AUGUST 2016
CALLED OUT
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for [God’s] own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him Who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.
(1 Peter 2:9, ESV)
It is no secret that we live in deeply troubled times. Jesus prophesied, rather matter-of-factly, that wickedness would increase. So it should not surprise us that headline violence occurs almost daily, that respect for life has seldom been lower, that political intrigue and sexual perversion wreak havoc near and far, and that even seemingly healthy Olympic competition is fouled by cheating and deception. Still, even for Christians, a constant barrage of disturbing news can prove dispiriting. Blessedly, our Lord Jesus offers wise counsel for living in troubled times. He identifies the violence’s of the world as signs of the end and calls His disciples, upon seeing these things, to “lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” (Luke 21:28) Beyond the distresses that sin brings into earthly life are, for believers in Jesus, promised glories of eternal life. “Lift up your heads!”
Head lifted up and focused heavenward, arms outstretched in compassion to serve, eyes open to see the needs of the world, and mouths ready to pray and in gentleness and forthrightness to speak scripturally revealed truth in every situation—this is discipleship’s posture, from the 1st century, for the 21st century, and throughout however many more centuries there may be until the Lord returns. It isn’t an easy posture to maintain. Word and Sacrament alone can sustain muscular faithfulness. Yet Jesus calls every member of His holy nation to perseverance, and He promises to be with the baptized until the end of the age.
It is that divine pledge of Christ’s own presence that inspires and enables steadfastness in faith and mission despite the evils of the times. Several weeks ago in our corporate confession and absolution we were reminded that “no earthly institution nor any human invention can with certainty safeguard our lives” but that the risen, reigning, returning Lord Jesus will ever embrace His chosen ones “with strength that no power of earth or hell can overcome.” This is the Savior Who encourages us to lift up our heads and view by faith through the lens of the Holy Scriptures the ultimate triumph of the Gospel, which cannot be discerned by sight and is often hidden by “wars and rumors of wars.”
Christians can never hear that encouragement too often. Troubled times call not for hapless hand-wringing but for vibrant discipleship. While the “increase of wickedness” (Matthew 24:12) is one of the signs of the end another is the on-going proclamation of the Gospel, the good news that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, suffered and died for the forgiveness of sin then rose to life again, returned to heaven, and graciously shares His everlasting victory over all wickedness with all who believe in Him. In this age of ISIS, Zika, Olympic doping, and the sad degeneration of political debate into slanderous name-calling and debilitating fear-mongering the Church’s announcement that redemption in Christ is nearer today than it was yesterday is refreshing and energizing.
That this age is deeply troubled means that it is also desperately ripe for Christian witness. Those called by Jesus into His royal priesthood, believing that it is God Himself Who “determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live,” (Acts 17:26) will certainly grieve over sin’s ruinous impact in their times but will nonetheless rejoice to look heavenward. Seeing Jesus there readying Himself to return to earth, they will stand upright in the power of His Spirit and speak His name with delight. In so doing, they will serve deeply troubled times with the Gospel of Peace. What higher purpose or holier calling work could there be in “such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14)
Prayerfully,
Pastor Walt Pohland
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My Kind of Pastor
So just when you got used to me being your vicar, I go and get ordained and become your associate pastor. I have a feeling that as a result of this change, I’m going to have a very “fluid” status over the next few months. As in, “Hello there Vicar, uh, Pastor Bill.” Or perhaps even an occasional, “Hello Pastor Vic Crowe.” J Well, not a problem at all, I’ll take it! Besides, what’s in a title anyway?
Have you ever thought about that before? The title “Pastor” and what it implies? One of the first courses I took when I arrived at seminary was, Pastoral Ministries. On day two of the class we tackled this question. What is a pastor? What do they do? The answer, as you would expect, was pretty heavy. In summary:
- God has given the Word and sacraments that people may come to faith.
- God has arranged that the Word and sacraments should be taught and administered.
- Since such a ministry has been established by God, individuals are called to be ministers by the church.
- Those who are called to be ministers hold and exercise the office of the ministry.
- The power or office of the keys, given by Christ to the church, is exercised publicly on behalf of the church by the called ministers.
- The power of the ministers is the power to preach the Gospel, administer the sacraments, and forgive and retain sins.
- Nota Bene: no coercive force is given to the office. We only have the Word.
- The power of the ministry is not a temporal power but a power in spiritual powers of Word and sacrament.
- Ministers cannot arrogate such authority to themselves, but it must be conferred by the call of the church.
- The pastor’s authority is the authority of God’s Word and the authority of service in the Name of Christ. In a very real sense, he is a person of authority not because of position but because of his serving. As he ministers faithfully, he expresses and demonstrates pastoral authority, to which the people of God respond by looking to him as a person of authority, a man sent by God for their salvation here and hereafter.
- In his ministry, the pastor is accountable first to Christ and then to the people of God, who are the Body of Christ.
- In his role as Word and sacrament minister, the pastor facilitates a common and shared ministry. He sees to it that people of God are not only equipped to use their gifts for the common good but that they have opportunity and freedom to do their ministry as responsible Christians.
- [plus 30 or more Scripture references supporting all this – ask if you are interested.]
Like I said, it’s kind of heavy when you stop and think about it. Over the course of the next few years I kept thinking about this question. What makes a pastor. What kind of pastor do I want to be? Well, in the end, I came to the conclusion that I do (of course) want to be about all the things listed above. But, when people talk about me, what I hope and pray they say about me is simply that, “Pastor Bill is all about loving, guiding, and growing God’s flock. That’s my Pastor!” Because simply put, that is exactly what I have seen modeled here at Faith. May the Lord grant me such a ministry as well.
Serving our Lord together with you,
Pastor Bill
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DOG DAYS
The ‘dog days’ of August are upon us! This phrase originated with the Greeks thousands of years ago, referencing the rising at sunrise of Orion’s dog, the dog-star Sirius. This phrase appears frequently in prose, poetry, and song.
Typically, these ‘dog days’ are the hottest, most sultry days of summer. One’s energy wanes and, if possible, the best activity for many is to simply sit in the shade and sip iced tea.
I would like to flip the word ‘dog’ around and be reminded that the days of August, as are all days, are GOD DAYS! After all, all of history is HIS STORY!
The psalmist says, “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Oh, that those words were on our lips every day when we rise refreshed from a good night’s rest.
Why do I say that these are GOD DAYS? These are GOD DAYS:
- Because He is in them.
- Because He made them.
- Because He is faithfully watching over His world.
- Because He is affording us blessing upon blessing.
- Because He promised to be with us.
- Because He challenges us to seize every opportunity.
- Because His Gospel is still being preached.
- Because Jesus is leading us in servant ministry.
- Because God wants all to be saved.
- Because the Word of God will endure forever.
- Because He is patient not wanting any to be lost.
- Because He is the high and holy One.
Call these days what you will, but I invite all of you to join me in calling them GOD DAYS! What can be better than standing at the foot of the cross, bathed in God’s forgiving grace in Jesus Christ, and being Spirit-empowered to share God’s truth with a lost and dying world while we still have life and breath?
Relishing in God’s refreshing grace and favor,
Pastor John F. Selle
Visitation Pastor
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“Christian Growth Sunday”
August 28, 2016
NEW PROGRAMS, NEW CLASSES
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STEPHEN, Powerful Witness of Christ
If you are new to Faith Lutheran, or maybe even a longer-term member, you may have noticed in Sunday Worship media ad placements, the notation “Faith Lutheran is a Stephen Ministry Congregation”, and perhaps you were curious? Stephen Ministry is a one-to-one lay caring ministry at Faith Lutheran. Our congregation equips and enables lay caregivers—called Stephen Ministers—to provide high-quality, confidential, Christ-centered care to people who are hurting.
“Stephen” was one of seven men chosen to help administer the distribution of food to needy Christians in Jerusalem (Acts 6:1-6). Stephen was an exemplary early Christian who, as a result of the boldness of his witness, was arrested and killed by the Jewish authorities (Acts 7:54-60). The name “Stephen” reflects the caring ministry provided to those in need. Since the time of the Apostles, caring ministry has been considered a hallmark of the Christian faith community.
We are fortunate, in that Faith Lutheran has a rich Stephen Ministry history. Many of our members have served as Stephen Ministers. Worship service on 7 August, is a “focus Sunday” for our Stephen Ministry. Worship services this date will highlight the Ministry with a Temple Talk, a Children’s Message, and informational opportunities in the narthex. Plan to attend services, and learn more.
If you feel God is calling you to be a Christian Caregiver as a Stephen Minister, the next training will be offered this fall. The Church of the Nazarene, 4051 East University Avenue in Georgetown, will be hosting the training on Mondays, September 12, 2016-January 23, 2017 from 6:00-8:30 pm. Other Stephen Ministry churches in Georgetown will also be sending trainees. If you are interested or would like additional information, please contact the church office. Certainly, if you or someone you know may have need for a caring relationship, please feel free to contact one of the pastors.
by David Fischer, Faith Lutheran Stephen Minister
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BRAILLE MINISTRY
God’s WORD. A precious gift. In the picture below is a picture of the Bible I carried literally around the world as I shared the Good News with Soldiers and their family members. All 66 Books of the Bible in compact form. The print was big enough to read and small enough to fit into the Battle Dress Uniform.
Thank God that Faith Lutheran Members desire to Live the Gospel of Christ, to Study God’s Word to really Know Christ and to reach out to Make Christ Known. Do you know about our Mission in Swahili to tell the Good News in East Africa to those who are Blind? Every second MONDAY of each month 11 or 12 of Faith’s Disciples go to Zion Walburg to produce at least TWENTY COPIES of FIRST & SECOND CORINTHIANS in SWAHILI. Next to my Bible in the picture is roughly two-thirds of a Braille Bible.
You can see it takes two big books just to do the Book of the Prophet Isaiah! But thank God that through our Volunteer Labor of Love, our Blind Friends in East Africa can have all of God’s Word for free. You are needed in this Missionary Outreach. Thank you.
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Mark your calendars for Sunday, September 25th for Faith Lutheran’s Annual Church Picnic. The Picnic will be held at the Georgetown Community Center in San Gabriel Park.
Food and Volunteer Sign Ups will be coming soon!!!!!
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The Board of Human Care will sponsor the
3rd Annual Faith Food Drive
Benefiting
The Caring Place Food Pantry
August 1 – August 31, 2016
Our goal is to collect 500 pounds of non-perishable food and personal care items during the month of August. Financial contributions will also be accepted. Barrels will be located at the Ministry Center.
Thank you for supporting The Caring Place.
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UPBRING
A pan-Lutheran ministry aimed at ending the cycle of child abuse!
By the numbers:
- 27,000 – the number of children Upbring served in 2015
- 66,721 – the number of Texas children who were victims of child abuse in 2015
- 17,151 – those children of the previous number were removed from their homes in 2015
- 5 – the number of Upbring’s ministries: adoption; children’s services; community services; disaster response; and foster care
- 6 – the number of strategic alliances: Dell Children’s Hospital; Austin Community College; UT’s School of Social Work; Goodwill; Boys and Girls Clubs; and the YMCA
- 1 – the number of annual Golf Tournaments in which Faith, Georgetown is involved to support these ministries (Monday, September 19th at Avery Ranch)
- 1 – the number of Faith’s members who helps organize our participation in the annual Austin Upbring golf tournament; his name is Bill Jones.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Helping Hands Lutheran Women’s Missionary League
Mission for this month is Lutheran Braille Workers.
Helping Hands LWML would like to thank everyone who donated to the Pointe Store during July. These donations will go a long way to help the girls at New Life Treatment Center in Canyon Lake.
Quilting for Lutheran World Relief continues in August. This group will meet on the 1st, 3rd, and 4th Tuesday mornings upstairs in the Activity Center from 9:30 a.m. -11:00 a.m. Everyone is welcome to come and tie knots or help in other ways.
We welcome and invite all women of Faith to join us.
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2016 SAG SEMINARS
Senior Advocacy Group SEMINARS – FALL 2016 OFFERINGS
The SAG Seminars are currently on summer hiatus, but we have an excellent slate of seminars planned for the fall starting on September 15. Our prime objective for these seminars is to provide our members and their guests with meaningful information and resources relevant to the mature population.
Our September 15 seminar will feature Dr. Ahmed, a local specialist in Rheumatology, speaking on the various forms of arthritis including diagnosis and treatment options.
The October 20 seminar is planned to cover the various forms of dementia, including Alzheimer’s Disease, and we are focusing on a professional speaker to address this debilitating malady in lay terms for our audience.
The November 17 SAG Seminar will feature speakers from the Georgetown Fire Department providing insightful tips for making our homes safer through removal of tripping hazards and addressing other accident prone areas. This should be a rather timely seminar topic as many will be making holiday preparations in and around their homes. Beside the normal GFD responses to trips and falls injuries, many mature folks are permanently injured each year while attempting holiday decorations both inside and outside the home.
There will be no SAG Seminar in December due to Advent services and many other Christmas related activities in December. The fall SAG Seminars are all planned to start at 10 AM in B116 preceded by a social time from 9:30 to 10 featuring light refreshments.
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