Lord, save us from false teachers and heresy

From the "Lutheran Book of Prayer"

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed by Thy name.  Yes, Lord God, dear Father, hallowed be Your name, both in us and throughout the world.  Destroy and root out the abominations, idolatry and heresy of those who war against the Church: all false teachers and the divisive spirits who wrongly use Your name and in shameful ways take it in vain.  They horribly blaspheme and insistently boast that in Your name they teach Your Word, when in reality it is the devil's deceit and trickery in the guise of Your name by which they seduce many poor souls throughout the world, even killing and shedding much innocent blood, and in such persecution they believe that they render a divine service.

Dear Lord God, convert and restrain them, that together we may hallow and praise Your Name both with true and pure doctrine and with a good and holy life.  Restrain those who are unwilling to be converted so that they are forced to cease from misusing, defiling and dishonoring Your holy name and from misleading the poor people.  Amen.

(page 56)

Funny Tees!

My dear, sweet wife received something called "Catalog Favorites" in the mail a few years ago. It included a variety of different items but what caught our eye was the t-shirts.  Some of the sayings were laugh-out-loud funny. Here's a sample:

Nurses - We Can't Fix Stupid But We Can Sedate It!

Wait! I do not snore! I dream I'm a motorcycle!

Exercise? I Thought You Said EXTRA FRIES!

Sometimes When I Open My Mouth My Mother Comes Out...

Every Time I Think Things Can't Get Worse THERE'S AN ELECTION

NOVINOPHOBIA: The fear of running out of wine

Sometimes I laugh so hard tears run down my leg

Never Laugh At Your Wife's Choices - You Are One Of Them

I Just Did A Week's Worth Of Cardio After Walking Into A Spider Web

And my favorite...

You're Never Too Old For NAP TIME!

A good definition of mission

Mission is nothing more than the church in motion to dispense the gift of life and salvation that are in Christ Jesus.

Harold Senkbeil, "The Care of Souls," page 228

Have alb, will travel

Have alb, will travel.  Each summer we spend in Michigan I make myself available to do pulpit supply.  Last year I preached a couple of times for a pastor friend in Grand Rapids.  But this summer I was invited to preach 13 times with 10 of them at Trinity Lutheran in Paw Paw Michigan.

I don't know what the membership of the church is but they worship anywhere from 120 to 140 per Sunday.  That puts them in the top 25 percent of churches worshipping 100 or more people in the LCMS.  Also, while it is a congregation of mostly older believers there are a number of working parents with children to attend each Sunday.  The congregation also offers a school - preschool through 8th grade.

The church offers two services - 9 am is their contemporary worship and at 11 am is the traditional service.  Bible class and Sunday school are held in between the two services.  Also two deaf members attend the early service.  Since my former congregation had an active ministry to the deaf I was able to relate to this husband and wife,  They were a delight.  I brushed up on a few phrases like "peace be with you," Jesus loves you," and "This is the day the Lord has made."

The congregation is currently without a pastor.  Last year an intentional interim pastor came and helped the congregation sort through some challenges.  Since then they have issued and had returned two calls.  They hope to send a call to a third pastor next month and if it is returned they were work through the process of having a graduate assigned to them.

The people there were so warm and friendly to Sherri and I.  They were grateful for the ministry I was able to offer them and many urged us to join them again next summer, whether it be to provide pulpit supply (hopefully not) or to worship with them and a new pastor (yes!).

It's hard for a congregation to carry out ministry without a pastor leading the way.  Join me in praying that the Lord, at just the right time, will send just the right pastor to serve this congregation by proclaiming the Gospel, administrating the sacraments and offering pastoral care and comfort.

How did God show His love to me?

How did God show His love to me just this past week? In the form of family members who laughed with me when I was happy and cried with me when I was sad.  In the from of strength against temptation, healing for a hurting body, success in some venture, and guidance for some decision.  God's love flows down on me constantly.  Every day His love sends me valentines.

From "Together with Jesus," February 14

Even with another birthday, life goes on

We added another candle to my birthday cake yesterday - 74 of them!  My cake looked like it broke out into a prairie fire!   I have been greatly blessed by so many who remembered my birthday yesterday with a card or gift or phone call or even a Facebook post!  The church that I've been serving off and on this summer wished me a happy birthday with singing and cards. What a nice surprise! This outpouring of respect and affection reminded me of something I'd written down in my journal:  Have a blessed day!

I walk through life together with others, and those others are people whom Christ has placed in my life.  They are His gifts.

Bruce Hartung, "Holding Up the Prophet's Hand," page 154

Who Builds the Church?

Just so we are clear about this...

It is not we who build.  (Christ) builds the church.  No man builds the church but Christ alone.

We must confess - He builds.  We must proclaim - He builds.  We must pray to Him - He builds.

Church - stay a church! But church, confess, confess, confess! Christ alone is your Lord; from His grace alone can you live as you are.  Christ builds.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, from "Treasury of Daily Prayer," page 841