Peace Talk - November 2010
Apostolic Mission Congregation of the LCMS Pastor Kristian Bjornstad 2506 N. Main Ave. 343-9828 www.yourpeace.org
FROM THE PASTOR’S HEART: 34"But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day [Judgment Day] come upon you suddenly like a trap. 35For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man." This past couple weeks dealing with the Rogan family crisis has been a call to attention for me. How AM I being a good pastor to the beautiful people of this congregation? How AM I caring for the tender souls of our youth? How is it that such a precious child of God in THIS beautiful congregation was so despondent in his heart that he thought to take his own life? Jesus came to bring Life, and Life in all its fulness! Our hearts mourn at the depth of our loss and we cry with the saints hard pressed throughout the ages: “Lord have mercy on us all.” We can see in this tragedy that the Devil is powerful and if we let him, he will leave his prints all over our lives. But we rejoice today that we can be confident that despite John’s and our sin and faithlessness, God is faithful and His righteousness covers our sins! Jesus says that in these end times we will know great tragedy and all kinds of evil. The Evil One will be revealed for who his is. These are signs of the coming Judgment of the Lord. Instead of being burdened and weighed down, we are instead to lift up our heads and hope steadfast in the salvation our Lord is bringing us that sudden Day when we all stand in glory before the Son of Man. This Son of Man is the same Lord who gave himself up on a cross that we might have an eternal home with Him. Praise Jesus! To Him be all honor and glory! Pastor Bjornstad
In Memory John Rogan, Jr. John A. Rogan Jr., 16, of Scranton, died Tuesday night at home. Born Jan. 24, 1994, in Scranton, son of John A. and Carol Rogal Rogan, he was a member of the junior class at Scranton High School and was a member of the soccer team and Spanish club. John was called a child of God through holy baptism. He grew in faith and was confirmed in the Christian faith at Peace Lutheran Church. John confessed he was a sinner, but knows Jesus Christ is Savior. Also surviving are a sister, Sarah H. Rogan, Pittsburgh; a brother, Matthew J. Rogan, at home; maternal grandparents, Arlene and Thomas Jones, Scranton; his paternal grandmother, Ethel Rogan, Bristol; aunts, uncles and cousins. He was preceded in death by grandfathers Robert Rogal and James Rogan
MISCELANEOUS NOTES: PRAISING GOD! + Pastor Bjornstad is officially “recovered 100%” from his kidney donation if anyone is still wondering. Mark Koenig is about 99% recovered and is back home and worshipping with us here at Peace. We praise God for all his goodness! + CONGRATULATIONS to JIM CALPIN who was awarded the “William T. Schmidt Award” for faithful service to church and community Nov. 7th at the annual Luther Day Dinner! It was a great day indeed! We love you, Jim! You are the BEST!!! We all know you deserve it!
+ Reformation Sunday was GREAT with special guests from Source of Love Indonesian Lutheran Church, as well as a BRASS ENSEMBLE playing A Mighty Fortress! + OCTOBER CHURCH VOTER’S MEETING NOTES (thanks George Price for leading us so well! THANKS to all the young families who stayed for lunch and the meeting!): + Further work is being done on establishing a Peace Lutheran Endowment Fund. + Elected Lisa Hoffman to represent Peace Lutheran on the Lutheran Academy board of directors! Thanks Lisa for serving! Lisa is well suited to this position as she is a teacher! + Praise God for the great work that has been done on the church grounds. Still work to do! + Feedback and suggestions were taken from those present. + We hope to have quarterly voter’s meetings as the constitution directs.
CHRISTIAN HISTORY: + We have been successful in raising the $50/month in support monies to pay for the Penn Foster secretary program tuition for Pretty Zulu in South Africa. She reported this month that she continues her studies and that she is thankful for the recovery of her son from sickness. She thanks us all for our prayers. + New Peace family worshippers! We have a new family, Ky and Amy Betts with their children Alfred and Nora who have been worshipping with us. Also we are glad of Bonnie and Gerald Cornog who just moved into the area from Alabama. They are all such a blessing to our church family! Please greet them! +
Martin of Tours, Pastor Commemorated Nov 11. Born into a pagan family in what is now Hungary around the year A.D. 316, Martin grew up in Lombardy (Italy). Coming to the Christian faith as a young person, he began a career in the Roman army. But sensing a call to a church vocation, Martin left the military and became a monk, affirming that he was “Christ's soldier.” Eventually, Martin was named bishop of Tours in western Gaul (France). He is remembered for his simple lifestyle and his determination to share the Gospel throughout rural Gaul. Incidentally, on St. Martin's Day in 1483, the oneday-old son of Hans and Margarette Luther was baptized and given the name “Martin” Luther.
COME TO THE PEACE CHRISTMAS PARTY DEC. 5th IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING WORSHIP! +++++++++++++++++++++
New in the office:
+ “Lutheranism 101” Pastor ordered three copies to be passed around. Sort of a “Lutherans for Dummies”, a new publication from CPH. + “Legal Rights of the catastrophically ill and injured: A Family Guide” + We still have an unsold extra copy of the new Lutheran Study Bible! Take it for $35 in the offering plate! + “First Conversation”, a small book of encouragement for those who are are finding out that their child has a disability.
STEWARDSHIP: Our treasurer reports that because of your faithful giving our church has all its bills paid! Please know that every offering, small or large is very important in the ministry of this church to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ to all the world! Our yearly budget is over $90,000 - and all of it comes from our membership. The giving spirit of this congregation is truly a blessing from God. If you have not experienced the blessing of giving, please join the congregation in practicing generous and sacrificial giving! It is wonderful! ++++++++++++++++++
Check out the Church History website (click on the “about” tab of the church website - and then the “Museum” link) to see the January 24th, 1938 entry of Pastor Camin’s personal diary. He wrote that the church bell was installed in the bell tower for a cost of $347!
WORSHIP NOTES:
WORSHIP LIFE AT PEACE LUTHERAN FOCUS ON THE FAMILY!
Wednesday evening at 7 pm will will have our THANKSGIVING SERVICE. Our First Sunday in Advent begins November 28th November 14th and 28th we will be trying to sing/learn the liturgy of Matins! The church bell is ringing at 10 am as a call to worship here in the neighborhood!
EDUCATION HOUR: 9:15 WORSHIP: 10:30 AM This year we are focusing in on strengthening and nurturing our beautiful families.
NOVEMBER LECTIONARY THEMES INCLUDE THE END TIMES, CONCLUDING WITH “CHRIST THE KING SUNDAY”! Go to www.cph.org to order your very own LSB hymnal! The Lutheran Service Book has a wide variety of resources for personal and family devotions. A beautiful and meaningful gift for the faith-filled Christian! (available in a leather-bound soft cover version as well as the regular pew edition.
WE REMEMBER Allan Albrecht and pray for his family and friends in NC and here at Peace Lutheran. MOREHEAD CITY - Allan J. Albrecht, 83, of Morehead City, NC, died Nov. 10, 2010, at home. A memorial gathering will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 13 at 205 Brandywine Blvd., Morehead City. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. He graduated from Bucknell University in 1949 with a BSEE degree. He had a 38-year career with IBM. He served as the president of the Mayflower Point Association. He was a member of Brandywine Bay Golf Club. Survivors include his wife, Jean Albrecht of Morehead City; sons, Drew Albrecht of Apex and Dale Albrecht of New Bern; sister, Helen Ann Soska of Harding, Pa.; brother, Clayton Albrecht of Raleigh; two grandsons; and one great-granddaughter. Memorials may be made to Hospice of Carteret County, P.O. Drawer 1619, Morehead City, NC 28557, or the Wildwood Fire and Rescue Inc., 5291 Hwy 70W, Morehead City, NC 28557.
IF YOU WERE OR WANT TO BE PARTICIPANTS IN ONE OR MORE OF OUR MISSIONS TO:
• NEW ORLEANS! • ALASKA! • HAITI! PLEASE JOIN US so we can plan and be mobilized for God's Harvest in 2011!
Special speaker for the evening will be Debi Hartzell of Faith Lutheran Church in Easton. Debi just got back from a mission trip to Haiti. She will share with us how we can make a beautiful difference in the lives of the people of Haiti.
SPONSORED BY NEPA LUTHERAN MISSION PARTNERSHIP www.nepalutheranmissionpartnership.org Call Pastor Bjornstad for more info 343-9828 to RSVP (if possible! Otherwise just come!)
Mission Dinner Sunday, Nov. 14, 6 pm Peace Lutheran, Scranton
Lutheran Academy and Immanuel Preschool News + BEAUTIFUL GIFTS OF CLASSROOM MATERIALS (boxes of them!) were given to the Immanuel Preschool and The Lutheran Academy this past month by Bonnie and Jerry Cornog. They were MUCH appreciated! + PLEASE NOTE THAT YOU CAN SUPPORT THE ACADEMY BY SPONSORING A STUDENT! Currently there are three students that are in need of sponsorship! You can sponsor them at whatever level you would like to, but full tuition for the year is $1700. Your support would be MUCH appreciated! You can also support with a designated offering in the Sunday offering plate. Please support The + A BEAUTIFUL MOMENT AT THE ACADEMY Lutheran Academy by using happened when Barbara (right), one of our beautiful first Pretty Good Portraits for all grade students who had been absent for a couple weeks your photography needs. due to family circumstances, was able to come back and www.prettygoodportraits.org visit us. It was a beautiful sight to have the whole school burst out in joyful tears as she came in the doors. We had been praying for Barbara and her family every day and it was TRULY a beautiful moment of what it means to be a member of our family of learning at the Academy. God is SO good!
Martin Luther on the education of our children: Luther, in writing about the Fourth Commandment on how we should be honoring their parents, expounds on the responsibilities also of parents to their children. He writes: “But once again, the real trouble is that no one perceives or pays attention to this. Everyone acts as if God gave us children for our pleasure and amusement, gave us servants merely to put them to work like cows or donkeys, and gave us subjects to treat as we please, as if it were no concern of ours what they learn or how they live. No one is willing to see that this is the command of the divine Majesty, who will solemnly call us to account and punish us for its neglect. Nor is it recognized how very necessary it is to devote serious attention to the young. For if we want capable and qualified people for both the civil and the spiritual realms, we really must spare no effort, time, and expense in teaching and educating our children to serve God and the world. We must not think only of amassing money and property for them. God can provide for them and make them rich without our help, as indeed he does daily. But he has given us children and entrusted them to us precisely so that we may raise and govern them according to his will; otherwise, God would have no need of fathers and mothers. Therefore let all people know that it is their chief duty–at the risk of losing divine grace–first to bring up their children in the fear and knowledge of God, and, then, if they are so gifted, also to have them engage in formal study and learn so that they may be of service wherever they are needed.”
We celebrate with our “sister” Academy in Bethlehem, PA, who on Oct. 10th dedicated their new church and fabulous new school building in Northampton, PA. It was a beautiful service! We pray for their students and school to grow and prosper in God’s Word!
GENERAL NOTES:
WO W! !! JE SU SR OC
+PEACE CHRISTMAS PARTY KS
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Tuesday, Nov. 16, 7pm Youth Night: focus on John Rogan and Suicide
HOSTED BY THE LADIES GUILD FOR ALL FRIENDS AND FAMILY OF PEACE LUTHERAN! $10 TICKETS! HELD AFTER WORSHIP DEC. 5! CALL THE OFFICE FOR YOUR RESERVATION! + GERMAN CHRISTMAS SERVICE!!!!! DEC. 5th at 3 pm right after the Christmas Party! Rev. Buchmann will be officiating this special outreach service. If you know someone who speaks German please invite them!
All our youth and any friends of John Rogan, Jr. are urged to attend this evening presentation and discussion led by Christine Erickson, Christian youth counselor. Further counseling will be available as needed individually.
+ THE SUNDAY SCHOOL is looking to be very much larger this year with a couple new families who are attending! As well, Michael Mirarchi will be leading a youth Bible Study on Sunday mornings for those who have already been Confirmed!!!! SUNDAY SCHOOL IS IMPORTANT - for adults as well as children!
NEPA Youth RETREAT Saturday, November 20! 1 - 7 pm at Mt. Pocono
+ THE MEN’S BREAKFAST: The next Men’s Breakfast will be November 27th! The Men’s Retreat was a FINE time according to Cliff Durkin who attended the whole weekend at a camp past Tunkhannock Nov. 12-14, joining the men of Grace Lutheran Church, Hop Bottom. Pastor and R.J. made it to a great dinner as well!
Games, Bonfire, Banana Cram, great food! Don’t miss it! Youth of all ages! We will leave at 12:30 from church.
Great Time at Concordia College, Bronxville and at Camp Pioneer! In October Two van loads of us went to experience a GREAT day at Concordia College and a Lost and Found concert. The next week another bunch of kids went to Camp Pioneer with George and Debbie Price for a work weekend!
+ CHURCH MEMBERSHIP! We again have numerous individuals and families who are seeking membership. We DO have a VERY special congregation in which God is working mightily! Make an invitation to a friend to come to worship with you and know a new life in Jesus! + TRYING TO THINK OF A GOOD FAMILY VACATION NEXT SUMMER? THINK CAMP PIONEER! Pastor Bjornstad and family have been invited to be sort of host family for the camp Family Camp the week of July 17th. We would LOVE to have whole bunches of Peace family along with us! Plan for it!
Rom. 7:21 “So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind
As St. Paul struggled with his condition of being a “sinner/saint”, wanting desperately to do good, but always instead doing exactly the opposite, he writes:
+ Although we have been justified by Christ and have received forgiveness through the spiritual gifts of repentance and true faith, Christians are yet still sinners. We are “Sinner/Saints”. As sinners our trust and hope in God sometimes shines brightly. Other times it is very dim. But the Bible says that although we are often faithless - God is faithful!
+ As Christians, we are the children of God, having been washed in the waters of Holy Baptism and made holy by the blood of Jesus Christ shed on the cross. This is not a theoretical thought exercise. It is an objective reality. We live in a state of forgiveness. We have been “justified” in the sight of God, not by any choice of our own, but by the gracious power and merciful acts of God.
+ The taking of your life is against God’s fifth commandment: “You Shall Not Murder”. It is also against the First commandment to have no other God’s before Him. In suicide a person attempts to circumvent the will and gift of God to live, usurping God’s place and authority. Christians understand that “their” life is not really their own: it is God’s. We are in fact the temple of the Holy Spirit.
HERE ARE SOME IMPORTANT THINGS WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND ABOUT TAKING ONE’S OWN LIFE
In our grief and pain at the death of our John Rogan, Jr., there are many questions that arise in our minds.
Praise be to God for His great mercy on us all.
As John himself confessed: “I am a sinner, but Jesus is my Savior.”
John is proof again that tragic sorrow and anguish lurk just below the surface of so many of our lives. In these evil days, we desperately need to encourage one another (young and old alike) in the refrain of God’s grace and forgiveness proven to us in the cross of Calvary. Let us shout it to the world. There is nothing more important to keep front and center in our lives. Let us follow the command of our Lord to love each other as He has loved us, to love one another like we have never loved each other before.
In summary: • John Rogan was a child of God who lived in the “state” of forgiveness. • John Rogan, Child of God, was also a sinner, attacked in his mind and heart by the devil in ways we cannot imagine. • John Rogan, Child of God, confused about life and mired in a hopelessness we will never understand, forgot the promises of God and took his own life. • The Lord God, however, does NOT forget his promises to John. He IS John’s Savior.
and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!”