The Messenger. Christ s Last Words. 75th Anniversary Celebration

Transcription

1 Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church The Messenger This is the message... God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 1 Jn 1:5 Volume 6, Issue 5 May 2013 From the Desk of Pastor Mackey Normally, we as human beings give extra import to the last words a person says before he or she dies. Especially if that person is important. It is a very powerful image. Julius Caesar crying out, Et tu, Brute! Even you, Brutus? Or in Shakespeare when Juliet says, O happy dagger! This is thy sheath; there rust, and let me die. These words carry power. Likewise, the last words of a great teacher are also considered very important, the summation of his thought. Contrary to popular belief, Socrates s last words were not, I drank what? but a review of the things he taught, and then one final admonition to give proper sacrifice to the gods. In Luke 24 and Acts 1, we hear Christ s last words to His apostles before His Ascension to heaven, and I would suggest that it would behoove us to take a look at these words and their application to our lives. Then He said to them, These are My words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything wri en about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled (Lk 24:44). 75th Anniversary Celebration With sincere gratitude and appreciation Christ s Last Words Fulfilling the Law must be done. You can t get around it. The Law of Moses has to be fulfilled, completely. Now, this is a tall order, and too often we look at the Law as some sort of Divine Checklist to see how we re doing with God. Let s see, have no other gods check. Don t misuse the name of the Lord eh, I haven t sworn in a while, check. Remember the Sabbath day aha, I go to church and I m even reading the newsle er, got that one covered and so on and so forth. In this light, most of us here at Grace look pre y good. I doubt very many of you have killed recently or are having affairs or have perjured yourselves. So, we can look at ourselves and the Law and give ourselves a great big pat on the back, right? Except for one thing: God s standards are different than our standards, and by God s standards, we fall short (Rm 3:23). Just when you think you ve been good enough, Jesus raises the bar (cf. Mt 5:21-26). Okay, so you haven t killed anyone, but have you hated? Have you spoken out in anger? And not just in the past day, or the past week, but in your entire life? I don t need to ask, I know that the an- Continued on pg. 2 I would like to thank the members of Grace for their support and enthusiasm for the 75 th Anniversary Celebration. Whether you brought a side dish to the banquet, rang a bell or sang a song, were part of a project or program, or cleaned up after the banquet, your efforts were very much appreciated. There were nearly 140 people that had a hand in the 75 th Anniversary Celebration in some way and it took every single person to make this event happen. The love you have for your Lord and for your church was truly evident by the commitment and love seen in your actions. It truly was a wonderful day in the history of Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church. God bless you all and thank you. Kathi Gilland

2 swer is yes. Same thing with all the commandments. Your superficial acts, which might seem nice, do not cover the corruption of your thoughts, your words, and yes, even your deeds. But Jesus didn t merely fulfill the Law of Moses, He also fulfilled that which is wri en in the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Him. And just what is this that Jesus has done? Well, like a good teacher, He tells the disciples and us: Thus it is wri en, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in His name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem (Lk 24:46-47). Not only does God come down and fulfill the Law the Law that condemns you as a sinner and not only does He fulfill the Law in your place, but He also takes your punishment upon Himself. When Jesus came and fulfilled the Law, He did not do so to show everyone how it was to be done. God does not incarnate Himself to play the game of Simon Says. No, Christ comes down from heaven and fulfills the Law for one simple reason: to die, to die in your place, to be the innocent One slain in the stead of the guilty, to be your reprieve. We hear that Christ takes the sin of the world upon Himself, but what does that mean? It means that on a day near 2000 years ago, God Himself hung on a cross and died, and when Jesus died, taking sin to Himself and taking its punishment as well, He did so for you. For God so loved you, dear friends, that He sent His only Son (Jn 3:16). That is the work of Jesus salvation. That is what He leaves with you in these, His last words before His ascension. So, how does one get salvation? I know I would like my sins covered, and eternal life sounds swell. Now that I ve heard this wonderful message of salvation, I ask What do I do? So, where do I find this? In Acts, we see that we are not the only ones who aren t quite sure where to go or what to do. And while they were gazing into heaven as He went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? (Ac 1:10-11a). God sends down a pair of angels to get the disciples moving, to get their minds back on the task at hand, and to go and wait in Jerusalem like Jesus said to do. But the disciples, when they stand looking at the wrong place, are at least looking towards where they saw Jesus. I fear that we don t necessarily do that. The first thing we do is we look to what we do. We hear the Gospel and say, Wow, God must have surely meant this for me, cause I m a good person. Look at all the good stuff I do. I give to the church; I volunteer; I give to the poor; I really love my spouse and kids; and I help old ladies cross the street. On and on the litany of our deeds goes, ever on and on, and we point to that and say, See all the things I do, that s what makes me a Christian, so God is going to like me. Well, not exactly. Helping li le old ladies cross the street makes one a Boy Scout, not a Christian. And we look to the wrong place again. We look at our deeds and smile, and say, I m pre y good. And we are right back where we started, under the Law, the Law that we can t fulfill to God s standards. God s Word is simple. While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. That s the point, that s the simple truth, and what is the point of wondering how you Continued on pg. 3 Festival of the Ascension of Our Lord We proclaim and confess this wonderful truth every Lord s Day. Come celebrate the Ascension of Our Lord in a Divine Service with Holy Communion. Our Lord s resurrection on Easter shows that He is Lord of life and death. Christ s Ascension shows that He is LORD OF ALL! Join us for this important festival in the life of the Christian Church on Thursday, May 9 at 7:00 p.m. Page 2 Volume 6, Issue 5

3 feel other than to take your eyes off of Christ? If you feel happy, Christ still has died for you. If you feel sad, Christ still has died for you. If you don t feel anything, Christ still has died for you. No ma er how much you do or don t do, not ma er how much you feel or don t feel, no ma er how wicked you seem or how good you pretend to be, Jesus is still Jesus for you. He is still your salvation. So what then do we do? The disciples, they know. In Luke s Gospel it says, And they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple blessing God (Lk 24:52-53). When the angels say, Why are you staring at the sky to find Jesus, the disciples know what the angels mean. What are you doing here? Shouldn t you be somewhere else? And they go to the temple. Why? Because that is where Jesus is for them. He is there in His Word, and in worshiping they are with Jesus. And they are continually worshiping the Lord there. And that is what you are to do, dear friends. You are to assemble with the saints in worship. How is the Christian to live? Perhaps we should ask Where does the Christian live? instead. The Christian lives in God s House worshiping Him. Why? Not because God needs our worship and not because God needs our praise, but because it is in His house where Jesus is. When Jesus ascended into Heaven, He did not withdraw His presence from the Church. Jesus is not off in some li le dark corner of the universe cleaning houses in heaven. Jesus comes to you, dear friends, in Church, in the Divine Service, and He and brings with Himself the gift of salvation. He comes in His Word that you hear preached, that you hear read, yes, He comes in His Word that you say back to Him in His liturgy. In the Church you are baptized and taken into His family and made God s child. In the Church you hear His minister say, I forgive you all of your sins. In the Church Jesus comes to you with His body and blood. In the Church you receive the newness of life which goes out with you into the rest of the world. In Jesus name, Pastor Mackey Voters Assembly All members are asked to be in a endance on Tuesday, May 14 at 7:00 p.m. If you are not yet a voting member, we urge you to read the congregation s Constitution and By-laws (they are available both from the Church office and online) and then come to the voters meeting. New voting members will be admi ed at this meeting. For your convenience, the minutes from meetings, Council and Voters, are sent out in a personal and are in a folder on the literature rack. The Messenger Deaconess Symposium Deaconess Mitchell will be speaking at the upcoming Deaconess Symposium at Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne on May 15-16, to mark the 10 th anniversary of the CTSFW deaconess program. It is open to all who are interested in finding out more about the diakonal identity and work. The Symposium will take place from 1:00 4:15 p.m. on May 15 and from 8:20 9:45 a.m. on May 16. The Symposium will conclude with the Deaconess Placement Service and a reception following the service. There will also be a symposium banquet on Wednesday evening, May 15. There is no charge to a end the Symposium, but we ask all a endees to please register via the seminary website at DeaconessSymposium2013. Page 3

4 From Deaconess Desk Graduating Seniors & Study Abroad Students Ivana Armstrong, Leaving to study abroad Iʹll be studying Film and Art History at Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz, Germany during Summer and Winter terms. Adam Bailey, B.A. Telecommunications, Video Production After graduation I am moving to Austin, TX to pursue my dream of being a filmmaker. Thank you to Pastor Mackey, Deaconess Mitchell, Carol Koss and everyone involved in bells. I love you all and I ll miss you! Bryan Beerman, B.S. in Architecture After graduation, I look forward to interning in Charleston, SC at the architecture firm of LS3P Associates for 8 months, then returning to Ball State for graduate school to complete a Masters of Architecture. The congregation at Grace has been my family while at Ball State, and I truly appreciate all your kindness and Christian love. You made it easy to instantly feel like part of the church and to continue to grow in the faith. Godʹs Blessings. Devon Hill, B.S. in Accounting I plan on moving to the Fishers/Indianapolis area once I get married to my fiancé Hannah Hollowell. I would like to thank the congregation for the support they have shown me during my time at Grace. Hannah and I will continue to a end Grace after we are married. Hannah Hollowell, B.S. in Biochemistry and Pre- Dentistry, and a minor in Biology After graduation, I am ge ing married in June, and I will start dental school at IUSD in July. Thank you to everyone at Grace for all of your support! Brandon Loshe, B.A. in Telecommunications I plan to pursue a Masterʹs Degree in Telecommunications with an emphasis on Digital Storytelling at Ball State. Thank you for welcoming me in to your family! The members of Grace Lutheran Church have offered me a place to worship while away from home. The members have always offered tremendous support and guidance. I thank Grace for encouraging and helping me grow in my faith throughout my college years. Hilary Madinger, M.S. in Biology Following graduation, I will be going to the University of Wyoming in Laramie, WY to pursue a doctorate degree in Ecology. I will be researching water chemistry in mountain streams. Erin Matheny, B.A. in Elementary Education, Ball State After graduation, I plan on continuing my studies at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri. I will be pursuing a Master of Arts in Deaconess Studies. I would like to say a big THANK YOU to the Congregation of Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church for providing a place for me of both learning and nourishment of the faith. You have all been brothers and sisters in Christ to me, even though I may not have known everyone- for we are one body! Please continue to pray for me as I leave Muncie and head off to another place where God has much in store for my life! Sara Nahrwold, B.A. in Journalism, Telecommunications and History After graduation, I will be spending the summer in Washington state for an internship and after that I plan to either a end graduate school or enter the workforce. I would like to thank Grace Lutheran Church for all the support I have received through my four years at Ball State. You have been a wonderful congregation and have aided in strengthening my faith in my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. God bless all of you and I will be back to visit! Gary Parks Sr., B.A. in Natural Resources and Environmental Management I plan on pursuing a new career in the field. I have had offers in Mississippi, Utah, and Florida but do not want to leave Muncie for a couple more years until Adam and Gary Jr. graduate from Ball State, Continued on pg. 5 Page 4 Volume 6, Issue 5

5 and I donʹt want to be separated from my supportive wife or pull her from a job she has enjoyed for over 12 years. Iʹm currently working on restoring a brownfield on south side of Muncie into a park. This could be an ongoing project for a couple years. Madison Perkins, Leaving for Student Teaching I will be student teaching this fall in Indianapolis in a fifth or sixth grade classroom at Rhoades Elementary before I graduate in December of After graduating, I will be looking for a teaching job around Indianapolis just before I get married in the summer of 2014! Grace has truly been my home away from home! I was so blessed to find a welcoming congregation that is so willing to help and take me and other students under their wings. Thank you, Pastor, Deaconess, and the members of Grace, who have positively impacted my time at BSU and given me so many wonderful opportunities! You are a blessing! Adam Schaffer, B.S. in Accounting and Finance Iʹll be taking the CPA exam this summer before starting full time at Deloi e in Indianapolis in October. Iʹd like to thank Grace for being such an open and accessible congregation throughout my years at Ball State. My time here was definitely be er with an active church guiding me. It has been great ge ing to know all the members at Grace! If you ever need to reach me after graduation, use this address (awschaffer18@gmail.com). Katie Schwipps, B.S. in Political Science I will be moving to Taylorsville, IN where I hope to find a job over the summer and eventually start a family. I am looking forward to being back at my home congregation, but it is going to be sad to leave. Grace has been a home-away from-home while I have been at BSU and it has been a tremendous blessing to a end. Alex Wi, Graduating from Indiana Academy Iʹll be a ending Columbia College in Chicago, IL to study Film and Video. Mite Sunday Please remember to drop your loose change in the big Mite box today. Our LWML has designated the first Sunday of each month as Mite Sunday. Simply deposit your loose change in the Mite box this week as you come or go from church. The Mighty Mites make a huge impact for the LWML and the recipients of their support. Grace Food Pantry Below is a list of what is needed to fulfill the void on the shelves. Food donations may be placed at the door of the pantry in the fellowship hall, or at any of the entry doors of the church. Pantry needs: Cereal, Spaghe i, Spaghe i Sauce, Canned Fruit and Veggies, Hamburger Helper, Pancake Mix / Syrup, Pork n Beans, Tuna/Chicken, Paper Towels, Bar Soap & Laundry Soap. Free for Lunch Bunch Join your friends at Grace for lunch in the fellowship hall on Thursday, May 30 at 12:30 p.m. Please RSVP to Diana James (765) or simply drop a reservation slip into the black lunch box on the back table. Ladies Aid Rummage Sale May 21 & 22 No Rummage before May 5 Rummage is to be placed in the Sunday school room marked Rummage on the outside. Please have all rummage at church before 1 p.m. Sun., May 19. Sorting Days: Sunday After Sunday School & Mon. May 20-9:30a.m. Sale Days: Tues. May 21 8:30a.m. - 2:00p.m. & Wed. May 22-8:30a.m. - 11:00a.m. We need volunteers to help set up for the sale on Sunday to move the rummage from the holding area to the fellowship hall and to help sort the items for pricing. Please let Diana James (765) know if you will help. Page 5 Volume 6, Issue 5

6 Cruz Currents The Eschaton Lurking in the Church Basement By German Cruz The eschaton is just another way of saying the end days or the days of final judgment. For all people current and past, it is a day of reckoning as to where do they stand in relation to Jesus Christ. It has a mysterious and slippery connotation when used by some theologians who prefer to dance sideways (theological crab dancing) on the issue of eternal destiny and its fulfillment in Jesus Christ I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me Jn 14:6. No other verse in the Bible causes men to parse and argue more about meaning and scope and make excuses that range from silly to insipid. The verse establishes an unbreakable unity between Father and Son from which we try to wiggle out by many and various means. It is a theological twist (see Chubby Checker) that prevents us from stopping to ponder but gives us the illusion of being engaged in the search for truth (along with 5,000 plus friends in Facebook). A truth we truly do not want to acknowledge and which we believe can be changed to fit our disposition like a new shirt or a pair of designer jeans. My long distance friend Dave S. (BSU 06) is not a theologian but rather a curious mind that ambles away from the usual Facebook gossip climate to find some substance in cyberspace. Theologians are usually not very good at theology. He has shared recently that his search on theological issues has led him to Prager University and their five-minute courses designed to educate people in a quick, entertaining way about history, philosophy, religion, and politics. The entertaining way has to do with a human desire to think lightly about serious issues. From his collection of six Prager University s videos on God and religion, featuring Boston College philosophy professor Peter Kreeft answering the question God or Atheism Which is More Rational? he has redacted Six Reasons Why Rational Thinkers Choose to Believe in God. Dave is emphatic about the need to abandon rationalism to embrace real and actual truth. In this effort, Dave abandons the current way of thinking and makes a plea for understanding based solely on faith: I hope if you want to understand be er how it is that I ve come to reject your ideology and returned to faith in the God of the Bible you would consider these videos along with these six points I ve wri en in relation to them. A plea not unlike the early church apologists (Tertullian. Augustine, et al) and even the modern ones like Francis Schaefer (Luther was a reformer rather than an apologist): 1. Belief in God Is Logical. God s Fingerprints Cover the Universe. It Is Irrational to Believe that the Universe Was Created out of Nothingness. 2. If God Does Not Exist Then There Is No Objective Definition of Good and Evil. Everyone s Subjective Feelings of Good and Evil All Have the Same Level of Authority 3. If God Does Not Exist Then Man Is Just A Part of Nature, of Equal Value to Anything Else. If God Does Not Exist Then Human Life Is Not Sacred. 4. There Is Nothing That God Could Do to Prove His Existence Conclusively. It Is Simply a Ma er of Weighing the Evidence For or Against and Then Making a Leap of Faith. Rational People Make the Choice which Is More Likely To Lead to a Happier, More Productive, More Meaningful Existence. Do You Worship an Infinite, Transcendent God or Do You Worship Nothingness? What Do You Worship? 5. If God Does Not Exist Then Life Is Meaningless. What Difference Does It Make If You Live Like a Saint or a Criminal if In the End Your Consciousness Disappears Permanently and Eventually Everything You Ever Did Is Forgo en? 6. If God Does Not Exist Then Freedom Is an Illusion. We re Just the Pawns of Mother Nature, Programmed Like Robots. It Is More Rational to Choose to Believe That God Has Created Man to Live Free Than Mother Nature Gave Birth to Us So We Could Live As Her Slaves. There is not much I can add to Dave s propositions except that in our current state of confusion it is good to have a flashlight to light the way through the darkness. Jesus sends us the Holy Spirit fully imbued with the light of truth but we seem to have abandoned His presence and power in order to seek human-based options that might fit us be er. In this we Continued on pg. 7

7 deny the evidence of personal transformation by grace that makes us as believers the visible a ributes of God. We are the evidence that is being negated under blankets of theological rhetoric. We are the substance of transforming grace hidden in the fog. Perhaps the time has come to unwrap ourselves into the world beyond the pews and the fellowship hall. The world could use our exposure as much as we can benefit greatly by exposing ourselves not in Facebook but in the Spirit - powered reality of Acts 1:8. Altar Guild Workshop The Altar Guild is hosting a Liturgical Workshop on May 2 at 7:00 p.m. on the Liturgy Renewal Movement. All ladies of the Altar Guild are encouraged to a end and all members of Grace are invited to a end. Refreshments will be served and a short business meeting will follow. For more information contact Barbara McConnell at (765) LYF Laser Tag Outing The Grace youth are planning to go to Xsite Laser Tag in Indianapolis on May 4th. All youth, members and students are welcome to join the fun. Departure time is 7 am. Laser tag will last until 11:30am. We will be eating lunch after. The cost is $13 per person plus the cost of lunch. RSVP to Joe Hughes Free for Lunch Bunch Join your friends at Grace for lunch in the fellowship hall on Thursday, May 30 at 12:30 p.m. Please RSVP to Diana James (765) or simply drop a reservation slip into the black lunch box on the back table. Chat n Chew Join us for a lunch-time gathering at Concannon s on Morrison Rd. at 11:30 a.m. on May 13. Members and guests are invited to meet and enjoy one another s company and to catch up on news. (Lunch expense is on your own.) Please RSVP to Virginia Lucas by Sunday May

8 May 2013 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 St. Philip & St. James, Apostles 7:00 p.m. LSF Pizza Party 2 4:30 p.m. Greek 6 7 p.m. Private Confession & Absolution 7 8:30 p.m. Bible Centerville 7:00 p.m. Board of Trustees 7:00 p.m. Altar Guild Workshop 3 4 7:00 a.m. LYF Laser Tag 5 The Sixth Sunday of Easter 8:00 a.m. Divine Service w/holy Communion 9:20 a.m. Christian Education Hour 10:30 a.m. Divine Service 6 9:30 a.m. TLC Bible Study 6:00 p.m. Hand bell Choir 7:15 p.m. Vocal Choir 7 2:00 p.m. Adult Inst. 7:00 p.m. Planning Council 8 9 The Ascension of Our Lord 4:30 p.m. Greek 7 p.m. Ascension Divine Service w/ Holy Communion The Sixth Sunday of Easter Mother s Day 8:00 a.m. Divine Service 9:20 a.m. Christian Education Hour 10:30 a.m. Divine Service w/holy Communion 13 11:30 a.m. Chat n Chew@ Concannonʹs on Morrison 6:00 p.m. Hand bell Choir 7:15 p.m. Vocal Choir Conf./ Conf. 14 2:00 p.m. NO Adult Inst. 7:00 p.m. Voters Assembly 15 Secretary on Vacation 16 4:30 p.m. Greek 6 7 p.m. Private Confession & Absolution 7 8:30 p.m. Bible Centerville May :30 p.m. Card Night The Day of Pentecost 8:00 a.m. Divine Service w/holy Communion 9:20 a.m. Christian Education Hour 10:30 a.m. Divine Service After 2nd Service Rummage Sorting 20 9:30 a.m. Rummage Sorting 6:00 p.m. Hand bell Choir 7:15 p.m. Vocal Choir 21 8:30 a.m. 2: 00 p.m. Ladies Aid Rummage Sale 2:00 p.m. Adult Inst. Deaconess on Vacation 22 8:30 11:00 a.m. Ladies Aid Rummage Sale May :00 p.m. Deaf Ministry Bible Study 7 8:30 p.m. Bible Centerville Wi Graduation Party 26 The Holy Trinity 27 Memorial Day The Visitation 8:00 a.m. Divine Service 9:20 a.m. Christian Education Hour 10:30 a.m. Divine Service w/holy Communion Office Closed 2:00 p.m. Adult Inst. 7:00 p.m. Board of Elders Board of Stewardship Board of Education 12:30 p.m. Free for Lunch 4:30 p.m. Greek 6 7 p.m. Private Confession & Absolution 7 8:30 p.m. Bible Study

9 WORSHIP ASSISTANTS FOR MAY Acolytes 5 th 9 th 12 th 19 th 26 th Nicholas Price Sarah Crone (Ascension 7:00 p.m.) Josh Monroe Nicholas Price Evan Smith Greeters - 10:30a.m. 5 th 12 th 19 th 26 th Linda Cook Travis & Linda Overfield Chris & Michelle Cahoe Ushers 8:00 a.m. 10:30a.m. 7:00 p.m. Bill James Marvin Addison & Henry Miller (Ascension) John Harman & Jack Elsesser Altar Guild Chair: Jessica Parks, Michelle Cahoe, Melissa Myers & Candy Brammer Assisting Elder 5 th 9 th 12 th 19 th 26 th E Dave Heinkel Ascension 7:00 p.m. Randy Willmann L Randy Willmann E Dave Heinkel L John Harman Camera Operator 5 th 12 th 19 th 26 th Eric Dewell Eric McCoy Shea & Devon Hill Glenn Branscome Birthdays 5/1 5/4 5/6 5/7 5/14 5/15 5/20 5/21 5/23 5/25 5/29 5/30 Barbara McConnell Patricia Hokenson Jenny Devoe Don Ahlersmeyer Jessica Parks Gloria LaGrange Rita Sowatsky Jennifer Monroe Nolan Barnet Dwight Ramsey Michelle Cahoe Audra Fant Joshua Monroe Emily Riggs Casey Barnet Anniversaries 5/2 5/7 5/15 5/18 Bill & Holly Bryant Katherine & Ben Studebaker Tyler & Jeanna Wa s Brad & Candy Brammer

10 Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church 610 N. Reserve St. Muncie, IN Church Office: (765) Deaconess Office: (765) Fax: (765) Church Website: By Grace through Faith You Are Saved VBS Volunteers are needed for July Teachers, assistants, craft workers, recreation leaders and kitchen helpers are needed. We will also need set help as well. Please prayerfully consider helping! It takes a team of willing people to spread God s Word and it s a lot of fun! A sign-up sheet is on the back table in the Sanctuary, or Kathryn Ludwig at ludwig.kathryn@gmail.com and let her know you will help. Worship for Shut-ins May Sermon Summaries May 5, 2013 John 5:1-9 Perfect Healing by Rev. Paul E. Shoemaker, Emanuel Lutheran Church~New Haven, IN The invalid at Bethesda was healed by Jesus after 38 years of waiting. While this physical healing is a great blessing, the greatest healing is spiritual healing. God grants us this spiritual healing by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. May 12, 2013 Luke 24:50-53 & Ephesians 1:19b-23 Jesus Will NEVER Leave Us! by Rev. Dr. Thomas R. Ahlersmeyer, Holy Cross Lutheran Church~Fort Wayne, IN The Ascension of Jesus Christ is NOT His withdrawal from the lives of His disciples then or now, but rather His powerful elevation to the position of King of Kings and Lord of Lords where He continues to be with us, working in and through us May 19, 2013 John 14:23-26 Celebrate Pentecost by Rev. James L. Elsner, Prince of Peace Lutheran Church~Stroh, IN God poured out the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. Now, the Spirit abides with us and teaches us to keep the Word of God. May 26, 2013 John 8:51-59 No Death? by Rev. Dr. Walter A. Maier III, Concordia Theological Seminary~Fort Wayne, IN Because we are sinful, we by nature were spiritually dead - separated from God and under His condemnation. But the Triune God thought of a plan of rescue, which He fulfilled. Through faith in Christ we now ʺwill never see death,ʺ but have life - fellowship with God - forever.