Advent 1

Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church
Friedheim
10653 N – 550 W
Decatur, IN 46733
www.zionfriedheim.org
A 21st Century Parish with a 1st Century Faith
Acts 2:42
Celebrating our 170th Year
Chartered February 25, 1838

LSB Series B
Advent 1
Mark 13:33-37

Today we celebrate the first Sunday of a new Church year. As we prepare for the celebration of the Savior’s first Advent we prepare for His Second Advent – His sure and certain return on the Last Great Day. You and I as 21st Century Christians have no better way to live our lives now then from the perspective of eternity. As we prepare for the observance of our Lord’s first coming we must remember that the entire Christian life is oriented towards the last advent of Christ with its glorious eternal salvation.

God requires of us alertness.

1. The Lord wants us to be spiritually alert at all times.

A. Jesus’ inevitable return in power and glory will be sudden, and unexpected. Verse 35 refers to the four watches of the night - making the point that the Lord’s coming can come at any time. "So keep watch! You do not know when the owner of the house will come back. It may be in the evening or at midnight. It may be when the rooster crows or at dawn.

B. While we wait, there can be many things that cause us to neglect our responsibilities of watching and waiting for the Lord sure and certain return.

1. This can happen by overlooking the threatening dangers of our own sinfulness. This is what we pray for in the prayer of the day that we might be rescued from the threatening perils of our sin and then be saved by the Savior’s might deliverance. Isaiah makes mention of this in the Old Testament lesson for today when he says, All of us have become like someone who is "unclean." All of the good things we do are like polluted rags to you. All of us are like leaves that have dried up. Our sins sweep us away like the wind. [Isaiah 64:6]

2. Then there is the temptation to confirm to the world’s view of the supreme importance of material things. Thinking that have the latest thing will cause us true happiness. Says the Savior in the Sermon on the Mount Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. [Matthew 6:31-34;]

3. Then of course there is the very weakness of our own flesh. We are by nature sinful and unclean. We need, especially in this Advent season to pray to the Lord, “Kyrie Elysian.”

C. The result of yielding to temptation is misbelieve, despair, and prodigal living all of which call forth the wrath of the Lord. Although it is correct to conclude that our neglect of God-given responsibilities calls for God’s wrath and punishment it is not correct to give the impression that we can somehow earn God’s favor by changing our lives and carrying out our responsibilities. In other words, the answer to the Law is not more Law. We can’t get right with God by simply saying “We’ll work harder at it!”

The solution to our issues with sin is found in the sweet and comforting message of the Gospel. The returning Lord has already come to endure in our place the punishment for our sinful disobedience and failings: in Him we have the grace of God and so you do not lack any gift; God has called you into fellowship with His Son, who will confirm us to the end. This Paul announces to us in the Epistle lesson for this day!

Transition: God requires alertness and He works it in you.

2. God Himself effects spiritual alertness in us.

A. Mark’s Gospel proclaims the works of our Savior Jesus. In this new church year we will hear 37 selections from the Gospel of Mark. Mark's Gospel has also been called a story of the death of Jesus with a long introduction. Mark's Gospel is about the period leading up to and just after the death of Jesus.


B. The retuning Lord has already come once to accept the punishment for our failings. This is the story of the cross. God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself not counting our sins against us and He has now given us this message of reconciliation. This is what causes us to say with joy “Born to raise the sons of earth, Born to give them second birth!”

C. By bringing us to faith in Jesus, God now motivates and enables us to seek and do His will. The Holy Spirit instructs believers by answering the question that arises from faith-filled hearts “what is my Savior’s will for my Life?” The Holy Spirit helps us realize the importance of spiritual alertness. And in His Supper the Lord provides the nourishment that enables us to remain alert. In providing for us this “food for the soul” we are enabled to remain alert waiting for the Lord’s coming.

Only by God’s grace in Christ can we eagerly and alertly look forward to the Lord’s return. No better preparation can be found, either for Christmas or for Judgment Day, than the spiritual alertness that God wills and works.

Bellmont 2008 Class 3A State Football Champs

Congratulations Coach Toney Bergman, as well as Clayton Stoppenhagen and Elliont Conrad, Grant Melcher, Carlin Hormann, Conner Emenhiser, Tyler Reinhart and the rest of the BHS team.

Thanksgiving Day

Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church
Friedheim

10653 N – 550 W
Decatur, IN 46733
260-547-4248

www.zionfriedheim.org

A 21st Century Parish with a 1st Century Faith
Acts 2:42

Celebrating our 170th Year
Chartered February 25, 1838

November 27, 2008
Thanksgiving Day

Lord God heavenly Father, through whose kindness we have again received the fruits of the earth in their season, grant us ever to rejoice in Your mercy that neither prosperity nor adversity may drive us from Your presence; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Sprit, One God, now and forever.

The prayer for Thanksgiving at the end of the harvest reminds us that once again the Lord has permitted us to gather in the fruit of the earth. Each planting, growing, and harvest season has its own set of challenges – this year was not in the least a challenging one. Yet we have seen once again that the Lord orders our days and guides out path. This morning may the words of this profound and yet simple pray be the basis of our meditation for this Thanksgiving 2008. At the end of the harvest we pray:

Lord God heavenly Father. Our prayer begins as we call upon the Lord. It is to Him that we seek direction in our life. It is His face we seek. It is His mercy which calls us to pray.

Having called upon Him we are drawn to the many blessings which flow from His mighty hand. We recall His kindness. His blessings, the richness of His grace, His forgiveness, these we do not deserve – yet, He lavishes them upon us - because He is kind and gentle toward us. This is His nature. He can do nothing else.

As He acts on our behalf we have again received the fruits of the earth. True, our farmers put in many hard and long hours. Fields don’t plant themselves and someone has to work the harvest. Your work is important, tremendously important and yet we find a significant and profound truth. It is the Lord who multiplies and gives the increase. He sends the rain at the proper time. He sends the sunshine. Everything is fixed according to His timetable.

And the harvest which is received comes at the proper time in their season. The Lord has promised that there will always be a crop. Though we may often times go through cycles of adversity and challenge that Lord has promised there will always be another growing season. The land lays dormant now. Just as Advent leads to Christmas and the discipline of Lent segues into Easter so also the death of winter will only give birth to spring, The Lord promises “As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will not cease.”

Thus we pray, grant us ever to rejoice in Your mercy. Without the Lord we have nothing. Without His sustaining hand we are left living a live which is dictated to chance. Without His hand ordering our days and guiding our path we are left to circumstances directing our life. We need a balanced life.

So that neither prosperity in times of plenty, which the stock market is climbing, and the prices are souring. When yields are high and dividends are increasing.

Nor adversity – such as the time in which we live today when the future is not so certain when the experts try to explain that we are entering into uncharted waters, where the solution is uncertain.

We pray that these may never drive us from Your presence. Instead we look to the Lord for direction and life. David reminds us in Psalm 46 God is our refuge and d strength, an ever present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.

Of course, we always pray through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Who lives and reigns - For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water, And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.[1]

With You and the Holy Sprit, Blessed by the Holy Trinity and the undivided Unity. Let us give glory to Him because He has shown His mercy to us. [2]

One God, now and forever. With the evangelist John we can say Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our god for ever and ever. Amen[3]

Be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father. Place yourselves under each other's authority out of respect for Christ.[4]

A Blessed Thanksgiving - in Jesus’ Name.
[1] Revelation 7:17
[2] Liturgical Text from the Introit for Trinity Sunday
[3] Revelation 7:12
[4] Ephesians 5:18-21

Thanksgiving Eve

Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church
Friedheim

10653 N – 550 W
Decatur, IN 46733
260-547-4248

www.zionfrieheim.org

A 21st Century Parish with a 1st Century Faith
Acts 2:42

Celebrating our 170th Year
Chartered February 25, 1838

November 26, 2008
Thanksgiving Eve

The prayer for Thanksgiving is more then our feeble attempt at communication with God. It is a wonderful opportunity for the Lord to teach us the lessons of Thanksgiving. As we speak to the Lord He speaks back to us. This evening as we pray to the Lord may He speak to us through this powerful prayer:

Almighty God, whose mercies are new every morning and whose goodness though undeserved still abundantly provides for all our wants of body and soul, grant us, we humbly pray, Your Holy Spirit that we may heartily acknowledge your merciful goodness toward us, give thanks for all Your benefits, and serve you in willing obedience; through Jesus Christ, Your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

1. Almighty God. In thanksgiving we address the Lord, the author of all life. What is it that we can say about the Lord? Our prayer suggests three important realities.

A. Whose mercies are new every morning. The Psalmist reminds us that “His mercy endures forever.”[1] Yet they come to us each day. Every day is a new day. Every day is an opportunity to serve the Lord in this generation. Every day is the Lord supplies us with everything we need to support our body and life. In the 4th Petition of the Lord’s Prayer the question is asked: What is meant by daily bread? Luther sums it up with these words. “Daily bread includes everything that has to do with the support and needs of the body such as food, drink, clothing, shoes, house, home, land, animals, money, goods, a devout husband or wife, devout children, devout workers, devout and faithful rules, good government, good weather, peace, health, self-control, good reputation, good friends, faithful neighbors, and the like.[2]

B. Whose goodness though undeserved. The Lord’s goodness has nothing to do with you. Notice that we must acknowledge the complete opposite. The Lord’s goodness is completely undeserved. We daily sin much and deserve nothing but punishment. Yet, in spite of our sinfulness, in spite of our pettiness, in spite of our haughtiness, in spite of our meanness and condescension the Lord chooses to bless us. And we don’t deserve it!

C. Still [He] abundantly provides for all our wants of body and soul, Think of Pr. and Mrs. Wright for a moment. They have three new-born triplets. Maggie, Gwen, and Lilly are now three and a half weeks old. They need to be fed every three hours. It takes two hours to feed them. That gives Pr. and Mrs. Wright one hour to rest to attend to the needs of their two year old Katie [and yes two year olds have needs also] before the whole process begins all over again. This will be their “new sense of normal” for quite some time. They haven’t any other options. These girls are helpless. This is what they need to survive – the constant care of their parents and others is essential for them if they are to survive. So also with you – without your Heavenly Father you could not survive. The Lord not only provides but He does it abundantly for every want of body and soul. We used this evening the explanation of the 1st Petition of the Apostles’ Creed as our confession of faith. During this Thanksgiving Holiday read through it again. It’s quite a list. It explains so well how our Lord chooses to provide for you - everything you need not just physically but spiritually as well.

2. Grant us, we humbly pray, Your Holy Spirit
A. That we may heartily acknowledge Your merciful goodness toward us. We need the Holy Spirit for the things of God are spiritually appraised. We need the Holy Spirit so that we can come to understand the things of God. We need the Holy Spirit so that we can come to a greater understanding of everything the Lord has done for us.

B. Give thanks for all Your benefits. In thanksgiving we offer to Him our worship and praise. In thanksgiving we offer our praises in worship. In thanks living we praise God as we serve our neighbor.

C. And serve You in willing obedience. Reflecting on the blessings of God allows us to want to serve God faithfully. Reflecting on the blessings of God allows us to follow His statutes with a willing heart. Reflecting on the blessings of God allows us to follow His commandments obediently.

3. Through Jesus Christ, Your Son our Lord,
A. Who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit. All three persons of the Godhead are involved in the blessings I receive. Each person of the Trinity – Father, Son and Holy Ghost are active in my life. As we have just celebrated Christ the King Sunday we worship the King of Kings and Lord of Lords who lives and reigns through all eternity.

B. One God. He is one true God, the only true God. He is without beginning and without end. Yet, He has broken into time and space to be our Redeemer, Savior, Shepherd and friend.

C. Now and forever. This is not a simple phrase. It reminds us that the truths of God will never cease. Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today, and forever. The praises we offer Him tonight we last into eternity. The blessings He bestows on us today will continue once time ceases. We worship an eternal God whose mercies cannot be counted.

The only thing left to say after any good prayer is simply the Word Amen. What is meant by the word “Amen”? This means that I should be certain that these petitions are pleasing to our Father in heaven and are heard by Him; for He Himself has commanded us to pray in this way and has promised to hear us. Amen, amen means “yes, yes, it shall be so.”[3] And it shall be so – in Jesus’ Name! A blessed Thanksgiving!

[1] Psalm 118
[2] Explanation to the 4th Petition of the Lord’s Prayer
[3] Luther’s Small Catechism Conclusion to the Lord’s Prayer

Time in the Word Advent 1

The new church year begins with the Second Coming. It is the one Sunday of the year which features the return of Christ as the main subject. In light of the interest in the Second Coming, the church would do well to consider this doctrine of the church and teaching of the New Testament. The Gospel calls upon us to be on the alert for the sudden, unannounced coming of Christ. The world’s cry for God to come to His people is heard in the Old Testament lesson. Paul refers to the Second Coming in the Epistle by assuring his people that they have every spiritual gift as they wait for Christ’s return. The Psalmist calls upon the Lord’s to return to help and save His people.

Collect for Advent 1 –Stir up Your power O Lord and come, that by Your protection we may be rescued from the threatening perils of our sins and saved y Your mighty deliverance; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit.

Monday, November 24, 2008 Psalm 25:1-3 - The Antiphon for this coming Sunday is from Zechariah 9:9b “Behold Your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation.” This passage of Scripture will be quoted on Palm Sunday as Jesus rides triumphantly into the city of Jerusalem. Our king comes not in triumph as a military hero by rather in humility and meekness. David and his sons did not ride horses but rather mules (see 2 Samuel 18:9; 1 Kings 1:33)

Tuesday, November 25, 2008 – Isaiah 64:1-9- An appeal for the Lord to return to save His people. This lesson comes from the third section of Isaiah (chapters 56-66) It was written in the period of 540-500 BC. The Jews returned to Jerusalem from Babylonian exile. The exiles find a pathetic situation: Jerusalem is desolate and the temple has been burned to the ground. The people are despondent and impatient for God to come and do something about their condition. They feel that God is angry and has hidden His face from them. He is accused of causing them to sin. The people confess their sins and feel confident that God will not reject them for He is the potter and they are the clay.

Wednesday, November 26, 2008 – 1 Corinthians 1:3-9 – By grace Christians lack no spiritual gift as they wait for Christ’s return. This section of Scripture was chosen for this “Second Coming” Sunday because Paul refers to the return as the day of Christ. As the Christian waits for that final event, the promise is given that we are sustained by Christ’s grace and will be guiltless for Christ’s appearance. God is faithful in His gifts and promises.

Thursday, November 27, 2008–Mark 11:1-10 – Watch for Jesus’ unexpected coming. Because the time of Christ’s return is unknown we must watch for Him. In this brief lesson the word “watch” is used four times. Twice Jesus says, “You do not know when the time will come.” This fact is the reason for being on the alert. The emphasis is laid on Jesus’ return as sudden and unexpected.

There is no place here for speculation when the time of the return will be. It is an exhortation to be ready whenever He comes. Since no one knows the time, it is necessary for the faithful to look for Him every day. The mood of Advent is not speculation but joyful anticipation of the Lord’s return.

Friday, November 28, 2008 Psalm 80:1-7 - This Psalm is the appointed psalm for this coming Sunday. Verse 7 is the key verse, “Restore us and we shall be saved”.

Saturday, November 29, 2008 Matthew 21:1-16 - Our reading is the inspiration for the hymn; “O Bride of Christ, Rejoice”. How does the Savior choose to make Himself known? Not in pomp and circumstance, not with a grand fanfare and a floury of light and sound. Instead He chooses to be placed in a manger, the feeding trough of the animals. He is born in a stable where beasts are kept. Not the place you would go looking for the savior of the world.

But this is the amazing thing about our Savior, He chooses to be found in those places the world would least expect. He chooses to reveal Himself in those places the world considers unimportant. He chooses to exert his power in what an unbelieving world considers weak and of little consequence.

The cruel cross of Calvary looks ahead of us even in Advent. Does the death of a condemned man seem compelling enough to offer atonement? Could His life and sacrifice really save you? The surroundings and the circumstances of His birth predict His death. They are the means by which we find peace with God and absolution for our sin.

Sources
LUTHERAN SEVICE BOOK © 2006 Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, MO

LECTIONALRY PREACHING WORKBOOK SERIES B © 1981 John Brokhoff CSS Publishing Lima, OH

NCAA accepts self-imposed sanctions

Typical 8th Grader

The second week of October is "Pastor appreciation" week. Our 8th grade class at Wyneken Lutheran School went and got signatures of every student on a yellow 2 foot x 3 foot poster. They gave it to me TODAY with these words "Pastor we appreciate you...sorry we forgot...Happy Thanksgiving!"

Loved it!