Homily for the Epiphany of Our Lord - 2017

"Gifts for the King Who Has Everything"
Matthew 2:1-12
Delivered at the International Center of the Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod, 6 January 2017.

What do you get for the person who has everything? Perhaps you asked that question during your Christmas shopping. On this Epiphany, let’s ask the same thing of the Christ Child. What do you give to the King who has everything? Even as young child, King Jesus already owns everything, doesn’t He? “The earth is the LORD’s, and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein” (Ps. 24:1). This Word-made-Flesh made all things long before He took on Flesh, “and without Him was not anything made that was made” (Jn. 1:3). What do you give to the King who literally does have everything?

The Magi came all the way from Persia (modern-day Iraq). Perhaps they learned of the coming Messiah from Daniel and other exiles over five centuries before Christ came. Perhaps they figured out the coming of the Bright Morning Star from studying the stars themselves. But come they did. They came specifically to worship the Newborn King. Once in the house with the Virgin and the Child, they gave their gifts. We sing of the gold, and frankincense, and myrrh, but let’s not forget the worship. First, “they fell down and worshiped Him,” and then they opened “their treasures.”

What do you get for the King who has everything? Gifts that honor who He is, of course. After all, He is God and Man in one Person. Incense is a gift for God. It speaks of the gifts of faith and prayer ascending to God in response to His goodness. Myrrh is a gift for a Man. This gift looks ahead to the death of Jesus, true God and true Man, on the cross and His proper burial. And gold—it’s the gift fit for a king. Some say that this gold may have supplied the needs of the humble Holy Family for many years.

But the Magi offered much more than material gifts; they offered their faith and their worship. The incense, the myrrh, and the gold were simply the first fruits of that faith. The Magi fell down and worshiped Him. You see, they trusted in the promise of God’s Savior who would come into the world to restore all humanity to God Himself. Physically, the Magi saw a humble infant in “such mean estate.” But their eyes of faith saw beyond the lowliness. They saw the God who came to make all people rich in His mercy.

The Magi saw in this humble Child “the Sun of righteousness” Who rises “with healing in His wings” (Mal. 4:2). This holy Infant would heal all people from the wounds, the sores, and the scars of their sins. The warmth of His mercy and forgiveness would radiate out for all to enjoy. He would heal the breach between Jew and Gentile; He would make them one nation in His Church.

When the Magi looked at this holy Son of Mary, they saw “His glory from the rising of the sun” (Is. 59:19). Their eyes of faith could see that God “has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Cor. 4:6). And why did He come? “To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death” (Lk. 1:78-79, NKJV). Even as you face the darkness of death—in ill-health or time of sorrow, in anxiety or depression, in conflict or disappointment—the dawn of a new day has come. This holy Child brings the new day of life with God and resurrection from the dead. This holy Child is your “bright morning star” (Rev. 22:16).

The best gift the Magi bring to this King of the universe in humble guise is their faith. So, what will you give to the King who has everything, the Child who radiates God’s boundless mercy and gives you peace with God? What will you give to the Word made Flesh who heals you from the sores of your sins and your disease of death?

You could offer Him gold, the gift befitting a King. But all wealth and all things already belong to Him. Your Lord bids you to give Him gold by giving it to the poor. As Jesus will say, when you feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, visit the sick and imprisoned, you do it to Him. What better way to give your gold to your King than to the poor in your own midst, in His family, the Church.

You could still give incense, both literally and figuratively. As we sing in Evening Prayer, “Let my prayer rise before you as incense.” Offer your prayers to the God who promises to hear you and answer you, because He identifies with you and with your troubles in this world. The Son of God enjoys the sweet fragrance that accompanies your prayers. That’s why we offer up to our God and Savior prayers on behalf of the Church, the world, and all sorts of needs.

As for myrrh, that’s definitely not necessary. The myrrh was for His crucifixion and burial. And since “we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (Heb. 10:10), He does not need to die again. “The death He died He died to sin, once for all, but the life He lives, He lives to God” (Rom. 6:10). And because of Jesus’ one-time sacrifice, you get to “consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 6:11).

What can you give to the King who has everything? Most of all, give Him your faith and your worship, just as the Magi did. Just as they left their country in the East, you can leave the country of your self-serving desires and sinful ways. Just as they endured the arduous journey, you can endure the trials of your journey through life, learning to trust your Savior. And just as they bowed down to the Almighty King when they saw Him in humble guise, you can bow down to your God who still comes to you in humble ways.

Behind the humble water, you can see God’s life-changing washing of forgiveness and life. Behind the humble words from your pastor’s mouth—in sermons and in the Absolution—you can hear and recognize the voice of your Savior who heals you from all sins and enables you to live with God again. And behind the humble bread and wine, you can see Jesus coming to you in the Body and Blood that He assumed from His Virgin Mother—the same Body broken in suffering and the same Blood shed from a cross, the same Body and Blood that are now the “medicine of immortality.”

Just as the Wise Men saw the Child Jesus sitting on His Mother’s lap, we get to see Jesus in the bosom of His Church, our mother in the faith and life with God. So, the best thing you can give to this King is … yourself, your faith, your worship, your whole life. After all, that’s what He has done for you. “For Christ goes with us all the way—Today, tomorrow, ev’ry day! His love is never ending!” (LSB 395:5). Amen.

Pres. Harrison Encourages Pastors

"It's not easy business being a pastor," says the Rev. Dr. Matthew C. Harrison, president of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, as he examines the charge given to pastors in 2 Tim. 4:1--2. "But I want to encourage you. The Word of God is living and mighty and active ... . And the Word of the Lord does not return void." Watch this video to hear more from President Harrison as he offers words of encouragement from Martin Luther's Invocavit sermons from 1522.

Message for Lenten Season

LCMS President Matthew Harrison gives this message for the 2014 Lenten season:

One Sinner Repents!

Jesus said:
"I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance" (Luke 15:7).

"I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents" (Luke 15:10).

In case you've learned via the secular media about latest controversy brewing in the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod (LCMS)--over reactions to an interfaith service held after the tragedy at Newtown, Connecticut--you really should read the statements put out by the LCMS itself.

You can find Pastor Rob Morris' letter here,
President Matthew Harrison's first letter here, and
"Pastoral Letters on the Newtown Tragedy" here (includes "A Statement of Unity," "Pastoral Letter and Apology from President Harrison," and "Pastoral Letter from District President Tim Yeadon").

When things such as this happen, the secular, mainstream media just cannot appreciate, let alone accurately report, the issues of doctrine and soul-care that are involved. Matters such as this need to be dealt with in the church, not in the mainstream, secular media, and certainly not in social media, where vile vindictiveness and disinformation rule the day in the "Comments" sections.

And in case you are at all interested in how Christians go about settling problems and "putting out fires," let's learn from one of the best. The key is repentance. Here's President Matthew Harrison's video on the Newtown matter:


Prayer for the Synod:
Almighty God, merciful Father, keep and preserve our whole Synod, its teachers and officers, true to Your Word. Cause the work of our Synod to grow and flourish. Guard and protect all members of our Synod against the danger of sinful ambitions, the love of dissension, and the spirit of indifference in doctrine and practice. Preserve us from all heresy and false belief. Bless and defend the seminaries, colleges, and universities of our Synod. Give us faithful pastors and teachers of Your Word. Accompany all missionaries on their perilous ways, and help them to perform their work faithfully. Gather the elect from every nation into Your holy Christian Church, and bring them at last into Your Church triumphant; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Prayer for brother pastors and all fellow servants in the Church:
O Lord, to Your grace and mercy I commend all my fellow pastors and every brother and sister who hold office in Your Church. Remove any discord and dissension from among us. Give me a brotherly heart toward all in true humility, and help me to bear with compassion the burdens of others. Grant that we may act as true brothers and sisters in all circumstances; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

(Prayers from Pastoral Care Companion, pp. xxviii, xxvii, respectively)

"Those Who Serve"

President Harrison on "Open Letter on Religious Freedom"

FREE EXERCISE OF RELIGION: Putting Beliefs into Practice

FREE EXERCISE OF RELIGION:
Putting Beliefs into Practice

An Open Letter from Religious Leaders in the United States to All Americans

Dear Friends,

Religious institutions are established because of religious beliefs and convictions. Such institutions include not only churches, synagogues, mosques, and other places of worship, but also schools and colleges, shelters and community kitchens, adoption agencies and hospitals, organizations that provide care and services during natural disasters, and countless other organizations that exist to put specific religious beliefs into practice. Many such organizations have provided services and care to both members and non-members of their religious communities since before the Revolutionary War, saving and improving the lives of countless American citizens.

As religious leaders from a variety of perspectives and communities, we are compelled to make known our protest against the incursion of the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) into the realm of religious liberty. HHS has mandated that religious institutions, with only a narrow religious exception, must provide access to certain contraceptive benefits, even if the covered medications or procedures are contradictory to their beliefs. We who oppose the application of this mandate to religious institutions include not only the leaders of religious groups morally opposed to contraception, but also leaders of other religious groups that do not share that particular moral conviction.

That we share an opposition to the mandate to religious institutions while disagreeing about specific moral teachings is a crucial fact. Religious freedom is the principle on which we stand. Because of differing understandings of moral and religious authority, people of good will can and often do come to different conclusions about moral questions. Yet, even we who hold differing convictions on specific moral issues are united in the conviction that no religious institution should be penalized for refusing to go against its beliefs. The issue is the First Amendment, not specific moral teachings or specific products or services.

The HHS mandate implicitly acknowledged that an incursion into religion is involved in the mandate. However, the narrowness of the proposed exemption is revealing for it applies only to religious organizations that serve or support their own members. In so doing, the government is establishing favored and disfavored religious organizations: a privatized religious organization that serves only itself is exempted from regulation, while one that believes it should also serve the public beyond its membership is denied a religious exemption. The so-called accommodation and the subsequent Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) do little or nothing to alleviate the problem.

No government should tell religious organizations either what to believe or how to put their beliefs into practice. We indeed hold this to be an unalienable, constitutional right. If freedom of religion is a constitutional value to be protected, then institutions developed by religious groups to implement their core beliefs in education, in care for the sick or suffering, and in other tasks must also be protected. Only by doing so can the free exercise of religion have any meaning. The HHS mandate prevents this free exercise. For the well-being of our country, we oppose the application of the contraceptive mandate to religious institutions and plead for its retraction.

Sincerley yours,

Leith Anderson
President
National Association of Evangelicals

The Rev. Dr. Matthew C. Harrison
President
The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod

Sister Loraine Marie Maguire, l.s.p.
Provincial Superior, Baltimore Province
Little Sisters of the Poor

Gary M. Benedict
President
The Christian and Missionary Alliance U.S.

Bishop Harry R. Jackson Jr.
Senior Pastor, Hope Christian Church
Bishop, Fellowship of International Churches

The Rev. John A. Moldstad
President
Evangelical Lutheran Synod

Bishop John F. Bradosky
North American Lutheran Church

The Very Rev. Dr. John A. Jillions
Chancellor
Orthodox Church in America

Deaconess Cheryl D. Naumann
President
Concordia Deaconess Conference
The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod

The Most Rev. Robert J. Carlson
Archbishop of St. Louis

The Most Blessed Jonah
Archbishop of Washington
Metropolitan of All American and Canada
Orthodox Church in America

The Rev. Samuel Rodriguez
President
NHCLC
Hispanic Evangelical Association

Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan
Archbishop of New York
President
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

Imam Faizul R. Khan
Founder and Leader
Islamic Society of Washington Area

Sister Joseph Marie Ruessmann,
R.S.M., J.D., J.C.D., M.B.A.
Generalate Secretary
Religious Sisters of Mercy of Alma, Michigan

Mother Agnes Mary Donovan, S.V.
Superior General of the Sisters of Life

The Very Rev. Leonid Kishkovsky
Director of External Affairs
and Interchurch Relations
Orthodox Church in America

The Rev. Mark Schroeder
President
Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod

Sister Barbara Anne Gooding,
R.S.M.
Director, Department of Religion
Saint Francis Health System

The Most Rev. William E. Lori
Archbishop of Baltimore
Chairman
USCCB Ad Hoc Committee for Religious Liberty

L. Roy Taylor
Stated Clerk of the General Assembly of the
Presbyterian Church in America

Sister Margaret Regina Halloran,
l.s.p.
Provincial Superior, Brooklyn Province
Little Sisters of the Poor

Sister Maria Christine Lynch, l.s.p.
Provincial Superior, Chicago Province
Little Sisters of the Poor

Sister Constance Carolyn Veit, l.s.p.
Communications Director
Little Sisters of the Poor

Dr. George O. Wood
General Superintendent
The General Council of the Assemblies of God

Interview with KFUO's New Broadcast Director

KFUO Open House - 5/29/2012

You're invited to an open house on Tuesday May 29 2012 anytime between 10: am and 2: pm. We are celebrating our 85th anniversary of broadcasting from our current location at 85 Founders lane in Clayton, Mo. The KFUO air studio is the longest continually operating broadcast studio in the world.

"With Intrepid Hearts"

Rev. Dr. Matthew C. Harrison talks with seminary student Chris Chandler at the conclusion of today's (5/23) chapel service at The Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod's International Center in St. Louis.

World Malaria Day - April 25

For more information, go here.

Holy Week Message from Pres. Harrison

What a great way to prepare for Holy Week--a 10 minute sermon/Bible study on the Gospel of Mark. Thank you, President Harrison!

The Lord Bless "Chaplain" Weedon

Our good friend Pr. William Weedon is going to the LCMS International Center to serve as Director of Worship and International Center Chaplain. While the good brothers and sisters at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Hamel, IL, may consider this a "loss" for them, the church at large within the Missouri Synod may certainly consider this a large gain and blessing.

Here's the official press release (HT: lcms.org):

Weedon accepts call to LCMS Worship, IC chaplaincy post

The Rev. William C. Weedon of Worden, Ill., has accepted the call to serve as the Synod's director of Worship and International Center (IC) chaplain.
He will join the staff at the IC May 1. His installation is planned for May 7 at 10 a.m. in the IC chapel.

Weedon, 51, has been pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church, Hamel, Ill. -- just northeast of the metropolitan St. Louis area -- since 1992.

In his new position with the Synod's Office of National Mission (ONM) as the director of Worship, he will report to ONM Executive Director Rev. Bart Day. As IC chaplain, he will report to the Office of the President. 

In his director of Worship role, Weedon will be responsible for proposing and creating programs that will carry out the purposes and aims of the Synod in matters of worship. As IC chaplain, he will work with the President's Office in planning and supervising all chapel services at the IC and Lutheran Church Extension Fund (LCEF), as well as rendering informal chaplaincy and counseling services to employees as requested.

Before the Synod's restructuring that was mandated by the 2010 LCMS convention, its worship and IC chaplaincy duties were carried out by separate staff members. An executive director reported to the former LCMS Commission on Worship, and chaplaincy services for the staff were provided part time by a retired pastor.

"The ONM is overjoyed that Rev. Weedon has accepted the call to support the Synod in her worship life," Day said. "Rev. Weedon brings deep knowledge and passion for the liturgical life of congregations. His evangelical spirit and ability to work with everyone lovingly in koinonia make him well suited to lead continued discussion on a matter that remains contentious in the Synod, but lies at the heart of our life together."

Concerning his worship responsibilities, Weedon said, "We have been blessed with an extraordinarily rich, intentional and beautiful liturgical heritage that fully accords with our Lutheran Confessions. We recognize that within that heritage we possess a wide range of freedom in how we receive together the Lord's gifts in our parishes, but that we have a responsibility to each other and, above all, to the world to make sure that the saving Gospel of Jesus Christ rings through loud and clear in all we do. Together, we'll grow in our corporate reception of the Lord's gifts in an authentically Lutheran manner that is not legalistic, but joyfully receives our living and ever-growing heritage."

"It is absolutely important to provide regular chapel services and ensure pastoral care for the people at the IC and at LCEF who daily make decisions on behalf of the LCMS," Weedon said of his chaplaincy responsibilities. "We're not in competition with the pastoral care these folks receive in their own churches, but we seek to supplement it by speaking the Word of God in the midst of our work, allowing that Word to permeate and shape our life together . . . in service to Christ's church."

Weedon has become familiar to Synod staff who have come to hear him preach through Luther's Small Catechism at Wednesday-morning chapel services from January through June, in 2011 and 2012.

A 1982 graduate of Concordia College - New York, in Bronxville, Weedon earned M.Div. and S.T.M. degrees from Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, in 1986 and 1998, respectively. From 1986 until 1992, he was pastor of Redeemer Lutheran Church, Burlington, N.C.

Weedon is a contributor for Concordia Publishing House's (CPH) upcoming The Apocrypha: The Lutheran Edition with Notes; a contributor to CPH's A Year in the New Testament (published in 2010) and a reviser and updater for Starck's Prayer Book (CPH, 2009). He also is the author of CPH's 2009 Bible study titled "Matter of the Heart" and of its book Lutheranism 101: All About Jesus, which is slated for publication in 2013.

He also has written articles published in church journals and magazines including Concordia Pulpit Resources and Higher Things.

In addition, Weedon served as a member of the working group of the Lord's Supper Liturgy in preparation for Lutheran Service Book.

In other service to the church, he currently is spiritual counselor for the Concordia Deaconess Conference. He was a regent for Concordia University Chicago until accepting the call from the Synod. Also, he has served as keynote presenter and chaplain for Higher Things youth conferences, as a facilitator for the Synod's PALS program, and as circuit counselor. He is a frequent guest on the "Issues, Etc." radio program.

Weedon and his wife, Cynthia, have three grown children: daughters Lauren Herberts, a Lutheran teacher in Overland, Mo., and Rebekah, a student at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (Ill.); and a son, David, a graphic designer living in Worden. Cynthia Weedon is office manager for White Mountain Financial in Alhambra, Ill. She is an accomplished vocalist and frequent soloist -- particularly in church and with the Collinsville (Ill.) Chorale.

A blogger for a number of years, Pastor Weedon's blog can be found at weedon.blogspot.com.

Posted March 16, 2012

LCMS Campus Ministry's "Unwrapped"

A big event coming up for LCMS Campus Ministry: "Unwrapped." Coming to St. Louis in 2013. Go here for more information.

"Issues, Etc." Returns to KFUO

On Monday, March 12, the popular Lutheran talk radio show Issues, Etc. will return to KFUO (AM 850 in the St. Louis area, and kfuo.org), the radio station owned and operated by the Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod. The show will air 3-5 p.m. Central Time.

After its unexpected and ignominious cancellation on March 18, 2008, by synodical officialdom (see here and here), Issues, Etc. returned to the air on June 30, 2008. Since that time Issues, Etc. has been broadcasting its two-hour show (3-5 p.m. Central Time) over the internet with the 4-5 p.m. hour also broadcasting on St. Louis area's KSIV 1320 (Bott Radio Network) on.

Issues, Etc. will remain independent of the LCMS and KFUO Radio as it simply buys airtime from the Synod's radio station. Lutheran Public Radio will maintain editorial and financial control of Issues, Etc. content and programing.

For more information here's the press release:

“Issues, Etc.”, a radio talk show produced by Lutheran Public Radio and hosted by Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod Pastor Todd Wilken, will begin broadcasting live Monday, March 12 from 3-5 p.m. CST weekdays on KFUO, 850 AM in St. Louis. “Issues, Etc.” has been broadcasting on KSIV, Bott Radio Network in St. Louis since June 30, 2008. KFUO is owned and operated by the LCMS. The popular radio show aired for more than 15 years on KFUO. However, the LCMS cancelled the program on March 18, 2008.

“By purchasing airtime on KFUO instead of KSIV, we will be able to offer ten hours of live programming each week to St. Louis area listeners instead of five hours of programming. KFUO also provides a stronger signal for our listeners in southern Illinois,” said Jeff Schwarz, general manager of LPR.

“We will not become employees of KFUO or the LCMS,” said Pastor Todd Wilken, host of Issues, Etc. “LPR and KFUO are totally separate entities. When listeners donate to KFUO, they won’t be supporting LPR and vice versa. It is vitally important for us to have complete editorial control and financial independence from the LCMS.”

“We are extremely thankful to the Bott family and to the Bott Radio Network for providing us the opportunity to broadcast Issues, Etc. on KSIV,” Schwarz said. “Almost immediately after the cancellation, we were contacted by Rich Bott and presented with the opportunity to continue broadcasting on a terrestrial radio station in St. Louis.”

LPR will continue to produce “Issues, Etc.” from its studios in Collinsville, IL.

HT: Mollie over at "Steadfast Lutherans"

Maggie Karner Speaks at Heritage Foundation

On Monday, February 27, Mrs. Maggie Karner spoke before the Heritage Foundation. The topic? The recent overreaching mandate of the U.S. Government to force religious organizations, other than houses of worship, to provide abortion-causing drugs quite contrary to their tenets and their consciences. And to prove that, yes, women too stand up for the First Amendment right that the government "shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof."

Way to go, Maggie! And thanks for keeping the mercy work of the Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod front and center.

Pres. Harrison on Lutheran Malaria Initiative

Following up on the previous post, here's LCMS President Matthew Harrison joining in the launch of Lutheran Malaria Initiative at Historic Trinity Lutheran Church in Detroit:

Positive Press for the LCMS

HT to Jessie Bogan over at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch - stltoday.com - for some positive press on the new LCMS initiative against malaria, and for mention of LCMS aid for Japan relief. Here's the article:

A St. Louis-based Lutheran organization is part of a $45 million fundraising campaign announced Monday to help fight malaria in the developing world.
Lutheran Church Missouri Synod and Lutheran World Relief are working together to raise the money by 2013. The United Nations Foundation is also part of the effort.
So far, $1.3 million has been raised.

 Malaria is a treatable disease, but it kills about 1 million people a year.   

The Missouri Synod, which has more than 2 million members, has given $2 million in recent months for relief efforts in Japan following the March 11 earthquake that caused widespread devastation.

Read more: http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/metro/article_3be0226a-a0d9-11e0-917a-001a4bcf6878.html#ixzz1QbzuLLXg

Also check out the Lutheran Malaria Initiative website here.

Pres. Harrison on Tornado Damage & Relief Efforts in Joplin, MO

LCMS President Matthew Harrison again responds to a recent disaster, this time in Joplin, MO. He updates us on the excellent mercy work that's already underway and encourages us to give generously to aid our brothers and sisters and others in the Joplin community.



"So then as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith." (Galatians 6:10)

* Read the latest news headlines and updates on how LCMS is responding to needs in Joplin, Mo., and other tornado-damaged areas on our Tornado Relief page at www.lcms.org/disaster/tornado.
* LCMS World Relief and Human Care Disaster Blog

Pres. Harrison on LCMS Finances

A much needed, nicely honest - and refreshingly Gospel-driven - discussion on the financial condition of the LCMS. Thank you, President Harrison, for your candor and for calling us back to the blessings of our risen Lord!