Author: ourredeemerchurch

Dear Family of Our Redeemer’s
There were two statements from the sermon resources I use that caught my attention while I was preparing to write this letter: 1) “The forces that diminish human life are rendered powerless by Jesus” 2) “Good news draws a crowd; the gospel is found in Jesus!”.

We heard from last Sundays Gospel reading that Jesus first public act recorded in Mark was the exorcism of a demon in the synagogue. This coming Sunday, the Gospel (Mark 1:29-39, see back of this bulletin) tells us that the mother-in-law of the disciple Simon was sick in bed with a fever: “He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up. Then the fever left her, and she began to serve them.”

There are many forces in this world that diminish human life. Each of us can make a list from our own experiences: physical illnesses or handicaps, family crises, economic struggles, relationship breakdowns, threats to national and international security, political chaos, the pandemic, etc. Even though “Jesus came that we might have life and have it in all its fullness”, the destructive forces are still at work in our lives and in this world.

Where do you find strength and help as you struggle with the problems in your life? Where do you “discover hope”? There are messiahs of every kind claiming to have the answers. Many of the acclaimed solutions are “do-it-yourself” fixes that we are still trying to make work but with little success. We win some and lose some. We confess our failures and try again.

“The forces that diminish human life are rendered powerless by Jesus” “Good news draws a crowd: the gospel is found in Jesus!” The Christian faith is revolutionary and transformational. In our baptism, we are united with Christ. The Word has given us LIFE! We are empowered each day by the Spirit of God. The Word is made flesh within our bodies. Luther described our existence after Baptism as “Little Christs” , the presence of God still living and active in and through us in this world.

Have we caught the thrill and excitement of the Gospel? Of being disciples of Jesus? Of being called to bring Good News to hurting people? Of being connected with each other in this glorious mission? Of being the Communion of Saints? Of having the power and authority to change the world for the better?

Remember: “Good news draws a crowd: the gospel is found in Jesus!” You are a living Jesus!
Blessings on your “Jesus” journey,
Interim Supply Pastor, Fred Mai

Dear Family of Our Redeemer’s

When you receive this issue of The Spirit, we will be in the twelve days of Christmas.  We are invited to “keep Christmas” rather than to “spend Christmas”.  During those twelve days we are encouraged to rejoice, worship, adore, enjoy THE GIFT, praise God with the angels, sing, dance, and celebrate the SAVIOR in any way that our imagination can come up with. What an opportunity we lose if we go back to normal and return to business as usual.  The world is not the same since the Savior is born!  We are not the same since the Savior is born!  God has entered our broken world in a very real way and nothing can be the same as before.  “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government will be upon his shoulder, and his name will be called ‘Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace'”. 

When a new life enters our homes, everything is changed.  When The Savior enters our homes, our world is  changed.  He brings all the gifts that His names describe.  Instead of bringing gifts to the baby Jesus,  He brings gifts to us.  The names of this Child that often stand out, Savior and Prince of Peace, are descriptive of important areas in our lives that God comes to us.  Savior: “He will save His people from their sins”, and Prince of Peace: “He will bring peace to His people”–these much needed gifts do indeed change everything.

Are you ready to enter the new year with a new vision?  New expectations?  New attitudes?  New hopes?  New faith?  New love?  Our future will be shaped by our perspective.  “What you see is what you get!”  Our church faith statement, “We walk by faith and not by sight”, is a positive affirmation instead of a negative resignation.  When we speak as if the future is out of our control and we don’t know what is coming, it can be an attempt to prepare ourselves for the worst.  We resign ourselves to a bumpy, hard road ahead.  This is not what God had in mind for us when He sent Jesus into our world and opens the door to a new year.  We can never hear it too often: “For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope”.  (Jeremiah 29:11)

As we step across the threshold into 2022, it will be helpful to use the above Bible verse as our creed.  Our faith and our attitude do indeed shape our lives.  It can awaken a sense of excitement if our vision is created by God’s Word.  “God is great! God is good! and God is able to give you a future and a hope”. 

Blessings on your journey into God’s open future,

Interim Supply Pastor, Fred Mai