Monk of Mequon

My niece, Lydia Joy Dock was born this morning!

There's my sister - Elizabeth, Seminarian Jeff Dock and Lydia!

I'm fairly certain the Baptism will be this coming Sunday.

For those of you who want to know details and see more pictures you can head over to http://dockfamily.wordpress.com

May in particular has two movies that I'm really excited about. Which really hasn't happened since Lord of the Rings: Return of the King.

Hopefully, I won't be let down

X-Men Origins: Wolverine

And the new Star Trek Movie

...is something that every blog reader should use. I've been gone for a couple days and I don't have to miss any awesome blog posts.

Check it out!

The second blog you should subscribe to is Pr. Weedon's Blog. (Mine being the first of course!) He updates alot and has some awesome stuff to read! Not to mention he's one of this summers HT Plenary speakers! Have you registered for Sola yet?

I thought I'd bring up something that was mentioned at Bible class this morning.

Here a maid was found with child,
Yet remianed a virgin mild.
In her womb this truth was shown:
God was there upon His throne.

Then stepped forth the Lord of all
From His pure and kingly hall;
God of God, yet fully man,
His heroic course began.
(LSB 332:3-4)

It's cool how God was upon His throne in the womb of Mary. All two often we put to the back of our minds that God was in the womb of Mary 9 months prior to His birth. He didn't just enter into the baby that had been growing in her womb on Christmas.

Its also cool how the fourth verse phrases things. "Then stepped forth the Lord of all, from His pure and kingly hall" That;s still talking about Mary's womb pure and kingly hall. The Lord of all, born as an infant!

You just have to love good Hymnody. :-)

Those dear tokens of His passion
Still His dazzling body bears,
Cause of endless exultation
To His ransomed worshipers.
With what rapture, with what rapture, with what rapture
Gaze we on those glorious scars!
(LSB 336:3)

Advent is coming to a close. So, I thought that I should write about one of my favorite advent hymns; "Lo! He Comes with Clouds Descending."

I have now heard more than once this advent someone saying that they don't want to see Jesus' scars in heaven. They want him to be healed.Thus, they don't like the thrid verse of "Lo! He comes with Clouds Descending." Charles Wesley takes a different view of Christ's scars in his hymn.

The holes in His hands, feet, and side where his body was broken on that Good Friday are called "dear tokens of his passion" and "glorious scars." That's not how we normally view scars. Scars are grotesque, not glorious! I don't want my scars when I go to heaven. I want to be healed! But these scars on Christ's body are different. His body is still dazzling with these scars. These scars are also different because what they have accomplished for us.

Christ willingly allowed the nails to be driven into His hands and feet. He willingly went to His death for our salvation. The scars left behind serve as a constant reminder of that. Being on Christ's glorious body also show that Christ has died in our place, yet has conqured death so that we need not fear it any longer. From the wound in His side flowed blood and water. That same blood and water we find in the baptismal font and the chalice. The blood and water of life and salvation!

The scars of Christ also bring us great peace. When Jesus appears to His disciples in John 20 He says, "Peace be with you" and proceeds to show them His scars. The peace found in those scares is no false sense of peace. The death of Christ which those scars proclaim show us that we have been saved from sin, death, and the devil. Christ has paid the price for us. He has given us forgiveness of sins and eternal life.

So we should not be "grossed out" by the scars of Christ. As the hymn states they are a cause of endless exultation to us! We can't help but rejoice in those glorious scars!