5/20/08

Dear Friends and Members of St. John,

 

First of all, I want you to know that we have a special preacher in worship this Sunday.  Pastor Ken Klaus, the speaker of the Lutheran Hour will be preaching at St. John this Sunday, May 25, at both 8:15 and 11:00 a.m. worship services.  (Perhaps you listen to the Lutheran Hour on Sunday on KHAR 590 AM on Sunday mornings at 7:00 a.m.  The Lutheran Hour has been broadcast for over 75 years in the US.  The last I knew Lutheran Hour ministries also had radio broadcasts in over 125 countries!)  I encourage you to attend worship this Sunday.  In addition, there will be a Bible study time with Pastor Klaus between worship services.

 

Secondly, as we worship this weekend, we also celebrate Memorial Day.  Do you know that God has something to say about the sacrifice of one’s life?

 

In John 15:13, Jesus says, “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.”

 

In Romans 5:6-7, God says through Paul, “6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die.” God makes note of the depth of sacrifice it takes for one person to die for others.  BUT, we are told in Romans 5:8 of the even greater love of God for us in Jesus.  “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

 

This Memorial Day weekend, when our country remembers those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country, why not celebrate in worship at St. John?  Come and give God thanks for the love and sacrifice of others.  Come and praise the Lord for His saving love in Jesus. 

 

Your fellow redeemed child of God,

Pastor Jonathan

 

P.S.  For those who have not heard, I passed my doctoral defense in St. Louis last week.  After the defense I was asked to write an additional paragraph or section on prayer, and also on worship attendance.  I was also asked to get a professional editor to look at punctuation.  I have sent in the requested corrections and am waiting for approval.  This will soon be accomplished.

 

P.P.S.  I am sorry I did not send out this e-mail last week.  I could not use the internet where I was traveling.

 

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ABOUT ‘THOUGHTS FROM THE PASTOR’ -   I am sending these e-mail messages, hopefully weekly, to all St. John members and friends whose e-mails I have.  However, if you don’t want to receive this e-mail, please let me know, and I’ll gladly leave your name off my list for this message. . . Or, if you know someone who would like to receive one of these e-mails, please send me their e-mail address.

 

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WORK DAYS(S)  Every year the Promise Keepers have tried to help out some in our congregation who may have needs at their home which they cannot do by themselves.  We have 2 elderly ladies identified to help on Saturday, May 31.  (There are also others who could use help.)

            The Trustees are also feeling the need for a work day, and have chosen May 31.  Among other jobs to do will be

• Sweeping the Parking Lot.
• Raking the loose dirt around the building and planting grass seed.
• Working on the flower planters around the bell tower.

Can you help take care of the church, and help take care of some members in need?  The current plan is to work at church beginning at 9:00 a.m. in the morning, and then go to the home of these members to help them with their needs in the afternoon.

 

 

 

Prayers 

• Paul Ziegler is home recovering from removal of a lobe of his left lung for cancer.  Paul was in worship this past Sunday.  Praise the Lord.
• Dave Miranda has surgery last Friday for removal of cancer.  Unfortunately, this cancer was found to have spread and is in operable.  Please keep Dave in prayer.
• Monty Hart is in Alaska Regional very ill.  Please keep Monty in prayers.
• Rosannee Kolberg continues in the hospital at Mat Su Regional with a cancerous tumor that is obstructing air passages and blood flow.  Radiation and chemotherapy have begun, but Rosie is not progressing as doctors hoped.   Please join me in praying for Roseanne.
• My mother has been in and out of the hospital for the last couple of weeks.  She is home now.  Thank you for your prayers.
• Kristin Kopperud is now in St. Louis for medical treatment and to wait for a heart transplant.   Kathy and Mary and I had breakfast with Kristin and Melanie last Friday. Please continue praying for Kristin.

 

 

 

NEXT WEEK!!!!  Next week (really) I am going to ask you to help me with sermon topics.  I am looking for Pastor Allen and I to preach a topical series (or more than one series) about issues or questions that God’s people have, rather than what I think they need to hear.  Please start thinking about a topic on which you would like to hear what God’s Word says.  (If you have some ideas, you can begin e-mailing them to me now by responding to this e-mail message.)