Is yours a "going" church

 Many churches mark their progress by how much they have grown from year to year.  Are weekly offering totals increasing?  Has worship attendance grown from one year to the next?  Is our membership showing growth?

 Last Sunday I led a Bible class on a study of the "Last Words of Jesus," as found in the 4 Gospels and Acts.  We focused on the Matthew text, 28:16-20, and noted that Jesus gave the command to "go!"  Go and make disciples by baptizing and teaching.  

 So I asked the question, "Is your church a "going" church?  Is your church going out into your community, showing and sharing the love of Jesus? What are you doing to attract the community to your church, via VBS, Trunk or Treat, special concerts or services and the like? Are you teaching your members to know how to invite family or friends to visit the church on a Sunday.

 It seems to me that all those things that we consider growth items, i.e. offerings, attendance, membership, will take care of themselves when the church focuses on "going!"

 Rev. Dr. Scott Murray gives an example of what I believe is a "going" church.  He writes in "A Lutheran Perspective of Worker Wellness:" During Hurricane Harvey, which causes so much damage in Houston in 2017, I was on the West Coast.  I didn't arrive back in Houston for another week after its landfall.  While I was gone the people of my parish prepared and served over 1500 meals for those who were stranded, flooded out of their homes, or first responders.  I didn't do a single thing to organize this.  This is just what biblically trained Christians do when there is a need.

 In one of my congregations a member took issue with me when I said that Word and sacrament ministry was the main focus of the church.  He couldn't see that when we place the emphasis where it needs to be, people, motivated by the love of Jesus, will find ways to live out the gift of faith they've been given by going and making disciples by baptizing and teaching.  Pray that your church will focus on going and not just growing.  The one will take care of the other.

The Gospel issues no orders

Rather, it changes people.  It plants love into their heart and makes them capable of all good works.  It demands nothing but gives all.  Should not this fact make us leap for joy?

CFW Walther, "Law and Gospel - How to Read and Apply the Bible," page 20 

The Friday Funny on a Thursday

 Food for thought...Incorrectly is the only word that, when spelled correctly, is still spelled incorrectly.

 Have a happy 4th!

Where the Lutheran Church is growing

 According the the Veith and Sutton book, "Authentic Christianity," there are "reportedly 70-90 million Lutherans in the world."  They go on to write, "But Lutheran church bodies, like those of other theological traditions, come in both liberal and conservative varieties...northern European nations have become highly secularized.  Church attendance is miniscule, though church membership remains high."

 They go on to write, "Today, the real center of Lutheranism is not in its European lands of origin but in Africa and Asia...there are more than 20 million in Africa and more than 10 million in Asia.  The fastest growing Lutheran Church is in India."

 Interestingly, the African and Asian Churches are mostly liturgical in their worship.  There is an emphasis on traditional worship, and utilization of Word and Sacraments.

 What can we learn from these growing churches.  Maybe we don't need "seeker services," modern worship choruses, and pastors so casually dressed that they look like they walked off a beach.  Mainline Lutheran Churches in America are still bleeding members. 

 Perhaps it's time for us to get back to what we do best: let God serve us in the Divine Service, cherish the Liturgy which is nothing more than God speaking to us and we, in turn, speaking back to Him, placing the emphasis on Law/Gospel preaching, singing the great hymns of the church and coming with humble hearts to receive our Lord's body and blood in the Holy Supper.  I wonder what work the Holy Spirit might do if we were to return to what got us here in the first place? 

 

Top 10 Signs the Pastor is Watching Too Much Fox News

10) Church meeting no longer run past 8 pm so pastor doesn't miss Jesse Watters

9) Urges his wife to dress more classy like Martha McCallum

8) Promotes new audio Bible read by Tyrus

7) Upset when church council won't allow books by Greg Gutfeld, Dana Perino and Bret Baier in the church library

6) In nod to popular program, "The Fivem" pastor now calls the sermon, "The 25"

5) Tries to deliver his sermons with the passion of Sean Hannity

4) Replaces coffee and donuts with the Super Beets he saw on Fox

3) Names his new born son, Yingst

2) Now calls the Scripture Readings "Notable Quotables"

And the number one sign your pastor is watching too much Fox News:

1) Ends each sermon with the words, "Still fair, balanced and unafraid!"

Love isn't love until you give it away

            Actress Mary Martin was on the road performing in the musical, “South Pacific.”  Just before going on stage she received a note from a dear friend, lyricist, Oscar Hammerstein.  The short note said: Dear Mary, a bell’s not a bell until you ring it.  A song’s not a song till you sing it.  Love in your heart is not put there to stay.  Love isn’t love till you give it away.”

            One picture of Jesus that the Gospels provide is how His ministry was marked by the love He gave away.

            St. Mark tells us of a leper who was healed by a willing Jesus – the cured man was on the receiving end of Jesus’ love.  A large crowd gathered around Jesus and he had compassion on them by providing a meal from only a few fish and loaves of bread – the crowd was on the receiving end of Jesus’ love.  In spite of the disciples, parents were invited to bring their children to Jesus so that He could bless them – the children were on the receiving end of Jesus’ love.

            As Jesus walked with His disciples on the road up to Jerusalem He explained, according to Mark’s Gospel, that “the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and teachers of the law.  They will condemn Him to death and will hand Him over to the Gentiles, who will mock Him and spit on Him, flog Him and kill Him.  Three days later He will rise.”  And then it happened just as Jesus said.  And we – you and I – were on the receiving end of Jesus’ love!

            “Love isn’t love until you give it away.”  Jesus gave His very life for us so that we might be redeemed from God’s wrath and punishment for our disobedience.  Having shed His blood on the cross, Jesus reconciled us to our heavenly Father.  Having become God’s children through faith in Jesus, we receive every blessing that God can give – forgiveness for our sins, peace to sooth our hearts, and love which assures us that nothing can separate us from our Lord.

            Jesus took your sins upon Himself.  He suffered the punishment you deserved.  He gives you credit for His perfect life and makes you righteous and holy before the Father.  If that’s not love, then love doesn’t exist.  To whom can you give the love of Jesus? Your spouse? Your kids? A suffering friend? God has planted the love of Jesus in your heart by the Holy Spirit.  Be sure to joyfully and with thanksgiving give that love away! 

From April 2021

Top 10 Complaints from Church Members

10)If you don’t stop this praise band stuff I’m going to set the guitars and drums on fire!

9) Why in the world did we build a pulpit if you won’t use it? Stand still!

8) I don’t like your attempts at humor on Sunday.  And by the way, I don’t like your haircut either!

7) Do something about the rude ushers.  I’m sure one of them stood over me and wouldn’t move until I put another dollar in the collection plate.

6) How much extra is it costing this church to have the custodian vacuum up all the cheerios left behind by those noisy kids?

5) I have a complaint about the free donuts you serve each Sunday.  I hate Dunkin Donuts. Get them from someplace else!

4) Have you seen the Sunday school rooms? They are a mess! If the children can’t keep them neat and clean, we should just cancel Sunday school!

3) Do you always have to preach from the Gospel lesson every Sunday? There are other people in the Bible to talk about besides Jesus!

2) Can you get the organist to play faster? She sounds like a 45 rpm record being played at 33!

1) I’m tired of all this preaching about evangelism.  You should tailor your preaching to those in the church who pay the bills!