Xavier Language club, Tulane ROTC, Dillard Auxiliary Services, Omicron Lambda Omega, Kappa Alpha Psi all have something in common. They volunteer and they all came to the community garden to do it! We are only a small slice of volunteer bases so that tells you there are many more are spending their time productively helping complete strangers.

It’s kind of new to me. From high school through grad school there were very few organized opportunities to serve. The philosophy was study hard and then after you’re done with school your contribution to society can begin. That’s definitely not the case today. I’ve had grade school age kids looking to fill their service hours. Increasingly educational institutions recognize learning can’t happen in a vacuum, and perhaps that being generous with time and ability is a learned thing not an automatic thing.

Serving is a good thing. I would even say it’s a Biblical thing. We are called to serve.  Galatians 5:13 says, “You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.” Academic institutions get that to some degree.  It isn’t automatic, that’s why it has to be commanded. The world is becoming so fiercely individualized that it increasingly has to be organized, and planned.  The sinful nature can resort to such a self focus it can neglect everything around it in the name of self fulfillment. It’s the other type of vacuum that sucks everything up for itself, it’s time, it’s resources, everything. Institutions know that’s neither healthy nor sustainable.

We’ve been spiritually equipped (by the Spirit through sermons, Bible Study, devotions, etc.). By Christ’s blood we are children of God alive with the Spirit learning what our new status means in life. Ephesians 2:10 tells us, “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” It might feel unnatural to do it at times, and it might seem like a burden to do it, but that’s because good works aren’t automatic. They had to be given to us, prepared for us to do. The danger is that we can become Christians so equipped to understand the needs of the world, but never putting ourselves in a position where we can address those needs. There’s the temptation to be like a spiritual strong man who would rather build his spiritual muscles to show them off, but become unconcerned or even annoyed with the weak who can’t carry their own spiritual baggage.

There’s no ambiguity about it. God did not put us on reserve for good works. He made you a productive part of God’s Kingdom right now! In this individualized world, it may mean being intentional about serving, but use that God given strength to show the weak you are willing to meet them where their burdens have kept them.

If more convenient, please feel free to make a monetary donation. Money can be given to Ladies Guild.

Here is a highlight of an arm of ministry in our church body. It’s called the Committee on Mental Health Needs and it provides guidance, resources and assistance to WELS churches and members as they minister to one another in love. The committee provides information to sort out the many kinds of counseling that therapists may use. To learn more about WELS Committee on Mental Health Needs, go to www.wels.net/cmhn.

Below is a short message from our special ministry coordinator. I pray it’s a blessing to you

Pastor Kehl

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Dixie Brewery is up and running! It’s not necessarily the beer they brew that makes it so great. What’s great is they bring something to a community in need -a breath of fresh air and hope for a bright future. Is this finally the beginning of momentum in a community that has been starved of it for decades? Who knows? Sitting with a collection of determined citizens at a “Exploratory Convening” in Dixie’s fantastic facilities made one thing clear. They (we) all agreed we need move forward and that won’t happen taking it sitting down. How it should happen was not so clear. Clean up the trash, better policing, better schools, more programs, grass roots efforts, more tax dollars, more legislation, etc.…  As one of our leaders put it, “If we all agreed on one thing it could all go a lot faster.”

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Long anticipated, the new Lutheran hymnal was finally unveiled!  That was only one of the many blessings at the Lutheran Leadership Conference. What was it like? Preview it here. There has certainly been excitement, maybe a similar excitement of what Psalm 96:1–2 proclaims, “Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth. Sing to the LORD, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day.”

When you were called to belief you were called to belong.

Did you know that you were called to be a community? Some churches risk redundancy to remind themselves of that- “(insert any name/verb/adj) Community Church.” Congregations rightly want to be part of the neighborhood community, but the Church is already a community. Read more…

This Sunday we celebrate the “Festival of the Baptism of our Lord.” Simply- it’s Jesus’ baptism, and the moment is miraculous! There are commands smattered through Scripture instructing baptism with water and the Word, but in Jesus’ baptism we see the inner workings we don’t get to physically see in ours, the heavens opening up and the Father affirming this was his loved Son, the Holy Spirit ‘lighting’ on him. Jesus was special and the moment proved it. His connection to the divine God was undeniable.  Tertullian, and ancient church father wrote this…

“For as after the waters of the deluge, whereby the ancient iniquity was purged away, after the baptism so to speak of the world, the herald dove, sent out from the ark, and returning with the olive branch, announced to the earth peace from Divine wrath. By the same ordinance of a spiritual washing, does the dove of the Holy Spirit fly to the earth, that is to our flesh, as it emerges from the laver (baptismal font) after its ancient offences, bearing the peace of God, sent forth from the heavens, where the Church is the ark portrayed.” Tertullian, On Baptism

There’s nothing that cleanses you more powerfully inwardly and outwardly than your baptism! What God demonstrated through Jesus’ baptism is what we get through our own baptism, peace sent from heaven. You’re special to God. You have proof – in your baptism, and it’s undeniable! Let’s celebrate the “Baptism of our Lord,” this Sunday and unfold a great mystery of God’s love for us! I hope to see you there!