Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

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I hope that you are having an enjoyable summer filled with picnics with family and friends, pleasant vacations, and enjoyable trips to the lake.  As summer begins to wind down, it seems we are pulled in so many different directions with just a few short weeks left to get in all those activities we planned for the season.

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But even as I enjoy these same events, I must admit that I really look forward to getting back to a "normal" Sunday morning when you're all here.  After such a busy summer, does it ever seem like there is a new and exciting reason each week not to come to church?  On Sunday morning as you're deciding what to do with your time, do you ever find yourself asking the question, "Why do I have to come to church each week?"  As your Pastor, I would like to encourage you to rephrase that question and consider it from a Gospel perspective: "What are the blessings I receive when I attend the family reunion at my Father's house each week?"?

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There are three areas in which the Lord blesses you through the Divine Service:

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Your Life

The main reason to attend worship each week is that you receive gifts from the Lord that are found nowhere else.  In the Divine Service, God serves you!  He gives you His Word and sacraments.  In Holy Absolution, you hear it from Christ Himself, "I forgive you all your sins."  In the Sacrament of the Altar, Jesus gives to you His very Body and Blood for the forgiveness of your sins and the strengthening of your faith.  Through these gifts, the LORD makes you holy and gives you the gift of eternal life.  Do you want to be sure of your salvation?  Come to the Divine Service and hear the Lord say to you, "You are forgiven.  Go in peace!"

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Your Congregation

In your Baptism, the Lord made you a part of the body of Christ.  The Lord has connected you to other people through His Name and through His Body and Blood.  He gathers us together every week to encourage one another.  Have you had a wonderful week?  Come and join your brothers and sisters in Christ giving thanks.  Perhaps  your week has been difficult and you need the support of others.  And it's not just about you.  Some people in the congregation need the care and concern that only you can give!

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Your Community

Finally, the gifts that you receive in the Divine Service don't stop with you, but flow through you to everyone else in your life: your family, your friends, your co-workers, your neighbors.  Do you find it difficult to forgive others?  Are you looking for the fruit of the Spirit in your life: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control?  In the Divine Service, you receive these gifts in abundance.  They are here for you, for free!  Come and receive!

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​​See you in Church, my friends.  God's richest blessings! 

Pastor M. <t>

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