Rev. Tucher

This year is officially over. Vacation begins tomorrow. I’m trying to remember what I wrote down but I believe these are the official numbers for 2007.

Sermons: 30 (remember, I preach about 2x/month)

Baptisms: 11 (including my niece!)

Funerals: 9 8

Again, I think these are the right numbers, but I’ll have to check when I get back to the office in a week. This pastor is going on vacation/celebrating his 2nd anniversary with his wife. See you when I get back, next year…

Update: I corrected the number of funerals in 2007.

It’s not as bad as you think it is. When it was first announced, I was really looking forward to it. The “it” I’m referring to is the iPhone. It was disappointing to hear that the iPhone was only on the Cingular/ATT network. When I was in Orlando, I got to go to the mall to an Apple Store where I got to play with an iPhone, even it was very brief. It was what everyone said it was. Unfortunately, two things kept me from actually getting an iPhone. The first: the price. When it came out, I didn’t have the money to get either type of iPhone. The second: Cingular/ATT don’t make it out in Wyoming. So in the end, I was disappointed because I saw it, wanted it, couldn’t have it.

That meant that I had to stick with my recently upgraded phone, the Motorola KRZR. The next time I can upgrade will be December 2008, only a year from now.

Then I saw something else I coveted even more. It was the LG Voyager by Verizon. Why did I covet this? The answer is simple: this phone is actually available on MY network! The only problem: it’s pricey and I can’t upgrade free or cheap yet. So, until then, I will have to continue to covet the Voyager.

Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, amen.  The text for the sermon this morning is the Epistle which was read earlier.

Just as I said it would, it happened.  The day after Christmas, Gwen and I were out doing some running around town.  As we were putting our dog in the kitchen, we turned on the radio for him.  Christmas music had been replaced with rock and roll again.  Even the Christian radio stations have put Christmas music back in the box and have started playing its contemporary Christian music.  Wal-Mart and K-Mart have taken what Christmas items they have and have reduced them to 50% off to get rid of all signs of Christmas.  Fortunately for us, Christmas doesn’t just last the one day.  We have 12 days of Christmas that we celebrate in the Church Year.  So to all those that have put Christmas out of their minds already, I tell you Merry Christmas, children.  I’m not speaking to just the little kids but to all of you because you are all children of God.  Believe it or not, Christmas is for children.  It’s all about children.  It was told to the shepherds, “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.  And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”  In our text for today, St. Paul records that God sent forth His Son, born of a woman.  That Son, that Baby, was more than any shepherds could ever imagine.  That Son, that Baby, is more than any of us could imagine.

This little Child would bring forth deliverance from sin and death.  Imagine if I told you that the next child you would have would save all of mankind from their sins.  What would you say?  What would you do?  I imagine that you would probably laugh.  I’m sure that I would too.  But when the angel told this to Mary, all she could respond with was, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.”

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I couldn’t believe the story when I read it.  Who would have thought that an argument over a remote control could be such a “pointed” issue?  Sorry, I know, a very bad pun.  Regardless, check out the story here.

Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, amen.  The text for the sermon is the Gospel, which was read earlier.

The angel who announced the birth of Jesus to the shepherds on the fields of Bethlehem was a messenger of few words: “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy that will be for all the people.  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.  And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 

The first Christmas sermon was a marvel of simplicity.  In these simple words, everything that needed to be said was said.  The sweet simplicity of Christmas and the Christmas Gospel has been lost somewhere along the way.

Listen to the words of the angel again.  “And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”  That is where you will find Jesus.  You won’t find Him within the royal splendor of Jerusalem, but in the lowly unpleasantness and filth of Bethlehem.  You won’t find Him in the palace of a king, but in a small Judean cattle cave.  You won’t find Him in the incense perfumed presence of the high priest, but in the company of smelly shepherds and in the dense aroma of a cow barn.

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Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, amen. The text for the sermon this morning comes from the Gospel, which was read earlier.

The wait is almost over. Soon will be the big day. Everything is falling into place. Everything is going just as planned. Just a little more time of waiting and Mary and Joseph will be married. However, one problem just arose and it’s not a small problem either. Mary, Joseph’s wife-to-be is pregnant. What’s worse: it’s not Joseph’s Child! There is one thing and one thing only to do: divorce her quietly. While not married technically yet, they were married in the eyes of God because of their betrothal. For Mary to have sexual relations with another man before she had them with her husband-to-be was inconceivable. The only way to make this right would be to divorce her so that she can become betrothed to the father of her Child and then marry him. Joseph was a righteous and just man. This meant that Joseph was one who observed divine and human laws. Like everyone else, Joseph was far from perfect, but as a child of God he had used the law of God as a rule by which to live his life, to express his thankfulness for God’s blessings. Joseph knew what the law of God said about unfaithfulness on the part of a wife, but at the same time he was concerned about the welfare of Mary. He could have brought their situation before the proper authorities and demanded that the law take its course. According to Deuteronomy 22, the life of Mary, and ultimately Jesus, could have been in jeopardy if Joseph had wanted to press the issue; yet Joseph showed a deep concern for Mary. We see that concern for Mary in that Joseph thought long and hard about what to do, for both his sake and for Mary and the Child.

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Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God, our Father, and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, amen. The text for the sermon this morning is the Gospel, which was read earlier.

“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” This is the message which I heard one summer in downtown Indianapolis. Some friends of mine and I spent the day taking in some free concerts put on by one of the local radio stations. As we were walking around the downtown Indy Circle, we came across a man who had a cross about 7 foot tall handing out end times pamphlets. His message, which he was shouting to any and all who were in earshot was the same message which John the Baptist was preaching in the wilderness of Judea: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

How is one to repent? What is it that they are supposed to do? What does it mean to repent?

We normally think of repenting as being sorry for our sins. This is true enough, but there’s more depth to it than that. To “repent” in the Greek means literally to “change one’s mind.” You can see the obvious: when you repent of sin, you’re saying, “I thought it was a good thing, but now I know it’s not.” That’s a repentant mind-change that happens only by the grace of God. But again, there’s a greater depth to repentance because there’s a greater depth to sin. When John calls the people to repent, he is calling them to repent of all of their misconceptions and wrong ideas about the Savior. If they have the wrong idea of who the Savior is supposed to be, then they’re not going to like the Savior for who He truly is. If they’re looking for the wrong things in a Messiah, then they’re not going to recognize Him when He makes His appearance. Remember, John the Baptist is called by God to prepare the way of the Lord. He therefore prepares the people by teaching them the true nature of their sinfulness, so that they see the need for the Savior; and he prepares them by teaching them who the Savior is, and what He will do.

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Last night in our Elders meeting, we read in Luther’s Large Catechism the First Article.  (LLC II:20-21)

“I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.”

It would take many words to describe in detail how few there are who believe this article.  For all of us skim over it, hear it, and recite it without recognizing and considering what duty and privilege this article lays upon us.  If we could believe it with our whole heart, then we would also act accordingly and would not so proudly strut about, insolently pluming ourselves as though we ourselves had produced our life, wealth, power, honor, and the like, and as though others must therefore fear and serve us.  This the world’s perverse, wicked way; drowned in its blindness, it misused all the good gifts of God solely to serve its pride, greed, pleasure, and enjoyment, not even giving God so much as a thought, a word of thanks, or an acknowledgement that He is Lord and Creator.

How appropriate is it now, as we celebrate our Savior’s birth?

 You decide.

(Photo courtesy of The Gillette News Record)

A new book has just recently been released by Concordia Publishing House entitled, Women Pastors? The Ordination of Women in Biblical Lutheran Perspective. Below is the product description from CPH:

As the ordination of women becomes more commonplace, it is important for all faithful Lutherans, clergy and laity alike, to be able to articulate why, because of the teachings of Holy Scripture, women should not be ordained as pastors. This book offers a rich variety of essays on this topic from the past century up to the present time, responding to the practice of placing women in the church’s pastoral ministry.

There are over twenty essays in this volume, representing Lutheran churches throughout the world. The essays are divided into four sections: Biblical studies, historical studies, doctrinal studies and practical studies.

Anders Nygren, a Lutheran theologian from the Church of Sweden, said prophetically after his church adopted the ordination of women as pastors, “This decision not only means a determination of the specific issue concerning female pastors, but, I am convinced, also means that our church has now shifted into a previously unknown path heading in the direction of Gnosticism and the Schwaermerei. . . I must declare my deep sorrow regarding the decision and give notice of my reservation over the same.”

Just how far this direction of Gnosticism and Enthusiasm has progressed in Lutheran churches that ordain women to be pastors is now quite apparent in Sweden, and elsewhere, where there are now blessings of same-sex unions and the ordination of practicing homosexuals.

The ordination of women as pastors is at the very center of the Lutheran Church’s struggle to retain a faithful view of the Holy Scriptures as the Word of God.

“Years ago, C.S. Lewis said that should the Church opt to ordain women, it would very quickly find that it had brought about a whole new religion. . . . His words have an uncanny prescience to them. Perhaps it is time to step back, reexamine what we have done, and if honesty requires us to say that we have done wrong, begin the necessary correction of the course.” from the essay in the book, How My Mind Has Changed, by Rev. Louis A. Smith, ELCA pastor

I have not had a chance to purchase this yet, though it is now on my “To Read” list. The price for this is $26.99 and is currently available. To order, contact CPH at 1-800-325-3040.