“As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.”

                                                                                                                                                                                           (Luke 9:51 ESV)

Dear Christian Friends,

Right now, our Through-the-Bible readers are taking in the Gospel according to St. Luke. There are the crowds around Jesus and His teaching and miracles in the early going, but at chapter 9 of St. Luke’s account there is this phrase, “As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.” From that point on everything seems to point toward the Passion of our Lord in Jerusalem climaxed on Golgatha just outside the city.

People like Jesus smiling and giving away  stuff – healing, food, new beginnings. People do not enjoy the crucifix and seeing our Lord hanging there. But this was His mission. He never lost sight of this mission. His goal to accomplish was to place you in the presence of God unashamed and holy. Every dirty deed and regret, every kind of broken gone through the forgiveness of sins He bought for us. Redemption – Restoration – Reconciliation – all because Jesus did not shy away from the danger that awaited Him in the city of Jerusalem.  

In a spirit of worship, we confess and comply with the words of the Baptist, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29 ESV)

Coming Up …

Thursday (tonight) at Prince of Peace…

7:00pm Lenten Service of Evening Prayer

Sermon: “The Hour and Power of the Dark” – a Lenten look at evil

Sunday at Prince of Peace…

9:00 Sunday School for kids, teens and adults

Adult Bible Class: The Holy Gospel according to St. John

10:30 Worship Service

Sermon: “Condemned if You Do, Condemned if You Don’t”
We will be talking about sinning by what we do and by what we fail to do,
and about what Jesus did for us without fail.

Other Things Coming Up …

Rev. Larry Gajdos’ Installation will be on March 23, 2014 @ 3:30 pm, Historic St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, 137 Queen St S, Kitchener. A luncheon will be held following the Worship Service.

Other News …

Lutheran Youth March for Life: The annual March for Life in Ottawa will be held on Thursday, May 8th D.v. Arrangements have been made by our District Youth Committee for any of our youth with their parents, counselors and pastors to participate. Those coming from a distance could leave after classes Wednesday, bring sleeping bags, and arrive to overnight at St. Luke Lutheran Church, 326 MacKay St. Ottawa. Breakfast and a sack lunch will be provided by the church. A free will offering will help to cover the costs. Others, coming to church in the morning, could join in the devotion led by the Rev. Dr. Glenn Schaeffer of Lutherans for Life at 10:00 AM. From St. Luke, it’s a 45 minute walk or a 6 minute drive to Parliament Hill where marchers will gather at 12 noon for speeches. We will have a “Lutherans for Life” banner to help us rendezvous in front of the Parliament buildings. The March begins at 1:30 PM, returning by 2:45 for the Silent No More Awareness talks by women who have experienced the after effects of abortions. Then we can leave for home. Lutherans for Life will be holding their annual meeting at St. Luke after the March. If you plan to attend the March, please contact the District Youth Committee Pastoral Advisor at paulpollex@yahoo.com or call 519-631-1924 with the number of participants by May 4 so that arrangements can be made at St. Luke.

Pastor Paul Pollex, District Youth Committee Pastoral Advisor

CLWR offers free Refugee Sponsorship seminar (Mar 25) {RSVP by Mar 21}: Canadian Lutheran World Relief (CLWR) is offering a free information session on Refugee Sponsorship in Kitchener (specifically on the Blended Visa Office-Referred (BVOR) Program). When: March 25, 2014 from 7:00-8:30 pm. Where: Grace Lutheran Church, 136 Margaret Ave, Kitchener. RSVP: by March 21 to Arlene Knight (CLWR volunteer) at arlenejc@yahoo.com.
                The ministry of refugee sponsorship is a way your congregation can offer support and friendship to a newcomer to Canada. The Blended Visa-Office Referred (BVOR) Initiative in particular is a new opportunity that makes it easier for Canadians to become refugee sponsors. It allows sponsors to evenly split the financial costs of supporting a refugee with the Canadian government. Plus, refugees sponsored under this initiative are ready to travel to Canada in a matter of months, rather than years.
If you can’t attend, but would like more information on sponsorship, please contact Jenn Ardon at CLWR’s Eastern Office in Waterloo, or, click here to read more about refugee sponsorship.

GUILD DAY – Saturday April 26, 2014: The Concordia Lutheran Theological Seminary Guild invites you to GUILD DAY 2014, our spring gathering on Saturday April 26th, to hear Pastor Alex Knowles speak about being a Chaplin in the Armed Forces. Join us at 8:30 am for coffee fellowship and registration, followed by a hymn sing, a short business meeting and at 10:30 we attend Divine Service in the seminary chapel. The presentation and a catered lunch complete our program. Come support the current seminary students with your membership, food donations, and prayers. Send your registration to Concordia Lutheran Theological Seminary, attention Bonnie Stephenson, 470 Glenridge Avenue, St. Catharines, ON L2T 4C3. Please include your registration fee of $3.00 and $12.00 for your lunch (you may also wish to pay for a seminary student’s lunch!). For further information please contact Bonnie at the seminary at 905-688-2362, extension 34.

Online …

Presidential and Vice-Presidential nominees announced: The nominees for President and Vice-President for election at Lutheran Church–Canada’s 2014 national convention have now been announced. Read More Here

Ukraine’s bishop reports on Crimean crisis, asks for prayer: The situation in Ukraine continues to be tense. The Bishop of the Synod of Evangelical Lutheran Churches of Ukraine (SELCU) requests prayer. Read More Here

Reviewing Son of God … The film purports to be the story of the Bible. But how accurate is it really? Read More Here.

Our loved ones: In our prayers and pasted at the very bottom of this email we take up the overwhelming concern of many at Prince of Peace for their family members who wandered away from the faith. This is grave concern for so many of us. These Lutheran Hour Ministry devotions are wonderful and you can receive them by email and even listen to them online. Just subscribe by clicking here.

Lenten Devotions …

“My God, My God” Based on the searching words of King David in Psalm 22, Lutheran Hour Ministries’ 2014 Lenten Devotions explore the heartrending suffering of the Savior. “My God, My God, Why Have You Forsaken Me?” is a poignant contribution from LHM’s Theological Editor and Writer, Rev. Wayne Palmer. Gleaning insights from numerous Psalms and Gospel texts, he turns the spotlight on Jesus’ humanity, detailing the immeasurable challenges He encountered from people on all sides as He pushed forward to save the people He loved.

Pick up your copy on the table in the lobby at Prince of Peace, or

Read it online at www.lhm.org/lent , My God, My God will be available as a PDF download,or

Hear it as a podcast (beginning March 5), or

“My God, My God, Why Have You Forsaken Me?” can also be received as an e-mail subscription throughout the Lenten season.

Week 81 of the Bible Reading Plan: (March 24-29)

You can listen to the day’s reading by clicking the links on our Bible reading webpage. Go to poplc.ca. 

In your prayers, please remember:

• Our loved ones who once worshipped together with us but now have wandered from faith and worship of Jesus
• Remember in prayer those in faraway places – Ukraine & Crimea (ongoing tensions); South Sudan (where recent fighting has left thousands dead); other areas in Africa, like the Central African Republic Nigeria, where violence is rampant; Malaysia (where families and friends are still seeking answers after the disappearance of an airplane); and Syria and Jordan (where those affected by war in Syria seek food, shelter, and peace).

The Lord be with you.

 Yours in Christ Jesus,

Pastor Kevin Walrath

Prince of Peace Lutheran Church

1299 Brant St.

Burlington, ON

905-332-7671

Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries

By Pastor Ken Klaus, Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour

Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin!  Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int’l LLL (LHM). 

“The Operation Was a Success, But ….”

March 13, 2014

(Jesus said) “And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.” Luke 15:6-7

Please Note: The story upon which this devotion is based is painful. Those Daily Devotioners who normally use these devotions with children or young people should review the material first. If you decide to use it, please also include a review of what a child should and shouldn’t do with any adult. Thank you, Pastor Klaus

The operation was a success, but the patient died. That expression means everything which could be done had been done, and done rightly. Still, all our efforts were simply not enough to save.

That was the case a few weeks ago in Springfield, Missouri, when ten-year-old Hailey Owens was kidnapped a block away from her home. Owens was stopped by a man in a truck who asked her for directions. Owens did right and walked away. She did right in keeping her distance, but she didn’t stay far enough away from the man who would be her murderer. Eyewitnesses say he “lunged out of the vehicle … and threw her into the truck like a rag doll.” Some spectators ran after the truck, another tried to follow in his car, and still others called the police who issued an Amber Alert.

Owens’ murderer was eventually found. Speaking to the media, the prosecutor said the community had responded remarkably, and everything which could have been done had been done. Sadly, the operation had been a success, but ….

When I was a pastor in the parish, I saw many such instances.

No, none of our congregation’s children were ever physically kidnapped, but there were many who were spiritually stolen. These were children whose parents had brought them to church and Sunday school, who had had home devotions, and done all they could to share their faith within the family.

But then something happened.

Maybe the children got in with an unbelieving crowd, or a skeptical teacher had a terrible influence, or the youngsters felt themselves too sophisticated for Jesus. No matter the cause, they were gone.

When the crime became apparent, family and friends rallied together and tried to bring back their loved one. They prayed, they witnessed, they shared, and then they prayed some more. But their loved one remained lost. And they, like the community of Springfield, Missouri, wondered, “What could we have done differently? What could have prevented this tragedy?”

The answer is sadly simple: our children have the free will to walk away from the Lord, if they wish. No matter what God and family may want, it sometimes happens that our children forget Jesus, which is very discouraging. Still, as long as those children are on earth, there is hope. In the past, the Holy Spirit has brought back many wandering lambs, and He will do so in the future.

This is why this devotion encourages you to keep up the prayers, keep up the sharing, and let the Savior’s salvation story shine through your love.

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, we pray for our children. Keep them safe from the devil, the world, and themselves. For those who are wandering, let the Holy Spirit do that which will bring them back. This we pray in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

In Christ I remain His servant and yours,

Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour^®
Lutheran Hour Ministries

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