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PASTOR'S PERSPECTIVE
"Immanuel Lutheran Church and School is reaching out to all people, teaching and sharing God's gift of Jesus."
So far it's working. It's simple and easy to remember. When I sit down in the mornings to hear God speak to me in His Word and as I respond to Him in my journal and
prayers, I'm remembering "reaching out to all, teaching and sharing Jesus." When I work on weekend and now mid-week Lent worship gatherings, it's becoming more and
more obvious how every text and every message lends itself to "reaching out to all people, teaching and sharing God's gift of Jesus Christ."
The last week in March this year brings us to Holy Week with Easter bringing us into April. Without Holy Week and Easter, we would never be able to reach out to
anyone. God had as His plan all along to reach out to us. Our first parents were bent on reaching into themselves rather than reaching out in response to everything
God had created and entrusted to them. But that wasn't enough to change God's nature. As soon as our first parents acted on reaching only into themselves, God was
right there reaching out to them. He promised one of Eve's descendants would some day crush the head of the evil one who loves to keep telling you and me, "It's all
about reaching into you!"
Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter all qualify as that some day come. So does Christmas, Ascension Day and all the days of Jesus' earthly life.
But in the Holy Week events leading up to Resurrection Day, the reaching out of Eve's descendant is powerful, profound, selfless, sacrificial, and, best of all, reaches
even us!
We know our reaching out and teaching and sharing is not to change God's mind about us. Eve's descendant and God's Son, Jesus, already took care of how God looks upon
anyone who depends on Jesus' blood and righteousness for that secure place in His forever family. We are committed to reaching out because we want others to know what
we know about God in Christ. We want to reach out because we want to diminish as much as possible our reaching into ourselves. We are reaching out because we would
like to see more "we" than "me" happening in our church, school, homes, neighborhoods, and work places. This is no easy task, but, so long as God keeps reaching out
to us with His grace through His Word and sacraments, we will be thinking and acting more and more like a "we" church than a "me" church. Keep reaching out to all,
teaching and sharing God's gift of Jesus!
Pastor Chris
Feel free to contact us with
questions and/or comments.
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