The
Trinitarian
Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church,
Morrill, Nebraska
May 2019How are you giving of yourself for the Lord’s Church?
By Rev.HEATH CURTIS
When
St. Paul wanted to encourage Christians to faithfully support the ministry with
their gifts, he brought it around to Jesus with these words.
For you know the grace of our
Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor,
so that you by his poverty might become rich. (2 Cor. 8:9 ESV)
The Lord Jesus sets the pattern for the whole of our
Christian life. We are, after all, Christians: those who follow the Christ.
And
our Lord Jesus gives. He is generous. And His generosity is all encompassing.
He
takes the time to teach the disciples. He stops to listen to the woman who
reached out to touch the hem of His garment. He has compassion on a tired,
hungry crowd and multiplies the loaves and fishes for them.
In
other words, when He gives, He gives of Himself: time, effort, attention,
concern.
That’s
a great thought during a month in which we highlight and celebrate volunteering.
How
are you giving of yourself for the work of the Lord’s Church?
Whatever
it is, the Lord will bless you in it, because in doing so, you are imitating
the Lord Himself.
The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod LCMS Stewardship Ministry Newsletter Article –
MAY 2019
Stewardship is not just about giving money to the church. It includes this, to be sure, but it is not limited to it. Stewardship involves our whole life – everything we have and everything we are.
Let us not, though, fall into the trap of thinking that because we give of ourselves in one area we can neglect giving in another. Stewardship is not stealing from Peter to pay Paul. It is not a game we play whereby we justify ourselves in not giving a tenth of our income because we have given in some other way. This is why our Lord warns:
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees,
hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the
weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you
ought to have done, without neglecting the others.” (Matthew 23:23)
We are given to do both – tithe of ourselves and what we have. And so it is that St. Paul makes his appeal to us:
“I appeal to you therefore,
brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice,
holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be
conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that
by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable
and perfect.” (Romans 12:1-2)
We are to present our bodies as a living sacrifice to God. We are not to have the mind of the world, where we exchange equal weight of this for an equal weight of that, and then think that we have done what God has required.
Our whole life is given over for service in and for the Church of God. This is to be done in thanksgiving for what God in Christ has accomplished for us. This is our spiritual worship, the reasonable response to what He has done for us – not one for the other, but all in all.
But what does this look like? St. Paul never lays down a general principle without also giving us some practical application of what shape that principle is to take concretely. He gives the general principle that our bodies are to be living sacrifices to God, and, after admonishing those who have been given particular gifts of grace to serve the church, St. Paul then speaks generally of what is expected of all. He says:
“Let love be genuine. Abhor what is
evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection.
Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in
spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant
in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.”
(Romans 12:9-13)
This is what it looks like to present your bodies as living sacrifices. This is how we live out the grace of God here in time.
Let us then heed the apostle’s teaching. Let us present our bodies – everything that we have and everything that we are – as living sacrifices to God, our reasonable response to what God in Christ Jesus accomplished for us by His death and resurrection.
Through this we have forgiveness of sins, a new life in Christ, and eternal salvation. And through this worship, the grace of God is made manifest in His saints – for the church and the world.
Wyoming District
Round-Up
May
2019
District
Website: www.wylcms.org
“Here
I Stand” on the Word in the Church
“...REMEMBERING YOU IN MY PRAYERS...” (Eph. 1:16)
For Rev. Vernon Boehlke, who is receiving treatments
for cancer.
For Rev. Richard Boche: Pastor Boche
has completed cardio-rehab, is doing well, and thanks everyone for the prayers
ascending to God's throne of grace on his behalf. Thank you! — Rev. R. O. Boche
For Rev. Ralph Jaeger (emeritus,
Laramie), who is recovering after a heart attack in early December.
For Rev. Jeff Grams (St. John’s,
Scottsbluff), who continues to heal. Rev. Richard Neugebauer (Faith, Gering),
assisted by Rev. Phil Found, is serving St. John’s during Pastor Grams’ medical
leave.
For the family of Rev. Robert
Oberheu (Emeritus Pastor and District President, Riverton), who was received
into glory on Easter Monday, April 22. The funeral is at 10:00 AM, Friday,
April 26 at Trinity Lutheran Church, Riverton, WY.
For Rev. Terry Wiley (Christ,
Rawlins) as he returns to the pulpit after surgery.
PASTORS
AND CONGREGATIONS
The parish of
Zion, Grover and Grace, Pine Bluffs is being served in a vacancy arrangement by
Rev. Lincoln Winter (Trinity, Wheatland).
Trinity,
Cheyenne: Rev. John Preus (Clinton, Iowa) has accepted the divine call to
Trinity. His installation is tentatively scheduled for June 2. Trinity is being
served by Rev. Marcus Baikie (Our Savior’s, Cheyenne) during its vacancy.
St. Paul’s,
Sidney is being served by Rev. Allen Strawn (St. Paul’s, Bridgeport) during the
vacancy.
Rev. Travis
Sherman (Grace, Gordon, NE) is serving Grace, Merriman, NE (Nebraska District)
while it considers its future.
Mount Hope,
Casper (Rev. Dr. Christian Preus): Rev. Andrew Richard (St. Silas, North
Liberty, IA) accepted the divine call as assistant pastor, headmaster, and
teacher. Installation date is May 30.
Here I Stand
It comes as a
surprise to learn that the original form of the Nicene Creed is confessed not
in the singular, but in the plural, “We believe in one God, etc.” It is like
the Lord’s Prayer, “Our Father who art in heaven,” not “My Father, etc.” But
our impulse today is to make everything all about me, to exclude the “We” and
“Our” of the Christian faith, making Christianity solely a private religious
experience. Some people want to blame Luther for this radical individualism.
The Wyoming District has made Luther’s
confession at the Diet of Worms in 1521 the theme of this triennium, “Here I
stand.” And it is true that the entire life and confession of the Church comes
to a point in one person, who must stand before a faithless audience and speak
the truth of God’s Word, as Luther did. This is how Christendom confesses the
truth. Every Christian confession stands in for the whole Church. It does not
matter whether this confession is spoken by a great man like Luther before an
assembly representing the great powers of the world, or whether it is spoken by
a lowly Christian taking a stand unseen by anyone else but God and the angels
and the demons. The individual confession is the confession of the whole
Church, provided that it is the truth of God’s Word. Luther spoke for us all,
just as Peter spoke for all the Twelve and for the Church, “You are the Christ,
the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16).
Here is the
point: our individual confession is united with and expresses the confession of
the whole Church. We are never alone as Christian confessors. But Christians
today often ignore the corporate nature of our confession. The individual
courage of Luther’s stand at Worms has morphed into an individualism that
isolates each Christian from his brothers and sisters in Christ. The Christian
faith is then cut off from the common, Biblical doctrine confessed by the
Church. The individualist Christian is alienated from the Church of the past,
present, and future. Many Christians, especially in our younger generations,
keenly feel the loss of community and the continuity with the past which
results from this isolating individualism. They are spiritually lonely. God the
Holy Spirit gave the Church, and the doctrine of the Church, to each of us for
our good. Many Christians today long to enjoy the full expression of this gift
in the community of their local congregation.
It is true that
each Christian is baptized as an individual, called by name. But we should
remember that each Baptism is the one and same Baptism that all receive. In the
Baptism Rite, when each baptismal candidate confesses the Apostles’ Creed, “I
believe,” he should remember that he says this confession with the multitude of
believers through time and place, all who have received the same baptism
(Ephesians 4:4–6). All the faithful baptized have become one great baptismal
host. They are the holy fellowship of all those who have washed their robes and
made them white in the blood of the Lamb (Revelation 7).
To be a Christian
is to be a member of the Church. The church is a confessional fellowship, the
assembly of all those who confess the unadulterated Gospel of Jesus Christ.
This is our identity. It is how we speak and confess together in our
Confessional writings, “Our churches teach.” “We believe, teach, and confess.”
This is no light matter. We Lutherans have the great duty of confessing our
doctrine before all, since we have God’s Word in its truth, clarity, and purity.
Christ Jesus Himself establishes His beloved Church on this beautiful
confession. “On this rock,” that is, on the ministry of Peter’s great
confession, “I will build My Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail
against Her” (Matthew 16:18).
REFORMATION 500: 1519 in
Review
In May 1519,
Luther published a little sermon on The Estate of Marriage, based on a sermon
he had preached that January for the 2nd Sunday after the Epiphany
(John 2:1–11). You may wonder what a 35-year-old unmarried pastor (a former
monk!) might have to say about being married. Recorded below are a few portions
of the sermon. You will note, especially if you read the whole sermon (AE
44.7–14), that some of Luther’s language still reflected pre-Reformation
teaching. So, for example, he still called Marriage a sacrament. He meant,
however, that Marriage is a sign or object lesson that teaches that God and man
are united in the one person of Christ, and that Christ and the Church are
united as the head to the body (Ephesians 5:22–32).
Luther made three important points. First:
[Marriage] is an outward and spiritual
sign of the greatest, holiest, worthiest, and noblest thing that has ever
existed or ever will exist: the union of the divine and human natures in
Christ. The holy Apostle Paul says that as a man and wife united in the estate
of matrimony are two in one flesh, so God and man are united in the one person
Christ, and so Christ and Christendom are one body. (10)
Second, Luther taught that “marriage is a
covenant of fidelity” (10). He had just explained that married love is the
highest kind of love, “a bride’s love, which glows like a fire and desires
nothing but the husband. She says, ‘It is you I want, not what is yours: I want
neither your silver nor your gold; I want neither. I want only you. I want you
in your entirety, or not at all’” (9).
Third, “marriage
produces offspring, for that is the end and chief purpose of marriage.” But
Luther focused especially on how the children are to be brought up within the
marriage:
[Married people] can do no better work and
do nothing more valuable either for God, for Christendom, for all the world,
for themselves, and for their children than to bring up their children well. .
. By the same token, hell is no more easily earned than with respect to one’s
own children. You could do no more disastrous work than to spoil the children,
let them curse and swear, let them learn profane words and vulgar songs, and
just let them do as they please. What is more, some parents use enticements to
be more alluring to meet the dictates of the world of fashion, so that they may
please only the world, get ahead, and become rich, all the time giving more attention
to the care of the body than to the due care of the soul. There is no greater
tragedy in Christendom than spoiling children. If we want to help Christendom,
we most certainly have to start with the children, as happened in earlier
times. (12–13)
He emphasized this last point:
Therefore, it is of the greatest
importance for every married man to pay closer, more thorough and continuous
attention to the health of his child’s soul than to the body which he has
begotten, and to regard his child as nothing else but an eternal treasure God
has commanded him to protect, and so prevent the world, the flesh, and the
devil from stealing the child away and bringing him to destruction. (13)
Announcements
Wy District Scholarship Applications: Due to Pr. Mueller 5/1/19
District Men’s Retreat: June
21-23 (Buffalo)
Lander Youth Camp: August 4-8
THE
NEXT ROUNDUP
The next Roundup will be delivered to congregations
around May 20 (June 2019 issue).
Rural and
Small Town Mission
STRONG FAITH, FERVENT LOVE All Things to All People Part of our strategic plan for LCMS Rural & Small Town Mission is understanding this very important point: While there is no “one size fits all” solution, congregational leaders are encouraged to see new opportunities for engaging their communities and to be filled with hope for the future. This is essential for anyone who works in or with congregations that are planning their outreach ministry and work. Paul describes it this way in 1 Corinthians 9: “To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some” (verses 20–22). It is important that when we are doing our planning we understand that we can’t always look to those around us and attempt to do things exactly like they are. Too often, congregations make plans based upon their envy of the popular programs and ministries of congregations around them. However, while much can be gleaned and learned from our neighbors, these things must be adjusted to the needs of our community and the strengths and resources of our specific congregation. RSTM encourages congregations to take the time to self-evaluate and determine those strengths and resources while endeavoring to consider the needs of the community which they serve. All the while, it is incumbent on them to remain in the Word and in prayer in order to bring glory to God and serve His Kingdom.
Pastor Todd Kollbaum
Voters’
Meeting Minutes
April 17, 2019
The April Voter’s Meeting was called to order by Chairman Don Bowlin, with Pastor Humphrey leading an opening devotion from the 22nd chapter of Luke. The minutes of the January Voter’s meeting were read, and Melvina Dilman clarified that the landscaping project that is proposed (referencing January minutes) is from the memorial funds of Jerry Dillman. The minutes were approved. The Treasurer’s Report was read by Julie Alkire, showing the following end of March 2019 Balances: General Fund $2885.39; Maintenance and Repairs: $4668.78; LCEF $3563.47. A motion was made to approve the Treasure’s Report by Virgil Ritz, seconded by Levi Bowlin, the motion carried.
Pastors Report: Pastor Humphrey updated the Voter’s Assembly on upcoming Lenten Services, including Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunrise Services hosted at Trinity. Pastor reminded all that there are two upcoming seminars on creation in Denver on May 2-4 and June 2, there are flyers in the fellowship hall. Pastor reports he remains on Jury Duty through the end of April, and will keep the congregation updated on any possible availability issues. Pastor reports there is also an upcoming Pastoral conference in Rock Springs on May 13-15, which he plans to attend. Pastor also mentioned that the Kyocera printer appears to be in need of replacement soon, though it is still working, it is not always working very well.
Elders’ Report: Elmer Wohl reports that funeral services for Bea Chapman were on March 16th. He also reports that Ken and Pat Klingsporn have requested a transfer of membership to Trinity from Faith Lutheran in North Platte. A motion was made by Gerald Ritz and seconded by Elmer Wohl to accept them as communicate members. Motion Carried.
Trustees’ Report: Virgil Ritz reports that he will check with the Hopkins on their availability to address the ceiling in the fellowship area. He also reports that Rudy has been working on the sprinkler system and had to replace a couple of heads that were damaged during the concrete work on the East side of the Church. Virgil reports that the heater issues have been addressed and he is waiting on a final bill. Virgil and Melvina updated the Voter’s Assembly on the proposed landscaping project/modifications and Melvina reports she has a sketch available for anyone to view who is interested.
Sunday School Superintendent: Melvina reports that she is wanting to have a VBS program this summer, hopefully in July.
With no old business to report Chairman Don Bowlin read a letter regarding the Pastors’ Wive’s Retreat from District President John Hill. With no further business to address a motion was made by Pastor Humphrey and seconded by Karen Ritz to adjourn the meeting. Motion Carried.
Call to Order: 8:02 Adjourned: 8:55
Trinity
Lutheran Women’s Society LWML
Will meet on
May 8, 2019 at Ayala’s Restaurant at the Mitchell Golf Course. Dutch Treat
Dinner will be at 6:00 PM followed by the business meeting at 7:30 PM.
DATES TO REMEMBER FOR MAY
May 7 Dirk Strauch Birthday
May 9 Patty Landreth Birthday
May 13 Kim Schledewitz Birthday
May 17 Virginia Engebretsen Baptismal Date
May 17 Dallas and Janet Ewald Anniversary
May 19 Kylie and Todd Wilson Anniversary
May 21 Jean Strauch Birthday
May 21 Janet Ewald Birthday
May 24 Roxane Humphrey Baptismal Date
May 25 Helen Engebretsen Baptismal Date
May 31 Ashley Wagoner Baptismal Date
If
your name does not appear, it is because these were taken from Trinity’s
directory for which we have permission to use names and dates. Please notify the office to have a date
added.
