#small catechism

New Post has been published on https://www.crownofcompassion.org/2021/01/02/the-heart-of-god-revealed-in-jesus-work/

The heart of God revealed in Jesus' work

“Since we know the heart of God revealed in the work of Jesus Christ — His cross and life for us — we know that what God gives us will be good.  Not necessarily fun, pleasant, or a walk down easy street, but good nonetheless.  Since He is good, what He gives me to do is also good.  This means I must regard as blessings the particular things that come from my callings.”- Rev. Jeffrey Leininger

“All this He does only out of fatherly divine goodness and mercy, without any merit or worthiness in me.  For all this it is my duty to thank and praise, serve and obey Him.”- Small Catechism, First Article

Rev. Jeffrey Leininger concludes Chapter 5 of Callings for Life as he talks about the blessings and burdens inherent in any calling.  For example, when you understand your calling as God-given, your burdens become bearable.  Because God’s the one placing those burdens on you.  The author goes on to explain:

“This means that the burdens are good.  God is at work in them shaping us, disciplining us, and ultimately drawing us closer to Him.  These are also, therefore, burdens we willingly and joyfully bear because they are from His hand (emphasis Jeffrey’s).”

Certainly, nothing we encounter in life comes stress-free or conflict-free: workplace, school, church, family.  Above all, Christians recognize this reality.  As a result, Rev. Leininger observes, they remain self-reflective and repent of their shortcomings.  Furthermore, Christians seek to receive others’ shortcomings and sins with grace.

In conclusion, Rev. Leininger cites this passage from Isaiah 43:1-3.  Isaiah wrote:

“But now, says the LORD, He who formed you, O Jacob, He who formed you, O Israel: ‘Fear not, for I have redeemed you.  I have called you by name, you are Mine.  When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through the fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.  For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, Your Savior.”

Today’s question: Where do you most sense the heart of God?  Please share.

New Post has been published on https://www.crownofcompassion.org/2020/12/20/the-false-god-janus-lure-remains-enticing/

The false god Janus - lure remains enticing

“Although few worship literal statues anymore, the lure of the false god Janus remains just as enticing today.  How difficult it is to just be present, to embrace the callings of our current life without constantly looking backward and forward at the same time. . . .  The worship of Janus is alive and well today in our constant fixation upon either the past or the future and in our refusal to simply be at peace in the present, knowing the God who knows all and promises to be with us in all things.”- Rev. Jeffrey Leininger

“You shall have no other gods.  What does this mean?  We should fear, love, and trust in God above all things.”- Small Catechism, First Commandment

In Chapter 2 (“Presence”) of Callings for Life, Rev. Jeffrey Leininger opens with a description of Janus, the Roman god of doorways.  His two faces on one torso allowed him to see both behind and before.  As a result, that made Janus’s image a popular choice in the archways, entrances, and exits of the ancient world.

Above all, the main temple to Janus in Rome stretched from east to west.  Thus, the temple marked both the beginning and end of the day.  In addition, Romans closed the temple doors only in times of peace.  Hence, Janus rested only when Roman conquest rested.

So, obsession with a guilt-filled past leads to trusting in that past.  Rather than trusting in the God of grace and forgiveness.  And that, Rev. Leininger points out, represents a form of idolatry.  Certainly, guilt can be good when it convicts us, brings us to repentance, and leads us to the Savior’s arms.  However, Satan also uses God’s good law.  Satan desires to keep us away from Christ and wallowing in constant despair and inactivity.

In conclusion, Rev. Leininger explains:

“Janus’s  backward face wants us to stare at our sins and shortcomings and in shame remain there, even when we have repented and been assured of Christ’s forgiveness.  One of the most common and destructive forms of worshipping the past is living unnecessarily in guilt and disappointment.  At its worst, it is dismissive of the power and love of Christ’s work on the cross.”

Today’s question: Do you ever succumb to the lure of the false god Janus?  Please share.

“You young people, be subject to your elders and...in this way show humility. For ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’ Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you in his time.” From 1 Peter 5[:5-6]. 

How can bodily eating and drinking do such a great thing? Answer: Eating and drinking certainly do not do it, but rather the words that are recorded: “given for you” and “shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.” These words, when accompanied by the physical eating and drinking, are the essential thing in the sacrament, and whoever believes these very words has what they declare and state, namely, “forgiveness of sins.”

What is the benefit of such eating and drinking? Answer:

The words “given for you” and “shed for you for the forgiveness of sins” show us that forgiveness of sin, life, and salvation are given to us in the sacrament through these words, because where there is forgiveness of sin, there is also life and salvation.