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 war against terrorism. Measure the increasing number of protests that are happening.  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 in the middle of our worship service before we commune together.  We have just been reminded of our peace with God through the invocation, confession and absolution, law and gospel of the sermon, and we come together at peace with one another at the communion rail.  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,

All Saints Day is upon us yet again. It is a time when we remember those that have passed away in the faith. Feelings for and memories of our loved ones, flood our thoughts again. We remember those that have gone before us to see Jesus face to face this past year.

We look back even further than the year. Many loved ones now dwell in the presence of their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

When celebrating the Service of the Sacrament, Pastor prays “It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times…Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying.”

The company that is referred to are those Saints that have departed from this earth. We join in their everlasting song of praise to God. We sing with them:

“Holy, holy, holy Lord God of Sabaoth adored; heav’n and earth are full of Thy glory. Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna in the highest. Blessed is He, blessed is He, Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord. Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna in the highest.”

When we approach the Table of the Lord for Communion, the communion railing doesn’t end but extends to heaven. Our loved ones, who have been brought home by Christ, are in heaven with Christ. At the communion table, we are as close as we can be to our loved ones as we dwell on this side of eternity; we join hands with those in heaven, those in eternity.

And so, as we look back on the past year, we remember all the saints that have gone before to see their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We rejoice that as Christ lives, they too will be raised on the last day.

See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know Him. Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when e appears we shall be like him, because we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who thus hopes in Him purifies himself as He is pure. ~1 John 3:1-3

In Christ’s Name,
Vicar Wolfgram

Grace, mercy, and peace –

As I write this letter, I am sitting in Luther Hall on the campus of Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, Indiana.  This is the annual meeting of Vicarage Supervisors.

Why am I here?

• It is not required, but it is beneficial.
• Beneficial for me as the supervisor, as the mentor.
• Beneficial for our congregation as we demonstrate a commitment to the Vicarage program.
• Beneficial for our Vicar as he will receive a Vicarage experience that is ever being refined and improved.

     As a result, Vicarage at Our Redeemer will be “immeasurably more.”

As Christians, we have the opportunity to attend Divine Services, Bible studies, small groups, church events, private reading of scripture, and personal prayer.  Through all of these we grow in our faith, grow in our understanding, and grow in our trust of our Lord.  Through all of these we grow in our sanctified life.  Through all of these we grow “immeasurably more.”

As we begin the capital campaign this fall we need to realize first and foremost that we are not doing a fundraiser.  We sell peaches as a fundraiser for youth ministry.  They count on this.  We sell pancakes as a fundraiser for the Crisis Center of Johnson County.  They count on this.  But what we do this fall is not a fundraiser: it is a capital campaign.  More than that, it is an opportunity to learn and grow in our faith, understanding, and trust in God.  It is an opportunity to stretch our stewardship.  We are not going to have equal giving, but we can have equal sacrifice.  This equal sacrifice will push us to grow “immeasurably more.”

More than Vicarage, our sanctified life, and our capital campaign, we see the work Jesus has done.  Through His Good Friday death and His Easter Sunday resurrection, He has given us immeasurably more than we can imagine.  Seriously, can you imagine your sins are forgiven?  Can you imagine you have salvation and life everlasting?  Well you don’t need to imagine for it is true; it is real.  Through the work of Christ, you have been given, you already possess, immeasurably more.

God be with you,

Pastor Hartwig

Greetings …

from the land of the Patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,

from the land flowing with milk and honey,

from the land of Joshua, Caleb, the Judges, and Samuel,

from the land of the United Kingdom, Saul, David, and Solomon,

from the land of the Divided Kingdom, Israel to the north, Judah to the south,

from the land exiled by the Assyrians and the Babylonians,

from the land rebuilt by Zerubbabel and Nehemiah,

from the land where John the Baptist said, “Behold the Lamb of God” (John 1:21), and

from the land where Jesus said, “Follow me” (Matthew 4:19).

Greetings from Israel!

In the last ten days we have visited 25 national parks and many other locations.

We started in Jerusalem,

traveled East to the Jericho Overlook, the Jordan River, the Dead Sea, and Masada,

traveled South to the Arad, Beersheba, and wondered in the Wilderness of Tsin,

traveled West to the Shephelah and the Ailajon, Sorek, Eluh, Guvrin, and Lachish Valleys,

traveled North to Mount Carmel, Nazareth, Capernaum, Sea of Galilee,

all the way to Dan, Caesarea Philippi, and Mount Herman.

When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. (Luke 9:51)

As I write this letter we are following the Jordan River down to Jericho and over to Jerusalem.  The final days of this class will be spent in Jerusalem as we tour sites, visit museums, and finish lectures.

This fall in Bible Study I will unpack some of these locations.  We will explore the geography of this Biblical land, and we will see through the scriptures the impact geography has upon our understanding of scripture.

Please plan to join me Sunday mornings!

Until then, may God’s holy angels continue to watch over you and me.

I cannot simply express the impact that touring this land has had upon me, and I am grateful to the Seminary, our congregation, my family, and those who financial contributed to make this trip possible.  I pray the knowledge and experiences I have gained will positively impact my teaching and preaching.

God Bless, Pastor Hartwig

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

When I arrived at Our Redeemer Lutheran, there were “Colorado Peaches” signs outside the church. Those signs later were removed and the peach truck arrived.

Those signs for “Colorado Peaches” have now returned to the property.

Wow! I can’t believe that I have served as vicar for a year! Where has the time gone? Yes, the seasons have changed from summer, to fall, to winter, to spring, and now back to summer. But, where has the time gone?

That is a sign of a great vicarage!

It feels like only yesterday that I was the new guy, who did not know what to expect when I was installed as vicar those three times on August 14 and 15, with the icing on the cake at Mercer Park.

I am truly blessed to have been a part of this wonderful church.

This congregation is truly following Our Lord Jesus Christ’s words: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matt. 28:19-20).

I have been a part of this Great Commission with the City High Homecoming Parade, Christ Cares Sunday, Independence Day Parade, Johnson County Fair and Our Redeemer Preschool.

It has been a blessing to be mentored by Pastor Hartwig. He has certainly influenced my life as a teacher and friend. Also, the staff of Our Redeemer is a class act. God is certainly working within each and every one of them.

This congregation has become like family to Melissa and I. Our Redeemer is a truly welcoming congregation.

I will miss the Elders, Board of Directors, Outreach, Young Adults, Stephen Ministry, hand bells and countless other meetings.

I have learned and grown so much this year. I cannot believe how much I have learned in just teaching Bible studies throughout the year. And yet, there is still so much to be learned. We will never know everything about the Triune God, but we should never stop searching through His Word.

Iowa City and the state of Iowa have certainly grown on me. I used to think walking to the University of Iowa was a long way, but now it’s become my Friday routine. I will forever hold a place in my heart for the Iowa Hawkeyes. But, now I must return for my final year of classes at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis and the congregation will be blessed again to have a new vicar, Andrew Wolfgram.

This is not a goodbye, this letter is a see you later.

In Christ,

Vicar Peter Adelsen

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