FIRST FRUITS WE GIVE OUR FIRST FRUITS BECAUSE HE GAVE US HIS ONLY SON May 2016 Volume 19 No. 5 First Things First … Come, Holy Spirit, Come! Our Gospel reading for May 1 from John is one of the major passages where the Holy Spirit is referred to as the paraclete (from Parakletos which is the Greek word translated “Comforter” or “Counselor”) which means the one who is called to be by your side, is introduced. Jesus assures his disciples they will not be left alone or be left orphaned. The one who walks alongside them now will still be known in the paraclete which will be breathed into them by the resurrected Christ (John 20:22). The primary reason for the gift of the Spirit is so that the disciples might experience the presence of Jesus in his absence. So, my friends, as you will learn this coming Sunday, and as we move together toward (and beyond) May 15, The Day of Pentecost, The Holy Spirit is not an “it.” The Bible says that The Spirit is not something, but Someone…and that Someone is God. The Bible teaches that the Holy Spirit is all-powerful. We read in Micah 3:8, “I am full of power by the Spirit of the Lord.” The Bible says that God is present everywhere. No matter where we go, He is there. “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?” (Psalm 139:7). The Holy Spirit can be in both your heart and my heart, even though we may live a thousand miles apart. The Holy Spirit has all knowledge. The Bible says, “The Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God” (1 Corinthians 2:10). It is the Holy Spirit who teaches us and takes us deeper and deeper into God’s truth as we go along in our Christian life. Inquiring human minds are often confused, and often ask me how the Trinity–God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit operate…we’ll be talking about that, too…on Holy Trinity Sunday, May 22, the day of my and Rodney’s rescheduled House Blessing (2-6 PM at Rock Island). That day you will learn about perichoresis –the flowing around, mutual movement, mutual indwelling…which you will find, much to your surprise, it’s much like a dance. So you see, the message of the Holy Spirit and its reality in the life of a Christian is one of the most important realities we, as a congregation together can learn. The message of the Holy Spirit is one that every individual finds virtually impossible to believe, and this is in part due to this “ladder to holiness” concept floating about in America (and elsewhere), but also because the old self within an individual finds it hard to believe that the work has already been done. In the Large Catechism, Luther understands that the Holy Spirit allows an individual to undergo a daily baptism. The first baptism is of water and the Word but there is a daily dying to sin and raising in Christ. Luther writes… Baptism is nothing else than the slaying of the old Adam and the resurrection of the new creature, both of which must continue in us our whole life long. Thus a Christian life is nothing else than a daily baptism, begun once and continuing ever after. For we must keep at it without ceasing, always purging whatever pertains to the old self, the old creature, so that whatever belongs to the new creature may come forth. What is the old creature? It is what is born in us from Adam, the spiteful, envious, unchaste, greedy, lazy, proud—yes—and unbelieving; it is beset with all vices and by nature has nothing good in it. Now, when we enter Christ’s kingdom, this corruption must daily decrease so that the longer we live the more gentle, patient, and meek we become, and the more we break away from greed, hatred, envy, and pride.[1] Throughout Luther’s Large Catechism he emphasizes that the Holy Spirit makes humanity holy and the Holy Spirit continues to make humanity holy. This is not a single action done by the Holy Spirit at a stagnant point on a timeline; instead this is a continuous action that the Holy Spirit works throughout the life of the believer. Luther writes, “The Holy Spirit works through the following: the community of saints or Christian church, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.”[2] This sanctification is essential in the life of a believer because without this process one could not know God. No one could know Christ or accept Christ as the Messiah, God incarnate, without the aid of the Holy Spirit. This is enabled by the Holy Spirit through the pure preaching of the gospel, which occurs from the pulpit and through the sacraments of Baptism and Holy Communion.[3]
Transcript
FIRST FRUITS WE GIVE OUR FIRST FRUITS BECAUSE HE GAVE US HIS ONLY SON
May 2016 Volume 19 No. 5
First Things First …
Come, Holy Spirit, Come!
Our Gospel reading for May 1 from John is one of the major passages where the Holy Spirit is referred to as the paraclete (from Parakletos which is the Greek word translated “Comforter” or “Counselor”) which means the one who is called to be by your side, is introduced. Jesus assures his disciples they will not be left alone or be left orphaned. The one who walks alongside them now will still be known in the paraclete which will be breathed into them by the resurrected Christ (John 20:22).
The primary reason for the gift of the Spirit is so that the disciples might experience the presence of Jesus in his absence. So, my friends, as you will learn this coming Sunday, and as we move together toward (and beyond) May 15, The Day of Pentecost, The Holy Spirit is not an “it.” The Bible says that The Spirit is not something, but Someone…and that Someone is God.
The Bible teaches that the Holy Spirit is all-powerful. We read in Micah 3:8, “I am full of power by the Spirit of the Lord.” The Bible says that God is present everywhere. No matter where we go, He is there. “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?” (Psalm 139:7). The Holy Spirit can be in both your heart and my heart, even though we may live a thousand miles apart.
The Holy Spirit has all knowledge. The Bible says, “The Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God” (1 Corinthians 2:10). It is the Holy Spirit who teaches us and takes us deeper and deeper into God’s truth as we go along in our Christian life.
Inquiring human minds are often confused, and often ask me how the Trinity–God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit operate…we’ll be talking about that, too…on Holy Trinity Sunday, May 22, the day of my and Rodney’s rescheduled House Blessing (2-6 PM at Rock Island). That day you will learn about perichoresis –the flowing around, mutual movement, mutual indwelling…which you will find, much to your surprise, it’s much like a dance.
So you see, the message of the Holy Spirit and its reality in the life of a Christian is one of the most important realities we, as a congregation together can learn. The message of the Holy Spirit is one that every individual finds virtually impossible to believe, and this is in part due to this “ladder to holiness” concept floating about in America (and elsewhere), but also because the old self within an individual finds it hard to believe that the work has already been done.
In the Large Catechism, Luther understands that the Holy Spirit allows an individual to undergo a daily baptism. The first baptism is of water and the Word but there is a daily dying to sin and raising in Christ. Luther writes…
Baptism is nothing else than the slaying of the old Adam and the resurrection of the new creature, both of which must continue in us our whole life long. Thus a Christian life is nothing else than a daily baptism, begun once and continuing ever after. For we must keep at it without ceasing, always purging whatever pertains to the old self, the old creature, so that whatever belongs to the new creature may come forth. What is the old creature? It is what is born in us from Adam, the spiteful, envious, unchaste, greedy, lazy, proud—yes—and unbelieving; it is beset with all vices and by nature has nothing good in it. Now, when we enter Christ’s kingdom, this corruption must daily decrease so that the longer we live the more gentle, patient, and meek we become, and the more we break away from greed, hatred, envy, and pride.[1]
Throughout Luther’s Large Catechism he emphasizes that the Holy Spirit makes humanity holy and the Holy Spirit continues to make humanity holy. This is not a single action done by the Holy Spirit at a stagnant point on a timeline; instead this is a continuous action that the Holy Spirit works throughout the life of the believer. Luther writes, “The Holy Spirit works through the following: the community of saints or Christian church, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.”[2]
This sanctification is essential in the life of a believer because without this process one could not know God. No one could know Christ or accept Christ as the Messiah, God incarnate, without the aid of the Holy Spirit. This is enabled by the Holy Spirit through the pure preaching of the gospel, which occurs from the pulpit and through the sacraments of Baptism and Holy Communion.[3]
Without the Holy Spirit’s presence there is no Christian community because the Holy Spirit is essential in calling, gathering, and creating community. Luther asserts, “…apart from [the Holy Spirit] no one can come to the Lord Christ.”[4] He goes on to write, “I believe that there is on earth a holy little flock and community of pure saints under one
Without the Holy Spirit’s presence there is no Christian community because the Holy Spirit is essential in calling, gathering, and creating community. Luther asserts, “…apart from [the Holy Spirit] no one can come to the Lord Christ.”[4] He goes on to write, “I believe that there is on earth a holy little flock and community of pure saints under one head, Christ. It is called together by the Holy Spirit in one faith, mind, and understanding.”[5] Luther reiterates the importance of the Holy Spirit and humanity’s utter dependence on the Holy Spirit throughout his Large Catechism. In the Small Catechism, Luther reduces this explanation to three rich and powerful sentences. In the first sentence Luther sums up his entire exploration of the work of the Holy Spirit saying:
I believe that by my own understanding or strength I cannot believe in Jesus Christ my Lord or come to him, but instead the Holy Spirit has called me through the gospel, enlightened me with his gifts, made me holy and kept me in true faith, just as he calls, gathers, enlightens, and makes holy the whole Christian church on earth and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one common, true faith.[6]
Luther emphasizes the human’s utter dependence on faith, which does not exist apart from the Holy Spirit and the proclamation of the Word. The human cannot come to Christ without the aid of the Holy Spirit and one cannot partake in God’s saving power without the Holy Spirit. This is difficult for humans to understand or come to terms with because humans want to secure their salvation through their own means.
We are to grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ, but we can grow only by the help of the Holy Spirit. There is not a person anywhere who can be a Christian without the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is called holy. The Bible says, “Be holy; for I am holy” (1 Peter 1:16). And one of the Holy Spirit’s ministries is to help make us holy. We ought to be more holy today than we were yesterday. We should always be conforming more to the image of Jesus Christ, and it is the Holy Spirit who helps us in this growing process.
Paul said to Titus, “Not by works of righteousness which we have done but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:5). Our good works and all the good things that we have done are not going to save us. We are saved by the mercy of God, by the grace of God. It is something I didn’t earn, something I didn’t work for. It is the gift of God, the gift of salvation.
Power to Serve Christ The Holy Spirit gives you and I the power to serve Christ. “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me” (Acts 1:8). I don’t know about you, but I personally couldn’t do the work I have been called and commissioned to do as a communicator of God’s message without the presence of the Holy Spirit. We must all remember what counts is the message that–according to Scripture–Christ died for our sins, He rose again, He is coming back again and… He is ever-ready to come into your heart by the Holy Spirit and make you a new person. That is the Gospel. Come, Holy Spirit, Come!
May The Peace that passes all understanding which comes from the Holy Spirit, be with you always.
+Pastor Donna
[1] LC 465:65-67 [2] LC 435:37
[3] LC 436:38
[4] LC 436:45-46 [5] LC 437:51
[6] SC 355
Excerpts from Sunday, May 1, 2016 sermon Jesus…Then and Now
Continuing Education: Pastor Donna will be attending the Festival of Homiletics in Atlanta, Georgia during the week of May 16 -20. If you are in need of pastoral services during this time please contact a church council member.
Thank You!
Thank You to the Women of the Word for
replenishing the Sunday Morning Children's
activity bags and supplying prayer shawls
for use during worship!
It’s A Boy!!
CONGRATULATIONS! We extend our congratulations
to Saby, Lynette and Thomas Hernandez on the birth of
Benjamin Hernandez on Tuesday, April 26th!
Congratulations also to grandparents, Jimmy & Kathleen
Joines and to uncle, aunt, and cousins, Will and Bree
Joines and family from their church family.
First School
And Day Care ews
First School is currently at 66 children and
growing! We had such a blast learning about birds, weather, and bees in April and in May we will be learning about growing things and
flowers! As I stated last month, summer will soon be
here along with the fast pace of keeping all of the schoolers busy the entire day. If you would like to plan a special activity with our
schoolers on any time during the summer, please let me know and we can put it on the
schedule. Please come and join us for our annual Pre-
Kindergarten Graduation!! Our graduation will be in the church sanctuary on Tuesday, May 10th starting at 6:30pm!! Hope to see you
there!!
Many Blessings, Bree Joines First School Director
05/01 Psalm 67; Acts 16:9-15, Revelation 21:9-14, 21-27, John 16:23-33
O Holy Spirit, You once descended on Your apostles and kept
our Savior’s promise of Your coming. You enabled Your Word
of grace and truth to be proclaimed in the earliest days of Your
Church. Descend upon and among Your Church in our day so
that the saving name of Jesus may continue to be proclaimed
and that many more may come to the knowledge of the truth
and be saved. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
--- Portals of Prayer (April-June, 2016) p.107
WHEN: June 13-16
WHERE: Christ Lutheran Church
Volunteers needed....Pastor Donna will be waiting for
your call to hear your willingness to share your gifts over the course of the week. If you have children or grandchildren who will be available to attend VBS, please come by the church office to fill out a registration form. There is no cost to attend, but donations to allow
First Lutheran to help subsidize the cost of the week are needed and will be graciously accepted. First Lutheran is
responsible for providing food and snacks on Thursday, June 16 for VBS attendees and for hosting the Lutherhill Youth Leaders at Manna Meals on Monday night, June 13th. (Goody bags made to give to them to show our appreciation would be a great idea)! Your presence is requested at Manna Meals that evening.
WOW Annual Meeting
June 11, 2016
Beginning at 9:00 a.m.
St. Paul Lutheran
Taylor, Texas
LCMC National Gathering
This year's Annual Gathering theme is Back to
the Future: First Century Principles for
the Twenty First Century.
WHEN: October 2-5, 2016
WHERE: Crowne Plaza Hotel and Convention
Center in Denver, Colorado
The event features a fellowship dinner, service
project, speakers and worship services, plus the
ability to get connected with various mission and
ministry organizations in our vendor area. The
Annual Gathering is a great time to learn about
what is happening within our association and meet
other LCMC-ers!
+ + + + + + + +
Please note:
Helen Kight will no longer be recycling cans for the church. We thank her for handling this task for us in the past! (Youth Fund has benefitted
