Amen Conference

Faith says “Amen” to Loving Your Neighbor.

By Rev. Mark Buetow

Faith says “Amen” to all of the gifts of Jesus.The Good News that He died for our sins and rose earns a resounding “Amen!” The Good News that we have this salvation delivered to us in the means of grace also can get a big “Amen!” But when it comes to the Lord’s command to love and serve our neighbor, to put up with people around us, especially the ones we don’t like, that amen usually turns into an “Aw, man!”

It can seem easy to be hyped up for the good gifts given by Jesus to me. That’s because we make it all about something for me. But when it comes to our neighbor, we’re not so excited. Jesus says, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Sinful Old Adam says, “Aw, man! Do I have to? I won’t do it!” Faith, on the other hand, as it does when it hears all of God’s Word, says, “Amen!” Love your neighbor? True. Solid. It shall be so.

In fact, the amen of faith isn’t any different when it comes to serving our neighbor than when it hears the Lord has good gifts. That’s because those gifts are for all people in Christ, so faith says, “Amen! The Lord’s salvation is for all people. My good works will be for whoever needs them.” Now, saying amen to loving our neighbor doesn’t mean we suddenly find some strength in us to keep God’s Law on our own. No, our amen to loving our neighbor is where every amen is: Jesus. Only in Jesus do we love God and serve our neighbor as we should. The sins against our neighbor are forgiven in Jesus, to which we say, “Amen.” The good works we do for our neighbor are pleasing to God because we are His children in Jesus. Faith says, “Amen” to that too.

So when the Lord teaches us to love our neighbor as ourselves, He’s just teaching us to believe and trust in Him again. That’s because Jesus has done all things well, and He alone has truly loved and served His neighbor. Baptized into Jesus, absolved of our sins, and full of His body and blood, His telling us to love our neighbor is just more good news to which we say “Amen.”

Rev. Mark Buetow is pastor of Bethel Lutheran Church, Du Quoin, Illinois, and is a plenary speaker for the Amen 2008 Higher Things conferences.

Yours is the Amen

By Rev. George Borghardt

“And the body and blood of your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ strengthen and keep you steadfast in the one true faith unto life everlasting. Depart in peace.” That’s the blessing at the end of the Lord’s Supper spoken by the Lord through the mouths of His pastors in the Divine Service.

As I say these words, there is always a pause. I look at the communicants. They look up at me as though I have forgotten the next word. It’s as if we don’t know what to do next. Finally, so that they can get on with their days, I very quietly say, “Amen.” Then, they depart in peace.

Did you know that amen is the laity’s word to say? Of all the blessings in the Christian faith, all the benedictions, and all the prayers, yours is the amen. Just look in the hymnal. But even if the hymnal didn’t say it, it would still be your amen because Jesus is the Amen.

He’s the beginning and the end of salvation. Our Lord Jesus does everything to win our salvation, and we receive it as a gift. He’s active. He’s the doer.We are passive, the ones for whom His work is done. We are on the receiving end of everything He is doing and does for us.

The Amen took on our flesh and was born of the blessed Virgin Mary. He kept the Law perfectly and suffered the horrific death that is actually due to us for failing to perfectly keep the Law. All this He did freely, not because we deserve it, but precisely because we don’t deserve it. He died for us, and in doing so, He became a curse for us.Then, because God cannot stay dead, He rose again on the third day.

All that Christ did is given to you in the Word, water, and His body and blood. Jesus takes all that He did for you through His life, death, and resurrection, and delivers it generously to us.

Faith then receives and speaks a single word: “Amen.” Amen is the word of faith.When the Lord speaks, faith responds, “Amen.” When the Lord gives, faith receives, “Amen.” When the Lord blesses, faith confesses with one little word, “Amen.”

Amen means, “It shall be so.” And since it is so, and since it is true, amen means for us “gift received” or “that’s mine.” It is your forgiveness, your everlasting life, and your salvation. It is given to you by Jesus alone, given by His grace, received by faith alone. It is for you and for me.There are no doubts.

That’s why amen is more your word than your pastor’s. Your pastor is to deliver the Lord’s blessing to you. Faith receives it with a hearty, “Amen.”

So let your faith speak at Holy Communion next week. Your pastor will say, “The body of Christ.” You say,“Amen.” Your pastor will say, “Take and drink the blood of Christ shed for you for the remission of sins.” You say, “Amen.”

And then, he’ll say, “And the body and blood of your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will strengthen and keep you steadfast in the one true faith unto life everlasting.”

Amen.

Rev. George F. Borghardt III is the Assistant/Youth Pastor at St. Mark Lutheran Church in Conroe,Texas. His e-mail address is revborghardt@ higherthings.org. He is also a plenary speaker for the Amen 2008 Higher Things conferences.