Hymn -- Christ the Life of All the Living

This is one of my favorite hymns (I can't narrow it down to one).  Christ the Life of All the Living is sung here by the Martin Luther College Chorale.  We will sing it at Good Shepherd on Maundy Thursday (April 1 at 7:00 PM).  You can join us in person or on Facebook Live--search for Good Shepherd Lutheran Novi.

YouTube -- 6th Sunday in Lent / Palm Sunday (March 28, 2021)

 Here is the service from Sunday, March 28, 2021.

Sermon -- 6th Sunday in Lent / Palm Sunday (March 28, 2021)

ZECHARIAH 9:9-10

SEE HOW YOUR KING COMES!

In the name + of Jesus.

     When Zechariah preached, Israel had no king.  They had returned from exile in Babylon to rebuild Jerusalem and the temple, but not to be a sovereign nation.  From their return to exile and into the future, Israel would always be subject to some ruling power.  First, under the Persians.  Then, under the Greeks.  Later, under the Romans.  Even though Herod the Great was granted the title king, he was no Israelite.  The throne of David was cut off, and there was no one who had come along to reestablish it.

     Zechariah’s prophecy was cause for rejoicing.  “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!  Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem!  Behold, your king is coming to you…” (Zechariah 9:9).  Then again, was this good news?  Jerusalem had seen kings come to them before.  Israel had been under the dominion of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon.  But eventually they grew tired of paying tribute to him, so they rebelled.  Nebuchadnezzar would not tolerate rebellion.  Previously, he had taken the royals and the rich into exile.  But this time, his anger would not be quenched.  The king came to Jerusalem, burned the temple on Mt. Zion to the ground, and left Jerusalem a pile of ruins.  To hear that a king is coming might not produce shouts of joy.  It might be screams of terror.  See how your king comes.  Would he be any better?

     I remember seeing a bumper sticker that said, “Jesus is coming, and is he ever ticked off.”  After a good chuckle, I thought about it a little more.  Is there any reason Jesus shouldn’t be angry about what he sees in this world?  Aren’t you?  The news daily reports violence, hostility, bitterness, slander, dissension, and outrage.  Courts deal with people who lie, cheat, steal, abuse, and kill.  Truth and morality are constantly reshaped.  It is not hard to understand why Jesus would be angry when he looks at the world.  We roll our eyes at people who have made a mess of their lives, but we have our own mess to contend with.  We hold grudges toward loved ones.  We harbor bitterness toward neighbors.  We reshape the truth to benefit our agendas.  We take up sides among the factions in our country and we embrace animosity toward the other side, as if rage were a virtue.  God commands much better of us—loving our neighbor without terms of conditions and loving God and his word even more than that.  God commands better, but he does not get it.  We, too, are rebels.  If Jesus is ticked off, we have given him reasons for it.  And kings don’t tolerate rebels.

     See how your king comes to you.  Zechariah declared, “Your king is coming to you” (Zechariah 9:9).  This king is one of us.  A foreign king would have no pity.  Nebuchadnezzar did not come to Jerusalem to win friends.  He destroyed Jerusalem, Mt. Zion, and the people there.  But your king gives you reason to rejoice and shout; for, he does not come to destroy.  See how your king comes: “having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey” (Zechariah 9:9).  When Jesus entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, he did not come to Mt. Zion trying to impress anybody.  If he had been trying to do that, he made some strange choices about how he entered—not on a war horse or in a chariot, but on the colt of a donkey.  Jesus has come meek and humble to rebels.

     Perhaps that is why those who think they can rebel against him do.  Sinners who delight in their sins still pursue their sins without shame or apology.  They challenge the authority of God’s king.  Since he comes in meekness, they think he is harmless.  Therefore, they boast about their rebellion.  They expect that you will support them in their rebellion.  Do not be deceived by this king’s humble appearance.  When your king comes again on the Last Day, his authority and power will be undeniable and inescapable.  He will be neither unwilling nor unable to crush those who persist in stubborn rebellion or unbelief.  When judgment comes against those who remain stubborn in their rebellion, it will be deserved.

     See how your king comes!  Although Jesus came meekly and humbly, Jesus could be harsh.  He was particularly harsh toward the religious leaders.  It was not because Jesus was about sticking it to authority.  He told his followers to honor them.  But those who held authority did not have mercy on others.  They continued to pound on their laws and traditions, chastising and condemning people because they were not doing better.  The priests and Pharisees did not rejoice that King-Messiah had come.  Rather, they mocked him, smeared him, and attacked him.  And they threatened to excommunicate any who would confess Jesus as the Christ.  They robbed people of salvation, mercy, and comfort.  To these, Jesus was harsh.  To the merciless, Jesus did not show mercy.

     You, however, know your guilt, and you are grieved over it.  You have wanted to be better than you are, and you are disappointed in yourself that you have fallen so easily and so often.  It has even become predictable.  What sins ensnare you?  The same ones that always have.  Since you and I are repeat offenders, we might wonder if we are truly repentant.  And if you are wondering if we are truly repentant, you may even wonder if you are truly a Christian.  When you feel your guilt, you know Jesus has good reason to be ticked off, and you wonder how harsh his judgment will be.

     But see how your King comes to broken sinners.  To Zacchaeus the tax collector, to Mary Magdalene the demon possessed, to the woman caught in the act of adultery—to these, Jesus was meek full of mercy.  He did not dismiss their sins, but neither did he rub their sins in their face.  They were already miserable and guilt-ridden.  They knew they had failed.  So, instead of highlighting their guilt, Jesus showed them that he came to take guilt away.  And rather than letting you wonder if you have been good enough to truly be called a Christian, Jesus treats you with meekness.  He is not angry, but merciful. 

     See how your king comes to you!  Zechariah prophesied the king’s decree, “I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the war horse from Jerusalem; and the battle bow shall be cut off, and he shall speak peace to the nations” (Zechariah 9:10).  He declares that the hostilities are over.  God is not a vengeful tyrant; he is a loving Father.  Jesus was not sent to wage war, so the horses, chariots, bows, and arrows are cut off, cut apart, and cut loose.  Instead of telling you over and over again how you have failed to live up to his word, he delivers this word: Peace to his people and to all the nations.

     See how your king comes!  Jesus came into Jerusalem not against the rebels, but for the rebels—having salvation, and prepared to secure peace.  So, Jesus came to establish terms of peace from the Father in heaven.  But since rebellions must be crushed, Jesus was crushed for you.  Jesus entered Jerusalem to present himself as the sacrifice willing to be slain in order to set the rebels free.  Whereas Nebuchadnezzar shed the blood of others and obliterated the temple on Mt. Zion, Jesus shed his own blood and obliterated the need for any more sacrifices on Mt. Zion or anywhere else. 

     On the day Zechariah’s King entered Jerusalem, the people were designating their Passover lambs.  Each family set apart a lamb for slaughter and marked it for the feast at which they celebrated God’s great deliverance.  As Jesus entered Jerusalem, he was designating himself as the true Passover Lamb.  Jesus was set apart for slaughter so that by his blood, all people would be delivered from death.  His holy, precious blood is the payment for your sins.  His innocent sufferings and death atone for all of your guilt.  Jesus knew what he was doing when he entered Jerusalem.  See how your king comes—not as a hostage being dragged into Jerusalem, kicking and screaming, but righteous and having salvation, willingly going forth to be slain.  This King suffered for the rebels.  This King laid down his life so that the rebels can go free.

     See how your king comes to you.  He is righteous, doing all the Father has given him to do to forgive sinners.  He is having salvation, for he saves you from the wrath of God, from the curse of hell, and from bitter judgment.  He does not judge you based on how good of a Christian you have been.  “If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities,  O Lord, who could stand?  But with you there is forgiveness,  that you may be feared” (Psalm 130:3-4).  Our fear is not terror, but awe.  We stand in awe that this King would endure all torment and death for us.  We marvel that God’s love would drive him to save rebels.  And we are amazed that he does not judge us by how well we respond to his goodness, but that he judges us according to his own goodness which covers us and declares us righteous.  He is not ticked off that you sin or bear a grudge over your weaknesses.  This King remains merciful, is ever-compassionate, and grants clemency.  For he is righteous and having salvation, and he bestows these gifts upon you.

     See how your king comes to you!  His kingdom is ruled by grace and mercy.  He continues to proclaim royal pardon for you.  Your king still comes to you, and he still comes in meekness and humility.  “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!  Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem!  Behold, your king is coming to you” (Zechariah 9:9).  “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!  Hosanna in the highest,” God’s people sing as he comes in the flesh—under the bread—and with his holy, precious blood—under the wine.  Behold, the Lamb of God which has been marked for you to feast upon.  We don’t merely remember his deliverance, by we partake of it and receive its benefits.  Here, Jesus delivers his righteousness and salvation to you.  Here the forgiveness he won for you is given to you personally. 

     Even if you are disappointed in yourself as a Christian because you have not lived up to what you know you should be—and who of us could claim otherwise?—your King is not ticked off at you.  He bears no grudge.  His message is not that you should have done better; his message is that he has done all things to save you.  God’s wrath has been appeased.  The weapons of war have been destroyed.  He assures you of peace with God.  The King’s word is firm.

     “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!  Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem!  Behold, your king is coming to you” (Zechariah 9:9).  And he comes for your good.

In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Update from Good Shepherd (March 25, 2021)

 Greetings!

REGULAR SCHEDULE
Divine Services are at 10:00 AM on Sundays, in person and on Facebook Live. Share our services and invite friends to tune in.

Sunday School is on Sundays at 8:45 AM.
Adult Bible Class is on Sundays at 8:45 AM. Our current series is entitled, "Elephants in the Room: Evolution vs. the Message of Scripture." The schedule can be found here.
The HOLY WEEK Schedule can be found here.

OFFICE HOURS

          Office hours are Monday-Thursday, 9:00 AM – Noon.  

          The pastor will be in his office unless a meeting has been scheduled elsewhere (consult the weekly schedule).  The pastor is also available by appointment.  Call or text (248-719-5218).  You may also email (welsnovi@aol.com), but the response may be slower.

EASTER FOR KIDS 

            Easter for Kids will be a do-it-yourself event, after participants pick up their materials from Good Shepherd.  The pick-up date will be Saturday, March 27 (9:00-11:00 AM).  Registration forms are now available in paper and online -- Good Shepherd Lutheran Church - EASTER For Kids REgistration (goodshepherdnovi.org).   Please share the link and invite family and friends to participate!

ADULT BIBLE CLASS

            “ELEPHANTS IN THE ROOM” – Evolution vs. The Message of Scripture is on Sundays at 8:45 AM
            One of the great wars being waged against the Christian faith today is done by attacking the biblical teaching of creation. Many within the Church have tried to find a compromise between creation and science (evolution) called theistic evolution. This Bible study (the schedule is here) compares scriptural teaching with theistic evolution and shows that theistic evolution ends up compromising, not just biblical creation but all the major teachings of Scripture: the nature of God’s original perfect creation, the origin and perfect nature of the first humans, the fall into sin, sin’s curse on creation, God’s plan of salvation for sinners, the saving work of Jesus Christ, and the source of “right and wrong.” 
            Each lesson begins with a study of Scripture and then compares that with the teachings of theistic evolutionists presented in their own words.
           The book “Elephants in the Room: Evolution vs. The Message of Scripture” may prove beneficial for your studies with this class. If you are interested in purchasing a copy, they are $16 each.  There are three still available.

HVL EASTER CONCERT
          The HVL (Huron Valley Lutheran High School) Music Department is pleased to be able to present the annual Easter Concert this year on Sunday, March 28. The Concert begins at 3:00 PM in the HVL gym. Due to the large size of the room, we are able to accommodate an audience size of 200. Masks & social distancing will be required.  HVL is at 33740 Cowan Road, Westland.

LWMS RALLY AND OFFERING
          The Lutheran Women's Missionary Society (LWMS) is having their Spring Rally at St. Peter's Church in Plymouth on April 24. Registration starts at 9:00 AM. The guest speaker is Pastor Ryan Kolander who will be giving an update on mission progress at Palabra de Vida in Detroit. A sack lunch is suggested. Please R.S.V.P. to Lois Bude, 734-612-7604 by April 14 if you are planning to attend. At the rally, one Home Mission and one Word Missions will be selected, by vote, to receive the offerings collected from the WELS churches in south western Michigan, which comprise the Alpha Circuit, of which Good Shepherd is one.
          If you would like to support these missions, an offering box will be available at the Sunday March 28 church service. Cash or checks are welcomed. Please designate Alpha Chapter on checks. Thank you in advance for supporting missions and missionaries in the most important work that they do in spreading the Gospel and saving souls. If you have any questions, please contact Georgene Kinsman (LWMS Reporter) at gjkinsman@sbcglobal.net. 

CONCERNING PASTORAL CARE
             Pastor Schroeder is available for private devotions, Holy Absolution, and Holy Communion to members in small groups or to individuals.  You may call to set up an appointment at any time.  Visits by appointment can be done either at church or at your home.

            If you want to ask for intercessions for loved ones, we will certainly remember them in our prayers, too.  If your loved one has no pastor, ask if they would like Pastor Schroeder to visit them.  

GOOD SHEPHERD ON YOUTUBE

         Feel free to share the videos.  For other services, do a search for "Good Shepherd Novi."  The service from Sunday, March 21 is here: Good Shepherd Novi, Divine Service - March 21, 2021 - YouTube

         Bulletins for services can be downloaded from here (scroll down): 

http://goodshepherdnovi.org/worship

OFFERINGS

While we may not be meeting for worship, we do have financial obligations to meet.  You may either mail your offering into Good Shepherd, or you can set up your offering to be transferred electronically from your bank.  If you are interested in the automatic transfer of funds for your offering, please contact the church at (248) 349-0565 or welsnovi@aol.com.

DO YOU LIKE US?

Look for Good Shepherd on Facebook.  Then “LIKE” us for updates and other postings.  Be sure to share posts with friends.

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We desire as many as possible to rejoice in the Gospel which we proclaim and confess.  Share the information from our weekly email blast, links to our web page, and even to the pastor's blog to let others know that we have a space in our congregation for them!

In Christ,

Pastor Schroeder

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REGULAR SCHEDULE

DIVINE SERVICES -- Sundays at 10:00 AM (We also stream on Facebook Live )
SUNDAY SCHOOL & ADULT BIBLE CLASS on Sundays at 8:45 AM.
HOLY WEEK SCHEDULE
          Maundy Thursday (April 1) – 7:00 PM
          Good Friday (April 2) – 7:00 PM
          Easter Festival Service (April 4) – Sunday at 10:00 AM

GOOD SHEPHERD’S WEBSITE

www.GoodShepherdNovi.org

PASTOR SCHROEDER’S BLOG

www.LutheranSubject.blogspot.com  

Private Confession & Absolution -- Monday, March 29, 6:30-8:30 PM

          Private confession and absolution will be available at church from 6:30 - 8:30 PM on Monday, March 29.  No appointment is necessary.  Just stop in.  If this rite is new to you (and it is for many who attend here), the pastor will walk you through the rite so that you understand and appreciate it more.  Private confession and absolution is always available by appointment throughout the year.

          Why Private Confession & Absolution?  The answer follows:

          When Lutherans hear someone speak of Private Confession and Absolution, the response is usually a knee-jerk, "That's Roman Catholic!"  Though that may be a common perception, the perception is because either it was taught wrongly or understood wrongly.  Consider what the Lutheran Confessions teach about Private Confession and Absolution.

          Our churches teach that private Absolution should be retained in the churches, although listing all sins is not necessary for Confession.  For, according to the Psalm, it is impossible.  "Who can discern his errors?" (Psalm 19:12) -- Augsburg Confession, Article XI

What is Confession?

     Answer: Confession has two parts: the one is that we confess our sins; the other is that we receive Absolution, or forgiveness, from the confessor, as from God Himself, and in no way doubt, but firmly believe that our sins are forgiven before God in heaven by this.

What sins should we confess?

     Answer: Before God we should plead guilty of all sins, even of those that we do not know, as we do in the Lord's Prayer.  But before the confessor we should confess only those sins that we know and feel in our hearts. -- Luther's Small Catechism, Part V

          These are basic confessions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church.  They are catholic, insofar as they are Christian.  But they are not Roman, insofar as the penitent is not obligated to orally confess every sin in order to be forgiven of it and insofar as one's forgiveness is not dependent upon some action on the part of the penitent.  The forgiveness is based on Jesus' sufferings and death for the penitent who has been baptized into his name.

          Since the practice of Private Confession and Absolution is a Lutheran practice, it would be good for Lutherans to practice it.  It is good for the penitent who is grieved by a particular sin to confess it so that he can hear Christ say through the mouth of his minister: "I forgive you."  It would be good for the one who is burdened to be relieved of his burden by Holy Absolution.  It would be good for this practice, though foreign to many in my corner of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, to be restored.  And so it will be.

          Private Confession and Absolution has always been available to all members by appointment.  In order for this practice to be restored and perhaps put to better use, there will be dates on the calendar set aside for anyone who would like to drop in and make use of this means of grace.  These will be set up about 4 times per year.  Private Confession and Absolution will still be available by appointment in addition to these scheduled times.

          It is anticipated that Private Confession and Absolution will roughly follow this regular schedule.

               A Saturday around Epiphany (Epiphany is always January 6)

               The Monday of Holy Week

               The Saturday after Labor Day weekend

               A Saturday after Thanksgiving weekend (should coincide with the 1st Saturday in Advent)

          The next scheduled date and time for Private Confession and Absolution will be Monday, March 29, 6:30-8:30 PM.  Appointments are not necessary.  You need only drop in.  All participation is voluntary, as Absolution cannot be forced upon anyone.

          Of course, this will be new to pretty much any member who decides to make use of it.  If you happen to come in, the pastor will walk through the rite with you and explain the various parts of it, especially including the "private" part, namely, that this confession is to Christ and, therefore, remains his business alone.  The pastor will not report any confession or even the names of those who come for confession.  Finally, the point of this is not for a pastor to learn everyone's dirty, little secrets.  (His life is easier if he remains ignorant.  But God's people do not call a pastor to be ignorant; they call him to absolve in the name of Jesus.)  The point is for the guilty and the grieved to find relief and receive forgiveness, or absolution.

HOLY WEEK -- 2021

HOLY WEEK 2021

Join us in person or watch us online.

All services will be live-streamed on Facebook Live.

They will be posted on YouTube the following day.

Maundy Thursday
April 1 – 7:00 PM

Good Friday
April 2 – 7:00 PM

Sunday, April 4

A continental breakfast

will be offered (9:00-9:45 AM)

for any who might be interested.

 

10:00 AM

The Festival of

the Resurrection

YouTube -- 5th Sunday in Lent (March 21, 2021)

Here is the service from March 21, 2021.

Sermon -- 5th Sunday in Lent (March 21, 2021)

HEBREWS 5:7-9

A PRAYER FOR FAITHFUL OBEDIENCE.

In the name + of Jesus.

     We have begun the time of Passiontide in which we see the sufferings of Jesus intensify the closer we get to Good Friday.  This is reflected in our worship.  The artwork is either veiled or removed; for we are not worthy to even look upon the Lord who died for us.  Our church bell remains silent, as does all music except for what accompanies our singing.  Perhaps that is the most noticeable and most awkward.  But that is the point.  As Jesus’ sufferings grow more intense, so does our fast from sights and sounds.

     The entire Lenten season is focused on Jesus’ sufferings and death.  In the Gospels, about one quarter of each book is devoted to Holy Week.  In the case of John’s Gospel, it is almost half.  The Holy Spirit indicates that this deserves our focus.  This is what it is all about, as Jesus himself asserted in our Gospel for today: “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.  … Now is my soul troubled.  And what shall I say?  ‘Father, save me from this hour’?  But for this purpose I have come to this hour” (John 12:23,27). 

     With the focus of the Lenten season being so sharp, we might get the impression that Jesus’ sufferings were very limited.  We might even think the sufferings were boiled down to his final 24 hours, from Thursday in Gethsemane to Friday on the cross.

     The writer to the Hebrews tells us differently.  “In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence.  Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered” (Hebrews 5:7-8).  The sufferings of Jesus were “in the days of his flesh,” that is, in the entire time of his humble estate.  Jesus’ prayers were for faithful obedience.

     Jesus of Nazareth did not live some kind of charmed life which was immune to the problems we all face.  He knew a world of stubbed toes, bee stings, and slivers.  He was picked on by neighbor kids and wrongly scolded by their mothers.  He was put to work in his father’s carpenter’s shop where he honed his skills and by his sweat helped provide for his household.  He shed tears at the burial of his father, Joseph, and saw friends grieve when their loved ones got sick or died.  

     Jesus knew the pains of a sinful world.  He also knew what it was to be sinned against.  Jesus’ disciples watched him model a life of meek service, but then he had to hear them argue about which of this was the greatest.  He preached to the crowds who were more interested in food and health than in the kingdom of God.  For delivering people from oppression and possession by demons, he was slandered by Pharisees who said he was in cahoots with the devil.  He was tempted repeatedly to find short cuts to glory and to avoid the cross.  Thus, Jesus’ prayers were for faithful obedience.

     Oh, yes, the cross.  It was there that Jesus would be put through the gravest injustice in order to carry out justice.  Justice demands that the Law be obeyed.  And justice demands that those who have not kept the Law be condemned.  So Jesus provided justice by willingly observing every word of God, but then he would endure the injustice of being condemned for sins he did not commit.  Jesus knew that this hour was coming throughout his whole life.  Do you think that the devil failed any opportunity to taunt Jesus over this?  Despite his innocence, Jesus was going to suffer and die for people who are disobedient and disrespectful, ungrateful and unrepentant, depraved and defiant.  No wonder he said, “Now is my soul troubled.  And what shall I say?  ‘Father, save me from this hour’?  But for this purpose I have come to this hour” (John 12:27). 

     It should be no surprise, then, that Jesus often withdrew to lonely places to pray.  Jesus’ prayers were not to avoid the cross, but for faithful obedience.  He would spoke to his Father in heaven and sought strength in his lowly, fleshly condition to do what was given him to do.  With loud cries and weeping, Jesus pleaded for strength to thrust aside every reason to do what was easy and expedient.  You could argue that it would be understandable and even excusable if Jesus refused to suffer and die for sinners, but Jesus prayed to complete what was hard and unfair for him so that he could be good and gracious to you.  “Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered” (Hebrews 5:8).  Jesus’ prayers were for faithful obedience.

     You are also children of God, and your heavenly Father treats you as children.  He disciplines you so that you learn obedience.  The Father allows sufferings and evils to come upon you so that you will pray to him for strength.  Unfortunately, our sinful nature clouds our prayers.  When we pray for our sufferings to go away, our motive is often selfish.  Rather than pray to be kept faithful, we pray for God to make life easier.  We pray for our enemies to suffer, perhaps even to die.  We pray for that jerk in traffic to get pulled over or to have his tires blown out.  We pray for the classmate to move to a new city or for the coworker to be fired.  Why?  Because we believe, “This will make me happy.”  Our prayers become, “Lord, get this person out of my hair, out of my way, and out of my life.”  This is love for oneself and despising one’s neighbor.  And where does it end?  What if your suffering is what makes someone else happy?  The Pharisees wanted to be happy, too.  What would make them happy?  For Jesus to die.  That would fix their world.  This is why selfish prayers are offensive to God.  Repent.

     Nowhere do the Scriptures teach us to pray, “Lord, make me happy.”  But there are dozens of prayers which plead, “Lord, have mercy.”  Consider the prayers of the early Church.  The venom that the Pharisees had for Jesus was redirected to his disciples.  Because they preached about Jesus and his resurrection, the Pharisees arrested the apostles.  They had them beaten and threatened worse if they kept preaching.  Upon their release, the Church gathered and prayed.  Their prayer was this: “Now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus” (Acts 4:29-30).  They did not pray for vengeance upon their enemies, much less, “Lord, make us happy.”  They prayed for faithful obedience no matter what their enemies threatened or did to them.  This was the prayer of Jesus, and this remains the prayer of his Church.  Whether you die happy or miserable, whether peacefully or violently, your goal must be this: to be found faithful to Jesus Christ. 

     Thus, our prayer is for faithful obedience.  If times are good, you will be tempted to think that God is unnecessary.  Quite often wealth and success do more harm to faith than hardship and loss.  Pray for faithful obedience, recognizing that true riches await in heaven.  And when you do suffer hardship and loss, you may well pray with loud cries and weeping.  God may not restore what you’ve lost.  He may decide that the cross you bear is good for you.  But losses and hardships do not keep anyone out of the kingdom of God.  Therefore, pray for faithful obedience.

     If the day should come when we face the wrath and rejection of this world because we believe that the word of God is true, the temptation will be to play along as much as we can so that we won’t have to suffer for our faith.  Like the Apostles, our prayer must not be for a curse on others, but rather that we do not fall under a curse for being faithless.  Our prayer is not that the Lord would make us happy, but that he would keep us faithfully obedient.  We cannot control how anyone treats us, and we have never been able to stop others from sinning against us anymore than we have been able to overcome our own sins.  Therefore, pray for faithful obedience and cling tightly to God’s word and sacraments; for this is where God provides strength and salvation. 

     No matter how much Jesus suffered at the hands of the Pharisees, the Romans, or even from his own disciples, Jesus called out to his Father to keep him faithfully obedient to his mission—to save sinners.  “Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered.  And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him” (Hebrews 5:8-9). 

     It sounds strange to hear that Jesus was made perfect.  He always was, and still is.  But through the temptations he faced, he demonstrated his faithful obedience to his Father.  Adam had that chance.  All he had to do was to not eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.  He failed.  Daily we have opportunities to avoid sins and to demonstrate faithful and willing obedience, but we fail too—either because we think we benefit from the evil or think that doing the good is too hard.  Jesus was continually, willingly, and joyfully committed to the word of the Lord.  He daily gave himself to what was good, even when it was hard.  He daily turned away from what was evil, even if it seemed easier or more beneficial.  He proved his obedience and maintained his faithfulness.  He proved his place as a Son.

     And his greatest obedience was the sufferings and death he endured for you.  He did this, first, out of love for the Father who sent him, and then out of love for you who need it.  He paid a price he did not owe because you had a debt you could not pay.  He endured a curse he did not deserve to provide a righteousness that you do not have.  All of this he did for you to remove from you every blemish of sin and to cover you with perfect innocence.  Now, you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus; for he has become “the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him” (Hebrews 5:9).   

     Therefore, our prayer is for faithful obedience.  To obey the Gospel is to listen to it, to believe it, to take it to heart, and to hold to it.  For, the Good News is not a commandment you must fulfill; it is a promise that God extends.  By this promise, God produces in you the godly life he delights in.  For, now you recognize that God is good, and his word reveals what a good life truly is.  If you remain in his word, he will keep you faithful.  For he is the source of eternal salvation, and he delights in saving you.

In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Update from Good Shepherd (March 18, 2021)

 Greetings!

REGULAR SCHEDULE
Divine Services are at 10:00 AM on Sundays, in person and on Facebook Live. Share our services and invite friends to tune in.

Sunday School is on Sundays at 8:45 AM.
Adult Bible Class is on Sundays at 8:45 AM. Our current series is entitled, "Elephants in the Room: Evolution vs. the Message of Scripture." The schedule can be found here.
Lenten Vespers -- Wednesdays at 7:00 PM (through March 24). You can see the schedule here.

OFFICE HOURS

          Office hours are Monday-Thursday, 9:00 AM – Noon.  

          The pastor will be in his office unless a meeting has been scheduled elsewhere (consult the weekly schedule).  The pastor is also available by appointment.  Call or text (248-719-5218).  You may also email (welsnovi@aol.com), but the response may be slower.

Good Shepherd 40th Anniversary Photo Compilation
          This year is the 40th anniversary of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church! To commemorate the occasion we would like to put together a compilation of photos to develop into a video. If you're interested, please find photos of your time with the congregation that you would like to share and email them to Brian Wilder, Pastor, or Dan LeFevre so we can compile them into a video. Also, if anyone has experience developing a video for this type of project and would like to assist in the creation any help would be greatly appreciated!
          This is the absolute final call for photos. Photos submitted after March 21 will be gratefully received, but may not be able to be used.

EASTER FOR KIDS 

            Easter for Kids will be a do-it-yourself event, after participants pick up their materials from Good Shepherd.  The pick-up date will be Saturday, March 27 (9:00-11:00 AM).  Registration forms are now available in paper and online -- Good Shepherd Lutheran Church - EASTER For Kids REgistration (goodshepherdnovi.org).   Please share the link and invite family and friends to participate!

EASTER FOR KIDS FINAL PREP – March 20, 11:15 AM
          Easter for Kids is on Saturday, March 27. Drive-through times are 9:00-11:00 AM. In order to be sure we are prepared for all who have registered and for any who will just drive through, we are finalizing our preparations. After church on Sunday, March 20, we will be assembling our packets which will be handed out to all who drive through. We will finalize our drive-through route, the tents to be set up, and any other materials we will want on Saturday, March 27. Finally, we will need to know who will be with us for our Saturday morning drive-through event. If you are willing to help with the distribution of materials on Saturday, March 27 (we will need people here by 8:30 AM), please speak to Pastor Schroeder.

ADULT BIBLE CLASS

            “ELEPHANTS IN THE ROOM” – Evolution vs. The Message of Scripture is on Sundays at 8:45 AM
            One of the great wars being waged against the Christian faith today is done by attacking the biblical teaching of creation. Many within the Church have tried to find a compromise between creation and science (evolution) called theistic evolution. This Bible study (the schedule is here) compares scriptural teaching with theistic evolution and shows that theistic evolution ends up compromising, not just biblical creation but all the major teachings of Scripture: the nature of God’s original perfect creation, the origin and perfect nature of the first humans, the fall into sin, sin’s curse on creation, God’s plan of salvation for sinners, the saving work of Jesus Christ, and the source of “right and wrong.” 
            Each lesson begins with a study of Scripture and then compares that with the teachings of theistic evolutionists presented in their own words.
           The book “Elephants in the Room: Evolution vs. The Message of Scripture” may prove beneficial for your studies with this class. If you are interested in purchasing a copy, they are $16 each.  There are three still available.

LWMS RALLY AND OFFERING
          The Lutheran Women's Missionary Society (LWMS) is having their Spring Rally at St. Peter's Church in Plymouth on April 24. Registration starts at 9:00 AM. The guest speaker is Pastor Ryan Kolander who will be giving an update on mission progress at Palabra de Vida in Detroit. A sack lunch is suggested. Please R.S.V.P. to Lois Bude, 734-612-7604 by April 14 if you are planning to attend. At the rally, one Home Mission and one Word Missions will be selected, by vote, to receive the offerings collected from the WELS churches in south western Michigan, which comprise the Alpha Circuit, of which Good Shepherd is one.
          If you would like to support these missions, an offering box will be available at the Sunday March 21 and 28 church services. Cash or checks are welcomed. Please designate Alpha Chapter on checks. Thank you in advance for supporting missions and missionaries in the most important work that they do in spreading the Gospel and saving souls. If you have any questions, please contact Georgene Kinsman (LWMS Reporter) at gjkinsman@sbcglobal.net. 

CONCERNING PASTORAL CARE
             Pastor Schroeder is available for private devotions, Holy Absolution, and Holy Communion to members in small groups or to individuals.  You may call to set up an appointment at any time.  Visits by appointment can be done either at church or at your home.

            If you want to ask for intercessions for loved ones, we will certainly remember them in our prayers, too.  If your loved one has no pastor, ask if they would like Pastor Schroeder to visit them.  

GOOD SHEPHERD ON YOUTUBE

         Feel free to share the videos.  For other services, do a search for "Good Shepherd Novi."  The service from Sunday, March 14 is here: Good Shepherd Novi, Divine Service - March 14, 2021 - YouTube

         Bulletins for services can be downloaded from here (scroll down): 

http://goodshepherdnovi.org/worship

OFFERINGS

While we may not be meeting for worship, we do have financial obligations to meet.  You may either mail your offering into Good Shepherd, or you can set up your offering to be transferred electronically from your bank.  If you are interested in the automatic transfer of funds for your offering, please contact the church at (248) 349-0565 or welsnovi@aol.com.

DO YOU LIKE US?

Look for Good Shepherd on Facebook.  Then “LIKE” us for updates and other postings.  Be sure to share posts with friends.

SHARE THIS POST!
We desire as many as possible to rejoice in the Gospel which we proclaim and confess.  Share the information from our weekly email blast, links to our web page, and even to the pastor's blog to let others know that we have a space in our congregation for them!

BAD WEATHER POLICY FOR SERVICES AT GOOD SHEPHERD 
        We will always have services as scheduled at Good Shepherd. Since I live across the parking lot, I can get to the church no matter how bad the weather gets. Even if the service is just me and my family, we will be here. For everyone else, please use your God-given common sense to determine whether or not you will get on the road to attend any service when the weather is bad. We don't want anyone to risk his or her life to be here. But if you do venture out, the scheduled service will take place. It may be only a handful with a cappella singing and/or spoken liturgy, but we will be here. 
        Bible Classes and meetings may be canceled due to weather. Check your email regarding announcements to see if any of those scheduled events is canceled. If there is no email about it, it is not canceled. But again, use common sense to determine if you can make it, and call the pastor to let him know if you will not be coming.

In Christ,

Pastor Schroeder

==============================

REGULAR SCHEDULE

DIVINE SERVICES -- Sundays at 10:00 AM  (We also stream on Facebook Live )

SUNDAY SCHOOL & ADULT BIBLE CLASS on Sundays at 8:45 AM.

LENTEN VESPERS, Wednesdays at 7:00 PM (through March 24).

GOOD SHEPHERD’S WEBSITE

www.GoodShepherdNovi.org

PASTOR SCHROEDER’S BLOG

www.LutheranSubject.blogspot.com  

Lutheran Satire: St. Patrick Musical

In honor of this day, here is the story of St. Patrick, set to music.  Done by Rev. Hans Fiene of Lutheran Satire.  Be prepared for one cringe-worthy part of the story.  Enjoy!

Worship Notes: Passiontide

PASSIONTIDE

This coming Sunday (March 21) is the 5th Sunday in Lent which marks the beginning of the season of Passiontide (the final two weeks of Lent), in which the Passion of our Lord intensifies.  Therefore, the Lenten fast also intensifies which we can observe in our worship setting.  The sights and sounds in God’s house are muted even more.  For the past number of weeks, our celebration has been muted in the following ways:
> There is no Alleluia in the Verse of the Day.
> We do not sing the Gloria in Excelsis after the Absolution.
> There are no flowers on the altar.

Starting now, you will note these additional practices.
> The Gloria Patri (Glory be to the Father) is omitted from the Psalms
> All artwork or icons have been removed or veiled.
> The ringing of the church bell ceases.
> All music is muted except for the support of congregational singing.

Our services will practically be barren of celebration, but that is the point.  We are fasting.  We are penitent.  We are intently focusing on the sufferings and death of Jesus.  Ceremony and celebration will return with vigor on Easter Sunday when we rejoice in the resurrection of our Lord which declares that sins are forgiven and that death is destroyed.

YouTube -- 4th Sunday in Lent (March 14, 2021)

Here is the service from Sunday, March 14, 2021.

Sermon -- 4th Sunday in Lent (March 14, 2021)

EPHESIANS 2:1-10

BY GRACE I’M SAVED.

 In the name + of Jesus.

      Every Christian denomination teaches people to confess: “By grace I’m saved.”  How could it be any other way?  Scripture plainly teaches it.  In fact, it is in our reading from Ephesians twice: “By grace you have been saved” (Ephesians 2:5,8).  However, you will find that definitions of grace vary from place to place.  It would take a long time to sift through all of them, but most have one thing in common—they refuse to let grace be the way you are actually saved.

     I suppose the question you might ask yourself is this: “Does it really matter?”  If you want to have certainty that you are saved, if you want to find comfort when your sins plague you, if you want to have confidence that you have not messed something up—then, yes, it matters.  If certainty, comfort, and confidence don’t matter to you, then this teaching doesn’t matter either.

     The doctrine of grace gets distorted when we fail to recognize our own sinful condition for what it is.  It is like a ship that sails from San Francisco to Hawaii but is one degree off course.  At first, it doesn’t matter.  Chances are no one notices.  But after days of sailing, they are miles away from their destination.  In fact, they would never even see Hawaii.  In the same way, if you do not understand the sinful condition, your understanding of grace will be off just as badly.

     Our sinful condition and its severity are a matter of faith.  The only way we believe we are as bad as we are is because God tells us.  Through St. Paul, he says, “You were dead in your sins.” (Ephesians 2:1).  Dead people cannot get better.  Their condition is never going to change.  But that does not mean the sinful condition is neutral, as if you were a rock or stump.  No, it is worse.  St. Paul also says, “You once … (followed) the prince of the power of the air…  We all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind” (Ephesians 2:3).  In other words, the desires of your body and your mind are controlled by your sinful passions.  Everything the sinner thinks or wants or feels is corrupted and controlled by sin.  The sinful passions are at the mercy of Satan, who has no mercy.  So, you and I were hostile to God and rebellious against his word.  To this day, we struggle with this. 

     The world has its own definition of sins.  It should not surprise us that it is a corruption of God’s definition.  For the world, sins are bad only when someone suffers harm.  This is one reason the victim card works so well.  If you accuse someone of harming you, even if it just your feelings, you can force them to apologize, to keep silent, to change their behavior, or even to compensate you.  If someone harms you, even if it is perceived, you get to demand satisfaction.  

     Now, there is some truth to this.  The second table of God’s Law is “You shall love … your neighbor as yourself” (Luke 10:27).  God forbids you from harming your neighbor and directs you to seek his good.  These things are necessary for an orderly society.  However, the first table of the Law gets despised.  “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind” (Luke 10:27).  Rebellion against God’s word is not considered sin.  The world argues that God has the problem, not them. A young couple might move in together and share a bed without any marriage plans at all.  God calls this fornication and condemns it.  The couple argues: “Everyone does it this way.  Besides, who are we hurting?  This is none of your business.”  And many other actions are defended this way.  The sinful condition adopts Satan’s defiance against God’s word.  This is why people defend sin and vilify those who oppose it.  To the sinner, what God calls evil is good, and what God calls good is evil.  This is the sinful condition in all its ugliness, bitterness, and stubbornness.  The result should be expected: We “were by nature children of wrath” (Ephesians 2:3).

     This is a far cry from people who say that there is good in us all, or that sin has left us merely wounded or weakened.  Even Christians who want to do good still sin.  We even defend our sins and call them good.  That is how bad it is.  Now, if you don’t get this teaching correct, you will end up miles away from the certainty, comfort, and confidence God’s grace gives.

     By grace I’m saved.  Grace is a gift.  Unfortunately, we don’t get that right either.  A gift is what you get on your birthday.  But you expect it.  You will feel ripped off if you don’t get a gift.  You will probably get nasty or mopey if you don’t get a gift.  If that is the case, how much of a gift is it?  It is more of an obligation, isn’t it?  If that is how we regard God’s grace, then we believe that God owes us.  And if God’s grace and salvation are an obligation, then they are no longer grace.

     After driving home to us how wretched our sinful condition is, St. Paul turns our attention to God.  He begins with the word “but.”  “But” means that God is not like us.  “But” means that God’s love is not determined by how we feel about him.  “But” means that God works contrary to our expectations.  God does not make concessions or compromises regarding our sins and his Law.  He will never change his Law to make it more agreeable or more doable.  Good and evil are not fluid.  God does not change, so his word will not change.  But God is gracious because he always has been.  He did not owe us our world, our families, our food, our abilities, our bodies, or our lives.  He gave them because he is good and gracious.  His goodness and his grace even moved him to act to save us from our sin and from the death we deserve for it.  By grace I’m saved.

     You are not saved by instruction, as if you just need to be told what is better.  You are not saved by incentives, as if you just need to be told to do better.  God does not enlist you to save yourself.  He is your Savior.  God takes action.  God does all the work.  St. Paul says so.  By grace you and I are saved.  “God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved” (Ephesians 2:4-5). 

     By grace I’m saved.  And while grace is freely given to you and me, it was won by Jesus at great cost.  Again, God does not compromise on his word.  Man must obey God’s Law for God to be pleased with mankind.  So God became a man.  Jesus is God in the flesh, and in his humble, fleshly state, he had to keep God’s Law.  There was no self-love or self-worship in Jesus.  There was perfect harmony with God’s Commandments, perfect willingness to live as they direct, and perfect fulfillment in his actions and attitudes.  God’s Law was not compromised in Jesus; it was fulfilled.

     By grace you and I are saved.  Jesus has given you the credit for this perfect obedience.  This is what St. Paul wrote later in Ephesians: “Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish” (Ephesians 5:25-27)  By means of Holy Baptism, Jesus presents you before God with a spotless record.  You are not merely better; Jesus renders you blameless.

     But God’s grace goes further.  Once again, he does not make concessions on his Law.  He does not withhold his sentence of guilt on those who fail to keep the Commandments.  Rather than make concessions, he made satisfaction.  Just as he gave you his innocence, so Jesus took up your guilt.  He suffered and died for your sins.  This was not done as an obligation.  It was done because God is “rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses” (Ephesians 2:4-5).  So Jesus graciously died for our trespasses—whether great or small, public or private.  Jesus made himself a child of wrath.  All God’s wrath was poured out on Jesus so that no wrath remains for you.  Therefore, you and I are received into God’s family. 

     And if St. Paul has not been clear enough, he summarizes it again: “By grace you have been saved through faith.  And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).  Even faith is not something that you take or claim.  It is the gift of God, not your own doing.  So God gives you saving faith, and then God rewards you for what he has given you.  By grace I’m saved.

     So, you and I have nothing to boast about.  And that is the point of grace.  It is not about us.  It is about Jesus Christ and the certainty, the comfort, and the confidence that our Lord gives to us.  The work of salvation is God’s work, from beginning to end.  He lived to provide your innocence.  He died to take your guilt.  He rose to conquer death.  It is God who makes you alive in Christ.  Just as you did not contribute to your birth into this world, so also you did not contribute to your new life in God’s family.  God has completed all the work, so you can be certain that it was done right.

     By grace I’m saved.  And so you and I have the comfort that comes with God’s forgiveness.  You and I still struggle with our sins.  Past guilt still haunts us.  We still have shame to hide.  God knows all this.  Yet, he does not despise us.  He remembers the covenant he made with you in your baptism.  You are cleansed by the blood of Christ.  You have been made pure.  This is God’s doing and God’s promise.  This is your comfort.

     By grace I’m saved.  And this is your confidence that God’s favor remains on you.  God’s favor is not earned or won or bargained for.  It is given freely by God to all who believe in Jesus.  It is proven to you by the death and resurrection of Jesus.  It is sealed upon you in holy baptism.  It is proclaimed repeatedly in God’s word.  It is even fed to you in Holy Communion.  God’s promises are not iffy.  God’s grace is not given reluctantly.  So you can be confident of God’s favor now and forever.

     By grace you and I are saved.  This is a gift from our loving God.  Therefore, you and I have no reason to boast; but we do have many reasons to praise, to thank, to confess, and to rejoice.  God be praised; for he is gracious, and therefore, you are saved.

In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.