Happy Easter

Wishing all a happy Easter Day…

Today’s celebration was wonderful, with attendances at the two services of 85 and 130.  We don’t often see those kinds of numbers.  Many guests and visitors also came to hear the blessed Easter proclamation of a risen Lord and Living Savior.  While some may remember this year for a long time because of the good-natured jabs Vicar and I exchanged regarding our ages (He called me venerable, and I told him one day he would “grow up) really the important and amazing thing is that we both preached clearly that Jesus did truly rise from the dead, defeating our enemies and saving all who believe in him.  The choir sang a spiritual selection, “The Angel Rolled the Stone Away,” which I thought was a great addition to our service.  I wish everyone could have been here for it.

For some who could not come, our shut-ins and the ill, about 4 members took lilies to brighten their Easter.  I thank them for this act of service.

Blogging and the Church

When Laurie, just after Christmas, offered to set up a blog for the congregation, I was excited.  I determined that I would write a short blog every day.  For a while I did, but then things got hectic, and I didn’t think too much about the blog.  Before today, I had not written for a month and a half or more.

This is my fourth entry today, Good Friday.  (Maybe I’m procrastinating on the hard work of writing a Good Friday and Easter sermon.)  Actually, I have tonight’s planned out, and just need to put it to manuscript and commit it to memory.  And Easter sermons are always joyful and fairly easy to write.  Christ is risen!  The rest is commentary.

But blogging also makes me nervous.  Anyone in the cyberworld can read my posts.  I need to be careful what I write.  Some watchdogs can attack viciously.  I try to avoid writing anything that might get me in trouble.  So far, I’ve only received positive comments.  But I have read other blogs dedicated to Lutheranism, or the WELS, or Christianity in general that are pure vitriol.  Blogs, like other forms of speech, can become a deadly evil, a poison arrow, a spark that ignites a forest fire.

“Hate what is evil, cling to what is good.”  When anonymous posters flame others, attack them, or spread lies, ignore them.  Don’t comment on their foolish words more than once.  “Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you will be like him yourself” (Prov 26:4).

So those are my blogs for today.  45 more, and I will have caught up with my goal of giving you a daily blog.

Confirmation Day

Last Sunday, Palm Sunday, Austin Wagenknecht was confirmed at Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church.  It was a joyful day, made even more joyful by the fact that his sponsor Nathan Wagenknecht was here, along with my dad Myrl.  Dad is retired now, and lives in Sun City.  Nathan is getting married next Friday, and then he and his wife Julie will be moving to Brazil, where Nathan will serve as a Lutheran missionary.

At the confirmation examination, in front of the congregation, Austin answered 22 questions, giving him the  opportunity to confess his faith.  He chose two confirmation verses; 1 Cor 10:31, and Romans 8:37-39.  He was able to receive communion for the first time with our family, too.

I am very proud of Austin.  For confirmation Nathan bought him a drum set.  He is very accomplished at playing the viola, and is using a CD and book to learn to play guitar.  He wants to help some of our other musicians form a worship praise band here at Grace.  They can use a drummer.

But I am more proud of our Savior, who has given us this grace, to know him and serve him.  I thank God that he has allowed us this peace and opportunity.

Foster Parenting

Most of you reading this know that our family brought home two new children who are joining our family as foster kids.  E, 16, and A, 11, join our Austin, 13, and Bethany, 11.  We moved them into our home on March 28.

These two weeks they have been settling into our family routine, and getting settled at school.  Appointments with therapists, the social worker, foster-care advocates, and their extended-family relatives have filled our schedule, along with homework and church activities.

In about a week (April 19), A will be baptized.  E has already started with confirmation instruction.  We rejoice at the opportunities to tell about and express  Jesus’ love to them.   Pray for us, please, as we  work hard to assimilate them into out family, church,  and faith.

If anyone is considering becoming a foster parent, let me tell you the need is great, both for temporary placements of a few days to three months, or for more permanent placement like we are trying to accomplish.  Be ready for a challenge!  Even when things go smoothly, there are myriad appointments, people to keep in  contact with, and responsibilities.

But it seems like a great way to share Jesus’ love with a child who may never have learned to know Him.  What a difference that can make!

Good Friday

I have often wondered why this Friday is called “Good.”  It wasn’t good for our Lord and Savior to be treated the way he was.  He was tried unfairly, convicted by sinful men when he himself had never committed any sin, flogged and whipped, mocked and betrayed, abandoned and rejected.  The King of the Jews was treated like a condemned criminal slave.

On Good Friday, nearly 2000 years ago the God-man Jesus Christ died.  Jesus was and is fully God and fully man.   Since his person cannot be divided it is altogether appropriate to use the title God to describe every aspect of Jesus’ life.  We can say that on Good Friday, God shed his blood and died on the cross.  To say, “God is dead” is shocking enough, but we are confronted with an insurmountable challenge to our concept of God with Jesus’ words to his Father:  “My God, My God, Why have you forsaken me?”

I cannot explain this to my own rational curiosity.  God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are bound eternally as one God.  For a time, however, there was rejection of the Son.  Jesus was holding on to our guilt and our sins.  A perfect God cannot tolerate sin and guilt.  Look what it did to Jesus!  He died a miserable, convicted death.

But the Father’s rejection of Jesus his Son was not permanent.  We see that Jesus completed the payment for our sins in his words, “It is finished.”  (Tetelestai in Greek.)  This word means “Made complete, having reached its conclusion, perfected.  It is a word that was used to describe a complete payment in ancient commerce.  The word brings comfort to the Christian because we know that every sin ever committed by anyone has been paid for.  No one is excluded from this universal grace.  Jesus died for you!

On Easter Day, we celebrate the resurrection of Christ from the dead.  Having made full payment for all sin, and having suffered our punishment in gross humiliation, God the Father raised him by the Spirit’s power.  Every promise he made is true!  All power and glory in heaven and earth is restored to him!  He lives and reigns forever for us.

So  on this Friday, ironically called “Good,” we see that it really is good–for us, for the world, and especially for those who believe in and trust this amazing Savior-God.