Lutheran Student Fellowship

First Trinity parish, Pittsburgh, Penn. USA.

Remarks at 175^th parish anniversary banquet; 22 January 2012

The Rev. Eric R. Andræ

Good afternoon.  I am Pastor Eric Andræ, the campus pastor here at First Trinity.  I would like to open my remarks with Solomon’s prayer at the dedication of the temple, from 2 Chronicles 6:

“[Solomon] said: “LORD God of Israel, there is no God in heaven or on earth like You, who keep Your covenant and mercy with Your servants who walk before You with all their hearts. You have kept what You promised Your servant David my father; You have both spoken with Your mouth and fulfilled it with Your hand, as it is this day. Therefore, LORD God of Israel, now keep what You promised Your servant David my father, saying, ‘You shall not fail to have a man sit before Me on the throne of Israel, only if your sons take heed to their way, that they walk in My law as you have walked before Me.’ And now, O LORD God of Israel, let Your word come true, which You have spoken to Your servant David.

“But will God indeed dwell with men on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You. How much less this temple which I have built!  Yet regard the prayer of Your servant and his supplication, O LORD my God, and listen to the cry and the prayer which Your servant is praying before You: that Your eyes may be open toward this temple day and night, toward the place where You said You would put Your name, that You may hear the prayer which Your servant makes toward this place. And may You hear the supplications of Your servant and of Your people Israel, when they pray toward this place. Hear from heaven Your dwelling place, and when You hear, forgive” (2 Chron. 6:14-21).

Indeed, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain God.

YET, today we celebrate his dwelling with us, the First German Evangelical-Lutheran congregation of Pittsburgh, for 175 years; and his dwelling in this specific place, Trinity Church, for 85 years.  How can this be?  How can he whom the heaven of heavens cannot contain, how can he dwell in Pittsburgh, dwell here at First Trinity?  How can God dwell with men on the earth? How can he dwell in water, in word, in bread and wine?  How?

As true God and true man, that’s how.  In Jesus Christ, God of God, incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary, made man–in Jesus Christ, God dwells with man as Immanuel, God with us, so that WE then are blessed to DWELL in HIS HOUSE, WITH HIM!

By his preaching-and-absolving mouth, by his baptizing-and-name-putting hand, by his hearing-and-forgiving ears he dwells with men on the earth, dwells with us.

God Almighty, our Heavenly Lord, in mercy and love and grace, condescends to dwell with us here at First Trinity, and all places great and small, stunning and plain on the earth where his Gospel is preached in its purity and the holy sacraments are administered according the same Gospel.

Being a campus pastor is a joy; being a campus pastor at First Trinity for 11 years has been a great joy.  One of the happy aspects of our ministry here is the unique context in which we serve not one, not two, but several universities in the area and region: today alone we have students in attendance from CMU, Pitt, Chatham, La Roche, Geneva, and Duquesne; we also have active students from Point Park University, who could not make it today.

But along with the joy there is also pain, especially the pain of saying good-bye to so many dearly beloved students every single year.  My prayer, my certain hope is that – as they have contributed to this place – they also have received from First Trinity and carry some of this congregation – its people, its teaching and preaching, its Lord – into the varied corners of this nation and this world to immeasurable good for them and others.  Let me give just one example, a very current one.  With us for the very first time, today, is my brother in Christ, Athanase.  He has just arrived from the Ivory Coast in West Africa.  Before coming to the U.S. he and his bishop looked at the web-sites of various Pittsburgh churches and his bishop said, “You should go to this one.  To First Trinity.”

All the students through the years are a part of us; we are a part of them.   Because God is with them, God with us, God with us all:  for 85 years, for 175 years; here, out there; yesterday, today, and forever!

“A DAY in Thy courts: is better than a thousand elsewhere.”

The Lutheran Church is liturgical (AC XV, Ap. XXIV.1).  We use what some call a “traditional style.”  In her worship, which is her very life-breath by the means of grace, the Church gives form and shape to the faith she believes and proclaims.  The Church is not the world:  she does not speak like the world, sound like it, act like it, appear like it, or even smell like it; the Church is not worldly.  In her children’s gift-receiving and thanks-giving, the Church speaks and sings biblically and uncommonly liturgically; she sounds a heavenly harmony of angels and archangels and all the company of heaven; she acts corporately and humbly and reverently; she appears in unique garments and sanctified dress; and she smells like the incense of God-pleasing repentant prayer with lifted up hands.  The Church is foolish, not being recognized by worldly wisdom, by the spiritually undiscerning, commercially driven man (1 Cor. 2:14).  Instead, she presents herself a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable only to God, not to consumer culture or market-driven society; she, and we who have been begotten and borne by her through the Word of the Father, are not conformed to this world’s language, sounds, behavior, appearance, and aroma, its worship, but are transformed by the renewal of mind and mouth and heart, proving what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God (Rom. 12:1-2).  As such, rejecting historical amnesia or mere individualistic preference, we listen to and respect and worship with those sainted men and women who have gone before us, the cloud of witnesses in ages past, showing ourselves to be true members of the eternal Body of Christ (AC Concl.5; Heb.12:1, 13:8).  This “means giving a vote to our ancestors. The Church refuses to submit to the small and arrogant oligarchy of those who merely happen to be walking about” (Chesterton).  In these ways we are and will remain healthy, whole, and complete – a people, a Church, of integrity and authenticity.

In the midst of a constantly transitioning and chaotic world, liturgical form provides stability, safety, and security; the historic liturgy is a cornerstone for all.  In order “‘to be always relevant, you have to say things which are eternal.’ The liturgy, as it bears the Word of God, keeps us relevant by speaking into our ears words that are eternal” (Pless).  Otherwise, if the Church marries the spirit of the age, she will soon be a widow.

But here, in her worship, the Church is alive and well.  We thus encourage especially those of you for whom this style of worship is at first new and challenging to find here a renewing refuge and a steadfast haven; to live within the mysteries of the Body of Christ; to be joined together with your brothers and sisters, and to be lifted up by them beyond self; and, of course, to ask questions, to learn, to grow with us all.  It may take weeks or even months for you to find yourself at home with the liturgy and ceremonies of the historic Lutheran church, but many before you have found it well worth the journey.  Welcome home!

The International Giertz Society
(English Language Section)
& the Pittsburgh Pastoral Conference honor…

THE 50th ANNIVERSARY OF
THE HAMMER OF GOD

with a day focused on Bo Giertz’s beloved and influential novel, which appeared in English for the first time in 1960 (more…)

Our study weekend – with renowned speaker and journalist Dr. Uwe Siemon-Netto – is now open to all! Whether you’re a student or not, laity or clergy – you are welcome to attend.  The cost has also been reduced – only $5 for the whole weekend (including meals and all sessions), or just $1 per lecture. See full details below. If you would like a full-color flyer publicizing this event, please let me know. (more…)

Due to the G-20 next week, we are rescheduling the Student LSF Bible Study for next week only, from its regular day (Wednesday) to TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2009. The Bible Study will be at 8:00 p.m., followed by a special Evening Prayer for the G-20 summit at 9:10.  The regular schedule resumes on September 30. (more…)

Hey, instead of playing the latest video game or spending hours on the ‘net, how about expanding your mind and soul with one of these volumes: World magazine’s Top 40 books of the last century – “The best titles proclaiming or applying a biblical worldview in a hostile 20th century” (see below). You won’t regret it. And you’ll feel less guilty next time you squander an evening on WoW.

(more…)

Visit http://www.caaction.com/pdf/Christian_VG_Bulletin_4_Web.pdf for a helpful guide.

Our brand-new homeless ministry, FTHM, was recently covered by The Pitt News in a video feature. To view the feature, go to First Trinity’s web-site. The producer of the video is our own Sherri H. Great job, Sherri!