Bloghardt's Reflector

“If now I seek the forgiveness of sins, I do not run to the cross, for I will not find it given there… But I will find in the sacrament or Gospel the word which distributes, presents, offers, and gives to me that forgiveness which was won on the Cross.” (AE 40, 214)

Holy Category Five!

Thank you for your prayers and your comments.  Please continue to pray for us.  It looks Conroe, which is forty miles north of Houston, will get a category three storm when Hurricane Rita rips through here.

Please pray that we all safely weather the storm, that houses and churches don't receive any damage, and that for Sophia's sake our electricity isn't off for too long.  Pray specifically for the people on the coast, that the Lord would evacuate them and that the damage would be minimal.

I wrote this reflection for the upcoming Epiphany Reflections, I think the situation warrants a spoiler.  If not for you, for my sake.

Saturday in the Third Week after Epiphany
Saturday, January 28, 2006

Daily Lectionary: Zech. 6:1-7:14, Rom. 16:17-27

 "Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!  For His mercy endures forever.  Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!  They see the works of the Lord, and His wonders in the deep. For He commands the stormy wind, which lifts up the waves of the sea" (The Introit for the Fourth Sunday after Epiphany - Psalm 107:1,8,24-25)

In then name of Jesus.  Amen. Only faith sees the stormy wind which lifts the waves of the sea and rejoices in the great works of the Lord.  Only Faith rejoices when the wind-whipped waves approach our homes.  When the waters wipe out our homes, only faith continues to rejoice and praise God for His marvelous blessings.

Faith does this because it alone clings to the promise of the Gospel that the Lord is good.  The Lord's mercy, His faithfulness to His promises, endures forever.  Faith believes this against all external evidences - whether the sky is clear or cloudy.

Unbelief sees the stormy winds as evidence that God is either uncaring or not up to the task to being good and merciful.  It is unbelief and not faith that resigns itself that "these things could be worse or that nothing can be done against the storm."  Unbelief vainly tries to barter with God when the waves rise, as if our works are something other than filthy rags before God.

Faith has no reason to barter with God, for faith knows only good from God.  More than that, faith expects only good from God.  For the same Lord Jesus who has the waters crashing against our homes, suffered and died for every reason that God would have to wipe us out. 

Faith clings to the promise that although the waters of this world rage against us, the Lord Jesus has already drowned us in the waters of our baptism.  We died in that Baptismal flood and now our lives are hidden with Christ in God.  That's what Faith says!

Faith knows that one day, the waters of our Baptism will be fulfilled and God will call us from this world to Himself.   Only faith knows that if the waters do wipe us out, we will truly know that His mercy endures forever.  What an epiphany that will be!  In the name of Jesus. Amen.

"They cry out to the Lord in their trouble, and He brings them out of their distresses. He calms the storm, so that its waves are still." (Antiphon - Psalm 107:28-29)

Comments:

Re: Holy Category Five!

Re: Holy Category Five!

Re: Holy Category Five!