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The Invitation | First Sunday of Advent | Hebrews 11:1-3

Redeemer Lutheran Church — Sun, 27 Nov 2022 14:28:34 +0000

LIVESTREAM |BULLETIN

November 27, 2022 | 10:45 a.m.

First Sunday of Advent

READINGS

Psalm 37:18-24
Proverbs 3:33-35
Hebrews 11:1-3
Matthew 25:31-46

message presented by Rev. Frank C. Ruffatto

+Points to ponder

Have you ever received an invitation you just wanted to ignore? Did you accept it or not?
What does this verse from Hebrews mean? - “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” – How is it applicable in your life?
How can our congregation better share God’s invitation for people to join His kingdom?

+Sermon Transcript

Grace, mercy, and peace be unto each of you from God our Father and our Lord and King, Jesus the Christ. Amen.

Let us pray: Almighty God, as Your kingdom dawns, turn us from the darkness of sin to the light of holiness, so that we may be ready to meet You in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Not all invitations are glorious! Not all invitations are what they appear to be.

Left to our own sinful ways, we would refuse to do what we consider is below us. The tempting lies of the devil can have us believe that we are what we are really not! As children of Adam and Eve, we desire to be like God. We seek after notoriety and wealth. We desire the praise of others. We covet pomp, power, prestige, and possessions. We sometimes believe Satan’s lies and see ourselves to be above all others.

“By college, Michelle [Akers] had become an All-American soccer star, earning ESPN's woman athlete of the year in 1985 – the same year the United States formed its first women's national team, with Michelle a starter.

In 1991 the U.S. team won the first-ever Women's World Cup and Michelle scored 10 goals in five games, including the championship's winner. She signed an endorsement deal and became the first woman soccer player to have a paid sponsor. She played professionally in Sweden. Michelle's drive and tenacity were beginning to pay off. She even tried out as the place kicker for the Dallas Cowboys: her longest attempt reached 52 yards.

But just as her star was rising, Michelle's health was declining. By 1993, the woman who used grit and determination to make life happen found her life unmanageable.

‘Each day I felt like I had flown to Europe with no food or sleep, then flown right back and trained for hours,’ Michelle says.

She suffered from Chronic Fatigue and Immune Dysfunction Syndrome (CFIDS), a debilitating disease affecting more than a million adult Americans. ‘When it was really bad, I couldn't sit up in a chair. The racking migraines stranded me at home, unable even to get up to brush my teeth or eat.’

For the first time, Michelle could no longer count on her old friends – strength and hard work. She had to find a new way to cope.

‘I couldn't bear not to be the best in the world, not to be the one who could bounce back from any injury,’ she says. ‘It was the only me I knew.’ When her marriage of four years broke up in 1994, Michelle had reached the end of herself.

‘I was so sick I couldn't take a five-minute walk without needing two days on the couch to recover. I was forced to spend a lot of time thinking about who I was. I didn't like what I saw.’

Michelle had [been titularly a Christian since] high-school but ignored God in college and after graduation. Now sick and alone, Michelle reluctantly accepted an invitation from a strength coach to attend his church ... Although she couldn't articulate it at the time, in retrospect Michelle says she knew she ‘needed to get things right with God.’

‘Looking back,’ she explains, ‘I think God was gently, patiently tapping me on the shoulder and [inviting me to follow Him] for years. But I continuously brushed him off, saying, 'Hey, I know what I am doing. I can make these decisions. Leave me alone.' Then I think He finally said, 'Okay,' crossed his arms and looked at me sadly – because He knew I was going to make a lot of mistakes by ignoring [His invitation]. He knew I would be hurting in the future.

‘It took total devastation before I would acquiesce and say, ‘Okay, God. You can have my life. Please, help me.’”

And so, we too have told God that we know what we are doing and have gladly accepted the devil’s invitation to join him in his make-believe kingdom: a kingdom built on shallow promises and selfish lies, a kingdom of the flesh catering to all our baser desires.

Repent. Confess the sins that you hid even from yourself, the delusions of your heart. Confess who you too often are: commandment breakers - full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, and malice; a gossiper, slanderer, God-hater, insolent, arrogant, and boastful; senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Repent. The lies of the devil are never delivered as promised.

Through the voice of the Gospel, Beloved, hear and heed the invitation – the invitation to join Christ in His kingdom. Of course, not all invitations are glorious! Not all invitations are what they appear to be. As we just sang in the in the Advent candle lighting recitation:

Savior of the nations, come, Virgin’s Son, make here Your home! Marvel now, O heav’n and earth, That the Lord chose such a birth. (LSB 332:1)

When there was nothing, there was God the Holy Trinity. “The only-begotten Son of God, begotten of His Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made.”
Out of pure darkness, when there was yet nothing, the invitation came from the Father to His Son, an invitation to join Him in the creating of all things “visible and invisible.” An invitation to be the Word, the Word in which all things were made and without which nothing was made. Of course, not all invitations are glorious! Not all invitations are what they appear to be.

For in that loving and gracious speaking, in such creating, God the Holy Trinity was wholly vulnerable. The creation could turn against its creator. The self-giving love of the Holy Trinity could never coerce its creation, would never manipulate for self-satisfaction.

For when perfect creation fell into the abyss of darkness and night, the all-creating Word could do nothing but become incarnate among that which He had once made and spoken good. The perfect Word of creation, Jesus the Christ, became the Word made flesh. The Father’s invitation to come down among His sinful children was fully and completely embraced by the Son so that He might speak words of light and life into all the world.

In humility and truest love, the Son left His throne in heaven and joined Himself to Mary’s womb. Taking up flesh through the speaking of a word, the only-begotten Son of God was knitted inside the Virgin mother that He might be fully what He had once created.

The invitation to become one of us is the greatest miracle of God. Not only that He created all things, but that He would make Himself to be like us in every way – except for our sin – that He might speak us righteous.

For this Word made flesh spoke the very words of life. Healing disease, raising to life, forgiving sin, granting eternal life – all with a word. And, unlike the devil’s word, His word always does what it says. His Word restores and makes whole all that which was once sick and separated.

From the manger newborn light Shines in glory through the night. Darkness there no more resides; In this light faith now abides. (LSB 332:7)

Along with Lent, I think that Advent is the most contemplative of all Church seasons. Advent is an invitation. Not all invitations are glorious! Not all invitations are what they appear to be. The invitation to join Christ in His kingdom (no matter what the season) is an invitation to follow in His suffering and death. The Advent invitation is a call to take up our cross and daily follow Him. The Advent invitation at the same time calls us to share the Gospel to the very ends of the earth, to sow the seed that has been given, to work while it is still light.

“In Something Beautiful for God, longtime British journalist Malcolm Muggeridge tells how he met Mother Teresa while filming a BBC documentary about her work. He was completely captivated by her deep compassion for the poorest of the poor in Calcutta's slums. But he, an unbeliever, could not accept her faith. What especially kept him back was that he could not join the church, such an imperfect and flawed institution.

Once, while Mother Teresa visited London, she and Muggeridge took a walk, and Muggeridge reports, ‘I took up my well-prepared defensive position about the church, whose deficiencies, crumbling barricades, and woeful future prospects, I expatiated upon, with little effect.’

After she left London, she wrote Muggeridge a letter and enclosed a small devotional book. Here are excerpts from her letter, which are a model of how to share your faith lovingly:

‘I think I understand you better now. I don't know why, but you to me are like Nicodemus, and I'm sure the answer is the same: 'Unless you become a little child.' I'm sure you will understand beautifully everything if you would only become a little child in God's hands. Your longing for God is so deep, and yet He keeps Himself away from you. He must be forcing Himself to do so, because He loves you so much, as to give Jesus to die for you and for me. Christ is longing to be your food.

Surrounded with the fullness of living food, you allow yourself to starve. The personal love Christ has for you is infinite. The small difficulty you have regarding His church is finite. Overcome the finite with the infinite. Christ has created you because He wanted you. I know what you feel, terrible longing with dark emptiness, and yet He is the one in love with you.’

Apparently, Mother Teresa's love kept working on Muggeridge. Just 8 years before he died (in 1990), he finally overcame his objections and publicly joined the Christian church.”

Faith is the truest theme of Advent. Faith given by our heavenly Father, through the Word, that trusts the Word to deliver all that He promises. A faith that is like that which the author of Hebrews describes. “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”

For very soon, the invitation will come from the Father for the Son to come down again, not in new flesh, but in His crucified flesh now glorified. And on that great and glorious day, “every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.” And then the invitation: “Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” The Word made flesh will be in our hearts and upon our lips for all eternity. Amen.

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”

Our Purpose in Life: Glorifying God | Last Sunday of the Church Year | Malachi 3:13–18

Redeemer Lutheran Church — Sun, 20 Nov 2022 15:45:00 +0000

LIVESTREAM |BULLETIN

November 20, 2022 | 10:45 a.m.

Last Sunday of the Church Year

READINGS

Malachi 3:13–18
Psalm 46:1-11
Colossians 1:13–20
Luke 23:27–43

message presented by Rev. Frank C. Ruffatto

+Points to ponder

What is your purpose in life? Do you think your idea of that purpose aligns with God’s purpose for you?
How do we overcome the frustration and sadness that the world around us fosters?
How can we, as God’s people, glorify God?

+Sermon Transcript

Grace, mercy, and peace be unto each of you from God our Father and our Lord and King, Jesus the Christ. Amen.

Let us pray: God the Father, help us to hear the call of Christ the King and to follow in His service, whose kingdom has no end; for He reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, one glory. Amen.

Some years ago, there was a movement in the non-denominational world to grasp and live out what was dubbed, ‘The Purpose Driven Life.’ And we can find ourselves still asking, ‘what is my purpose in life?’ ‘What is my life worth?’ and with such a topsy-turvy world, ‘Does God even remember us?”

In short, creation exists to glorify God. We exist to glorify God. The purpose of our life is to glorify God. The purpose of all you do is to glorify God. And the purpose of the Church is to glorify God. Maybe this should give us pause to ponder what we are doing – what is God calling each of us to do – at work, at home, at Church, in our community?

But first, what does it mean to glorify God? To start, God wants to be glorified by your salvation. “For without faith, it is impossible to please God.” To glorify God, you must be saved from sin, death, and the devil. To glorify God, you must be in communion with Christ’s divine nature. The first way we are to glorify God is to receive from Him; and then, we pray, praise, and give thanks.

That’s why the Son of God came down from heaven, became man, suffered, and died. That’s why Jesus rose from the grave, ascended into heaven, and now sits at the right hand of the Father. All this was for our salvation.

It is for our salvation that Christ founded His Church and told His apostles to baptize, teach, preach, forgive sins, and celebrate the Lord’s Supper. Because it’s through God’s gifts to us in Word and Sacrament that we inherit eternal life and praise His mercy, now and forever. That’s how we glorify God.

Here’s the problem: in our times of unbelief, we don’t believe that. In our unbelief, we think this God thing is just a sham. This is what the Prophet Malachi also experienced with the people of Israel. From this morning’s reading: “Your words have been hard against Me, says the LORD. But you say, ‘How have we spoken against You?’ You have said, ‘It is vain to serve God. What is the profit of our keeping His charge or of walking as in mourning before the LORD of hosts?”

That’s what happens when unbelief takes over your life and shakes its angry fist at God. You’ve been trying to do what is right, but it seems futile. God didn’t meet your expectations. In a world gone haywire, following God looks as if it’s doing nothing for your life.

Yet, Scripture reminds us: “[G]odliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.” But, does God mean that life on this mortal coil will be nothing but smooth sailing; that you will always be happy, comfortable, and successful, that everything will always go well for you? If He does, then Bible passages like “blessed are the poor in spirit” would be a lie.

The Lord especially loves the poor. Yet, God doesn’t love them just because they happen to be poor. It’s just that when someone is poor in spirit, when he is humble, he acknowledges his moral bankruptcy, and accepts what God gives him, even if it looks pointless to our eyes.

In the Old Testament, Job was facing a trial from Satan over his health. His wife looked on and said he should just ‘curse God and die.’ Job answered with this rhetorical question: “Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?”

In the Lord’s Prayer, we pray, “Your will be done.” We know that what God wills is always for our eternal good. God knows what is helpful for us, even when we don’t know. And so, we should thank God that He has provided all that we need. But we should also thank Him for denying us much of what we would like. For much of what we would like is toxic, poisonous for our souls.

Moses reminded the Israelites to be careful as they were getting ready to inherit the holy land. Moses says why: “[W]hen your herds and flocks multiply and your silver and gold is multiplied and all that you have is multiplied, then your heart be lifted up, and you forget the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.” This is what too often happens when people – when we, have everything we want.

In Malachi’s day, various troubles afflicted the people. They had poor crop yields; their economy was a trainwreck; their political life was vituperative and divisive; their daily lives were hard. (Sound familiar?) They began to grumble and blame God. ‘We’ve struggled to do what is right. We’ve tried to keep the rules and serve God – but it’s gotten us nowhere!’

Maybe, it didn’t occur to the Israelites that their hard times were brought on by their own doing. Maybe, God was disciplining them. Maybe, they should fix their eyes on heaven and on the Messiah to come. They thought only of their own feelings and that they did not have a life of comfort and ease. They didn’t trust God as they should. Instead, they went merely by what they could see and feel. Could there be a warning for us here?

We see that Malachi speaks of more than unbelief. He also speaks of those with a weak faith: “And now we call the arrogant blessed. Evildoers not only prosper but they put God to the test, and they escape.’”

God’s people were confused. They didn’t see His justice. They suffered while the wicked got away with their theft, blasphemy, adultery, and utter ungodliness.

That has often been a hard paradox for Christians to swallow. Why do the ungodly have earthly success? So, we sometimes think, “What does it matter if I follow God?” But that’s only true if we see earthly success as the final word on what is right and wrong. That’s how we get duped. That’s when we walk by sight and not by faith. When we get duped, we are tempted to turn away from God in despair, to stop trusting Him, and to stop praying.

Here, the Psalms are instructive for us to gain the proper attitude. King David opines: “In just a little while, the wicked will be no more; though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there… Better is the little that the righteous has than the abundance of many wicked. For the arms of the wicked shall be broken, but the LORD upholds the righteous. The LORD knows the days of the blameless, and their heritage will remain forever.”

And so, Beloved, do not despair of God and His promises. Be resolute. For in His Word and Sacraments, God spiritually lifts you above the fray. By faith, you can see that Christ, on the cross, has already defeated the forces of evil. By faith, you can take refuge in God, your fortress, and your rock.

Yet, Malachi still has more to teach us. For Malachi didn’t speak only of unbelief or a weak faith. He also spoke of those with a strong faith: “Then those who feared the LORD spoke with one another. The LORD paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before Him of those who feared the LORD and esteemed His name.” The saints in Malachi’s day encouraged each other and remembered God’s promises. They spoke of the coming Savior and His kingdom, of grace and salvation. That’s what Christians do – we encourage each other. When one is weak or stumbles, we heed the Apostle Paul’s teaching: “Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness.” We are not to skulk in silence if our brothers and sisters in Christ speak foolish words, act wickedly, or head for destruction. We are to warn, encourage, and urge them to rejoice in the Gospel of Christ – yet we are to do this with compassion.

For God hears it when we, His people, pray, praise, and give thanks to Him. He has a book of remembrance where He registers our names. Others may forget, but God remembers. He will not forget. He will remember even into eternity.

So, Malachi continues: “They shall be mine, says the LORD of hosts, in the day when I make up My treasured possession.” Did you catch that? We, beloved, are His ‘treasured possession”! Yes, we are worth much to God, for He sent His only begotten Son to redeem us. And God says in the words given to Malachi: “I will spare them, just as a man spares his own son who serves him.” God has spared us from eternal damnation, which we deserve because of our sins. Indeed, God will spare us because He did not spare His Son but gave Him up for us all.

Malachi rounds out our reading with a promise from God: “Then once more you shall see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve Him.”

Our eyes are often deceived because it looks as if the wicked are rewarded.

But wait! On the Last Day, Christ will separate the believers from the unbelievers, the faithful from the unfaithful. All who trust in Christ will enjoy His eternal reward. Indeed, “It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.” Amen.

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

Return and See | Twenty-third Sunday after Pentecost | Matthew 28:1-10

Redeemer Lutheran Church — Sun, 13 Nov 2022 15:45:00 +0000

LIVESTREAM | BULLETIN

— Joel 2:13

November 13 | 10:45 a.m.

Twenty-third Sunday After Pentecost

READINGS

Psalm 16
Isaiah 25 : 6-9
1 Corinthians 15 : 1-11
Matthew 28 : 1-10

message presented by Rev. Frank C. Ruffatto

+Points to ponder

What does the commandment, ‘Remember the Sabbath to keep it holy,’ mean for Christians today?
What is Christ gifting to us in His invitation to ‘come and see?’
How can we encourage each other in our congregation to not only ‘come and see’ but to ‘go and tell?’

+Sermon Transcript

Grace, mercy, and peace be unto each of you from God our Father and our Lord and King, Jesus the Christ. Amen.

Let us pray: God, our light and our salvation: illuminate our lives, that we may see Your goodness in the land of the living and looking on Your beauty may be changed into the likeness of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

A very blessed Lord’s Day to each of you! Of course, this is the Lord’s Day because our Lord was resurrected on a Sunday and so, the Church moved her time of gathering to Sunday as the day to observe the Sabbath. What a wonderful picture of the distinction of Law and Gospel. The Sabbath, previously, had been observed out of the imperative of God to “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.” It was tied to God’s work of bringing the Creation into existence and He, Himself rested afterward. His people were called to keep it special by having it separate from other days. It is set aside and meant for rest and worship.

Enter the Gospel and the honoring of the Sabbath is less an imperative than a true, life-giving blessing – true rest and worship. The Psalmist wrote: “This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” This is the day the cornerstone of salvation is laid.

And so, what a wonderful day to come together and to see all that God has done for us in Christ: the forgiveness He offers; the salvation He has won for us; the life that He has secured for us.

Throughout this season of celebration and contemplation, we have been working through a sermon series focused on God’s call for His people to return to Him. We have heard the different sins committed through the course of the Passion; have considered our own sinfulness; have been reminded of God’s call to return to Him; and have been comforted by the word that our God is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love, and most of all that He relents over disaster. Our attention keeps coming back to Jesus and the sacrifice He made to reconcile us to God the Father. Today, it all comes together as we observe that Jesus is risen from the dead and invites His disciples to come and see Him.

Why? Because when they see Jesus risen from the dead, they will begin to understand the significance of everything He has been doing over the last three years in His ministry. They will start “to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge.” And that realization will lead them to share this Good News with others, that they, too, might come to know “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding.”

But first, let’s back up a bit and listen to Isaiah as he looks into the future to give us a picture of heaven. “On this mountain the LORD of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine, of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined.” What a vivid picture he paints. A joyful gathering of people “from all tribes and peoples and languages.”

And in this gathering, the Lord of hosts has “swallow[ed] the covering that is cast over all peoples, the veil that is spread over all nations.” This says nothing less than that the Lord has taken away death and taken away the consequence of sin that would otherwise mean eternal separation from God.

Sounds pretty appealing, doesn’t it? We read Isaiah’s account, we picture its fulfillment, and we long to be there.

But how? This “covering” is cast over all people because “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” All: you, me, every single one of us. This covering is cast over you. And you can’t shake it. You can’t uncover yourself. You are trapped beneath it. Your sinful nature clings to you so stubbornly that you cannot possibly strip yourself of it. And you know it. Your conscience cries out against you, and your thoughts accuse you every waking moment. It seems impossible.

We all know this and lament: “Who then can be saved?” we ask. Jesus tenderly replies: “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

God sent His own Son to deal with this problem. He has provided everything we need. “He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” God has stepped in and made it possible in Christ.

In Christ, your sin has been forgiven. In Christ, your salvation has been secured. In Christ, you “have an advocate with the Father.” One who is perfectly righteous. An advocate who lived a perfect life and then turned around and offered His own righteousness to you and took your sins in return. He has clothed you with pure vestments in return for your own filthy garments. Through Baptism, Christ has wrapped you up in the robe of His own righteousness, which covers all your sin.

You have a seat at this table! You are invited to the feast! And Isaiah gives voice to our response: “I will greatly rejoice in the LORD; my soul shall exult in my God, for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation; He has covered me with the robe of righteousness.”

That Sunday morning, Jesus emerged from the tomb, resurrected from the dead, fully alive, and His first task was to invite the disciples to Galilee, to come and see. This morning, He extends the same invitation to us: Come and see! Come and look on the One who was pierced and see that the plan of salvation has been completed. Come and see what He has in store for you: your own resurrection! Your very life! Come and see!

But how? Where?

For the disciples, the answer was simple. Come to Galilee. Come to the mountain where you will find Me. And so they did. They came to that mountain and gathered at Jesus’ feet, and He gave them a task. It was simple, but crucial. You’ve come. You’ve seen. You’ve worshiped. Now, go. Go and make disciples. Go and baptize. Go and teach. Go, and know that I am with you always. Come and see; go and tell.

But we don’t have a mountain. Jesus says, “Come to Me,” and we stand like Thomas at the Last Supper, gawking at Jesus, stunned by His words; and we echo: “How can we know the way?”

God gives us the way: His Church. That is to say, we know where to find Christ, because God’s promises and His Word make clear where to find Him: You will always find Christ in “the assembly of all believers among whom the gospel is purely preached and the holy sacraments are administered according to the gospel.” “Where two or three are gathered in [Jesus’] name,” there He is among them.

We come to this place, because it is here that we see Jesus. We gaze on the cross of His crucifixion and ponder the penalty for our sins, which He willingly bore. We can see Him reach down and claim His own in Holy Baptism. We can “taste and see that the Lord is good” as we receive Christ’s very body and blood at His table as we celebrate Holy Communion with Him and with each other. It is here that you can see Him.

And then what? It is no different for us than it was for the disciples: Come and see; go and tell. Isaiah’s words are beautiful here: “Behold, this is our God; we have waited for Him, that He might save us. This is the LORD; we have waited for Him; let us be glad and rejoice in His salvation.” That is the pattern that Jesus lays out for the Christian life: we trust, we wait, He acts, and we rejoice and share the news with others. So simple. So powerful.

“Several Christian exchange students from our [country] were listening to a professor at a college in South America. He said, ‘You’ve probably seen many crosses in our land. Every church spire, many of our public buildings, even the rooms of our homes are decorated with a cross. Now it’s your job as Christians to get the crosses off the church towers and into the hearts of the people.’ What did he mean? Simply that the cross is not merely a Christian symbol but [the] way of [life and salvation]. It is not merely an ornamental device but our hope for eternity.

So today, as you have now come and seen the salvation won for you by your Lord and Savior, may you be moved to go out into the world and to share with others what you have seen. Be glad. Rejoice in Him. And share your great good fortune with the whole world. Amen.

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”

ABOUT THE SERIES

In the Book of Joel, the prophet paints a vivid picture of the coming judgment of God, the Day of the Lord. The imagery is bold and terrifying. Joel’s prophecy has teeth even today as wars rage, natural disasters threaten and destroy, and our culture seems to be unraveling.

But right in the middle of this frightening portent, we find a tender invitation from the Lord: “Return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and He relents over disaster” (Joel 2:13). God’s invitation and promise finds its fullness in Jesus Christ, who personifies and accomplishes all that God declares.

During this series, we will consider the theme “Return to the Lord” and examine how the call to return played out in practical ways for the people who walked alongside Christ as He demonstrated and carried out God’s grace and mercy on our behalf, taking God’s wrath upon Himself, setting the stage for God to “turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind Him” (Joel 2:14).

Join us for the Return to the Lord series at Redeemer.

Sermons in the Series

Twenty Years: Work Continued Outside and Inside | November 2002

Redeemer Lutheran Church — Thu, 10 Nov 2022 00:38:45 +0000

Amy and Amanda load scraps from work inside the church.

Work Continues - Outside and Inside

In November the parking lot was graded and the two islands built. Hanging the vinyl siding was competed. Concrete pads were put in for the HVAC units.

Inside the church the transformation was dramatic as wallboard was put up. Our members put up the wallboard in the nonpublic areas, such as attic and utility room. A professional crew put up the wallboard in the public areas. The insulation work was also completed.

Return to the Church | Twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost

Redeemer Lutheran Church — Sun, 06 Nov 2022 15:45:00 +0000

LIVESTREAM | BULLETIN

— Joel 2:13

November 6 | 10:45 a.m.

Twenty-second Sunday After Pentecost

READINGS

READINGS
Psalm 69:16-21
Zechariah 12:10-13:1
1 Corinthians 12:12-14
John 19:28-37

message presented by Rev. Frank C. Ruffatto

+Points to ponder

Having heard/read the sermon, how do you answer the question, ‘Why are you here?’
What does it mean for us to be ‘the Bride of Christ’?
How can we encourage each other to live out our call to be the Church?

+Sermon Transcript

Grace, mercy, and peace be unto each of you from God our Father and our Lord and King, Jesus the Christ. Amen.

Let us pray: O God, whose blessed Son came into the world that He would destroy the works of the devil and make us children of God and heirs of eternal life: Grant that, having this hope, we may be clothed in the righteousness of Christ and joyfully live together as His Bride, the Church. In the name of Christ, Amen.

Why are you here? The question can seem to be little forward, I admit, but please don’t be offended. I’m not trying to make you uncomfortable. I am asking, rather, to nudge you to think about how you came to faith; how you were led to become a member of the church; how you were joined to this community of believers. And, honestly, I hope to make us all consider what it means that God has called us to be members of His Body and how He uses us to encourage and support one another as we live out our faith.

Our sermon series in this season of contemplation and celebration has focused on God’s call, especially His call through Joel to return to Him, to turn from our sins, to trust in Christ, and to be saved. The imagery of returning has come up again and again as we have looked at the events of Jesus’ Passion, examining the various sins committed and considering how we transgress God’s Commandments in our own lives. That part of it has been sobering and difficult. But the rest of Joel’s message has offered hope and comfort: “Return to the LORD your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and He relents over disaster.” We have seen that God’s relenting over disaster involved sending His own Son into the world. We have been comforted to hear again that our salvation has been secured for us by His all-availing sacrifice on the cross.

That sacrifice is front and center today, as we gather together with idea of being in a sort of in-between time. That is, much like Lent we experience Good Friday and then we live in the in-between which is the expectation of the Easter Sunday to come.

The events of Christ’s crucifixion are the starting point for our Gospel today. The death of Christ is retold with few words but massive effect in John’s Gospel: “When Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, ‘It is finished,’ and He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.”

We start there, because that is the place where everything comes together. On the cross, weighed down with your sin, pained by the departure of God’s presence, Christ finally completes His earthly mission. We do well to pause and simply reflect on this scene for a moment in order to set the stage for the call we will hear today.

“On three separate occasions, God told parents in Israel how to answer the serious questions of their sons and daughters. This would indicate that God wants us to take the time to answer [not only] our children [but also others] when they ask us about spiritual matters. How we respond can either greatly help or terribly discourage them.

Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy told of an aunt who hurt him deeply when she didn’t take time to answer some questions that were troubling him. She stirred his emotions by telling him of Jesus’ crucifixion, but when he cried out, ‘Auntie, why did they torture Him?’ she said simply, ‘They were wicked.’ ‘But wasn’t He God?’ Tolstoy asked.

Instead of explaining that Jesus was indeed God, that He had become a man so He could die for our sins, she said, ‘Be still – it is 9 o’clock!’ When he persisted, she retorted, ‘Be quiet, I say, I’m going to the dining room to have tea.’ This left young Tolstoy greatly agitated.

Commenting on this scene, Calvin Miller said, ‘Tolstoy found it incomprehensible that Christ had been brutalized and his aunt was not interested enough to stay a little past teatime and talk about it.’

Do we allow our own interests – a television program, a sporting event, a hobby, a fear of mocking and rejection – to keep us from taking time to listen, [and give an answer for the hope that is within us. ] If we pause long enough to explain His truth, He will use it to change lives.’”

John emphasizes on more than one occasion that Jesus did what He did “to fulfill the Scripture.” He was carrying out a plan that His Father had put into motion way back in the Garden of Eden. Finally, it was coming to fruition. What Satan corrupted, Jesus is putting right. “It is finished.”

Something surprising happened next. The Jewish leaders, intensely concerned about the scriptural law, at least where the Passover was concerned, asked Pilate to break the legs of Jesus and the two criminals. They wanted to speed along the process of death and avoid the negativity of having the bodies still hanging on the cross during the Sabbath. The soldiers discovered that Jesus was already dead, so they did not break His legs. Instead, a soldier jabbed a spear into His side, and blood and water came pouring out, confirming that He was dead.

That wound – our Lord’s pierced side – is filled with meaning. That wound brought the whole episode to a crushing end. The apostle John and Mary, Jesus’ mother, looked on, devastated. The disciples had scattered and had no idea what to do with themselves; their leader was dead. They looked on Jesus, dead on the cross, and they mourned for Him. They mourned for Him the way you would mourn the loss of a child or a parent or a dear friend. They wept bitterly over Him. They wept the way you would weep if you lost your firstborn child. That day, the mourning in Jerusalem was like the mourning we experienced on 9/11, as we tried to make sense of the loss of life. That day, the mourning in Jerusalem was like the mourning our country went through after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Everyone mourned. Families gathered close together. But even at that, each person felt alone. Wives drifted away from their families to cry privately in the bedroom. Youth curled up in their beds to try and make sense of the tragedy.

The day that Jesus died was a dark, dark day. No one quite understood what to make of it. But on that day, a wound was opened in Jesus’ side, and blood and water poured forth from it. Something amazing happened. A fountain was opened for us. A fountain of blood and water that didn’t mean death, but life. A fountain of holy blood and holy water that would give birth to the very Bride of Christ. A fountain that would provide everything needed to “wash [your] robes and [make] them white in the blood of the Lamb.” A fountain that would finally, eternally, crush the head of Satan and reconcile the whole world to God.

Max Lucado once shared, “I make no claim to being a good golfer, but I love to play golf and watch golf, and on good nights I even dream golf. So, when I was invited to attend the Masters Golf Tournament, I was thrilled. A pass to the Masters is the golfer’s holy grail. Mine came via pro golfer Scott Simpson.

Off we went to Augusta National Country Club in Georgia where golf heritage hangs like moss from the trees. I was a kid in a candy store. It wasn’t enough to see the course and walk the grounds; I wanted to see the locker room, where the clubs of Ben Hogan and Paul Azinger are displayed.

But they wouldn’t let me in. A guard stopped me at the entrance. I showed him my pass, but he shook his head. I told him I knew Scott, but that didn’t matter. ‘Only caddies and players,’ he explained. Well, he knew I wasn’t a player or a caddie. Caddies are required to wear white coveralls. So, I left, knowing I had made it all the way to the door but was denied entrance.

God has one requirement for entrance into heaven: that we, [by faith], be clothed in Christ. When [we repent and pray,] ‘Take away my [sin soiled] rags and clothe me in your grace,’ Jesus, in an act visible only to the eyes of heaven, removes the stained robe and replaces it with His robe of righteousness.

Jesus put on our coat of sin and wore it to the cross. As he died, his blood flowed over our sins, and they were cleansed. Because of this, we have no fear of being turned away at the door of heaven.”

When God created Adam, He determined early on that “it [was] not good that the man should be alone,” so He set out to make a helper fit for man. He had created all manner of animals and beasts, and He brought them to Adam to see what he would name them. But none of them was a suitable helpmate. So, God put Adam into a deep sleep and did a little surgery, taking a rib from Adam’s side from which He created a woman, Eve. “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.”

From a wound in Adam’s side, the bride of Adam was made for him: a suitable partner; someone he could be with for his whole life; someone for whom he could give of himself; someone he could love and cherish; someone with whom he could share joy and companionship.

Today we remember something similar, and it starts with a wound in Jesus’ side.

Because from a wound in Jesus’ side, the Bride of Christ has been made for Him: a suitable partner; someone who will be with Him forever; someone for whom He had already given of Himself; someone He loves and cherishes; someone with whom He shares joy and companionship.

Beloved, you are that Bride. We are the Bride of Christ. God has called us into the Church, into a community of believers who make up the very Bride of Christ. That’s why you are here! He has called you into this community intentionally and for good purpose.

Because as a part of this community, you get to serve the Lord and to serve your brothers and sisters. In this community, the fullness of Christ dwells, and the Holy Spirit works. In this community, you get to encourage and support one another. We get to lift up one another. To rejoice with one another in the good times. To weep with one another in the bad times. To teach one another about God and His great love for us.

As we come together today to look “on Him whom [we] have pierced,” we see the flood of blood and water, and we realize that it is “a fountain opened for [all of God’s people], to cleanse [us] from sin and uncleanness.” This fountain gives birth to the Church, and God calls us together into this community for His sake and for ours. May we rejoice in our calling and always support and encourage one another as we live out our faith in Christ. Amen.

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”

ABOUT THE SERIES

Join us for the Return to the Lord series at Redeemer.

Sermons in the Series

Twenty Years: The Church goes under wraps | October 2002

Redeemer Lutheran Church — Tue, 25 Oct 2022 19:30:33 +0000

Marilyn sweeps the classroom.

Church Put Under Wrap

By the beginning of October the front roof dormers had been added to break up the plainness of the building’s front. Weather barrier wrap was attached all around the church.

The annual Men’s Retreat was changed to a work Saturday, and opened with devotions inside the church. Soffit and facia were attached to the eaves and windows were installed.

The church has a lot of fiberglass insulation. Dorothy, one of the Laborers for Christ who had arrived in October, put in so much of the church’s insulation that she was called the “Insulation Queen”.

Our workers hung the vinyl siding around the church. A professional crew shingled the roof.

October weather was still mild enough that lunches were held in the outdoor break area.

Return to the Truth | Reformation Day (OBSERVED) | Isaiah 52:13-53:12

Redeemer Lutheran Church — Sun, 23 Oct 2022 17:39:00 +0000

LIVESTREAM | BULLETIN

— Joel 2:13

October 30 | 10:45 a.m.

Reformation Day (OBSERVED)
Twenty-first Sunday After Pentecost

READINGS

READINGS
Psalm 22:1-31
Isaiah 52:13-53:12
Hebrews 4:14-16
John 19:1-16

message presented by Rev. Frank C. Ruffatto

+Points to ponder

What do we say about ‘truth’ in a culture that thinks all ‘truth’ – if there is any – is relative?
How do you prepare to have an answer for your hope and faith? (cf. 1 Peter 3:15)
Do you think God’s grace makes us too secure and reckless in sin?

+Sermon Transcript

Grace, mercy, and peace be unto each of you from God our Father and our Lord and King, Jesus the Christ. Amen.

Let us pray: Lord, we pray that your grace may always precede and follow us, that we may continually be given to the study of Your Word, to piety in head and heart, and to actions of love and good works; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

“On October 25, 1517, six days before he gave his 95 theses to the world, Luther delivered a sermon in the chapel of the castle of Duke George the Bearded in Dresden, Saxony. He said in part: ‘Our salvation must ever remain our foremost concern. Man can obtain it only through faith in Christ Jesus, not by his own good works.’

At the dinner table the duke asked Barbara von Sala, his wife’s companion, ‘How did you like Brother Martin’s sermon?’ ‘Ah,’ she replied, ‘let me hear just one more like it, and I can die in peace.’ This moved the duke to fiery indignation. He exclaimed, ‘I would give much money not to have heard it. It makes men secure and reckless in sin.’ Here’s the old thought: ‘Will not men sin if told they are not under the Law?’ [Beloved], is this the effect of grace? Not at all. It is, on the contrary, the grace of God alone that makes alive from sin.”

Last week, our Gospel tailed off with Pontius Pilate asking a cynical, rhetorical question: “What is truth?” As we celebrate the Reformation today, this seems to be just the right question to ask. But it turns out that Pilate was asking the wrong question. The real question is not “What is truth?” but rather “Who is truth?”

Today, we look on as the truth hangs on a cross, bearing the sins of the whole world in order to reconcile us to God the Father. Truth was incarnate in Jesus Christ, and He willingly walked this path for you.

As we have travelled with Jesus in this series, we have also been centered on God’s call through Joel for His people to return to Him. To admit to your sinful nature and to come to the One who is “gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love,” the One who loves you, who provides for you, and who sent His Son to die for you, because He “relents over disaster.” His call today is for you to return to truth, to turn to Jesus Christ, for He is your life and your salvation.

The chief priests and the scribes and the whole Council had delivered Jesus over to Pontius Pilate. They insisted that He had done evil and deserved punishment, even death. Pilate was onto them; he knew they were driven by selfish motivations, but he was backed into a corner. His choice was impossible: put an innocent man to death or lose control of the town as the population erupted in a riot.

Everything was working according to plan, but it was not the plan of the chief priests. It was a plan that God Himself had put together. A plan of salvation necessitated by mankind’s fall into sin at the temptation of Satan. A plan that included a battle between the offspring of the serpent and the Offspring of the woman. A plan that required that the heel of the Son of Man be bruised but would finally be complete as the head of the serpent’s offspring was crushed, and death was stripped of its power. This plan would play out on the cross, and Jesus was the focus of the whole thing.

Pilate tried to placate the accusers. He had Jesus flogged and tortured, mocked and insulted. Beaten to within an inch of His life. Dressed in a purple robe in a sarcastic nod to His divinity. How could Pilate stand before the people and point to Jesus, bloodied and bruised, and say with a straight face, “I find no guilt in Him”? As if, perhaps, he had been trying to beat it out of Him.

But the plan was already in motion, and there would be no changing the outcome. Jesus had to die. “Crucify Him, crucify Him!” John tells us it was the chief priests and the officers who cried those words, but it was not just them. It was also you and I.

Our sinful nature rises up even as Christ demands our attention. The Law proscribes our actions, and we want no part of that. “You shall have no other gods”? Fine, I’ll have only one god, and it will be me. This man, this “Son of God,” wants first place? No, He must die. “Crucify Him!”

“Do not take the Lord’s name in vain”? Ha! This man has blasphemed and made Himself the Son of God. “Crucify Him!” “Honor the Sabbath Day by keeping it holy”? You can’t tell me what to do. “Crucify Him!”

Honor your father and your mother. You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not bear false witness. You shall not covet. “Crucify Him!”

You chafe at God’s leading. Your sinful nature wants nothing to do with it, because it is, as St. Paul reminds us, “hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot.” Your sinful nature rises up before the truth and as it closes its ears it shouts, “Crucify Him!”

As hard as this is to say, and as hard to hear, I am reminded of what Luther said in one of his sermons. “Christendom must have people who can beat down their adversaries and opponents and tear off the devil’s equipment and armor, that he may be brought into disgrace. But for this work, powerful warriors are needed, who are thoroughly familiar with the Scriptures and can contradict all false interpretations and take the sword from false teachers – that is, those very verses which false teachers use and turn them round upon them so that they fall back defeated.

But as not all Christians can be so capable in defending the Word and articles of their creed, they must have teachers and preachers who study the Scriptures and have daily fellowship with it, so that they can fight for all the others. Yet each Christian should be so armed that he himself is sure of his belief and of the doctrine and is so equipped with the sayings from the Word of God that he can stand up against the devil and defend himself, when men seek to lead him astray.”

And so, praise be to God that the truth is not so easily silenced. The truth echoes in your ears even as it hangs lifeless on a cross. The truth slips past your defenses, and the Word softens your heart. You may cry out in anger, “Crucify Him,” but the truth whispers gently in your ears, “Yes, crucify Me. For that is the only way out of this mess. Someone has to die for all you have done, and I have come for just that purpose. Crucify Me.”

Look at the cross. Look at the One who hangs on it, bearing your sins, taking your punishment. “His appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance, and His form beyond that of the children of mankind.” “He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.” Look at this man. Look at your God. Beaten. Bruised. Bleeding. Suffering.

“Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows.” “He was pierced for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities.” He dies for you. He carries your griefs, your sorrows, your sin, your guilt.

But why? Why did it have to be like this?

“It was the will of the LORD to crush Him; He has put Him to grief.” “He poured out His soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet He bore the sin of many and makes intercession for the transgressors.”

Your Savior. Your Redeemer. Your Lord. Who died for your sins. Who made intercession for you. Who willingly poured out His soul to death so that you would have life. He is “the way, and the truth, and the life,” and “no one comes to the Father except through [Him].”

And so your heart, led by the Holy Spirit, finally relents and cries out, “Crucify Him.” But not in anger. No, now it is because you see that there is no other way. “All [your] righteous deeds are like a polluted garment,” and you can’t fix it. You can’t be good enough. You can’t be without sin. You can’t win your own salvation. You can’t muster up your own redemption. Whatever good you might manage to pull off is completely overshadowed by your sinful nature.

“With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” With God, you can be saved. But someone must endure the penalty. God’s wrath must be satisfied. The wages of sin must be paid. Someone has to die.

And that someone is Jesus. He lived the perfect life you could not. He has taken all of your sin on Himself. He took all of it to the cross to satisfy God’s holy and righteous wrath. And He gives you His own righteousness in return, asking only that you trust Him and leave the work to Him.

Today, as you “survey the wondrous cross On which the Prince of Glory died,” may you hear God’s call to return to Him … to return to truth … to trust in the One who has promised you salvation and eternal life.

See, from His head, His hands, His feet Sorrow and love flow mingled down! Did e’er such love and sorrow meet Or thorns compose so rich a crown?

May the peace of God, granted through the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Jesus Christ, keep you focused on the One who is the Truth, the One who lived, died, and rose again to secure your salvation and eternal life. Amen.

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”

ABOUT THE SERIES

Join us for the Return to the Lord series at Redeemer.

Sermons in the Series

Return to the Sacraments | Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost | Mark 14:12-26

Redeemer Lutheran Church — Sun, 23 Oct 2022 14:45:00 +0000

LIVESTREAM | BULLETIN

— Joel 2:13

October 23 | 10:45 a.m.

Twentieth teenth Sunday After Pentecost

READINGS

Psalm 116:12-19
Exodus 24:3-11
1 Corinthians 10:16-17
Mark 14:12-26

message presented by Rev. Frank C. Ruffatto

+Points to ponder

What does it mean to be ‘clothed in Christ’s righteousness’?
What does Baptism have to do with Holy Communion?
Read 1 Corinthians 11:17-34. What might Paul mean when he cautions against eating and drinking in an ‘unworthy’ manner?

+Sermon Transcript

Grace, mercy, and peace be unto each of you from God our Father and our Lord and King, Jesus the Christ. Amen.

Let us pray: O Lord Jesus Christ, You are the Light of the blind, the Way for those who stray, and the resurrection of the dead. Bring us to repentance that we may approach Your table with holy anticipation of the forgiveness of sins and the strengthening of our faith. Amen.

You arrive home one Tuesday afternoon after a long day at work. As you pull up to your house, you stop at the end of the driveway and step out of your car to check the mailbox. As you sort through the mail, you see the usual stuff: a couple of bills, a few credit-card offers, a flyer for a sale at the furniture store down the street. You notice that a lawn-care service has placed a flyer in the mailbox without bothering to pay postage, and you roll your eyes at their disrespect for the whole system.

That’s when you spot it. Something different. Something special. An oversized envelope with a wax seal on the flap. Heavy paper with the address inscribed in flowing calligraphy. It is stunningly beautiful, exuding luxury and prestige. There is no return address, but you can tell that this is a special invitation.

Without waiting to get in the house, you crack the seal and open the envelope. Inside is an engraved invitation to join the Queen of England for a grand banquet. Your travel arrangements have already been made. All expenses are covered, and you will travel first class. Before you can even consider what you have in the closet, for such an event, you note that a gown, shoes, and accessories will be provided for you. You need only to show up.

When you call your boss to see if you can have a few days off, you’re stunned to discover that your employer has already been notified and arrangements have been made to cover your responsibilities while you are away. Every detail has been attended to. A few hours later, you’re on a plane winging your way across the Atlantic.

When you arrive, you are whisked to a luxurious suite, where you have a little bit of downtime to prepare for this amazing honor. You’re a little unsure, but a quick check of the invitation confirms that yes, that is indeed your name and address, so it must actually be for you.

You shower and dress in the dazzling white gown that has been laid out in your room, and then you follow the instructions that were given, explaining where to find the table. As you enter the room, you are surprised to find that you are not the only guest. The hostess has invited many people, from all walks of life, and everyone gathers around the table to take their seats. Small conversations pop up as people get to know one another, and common interests are discovered. There is great joy in the banquet hall.

Everyone here admires the Queen and is overjoyed to be in her presence. The assembled group is full of kind, loving people, and all are made to feel that they are part of the group.

As the night goes on, though, arguments pop up here and there. One person is angry that his neighbor took so much of the gravy for his potatoes. Another pair begins to argue about whether the crystal in use is the best choice for such an event. Someone accidentally steps on another person’s toes, and a yelling match ensues. One guy in the back has had a little too much wine and proceeds to try and belch the alphabet, much to the embarrassment of his tablemates. Another woman turns to her neighbor to point out someone who is using the wrong fork on the salad.

As you look around at the gathering, you may even begin to wonder if you belong here. The meal is so sumptuous, the environment is so luxurious. You doubt if this could possibly be meant for you. What in the world could you have done to deserve such a gift? How could you ever repay such generosity?

Now that you’ve conjured up that whole scene in your mind, let’s shift a few details and tie it in to our Gospel.

The invitation is not from the Queen of England; it is from someone far more important. The invitation you received is actually from the “Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, [the One] by whom all things were made.”

And the venue is not some ritzy palace in Great Britain; it is the sanctuary of this very church. The table is no mahogany beauty but is the humble place where we stand before the altar. And the group of people who have been invited is, well, everyone around you – fellow members of this congregation but also visitors from other congregations and the whole sainted host of heaven and earth, who come together for this foretaste of the feast to come.

Now, the fancy clothes you were given at the beginning of the scenario – the ones to be worn at the banquet – they are what were given in your baptism. That is, Christ’s righteousness.

When Sir William Cecil, sometime Lord Treasurer of England, went to bed, he would throw off his official robe and say, “Lie there, Lord Treasurer,” bidding adieu to all state affairs so that he might more quietly rest. So, when you [live in your baptism you ‘put off your old self which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires … and you put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.’]

And so clothed in His righteousness, we gather together today in response to an invitation that Christ has extended. To return to the Sacraments; That is – remembering our baptisms and that we are clothed in His righteousness, we return to the fellowship that we are a part of as members of the Body of Christ; we return to the joyous communion that we share with one another.

In fact, Christ extends this invitation again and again, week after week, as He draws you to His Table to feed you and strengthen you and nourish the faith which He gave you in your baptism.

Now, this is an exceedingly joyous feast, but it doesn’t take long to recognize that it is also marred by sin. We are the chosen of God, but we also possess a sinful nature that infects everything. We sit at the Table with the same people who can’t control their kids in worship. The man who smells a little funny. The woman who sings off-key. The friend who failed to keep your secret last month and betrayed you to a mutual acquaintance.

You may even wonder if you should really be here. At the Last Supper, Jesus revealed that one of His disciples would betray Him, and it rippled through the whole group. “Is it I?” each wondered in turn. “Am I that messed up that I would do something like that?”

You may wonder. You may doubt. But Christ has drawn you here, and He serves the banquet up all the same. He offers not just “a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine, of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined.” No, it’s much, much more than that. He offers you His own body and His own blood. He offers forgiveness of sins and life and salvation in this Holy Meal, as Luther details in his explanation of the Sacrament in his Small Catechism: “where there is forgiveness of sins, there is also life and salvation.”

This Meal takes away your faults. This Meal binds you more closely to your brothers and sisters in Christ and, more important, to your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. This Meal covers your sins, strengthens your faith, and nourishes your body to serve God and to serve your neighbors.

Beloved, you belong here, because Christ has won your seat at the Table. Again, your Baptism is the personalized invitation, and Christ’s death and resurrection is the wax seal that authenticates it. No one can claim that you do not belong, because your seat is guaranteed in Christ. He has promised it, and His promises are trustworthy and true.

We rejoice in all that Christ gives us in the Meal we will share. We give thanks for His grace that invites us to His Table, joins us in fellowship with one another, removes our sins, and strengthens and nourishes us for service.

And as amazing as this Meal is, never forget that this is merely a foretaste of what God has in store for you. This bit of bread and this sip of wine is just a teaser for the sumptuous feast we will one day share when all the saints of God come together for the wedding feast of the Lamb in His kingdom, which has no end.

We live in this crazy “now but not yet.” A time when we receive the benefits and the gifts that God has for us today, right now. But we also know that what we experience now cannot hold a candle to what will be on the Last Day. Today’s gifts sustain us and build up our confidence in the feast to come.

May you rejoice in the gift of Holy Communion, which we share together today, and hold fast to the promise of the full feast to come. Amen. “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”

ABOUT THE SERIES

Join us for the Return to the Lord series at Redeemer.

Sermons in the Series

Return to the Kingdom of God | Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost | John 18:28-38

Redeemer Lutheran Church — Mon, 17 Oct 2022 02:45:00 +0000

LIVESTREAM | BULLETIN

— Joel 2:13

October 16 | 10:45 a.m.

Nineteenth Sunday After Pentecost

READINGS

Psalm 145:8-13
Exodus 19:1-6
Romans 14:13-17
John 18:28-38

message presented by Rev. Frank C. Ruffatto

+Points to ponder

What does it mean to be in the ‘Kingdom of God’?
What ‘Kingdom of God’ work do you think He is doing here at Redeemer?
How can we encourage each other to be active in the ‘Kingdom of God’?

+Sermon Transcript

Grace, mercy, and peace be unto each of you from God our Father and our Lord and King, Jesus the Christ. Amen.

Let us pray: Merciful God, our refuge and strength, listen to the prayers of your children; You Yourself have inspired them. Grant that all our prayers might be made according to Your will, and that in faith we might endure with them in the presence of our Brother and Advocate, Jesus the Christ. Amen.

A pastor is summoned to a nursing home in rural Wisconsin to offer the Commendation of the Dying rite for an elderly member of the congregation nearing the end of life. His words bring comfort and peace to the assembled family as they gather together to share stories, comfort one another, and await their loved one’s final breath. Welcome to the Kingdom.

A young mother tentatively steps into the lobby of a small congregation in Kansas, seeking some assistance to pay a long-overdue power bill. A member of the congregation, who has volunteered to serve, sits with her, listens to her story, prays with her, and contacts the power company to pay her debt. Welcome to the Kingdom.

A homeless man is found sleeping on the sidewalk in front of a Georgia church early one Sunday morning. The elder who finds him welcomes him inside, provides him with a grocery bag full of food, and invites him to stay for worship. Welcome to the Kingdom.

In a small group during the week or on Sunday morning, you participate in the Study of God’s Word and enjoy a lively discussion about how it applies to our lives today. Welcome to the Kingdom.

A little later that morning, you line up at the front of the altar, and your King feeds you with His very own body and blood, taking away your sins, strengthening your faith, and building you up in His image. Welcome to the Kingdom.

What does it mean to be in the kingdom of God? Pilate struggles with understanding this in today’s Gospel, and it can be hard for us, who are in the kingdom of God, to grasp it as well.

Our sermon and worship series in this season of celebration and joy-filled repentance has focused on God’s calling, which we first heard in the Book of Joel: “Return to the LORD your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and He relents over disaster.” We’ve seen our own sinfulness, but we have also heard how God continues to pursue us, encouraging us to turn from our sins and return to Him. Today, the invitation is for us to return to the kingdom of God, and our Readings lead us to consider what exactly that phrase entails.

We hear the phrase “kingdom of God” and tend to imagine it merely as a place. Maybe the kingdom of God is confined to the walls of the church, where God does some of His most visible and obvious work. Certainly, it is here, but it is not limited to this place.

Perhaps the kingdom of God follows the pastor around – sort of a mobile kingdom centered on the things that God does through some of His most devoted and humble servants. But that doesn’t seem right, either, since we have all heard stories of pastors who have fallen from grace and embarrassed themselves and scandalized their congregations with their human failures. No, it can’t be centered on the pastor.

What if the kingdom of God is purely heavenly? Maybe it’s all about the day when we will be in His presence and under His protection after we have moved on from this earthly life. But that can’t be all there is to it. Jesus Christ broke into this world; took on our flesh; died for our sins. And He did it all right here. You can even visit the place where He was born, the place where He grew up, the place where He died. It seems silly to argue that all of that happened outside the kingdom of God. After all, if it’s not where Jesus is, where could it possibly be?

The chief priests turned Jesus over to the Roman government on a seemingly inauspicious Friday morning. But their intention was clear: this man must die. Pilate tried to de-escalate the whole thing, but he was backed into a corner. So, he brought Jesus in to try and get to the bottom of it.

“Are You the King of the Jews?” Pilate asked. This was no idle question. Pilate clearly understood what the chief priests had been up to, and he had a pretty good idea of why Jesus had been turned over to him. Best to get right to the point and lay it all out on the table.

But Jesus can’t just answer a question like that. At least not if He hopes to be understood. Pilate has a particular understanding of what it means to be a king, and Jesus’ kingship doesn’t really fit into any of Pilate’s categories. He could admit that He’s a king, but Pilate wouldn’t understand that; he might think that Jesus was vying for political power, that He was a threat to the Roman Empire. But He’s not; He is King on a whole different plane.

Jesus probes, essentially asking, “Did you come up with the question all by yourself, or did somebody tell you to ask it?” Pilate is in no mood to play games with this man. “Listen, I’m not a Jew, and frankly I don’t care who the ‘King of the Jews’ might be. But You’ve rubbed somebody the wrong way, and they’ve turned You over to me. So, help me understand what this is all about.”

Jesus tries His best to explain to this man who doesn’t grasp who Jesus is and who doesn’t understand why He is standing in front of him. “It’s not a kingdom like you would imagine. If it were, My followers would be rioting in the streets and staging a coup. But they’re not. Because it’s not that kind of kingdom. It’s something else; something bigger; something much more important.”

Pilate chews on that for a moment. “So, You are a king?” Jesus’ answer is terrific: “You say that I am a king,” which is a little like Him answering, “Now you’re starting to get it.” But He goes on to explain that He is the kind of king who has come into the world to point folks to something more important than they had ever understood before. He came “to bear witness to the truth.” And if you get it, then you get it: “Everyone who is of the truth listens to My voice.”

And at that point, Pilate basically gives up. But, Beloved, you don’t because you are “of the truth.” And even when you don’t fully “get it,” you do have some understanding.

As we went through those scenarios at the beginning of the message, I saw several of you nodding. You understood that the “kingdom of God” is not about geographical boundaries, and it’s not about particular groups of people. It’s about Jesus. It’s about the work of the Holy Spirit. It’s about a loving God who invites, forgives, encourages, and builds up.

Pastor M. Craig Barnes shared this story: “I was asked to conduct the funeral for a man who had helped develop the famous Boeing 747 aircraft. After the service, I spoke with the widow and commented on how remarkable it was that her late husband had helped build that marvelous machine. She said, ‘The truth is, he worked on one little switchbox smaller than a loaf of bread. That's all he worked on for 15 years. But when that 747 lifted off the ground for the first time, it was the happiest day of his life.’

He worked on one small switchbox for more than a decade. Yet the huge plane couldn't have lifted off without this man's contribution. Often, we see only our seemingly small efforts and feel we aren't very important. But when the great Kingdom of God ‘lifts off,’ we'll be thrilled to find out that all of our efforts were essential.”

The kingdom of God exists wherever the loving activity of God is playing out. In hospital operating rooms, where miraculous healing occurs; in drug treatment programs, where addicts who have hit rock bottom finally manage to get a hold of their demons and begin to dig out of their situations; in food pantries, where people in need find love and care and provision; around flagpoles, where young people gather to pray before school; in a voters meeting, where the whole congregation comes together and agrees to engage in an intentional Gospel-sharing endeavor aimed at and for the members of their community, that they would get to share the love of God with the young and old and everyone in-between.

“Jerome of Stridon, known as St. Jerome, was a very learned and industrious man who, around A.D. 400, spent about 35 years at Bethlehem. Among other labors while he was there, he translated the Bible into Latin. His translation came to be known as the Vulgate and was the standard version for many centuries. But when he heard of a man who wanted to make the arduous pilgrimage to Bethlehem, perhaps to die there, he sent him a message advising him not to do so. ‘For,’ he said, ‘heaven is as near to you in Britain as it is here, for the kingdom of God is within you.’”

God calls us to be part of His reign and rule right here in Charleston, WV. To witness the work that He is doing in our midst and to participate in it. To play a role as hands and feet of God to share His love with others, both inside the church and outside of it. To play a role, dare I say it, as Help, Hope, and Home in the Body of Christ. That’s the kingdom that God has called you to. Rejoice, dear brothers and sisters, that you are subject to the One who created you, the One who redeemed you, the One who sanctifies you. For He is the best King in all of creation. Amen.

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”

ABOUT THE SERIES

Join us for the Return to the Lord series at Redeemer.

Sermons in the Series

Photo | College-Age Encouragement Packs

Redeemer Lutheran Church — Tue, 11 Oct 2022 17:33:27 +0000

Students have expressed how meaningful and uplifting it is to receive a brief hand-written card.

This Fall (2022), instead of stuffing Care Packages, our Redeemer family created Care Envelopes for our college-age members.

Twelve packages were created this term and sent to our members. The packages included notes of encouragement and gift cards.

More about this event>>

Return from Denial | Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost | Luke 22:54-62

Redeemer Lutheran Church — Sun, 09 Oct 2022 17:23:00 +0000

LIVESTREAM | BULLETIN

— Joel 2:13

October 9 | 10:45 a.m.

Eighteenth Sunday After Pentecost

READINGS

Psalm 118:19-29
Isaiah 59:1-3, 12-13
1 Peter 5:6-10
Luke 22:54-62

message presented by Rev. Frank C. Ruffatto

+Points to ponder

Have you ever denied to someone your faith in Christ? Why do you think you did (or didn’t)? Does the Word in this sermon bring you comfort?
What are some of the subtle ways we deny our faith in Jesus?
How can we encourage each other to boldly proclaim our faith in Jesus

+Sermon Transcript

Grace, mercy, and peace be unto each of you from God our Father and our Lord and King, Jesus the Christ. Amen.

Let us pray: O Lord who dwells in the hearts of His people: give us true peace and mutual love; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Some twenty years or so ago, “Chinese officials from the Public Security Bureau invaded a Sunday school room at a church. They found thirty children inside and herded them into a van. Despite the scary situation, one child started to sing. In a few moments, all the children were singing.

Upon arrival at the police station, the children marched bravely into the interrogation room, still singing to the Lord. The Chinese officers attempted to force the children to write, ‘I do not believe in Jesus,’ telling them that they had to write it a hundred times before they would be released. Instead, the children wrote: ‘I believe in Jesus today. I will believe in Jesus tomorrow. I will believe in Jesus forever!’

Exasperated, the officials called the children’s parents, some of whom renounced Christ. However, one widow refused to deny Jesus when she came to pick up her twin sons. The officers threatened her, saying, ‘If you do not deny Jesus, we will not release your sons.’

She [decidedly] replied, ‘Well, I guess you will just have to keep them, because without Jesus, there would be no way for me to take care of them!’ The exasperated officials said to her, ‘Take your sons and go!’”

This seems absurd to us here in the United States; and we probably take that for granted. But are we ready to sing or proclaim loudly – in a world and in a culture that despises Jesus – to sing or proclaim loudly that we belong to Him, or will we sit on the seat of plausible deniability. Of course, only you can answer that for yourself. Today’s Gospel is all about this kind of denial and what Jesus has done about it.

The evening had absolutely run off the rails. It had started off so well! The camaraderie of being with His friends; the warmth of their fellowship; the joy of being with their Master and hearing all that He had to say – it was all wonderful. One of those moments that just kind of freeze in your memory and make you happy just to think about them.

But it started to slip when Jesus made that comment about one of them betraying Him. That sent a ripple through the group. Men looked with suspicion on one another, wondering who would do such a thing.

Oh, and then the argument about who was the greatest. So stupid! As usual, though, Jesus turned it into a teachable moment. The astonishing things that man said! “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those in authority over them are called benefactors. But not so with you.” He encouraged them to do everything upside down. “Let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves.”

For Peter, it really got awkward when Jesus leaned over with a troubled look on His face and said that Satan had demanded him, but Jesus had prayed for him. Peter was aghast. “Lord, I am ready to go with You both to prison and to death.” But Jesus knew better. He said that Peter would three times deny that he even knew Jesus, all before the rooster crowed.

And if that weren’t enough to completely wreck the evening, when they went to the Mount of Olives for Jesus to pray, the disciples fell asleep while they were waiting. They couldn’t help it; they were just worn out after everything that had gone on, and they were still trying to process what Jesus had said was coming for Him and for them.

But then it got worse. There were soldiers. Judas Iscariot had led them in. And the chaos that followed was unbelievable. That servant of the high priest got his ear cut off in the melee! But Jesus shut it down. He even healed the guy’s ear. It didn’t matter. They arrested Him. They dragged Him to the high priest’s house.

And Peter couldn’t help himself. He followed. He had to see what was going to happen. Had to do something, even if it was just to follow along and see it for himself. As he stood in the courtyard, Peter could see Jesus with the Council inside. It didn’t sound like it was going well at all. In fact, Jesus was barely talking. He just kind of stood there and took it.

Peter had moved close to the fire to warm himself, but he wasn’t really paying attention to what was going on around him. His attention was laser-focused on what was going on inside. He didn’t notice the girl sitting next to him, studying his face intently, until she blurted out, “This man also was with Him.”

How startling! Peter jumped. He turned to her, and for the first time Peter took stock of where he was. He looked around at the crowd gathered in that courtyard and realized that these folks weren’t all that friendly to his group of friends. He hoped to shut her down without drawing further attention to himself. He looked at her and quietly said, “Oh, no, ma’am. I don’t even know Him.” That seemed to satisfy her, so he returned to watching the events unfold inside.

There was more arguing. Raised voices and accusations were being shouted across the room. Peter shivered; he wasn’t sure whether it was from the chill in the air or from a chill of foreboding. That pesky woman had moved on, but a young man had taken her spot and was looking at Peter. “You’re one of them too!”

Peter was a little irritated. He needed these people to quit interrupting his concentration. He was trying to hear what was happening to Jesus. So, he barked, “Man, I am not.” The young man seemed to take that at face value and walked away, although Peter noticed him a little later whispering with a group of men off in the corner of the courtyard. Still, his eyes were riveted on Jesus and the proceedings inside.

Time passed. It was late at night or maybe even early in morning; Peter had lost track of time. He couldn’t tell exactly what was happening, but it didn’t seem good. There was a lot of yelling. The high priest had been carrying on for a while and was obviously agitated.

That’s when it happened.

From across the courtyard, the voice rang out. As soon as the man began speaking, Peter knew it was about him. He was standing and pointing at Peter: “I’m telling you, this guy was with Him! I heard him talking earlier, and he is definitely from Galilee; his accent gives him away.” All eyes turned to Peter. He wasn’t sure how to react, what to say.

What if they realized he really was with Jesus? Would they arrest him too? He didn’t know, and he didn’t want to find out. He figured if he responded aggressively, maybe they would stop saying it. “Man. I. Do. Not. Know. What. You. Are. Talking. About!” Peter spat out each word in turn, hoping this guy would just back down. The courtyard grew quiet, and Peter heard a rooster crowing in the distance. Peter just glared at his accuser for a moment and then turned to see what was going on inside.

It was like Jesus knew what was happening outside, even though He was up to his neck with the Council inside. Slowly, He turned and made eye contact with Peter. His eyes were sad, even accusing. And Peter remembered what He had said about denying Him three times before the rooster crowed.

Tears welled up in Peter’s eyes as he pushed through the crowd. He had to get out of that place. He couldn’t face Jesus after what he had just done. He was so embarrassed. So, well, lost. What did this mean?

How often do you do the same thing? Fail to acknowledge your faith in public because you’re fearful of how people will react. Or join the crowd in mocking another believer because you don’t want to be seen as different. You deny the One who died for your sins without even realizing you’ve done it.

But when you see it, the guilt can be overwhelming. It may be hard to even step into the church, knowing what a hypocrite you have been. Can a wretch like me even be saved?

The answer, dear brothers and sisters, is simple: Yes.

After His resurrection, Jesus confronted Peter and his denial. He did it in the form of a question, asked three times: “Do you love Me?” And Peter responded affirmatively every time. “Then you’ve got work to do. Tend My flock, feed My sheep, and build them up.” See, Jesus has already dealt with the denial. He took it to the cross along with all the other sins you’ve committed, along with all the sins I’ve committed, along with the sins of the whole world.

Do you love Him? Then you’ve also got work to do. Share this Good News. Tell other people about it. Don’t shrink from claiming your Lord and Savior in public! He has called you to return from your denial because He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love, and because He relents over disaster. Beloved, your salvation is a done deal. You are a forgiven child of God. Because just as He said, “It is finished.” Amen.

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”

ABOUT THE SERIES

Join us for the Return to the Lord series at Redeemer.

Sermons in the Series

Return from False Witness | Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost |

Redeemer Lutheran Church — Sun, 02 Oct 2022 14:45:00 +0000

LIVESTREAM | BULLETIN

— Joel 2:13

October 2 | 10:45 a.m.

Seventeenth Sunday After Pentecost

READINGS

Psalm 27:11-14
Leviticus 24:13-16
Acts 22:12-16
Matthew 26:57-68

message presented by Rev. Frank C. Ruffatto

+Points to ponder

Can you recall a time that you gave false witness about someone? How did that get reconciled?
Can you recall a time that you were the victim of false witness? How did that get reconciled?
Why do you think so many are quick to bear false witness against their neighbor – even family and our Christian brothers and sisters?

+Sermon Transcript

Grace, mercy, and peace be unto each of you from God our Father and our Lord and King, Jesus the Christ. Amen.

Let us pray: Almighty Father, because without You we are not able to please You, mercifully grant that Your Holy Spirit may in all things direct and rule our hearts; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

In 1996, the Summer Olympic Games were well underway in Atlanta. People from all over the world had converged in that city to participate and watch some of the finest athletes in the world competing in twenty-six sports.

Eighteen days into the games, Eric Rudolph detonated pipe bombs at Centennial Olympic Park. The blast killed one person and injured 111 others. It was the first of four bombings committed by Rudolph in 1996 and early 1997. Rudolph eluded capture for years but was finally arrested in North Carolina in 2003. Two years later, he pleaded guilty to all four bombings.

But before anyone knew the name Eric Robert Rudolph, the FBI identified an Atlanta security guard named Richard Jewell as a “person of interest,” largely because he was something of a loner and kind-of, sort-of fit a profile of a “lone bomber.” The media had a field day with it, portraying Jewell as a failed law enforcement officer who may have planted the bomb so he could “find” it and be hailed as a hero. It was all false witness.

Once the dust settled, it was clear that Jewell was, in fact, a hero. He had spotted the suspicious backpack, alerted the appropriate authorities, and helped to clear the area of spectators in the thirteen or so minutes before the bomb exploded. Without a doubt, the number of casualties was reduced because of Jewell’s actions.

Unfortunately, the damage had already been done to Jewell’s reputation. His name had been forever connected to the Centennial Park bombing, and if you asked people two or three years afterward who the bomber was, inevitably they would mention his name, even though he had been exonerated. In 2019, a biographical movie about Richard Jewell, directed by Clint Eastwood, was released. It may help to recover some of Jewell’s reputation. Sadly, Jewell died in 2007, so he will never benefit from it.

The Eighth Commandment is simple: “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.” I would guess that most of you were taught in your catechism classes that this commandment is mainly about gossip, that our “false witness” most often has to do with the ways we talk about one another to third parties. That’s certainly true, but we cannot overlook the fact that this commandment, in its simplest meaning, has to do with what is said in public courts of justice.

This is exactly what we see in today’s Gospel.

You will recall that we are working through a sermon series focused on Jesus’ Passion and God’s call for us to repent and return to Him. We are looking at several of the events that occurred along the way as Jesus went to the cross for our salvation. We are examining the sins committed. The idea is that these events can help you to recognize your own sinfulness and help you to hear God’s call to return to Him as a loving word spoken to you as a child of God. He invites you to trust in Him for your salvation, won for you on the cross.

Our Gospel takes us to a dark place. Jesus has been betrayed by Judas Iscariot. The temple guards have seized Him and hauled Him to Caiaphas the high priest, and all of the scribes and elders had gathered. They have decided that they are going to put Jesus to death, presumably in order to protect their own power and position. And they are determined to complete this task by any means necessary. “Now the chief priests and the whole council were seeking false testimony against Jesus that they might put Him to death.”

It is worth stopping right there to simply ponder that sentence for a minute. They were actively looking for someone to offer lies under oath with the intention of putting Jesus to death.

How evil do you have to be that you are willing to seek false testimony in order to kill someone?

But it gets worse. Matthew says, “They found none, though many false witnesses came forward.” How evil do you have to be that you are willing to offer false testimony, knowing full well that it is intended to lead to another person’s death?

All that aside, these actions clearly conflict with the Eighth Commandment in its most obvious meaning. “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor” is, first and foremost, about testifying falsely in court against another person.

So, we observe the sin that comes out in the trial. But we don’t really feel it, not in a personal way, because most of us have never been put in a position where we have to testify in court against someone else, falsely or otherwise. But Luther, as he does so well, stretches our understanding of the commandment, and in doing so, brings the weight of the Law down on us.

The commandment, he says, forbids all sins of the tongue by which we may injure or offend our neighbor. He writes: “It is a common, pernicious plague that everyone would rather hear evil than good about their neighbors. Even though we ourselves are evil, we cannot tolerate it when anyone speaks evil of us; instead, we want to hear the whole world say golden things of us. Yet we cannot bear it when someone says the best things about others.”

Gordon MacDonald shared “One time, [about] 20 years ago, I was in Japan on a speaking tour with a close personal friend. He was a number of years older than I was. As we walked down the street in Yokohama, Japan, the name of a common friend came up, and I said something unkind about that person. It was sarcastic. It was cynical. It was a put-down. My older friend stopped, turned, and faced me until his face was right in front of mine. With deep, slow words he said, ‘Gordon, a man who says he loves God would not say a thing like that about a friend.’

He could have put a knife into my ribs, and the pain would not have been any less. But you know something? There have been ten thousand times in the last 20 years that I have been saved from making a jerk of myself. When I've been tempted to say something unkind about a brother or sister, I hear my friend's voice say, ‘Gordon, a man who says he loves God would not speak in such a way about a friend.’

Our false testimony often consists of the rumors and innuendos that we utter about other people. The whispered ‘did you hears’ and the murmured ‘you’re not going to believes’ that slip off our tongues. The half-truths and outright lies we speak about brothers and sisters without ever speaking directly to them. The slander and backbiting we too often delight in sharing.

Luther boils it down like this: “No one shall use the tongue to harm a neighbor, whether friend or foe. No one shall say anything evil of a neighbor, whether true or false, unless it is done with proper authority or for that person’s improvement.”

We have all, at one time or another, broken this commandment. You have broken this commandment. And you are deserving of punishment for that sin. Each of us has, and each of us is.

But God calls you to a different path. He invites you to return to Him. Turn and leave behind your sins of false witness and see that He has something different in mind. God protects your reputation through the kind words that others speak about you. And He encourages you to be part of it.

To know, first of all, that Christ endured all of that false witness in Jerusalem in order to reconcile you to God and win forgiveness for all your false witness. And, second, to empower you to speak the best about others, to help protect their reputations, and to always put the best construction on everything. Much like Paul after his road-to-Damascus conversion, when he was empowered to turn from his own false witness about Christ in order to speak the very best about our Lord and Savior.

You can too, and you get to, all because of what Christ has done for you. Return to the Lord your God. Receive His love and forgiveness. Turn aside from your sins and serve the Lord with all your heart. He will not forsake you. Amen.

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”

ABOUT THE SERIES

Join us for the Return to the Lord series at Redeemer.

Sermons in the Series

Twenty Years: The Church gets a roof in September 2002

Redeemer Lutheran Church — Tue, 27 Sep 2022 16:31:47 +0000

Bob puts some nails in the roof decking.

Getting the church in the dry

As September began, the church had exterior and interior framed walls, but no roof. The roof trusses were delivered on a large flatbed trailer and lifted into position with a crane. A professional crew installed the trusses and braces. Congregation members and the Laborers for Christ nailed the roof’s plywood decking to the trusses. This was most challenging on the steep roof above the front entrance. The roof deck was completed by the end of the month and roofing felt started to be attached.

A few photos show the break area where lunches were served, breaks were taken, and Bible studies took place. The blue-tarp covered area was located where the playground is now. One photo also shows some travel trailers where the Laborers for Christ families lived while they worked on the project.

Two secret places are shown in the photo taken before the roof was put on. A room above the front entrance can’t be accessed from the attic. It can only be accessed by ladder from the utility room. The secret window is a large window frame in the corner of the nave that is now enclosed by wall.

Return from Betrayal | Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost | 2 Samuel 15:12; 17:1-4

Redeemer Lutheran Church — Sun, 25 Sep 2022 14:45:00 +0000

LIVESTREAM | BULLETIN

— Joel 2:13

September 25 | 10:45 a.m.

Sixteenth Sunday After Pentecost

READINGS

Psalm 41
2 Samuel 15:12; 17:1-4
Acts 3:14-19
John 18:1-11

message presented by Rev. Frank C. Ruffatto

+Points to ponder

Can you think of a time that someone betrayed you? What was your reaction?
In what ways have you betrayed the Lord? (Hint: In thought, word, and deed.)
When we ‘return to the Lord,’ what does He do about our betrayal(s)?

+Sermon Transcript

Grace, mercy, and peace be unto each of you from God our Father and our Lord and King, Jesus the Christ. Amen.

Let us pray: O Lord, remember that we are dust, and see the sorrow for sin in our hearts. In the weakness of our flesh, we can only fall. By Your mighty power, lift us up, through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord. Amen.

Imagine for a minute that someone you trust deeply has betrayed you. The details of the betrayal aren’t really all that important. Perhaps you told this person something in confidence, and she shared it with someone else. Maybe this person pretended to be a supporter, and it turned out that he was manipulating you for personal gain.

I suspect many of you are thinking about an event that actually happened to you. You haven’t conjured up some imaginary betrayal; no, I’m guessing that the prompt brought to mind an actual betrayal. Something that hurt you deeply at the time and still stings a bit.

Our theme for today revolves around betrayal. You may recall that we are working through a sermon series in this season based on God’s call to return to Him. We’re looking at different events that occurred during Jesus’ Passion and thinking about the sins committed. My hope is that we will see the ways that our own sins pull us away from God, and that we will hear His call to return to Him because He offers reconciliation and forgiveness.

In our Gospel, the betrayal, of course, is that by Judas Iscariot. He makes a deal with the chief priests and scribes to turn Jesus over to them, knowing full well that their intention is to have Him killed. Judas’s actions are hard to comprehend; they are dark and painful and self-serving. We have no problem recognizing the sin in what he did, but it may be harder for us to see the sin when we betray Jesus through our own thoughts, words, and deeds. We’ll get back to that in a moment, but I want to set the stage by first looking at another betrayal, an older betrayal – that of King David by his own son Absalom and his trusted adviser Ahithophel.

This is a story of betrayal, but it is also a story of how one sin can beget many others and how the consequences of sin ripple out to impact many more people than we might expect. It starts with a sordid affair between David and Bathsheba. You know that story. He sees her bathing on the rooftop, initiates an inappropriate affair; she becomes pregnant; he tries to find a way to cover up the sinful liaison, but his plan goes awry, so he ups the ante and basically makes arrangements to ensure that her husband, Uriah, will be killed in battle. In the meantime, David is called out for his sin, he repents, the baby dies, and a huge rift is created within David’s own family. What a mess, right?!

One of the major impacts of David and Bathsheba’s sin is that rift in the family. Absalom, one of David’s sons, rebels and undertakes a campaign to unseat his father and take over the throne. One of the people that Absalom enlists in his plot is Ahithophel, a trusted adviser to David, who also happened to be – wait for it – Bathsheba’s grandfather. What could possibly go wrong?!

As the story unfolds, Ahithophel outlines a plot to Absalom by which he would raise up an army of twelve thousand men to hunt down and kill David. And Absalom liked the plan. Unfortunately, it didn’t quite work out that way, which is a little ironic because Ahithophel’s plan probably would have been successful. But David had planted a spy, Hushai, who outlined a different plan involving a lot more men, and Absalom chose to go with that. Hushai had tipped David off to exactly what was coming, so it didn’t work out very well: Absalom died. Ahithophel died. And David retained the throne.

But the betrayal haunted David. In fact, it even came out in one of his psalms. Specifically, Psalm 41, where David says, “Even my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me.” David laments the fact that a trusted adviser, almost certainly Ahithophel, has betrayed him, has turned against him, and has taken steps to try and kill him in order to place someone else on the throne. Betrayal is hurtful.

We understand the pain that betrayal causes because we have all been subjected to it at some point. It’s why I asked you at the beginning of the sermon to imagine being betrayed by someone you trusted.

But we don’t always consider the way our actions amount to a betrayal of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Ahithophel betrayed David in order to put someone else on the throne, and you’ve done exactly the same thing. You’ve betrayed Jesus in order to put yourself on the throne. You’ve denied His lordship before others. You’ve ignored God’s Commandments and sought to do things your own way. You’ve treated others thoughtlessly and elevated yourself over them, directly contradicting the biblical encouragement to “count others more significant than yourselves.”

And the result of our betrayal? The Gospel message is blurred and blunted. The Good News is blocked. People don’t hear or see the amazing love of Christ, because we have pushed Jesus into the background or denied His importance in our own lives.

God urges us to be bold in our proclamation of the Gospel. Jesus Himself said that we were to “go therefore and make disciples of all nations,” and yet our actions are exactly the opposite. They are a betrayal that avoids discipling by avoiding the sharing of the Good News. A betrayal that seeks to make Jesus secondary to our own ambitions and desires – even our own apathy – to sinfully elevate ourselves.

For instance, “it is a shame for any man to be married to a woman and to wish to keep the marriage a secret. It is not honorable for a person to belong to a society or organization and have to conceal membership in it. For anyone to be convinced of the truth as it is in Christ, to possess love for Christ, to regard His religion and church as the means of salvation to a fallen, sinful world and not to espouse the cause of Christ is a shameful, ungrateful attitude. Such a one is in danger of losing his or her discipleship.”

This is not easy to hear, I know. It’s a little like the Reading from Acts that we heard just moments ago, when Peter spoke in Solomon’s Portico and called the Israelites to repentance. “You denied the Holy and Righteous One and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead.” But Peter’s words end with a familiar encouragement: “Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out.”

It echoes the invitation that we heard a few weeks ago from the prophet Joel: “Return to the LORD your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and He relents over disaster.”

Astonishingly, Jesus knew all of this in the Garden of Gethsemane. He knew about Judas’s betrayal, sure, but He also knew about yours. He knew that you would fail. He knew that you would betray Him in fifty little ways without even intending to. And He knew that He had the solution. “Shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given Me?”

God says, “Return to Me! I want you to be true to Me, but even when you fail at that, I have already stepped in to provide blessings!” He offers forgiveness. He offers peace. And He offers the strength to turn back and receive His blessings.

When we return to God, we receive all that He has promised. We are washed in the blood of the Lamb, and our sins are taken away from us. We are strengthened in Holy Communion and in the Word of God, which offers us comfort, but also gives us words to speak and stories to tell others that they also may turn back to God. In Him, all is made right. All is made clean. All is reconciled.

“In one of his great writings called Orthodoxy, G. K. Chesterton writes about Jesus and why he became a Christian. He was once an avowed atheist, who fought Christianity with all his might. He said that there was a mystique about Jesus that no one understood and that was hidden from all people. It was something that was too great for God to show us when He walked this earth. ‘Then,’ he said, ‘as I have studied and restudied the life of Jesus, I have discovered that the great secret He kept hidden from everyone was His great joy.’

Christianity without joy is a betrayal of the One we follow. We are a forgiven, redeemed people, who belong to the faithful flock on the way to heaven. We are people with great joy.”

And so, Beloved, may you be encouraged to share the Gospel, to turn from betrayal, and to return to God. May you be blessed and strengthened in all that you do, that it may bring glory to Him. Amen.

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”

ABOUT THE SERIES

Join us for the Return to the Lord series at Redeemer.

Sermons in the Series

Redeemer hosts more than 60 disc golfers in memorial charity tournament

Redeemer Lutheran Church — Sat, 24 Sep 2022 15:34:26 +0000

More than 60 disc golfers gathered to play in support of local 911 telecommunicators and those suffering from Frontotemporal Degeneration (FTD).

Jeff and Mike Sisson Memorial Disc Golf Tournament

Metro 911 Employees’ Association and dementia association benefits from great turn out

Early Saturday morning more than 60 disc golfers gathered at Redeemer Disc Golf Park at Redeemer Lutheran Church to tee off in support of two non-profits impacting the local community.

The tournament is named in memory of Jeff Sisson, a Kanawha County Metro 911 telecommunicator, who died unexpectedly in October, 2021 and Jeff’s father, Magistrate Mike Sisson who died September 1 of this year. Proceeds from golfers’ registration fees and “mulligan” tokens were donated to the Metro 911 Employees’ Association. Metro 911 employees who played in the tournament were sponsored by members of Redeemer Lutheran Church who payed those golfers’ registration and “mulligan” fees.

The Metro 911 Employees’ Association is a non-profit organization chartered to support the needs of telecommunicators and other employees working in the service of the Metro 911 call center in Southridge.

Also benefiting from the proceeds is The Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration (AFTD), a non-profit organization whose mission is to improve the quality of life of people affected by Frontotemporal Degeneration (FTD) and to drive research to a cure. FTD is the most common form of dementia for people under age 60 and is also frequently referred to as frontotemporal dementia, frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD), or Pick’s disease.

Magistrate Sisson’s sister-in-law and retired Redeemer secretary Kim Booten died from FTD in October of 2020. Kim was also wife of Redeemer Music Director Ed Booten.

Redeemer Disc Golf Park is a 54-hole professional-level disc golf course located on the campus of Redeemer Lutheran Church off the Paula Road exit of Corridor G in Charleston.

Metro 911 employees and their families who played in the tournament.

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Putnam County Deputy Sheriff wins the raffle prize, a Yeti cooler

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Redeemer offers book study of The Hammer of God by Bo Giertz

Redeemer Lutheran Church — Sun, 18 Sep 2022 13:30:00 +0000

Beginning September 11, Pastor Frank Ruffatto leads the adult Sunday School class through a reading of The Hammer of God by Lutheran pastor and bishop, Bo Giertz.

The Hammer of God is a historical/theological novel that demonstrates the power of God's Word over spiritual deadness, rationalism, pietism, and liberalism.

The title of the book is based on Jeremiah 23:29:

Sunday School begins each Sunday morning at 9:30. Class participants can pick up a book from pastor Frank.

We request (but do not require) a donation of $23 to cover the cost of the book and shipping. You may also order your book from Concordia Publishing House or Amazon. A Kindle version is also available for purchase via Amazon.

Reading Schedule:

September 11 ~ Introduction & Background
(Download class notes.)
September 18 ~ “The Call” (3-42)
September 25 ~ “Awakened by the Law” (43-75)
October 2 ~ “Poverty of Spirit and ‘The Light of the Gospel’” (77-110)
October 9 ~ “Three Days Before Christmas” (113-127)
October 16 ~ “Springtime in March” and “Transfiguration Day” (129-192)
October 23 ~ “New Life” (195-235)
October 30 ~ “A Heart of Stone” and “A Rock of Salvation” (237-282)
November 6 ~ “In the Place of Sinners” (283-332)

Return to Prayer | Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost | Matthew 26:36-46

Redeemer Lutheran Church — Sun, 18 Sep 2022 07:45:00 +0000

LIVESTREAM | BULLETIN

— Joel 2:13

September 18 | 10:45 a.m.

Fifteenth Sunday After Pentecost

READINGS

Psalm 121:1-8
Genesis 32:22-30
Romans 8:22-28
Matthew 26:36-46

message presented by Rev. Frank C. Ruffatto

+Points to ponder

What hinders you from a robust prayer life with Christ?
What helps you to connect with God in prayer?
Why do you think prayer is a means by which God gifted us to connect with Him?

+Sermon Transcript

Grace, mercy, and peace be unto each of you from God our Father and our Lord and King, Jesus the Christ. Amen.

Let us pray: O almighty God, our Heavenly Father, renew in us the gifts of Your mercy, increase our faith, strengthen our hope, enlighten our understanding, enlarge our love, and make us ever ready to serve You, for the sake of Jesus, Amen.

Our text today is the Gospel you just heard from Matthew, in which Jesus and His disciples go to Gethsemane, where He prays, and they nap. Our theme is prayer, specifically God’s invitation and command to be constant in prayer. Keeping with our overall celebratory theme of returning to God, the sermon is titled “Return to Prayer.”

Now, I know that for some, prayer can be a touchy subject. Because if we’re completely honest, few of us are very good at prayer. There is always a little twinge of conscience that comes with any discussion of prayer. We have great intentions, obviously, but a Scripture passage such as Paul’s encouragement in 1 Thessalonians to “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances …” can make us flinch; we tend to worry more than we should, and we certainly don’t do a very good job of praying without ceasing. And the thankfulness in all – all circumstances thing – well, you know.

“Peter Marshall, the late chaplain of the U.S. Senate, once said in a prayer, ‘O Lord, forgive us for thinking that prayer is a waste of time, and help us to see that without prayer our work is a waste of time.’”

It is a good bet that your prayer life does not measure up to the ideal that God’s Word sets up, and it probably falls short of whatever standard you set for yourself. So, if you are a little uncomfortable with this topic, that is understandable. I hope by the time we are done here you will know that when God calls you to pray, He provides the means to do so and even fulfills what you are unable to do. In much the same way that Jesus is the primary actor in your salvation, the Holy Spirit is the primary actor in your prayer life.

In the Old Testament Reading, Jacob is returning to Canaan, having been through the wringer with his father-in-law, Laban. He is nervous about fleeing with all of the people and livestock that are rightly his. He’s worried about encountering his twin brother, Esau, whom he imagines is angry about that whole stealing-the-blessing thing. Jacob’s world is kind of up in the air.

So, he has split his whole traveling company into two camps in hopes that if Esau and the four hundred men traveling with him encounter one, at least the other camp will be spared. He sends Leah and Rachel and his children and servants ahead and is left by himself for the night.

What happens next is astonishing. A man wrestles with Jacob all night long. Apparently, it was quite a match, because neither came out on top through the whole ordeal. As things unfold, we slowly begin to realize that this was no ordinary wrestling match. Jacob wasn’t wrestling just anyone; he was wrestling God Himself! More specifically, he was wrestling with God’s Son, who would later become incarnate. He was wrestling with Jesus.

This is no allegory or mere tale; the wrestling match certainly happened. And one lesson we can learn from it is that the trials and temptations that God allows us to bear are ultimately intended not to destroy us but to build us up and to bless us. Just look at the cross of Christ to see how God can use suffering to bring about good.

Having said that, you could also use this event as a metaphor for your prayer life. In a sense, you wrestle with God in your prayers. You ask for the things that you believe you need. You struggle with the prayers that are not answered as you hoped. You long for God’s clear guiding and directing, and you groan under the weight of the trials that you must endure. But in the end, through your prayers and your wrestling, God changes you. Forms you. Molds you into something more like Jesus.

Selfishly (and sinfully), we may perceive our prayers as a time of our wrestling with God, but what if it is actually a time when God is wrestling with us? A time that He uses to reorient our perspectives and our perceptions. Surprisingly, it seems that the primary actor in your prayer life is not you but God.

One of the things Jacob says to his foe is “I will not let You go unless You bless me.” This is terrific! In the context of prayer, this would be something like “I won’t stop praying until You answer me,” and it calls to mind the parable of the persistent widow. You know – the one where the widow comes before the unrighteous judge again and again and again demanding justice, and he finally gives in? The one Jesus used to emphasize how much greater the blessing is from a God who actually loves you and cares about you?

“To be a praying Christian does not simply mean to pray occasionally but to pray continually. No one can live by taking a breath only once in a while. A person cannot read by a light that flickers on and off. A ship cannot sail with only an occasional puff of wind. So also, a Christian cannot maintain spiritual life and health by praying only once in a while.”

You see, the problem is that most of us don’t come to prayer prepared to go toe-to-toe with God all night long. We don’t train to be prayer warriors, most of us, and we’re not equipped for that kind of battle. In fact, not only do we generally do a pretty poor job of being constant in prayer, but we also often aren’t even entirely sure how to pray.

We wonder: What do I say? How can I come before God and speak with any kind of eloquence? Words fail me. My emotions overwhelm me. I’m keenly aware of my shortcomings, and I don’t feel like I have any kind of credibility to ask God for anything.

We’re a lot more like Peter and James and John than we are like Jacob and Jesus: falling asleep when we should be praying, dozing off when we should be alert. We don’t know what to pray for, and we’re not even sure how to pray. And so, we don’t, or at least not as often as we probably should.

When you listened to that Gospel, I bet you could identify with Peter and the other disciples. You probably felt a little sheepish that you stumble in your prayer life in much the same way that they did. At least you don’t have Jesus in your face calling you out for your failures! But if you took that reading to heart, you may have felt like our Lord was chastising you.

Paul offers the answer, and we need to hear this: Paul says that we don’t know what to pray for. We don’t really know how to do this prayer thing, but that’s okay. Because “the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.” And what the Spirit does, you can be sure He does perfectly.

Your prayers may falter, but the Holy Spirit makes up for it. What you cannot do, God does for you. What you are unable to do, God does with ease. Where you fail, God is perfect.

Consider then that your prayer life reflects your faith and your salvation. Because while you falter in your daily life, Jesus has stepped in and made up for it. What you could not do, Jesus did for you. What you were unable to do, Jesus fulfilled. Where you failed, Jesus was perfect.

Make the cross the focus of your prayer life. Let it comfort and soothe you as you speak your petitions to a loving God who sent His only Son to save you. Know that your failures do not define you before God; rather, Jesus’ perfection covers all of your sins, and you bear His righteousness.

God commands you to pray, but He doesn’t leave you alone with it. The command simply brings you to the foot of the cross, where you can look up and see the Gospel reality that covers your shortcomings. Know that your prayers are a means by which God is forming and molding you, and that He will intercede where you fall short. When God calls you to pray, He provides the means to do so, and He even fulfills what you are unable to do.

May that be a comfort and an encouragement as you joyfully respond to Jesus’ call to Return - “Return to Prayer.” Amen.

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”

ABOUT THE SERIES

Join us for the Return to the Lord series at Redeemer.

Sermons in the Series

2022 Joining Event for Cub Scout Pack 152

Redeemer Lutheran Church — Thu, 15 Sep 2022 22:00:00 +0000

Cub Scout Pack 152 hosts a special joining event on Thursday, September 15 at 6 pm at Redeemer. Scouts can join at anytime during the year, but the fall is a popular time to join. Cub Scouts are for boys and girls in grades K - 5. The pack has one den for each grade level. The pack has just resumed weekly meetings on Thursdays at 6 pm at the church after a summer break that included some special activities, but no weekly meetings. Families attending on Thursday will meet the leaders, learn about the program and upcoming activities, and, if they wish, join that night.

Scouts BSA Troop 152, which is for boys ages 11 - 17, has also resumed meeting weekly on Thursdays at 7 pm. Boys interested in joining the troop can come to any meeting to learn about the program.

Photos of our scouts from years past

Thinking outside the cardboard Box: A new idea for Fall 2022

Redeemer Lutheran Church — Tue, 13 Sep 2022 18:59:13 +0000

students have expressed how meaningful and uplifting it is to receive a brief hand-written card.

Autumn is in the air which means it's time to show support to our College, Graduate School, and Continuing Education Students.

This Fall Semester, instead of stuffing Care Packages, Community Care Team is asking our Redeemer family to help stuff some Care Envelopes. There are two ways you can help us succeed:

Monetary donations for gift cards. Rather than sending individual items, each Student will be receiving a VISA spending card to help with school expenses or just to treat themselves.
Write notes of encouragement. Even in this age of texting, students have expressed how meaningful and uplifting it is to receive a brief hand-written card. All it takes is a minute to write down a few sentences that will surely brighten a day, and make a student feel connected to their church family.

We have 12 students at this time and our goal is to send a BARRAGE of encouragement for each of them.

Please consider having your Bible Study Groups, Sunday School class, or other social groups participate in the Card Drive - there is no limit on age or quantity.

Cash, checks, and electronic donations are accepted. If you need, blank note cards will be available in the Narthex.

2022 FALL DEADLINE IS OCTOBER 2!

More about this event>>

Rally Day kicks off new Sunday School year

Redeemer Lutheran Church — Sun, 11 Sep 2022 16:00:00 +0000

Everyone enjoyed a festive potluck lunch to celebrate Rally Day 2022. The meal was topped off with a cake to celebrate Pastor Frank’s 10-year anniversary at Redeemer.

Blog

The Invitation | First Sunday of Advent | Hebrews 11:1-3

November 27, 2022 | 10:45 a.m.

READINGS

+Points to ponder

+Sermon Transcript

Our Purpose in Life: Glorifying God | Last Sunday of the Church Year | Malachi 3:13–18

November 20, 2022 | 10:45 a.m.

READINGS

+Points to ponder

+Sermon Transcript

Return and See | Twenty-third Sunday after Pentecost | Matthew 28:1-10

November 13 | 10:45 a.m.

Twenty-third Sunday After Pentecost

READINGS

+Points to ponder

+Sermon Transcript

Sermons in the Series

Twenty Years: Work Continued Outside and Inside | November 2002

Work Continues - Outside and Inside

Return to the Church | Twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost

November 6 | 10:45 a.m.

Twenty-second Sunday After Pentecost

READINGS

+Points to ponder

+Sermon Transcript

Sermons in the Series

Twenty Years: The Church goes under wraps | October 2002

Church Put Under Wrap

Return to the Truth | Reformation Day (OBSERVED) | Isaiah 52:13-53:12

October 30 | 10:45 a.m.

Reformation Day (OBSERVED)Twenty-first Sunday After Pentecost

READINGS

+Points to ponder

+Sermon Transcript

Sermons in the Series

Return to the Sacraments | Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost | Mark 14:12-26

October 23 | 10:45 a.m.

Twentieth teenth Sunday After Pentecost

READINGS

+Points to ponder

+Sermon Transcript

Sermons in the Series

Return to the Kingdom of God | Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost | John 18:28-38

October 16 | 10:45 a.m.

Nineteenth Sunday After Pentecost

READINGS

+Points to ponder

+Sermon Transcript

Sermons in the Series

Photo | College-Age Encouragement Packs

Return from Denial | Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost | Luke 22:54-62

October 9 | 10:45 a.m.

Eighteenth Sunday After Pentecost

READINGS

+Points to ponder

+Sermon Transcript

Sermons in the Series

Return from False Witness | Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost |

October 2 | 10:45 a.m.

Seventeenth Sunday After Pentecost

READINGS

+Points to ponder

+Sermon Transcript

Sermons in the Series

Twenty Years: The Church gets a roof in September 2002

Getting the church in the dry

Return from Betrayal | Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost | 2 Samuel 15:12; 17:1-4

September 25 | 10:45 a.m.

Sixteenth Sunday After Pentecost

READINGS

+Points to ponder

+Sermon Transcript

Sermons in the Series

Redeemer hosts more than 60 disc golfers in memorial charity tournament

Jeff and Mike Sisson Memorial Disc Golf Tournament

Metro 911 Employees’ Association and dementia association benefits from great turn out

Redeemer offers book study of The Hammer of God by Bo Giertz

"Is not my word like a fire? Says the Lord. And like a hammer that breaks the rock into pieces?"

Reading Schedule:

Reformation Day (OBSERVED)
Twenty-first Sunday After Pentecost