February Epistle 2015 - St Pauls Lutheran Church

Saint Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church and Schools – Bremen, In
The
St.
March 2015
Epistle
Paul’s
Lutheran
Address:
605 S. Center St.
Bremen, IN 46506
Telephone:
Church:
1-574-546-2332
School:
1-574-546-2790
Preschool:
1-574-546-2848
Fax:
1-574-546-3242
E-Mail:
[email protected]
Website:
stpaulsbremen.org
facebook.com/stpaulsbremen
Church Office Hours:
M,W,Th, F 8:30 – 11:30 am
Sunday Schedule:
Worship: 8 & 10:30 am
Sunday School & Adult
Bible Class: 9:15 am
Unity Sunday: 9:30 am with
Sunday School following
Pastors:
Rev. Roger Rohde
Office Hours:
M & Th 8:30 – 11:30
1-574-209-0306 (H)
Rev. Neil Wonnacott
Office Hours:
W & F 8:30 – 11:30
1-574-301-9291 (H)
From the desk of Pastor Rohde: In less than one week life has once again took on some
major changes for my family. On February 2, God blessed our
family with the gift of a granddaughter, Nadia Elizabeth. Four
days later, on February 6, my father was called from this life.
Some look at these two events so closely connected and
offer comfort by suggesting that when God takes someone from
us He gives us someone else to replace that individual. That
sounds nice, but it is not true and is not comforting. No person
can replace another person. We are all unique and have special
purposes from God to fulfill in this life. My granddaughter can
never be my father.
When some deal with death, they deal with it by saying,
“Well, we all have to die sometime.” That is true, but again it
offers no comfort. Job rightfully stated: “Naked I came from my
mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the
Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord” (1:21).
Job was here speaking about more than the cycle of
human life by which many people live. Many people view life as
a cycle beginning at birth and concluding at death. They see life’s
cycle as having a beginning and a conclusion. While some view
Job’s words in such a sense, such an understanding of these words
is incorrect. Job recognized that human life begins with God’s
creative hand, but he praised God that the life cycle would not end
at earthly death. Job wrote: “I know that my Redeemer lives, and
that in the end He will stand upon the earth. And after my skin
has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will
see Him with my own eyes – I, and not another. How my heart
yearns within me” (19:25-27).
While it is easy for us to celebrate the birth of a child,
celebrating the death of a loved one is not always so easy. At
birth a gift of life is placed into our arms, but in death a loved one
is taken from our embrace. However, the death of a Christian can
be celebrated because the life cycle does not end, but rather is
brought to its new, perfect, and eternal state of glory. God calls
His people from this world through death and brings them to live
with Him in heaven where there is no more suffering, sorrow,
pain, or death. The Christian does not see death as the end of the
life cycle, but rather joins Paul in confessing: “For me to live is
Christ and to die is gain…. I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better” (Philippians
1:21, 23).
My new born granddaughter does not replace my father. Through Christ I have received
another gift of life, and the gift of life I had with my father for almost 64 years is a life that now
knows the glories of heaven.
As we go through Lent and arrive at the empty tomb of the resurrected Savior on Easter
morning, let each of us realize our mortality because of sin. However, let us also rejoice in the
fact that Jesus has delivered us from sin and mortality that we may have a life of meaning and
purpose now, and that we may live with Him forevermore in heaven.
Lessons in Stewardship: Some Statistics Never Lie
Messing with statistics can be a dangerous thing. One can manipulate statistics to say
what you want them to say. For example, The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod requests each
congregation to turn in an annual statistical report. Under the statistics of Sunday school and
Bible class attendance, the Synod says a person is considered an attendee if they are in
attendance only one Sunday in a calendar year. What that means is the number recorded is
higher than the real average yearly attendance. You could have up to 150 listed as being in
Sunday school and Bible class, when in reality you have no more than 100 regular attendees.
In my tenure here I have refused to use the definition of an attendee as described by the
Synod and we literally have noted, as in the report below, the average number of people present
every Sunday. You can see that this month all the numbers are down. The reason is that two of
the five Sundays in this report were true winter Sundays.
This not only affects the statistics of the average number of people here, but it affects the
financial contributions. This in turn affects the ministry that our congregation is able to continue
to do in the months ahead.
How does a congregation overcome this challenge? A congregation can meet this
challenge when each member practices spiritual stewardship. “On the first day of every week,
each of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up, so that
when I come no collections will have to be taken” (I Corinthians 16:2). Scriptural stewardship is
not just giving an offering when we are in church as if we are paying for a show. Scriptural
stewardship is setting aside our tithes and offerings when we can’t make it, so that when we once
again make it to church we can bring our offerings in proportion to how God has blessed us daily
(Deuteronomy 16:17).
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THE DEADLINE FOR THE APRIL EPISTLE IS MARCH 22ND!!! Epistle articles, comments,
ideas may be deposited in the epistle box in the Narthex mail slots or better yet e-mailed to Deb Burcham
at [email protected]. I appreciate all of your articles, ideas and comments!
Thank You to all who remembered our family at the passing of my father, Walter Rohde. The words of encouragement, prayers, cards and memorials are all deeply appreciated. Pastor Rohde and his family thank you with all their hearts. Pastor Wonnacott will be on vacation March 14th -17th.
The midweek Lenten themes are “Psalms of the Penitent”:
3/04 Lenten Midweek 3: “The Disposition of the Penitent”, Psalm 38
3/11 Lenten Midweek 4: “The Penitent Prays for a Purified Heart”, Psalm 51
3/18 Lenten Midweek 5: “The Afflicted Penitent Hopes in the Eternal Lord”, Psalm 102
3/25 Lenten Midweek 6: “The Penitent Waits Patiently on the Lord”, Psalm 130
We also have Lenten meals before the services beginning at 6pm in the fellowship hall with free
will offerings. Feel free to invite someone to dinner and worship with us at these times.
Concordia University Wisconsin Kammerchor to perform in Bremen
Mequon, WI – Kammerchor, Concordia University Wisconsin’s select touring choir, will be singing
a concert at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Bremen, Indiana, on Saturday, March 21, at 7:00 pm, as
part of their 2015 spring tour. They will also sing at the 8:00 and 10:30 am worship services on
Sunday, March 22. There will be a potluck dinner following the second service. Please bring a
main dish and a salad or dessert to share. Table service and drinks will be provided. St.
Paul’s Lutheran Church is located at 605 S. Center Street. Admission is free, but a freewill offering
will be collected.
The choir will be singing a program consisting of both accompanied and unaccompanied choral
pieces in a variety of musical styles from the 1500s to the present.
Kammerchor (German for “chamber choir”) was founded by Dr. Kenneth T. Kosche as a small
vocal group. Tours subsequently have taken Kammerchor virtually all over the continental USA,
several times to Canada, and overseas to locations as varied as Brazil, Great Britain, Hong Kong,
Taiwan, Shanghai, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia. Kammerchor has provided recorded music for
broadcasts of The Lutheran Hour, the radio ministry of the International Lutheran Laymen’s League,
and for Worship for Shut-Ins. For more information, call St. Paul’s Lutheran Church at (574) 546-2332
or the CUW Department of Music at (262) 243-4405, or visit the tour website at
https://www.cuw.edu/life/finearts/music/kammerchor.html.
SCHOOL NEWS AND NOTES
School Office phone: 546-2790
Fax: 546-3242
e-mail: [email protected]
For March 2015
Our t he me fo r t he 201 4-20 15 sc h oo l y ea r is Me rcy F or eve r. T hi s i s bas ed on
Mar k 10: 45 ( ES V) We give tha nks to G o d for al l o f Hi s gra ci ou s lov e!
COM ING U P TH IS MO NT H:
Kin de r ga rte n R o un d up o n Ma rc h 1 2
Pr e scho ol Op en H o us e o n M ar ch 19. T he re wi ll be i nfo r mati o n o n t he s i gnifica nt
ch an ges i n t he p re sc h oo l pr o gr a m.
LOOK FO R INFO RM AT IO N O N NATIO NA L LUT HER A N S CHOO LS W EEK
(Mar ch 15 -21) el se wh er e i n th is E pi stle. H elp u s cel e br ate o u r sc h oo l’s m in ist ry.
OUR S PE C IA L CH A PE L e mp h as is fo r M ar ch i s Ca mp Lut h er h ave n. Ou r o ffe ri n gs will
go t o s up po rt its o ut do o r e d ucat io n a nd c a mp in g m in ist ry. We al s o do n ate $20
pe r mo nt h t o o ur T uiti o n Ai d Fund.
If y ou wou ld li ke to d o nat e t o t hi s pr oj ect ple a se co nt act St. P au l’s S ch o ol o ffic e.
PT L: Ple as e sav e A LUM INUM C A NS. T he se ca ns m ay be de p osit ed i n t he shed o n
the s o ut h e nd o f t he p ar ki ng lot. If y o u ha ve other al umi num it em s t o d onate ,
call th e sc h oo l offi ce at 546- 2790. Al s o p lea se s ave t he s ma ll lo go pr int ed o n
the la bel s or the lid s /c ap s o f C AM PBE LL LA BELS ite ms . T ha nk y o u.
THE T UIT IO N A ID FU ND s ee ks y o ur c o ntri bu tio ns to hel p t h os e wh o de si re a
Chri sti an E d ucat io n for t hei r c hi ld re n but who ne ed a littl e hel p t o m eet t he c o sts.
You r gen e ro sity wil l gr eat ly ben e fit t he ca u se o f C hr isti a n
Ed uc atio n fo r both m e m be rs a nd no n- m em be r s. W e ar e
als o s ee ki n g d on o rs who wo ul d li ke to S PO NSO R a c hil d o r
fa mi ly di rectl y. P le as e c o nta ct M r. R us s ell.
NOTE: Contact the church or school office if you have questions
concerning scheduling the use of any of the facilities.
* ** Pl ea se c hec k the C hurc h C ale nda r for o the r sc hoo l
eve nts.
Nationa l L uthera n Schools W eek –
Ma rch 15 – Ma rch 21, 2015
Mercy Forever – Standing in Christ, Serving Others. “For even the Son of Man
came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Mark
10:45
Please join us on Sunday March 15 when the preschool and day school choirs
sing to get the week off to a great start! Along with the children singing praises to the
Lord, our PTL is planning special activities throughout the week.
We will bring His promise to our children each day this week with our
opening devotions beginning at 8:05 a.m. in the Church. All are welcome to join us!
Each day we will have special student activities:
Sunday, March 15: School children will sing and there will be snacks during
Adult and kids Sunday school classes.
Monday, March 16: Paja ma Day.
Tuesday, March 17: St. Patrick’s Day & Crazy Hair Day.
Wedne sday, Marc h 18: Sport s Day & Bowl -A -Thon
Thursday, Marc h 19: Super Hero/ Pr incess Day
Friday, Marc h 20: B each Day
During NLSW we not only want to thank God for our school, but we also
want to thank each of you who are reading this, for your encouragement, time,
prayers and financial support. All of these help to make St. Paul’s Lutheran School
a place where we can raise up faithful disciples.
Lutheran Church Charitie s Comfor t Dogs will be at St. Paul's
School on Mo nday, March 16th at 10 a m as part of N LSW
celebrations! Our students will be going 'bowling' to raise funds for this important
ministry on Wednesday, March 18th. If you would like to support the Comfort Dog
Ministry you can sponsor one of our student bowlers. You may also support this
ministry by donating items from the list below:
5 ft - Leather Leashes (Black or Brown), 20 ft - Cotton Leashes, 30 ft - Cotton
Leashes, 50 ft - Cotton Leashes, Collapsible Bowls for Travel, Training Treat Bags
-clip onto waistband of pants, Antlers - (Deer, Moose, Elk), Nyla Bones, Chuckit!
Brand Dog Toy Balls, Kongs (hollow rubber chew toys that can be filled with
treats and/or peanut butter) Money may also be given to Mrs. Middaugh or
Jennifer Russell and they will purchase items from the list
MARK YOUR CALENDARS:
NEW PRESCHOOL PROGRAM FOR 2015-2016 SCHOOL YEAR
To better serve the Bremen community St. Paul’s Lutheran Preschool, located at 605 S.
Center St. in Bremen, will be making some significant schedule changes for the 2015-16 school
year. Preschool will be open 5 mornings a week for all children. Families may choose to send a
child 2, 3, 4 or 5 days. To maintain the academic quality of the program we recommend the
three year old beginners attend at least 2 mornings a week and the four year old pre
kindergarteners attend at least 3 mornings a week. Extended Care will be available every day
before and after preschool.
Registration for the coming year will begin with an open house Thursday,
March 19, 6:30 – 8 pm. Registration materials will be available. The staff will be on
hand to answer questions. Those unable to attend the open house may call 574-5462848 to make an appointment.
KINDERGARTEN ROUNDUP - Mark your calendars! - Tell others!
Kindergarten Roundup will be held Thursday, March 12 from 6:30 - 7:30 pm for the 20152016 school year. Please set aside that evening if you have a kindergartener for next year or
pass this date on to someone you know with a kindergartener!
SCHOLASTIC BOOK FAIR is coming to St. Paul's March 20 - 27. The Book Fair will be
located in the Bethany Room. Come look over the great selection of titles! Volunteers are
needed to staff the Fair. Please see Mrs. Middaugh if you would like to volunteer!
“Just a reminder to Thrivent members that Choice Dollars must be designated by March
31st. St. Paul’s Lutheran Church and St. Paul’s Lutheran School are two of the many eligible
organizations these funds may be designated toward. It only takes a phone call to 1-800-8474836 or go online to thrivent.com/thriventchoice to designate the Choice Dollars you may have
earned.”
LOOK WHAT'S COMING.......
Dave Ramsey's
FINANCIAL PEACE UNIVERSITY
LOCATION: ST. PAUL'S LUTHERAN CHURCH (Bethany Room)
WHEN: April 14th (9 week program)
TIME: 7:00 P.M.
COST: $99
REGISTER: daveramsey.com (Look for Bremen location.)
More info: Bill G
Boar d Br ie fs :
Ch ristia n E d:
Sunday School Mission of the Month – Lutheran Child & Family Services - $75
New Sunday School
Nur ser y
Pre- K
K & 1
2 & 3
4, 5 & 6
7 & 8
High S ch o ol
Quarter Starting March 1st! Classes are as follows:
Rotating
Preschool Green Diamonds Room
Mrs. Andrews
Preschool Blue Moon Room
Mrs. Tinkey
Preschool Yellow Star Room
Mrs. Schmeltz
2 & 3 grade classroom
Mr. Hughes
1st grade classroom
Mr. & Mrs. Leeper
6, 7 & 8 grade classroom
Kyle Rettinger
Bethany Room with Pastor Rohde's class
Adult 1:The Family Project – A Devine Reflection led by Pastor Rohde will continue in the Bethany Room during the months of March through May. You can join this study even if you have not previously attended, as there are new topics on this subject every couple of weeks. In this study we will continue to use the Bible and a video put out by Focus on the Family to gain understanding of family life in the home and in the church according to God’s divine plan. This video series is close captioned. Adult 2: Board of Evangelism Jerusalem Room Evangelism:
Board of Evangelism would like to invite everyone to Bible Study on March 1st at 9:15am. Our
guest speaker is Pastor Jeff Robinson, who is Outreach Executive for the Indiana DistrictLCMS. He will lead a Bible study on the topic of “Outreach”. We will have a pot-luck dinner
after 2nd service in the fellowship hall that day. Parish Fellowship will be providing the paper
supplies and drinks; we ask that you bring a main dish and a salad or dessert to share. The
Evangelism board will continue with the theme of “Outreach” leading a Bible study entitled
“Witness: We Share Our Faith.” The class will meet in the Jerusalem room starting March 8th
and continue through the spring quarter.
Parish Fellowship:
Co-Ed Volleyball will be on Thursday, March 12th from 7 to 9pm for all men and
women ages 14 and up.
Ping-Pong will be on Thursday, March 26th from 7 to 9pm for all men and women for
adults ages 14 and up.
Euchre Party is Friday, March 20th, from 7-9:00pm in the Bethany Room. Anyone 16
and older can join us for fun and fellowship, and please bring a snack to share. Please bring cards
and a card table if possible. Beverages will be provided. This evening is sponsored by Parish
Fellowship. Come and bring a friend!
Board Briefs cont:
Men’s Group takes place on Sundays, March 8th and 22nd from 6-8pm (NEW TIME) for
all men ages 15 and above. We will meet in the gym for basketball and fellowship and will close
with a prayer.
We need Cookies! We need 4 people to make 3 dozen cookies for each Lenten meal.
There is a sign-up list on the check-it-out board for you to volunteer. Please have the cookies in
the church kitchen before 6:00pm that night. Contact Pastor Wonnacott with any questions.
Thank You!
School Board:
“St. Paul School Alumni Search”
St. Paul’s School Board is developing an Alumni Directory with the goal of communicating with
our Alumni about what is happening with our Day School and keeping them involved in our School.
With that in mind, our first step is collecting contact information of our Alumni, many of who have
married and/or have moved to other locations. We are requesting that if you know of Alumni of our
School no longer in the area to provide this information to our School Office.
Information needed would include as available the following:
Ø Maiden and Married names
Ø Address
Ø Telephone number
Ø E-mail contact information
We understand you may not have all of this information, but whatever you can provide to us will
help us start “putting the puzzle together”. Please forward this information to Deb Burcham in the
School Office by placing a note in the School Box or e-mailing her at [email protected].
Thanks and blessings from the School Board.
Jim Tinkey, Director
Stewardship : Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University begins Tuesday, April 14, 2015, here
at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in the Bethany Room. This course walks through the basics of
budgeting, handling debt, how to spend and save wisely, retirement/college planning and much
more. There are 9 - Tuesday evening sessions from 7 - 8:30 p.m. The cost is around $99.00 per
family. The instructor for Financial Peace is Tom Coxey. If you have any questions, please
contact Bill G. Register at daveramsey.com and look for the St. Paul's Lutheran Church/Bremen
location.
Youth:
Jr. Youth Nights are March 13th and 27th from 7 to 9pm in the gym. We would like to see
all of our 6th through 8th graders participate on these nights. Youth night is designed for fun and
fellowship and we end each night with a devotion and prayer.
Altar Guild: March attendant is Elaine.
Altar Flowers in March:
1
8
15
22
29
The Altar Flower Chart for the 2015 Liturgical Year is hanging in the Narthex (North side), just
outside the altar guild room door. Please look it over and sign up for flowers.
BIBLE STUDY OPPORTUNITY!!
Come spend time in God’s word, making new friendships, and connecting with your sisters in Christ.
The Ladies Encouragement Group (LEGs) will be studying Devine Design, 40 Days of Spiritual
Makeover by Sharla Fritz. This study focuses on the alteration of attitude and a makeover of heart and
spirit. Come receive and share in the encouragement that comes from fellowship around God’s word.
We meet on the odd-numbered Sunday evenings (1st, 3rd, and 5th) in the Jerusalem Room at 7pm.
Contact the church office or call Joanna to reserve your copy of the study guide. We are looking
forward to welcoming you!
Ladies Encouragement Group
Moving our feet, shining our light!
WE HAVE A JOB FOR MEN
If you are a male of high school age or older, St. Paul’s has a “job” for you. It is not an easy task, but it’s
one that every man has been given to carry out….to study God’s word, obey His commandments and live
a life that is pleasing to Him….a job we can never retire from.
The Men’s Breakfast Bible Study meets every other week on Wednesday morning from 6:30AM to 7:30
AM and through fellowship and Bible study we help each other in our “jobs” that God has given us. The
food and fellowship often create laughter that we all enjoy. Please come and learn with the rest of us. Our
schedule for 2015 is as follows:
March 11, 25
July 1, 15, 29
November 4, 18
April 8, 22
August 12, 26
December 2, 16
May 6, 20
September 9, 23
June 3, 17
October 7, 21
We meet in the cafeteria conference room in the Bremen Hospital. Come in the main entrance, walk
straight ahead to the waiting area, then turn left…the cafeteria and conference room are on your left. Lutheran Ministries Media, Inc.
5 Martin Luther Drive  Fort Wayne, IN 468254996
Worship for Shut-Ins Sermon Summaries
March 1, 2015 – Romans 5:1-11
“When We Are Weak”
by Rev. Paul E. Shoemaker, Emanuel Lutheran Church~New Haven, IN
Youth knows no fear. As we mature, we become more aware of this world’s evil and are more cautious
about our life’s settings and circumstances. The older we get, the more we realize we depend on others
more than we may realize. This is also true of our relationship with God. Many do not realize how
totally dependent we are on God for our salvation. It is not the good we have done, but it is what God has
done for us in Christ that brings about our salvation. And this was done for us while “we were still
weak.”
March 8, 2015 – 1 Corinthians 1:18
“Not Folly; God’s Power!”
by Rev. Dr. Walter A. Maier III, Concordia Theological Seminary~Fort Wayne, IN
The word of the cross- the message about Christ’s crucifixion and death – is folly to unbelievers. But for
us who believe, this message is, as St. Paul writes, “the power of God.”
March 15, 2015 – John 3:16 & Ephesians 2:8-10
“All You Ever Need”
by Rev. Dr. Thomas R. Ahlersmeyer, Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Fort Wayne, IN
Our greatest need has been met through the sacrificial, saving, and undeserved death of Jesus Christ. This
opens for us the very gates of heaven and colors how we view everything else in our lives.
March 22, 2015 – Mark 10:45
“He Came to Serve”
by Rev. Dr. Daniel J. Brege, St. Paul Lutheran Church~Decatur, IN
Though He is God, deserving our service, yet when the Son of God became man He came to serve. That
service culminated in the giving of His life as the ransom for mankind. As Jesus thus gives His life for
us, He gives us the gifts of salvation, He gives us value, and He gives us the strength and the model to
serve others. And thanks be to God that our Lord continues to serve us through Word and Sacrament!
March 29, 2015 – Mark 11:1-10
“I’m Torn”
by Rev. Karl Frincke, Former regular pastor on Worship for Shut-Ins
Holy Week begins on a note of celebration. Unlike Jesus’ admirers and followers, we know what lay
ahead for him, so it’s difficult even now to celebrate Palm Sunday. We’re torn between celebrating and
praising Jesus as the Messiah and grieving over his upcoming suffering and cruel death. We live in the
same tension now, torn between celebrating what Jesus did for us and grieving over our sins. We need to
continue to learn, by the Holy Spirit’s leading, how to live in the moment, doing both.
Police Dispatched at Midnight to Loud Party at Local Church by Chad Bird When residents near Holy Trinity Church were rattled from their sleep Saturday night by the
sounds of drums and laughter and fireworks, they didn’t know what was happening. “It was like a full
blown Mardi Gras had erupted next door,” one neighbor complained. The church, usually a gentle giant
of a structure, dark against the midnight sky, was ablaze with a rainbow of lights and echoed with sounds
of whooping and singing.
Two police officers were dispatched to the scene.
Witnesses later recounted what they’d seen. Earlier in the evening, the parking lot began to fill with cars
and pickups, which soon spilled over onto side streets. Men and women and children piled out of the
vehicles, each one carrying plastic bags bulging with hamburger buns and streamers and bottles of every
variety. A large van backed up to the fellowship hall and began unloading drums and guitars and sound
equipment. The fire pit was soon roaring with flames and the three or four portable grills were fired up for
a BBQ. And this was just the beginning.
By the time midnight rolled around, they’d gone whole hog. The center of the fellowship hall had
been pushed clear of tables and chairs. As the band played, the dance floor swirled with everyone from
white-haired retirees to mini-skirted teens. Children, some in pajamas, one toddler bare-butt naked,
squealed and ran about the room with chocolate cake smeared on their faces. A couple of guys had gotten
their hands on some fireworks and soon rockets were hissing heavenward to paint the night sky with
exploding colors. The corks flew off champagne bottles and brimming glasses were passed around the
room.
When the blue and red lights on the patrol cars flashed around the parking lot a little after
midnight, no one seemed to notice. Or care. The pastor met the officers at the door and welcomed them in
with a smile. After considerable effort, he got the band to stop playing, the dancers to stop dancing, and
the general din of laughter and shouting subsided to a whisper. Finally, it was quiet enough for them to
hear each other.
“What exactly is going on here, Pastor?” one of the officers asked. “Follow me,” he said, “and
I’ll show you.”
He led the two men through the mass of people to the back corner of the hall. There was
makeshift stage on which sat an oversized chair. Confetti was strewn all about and streamers dangled
from the ceiling. Sitting as if enthroned was a man in his late 30’s. He had three days worth of stubble on
his face and his clothes were badly in need of a wash. But he sported a tinfoil crown, used a few months
earlier in the Christmas pageant for one of the three magi; had a turkey leg in one hand and a Guinness in
the other; and on his face was a smile that hadn’t faded all night.
“Officers, this man is the reason we’re here. His name’s Landon. He grew up in this
congregation. To make a long story short, he went off to college, got in with the wrong crowd, made
some bad choices. His life began to unravel. He’ll tell you all the details if you’re really interested. We’d
lost track of him for years. Rumors were he was in prison or living on the street. Nobody really knew. But
for as long as I can remember, when I’ve stood at the altar on Sunday morning to pray for folks in need,
his name has always been among them. Then, lo and behold, he shows up on my doorstep early this
morning. Says he’s come home. Says he’s been through hell and back. Says he don’t know if the church
would welcome him back or not, but hopes they will. So I started calling folks up. Word spread. And we
decided to show Landon what ‘welcome home’ means to us Christians. You see, officers, this son of our
congregation was dead, and has come back to life again; he was lost, and has been found. We had no
other choice than to throw a party. That’s just what we do. That’s how the church welcomes home a
sinner who’s lost his way.”
The officers listened. The older of the two simply asked that the church turn down the volume a
bit for the sake of their neighbors, and please lay off the fireworks for the rest of the night. They all
agreed. The officers left. And the party for Landon went on and on and on.
I suppose everyone has his dreams. I have mine. And one of them is to read a story like this in the
newspaper someday. A story about a church that knows how to welcome home a lost son.
March Devotion: "For Such A Time"
"Who knows but that you have come to royal position
for such a time as this?" Esther 4:14
Have you ever thought of an age in which you might like to
have lived? Was it the "good old days" -- a time when the
world seemed more peaceful, when the pace of life was
slower? Whether there ever was such a time is hardly
debatable, for sin was always present.
Esther lived in a troubled age. Although she was a Jewess,
she had become queen of the Medes and Persians. Wicked
Haman hated her people and plotted their annihilation.
Esther had a choice. She could cling to her crown, or she
could try to help her people at great risk to herself. God had
placed her into the kingdom for such a time as this and
expected her to do His will.
It won't help to dream of a better age when there was less
violence, more respect for God and His Word, no television,
fewer leisure options, and less money to corrupt people.
God wants us to live in the world as it is. There is no other
one. He knows these times and He knows us better than we
do. He put us here and made us what we are because He
knows what is good for us and what good He can do
through us in His kingdom.
PRAYER: God, help me to live this day as Your child, mindful
of the opportunities to do Your will; through Jesus Christ.
Amen.