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):