Trinity Lutheran Church

From the Pastor
David Nehrenz

Dear Saints in Christ,

Every October, I reminisce about attending Reformation Festival Concerts at large auditoriums in Cleveland, Ohio where I was raised. It used to be that thousands of people went downtown to hear a powerful sermon on "Grace, Faith and Scripture Alone," by a famous pastor or professor. A chorus of hundreds, let by an orchestra, would sing inspiring Reformation chorales. We would, of course, all sing the hymn "A Mighty Fortress."

Sadly, those days are gone now. But not next year! 2017 is the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther's nailing of the 95 Theses on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany on October 31, 1517. We are going to be having an Oklahoma District Reformation Festival, next year, on October 29, 2017 at Messiah Lutheran Church in OKC. As 1st V.P of the district, I am head of the planning committee for this joyous event. Put it on your calendar now!

Everything we do in our Church, School and Campus ministry revolves around these essential truths: We are saved by grace alone through faith alone in Jesus Christ as revealed in Scripture alone. This is as important now as it was 500 years ago. With all the sects, cults and false religions surrounding us, it is essential to be faithful to the Word of God in our generation.

We can never turn away from our responsibilities to be true to Scripture, the Book of Concord, the preaching of the Gospel and administration of the Sacraments. The world does not realize it, but it needs what we have to offer. The divine service, liturgy, creeds, psalms, hymns and the proclaiming of the law and the gospel can truly meet peoples' need for forgiveness of sins, life and salvation. We are not here to merely meet people's "felt needs." We are here to meet their "real needs" which are repentance, faith and a new life in Christ!

May we boldly dedicate ourselves to this work. We will only get grief and even persecution from our increasingly pagan and debauched world. But we will not be dissuaded from this God-given task. Until our Lord Jesus Christ returns, be faithful in attending the divine service, studying God's Word and serving him within your own vocation and calling. After all, it is God's work we are doing!

Sincerely,
Pastor Nehrenz

Notes for this month:

1. International Lutheran Womens Missionary League Sunday is Oct. 2. The theme this year is "Come and See!" Let us pray for their continuing service! Everyone get a Mite Box and collect your change and gifts for LWML!
2. On Sunday Oct. 16 at 12:00 noon is the Voters Meeting for the initial presentation of the proposed Church Work Program for 2017.
3. On Sunday Oct. 30, we will also have our annual Reformation and Mission Sunday with our former vicar and now Pastor Marcus Zill. He will preach and make a presentation during the 9:15 a.m. Bible class hour. Pastor Zill is now the head of LCMS-U, the campus ministry organization for our Synod!

From the Vicar
Eric Bednash

Three months into vicarage and the days are flying by, which means I must be having fun. The Lord is faithful and good, He watches over and provides for us in every way. The Lord has given us life to live and so much more in which we do not deserve. As we go about our duties every day it can be easy to lose focus on what really matters and what should be central to our lives. In our hectic schedules we lose focus because of different tasks or jobs, unexpected accidents or problems, and we often look for comfort and peace. Unfortunately we may seek out this comfort and peace in places or things other than the Lord. This is a great danger, for if we lose focus on what truly matters, we might begin to put our faith in things other than the Lord. We may begin to look to our possession as true comfort for the busy life in which we live, therefore making work, possessions, vacations, entertainment, or whatever it may be our gods.

The Lord has given us these things because He loves us, and He has even laid His own life down for us, undeservedly. We are not to take all that the Lord has given us and hoard it up as if to store up earthly treasures, for these things pass away. We are to store up heavenly treasure. We are to be good stewards of all things that the Lord has given us. We are to watch over, grow, and use the things of this earth. For the Lord has put them there for our pleasure and His purpose. Rather than looking to gather these things up to compare our wealth to those around us. Instead we are to use all things for the glory of God.

"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth, and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do no break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Matthew 6:19- 21

We have been forgiven by the Lord, a gift we could never gain ourselves. Forgiveness is Heavenly treasure. Therefore, we live lives according to the Lord. We live as God's Children, using all of our time, our talents, and our treasures for His glory and purpose. For the Lord did not come into our midst through His Son, in order to hoard up possessions, eat, drink, or be merry, but to serve and give. Serve His people by giving His life, in order that He may gather, not possessions, but us up into Him forever. With Christ's example of the suffering servant who lays His life down for all people, we are to serve God by serving others. We are not selfish, because the Lord is not selfish, this is the Christian life. We are happy to serve others, by supporting our brothers and sisters in the church through whatever means necessary. We all have been given different talents and abilities, or responsibilities and wealth. We use these things to help spread the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, who died and rose again. This is what really matters, Jesus Christ giving us forgiveness. This is the focus that should not be lost, we love God and we love our neighbors. So let us live as Christians, examples of Christ to the world, in forgiveness and selflessness.

Vicar Bednash

(...Campus Ministry News...)