Daily Email: Thursday, October 1, 2015

DEVOTION:  "There's nothing "good" about divorce."

Mark 10:2-16 (ESV) ² And Pharisees came up and in order to test him asked, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?" ³ He answered them, "What did Moses command you?" ⁴ They said, "Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and to send her away." ⁵ And Jesus said to them, "Because of your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment. ⁶ But from the beginning of creation, 'God made them male and female.' ⁷ 'Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, ⁸ and the two shall become one flesh.' So they are no longer two but one flesh. ⁹ What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate."

¹⁰ And in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter. ¹¹ And he said to them, "Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her, ¹² and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery."

¹³ And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. ¹⁴ But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, "Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. ¹⁵ Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it." ¹⁶ And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them.

Let's get one thing straight, divorce is not a good thing.  It is not a safety net.  it is not a get out jail free card.  It is a terrible and awful thing. 

Jesus didn't like it either.  He even goes so far as to say that the only reason Moses allowed divorce is because of stubborn people who were unwilling to repent of their sin against their spouse or other stubborn people who were unwilling to forgive that sin.  That's it.  

There are two "reasons" for divorce that Jesus "allows" in other Gospel acccounts.  One is adultery and the other is abandonment.  We can either take those two words as literal as possible and say that the physical acts, sex for adultery and leaving the home and never coming back for abandonment,   are the only reasons for divorce.  That would be the letter of the law.  

Or we can take the "spirit" of the law as Jesus defines it when he says, "If a person looks lustfully at someone who is not his spouse he has already committed adultery in his heart.  And we can also think of all the ways that a person can "leave" a marriage or "abandon" a relationship without physically leaving the house.  things like unrepentant continued use of drugs/alcohol; physical, emotional and sexual abuse; focusing solely on careers and not on marriage, etc. come to mind.  

The truth is that we could come up with a million "valid" reasons for divorce.  What Jesus wants us to realize is that there are no "good" reasons for divorce.  Christians should always be willing to give up and repent of the adultery or desertion.   And Christians should always be willing to forgive.  ALWAYS!  

Unfortunately we live in a fallen world and people are stubborn.  People don't want to give up their adultery.  People don't want to keep their marriage vows to love, honor, cherish, keep, and obey.  People don't want to stay committed to their spouse till death parts them.  Instead, they'd rather stay committed to their alcohol and drugs.  They'd rather give into their evil passions and desires.  They'd rather be selfish that selfless.  They'd rather let their anger and hatred get the best of them and be their god. They'd rather withhold forgiveness from others even though God freely forgives them.  And so there is divorce. 

You might call it a necessary evil..... like war.  

Let this be a wake up call to you who may be already abandoning your marriages for other things.   Let this be a warning to you who think it is ok to look at porn every once in a while.  Let this be a jolt to those of you who think it is ok to keep from fulfilling the vows you made at your wedding.   It's not ok!

Marriage was instituted by God to be a lifelong union between one man and one woman.  They literally and figuratively become one person.   It was meant to be a reminder (a picture) of Christ and his church, to show how committed he is to us all the way to his death on the cross, and how he submitted himself and became a servant to us only because he loved us.  It is to be treated like the gift of God that it truly is!  We truly become one flesh with Christ.  "It is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me. 

Stop treating it like a curse or a prison sentence.  Stop neglecting your marriages!  Stop thinking of it as a way to get what you want, and instead look at it as a built in everyday way to give what the Holy Spirit has given to you namely love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self control! 

Prayer: Lord, help us to treat marriage as the gift it is.  Help us to keep and fulfill our marriage vows and to repent when we don't, and to forgive our spouses when they don't.  Amen.  

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YESTERDAY'S QUIZ:     How many Psalms are there? 150   (Unless you count the many other songs of Moses and Solomon and others as Psalms)

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TODAY'S QUIZ:  What is a "song of ascent"? 

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CALENDAR:

Thurs- Alzheimer's Support group 1pm; Karate 5-7:45

Sat-  Worship 5
Sun- SCRIP ORDERS DUE; Worship 8:30 and 11; Sunday school 9:45
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WORSHIP WORKERS:  
Acolyte-  8:30- Jacob Cluver; 11- Alaina Heitgerd
Ushers-  Don Hance, Rich Boeger, Don Tate, Doug Walters
Altar- Set up- Ruth Walters; Clean up- Terry McKenzie
Communion Assistants- Sat- Randy Sweet; 8:30- Rich Talbert; 11- Charlie Figura
Greeters- 8:30- Doug and Ruth Walters; 11- Steve and Sandy Robine
Lay readers- Sat- Judy Koprowski 8:30- Betty Schirr 11- Kailyn Blechle
Sat. Pianist- Tim Sherman
Organist-  Rachel Fisher
Projectionists: Sat. Pam Bueltmann, 8:30- Dawn Sherman, 11- Hannah Johnson
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NEWS!!!!  PLEASE READ IT ALL!!!!

HOSPICE VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!!

Help needed includes the following:

caregiver relief

companionship

writing letters

reading to patients

clerical/office work

assisting with errands and/or meal preparation

Mercy Hospice at 636-239-8862 or stephaniemarquart@mercy.net

SSM Health at Home at 573-582-8850  or chris_cobb@ssmhc.com

Training is available with Mercy the first four Thursdays in October.  

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LUTHERAN HOUR MINISTRIES PRAYER BREAKFAST OCTOBER 14 AT ORLANDO EVENTS AND CONFERENCE CENTER IN MARYLAND HEIGHTS.  

Rev. Greg Seltz, Lutheran Hour Speaker, will speak on prayer.  Everyone attending will receive a free signed copy of "The Lord's Prayer a book by Seltz.  Go to lutheranprayerbreakfast.eventbrite.com for tickets and info. 

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QUILT TICKETS ARE STILL AVAILABLE!!  

The drawing was not held at eh carnival to give people more time to purchase more tickets.  You may purchase tickets from any quilter or from the church office throughout the week.  Tickets are $1 each or 6 for $5.  

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LADIES AID IS SELLING CHRISTMAS CARDS FOR $5 a BOX!!  

Once they're gone, that's it.  There won't be another order when they run out!  Get them today!  They're in the basement and you can give money to whoever is in the office. 

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SCRIP ORDERS DUE THIS SUNDAY!!!!! 

A NEW AND EASY FUNDRAISING OPPORTUNITY!!! 

 

The order forms are on the table in the narthex!  Just about every store that you can think of is on the list!  Use the cards just like you would use a debit/credit card and help St. John's make  A LOT of money!

Place your order, along with your check, made payable to St. Johns, in the "Bob the Builder" box. 

  
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OPERATION BACKPACK FOR OCTOBER IS CANNED VEGETABLES!! !

Many children in our community are very poor.  They are able to get some of their meals at school during the week, but often go hungry on weekends.  Operation backpack is a way that our community has decided to help these kids. 
 
Every month throughout the school year, each church participating will take one food item and collect just that food item.  At the end of the month the food will be delivered to school.  The school officials along with volunteers will distribute the food to kids backpacks to take home.   

Throughout the month of October we will be collecting canned veggies. All size cans and even individual portions will be accepted.  The fruit will be delivered to the schools November 1.   We will have a box in the narthex for deposits.

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UNMARKED BLUE ENVELOPE CONTRIBUTIONS ARE GOING TO THE BUILDING EXPANSION PROGRAM
If you'd like it to go to the DCE fund you need to mark it for that!  Please make sure you mark the ENVELOPE clearly for the DCE PROGRAM!
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DO YOU HAVE A KROGER CARD?  ENROLL IT IN THE COMMUNITY REWARDS PROGRAM!!!
Register it online www.krogercommunityrewards.com and have it swiped each time you shop to earn money for Little Lambs. 
 
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GENERAL PRAYERS:

For BRETT NORDWALD'S DAD, JOHN NORDWALD, as he is recovering from a heart catheterization today.

For DON PANHORST who found out that he has cancer last week and is starting chemo this (MONDAY) morning. 

 

For JAMIE, a FRIEND OF CHRISTY WINN, whose daughter, KAYLA, died suddenly last night.

 

For BROOKS EBERT, infant son of Derek and Andrea, who finally, after a month, was able to eat his first bottle on his own on Thursday.   He may get to go home soon.

 

For PHYLLIS HOELSCHER who is recovering from knee replacement surgery at home.

 

For DENISE SCHLESSELMANN as she is back in the Czech Republic to continue her mission work.

 

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

 

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

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