FROM THE BOARD OF ELDERS
Dear Fellow Redeemed,
As we continue to work through the call process, I am encouraged to pass along that we have received our list of candidates from the district office and have begun the process of vetting through this list. We have completed an initial review of the candidates and will have additional rounds of review in the near future to determine our best “fit” candidate(s) for our congregation. Please remain patient as this is time consuming and we are doing our best to accurately pinpoint the best candidate(s) to be brought to the voter’s assembly for consideration. The Lord has blessed us in many ways since we have begun this journey and we welcome continued prayers for our church and the vacancy situation we are faced with. With Vicar leaving mid-July, the elders will have additional duties and responsibilities to overlook, so we ask for understanding and assistance where needed to keep our church moving in a forward direction.
The month of July is always a good time to remind ourselves of God’s institution of both the Church and the State. This is shared every year with you during this month: The State: Independence Day is July 4th, and then later came the founding of our constitutional, democratic, federal republic – the United States of America. It was and is a great blessing for temporal life and grants us our civic freedoms. God established the State as His “minister (servant)” as it says in Romans 13:1-7 ”
The authorities that exist have been established by God…do what is right and he will commend you…he is God’s servant to do you good…he does not bear the sword for nothing…he is God’s servant (minister), an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer…the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing.” (The State is called “The Kingdom of the God’s Left Hand”- it has the office of the sword and rules by civil government) The Church: Established by the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, it continues today in Word and Sacrament – the holy, universal, apostolic Church – and gives great blessings of eternal life and spiritual freedom. God established the Church as His “minister” as it says in 2 Corinthians 4:1 “Since through God’s mercy we have this ministry…we do not preach ourselves but Jesus Christ as Lord….” and in 5:18 “All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, not counting men’s trespasses against them.” Also, in 1 Corinthians 4:1 “Men ought to regard us as ministers/servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the secret things (sacraments/mysteries) of God” (The Church is called “The Kingdom of God’s Right Hand” – it has the office of the keys and rules by Word and Sacrament) During this month, as we take time to recreate, we commit ourselves anew to the unique work of Christ’s great commission – bringing the Gospel to the nations and the nations to the church. Though we thank the Lord for the blessings we have in this country, we know that the Gospel is meant to be proclaimed to all nations. As we travel around the country during our summer vacations, we all marvel at the beauty of this land and nation. We can live free lives and faithfully proclaim the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ – from sea to shining sea.
In our Lord Jesus Christ,
Kurt Schweiger, Chairman, Board of Elders
Vicar Seth Horn
FROM THE VICAR
It’s been 12 months since I arrived here at Trinity Lutheran Church in Norman, OK. I’ve learned much since being here. I learned how to preach, teach, visit, and many more things a vicar tends to learn about during his 3rd year. For 5ish months, I had the typical vicar experience. A “you tell me jump, and I ask “how high”” kind of experience. But things would change. To be left with a congregation, having to be “the guy”, and being handed the keys is something a vicar rarely gets to experience. I returned from my winter vacation heartbroken, anxious, and sure that I was not up to the task. The perfect cocktail for failure. But when I stepped up to the lectern that first Sunday without Pastor Nehrenz, seeing all the uncertainty in your eyes, I felt something I had not yet felt during my vicarage: compassion. I don’t mean the regular kind, but the kind described in Matthew 9:35-38: “But when He (Jesus) saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.” The kind of compassion that makes you do something. So, I have spent my vicarage trying to show compassion. I could have just continued my role as the vicar like everyone else. Say “it’s not my problem” or “I’m just the vicar”. But the Holy Spirit has forbidden me from doing so. Yet, it still was so much to bear. Many times, I thought about dropping out once vicarage was over because if I cannot handle the weight now, I’ll never be able to handle it when I’m ordained. By early March, I made up my mind to conclude my studies once vicarage was over and return home. Sure, I could pass vicarage with no reservations (which I did) but was it because I’m truly suited for the pastoral office or because I was dealt an unfair hand? Will I fly under the radar because I said “yes sir” enough times? I needed to be utterly convinced. The Lord heard my demands and answered in kind. Around Confirmation Sunday I realized that I am right where I belong. Confirming the kids, watching all the people from my Adult Class come into the church, and seeing that God used a tool like me to do it was enough for me. That Christ gave me the strength to carry on and see things through to the end. So, thank you. Thank you for the opportunity to see what it’s like to be a shepherd. To have my heart of stone replaced with a heart of flesh. I will always be thankful for my time here.
In Christ,
Vicar Horn
