Lutheran Church of Providence

November, 2019 Newsletter

 

Pastor’s Corner

Often in the church the seasons seem to drag by when we get to the Pentecost/Trinity part of the year. Everything is done in green and it seems to go on forever. Good News! The church year (which starts with the first Sunday in Advent) is almost over. For the next few weeks, the colors on the altar and pulpit will change as we see the color red for Reformation and white for All Saints’ Day.

For Lutherans the Reformation is a very important time when we return to what the Bible says and base our salvation on God’s great love for us and the gift of His Son to pay for all our sins. We don’t have to pay for it when we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior because He died in our place and then rose again to give us eternal life by faith, trust and love of Him. We are truly Christ centered! I encourage all members to attend our worship celebrating the Reformation.

One week later we will celebrate All Saints’ Day when we remember those whose bodies have died before us and they were God fearing people. In our worship we sing about praising God with angels, archangels and all the company of heaven. Through faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, when our bodies die we will join the angels and saints before the throne of God and will be in His presence forevermore.

Many people grieve when their loved ones are called home, but we also rejoice at the homecoming awaiting them and us. Let us be ready at all times to meet our God when He calls us home.

Shortly after Reformation and All Saints we will enter into Advent ― a time to prepare for celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. This isn’t about shopping for gifts and decorating our homes but it’s about getting our entire lives ready for God’s gift to us of His Son Jesus Christ. Stores have sales but God’s gift is ours free of charge. How often do we think about what will happen when our bodies die? How often do we talk with God about returning to Him? I have never heard anyone say that they don’t care what comes next. Many people however have an inaccurate knowledge of God and of His great desire to have us with Him forever. God is love but He is also just. Knowing about Him isn’t enough we must also love Him and desire to be with Him whenever the opportunity arises. As Luther says: ‘We must fear, love and trust in God above all things.’

As we come into the celebrating season of the church year there will be many opportunities to share God’s love with others not only by what we say but also by what we do. Why not volunteer to be a part of the food bank or the quilters group? There are also opportunities for us to work closer with the preschool by reading to the children and by joining them in chapel every Tuesday at 10:00 AM. Don’t forget to join the book club and to invite your friends and neighbors to join you.

As you can see, a lot is happening during the late fall and winter seasons. Let’s reach out to others and encourage them to develop a relationship with Jesus as their Lord and Savior. May God bless us and keep us in His care.

 

In His service,

Pastor Weikart

 

 

FROM THE PRESIDENT

Lutherans Have Saints Look Around!

For All the Saints Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith. Hebrews 12:2 During the month of November, our thoughts literally turn heavenward. On November 1st, the church celebrates All Saints’ Day, a time when we rejoice in the hope we have as Christians that those who die in the faith still live in Christ.

As the month of November continues, we start to move into a time of the church year in which we hear readings about the end of time and the return of Christ. During November our minds are indeed turned heavenward, but we can also look to the saints all around us right here on earth. The scriptures say we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses in the faith (Hebrews 12). During Sunday morning worship, this is literally true. You are seated with Christians in front of you, behind you, and next to you. Consider one group of Christians in particular ― our elderly members. Many of our elderly members may not physically be with us on Sunday. Many may be homebound, in a hospital, or in a care facility; but that does not mean they are any less with us in the faith of Christ. These members are truly saints whom we should desire to emulate and respect. In the United States we live in a relatively youth-obsessed culture. We like our bodies to look and feel youthful. We generally look down on the aging process. Most of us groan when the wrinkles appear, and we moan when the aches get worse. But why should we look down on aging even with all its wrinkles and aches? Those lines and wrinkles are not signs of depleted youth. As Christians, we should see every line and wrinkle as the beauty mark of someone Christ has sustained in the faith over many years. As our bodies slow down we don’t have to grow angry that we can’t do the things we want to do. On the contrary, we can give thanks that Christ is drawing us closer to what He wants to do – give us eternal life. We have living saints among us who emulate faithfulness to Christ on a daily basis. Our elderly members are fellow Christians who have seen life, lived through what many of us are just now going through, and have come out the other end sustained by faith in Christ. We should strive to be like these living saints.

Take a moment and ask yourself what can I do at Lutheran Church of Providence to be a better Christian or bring a lost soul to know Jesus? Today is the day to volunteer to help bring in food for the Food Bank, sign up to cook a turkey for our Thanksgiving Church dinner, make a difference! After all, as Christians, shouldn’t we want to live lives of faith right now in this world, and ones that will be celebrated for all eternity with our living Savior, Jesus Christ our Lord, the author and perfecter of our faith.

A Child of God,

Roy Armstrong, Council President

 

FOOD PANTRY

   Thanksgiving is almost here which means that the Food Pantry is asking the congregation to help us fill 100 bags of food for our clients. The number of our families in need is increasing monthly. The following items will be needed: yams or sweet potatoes, boxed mashed potatoes, stuffing, canned gravy, cranberry jell or whole and money for turkeys.