Holy Week

The German Church traditions have wonderfully descriptive names for the days of the Triduum (Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Vigil of Easter on Saturday evening).

Maundy Thursday comes from the Latin noun mandatum, which means "command" as is found in John 13,34. Compare the verse below:

»A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another« (ESV).

»mandatum novum do vobis ut diligatis invicem sicut dilexi vos ut et vos diligatis invicem« (Vulgate).

In German, however, Maundy Thursday is called Gründonnerstag (literally "Green Thursday"). This may come from the German tradition to eat green vegetables, especially spinach, on this day (Bill Petro). I think perhaps more ecclesiastically the name dates back to Medieval Europe when it was customary in the Catholic Church to give penitents the gift of green branches on Thursday of Holy Week for the imminent completion of their fasting during Lent. The term certainly isn't derived from the liturgical color for the day, as Maundy Thursday/Gründonnerstag is traditionally the color "white."

Good Friday is Karfreitag or Charfreitag in German. Grim connects the old German Karfreitag with the Old High German chara, grief, suffering, Old Saxon cara, Gothic kara (Woerterbuch, S. V.). So old English care, Anglo-Saxon cearu, mean grief. Thus, Karfreitag translates as "suffering/mourning Friday". It is also important to note that the old Teutonic cara means preparation, and links the word back to Friday as the day of preparation for the Sabbath. See Grim's reference for documentation.

Linguistics are certainly grand!

The liturgical words point us to the theme of the day, and on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday the theme is Christ and forgiveness, promised and given at Jesus last seder meal when He instituted the Lord's Supper to distribute the forgiveness of sins and purchased on the next day when Jesus offered up His very body and shed His precious blood as payment for the world's sin. And then comes blessed Easter ...

In Memoriam: Rev. Dr. Walter E. Keller

20. February 1929 - 25. February 2011

Today you will be with Me in Paradise. So said Jesus to the rebel on the cross next to Him. So to is it for Dr. Keller.

Dr. Keller was a theology professor at Valparaiso University when I was a student there. He spent most of his ministry at the university teaching theology, especially the New Testament and Paul's Epistles. He was, quite frankly, the brightest light of my academic and theological studies at VU from 1988-1991. He had a salt and pepper beard, a deep bass voice, and a wonderful belly laugh. He was a Pauline scholar. I was so blessed and fortunate to have him for three separate classes my senior year: New Testament overview, Paul's Epistles, and Dept. of Theology Senior symposia. The symposia was wonderful because that class only had five or six students: those theology majors who were seniors. At least three of us in that class went on to the Lutheran seminary to become pastors.

I am indebted to Dr. Keller. He was a wonderful mentor who molded me into the scholar and theologian I am today. He preached the gospel with vigor and gusto. I remember a time when the Chapel of the Resurrection's audio system went out. VU's chapel can hold over 2000 people. Dr. Keller kept on preaching with his powerful voice and he could be heard throughout the entire chapel. Not only did I have Dr. Keller as a professor, but my first 8 years in the ministry was in northwest Indiana so I was blessed to be in Dr. Keller's presence as a fellow pastor.

I cannot calculate the number of men he encouraged and taught as they prepared to enter the pastoral ministry. Thousands, I would think, over the decades. He was mightily used by the Holy Spirit. He was one of the few bright, Lutheran lights at VU. May the LORD raise up a new generation. For me, I will continue to pass on to parishoners the great insights I first received from Dr. Keller.

O LORD, have mercy on Japan and the Japanese

Japan, you are in my prayers that you recover quickly from the trifecta calamaties that have struck your beautiful island nation.

Almighty God, Merciful Father, a very present help in time of trouble, again we are brought to realize that Your thoughts are not our thoughts. Your ways are not our ways. In Your wisdom You have permitted disastrous earthquakes, tsunami, and radiological tribulations to be visited upon Japan and surrounding nations. We implore You, let not the hearts of Your people despair, but sustain and comfort them. Heal the injured, console the bereaved and afflicted, protect the innocent and helpless, and deliver any who are still in danger, through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Norwegian practicality

I receive a weekly Norwegian-American newspaper. In a recent issue, there was an article on Norway's pension fund. In brief, Norway invests the money made on their gas and natural gas drilling into a pension fund. Norway has funded a full pension for every single Norwegian with these investments.

It makes me wonder. America has many resources, but we squander them too often. I don't know if we could set up some sort of investment system like Norway has, as they have only a few million citizens compared to America's 300+ million. But it makes me wonder why we refuse to safely utilize and extract our natural resources of coal, natural gas, and oil, among many others.

It just seems to me that Norway has embarked on a practical course of social security, while we have constantly raided our social security savings to pay for other projects in the budget so that their is practically nothing left for those who will retire in the next couple of decades. I wish our leaders could put forward some sort of practical plan to prepare for the future.

Go Pack Go!!!

Tomorrow is the Superbowl. I have been a Green Bay Packer fan for many years. I am hoping that Rogers and company can bring the Vince Lombardi trophy home to Green Bay once again. I dreamed that the Packers won by 10 points, but I hope it will be by a much larger number. Go Pack Go!!!

Translations in LOGIA

I received today the newest volume of LOGIA. (LOGIA is a confessional journal of Lutheran theology). I have been a subscriber to the journal since it debuted in the early 1990s. The Epiphany 2011 volume is entitled "Lutheranism in Europe". A while ago (six months to a year ... has it been that long?) I submitted two translations to the journal for this issue. I was happy to see both of them printed in the LOGIA Forum section. The translations are "The Hour of the SELK" and "A Sermon on the Holy Trinity". These translations were a work of joy as I wanted to expose a wider audience to the richness and theology of the SELK (Independent Evangelical-Lutheran Church) in Germany.

"The Hour of the SELK" is a brief article about the future blessing the SELK can have in Germany and the Church global. "A Sermon on the Holy Trinity" is a sermon preached by my friend Armin Wenz who is a pastor in Oberursel, Germany. He is an excellent preacher.

If you like, you can read the translations (and the entire volume) by visiting LOGIA. You will have to download the electronic version of the volume for $6. This is a great price for a great journal, and the Epiphany 2011 volume is an exceptionally good volume.

It looks like Christmas

Our blizzard in 2006

Last night we had our first snowfall since last February. It was nothing much, just a dusting, really, and thankfully not like the pounding we got in 2006, and as the snow drifted down against the bright lights of Main St. and the generic Christmas decorations adorning the lamp posts,it began to look and feel like Christmas.

It would be nice if the borough would fix some of the ornaments, though. Several of them have burned out lights. But all in all, our little town does a fine job decorating for Christmas. Our boro hall has a nice Christmas tree and some decorations that are the highlight of Main St.

Even though it is drawing closer to Christmas, I have yet to put up any decorations. I usually wait until Dec. 21st. Something in me appreciates Christmas once it turns officially to winter. I shall have to post some pics of the boros lights.