Posts from March 2020
“DELIVER US FROM EVIL”
In the Lord’s Prayer, our Savior has folded our hands for us, as parents do for small children, and taught us to pray: “Deliver us from evil.” God does. The very fact that you are reading this proves that you are still here, that God has rescued you a thousand times from perils and plagues that never happened. We give too little thanks for all the times we have been spared simply because those catastrophes, illnesses or accidents never happened.…
A RELIGION FOR THE WEAK?
Actor Max Von Sydow died on March 8th at the age of 90. He played a priest in The Exorcist. He played Satan in Needful Things. And…he played Jesus Christ in the 1965 movie The Greatest Story Ever Told. Von Sydow was raised in the liberal, Swedish Lutheran Church. By the 1970’s Sydow identified himself as an agnostic/atheist. Many famous folks have placed themselves in that category without apology. The late, foul-mouthed comedian George Carlin, appearing on Larry King…
“BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD!” (Psalm 46:10) – COVID-19 UPDATE
ANOTHER UPDATE AS OF MARCH 17, 2020 GOVERNOR EVERS BANS ALL GATHERINGS OF MORE THAN 10 PEOPLE AND EXTENDS SCHOOL CLOSINGS INDEFINITELY Fellow Redeemed:Shortly before school was out this afternoon, Governor Evers announced a ban on all gatherings of more than 10 people and extended school closings indefinitely. Like other WELS churches in our area, we now have no choice but to discontinue church services until further notice. Starting tomorrow, we will attempt to live stream worship services to our…
A NOTE FROM THE ST. PAUL’S CHURCH COUNCIL REGARDING WORSHIP SERVICES DURING THE COVID-19 OUTBREAK
On Mon. Mar. 16, Wisconsin Governor Evers issued a mandate banning gatherings of more than 50 people in any one enclosed space. The Church Council met on Monday evening to discuss how we can follow the Scriptural principles of honoring our government, showing love to our neighbors by not endangering them, and also staying close to our Savior through the Gospel in Word and Sacrament. While the following decisions may change depending on circumstances, the Council has, for the…
WHERE IS THIS WRITTEN?
From time to time, it is helpful to list some of the main teachings of the Bible along with some of the main passages where these teachings are found: The one, true God is the Triune God – one God in three PersonsDeuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 3:16-17; Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:15 The Scriptures are the verbally inspired and inerrant Word of GodJohn 10:35; 2 Timothy 3:15-17; 2 Peter 1:21 The Law shows us our sin and the Gospel shows us…
A NOTE FROM YOUR PASTOR
On Friday, the Governor has ordered the closing of all schools public and private as of this coming Wednesday, March 18 with a tentative reopening on Monday, April 6 in hopes of slowing the spread of COVID-19 in our state. As for the temporary closing of our school, the faculty has begun to plan homework, worksheets and possible online ways of teaching the core subjects for our students until school starts up again. Parents, stay tuned! As for confirmation instruction, the pastor will suspend…
THE GREAT EXCHANGE
We remember the dramatic scene at the judgment seat of the Roman governor. “When the crowd had gathered, Pilate asked them, ‘Which one do you want me to release to you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?’ ” It was an annual custom. It seems the Romans took it over from the Jews themselves – to release a prisoner of their choosing at Passover time when the Jews celebrated their freedom from bondage in Egypt in the days of…
TENDER MERCIES
The trigger for the attack of the Jewish leaders against Jesus in this morning’s chapter from John’s Gospel was His healing of a man who spent 38 years of his life unable to walk. With a single word, Jesus healed him. Jesus worked a great many miracles of healing during His earthly ministry. But have you ever wondered why these miracles seemed so selective? What about all the other people at the pool of Bethesda that day who were not…
“WHO HAS BELIEVED OUR REPORT?”
Remember when the Peanuts cartoon strip came to the TV screen – Charlie Brown, Lucy, Linus, Peppermint Patty, Pig Pen? Remember how often the kids were shown sitting in the classroom, responding to the teacher’s questions and instructions? Do you remember the teacher’s voice – what she sounded like? You could never understand her words. It was always: “Wah, wa, wah, wa, wah…” I didn’t get this until I was older. It was the cartoonist’s way of saying that the…
“MY SOUL WAITS FOR THE LORD”
We spend our lives waiting for things big and little. We wait for our first day of school, for our first two-wheeled bike, for our first date, for our first job, for our driver’s license, for our life’s partner, for our first child, for grandchildren and for retirement. The danger, of course, is that we spend our lives so anxious about tomorrow that we lose all appreciation for today. The ungrudging goodness of God is something to be experienced every…