WHAT LIES AHEAD FOR GRACE?
Someone defined faith as a “leap into the darkness.” I prefer the definition, “A leap into the darkness into the arms of the waiting Father.”
Grace is entering an exiting time of growth and stretching. Pr Ferd continues in his role of pastoral leadership. His main challenge is to help us move from where we are today to next March, when we begin the Specialized Minister Pastor program with Vicar to be German Novelli.
German is already serving in a vicarage capacity in Venezuela. When he arrives in July/August he will begin a time of English immersion through February. He will also work on a number of pre-seminary courses in English. During this time he will begin to volunteer his services at Grace.
In March he begins the SMP program with classes on line from Concordia Seminary, St.Louis.
Pr. Ferd will be his mentor. After two years he will be ordained to serve as pastor at Grace. He then continues another two years of on-line classes.
God is giving us a marvelous opportunity to seek his face and walk in his will. Is everyone at Grace ready to leap? No. But the Lord invites us all to take the step of faith, or is it rather a “leap” into the arms of the waiting Father?
SUMMER
STAY THE SAME AND DIE - TAKE UP THE CROSS, LOSE YOUR LIFE AND LIVE!
Jesus is the gentle Savior and compassionate Healer. But the heart of his work was to be the Lamb of God that goes to the cross in order to take way the sins of the world. Because our sins are already dealt with the Holy Spirit creates faith in our heart to believe that God no longer sees our sin, but see us pure and holy, just like Jesus!
Why then should be listen to Jesus‘ call to take up our cross and follow him? The Holy Spirit gives the gift of faith to believe in Jesus and know that heaven is our home. But there remains a great challenge on this earth. To be a follower of Jesus means that we are called to die. Die to self in order that we might emerge with new life and victory.
Luther makes this clear in the Small Catechism, Baptism-Part Four:
What does such baptizing with water indicate?
It indicates that the Old Adam in us should by daily contrition and repentance be drowned and die with all sins and evil desires, that that a new man should daily emerge and arise to live before God in righteousness and purity forever.
Where is this written?
St. Paul writes in Romans, chapter six: “We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised form the dad through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.” Romans 6:4
Take up the cross - renew your Baptisms every day. Die to sin and self and arise to a new life of loving service. Sin is turning inward on ourselves. Forgiven, we turn outward. We are to live in Christ by faith - and live in our neighbor by love. That love will flow only as we rejoice sin and self and offer our lives to be the common clay pots that bring the treasure to others. Jesus, Priceless Treasure. (see 2 Corinthians 4:5-18)
HOW DOES THIS APPLY TO OUR LIFE TOGETHER AT GRACE?
The invitation is both personal and corporate. One by one we are to return again to our Baptism and there die in order to rise to new life. So it is with the congregation as a whole. Someone put it this way: “We are to die as a church and be born as God’s mission.”
To die as a church means the end of focusing upon ourselves. Look at what we do as a congregation. Jesus tells us we are to be on the move in order to make disciples. But so
much of our activities, though good in themselves, are for our own enjoyment and comfort.
“Church” for many is a gathering of people doing what I like, giving me satisfaction and having things the way I want them to be. To die as a church is painful. It does not mean that we stop loving and caring for one another. Of course that continues. But we are to lift our eyes, look carefully at the harvest field at our doorstep and offer ourselves individually and as a congregation to be born as God’s mission.
The new mission logo for our Synod puts this together in a three-fold theme:
WITNESS, MERCY and LIFE TOGETHER
Pastor Ferd