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The new church year begins by focusing on the humble coming of the
Lord. "Advent" is from the Latin word that means "coming."

Wednesday December 2, 9, 16:
6:00 p.m. Soup Supper at Emmaus Lutheran School
7:00 p.m. Vespers at Emmaus Lutheran Church (Rev. Dr. John Hellwege,
preacher) Theme: Savior of the Nations.

Saturday December 19:
9:00 a.m. Christmas decorating at church

Sunday December 20:
5:00 p.m. Children's Christmas concert, followed by Christmas caroling
in Fox Park and potluck supper.

Thursday December 24:
7:00 p.m. Christmas Eve Service (Rev. Scot Kinnaman, preacher)

Friday December 25:
10:30 a.m. Christmas Day Divine Service with Holy Communion (Rev. Dr.
John Hellwege, preacher)

Every Sunday:
9:15 a.m. Sunday School and Bible Study
10:30 a.m. Divine Service with Holy Communion

Prayer for the Coming of the Lord:
Almighty God, heavenly Father, bestow on us Your grace that we may
cast away the works of darkness, and put upon us the armor of light,
now in the time of this mortal life in which Your Son Jesus Christ
came to visit us in great humility, that in the Last Day when He will
come again in His glorious Majesty to judge both the living and the
dead, we may then rise to the life immortal; through Him who lives and
reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

--
Rev. Benjamin T. G. Mayes, Ph.D.
St. Louis, MO  USA

"There are some who want to know, only in order to know, and it is
shameful curiosity. And there are some who want to know in order to
sell their knowledge--such as, for money, for honors--and it is
shameful profit. And there are some who want to know in order to be
known, and it is shameful vanity. But there are some who want to know
in order to edify others more ardently, and it is love. And there are
some who want to know in order to be edified, and it is prudence."
--Bernard of Clairvaux, On the Song of Songs.

Dearly beloved, today is Martin Luther's birthday. To commemorate it,
I'll be on the radio program Issues Etc. starting at around 4:15, on
the topic "Myths About Martin Luther." to find out how to listen go to
www.issuesetc.org.

Rev. Benjamin T. G. Mayes, Ph. D.

--
Rev. Benjamin T. G. Mayes, Ph.D.
St. Louis, MO  USA

"There are some who want to know, only in order to know, and it is
shameful curiosity. And there are some who want to know in order to
sell their knowledge--such as, for money, for honors--and it is
shameful profit. And there are some who want to know in order to be
known, and it is shameful vanity. But there are some who want to know
in order to edify others more ardently, and it is love. And there are
some who want to know in order to be edified, and it is prudence."
--Bernard of Clairvaux, On the Song of Songs.

Friends,

Our next Theology Discussion Group will be Thursday, Nov. 12 at 7:00
p.m. at Gelateria del Leone, located at Grand and Wyoming. The
discussion will be about the Trinity. To prepare, please read the
"Third Theological Oration" of Gregory Nazianzen. This short sermon is
available for free at this website:
http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf207.iii.xv.html

Tell all your friends!

--
Rev. Benjamin T. G. Mayes, Ph.D.
St. Louis, MO  USA

"There are some who want to know, only in order to know, and it is
shameful curiosity. And there are some who want to know in order to
sell their knowledge--such as, for money, for honors--and it is
shameful profit. And there are some who want to know in order to be
known, and it is shameful vanity. But there are some who want to know
in order to edify others more ardently, and it is love. And there are
some who want to know in order to be edified, and it is prudence."
--Bernard of Clairvaux, On the Song of Songs.

Trinity 22 November 8, 2009 A+D

Rev. Benjamin T. G. Mayes Emmaus Ev. Lutheran Church U.A.C.

St. Louis, Mo.

Matt. 18:21–35

Forgiveness of Debt

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Dearly Beloved:

If you had a job that paid $35,000 per year and if you could keep that job for two hundred thousand years, do you know how much you would have earned? $7 billion dollars. Of course, the world has existed for less than eight thousand years, and no man has ever lived for more than a thousand years. Nowadays, holding a job for fifty years is doing pretty good. But what if you could have $7 billion dollars for no work at all? I’m sure you’d be willing to drive to northern Alaska to get it. Now what if you owed $7 billion to someone who could enslave you and your family, and had a mind to do it? You could never pay. How much would it be worth you if he canceled the debt? How much would it be worth you if he forgave you all that you owed? It would be the same as if he gave you $7 billion, or 200,000 years worth of wages. Brothers and sisters, we have something even better right here in this little Emmaus congregation. We have a treasure. We come here and have a debt forgiven to us that is much greater than 200,000 years of wages. If only we could believe and see how majestic this place is, where God the Father says, “I forgive you your sins,” where God the Son is present with His body and blood, by which He made payment for us, where God the Holy Spirit makes this treasure to be yours. We have a treasure here in the pure preaching of the Gospel and the right administration of the sacraments. That is a treasure that not too many people have the opportunity to see on a regular basis.

Today Jesus is speaking about forgiving sins. What kind of sins? He is speaking about sins between brothers, that is, fellow-believers. Right before today’s Gospel (in Matt. 18:15–20), Jesus explained the so-called “steps of admonition.” This is the well-known part of the Gospel, where Jesus says, “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.” If he doesn’t listen, then bring one or two other brothers with you. If that doesn’t work, tell it to the church. The goal is to make him realize that he has sinned, so that he will repent and ask for forgiveness. So Jesus just got done showing that repentance is necessary for forgiveness. If there is no repentance, if he doesn’t listen to you, to you and a few others, and even to the church, then he is to be treated as a tax collector and a sinner: no forgiveness.

Well, having heard that, the Apostle Peter started thinking. What if my brother does say that he’s sorry? What if he repents, but he keeps repeating the same sins over and over? Should there be a limit to how often we go to an offender, having our hearts ready to forgive and pardon him? If there’s no limit, wouldn’t this cause people to heap up even more sins? So Peter asks, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Is seven times enough? Peter’s suggestion was actually merciful, compared with what the Jewish leaders were saying. The Talmud (a later collection of Jewish traditions) said, “Let a man be forgiven one, two, three times, but the fourth time, he should not be forgiven.” But what does Jesus say? He said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven.” It’s as if he said, “I do not say to you that seven times is enough, but even if he sins against you seven times in the day, and returns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him (Lk. 17:4). And if this happened every day for seventy days in a row, you must forgive him. In this way there should be no limit or boundary. Instead, rejoice whenever the sinful brother, through an attitude of repentance, makes it possible for you to forgive him. If you can still count up to 490 (70 times 7), then you have not yet forgotten the previous sin, and thus you are not forgiving from the heart. Have a heart that is always ready to forgive those who repent, no matter how many times they have sinned in the past.”

What a merciful King we have! He is merciful, because He is the kind of King who loves to forgive repentant sinners. And He forgives over and over again. Does this seem strange? The Novatians sure thought so. The Novatians were strict Christians in the first few centuries AD, who taught that a big sin after Baptism is unforgivable. Or perhaps only one big sin could be forgiven, but after that, no more! There could be no forgiveness, the Novatians said. But Jesus has something different to say. He says that all who repent and believe will be forgiven. All who are sorry for their sins and trust in Christ will be forgiven. When He was dying on the cross to pay the debt that you owed, he prayed for you and for all who were killing Him, saying, “Father forgive them.” What a merciful King we have! Luther once said, “The Church is the sort of house where, if a sinner lets himself be chided and rebuked, he has the forgiveness of sins, and this forgiveness is valid as often as he desires and seeks it.” This is absolutely true. God’s promise stands firm. He will forgive not just seven times, but seventy times seven, that is, over and over and over again. Of this we can be certain. We can be certain of forgiveness.

But now, on the other hand, there is a difference between certainty of forgiveness and security.  This distinction is very important. On the one hand there is certainty of forgiveness, on the other hand there is “security.” “Security” is the view that, once you are saved, you are always saved no matter what. “Secure” people look at Baptism and church membership as a ticket to heaven. Once you’ve got the ticket, it doesn’t matter whether you repent or believe, they think. But security is much different than the certainty of faith. Jesus told the story of a man who owed his king a staggering amount of money, more than he could ever repay, even if he worked for two hundred thousand years (perhaps $7 billion dollars in our day). Out of pure kindness, the king forgave the entire debt. But then, the forgiven man found a fellow servant who owed him three months’ wages. Instead of forgiving him, the man demanded his money back and threw his fellow servant into jail. When the king heard of how evil this forgiven man had become, he changed his mind. The king, in turn, threw that unforgiving servant into prison and tortured him, until he would pay back the last penny (which was, of course, impossible). Jesus’ words are clear: “So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart” (Matthew 18:35). The forgiven man had security. He thought that he could do whatever he wanted without consequences. He had a security that destroys faith. This is the very opposite of the certainty of faith. The certainty of faith belongs to people who are sorry for their sins and want to be forgiven. It belongs to those who seek forgiveness from God through the Word of the Gospel and through the sacraments, having faith that God will be merciful for Jesus’ sake.

The point of this parable is that you owe God much more debt than any human being owes you. And God forgives you. Therefore you should be humble toward God. And you should forgive your fellow servants. If, after being forgiven, you are not merciful to your fellow servants, then your debt will be reinstated. You see, this Gospel is all about the Fifth Petition of the Lord’s Prayer: “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.” It deals with the question of how my forgiving is connected to God’s forgiving of me. You might ask, do I really have to have a changed heart? Do I really have to become a loving, forgiving person? Jesus answers: “For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Matt. 6:14–15).

Of course, there is a danger here, to start thinking that my works contribute to my being forgiven. This parable shows quite clearly that we have nothing to give God, in return for which He would forgive us. Look at the parable! Did the King forgive him because he was such a good person? Because he had already forgiven his fellow servant? No! The servant was already forgiven. This parable shows that God has already forgiven us. He doesn’t base his forgiveness on what we do. The wicked servant was not forgiven because of his works. And even if he had forgiven his fellow-servant, his works still would not have measured up to the King’s forgiveness. No merit here. But, he was enslaved because of his evil works. So what are we saying? That good works are necessary? Yes. But not that they are necessary for forgiveness. We say that if good works do not follow, then faith is false and not true (SA III XIII 3). We do not say that, to be saved, a person must have faith and, in addition to that, good works, or love; but that those who would be saved must have a faith that produces love spontaneously and is fruitful in good works (CFW Walther, in TDP, p. 880).

Jesus said, “So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.” What a way to end the Gospel reading and this sermon—with a threat! It sounds like such a  “Law” way to end. But don’t forget, what Jesus says here also applies to pastors. We have the duty to forgive you. God loves you so much that He has commanded us strictly to forgive you your sins. He has threatened us that if we act like the Novatians and do not forgive the sins of repentant sinners, we will get the same treatment as that unmerciful servant. This shows that you have a merciful King. He wants you to be forgiven. Not just seven times, but seventy times seven. Even if you sin against God repeatedly, but each time you return with sorrow over your sins, with repentance and faith. This is a merciful King, who gives you much more than 200,000 years’ worth of wages, and He does it right here, right now. To Him be the glory. Amen.

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

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--
Rev. Benjamin T. G. Mayes, Ph.D.
St. Louis, MO  USA

"There are some who want to know, only in order to know, and it is
shameful curiosity. And there are some who want to know in order to
sell their knowledge--such as, for money, for honors--and it is
shameful profit. And there are some who want to know in order to be
known, and it is shameful vanity. But there are some who want to know
in order to edify others more ardently, and it is love. And there are
some who want to know in order to be edified, and it is prudence."
--Bernard of Clairvaux, On the Song of Songs.

Dearly beloved,

Two items for you: (1) Tomorrow (Thursday) at 4:30 p.m. I'll be
interviewed on the radio program "Issues, Etc." You can listen online
at www.issuesetc.org, or on 1320 AM Bott Radio Network. The topic will
be Martin Luther's sermons and forgiveness.

(2) The congregation has a number of copies of the book "The
Spirituality of the Cross" by Gene Veith. This is a good book to
explain what Lutherans believe, teach, and confess. It is a great
introduction to the Lutheran Church. Do you have a friend who should
read this book? Let me know, and I will give you a copy.

--
Rev. Benjamin T. G. Mayes, Ph.D.
St. Louis, MO  USA

"There are some who want to know, only in order to know, and it is
shameful curiosity. And there are some who want to know in order to
sell their knowledge--such as, for money, for honors--and it is
shameful profit. And there are some who want to know in order to be
known, and it is shameful vanity. But there are some who want to know
in order to edify others more ardently, and it is love. And there are
some who want to know in order to be edified, and it is prudence."
--Bernard of Clairvaux, On the Song of Songs.

Hello,

This email message is a notification to let you know that
a file has been uploaded to the Files area of the EmmausStLouis
group.

   File        : /Minutes/Council Minutes/2009 Council Minutes/Council Minutes
10-11-09.doc
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Friends,

Our next Theology Discussion Group will be Thursday, Nov. 12 at 7:00
p.m. at Gelateria del Leone, located at Grand and Wyoming. The
discussion will be about the Trinity. To prepare, please read the
"Third Theological Oration" of Gregory Nazianzen. This short sermon is
available for free at this website:
http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf207.iii.xv.html

Tell all your friends!

--
Rev. Benjamin T. G. Mayes, Ph.D.
St. Louis, MO  USA

"There are some who want to know, only in order to know, and it is
shameful curiosity. And there are some who want to know in order to
sell their knowledge--such as, for money, for honors--and it is
shameful profit. And there are some who want to know in order to be
known, and it is shameful vanity. But there are some who want to know
in order to edify others more ardently, and it is love. And there are
some who want to know in order to be edified, and it is prudence."
--Bernard of Clairvaux, On the Song of Songs.

Dearly beloved,

If you've been wanting a copy of The Lutheran Study Bible, now is the
time. See below.

Yours in Christ,
Dr. Mayes

--------------------
The special pricing on The Lutheran Study Bible ends this Saturday.
This is your last chance to obtain The Lutheran Study Bible for prices
this low, on all editions. So, don’t miss out. Order on the web or
call 800-325-3040. http://www.cph.org/cphstore/pages/resources/tlsb/

Blessings,
PTM
--------------------

--
Rev. Benjamin T. G. Mayes, Ph.D.
St. Louis, MO  USA

"There are some who want to know, only in order to know, and it is
shameful curiosity. And there are some who want to know in order to
sell their knowledge--such as, for money, for honors--and it is
shameful profit. And there are some who want to know in order to be
known, and it is shameful vanity. But there are some who want to know
in order to edify others more ardently, and it is love. And there are
some who want to know in order to be edified, and it is prudence."
--Bernard of Clairvaux, On the Song of Songs.

Dearly beloved,

Would you be interested in making some desserts for our guests this
coming Saturday at the Gregorian Chant Workshop? If so, please contact
Rebecca Mayes at rbmayes@... or 481-1553. We're also looking for
some crock pots that we can borrow. If you have some, please let us
know. Thanks!

Cordially,
--
Rev. Benjamin T. G. Mayes, Ph.D.
St. Louis, MO  USA

"There are some who want to know, only in order to know, and it is
shameful curiosity. And there are some who want to know in order to
sell their knowledge--such as, for money, for honors--and it is
shameful profit. And there are some who want to know in order to be
known, and it is shameful vanity. But there are some who want to know
in order to edify others more ardently, and it is love. And there are
some who want to know in order to be edified, and it is prudence."
--Bernard of Clairvaux, On the Song of Songs.

Dearly beloved,

Next Saturday, Oct. 17 at 6:00 p.m., you are cordially invited to
attend a special Vespers service in celebration of the feast day of
St. Luke the Evangelist. For this service, a choir of Gregorian chant
singers is assembling from several congregations (and states). The
service of Solemn Vespers is an engaging service of singing, readings
from Scripture, and prayers, culminating with the singing of the Song
of Mary from Luke 2 and the use of incense.

Incense is used near the altar as a symbol of God’s presence in His
house and as a symbol of prayer (Ps. 141:2). Just as God was present
with the children of Israel in the form of a cloud (Exod. 13:21), He
is present during the praises of His people. Just as the incense
arises before the altar, so also our prayers arise to the throne of
God in heaven (Rev. 8:3-4).

The preacher will be our own Rev. Dr. John Hellwege. The officiant
will be the Rev. Paul L. Beisel.

--
Rev. Benjamin T. G. Mayes, Ph.D.
St. Louis, MO  USA

"There are some who want to know, only in order to know, and it is
shameful curiosity. And there are some who want to know in order to
sell their knowledge--such as, for money, for honors--and it is
shameful profit. And there are some who want to know in order to be
known, and it is shameful vanity. But there are some who want to know
in order to edify others more ardently, and it is love. And there are
some who want to know in order to be edified, and it is prudence."
--Bernard of Clairvaux, On the Song of Songs.

Friends,

Tomorrow (Monday, Sep. 28) I'll be on the radio show Issues, Etc.,
talking about one of my favorite hobbies: Gregorian chant. If you're
in the St. Louis area, tune in to AM 1350 at 4:30 p.m. Or listen
online at www.issuesetc.org.

--
Rev. Benjamin T. G. Mayes, Ph.D.
St. Louis, MO  USA

"There are some who want to know, only in order to know, and it is
shameful curiosity. And there are some who want to know in order to
sell their knowledge--such as, for money, for honors--and it is
shameful profit. And there are some who want to know in order to be
known, and it is shameful vanity. But there are some who want to know
in order to edify others more ardently, and it is love. And there are
some who want to know in order to be edified, and it is prudence."
--Bernard of Clairvaux, On the Song of Songs.

Hello,

This email message is a notification to let you know that
a file has been uploaded to the Files area of the EmmausStLouis
group.

   File        : /Minutes/Council Minutes/2009 Council Minutes/Council Minutes
9-13-09.doc
   Uploaded by : rebeccabeth1 <rbmayes@...>
   Description :

You can access this file at the URL:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EmmausStLouis/files/Minutes/Council%20Minutes/2009\
%20Council%20Minutes/Council%20Minutes%209-13-09.doc

To learn more about file sharing for your group, please visit:
http://help.yahoo.com/l/us/yahoo/groups/original/general.htmlfiles

Regards,

rebeccabeth1 <rbmayes@...>

On Sunday, September 20, Barbara Szofran represented Emmaus congregation at the
Circuit Forum to elect both pastoral and lay delegates for the 2010 Convention
of the LCMS, to be held next July in Huston, TX.

Elected delegates are:
Pr. Randall Rall - Timothy
Mr. Jeffery Craig - Trinity

Elected alternate delegates are:
Pr. Charles Spomer - Ascension
Mr. Gene Lehr - Holy Cross

Please keep our circuit delegates in your prayers as they now prepare for the
task before them.

PSAK

I'm looking for a volunteer on Sat. morning at 8:30 to help me load up
some scaffolding in the county and unload it at church. If you can
help, please let me know soon. Thanks!

--
Rev. Benjamin T. G. Mayes, Ph. D.
St. Louis, MO USA

http://www.lcms.org/pages/internal.asp?NavID=15667

--
Rev. Benjamin T. G. Mayes, Ph.D.
St. Louis, MO  USA

"There are some who want to know, only in order to know, and it is
shameful curiosity. And there are some who want to know in order to
sell their knowledge--such as, for money, for honors--and it is
shameful profit. And there are some who want to know in order to be
known, and it is shameful vanity. But there are some who want to know
in order to edify others more ardently, and it is love. And there are
some who want to know in order to be edified, and it is prudence."
--Bernard of Clairvaux, On the Song of Songs.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From:  <modistpastors-admin@...>
Date: Mon, Aug 24, 2009 at 2:41 PM
Subject: [Modistpastors] Statement re certain actions of the 2009
Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
To: modistpastors@...




________________________________



August 24, 2009



Statement of the president of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod in
response to certain actions of the 2009 Churchwide Assembly of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America



The two largest Lutheran church bodies in the United States are the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) with 4.8 million members
and The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) with 2.4 million
members.



On Friday, Aug. 21, the Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America voted to open the ministry of the ELCA to
gay and lesbian pastors and other professional workers living in
“committed relationships.”  In an earlier action, the assembly
approved a resolution that commits the ELCA “to finding ways to allow
congregations that choose to do so to recognize, support, and hold
publicly accountable life-long, monogamous, same-gender
relationships.”



The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod has repeatedly affirmed as its own
position the historical understanding of the Christian church that the
Bible condemns homosexual behavior as “intrinsically sinful.” It is
therefore contrary to the will of the Creator and constitutes sin
against the commandments of God (Lev. 18:22, 24,20:13; 1 Cor. 6:9-20;
1 Tim 1:9-10; and Rom. 1:26, 27).



Addressing the ELCA assembly on Saturday, Aug. 22, I responded to
their aforementioned actions, stating: “The decisions by this assembly
to grant non-celibate homosexual ministers the privilege of serving as
rostered leaders in the ELCA and the affirmation of same-gender unions
as pleasing to God will undoubtedly cause additional stress and
disharmony within the ELCA. It will also negatively affect the
relationships between our two church bodies. The current division
between our churches threatens to become a chasm. This grieves my
heart and the hearts of all in the ELCA, the LCMS, and other Christian
church bodies throughout the world who do not see these decisions as
compatible with the Word of God, or in agreement with the consensus of
2,000 years of Christian theological affirmation regarding what
Scripture teaches about human sexuality. Simply stated, this matter is
fundamentally related to significant differences in how we [our two
church bodies] understand the authority of Holy Scripture and the
interpretation of God’s revealed and infallible Word.”



Doctrinal decisions adopted already in 2001 led the LCMS, in sincere
humility and love, to declare that we could no longer consider the
ELCA “to be an orthodox Lutheran church body” (2001 Res 3-21A). Sadly,
the decisions of this past week to ignore biblical teaching on human
sexuality have reinforced that conclusion. We respect the desire to
follow conscience in moral decision making, but conscience may not
overrule the Word of God.



We recognize that many brothers and sisters within the ELCA, both
clergy and lay, are committed to remaining faithful to the Gospel of
our Lord Jesus Christ, are committed to the authority of Holy
Scripture, and strongly oppose these actions. To them we offer our
assurance of loving encouragement together with our willingness to
provide appropriate support in their efforts to remain faithful to the
Word of God and the historic teachings of the Lutheran church and all
other Christian churches for the past 2,000 years.



Dr. Gerald B. Kieschnick, President
The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod

"Transforming lives through Christ's love ...  in time ... for
eternity ..." John 3:16-17



 [Editor’s Note: A complete draft of President Kieschnick’s address to
the ELCA Churchwide Assembly is posted on the LCMS Web site at
www.lcms.org.]








________________________________



"The Missouri District is to serve and encourage congregations to
fulfill the Great Commission and to promote unity of the true faith."

This e-mail message, including any attachments, is intended for the
sole use of the intended recipient or recipients to which it is
addressed and may contain information that is privileged, confidential
and exempt from disclosure under applicable law.


--
Rev. Benjamin T. G. Mayes, Ph.D.
St. Louis, MO  USA

"There are some who want to know, only in order to know, and it is
shameful curiosity. And there are some who want to know in order to
sell their knowledge--such as, for money, for honors--and it is
shameful profit. And there are some who want to know in order to be
known, and it is shameful vanity. But there are some who want to know
in order to edify others more ardently, and it is love. And there are
some who want to know in order to be edified, and it is prudence."
--Bernard of Clairvaux, On the Song of Songs.

http://www.lcms.org/pages/internal.asp?NavID=15618

This is Mo. Synod President Kieschnick's address to the church-wide
assembly of the "Evangelical Lutheran Church in America," of which
Emmaus is not a member.

--
Rev. Benjamin T. G. Mayes, Ph.D.
St. Louis, MO  USA

"There are some who want to know, only in order to know, and it is
shameful curiosity. And there are some who want to know in order to
sell their knowledge--such as, for money, for honors--and it is
shameful profit. And there are some who want to know in order to be
known, and it is shameful vanity. But there are some who want to know
in order to edify others more ardently, and it is love. And there are
some who want to know in order to be edified, and it is prudence."
--Bernard of Clairvaux, On the Song of Songs.

Dearly beloved,

Here is a press release from our sister church in Canada about the
recent decisions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America to
accept homosexual behavior and to ordain practicing homosexuals to the
pastoral ministry. Our own church body, the LCMS, has not yet come out
with a statement, but when it does, I will share that with you.


---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Ian Adnams <communications@...>
Date: Fri, Aug 21, 2009 at 5:04 PM
Subject: [LCC News] LCC News: ELCA adopts same-sex ordination resolution
To: LCC News <lcc-news@...>






A statement from Lutheran Church–Canada

Ordination of Homosexuals in the Lutheran Church



AUGUST 21, 2009 - In Minneapolis this afternoon, the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America adopted a resolution to allow for the
ordination of those in committed, monogamous, same-sex relationships.
The vote was 559 in favour, 451 against. The following statement was
prepared at the request of President Robert Bugbee of Lutheran
Church–Canada by Dr. Edward Kettner, professor at Concordia Lutheran
Seminary, Edmonton.

As the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) at its current
convention has approved the ordination of people in “committed
same-sex relationships,” it needs to be noted that the ELCA does not
represent all Lutherans in the United States or North America. In its
actions the ELCA is going against, not just the history of the
Christian Church and against the practices of the covenant religion of
Israel as expressed in the Old Testament (First Testament), but
against the Bible, which the Christian Church has always recognized as
the very Word of God itself. The traditional Christian understanding
continues to be held by The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod (LCMS) in
the United States and by Lutheran Church–Canada (LCC) in Canada, as
well as by a number of smaller conservative bodies in both countries.

Background

For more than two hundred years much of Christendom has come to reject
the previously universal recognition of the Bible as the Word of God
written. By using methods of scriptural interpretation which see the
Bible as a human book, a record of human response to the idea of God,
rather than as God’s declaration of Himself, His nature, and His
activities to the world, parts of the church on earth now look at
Scripture with what is called a “hermeneutic [biblical interpretation]
of suspicion” rather than the traditional hermeneutic of trust.

Under this new method of interpretation, words which previously were
seen as the authoritative Word of God revealed through His apostles
and prophets are now viewed as words composed by men seeking to
maintain their power over others. In this understanding, the words of
Scripture regarding marriage, which declare it to be the union of man
and woman, and ideally one man and one woman in a lifelong union, are
replaced by a preference for talking about “intimacy,” and commitment
between two people that may not always include marriage in the
traditional sense, or even, in recent years, a relationship between a
male and a female.

Behind this change lurks an understanding of “freedom” which is in
fact license, which flies against God’s clear word in Genesis 1 and 2
and restated by Christ in Matthew 19:3-6. Since a pastor is one who is
to have a good reputation among Christians and before the world, for
the church to ordain people who clearly flout the Word of God in their
actions throws both the Word of God and the office of the Holy
Ministry into contempt, and gives the rest of the world an excuse to
continue in its sin.

LCC and Homosexuality

Lutheran Church–Canada desires to reach out with the Gospel to
everyone, including the homosexual, to provide real healing of the
person, so that their lives may begin to reflect the holiness God
desires of all of His people. Those who may have such inclinations and
who struggle against them are welcome in our churches, will receive
forgiveness of their sins, and may serve in the office of ministry.
Those who flout the clear Word of God, refuse to call sin what it is,
and who seek to justify their behaviour, disqualify themselves from
the office and indeed put their eternal salvation in jeopardy.

We recognize that our view is decidedly counter-cultural, but we know
that we must continue to maintain the clear teaching of the
Scriptures. We regret the decision of the ELCA, which, even by its own
admission in its resolutions at this convention, goes against
everything the Scriptures clearly teach and which the church has
confirmed over the last 2000 years and even before.



More information:
Ian Adnams
Director of Communications
Lutheran Church–Canada
communications@...
204-895-3433 ext 2224


--
Rev. Benjamin T. G. Mayes, Ph.D.
St. Louis, MO  USA

"There are some who want to know, only in order to know, and it is
shameful curiosity. And there are some who want to know in order to
sell their knowledge--such as, for money, for honors--and it is
shameful profit. And there are some who want to know in order to be
known, and it is shameful vanity. But there are some who want to know
in order to edify others more ardently, and it is love. And there are
some who want to know in order to be edified, and it is prudence."
--Bernard of Clairvaux, On the Song of Songs.

Dearly beloved, here is a message I received from pastor-elect Brian Earl today:

+++
I called Emil yesterday after service with the makings to go visit
them.  Emil informed me that Walinda had a stroke on Saturday and was
in the hospital.  I talked with him for a while on the phone, and then
went to visit Walinda. As of yesterday afternoon she was in SLU
hospital in room 501. She is aware and present, but not able to
communicate very well.  She can most easily say 'no' and did say a few
phrases, but it was quite a bit of effort for her to do so. She was
quite frustrated about her lack of ability to communicate. She cannot
use her right hand, as well. It seems it is quite hard on both Emil
and Walinda.  I don't know what is happening as far as treatment-- if
she is seeing a speech therapist; what the doctor has said, or
anything.

That is the scoop. So I am sure that both Emil and Walinda would
appreciate your prayers and a visit from some Emmaus folk.
+++

O Father of mercies and God of all comfort, our only help in time of
need, look with favor upon Your servant Walinda. Assure her of Your
mercy, deliver her from the temptations of the evil one, and give her
patience and comfort in her illness. If it please You, restore her to
health, or give her grace to accept this tribulation with courage and
hope; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

--
Rev. Benjamin T. G. Mayes, Ph.D.
St. Louis, MO  USA

Dearly beloved,

This Sunday at 8:30 a.m., Pastor Hellwege will offer private
confession and absolution. Here is some of what Dr. Luther's Small
Catechism says about private confession:

What is Confession?
Confessions has two parts. First, that we confess our sins, and
second, that we receive absolution, that is, forgiveness, from the
pastor as from God Himself, not doubting, but firmly believing that by
it our sins are forgiven before God in heaven.

What sins should we confess?
Before God we should plead guilty of all sins, even those we are not
aware of, as we do in the Lord's Prayer; but before the pastor we
should confess only those sins which we know and feel in our hearts.

Yours in Christ,
--
Rev. Benjamin T. G. Mayes, Ph.D.
St. Louis, MO  USA

"There are some who want to know, only in order to know, and it is
shameful curiosity. And there are some who want to know in order to
sell their knowledge--such as, for money, for honors--and it is
shameful profit. And there are some who want to know in order to be
known, and it is shameful vanity. But there are some who want to know
in order to edify others more ardently, and it is love. And there are
some who want to know in order to be edified, and it is prudence."
--Bernard of Clairvaux, On the Song of Songs.

Dearly beloved,

For the last few weeks, we have been including Rev. Scot Kinnaman in
the prayer of the church on Sunday morning. Today he had surgery to
remove a bit of prostate cancer. We have heard from Judy that he is
doing well and will return home tomorrow (Wednesday), Lord willing.

Let us pray:

Almighty and gracious God, we give thanks that You have granted a
successful surgery to your servant Scot, and for this blessing we
praise Your name. Grant that he may continue joyfully through the days
You have given him in this world and also share in eternal glory at
the appearing of Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

--
Rev. Benjamin T. G. Mayes, Ph.D.
St. Louis, MO  USA

"There are some who want to know, only in order to know, and it is
shameful curiosity. And there are some who want to know in order to
sell their knowledge--such as, for money, for honors--and it is
shameful profit. And there are some who want to know in order to be
known, and it is shameful vanity. But there are some who want to know
in order to edify others more ardently, and it is love. And there are
some who want to know in order to be edified, and it is prudence."
--Bernard of Clairvaux, On the Song of Songs.