WEBVTT - This file was automatically generated by VIMEO 00:00:00.900 --> 00:00:04.000 In the name of Jesus Christ who has poured 00:00:03.300 --> 00:00:06.500 out his Spirit upon his people. 00:00:06.500 --> 00:00:07.800 Amen. 00:00:09.100 --> 00:00:12.200 How good and pleasant it is 00:00:12.200 --> 00:00:16.400 when brothers live together in unity. 00:00:17.100 --> 00:00:20.500 Are there any of the brothers from the class of 00:00:20.500 --> 00:00:23.800 82 here today? Okay. Let's 00:00:23.800 --> 00:00:26.400 see it. Come on. 82. Rah. Rah. 00:00:26.400 --> 00:00:29.500 All right. I wonder if there are any of you 00:00:29.500 --> 00:00:34.100 from the upcoming classes of 20 00:00:32.100 --> 00:00:36.000 23, 24 00:00:35.100 --> 00:00:39.300 25. Okay. We 00:00:38.300 --> 00:00:40.600 got a few here now. 00:00:41.600 --> 00:00:44.600 How good and pleasant it is 00:00:44.600 --> 00:00:47.400 when Brothers live together 00:00:47.400 --> 00:00:49.800 in unity. Good. 00:00:51.800 --> 00:00:55.000 Good. Yes, good. Pleasant. 00:00:55.800 --> 00:00:57.800 Yes Pleasant definitely. 00:00:59.700 --> 00:01:00.300 Easy? 00:01:02.900 --> 00:01:07.700 Not so easy. The members 00:01:06.700 --> 00:01:09.500 of the class of 82. 00:01:10.300 --> 00:01:13.300 Would like to let you some of you young guys know 00:01:13.300 --> 00:01:16.600 that we know why it's not very easy. 00:01:16.600 --> 00:01:19.400 It's it's your 00:01:19.400 --> 00:01:19.700 fault. 00:01:21.700 --> 00:01:25.700 And not you specifically. We 00:01:24.700 --> 00:01:27.400 don't know you well enough 00:01:27.400 --> 00:01:29.200 to blame you specifically. 00:01:31.400 --> 00:01:31.900 Yet, 00:01:33.200 --> 00:01:36.600 but we have met some of your generation recently 00:01:36.600 --> 00:01:39.800 who are serving now as our Associates in 00:01:39.800 --> 00:01:42.800 Ministry or at neighboring congregations and 00:01:42.800 --> 00:01:46.200 what we found is that this generation 00:01:45.200 --> 00:01:47.200 has 00:01:48.200 --> 00:01:52.100 no conception of the value 00:01:51.100 --> 00:01:54.400 and the treasure that's to 00:01:54.400 --> 00:01:57.900 be found. No. No, there's an 00:01:57.900 --> 00:02:01.000 absolute disdain for and a 00:02:00.100 --> 00:02:02.300 lack of appreciation for 00:02:03.900 --> 00:02:06.000 three ring binders. 00:02:08.200 --> 00:02:12.400 You see when we were here in the late 00:02:11.400 --> 00:02:14.100 seventies and coming up to our 00:02:14.100 --> 00:02:17.500 ordination date 1982. We received these 00:02:17.500 --> 00:02:21.400 binders from guys like Guido Merkins, 00:02:21.400 --> 00:02:24.800 right and Charlie Mueller and and 00:02:24.800 --> 00:02:27.500 we took those three ring binders and 00:02:27.500 --> 00:02:31.000 then we went got more binders from workshops by 00:02:30.400 --> 00:02:33.800 guys like Leroy Biesenthal and 00:02:33.800 --> 00:02:36.300 we took all these binders and slammed them 00:02:36.300 --> 00:02:39.700 together with a little bit of Lyle Schaller. Okay, look 00:02:39.700 --> 00:02:40.600 it up someday. 00:02:42.500 --> 00:02:46.100 And what we've come up with is our own three-ring binders. 00:02:45.100 --> 00:02:48.200 And so now these young guys come along 00:02:48.200 --> 00:02:51.500 and we say, hey we know how to 00:02:51.500 --> 00:02:55.900 do ministry. We've been doing this since 1982. 00:02:54.900 --> 00:02:57.500 Here's your 00:02:57.500 --> 00:02:58.300 binder. 00:02:59.900 --> 00:03:03.000 And we can't get you people to pull your nose out 00:03:02.200 --> 00:03:06.100 of your let's do ministry app. Okay? 00:03:07.600 --> 00:03:07.800 Just 00:03:09.800 --> 00:03:12.000 and and we know that the feeling is mutual. 00:03:13.500 --> 00:03:16.400 A conversation with a good 00:03:16.400 --> 00:03:19.600 friend of mine who's a pastoral counselor told me 00:03:19.600 --> 00:03:22.300 that recently he was counseling with one 00:03:22.300 --> 00:03:25.900 of these young Millennial associate pastors whose working 00:03:25.900 --> 00:03:29.200 with a baby boomer and in his exasperation. 00:03:30.500 --> 00:03:32.900 He finally looked up and he said, you know. 00:03:34.800 --> 00:03:37.500 There are some of us who are just waiting 00:03:37.500 --> 00:03:40.600 for you Baby Boomers to go 00:03:40.600 --> 00:03:42.600 to heaven and get out of our way. 00:03:44.300 --> 00:03:48.300 So we know that the feeling is mutual why Brothers 00:03:47.300 --> 00:03:51.100 have such a hard time living in. 00:03:55.600 --> 00:03:56.800 It's good, right? 00:03:57.600 --> 00:03:58.700 It's Pleasant. 00:03:59.500 --> 00:04:01.400 It's just not so easy. 00:04:02.600 --> 00:04:06.200 Turns out there was a couple of guys named Simon in 00:04:05.200 --> 00:04:08.600 Acts chapter 8 who 00:04:08.600 --> 00:04:11.800 were going about the business of ministry and 00:04:11.800 --> 00:04:14.200 one of them decided? No, you're doing 00:04:14.200 --> 00:04:17.800 this all wrong. You just don't get it. You have 00:04:17.800 --> 00:04:20.300 no part in this ministry, and it's 00:04:20.300 --> 00:04:22.200 not just a generational thing. 00:04:23.300 --> 00:04:26.200 Class of 82 can work it all 00:04:26.200 --> 00:04:28.500 out of an understand why it's so hard. 00:04:29.400 --> 00:04:32.600 You know, it didn't take too terrible long before 00:04:32.600 --> 00:04:36.100 some of our guys got elected District president, which 00:04:35.100 --> 00:04:38.400 districts you might ask. Well if 00:04:38.400 --> 00:04:41.400 you did your research, you would find that think of 00:04:41.400 --> 00:04:43.100 a couple of districts that 00:04:43.900 --> 00:04:47.100 might represent the extreme polarity 00:04:46.100 --> 00:04:50.200 that we find in the disunity amongst 00:04:49.200 --> 00:04:52.300 pastors of the Lutheran Church, Missouri 00:04:52.300 --> 00:04:55.900 Synod. And what would you find there? Well class 00:04:55.900 --> 00:04:57.500 of 82, okay. 00:04:58.500 --> 00:04:58.800 So 00:04:59.700 --> 00:05:00.100 good. 00:05:02.300 --> 00:05:02.900 Pleasant 00:05:04.100 --> 00:05:05.600 yeah, not easy. 00:05:07.200 --> 00:05:09.300 How good and pleasant it is when Brothers 00:05:10.500 --> 00:05:13.200 live together in unity. It's like 00:05:13.200 --> 00:05:14.000 oil 00:05:15.200 --> 00:05:18.900 running down onto the beard oil running onto 00:05:18.900 --> 00:05:21.300 Aaron's beard. You know, 00:05:21.300 --> 00:05:25.100 this oil has talked about in Exodus chapter 29 00:05:24.100 --> 00:05:27.100 and 30 that this is 00:05:27.100 --> 00:05:30.800 the oil that God gave Moses the instructions for 00:05:30.800 --> 00:05:33.500 the recipe and he says make sure nobody uses 00:05:33.500 --> 00:05:36.900 this is their own personal cologne and aftershave. If 00:05:36.900 --> 00:05:40.000 they do they're to be banished out in the wilderness and 00:05:39.300 --> 00:05:42.100 we don't know if that means, you know, 00:05:42.100 --> 00:05:45.000 the death ends for just means go out into the 00:05:45.600 --> 00:05:48.700 desert and sweat it off and when you smell like yourself again, 00:05:48.700 --> 00:05:51.800 you can come back and join the community. It's somewhere in 00:05:51.800 --> 00:05:52.000 there. 00:05:52.900 --> 00:05:55.400 But nobody is allowed to wear this 00:05:55.400 --> 00:05:57.300 perfume except one guy. 00:05:58.500 --> 00:06:01.300 It's Aaron the high priest when he's going into that 00:06:01.300 --> 00:06:05.100 Holy place where everything else smells like 00:06:04.100 --> 00:06:07.300 this anointing oil. You see 00:06:07.300 --> 00:06:11.200 the Altar and the Ark of the Covenant and the lampstands and 00:06:11.200 --> 00:06:15.000 the tables and everything in the center of the Tabernacle has 00:06:14.500 --> 00:06:18.000 been smeared with this oil. And so when Aaron 00:06:17.100 --> 00:06:20.700 goes in there, he's Anointed with this oil running 00:06:20.700 --> 00:06:23.500 down on his beard what the chapter doesn't 00:06:23.500 --> 00:06:26.900 talk about is what happens when Aaron comes out of 00:06:26.900 --> 00:06:28.000 the Holy of Holies. 00:06:29.100 --> 00:06:32.700 And the rest of the people and Confirmation class or 00:06:32.700 --> 00:06:34.500 the nursing home or wherever he's visiting. 00:06:35.200 --> 00:06:35.500 Say 00:06:39.700 --> 00:06:40.200 what's 00:06:40.800 --> 00:06:41.800 what's that smell? 00:06:43.400 --> 00:06:46.200 What's that? What's that beautiful smell? 00:06:48.800 --> 00:06:52.100 But the question is not really what does 00:06:51.100 --> 00:06:53.800 Aaron smell like. 00:06:55.100 --> 00:06:55.800 What's the question? 00:06:58.100 --> 00:07:01.000 Who does Aaron smell like? 00:07:02.600 --> 00:07:03.500 Where was he? 00:07:05.600 --> 00:07:08.000 He was in the presence of God. 00:07:09.700 --> 00:07:13.300 And he came out bearing the aroma of 00:07:12.300 --> 00:07:13.600 God. 00:07:15.100 --> 00:07:15.600 How good 00:07:16.800 --> 00:07:20.300 and pleasant it is when Brothers live together 00:07:19.300 --> 00:07:22.600 in harmony. Like oil 00:07:22.600 --> 00:07:23.400 running down 00:07:24.300 --> 00:07:26.200 on Aaron's beard. 00:07:28.100 --> 00:07:31.600 You know some of us older guys were there at your personal 00:07:31.600 --> 00:07:33.000 Pentecost. 00:07:33.700 --> 00:07:36.300 When you received the outpouring of 00:07:36.300 --> 00:07:39.400 God the Holy Spirit and it's an occasions 00:07:39.400 --> 00:07:42.900 like that that some of us are on our best behavior and 00:07:42.900 --> 00:07:45.500 we recognize this holy moment 00:07:45.500 --> 00:07:47.500 when the people of God are gathered around 00:07:48.300 --> 00:07:49.300 the font. 00:07:50.300 --> 00:07:54.000 And your family and we were there and we 00:07:53.500 --> 00:07:57.100 say wow, and we 00:07:56.100 --> 00:07:59.600 experience the joy of ministry when 00:07:59.600 --> 00:08:02.200 Jesus shows up and does what only he can do. 00:08:03.800 --> 00:08:06.500 And the assembled people of God 00:08:06.500 --> 00:08:10.300 together said to you on that day. We welcome 00:08:09.300 --> 00:08:12.900 you into the Lord's family. We 00:08:12.900 --> 00:08:15.100 receive you as a fellow member of 00:08:15.100 --> 00:08:18.900 the body of Christ to work with us 00:08:19.900 --> 00:08:21.300 in his kingdom. 00:08:22.900 --> 00:08:25.600 How good and pleasant it is when Brothers 00:08:25.600 --> 00:08:26.400 live together 00:08:27.500 --> 00:08:28.500 in unity. 00:08:29.900 --> 00:08:32.300 And maybe it is easy 00:08:33.600 --> 00:08:36.400 if we just remember to get out of his way. 00:08:38.100 --> 00:08:41.300 And it won't be very long before we'll be 00:08:41.300 --> 00:08:44.500 calling on you to return the favor to us when our 00:08:44.500 --> 00:08:47.600 wheels are not working and we have to slap wheels on our chairs 00:08:47.600 --> 00:08:50.400 and we're hanging out at the Luther home and 00:08:51.200 --> 00:08:54.700 we stretch out our withered shriveled 00:08:54.700 --> 00:08:57.800 up old hands with those big old age spots 00:08:57.800 --> 00:09:00.400 on the back because we see you coming 00:09:00.400 --> 00:09:03.700 in the door. And it'll be a holy moment again 00:09:03.700 --> 00:09:07.100 as you bring to us that precious meal. 00:09:08.200 --> 00:09:10.900 And we will smell the fragrance 00:09:11.500 --> 00:09:14.100 of the presence of God amongst us. 00:09:15.200 --> 00:09:18.300 And we'll remember what a joy it 00:09:18.300 --> 00:09:18.400 is 00:09:19.300 --> 00:09:22.600 when Brothers live together in unity. 00:09:23.800 --> 00:09:26.800 And it's not going to be our binders that 00:09:26.800 --> 00:09:29.800 unite us and it's not going to be our apps that 00:09:29.800 --> 00:09:30.700 unite us. 00:09:31.500 --> 00:09:33.200 What's going to unite us 00:09:34.100 --> 00:09:36.300 is the Pentecost of the Holy Spirit. 00:09:38.300 --> 00:09:42.600 And maybe when we're on our best behavior as 00:09:42.600 --> 00:09:45.400 descendants of Aaron as the 00:09:45.400 --> 00:09:46.900 sons of Aaron. 00:09:47.700 --> 00:09:50.600 Maybe in those moments will urge one 00:09:50.600 --> 00:09:53.800 another to live a life worthy of 00:09:53.800 --> 00:09:56.400 the calling that we have received. 00:09:58.200 --> 00:10:01.100 And we'll be completely humble 00:10:01.800 --> 00:10:05.600 and gentle patient bearing 00:10:04.600 --> 00:10:06.600 with one another in love. 00:10:08.100 --> 00:10:10.500 Because there is only one body 00:10:11.900 --> 00:10:13.200 and one spirit 00:10:14.600 --> 00:10:15.800 and one hope 00:10:16.500 --> 00:10:18.900 to which we were called when we were called. 00:10:19.800 --> 00:10:20.700 And one Lord 00:10:21.800 --> 00:10:22.900 and one faith 00:10:23.800 --> 00:10:25.200 and one baptism 00:10:26.300 --> 00:10:29.200 and one God and Father of all who 00:10:29.200 --> 00:10:32.900 is over all and through all and in 00:10:32.900 --> 00:10:33.300 all. 00:10:35.300 --> 00:10:36.500 And we'll know again 00:10:37.700 --> 00:10:40.000 how good and pleasant it is 00:10:40.800 --> 00:10:44.200 when Brothers live together in unity. 00:10:45.300 --> 00:10:47.400 In Jesus name. Amen.