"The Holy Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church Newsletter"

March 2012 Holy Trinity Tidings

Dear Christian Friends:

As Christians, Our Lord commands us to be in the world, but not of the world. Holy Scripture also exhorts us to pray for those in positions of authority and to submit to their authority. However, we are also commanded to obey God rather than men.

In this issue of the Tidings, I feel that it is necessary to address some of the recent publicity of the recent Department of Health and Human Services health care mandate.

HHS Mandate and Religious Freedom

No doubt you have all heard of the HHS mandate regarding what health care providers are being now required to provide, including birth control and abortifacients (those medications which terminate pregnancy). Needless to say, the Church is strongly opposed to such. Yet, some have portrayed this as the Roman Catholic Church vs. the White House, while others have portrayed it as a patriarchal and sexist Church denying modern women their rights. However, neither of these are true.

At stake is religious freedom and the free exercise of conscience. The issue at hand is the mandating of Christian health care providers to provide those things which are contrary to the Scripture and their conscience. This is indeed contrary to the Constitution. And this is what the Church has stated in no uncertain terms.

To be sure, the Roman Church has been the most vocal in its opposition to this mandate, but the Missouri Synod has not been silent either. For our own Concordia Health Plan is affected, having been "grandfathered" in. Yet, in his recent testimony before Congress, President Matthew Harrison stated that our grandfather clause could easily be done away with the "stroke of a keyboard somewhere."

In this issue of the Tidings, I have included for your further reading a statement from both Pres. Harrison and the faculty of Concordia Theological Seminary in Ft. Wayne, IN.

From the Church Year Calendar

But why must we speak so forthrightly to those in power? Why are we able to stand upon the Scripture alone and speak the truth in love? Because we have been bought by Jesus Christ, redeemed by the price of His Blood. And as we prepare to again celebrate and commemorate the events of our salvation, let us make note of what is available to us, beginning April 1.

Palm Sunday
The service of Palm Sunday, beginning with the procession of palms (an ancient symbol of victory, which will be kept until next year when they will be burned to make the ashes for next Ash Wednesday), reflects the contrasting attitudes towards Jesus that were on display during the days leading up to His crucifixion. Named for the palms that were spread before Him as He entered Jerusalem, the acclamation of the people, "Hosanna to the Son of David. Blessed is He that comes in the name of the Lord," clearly reveals that they hailed Jesus as the Messianic King. Yet only days later, Our Lord would hear the cry "Crucify!" This contrast is reflected on this day as the joy of His triumphal entry into Jerusalem gives way to the somber remembrance of His Passion. The reading of the Passion according to St. Matthew sets before us all that Our Lord did our behalf. Thus is the Church prepared to enter Holy Week - the most important week of the entire Church Year.

Holy Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday
On these three days, we hear prophecies from the prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah concerning Our Lord’s Passion and Resurrection. On Monday, we will hear of the plot against Jesus, His triumphal entry, and finally His words, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified." On Tuesday and Wednesday, we will hear of that glorification as we hear the Passion accounts of St. Mark and St. Luke, respectively. These days will be observed with simple, spoken Divine Services.

Maundy Thursday
Occurring on the eve of Our Lord's crucifixion, Maundy (from the Latin word mandatum, meaning commandment - Our Lord's "new commandment that [we] love one another") Thursday begins the holy three days of Christ's Passover, commonly known as the Triduum (three days). The service on this day culminates the Lenten period of preparation for Christ's Passion and Resurrection and leads into His sacrifice on our behalf. As such, the service, like that for Good Friday, exhibits a mood of restrained joy. We focus upon Christ’s sacrificial service demonstrated in His washing of His disciples' feet, a servanthood enacted on the Cross and whose benefits are bestowed in His means of grace, the service culminating in the Lord's service to us through the Holy Communion. The depth of this servanthood is demonstrated as the Altar is reverently stripped in preparation for the Church’s observance of Jesus' death on Good Friday. Because the Triduum is seen as one service in three parts, there is no Benediction this night; likewise, there will be no Invocation on either Good Friday or at the Easter Vigil, and there will be no Benediction on Good Friday. On Maundy Thursday, however, the Church and her catechumens begin the journey through the three days of Christ's Passover from death to life and from captivity to freedom.

Good Friday - The Solemn Afternoon Liturgy of Our Lord's Passion and Death
This day is certainly "good" because of the salvation and good gifts Christ won for us. It is not observed as a funeral for Christ. It is a day for repentance over sin and restrained joy and praise for the redemption Christ accomplished for us on the Cross. In keeping with this character, music is kept to a minimum, elaborate words of praise are omitted, and the Altar remains bare. The service contains a number of ancient elements, particularly the reading of the Passion according to St. John, the Bidding Prayer, the procession of the Cross and the Reproaches, and the singing of "Sing, My Tongue, the Glorious Battle." The service concludes with the Holy Communion, as the day is one of restrained praise in thanks for the redemption Christ won on the Cross and the distribution of the Fruit of that death in the Sacrament of His true Body and Blood is a quite appropriate way to proclaim and remember Him.

Good Friday - Tenebrae Vespers
All that which has been said about the character of Good Friday applies to this service as well. The main feature of this service is the extinguishing of the church lights (tenebrae means "darkness" in Latin). The liturgical nature of this service is found in the psalmody, the Christological nature of which declares to Our Lord's Passion, Death, and Resurrection. The readings proclaim to us that Christ's death, being necessary, is the Sacrifice which frees us from bondage to sin, death, and the devil, and restores us to communion with God. At the end of the service, a loud noise is made, called the strepitus, and has a variety of interpretations. They include the scourging by the soldiers, the earthquake at the moment of Christ’s death, the confusion of creation at the Creator's death, or the closing of the tomb.

The Holy Easter Vigil
The Vigil of Easter is not only the conclusion of the Triduum, but it is also the first celebration of the Resurrection. On this night, we hear various Old Testament prophecies of Christ's Passion, Death, and Resurrection. As the first celebration of the Resurrection, this night was anciently the customary time for Baptisms, and so you might say that the liturgy of the Vigil is quite soaked with Holy Baptism. Though we do not have anyone to be Baptized this night, we will make a remembrance of our own Baptismal vows. We will gather in expectation for the news of Christ's Resurrection and for His second coming. The service will conclude with the Holy Communion, the Benediction (heard for the first time of the Triduum), and the Easter Acclamation: Christ is Risen!

Easter Morning
This morning we celebrate the discovery of the empty tomb and it's proclamation to the women, to the disciples, and in to all the world. We will first gather for Matins at the park, and hear of Our Lord's appearance to Mary Magdalene, and at the chief Divine Service, we will hear of the discovery of Our Lord's empty tomb and the proclamation of the angel, "You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; He is not here." We will also hear once again the ancient Easter hymn, "Christians, to the Paschal Victim."

In Closing
Please make note of the Holy Week schedule. Join us as you are able to journey from the Upper Room to Golgotha and finally to the empty tomb. Come and celebrate Our Lord's Passover from death to life, by which He leads us from death to life, availing yourself of His Flesh and Blood given for you.

A blessed (remainder of) Lent and Easter to you.

In Nomine Iesu, Pastor Stephens

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