APRIL 2006
Dear Mt. Olive family and
friends,
“Tacky.” That’s today’s word in my Word Origin
Calendar. Cheap, sleazy, and poorly made
defines something that is “tacky.” By
the mid-1800s, the term was in use in the
“Tacky” is a fitting word to
describe sinful humanity. Not that we
were “poorly made” – we are “fearfully and wonderfully made” according to the
inspired Psalmist (Psalm 139:14) – but sin has cheapened us and rendered
us “poor and useless.”
It was for “tacky” folks that
Jesus came into the world. It was for
poor, cheap, sleazy, useless people that He died. Without Jesus’ perfect life and innocent
death, we remain totally and thoroughly “tacky.” Not a pleasant thought!
As we now commemorate the
suffering and death of Jesus and celebrate His triumphant resurrection, let’s
not pretend that He did all this because of anything good in us. The goodness was in Him – not in us.
In an old Dennis the Menace cartoon, Dennis and his
little friend Joey are leaving Mrs. Wilson's house, their hands full of
cookies. Joey says, "I wonder what we did to deserve this." Dennis
answers, "Look, Joey. Mrs. Wilson gives us cookies not because we're nice,
but because she's nice."
Our dear Savior gives us much
more than cookies, and not because we are nice but because He is gracious.
You might remember comedian Yakov
Smirnoff. It’s worth a trip to Branson
just to see his show! When he first came
to the
You and I can put together our own list. Just add water to the divine Word and you’ve
got Baptism, the gracious water of life.
What a Savior! Just add Jesus’
sinless blood to “tacky,” cheap, useless human beings and you get complete
forgiveness. What a Savior! Just add God-given faith to the formula and
you become a new creation with a new start at a new life that will take you to
a new home in heaven. What a Savior!
As you gather with fellow believers in God’s House this
Holy Week, take seriously the Savior’s love that you find there at the
blood-stained cross and in the empty tomb.
The Lord Jesus Christ took “tacky” folks like you and me, washed all our
guilt and shame away with His pure, cleansing blood, and declared victory over
sin, death, and hell by His resurrection from the grave. Furthermore, He tells us through His
appointed spokesman that when He died, we died.
He tells us that we also arose with Him.
He assures us that His victory is our victory.
Now, folks, there’s nothing “tacky” about that!
Pastor Carl R.
Henkel
Maundy Thursday Worship
with Holy Communion
7:00pm
Friday, April 14,
2006 7:00pm
Good Friday Tenebrae Service
Easter Sunday, April
16, 2006
Easter Breakfast 7:30pm
Festival of the
Resurrection Worship Service
with Holy Communion
9:00am
Sunday Worship
~ 9:00am
Bible Class & Sunday School ~
10:30am