A Message From

Pastor Paul

Last Sunday's Fall Harvest Luncheon was better than expected.  First of all, the food was really, really good.  Secondly, the conversation about the history of Christ the King and St. Paul's was enlightening and uplifting.  I was impressed with the church's value as I read your personal remembrances of baptisms, first communions, confirmations, weddings, and funerals.  Marking the events of our lives in the greater context of the history of God's salvation gives more value to our lives and a reason for our being.

In addition to personal remembrances, we talked about congregational events and activities.  The number of things that each congregation brought to the merger and that remain part of the ministry indicates that this was a true merger of congregations and not a takeover.

On the wall in the entrance hall, there are four pens to add more personal remembrances.  I used the historic Christian sign of the cross to indicate the death of a member; I encourage you to do the same.  The time line will be posted this Sunday and on Sunday, November 21.  This brief look at our history will enable us to recognize our identity now and help us to plan for our future ministry.

I wanted to share a sad note.  This past week two relatives of members were called from this life to life eternal: Debbie Doyle's father, Joseph Koplik, and Shirley Lyttle's sister, Janet Taylor.  Please remember them and their families in your prayers.

Ask the Pastor

Pastor Paul answers your questions

Pastor Paul, Is the Lutheran position on the Holy Spirit different from other main stream churches?

I'll begin with a brief summary of the Lutheran doctrine of the Holy Spirit.  In his Small Catechism,  Martin Luther wrote "The Holy Spirit calls me through the gospel, enlightens me with his gifts, sanctifies and keeps me in the one true faith even as he calls, gathers, enlightens and sanctifies the whole Christian Church on earth."

The Holy Spirit calls us through the gospel.  The gospel is the good news of God's love and salvation in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Since I am not the only one whom the Holy Spirit calls, the Holy Spirit gathers us into little communities set apart from the world; these communities are connected through the Holy Spirit with other communities (churches), and together make up the whole Christian Church on earth.

The Holy Spirit enlightens us with God's gifts.  The Holy Spirit gives a wide variety of gifts.  The lists in the New Testament are not exhaustive - they are samplings.  Two important things to remember about the Holy Spirit's gifts: they are gifts and never a reason for the recipient to boast or take pride in their superiority over others, and they are always to be used to build up - not tear down - the body of Christ, the church, and never for one's personal benefit.

The Holy Spirit sanctifies; that is, makes holy.  Holy means to be "set apart."  By the Holy Spirit and for Christ's sake, we are set apart from sin by God's word of forgiveness.  And since we sin daily, we need to hear God's word of forgiveness again and again and again, until we hear Christ's own words spoken to us, "Come blessed of my Father; inherit the kingdom prepared for you."

We can expect to hear Christ's word of welcome not because we're good little boys and girls but because of the Holy Spirit's promise to keep us in the one true faith.  True, people fall away from faith; this fall is their own fault.  God nor anyone else cannot be blamed.  Even as a person falls away, the Holy Spirit keeps calling.  God is faithful to all of His promises.

Lutherans emphasize that the Holy Spirit works through means.  We call these means grace.  Of course, the Holy Spirit - being God - can work outside of means of grace; I would be foolish to seek the Holy Spirit apart from means of grace when grace brings the Holy Spirit up close and personal.

What are means of grace?  Lutherans identify them as the gospel and sacraments.  By extension, any writings which proclaim the good news of God's love in Christ Jesus - particularly the Bible and also devotional and theological writings - can be gospel means of grace.  The goal of preaching is proclamation of the gospel through the personality and words of the preacher.  Christian education and nurturing are also gospel means of grace.

Baptism is a means of grace.  Through this simple act, the baptized is adopted as a child of God.  By extension, baptism in daily living, or confession and forgiveness, are also means of grace.  When I say, "I'm sorry," and my spouse says, "You're forgiven," the Holy Spirit is present with the grace of God.

Holy Communion is a means of grace.  Martin Luther wrote that we come to the Lord's Supper as empty handed beggars and Christ gives us himself.  That's grace for you.  By extension, when the communion of saints (that's you and me - the church) speaks the good news of God's love in Christ to one another, our mutual conversation and consolation is a means of grace.

Finally, all of the Holy Spirit's activities apart from the means of grace are summarized by what Luther termed "Creator Spirit."  In the beginning, the Holy Spirit was involved in creation and continues to be active in the preservation of creation.  This creative activity of the Holy Spirit is a profound mystery - more mysterious than the Holy Spirit's presence in the sacraments!

I'll confess I can't give a short answer to a complex question about a profound subject.  I'll continue next week with a brief comparison of Lutheran doctrine of the Holy Spirit with the doctrines of other denominations.