Tuesday, MAY 30, 2023

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

“Let The Little Children Come…”

READING: Mark 10:13-16 – People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them.

Last Sunday after Pastors Class was done and I was coming home, I pulled into our cul-de-sac and was greeted with the sight of our two little neighbor girls and a friend dressed in their bathing suits and running through a sprinkler on the front lawn. They were squealing with delight whenever the cold water caught them, but they were having a great time. Their two mothers were seated in lawn chairs in their driveway keeping an eye on the girls. I started to slowly pull into my driveway when I had an idea.

I made a circle in the cul-de-sac and then very slowly drove up into the neighbor’s driveway and stopped my car. One of the moms came over to the window and I said, “How about those girls washing off my car? A bird left its calling card there on my windshield and everything is dusty so I’m thinking they could wash me up.” She thought it a great idea and when she told the girls what I wanted, they were immediately for it. I closed my windows and they went to work, holding up the sprinkler and giving my car a good wash down. They did the windshield and the hood, then I waved them to first one side and then the other. After they finished, they set the sprinkler back on the lawn and came over to my driver’s side window.

When I rolled the window down, one of them said, “Give us some money!” (That one will go far, I’m sure!) I motioned them closer to me and in a soft voice I said, “Girls, I will give each of you a dollar if you take that sprinkler and get your moms wet.” They were immediately “all in” and with shouts and giggles they manned the sprinkler and gave the two moms a little shower! The mothers reacted with protests and rebukes, while I in the safety of my car had a great laugh. Then the girls came back to my window and I gave each one a nice green dollar bill. When I was safely parked in my own driveway, I shouted to the moms that watching them get sprinkled was worth every penny!

The laughter of children at play is some of the sweetest music we can hear. The sound of children in our worship services should give us equal joy. Sure, sometimes those sounds aren’t all that sweet: they shout out, cry, squeal, scream. Sometimes they knock a toy against the pew. From time to time a parent has to carry a squirming, struggling little one out of the sanctuary for a break. But the day there are no sounds of children in our worship services will be the day the death-knell of Grace will have sounded. The children of today are the church of tomorrow. No children would mean no church in short order.

Jesus had a special love for and joy in children. In his day children were meant to be seen and not heard. Among the people who counted themselves important, children were a bother to be pushed aside and kept under the care of the women. Even the disciples wanted the mothers to keep their children away from the Master. They thought he had more important things to do than to give a blessing to these squirmy, grubby, snot-nosed children. Jesus, however, rebukes the disciples and says that only those who humble themselves as the children did would see the kingdom of heaven. Children were, and still are, a tremendous gift from above, to be valued and loved as Jesus valued and loved them.

I am so glad that Grace has seen the wisdom and need to establish a new staff position, Family Life Director, to minister to our young parents and their young children. That person will be especially attentive to families with children from birth to about fourth grade. At that point our Youth Director, Rose, will take them under her wing. I am also looking forward to welcoming back Mitzi Lyon Schmelz, our former Youth Director, to set the foundation for this new ministry. Since the Pandemic, we had noticed a marked loss of interest and participation in all of our children’s programs from Grace on Wednesday to Sunday School. Our aim is to encourage and re-engage our young families to see their children grow in Christ and in their love for all God’s gifts.

I suspect my neighbor ladies may find a way to repay me for their cold shower of Sunday. Be that as it may, the sound of those girls’ squeals and laughter will be worth the price. And, when you hear the sounds of children in our worship services, give God thanks for every one of them. They are our gifts and a precious heritage to be nurtured and trained in the faith. Let the little children come…and rejoice in their faith, hope, and joy. Amen.

PRAYER:

ANNOUNCEMENT(S):

1) V.B.S. will take place June 25-28, starting at 5:30 with supper and classes for every child under grade six. Pastor Woods needs volunteers to do some painting, construction, and sundry other things in preparation for that event. He’s there every Tuesday and Wednesday, 3-8:00 P.M. And, if those times don’t work, he can give you a task at just about any day, at any time. Just ask him!

2) This Sunday, June 4, there will be a special Voters Assembly between the services to consider the appointment of Mitzi Lyon Schmelz to the new full-time position of Family Life Director. Mitzi served us 18 years as Youth Director, and we think she would be the perfect candidate to lay the foundation for this new ministry. I would invite you to attend at 9:15 in the Fireside Room.

Youtube Video: https://youtu.be/jxAfeL-LkOM

PRINTABLE PDF: WDMay30.PDF

pastork@glcna.com — (502) 797-7407

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WEEKLY DEVOTION
MAY 29

Monday, MAY 29, 2023

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

“Ten Chapters”

Today is Memorial Day. As most of us relax and take a breath from the fast pace of the usual things I first want to give thanks and honor our fallen. May we always be grateful for the hard-fought sacrifices of those who gave their fullest measure of devotion to our country. Such dedication has literally made it possible for the rest of us to peacefully sit on our back porches or spend time on the lake and enjoy a day off. May we at least remember to show some gratitude this week to a veteran to honor those who have fallen in service to our nation. Thank you to all who have so honorably served our country.

Related to this I think of those who lead our country. I have been reading in 1 Kings 1-11 about the reign of King Solomon. Talk about a guy who had it all. We are told in 1 Kings 3 that God appeared to Solomon and said to him, ‘ask for whatever you want me to give you.’” Solomon responded “‘Give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may lead this people, for who is able to govern this great people of yours?’ God said to Solomon that since he did not ask for wealth, honor, and power, but “for wisdom and knowledge to govern my people over whom I have made you king, therefore wisdom and knowledge will be given you.’” God also gave Solomon the wealth he had not asked for (2 Chronicles 1:7-12). “God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding beyond measure, and breadth of mind like the sand on the seashore” (1 Kings 4:29).

Solomon’s reputation preceded him and was visited by kings and queens from all over the world just hear him speak his wisdom. 1 Kings 4:33 tells us that he was wise about plants and animals. He was good at all sorts of math and weights and management of large projects as evidenced in all the building he did. He was a shrewd interpreter of the Law as demonstrated in 1 Kings 3 in dealing with two prostitutes who were fighting over a baby.

Perhaps Solomon began his rule by modeling himself after Nathan, who sought wisdom from God. King Solomon seemed the ideal ruler for a time. “He had peace on all sides” of his enormous kingdom, “and Judah and Israel lived in safety” (1 Kings 4:24, 25).

Most famously is the visit by the Queen of Sheba in 1 Kings 10. She comes to visit with a huge number of gifts including 4 tons of gold, huge loads of expensive spices, and precious stones. She came with questions, none of which were too hard for Solomon to answer. But I note her observations about the state of the nation. 1 Kings 10:4ff tells us, “4 When the queen of Sheba saw all the wisdom of Solomon and the palace he had built, 5 the food on his table, the seating of his officials, the attending servants in their robes, his cupbearers, and the burnt offerings he made at[a] the temple of the LORD, she was overwhelmed…in wisdom and wealth you have far exceeded the report I heard. 8 How happy your people must be! How happy your officials, who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom! 9 Praise be to the LORD your God, who has delighted in you and placed you on the throne of Israel. Because of the LORD’s eternal love for Israel, he has made you king to maintain justice and righteousness.”

Then comes 1 Kings chapter11. Solomon chases after foreign wives and his heart wanders away from the Lord. For ten chapters Solomon is a godly leader. But 1 Kings 1-10 is mostly highlighting God’s gifts and what can happen when godly wisdom is applied to a nation. Chapter 11 shows us what happens when wisdom is ruined by sin. As long as Solomon was pursuing the Lord the kingdom had peace and prosperity. Once Solomon gave his heart to the foreign women and their idols the fall of the nation became inevitable.

What was different in chapter 11 then in chapter 3? My guess in part is that Nathan may have died. A godliness certainly defined Solomon in the earliest days which I would attribute to those like Nathan. However, in the latter days of Solomon his wisdom seems to go to his own head. His priorities changed and he fails in radical ways. What is more, the peace and prosperity he had worked so hard to build crumbles and the nation divides literally with the next generation.

As the leaders go so goes a nation. So, how is it going? We have a system of government unlike any in history. Our nation’s founders were wise in understanding and in the way they wrote the constitution. But I think they were naïve in that they failed to put term limits into the order of things. So today, we have “career politicians” and leaders who when they started may have intended good things in their service. However, the enticements of power have taken hold of most just as it once did for Solomon.

For “ten chapters” we as a nation have prospered, defeated tyrants in Europe, and gone to the moon. For “ten chapters” the world has come to us seeking wisdom, seeking help, and singing our praises. For “ten chapters” we boldly stood on ideas like “In God we trust” and quoted Genesis 1 from space. For “ten chapters” we have prospered and we have access to incredible things to this day. But now…

But now most of us realize we are in “chapter 11”. Hearts have turned away from the Lord just as it happened with Solomon. “Chapter 11” is a sad chapter as one considers all that is promoted as wisdom today. The debt ceiling is a prime example. If by ceiling they mean the opened roof of a football stadium then what is the point of a ceiling? A nation can get pretty used to living like Solomon in all of his splendor. Things may look prosperous and great but we must learn an important lesson from Solomon’s error. If the good that God provides becomes the focus of our heart then the nation will become divided and then eventually fall to its enemies. What’s more is that it only takes one chapter to ruin the first ten. And the chapters that come after chapter 11 hold much heart ache for Israel—but not all of them.

Hidden within the brokenness of Israel remains a promise of Jesus. Within those many chapters is something much more valuable. The line of David does not just give us Solomon. Something much more lasting remains within that bloodline. It goes back to the days of 1 Samuel 7 where the Lord promises one who will sit on David’s throne forever. Jesus is the source of all true wisdom. As great as Solomon was Jesus is far greater. Jesus is the Creator or birds and Cedars, and human biology and the giver of life. He invented science. Enemies do not make Him nervous. Gold holds not value to Him. And yet he holds all power and authority and has chosen to give His life, the ultimate Sacrifice for our Salvation. That my friends is worth remember even as live in a “Chapter 11” world bankrupt of moral values. Yes, as leaders go so goes the nation. So go the citizens of heaven; the faithful believer, the true follower, the obedient child of God, the beloved of Jesus. Where He goes so, we go. In Him no more chapters need to be written. No one has fought for us more than Jesus. And no one has given us more than Jesus. Freedom from sin is certain and all of our enemies will be put under his feet. And thankfully in Jesus’ case, he has no term limits.

Therefore, I encourage you to put your faith in Jesus and to trust in Him. I also encourage us to pray for repentance not just in our leaders but also in ourselves. We the people are as responsible as any for the well-being of our nation and our communities. Finally, I pray that we never forget the sacrifices that make it possible to have what we have. A nation cannot survive, let alone thrive without safety, law, and order. The best way to honor the fallen is honor them with godly wisdom and as godly citizens in godly service to one another. In this way their sacrifice was not in vain. The true success of the “ten chapters” was in the Lord. That wisdom is still true today. May the Lord give us faith and courage to apply godly wisdom in our own lives no matter what chapter our nation may be in.

Pastor Matthew Woods

John 3:30

PRINTABLE PDF: WDMay29.PDF

Youtube Video: https://youtu.be/wOykAAreI6E

matt.woods@glcna.com — (502) 523-9327

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WORSHIP SCHEDULE

Saturday, June 3 — 5:00 pm
Sunday, June 4 — *8:00 & 10:30 am
Saturday, June 10 — *5:00 pm
Sunday, June 11 — 8:00 & *10:30 am
Father’s Day
Saturday, June 17 — *5:00 pm
Sunday, June 18 — *8:00 & 10:30 am
Saturday, June 24 — 5:00 pm
Sunday, June 25 — 8:00 & *10:30 am
Saturday, July 1 — 5:00 pm
Saturday, July 2 — *8:00 & 10:30 am
* = Communion

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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