Saturday July 13, 2013
Come and join us for a few hours of faith, fun, fellowship and food!
Games for kids of all ages. Cake walk and BBQ.
11:00 am-2:00 pm
Sunday, May 26, 2013
Thursday, May 23, 2013
DISASTER RESPONSE
Our thoughts and prayers are with those effected by the May 20th tornadoes killing at least 24 people in Moore, Okla., some of them children. The two LCMS congregations serving the area are:
Trinity Lutheran Church
Pr. Nehrenz
Norman, OK
St. John's Lutheran Church and School
Pr. Bersche
Moore, OK
Both churches escaped damage and are open and busy serving members of their congregations and community who have experienced damage and loss.
How You Can Help
You can help these congregations as they respond. The easiest way to help is through the LCMS disaster response effort. Your gifts for Disaster Response provide a constant resource of funds that can instantly be made available to help those in need.You may also give by mail:
Make checks payable to "The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod" with a memo line or note designating ‘Disaster Response’
The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
P.O. Box 66861
St. Louis MO 63166-6861
Or by phone:
888-930-4438
Monday, May 20, 2013
Sermon for May 19, 2013
“Spirit-filled
People”
Acts 2:1-11
If suddenly this morning the weather were
to change, dark clouds filled the sky, thunder lightning, hailstones, and storm
appeared, our reaction would probably be "What's going on? The weatherman
said we were gong to have a perfect day today." We might be taken aback
more if at the same time a large ball of fire appeared in the chancel, broke
apart into small tongues of fire, and each landed on someone's head.
Luke’s description makes it clear that
something tremendous happened in Jerusalem on that first Pentecost. There are
some dimensions that are not ordinary, ever day occurrences. They are strange,
different, unusual.
Our trouble, however, is that we today
view this story as a kind of quaint museum piece—an exhibit of things that
happened long ago. Certainly strange and unusual, but somehow we fail to see
the connection between that event and our lives today.
Yet the early Christians were very much
in tune with these events and understood their meaning. God had used these
means and methods before. Throughout the Scriptures a storm or great wind is a
sign of the presence of God. One of the signs of God's presence on Mount Sinai was
the thunder and lightning in the storm. The same is true of fire. We all recall
the pillar of fire that went with Israel from one place to another. When these
phenomena occurred in the Scriptures, instead of thinking of weathermen or fire
extinguishers, the early Christians immediately thought of God. These were two
signs by which God was assuring them of His presence.
As Luke records it: These early
Christians were all together in one place says our text. They were gathered for
worship and God appeared; He made His presence known. This first Pentecost was
an experience of elemental force. Like a cloudburst that overwhelms a parched
land, so the Spirit of God came to the first disciples. So while it was a
wondrous experience for these early Christians, it may not have been as foreign
and strange as it is to us today. Then we here "They were all filled with
the Holy Spirit." The Christian church was born.
God's
Presence Today
When we remember this, we can say that
this morning, Pentecost 2013, here at Faith Lutheran, and every Sunday morning,
is a similar experience for God's people. But He doesn't use fire and wind; He
has other sign of His presence here, other means that He uses to assure us that
He is here. He says, for example, "Where two or three are gathered
together in My name, there am I in the midst of them." He declares that He
is present in the Word spoken in our worship. He is here in our worship service
as He speaks to you in Scripture readings, the sermon, and the Absolution, He
is here in and with the bread and wine to give us the body and blood of Christ,
personally and individually.
It is the same kind of day. Although it
is likely you will not see tongues of fire or hear the wind, He is here. Not in
some sort of spooky sense, but God Himself is present because He has promised
to be. Therefore when the church gathers, it is more than just a social group
getting together. It's more than just putting in an hour for some good cause,
or even some good work. It is God Himself gathering you together, so that He
can work on you and accomplish His good purpose in your lives. That's what Pentecost
is all about—the power of God's Spirit at work in the lives of Spirit-filled
people, building the Church of God here on Earth.
God's
Presence In Faith’s History
25 years ago a group of Spirit-filled
people came together in a fledgling congregation and began to dig a basement out
of a hillside on Bieker Road. Some of you are sitting here this morning; others
were your fathers, your husbands, and your brothers in Christ. The foundational
work they did, and all the subsequent planning and labor, stands as a
demonstration of the power of God's people on Earth. But it is not, and was
not, the structure that caused the church to be and to grow. It was the power
of the Holy Spirit working through believers. Before there was a building there
was a Church. Before there was a building there was right teaching and
preaching of God's Word; there were the sacraments and the forgiveness of sins.
There was all that was necessary to be Faith
Lutheran, a Church of the true God. But the Holy Spirit gave the congregation
abundant gifts. He gave Faith Lutheran the skill and resources to build a
structure dedicated to the glory of God. But like that first Pentecost, the
birth, establishment and growth of Faith Lutheran, is not only a demonstration
of the power of the Holy Spirit working through believers, but it is a promise
of even greater things in a world to come.
So this morning, on this “anniversary of
the Church” while we take a deserved "time out" to reminisce about
the times past, we must maintain the true course and goal of the true Church of
God, we must take with glad hearts the command of our Lord to go out into the
world and bring all nations to the foot of the cross. There to hear and see
what God has done for all men. There to feel the healing power of God's grace
on a soul infected with sin.
Just outside the tiny town of Exira,
Iowa, is a famous landmark. There is a legend that young farmer was out plowing
his field when a group of Union soldiers passed by. Overwhelmed by patriotism,
the young man leaned his plow against a young oak tree and left to join the
Civil War—and never returned. Today, passersby stop at Plow-in-the-Oak Park to
picnic by the once-young tree that grew and swallowed up the farmer's once
useful plow.
Goals are like that. If we set them aside
for a time, we're apt to find them swallowed up in the changing scene and
rapidly growing world. Good goals should never be put aside, but pursued until,
with the grace of God, they are achieved. We must continue to be about the
building of the Church of God here on Earth and here in Washington, Missouri.
God's
Presence In Spirit-Filled People
That Pentecost recorded by Luke was a
one-time event. But the world today still needs Spirit-filled people, swift as
the wind, to take the word of God to people in languages that they can
understand. The world today still needs Spirit-filled
people, strong as the wind, to run up and down the streets and lanes of Washington,
Missouri proclaiming the Good News to a world incredibly depressed and grim,
lonely and gloomy—the Good News of a Savior crucified and risen again. The Good
News of a Savior who cares.
Brothers and sisters, members of Faith
Lutheran Church, I contend that you have been and are still God's Spirit-filled
people.
Spirit-Filled
People Care And Show It In Their Lives. They control their fears and overcome their flaws. They
keep their sharp tongues and flaming tempers in check, They say with the
apostle Paul: In the midst of life's hardships and cruelties, we have found more than victory through Him
who loved us. They triumph even over the final enemy, which is Death. They
see their resurrected Lord come out of that dismal garden at the crack of the
first Easter dawn, and they know the power of the Spirit He promised. They have
no reason to go around any longer hanging sad and sorrowful. Instead, they go
forth laughing and leaping, shouting and singing.
Spirit-Filled
People Are Changed. Change
is not all bad. If nobody could be changed were would we be? People are often
rigidly inflexible, stubbornly bullheaded, and arrogantly right about
everything. In almost every case, people like that are dead wrong. Spirit-filled
people have to be ready for change, prepared to accept change—even change in
themselves.
Spirit-Filled
People See God At Work. Jesus
Christ himself said that the Spirit is like the wind. you can see the results,
even though you can't see the wind. The Spirit is like the wind. It blows were
it chooses He said. That's the way the Spirit is. None of us can tell the
Spirit what to do. We have to accept Him and His work. We have to recognize His
power. We have to admit the changes He produces in ourselves and in others.
Spirit-Filled
People Are "On The Go."
They are not the most consistent people in the world. The only thing consistent
about them is that the Spirit moves them. Otherwise, you can never predict
exactly what they are going to do. They will love when others are hateful. They
will forgive when others are intent on getting even. They are ready to move
when others are standing still. They are where the action is, not looking for
the safe comfortable seats.
Spirit-Filled
People Are Fiery. When
God's Spirit descended on the disciples at Pentecost, split tongues of fire sat
on their heads. What happened? They were aglow with the Spirit and ablaze with
God. They were fervent and fired up, "enthusiastic" in the first
meaning of that word—filled with God. Spirit-filled people today are energetic
and passionately committed to Jesus Christ. They spend their lives doing things
for other people in the name of Jesus.
You might think that in a world of hate,
strife, violence and war, who needs fiery and aggressive people who are angry
and hot-tempered, making life a constant battle? Certainly, nobody needs them.
But the world does need Spirit-filled people on fire for God, given to love,
joy, peace, gentleness, kindness, goodness, patience and self-control. Those
are gifts of the Spirit. The lives of Spirit-filled people embody them.
The world needs people on fire with faith
graciously given them as a gift from God—on fire with love, on fire with the
power of the Spirit, The world needs people who have left behind those former
days of apathy and lukewarm commitment. It needs people who are revved up for
Christ, turned on for God, fiery and fervent followers of Christ: dreaming
impossible dreams, bearing impossible loads, fighting unbeatable foes, and
"marching into hell itself," with a heavenly cause.
The fire of the Spirit crackles with
life. That's the way it is with Spirit-filled people. They are alive. They are
energetic. They are active. They are vibrant. They are on the move and on the
go for God. They are not out to hurt people, but to help them. They know the
task is monumental and the time is short. The Spirit moves them to be God's people
with confidence and a zest to touch the lives of others with the Good News.
Spirit-Filled
People Are Alive. They
don't go around with long faces and set lips. They are not always shaking their
heads and saying "no." Their greatest word is "yes."
Spirit-Filled
People Have A New Language.
There are fewer foul, filthy, sharp, profane, vicious, wounding words. Spirit-filled
people are empowered and moved to speak words that heal and gladden and soothe
and reconcile; building people up instead of tearing them down. People are
attracted to them because they have compassion and love.
The Spirit of the Lord fills the world. He
is here and He is busy. He is doing exactly what Christ said He would do. When the counselor comes...the Spirit of
Truth, ...He will bear witness to me. That's what the Spirit is doing: Telling
people the Good News of God as you have it in Jesus Christ.
Like most Christians, we sit like rocket
ships on the launching pad, ready for orbit but never used. We are like
Christmas trees never sold, or beautiful paintings never hung; or a CD
unplayed. We spend a lifetime seemingly studying God's Word, listening to His
commands, and fellowshipping in His Church; but seldom do we do what God has
called each and every one of us to—to take His Word to all people, to witness
to the atoning work of Christ Jesus. But Spirit-filled people are different. They
hear God speaking and they respond.
God's
Presence In Us As Spirit-Filled People
There is forgiveness from God for you. Jesus
Christ died for you. That's the
Spirit talking to you today. If it were not for the Spirit of God, the message
would have long since died. There is new life from God for you in Jesus Christ.
It comes by faith, and it acts by love. That
mission would long since have died if the Spirit of God were not active. The
message and the mission are yours to take with you each day, and, as true
believers, the Spirit of God seeks to talk through you, to further the message
and mission thorough you, each day.
There have always been people like those
at the first Pentecost who have asked, "what
does this mean?" It is a good question. This means exactly what the
rest of the book of Acts tells us: repentance toward God and faith toward the
Lord Jesus Christ happen all the time through the power of God's Spirit. The
wind is blowing and the fire is burning. Jesus has gone to the place of His
lordship, and His Spirit has taken His place here on Earth. It is just as Jesus
said, If I do not go away the Spirit
cannot come.
Jesus went to His cross, to His grave,
and then to His glory—to His Father. Returning to Heaven and picked up the
mantel of power and authority which was His before time, and which He had set
aside to humble himself to become man. By going to Calvary, by lying in that garden
grave, and then triumphantly rising from the dead, and by returning to His seat
of power in Heaven, God's Spirit comes, richly and fully, to enliven the lives
of ordinary people, people like you and like me, and to bring us to Jesus. As people
redeemed by God have just got to be filled with His Spirit. Otherwise, you
would not be trusting in God, hoping in God. You are alive. You are forgiven
and forgiving. You are loved and loving. You are Spirit-filled.
The Spirit of the Lord speaks Word of
God. Listen to Him and renew your belief in Jesus your Savior every day. The
Spirit of God lights your fire today and fans the flames with the wind of His
power. Use the gifts He has given you to build and strengthen the Church on
Earth and bring souls to the family of God. Believe, hope and trust in God by
the power of the Holy Spirit.
My prayer for you is that the grace of
our Father Almighty, the love of the Son who redeemed you, the power of the
Spirit who brought you to the one true faith, and the peace of God which passes
all understanding, be and abide with you. Amen.
Acknowledgement and thanks to Rev. Oswald
Hoffman for the inspiration of Spirit-filled people from a sermon heard in 1990
by a young impressionable seminarian.
Monday, May 13, 2013
Voters Meeting May 21, 2013 7:30 pm
All voting members invited to attend. If you are not a voting member and would like to become one, please join us.
Pot Luck Dinner and Congregation meeting Sunday May 19th
Come join the Faith family on Sunday May 19th to discuss the future of our church family.
Sunday, May 12, 2013
Sermon for May 12, 2013
Seventh Sunday of Easter
Acts 1:12-26, John 17:1-11
For thousands and thousands of years, some
scholars have studied the Bible by focusing on the meaning or symbolism of
certain numbers. We must be very careful when studying those numbers, for it is
all too easy to focus on the numbers themselves and search for so-called hidden
meanings while failing to understand why God has given specific numbers for us
to understand. But that’s not to say that all Biblical numbers are meaningless,
for some numbers we read most certainly do have implications for our study of
the Scriptures.
Take, for example, the number 40. When God sent
the great flood to destroy the wicked people while preserving only Noah and his
family – and preserving the life of animals and birds – Genesis 7:12 says that
it rained for 40 days and 40 nights. Moses spent 40 days and 40 nights on Mt.
Sinai when God gave him and us the Ten Commandments – and when the Children of
Israel rebelled against the God who had led them from the slavery of Egypt,
they were forced to spend 40 years wandering in the wilderness before their
children could finally enter the Promised Land. Following His baptism, Jesus
spent 40 days in the wilderness as Satan tempted him. Last Thursday marked
Christ’s ascension into heaven – an event that took place 40 days following His
resurrection. What you see here is a pattern – a pattern of the number 40
representing either a period of testing, a period of preparation, or a critical
period of God’s redemptive history of His people.
Another symbolic number – one that is less often
used but which has great importance – is the number 12. In the Book of Genesis
we learn how God chose the 12 sons of Jacob to be His covenant people. Those
sons and their families – better known as the 12 Tribes of Israel – were given
more than just the promise of a homeland flowing with milk and honey. More
importantly, they were given the promise of being the ancestors of the Messiah,
the Promised One who would lead them not only from temporary, painful human
bondage, but from the deadly and eternal spiritual bondage of sin.
God did, indeed, lead the 12 Tribes to the
Promised Land. This great nation that had descended from the 12 sons of Jacob
now began to live – or so it seemed – in one communion as God’s faithful
people. But the oneness was often tested and was sometimes shattered. In the
Book of Judges we read of conflict when members of the Tribe of Dan, who were
unhappy with their portion of the Promised Land, so they set out to conquer new
lands for themselves. Then we read of the Tribe of Benjamin being attacked by
armies of the other 11 tribes. Under King David and King Solomon the 12 Tribes seemingly
were united in peace. But following Solomon’s death, the Promised Land was
broken into two nations, the nations of Israel and Judah. The 12 Tribes were
broken apart, never again to be unified or complete. Just as sin had corrupted
all of God’s creation when Adam and Eve first defied God, sin had likewise
corrupted God’s chosen people, and they would never again – never in all of
recorded history – be one.
The memory of the 12 Tribes remained firmly
planted in the psyche of Jacob’s descendants who still followed the true God in
what was left of Israel 2,000 years ago. And it was then – 2,000 years ago,
during the ministry of Jesus – that 12 again became an important number in
Scripture. Although we are told that large numbers of people followed Jesus for
much of His ministry, Jesus personally selected 12 men to be His Apostles. On
one occasion recorded in Matthew chapter 19, when Jesus was discussing life in
heaven following His second coming, He told the Apostles: “Truly, I say to
you, in the new world, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you
who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes
of Israel.”
And yet, it was one of the 12 – Judas Iscariot –
who broke the fellowship of the Apostles by betraying Jesus and killing
himself. In Luke’s record of the Acts of the Apostles, the good doctor
describes the earliest church in the interim between the ascension and
Pentecost. The visible physical presence of Jesus in the church is gone, and
the Spirit has not yet been poured out. And so the eleven and those who also
followed Jesus awaited the coming of the Holy Spirit by devoting themselves to
prayer and the study of Scripture. Peter leads the community.
Peter addressed the group and recited verses
from two of the Psalms, including these words from Psalm 109: “Let another
take his office.” The fellowship of the Apostles had been broken. The
purpose of this gathering was to discuss the appointment of a replacement for
Judas. The 11 Apostles felt compelled to include the larger group of ‘brothers’
to help in selecting a replacement. Luke notes 120 persons were present;
indicating not only their involvement as members of the body of Christ, abut
also their unity and their togetherness when decisions need to be made.
Peter and the other followers of Jesus
understood that the full number of the twelve must be restored. It is necessary
that one of the men should become one with them in their future travels. The
decision would be based on the criteria established by Peter regarding this
election, This successor should have at least two qualifications: (1) he must
have been with Jesus and the disciples from Christ’s baptism to his ascension,
and (2) he must have been witness to the resurrection, as were the other disciples.
Peter determined the requirements, but the final choice was left to the Lord.
The job description is stated in two words:
“ministry” and “apostolic” which grants the new disciple the full right of
apostleship equal to that of the 11.
They identified two men who had been followers
of Jesus from the start of His ministry. God’s choice, determined by casting
lots, was Matthias. The name of the one selected was Matthias, and he was added
to the number of the apostles.
While most of the decisions you and I may don’t
appear to be as momentus as selecting an apostle of Christ, today we want to
hear what Scripture has to say to us about making appropriate decisions. Along
the way we’ll be looking at the examples of seeking counsel from God’s people
and direction from God.
On this Mother’s Day, I have a several questions
to ask you: How do you get along with your mother-in-law? How did you choose
the mother of your children? What qualifications did you use in selecting a
mate to bring to God’s altar for a promise of lifetime commitment? What
qualifications would you list for the mothers whom we remember today? Good
mothers and good parents do not happen by chance, but often require important
decisions. Today we want to talk about making important life decisions.
The first step in making good decisions is to
state or identify the problem/issue in a clear and concise statement.
For the disciples, the issue was a ‘now what?
Jesus had appointed 12 disciples They were down one. They needed to find a
replacement for Judas. Peter stated the agenda in a clear sentence when he
said, “It is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us.”
Our difficulty in making choices and decisions
is that we often deal with wishes rather than needs. We do not say what we
really need. In fact, our hidden agenda does not allow us to be honest in a
simple statement of need.
Jesus never wished to die. In fact, in the
garden he asked his heavenly Father to remove the cup of suffering. But there
was also a divine must, a divine need. In order to save humankind, Jesus needed
to die for us and give his life as a ransom for many.
Second step in good decision-making is to
identify possible solutions.
The disciples set certain qualifications. They
had to choose someone who had been with them from the beginning, who knew all
things that had taken place so that he could give the testimony of an
eyewitness.
Even more important than the qualifications of
an apostle was the function of an apostle—“a witness of [Christ’s]
resurrection.” These qualifications were demanding, but the successor was to be
part of the mission team of the apostles.
In selecting people to fill positions in the
church, we may be tempted to concentrate on such things as job-related skills
or a life of-the-party personality. But today’s disciple needs to be
spiritually mature and committed to the Savior, as were the original disciples.
Peter did not act alone in making the decision. He
asked the community of believers to review possible solutions. He depended on
the Spirit to guide the community. The community asked God to lead them in
their search for the right person. The church prayed as a group and acted as a
group.
One of the hardest parts in making a decision is
truly to seek GodÕs help and the advice of fellow Christians in choosing the
best person for a particular task.
There is a world to be gained. There is a
ministry that has to be done. An apostle must be sent. There is a story that
has to be told. There are people who need to hear of the goodness of a
resurrected Lord. Those charged with this awesome task find it gratifying when
they successfully select candidates who are fit for ministry and who fulfill
the ministry.
Do we decide on activities and make decisions
that will further our kingdom, or further the kingdom of God? Judas made a bad
decision. It was a personal decision based on frustration, disappointment, and
greed. Yet Jesus died for the bad decisions of all people, beginning with Adam and
Eve in the Garden of Eden. He paid for decisions that you and I regret. He died
even for the sins of someone as estranged as Judas or the thief on the cross.
He died to pay our debt and then arose on the third day to empower us to be his
witnesses. His Spirit gives us the wisdom to make decisions to honor his name.
Decisions are never easy, be we are called on to
make decisions all the time. Some are personally important, that will further
our kingdom, like deciding on a spouse. But there are time when we are called
on to make decisions that will further the kingdom of God by selecting people
for church offices and tasks. We need to know our needs, we need to evaluate
the best possible solutions, we need to involve the community, and we need to go
to God in prayer.
Faith is the community of Christ gathered here
in Washington, Missouri. Through Word and Sacrament, you have been witnesses of
what Christ has done in this place and in your lives. We are human and we will
make mistakes. We are all guilty of making decisions and judgements out of
frustration, guilt, disappointment, and greed. Jesus died for the bad decisions
of all people, including you and me. He paid for decisions that you and I
regret. He died even for the sins of those who have caused us heartache and
hurt by their decision. He paid our debt, He paid your debt, and then He rose
on the third day to empower us to be his witnesses.
As a result of the Jerusalem Council the number
of the twelve was restored. Everything was in readiness for the sending of the
Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. Everything was in readiness for the
Apostles – the twelve – to begin following Jesus’ command to “make disciples
of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of
the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.
After the few verses we heard earlier, we are
told no more in Scripture about Matthias – he is never mentioned again. For
that matter, only a few of the Apostles are actually mentioned in the final 23
books of the New Testament. All of our attention will now be focused not on
this number, but to the apostolic witness to Christ and the spread of the Gospel
throughout what then was most of the known world.
It is in this witness and spreading of the
Gospel that we focus in on the number cited by Jesus in today’s Gospel lesson:
the number one. In His prayer for the Apostles, Jesus asks: “Holy Father,
keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as
we are one.”
“Even as we are one,” Jesus
said. Today Christians confess oneness in creeds – statements of what we
believe – in the Apostles Creed and the Nicene Creed and the Athanasian Creed –
but in Jesus’ day, the oneness of the Jewish people was represented by
these words from Deuteronomy chapter 6, words known as the Shema: “Hear,
O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one.” Even though the Shema
was spoken for centuries before God’s people understood the Trinity it actually
is totally consistent with everything that Jesus taught and everything that we
Christians believe. Two weeks from today is Trinity Sunday, the day that we
focus so specifically on our belief in three persons – Father, Son and Holy
Spirit – three persons but one—and only one—God. This belief in the oneness
of the Triune God – our confession that we make here and now – represents the
prayer of Jesus “that they” – that we – “may be one.”
One of my favorite Psalms is that appointed for
us today; it is Psalm 133. It’s only three verses long; please open your
hymnals to the front, and let’s read those words together:
1 Behold,
how good and pleasant it is
when brothers dwell in unity!
when brothers dwell in unity!
2 It
is like the precious oil on the head,
running down on the beard,
on the beard of Aaron,
running down on the collar of his robes!
running down on the beard,
on the beard of Aaron,
running down on the collar of his robes!
3 It
is like the dew of Hermon,
which falls on the mountains of Zion!
For there the Lord has commanded the blessing,
life forevermore.
which falls on the mountains of Zion!
For there the Lord has commanded the blessing,
life forevermore.
Unity … blessing … life forevermore. What
beautiful words, representing the life we have – or should have – as redeemed
believers in Christ. But as we look around the religious landscape of modern
Christianity, we seldom see much if any unity. Instead, we see denominations
based on false teachings and flawed understandings of Scripture. We see
churches that deny the truth of Scripture and substitute the sinful and
shortsighted opinions of mankind. In our own beloved Missouri Synod our
fellowship is divided by issues including forms of worship, denial of the clear
Biblical mandate for closed communion, and even – by a few – calls for the
ordination of women pastors. Sometimes congregations are split into warring factions
to the extent that hate and fear replace love and fellowship. As long as we
draw breath on this earth, Satan will never stop trying to create division and
destroy your fellowship, just as he destroyed the fellowship of the 12 Tribes
and the fellowship of the 12 Apostles.
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ;
I thank God every day that Faith Lutheran Church
here in Washington is not beset by these false beliefs and false practices. I
thank God that this congregation holds fast to the teachings of Scripture and
the teachings of Scripture alone. This doesn’t mean that you may not, on
occasion, disagree on some issues or details. But in matters of faith, you are
one. Jesus prayed: “Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have
given me, that they may be one.” Jesus continues to make that same prayer
for us. And He will do so continuously until we are brought to Paradise, where
we and all believers shall worship our Triune God with one voice, in unity for
all eternity.
You have begun a process, a journey toward
healing and making this ministry whole. His Spirit gives us the wisdom to make
decisions to honor his name. The first century church has given you the model
for the days and months to come—they asked God to lead them. The church prayed
as a group and acted as a group. In this way they received the blessing of God
upon their decision.
You are the church of Christ in Washington. Ask God
to lead you. Pray as a group. Care for one anther and find unity. Then act as a
group. Serve God and serve one another. God has promised that your decisions
will hallow His name and serve his holy will and his kingdom, both here and for
eternity.
Prayer:
Ascended Lord, the vistas are high, the horizon
is long, the landscape seems endless. From our vantage point, spreading the
Gospel to all the world sounds impossible. Give us patience and perseverance,
reminding us always to follow you fully in the places you have chosen for us.
And keep us focused on our tasks at hand until the day when your name will echo
over every hill and valley. Amen.
with thanks and acknowledgment of Pastor Terry O’Brien
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Outing Sin
From the Memorial Moment
Wednesday of Easter 6
8 May 2013
8 May 2013
Romans 7:18-25
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For
I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have
the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.
For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I
keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do
it, but sin that dwells within me. So I find it to be a law that when I
want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of
God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war
against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that
dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from
this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So
then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I
serve the law of sin. (ESV)
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