Mark 8:27-38. God’s way of things does not always make sense to us, but when it comes to His way or our way, His way is always better!
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Sermon for March 4, 2012
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Author Archives: Pastor Whittle
Sermon for Midweek Lent 2
Mark 14:26-31. The Lord struck the shepherd to save the sheep. The shepherd willingly stood in harm’s way so that the sheep would be spared.
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Sermon for Ash Wednesday
Mark 14:1-9: The woman came into Simon the Leper’s house, where Jesus had come to eat, and poured expensive perfume over his head. Instead of agreeing with the disciples that the money (a year’s wages!) could be better spent, Jesus commended her for anointing Him for burial. What do we do with the resources God has given us?
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Sermon for February 26, 2012
This sermon was preached at Hope Lutheran Church on February 26, 2012 by Pastor Whittle
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Sermon for February 19, 2012
This is the sermon preached at Hope Lutheran Church on February 19, 2012
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Sermon for February 12, 2012
Pastor Marler from Trinity Lutheran Church in Springfield, Missouri visited us and preached for us.
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Catechetical Thought for the week of February 26, 2012
Catechesis Notes for the week: We are now in the season of Lent. Purple paraments hang from altar, pulpit and lectern at church. We omit a couple of the portions of the liturgy because they focus specifically on praise. It is not that we pretend that Jesus did not die for us. It is not as if we must prove we are sorry over our sins. Yet each year, we set aside this time prior to the Easter celebration so that we might focus on Jesus’ death. Jesus’ crucifixion is foolish and a stumbling block. It seems that people do not like to spend much time thinking about Jesus’ death for us. Have you noticed that very few crosses (whether jewelry, home decoration, or church appointment) depict Jesus on them? People want to think about the cross without picturing Jesus’ death on it. Such is the theology of glory– people want the empty tomb without the cross. They want God’s grace but do not want to admit their sins. During the season of Lent, we gaze at Jesus’ body on the cross and consider His tremendous sacrifice for us. We realize that our attitude does not make us any more worthy of His grace, but by our response to His death, we demonstrate our faith and gratitude. This is why people sometimes give things up for Lent: so that they may focus on what is important: Jesus. When we turn away from the things of this world and to those things that are eternal, we “get” the message of Lent. It is about Jesus.
Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday – Lent begins
Today is Shrove Tuesday (Fat Tuesday). For some, it is the day for gluttony before Ash Wednesday begins. Of course, this is assuming that Lent is a thing of the Law, so we must party, celebrate, and indulge before we are required to be morose, sad, pathetic, and hungry. But facing lent with this attitude may be, well, dangerous. We may begin to think that we are doing something to merit God’s favor. If we are subjecting ourselves to customs which we do not like, then surely we should somehow be rewarded.
Lent is a time for us to reflect, for sure. But if it is not a willing reflection with a purpose, we are probably better off not fooling ourselves! On Ash Wednesday, many will wear ashes on their foreheads for a few minutes or a few hours. The ashes remind us of our ultimate condition: we deserve death. Yet the ashes are generally applied in the shape of a cross: through the death we deserve, Jesus rescued us from our sins. If that does not warrant some reflection, perhaps the gravity of Jesus’ atoning sacrifice is lost on us.
There are many series of Lenten devotions available, but I will simply point you to one. As you fast or otherwise recognize Lent, please take some extra time each day to focus on the gifts of our gracious God. Look forward to the glory revealed in Jesus’ resurrection!
http://higherthings.org/files/reflections/reflections-lent-holyweek-2012-linear.pdf
Catechetical thought for the week of February 19, 2012
Catechesis Notes for the week: “Think first about yourself.” “It is okay to be selfish.” “What I want is more important than what you want.” That is the message many around us want us to hear. God’s Word, however, is clear. We have one, and only one, God. He created the earth and heavens and all that is contained therein. He made me and all creatures; He has given me my body and soul, eyes, ears, and all my members, my reason and all my senses, and still takes care of them. . . for all this it is my duty to thank and praise, serve and obey Him. Though our culture says we have all kinds of rights, even the Declaration of Independence names only three inalienable rights: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Even in that secular document, we are not guaranteed happiness itself! And when everyone’s life centers around what he wants or what is best for her, we can no longer live together in unity under God’s care. No, God calls us to look first to Him and then to our neighbor. (Love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, soul and strength, and your neighbor as yourself.) Perhaps when we begin to do this, we recognize Godly unity with others, united by Him to live in His kingdom. As our government continues to cater to the whims of the ungodly, we will remain a fractured nation. When the church ceases to stand up for those without a voice (the unborn) or looks the other way when she sees injustice, we give power to those who persecute Christ (and us). We must be ready to stand up and endure persecution for the sake of Christ, or we may give up Christ (and salvation).
Revitalizing the Parish
Yesterday, Pastor Bill Marler visited our congregation to help us begin a process of revitalization of our parish. After we had a nice lunch of soup and sandwiches (thank you to everyone who helped provide it!), he spoke to those who were able to stay.
Pastor Marler began at the beginning and walked us through God’s salvation history for us. He reminded us that the main focus of our congregation is where it should be: on the Word of God and the administration of His Gifts (the Sacraments). Yet it will us good as individuals and a congregation to re-examine for ourselves what God has done for us and how we respond to His mercy.
Each family of the congregation is encouraged to go through a series of Bible studies in the home. Pastor Marler left us with nine Bible studies. His hope is that we will go through them at the rate of three per week for the next three weeks. For the next three Sundays, we will discuss these studies during the Adult Bible Study time at 9:15.
If you were not able to pick up your Bible studies yesterday, please stop by the church office to get yours (or let us know and we can email them to you).