And here is a comment with a link in it: Lutheran Theology

I am commenting on my own post...

Here is a

Line
Break

Yes, that is pretty cool.

First goldfish on the altar during the consecration. Now this...

Actually, my children made their own altar (out of the living room couch), carefully drew pictures of the cross and candles, and held their own little service, complete with hymns and the readings of the day. It was all very respectful (and no mock Lord's Supper was held). The little ones love the house of the Lord, and who am I to say them nay?

You evidently do not have any idea where you are, or to which audience you are speaking.

I will gladly repeat the glad refrain that Christ is risen! Alellujah!

Now please, consider your audience. No one who writes here believes in a Church/Israel dichotomy or in the pre-trib rapture. I hope that sets your mind at rest.

Chaz,

I preached on John 13, and I preached on the Lord's Supper. There are a number of connections. Particularly in the exchange with Simon Peter: You are clean, and yet, I wash you. If I wash you not, you have no part with me. Jesus does not mean this merely of service. The washing He means is more than the feet, but cleansing the soul from sin, both initially in Baptism, and in the continued application of the forgiveness of sins in Absolution and the Supper.

Sometimes, you have to "appropriate" the text for the day. Nothing wrong with that so long as you don't change the meaning of the text, or misapply it.

FYI, here is my sermon:

http://tinyurl.com/dyj4lv

But of course. :)

That will make for some great communication.
Who needs vowels anyways?
Punctuation is yesterday.
What did I just say?
Help me!

Ah, Hebrew class. The memories...

How different indeed Luther's advice is to the modern purveyors of "contemplative prayer", which does not look to the outer Word, but instead seeks the inner word. But there is no "inner word". Even when we meditate upon the Word which we have "hidden in our heart", that is the outer word, the very words and phrases of Scripture, in which the Holy Spirit is still active and continues to work, though they are only in our memories.

In contrast, the inner word of contemplative prayer and other forms of pseudo-mystical meditation are not the Word at all, but are our own disjointed thoughts, proceeding from our sinful flesh, or worse, the thoughts of the devil himself. In either case, they have nothing to do with the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit does not come to us from within. He comes to us from without. And it is good that He does, for then we can know for certain that it is Him speaking, and not some other voice.