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WEEKLY DEVOTION JANUARY 25

Tuesday, JANUARY 25, 2021

Pastor Bruce Kischnick, Grace Lutheran Church, New Albany, IN

“The Rest of the Story”

READING: Luke 2:41ff; Matthew 3:13-15 – Every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover. When he was twelve years old, they went up to the Feast, according to the custom. After the Feast was over, while his parent were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their family and friends. When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions…Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them.

Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” Jesus said, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented.

When my siblings and I cleaned out the attic in our parents’ house last fall, we found some odd and interesting things for which we had no knowledge or information. One of those items now hangs on the wall in my garage. It’s a road sign. It reads “M-24”. M-24 is a two-lane highway that runs from Unionville, on the north flank of “The Thumb” of Michigan directly south all the way to Detroit. We’ve all driven on that highway at some point, as it cuts through Caro, the county seat of our home county of Tuscola. What we don’t know is how and why our father had come into possession of that sign? The sign is in “like new” condition so it doesn’t appear to have been an old cast off. Did he steal it in some teenage prank? Did he buy it in an auction as part of a larger consignment of items? We don’t know, and we probably never will. We’d all like to know “the rest of the story!”

Don’t you which you knew more about Jesus’ childhood, his teenage years, and his early life as a carpenter in Nazareth? We have information given us by the Scriptures regarding his birth, his circumcision and presentation at the temple, the Magi’s visit and the flight to Egypt. Then one story at age 12…and then nothing until he comes to be baptized by John at the Jordan. That’s it! Christians through the ages have wondered and wished for more. Some took to writing fiction about him, imagining what he might have been like and what he might have done, but most of those veered into flights of fancy so strange as to be comical. We wish we had more, but the Holy Spirit chose not to unveil more of that early life and with good reason.

The story of Jesus focuses on his ministry, his teachings, and his actions on our behalf. All of those began with his baptism and the temptations in the wilderness. His childhood, outside his birth and the drama surrounding it, was ordinary in many ways. He was obedient to his parents, went to Hebrew School, did chores, had his Bar Mitzvah, apprenticed with his father and other carpenters, and went to Synagogue faithfully. He did what most of the other Jewish boys of his day did. Those things were important to his formation as a Jew and as a man, but none of those things were particularly important to OUR salvation. Once he comes to the Jordan to be baptized and receives the Holy Spirit’s power and the Father’s commission, the real work of salvation begins. Then things get REALLY interesting and important for our sakes.

Maybe someday we’ll get “the rest of the story”. Our curiosity may be satisfied. We may also discover that those years were very much like ours: highs and lows, lessons learned, doing chores, living with family, grieving our losses, growing in our knowledge and trust of the Lord, and wondering what our future might hold. Whatever Jesus did, he did well and without sin. But, as a boy and as a young man, these were years of growth and preparation for the task ahead. The things God most wanted us to know, we have in four Gospels that together give us an amazing picture of his Son’s acts of redemption and sacrifice for our sakes. That’s the best of it!

Some of you may recall a story I told about a picture taken in the early 1940’s that showed my Grandfather Kischnick, his brother, Clarence, my dad and my Uncle Earl, and some neighbors posing on and around an old Model A Ford car with a steer inside the car looking at the camera through a window. The granddaughter of one of the neighbors had discovered the picture and wondered what the circumstances had been. She realized that they only one in the picture who was still living was my father. She sent the picture to my sister who showed it to Dad. He laughed as he told her the story. That steer kept eluding the neighbors when they tried to round him up with the others to take them to winter quarters. They finally used Grandpa’s old beater to chase down the steer, rope him, and bring him to the farmstead. After several glasses of celebratory home-made wine, they wondered if they could get the steer into the car. The photograph was proof-positive they succeeded. That was one time we got “the rest of the story.”

PRAYER:

ANNOUNCEMENT(S):

1) TBA

Youtube Video: https://youtu.be/ejuKYVXzPNY

pastork@glcna.com — (502) 797-7407

PRINTABLE PDF: WDJan25.PDF

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WEEKLY DEVOTION JANUARY 24

Monday, January 23, 2021

Pastor Matthew Woods from Grace Lutheran Church in New Albany, Indiana

“The Scent of Grace”

What is your favorite smell? Is it associated with a person, a food, a memory…why is it your favorite? I can’t say that I have a favorite smell. But I do know that when I smell good food cooking it makes me hungry. I know that when I work with cedar it has a very pleasant smell compared to oak. There is a reason most prefer a cedar closet over an oak closet.

Consider how much work we put into covering up our humanity in every corner of our lives. Along with soaps, body washes and shampoos that we clean ourselves with are also the deodorants, perfumes, skin creams, foot products, and so on. What about our clothes? Our laundry detergent and our bounce drier sheets make our clothes, our towels and our bedding all smell good.

When we go out on a date, we do our best not to smell human. You know what that is. B.O., bad breath, sweaty feet, dirty underwear, or week-old clothes. No way. Take a shower. Put on the deodorant, brush the teeth, and pop the breath mints.

Cleanliness is always associated with things that smell good. When we sell a house, we want it to smell like fresh cookies not like a litter box. The fact is if it smells good then we like it. If it doesn’t smell good, we avoid it or cast it out.

We don’t buy scented candles that smell like a dirty garbage can or like skunks or road kill. Once upon a time when our church in Michigan was picking up garbage along the road, I happened to find a half-full milk carton. I pick that thing up and it blew my hair back. Man, that was a shock. Very bad.

The golden rule in disaster recovery when house has been in a flood and the house has been without power for a long time—do not open the refrigerator. Leave it closed. What’s inside that frig is angry. And you won’t like it when it is angry. The smell of a refrigerator full of food that has been off for weeks, especially in hot climates, will traumatize you for life.

The sense of smell will draw us close to something or it may repel us from something. And what’s interesting is that the same smell may be pleasing to one person but fowl to the next. Just ask anyone who has been pregnant or has gone through cancer treatments. One’s sense of smell may become highly sensitive. What smells good to one person may not smell good to another.

So today with noses in mind we turn to 2 Corinthians 2:14-17. Take a listen. 14 But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere. 15 For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. 16 To the one we are an aroma that brings death; to the other, an aroma that brings life. And who is equal to such a task? 17 Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, as those sent from God.

For a Jewish believer this would immediately bring to mind the Temple sacrifices and burnt offerings which were often described as a “pleasing aroma to the Lord” (Genesis 8:20-21 and Numbers 28:27 for example.) Does the Lord have a nose? Well, he sure fashioned noses and put them on every human being so they must be important. We also note that incense was often used that the Temple and closely associated with the prayers of the people. “Let my prayers rise before you as incense and the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice” (Psalm 141:2). When Zechariah was in the Temple he was burning incense and praying when the Angel appeared to him announcing the birth of John the Baptizer. Incense and smells are often associated with worship. Yesterday, in our Gospel lesson from Luke 7:36-50 there is special mention of the perfume that is poured out on Jesus’ feet as she wept at Jesus’ feet in repentance and worship.

Here in 2 Corinthians 2:14-17 Paul is mixing an image of Roman triumph with aromas that go with it. Familiar to a Gentile, especially in Rome, a Roman Triumph was a parade often after a Roman victory over an enemy. During such parades captives of war would be marched through the streets as garlands of flowers were carried and incense was burned to the gods. The aromatic perfumes wafted on the air as spectators and those in the procession breathed in their fragrance. At the parade’s finale, many prisoners would be put to death. Thus, the aromas were pleasing and life-giving to the victors, but they were the smell of death to those who had been defeated.

In Paul’s analogy believers carry the scent of grace. To those who are perishing we carry the scent of death and are naturally repelling to the unbeliever. Knowing Jesus gives us a specific smell of Christ. The Gospel has a specific smell and our knowledge of it has an aroma, a pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved. It is a welcome smell.

The scent of grace is all over everything that is of Jesus. Ephesians 5:1-3 refers to Jesus as the fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. The scent of grace is also in every act of grace that God’s people give. Philippians 4:17-19 speaks of gifts given in Jesus as fragrant offerings, sacrifices, pleasing to God just like the sacrifices of the Temple.

It turns out that God likes things that smell good just like we do. Yesterday in our Gospel from Luke 7:36-50 the sinful woman poured perfume on Jesus’ feet. The perfume really reflected the repentance of the woman. In John 12 at another anointing, this time by Mary, the sister of Lazarus, anoints Jesus with a nard of perfume. Again, it is a scent associated with faith and worship. On the other hand, Jesus is repelled at things like arrogance and death. Such things repel Jesus and have no place in God’s kingdom.

Ever wonder what heaven may smell like? One can only guess. One thing is for sure, it will smell like life, maybe like spring. Lord willing life is what other sense in us.

So, how we smell is important. Smelling good usually means that we are clean and we are trying to put our best foot forward. We have a spiritual smell as well. And the same applies. To be a pleasing aroma in Christ means we are cleansed of our sins in Baptism. We are dressed in Christ’s righteousness, robes made clean in the blood of Jesus’ cross. And since clothes often carry the scent of the one who has worn them, the clothes of righteousness in every believer has the scent of our Heavenly Father as well. These are after all clothes from heaven. It permeates our souls like smells get into our skin or hair. It lingers on us when we reach out with the Gospel. And our actions are like sacrifices to the Lord that are pleasing aromas because they are offered in faith. We are meant to smell like heaven, like Jesus who gave everything for our salvation. The grace of God has a scent which identifies us as God’s people and covers us with the scent of life. Faith in Jesus makes you smell great.

Pastor Matthew Woods

John 3:30

PRINTABLE PDF: WDJan24.PDF

Youtube Video: https://youtu.be/N8JNXF9L_3I

matt.woods@glcna.com — (502) 523-9327

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HELP NEEDED:

The adult children of one of our elderly couples is looking to hire someone on a regular basis to assist their parents with light housework and minor maintenance chores. They would prefer someone from Grace but would happily accept recommendations for others. If you have interest in this, please contact Pastor Kischnick. He can tell you more about it.

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A Missionary? Me?

Ladies Bible Study
Wednesday mornings
Began January 19th
10:30 AM – church Board Room.
Eight reflections written by women serving in the mission field.

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OBITUARY
Lisa Lynn Bailey (Frost)

Woodbridge, CT

May 24, 1966 – January 3, 2022

Lisa Lynn (Frost) Bailey passed away on January 3, 2022, after a long battle with cancer. She was 55 years old. Lisa was born May 24, 1966 in Louisville, KY.

Her family was the most important part of her life. Her family was everything to her and no matter how far apart everyone was, she found a way to stay connected. Lisa was preceded in death by her father, William (Bill) Frost, and her mother, Lucie (Thomas) Keller. She is survived by her husband of 7 years Dale Bailey Jr., her brothers William (Tom) Frost, William (David) Frost, and Kyle Frost, her children Michael (Amanda) Weldon and Melissa (Former partner Bradley) Prater, Her Step-son Johnathan (Andrew) Bailey, and granddaughter Lillian Prater.

They invite you to join them for a memorial service at Grace Lutheran Church New Albany on Saturday, January 29 at 1 pm. All are welcome.

We will have refreshments in the fireside room after the service.

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YOU ARE INVITED
SUNDAY AFTERNOONS
STARTED JANUARY 16, 2022
3:00PM—5:00PM
FIRESIDE ROOM
FOR MORE INFO CLICK HERE!

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Thursday’s Saints Bible Class

Led by Pastor Kischnick
Thursdays—Church Fireside Room — 10:30-11:30 am.
We would love to have you join us! Please stop by and check it out.

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JANUARY WORSHIP SCHEDULE

Saturday, January 29 — 5:00 pm
Sunday, January 30 — 8:00 & 10:30 AM
Saturday, February 5 — 5:00 pm
Sunday, February 6 — *8:00 & 10:30 am
Saturday, February 12 — *5:00 pm
Sunday, February 13 — 8:00 & *10:30 am
Saturday, February 19 — *5:00 pm
Sunday, February 20 — *8:00 & 10:30 am
Saturday, February 26 — 5:00 pm
Sunday, February 27 — 8:00 & *10:30 am
*Communion

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LWML Quilts NEWS

In the last few weeks, the Lutheran Women’s
Missionary League has distributed sixty quilts.
Fourteen 60” x 80” quilts were shipped to Lutheran
World Relief. Nine full size quilts and twelve baby quilts were sent to Hope Southern Indiana. Choices Resource Center was given six baby quilts, and twelve lap quilts were handed out to food pantry recipients and seven blankets to Jesus Cares at Exit 0.
Thank you to Joyce Schoch, Nancy Dietrich, and Selma Dempster who pieced the quilts together. Becky Fetz who put the backs on the quilts and Becky and Colleen Garber for surging the quilts and the many ladies who tacked the quilts. We will resume tacking quilts as soon as it is safe to do so.

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CHILDREN’S MINISTRY NOTES

Grace Notes started as a children’s version of the confirmation level Sermon Notes. It has grown to two full pages front and back with Bible verses according to the weekly church readings, pictures illustrating stories or verses, a prayer box, and puzzles. Grace Notes are part of the Grace Packs (single use church bags) available on Sundays.

Grace Notes are an awesome way to build on the online service as an opportunity for devotion and discussion.

Grace Online – Children’s Bible Lessons!

FOLLOW THIS LINK TO THE CHILDRENS MINISTRY PAGE!

Children’s Ministry Contact Information
Email: sabrina.haug@glcna.com
Phone/Text: 502-386-6371
Facebook: Grace Lutheran Children’s Ministry
Web: www.glcna.org – click Children’s Ministry in right-side Index

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For more information (Your Bulletin) check out
NEWS & TIDBITS at the top right box

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For more Devotions check out RECENT DEVOTIONS
at the top right box

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CHECK OUT BAPTISM – OBITS

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For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works so that no one can boast. — Ephesians 2:8-9
https://glcna.org/wp-admin/admin.php?page=cgmp-documentation

Welcome to the Grace Lutheran Church and School web site. There is a variety of information here regarding our congregation and our beliefs. Lutherans are Bible-believing, sacramental Christians who trace their roots back to Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation. There have been Lutherans since 1517, particularly in Germany and Scandanavia. Lutherans in America followed large immigrations from Europe in the 1840’s and 1850’s.

The congregation at Grace was founded in 1927 in a small room over a pool hall on State Street in New Albany. The congregation moved to Tenth and Oak, then to Charlestown Road, before building its current facilities on Klerner Lane in 1974. The congregation now numbers just over 1100 souls. We worship at 8:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. on Sundays and at 5:00 p.m. on Saturday evenings. The pastors are Rev. Bruce Kischnick and Rev. Matt Woods.