JANUARY 2006
The Conversion Of An Octogenarian
This is the testimony of how the Lord worked in the life of an
eighty-year-old man who departed this life in August 1969. R.H.K. would have
been the first to acknowledge what the Lord Himself had done for him since he
knew it was something he could never have done for himself.
A number of
Scriptures describe his experience, but John 5:24 summarizes it best where
Jesus says, “He that heareth My word, and believeth
on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into
condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.” From physical birth this man
was spiritually dead, but did not know it. Born in 1884 of Methodist parents,
he lived a morally “honest” life, and did not drink, smoke, dance, gamble, go
to the cinema or cheat his fellow men. In his twenties he “took office” in the
local Methodist church and became a steward and a trustee. He read the Bible
regularly and was familiar with much of its contents.
Married at the age
of twenty-four, he lost his first wife through cancer ten years later, but
married again. By his seventieth year he realized that he had reached the
“allotted span” and began to wonder why he was being spared. The Bible became
more meaningful to him.
As the weeks passed
he began to have an uneasy conscience and a sense of being unprepared for what
lay beyond this life. A sense of sinfulness developed into a definite
conviction of sin and awareness that he was not ready to face God. His previous
morally upright life sank away under the realization that in the sight of God
he was a sinner by nature, in thought, word and deed.
Towards the close of
1964 this sense of sin grew so intense that he felt just like Christian in
“Pilgrim’s Progress,” bearing a load too heavy for him, but which had to be borne.
His daughter, who
had been a Christian for twenty years and who was caring for him, tried to
remind him of God’s promises, such as “If we confess our sins, He is faithful
and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness,” (1
John 1:9); “the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth
us from all sin,” (1 John 1:7); and “him that cometh to Me I will in no wise
cast out,” (John 6.37). She explained to him that God is faithful, and that if
He did not keep His promises He would not be God; but also that the promises
have to be believed, appropriated and acted on; and that saving faith is the
gift of God.
But Satan was not
willing to release his captive easily. He kept whispering in his ear: “You are
far too great a sinner ever to be forgiven. God will never forgive you.” And so
a terrible spiritual battle raged in the old man’s heart, from November 1964
till March 1965. What a state he was in! Indescribable! How true these words
became in his case: “Not what these hands have done can save this guilty soul;
not what I feel or do can give me peace with God.”
During these
distressing months, although he felt on three occasions that God was smiling on
him, it was as if the heavens were brass and there was no one there to hear or
answer his cries.
Just at this crucial
time the Holy Spirit brought home with great power the passage where the rich
man, now in hell, cried out to Abraham to send Lazarus to dip the tip of his
finger in water and cool his tongue! He thought: “If only ONE DROP of water was
so important to the rich man in torments, how terrible must my torture be, and
I am heading for hell!”
But God, who is
always Master of the situation, did not leave him in this dreadful state. The
burdened man found comfort in God’s Word: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ,
and thou shalt be saved.” He found no comfort in his
good life, but here was a definite statement, a definite promise, not a “maybe”
or a “can be.” Truly, “he that heareth My word, and
believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into
condemnation, but is passed from death unto life,” (John 5:24). “God, who is
rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us, even when we were dead
in trespasses and sins, hath quickened us together with Christ,” (Eph 2:4-5).
Two or three days
passed and the eighty-year-old kept repeating the words: “It is only a matter
of believing”, till assurance came to him that he had passed from death to life
and that none could pluck him out of the Savior’s hand. How he praised the Lord
for His great salvation! He often said: “I can’t praise Him enough for all He
has done for me!”
The dark shadow that
had hung over his face completely disappeared, to be replaced by a radiance
that did not fade.
This radiance was
not all that showed the change of heart he had undergone. From then on he was
eager to talk about the Lord and hear anything about Him from other Christians.
He was never without his Bible, which he read as long as his strength allowed.
He read it because it delighted his heart and was food for his soul. “Blessed
are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be
filled,” (Matt 5:6). What a transformation had taken place -from death to life!
Graciously the Lord
spared him for a further five years, during which he sought to witness to his
family and show them the way of salvation. All this time he was a complete
invalid, with arthritis, a weak heart and an incurable disease, yet not one
word of complaint escaped his lips. When the pain was very severe his only
comment was: “It is nothing compared with what my Savior suffered for me.”
Towards the end of
his earthly journey he became so weak that he could hardly speak at all, except
to praise God, then smile. As he neared the valley of the shadow of death his
daughter offered him the comfort of a human hand, but his lack of response
showed that his hand was already being held by the One who had caused him to
pass from death to life. “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His
saints,” (Ps. 116:15).
This dear godly man
was my earthly father.
Wise Advice For 2006Letter From A WELS (as it appeared recently on the Church and Change listserve)
I am a female layperson that has been
I know that I am a
damnable sinner. Nothing I do or say is good or right in the sight of God.
Guilt, guilt, guilt. Yes, I know that I am forgiven. But for years I have felt
the guilt of my sinfulness more than the love and forgiveness of my God.
Did those feelings
keep me from my God and my church? No. I have been a Sunday School teacher, a
choir member, a VBS teacher, a member of the Altar Guild, participant in a
Mom-and-Tots group when my children were small, participant in banner making
and attend Bible classes. More recently, I find myself a full time church
secretary. Now add all those responsibilities on top of the activities I had
myself involved in. And none of this encompasses the fact that I have a
husband, 3 children, two parents, 4 siblings and all the family and school
activities that go with it.
Early last summer, I
received an email from one of my pastors about a Jars of Clay Ministries (JOCM)
Conference to be held in mid-September 2004. I made a hard copy and added this
email to the stack on my desk. Late summer, with our school’s registration day
looming, I reviewed all the paper in my “Work in Progress” file. The deadline
for registration of the JOCM Conference was only a week or so away. I went to
the JOCM website to find just enough information to make me curious and I had
this overwhelming feeling that I needed to attend. Was there still room? I
clicked on the contact link, but must have been too impatient. After quite a
number of calls, I found there was still room.
Who knew that I
would find a renewed relationship with my Lord and Savior in
JOCM emphasis is on
women’s outreach ministries. Near the end of the conference, I still didn’t
feel I had a good grasp of MY spiritual gifts (my actual gifts, not all the
service opportunities that I had allowed my life to be run by), nor a focus on
how those gifts could best be used.
A very dear leader
of the conference took me by the hand and led me to the lobby of the hotel. She
asked me what was going on in my life. I reviewed what I shared with you a few
paragraphs ago. She asked me, “Who is first in your life?” I answered
questioningly, “Christ?” She asked me, “Who is second in your life?” Again,
questioningly I answered, “My husband?”
These were
rhetorical questions. She went on to share her recent past. Suffice it to say
that she would have compromised her health and emotional wellbeing had she
continued down the road she was traveling. She shared her trials and successes
with me and gave me an assignment. (Homework?! Yeah, homework.)
Read my Bible daily
Pray daily
Now, I’ve been
encouraged most of my life to read my Bible. But there was something about how
the message was delivered—from someone who’s been there to someone who was
going there. And that prayer thing, that has been encouraged of me, too.
Especially since my confirmation verse is Matthew 21:22—I hadn’t memorized it
until recently—but I always remembered that it has something to do with prayer!
“If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”
My assignment has
been taken seriously. The part of my spiritual life that I needed was to ENGAGE
my Lord and Savior. It is not enough to know about Jesus, we all need to know
Him. And once we know Him, we will want to share Him with others.
“For Christ’s love
compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all
died. And He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for
themselves but for Him who died for them and was raised again. So from now on
we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ
in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new
creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who
reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of
reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were
making His appeal through us.” 2 Corinthians 5:14-20
God makes His appeal
through us (ala 2 Corinthians 5:20b), but He doesn’t need us to do anything for
Him. We love, because He first loved. Being busy for God, trying to be a foot
and a hand and a nose is not what He wants of us. We all have our place in the
body of Christ.
The JOCM conference
reminded me of all the ministry opportunities for women in the
As we go about
engaging God in Bible study and prayer, finding and developing our spiritual
gifts and sharing our Savior with others on a personal level (ala the hotel
lobby scene), we celebrate our life in Jesus.
God Bless!
Shelley M.
(You may join this listserve by registering at churchandchange.org)
A Nation of Deists
The dominant American religion is a far cry from Christianity |
by Gene Edward Veith (World Magazine)
Sometimes recognizing a problem requires finding the right words
to name it. Christian Smith and Melinda Lundquist Denton have coined a phrase
that describes perfectly the dominant American religion: Moralistic Therapeutic
Deism.
Those authors are
researchers with the National Study of Youth and Religion at the University of
North Carolina (Chapel Hill) and have written up their findings in a new book:
Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers (Oxford
University Press).
After interviewing over
3,000 teenagers, the social scientists summed up their beliefs:
(1) "A god
exists who created and ordered the world and watches over human life on
earth."
(2) "God wants
people to be good, nice, and fair to each other, as taught in the Bible and by
most world religions."
(3) "The
central goal of life is to be happy and to feel good about oneself."
(4) "God does
not need to be particularly involved in one's life except when God is needed to
resolve a problem."
(5) "Good
people go to heaven when they die."
Even these secular
researchers recognized that this creed is a far cry from Christianity, with no
place for sin, judgment, salvation, or Christ. Instead, most teenagers believe
in a combination of works righteousness, religion as psychological well-being,
and a distant non-interfering god. Or, to use a technical term,
"Moralistic Therapeutic Deism."
Ironically, many of
these young deists are active in their churches. "Most religious teenagers
either do not really comprehend what their own religious traditions say they
are supposed to believe," conclude Mr. Smith and Ms. Denton, "or they
do understand it and simply do not care to believe it."
Another possibility
is that they have learned what their churches are teaching all too well. It is
not just teenagers who are moralistic therapeutic deists. This describes the
beliefs of many adults too, and even what is taught in many supposedly
evangelical churches.
Mr. Smith and Ms.
Denton recognize this. MTD has become the "dominant civil religion."
And it is "colonizing" American Christianity. To the point, these
secular scholars conclude, "a significant part of Christianity in the
Consider how many
Christian publications, sermons, and teachings are nothing but moralism.
Sometimes morality is reduced to the simplistic MTD commandment "be
nice," though often real morals are inculcated. But the common assumption
is that being good is easy, just a matter of knowing what one should do and
trying harder. The biblical truth that bad behavior is a manifestation of sin,
a depravity that inheres in our fallen nature, is skimmed over. And so is the
solution to sin: a life-changing faith in Jesus Christ.
Consider how many
Christian publications, sermons, and teachings are primarily therapeutic. It is
true that Christ can solve many of our problems. But much that passes for
Christian teaching says nothing about Christ. Instead, it consists of pop
psychology, self-help platitudes, and the power of positive thinking.
Consider how many
Christian publications, sermons, and teachings talk about God in a generic way,
but say nothing about the Father, who created and still sustains the world; the
Son, who became Incarnate in this world to win our salvation; and the Holy
Spirit, who works through the Word of God to bring us to faith.
Christianity is
about grace, not moralism; changing lives, not making people feel better about
themselves; the God made flesh, not an uninvolved deity. And that is better
news than Moralistic Therapeutic Deism.
Profound TruthThe church exists by mission as fire exists by burning.
Emil Brunner Packed, But Still Empty
"Contemporary" churches aren't
attracting many contemporaries | by Gene Edward Veith
Clint Rainey, a journalism student interning at The Dallas
Morning News, is put off by the "seeker-friendly" approach to church
that—he contends—does a good job filling up massive church buildings but leaves
many feeling spiritually empty.
In his opinion piece
for the paper—"The younger crowd has had its fill of big, flashy
churches" (July 25, 2005)—Mr. Rainey recalls how the church he grew up in
transformed from a small congregation of a few hundred members into a
megachurch of nearly 10,000. He says that the contemporary touches are designed
to appeal to baby boomers, not to today's young people. "These churches
attract middle-age adults like iron filings," he says. "But my
generation isn't in such awe."
Mr. Rainey finds the
new churches too materialistic and "impersonal in every way." He says
that young people today are not impressed with technology, big buildings, and
commercialism. He decries the overall emphasis on "stuff" that
plagues our culture and now our churches. He says that today's young adults
crave real religion.
Mr. Rainey closes
his column with these haunting words: "In
Set aside the
debates over the church-growth movement. Also set aside for a moment the irony
that changes implemented to make Christianity more attractive to young people
are actually turning them off. The challenge of "empty churches"—even
those that are packed with people—deserves attention.
Part of the problem
is what sociologist and megachurch pastor Leith
Anderson calls "generic Christianity." He points out that today, one
can go into a church (especially a megachurch) of nearly any
denomination—Baptist, Presbyterian, Pentecostal, Wesleyan, Lutheran—and be
unable to notice any difference among them. They all are likely to use the same
praise songs and contemporary worship style. The sermons will tend to be about
practical biblical tips for successful living, and go light on doctrine and
sin. Also, all of these different denominations tend to use Sunday-school
curriculum and other material from the same nondenominational publishers. These
companies purposefully avoid all controversial issues and doctrinal distinctives, which would limit their market share.
As a result,
"generic Christianity" is erasing denominational differences and
giving churches a brand-new theological framework. Mr. Anderson thinks this is
a good thing. Whereas the ecumenical movement among liberal mainline churches
tried but largely failed to unify churches from the top down, the church-growth
movement has succeeded, unifying the different denominations on a grassroots
level.
And yet, this unity
comes at a cost. Both liberal theologians and church-growth theologians
downplay historic doctrines, seeing them as divisive and irrelevant. Both value
what is new over what is old. And so both cut themselves off from the spiritual
heritage of historic Christianity. Since some Christians today make up their
own theology and practices as they go along, oblivious to the time-tested,
battle-tested experiences of the church through the ages, their spirituality
can seem shallow or "empty."
Generic Christianity
is not found in megachurches alone, of course, and many very large,
"mega" congregations are still faithful to Scripture and to their own
spiritual heritage. "Nondenominational" churches can draw on all of
the strains of historic Christianity, instead of rejecting them all. And in a
cultural climate that values "diversity," the rich diversity of
Christian churches should thrive.
As should small churches.
Many megachurches have grown not by making new converts to Christianity but at
the expense of small congregations, doing to small churches what Wal-Mart does
to small businesses. But in congregations that are so big the pastor does not
know his own members and the members do not know each other, it is difficult to
give people the pastoral care—and the discipline—that they often need to be
spiritually "full."
But this has been
neglected by churches of every size. Both large and small congregations must
find ways not only to fill their pews but to fill their members.
The Truly Human Christ
In the early years of
the Church, Gnosticism gave rise to the heresy of “Docetism,”
from the Greek dokeo which means “to seem.” This
heresy taught that Jesus never had any real human body, but just sort of
flitted over the earth like a ghost. It is interesting to note that in the
“Apostles’ Creed” the phrase “born of the Virgin Mary” was inserted in the
first place not to emphasize the word “virgin,” but rather to emphasize the
word “born.”
Lest you think that
this theological debate is all long, long ago and far away, may I hasten to
suggest that there are still a lot of happy Gnostics and Docetists
among us. The theology of Mary Baker Eddy which forms the basis of Christian
Science certainly leans in the direction of Gnosticism. Most popular piety has
a Gnostic Christ who never really quite touches this earth. When British
mystery writer and lay theologian Dorothy Sayers’ famous cycle of plays “The
Man Born to be King” was first performed on the radio in
Donald B. Strobe
To
Make You Smile
During a visit to the mental asylum, a visitor asked the
director, "What is the criterion that defines a patient to be
institutionalized?"
"Well"
said the director, "we fill up a bathtub, and we offer a teaspoon, a
teacup, and a bucket to the patient and ask him to empty the bathtub. "
"Oh, I
understand," said the visitor. "A normal person would choose the
bucket as it is larger than the spoon or the teacup."
"Noooooooo!" answered the director. "A normal
person would pull the plug."
(You are not required to tell anyone
how you would have done on this test.)
I cdnuolt
blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid aoccdrnig to rscheearcl taem at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the only iprmoatnt tihng is taht the fist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit
a porbelm. Tihs is bcusea the huamn mnid deos not raed
ervey lteter by istlef but the wrod as a wlohe. Such a cdonition is arppoiately cllaed Typoglycemia.
Amzanig huh? Yaeh and yuo awlyas
thought slpeling was ipmorantt.
Italian Pasta Diet -- It Really Works
!!
1. You walka pasta da
bakery.
2. You walka pasta da
candy store.
3. You walka pasta da
Ice Cream shop.
4. You walka pasta da
table and fridge.
You will lose
weight!
AND......
Concerned about too many carbs in your
diet?
For those of you who watch what you eat, here's the final
word on nutrition and health.
It's a relief to
know the truth after all those conflicting nutritional studies.
1. The Japanese eat very little fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
2. The Mexicans eat a lot of fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than
Americans.
3. The Chinese drink very little red wine and suffer fewer
heart attacks than Americans.
4. The Italians drink a lot of red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than
Americans.
5. The Germans drink a lot of beers and eat lots of sausages and fats and suffer fewer
heart attacks than Americans.
CONCLUSION
Eat and drink
what you like. Speaking English is apparently what kills you.
(Missionary Terry and Mary Schultz,
Norma
I don’t pretend to know what a young mother goes through upon
the death of her little child. Utterly shattered, devastated… pain beyond
imagination. Here in the Amazon jungle, young children die with heart-
wrenching frequency. I have often heard the estimate that more than one
out of every three children dies before the age of six. The reasons for this
high rate are obvious the moment you set foot in a native village.
Rapidly and bluntly stated: Children play and eat amongst
the muddy presence and filth of chickens, monkeys, birds and boars. The
community bathes in the mud-brown river. Some may rinse their hands off
with water before eating but I have never once seen a bar of soap used.
There are swarms of insects everywhere. Mangy dogs crawl in close to
campfires to nibble at mom’s cooking before the children get to it.
Garbage is tossed not very far from the house. And at the end of the day
when everyone drifts off to sleep, the children lie on the dirty floor, swathed
in a filthy rag-of-a blanket, while mom and dad are close by in sweat-stained,
mud-smeared hammocks. You get the picture. As I’ve often said, it
all adds up to a public health nurse’s worst nightmare.
As if this extraordinary lack of sanitation wasn’t hazardous
enough, add one final devastating detail: Many tribal communities
absolutely refuse to allow anyone to immunize their children from the myriad,
deadly tropical diseases. There are several reasons for their attitude:
First, the concept of an unseen, tiny microscopic organism, a virus, being the
root cause of deadly illnesses is not understood. Much more easily
grasped is the native’s concept of illness being brought on by evil spirits or
sorcery. (We have a member in Nueva Barranquita right now who is convinced that his blindness
is the result of a furious neighbor who contracted a shaman to cast a curse on
him after his pigs trampled the neighbor’s crops.)
And talk about good intentions gone awry: Consider the
native’s conclusions based on past experiences with visiting health teams offering
free immunizations: To most deep jungle natives, the idea of sticking a
painful needle into a terrorized child’s arm to guard against a future illness
simply doesn’t register. Add to that the experience of children being
lethargic all day if not downright sick the entire night after receiving a
shot. “That treatment made the babies sick!” is the obvious
conclusion. Finally, it is well known by the natives that a couple
children actually died from this bizarre practice by outsiders on their precious
children. Why take a chance?! You can forget any idea of convincing
the community that lives have also been saved by shots. How can you prove
that? By far the more logical question to the native mind: What are these
outsiders with their needles really up too? Needless to say, we have no
hope for an immunization program in our villages any time soon.
Which all brings us back to our Shawi member with the unlikely
name of Norma, a mom who last month lost her one-year old girl.
Like nearly all Shawi women, Norma was no doubt married before
the age of 14. I have more photos of Norma than any other native gal for
the simple reason that her husband Julio insists that she always wear the
traditional hand-made native dress; hand-woven naturally-dyed brown skirt with
black nutshell-stain designs, and small, colorful shirt. Once she
received that first photo we took of her, she was less shy than most to have
her picture taken. Norma always listens closely to our Gospel messages,
and I believe she possesses a saving faith in Jesus. However, like all
new Christian natives, Norma struggles with issues of syncretism; the strong,
natural tendency to try and retain tribal customs and beliefs that are in
opposition to Scriptural teachings.
Last week when we came on our monthly visit, we learned that
Norma’s little girl had died a couple weeks ago. The child first came
down with a burning fever, became progressively worse, then died a few days
later. Had we been there, we could have perhaps talked Norma and Julio
into an immediate trip to the Yurimaguas
hospital. We’ve transported natives to the hospital a few times, but more
often than not have had our offer refused. The reason: A trip to
the hospital by the timid, reclusive natives is always their very last resort.
Only after all other treatments and cures have proven ineffective, will a
hospital visit be considered. But by then it is too late, the disease too
far advanced, and the child usually dies. The native’s belief that
hospitals are ineffective is reinforced.
Instead, the family will invariably try a home remedy (or “folk
medicine” as it’s called). If that doesn’t work and the illness continues
to worsen, the services of a shaman are usually sought. (We have a long
ways to go in our Bible classes on this topic.) A desperate mother whose
baby is slowly but surely dying right before her eyes rarely has a problem
deciding to seek the services of a shaman renown for his healing powers.
That the shaman’s work is a pure abomination to God is not considered by the
now- frantic mother. Hiring a shaman to perform healing rituals makes the
parents feel they are actively trying something for their failing child.
Only our church goers (and not every one of them) are beginning to perceive a
conflict between utilizing a shaman and simultaneously seeking the prayers of a
Christian pastor.
Norma’s little girl died from the jungle fever. Norma
wrapped the tiny dead body in a woven cloth, and carried her for over two hours
down a jungle path to Parinari. There they buried the
child next to some of their ancestors.
Norma and Julio returned to their village of Nueva
Barranquita, knowing that the little girl’s death
would now set a certain chain of events into motion. These events are
anticipated by all the Shawi natives, based on their cultural beliefs.
In the deep darkness of a jungle night, lying in her hammock in
the cool breeze, Norma would be suddenly awakened by a noise. The noise
was always faint but unmistakable. It was the distinct sound of her
little girl crying. In her half-asleep, half-awake state, Norma would
begin to get up to attend to her child. Then the heart-breaking
realization would flood into her mind: Her baby was dead. It was
almost more than Norma could bear. Understand here: To the Shawi
mind, the crying sound is a real, physical sound. The natives believe it
is the cry of the inconsolable spirit of the child. As Norma expected,
the spirit child somehow found its’ way back from the spirit world to the house,
distraught at having left home and the world way before its’ time. The spirit
child is in anguish, looking for her mom.
Norma cannot of course, take too many of these gut-wrenchingly
emotional midnight visits. She never doubts for a moment that it’s real,
the return of the dejected spirit child looking for comfort. The parents
are called upon to do what’s best for the child, and also find a way to get on
with their lives. Resignedly, Julio and Norma decide they are ready to take the
next step. The Shawi response to the nightly appearances of a grieving
dead-before-its’-time spirit: It’s time to tear down the house.
It all makes sense to the Shawi. The comfortable, warm,
family dwelling must be taken apart and cease to exist. For then, when
the wandering spirit of the child returns at night looking for home and mom, it
will become confused as there will be no home to be found.
(Anthropologists conclude that disassembling the house serves two
purposes: 1, no more perceived hauntings, and 2, the parents no longer
reside in the home that contains so many powerful, wonderful memories of their
life with the child.
Living in a new house affords a new start. According to
tribal beliefs, eventually the forlorn spirit-of-the-dead give up trying to
find home and cease to return to the community. The grieving parents are
then encouraged to try and simply forget the child ever
existed!
And so, with heavy hearts, Norma and Julio carefully took their
big house down. Apparently it is sufficient to confuse a wandering spirit
child if the house is reconstructed only a few yards away, using the very same
materials. After all, saw-cut floorboards and carefully fitted wall slats
are hard to come by. Last week we witnessed the new house going up within
view of the old site.
And as we were leaving Nueva Barranquita last week after a meeting in our day school,
who she we come upon on the trail, but Norma. This of course was no
accident. I smiled at the thought of God putting her right in our
path. My mind immediately flashed to that moment over five years ago when
we first ran into a Shawi woman on a jungle path. We had carefully
honored the cultural taboo that prohibits any unaccompanied tribal woman from
talking to an outsider. Even to make direct eye contact with her could
get her in enough trouble to receive a beating from a jealous husband.
Back then, Ronal and I would veer completely off the path, even shading our
eyes to avoid making contact. How different it all is now. Norma stopped,
shyly looking away, but she had definitely stopped in order to talk!
There was stoic pain written all over Norma’s face. I
could barely get through a few introductory words of condolences to her (using
simple Spanish words as it is her second language) before I rushed on with a
torrent of good news for Norma. I could hardly wait to proclaim it:
Norma would be seeing her little girl one day in paradise. For Norma had
stood in the waters of the muddy river last year to have her baby
baptized!!
The exciting words fairly flew out of my mouth. Norma’s
baby was indeed waiting for her. Norma would one day feel the little girl
in her arms again. Her Savior had seen to that. Also, I hastened to
add, Norma needn’t worry herself about the child sadly wandering the community
at night looking for her. Far from it! The child was experiencing
supreme joy in heaven! – She had no need or desire to sadly wander back
to this tough world! All that was left was for Norma to one day rejoin
her girl!
Now in five years, I have only seen Shawi women crying
twice. Norma stood there motionless, but huge tears began streaming down
her eyes. Obviously, she wasn’t sure how to act or what to say. But
her huge eyes and the intensity with which she looked and listened to me was
unmistakable. Her small nods and big tears indicated that she understood
exactly what I was saying!
I thought that Norma might need a momentary break from our
intense session, (which included talk of her faith in Jesus) so I took a step
back to give her some space and time to breathe. However Ronal,
apparently quite cranked himself at the wonderfulness of the message and our
God-ordained opportunity to deliver it, pounced on the momentary opening.
Ronal announced anew the impending reunion of mother and child with Jesus in
paradise. (Don’t forget mind you, that since these natives usually only
live to their mid 40s or 50s, Norma and Julio wouldn’t not be waiting all that
long to see their child again!)
Norma listened closely till we finally finished. Then, in
that timid, unique high-pitch native voice, said “gracias hermano”
(thank you brother) over and over and over again, tears streaming, nose running
anew. I will never forget her face, intermittently flashing grief, joy,
embarrassment, and yet some undeniable measure of relief, while
struggling to regain her “stoic look” behind tear-streaked cheeks. I
could tell that Norma was beginning to grasp the unbelievable: She’s
going to hold that little girl again.
That dear friends, is what Jesus makes possible.
Until next time amigos,
Terry
The Lutheran Home Association
Construction
Underway on New Thrift Store
Work continues on a new building for
From Home to Home Thrift Store in Belle Plaine,
Minnesota, which is a project of The Lutheran Home Association Foundation. From
Home to Home opened in 1999, and its profits support the mission and ministry
of The Lutheran Home Campus in Belle Plaine.
Groundbreaking for the new store was
on October 31st. From Home to Home Thrift Store will open on
February 1st 2006. The new location is just off of U.S. Highway 169
next to the Dairy Queen. Volunteers are always welcome. To learn more, please
contact Barb Vatthauer at bvatthauer@tlha.org or
at 1-888-600-TLHA (8542), Extension 126.
Faith
Apartments
The Lutheran Home Association
received a grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to
build an eight-unit apartment building adjacent to the Belle Plaine campus. The apartments will primarily be the home of
persons with developmental disabilities.
Construction will begin a.s.a.p.
after closing (anticipated to be sometime in December) is complete. The Faith
Apartments will open sometime in 2006. To learn more, please contact Steve
Wilson, Director of Disability Services, at (952) 873-2142 or at swilson@tlha.org or
Michael Klatt, President and CEO, at mklatt@tlha.org or
1-888-600-TLHA (8542), Extension 121.
Date
Reminder
The annual meeting of The Lutheran
Home Association will be on Tuesday, January 17, 2006, in the chapel at The
Lutheran Home Campus in Belle Plaine, Minnesota (611
West Main Street).
Lunch will begin at noon, followed by
a worship service, and business meeting. Staff Minister Michael Hennig will present information during the meeting about
the New Friends campus ministry model
and the 2005 Summer Ministry Experience. Guests are encouraged to attend the
meeting, during which Joy Gostchock of St. John’s
Lutheran Church in Minneapolis will be presented the 2006 “Care of the Soul”
award.
Conceptual drawings of the new
assisted living and senior housing apartments planned for the Belle Plaine campus, and the River Falls campus and at Watertown,
Wisconsin, will be available.
Thank you for your interest in and
support of our ministry!
Michael R. Klatt, President and Chief Executive Officer
Christmas For Kids
This year we held a “Christmas For
Kids” program on December 10. We had 11
children ranging from ages 5 – 14. Six
of the children were not from our church.
The day went well with all the wonderful help we had from various
volunteers. Parents dropped off their
children at 2:00pm and we started the afternoon off with a devotion at 2:15pm,
led by Pastor. Shortly after the
devotion the children were engaged with crafts, games, decorating sugar
cookies, and learning about the real meaning of Christmas.
The parents came back by 4:30pm and we all joined together to
watch a Christmas movie. After the movie
we indulged ourselves with a wonderful meal that was deliciously prepared for
us by some members of the church.
We hope to have another Christmas For Kids next year; and with
the Lord’s help we will have more children.
E. John Fredrich, Chairman, Child, Youth, Family Discipleship
Committee
From The Women's Guild
We are thankful to
the Lord for granting us another year of service to the congregation in
whatever way we could. We were able to
meet for fellowship, lunch, Bible studies, and to support our charities. We thank all those who assisted us along the
way. Thanks to Linda Petersen and Pam Folkens for serving us a wonderful Sauerkraut Dinner for
our anniversary party, and to those who helped make projects to send to Peru.
Thanks also to those talented musicians from the congregation who performed at
our Christmas Party and to Linda Henkel for organizing the group.
Getting the Kitchen Band together was so much fun. Thanks to those who participated. We appreciate you all.
We were again able to serve potluck dinners, serve our members’
funerals, and also helped at two weddings.
We start the New Year with the same officers.. Marcella Voss,
President; Rita Krushwitz, Vice President; Berdella Cooper, Secretary; and Marlene Struwe,
Treasurer. We welcome visitors, friends
and new members. Come visit us and enjoy
an afternoon as we work and plan our year together.
My Mission
In Life
Welcome to part 4 of
“A Personal Stewardship Journal”. As you
read the following verses, consider the questions:
What is my role in the “grand scheme of
things”?
Why am I here?
What does God want me to accomplish?
What motivates me to carry out this mission?
Matthew 28: 19,20
Jesus said, “Therefore go and make disciples
of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of
the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And
surely I am with you always to the very end of the age.”
Mark 16: 15
Jesus said to them, “Go into all the world
and preach the good news to all creation.”
1 Peter 2: 9-12
But you are a chosen people, a royal
priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the
praises of Him who called you out of darkness into this wonderful light. Once
you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not
received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Dear friends, I urge you , as
aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war
against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they
accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the
day He visits us.
Mark 2: 17
Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy
who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but
sinners.”
So, as I see it, my role in the world is to
be a part of spreading the Good News to those who don’t have it. I also want to
live the kind of life that will let others see the evidence of my faith and my
gratefulness to God.
I am here to glorify God and to tell others
about what He has done for them. I think that God wants me to use the gifts He
has given me for this purpose.
I am motivated by my faith and joy over the
fact that I am, through faith, one of the “chosen people and royal priesthood”.
I pray that God helps me each day to see
that life is short, that we all share this in common, and that we have not been
given this life to serve ourselves.
Happy New Year!
Mark Sauer,
Adult Discipleship Chairman
Bible Study Opportunities
This year, the members of Mt. Olive are encouraged to read
through the New Testament. You’re
invited to pick up a copy of “Closer Walk” to help lead you through your
study. Copies are available in the
narthex. There are also many other
personal Bible reading programs available at www.wels.net or elsewhere. Or just pick up your Bible and start reading!
Remember the wise
encouragement given to the lady in the article on pages 3 and 4: Read your
Bible daily and pray daily.
“Time of Grace” with Pastor Mark Jeske
continues to be broadcast each Sunday morning at 6:30 on KMSP TV, channel
9. Invite your unserved/unchurched
friends to tune in, and then discuss the message with him/her the next time you
are together.
You
Can Help Save Energy and Money at Mt. Olive
The heating season is here, and as feared, our fuel bills are
astronomical. Are you aware that Mt.
Olive has SIX furnaces plus THREE electric wall heaters?!
There
are some efforts every member of Mt. Olive can make that will help save
money. The members of Mt. Olive Chinese
Church are also aware of our fuel costs and are trying to conserve energy. (The Chinese congregation has given us an additional
$400 last month to help with energy payments.
Thank you!)
1) Close the
doors quickly and tightly behind you when you enter and
leave the church.
2) Anytime
you walk past a room with no one in it and the lights are on, please reach in
and turn off the lights.
3)
When you are at a meeting or class at Mt. Olive and it is over, turn the
thermostat down as low as it will go. Last person out, please turn off the
lights in the room as you leave.
4) Anytime
you are the last person to leave a restroom, turn off the lights.
5) If you
are the last person leaving the church after a meeting or class, PLEASE double
check to see that all lights are off, all thermostats turned down, the wall
heaters in the lower level bathrooms and children’s room are turned off, and ALL
DOORS are locked and tightly closed.
Thank you
so very much!
Thank you to all who are supporting the ministry of Mt. Olive.
Whether you are able to give a lot or only a limited amount, please remember
that “The Lord loves a cheerful giver.” When we give cheerfully
and joyfully out of faith in Jesus, we know we are supporting an enterprise
that makes eternal differences in people's lives.
No one is
going to tell you what your "fair share" is. Each of us simply
remembers how much God has given to us and then we respond with joyful
gratitude. As we soak up His lavish love for us, remembering that He gave His
dearest treasure, His only begotten Son, we love, because He first loved us.
Thank you
for your partnership in the
Gospel!
PLEASE
NOTE: Your 2006 church offering envelopes have been available in the Fireside
Room since Thanks-giving. There are a
few packets still waiting to be picked up!
Another
Thank You
Our sincere
thanks to all the volunteers who helped with this year’s Christmas for
Kids. Your help was so much
appreciated. Thanks also to our Sunday
School staff, choir, accompanists, students, and parents for your hard work on
our December 18th Children & Choir Service. And “Thank You” to the singers, instru-mentalists, and accompanists on Christmas Eve and
Christmas Day and throughout the year.
We have been blessed through you!
Member Ministries Handbook
A brand new Member
Ministries Handbook is now available in the back of the church. The 25-page booklet contains ministry
opportunities, a membership directory of all Mt. Olive members, and an e-mail
directory of our membership. Please pick
up a copy next Sunday.
Calling All Men, Women, and Families
We are currently looking for ushers for 2006. The usher schedule
is put together as a rotating schedule with five groups serving on the
corresponding four or five Sundays of the month (the group that serves for the
fifth Sunday also ushers for holiday and Lenten services). All members of Mt.
Olive are welcome. If you have not served as an usher before please consider it.
Either sign up for the week that will work best for you on the sheet on the
narthex bulletin board or contact Ted Lau at 651.227.3608. Thank you.
Dear Mt. Olive Brothers and Sisters,
We make a number of very
significant commitments in our lifetime.
Some may first think of when they got married and spoke wedding
vows. Others may remember their
Confirmation Day when they promised to remain true to the church. When we bring our infants forward in baptism,
we all joyously promise to raise the child in the fear of God.
On the other hand, we also all have
commitments. These are engagements that
are thrust upon us, to which we have no power to avoid. We may create commitments, as in previously scheduled
events, that are used to avoid some less desirable meeting.
Mt. Olive Lutheran Church also makes
commitments. As an organization, we are
committed to helping our members remain in the faith. We are committed to seeking the lost. We are committed to the education of our
youth, young adults, middle aged, and seniors.
The church also makes commitments to support others. We also are committed to support St. Croix
Lutheran High School. We support
missions in India, Peru, and China.
The point of this letter is to remind
you, as a member of Mt. Olive, of our commitment to WELS. We promised to support WELS with $15,000 for
2005. This is about $3000 less than 2004
and about $10,000 less than 2003. As it
stands, I have been part of the entire process, but I would still have trouble
defending against the accusation that we have turned our backs on Synod, when
they needed us the most. To date, we
have sent only ca. $8,000 to synod. That
means we are about $7,000 short of our commitment. While you can quibble whether this
“commitment” is like our other “commitments,” the bottom line is that the
Coordinating Council has decided to honor this commitment. That means if we do not receive the needed
funds from our members, we will spend our future, since we think this is the
right thing to do.
The bottom line is that you now have
been given an unavoidable commitment.
However, I sincerely pray that you can make the commitment with joy as
you did on your Confirmation Day or wedding day or when you stood at a baptism
font, since then God will surely grant you the blessing of joy that comes with
a generous heart.
Timothy Wiedmann, President