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

---

PASTOR'S ARTICLE

THE THINKING PERSON'S RELIGION

One of my pet peeves is church signs and bumper sticker theology. The other week I happened across a website devoted to stamping out church signs. I haven't yet signed the petition because I don't know enough about the person running the website, but I like the idea. I should clarify. I don't mean signs that announce the congregation's name and/or denominational affiliation, but the signs that carry cutesy messages on them. These messages are usually badly done while seeking to be culturally relevant. An example would be this one: "God answer's [sic] Knee-mail." Cute, but it hardly says anything about the nature of God nor his will. It seems to be merely about getting what one wants out of God.

What particularly bothers me is that the authors of these signs and bumper stickers usually don't know any real theology or they would not have tried to reduce critical theological concepts to slogans that can be easily repeated. Repeating such slogans becomes the occasion for laziness. One sees such a sign and says, "Yup, that seems to be true," without ever thinking of the context of say, "knee-mail" as a substitute for real prayer, especially the prayer that Jesus taught us to pray, the Our Father.

We call these phrases clichés. A cliché is a French word for a stereotype printing plate which functions by making a copy over and over again. It simply copies what has been engraved on it. It's like a mistake that gets Xeroxed over and over again. Clichés become excuses for laziness. Using them is easier than thinking things through. The problem with clichés is that they usually contain just enough of the truth to make them attractive, attractive but dangerous because one doesn't think through the implications of what is being said.

The main problem with church signs and bumper stickers is that one cannot spell out the difference between Law and Gospel in four to six words. The proper distinction between Law and Gospel can spell spiritual life or death. Get it wrong and one believes that he is saved by doing good or that God holds no one accountable for his sins.

Mostly these signs and bumper stickers are merely moralistic, no different than Aesop's Fables. There is nothing distinctly Christian about them even though they appear on signs of congregations that claim to be Christian, even Lutheran! Every two months a local mortician sends the clergy two little books full of this kind of stuff. About the only parts that I find worthwhile are the jokes, most of which are so old and trite that I end up not using any of them.

Moralism is much easier than thinking about what is really wrong, namely, that sin is a fatally infectious condition that has a mortality rate of 100%. Failure to take into account one's own mortality in a sober kind of way gets irrational. According to some studies, nearly 70% of people decide important things not on the basis of careful objective analysis, but on the basis of what they feel. When it comes to thinking about God and one's own mortality one had better have an objective analysis and not merely a "gut feeling" that ends in death. Thinking happy thoughts won't fix it, either. One has to get down to hard cases. Sin causes death, yours and mine! Paul says so in Romans, especially in 6.23. Until one comes to honest grips with his sin [notice I said "sin" and not "sins," that is, his condition of being a sinner regardless of how many sins he has], he merely fools himself and is a fool because of it.

When the Philippian jailer realized that he was facing death in a very short time, he cried out to Paul and Silas, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" [Acts 16.31]. He wanted the truth, the facts, the hard words by which he hoped to escape his fatal situation. The answer from Paul and Silas was not what the man needed to do, but what he needed to receive. He needed to receive Holy Baptism so that he would be forgiven [saved]. And not only he needed to receive it, but his whole household as well. Holy Baptism is for sinners who realize that their sin is killing them. It is God's answer to man's predicament because Christ lies at the center of it. The merits of Christ are transferred to the one who is baptized. He escapes his judgment and receives instead the gift of life. The Philippian jailer grabbed it as soon as he could and he made sure his whole family got it, too. And then he rejoiced with his family that "he had believed in God" [Acts 16.34b].

That's "The Thinking Person's Religion" because he assesses his situation and realizes that he needs what God is offering for Christ's sake through faith. Perhaps if there were more thinking and less intellectual laziness which results in eternal death, people wouldn't need to resort to silly, meaningless slogans which actually lead people astray.

We can also hope and pray and confess the truth to such persons.

Pastor Meyer

VICAR'S ARTICLE

ESTHER

¹⁷The king was attracted to Esther more than to any of the other women, and she won his favor and approval more than any of the other virgins. So he set a royal crown on her head and made her queen. (Esther 2:17)

It's common in children's movies for a young peasant girl, who would otherwise have no chance for the throne, to fall in love with a prince (and vice versa) and eventually become queen, supposedly living "happily ever after". Whether or not the movie makers in Hollywood are aware of it, this story has already come true for a young Jewish girl named Esther! Real life princess stories aren't filled with pink bows and talking kittens, however. They can be very real and quite dangerous.

To understand how Esther even got the opportunity to become queen, the stage must be properly set. King Xerxes had a large feast, and there was much to drink. When he had his fill of wine, he decided to have his wife, Vashti, come out "wearing her royal crown, in order to display her beauty to the people and nobles, for she was lovely to look at" (Esther 1:11). We don't know what else she was supposed to wear besides her crown (perhaps nothing), but she turned his request down flat. Modern women might and probably should applaud Vashti for her boldness and pride, but these actions weren't as respected at this time. She was booted from the spot of queen, ordered never to see Xerxes again, and the stage was officially set for a replacement to take the throne. Xerxes then issued a decree to the surrounding areas for men to enforce their authority over their women, lest women get the idea that it's okay to disobey a direct order from a man. At this point one might wonder if Esther should even be married to such a tyrant.

Fortunately for Esther, the only condition for a woman to apply was that she be a beautiful virgin. Esther was both of these, but she was also an orphan, raised by her cousin Mordecai, and a Jew, attributes which would likely hurt her chances for being selected. So how did she become queen? Esther was not only beautiful, but very cunning and wise also. She "pleased him (Hegai, the eunuch in charge of this competition) and won his favor. Immediately he provided her with her beauty treatments and special food. He assigned to her seven maids selected from the king's palace and moved her and her maids into the best place in the harem" (Esther 2:9).

Hegai, being a Eunuch, certainly sought no sexual reward from Esther for this special treatment, but her beauty and charm won him over so much that she was immediately the forerunner. It's also notable that she "had not revealed her nationality and family background, because Mordecai had forbidden her to do so" (Esther 2:10). This was a smart girl from a smart family and even if she wasn't the most beautiful girl (which she was) she was the brightest (at least with the Mordecai's guidance). But she was also very ordinary, wasn't she? God had great plans for her despite her unworthiness, and she followed them right to the throne, where she could really do some good. But how did she get there?

The virgins were now to ask for whatever they wanted to take to the palace, where they would spend the night and return the next morning. If the king was pleased with her, she would get a call back. "Now the king was attracted to Esther more than to any of the other women, and she won his favor and approval more than any of the other virgins. So he set a royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti" (Esther 2:17). Esther is now queen and no longer an estranged Jew fighting for survival.

Not long after, a man named Haman became the second most powerful man in the kingdom, commanding others to bow to him and give him the proper respect. When he confronts Mordecai, however, he finds that the man will not bow to him. Haman, enraged, decides that Mordecai should be put to death. Not quite satisfied with this idea, he determines that all of the Jews should die.

In order to make this plan work, the king himself would have to comply, so Haman went to him with his plan. "There is a certain people dispersed and scattered among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom whose customs are different from those of all other people and who do not obey the king's laws; it is not in the king's best interest to tolerate them. If it pleases the king, let a decree be issued to destroy them, and I will put ten thousand talents of silver into the royal treasury for the men who carry out this business" (Esther 3:8-9). Haman is serious about his plan, and with roughly 375 tons of silver allocated to the men who kill these 'rogue citizens,' many are going to be eager to fulfill the wicked deed. Again God's chosen people find themselves in a bind.

After mourning for his life and the lives of his people, Mordecai confronts Esther. She tells him that anyone who goes to the king uninvited will be put to death, including the Queen, and she hasn't been invited for a month. Mordecai wisely reminds her that if she doesn't use her authority to help her people, her fate will be the same as Xerxes' when the Lord deals His judgment. Esther is at a difficult crossroads, but she makes the right decision in the end. She doesn't make the decision that grants her glory on this earth, but the one that glorifies the Lord. Many of us have a terrible time sacrificing and giving up our comfortable living to help out those who need it, and we often don't. Jesus spoke of this when He said "it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God" (Matthew 19:24). When we amass possessions, we often depend on our wealth instead of the awesome power of God.

Esther then approaches the king, unannounced, and he's pleased to see her (thank God)! He pardons her life and offers her anything she wants, even up to half of his kingdom! She shrewdly asks that he and Haman join her for a banquet that she'll prepare, and she'll tell him what she wants then. He comes to the banquet, drinks his fill, and again offers her almost anything her heart desires, but she detains him once more with the same request for a banquet in which he and Haman are the guests of honor. Why Haman? They meet a third time-king, queen, and honored guest-when Esther finally asks her favor. "If I have found favor with you, O king, and if it pleases your majesty, grant me my life-this is my petition. And spare my people-this is my request. ? For I and my people have been sold for destruction and slaughter and annihilation. If we'd merely been sold as male and female slaves, I would've kept quiet, because no such distress would justify disturbing the king" (Esther 7:3-4). How clever! She tells the king something that would absolutely horrify him, reminds him that he's too important to listen to any lesser pleas, and sounds so innocent! By this time Xerxes was ready to hang the traitor who devised this sickening idea of killing the Jews, his beloved wife's own people! Esther points her finger at Haman, he's hanged, and her people are saved.

What about poor old Mordecai? Mordecai, who'd already been recognized once for his services to the king, is given Haman's position, which makes him second in command. The king also allows him to write an edict to his people, giving them the right to defend themselves against the enemy. The king can't change the first edict ordering an attack, but he can give the Israelites every fair advantage. Mordecai grew in power and prestige until he was "preeminent among the Jews, and held in high esteem by his many fellow Jews, because he worked for the good of his people and spoke up for the welfare of all the Jews" (Esther 10:3).

This tale of Esther shows us that with God, nothing ordinary remains as such. Not all of us will attain a kingdom here on earth by the hand of the Lord, but we can look forward to receiving something greater. Our eternal and heavenly kingdom has been won for us by Jesus Christ and His actions on the cross. When we die and leave this temporary life, we'll be reunited with Esther and all the rest of the faithful who've helped to keep the name of the Lord prominent among the heathen.

Vicar Heath Trampe

CHRISTIAN EDUCATION

[The Large Catechism: The Ten Commandments]
"You shall have no other gods." ¹That is, you shall regard me alone as your God. What does this mean, and how is it to be understood? What is to have a god? What is God?
²Answer: A god is that to which we look for all good and in which we find refuge in every time of need. To have a god is nothing else than to trust and believe him with our whole heart. As I have often said, the trust and faith of the heart alone make both God and an idol. 3 If your faith and trust are right, then your God is the true God. On the other hand, if your trust is false and wrong, then you have not the true God. For these two belong together, faith and God. That to which your heart clings and entrusts itself is, I say, really your God.¹

¹Theodore G. Tappert, The Book of Concord : The Confessions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, 365 (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 2000, c1959).

NEW BOOKS IN THE LIBRARY
TOGETHER WITH JESUS by Richard Lauersdorf. This is a book of daily devotions for a year. Catalogued at 242 L.
LAW AND GOSPEL AND THE MEANS OF GRACE by Dr. David P. Scare. This is volume Vlll in a series of Confessional Lutheran Dogmatics. In the preface Daniel Preus says "each volume is written with the objective of presenting Lutheran Doctrine faithfully . . . . The Lutheran Confessions consider the distinction between law and gospel as an especially brilliant light. Of course the Lutheran Confessions speak this way because the loss of such a distinction results in the loss of the gospel itself, which is the true bearer of the light." Catalogued at 238 S

Dorothy Senff

PARISH NOTES

01 May	The Ascension of Our Lord, Thursday, 7:00 PM	Divine Service
04 May	7th Sunday of Easter, 10:30 Am			Divine Service
07 May	Wednesday, 7:00 AM				Office of Matins
11 May	The Day of Pentecost, 10:30 AM			Divine Service
14 May	Wednesday, 7:00 AM				Office of Matins
18 May	The Holy Trinity, 10:30 AM			Divine Service
21 May	Wednesday, 7:00 AM				Office of Matins
25 May	2nd Sunday after Pentecost, 10:30 AM		Divine Service
28 May	Wednesday, 7:00 AM				Office of Matins

OFFICE OF MATINS
JOIN US every Wednesday morning as we pray for the Church and the World in the Office of Matins. We begin at 7:00 AM and conclude by 7:25 AM. Now that the weather is nice and the sun comes up early, it would be a great way to start your day!

CONFESSION and ABSOLUTION in EXILE
Since our sanctuary is unavailable for Private Confession and Absolution during the renovation, Pastor hears private confessions in the nursery in the Parish Center. The room is be set up to facilitate this. Penitents enter via the rear Parish Center door and go to the main room. Private Confession takes place in the first section of the nursery. Penitents enter and leave via the same door. This is in effect for the duration of the renovation [03 & 15 May]. There is no Saturday confession during June, July, and August. We hope to be back in the sanctuary for the 19 June date.

The Rite of Confirmation has been scheduled for Sunday, 22 June. We have chosen the latest possible date to make sure that we will be back in the sanctuary.

SEQUICENTENNIAL 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 continue renovating our sanctuary.

ANNIVERSARY DATE APPROACHING
The Anniversary Planning Committee and Board of Outreach, Assimilation and Fellowship are in "high gear" making final plans for our upcoming 150th Anniversary celebration. Please mark your calendars for the Saturday and Sunday, June 28-29, when we will be holding our weekend long celebration to commemorate the signing of our original constitution on July 1, 1858.

Sanctuary repairs are on schedule to be finished by then, and we will have new paraments and a special anniversary hymn commissioned especially for this moment in our congregation's life. We have also scheduled a vicars' reunion and hope to be joined for the weekend by many of those who have served us since 1987.

Events and dates to mark:

Saturday, June 28th- Congregational Picnic at Immanuel from 2:00-5:00p.m (catered)
Vicars' informal get-together hosted by Pastor and Gay at their home from 7:00-10:00 p.m.
Sunday, June 29th- Divine Service, 10:30 a.m.
Presentation on Immanuel's history from 2:00-3:00 p.m.
Special Sesquicentennial Service 3:00 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 26th- Reformation Sunday, 1:00p.m. lunch catered by the Schnitzelbank in Jasper
Commemorative organ and brass concert, 3:00 p.m.

A commemorative cookbook and history of the congregation are in preparation as well as some beautiful commemorative items.

COUNCIL OF DEACONS REPORT FOR APRIL 2008
The Council of Deacons met on March 22nd and April 12th and continued its study of the Lutheran Confessions, finishing the Augsburg Confession. Items of discussion included: • Distribution of communion during the time services are being held in the Parish Center
• Pledge drive materials to be sent out to the congregation and how pledges would be handled. The drive will be years in length with a goal of $150,000. All pledge cards will be kept in a box on the altar and will remain confidential. Dates were set for Commitment Sunday (April 27) and for First Fruits Sunday (May 11th).
• Results of the Pre-School equipment sale
• Conversion of the Nehemiah Fund to the 150 Drive
• Date for induction of John Schulz as replacement Deacon for Jim Russler (April 27th)
• Acquisition of a new refrigerator to replace the unit in the kitchen which no longer works properly

The Council's next scheduled meeting is set for May 10th, 2008.

Ron Dunbar, Chairman, Council of Deacons

OUTREACH, ASSIMILATION & FELLOWSHIP MINUTES
April 15th, 2008 the meeting opened at 6:30pm with 10 members present. Minutes from February meeting were read and approved.

A mass E-mail will be sent requesting a couple of volunteers to organize the pictorial directory project. The volunteers will oversee scheduling, organizing names and photos, and be present on picture day. The directory needs to be in member's hands by Reformation day.

The OAF board would like to have both the 150th celebration picnic and Reformation Sunday catered, using a picnic menu for June and a German menu for Reformation. Luzia Trexler presented catering info from the Schnitzelbank in Jasper. This info will be passed to the 150th committee for a decision. We will be penciled in for both dates as a precaution.

Confirmation is set for June 22nd. Chuck Lux will meet with parents and report to OAF if they want a reception after D.S. or a dinner on Friday evening June 20th.

Thrivent is sponsoring a blood drive again this year at Trinity Lutheran. Sign up sheets are posted and an alert is in the bulletin.

New community service ideas are needed. Leslie Bilyeu volunteered to head the Race for the Cure team in October.

Kroger card receipts total $1524.25. Now we are looking into a Scrip program. This is used by many other churches and is a discount program that would benefit us monetarily similar to the Kroger program. Aunnee Trampe will get more info as she is very familiar with its operation.

Leslie Bilyeu made a presentation to the board concerning the ServSafe class she attended. We reviewed hand washing procedures, cross contamination issues, and proper food storage. Thanks a lot Leslie!

The need for a new refrigerator was discussed as our old unit is 18 years old and not working correctly. B & B foods had the most reasonable price at a cost of $3270. Some of the money might come from the Preschool equipment sale. Also please note the two new stoves in the kitchen.

The next meeting date was set for May 14th at 6:30 pm.

Respectfully submitted,
Brad Cress
Deacon, OAF Board

PROPERTY & GROUNDS BOARD
The Property and Grounds Board met on 8 April 2008 to review active and new projects.

A new fire exit door leading to the west alley and been ordered and will be installed by Elite.
Leaks in the nursery and parish center entrance has been fixed.
New pew footers are being made by D. Harris and will be installed when pews are moved back into the Sanctuary.
M. Gradert will repair pews damaged in move. This will be completed when the pews are moved back into the church.
A donor has come forward to have kneelers for the pews installed after the renovation is completed.
A motion to install pew cushions was rejected. It was suggested that we make pads for people who need them and keep them in the Narthex.
A motion was made to get quotes on carpeting the choir loft. Motion passed and quotes are in process.

Jim Senff Deacon, Property & Grounds

BOARD OF EDUCATION
VBS will be held June 16 thru June 20 from 9:00am until 11:30am. Vicar and Aunnee need all the support you can give by volunteering, donating and most importantly praying.

After Spring break and various interruptions, the Sunday 5:00pm college student study group started up again on April 13 with the study of Jehovah Witnesses.

Our Sunday school mission project for April, May and June called "Project Wittenberg" which is a plan to reestablish a Lutheran presence in the town of Wittenberg, Germany, will also be the VBS project.

YPI is still considering a St. Louis area youth gathering called "Higher Things" to be held July 1, 2, 3 and 4.

Upcoming dates
· Next BofE meeting May 13.
· Confirmation Service Sunday June 22

God's blessings
Chuck Lux, Deacon, Board of Education

VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL
Theme: I AM
June 16-20 from 9:00-11:30 a.m.

Children 3 years old through 6th grade are invited to attend VBS, which will consist of Bible lessons, crafts, music, recreation, and of course, snacks! Please invite friends, family members, grandchildren, daycares, or anyone else to join the VBS fun! We need as many teachers and helpers as we can get! Please be prepared to donate your time, as well as food and supplies, to make this VBS a success. This is a wonderful way to reach out to our community, so lets do all we can to get the community involved!

Throughout the Gospel of John, Jesus describes Himself seven times with I AM statements. This is how Jesus wants us to know Him! This VBS will help you experience and live out the journey that Jesus and His disciples took as He made His famous I AM statements! See why He calls Himself the Good Shepherd, the Door, the Light of the World, and much more!

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Vicar and Aunnee Trampe at 812-232-1032. Thank you!

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.

Over the past couple of years polygamy has found itself in the spotlight due to a particular Mormon group settled mostly in western states. Recently, authorities took 139 women and 416 children from the Yearning for Zion Ranch in west Texas. Many of the children had been sexually abused, some of them being forced to marry much older men while still in their early teens. Our nation seems shocked, but some have pointed out that polygamy [multiple marriages] has been the "traditional marriage" in most of the world for longer than one man and one woman. Interestingly, a columnist at FoxNews.com, Yvonne K. Fulbright, who is listed as FOXSexpert in her columns, had some interesting things to say about what we call traditional marriage [Tuesday, April 10, 2008]. She asked how the West came to honor the two-person marriage as the best. "Early Christianity," she said. Reading that, we got ready to get blasted, but it didn't happen. She wrote that Christianity's insistence on monogamy "became a step toward gender equality." Men were no longer allowed to treat women as property. She listed a number of things that our society considers a "perfect union." These include having deep love and loyalty for your spouse; making your spouse your highest obligation and priority; putting your spouse before your parents and family members; finding your best friend in your spouse; expressing affection to your spouse; being sexually faithful. She observes that Christian Western Europe and North American developed societal values around these beliefs about marriage. She goes on to say that this is why we are shocked to hear of the abuses in the polygamist cults so prominent in the news, and then this: "In meeting one's intimacy, affection and sexual needs, we in the West have sought a marriage free of coercion, violence and gender inequality." It seems rather amazing to us that someone in the mainstream media has discovered that Christianity has the prescription of marriage happiness and that it is far superior to the old polygamous view of marriage. For once, Christianity did not get blamed for marital unhappiness! Maybe others will realize that whatever moral progress the world has it owes to Christianity and her high view of women and children.

SMILES
It's been so dry in Georgia that the Baptists are starting to baptize by sprinkling, the Methodists are using wet-wipes, the Presbyterians are giving out rain-checks, and the Episcopalians, Catholics, and Lutherans are praying for the wine to turn back into water.

Now THAT's Dry!

When the offering was processed the following Sunday, he found that his card had been returned. Added to it was this cryptic message, 'Genesis 3:10.' Reaching for his Bible to check out the citation, he broke up in laughter Revelation 3:20 begins 'Behold, I stand at the door and knock.' Genesis 3:10 reads, 'I heard your voice in the garden and I was afraid for I was naked.'

The price of Gas versus Other Items

Think a gallon of gas is expensive? This makes one think, and also puts things in perspective.

Diet Snapple 16 oz $1.29 ... $10.32 per gallon
Lipton Ice Tea 16 oz $1.19...$9.52 per gallon
Gatorade 20 oz $1.59 ... $10.17 per gallon
Ocean Spray 16 oz $1.25 ... $10.00 per gallon
Brake Fluid 12 oz $3.15...$33.60 per gallon
Vick's Nyquil 6 oz $8.35...$178.13 per gallon
Pepto Bismol 4 oz $3.85 .. $123.20 per gallon
Whiteout 7 oz $1.39 ...$25.42 per gallon
Scope 1.5 oz $0.99...$84.48 per gallon

And this is the REAL KICKER...

Evian water 9 oz $1.49..$21.19 per gallon! $21.19 for WATER and the buyers don't even know the source! (tap water just like home! buy a washable bottle ONCE and tote your own water) plastic does not disintegrate! (Evian spelled backwards is Naive.)

Ever wonder why inkjet printers are so cheap? So they get you hooked for the ink. Someone calculated the cost of the ink at...(you won't believe it...but it is true...) $5,200 a gal.

So, the next time you're at the pump, be glad your car doesn't run on Water, Scope, or Whiteout, Pepto Bismol, Nyquil or God forbid, Printer Ink!