Throughout
this year of celebration we have recognized those from among us who were
confirmed in the faith here at Friedheim. We have been honored by former
pastors who faithfully served us. Sons of the congregation who have entered
into full time kingdom work have returned and visited us.
Many are here
today because they were simply born here.
Families can trace their roots six, seven, and sometimes eight
generations. There is something to be said about being content. In staying. You
have given us a heritage. And stability.
The District office has closed its bookstore. We
now have to purchase Communion supplies from other vendors. About a month ago,
I found a Christian Bookstore in Ft. Wayne and had to fill out an application
for them to bill us when we ordered communion supplies and Sunday school
material. The conversation went as follows…
Vendor: What is the name of your church?
Me: Zion Friedheim Lutheran Church
How do you spell Freed… what was that?
Me: F.R.I.E.D.H.E.I.M…it’s German…it means “house of
peace”
Vendor: Oh, that’s precious!
Me: Thank you!
Vendor: And the address…
Me: 10.6.5.3…“N” as in North…5.50…”W” as in
West…Decatur, IN. 46733
Vendor: Oh, you must be out in the country
Me: It’s not the end of the world…but you can see
it from your front porch!
Vendor: I like that!
Me: Thank you!
Vendor: And your Federal ID number
Me: I gave it to her
Vendor: And when was your church stated?
Me: February 25, 1838
Vendor: You mean 1938…right?
Me: No…1838
Vendor: Oh my…that’s…a problem…the computer won’t let
me…I can only go back as far as 1900
Me: February 25, 1938…not to worry…so we’re 100
years off…who’s counting?
Vendor: I’ve never had a church that old…many of
our churches we partner with…are out of business within six months…
Me: We’ve passed the test of time!
People of
God…we’ve passed the test of time! But It’s important to remember- there are
truths which are timeless. There is a form to our worship and a formality,
which has been handed down from previous generations. There are timeless
truths, which come from God’s Holy Word. They are beyond time.
Today, we
acknowledge a group from among ourselves who are in a class all their own.
These are the ones from among our midst who actually made the conscious
decision to come here. They are members of our Friedheim family by choice. This makes them unique.
A 175th
Anniversary celebration happens only once. It is a moment in time – a time for
each of us to dedicate ourselves to the tasks the Savior has placed before us.
May the Savior richly bless the fellowship at Friedheim.
The Mission
of Zion Friedheim Lutheran Church is to be “A
21st Century Parish with a 1st Century Faith.” Dr. Luke describes the 1st Century
believers in Acts 2:42 when he says, “And
they continued steadfast in the Apostles’ doctrine, and in fellowship, and in
the breaking of bread, and in prayer.”
Of all the passages in
the New Testament Scriptures this passage alone is able to articulate
what you as a parish find as your focus.
What will be said of the mission and ministry of Zion Friedheim Lutheran
Church?
I am convinced that when a
congregation like Zion works together in a cooperative ministry of Word,
Sacrament, Prayer and Fellowship, things soon begin to happen. That is what Dr.
Luke tells us of the New Testament church in the 1st Century and
that is what is needed now in our 21st Century.
The Vision
of our Friedheim family is for us to be one with respect to four
specific objectives of mission and ministry.
Ø
First,
there is the use of God’s Sacred Word
Being one in
unity and faith. That is to read and study daily God’s Holy Word and then apply
their lives to His Word. When you begin to do that people will know that you
truly are Christians.
Basing our
lives on God’s Holy Word as He speaks clearly to us through that Word we are
then able to go out into the world to be witnesses of His mercy and grace. Remember the statement give by St.
Paul, “I determine to know nothing among
you, save Jesus Christ and Him crucified.”
From
the Gospel lesson for this day we must always remember the greatest miracles
will have no effect on men’s hearts if they will not believe God’s word. This
relates to the main point of the story, which emphasizes the importance of
heeding the Word of the Lord and not depending upon some sort of miracle in the
end. What if a miracle doesn’t come? Do we throw up our hands and walk away
from the Lord? Do we refuse to believe God’s message because He didn’t prove
Himself with a miracle? No, we remain
faithful in every circumstance. Regardless of the outcome. We remain faithful
to Christ. Period! We remain faithful to Christ in time and in eternity!
Ø
The 1st Century church was
also a people in fellowship
Being one in
the Lord Jesus Christ. They were
all one in the Lord.
That’s not just the ladies society, or the men’s group, or the youth group, and
the like, but whole families gathering together in Christ.
They
experienced true joy in Christ. Joy happens and becomes contagious when you are one in
the Lord. I ask you, has this church ever mentioned themselves lately as being
one in the Lord Jesus Christ? This is who you truly are as brothers and sisters
in Christ. A wise pastor put it best when he said, “last names cease when you enter the church door.” Enjoy each other;
encourage each other in the name of the Lord.
Fellowship
happens when you live at peace with each other. This is seen how you love and care for each other. That is to say, you really enjoy each other’s
company and friendship. Embrace this anniversary year but even more, I say to
you, make it continue! Live in that
company as fellow brothers and sisters in Christ!
Ø
The
Church was one in the Breaking of
Bread
That’s not just dinners as some might
think. But it is rather
what I like to refer as, Sacramental
living. Experiencing daily the forgiveness of sins, life and salvation as
Christ comes to us in and through the Sacraments.
Coming as one in fellowship here at
the Lord’s Table to be one in fellowship and unity of faith. Eating His Body
and drinking His Blood as witnesses of our Savior. I call it, “proclamation living.” Christians become
unified as they gather at the foot of the cross Sunday after Sunday;
confessing, proclaiming and living this faith.
Ø
The
Church was one with respect to Prayer
You need to
uphold one another in fervent prayer. Churches
need to pray. The needs here at
Friedheim are many. We need to pray daily. Without daily prayer, your pastor and any
other pastor that might come to you in the future could never minister as they
ought.
In prayer you as brothers and sisters
in Christ uphold one another. Here we take our needs,
burdens, joys and sorrows to the throne room of grace. And we’re thankful- as
the Savior answers each petition.
St. Paul put
it this way, We are hard pressed on every
side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not
abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.
We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life
of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.
For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’
sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. So then, death is at work in us, but life is
at work in you. 2 Corinthians 4:8-12
When
you are low, weak, vulnerable you think to yourself, all men are liars! Satan is placing you under attack. But behind
all this, God is still in control! God is constantly working for us. Even in
the midst of loneliness, and isolation. Though it is foreign to His nature, He
allows us to go through these tough times to destroy our self-confidence and
complacency and reduce us to nothing so that in our despair and humiliation we
reach out to the only one who can save us which, of course, is Jesus! Look solely to Christ and the cross! There
alone is hope. There alone is assurance. There alone is confidence. There alone
is forgiveness. There alone is life. Now and forever! Hard times will not last
forever. In Christ you are loved…and you are free!
You know, I once read that the average
church-goer prays only one to two minutes daily! Imagine, one or two minutes in
conversation with God!
The result of church growth in God
would be and it has been in most cases minimal at best. Zion congregation - BE
A HOUSE OF PRAYER!
Become a church- were we just don’t
talk to God- but a church were we praise and rejoice in His name.
Become a church- where we just don’t
come to a worship service- but a church where in service we worship God.
I
say to you, enjoy the Savior, and enjoy what He has given to you; that is each
other- and live in that faith and hope that we all have in Christ Jesus.
Martin Luther, I believe, put it best,
when he describes for us what it means to confess our belief in Christ and to
be a part of a family called the church…
I believe that I cannot by my own
reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the
Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts,
sanctified and kept me in the true faith.
In the same way He calls, gathers,
enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian church on earth, and keeps it
with Jesus Christ in the one true faith.
In this Christian church He daily and
richly forgives all my sins and the sins of all believers.
On the Last Day He will raise me and
all the dead, and give eternal life to me and all believers in Christ.
This is most certainly true! And that
my friends, is why you celebrate this day.
May God bless our Friedheim family now and always. In Jesus’ Name. Amen
No comments:
Post a Comment