Ashes, Water & Symbolism

As an English teacher, I'm constantly talking about symbols and authorial intent.

• Why does that stupid raven keep quoting, "Nevermore"?
• Why did F. Scott Fitzgerald create Dr. T.J. Eckleburg in The Great Gatsby?
• Willa Cather, why so much description about a single plough?

Here is an insightful explanation by Rev. William Cwirla on why his church doesn't do the imposition of ashes on Ash Wednesday.  Read the quote and then read Rev. Cwirla's entire explanation.

"I suppose if we wanted to get the symbolism right, we would be smudging our own faces, and not just with a little stylish dab. And then you’d come and stand before me and I would stick my hand in the baptismal font and wipe away all that grime and dirt “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” And if you stop and think about it, we did precisely that earlier in the evening. You confessed your sin and death, having stared into the mirror of the Law. And then you stood before me as Christ’s called and ordained representative, and I absolved you, which means that Christ Himself wiped away the stain of your sin and death."

"He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by His grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.  This a trustworthy saying." -Titus 3: 5-8

Forever cleansed.  Forever saved.  Forever His. 
Amen!

Cutting the devil's throat

Debate is fascinating. Using just the right amount of pathos, logos and an ever-ready counterargument are essential but so is timing. I waited until just the right moment to remind my brother that whatever was rumbling around in the closet was sure to get him first since he slept in the bottom bunk. Just like Novacaine, it worked every time.

Luther notes the power of well-executed debating strategies against the devil in his Commentary on the Epistle to the Galatians in his discussion of chapter 1 verse 4:

“Let us equip ourselves against the accusations of Satan with this and similar passages of Holy Scripture. If he says, ‘Thou shalt be damned,’ you tell him: ‘No, for I fly to Christ who gave Himself for my sins. In accusing me of being a damnable sinner, you are cutting your own throat, Satan. You are reminding me of God's fatherly goodness toward me, that He so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. In calling me a sinner, Satan, you really comfort me above measure.’ With such heavenly cunning we are to meet the devil's craft and put from us the memory of sin.”

- Translated by Theodore Graebner

Punctuation Humor

Hmmmmm, this looks like a great assignment for my freshmen...

Shhhhh, I can't hear myself think

"The cell phone relieves us of the obligation to face those around us, but also prevents us from being by ourselves.  This is not to say that past generations were staunch in their solitude; it was probably always difficult to go off on one’s own, perhaps more difficult in some ways that it is now.  But they did not have so many societies to grab, so many messages blinking and jangling throughout the day.  When two people said goodbye after meeting, they would walk their separate ways without being able to talk to anyone else immediately.  They could reflect on their meeting with the person, prepare themselves for what they had to do next, or simply enjoy the walk. We have not given up quiet walks, but the sidewalks are noisy with cell phone conversations rushing by.  It is hard to go anywhere – to a library, store, park or restaurant – without seeing phones out and illuminated. What we miss are the minutes between conversations, not only ours, but other people’s.  Those minutes may have been peaceful or fraught with anxiety, but in any event they are scarce now."   

– Republic of Noise: The loss of solitude in schools and culture by Diane Senechal

Five Resources for Lutheran Educators to Own and Read

1. William Fischer’s Teaching Law and Gospel
“It is true that threats and the demands of the law may get results, even outward obedience. But it does not prompt the good works that are pleasing in the sight of God. Only the gospel of Jesus Christ fills the sinner’s heart with such gratitude that he desires to obey God’s commandments. “I run in the path of your commands, for you have broadened my understanding. –Psalm 119:32

2. A Subscription to Good News magazine

“When the devil continues to afflict you, trying to convince you that your past sins have not all been forgiven, do not become discouraged and full of despair. Consider the possibility that you are looking inward, focusing on your problems, your failures, and little or not at all on how God seeks to help you, as He says, ‘Come now, and let us reason together,’ says the Lord, ‘though your sins are as scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they will be like wool’” – Isaiah 1:18 as found in Issue 30: Encouragement

3. Rev. Daniel Preus’ Why I am a Lutheran: Jesus at the center

“We do not need to live in uncertainty regarding what is true about God and our faith in Him. God does not give us truth simply so we can be correct in what we believe. God does not give us truth so we can know that we are right and those who disagree are wrong. God does not give us truth so we can ‘win the argument.’ Jesus, the Son of God, did not take on human flesh, did not become one of us, simply so we can know what is true. John tells us in his Gospel that when Jesus came into the world, He was full of truth and grace (John 1:14). Jesus brings truth for the sake of grace, that is, for the sake of God’s undeserved kindness.”

4. Dr. Gene Veith’s The Spirituality of the Cross

“If faith is not a decision nor an experience nor some inner work, and if salvation is totally the work of God, it would seem that faith too must be the work of God.

So how do we attain a saving, life-changing faith?
The answer, in Lutheran Spirituality, has to do with the so-called means of grace. We are connected to Christ and the Holy Spirit works both faith and good works in our lives by means of the Word and the Sacraments.”

5. C.F.W. Walther’s Law and Gospel

Eleventh Evening Lecture: (December 5, 1884.)

“Many solemn warnings against false teachers are found in Holy Scripture. One of the most solemn of them, if not the most solemn, is that found in Jer. 23, 22, where the Lord says regarding false teachers: “If they had stood in My counsel and had caused My people to hear My words, then they should have turned them from their evil way and from the evil of their doings.” This shows that by teaching false doctrine a preacher may keep the souls entrusted to his care from being converted and — a result awful to contemplate! —will cause them to be eternally lost. True, the people who permit themselves to be led astray by false teachings are lost by their own fault; for in innumerable passages of His Word, God has with great earnestness warned men against false teachers and prophets and has minutely described them. Any one, then, who despises these warnings will in the end have to blame himself amidst the wails of the hereafter. Still, this does not exculpate the false prophets and teachers who proclaim false teachings. On the contrary, their guilt is increased because they did not only choose the false way for themselves, but also pointed that way to the souls entrusted to them… How will they quake with terror when the souls without number whom they have led astray and whose hearts they have poisoned will stand in the presence of God! On that day every false teacher will wish that he had never been born and will curse the day when he was inducted into the sacred office of the ministry. On that day we shall see that false teaching is not the trifling and harmless matter that people in our day think it is.”

Children are not toys

For Christmas I received God Grant It, a year of daily devotions taken from C.F.W. Walther's sermons.  Here is an excerpt from a recent devotion concerning parents’ responsibilities:

What a rich lesson this is for us parents, to whom God has entrusted children as pledges of His love.  Mary and Joseph must have carefully raised the holy child in whom the Lord had clothed His glory.  They could not imagine that this child would develop by Himself, without their help, and that, without them, God would protect Him.  How much more should we recognize our calling to be God’s instruments for the raising of our helpless little ones!  

If the parents of the most holy God-man recognized it as their duty to lead Him into the house of the Lord, how much more should we recognize our duty to lead our children, who are sinners in need of grace, to the Lord early on!  To be sure, we do not have the power to convert our children, to cleanse their sinful hearts, and to keep them in God’s grace.  Nevertheless, we can be guilty of neglect and the loss of their souls.  Therefore, we should be God’s handymen in effecting their rescue.  Our children are not given to us as toys and pleasantries or as our servants.  Instead, they are entrusted to us by God, so that when they know nothing about Him we would lead them to their heavenly Father.   God will thus demand from us one day the souls and the blood of our children, saying, “Where are they, My children, which I have given to you?”

It is our first duty as Christian parents that, immediately after the birth of our children, we bring them to the Holy Baptism of Jesus. For He says, “Let the children come to Me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God” (Mark 10:14). However, this in no way completes the payment of our parental debt to them. No, if our children have been baptized, they then carry Jesus Himself in their hearts, and then, like Mary and Joseph, we each have a little Child Jesus in our house and in our arms. At this point, our heartfelt care for the protection of that child is doubled. The salvation of that precious child is then the object of our daily cares and prayers.


Not only is this a "rich lesson" for parents but it's also a rich lesson for Lutheran educators.  As a high school English teacher, I'm responsible for teaching the truths of gerunds and Shakespeare but I'm also responsible for teaching God's Word in all its truth and purity.  The oath I took at my installation, where I promised to uphold the truths of Scripture, the Lutheran Confessions and "reject all the errors they condemn," reminds me of the serious responsibilities connected to this hallowed vocation.
God grant it.

"Stubbornly Abiding in the Word" because sola scriptura means exactly that

I discovered this quote by C.F.W. Walther on a discussion thread at The Brothers of John The Steadfast.  Reverend Clint Poppe quoted Walther in regards to a conversation currently being discussed on The Brothers of John The Steadfast.  He introduced the quote by emphasizing the need to "stand up for the Truth of God's Word and for the very soul of true Lutheranism."

“Now someone might get the idea that, in that case, it would be better if there were no Lutheran church. Then we could let people in their simplicity and ignorance and they would still not lose their salvation. But thank God that we do have the Lutheran Church to which we can cling, because: (1) False doctrine always keeps on spreading, imbeds itself ever more deeply in the heart, and in the end can cause us to forfeit our salvation in that the error ensnares us more and more. False doctrine is a poison that gradually permeates the entire body of the person who does not cleanse and purify himself of it. (2) How good it is that our Lutheran church stands there with its purity of doctrine, stubbornly abiding in the Word, and raising its voice like a trumpet! That intimidates the sects and enthusiasts, warning them not to go further with their erroneous ideas. Oh, how many Methodists will thank us Lutherans in heaven for always confronting their enthusiastic ideas with the Word of God and chiding them; thereby at least accomplishing this much, that we kept them from sinking deeper and deeper into them! Truly, next to gathering in the individual lost souls around the truth, the primary purpose of the Lutheran Church is to keep on raising the voice of its testimony. Whoever wishes to be a true disciple of Jesus must abide in His Word.”  - CFW Walther, Essays for the Church, Volume I, 133 (True Visible Church on Earth)

Unfortunately, many ignore the dangers of false doctrine, false prophets and false teachings.  Fortunately, God's Word warns, informs and encourages us to flee from these lies and liars.  Fortunately, God's grace through Christ cleanses us from our sin and makes us right with our Creator.

New Year: New Names: Same Plays

The Lutheran North Freshmen Fillies kick off the season with a road game against the Capac Chiefs on Monday, December 5 at 4:30.  If you are thinking about hopping on the fan bus, hesitate no longer.  The only experience worse than missing your chance to see the Fillies play, is watching the NBA.
Fillies hoops is exciting because as soon as the corral gates open the stampede begins: shooting, rebounding, defending, running.  I want to provide an entertaining opportunity for Freshmen Filly fans.

One way I've tried to make Filly hoops exciting is to use themes for our plays.  Three years ago all our plays were named after famous cyclists: Merckx, Indurain, Roll.  Craving a more local flavor, the following year I named our plays after famous American cyclists: Hincapie, Hamilton, Armstrong, Finkel.  Never heard of that last one?  Look for the name atop the 2011 IceMan Singlespeed 39 & Under column.  Exactly.  He bested all competitors in one hour and forty-six minutes.  Most people take more time than that just cleaning out their gutters.
Last year I followed the political frenzy and named our plays after conservative Republicans: Boehner, Palin, Rubio, Ryan.  During a scrimmage one opposing coach asked me about the names.  He responded with a play called Obama.  It failed. #obvious

This year I'm still using the same plays but the theme is confessional Lutherans: Luther, Walther, Melancthon, Wilken, Schwarz, Borghardt, Harrison and Bakker.   The Fillies like to run, defend, run, press and run some more.  Taking a suggestion from my colleague, Mark Felten, I named our press Gutenberg.  Ahhhh, the Gutenberg press.  Classic. I don't have all the plays in so if you have a suggestion, send it my way.  Serious suggestions only please.  I have no time for Bell, Warren, Moore or Osteen.  The theme is confessional Lutherans, not false prophets.