October Epistle: The “I” of the Storm

God’s peace be yours in Christ Jesus our Lord.  As I write this, Hurricane Ian is making landfall in Fort Meyers, Florida.  As it moves slowly along its course with sustained winds of 150 miles per hour, it’s battering the west coastal region, wreaking havoc, downing power lines, uprooting trees and creating a very dangerous situation for anyone who dares step outside, or who has not heeded or been able to heed the warnings and the order to evacuate the area.  As the eye of the hurricane makes landfall, our prayers are for all who might be in harm’s way, for all who find themselves in dangerous and frightening situations.  We pray that God would protect them and bring them through safely, and that he would use all circumstances to bring more and more people into his kingdom through faith in our Savior, Jesus Christ.

As I contemplated this Epistle article, I couldn’t help but see the devastation and damage that Ian was bringing to Florida as an image of the devastation and damage that sin brought to God’s perfect world, and especially to the human race.  Worship and adoration of God became mistrust and a grasping to be in the place of God.  Innocence became knowledge and even love of sin.  The joy and bond of family became jealousy and murder when Cain killed his brother in the field.  Perfectly made bodies, now sinful, are destined to die.  And, thousands of years later, we continue to experience the same devastation and damage and death.  Sin has wreaked havoc like a hurricane, destroying and uprooting our relationship with our fellow man, and our relationship with God our Creator.

And into that storm of sin steps Jesus.  God’s plan of salvation was for his only Son to endure its devastation in our place.  The coming of Jesus doesn’t immediately calm the swirling bands and do away with sin.  Rather, the coming of Christ creates its own storm.  King Herod seeks to kill Him, even as a baby, and all the boys two years and younger are slain in Bethlehem.  The ruler of this world also does his best to derail Jesus from his mission, tempting him to step outside of God’s will and take a safer path.  During His ministry Jesus says, “I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.”  The crowds want to make Him into a king who will give them bread and heal their bodily diseases.  His own mother and brothers think he’s off course and come to take him home.  And the leadership of the Jews wants him dead.

The “I” of this storm, the God/man in the center, is the “I Am” of John’s Gospel.   Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6); “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life (John 8:12); “I am the true vine” (John 15:1); “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst (John 6:35); “I am the door of the sheep… If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.” (John 10:7, 9) and “I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me… and I lay down my life for the sheep” (John 10:14, 15); “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die” (John 11:25, 26).

The eye of hurricane Ian is a small area of relative calm.  But Christ has come to bring us perfect peace.  He laid down his life to redeem us.  In Him, we who were dead in our trespasses and sins find forgiveness and life.  He is the Good Shepherd who cares for His sheep.  The peace that Jesus brings by his death and resurrection is a peace that passes all human understanding.  It’s a peace that is ours even as we endure the various storms of this life.

Jesus knows the difficulties that each of us might be going through.  He was tempted in every way as we are, Hebrews 4:15 tells us, yet was without sin, so that the writer can say confidently that Jesus sympathizes with our weaknesses.  He may not remove the difficulty.  He may not end the suffering.  But He has promised to be with us in the midst of the storm, and to bring us through it.  Knowing that God did not spare His own Son, but gave him up for us all (Romans 8:32), we can have supernatural peace, knowing that the God who loved us enough to send Jesus, also holds our present and our future in His mighty hands.

Though Satan should buffet,

though trials should come,

Let this blest assurance control,

That Christ hath regarded

my helpless estate

And hath shed his own blood

for my soul.

It is well with my soul,

It is well, it is well with my soul.

And, Lord, haste the day

when our faith shall be sight,

The clouds be rolled back as a scroll,

The trumpet shall sound

and the Lord shall descend;

Even so it is well with my soul.

It is well with my soul,

It is well, it is well with my soul.

When Peace Like a River

LSB #763 vv. 2, 4

God’s peace be yours,

Pastor

September Epistle: The Day Is Coming

Have you noticed?  The nights are getting cooler.  I even see some leaves starting to take on a little color.  After the stifling days of summer, it’s finally starting to feel a little like Fall.  The older I get, the more I seem to notice the cyclicalness (spellcheck doesn’t think that’s a word, but if not, it should be) of life.  Children are back in school, camping trips are over, vacations are finishing up.  Certain plants didn’t do well in the garden this year.  Oh well, there’s always next year.  I’m already hoping for good snow in the mountains this winter.  We’ve done all this before, and we’ll do it again.  There really is nothing new under the sun (Ecc. 1:9).

The apostle Peter says in his second letter that scoffers say “Where is the promise of his coming?  For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation” (2 Peter 3:4).  These scoffers are those saying that Christ will not return.  Many of them likely never knew Jesus, but had learned about him from the apostle’s teaching.  He said he would return, but that hasn’t happened.  Over 30 years have gone by.  Where is the promise of his coming?  

Have you ever felt that way?  He is the great physician, but where is your healing?  He is the Good Shepherd, but you’re not seeing the green pastures and quiet waters.  He promises to work good, but things only seem to be getting worse.  It would be easy to get drawn into that sort of sentiment: “God is not watching.  He’s far from me and my day-to-day problems.  Maybe he doesn’t really care about me.  Maybe none of it is true.”

To this, Peter says, “Remember God’s interventions in history!”  He reminds the scoffers that God judged sin and unbelief in the great flood that deluged the earth.  Christ, Peter says, will return to judge the earth at the end of time.  “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness,” he says, “but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).  He reminds his readers that he and the apostles did not follow “cleverly devised myths” when they talked about Jesus, but they were “eyewitnesses of his majesty” (2 Peter 1:16).

Solomon said there was nothing new under the sun, and he’s right in the context in which he was speaking.  But God incarnate in the person of Jesus Christ was a new thing.  The Son of God came to us in the flesh to win the battle over sin for us, to give his life as a ransom, to redeem us from death and the devil.  We were headed for condemnation in the final judgment because of our sin.  But God intervened in history.  The suffering and death and resurrection of our Lord, the removal of the guilt of our sin, means that we have been given life and hope.  We can have peace, even in the midst of a world inexorably heading toward that day of Christ’s return and the judgment of all flesh.  He paid the price for our sins.  We are already declared “not guilty.”  God has given us new life in our baptism.  And we can say with confidence that Jesus IS our Good Shepherd, and we know for certain that he IS working for our good in all circumstances.

The devil would like nothing better than to lull us into thinking that Jesus isn’t returning, that life will just continue to go on as it has in the past.  But God’s Word tells us otherwise.  As we gather regularly for worship, we are reminded of God’s intervention on our behalf.  We hear of his great love demonstrated in the life, death and resurrection of our Lord.  We confess that we are poor sinners in need of forgiveness, and we celebrate the outpouring of that forgiveness in the Sacraments and in the holy absolution.  What a joy it is to gather together weekly as brothers and sisters in Christ as we “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity!” (2 Peter 3:18)

God’s peace,

Pastor

August Epistle: Firm to the End

Tonight the wind is really blowing outside.  It’s usually pretty calm after the sun goes down, but tonight there are thunderstorms around, which means a lot of wind.  Wouldn’t it be interesting if you could bottle that wind?  What if you took a quart jar, and went outside in a gale, opened the jar and filled it with wind?  You could set it on your shelf for a year or so, then open the jar and feel that wind, even on a calm day!

Well, it just doesn’t work that way, does it.  Everyone knows that it doesn’t.  It would be futile to try.  That’s what Solomon says when he writes in Ecclesiastes 1:14 (our lectionary for July 31 by the way), “I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind.”  Solomon seems to be in a pretty low place when he writes these words.  You live, you die, you gain wealth, you leave your wealth to others, a generation comes, a generation goes.  What’s it all about?  What’s it all worth?  All is vanity – like trying to catch and hold the wind.  It’s fruitless.  It’s futile.

There’s a lot of that going around lately.  Why does my phone want to show me what’s trending?  So that I can be in the know, on the inside, because I have a fear of missing out.  I need to know what’s popular, because only then can I join in and be popular.  I need to know what the right thing to say is, the accepted thing, the acceptable thing, so that I won’t be ostracized or criticized by my peers.  I need to know what is true and important today.  Because what is true and important today, may not have been what was true and important yesterday.  I think if Solomon were writing his thoughts today, he would have said the very same thing: “All is vanity and a striving after wind.”

What is there in this day and age to hold on to?  Where is the firm foundation?  What is objectively true and lasting that we can grasp and hold on to?  Isaiah 40:8 says, “The word of our God will stand forever.”  Psalm 119:89 says, “Forever, O Lord, your word is firmly fixed in the heavens.”  God’s Word is true and sure and never changes.  We can grasp onto and hold firm His holy Word.

And what does that Word tell us?  To what truth do we hold fast?  That God made us and all things.  That humanity fell into sin, that sin separates us from God, and that the wages of that sin is death.  That God sent His only begotten Son into the world to pay the awful price owed because of our sin.  That Jesus suffered and died to pay that price.  That Jesus rose from the dead on the third day and reigns at God’s right hand.  That Jesus is coming again in great power and authority to judge the earth.  That all who believe in Him will be saved and have eternal life.  

Hebrews 10:19-23 says, “Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that He opened for us through the curtain, that is, through His flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.  Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.”

We seem to be living in the days of Noah.  Jesus says that in the days of Noah, “[the people] were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away” (Matt. 24:38-39).  Jesus is speaking here in the context of His second coming and Judgment Day.  He said this just after he told his followers that His words will never pass away.  Jesus came preaching repentance and the coming of the kingdom, but there were many scoffers who refused to listen to him.  Just so, Noah preached repentance and the coming judgment (flood), but the people scoffed and refused to listen, going about their daily lives not heeding his prophetic word.

Speaking about the faith of Noah in his commentary on the book of Hebrews, Martin Luther says that Noah believed God and stood firm in his faith for 100 years as he preached and labored to build the ark.  In his preaching and faith he was one man against everyone else, but he “persistently preferred” (we might say “stood firm on”) God’s Word over and above the taunts and the cajoling of the multitudes who thought they knew better.

Noah did not change his message.  Jesus did not change His message.  The Church dare not leave God’s Word and change its message.  The truth of God’s Word is something to cling to, something to stand firm on.  And the central message of God’s Word is not judgment and law and condemnation, but the revelation that God is love, that God loves all people, and that God would have all people to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:4).

For this reason He has sent out His Church into the harvest field to preach repentance and the forgiveness of sins, and to witness to the great love of God for people, demonstrated in the giving of His Son for the life of the world.  

Crowds may not flock to our churches and fill the pews.  As in the days of Noah, people may not listen to us even when we share the good news about Jesus with them.  The Holy Spirit will create faith when and where it pleases Him.  Our calling is to be faithful (Rev. 2:10), to be prepared to give a reason for the hope that is within us (1 Peter 3:15), to love others as Christ loved us (John 15:10), and to remain firm to the end (Matt. 24:13).  This is not futility and a striving after wind, because for those who believe, the “End” is just the beginning!!!

God strengthen your faith as you live out your calling in this life, and bring you with great joy and thanksgiving into eternity.

God’s peace,

Pastor

July Epistle: The Tipping Point

In June, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) handed down its ruling in the Dobbs v. Jackson case, upholding the Mississippi law which outlawed abortions after 15 weeks gestation.  As a consequence of this ruling, SCOTUS also issued a ruling stating that they were overturning the 1973 decision of the court in Roe v. Wade.  This decision by the court had struck down anti-abortion laws across the U.S., opening the door to abortion on demand during all 9 months of pregnancy.  What we witnessed in June was a seismic shift in the position of SCOTUS, which returned control of the abortion issue to the states.

For half a century, many people and our own church body have prayed for Roe v. Wade to be overturned.  It seemed like an impossible task.  Nearly ten years ago, Rev. Dr. Peter Scaer wrote an article in the Lutheran Witness titled, Our Littlest Neighbor.  What follows is an excerpt from that article:

“The sin of abortion has stained many of our own families. Women we know and love have had abortions. Others of us have encouraged women to do so. And for many others, abortion is the skeleton in our closet. But none of us is innocent. Abortion is a national sin, and the guilt belongs to all of us. For too long, we have encouraged a culture of decadence, standing idly by while our littlest neighbors suffer.

But know this: In Christ, there is forgiveness and healing. The same Christ who loves the little children has died for each and every one of us. Christ took the sin of abortion upon Himself, and that sin, like all others, was nailed to the cross. Take heart. As our Lord was dying, He prayed, “Father, forgive them. They know not what they do.” Even now, He prays for us. Even now, His death pays for our greatest sins and takes away our heaviest burdens.

As we embrace the cause of the unborn, so also do we embrace those riddled with guilt and fear. Post-abortive support groups can be found throughout the land. Those struggling with abortion may want to learn about “Silent No More,” a group of women who have had abortions but are now speaking out in order to help other women in distress. Guilt need not paralyze us. Christ’s forgiveness is greater than our guilt, and His baptismal robe of righteousness covers all our sin. If you’re struggling, know you are not alone…”

As Dr. Scaer reflected on the ongoing work of the church against legalized abortion, he wrote the following:

“The devil would have us believe that there is nothing we can do, that we are outnumbered and that our cause is hopeless and that things will never change. I do not know many who predicted the fall of the Berlin Wall, but fall it did. So also pray that the tipping point will come soon. Until then, we will work together, celebrating the little children saved along the way.”

Unknown to Dr. Scaer and to the pro-life cause, the tipping point would come with the appointment of three conservative justices to the Supreme Court.  We thank God for the recent ruling, and ask that he would bring peace to our nation in its wake.  It’s important to note, too, that this ruling did not make abortion illegal.  It simply puts the power to decide that question back into the hands of the people of our land.

And so, we continue to work and to pray for changed hearts and an end to legalized abortion.  We pray as well for healing for those who have had an abortion or who have supported one, and now regret their decision.  The unborn child is not the only victim of this practice.  And, as Dr. Scaer noted, God’s forgiveness is freely offered to all.

What was the tipping point for God?  When did he promise to send a Savior to overcome the guilt of our sin?  The tipping point came with the very first one, the very first time that Adam and Eve rebelled against God’s command to them.  As soon as sin entered the world, and with it death, God promised to send the Savior to crush the head of Satan and set us free.  You and I stand with all sinners of all time, condemned by our sin, but justified and freed by God’s grace.  Paul says, “There is no distinction:  for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:23-24).

Let us continue to support the work toward an end to legalized abortion by our prayers, time and gifts.  But in our conversations around this topic, let there be always a deep undercurrent of love for fellow sinners for whom Christ died and rose.  

Dr. Scaer ends his article with this encouragement:

Be of good courage. Our Lord is with us. The same God who wonderfully formed you in the womb knows the number of hairs on your head. He will provide for you, and He will give you the strength and courage you need. If we fear God, we need fear no one else. You are not alone. Christians throughout the land share your conviction for life. The mighty angels watch over the little ones, and they are on your side. And even more, the same Lord Jesus who made His home in Mary’s womb is still our Emmanuel, God with us. Take. Eat of His body, and know He is present. Drink of His blood, and know that you are forgiven. Then take up, once more, the cause of the children Christ loves so dearly.

- Pastor

June Epistle: Heavy Lifting

Many of you know we’ve been doing a lot of traveling in the last two weeks between graduations in Wisconsin and St. Louis, and a wedding in Chicago.  During the flights to and from, I’ve reflected on the usual sorts of questions:  How does air flowing over that slim wing create enough lift?  Which side of the plane is the gas cap on and how does the pilot get close enough to the pump?  How often do you have to rotate the tires on an airplane?  Would it be cheaper to fly if I checked myself in my large suitcase?

Actually, the thing about flying I contemplated the most was the profound strength of the landing gear.  On some of the rougher landings, it seems we dropped the last ten feet pretty sharply.  A 737 might weigh 35 tons empty.  With fuel, 150 passengers and luggage, it might weigh another 18 tons upon landing.  That means the landing gear has to catch a falling plane weighing around 53 tons.  That’s something like 27 tons on each gear.  The maximum they are designed to catch upon landing is around 35 tons each!  That’s amazing!  That’s some heavy lifting!

Paul Anderson was born in Georgia in 1932.  He was diagnosed at age six with Bright’s Disease which causes severe kidney problems.  Despite the disease, Paul played football, and attended Furman University on scholarship where he excelled in weight training.

At the age of 23, Paul established a number of weight lifting world records, becoming the first man in history to officially press 400 lbs above his head.  At age 25 he lifted over 3 tons off the ground using his back (Guinness Book of World Records)!  That’s some heavy lifting!

When Jesus had been condemned by Pilate, Matthew says “They…led him away to be crucified.”  He doesn’t specify the fact that Jesus was made to carry his own cross out of the city.  This was common practice for the condemned.  We’re not told whether it was the entire cross or only the crossbeam.  Either way it was a heavy burden.  The crossbeam alone could weigh up to 100 lbs!  What Matthew does tell us is that Simon of Cyrene was compelled to carry Jesus’ cross.  After Jesus had been scourged and beaten, he was not strong enough to carry his burden.

Although Jesus had been relieved of carrying the physical cross, he still carried a heavy burden.  This burden was more than Simon could have carried.  It was far heavier, even, than anything Paul Anderson had ever lifted.  God had made Jesus to “be sin.”  The Father had placed on the Son the sins of the world.  That was some heavy lifting!  No human being could ever have borne that heavy load up to Calvary, save only one – the man who was also God.

It was for this purpose that Jesus had taken on flesh and become a human being.  He didn’t do this for his own glory.  There were no officials standing by lauding and praising his achievement.  The burden he bore and bore gladly, the victory he won and won handily, the price he paid and paid fully, were all done in a way that was hidden to the world.  Hidden to the world, but revealed in his holy Word.

Paul Anderson was a world renowned weight lifter.  His name is still known and famous today, even after his death from kidney disease in 1994.  Paul wasn’t strong enough to beat death.  But Paul knew who was.  Paul and his wife were Christians.  He openly talked about his faith, even attributing his gold medal performance in the Melbourne Olympics in 1956 to Christ.  Going into the competition he was the walk-away favorite.  But he had an inner ear infection and a fever of 104.  He was dizzy and weak.  He’d lost 30 lbs.  After two of the three required lifts he would have to press 413.5 lbs to win.  It was a weight he had often lifted, but not in his current condition.  He made the attempt twice and failed.  On the final attempt, he said, he prayed for strength.  “I wasn’t making a bargain,” he insisted, “I needed help.”  Wire services described how Paul’s chest expanded to near bursting as he made the final lift, and how he held the weight high in Olympic victory.  Later in life Paul would make as many as 500 speeches in a year.  In those speeches, he witnessed his faith in Christ, saying, “I couldn’t get through a day without Him.”

Paul’s kidney disease eventually took his life at age 61.  He was proud of his Olympic gold medal and of his other honors.  But he is quoted as saying, “The greatest thing in the world is my faith.”

I look forward to meeting Paul in heaven.  He knew the One who had done the incredible heavy lifting necessary to lift us out of the depths of sin, death and hell.  All of the weight of God’s punishment for our sin landed on Jesus.  And on the cross he paid the penalty for each one.  That’s some heavy lifting, heavy lifting that brings us life.

Psalm 113:7-8 says, “He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap, to make them sit with princes, with the princes of his people.”  This, God has done for us in our Savior, Jesus Christ.  Our sin laid us in the ash heap and we were unable to lift ourselves up.  But God, in his great mercy, lifted us up by the power of his love through Christ Jesus our Lord to eternal life with him.  

May God give you peace and joy as you contemplate the great burden that Jesus bore to Calvary, the burden that has been lifted from our shoulders by the death and resurrection of our Lord.  And may the Holy Spirit give us words to voice to the thankfulness in our hearts as we speak of his great love and sacrifice to those around us. 

God’s peace,

Pastor

May Epistle: Pilgrims and Strangers in the Land

This past week, Ginny and I were able to attend a conference in Estes Park put on by seven of our local circuits.  The speaker was Dr. Joel Elowsky, who is a professor at Concordia Seminary, in St. Louis, Missouri.  Dr. Elowsky spoke on the “Faith of our Fathers: The Importance of the Patristics for the 21st Century.”  The Patristics are the giants of the faith who lived, taught and wrote in the first centuries of the New Testament Church.  The important writings and documents that served to guide and influence the Church may also be considered part of the Patristics.

One of the questions that Dr. Elowsky offered for our consideration was this:  How is the Christian to live in a world where we are strangers and pilgrims?  The Church fathers (Patristics) are found to be answering this question in the first centuries of the Church.  It is a question applicable to us today as well.  How do we, in the 21st century, live in a society increasingly hostile toward Christianity?  

Perhaps you are aware of the case of Paivi Rasanen, a member of Parliament in Finland, who in 2019 tweeted Bible verses supporting the biblical view of marriage between a man and a woman.  She was charged with a hate crime, along with Bishop Juhana Pohjola of the Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Mission, for publicly expressing their Christian beliefs.  The case was finally dismissed after three years in court.  We are glad for our religious freedom here in the U.S., guaranteed by the First Amendment.  But how long will it be before hate crime laws here mimic those in Finland?  Remember the plight of Jack Phillips of Masterpiece Cakeshop in Lakewood?  For the past ten years, Jack has been in and out of court defending his right not to bake cakes honoring relationships that go against his Christian beliefs, the most recent case involving his refusal to bake a cake celebrating a man’s gender transition to woman.

Dr. Elowsky’s presentation made it clear that a society hostile to the Christian Church is nothing new.  During the 2nd and 3rd centuries it was not even legal to be a Christian in the Roman empire.  Surprisingly, those who followed Christ were seen by the general public as atheists.  Christians would not participate in honoring the pantheon of gods worshiped by Rome.  There were many instances in society when those attending a function or sporting event would be required first to show honor to the gods.  The emperor himself was said to be divine, and people were often required to offer “a pinch of incense” to him as a god.  Christians stood out in society when they refused.  During the persecutions, this was enough to condemn one to death.

An account of the trial of twelve Christians (Speratus, Nartzalus, Cittinus, Veturius, Felix, Aquilinus, Laetantius, Januaria, Generosa, Vestia, Donata and Secunda) in northwest Africa in 180 AD survives to this day.  Translated from the Latin, a portion of it reads in essence (I have edited it some):

Proconsul to Speratus: Do you persist in being a Christian?

Speratus: I am a Christian (and with him the others agreed).

Proconsul: Will you take time to consider?

Speratus: In a matter so straightforward there is no considering.

Proconsul: What have you there with you?

Speratus: Books and epistles of Paul, a just man.

Proconsul: Have a delay of thirty days and consider.

Speratus again: I am a Christian (and with him the others agreed).

Proconsul: Speratus, Nartzalus, Cittinus, Donata, Vestia, Secunda and the rest having confessed that they live according to the Christian rite, since after opportunity offered them of returning to the custom of the Romans they have obstinately persisted, it is determined that they be put to the sword.

Speratus (and the others):  We give thanks to God.

Many Christians during the persecutions were martyred for their refusal to curse Christ and acknowledge Caesar and the gods of Rome.  The religious practice of Rome amounted to what we might call “universalism” today.  It didn’t really matter what one believed.  All were headed to the same glorious end.  But it was an affront and not acceptable to say that the only way to ‘heaven’ is through the Lord Jesus Christ, that any other belief is false.

Such persecution exists in various countries around the world today, with many souls being added to the list of martyrs for the faith.  In our own country we see an increasing disdain for Christianity and its so called ‘intolerance’ of others.  Standing up for biblical values is increasingly out of favor. 

Dr. Elowsky meets with Christian groups all over the world.  When he was in Africa, he told the leaders that the Christians in America pray for them in their persecution.  The leaders responded that they, who themselves have often been persecuted and some even killed for the faith, pray for the Christians in America, because of what is arrayed against the Christian Church here.  They in Africa are often in danger of losing their lives for their confession.  But they fear for the Church in America, because the Church here is in danger of losing that confession.  The battle is truly a spiritual one, as Paul says in Ephesians 6:12.

Even in times of persecution in the early centuries, the Church grew.  Tertullian (155-220 AD) said, “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church.”  The Church grew even through the great persecutions and in the face of societal disdain because they kept their confession.  They confessed that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who was crucified, died and was buried.  The sins of the world were put on him and he bore them to the cross.  Through his blood and sacrifice, our sins are forgiven.  God raised him from the dead on the third day.  He lives today and will come again to judge the living and the dead.

We should not be surprised that this message is not accepted by the world at large.  Jesus himself told his disciples that they would be hated by all on account of him.  The Christian Church has always lived as though they were pilgrims and strangers in the land, moving through, on their way to an eternity with God in heaven.  C.S. Lewis once said, “If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were precisely those who thought most of the next.”  Paul writes to the Philippian Christians, “Our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Phil 3:20).  It was in Philippi that Paul and Silas were thrown into prison after casting out a demon from a servant girl.  But God opened the doors of the prison at midnight to set them free, and as a result, the jailer and his household came to faith and were baptized.

God’s will is being done, even in the face of opposition and persecution.  As the forces of evil strive against the Church, we can be assured of his continued presence and steadfast love.  As followers of Jesus Christ, we keep our eyes fixed on him.  And we teach and preach the truth, holding fast our confession (Heb 10:23), and witnessing to others his forgiveness and love.  This our brothers and sisters in the faith have done over the centuries.  And in that confession and witness the Church of God will continue until our Lord returns to take us to himself.

May the extraordinary events of Good Friday and Easter give you joy and peace as you sojourn as pilgrims and strangers in this land.

Christ is risen!  

He is risen indeed!  

Alleluia!

- Pastor

Building Update: Walls and Roof

Things have really moved along as the physical structure of the building has taken shape.  During the month of April, Lefever was able to finish the framework and complete the installation of the walls and roof.  Work now has moved inside for the addition of interior walls, drywall and other finishes.  

We praise God for the recent progress and ask his continued blessing of our project.

April Epistle: Through the Lens of the Empty Tomb

We have just celebrated the fourth Sunday in the season of Lent and the fifth Wednesday evening Lenten service.  It’s a season when we put away the Alleluias and the Hymns of Praise from our liturgy.  We examine ourselves and confess before God that we are poor sinners, that we have turned our back on God and spurned him and his love.  We walk the road with Jesus as he approaches Jerusalem and the events of Holy Week: His betrayal and arrest.  His mock trial.  The beatings with fists, the scourging with whips.  The tortuous journey out of Jerusalem with his cross laid on his bleeding shoulders.  The nails, the crucifixion, the sky turned black as the sun refuses to shine.  His death.  The spear thrust.  The lifeless body laid in the tomb.  The stone rolled into place.

Each year we go through this ritual season and rehearse these ugly events.  Why?  The death of the Son of God at the hands of sinful men is horrendous!  Jesus was innocent of any wrongdoing, and yet we find him hanging on a cross, suffering and dying.  Why would we remind ourselves of these events and teach them to our children?

The answer is that these terrible events are made wonderful when viewed through the lens of the empty tomb.  Jesus’ resurrection from the dead turns all the darkness to light, all the sadness and ugliness to joy and beauty.

The resurrection of Jesus Christ on Easter makes all the difference.   1 Corinthians 15:21 says, “For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead.”  And 1 Peter 1:3 says, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”  Paul says, “If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain” 1 Cor 15:14.  Without the resurrection, Jesus’ suffering, his bleeding and his dying are all in vain.  We are still in our sins and have no hope for the future.

But, Peter says, we have a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.  As God raised Jesus, so he will raise us.  Jesus bore our sins on the cross.  It was for us that he suffered and died.  His death put our sins to death, removed our guilt from us, made us clean and pure and holy.  And the fact that God raised him from the dead affirms that his sacrifice was sufficient to atone for the sins of mankind.  Adam brought death to us, but Jesus has brought life!  

This is why we rehearse the events of holy week and the suffering and death of our Lord, Jesus.  This is why we examine ourselves and repent of our sins and confess them to our heavenly Father.  This is why we have the season of Lent in our church year – because at the end of it all is the empty tomb and the resurrected Son of God, holding out his nail scarred hands to embrace us in the warmth of his love.

Our Lord has died for us.  Our sins are forgiven.  He has risen from the dead and we will rise, too.   The dreadfulness of that Friday in Holy Week has been changed into wonder and amazement by the revealing light of the empty tomb.

God bless each of you as we rehearse once again the passion of our Lord and his glorious resurrection!

Christ has arisen, alleluia.

Rejoice and praise him, alleluia.

For our redeemer 

burst from the tomb,

even from death, 

dispelling its gloom.

      Let us sing praise to him 

with endless joy.

     Death’s fearful sting 

he has come to destroy.

     Our sin forgiving, alleluia!

     Jesus is living, alleluia!

Christ Has Arisen, Alleluia

LSB 466

- Pastor

Building Update: Pillars and Beams

A lot has happened in the last month at 4949 E Eastman Ave!  The drain lines and water lines were installed and roughed in, and the bed was prepared to receive the slab.  Periodic snows slowed the work some, but our construction company took advantage of any opportunity and on March 22, the slab was finally poured.

The same day, the outer pillars were set in place.  Then the building of the structure itself began in earnest.

We praise God for the progress that is being made toward the completion of our new church building.  It’s exciting to see it taking shape at long last.  In the next few weeks, its looks will change dramatically as walls and roof are added.

“I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord!” Psalm 122:1

March Epistle: He Set His Face

Last Sunday we celebrated the transfiguration of our Lord.  Jesus was changed before Peter, James and John and was revealed to be the Son of God in all His glory.  They descend from the mountain, and Luke writes that the days have drawn near for him to be taken up.  And so, he sets his face toward Jerusalem - toward Golgotha, that is.  

As we travel through Lent, we cast our eyes on the cross of Good Friday, with hearts that anticipate the joy of Easter.  Our eternal salvation hinges on this journey of Jesus.  But we have nothing to fear.  His face is set.  He is determined.  Nothing will keep him from laying down his life and accomplishing our redemption.

During the season of Lent, we put away our Hymns of Praise and our Alleluias from our worship liturgies as we journey with Jesus to the cross.  This makes them all the more joyful when we bring them out again in all their glory on Easter morning.  We put them away because Lent is a time of deep reflection, a time of repentance, when we peer into the dark corners of our lives, places perhaps where we had hoped the light of day would never shine, and see there the sin that Paul says so easily entangles.  It is a time to confess all before our all-knowing and loving God.

Recognizing our sin, and knowing God’s judgment makes Lent a wonderful time also to reflect on the great sacrifice that God made in offering the life of His only Son on the cross.  The blood shed by the innocent Son of God cleanses us from sin, removing our guilt and God’s righteous condemnation.  “God made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Cor 5:21).  “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom 8:1).  

Our Lenten journey leads us to the cross, but it doesn’t end there.  Thanks be to God there is Easter resurrection on the other side.  Christ in all his glory has defeated our enemies of sin, death, and the devil!  Although we put away our Hymns of Praise and the Alleluias from our liturgy, our inner joy is not suppressed as we journey with Christ to His crucifixion.  There is a reason we call the day He died, “Good Friday.”  Our sins have been atoned for.  And Easter looms on the horizon.

My song is love unknown,

my Savior’s love to me,

love to the loveless shown

that they might lovely be.

Oh, who am I,

that for my sake

my Lord should take

frail flesh and die?

Here might I stay and sing;

no story so divine,

never was love, dear King,

never was grief like thine.

This is my friend,

in whose sweet praise

I all my days

could gladly spend!

My Song is Love Unknown

LSB 430

- Pastor