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Text of the page (random words):
s witnesses in our community how we do that now will simply look different for a time waltzing with three commandments right now our lord is leading us to waltz a dance in triple time with three of his commandments at once in the third commandment god calls us to hold his word sacred and gladly hear and learn it we will continue to do this though in different ways for a time in the fourth commandment he calls us to honor our authorities serve and obey them love and cherish them god has graciously given us our current governing and medical authorities for our good rom 13 1 4 and in the fifth commandment our lord calls us to help and support our neighbor in every physical need this includes protecting those at high risk from the coronavirus our governing authorities are not taking away our first amendment rights nor are they forbidding us from proclaiming jesus this is not an acts 5 29 situation in which we must obey god rather than men our authorities are working to stem the tide of this novel virus and exposure to it the temporary changes we are making are largely driven by our love for neighbor especially those in the high risk category in this pandemic what is changing the changes we are making in faithfulness to our savior and out of love for our neighbors are being planned through at least april 5 we also must be prepared to continue with these arrangements if they are needed for longer than a few weeks realistically these measures may even be necessary well into the summer or beyond only god knows how long we will need to hunker down to fight against the spread of this coronavirus yet however long it does take we are confident that our savior jesus is with us protecting us and giving us the healing balm of his word and sacraments by unanimous decision of the board of elders on march 17 the following changes will take place effective immediately lent evening prayer services march 18 25 and april 1 are cancelled since holy week and easter services fall outside the 15 day period specified by the cdc no decision has yet been made for those times i will post my homilies for the lent services online hope s website and my blog and can make printed copies available as desired all non divine service activities sunday school bible class choir rehearsals and youth catechism class are suspended until further notice thrive parent university has also cancelled its sessions for march 19 26 and will notify us of further developments for the sunday morning divine service we will not gather as a whole congregation but we will stream the service of the word online on hope s facebook page we must ask everyone to stay home on sunday mornings in keeping with the rule of 10 guideline we will assemble a small group for conducting the service of the word you may still hear and be fed on god s word by watching the service online bulletins will be prepared and made available on hope s website for you to use as you watch for the service of the sacrament holy communion each week we will offer a series of 30 minute time blocks when up to 10 people including pastor and kantor as available may sign up to attend the service will be a brief spoken liturgy of communion with opportunity to be fed on christ s body and blood these 30 minute time slots will be available sunday mornings after the service of the word live stream beginning at 10 00 am ending at 12 00 noon wednesday afternoons beginning at 12 00 noon ending at 2 00 pm wednesday evenings beginning at 7 00 pm ending at 8 30 pm each week you are asked to sign up either online or by calling the church office so that we can ensure no more than 10 people including non communing children in the sanctuary at one time those who are unsure or uncomfortable with signing up online are encouraged to call the church office we will make those details available as soon as we have a system set up after each brief communion service communicants will exit elements will be refreshed and the communion rail will be cleaned and disinfected prior to the next group attending other times to receive holy communion as well as individual absolution may be made by appointment with pastor asburry if you have needs during this time of uncertainty we want to look out for and care for each other in the body of christ this is an excellent time to grow in our life together and mercy work in our midst we are assembling a team of volunteers to reach out and visit by phone with those who cannot get out or get to church hope member deaconess cara patton is organizing this effort this care team will call to check on our homebound members and others as we all continue to stay home and ride out this pandemic if you have needs such as prescription refills groceries etc please contact either cara pastor asburry or one of our elders dcs cara patton pr randy asburry jeff nielsen tom egger kevin robson chad rolland ongoing stewardship even though we will not be gathering as normal on sunday mornings to receive our lord s gifts the gifts of your offerings and financial support are still very much needed perhaps now more than ever as much as possible we will continue to do the work our lord has given us in this place and at this time proclaiming the gospel and caring for those in need we still depend on your stewardship to support the gospel both at home and abroad the church staff must still be supported utilities and bills must still be paid and we may need to increase our aid to those impacted by this pandemic both in our congregation and in our community we do ask you to send your regular offerings to church as frequently as you would give them in the offering basket simply stick your offering envelope in a regular mail envelope and address it to hope lutheran church 5218 neosho street st louis mo 63109 you may also arrange with your bank to automatically send a check for your offering as several members already do god is faithful jesus said let not your hearts be troubled believe in god believe also in me john 14 1 by his grace we will get through this uncertain time and he promises to strengthen our faith in him and our love for one another please use this time of staying home to read god s word and pray thus staying strong in our lord s promises i plan to make more devotional resources available soon please keep checking our website and our facebook page for additional updates and information no temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man god is faithful and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape that you may be able to endure it 1 corinthians 10 13 in christ s service rev randy k asburry pastor posted by randy asburry at 3 47 pm no comments email this blogthis share to x share to facebook share to pinterest labels covid 19 divine service hope pastoral care pastoral letter worship 29 july 2019 homily for re dedication of sanctuary and organ making all things new revelation 21 1 5 listen here hope lutheran church st louis missouri usa 2019 flashback to 1931 the date was january 18 this space its organ in fact the whole building were brand spanking new what exhilaration what excitement everyone must have felt some of them remembered the small portable chapel of the early days many of them had worshiped in the basement chapel since 1922 but nine years later they got to move into their new space this space and hear their new organ theodore steinmeyer the architect of this building wrote about the features of the building and this space after explaining the many details he concluded this sanctuary is truly a shrine before which one is brought to grace where one may hear and meditate on god s word pray and praise promise one s faith and love and where one may long to be brought when entering through it as a gateway to the heavenly mansions above dedication booklet 1931 fast forward back to 2019 today july 28 this space and this organ are new once again and here you are feeling the exhilaration the excitement we did not worship in a portable chapel but we have been in the basement the catacombs for nine months and now we move back into our new space now we hear our new organ in fact our organ is so new that it now has new to us pipes that were made in 1898 long before our original organ was even born how fitting then what we hear from our gracious giver god in revelation 21 and he who was seated on the throne said behold i am making all things new our god is a god of things new his business his will his purpose his mission in life is making all things new we re not talking out with the old in with the new the way 21st century american culture does too many people think world history began the day they were born too many people assume that things of the past are well boring and tedious give us the future let us make our own new day why bother with all those old people and old notions of centuries past when i was growing up the oldies station played music from the 60s now it plays the music i rather liked in the 80s and 90s oh and you re using that old smart phone that is so last year when we americans think of something new we think of something that was not there before we think of something that has just appeared on the scene whatever is most recent in history s flowing river that s not what god means when he says i am making all things new the greek word indicates a newness in kind and quality god makes all things new and distinctive new in nature different from the usual superior in value the apostle john got a glimpse of god s new things a new heaven and a new earth for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away john got to see beyond this fallen broken creation he got a preview of the perfect creation yet to come you see we all know this world this first heaven and first earth is tainted imperfect damaged painful and broken tornados and earthquakes remind us of that as do the cancer diagnosis the shooting of an innocent girl the strained relationship the mob riot and so much more but john got to see all of that all the mess of sin and death in the rear view mirror passed away then john adds this and the sea was no more does that mean there will be no oceans or large bodies of water in the new heavens and new earth not likely after all in the first creation god did create the seas and all of the creatures that live and swim in them he even called them good after the fall into sin though the sea comes to represent our real problem before god the sea comes to stand for the deep chaos caused by sin our sin it stands for the fearful gulf that separates us human beings from god the separation caused by our sin and our rebellion against him that s the sea that will not be in the new heavens and the new earth when god makes all things new he removes the deep dark chaotic gulf that separates us from him when the sea is gone so is the fear so is the terror so is the pain that comes from being separated from our gracious giver god as john beholds this preview trailer of the new heavens and new earth he also sees the holy city the new jerusalem coming down out of heaven from god but this is not a plat of land with criss crossing avenues or winding streets with buildings of different designs shapes and sizes no that s so old creation this city this new jerusalem is dressed and adorned as a bride and she is ready for her man her husband her lord her savior you see he is the one who loved her and gave himself up for her by his death on the cross and his glorious resurrection he has sanctified her he has cleansed her by the washing of water with the word he is the one who adorns and beautifies her he presents her to himself in splendor without spot or wrinkle or any such thing that she might be holy and without blemish cf eph 5 25 27 this city is you god s redeemed faithful people the bride of christ the church this is how god makes all things new parsons opus 49 you see the dwelling place of god is with man he will dwell with them and they will be his people and god himself will be with them as their god that s really what we celebrate today not just a new look some new artwork some new pipes and a new sound we celebrate god dwelling with us fallen creatures we celebrate god himself the son of god becoming flesh and dwelling among us full of grace and truth we celebrate him who sacrificed himself at the great expense of his life s blood we celebrate that he gives the unending treasure and joy of life with him in his new creation we celebrate that we may look forward to that new heavens and new earth we certainly thank our gracious giver god for the ability to renovate our organ and sanctuary what a gift but let s thank him even more for his renovation of the universe through his son let s thank him even more for his renovation of us through jesus blood after all he will wipe away every tear from their eyes and death shall be no more neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain anymore all the tears all the disappointments all the hurts all the sins either done by us or done to us he will wipe away all the loss all the sadness all the death all the grief he will erase and delete forever behold i am making all things new the father says from his throne the son accomplished this newness on his cross the spirit breathes this newness into you when you are baptized when you hear words of absolution when you eat and drink jesus very body and blood all this gives eager anticipation and fervent hope this hope is what our space and organ proclaim yes they also preach our savior making all things new when we enter we cannot miss the font baptism is our entry into jesus and his church our entry into this new life of hope this journey of life with him all the way to eternity as we go from font to altar the images point the way to the new jerusalem the new creation an empty ark after its occupants entered a post flood new world god s rescued people crossing the jordan river into the promised land water turned into the bountiful best wine of our savior s new creation five lit lamps of five wise virgins as they wait for him and get to be included in his cross won wedding feast our savior s promised return on the cloud when the trumpet blasts the great multitude gathered around his throne in the new heavens and new earth the new jerusalem the tree of life the river of life all provided by the lamb of god who takes away the sin of the world and gives us his life and finally the lamb and his bride the church consummating their union with the grandest wedding banquet ever wedding banquet of the lamb and his bride the church at this end of the space we come to the throne of the holy trinity the holy of holies of the alpha and omega himself we gather to hear him in his word and feast on him in his supper here we get a foretaste of the feast to come here we are made new over and over again here we enter heaven on earth here jesus is the vine we are the branches ...