New Year's Eve Worship

This evening, before heading to a favorite local restaurant for some ring-in-the-New-Year dessert with my daughter, I attended worship at my local church.  Since so many of my friends have never experienced a Lutheran service, I thought I might post the one from last night, New Year's Eve 2012.  Written mostly by my pastor, the order of worship follows the Divine Service closely though not exactly.  His introduction, As We Gather, provides some food for thought and a theme for the service.
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AS WE GATHER
On New Year's Eve most of us step back and take inventory of our lives.  Many of us make resolutions or decisions to improve our life in one way or another.  Tonight, however, St. Paul has us step back, way back to get the broadest view of our entire life.  The hopeful reason is that we might see not so much our feeble efforts to improve, but that, as baptized children of God, we may be increasingly convinced of God's great love.  It is great because there is nothing in our lives, our world or all of creation that can ever separate us from God's love.  With such a view of God's love in our life we are freed even more to make our resolutions since, if we happen to fail (again), it doesn't change the most important things:  the grace of God, the forgiveness of all our sins, and the gift of eternal life now and forever.

PRELUDE

OPENING HYMN:  "Now Greet the Swiftly Changing Year"

INVOCATION
Pastor:  In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
People:  Amen.

CONFESSION
Pastor:  Having come to the close of another year, we are compelled to look back upon it and to carry forward its joys and blessings into the New Year.

People:  Thank you, Lord, for the goodness You have shown to us in the year now ending.  You have blessed us in ways too numerous to count.  You have sustained us in times of trouble in ways we cannot ever fully appreciate.

(Silence for personal reflection)

Pastor:  Having come to the close of another year, we are compelled to look back upon it and to unburden ourselves before God of all that destroys our happiness and hinders our mission.

People:  Merciful Father, this has been another year of sin.  We have grieved Your heart with our rebellion in thought, word, and deed.  And even though we bear the name "Christian," we have failed to lead lives worthy of that calling.  We have not done the good things required of us in Your commandments.  We ask Your forgiveness in the name of Jesus, Your only Son, who died for our sins.  We ask Your Holy Spirit's help in the year now beginning to faithfully reflect the image of Christ.

ABSOLUTION
Pastor:  God has heard your confession.  His love, mercy, and grace are everlasting.  Therefore, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, I forgive you your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

People:  As we begin a new year, forgiven by God, we are reminded that we are His redeemed saints.  We forge ahead in this new year, not in bondage, but in freedom;  no longer in futility, but persevering in hope that does not disappoint us.  God bless us and keep us in the coming year.  Amen.

HYMN:  "The Lord, My God Be Praised"

PRAYER FOR THE NEW YEAR
Pastor:  Let us pray.

All:  God of all time and eternity, Alpha and Omega, we commit to You the year now completed and commend to Your kindness and love the year now at hand.  Throughout the coming days, weeks and months, encourage us by Your Spirit to make wise use of Your Word and Sacraments that we may be thoroughly strengthened in our faith, and grounded in the love, grace, and mercy of Christ, our Lord, in whose name we pray.  Amen.

OLD TESTAMENT READING:  Isaiah 51:1-6
(God promises His people eternal love that exceeds the limits of time.)

Pastor:  This is the Word of the Lord.
People:  Thanks be to God.

EPISTLE READING:  Romans 8:31-39
(Nothing will separate us from God's love for us.)

Pastor:  This is the Word of the Lord.
People:  Thanks be to God.

HOLY GOSPEL
Pastor:  The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke, the 12th chapter.
People:  Glory to You, O Lord.

Luke 12:35-40

Pastor:  This is the Gospel of the Lord.
People:  Praise to You, O Christ.

HYMN OF THE DAY:  "Across the Sky the Shades of Night"

SERMON:  "What's Your Resolution?" based on Romans 8:31-39

CREED (A Statement of Belief)
We believe in one God.  God the Almighty Father made everything that exists, even those things we cannot see.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ.  He is the eternal Son of God, and is really God Himself.  In order to save us from our sins, He came down from heaven and by the power of the Holy Spirit He was born a man, the child of the virgin Mary.  For our sake He was crucified under Pontius Pilate, and died and was buried.  As the Bible had foretold, He rose form the dead on the third day.  He returned to heaven, and rules there with God the Father.  He will come back in glory to judge all people, and He will rule forever.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, who is the giver of life.  He is to be worshiped and glorified together with the Father and the Son.  He speaks to us in the Bible.  We believer that all Christians are called to be members of the Body of Christ, the Church.  We believe that our sins are forgiven in Baptism, and we look forward to the resurrection of the dead, and the eternal life promised to us.  Amen.

PRAYER OF THE CHURCH

OFFERINGS (Please take this time to sign the Friendship Register)

PREFACE to COMMUNION

Pastor:  The Lord be with you.
People:  And with your spirit.

Pastor:  Lift up your hearts.
People:  We lift them to the Lord.

Pastor:  Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
People:  It is right to give Him thanks and praise.

Pastor:  It is right and fitting that we should give thanks to You, gracious Lord.  You are the source of our life and the ruler of time.
People:  Strengthen us with Your presence, eternal God, that we may ever live to Your glory.

THE LORD'S PRAYER

WORDS OF INSTITUTION
Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples and said:  Take, eat;  this is my body, which is given for you.  This do in remembrance of me.  In the same way also he took the cup after supper, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying:  Drink of it, all of you;  this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.  This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.

Communion Distribution Hymns:
"Your Table I Approach"
"O Living Bread from Heaven"

BLESSING

PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING
Pastor:  Let us pray.
People:  Lord, we thank You that once again You have been with us as we have gathered in Your house and at Your table.  We thank You, that of Your mercy You have strengthened us with Your heavenly feast and with the very body and blood of Your Son.  Bless our lives with Your abiding presence and bring us at last to Your eternal kingdom.  We ask this for Jesus' sake.  Amen.

BENEDICTION
Pastor:  The Lord bless you in the year to come;  the Lord's face shine on you now and always;  the Lord look upon you with His favor and be present in your life, now and for eternity.

People:  Amen.

CLOSING HYMN:  "O God, Our Help in Ages Past"

POSTLUDE

Go, My Children, With My Blessing

This was the closing hymn at church two weeks ago.  As I was singing it, I thought it might be an interesting song to sing at the end of a funeral, as a reminder of the departed's relationship with God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit, but also as a comforting statement of God's relationship toward living believers.  As I was typing the lyrics this morning, it occurred to me that this is what believers should remember and live as their daily "sending song," whether at the end of a worship service or at the conclusion of a personal daily devotion.

Written by a Lutheran pastor of Slovak descent, Jaroslav Vajda, the hymn is one of more than 200 he either composed or translated during his later life.  To learn more about the reverend's perspective on the piece, click here.



Go, My children, with My blessing,
Never alone.
Waking, sleeping, I am with you;
You are My own.
In My love's baptismal river,
I have made you Mine forever.
Go, My children, with My blessing ---
You are My own.

Go, My children, sins forgiven,
At peace and pure.
Here you learned how much I love you,
What I can cure.
Here you heard My dear Son's story;
Here you touched Him, saw His glory.
Go, My children, sins forgiven,
At peace and pure.

Go, My children, fed and nourished,
Closer to Me;
Grow in love and love by serving,
Joyful and free.
Here My Spirit's power filled you;
Here His tender comfort stilled you.
Go, My children, fed and nourished,
Joyful and free.

I the Lord will bless and keep you
And give you peace;
I the Lord will smile upon you
And give you peace:
I the Lord will be your Father,
Savior, Comforter, and Brother.
Go, My children, I will keep you
And give you peace.

This hymn also has a verse that can be used at weddings:

In this union, I have joined you
Husband and wife,
Now, My children, live together
As heirs of life:
Each the other's gladness sharing,
Each the other's burdens bearing,
Now, My children, live together
As heirs of life.

The Sacrament of Penance (Part 3)

Repentant Peter by El Greco

I can't believe it has been more than ten days since I posted anything from my readings in "The Sacrament of Penance," written by Martin Luther in 1519 A.D.  If you recall, I am exploring the question, "what is this faith?" as penned by the great German theologian in the aforementioned essay.  Here, as a reminder, is the quote that first struck me:

Everything, then, depends on faith, which alone makes the sacraments accomplish that which they signify, and everything that the priest says come true.  For as you believe, so it is done for you.  Without this faith all absolution and all sacraments are in vain and indeed do more harm than good.  There is a common saying among the teachers that goes like this:  Not the sacrament, but the faith that believes the sacrament is what removes sin.  St. Augustine says this:  The sacrament removes sin, not because it takes place, but because it is believed.  For this reason in the sacrament one must studiously discern faith...

I am attempting to faithfully accomplish that goal, again asking the question referenced above.  For this installment, I looked at paragraphs 5-6 of "The Sacrament of Penance," recalling always the lens through which Luther processes:  1) the comfort and consolation of the believer, and 2) his understanding of the keys of the kingdom as presented in Matthew 16:19:

I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

5.  SUMMARY:  In paragraph four, Luther dealt with the fact that only God can accomplish the forgiveness of sin and the forgiveness of guilt.  But how does He do that?  Does He provide an earthly method whereby the believer can be assured and comforted that such forgiveness has taken place?  Yes, Luther says:

The true way and the right method, without which there is no other, is that most worthy, gracious, and holy sacrament of penance, which God gave for the comfort of all sinners when he gave the keys to St. Peter...

The theologian continues:

This holy, comforting, and gracious word of God must enter deeply into the heart of every Christian, where he may with great gratitude let it become part of him.

Then, Luther defines the sacrament of penance for us:

For the sacrament of penance consists in this:  forgiveness of sin, comfort and peace of conscience, besides joy and blessedness of heart over against all sins and terrors of conscience, as well as against all despair and assaults by the gates of hell.

My thoughts:  It is important to remember that what Luther is describing here is an earth-bound process that comforts the believer on a spiritual level.  The amends making that is described by the phrase "forgiveness of sin" has already been accomplished for us by the death and resurrection of Christ.  Our faith in Christ, in who He is and in what He did for us by dying and rising again, grabs hold of that forgiveness for us.  The comfort and peace of conscience is the forgiveness of guilt that has been mentioned in previous posts.  The joy and blessedness of heart should follow for us as we repeatedly (hopefully daily) recall the enormity of the sacrifice that was made on our behalf so that we can stand before God at peace and pure.

6.  SUMMARY.  Here, Luther breaks down the earth-bound process described in paragraph five even further by sharing this:

Now there are three things in the holy sacrament of penance.  The first is absolution.  These are the words of the priest which show, tell, and proclaim to you that you are free and that your sins are forgiven you by God...

The second is grace, the forgiveness of sins, the peace and comfort of the conscience, as the words declare.

The third is faith, which firmly believes that the absolution and words of the priest are true, by the power of Christ's words, "Whatever you loose...shall be loosed..."

Paragraph six also offers a description of Luther's understanding of a sacrament:

...a holy sign, because in it one hears the words [of God] externally that signify spiritual gifts within, gifts by which the heart is comforted and set at peace.

My thoughts:  Again, it is crucial to recall that Christ has already made amends for the sins you have committed.  Absolution, if you will, is a done deal.  The words of the priest referred to in this first part of the sacrament are merely a reminder to you of the incredible sacrificial gift that was given for you (Christ).  The second part of the sacrament, grace, has to do with that forgiveness of guilt concept that comforts and consoles the believer.  The third part, faith, is the activator of all because it believes in Christ and in what was done by Christ for the believer.  As Luther said, the sacrament is a physical externality that signifies a spiritual reality.

Located at the end of paragraph six are the words that set off this project:

Everything, then depends on this faith...

Stay tuned as I continue to explore.

The Sacrament of Penance (Part 2)

Repentant Peter by El Greco

A while ago, I started posting my notes from "The Sacrament of Penance" by Martin Luther, written in 1519.  Not too far into this essay, the famous theologian says the following:

Everything, then, depends on faith, which alone makes the sacraments accomplish that which they signify, and everything that the priest says come true.  For as you believe, so it is done for you.  Without this faith all absolution and all sacraments are in vain and indeed do more harm than good.  There is a common saying among the teachers that goes like this:  Not the sacraments, but the faith that believes the sacrament is what removes sin.  St. Augustine says this:  The sacrament removes sin, not because it takes place, but because it is believed.  For this reason in the sacrament one must studiously discern faith...

What I am exploring with these notes is the question:  what is this faith?  In looking at this question, it is important to remember two things:  1) for Luther, the comfort and consolation of the believer is paramount, and 2) a key passage relating to penance is Matthew 16:19:

I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loos on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

In Part 1, I only looked at the first two paragraphs of "The Sacrament of Penance."  This time, I will be furnishing my notes on paragraphs three and four.

3.  SUMMARY.  At the end of paragraph two, Luther states the following about the joy that should overcome the believer at the realization that his sins are forgiven:

And this is what true forgiveness of sins really means, that a person's sins no longer bite him or make him uneasy, but rather that the joyful conscience overcomes him that God has forgiven him his sins forever.

Here, Luther says that if the believer does not experience such joy over God's grace, no amount of making amends will help because the believer is missing the forgiveness of guilt.  He then issues a reminder to practice the forgiveness of guilt "first and foremost every day."

My thoughts.  In this paragraph, Luther also strongly states the following:

No one can be saved, however, without a joyful conscience and a glad heart toward God (that is, the forgiveness of guilt).

Does this mean, then, that the forgiveness of guilt is part and parcel of repentance?  Are the forgiveness of guilt and true repentance one and the same?  It seems to me to be so.  Logically, that would follow, especially since he admonishes the believer to practice it daily.

4.  SUMMARY.  The forgiveness of sin and the forgiveness of guilt can only be accomplished by God.  Neither good works nor, as in Luther's day, the purchase of indulgences can deliver absolution or peace.  Good works flow out of the forgiveness of guilt, that joyful heart that believers have toward God because Christ has made amends for them.

My thoughts.  So, there is an order to this.  First, by faith, I believe that the death and resurrection of Christ makes amends for my sins.  The result of my understanding that is a joyful heart and a glad conscience, two conditions that then motivate me to perform good works.  Sins must be forgiven before works can be produced.

We Have the Ear of God in Prayer

On Sunday, the opening hymn at my church was "Today Your Mercy Calls Us."  Given this past week, with the rioting overseas and the death of Christopher Stevens, Ambassador to Libya (a friend and colleague of a Navy family from my homeschool group who served in Tunisia for a time), I know I have been feeling like the world is just a little out of control.  A friend from Florida also feels that way.  In fact, I believe her words were, "There is no hope for society!"  It is easy and tempting to think that sometimes, especially if and when we focus too much on the physical world, the world this side of heaven, the world that is still under the Fall.  But as another hymn reminds us:

[Our] hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness.

Sunday's hymn, especially the last verse, prompts us to recall that when life seems against us, as individuals or as a country, we have the ear of God, our Father, through Christ, our Savior.

"What should we do without him when heart and eye run o'er?"

Today Your mercy calls us
To wash away our sin.
However great our trespass,
Whatever we have been,
However long from mercy
Our hearts have turned away,
Your precious blood can wash us
And make us clean today.

Today Your gate is open,
And all who enter in
Shall find a Father's welcom
And pardon for their sin.
The past shall be forgotten,
A present joy be giv'n,
A future grace be promised,
A glorious crown in heav'n.

Today our Father calls us;
His Holy Spirit waits;
His blessed angels gather
Around the heav'nly gates.
No question will be asked us
How often we have come;
Although we oft have wandered,
It is our Father's home.

O all embracing Mercy,
O ever open door,
What should we do without You
When heart and eye run o'er?
When all things seem against us,
To drive us to despair,
We know one gate is open,
One ear will hear our prayer.  Amen.

Note:  The video is from one of the Lutheran churches in my college town, Mankato, MN.

Earth and All Stars

...and a bit of a rant.

Last week in church, the closing hymn was "Earth and All Stars," one of my favorites and one that my daughter recently informed me was written in 1964 for the ninetieth anniversary of St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota.  The hymn was initially published in 1968 as part of a folksong collection and finally made it into a Lutheran hymnal in 1969.  That means it was a new hymn when I was in elementary school!  I can remember singing it a lot as a child, not surprising seeing as a Lutheran pastor, Herbert Brokering, wrote it.  Apparently, until recently, the hymn was virtually unknown outside the Lutheran Church.

According to Hymnary.org, the text of the hymn was taken from, or inspired by, Psalms 96, 98, and 150.  Psalm 96:1 is recalled in each stanza, while Psalm 98:1 is restated in the refrain.  Psalm 150 alludes to the musical instruments that are listed in the third verse.  Pastor Brokering himself described the writing of the words, thus:

I tried to gather into a hymn of praise the many facets of life which emerge in the life of community.  So there are the references to building, nature, learning, family, war, festivity.  Seasons, emotions, death and resurrection, bread, wine, water, wind, sun, spirit...have made great impressions on my imagination.

The verses in my LCMS Hymnal read as follows:

Earth and all stars!
Loud rushing planets!
Sing to the Lord a new song!
Oh, victory!
Loud shouting army!
Sing to the Lord a new song!

Refrain
He has done marvelous things.  I too will praise Him with a new song!

Hail, wind, and rain!
Loud blowing snowstorm!
Sing to the Lord a new song!
Flowers and trees!
Loud rustling dry leaves!
Sing to the Lord a new song!

Refrain

Trumpet and pipes!
Loud clashing cymbals!
Sing to the Lord a new song!
Harp, lute, and lyre!
Loud humming cellos!
Sing to the Lord a new song!

Refrain

Engines and steel!
Loud pounding hammers!
Sing to the Lord a new song!
Limestone and beams!
Loud building workers!
Sing to the Lord a new song!

Refrain

Classrooms and labs!
Loud boiling test tubes!
Sing to the Lord a new song!
Athlete and band!
Loud cheering people!
Sing to the Lord a new song!

Refrain

Knowledge and truth!
Loud sounding wisdom!
Sing to the Lord a new song!
Daughter and son!
Loud praying members!
Sing to the Lord a new song!

Refrain

Children of God,
Dying and rising,
Sing to the Lord a new song!
Heaven and earth,
Hosts everlasting,
Sing to the Lord a new song!

Refrain

Even cooler:  there is an Easter version, "Alleluia!  Jesus is Risen."  Here are those lyrics from the ELCA Hymnal:

Alleluia!  Jesus is risen!
Trumpets resounding in glorious light!
Splendor, the Lamb, heaven forever!
Oh, what a miracle God has in sight!
Jesus is risen and we shall arise.
Give God the glory!  Alleluia!

Walking the way, Christ in the center
telling the story to open our eyes;
Breaking our bread, giving us glory;
Jesus our blessing, our constant surprise.
Jesus is risen and we shall arise.
Give God the glory!  Alleluia!

Weeping, be gone;  sorrow, be silent;
death put asunder, and Easter is bright.
Cherubim sing:  O grave, be open!  Clothe us with wonder, adorn us in light.
Jesus is risen and we shall arise.
Give God the glory!
Alleluia!

Ok, now for the rant:

I tried to find a good video of this hymn being sung by a choir or a praise band, but all I could find were travesties perpetrated on believers who, I can only surmise, are ignorant of the beauty and teaching inherent in a hymn they may never have heard before.  Here are two examples:

First was this nonsense that, to be fair, succeeded on the pace and the rousing energy but, in doing so, obliterated any Gospel message by eliminating the phrase, "Oh, victory!  Loud shouting army!"  This gentleman also left out the ENTIRE seventh verse, the one that very pointedly states that, as believers, we are children of God who will live forever in heaven.

Second was this version from Cross Point Community Church in Katy, Texas, which is an LCMS Lutheran Church (believe it or not).  These guys, praise Jesus, left in all the salvific phrasing but eliminated everything that we are praising God for --- His creation, His power over that creation, His very role in our lives through the use of our God-given gifts applied to our work.  The fact that these musicians are Lutheran is even more irritating since the part they omitted from the hymn imparts an important teaching of Scripture, as understood by Luther, and a concept more believers would do well to practice:  vocation (calling).  The band also reduced the "praising" done in this hymn to a ho-hum, sway-gently-to-the-music yawner when almost every line ends with an exclamation point.

Why, why, why, can my fellow believers in the body of Christ not let the worship work of other believers, in this case Pastor Herbert Brokering, speak as it was intended to speak?!!!  Please, for the love of Jesus and the church as the body of believers, sing this hymn in its entirety as it was meant to be sung.  Allow it to praise the Triune God of Christianity, recall the victory that was secured for us in Christ, comfort us in and through that recollection, and remind us that God walks with us and comforts us and fulfills His promises to us every day even as we work at the work He has given us, work that is the embodiment and use of our God-given gifts and talents.

Thank you for letting me get that off my chest.  Go in peace, serve the Lord.  Thanks be to God.

The Sacrament of Penance (Part 1)

The Repentant Peter by El Greco

Last year, in a fit of curiosity and as part of a self-paced Teaching Company course, I purchased a copy of Luther's Works, Volume 35:  Word and Sacrament I.  Distracted by other life events, I hadn't really read much of it until recently.  A few days ago, I started looking at "The Sacrament of Penance," written in 1519.  Wow, what an education for a cradle Lutheran!  I never knew, for example, that Luther considered penance to be a sacrament.  Apparently, he did, although he eventually abandoned the idea in favor of just Baptism and Communion, the two sacraments that are used in the Lutheran Church today.  Frankly, whether or not Luther thought of penance as a sacrament isn't of much concern to me as a layperson.  What he had to say about faith as regards sacrament really hit home and made sense to me.

Everything, then depends on faith, which alone makes the sacraments accomplish that which they signify, and everything that the priest says come true.  For as you believe, so it is done for you.  Without this faith all absolution and all sacraments are in vain and indeed do more harm than good.  There is a common saying among the teachers that goes like this:  Not the sacrament, but the faith that believes the sacrament is what removes sin.  St. Augustine says this:  The sacrament removes sin, not because it takes place, but because it is believed.  For this reason in the sacrament one must studiously discern faith.

But what is this faith?  Is it, as it sounds in the above passage, faith in the actual act of the penitential rite itself?  Or is it something else?  To explore this question, allow me to share my notes from "The Sacrament of Penance" to see how I think Luther answered this question of faith.  The numbers correspond to the paragraph numbers in my copy of "The Sacrament of Penance."  These notes will be posted a few paragraphs at a time, so a final summation of the answer to the question --- What is this faith that Luther is taking about in the above quote? --- will not be available for awhile.  My hope is that you will explore with me until the last posting.

Let's begin, remembering two things:  1) for Luther, the comfort and consolation of the believer is paramount, and 2) a key passage relating to penance is Matthew 16:19:

I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

1.  SUMMARY.  Two types of forgiveness are contained within the sacrament of penance:  the forgiveness of the punishment (i.e., someone makes amends for a wrong that was committed) and forgiveness of the guilt.  In this particular section, Luther does not elaborate on what he means by forgiveness of the punishment, except to say that he has said enough about it in previous writings and it "is not very significant and is an immeasurably lesser thing than the forgiveness of guilt."  That, Luther says, can only be granted by God.

My thoughts.  The dictionary defines forgiveness as setting aside, or not imparting.  So, according to Luther, the practical, earthly consequences of sin can be set aside, or forgiven, by any believer on earth?  That is the implication of the statement," ...the forgiveness of guilt, which one might call a godly or heavenly indulgence, one that only God himself can grant from heaven."  This makes sense given that, for Luther, every believer possesses the keys of the kingdom (i.e., the authority to grant forgiveness of sin).  Any believer, then, can say to any other believer, "You are forgiven.  Making amends for your sin is not necessary because Christ has already done that."

2.  SUMMARY.  The forgiveness of the punishment (or the making amends for sin) eliminates works, efforts at satisfaction that will reconcile a believer outwardly to the Church.  Forgiveness of guilt eliminates our fear before God.  It makes the conscience joyful.  It reconciles man inwardly with God.  To quote Luther:

And this is what true forgiveness of sins really means, that a person's sins no longer bite him or make him uneasy, but rather that the joyful confidence overcomes him that God has forgiven him his sins forever.

My thoughts.  Here, Luther sounds as if no earthly, reconciling action is necessary between the party who was wronged and the party who did the harm.  For example, if I gossiped about a fellow sister in Christ, I wouldn't need to go to her and say, "I'm sorry."  That is not what he means.  Understood in the context of the Catholic sacrament of penance, Luther is saying that no good work needs to be assigned by the priest and completed by the believer in order for forgiveness to be granted.  That type of reconciling action was already completed by Christ.

As I said at the beginning, no summations or conclusions will be offered until I get through the entire essay.  It is 21 paragraphs long, so it could take me awhile.  Check back for more of my notes.  Comment if you wish.  Discussion is welcome.

Reflections on a Window at St. Mary's

At the moment, I am sitting in the sanctuary of St. Mary's Catholic Church in Stonington, CT, listening to Schola Cantorum rehearse for Mass on Sunday morning.  Katherine the Great was invited to join the group at the last minute for this performance and couldn't pass up the opportunity to see the inside of the only borough church she has never entered.  She is currently in the choir loft, singing beautifully (as always) and sight reading all the music.

Hiding in a rear corner pew on the right side of the sanctuary, I am enjoying the light as it streams in through the gorgeous stained glass windows, twilight drawing ever nearer as I watch.  It isn't very often that I find myself in a church this time of day.  Summertime services are almost always held indoors during the brightest part of the day so parishioners can find some respite from the seasonal heat or outdoors in the evening where the refreshing sea breeze that graces the Connecticut shoreline can provide some much needed relief from the high temperatures and humidity, especially in August.

Growing up Lutheran, and spending so much time in Catholic and Episcopal churches because of my daughter's music performances, I have trouble understanding how anyone can consistently worship in the sterile, multi-purpose buildings that are so often erected by non-denominational congregations, buildings that more often than not have small windows sporting plastic Venetian blinds, usually in white or some horrible shade of mauve.  I know that sounds awful and prejudiced and judgmental and unkind toward my fellow Christians.  I don't mean it to come out that way.  It's just that stained glass windows really are gorgeous;  they tell the story of Scripture (at least they do at this church);  and they represent the use of a God-given gift in service to the Church, the Body of Christ.  To worship surrounded by such reminders of God, the beauty of His creative activity, and the story of His connection to His people is quite moving.  The experience can help inspire the believer to aspire to a greater love of God and a greater desire to serve Him.

This evening, sitting in the rear pew, I am situated beneath the window of Christ on the cross with His mother Mary and the apostle John looking on.  At the bottom are the words, "Into Thy Hands I Commend My Spirit."  Interesting that, as I prepare to leave (now that choir rehearsal is over), the light is gone.  The sun has set and the window is completely dark, just as darkness fell on the day Christ died.  The light will return in the morning, just as Christ returned to us (and for us) on Easter.

Even a stained glass window can tell the story of the Gospel just by standing each day in the light and darkness of the world God created.

Ain't Got Time to Die

Back in March, while waiting for my daughter to finish a choral workshop at the Mystic Area Ecumenical Choir Festival, I was privileged to meet Miss Charity Dell, an African-American choir director.  Almost immediately, we discovered a possible area of musical collaboration:  an exploration of Negro spirituals as part of a commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation.  I had decided to create this remembrance project for a local homeschool support group an in my early research for interesting choral arrangements of some more familiar spirituals, I found this from the Concordia College Choir (one of my favorite groups):

Annunciation Day

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the liturgical calendar, today is Annunciation Day, the day the Church remembers the announcement of the birth of Christ to His mother, Mary, by the angel Gabriel.  Given that we celebrate Christmas, the commemoration of the birth of the Son of God, in December, it makes sense that we would remember His conception, if you will, nine months earlier.  So why didn't this remembrance occur on March 25th?  Because Lent was still being observed.  When that happens, the Church withholds the observation of Annunciation Day until eight days after Easter, known as the Octave of Easter.  If you are a bit confused by that, don't feel bad.  It threw me for a loop, too, the first time I ever heard of it.

The Scripture readings for today are as listed.  They all point to Christ in some way, either by presenting the prophecy of His birth, reminding us of His role as our atoning sacrifice (the reason for which He was born), or telling us the story of the actual annunciation.

Isaiah 7:10-14:  This small section of Isaiah contains the verse that is familiar to most of us who have grown up in the Church, or to those who are acquainted with "Messiah," an oratorio by George Frideric Handel.

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign.  Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. --- Isaiah 7:14

Psalm 45:7-17:  This is a royal psalm presenting Christ as our King.

Hebrews 10:4-10:  This portion of the book of Hebrews presents Christ as the final, effective sacrifice for sin.

...we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. --- Hebrews 10:10

Luke 1:26-38:  This is the only account of the annunciation found in Scripture.  The Gospel of Matthew tells us that Mary became pregnant while betrothed to Joseph but never mentions the encounter with the angel Gabriel.  The Gospel of Mark begins with the ministry of Christ, as does the Gospel of John.

So, does this mean that Christmas begins now?  No, not really.  According to the liturgical calendar, that occurs after Advent, the four Sundays prior to Christmas.  However, Annunciation Day is a small reminder that the Christ who just died for us on Good Friday and who was raised for us on Easter, had to be born in the flesh to accomplish our salvation.  The liturgical calendar now turns back toward the beginning.  Once Eastertide has run its course, and Pentecost has passed, we will enter Ordinary Time, that portion of the Church year dedicated to an examination of the Church as the body of Christ, as believers who are united in Him, and the application (and practice) of Christ's teachings in our lives.

May God bless you today and always.

Resources for Annunciation Day:
Fish Eaters
Catholic Encyclopedia

This Little Light of Mine

The other day, I discovered this version of "This Little Light of Mine" while I was searching for some Gospel music.  I must admit, I didn't think The Boss sang this kind of stuff.  I kind of like it.  Enjoy!

A Free Wool Coat

Reposted from Gooseberry Lane.  Original posting date:  3/15/2007.

Yesterday, after attending a noon Lenten service at my church and after dropping my daughter at her weekly piano lesson, I sat in McDonald's drinking tea and reflecting on the sermon I had heard just an hour before based on a passage from Isaiah, written almost 700 years before the birth of Christ:

All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way;  but the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him.  Isaiah 53:6 (NASB)

Common language skills tell us that the words "ALL OF US" in this passage refers to you and me.  The phrase "LIKE SHEEP" compares us with those woolly creatures who, if you have ever spent much time around them, provide consistent evidence of lack --- lack of stellar intellect, lack of self-direction, lack of awareness, the list could go on and on.  They provide beautiful wool for my sweaters;  but, let's face it, the comparison of people with sheep is anything but complimentary to the people.  We often lack intelligence, self-direction, and awareness, too, most especially when trying to follow our Shepherd;  hence, the phrase "GONE ASTRAY."

And to where have we all strayed?  To the happy land of "self."  In our sinful state, we spend most of our waking hours concerned with our own lives, our own goals, and our own problems.  We don't spend a lot of time worrying about others or what the Lord thinks is important.  We can't help it;  it is just the way we are.  In the Lutheran church, we confess these words, or something similar, in our liturgy on a regular basis.

We are by nature sinful and unclean and have sinned against God by our thoughts, words, and deeds.

And just who is going to rescue us from this condition, assuming that to remain in such a sinful state would be detrimental to our eternal health?  Christ, of course;  hence the phrase "BUT THE LORD HAS CAUSED THE INIQUITY OF US ALL TO FALL ON HIM."  Jesus took all the punishment for all the sins of all the people ever born (and whoever will be born).  As a stray sheep, I can do nothing to save myself.  I need Christ to stand in my stead, to provide the covering for my sin that I cannot provide for myself.  In the words of my pastor:

I can wear a coat of righteous wool shorn from the Lamb of God Himself.

That coat is a free gift provided for each of us.  All we need to do is accept it.

A New Covenant

A few days ago, I wrote an article about a new version of the Ten Commandments that is circulating, mostly in England, and (of course) on the Internet.  Called Just10, it is a restatement of the original Old Testament rules in an effort to make them more accessible to a new generation of believers and seekers alike.  Seeing as Christ Himself already restated the Ten Commandments into two easily understood new guidelines (i.e., love the Lord your God with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself), I don't really see the point of dwelling too heavily on the original Ten Commandments in a "perform these daily or die" kind of way.  They are important to understand as part of the old covenant that God the Father made with ancient Israel, and they are important to comprehend in relation to Christ's restatement of the law, in that the first three commandments pertain to our relationship with God and the remaining seven guide our interactions with others.  Beyond that, I think we need to keep in mind the following, which I was reminded of in church this morning: 

"Behold, the days are coming," declares the LORD, "when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them," declares the LORD.  "But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days, "declares the LORD, "I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.  They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them," declares the LORD, "for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more." --- Jeremiah 31:31-34 (NASB)

Notice that the prophet Jeremiah specifically tells us that there will come a time when God will make a new covenant with His people.  Notice, too, that Jeremiah goes out of his way to say that this new covenant will be different from the old covenant.  This new covenant will operate from a law (i.e., teaching) that is written on the hearts of believers.  It will not function from laws that are preserved on tablets of stone.

So, has this new covenant been established?  Most certainly!  The suffering, death, and resurrection of Christ brought about, and are, the new covenant.

And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, "This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood." --- Luke 22:20 (NASB)

Such confidence we have through Christ toward God.  Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit;  for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. --- 2 Corinthians 3:4-6 (NASB)

For if the first covenant [the old covenant] had been faultless, there would have been no occasion sought for a second...When He said, "A new covenant," He has made the first obsolete.  But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear. --- Hebrews 8:7, 13 (NASB)

So, from these last verses, we have confirmation that, somehow, the old covenant was imperfect and that a new covenant was necessary, a covenant that was secured by the shedding of Christ's blood on the cross, a covenant that is available to us through faith.

So, in light of this new covenant, do we need a program like Just10 to teach us how to obey the rules of the old covenant, a covenant that Scripture itself describes as obsolete?  Or would we do better to follow Just2:  love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind;  and love your neighbor as yourself?  My vote is for the latter.

Related article:
Just10?  How About Just2?

Just10? How About Just2?

Last week, a Facebook friend alerted me to this from our friends across the pond, a program called Just10.  It is a new effort by a British pastor, Canon J. John, who felt called to restate the Ten Commandments in order to make them more accessible to a new generation by paraphrasing them in the positive.  Frankly, I am a bit flummoxed by this whole idea.  I think the original Ten Commandments are pretty clear, plus I am not really troubled by the fact that they are written in the negative (i.e., do NOT do something vs. do something).  The fact that the original rules are referred to as God's Law doesn't get my knickers in a knot either, mostly because I do not believe the rules are applicable to Christians in a specific, "perform these daily or die" kind of way.  If they did, my salvation would rest on my works and not on the redemptive blood of Jesus Christ.  Apparently, Canon J. John takes a different approach.  He feels that 21st century believers, and non-believers for that matter, could benefit from a list of affirmatively stated guiding principles instead of laws.  He also seems to think that we should follow these rules in order to be happy, fulfilled individuals who can then go out and make the world a better place.  Unfortunately, the pastor seems to have forgotten that Christ Himself already restated the Commandments into a simpler, more understandable version, taking the original ten and summarizing them into two.  The incident is even recorded for us in three of the four Gospels:

Matthew 22:34-40  But when the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered themselves together.  One of them, a lawyer, asked Him [Jesus] a question, testing Him.  "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?"  And He said to him, "YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.  This is the great and foremost commandment.  The second is like it, YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.  On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets." (NASB)

Mark 12:28-34  One of the scribes came and heard them arguing, and recognizing that He [Jesus] had answered them well, asked Him, "What commandment is the foremost of all?"  Jesus answered, "The foremost is, 'HEAR, O ISRAEL!  THE LORD OUR GOD IS ONE LORD;  AND YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH.'  The second is this, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.'  There is no other commandment greater than these."  The scribe said to Him, "Right, Teacher;  You have truly stated that HE IS ONE, AND THERE IS NO ONE ELSE BESIDES HIM;  AND TO LOVE HIM WITH ALL THE HEART AND WITH ALL THE UNDERSTANDING AND WITH ALL THE STRENGTH, AND TO LOVE ONE'S NEIGHBOR AS HIMSELF, is much more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices."  When Jesus saw that he had answered intelligently, He said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." After that, no one would venture to ask Him any more questions. (NASB)

Luke 10:25-28  And a lawyer stood up and put Him [Jesus] to the test, saying, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?  And He said to him, "What is written in the Law?  How does it read to you?  And he answered, "YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND;  AND YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF."  And He said to him, "You have answered correctly;  DO THIS AND YOU WILL LIVE." (NASB)

So, to repeat, instead of these ten (from the NIV):

1.  You shall have no other gods before me.
2.  You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything.
3.  You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God.
4.  Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.
5.  Honor your father and your mother.
6.  You shall not murder.
7.  You shall not commit adultery.
8.  You shall not steal.
9.  You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
10.  You shall not covet.

we have these two (also from the NIV):

1.  Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might;  and
2.  Love your neighbor as yourself.

Much easier to remember, wouldn't you agree?  Better yet, Christ's summary of the original Ten Commandments is, as Canon J. John desired, presented in the affirmative, so no need to change anything.  Right?  So, why did the esteemed pastor move forward with his project to make the Ten Commandments more accessible to believers and seekers alike by summarizing them, in effect duplicating work that Christ, the Savior, already accomplished?  Who knows?

Personally, I think Just10 loses something in translation.  Here are both the adult and the child versions presented side-by-side, along with the paraphrased originals.  Judge for yourself between the three:

Original	Adult	Children
1.  Have no other gods before Me.	1.  Live by priorities.	1.  Bee Loving.
2.  Do not set up idols.	2.  Know God.	2.  Bee Loyal.
3.  Do not take God’s name in vain.	3.  Take God seriously.	3.  Bee Careful.
4.  Remember the Sabbath.	4.  Catch your breath.	4.  Bee Still.
5.  Honor your father and mother.	5.  Keep the peace with your parents.	5.  Bee Respectful.
6.  Do not murder.	6.  Manage your anger.	6.  Bee Calm.
7.  Do not commit adultery.	7.  Affair-proof your relationships.	7.  Bee Faithful
8.  Do not steal.	8.  Prosper with a clear conscience.	8.  Bee Trustworthy.
9.  Do not bear false witness.	9.  Hold to the truth.	9.  Bee Truthful.
10.  Do not covet.	10.  Find contentment.	10.  Bee Thankful.

Granted, some of the rules don't suffer too terribly from the transformation process, such as "Honor your father and mother."  The adult version becomes "Keep the peace with your parents," while the child translation is reduced to "Bee respectful."  On the other hand, some restatements really miss the point.  For example, "Do not murder" is not just about the act of killing;  it is about the act of planning the physical death of another human being with malice aforethought (meaning with evil intent and premeditation).  Does this involve anger?  Oftentimes, yes.  But to reduce the entire meaning of the original commandment to only being about losing your temper and, if you are talking about the child version, just being calm runs the risk of creating a mental picture of nothing more than a man sitting quietly on the beach in a lotus position, breathing deeply and chanting a mantra in order to reduce his everyday stress.  Any mention, implication, or thought of violence towards another has been completely eliminated from the restatement, thereby losing the original meaning altogether.

Even worse, Just10 website makes a point of misguiding people about the purpose of the Ten Commandments, reducing them to the equivalent of Captain Jack Sparrow's Pirate Code --- "more like guidelines anyway."  To quote:

Most people have heard of the Ten Commandments, God's basic instructions for our lives that, when followed, help us live in freedom every day.  These core principles are designed to equip and guide us through life, keeping us on the right path, and helping us navigate through the tough times.

So, God's rules are really a self-help tutorial that, if followed, will bring daily, earthly freedom?  Ummm.  No, I don't think so.  God's Law, comprised of the original Ten Commandments, was given to the nation of Israel to make God's people aware of how far short they fall of the perfection that God requires as the holy Creator of the universe, thereby pointing to their ever-present need for a Savior.  That Savior is Jesus Christ.

For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. --- John 3:16 (NIV)

Following the rules does nothing to free you from the bondage of sin and death.  Only the understanding that you need the shed blood of Christ to cover your sins and the belief (by faith) that Christ died for that purpose for you personally will bring the freedom that Canon J. John speaks of.  Once redeemed by the blood of Christ, two restated rules --- love the Lord your God with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself --- can act as behavioral guidelines so that you demonstrate to others the love and grace that the Triune God shows to you every moment of every day.

Come Thou Font of Every Blessing

This morning, my daughter and I attended an Episcopal church so that she could help with the handbell choir.  They were a person short in the base register, so she played the big chimes for the offertory, "If Thou But Trust in God to Guide Thee."  This was the opening hymn, one of my favorites.  The video below is of the choir from Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa.  Pity they were not at church today.  The congregation sang our hymn.

Hope Is a Strategy, Mrs. Clinton

I noticed recently that a Gooseberry Lane reader had searched for an article that was posted on a now defunct blog called Ducky Persuasions that I had started (and quickly deleted) back in 2006.  The article in question was titled, "Hope Is a Strategy, Mrs. Clinton."  I searched for the piece on my home computer and eventually found it under the title, "Hope is the Foundation of a Strategy."  By either name, I am posting it here for the first time so that whoever was interested in perusing it may now do so.  Sorry for the wild goose (or would that be duck) chase.  I hope you find the article worth waiting for.

From November 2006:

Over the past week or so, some of you may have seen new footage of Senator Hillary Clinton participating in one of the many Congressional hearings I am certain she attends daily, discussion strategy for the war in Iraq.  In this particular news video, Senator Clinton was quoted as saying, "Hope is not a strategy."  Well, Mrs. Clinton, I beg to differ.  Hope is the foundation of strategy.

What exactly is hope?  The American Heritage Dictionary contains the following definitions, based on different parts of speech:

hope  v.  hoped, hoping, hopes.

--- intr.  1.  To wish for something with expectation of its fulfillment.  2.  Archaic.  To have confidence;  trust.

--- tr.  1.  To look forward to with confidence and expectation:  hoped his daughter would carry on the tradition.  2.  To expect and desire.

--- n.  1.  A wish or desire accompanied by confident expectation of its fulfillment.  2.  Something that is hoped for or desired.  3.  One that is a source of or reason for hope:  the team's only hope for victory.  4.  Archaic.  Trust;  confidence.

--- idiom.  hope against hope.  To hope with little reason or justification.

Notice how the word wish appears in the currently accepted definitions and the word trust appears int he archaic definitions (archaic, of course, meaning ancient, out-of-date, and no longer applicable).  Notice also how the definition of the idiom hope against hope refers to hope without reason or justification;  in other words, hope without a source.  This same dictionary defines wish as the desire for certain outcomes (noun) or the feeling of that desire (verb).  A wish, then, is nothing more than an emotional longing.  Sounds very similar to the aforementioned idiom:  an expectation having no source.  So...the modern-day, working definition of hope constitutes an emotional longing based on nothing?  In other words, HOPE IS WISHFUL THINKING.

But what if I return to the archaic definition of hope:  trust?  Trust is confidence in or reliance upon truth.  It is the ability to expect, with assurance, that certain outcomes can be assumed.  As the dictionary says:

Synonyms:  trust, faith, confidence, reliance, dependence.  These nouns refer to a feeling that a person or thing will not fail in performance.  Trust implies depth of assurance of such feeling, which may not always be supported by proof.

I make these kinds of assumptions every day, conditions that I believe will be true from sun up to sundown, conditions that are so basic to my existence that I don't even give them a second thought.  I certainly don't attribute then to hope (unless I really stop to meditate on it), and I certainly don't consider them wishful thinking.  What kinds of assumptions?  Foundational ones:

- I will wake up in the morning.
- I will be healthy and productive.
- I will live independently.
- My husband will return from work at the end of the day.
- I have personal rights.
- My friends and family will be safe.

The list could go on and on.  So, HOPE IS TRUST IN TRUTH.

Well, that statement just begs the question:  who's truth?  Ah, ha.  Now we get to it.  If truth is relative, hope is based on sinking sand (see My Hope is Built on Nothing Less), ergo hope is wishful thinking.  But if truth is based on immutable principles, then hope is based on a solid foundation.  What immutable principles, you ask?  Foundational ones:

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." --- Jeremiah 29:11 NIV

...but hope that is seen is not hope;  for who hopes for what he already sees?  But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it. --- Romans 8:24b-25 NASB

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. --- Hebrews 11:1 NASB

Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;  perseverance, character;  character, hope.  And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. --- Romans 5:3-5 NIV (1984)

Once I have this solid foundation from which to operated, I can create a strategy, a plan of action, with which to face life's challenges.  If my foundation is relative and constantly shifting, my strategy will exhibit these characteristics as well.  The circumstances of life shift constantly, why should I choose to set my hope in something just as shifty --- the relativity of truth.  No, I set my hope in the immutability of God and His principles.  It is the foundation of my strategy, and my life, and it works.

Journey to Bethlehem

My daughter, Katherine the Great, gave me the best gift this Christmas:  a recording of the 2009 Concordia College Choir Christmas Concert, titled "Journey to Bethlehem."  It opens with a lone chime calling the audience to gather in preparation for travel, if you will, to the lowly manger where the Savior will soon be born.  This summoning is followed by the deep, and somewhat urgent, beckoning of cellos and basses at the start of the first orchestral piece, an original composition by choirmaster Rene Clausen title "Fantasia O Come, O Come Emmanuel."  I love that the program begins with this carol as it is really a prayer, a calling out to God to please send the long-awaited Savior.  The middle of the concert describes Christ for us, reminding us that He is God and that He is coming in order to die for our sins.  We are also reminded of who was present to honor the babe born in Bethlehem:  angels, shepherds, Joseph, the three wise men.  The journey climaxes in praise to God, not only for His Son but for all creation and for every blessing we receive from the Lord Himself.  After a rousing rendition of this song:

the program concludes as it began, with a prayer, asking God to stay with us, which He does in the person of Jesus Christ.  Finally, just as it called us, a lone chime send us on our way.  Lovely.  Thank you so much for the wonderful gift, Miss Katy.  I love it!