Opening Prayer from the Lutheran Book of Worship:

Stir up our hearts, O Lord, to prepare the way for your only Son. By his coming give us strength in our conflicts and shed light on our path through the darkness of this world; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Readings

Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the LORD’s hand double for all her sins. The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it. The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field: The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the LORD bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever. O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God! Behold, the Lord GOD will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him. He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young. (Isaiah 40:1-11)

Lord, thou hast been favourable unto thy land: thou hast brought back the captivity of Jacob. Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people, thou hast covered all their sin. Selah. Thou hast taken away all thy wrath: thou hast turned thyself from the fierceness of thine anger. Turn us, O God of our salvation, and cause thine anger toward us to cease. Wilt thou be angry with us for ever? wilt thou draw out thine anger to all generations? Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee? Shew us thy mercy, O LORD, and grant us thy salvation. I will hear what God the LORD will speak: for he will speak peace unto his people, and to his saints: but let them not turn again to folly. Surely his salvation is nigh them that fear him; that glory may dwell in our land. Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other. Truth shall spring out of the earth; and righteousness shall look down from heaven. Yea, the LORD shall give that which is good; and our land shall yield her increase. Righteousness shall go before him; and shall set us in the way of his steps. (Psalm 85)

But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless. (2 Peter 3:8-14)

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God; As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. And there went out unto him all the land of Judaea, and they of Jerusalem, and were all baptized of him in the river of Jordan, confessing their sins. And John was clothed with camel’s hair, and with a girdle of a skin about his loins; and he did eat locusts and wild honey; And preached, saying, There cometh one mightier than I after me, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose. I indeed have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost. (Mark 1:1-8)

Hymns:

On Jordan’s Banks the Baptist’s Cry

On Jordan’s banks the Baptist’s cry
Announces that the Lord is nigh;
Come, then, and hearken, for he brings
Glad tidings from the King of kings!

Then cleansed be every breast from sin;
Make straight the way for God within;
Prepare we in our hearts a home,
Where such a mighty Guest may come.

For Thou art our Salvation, Lord,
Our Refuge, and our great Reward.
Without Thy grace our souls must fade
And wither like a flower decayed.

Stretch forth Thine hand, to heal our sore,
And make us rise and fall no more;
Once more upon Thy people shine,
And fill the world with love divine.

To Him Who left the throne of Heaven
To save mankind, all praise be given;
Like praise be to the Father done,
And Holy Spirit, Three in One.

Hark! A Thrilling Voice Is Sounding!

Hark! a thrilling voice is sounding;
“Christ is nigh,” it seems to say,
“Cast away the works of darkness,
O ye children of the day.”

Wakened by the solemn warning
Let the earthbound soul arise;
Christ, her Sun, all ill dispelling,
Shines upon the morning skies.

Lo, the Lamb, so long expected,
Comes with pardon down from Heav’n;
Let us haste, with tears of sorrow,
One and all to be forgiven.

That when next He comes in glory,
And the world is wrapped in fear,
With His mercy He may shield us,
And with words of love draw near.

Honor, glory, might, and blessing
Be to God: the Father, Son
And the everlasting Spirit,
While eternal ages run.

The King Shall Come

The King shall come when morning dawns,
And light triumphant breaks;
When beauty gilds the eastern hills,
And life to joy awakes.

Not as of old a little child
To bear, and fight, and die,
But crowned with glory like the sun
That lights the morning sky.

O brighter than the rising morn
When He, victorious, rose,
And left the lonesome place of death,
Despite the rage of foes.

O brighter than that glorious morn
Shall this fair morning be,
When Christ, our King, in beauty comes,
And we His face shall see.

The King shall come when morning dawns,
And earth’s dark night is past;
O haste the rising of that morn,
The day that aye shall last.

And let the endless bliss begin,
By weary saints foretold,
When right shall triumph over wrong,
And truth shall be extolled.

The King shall come when morning dawns,
And light and beauty brings:
Hail, Christ the Lord! Thy people pray,
Come quickly, King of kings.

Fling Wide the Door

Fling wide the door, unbar the gate;
The King of glory comes in state;
The Lord of lords and King of kings,
The Savior of the world who brings
His great salvation to the earth.
So raise a shout of holy mirth
And praise our God and Lord,
Creator, Spirit Word.

He is the rock of our belief,
The heart of mercy’s gentle self.
His kingly crown is holiness;
His scepter is his loveliness;
He brings our sorrows to an end.
Now gladly praise our king and friend,
And worship him with song,
For saving us from wrong.

O, happy towns and blessed lands
That live by their true king’s commands,
And blessed be the hearts he rules,
The humble places where he dwells.
He is the rightful Son of bliss
Who fills our lives and makes us his,
Creator of the world,
Our only strength for good.

Come, Lord, our Savior, Jesus Christ;
Our hearts are open wide in trust.
Oh, show us now your lovely grace,
Upon our sorrows shine your face,
And let your Holy Spirit guide
Our journey in your grace so wide.
We praise your holy name,
From age to age the same.

Comfort, Comfort Ye My People

Comfort, comfort ye My people,
Speak ye peace, thus saith our God;
Comfort those who sit in darkness,
Mourning ’neath their sorrow’s load;
Speak ye to Jerusalem
Of the peace that waits for them;
Tell her that her sins I cover,
And her warfare now is over.

For the herald’s voice is crying
In the desert far and near,
Bidding all men to repentance,
Since the kingdom now is here.
O that warning cry obey!
Now prepare for God a way!
Let the valleys rise to meet Him,
And the hills bow down to greet Him.

Yea, her sins our God will pardon,
Blotting out each dark misdeed;
All that well deserved His anger
He will no more see nor heed.
She has suffered many a day,
Now her griefs have passed away,
God will change her pining sadness
Into ever springing gladness.

Make ye straight what long was crooked,
Make the rougher places plain:
Let your hearts be true and humble,
As befits His holy reign,
For the glory of the Lord
Now o’er the earth is shed abroad,
And all flesh shall see the token
That His Word is never broken.

Prepare the Royal Highway

Prepare the royal highway;
The King of kings is near!
Let ev’ry hill and valley
A level road appear!
Then greet the King of glory,
Foretold in sacred story:
Hosanna to the Lord,
For he fulfills God’s Word!

God’s people, see him coming:
Your own eternal king!
Palm branches strew before him!
Spread garments! Shout and sing!
God’s promise will not fail you!
No more shall doubt assail you!
Hosanna to the Lord,
For he fulfills God’s Word!

Then fling the gates wide open
To greet your promised king!
Your king, yet ev’ry nation
Its tribute too may bring.
All lands will bow before him;
Their voices join your singing:
Hosanna to the Lord,
For he fulfills God’s Word!

His is no earthly kingdom;
It comes from heav’n above.
His rule is peace and freedom
And justice, truth, and love.
So let your praise be sounding
For kindness so abounding:
Hosanna to the Lord,
For he fulfills God’s Word!

Advent has always been my favorite season of the liturgical year, especially when I was a Lutheran pastor. The prayers, the Scriptures, the hymns, the Advent wreath, all played their proper roles in stirring up hope in the midst of what might otherwise be a dark and gloomy time of early winter. Rediscovery of the Advent season can be a powerful antidote to the commercialism of the secular Christmas that bombards us on every side.

So I was happy when Rachel Davies asked me to write an article for Spectrum for the First Week of Advent.

And now, some reflections for this week.

From the Lutheran Book of Worship …

Stir up your power, O Lord, and come. Protect us by your strength and save us from the threatening dangers of our sins, for you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Readings from the Revised Common Lectionary (Year B):

(Isaiah 64:1-9) O that you would tear open the heavens and come down, so that the mountains would quake at your presence–as when fire kindles brushwood and the fire causes water to boil– to make your name known to your adversaries, so that the nations might tremble at your presence! When you did awesome deeds that we did not expect, you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence. From ages past no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who works for those who wait for him. You meet those who gladly do right, those who remember you in your ways. But you were angry, and we sinned; because you hid yourself we transgressed. We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy cloth. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away. There is no one who calls on your name, or attempts to take hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us, and have delivered us into the hand of our iniquity. Yet, O LORD, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand. Do not be exceedingly angry, O LORD, and do not remember iniquity forever. Now consider, we are all your people.

(Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19) Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock! You who are enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh. Stir up your might, and come to save us! Restore us, O God; let your face shine, that we may be saved. O LORD God of hosts, how long will you be angry with your people’s prayers? You have fed them with the bread of tears, and given them tears to drink in full measure. You make us the scorn of our neighbors; our enemies laugh among themselves. Restore us, O God of hosts; let your face shine, that we may be saved. … But let your hand be upon the one at your right hand, the one whom you made strong for yourself. Then we will never turn back from you; give us life, and we will call on your name. Restore us, O LORD God of hosts; let your face shine, that we may be saved.

(1 Corinthians 1:3-9) Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus, for in every way you have been enriched in him, in speech and knowledge of every kind–just as the testimony of Christ has been strengthened among you–that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ. He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you may be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful; by him you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

(Mark 13:24-37) “But in those days, after that suffering, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in clouds’ with great power and glory. Then he will send out the angels, and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.  From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates.  Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come. It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his slaves in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to be on the watch. Therefore, keep awake–for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or at dawn, or else he may find you asleep when he comes suddenly. And what I say to you I say to all: Keep awake.”

Hymns

Lo! He Comes with Clouds Descending

Lo! He comes with clouds descending,
Once for favored sinners slain;
Thousand thousand saints attending,
Swell the triumph of His train:
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
God appears on earth to reign.

Every eye shall now behold Him
Robed in dreadful majesty;
Those who set at naught and sold Him,
Pierced and nailed Him to the tree,
Deeply wailing, deeply wailing, deeply wailing,
Shall the true Messiah see.

Every island, sea, and mountain,
Heav’n and earth, shall flee away;
All who hate Him must, confounded,
Hear the trump proclaim the day:
Come to judgment! Come to judgment! Come to judgment!
Come to judgment! Come away!

Now redemption, long expected,
See in solemn pomp appear;
All His saints, by man rejected,
Now shall meet Him in the air:
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
See the day of God appear!

Answer Thine own bride and Spirit,
Hasten, Lord, the general doom!
The new Heav’n and earth t’inherit,
Take Thy pining exiles home:
All creation, all creation, all creation,
Travails! groans! and bids Thee come!

The dear tokens of His passion
Still His dazzling body bears;
Cause of endless exultation
To His ransomed worshippers;
With what rapture, with what rapture, with what rapture
Gaze we on those glorious scars!

Yea, Amen! let all adore Thee,
High on Thine eternal throne;
Savior, take the power and glory,
Claim the kingdom for Thine own;
O come quickly! O come quickly! O come quickly!
Everlasting God, come down!

Rejoice, Rejoice, Believers

Rejoice, rejoice, believers, and let your lights appear.
The evening is advancing, and darker night is near.
The Bridegroom is arising, and soon He draweth nigh.
Up, pray, and watch, and wrestle: At midnight comes the cry.

See that your lamps are burning; replenish them with oil.
And wait for your salvation, the end of earthly toil.
The watchers on the mountain proclaim the Bridegroom near.
Go meet Him as He cometh, with alleluias clear.

O wise and holy virgins, now raise your voices higher,
Until in songs of triumph ye meet the angel choir.
The marriage feast is waiting, the gates wide open stand;
Rise up, ye heirs of glory, the Bridegroom is at hand.

Our hope and expectation, O Jesus, now appear!
Arise, Thou Sun so longed for, over this benighted sphere!
With hearts and hands uplifted, we plead, O Lord, to see
The day of earth’s redemption that brings us unto Thee.

Ye saints, who here in patience your cross and sufferings bore,
Shall live and reign forever, when sorrow is no more.
Around the throne of glory the Lamb ye shall behold;
In triumph cast before Him your diadems of gold!

O Lord, How Shall I Meet You?

O Lord, how shall I meet You, how welcome you aright?
Your people long to greet You, my Hope, my heart’s Delight!
O kindle, Lord most holy, a lamp within my breast,
To do in spirit lowly all that may please You best.

Love caused Your incarnation, love brought You down to me;
Your thirst for my salvation procured my liberty.
O love beyond all telling, that led you to embrace
In love all loves excelling our lost and fallen race.

A glorious crown You gave me, a treasure safe on high,
That will not fail nor leave me as earthly riches fly.
My heart shall bloom forever for You with praises new,
And from Your Name shall never withhold the honor due.

Come, O Precious Ransom

Come, O precious Ransom, come,
Only hope for sinful mortals!
Come, O Savior of the world;
Open are to you all portals.
Come, your beauty let us view;
Anxiously we wait for you.

Enter now my waiting heart,
Glorious King and Lord most holy.
Dwell in me and never leave,
Thought I am but poor and lowly.
What vast riches will be mine
When you are my guest divine!

My hosannas and my palms
Graciously receive, I pray you;
Evermore, as best I can,
Homage I will gladly pay you,
And in faith I will embrace
Life eternal by your grace.

Hail! Hosanna! David’s Son!
Jesus, hear our supplication!
Let your kingdom, scepter, crown
Bring us blessing and salvation
That forever we may sing:
Hail! Hosanna to our king!

The Advent of Our God

The advent of our God
Our prayers must now employ,
And we must meet Him on His road
With hymns of holy joy.

The everlasting Son
Incarnate deigns to be;
Himself a servant’s form puts on
To set His people free.

Daughter of Zion, rise
To meet thy lowly King,
Nor let thy faithless heart despise
The peace He comes to bring.

As Judge, on clouds of light,
He soon will come again,
And all His scattered saints unite
With Him in Heaven to reign.

Before the dawning day
Let sin’s dark deeds be gone;
The old man all be put away,
The new man all put on.

All glory to the Son
Who comes to set us free,
With Father, Spirit, ever One,
Through all eternity.

Cardinal Schoenborn, the editor of The Catechism of the Catholic Church, appears enamored with the apparitions of Medjugorje (denounced by the Bishop of Mostar and the local bishops’ conference).

Theocratic DVD reviewed by Jason Hines.

Presidential address by Archbishop Timothy Dolan, President of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops.

One Catholic college will fight.

One social service agency surrenders.

They tell grandstanding lawyer to sit down and shut up.

We tried to tell them. It was an inconsequential office that produced it. It shouldn’t have been given so much publicity. Now, the Vatican has repudiated it. But the conspiracy buffs probably won’t read this.

Many Georgia communities, in the middle of the Bible Belt, voted to overturn some of the last vestiges of Blue Laws this week, approving Sunday sales of alcohol. The Christian Coalition wanted to keep them, but they were overwhelmingly defeated.

Paul McCain on Martin Chemnitz, one of the most important Lutheran theologians.

My latest article at Spectrum.

Archbishop Jose Gomez of LA on religious liberty.

Various groups are making their voices heard. The US Catholic Bishops have  a new committee on Religious Liberty–Bishop Lori of Bridgeport testified on their behalf.

The liberal groups deny that some things are really threats to religious liberty. Barry Lynn:

But, with all due respect to my colleagues on this panel, the real and imminent threats we face today are not of the sort they espouse. Indeed, what they see as threats can easily be characterized as attempts to obtain sweeping exemptions that harm the rights of innocent third parties; attempts to seek privileges reserved for religious entities even though they are engaged in commerce, acting as a traditional business, or serving as a government provider of services; and attempts to obtain religious exemptions even when such exemptions could deny others their fundamental rights, health, or even life.

In a similar vein, ACLU justifies the denial of religious liberty to some groups:

Catholic hospitals have been willing to put women’s lives at risk. Often, they interpret national guidelines for Catholic healthcare to require doctors to delay or deny emergency medical procedures for women. …
Catholic hospitals serve a wide range of patients, many of whom have no access to other medical care, yet USCCB is now advocating for a bill that would sanction this dangerous practice by making a hospital’s obligation to provide appropriate emergency care secondary to its decision to refuse to allow its doctors to provide abortion care.

Religiously affiliated child placement agencies that receive state funding are asking a court to excuse them from the law that mandates placement decisions for foster and adoptive children be made solely on the basis of the safety and well-being of the children—the best interests of the child. These agencies wish to deny placements with same-sex couples because of the religious beliefs of the agencies and their affiliated religious bodies, regardless of whether a same-sex couple might be the best match for the particular child in their care.

These liberal groups want to restrict religious liberty to what happens in the worship service, and will deny any freedom that detracts from their imposition of liberal attitudes to homosexuality and abortion.

Says he represents Muslim students. Says it is a “human rights” issue that there are too many pictures of Jesus on campus.

Hugo Mendez comments on the hysteria about “the Vatican’s” call for a “World Bank” over at Spectrum.

I commented:

Adventists haven’t been alone in seeing something threatening in this latest document. This is how Drudge has been playing it–indeed, the whole mainstream media. But I share Hugo’s skepticism and weariness. Some Catholic commentators (and some who understand Catholicism) have pointed out that the Pontifical Council for Peace and Justice isn’t that important. When I mentioned this in a Facebook discussion, one person responded by citing pope Benedict XVI, “Caritas in Veritate,” saying he, too, called for a “world political authority.” I looked at the original and noticed that was in italics. I checked the footnotes, and saw it was a quote from John XXIII, “Pacem in Terris,” way back in 1964! So here’s my first problem. Adventists don’t understand how the bureaucracy works, which offices are important, or even how to read the documents in question.

There’s also the matter of Catholic teaching on church state relations and on the role of the clergy. Would the Catholic church see itself as this “world authority” to oversee banking? Not at all. To imagine that is to totally fail to grasp the Catholic distinction between the ministry of the clergy and the lay apostolate. In Catholic theology, the clergy teach and seek to form the conscience; in this case, they seek to give guidance according to Catholic social justice principles. Thus, in speaking of any world authority, these documents also emphasize respect that must be given to persons as created in the image of God, the rights individuals possess, and subsidiarity–the idea that things are best handled at lower levels. And the pope/bishops expect lay people will think about these things and then, if they see wisdom in them, work toward them. It is an attempt at persuasion, not dictation. This is something very Roman that Americans (including American Catholics) don’t get. Americans (so anyone who has worked in the Vatican tells me) think these pronouncements are to be obeyed in lockstep fashion. Thus the conservatives get legalistic and the liberals roll their eyes and get defensive and Protestants say, “I told you so.” And the Italians shake their heads and say, “Where did they get this idea from?”

Some Adventists will say, “Well, we have inspiration to tell us to look for these things, and the Catholic church hasn’t changed, and, well, you are siding with THEM!” Slow down. First, God’s people in the last days are supposed to be keepers of the commandments. One of those is, “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.”

And another thing: there’s nothing in either Great Controversy or Matthew 24 or Mark 13 or Luke 21 or Revelation that says we should be looking for conspiracies or afraid of any economic policy. The issue in the last days is worship of Jesus. Let’s focus on preaching him, and speaking truthfully about him. Let’s be wary of those who would preach false Christs. Because know this–the final crisis will not be precipitated by a church getting control of the economy. It will be precipitated by an overwhelming delusion that would deceive, if possible, the elect. How could it do so? Well, I think part of it might be by getting them to worry about silly stuff like this.

An illustration of Catholic teaching.

Kevin O’Brien, via Mark Shea. The same old stuff is being done by bishops today as was done a decade or two or three or four ago. Doesn’t matter whether the bishop is liberal or conservative. Clericalism. That’s what it is about. Finn has been indicted for this latest travesty, the first bishop so charged. Unfortunately, the Catholic church has yet to develop a plan for disciplining  episcopal malfeasance of this sort.

To all those hyperventilating over the various articles in the press about the “new Vatican statement,” I suggest you read what Fr. John Zuhlsdorf and Fr. Philip Powell have to say.

When did Jesus scold people for what they wore when they came to see him?

Why would you scold people in the bulletin? Not once, but twice? (Example–gotta read in a couple of places). Over something that Jesus never said anything about?

Back in April, Pastor David J. Baer wrote to Bishop David Zellmer of the South Dakota Synod, ELCA, thanking him for releasing Immanuel Lutheran Church,  Whitewood, from the ELCA, and informing him that he was resigning from the ELCA roster, having been accepted into the NALC, along with the church.

Four months later, Bishop Zellmer responds, telling him he is no longer a pastor anywhere, is not to call himself a pastor, not to preach or celebrate communion, not to wear vestments, etc. You have to read it for yourself.

I never got a letter like that from the ELCA when I left.

The NALC had its first regular convention last week, and elected John Bradosky as bishop. It seeks to carry on the legacy of the old ALC and LCA, it appears, positioning itself as a middle way between Missouri and the ELCA. See Gene Veith, NALC webpage, RNS story.

Hundreds of people who have broken the law, and don’t want it known, are protesting fingerprint sharing by law enforcement agencies. “Terminate Secure Communities,” they demand.

Bishop Jean Laffitte, secretary of the Vatican’s Pontifical Council for the Family, in concerned that some people are over-sexualizing what has become known as John Paul II’s “Theology of the Body” (but which JP2 had called the “Theology of Human Love”). Full interview.

The Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary has come under fire for teaching “spiritual formation.” In a recent article in the Adventist Review, three faculty members discuss what they teach, and why they’ve agreed to avoid the term “spiritual formation,” in favor of “Biblical spirituality.” I took Joe Kidder’s class on spiritual formation last summer, kind of curious about the seminary’s approach, and it was a pretty standard evangelical class on personal devotion. See the seminary’s statement, Teaching Biblical Spirituality.

They also insist rather emphatically that they don’t teach “contemplative prayer.” And that’s true. It wasn’t taught in any form in the course I took. But I wonder about their emphatic denial. Allan Walshe says,

We can all say definitely and categorically that we do not teach or practice “contemplative spirituality,” “contemplative prayer,” “apophatic contemplation or meditation,” which seeks a total emptying of the mind, New Age philosophies, Eastern religious practices, or any other nonbiblical practices that others borrow from Hinduism or Buddhism. We believe everyone should be vigilant not to allow these kinds of philosophies and practices to infiltrate the Adventist Church.

After reading that, I’m still puzzled by what exactly they understand by “contemplative prayer” that “seeks a total emptying of the mind.” I asked a couple of those named in the article to define it more fully, and haven’t gotten a response.

For the record, here are some things I’ve written on some issues in spirituality:

• Adventist Spirituality
• Contemplative Prayer
• The Examined Life
• Hunger, a Review
• Liturgical Prayer
• Lutheran Spirituality
• Spirituality and Spiritual Formation
• Thoughts on Spiritual Formation
• What is contemplation?
• Who’s Afraid of Spiritual Formation (just posted at Spectrum)

JewsOnFirst has a thorough review of last Saturday’s prayer rally at Reliant Stadium.

I like Thomas Merton’s description of what contemplation is, and what it is not. What he says is in keeping with the great majority of writers in the history of Christian spirituality. I’d refer you to the first couple of chapters of his book, New Seeds of Contemplation. For Merton, it really is “spiritual wonder.” It is awareness of the presence of God. It is a sense of spiritual vision that sees, but that understands that what it sees is incomplete. That whatever it can say about God must be unsaid. It is to reach beyond what is known and understood to relate to God, to experience his presence. To be present to his love. It is at the same time a response to him.

“It is the religious apprehension of God, through my life in God, or through ‘sonship’ as the New Testament says. ‘For whoever are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. … The Spirit Himself gives testimony to our own spirit that we are the sons of God.’ … And so the contemplation of which I speak is a religious and transcendent gift. “

And so it is equally important to say what it is not.

“It is not something to which we can attain alone, by intellectual effort, by perfecting our natural powers. It is not a kind of self-hypnosis, resulting from concentration on our own inner spiritual being. It is not the fruit of our own efforts.  …

“Contemplation is not prayerfulness, or a tendency to find peace and satisfaction in liturgical rites. … It is not something we plan to obtain with our practical reason, but the living water of the spirit that we thirst for, like a hunted deer thirsting after a river in the wilderness.  …

“Contemplation is not trance or ecstasy, nor the hearing of sudden unutterable words, nor the imagination of lights. It is not the emotional fire and sweetness that come with religious exaltation. It is not enthusiasm, the sense of being ‘seized’ by an elemental force and swept into liberation by mystical frenzy.”

I’d put it this way–it is humility in the presence of God. It is that state that Job was in at the end of God’s theophany:

¹Then Job answered the LORD and said:
²“I know that you can do all things,
and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.
³ ‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand,
things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.
⁴‘Hear, and I will speak;
I will question you, and you make it known to me.’
⁵I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear,
but now my eye sees you;
⁶therefore I despise myself,
and repent in dust and ashes.”

Here’s what a leading figure in the AFA thinks about religious liberty. And here. And here. No religious freedom for Muslims. No mosques in the US. No Muslims in the military. States should be able to establish churches.

About the author of those posts:

Bryan Fischer is the Director of Issue Analysis for Government and Public Policy at the American Family Association, where he provides expertise on a range of public policy topics.

Catholic and liberal Protestant bishops in Alabama are making all kinds of hysterical accusations against that state’s new immigration law.

“This new Alabama law makes it illegal for a Catholic priest to baptize, hear the confession of, celebrate the anointing of the sick with, or preach the word of God to, an undocumented immigrant. Nor can we encourage them to attend Mass or give them a ride to Mass. It is illegal to allow them to attend adult scripture study groups, or attend CCD or Sunday school classes. It is illegal for the clergy to counsel them in times of difficulty or in preparation for marriage. It is illegal for them to come to Alcoholic Anonymous meetings or other recovery groups at our churches.”

That’s from a letter sent by Catholic Archbishop Thomas Rodi of Mobile, also posted on the archdiocesan webpage.

Color me incredulous.

Here’s the text of the law. Someone want to help me find where it says what he claims he says?

From the Fargo-Morehead Forum:

LEAFY SPURGE: To all those North Dakotans who cling to the myth that partial Sunday opening (noon for most businesses) somehow honors a Sabbath day. If individual North Dakotans opt to avoid retail stores or entertainment venues on their Sabbath, more power to them. The state’s relaxing of Sunday morning closing laws to accommodate people who might need flood-related merchandise is another indication the law is a waning symbol of religious interference in the secular marketplace. Let’s get honest: Merchants should be able to open their doors whenever they choose. North Dakotans who don’t want to shop on Sunday – morning or any other time on that day – can stay home or in church. Others will want to shop. It should be their choice, not the state’s.

The North Dakota Catholic Conference responded thusly. Final point: “Sunday closing laws are not about honoring the Sabbath day. They are about honoring people and families. “

The Catholic Conference says nothing about honoring those people and families who do honor the Sabbath, and who suffer from civil enforcement of manmade religious rules.

The text of the law does give an exemption for one who “observes a day other than Sunday as the Sabbath.” But then follows a bizarre list of items that can’t be sold between midnight Saturday and noon on Sunday. I don’t see anywhere that this is a new law. Here’s a history of blue laws in North Dakota.

The lavender mafia in Miami and beyond; new expose of Catholic seminaries and Archbishop John Favarola.