Larry Devich
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
Alway - Tuesday of Holy Week
Read: Psalm 46
The LORD of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge. (Ps. 46:7)
Some who read this devotional are serving in the military; many who read
this have friends and family in harm's way in remote corners of the world like
Afghanistan and Iraq.
I remember a scholar describing war as a complete breakdown in society.
No kidding. When different sides seek to kill each other, this would indeed
seem to signal a rather big societal problem. Leave it to an academic to make
war sound dull. Front-line soldiers and convoy riders, however, are well aware
that it's a world of bullets, mortars, car bombs and even the odd firecracker. In
my opinion, those who see front-line action have perhaps the clearest
understanding of what all the world would always be like were the Lord to
withdraw His gracious, protecting hand. They haven't been quite to hell and
back; but they've been closer than most.
One of the things I admire about seasoned soldiers is their ability to think
quick and innovate: they have to be this way because the battlefield is as
unpredictable as it is unforgiving. There's much to be said for training , drills
and discipline, with good reason: such preparation enables you to control those
things that you can control, in the face of suspense, surprise and ambush. It
must be an exhausting time, though, this hyper-alertness. Soldiers live at a level
of high-stakes suspense and uncertainty that most of us cannot imagine. Add to
that the incessant questioning of tactics and justifications in the press, not to
mention the strange vocation of the soldier where he is commanded to kill for
the sake of peace. There's a lot of uncertainty out there.
But here is one thing that Christians in the military need not be unsure of:
their Savior visits them in His Word and Sacraments, too. I remember a picture
of a chaplain holding service outside in wind and sand, a stack of crates as a
makeshift altar. On the altar was a paten of bread and a chalice of wine:
somewhere in the middle of nowhere, the Lord was visiting His people.
There's a hint of this in the Pax Domini, when the pastor says, “The peace of
the Lord be with you alway. Alway, not always, it says in The [1943] Lutheran
Hymnal; and I'm told that that archaic form doesn't just mean “all the time,” but
also “everywhere.” Everywhere, including church, hospital, crate-altar and
foxhole. The Lord visits His people in His means of grace, no matter where they
are found.
Thus Psalm 46, where God is a very present help in trouble. By His Word,
He can melt the earth, break the bow and shatter the spear; and, in His good
time, He will. But as Christians in the military go about their duty, they have the
certainty that the Lord has conquered sin, death and the devil already; and
already, by His means of grace, He delivers the victory to them.
Should you be in the military, prayers for you ascend each Sunday at the
altar of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, and many others. But better than that
is this: the Lord of hosts is with you. The God of Jacob is your fortress. ¶ 4/03/2007 05:17:00 AM 0 Comments
The LORD of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge. (Ps. 46:7)
Some who read this devotional are serving in the military; many who read
this have friends and family in harm's way in remote corners of the world like
Afghanistan and Iraq.
I remember a scholar describing war as a complete breakdown in society.
No kidding. When different sides seek to kill each other, this would indeed
seem to signal a rather big societal problem. Leave it to an academic to make
war sound dull. Front-line soldiers and convoy riders, however, are well aware
that it's a world of bullets, mortars, car bombs and even the odd firecracker. In
my opinion, those who see front-line action have perhaps the clearest
understanding of what all the world would always be like were the Lord to
withdraw His gracious, protecting hand. They haven't been quite to hell and
back; but they've been closer than most.
One of the things I admire about seasoned soldiers is their ability to think
quick and innovate: they have to be this way because the battlefield is as
unpredictable as it is unforgiving. There's much to be said for training , drills
and discipline, with good reason: such preparation enables you to control those
things that you can control, in the face of suspense, surprise and ambush. It
must be an exhausting time, though, this hyper-alertness. Soldiers live at a level
of high-stakes suspense and uncertainty that most of us cannot imagine. Add to
that the incessant questioning of tactics and justifications in the press, not to
mention the strange vocation of the soldier where he is commanded to kill for
the sake of peace. There's a lot of uncertainty out there.
But here is one thing that Christians in the military need not be unsure of:
their Savior visits them in His Word and Sacraments, too. I remember a picture
of a chaplain holding service outside in wind and sand, a stack of crates as a
makeshift altar. On the altar was a paten of bread and a chalice of wine:
somewhere in the middle of nowhere, the Lord was visiting His people.
There's a hint of this in the Pax Domini, when the pastor says, “The peace of
the Lord be with you alway. Alway, not always, it says in The [1943] Lutheran
Hymnal; and I'm told that that archaic form doesn't just mean “all the time,” but
also “everywhere.” Everywhere, including church, hospital, crate-altar and
foxhole. The Lord visits His people in His means of grace, no matter where they
are found.
Thus Psalm 46, where God is a very present help in trouble. By His Word,
He can melt the earth, break the bow and shatter the spear; and, in His good
time, He will. But as Christians in the military go about their duty, they have the
certainty that the Lord has conquered sin, death and the devil already; and
already, by His means of grace, He delivers the victory to them.
Should you be in the military, prayers for you ascend each Sunday at the
altar of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, and many others. But better than that
is this: the Lord of hosts is with you. The God of Jacob is your fortress. ¶ 4/03/2007 05:17:00 AM 0 Comments
