Pennsylvania Mania

The day is finally here! OK, it will finally be here within just a few short hours. April 22, 2008 is a day which may soon live in Democratic Infamy. For the last six weeks, we have watched as the two remaining candidates for the Democratic nomination for President have battled with each other. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) and Senator Barack Hussein Obama (D-IL).

Clinton and Obama have traded attacks in their advertising. They have also spent time trading the spotlight upon their respective mistakes. In Hillary's case there were bullets to dodge from the media because there were not actually bullets do dodge in Bosnia years ago. For Obama's part there has been the continual problems related to Rev. (GD America) Wright, his pastor; problems with bitter commentary about the good people of PA; and of course his questionable relationships with home grown terrorists. In both cases there have been gaffs that the other has been able to capitalize upon.

One begins to wonder - is Operation Chaos working? It sure looks like it may well be! Can you remember a time in recent or even not so recent memory when the Pennsylvania primary has mattered so much, if at all? It also begs the question - will the people of PA take decisive action tomorrow to end the Democratic race or will they like many of the states before them simply pass the action on down the road to NC and IN.

I for one, hope that they pass the action on. I would very much like to see this Democratic primary season stretch beyond the last primary in June all the way to Denver and the floor of the convention. As a convention loving person, there is nothing I love more than a bloody floor fight! I want to see Hillary and Obama playing all of the intense games of the convention with the Super Delegates trying to prove why they should be the opponent for Senator John McCain (R-AZ). This has the potential to be far more historic than any election in the past. So my word to all of you in PA is: "Don't be too decisive - keep the race going." For that to happen, you need to hand a decisive victory to Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton - so as sour as the taste is in my mouth as I say it - "PA go out to the polls tomorrow and cast your vote for Senator Clinton."

Pennsylvania Mania is upon us!

Pope Benedict XVI Comes to the US

By now you have probably heard that Pope Benedict XVI, the current occupant of the Throne of St. Peter is here in the United States. He is taking in all of the typical tourist sites while he is here in America. Il Papa has already made a stop at the White House and of course he will be spending time with the masses, I mean saying Mass at two American Ballparks - the Nationals' Park in Washington and the very storied Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, New York. (Not always the best place for a worship service - at least not an interfaith service). He will also spend time at Ground Zero in Lower Manhattan. Oh, and I almost forgot, he is going to visit that very useless and nearly pointless group of folks over at the UN - you know the ones who like to do their business in the context of the freedom and security of the United States but love to condemn us simply for being, all the time, but I digress.


So what is the big deal? What has security so high and so many pilgrims coming to Washington and New York to see this guy? Well, for Roman Catholics he is the most important person around - except for Jesus. For some more superstitious Roman Catholic types he might even be almost more important than Jesus. As Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, he was hugely popular for many of his very orthodox writings and leadership.


As a Lutheran, a MO Synod Lutheran at that, I am of course not all that excited about the Pope. Our doctrine as you may or may not know does not hold the Office of the Papacy in high esteem. It does not condemn the present occupant, or any other occupant of this office, but it doesn't have much good to say about the Office. However, I am not hear to argue the doctrinal issues related to the Office of the Pope. I am actually here to speak favorably about his visit to the United States.


When else does Christianity actually take the lead in the news? It only seems to happen when Christianity is being condemned for being intolerant or the worst among us (and yes there are worst among us - we after all are sinners) do something stupid or criminal. But with Benedict XVI in the country, Christianity is actually getting a little decent press for once. What a breath of fresh air.


I also have to say that it is nice to see that a German, white, male, member of the clergy, can be respected and not assumed to be an intolerant, unreasonable, racist, SOB, who you wouldn't dare leave your children with. That's right folks - not all of these guys are bad. Of course some are and they should be punished to the fullest extent of the law. But, it is not necessary to condemn the rest of us for the sins of some.


So enjoy the Papal visit - go watch the Pope mobile go by (that's pretty cool - I did that in St. Louis when PJP II was in town for a visit) - and enjoy the positive press for Christianity. Of course, don't get your hopes up the press will soon return to their regularly scheduled BS and liberal bias (except my Fair and Balanced friends at the Fox News Channel of course)!

Attention All Shepherds - Don't Forget About the Sheep!

If you attend a congregation that is using the Three Year Lectionary, you most likely celebrated today as Good Shepherd Sunday. Perhaps you sang a hymn or two that focused upon this shepherd type imagery, on Jesus as the Lamb of God, or some other sheep or lamb image. Perhaps Psalm 23 found its way into the service as well, coming up from its standard relegation in the funeral service to take a central position in the Divine Service. Likely, you heard a reading from John 10. In many and various ways Good Shepherd Sunday was observed. If you are in a One Year Lectionary congregation, these things happened for you last week.

In either case, last week or this week, the undershepherd charged with the Word and Sacrament Ministry in your congregation likely also preached a sermon. In many cases this sermon was no doubt focused around the theme of Good Shepherd Sunday. In many cases the sermon, like the John 10 text, probably focused upon Jesus as the Good Shepherd. It is meet, right, and salutary that it should be so.

My concern, and the basis for the rant in this post, is that too many times pastors spend all their time talking about the Good Shepherd and never giving any of the Good Shepherd's blessings to His sheep! Over the years, I have heard, and probably also even preached such a lousy sermon!

It is indeed true that Jesus is the Good Shepherd. There are many and various ways that this imagery can be unpacked and proclaimed. Many of these images are helpful and assist the people of God in gaining a fuller image of the Love of God. All too often however, there is no connection to that image. The shepherds forget about the sheep.

Sheep need food. They don't just need to hear about the One who feeds them. It is not sufficient enough to talk about Jesus as the Good Shepherd and not pass on His gifts. This is the same problem that happens when we talk about the Blessed Sacrament but don't give the Body and Blood of Christ to His people. Just as the benefits of the Sacrament are actually in the Sacrament so also that which makes the Good Shepherd - Good are the blessings that He gives to His people.

When next Good Shepherd Sunday arrives on the Liturgical Calendar, if you are called upon to proclaim the Word - I hope that you will give the gifts of the Good Shepherd to His people. Certainly speak of Jesus as the Good Shepherd but not just in mere platitudes like a greeting card. Speak of Jesus as the Good Shepherd to the people who like sheep have gone astray. Draw upon the richness of Isaiah's imagery in Isaiah 53 and proclaim how the Good Shepherd followed after His wayward sheep. Proclaim how He entered into not just the Valley of the Shadow of Death but into death itself. Proclaim that the Good Shepherd laid down His life in place of the sheep - that they might never die! Proclaim that the Good Shepherd did not remain in death but rose victorious over death (Good Shepherd Sunday is, you will recall, in the season of Easter)! Proclaim that by His death and resurrection the Good Shepherd has gathered His sheep unto Himself.

By all means, dear brother undershepherds, proclaim Jesus as the Good Shepherd but make sure that His dear sheep hear that His Shepherding has benefited them with forgiveness, life, and salvation! Don't forget about the sheep!

Elmer Rides Again

The posts on this blog will no doubt cover a wide variety of topics. They are most likely to cover topics related to theology, church polity, news of the day, and politics. I am making the attempt to begin to be a pundit. My inspiration comes from watching many of my favorite pundits on the Fox News Channel. I hope that I too might be fair and balanced in my punditry in this place.

The title of this inaugural post may seem strange to you. How can Elmer ride again when this is the first post? The answer is simple - this blog is launched in memory of the first Elmer by member of his family a few generations down the line.