Homily for Ordination of Rev. Ahren Reiter

On Sunday, June 14, 2020, at Trinity Lutheran Church, Rock Springs, Wyoming, it was my great  privilege to preach for the ordination of my "favorite (yes, only) son-in-law," Ahren Reiter. It was also a high honor to serve as officiant for the rite of ordination and thus be authorized to ordain him.


"Only Christ's Words"
2 Timothy 4:1-5

Dear saints at Trinity in Rock Springs, it’s a great honor to be here with you this day. I bring you greetings from your brothers and sisters in Christ at Hope Lutheran Church, St. Louis, Missouri. Pastor Martin, thank you for your welcome to proclaim from your pulpit this afternoon. President Hill, it’s good to see you again and proclaim God’s Word once again in Wyoming. And Ahren, thank you for the honor of proclaiming our Lord Jesus at your ordination. For those who don’t know the connection here, Ahren is my favorite son-in-law.

Saints at Trinity, you have a high and distinct honor this afternoon. Not only is Ahren a son of your congregation—baptized and confirmed at this altar—but now you get to speak for the whole Church and to the whole Church. First, by your ministry of the Gospel and Sacraments, Ahren was given new birth into Christ and joined to Him in His death and resurrection. Then you taught him the Christian faith and confirmed his confession of Jesus. You have also supported him through his seminary studies. When we are done here today, you will testify to and for the whole Church that Ahren has been set apart and put under orders to serve the Lord in the Office of the Holy Ministry. It’s a high honor, even as he moves on to serve the saints in Lawton, Oklahoma.

Now you can tell, Ahren has learned a lot of great things at the seminary—even what Scripture readings to choose for an ordination. The readings we’ve heard point out the what of the pastoral office—what a pastor is called to do. Isaiah 40 reminds us of the “herald of good news” who proclaims the Lord God as the true Shepherd who gathers and leads His flock. Always remember that, Ahren. It’s His flock, not yours. You are but the herald, the ambassador, the mouth-piece. You may speak only what He bids you to speak.

In Psalm 119 we prayed the perfect prayer of a pastor: “Teach me, O Lord, the way of your statutes.” Yes, Ahren, the seminary has taught you a lot! But that’s only the beginning. After all, the word “seminary” means “seed-bed.” The seeds have been planted, but the learning and growing must continue the rest of your life—the Lord helping you through the power and grace of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 10 speaks of preachers who are sent…and their beautiful feet. I’m not sure how beautiful a runner’s feet can really be, but Ahren you are being sent to speak Christ’s words—and only Christ’s words—so that those who hear the Word of Christ may receive the gift of faith.

And in Luke 24, our Lord Jesus gives the beating heart of the pastor’s work: Himself—that is, Jesus, not the pastor. What’s the Bible all about? Jesus. What’s the Church all about? Proclaiming the Christ who suffered, died on a cross and on the third day rose again from the dead. To what end? “That repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in His name to all nations.” Ahren, the “nation”—or place—your Lord wants you to do that is called Lawton. All of this is what you are called to do.

But that’s not all that Ahren has learned at the seminary. Evidently, he also learned to make his love of Greek rub off onto his 15 month old daughter! Dada can say, “Peripatei,” and Elinor knows to walk. He can say, “Stethi,” and she’ll stand still. When he commands, “Kraxon,” he might just hear an “Aaaah!” (Though she needs to work on that shout a bit. ;-) And when he says, “Siga,” she knows to be silent.

I know, you who are not pastor types are wondering, “Um, what about simple English?” I assure you, that is the first language. (But, Ahren, I get it. Just ask your wife about the Greek New Testament I gave her. ;-)

It’s one thing to know the what of the pastoral office; it’s something else—and something equally essential—to know the how of the pastoral office. How will you, Ahren, herald God’s good news? How will you proclaim Christ crucified and risen so that repentance for the forgiveness of is lived and loved? St. Paul helps us pastor types when he writes to young Pastor Timothy. Listen to 2 Timothy 4:1-5…in simple English for all of us:

I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

Now, for you pastor types, and especially for you Ahren, our “Dada” in the faith, St. Paul, does give us some Greek commands for how to serve as pastors.

κήρυξον (keryxon)—Preach, as in “preach the Word,” or be the messenger. Not of your hopes, dreams, opinions, political philosophies, economic theories, etc. You are called to herald and announce what God gives you to speak—His life-giving, sin-forgiving good news in Christ. “Preach you the Word and plant it home, to men who like or like it not.”

ἐπίστηθι (epistethi)—Much as Elinor stands still at the word στηθι (stethi), you are to stand still and stand ready at all times—“in season and out of season,” as Paul says—when times are good and opportune and when they are not so opportune, even when they are vexing or troubling. It’s sort of like the harpooner on the whale boat. Others may be strenuously rowing and manning the boat, but the harpooner has to be ready at all times to do his thing, throw the harpoon. Thus he must focus and be prepared.

Now for the “fun” ones: ἔλεγξον (elengxon)—reprove, and ἐπιτίμησον (epitimeson)—command or rebuke. Now no one likes a bossy pastor, but sometimes the pastor must be firm. Sometimes he has to cross-examine a sinner to reveal what or whom that sinner is trusting other than the true Savior God. Sometimes he has to imitate the doctor and poke right where the pain is most intense. That way Jesus can bring the healing of His blood-bought forgiveness. That’s reproving—cross-examining or questioning. The rebuking word—ἐπιτίμησον—is most curious. At its root it means “lay a value upon” or “show honor to.” How is rebuking related to showing honor or value? That person, that group, that congregation you may have to rebuke and correct are most valuable to our Lord Jesus. After all, He shed His blood for them; they have been bought with a price.

Next “Dada” Paul says, παρακάλεσον (parakaleson). When you hear that, you get to do all sorts of good things. You get to beg, urge, and exhort; you get to speak words of encouragement—not just any words, but Jesus’ words, of course; you get to console, comfort and cheer up; even invite and summon. This is why your study of God’s Word and the true confession of the faith must never end. It’s only “through the encouragement of the Scriptures” that “we might have hope” (Rom. 15:4). You search the Scriptures, and you teach your people to search the Scriptures, because those Scriptures do bear witness about Jesus and thus give eternal life (cf. John 5:39).

Now, you need to know, Ahren, that this will not be easy. Like a toddler learning to peripatei, it’s all we pastor types can do just to totter and wobble along, shaky and unsteady. We may even stumble and do a face-plant or two into the dirt. As Paul reminds us, people don’t always like sound teaching. Their ears itch for messages more pleasing to their fallen nature. That itch and that fallen nature also dwell in you. So I pray that you ever and always live at the receiving end of our Lord’s cross-won forgiveness for you. The Messiah and message you are privileged to proclaim is also for you. After all, we pastor types are not at all sufficient in ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God through His Son and in His Spirit. As our Lord told Paul, He also tells you: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:9).

And so “Dada” Paul puts just a few more Greek commands before you. As for you, νῆφε (nephe)—be sober-minded and self-controlled—in everything. It’s Jesus’ Church and Jesus’ ministry; He takes care of you and the people you serve. κακοπάθησον (kakopatheson)—suffer the “caca”; that is, endure the crosses even as your Lord endured His cross for you and your flock. ἔργον ποίησον (ergon poieson)—do the work you are given to do, the work of “evangelist,” the work of God’s speaker of Good News. And finally, πληροφόρησον plerophoreson)—carry out fully this service which you are undertaking today and when you are installed in Lawton. This is the how of the office you about to undertake.

Dr. Norman Nagel once wrote, “Clergy are worth only what they have been put into the office for: not their own words, but Christ’s” (Lutheran Theological Journal, 30; Dec. 1996). Ahren, this is the office and the life-long work which you enter today. It’s both a high calling and a sacrificial labor of love as you use your mouth to speak only Christ’s words and works. Amen.

Left to right: Rev. James Martin (Pastor, Trinity Lutheran Church, Rock Springs, WY), Rev. John Hill (President, Wyoming District, LCMS), Rev. Ahren Reiter, Rev. Jonathan Lange (Pastor, Our Savior Lutheran Church, Evanston, WY), Rev. Randy Asburry (Pastor, Hope Lutheran Church, St. Louis, MO)