Caring for our Lord’s Body and Blood

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I am giving a presentation tomorrow (Saturday) at an elder’s retreat hosted by Grace Lutheran Church in Racine, and attended by the elders of Grace (and their pastors) and yours truly along with a couple of my elders.  Pastor Tom Chryst from Grace  has asked me to give a presentation of the care and practices surrounding the Lord’s Supper.  Here is my “map” of what I am going to present.  It will be about 2 hours, so it is obviously an overview not an in depth presentation.

caringforourlordsbodyandblood.pdf

What do you think?  Am I missing anything?

-LL

No Separation (New Years’ Eve, 2010)

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New Year’s Eve
Messiah Lutheran Church
Kenosha, Wisconsin
Rev. Todd A. Peperkorn, STM
December 31, 2010
Romans 8:31b–39

New Year’s Eve 2010

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[I usually do the Eve of the Name of Jesus for this service, but I was drawn to this text.  -Peperkorn]

TITLE: “No Separation”

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. Our text for tonight is from the Epistle just read from Romans chapter eight. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:38-39).

It is appropriate that we take a little time and sit back to evaluate the year. Psalm 90 actually does a pretty good job of that for us, as we prayed it earlier. No matter how each day goes, or week, or month or year, we are one step closer to the grave. We may die soon, or it may be years from now, but either way, the death rate for human beings remains constant at 100%. Everybody, everybody dies.

But what’s more, as Psalm 90 reminds us, this 100% death rate is nobody’s fault but our own. Oh sure, our sinful nature is inherited, but that does not make us any less responsible for our own actions. So when it comes to evaluations, it is very easy for us as Christians to become pretty negative. If we measure our behavior according to the Law, we will never measure up. That’s what the Law does. It shows us our sin.

What I want you to do tonight is to do a different kind of evaluating and measuring tonight. I want you to sit back and measure God’s mercy to you this past year. Look back at all of the challenges and heartaches you faced this last year. What was the toughest road you walked? What was the thing that happened to you, or that you did, that you did not think you would get out of? Debt? Job loss? Family problems? Health loss? I’m sure there are some of you here tonight who are of the mind that 2010 can’t get behind you fast enough. But I want you to reflect on this for a minute.

Paul gets us into the groove of this in Romans. He starts us by asking the simple question, “If God be for us, who can be against us?” If God didn’t spare His own Son, but gave Him over to death for us, that does put things in perspective, doesn’t it? So not only does Paul tell us that God gave over His Son for us, but this means that no one can accuse you of anything, ever. Oh we still sin, that’s not the point. But the point is, with God on your side, every day is a new beginning. No one can charge you. No one else can keep score or evaluate you and see how much you have failed. If God doesn’t hold your sins against you, who else really matters?

Now Paul fully recognizes that challenges we face here in this life. Tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, danger, the sword, just to name a few. Our life is one of slowly dying, so it should not surprise us that these things keep coming up. But you can look at these things as but one more nail in your coffin, or you can look at them as one more evidence that God is always present with you. Which perspective do you think is going to be better, and more true for the Christian?

That is why Paul concludes with those great words. They are worth repeating here,

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.[1]

Satan can’t harm you. Nothing today can hurt you. Death can’t defeat you. There is nothing, nothing in all of creation that can separate you from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. How’s that for perspective? 2010 was another year of dying. But more importantly, 2010 was another year of God’s grace and mercy shown to sinners like you and I. He gives Himself to you wholly, completely, and without fail. He will always care for you. No matter what may happen. So bring it on, 2011, we have God Himself on our side. What can man do to you? In the name of Jesus. Amen.

[1] Lutheran Service Book Historic (One Year) Lectionary. 2009. Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

And now the peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in true faith to life everlasting. Amen.

Perspective (Christmas 1, 2010)

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Todd A. Peperkorn, STM
Messiah Lutheran Church
Kenosha, Wisconsin
Christmas 1 (December 26, 2010)
Luke 2:22-40

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TITLE: “Perspective”

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. Our text for this morning is from Luke 2, with focus on the words from Leviticus, “My eyes have seen your salvation.”

The Bible is always talking about how you look at things. Each one of us has a perspective, a way of looking at the world which is unique to us. Now many of these perspectives are good, and oftentimes they even make us who we are. Sometimes when you look at something, you think its funny, even if no one else gets it! It’s a part of the way you look at the world. It’s a part of what makes you human.

There was another man who had a perspective on things. His name was Simeon. He was, by many accounts, an old man. He was what the Israelites of Jesus’ day called “righteous.” That means he placed his hope in the coming of the Messiah, who would be the consolation of Israel.

Simeon spent his time in the Temple in Jerusalem. We might call it the church. This was where the people of God gathered for sacrifice and prayer and thanksgiving. It was the center of their worship life. This Temple was over seventeen acres in size, so we’re not talking about a little country church here. It was massive, and but the looks of things, if God was going to be anywhere, it would be in a big, impressive place like Herod’s Temple.

So there sat Simeon, waiting for the consolation of Israel. He was looking for something. Or more accurately, he was looking for someone, he was looking for the Messiah. He had been waiting, along with Anna the prophetess, for a very long time. For Simeon knew, because the Holy Spirit had revealed it to him, he knew that God was going to send one who would come and save His people from their sins. And so he waited. And waited. And waited. Many people had given up waiting on God. But God, as St. Paul reminds us today, works in the fullness of time. God works when and where He wills, and when He determines that things are right as they need to be, then that is when it will be so.

Into the picture came Jesus. He was forty days old, and H

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is mother and step-father came to present Him at the Temple. When Simeon saw this little baby, He knew that the time had come. God had revealed the Messiah to him in the person of the infant Jesus. So Simeon took our Lord into His arms, and said “Lord, now you are letting your servant go in peace, according to your Word, for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people. A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.”

It’s all about perspective, dear friends in Christ. It’s all about how you look at things. For the people of Jesus’ day, most of them saw a little baby from a poor family. They couldn’t even afford a lamb for the sacrifice, so they had to bring two turtledoves! They were the lower element in society. But it was not so for Simeon. What he saw when he held the infant Jesus in his arms was God in the flesh. He saw the salvation of God come down to visit His people. Simeon saw in that little child life itself, eternal life for him and for all of the people of God.

So then let’s ask the question: what do you see when you come to church? Do you see a pretty building with lovely flowers and a manger scene? Do you see people you know and don’t know, like and don’t like? Do you see Laws and obligations and trials? When you come to this place, what do you see? God wants you to see what Simeon saw according to the Word of God. God wants you to see with your ears, if you can believe it. For looks can be deceiving. What your eyes see is sinners, brick and mortar, bread and wine. But what you see by faith in this place is far, far greater. For with Simeon, here you see the very Word made flesh for you. Jesus says to you this day, This is my body, this is my blood, given for the forgiveness of your sins. What you see here in this place is no less than the very gate of heaven, and eternal life coming into your flesh and blood.

Hard to believe, isn’t it? It’s hard to believe that anyone would stay away from such a place, isn’t it? Can you imagine knowing that the almighty God is coming down by His Word to this very place, and not coming? Yet that is sadly what often happens. We all make decisions about whether to come to church or not, whether to make it a priority or not.

But rather than blast away with the Law, God gently and continually comes down to this place. Day after day, week after week, year after year he comes. He comes for you. He comes to forgive your sins and to carry you home to be with Him in heaven. His love and patience knows no bounds.

This is one of the many reasons why our Lord came to earth as a little baby. He does not want you to be afraid of Him, but to take Him into your lap and, if you will, make Him a part of your family. For our Lord longs to be with you, to take your sins into Himself, and for you to worship Him as He truly is.

This Christmastide we remember the saints of old like Simeon and Anna and all the others in these familiar stories who had perspective. Here in the church, it is not simply a matter of diversity and differences of opinion. It is the difference between the perspective of faith and of unbelief. God grant you the perspective to see what is truly important in your life, and to look with the eyes of Simeon. For your eyes have seen His salvation in the person of Jesus Christ, the infant God.

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

Lover of Humanity (Christmas Eve Lessons and Carols 2010)

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Todd A. Peperkorn, STM
Messiah Lutheran Church
Kenosha, Wisconsin
Christmas Eve Lessons and Carols (Dec. 24, 2010)

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TITLE: “Lover of Humanity”

God loves to be with His people. We fascinate Him. This fascination is not the fascination of a scientist, performing experiments upon us to see how we behave. Nor is His fascination like going to a circus or some kind of horror show. There are some things, or people, we are fascinated with because they are so bizarre or so wrong that we can’t tear our eyes away from them. It is no accident that movies of war and disaster and heartache are so popular. They are popular because we love to play the social scientist or the crowd at the zoo or the voyeur on other’s pain.

But when it really comes down to it, by nature you and I want to run away from actual people and their problems. It is easy to become modern monks and nuns, hiding away in ghettos of our own making. It is easy to talk about love and happiness and peace and joy this season, as long as it is on our own terms. If I am going to be a philanthropist, if I am going to be a lover of humanity, then it has to be on my turf. I don’t want to love all of humanity. I want to love humanity if it is safe, if it doesn’t inconvenience me overmuch. I want to love humanity in a way that doesn’t affect my budget. I do not want to love humanity if it puts me or the ones that I really love in danger. I will love humanity if it doesn’t mean actually dealing with people and their problems.

Let’s face it, our love may be deep for one, shallow for another. Our love is imperfect, frail and weak. The millstone of sin still hangs upon us, keeping us from loving as we ought, even in this most holy of seasons.

But unlike you and I, God loves to be with His people. Even with our weaknesses. Even with our rebellion and shallow plastic love. Despite all of our shortcomings and sins, God loves to be with you. His love for you is such that He comes to be with you in a way that no one could really fathom. He comes to you helpless as a little child. Who could fear a God like that? He comes to you to take on your slavery so that you might be free.

Where we run away, God jumps in. God jumps right into your life. He jumps into broken marriages and messed up families. He jumps into the prisons and the bars of our own making. He enters into the cancers and heart attacks and strokes and pains that only you and He can truly know. He jumps right in, wades through this muck and gunk, and says to you, “Here I am! Don’t be afraid.”

What kind of a God is that? This God, the God of love, the God who loves you, the God who takes on your flesh and blood, He comes here to save you from sin, death and the power of the devil. St. Paul put it this way,

“For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” (Titus 3:3–7 ESV)

This is a night of rejoicing. Christ has come to you as one of you. He has come to pour out His love for you. The Word was made flesh and now gives that flesh of Himself to you on the altar. God loves to be with His people, and you are His people, the sheep of His pasture. You are His family. Rejoice with the angels and shepherds and sinners this night. God loves you dearly. Believe it for Jesus’ sake. Amen.

And now the peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in true faith until life everlasting. Amen.

Christmas Pastor Widows

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Every Chirstmastide I am struck by how much I “check out” during the month of December.  It seems like once Thanksgiving sets in, I am just not there for my family.  Some Advent and Christmastides are better than others, of course, but it is always true.

All of which makes me more and more amazed at my wife, Kathryn, and all pastor’s wives.  This is the most intensely family oriented season of the year, and I always feel like I am just gone.  I’m either physically gone, or mentally and emotionally gone.  On top of that, many pastor’s wives will have responsibilities with Sunday School, elementary schools, altar guild, choir, organ, and all of the many other things that happen during December.

I know that there are many vocations where one or the other of the spouses are gone during family seasons. Pastors are not unique in having a busy season of the year.   But this Christmastide, might I suggest that you give your pastor’s wife a hug (or maybe a gift certificate for a pedicure or something else) and tell her how much you appreciate the support she gives to her spouse?  They are worth far more than rubies and gold.

-LL