Monday morning matins: John 6, 24-35

The theme for our devotions  this week is the Lord's Supper - here and then. Celebrating confirmation in that frame of reference seems fitting. Not only do the confirmands go to the Lord's table for the first time to receive the Lord's flesh and blood under the bread and wine, but we are also encouraged to look beyond this time and age to the world to come and to anticipate the Lord's banquet with all the patriarchs, saints and martyrs in whose company we will have every reason to be welcome, grateful and full of praises - because the host will address his people graciously: He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels. (Rev 3:5 NIV) There we will behold him face to face, who is the source of all life and joy and blessing. Reconnected with him, we will enjoy fullness of life, grace upon grace and never-ending bliss. Being with Jesus Christ: that's the goal - that's fulfillment and the purpose of our life. That's when our song: "Oh, for a thousand tongues to sing ..." will have changed from desire to fulfillment. At last the triumphs of his grace will be adequately lauded.

Looking for Jesus? He will find you!

The crowd searches for Jesus. Real seekers? Well, they are looking for God. Seems like a good idea. Wish more people would follow suit or what do you think? The problem is that people generally look for God in the wrong places. It is as Luther explains the sinful human predicament in his explanation to the 3rd Article of the Apostolic Creed: "I cannot by my own reason of strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to him...". How is that? It seems as if these people here are spot-on, doesn't it? Are they not  looking for Jesus in whom we find all the fullness of God incarnate. [cf. Col.1,19] Jesus sees more than meets the eye. He doesn't bluff himself about why these people are really looking for him. It's not because they adore him or even trust in him as the one, who was sent by the Father as the Lamb, who carries the sins of the world. No, they ate the bread loaves and had their fill. That's why they are running after him. They are looking for more bread, but mere bread. They would go as far as making him their "bread king". Perhaps he would eventually also provide fun and games - and then that would be a life, wouldn't it?  Jesus as a means to an end. He - the provider of those things, we want. Its not so much about Jesus, but about the things he gives and makes possible. But Jesus does not give in to this temptation. The devil tried him with that too, but he did not falter that time either. Jesus wants us to recognize him as the "priceless treasure, fount of purest pleasure; truest friend of me ..." [LSB 743,1] - he as a person, a goal in himself and not just our stepping stone to higher things, which we desire.
Now Jesus does not just expose the misdirection of these people. He directs them to the true goal of all human life: Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. Although we can't find Jesus - he can and he does show himself to people so that they see him and  believe in his father and accept him as who he is and what he does for us and for our salvation. That was his mission. That's what he did and keeps doing. Therefore if you are looking for Jesus, don't worry. He will find you!

The work God requires? Believe in the one he has sent!

The people don't catch on immediately. It takes time. Jesus Christ continues to draw them ever closer to himself - step by step. The people do want to do God's works - even though they don't realize that's something they can't do without Jesus Christ. It's only in him [IX] that we humans can please God. There is no other way or means. God himself has put his seal of approval on him alone: This is my beloved Son - hear him!
The people want to do something. They want to take this into their own hands. Let's get this done: What must we do to do the works God requires? That too is typical. We human beings think we can do the works God requires, climb the mountains we have to climb, dig the tunnels we need to dig and dance the dance we have to dance ... face it and then let's just do it! Well, God requires something else. It's as Luther teaches us to sing in his hymn on the 10 commandments: "And put aside the work you do, so that God may work in you!" Now that's tough for the old Adam. I am not good at this. But even Jesus tells us and we heard it yesterday in the gospel: "I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." Those that don't do works, but receive life from their parents, from their teachers, from society ... they live life to the fullest and Christ puts them in our midst so that we may catch on from them.
God's work is that he gives life in abundance and that he wants us to live this presented life - this miraculous gift, which we can't attain, but only receive - free, mahala - even if it's endlessly precious and no gold or silver can ever weigh it up. He wants us to live it trusting his goodness, believing in his faithfulness and receiving this whole new way of life every day anew. So - Jesus: Please, give us always such wonderful bread, such miraculous life! And he says: 

Give us such bread. "I am the bread of life!"

Such divine life is only possible in, with and through him Jesus Christ. It's not just about understanding his words or seeing his miracles. It's about him coming into our lives and we being incorporated into his. That's more than just a sociable meeting at table - its about realistic unity, incorporation and bodily harmony. Jesus describes this picturesque: I am the vine, you are the branches! Here it is about bread and eating and thus taking in the sustenance of life: Jesus Christ himself. Even if we talk and think that life is sustained by eating, it is the bread that does this miracle of giving us energy, power and the go to move ahead and keep going. Jesus Christ is this bread, that gives us life everlasting. Being in him and he in us, there is no way that death will harm us. No, in, through and with Christ we have eternal life. We eat his body at his table so that one day we will sit with him at his table and rejoice in his glorious, gracious and blessed presence - world, joy and life without end - where we will never by hungry or thirsty again because he is our love and our life - now and forever. Amen. 

How best to expand and utilize the LTS facility ...

Olive Tree Architects tabled their first plans for the LTS facility extension on Thursday. It seems as if it would be most suitable to have the main entrance running into Farenden Street - and probably at Segoe House. There's an electronic gate and the facade of Segoe is quite inviting. Inside Segoe is arranged for office space and that's most likely what we should use it for. This means that the new building would encompass library/computer/class rooms plus a kitchen and dining hall on the ground level with student dormitories on the first floor. Let's hope we get this concept passed at the BoD meeting towards the end of this month.

Cooperation with UNISA?

After Tinjiko Maluleke had referred me to Prof. Phillips [Director of UNISA's school of humanities, Social Sciences and Theology] I visited there yesterday. It seems as if the LTS could cooperate meaningfully with UNISA in several areas. Most importantly in my view would be the option of streamlining our program at the 3 levels of beginners, main and advanced courses - and having our teachers/lecturers supervising the students locally and abroad on behalf of UNISA. The head of the practical theology department - Prof. Theron - was very helpful and suggested I continue consultations with Prof. Klippies Kritzinger. The discussions underlined once more, how vital the educational goals are, which we are trying to reach in the training of Lutheran pastors in Africa. Take a look at the various theology options at UNISA and you might also feel that this could compliment the LTS program quite significantly.

Sermon in Shongweni on the 4th Octobe...

Dear friends of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ, especially you dear confirmands!

It is with great joy that I am sharing this wonderful day with you. I am very happy to be a guest of Mandla Thwala, who is a Seminary graduate  and now pastor of this Shongweni congregation and dean of the KwaZulu/Natal diocese. It is a wonderful blessing of our Lord that he equips those he calls with talents and gifts to build up his Church to his honor and glory and for the benefit of many people. That he has done this
here in Shongweni and with you and your pastor Thwala makes me very grateful and also makes me feel very much at home.

I bring you greetings from the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Tshwane [Pretoria] on this day. We appreciate your support and we are very eager to have more Zulu students from KwaZulu/Natal in the future. Presently there is only one Zulu at the Seminary – our student representative Bheki Ngobese, who is in the final stages of his studies. God willing he is going to be a vicar at Ohlangeni starting next year – just like your pastor and dean was a couple of years ago. So – please if you have bright and faithful young men – encourage them to join the Seminary. The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Please ask the
Lord of the harvest to send workers into his harvest field – just like our Lord Jesus Christ encourages us to do [Mt.9,37f].  

Every confirmation is a wonderful occasion. Confirmands, who have been taught God’s word and Luther’s teachings, are reminded of what the triune God did to them starting off from their birth, but especially in holy Baptism. In the first birth they – like all living creatures in this world – received life from God the creator to be children of their parents, their people and nation. In the 2^nd birth – i.e. in holy Baptism – they became children of God and heirs of heaven by the workings of the Holy Spirit through the washing in the water together with God’s word. Now they are no longer strangers and foreigners to the family of God, but rather members of God’s household – the only, holy Christian Church universal. Today you are given the opportunity to proclaim publicly your faith in this triune God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit – who has created you as human beings, rescued you from sin, death and devil – not through gold/silver, but rather with the precious blood of our Lord/Savior IX – and now deals with you – not as enemies, but friends and family! You belong to him and he cares for you. This good news is emphasized and underlined in the invitation to the Lord’s supper, which is extended to you for the first time today. You are to eat and drink the Lord’s body and blood for the forgiveness of your sin and to thus encourage you even more to believe, that he who has given his body into death so that you may live with him forever and he who shed his blood for you on the cross on Golgotha gives you part of his new life so that you are united with him – now and eternally. We know that he has not only done that to you, but also to us, who today  celebrate this confirmation as a very special highlight in your young lives and remember our own confirmation years ago. Like St. Paul we are confident, that he, who
started the good work in us, will eventually bring it to wonderful completion through IX our Lord.

God’s word as prescribed for the 17^th Sunday after Trinity from St. Matthew the 15^th chapter verses 21-28:

And Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying, "Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon."  But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him, saying, "Send her away, for she is crying out after us." He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." But she came and knelt before him, saying, "Lord, help me." And he answered, "It is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs." She said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table." Then Jesus answered her, "O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire." And her daughter was healed instantly.

The Lord set’s his table for his people. Out in the desert and barren places he feeds thousands with bread from heaven – literally – and all those plenty people are satisfied so that baskets and baskets with leftovers remain. Nobody lacks anything, but is well taken care of.

The Lord changes water into wine so that a entire wedding party is well taken care of. The divine surplus is
overflowing and God’s people are well taken care of – yes, more than that. They partake in God’s abundance and rejoice in his goodness. He has done everything very well! 

Even those who are outside – like the sinners and tax collectors, the lepers, the poor beggars, the demon-possesses – all those disqualified by some or other negative issue and who were not entitled to be at the Lord’s table by the Law of Moses, they are all invited inside to be part of this Lord’s feast. He forgives the sins, he heals the diseases and makes those, who are outcasts and renegades from the House of Israel legitimate heirs of God’s kingdom. The Lord sends out his disciples to bring them in, so that his house might be filled. There is still room and you too are also most cordially invited: Come – it is all prepared! Taste and see how good our Lord is!

That is the work and mission of our Lord Jesus Christ: To gather, feed and take good care of the lost sheep of the House of Israel. That’s what he did in his lifetime. Now as he is carrying out this good mission
of his, he is opposed by the high and mighty, the governing bodies and theological schools of his time. They are not happy with what this Jesus of Nazareth is doing and so they start to pester and plague him. Jesus then turns his back on them and moves off into the area of Tyre and Sidon – that’s in the North of Judea on the coast of the Mediterranean, where today we find Beirut/Lebanon.

Now on his way there is this women, who is not a Jew, but a gentile and she is calling to Jesus like we did this morning: Kyrie eleison! That’s a cry for help in Greek. Translated that means: Lord have mercy! She calls him the son of David – for just like he ruled all the area in the east of the Mediterranean so also Jesus should practice his good Lordship over this area too. It’s actually a confession of faith! You are the Lord – you are the son of the big King David – have mercy on me, help me or better my daughter. Jesus first makes it clear,
that she has no right to demand such help. She is not entitled to it. The Lady however knows this. She agrees. She does not demand help, but rather begs for mercy: Please help my daughter!

The disciples want to get rid of her quickly, but Jesus says: No – it is not good, because it is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs. Now that is quite a embarrassment, yes, even a humiliation and an insult. Jesus says the Israelites are the children, but the gentiles are dogs. Now the lady would have every reason to be upset and to go away and leave this Jesus behind. However she agrees with Jesus and yet catches him in his own words. She says: "Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table." Oh, what a women and what a faith! She is not put off by Jesus harsh rebuttal of her petition, no, she persists and eventually corners him, so that he has to admit: "O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire." And her daughter was healed instantly. Is that not wonderful. Jesus is merciful and helps this very insistent women – even though she is a gentile. Yes, at first it was just crumbs and here and there that gentiles came into the benefit of Jesus mission. 

However even in that time, he showed that his mission was bigger than just for the house or tribe or people of Israel. As we read in the Gospel of St. John, Jesus Christ says: I have other sheep that are not of this
sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. (Joh 10:16 NIV).  That is why, when he had conquered death and the devil by his glorious resurrection, he instructed his disciples and the Church at large: "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."  (Mat 28:18-20 NIV)

Now it’s not only crumbs, but the fullness and complexity of divine citizenship we as gentiles have through Christ’s calling! We don’t only get fed crumbs, but can eat our fill at the table of our Lord. We don’t just get an idea of Christian teachings, but are taught everything he taught us. And we don’t only have some fleeting connection with Jesus Christ, but rather – he is with us always. Now it is in faith, but then we will see it with our eyes – and compared with that the blessings of this time are again only crumbs…there the Lord’s Supper will be a feast for all to see and for us to partake in.

Here this mother brings her daughter to Jesus and he hears our prayers like he heard hers. We don’t know, what happened with this daughter later on in her life – except that she was definitely healed by Jesus and that instantly. We do know however that your baptism was not in vain, for even today you confess your faith in the
triune God together with the entire Christian Church. God’s action in your baptism was not in vain, but he started his good work in you there and will complete it graciously then and by his never-ending mercy until you will see the wonderful goal/destination he has prepared for you. To safeguard this, he keeps you in his holy word and at his table taking good care of you as long as you are on the way. Amen.

Shongweni: Celebrating confirmation

Travelling to Shongweni took us a while. Getting back was faster. The trip down was more sightseeing, whereas homeward bound we only watched the rains coming down.
Enhlanhleni was a highlight, because the road down to old pastor Aaron Ntuli's place was fixed. The long grass [isiZulu: Tsunga] was trimmed. Perhaps it had been cut by hand or the many piglets, cows and goats had gone on with the job.

I could not remember the "Huilboerboon" [Weeping boer-bean or Schotia brachypetala ] being so prevalent in Umsinga. The blooming red petals were exiting the passing viewers in at least ten different locations. Actually its a sin to drive through these areas so quickly. We really should have more time for sight-seeing - especially in such lovely areas as Zululand.

The same hold true for visiting such hubs of the Lutheran Church as Ithekweni/Durban. Here there are a number of Lutheran congregations: Phoenix, Chatsworth, Westville, Umlazi, Inanda, Shongweni and probably many others. Mariannehill is a impressive Roman Catholic setup started by the Mariannehillers. The Hindus have a massive Hare Krishna shrine there and also the Muslims have a great mosque there. To name but a few religious societies active with their missions in this fastest growing metropolitan area in Southern Africa.

In Shongweni we arrived just after dusk and Dean Mandla Thwala gave us the warmest of welcomes. We Seminarians were quite exhausted after nine-hour travels even though the Mini-Bus taking 14 people is very comfortable. After a sumptious braai and good fellowship with old and new friends, students were dropped off in two's with congregants living around the township.
At Church some ladies of the congregation were busy until shortly before midnight and got the fires burning even before dawn. Everything was to be tip-top by the time Church Service was to start at 10:00.
Walking around the township I caught some surprising glimpses of the life in this part of the world. Burchell's Coucal was calling out loud as the mist was rising from the valley below. Water was being fetched to do the mornings washing and everything was on the move to enjoy the Day of the Lord - even though some would not understand it that way. 


Ten confirmands were to be confirmed - nine youngsters and a dear old lady, who really was not part of the juvenile crowd. Shame! 

One lady who had converted from Roman Catholicism to the Lutheran Church was welcomed into the congregation, while the Women's league sang the following words with the most moving melody: 

Inkosikazi mayembatha mandla lesi skhathi sokunboba

ukuze ibhekane nezinkinga sakesknathe sphila kuso. 

Inkosikazi mayembatha mandla kulesithunzi sokuphila. 

Ukuze ubhekane nezimkinga saleskhathe esphila kuso

Finally a couple, who had just been married the previous day was also welcomed in the congregation and blessed by the pastor. 

After the Sermon and the Lord's Supper the Seminarians introduced themselves and the work of the LTS in Tshwane. One thing that struck me, was the wonderful vestments in the Church. However the vessels for Holy Communion were just a glass cup. Perhaps there is somebody out there who knows about a proper/fitting chalice for this Zulu congregation in Natal?  

The festivities closed off with a sumptious meal of chicken, curry and other delicacies - and we took to the road again and were off to Pretoria.