Month: August 2018

Lutheran Reflection, Lutheran Women in Mission

Labor Day

“Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.

The vital force of labor added materially to the highest standard of living and the greatest production the world has ever known and has brought us closer to the realization of our traditional ideals of economic and political democracy. It is appropriate, therefore, that the nation pays tribute on Labor Day to the creator of so much of the nation’s strength, freedom, and leadership — the American worker” (from the U.S. Department of Labor website).

In 1894 the first Monday in September became a federal holiday.

One of my favorite books is “God at Work” by Gene Edward Veith Jr. It deals with your Christian vocation in all of your life. In one chapter he deals with your calling as a worker—your vocation. (I believe it is said that Martin Luther may have thought vocation to be the fourth pillar of the Reformation). For the upcoming Labor Day I’d like to quote from Veith’s book.

“As we have said, God calls people to different kinds of labor as part of His governance of the world. God Himself is operative in human labor, through His providential power. Though human beings tend to be oblivious to the spiritual significance of the ordinary things they do, and though their work is tainted by sin, the Christian, walking by faith and resting in Christ, can live and work as a channel for the gifts of God. God does not treat our works or our vocation as meriting His favor; rather, our relationship with Him is solely based on His free grace and forgiveness through the work of Christ. Good works, which are primarily done within vocation, are the fruits of faith. Good works are done not for God but for the neighbor. The whole purpose of every vocation is to ‘love your neighbor as yourself’ (Matthew 22:39).

While looking at your work this coming Labor Day, think of how it is your vocation and how you serve your neighbor through what you do. Pick up a copy of Veith’s book or read Martin Luther’s on the vocations of the Christian. It will encourage you!

Patti

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“Captive Souls … Mercy for All”

Strategic Plan Facilitator Carol , President Patti, & Jr Pastoral Counselor Mitch

Traveling again for LWML found me in St. Louis this past weekend for the LCMS 2018 Prison Ministry Conference. If you look at the list of 2017-2019 Mission Grants you will see that Mite Box offerings financed this conference. Thanks to our faithful family of Lutheran Women in Mission these pastors and lay people involved in prison and jail ministry came together to share experiences, hear numerous speakers, and share resources.

To tell you that this was a worthwhile grant says way too little. These servants of the Lord actually risk their lives, face lawsuits, long hours, and long drives as they deliver the Word of Jesus that He forgives and loves. To listen to their experiences you realize these people are special, called to an incredibly tough ministry and deserve our daily prayer support to protect them from earthly and spiritual attacks. I was incredibly humbled to meet many of them and see their dedication to the marginalized and despised children of God who are in our penal system. They depend on the strength and action of God’s Word and the Holy Spirit.

If you have a local or district prison ministry I urge you have them come and share about how they do their ministry and then find out what you can do to help them.

We all read Matthew 25 and think, yes, Lord, I can feed people, I can give water to people, I can clothe people but whoa, I can’t go visit prisoners. However, through your Mite Box offerings, service projects, and prayer, you can hold up those wonderful men and women who do! As the hymn says, “We can be like faithful Aaron, holding up the prophet’s hands.”

Then the righteous will answer him, saying, “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?” And the King will answer them, “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did is to me.” (Matthew 25:37-40)

Patti

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August travels

Oh boy, did this summer go fast! Our Oklahoma schools open again in a week! It’s been a summer of traveling!  

Traveling last weekend took us to the Lutheran Hour Ministries (LHM) SENT event in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  Members of the Lutheran Layman’s League, LHM staff, donors, and guests kicked off a five year special program to spread the Gospel. They have taken the scripture from John 20:21 to heart and made it their theme verse, “As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you”, spoken by Jesus to His disciples.

President and CEO of Lutheran Hour Ministries, Kurt Buchholz, led a gathering that interacted with LHM Ministry leaders who traveled from Liberia, Jamaica, Lebanon, Sri Lanka, and Paraguay. LHM staff presented information about media offerings that sound really exciting. For instance, go to www.lhm.org and check out THRED, LHM Learn, Sentido Latino, Digging Deeper, Action in Ministry, and of course, The Lutheran Hour. And before you ask, no, they did not announce the new Lutheran Hour Speaker yet.

LWML Presidents

Ran into fellow LWML travelers there. LWML Presidents #14, 15, 16, and 18 were there. Also Karen Soeken, past LWML Planner, Past Convention Manager and Chesapeake DP, Jan Reuter, Past LWML Texas President, Dorothy Hunger and current LWML Oregon DP, Carmen Nagel were enjoying the event. If you have worked on the LHM Rose Parade float, you will recognize the names Dick and Lynn Gast and Lou Marting who were there. Rev. Ingo Dutzmann and Rev. John Nunes led us in devotions and worship. It was an inspiring, uplifting and educational event.

The two mission grants that you have funded from the last two conventions for LHM are pretty amazing outreach efforts in the Middle East. Reporting on the outreach to Syrian refugees in Lebanon –four women shared what it meant to them to now be Christians. Common denominator? A God who loves and forgives them. Really, really beautiful! They and many others will be reached by the broadcasts from the Christian TV station in Cairo that our second grant supports! You are helping make the Word of God travel through the Middle East!

And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation” Mark 16:15.

Our travels are not over!

Patti

Dick Gast, Bill, Patti
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LWML Office is Moving Part 2

Concordia Seminary St. Louis chapel

The LWML office is moving to the Concordia Seminary St. Louis campus (CSL) this fall! This is the second part of a two-week blog. Please start by reading last week’s blog if you haven’t yet done so.

At our Board of Directors Strategic Planning meeting in October 2016 (elected officers and LWML district presidents), one of the major goals we adopted was to “Communicate a fresh image to LCMS pastors and church workers.” That was to be done by completing these objectives:

  1. Connect and engage with pastors and church workers in a strategic manner
  2. Intentionally invite and involve pastors and church workers in LWML events
  3. Connect and engage pastors and church workers to LWML’s mission focus, and
  4. Increase LWML visibility at LCMS meetings and events.

When the offer to move our offices to the CSL campus came up we found it fit well with this goal and its objectives. It will put us in a great setting for the students and staff on campus to get to know LWML and our mission a little better.

Being a presence on campus will put us visibly in their environment. It will allow our office staff to attend chapel, eat at the cafeteria, and visit with students and their families that come to visit them on campus. When new LWML resources become available they can be readily accessed. Although our staff is small—currently three full-time and one part-time, they represent the best of LWML. They are friendly, open, knowledgeable, hard-working, and love their Lord. They will be an asset to those on campus.

We praise and thank God for a faithful steward who years ago, left in their estate, two U.S. Savings Bonds for LWML. This year after reaching maturity they were cashed in on the advice and approval of the LWML Finance and Operations Committee and the LWML  Executive Committee. The amount of the savings bonds will cover expenses involved in the move. The rest of the cost will be paid monthly with our rent over five years with no interest charged.

We have been blessed! Little did this donor know years ago that they would be helping their LWML make this move and enable us to move forward on one of our goals! We thank and praise God for that donor and for the generosity and support given by CSL.

Be sure to come by and visit when you are in St. Louis!

Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ (Colossians 3:23-24).

 

Patti

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