Real presence

Good Afternoon
After a long hiatus I am back to this underused blog with a great topic. How do Lutherans understand Christ's real presence in communion.

I am inviting comments in response to Stephan who wrote in a string at steadfastlutherans.com about decision theology about the way that Lutherans understand Christ presence in Communion and how that understanding is different tham transubstiation. Here's my response to Stephan.

Stefan
I am sure grateful to see this conversation continue. If you like we can continue on my underused blog unlikelybanter.blogspot.com or if one of the powers that be behind the Steadfast Lutheran's site is ready it might be continued here as well.
You ask if Lutheran's believe in transubtantiation. We don't; but we do believe that Jesus is present for us in the bread and wine just as he promised to be present.
I was raised as a Catholic and even attended a Catholic University for my undergraduate degree. I have always believed that Christ is present in communion, the difference between a belief in real presence and a belief in transubtation is in no small part how we accept the mystery of Jesus' presence in communion. Here's where Luther just makes more sense (at least for my simple brain) by letting the ambiguity be that others try to explain away through their doctrines of Transubstatiation. The Catholic belief in Transubstatiation, as I was taught it, is an attempt to logically explain a mystery of God coming into our midst.
Martin Luther was bold in saying yes Jesus is present; but he was equally bold in encouraging people to just let the mystery of God's presence stand

So against all reason and hairsplitting logic I hold that two diverse substances may well be, in reality and in name, one substance. These are my reasons: First, when we are dealing with the works and words of God, reason and all human wisdom must submit to being taken captive, as St. Paul teaches in II Corinthians 10[:5], must allow themselves to be blinded and led, directed, taught, and instructed, lest we presume to be God’s judges in his words, for we shall surely lose out when we try to judge him in his words as Psalm 50 [51:4] testifies.
Secondly, if we take ourselves captive to him and confess that we do not comprehend his words and works, we should be satisfied. We should speak of his works simply using his words as he has pronounced them for us and prescribed that we speak them after him, and not presume to use our own words as if they were better than his. Martin Luther, vol. 37, Luther's Works, Vol. 37 : Word and Sacrament III, ( ed. Jaroslav Jan Pelikan et al.;, Luther's Works Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1999, c1961), Vol. 37, Page 296.

Thanks Stefan for this great discussion of one of the great mysteries of faith. I trust that God's Word is always fruitful and that you and I both may be strengthened in our trust of Christ through such great conversation.

Pax
John

NPR fires Juan Williams

Right when Minnesota Public Radio has pladge week National Public Radio makes a major mistake: letting go of a good reporter for sharing his honest opinion while he was on a cable commentary show.  
In a story in The New York Times:
"One Comment, Two Takes at NPR and Fox" you can read the details of the firing of Juan Williams.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/22/business/media/22williams.html

Pax, John.

U.S. National Debt

The U.S. National Debt as of 10/19/2010 is $13,676,109,536,322.09!
That's $44,546.64 each!   Uggh and to think neither major national party has a plan fo a balanced budget in the next 5 years.  

You can track it yourself using the app National Debt, available for free from LukeWalker Apps, only on webOS!

Pax, John.

Christian Humility Luke 17:5-10

Just a note,
many in our town have had some water in their basement after significant rains in excess of 6 inches last week. Folks in other towns near by have faced even greater flooding and even greater challenges in the aftermath. Truman Minnesota just to our north had over a foot of rain last week. Please keep those who have lost some property so quickly to this surprising fall flooding in your prayers.
+++++
Jesus' friends asked for help to grow in faith. But looking at the reading I don't think they knew what they were asking for when they said, "...to the Lord, "Increase our faith.""
Jesus wasn't inviting his friends to grow in faith for their own sake. He was inviting them to grow in faith for the sake of the Kingdom of God. The same thing goes for us. We are called to be God's servants. Jesus drove the point home asking

“Who among you would say to your slave who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field, ‘Come here at once and take your place at the table’? 8 Would you not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, put on your apron and serve me while I eat and drink; later you may eat and drink’? 9 Do you thank the slave for doing what was commanded? 10 So you also, when you have done all that you were ordered to do, say, ‘We are worthless slaves; we have done only what we ought to have done!’ ” Luke 17:7-10 NRSV.

There's no hiding our humble position compared to God's. Still the same Jesus who asks humility of his friends bowed down before them to wash their feet the night before he died.
Read Luke 17:8 in contrast to the great invitation we receive from God to His table. We come unworthy and ill-prepared. We come as sinners undeserving who meet God in flesh at the table. We come warts and all. And the maker of the universe who could sternly keep us away welcomes us. We could be pushed aside because the blood of the lamb is on our hands; but the lamb who was slain welcomes us with scared hands to eat and drink with him.
Thanks be to God that Jesus calls us to his table. AMEN.

Independent Election Thoughts for 2010

I'm an independent voter. And as I contemplate who I will vote for I have some thoughts.

This fall's election ought not be about party or personality. It ought to be about tough decisions and choosing candidates who are willing to make tough decisions.

Unfortunately in this election neither major national party has the guts to go on record ready to make tough decisions. Oddly both parties have chosen George W. Bush as their scapegoat but for very different reasons. Blaming Bush is easy; but blaming him doesn't come even close to accepting responsibility for the actions of both parties that lead to our current state of affairs.

• The Democrats blame Bush for cutting revenues by cutting taxes without cutting spending. They seem to get that we need more money coming in. The Peterson Institute says that we will need both growth to actually meet the current debt obligations with the current tax structure and reductions in health care costs. Unfortunately the Democrats keep growing the government showing no sign of shrinking it significantly (to the point where current receipts or current receipts plus tax increases will pay the tab) and there's no evidence that health care costs have started to decline as a result of the first round of reform.
  
• The Tea Party folks blame Bush for spending on medicare drug benefits and the TARP plan. The concern of the now fiscally responsible GOP comes after years of endorsing Bush's plans. It's easy for Republicans to say they get that government has to shrink but they have no specific plan just like Bush had no plan to create a smaller government. The GOP may say that the debt is a problem but they insist against the most basic principles of economics that our economy will grow enough to pay the debt.
  

Could we please get serious as a nation? The debt is in the trillions and will not go down because of the GOP's best wishes for sky high growth or because of a little tax hike by the Democrats. Here's what I am looking for.

1. Someone has to pay and the sooner that repayment starts the better. That means a tax increase (ideally a progressive Value Added Tax) is in order.
2. The sooner health cost reform happens the better. Once costs stop increasing we'll finally see the debt stop growing.
3. Someone who will tell me what cuts they will make in order to make government smaller.

Maybe I am dreaming; but hey it's this kind of honest conversation that will save the republic from bankruptcy.

Why call a church?

A woman asked during a parade, while I was riding in the vehicle pulling the church float, if I'd help with her wedding. I asked her to call me during the week so that we could visit for a while. We finally spoke today.
Her words were familiar. Other people have told me they wanted a pastor for their wedding but who don't want to be part of the church. "I believe in God and pray, but I don't believe in church."
She's picked a date and booked a park to get married in; now all she needs, she thinks, is a pastor. She called the congregation located a few blocks from the park. They're part of a denomination that's pretty strict about marrying members only.
Not sure who to call next she tried us. The plan is to sit down tomorrow and see what they have in mind.

Summer Time Adventures

Summer rhythms are different for our family than school year life.
The thing I notice most with our kids this year is that they have more time to just be kids.
We see them on the porch drawing at the easel for an hour at a time. We see them playing with the neighbors and with each other. There's time throughout the day to read whatever, draw whatever, think about and talk about whatever.
We banter back and forth as parents about how much TV they ought to watch or how many video games they ought to play. But the truth is our girls are
Garrison Keillor in a monologue recently said that kids can just lay under a tree and look at it rather than thinking about what it is and what it's doing scientifically they can take in the beauty of the tree.
Summer's a gift the more I think about it.