Dear brothers and sisters in Christ –

Last week, Kara and I were doing our weekly Friday grocery shopping. We usually hit the shopping “Bermuda Triangle” of Aldi’s, Costco, and Wal-Mart. It is the triangle where my money goes missing. And quickly too!

Anyway, we were shopping and there was hand sanitizer on the shelf. The person in front of me grabbed four giant bottles. I, then, grabbed the last two bottles. I looked at Kara to ask whether we really needed both of these. Immediately, she said you should put one back. So I did.

Again, at Hy-Vee there were three gallons of 2% milk on the shelf. I only took two. For the third gallon, I took 1% milk. With everyone home all day, we have gone through seven gallons of milk this week alone.

The hoarding that we hear about on the news and that we are warned against by signs posted in stores is truly happening in an exorbitant way. This isn’t a fast shopping burst before a snow storm or a hurricane. The sustained rate of hoarding among some people produces empty aisles and barren shelves which are a visible manifestation of our societies materialism.

Materialism is the love of money and possession and that love of material stuff causes us to find our identity, meaning, and purpose outside of God. It is allowing money and possessions to become the center and the control of our lives.

God created us to love people and use things, but our hearts have changed to loving things and using people. The love of material things will destroy our relationship with Jesus because the blessings that God has provided become more important than the giver Himself.

When we focus on material things, we become independent and self-sufficient. We become very prideful in what we’ve accomplished and own, and our purpose in life is to gain more and more stuff of this world.

Instead, let us focus on Christ.
     “looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith,
          who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame,
               and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2).

 At this time, when each of us seems to have more spare time than before, use it to connect to family and friends through phone calls and social media. Yes, practice hospitality. And let us use this time to connect with Christ. Spend time reading the Word of God. Spend time in prayer. Maybe even, “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10a)

Blessings,
Pastor Hartwig

Greetings in the name of Christ, Our Redeemer!

God’s Word, over and over, tells us to be not afraid.  The Prophet Isaiah speaks God’s Word:
“Fear not, for I am with you always.  Be not dismayed, I am your God.  I will help you, strengthen you and uphold you with My righteous right hand!” (Isaiah 41:10)

With God, the command to “fear not” is always followed with a promise! So, with confidence in our God, we trust in Him to be with us during all times and all circumstances.  That means that during this uncertain time with the coronavirus, we put our trust in God, as well as being proactive in making decisions.

Our Redeemer leadership and staff are monitoring the COVID-19 developments and do not want to be hasty in making decisions. Here are the decisions we have made:

WE WILL SUSPEND THE GREETING BEFORE WORSHIP. During the season of Lent we follow Divine Service Setting 3.  Also during this time, we begin with opening sentences instead of an opening hymn.  These sentences echo King David in Psalm 51 where we cry out to God to forgive and cleanse us from our sins. These sentences are followed by confession and absolution.

It is a somber tone, and a perfect way to begin a Lenten service.  Because we begin with sentences, for years we have forgone the greeting and shaking of hands that follows the Pastor’s welcome and precedes the opening hymn.  Logistically it has been easier to move from welcome to opening sentences.  We will continue this practice.

WE WILL OMIT THE SHARING OF THE PEACE. It has been decided that during this unprecedented time we are suspending the offering of the peace that comes before the Lord’s Supper.

BOTH PASTOR AND VICAR WILL STILL GREET. We will greet members and guests as we leave worship.  Yes, we are shaking hands. We are not offended if you do not want to shake our hands, and we ask that if you are sick and not feeling well to withhold your handshake. It would be even better if you stay at home if you are not feeling well.

STAY HOME IF YOU ARE SICK. This is always a good practice, but especially now be vigilant and stay home.  The Lord will understand if you are home sick. If you are at home, please listen to an online sermon.  Over a decade of sermons are stored on our website: ourredeemer.org. We are working on creating a YouTube Channel so you can watch an entire worship service.  More to come!

OFFERING PLATE. When you arrive at church, the offering plates will be near the usher stands.  Please give your offering before worship. If you forget, you will have an opportunity to put the money in the offering plate in the Narthex.  The offering plates will not be passed. However, the usher will still bring the plates forward for the acolytes to place the offering plates on the altar.  Obviously, our need for offerings and ongoing support to operate our ministry continues.

BIBLE STUDY, SUNDAY SCHOOL, CLASSES AND EVENTS.
For this weekend and next week, all events on our calendar remain.  At this time, we are not canceling LWML, Midweek meals, Bible Studies, or any event on our church calendar between now and March 19th.  There are no confirmation classes because this is ICCSD Spring Break Week.

We are watching the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) and awaiting the decision of the Iowa City Community School District (ICCSD) to determine next steps.  We expect a decision from the ICCSD on March 19th.  This decision will guide Our Redeemer Leadership and Staff in determining what will be done with Bible study, Sunday School, all classes and events. Watch for additional emails and check our website for updates.

WORSHIP
We look forward to seeing you in worship this weekend, if you are able to attend. God’s grace, mercy, and peace covers you.

God’s Word is performative.  That means it does what it says.  So hear this blessing and know that God is at work in your lives.

The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you.
The Lord lift his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen. Amen. Amen!

Pastor Hartwig

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ –

The year 2020 is upon us, in fact, the first month is gone. Only eleven months to go, and that is so hard to believe. Since 2012 we have talked about the year 2020. We named the project Vision 2020. Yes, it was a word play to see if we could envision what we wanted our facilities to look by the year 2020. Could we have perfect vision?

And I think we have. Day in and day out we have people who enter our facility and make comments. Comments like, “This is so beautiful.” “You really have made big changes here.” And my favorite: “This place is so hospitable.” Over the last eight years we have dreamed and planned and gone through a systematic makeover of our facilities. What a makeover!

However, in a much more profound and meaningful way, Christians experience a life-changing makeover when the Holy Spirit transforms us into new people of faith who desire to live in and for Jesus. This is a total makeover because the Holy Spirit, through the Sacrament of Baptism, brings us to faith, and we die in our sinful selves and our old, earthly way of living. We enter upon a whole new way of life in Christ. Our new present life is hidden with Christ in God. When the Holy Spirit brings us to faith in Jesus through the Gospel, we become more Christ-like. Unfortunately, our sinful nature still clings to us, so we live with this constant tension between our new lives in Jesus and our old nature. This new inner nature is a spiritual change, and we are filled with peace of God and the blessing of knowing that we are forgiven.

Our new lives in Jesus need to be continually nourished. Like a growing plant that needs water, sunlight, and nutrients from the soil, our faith needs to be filled with God’s Word and the opportunity to receive Jesus’ body and blood in Holy Communion. Through faithful reading and studying of the Bible, we grow in faith and knowledge. That is why are Our Redeemer we are about Equipping Disciples to Make Disciples for Jesus. We want to equip you and see your faith grow. The more our faith grows, the more others will see the total makeover that God have given us.

Our facility has really grown in the way it supports our ministry. Thank you for all you have done for the project we called Vision 2020 and the first capital campaign we called Immeasurably More. They were both successful programs, and now we embark upon our second capital campaign called A Little Farther. Thank you in advance for what you will be doing.

Thanks be to God for all the makeovers he does in our lives! Amen!

Pastor Hartwig

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ!

Happy New Year! Maybe I’m alone in this, but the year 2020 just doesn’t seem real. The phrase “hindsight is always 20/20” comes to mind as the new year rolls around. I think it’s really fitting as this year marks the end of a decade. Year by year, life has changed for so many in the past ten years. There have been giant trials and miniscule moments. At the turn of the year, you and I can sit back and reflect on those changes and see how God has moved in our lives.

Joy and wonderful moments that still bring a smile to your face today.

Pain and tragedy that has made you into a stronger person.

New experiences that have helped you and me to grow to be the people we are today.

As the year closes, is hindsight truly 20/20 for you? I would say that it is easier for you and me to see the way God has moved, but if you’re like me, that may just be about it. Sure, you and I can understand that God led us to the point we are at today but I’m sure there are still times where we can look to our past and think, “What a miserable sinner, why didn’t God just give up on me?”. Maybe it was when you had a family fight and you knew you were wrong, but you knew you were never going to back down, or perhaps the death of a family member where you doubted God. I know that within the past ten years there have been plenty of times where I can remember these big trials of sin that I went through. In those trials, you and I might have wondered how we were going to get through to the next year. Hindsight may be 20/20, but you still might not be able to grasp how you made it through all the giant trials.

There were giant trials for sure, but God sustained you through miniscule moments. Week in and week out, through simple means of bread and wine, the Word of God, and the community of saints, God sustained you. It may have been for only hours at a time which compared to the hours spent at work seem miniscule, but they contained the colossal infinite love of God. The love God has for you and for me every minute of every day sustains us.

This same love is what gets you and me to face the next moment, the next day, the next trial, and even the new year. Forgiveness of sins, salvation, and life everlasting are still yours every minute of the new year, just as they were yours every minute of the last year. You will have these gifts for all of eternity.

My prayer for you this new year is that you would continue to be strengthened and nourished by the Word. You and I can continue to come have our sins forgiven. And I pray that Christ may come again and come soon. May the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ abide with you always throughout this new year.

2. Before the cross subdued we bow,

To You our prayer addressing,

Recounting all Your mercies now,

And all our sins confessing;

Beseeching you this coming year

To keep us in Your faith and fear

And crown us with Your blessing

5. Then, gracious God, in years to come,

We pray your hand may guide us,

And onward through our journey home,

Your mercy walk beside us

until at last our ransomed life

is safe from peril, toil and strife

when heav’n itself shall hide us.         (LSB 899)

In Christ, Vicar Gonzalez-Feliciano

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ

“It’s the most wonderful time of the year!”

“Deck the hall with boughs of holly garland – Fa, la, la, la, la…”

This time of year, song fills the air, and it fills my heart too.

Here are five reasons that we sing in worship. God commands us to sing.

1. God commands us to sing. There are hundreds of references to singing within the Bible. Jesus Himself sang songs of praise after the Last Supper. If we are called to replicate the character of Christ, I’m confident that singing should always be involved.
2. Christians have sung throughout history. The earliest Christians put their community beliefs in songs, which is why Christian hymnody began. Songs are recorded in scripture and other historical texts. The Book of Psalms in the Bible is a great resource for reading songs of believers that have gone before us.
3. Songs can give us theology. As you may know, hymns and other Christian songs are full of rich, theological text. The act of singing uses both parts of the brain; therefore, it can educate us and teach us about the gospel of Jesus Christ.
4. Singing connects us emotionally. Songs of celebration have the power to lead us to dance. Songs of lament have the power to lead us to tears. Music has a way of piercing into the deep parts of our soul, that assists in our expression and response to God and to the church.
5. Singing helps unites us to the church. The gospel alone unites believers to one another. However, music is a tool that allows us to do so. As we gather on the Sabbath, we join together as one body and praise God with one voice.

So, during this Advent and Christmas season sing. Now, I know that God gives each of us different gifts. But at the end of the day, we all are called, wanted, and expected to sing.

“Sing to the Lord a new song! Sing to the Lord, all the earth! Sing to the Lord! Bless His name! Share the news of his saving work every single day!” (Psalm 96)

Join us for the hymn sing before the evening Advent services. Don’t miss the Christmas and Carol services on December 7 and 8. Enjoy the Christmas and Advent hymns you have sung your whole life.  Rejoice in the liturgy set to Christmas tunes.

During this time of year, there are plenty of great hymns and carols to sing.

After all, “It’s Christmastime. It’s Christmastime.”

Happy Advent, Merry Christmas

Pastor Hartwig

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ –

Therefore, we show hospitality. At the beginning of September we introduced our theme for 2019-2020.  Yes, the year 2020.  It seems hard to believe. Back in the year of 2012 a steering committee was formed under the supervision of the Board of Directors.  This steering committee was given this charge:

• To create a phased master plan to renovate and expand the facilities of Our Redeemer Lutheran Church by the year 2020.
• To engage all the members of Our Redeemer Lutheran Church to dream about facility enhancements by early 2013
• To complete phased work when 50% of the funds are “in the bank,” with the exception of the roof.

Þ To form sub-committees to handle certain tasks as needed to ensure success of plan by the year 2020.

Check.  Check.  Check.  And almost check.  There is one final committee that is working on the final touches of the HVAC system that was original to the 1969 addition.  They intend to have their project completed before 2020, and worst case scenario completed late spring of 2020.

All of this work, all of this planning, all of this preparation was done so that our facilities could be enhanced so that when we show hospitality, the facilities aid us in our intent.  We want our facilities to be an asset not a liability.

This summer and even this past week, I was asked by congregations how we as a congregation were able to be so planned and prepared in our facility program.  It isn’t a secret.  We were planned and prepared.  We carried the passion that whatever we did, it was going to be done to the best of our abilities. (Thank you to Gary Johnson who started this mindset and Dave Johnson who sustained this mindset throughout the whole program!)

Folks, we began this process in 2012, and as the year 2020 approaches, don’t be caught off guard.  We are not done.  One capital campaign (Immeasurably More) comes to a close and early in 2020 a second capital campaign (unnamed at this time) will begin.  We must pay off the 50% of this Vision 2020 project that is in a loan.

Furthermore, we begin the process all over again.  Within the next couple of years we begin the dreaming stage all over again.  We started in 2012 and by 2022 we need to be dreaming of what these facilities would look like in the next ten to twenty years.  This whole process starts over again.

Just like our vicarage program.  We do not get one Vicar and then say we are done.  Good!  One Vicar under our belt – nothing more to do!  Certainly not (Μὴ γένοιτο/ me genoito)!  This year Our Redeemer is training our 15^th Vicar (see page 5 for the complete list of Vicars).  This weekend we have our second Vicar back to preach.  This congregation has trained and prepared many men for ministry, and each August 1 the process starts over.

Likewise, as the year 2020 quickly approaches we wrap up the first capital campaign, we prepare for the second, and we prepare for another visioning process.  What will it be called?  I don’t know yet, but this I know…

“… it is God Who works in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure” (Phil 2:13)

God bless, Pastor Hartwig

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

The Joy of the Lord be with you! Truly, this time of the year is exciting as people of all ages are going back to school. Whether it be a timid preschooler who is leaving the nest for the first time, or a college freshman who is more than ready to fly the coop, the result is the same, school is here.

In the life of the Church, we are also gearing up to get back into the swing of things. The church year is nearing the end, and soon we will live out the story of the Church all over again. As we remember Christ’s birth, life, death and resurrection, and then the sending of His people, we celebrate life together as God’s redeemed children. Personally, I always look forward to Advent and Christmas, and I hope you’ll forgive that I’m currently listening to Christmas music.

Of course, it is important to recognize the unique nature of the Church. All around the country, students are going to classes in which the message is, “Work harder, be better than your peers, and be sure to develop the best way possible so that one day you can be successful”. It can be so easy to fall into this pattern as people of God. After all, what parent doesn’t want to see their child be successful?

Unfortunately, we see too often how this can be detrimental to the lives of the very children we seek to encourage. Children who are pushed to be the best pitcher, the straight-A student, or the next star at Kinnick, can have this pressure heaped on them at a young age. While born out of positive desires for children, it can become the case where kids only hear praise for their achievements. I can still remember times where I basked in the praise I received from my parents when I did well at school or raced in college. How much more of a blessing is it to praise and encourage their presence in worship.

As children progress through school the idea of achievement being the priority can take its toll. These youth are then dropped off at scholarship interviews by parents who tell them “just be yourself”! It is no wonder that depression and anxiety have increased in colleges and high schools around the country.

This is an exciting time for the Gospel to be a beacon to the world today. The message of Christ is different. Sinners who have not achieved everything we desired gather together and worship Jesus, God and Man, who achieved more than any other could have. He died and rose again for failures like me. The Church is here.

As one who is still a student, excited to begin a year of learning here at Our Redeemer, it can be difficult to not get caught up in the desire to achieve, but I’m reminded of the hymn “Built on the Rock” especially the first and final verses:

1. “Built on the Rock the Church shall stand

Even when steeples are falling.

Crumbled have spires in every land;

Bells still are chiming and calling,

Calling the young and old to rest,

But above all the souls distressed,

Longing for rest everlasting.

5. Grant then, O God, Your will be done,

That, when the church-bells are ringing,

Many in saving faith may come

Where Christ His message is bringing:

“I know My own, My own know Me;

You, not the world, My face shall see.

My peace I leave with you.” Amen. LSB 645

May we hear and proclaim the message year after year until we are called home to be with our Redeemer who has achieved forgiveness of sins, salvation, and life everlasting for you and for me.

In Christ,

Vicar Gonzalez-Feliciano

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

As the month of May comes to a close, it feels like another significant transition is at our doorstep. School is almost out, and summer vacations are planned. For students and many teachers, it is finally time to take a breath, reflect on the past year, and pursue summertime activities. For me, it means the end of confirmation and certain Bible studies which followed the school year, as well as the upcoming season of Pentecost. Soon we’ll be back into the same season of the church year that we were in when I arrived last August.

Now it is time for me to take a breath and reflect on the last ten months during which I have had the privilege to serve and learn here at Our Redeemer. For the next two months I will take a little extra time to think back on all the lessons I’ve learned, the relationships that have shaped me, and the path down which God is guiding me.

And it is not just students, teachers, and vicars who can reflect as we shift into the summer. This is a time for all of us to take a moment and think about how God has been working in our lives over the last year. Has God set any particular people in your path? What are one or two spiritual lessons that have struck you this year? Have you learned anything new about yourself as one of Jesus’ disciples? How has the Holy Spirit been prodding you to shine the light of Christ to those around you?

In the midst of a busy life filled with responsibilities and activities, it is helpful to find these moments to breathe and think about our relationship to our Lord and what it means for us to be His hands and feet in the world.

Of course, just because we may have a moment to stop and reflect, that does not mean that we are at a loss for things to do. The next two months will be full of opportunities to work, play, and rejoice in the salvation that Christ won for us. From Christ Cares Sunday to UKANDU, the 4^th of July Parade, the National Youth Gathering, and the Johnson County Fair, we have plenty of ways to serve and learn here at Our Redeemer. Personally, I am excited to experience everything this summer has to offer, and I look forward to rejoicing in the Lord with all of you during these last two months that I am with you.

Blessings,

Vicar Otterman