Fall is in the air and the seasons of the church are changing. On October 28 we celebrate the cleansing of the church by Martin Luther in 1517. Luther relied on the Bible for answers to questions in our faith. He stated that the only norm in our faith is found in the Holy Scriptures. He also stated that we cannot earn salvation but that redemption is a gift from God (Grace alone) that we receive by faith alone. Heaven is offered to all people if we only believe that his Son Jesus Christ died to pay for our sins and rose again to give us eternal life.
The following Sunday, November 4, we will celebrate All Saints Day when we remember the faithful who have finished their course on earth and are seated at the throne of God praising Him for His love and goodness. We miss those who have died but rejoice that by faith in Jesus Christ they are living eternally with God.
After that we commemorate the end of the church year as we consider what our Lord says about the end times. We are not sad but expectant as we look at what God has in store for the believers.
Let us not forget Thanksgiving either. In this we thank God for all His blessings both material as well as spiritual. We will join together in worship on Wednesday evening, November 21, at 7:00 PM. Additionally, we will be handing out about 100 turkey dinners to those less blessed than we are.
Immediately after Thanksgiving we will begin Advent which is a time to prepare for Christmas. As in the past we will have mid-week services as we reflect on the season.
As you can see there will be many celebrations coming as we thank God for His great love for us. Is it not a shame that many people will not think about God during this great chapter in life? This is where we come in! We have been commissioned by Jesus to go and make disciples of the whole world. I encourage you to talk with your friends and neighbors about your faith in the triune God and to invite them to join you in worship. Feel free to offer them one of our crosses and spend time praying that the Holy Spirit will enter their hearts.
Please also consider helping out with the angel tree that will have requests on it for needy families.
As you can tell our ministry here at the church will be picking up. Please join us in worship and service during the next few months. God has blessed us greatly over the last few years. Let us strive for peace joy and faithfulness as we go forward.
May God be praised as we continue our work for Him and with Him.
In His Name
Reverend Dr. Robert Weikart