GREAT IS HIS FAITHFULNESS! July 1, 2012

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Happy Canada Day! Sorry but you can take the person out of Canada but.... you know the rest:) July 1st is the 145th Birthday of Canada and they are having a great party celebrating the War of 1812 bicentennial! On July 4th we will celebrate the 236th Birthday of the USA! Both are great blessings. Canada celebrates the war of 1812 because they withheld an invasion by the USA and have had a peaceful border for almost 200 years. They remember the surrender of Fort Mackinac, the burning of the White House etc... The USA remembers the battle of New Orleans and many victories etc.... We remember these every time we sing the Star Spangled Banner! I still have to wait for my citizenship for a few more years. (I had a religious workers visa when we arrived in 2005 and didn't transition to permanent resident until 2009 and have to wait for 5 years until we can become citizens... this is if you do things legally, it also costs a lot of money and time.) I look forward to being able to vote. Every Thursday at Rotary we say the pledge and sing the national anthems and on the first Thursday of the month, because we are an international district, we sing both the USA and Canada Anthems. I love that Thursday! ALL this to say Happy Canada Day and Happy Independence Day or "Happy 4th" to all!!

This week we will look at the question of our response to the GREAT FAITHFULNESS of our Father God! We will look at the 3rd chapter of Lamentations where the Prophet Jeremiah uses a poem with each verse starting with the letters of the Hebrew alphabet in order to really LAMENT his life and situation. In verses 1-21 he is really frustrated by the Lord's discipline and blames everything on God.

We hear the four verses before our Old Testament in Lamentations 3 states:
¹⁷ I have been deprived of peace; I have forgotten what prosperity is. ¹⁸ So I say, “My splendor is gone and all that I had hoped from the Lord.” ¹⁹ I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. ²⁰ I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. ²¹ Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope:

This is the way the lament ends and transitions in the text of the Lamentations 3, that we will read tomorrow, which describes how Jeremiah by faith in the God who is burning with love and compassion brings us above the results of our SIN which manifests in the world by disease, anxiety, pain, death etc....

Lamentations 3

²² Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. ²³ They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. ²⁴ I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.” ²⁵ The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; ²⁶ it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. ²⁷ It is good for a man to bear the yoke while he is young.²⁸ Let him sit alone in silence, for the Lord has laid it on him.²⁹ Let him bury his face in the dust —there may yet be hope. ³⁰ Let him offer his cheek to one who would strike him, and let him be filled with disgrace.³¹ For men are not cast off by the Lord forever.  ³² Though he brings grief, he will show compassion, so great is his unfailing love. ³³ For he does not willingly bring affliction or grief to the children of men.

You see the Lord allows things to happen because of our SIN but great is HIS UNFAILING LOVE. When we respond to this LOVE and GRACE (Jeremiah calls it Compassion) He says GREAT is HIS FAITHFULNESS! When we recognize this LOVE and FAITHFULNESS, GRACE AND COMPASSION then we will certainly respond as the Macedonian Churches that St.Paul shares with us in 2 Corinthians 8:
And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. ² Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. ³ For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, ⁴ they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints. ⁵ And they did not do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God’s will.

We hear about the women afflicted with bleeding who touches Jesus in Mark 5:25-34 where she is healed and told by Jesus “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”  I hope people will read this in the context of all of Mark 5 and understand what Jesus meant when we hear:
³⁵ While Jesus was still speaking, some men came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler. “Your daughter is dead,” they said. “Why bother the teacher any more?” ³⁶ Ignoring what they said, Jesus told the synagogue ruler, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.”
We are called to respond to the LOVE, FAITHFULNESS, GRACE AND COMPASSION OF OUR AMAZING GOD TO TRUST, JUST BELIEVE AND EXPECT HE HAS WHAT IS BEST IN MIND FOR US!

I hope you will join us tomorrow as we ponder how we respond to the invitation of Jesus "DON'T BE AFRAID; JUST BELIEVE!"

Love in Christ Jesus our Risen Lord and Savior,

Pastor Bryan

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St. John the Baptist June 24, 2012

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

We are remembering the Nativity of St. John the Baptist tomorrow. It is unusual for the days we remember important and faithful saints, whose service is recorded in the Scriptures or in Church History, to fall on a Sunday. So we like to use this opportunity to teach on these important examples for us.

Can you imagine being St. John. First, to know that your conception was a huge miracle from God. Second, to know that God planned for you to be *Nazarite and "Elijah" for the Messiah Jesus and third, to know that your ministry or calling would lead to your beheading. Tomorrow we look at the miracle of his conception and ministry especially the way his father, Zechariah prophesied and was obedient to the Lord!

*Nazarite or Nazirite according to Wikipedia is:
In the Hebrew Bible, a nazirite or nazarite, (in Hebrew: נזיר, nazir), refers to one who voluntarily took a vow described in Numbers 6:1–21. The term "nazirite" comes from the Hebrew word nazir meaning "consecrated" or "separated".^[1] This vow required the man or woman to:

• Abstain from wine, wine vinegar, grapes, raisins, intoxicating liquors^[2] and vinegar distilled from such.^[3] and refrain from eating or drinking any substance that contains any trace of grapes^[4]
• Refrain from cutting the hair on one's head; but to allow the locks of the head's hair to grow.^[5]
• Not to become impure by corpses or graves, even those of family members^[6]

After following these requirements for a designated period of time (which would be specified in the individual's vow), the person would immerse in a mikveh and make three offerings, a lamb as a burnt offering (olah), a ewe as a sin-offering (hatat), and a ram as a peace offering (shelamim), in addition to a basket of unleavened bread, grain offerings and drink offerings, which accompanied the peace offering. They would also shave their head in the outer courtyard of the Temple and then place the hair on the same fire as the peace offering. (Numbers 6:18)
The nazirite is described as being "holy unto YHWH" (Numbers 6:8), yet at the same time must bring a sin offering. This has led to divergent approaches to the nazirite in the Talmud, and later authorities, with some viewing the Nazirite as an ideal, and others viewing him as a sinner.

This is an accurate description.

Tomorrow we remember the faithfulness of this "saint" as we who are still "sinners and saints" can be encouraged and learn from his faithfulness even to death.

Please join us as we celebrate and remember the life and example of St. John the Baptist. We will be continuing our prayer time at 9:30 every Sunday at the EMU Site. Please join us!

Love in Christ,

Pastor Bryan

Father KNOWS BEST! June 17, 2012

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Please join us tomorrow for FATHER'S DAY! We will again meet for Prayer ministry at 9:30am and then Worship at 10:15 at the EMU Site and at 11:00 at ALIVE! Lenawee County.

Have you ever wondered why the TV and movies make Fathers out to be complete bozos? This society downplays the importance of FATHERS. Tomorrow we will pray for and honor Fathers who are called to lead their families and teach their children. Dr. Martin Luther wrote the Small Catechism for Father's to teach their children up in the faith.. God had a lot to say in the SHEMA of the Old Testament in Deuteronomy 6:4-9, the first prayer a Hebrew student learns:

⁴ Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.^{[a] 5} Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. ⁶ These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. ⁷ Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. ⁸ Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. ⁹ Write them on the door frames of your houses and on your gates.

Footnotes:

1. Deuteronomy 6:4 Or The Lord our God is one Lord; or The Lord is our God, the Lord is one; or The Lord is our God, the Lord alone

God expects Fathers to raise up there children in training and instruction. St. Paul again shares this in Ephesians 6:
6 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ² “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— ³ “that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”^{[a] guote of Deuteronomy 5:16 4} Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.


I think it is evident that we can easily buy into the society around us and think that Fathers, like those in the series "Father knows best" which ended 6 years before I was born, (but I grew up with examples like Mr. C in "Happy Days" etc... ,) never existed and the goofy, foolish fathers of today are what is the NORM? It is so important that the Church remind fathers of their important role in the lives of their children. When I was in my Clinical Pastoral Education Unit at Alberta Hospital I heard the Doctors talk about the importance of the Father-Son relationship and the Father-Daughter relationship especially as I read the history of the patients. When I was the chairman of Chaplaincy in Sask Hospital in North Battleford we had workshops on the importance of these relationships.

So if we don't share the truth of the Fathers role with their children in our society, who will? Not the media, certainly not Hollywood? May we honor, encourage and pray for fathers this Sunday, as they have a tremendously important calling! May all our fathers imitate our heavenly father. The best example is in Luke 11:11-13 Jesus said: “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” We are encouraged to imitate our heavenly father as it states in Psalm 98:5 Father to the fatherless, defender of widows—this is God, whose dwelling is holy. and Proverbs 3:12 Father to the fatherless, defender of widows—this is God, whose dwelling is holy.

Or think about the image of the Father that Jesus shares in Luke 15:¹¹ Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. ¹² The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.
¹³ “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. ¹⁴ After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. ¹⁵ So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. ¹⁶ He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
¹⁷ “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! ¹⁸ I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. ¹⁹ I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.’ ²⁰ So he got up and went to his father.
“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
²¹ “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.^[b]’
²² “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. ²³ Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. ²⁴ For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.
²⁵ “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. ²⁶ So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. ²⁷ ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’
²⁸ “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. ²⁹ But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. ³⁰ But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’
³¹ “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. ³² But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”

We also hear in Psalm 103:13 “As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;” which is consistent with what we hear in John 3:16-17 and what we know of the father heart of our God who "lavishes" HIS love on US as we hear in 1 John 3:1 "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

May we celebrate our Father GOD, as well as our earthly Fathers tomorrow! Our FATHER does KNOW BEST!

A very special event tomorrow at the EMU Site:
Tomorrow, we welcome Pastor Haroon Bhatti, director of Abundant Life Gospel Assemblies in Pakistan. A little information about Rev. Bhatti:

Abundant Life Gospel Assemblies is a vision & ministry dedicated to Evangelism, Church Planting to Train Christian workers and to work for the development of Christian community in Pakistan and beyond by helping the poor, needy and neglected segments of the community.

Rev. and Mrs. Haroon Bhatti started this work in December 2001. Rev. Bhatti spent 14 years in his previous ministry as co-founder and Vice President, where God used him to plant 12 churches and 10 Bible centers. There, he established and directed a Bible Institute. He has trained and mentored hundreds of workers and ministers, who are efficiently working in the field. In 2001, when God heavily pressed upon his heart to start this ministry (ALGA), it was very difficult for him to leave all the previous achievements and establishments behind and to start all over again. God spoke to Rev. Bhatti through the words He spoke to Abraham, “I will make you a great nation; I will bless you. And make your name great; and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, ---”. God really fulfilled His promise and blessed this ministry in a very dynamic and unique way.

Please come and hear this exciting Missionary give the Sermon during the EMU service tomorrow!

OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD

During June, we will collect soap and washcloths for Operation Christmas Child. We have a box set up in front of the podium in the sharing space for your donations. Thank you for your generosity!

KITCHEN RENOVATION

As you can see - the kitchen renovation process is well under way. you have any questions about what’s being done, you can direct them to Paul Knickelbein or other members of the kitchen renovation committee: Smith, Jackie Ham, Meredith Gady, RoseMarie Guthre and Roger Varblow.

PRAYER AND HEALING

The Prayer and Healing Team will be here on June 27 for prayer ministry. They will be in Pastor’s office. People who would like to be on a healing team should also come.

LWML CONVENTION

Attention all women! The Lutheran Women’s Missionary League (Michigan District) will hold its convention on July 20-22 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Dearborn. Registration forms are on the cabinet across from Pastor’s office. Feel free to take one.

LUTH. FOR LIFE DIAPER SHOWER

Lutherans For Life of Michigan is once again sponsoring a Statewide Diaper Shower. We are collecting disposable diapers until Father’s Day [June 17]. We will then deliver them to a local pregnancy center. You may place your donations in the crib, located in the sharing space.

Joni and Friends Family Retreat: July 3-8, 2012. The JAF family retreat is quickly approaching.We have had a large response from families affected by disability.We are still in need of eleven people to serve as Short Term Missionaries (STMs).Please, prayerfully consider serving as the hands and feet of Jesus, at the JAF Family Retreat this year. There has recently become available some financial support thru Joni and Friends.For more information, please talk to the Kleimola family or Wendi Voorheis.

OPPORTUNITY FOR YOUNG ADULTS

Are you 20-something? Is God calling you to make a difference? SEND North America is a Christian version of the Peace Corps. This world – the church – needs you! SEND is a 10-month, hands-on training experience in discipleship and mission. Register for this free Compass Event at  http://june26michigancompass.eventbrite.com/ or phone Church Doctor Ministries at 800-626-8515.

HOPE CLINIC HOOPLA

Date: Saturday, June 16 at Dawn Farm, 6633 Stony Creek Rd., Ypsilanti. The event will include music by The RFD Boys, a BBQ dinner and the presentation of the Daniel D. Heffernan Humanitarian award to Linda Mealing,given in recognition of her service to the community in the name of Christ.Ticket price is $50 per person. more information or to attend contact Connie Hallom at 734-961-0548 or challom@thehopeclinic.org.

HOPE CLINIC, serving families in need in the greater Washtenaw County area urgently needs items to fill their pantry shelves. During the summer months donations decrease, but the need continues to grow. The following items are needed:
 Enfamil baby formula (yellow label 12-16 oz size)
 baby food/cereal
 diapers in sizes 4, 5,& 6
 diaper wipes.

If you would like to help, please bring unopened formula, baby food, diapers & wipes to:
HOPE Clinic ~ 518 Harriet Street, Ypsilanti, MI
Gift Cards to be used to purchase these items could also be donated.

Questions: Melissa Burkhart mburkhart@thehopeclinic.org

Hope to see you all tomorrow!

Love in Christ our Risen Lord and Savior,

Pastor Bryan

Out of our minds?! Second Sun Pentecost June 10, 2012

This Sunday we celebrate the Second Sunday of Pentecost. As we begin the teaching season of the church we turn to the readings from the Gospel of Mark and hear in Mark 3 how Jesus' family and others think he is crazy. They say "He is out of His Mind," of course his critics, the teachers of the law, jump in and add "He is possessed by Beelzebub! By the prince of demons He is driving out demons."

Have you ever felt that when you are following Christ in a very committed way people think you are "out of your mind?"

I have dealt with this over the years with friends who think that, when I had opportunities to make money and get a "real job," as one friend from my High School days put it, I stayed in the ministry. When I share with others about how we want the gifts of the Holy Spirit spoken of in Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12 and Ephesians 4 to manifest and be evident in our church family I have some pastors say heretical things like: "they are not for today," or "the gifts were only for the office of public ministry," or "these gifts ended when the canon of Holy Scripture was closed" etc..... I think it has become more and more evident to me the need for us to do really believe what the Disciples said in Acts 4 when they astonished the Jewish ruling council (Sanhedrin) and they were told to stop saying the truth. The Apostles said in Acts 4: ¹⁸ Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. ¹⁹ But Peter and John replied, “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to obey you rather than God. ²⁰ For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” 

I guess it is time for us to determine if we will give in to the world, and what is politically correct, or  serve God rather than man? I would rather be accused of being "out of my mind" than give into a philosophy that gains applause but leads me to compromise on essentials. The words of Jesus come to mind in Mark 8: ³⁶ What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?


As we prepare to worship our Lord this Sunday may we be ready to do what we hear the Lord say in HIS WORD and be forgiven, set free and empowered by HIS SACRAMENTS to move forward with HIS PLANS AND HIS WAYS AND HIS WILL NOT OURS!


God richly Bless you this week as you serve our living God!

Love in Christ Jesus our Risen and Ruling Savior and Lord,

Pastor Bryan

Trinity Sunday: PIZZA! June 3, 2012

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Today we celebrate the truth of our amazing TRIUNE God! Some people have difficulty with this mystery of the TRINITY. If I had a dollar for every time someone told me that this is not in the BIBLE, I would be rich. The reason that the word TRINITY is not in the Bible is that the Bible is written in Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek, Trinity is a LATIN word. It is a theological Latin word that describes the God who is has made himself known to us in Holy Scripture:
Genesis 1:
1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. ² Now the earth was^[a] formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.³ And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.
John 1:
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was with God in the beginning.³ Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. ⁴ In him was life, and that life was the light of men. ⁵ The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood^[a] it.
Jesus' words in the garden of Gethsemane in John 13-17,
John 17:
⁶ “I have revealed you^[a] to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. ⁷ Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. ⁸ For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. ⁹ I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. ¹⁰ All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them. ¹¹ I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name—the name you gave me—so that they may be one as we are one. etc......

Don't we use words to describe things that happen, that we experience today. I think of the life cycle of the Butterfly at its METAMORPHOSES check it out ( http://www.flashclassroom.com/docs/flash/79_butterfly_emma.swf ) Do we find this word anywhere? Yet it describes the action and life of the Butterfly. Trinity is the mystery of God: Father, Son and Holy  Spirit Matthew 28:19
¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in^[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 

No matter what image, or images we use on this side of heaven we will never do justice to this "mystery" of the Trinity. It has caused so much heresy over the years when we try to figure out an ALMIGHTY God by bringing him down to our level, even though he warns us in Scripture:

Isaiah 55:8-9
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
    neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord.
⁹ “As the heavens are higher than the earth,
    so are my ways higher than your ways
    and my thoughts than your thoughts.  

Yet in every age people try to limit, box or define our God and end up in heresy. The Jehovah Witnesses, Mormons etc... all struggle with these things, in the early church they had Arius and Modal-ism. We just studied the Gnostic and Cerinthians as we looked at 1 John.

It is acknowledging the weakness of every earthly definition, that we look at the Trinity like a Pizza today. I have used the Egg, the 3 states of H2O and other ways but since we are giving out the God and Family Scout award today we are using PIZZA.

The God and Family Course looked at our faith life as a Pizza with the Crust/foundation being our place in the family of God, the Sauce being our family and spiritual heritage, the toppings as our talents and gifts, the cheese as the LOVE of Christ, no matter what, baked together into one unique PIZZA, inseparable yet having many parts. It was a unique experience to look at all the parts that make up our family, faith and formation. We are one person but all of these parts make us a unique creation of God. I thought it was a great exercise in remembering that the Lord makes us as unique as snow flakes and yet we all are in need of his forgiveness, grace and salvation each day!

May this Trinity Sunday be a time for us to ponder how beautiful and wonderfully created we are and how Jesus, our redeemer, died for us and we are filled with the Holy Spirit to live for our God and be HIS Children, HIS royal priesthood, HIS Holy Nation, a people belonging to God.

2 Peter 2:
 
⁹ But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. ¹⁰ Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

May this Trinity Sunday be a time for us to worship in awe and reverence the God who created all things and through Christ Jesus calls us his own children!

Love in Christ our Risen Lord and Savior,

Pastor Bryan