July 22, 2007

Vol. 1, no. 5

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From Your Pastor

This Sunday we are again reminded of the purpose of Christ’s earthly ministry and His death and resurrection: it is for SINNERS! And one of the most well known and least understood of those sinners is St. Mary Magdalene.

Another reminder that Jesus came for us sinners.

(From http://aardvarkalley.blogspot.com/2005/07/in-memory-most-maudlin.html)

The Gospels mention Mary of Magdala as one of the women of Galilee who followed Jesus and His disciples. She witnessed His crucifixion and burial, and went to the tomb on Easter Sunday to anoint His body. She was the first recorded witness of the Risen Christ and was sent by Him to tell the disciples. Thus, early Christian writings sometimes refer to her as "the apostle to the apostles" (apostle means "one who is sent").

Confusion sometimes abounds as to whether she is the same person as Mary of Bethany (sister of Martha and Lazarus) or the unnamed woman who anointed Jesus’ feet (Luke 7:36-48). Add in the statement that Jesus cast seven demons out of her (Luke 8:2) and you get the origins of a tradition that she was a prostitute before she met Jesus.

Following the assumption (possibly quite misguided) that Mary Magdalene truly had been a spectacular sinner whose penitential sorrow was deep and complete — and possibly because John described her as crying at the tomb of Jesus — artists often portray her either as weeping or with red eyes from having wept. This appearance led to the English word "maudlin" — "effusively or tearfully sentimental." Magdalen College at Oxford and Magdalene College at Cambridge (note the different spellings) — both pronounced "Maudlin" — derive their names from this Saint Mary.

May the Lord be with you!

Pastor Jim

Worship Practices

FAQs

(Frequently Asked Questions)

Q: Why do we make the sign of the cross as Lutherans? Isn’t that too Catholic?

A: Lutherans make the sign of the cross as a remembrance of their baptism. The way I like to think about it is with this illustration: Do you remember when you or your kids or even grandkids were in elementary school, trying to learn their letters? I very clearly remember having worksheets with the letter in dotted lines for me to trace. Eventually, after some practice, I learned how to write the letters without the dotted lines. In our baptism we are marked with the Cross of our Savior Jesus Christ. The rest of our lives, His Holy Spirit is working in us, trying to teach us to live our new lives under that blessed Cross. When we make the sign of the cross, it’s like copying those dotted lines. The Cross is their whether we trace it or not, but by tracing it, we learn more and more to live under it.

This is the reason we make the sign of the cross as Lutherans, but this is NOT Roman Catholic. We should never make the sign of the cross as a superstitious sign to ward off evil or unwanted things. Making the sign of the cross in a superstitious way is breaking the second commandment, that is, it takes our Lord’s suffering, death and resurrection in vain. No matter what our circumstance, we can take joy in the sign of the cross, but we should never misuse that joy by turning it into an act that we do to gain merit or favor with God. He sees the cross in us all the time!

Bible Study Opportunities

We will start Adult Bible Study again on Rally Day, September 9. I would appreciate any input from the congregation about study topics for Sunday Bible Study. Also, I am putting together a family worship/Bible study opportunity on Wednesday evenings beginning on September 5. Keep on the lookout for announcements about this.

Men’s Bible Study will continue to meet at 6 am every Thursday.

Vacation Bible School

Thank you to all the volunteers who worked at VBS! It was a blessing to have your help and we look forward to continued success in our Summer VBS program next year!

Creation News from Answers in Genesis

Q: Should Christians divide over different interpretations of Genesis?

A: Many Christians think that what we believe about Genesis isn’t that important, as long as a person believes in the virgin birth and resurrection of Christ—they see Genesis only as a “side issue.” But we need to look at a number of issues here, including “the big picture.”

First of all, the major principle involved is biblical authority. Does it matter how you read the Word of God? If the Bible clearly states something, like creation in six days, but we say we don’t have to believe that, then we’ve unlocked a door that undermines biblical authority. And if we do this, what’s to stop others from pushing that door open through the rest of Scripture, as many have done, and to deny the bodily resurrection of Christ?

Second, the foundation of the gospel and why Jesus came and died for our sins is dependent on Genesis being literal history. Is this a side issue that we can sweep under the carpet while agreeing to disagree? We suggest that a non-literal understanding of the historical account given in Genesis leads to a slippery slope of compromise in other areas of Christian doctrine.

We certainly must stay true to God’s Word, and accept it all as written.

For more info on a Biblical worldview that accepts and affirms God’s creation, check out www.answersingenesis.org

Next week`s readings

For the Festival of St. James the Elder, Apostle:

Psalm 56

Acts 11:27-12:5

Romans 8:28-39

Mark 10:35-45

The Lord be with you!

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, 908 W. Main Middleville, MI 49333 +269-795-2391+ goodshepherdlcms@gmail.com