Congregation at Prayer

The Sufficiency of God’s Grace — The verse for the week contains Jesus’ word of comfort to the Apostle Paul: “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” No Christian enjoys suffering, hardship, persecution, the struggle with sin, stumbling in temptation, a bad conscience that doubts God’s forgiveness, or the experience of our own frailties and weaknesses. Yet Jesus says to us the same thing He said to Paul: “My strength is made perfect in weakness.” The paradox of the Christian life is that it is only through the experience of our human weaknesses and limitations as sinners that we truly come to know the power and comfort of God’s grace in Christ. Without the experience of the Law condemning us, our conscience accusing us, and the sufferings and struggles of our lives weighing us down, we would never be in the proper position to receive the free, unconditional and totally unmerited mercy of God that Jesus gives to us in the Gospel. That God loves and forgives us for Jesus’ sake precisely because we are weak and infirm without Him is the heart of the Gospel and the center of our faith. That God loves and forgives us freely for Jesus’ sake as sinners is precisely the power by which we live our lives each day as Christians. Without weakness, struggle, and suffering we would not understand and know the fullness of God’s love for us in Christ which is the source of a joyful life that is lived in the absolute freedom of Jesus’ forgiveness and unending mercy. No wonder, then, that St. Paul goes on to confess: “Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”

CP260329

Catechesis Notes for the Week — What the Hearers Owe Their Pastor? The second half of the section of the Table of Duties, which speaks of the responsibility that “hearers of God’s Word” have for their pastors, highlights the respect and honor pastors are to receive because of the work God has given them to do.  They are called to preach the Gospel, judge doctrine, administer the Sacraments, remit and retain sin, and guard the flock from the assaults of false doctrine and impenitence.  They are accountable to God for being faithful to what He has called them to do.  “Hearers of God’s Word” are to respect and honor their pastors, not because they have no sin or shortcomings, but because they are faithful in the work that they are called to do on the Lord’s behalf.

CP260322

Catechesis Notes for the Week — “What the Hearers Owe Their Pastors”— This section from the Table of Duties speaks of the responsibility of the congregation to provide temporal support for her pastor who faithfully preaches the Gospel and administers the Sacraments to her members. Every Christian is called by the Gospel to “share all good things with his instructor.” It is a mockery of God when members of the congregations turn a deaf ear to the Word of God and a hard heart toward the care of their pastors. Such neglect flows from impenitence and unbelief. Where there is faith there will be love, affection, and generous support of the Church’s pastors by her members. Chief among the duties of Christians is the faithful hearing of the Word of God when it is preached and taught by our pastors. Pastors receive the greatest joy in their ministry when the people of the congregation come eagerly to hear the Word of God when it is taught, and receive it with joy and the hearty “Amen” of faith. The “Amen” of faith is confessed in the way in which the congregation takes care of her pastor.

CP260315

Pray for Your Pastor — This week we begin eleven weeks of meditation upon the Biblical texts in the Table of Duties concerning Christian vocation.  The first set of texts concerns those who are called to preach the Word of God: To Bishops, Pastors, and Preachers.  These are not three different offices, but one office.  Each word describes an aspect of their work.  A bishop is an overseer.  He is to supervise the doctrine and life of the congregation, along with the administration of the Sacraments so that everything is taught and done according to God’s Word.  Pastor means shepherd.  The Pastor “shepherds” the flock by calling to repentance, admonishing the erring, and bestowing forgiveness for Jesus’ sake to the penitent.  The word “preacher” gets at the heart of the minister’s work: proclamation of the Word of God.  “He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.”  This section of the Table of Duties not only teaches us concerning the qualifications of our ministers, but it also encourages us all to “pray for our pastors” that they might remain faithful in the work God has called them to do.

CP260308

Catechesis Notes for the Week — Why Are Guests Asked to Speak with the Pastor before Communing?—There are two reasons why guests are asked to speak with the Pastor before going to the Lord’s Supper. First, it is the responsibility of the pastor to examine the confession of faith of those who come to the Altar. Our concern is that they know their sin, they trust in Christ alone for salvation, and they believe that He is giving them His body and blood for the forgiveness of sins in the Sacrament. “Worthy reception” of the Sacrament requires such faith. Second, the Lord’s Supper is not merely an individual Christian in communion with his Lord, it is also the declaration that the communicant believes and confesses the faith with the church in that place. The external teaching and confession of the church that we belong to is important, because it is the external Word and sacraments that nurture and sustain that saving faith.

CP260301