Pastor John M. Taggatz, Carol Wentz, Secretary
March, 2012 Lela Rehmer, Custodian Kevin Kahle, Groundskeeper
Church E-mail: stjohnch@egyptian.net;
jtaggatz@yahoo.com
Church
Web Site: www.stjohnbaldwin.ctsmemberconnect.net
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Serving on the Altar Guild
for March are: Renee Luthy & Melba Luthy
Ushers for the Month of March are: Larry Erdmann, Kevin Luthy,
Terry Rehmer, Cory Rehmer, Brian Schoenbeck, Bruce Schoenbeck, Wes Stellhorn
& Dennis Wegener
CALL THE CHURCH OFFICE…
(618) 785-2344 (or)
(618) 785-2602
-When a member of your family is
admitted to the hospital, so a visit can be made by Pastor Taggatz.
- When your group plans to hold a meeting, so it can be cleared
and placed on the church calendar.
-When your home or business phone number or address is changed, so
church records can be corrected.
- When you are planning to move either out of town or locally.
- When you know you are pregnant
so that we will be able to assist you in any way we can with prayers,
encouragement and support.
- When a new baby arrives in your
family or in the family of another church member.
- When you are planning a wedding or baptism.
“Where is Your Treasure?”
Jesus said in Matthew chapter 6 :16-21, “16 “And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 17But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 18that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. 19“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
During the season of Lent as we meditate on the passion of our Lord Jesus it is the practice of many Christians to fast as a way of focusing ourselves on the very Bread of Life who suffered and died for us. It should be noted that fasting is not a work of righteousness to be witnessed by men but a penitential reverence for the Word of God as the one teaching needful the very Bread of Life. So if we fast, we do so to prepare and present ourselves to the Lord as empty vessels ready to receive His body and blood for the forgiveness of our sins.
Some Christians even today
fast before partaking in Holy Communion on Sunday so that they may meditate on
how God feeds us both physically and spiritually and makes us whole through the
very body and blood of our Lord Jesus.
But, there are some Christians who don’t see the importance of fasting in order to focus on our need for God’s Word
and His Sacraments, nor do they see the need to worship the Lord regularly
every Sunday and receive His gifts of forgiveness, life, and salvation in the
Divine Service.
This brings to mind what a man wrote to his hometown newspaper one
week. He wrote to the editor that he had
given up worshiping on Sunday mornings with his wife because he felt that he
didn’t get anything out of the worship service.
He felt that the 30 years of going to church with his wife from Sunday
to Sunday was a waste of time, because he couldn’t remember a single sermon his
pastor had preached each week or what the Bible readings were in the
service. Well, the editor of the
newspaper wrote back saying that his wife had made him dinner every day for the
last 30 years. The editor couldn’t remember
every meal his wife had fed him, but one thing he did know, if his wife had not
fed him for those last 30 years he would not be living to this day. This goes well with why we go to church. We may not realize that our God is feeding us
through His Word and Sacraments, but He is, and He’s keeping our faith alive in
us through them.
During Lent we have many more opportunities to receive the life giving
Word and Sacrament that our Lord has given to us. These opportunities are all a chance for us
to continue to receive the assurance of the forgiveness, life, and salvation
our Lord Jesus has purchased and won for us.
Notice here in this excerpt Luther’s Large Catechism that he urges
Christians to receive the Sacrament frequently. Those who realize the enormity
of their sin, how many dangers abound, and how great Christ’s gifts are that
are given in the Sacrament will receive the Lord’s Supper as often as possible.
This is precisely why the early Lutheran congregations began to offer the
Lord’s Supper every Lord’s Day and on other festival days to those wishing to
receive it. (See AC X; SA III VI; FC Ep VII and SD VII.)[1]
“. . . 37 Fasting, prayer, and other such things may indeed be outward preparations and discipline for children, so that the body may keep and bring itself modestly and reverently to receive Christ's body and blood. Yet the body cannot seize and make its own what is given in and with the Sacrament. This is done by the faith in the heart, which discerns this treasure and desires it. . . . 39 . . . since we now have the true understanding and doctrine of the Sacrament, there is also need for some admonition and encouragement. . . . 40 For we see that people seem weary and lazy about receiving the Sacrament. A great
multitude hears the Gospel. Yet . . . they go one, two, three years, or even longer without the Sacrament. They act as though they were such strong Christians that they have no need of it. 41 Some allow themselves to be hindered and held up by the excuse that we have taught that no one should approach the Sacrament except those who feel hunger and thirst, which drive them to it. Some pretend that it is a matter of liberty and not necessary. They pretend that it is enough to believe without it. For the most part, they go so far astray that they become quite brutish and finally despise both the Sacrament and God's Word. 42 Now, it is true, as we have said, that no one should by any means be forced or compelled to go to the Sacrament, lest we institute a new murdering of souls. Nevertheless, it must be known that people who deprive themselves of and withdraw from the Sacrament for such a long time are not to be considered Christians. For Christ has not instituted it to be treated as a show. Instead, He has commanded His Christians to eat it, drink it, and remember Him by it. 43 Indeed, those who are true Christians and value the Sacrament precious and holy will drive and move themselves to go to it. . . . For we know and feel how the devil always opposes this and every Christian exercise. He drives and deters people from them as much as he can.” (Large Catechism, Sacrament of the Altar)
“. . . 37 Fasting, prayer, and other such things may indeed be outward preparations and discipline for children, so that the body may keep and bring itself modestly and reverently to receive Christ's body and blood. Yet the body cannot seize and make its own what is given in and with the Sacrament. This is done by the faith in the heart, which discerns this treasure and desires it. . . . 39 . . . since we now have the true understanding and doctrine of the Sacrament, there is also need for some admonition and encouragement. . . . 40 For we see that people seem weary and lazy about receiving the Sacrament. A great
multitude hears the Gospel. Yet . . . they go one, two, three years, or even longer without the Sacrament. They act as though they were such strong Christians that they have no need of it. 41 Some allow themselves to be hindered and held up by the excuse that we have taught that no one should approach the Sacrament except those who feel hunger and thirst, which drive them to it. Some pretend that it is a matter of liberty and not necessary. They pretend that it is enough to believe without it. For the most part, they go so far astray that they become quite brutish and finally despise both the Sacrament and God's Word. 42 Now, it is true, as we have said, that no one should by any means be forced or compelled to go to the Sacrament, lest we institute a new murdering of souls. Nevertheless, it must be known that people who deprive themselves of and withdraw from the Sacrament for such a long time are not to be considered Christians. For Christ has not instituted it to be treated as a show. Instead, He has commanded His Christians to eat it, drink it, and remember Him by it. 43 Indeed, those who are true Christians and value the Sacrament precious and holy will drive and move themselves to go to it. . . . For we know and feel how the devil always opposes this and every Christian exercise. He drives and deters people from them as much as he can.” (Large Catechism, Sacrament of the Altar)
See You in Church!
<+><
Pastor Taggatz
“Upper Room: Furnished”
In the midst of a prayer meeting
service in a large downtown church, with several hundred people present, a
timid little woman arose to speak. It
was in the midst of the Lenten season and the pastor had asked a rather simple
but searching question: “Suppose you had the chance to be some one person
associated with those last days of Jesus in Jerusalem, whom would you choose to
be?” The woman was trying to reply to
that question.
“There are a lot of people in the
passion story whose place I could never fill,” she said. “I could not carry my Master’s cross as Simon
of Cyrene did. Nor could I have followed
Him out to the garden as some of the others did. But I could make ready for Him the best room
in my house, where He might eat the last supper with His disciples. I could promise Him that it would be made
ready to His satisfaction.” There was
something very simple in her testimony, but those who knew the little woman
were well aware of the truth in her words: “…it would be made ready to His
satisfaction.” She was that kind of
person.
Someone had to make ready a room
and furnish it. There is no record of
any such thing in the Scripture, but is easy to imagine some housewife telling
her Christian friends, years afterward, how the Lord had come to their home
that night and had eaten that last solemn meal under her roof. She never wrote a gospel, nor became a
martyr, nor did she hold an office in the church; but she could provide a
furnished room!
A great deal of the service of
the kingdom of God (and the church) must be rendered by those who never get their
names into the papers, are never publicly commended, and are never elected as a
delegate. But there is need for a
furnished upper room and some devoted heart furnishes it without thought of
publicity or commendation. In the
eternal records of God the name is inscribed, and after it the notation—clearly
written: “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
We Remember in Our Prayers— We pray for Linda Nagel, Elizabeth
Montroy, Lori Adair, Jason Mines, Bonnie Highberger, Lee Hogandobler, Evan
Saldana, Dennis Bunte, & Jim Spier, all who are battling serious
illnesses. We pray for Greg Laufer, as
he continues to be under rehabilitation.
We also pray for Sophia Cook and for Del Anderson. We pray for Roxanne Taggatz’s brother Ron,
who is currently recovering after a stroke he recently had.
We mourn with the Adair family, upon the death of Lori’s father, David,
with Kathryn Copple’s family, upon the death of her mother-in-law, Opal, and
with the family of Nicki Buch, upon the death of her grandfather. May God
give to these families comfort and hope in the promise of our Lord Jesus Christ
who says in John 11:25-26, “I am the
resurrection and the life. Whoever
believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and
believes in me shall never die.”
COMING EVENTS
Our Annual Chicken Dinner will be held Sunday
March11th. Plan now to bring your appetite and enjoy good food, good
fellowship and on your way out the door pick up a tasty treat from the Ladies
Aid Bake Sale. Donations of
pies and cakes are always greatly appreciated for the dinner. There’s a signup sheet in the back of the
church. Bring your desserts the morning
of the dinner to the Ladies Aid room.
Thank You. Please note: that there will
be a Saturday night Worship service before the chicken dinner on Sat. March 10th
at 5pm.
BIBLE STUDY—
Sunday Mornings (8:45 a.m.)
“Walther: The Movie”
“Walther: The Movie”
Prepare to visit
the early Lutheran Church in America, circa 1840. Prepare to meet this early
hero of the church: Dr. C. F. W. Walther – a man who sacrificed his homeland,
his health and nearly his life…For the freedom to speak freely, to believe
freely, to live freely… To save his Church and the Faith for those he loved…
AND for us who would come after.
LYF UPDATE—
-On Sunday March 4th we will be
having our Youth Group Meeting after church.
-17 March @1:00 p.m. there will be Laser Tag with games,
pizza and soda.
-If you have any questions email: Fleta Junge: tfjunge@htc.net /call 282-4642 or 618-444-2764.
Our Ladies Aid has been collecting items for the Pregnancy Center in
Sparta for several years. The
clients that are served really appreciate these donations. If you’d like to donate here is a list of
items that we need to put together the kits.
Health Kits include: Hand
towels, wash cloths, bars of soap, tooth brush, toothpaste, wide toothed comb,
nail file, nail clippers, band aids, large size disposable diapers. The items should be new. There will be a box available in the back of
the church to place your donations in for the Sparta Pregnancy Center.
You are invited to
. . . A Study of the Book of Exodus. Led
by Dr. Paul Schreiber - Dr. Schreiber just completed his work on the commentary
for Exodus to be published by Concordia Publishing House. Thursday, March 8 & 22, 10 AM – 11:30 AM. Trinity Lutheran Church, Red Bud (Prairie) School
meeting room. All are welcome to attend!
Remember: Every 3rd Sunday of the
month we are praying for people who are in the military. If you have a relative or friend who is an
armed serviceman and woman in our Nation’s military please let the Church know
so that we may be able to pray for them on the third Sunday of the month.
CHRIST OUR SAVIOR LUTHERAN HS
810 Soldiers Way, Evansville, IL 62242
Phone
618-853-7300 Fax 618-853-7361
www.coslhs.org admin@coslhs.org
John Christman, Principal
FISH & MORE: The annual Fish & More will be Friday, March 2 in the mezzanine of COS’s gymnasium. Due to lack of
pre-orders, we will NOT have smoked chicken, but offer fried chicken for those
interested in an alternative to fish. No
pre-ordering necessary.
THANK YOU for your continued prayers for Janet during this time. Assistance with
events is always appreciated. Anyone who is interested in volunteering time to
help with the school lunch stands, the upcoming Fish & More, and/or the dinner auction (by either picking
up items within your community or making phone calls from your home), please
call the school’s office.
14th ANNUAL DINNER AUCTION: Save the date! Christ
Our Savior’s Annual Dinner Auction will be Saturday, April 28. The silent
auction will begin at 4:00 p.m. Dinner will be at 6:00 p.m. followed by the live
auction at 7:00 p.m.
SCIENCE TEACHER NEEDED: COS has an opening for a
part-time science teacher for the 2012-2013 school. Candidates must be qualified to teach Biology
& Chemistry. IL 7-12 Certification
preferred. Please submit resumes to the
office by March 15.
Zuehla
Rowold Laverna Luthy
Red Bud Nursing
Home Three Springs N. Home
350 W. South 1st 161 Three Springs
Rd. Bud , IL
62278 Chester , IL 62233
Opal Luthy Patty
Theobald
Red Bud Nursing
Home 402 W.
2nd St.
350 W. South 1st Apt. F.
Red
Bud, IL 62278 Sparta, IL 62286
Dorothy
Junge Mr.
& Mrs. Russell Mahan
Baldwin,
IL 62217 New Athens, IL
62264
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Present: Pastor Taggatz,
Gene Luthy, Gerald Poeniski, Marla Huebner, Toni Rehmer, Tony Junge, Corey
Roscow, Linda Schoenbeck, Fleta Junge.
The meeting was called to order by Pres. Gene Luthy.
Opening devotions were given by Pastor Taggatz.
Minutes from the previous meeting: were read an approved.
Financial Secretary’s Report:
No report
Treasurer’s report:
Ending balance for the general fund for January 2012 - $528.42.
Spiritual Ministries/Elder: Membership
transfer requested and approved for Richard & Judy Brege to Salem Lutheran
Church in Jacksonville , IL
-Deb Stamm has accepted to be the head organist and a
schedule has been set for this year thru December 2012.
-Dean Buch has agreed to continue serving our congregation
as organist.
Church Properties:
Previous roofing bids were only good for 30 days. The council and
trustees recommended getting more roofing bids, possibly from Roscow Roofing,
Whelan, and Bauer Brothers. Also it was
suggested that a detail quote outlining all materials necessary for repairs be
presented to parties involved in the decision making process so that each bid
can be compared equally.
-Still no decision has been made as to who is responsible
for the payment of the sewer digging that has been done at the school.
-Water in the school basement and the sump pump continues to
be an issue. It was noted that Marvin Liefer and Jonathon Liefer will check it
out. Also they will be checking as to where exactly the water is coming from
and how it accumulates in the basement.
-Ron Sommer agreed to give $4,500.00 from the ceiling fan
fund to the roofing repairs.
-It was noted that the dust to dawn light behind the school
is burnt out and need to find out who owns it.
Stewardship: Community
Easter Egg hunt will be held on Saturday, March 31st at 2 p.m. at
the Baldwin Village Park
Lutheran Youth Fellowship:
-The Chicken & Dumpling Dinner has been changed from
February 3, 2013 next year to February 10th, 2013 in order not to
conflict with a neighboring congregation’s dinner.
-LYF lock-in at Red Bud Lutheran will be February 18th,
2012.
-The LYF Chili Dinner is scheduled for November 4th,
2012.
-LYF will be doing Laser Tag on March 17th, 2012.
Pastor’s
Report: Devotion—1 John
4:10-11
Pastoral Acts from Jan. 11th ‘12 through Feb. 14th,
2012—
-Regular
Saturday & Sunday worship responsibilities & catechetical youth
instruction
- 5
Bible Study class sessions (Sunday mornings)
-1
School chapel @ Trinity Lutheran Church Feb.
1st
-4
Counseling sessions
-1
High School chapel service @ COSLHS Feb. 7th
-2
COSLHS Board Meetings (Jan. 12th & Feb. 9th)
-6
Hospital Visits
-21Homebound//Member
Visits
-Attended
Pastor’s Circuit meeting at St. John Chester
Feb. 7th
-1
Memorial Serviceà
for Opal Copple, (Kathryn Copple’s
mother-in-law) Feb. 8th
I ask the council for
forgiveness for my lack of communication with you and for anything that I have
said or done to hurt you, especially this past month. I am sorry that I failed to work out the
schedule pertaining to the Soup Dinner and LYF Chicken and Dumpling Dinner and
I hope to do better at communicating with all of you in the future. I am truly sorry and I pray with God’s help
that I will do better as your pastor.
My Name is on the
Ballot for LWML Junior Pastoral Counselor—I was approved by the District
Board of Directors to be a possible candidate.
I contacted SID LWML President Helen Mayer and said that I would be
willing to run as Junior Pastoral Counselor.
Church Secretary
Position--Last week Carol Wentz gave me her notice of retirement at the end
of April 2012. We thank her for her 20
years of service to our church and for all her years of hard work!
-I
have informed the Elders and Church President
about looking for a new church secretary.
-Right
now, Carol works about 6 hours a week on
Wed. & Thur. putting bulletins and newsletters
together, organizing church announcements,
calling members at pastor’s discretion,
tracking church attendance etc… I have included a list of duties
for the church secretary
position.
-Would
it be alright with the council if I put a notice
in the bulletin that we’re looking for someone
to be our next church secretary?
2012 Southern Illinois District Convention this
week— Theme: “Rejoice in Hope.” Thursday,
February 16 -Sat. Feb. 18th at the Regency Conference Center. Our current voting Delegate is our Elder
Marvin Liefer and our Alternate Delegate is Vice President Gerald Poenitske.
Lenten Midweek
Services @ St. John—Wed. Feb. 22nd -Wed. April 8th. The theme this year is, “Truly, This Is the
Son of God.” We will be using the Order of Vespers from TLH as our order of
service. All services start at 7pm on
Wednesday evenings. Join us for this
exciting series as we meditate upon Christ’s passion in dying on the cross to
save us from our sins. Please note: Due to the Lenten Midweek series
Pre-Confirmation will be meeting at 4:30pm and Confirmation class will be
meeting at 5:30pm.
Here’s an Idea for Evangelism during
Lent… Invite
a friend to experience it with you.
PRAY FOR:
•
The Holy Spirit to work in the heart of your
friend.
•
The Holy Spirit to bless all interactions with your
friends and family.
BE CREATIVE:
•
Exchange stories of family Easter traditions. You’ll
learn about their current spiritual situation
and be able to share what Jesus means to
you.
•
Invite your friends to make new traditions this year, especially if the Easter season is stressful or depressing. Invite them to read
the devotions with you, go
to Midweek Lenten services, or participate
in a servant event, such as our upcoming
Community Easter Egg Hunt.
•
Bring your friend or family member to help work
at a church activity before Easter. Getting to
know people in a non-threatening way makes them
more likely to attend future worship.
FOLLOW
UP: Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries can help keep your faith conversations going. Read, listen, e-mail, or print at www.lentendevotions.net
Door Offerings for
Missions at St. John Baldwin in 2012—
-At our 2011 Annual Meeting we approved to have door
offerings after our worship service for these mission opportunities, they will
be after one worship service per month:
-Operation
Blessing (through our Lutheran Ministerial
Alliance of Churches that goes through
St. John Sparta, IL) (in March 2012)
-SIGHT
Ministry Center (in Oct 2012 for LWML
Sunday)
-Rev.
Tim & Lisa Beckendorf of Lutheran Bible Translators
in Botswana, Africa (in August
2012)
Pastor
Taggatz’s Vacation Request--My wife and I request to have our vacation
from June 10th-20th.
Would this be alright with the council?
Sunday School
& VBS Update--
The Sunday School
children will be singing this coming Sunday Feb. 19th during our
worship service. They will be
singing, “I’m in the Lord’s Army,” and “God is so Good.” The next two dates they will be singing for
us this year will be March 25th and April 22nd.
On Sunday Feb 26th
we will be having a COSLHS Sunday at our church. Mr. John Christman, the administrator of
COSLHS, will be here to talk about the wonderful Christian ministry that is
going on at our Lutheran High School and he will be bringing some students from
the high school to talk about their experiences at Christ our Savior and about
how the school has impacted their faith in Christ.
Old Business:
New Business: A request from Pastor for personal time off
from February 19th after church services thru February 21st
to visit his wife’s brother Ron who is currently hospitalized was approved and
motion carried. Pastor will work the Friday of that week instead of Monday in
order to make up for his time off.
-Pastor Taggatz’s vacation from
June 10th thru 20th was approved and motion carried.
-A reminder will be put in the
bulletin & newsletter for congregational members to put their names on the
back of their Lenten folders.
-It was decided to place a notice
in the bulletin and newsletter for the church secretarial position and anyone
interested should contact our president, Gene Luthy.
Adjournment: motion was
made and second to adjourn. Motion carried.
The meeting was closed with the Lord’s Prayer.
President, Gene Luthy
Secretary, Marla Huebner
Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!!! Our
Soup Dinner on Jan. 29th raised $1,800 to benefit our own local
Baldwin Food Pantry. In addition to that we will also receive
about $900 from Thrivent in matching funds to bring our total in fundraising to
$2,700. We would also like to thank all who brought desserts, made soup,
and helped with the dinner. Thank
you! Julia Kahle (Soup Dinner Coordinator)
Confirmation
Questioning & Confirmation Sunday--Sunday March 25th is
Questioning Sunday for the Confirmation Students… & Sunday April 1st
(Palm Sunday) is Confirmation Sunday…
-St. John Baldwin Community Easter Egg Hunt for 2012—the Stewardship
Board is once again planning to have a community Easter Egg hunt for the
children of Baldwin ages pre-school through 3rd Grade. -It will be on Sat. March 31st at
2pm at the Baldwin Village Park. There
will be plastic eggs with candy, scripture verses etc. Gifts bags will be passed out to the children
and parents with a magnet of our church, a brochure including our church
worship times, Sunday School etc… and a pen of our church along with jelly
beans. If you would like to volunteer or
donate items for this event please talk to Linda Schoenbeck.
We Believe,
Teach and Confess.
Augsburg Confession
“Confession & Absolution & Repentance”
Introductory Note:
(On Confession & Absolution) By the time of the Reformation, the
practice of confessing sins privately and confidentially to a pastor had been a
well-accepted church practice for over a thousand years. Private Confession and
Absolution was never something Lutherans wanted to get rid of. As time went on,
the practice fell into disuse, but clearly Article XI assumes that private
Confession and Absolution will take place in the Lutheran Church. The problem
addressed by this article is that the Roman Church demanded every sin be
recalled and confessed. Clearly, this is humanly impossible and makes our
forgiveness dependent on our work. Such teaching is certainly dangerous to repentant
consciences, which need firm assurance that Christ forgives all sin. (See also
Ap XI; SA III VIII; Appendix B, An Exhortation to Confession.)
(On
Repentance) The Roman teaching about
repentance was the spark that ignited the Lutheran Reformation. When Luther
learned his congregational members were buying indulgences, hoping to avert
God’s punishment for sins by paying money, he was incensed. Repentance is not
about “paying off” God or making some satisfaction for our sin. Repentance is
recognizing the reality of our sin and turning to God in faith for His mercy.
God reveals our sin through His Law; He forgives our sin and restores us to a
right relationship with Him through His Gospel. While we affirm there is fruit
of repentance, the focus of the Gospel must be clear: our sins are forgiven
only because of Christ. Our lives in Christ are lives of repentance, returning
again and again to the fount and source of all mercy, our Savior. Notice that
this article rejects any teaching that implies our works of satisfaction are
part of true repentance. Article XII strikes a fatal blow at the very heart of
the Roman sacramental system. (See also Ap XII; SA III III; Appendix B, An
Exhortation to Confession.)
(Private Confession and Absolution) The practice of private Confession
and Absolution with one’s pastor has fallen out of use in many Lutheran
congregations. This was never Luther’s intention. Neither was private
Confession and Absolution
abandoned during the first two centuries of Lutheran history. What the
Lutheran Reformation corrected were the false teachings about Confession.
Problems arose in the Church when teachings about Confession made
“satisfactions” such a prominent part of it. When people were told to do
certain activities (e.g., repeating the Hail Mary or doing acts of contrition)
to “make up” for their sins, Christ’s Gospel was overshadowed, if not
completely hidden. Lutheranism, therefore, did away with the anti-biblical
teaching about satisfaction for sins and the requirement that people try to
remember and confess each sin committed. (See also SA III VIII; Appendix B, An
Exhortation to Confession.)
1 Our
churches teach that private Absolution should be retained in the churches,
although listing all sins is not necessary for Confession. 2 For, according to the Psalm, it is impossible. “Who
can discern his errors?” (Psalm 19:12). (Augsburg Confession XI)
1 Our
churches teach that there is forgiveness of sins for those who have fallen
after Baptism whenever they are converted. 2
The Church ought to impart Absolution to those who return to repentance
[Jeremiah 3:12]. 3 Now,
strictly speaking, repentance consists of two parts. 4 One part is contrition, that is, terrors striking the
conscience through the knowledge of sin. 5
The other part is faith, which is born of the Gospel [Romans 10:17] or the
Absolution and believes that for Christ’s sake, sins are forgiven. It comforts
the conscience and delivers it from terror. 6 Then good works are bound to follow, which are the
fruit of repentance [Galatians 5:22–23]. (Augsburg Confession XII, 1-6)
1 Confession
in the churches is not abolished among us. The body of the Lord is not usually
given to those who have not been examined [1 Corinthians 11:27–28] and
absolved. 2 The people
are very carefully taught about faith in the Absolution. Before, there was
profound silence about faith. 3
Our people are taught that they should highly prize the Absolution as being
God’s voice and pronounced by God’s command. 4 The Power of the Keys [Matthew 16:19] is set forth in
its beauty. They are reminded what great consolation it brings to anxious
consciences and that God requires faith to believe such Absolution as a voice
sounding from heaven [e.g., John 12:28–30]. They are taught that such faith in
Christ truly obtains and receives the forgiveness of sins. 5 Before, satisfactions were praised without restraint,
but little was said about faith, Christ’s merit, and the righteousness of
faith. Therefore, on this point, our churches are by no means to be blamed.
7 Our
churches teach that naming every sin is not necessary and that consciences
should not be burdened with worry about naming every sin. It is impossible to
recount all sins, as Psalm 19:12 testifies: “Who can discern his errors?”… 9 If only sins that can be named
are forgiven, consciences could never find peace. For many sins cannot be seen
or remembered. 10 The
ancient writers also testify that a listing of sins is not necessary…13 Because of the great
benefit of Absolution, and because it is otherwise useful to the conscience,
Confession is retained among us. (Augsburg Confession XXV, 1,2-5, 7, 9-10, 13)
Concordia : The
Lutheran Confessions. 2005 (Edited by Paul Timothy McCain) (36–38, 49-50).
St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House.
REAL
REFORMATION RADIO…Do any of these
topics interest you?: The Temptation of Jesus, Jesus Calms a Storm, The Season
of Lent, First Century Martyr Polycarp, the Apostle Matthias and more.
Issues, Etc. is a radio talk show hosted by LCMS Pastor Todd Wilken
and produced by Lutheran Public Radio. You can listen LIVE weekdays
from 4-5 p.m. on KSIV, 1320 AM. You can also listen at your convenience
at www.issuesetc.org.
Giving through Thrivent Choice for Feb.
2012 — I am pleased to announce that our giving through the Thrivent
Choice program for Feb. ‘12 has amounted to:
$449.00. -Total
amount our church has received from the Thrivent Choice program since Jan.
2012: $542.00.
***Special
notice regarding the Thrivent Choice Program:
You
might have already received notice of a change in the Thrivent Choice program
by mail, but just in case you haven’t there is some important information for
you to know about. This year of 2012 all
Thrivent members wishing to continue their automatic withdrawal to the charity
of their choice will have to let Thrivent know either by mail or phone. It only needs to be done once for this
year. To continue to direct your
Choice Dollars to the charity of your choice call: 800-THRIVENT
(800-847-4836) and state "Thrivent Choice."
VBS at St. John
will be “Babylon, the Prophet Daniel’s
Courage in Captivity.” This year’s
VBS will be from Sun. July 8th-12th. On Sunday it will go from 5:30pm-8:30pm and
on Monday through Thursday it will be from 6:00pm till 8:30 pm… We will be looking in the Old Testament book
of Daniel during this year’s VBS. Daniel
was way more than the guy who survived a den of hungry lions! Travel back to Babylon and join Daniel--torn
from his home and forced into the king's service. Imagine the pressure of
learning a new language and culture…and the shock of discovering your best
friends have been tossed into a fiery furnace. In this VBS kids and adults will
find that they're not much different from Daniel and his friends, who kept
their faith in a faithless culture. If you are interested in volunteering to
help out with VBS this year please contact our Sunday School Superintendent
Traci Liefer @ 618-282-3678.
REDISCOVER THE ONE YOU LOVE on a Lutheran Marriage
Encounter Weekend! Such a workshop
and experience can help you rekindle the sparks you felt on your wedding
day. It will help you communicate more
intimately with one another in a comfortable and private environment away from
family and other responsibilities. The
upcoming Weekend is at the Holiday Inn, South Lindbergh Blvd, March 2-4. For more information or to apply contact Tom
& Kathy Von Behren, 636-343-9453 or vonbeh@sbcglobal.net. Check out the website at www.stlmarriage.com. Be sure
to apply before Valentine’s Day so that LME can secure hotel and meal
reservations at the special rate.
IL Voter’s Guides—There are IL primary
voters guides available for you on the table in the back of the church. Feel free to pick one up and take it home
with you.
New Lenten Series @ St. John—Wed. Feb.
22nd -Wed. April 8th
“Truly, This Is the Son of God”
We will
be using the Order of Vespers from TLH as our order of service. Join us for this exciting series as we
meditate upon Christ’s passion in dying on the cross to save us from our sins. Here is a little description of what the
Lenten series is about: When we look at
the Passion of our Lord, we find numerous characters that are hostile to Jesus,
the Word in the flesh, and others that are friendly. All of these reactions to
Jesus of Nazareth leave historical footprints that this man was not just a man
or even a superman, but none other than the Son of God. As we hear and see the
witness of their lives, they lead us back to the cross and the person crucified
there. The cross and the empty tomb spoke to them and continue to speak to us.
Here is the evidence of the lives touched by the Word. We hear and see the
evidence. May the Holy Spirit, who works faith daily through the Word,
strengthen us in the sure knowledge of faith to believe and confess, with the
centurion at the cross, that Jesus of Nazareth truly is the Son of God! Please
note: Due to the Lenten Midweek
series Pre-Confirmation will be meeting at 4:30pm and Confirmation class will
be meeting at 5:30pm. Here
is an overview… ASH WEDNESDAY – Will
be Feb. 22nd with Holy Communion at 7:00 p.m.
- Wed. Feb. 22nd-- Ash Wednesday: Nicodemus: “Doubted, Then Believed,” John 3:1–21; 19:39
- Wed. Feb. 29th— Lent 2: Judas Iscariot: “Not the Messiah, but God’s Son?” Matthew 26:6–16; 27:3–10
- Wed. March 7th — Lent 3: Pilate: “God’s Son, Found Innocent,” Matthew 27:11–14, 24–26
- Wed. March 14th— Lent 4: Simon of Cyrene: “The Cross, Now Carried,” Matthew 27:32; Mark 15:21
- Wed. March 21st--Lent 5: The Thief: “Rejected, Then Believed,” Matthew 27:38–44; Luke 23:32–43
- Wed. March 28th— Lent 6: The Centurion: “Truly, the Son of God,” Matthew 27:51–54
- Thursday April 5th— Maundy Thursday: Jesus: “Rejected, but the Christ,” Luke 22:14–22
- Friday April 6th— Good Friday: Joseph of Arimathea: “In Secret, Now Out,” John 19:38
- Sunday April 8th-- Easter: The Chief Priests: “A Lie Spread, the Truth Victorious,” Matthew 28:11–15
SID LWML Spring Retreat 2012
The District Spring Retreat is
coming 3 March, 2012. The theme this year is “Build a Life for Christ”. It will
be held at Faith Lutheran Church at 1104 N. 42nd St. Mount Vernon,
Il. 618-242-4330. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. and the program starts at
9:00 a.m. There will be worship with Holy Communion. This retreat is open to
all ladies of the congregation. You do not need to be a member of the LWML to
attend this retreat. The cost is $20.00 per person and is due 20th
February. Registration forms are on the table in the back of the church.
The Ladies Aid will host a Bake Sale in conjunction with our Annual
Chicken Dinner 11 March. Donations of baked goods are needed.
St. John’s Lutheran PTL, Red Bud, will host this year’s Dinner Auction
17 March at the Hecker Community Center. Ticket price is $35.00 per person
and includes meal, dessert and green drinks for the evening with a souvenir
cup. Checks can be made payable to St. John’s Lutheran PTL. Last year’s Dinner
Auction was a HUGE success for SJL! All profits raised will be put towards
school improvements and expansion. The committee is still seeking donations of
any kind. Please consider donating an item, gift card, service donation, group
party or a cash donation. No donations are too small. Forms are available in
the school for donations or you can call 282-5334 (apiel@htc.net) to make a donation.
HELP WANTED—Due
to the retirement of Carol Wentz as Church Secretary at the end of April, 2012
a new secretary will be needed. The
position would be for approximately 6 hours a week on Wednesdays and Thursdays
and would include but are not limited to putting bulletins and Newsletters
together, answering the telephone, contacting people for the Pastor as well as
general office duties. Computer skills are needed. For more information contact
President Gene Luthy at 785-2276. We thank Carol for her 20 years of hard work
and dedication to our church!
A Notice Regarding Lenten Folders—By
now you should have received your Lenten folders for this year. This is a reminder that when returning your
Lenten folder offering back to the church, please be sure to put your name or
offering envelope number on the back of the Lenten folder so that we can record
your contribution. Thank you for your
offering!
What’s the big deal? … Or why Lutheran Christians should care about the HHS Birth
Control Mandate.
You
may have been hearing a lot in the news about the U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services’ (HHS) recent decision to require nearly all private health
plans, including those offered by religious employers, to cover all forms of
birth control. This mandate includes all birth control (even those which work
post-conception and can cause the death of a baby developing in the womb).
Contrary to the language heard in the media, these products are NOT
contraception because they can operate after conception to destroy the
developing baby in the womb. The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) objects
to the use of drugs and procedures that are used to take the lives of unborn
children, who are persons in the sight of God from the time of conception.
We see
this as not only a pro-life issue but also an affront to the First Amendment of
the U.S. Constitution. This mandate is an infringement of our religious
liberties, because never before has our government required religious
institutions to obey a course of action that clearly goes against our biblical
and moral beliefs.
In
response to an immediate outcry, President Obama presented a compromise on this
mandate. After rigorous study and consultation with other concerned Christian
denominations, we have determined that the compromise did not address any of
our previous concerns, and we remain opposed to this mandate, which runs
counter to the biblical truth of the sanctity of human life.
“Freedom
of religion extends beyond the practice of our faith in houses of worship. We
must be free to put our faith into action in the public square, and, in
response to Christ’s call, demonstrate His mercy through our love and
compassion for all people according to the clear mandate of Holy Scripture.”
-Rev. Dr. Matthew Harrison, President of
the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod.
So what has been done and what do we
do?
• You
can learn more about the LCMS response to this matter and read the statements
sent to some 3,500 newspaper, television and radio reporters across the country
from LCMS President Rev. Dr. Matthew C. Harrison by logging on to www.lcms.org/hhsmandate.
• We encourage you to do what you can
to add your voice to those of the many others concerned about the implications
of the mandate. Please contact your elected leaders and help us create
awareness by sharing President Harrison’s statements with others in your circle
of influence.
Responding to the Erosion of Freedom of Religion in America
1. Recent Erosions of
Religious Freedom in America
State of Illinois vs. Christian
Adoption Agencies
The Civil Unions act is being
used to deny state adoption/foster care contracts to those who do not approve
of placing children in same-sex homes.
Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission vs. Hosanna Tabor Lutheran School
Listen to the oral arguments on
CSPAN at
The justices question the counsel
for Hosanna in the first thirty minutes and the counsel for the EEOC in the
second thirty minutes. Justice Scalia
gets quite animated in his questioning of the EEOC. He asks whether there is any difference
between telling the Lutherans that their workers can bypass the reconciliation
process and sue in secular courts or if a Catholic priest could sue the church
because he wants to be married? The EEOC
tries to argue that if the church expands into other services such as
education, healthcare, etc., the government should regulate those aspects of
the church.
Health and Human Services Mandate
for Religious Organizations to Provide Birth Control (Including Abortificiants)
Videos are available at
2. The Historical
Conflict Between Church and State
Moses and Pharaoh / Samuel and
Saul / Elijah and Ahab / Jeremiah and Jehoiakim / Jesus and the Sanhedrin and
Pilate / Peter and John and the Sanhedrin / Paul and Felix, Festus and Agrippa
300 Years of Persecution in the
Early Church
Martin Luther and the Holy Roman
Emperor
700 Saxon Lutherans Flee Germany
3. The Importance of
Prayer – 1 Timothy 2.1-2
God directs the ways of men, and
we are privileged to pray for all men and for kings that we might have the
peace needed to live faithfully.
4. The Vocation of
Citizen – Acts 22.25; 25.11
When Paul was being “stretched
out” for scourging, he appealed to his rights as a Roman citizen. He used his rights in service of his
ministry. There are other examples of
this in Paul’s ministry. In Acts 16.38 Paul forced the magistrates of Philippi
to apologize personally for their violation of Roman law. Perhaps the most famous of all is Paul’s
statement: “I appeal to Caesar” (Acts
25.11).
Sometimes Christians think they
should not be involved in politics. It
is true that we shouldn’t rely on political activities to do what only the Word
and Spirit can do – bring people to faith in Christ. But we do have rights, and we should exercise
those rights especially when they support the ministry of the church.
5. Resisting
Compromise and Accepting Persecution – Acts 5.29
When Peter and John are told by
the Sanhedrin not to preach in the name of Jesus, they appeal to a higher
law.
6. Confidence in
God’s Preservation of the Church – Ephesians 1.22
The King James Tradition (KJV, NKJ, NAS, ESV)
translates this “everything to the church.” However, this doesn’t really make much sense
in English. The NIV is clearer:
NIV Ephesians 1:22 And God placed all things under his
feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church,
The main point
here is to remember that whether the church is persecuted or free, God still
protects and blesses His church.
I am confident
that when persecution increases, when rights and freedoms are taken away, God
will provide other blessings for His church.
Even under persecution we might find that many Christians have a renewed
faith, a bolder witness to Christ, a greater desire to make sacrifices for
Christ, etc.
The Ladies Aid
meeting on March 1 will begin at 6:00 with a potluck supper. This is for
all our members, spouses, and guests and we invite any others from the
congregation to join us. A short prayer and mite box service will be included
in the evening and we will conclude with the meeting. This month we encourage
all to bring a wash cloth for the health kits given to the pregnancy center in
Sparta.
We will be hosting the LWML Lower Kaskaskia Spring Rally here in Baldwin on April 12. Registration begins at 9 a.m. Our speaker for the day is Deaconess Grace Roa with LCMS-World Relief/Human Care. The theme for the Rally is "Hands of Mercy". This will be a day of inspiration, education, and fellowship. All members of the congregation are welcome, both men and women. If you have never attended one of these, this is your opportunity to join us for an encouraging and enjoyable day. Lunch will be provided at a cost of $6, payable to St. John's Ladies Aid, c/o Debbie Hammel. The deadline is March 31.
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ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
[1] Concordia : The Lutheran Confessions.
2005 (Edited by Paul Timothy McCain) (431 & following). St. Louis, MO:
Concordia Publishing House.
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