Essential or non-essential?

Are you an essential worker or are you considered non-essential?  That’s the big debate these days.  Which workers do we really need to serve us and who are those we can do without?

I’m sure the debate of essential vs non-essential workers will continue for a while.  But be encouraged today - as far as God is concerned you are essential.

Another definition for essential is extremely important.  You are so important to God that He didn’t leave your salvation up to you.  He sent HIs only one Son, Jesus Christ, who lived a perfect life and became the perfect sacrifice for all your sins.  Without Jesus’ passion, death and resurrection we would be lost forever.

You are so important to God that He sent the Holy Spirit to teach and enlighten you to the truth of His Holy Word.  The Bible is like a two-edged sword.  It slices through the clutter of your life so that you might have what is truly essential – faith and forgiveness in Jesus, making use of God’s gifts like Baptism and the Lord’s Supper, and trusting in God’s promise that there is a place in heaven for you.

And you are so important to God that He promises to be there for you whenever you need Him.  God says your prayers will be heard.  You’ll be provided your daily bread.  You’ll receive protection from evil.  You may not be an essential worker.  But you are essential part of God’s family and He cares for you.

We pray: Thank You, O Lord, for the reminder that You consider us extremely important.  Thank you for showing us all what You did to secure our salvation.  May that love move us to serve you more and more each day.  Amen.

Found on a church sign

Honk If You Love Jesus...

Text While Driving If You Want to Meet Him” 

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!"