GLIMPSES OF GLENDALE: Weekly Newsletter

Thursday, June 16, 2022

Weekly Newsletter

Glimpses of Glendale

Glendale Lutheran Church Newsletter

June 9, 2022

Sunday Evening through Tuesday morning, Elder John Steele and I attended the Missouri District convention of the LCMS in Columbia Missouri. Every church is to send one pastoral delegate and one lay delegate. There were over 150 voting pastors and 180 lay people. This happens once every three years.

We vote on resolutions and for elected positions in District. Rev Dr. Lee Hagen, who was at my installation, was reelected. We voted to thank our pastors, teachers, called workers, and laity who worked hard to get through the season of Covid. We voted to denounce racism and Marxism. We asked synod to give congregations theological resources to understand gender identity and the church. I was voted in as circuit visitor for the Kirkwood circuit of churches. Our own Jon Schultz greeted the assembly on behalf of Concordia Publishing House. He was excited to announce a new Large Catechism with notes from Robert Kolb. Rev Mark Kiessling, husband of CCLS teacher Beth, gave the key note speech on “Telling the Next Generation.”

LCMS President Matthew Harrison, of Village La Due, gave a one hour update on our synod. He praised the unity of the seminaries, the fellowships with Lutheran church bodies in Madagascar, Sweden, Ukraine and India. He lamented the closure of 3 Lutheran Concordias in Alabama, Oregon and New York due to plummeting enrollment. He told us of a 3 million dollar grant that churches can access to help unwed mothers. The best part of the convention was the singing. Nearly 400 Lutherans singing with all their heart is a beautiful thing. Jesus Christ be praised. If you ever get the chance to attend, I highly recommend it.

Daily Bible Reading

Standing in Line with Mother Theresa - article by Joel Hempel

This past Sunday was the celebration of Holy Trinity Sunday. In honor of the day, Pastor Scott led the congregation in the confession of the lengthy creed named after Athanasius, the man who was believed to have been its author. The creed is known not only for being long but also for highlighting characteristics of God as Triune: Father-Son-Holy Spirit, all one, and all uncreated and coequal.

Every year we confess this creed, and every year I cringe toward the end of it when we read the following: “At His (Christ) coming all people will rise again with their bodies and give an account concerning their deeds. And those who have done good will enter into eternal life, and those who have done evil into eternal fire” (Lutheran Service Book, page 320).

Really? Whatever happened to “salvation is by grace alone through faith alone, and that salvation is not a result of good works" (Ephesians 2:8-9)? Thankfully, for the sake of balance, pastor included in the bulletin Revelation 15:3, which references John's vision of resurrected Christians in heaven singing, “Great and amazing are your deeds, O Lord God the Almighty! Just and true are your ways, O King of the nations!”

In last week’s article, I wrote about the importance of taking God seriously, not disrespecting his grace, and riding roughshod over God's will for our lives. But this week, the reverse needs to be emphasized.

Although it is true God will judge us according to our deeds (see Matthew 25:31-46), it is because of our Lord’s “great and amazing deeds” that our deeds are even worth looking at.

So, let’s pretend the world has come to an end and Jesus has returned to judge the living and the dead. Let’s also pretend we are in a long line, one person after the other, waiting for our final judgment. Immediately in front of us, we see Mary Magdalene, St Peter, and Martin Luther. We turn around and see Mother Theresa and St. John the Apostle.

“Oh my! I’m in the wrong line. I’m here with all the A+ people; I should be over there with the C- Christians.” That would be my first reaction – until I remembered Revelation 15:3, "Great and amazing are your deeds, O Lord!"

Because of the deeds of our gracious and forgiving God, His sacrifice for us on the cross, and because Jesus declared the work of salvation finished, you and I can enjoy our standing in line with the greatest of Christians. Some of us might struggle along as average Christians on earth, but in line and in heaven, there is no distinction. What God has done for Mother Theresa and Martin Luther to earn their standing in line, he has done for each of us.

Grief: A Unique Journey through Loss

You are invited to attend a presentation and discussion on the topic of "Grief and Loss," Monday, 6/20, 7 PM at the Deacons’ meeting. We will meet on the second floor, corner meeting room. Included in this presentation will be the definition of grief, myths of grief, grief reactions/emotions, how to minister to someone who is grieving and much more. Grief can be a very difficult topic but one which we will all experience at some point in our life.

Sunscreen Collection for YIA

Youth In Action needs your help. They are working on filling 50 Summer pails for Kids with Cancer. They need 35 cans or tubes of sunscreen , SPF 30 or higher. A collection box will be available near the church office hallway. Donations are needed by July 1. Thanks for your help! For more information contact Keith Rawlings at 314-398-0576.

Upcoming Voters' Meeting

Please remember we have a Voters’ Assembly scheduled for June 26, 2021, after service (in previous Glimpses announcements the date was incorrectly identified as June 27, 2022). We will have a final reading of the budget for voter approval. Paper copies of our proposed final budget and the minutes from the June 5, 2022, Voters’ Assembly will be available as soon as they are prepared.

Lutheran Foundation Playground Grant

The Lutheran Foundation of St. Louis has agreed to provide a $50,000 challenge matching grant toward the playground improvements the congregation approved. As part of the grant process, the Lutheran Foundation will match any individual member gifts up to $5,000 per gift until the $50,000 grant total is met. By way of example, if we have 10 members contribute $5,000 each, the Lutheran Foundation will match the entire $50,000. Please note this matching provision does not apply to the bequest funds the congregation has dedicated toward the playground. Congregation members can contribute toward the playground fund any time before August 1, 2022, which is the deadline the Lutheran Foundation has set for contributions it will match up to $5,000 per donor toward the $50,000 total.

Additional information on the Lutheran Fund matching grant can be found on the bulletin board in the atrium. You can also reach out to Kelly Climer if you have any additional questions on the grant.