Engaged by Grace Weekly August 13 – 20, 2017
For a printable PDF version of this week’s newsletter, please click Engaged Weekly 081317.
Share Your News
Holy Trinity was well-presented at last weekend’s Pelotonia bicycle ride to end cancer. Some members completed the 25-mile course while others finished the entire 180 miles. Participants included Cate Warnement, Jeff Warnement, Becky Warnement, Mark Abell, Juan Torres, Noelle Fox, Leah Forts, and the Amling family. Congratulations one and all!
If you have a news item or photo for inclusion in a future edition of Engaged by Grace Weekly, please send it to laura.hudson@engagedbygrace.org.
Stewardship Corner – July 9, 2017
In Hosea 6:6 we read, “For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.” God told His people that if they refused to acknowledge Him and to show mercy, He didn’t even want their gifts. In the same manner, God wants us to give Him our love before we give Him our tithes and offerings. Through faith, we come to know Jesus, and He develops a relationship with us. As a result of this relationship with Jesus, we, by God’s grace, acknowledge Him and then out of love for Him respond to God by giving our gifts. For more information on stewardship, please contact Max Buban.
Engaged by Grace Weekly July 2 – 9, 2017
For a printable PDF version of this week’s newsletter, please click Engaged Weekly 070217
Engaged by Grace Weekly June 18 – 25, 2017
For a printable PDF version of this week’s newsletter, please click Engaged Weekly 061817v.2
Happy Anniversary to us!
Thank you to everyone that helped make Sunday’s 75th Anniversary celebration at Holy Trinity such a wonderful event! Rev. Dr. Stephen Bouman, Exec. Director of Domestic Missions for the ELCA; Bishop Suzanne Darcy-Dillahunt of the Southern Ohio Synod of the ELCA; Community Ministry Partners from Trinity Lutheran Seminary, Lutheran Social Services, First English Lutheran Church, Habitat for Humanity, Jacob’s Porch, YWCA Family Center, Boy Scout Troop 555, and Holy Trinity’s Child Development Program were just some of the people on hand to join in the celebration. Special music offered by Holy Trinity’s Children’s Choir, Chancel Choir and Bell Choir, in addition to several guest musicians, was beyond compare. There was even a special surprise thrown in for the 25th Anniversary of Pastor Steve’s ordination.
Of course, Holy Trinity would be nothing without all our members and the various gifts of people helping in so many ways on Sundays and behind the scenes on a regular basis. In case you weren’t able to be in attendance on for the celebration, copies of Sunday’s worship bulletin are available at the church reception window and several photos from the day have been posted to the Southern Ohio Synod and Holy Trinity’s Facebook pages. Watch for a link to the historic photos from the anniversary video display coming soon!
Stewardship Corner – June 18, 2017
What brings you contentment? Is it a hefty retirement account? Is it a good report from your doctor at your annual physical? Is it seeing your children involved in careers that bring them success and fulfillment? The Apostle Paul spoke about contentment. He said he had “learned the secret of being content in any and every situation” (Philippians 4:12). According to him, contentment does not exist in what we have or what our circumstances are. The secret, said Paul, is in Christ who enables us to do everything with the strength He gives us. For more information on stewardship, please contact Max Buban.
Welcome New Members
Holy Trinity will receive the following people as members on Sunday, May 28. Please introduce yourself!
Greg & Jordan Mills w/Archer
Matt & Kara Schumacher w/Eli & Noah
Tim & Barbara Stock
Craig Thomas
Christmas Day
Luke 2:8-20
8In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: 11to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. 12This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” 13And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying,
14“Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace among those whom he favors!”
15When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. 17When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; 18and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. 19But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. 20The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace among those whom he favors.
Once again, actions aligned with words has great impact.
It’s one thing to say that God glories in peace among those whom God favors. It’s another thing to demonstrate that truth by declaring it to some of those least likely to be favored otherwise.
Of course, shepherds made a valuable contribution to the community … tending the flocks which would provide food and clothing … not unlike all of the service providers in our own day who accomplish the essential work of keeping our communities clean and safe, most often without affirmation or prestige.
Still, shepherds did spend almost all their time with the animals. They were known to smell like their charges and they wouldn’t have held influence over any others than their charges. They don’t even hide their own surprise as the angels approaching them first with this game changing news “which the Lord has made known to us.”
Then whether out of curiosity or skepticism, they take off to verify the news that has been told to them. And after witnessing the scene of the Saviors birth, they are converted. God does glory in peace among all whom God favors … a favor that includes them. And if it includes them it includes everyone … and everyone’s gotta know.
So off they go with news of words and actions demonstrating God’s favor for all people. May our words and actions align with the same good news to all those we encounter this day as well
Fourth Week of Advent
Matthew 1:18-25
Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet:
“Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel,”
which means, “God is with us.” When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus.
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It almost sounds like yet another disagreement on the name of a newborn child. Matthew reports that an angel of the Lord tells Joseph, “You are to name him Jesus.” And then he recounts the prophet Isaiah declaring, “They shall name him Emmanuel.”
So which is it going to be?
Of course, we know it’s Jesus. And it turns out there was really no confusion for Joseph at all since Matthew doesn’t introduce the prophecy from Isaiah to complicate the naming process, but rather to clarify and amplify the naming process. For the baby born to Mary would fulfill Isaiah’s prophecy.
Isaiah prophecy was spoken to King Ahaz of Judah who was vacillating in his confidence of God’s saving presence with him and the people of his land which was under threat of the great Assyrian Empore. And when Isaiah realized Ahaz was going trust his own devices and efforts at diplomacy with the Empire, he tells Ahaz that the Lord is going to give him a sign nonetheless, demonstrating the Lord’s saving presence with him and his people regardless of their mistrust.
And that sign was a child born in Isaiah’s time … and by the time this child is weaned, the threats against Judah will be over. And that child’s name: Emmanuel, meaning God is with us.
So rather than complicating Joseph’s life by suggesting an alternative name, Matthew is associating the naming of Jesus with the tradition of God’s saving presence since the beginning of time. And beyond association, Matthew is identifying Jesus as the fulfillment of that great tradition. Or better still Jesus fills full that tradition, when the Lord gives the ultimate sign of God’s saving presence when as an adult Jesus (God with us) will be crucified and raised from the dead …
About this blog
Welcome to my running online dialog on matters of our life together in faith community at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church—where the grace of Christ Jesus our Lord engages each of us and, in turn, sends us out to engage others with that grace as well. I look forward to learning and growing together.
- Pastor Steve Wachtman
