Good Morning Lebanon and friends, may the Lord bless and keep you in His grace,
General announcement: We are now planning our 175th Anniversary of Ministry! Please bring ideas and a will to serve to a Council member, we have formed a Committee to plan for the festivities.
Wednesday: Matins @ 8:15am, Confession and Absolution @ 10am, Holy Communion @ 1:30pm, Vespers @ 5:30pm.
THURSDAY: 8:15am Ascension Day Holy Communion – abbreviated spoken Service. Please consider attending if possible. This is a major Festival of the Church! Some of the themes will be transferred to the following Sunday, but that Sunday has its own themes in preparation for Pentecost.
Looking Ahead: I will be presiding at the Harrisionburg Mission (soon to become a congregation in the NALC!) on Wednesday, June 1 at 6:30pm.
Worship and Music Committee Meeting – First week of June, time and day TBD.
The ending of the Preface to Martin Luther’s Small Catechism
23 Now, whoever does not highly value the Sacrament shows that he has no sin, no flesh, no devil, no world, no death, no danger, no hell. In other words, he does not believe any such things, although he is in them up over his head and his ears and is doubly the devil’s own. On the other hand, he needs no grace, no life, no paradise, no heaven, no Christ, no God, nor anything good. For if he believed that he had so much evil around him, and needed so much that is good, he would not neglect the Sacrament, by which such evil is remedied and so much good is bestowed. Nor would it be necessary to force him to go to the Sacrament by any law. He would come running and racing of his own will, would force himself, and beg that you must give him the Sacrament.
24 Therefore, you must not make any law about this, as the pope does. Only set forth clearly the benefit and harm, the need and use, the danger and the blessing, connected with this Sacrament. Then the people will come on their own without you forcing them. But if they do not come, let them go their way and tell them that such people belong to the devil who do not regard nor feel their great need and God’s gracious help. 25 But if you do not urge this, or make a law or make it bitter, it is your fault if they despise the Sacrament. What else could they be than lazy if you sleep and are silent? 26 Therefore, look to it, pastors and preachers. Our office has now become a different thing from what it was under the pope. It has now become a serious and saving office. So it now involves much more trouble and labor, danger and trials. 27 In addition, it gains little reward and thanks in the world. But Christ Himself will be our reward if we labor faithfully [see Genesis 15:1]. To this end may the Father of all grace help us, to whom be praise and thanks forever through Christ, our Lord! Amen.
McCain, P. T. (Ed.). (2005). Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions (p. 315). St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House.
