This week we will begin the Solas of the Reformation at Chain the Cat.  Our focus will be on the scriptural foundations and applications of these truths to the diligent student of scripture.  Scroll through the powerpoint of Friday’s study.

Below is an excerpt from Martin Luther’s Christmas Sermon, Volume VI:142-165 of Church Postil:

14.How could Paul have presented words conveying more love and graciousness? I venture to assert I have never read, in the entire Scriptures, words more beautifully expressive of the grace of God than these two–”Chrestotes” and “Philanthropia,” friendliness and philanthropy. They represent grace not only as procuring for us remission of sins, but as God ever present with us, embracing us in his friendship, ever ready to help us and offering to do for us according to all we desire; in short, as a good and willing friend, to whom we may look for every favor and accommodation. Picture to your imagination a sincere friend and you will have an idea of God’s attitude toward you in the person of Christ, though a very imperfect representation of his superabundant grace.

15. Now, if you steadfastly believe, if you rejoice in God your Lord, if you are alive and his grace satisfies, if your wants are all supplied, how will you employ yourself in this earthly life? Inactive you cannot be. Such a disposition of love toward God cannot rest. Your zeal will be warm to do everything you know will be to the praise and glory of a kind and gracious God. At this point there is no longer distinction of works. Here all commands terminate. There is neither restraint–nor compulsion, but a joyful willingness and delight in doing good, whether the intended achievement be insignificant or difficult, small or great, requiring short service or long.

Pastor Thomas Bernard of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church and School in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, will be visiting Jackson County, Indiana in March.

Listed below is his schedule:

Sunday, March 7 -
Bible Study @ Trinity, Vallonia – 8:30 am
Preaching @ Trinity, Vallonia – 9:30 am
Power Point Presentation @ Immanuel, Seymour – 7:00 pm

During the Bible Study hour at Trinity, Pastor Bernard will be discussing the events surrounding the earthquake, his personal story, relief efforts, and how the Lord is working in Haiti.

In his sermon at Trinity, based upon Psalm 46, Pastor Bernard will talk about how God is our refuge and strength during times of disaster and suffering.

And at the Power Point Presentation at Immanuel in Seymour he will show pictures, tell us what happened when the earthquake struck and how it has affected his family, church, and school. He will also talk about relief efforts and the current living conditions in Haiti. There will be a free will offering for relief and rebuilding. A reception will follow.

Haiti Earthquake Information

Update from Pastor Bernard 02/19/2010

Here is a summary of recent e-mails received from Pastor Bernard:

* “I am doing pretty good, but I’m dealing with headaches, allergies, and a cold from sleeping outside every night.”

* His wife, Margareth, and his three children have arrived safely in Brooklyn, New York. They will begin attending a Lutheran School in the area next week and the tuition costs are being covered. We thank Dr. David Behnke, the Atlantic District President of the LCMS, for attending to this matter.

* “I am very busy with a medical team from the USA. There are still so many people who are in need of medical attention. The doctors and the nurses are working very hard to serve them. The first day we treated 100 people. The second day we treated 185 people. The third day 205 people. Tomorrow we anticipate 200 people.”

* Regarding the money that has been wired down, he writes, “Thank you so much for your generosity and love.”

* He said that he is receiving food from LCMS World Relief and Human Care.

* He has been to the Dominican border twice to purchase food and supplies.

* He continues to feed the members of his congregation and the surrounding community on a rotational basis.

* He writes, “When I get to Indiana we will discuss our rebuilding plan, how we will assist teachers during this time of crisis, and our plans to distribute food to people at least once a month.”

* “Please say hello to everyone and tell them that Thomas is fine.”

Read more at: http://www.heart4haiti.com/news.html

Pastor Bernard’s Family is Safe

January 14, 2010 Rev. Thomas Bernard, pastor of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Port-au-Prince, is alive. He was traveling with a Canadian mission team to his church when the earthquake hit. The e-mail states: “The ground and trees shook like a dog shaking off water. We shot for Pastor’s Church and got out. The wall on one side of Thomas’ Church fell into the inside down the whole length.” After assessing the damage to Good Shepherd Lutheran Church and School, Pastor Bernard left to check on his family.

Also, Roro, the principal of Good Shepherd Lutheran School is reported to be alive and well. So is his family. However, his house collapsed and his car was destroyed.

January 15, 2010–Rev. Markey Kessa, President of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Haiti, was able to make a short telephone call early this morning to Rev. S.T. Williams, Pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church, Los Angeles, CA. Pastor Ahlemeyer spoke to Pastor Williams around 11:30 am this morning and heard the good news that Pastor Bernard’s family is safe, as are all the pastors of the confessional Lutheran pastors of the ELCH and their families. Pastor Bernard also said his home is fine.

Pastor Kessa reported that the situation is tragic:

* Port au Prince and Jacmel are in ruins
* Over 200,000 are feared dead
* 3/4 of the population are sleeping on the streets
* No electricity, water or food yet.
* At this point the Lutheran pastors have no idea how many congregational members or school children are dead
* The Lutheran pastors are busy going from church to church, conducting services and funerals
* Pastors and church members are trying to keep the injured and the suffering alive until medical care arrives
* The needs are overwhelming. Pastor Kessa closed by saying, “Pray and bring assistance immediately. Please.”

PS I talked with Pastor Ahlemeyer, from Trinity Lutheran, Vallonia IN at 4 o’clock this afternoon (Friday). He said that all the confessional Lutheran pastors that form the Ev. Lutheran Church of Haiti and their families are alive, but there are many members of their churches who are dead or missing. The pastors have been up for three days straight helping with the wounded and conducting mass funeral services at their churches. Although there has been relative peace in the neighborhoods for two days, the situation is beginning to unravel, stealing, rioting, people wielding machetes and gun fights are making the situation worse. They are hoping that the military presence comes quickly before things get worse. They do not recommend that anyone goes to Haiti unless they have medical or military experience. Better to wait two to three weeks to let the professionals and soldiers work first, then volunteers, to help clean and rebuild later.

First Lutheran Church is receiving monetary offerings for earthquake relief. This will be happening in several waves. The initial wave of support will be in conjunction with LCMS World Relief and Human Care. They are partnering with Orphan Grain Train and already have containers of food, water, and medical supplies on the way to the affected area. Then as the relief efforts unfold we will be on top of the situation to provide several waves of direct assistance to Pastor Bernard, the members of Good Shepherd & Village of Peace Lutheran Church and School, and the pastors and members of the Evangelical Lutheran Churches of Haiti.

If you would like to support our earthquake relief efforts, make your check payable to “First Lutheran Church”, noting in the memo section that you would like your contribution sent to “Haiti Earthquake Relief”. Checks may be sent to: First Lutheran Church 600 West Sumner Avenue Lake Elsinore, CA 92530 Telephone 951.674.2757

Kyrie eleison. Amen.

+Pastor Kolander

Pastor Bernard’s Family is Safe

January 14, 2010 Rev. Thomas Bernard, pastor of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Port-au-Prince, is alive. He was traveling with a Canadian mission team to his church when the earthquake hit. The e-mail states: “The ground and trees shook like a dog shaking off water. We shot for Pastor’s Church and got out. The wall on one side of Thomas’ Church fell into the inside down the whole length.” After assessing the damage to Good Shepherd Lutheran Church and School, Pastor Bernard left to check on his family.

Also, Roro, the principal of Good Shepherd Lutheran School is reported to be alive and well. So is his family. However, his house collapsed and his car was destroyed.

January 15, 2010–Rev. Markey Kessa, President of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Haiti, was able to make a short telephone call early this morning to Rev. S.T. Williams, Pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church, Los Angeles, CA. Pastor Ahlemeyer spoke to Pastor Williams around 11:30 am this morning and heard the good news that Pastor Bernard’s family is safe, as are all the pastors of the confessional Lutheran pastors of the ELCH and their families. Pastor Bernard also said his home is fine.

Pastor Kessa reported that the situation is tragic:

* Port au Prince and Jacmel are in ruins
* Over 200,000 are feared dead
* 3/4 of the population are sleeping on the streets
* No electricity, water or food yet.
* At this point the Lutheran pastors have no idea how many congregational members or school children are dead
* The Lutheran pastors are busy going from church to church, conducting services and funerals
* Pastors and church members are trying to keep the injured and the suffering alive until medical care arrives
* The needs are overwhelming. Pastor Kessa closed by saying, “Pray and bring assistance immediately. Please.”

PS I talked with Pastor Ahlemeyer, from Trinity Lutheran, Vallonia IN at 4 o’clock this afternoon (Friday). He said that all the confessional Lutheran pastors that form the Ev. Lutheran Church of Haiti and their families are alive, but there are many members of their churches who are dead or missing. The pastors have been up for three days straight helping with the wounded and conducting mass funeral services at their churches. Although there has been relative peace in the neighborhoods for two days, the situation is beginning to unravel, stealing, rioting, people wielding machetes and gun fights are making the situation worse. They are hoping that the military presence comes quickly before things get worse. They do not recommend that anyone goes to Haiti unless they have medical or military experience. Better to wait two to three weeks to let the professionals and soldiers work first, then volunteers, to help clean and rebuild later.

First Lutheran Church is receiving monetary offerings for earthquake relief. This will be happening in several waves. The initial wave of support will be in conjunction with LCMS World Relief and Human Care. They are partnering with Orphan Grain Train and already have containers of food, water, and medical supplies on the way to the affected area. Then as the relief efforts unfold we will be on top of the situation to provide several waves of direct assistance to Pastor Bernard, the members of Good Shepherd & Village of Peace Lutheran Church and School, and the pastors and members of the Evangelical Lutheran Churches of Haiti.

If you would like to support our earthquake relief efforts, make your check payable to “First Lutheran Church”, noting in the memo section that you would like your contribution sent to “Haiti Earthquake Relief”. Checks may be sent to: First Lutheran Church 600 West Sumner Avenue Lake Elsinore, CA 92530 Telephone 951.674.2757

Kyrie eleison. Amen.

+Pastor Kolander

One part of the claim tends to slip past us unnoticed because we have heard it so often that we no longer see what it amounts to. I mean the claim to forgive sins: any sins. Now unless the speaker is God, this is really so preposterous as to be comic. We can all understand how a man forgives you, you steal my money and I forgive you. But what should we make of a man, himself unrobbed and untrodden on, who announced that he forgave you for treading on other men’s toes and stealing other men’s money? Asinine fatuity is the kindest description we should give of his conduct. Yet this is what Jesus did. He told people that their sins were forgiven, and never waited to consult all the other people whom their sins had undoubtedly injured. He unhesitatingly behaved as if He was the party chiefly concerned, the person chiefly offended in all offenses. This makes sense only if He really was the God whose laws were broken and whose love is wounded in every sin. In the mouth of any speaker who is not God, these words would imply what I can only regard as a silliness and conceit unrivalled by any other character in history.

Yet, (and this is the strange, significant thing) even enemies, when they read the Gospels, do not usually get the impression of silliness and conceit. Still less do unprejudiced readers. Christ says that He is “humble and meek” and we believe Him: not noticing that if He were merely a man, humility and meekness are the very last characteristics we could attribute to some of His sayings.

I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that often people say about Him: “I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept His claim to be God.” That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, or you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon: or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.

C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, C 1960, Chp. 3, pp. 51-53