“For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

(Romans 15:4–6 ESV)

Dear Friends,

Christian greetings!

With the ever advancing years of my life, I see a pattern of how the devil works amongst Christians. He gets them to take their eyes off Jesus. They get mired in earthly things that ought to matter less than the precious relationship we have with God through Jesus Christ.

Having been the circuit counsellor for the Hamilton Circuit, on top of the six years I served as circuit counsellor for the Kitchener Circuit, I have witnessed a few contentious committee meetings and congregational meetings. Maybe you have been party to a few yourself. I can tell you when things get heated or edgy, it’s not Bible verses they are flinging around the room.

Over the time of my circuit counselling experience, I’ve come to appreciate a word of the Lord that to this day keeps echoing in my mind, “Seek peace and pursue it.” (Psalm 34:14 & 1 Peter 3:11). You will notice that it is an imperative, not a suggestion.

It is not a sin to have disagreement about these matters, however a difference of opinion does not cancel the Bible’s instruction.

You and I are Christian people and we should certainly expect from one another the compulsion to pray that we can work through all matters in a kindly fashion.

The goal would be that we glorify God by the way we treat one another, and thus fulfill the word of our Epistle for this Sunday:

“May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

The Lord be with you!

 

Coming Up at Prince of Peace this weekend…

Sunday, December 4

9:00 Sunday School & Adult Bible Class (Begin together in the sanctuary)

9:00 Early Service: Holy Communion

10:30 Holy Communion

PoP News …

Ladies Guild Christmas Bazaar! Please come to the Ladies Guild Christmas Bazaar & Bake Sale this Saturday, December 3, downstairs from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm.  A tea room will also be set up.  You can browse, buy and enjoy some refreshments. Invite your friends. –  Actually, bring your friends!

“Christmas Memories” Advent Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministry are available in the foyer. You can also read or listen to these devotions online at https://www.lhm.org/advent/

Nicaraguan coffee is available for purchase again during this Advent season following the service. Proceeds are in support the children’s meal program in Nicaragua.

Advent Lessons and Carols: The seminary community warmly invites you to their service of Advent Lessons and Carols. This treasured annual event takes place this Sunday, December 4, at 3.00pm.  The seminary faculty, staff, and students will be joined by Resurrection Lutheran Choir. As members of the seminary community read lessons from the prophets that prepare for Christ’s coming, the congregation and choirs sing beloved Advent hymns and carols. The service culminates with the announcement of the Christmas Gospel, by which the students anticipate Christmas just before leaving for the holidays. You are welcome to join them for this service of Word, music, prayer, and praise.

The Niagara Area Choir is having a concert at Emmanuel Lutheran Church, 5003 George St., Beamsville, this Sunday at 4:00 p.m. This amateur choir consists of members from the Lutheran congregations of the Niagara Circuit.

Christmas Carol Sing & Dinner: Sing Christmas carols and enjoy a Christmas dinner on Sunday, December 11. We’ll begin at 3:30 pm with singing and rejoicing in the gift of music and the gift of Jesus.  After that, we will sit down at 4:30 pm to a festive turkey dinner.  After dinner there will be the opportunity for children to enjoy a brief craft and to watch a DVD.  Invite friends and family. It will be a joy! Please sign up the foyer to help us better plan the dinner.

Oops! We weren’t able to complete the budget approval process last Sunday. Let’s try again. Some discussion has already occurred, so approval of the budget should be fairly simple and quick. Let’s meet for a few minutes at 11:30 on Sunday, December 11. Consider this a notice for a special voters meeting.

Sermon attachment, “Local”: A number of people made comment on my sermon last Sunday so I thought I’d attach it below for those who missed it or would want to consider it again. The poem quoted is actually a song by Casting Crowns. You can see and hear an animated video of it by clicking here .

Canadian Lutheran World Relief’s “Gifts from the Heart” are meaningful and tangible gifts that will share God’s love with the world. No matter which you choose, the gifts you give are saving and changing lives. Pick up a copy in the foyer.

Snow Shoveling – The Trustees need your help!  If you can clear the walkways and apply salt before Sunday School on any Sunday morning, please add your name to the signup sheet in the foyer.  Thank you

 

 

Online News …

Praying for missions with the 2016 Mission Newsletter: LCC has now released the 2016 edition of its annual Mission Newsletter, with hopes that Canadians will keep missions at the forefront of their prayers this Advent season. READ MORE

CLTS welcomes new professors: Concordia Lutheran Theological Seminary has announced that Rev. Esko Murto and Rev. Dr. Harold Ristau have accepted calls to serve as professors of theology. READ MORE

Want to enjoy some pipe organ music? My son Paul is organist at Historic St. Paul’s in Kitchener and has a YouTube channel. If you like, check it out by clicking here . In view of American Thanksgiving, his latest post was a partita on “Now Thank We All Our God” (Nun danket alle Gott) by Charles Callahan. Enjoy!

Issues, Etc. is a radio talk show hosted by LCMS Pastor Todd Wilken and produced by Lutheran Public Radio in Collinsville, IL.  This week’s topics include: John the Baptist Prepares the Way, Jesus Changes Water into Wine, Noah, Andrew the Apostle and more.  You can listen to what you want when you want at www.issuesetc.org and on the Lutheran Public Radio mobile app.

In your prayers, please remember:

• The Familia Mission Team expresses their thanks to everyone who offered prayers for the team they were while in Nicaragua last week during Hurricane Otto and the 7.0 earthquake. They wrote to say that the worst was over and they were safe and sound and returned on-schedule to Canada last Saturday.
• Those recovering from surgery
• Those in hospital
• Those under medical care

The Lord be with you.

Yours in Christ Jesus,

Pastor Kevin Walrath

 

 

November 27, 2016; First Sunday in Advent

Being Lutheran sermon series, Chapter 10

Sermon: “Local” based on 1 Chronicles 16:11

Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!

As we conclude our series on Being Lutheran, today we focus our attention on another thing we cherish – being local. Do you think that’s a biblical idea? You should! …

• Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, … To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints…
• Paul, an apostle, … To the churches of Galatia …
• Paul, … To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi
• Paul, … To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae
• Paul, … To the church of God that is in Corinth

These are all introductions from the letters of St. Paul to local congregations of Christians. And that doesn’t include the assembly of Christians back in Jerusalem and the surrounding areas. And then, in the next generation also we add congregations in Alexandria Egypt and other cities around the Mediterranean Sea.

Christianity is not a mere concept, an abstract theological idea. The Christian faith is not a private thing lived out individually by scattered people. Christianity does not exist only as a social media grouping. The Christian faith is sought out, believed and lived out in local communities. People gather around God’s Word. A local pastor preaches, teaches and absolves. That shepherd searches for lost sheep to bring them into Jesus’ sheepfold.

That sheepfold, the Church, includes a vast number of believers of every place on the planet and every generation of human history. But the flock of Jesus is not a group of Facebook friends who “like” and “unlike,” “friend” and “defriend” at will. The Church is not out there in some nebulous digital world that’s played out at a safe distance.

The church is right here – in this place, at this moment.

Quite frankly, I don’t think we fully “get it” about who we are. What about “the saints,” “the church of God” in Burlington here at Prince of Peace?

I’m dismayed at how we are doing.

• Many just come up the stairs, through the tunnel, into the church, and then retreat out again.
• Many of you do not know one another. (Would you like me to quiz you in that regard?)
• Many of you might notice someone missing lately but would never consider contacting said person to say they’re missed (or even ask me about him/her)
• Some of you act as though you don’t even like certain people here, let alone love them as the Apostle John insists we do in his first letter.
• Some of you feel like your ideas are not welcome and are tempted to quit caring and quit trying.
• Some of you do little to welcome new people. Some of you won’t even say anything to a new person among except maybe, “You’re sitting in my seat!” Ouch!
• And I’m afraid, some of you have gotten accustomed to your children and grandchildren being separated from Christ and His saving work. You’ve listened to the world too long and now have accepted that everybody can believe and do as they please and that they are entitled to a favourable judgment by God.So what’s the problem with the local church?
• Well, there are some things that the local church is not (if we’re looking for the ideal):
• By the way, do you have any idea how difficult it is to nurture someone into our congregation? There are no “easy” new members in the church. They need to be welcomed, befriended, taught, have things explained (like the fellowship of communion, the mysteries of our theology based on the Bible, etc.) No, there are no “easy” new members. What’s “easy” is to offend, ignore and discourage members so that they leave. And that is frustrating to both pastor and people.

• It’s not as simple as going back to the 1960s. That ship has sailed and is gone. People are less religious, more worldly in their thinking, have fewer children and are less likely to seek out a Sunday School and church for their family.
• It’s not as simple as changing our way of worship. Hymns are beautiful and have deep biblical meaning and are only a problem when people are grumpy about them. Jesus never said you make disciples by being jazzier. He said you make disciples by baptizing and teaching.
• It’s not as simple as closing ourselves off to the world. It won’t work to simply tighten our budgets, seal ourselves off from the big, bad world and never have any contact with anyone. The Christian congregation is a vibrant living organism that branches out, not a bunker that’s hidden from view. Being local as Christ’s Church means commitment to the Word of Christ:
• No. If we ask what’s with the local congregation we find that there’s nothing wrong with it because it is wonderful Bride of Christ in a local place. And so, the key to our existence and wellbeing is being who God made us to be – a local group of believers who cling to Christ and His Word, worshipping and serving Him, and being His bodily “members” in loving one another and reaching out to others.

“If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31-32 ESV)

And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. … And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, ⁴⁷ praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved. (Acts 2:42, 46-47 ESV)

Being local as Christ’s Church means commitment to one another in love:

¹⁹ We love because he first loved us. ²⁰ If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. ²¹ And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother. (1 Jn 4:19-21 ESV)

¹⁴ We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death. ¹⁵ Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.

¹⁶ By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. ¹⁷ But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? ¹⁸ Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth. (1 John 3:14–18 ESV)

Being local as Christ’s Church means commitment to God’s gifts given here – in this place:

But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, ⁵ he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit. (Titus 3:4–5 ESV)

Drink of it, all of you, ²⁸ for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. (Matthew 26:27–28 ESV)

(Jesus) breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. ²³ If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.” (John 20:22–23 ESV)

Being local as Christ’s Church means caring about another person’s soul:

Jesus said, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.” (Mark 16:15 ESV)

Jesus said, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:8 ESV)

The church is local. After all, your salvation was local:

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14 ESV)

Jesus came here – in the flesh – into our world – and died our death and rose again for our salvation. And now, you come here – to this place – and hear of Christ – and receive Christ.

The righteousness based on faith says, … “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); ⁹ because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” … ¹⁴ How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? … So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. (Romans 10:6-9, 13-14, 17 ESV)

Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually! (1 Chronicles 16:11)

Luther believed that God’s speaking is shifted from past to present in the hearing of the Word. Preaching was to move that past work of God in Scripture into the present location. Sermons are not a time to idly gaze at the distant work of Christ; sermons are a head-on confrontation with God coming to His people locally by means of the external Word. The presence of Jesus happens in the hearing of God’s Word. (BL:234)

This is where it is at! And I’m not sure you treasure it as you should. …

Luther wrote in response to a distant Roman hierarchy that was anything but local (a hierarchy that ruled with power and fear):

My advice is this (to the average lay person): Let him stay at home in his own parish church and be content with the best; his baptism, the gospel, his faith, his Christ and his God, who is the same God everywhere. Let the pope remain the blind leader of the blind. Neither an angel nor a pope can give you as much as God gives you in your parish church. The fact is, the pope leads you away from the gifts of God, which are yours without cost, to his gifts, for which you have to pay. (LW44:189)

People don’t think much about the Pope’s authority in many circles anymore, but think of what is offered you here in Canada as an alternative to your local church. Bigger flashier churches, sporting events, casinos, and shopping malls to help you forget your misery, secular counselling and psychology, secular higher learning (focusing on humanism and human discovery [science]), and a thousand other things that make no mention of God or His Christ.

But for you ane me, this is it! Right here is where the rubber meets the road. As we confessed last week:

The Second Petition

Thy kingdom come.

What does this mean?  The kingdom of God certainly comes by itself without our prayer, but we pray in this petition that it may come to us also.

How does God’s kingdom come?  God’s kingdom comes when our heavenly Father gives us His Holy Spirit, so that by His grace we believe His holy Word and lead godly lives here in time and there in eternity.

As we read Psalm 122 together earlier, we heard ourselves say, “I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the LORD!’” Really!? Do you mean that? I pray that this is the case – here in this local place where Jesus meets with us.

Let me close with a poem that describes the glories of God’s arranging of the local church – gifted by Him in diverse ways for the benefit of the whole and to the glory of God:

“City On The Hill” (by Casting Crowns)

Did you hear of the city on the hill

Said one old man to the other

It once shined bright, and it would be shining still

But they all started turning on each other

You see the poets thought the dancers were shallow

And the soldiers thought the poets were weak

And the elders saw the young ones as foolish

And the rich man never heard the poor man speak

But one by one, they ran away

With their made up minds to leave it all behind

And the light began to fade

In the City on the Hill, the City on the Hill

Each one thought that they knew better

But they were different by design

Instead of standing strong together

They let their differences divide

And one by one, they ran away

With their made up minds to leave it all behind

And the light began to fade

In the City on the Hill, the City on the Hill

And the world is searching still

It is the rhythm of the dancers

That gives the poets life

It is the spirit of the poets

That gives the soldiers strength to fight

It is fire of the young ones

It is the wisdom of the old

It is the story of the poor man

That’s needing to be told

But one by one will we run away

With our made up minds to leave it all behind

As the light begins to fade in the City on the Hill

 

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