Confident.Faith

Readings Psalm 41 Daniel 4:1–37 Revelation 21:1–8 Apology of the Augsburg Confession XXVIII:11–14

Readings Psalm 39 Psalm 38 Daniel 3:1–30 Revelation 20:1–15 Apology of the Augsburg Confession XXVIII:6–10 Commemoration Today we commemorate Clement of Rome, Pastor. An early father of the Church, Clement lived in the first century AD and helped to establish the pattern of apostolic authority that governed the Early Church. In a letter to the Christians in Corinth, Clement emphasized that Christ must remain at the center of our faith: “Let us fix our eyes on the blood of Christ, realizing how precious it is to His Father, since it was poured out for our salvation and brought the grace of repentance to the whole world.” Clement helped to lay the foundation upon which the Western Church would be built. He is commemorated for his steadfast love and perseverance in the faith. Clement of Rome was martyred in approximately AD 100 by drowning.

Readings Psalm 111 Psalm 92 Daniel 2:24–49 Revelation 19:1–21 Apology of the Augsburg Confession XXVIII:1–5

Readings Malachi 3:13–18 Psalm 46 Colossians 1:13–20 Luke 23:27–43

Readings Psalm 114 Psalm 16 Daniel 2:1–23 Revelation 18:1–24 Apology of the Augsburg Confession XXVII:64–69

Readings Psalm 118 Daniel 1:1–21 Matthew 28:1–20 Apology of the Augsburg Confession XXVII:57–63

Readings Psalm 20 Psalm 18 Jeremiah 38:1–28 Matthew 27:57–66 Apology of the Augsburg Confession XXVII:47–56

Readings Psalm 22 Jeremiah 37:1–21 Matthew 27:33–56 Apology of the Augsburg Confession XXVII:40–46

Readings Psalm 148 Jeremiah 33:1–22 Matthew 27:11–32 Apology of the Augsburg Confession XXVII:34–39

Readings Psalm 54 Psalm 139 Jeremiah 31:1–34 Matthew 27:1–10 Apology of the Augsburg Confession XXVII:28–33

Readings Psalm 51 Jeremiah 30:1–24 Matthew 26:57–75 Apology of the Augsburg Confession XXVII:24–27

Readings Malachi 3:13–18 Psalm 46 Colossians 1:13–20 Luke 23:27–43

Readings Psalm 53 Psalm 55 Jeremiah 29:1–19 Matthew 26:36–56 Apology of the Augsburg Confession XXVII:18–23 Commemoration Today we commemorate Emperor Justinian, Christian Ruler and Confessor of Christ. Emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire from AD 527 to AD 565, Justinian oversaw a renaissance during which an empire long in decline briefly resurged. Under his leadership, the Roman Empire retook North Africa, Italy, and Spain. However, Justinian is primarily remembered for his codification of Roman law (a basis of many systems to this day) and his staunch defense of and support for the Christian faith.

Readings Psalm 116 Psalm 50 Jeremiah 26:1–19 Matthew 26:20–35 Apology of the Augsburg Confession XXVII:11–17

Readings Psalm 137 Psalm 130 Jeremiah 25:1–18 Matthew 26:1–19 Apology of the Augsburg Confession XXVII:9–10

Readings Psalm 143 Psalm 105 Jeremiah 23:21–40 Matthew 25:31–46 Apology of the Augsburg Confession XXVII:1–8 Commemoration Today we commemorate Martin of Tours, Pastor. Born into a pagan family in what is today Hungary, Martin grew up in Lombardy, Italy. Converting to Christianity in his youth, Martin initially served in the Roman military, but later left the military to become a monk — referring to himself as “Christ’s soldier”. Martin went on to become Bishop of Tours in Gaul (modern France), and is remembered for his simple lifestyle and his dedication to spreading the Gospel throughout rural Gaul.

Readings Psalm 24 Psalm 25 Jeremiah 23:1–20 Matthew 25:14–30 Apology of the Augsburg Confession XXIV:96–99

Readings Psalm 147 Jeremiah 22:1–23 Matthew 25:1–13 Apology of the Augsburg Confession XXIV:89–95 Commemoration Today we commemorate the birth of Martin Chemnitz, Pastor and Confessor. Known as “the other Martin”, Martin Chemnitz stands as, aside from Martin Luther, the most important theologian in the history of the Lutheran Church. When disagreements arose in the wake of Luther’s death, it was Chemnitz who became the driving force behind the Formula of Concord, which restored unity. Among his many works, the four-volume Examination of the Council of Trent stands as one of Chemnitz’s greatest works; in the Examen, Chemnitz subjected the teachings of the Roman church to Scripture and to the Church Fathers — Rome has never responded.

Readings Psalm 143 Psalm 144 Jeremiah 20:1–18 Matthew 24:29–51 Apology of the Augsburg Confession XXIV:78–88 Commemoration Today we commemorate Johannes von Staupitz, Luther’s Father Confessor. Vicar-General of the Augustinian order in Germany, Johannes von Staupitz was born in Saxony. Called in 1503, by Frederick the Wise, to serve as dean of the theological faculty at the newly established University of Wittenberg, von Staupitz would go on to encourage Luther to obtain his doctorate in theology and to appoint Luther to be his successor as professor of Bible at Wittenberg. It was von Staupitz who counseled Luther early on in Luther’s life, when Luther was an Augustinian monk struggling with the idea of God’s grace, to focus not upon himself but upon Christ.

Readings Psalm 121 Psalm 135 Jeremiah 11:1–23 Matthew 24:1–28 Apology of the Augsburg Confession XXIV:68–77

Readings Exodus 3:1–15 Psalm 148 2 Thessalonians 2:1–8, 13–17 Luke 20:27–40

Readings Psalm 118 Jeremiah 8:18—9:12 Matthew 23:13–39 Apology of the Augsburg Confession XXIV:60–67

Zechariah 11 — Malachi 4 Zechariah 11 through Malachi 4

Readings Psalm 38 Jeremiah 7:1–29 Matthew 23:1–12 Apology of the Augsburg Confession XXIV:52–59

Zechariah 1:18–10:12 Zechariah 1:18 through 10:12

Readings Psalm 110 Psalm 108 Jeremiah 5:1–19 Matthew 22:23–46 Apology of the Augsburg Confession XXIV:41–51

Habakkuk 3:1 — Zechariah 1:17 Habakkuk 3:1 through Zechariah 1:17

Readings Psalm 15 Psalm 26 Jeremiah 3:6—4:2 Matthew 22:1–22 Apology of the Augsburg Confession XXIV:35–40

Readings Psalm 118 Jeremiah 1:1–19 Matthew 21:23–46 Apology of the Augsburg Confession XXIV:30–34 Feast Today we celebrate the Feast of All Saints’ Day. As Easter celebrates the resurrection of Christ, so All Saints’ Day celebrates the resurrection of all those who believe in Him. On this day, we contemplate the scope and scale of Christ’s work — winning for His Kingdom men, women, and children from every tribe and nation. We are, indeed, surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses. It is such resurrection that allows us to confess that “the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed”. Today we celebrate with the entire Church catholic the coming eternal Kingdom and the consummation of all things.

Readings Revelation 7:2–17 Psalm 149 1 John 3:1–3 Matthew 5:1–12 Homily Transcript We do not commonly use seals these days (at least outside the legal profession and certain hobbies, and, even then, they are still rare), and so it is worth mentioning what a seal actually is. The word used here in the Greek is σφραγις — a combination of sounds that is not particularly pleasing to the English ear, but the Greeks are another people, and other peoples are, indeed, other, and have different sensibilities. At any rate, a σφραγις (I will go back to calling it a seal) has two core meanings: first, the instrument (often a ring) used to make a seal and, second, the seal itself. Figuratively, then, it may be anything that confirms or authenticates. When a man seals something, he is affirming that the contents are as he intends or he is asserting ownership. Such seals are still used by some of us who write physical letters. Now, some may immediately think of the opening of Romans (among other parts of Scripture): Παυλος δουλος Χριστου Ιησου — Paul, a servant (or slave) of Christ Jesus. This is a good instinct, but there is a nuance here that must be highlighted: Letters, for examples, are sealed — σφραγιζω, σφραγις; slaves, for example, are branded — στιγματιζω, στιγμα. Yes, Galatians 6:17: εγο γαρ τα στιγματατου Ιησου — ”From now on let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.“ —, but that is a topic of another time. The two — the seal and the brand — are related. We are, of course, slaves of God, for that is one of the senses of δουλος, but we are certainly more than that, for we are called sons (and daughters) of God, and so Revelation speaks of the mark on the forehead (a place where one might brand, for example, a runaway slave — a fugitivus [from which we get “fugitive”]) not as brand, but as seal. But what is this seal? We know that a seal is a mark of ownership (this is obvious enough from the passage even without knowing anything of etymology, et cetera), and so the question is: When does God mark us as one claimed by Him in Christ? Again, the passage itself gives us (most of) the answer: “I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.“ There is only one ceremonial washing in which all Christians participate: Holy Baptism. Those who deny that Baptism is a Sacrament will simply prove incapable of exegeting this passage. The seal is placed by God, not by men. Now, some will try to contend that faith itself is the seal, but faith is the thing sealed, not the seal, for it is faith that distinguishes you as one claimed by Christ, and Baptism is the seal of that faith. It is in the waters of Baptism that you are washed in the blood of the Lamb and your dirty, sin-stained rags are transformed into white robes. Never let anyone — be it by foolishness or by malice — rob you of the truth of what Baptism is and what Baptism does: In your Baptism, God reached down from Heaven and sealed you as His child, redeemed and washed clean. There are those who will grasp at the fact that a minister did the actual sprinkling, pouring, immersing, or submersing, and say that that man baptized you and not God. Granted, the hands of a man poured the water over you or immersed you into the water. What of it? Who seals the saints in our passage from Revelation? Angels, acting on behalf and at the command of God. Would anyone deny that these saints are sealed by God Himself? Certainly no Christian would deny it. The same for Holy Baptism. What the hands of the agent do at the command of the principal is done by the hands of the principal himself. Your pastor or your father did not baptize you — God did. The same as I can say: Your sins are forgiven. In fact, I can — and certainly would — go beyond this privately. In private, I can very well say: Ego te absolvo. — I absolve you, I forgive your sins. To be absolutely clear: I am not doing so here and I will never do so publicly, for I hold to Article XIV: Niemand in der Kirche öffentlich lehren oder predigen oder Sakramente reichen soll ohne ordentlichen Beruf. — No one should publicly in the Church teach or preach or administer the Sacraments without a rightly ordered call. I am not a pastor, and, absent a rather large fish (or whatever the Appalachian equivalent is — I assume Bigfoot), I never will be one. It is your pastor’s duty to absolve you in the gathered congregation, and when he does so he speaks with the voice of God. Similarly, the man who baptized you did so with and as God’s hands. What then of those who are never baptized? First, I must address the spirit that all too often underlies such questions. When God gives a command, it is a sinful impulse to look for exceptions. God commands us to baptize all nations (yes, including the infants — hence all), and He commands you to be baptized. Second, I will address the actua

Readings Psalm 150 Psalm 147 Deuteronomy 34:1–12 Matthew 21:1–22 Apology of the Augsburg Confession XXIV:27–29 Feast Today we celebrate the Feast of All Souls’ Day. All Souls’ Day is the first of two days in the season of Allhallowtide (which began yesterday on Halloween). Where All Saints’ Day is a joyous celebration of the resurrection of all who believe in Christ, All Souls’ Day is a somber contemplation of sin and mortality. The Festival of All Souls’ Day is rightly observed with fasting and prayer, both as individual Christians and as Christian nations.

Micah 5 — Habakkuk 2 Micah 5 through Habakkuk 2

Readings Revelation 7:2–17 Psalm 149 1 John 3:1–3 Matthew 5:1–12

Readings Psalm 46 Psalm 115 Deuteronomy 32:28–52 Matthew 20:17–34 Apology of the Augsburg Confession XXIV:22–26 Festival Today we celebrate the festival of Reformation Day and the beginning of the three-day season of Allhallowtide (also known as Halloween). On 31 October 1517, an Augustinian monk nailed ninety-five theses, points for discussion, to the door of Castle Church in Wittenberg. Dr. Martin Luther did not, at the time, intend a break with the Roman church; rather, he sought only to address a number of pressing matters, among them indulgences. Rome, however, wanted nothing of Luther’s suggested discussion, and would eventually excommunicate him, declare him a heretic, and seek his death. Refusing to compromise on the rediscovered Gospel, Luther would go on to translate the New Testament, publish numerous works, and, above all, spark a Reformation that would see the restoration of Christ’s Church, over and against the heresies of Rome. We celebrate Reformation Day in remembrance of God’s great mercy and His steadfast love, of His work through Martin Luther that rescued the Gospel, enabling us to stand and, with Luther, declare of the Truth: “Hier stehe ich — ich kann nicht anders. Gott helfe mir. Amen.” Or, in English: “Here I stand — I cannot do otherwise. God help me. Amen.”

Amos 9 — Micah 4 Amos 9 through Micah 4

Readings Psalm 90 Deuteronomy 31:30—32:27 Matthew 20:1–16 Apology of the Augsburg Confession XXIV:16–21

Amos 1–8 Amos 1 through 8

Readings Psalm 56 Psalm 58 Deuteronomy 31:1–29 Matthew 19:16–30 Apology of the Augsburg Confession XXIV:9–15

Hosea 10 — Joel 3 Hosea 10 through Joel 3

Readings Psalm 127 Psalm 132 Deuteronomy 30:1–20 Matthew 19:1–15 Apology of the Augsburg Confession XXIV:1–8

Daniel 12—Hosea 9 Daniel 12 through Hosea 9

Readings Psalm 20 Psalm 25 Deuteronomy 29:1–29 Matthew 18:21–35 Apology of the Augsburg Confession XXIII:60–71

Readings Psalm 12 Psalm 9 Deuteronomy 28:1–68 Matthew 18:1–20 Apology of the Augsburg Confession XXIII:50–59 Commemoration Today we commemorate Philipp Nicolai, Johann Heermann, and Paul Gerhardt, Hymnwriters. Philipp Nicolai was a German pastor who lived through the Great Plague, which took the lives of thirteen hundred members of his parish. Despite hardships, he contributed hymns which the Church uses to this day — among them, “Wake, Awake, for Night Is Flying” and “O Morning Star, How Fair and Bright”. Johann Heermann was a German pastor who lived through the Thirty Years’ War, and contributed a number of hymns to the corpus. Paul Gerhardt was a German pastor who also lived through the Thirty Years’ War, lost his pastoral position for refusing to compromise his beliefs, and wrote over one hundred hymns; he is regarded as one of Lutheranism’s finest hymnwriters.

Readings Psalm 93 Psalm 87 Deuteronomy 27:1–26 Matthew 17:14–27 Apology of the Augsburg Confession XXIII:40–49

Readings Revelation 14:6–7 Psalm 46 Romans 3:19–28 Matthew 11:12–19 John 8:31–36

Readings Psalm 99 Psalm 97 Deuteronomy 25:17—26:19 Matthew 17:1–13 Apology of the Augsburg Confession XXIII:28–39

Readings Psalm 107 Deuteronomy 24:10—25:10 Matthew 16:13–28 Apology of the Augsburg Confession XXIII:18–27

Readings Psalm 62 Psalm 119:137–144 Deuteronomy 21:1–23 Matthew 16:1–12 Apology of the Augsburg Confession XXIII:7–17

Readings Psalm 142 Psalm 91 Deuteronomy 20:1–20 Matthew 15:21–39 Apology of the Augsburg Confession XXIII:1–6

Readings Psalm 138 Psalm 140 Deuteronomy 19:1–21 Matthew 15:1–20 Apology of the Augsburg Confession XXII:9–17