Making the World More Trustworthy

Because of MEA, our confirmation is taking a little break from lessons.  We’ll get back at it next week, picking up the 4th commandment at that time.

So I thought I would share a bit from my October Newsletter article, which seems to have been lost in the mail.  In that article, I grieved again how so many of the fall activities we’ve grown to love have been cancelled this year or put on hold.  But then I went on:

Not all of it, mind you.  We have modified our Wednesday nights to offer exciting educational opportunities for K-9th graders.  And we are back in our sanctuary worshiping each week – even though I know it’s not the same.  We will still find a way to celebrate with those affirming their faith at the end of the month, though the service will also be very different than we’re used to.

And I also think it’s worth noting that one of Luther’s key teachings was this notion of vocation.  Each of us has been gifted with our status as God’s children.  And each of us has been gifted to work in God’s world to make it a more trustworthy place. 

And I believe that right now, our call as God’s people is to modify our community life for the sake of our neighbor.  Wear a mask.  Watch your distance.  Wash your hands.  Sacrifice large gatherings.  Modify our worship life.  Change the way we shop for groceries, eat out with friends, go to school.  This is our calling.  Not forever.  But for this season, this is how God will use us to make the world a more trustworthy place.

For the last several years, we have donned T-shirts that say, “God’s Work.  Our Hands.”  Think about that when you wash your hands carefully many times each day.  And when you wear a mask, you might even imagine it says, “God’s Work.  Our Masks.” 

Grace and peace to you, dear friends in Christ.  May God strengthen us for these challenging days.  And may He use our efforts to serve our neighbors near and far.


P.S. – Join us in the sanctuary!  Sign up for any Sunday in October.  We recommend attending 1-2 times/month, but attend as frequently as you would like.  Please register to help us better prepare: https://www.wadenaimmanuel.org/sanctuary-worship-registration. 

Check out our news page to learn more and for other important announcements: https://www.wadenaimmanuel.org/announcements

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Treasure Greater Than Heaven and Earth!

Last week, we started this journey through the catechisms’ (Large and Small) thoughts on baptism.   And we remembered that baptism might seem like a human act – but is really God’s action. Today, we forge ahead with more.   After hearing such wonderful news about God’s action in baptism, about the benefits we receive, including forgiveness and the promise of everlasting life, our next thought might be that of skepticism.   So the Small Catechism leads us to ask, “How can water do such great things?”   The answer: “It is not the water that does these things, but God’s Word with the water and our trust in this Word.   Water by itself is only water, but with the Word of God it is a life-giving water which by grace gives the new birth through the Holy Spirit.” In the Large Catechism, Luther says even more on this topic: “Yes, my friend! Who does not know that water is water, … But how dare you tamper thus with God’s ordinance and rip out his most precious jewel?...
Read more

Forgive ... Forgiven

Today, we finish our brief series on forgiveness from the Large Catechism.   And our focus today is the practical application of forgiveness. There are two important parts of forgiveness.   One is the forgiveness we receive from God.   The other is the forgiveness we receive from our neighbors.   And both are essential to our faith and life in the community.   When people come to me with a guilty conscience, I ask them if they would like a word of absolution.   Sometimes, though, I can see that before they are forgiven by God, they need to seek forgiveness from their spouse, child, parent, neighbor, or friend.   Other times, they have been forgiven by the person they’ve wronged, but they cannot forgive themselves.   Other times, still, they have offered the sincerest apology they can and have not been forgiven.   And a strong word of forgiveness from God is needed – and we pray that the one they have wronged will forgive them in time. S...
Read more

Who is Worthy to Receive Communion?!!

Today is our third week on the Lord’s Supper/Communion.   So far, we have discovered that this is God’s meal, not the result of human actions or work.   Also, we discussed last week the importance of our faith that the bread and wine actually become Christ’s body and blood. Today, we focus on the question of who is worthy to receive the gifts of communion.   This is a topic of special interest to Luther.   He is especially interested in the idea that one could be too sinful to receive this gift.   For Luther, it is easy to look at your sins and shortcomings and decide you are not worthy to receive such a gift.   God’s goodness contrasts so sharply with our sinfulness, “then because of this, such people will not go to the sacrament and wait until they are prepared, until one week passes into another and one half-year into yet another.   If you choose to fix your eye on how good and pure you are, to wait until nothing torments you, you will never go” (...
Read more