The LWML, who sponsor our Women's Bible Fellowship (WBF), met this past Sunday
(June 7). Among other things, they discussed the WBF, which has been meeting in
the morning. The idea behind the morning meetings was that it would enable
women who did not have jobs outside the home to attend. Apparently we don't
have many ladies who fall into the category that can also to attend a mid-week
Bible Study. So the Bible Study is being moved back to Wednesday evenings.
As I understand it, the ladies will meet every other Wednesday, beginning
tonight (June 10). As every quarter of the year there will be one month with
five Wednesdays, we cannot say something like the second and fourth Wednesdays
because the five Wednesday months will switch what week the Bible Studies will
fall in the subsequent month.
It is also a fact of our lives that a lady might be able to attend one Bible
study and then not the next one. Who knows, maybe they are off on a vacation or
some out-of-town company is visiting. Maybe they are having a birthday party or
have to work late. So, for now, the Bible studies will be self-contained. That
is to say, what we start we will finish the same night. There will be no
carry-over. A new person will not have missed the groundwork laid two weeks
earlier. (This has the advantage, also, of allowing you to invite those
out-of-town guests.)
The general topic will be our hymns. Each hymn in our hymnal is a theological
gem, containing great truths set to music. I will be soliciting "hymn
requests" so we can use some of the ladies favorite hymns. Any hymn that
has been in one of our hymnals (The
Lutheran Hymnal, Lutheran Worship, Lutheran Service Book, Worship Supplement,
Hymnal Supplement 98, Songs for Disciples, I think that is it) may be used.
The only hymn I'm picking is the first one (By Grace I'm Saved, LSB 566).
So: WOMEN'S BIBLE FELLOWSHIP
TONIGHT (June 10)
6:30 PM
at CHURCH
Topic: "BY GRACE I'M SAVED" LSB 566
Aside from the actual study, we will pray, enjoy fellowship, and share goodies
the ladies bring. I'll also be collecting hymn names for future studies.
The upcoming schedule will them be June 24, July 8 and 22.
Yesterday Rev. Gary Williams was installed as the new pastor of Bethlehem Lutheran in Aiken. At the same service a farewell and Godspeed was given retiring pastor Rev. Jerry Reiter. I was blessed to be part of the service. Below are some photographs taken at the service. Aside from pastors Williams and Reiter (and their wives), also present were Reverends Seaman, Dunker, Sizemore, Wilson, Crandall (and his wife) and Rickert (and Kitty). Pastor Crandall, acting in his roll of Circuit Visitor, conducted the installation portion of the service.
God's grace and peace be multiplied to you in Christ Jesus!
Passing along a big thank you
Yesterday afternoon I received the attached thank you letter from Jerald Wolf,
the LCMS Chief Financial Officer. The letter gives thanks for your
prayers for our church body and your big generous hearts in giving your
$549,383 offering to the LCMS. As I send this to you, my hope is - you
will pass this thank you to the people of your congregation.
Our SED Double Tithe
Through
your generosity, the Southeastern Board of Directors takes a big step
of faith and gives not a tithe but a double tithe plus 2% (22%) of all
the mission partnership dollars you share with the District. Sometimes
this is not easy to do, based on the way your gifts are being received
by us, but our step of faith is based on the "grace of giving"(II Corinthians 8:7) taught in Holy Scriptures.
Paul's teaching
"Remember
this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows
generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has
decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for
God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to
you, so that in all thing at all times, having all that you need, you
will abound in every good work"(II Corinthians 9:6-8).
Faith Steps
We
know that some of your churches are following Paul's teaching and
offering your tithe as the very first check that is written each month
from your congregation. Treasurers - I salute that kind of faith-filled
leadership. As your church responds to the Lord's love poured out on you
(when it is not easy on the basis of the ways the offerings are shared
with you), God's grace abounds. And you have stories to tell of the
specific ways in which that happens.
Modeling the Grace of Giving
Our hope is this:
As the SED Board of Directors offers a step-of-faith gift (22%) to our LCMS in response to the promises of Jesus, we hope
Your
congregation is encouraged to give a tithe (10%) of your congregational
offerings to the Southeastern District for the sake of our work
together in the Synod and District, and we hope
The
people of your congregation learn (by your example) how to take the
faith-step by offering 10% of their gifts to your congregation for your
mission and ministry work.
If that would happen, our 22% tithe to the LCMS would be a much greater gift in future years.
Our Spiritual Need to Give
God's
Word teaches that all of us (whether district, congregation, or
individual) have a spiritual need to offer our gift with full-hearted
thanksgiving in response to the Lord's mercy - new every morning. Our
SED could give such a gift because many of you believe we each have a
God-ordained responsibility to tithe to our mother church (the next
level up). So,
individuals give their gift to their congregation, as
congregations give their gift to the District, as
the district gives their gift to the Synod
These
churches know that it matters not who the pastor is, who our elected
leaders are, what the latest church/district/synod decision is, or how
we agree or disagree with those decisions - mature followers of Jesus
know they need to give in thanksgiving for the Lord's great love. Can
you imagine if God gave blessings to us based on his approval of our
decisions? Our spiritual offerings are given unconditionally, just like
our Father's love for us.
Stories of God@Work
Stewardship
really is Discipleship 101 - learning how to follow Jesus, especially
in the challenge moments, trusting He will lead us. If your
congregation is not giving a tithe, I encourage you as leaders to decide
if your congregation can afford not to be working toward that goal, in
light of God's significant promises. This year might be the year to
pray about taking a percentage step toward a tithe. As our lives grow
in this sanctification, we soon have a story to tell of the latest
miracle He worked in our lives, and He sees we are ready for more
Kingdom responsibility.
So, my sisters and brothers: I commend you because of the "Lord's surpassing grace God has given you. Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!"(II Corinthians 9:14-15)
Does
our feminized, secular culture have you questioning your Biblical
beliefs about men, women, children, marriage and family? Have you been
told that your beliefs about these things are out-dated and backward -
even by your fellow Christians?
We've just completed a four-part series of interviews with the co-authors of the new book Ladylike: Living Biblically, Rebekah
Curtis and Deaconess Rose Adle. This series explores genuine, Biblical
womanhood and responds to modern feminism. These teachings are grounded
in, and regularly return to the focus on Christ and Him Crucified.
Click here to listen to this radio series, and to find out more about this great book and related resources.
This coming Sunday is the Second Sunday after Pentecost (the
First Sunday after Pentecost is always the Festival of the Holy Trinity on our
liturgical calendar). We now enter the non-festival half of the Church Year. It
stretches through the summer and fall, ending at the beginning of December with
Advent. The work of the Holy Spirit is the emphasis of the Pentecost Season. We
recall from Luther’s Small Catechism that the Spirit’s work is to “call,
gather, enlighten and sanctify the whole Christian Church on earth.” This is
the sort of thing the assigned Scripture readings and prayers accent.
There are only three Feasts during these months, and only
one of them falls on a Sunday this year. Sunday, November 1, is All Saints’ Day.
There are fourteen Festivals in the Pentecost Season, but only one falls on a
Sunday this year (St. Luke, Evangelist, October 18). The Festival of the
Reformation (October 31) falls on a Saturday this year. As is our practice at
Lamb of God, we will observe this Festival on the last Sunday in October
(October 25).
We recognize Feasts and Festivals with Communion services
and the special appointed readings and prayers for the particular day. Our observance of
the Reformation is on a Sunday that we normally offer the Lord’s Supper, so no
change there. St. Luke, Evangelist is on a third Sunday and All Saints' is on a first Sunday, neither of which are regular Communion Sundays for us. We normally use one of the services of word and prayer, like Matins, on first and third Sundays, so we will
have a change in our regular patter for these two Sundays. Other than that, the
Pentecost Season will follow our normal communion pattern of second and fourth
Sundays.
The appointed lessons for this coming Sunday are Psalm 130, Genesis
3:8-15, 2 Corinthians 4:13-5:1, and Mark 3:20-35. The sermon text is Mark 3:27.
The sermon title is “The Spider and the Fly.” (Yes, the title echoes the Mary Howitt poem and I will refer to the poem
in the sermon. The poem is at the end of these notes for those who don't remember it.) We will use Matins (219)
for our liturgy. Our opening hymn is “Oh, for a Thousand Tongues to
Sing” (LSB 528). This was to be sung
this past Sunday as our final distribution hymn, but we didn’t need it. It fits
well with this Sunday’s readings so we will get our chance this coming weekend.
The sermon hymn is “My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less” (LSB 575). Our closing hymn is “O Jesus, King Most Wonderful” (LSB 554).
Below is a video of our closing hymn, “O Jesus, King Most Wonderful”
(LSB 554).
The organist is William Ewan. The words are provided and you can hear a
congregation singing off in the background.
What follows is a synopsis of Sunday’s lessons, provided by
the synod, then the lessons and finally some additional notes. As is the
practice, the synopsis does not include the Psalm. I expect this is because the
Psalm is typically used in non-communion services and the worship gurus in the
LC-MS (and many other denominations) push to have communion every Sunday, thus effectively
removing such services like Matins for the worship life of most people.
Jesus Has
Defeated the Devil and Released Us from the Bondage of Sin and Death
The devil deceived us, enticing us to disregard and disobey
the Word of God, and driving us to hide “from the presence of the Lord God.”
But the Lord in His mercy promised a Savior, who would set Himself against the
devil on our behalf (Gen. 3:8–15). The “stronger Man” come, the
incarnate Son of God, conceived and born of the Woman. He “first binds the
strong man,” Satan, by atoning for the sins of the world, thereby removing
the condemnation of the Law and the fear of death (Mark 3:27). Now He plunders
the devil’s house by calling all men to repent. Though He appears to be “out
of His mind” (Mark 3:21), He fulfills the will of God and makes of us His
own brothers and sisters. Therefore, “we do not lose heart,” despite the
suffering, sin and death that we experience in this fallen world. “He who
raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus.” By His grace, we are
“being renewed day by day.” For the Gospel is daily bringing us into His
presence, not for punishment, but for “an eternal weight of glory” (2
Cor. 4:14–17).
Psalm 130 (7)
1Out
of the depths I cry to you, O Lord!
O
Lord, hear my voice!
Let your
ears be attentive
to
the voice of my pleas for mercy!
2If
you, O Lord, should mark
iniquities,
O
Lord, who could stand?
3But
with you there is forgiveness,
that you may be feared.
5I
wait for the Lord, my soul waits,
and
in his word I hope;
6my
soul waits for the Lord
more
than watchmen for the morning,
more
than watchmen for the morning.
7O
Israel, hope in the Lord!
For
with the Lord there is steadfast
love,
and
with him is plentiful redemption.
8And
he will redeem Israel
from
all his iniquities.
Genesis 3:8-15
8And
they heard the sound of the Lord
God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid
themselves from the presence of the Lord
God among the trees of the garden. 9But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?”
10And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was
afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” 11He said, “Who told
you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you
not to eat?” 12The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me,
she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” 13Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is
this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”
14The
Lord God said to the serpent,
“Because
you have done this,
cursed
are you above all livestock
and
above all beasts of the field;
on your
belly you shall go,
and
dust you shall eat
all
the days of your life.
15I
will put enmity between you and the woman,
and
between your offspring and her offspring;
he shall
bruise your head,
and
you shall bruise his heel.”
2 Corinthians 4:13-5:1
13Since
we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, “I
believed, and so I spoke,” we also believe, and so we also speak, 14knowing
that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us
with you into his presence. 15For it is all for your sake, so that
as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the
glory of God.
16So
we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is
being renewed day by day. 17For this light momentary affliction is
preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18as
we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For
the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are
eternal.
5:1For
we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a
building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
Mark 3:20-35
20Then
he went home, and the crowd gathered again, so that they could not even eat. 21And
when his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for they were saying, “He
is out of his mind.”
22And
the scribes who came down from Jerusalem
were saying, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and “by the prince of demons he
casts out the demons.” 23And he called them to him and said to them
in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan? 24If a kingdom is
divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25And if a house
is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. 26And
if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but is
coming to an end. 27But no one can enter a strong man's house and
plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. Then indeed he may
plunder his house.
28“Truly,
I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever
blasphemies they utter, 29but whoever blasphemes against the Holy
Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”—30for
they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.”
31And
his mother and his brothers came, and standing outside they sent to him and
called him. 32And a crowd was sitting around him, and they said to
him, “Your mother and your brothers are outside, seeking you.” 33And
he answered them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” 34And looking
about at those who sat around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my
brothers! 35For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and
sister and mother.”
Some Additional Notes
The June
newsletter has been posted on this blog. Just go to the newsletter
page.
The LWML
has a scheduled meeting for Sunday, following the worship service.
The congregation
has been invited to join Bethlehem Lutheran in Aiken for the installation
of their new Pastor, Rev. Barry Williams. The Service will be Sunday,
beginning at 4:30 pm.
There
has been some talk about having a special voters’ meeting following
the worship service this coming Sunday. If it happens, the topic that will
be discussed is the possibility of mold being in the sanctuary.
Our Sunday morning
Bible hour begins at 9:00 am.
We continue our examination of the biblical teachings concerning Vocation.
Walking
our neighborhoods and meeting our neighbors is off and walking.
Remember to record your miles each week on the bulletin board in the
hallway. Our collective goal - 2,015 miles in 2015.
Remember, we have pledged to pray
for our neighbors. You can get a list of your 100 your closest neighbors
from pray4everyhome.com. If you have no internet access, speak with
Rachel Swain or Kitty Rickert and they will sign you up and get you a
list.
As I
said above, I will refer to the Mary
Howitt poem in Sunday’s sermon. The poem is too long to quote in full.
Below is the poem, just in case you have never read it.
The Spider and the Fly
Mary Howitt (1799-1888)
Will you walk into my parlour?" said the Spider
to the Fly,
'Tis the prettiest little parlour that ever you did
spy;
The way into my parlour is up a winding stair,
And I've a many curious things to shew when you are
there."
Oh no, no," said the little Fly, "to ask
me is in vain,
For who goes up your winding stair can ne'er come
down again."
"I'm sure you must be weary, dear, with soaring
up so high;
Will you rest upon my little bed?" said the
Spider to the Fly.
"There are pretty curtains drawn around; the
sheets are fine and thin,
And if you like to rest awhile, I'll snugly tuck you
in!"
Oh no, no," said the little Fly, "for I've
often heard it said,
They never, never wake again, who sleep upon your
bed!"
Said the cunning Spider to the Fly, " Dear
friend what can I do,
To prove the warm affection I 've always felt for
you?
I have within my pantry, good store of all that's
nice;
I'm sure you're very welcome -- will you please to
take a slice?"
"Oh no, no," said the little Fly,
"kind Sir, that cannot be,
I've heard what's in your pantry, and I do not wish
to see!"
"Sweet creature!" said the Spider,
"you're witty and you're wise,
How handsome are your gauzy wings, how brilliant are
your eyes!
I've a little looking-glass upon my parlour shelf,
If you'll step in one moment, dear, you shall behold
yourself."
"I thank you, gentle sir," she said,
"for what you 're pleased to say,
And bidding you good morning now, I'll call another
day."
The Spider turned him round about, and went into his
den,
For well he knew the silly Fly would soon come back
again:
So he wove a subtle web, in a little corner sly,
And set his table ready, to dine upon the Fly.
Then he came out to his door again, and merrily did
sing,
"Come hither, hither, pretty Fly, with the
pearl and silver wing;
Your robes are green and purple -- there's a crest
upon your head;
Your eyes are like the diamond bright, but mine are
dull as lead!"
Alas, alas! how very soon this silly little Fly,
Hearing his wily, flattering words, came slowly
flitting by;
With buzzing wings she hung aloft, then near and
nearer drew,
Thinking only of her brilliant eyes, and green and
purple hue –
Thinking only of her crested head -- poor foolish
thing! At last,
Up jumped the cunning Spider, and fiercely held her
fast.
He dragged her up his winding stair, into his dismal
den,
Within his little parlour -- but she ne'er came out
again!
And now dear little children, who may this story
read,
To idle, silly flattering words, I pray you ne'er
give heed:
Unto an evil counsellor, close heart and ear and
eye,
And take a lesson from this tale, of the Spider and
the Fly.
We were asked to but this in our newsletter or bulletin. It is too late for the newsletter and too big for the bulletin, so I'm putting it here.
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