Sermon held by my father in St. Johns, Shelly Beach last Sunday [11.4.2010] called Quasimodogeniti.

“May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all!” 

Prayer: Lord, open my lips that my mouth may proclaim your glory. Lord, open our ears, hearts and mind that we hear and believe your word, and live accordingly. Amen.

Text: Hear the Word of God which is written in 1 Petr. 1:3-9: (It was read as Epistle) “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed on the last time. In this you rejoice. Though now for a little while. If necessary, you have been grieved by various trials. So that the tested genuineness of your faith - more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire- may be found to result in praise and glory and honour at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.” Amen.

Beloved in the name of the risen Lord Jesus Christ, the Latin name of today’s Sunday reminds us of another word written by St. Peter which reads: Like newborn infants long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation, as we sang it in the introit of today.[1] I would prefer. The translation to read as: to long for the pure milk according to the word of God.

Therefore let us long for the genuine, pure milk according to the word of God and not according to our logic, not according to our own spirit, but according to God’s word and according to God’s Spirit. Let us always long for what God has told us in his Word, we only need to consider what we have heard during the Easter weekend from Maundy Thursday to Easter Monday in this congregation in order to acknowledge how much love God has invested in all of us to keep our longing, our wishes, our desire to be his believing and obeying children, in order to be regular guests at his table where the body of Christ und his holy blood are distributed for the forgiveness of our sins, as we heard on Maundy Thursday. The Epistle of Good Friday urged us to long for the word and ministry of reconciliation with God, which was prepared for us by God himself through the death and resurrection of Christ, the word of reconciliation through which we are invited and called always anew to be reconciled with God, through which God has made everything new in those who believe in Christ who died for us and for our transgressions, who was raised from the dead for our righteousness. Easter we were reminded to keep our longing, our wishes, our desire alive to hear and learn with great zeal and joy the gospel of Jesus Christ who died on the cross, was buried and rose from the dead according to the scriptures and according to the witness of those who saw the risen Lord alive with their own eyes, and on Easter Monday the reminder never to doubt that all who already died and who still are going to die before the Lord comes back to judge the living and the dead will be raised to appear before the judgement seat of our Lord.

Today the Lord urges us with his word which was written by his apostle to long for what today’s epistle tells us. Right from the beginning let us be aware of the fact that St. Peter talks about gifts of God that have been made available for everyone of us long ago, when Jesus Christ died for us on the cross and was raised from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. Let us never doubt that God the Father sent his Son into our flesh to bear all our sins, never to forget what he has prepared for us, always to long even to crave to partake in what God promises us, what he prepares for us when he invites us to hear his word, to remember our baptism, to confess our sins and to receive forgiveness in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit as we have heard in today’s Gospel reading, and to receive the body and blood of Christ for the forgiveness of our sins.

He promises us to be made convinced of his mercy, of our rebirth and living hope, to be made convinced of the resurrection of his Son from the dead and of our own resurrection, to be made convinced of the inheritance in the eternal life, of the promise and power of God to keep and preserve us through faith unto salvation. He want us to be made convinced even if we experience the cleansing and purifying fire of all kinds of temptations, sorrows, and various trails with the aim and goal to praise, glorify and honour him because of the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though we do not see him, we believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of our faith, the salvation of our souls.

With his word God wants to revive the longing and desire every day anew, every Sunday anew when he invites us to listen to the preaching of his word, to partake in the Lord’s Supper, to long for his mercy. Let us clarify first: Who is longing for God’s mercy according to his word? From Scripture the answer is clear. All who admit that they need the mercy of God, all who admit that the revealed law of God is accusing us always; it accuses every transgressor of God’s law, all whom God’s Holy Spirit revealed the truth that we are unworthy servants even after doing all that we were commanded, if we have done what our duty was. We are going to be convinced that we need the mercy of God if God’s Holy Spirit reveals to us the truth of Psalm 49 saying: Truly no man can ransom another, or give to God the price of his life, for the ransom of their life is costly and can never suffice. Nobody can pay the ransom. We all need the mercy of God. There is no distinction, for all of us have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

We need to hear the other Word of God, the Word of his mercy, the Word of his love, the Word of his grace. Do we long to hear it? Do you want to hear this other Word? It is written. God, the Holy Spirit has revealed it to us. Christ has come and paid the ransom for us. He was made sin for us. He was cursed on our behalf and now he is our righteousness before God. We are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith.

All who long for the redemption and propitiation by the blood of Jesus through faith in him have all reason to join in the praise song of St. Peter, to praise the mercy of God the Father, to praise Him that he has accepted und adopted us to be his children, that he has reborn us with water and Spirit when we were baptized with water in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, to praise the Triune God who made our rebirth possible through the death and the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. The Triune God revealed to us that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death and were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. This did not happen because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to God’s own mercy by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit. We are not able to do away with our sins, or to kill old Adam in us. God himself has to do the killing. He himself has drowned him in the water of baptism and drowns him every day anew if we creep back into our baptism as Luther advises us to do every day anew. There God performs the great miracle daily to kill old Adam to die with all his lusts and sins and the new man is revived to live a new life in the power of the resurrection of Christ to praise God for what he has done for us in creating a new living creature, convinced of the promise that through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead an imperishable, undefiled, and unfading inheritance is prepared and kept for us in heaven. We have not the time to compare this inheritance with perishable, defiled, and fading inheritances of this world. Such comparison would perhaps help us to admire our heavenly inheritance a little more. Important is that we praise God for his mercy to keep for us this imperishable, undefiled, and unfading inheritance in heaven.

St. Peter reminds us that the power of God is needed to guard our faith and hope, never to doubt what has been prepared and is kept for us in heaven. He writes: We have to be guarded through faith by God’s power for the salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. Let us never be tempted to doubt the power of God. It is not an unqualified power. It is the power of God according to God’s Word. The Gospel of Jesu Christ is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes. Do you see how necessary it is to long for the genuine, pure milk according to the Word of God, to long and even crave to hear the Gospel always again, to make use of the power of God to be guarded through faith for our salvation, especially if we remember that Christian faith and hope are put on the test.

St. Peter in today’s sermon text talks of being grieved by various trails and even tested like gold in fire, we read: Who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith - more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire - may be found to result in praise and glory and honour at the revelation of Jesus Christ. The genuineness of our faith is tested. Today’s sermon text talks of grief by various trails. Jesus talks about the cross his disciples have to bear, or to carry. St. Paul talks about the thorn in his flesh, the messenger of Satan who harassed him. Thrice he pleaded with the Lord about that, that it should leave him. And the Lord said to him: My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. I do not know the trails and temptations that harass you. I do not know the fires in which your faith is tested. Terrible hot does the fire of temptation burn, if we think that our prayers are not effective, especially if we pray and pray to overcome certain sins, if all our good intentions to live a God pleasing life are not fulfilled, but are lying as rouble before us, if we all of a sudden become aware of how unworthy servants we are, what terrible power our inherited corruption still has over us, if we commit a sin which burns as fire in our consciences as the Lutheran Church sings with Luther: Free will against God’s judgement fought, dead to all good remaining. My fears increased till sheer despair left only death to be my share; the pangs of hell I suffered. - That happens when all our good works come to naught. What a fire that is testing our faith and hope! The power of God is needed to extinguish this fire, and to quench the thirst caused by this fire. These deliberations remind us to long for the pure milk according to the Word of God which has the power to quench this thirst. It is available because of Jesus Christ. Although we do not see him, we believe in him and love him, and hearing his promise we rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of our faith, the salvation of our souls.

Let us always thank and praise God who prepared our salvation through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and sent his Holy Spirit to make it known also to us. It is astonishing to hear and to see how St. Peter was inspired by the Holy Spirit to write his letter and to urge us in such an evangelical way to long for th good gifts God has prepared for us through the death and resurrection of his Son, Jesus Christ. Let our ears, hearts and minds be wide open to believe the mercy of God, to hope for the imperishable, undefiled, unfading inheritance which is kept for us in Heaven, and let us be convinced that the power of God will guard our faith in order that he who began his good work in us will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. Then our praise songs will be in full harmony with the will of God when we will see what we believe today: eternal life and salvation in the name of Jesus Christ. We will see him, our heavenly Father, the Son of God, and the Holy Spirit who prepared all these good gifts for us. Amen.  The peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. +

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^[1]     This I had prepared, but not said, before I carried on as above: It would be good if all who depend on English translations of the Bible would know Greek to understand what the Greek word which was translated as spiritual milk in this context really says. As such it is used in the NT only twice, here in the first letter of St. Peter as quoted, and also in Romans 12 where St. Paul urges us Christians to present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is our spiritual worship. In both cases I blame the English translations of the Bible that they open the way for many possibilities to understand what kind of milk we should long for, or what kind of worship St. Paul does envisage. I admit that it is not easy to translate the Greek word λογικός. The German  translation talks of vernünftiger Milch and vom vernünftigen Gottesdienst. It should be wortgemäße Milch und wortgemäßer Gottesdienst, because in the Greek Adjective we find the stem λόγος which means word, because of the German and English logic - Logik and the meaning which is given in the Greek-German lexica we read in the German translation about vernünftiger Milch und vernünftigem Gottesdienst where I would prefer the translation: to long for the pure milk according to the word of God, and worship God according to the word of God. Let us worship God always according to his Word and not according to our logic. not according to our own human spirit, but according to God’s word and according to God’s spirit.

Holy Easter: Celebrating our Lord Jesus Christ’s resurrection from the grave

Sermon: 1.Cor.15,1-11:  Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand,  and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you-unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed. 

Dear friends of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ take note: The Lord our savior IX has risen – he is risen indeed! That is the miracle and wonder the Christian Church celebrates today, because with him living we will live too!

St. Paul received this gospel directly from the Lord, when Jesus Christ the crucified appeared to him on the road to Damascus – not as the dead, but as the living Lord. This glorious resurrection from the dead by our Lord Jesus Christ is a central part of our faith. Jesus Christ’s bodily resurrection from the grave is the beginning of God’s new creation. You are too are meant to be part of this new creation. In your baptism you already have been joined into Christ’s death and resurrection so that just like he was raised from the dead you too shall live the new life in Christ by the grace of God. That is why Easter is not just a holiday like others, but rather it is the central celebration of the Church – celebrating God’s victory over death, sin and devil and rejoicing in the new life, the new Jerusalem, the new kingdom and the new people gathered from all ends of the world that Jesus Christ has brought us to.  Therefore let us rejoice and be glad in it together with the entire Church on earth.

This gospel of Christ’s resurrection was already anticipated by Hannah, who sings the praise-song many centuries before Christ lived in Palestine. She sings: “The LORD kills and brings to life; he brings down to Sheol and raises up. The LORD makes poor and makes rich; he brings low and he exalts. He raises up the poor from the dust; he lifts the needy from the ash heap to make them sit with princes and inherit a seat of honor.” Well – and that is what God did in Jesus Christ after the night he was betrayed, denied, tortured, crucified and finally brutally murdered amongst robbers and villains. Today on Easter we sing and praise to God’s glory, because he raised this same Jesus on to the heavenly throne and has him sitting at his right hand wielding all power and authority, might and glory. Therefore don’t be troubled or afraid anymore, don’t cry and tremble anymore, don’t sorrow and despair, but rather rejoice – he was dead, but now he lives forever and ever and he does that to your benefit, so that you too will live forever and share his divine life abundantly together with the one holy Christian church. Join Hannah and sing: “My heart exults in the LORD; my strength is exalted in the LORD and … I rejoice in your salvation. There is none holy like the LORD; there is none besides you; there is no rock like our God.”

Today we again hear and celebrate and praise the truly amazing message: “that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.” One quote may stand for many. Hear the prophet Isaiah, who writes in the name of the Lord: Surely he [Jesus Christ] has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned--everyone--to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. (Isa 53:4-6 ESV)

After he suffered under Pontius Pilate, crucified and died Jesus was then buried in a new grave by Joseph of Arimathea (Joh 19:38 ESV) and Nicodemus. But then he was “raised on the 3^rd day and appeared at first to Cephas [the rock/St. Peter], then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me” writes St. Paul to the Corinthians. That is quite an impressive chain of witnesses, it’s the cloud of witnesses which today comprises the church triumphant, the saints around the lambs throne already joined in the eternal praises of the Lord together with seraphs and cherubim, with angels and archangels, prophets and apostles: Worthy is the lamb, who was crucified, died and was buried, but on the 3^rd day rose again – lives and reigns eternally!

The last witness is perhaps the greatest of them all because he was the most unlikely witness to start off with. Even St. Peter, who denied him before, might not be such a surprise witness to acknowledge the risen one – nor the twelve or even the 500 – as St. Paul was. He was an entirely different case. He was no friend of Jesus, but his sworn enemy and in absolute opposition against those of the new way of the gospel proclaimed by Christ. Saul was out to suppress Jesus history and to get his followers by hook or by crook caught, chained, deported and imprisoned before flogged and stoned. With intense pleasure he witnessed Stephen’s martyrdom – thinking this was pleasing to God in the highest. The living Christ, the risen Lord, Jesus crucified, buried and risen stops this Saul – his sworn enemy and persecutor of his Church in his tracks, converts him and grants him a u-turn of 180 degrees. He reveals himself as the crucified Jesus who is not rejected by God, but rather installed at his right hand and as the living head of his body here on earth - the church. He converts him, turns, changes and transforms him into a friend and apostle. Proving once again that our conversion is not our doing, but rather God’s – it’s his gift by grace and quite unmerited from our side. That should comfort all of us. If he could change Saul into Paul, he can do the same to anybody even today. Nothing is impossible with God, who converts the ungodly to be his children, who raises the dead to life, who calls that which is not into being! Praise be to him – our Lord and our God, Christ Jesus the King of Kings, who lives and reigns forever and ever for your benefit. It is not by our own power, strength or might that we come to IX our Lord and Savior, but rather only through the workings of the HS in the saving gospel.

Now this message has been preached to you many times before. This congregation has heard it for 110 years. Praise God for that! The church has proclaimed, heard and believed this gospel for 2 thousand years. Praise God for that! It’s God’s message to his people on this world – people like Mary and Martha, people like Peter and John, people with big names like Bishop Ambrose of Milan [who died on the 4^th April in 397 and was a teacher of St. Augustine], but also people we don’t even know – hundreds of them, thousands of them, yes millions of them. Well, they all attest the truth of this divine gospel: He is risen, he is risen indeed! And whoever believes this gospel is saved from death to eternal life, from sin to righteousness, from the old to the new, from destruction to glorious completion and consummation with the Lord.

However as long as we are on earth we are called upon to witness about this glorious resurrection of our Lord to those, who don’t yet believe. You do so with your church attendance, you do so with your beautiful hymns of Easter, you do so with your presence at the graves on our cemeteries  – playing the brass instruments – and proclaiming that death is not the final message, but rather Life with Christ! He is risen, he is alive, and you too shall not stay in the grave, but rather rise again and live happily ever after. Therefore we sing the praises of our God, who has given us a new hope through our “Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.” (2Ti 1:10 ESV) Amen.

Bishop Dr. Wilhelm Weber+

Ohlangeni 2010

The fishing trip of our life!

In the Lutheran Church in Southern Africa [LCSA] we have a distinctive logo: The little boat with full sails coasting forward on the waves. The sails are attached to the magnified cross as mast. Our Lords signature "Alpha and Omega" dispels any ambiguity concerning ownership of this boat or who’s in charge, owner and captain. This Church vessel is centred around Jesus Christ.

The image of God’s people being in the boat with him has become a favourite illustration of the Church throughout the ages. It starts off with St. Mark, who tells us about Jesus Christ and his disciples finding refuge in the boat, leaving the worldly crowds behind, facing the storms together, crossing to the other side and always bringing healing, sustenance and salvation to more ill, hungry and sinful people – waiting beyond the borders for the Saviour to come!

St. Peter uses this illustration to describe the power of baptism. Just like Noah's ark saved him and his family at new beginning of human history, so baptism today saves us from the chaos powers of Satan, sin and death. Holy Baptism is the name of our ship. That’s the ship we are travelling in. And if you fall out? Well, that’s where the office of the Keys comes in, that is the special power Christ entrusted to his Church to absolve penitent sinners in his name. Thereby you get pulled out of the fierce grip of the evil one and get restored into the safe haven of Christ’s boat.

Even at the beginning of Israel’s history, the living God saved that little baby Moses, who was to become the biggest prophet of them all - excepting one. You see, God does not get sidetracked in his long-term plans. No, he makes sure that even mighty tyrants like Pharaoh don’t mess with his plans. These boats – literally God’s safe boxes – carry his people through thick and thin. You can rest assured: He will reach his goal for his Church, for his people, for you!

Even at the beginning of our Lutheran history here at the Southern part of Africa God brought ships into play. That's true for our little Lutheran Church deriving from the small missionary endeavours by those people on board the "Candace" all the way from Hermannsburg landing in beautiful Port Natalia. Again and again that ship carried God's people willing to share the saving gospel in places where it was unheard of starting off in the land of KwaZulu and landing up amongst Batswana and Basarwa.

St. Luke describes how Jesus orders St. Peter to go fishing. It was to be the fishing trip of his life even if he had serious doubts initially. Well, finally he made the catch of his life. He couldn’t cope with the number of fish. He couldn’t handle the blessings on his own. God’s gifts where way too big, far too much for him to deal with alone. But the Lord provides – not only the catch, but also the helping hands to assist with the load. Another boat is there and it too almost capsizes due to the huge number of fish. Hey – this harvest is large, its way over our head, and yet its ready for the taking, because of the Lord’s promise and invitation: Look – the fields are white for harvest! Don’t think you must do this zwiee on your own. No, there are other boats, other Lutherans, Christians, other congregations, other churches just waiting for you to say: Come, help us! We want to be part of this too. We want to pull too! We want to be part of this mighty fishing trip of our Lord! St. Peter, St. James, St. John, St. Andrews, St. Matthew, – it’s you and them and all of us together with and under our Lord Jesus Christ – he our captain and master alone - and there are lots of fish to be brought in. You are to be fishers of men! You the boat people of God – you are in this boat together. You’re the fishing fleet of God – not a dinghy on your own.

Jesus himself is calling Lutherans in Southern Africa: Wake up, take your companions, your friends and fellows and join the fishing trip of your life! He will have you be fishers of men also! Missionaries, evangelists, teachers, bishops and pastors to all nations – yes – but they need your support you people in the pews, on the front- and backbenches, inside and outside and even those back home! We need to take us by the hands and move forward together, pulling the oars in tandem and aiming for the goal lying ahead.

Or are you one of those, who think it was an accident that the ship "Candace" landed on these shores? Do you think it was a mistake that our fathers Segoe, Dube, Mduli, Lenkwe, Schulz and the others founded the Lutheran Church in Southern Africa, which always has made room for Indians, AmaZulu, BaTswana, Swazis and even Germans - and did not become yet another nationalistic, racially and culturally isolated sect and tribal Bantustan? Do you think it was wrong that nearly 50 years ago our Church was founded even though financially this institution was not yet viable and independent? Do you think it was a mistake that the fathers of the Mission of Lutheran Churches [Bleckmar] and also the FELSiSA promised nearly fifty years ago: We will not abandon you? I know 50 years is a long time. Others break their commitments long before even a decade is over. Today most partnerships last only for 2/3 years. Why blame those, who are sick and tired of old acquaintances and have forgotten the alliance of half a century with all its ups and downs so that a young biographer can write in blissful ignorance: “These churches are independent of each other and have nothing to do with each other”? [Today it seems special if marriages last a lifetime - even if our God and creator said through his only begotten son: What God has joined together let man not pull asunder! Thanks be to God – this miracle still occurs. Marriages are still made in heaven and still last a life-time if God grants mercy. Also in the Church people stay committed for decades, for a life-time and even for generations.]

My dear friends the 3rd Bishop of the LCSA is not installed by those, who are dead, but rather by you the living. You are asked, whether you want to do this or not? Where do you want the Lutheran Church in Southern Africa to be in 5 years or in 2017, when God willing and if Jesus Christ has not returned visibly on the clouds the Lutheran Church worldwide is celebrating 500 years of Lutheran Reformation, the return of God's word as the true light in the Church, the return of God's people to his promises and institutions! This significant date in our history is also the 50th birthday of our Church. Now - where do you want our Church to be then? What is your fondest dream for this our beloved Church? What do you want it to look like then? It's God's gift to you, but it is also your calling, duty and task to apply yourself to this task. Have you talked to the triune God about this in your daily prayers? You are a part of this and your input, your faithful/diligent prayer, your support, your muscles, your abilities, talents and gifts are called for - in the congregation back home, in the diocese, in the synod and church. Because in the militant Church there are no honorary or complimentary seats! Those are all reserved for the people upstairs, those who have been perfected in heaven, there with the 12 apostles, with all the prophets large and small, with the fathers, the mothers and all those, who are feasting at the table of the lamb. Here in this Church Ship of ours however everybody is called to do his fair share - according to the gifts the Lord has handed out to him/her: Cleaning, scrubbing, pulling oars, tying ropes, mending sails and nets, cleaning fish – all pretty dirty work, but necessary services to keep the mission and ministry of the Church going. Remember the Lord does not ask more of you than that your are faithful to his calling! And he says: But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. (Mt 20:26-28)

We are in this boat of Christ for a reason. It's the fishing trip of our life! The Lord himself says to all of us: "Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch." And Simon answered, "Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets." And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking. They signalled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord." For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken, and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men." And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him. (Lk 5:4-11) And see and behold, these divine promises are not just empty words. No, if he says something, it happens, its reality, its history!

All of us remember, when he asked his disheartened disciples: Why are you so fearsome. Trust in God and trust in me! And he admonished the storm: Be still! and immediately the storm subsided! And the disciples queried: Who is this, that even wind and waves obey him? The prophet Jeremiah gives us the answer: The Lord on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, yea, than the mighty waves of the sea. O Lord God of hosts, who is a strong Lord like unto thee? or to thy faithfulness round about thee? thou rulest the raging of the sea: when the waves thereof arise, thou stillest them. Sometimes our God does the even greater wonder, that he takes us right into the eye of the storm and yet not allowing the chaotic forces to harm us just one bit. That's God's special way of doing things - not necessarily taking away the storm of our life, but keeping, upholding and preserving us right in the middle of the storm. Through his prophet Isaiah God gives us his promise: When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee. [Is.43,2] Remember Israel going through the Red Sea, when the Egyptians were hot in pursuit and God opened a channel through the depths? Remember St. Peter, whom Jesus encouraged to step out of his comfort zone in the boat and to join him amidst the towering waves and boisterous wind and thundering lightning bolts? Well, St. Peter was ok as long as his eyes were fixed on Jesus – the one, whom wind and water and all chaos forces obey, because he is their master and they are subject to his authority: Don’t be afraid! I am with you and all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore there is no need to despair. Rather trusting him you can join in the refrain: He’s got the whole world in his hand… Trusting we can follow his calling, wherever he calls, leads and directs us. Following his call we can dedicate ourselves faithfully to his last will: Therefore go and make disciples of all nations. Baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach them to obey everything I have commanded you. And behold I am with you always until the end of the ages.

You as Servants of the highest Lord, give to those in need, what they require to recognize him as the Lord and Saviour of all. He, who desires everybody to be saved and come to the knowledge of truth, has called you too! He calls you to be a light in this world to illuminate those who are in darkness and in the shadow of death. Oh - a wonderful, precious calling dear friends of Christ! You boat-people of the Lutheran Church in Southern Africa! You fishers of men and women, boys and girls, young and old, friend and foe, black and white, rich or poor, family or foreigner! The Lord has done great things to you. He has called you to be his own messengers and witnesses right here in this lovely land and country, with all its beautiful people. Due to Gods goodness and forbearance there's even lots of room left for others still to find a place to call home under the lovely sun of our God and under the significant rainbow demonstrating the never ending mercy, grace and goodness of our heavenly father. It's not always plain sailing for sure, but it surely is still the best way to travel - being in the same boat with Jesus!

And when the going really gets tough? Well, that happens! Things go badly - even for the best of us - like St. Paul. Remember when he was caught up in the storm while being transported by ship and in chains to his trial in Rome? Well, he broke bread, thanked God and ate! Even in the darkest night and fiercest storm the Lord keeps and sustains us in the true faith by feeding us with his own most precious body and blood. And all of them were saved! Not one on board that ship drowned or was lost to the powers of the sea, because it was the Lord who kept and sustained them throughout so that eventually they reached their destination. Praise be to God!

My dear friends, we are in this boat together. By God's grace and providence we are no rock nor a solitary island, but rather members of this living body called "The Church". It is not the Titanic! Not many powerful and might abroad, but Jesus Christ is here with us. He is the beginning and the end of our entire existence. Outside of him there's nothing. His Holy Spirit fills the sails of our Church creating saving faith wherever and whenever it pleases him in those who hear the gospel of Jesus Christ in word and sacrament. He takes us where he wills. We know, his will is the best. And although we are not the Titanic and although we are not sinking into oblivion because our Lord is holding us steadfastly and nothing can sever us from his hand, we do also sing the hymn the band supposedly played on that sinking ship as the motto of our lives: Nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to thee ...

Next time you look at the logo of our Church, think about the rich symbolism it bears. Give all honour and praise to our God, who saved us through baptism, who keeps us with daily bread and blessings, but also sustains us in true faith through his Word and Luther's teaching. He, our living God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ leads us by his Holy Spirit in his ways and ordinances to life everlasting. Therefore let us be proudly Lutheran: “Ahoi - out to sea in Jesus name: It’s to be the fishing trip of our life!” Amen.

Trusting God on the way forward as we look back on past decades of LCSA history

God willing the LCSA is installing its hird bishop on Sunday. After the orderly election on the 2nd December last year the LCSA has some time to get used to this idea of a new bishop. The new is always tied to the past. Looking back we are encouraged on our way forward together because we trust that as God gave us faithful men in the past to carry the burden of this precious calling, which demands us entirely, he will not leave us in the lurch in future either. After Bishop Georg Schulz DD served the LCSA for more than a quarter century [26 years: 1967-1993], Bishop David Tswaedi DD followed faithfully in his footsteps for 17 years [1993-2010]. We thank God for these men and also for the decades they led the LCSA. They were times of initiation and new beginnings, growth and stabilization, times of peace and conflict, times of ups and downs, always change, transition and developement. Always something new and still mostly more of the same. However never alone, but always the Lord was with his Church too! Hallowed is his name, his will be done and his kingdom comes - even in our time and age!
We are grateful that the Lord our God has granted the LCSA such dedicated servants in the past decades. Looking forward, we are hopeful that our God will permit our brother Tswaedi to continue serving the Church for many years to come with his wisdom gathered in the work as bishop, pastor and teacher locally and abroad. It is with great joy, pleasure and thankfulness that I look forward to having Dr. Tswaedi serving much more intensively at ikolishi lagithi [the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Tshwane]. We all know that that is where his passion and committed enthusiasm lies. May God bless this renewed concentration of our friends gifts and talents to this field.
On the 31st of March 1967 the synod at Ventersdorp decided to constitute the Lutheran Church in Southern Africa, and confirmed the mission superintend Georg Schulz to be the first bishop of the newly constituted church. As such he was installed at Roodepoort near Ventersdorp on the 2nd of April, 1967. Decades later Bishop Tswaedi was elected not far from Salem – in Thandakukhanya in Mpumalanga, the Lutheran center of that area. That is where our brother [umfowethu] the vice-bishop Victor Vilakazi is stationed. Bishop Tswaedi’s installation was also celebrated at Roodepoort the heartland of our Church in the old Western Transvaal [North-West] at the beginning of December 1993. Both installations of yesteryear were in the once beautiful church building of our Church, the white washed landmark at Roodepoort near Ventersdorp.
On Sunday as the Church bids Bishop Tswaedi farewell from the office of the Bishop, the celebrations are in the center of the vibrant Gauteng province. We are to gather in a tent. We are not in the promised land yet. We are still on the move. We – as all Christians on this world – are migrants towards our final destination, the heavenly realms, the home our Lord and savior Jesus Christ has prepared for us and for all those trusting in him. He has taken us who were strangers and even enemies of God and made us into his close friends, yes even family members by becoming our brother. It was he, who chose us to be compatriots in heaven and members of God’s family. That is why we who are always on the road, migrants, chwere chwere and foreigners everywhere – are still not really homeless and hopelessly lost, but rather very much at home, citizens in the one holy Christian Church scattered throughout the entire world, but also here in this tent on the open veld in Mofolo N.
We – the wandering people of God – can sing and praise right here and now: O Lord, how I love the habitation of your house and the place where your glory dwells. No longer restricted to Mt. Zion, Jerusalem or Wittenberg but rather at home wherever he dwells and is worshiped in spirit and in truth [John 4]. According to his promise he is right there among us, wherever his word is truthfully proclaimed and his sacraments faithfully administered according to his institution - be it in a magnificent cathedral or under the thorntree [Acacia siberia] That is where he creates the true saving faith whenever it pleases him and in those listening to his gospel and tasting his celestial food. That is why we Lutherans together with all true Christians adhere so closely to our Lord’s commandments and promises, because they are the only true connection to our salvation in this world and also to the life to come. Jesus said of himself: Nobody comes to the Father except through me! This Jesus Christ as vouchsafed by the word alone, grace alone and faith alone is the source, means and goal of our life here and there. That is why St. Paul admonishes all of us: Fix your eyes on Jesus. He is the author and perfector of our faith+

Bishop's inauguration and installation on Sunday

There might yet be some significance in celebrating this induction during lent, without fanfare and hallelujahs, not in the beautiful church of Salem, but rather in a rented tent on open veld. During the Lenten season the triune God calls us to follow Jesus into his patient obedience and suffering unto death on the cross. We know discipleship always is the call to take up his cross and follow Jesus wherever he may lead us. Friends of Jesus are never quite at home here, but rather always on the way to the place he himself has prepared for us. Migrants, foreigners and genuine expats wherever we are until we reach home with the father. Well, we are not there yet, but still on the way.
Even so the triune God is right here present with us today in this tent. Our Lord Jesus Christ says, wherever 2 or 3 are gathered in my name, there I am with them and If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples [Joh 8:31]. And his Church teaches: “when the called ministers of Christ deal with us by his divine command [choosing, confirming, calling, examining, ordaining, installing, placing and blessing pastors, deans, bishops] … then this is just as valid and certain even in heaven as if Christ our dear Lord dealt with us himself.” So when they preach the gospel, forgive sins, judge doctrine, reject doctrine that is contrary to the gospel and exclude from the Christian community the ungodly whose ungodly life is manifest … not with human power, but with God’s word alone … then they do this by divine right. They must do it – and woe unto them, if they don’t preach the gospel [1.Cor.9,16b]. Therefore it is truly meet, right and salutary to sing in unison with the entire Church on earth, but also with the triumphant one in heaven with never-ending worship for God’s goodness revealed to us in his holy office of the ministry: UNkulunkulu oyedwa makadunyiswe njalo!
The Church does well to keep its eyes fixed on Jesus the author and perfector of our faith. His commands and promises deserve our undivided attention. His mandates and institutions, his legacy and testament dictate the way to salvation as the Father addresses him: “This is my beloved Son, with you I am well pleased” and us he advises: “Listen to him!” And the Son again says: As the father sent me, I send you to preach the good news, forgive sins and proclaim peace and goodwill from towards all people!

Rev. James Fandrey from LHF visiting LTS

On Friday the Rev. James Fandrey from the Lutheran Heritage Foundation [LHF] visited the Seminary. The LHF has supported publications of confessional Lutheran Theology taught by Seminary teachers in isiZulu  by Schulz, Weber and Stallmann over years plus the various books of the Lutheran Confessions and the Lutheran Hymnal in Setswana, Luther's Small Catechism in Afrikaans. Now they are planning to publish the entire Book of Concord in Setswana too.
The support has not only been in publications, but also in enabling Dr. Anssi Simojoki to teach annually at the Seminary over years and also in helping to finance the purchase of additional facility. That is why we now have the LHF hall on campus.

President Randy Golter arrives at the Seminary with his wife Elisabeth

On Friday evening, when Professors Schulz and Pless left for the USA via Germany and Dakar respectively, President Randy Golter from the LCMS Rocky Mountain District arrived with Delta Airlines. His wife Elisabeth is accompanying him. They are both thrilled to visit the LTS in Tshwane and catch up on old acquintances and friendships made over the years of RMD's partnership with the LTS initiated by LCMS World Relief & Human Care.
Yesterday the Golters visited the Farmers market, had a look around Pretoria and visited the LCMS World Missions Area director for Africa Dr. Mike Rodewald, who had invited the Seminary teachers over to his place to meet the Golters and also Rev. James Fandrey from the Lutheran Heritage Foundation. 
The Golters are going to stay for nearly two weeks visiting at the Seminary, but also travelling to four of the five dioceses of the Lutheran Church in Southern Africa to meet with the various deans and to hear from them about the ongoing work and mission of the Lutheran Church in Southern Africa.
They are joined tonight by President Herb Mueller from the LCMS South Illinois District, who is travelling with the student of theology Mark Theiss.  Bishop David Tswaedi DD is going to pick them up at the airport and take them to the guesthouse Meintjieskop near the Union buildings .