Author: pastorcarla7

August 2016

The Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your needs in parched places, and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters never fail. (Isaiah 58:11)

Dear brothers & sisters in Christ,

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and Jesus Christ the Lord and Savior. Amen.

Compared to other months of the year, August is often relatively hot and dry. (Of course, this year, the dry at least might be a nice change.) We also all have times in our lives when we can feel ‘dry’ spiritually. Whether it comes from busyness, turmoil, illness, grief, boredom, or exhaustion, there are times when we feel isolated from the Lord and/or the people of God. These episodes are inevitable. Life has ups and downs and a myriad of different cycles and experiences. Our faith also runs the gamut as outside forces work upon us day to day.

It is vital to hear the promise in Christ in those times. In fact, it is precisely in those ‘dry’ periods that we need to hear God’s promise the most. Even when we feel alone, He does not leave us. God made a new covenant in Christ and He is true to His promise. God has shown us that He is willing to go to extremes to stay with us. He is willing to die in order to give us life.

You have been given this promise. The words Paul wrote to the Romans are also a reminder for you. ^“For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39) During the beginnings of persecution, those words renewed the hope of the Christians in Rome. During your times of doubt, fear, or isolation, they give you hope as well. This promise surpasses not only all understanding, but also time and space. The promise of life in Christ is granted for this life and the next. There are no conditions nor termination dates.

Jesus coupled the commissioning of His disciples with the promise of His abiding presence:^“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”” (Matthew 28:19-20)

Jesus also sends you out into the world. He sends you with His everlasting promise of abiding love, strength, guidance, and authority. God grants you not only your needs and His kingdom that cannot be shaken. The grace and peace of God which surpass all understanding keep your hearts and minds in the crucified and risen Christ Jesus through all the seasons of the year and your life. Amen.

In Christ,

Pastor Carla

Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us give thanks, by which we offer to God an acceptable worship with reverence and awe; (Hebrews 12:28)

July 2016

After this the Lord appointed seventy others and sent them on ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself intended to go. He said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. (Luke 10:1-2)

Dear brothers & sisters in Christ,

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and Jesus Christ the Lord and Savior. Amen.

There are countless lost souls in this troubled world. We tend to think of foreign countries as ‘mission fields’ forgetting the vast number of people in our own midst who need to hear the Gospel. In many ways it is easier to reach out to people who are separated by geographical and ethnic distance than it is to reach out to our immediate neighbors – who are not much different than us. It is more palatable to think of lost souls being far away and different from us than to look in the mirror.

Pew Research determined that mainline Christianity declined in the United States (-7.8%) between 2007 and 2014, while those identifying themselves as “atheist, agnostic, or nothing-in-particular” increased (+6.7%). Our mission field is both growing and getting closer.

Different ‘field workers’ work the many varied fields. Just as no farmer would harvest tomatoes with a large combiner designed for soy beans, missionaries also have various gifts for the many varied circumstances of lost souls. God has gifted all His people in ways that He uses to extend His Kingdom. It is not easy work and more often than not the ‘missionaries’ that plant the seed are not privileged to see the harvest.

On the 17^th some of our youth will share how God’s Word gets planted (&/or tilled, weeded, fertilized) at camp. Campers hear the Gospel in a slightly different way in a different context from different people. Ideally this helps solidify their faith and encourages them to reach out to others, including their home congregations, in new ways. It also broadens their understanding of the larger church. Like all forms of mission, Bible camp not only evangelizes, but also energizes people for the sake mission.

We have the same mission. We are one in mission – – to work together to gather all of God’s people into Christ. We are all missionaries, working together to plant the seed of God’s Word & harvest people back into His Kingdom.

The grace and peace of God which surpass all understanding keep your hearts and minds in the crucified and risen Christ Jesus through all the seasons of the year and your life. Amen.

In Christ,

Pastor Carla

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matt.28:19-20)

April 2016

We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. (Romans 6:9)

Dear brothers & sisters in Christ,

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and Jesus Christ the Lord and Savior. Amen.

As we are still in the season of Easter, it is appropriate that we discuss fairly frequent Easter Rites – funerals.

Our culture has unfortunately tried to extricate the Easter element from funeral services. Funerals are at their very heart, celebrations of the resurrection. It is a Baptismal celebration. It is a commemoration to the confidence of that person being baptized into Christ’s death and resurrection – and receiving the promise of eternal life.

Society may think that extolling the virtues of someone’s life and reciting platitudes gives adequate comfort, but it is only God’s promise that offers true hope. The hope found in that promise is what Christians focus upon at funerals. We cling to that hope in Christ in our grief because it is the only hope that truly gives comfort.

The Apostle Paul writes earlier to the Romans, ^“Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.” (Romans 6:3-5) He reminds the Romans (and us) in whom our hope truly lies – in whom our lives and deaths remain secure.

As we miss loved ones here on earth, funerals are when we hear the word of hope into the midst of our pain. The primary purpose of funerals is to bestow upon the grieving the hope that only can come from God. The Gospel of Jesus Christ, crucified and risen, is to be proclaimed in truth and purity, because it is the only hope we have of true life and salvation. Nothing compares to the assurance an unbreakable union with Christ and His unshakable conquest over death. They have been claimed by God and have received the promise of eternal life in Christ.

Alleluia! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed and so are we! Alleluia! The grace and peace of God which surpass all understanding keep your hearts and minds in the crucified and risen Christ Jesus through all the seasons of the year and your life. Amen.

In Christ,

Pastor Carla

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26)

March 2016

“Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee,that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again.” (Luke 24:5b-7)

Dear brothers & sisters in Christ,

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and Jesus Christ the Lord and Savior. Amen.

Alleluia! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

The Biblical timeline of Easter is closely linked to the Jewish festival of Passover. All four Gospel writers mention the imminence of the festival in their accounts of the crucifixion.

The timing of Passover (Pesach) is set by God and given to Moses at the time before the final plague and resulting Exodus from Egypt. “You shall observe the festival of unleavened bread, for on this very day I brought your companies out of the land of Egypt: you shall observe this day throughout your generations as a perpetual ordinance. In the first month, from the evening of the fourteenth day until the evening of the twenty-first day, you shall eat unleavened bread.” (Exodus 12:17-18) This festival is to occur on the 15^th day of the month of Nissan.

For the 1^st few hundred years of the Christian church, congregations simply used the calendar of neighboring Jewish congregations to determine the timing of Easter. As Christianity spread, there were more and more Christian communities that had no Jewish neighbors, creating an interesting guessing game regarding festival time. Added to that challenge was the variety in calendars in use at the time. Each culture had developed its own system of keeping dates.

The gathered bishops at the 1^st Council of Nicea in 325 AD tried to standardize the festival date using a lunisolar calendar. Of course, that decree took a few more centuries to catch on and There also was not unanimity in that decision. Following the Great Schism between the Eastern and Western churches, the dispute over the calendar is reflected in the differing dates used by the Roman and Orthodox churches and respective offshoots to this day.

Our current moveable date was not finalized until 664. The Western celebration of Easter is held the first Sunday after the full moon following the Vernal (Spring) equinox. Numerous movements over the years have attempted to move the festival to a fixed date to no avail. Rumor has it that another attempt across denominational lines is underway.

Despite the controversy of the proper date of Easter, its preeminent status across the Christian Church is undisputed. The crucifixion and resurrection of Christ is at the heart of Christian theology.

God gave His Son to die for our sake and raised Him from the dead. God showed the world that He alone controls life and death. He alone reigns over all things in heaven and on earth. Absolutely nothing can or will stop God’s Will from being done. And… His Will is to give life to His people. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

Christ’s resurrection is a vibrant reminder of that promise. Death was not final for Jesus. Sin and evil did not extinguish His light. Death is not final for Christians. Death is not final for you. Sin and evil do attack and they will try to destroy you, but they cannot succeed. Christ has conquered over anything and everything that tries to separate you from His love. His Spirit does dwell in you. His power protects you. His life is given for and to you. You too rise with Christ.

In Christ,

Pastor Carla

If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you. (Romans 8:11)

February 2016

Surely he has borne our infirmities
and carried our diseases;
yet we accounted him stricken,
struck down by God, and afflicted.
But he was wounded for our transgressions,
crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the punishment that made us whole,
and by his bruises we are healed. (Isaiah 53:4-5)

Dear brothers & sisters in Christ,

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and Jesus Christ the Lord and Savior. Amen.

It seems early, but Lent is coming. Our time of repentance and reflection begins with Ash Wednesday on February 10^th this year.

The season of Lent are the forty (excluding Sundays) prior to Easter. It is a time for solemn reflection and preparation for the death and resurrection of Christ. Beginning with the ashes of repentance and mortality, it culminates in the death of Christ. It has been traditional for adult converts to spend this period studying the faith and preparing for Baptism.

The best known tradition of Lent is fasting. Historically, some form of fasting has been a component of the days of Lenten discipline. The notion that a physical discipline of asceticism will focus one’s mind more fully on God is a common tenet in many religions. The Lenten fast is the basis for the common disciplines of “giving something up” practices and fish on Friday. Even the tradition of Easter Breakfast is a product of historically sharing a communal feast following a period of fasting.

Any discipline can have the effect of focusing on God if that is the intent. Other common Lenten Disciplines are meditation, thematic devotions, prayer practices, and giving alms (charity).

Opportunities for meditation, devotions, and prayer practices are available in various states of technological ability. Christ in our Home booklets are available in both narthexes in regular and small print. Luther Seminary provides a daily devotional series called ‘God Pause’ (RSS link is listed on the ‘study & encourage tab’) and will e-mail this series to you daily. YouVersion, a free app and online Bible source, also has an abundance of devotional materials available.

Our Midweek worship series this year focusses on change in our own lives, the world and the lives of the disciples in the days leading up to the Crucifixion. Below is the official introduction to this series from the worship architects of at Sundays & Seasons (Augsburg Fortress).

Change is a constant in our lives. Some changes mark gradual transitions, as when daytime shifts toward twilight or winter turns to spring. Others happen in the blink of an eye, separating time into “before” and “after”. We choose to undergo some changes after carefully considering our options, while others are forced upon us.

In the weeks, days, and hours before Jesus’ crucifixion, the disciples also experienced change: a change of venue as the gates of Jerusalem approached; a change of plans as their long-awaited. Messiah was arrested and tried; a change of circumstance as the crowds shouted “Crucify!”

Change is hard. We long for the expected and familiar, but all too often find ourselves in the midst of uncertainty and the unknown. We cannot predict how things will turn out. The hymnwriter Joachim Neander proclaimed God’s steadfast love in the midst of life’s inevitable changes: “All my hope on God is founded who will all my trust renew, who through change and chance will guide me, only good and only true. God unknown, God alone, call my heart to be thine own”

In addition to this worship opportunity, we will also have the opportunity for almsgiving through a project in collaboration with Lutheran World Relief, a pan-Lutheran organization striving to “provide lasting solutions to poverty, injustice and human suffering.’ ‘Baskets of Promise’ is a ‘Lenten Journey’ focused on collecting items for and assembling Personal Care Kits. LWR then distributes these kits through local partners in places of need.

Whatever discipline you choose to practice throughout your Lenten journey, the purpose is to focus your attention and ultimately our lives on Jesus Christ. Lenten disciplines are techniques to deepen and nurture your faith. They serve to draw you closer and delve deeper into your relationship with Christ and other believers.

The grace and peace of God which surpass all understanding keep your hearts and minds in the crucified and risen Christ Jesus through all the seasons of the year and your life. Amen.

In Christ,

Pastor Carla

It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon,while the sun’s light failed; and the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Then Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.” Having said this, he breathed his last. (Luke 23:44-46)

January 2016

When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. (Matthew 2:9-10)

Dear brothers & sisters in Christ,

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and Jesus Christ the Lord and Savior. Amen.

On January 6^th, the wise men make their appearance. Most likely gifted astrologers, they have followed an emerging star in the sky to Judah and asked the ruler for further directions to find the King of the Jews.

An epiphany is a sudden observation or realization of a concept or idea. Epiphany specifically refers to a “manifestation of a divine being.” Most commonly it refers to the revelation of the Jewish Messiah to the Gentiles – known more commonly as – the wise men visit Jesus.

The promise of the Messiah was extended to those who were not Jewish. The gift of the Savior was bestowed on both the Jews and the Gentiles. Jesus was recognized and acknowledged by foreigners as the true King come to save the world. God invited and went to the trouble of guiding non-Jews to celebrate and benefit from His gift to creation – His Son.

The joy of Christ’s incarnation, God made flesh, extended past the immediate community and into the whole world. ^“And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth. From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.” (John 1:14,16)

The blessings of Christ’s birth have been extended to us. They were not given exclusively to one nation or people, “But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God,who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.” (John 1:12-13) You are recipients of the amazing gift of the manifestation of Jesus Christ. God makes Himself known to you in Jesus Christ. God enters into your darkness to shine His light. God gives you eternal life, forgiveness of sins and salvation. You are now the children of God. Christ comes to you and is given to you.

You have your own Epiphany to spread to the rest of the world. Jesus Christ is come. God has guided you to Himself. Along with the wise men, you are privileged to worship the Lord, praise His name and know Him. The Day of Epiphany is a reminder of the light Christ shines in our own lives to claim us as His own.

Along with feasts, festivals, and grand epiphanies that make up our lives, we also have normal, everyday, run-of-the-mill days. The same is true of the church year.

As can be seen on the graph, the number of Sundays after Epiphany varies between four and eight. This variation is due to the set date in the Julian calendar of Epiphany and the lunar date calculation of Easter (based on the Jewish calendar determining Passover). This year, the season consists of a total of five Sundays between the Day of Epiphany and Ash Wednesday (the beginning of Lent).

The remainder of the Sundays fall into the category of ‘ordinary time.’ Ordinary Time consists of the non-commemorative Sundays between Epiphany and Lent and later between Pentecost and the end of the year. Basically, ‘ordinary time’ refers to any Sunday that is not reserved for any feast or festival days. It is a way that the larger liturgical church has compensated for the fixed date of Christmas and the more transient date of Easter. ‘Ordinary Time’ fills in the gaps caused by integrating the Julian and Lunar calendars.

The grace and peace of God which surpass all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus through all the seasons of the year and your life – the feasts, the fasts, and the ordinary. Amen.

In Christ,

Pastor Carla

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.

December 2015

For a child has been born for us,
a son given to us;
authority rests upon his shoulders;
and he is named
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6)

Dear brothers & sisters in Christ,

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and Jesus Christ the risen Lord and Savior. Amen.

We continue our rhythm of the Liturgical Church Year. The year has begun with Advent and its anticipation and expectation, we now continue with the birth of the Messiah. The prophets foretold it. Now we shift into the awesome dawning of prophetic fulfillment. Jesus Christ is born.

December is renowned for the celebration of Christmas. There really are 12 days to the season of Christmas – just like the song says. In Jewish tradition, a festival ‘day’ begins at sundown the previous night. Christmas begins at sundown on Christmas Eve and lasts until January 6^th – the Day of Epiphany. During this season we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ the Messiah.

White, the color of the paraments, represents purity and joy. It symbolizes the purity of Christ and the joy of His coming into the world. Some congregations add gold on Christmas Eve and Day to further emphasize the joy and exquisiteness of the days.

The Christ Candle is lit reminding us of the light of Christ given to us in baptism. It is a visual symbol to remind us that “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.” (John 1:5) The light of Christ cannot be extinguished.

Not only does the Christ candle focus our attention on the light Jesus brings into the world, it also reminds us of His command to us from the Gospel according to Matthew: “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16) We are called to shine the light of Christ into this dark world.

The coming of Christ has inspired a plethora of musical virtuosity. The library of Christmas season music is vast. Many congregations worship in an almost chorale style during the Christmas season. Even less musically adept congregations sing out loud and joyously this time of year. The joy of Jesus’s birth prompts even the tone-deaf to sing praises to God.

Most music proclaims the story of Christ’s birth and the advent of our Lord. Granted, there are a few secular songs (which shall remain unnamed) that have lost the traditional aspect of proclamation and for that matter Jesus Himself, but for the most part, December is a time that borders on musical subversive evangelism. Almost everywhere you go, you can hear the echoes of the Christmas story in the background, broadcasting the news the Messiah’s birth.

Amidst the commercialism and craziness of the holiday season in the prevailing culture, persists the fundamental core of Christ’s birth. The underlying essence of Christmas remains the coming of the Lord. Despite any and all attempts to commandeer Christmas away from Christian convention and faith practices, Jesus remains the reason for the season. Christ is the center of our lives and is at the heart of this time of year.

Our music, our traditions, our decorations, our celebrations all reflect the glory of His birth. God sent His Son into our world. Hallelujah, the Lord is come. “And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14) Jesus, the Messiah, the Christ Child, the Savior, the Prince of Peace, the Righteous Branch, the Lord, has been born unto us. Christ the Savior is born.

The grace and peace of God which surpass all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus through all the seasons of the year and your life. Amen.

In Christ,

Pastor Carla

…to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. (Luke 2:11)

November – Advent

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8)

Dear brothers & sisters in Christ,

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and Jesus Christ the risen Lord and Savior. Amen.

King Solomon had an excellent point when he pointed out the cycles of life. As an agricultural community we have a sense of seasons. Many of us can look out a window and witness that there really is a time for planting and a time for harvesting. There is a time for the ground to lay fallow (or frozen in our case). If we need a reminder of the cycle of human life, we can babysit a toddler and remind ourselves of how much energy wanes as we grow older. All of creation undergoes the cycle of death and life. Our lives and the world around us reflect those various cycles.

Just like the rest of life, our worship life has times and seasons. Our cycle through the year of worship lends us to focus ourselves on the whole of Christ’s time here on earth. We use music, texts, Scripture, even color and art and symbols to focus worship on the varying cycles of Christ’s coming, death, resurrection, exultation and expected return. For the next several months, we will explore the seasons of the Church Year as well as other aspects of our worship life.

Scripture readings are a huge part of focusing us through this annual cycle. Each Sunday follows the liturgical seasons and consists of an assigned reading from each of the following: the Old Testament (Acts during Easter), the Book of Psalms, the Epistles (New Testament letters) or Revelations, and the Gospel.

The revised common lectionary, (the set of assigned Scripture readings we currently use) was created by an ecumenical group, the Consultation on Common Texts, consisting of numerous liturgical denominations including the Lutheran, Episcopal, Presbyterian, UCC and American Roman Catholic. It used as a base the predecessor lectionaries used by these mainline denominations and retained the practice of focusing on one synoptic Gospel (Matthew, Mark, Luke) interspersed by John each year in a three year cycle. After being tested by various guinea pig congregations for 9 years, it went public in 1994 and is currently used by the majority of US and Canadian liturgical churches as a guide to worship planning.

The church year begins four weeks prior to Christmas Day with the first season – Advent. For much of the 20^th century purple colored Advent, a move in the later 30 years was to distinguish Advent from Lent. Blue was used in centuries ago in Sweden and designates HOPE. The argument is that Advent is less penitential than Lent and the colors should reflect more of the hope of the season.

During Advent we prepare ourselves for the coming of Christ. There is some element of repentance, but there is also a great deal of expectation, hope, and joy. There is a difference in sentiment in preparing for the birth of Christ as opposed to preparing for the crucifixion. We wait with bated breath not only for the celebration of the birth of Christ, but also the second coming for which we still await.

A common liturgical fixture during Advent is the Advent Wreath. The wreath shape (circle) and materials (traditionally varying evergreen) symbolize immortality and eternity. The candles represent the four weeks and the light of Christ shining in the darkness. Various traditions have emerged regarding ways to mark each Sunday with a different motif (ie: Hope, Love, Joy, & Peace or Prophecy, Bethlehem, Shepherd, & Angel) and corresponding devotions or prayers to coincide with each week.

The Scripture readings emphasize the foci of each season. The texts for Advent reflect the hope, preparation, expectation, joy, and promise of the birth of the Messiah. They include ‘The Magnificat’ (‘Mary’s Song’: Luke 1:46-55) often sung or spoken responsively as a psalmody, Old Testament prophecies regarding the coming of Emmanuel, and decrees declared in the Gospels regarding both the first and second coming of Christ.

As we begin this life-giving cycle again on November 29^th, focus yourselves on the rhythm of Christ’s promise, birth, death, resurrection, ascension and continued presence in our lives and world. The Lectionary readings are printed each month (including a summary of the readings each Sunday) in the Newsletter and posted under the Pray & Worship tab on the parish website to enhance your own worship experience. The grace and peace of God which surpass all understanding keep your hearts and minds in the risen Christ Jesus through all the seasons of the year and your life. Amen.

In Christ,

Pastor Carla

A voice cries out: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. (Isaiah 40:3)

September 2015

You shall put these words of mine in your heart and soul, and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and fix them as an emblem on your forehead. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise. (Deuteronomy 11:18-19)
Dear brothers & sisters in Christ,
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and Jesus Christ the risen Lord and Savior. Amen.
Another school year is beginning and everyone is getting into education mode. Education is greater than rote memorization or even absorbing facts. It is a process of internalizing information and developing the skill to process information and the world around us. Education is learning how to interact with the world.
Christian education is developing that skill through the lens of faith. As Christians, we see the world through a lens of God’s work in action. The world is God’s creation. We are God’s creatures. We relate to the world as God’s children. Christian Education is a process of building relationships with God, God’s word and God’s people.
This month we celebrate with Madyson as she affirms her faith (not graduates from it) and makes promises to God and His people to continue in the covenant He made with her. We celebrate the beginning of a new Sunday School year as lift up teachers, helpers, students and parents as they dedicate their time and talents to carrying out the command of Christ in Matthew 28 as well as God’s command in Deuteronomy 11.
These commands in Deuteronomy and Matthew are directed at all of us and we all participate in and reap the rewards of their fulfillment. When relationships are neglected, they stagnate and waste away. When they are nurtured, they develop and thrive. This means that none of us graduate from Christian Education. That would be akin to neglecting God, God’s Word and His people – not exactly things we aspire to achieve. Throughout our lives we polish that lens of faith and nurture those relationships. That is the goal and purpose of Christian Education. God continues to make disciples out of all of us.
The grace and peace of God which surpass all understanding keep your hearts and minds in the risen Christ Jesus. Amen.
In Christ,
Pastor Carla
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age. (Matthew 28:18-20)

O sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth.

2 Sing to the Lord, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day.

3 Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples.

4 For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; he is to be revered above all gods.

5 For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the Lord made the heavens.

6 Honor and majesty are before him; strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.

7 Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.

8 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; bring an offering, and come into his courts.

9 Worship the Lord in holy splendor; tremble before him, all the earth.

(Psalm 96:1-9)

²Sing to the Lord, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day.

³Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples.

⁴For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; he is to be revered above all gods.

⁵For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the Lord made the heavens.

⁶Honor and majesty are before him; strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.

⁷Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.

⁸Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; bring an offering, and come into his courts.

⁹Worship the Lord in holy splendor; tremble before him, all the earth.