Pastor John M. Taggatz, Jenna Otten, Secretary
March, 2013 Lela
Rehmer, Custodian Kevin Kahle,
Groundskeeper
Church
Web Site: www.stjohnbaldwin.ctsmemberconnect.net
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Serving on the Altar Guild
for March are: Marla Huebner & Carol Wentz
Ushers for the Month of March are: Gary
Huebner, Kyle Junge, Tony Junge, Carl Laufer, Gene Luthy, Corey Roscow, Mark Schoenbeck
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.
“A Lie
Spread, but the Truth Victorious”
This month we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord
Jesus from the dead. Jesus comes and
rips away the blanket of death which once enshrouded this sinful world. To all
who doubt; to those who deny; to those whose hearts are ruled by cynicism,
their minds by skepticism, the Holy Spirit speaks and says, "...Christ has been raised from the dead. Follow Him, believe and
be saved."
The chief priests confront us with the one teaching
that truly defines a Christian: What do you believe about the resurrection of
Jesus, the Christ? What one believes about the events of the first Easter is the
test of faith. Paul sums it all up in 1
Cor. 15: “If Christ has not been raised,
our preaching is useless and so is your faith. . . . And if Christ has not been
raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins” (1 Cor 15:14, 17). Matthew 28:11-15 says, “11While they were going, behold, some of the guard went into the city
and told the chief priests all that had
taken place. 12And when they had assembled with the elders and taken counsel,
they gave a sufficient sum of money to the soldiers 13and said, “Tell people,
‘His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ 14And if
this comes to the governor’s ears, we will satisfy him and keep you out of
trouble.” 15So they took the money and did as they were directed. And this
story has been spread among the Jews to this day.”
Good Friday alone doesn’t save. The debt for sin was
paid, but there was no victory. Jesus’
lifeless dead body was taken down from the cross and placed in an empty
tomb. So what does the resurrection
show? It shows that God the Father accepted the life of Jesus for our sins.
Without the resurrection, this Jesus was swallowed up by death, just like all
the rest of humanity from the beginning of time. Without the resurrection,
believers who have already died have perished, and so will we. Without the
resurrection, this world and our Christian life are without meaning. Once you
snip off eternity, what point is there to this world at all? What difference
does it make whether you’re a saint or just plain evil, if there’s no moral
reckoning beyond this life? If this world is all there is, then we’d better say
what the other children of this world say: “Eat,
drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die.” Right? The resurrection is what
gives all of life its meaning. Without it, life is empty, hopeless, and
pointless.
You can’t have it both ways: either Jesus rose from
the dead, or he didn’t. The various attempts to ride the fence—Jesus rose in
spirit rather than body, and the variations on that theme—are quite stupid and
extremely unacceptable.
Nothing in this world’s past or present is of more
importance, interest, or controversy than our Lord Jesus’ resurrection from the
dead. Critics of Christianity have repeatedly attempted to discredit the
resurrection. They’ve done so to protect their position, to deal with their
fear of God, and to undermine the confidence of believers.
The lie of the chief priests in our text, which they
told to protect their position, is only the first of many to cast doubt on the
resurrection at the first Easter. It’s called the “stolen-body” theory: the
disciples removed Jesus’ body so that they could produce the myth of a risen
Christ.
Other theories range from the crude to the elaborate.
They include theories about an angry gardener who wanted to keep people out of
the garden and moved the body to an unmarked grave, the wrong tomb, or the idea
that Jesus didn’t really die on the cross, and that the whole thing was a
hallucination. Probably my favorite is that Jesus had a twin brother who
remained in seclusion until Jesus’ death on the cross. Then he emerged, giving
the impression of resurrection.
The danger of a lie isn’t that it will destroy the
truth, but that the lie makes us uncertain and undermines our belief in the
truth. A lie told a million times will be believed as if it were the truth.
The various lies about the resurrection have one
important point in common: they all set down as fact that the tomb was empty!
Strange! Wouldn’t it have been a much more effective attack against
Christianity to prove that Jesus’ body was never missing, but that it lay in
Joseph’s tomb all the while? Amazingly, this argument hasn’t been used, and for
good reason: there’s compelling evidence, outside the Gospel accounts, that
Jesus’ tomb was truly empty on Easter morning.
Let’s grant
the argument of his enemies. If Christ didn’t rise, suppose the disciples stole
the body: where is he buried? And you have another problem when you deny the
resurrection. Remember what the disciples did on Good Friday? They were very
courageous, right? They were more like grade A cowards. They ran! They hid! If
Christ didn’t rise, and the disciples all got together and decided to lie about
it, can you tell me what changed those 11 men into courageous witnesses of the
resurrected Christ? Would you be willing to die for a lie? Because history
suggests that all the disciples except one were martyred. Do you follow me?
Something changed those people. We know, of course, that the resurrection is
the truth, but it would’ve been an awfully obvious lie. If Jesus didn’t rise,
and the disciples stole his body and hid it someplace, then they had an awful
lot of nerve to die for a lie that size. Instead, Scripture says, “Take God’s
Word for it,” and the reality is so obvious. It transformed the lives of those
men completely. The reality of the resurrection and the pouring out of the
Spirit has the power to transform us too.
The
circumstantial evidence for the empty tomb is overpowering. It deals with the
question “Where did Christianity first
begin?” To this, the answer must be “Only
one spot on earth: the city of Jerusalem.” But this is the very last place
it could’ve started if Jesus’ tomb had remained occupied, since anyone
producing his body would’ve snuffed out the flame of an infant Christianity
preaching his resurrection. What happened in Jerusalem 7 weeks after the first
Easter could’ve taken place only if Jesus’ body were somehow missing from
Joseph’s tomb. For otherwise, the temple establishment, in its confrontation
with the apostles, would simply have ended the movement by making a brief trip
over to the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea and unveiling exhibit A. They didn’t do
this, because they knew the tomb was empty. Their official explanation for
it—that the disciples had stolen the body—wasn’t just a lie, but also an
admission that the tomb was vacant and empty.
The chief
priests spread a lie, but the truth is victorious! Jesus Christ is alive! Alleluia! We have a living Lord. And because
Christ lives, there is a tomorrow for you, me and all who have faith in Jesus
as our Lord and Savior. Because Jesus lives, we have a future and a hope. Not
only that, there’s meaning to all our days. We can face each day with the
reality that we’re not alone. All our days are changed. All our feelings rest
on the foundation of joy in the forgiveness of our sins that Jesus won for us
through His death on the cross and His glorious resurrection from the dead. All
our behavior is motivated because he “was
raised to life for our justification” (Rom 4:25). We live in the reality of
Easter as God’s people.
We worship
Jesus. We’re not afraid to say that we believe in the living Lord. “[We believe in] the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting” (Apostles’ Creed, Third Article). We stand on the
faith given to us, by which we’re saved. Christ is risen! He is risen,
indeed! Alleluia!
See You in Church,
<+><
Pastor Taggatz
2013 ST. JOHN LENTEN MIDWEEK SERVICES
Following Wednesday Feb. 13th we will be
having our Lenten Midweek services on Wednesday evenings from Feb. 20th
through March 20th at 7pm. Please Note: Due to the Lenten Midweek Series Confirmation
& Pre-confirmation will be meeting at different times on Wednesdays. Pre-Confirmation will be meeting at 4:30pm
and Confirmation will be meeting at 5:30 pm…
Here is a description and summary of what the Lenten
Midweek series is about. The concept for
this series was inspired by the Book of Concord:
Such matters also
concern the laity and the salvation of their souls. Therefore we also confess
Dr. Luther’s Small and Large Catechisms as they are included in Luther’s works.
They are “the layman’s Bible” because everything necessary for a Christian to
know for salvation is included in them, which is handled more extensively in
the Holy Scriptures. (FC Ep I 5)
Many people choose to give up something for
Lent. Instead, you may want to take on something for your Lenten discipline and
our Lenten Midweek series this year is a good time to do this. You may want to
read the Six Chief Parts of Christian Doctrine from Luther’s Small Catechism
each day according to the following schedule:
Monday—The Ten Commandments
Tuesday—The Apostles’ Creed
Wednesday—The Lord’s Prayer
Thursday—The Sacrament of Holy Baptism
Friday—Confession
Saturday—The Sacrament of the Altar
Sunday—Daily Prayers, Table of Duties, or
Christian Questions with Their Answers
You may also choose to read Luther’s Large Catechism during
Lent, focusing on one chief part each week.
Lenten Midweek Series—Taking On Something for Lent:
Luther’s Catechisms
1.
Feb. 27th,
2013—Lenten Midweek 3: Our Father Who Is in Heaven: The Lord’s Prayer Matthew 6:9–13
2.
March 6th, 2013—Lenten Midweek 4:
The Washing of Regeneration: Holy Baptism Matthew 28:18–20
3.
March 13th,
2013—Lenten Midweek 5: We Are Forgiven: The Office of the Keys John 20:19–23
4.
March 20th,
2013—Lenten Midweek 6: We Eat a Holy Supper: The Sacrament of the Altar Matthew 26:26–28
5.
March 28th,
2013—Maundy Thursday: On the Night When He Was Betrayed 1 Corinthians 11:23–32
6.
March 29th,
2013—Good Friday: It Is Finished John 19:30
7.
March 31st,
2013—Easter Sunday: Don’t Seek the Living among the Dead Luke 24:1–6a
“Let
Your Gospel Light Shine!”
During a sermon, a pastor told of
a man who had taken his unchurched, unbelieving neighbor to Easter service with
him. What a glorious morning! The sermon was profound, the music was
heavenly, and the whole atmosphere was absolutely charged. On the way home, the man turned to his
neighbor and asked, “Well, what did you think?”
After a pause, the neighbor replied, “I think that if I believed
everything I heard this morning, I wouldn’t be able to talk about anything but
that.”
Does that remark convict you as a
Christian? We’re willing to talk about
last Sunday’s football game, going over it play by play. We’re eager to tell acquaintances where we
got that chic new hairdo we’re sporting.
We’ll even spend long minutes talking about the weather to complete
strangers. But when do we talk about the
Gospel?
1 Peter 3:15 reads, “But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord,
always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for
the hope that is in you.” There’s nothing wrong with talking about the
weather or sports, but, as Christians who have been given the treasure of the
Gospel message, don’t we have a more important topic of conversation?
To the church in Laodicea, Jesus
said, “I know your works; you are neither
cold nor hot. Would that you were either
cold or hot! So, because you are
lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth” (Revelation
3:15-16). Are we lukewarm about the
message of the Cross? Are we grateful
for what God in Christ has accomplished for us?
Are we so thankful that we can’t help but speak about it? Our attitude should be like that of Peter and
John, who, when commanded to stop speaking of Christ, said, “We cannot help speaking about what we have
seen and heard” (Acts 4:20).
The message is not our own and
neither is the heart filled with gratitude toward our Savior. Both are gifts from God. He has given us the message of salvation and
He, through His Word and Sacraments, works right thoughts, attitudes, and
actions in us. As we avail ourselves of
these gifts, we will sincerely say with Paul, “Thanks be to God for His inexpressible gift!” (2 Corinthians
9:15), and those words will be accompanied by speech that proclaims the Savior
and speaks the Gospel message to those around us.
St John Lutheran Church of Baldwin Chicken Dinner
St John Lutheran
Church in Baldwin will be hosting their “All You Can Eat” Annual Chicken Dinner
on Sunday March 10th from 11:00 to 2:00pm. Pricing for adults and children ages
4-12. Children under age 4–free (dining room only).
The menu will be
fried chicken, mashed potatoes/gravy, corn, green beans, slaw, drinks and
desserts included. Carry outs will be
available.
St. John Lutheran Ladies Aid will be holding their
annual Bake Sale also.
DONATIONS FOR THE ST. JOHN
CHICKEN DINNER ARE NEEDED. There is a sign-up sheet at
the back of the Church to donate pies and cakes for the Dinner.
Please bring all the desserts to the gym, that Sunday morning March 10th. Your generosity is greatly appreciated! May God richly bless you!
A BIG THANK YOU
FROM THE LYF—The
LYF would like to thank our congregation for all the desserts and the support
everyone had given during our LYF Chicken Dinner on Sunday Feb. 10th.
Your kindness is very much appreciated. We would also like to say a big
"Thank You!!!" to Mark and Red Schoenbeck, Jeff
Rowold, Jimmy Niemeyer and to Mike Cogar for all the help and time
they donated to make Chicken and Dumplings dinner a success. Again,
Thank You
LYF Leader Fleta Junge
We remember in our prayers—[If
you would like to add to our prayer list please call Pastor Taggatz at:
618-785-2344.] “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 the sanctity of all human life, both young and old and
that we as the church would continue to defend those who can’t speak up for
themselves; For missionaries who bring God’s Word to the nations, Rev. Tim
& Lisa Beckendorf of Lutheran Bible Translators to Botwsana, Africa &
Nicole Decker who is a missionary in South Africa. For those who are underemployed or
unemployed, that the Lord would help them find suitable work so that they may
be able to support themselves and their families. For those who are ill,
awaiting, or recovering from surgery: We
pray especially for: Grandpa Frank Geolat, a
grandpa to the Ford family, Sally Fadler, Karen Willis, Linda Nagel,
Evan Saldana, & Margaret Dixon, the grandmother of Nicki Buch, & Gene
Loucks, a brother in law to the Spier family, and for Hayden Smith, a friend of
Christa Poynor, all who are battling serious illnesses. For Krista Hammel & Jennifer Sievers, the
daughter of Geri Stolte, that they would be healed in the midst of their
illness. For Gerald Koester, Julia
Kahle, Rhonda Greatting, Jim Buch & JoAnn Wegener, Elaine Hargis, &
Verna Zanders, as they continue to heal and grow stronger. For Floyd Camp, as he continues to be under
his doctor’s care. For Marjorie Junge and Meghan Webb, a friend of
Jessica Otten, who are currently hospitalized.
For those who are in nursing homes or homebound.
We mourn with the families of Roy Falkenheim & Lee Hogandobler, who
were called home to heavenly rest recently.
May God give to Roy & Lee’s family comfort and hope of 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.”
The family of Roy
Falkenheim thanks the member of St. John for all of your encouragement
during this time we grieve Roy’s death. Your thoughts, prayers, visits, and
cards are greatly appreciated. Thank you so much for your Christian love and
support to us during this time. (Philippians 1:3-6 KJV)
BIBLE
STUDIES AT ST. JOHN—
Sunday Mornings
(8:45 a.m.) “Martin Luther’s Catechisms”
Location: The Church Sanctuary
Wednesday
Mornings (10 a.m.) “The Book of
Ecclesiastes”
Location: In the
St. John School
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 HIGH SCHOOL
618-853-7300 www.coslhs.org
Fish & More: Join us for our annual Fish & More
Dinner this Friday, March 1 from 4:30 to 7. We will be serving fish, chicken,
sides and desserts. The dinner will be held in the COS gym with plenty of room for everyone. Handicap parking is
available for this event behind the gym.
Boys Lock-In: COS
is sponsoring a lock-in for boys in grades 6 to 8 on March 15. The cost is $10
and permission slips are available by contacting the school office.
Registration for 2013-2014: Enrollment numbers for next year
are looking great. Parents of eighth grade students are encouraged to set up a
“Shadow Day” for their child. A shadow day gives students a chance to
experience a typical COS day. We are
accepting registrations for 2013-2014. Please contact the school office for more
information.
Zucchini
Relish will be available for
purchase at Fish & More.
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 &
Leland Luthy
Red Bud Nursing
Home
350 W. South 1st
Red Bud, IL 62278
Dorothy Junge Russell Mahan
Baldwin, IL 62217 350 W. South 1st
Red Bud, IL 62278
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Regular Council Meeting
February 12, 2013
Present: Pastor Taggatz, Gene Luthy, Gerald Poenitski,
Marla Huebner, Debbie Hammel, Dennis Wegener, Marvin Liefer, Tony Junge,
Richard Buch, Corey Roscow, 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 Jan 2013, $13,952.72.
Treasurer’s report: Ending balance for the general fund for Jan
2013, $12,215.23. Motion was made and second to approve. Motion carried.
Spiritual Ministries/Elder:
Church Properties: Ladies Aid electric stove is broke. A
discussion on repairing or replacing the stove was held. Motion was made and
second to purchase a good used electric stove for the Ladies Aid room at a
reasonable price. Motion carried.
- Furnace in the school basement
has been raised. Thanks to Marvin Liefer & Jonathon Liefer.
- Leaks have been noticed in the
shed behind school which is used for frying chicken at our annual chicken
dinner.
Social Ministries: Thank
you note was received from Operation Blessings.
- Patty Theobald expressed her
feelings on wanting to attend the Chicken Dinner in March, but would need a
ride from Sparta in order to attend.
- Information was received from
World Relief for putting together health kits.
COSLHS:
Christian Education:
Evangelism:
Sunday School:
Stewardship: A request will be made to Thrivent for funds
to support the Easter Egg Hunt. If
Thrivent money is not available, a motion was made and second to give $200.00
from the church general fund to support the Easter Egg Hunt. Motion carried.
Lutheran Youth Fellowship: Thank you to all who supported the Chicken
& Dumpling dinner.
- LYF will have a meeting on Mar
3rd.
- LYF will host Easter Sunrise
Breakfast on March 31st.
Pastor’s Report:
Pastoral Acts from
Jan. 9th, ‘13 through Feb. 12th, 2013—
-Regular Saturday
& Sunday worship responsibilities
-9 Bible
Study class sessions (Sunday mornings & Wednesday)
-1
Pre-marital counseling session
-2
Spiritual Care sessions
-13 Homebound visits
-13
Hospital visits
-2
Member visits
-S. IL District SWIC Campus Ministry
Meeting, Jan. 15th, ‘13
-S. IL District Pastors &
Elders Retreat, Feb. 10th, 2013
-S. IL District Pastoral
Conference Committee Meeting, Feb. 28th, 2013
-1 R. County Nursing Home Chapel
Feb. 23rd, 2013
-2 Trinity Chapel Services—Jan.
9th & Feb. 6th, 2013
-2 COSLHS meetings—Jan. 10th
& Feb. 4th, 2013
-Attended Pastor’s Circuit
Meeting at St. Peter’s Evansville Feb. 5th, 2013
-2 Campus Bible Study that I’ve
taught at SWIC Belleville Campus, Jan. 18th & 25th,
‘13
-Covered calls for Pastor
MacDougall Jan. 31st-Feb. 6th, 2013
-Preached and led worship at
Trinity Lutheran on Sat. Feb. 9th, 2013 (Pastor MacDougall was sick)
- Pastor will be on vacation on
February 14th-18th. There
will be no Saturday, February 16th church service. Pastor Young from
St. John Lutheran, Chester will lead Bible Study and preach on Sunday, February
17th.
- Pastor will also be on vacation
Sunday, June 11th -23rd, 2013.
- Pastor has been asked to be
Pastor of the Week at Camp Wartburg from June 30th thru July 6,
2013.
- Due to the Chicken dinner on
March 10th, there will be no Sunday School.
- Vacation Bible School will be
held July 7th – 11th.
- Southwestern Illinois College
(SWIC) has a new Campus Ministry. Pastor Taggatz has taken part in leading the
college students in Bible Study at the Belleville campus. Southern Illinois
District is looking for Lutheran churches in our district to support this
ministry. Motion was made and second to designate ½ of our Lenten folder money
to the campus ministry. Motion carried,
- Lutheran World Relief Health
Kits Collection will begin the first Sunday of March. A collection of various
personal/health items that are collected will be distributed to those in need
around the world.
- Folding machine in the church
office is not functioning properly. Council authorized Pastor Taggatz to
purchase a new machine at the best price available.
- Lenten Services will begin with
Ash Wednesday on Wednesday, Feb 13th at 7:00 pm with Holy Communion.
Lenten Midweek Services will be held on each Wednesday evening from Feb 20th
thru March 20th at 7:00 pm.
- Special Family Night will be
held on Friday, February 22nd from 6:00 to 8:30 pm.
- Pastor Taggatz and Harry Wetzel
will be putting something together from the DOXOLGY gather they attended in
November to be presented in Feb of 2013.
- Door Offering for Missions at
St. John Baldwin for 2013 will be:
-
Operation Blessings in March 2013
-SIGHT Ministry Center in May 2013
-Rev Tim &
Lisa Beckendorf of Lutheran Bible Translators in Botswana, Africa in
July 2013
Old Business: Bids have been received for fixing six
windows/Plexiglas. After discussion, only two windows need to be repaired.
President Luthy will call the gentlemen from Kentucky to rebid for only two
windows. There was also a bid of $733.00 to fix the south windows. No action
was taken.
- No action on the tile project
suggested by President Luthy in previous meeting.
New Business: Thank you note was received from Dorothy
Linders for the food pantry collection of $1,448.00 and a note from Trinity
Lutheran for the praying for our congregation.
- Christ Our Savior Dinner
Auction will be held April 27th.
- Lutheran Older Adult retreat
will be April 24th and 25th at Pere Marquette State Park.
- Chicken Dinner money has been
designated to be placed in our general funds due to the possibility of roof
repairs to the church and possibly placing gutters on the gym roof.
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 7— The Holy Supper of Christ
Introductory Note: On the basis
of the Word and promise of Christ, Lutherans believe that the true body and
true blood of Jesus are actually present (under the bread and wine),
distributed, and orally received in Holy Communion. All who commune receive
Christ’s body and blood: worthy or unworthy, believing or unbelieving, godly or
godless. Reformed Christians, deriving their theology from the teachings of
Ulrich Zwingli and John Calvin, deny that Christ is truly present in, with, and
under the bread and wine. They speak of His spiritual or symbolic presence.
This article also rejects many false views held by the Roman Catholic Church.
When it comes to the Lord’s Supper, the clear Word of God must take captive our
human reason. This applies to all matters of Christian doctrine and is a
comment that echoes Martin Luther’s famous words in 1521 at the Diet of Worms.
When he was ordered to recant his teachings Luther said, “My conscience is
captive to the Word of God.” (See also AC X; AC XXII; Ap X; Ap XXII; SA III VI;
SC VI; LC V; FC SD VII.)
Concordia :
The Lutheran Confessions. 2005 (Edited by Paul Timothy McCain) (487–489).
St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House.
Status of the
Controversy
2 Question: In the Holy Supper, are the true body
and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ (a) truly and essentially present, (b)
distributed with the bread and wine, and (c) received with the mouth by all
those who use this Sacrament—whether they are worthy or unworthy, godly or
ungodly, believing or unbelieving? Are they received by the believing for
consolation and life, but by the unbelieving for judgment? The Sacramentarians
say No. We say Yes.
3 To
explain this controversy, it must be noted in the beginning that there are two
kinds of Sacramentarians. Some are openly crass Sacramentarians. They declare
in plain, clear words what they believe in their hearts, that in the Holy
Supper nothing but bread and wine is present, distributed, and received with
the mouth. 4 Others,
however, are crafty Sacramentarians. They are the most harmful of all. In part,
they talk very fancy, using our own words. They pretend that they also believe
a true presence of the true, essential, living body and blood of Christ in the
Holy Supper. However, they say that this happens spiritually through faith. 5
Nevertheless, under these fancy words they hold precisely the former crass
opinion, namely, that in the Holy Supper nothing is present and received with
the mouth except bread and wine. For with them the word spiritually means nothing other than the Spirit of Christ or the
power of Christ’s absent body and His merit that is present. But for them
Christ’s body is in no mode or way present, except above in the highest heaven.
They say we should elevate ourselves into heaven by the thoughts of our faith.
And there—not at all in the bread and wine of the Holy Supper—we should seek
Christ’s body and blood.
Affirmative Statements
Confession of the Pure Teaching about the Holy
Supper against the Sacramentarians
6 1. We
believe, teach, and confess that in the Holy Supper Christ’s body and blood are
truly and essentially present, and that they are truly distributed and received
with the bread and wine.
7 2. We
believe, teach, and confess that the words of Christ’s testament are not to be
understood in any other way than the way they read, according to the letter. So
the bread does not signify Christ’s absent body and the wine His absent blood.
But, because of the sacramental union, ‹the bread and wine› are truly Christ’s
body and blood.
8 3. Now,
about the consecration, we believe, teach, and confess that no work of man or
recitation of the minister produces this presence of Christ’s body and blood in
the Holy Supper. Instead, this presence is to be credited only and alone to the
almighty power of our Lord Jesus Christ.
9 4. At
the same time we also believe, teach, and confess unanimously that in the use
of the Holy Supper the words of Christ’s institution should in no way be left
out. Instead, they should be publicly recited, as it is written in 1
Corinthians 10:16, “The cup of blessing that we bless” and so forth. This
blessing occurs through the reciting of Christ’s words.
10 5. In
this matter the ground on which we stand against the Sacramentarians is what
Dr. Luther has laid down in his Confession
concerning Christ’s Supper (LW 37:214).
11 “The
first point is this article of our Christian faith: Jesus Christ is true,
essential, natural, perfect God and man in one person, undivided and
inseparable.”
12 The
second: God’s “right hand” is everywhere. Christ is placed there in deed and in
truth according to His human nature. He is present, rules, and has in His
hands, and beneath His feet, everything that is in heaven and on earth ‹as
Scripture says in Ephesians 1:22›, where no other man or angel, but only Mary’s
Son is placed. Therefore, He can do this.
13 The
third: God’s Word is not false or deceitful [Titus 1:1–3]).
14 The
fourth: God has and knows of various ways to be in any place, and not only one
way, which philosophers call local (localis).
15 6. We
believe, teach, and confess that Christ’s body and blood are received with the
bread and wine, not only spiritually through faith, but also orally. Yet not in
a “Capernaitic” way, but in a supernatural, heavenly way, because of the
sacramental union. Christ’s words clearly show this, when Christ gives
direction to take, eat, and drink, as was also done by the apostles. For it is
written in Mark 14:23, “And they all drank of it.” St. Paul likewise says [in 1
Corinthians 10:16], “The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the
body of Christ?” That is to say: He who eats this bread eats Christ’s body,
which also the chief ancient teachers of the Church—Chrysostom, Cyprian, Leo I,
Gregory, Ambrose, Augustine—unanimously testify.
16 7. We
believe, teach, and confess that not only the true believers in Christ and the
worthy, but also the unworthy and unbelievers receive Christ’s true body and
blood. However, they do not receive them for life and consolation, but for
judgment and condemnation, if they are not converted and do not repent (1
Corinthians 11:27–29).
17
Although they thrust Christ as a Savior away from themselves, yet they must
receive Him, even against their will, as a strict Judge. They must admit that
He is just as present to exercise and render judgment on unrepentant guests as
He is present to work life and consolation in the hearts of the true believers
and worthy guests.
18 8. We
believe, teach, and confess also that there is only one kind of unworthy
guests: those who do not believe. About these guests it is written in John
3:18, “Whoever does not believe is condemned already.” And this judgment
becomes greater and more grievous, being aggravated by the unworthy use of the
Holy Supper (1 Corinthians 11:29).
19 9. We
believe, teach, and confess that no true believer—as long as he has living
faith, however weak he may be—receives the Holy Supper to his judgment. For the
Supper was instituted especially for Christians weak in faith, yet repentant.
It was instituted for their consolation and to strengthen their weak faith
[Matthew 9:12; 11:5, 28].
20 10. We
believe, teach, and confess that all the worthiness of guests of this heavenly
feast is and is founded on Christ’s most holy obedience and perfect merit
alone. We receive these for ourselves by true faith, and by the Sacrament we
are assured of them. Our worthiness is not at all in our virtues or inward and
outward preparations.
The deadline for getting articles and reports
in to be included in the Newsletter is the 18th
of every month.
Do You Have a Question? There
are tracts in the narthex that may be able to help… Take a moment as you come into church to
check out the Lutheran Hour Ministries tract rack. These pamphlets are free for you to take
home. You may see one that would be interesting,
maybe not for yourself, but for a friend or relative who is experiencing or
questioning a particular topic.
Giving through THRIVENT CHOICE Giving through Thrivent Choice Program for
February 2013 has amounted to $843.00. Total amount our church has received
from this program for this year of 2013 is $864.00.
***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."
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.
DEFENDING THE FAITH, TEACHING THE TRUTH…Issues, Etc. is a radio talk show hosted by LCMS
Pastor Todd Wilken and produced by Lutheran Public Radio in Collinsville,
IL. Topics include: Did Muhammad Exist?, Simplifying the Abortion Debate,
America’s Coming Demographic Disaster, Jesus Seeks the Lost 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.
Lutheran
Hour Ministry Broadcasts—To
listen to broadcasts of the Lutheran Hour Radio Program tune in to: 850 AM KFUO
St. Louis, MO on Sundays at 12:30pm and 5pm.
Can’t tune into your radio at this time? You can also listen to podcasts
of the Lutheran Hour through your computer or Mp3 player. Go to this website to find out more: http://www.lhm.org/podcasts/default.asp
Podcasting is a
new and easy way to listen to your favorite Lutheran Hour Ministries programs
and resources when you want. Podcasts are audio files you can download
automatically, free of charge, to your computer, then transfer to your portable
MP3 player.
Lutheran Hour Sermon Schedule in March
2013
March 3—"Great Escape? No, Great
Rescue!"
Lutheran Hour Speaker: Rev. Gregory Seltz
If you feel imprisoned by any aspect of your life, God can open the doors of faith that bring forgiveness, freedom, and joy. (1 Corinthians 10:1-11)
Lutheran Hour Speaker: Rev. Gregory Seltz
If you feel imprisoned by any aspect of your life, God can open the doors of faith that bring forgiveness, freedom, and joy. (1 Corinthians 10:1-11)
March
10—"God's Search and Rescue for the Lost"
Lutheran Hour Speaker: Rev. Gregory Seltz
If we care about finding lost things, especially precious things, God cares infinitely more. (Luke 15:1-3, 11-32)
Lutheran Hour Speaker: Rev. Gregory Seltz
If we care about finding lost things, especially precious things, God cares infinitely more. (Luke 15:1-3, 11-32)
March
17—"Be Like Jesus"
Lutheran Hour Speaker: Rev. Gregory Seltz
Be ready to love and care for the people God sends into your life. In this, we can be like Christ. (Philippians 2:5-11)
Lutheran Hour Speaker: Rev. Gregory Seltz
Be ready to love and care for the people God sends into your life. In this, we can be like Christ. (Philippians 2:5-11)
March
24—"The Death of Death"
Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour: Rev. Ken Klaus
Pastor Ken Klaus delivers a eulogy for the funeral of Death itself. (1 Corinthians 15:55-57)
Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour: Rev. Ken Klaus
Pastor Ken Klaus delivers a eulogy for the funeral of Death itself. (1 Corinthians 15:55-57)
March
31—"The Living Among the Dead"
Lutheran Hour Speaker: Rev. Gregory Seltz
Jesus is alive today and so are all those who trust in Him for their salvation. (Luke 24:1-8)
Lutheran Hour Speaker: Rev. Gregory Seltz
Jesus is alive today and so are all those who trust in Him for their salvation. (Luke 24:1-8)
UPDATE ON
LADIES AID— The Ladies Aid will have a
Potluck Supper on March 14 at 6:00 p.m. Members, spouses, as well as anyone in the congregation
are welcome to attend. Please bring a side dish to share. After the dinner,
Beverly Schoenbeck will lead a Prayer Service. Members are urged to bring a bar
of soap to be used for making Health Kits and the regular meeting will be held
after the Prayer Service.
The Youth Group at Trinity Lutheran Church in Red
Bud/Prairie will be hosting a Trivia Night at the School gym on Saturday,
March 2nd. Cost is $100 per table with up to 8 people per
table. Doors will open at 6:30 pm and the trivia will start at 7
pm. Teams are allowed to bring their own snacks and drinks, but we
ask no alcohol please. There will also be a concession stand to
support Trinity’s athletic programs. To
reserve a table, call Rebecca Juelfs at: 618-785-2258. Proceeds will help fund out trip to the 2013
LCMS National Youth Gathering in San Antonio, Texas. Thank you for your support.
The ladies are quilting on Wednesdays starting
at 11. Anyone is invited to come
quilt and anyone wanting to learn more about quilting is encouraged to come and
learn more. If you have any questions please contact Beverly Schoenbeck at
785-2563.
SUNDAY SCHOOL UPDATE—Due to the Chicken Dinner being held her on Sunday
March 10th there will be NO Sunday School that morning.
The 2013 Offering Envelopes
are available on the front table in the Church’s nave.
YOU’LL BE BLESSED LISTENING TO THE BIBLE STUDY now studying
Luke’s Gospel: on your Lutheran Radio Station Worldwide AM 850 KFUO,
Weekdays from 10-11am CST. Pastors from congregations across the country
give listeners an opportunity to study general and specific Biblical
topics. The pastors explain specific verses and apply Lutheran doctrine
to life in today’s world. Also streaming and archived at www.kfuo.org.
Like and follow us: www.facebook.com/KFUORadio.
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!
The 14th Lutheran Older Adult Retreat (LOAR), sponsored by Lutheran Senior Services and
the Southern Illinois District of the LCMS, is scheduled for APRIL 24-25 at PERE MARQUETTE LODGE in Grafton, Illinois. The theme for
this year's “Growing in Christ” event is SHINING WHERE GODLEADS YOU! The keynote speaker for Wednesday is Rev. Dr. John Nunes,
president and CEO of Lutheran World Relief. His presentation is “You Are
(STILL!) God's special possession. The Bible study leader for Thursday
will be Lutheran Hour Speaker, Rev. Greg Seltz. His topic will center on
God's choosing “forgiven sinners” to be “reflectors of His grace,” and “beams
of His gracious light.” Participants will have 16 different sectionals
from which to choose 4. Wednesday evenings banquet and entertainment
provide an opportunity for fun, fellowship, and inspiration.
The cost for this retreat is $95 per
person. Registration deadline is April 13, 2013. Materials for
registration and other information concerning the retreat can be downloaded from
the SID web site at www.sidlcms.org. Go to FORMS/REGISTRATIONS. Materials will be found
under Lutheran Retreat for Older Adults.
The Youth Group at St. Peter
Lutheran Church in Campbell Hill, Illinois, is holding their annual Chicken
Dinner on March 3. As always we will feature our delicious grilled chicken (with or
without barbecue sauce), and it will be accented with mashed potatoes and
gravy,
corn, cole slaw, bread/rolls, and desserts. 1/2 chicken dinners will be $8, and
1/4 chicken dinners will be $6. Dine in and carry outs will be available.
Serving will be from 11-1. Thank you for supporting our kids!
Confirmation
Questioning & Confirmation Sunday--Sunday March 17th is
Questioning Sunday for the Confirmation Students… & Sunday March 24th
(Palm Sunday) is Confirmation Sunday…
-St. John Baldwin Community Easter Egg Hunt for 2013—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 23rd at
2pm at the Baldwin Village Park (in case of bad weather we’ll be having it at
the St. John School). 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. If you
would like to volunteer or donate items for this event please talk to Linda
Schoenbeck.
DEFEND MARRIAGE LOBBY DAY HELD AT STATE
CAPITOL IN SPRINGFIELD, IL
The turnout for Defend Marriage Lobby Day on Wednesday Feb. 20th,
2012 was beyond our expectations. I thank each and everyone of you who came out
to participate in the largest pro-family event at the Illinois Capitol in
memory. Various reports suggest that between 3000 and 5000
people converged on the Capitol. Our presence will
reverberate for weeks and months to come.
Showing up was an important
first step in the effort to stop the “fast track” effort to redefine marriage.
Now we must maintain pressure on our state representatives so they
don’t cave in to the homosexual lobby.
The so-called “Religious
Freedom and Marriage Fairness Act,” SB 10 will be presented to the Illinois House on Tuesday Feb. 26th at
3:00 PM. You can help lobby legislators and fill out witness slips against this
anti-family legislation. (More
information on what to say to your elected officials in Illinois and how to
contact them can be found at: http://illinoisfamily.org/ If SB 10 is
passed into law, marriage will be redefined for everyone, stripping it of
sexual complementarity. Anyone who does not agree with this new definition of
marriage will soon find themselves facing legal consequences as has happened in
other states and countries. This will include lawsuits, loss of
employment, facing disciplinary boards, etc. Individuals, small
businesses, churches, and religious groups are all at risk.
To
see how many of our “tolerant” government officials would
treat dissenting views or speech, just remember what
happened when Chick-Fil-A’s CEO Dan Cathy spoke out in favor of
natural marriage. His company was threatened with being blacklisted and
forbidden to do businesses in Chicago. Mayor Rahm Emanuel went so far as
to say that “Chick-fil-A’s values are not Chicago’s values.” (Contrast that
with Emanuel’s recent defense of an offensive “hook-up” billboard in downtown Chicago in which he said, “We do have
a First Amendment.”)
Elected officials in
Boston, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Washington DC said the same
thing: Chick-Fil-A was not welcome because the owner holds a traditional
view of marriage. The mayor of the District of Columbia where same-sex
“marriage” was imposed by their legislature said, “there is just no place for
them [supporters of traditional marriage] in this city.” How long before they
tell our churches, our ministries, and our families that our values are
not their values?
Take ACTION: If you haven’t yet sent an email or a fax to your
state lawmakers, it is time to speak up now! Go to this website https://www.votervoice.net/ILFI/Campaigns/30125/ to let them know what you think.
“Marriage is NOT
a Civil Right”
by Laurie Higgins, Director of
School Advocacy
There exists no such thing as “same-sex” marriage. Although
marriage licenses are being issued by some state governments to homosexual
couples, there are in reality no homosexual marriages—never were, are not now,
never will be. Marriage is an institution ordained by God in Genesis: “For this
reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and
they will become one flesh,” and reaffirmed by Jesus in Matthew 19:4-6. All societies throughout recorded history
have publicly recognized the institution of marriage as a sexually complementary
public institution. The government’s obligation is merely to recognize legally
what marriage actually is. The government has no business creating an entirely
new—and destructive—institution and then attaching to it the name of marriage.
What is Marriage? David Blankenhorn defines marriage as
“socially approved intercourse between a woman and a man, conceived both as a
personal relationship and as an institution, primarily such that any children
resulting from the union are—and are understood by the society to
be—emotionally, morally, practically, and legally affiliated with both of the
parents.”
Marriage is not solely or centrally about love. It is centrally
concerned with children and their connection to their biological parents. The
state has no interest or investment in whether couples love each other. If
marriage were solely or even centrally about love and had no connection to
children, the state would have no interest in or business being involved with
marriage.
Adopted children are not being raised by their
biological parents and yet society recognizes those families, so why not
legally recognize families led by homosexuals?
Adoption
historically understood, was not the ideal context for children, but rather a
benevolent way for society to accommodate the failures or tragedies in life
that leave some children without the nurturance of their biological families.
We as a society should not sanction the deliberate creation of children
who will not be raised by either their mothers or fathers.
Society allows marriages for couples who are
infertile or who choose to remain childless, so why not permit homosexual
marriages that cannot produce children.
The government sanctions the type of relationship that has
the capacity to produce children. The government is not interested in
compelling procreation, but rather in supporting the type of relationship that
procreates.
What are the current requirements for
government-sanctioned marriage? Except in a very few states in which activist judges have overruled the
will of the people, the current requirements for government-approved
marriages include the following:
¢ Numbers of partners—marriage is limited to two partners, therefore no
polygamous marriages.
¢ Consanguinity—partners cannot be closely related by blood, therefore
no incestuous marriages.
¢ Minimum age—partners must be of major age, therefore no pedophiliac
marriages.
¢ Sexual complementarity—partners must be of opposite sexes, therefore
no homosexual marriages.
What are the justifications for these requirements
or criteria? Society
has concluded that the requirements regarding numbers of partners,
consanguinity, minimum age, and sexual complementarity best serve the
needs of children and therefore best serve the needs of society.
Why is the state involved in sanctioning marriage? The state is involved in marriage for
two inter-related reasons:
1. The state wants to encourage, support, and sustain that institution
which best serves the needs of children.
2. The state is concerned about what institution best serves the needs of
children because that which best serves the needs of children, best serves the
needs of a healthy society.
Is access to marriage a civil right? No, access to marriage is not a
civil right. Our civil rights are very specific rights that are accorded to
individuals because of their status as humans. These rights are based on
universal characteristics, not on feelings, desires, “orientations,” or
volitional conduct. Our civil rights are
the following: freedom of religion; freedom of speech; freedom of press;
freedom of assembly; the right to vote; the right to life; freedom from
involuntary servitude; the right to equality in public places; the right to due
process of law; the right to equal protection under the law. Marriage is an
institution, not a civil right. The government can legitimately define an
institution and limit its membership in accordance with that definition.
Do current marital requirements violate civil
rights?
Current marital requirements do not violate civil rights. Every
individual who fulfills the requirements or conditions that society has deemed
essential to the institution of marriage has equal access to marriage. What homosexuals are actually demanding is
that they be permitted to redefine marriage—to eliminate one of the
conditions that society views as central to marriage: sexual complementarity.
Similarly, polyamorous people who love more than one person cannot redefine
marriage by eliminating the criterion of numbers of partners. And incestuous
couples cannot redefine marriage by eliminating the criterion regarding close
blood kinship. And those who believe
they are in love with minors cannot eliminate the criterion of minimum age.
None of these groups of people are being denied their civil rights even
though they cannot get married. They are being prevented from unilaterally
redefining marriage which is a public institution that affects the civic good.
Is the sexual complementarity requirement
equivalent to anti-miscegenation laws (i.e. Are laws that ban “same-sex marriage” equivalent to laws that
banned interracial marriage?) Laws that
permit only heterosexual marriages are not equivalent to laws that banned
interracial marriage because “sexual orientation” is not equivalent to race.
Laws banning interracial marriages were based on the erroneous belief that
whites and blacks are by nature different, when, in fact, whites and blacks are
not by nature different. Laws that permit only heterosexual marriages
are based on the true belief that men and women are by nature different. Therefore, it is not only permissible, but
essential that laws that regulate marriage take into account the very real
differences between men and women.
Thomas Sowell explains that “The argument that current marriage laws
‘discriminate’ against homosexuals confuses discrimination against people with
making distinctions among different kinds of behavior. All laws distinguish
among different kinds of behavior.” A black man who wants to marry a white
woman is seeking to do the same action that a white man who wants to marry a
white woman seeks to do. A law that prohibits an interracial marriage is wrong
because it is based on who the person is, not on what he seeks to
do. But, if a man wants to marry a man,
he is seeking to do an entirely different action from that which a man who
wants to marry a woman seeks to do. A law that prohibits homosexual marriage is
legitimate because it is based not on who the person is but rather on
what he seeks to do. Any man may engage in the act of marrying a woman
(if she is of age and not closely related by blood).
How would the elimination of the sexual
complementarity requirement affect society?
Those who favor
legalized polygamy, legalized incest, and a reduction in the legal marrying age
will have a precedent to use in their similar quests to be allowed to
legally marry the person or persons whom they “love.” Once societies
sever marriage from both gender and child-rearing, its cultural value
diminishes. David Blankenhorn warns that there will likely be “lower
marriage rates, higher rates of divorce and non-marital cohabitation,
and more children raised outside of marriage and separated from at least one of
their natural parents.”
We need only look at the Netherlands to see the validity of
Blankenhorn’s warning: Stanley Kurtz explains that in the years that “the
debate over the legal recognition of gay relationships came to the fore in the
Netherlands, culminating in the legalization of full same-sex marriage in 2000”
non-marital heterosexual co-habitation and out of wedlock births increased
dramatically.
Legalizing homosexual unions “would require explicit public endorsement
of the idea that a child really does not
need mother and a father” (Blankenhorn).
Public, and eventually private, schools would be required when teaching
about families, to include resources about and descriptions of families led by
homosexuals Fundamental First Amendment speech and religious rights will be
diminished. If same-sex marriage is legal, expressions of disapproval of
homosexuality or homosexual marriage will be viewed as discriminatory and will
be legally prohibited.
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