St. Paul s Evangelical Lutheran Church Newsletter. The Cornerstone. January Follow the Star. + Jesus Came for you + + Jesus Came for all +

Transcription

1 St. Paul s Evangelical Lutheran Church Newsletter The Cornerstone January 2019 Follow the Star + Jesus Came for you + + Jesus Came for all +

2 Page 2 Cornerstone January 2019 St. Paul s Lutheran Church (Missouri-Synod) Office Hours: Monday Thursday 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Contact Information: 2551 W. Bacon Rd. Hillsdale, MI (517) officestaff.stpauls@gmail.com Administrative Pastor Reverend Daniel Johnson Follow the Star Page 3 Parish News Lutheran Heritage Foundation & Chili Cookoff Education and LWML Highlights Call Committee Highlights The Lutheran Church Extension Fund Lutherans for Life Weekly Readings & The Last Word Page 4 & 5 Page 6 Page 7, 8, & 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Pages 13 15

3 Cornerstone January 2019 Page 3 Follow the Star The Theme of our Float for the Hillsdale Christmas Light parade was Follow the Star. This theme was developed by our Evangelism Committee as they planned the design for our congregation s witness to Jesus in the Hillsdale light parade. The design of the float was intended to depict that Jesus is God s gift to the World. This great Christian theme is the center of what Christians celebrate at this time of year. To depict this message, the symbols of the Star, the Cross and the Christmas tree were all brought together in one design. The Star Is the symbol that reminds us of God s sharing of the Gospel with all nations. There is one Savior, namely Jesus Christ, our Lord. The Cross The Cross was the focus of the stars beams and the most visible element of the float. Through the Cross of Jesus comes the gifts that Gods gives for the life of the world. The Christmas Tree The Christmas tree formed the base of the cross, reminding us that Jesus has taken the cross and made it a tree of eternal life for all who trust in Him. Throughout the Christmas Season the float was visible in our church yard and looked beautiful at night. The cross shined with the simple decorations of the faithful and reminded us all of Jesus, the gift of God the Father. This Gospel is the star that we follow, by God s Grace, into 2019 Peace and every blessing in Jesus, Pastor Dan Johnson

4 Page 4 Cornerstone January 2019 Bearing Witness at Christmas The Christmas Season is now over, or is it? We are now in the season of Epiphany! This season reminds us that the Gospel which we celebrated at Christmas in the birth of Jesus, continues to be our joy to share in the new year. Epiphany is, in many ways, the Gentile Christmas! It is the season when we remember that the long awaited Savior who was born in Bethlehem, was intended for the life of all people. Through faith in Jesus the cross is the tree of life for the world. Parish News Sharing this good news can take many forms. Our evangelism committee shares this throughout the year in our common community events. It is our joy to be involved in parades, the fair and in other ways that become evident to us. Our witness is simple, that Jesus Christ is Lord and that God s Love is given to the world through the cross of Christ. We are not ashamed of the Gospel and we feel that bearing witness to the cross of Jesus in public is important during a time in history when Christian witness is often set aside, or avoided. As long as we have an opportunity, we are happy to share the Gospel of God s love in Jesus. Our community has been very receptive to the message of the St. Paul s Lutheran Church, our church floats, fair booths and other activities. This is a gift of God. Please pray for continuing openness in our community to the gifts of the Gospel,. And, when it comes to each of our personal witnesses to Jesus, remember these important opportunities for the Gospel: We share the Gospel through the love shown to each other. As we love and respect each other, people see Jesus in us. Jesus commanded, LOVE one another to remind us of our witness to Him. We share the Gospel through faithful attendance of the Divine Service. People see what we value as they see us love to be with the Lord in His house. Invite those who are longing for God to come to church. This is the season for outsiders to come into the church and be blessed!

5 Ladies Guild Christmas Party It is customary at Christmas to gather with fellow believers to enjoy the light of the Gospel and our shared journey in life and faith in Jesus. This Christmas our Ladies Guild gathered to share Christmas treasures, memories and blessings with one another. Each member shared something of her own family blessings in Jesus with the group. Through this sharing everyone s celebration of Christmas was enhanced. The beautiful tables, fellowship, food and Love pointed us to Jesus. We praised Him for His Love! Cornerstone January 2019 Page 5 Parish News

6 Page 6 Cornerstone January 2019 The Lutheran Heritage Foundation LHF Sunday (Lutheran Heritage Foundation) Annual Chili Cook-Off & Dessert Auction (Small Catechism enchiridion). In recognition of LHF s recent 25th anniversary celebration, Concordia Publishing House (CPH), the publishing arm of The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, has presented an incredible gift to the Lutheran Heritage Foundation: 500,000 English -language copies of A Simple Explanation of Christianity Rev. Dr. Matthew Heise announces CPH s catechism gift at LHF s 25th anniversary celebration banquet. LHF will distribute the catechisms to mission contacts throughout Africa, Asia and Southeast Asia, and Europe. As LHF looks to the next 25 years in mission, the mission s leadership has voiced their commitment to matching CPH s English catechism gift by printing 500,000 catechisms translated into the languages like Chinese, Swahili, Arabic, Hindi and Spanish. SAVE THE DATE! On February 10th, Rev. Robert Marshall will be with us as our guest preacher in both morning services. During the Bible Class hour he will share with us regarding the work of the LHF. presentation! You will certainly enjoy his January 26 th at 5:00 p.m.---mark your calendar for an evening of food, fun and fellowship. We will be hosting our Annual Chili Cook-off and Dessert Auction. The evening will begin at 5:00pm for chili drop offs. Judging of the chilies will begin around 5:30pm and dinner will be served at 5:45pm. We may auction a few desserts off prior to eating chili, but most will be auctioned afterwards. Everyone is invited to bring a pot of their favorite chili to share. The Youth Group members will be judging the chilies for overall taste, uniqueness and spiciness. Attendees will also be able to vote for their favorite chili by adding coins to the jar in front of each chili pot. In conjunction with the chili cook-off, we will be having the Dessert Auction. Everyone is encouraged to make a dessert or two which are then auctioned off. The children of the congregation usually play Vanna White and display and deliver the baked goods to the highest bidder! All the proceeds from the evening will be put towards the new church van. Don t make chili? Don t want to bake a dessert? NO PROBLEM! Please come and join us anyway! You will have a good time! A couple of quick notes: If you bring a chili: Please cook the chili to at least 160*F and bring it to church HOT and in a crock pot. If you bring a dessert: Please include a small tag with the name of the dessert and the name of the baker. We hope to see you on January 26 th at 5:00pm!

7 Cornerstone January 2019 Page 7 Education News Sunday School Christmas Service The faithful witness from the children of our congregation to the blessings and joys of Jesus were so very encouraging! We are thankful for our Sunday School leader Mary Welden, faithful Sunday School Teachers, musicians and the faithful families who daily teach their children about Jesus at home every day. The Sunday School Christmas Service took place on Sunday, December 16th, at the 10:30 AM Divine Service. On the outside, it would appear the same as many such events in our community at Christmas. Recitations, songs, and loving families were front and center. But, to anyone familiar with the church, far more was evident. These young Christians displayed the childlike faith that Jesus directed us all to emulate. Not, that their faith was immature, bur rather, that they were leading the way for all God s people who believe the Gospel of Jesus and rejoice in His gifts without reservation. Mid Week Education Program The Mid-week education program of the church has resumed. Our normal schedule on Wednesdays includes a shared pizza meal at 5:30 in the fellowship hall. From 6:00 7:00 PM a Bible Study is lead by Dr. Korey Maas in the church library. Also during that time, Pastor Dan Johnson teaches confirmation to children and youths. Nursery care is provided for the very young. All are invited to enjoy God s Word and the fellowship of believers on Wednesday evenings.

8 Page 8 Cornerstone January 2019 The Lutheran Women s Missionary League Rev. Dr. Gregory S. Walton, president of the LCMS Florida-Georgia District from 2009 to 2018, who also served many years on the district s board of directors. Daily Bible studies will be led by Donna Pyle, author of more than 30 Bible studies and several books, including Without This Ring: Surviving Divorce. Early registration opens Feb. 1 for the 38 th Biennial Convention of the Lutheran Women s Missionary League, the LCMS women s auxiliary also known as LWML Lutheran Women in Mission. The convention is set for June at the Mobile, Ala., convention center. Its theme, In Praise to the LORD!, is based on 1 Chron. 16:23 24a: Sing to the Lord, all the earth! Tell of his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the nations. Keynote speaker for the convention will be the Rev. Dr. Brent Smith, mission development counselor at Mission Central, which supports LCMS missionaries and mission projects worldwide from its home base in Mapleton, Iowa. Smith previously served the Synod as regional director for mission work in Eurasia, evangelistic missionary in Russia and business manager in Central Asia. Proclaimers for the convention s two worship services will be: Rev. Dr. Ulmer Marshall Jr., pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Mobile, who has served the Synod for more than 45 years, including as a member of the boards of directors of the LCMS and LCMS Southern District. Song leader will be the Rev. Dr. Dien Ashley Taylor, pastor of Redeemer Evangelical Lutheran Church in The Bronx, N.Y., and first vice-president of the LCMS Atlantic District. And performing comical skits throughout the convention will be humorist Jan Struck. Among business items, convention delegates will adopt a new mission goal for the biennium, and choose mission-project grants to support with those funds. They also will elect a new president to serve a fouryear term, as well as other national leaders. The convention will feature six Mites in Action speakers who will tell how LWML mission offerings have helped their ministries, and performances by the Voices of Mobile singers and entertainer Joe Castillo. Other activities include a golf outing, a pledge walk, servant events, a blood drive, Special Interest Luncheons, a collection of Gifts from the Heart and tours.

9 Cornerstone January 2019 Page 9 Camp Insta Friends offering care for children ages 6 months to 4 years and special programs for older children also will be available during the convention. The LWML family is looking forward to celebrating the partnership in the Gospel that we have with missions and missionaries in other nations and at home as we become more of a multicultural church, said LWML President Patti Ross. If you love missions, you will love being in Mobile when we gather In praise to the LORD! Early registration is $175 from Feb. 1 through March 13; regular registration is $195 from March 14 through May 9. As of May 10, registration is $220 through June 10. Registration materials and more information are available in the Winter issue of Lutheran Woman s Quarterly. To register online, visit lwml.org/convention. Our Congregational Annual Report meeting will be February 24th, 2019, after the 10:30 AM service. This meeting is assigned by our constitution for the purpose of hearing reports on the work of the congregation throughout the previous year, and to share goals for the new year to come. Every one is invited to come to this meeting. By attending you can become better informed about the various ministries of the congregation, offer your support to our leaders who work hard among us for the sake of the Gospel and know the areas that require faithful and diligent prayer. God s blessings in 2019 and please consider attending our annual meeting on Sunday, February 24, 2019, after the 10:30 AM service. SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2019 After the 10:30 AM Service

10 Page 10 Cornerstone January 2019 Call Committee Highlights On Tuesday, January 8th at 7:00 PM, the second meeting of the call committee took place. The meeting began with a Bible Study concerning what God says about the office of the Holy Ministry. The call committee studied God s Word to have freshly in mind God s will so that they could effectively fulfill their task in serving the congregation. After the Bible Study, the call committee reviewed work on the two documents that will be needed to begin the call process with the Michigan District. A concise description of the community and the congregation has been drafted and was reviewed. Following that, the second document, a brief description of the congregation s desires in the associate pastor was reviewed and discussed. There were many helpful comments and clarifications added to this document. The call committee will meet again on Tuesday, January 15th. That day is also the deadline for all congregational suggestions to be forwarded to the district for consideration for our eventual call list. After the initial documents have been finalized and the congregational suggestions have been reviewed, the materials will be forwarded to the Michigan District. We expect that there will be a time of prayerful waiting while the District President s office completes their research and assembles a list for our congregation. This process could take a month or more. When we receive a list, the call committee will review the District s call list and if all is in order, a call meeting will be announced. In the mean time, of course, we pray for God s Will and enjoy His faithful care for us in all things!

11 Cornerstone January 2019 Page 11 The Lutheran Church Extension Fund The Path Confirmed Christian author Max Lucado tells the childhood story of five boys digging a tunnel over summer vacation. The ditch was four feet deep and three feet wide, covered with several pieces of scavenged plywood and plenty of dirt. It went half way across the vacant lot with a hidden entrance and exit. It was going to be perfect to play out any stories the imaginations of the boys could dream. But first it had to be tested. Was it strong enough? Large enough for a boy to traverse? The only way to know was to send someone through the tunnel. But who would it be? It was a tense moment. Finally a volunteer stepped forward. He was encouraged by his friends and disappeared into the darkness. The boys hearts pounded, eyes focused on the exit end of the tunnel. Finally after what seemed like forever, the pioneer emerged from the other end shouting, There s nothing to it! Don t worry! How many of us have the courage to climb into the plane as a test pilot or strap into the capsule seat of the rockets headed to space? That s what made the trip of Neal Armstrong and crew to the moon so intriguing to us. They were the first, the dreamers. There s something about a living testimony that gives us courage. Is that why Jesus had to do it? He told the disciples, the crowds that followed Him just as He tells us. But the words weren t enough. Even healing the sick and raising people from the dead wasn t enough to convince people that the plan was in place and He was the Way to forgiveness and eternal life. He needed to die, battle Satan in Hell and emerge victorious from the grave. He blazed the trail for us. We can now follow confidently knowing that death has no power over us. Heaven awaits you! It s the story we need to tell. Tell it during your life and make plans to insure the story is told even after you are gone. Plant the seeds and let the Holy Spirit nurture the growth, enlarging the throngs that will sing praise to God in Heaven. Less than 10 percent of Christians remember to include a Ministry Gift as part of their Estate Plan. Maybe you will be the Pioneer, the first in your family to make that final estate gift for the time you celebrate in Heaven. Does your family expect an inheritance from you? Would they miss it if you blessed your favorite ministries with that final tithe or adopted ministry as another member of the family and included them in the distribution of your Estate? Blaze the trail. Be the example to your family and explain to them the impact your gift will have, sharing the great news of Jesus victory over death and paving our path to eternity with God.

12 Page 12 Cornerstone January 2019 Lutherans For Life January 20 Sixty million unborn children have died as a result of the Supreme Court s Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Boltondecisions. However, through the right-to-life movement s determination to protect mothers and their children, we continue to see evidence that our efforts to educate America about the unborn child s humanity, and our efforts to enact protective pro-life legislation, are having a tremendous impact in moving our nation away from Roe s and Doe s deadly legacy. Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life A Life Quote from Lutherans For Life January 27 The most fundamental fact of modern biology is that your body is in a continual state of change and development from cradle to grave. Yet, through all the changes, your identity remains the same. Rev. Jonathan Lange, district life coordinator for the Wyoming District LCMS A Life Quote from Lutherans For Life January 6 For Christians, then, too many people is impossible. Each additional person affords another opportunity to love and give in the way that brings God Himself the highest joys. And in the neediness of every neighbor more, we encounter and embrace Christ Jesus (Matthew 25:40). Rev. Michael W. Salemink, executive director of Lutherans For Life A Life Quote from Lutherans For Life January 13 If God places such high value on life all life (John 3:16) how can we possibly be less concerned? We do love others because He first loved us (1 John 4:19). We speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves (Proverbs 31:8) because when we had no voice, no standing, no defense, Jesus stepped in on our behalf. There is no way we can be less loving. Christian Life Resources A Life Quote from Lutherans For Life

13 Cornerstone January 2019 Page 13 Weekly Scripture Readings THE EPIPHANY OF OUR LORD (6 January 2019) Isaiah 60:1 6 Ephesians 3:1 12 Matthew 2:1 12 The Lord God Is Manifested in the Incarnate Son The Feast of the Epiphany centers in the visit of the Magi from the East. In that respect, it is a Thirteenth Day of Christmas; yet, it also marks the beginning of a new liturgical season. While Christmas has focused on the incarnation of our Lord that is, on God becoming flesh the season of Epiphany emphasizes the manifestation or self-revelation of God in that same flesh of Christ. The Lord Himself has entered our darkness and rises upon us with the brightness of His true light (Is. 60:1 2). He does so chiefly by His Word of the Gospel, which He causes to be preached within His Church on earth not only to the Jews but also to Gentiles (Eph. 3:8 10). As the Magi were guided by the promises of Holy Scripture to find and worship the Christ Child with His mother in the house (Matt. 2:5 11), so does He call disciples from all nations by the preaching of His Word to find and worship Him within His Church (Is. 60:3 6). With gold, they confess His royalty; with incense, His deity; and with myrrh, His priestly sacrifice (Matt. 2:11). THE BAPTISM OF OUR LORD (First Sunday after the Epiphany) (13 January 2019) Isaiah 43:1 7 Romans 6:1 11 Luke 3:15 22 The Triune God Opens Heaven to You in Holy Baptism The Baptism of our Lord is an Epiphany of the one true God in the flesh and blood of Jesus Christ. In divine mercy, He takes His place with sinners and takes their sin upon Himself. When all the people were baptized, Jesus submitted Himself to a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins (Luke 3:21). He had no sins of His own, but He took the sins of the world upon Himself and so was baptized into His own death. Therefore, when you pass through the waters, He is with you (Is. 43:2). He created you for His glory, and He has redeemed you with His blood, that you may be His own and live with Him in His Kingdom (Is. 43:1, 7). As you are baptized with a baptism like His, so also are you united with Him in His death and resurrection that you might walk in newness of life (Rom. 6:4). For all who are baptized into Christ Jesus receive His anointing of the Holy Spirit and are named by His Father as beloved and well-pleasing sons and daughters.

14 Page 14 Cornerstone January 2019 SECOND SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY (20 January 2019) Isaiah 62:1 5 1 Corinthians 12:1 11 John 2:1 11 The Divine Glory Is Manifested in the Signs of Christ When Jesus turned water into wine at the wedding in Cana, it was the first of his signs, by which He manifested his glory (John 2:11). It pointed to His coming hour, when He was lifted up on the cross for the forgiveness of sins and the life of the world (John 2:4; 12:23 32). The glory of the cross is incomprehensible apart from the Word and Spirit of God, but disciples of Jesus recognize that glory in the signs of His Gospel, and so they believe in Him. Jesus does not wait for His disciples to discover Him on their own, but He seeks out the forsaken and the desolate and unites them to Himself. He adorns them with His own beautiful righteousness and delights in them as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride (Is. 62:4 5). Purified by the washing of water with His Word in Holy Baptism, His disciples confess that Jesus is Lord, and they return thanks to Him in the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 12:3) as they drink the good wine that He pours out for them, which is the new testament in His blood. liberty to the captives and to proclaim the year of the Lord s favor (Luke 4:18 19). By this proclamation, Christ releases His people from captivity and gathers them to Himself in His Church. So it was when the Lord released His people from Babylon and returned them to Jerusalem. Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people, sanctified the whole congregation by the reading and preaching of the Law (Neh. 8:8 9). As the people then were urged to eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready (Neh. 8:10), so are you anointed by the Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ to share in His feast and to serve the fellow members of His Body with His good gifts, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it (1 Cor. 12:12, 24). THIRD SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY (27 January 2019) Nehemiah 8:1 3, 5 6, Corinthians 12:12 31a Luke 4:16 30 The Lord Is Manifested as Our Savior through the Preaching of the Gospel When Jesus opens His mouth to preach, gracious words flow from His lips. The Scriptures are, indeed, fulfilled in your hearing (Luke 4:21 22). For Christ was anointed by the Spirit of the Lord to proclaim good news to the poor, to proclaim

15 Cornerstone January 2019 Page 15 The Last Word Baptism is our New Year Blessing gracious point in time when God claimed us as his own. We have a beginning through baptism and we have a future according to the Grace of God in Jesus. In the middle, which is in the mean time, we have God s gifts in the Divine service which empowers the life of faith in God and Love towards one another. In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. We begin each service with these words. They are not actually a full sentence, and that is the way it should be. These words are like beginning in the middle of a conversation. Something came before, and something will come after. That something is our life of faith in Jesus. Before our Baptism, nothing existed. We were lost from God, and destined for nothing more than the futility of death. But, God had something more wonderful and better in mind. From the beginning of our troubles due to our Sin, God planned to help us through Jesus. This help becomes ours personally as a gift of God through Holy Baptism. Sometimes this year as referred to as 2019 CE. CE may stand for Common Era. But, I prefer to think of this year as 2019 AD, which stands for the term, Anno Domini which is Latin for year of our Lord. I like to count the years according to Jesus! There is nothing common about what has happened to us in Jesus. We who were dead in Sin were made alive. We who had no future, now have a future in the eternal life of our Lord Jesus. This year, 2019, is the year of our Lord. In Him we will rejoice for all years to come. Pastor Dan Johnson In holy baptism the name of God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is bound to us. The perfect life of Jesus, His faithful death for all our Sin and His resurrection from the dead becomes our inheritance. From this moment of Grace everything has changed for us. In fact, our whole life now flows from the waters of life that God gave us in our baptism. It is good to remember our beginning, and it is a joy to consider our future as flowing out from this

16 Celebrating the Goodness of God Father + Son + Holy Spirit Home, Church, and Community Sunday Divine Services 8:00 and 10:30 A.M. 6:00 P.M. \ Sunday Morning Bible Study & Sunday School - 9:15 AM For other events please check the church calendar or call the church office (517)