November 2009
From the Desk of Pastor Lassman
What Does It Mean To Be Lutheran?
My Fellow Redeemed in Christ,
This past October 31 was the 492nd anniversary of Martin Luther’s posting the 95 Theses on the church door in Wittenberg, Germany which was the beginning of the Lutheran Reformation of the Church. On October 25 we celebrated the Reformation in our Divine Service. I read some where that more has been written about Martin Luther than any other person in history except Jesus Christ. Our connection with Martin Luther is being “Lutherans”. Our connection with Jesus Christ is being “Christians”. And so when I ask the question “What Does It Mean To Be Lutheran?” someone might ask “Don’t you mean, ‘What does it mean to be Christians?’” Well, of course. But what does that mean? Baptist? Roman Catholic? Pentecostal? Presbyterian? Of course, we are thankful for all that we have in common with all who go by the name “Christian”. But sadly, there are differences too. And for a Lutheran there is no difference between asking what is a Lutheran and what is a Christian? If there was something that was not Christian about being a Lutheran….then I shouldn’t be a Lutheran. Do you think that Martin Luther would say that some of the things he taught were not Christian! If you do…you don’t know Martin Luther! So then, there is no difference between being Lutheran and being Christian. Ah, at least in theory! What do I say that? Because not all Lutherans are faithful to the teachings of the Bible. Throughout history there have been many “Lutherans” that have not been faithful to Lutheran teachings. For example, The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America recently approved practicing homosexuals to be pastors. (For more information on this go to: www.lcms.org/pages/rpage.asp?NavID=15828.)
So, then how do we know what a Lutheran is? Well, a Lutheran is faithful to God’s Word, Holy Scripture. Well, yes…but all Lutherans and all Christians say that they are faithful to God’s Word.
So, how do we know what it means to be a Lutheran when there are so many differences?. Well, the simple answer is a Lutheran believes, teaches and confesses what is in “The Book of Concord” which was published in 1580. This book contains the documents and the teachings that define what a Lutheran is. Here’s a quick review:
Martin Luther’s “Small and Large Catechisms” of 1529. These are probably the best known of the Lutheran Confessions because countless children have been taught the Christian Faith especially by “The Small Catechism” for close to five hundred years. 2) In 1530 the Lutherans presented their teachings to the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V, in the city of Augsburg, Germany. This document, “The Augsburg Confession”, sets forth the differences between Lutherans and the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church.
This document emphasizes that, unlike the Roman Catholic Church, what the Lutherans taught was not only what was in the bible but what the Church has always taught as can be seen in the Church Fathers. 3) In 1537 two documents were produced in anticipation of another council to resolve differences. “The Smalcald Articles” are named after a meeting in the city of Smalcald, Germany and were written by Martin Luther again about differences between Lutherans and the Roman Catholics. In the same year the Lutherans approved “The Treatise on the Power and the Primacy of the Pope” and was intended to be an addition to the “Augsburg Confession”.
4) The last document, “The Formula of Concord” was written in 1577 to bring peace among arguing Lutherans (say, that sounds familiar!) and focused on the differences between Lutherans and the “other Protestants”. And finally, all of these documents were put into “The Book of Concord”. By the way, “Concord” comes from the Latin “Concordia” which means “peace/harmony”. And now you know why so many of our schools are named “Concordia”!
These documents tell us “What it means to be a Lutheran”. Indeed, when I was ordained and when I was installed as pastor here at Messiah I swore before God and the congregation not to teach anything contrary to “The Book of Concord”…because if I did…it would not be Lutheran…that is….it would not be Christian…for there is no difference between the teachings of “The Book of Concord” and “The Bible”.
As offensive as this may be to some people this was the position of the Martin Luther and the authors of “The Book of Concord”—There is no difference between the teachings of these Lutheran Confessions and the Bible as we read in the Preface: “This is the case: being instructed from the prophetic and apostolic Scriptures, we are sure about our doctrine and Confession” (A Reader’s Edition of the Book of Concord, CPH, 2nd edition, 2006, p. 10).
Martin Luther and our Lutheran forefathers were willing to be burned at the stake for their confession of the truth. One way to honor their courage is to faithfully read and study their writings and to believe, teach and confess the same faith.. If you would like to order a copy of “The Book of Concord” please call Messiah’s office. If you already have a copy…I encourage you to keep reading it.
In Christ,
Pastor Lassman
The Lutheran Hour Ministries Mission:
Bringing Christ to the Nations-and the Nations to the Church
LHM Overview
Lutheran Hour ministries is a Christian outreach ministry supporting churches worldwide. LHM produces a Christian radio and TV programming for broadcast as well as Internet and print communications, dramas, music, and outreach materials, to reach unchurched people in the United States and more than 30 other countries. LHM, flagship program, The Lutheran Hour, airs weekly on more than 900 stations in North America. You can listen to the Lutheran Hour and Woman to Woman radio outreach by tuning to the following stations:
The Lutheran Hour airs weekly in the Seattle area on KIXI 1380 Sunday mornings at 6:30 AM.
Woman to Woman airs weekly in the Seattle area on KXPA 1540 AM Saturday evenings at 8 PM.
Information on supporting LHM is located on the Evangelism bulletin board across from the Youth Room.
From the Vicar
Greetings in Christ Jesus,
Did you know we have active youth groups at Messiah? I’m sure that most of you know we had youth groups but, do you know what they are doing every month? That old expression “out of sight out of mind” is all too true. Well in this months article I would like to put our wonderful youth groups in plain sight.
In the past The Messenger had a section dedicated to what was going on with the youth groups at Messiah, that is something we are bring back starting this month. This section will communicate a report on the last few months activates and the upcoming events for the next few months. In addition to having updates back in The Messenger, we are also updating the high school youth board located outside of the high school Sunday school room, and we have created a Facebook group online for the high school youth and parents. Hopefully all of these new venues will prove an effective way of disseminating information to youth, parents and the whole congregation. It is important for everyone to know and be involved because even if you are not a parent or member of the youth group, we are still brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus.
Did you know you can be involved even if you do not have kids in the youth? There are many opportunities to serve and in doing so you can earn your PHD (pray, help and discuss) in youth work. One of the best ways you can help our youth is to pray for them. I know that this may seem obvious but that old expression “out of sight out of mind” jumps up again and if someone is not in our thoughts it is all to easy to forget to pray for them. Another fun way you can serve is to volunteer to help with an event. We can always use extra people to drive, facilitate or chaperon an event. Not only is this a great opportunity for you to serve but our events are generally rewarding for the adults as well. Also the Youth Board meets the third Tuesday at 7:00pm every month and we would love to have kids, parents or members join us to discuss and plan what is happening with the high school youth and all youth at Messiah. If you are interested in earning your “PHD” in youth work please, talk to me and I can start you on your way.
You may be wondering what is going on with the youth at Messiah so allow me to give you an update. On Sundays the senior high youth are creating a audio Bible. We are starting with a dramatized reading of the Gospel of Luke. In October, in addition to all of that we also had our regular ongoing Bible study on angels and demons, we had activities at Autumn Evening specifically geared for the senior high youth. We had a fire, s’mores, apple bobbing and fun in the game room. The last full weekend of October we took the senior high youth for a day of fun and fright to a corn maze and hunted house. The junior high youth went to the Museum of Fright. In November we have several great activates scheduled. On the 8th the senior high youth are going to see the new movie A Christmas Carol at the iMax3D theater, we are also scheduled for a Rolling Lock-in on the 20th. Both events are great opportunities to work on your PHD. I hope you can join us. Keep an eye out in next months The Messenger for the events that are coming up in December!
Lord’s blessings,
Vicar Mankin
CURRENT AND UPCOMING BIBLE STUDIES
************************************************************************
FELLOWSHIP HALL BIBLE CLASS
WHAT: “Revelation”
WHEN: Sunday Mornings 9:20 a.m.
WHERE: Fellowship Hall
INSTRUCTOR: Pastor Lassman
************************************************************************
HIGH SCHOOL BIBLE CLASS SUNDAY MORNINGS
WHAT: “Growing in Christ”
WHEN: Sunday Mornings 9:20 a.m.
WHERE: Youth Room-Room 202
INSTRUCTOR: Vicar Mankin
************************************************************************
YOUNG ADULTS
WHAT: Devotion and Fellowship
WHEN: 1st and 3rd Sundays, 5:30 p.m.
WHERE: Lounge
INSTRUCTOR: Vicar Mankin
************************************************************************
HIGH SCHOOL YOUTH NIGHT
WHAT: Devotion and Fellowship
WHEN: 2nd and 4th Sundays, 5:30 p.m.
WHERE: Youth Room
INSTRUCTOR: Vicar Mankin
************************************************************************
MONDAY EVENING MARY/MARTHA BIBLE STUDY
WHAT: The Lutheran Spirituality Series: Community
WHEN: First Monday of the Month, 7 p.m.
WHERE: Lounge
INSTRUCTOR: Kathy Lassman
************************************************************************
MONDAY EVENING STUDY
WHAT: “Lutheran Confessions”
WHEN: Monday evenings, 7 p.m.
WHERE: Youth Room-Room 202
INSTRUCTOR: Jim Pierce
************************************************************************
TUESDAY MORNING BIBLE STUDY
WHAT: “1 Corinthians”
WHEN: Tuesday Mornings, 10:30 a.m.
WHERE: Fellowship Hall
INSTRUCTOR: Pastor Lassman
*************************************************************************
THURSDAY EVENING BIBLE STUDY
WHAT: “1 & 2 Thessalonians, 1&2 Timothy, Titus
WHEN: Thursdays, 7 p.m. Starting November 12th
WHERE: Youth Room-Room 202
LEADER: Jim Grant
*************************************************************************
ADULT INFORMATION CLASS
WHAT: A 15-week course on basic Christian teachings
WHEN: Thursday Evenings, 7:00 p.m.
WHERE: Fellowship Hall
INSTRUCTOR: Pastor Lassman
*************************************************************************
UPCOMING EVENTS
Men’s Night Out Monday, November 2nd, at 6 p.m. at Italian Spaghetti House, 9824 Lake City way NE. Please RSVP to Brian Danforth.
November Messenger deadline is November 15th.
Ladies’ Night Out -We're going to Mulleady's Irish Pub & restaurant, 3055 21st Ave W, Seattle (Magnolia). 6 pm on November 23rd. RSVP to Bev Edmon.
Service & Fundraising Opportunity - Susie Paeth, Fellowhip Chair is seeking groups within the church to prepare and serve an Advent supper for this coming Advent Season. The dates will be December 2nd, 9th, and 16th at 6:00 pm. If you are interested in getting your group involved, please call Susie Paeth.
Attention High School Youth - Please save the night of Friday November 20th for our annual Rolling High School Lock-in. Get ready for a fun filled night of caffeine fueled entertainment that includes dinner, bowling, gym time, movies, games, breakfast and devotions all for just $15.00! Think about inviting your friends to this annual all night event. We are still finalizing the agenda so check out the high school bulletin board for final details and sign up on the sign up sheet.
Fall cleanup day will be Saturday morning, November 21st from 9:00 to 12:00. We will be working both indoors and outdoors. Indoors we will be cleaning, vacuuming and fixing areas that don’t get covered on a weekly basis. Outdoors we will be raking up leaves and pine needles, weeding, pruning and doing general cleanup around the church. Bring pruners, rakes, brooms, gloves, etc. Refreshments and a lunch will be provided.
Concordia University Portland is preparing for their “Preview 09" scheduled for November 13-14th, 2009. Future student have the opportunity to explore the campus and ask questions. For more information and to preview all events, check out www.cu-portland.edu/preview2009.com. There is also information posted on the High School youth board.
You are all invited to join us Monday evenings at 7:00 pm in the “Youth Room” (room 202) in reading our Lutheran Confessions. In addition to reading we discuss what is read and also comment on art work contained in “Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions” which is the reader’s edition of the Book of Concord. If you don’t have a Book of Concord come and join us anyway.
Lutheran Marriage Encounter presents “A Weekend of Discovery...A Lifetime of Love” November 6-8th, 2009 in Tukwila, WA. To register or for more information: www.GodLovesMarriage.org or contact: Lutheran Marriage Encounter at 1.800.235.1000. Marriage Encounter is designed to provide a place for you - a safe place where you can work on your marriage together.
FOR YOUR INFORMATION
Ethiopian Mission Support - Teacher for the Ethiopian Mission Sunday School - We could still use one more person to help teach the Sunday School for Mekane Yesus, the Ethiopian Mission church (11 am - 1 pm). There are now 9 children coming ages 3-11 years. It is getting to be too much for one person to handle. For information contact Ann Melvin or Cheryl Kohring.
Thanksgiving Cornucopia Food Collection
As we look forward to Thanksgiving and the festive time with family and friends, let us also remember to celebrate God’s blessings to us by sharing with those less fortunate. A cornucopia of donated food items will be displayed on the altar during the Thanksgiving Day Service. Social Ministry and the two LWML groups will be collecting food and setting up the display. The food items can be put on the table near the coffee bar. Please bring NON-perishable items. The deadline for bringing the items to church is Sunday, November 22nd. Suggested items: Dry cereal, cocoa, coffee, canned goods, sugar, flour, baking supplies, peanut butter, jelly, soups, canned meat, tuna fish.
Lake City Christmas Project
The Lake City Christmas Project is a partnership between non-profit agencies that serve low-income and homeless North Seattle families. This program has a twenty-two year history and this will be our third year helping to provide gifts for over 600 children. Come the end of November, we will have a small tree located out in the Narthex. If you take a tag, it is requested that you leave your name and tag number on the sheet located near the tree. Each gift is a request from a child and the return gift/gifts of around $25.00 is appreciated. Unwrapped return gifts can be left in the Narthex along with the original tag. Watch your Sunday bulletins for more details in November.
Sunday School News
We will celebrate Christmas early this year. The children’s Christmas Service will be on December 13th during the Education Hour.
During the five Sundays in November we will continue studying Old Testament events: Jonah, Hezekiah Prays, The Three Men in the Fiery Furnace, Daniel in the Lions Den and Esther. These are excellent lessons to look at as we begin to prepare for our Christmas celebration. Each lesson leads us to see that God is merciful, ready to hear our cries for help, able to preserve and save us from sin and death because of Jesus’ sacrifice.
Parent, we would like to encourage you to talk to your children about what they learned in Sunday School. The lesson leaflets that your younger children bring home have ideas for enjoyable activities that will strengthen your family and reinforce the lessons learned on Sunday.
See you next Sunday!
Social MinistryNews
Monthly Donations
Both Immanuel Lutheran and Compass Cascade have expressed their thankfulness in Messiah’s faithful monthly contributions for the homeless they/we assist. This month we are collecting toothpastes and toothbrushes. Please put these in the lounge basket. Also, please include the marked receipt(s). These will be sent to Thrivent Financial, which will send us a check so we can help more people.
Eyeglasses
Used eyeglasses are given to people who cannot afford to buy them. The Lions’ Club distributes them. If you have used eyeglasses, which you no longer need, please put them in the box in the lounge.
Lutheran Women’s Missionary League (LWML) News
Ladies Guild (LWML)
Wednesday, November 11th, 12 noon
“Soup Pot”- bring 1-1 ½ cups of cooked vegetables
Beverage and dessert will be provided
Bring your “mites” for missions
Project Day
Wednesday, November 25th , 9:30 am to 2 pm
Bring a sack lunch
All Messiah ladies are invited to come!
Call Irma Guthrie for more information
Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd Advent Tea
Sunday, December 6th, 4:00 - 6:00 pm
All are invited
Please call Margie Longan by Wednesday, December 2nd if you plan to attend.
Watch for more information in upcoming bulletins and December Messenger.
Messiah’s Mary-Martha Ministries
Monthly Women’s Bible Study Monday, November 2nd, 7 p.m. The Lutheran Spirituality Series: Community study written by Masaki (the professor who taught the continuing ed class here in June). “The church is where our crucified and risen Lord Jesus lives and gives His abundant gifts”...the study will go into these various gifts in depth. The title of the study is “Where Christ Is, There is the Church” and is led by Kathy Lassman. All women of Messiah are welcome.
MITES:
Don’t forget the last Sunday of the month is the day to bring in your mite boxes. Drop your box in the basket at the back of the Sanctuary and pick up another one. Your change goes a long way in supporting Lutheran mission activities around the world.
Letters from Messiah’s Seminary Student
Deaconess Diary
It's the beginning of the seventh week of the quarter as I write this. One lesson that has been hard to learn has come in my Gospels class--if you think you know the Word of God, think again! Exegesis is really difficult to do, even with a lot of praying and agonizing. But with this pain has come a lot of gain--I'm really digging into the Gospel of Matthew and finding nuggets that I didn't know existed.
The weather has turned, and the trees are changing color on campus. When I was a child, I lived in Illinois and grew to love the bright autumn colors. I keep hoping to see some really vibrant reds on the trees here--so far it's mainly yellow and orange.
I've started my field work at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Avilla, Indiana. It's about 26 miles northwest of Fort Wayne. I was installed this past Sunday (Oct. 18) with a seminarian field worker. My pastor has taken me along on two visits with him. I've also started visiting a senior lady at a retirement home in Fort Wayne.
Thanks to everyone who remembered my birthday this year. It meant a lot to me to hear from you when I'm so far from home. Matt and Jessica Zickler even took me out for a dessert and drink after the annual seminary chili cook-off last Friday night!
Sorry that I don't have time to write more. Maybe we can catch up when I come back for quarter break at Thanksgiving. In the meantime, God bless and keep you all.
Your sister in Christ,
Gail Ludvigson
CONCORDIANEWS
from Dave Meyer, principal....
I truly enjoy the beginning of a new school year because it opens itself to a fresh start and new beginnings. As each year passes by at Concordia, I try to pull together a theme that God lays in front of us to focus our attention for the year. This theme that is birthed every year allows all of the community, students, parents, teachers and congregation member to come together.
This year the theme is Release. After, stating this to my mother (the librarian), her response was: Where is the Gospel in that? She is always the teacher. Here at Concordia we are a Christian Lutheran school that brings in God’s love to everything we do! Our focus is divided between Law, God’s expectations of us, and Gospel which redeems us. Our focus as Lutherans is on the Gospel, hence the question from a 70 year old Lutheran educator, “Where’s the Gospel?”
Jesus has taken the cross so we are able to release our disappointment, sorrow, pain and control to Him. His life was given so we can be free of guilt and release control to Him for whatever His plan may lead. We are to prepare, but His plan will continue to work on our hearts and minds to release to Him.
I believe the Gospel exists in the actual release of situations, relationships, and or sins that we all hold on to. I am a person who likes to control; a quick example of this is while we were installing the new outdoor hoop this summer I gave the task to Mr. Holley. Just as the cement was arriving in the truck, I decided they needed some help; I hustled down to “help” and make sure it was done my way. As I knelt down by the cement the gentlemen running the mixer let go a load of wet cement and it splattered all over my face and shirt. Why was I there? Why did I need to control this? I need to release to those I trust. I am slower than most, so I am sure that you do not have similar traits, but just in case, remember He wants you to share and release everything to Him because he stands ready to accept you just the way you are.
Dave Meyer
Concordia Lutheran School is once again selling Entertainment Books. The cost is $20.00 which will support the students planning on going to tour Washington D.C. in 2012. Contact Leslie Miller if you would like to purchase one. Remember they also make great Christmas gifts!
