Pastor’s March Message

Praise the Name of the LORD!

“From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the LORD is to be praised!” Psalm 113:3

As we learn the full meaning of the Second Commandment, “Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD, thy God, in vain,” Martin Luther teaches in the Large Catechism, “As the First Commandment inwardly instructs the heart and teaches faith, so this Commandment leads outward, and directs the speech of lips and tongue into a right relationship with God.” The psalmist in the above psalm directs us in our lives to wake with this praise of God’s name as we arise in the morning, bring praise to God’s name all through the day, and lay our heads down for sleep in the evening with the praise of the LORD’s name in our minds and hearts and on our lips. This Commandment of God instructs us not to use God’s name in a vain way. How is God’s name used in vanity?

Luther identifies a number of ways that God’s name is and can be misused in our daily lives. The first he identifies is when one uses God’s name to support “lies or any kind of wrong.” He cites the example of the courtroom where one might swear by God’s name and then speak lies and/or share a false witness to deceive those who hear. Often this is done for self-protection or to evade the consequences of one’s personal sins. We may deceive another person using God’s name in such a way, but we cannot and will not deceive God. This invites the question: Which should we fear most, the punishment of man or the punishment of God? I will let you answer for yourself. Being truthful as we use God’s name is always in our personal best interest.

Another way we misuse God’s name in our lives is to make promises or vows by God’s name in worldly matters, knowing full well that we will not keep such vows or promises or knowing that we do not have the wherewithal to thus keep them. A person can convince themselves that they will see through on their promise when in fact they do not have the means or ability to do such. Such misuse of the name of our LORD is unfortunately all too common in this world.

Yet one of the greatest misuses of God’s name is in spiritual matters. In every age as in our own there are a multitude of preachers and teachers who claim to truly preach and teach God’s Word who use it rather for their own purposes.

They take God’s name in vain by using His Word in a way that is meant to put them on a pedestal, to obtain a following, to, let’s be honest, to sell their latest book or find success in their upcoming conference tour.  I am not saying that all who write Christian books or travel from place to place as Christian teachers are false. I am saying that we as Christians must beware that not all who speak the name of Jesus in our day are truly His disciples or servants of the Gospel. When preachers and teachers use God’s name for self-serving purposes, rather than for the furtherance of the Gospel, beware!

To use God’s name for any kind of wickedness or human or spiritual evil is the very opposite of praising and glorifying God through His name. We find in Luther’s meaning attached to this Commandment in the Small Catechism the proper and praising way that we are called to use the name of the LORD. We are to “in every time of need call upon Him, pray to Him, praise Him, and give Him thanks.” As the psalmist so instructs us, from our rising in the morning to our settling in for sleep at night we are so to use the name of the LORD our God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. What great blessings proceed from such a positive understanding and use of our LORD’s name! Not only should we train ourselves so to use God’s name, but we must teach this to our children that God’s name not be unused or misused in their lives.

Learning ourselves to pray and teaching this as a regular habit throughout the day to be used by our children can only bring the great blessings of faith into ours and their lives. Such opens our lives to the very presence of God among us as He sees us through the daily responsibilities of life with the joy of faith as His children. Such teaches us all that our lives are daily lives of worship to God, where He not only fills us with the truth and wisdom of His holy Word, but that He, through our words and in the way we use His name properly, touches the lives of our neighbors in a holy witness of His transforming salvation. We certainly put such into practice as we gather in His house regularly, praying, praising, looking for forgiveness and salvation in His name, the name above all names, that brings His eternal blessings to life in us. Lord, teach us to use Your name to pray, praise, and give thanks to You from the rising of the sun to its setting each day. Amen.

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MARCH HYMN OF THE MONTH

LSB 425 and 426

“When I Survey the Wondrous Cross”

Isaac Watts was a Congregational minister in England, born in 1674. Even as a child he was not happy with the hymns sung in their church. So his father challenged him to write hymns. Over his lifetime he was credited with composing 750 hymns, and is

considered the “Father of English Hymnody.” We have many of his hymns in our hymnal. Some of the popular ones are “Joy to the World”, “Go to Dark Gethsemane”, “Alas and Did My Savior Bleed”, “Oh, That the Lord Would Guide My Ways”, and “O, God, Our Help in Ages Past.” A complete list may be found on page 1002 in our hymnal.

The scripture on which this hymn is based is Galatians 6:14 “But may it never be that I should boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” When Watts composed this hymn,

he considered it to be used for the Lord’s Supper. However, all Lutheran hymnals place it with Lent or Holy Week hymns. This hymn is very personal, using the words ‘I” and ‘my’ frequently. The verses express deep devotion and gratitude for Jesus’ suffering for our salvation. Two different melodies are offered in our hymnal. Both of them are beautifully wedded to the words of this hymn which should be sung thoughtfully and prayerfully.

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 The LWML of the Lutheran Church of Our Savior

invite all members of the congregation to join us for our annual

Prayer Service and Breakfast

“My Soul Rejoices”

on Saturday, March 18, 2023

The service will begin at 9:30 am

followed by a biscuits and gravy brunch & fellowship at

approximately 10:30 a.m. We look forward to having many of you join us for this service.

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LWML Worthington Zone Spring Rally

will be held April 22 at 9 AM with a luncheon to follow.

“Zooming in for Christ”

The presenter will be Stan Tordsen, with a missionary in the

Czech Republic in a live demonstration.

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“Jim’s Puns”

Did you hear about the doughnut maker retiring?

He was fed up with the hole business.

 

Q: What animal is the least interesting?

A: A boar.

 

I’m not addicted to brake fluid.

I can stop whenever I want.

 

Q: How do you know the moon is going broke?

A: It’s down to its last quarter.

 

It’s almost time to Spring into action!

 

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If you are interested in donating towards the purchase of flowers to grace the sanctuary for Easter, please fill out an order form or call the church office no later than Monday March 27.

You can donate in honor of someone special, a special occasion

or in memory of a loved one.

 

 COST OF EASTER LILLIES $15.00

Deadline for ordering is March 27  

 

(ANY ADDITIONAL MONEY WILL GO INTO THE FLOWER FUND)

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Faith in Action…We are collecting financial gifts, along with food and personal care items now through March. All donations will earn matching credits from Minnesota Food Share. Envelopes for check or cash donations can be found on the Sharing Center collection cart, lower narthex. Please make checks payable to Our Savior’s Lutheran with “Sharing Center” on the memo line. For additional information, please check out the MN Food Share posters in the lower narthex and office entryway. The Sharing Center has an ongoing need for non-perishable food items, toiletries (not large sizes), paper products, seasonal (gently used) clothing, etc. Toothbrushes and toothpaste are especially needed. We will continue receiving donations on the lower narthex cart throughout the year. Thank you so much for your generosity, may God continue to bless our congregation!

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Easter Cards available now – Cost per box is $6.50 or $.65 per card. All other occasion cards are also available for purchase.

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Hy-Vee Labels…

We will be collecting the Hy-Vee receipts from now on instead of the labels. We would like to have the member highlight the Hy-Vee products on the receipt and tally up the number of items on the receipt and write that number on the bottom of the receipt. The label container that was located by the Sonshine room will be relocated to the lower narthex.

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SAVE the Box Tops for Education…

The Immanuel Lutheran School  uses them. Please give them to either  Kayla Peters or Cheryl Peters.

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2023 Sunday Morning Bible Study for All – Adults and Youth

Sundays 10:30 – 11:15 a.m. in the Luther Room

You are encouraged to attend the new Bible study class beginning at 10:30 a.m. Bring your coffee and treat to the Luther Chapel and join your brothers and sisters as we study Luther’s Large Catechism. This first study will be a study and

review of the Ten Commandments and the Conclusion of the Ten Commandments. You will receive a printed study guide that includes the text of Luther’s Large Catechism along with study notes and questions. Read the pastor’s article this month to hear from Luther himself the importance of an ongoing study of the catechism for every Christian believer.

Come, grow together in faith and truth.

Keep your eyes open for some new opportunities for Married Couples and Parents as two new courses of study are offered here at church once per month for each course. The pastor who put these courses together was a professor of your pastor at Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, Indiana. He also took my bride Nancy and me through pre-marital counseling while I was a student at the seminary. The Marriage Course is entitled: “Strengthen ‘Oneness’ in Marriage with Simple Habits for Marital Happiness.” The title of the Parenting Course is entitled: “Become a More Effective Parent with Simple Habits for Effective Parenting.”