Sermon Text for October 29, 2023 - "How to Be the Church: Being Faithful"

 “How to Be the Church: Being Faithful”

October 29, 2023

 

            Dear brothers and sisters, grace and peace be to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen.

            As we do every year on the Sunday closest to Halloween, we celebrate Reformation Sunday, on which we traditionally remember Martin Luther nailing the 95 Theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany, on October 31^st, 1517, protesting against the sale of indulgences, and demonstrating why those, along with many other teachings and practices of the church of his time, were against the actual teachings of the Bible. In response, the church kicked him out for contradicting its teachings, and so he and his followers started a movement to reform the church, to bring it back to the original teachings and practices of the New Testament – a movement of which we are heirs today. However, I’m going to switch things up a bit, and tell you all that today is actually not about Martin Luther. It’s about Abraham Lincoln.

            What? Okay, you’re probably saying, and just like many of you have probably asked every week for the last six and a half years, “Where are you going with things this time, Pastor Jon?” Hear me out. In the 1970s, a historian was traveling around Illinois, recording folk history. Several people in the countryside had told him about a certain farm family who supposedly were in possession of the axe Abraham Lincoln had used as a young man for splitting logs, which he had done for a living before becoming a lawyer, and eventually President. The historian searched, and soon found the family and their farm. He found the farmer in his yard splitting wood for the fireplace, and asked the farmer if he did indeed have Lincoln’s axe. “Yes,” the farmer said. “It’s true. Abe Lincoln lived ‘round these parts as a young man, and he worked for a while splitting wood for my great-grandpa. It happened my great-grandpa bought a new axe from a peddler the day before Abe Lincoln came to work for him, and he gave it to him for free. We’ve kept it ever since.” “Well,” said the historian, “that’s definitely a great historical treasure, and it really ought to be in a museum. Would you mind going into the house and bringing it out so I can see it.” “Oh, we know it’s important,” said the farmer. “I take it to the school from time to time and tell the kids about it and Lincoln. It kinda makes it real for them, you know? But I don’t have to go into the house. I’ve got it right here.” The historian looked horrified, and blurted out, “You mean, you’re actually USING it right now???” “Sure thing!”, the farmer said, “An axe is meant to be used.” The historian looked over the axe carefully. “I must say your family seems to have taken really good care of it.” “Of course!”, the farmer said. “We know we’re protecting history. Why, we’ve replaced the handle twice and the head once!”

            In many ways, whether we realize it or not, we may think that the church is like Lincoln’s axe. We tend to assume that the church has always been the way it was when we were growing up, or when we joined. But the reality is, as in the days of Martin Luther and afterwards, the church has always adapted both to meet the needs of the times and culture, as well as to rediscover and reimplement the teachings and practices of the Bible. The times have changed, and we have always changed with the times. In my first parish in Minnesota twenty years ago, many of the older people still remembered when the worship service was in Norwegian. They also remembered when Communion was served only four times a year. Before you took Communion, you had to go to the Parsonage on Saturday night to confess your sins to the pastor, in order to receive Communion. In many other places, going to the Service of Confession and Absolution the night before Communion was the requirement. It was previously normal for the Pastor to do everything in the worship service, even the Readings; and he (because it’s happened to be a “he” so far here) always wore a black robe. The pastor, in many places, was also viewed as being the unchallengeable authority on all matters. Many of the worship services in this area were once in German, and eventually switched over to English – but even then, King James English was used up until the late 70s-early 80s. In some churches, only boys were allowed to serve as Acolytes. It was once considered unthinkable to have any instrument other than the organ in worship, or to use PowerPoint for singing. Furthermore, it was previously unthinkable to use any other music than what was in whatever hymnal was being used at the time. And yet, here we are. We have always adapted to address the times, and, if we are to continue to exist as a church family, it will be necessary for us to continue to do so.

There are, of course certain things which we believe, teach, and practice as a church family which are definitely non-negotiable. We believe that there is only one true God, unashamedly call God “Father,” and refer to God, and each of the persons of the Trinity, with male pronouns. We baptize both infants and adult converts with water in the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. As mentioned last week, confession of the Apostles’ Creed is our main requirement for both being confirmed and joining the congregation. The ultimate source for all our teaching is the Bible, as explained by the Augsburg Confession and Luther’s Small Catechism; and the Bible and Catechism are our main sources of teaching for First Communion and Confirmation in particular. We believe that regular participation in the Sacraments of Baptism and Holy Communion is indispensable and necessary for living a full Christian life and a living, vibrant relationship with God. We further believe that in Holy Communion, we receive the true body and blood of Jesus; we also invite other baptized Christians to receive Communion with us, which is itself a change from previous practice. We practice simple, orderly worship, but are free to use elements which reflect the culture of our time. These are all things which we take as being necessary to maintain our distinct identity. Even so, we hold that our heritage and beliefs do not in any way make us superior to other Christians, but instead provide common ground with other Christians to enable us to work together to carry out our mission faithfully in cooperation with each other. Being part of LCMC also means that we believe that there is no higher spiritual authority in the congregation, or in the wider church, than Jesus Himself. There is no hierarchy over our congregation, and each congregation is meant to be free and independent, to establish its own identity and carry out its mission in its own unique way that is relevant to its local context – which, again, we do in full cooperation with other Christian churches in our community.

            On the other hand, being who we are means that we are free to be faithful. But being faithful means more than just simply holding on to certain teachings and practices. It means faithful to being ourselves and who we are, and faithful to what God has called us to be. Being the kind of church family we are also means that we allow for freedom of conscience on many matters, with our goal being living in peace and harmony with each other and maintaining fellowship among ourselves, to be able to welcome many others into our fellowship and family. This also means that we allow each other to be who we are, and at the same time, affirm our own unique and individual identities, while also growing and maturing in our relationship with God, in our own ways, to become more like Him. This is part of what it means to be faithful: not that we are all molded to become exactly the same in belief, thought, action, life, or habit, but that we are faithful to who God has made us to be, and who He is helping us to become. If we allow each other, and encourage each other, to be faithful to the path God is having us walk in order to grow deeper in our relationship with Him, then we are being faithful to who we are to be as a church family. We can also walk with each other in each of our journeys, and learn from each other, especially through Bible study, prayer, and encouraging conversation.

We are also free to think outside the box when it comes to our own personal spirituality, devotions, and relationship with God. This also means we are free to think outside the box when it comes to being faithful to who we really are and what we are really here for: to take what we have, outside of our walls (or our “box”) and out to our friends and neighbors. It is time for us to move beyond simply maintaining our identity and teachings, and like Abe Lincoln’s axe, to actually use what we have: to show God’s love, comfort, help, and assurance to other people. It is also time for us to move beyond simply holding on to what we believe, and using it to proclaim a personal relationship with Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior as being the best kind of life, and the promise of eternal life. The moment for us to become faithful again is now: to become faithful once again to our true mission. We are also at a moment where we are free to imagine new ways to reach out to people, both inside and outside of our worship service, beyond what we have traditionally been doing; and to learn from other Christians, even other churches, what can be effective in reaching out. While we cannot, nor should we, compromise on our understanding of the certain things we’ve just talked about, we can still allow ourselves plenty of room to be able to fellowship with other Christians to be able to be encouraged, strengthened, and even enlightened by each other. So now, it’s time for us, like Abe Lincoln’s Axe, no longer simply to try to preserve what we have, but to use it for a practical purpose. And when we do so, we will truly be faithful to what God wants for us.

            Now may the peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen.

Weekly Word Podcast from St. Andrew Lutheran Church in Farmersville, Ohio, October 29, 2023 - Reformation Sunday

 

Song of the Month for December

Our Song of the Month for December will be "Do You Hear What I Hear?" (For King and Country). Please feel free to visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrLkxbjLi1A, or search for "Do You Hear What I Hear by For King and Country [Lyric Video]" and sing along!

Annual Congregational Meeting, Sunday, November 12th

Our Annual Congregational Meeting will take place on Sunday, November 12th, following the worship service. We will be voting on the budget and Endowment Fund disbursement for the upcoming year; as well as the slate of Church Council members. All confirmed voting members, including those who have either been confirmed or who have joined in the past few years, are invited to attend.

Absentee Ballots will be available at worship October 29th and November 5th. Please see any of the Trustees for an Absentee Ballot.

Youth Sunday, November 12th!

Our next upcoming Youth Sunday will be on Sunday, November 12th. Please let Pastor know if you will be able to participate, so he can begin assigning parts.

Youth Lock-In, Saturday, November 11th!

For the first time in a few years, our Youth Lock-In is coming back! It will be on Saturday, November 11th, after the DAMAC concert. We'll have games, food, worship time, and a movie! Please let Pastor know if you'll be coming to the Lock-In so he knows how much pizza to order for everyone. Please also feel free to bring snacks, pop, and anything else to share with everyone. We are also in need of a female chaperone to stay the night; please let Pastor know if you'd be able to volunteer.

Sermon Text for October 22, 2023- "How to Be the Church: Being Patient, Gracious, and Inviting"

 “How to the Be the Church: Being Patient, Gracious, and Inviting”

October 22, 2023

 

            Dear brothers and sisters, grace and peace be to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen.

            Once again, a reminder to everyone, and especially anyone hearing or reading this sermon online, about our Fall Dinner coming on November 4^th! It’s been a tradition of ours since time immemorial, something we look forward to with joy every single year. We recall that there was at least one year, during the pandemic, when we were unable to have our Fall Dinner, so we rejoice and thank God, therefore, that we have been able to have our Fall Dinner again these past couple of years, that they have been successful, and we look forward to being able to have it for many more years to come. Even though the numbers we serve may be far fewer than they were decades ago, we still are able to feed many people every year. But now it is time to ask ourselves, for the present day, what can be another purpose of having such times of feast and fellowship as our Fall Dinner? And the answer is to be inviting, especially to people are looking for more than just food, but also for a church home, and a family to belong to – both of which we can offer, and we are in a better position to offer than ever before.

            But even then, our whole purpose of existing as a church family is to help people experience Jesus. People, and this world, needs Jesus more than ever before. In a day when many have abandoned or rejected belief in the one true God; many have lost direction, and have fallen into destructive habits and lifestyles; many have forgotten what it means to be compassionate and gracious towards others; in an age when wars continue to rage, political and social division continues to run rampant; and even division among Christians over various, often trivial, matters continues to rear its ugly head, we need Jesus more than ever before to save us, bring us together, and remind us of who we are and what our real purpose is. We need Jesus to show people who God is and bring them back to Him; rescue those who are lost; bring peace and unity to our divided and hurting world; and bring us Christians together again. We especially need Jesus as our true source of strength and power to get through the problems of life. The bottom line is, we need Jesus, and so does everyone else. The trouble is, we, and others, may try to And, nowadays, the only real way anyone, and any of us, can find the peace and confidence we need to face struggles, and get through life, is by faith in Jesus.

            Today, in our Second Reading, Paul utters what is perhaps one of the most encouraging verses in the Bible, and one which has encouraged believers like us for generations; in fact, I myself have it over my desk in the Parsonage study. It’s Philippians 4:13 – “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” Now, while this does not mean Jesus gives us the ability to do everything and anything we want to do, it does mean that, especially when times are tough or impossible, He gives us the strength to get through them and overcome them. It also means that Jesus is able to overcome the impossibilities our world is facing right now, and we have to keep trusting that He will do so. Him giving us strength also means that He lifts whatever we have from us, and uses His own strength to carry it for us. Whatever you may be dealing with today, whatever may be weighing you down, or weighing heavily on your mind and heart at this moment, I invite you to turn it over to Jesus. Pray for Him to help you endure, if that’s what you need to do; otherwise, if you just can’t carry it any more, ask Him to carry it for you – and He will. He is always there for you – you only need to ask Him. Invite Him into your heart again, to give you comfort and peace, as you rely on His strength to get you through whatever it is you’re dealing with.

            Once again, in order for us to help people experience Jesus, we are to invite people to come experience Jesus among us. And that is what Jesus is talking about in today’s Gospel reading: He has prepared a great feast, much like our Fall Dinner, only for eternity, and while there may be some who reject His invitation, there are still many others who will accept it. 

But what this means for us is to keep extending the invitation. And, even though our invitation may not have instant or massive results right away, we are still to keep focused on inviting, because we may touch the right person’s life at just the right time. Now, here it probably gets a little troubling: Jesus also talks about throwing someone out of the feast who isn’t wearing proper wedding clothes. It would be easy to interpret that verse as meaning that only those who conform to a certain standard of requirements for entering heaven, and here we can fill in the blank as to what we think those may be: abstaining from certain substances or entertainments; holding to certain moral or political opinions; living or not living a certain kind of lifestyle, whether in habits or dress. But, as we know, none of these things in any way contribute to our being saved: only the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, and His resurrection from the dead, have finished all the work necessary for us to be saved and enter eternal life. So, in fact, we could also say that the story is directed not towards people who fail to conform to a certain standard of requirements for entering heaven, but instead towards those who think that being able to enter heaven means conforming to a certain standard of requirements. So, what this means for us is, we ought to let nothing stand in the way, be an obstruction, to having a living, personal relationship with Jesus, either for ourselves, or anyone else. We are not to lay qualifications or additional requirements on ourselves or anyone, other than simply accepting Jesus as Savior and the promises He makes as true for us: to save, love, forgive, and help us in all circumstances.

Now, while all that may be true, we also have to remember that we are not only looking forward to the coming Kingdom of Jesus, but we are living in the Kingdom right now. And in order to live in the Kingdom, we are to be the Kingdom, and demonstrate certain characteristics of what God’s Kingdom looks like. As we continue to move forward, this is something helpful for us to keep in mind, especially to be more inviting in order to grow. It is a common misconception that, in order to join a healthy church, someone has to agree with every single stance either other members of the church have, or the church itself may have made. In fact, our only real requirement for membership is that someone believe in God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior – both of which are expressed by saying the Apostles’ Creed. We will recall that, during our Baptism, Confirmation, and Reception of New Members ceremonies in particular, the Creed is recited as a way of demonstrating that our belief in the Triune God, and in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, are what we have in common, and our only real requirement for membership. Baptism is also necessary, of course, but it is always accompanied by confessing belief in God. This also means that there is quite a lot of room for a diversity of thought and opinion on various matters and opinions, especially, moral, social, political, and even theological ones.

Now, having said all that, during the service of Affirmation of Baptism, which includes both Confirmation and Reception of New Members, there are also certain promises which are made, which are also to be points of unity, especially of our purpose in our life together as our church family. If you need a reference, they are on page 201 of the Lutheran Book of Worship. And they are:

To continue in the covenant God made with you in Holy Baptism:

To live among God’s faithful people,

To hear his Word and share in his supper,

To proclaim the good news of God in Christ through word and deed,

To serve all people, following the example of our Lord Jesus,

And to strive for justice and peace throughout the earth.

 

            This demonstrates what our true purpose is: to love God, and learn from His Word and receive His power in Communion; live in love and peace with each other as members of the same family, especially by fellowshipping together, both inside and outside of worship; and reach out with God’s love beyond our doors into our community, and into the whole world. In order to be inviting towards others, we are to be demonstrating peace and unity of God’s family and Kingdom among ourselves. This means reflecting on how our words and actions towards each other, and how we treat each other, contribute to maintaining peace, friendship, and good relationships within our church family. Which even includes bearing and forbearing with each other, even in matters of disagreement. Remember, once again, church membership does not imply complete agreement in everything, nor does it mean insisting on complete agreement. Rather, it means living together as one family, respecting each other’s uniquenesses and experiences. It also means maintaining peace and unity in our own homes, communities, nation, and even, to the best of our abilities, in our world. Let us continue to do so, that we, and many others, may continue to experience and believe in Jesus, who gives us strength in all things, and whom we praise and thank for being our help at all times.

            Now may the peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen.

10/22/2023 Full Worship Service - Twenty-First Sunday after Pentecost

Church Family Cookbooks for Sale!

Need an idea for a Christmas gift this year? We still have our church family Cookbooks for sale! For only $5 each - and they make great gifts! Lots of great recipes from great people of our past and present! If you want one, feel free to take one from the back table of the sanctuary, and give any payment to Deborah Coyle or Karen McNabb. Thank you!

Weekly Word Podcast from St. Andrew Lutheran Church in Farmersville, Ohio, October 15, 2023 - Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost

 

10/15/2023 Full Worship Service - Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost

Sermon Text for October 15, 2023 - "How to Be the Church: Being Persistent"

 “How to Be the Church: Being Persistent”

October 15, 2023

 

            Dear brothers and sisters, grace and peace be to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen.

            A lot of the hymns and songs we sing actually have inspiring stories behind them, that caused them to be written and passed down for generations, even to us today. And, there is actually a powerful story behind the song we sang just a few moments ago, and, despite the fact the melody sounds like Bluegrass, it’s actually from India. 

The reason is because the lyrics are actually the last words of a man named Nokseng, who lived about a hundred and fifty years ago in a village in what is now northeastern India, and which was inhabited by the Garo people. Missionaries from Britain had preached the Gospel in that area, and many among the Garo people, and in that particular village, had responded to the Gospel by believing in Jesus as their Lord and Savior, turning from their old religion to a new one. This angered the village chief, who ordered everyone who lived in the village to assemble in his presence. He then demanded to know who had adopted the new religion, and ordered them to renounce their belief in Jesus or face death. Nokseng, his wife, and two children then boldly stepped forward, and Nokseng shouted out in front of the crowd, “I have decided to follow Jesus.” The chief was angry, and ordered his archers to fire their arrows at Nokseng’s two children, which they did. The chief then said, “You have lost both your children. Unless you give up your faith, you will lose your wife, too.” Nokseng replied, “Though none go with me, I still will follow.” The chief became even more angry, and ordered his archers to fire on Nokseng’s wife, which they did. In a rage, the chief demanded that Nokseng give up being a Christian and spare his own life. Nokseng responded, “The world behind me, the cross before me, no turning back.” At which point, the chief ordered his archers to fire on Nokseng, and, of course, they complied. Nokseng and his entirely family died in front of the astounded chief and villagers.

            But then something happened. The chief, further astounded at the persistence and strong faith of Nokseng and his family, began to wonder: how could someone who had lived and died two thousand years before, in a faraway land, inspire such loyalty and boldness to cause people to follow Him, even to the point of losing everything and being willing to die? The chief said to himself, “I too want a taste of that faith.” At that moment, the chief experienced a change of heart, and cried out, in front of his villagers, “I too belong to Jesus Christ! I too have decided to follow Jesus!” The villagers, hearing the words of their chief, decided to go along with him, and become Christians as well. It was because of the bold and unwavering persistence of one man and his family that one whole village, even a stubborn chief who had only moments before been an enemy of Jesus, decided to become Christians and follow Jesus. Even today, the majority of the Garo people are still Christian, largely because of what happened that one day.

            Nokseng and his family also demonstrated what Paul says in today’s Second Reading from Philippians: “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Nokseng looked forward to the heavenly prize which was promised him by Jesus, and was even willing to give up his life to experience that prize. Nothing else mattered to him and his family than following Jesus, even when faced with pressure to stop doing so, and nothing ought to stop us from doing the same. Jesus continues to be with us every day to love us, care for us, and help us in our every need. He is always with us to sustain us and keep us going, even when things seem dark and uncertain. He never leaves us alone to fight our battles, but is always fighting for us, on our side, bringing us victory. He has also promised that even though life may be difficult, we have a great reward, an eternal prize, waiting for us – eternal life, which will be free from trouble, sickness, sadness, and struggle. But where we have to keep our eyes focused is forward. Yes, we have had hurts, moments of guilt and shame, and have made mistakes, but we can’t let those keep us from following Jesus to the wonderful place He is leading us. By His death and resurrection, He has triumphed over our sins, guilt, shame, and all our hurts. He has won victory already, and so He is leading us to victory. But we are to keep being persistent, not let anything get in our way, and certainly not let the past, in any way, keep us from moving forward persistently. 

As the saying goes, “Don’t look back, you’re not going that way.” We are also to be examining ourselves, and seeing if there are any thoughts, feelings, or habits which have been keeping us from focusing on Jesus. And if there are, we can ask Jesus to remove them. We are to continue to keep looking forward, because God is propelling us forward. God has been keeping us going in a positive direction, especially in the past year, and as long as we continue to be persistent in trusting and following Him, we will continue in this positive direction. As the old proverb says, the times change, and we change with them. 

Ed Stetzer, one of the presenters at the LCMC Annual Gathering a couple of weeks ago, pointed out that, mentally, we’ve been living as the Church in pandemic mode for the last three years. Even though covid still remains with us, the pandemic has been officially over for quite some time, and we can no longer claim the pandemic as the source of our issues. The biggest thing, however, that will cause us to become bogged down is if we keep looking back to the past, to how things used to be, and thinking that if we can somehow recreate the past and make things how we thought they once were, then everything will be better. Any attempt to recreate the past will only end in futility, simply because the past no longer exists. The world has changed, and, as we certainly experienced during the pandemic, it is impossible for us to remain completely unaffected by the world. It is time for us to be listening both to God, as well as the people we seek to reach and bring into our church family, to learn how we can both tell and show the love of Jesus to everyone, and bring them to faith in Him. Because everything we do and say, as the Church, is to be about Jesus. Especially in this day and age, that is what is more effective. Having everything be about Jesus, and only Jesus, will bring people to faith, and will give us new life and purpose as well.

As another saying goes, “Your future needs you, your past doesn’t.” Or, more specifically, God needs us to be in the future. He also needs us to keep open to what He reveals to us to be ways to reach others to follow Him. Though we will continue to face struggles, we know God is with us and will resolve any struggles we have to deal with. He has already been removing distractions, obstacles, and roadblocks that would bog us down, and is helping us keep following Him. With Jesus as both our leader and the main reason we do everything, we will continue to go in a good direction. So let us keep being persistent, not giving up, not looking back, not turning back. As we sang just a few moments ago, will you decide now to follow Jesus? Hopefully your answer is yes – because there is no other best way to go, than forward with Jesus.

            Now may the peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen.

Song of the Month for November - "I Am a Friend of God"

Starting November 12th, our Song of the Month will be "I Am a Friend of God." Feel free to watch the video below and sing along!

All Saints Sunday Slideshow 2023

On Sunday, November 5th, we will be celebrating All Saints Sunday. As is our tradition, during the worship service we will be showing a slideshow of all our family members and loved ones who have gone to be with the Lord, especially in the past year. If you have a photo of someone you would like to have included in the slideshow, please feel free to leave it in the church office, or email it to standrewlcmc@gmail.com.

Weekly Word Podcast from St. Andrew Lutheran Church in Farmersville, Ohio, October 8, 2023 - Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost

 

Sermon Text for October 8, 2023 - "How to Be the Church: Being Humble"

 “How to Be the Church: Being Humble”

October 8, 2023

 

            Dear brothers and sisters, grace and peace be to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen.

            As we head towards another Election Day in just a few weeks, and as we have witnessed turmoil in our government in the past week, we are surrounded by competition, and not friendly competition either. 

Both locally and nationally, we have witnessed name-calling, finger-pointing, and blaming, both from candidates and those already in elected office. There have even been accusations leveled back and forth that if one votes for or against one proposition or the other, or supports one particular candidate or the other, or if one supports a certain political party, then one is not truly a Christian. The last of which is especially a grave insult against us Christians. As Christians, we are identified not by our political, social, or economic allegiance, but only by our allegiance to Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior. Our hope is not in political leaders or parties, but only in the Kingship of Jesus, who has the name above every name and before whom every knee should bow. And, as Christians, especially in this divisive, heated, and inflammatory age, we are called to both model and live an alternative. And that alternative is to live according to the example of Jesus, in humility, looking to the interests of others, and having an attitude of seeking peace and being alike in mind and purpose.

            I will preface much of what I am about to say by saying that nothing is meant to be directed towards anyone in particular, nor is it meant to be said in any sort of spirit of superiority, which is what we’re going to be talking about in just a minute. Indeed, in much of what I’m about to say, I freely include myself. As I’ve talked about before over the years, I’ve also had many personal experiences which have humbled me and have forced me to take an honest look at how my attitude and approach to life have affected my relationships and even my ability to minister effectively. I’ve also had to do much personal repentance over the last few years. Instead, as we head into a season where God has been continuing to restore us to where we were before, and we look forward to how He will be blessing us with renewal, new outreach, and new growth, it is important for us to hear honestly what God’s will for us is in terms of the attitude we are to have going into this new season, and how we can be mindful of any obstacles to God’s will we may have to face and overcome.

            Unfortunately, one trap that we have to be on our guard against, because it is more common than we realize, is a superiority complex that can be caused simply by being Christian. Sometimes we may have a tendency to think that because we are Christian, we are superior to others. We may also think that because we belong to a certain denomination or tradition of Christianity, that that makes us superior to others. In fact, nothing could be farther from the truth: true religion does not create a sense of superiority, but instead a sense of compassion and a desire to serve, which comes out of a recognition of the common humanity, as children of God and people created by God, which we all share in common. To try to create privileges or advantages from being Christian is to miss the point of what it means to be a Christian. Indeed, in many parts of the world, to be a Christian means to be disadvantaged, even persecuted. We also ought to refrain from presuming our importance anywhere we are. In our daily lives, whether it be in our workplaces, schools, neighborhoods, even in our own homes, we are to recognize that we share lives with family members, classmates, workmates, and neighbors, and so we are to look out for the best interest of all those we know, and think of what would be the greatest benefit or the greatest good for everyone.

            If we have fallen into this sort of attitude for any reason, then it is time for an attitude check. In today’s First Reading, God, speaking through the Prophet Ezekiel, urges us today to turn from sin and repent. This especially means any sort of attitude we have had which has caused us to assume that we are more important or superior to others for any reason, because by doing so, we have fallen into the trap of selfish ambition and vain conceit. It is pride for which we need to ask for God’s forgiveness, and His help in overcoming. As Jesus also urges us to consider in today’s Gospel reading, there is no time like the present to take an honest look at ourselves; to delay no longer coming to God looking for a change; and no longer to delay seeking God’s will, turning from the attitude of the times, and instead asking God to help us have His attitude.

            Fortunately, Jesus died to free us from any attitudes of pride into which we may have fallen. He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross, to offer Himself as a sacrifice for all our sins. He has been exalted by God above everything else, and placed in a position where He is able to forgive all our sins. To everyone who repents, He offers forgiveness freely; His grace is given unconditionally to everyone who asks Him for forgiveness and a change in life. He also died so that anything we have done out of a desire to assert ourselves over others, can be forgiven, and we can be restored to a new way of thinking, a new way of being, and a new attitude. This attitude is exactly what Paul encourages us to have in today’s Second Reading: Our attitude should be the same as Jesus Himself. He did not seek power and prestige for Himself, even though He was the King of the entire universe, the earth, and all creation. He did not look out for His own self-interest, but instead was concerned about the interest and well-being of others. In humility, we are to consider others better than ourselves. This does not mean demeaning ourselves, considering ourselves worthless compared to others, or damaging our self-esteem, but instead to regard others as being equal to us in value, and the interests of others as being just as important as our own. In fact, the more humble we become, the greater we can become, because we can become more noble, compassionate, and even more appealing. We are to imitate Jesus by being like-minded: having the same love for each other and others that Jesus does, and being one in spirit and purpose. We are to emphasize those things we share in common, especially in our one common mission: telling and showing Jesus’ love to all people unconditionally. This also means that we are to recognize, and cast aside, everything which would cause personal division or conflict. In this way, we can truly model and live the alternative we are called for: Ultimately, to exalt and honor Jesus above everything else, by thinking like Jesus, acting like Jesus, and being like Jesus. To seek superiority not for ourselves, but to make Jesus superior in our lives and over all the world. And may Jesus bless us and help us by His almighty power, as we live to become like Him.

            Now may the peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen.

10/08/2023 Full Worship Service - Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost

10/08/2023 Full Worship Service - Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost

Weekly Word Podcast from St. Andrew Lutheran Church in Farmersville, Ohio, October 1, 2023 - Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost

 

Sermon Text for October 1, 2023 - "How to Be the Church: Being Generous"

 “How to Be the Church: Being Generous”

October 1, 2023

 

            Dear brothers and sisters, grace and peace be to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen.

            I’d like to begin by thanking all of you for your wonderful generosity in making our booth at the Pretzel Festival a success this last weekend. Thanks to all of your giving, we had plenty of water to give out to everyone, especially to give them as much as they wanted. We also had just enough in monetary donations to buy the right amount of ice from the Boy Scouts for the weekend. We gave away free Bibles and Portals of Prayer, and let the kids of all ages make free bead bracelets and necklaces. We let people know about our Fall Dinner and DAMAC concert coming up in November. Also, we raffled off two quilts, and we sold even more cookbooks than we did last year. Also, we invited people to submit prayers, and, once I’m able to receive some guidance as to the best way to make those requests known which are meant to be made known, we will invite you to share in lifting up those prayers to God, and be generous in your giving your time for praying for those who need God’s special help. Most of all, for those of you who helped staff the booth at various times over the weekend, we thank you for your giving generously of your time to help us reach out to the festivalgoers with God’s love in this special way. And, we look forward to doing it again next year, and we invite any of you who have any additional ideas for what we can do or give out for the booth to let us know, since, by the grace of God, everything we did worked out well.

The success of our Pretzel Festival Booth, as well as our Ice Cream Social this last summer, and everything already coming together quite well for our Fall Dinner and DAMAC concert next month, shows that we are moving up for sure. After having weathered the storms we have for the past few years, with the pandemic and resulting struggles, by the grace of God we are now in a greater position to rebound and grow than ever before. We are slowly learning to adapt to the changing realities of our community and our day and age, and have been able, over time, to regain the health and hope we once had. Nothing has been automatic, and nothing has come quickly or easily. It has been a process which has been entirely directed by God Himself. 

So, where we are is actually a time of upcoming renewal. Renewal is God both bringing us back to the great position of potential we were at before, with renewed hope and optimism; and Him putting us in a new direction with a new attitude, new approach, new way of thinking, and new way of being. More importantly, this renewal God is giving us is spiritual. It is God re-centering and refocusing us on Him by having put us in a position where we trust and rely on Him to provide for us and guide us, which He has faithfully and greatly done, and will continue to do so. It is also us having a renewed trust in God, and focusing once again on what is important for our spiritual life together: prayer for God’s direction, studying His Word to gain insight into where He is having us go, and listening to His voice to be able to figure out how to speak to our world today.

For the next month, in order to be able to take advantage of the trajectory in which we’re headed, and prepare for the future of growth God has in store for us, we’re going to be having a special series based on the Bible readings called “How to be the Church.” Despite the way it sounds, these are not necessarily meant to be magic formulas for automatic success. Instead, they are how we can reflect who God is in order to be who He is to other people, and be both effective and relevant in our future.

One thing to keep in mind as we journey through these next few weeks is that everything we will learn is meant not to be limited only to us being together as our church family, but how we live our individual lives as members of God’s family out in our homes, communities, schools, jobs, wherever we may be apart from this church family and building. We don’t just go to church on Sunday – we are the church the rest of the week.

Today, we learn about what it means to be generous. Now, when we think of being generous, we usually think only of giving away money or other material goods, and usually with some sort of condition attached: in other words, the more generous we are, the more we will get in return. But that is not what God means by generosity. As we hear God say through the Prophet Isaiah this morning, “My ways are higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” God created the world out of His generosity: He had things He wanted to give and share, so He created all things, especially us humans, to share them with. He was so overflowing with love and goodness that He wanted to give it to everyone, and so He continues to do so. Even though we may not realize it, or even take it for granted, God still shows us His goodness in many ways. He is even generous to those who may not appreciate what He does, but He still gives because that is His nature. God’s generosity, which we are to reflect and practice, is unconditional, and expects nothing in return. Instead, the results of our generosity are entirely up to God, what He chooses to do as a result of what we do. For example, even though we may not get droves of people coming to our church as a result of us passing out water at the Pretzel Festival, but, for all we know, we still probably were able to touch people’s lives, and have God bring about a major change in them. Generosity is not only a virtue, but an attitude, and a lifestyle. It is not just from trying to be good, but the result of a transformation of character brought about by the Holy Spirit. In other words, it becomes automatic, without our realizing what we are doing, but our instinct becomes to give. Generosity is also not selective, but, as we see in the parable Jesus tells, is given to everyone equally, without any regard for who may deserve it more than others. After all, this is what Jesus Himself did in His greatest act: He died on the cross not for only a few, but for all people, even unbelievers, or those who believe themselves to be holy and righteous by their own acts and lifestyle. He then rose again to give the promise of eternal life to everyone equally, achieved not by following rules or meeting standards, but only through what He did, given as a free gift. Generosity is also not meant to be done with any specific goal in mind: this may seem surprising, since much of the time we give for a specific cause expecting certain things to be done. Instead, it gives for its own sake, to be the mechanism through which God works. We always have to be thinking outwards: even though what we do may not benefit us, and involve quite a bit of sacrifice on our part, we still have to be thinking as God does, and think about how our giving will benefit someone else entirely. It is also thinking about what we really need versus what we want, in order to be able to have the resources to be able to provide for others, and be able to live only on what we need. Generosity is indeed always concerned about giving the best to another person, and is to become not just what we do but who we are.

            Today we also celebrate one of the greatest expressions of God’s generosity and equal demonstration of His generosity towards everyone: Communion. Today, the first Sunday in October, is traditionally celebrated as World Communion Sunday. Although World Communion Sunday isn’t really celebrated in our own tradition, many of the other church families in Farmersville and in our area are going to be celebrating it. Communion is also a demonstration of the unity and togetherness we share as Christians. Even though we are receiving Communion in separate buildings today, we still are demonstrating our unity and belief in God’s giving. In Communion, we each receive the same amount of bread and wine or juice as the same amount of body and blood of Christ; remember the same sacrifice made by Jesus by the breaking of His body and shedding of His blood; and are given the same Holy Spirit to strengthen our faith and trust in Jesus. We show that we believe in the same God, accept Jesus Christ as the one same Savior, and are empowered to live godly lives of generosity by the same Holy Spirit. It also shows our desire to be generous in our support and encouragement of each other. Whenever we go to each other’s special events and meals, as with St. John’s Ice Cream Social and Slifers’ Car Show last month, and the UCC’s Chicken Noodle Supper coming up in a couple of weeks, we are not only helping out other churches financially, but we are also showing that we support our brothers and sisters as fellow Christians and we share in one common mission: being generous to our community in the opportunities God gives us to be.

The best way we can express our own generosity is best summed up in the words of John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist Church: “Do all the good you can, by the all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as you ever can.” In this way, we all will be able to be the church, and be the giving God to everyone.

            Now may the peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen.

10/01/2023 Full Worship Service - Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost

LCMC Great Lakes District Prayer Concerns for October 2023

 

LCMC Great Lakes District

Prayer Concerns for October 2023

 

For the Church:

- Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ

- LCMC’s Annual Gathering in St. Charles, Missouri, October 1-4

 

- LCMC's Staff:

Mike Bradley, Service Coordinator 

Charles Hunsaker, Military Endorser

Christian Huntley, Coordinator for Leadership and Pastoral Development

Sharon Macfayden, Director of Operations

Cathy Nichol, Administrative Coordinator

Julie Smith, Coordinator for Districts and Fellowships

Kristy Thomas, Communication and Public Relations

 

- LCMC's Board of Trustees and Ministry Board.

 

- Our congregations in the Great Lakes District. This month, we pray for Oakland Lutheran Church in Mansfield, Ohio, and Pastor Paul Lintern; and Plain Lutheran Church in Wooster, Ohio, and Pastor Rob Moskowitz.

- Our Mission Partners: this month, we pray for Hope 4 Kids International and Mission on the Move.

- Our International Partners: this month, we pray for the Evangelical Lutheran Free Church of Norway and the Lutheran Church of South Sudan.

- Our local congregations with whom we fellowship and work alongside for mission and ministry in our communities.

 

 

For our Government:

- Joe Biden, our President.

- Kamala Harris, our Vice President.

- Mike DeWine, the Governor of Ohio.

- Gretchen Whitmer, the Governor of Michigan.

- Our elected representatives in Congress and State Legislatures.

- Our local county and municipal officials.

- Our nation's Armed Forces, especially those serving who are members of our church families; and for those who are suffering from mental or physical injury, and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

- Our First Responders, particularly those of law enforcement, fire safety, paramedics, and all medical professionals.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For all those in special kind of need:

- The people of Ukraine and Russia in the ongoing war there; and for Spiritual Orphans Network and others who are ministering to the victims of the war in that region.

 

- All in our church families who are suffering from physical, mental, or spiritual illness; addiction; injury; abuse; domestic violence; trauma; stress; or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

 

- All in our own families who are in need of any kind of healing from God, in mind, body, or spirit.

 

- Those who are continuing to suffer from the effects of COVID-19, and the safety of our church families and communities with a possible resurgence.

 

- Those in our church families and communities who are suffering from poverty; homelessness; food insecurity; lack of adequate shelter and/or utilities; unemployment or underemployment.

 

- Those in our communities who are working to alleviate poverty and homelessness, especially our local shelters, food banks, soup kitchens, and clothes closets.

 

-          Those continuing to be affected by the recent fires in Maui, and all the hurricanes that have hit the east coast in recent months.