You support a ministry that exists to put the salvation and hope of the Gospel of Jesus Christ before people who suffer on account of the sin that has entered into the world. Yesterday I received a call from a member of the community who shared with me the heartache her family is going through since the death of her nephew this past summer. As the holidays approach, she is very concerned for her brother (the young man’s father) and the rest of the family. They miss their loved one and she wanted to know how — while they are a family of faith in Jesus — they can live through the real bereavement they are going through.

The heartache of the Christian I met for the first time on the phone is an indication of the tribulation of the time of the end. St. Paul was teaching the Thessalonians about how to live during these end times. He was dealing with a practical question: “What will happen to our loved ones who have died before the coming of Christ?” [it is comforting to see that St. Paul refers to the death of Christians as a “falling asleep”…they are safe and alive with the Lord and we will see them again!] and St. Paul was dealing with a practical concern: “How do we live in the interim?” [or simply, “How do we live in the face of the end?”]

For the Christian confronted by all of the birth pangs of the end times, the answer is to not live in fear; not to give in to the many temptations for discouragement. The answer lies in Jesus — the God of the LIVING — and the answer lies not in living in isolation, but in an active engagement in the words of St. Paul:

“But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation.” — 1st Thessalonians 5:8

This is the life we are called to; this is the life that is already yours through your baptism into Jesus; this is the life already yours as you will be filled with the life of Christ once again as you receive the blessed Sacrament tomorrow morning.

I’m excited! Tomorrow we will be reunited. Pastor Mueller and myself look forward to seeing you, the blessed people of God that the Lord has called us to serve and to love. Come to the feast! Jesus is giving Himself to us tomorrow morning — giving to us the victory already won; the forgiveness already secured; the eternal life already guaranteed — and in the face of the end we will experience once again why we have nothing to fear.

May the Lord powerfully bless our worship tomorrow morning!

In Jesus’ Love,

Pastor

p.s. Tomorrow:

8:15 am Set up for worship

9:30 am Divine Service

10:45 am Fellowship

11:00 am Adult Bible Study and Sunday School

12:00 pm High School youth will wash our van-bus

3:00 pm Confirmation

p.s.s.

I am hosting our LC-MS regional Vice President tomorrow evening, Rev. Dr. Scott Murray, and I’m hoping he will be able to address our confirmands tomorrow.