Life After the Election

January 2017 Life After the Election [The following article was submitted to the Mid-South District publication The Encourager] The contentious presidential election may have had the unfortunate consequence of narrowing the scope of the pro-life movement too much. Fervent appeals were made to life-issue voters stating that everything rides on the candidates potential to make multiple Supreme Court appointments, the one for the current vacancy and perhaps up to three more in the future. Christians, especially, were told that if they didn t get this election right they would be responsible for setting the pro-life movement back and losing the court for possibly a quarter of a century (this after forty-four years in the wilderness, so to speak, since Roe v. Wade). While participating in the civil process is a Christian responsibility that should be exercised according to a conscience captive to the Word, and while Christians do pray for the appointment of Supreme Court justices who will uphold the sanctity of human life from conception to natural death, yet the curbing action of the law (which is important) is not the final word on God s gift of life. Furthermore, there is no guarantee that any political party and its candidates will actually deliver good government and fully uphold the natural law under God as commanded in Romans 13. Recall that the author of the majority opinion in Roe v. Wade, Justice Harry Blackmun, was appointed by Republican President Nixon. The rest of the seven with the majority were: Warren Burger (Nixon, R); William Douglas (FDR, D); William Brennan (Eisenhower, R); Potter Stewart (Eisenhower, R); Thurgood Marshall (LBJ, D); and Lewis Powell (Nixon, R). The two who formed the dissent were: Byron White (Kennedy, D); and William Rehnquist (Nixon, R; chief justice under Regan, R). Thus, as Christians, while we do pray for justice and for all leaders and judges in positions of authority (1 Tim. 2:1-2), we do not trust in princes (Ps. 118:9; Ps. 146:3) who disappoint. I recently received a letter from the Hope Clinic, a local crisis pregnancy center with which our congregation partners. The director said: Each year between 550-600 come in for pregnancy services alone (another 600 will come in for wellcare medical visits or professional counseling for pregnancy loss and postpartum depression). Nearly half of the women who call us admit to being abortion-minded, but after they come in, over 90% choose life! Those six hundred women in Nashville will be out there in need of help and instruction regardless of whether their access to abortion has been curbed or ended (for which we pray). For the pastors of the Mid-South District, you and I who are kingdom-of-the-right men, our mission remains the same whether the civil realm improves or not: first, to proclaim the law in its full sternness (Walther, Law and Gospel, Thesis VI), to proclaim: God will require a reckoning for the

lifeblood of man (Gen. 9:5-6); You shall not murder (Ex. 20:13); God alone is Lord and architect of the womb (Ps. 139:13-16); Murderers shall have their portion in the lake of fire that is prepared for the devil, the murderer from the beginning (Rev. 21:8; Matt. 25:41; Jn. 8:44). Second, our privilege is to proclaim the Gospel in its full sweetness (Walther, Law and Gospel, Thesis VI), to proclaim: It is finished (Jn. 19:30); For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him (Jn. 3:17); 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, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith (Rom. 3:23-25); There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Rom. 8:1); Your sins are taken from you as far as the east is from the west (Ps. 103:12); Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (LSB, DS 1, p. 151). Please allow me to remind you that the 2017 LCMS Life Conference will be held in Arlington, VA, on Jan. 27-29. If you are unable to attend, you will want to download and listen to the presentations when available. Also, if you choose, Life Sunday may be observed on January 15, or on January 22, the actual anniversary date of the Roe v. Wade decision. Lutherans for Life (lutheransforlife.org) has materials available. Rev. Philip Young Mid-South District Life Coordinator Lutheran Witness Subscriptions It's time to update our member's' Lutheran Witness (LW) subscriptions for 2017. If you are currently receiving LW, and would like to continue, you don't have to do anything. If you'd like to receive LW, and you aren't, please contact the church office via email, phone message, or note, and we'll add you to the subscription list. The cost, $15 / subscription, is carried by the congregation, you will receive no bill. Anyone who does not wish to continue receiving LW please follow the instructions for new subscriptions and note in your reply that you want to end your subscription. The deadline to make changes is January 22, 2017. Subscriptions run April 1 - March 31.

Growing In Christ Sunday School January 2017 Circumcision and Name of Jesus January 1 He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to His own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit. Titus 3:5 Jesus and the Samaritan Woman John 4:1-42 Today s Sunday School lesson is the account of Jesus and the Samaritan woman. In this lesson, we learn that Jesus gives the Spirit, who cleanses us from sin and unrighteousness in the living water of Holy Baptism. Talk with your children about how sin causes us to have guilt and shame before God. Emphasize that through the water and Word of Holy Baptism all guilt and shame are removed. Discuss, Jesus comes for all people, no matter what race or color they are. Ordinary water leaves us thirsting for more, but the living water of Jesus, which flows from His Word and the font of Baptism, quenches our spiritual thirst forever. Law Because of sin, my soul is parched and dying. Gospel The Spirit, the Lord and giver of life, gives me the living water from God s Word and Holy Baptism to quench my spiritual thirst forever, giving me new life in Christ. The Baptism of Our Lord January 8 Jesus Christ... is the true God and eternal life. 1 John 5:20 Jesus Is Rejected at Nazareth Luke 4:16-30 Jesus Is Rejected at Nazareth is the Sunday School lesson today. In Nazareth, throughout His ministry, and even today, Jesus is rejected by people who do not have faith in Him. God s Word clearly shows that Jesus is God s Son, and in faith, we believe. With your family, discuss, How does sin blind our eyes to the Savior and cause us to suffer from sin s effects with sickness, trouble, and even physical death? Law Sin blinds me so I cannot see my Savior. Gospel God works through His Word and Sacraments so I can see and believe in Jesus. Epiphany 2 January 15 Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men. Matthew 4:19 Jesus Calls Disciples Matthew 4:12-25 Today in Sunday School, the lesson is, Jesus Calls Disciples. Jesus preached, taught, and healed, and He called His first disciples to do the same. The children learn that Jesus chose ordinary, sinful men to follow Him and be His disciples. In Baptism, Jesus chooses us to be His children. Underscore that in Jesus forgiveness we find peace and favor with God, whose Word testifies repeatedly and consistently that Jesus is His Son and our Savior. Ask your children, Through whom does Jesus continue His saving work where His Word is preached and His Sacraments are administered today? Law In Sin, I blindly go my own way and am headed toward eternal death. Gospel Christ saves me and calls me to follow Him in His way, a way that leads to eternal life. Epiphany 3 January 22 He said to the man who was paralyzed I say to you, rise, pick up your bed and go home. Luke 5:24 Jesus Heals Many Luke 4:31-44 Today in Sunday School, the lesson is Jesus Heals Many. Through many miracles, Jesus shows us His power over sin. Ask your children to tell you, Who did Jesus heal? What were some of the sicknesses the people had? Talk about sin yours, theirs, and the world s and how Satan holds the world in bondage, causing sickness and death. Assure them that Jesus is the Holy One of God, who defeats Satan and frees us from his hold, granting us eternal life in paradise. Emphasize that Jesus has power over sin and sickness, saving the lost by His death and resurrection. Law Sin, sickness, and the devil are at work in the world. Gospel Jesus, the Holy One of God, has power over sin, sickness, and the devil and frees me from their hold.

Epiphany 4 January 29 Behold, your God... will come and save you. Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy. Isaiah 35:4 6 Jesus Heals a Man Who Is Paralyzed Mark 2:1-12 Jesus Heals a Man Who Is Paralyzed is the lesson for Sunday School today. The miracle of healing the paralytic confirms that Jesus, the Son of Man, has authority on earth to forgive sins, and it confirms what the Son of Man chiefly came to do: deliver us and all believers from sin, death, and the power of the devil. Consider discussing, In addition to healing the paralyzed man, what else does Jesus tell him? How has Jesus healed us from our sickness of sin? Law In my sin, I fail to recognize and ask for what I need most: forgiveness. Gospel Christ knows what I need forgiveness, life, and salvation and He bestows these gifts even without my asking. Sunday Morning Fellowship Refreshment Schedule January 2017 - April 2017 Sunday morning fellowship continues to be a highlight for members and visitors alike. Thank you to all who have helped with food and hospitality. Families should coordinate to provide 1-2 gallons of juice or punch and snack cakes/breads and/or several dozen cookies or bars, etc. In addition, approx. 25 cups of coffee should be prepared using the materials in the church kitchen. If you are unable to serve on your scheduled day, please trade with another host family. Date Family Name Family Name Jan 1 Mountjoy Reed Jan 8 Gant Carver Jan 15 Corrow Whelchel Jan 22 Goldbeck Reilly Jan 29 Voters Assembly Voters Assembly Feb 5 Grams Nelson Feb 12 Jones Kampe Feb 19 T & J Tiesler Stevens Feb 26 Lorenz Kmech Mar 5 Chili Cookoff Chili Cookoff Mar 12 Chinnappan Neugebauer Mar 19 McBride C & S Cottrell Mar 26 Dopp Buchleiter Apr 2 R & T Suedekum Pepper Apr 9 M & M Irwin C Irwin Apr 16 - Easter Gregory / Hallock / Hedrick Apr 23 S Thomas Young Apr 30 Voters Assembly Voters Assembly

MONTHLY KUSAAL LUTHERAN MISSION NEWS AND PRAYER NEEDS November 2016 No. 75 As long as it is day, we must work the works of Him who sent me, night is coming when no one can work John 9:4. Greetings: Greetings from your brothers and sisters in Ghana. The Lord has blessed us with harvesting of souls and crops. The Holy Spirit continues to lead more people into the Church. However, harvesting of crops is completed. Many people got good harvest but there were few who did not get much because of late planting and no application of fertilizer on the crops. Baptism: Twelve people were baptized. More people are being prepared and would be baptized during the Christmas or Women s convention in December and early next year. Evangelism/Outreach: A day s training session was organized for the evangelism groups in the various churches. This training was necessary because some of the old members left and several new people joined the teams. In all 54 people attended the course. Translation: Rev. Ted Thalang, the LHF Co-ordinator for Asia is working very hard to have eight Kusaal books, one each of Komba and Bimoba books printed in Thailand. Lutheran Heritage Foundation (LHF) is assisting us to print Part One of Lutheranism 101 in Kusaal locally (Ghana). Radio Broadcast Program: The 30 minute weekly radio program where Law and Gospel messages are delivered to about 10,000 people is a special program that needs your support. We are most grateful to Ghana Harvest that provides quarterly support to pay for the broadcasting cost. The speakers and all volunteers in the program need your prayers. Leadership training class: The class met 18-19 November to review sermon outlines. Culturally, Ghanaian Christians are more interested in outdooring/child naming than Baptism. The class studied why baptism is more important than outdooring and the importance of infant baptism was stressed. Bible study group started in a college: Using Mr. Jacob Akum, a very active young man in the Kpalugu Church, who is now studying to become a professional teacher, five young men have started a Lutheran Bible studies and prayer group in the college (Gbewaah Teacher Training College). I have visited the group and hope to visit them twice a month. New Literacy Started: The new literacy class that is opened in St. John s Lutheran Chapel at Kpalugu is doing well. In about one year these illiterate people will be able to read and write Kusaal. Having literate men and women in the Church would be a great blessing. Kusasi Lutheran Men s Fellowship: The Men s Fellowship met on November 26th for their monthly meeting at Concordia Preparatory School. Fifty men attended. The topic treated during the Bible studies was on Eli and his sons. Parental responsibility was our point of discussion. Concordia Preparatory School: The management of the school has closed admission even though some parents continue to plead for admissions. The classes are full as some have as many as forty in a class. Our prayer is how to get funds to build more classrooms. First Lutheran Educational Center: First Lutheran Educational Center is a new school that has been started in the Konkomba area of northern Ghana. This is one of the poorest areas of Ghana (economically and educationally). The school was started in September with 32 children but as at the middle of October, the enrollment has gone up to 160. There are four teachers.

Conventions: Advent is a season for the preparation of Christ s coming. All the congregations are preparing various programs and activities that would be presented during the two up-coming conventions: Christmas convention from December 27-30 at Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Ziako and also women s convention from January 5-8 at St. John s Lutheran Church in Kpalugu. Audio Kusaal Bible: Pastor Nicholas Salifu is among readers in Kusaal who are doing audio recording of the entire Kusaal Bible. The entire Kusaal Bible was published in February 2016, and having it in the audio will enable every Kusaal speaker to have the Bible handy. Many people have phones that could store Kusaal Bible in audio form. New home for former Muslim family: Mr. David Abdulai, a former Muslim became a member of St. John s Lutheran Church a few months ago. By the grace of God, David s wife and children are all in the Church. Living in a compound house with the extended family (all Muslims), David decided to move from the family house and build a home for his family. The Lord has blessed the new building and it is almost completed. Before the start of the building David was asked to consult a diviner or soothsayer but he refused and said, I will call my pastor to come and pray and that is all what I need to start the building. To move from a family house has a lot of challenges. When I visited David s wife recently she told me, It is very easy to pray as a Christian as you don t have to perform any ablution because Jesus has already washed me and will listen to prayers. A young man refuses to become a Muslim: David Akibugri who is fifteen years old is in Junior High School. He joined the Church when he was about 6 years old, and is a member of Redeemer Lutheran Church at Naransaug. His elder brothers were also members of the Church. Later his brothers left the Church and became Muslims. Although their parents (father and mother) are still idol worshipers, David's elder brothers continue to warn David to leave Christianity and become a Muslim. It is his elder brothers who provide his needs and support him in his education. When I asked David why his brothers left Christianity, his answer was, They have gone back to worship idols. Seldom do they pray as Muslims are compelled to pray five times a day. David assured me, saying, Pastor, I have been made a Child of God when I was baptized at age six, and so how can a child say he has no father? He continued, My brothers continue to force me with threats to stop going to Church, and even church gatherings such as conventions, retreats and etc. David was sure that nothing would his elders brothers do that will stop him from becoming a Christian. David has enrolled in the Theological Education by Extension (TEE) program and hopes to become a pastor one day. Thank you: Without the Lord using you, the Lord s work in the Upper East Region of Ghana would not have reached where it is. The Lord has used your blessing to enhance his mission work: leadership training to raise more leaders, translation of good Lutheran books to be used now and in the future, literacy classes where adult are taught how to read and write in Kusaal, chapel buildings that are used for multiple activities, evangelism and outreach work where hundreds of people are reached with the gospel, radio program that broadcasts the pure Word of God (Law and Gospel), school that teaches and train more than 500 children to fear, love and trust in God above all, goats for widows to serve as income generating venture, sanitary wells that provide good and clean water for people who used to drink water from rivers, dams and lakes, and many more. You are part of this mission and ministry. We are most grateful to you. Thanksgiving and Prayer Needs 1. We praise God for the countless blessings we have received, and

especially forgiveness of sins that Christ accomplished for us. 2. Praise the Lord for the continuing assistance that CCCS LeadaChild gives to schools to enhance the school s Christian Education programs. 3. Continue to pray for wisdom and resources for Lutheran Heritage Foundation as they provide printed materials for many language groups throughout the world. 4. Pray that the translation teams in Kusaal, Komba, Bimoba and Akan faithfully continue to translate our good books into the local languages. 5. Praise the Lord for using LHF to support the translation work of the Akan language. 6. You can learn more about LHF by going to their website (www.lhfmissions.org). 7. Praise God for the regular support received from Ghana Harvest for the weekly radio program. 8. Pray that the audio recording of the Kusaal Bible goes on well so that soon every Kusaal readers would have access to hear God s Word on his or her phone. 9. Please pray that the weekly radio program is sustained. 10. Praise God for the Bible studies and prayer group in Gbewaah Teacher Training College. 11. Praise God as two sons of the former chairman of Tengnoog s Lutheran Church who were forced by their father to leave the Church have joined the Naransaug Lutheran Church. The two young men, Emma Ayaaba and Paul Ayaaba are assisting the leader of the Naransaug Church. They are also in the TEE class. 12. Pray that by the grace of God David Akibugri receives his needs, especially his education, as his elder brothers have refused to support him. 13. Pray that the women at the Gambaga Witches Camp continue to put their hope and trust Jesus, the Savior of the world and the friend of outcasts. CPS students are making special contributions to be given to the alleged witches. 14. Pray that we are able to build more classrooms for CPS to accommodate the huge intake. This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Nicholas Salifu (1 John 3:16-17) Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Blessed Advent! As we go through this time of our annual preparation for the celebration of Christmas, we pray that your faith will be strengthened as you wait for the return of Christ who will bring us to His heavenly joy. We thank you so much for the support that you give to our work. It was so good to be with you all and to share with you the work we are doing. We are currently still stateside. We have completed our visitations of congregations, and now we are spending a little time with family before we return to Africa. Please pray for Dale's health as we are trying to get him back to 100%. We have a doctor's appointment upcoming, and we hope it will get him there. We pray that this annual time of joy will fill you with joy. May you rejoice with the angels, share Him with the shepherds, and worship Him with the Magi! And may others meet Jesus in you! God bless and keep you, Rev. Dale and Suzanne Kaster Your Missionaries in Ghana, West Africa

10:30 Divine Service Placement of Officers Door Offering January 2017 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 Name & Circumcision of 2 3 4 5 6 The Epiphany 7 Jesus 8 AA of Our Lord 9 Work Day 9:15 Education Hour 7 Divine Service (undecorated) 8 The Baptism of Our Lord 9:15 Education Hour 10:30 Divine Service 9 8 AA 10 7 LWML 11 10 Bible Study 5 Confirmation 7 Choir 12 13 14 15 Second Sunday after the Epiphany 9:15 Education Hour 10:30 Divine Service 16 8 AA 17 6:30 Council 18 10 Bible Study 5 Confirmation 7 Choir 19 20 21 8:30 Men s Breakfast The Confession of St. Peter 22 Third Sunday after the Epiphany 9:15 Education Hour 10:30 Divine Service 23 8 AA 24 10 Ladies Home Improvement Group 25 10 Bible Study 5 Confirmation 7 Choir 26 27 28 St. Timothy, Pastor and Confessor The Conversion of St. Paul St. Titus, Pastor and Confessor 29 Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany 9:15 Education Hour 10:30 Divine Service LWML Mite Collection Voters Assembly 30 8 AA 31

Redeemer Evangelical Lutheran Church 800 Bellevue Road Nashville, TN 37221 (615) 646-3150 www.redeemernashville.org rlcnashville@bellsouth.net