Pastor John M. Taggatz, Jenna Otten, Secretary
September,
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 September are:
Ushers for the Month of September are:
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.
Church Information—
Pastor’s E-mail: jtaggatz@yahoo.com
Pastor Taggatz on
Twitter: @jtaggatz
Pastor Taggatz’s
Blog: www.thewordendures.blogspot.com
“Senseless Killings?
Satan
does his best work when he pretends to be our friend. The Bible says that he
masquerades as an angel of light (2
Corinthians 11:14). He tempted Adam and Eve to commit spiritual suicide not
by direct physical assault, but by persuading them that he was looking out for
their best interests far more than God.
But
so great is Satan’s hatred for God’s human creatures that, when provoked, he
blows his cover and lets us see what he really thinks of us. When his demons
take over a person’s body, Satan drives that person to harm. Demons drove a man
from Gadara to rip his own clothes off and live like an animal in the tombs (Luke 8); demons caused seizures in a
little boy and threw him into fire or water (Matthew 17).
Satan
let you see what he thinks of the human race in places like Columbine High
School, a theater in Aurora, CO and a Sikh temple in Oak Creek, WI. People are
desperate to know what drives the shooters to such despicable acts. They are
desperate to come up with a plan that will guarantee that such carnage could
never happen again.
Well,
they will happen again. Public massacres are nothing new. A farmer named Andrew
Kehoe blew up a schoolhouse in Bath, Michigan, in 1927 after first beating his
wife to death. Thirty-eight children were killed. Not only are we as human
beings not evolving into kinder people, we’re getting worse. Our Lord Jesus
warned his disciples that over time the love of most would grow cold (Matthew 24:12). It’s our assignment to
witness the destruction that morally cold people can wreak on others.
You
could say that these killings aren’t really senseless—they make sense to Satan
and the people working for him who carefully plan their killing. Obsessed with
their perceived injuries and grievances, they pretend to be normal while designing
their revenge. Columbine shooter Eric Harris bragged that he deserved an Oscar
for duping his parents. People like him don’t see other people as beings with
worth and dignity, but as props in their death ritual. People for them have no
more value than the clay pigeons skeet shooters blow to smithereens. Harris’
desire was a command performance to show us how powerful he really was: “I have a goal to destroy as much as
possible,” he wrote in his journal. “I want to burn the world… . KILL MANKIND.
No one should survive.”
The
Sikh temple shooter in Wisconsin is dead, and so his motivations may never be
fully known, but he left enough Internet posts to assume that he was a white
supremacist who didn’t consider nonwhites fully human. He didn’t think his
killings were senseless—he planned his attack for a long time.
These
horrible events are painful reminders of how corrupt the human race really is. We
ALL need saving. They are also grim reminders that today, right now, is the
right time to believe in Jesus Christ, receive his forgiveness, and receive the
washing of rebirth and renewal of the Holy Spirit (Titus 3). Hebrews
3:7-12 says, “7
So, as the Holy Spirit says: "Today, if you hear his voice, 8 do not harden your hearts as you
did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the desert, 9 where your fathers tested and
tried me and for forty years saw what I did.
10 That is why I was angry with that generation, and I said,
'Their hearts are always going astray, and they have not known my ways.' 11 So I declared on oath in my
anger, 'They shall never enter my rest.'"
12 See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful,
unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God.” And again in Hebrews 10:25-27, “25
Let us not give up meeting together (for worship), as some are in the habit
of doing, but let us encourage one another-- and all the more as you see the
Day approaching. 26If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have
received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, 27
but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume
the enemies of God.” Finally the
Apostle Paul reminds us in Ephesians 5:15-16, “15
Be very careful, then, how you live-- not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every
opportunity, because the days are evil.”
Today, right now, is the right time to store up
treasures in heaven, not on earth. Today, right now, is the right time to
express our love for our families and to let the Holy Spirit clean out our
hearts of all old grudges and resentments through the power of His Holy Word
and Sacraments. Does that make sense to
you?
See You in Church!
<+><
Pastor Taggatz
LUTHERAN
WITNESS SIGNUP
IMPORTANT
UPDATE…
It’s that time of the year
again that our congregation is asked by our Southern IL District Office to send
in the number of people who would like to subscribe to the Lutheran Witness Magazine,
our LC-MS church body’s flagship news source.
If you would like to continue
to receive a copy of the Lutheran Witness as it’s paid for by our congregation
please call the church office at:
785-2344 or sign your name in the back of the church to continue to
receive the subscription for next year in 2013. If we don’t hear from you by: you will NOT
be able to get a subscription paid for by our church, but will have to contact
Concordia Publishing House to continue to get your subscription. There is an envelope in your church offering
box that you received at the beginning of the year for the Lutheran Witness if
you would like to make a donation toward your subscription to offset the cost
that the church pays for these magazines for members of our congregation. Thank you for your response in this
matter.
LYF UPDATE—Our
first meeting will be on Sunday Oct 7th. On that day there will be an LYF gathering at
around 11:30 a.m. after church. We will
have a short activity, Bible study, and discussion about upcoming activities
and fundraisers for our Youth Group.
Come join us and bring your friends.
Come join us for our LYF Chicken &
Dumpling Dinner Sunday Sept. 16th after our worship service!!!--
LYF will be holding their Chicken & Dumpling Dinner to raise funds for our
LCMS National Youth Gathering in San Antonio, TX in 2013 and for other special
LYF activities. Thank you so much for
your support!!!
If you have any
questions email Fleta Junge: tfjunge@htc.net /call
282-4642 or 618-444-2764.
Congratulations to Meghan Steibel upon the birth of
her new son, Brayden, born on July 19th last month. God’s blessings to Meghan and her family
on this wonderful gift of new life!
Brayden will be getting baptized on Sunday Aug. 26th in our
church.
LWML Sunday will be on September 30th.
The Ladies Aid is going to be having a door offering on that Sunday to
support the SIGHT Ministry center, which puts together large print Christian
devotional materials (books of the Bible, hymns etc…) for those who are
visually impaired. Thank you for your
support!!!
SPECIAL FAMILY
NIGHT! The next special family
night at our church will be on the fourth Friday of the month (Sept. 28th)
from 6-8:30pm. These family nights
will be informal with opportunities for the children to play and for families
to fellowship with one another while doing a variety of activities and having a
few treats as well.
Have you Changed your Phone Number or Address?-With
the popularity of cell phones, we are finding an increasing number of people
are dropping their local lines and switching to using only their cell phones.
If your phone number has changed, or you have a new address, please be sure to
let the church/school office know so we can change our records. Thank you.
Pastor’s Visits--Pastor makes visits to homebound
and nursing home members on a regular basis. If you or someone you know would like
to be added to his visitation list, let him know. Any member who would like to
talk with him at the Church is welcome to call the office (785-2344) for an
appointment.
The Pastor’s Study--The Pastor's Study is a symbol of the calling of the
Christian minister to be the shepherd of a flock of God. Here, sermons are prepared to feed the congregation
on God's Holy Word. Here the work of the church is planned so that the
congregation may grow in Grace and bear fruit in Service, Fellowship, Teaching,
and Witnessing. Here you will always find a friend and counselor in time of
need. He will not be surprised at your sins, nor will he judge you on them, but
he will always invite you to share with him the wisdom and love of God, the
knowledge of forgiveness of sins, and the saving Grace of God in Jesus Christ,
our Lord.
Rally Day/First Day
of Sunday School—will be on Sunday Sept. 9th @ 10am. On this day we will start Sunday School &
Adult Bible Class @ 8:45am and we will also be installing our Sunday School teachers
for the 2012-2013 school year.
St. John's Ruma
is selling Old-Fashioned Apple Dumplings--1order is 4
apples for $10. Proceeds go to tuition
fund, pre-order today to make a yummy desert anytime! See any parent of school tuition kids from
St. John's Ruma
or call: Sherry Salger
282-4230 or Ellen Schlueter 282-4532.
“Living Each Day as a Steward”
This
Year’s Stewardship Emphasis
C.S. Lewis said, “There are two
kinds of people: those who say to God, ‘Thy will be done,’ and those to whom
God says, ‘All right, then, have it your way.’ ” As redeemed children of God, of course, we
desire to belong to that first category.
We long to live each day as
stewards who earnestly pray, “Thy will be done.” As God’s stewards, we are devoted to using
all that we are and have for His purpose.
We are God’s stewards each and every day.
On Sundays October 7th,
14th, & 21st, 2012 the theme of our worship services
and our Bible studies will be living
each day as a steward. We will learn
how the Holy Spirit, working through Word and Sacrament, transforms us to be
more like our Chief Steward, Jesus, Who willingly poured out His life in giving
and serving, ultimately sacrificing His very life for our eternal lives. Just as Jesus faithfully served His Father by
serving us, we are to use our lives and gifts in faithful service to Him by
serving others. “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good
stewards of God’s varied grace” (1 Peter 4:10).
As your pastor, I pray that each
of you will take advantage of these opportunities to grow in the grace and
knowledge of your Lord that you might be strengthened in faith both for
eternity and for a fruitful life here on earth.
The three weekly themes are as
follows:
Sunday Oct. 7th-- “The
Steward’s Identity”
Sunday Oct. 14th--
“The Steward’s Purpose”
Sunday Oct. 21st--
“The Steward’s Lifestyle” (Commitment Sunday)
The Apostle Paul says in 1 Cor.
15:58,“Therefore, my beloved brothers, be
steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in
the Lord your labor is not in vain.”
During our three-week program, “Living Each Day as a Steward,” both our
worship services and our adult Bible classes will focus on the work of the Holy
Spirit through Word and Sacrament as He teaches us how to live each day as stewards.
Commitment Sunday will be Sunday
Oct. 21st. I’m asking that
you make a financial commitment to the Lord’s work through our church for the
coming year. Your support enables the
work of the Lord gets done day after day through our church. Please bring the enclosed commitment form to
church with you on this Sunday Oct. 21st. Enclosed in this newsletter you will find
a stewardship commitment form and a talent survey for you and your family to
fill out to consider how you can use the time, talents and treasures the Lord
has given to you. Please fill them out and bring it with you to our commitment Sunday.
God’s blessings on your continued
faithful stewardship of the blessings He has entrusted to your care.
Pastor Taggatz
We remember in our prayers—[If you would like to add to our prayer
list please call the church.]
“Pray for each
other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and
effective.” (James 5:16)
In your prayers this month,
pray: For the Church; For our nation;
for those who serve in the armed forces; For families of our church; For all who travel; For rain;
For those involved in the recent shootings
that have happened in different parts of our country;
For those who are ill, awaiting or recovering
from surgery: especially Carol Jean Orella, Sally Fadler, Mickey
Umbdenstock, Karen Willis,
Linda Nagel, Elizabeth Montroy, Lee Hogandobler, Evan Saldana, & Margaret
Dixon, the grandmother of Nicki Buch, all who are
battling serious illnesses. We pray for
Hayden Smith, a friend of Christa Poynor, who is currently battling cancer. For Pastor Taggatz’s Uncle Chris Schlechter,
who is currently hospitalized and for Elveera & Russell Mahan that they
would be healed in the midst of their illness; for those who are near
death. Lord of life, You have given us
sinners life with You on earth and in heaven. Prepare us to live and, when You
will, to die faithfully confessing our Lord
Jesus Christ. Be with Clinton Bremer, who is on hospice care
and near death. Lord, remind him of how
you made Him a child of God through the waters of Holy Baptism and sustain him in the faith until the day he
falls asleep in His Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. For all of those who are
unemployed or underemployed, that they would be able to find suitable work to
support themselves and their families.
For
those who are in nursing homes or homebound.
BIBLE STUDIES—
Sunday Mornings (8:45 a.m.)
“Witness, Mercy, Life Together.”
Wednesday Mornings (10 a.m.)
“Working
For the Man Upstairs - Your Job... Your Calling... Your Life!”
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. Also, please let us know if your family
member is no longer serving in our US Military so that we can keep our records
up to date.
Are you or a family
member…coping with grief and loss… stressed out by financial issues… dealing
with family or marital problems? Lutheran
Child and Family Services of Illinois’ professional licensed counselors can
help. They provide individual, couple, marital and family counseling to help
address these types of situations. Insurance is accepted. Call: 800-363-LCFS (5237) to
schedule a FREE confidential initial consultation. LUTHERAN CHILD & FAMILY
SERVICES IN SPARTA HAS MOVED With the closing of the Nice Twice Thrift Shop, Lutheran Child and
Family Services moved its office to 1107 N. Market in Sparta.
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
THANK YOU: As Christ
Our Savior begins its 14th academic year, we would like to
sincerely thank your congregation for its ownership of our Lutheran high
school. We are blessed to offer a
Christ-centered, academically excellent education here. 100% of our students from the last three
graduating classes have enrolled in college.
More than academics, they are being trained up as 21st
century disciples of Jesus Christ. Thank
you for your continued support of our ministry to make this possible.
Zuehla
Rowold Laverna Luthy
Red Bud Nursing
Home Three Springs N. Home
350 W. South 1st 161 Three Springs
Rd. Red 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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Vision: Making Known the Love of
Christ
Mission: St. John Lutheran Church is
dedicated to the proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ within its church
and into the community
August
14, 2012
Present: Pastor Taggatz, Gene Luthy, Gerald Poeniski,
Marla Huebner, Susan Piel, Dennis Wegener, Marvin Liefer, Tony Junge, Stan
Gegel, Linda Schoenbeck, and Fleta Junge.
The meeting was called to order
by President Gene Luthy.
Opening devotions were given by
Pastor Taggatz.
Minutes from the previous meeting:
Were read and approved.
Financial Secretary’s Report: Total receipts for July 2012, $15,708.69.
Treasurer’s report: Ending balance for the general fund for Jul
2012, $9,007.93. Motion was made and second to approve. Motion carried.
Spiritual Ministries/Elder: Membership
transfer requested and approved for Erica (Reinhardt) Kisro to St. John
Lutheran Church in Chester. Motion was
made and second to grant transfer. Motion carried.
Church Properties: Cemetery exemption is still under review.
- New eternal flame candle has
been installed.
- Water bill seems to be higher
than normal so the trustees will be monitoring to see if there could be a
possible leak.
Social Ministries:
COSLHS:
Christian Education:
Evangelism:
Sunday School:
Stewardship:
Lutheran Youth Fellowship: Great time and good response from working at
the Shooting Complex during the ATA Grand America.
- LYF will be holding their
Chicken & Dumpling Dinner on September 16th.
Pastor’s Report:
Pastoral Acts from
July11th ‘12 through Aug. 14th, 2012—
-Regular
Saturday & Sunday worship responsibilities
-4 Bible Study class sessions (Sunday mornings)
-1
Church Membership Consultation
-3
Member Visits
-19
Homebound/Hospice Visits
-2
Hospital Visits
-3
Spiritual Care Meetings
-Red
Bud Nursing Home Chapel, Aug. 12
-R.
County Nursing Home Chapel, July 25
-2
COSLHS Meetings--July 31 & Aug. 9
-July
15-18--Pastoral Training from the DOXOLOGY
Program in Donaldson, IN
- Baptism for Bentley Higgerson,
the son of Ginny & Tim Higgerson will be baptized on Saturday, September 15
at 5:00 pm service.
- Baptism for Brayden, son of
Meghan Steibel will be on Sunday, August 26th.
- Christa Poyner plans on having
her son, Nathan baptized within the next few weeks.
- Special Family Night will be
held Friday, August 24th from 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm.
- Pastor Taggatz will be covering
for Pastor MacDougall from August 31 through September 5th.
- Pastor Taggatz will be the
liturgist for COSLHS opening service at St. Peter Lutheran, Evansville on
Sunday, August, 19th.
- A video and brief summary was
given by Pastor Taggatz’s on his first DOXOLOGY training session that was held
on July 15th thru 18th in Donaldson, IN.
The next DOXOLGY session will be
November 16th – 18th and we will need to elect in our
next council meeting a lay leader to go with Pastor Taggatz for the next
event. Housing & food is taken care
of for this lay leader. Any additional lay leaders who might go to this
training, the cost would be $250.00 per person.
- Door Offering for Missions at
St. John Baldwin for 2012 will be:
-Rev Tim &
Lisa Beckendorf of Lutheran Bible Translators in Botswana, Africa on Sunday,
August 26th
-SIGHT Ministry
Center in October 2012 for LWML Sunday.
- Giving through Thrivent Choice
Program for August 2012 has amounted to $768.00. Total amount our church has
received from this program since January ‘12 is $2,452.00.
- Confirmation &
Pre-confirmation Instruction: There will be a Parent’s meeting to discuss the
schedule for class on Wednesday, August 29th. Classes will begin on Wednesday, September 5th. Pre-confirmation students will meet at 6:00
pm and confirmation students at 7:00 pm.
- Sunday Morning Worship Service
will be going back to 10:00 a.m. with Adult Bible Class starting at 8:45 a.m.
- Rally Day/Sunday School will
resume on Sunday, September 9th.
Sunday School & Adult Bible Class will be at 8:45 a.m. Installation
of Sunday School teachers for 2012-2013 will be at 10:00 a.m. service.
Old Business: St John’s Lutheran School in Red Bud has
raised their tuition to $1,900.00 per student. If a family has a second child,
there is a 10% reduction on tuition and for a third child; there will be a 20%
reduction.
.
New Business: LCMS will be holding a Rural Small Town
Mission on September 8th.
-A thank you note was received
from Wayne Ruhmann for the prayers during his recent illness.
-Earthquake insurance coverage
was canceled.
-Notice was received from CHP
that a 9.9% rate increase on Option B of the current health insurance for
Pastor Taggatz. Motion was made and second to continue with his current plan
with congregation paying his portion and he will continue to pay the premiums
for his dependent(s) coverage. Motion carried.
-Lutheran Witness subscription
renewal/cost will be further explained to congregational members in the
bulletin and newsletter. It is strongly encouraged for members to use Lutheran
Witness offering envelopes to offset the cost of subscriptions.
Adjournment: Motion was made and second to adjourn. Motion
carried.
The meeting was closed prayer and
with the Lord’s Prayer.
President, Gene Luthy
Secretary, Marla Huebner
We Believe,
Teach and Confess.
Formula of
Concord: Epitome
Article 1--Original
Sin
Introductory
Note: Is sin part of mankind’s very essence? No, for if it were, God could
be accused of creating sin. However, sin is a very deep and thorough corruption
of our human nature—a horrible and terrible corruption. No one except Christ
Jesus, our Lord, can overcome this corruption for us and save us from it.
Because of this sin, spiritually we are utterly and completely dead. But there
is hope! As Christ raised Lazarus from the dead, so today He brings us to life
again through His Gospel in Word and Sacraments. The biblical position on this
issue is explained in Articles I and II. (See also AC II; Ap II; SA III I; FC
SD I.)
AC-Augsburg Confession; SA-Smalcald Articles; FC
Ep-Formula of Concord, Epitome; SD-Formula of Concord, Solid
Declaration
Status of the Controversy
1 Is original
sin really, without any distinction, a person’s corrupt nature, substance,
and essence? Is it the chief and greater part of his essence (i.e., the
rational soul itself in its highest state and powers)? Or even after the fall,
is there a distinction between original sin and a person’s substance, nature,
essence, body, and soul, so that the nature itself is one thing and original
sin is another, which belongs to the corrupt nature and corrupts the nature?
Affirmative Statements--
2 1. We
believe, teach, and confess that there is a distinction between man’s nature
and original sin. This applied not only when he was originally created by God
pure and holy and without sin [Genesis 1:31], but it also applies to the way we
have that nature now after the fall. In other words, we distinguish between the
nature itself (which even after the fall is and remains God’s creature) and
original sin. This distinction is as great as the distinction between God’s
work and the devil’s work.
3 2. We
believe, teach, and confess that this distinction should be maintained with the
greatest care. For this doctrine (that no distinction is to be made between our
corrupt human nature and original sin) conflicts with the chief articles of our
Christian faith about creation, redemption, sanctification, and the
resurrection of our body. It cannot stand with them.
4 God created
the body and soul of Adam and Eve before the fall. But He also created our
bodies and souls after the fall. Even though they are corrupt, God still
acknowledges them as His work, as it is written in Job 10:8, “Your hands
fashioned and made me.” (See also Deuteronomy 32:18; Isaiah 45:9–10; 54:5;
64:8; Acts 17:28; Psalm 100:3; 139:14; Ecclesiastes 12:1.)
5
Furthermore, God’s Son has received this human nature [John 1:14], but without
sin. Therefore, He did not receive a foreign nature, but our own flesh in the
unity of His person. In this way He has become our true Brother. Hebrews 2:14
says, “Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself
likewise partook of the same things.” Again, “For surely it is not angels that
He helps, but He helps the offspring of Abraham. Therefore He had to be made
like His brothers in every respect, … yet without sin” [2:16; 4:15]. 6 In the same way, Christ
redeemed human nature as His work, sanctifies it, raises it from the dead, and
gloriously adorns it as His work. But original sin He has not created,
received, redeemed, or sanctified. He will not raise it, adorn it, or save it
in the elect. In the ‹blessed› resurrection original sin will be entirely
destroyed [1 Corinthians 15:51–57].
7 The
distinction can easily be discerned between (a) the corrupt nature, (b) the
corruption, which infects the nature, and (c) the corruption by which the
nature became corrupt.
8 3. On the
other hand, we believe, teach, and confess that original sin is not a minor
corruption. It is so deep a corruption of human nature that nothing healthy or
uncorrupt remains in man’s body or soul, in his inward or outward powers
[Romans 3:10–12]. As the Church sings:
Through Adam’s fall is all corrupt, Nature and
essence human.
9 This damage cannot be fully described [Psalm
19:12]. It cannot be understood by reason, but only from God’s Word. 10 We affirm that no one but
God alone can separate human nature and this corruption of human nature from
each other. This will fully come to pass through death, in the ‹blessed›
resurrection. At that time our nature, which we now bear, will rise and live
eternally without original sin and be separated and divided from it. As it is
written in Job 19:26–27, “After my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my
flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold.”
Concordia : The
Lutheran Confessions. 2005 (Edited by Paul Timothy McCain) (474–477). St.
Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House.
THEOLOGY FOR WHITE COLLAR, BLUE COLLAR & CLERICAL COLLAR…Issues, Etc. is a radio talk show produced by Lutheran
Public Radio and hosted by LCMS Pastor Todd Wilken. This week’s
topics include: Jesus Heals a Deaf & Mute Man, Apostle Barnabas, Pastor
Titus, Old Testament Judge & Prophet Samuel and more. You can tune in
LIVE weekdays from 3-5 p.m. on KFUO, 850 AM in St. Louis. You can also
listen at your convenience at www.issuesetc.org.
The deadline for getting articles and reports
in to be included in the Newsletter is the 18th
of every month.
Church Office Hours have changed to Monday and Tuesday from 10am -1pm
starting in May. Please get the announcements no later than 10am on
Tuesday. If you can’t get them in by that time, they will still be
announced, but will not be in the bulletin.
Thank You!
Don’t forget - Starting on the
2nd of September the Sunday morning worship Service will be going
back to 10:00 a.m. with the Adult Bible Class starting at 8:45 a.m.
“The H.H.S. Mandate will Strangle the Church”
As
a church historian, I feel compelled to remind my fellow Christians in America
of a dire threat to their religious freedom, which freedom is supposed to be
guaranteed by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. That threat is the
Health and Human Services Mandate (hereafter H.H.S. Mandate) within the
“Affordable Care Act.” This Mandate requires charitable and educational church
agencies to offer abortion-causing drugs to their employees or face stiff
financial penalties.
I
cannot judge how or why this Mandate was developed. I am a church historian,
not a political insider in Washington. What I know as a church historian is
that the most effective
strategy used by the enemies of the Christian church has been that of
“strangulation” through stiff financial penalties and the suppression of its
charitable and educational agencies. The
H.H.S Mandate imposes stiff financial penalties on the Christian church’s
charitable and educational agencies, if they refuse to accept its abortion
policies. This is a policy of “strangulation,” whether or not it was intended
as such, and it needs to be resisted by all Christian churches in America.
The
policy of “strangulation” was first developed by the Islamic religion in its
conquests in the Middle East and the Mediterranean world. “People of the Book”
(Arabic: “Ahl al-Kitab”), i.e., Jews and Christians, who have lived in Moslem
countries have always had the status of second-class citizens (Arabic:
“dhimmi”). Dhimmis are allowed to retain their religion, but are subject to
certain legal restrictions mostly in social and economic life. These
restrictions and penalties have varied in harshness and the extent to which
they are applied. The official levy of dhimmis is the poll “tax” (Arabic:
“jizya”), which was often heavy (see Timothy Ware, The Orthodox Church [London: Penguin Books, 1964], 97-98).
The intent of dhimmi status was to induce Christians and Jews to convert to the
Islamic faith, or to leave the country, which policy has proved to be quite
effective through the centuries.
The
policy of “strangulation” was developed in a different way by the communists in
the Soviet Union. Starting in 1917, the communists in Russia executed over
12,000 priests, as well as uncounted numbers of laypeople for their steadfast
Christian witness (see Ware, 156-157). What is generally not known about the
communist policy is that many church buildings were allowed to remain open for
worship services. The Church
could worship in the Soviet Union, but it could not maintain charitable or
social work. It could train a
certain number of candidates for the priesthood, but it was otherwise forbidden
to engage in educational activities (see Ware, 152-154, 166-169, 170). In other
countries that were under communist control after World War II, the same policy
of prohibiting the church’s educational and charitable work was followed, with
the hope that this would “strangle” the church in a generation or two (see
Ware, 174).
The
H.H.S Mandate makes it a crime, punishable by law and heavy “tax” penalties,
for a church agency to refuse to comply with the Mandate’s abortion policies.
Christian churches that are worthy of the name “Christian” cannot, in good
conscience, concur with abortion-on-demand. Until the 20th century, the
Christian churches have always opposed abortion-on-demand and have done so on
biblical bases. Even the traditional physician’s Oath of Hippocrates (460-357
B.C.) included a promise not to perform an abortion; although abortion was
common among pagans by the first century A.D. (see Michael J. Gorman, Abortion and the Early Church[Downers
Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press, 1982). Now in 2012, Christian church agencies
in the United States will be heavily fined with “tax” penalties, if they do not
offer abortion-causing-drugs to their employees.
What
can you do? Representatives of the majority of American Christian churches, and
their agencies, have signed a fine letter in opposition to the H.H.S. Mandate
titled “Free Exercise of Religion.” All of the American Catholic bishops have
spoken against the Mandate and their official conference is taking many steps
to oppose it. President Matthew Harrison has spoken against the Mandate and his
office offers many resources for Lutherans concerned about it (see lcms.org/hhsmandate).
All this “official” church action won’t do a whole lot
of good, if the people of the church and their friends don’t take this issue to
their elected representatives through letters and through other legal and
appropriate means. The Christian churches, and all those concerned about
religious liberty, want all candidates for office in November to make clear
their position on the H.H.S Mandate, because it will indicate whether they are
in favor of “strangling” the Church or not.
Life Network Pregnancy Center is
celebrating their 8th 5K/Life Walk on September 15 at the Waterloo Courthouse. This event is a
fundraiser in support of the Pro-Life movement. The proceeds help financially
support the ministry in offering pregnancy resources free to the community. Here are the details: Life Network's Annual 5K/Life Walk. Proceeds financially support the pregnancy
center programs. Registration starts
at 7:30 am, race/walk starts at 9 am. This
fundraising event offers fun for the whole family: face painting, butterfly
release, 5K for runners, 1.8 miles for walkers, prayer time, music and
lunch. If you are unable to participate in the Life Walk, consider making
a monetary donation to support the Pro-Life movement. For registration
forms or more information, call 939-4224 or visit www.mylifenet.org
When a Member Says: “I Haven’t
Got Time” to Go to Church for Worship on Sunday
I remember a busy farmer, who
had barns full of dairy cows and acres of crops to care for, telling me,
"Pastor, I'd like to come to your religion class because I know how much
my wife gets from her church, but I really haven't got time!" Here was a
man who was probably speaking his honest conviction, but he was a man with bad
priorities.
I responded, "Howard, I
spent 18 years of my life on the farm and there's one thing I learned. There
are some things of which I never said, ‘I haven't got time. Have you ever once
said, ‘Tonight I haven’t got time to milk the cows? How did you get them milked?’
Howard’s answer was simple. ‘I took time.’ Again I asked, “Have you ever once
planted and watched a field of wheat mature till it was dead ripe and then
said, “Sorry, I haven't got time to harvest it”? How did you find time? Again
his answer was simple, "I took time."
I
continued, "Howard, one of these days you will quit harvesting wheat and
milking cows and then you will wish you had taken time to get ready for
eternity!" Howard decided he would take time, and to this day he is taking
time to spend with His Lord and to nourish his faith with the bread of eternal
life.
You see, it's not really true
that we don't have time; we all have exactly the same amount of time. We have
24 hours in every day. We have 168 hours in every week. Time is precious. It's
the one commodity we can't store up; we either use it or lose it.
So we do well to set proper
priorities. Every week can be divided into three categories of 56 hours each -
56 hours for God, family and recreation; 56 hours for work and occupation; and
56 hours for rest. And there is ample time for each category. I know a lot of
devout Christians who are a living proof of this. The man who takes time to
spend with his God will never regret giving priority to learning to live and
learning to die with our gracious God who provides all necessities for both (Reborn
to Multiply, pp. 50-51, by Dr. Paul J Foust).
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Baldwin, IL 62217-0162
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