His own reputation or life. Your Lord had the compassion that took Him to the cross for you. There He paid the ultimate price for your healing. But it wasn’t the price of two silver coins; it was the price of His very own precious blood, His innocent suffering and death. This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins (1 Jn. 4:10).

Yes, Jesus comes to you on the road to be neighbor to you. He binds up your wounds of lovelessness with His words of forgiveness and His life of total love. He pours on you the oil of Baptismal healing. He gives you the wine that is His Blood in the Eucharist. Jesus pours His Body and His Blood into you to strengthen you in love toward God and in fervent love toward your neighbor. Jesus picks you up off the road of your lovelessness and carries you in His grace and mercy. He brings you into the inn of His Church, where He keeps vigil with you, where He grants you healing for all of your days. Now there’s true love for you! There’s a brother’s keeper for you!

So, if you are looking for something to do, here it is. Love your neighbor as Christ has loved you and given Himself for you. You’ll have plenty to do. You won’t have to worry about serving the Lord in flashy, religious-looking ways. And when you keep falling short of being a good neighbor, when you keep stumbling in being your brother’s keeper, keep running back to this inn called the Church. Here you receive the healing that comes from Christ’s death and resurrection. Here you receive forgiveness, life, and salvation. Here you receive the love of God so that you can turn and love your neighbor. Here you are restored to God’s image so that you can love your neighbor who also has the dignity of being made in God’s image. Amen.

Taking the Plunge

For sometime I've told myself and others that I'd never run a blog. After all, what could I have to say that others would want to read and discuss? What could I add to other conversations already in progress? But you know what they say about never saying "never." And Pr. Weedon can be quite convincing, especially as he talks of the "joys" of blogging! So, here goes as I take the plunge into the world of writing, musing, theologizing, and conversing in "blogdom."

A word about the title of this blog is surely in order. "RAsburry" - my first initial and last name - has become my trademark of sorts, especially via email. And since many blogs choose to use Latin to show their purpose and direction, I couldn't resist throwing in just a little Latin. In Latin "res" means "things, matters, affairs." So, putting the two terms together, this blog is about matters that strike my fancy, matters theological and churchly, matters weighty and important, even matters humorous and light-hearted - matters that will hopefully interest others and bear witness to the God of forgiveness, life, and salvation.

The matters that interest me most concern the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, for the life of the world - the life that I have received as a pure gift by God's boundless mercy in the forgiveness of sins, the life that I have vowed to deliver to the people whom God has given me to shepherd. This blessed life from the Holy Triune God comes in the Body of Christ, the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church. His life in His Body gives new meaning and purpose for all other matters ("res") in all of life.

Thanks for joining me as I "take the plunge" into "blogdom"! May God bless this ongoing conversation.