"Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." Ephesians 5:19–20 (NIV)

The Bible frequently encourages God’s people to sing. We wisely heed God’s Word that music is a blessing from God himself.

But we do not sing for mere amusement or entertainment. The Church sings for a much higher purpose. We sing words that convey eternal truths and give praise to the God who saved us. We sing because God’s gift of music causes the message of the gospel to linger in our hearts – you will often go home from worship with a song in your heart, perhaps recalling it word-for-word. What a magnificent gift God has given us in music.

The devil loves to distort any gift that God gives to us. He wants music to be about personal opinions and selfish feelings. God’s gift of music unites us with saint and angels in heaven to praise God and reflect on his grace to us in sending Jesus to be our Savior. Sing in worship and in life! Sing the Word of God that we find in countless hymns and liturgical songs. Sing with joy as you recall all the wonders of God’s creation and all the ways he blesses his people. Let the gift of music be a treasure as you worship your Lord.

Pastor Aufdemberge

Pastor Kneser

Pastor Wempner

Pastor Zarling

"Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless." Ephesians 5:25–27 (NIV)

Paul’s inspired description of the church (believers) seems a bit idealistic, even unrealistic, doesn’t it? “Radiant”? “Without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless?” Really!? In the midst of persecution, rejection, divisions, and a laundry list of individual failures and sins, the church (and so the believers) appear weak and struggling.

That’s not what God sees! He sees his church, including our congregation and you as a believer, through the work of Jesus who has wiped away every sin and made us to be perfect in his sight. God sees Christ in us as we hold to him in faith. He sees us shining with the light of faith and love in all we do.

For now, it requires faith for us to see what God sees. But let there be no doubt: what God sees is more real than what we see! Let your guilt, doubts, and fears hear again how God describes you in these verses. The people God calls "radiant" are the people he has called to serve him and witness to his forgiveness. Jesus has equipped you for the moments God has set before you.

Continue to live by faith so that you see the reality of who you (and we) are. And when you might be tempted to forget that, read Ephesians 5:25-27 again.

Pastor Aufdemberge

Pastor Kneser

Pastor Wempner

Pastor Zarling

Last week, we read a section from The Preface of Luther’s Large Catechism. It has a strong encouragement to take spiritual growth seriously and to avoid the sin of complacency. Below is the final section of The Preface that again offers a warning, but it concludes with the assurance that God’s Word will work in your heart.

Make time for worship, Bible Class, and personal devotions/Bible reading. As you are contemplating God’s love, your faith will grow!

Therefore, I again beg all Christians—especially pastors and preachers—not to think of themselves as doctors too soon and imagine that they know everything. (For imagination, like unshrunk cloth, will fall far short of the measure.) Instead, they should daily exercise themselves well in these studies and constantly use them. Furthermore, they should guard with all care and diligence against the poisonous infection of contentment and vain imagination, but steadily keep on reading, teaching, learning, pondering, and meditating on the catechism. And they should not stop until they have tested and are sure that they have taught the devil to death, and have become more learned than God Himself and all His saints.

If they show such diligence, then I will promise them—and they shall also see—what fruit they will receive, and what excellent people God will make of them. So in due time they themselves will admit that the longer and the more they study the catechism, the less they know of it and the more they will find to learn. Only then, as hungry and thirsty men, will they truly relish what now they cannot stand because of great abundance and contentment. To this end may God grant His grace! Amen. Large Catechism, Preface: 19-20

Pastor Aufdemberge

Pastor Kneser

Pastor Wempner

Pastor Zarling

On September 7, we will begin another "season" of Sunday morning Bible Class. Bible Class is an important opportunity for spiritual growth. We discuss topics and answers questions that are not usually addressed in a worship service or sermon. New habits are difficult, but please consider forming the habit of including Bible Class in our Sunday morning routine. The time in God’s Word will be valuable!

In the following section from the Preface to Luther’s Large Catechism, Martin Luther comments on the personal benefits he received from regularly studying God’s Word. (He was talking about the benefits of the Catechism, but you could easily substitute Bible Class and his important point remains!)

But for myself I say this: I am also a doctor and preacher; yes, as learned and experienced as all the people who have such assumptions and contentment. Yet I act as a child who is being taught the catechism. Every morning—and whenever I have time—I read and say, word for word, the Ten Commandments, the Creed, the Lord’s Prayer, the Psalms, and such. I must still read and study them daily. Yet I cannot master the catechism as I wish. But I must remain a child and pupil of the catechism, and am glad to remain so. Yet these delicate, refined fellows would in one reading promptly become doctors above all doctors, know everything, and need nothing. Well, this, too, is a sure sign that they despise both their office and the souls of the people. Indeed, they even despise God and His Word. They do not have to fall. They have already fallen all too horribly. They need to become children and begin to learn their alphabet, which they imagine they have long outgrown.

Therefore, for God’s sake I beg such lazy bellies or arrogant saints to be persuaded and believe that they are truly, truly not so learned or such great doctors as they imagine! They should never assume that they have finished learning the parts of the catechism or know it well enough in all points, even though they think that they know it ever so well. For even if they know and understand the catechism perfectly (which, however, is impossible in this life), there are still many benefits and fruits to be gained, if it is daily read and practiced in thought and speech. For example, the Holy Spirit is present in such reading, repetition, and meditation. He bestows ever new and more light and devoutness. In this way the catechism is daily loved and appreciated better, as Christ promises in Matthew 18:20, “For where two or three are gathered in My name, there am I among them.”

Besides, catechism study is a most effective help against the devil, the world, the flesh, and all evil thoughts. It helps to be occupied with God’s Word, to speak it, and meditate on it, just as the first Psalm declares people blessed who meditate on God’s Law day and night (Psalm 1:2). Certainly you will not release a stronger incense or other repellant against the devil than to be engaged by God’s commandments and words, and speak, sing, or think them. For this is indeed the true “holy water” and “holy sign” from which the devil runs and by which he may be driven away.
Large Catechism, Preface: 9-10

Pastor Aufdemberge

Pastor Kneser

Pastor Wempner

Pastor Zarling