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Mollie Hemingway, a journalist and, more important, a member of the parish where my sister worships, was interviewed on the White Horse Inn by Dr. Michael Horton. Please listen and sign the petition.
The Issues, Etc. program, recently cancelled by the LCMS for unknown reasons, was far from sectarian. It addressed important issues that impact Christians of various confessions. Please sign the protest petition if you have not yet had the opportunity. Mark Hemingway of National Review addressed this truth in a section of the National Review blog. Here is a portion of the article.
Though the show held fast to its confessional Lutheran identity, it was really a show for the broader Christian community, covering a wide range of religious, cultural and political issues. Topics on the program in just the last month included everything from the story of St. Patrick, Sigmund Freud and guilt, tithing, the ethics of sex changes to the latest news of interest regarding abortion and stem cell research. Religious heavyweights such as Fr. Richard John Neuhaus of First Things, Dr. Alister McGrath, and Dr. Albert Mohler of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary could frequently be found as guests on the program. Guests on the program of interest around these parts include Edwin Meese, Robert George, Rod Dreher and our own Ramesh Ponnoru.
Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here.
Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!
Christians, today is our festival day. Today is the day of the bodily resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ has destroyed sin and death, conquering our foe forever! Sinners, rejoice! In the risen Christ there is forgiveness and new life. Do not be afraid of death any longer! For the confident, the slothful, the secure, and the self-righteous; for those here out of a sense of obligation, rejoice! In Jesus Christ there is forgiveness for your sins and new life. Do not be afraid of death any longer! Today is the day of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ!
Jesus’ resurrection is our Christian faith and hope. It is the the very core of the faith. It was not Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount that led St. Stephen to be stoned; St. Paul did not give up a good career, even his life, because Jesus offered pithy spiritual bromides and cute stories; St. Peter did not suffer an upside-down crucifixion because Jesus was wise and happened to be his buddy; men, women and children did not face down the Roman Empire, submitting to poverty, hardship, torture and death, because Jesus taught a better system of morality. No, it was the witness to and proclamation of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead, His defeat of sin and the grave, that gave birth to their Christian faith and enlivens ours this morning. It is the unlikely and mysterious reality, “He is risen,” that forever altered their lives and ours. Everything in Christian faith depends on Jesus’ resurrection.
From an Easter homily by Melito of Sardis- The Lord, though he was God, became man. He suffered for the sake of those who suffer, he was bound for those in bonds, condemned for the guilty, buried for those who lie in the grave; but he rose from the dead, and He cried aloud: “Who will contend with me? Let him confront me. I have freed the condemned, brought the dead back to life, raised men from their graves. Who has anything to say against me? I, he said, am the Christ; I have destroyed death, triumphed over the enemy, trampled hell underfoot, bound the strong one, and taken men up to the heights of heaven: I am the Christ. Come, then, all you nations of men, receive forgiveness for the sins that defile you. I am your forgiveness. I am the Passover that brings salvation. I am the lamb who was immolated for you. I am your ransom, your life, your resurrection, your light, I am your king. I will bring you to the heights of heaven. With my own right hand I will raise you up, and I will show you the eternal Father.”
So they took Jesus, and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called the place of a skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha. There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, and Jesus between them.
John is very matter of fact and straightforward. They took Jesus outside the city of Jerusalem, bearing His own cross, to the place of the skull. It was quite common for the criminal to carry the horizontal crosspiece to the place of execution. No need to exhaust a soldier. The other half of the cross, the upright beam, usually about nine feet high, was already at the place of execution, a permanent fixture in the ground. The Romans were efficient this way. So Jesus carries the crossbeam to Golgotha. There, John reports, they crucified Him and two others. John describes the horror and torment that was crucifixion in a single word. He mentions it and moves on. John does not dwell on the gruesome details. There was no need. People in the first-century knew what crucifixion entailed. Josephus, the Jewish historian, called it “the most wretched of deaths; and Cicero, a Roman, said it was “a most cruel and terrible penalty.” No doubt. Still, no need for the gore. They are crucified, plain and simple. They are lifted up and the crowd waits for them to die. There was nothing special or unique about this scene. It was fairly commonplace throughout the empire. Romans executed criminals, revolutionaries, and troublemakers. Anything to keep the peace. So on that Friday, April 3 of AD 33, three dying men hung on crosses outside Jerusalem, dire warnings to any who might threaten the welfare of the empire.
What is it that makes the death of Jesus different from any other death? Human beings die. It happens all the time. People get old and they die. People get sick and they die. Unexpected, tragic accidents kill people. Famine and disaster bring death. Governments war and people die. People commit heinous crimes and are punished with death. The media, the television, the paper and all around us there is death and dying. Throughout history, death is a constant experience for humanity. By all appearances, it would seem that this world is nothing more than a vast cemetery, receiving the dead each in their own time and manner. In this world, death is deliberate and certain. We live in the face of this haunting reality and know it will intrude on us as well. We will each die in our time and manner. Our inheritance of sin in Adam guarantees death for us and all humanity.
Jesus and His disciples had just celebrated the Passover. It was a strange celebration, however. It was unlike any Passover they had experienced. After the meal, Jesus took bread and wine in a new ritual, declaring it was His body and blood and commanding them to do this in His remembrance. This was highly unusual. Traditionally, Passover remembrance was about the recalling God’s redemption from Pharaoh through the blood of the Passover Lamb; acknowledging God was still working in their midst; and looking forward to the day God would bring redemption for His people at the end of the age. Now Jesus was saying that God’s redemption was not about the Passover Lamb per se, but it was about Him. Passover was about Jesus. It was Jesus’ flesh and blood, not the flesh and blood of a mere lamb, that would bring salvation. Is this what Jesus meant? This Passover was turning out to be quite unorthodox.
Jesus continued, talking about being betrayed by one of them, which really started a heated discussion. Each disciple just knew that it had to be someone else. Peter was most certain that he would remain faithful to death. Jesus interrupted their debate, informing Peter that he would deny Jesus three times before the rooster crowed, leaving Peter, Judas, and the rest of the disciples in a state of complete mental confusion.
Then Jesus, knowing that His hour was at hand, got up from the supper, laid aside his garments, and girded Himself with a towel. He then poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet. This Passover was getting stranger by the moment. What was Jesus doing? Not even a slave could be required to wash his master’s feet. Sometimes a student would wash a teacher’s feet, but never a teacher washing a student. Now Jesus, the Teacher, was washing their feet! The disciples must have been uncomfortable, but they didn’t dare say anything. Only Peter was too embarrassed to keep quiet. When Jesus approaches him, Peter blurts out, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” It was not appropriate in Peter’s mind. Jesus responds, “You may not understand now, but it will make sense later.” This was not enough for Peter. Peter thinks Jesus’ actions are wrong. A teacher should not wash feet. Peter doesn’t mind pointing this out. Then Jesus cautions him. He warns Peter that if he does not receive this washing, then he will lose his heritage with Jesus. Peter’s rejection of Jesus’ washing would amount to a rejection of Jesus Himself. Peter’s refusal would amount to a refusal of His share in Jesus’ Kingdom. Peter doesn’t want that. He is much too pious, so he cries out. “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” If this washing of feet is tied into eternal inheritance, then Peter wants everything washed. Peter wants a big share of the Kingdom. Peter’s selfish piety and ambition is a bit over the top, to say the least.
Yesterday morning, my good friend, Monsignor Patrick Brankin, and I had coffee. Our discussion focused on Lent and Easter when we began lamenting contemporary views of life and death, both within Christendom and without. He ran out to the car and handed me a copy of a small book, “O Death, Where is Thy Sting?” by Alexander Schmemann. In preparation for the mysteries of this weekend, I spent the afternoon reading it. It is profound and joyful. I would highly recommend it, as I would anything by Schmemann. Here is an excerpt on what happens when we understand Christian faith in terms of the Cross instead of as a form of help or therapy to cope with difficulty: ”And something strange happens to us. Suddenly from our own problems, from our own difficulties, and even from our own sufferings we turn our attention to Another, to this silently suffering Person, to this night of horror, betrayal, and loneliness, but also of celebration, of love and of victory. Something strange happens to us: perhaps without even knowing it one begins to feel how this cheap and egotistical religion, a religion once demanding only something for itself, demanding that even God would be in its service, evaporates! And it becomes clear, spiritually clear, that at its depths religion is entirely about something else. That in the end it is not all about comfort or help, but about joy and victory.”
I sent an email expressing my disappointment with the decision to cancel the show and asking for a rationale.The response to the email was sorrow for my disappointment and hope the new programming would be enjoyable. I wonder if we will ever get a reason for the decision. It all seems so disgraceful and underhanded, full of cunning, secrecy and deceit. Perhaps the new program could address 2 Corinthians 4:2. I am not naive about synodical politics, but I would still hope that someone would have the courage to state their position on such a public issue affecting so many people in the LCMS and conservative Christianity. Bureaucratic drivel will not suffice.
Here is an electronic petition to sign that will voice disapproval on the decision.
http://www.petitiononline.com/Issues/petition.html
Also, Aaron Nemoyer’s blog has an extensive list of contacts on this issue.
The mystery is solved. “Programmatic” and “business” reasons drove the decision. The perspicuity of the statement leaves something to be desired, which is a tad ironic, don’t you think? Who made the decision? Why would they remove their most popular show if they were concerned with the business of KFUO? The official statement is below. In the spirit of the election year, it says nothing and still asks for money.
”For programmatic and business reasons, the decision was made
this week to discontinue the “Issues, Etc.” program on KFUO-AM.
We look forward to bringing you new programming in this time slot
in the near future. Also, we thank “Issues” host Rev. Todd Wilken
and producer Mr. Jeff Schwarz for their years of service on behalf
of the station. Those interested may still download past “Issues,
Etc.” programs from the “Issues” archive on this website. Thank you
sincerely for your continued support of KFUO’s radio ministry.”
