Mercy, Witness and LIFE TOGETHER...

If I were to ask you the purpose of the Church what would be your answer?  Some would say the purpose is to save the lost, worship God, to have fellowship, to show care to the neighbor, etc.   Yes, Jesus came to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10).  He also promised to be in the midst of “two or three” gathered in His name (Matt. 18:20).  Jesus let Himself be found in the Word and Sacraments, which testify, or bear witness, to Him (1 John 5:7-8).

Just before Jesus was handed over to be crucified, He prayed that the Church might be one (John 17:11, 21, 23).  Jesus desired His Church to have fellowship, or to have a LIFE TOGETHER as one people, before His Father, just as He and the Father are one.  God has called us into the fellowship of His Son (1 Cor. 1:9).

As a Christian church known as “St. John Lutheran Church” how do we LIVE TOGETHER as one people in the body of Christ?  Today’s cultures (and the Church!) are influenced by postmodernism.  Postmodernism can be defined this way: “No longer is there one morality or myth or ritual or dance or dream or philosophy or concept of self or god or culture or style or art that predominates.  The explosion of new communications technologies and the continuing fragmentation of cultures into thousands of little cultures has forced us to view our world as simultaneously expanding and shrinking.” (Jim Powell, Postmodernism for Beginners [New York: For Beginners/Random House, 2007], 4).

Postmodernism advocates “Life is better in my hands.” Gathering around the cross says, “Life is better when we entrust it to the heavenly Father.”

Our Lenten theme this year will focus on our LIFE TOGETHER around the cross of Jesus Christ. 

The themes, dates, and times are as follows:

March 9, Ash Wednesday, “Life’s Better in My Hands!”  1 Peter 2:20-25   8a.m. and 5:30p.m.

March 16, Lent 2, “I’m Being True to Myself”  1 Peter 1:22-25   5:30p.m.

March 23, Lent 3, “This Is It???”  1 Peter 1:3-5  5:30p.m.

March 30, Lent 4, “Who Am I?”  1 Peter 4:7-11  5:30p.m.

April 6, Lent 5, “I Can’t Believe in a God who…”  1 Peter 1:6-9  5:30p.m.

April 13, Lent 6, “I Need This…and This…and This…”  1 Peter 4:1-6  5:30p.m.

April 21, Maundy Thursday, “Finding Ourselves”  John 13:1-17, 31b-35  Holy Communion, 7:00p.m.

April 22, Good Friday, “It Is Finished”  Revelation 21:1-7  7p.m.

NO APRIL 23, SATURDAY EVENING SERVICE….

April 24, The Resurrection of our Lord, “Easter Matters”  1 Peter 1:3  7:00a.m. and 10:00a.m.

May our “life together” as the Body of Christ be lived under His Cross! 

In service to the KING of kings,

Pastor Mueller

“For I resolved to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.”  (1 Cor. 2:2)