Posts from 2025

Posts from 2025

Strength for the Weak!

Dear Faith Lutheran Church & School, In the Old Testament Reading for this coming Sunday, the prophet Isaiah writes, Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who have an anxious heart, “Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you.”  (Isaiah 35:3-4) When I read a text like this, I’m drawn to words and phrase that describe our basic human situation…

We All Need Saving

Dear Faith Families, This week begins the season of Advent. The word Advent come from the Latin, “adventus” meaning, “coming,” or  “arrival.” During the season of Advent, we remember the promise delivered to the saints long ago, that a Savior would be born. We all need saving. We are all broken, sinful people. Selfishness, greed, lust, bitterness, and all the other human flaws lead us into deep darkness. God makes this clear in His Law. “All have sinned and fall…

Why Does a Church Operate a School?

Dear Faith, Let me state the obvious: Faith Lutheran Church and School has had some big struggles over the last few years. And these struggles have led to some frank conversations and difficult decisions about our ministry and mission. But as we have these important conversations about what we can and cannot do, it is most important to ask why we do what we do at all. The work of the church is not a practical matter. The church does…

The Miracle of Baptism

Dear Faith Lutheran Church and School, This weekend (11/16/2025) we will celebrate a Baptism at Faith, and I pray that it will be the first of many that I will administer here. The Sacrament of Holy Baptism is a precious gift from God. As we read in the catechism, Baptism works forgiveness of sins, rescues from death and the devil, and gives eternal salvation to all who believe this, as the words and promises of God declare. The Baptism this…

Generous Faith

Dear Faith Lutheran Church and School, Grace and Peace be yours in our Lord, Jesus Christ! November is the time of year when we often turn our attention toward the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. We not only give thanks for God’s blessings during this time of year, but we also consider ways of sharing our blessings with others. We are encouraged and reminded of this important practice of Christian faith and love in Acts 20:35, where we learn that the…

All Hallows’ Eve

Dear Faith Lutheran Church and School, Within our culture, October 31 is widely known as Halloween. Most of our culture recognizes this as a day for dressing up to “trick-or-treat.” Many celebrate (or lament) the association this day has with death and horror. But very few recognize the origins of this holiday. The name, “Halloween,” is a shortening of the original name, “All Hallows’ Eve.” Halloween is, properly speaking, the evening before “All Hallows’ Day,” which we know as “All…