Romans 5:6-8
Third Sunday in Lent
24 February 2008
In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
About 18 months ago, just literally days after I closed escrow on my cabin in the mountains, I was up there late one evening, long after sunset, hanging mini-blinds in the windows. I discovered that night why my cabin had been named “Sleepy Hollow” by a previous owner. That night the fog came literally rolling right through the open windows, casting a very eerie feeling throughout the primarily furniture-less cabin. I decided it was time to go. I had no clue what was ahead as I started my way down the “Rim of the World.” The fog I had experienced at the cabin only grew worse as I turned onto Highway 18. The experience was unlike anything I had experienced for many years. The fog was so thick I hardly was able to see even a few feet ahead of my car. Then, as “fate” would have it (if you want to call it “fate”), around one curve in the foggy road I came upon two large yellow school busses driving in procession down the mountain. I fell in line behind them, grateful for the guidance and direction they provided me until the fog cleared and I passed them, able to proceed on my own.
Just last Monday, I had a little different experience on the mountain. This time was a clear day. The sky was blue and the sun was shining. Heading back to my cabin after a couple hours at Lake Arrowhead Village, I followed two cars in procession. I suddenly saw car #1 bounce around. Then car #2. Then I bounced also. All three of us hit a substantial pothole in the road which looked to all three of us as nothing other than a large puddle of water. Following those two other cars didn’t protect me from suffering the same jarring fate they had suffered.
Our First Reading today [Exodus 17:1-7] is not just a wonderfully thrilling story that took place some 3,500 years ago. Our First Reading today paints for us the contrast between human nature and Divine character. Our First Reading today portrays for us that all human beings (even those who have already been the recipients of God’s undeserved grace and mercy) are broken and fallen. Our First reading today defines for us what it means to be a gracious and faithful Lord.
Moses tells us that the Children of Israel had left the Desert of Sin. That’s actually an ironic, appropriate name. The Desert of Sin is where the Children of Israel, recently rescued from slavery in Egypt, first began to rethink their decision to follow Moses out of Egypt. It was in the Desert of Sin where they voiced their first complaint: “We’ve got nothing to eat!” Moses heard that complaint. Moses took that complaint to the Lord. The Lord met the Children of Israel right there in their complaint and provided for them food. He would continue to provide that daily food for them for the next 40 years without exception, without failure.
You think they would have learned a powerful lesson, right? WRONG!
Here we see the Children of Israel complaining again. It’s a “Been There. Done That” type of situation. This time their complaint is about a lack of water, an actually understandable complaint. The human body can survive an incredibly long period of time without food. Without water, however, life span can be counted within days. Their complaint was valid. Their need was real. And again, the Lord met them right there in their complaint and provided for them water. He met not only their physical need, but He also restored them as His people by again restoring their faith in Him as their God Who would always provide for them in all ways. Human brokenness is met by a gracious and faithful Lord.
Fast forward about 1,500 years. The scene changes from Rephidim to Jacob’s Well. There Jesus encountered a Samaritan woman [John 4:5-26]. He met her right where she was – on her own turf, drawing water alone because she was an outcast because of her less than impressive reputation for having had five husbands and now living with a sixth man, laboring under the hot mid-day sun. She had her own complaints. She was tired of being an outcast. She was tired of laboring daily for needed water. She was tired of being a second-class citizen. Full of complaints as she was, Jesus met her right there in her time of thirst. While she had in mind only her physical needs, Jesus restored her in a way she could have never expected. He introduced Himself to her as the One Who could meet not only her physical needs but her eternal, spiritual needs. Human brokenness is met by a gracious and faithful Lord.
Fast forward again about 2,000 years. The scene changes again. This time it’s not Rephidim. It’s not Jacob’s Well. This time the scene is Pasadena, California. A group of people are gathered together and each one has a unique, valid, important complaint. One complains about the weather. One complains about the government. One complains about a wayward adult child. One complains about too much work. One complains about not enough work. One complains about health issues. One complains about money. One complains about worry. One complains about a spouse. A cacophony of complaints rise from earth to Heaven, complaints that can be summarized as being thirst in life. Again, human brokenness is met by a gracious and faithful Lord.
The message of the Gospel is proclaimed clearly by St. Paul: “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly ... God demonstrates His own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” [Romans 5:6,8].
Human brokenness is met by a gracious and faithful Lord. Human thirst is quenched by the gracious and faithful Lord Who Himself, on the Cross, yelled, “I am thirsty” [John 19:28]. He thirsted for us to know the true depths of our despair. He cried out to identify with us during our times of complaints so that He could know the healing power that flows into our lives when He meets us in our brokenness.
The Gospel is truly the Gospel, the GOOD NEWS, because of where and how God meets mankind. He meets us in our brokenness. He meets us when we’re powerless. He meets us in our sin. He doesn’t just sympathetically notice us at those troubled times and send us a memo letting us know that when we get our act together He’d be willing to meet with us. No, instead, He does meet with us in our brokenness. He knows there is no other human condition than brokenness. But His grace and faithfulness triumphs over our brokenness.
Too often, people prefer fair weather driving in life. They put their confidence in themselves and that’s when the potholes of life hit. The Children of Israel were expecting Moses to solve their problems for them. The woman at the well was looking to Jesus to solve a temporal, physical problem.
Following Jesus and allowing Him to meet us in our time of brokenness, however, is like following those two big yellow busses. The world around us might be foggy. We might not have a clue where we’re going, but our God does. He pops into our eyesight when we can see hardly nothing else. He meets us in our brokenness.
Where are you today? What are your complaints? What is your brokenness? What is your sin? What are you looking for in life? What are you relying upon in life? Jesus is here to meet you, just as you are!
In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
Pastor Christopher Schaar
Historic First Lutheran Church of Pasadena
ALTAR FLOWERS are given to the glory of God by Charlie Freeny in thanksgiving to God for His many blessings and also in loving memory of her sister, Patricia Overshoun.
BLACK HISTORY MONTH You might be interested in checking out a feature article in “Sonoma Woman” about Jeanne Buckley, a daughter of Historic First Lutheran and Dorothy Martin’s daughter. Copies of this article can be found in the Information Rack in the Narthex.
LUTHERAN WOMEN’S FELLOWSHIP: SATURDAY 1 MARCH Added fun to the day, Lena Meyers will have a display of Cookie Lee Jewelry for sale and Lillian Greenlee will have a display of Jackets By Patricia – great jackets with interesting borders for $22. In addition, bring your potluck dish, an apron to wear and share and your teddy bear. Let Jessica Valentine or Joyce Plueger know if you can attend. It will be fun!
BRING A TEDDY BEAR All members of Historic First Lutheran are encouraged to participate in Lutheran Women Fellowship’s charity event by donating a small to medium sized teddy bear for “Get on the Bus,” a Mothers’ Day event that transports children to visit their incarcerated mothers. Deposit your donation of a new teddy bear in the boxes found in the Narthex or Green Room.
THANK YOU Rudy Melinat and his family wish to thank the members of Historic First Lutheran Church for their love and concern following the death of Gloria.
“WHAT IF?” What if you had a medical emergency during Bible class, worship or any church event? How would we notify your family? Please supply us with some emergency contact numbers (including names and relation to you) on the back of an attendance card.
EXTRA MILE MINISTRIES The K-9 Response Team, headed by Chaplain Ralph Buchhorn, will be going to Northern Illinois University to provide ongoing support to the students, staff and Lutheran Campus Ministry. For more information, contact clothcop@aol.com.
THANKS ARE DUE! Thanks to Dennis Schaar who has spent time over the past month pruning back the 140+ roses on our church campus. We’re already seeing lots of new growth, so blooming roses are just around the corner.
IT’S “YES” ON THE ANIMALS Based on last Sunday’s vote of 59 to 5, it’s the decision of the congregation to again include live animals in our annual Palm Sunday Procession. Thanks to everyone for helping us make this decision!
WE GAVE AWAY $8,000! Yes, that’s correct! Your Board of Trustees, seeing a substantial year-end budget balance in 2007, selected 8 worthy organizations, gifting each with a $1,000 gift. Thank you acknowledgments from these organizations are posted on the bulletin board on the west wall of the gymnasium. Thank you for your generous monetary support of Historic First Lutheran which enabled us to bless others!
IN CASE OF EMERGENCY We have been asked to ask you that in case of a medical emergency around you during worship that you immediately notify an elder and allow them to call for emergency response from the church’s “land line.” It is being discovered with the multiplicity of cell phones that multiple people often call about the same emergency, clogging the 911 system. Cell phones also do not provide street address when they call 911. So, please, allow emergency calls to be made by an elder from the church telephone.
USHERS TAKE NOTE Next week’s service will involve Usher Team #2 – Rudy Melinat, Zora Oglesby, Chad Schmutzer and Julie Schmutzer.
February 24 – Joel 2
February 25 – Joel 3
February 26 – Amos 1
February 27 – Amos 2
February 28 – Amos 3
February 29 – Amos 4
March 1 – Amos 5
We believe in the healing power of prayer. Therefore we bring the following requests to God’s Throne of Grace:
Sunday 24 February – Read Ephesians 2:8-9, then thank God for His undeserved grace, mercy and love.
Monday 25 February – Celebrate the birthdays of friends by praying for them today: Margaret Goeppinger (26); Jeania Schilling (27).
Tuesday 26 February – Pray by name for our Board of Trustees: Rogelio Doulgas, Gerald Freeny, Carol Numrich and Teri Higby.
Wednesday 27 February – Show your thanks to God for the gift of prayer by lifting up to Him the needs of family and friends.
Thursday 28 February – Pray by name for our shut-in members: Cleora Bryan, Jill Fenske, Elizabeth Larson, Lucile Moore, Charles Newhouse, Clara Newhouse, Arline Pace, Claudia Proctor, Estelle Thaxton and Ethel Watkins.
Friday 29 February – Thank God for your two pastors and for our lay members – Rosaura Castaños, Alicia Lorenzana, Corine Motley, Taina Feher and Paul Nagle who weekly staff our “Good Friday” Youth Outreach.
Saturday 1 March – Read Psalm 150, using those words to prepare you to sing the praises of Jesus during worship tomorrow.
Genesis 12:1-9
Second Sunday in Lent
17 February 2008
In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
I’d like to introduce each of you to an old friend of mine. His nickname is Tommy. You probably recognize him and know him better by his full name – “Thomas Guide.” This particular Thomas Guide contains street maps for every street in Los Angeles County – at least it did when it was printed back in 1998 – and has logged about 100,000 miles riding with me in my Grand Am. After 14 years of being here now, I don’t use Tommy as often as I used to, but it used to be that if I was out and about and got a call from the office telling me that someone was in the hospital or in need of a visit, the first thing I’d do is reach into the back seat to find Tommy there waiting to help steer me in the correct direction. Today, in addition to Thomas Guides, we have much more modern and sophisticated tools like mapquest.com and GPS navigation that provide us the same service.
Why are these tools so necessary? It’s because we humans usually like to know where we’re going. Most of us don’t like to just wander aimlessly. Most of us operate on a time table and want to get from point A to point B and quickly and as directly as possible.
Knowing that innate quality in human beings is one reason why the interaction between Abraham and God in Genesis chapter 12 has always impressed me. From out of the blue, God says to Abraham, “Leave your country. Leave your people. Leave your father’s household. Go to the land I will show you.” Then Moses records for us three simple words – “Then Abram left.”
I have an idea that God specifically chose Abraham for this part of His plan because if He had chosen you or me I have an idea that Moses could not summarize our response as simply as “Then Abram left.” No, we’d want to know details. Where am I going, God? What route are we going to take? What do I need to bring along? How long is this going to take? And, Oh, by the way, God, why are You asking me to do this? Most of us would belabor God with questions and with details. His whole plan of salvation would probably unfold without us and we’d still be arguing about where He was asking us to go.
“Abram, leave your country. Leave your people. Leave your father’s household. Go to the land I will show you.” “Then Abram left.”
We’re on that kind of a journey this year as a congregation. I’ve had many of you ask me about this process I’ve introduced this year of determining our core values and then out of those core values developing some new goals as a congregation, some new direction. There’s been some concern that this approach is somewhat esoteric. I wish I could take you to the end of the process to show you what the final good is going to be for us as a congregation but I am with you in this process. Like you, I don’t know what this process is going to do to us and for us, but I do believe God is leading us in this process. God is in control of this process and He has just invited us along for the ride. The lesson we can learn from Abraham is to trust God.
St. Paul wrote that Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness [Romans 4:3]. The writer of the book of Hebrews praises Abraham for his faith [Hebrews 12].
All of us as individuals are on a journey with the Lord as well. Our journey is called “Life.” We may not have heard God telling us to pack up and travel to a new land, but few of us truly know what tomorrow holds for us. Those few of us who do think we know what tomorrow holds will be probably be quite surprised. But none of that should frighten us or cause us concern because we have a God Who’s better than any Thomas Guide, better than mapquest.com, better than the most advanced GPS system. Not only can He get us to where we need to be, but He has a way of redirecting us to make our journey even more pleasant than we ourselves intended and planned.
And, of course, there is a final journey ahead for each of us. Jesus spoke to His disciples about it [John 14]: “In my Father’s House are many rooms. I am going there to prepare a place for you and I will come back and take you to be with Me.”
When the disciples heard about that journey, human nature took over. Thomas had to stick his foot in his mouth and do what Abraham had not done. Instead of just packing up and trustingly follow their Savior, Thomas had to ask about the journey: “Lord, we don’t know where you are going. We don’t know the way.” There’s human nature!
But Jesus tolerated Thomas. Not only did He tolerate him, but He comforted him – and us. Remember what Jesus said? He said, “Thomas, you don’t need a map. You don’t need directions. You don’t need any details. Just walk in faith. I am the Way. I am the Truth. I am the Life. I am your way. I am your truth. I am your life.”
Those words of comfort – along with Jesus’ words to Nicodemus that God so loved the world that He have His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life – give us strength in our journey of life.
We don’t need “Tommy” for that journey. We only need Jesus and Him we have!
In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
Pastor Christopher Schaar
Historic First Lutheran Church of Pasadena
Our Purple Paraments
The paraments on our altar, lectern and pulpit are purple for the Season of Lent. Purple is the color for penitance and mourning. Our particular parament set is called “The Way of the Cross.”
The altar parament includes the symbol of hands carrying a Cross, a reminder of what Christ did for us. Two victorious Crosses, absent a body but draped with a white cloth, can be found to either side of the center.
The lectern parament shows Christ on the Cross. The nimbus, or halo, is found behind Christ’s head, a symbol of eternity. Christ’s nimbus includes three rays, appearing as a Cross, a symbol of the Trinity.
The pulpit parament shows the standing Agnus Dei. Standing with a Cross, the Agnus Dei represents the Risen Christ Who triumphs over death. John the Baptist proclaimed Jesus to be the Lamb of God. Note the nimbus, again with the three rays, revealing the Divinity of the Lamb of God.
ALTAR FLOWERS are given to the glory of God by Phyllis Price in celebration of the 14th birthday of her son, James.
PURPLE PARAMENTS The beautiful purple paraments adorning our altar, lectern and
pulpit were lovingly donated in memory of Marsenlane Parker.
BLACK HISTORY MONTH You might be interested in checking out a feature article in “Sonoma Woman” about Jeanne Buckley, a daughter of Historic First Lutheran and Dorothy Martin’s daughter. Copies of this article can be found in the Information Rack in the Narthex.
LENTEN DEVOTIONS Daily Lenten devotions published by the Lutheran Association of Missionary Pilots (LAMP) are available free of cost from the Information Rack in the Narthex.
LEADER TO LEADER The January issue of Pastor Schaar’s “Leader to Leader” resource letter is available from the Information Rack in the Narthex.
DOWNTOWN The inaugural issue of “Downtown” is available from the Information Rack in the Narthex.
LUTHERAN WOMEN’S FELLOWSHIP: SATURDAY 1 MARCH Invitations have been mailed for our fun event on Saturday 1 March. All women are invited to a potluck lunch and presentation on aprons, new and old. Wear your favorite apron to show off and tell about. Program begins at 11:30 a.m. in the Green Room. RSVP to Carol Numrich, Joyce Plueger or Jessica Valentine.
BRING A TEDDY BEAR All members of Historic First Lutheran are encouraged to participate in Lutheran Women Fellowship’s charity event by donating a small to medium sized teddy bear for “Get on the Bus,” a Mothers’ Day event that transports children to visit their incarcerated mothers. Deposit your donation of a new teddy bear in the boxes found in the Narthex or Green Room.
THANK YOU Rudy Melinat and his family wish to thank the members of Historic First Lutheran Church for their love and concern following the death of Gloria.
“WHAT IF?” What if you had a medical emergency during Bible class, worship or any church event? How would we notify your family? Please supply us with some emergency contact numbers (including names and relation to you) on the back of an attendance card.
IN CASE OF EMERGENCY We have been asked to ask you that in case of a medical emergency around you during worship that you immediately notify an elder and allow them to call for emergency response from the church’s “land line.” It is being discovered with the multiplicity of cell phones that multiple people often call about the same emergency, clogging the 911 system. Cell phones also do not provide street address when they call 911. So, please, allow emergency calls to be made by an elder from the church telephone.
EAT AND STUDYTHIS SATURDAY This coming Saturday is our monthly Bible/Prayer Breakfast, starting at 8:00 a.m. in the Green Room. Our study topic will be “Jesus on Trial.” Suggested donation for breakfast is $5.00. Fellowship and Bible Study are free!
USHERS TAKE NOTE Next week’s service will involve Usher Team #1 – Bernadette Hendry, Greg Hendry, Rudy Melinat and Ann Price.
February 17 – Hosea 9
February 18 – Hosea 10
February 19 – Hosea 11
February 20 – Hosea 12
February 21 – Hosea 13
February 22 – Hosea 14
February 23 – Joel 1
Sunday 17 February – “Praise God from Whom all blessings flow!”
Monday 18 February – Celebrate the birthdays of friends by praying for them today: Rev. Bill Fackler (20); Claudia Proctor (20).
Tuesday 19 February – Please remember the Lord’s work in Macau as you pray for protection from physical risks to the missionaries and national Christians, ranging from automobile accidents to sickness. May they be able to serve Him in full health.
Wednesday 20 February – Please remember God’s work in East Africa as you pray for women who are becoming more active in the Lutheran Church throughout East Africa. Some have begun sewing centers to train church women and others how to sew and take advantage of opportunities for Bible study. Pray that these women would continue to grow in their faith and be nurturing forces in their homes, churches and communities at large.
Thursday 21 February – Pray for peace around our troubled world.
Friday 22 February – Pray for one person today whom you don’t know.
Saturday 23 February – Pray for one or more family members who need to know the Lord Jesus or be strengthened in their daily walk with Him.
God, in His infinite wisdom, has called home unto Himself Gloria Melinat, beloved wife of Rudy and beloved mother of Bill and Ed.
Gloria was a 60-year member of Historic First Lutheran, joining in 1948 when the young family moved to California from Michigan.
Gloria was raised at Zion Lutheran Church in St. Louis. She met Rudy, a preacher's kid, at Camp Arcadia in Michigan. Rudy courted Gloria while he served as a pilot during World War II. When he returned to St. Louis for a wedding, he saw again Gloria as a bridesmaid and knew she was the one for him.
Through the years Gloria has been extremely active around Historic First Lutheran, as a Mother's Club member, a member of the Altar Guild, an active participant in Bible study and corporate worship. She allowed Rudy much time to provide strong leadership to the congregation during some difficult years, especially following some break-ins in the school building and the fire in the parish hall. Gloria loved to sing.
It has been sad to see the effects of disease ravage Gloria in recent years, leaving her unable to verbally communicate with others. It has been clear, though, until recently that she was well-aware of everything going on around her and could find ways to communicate.
The family will gather privately this week to bury Gloria's earthly body. We will gather for a memorial service on Friday 8 February at 11:00 a.m. at Historic First Lutheran. A catered luncheon will follow the service.
Pastor Christopher Schaar
ASH WEDNESDAY
Wednesday 6 February
Church open all day from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. for private prayer
11:30 a.m. – Prayer Service
12:00 Noon – Confessional Service with the Imposition of Ashes and The Lord’s Supper
12:30 p.m. – Soup / Salad / Chili Luncheon (Green Room)
5:30 p.m. – Soup / Salad / Chili Supper (Green Room)
7:00 p.m. – Confessional Service with the Imposition of Ashes and The Lord’s Supper
Matthew 17:1-9
The Transfiguration of our Lord
Mardi Gras Sunday
3 February 2008
In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
May I share with you a pet peeve of mine? It’s gift boxes. Not just any gift box, but the kind of gift box that comes wrapped in colorful paper and ribbons and bows and is given to you as a gift. You’re so excited to receive that gift. You tear off the bows, untie the ribbons, rip into the paper and finally you arrive at the box itself. You’re finally ready to see what someone has gotten for you, but you go to lift off the top cover of the gift box only to find it taped shut. Sometimes it’s only with two little pieces of tape. Other times it appears that Fort Knox must certainly be hidden inside the box. Sometimes it’s like an entire roll of the heavy duty, industrial class strapping tape has been used to secure that top cover. All that tape just simply prolongs getting into that box. That whole routine of trying to get into that box personally frustrates me. You either need to run for a knife or scissors to cut open the tape. Or, you cut your finger trying to slip your finger into the narrow space and rip the tape. Or you end up ripping the box cover around the tape.
I must confess, if you couldn’t tell by now, that I am a non-taper. But those who are box tapers tell me that they tape the boxes in order to keep the box lid tight, that not all times does the item inside the box fit properly inside the box so the tape is necessary to keep the box cover on while they are wrapping the gift. My solution, I think, is easier: get a bigger box or use a gift bag.
My pet peeve is the oxymoron behind taped gift boxes. On the one hand, someone wants you to have something. They’ve gone to great lengths to purchase something for you and festively wrap it. On the other hand, it at least appears that someone wants to keep you from getting what they want you to have. Either give me the gift or don’t give me the gift, but don’t give me the gift and make it nearly impossible to get it.
The account of Jesus’ transfiguration appears to put us into a similar oxymoronic situation.
Mirroring a situation about 1500 years earlier, when Moses climbed Mount Sinai with Aaron and Hur and the leaders of Israel, Jesus one day invited Peter, James and John – His “inner circle” – up a mountain with Him. There He was transfigured before their eyes. His face shone like the sun. His clothes became as bright as the light. Moses and Elijah, the two messengers of old, representing the Law and the Prophets, stood there with Him.
Peter, James and John knew that none of this was usual. They saw the real meaning behind the event: this Jesus Who had called them to leave their fishing boats and follow Him, Who taught such great stories, Who performed such amazing miracles, Who captivated huge crowds, this Jesus was no ordinary man. The Voice from the cloud betrayed Jesus’ true identity. He was the Son of God Himself, in Whom God was well-pleased.
We have long laughed at Peter’s impulsiveness, wanting to build those three shelters there on that mountain, but who could really blame him? Don’t we all wish we could push the pause button during those exciting times of life? But we can’t stay in those moments in life and neither could Peter. Instead, Jesus led them back down that mountain. Peter, James and John could hardly wait to brag about what they had seen, but then came the instruction that seems oxymoronic, the “tape” on the cover of the box: “Don’t tell anyone what you have seen.”
That instruction from Jesus seems as strange as giving someone a gift but making it difficult for them to open the gift. Didn’t Jesus know human nature? The best kept secret is the secret never told. If He didn’t want Peter, James and John to tell anyone about what they had seen, why did He even show them? Why torture them with such an excellent scoop of insiders information only to tell them they couldn’t use the information?
Could it be that Jesus wanted them to have that information in their hearts in order to carry them through what was ahead for them?
You see, it wouldn’t be long before Jesus would walk a dark and stormy road in life. He had already been preparing His disciples for that journey with Him, but they really wanted to hear nothing of it. They swore to Him over and over again that they would never allow anything to happen to Him and, if it did, it would be over their own dead bodies. They swore they would die fighting for Him.
Yet on that Mount of Transfiguration, Jesus knew what lay ahead – His dark and stormy walk to Jerusalem, where He would be arrested, illegally tried, handed an immediate death sentence and be crucified on a Cross to forgive the sins of the entire world, largely alone, largely abandoned one by one by those who swore to never leave Him. In that moment on the Cross, when Jesus would yell, “My God, My God, why have You abandoned Me?” He also knew each of the disciples – including Peter, James and John – would be dealing with their own abandonment issues, along with issues of self-disappointment and depression and anger and loneliness and fear. Could it be that Jesus wanted Peter, James and John to have that information conveyed to them on the Mount of Transfiguration to carry them through the Mount of Calvary? Could it be that Jesus does the same for us?
This Mardi Gras Sunday is intentionally designed to give us one last great celebration before we enter the somber season of Lent. For the next 48 days we will intentionally and intimately focus upon all that Jesus suffered so that we might enjoy the forgiveness of sins and the sure and certain hope of everlasting life. Some of our journey during Lent will be extremely sad, as we come face-to-face with our role in all that Jesus suffered, yet we will carry in our hearts this joyful celebration, allowing it to point us forward to the great feast of Easter to be festively celebrated here 49 days from today.
When you think about it, that’s how Jesus operates throughout our entire lives. He gives us great moments of joy to carry us through those moments of sadness and pain. He gives us great mountaintop experiences with Him, those times we know without any doubt that He is so close to us, to carry us through the valley experiences, those times we look around and wonder where He is.
Again today, Jesus comes to us because He knows the strength we need to walk through life. As Jesus comes to us in His Body and Blood, He comes as an untaped gift box. We are allowed immediate access to the greatest gift ever given us. We are completely unhindered from getting to Jesus and receiving that which He intends to give us.
In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
Pastor Christopher Schaar
Historic First Lutheran Church of Pasadena
February 3 – Daniel 7
February 4 – Daniel 8
February 5 – Daniel 9
February 6 – Daniel 10
February 7 – Daniel 11
February 8 – Daniel 12
February 9 – Hosea 1
Sunday 3 February – “Lord, make my prayer like Peter’s. I never want You to leave me and I thank You that You never will. Amen.”
Monday 4 February – Celebrate the birthdays of friends by praying for them today: Devon Golding (3); Lynne Carter (4); Kathryn Novak (4); Virginia Martens (6); Lois Humbert (8); Chris Baker (9).
Tuesday 5 February – Pray by name for one person you’ve not seen in worship recently.
Wednesday 6 February – Read Psalm 51, making it your personal prayer of confession on this Ash Wednesday.
Thursday 7 February – Pray by name for our Shut-in members: Cleora Bryan, Jill Fenske, Elizabeth Larson, Gloria Melinat, Lucile Moore, Charles Newhouse, Clara Newhouse, Arline Pace, Claudia Proctor, Estelle Thaxton and Ethel Watkins.
Friday 8 February – “Lord, prepare me to be Your Sanctuary, pure and holy, tried and true.”
Saturday 9 February – With thanksgiving to God for His gracious invitation, prepare your heart for worship tomorrow.