DEVOTION: Matthew 18:15-18 "If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Many of you have read the article in Saturday's newspaper about Pastor Morris who participated in a community prayer vigil in Newtown, CT after the tragedy that happened there. Many of you were outraged at what was reported. Most of you don't think that President Harrison was right in doing what he did. Many others are outraged that there is such a group at The Brothers of John the Steadfast, an ultra-conservative group within the MO Synod.
The trouble is that this should've never been an issue. As so often happens with sinners who are also members of what we call the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, people spoke out of turn and discussed something that was only supposed to be a matter between two or three people. The Brothers of John the Steadfast should not have spoken publicly about it as they did, and the newspapers that published what they did shouldn't have done so either. The people involved actually did what they were supposed to do, but once the matter got out all hell broke loose.
If you want to know what was said by each of them, you can go to the links below.
["A Statement of Unity" and "Pastoral Letters on the Newtown Tragedy"
A Statement of Unity
By the grace of God, we have worked through a very challenging situation. It has been our deepest mutual concern in dealing with one another to be faithful to Christ, our respective vocations, and to each other as brothers. Our dealings have been marked throughout with patience, kindness, and love. We implore the church to do likewise.
We have mutually forgiven each other where we have fallen short.
We are reconciled.
We are at peace.
Rob Morris, Pastor, Christ the King, Newtown
Timothy Yeadon, District President, New England District
Matthew C. Harrison, President, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
Pastoral Letter and Apology from President Harrison
Pastoral Letter from District President Tim Yeadon
Congregational Statement from Pastor Rob Morris and the Congregation of Christ the King If a matter is settled between Christians it is settled. It need not go any further. Throughout our own church and the whole Synod there is the whole spectrum of views on the matter. I thought it had been settled back in 2001 when the New York District President did the same exact thing after 9/11. But I guess not. Anyway, most of us are in the middle on this issue. We don't think that we should pray with people who are praying to a different God. That's what Muslims, Jews, Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons, and so many others are doing. Our God; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit compels us to pray to Him and to Him alone. When we pray with others who don't believe in the Triune God we are clouding our witness to the one true God. At the same time we cannot hinder our witness to Christ or our care for others because there are other religions present. As far as I am concerned it is a matter of conscience for the pastor involved and every situation is different. I have no problem praying with other Christians. In fact, I have many non-Lutheran Christian friends with whom I pray every day. We care for each other and pray for each other and with each other. You can do that as long as you are all praying to the same God. You can't when you aren't. Anyway, back to my original point. If someone had a problem with Pastor Morris's participation in this event he or she should have spoken to him personally and privately. Otherwise he should have kept his mouth shut. Matthew 18 bears this out fully! Read it! Learn it! Study it! Memorize it! Follow it! It will save you a lot of heartache in the end! Lastly, lest you think that your church body, the LCMS, is rotten and you should leave it immediately and go to a different church body, just know that every church has its disagreements. Every church has its troubles. Every church with as many members as the LCMS is going to disagree. Don't think that your denomination is any better or worse than any other. It is made up of sinners, and guess what, sinners sin, they are imperfect, and they don't always do the right thing. Anyways, since I had many who asked my opinion on this yesterday, and as there were many who were greatly upset by the article in the St. Louis Post Dispatch, I thought that this would be the best place to do talk about it to reach the most of you. By the way, if anyone has a problem with what I am doing or how I am being your pastor, I would appreciate it if you would talk to me about it, just me and you alone so that we can get the matter cleared up. As you have seen in this matter, grumbling about things with others really does no one any good. If anyone should know, it is me, your sinful, human pastor. Let us pray: Lord God, help us to follow Your word when it comes to those who sin against us and those with whom we have disagreements. Help us also to work toward continued spirit of unity in the bond of peace that comes from the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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MONDAY'S QUIZ: Who was the one who ordered the first census of Israel? God did ____________________________________________________________________________________ TUESDAY'S QUIZ: Who was Balaam? _____________________________________________________________________________________ CALENDAR: Mon- Whispering Pines worship 10am; Confirmation 5-6:15 Tues- Quilters 9-2; Bible study 11:30-12:15; trustees meeting 7pm Wed- Ash Wednesday supper 5:30; worship 6:30; newsletter deadline
Sat- worship 5pm
Sun- worship 8:30; Sunday school 9:45; worship 11am; voter's meeting at 9:45
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NEWS: LENT BEGINS WITH ASH WEDNESDAY IN JUST TWO DAYS!!! Supper starts at 5:30 and WORSHIP STARTS AT 6:30. Tell your friends, neighbors, relatives and everyone else you know about this wonderful opportunity for food,fellowship and worship!
Fried chicken and all the fixings for supper!!
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VOTER'S MEETING THIS SUNDAY at 9:45!! Agendas are in the office. ____________________________________________________________________________ RURAL KING is donating 5% of net total of receipts to our congregation for purchases made this week, Feb 10-16. Get your fertilizer, dog food, seeds, etc. Bring your receipts, no photocopies, to the church office by the end of Feb. A HUGE THANK YOU TO ALL WHO PARTICPATED IN THE YOUTH GROUP STEAK DINNER AND AUCTION!! We've raised somewhere around $8,000!!! We are set to go to San Antonio for the youth gathering and to do some servant and mission trips for the coming years as well!! There are way too many to thank! It was, as always, an awesome event and everyone had a great time! ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
BRING YOUR BABY BOTTLES BACK TO CHURCH FILLED WITH MONEY!!!
We need to get the money in asap so that we can get it to Lutherans for Life!!!!
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SUNDAY SCHOOL HAS STARTED A NEW, EXCITING, AND FUN CURRICULUM CALLED "CROSS EXPLORATIONS".
There is a fun opening, a short study of the lesson for the day and then a fun time of science experiments and other activities!!
Come to Sunday school at 9:45am every Sunday to check it out!!! You won't be disappointed!!!
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A NEW ADULT BIBLE CLASS HAS STARTED!!!
A video based Bible study by Ken Ham, founder of Answers in Genesis and the Creation Museum, will begin this coming Sunday. It begins with a study on the "Relevance of Genesis". Each study is about a half hour of video followed by a half hour of discussion. If you have been neglecting Bible study for a while, because of the subject matter, or for whatever reason, please consider coming back and joining us! You won't be disappointed!
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TRAVELING FELLOWSHIP GROUP (TFG) IS GOING TO THE CREATION MUSEUM IN CINCINNATI!!!
A great time is planned for August 23-25 as we head to the Creation Museum just south of Cincinnati, Ohio. We will be making a stop at the Abraham Lincoln National Historic Site in Kentucky on the way. Along with the creation museum on Saturday, we will also enjoy a comedy on the Showboat majestic in the evening. On Sunday we will tour the national museum of the US Air Force in Dayton, Ohio. As usual, cost will depend on the number of people going. As of now it should run about $350 per person, plus meals, or $506 a couple. If you are interested in this trip, please sign the sheet on the counter in the narthex. Again you may invite your friends and family to join us.
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PRAYERS:
For BETTY SCHIRR who is having eye surgery today.
For CAL TAMELER who is having eye surgery tomorrow.
For CAROL KOHRS who is having gall bladder surgery Thursday.
For LIL WINTER who is having back surgery next week.
For SAM HARGROVE, who is still awaiting his commissioning. It was cancelled this past weekend due to the northeastern snowstorm.
For THE NORTHEAST as they deal with the after effects of a record snowstorm.
For our CHURCH BODY, the LCMS, as it continues to deal with the world and it's own sinful nature.
For JEANETTE KOEHLER who at The CEDARS nursing home in Chesterfield.
For ANITA ALTHEIDE, a friend of the Klaustermeiers from Hannibal, MO, who has been put on hospice care.
For MIKE WADE, a missionary St. Johns has sponsored for at least 12 years, as he has had to take leave because of severe migraine headaches.
For JASON FIGURA that God would keep him safe as he has to work on the east coast and be away from his family.
For KIM, a friend of the Robines who undergoing a very difficult pregnancy.
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