Pastor David Nehrenz
tlcnormanpastor@gmail.com
FROM THE PASTOR’S DESK
Dear Fellow Redeemed,
Greetings in the Lord Jesus Christ!
We continue in “The Fifty Days” from Easter to Ascension this month. Faith in God the Father through his Son Jesus Christ is worked by the power of the Holy Spirit. When the Gospel was proclaimed to you and when you were baptized, you were set apart as a son of God being connected to the Son of God. Men and women, young and old are all “sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.” Your purpose is to have this faith nurtured constantly in the water, soil and sunshine of God’s Word.
Love for your neighbor then is the reason you are still alive. This is not about getting your needs met. It is about meeting the needs of others. In your daily vocation as husband, wife, father, mother, child, employer, and employee, you will find ways to serve others through simple acts of selfless charity. Your purpose is to love others through “witness, mercy and life together” in your family, congregation and civic community.
One of the challenges we face every day is that we are looking for purpose in what we do. We see people who obtain wealth, fame and power, yet their lives are a complete mess. We see other people who are lazy and worthless and accomplish nothing good. We look at ourselves and each of us ask, “How can I have a meaningful life that exhibits faith in God and love for my neighbor?”
Pray every day for the Lord to direct your paths to the Divine Service on Sunday morning to receive his gifts of forgiveness of sins, life and salvation. Pray every day for the Lord to direct your paths to find unique ways to show love to your neighbor. You will then find a life filled with purpose, joy and fervor!
In our Lord,
Pastor Nehrenz
Vicar Tanner Sawall
tlcnormanvicar@gmail.com
FROM THE VICAR
“Wisdom cries aloud in the street, in the markets she raises her voice… How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple? How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing and fools hate knowledge?”
– Proverbs 1:20, 22
Wisdom cries aloud for all to hear. She goes about offering knowledge and understanding to any who would listen. This poetic way of describing wisdom as a mother or a beloved bride is a way to convey the preciousness and peacefulness of having wisdom.
But what is this wisdom that calls out for us? Solomon, carried by the Spirit of God, tells us “The fear of the Lord if the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” (9:10) Thus is this wisdom which calls out. And specifically, wisdom calls out from the pulpit of faithful churches, in the Bible studies of classrooms led by faithful pastors.
This is wisdom’s call for Christians to not neglect studying the Word of God. A Christian is called to hear the Word of the Lord, learn the Word of the Lord, and inwardly digest the Word of the Lord. For “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge” as well, and so wisdom and knowledge are intertwined in a symbiotic relationship. (1:7a)
The doctrines that God teaches within the Word is not only the wisdom that prolongs temporal life (10:27), but the armor of God as Saint Paul talks about in Ephesians 6. The sound doctrines of life – divine dogma – are the means by which God safeguards the soul and body from demonic attack.
To ignore Wisdom’s call is to be a fool. It is akin to going into the field of battle with no armor, no weapon, no shield. To neglect Wisdom’s voice is to build your house upon sand. But to hear Wisdom’s call and internalize it is to seek the fear of the Lord – “In the fear of the Lord one has a strong confidence…” (14:26a)
So let us stand with confidence against a world that killed our Lord in its hatred and hates us with equal fervor. Let us flee to the source of confidence that every Christian has – the Word, found both in Holy Scripture and in the Sacraments. Let us follow the third commandment and remember the Sabbath by keeping it holy. To keep it holy is to not neglect preaching and His Word.
Put on the impervious armor of God, banish the natural slothfulness, and gird yourself for war for the time of battle is already here. When you are encased in such strong and divine armor as pure doctrine – the good confession of Christ Jesus – the Lord will not let you fall. Heed wisdom’s call, come to church, eat and drink, and be refreshed for the Day of the Lord.
In Christ,
Vicar Sawall
