Christ is Risen! Christ is Risen Indeed! We find ourselves celebrating the chief festival of the church year, i.e. Easter. “This is the feast of victory for our God, for the Lamb who was slain has begun His reign. Alleluia. Alleluia.”—LBW page 82. Easter, also known as Passover, is a week of week’s celebration of the Resurrection of our Lord, Jesus. The Season of Easter is 50 days long, culminating in the Day of Pentecost, the birthday of the church, the arrival of promised power from on high. Our Easter word is Alleluia, which means, “Praise the Lord”. Every Sunday is a mini-Easter in the life of a Christian. Continue Reading…

May 2012 Newsletter
May 2012 Worship Helpers

St. Paul, addressing the Church at Corinth, reminds them that they are called to be a Community of Reconciliation: reconciled and reconciling. “For our sake God made Jesus to be sin, he who knew no sin, so that in Jesus we might become the righteousness of God”—II Corinthians 5:21. Martin Luther called this divine transaction the “Blessed/Happy Exchange”. In baptism we are clothed with the righteousness of Christ. In Christ, we are made Christian. Jesus takes all that we are and gives us all that he is. It’s a good trade! Sin is our problem, and atonement (AT-ONE-MENT) is God’s solution; what was separated is now at one! Continue Reading…

April 2012 Newsletter
April 2012 Worship Helpers

Remember these hymnic words? “I lay my sins on Jesus, the spotless Lamb of God; He bears them all and frees us from the accursed load. I bring my guilt to Jesus to wash my crimson stains; clean in His blood most precious, till not a spot remains”—LBW #305.

A woman once said to me, “Pastor, I don’t do guilt.” I paused and replied, “Then you must not do forgiveness either.” If guilt doesn’t exist, then sIn isn’t a problem and forgiveness isn’t necessary. If forgiveness isn’t necessary then Jesus didn’t need to die on a cross and we don’t need to be saved from sIn. Death is simply a nuisance Continue Reading…