Meie Isa

Artwork from Kloria Publishing "A Mighty Fortress is our God"

"All our shelter and protection rest in prayer alone." - Martin Luther (Large Catechism III)

Bold words from Luther.

All our shelter and protection rest in prayer alone.

We hear about the "Solas" of the Reformation: We believe in the authority of Scripture Alone, which reveals that we are saved by Grace Alone, through Faith Alone, in Christ Alone, and so the Glory is to God Alone.

But where does "prayer alone" fit into all that? Are we adding a sixth "Sola" that pollutes the others with imperfect human works? I don't think so. As always, context is important. Here's what Luther is talking about:

"[The people] become daily more unfit for prayer because of indifference. That is just what the devil desires, and for which he works with all his powers. He is well aware what damage and harm it does him when prayer is done properly. We need to know this: all our shelter and protection rest in prayer alone. For we are far too weak to deal with the devil and all his power and followers who set themselves against us. They might easily crush us under their feet. Therefore, we must consider and take up those weapons with which Christians must be armed in order to stand against the devil." - LC III (CPH)

Far from extolling the power of human efforts, Luther calls us "far too weak" to combat the powers of darkness. Instead, he directs us to prayer. Prayer does not call upon the strength of the horse or the legs of a man to wage war against the darkness. Prayer does not trust in princes. Christian prayer is the most basic active expression of a heart that fears, loves, and trusts in God above all things.

Prayer is grounded in Scripture Alone and flows from it - most especially the Lord's Prayer, and the 150 Psalms that expand upon it. Prayer teaches us to put our trust in Grace Alone, and not in our own strength, good works, or pious efforts. Prayer is the exercise of Faith Alone, just as a son who trusts his earthly Father will come to him with confidence that his needs will be met. Prayer is possible through Christ Alone, because his blood has given us peace with our Father in heaven. In fact, the Gospels reveal that we pray not only through Christ but alongside him. And so in prayer, the glory belongs to God Alone - for it is only he who can help, rescue, deliver, conquer, forgive, renew, and restore. Even the work of prayer itself is not a human invention, nor does it arise from human strength, but from the New Adam, which is a gift of the Holy Spirit.

All our shelter and protection rest in prayer alone. This is not introducing a new "Sola" to the Reformation. Rather, Luther is teaching us how the "Solas" are used in real time. How to do battle. Luther here reveals to us, from the Word of God, the key to spiritual warfare. And he is not inventing something new; the words of Jesus in the garden are squarely behind him: "Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak (Matthew 26:41 ESV)." Peter, of course, does not heed this warning, and I would argue that his fall was a direct result of his indifference. Jesus, on the other hand, prays the third petition of the Lord's Prayer in the garden, and thus is strengthened and prepares himself for the cross.

Consider the words of Paul:  "In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints (Ephesians 6:16-18 ESV)." Here we see the true understanding of prayer, not set against the doctrines of faith and the Word, but flowing from them.

All our shelter and protection rest in prayer alone. Luther's Large Catechism unfolds for us this treasure that Scripture can't seem to stop extolling, and we (or at least I) can't seem to stop ignoring. Consider again, from Paul: "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6-7 ESV)."

Take up prayer. Most especially, take up the Lord's Prayer and the Psalms. Take them up continually, because God has most solemnly commanded us to pray, and because prayer is absolutely essential as our shelter and protection against the daily darkness of sin, death, and the devil. Take it up, but not as a heavy load that bears down on the soul with the immense weight of its command and obligation. With Jesus Christ as our Lord and Brother, this yoke is easy, and this burden is light. Take up prayer just as the soldier takes up shelter and protection in his King's mighty fortress. Be steadfast in prayer just as the soldier remains steadfast upon the ancient and unbroken walls of solid rock. Forsake the slumber of the heart, reject the enticement of the world, and deride offers to parley from the devils outside the walls. The Christian soldier stands firm, not on the strength of his will, but on the commands and promises of his Father, which find their fulfillment in the cornerstone of this mighty fortress: Jesus, the Christ.

Pray to Our Father, in the mighty Name of Jesus Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit. Christ is Risen. Amen.

NBA Finals Preview

The NBA Finals are upon us!

In a better-than-usual playoffs full of competitive games, rivalries, and surprises, The Indiana Pacers will play the Oklahoma City Thunder for the Larry O'Brien Championship trophy.

My immediate inclination is to root against the Pacers after they trounced Cleveland on their way to the Finals. But I respect our worthy opponents, and as a former Indiana resident, it would be great to see the Hoosier state bring home a title. I have no bond with OKC, and as the heavy favorites, they also make themselves less palatable. Therefore I will hope for and predict a series win for the Pacers.

I think this series will go all the way. If Indiana manages to beat OKC, I think it will be by very narrow margins. With home-court on their side and superior talent, I think the Thunder will take the first game, overwhelming the Pacers with their dominance on both ends of the court. The Pacers will make adjustments, but I think the Thunder will manage to take both opening games, with the second by a narrower margin. 

Then Indiana will come out in force to cheer on their team at home. I'm hoping the refs will be a little lax with the home crowd and the playoff mentality, meaning less free throws for SGA and a little edge for the Pacers. Indiana will take Game 3, and then win a nail-biter in Game 4. 

Back in Oklahoma City, I think the Thunder take Number 5, then the Pacers Number 6 back in Hoosierland. In other words, everyone wins at home (which is actually not how these playoffs have been going so far. It's OK, I'm used to making terrible predictions.)

Then Game 7. I think it will take a significant injury on the Thunder for the Pacers to make it here and take it all - maybe Gilgeous-Alexander sprains an ankle. Whatever the case, I think the Thunder will take a hit personnel-wise, and Indiana will be ready to take advantage and squeeze out a win in Game 7, with some late-game heroics from Haliburton and company. Pacers in 7.

Then, next year.... CLEVELAND! Keep the core, take it to another level, and let's go all the way.

Update: So close! It was Thunder in 7.

 

Endurance Logbook 2.0

 

It's been a quiet spring on the blog!

The arrival of summer has already brought a measurably slower pace of life, and with it the opportunity to write. I'd like to share my pocket notebook updates.

1) My last homemade constructions were two notebooks made from an Ale-8 six-pack! I cut out the graphic from each side of one of the cases pictured above, filled it with 40 pages of graph paper, added a few inside cover sections, and started using it! 

It's an easy enough project and yields a fun and useful result, saving money on cover material. This notebook also served as a trial for a new element of the Endurance Logbook. I'll probably finish filling up the pictured one before June arrives.

2) I've all but forsaken Field Notes. I stopped purchasing them a couple years ago over concerns about their ethical business practice. But I since then, I've picked up a few packs from E-bay and several more as gifts. However I find myself avoiding them more and more. For one thing, the notebooks I have left from them are not my favorites in terms of design; maybe that's why they've sat around this long. For another, their very small graph paper squares have become more of a frustration to me. There are one or two more National Parks notebooks that I will probably still use, but these guys have largely moved out of my rotation. I'll still use them and enjoy them, but given the chance, it's either L&J or homemade. I just saw that their latest summer edition came out. Cool enough graph paper, but honestly? Not as nice-looking or functional as Log and Jotter.

3) Now for my Endurance Logbook update. The Endurance Logbook Model No. 00001 debuted with a print run of 2 copies - one for my Dad and one for me! It was a smashing commercial success. We both really enjoyed using them, and it meant a lot of the technical work for setting up the print job was complete. Now I can tinker without starting from scratch. Since then, I've changed Bible study plans and will probably pursue a slightly different thematic emphasis whenever it's time for Model No. 0000002. Also, I learned that we will want to upgrade the cover paper from Terraslate 8 Mil to 10 Mil paper. It remains to be seen whether a staple will pass through this beefier paper along with 10 sheets of quality graph paper. The 40-page number has become really comfortable for me. I already have a few sheets of 10 Mil paper from a free sample they sent me, enough for a stunningly large print run of 5 Logbooks. I'm also open-minded about the cover design... the Shackleton theme is cool but I like a splash of color. Functionally it's top-notch, but pretty much every Log and Jotter I've ever had looks better. 

I'll be sure to update the pocket notebook world when the Logbook 0000000002 releases, along with feedback from my personal testing. Once we settle in on a design, I would seriously like to make a handful of these and let more people try them out. Of course, we might be on Model 00000000000003 before I really settle on something I love.