The Smalcald Articles

This document is one that makes up our Book of Concord. As you may remember, the Book of Concord is that statements of belief for the Lutheran church. It is not single book, but rather a book that is made up of several different documents. The Smalcald Articles is one of those documents.

There was a general council that was set to be in May of 1537. The Lutherans were invited to be there, and so Luther was asked to prepare a document to prepare them to stand up for what they believed in. 

We will spend the next several weeks working our way through this document. I am looking forward to this discussion and pray that it will be a blessing to you. As always, if you have any questions, please let me know.

God's blessings and peace in Jesus be yours this Lenten season and always.

Sincerely,

Pastor CJ Ransdell

A Deeper Look

I had a really good conversation today, with some people that I really love and respect. Thank you. Out of that conversation came the idea to take some time to look deeper at what our church believes, teaches and confesses, and also how we can live that out. So that will be the basis of our discussion, beginning next week.

It is amazing to think about how easy it is for us to go through life without really thinking about such things, or even talking about them. I hope that this becomes a place for that to happen.  And not just for the sake of hearing ourselves talk. But really in a way that will allow us to grow deeper in our relationship with our God. And also to allow us to grow in our service and leading of the Christian life. 

I am looking forward to the beginning of this conversation. God's blessings.  

Sincerely,

Pastor CJ

Merry Christmas!

In confirmation, we are working our way through the story of the Scriptures. Tonight we will be discussing the story of the birth of Jesus. It struck me as a little odd to be doing such a thing when Lent is right around the corner. And yet, the more I think about it, the more I realize that it is not a bad thing to do. Have you read the Christmas story recently? I mean since Christmas. If not, I would encourage you to give it a shot. Perhaps it will put it into a whole new context for you. 

The Christmas story is one of the richest most beautiful and deep stories out there. It not only tells us about the love that God has for his people, but it shows it to us as well. Can you believe it? God became a human being. Why? So that you and I and indeed the entire world, could have forgiveness of our sins. So that we could have life with God, and life as it was meant to be lived. So that we could have salvation. It is really pretty awesome.

God as a human being. God as a human being for you. God as a human being for me.

It will never cease to amaze me, to think about all that God had gone through in order to make me his own. No price was too high, and he paid the ultimate price. But now we get to live in that life from him, and to be about the work of making that life known to others. It is really an awesome thing. I pray that this would be a blessing you this week and always.

Pastor CJ

The Point

Have you ever wonder what the point was to something? Maybe you are stuck in a class or in a meeting and you find yourself wishing that the person talking would save everyone some time and just get to the point. My question for this week is what is the point of the church? Have you ever wondered that? Well, even if you haven't I am going to share a few thoughts. And don't worry, I will get right to the point.

The church is not a building. The church may gather in a building, but it is actually impossible to go to church. Because the church is the people of God gathered around word and sacrament. Being gathered around word and sacrament then compels the church to go out and to live out of the mission that God has in this world. And that is the point. The church (that is the people of God) does not have a mission. This is not like mission impossible. "Your mission, should you chose to accept it..." That is not how it works. Rather mission is as much a part of the life of the church as our eye color is a part of the body. You can't make your eyes change color (unless you get contacts, but that doesn't count). So we have the church, gathered around word and sacrament, who lives out of the mission that is given by God. And what is God doing, or what is he concerned about? He desires that all people would be saved. He is, through Christ, reconciling the world to himself. We, who have been reconciled to God become ministers of reconciliation. We live in our world so that we can be about this work in word and especially in action. 

We do not do it alone. But God gives us to one another to support, encourage and walk together. So that we can live out of this mission of our God. So we even love and serve one another, because even that is part of our witness to who God is and what it means to live life with him. So what is the point of the church? The Mission. 

God's blessings and peace to you this week and always.

Pastor CJ