Welcome to Christ Lutheran Church
Divine Service 10:30 am
We provide a traditional LCMS service using the Lutheran Service Book (LSB) every Sunday morning at 10:30am central time, preceded by Bible Study and Sunday School at 9:00am. If you are uncomfortable or unable to attend in person due to Covid-19, or other reasons, please join us online via Facebook Live. (Facebook account required.)
Activities
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- January 12 service
Brothers and sisters, peace be with you as we continue through the season of Epiphany. I pray that the Holy Spirit will continue to grant you greater and deeper insight into Jesus’ identity and His saving work, so that you may grow in faith and appreciation of Him.
A shrimp boil and sale are scheduled for Saturday January 25, from 11 am to 2 pm or we sell out. In the past we have also added cookies and other baked goods. Let Lance Hartman know if you would like to help. Price is $15 per plate. We also sell by the pound. Let your friends and neighbors know.
On Sunday January 12 we , like many congregations, will celebrate the baptism of Jesus. We will be using the liturgy of Divine Service Setting One beginning on page 151 of the LSB hymnal. There will be a brief review of the Small Catechism’s instruction on baptism (LSB p.325). We will once again be substituting hymn #935, a versification of the Magnificat, for the Kyrie and the Gloria Excelsis.
Hymns chosen for the day are #398 Hail to the Lord’s Anointed; #401 From God the Father, Virgin Born; #616 Baptismal Waters Cover Me; and #598 Once in Blest Baptismal Waters.
Scripture readings assigned to the day are Psalm 29:1-11; Isaiah 43:1-7; Romans 6:1-11; and Luke 3:15-22.
Psalm 29 is a psalm of David. The psalm has imagery we might compare to a severe thunderstorm. David makes several allusions to God’s mighty voice echoing over the waters. His Word can come in judgment with destructive power. But in His grace, God uses His power for your good. God attaches His words of forgiveness to the waters of baptism which deliver to us the new life that only He can give. So, we join David in worshipping God, ascribing to Him the glory and strength due to Him.
In Isaiah 43, the prophet speaks of trouble and judgment in terms of destruction by flood waters and consuming fires. God uses Isaiah to speak to the people of Israel. They are about to be attacked by the Assyrian army, and years later by the Babylonian army. They are both instruments of God’s judgment. But God encourages the people of Israel (and us) that His judgment will not harm us or others who carry His name, for He who created us, will also redeem us. In baptism, God marks you as his own and puts His name upon you, Father, Son, and Holy
Spirit. You are His precious possession. He has bought you with the blood of Jesus. So, He will stand in your stead and take your punishment upon Himself because you are dear to Him. One day God will gather you to be near Him. So, you should not fear the future. God keeps His promises.
In the sixth chapter of his letter to the Romans, St. Paul urges people to refrain from sinning. Such action is impossible for a person without God. Even with God, new obedience is difficult. We are discouraged when we fail. So, Paul begins the chapter writing about the power of baptism. In baptism you and I are given a new identity and a new status before God. We are connected to Jesus. it is like we have already died and been buried with Him and raised from the dead to have new life with Him. Jesus died to sin, paying the cost to release us from its control. So, we should also consider ourselves dead to sin.
In the gospel reading for the day, St. Luke summarizes events surrounding Jesus’ baptism. In a way we get to eavesdrop as God’s voice from heaven identifies Jesus as His beloved Son. Jesus our humble and sinless Savior undergoes an anointing intended for sinners. As a current television commercial puts it, God gets us. He knows that without Jesus we would be lost in sins judgment. But Jesus in His grace connects Himself to you, and by the power of the Holy Spirit transforms you into a child of God, with all the heavenly benefits that includes.
COLLECT: Father in heaven, at the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River You proclaimed Him Your beloved Son and anointed Him with the Holy Spirit. Make all who are baptized in His name faithful in their calling as Your children and inheritors with Him of everlasting life; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord and Savior, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Please let me know if you have any prayer requests or questions about Sunday’s lessons. God bless you. Pastor Boster
- January 5 service
Brothers and sisters, God has brought us to a new year. A traditional Collect for New Year’s Eve states that we commit to God’s mercy and forgiveness the year that has ended, and at the same time we commend God’s blessing and love to the times that are yet to come. As the Holy Spirit abides in us, Christians live each day in the ‘now’, trusting in the eternal Savior Jesus who is, who was, and who will be forever.
January 5 is the twelfth day of Christmas, a sort of ‘Epiphany Eve’. An epiphany could be described as an event that results in a sudden awareness or a moment of insight, clarity, or new understanding. In modern lingo we might say, ‘a light comes on.’ The season of Epiphany traditionally begins with a retelling of the story of men from “the east” coming to visit the infant Jesus (Matthew 2:1-12). Detailed reading of the Scriptures indicates Jesus was no longer a baby in the manger but instead many months old. Magi ‘from the east’ arrived to worship Jesus. The men who visited were not kings, and arguably were not so ‘wise’ in terms of knowing God. It is not clear what they understood or believed about Jesus. Nonetheless, the event marks Gentile coming to Jesus to honor Him. Some English translations have dropped the Hebrew word for ‘Look!’ or ‘Behold!’ that occurs in 2:1 and 2:9. The point is, a significant epiphany has taken place. Readers should be alert to the title ‘king of the Jews’ and begin to ask, ‘what does this mean’? ‘What does the title say about Jesus? What kind of king is He? What is His kingdom like? And why would this be important to us?’
During the Epiphany season we will read several additional epiphanies recorded in Scripture, each revealing a bit more about Jesus. With the help of the Holy Spirit, we will gain additional insights and appreciation as to why Jesus came into the world.
Sunday January 5 we will be using the liturgy of Divine Service Setting One beginning on page 151 of the LSB hymnal. We will be substituting hymn #935, a versification of the Magnificat, for the Kyrie and the Gloria Excelsis. Hymns chosen for the day are #409 Hail, O Source of Every Blessing; #403 O Savior of Our Fallen Race; #606 I Lay My Sins on Jesus; and #397 As With Gladness, Men of Old.
Scripture assigned to be read are Psalm 84:1-5, 10-12; 1 Kings 3:4-15; Ephesians 1:3-14; and Luke 2:40-52.
Psalm 84 is a psalm of the sons of Korah, who were descendants of Levi and were a family of tabernacle and temple musicians (see 1 Chronicles 6:1, 22, 33). It is to be performed according to “the gittith”. The meaning of gittith is unclear, but perhaps refers to instrumentation or style. The psalmist speaks of the loveliness of the Lord’s house, probably referring to the temple. The psalmist speaks of the joy and benefit of being in the temple. Among other reasons, there God hears his prayers, and gives direction and encouragement. The psalmist longs to be in the temple once again to sing God’s praises. Many Christians search their works trying to find assurance of salvation and a relationship with God. This leads to arrogance or despair—either we exaggerate the goodness of our works, or we feel as though we have failed at everything. The psalmist would encourage us turn our eye away from ourselves, and recognize the gifts Christ gives in worship as the assurance of salvation and relationship with God. Lord, grant us a desire to be in your house of worship to receive your gifts.
The reading from 1 Kings Chapter 3 reports on an event early in the reign of King Solomon, son of King David. God spoke to Solomon in a vision, saying He would give him whatever he asked for. Solomon asked for wisdom and understanding so he could properly rule the nation, and asked for discernment so he could discern between good and evil. God was pleased with Solomon’s request, and granted him extraordinary wisdom, and in addition gave him riches and honor.
The epistle reading is a portion of St. Paul’s letter to the congregation in Ephesus in the western part of what is modern Turkey. St. Paul frontloads his letter to the Ephesians with a beautiful description of the gospel. He speaks of predestination, the assurance that before the foundation of the world God in His great love had chosen you to be “adopted” as His child, holy and blameless before Him. God accomplishes this by sending His Son, Jesus into the world to redeem you with His blood that your sins would be forgiven, and your guilt no longer held against you. The concept of predestination is often misunderstood or misapplied. It is erroneously concluded that if some are predestined to be adopted and forgiven, then others must be predestined to be rejected and condemned. Scripture declares that God does not desire anyone to be lost. Jesus came to save the world. By His death, Jesus has forgiven your sin, and the sins of every person. Everyone who trusts Jesus’ works and promises will receive the forgiveness He earned for us. If anyone is condemned, it is their own fault for not trusting Jesus. Ask yourself, which sin of yours did Jesus not die for? If you answer (and believe) that Jesus has forgiven everyone of your sins, you are one of His chosen children.
The gospel lesson is a portion of the account reported by St. Luke. Jesus is 12 years old, and in the temple discussing theology with the teachers there. The teachers are amazed at the wisdom Jesus displays, not only in the questions He asked, but also in the answers He gave. He is far wiser than Solomon. When His parents come looking for Him, Jesus explains that He must be in His Father’s house. The original Greek can be translated a bit differently, that ‘it was necessary to be among the things of His Father’ or said another way, He ‘had to be about His Father’s business.’ Mary and Joseph did not understand Jesus’ words. They did not understand why their young son had to be in the temple. Jesus words are a revealing preview of His purpose. He would accomplish the saving work God had assigned to Him. Throughout His earthly ministry people misunderstood Jesus’ teaching ad miracles. People continue to misunderstand the work Jesus needed to do. Years later, when Jesus was crucified and risen from the dead, the Father’s work becomes more evident. Hopefully this an epiphany for you, a new insight into Jesus’ identity and purpose. Notice when He speaks of Father, Jesus is referring to God, not Joseph.
COLLECT: Almighty and gracious God, You have poured into our hearts the true Light of Your incarnate Word. Grant that this Light may shone forth in our lives; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord and Savior, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Please contact me if you have prayer requests or questions about Sunday’s lessons. God bless you. Pastor Boster
- December 29 service
Brothers and sisters, I encourage you join us Sunday mornings as we continue to celebrate Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh so that He would redeem you from sin, death, and the devil. He has changed your eternal future. 1 Peter 2:24—’Jesus Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness.’ By Jesus’ wounds, by His suffering, you are healed, released from death, and reconciled to God. Join us as receive the benefits He distributes through His Word and the Holy Supper.
Sunday, we will follow the liturgy of Divine Service One beginning on page 151 in the LSB hymnal. Hymns selected for the day are #362 O Sing of Christ: #935 Tell Out My Soul: #519 In His Temple, Now Behold Him; #389 Let All Together Praise Our God; and #381 Let Our Gladness Have No End.
Scriptures assigned to the day are Psalm 111:1-10; Exodus 3:12-17; Colossians 3:12-17; and Luke 2:22-40. Redemption is a theme included in each of the texts.
In Psalm 111 the psalmist joins with the congregation to praise God for His mighty works, which are done to benefit the psalmist and all mankind. Among the list of benefits, the psalmist recognizes that God has graciously sent redemption to His people. Throughout history God has set His people free from bondage and oppression. Those actions are foretastes of the redemption paid for by Jesus who sets us free from slavery to sin and fear of death.
In Exodus 13, God establishes an ordinance for consecrating firstborns of men and animals. Their lives would be dedicated or set apart to serving God. God does allow for redemption, that is, an animal can be substituted. The ordinance was a reminder of how God applied a lamb’s life to save the first born from the plague of death while the Israelites were slaves in Egypt. Again, this is a foretaste of Jesus’ redeeming death; His life would be given as a substitute to take the punishment we sinners deserve, and setting us free from slavery to sin.
In Colossians 3 St. Paul uses getting dressed as a metaphor to describe the changes demonstrated among those who trust and receive Jesus’ redemption. As those redeemed by Jesus and chosen by God, we ‘put on’ a number of virtues. Love is especially important because it hold the other virtues together. In addition, the redeemed should let the peace of Christ rule their hearts. And we should let the word of Christ (that is, the gospel and the Law) dwell in us richly as His word teaches, corrects, and encourages His followers. Paul summarizes the point by saying our actions and words should be done with thanksgiving in the name of Jesus.
God’s Old Testament ordinances required a number of things be done after a baby is born. Boys would be circumcised eight days after birth. Forty days after birth, the mother would go through a ritual and make a sacrifice in order to be purified from the blood she released during childbirth. (Contact with blood made one ceremonially unclean.) And as the reading from Exodus 13 reminds us, the first-born child would be consecrated to God’s service, or be redeemed by a sacrifice. In the Gospel reading from Luke 2, Mary and Joseph bring Jesus to the temple to fulfill the required purification and consecration rites. Even though He was only a few weeks old, Jesus is fulfilling Father God’s will, already demonstrating His perfect obedience. In the temple, two old devout believers recognize the infant Jesus as the fulfillment of God’s prophecies, and the redeemer of Jerusalem and the salvation of all people. In a similar way, as we come to hear Jesus’ word and to receive His body and blood in the Lord’s Supper, through faith we recognize Him as our redeemer and salvation. He reconciles us sinners back to God the Father, removing the barrier and separation caused by our sin. Jesus gives us reason to rejoice.
COLLECT: Almighty, Gracious God, our Maker and Redeemer, You wonderfully created us, and in the incarnation of Your Son even more wondrously restored our human nature. Grant that we may ever be alive in Him who made Himself to be like us; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Please let me know if you have any prayer requests or questions about Sunday’s Scripture readings. The Lord be with you. Pastor Boster
- December 22 service and Christmas Eve news
Brothers and sisters, though we are coming to the end of this year’s advent season, we are encouraged to remain diligent stewards anticipating and prepared for Jesus’ promised return (Mark 13:32-36; Luke 21:34-36). Join us Sunday mornings as God’s word is preached and His forgiveness through Christ is distributed in the absolution and Holy Supper.
Christmas Eve Service will be Tuesday January 24 beginning at 6:30 pm. We won’t be hosting any Christmas Day service here.
Sunday December 22 is the fourth and final Sunday of this Advent season. We will follow the liturgy of Divine Service Four beginning on page 203 in the LSB hymnal. Hymns chosen for the day are #350 Come Thou Precious Ransom Come; #355 O Savior Rend the Heavens Wide; #641 You Satisfy the Hungry Heart; and #357 O Come, O Come Emmanuel.
Scriptures assigned to the day are Psalm 80:1-7; Micah 5:2-5a; Hebrews 10:5-20; and Luke 1:39-45.
Jesus came into the world to save sinners. The Scriptures read this Sunday express that truth in different terms. He came to redeem us from our sin, giving Himself as a substitute sacrifice to undergo the punishment we deserve. Jesus is the ransom, that is, the payment that would set us free from captivity to the devil, the world and our own sinful flesh. He is the ultimate sacrifice; by His death He fulfilled the Old Testament offering requirements, and established a new relationship with God for you, as a gracious gift received through faith. Jesus died for you, so God has declared you holy, sanctified through the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
Jesus, the Son of God, was conceived in the virgin Mary as the Holy Spirit overshadowed her. He developed in his mother’s womb as any human baby would. Yet, even in the womb there were signs that He is different. The baby in the womb of Elizabeth, Mary’s relative, leapt when being in the presence of the unborn king. The rather insignificant town of Bethlehem in the region of Ephrathah became one of the world’s most famous towns when Jesus was born there. He comes into the world to rule over an eternal kingdom not of this world. He is born to be a new kind of shepherd. He came with strength and majesty to bring you peace and security. Blessed is everyone who holds on to this Jesus.
COLLECT: Stir up Your power, O Lord, and come and help us by Your might, that the sins which weigh us down may be quickly lifted by Your grace and mercy; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Please let me know if you have any prayer requests or questions about the Scripture readings or the Christmas schedule. God bless you with a Merry Christmas. Pastor Boster
- December 15 and other news
Greetings in the name of our coming Lord Jesus. In this busy season of the year, set aside time to hear the words of Jesus and receive his gift of forgiveness, life, and salvation distributed at the church.
This coming Wednesday 12/18 at 6:30 will be the last midweek service of this Advent Season.
Christmas Eve Service will be Tuesday January 24 beginning at 6:30 pm. There won’t be any Christmas Day service here.
Sunday December 15 is the third Sunday in Advent. We will follow the liturgy of Divine Service Four beginning on page 203 in the LSB hymnal. Hymns chosen for the day are #341 Lift Up Your Heads Ye Mighty Gates; #338 Come Thou Long Expected Jesus; #349 Hark the Glad Sound; #627 Jesus Christ Our Blessed Savior; and #509 Christ is Surely Coming.
Scriptures assigned for the day are Psalm 85:1-9; Zephaniah 3:14-20; Philippians 4: 4-7; and Luke 7:18-28. As you read through these texts you will recognize a repeated theme of rejoicing and celebration. In the midst of the troubles of this world God promises restoration of the world. The gloom, the broken relationships, the diseases and disorders all caused by sin in the world will be overcome and reversed. The restoration will be complete when Jesus returns—the old will be gone for the new has come. And that process has already begun.
Also, the third Sunday of Advent is historically called Gaudete Sunday, after a Latin translation of the word ’Rejoice’ connected to an antiphonal response from Philippians 4:4—’Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.’ A visible reminder of this rejoicing, this Sunday we will be lighting the pink advent candle. When John the Baptist is thrown in prison, he has a crisis of faith. He asks if Jesus is the One that God had promised. Jesus tells him to look at the miracles being perfomed. They were visual confirmation that Jesu spoke the truth. And the blind were having their sight restored, the lame walked, the lepers were cleansed, the deaf could hear, the dead were raised up, and good news of rescue and life in god’s kingdom was being preached to the needy. All theses actions were things we could celebrate. Thank God, there is physical and spiritual healing going on.
In the midst of troubles God has given you something to celebrate- Our Savior has come, and He is coming again.
COLLECT: Lord Jesus Christ, we humbly implore You to continue to hear our prayers and to lighten the darkness of our hearts by the visitation of Your Holy Spirit; for You live and reign with the Father and the Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Please let me know if you have any prayer requests or questions about the Scripture lessons. God bless you. Pastor Boster