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of the Chimes Newsletter
is available at

July Chimes (pdf format)

"Chimes" is the monthly newsletter of Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, Creston, IA for subscription information please contact the Chimes Editor

Adult Bible Class - White Horse Inn, Basic Doctrine Quiz (Continued)

June 28, 2009 

This week we are continuing or study The White Horse Inn - Basic Doctrine Quiz.

White Horse Inn is a nationally syndicated radio talk show hosted by Michael Horton, Rod Rosenbladt, Kim Riddlebarger and Ken Jones. On the air since 1990, the show features a regular roundtable discussion of Christian theology and apologetics. 

 

The main motivation for holiness is fear of punishment and hope of reward.

• False.
• This Error is an improper distinction between Justification and Sanctification
• i.e. John Wesley (Methodism)
• Justification – Coming to faith
• Sanctification – Growing in faith

Resource: The Proper Distinction Between Law and Gospel  (@cph)

• Author: C. F. W. Walther – 1st President of the Missouri Synod
• Seminal work
• Definition of “Missouri Synod Lutheran”
• The true knowledge of the distinction between the Law and the Gospel is not only a glorious light, affording the correct understanding of the entire Holy Scriptures, but without this knowledge Scripture is and remains a sealed book.

The Fourth Sunday after Pentecost (June 28, 2009)

Liturgical Color: Green

The Fourth Sunday after Pentecost (June 28, 2009)

Confession and Absolution

Hymn of Invocation: 737 Rejoice, My Heart, Be Glad and Sing LSB 737
Invocation LSB 203
Confession of Sins LSB 203
Absoluton LSB 203

Service of the Word

Introit Introit for The Fourth Sunday after Pentecost Ps. 121:5–8; antiphon: Ps. 121:1–2
Kyrie LSB 204
Gloria in Excelsis LSB 204
Collect for The Fourth Sunday after Pentecost

Old Testament Reading Lamentations 3:22–33
Epistle 2 Corinthians 8:1–9, 13–15
Holy Gospel Mark 5:21–43

Nicene Creed
Hymn of the Day: 742 For Me to Live Is Jesus LSB 742
Sermon
Prayer of the Church
Offering

Service of the Sacrament

Preface LSB 208
Sanctus LSB 208
Prayer of Thanksgiving for The Fourth Sunday after Pentecost
Lord's Prayer
The Words of Our Lord
Pax Domini LSB 209
Agnus Dei LSB 210
Distribution

Distribution Hymn: 922 Go, My Children, with My Blessing LSB 922
Distribution Hymn: 760 What God Ordains Is Always Good LSB 760

Nunc Dimittis LSB 211
Post-Communion Collect
Benedicamus and Benediction

Hymn: 390 Let Us All with Gladsome Voice LSB 390

Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, VBS Registration

Mission society wins lawsuit on 'leafleting' gay festival

June 18, 2009 .................... LCMSNews -- No. 50

Mission society wins lawsuit on 'leafleting' gay festival

By Paula Schlueter Ross

The Apple of His Eye, a St. Louis-based LCMS mission society, is free to distribute religious literature at public events in the city of St. Louis, according to a U.S. District Court judge.

On June 11, Judge Henry Autrey signed a permanent order that bars the city from arresting or threatening to arrest members of The Apple of His Eye while they are handing out their literature.

The First Amendment lawsuit was filed last year after Apple of His Eye missionary Alan Butterworth and founder Steve Cohen were distributing free religious tracts in the city's Tower Grove Park during a 2006 "gay pride" event.  Both men were first told to cease literature distribution at PrideFest, and later told to vacate the premises or face arrest.

The attorney for The Apple of His Eye, Rick Nelson of the American Liberties Institute in Orlando, Fla., brought the matter to the city's attorneys, hoping for an amicable resolution.  When no progress was made, the lawsuit was filed by the mission society on May 1, 2008.

Cohen said the group "got tired of being threatened with arrest" and "just wanted to bring it to an end."  Cohen and a seminary student recently were confronted by police at two events in April -- the women's Final Four basketball tournament and opening day of the St. Louis Cardinals baseball season.

"When religious freedom is at stake," Cohen said, "I've always felt that our constitutional rights here in the United States should be affirmed and upheld, and that's what we tried to do."

The Gospel handouts, or "broadsides" -- written especially for the PrideFest event -- did not mention homosexuality, but focused on the fact that "all of us are sinful.  All of us fall short," said Cohen.  "But God loves us so much that -- while we were yet sinners -- He sent His only Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life."

"We can't tell people how to live," he added, "but we can tell people what Jesus did for them.  And from there, the work of the Holy Spirit in a person's life is powerful and mighty and capable of bringing change."

As a result of the lawsuit, the city has rescinded a part of its bylaws that bans literature distribution and is required to let police and PrideFest organizers know that handing out religious fliers is allowed.

Cohen says he is "thrilled" at the judge's decision and will be at this year's PrideFest, June 27-28 in St. Louis.  He said he is hoping for 15 to 20 volunteers to join him.

"Going out and talking to people about Jesus is one of the best ways you learn to sharpen your own skills in personal witness," he said, and volunteers don't have to be Jewish.  The society's mission is to "boldly declare Y'shua (Jesus) as the Messiah for both Jews and gentiles," and to "urgently equip the church to do the same."

The ministry's work "is with anybody who is unchurched and needs to hear who Jesus is," according to Cohen.

"Our prayer is that Christians will take seriously the Great Commission and take the initiative to reach out in their own communities as opportunities become available," he said.  "We can help!"

The Apple of His Eye offers free religious handouts that congregations can print and distribute.  In fact, Cohen says he will even write a Gospel tract for a specific event, if a congregation requests it, and offers free PDF copies of his book, Beginning from Jerusalem, a 156-page primer on sharing your faith with others.

His organization routinely hands out broadsides at sporting events, concerts, parades, festivals, and other public gatherings that allow it "to maximize the opportunities to reach a lot of people in a short amount of time."  Often, volunteers will begin a conversation with, "What do you think of Jesus?"

The Apple of His Eye distributed about 60,000 Gospel tracts during a recent "Taste of Chicago" event, which led to "hundreds and hundreds of conversations, and of those conversations, about 200 people gave us their names and addresses for follow-up," Cohen said.  Those contacts are forwarded to local LCMS congregations and the Jews for Jesus organization.

For more information about The Apple of His Eye, contact Cohen at steve.cohen@appleofhiseye.org or 636-326-4040, ext. 3.  Or, visit the ministry's Web site at www.appleofhiseye.org.

Technorati Tags: Apple of His Eye,Persecution,LCMS,Mission Work

Our New Johannes Opus 17 Organ Installed

 

Our new organ was installed on June 2, 2009.  Watch for a dedication recital in the near future!

The Third Sunday after Pentecost (June 21, 2009)

Liturgical Color: Green

The Third Sunday after Pentecost (June 21, 2009)
Order of Matins

Psalmody
Venite LSB 220
Antiphon (Common) LSB 221
Psalm Psalm 124:1–8

Office Hymn: 726 Evening and Morning LSB 726

Readings From Holy Scripture

Old Testament Reading Job 38:1–11
Epistle 2 Corinthians 6:1–13
Holy Gospel Mark 4:35–41

Responsory Common LSB 221
Sermon
Canticle Te Deum LSB 223
Offering
Prayer
Kyrie LSB 227
Lord's Prayer
Collect of the Day Collect for The Third Sunday after Pentecost
Additional Collects of Intercession and Thanksgiving
Collect for Grace
Benedicamus LSB 228
Benediction LSB 234

Hymn: 722 Lord, Take My Hand and Lead Me LSB 722

Good Questions to Ask (Tiller's) Pastors

Dave Welch has a great article yesterday at World Net Daily (June 2) (http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=99830) asking the right questions about Abortionist Dr. Tiller's church and pastors.  It gets to the very heart at what the Church is and exactly what its mission is.  His question is a good question for all congregations and pastors to consider.  Welch asks:

I have to ask the question that is one which strikes at the heart of much of our spiritual, social, moral and political condition today. What was he being taught in this church? Tiller was obviously comfortable in this church, and it is evident that the pastoral leadership was comfortable with him.

He responds what a nice analogy and a great Law / Gospel distinction.  

In an analogy that may bring some criticism, suppose a known drug lord or pimp attended this church and gave substantial contributions? Would he have been given the status and gratitude for his generosity that Tiller apparently enjoyed? Those others may be operating outside the boundaries of man's law while Tiller was within; however, all were equally outside the laws of God.

We live in a day where the power of God is non-existent in many churches – possibly most – because we have either rejected the authority of Scripture, or more predominantly in the evangelical church we are focused far more on "comforting the afflicted" than "afflicting the comfortable." We should do both.

Welch zeros in on the exact problem.  Churches have "rejected the authority of scripture," he says.  They are more interested in filling coliseums, expanding buildings, and conforming to business models that promote "growth" than the real mission of the church.   His exposition of Matthew 28 is right on target.

The passage in Matthew 28:18-20 known as the Great Commission does not command us to fill coliseums, expand our buildings, or increase our budgets – or accommodate the world. It does command us to do three things:

1. Make disciples of the nations – disciples are "pupils";
2. Baptize in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit – spiritual rebirth is FIRST;
3. Teach them to observe all He commanded – All four elements are essential:
   – Teach – Impart with integrity to the text and context
   – All – Don’t leave anything out between Genesis and Revelation
   – He – Jesus was involved in authoring all Scripture
   – Commanded – If we want the "benefits," we must follow "The Way."

When will the American Church wake up and break off its love affair with death, sodomy, and earthly wealth?  Lord, have mercy. 

Pastor Watt.

 http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=99830

Technorati Tags: Church Growth,Tiller,Abortion,Church,Pro-Life

Festival of the Holy Trinity (June 7, 2009)

Liturgical Color: White

Festival of the Holy Trinity (June 7, 2009)
Divine Service, Setting Four

Confession and Absolution

Hymn of Invocation: O Sing to the Lord sts. 1–5 LSB 808
Invocation LSB 151
Exhortation LSB 151
Confession of Sins LSB 151
Absolution LSB 151

Service of the Word

Introit Introit for The Holy Trinity Ps. 16:8–11; antiphon: Liturgical Text
Kyrie LSB 152
Hymn of Praise Alabaré - I LSB 799
Salutation and Collect of the Day Collect for The Holy Trinity

First Reading Isaiah 6:1–8
Epistle Acts 2:14, 22–36
Common Alleluia and Verse LSB 156
Holy Gospel John 3:1–17

Hymn of the Day: Hark, the Voice of Jesus Crying LSB 826
Sermon
Athanasian Creed LSB 319
Prayer of the Church
Offering
Offertory LSB 159

Service of the Sacrament

Preface LSB 160
Proper Preface (Full) Proper Preface for The Holy Trinity
Sanctus LSB 161
Prayer of Thanksgiving LSB 161

Lutherans For Life Statement on the George Tiller Murder

June 1, 2009

Lutherans For Life (LFL) joins pro-life groups across the country in extending our sympathy to the family of George Tiller, the late-term abortionist who was gunned down Sunday morning in his church. We join other pro-life groups in denouncing this action as evil. No circumstances justify the violent murder of another human being.

God’s Word tells us not to fight evil with evil but to “overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21). Based on that same Word of God, LFL believes that abortion is a great evil, the violent murder of another human being that deeply grieves the Author and Redeemer of life. But we oppose the use of evil to overcome this evil. We have the greatest “good” there is to use against it, the Gospel of Jesus Christ. LFL strives to apply the Gospel to the life issues, to change hearts and minds so that people will turn to the Lord of Life and not the god of death as the solution to difficult circumstances. We want to make the killing of children in the sanctity of the womb as unthinkable and deplorable as the killing of George Tiller in the sanctity of his church.

While George Tiller was a member of a Lutheran denomination that does not officially oppose abortion, it should be noted that almost all other Lutheran denominations do take an official stance that opposes abortion and asserts the God-given value of human life from conception to natural death.

We commend the Tiller family and all affected by this tragic event into the loving arms of a crucified and risen Savior. May He be at work in all of this according to His good and gracious will.

http://lutheransforlife.org/

Technorati Tags: abortion,tiller,Lutherans for Life