+ Marlys Anne Minar + Funeral Sermon

Marlys Minar Obituary is Here

Isaiah 49:8-16

Thus says the Lord:
“In a time of favor I have answered you;
    in a day of salvation I have helped you;
I will keep you and give you
    as a covenant to the people,
to establish the land,
    to apportion the desolate heritages,
⁹ saying to the prisoners, ‘Come out,’
    to those who are in darkness, ‘Appear.’
They shall feed along the ways;
    on all bare heights shall be their pasture;
¹⁰ they shall not hunger or thirst,
    neither scorching wind nor sun shall strike them,
for he who has pity on them will lead them,
    and by springs of water will guide them.
¹¹ And I will make all my mountains a road,
    and my highways shall be raised up.
¹² Behold, these shall come from afar,
    and behold, these from the north and from the west,^[a]
    and these from the land of Syene.”^[b]

¹³ Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth;
    break forth, O mountains, into singing!
For the Lord has comforted his people
    and will have compassion on his afflicted.

¹⁴ But Zion said, “The Lord has forsaken me;
    my Lord has forgotten me.”

¹⁵ “Can a woman forget her nursing child,
    that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb?
Even these may forget,
    yet I will not forget you.
¹⁶ Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands;
    your walls are continually before me.

1 Corinthians 15:51-57

⁵¹ Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, ⁵² in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. ⁵³ For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. ⁵⁴ When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:

“Death is swallowed up in victory.”
⁵⁵ “O death, where is your victory?
    O death, where is your sting?”

⁵⁶ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. ⁵⁷ But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Matthew 10:32-33

So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, ³³ but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.

Grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Our text today is from the readings just read, especially these words from the Old Testament lesson, “Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands .”  Dear friends in Christ, especially friends and family of Marlys. 

It’s a hard thing that brings us together here today.  A mother, grandmother and friend has left us behind, and entered her eternal rest.  She’s gone to be with Christ, even forevermore.  And so today we weep, we cry, and we mourn at our loss, because Marlys is gone forever.

But for us in some ways, she’s been gone for awhile.  She’s had trouble remembering much of anything these last years.  She didn’t recognize family.  She didn’t recognize friends.  She was unable to remember many of the most important people in her life.  It was painful as we went to visit her, and she either loved us or was angry at us, all without knowing who we really were. 

This forgetfulness was a result of Alzheimer’s, which itself was a result of the terrible sin of this world.  Marlys was full of sin, and as a result, her body and mind slowly were destroyed throughout these last years.  Scripture is clear – those who sin die.  The bodies of guilty sinners wear out.  The minds of sinful people become less clear.  And that’s what happened to dear Marlys, sin took its toll. 

And perhaps that’s what is most worrisome – that we ourselves too are sinful, we too are guilty and wrong, and so one day our bodies too will die, and our minds will become clouded because of our own sin and guilt.  I will suffer and die because of my sin.  You will suffer and die because of sin.  It will happen to us, as it does to all people. 

And so today we remember and realize the cost of sin.  Death.  Suffering.  Forgetfulness.  Pain and sorrow.  These are the wages of sin.  These are the things we face every day, most especially today as it hits us so closely and personally. 

But even as we face the terrible price for sin, we have a great promise.  “Death is swallowed up by death.”  St. Paul writes about it in our Epistle lesson.  “Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, ⁵² in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. ⁵³ For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality.” 

The promise is this, even as we forget things, as our memory fades, Christ has not forgotten us, and He will not ever forget us.  We are engraved in the palms of his hand.  Engraved with iron nails, which held our Lord to the cross on our behalf.  Engraved to show us vividly where His blood was poured out for our salvation.  Engraved with the marks of our forgiveness. 

He gave that promise of forgiveness to Marlys many years ago, right here in this sanctuary as she was baptized.  He made her His child, and promised in Water and the Word that He would never leave or forsake her, that even if she forgot the simple things, that He would remember her and care for her.  That promise was for Marlys also when she was confirmed here at this rail, and the pastor spoke these words on her, “everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven.”  And even the last time I saw Marlys, she was able to speak some of the words of the Apostle’s Creed, acknowledging her savior outwardly, as her savior remembered and acknowledged her as well.  

Dear friends the same promise is yours as well.  God remembers you as well.  He remembers you as you mourn today.  He remembers you as you weep, as your body wears out, and as you one day face death.  You too are engraved in the palms of his hand.  He will not leave nor forsake you. 

He reminds you of all his promises as you regularly go and hear His Word.  And one day, he will take you home as well.  To be in heaven, where Marlys is now.  To be at peace.  To be in eternal joyful life.  He will remember you, even as he has remembered Marlys.  In the name of Jesus.  Amen. 

Proper 23 - 2013 - G - Ten Lepers

The Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost

October 13, 2013 - Pastor Adam Moline

Ruth 1:1-19a               2 Timothy 2:1-13                    Luke 17:11-19

Grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Amen.  Our text today is the Gospel lesson just read, especially these words, “Rise and go, your faith has made you well.  Thus far our text for today. 

Dear friends in Christ.  Ten men wandering in the wilderness between Samaria and Judea, all sick with leprosy.  A terrible debilitating disease, ripe with suffering.  These men were festering with skin lesions and open wounds.  They no longer were welcome in their homes or villages, instead cast out to live together as lepers in a separate place out of fear.  People truly feared them, fearing they would spread their disease, fearing they would transmit it to whoever they were in contact with. 

Moses had received very special laws from God about leprosy.  According to the book of Leviticus chapter 13, lepers were to tear their clothes, and keep their hair unkempt.  They had to shout out, “Unclean, unclean” if anyone tried approaching them.  They were to live outside the camp.  They were to clearly identify themselves as unclean. Their lives were truly a living hell on earth.

But this day would be different for them.  They were going to see Jesus.  They had heard of Jesus.  They had heard rumors about this great healer – who made the blind to see, the deaf to hear.  They’d heard he had even raised the dead.  Surely this Jesus character could help a few lowly lepers.  And he was near.  So the ten lepers went to see The One hoping beyond hope that he could help them. 

They saw him from a distance, as they were so used to seeing people.  They shouted out, “Jesus Master, have mercy on us.”  And mercy is exactly what Christ has in mind.  The Lord sends them to the High Priest – exactly what the book of Leviticus says for the one healed of Leprosy.  They were to show themselves to the priest, along with a blood sacrifice from two lambs.  The blood was to be placed on the ear, thumb and toe of the one who was healed, to mark them as clean once again. 

The ten lepers go on their way to the priest to show themselves to the priest, and as they are on their way, they realize that they are clean – that their leprosy is gone!  It happened just as the Word of Jesus had spoken to them.  Now they really could see the priest, and through blood sacrifices be returned to their homes and families!  All ten were happy!  All ten celebrated.  And yet one of them turned around and went back towards Jesus. 

This one was a Samaritan.  Samaritans were descended from the Assyrians who had conquered Israel hundreds of years earlier, but had converted to Jerusalem.  They were essentially Jewish believing Gentiles, despised by the Jews.  He returns the same path again to Jesus.  Why?  Because he knows the truth about himself.  There was much more wrong than just a skin disease.  There was a war going on within his flesh, where he desired to do that which God commanded him not to.  He was full of sin.  He was full of wrong and guilt.  There was more wrong.  Perhaps the same Jesus who showed mercy upon his disease of leprosy could show mercy upon his disease of sin. 

He wants more of what Christ gives.  He wants more healing, he wants more mercy.  He wants more than a cleanliness offered by some priest and a lambs blood.  He wants the forgiveness offered by God and the Lamb of God’s blood.  So he returns to Jesus.  And Jesus gives him just that. 

“Go!” Jesus says, “Your faith has saved you.”

Your faith has saved you.  Dear friends in Christ.  As far as I can tell, not a one of us here has leprosy.  Not a one of us has a debilitating disease that sets us apart from society.  Yes, we may get sick, sick with cancer and alzheimners disease, sick with old and broken joins and achy muscles.  But we are blessed to live in a day and age where most have atleast a fighting chance against disease. 

But there is an illness we cannot overcome no matter how hard we try, no matter what we do not matter which doctor we see.  We too have sin.  It infects us as it infected the leprous man of our text.  And as that leprous man knew, it is a disease far worse than any other we face.  Sin is worse than cancer, than AIDS or Parkinson’s or even brain eating amoebas.  We cannot by our own reason or strength overcome it.  It is there, slowly leading us to death. 

And yet, Christ speaks these words to the man in our text – Your faith has saved you.  And Christ speaks those words to us also.  Your faith has saved you.  It’s a faith that clings to Christ and his blood bought gift of salvation.  It’s a faith that looks outside of ourselves for salvation. 

Christ gives us that faith here, in His holy precious Word.  In his promises.  Faith comes by hearing the Word of God.  How can you hear unless it is proclaimed to you?  Christ speaks the same words to you, Words of healing, words of grace and mercy.  Words that bring you eternal life.  Christ also attaches his Word to water, washing away your sins in holy baptism, clothing you instead with the holy perfect robe of Christ’s righteousness.  And when that water and word are put upon you, you are connected to the blood of Jesus for forgiveness.  And the blood of Jesus covers more than the blood of a lamb on your ear, thumb and toe.  IT covers all sin, all guilt, all shame.  Dear friends, your sin is no longer yours.  It is gone, even forevermore. 

And through all of these things, we are made well.  And because we are well, because our God has given us faith that saves us, we can’t help but praise God the way the healed leper did.  We can’t help but pray, praise and give thanks that we will live forever in peace and joy in heaven.  We can’t help but shout in a loud voice about the wonderous things that God has done for me, a poor lost, and now forgiven sinner. 

Christ can heal the leper.  Christ can save him with his Word.  Christ can take away his sin.  And Christ can do the same for you.  In fact, he promises to.  In the name of Jesus.  Amen.  

October Newsletter Article

Dear Friends, 

There is much that I love in this world.  I love fall – it’s one of my favorite times of the year.  I love football, especially the Nebraska Cornhuskers!  I love hunting.  I love Thanksgiving, especially with pumpkin pie.  I love watching the leaves changing colors.  I love my family, and much more.

There are all sorts of things that I love in this world, and yet I know, even as I love the world, that this world is a terrible and sinful place.  There are countless things not to love.  There is pain and suffering, there is loss and sorrow.  There is sickness and death.  There is poverty and a long list of other things that I do not love, in fact, that I hate.  Because I am a Christian, the world hates me back. 

Take, for example, the following letter that Bob Wurl and I received from a young man we met in Kenya last year.  He is studying to be a diplomat, and is your average, kind, young Christian man.  He has stayed in fairly regular contact with us since our trip.  I’ve removed his name from the following narrative so that he and his family do not become targets in future persecution.  As a forewarning, his letter is rather graphic. 

“This is about the terror attack in Kenya at Westgate shopping mall carried out by Al-Shabaab terrorists. The siege that lasted for three days saw 61 recorded civilians' death. The attackers held several hostages.  Both parties have been giving contradictory figures:  the government saying only 63 were held hostage and have been rescued, Al-Shabaab insists their mujaheddin held 137 hostages who they claim were killed.

Hostages who could have lived to tell their stories seemingly lost their lives in what as you are about to learn was the greatest level of brutality one human being would instill on the other.

The aftermath at the Westgate Mall is horrific and (at this time the) body retrieval at the scene continues.

Bodies recovered were found chopped into pieces, probably by the terrorists. Bodies were found hanged on the walls, elevators and stuffed into fridges inside the supermarket, and in the basement where they held the hostages.

CCTV received footage and, because of the highly graphic and gruesome nature, can't be posted, tells a horrific ordeal that the hostages were subjected to. Hostages had their arms chopped off and were given a tag to write their names on with their own blood, the tag would then be hung on your neck (when you were) killed. Women got raped as their children looked on.  The most gruesome (thing) was pushing screw drivers into young kids' chest as their mothers helplessly watched. 

The terrorists kept referring to the hostages as kaffir (an Arabic racial term equivalent in Africa to the “N” word used for non-Muslims) and that no mercy would be shown to them.  They showed no signs of remorse and if anything, instilling pain into the hostages made them feel better.

All these actions they ensured were captured on camera and relayed to their headquarters as well as bits to the government.  Men had their private parts chopped off, they grabbed noses with pliers and pulled them out.  Women had their breasts chopped off by the merciless attackers who were out to cause the greatest damage. The held hostages never lived to tell their stories but these attackers subjected them to a painful death. 

Piles of bodies have been discovered stuffed in fridges, with body parts chopped and dismantled, hanging on walls, elevators.

This is the most horrible terror attack Kenya has ever seen since 1998 when the U.S embassy in Kenya was bombed. Several other people are still missing, about 67 of them, however, yesterday a few of them were recovered, 7 dead and 12 alive.

We thank God (that no) family or relative of ours were involved, however it's very painful (that) we lost all those innocent people, including children!  Please pray for Kenya, pray for us. The terrorists have terrorized our mentality and even when we go to church, we find heavy security at the entrance, with that we can't pray in peace!”

It’s difficult to read, and even more difficult when you realize this happened to real people in a place that we in our congregations are seeking to aid and help.  We continue our effort to build orphan rescue centers in Kenya, and to help their Lutheran Church in the proclamation of the Gospel to the people of Kenya.

Why share this with you?  To show you what happens to Christians in our world.  The word does not love Christians; it does not seek to bless Christians or to give them lots of money or a big house.  The world is under the influence of sin and Satan, and thus hates Christians.  It has been that way since the beginning of our faith. 

St. Stephen was stoned.  St. James was executed by the sword.  St. Peter was crucified upside down and St. Paul was beheaded.  Tradition holds that St. Thomas was pierced with pine spears, tortured with hot iron plates, and then burned alive.  Tradition also holds that St. Andrew was flayed alive and that St. John was thrown into boiling oil, but not killed, living the rest of his life with the terrible scars. 

What about us?  We are no different.  We face the same world that hates our Christian confession as much today as it did in the years past.  The same event that happened recently in Kenya could happen here in the United States.  The world we love, does not love us back. 

St. John, mentioned above, quoted Christ for us, saying, “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.  If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.  Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master…’”  “Whoever hates me hates my Father also.  If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father.  But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: ‘They hated me without a cause.’”  (John 15)

If the world hates you, it’s because it hated Jesus first.  If you face persecution, so too did Jesus first.  Yet, Christ overcame the world.  He set us free from the world.  

John also writes in his First Epistle, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.  And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.”

Dear friends, we love this world too much.  We love the seasons, money, family, and football too much.  We love the world.  But the world hates us for our faith and confession.  It cannot love us, and will not love us. 

In the midst of all this hate, pain, and worldly sorrow, God loved the world, and sent his Son into the world that He might save it from sin.  He died a gruesome death, that we might have eternal life.  He suffered at the hands of sinful men, who tortured him, so that we might leave torture behind forever and belong to God. 

In the end, even if, God forbid, you are tortured and killed, even if they gouge out your eyes and pierce your body, they cannot destroy your soul.  You belong to Jesus, who rose from the dead, and one day you too will as well.  You belong not to suffering and torture, but to heaven and peace.  Do not fear the ones who can kill the body but cannot kill the soul.  Why?  Because your Savior Jesus has overcome them in His own death and resurrection.  He has promised your soul will live with him forever, no matter what happens to your body.  Fear not, Christ is with you.  Be not afraid, He is our God.  Nothing can overcome him.  Not even the tortures of this sinful world.  

St. Michael and All Angels - G - 2013

The Feast of St. Michael and All Angels

September 29, 2013 - Pastor Adam Moline

Daniel 10:10-14, 12:1-3             Revelation 12:7-12            Luke 10:17-20

Grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Amen.  Our text today is from the Gospel lesson just read, especially these words, “I saw Satan fall like lightening from heaven.”  Thus far our text. 

Dear friends in Christ. Today is the feast of St. Michael and all angels. It’s the day we talk about the ongoing spiritual warfare that surrounds us in this world.  St. Michael and all the good angels of God are fighting, tooth and nail against Satan and his smaller weaker group of fallen angels.  And you and I are the ones that they are fighting over.  They are fighting over where you get to spend your eternity. 

It’s a war that began long ago.  It started in the Garden of Eden, with those first words spoken by the fallen Satan to Eve, “Did God really say?” Did God really say you’ll die?  Did he really say you shouldn’t eat?  Satan convinced Eve that God was a liar, and that God did not care if you believed His word or not.  So Adam and Eve ate, and sin entered our world and realm.  And Satan succeeded in his first goal, bringing mankind into his war against God – on the side of Satan and sin. 

And really, that’s the same lie that Satan still uses against us today.  Did God really say that was a sin?  Did he really say don’t do this or don’t do that?  Did God really say you should go to church every week!  Did God really say we need to care for our old delapitaded family members?  Did God say all life has value, and that we should live chaste lives.  And so Satan’s battle against God continues even to this day.

Satan struck next as well, convincing the son of Adam and Eve that he was better than his brother, sowing the seeds of discord within their family.  And so the older son became jealous of his brother.  Jealous to the point of arguing and fighting.  Jealous to the point that murder was an option to resolve the situation, and so it was that Cain killed Abel, and even lied about it to God. 

And it’s not that different for us again, is it?  The spiritual battle over heaven invades our families as well.  Our families are full of strife, where mothers and sons won’t talk to each other.  Where brother and sister fight every time their together.  And worst of all, where children are abandoned and not cared for by their parents, perhaps even to the point where it is considered better to kill a child before their born than to love and care for them. 

The scheming Satan continued, both in history and in our own lives.  He taught us to steal, he taught us to live sexually immoral lives, he taught us covet and desire, he taught us sin in and out – not just one or two of us.  No, all of us sin, every day, because of the work of Satan in our lives.  Satan has always been a liar and deceiver, and he continues working on us even to this day.  And it’s our faults, for listening every day to that whisper in our ear, “Did God really say?” 

But in a war there are two sides, and fighting against Satan, even right now right here, is a whole troop of good holy angels fighting to keep us away from sin, fighting to defeat Satan and his lies.  And this group is led by St. Michael the arch angel.  And we hear about that battle in all three of our readings for today. 

Daniel writes, “At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people.”  And St. John in Revelation says, “Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back.”  And the speak of the ongoing war between good and evil.  Michael fights against Satan.  He works to undermine everything that Satan does?  How?  With God’s Holy Word, proclaimed in it’s truth and purity.  Through the sacraments received for forgiveness of sins, every single one of them, forgiven by water and word, and blood drank and body eaten.  These things are the weapon’s St. Michael the archangel uses against weak and wimpy little Satan. 

And in our texts we hear what the end of the war will look like.  Good wins.  Satan loses.  Hear the words of Jesus in our Gospel lesson, “I saw Satan fall like lightening from heaven.”  And St. John writes, that Satan “was defeated, and there was no longer any place for (him or his angels) in heaven.⁹ And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.” 

Satan loses the war, even with all his battle victories, because of the decisive battle.  Michael wins the war, not by his own mighty valor, or by slaying Satan himself, but rather because of his secret weapon.  Michael has God on his side, specifically the Son of God, who entered our world of sin, and vacuumed up every bit of guilt and shame upon his own shoulders and bore it to the cross.  It is as Jesus dies that Satan loses.  It is by the death of the Son of God, that that old deceiver is himself destroyed.  And you are freed from all the consequences of sin by the victory of Jesus.

The battles continue right now, all around us angels, both fallen and good fight over you and your soul.  But dear friends, the war is over, even as the battles wage on.  Jesus has won, and you will at the last inherit heaven and peace when your Lord returns and finally throws Satan into his eternal punishment.  Glory be to God, and his blessed servants and angels, like Michael, who fight to keep you in God’s care forever more.  In the name of Jesus.  Amen.  

A Commentary on Yesterday's Epistle Lesson - 1 Timothy 2:1-15

2 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. 3 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior,4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man[a] Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. 7 For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.

8 I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling;9 likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, 10 but with what is proper for women who profess godliness—with good works. 11 Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness. 12 I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. 13 For Adam was formed first, then Eve; 14 and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor. 15 Yet she will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith and love and holiness, with self-control.

Wow!  Those are quite the words that St. Paul spoke in our epistle lesson yesterday.  How could he really say that, especially in such a politically correct society?  What in the world do we do with those words?

Well first off they are God's Word, whether we like what they say or not.  And being God's Word, they do apply to us here and now, so we need to take them seriously, even if it makes us uncomfortable.

Obviously the part that we have issues with is the second half of this text, verses 8-15.  And the good Lutheran question, "What does this mean?"

To help answer, here's some helpful links.



A sermon by my friend, Rev. Eli Davis - Here

If you have more questions, let me know!  I'll be happy to help answer them!

Proper 20 - G - 2013 - The Shrewd Manager Jesus

The Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost

September 22, 2013 - Pastor Adam Moline

Amos 8:4-7     1 Timothy 2:1-15        Luke 16:1-15

Grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Amen.  Our text today is from the Gospel lesson just read, especially these words, “make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth, so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal dwellings.”  Thus far our text for today. 

Dear friends in Christ, Jesus tells us another parable this morning, and at first glance it seems a little confusing.  It’s an almost Robin Hood like story.  A rich man has a manager, who has been mishandling his affairs.  So the rich man tells the manager to turn in his books, and to clean out his office by the end of the work day, because, to quote Donald Trump, “You’re fired.” 

They are terrible words to hear.  The manager knows it will be difficult to find a new job.  He knows he will not have a good reference.  His income is disappearing, and he has nowhere to turn for help. 

So what does he do?  He uses his position to his advantage.  He calls in every person who owes his soon to be former boss money, and he forgives their debts.  “What’s that, you owe the boss $400?  Make it $200 – a special gift from me to you.  And you, you owe the boss $1000?  Make it $100 instead.”  And so the manager gains the favor of all the debtors of the master, by forgiving their debts.  Or to put it in a common colloquialism, he’s robbing Peter to pay Paul!

And here’s the confusing part.  When the master, who has lost hundreds of dollars in income by the actions of the manager, finds out what has happened, he commends the manager because of his shrewdness.  He’s glad that the manager paid off the debts owed to the master with the his own funds.  And then to close the parable, we have these words, “Use your unrighteous wealth to make friends, so that when it runs out you may receive an eternal dwelling.” 

Having heard the parable, it’s tempting to say, “ok, this means you should give your money to the church, give it to the poor.  Give it away to whoever needs it.  Be like the steward, be like the manager, a veritable Robin Hood, stealing from the rich and giving to the poor.  And if you give away all your stuff, if you are the best steward that exists, then you will get to heaven. 

And yet, when we look at our lives we fail to do that.  We don’t give as we’re supposed to.  We don’t help other people with our unrighteous wealth, but instead we help ourselves.  Furthermore, if we take the parable literally in that sense, it would seem that God wants us to steal from the rich, to take from those who have a lot, and then to give THAT to the poor.  And yet God also says, “You shall not steal.”  So how can he say, “Don’t steal.” In one place, and then say, “Its ok, as long as it’s a rich person your are taking from.”  God doesn’t work that way, that can’t be the way we understand this parable. 

Because the truth is, this parable is not telling us to be a good steward, or how to share, or how to steal righteously.  This parable isn’t about us doing anything at all.  Rather, as all parables are in the end, this parable is entirely about Christ.  It’s Jesus who is the manager.  He’s the one who gives up all his wealth to forgive the debts of us sinners.

Because of our sins, we are in debt to God.  Because of all those terrible things we’ve done against God’s word, we owe God, not just money, not just time, we owe him our life.  We must die.  We must suffer hell because of how we’ve turned against God.  We pray it even in the Lord’s Prayer, we are debtors, we are trespassers, we owe God because of our sin.  And God will make us pay what we owe him. 

But instead of us footing the bill, we have Christ, who takes God’s own glory and righteousness and uses it to pay our debt.  He pays it with his own blood, poured out from his body on the cross.  He pays it with his own life, taken from him on the cross.  And because of Christ, your debt to God is paid, just as the manager paid the debts of the debtors to the master in our text.  And so because of Jesus, you are sin free before God.  Because of Jesus you owe God nothing, but instead have the promise of eternity with God in heaven. 

Your debt is paid.  Christ has paid it in full.  Your sin is forgiven, forgiven by the blood of the lamb.  You belong to God, because of Jesus.  He’s the shrewd manager, who paid your debt. In his name.  Amen.  

Bold Witnesses Reminder! - Lower Price Extended

Lower Price Extended Until September 20th!

Our North Dakota district is hosting a conference for LAITY  and PASTORS alike entitled "God’s Word Proclaimed:  Both To Your Neighbor and also to You" on Saturday, October 12, 2013 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM (Central Time) in Mandan, ND.  

We've extended the lower cost to help make the conference available for as many as possible.  Price includes a lunch!
Our Main Speaker will be: 


Rev. Dr. Carl C. Fickenscher  
Professor of Pastoral Ministry and Missions, Dean of Pastoral Education and Certification, and the Supervisor of SMP Program at Concordia Theological Seminary Fort Wayne

Who will be presenting on how to proclaim the word faithfully in regards to Law and Gospel, and how to hear the word faithfully as a Christian sitting in the pew.



In addition to Dr. Fickenscher, we will also have small break away sessions where we will focus on the local missions and services we are doing here in the North Dakota district, such as Project 24, Minot Recovery and more!  Plan on attending!  Registration is $25 for the day if registered before September 15th, September 20th, and $35 after.  

Group Discounts Available!

Register at the following website:  Registration for "Bold Witnesses 2013"

This is a great opportunity to hear what things are being done to teach the Lutheran faith in our world today, and what resources are available to you in your own congregation.  Also learn about what your own local churches are doing to proclaim the Gospel here and around the world.

Schedule:

October 12th, 2013
8:30 Registration Begins
9:00 Matins- Preacher: Rev. Dr. Carl Fickenscher
9:30 Mr. Bill Sharpe: North Dakota Disaster Relief
10:00 Rev. Dr. Carl Fickenscher: God’s Word- Law and Gospel
11:15 Project 24/ELCK
12:00 Lunch
12:45 Rev. Dr. Carl Fickenscher: Proclaiming God’s Word in Your Daily Life
2:00 Mr. Tom Boerger: Lutheran Malaria Initiative
2:20 Break
2:35 Rev. Sean Daenzer: Lutheran Book of Concord Study for Pastors and Laity
2:40 Rev. Lester Wolfgram: Empowered Stewards
2:50 Rev. Thomas Eckstein: Faithful Pastors
3:00 Rev. President James Baneck
3:15 Break
3:30 Rev. Dr. Carl Fickenscher: Listening to Your Pastor’s Sermon/Closing Thoughts
5:00 Closing Prayer

Brought to you by 

Bold Witnesses Committee

Proper 19 - G - 2013 - The Illogical Saving

The Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost

September 15, 2013 - Pastor Adam Moline

Ezekiel 34:11-24         1 Timothy 1:5-17        Luke 15:1-10

Grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Amen.  Our text today is the Gospel lesson just read, especially these words, “Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.”  Thus far our text. 

Dear friends in Christ, a penny saved is a penny earned is a popular saying from years back that doesn’t mean too much anymore, because pennies don’t really add up to that much money.  You can’t buy anything with a penny.  It’s value isn’t that much.  You can’t even get a small piece of candy for a penny.  So when we lose a penny, we just don’t care.  And really, so often, if we see a penny on the ground, some won’t even stoop down to pick it up. 

Thus the confusion of our text today.  A woman loses one out of ten small silver coins, and she searches all over for it, looking up and down, sweeping, looking under the bed with a flash light.  She is desperate to find that lost penny.  She obsesses over it.  She’ll do whatever it takes to find the one penny, even having the other 9 safely in her purse, and to you and to me, it just doesn’t make any sense or seem worth the effort.

The same thing with the shepherd.  He has a hundred sheep, who are fattened and ready for the slaughter, and one wanders away.  He still has 99 ready to go.  Those of you who have cattle know, you’re going to lose one or two; it’s just the way it goes.  And really, it’s no big deal.  You can’t put the 99 at risk just to find one.  You can’t let the sure profit be endangered, just because of one that wandered off or is sick.  There’s no value in the lost sheep.  There’s not a reason to find it.  And yet, that’s what the shepherd of our text does.  He leaves the 99 and finds the one who was lost.  And what’s more, when he finds it, he has a big party and celebration. 

Why?  It doesn’t make sense.  It runs counter to logic.  If we were in the same situation, we would take the losses and go on.  These little things just aren’t that valuable to us, they aren’t that important in the big picture. 

And we ourselves know that because of this corrupt world there are always going to be the losses.  In our retirement accounts there are the stocks and bonds that lose money.  In our gardens and farms, there are the plants that don’t produce.  At our places of employment, there are workers who get fired for failure to perform their duties.  Part of being human is cutting your losses and taking the best you can get in this world. 

And to cut down to the chase we even cut our losses with very personal things.  I can’t put up with my husband or wife anymore, so I’ll cut my losses and get a divorce.  I can’t pay my bills, so I’ll cut my losses and declare bankruptcy.  I can’t wait until marriage, so I’ll live with my boyfriend now.  And perhaps most disturbing – something I saw on our Local PBS this past week – a company named Compassionate Choices that helps people who are sick to kill themselves – as if saying “I can’t handle any more sickness or cancer, so I’ll cut my losses and die today.”

It’s as if these things have no value to us.  Its as if we these things are just expendable – and because of our sin that’s just the way it seems.  And yet all of these things go against God’s word.  All of these things – and more – show the sin in our own lives.  How could God value us, if we despise his word so much?  How could God want us if we sin so often and regularly?  Why should God give a hoot about us, if we don’t give a hoot about what he says in our world? 

And yet, dear friends, he does.  God does care for us, for our two parables are truly about him.  He is the woman who searches for the one lost penny in the house, despite having the nine others.  He is the shepherd who goes out, leaving behind the 99 sheep to find just the one lost sheep.  It’s God who does the seemingly absurd thing, to rescue sinners like you and me, rather then cutting His losses in regard to our sin. 

And it’s a very personal thing that God does.  He comes down in the person of the Son, he takes on our human flesh, he physically takes our sin and guilt upon himself, and he allows himself to be killed by our sin, by our hands, by our guilt, so that we might be forgiven. 

And if we sit back and look at it, it doesn’t make any sense, does it?  It seems to be foolish for Jesus to suffer for us sinners.  Just as foolish as leaving behind 99 good sheep to look for one lost one.  Just as foolish as sweeping and cleaning the entire house to find one small invaluable silver coin.  In fact the cross of Christ is so often even more foolish looking to our sinful human eyes than those two parables.

Yes.  The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.  God chooses to save us by the foolish looking death of Christ.  And the forgiveness for you, earned by Jesus on the cross, comes to you in other seemingly foolish ways.  In water and the word, where your sins are forgiven.  In bread and wine, where you eat the body and blood of Jesus, given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. 

It seems foolish, but it’s your salvation.  It seems crazy, but that’s how you get heaven given to you.  Its like searching the house for a penny.  Its like finding a single penny in your home and rejoicing.  And yet the truth is this, Christ, the son of God, died for you and for your forgiveness.  In His name.  Amen.  

September 2013 Newsletter Article

Dear Friends,

At the elder’s meetings this year, we have been studying a different topic each month.  This past month, our topic was stewardship, and I thought I would share with you some of our discussion.

When we hear the word “stewardship,” we often get uncomfortable quickly.  The word makes us reach for our wallets, and make sure they are safely secured in our pockets.  Yet, in reality, stewardship is about much more than just money and finances. It is also about time and talents.

Stewardship basically asks the question, “What do we do with the many gifts that God gives us to provide for us in this world?”  As we confess in the Small Catechism, “God has given me my body and soul, eyes, ears, and all my members, my reason and all my senses… clothing and shoes, food and drink, house and home, land, animals and all I have.  He richly and daily provides me with everything I need to support this body and life.” 

So the money in our bank account comes from God, as does the roof over our head and the food that we eat.  Taking it even a step farther, if we have a talent or ability to do something such as singing or accounting – even changing diapers – that gift comes from God also.  In fact, everything we have, even the number of days in our lives, comes from God as a glorious and wonderful free gift without any worthiness or merit in us at all. 

The question of stewardship then comes into focus.  It is not what we are paying God.  It is not what we “owe” Him.  Stewardship isn’t what God requires you to pay Him.  Instead, stewardship describes how we use what He has already freely given us. 

Most of what He gives us, we use for ourselves.  We use our time to paint the house or plant a garden (or in a few short weeks, to shovel snow).  We use our gifts to manage our own affairs, and most of our money takes care of our bills and plans for our retirements. 

But we are also to serve others besides ourselves.  After all, that’s what Christ has done for us!  This service is not to gain anything for ourselves, or to “buy” heaven from God.  We cannot by our own reason or strength do anything at all to please God.  Rather we serve others because we have been so well served first by Christ.  Christ gave up all He had, His clothing (John 19:4), His home (Matthew 8:20), His family (Matthew 12:46-49) and even His own life (John 19:30) to purchase and win heaven for us. 

We, following in Christ’s footsteps, give up a portion of what we have to serve our neighbors in the same way that Christ gave up all He had to serve us.  That is stewardship.

So we take some of our time and teach in Sunday school each week and take time to teach our family the faith each day.  We take some of our time to fix or clean items at the church.  We take some of our financial blessings and share them with those around us in need – including in the church. 

When we are giving of any of these things to the church, we are using the gifts God has given us to promote the preaching of Christ crucified in our community, nation, and even around the world.  That is the best way we can help anyone – to share the faith with them so that they too will inherit heaven as we have. 

A helpful practice in stewardship is to sit down at the beginning of each year and budget what things you would like to give to, and how much.  If you would like to donate time serving, figure out when you can do so, and call up soup kitchens or places like the Dakota Boys Ranch.  If you’d like to volunteer to lead a parish choir (something we’d like to have happen this next year), contact one of our organists to volunteer.  If you’d be interested in helping with VBS next summer, contact Kari.  If you’d like to give financially to a project or to our churches, examine how much you’d like to give and set that amount aside each month.  All of these things are stewardship. 

Don’t think I am only trying to ask for money at our own congregations.  If you’d like, I have a list of other projects outside our church that also need financial help.  Attached to end of this article is a link to the State of the District report which also lists some places you could be a good steward for a variety of things. 

I want to emphasize again that giving of time, talents, or finances will not do anything to earn from God.  It is something done in joyful response to the gifts already given to us by God.  Jesus has already paid everything we need to make God happy.  Stewardship is giving in response to that payment. 

Finally, stewardship is between you and God.  It is how God uses us to serve our neighbor, even in uncertain ways.  He may use your gift to help that person you don’t like, or work a miracle through your gift.  He may also use your gift to do something boring like pay a gas bill. 

Don’t feel locked into giving only to us at church; give wherever you’d like as long as it serves your neighbor in a godly fashion.  If you feel guilted into giving, I’d prefer that you didn’t give at all until you talked to me about what’s going on.  God’s paid the price, and we get to respond with the gifts he’s given to us in our life in love toward our neighbors. 

In Christ,

Pastor

State of District Report - Click Here

Proper 18 - OT - 2013 - Life Set Before You By Christ's Work

The Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost

September 8, 2013 - Pastor Adam Moline

Deuteronomy 30:15-20           Philemon 1-21             Luke 14:25-35

Grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Amen.  Our text today is the Old Testament lesson, especially these words, “See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil.”  Thus far our text. 

Dear friends in Christ.  The words of our text were spoken to the nation of Israel by the great prophet Moses, shortly before his death, and shortly before Israel entered the promised land.  It had been a long journey, most of those who had lived in Egypt were now dead, and Moses himself will die very soon.  And his last act before he dies, his last job as the leader of Israel is to renew the covenant of God with Israel. 

And the words of the covenant are this, “Before you today are life and good, or death and evil.”  It seems that it is an easy choice, doesn’t it?  We want life.  We want good.  Shouldn’t that be the easy choice?  But listen to the catch that comes along with it?  To get good and life from God, the deal is you must obey the commandments of God, hear his word, and walk in his way.  If you fail to do so, and instead follow other Gods, the result is clear, “You must perish.”  You will not live.  You will not receive good things from God.

And the sad part is, the reality is this – we fail to follow God.  We fail to listen to his word.  We sin – every day we sin.  And because of that sin, we must surely die.  We must suffer, we must get sick.  Our lives will not be good, but instead will be toil after toil, pain after pain.  

And when we look at our world, that’s exactly what we see.  In the news we hear about pending war in Syria, war where over 100,000 people are thought to have been killed, including some 500 children.  All because of the sin of this world.  In Egypt, over a thousand more killed in various ways.  All because of the sin of this world.  These people are dying because of our guilt.

And even closer to home.  In Mexico over 100,000 have died since 2006 in the ongoing drug war, as rival cartels battle against the Mexican military.  Our own hospitals are full of people with cancer, with dementia, with AIDS and more, and all of it because of the sin of our world!

Dear friends, the choice is before us, life and good, or death and evil, and in our sin, we have chosen death and evil!

Lord have mercy upon us!  Forgive us for choosing death over you!  Forgive us our sins!

And He does.  He does, not by our choice, not by our work, but by His own son Jesus Christ.  He sends Jesus to be our sin bearer.  To live the perfect good life in our place, and ultimately to head to the old bloody cross, and to die our evil death.  This he does, out of his mercy.  And so when Jesus bleeds, its for you.  As Jesus dies, its for you.  And Jesus’ dead body is laid in a tomb in your place.  

And what’s more, he rose again, because as he chose the perfect and holy life that we couldn’t God gave him goodness and life for all eternity, and he chooses to share it with you.  He gives that good life to you in baptismal waters, washing away your sin with his blood, and raising you to new life as water is poured on your head in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.  He gives you goodness, not in this world, but in a world yet to come, a world of eternity, and peace, life and salvation.  It is yours when you leave this sinful world behind. 

Dear friends, Christ has made the choice for good and life from God, and he shares it with you today.  Lord have mercy upon us is our prayer, and he does.  In the name of Jesus.  Amen.