Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

We’re almost there! We’re almost to the greatest celebration in the Christian life: Easter!

It might not feel like it at the moment. This year, the entire month of March is covered in the penitential purple of Lent! And —oh, yes— there’s still that pandemic thing going on. Yet off in the distance, there’s a bright glimmer of what’s to come.

“I’m almost there!” My girls love that phrase. It’s sung in one of their favorite Disney movies, The Princess and the Frog. The ‘not-yet-princess’ Tiana sings that phrase as she slogs through one of life’s little ‘Lents,’ conditioning herself to work hard and achieve her dreams:

I don’t have time for dancing!
That’s just gonna have to wait a while.
Ain’t got time for messing around,
And it’s not my style.

 This old town can slow you down,
People taking the easy way.
But I know exactly where I’m going;
I’m getting closer and closer every day!

And I’m almost there!
I’m almost there.
People down here think I’m crazy,
But I don’t care.

Trials and tribulations,
I’ve had my share.
There ain’t nothing gonna stop me now
I’ve climbed the mountain
I’ve crossed the river
And I’m almost there
I’m almost there!

Yes, this world can get us down— I don’t have to list examples for you! “People down here” might even think Christians are crazy for holding onto hope in such a dark world. In the face of trials and tribulations, we might be tempted to retreat into despair—but we mustn’t! Instead, let life’s trials and tribulations become a time to discipline your bodies and souls for the great celebrations to come.

Lent is a great tool for this. Many Christians joyfully fast or abstain to remind their bodies “you are not the boss of me!” When we fast, we deny our body what it craves—whether it’s an extra hour of TV, video games, or that cookie staring at us from behind the cupboard. Fasting reminds us that sin still clings to us as we await the day when our bodies and souls will be fully free from bondage to sin.

Other Christians joyfully add an extra devotion to their schedule, to remain mindful of how they ought to respond to God’s callings: “Here I am!” These are all good practices. I encourage you to consider doing the same this Lent! Please feel free to reach out to Pastor or me if you have questions about Lenten practices.

Above all, keep in mind the truth: Jesus has already won the victory. No matter what happens in this world, we are assured of eternal life with Him because of His once-and-for-all victory over the grave. We’re almost there!

In Christ,
Vicar Stein

Dear brothers and sister in Christ –

Tonight, I sit in the state of Florida. Earlier this week, the temperatures were in the 80s, and the sun was shining brightly. Back home, you were getting eight inches of snow. At almost the same time, my brother in Reno, Nevada, received seventeen inches of snow and was expecting another foot before the end of the day.

As I pondered this, I had an epiphany. It became abundantly clear that our surroundings have a significant impact upon us. This revelation is not startling. We all know it, yet it struck me how easily and how quickly our environment changes us.

Out-of-sight and out-of-mind. It is easy to forget how cold it was at home. Out-of-sight and out-of-mind. It is easy to feel like the Florida winters are cold and uncomfortable when it reaches the lows of 40s and highs of 60s. Out-of-sight and out of mind. It is easy to focus on OUR reality and forget THE reality.

This is the reason why the Bible tells us to “fix our eyes on Jesus.” (Hebrews 12:2). Because there are so many other things upon which we can fix our eyes, the Bible calls us to fix our eyes on Jesus. If we do not fix on eyes upon Him, we will fix them upon something.

So how do we fix our eyes upon Jesus?

• We attend church (online or in-person).
• We attend Bible studies.
• We faithfully pray to God (when we wake up, before meals, and go to bed)
• We meditate upon His Word, day and night.
• We participate in the life of the church by giving some of our life to the church.

As we focus on going to all the world to preach the Gospel, I pray that you keep your eyes focused on Jesus. As you respond, “Here I am,” I pray that you will be looking at Jesus. For when we take our eyes off of Jesus, we will be influenced to believe something else. It is too easy in our lives of business to have Jesus be out-of-sight and out-of-mind.

Blessings,
Pastor Hartwig

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Happy New Year and blessings in the certain hope of Jesus Christ our Lord!

New Year celebrations are always filled with hope. There is hope this would be the year to keep the resolutions that are so easily forgotten! Hope this would be the year to learn a new skill. Hope this would be the year to save a few extra

dollars. Hope this would be the year to travel a little. Hope this would be the year to lose those pesky extra pounds. This year, there is the added hope that the virus will subside, and vaccines will be effective. God willing, it will be so!

In short, there is an uncertain hope the new year will be better than the old.

We may keep some of those resolutions, others not. The virus may subside, or not. There will always be new resolutions to keep, new diseases to overcome. Something as simple as a New Year’s resolution or as difficult as overcoming a

disease can be beyond our ability—how much more difficult it is for us to keep God’s command to love others! If our hope is in ourselves or other worldly things, it is only a matter of time before that hope leaves us disappointed and put to shame.

Yet God has given us a certain hope that each new day will be better than the old.

God makes us new each day, with the promise that his love is always with us through the power of the Holy Spirit. We have a hope that does not put us to shame! As St. Paul writes in Romans 5:5-6:

“Hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.”

Christ came to forgive sinners like us! The people who struggle just to keep even a simple New Year’s resolution! And this, as the old hymn goes, gives us “hope for years to come.”

1 O God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Our shelter from the stormy blast,
And our eternal home:

2 Under the shadow of Thy throne
Thy saints have dwelt secure;
Sufficient is Thine arm alone,
And our defense is sure.

3 Before the hills in order stood
Or earth received her frame,
From everlasting Thou art God,
To endless years the same.

4 A thousand ages in Thy sight
Are like an evening gone,
Short as the watch that ends the night
Before the rising sun.

5 Time, like an ever-rolling stream,
Soon bears us all away;
We fly forgotten as a dream
Dies at the op’ning day.

6 O god, our help in ages past,
Out hope for years to come,
Be Thou our guard while troubles last
And our eternal home!

LSB 733 “O God, Our Help in Ages Past”

In Christ,
Vicar Stein

Dear Christian friends:

Peace.  Peace on Earth.

The hymn Silent Night speaks of Christ sleeping in heavenly peace.  Bing Crosby and David Bowie sing their popular duet Peace on Earth / The Little Drummer Boy.  The poem turned carol I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day speaks of peace.  Most Christmas cards in the mail focus on peace.  Simply put, especially at this time of year, peace is popular!

And let us not forget the angel who sang of peace to the shepherds.

What did they say? “Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”  [Luke 2:14]

The peace in the New Testament is not international. There is no promise of harmony between nations. We learn in Romans 16:20 that the world will not know final rest from war until the God of peace crushes Satan.

The world in which we live, the nation in which we live, is anything but peaceful. Look around. It’s not simply the pandemic or civil injustice causing anguish in our country. There is little peace in the lives of men and women everywhere.

The peace of Christmas is about peace with God. Jesus Christ was born so that we can be reconciled through Him.  Jesus is Our Redeemer! There can be no peace without God. His intervention is essential, for sin has so marred individuals and society that strife is our constant companion.

The peace of Christmas is not a mere absence of strife, but the active experience of a harmony with God that promotes total well-being regardless of circumstance.

This same peace is the Peace of Christ.  Forgiven we forgive.  At peace with God, we offer peace.  This is what is happening at the end of our worship service.  We have just been reminded of our peace with God through the invocation, confession and absolution, law and gospel of the sermon, the Lord’s Supper, and the benediction.  We are at peace and we offer the peace of Christ to those in our sanctuary and all we encounter throughout the week.  Let us always be sharing the peace of Christ!

I wish each and every one of you peace and joy this Christmas – the peace that only comes from following

Jesus, the peace that is beyond all human understanding.

Merry Christmas!  Pastor Hartwig

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Welcome to November—and Happy New Year! The church calendar resets November 29 with the First Sunday in Advent. Advent is a penitential time when we reflect on the previous year and our sin. But it is also a joyful time, when we eagerly await the celebration of Christmas. Emmanuel (literally meaning “God with us”) came to earth to forgive all our sins!

I am so ready for Advent. The year 2020 has been a long one. I know each of us has grown frustrated with the challenging situations we’ve had to deal with, with how others have responded to them, and—if we are truly honest—with how we ourselves have responded, too. We may look around at the world and wonder, “Where is God?”

God is with us.

About 520 years before Jesus was born, the prophet Haggai wrote how God’s people felt like the world was crumbling all around them. (The whole book is only two pages—read it sometime!) God’s people were ruled by the Persians, they no longer had their own kings, and the Temple lay in ruins. There was no silver or gold or other precious material left in God’s house. There was not even worldly peace in the land—God’s people were bitterly divided! Where was God?

Haggai wrote:
Be strong, all you people of the land, declares the Lord… For I am with you, declares the Lord of hosts… My Spirit remains in your midst. Fear not. For thus says the Lord of hosts: Yet once more, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land. And I will shake all nations, so that the Desire of all Nations shall come in, and I will fill this house with glory, says the Lord of hosts. The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, declares the Lord of hosts. The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former, says the Lord of hosts. And in this place I will give peace, declares the Lord of hosts.’”

 God’s people got the message. They started rebuilding the Temple, and gathering the “Desire of all Nations” into it—gold, silver, other precious things. The Temple became again a place for worldly peace.

Yet the true Desire of Nations was not silver or gold, or even worldly peace. The Desire of Nations would come more than 500 years later, in the flesh, making real the promise that ‘God is with us.’ Emmanuel—God with us—was born on that first Christmas. He gives us Christians an everlasting peace.

5. O come Desire of Nations, bind
   in one the hearts of all mankind.
   bid Thou our sad divisions cease,
   And be Thyself our King of Peace
   Rejoice, rejoice!
   Emanuel shall come to thee, O Israel!

         LSB 357 “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel”

In Christ,
Vicar Stein

Greetings in Christ our Savior!

“What makes us content?” It is safe to say that many feel content when there are no financial concerns. We feel that, when we no longer have to stretch that paycheck to cover the month’s expenses but can splurge on some luxuries, we’ll be content. That is to say, some feel content when they have the latest and the greatest, you fill in the blank. Just maybe when we have enough socked away to cover the kids’ college tuition we can rest easy and be content about our lives.

Jesus met a man who was in such a situation, and he was still a young man.

The heading in the Bible in Mark 10: 17 reads, “The Rich Young Ruler.”

This man came to Jesus with a question:
“‘Good teacher, ‘he asked, ‘what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

 Apparently, since he came to Jesus with this question, he was not content. If he had been, he wouldn’t have felt the need to prove himself to Jesus, which as we read on, we find to be his motive, nor would he have been disturbed about his eternal future, a concern he must certainly have experienced after his conversation with Jesus.

In the end, we see that it was his wealth that kept him from true contentment. Jesus offered it to him. Jesus said, “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in Heaven. Then come, follow Me” (Mark 10:21). But he couldn’t part with his riches …

St. Paul gives us another perspective on contentment.

In Philippians 4:11-13 he writes,
“I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through Him Who gives me strength.”

Hanging onto our money, depending on our wealth for security, building up our assets may bring us fleeting contentment. True and lasting contentment, however, contentment that endures no matter what circumstances we encounter is a result of dependence on our Lord Who enables us to do all things through the strength that He alone can provide us.

Now, more than ever, as our daily routine changes and changes again with COVID-19 practices, at work, home, school, church, and in the community, we need to follow St. Paul’s example – “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.”

Be content in Christ!  Pastor Hartwig

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

The Peace of the Lord be with you! Yes, Peace. Even in this strange, anxious, anything-but-ordinary time: Peace.

In an ordinary calendar year, students would be settling into their peaceful routines. In an ordinary calendar year,

parents might enjoy a slightly quieter house.  In an ordinary calendar year, the leaves would be beginning to change.

Well, we all know 2020 has been anything but ordinary. Even the ordinary things don’t seem ordinary! The Church is currently in the Season of ‘Ordinary Time.’ But it does not feel like an ordinary Ordinary Time time. (Yes, that sentence was grammatically correct!) Our worship services and activities have been modified. Some, regrettably, put on indefinite hold or even cancelled.

Yet nothing in the world can disrupt the extra-ordinary work of the Church. God’s Word is still preached here! The

Sacraments are still offered here! God’s promises of forgiveness, new life and salvation are still proclaimed for you here!

The readings in Ordinary Time lead up to Christ’s Second Coming, when He will come again to judge the living and the dead, and bring His eternal, peaceful Kingdom to earth in its fullness. Everything leads up to that wonderful moment, when this strange, anxious, anything-but-ordinary world passes away and the extra-ordinary Peace of the Lord reigns forever. That’s what we Christians should bear in mind: Christ’s victory is assured. Peace is already won!

We get a foretaste of that peace in the Church—not only in worship, but also in fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Christ! For your own spiritual benefit, I encourage you to participate as much as you can in the months ahead.

Worship in person, if possible. Certainly online, if not. Come to as many events outside of worship as you can.

The staff at Our Redeemer have been working hard to develop next year’s Equipping Disciples plan. I know you will be enriched by it! Invite others to take part too! In this way, we can shine as an example for others—a Beacon, if you will—of God’s peace in the world.

It may not be an ordinary time. You will certainly face anything-but-ordinary struggles. (I know I won’t have an ordinary vicarage!) But Christ remains the same yesterday, today, and forever. He grants us His Peace—a peace that sends us forth into the world, bringing peace and joy and love to the earth!

LSB 920 “Forth in the Peace of Christ We Go”

1 Forth in the peace of Christ we go;
Christ to the world with joy we bring;
Christ in our minds, Christ on our lips,
Christ in our hearts, the world’s true king.

5 We are the Church; Christ bids us show
That in His Church all nations find
Their hearth and home where Christ restores
True peace, true love to all mankind.

In Christ,

Vicar Stein

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

It sure has been a year to remember, hasn’t it? Before going out on Vicarage, I was told that this year would shape me in ways I couldn’t have imagined. Even then, I’m sure none of us saw something like the Coronavirus coming our way. The year 2020 certainly has been a year for the books. From the first day I arrived here at Our Redeemer, I constantly heard of Vicars being used to mark the passage of time. It wasn’t uncommon for me to hear, “Was that during Vicar Scheele’s time? I guess it could have been Wolfgram or maybe even Addleson, definitely not as recent as Otterman though.”

Certainly, it’s one of the many blessings you have as the people of Our Redeemer. To mark time with the Vicars who have been blessed to serve here. It is as if the life of the church here is a constant stream and for mere

moments, truly only months at a time, does a Vicar get to dip his toes in the water and see all the wonderful work that God is doing here at Our Redeemer.

This year is no exception. As we have begun packing, Rachel and I have found ourselves discussing our year here and the ways our family has grown and through it all, it is abundantly clear, God has a plan. It wasn’t until I looked at back of a drawing that Rachel gave me back in college that I saw I had jokingly written, “In the year of our lord 2016”. It was an old way of marking time and I’m sure I thought it was hilarious when I wrote it. But it’s true, it was the year of our Lord.

Even through a year of change with quarantines, zoom Bible studies, livestream services, or even the

consistent moments like Pancake Day, Children’s Christmas Service, Vicar’s Installation, it was still the year of our Lord. Through the waters of Baptism, God continued to use Our Redeemer to make disciples for Jesus. The people of God were continually blessed to receive the Lord’s Supper, even if for the first time in Our Redeemer history a service began with cars honking their horns to a pastor speaking to them over the radio. Over YouTube services and in-person worship, you and I have been blessed to hear the Word spoken to us. The Word which is as constant as ever. That Word which became flesh and dwelt among man.

Truly, this year is still the year of our Lord.

The life of the Church is a never-ending stream begun in the Garden of Eden, when God made His first promise of a savior in Genesis 3:15 and it continues flowing until it reaches the end. That final day when you and I will gather before our Lord surrounded by all of the children of God, praising the Lamb who is reigning on His throne. Rachel, Daisy, and I might be leaving you, and we may not see you again on this earth, but we have greatly enjoyed this year of our Lord with you.

We look forward to our reunion on the Day of our Lord.

God’s Richest Blessings,

Vicar Gonzalez-Feliciano

Charlie Brown’s young friend Linus made the mistake of confessing to his big sister Lucy that he wanted to be a doctor when he grew up. Lucy was astounded at her brother’s declaration. “You, a doctor! That’s a laugh! You could never be a doctor! You know why? Because you don’t love humankind!”

Young Linus immediately responded, “I do love humankind! It’s people I can’t stand!”

Linus’ comment may give us a chuckle. We find humor in it because we identify with Linus. Apart from the power of God’s Spirit working in us, our love for others is weak and shallow at best. But God calls us to love all people. His Word tells us to practice hospitality and show hospitality. But more than tell us, the Holy Spirit enables us to show love, show hospitality.

Whether we are doctors, carpenters, policemen, teachers, secretaries, or plumbers, we are to love those whom we work with as well as all people. God places us in different vocations where we can share God’s love. We are His instruments through which He works.

In his letter to the church in Philippi, the Apostle Paul wrote,

“For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:13)

We are not left on our own.

God has a purpose, a plan, in mind for each of us. It is the time of year when many are graduating from high school and the child has to decide what career they would like to pursue in life. Like Linus, one might

consider being a doctor, but God may have a much different vocation in mind. We certainly need young men to consider pastoral ministry, and we have seen the importance of store clerks, school teachers, and emergency workers during this COVID-19 time.  No vocation is to be viewed higher or lower than another, we are called, regardless of where we are placed by God, to let His love within us overflow to others. You see, we are to show hospitality.

During this time when many are struggling, practice hospitality! Show forth the love of Christ!

Blessings,

Pastor Hartwig

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Christ is Risen!

I pray that you’re doing well during this incredibly unique time in many of our lives. Yes, nothing is normal, but
perhaps you’ve been able to get used to this “New (and Lord willing, temporary) Normal” or maybe you’re still
struggling. May God give us all peace and patience as some of us are going a little “Stir-Crazy”.

One thing that I know I’m thankful for is Stir-Fry. Rachel is a great cook and innovator in the kitchen. Often, I’ll find myself looking into the cupboard and thinking, “Man, there just aren’t enough things here for me to make a proper meal that I know how to make.” Which normally boils down to us being out of rice, beans, and chicken.  At that time, I normally throw in the towel and make a homemade batch of mac and cheese, cereal, and/or PB&J.

However, Rachel can see combinations of flavors and ingredients that I wouldn’t even think possible! She can look into a bunch of random vegetables and meats and decide to make something as wonderfully delicious as Stir-Fry!  Where I didn’t see connections, Rachel sees an opportunity. All these parts are put together, some heat is added, and a wonderful meal is made.

During this time of Quarantine, I think God is doing the same thing in our lives. You and I can see all the parts: Panic buying, toilet paper shortages, shut-downs, stay at home orders, nursing homes closed, people dying, online school, online church, and the list goes on. You and I look at these parts and think, “Nope. No thank you, I can’t make

anything out of this!” People can’t wait to close the door on this situation and open the doors of their homes and churches. Life feels like it has stopped to a dead halt. You might be feeling a little stir crazy.

God sees it a bit differently.

Yes, there is pain, heartache, even death. Yes, things feel like they’re changed for good. But our God is still in control, wide awake at the wheel. In the midst of this, God is putting together a list of different ingredients: families are spending more time together at home. Parents have chances to educate their children in the faith. Churches can still worship online. Leaders are put forward in a visible way for the people to pray for. People are making masks for each other. Neighbors are signing up to help pick up groceries for those who are unable to go shopping themselves. The Gospel is still being preached to the people of God. God is making something beautiful out of the struggles in our nation right now.

Christ is Risen!

The one who took all the sin, pain, and punishment which should have been ours. He took those ingredients and drank the gall of death.

And then He rose.

He made something new for you and for me.
He is Risen indeed, Alleluia!

In Christ,

Vicar Gonzalez-Feliciano