Certainly swine flu is in the air. Every TV news show and every radio program or newspaper seems to have some mention of its spread. Don’t touch! Have no human contact! You don’t want to get sick.

There is some wisdom in this. As diseases spread, we must take reasonable cautions to guard ourselves and our loved ones from sickness and disease.

But what about at church?

Are we to avoid shaking hands, or even stay away from the Body and Blood of Christ for fear of harm to ourselves or others? Here are a few thoughts to keep in mind as we move forward in faith and trust:

1. God would not command us to take eat, and drink in order to harm us. “In Him we live and move and have our being,” as St. Paul reminds us. God is greater than a virus. He who numbers the hairs on our heads (Matthew 6) will not command us to do something in order to hurt us.

2. It is not “tempting God” to trust HIs Word that we receive His body and blood for the forgiveness of sins.

3. The Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta has said on more than one occasion that the use of the chalice is actually more sanitary than individual cups. If you are not convinced or if this continues to cause you concern, by all means receive from the individual cup instead. [ed: When I wrote this article I couldn't find my reference on this one. I am very happy to be corrected if I'm wrong on it.]

4. There is a greater chance of communicating a disease through a handshake than through the Sacrament of the Altar.

5. If you cannot in good conscience receive the Sacrament because you are afraid, then don’t. I will be more than happy to commune you privately, if that is your wish.

6. I am also happy to receive a “holy wave” after church instead of a handshake, if you prefer.

7. There is something to be said for “sharing our mutual woes”, as the hymn exclaims. Bearing one another’s burdens is part and parcel to being a Christian. This is not an excuse to be foolish or unsanitary, but neither should we be afraid of each other.

Those are my thoughts on the subject right now. I am happy to speak with anyone about it if that would be helpful. God be with you this season, and stay healthy AND forgiven!

Pastor Peperkorn

(This was originally posted at I Trust When Dark My Road. I won’t normally cross-post, but this is an obvious exception. -TAP)

The wait is finally over!

Nearly three years after I began the process of writing this book, it is now available for free download. The free print version will be available sometime in mid-late July. It is at the printer as we speak.

I would urge you to go to the website listed below and order as many copies as they will let you or as many as you need. then download the book and start to get a sense of it. I am very excited and anxious to hear your thoughts on this, and I pray it will serve as a blessing to the Church.

I would especially like to thank Maggie Karner, Al Dobnia, Sarah M. Shafer, Philip Hendricksen, and the entire staff at LCMS World Relief and Human Care for their kindness and work in helping this project come to fruition. They are a wonderful group of people!

So check it out and let me know what you think.

In Christ
Pastor Todd Peperkorn
Author
I Trust When Dark My Road: A Lutheran View of Depression

To request your complimentary copy, call 800-248-1930, ext. 1380.

Messiah Lutheran Church

Kenosha, Wisconsin

Rev. Todd A. Peperkorn

St. Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist

September 21, 2008

Matthew 9:9-13

For an audio MP3 of this sermon, CLICK HERE

TITLE: “Follow Me”

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen. Our text for this morning, the Feast of St. Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist, is taking from St. Matthew chapter nine, the words of our Lord, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Matthew 9:12-13 ESV)

It sounds so simple, doesn’t it? Follow me, Jesus said to Matthew. And Matthew the tax collector, the rich sinner, got up and followed Him. What could be simpler? What could be easier? What could be farther from the walk of our lives?

For most of us, following Jesus is not so simple. Your life, and mine, is filled with pitfalls and detours. There are temptations every single day to follow other paths, go different directions than the way of our Lord to the cross and resurrection. Even the mere act of getting to church on Sunday morning can be a huge victory in the insanity of life.

But our Lord’s voice continues to call out, follow me. Follow me through all the days of your life, Jesus says. Follow me in good times and bad. Follow me when you can’t see your nose in front of your face. Follow me when things are so messed up, so confused and disjointed, that you don’t know why you’re here or who you are. Follow me, sinners. Follow me, cheaters, adulterers, fornicators, thieves, murderers, gossips, lustful ones, vengeful ones, hateful ones. Follow me, one and all.

Follow me, Jesus says, and I will make all things new. Follow me and you will go through water and death. Follow me and be refreshed in the journey on my own body and blood. Follow me and you will find rest for your weary soul. Follow me and you will see the light of a new dawn. Follow me and you will have companionship and a true friend in the darkest hours of your life. Follow me and you will reach the goal of your journey, eternal life with God and with all the saints forever. Follow me.

Another word for follower is the word, disciple. And connected to that word we find another word, discipline. The Lord disciplines those He loves, says Proverbs 34. I think that’s what is really so hard about following Jesus. It means trust, or faith if you prefer. It means trusting that when things happen to you, and things always happen to you, that God means it for good even if the devil, the world and our sinful nature mean it for evil. That’s hard to see, isn’t it? Following Jesus is easy when everything is good. But when there’s a death, a loss, a heartache, a sickness, no job, no money, or worse still, when you’ve screwed up so bad you don’t know how to get out of it, when these things happen, then following Jesus isn’t so appealing.

You can be sure that St. Matthew thought this very thing many times in his life as a disciple. Today we remember St. Matthew, apostle and evangelist. Our text portrays the picture of a rich man picking himself up, leaving his old life behind, and following Jesus. We know that the road of Matthew wasn’t always one of faith to faith, victory to victory. Matthew, like the rest of the followers, the disciples, forsook Jesus at the cross. The road of this disciple wasn’t clear or easy. But our Lord picked him up, forgave him, set him apart as an apostle, and used a poor sinner like Matthew to bring the Gospel to generations not yet born.

Now if God can lead a sinner like Matthew to death and resurrection, He can do so for you, dearly baptized. The road that Matthew trod is the road of many sinner/saints throughout the ages. It is the road of Ezekiel and Isaiah. It is the road of apostles, martyrs, prophets, common Christians and mighty kings. It’s the road that your grandparents took, and theirs before them. This road, the road of salvation through the dead of Jesus, is well worn. Jesus has gone there before us, and He leads the way. In a way, we could look at this road to have as a victory parade. Jesus is at the head, and he carries the banner or your salvation to death and the other side, so that you know what’s coming.

Follow me, Jesus says. One writer (Dietrich Bonhoeffer) put it this way, “When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die. …” Our Lord did not call the self-righteous to follow him. He called sinners, you and me. He calls you now to a better life. The life of discipleship, to which He calls you, is better, not because you won’t have troubles on the way. It isn’t an easier life, not in that sense. It is better because you are on the right road. It is the road of God. It is the road of salvation.

You can be on the most beautiful, paved road in the world. But if the road leads you to hell, it’s not so great of a road, is it? Lutheran pastor Bonhoeffer also said this, “If you board the wrong train, it is no use running along the corridor in the other direction.”

Follow me, Jesus says. Repent. Turn away from your sinful path, your road of brokenness which leads only to perdition. Follow me, Jesus says, and I will see you through to eternal life. Follow me, and you will live forever. Follow me, Jesus says, take up your cross, and I will never leave you nor forsake you. Follow me. Believe it for Jesus’ sake. Amen.

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, guard your hearts and minds in true faith, unto life everlasting. Amen.