Thursday, July 2, 2015

DEVOTION: 
"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses to Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.  Acts 1:8
 
Last week even though I wasn't wearing any pastor garb, just bike shorts and a Lead a Child bike shirt, I had plenty of opportunities to share my faith.  I didn't have to force anything.  I didn't have to carry tracts around and thump people over the head with my Bible to get them to listen.  I just had to be myself and actually talk to people.  It would just come out. 
 
I had a reason to be there.  I was there to support and raise money for leadachild.org, and I wore their bike shirt for two off the four days.  So people would come up to me and ask me what it was about, and I would tell them that we were raising money so that kids in third world countries could go to Christian schools.  Eventually, if the conversation would go far enough, I would get into what it means to be a Christian and how Jesus loves us no matter who we are, what our background is, or where we come from. 
 
That's it.  It's just that simple.  We make it too complicated.  We think we have to dress up the Gospel in all sorts of fancy clothes and parade it around with all sorts of make-up to make people like it.  All the time, the GOSPEL, the good news that Jesus, God made flesh, loved us so much that he came down from heaven to earth to suffer, die, and rise again so that we can live forever, can do just fine all by itself!  The Holy Spirit just gives it to us so that we can experience the joy in sharing it over and over and over again. 
 
Even after 14 years as a pastor, I have to pinch myself as I realize what I get to do for a living.  I get to be the delivery man for God.  I deliver his grace to people in nursing homes as I bring them God's Word and the Lord's Supper.  I get to deliver the good news to people in hospitals as they are suffering from illness or injury.  I get to deliver the good news to people whose loved one has died at funeral homes and in funerals.  I get to deliver the good news as people come to my office for counsel for their marriages, for help with their kids, or just to pray.  I get to deliver God's Word and sacraments into the hearts and lives of people as they gather for worship every weekend.  I am the delivery man for God.  What a special privilege! 
 
Sometimes it gets discouraging when people's ears, hearts, and lives are closed to hearing the message and receiving it.  It is also discouraging when people attack the message as if it is some sort of false or wrong message, when I know it isn't.  It is especially discouraging when people don't care about the message and treat it as if it is worthless junk mail, or when they dismiss it as if it was just another thing.  That really gets me discouraged and upset. 
 
Still, I have to remember that I am only the messenger.  I need to deliver the message as best as I can and then get out of the way and let the message and the one who sent the message do the work.  I have to remember that I need to be excited about the message and love the message so much that I don't do anything to get in its way or to ruin it before it gets to the recipient.  Mostly, I just need to stay out of the way and just let the message do its work. 
 
I want to encourage you to do the same.  While I get to do it all day every day, you are messengers too.  You can deliver the message to your coworker who is hurting.  You can deliver it to your boss who needs to hear some good news.  You can deliver it to your kids to show them how much you love them.  You can deliver it to your spouse as you share words of forgiveness after he has messed up for the hundredth time.  I could go on and on.  I just want you to be God's delivery men and I know that God wants you to too! 
 
Let us pray:  Lord help me be your delivery person today and then get out of your way.  Amen.
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YESTERDAY'S QUIZ: How many chapters are there in the book of Isaiah?  66, the same as the number of books in the Bible
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TODAY'S QUIZ: Name three countries that God pronounced judgment against in the book of Isaiah.
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CALENDAR:

Thurs- Alzheimers support group 1pm
Sat- Worship 5
Sun- Worship 8:30 and 11; Sunday school 9:45; Youth leave at noon for MN
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WORSHIP WORKERS:  
Acolyte-  8:30- Lydia Miller; 11- John Pezold
Ushers-  Dae Winter, Gary Scott, Larry Schulze, Scott Schulze
Altar- Set up- Marilyn Foster and Sue Ruhl; Clean Up- Terry McKenzie
Communion Assistants- Sat-  Randy Sweet; 8:30- Rich Talbert; 11- Charlie Figura
Greeters- 8:30- Bob Linke
Lay readers- Sat- Randy Sweet 8:30- Lois Boeger  11- Steve Robine
Pianist- Barb Dreyer
Projectionists: ??????
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NEWS:

PASTOR KLAUSTERMEIER AND 10 YOUTH WILL BE LEAVING SUNDAY AT NOON TO PROVIDE WORKS OF SERVICE TO LUTHERAN ISLAND CAMP IN HENNING, MN

We will be repairing buildings, cleaning up trails, building things, cleaning and grooming horses, witnessing to people in the community, and having all sorts of fun. 

 

Please pray for our safe travel and for a productive week.  We will return in the evening on Friday. 

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SEVENTH ANNUAL GOLF OUTING WILL BE HELD ON SATURDAY, AUGUST 8 AT COUNTRY LAKES!!!  SIGN UP TODAY!!

 

Cost is $50 per person

 

Format is a 2 TWO person scramble this year. 

 

Registration at 7am

 

Shotgun start at 8am

 

Lunch and prizes at 1pm

 

Holes can be sponsored for $50 each.

 

All proceeds go to benefit our wonderful Little Lambs preschool.

 

Flyers are available on the counter in the narthex for those wishing to participate.

Call Alan Hofeldt at 456-3070 or the church office at 456-2888 to sign up you and 

 

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RED CROSS BLOOD DRIVE HERE AT CHURCH ON TUESDAY, JULY 28!!

Volunteers are needed before the drive to make calls and set up appointments and the day of the drive to help out.  DONORS are also needed of course!  If you can help in any way call 456-2888 to let Marilyn know.

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TRAVEL FELLOWSHIP GROUP'S NEXT ADVENTURE IS TO ROCHEPORT AND ARROW ROCK, MO.

They will have dinner and the J. Huston Tavern in Arrow Rock and then enjoy a live play "Driving Miss Daisy" at the Lyceum Theater.  Cost will be determined by number of people going, but should run between $60 and $70 per person.  SIGN UP SOON!  A $25 deposit is due by this Sunday!! Please give your deposit to Marilyn or put it in her mailbox or on her desk.  Don't put it in the offering plate.

 

 

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CALLING ALL BAKERS!!!
If you have never been involved in one of our church activities (and even if you have), here is a new challenge for you!!  There will be a cake/dessert booth at the carnival on September 12!  The carnival will be open from 11am until dusk!  Donations of baked good and workers to man the booth will be needed!!  Desserts needing refrigeration cannot be accepted.  Work shifts will be for two hours beginning at 10am and will go till closing time.  To eliminate many, many phone calls, a sign up sheet has been placed on the narthex where you can volunteer!! 

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DO YOU HAVE A KROGER CARD?  ENROLL IT IN THE COMMUNITY REWARDS PROGRAM!!!
Register online and have it swiped each time you shop. 
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SAVE THE DATE!!!!  OUR FIRST ANNUAL FALL CARNIVAL WILL BE HELD SEPTEMBER 12, 2015!!!
We are looking for ideas for carnival games and also donations of carnival game prizes for the event.  Please donate prizes into the cardboard box in the narthex.  Also, if any one has an idea for a carnival game, or a game itself they would like to donate please contact Joanna Hoelscher at 636-485-0635 or Karla Christophene at 314-397-1375.

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PRAYER REQUESTS: 

For LIL WINTER as she recovers from her colostomy reversal and continues to get stronger daily. . 

 

For CORA CLUVER'S DAD, who is recovering from a severe motorcycle accident that paralyzed him from the neck down.  He is able to move his arms but beyond that cannot move anything.  

 

For CARA KLAUSTERMEIER, who is recovering from surgery.  She is doing very well. 

 

For DAVE AND CAROL KOHRS, who are now BOTH on hospice care.

 

For OUR DCE INTERN, KELSEY OVERBECK, that the Lord's will is done concerning her call to a church to be a full time DCE.

 

For WILMA WEIGLE as she continues to deal with the after effects of a severe stroke almost two years ago.  

For DENISE SCHLESSELMANN as she continues to work hard to bring the people of the Czech Republic to Christ. .