From the Pastor: Disasters

Dear friends,

The world has been shocked in the last few weeks by a series of natural disasters—from the cyclone in Myanmar (Burma), to the earthquake in China, to the much less minor but closer to home tornadoes in the American Midwest.

News stories like this always leave us pondering a basic theological question: Why does God allow such things to happen? Like so many theological questions, this is one that really has no satisfying answer. We are left pondering the mystery of God’s awesome power, and the wonder of a created world that, in spite of all our advances, we cannot control.

It so often seems that disasters like this hit the hardest those who are least able to cope with them. In part, of course, that is because in parts of the world where there is great poverty and often low building standards compared to the United States, homes and schools and other buildings cannot stand up to the forces of nature. We saw this here at home in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina—it was the poor, those living in housing we would call "substandard," who were the most devastated.

Perhaps such tragedies can also be a reminder to us that the Christian church has always been among the most important institutions in responding to disasters. A few days after the Myanmar disaster, I was watching The News Hour on PBS, and one of those they interviewed was n official of World Vision, an independent Christian group that is often very quickly on the scene when disaster strikes in Third World nations.

There are many reasons for the church’s ability to respond so quickly. One, of course, is that Christians are compassionate people who want to do what they can to help. Another is that a nation like Myanmar, which is quite isolated from the political community of nations, is more willing to let non-governmental agencies provide aid.

And still another is that Christian churches are often well-organized to provide help quickly and efficiently. Our own Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has a very effective disaster response program. The response can be almost immediate; within a day or two after the Myanmar cyclone, $100,000 was on its way from the ELCA, channeled through the ecumenical agency Church World Service. Often we work through our partner churches in the area affected. When you give through the church, 100% of your gift goes directly to relief aid—none to administrative costs.

After the China earthquake, I visited the ELCA Disaster Fund website (check it out at http://archive.elca.org/disaster/). It gives extensive information about current and recent disasters, how the ELCA has responded, and what individuals and congregations can do.

I’m proud of the ELCA’s commitment to helping those whose lives are torn apart by natural and man-made disasters. I hope you are proud, as well, for this is a very impressive way that we can be Christ’s hands and heart in our weary world. If you are moved to help those affected by the recent tragedies, you can do so online; or you can always give a check to Peace Lutheran Church designated "Disaster Relief." We’ll see that it gets on its way quickly.

(Incidentally, thanks to those who have expressed concern about our son Luke. He is several hundred miles from the epicenter of the quake, and reports that while some in Beijing felt the shock, he himself did not.)

Peace to you,

Pastor Richard O. Johnson

Classic Prayers

Almighty God, Father of all mercies and giver of all comfort: Deal graciously, we pray thee, with those who mourn, that casting every care on thee, they may know the consolation of thy love, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

--Book of Common Prayer

Liturgy Notes: The Lord’s Day

It is indeed right and salutary

that we should at all times and in all places

offer praise to you, O Lord, holy Father,

through Christ our Lord,

who ON THIS DAY overcame death and

the grave...

These words from the communion liturgy for the season after Pentecost talk about “the day” when Christ overcame death. The prayer is not talking about Easter Day itself, but Sunday, the first day of the week. Sunday is, for Christians, the Lord’s Day, the day when Christ won the victory over sin and death.

Most Christians worship on Sunday. That is a tradition that goes very deep in Christian history. Already in New Testament times the Christians gathered “to break bread” (i.e., to celebrate the Lord’s Supper) on “the first day of the week” (Acts 20:7). Early Christian writings make it clear that this day was set aside by Christians as a commemoration of the resurrection.

There was another, more subtle, meaning ascribed to Sunday. As the first day of the week, it represented for the Christians the day on which God began to create. Early theologians saw the Christian adoption of Sunday worship as being symbolic of the truth that in Christ, we are a “new creation.”

When Christianity became legal in the fourth century, civil law began to enforce the observance of Sunday as a day of rest. At the time of the Reformation, this led some of the Protestant groups to identify Sunday with the idea of the Jewish Sabbath. It was seen primarily as a day of rest--and Christians were obligated to refrain from work, much as the Jews had been so obligated. This idea became especially prominent in the branch of Protestantism that came to be know as “Puritanism”--and of course that branch has probably been more influential in the development of American culture than any other. Many of us can remember “Sunday blue laws” that made it impossible to buy anything on a Sunday.

Lutherans have not generally taken that approach to Sunday. Luther was very clear that “the Sabbath” as understood in the Old Testament was abolished by Christ:

Therefore, according to its literal, outward sense, this commandment does not concern us as Christians. It is an entirely external matter, like the other ordinances of the Old Testament connected with particular customs, persons, times and places, from all of which are not set free through Christ. (Luther’s Large Catechism)

Having said that, however, Luther goes on to say that it is good and right that Christians should appoint a particular day to studying God’s Word and worshiping him. And since Christians have chosen Sunday for that purpose, that for us ought to be a “holy day.” It is interesting to note that in the Small Catechism, Luther’s comment on the third commandment says nothing about Sunday! The commandment means, he says, that “we do not neglect his Word and the preaching of it, but regard it as holy and gladly hear and learn it.” For Luther, Sunday is not the “Sabbath”--a required day of rest. Rather it is the day we Christians have set apart to devote to the hearing of God’s Word. It is the “Lord’s Day”--and we, the Lord’s people, rejoice to gather together as we worship and praise him, as we hear his word and feast at his table.