The sad truth is that we save people for something and not from something. The devil and evil have become antiquated concepts of an ignorant age in which things could not be explained. It is a convenient lie that the devil surely loves. He is not evil anymore than any one of us is evil. We are all merely misunderstood. Alas, understanding have become the new gospel -- not the one in which our Lord became incarnate for our salvation and lived a holy life to be credited to us as a righteousness we did not earn and die to end the tyranny of sin and rise to end the tyranny of death. No indeed. This new gospel is one of tolerance, respect for differences, truth that is a personal possession and defined individually, and life which is fulfilled in happiness. How easy it is to make diversity, equity, and inclusion into the will of God for us as well as our will for ourselves! That is certainly not the world of Luther but neither is it our world. No, the devil is real and evil is real.
Sometimes people have said to me that they have never seen an exorcism. Really? We have an exorcism every time there is a baptism. We add back in what rites have removed over time to remember the reality of evil and to make sure that people understand this is about transferring one from a kingdom of death to a kingdom of life in Christ by means of the water and Word. Furthermore, we make sure everyone in the congregation says with the baptized and the family of the baptized and the sponsors, I renounce and I believe. There is something going on here more powerful than a pat on the head by God and cutesy behavior at the font. We do not talk about evil and the evil one to frighten people. The devil and his minions do a good enough job of that. But we do acknowledge that baptism is not about our decision anymore than it is a sentimental practice that shows we love babies. Indeed, we admit that the devil is a roaring lion seeking our destruction and that the Christian life is a dance against the death of Him who would deprive God of one more for whom Christ died and rose.
“I adjure thee, thou unclean spirit, by the name of the + Father and of the + Son and of the + Holy Ghost that thou come out and depart from this servant of God, (Name)." Off hand I do not quite recall what other baptismal rites of other churches say but this has always been a powerful statement I have always included. It is not for flash or style but for substance. The devil is warned to keep his paws off of the one who belongs to God even as the child of God is warned that the devil does not play fair or nice so keep your distance. We need that. We need that now more than ever. While the world and its evil seems more obvious to some of us than ever before, it is dismissed within and without the churches by a world which does not count these things as evil or the evil one as any real threat anymore.
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Luther’s 1523 Rite |
Luther’s 1526 Rite |
Lutheran Service Book, p. 268 |
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Excorcism with Exsufflation |
Exsufflation |
Invocation & Admonition from Holy Scripture |
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Sign of the Cross |
Sign of the Cross |
Name & Sign of the Cross |
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Two Prayers |
One Prayer |
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Giving of Salt |
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Flood Prayer |
Flood Prayer |
Flood Prayer |
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Exorcism |
Exorcism (shortened) |
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Enrolling of Sponsors |
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Prayer |
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Mark 10:13-16 |
Mark 10:13-16 |
Mark 10:13-16 |
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Lord’s Prayer w/ Laying on of Hands |
Lord’s Prayer w/ Laying on of Hands |
Lord’s Prayer w/ Laying on of Hands |
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Ephphatha |
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Blessing & Entrance into the Church |
Blessing & Entrance into the Church |
Blessing & Entrance into the Church |
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Renunciation of the Devil |
Renunciation of the Devil |
Renunciation of the Devil |
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Profession of Faith |
Profession of Faith |
Profession of Faith |
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Anointing on Chest & Back |
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Declaration of Intent |
Declaration of Intent |
Declaration of Intent |
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Baptism |
Baptism |
Baptism |
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Anointing on Head & Peace |
Blessing |
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White Garment |
White Garment |
White Garment |
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Baptismal Candle |
Baptismal Candle |
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Welcome |
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Prayer & Peace |
2 comments:
Wait, what!!! Really?!?!
In an article about Lutheran baptism you included a cropped screenshot from one of the 27 assembly-line baptisms that Francis the Antichrist did at the Sistine Chapel on January 13, 2019 (see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGd6o-nkxwU at 9m13s) BTW, the Antichrist has told the mothers they could breastfeed their infants in the Sistine Chapel, though presumably not during the baptism (https://nypost.com/2018/01/07/pope-encourages-moms-to-breastfeed-in-sistine-chapel/).
Also, the unattributed table shown of the different baptismal rites comes from a longer article, "Luther’s Baptismal Rites," by the Rev. Dr. Mark Birkholz, pastor of Faith Lutheran Church, Oak Lawn, IL (https://resources.lcms.org/history/luthers-baptismal-rites/).
In _Luther's Works_, Volume 53 (Augsburg Fortress Press, June, 1965) regarding the 1523 order of baptism, Luther stated (in translation):
"Now remember, too, that in baptism the external things are the least important, such as blowing under the eyes, signing with the cross, putting salt into the mouth, putting spittle and clay into the ears and nose, anointing the breast and shoulders with oil, signing the crown of the head with the chrism, putting on the christening robe, placing a burning candle in the hand, and whatever else has been added by man to embellish baptism. For most assuredly baptism can be performed without all these, and they are not the sort of devices and practices from which the devil shrinks or flees. He sneers at greater things than these! Here is the place for real earnestness....
"For the time being I did not want to make any marked changes in the order of baptism. But I would not mind if it could be improved. Its framers were careless men who did not sufhciently appreciate the glory of baptism. However, in order to spare the weak consciences, I am leaving it unchanged, lest they complain that I want to institute a new baptism and criticize those baptized in the past as though they had not been properly baptized. For as I said, the human additions do not matter very much, as long as baptism itself is administered with God’s Word, true faith, and serious prayer. Herewith we commit you to the Lord. Amen." [pp. 102-3]
On p. 106ff, Luther's 1526 Order of Baptism Newly Revised was translated. A summary introduction states:
"In his earlier baptismal order of 1523, Luther, in order not to offend weak consciences, had retained as many of the traditional ceremonies as possible. But both he and his friends grew more and more impatient with a host of man-made usages which were apt to becloud the essentials of the sacrament. In 1526 he yielded to the urging of his friend Nicholas Hausmann in Zwickau and published a revised form of The Order of Baptism which introduced some important changes. Omitted were the exsufflation, the first of the two opening prayers, the giving of salt, the first of the two exorcisms, the prayer after the exorcism, the salutation before the Gospel, the Ephphatha, the two anointings before and after baptism, and the placing of a lighted candle in the child’s hands."
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