March 2008 Newsletter Contents [Newsletter Archive]
Pastor's Article	Vicar's Article
Christian Education	Parish Notes
Portals of Prayer

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PASTOR'S ARTICLE

JUSTICE OR LOVE?

Among numerous columnists that I read are a couple of Jewish fellows whom I have quoted from time to time. Surprisingly, they often support distinct Christian positions publicly, which often earns them the scorn of fellow Jews. In a column written for Valentine's Day Dennis Prager wrote about six thoughts he had on love [Townhall.com. Some Thoughts on Love. Tuesday, February 12, 2008]. Two of them seem appropriate to discuss this month because the Christian Church celebrates the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ in March.

First of all, Prager is not hostile to Christianity. He has many fine things to say about Christian beliefs and Christians in general, but he is not a believer. While being Jewish, he is not observant, that is, he does not observe the religious aspects of Judaism. I think he believes in a God, but obviously not the true God, the Triune God.

The point that seems significant is one which could be raised by any non-Jew, and I'm sure it has been at some time. He says [keep in mind the context of Valentine's Day!], "Unconditional love is not a good idea." He fleshes out his thought by saying that it's not a good idea to speak of God's unconditional love for mankind. He then references the Old Testament Jews, making the point that God's love for his chosen people was conditional upon their obedience to the Law of Moses. He makes the point that unconditional love is "amoral" and that it prevents human progress. If one is loved unconditionally, one will make no effort to change bad behavior. Fair enough. It's a good point. But then he goes on to say, "'God is love' is a half truth. God is many things, and love is only one of them. One can just as accurately say 'God is punishment' or 'God is justice' or "God is truth.'"

Prager has the same dilemma that many people do, reconciling love and hate when it comes to God. He ends up hoping that among psychologically healthy people love is stronger. But what would he do with Jesus' crucifixion? I don't know because he stopped short of addressing it in this article. But I do suspect that he can't balance love and punishment, or better yet, love and justice.

One could easily make the statement that Christ's death on the cross is Law preaching at its strongest. Indeed, it is! That's what happens to sinners! That's what should happen to all people because all have sinned. But how would one reconcile that with the other side of the coin, namely, that the preaching of Christ crucified is also the purest proclamation of love? That seems to be his dilemma and the dilemma of every other person who cannot understand the depravity of sin and the holiness of God. To say "God is love" and "God is just" is hard for us to understand. God did not put aside his justice in order to love us. That would make God into nothing more than an indulgent parent who refuses to punish a disobedient child for fear that the child will not love him for punishing him. To make God's justice more important than his love would turn God into an arbitrary and cruel God, much like the Muslim concept of God. In that system God cannot be merciful by forgiving because his justice ranks above his mercy. The result is a terribly cruel and cold religious system in which violence is the currency spent to keep everybody in line.

Prager finds it incomprehensible that Christians could say that "God loved Adolph Hitler and Mother Teresa equally." Such a God, he says, would disappoint him. He would like a little justice based upon a person's behavior. The better "behaved" are worthy of God's love. But the truth here is that no human being is good enough to earn God's love. We know that! No human being can earn God's love. God's love is a gift. God loves the kosmos, the world, through Jesus Christ, his Son. God doesn't love us because he sees that some are better than others. That merely reduces God to a sinful human being like ourselves. Only this God/Man lived a perfect life on behalf of all sinners, and it doesn't matter how vast the quantity of one's sins, a sinner is a sinner is a sinner. He lives in the state of sin. His very being is one of sin. "Sins" are merely the symptoms of the fatal disease that will eventually kill him in time and forever.

In Jesus Christ God's love and God's justice are met perfectly. All the punishment that we human beings deserve falls on Christ even though he has no sin of his own. He, the innocent One, is also the guilty One. So, the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ [his innocent suffering and death] are the most severe Law because God punishes himself for our sins. That substitutionary idea is certainly present from the Fall of Adam and Eve when God slaughtered animals to clothe the sinners. The whole Old Testament sacrificial system presumes a substitutionary death of an animal instead of human beings. All point forward to the one sacrifice that THE Lamb of God, who is Christ, would make on the cross, once for all. Yes, it is your sin that Jesus carries! It is the sin of the whole world, from the very worst sinner you can think of to the best saint, that Jesus carries in his body to the cross.

And the cross is at the same time the most perfect preaching of God's love. God's love is so perfect that he doesn't punish sinners but his Son so that sinners can live forever with him. One does not dispense with God's justice in order to have his love. Easter doesn't undo Good Friday. The resurrection of Christ is the proof that God the Father accepted the sacrifice of his Son for the sin of the world. In the cross, then, God's perfect justice and God's perfect love are met in an act never to be repeated. It was done once and it is good for all time.

Now such good news is what motivates Christians to live differently and to do so for the right reasons, not merely for fear of losing God's love. Said the Apostle Paul:

"Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal bodies, to make you obey their passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace." (Romans 6:12-14, ESV)

Under grace. That's another way of saying that God loves the world unconditionally in Christ. "In Christ" is the vital difference, one which Prager does not accept. Hence, he continues to live under the Law and not under the Gospel. But you, dear friends, have been baptized and live according to grace! You know that God loves you in Christ. The cross and empty tomb prove it.

May all resurrection blessings be yours!

Pastor Meyer

VICAR'S ARTICLE

HANNAH

¹⁰In bitterness of soul Hannah wept much and prayed to the LORD. ¹¹And she made a vow, saying, "O LORD Almighty, if you will only look upon your servant's misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the LORD for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head." (1 Samuel 1:10-11)

When do you know that you've hit rock bottom? Hannah knew this grief, the inescapable sorrow and depression that wash over a person like black waves of distress. Hannah was the wife of Elkanah, whom you may have never heard of. However, as with most individuals throughout Scripture, he has a relationship with someone you probably have heard of. We've established that Hannah is a virtually unknown woman from an unknown family. One of the scariest things in life is being completely unknown and ignored, and we get the feeling that not only does Hannah realize this fear, but she agonizes over it. She begins to think that even God has forgotten about her.

Hannah wasn't even Elkanah's only wife, and while the other wife, Peninnah, had children, Hannah had none. A great measure of status in these ancient Biblical times was the number of children your wife was able to bear, especially sons. Elkanah should have been very grateful for the children his one wife blessed him with, but he loved Hannah. Despite her closed womb, Hannah appeared to be her husband's favorite. "To Hannah he gave a double portion because he loved her, and the LORD had closed her womb" (1 Samuel 1:5). This sort of favoritism happens throughout scripture. Beginning with Abraham and Sarah (who didn't bear Isaac until she was ninety), continuing with Jacob and Rachel (who died giving birth to her second child later in life), and then Hannah. No matter how much a husband loves his wife, there's no guarantee that she will bear him children. Only the Lord can provide such things. Sometimes it's the things we want the most that seem the hardest to obtain. Here God refines us by making us work and wait for our precious treasures while on earth.

Hannah's husband is kind to her, but what about her fellow wife? "And because the LORD had closed her womb, her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her. This went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the LORD, her rival provoked her till she wept and would not eat" (1 Samuel 1:6-7). Now we see a very human side to Hannah, and quite a few of us can understand her reaction. Is it her fault that she's barren? Nowadays there seem to be many reasons for women not to bear children. It's becoming increasingly attractive in our society to be a small family with one or zero children who thrive economically and live the 'perfect life'. It was quite the opposite in Biblical times, however, and large families would've been a symbol of pride.

At least this competition between the wives could have been avoided. God did not intend for men to marry multiple partners, which is made clear in the very first book of the Bible with the very first couple. "A man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh" (Genesis 2:24). A wife with a biological problem who can't have children presents a difficult enough situation, but what if you have another wife besides? Hannah has her husband's attention, but she also receives a great deal of negative attention from the other wife, who constantly makes her miserable year after year. The greatest blessing the Lord could have provided Hannah would have been a child, and yet here she is, without even a glimmer of hope.

At the height of her depression, Hannah seeks the Lord. "In bitterness of soul Hannah wept much and prayed to the LORD. And she made a vow, saying, 'O LORD Almighty, if you will only look upon your servant's misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the LORD for all the days of his life'" (1 Samuel 1:10-11). Hannah's faithful prayer can serve as an example in our own prayer life. She addresses God by His formal name, expresses her humility, and commits herself to God's loving care. Even in such a pious and holy state, however, Hannah suffers even more ridicule and embarrassment. Eli, the priest, sees her praying but doesn't realize what she's doing. "Eli observed her mouth. Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunk and said to her, 'How long will you keep on getting drunk? Get rid of your wine'" (1 Samuel 1:12-14). This is rock bottom.

Hannah, however, takes it in stride. "I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the LORD. Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief" (1 Samuel 1:15-16). With patient humility, Hannah states her case before Eli, who grants that her request be fulfilled. Can he do that? As God's representative, he can certainly provide comfort and even mediation, but only God can open Hannah's womb.

We really don't know how long it actually was before Hannah had her first child, Samuel. God remembers her petition the very next day, so it's possible that she conceived within 24 hours of her prayer. Here's the kicker: even though Hannah has now given birth to a child, she has to give him up or risk encouraging the wrath and anger of God. Could you give up your child? Hannah has been dreaming of her son from the very beginning, and now she has him. It's a glorious day, but now she must give him up. "When the man Elkanah went up with all his family to offer the annual sacrifice to the LORD and to fulfill his vow, Hannah did not go. She said to her husband, 'After the boy is weaned, I will take him and present him before the LORD, and he will live there always'" (1 Samuel 1:21-22).

Hannah's son, Samuel, will go on to be a great judge and savior of the Israelites. He'll be important enough to have two books of the Bible named after him, which makes him the only person in the entire Old Testament to have this distinction. Hannah, risking obscurity and a relationship with her only son, remains faithful to her promise to the Lord, making her one of the most faithful characters in all of Scripture.

Hannah now weans her infant son, and immediately brings him to the temple. And then she prays. This is where we truly see Hannah break from her shell of distress and sorrow and burst forth with joy and passion. "My heart rejoices in the LORD; in the LORD my horn is lifted high. My mouth boasts over my enemies, for I delight in your deliverance" (1 Samuel 2:1). What beautiful poetry! Hannah shows no signs of sorrow, but rather knows her blessings and is thankful for them. We see very similar confessions from King David after the defeat of the giants in 2 Samuel 22 and also in the words of the Virgin Mary at the beginning of Luke, which is called the Magnificat. In each of these instances, great joy is being proclaimed, but Hannah's is a little different. She is about to lose her son, not to death, but to service. She won't be able to enjoy his company on a regular basis. She'll no longer be like a mother to him.

"Each year his (Samuel's) mother made him a little robe and took it to him when she went up with her husband to offer the annual sacrifice" (1 Samuel 2:19). Besides these annual visits, we get the idea that Hannah never saw Samuel or interacted with him. She is only mentioned once more throughout Scripture, and Samuel isn't part of this mention. He'd go on to accomplish many great and marvelous things for the Lord, but she'd be an afterthought.

So what ever happened to Hannah, the great poet and mother of the Old Testament? The very priest who accused Hannah of drunkenness at the beginning, Eli, would be the one to finally bless her through the Lord. "Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife (each year), saying, "May the LORD give you children by this woman to take the place of the one she prayed for and gave to the LORD" (1 Samuel 2:20). God never leaves us empty-handed. "The LORD was gracious to Hannah; she conceived and gave birth to three sons and two daughters" (1 Samuel 2:21). Hannah was now the mother of six, the loving wife of Elkanah her husband, and a dedicated servant of the Lord. Her life had gone from the very pits of despair to the gates of paradise. The same God who provided for Hannah still provides for you and me, and He will never leave us nor forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6).

Vicar Heath Trampe

CHRISTIAN EDUCATION

[Apology IV.49-52]
⁴⁹ It is easy to determine the difference between this [ed, justifying] faith and the righteousness of the law. Faith is that worship which receives God's offered blessing; the righteousness of the law is that worship which offers God our own merits. It is by faith that God wants to be worshiped, namely, that we receive from him what he promises and offers.
⁵⁰ Paul clearly shows that faith does not simply mean historical knowledge but is a firm acceptance of the promise (Rom. 4:16?): "That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may be guaranteed." For he says that only faith can accept the promise. He therefore correlates and connects promise and faith. ⁵¹ It will be easy to determine what faith is if we pay attention to the article of the Creed on the forgiveness of sins. So it is not enough to believe that Christ was born, suffered, and was raised unless we add this article, the purpose of the history, "the forgiveness of sins." The rest must be integrated with this article, namely, that for Christ's sake and not because of our own merits the forgiveness of sins is bestowed upon us. ⁵²For why did Christ have to be offered for our sins if our merits make satisfaction for them?¹

¹Theodore G. Tappert, The Book of Concord: The Confessions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, 114 (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 2000, c1959).

LIBRARY NEWS
There are many interesting items available through CPH, Concordia Publishing House. Two of which would make great gifts for younger children:

My First Catechism for ages 6-10 $10.99
Follow and Do for ages 4-7 This is a six-book series in paperback, $9.99 for the set.

Dorothy Senff

PARISH NOTES

02 March	4th Sunday in Lent, 10:30 AM			Divine Service
05 March	Wednesday, 7:00 PM				Evening Prayer
09 March	5th Sunday in Lent, 10:30 AM			Divine Service
12 March	Wednesday, 7:00 PM				Office of Vespers
16 March	Palm/Passion Sunday, 10:30 AM			Divine Service
20 March	Holy Thursday, 7:00 PM				Divine Service
21 March	Good Friday, 7:00 PM				Office of Tenebrae
22 March	Holy Saturday, 7:00 PM				The Great Vigil of Easter
23 March	The Resurrection of Our Lord, 7:00 AM		Office of Matins
23 March	The Resurrection of Our Lord, 10:30 AM		Divine Service
26 March	Wednesday, 7:00 AM				Office of Matins
30 March	Second Sunday of Easter, 10:30 AM		Divine Service

BOARD OF OUTREACH, ASSIMILATION & FELLOWSHIP
The January 29th meeting opened at 6:43pm with Early Evening Prayer led by Pastor. After approval of November minutes we discussed how great the attendance was for the Advent dinners and German Service. Approximately 123 were at the German Service despite snow , ice, and very cold temperatures. Most stayed long after the service for refreshments and fellowship.
Leslie will supply cinnamon rolls and coffee after the Ash Wednesday service. The March 5th midweek Lenten will be hosted by Kristin Schulz with hopes that others will volunteer to host remaining dinners. Several will be potluck but some will be themed because they seem to be well attended.
As of this meeting, Confirmation will held in June 8th or 15th. This is final dated depends on the Sanctuary restoration project.
A request was presented on behalf of Charles Lux, Deacon of the Board of Education, to help increase Sunday School attendance. He would like all board members to attend and to invite other congregation members to attend with them.
Leslie is speaking to 3 companies about the 2008 pictorial directory. All are similar with on-line sign ups and everything is submitted via the internet or digitally. This project should take place around the first of September to include before-and-after photos of the restoration. We will need volunteers to head up this project and forming a committee. We would like to have these available to distribute by Reformation.
Ron Dunbar spoke about OAF's responsibilities for the 150th celebration. OAF will help sell fundraising items like cookbooks, a pictorial history book, apparel, and other items. The congregational picnic is set for Saturday June 28th. A light meal or appetizers will be available between the Divine Service and the Sesquicentennial Service June 29th for those who plan to stay the whole day. Kristin Schulz will help with publicity and media organization for this. Also Luzia Trexler is looking into a German caterer in Gibson City, IL. We will need one for the October 26th Reformation dinner.
The next meeting is set for Feb. 24th after D.S.
Meeting adjourned 7:12.

Respectfully,
Brad Cress, Deacon OAF Board

BOARD OF EDUCATION
We are in the middle of our silent auction of preschool furniture and materials. Members of the congregation had expressed an interest in some of the items. Sunday March 2 is the last day so please support this project with your volunteer help and auction participation. When the auction is over, we need to remove these materials from the Parish Center as soon as possible to make room for the sanctuary items that will be moved for the re-modeling.
Vicar and Aunnee are in the planning stage for VBS which will be held June 8 thru June 12. If asked, please help any way you can.
Many overdue books are being returned - thank you!!!!
Vicar continually has 8 college students studying cults, Mormonism and Scientology on Sunday evening at 500pm. Thank you congregation members for providing an evening meal for these folks.
Our Sunday School mission project for January, February and March is called "Project Wittenberg" which is a plan to reestablish a Lutheran presence in the town of Wittenberg, Germany.
Our February BofE meeting was cancelled.
Upcoming dates
. Next BofE meeting March 11

God's blessings
Chuck Lux, Deacon Board of Education

COUNCIL OF DEACONS REPORT FOR JANUARY AND FEBRUARY 2008
The Council of Deacons met on January 26th and again on February 9th, 2008. • The Council continued its study of the Book of Concord, discussing Article XXVII of the Augsburg Confession.
• The majority of the time in the January 26 meeting was spent in discussion of the proposal presented by Fred Jahnke of Potente Studios during his recent visit. It was decided to bring down costs by excluding lighting of the steeple, choosing wooden rather than anodized aluminum doors, and getting another door estimate. Woodwork in the narthex was not to be covered with paint. Electrical and flooring estimates were expected within the week and would include additional receptacles. It was decided that the best way to fund this project and the Nehemiah fund loan would be to put them into one loan and subsume this under the operating budget, lightening the burden by sharing it amongst the congregation rather than a few individuals, many of whom are advancing in age. Board of Education Chairman Chuck Lux announced plans to attend all upcoming board meetings to promote Sunday School attendance, which is currently averaging about 30-35 each week. Pastor Meyer noted that Pastor Starkey has agreed to write a commemorative hymn for our 150th anniversary celebration. It was noted that the Council will need to be considering a replacement for Deacon Jim Russler in light of his pending departure.
• The February 9 meeting was devoted to final decisions on the proposed renovation. All bids were in and appeared to be on target, with a final bottom line of $168,000. The best offer for a 20-year fixed rate loan was available through Thrivent. A 2-year pledge drive would not only help pay the cost of the project but could allow us to re-amortize the loan once a year, thus actually reducing our present operating costs considerably. Pews will be moved from the sanctuary on the day after Easter, and everything but the flooring and electrical will be done by the end of May. All will be ready in advance of the Anniversary Sunday on June 29th. The Board of Property and Grounds has constructed a platform in the choir loft on the west side of the organ in order to better accommodate musicians providing accompaniment during worship services.
• The next meeting of the Council was set for Saturday, March 22, 2008 at 7:30 a.m.

Ron Dunbar, Chairman, Council of Deacons

THANK YOU
Immanuel's Altar Guild would like to thank the congregation for its support of the Sweetheart fund raising dinner on February 1st. We also thank the many workers who shoveled snow, set tables, decorated, prepared and served dinners, washed dished, cleared cleaned, moved tables, dishes, supplies and loaded items after the dinner.
A special thanks goes to Aunnee for the use of her oven. Thrivent is generously supplementing the funds raised by the dinner to purchase new paraments in celebration of the congregation's 150th anniversary.

Kathy Danielsen and Donna Dunbar,
Altar Guild Co-Directors

PRESCHOOL EQUIPMENT
Due to the lack of response from other churches for the preschool furniture and materials, the Board of Education has decided to offer the items to the congregation. The larger items will be offered for sale in a silent auction. All other items may be taken with a donation. The last day to bid or buy is March 2nd and all items must be picked up as soon as possible. Items remaining after March 2nd will be offered for sale to local preschools and daycare centers. We must clear the space for the anticipation of the renovation of our sanctuary during which time we will have Divine Service in the Parish Center. All monies gained will be used for our educational activities.

THANK YOU
Thank you to Pastor Meyer, Vicar Trampe, and the congregation for the presents, cards, phone calls, but especially for the prayers for Marolyn and me during our recent health challenges. God's blessings to all!

Marolyn and Chuck Lux

TRIDUUM
Please note the Triduum, that is, the three holy days which begin on Holy Thursday. These are the most solemn days on the Christian calendar because they center in the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. The faithful gather on those days for the Divine Service, to commemorate the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ and to receive his gifts. We ask that you schedule these vital services on your calendars and that you hold them as sacred. The Great Vigil of Easter is for many people the most meaningful service of the entire liturgical year. If you have never attended the Vigil, this should be your year!

SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION
As many of you know 2008 is the 150th anniversary year of Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church. Many festivities are planned with the big anniversary service on 29 June with Dr. Larry Rast as our guest preacher.
We have adopted the following theme for our anniversary: "That We May Confess Your Truth"
This theme comes from the Collect of the Day for St. Peter and St. Paul, which happens to be 29 June. You'll see that theme more and more as preparations continue and as we begin renovating our sanctuary.

TABLE TALK

Martin Luther used to sit around the dinner table and talk for hours with his friends about all kinds of topics, some of them merely reflections on what was happening in their society. In Luther's Works, American Edition, this is called "Table Talk," from the German Tischreden, which can be translated as "after dinner talk." In that spirit we include this monthly column.

A recent article critical of pastors who avoid the culture war got my attention. While we have much to say about it in this particular space, it is not the reason for the Church's existence. The Christian Church does not exist for the transformation of society, as desirable as that might be. First of all, this society is destined for the ash heap. The present age is coming to an inglorious yet spectacular end. Our Lord's own words say so. But one reason why pastors don't engage the culture war got me cheering, but not for our failure to engage the culture war. The writer said that most pastors are up to their eyeballs in minutiae. He complained about the "ten tons of junk they are forced to field within their congregations." To wit, holding people's hands over trivial matters and attending meetings that deal with what color to paint the women's rest room. He rightly suggests that time spent studying the Bible gets exempted. We suppose that's true for the laity, too. We probably spend too much time on things that ultimately have no lasting importance and not enough time spent listening to God in the Scriptures. Read also, the Divine Service.

SMILES
An old man was on the operating table awaiting surgery. He had insisted that his son, a renowned surgeon, perform the surgery. As he was about to receive the anesthesia he asked to speak to his son. "Yes, Dad, what is it?"
"Don't be nervous, do your best, and just remember that if it doesn't go well, if something happens to me, your mother is going to come and live with you and your wife."