Dear brothers and sisters in Christ –

It is the time of year for graduations.  Keynote speakers are lining up at college graduations, while preschoolers are practicing lining up for their graduations.  Valedictorians are practicing their words of wit, while seminary students are thrilled to hear the words, “You graduated,” or even better yet, “You have been called to serve…”

It will not be until 2019 that I will graduate.  Many of you know I began working on my Doctorate of Ministry in 2013.  I have completed 30 credit hours to date, and I have 15 more to complete prior to graduation, plus this little thing called a dissertation.  So yes, I have more work ahead of me.

But that is the point.  I am still studying the Bible.

I am still preparing for a life living as a Christian, for a life living as your shepherd.

I will be taking a course this summer and another in the fall.

This summer, I have been invited to take a class in Israel.  It will be a study of the geography, history, and culture of the lands and peoples describes in the Scriptures, for the purpose of developing insights and effective teaching models.  We will spend two days in St. Louis, then two weeks in Israel.  I will be gone from August 8-25. Through special donations and scholarships, the travel expenses have been completely covered for this trip.  Praise be to the Lord.  I never would have dreamed I would be making such a trip this year.  During the Fall, several of the Sunday morning Bible studies will be based upon this journey.

This fall, I will take an independent study course looking at Biblical hospitality and applying hospitality techniques and practices from Walt Disney World.  In the course, I will develop a presentation that will be given at the Fall LWML Zone Rally and other pastoral conferences.

Both of these classes are unique opportunities.

Are you taking advantage of the unique opportunities you have to learn about scripture?

Are you involved in a small group study?

Are you attending either the men’s or women’s Bible studies?

Are you digging deeper with Theology 101?

Yes, it is summertime, and all of our routines take a temporary hiatus.  Do not let your worship life take a hiatus, and prepare to get involved with one new learning opportunity this fall.

In Christ,

Pastor Hartwig

I sat to the side of the sanctuary.  I arrived early, and not only did I observe the pews fill up with well-dressed people, but I could feel the excitement in the air.  It was palpable.  As the organ bellowed notes, the men and women present belted out the hymn.

This was the Vicarage placement service at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis.  I was present because I had been informed we would be receiving a candidate, in fact, Andrew Wolfgram (see his letter to the congregation on page 11).

Fifty-five men received a Vicarage assignment that day.  As a part of the seminary training, the seminarians complete a 365-day Vicarage or internship.  One fourth of their seminary training is spent learning at Vicarage church. One fourth is spent learning on-the-job.  It has been a privilege to watch Vicar Adelsen grow over the past eight-and-a-half months, and we look forward to the same with Vicar Wolfgram.

Of anything Vicars learn, of anything we as Christians learn, the most important is to share the Gospel!

Prior to Jesus’ ascension, He told His disciples, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

Filled with that power, the disciples began the task that every generation of Christians since then has continued.  We are to share the Gospel in our homes, neighborhoods, at our places of work, and beyond.  Being a witness for Jesus is more than attending church or being busy in church work.  We share the Gospel so others will come to know Jesus as the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6).

Go and share the Gospel!

Pastor Hartwig

Alleluia! Christ is Risen! He is Risen, indeed! Alleluia!

Two-thousand years ago, Jesus changed the world. He changed the world for the better. Far better.

When Jesus became Incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary and made man, the world was in need of a savior. Some people looked for a savior, while others didn’t actively look for a savior. But all of mankind was in need of saving.

Since the Fall of Adam and Eve, the world had become increasingly corrupt and began attempting to replace the True God with man-made objects. The world had become against the True God.

The only civilization that had knowledge of the True God – Israel – had only a few who spoke on behalf of God. But these few people gave the good news of a savior to those who would listen. It would take centuries for these prophecies to become fact. God is certainly on a different timeline than us.

Through the Holy Spirit’s inspiration, the prophets wrote of this future hope:

“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7:14)

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6)

As an adult, this Jesus would perform many miracles displaying His Almighty power over creation. He turned water into wine, He caused the lame to walk, He healed lepers and He raised the dead. Jesus gained a popular following. Crowds gathered to welcome Him into Jerusalem with palm branches and blankets covering the road as Jesus rode in on a donkey on that famed Palm Sunday.

“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” (Zechariah 9:9)

Still, these miracles were not good enough. When He called Himself equal to God that was the final straw.

The Jewish leadership did not want to lose their power over their people. When they finally got their chance to arrest Jesus, they took it. Then under the Roman authority, Jesus was tried for calling Himself equal to God. The crowds shouted, “Crucify Him!”

“Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:4-5)

Three days after Jesus’ death upon the Calvary Cross, He rose from the dead! He changed the world. Jesus is our present hope! Some 2,000 years later, Jesus remains as the most talked-about person by all of humankind. The thing is, Jesus is not just a person; He is also 100 percent God. He is our savior!

Eternal life is a gift from Jesus for those who believe in His promises!

Alleluia! Christ is Risen! He is Risen, indeed! Alleluia!

Vicar Adelsen

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:

Tonight I watched the Disneyland 60^th Anniversary television special. I remember that as a teenager I watched the Disneyland 25^th Anniversary special. I had been to Walt Disney World several times in my life by then, but I could not imagine going to Disneyland. I really wanted to go. If I could only go to Disneyland!

Well beyond my teenage years, I have had the opportunity to go to Disneyland numerous times, even worked there during conferences and for three weeks just prior to the opening of Disney’s California Adventure.

But again, during the television special tonight, I wanted to go to Disneyland. It would be fair to say that I was coveting a trip to Disneyland.

Coveting leads to idolatry, and as I always say, “Idolatry leads to death.”

Now, I was not worshipping Disneyland, and I am confident to say that Disney theme parks are not my idol. But it is not always easy to tell the difference between coveting and idolatry.

Probably the most deadly idolatry in America today is to become so dominated by the desire for wealth and worldly possession that we cannot yield ourselves to love and obedience to God in Christ. The temptation for riches acts as a trap.

“But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction” (1 Timothy 6:9).

Paul tells us that the covetous person who is an idolater cannot have any inheritance in the kingdom of God (Ephesians 5:5). According to Paul, the supreme tragedy of our earthly lives would be to be so absorbed with the material goods of this life that we fail to lay hold of the eternal inheritance which God has prepared for us in Jesus.

As a body of believers, we need to deal faithfully and fearlessly with people who have wrong attitudes toward the getting and spending of money. As God’s people, we are to “flee these things.” We are to flee the love of money and material things and “pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love steadfastness, gentleness” (1 Timothy 6:11).

May God give us all steadfast faith as we fight the on-going battle against the temptation to follow the shallow and superficial ways of the world.

In the love of Christ,

Pastor Hartwig

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Ashes show our need for Jesus.

Ash Wednesday falls on February 10^th this year and that day marks the beginning of the season of Lent. On Ash Wednesday, Christians receive ashes upon their forehead to serve as a symbol of our repentance and of our mortality. This symbolism shows our need for Jesus and for the forgiveness and life He freely provides. As the ashes are placed upon our foreheads, we hear these words from Genesis 3:19: “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

When we leave the church grounds on Ash Wednesday, many of us will go to public places, such as the mall or a department store. The ashes can serve as an evangelism tool. Some people may ask you, “What is that on your head?” And you can respond and talk about how Jesus has saved you from your sins.

Eventually, everyone who wears the ashes will wash them off. As we all wash off the ashes from our foreheads, we remember our baptism and the sense of cleansing and relief thanks to Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection.

When Ash Wednesday is over, we continue through the 40 days of Lent that leads up to Holy Week. These 40 days are solemn in preparation for Easter. Many of us will fast, or give up an earthly desire during Lent. Lent’s 40 days symbolizes the 40 days that Jesus was tempted by Satan in the wilderness.

When Easter arrives, we again remember what Christ has done for us by his glorious resurrection. And at Christ’s second coming, we will have a resurrection like His.

In Jesus’ Name,

Vicar Peter Adelsen

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:

So have you made up your mind?
Are you going to set a New Year’s resolution?
Have you spent time sitting and pondering?

Excellent ideas can come to people as they sit, think, and dream – what kind of house to buy or build, what kind of car, where to go for vacation, what improvements to make on our house, what improvements to make to our careers, what improvements to make to our lives, to our church – but these remain idle daydreams unless they are acted upon.

We need to think, to meditate, to plan, to learn, to listen in order to raise our sights and deeds above the routines of daily living.

Often when we stop long enough to reflect, we realize much that we have insisted on or pursued has been our own selfish desires or will. However, when our goal is for the good of others, great and wonderful things occur.

The book of James encourages action:
“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves” (James 1:22)

Jesus, too, spoke often of doing the will of God:
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of My Father Who is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21).

Jesus performed many deeds of love as He went about doing good, healing, and teaching. What is more, He fulfilled the Father’s will by offering Himself on the cross for the salvation of all.

May we continue to model our lives after Jesus Who not only spoke the words of life but did the works of life.

Believe, and be busy. Get to work!
Happy New Year!

Pastor Hartwig

O come, O come, Emmanuel!

We are now entering the Advent season, which is the beginning of the Christian church year. During Advent, Christians wait and sing with joy and anticipation of Emmanuel’s (“God with us”) second coming as judge of the world on the Last Day.

Throughout the Advent season, we celebrate Jesus Christ’s first coming with His Incarnation in Bethlehem. At the same time, Christians throughout the world are waiting with anticipation of Jesus Christ’s second   coming.

Prepare the royal highway; the King of kings is near! Let every hill and valley a level road appear! Then greet the King of Glory foretold in sacred story: Hosanna to the Lord, for He fulfills God’s Word! (LSB 343, v. 1)

Advent is a time of pure joy and prepares us for the four advents or comings of our Lord: the prophetic coming that pointed to Christ’s birth, the incarnate coming of Christ in Bethlehem, the sacramental coming of Christ in Word and Sacraments, and the eschatological coming (Second Coming) of Christ at the end of the world. These four advents are celebrated each week with the lighting of the Advent wreath.

The King shall come when morning dawns and light and beauty brings. Hail, Christ the Lord! Your people pray; Come quickly, King of kings! (LSB 348, v. 4)

As you are reading this, you have probably begun hearing Christmas music being played on the radio in your car or over the speakers at a department store. This is a great season of hope and joy. But for some reason, the day after Christmas all this joy suddenly comes to a halt. The joy should continue through the season of       Christmas, which begins on December 25 and not immediately after Santa makes his way through the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade route. December 25 is just the beginning of the celebration of Christ’s Incarnation in Bethlehem. We should continue celebrating Christ’s Incarnation during the 12 days of Christmas, then through the season of Epiphany and throughout the entire year. At the same time, we can’t overlook what that baby Jesus did for us as an adult upon the Cross at Calvary and Resurrecting from the dead on that Easter morning. He alone gives us the grace of God through His death and resurrection that is beyond all               understanding, which is forgiveness, life and salvation!

Hark the glad sound! The Savior comes, The Savior promised long; Let every heart prepare a throne and every voice a song. (LSB 349, v. 1)

Alleluia! Christ is Incarnate! Alleluia! Christ is Risen!

Happy Advent, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Vicar Adelsen

What is the first task of the Christian steward?

It is this time of year that I preach a three-part sermon series on Stewardship. Every year I emphasize that stewardship is time, talent, and treasure, but what is the first task of Christian stewardship?

Could it be to give thanks?

We express our gratitude, first of all, for the Son who has won our salvation for us. We gratefully acknowledge to God all the gifts He daily and richly makes available to us, and we are aware of our responsibility to manage faithfully all the resources our Creator has entrusted to us.
How thankful we can be for all those blessings! What a privilege to be called to be God’s partner in the stewardship of the Gospel! Paul wrote, thanking the Philippians for their “partnership in the gospel from the first day until now” (Philippians 1:5).

How did the Philippians participate with Paul in this partnership?

The verses following tell us that they, along with Paul, received the grace of God which He imparts to us through His Holy Word and Sacraments. They supported, encouraged, and prayed for Paul as he carried out his work for the Kingdom, and his heart rejoiced that they continued steadfastly in faith.

As members of the Body of Christ, the Church, we are all partners in the Gospel. Each of us has been given gifts by the Holy Spirit that enable and equip us for this partnership (1 Peter 4:10). Thus we speak of our faith, telling the message of the Gospel wherever and whenever God gives us opportunity, even if it means that we, along with Paul, suffer for it (Acts 4:20). We perform acts of service that help our neighbors (Matthew 25:34-40). By the grace of God, we “…let [our] light shine before others, so that they may see [our] good works and give glory to [our] Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).

Being a good steward begins with giving thanks. Hmmm?

Maybe that is why each year we call our stewardship campaign – Thanksgiving, Thanks Living.

Maybe that is why we bring our pledge cards forward on Thanksgiving.

Just maybe, good stewardship begins with thanks giving.

Happy Thanksgiving,

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ!

Thanks be to God for such a great month at Our Redeemer Lutheran Church! Thank you to the congregation for being a part of my learning journey! Thank you for the wide array of gifts upon our arrival! Thank you to the congregation for inviting me to preach and teach the good news of Jesus Christ! Thank you to Pastor Hartwig on being a great mentor!

It is always good to give thanks to God for all of His benefits.

As we are out in the world, we should always give thanks to the Lord for all that we have: for our family, friends, a home, food, clothing, and that list goes on and on. Everything is a gift from God.

We give thanks to God by fearing, loving and trusting in God above all things. When our Lord Jesus Christ was asked what the greatest commandment was, He responded saying, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.  On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 22:36-40).

As we begin a new academic year, Our Redeemer Lutheran Church’s theme verse is perfect: “Make a Joyful Noise unto the Lord!” Let us make a joyful noise by thanking our Lord and telling everyone we know what He has done for us! Although Jesus Christ was sinless, he took upon Himself our sins on the cross at Mt. Calvary, He died and rose again! He brings us the peace beyond all human understanding!

This is the peace that is worth sharing with all!

So, thank the Lord and sing His praise! Tell everyone what He has done! Let all who seek the Lord rejoice and proudly bear His name! He recalls His promises and leads His people forth in joy with SHOUTS of THANKSGIVING! Alleluia, alleluia!
Thanks be to God and to the congregation of Our Redeemer Lutheran Church!

Vicar Adelsen

An Old African Proverb says,
“If you want to go fast, walk alone. If you want to go far, walk with others.”
Which means you must move slowly.
In 2012 we embarked on the Vision 20/20 journey. Committees for zones or regions of our church property were formed. Due to necessity, the roof committee and the sanctuary committee moved forward. The roof was leaking. The carpet was wrinkling.
In 2015 a plan was presented to the congregation. During the forums, concept drawings and floor plans were presented. It was a vast and complex, even expensive plan. If that was what the congregation wanted, then it was up to the leadership of the congregation to figure out how and how long it would take to complete the plan. Through surveys the congregation has spoken and the large multi-purpose room (gymnasium) is out.
“Back to the drawing board,” as they say. Some might feel the process was a failure, but that would be too quick of a conclusion. The goal is not to come up with an answer and get it done, but the goal is to walk together, throughout the process: to dream together, to plan together, to build together. Walking together is the definition of “synod.”
“If you want to go fast, walk alone. If you want to go far, walk with others.”
Which means you must move slowly.

I have been known to even say, “We are moving slowly. We better slow down.”

We were created by God to be in relationships, to love, to laugh, and live together. This means walking together.

You see, God wants us to be in right relationships with our neighbors. We were created to love our neighbors as we love ourselves, and we were created to see our neighbors and their well-being in the same way we see our own (Matthew 19:19).

To be in fellowship with our neighbor is how we bear witness to our world that the kingdom of God has come. Jesus prays to His Father that we would be united in love and purpose, “that the world may believe that You have sent Me” (John 17:2 1).

This fellowship is to be so radical in its nature and so outstanding in its witness that it shines out in the darkness of our world as a light. To be in a right relationship means that we care for people out of self-less love.

Is our love for our neighbors evident in our church?

Is our love for our own members evident in our church?

The Apostle Paul tells us, “Owe no one anything, except to love each other” (Romans 13:8).

So, if you want to go far, walk with others. Guess we better slow down.