Herald. Wheat Ridge Evangelical Lutheran Church HALLMARK THEOLOGY

Transcription

1 Herald Wheat Ridge Evangelical Lutheran Church Missouri Synod 8600 West 38 th Avenue Wheat Ridge CO Rev. Kent A. Peck, Pastor HALLMARK THEOLOGY FEBRUARY 2016 Page 1,2 Pastor s Page Page 3 LWML Page 4 Endowment Fund Page 5 LENT Page 6 Stephen Ministry, Flowers February is the month that confronts people with relationships, whether they want to or not. Valentine s Day being the primary holiday this month, at least according to Aisle 5 at Walmart, forces everyone to examine their relationships. They think, Why am I not in one? Is something wrong with me? or Why am I in this relationship? What is wrong with me? or even I hope I don t mess up this relationship before they find out what s wrong with me. In Bible Class a couple of weeks ago I made the comment that Christianity is not about having a relationship/working on a relationship with Christ. I wanted to further explain what I meant so we can all get over such burdensome nonsense and be armed to argue against the insidious, insipid, and faith-killing statement that, Christianity is all about having a personal relationship with God/Christ. First of all, whether you know it or not or confess it or not, you are already in a relationship with God. He is your creator. There is no such thing as an autonomous man, free from relationships. If you doubt me, lift up your shirt (at home please) and note your belly button. You came from somewhere and you are related to your parents whether you know who they are or not. Same with our Lord. The relationship that we have with Him is created BY HIM. Every aspect of our relationship with God, both temporal and eternal, is His doing. He created you without consulting you, and Jesus reconciled you to the Father (putting you in a perfect relationship with the Father) whether you know it or not. You do NOT establish a personal relationship with God, He does. You do NOT have to work at it. He has already done all the work, which leads me to the second point. Having to focus on having a relationship with Jesus is to negate the Gospel. Instead, to do so, leads you to despair by the Law. Let me explain. We take secular notions about working on relationships, be they familial, romantic, or collegial, and we apply it to working on our relationship with Christ. This means, that like our earthly relationships, we think that our relationship with God is always in flux or is questionable. Am I doing enough? Why doesn t He do more for me? Why don t I do more for Him? What s wrong with me? These are all questions according to the Law. You assume that you have to do something in order to prove your love or at least be somewhat loveable. In other words, you have to initiate and maintain the relationship or you get dumped by God. Well, according to Scripture you can do nothing. You are dead in your sin, and as far as I know, dead people don t begin relationships; I don t care what the Walking Dead says. To think that you begin this relationship with God is to elevate yourself and diminish Christ s work on your behalf. This relationship is not established or maintained by meeting God halfway or by compromises. It is entirely established and maintained by Him. And there is nothing in all of creation that can separate you from

2 HERALD page 2 the love of God in Christ Jesus. He promises to be with you unto the ages of ages. He will NEVER leave you nor forsake you. In other words, the relationship is one-sided and sure, that is Gospel. To work on your relationship with God is to work on something that cannot be improved upon. To think or act in such a manner is either the height of arrogance or the epitome of stupidity because in either case you will burden yourself with the Law unnecessarily. So then, if we believe and confess such, what does this mean? It means that we can stop the navel gazing to see if we are God pleasing. You are baptized. In you the Father is well-pleased because of the Son. It also means that we can then turn our relational attentions to serving our neighbor. Yet even these relationships are established by God but at the same time, it is something we can cooperate with God in. We can provide for the needs of our neighbors by living in our various vocational callings. God even gives us the means to do so, by establishing such vocations in families, governments, and the Church. If you need instruction on such duties and offices, I would point you to the Table of Duties in the Small Catechism. But know that even in these horizontal relationships, Christ is there, hidden behind our neighbor, making our works for them good, right, and salutary. Christianity is not about having a personal relationship with God. That is already taken care of and is secure. You can do nothing to improve it, just enjoy the reality of it and confess it. Instead, love one another and your enemies so that you may reveal to the world His loving relationship with the world, and so that they may also participate in reality. In Christ, Pastor Peck. Look to the cross

3 Herald page 3.. Lutheran Women In Mission MITE SUNDAY FEBRUARY 14 JOIN US FOLLOWING THE SERVICE FOR REFRESHMENTS, AND DROP YOUR MITES INTO THE BIG BOX! *GOD* Our Fortress and Refuge I will say to the Lord, my refuge and my Fortress, my God, in Whom I trust. Psalm 91:2 Come to the Rocky Mountain District LWML Convention June 10 12, 2016 at the Antlers Hotel in Colorado Springs! It s not that far away! Preparations are already in the works. Enrichment Session Leaders are lined up. Activities are being organized. RMD President Rev. Allen Anderson will be the Bible Study leader. National LWML President Patti Ross is our special guest! INGATHERINGS Ingatherings?? As in plural? More than one?? Yes, we are ingathering two projects this year. Because Colorado Springs is in the midst of such a strong military influence, LWML is ingathering two big projects. a) QUILTS: We are collecting lap robes (36 x 40 ) for wheelchairs, and quilts to go on a bed or one a patient can take home. Following the convention these will be delivered to various VA facilities throughout the Rocky Mountain District Colorado Springs, Denver, Grand Junction, El Paso, Albuquerque, and other smaller facilities. Please check with the ladies of LWML on where to gather those. They can be made of cotton, fleece, soft denim, or knit. Any color is fine but of course, anything with red, white, and blue is especially welcome! These can be knitted, crocheted, hand made, store bought, etc. b) GOODIE BOXES: Gifts from home are always received with special excitement, knowing that someone from the USA is thinking of them. We are collecting food items (no chocolate it will melt!) such as powdered single serve drink mixes, fruit roll ups, hard candy, single serving bags of chips, crackers, Tootsie pops and Tootsie rolls, sunflower seeds and nuts, microwave popcorn; Fun things for them to give away or to break up the monotony and cheer them up funny kids toys, card games, soft cover books/magazines, squirt guns/water balloons, puzzle books, comic books, Sunday news funnies, gag gifts, playing cards; Personal (travel size) items (no metal caps) such as deodorant, sunscreen, foot powder, lotions, international phone cards. Again, check with LWML on when and where to collect these items to be taken to the Convention. Keep this list handy anytime you drop in to Big Lots, the Dollar stores, etc. These items need to fit into USPS Flat Rate boxes which will be at the convention site. LWML ladies will also be signing, decorating, and praying over cards to go into each box throughout the Convention. Funds from the Cookie Walk will go toward paying for fees (around $300) for one delegate to attend the Convention. If you would like to add to those funds to assist with those expenses, that would greatly help! Thank you!

4 Herald page 4 Wheat Ridge Lutheran Church Annual Report - Endowment Fund For Year Ending September 30, 2015 Total Assets (Market Value) 1,224, Income Earned 65, Less ~ 20% reinvested 13, Less 10% to Wheat Ridge Lutheran Church 6, Available for Mission Distribution (70%) 46, , Wheat Ridge Lutheran Church Tuition Assistance for children attending Lutheran Schools 20, Lutheran Witness 1, Vicar Fund 10, Siberian Newsletter reimbursement to church Higher Things (youth gathering in Fort Collins) 1, Reimburse the church for Cassandra Schneider LCMS conference Siberian Lutheran Board Meeting, travel for Rev. Peck , Rocky Mountain District Biblical Orthodox Lutheran Mission (Rev. George Naeem) 1, Resurrection in the City Lutheran Church , Lutheran Church Missouri Synod John Wolf--LCMS Mission Nairobi Kenya 1, Lutheran Hour Ministries LCMS World Relief 2, , Other Bethesda Lutheran Communities 1, Family Tree Siberian Lutheran Mission 1, Ysleta Lutheran Mission Lutherans for Life 1, Lutheran Family Services-Rocky Mountains , TOTAL DISBURSEMENTS 46,195.56

5 Herald page 5 lent THE SEASON OF LENT Lent has been described as the spiritual tithing of the year and is considered a season of self denial in preparation for Easter. It is believed to have started to commemorate Christ s fasting in the wilderness, as well as that of Elijah and Moses. Lent is 40 days, not including Sundays, beginning 46 days before Easter on Ash Wednesday and ending the Saturday before Easter Sunday. The annual feast of Lent was recognized by the Nicean Council in 325 A.D. Worship With Holy Communion Wednesday, February 10 6:30 pm Today the season of Lent stresses penitence. In Lent, as each of us lives between the tension of birth and dying, we are led into new possibilities for our lives. It was Martin Luther who suggested that repentance was a continual crawling back to the font, the baptismal womb of our faith. Our Lenten journey can be an occasion for renewal focused on our baptismal remembrance and centered on Christ s death and resurrection. LENTEN WORSHIP Wednesdays of Lent 6:30 pm Soup Suppers at 5:30 pm Begin February 17 Please sign up in the Narthex to join us at the soup suppers. Also, if you can bring a dessert, or would like to host (set-up, clean-up, etc.) please indicate that on the sign-up sheet.

6 Herald page 6 Stephen Ministers: The After People People often ask, What exactly is a Stephen Minister? One way to put it is that Stephen Ministers are the After People. Stephen Ministers are there:... after the phone call you hoped you d never get.... after the divorce papers are served and the bottom falls out of your life.... after the funeral, when everyone has left and the emotions you ve held at bay come crashing in on you.... after the doctor says, I m sorry, but there s nothing more we can do.... after the nursing home director shakes your hand and says, Welcome to your new home.... after the last child honks the horn, waves, and drives away and the house suddenly seems empty.... after the gavel goes down, the handcuffs go on, and your loved one is led away.... after the baby arrives, demanding more of you than you ever dreamed possible.... after you find a pink slip with your final paycheck.... after your family and friends have heard your story one too many times, but you still need to talk it out. Stephen Ministers are the After People. They are ready to come alongside you and provide comfort and support for as long after as needed. To find out more about Stephen Ministry or to receive a Stephen Minister s care, talk with one of our Stephen Leaders: Judy Kugler, Eady Broscheit, or Joe Broscheit. FLOWERS for WORSHIP Sharing special occasions is something we do as families. As part of our church family we would like to share in some of your remembrances or celebrations. The flowers on the altar for Sunday worship are a nice way to do that. There are still open dates on the chart in the narthex. Pick a date, sign your name and you will be contacted for the information to be placed in the bulletin the Sunday you provide flowers for the altar. Our florist, Lady Sue, delivers the flowers at no cost to you.

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