| February 2005
Newsletter |
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| OUR NATION'S
GODLY HERITAGE |
As he delivered his
State of the Union Address in January of 1941, President Franklin
Delano Roosevelt was faced with the daunting task of inspiring
Americans to accept his plans to increase production during the war
effort. His goal was to gain victory in the raging conflict with
Hitler in Europe. He appealed to the national love of freedom,
predicting that four essential freedoms, including the freedom to
worship God, could only be restored to Europe by defeating Hitler.
Here are the words, in part, to FDR's speech:
"In the future days which we seek to make secure, we look
forward to a world founded upon four essential human freedoms. The
first is freedom of speech and expression— everywhere
in the world. The second is freedom of every person to worship
God in his own way—everywhere in the world. The third is
freedom from want, which, translated into world terms, means
economic understandings, which will secure to every nation a healthy
peacetime life for its inhabitants—everywhere in the world. The
fourth is freedom from fear, which, translated into world
terms, means a worldwide reduction of armaments to such a
point and in such a thorough fashion that no nation will be in a
position to commit an act of physical aggression against any
neighbor-anywhere in the world.
This nation has placed its destiny in the hands, heads and hearts
of its millions of free men and women, and its faith in freedom
under the guidance of God. Freedom means the supremacy of human
rights everywhere. Our support goes to those who struggle to gain
those rights and keep them. Our strength is our unity of purpose. To
that high concept there can be no end save victory."
—Franklin Delano Roosevelt, January 6, 1941
| Christian Groups
Offer Help and Funds |
A number of Christian relief
agencies are scrambling to bring needed relief to the areas
hardest hit by the recent tragedy in the Bay of Bengal.
World Vision, one of the largest Christian relief efforts is
providing survival kits to those in the hardest hit regions.
Each kit contains blankets, tarps for temporary shelter, water
purification tablets and cooking supplies. They are also
providing other critically needed relief, including as food and
medicine, where needs arise.
Seeking to minister to families and individuals in Indonesia,
India, Sri Lanka, Thailand and other nations the Evangelical
Lutheran Church In America, Christian Reformed World Relief
Committee, New Directions International and Gospel for Asia —
among other groups — are developing plans that will
translate love of Jesus Christ into action.
Meanwhile workers from Compassion International (Cl) in India
are checking the homes of every Compassion sponsored child to
make sure all are accounted for. Workers report a great deal of
devastation, and CI is receiving funds to assist those affected
in the Aceh region of Indonesia.
Food for the Hungry (FFH) has pledged $3 million to relief
efforts in Sri Lanka, Indonesia, and India. FFH teams began
working in the affected areas immediately after the tsunami
struck, and are partnering with others to bring help to the
remotest regions. In addition, FFH has set up a mobile medical
clinic to serve families in five of the hardest-hit villages in
Thailand.
Christian Aid Mission supports 62 indigenous ministries and
began helping local people immediately after the disaster
struck. They are working to rebuild hundreds of affected homes
and churches in affected areas. All designated offerings to the
ELCA will be forwarded to the relief efforts.
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| From the Pastor |
As January gives
way to February I think about my favorite time of the year, the
Lenten Season. Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings in Lent we
worship before the cross in grateful reverence. We acknowledge
together our sin that caused Jesus' death. And we acknowledge
Jesus' death as the means by which our sin is washed away.
The Wednesday night soup suppers and fellowship are so
important to us as the family of God at Faith. We are grateful
to those who prepare food and participate in the services. I am
especially grateful to those who are willing to lead worship as
I will be having my hip replacement surgery February 15. off the
Plavix, a blood thinner, February 6th and have the surgery 7 to
10 days later I said, "Oh, no, that's the beginning of the
Lenten Season. The doctor, knowing I was a Lutheran Pastor,
smiled and said, "Oh, but suffering is good for the soul!"
And then quickly added, "I'm Catholic, you know."
So, during this Lenten season, as Jesus bore grief and shame
for us, may we bear witness to him, confessing Jesus boldly as
our Savior, and Lord, privileged to be called children of the
heavenly Father.
And, when grief, despair, or loneliness weigh us down, assure
us of your love and care, and let our Holy Spirit be our
constant Comforter. Use us, then as the spirit's instruments, to
comfort others in their need.
Pastor Mar
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| The Map:
A father wanted to read a magazine but was being bothered by his
little girl, Shelby. She wanted to know what the United States
looked like. Finally, he tore a sheet out of his new magazine on
which was printed the map of the country. Tearing it into small
pieces, he gave it to Shelby, and said, "Go into the other
room and see if you can put this together. This will show you
our whole country today." After a few minutes, Shelby
returned and handed him the map correctly fitted together. The
father was surprised and asked how she had finished so quickly.
"Oh," she said, "on the other side of the paper
is a picture of Jesus. When I got all of Jesus back where He
belonged, then our country just came together." |
| AMERICA'S RESPONSE
TO THE DISASTER |
The loss of life and
destruction caused by the recent earthquake and tsunami in the
Indian Ocean has triggered a relief and rescue effort that is
unprecedented in history. Both the public and private sectors
have responded with magnanimity and generosity that have
overwhelmed. Here are some of the details of the nation's
response:
- Air Force C-130, C-17 and
C-5 transport planes have delivered more than 430,000 pounds
of supplies
- 14,000 U.S. sailors and
Marines sent to region
- • 25 American ships
dispatched
- Secretary of State Colin
Powell and Governor Jeb Bush on fact-finding mission
- USNS Mercy, a 250 bed
floating hospital en route from San Deigo
- Flags being flown at
half-staff across the nation and at U.S. compounds abroad
- Presidential delegation has
paid respects to embassies of nations involved
- President Bush and others
have issued repeated calls for prayer
- $350 million in aid
committed by U.S. government
- Millions committed by
private donors ranging from individuals to large
corporations
Above all, I know there
is a Supreme Being who rules the affairs of men and whose
goodness and mercy have always/allowed the American people anal
know He will not turn from us now if we humbly and reverently
seek His powerful aid. —Grover Cleveland, 2nd Inaugural
Address, March 4, 1893 |
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| The 7
Ups! |
1. Wake
Up!! Decide to have a good day. "This is the day the
Lord hath made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." Psalms
118:24
2. Dress Up !! The best way to dress up is to put on a
smile. A smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks. "The
Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at
outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." I
Samuel 16:7
3. Shut Up!! Say nice things and learn to listen. God
gave us two ears and one mouth, so He must have meant for us to
do twice as much listening as talking. "He who guards his
lips guards his soul." Proverbs 13:3
4. Stand Up!! . . . for what you believe in. Stand for
something or you will fall for anything. "Let us not be
weary in doing good; for at the proper time, we will reap a
harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity,
let us do good..." Galatians 6:9-10
5. Look Up !! ... to the Lord. "I can do everything
through Christ who strengthens me". Philippians 4:13
6. Reach Up !! ... for something higher. "Trust in
the Lord with all your heart, and lean not unto your own
understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He will
direct your path." Pro verbs 3:5-6
7. Lift Up !! ... your Prayers. "Do not worry about
anything; instead PRAY ABOUT EVERYTHING." Philippians 4:6
| Benjamin
Franklin speaks... |
The
following is a quote from the Congressional Record entered
by James Madison, who recorded a most eloquent address made
by Benjamin Franklin to President George Washington at the
Constitutional Convention:
"I have lived, sir, a long time and the longer I live
the more convincing proof I see of this truth: that God
governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall
to the ground without His notice, is it probable that an
empire can rise without His aid? We have been assured in the
Sacred Writing that, 'Except the Lord build a house, they
labor in vain that build it'. I firmly believe this."
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| ATTORNEY'S
ADVICE-NO CHARGE |
Read this
and make a copy for your files in case you need to refer to
it someday. Maybe we should all take some of his advice! A
corporate attorney sent the following out to the employees
in his company.
1. The next time you order checks have only your initials
(instead of first name) and last name put on them. If
someone takes your checkbook, they will not know if you sign
your checks with just your initials or your first name, but
your bank will know how you sign your checks.
2. When you are writing checks to pay on your credit card
accounts, DO NOT put the complete account number on the "For"
line. Instead, just put the last four numbers. The credit
card company knows the rest of the number, and anyone who
might be handling your check as it passes through all the
check processing channels won't have access to it.
3. Put your work phone # on your checks instead of your
home phone. If you have a PO Box use that instead of your
home address. If you do not have a PO Box, use your work
address. Never have your SS# printed on your checks. (DUH!)
You can add it if it is necessary. But if you have it
printed, anyone can get it.
4. Place the contents of your wallet on a photocopy
machine. Do both sides of each license, credit card, etc You
will know what you had in your wallet and all of the account
numbers and phone numbers to call and cancel. Keep the
photocopy in a safe place. I also carry a photocopy of my
passport when I travel either here or abroad. We've all
heard horror stories about fraud that's committed on us in
stealing a name, address, Social Security number, credit
cards. Unfortunately, I, an attorney, have firsthand
knowledge because my wallet was stolen last month. Within a
week, the thieve(s) ordered an expensive monthly cell phone
package, applied for a VISA credit card, had a credit line
approved to buy a Gateway computer, received a PIN number
from DMV to change my driving record information online, and
more. But here's some critical information to limit the
damage in case this happens to you or someone you know:
1a. We have been told we should cancel our credit cards
immediately. But the key is having the toll free numbers and
your card numbers handy so you know whom to call. Keep those
where you can find them.
2a. File a police report immediately in the jurisdiction
where your credit cards, etc. were stolen. This proves to
credit providers you were diligent, and this is a first step
toward an investigation (if there ever is one).
But here's what is perhaps most important of all: (I never
even thought to do this.)
3a. Call the 3 national credit reporting organizations
immediately to place a fraud alert on your name and Social
Security number. I had never heard of doing that until
advised by a bank that called to tell me an application for
credit was made over the Internet in my name. The alert
means any company that checks your credit knows your
information was stolen, and they have to contact you by
phone to authorize new credit By the time I was advised to
do this, almost two weeks after the theft, all the damage
had been done.
There are records of all the credit checks initiated by the
thieves' purchases, none of which I knew about before
placing the alert. Since then, no additional damage has been
done, and the thieves threw my wallet away. This weekend
(someone turned it in). It seems to have stopped them dead
in their tracks.
Now, here are the numbers you always need to contact about
your wallet, etc has been stolen:
1.) Equifax: 1-800-525-6285
2.) Experian (formerly TRW): 1-888-397-3742
3.) TransUnion: 1-800-680-7289
4.) Social Security Administration (fraud line):
1-800-269-0271
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| Rebutting the
'Lutheran but...' |
" I am
a Lutheran businessman but I don't let the Church influence
what I do at the office or in the boardroom;" but Jesus
says (Mt 7:21), "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord,
Lord,' will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but only the one
who does the will of my Father in heaven."
" I am a Lutheran politician but I don't let my
Lutheranism impact on how I vote or what legislation I
promote;" but Jesus says (Mt 7:26-27), "Everyone
who listens to these words of mine but does not act on them
will be like a fool who built his house on sand. The rain
fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the
house. And it collapsed and was completely ruined."
" I am a Lutheran physician but I don't let my faith
mold my decisions regarding abortion, or other medical
practices;" but Jesus says (Mt 5:37), "Let your
'Yes' mean 'Yes,' and your 'No' mean 'No.' Anything more is
from the evil one."
" I am a Lutheran talk show host but I don't let the
Church inhibit my right to say whatever I want on the air;"
but in the Letter of James, God says (2:17) "Faith of
itself, if it does not have works, is dead."
" I am a Lutheran pastor but I don't let Magisterial
teaching keep me from dissenting from moral or doctrinal
points nor let it limit my own 'pastoral solutions';"
but at ordination each pastor professes a solemn oath, "I
believe everything contained in God's Word, written or
handed down in tradition and proposed by the Church... I
also firmly accept and hold each and every thing that is
proposed by the Church definitively regarding teaching on
faith and morals."
Lent is the time to kick the "Lutheran but..."
out of our own daily lives. It is the time to expunge
rationalization from our minds and to root out compromise
from our hearts. Lent is the time to say a determined "No"
to the temptation to water down our faith for personal gain.
It is the time to say a much larger "Yes" to Jesus
and His Gospel of Life. Lent is the time for Totus. Totus,
the time to renew our commitment to love God with all our
mind and heart and strength. The "Lutheran but..."
syndrome stands in direct contradiction to Jesus' clear and
unequivocal demand (Mk 8:34-36), "Whoever wishes to
come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and
follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it,
but whoever loses his life for my sake and that of the
Gospel will save it. What profit is there for one to gain
the whole world and forfeit his life?"
The "Lutheran but..." syndrome is not without
precedent in history. The fact that Jesus Himself directly
and frequently opposed such rationalization shows its
prevalence 2000 years ago. How often we are tempted to
separate what we do in Church from what we do at home, to
isolate what we believe from how we vote or what we do at
work or at leisure. How easily we can compartmentalize our
lives, thus keeping our adherence to Christ from shaping all
that we say and do. This is why the formation of conscience
holds such a pivotal role in our effort to grow to full
maturity in Christ.
Each Lent, the Church urges us to rekindle our love for
Jesus and to take a closer look at how completely we are
taking up the Cross that fidelity to Him entails. This means
we need to examine our consciences, and to insure that they
are formed on the solid foundation of the Gospel.
During these 40 days before the Easter Triduum, the Father
shines new light upon our souls so we can discover (or
rediscover) the essential connection between truth and
freedom, and between faith and culture. When freedom is
detached from truth, objectivity goes out the window,
relativism reigns, and ethical chaos gives rise to the "Lutheran
but..." It becomes impossible to establish right from
wrong, good from evil. The pursuit of holiness is thrown off
course.
To take the time, then, during Lent to form our consciences
more fully in accordance with objective truth (known from
God's Revelation and the natural law) not only brings
wholeness and integrity to our personal lives; it also makes
it possible for us to bring healing and reconciliation to
society. Let us take advantage, then, of this Lenten season
2005 to engage seriously in the pursuit of truth and
freedom. Here are some concrete suggestions for doing so:
- Ask the Holy Spirit for
His gifts of courage and understanding, humility and
right judgment.
- Consult the Catechism
of the Lutheran Church to find clear teaching about the
moral conscience and its correct formation.
- Consider your own
family situation, your work and your civic duties, and
then ask: "Do I live my whole life as a vocation
and a mission from the Lord?"
- Carve out a few days
for a spiritual retreat or at least set aside half a day
to go apart from everyday life and examine, with God's
help, how you are integrating the gift of faith in all
dimensions of your life.
On the first day of Lent
each year, the Lord says to us through St. Paul (2 Cor 6:2),
"Behold, now is a very acceptable time; behold, now is
the day of salvation."
Now is the time to rebut the "Lutheran but..." It
is the time to say "Yes" when we mean "Yes,"
and to say "No" when we mean "No." Lent
is the time to profess our Lutheran faith with gratitude and
to put every part of it into practice.
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| Proud to be a
Minnesotan |
A man
decided to write a book about famous churches around the
country. So, he bought a plane ticket and took a trip to
Orlando, thinking that he would start by working his way
across the USA from South to North.
On his first day, he was inside a church taking photographs
when he noticed a golden telephone mounted on the wall with
a sign that read "$10,000 per call". The man,
being intrigued, asked a priest who was strolling by what
the telephone was used for. The priest replied that it was a
direct line to heaven and that for $10,000 you could talk to
God.
The man thanked the priest and went along his way. Next
stop was in Atlanta. There, at a very large cathedral, he
saw the same golden telephone with the same sign under it.
He wondered if this was the same kind of telephone he saw in
Orlando and he asked a nearby nun what its purpose was. She
told him that it was a direct line to heaven and that for
$10,000 he could talk to God. "O.K., thank you,"
said the man.
He then traveled to Indianapolis, Washington DC,
Philadelphia, Boston, and New York. In every church he saw
the same golden telephone with the same "$10,000 per
call" sign under it. The man, upon leaving New York
decided to travel out midwest to see if western states
had the same phone.
He arrived in Minnesota, and, again, in the first church he
entered, there was the same golden telephone, but this time
the sign under it read "40 cents per call." The
man was surprised so he asked the priest about the sign. "Father,
I've traveled all over America and I've seen this same
golden telephone in many churches.
I'm told that it is a direct line to Heaven, but in the
east and south the price was $10,000 per call. Why is it so
cheap here? The priest smiled and answered, "You're in
Minnesota now, son, it's a local call".
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Ole and
Lars were on their very first train ride. They had
brought along bananas for lunch. Just as they began to peel
them, the train entered a long, dark tunnel. "Have you
eaten your banana yet," Ole asked excitedly? No,"
replied Lars. "Veil, don't touch it den," Ole
exclaimed. "I yust took vun bite and vent blind!"
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| Kids
in Grade School |
TEACHER:
George, go to the map and find North America.
GEORGE: Here it is!
TEACHER: Correct. Linda, who discovered America?
LINDA: George!
___________________________________________________
TEACHER: Tommy, why do you always get so dirty?
TOMMY: Well, I'm a lot closer to the ground than you
are.
___________________________________________________
TEACHER: Ellen, give me a sentence starting with "I."
ELLEN: I is...
TEACHER: No, Ellen ... Always say, "I am."
ELLEN: All right... "I am the ninth letter of
the alphabet."
___________________________________________________
TEACHER: "George Washington not only chopped
down his father's cherry tree, but also admitted doing it.
Now do you know why his father didn't punish him?"
JOHNNY: "Because George still had the ax in his
hand."
___________________________________________________
TEACHER: Now, Sam, tell me, do you say prayers
before eating?
SAM: No sir, I don't have to, my Mom is a good cook.
___________________________________________________
TEACHER: Desmond, your composition on "My Dog"
is exactly the same as your brother's. Did you copy his?
DESMOND: No, sir, it's the same dog!
___________________________________________________
TEACHER: What do you call a person who keeps on
talking when people are no longer interested?
PUPIL: A teacher. |
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