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May 31 Worship

5/25/2015

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How do you think about God?  Yes, I believe it is a provocative question for any of us!  We have different ways of viewing God from childhood all the way up to the end of life.  This particular Sunday has us concentrate on the very being of God.  We come to acknowledge that we have a God who is Triune or three-in-one.  We believe in Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, or in the inclusive way as Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer.

We begin our worship with the Greeting which is "The grace the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all."  2 Corinthians 13:13

The affirmation of a triune God has come out historically in the creeds of the church.  All three creeds - Apostles', Nicene, and Athanasian - were written as statements of faith.  The context was to affirm the church's understanding of what the Bible teaches, as well as combating heresy in the church.

It was most important to affirm the importance of all three persons in the Trinity.  In the Athanasian Creed we have these words: "The Father eternal, the Son eternal, and the Holy Ghost eternal. And yet they are not three Eternals, but one Eternal."   The church wanted to affirm that no one person of the Trinity was less than another.

In preparation for Sunday's worship, I would invite you to read through all three creeds which can be found here as part of the Book of Concord, the confessional writings of the Lutheran Church.

May God's blessing be upon your contemplation of the great God we have and on your worship this Sunday!

Pastor Marty
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May 24 Worship

5/18/2015

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There have been many dramatic, if not earthshaking events, that have been recorded for us in Scripture.  Oftentimes, it is that God is doing a new thing.  Do you recall Moses on Mt. Sinai receiving the Ten Commandments? There was lightning and thunder that accompanied that historic event.

When we come to the celebration of Pentecost for this Sunday, we also capture another glimpse of God doing something spectacular.  This is how Luke records it in Acts:

"When the day of Pentecost had come, the apostles were all together in one place.  And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.  Divided tongues , as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them."  Acts 2:1-3

Those disciples who had been waiting for the promised Spirit to come were transformed.  They were able to speak in other languages.   On that very day the apostle Peter was able to stand before a crowd of folks and proclaim Jesus that resulted in the conversion of 3,000 people.

Here's what I would like for you to consider as you prepare for worship this Sunday.  The Spirit transformed those disciples.  Think of how your life is changed from the presence of the Holy Spirit in your life.  Also, consider now how others can be transformed through the Spirit's power working through you.  Yes, you can make a difference!  I believe we need to recapture living the Spirit-filled life. Even though the Holy Spirit did not take on human form like Jesus did, it does not mean that the Spirit is less powerful.  The Holy Spirit was sent to continue the work, ten days after Jesus had ascended into heaven and continues to work today.

You can read the whole account in Acts 2:1-21.  May your contemplation of this event as recorded in Scripture and your worship this Sunday be a blessing to you.

Pastor Marty
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May 17 Worship

5/11/2015

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I believe we all have specific requests that we could bring before our Lord in prayer.  It might deal with one's work situation, family concerns, or overcoming a sickness, etc.  We would note throughout Jesus' ministry his deep concern for the life of his followers and for them to carry on his work after he leaves.

Our Gospel Reading for this Sunday is John 17:6-19, where Jesus is praying for his disciples.  We have these words...

"Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one.....I ask you to protect them from the evil one......Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth."  John 17:11, 15, 17)


Yes, Jesus realized how the power of Satan can bring resistance to God's work in our world. We must always be on our guard for how there can be opposition and hostility to our work.

The main point I believe in this reading is that Jesus is praying for us.  We may feel that we are called to do this work alone; yet, we have our Lord behind us.

I would ask you to contemplate these words from Scripture or read the entire selection in your preparation for Sunday's worship.  

Discipleship Questions for Reflection

How do you feel disunity can occur among the followers of Jesus?

You have Jesus praying for some specific concerns in our Gospel in regard to his followers, but what might you want him also to be praying for you with your needs today?
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May 10 Worship

5/4/2015

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I like how the Bible makes the statement "God is love." (1 John 4:8)   If this verse were absent from Scripture, do you think we would be able to discern this characteristic of God?

This Sunday's Gospel brings us to the Farewell Address of Jesus to his disciples in the Upper Room just prior to his crucifixion.  The message contains words of love.  We have these words:

"As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love."  (John 15:9)   Do you capture how powerful these words must be for Jesus and for his followers just prior to his death?  Jesus is telling them how much he has loved them; all which stems from the love that has flowed from God to him.  Jesus now wants his followers to abide in this love.  Immediately Jesus also makes the statement: "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you."  (John 15:12)

Amid all the tensions that can develop in being a follower of our Lord, Jesus had the expectation that love would win out in the end.  We also need to think of how present this love is for us in the body of Christ.  If anything, as a community of believers, we ought to be shining examples of living out this love.

Jesus' love for us came out in his sacrifice on the cross.  There simply was no greater love.  The love of God flowed into him and then from Jesus to us.  We, therefore, are to continue in this love.

In preparation for Sunday's worship, you may read the Gospel John 15:9-17.  May the contemplation of our Lord's words and your worship be a blessing for you.

Discipleship Questions for Reflection

Can you think of any examples of sacrificial love in our world today or in the church?

How would you unpack those words of Jesus in a concrete way when he said, "abide in my love?"
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    I invite you to reflect on these words of Scripture in preparing for worship.

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    Pastor Marty Pauschke

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