Pastor's Midweek Reminders
Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”’ St John 11.43-44
As I write this, a reptile handler is in the big room by the kitchen here at church, making a presentation with live snakes to the children of Concordia School. (Sandy has her door closed, in case one escapes!) Our fascination with snakes goes back to ancient times, and it’s interesting that the snake became the symbol of evil in the story of Genesis 2, where Adam and Eve fell prey to the devil’s temptation to disobey God.
Because of that disobedience, the whole human race suffered the consequences of Adam and Eve’s sin: death. In our gospel story for Sunday, one of Jesus’ good friends, Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha, dies. Jesus travels a long way for the funeral, and then spoils it by raising Lazarus. This vivid scene, described in the verses above, symbolizes our deliverance from the power of death much as the ancient snake symbolized the universal human slavery to sin and its close cousin, death.
We get a foretaste of Easter in this story of the raising of Lazarus. For in Christ, who entered into death and was raised from the grave, we are unbound and set free. In his resurrection power, we are free to love and serve him, for we are now bound to him as Lord of our lives.
FOOD DRIVE THANK YOU! I’m not sure of how many pounds of food we ended up with for the Food Drive that ended this past Sunday, but most important is that you realized the need, you responded, you gave generously, and as a result hungry people will be fed. Thank you!!
PRAYER COMMITMENT: We’re almost at the midpoint of our 17 week commitment to help deepen our Loving Relationships by the simple act of praying for one another. This week, please pray for those people listed in the 2nd column of page 4 in your most recent Membership Directory (November 2007, blue cover). Names: Kepford through Lien. If you’ve become a bit lethargic about this daily prayer commitment, pray that the Spirit of God would renew in you the desire and discipline to lift up in prayer your fellow believers in Christ. Thanks for being part of this congregational blessing!
HOLY WEEK AND EASTER SCHEDULE
- March 16……….Palm Sunday / Passion Sunday: Procession with Palms, Baptisms, 1st Communion for Courtney Cheavtharn and Heidi Hochspeier
- March 20…………7pm, Maundy Thursday worship with Communion
- March 21…………12 noon and 7pm, Good Friday worship
- March 23…………EASTER SUNDAY: 7:30am, Sunrise Service of Celebration……8:30am, Easter Breakfast and Egg Hunt for children…….10am, Festival Worship with Communion
EASTER BREAKFAST: Please give generously as you feast on a full breakfast Easter morning. Freewill offerings will go to our Youth for their Summer Mission Trip.
‘JESUS AND THE GOSPELS’: This coming Sunday, join us as we view a 30 minute presentation on some of the gospels that did not make it into the New Testament. The lecture is entitled “Young Jesus—the Infancy Gospel of James”. We meet at 8:50am in the Commons Room.
PIE SOCIAL: Saturday, April 12, at 6pm here at Redeemer. Proceeds go to our new readerboard sign. Roy Tulee is coordinating, so please contact him if you’re willing to help with baking, set-up, clean up, auctioneering, entertainment, etc.
MIDWEEK LENTEN VESPERS continue tomorrow, Wednesday, March 5, at 7pm. Our 40 minute worship is preceded at 6pm by our Soup and Bread Supper. My preaching theme for these special Lenten Vespers: “Windows to the Cross: Stories of Love and Sacrifice”.
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We Wish You God's Peace and Blessing
Sandy Cooper, Secretary
Redeemer Lutheran Church
503-393-7121
4663 Lancaster Drive. NE
Salem, OR 97305
office@redeemer-lcms.org
