Pastor David Nehrenz
FROM THE PASTOR’S DESK
Dear Saints in Christ,
We will celebrate this month the October 31st, 1517 posting of the 95 Theses on the Castle Church door in Wittenberg, Germany. Reformation Sunday will be celebrated on October 26. Our motto is “Sola Scriptura – Sola Gratia – Sola Fides” (Scripture Alone – Grace Alone -Faith Alone) as professed in our confessional writings – “The Book of Concord.”
Here are some words about the importance of preaching the pure Gospel of Jesus Christ. Our Lutheran forefathers in the faith wrote in the Epitome of the Formula of Concord in 1580:
“We believe, teach, and confess that the prophetic and apostolic writings of the Old and New Testaments are the only rule and norm according to which all doctrines and teachers alike must be appraised and judged, as it is written in Ps. 119:105, “Thy word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” And St. Paul says in Gal. 1:8, “Even if an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to that which we preached to you, let him be accursed.”
Other writings of ancient and modern teachers, whatever their names, should not be put on a par with Holy Scripture. Every single one of them should be subordinated to the Scriptures and should be received in no other way and no further than as witnesses to the fashion in which the doctrine of the prophets and apostles was preserved in post-apostolic times.
What a joy to proclaim these timeless truths in the midst of a world surrounded by lies and falsehood. We can boldly announce that God has redeemed us through His Son Jesus Christ – the Way, the Truth and the Life!
Everything we do in our church, Early Learning Center 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 508 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 David Nehrenz
International Lutheran Womens Missionary League Sunday is Oct. 5
The theme this year is “Proclaiming Christ”
Let us pray for their continuing service!
We will install the LWML Board at the 10:30 a.m. service.
Everyone get a Mite Box and collect your change and gifts for LWML!
Vicar Seth Horn
FROM THE VICAR
The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. 2 Therefore an overseer must be…the husband of one wife… – 1 Timothy 3:1-2
Hello and God’s blessings to you once again! Last month, we began to look at the qualifications of one who desires to be a pastor. We discussed the difference between the internal call and external call of the pastor. This month, we will continue to look at a specific qualification of a pastor who is married. These qualifications are meant to clarify what a pastoral candidate is to do and not to do, so that no charges can be brought against him.
This time around, St. Paul mentions that someone who is to be in the office must “be the husband of one wife”. There are several things we can see from this. First, St. Paul is saying that a man is the one to enter the office of Holy Ministry. Secondly, he is railing against polygamy which was rampant in those days. Thirdly, a man must have only one wife. All of this is to point back to the way God intended things to be since the beginning.
A woman is not permitted to be a pastor as per Scripture because of the Order of Creation. Also a pastor should not have multiple spouses at one time. Some may point to the Patriarch’s and their multiple wives, but we must remember that God did not want that for them.
To sum it all up, it is important for a pastor to be dedicated to his wife and love her. Because he is mimicking Jesus Christ who loves the church. And Christ as the bidegroom is faithful to only one lady, the bride, who is the Church.
In Christ,
Vicar Horn
NOTE FROM PASTOR:
The Order of Creation and the Order of Salvation operate side by side.
In the Order of Salvation, all Christians are in the same situation when it comes to our salvation. Whether man, woman or child, we are all saved by grace through faith in Christ. There is no distinction even between nationality, country and language.
In the Order of Creation, we all have unique vocations as husband, wife, father, mother, children. Christ is the head of the church. The husband is the head of the wife. Father and mother are the heads over their children.
Thus, the Pastoral Office is reserved to men who serve as the shepherd of the parish, in which there are family units, in which the husband / father is the head of his own house.
What a blessing our families and our churches are to us!
