Welcome to St. Jacob's Lutheran Church

And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. Luke 1:46-49

This week, many congregations took time to decorate their churches for the coming Christmas celebration. These symbols of Christmas bring us joy and delight as the Church waits in hopefulness and prepares to receive the good news yet again. Through the birth of the Christ child, God fulfilled his promise of the long-awaited Messiah. Ever[1]greens, poinsettias, wreaths in the windows and even trees filled with Christian symbols help us to proclaim this good news. Their symbolism reminds us of God’s long ago promise and opens our eyes and our hearts to God’s perfect and unconditional love. When connected to God’s Word in Holy Scripture, these symbols, in their own way, share the good news of Christ Jesus with us. Yet, these decorations are not the object of our focus. However pleasing it may be, the beauty of our churches during Advent and at Christmas, the music of beloved songs and the joy that tradition brings, are not the good news. For Christian joy and celebration is not rooted in decoration, rather, it is rooted in the gospel of Jesus Christ. The word gospel literally means, “good news.”

In the first chapter of Luke, the evangelist tells us of a young girl receiving good news from the angel Gabriel. The good news of Christ is first brought to Mary, and upon receiving it, her heart’s desire becomes doing as the Lord commands. Later in Luke’s gospel, Mary visits her cousin Elizabeth who is also expecting a child and shares this good news with her. The sharing of good news leads to even greater joy and celebration. As Mary sings her “Magnificat,” this humble young woman from Nazareth sings praises to God as his promise for salvation begins to unfold. Mary’s song speaks of how God’s grace and mercy will bring joy and celebration to even the most lowly on earth.

Mary sings, “His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. He has brought down the powerful from their thrones and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty.” Luke 1: 50-53

Mary sings as if God has already done these things, because in her heart, she knows God will keep his promise. So, she celebrates this good and wonderful news. So too, the Church celebrates with joy and thanks[1]giving. But it doesn’t stop there. As the good news is to be shared and celebrated, it is also to be lived out in the mission of the Church.

The good news of Christ comes with blessing and the promise that wrong will be made right, and oppression will give way to compassion. The outcast will be made welcome, and the hungry will be fed. The joy of Mary and her beautiful Magnificat is a joy meant for all people; the joy of a young unwed mother to be, whose heart’s desire is to do as God wills.

Mary’s journey began in earnest when she embraced the promise of God as brought to her by Gabriel, the promise that says “…nothing is impossible with God.” In joyous refrain Mary answers, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Luke 1:37-38.

Throughout our Advent journey, may our hearts also be drawn to the day God came with blessing unto Mary and shared with her the good news of Christ Jesus. An angel brought the good news to Mary, who in turn shared it with the Church for all time. Today this good news comes to us once again; the good news of a young woman suddenly expecting a child, who is Christ the Lord. As Mary heard the good news from Gabriele, her heart was drawn to God’s message of hope, and she gave of herself according to God’s call.

I pray that during this season of Advent, as our churches are beautifully decorated and we take delight in the long-standing traditions of our congregations, we do not lose our focus on what God wills us to do. May our hearts be drawn to give something of ourselves according to God’s call. May we continue to serve our neighbors and welcome the strangers among us.

Good news is news to be celebrated with great joy. Yet it is also to be lived out through the lives of God’s faithful people. As we welcome others into our churches, I pray that the beauty of these decorations is pleasing in their sight, and that their symbolism of God’s love and grace for all people is proclaimed, so that all may experience the joy and celebration at Christmas.

Most Holy God, we thank you for the beauty of the world which you have created. We give you thanks and praise for the beauty of your Church on earth, especially as churches are adorned with symbol of our faith during this holy time of year. Continue to grace with your presence, lead us and inspire us to go into the world and share the truth of your Gospel, the saving power of your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. For it is in his name we pray. Amen.

Grace to you and peace,

Pastor David Nuottila

It’s almost comical when one thinks about it, writing next month’s newsletter article about things yet to come, while at the same time significant dates that belong to the previous month have yet to happen. Such is the case as I write this installment. November is a month during which the Christian church marks three important occasions: All Saint’s Day, Christ the King Sunday, and Thanksgiving. This year we also begin the season of Advent before the month of November concludes. And here I am writing about these before October’s big event…Reformation Sunday. As I study the texts for Reformation Sunday, I’m trying to iron out how to talk about All Saint’s Day, Thanksgiving, and Advent while still in the shadow of October.

There is a beloved hymn that is most often sung at the Reformation celebration that sums up the challenge well. “God’s Word is Our Great Heritage” (LBW 239). It is but one verse, albeit an important one. Many of you will recognize this hymn as I share it with you.

(To the tune of “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God”)

God’s Word is our great heritage,

and shall be ours forever.

To Spread its light from age to age,

shall be our chief endeavor.

Through life it guides our way;

in death it is our stay.

Lord, grant while time shall last,

your church may hold it fast;

Throughout all generations.

Indeed, God’s Word is our great heritage. We are all people who have been brought up in the truth of God’s Law and Gospel. We cannot deny that we depend on God’s mercy and grace for for[1]giveness of our sins and life in God’s kingdom. God’s Word for us stands forever. It is the strong, undeniable saving Word that comes from the very God we worship and glorify. Ah…there is the rub. How is it that we hear the Word and respond by glorifying God through the way we live our life?

God’s Word is our great heritage and shall be ours forever. If it is to be ours forever, well then, we should know and understand it. So much so, that it shall be our chief endeavor to spread its light from age to age so that all generations of people may claim possession of it and have the Word as their great heritage also. So how do I fit this in with All Saint’s, Thanksgiving, and Advent? Well, here goes.

As we pause to remember those church family members who passed away in the last twelve months, we take great comfort in knowing the truth of God’s salvation. Truly, we believe we will dwell with God and be reunited with all who have gone before us in faith. Those who cling to God’s promise of salvation for believers have the assurance of faith. As so many who have gone before us, our lives are to be shaped by faith – the faith we receive from God in our hearing the Gospel and abiding in Christ. If we live a life shaped by cultural norms, we cannot claim this great heritage as being ours forever. Worldly endeavors simply cannot fulfill that which God promises in the Scriptures. So many of our predecessors understood this and now rest in the love of Christ our Lord. For the fulfillment of this promise, we can and surely ought to give thanks.

As we journey to the beginning of Advent, we do so along our life’s pathway illuminated by the Word of God. Through life it guides our way; in death it is our stay. The promise of Advent is that Christ will come again to judge the living and the dead. And his kingdom will have no end. How wonderful to be among those whose great heritage is the promise of everlasting life through Christ Jesus!

Lord, grant while time shall last, your church may hold it fast; Throughout all generations. Are you holding fast to your great heritage? Are you daily pondering, meditating, and dwelling in the Word of God? If not, why not? As a child of God, saved by grace through faith in Christ Jesus, God’s Word is your great heritage, your promise from the God whose Son has purchased and won you from sin, death, and the power of the devil. Hold fast to this promise. Hold fast to your great heritage.

Grace to you and peace,

Pastor David Nuottila

Read John 17:1-26
As a part of Jesus’ farewell discourse to his disciples (John 13-17), Jesus prays what is known as his “High Priestly Prayer” (John 17) for the faithful men who have accompanied him throughout his three-year earthly ministry. He prays for these men who were once fishermen, or perhaps simple laborers, one was even a tax collector. In the three years they were with Jesus, he called these twelve ordinary men to be apostles; disciples sent into the world with a teaching for God’s people. Though one would later betray him, the apostles became Jesus’ closest friends and companions along the entire journey from Galilee, all the way to Jerusalem and the cross.
Through the prayer Jesus offered on their behalf, our Lord asked that the Father would continue to guide and protect those whom he entrusted to him. Jesus prayed that, through the power of the Holy Spirit, the apostles would be one with him, just as Jesus is one with the Father in a relationship of divine love. Not only did Jesus pray for the twelve, but he also prayed for you and me, and for all believers who would come to faith through the witness and testimony of the apostles.
Reflecting on the text of Jesus’ Farewell discourse and “High Priestly Prayer,” I can say with conviction that even as we have to say farewell to our Administrative Assistant and beloved friend, Sherry Floyd, we will continue to pray for her in her faithful service to our Lord Jesus. For over eight years, Sherry has been a partner with St. Jacob’s in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. She has been a faithful worker in the vineyard God planted here in this place, approaching her position each day, not simply as a job to do, but as a ministry she offers in thankfulness to the one who is Lord of all.
In the nearly five years that I have been blessed to know Sherry, she has become one of my most trusted co-workers throughout my pastoral ministry. Sherry and I have been through many wonderful experiences together as we have shared in the ministry of St. Jacob’s. Like it was with the apostles and Jesus, we have also seen our fair share of life’s challenges and emotional moments. I can empathize with the feeling Jesus had for the twelve in that saying farewell to one of my closest companions in ministry is not something that is simple to do. Still, as I know everyone at St. Jacob’s will, I pray for Sherry and Joe, that they will enjoy a time of renewal and restoration in their retirement together. May the Lord bless them and keep them. May the Lord’s face shine upon them and be gracious to them. May the Lord lift up his countenance upon then and keep them in peace.
Blessings,
Pastor David

During a recent session of Wednesday morning Bible study, our small group read the account written by Luke in the book of Acts, of the time when God poured out his Holy Spirit upon all those who were gathered in the upper room. Peter was there, along with the remaining apostles, Jesus’ mother, and nearly 120 other witnesses to the resurrection of Jesus. They were in the room together worshiping God and praying. That’s when it happened.

A sudden sound of a mighty rushing wind filled the room just as tongues of fire danced over the heads of the faithful. God’s Holy Spirit made his entry into the lives of those who would build the Church of Jesus Christ. What happened next is nothing short of astounding.

Peter, and the remaining disciples of Jesus took to the streets of Jerusalem and began proclaiming the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ. They did it in many languages, even though none of them had knowledge or training in the tongues in which they spoke. It was God’s working of a miracle so that people would know the power of the death and resurrection of Jesus, the true Paschal Lamb who takes away the world’s sin. Scripture records that 3,000 people were added to the church on that day, and in the next few days, another 5,000 were added to the number of believers in Christ.

Reading this narrative of the birth of the Church of Christ, and then considering the recent history of the Church, one might get the sense that the Holy Spirit no longer moves among the faithful. This would be a completely false statement. The power of the Holy Spirit is unchanging. It is the same today as it has always been since the beginning. What has changed, however; is humanity’s response to the power of the Holy Spirit.

The powers in the air, as Paul puts in Ephesians (Ephesians 2:2-4), continue to lull Christians into a spiritual slumber, of which they find it difficult to awaken from. We at St. Jacob’s are no better off than many congregations when it comes to a lack of response to the Holy Spirit’s calling. There appears to be a condition of spiritual lethargy permeating the lives of congregations throughout the Church.

During the recent Mission Region Convocation, I was a part of a conversation among several pastors who compared notes about the goings on within our churches. We soon discovered we are walking on common ground. There seems to be little hunger within several of our churches for Spiritual growth. Bible study attendance is at an all time low, as is Sunday School attendance. Participation in mission projects seems lacking and worship attendance among young families is becoming a rarity in many places. We all scratched our heads and wondered what the cause of these trends might be.

One thing we realized is that, as it was in the upper room, the people of God do not seem to gather in large numbers for prayer. Prayer seems to be something we turn to when we want something or have a particular difficulty. Christians today do not seem to be plugged in to the available power of the Holy Spirit God provides. Instead, we tend to listen to those “powers in the air” and our faith becomes distracted. This spiritual lethargy causes congregations to shrink within themselves and experience decreasing joy as numbers of worshipers begin to dwindle.

It is my prayer for St. Jacob’s that we would make a strong commitment to living a life together in the power of the Holy Spirit. That we would experience increased life together in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, and that we would rediscover the joy and fruitfulness of reading Scripture with one another as a community of believers. May the God who first brought forth the Lord Jesus Christ from death and the grave give us the will and the desire to do these.

Grace to you and peace,

Pastor David Nuottila

What follows is a copy of an essay shared with me by a friend who received it from one of his former students. I found this to be a powerful witness coming from one who felt he had to share his experience upon reading the narrative of Jesus’ death and resurrection for the first time. My friend edited some parts to preserve the student’s anonymity. Permission has been given for my sharing it with you.
Prior to attending this class, I had not been exposed to Christianity. I hadn’t read the Bible before. I knew a famous story about the Last Supper and I had seen paintings that depicted it. A few weeks ago, I went to a church for the first time. I felt a little amazed about it. The church was just like a big, warm family. Christians greeted others, gave hugs, prayed to Jesus by singing songs. They even prayed for people who were suffering diseases and disaster even though they were strangers to them. Then I saw some Christians holding out their arms and weeping when they were emotionally moved. They were so faithful when they were praying that I couldn’t believe how great was the power of their belief had I not seen it myself.
I was given a small piece of bread and a little cup of red wine which represented Jesus’ body and blood to eat. A Christian told me it was given according to Jesus’ promise to sinful human beings. But I didn’t understand that until I read Luke’s story today.
Jesus healed so many people who were sick and troubled by evil spirits before he went to Jerusalem, but he didn’t do anything for himself, even though he had anticipated his death many times. He kept calm in the face of death, comforted women who wept for him as he carried his cross. He even forgave one of the condemned criminals dying with him.
What a graceful man! Now I know why Christians are so faithful to him. A man who could devote himself to ease others’ sins should be honored and praised forever!
But still there is one thing that puzzles me. If Christians can be so moved by their faith in their Lord and Savior, why do so many take salvation for granted? Why do so many Christians refrain from attending church services on Sunday?
Being welcomed into this big warm family has brought me ever-closer to the God whom I did not know. But once I began reading the Bible and learning more about Jesus, I have become intrigued with his life, and especially his death. I have come to believe that Jesus truly is my Lord and Savior and that having been forgiven of my sins, I will one day enter the gates of his kingdom. If this is what Christians believe, why is it that an overwhelming number of them stay away?
I’ve heard some say it is because they don’t like the music. Others have said it’s because they don’t care for the pastor. I’ve even heard Christian parents complain that there are not enough things to keep their children busy. This is what I don’t understand. Are we supposed to come because we like the music? Are we supposed to come because we feel the pastor is a terrific preacher and perfect gentleman? And are we supposed to bring our children so they can participate in games and programs? No, what I have come to believe is that Christians are to come to church because living on our own terms is why Jesus went to the cross in the first place. He died because humans are stubborn in their thinking, because they only want life measured by the way they think it should be. Although I am sure few would admit this, not even to themselves, I have to admit this was me, at least until I took this class and was invited to church by one of my classmates.
I am so thankful that I have met Jesus. I am thankful that a church filled with sinners welcomed me into their warm family. I am thankful that the imperfect pastor of their church believes Jesus died for the sake of everyone, and that he is so willing to tell others how God saves us from our sin through the death of Jesus.
Not before I took this class, not before I read the Gospel of Luke, not before I went to church with my classmate, did I realize what I had been missing my whole life. And now, I want this for everyone. Thank you, Jesus, for opening my eyes.
Grace to you and peace,
Pastor David Nuottila

The page on the calendar indicates the month of April is finally upon us, and the highlight for the Church will certainly be the Easter celebration that comes on April 17th. Yet, as I prepared to write this column and offer an Easter message, I realized that at the time of this writing, we are but halfway through our Lenten journey. As the children of God, we long to celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord at Easter, but in order to be faithful, we cannot look past the lessons of Lent and the events of Holy Week. Of course, there are plans underway for our traditional Easter breakfast and Easter egg hunt. Yet, in the midst of all these plans for celebration, if we fail to consider the journey of Christ to the cross, suddenly the story loses much of its meaning.
Since Ash Wednesday, Christians the world over have focused on our need for repentance and our reliance on God’s mercy and grace. Lent is a season of penitence, a time for spiritual renewal and a time of dedication to discipleship and following Christ. Each Wednesday, our congregation, along with four other congregations, have been engaged in a series based on the prophet Joel’s call to “Return to the Lord.” As we consider what Christ endured on our behalf, we hear God’s call to turn away from our betrayal, bearing false witness, and denial. We have also heard the message that God calls us to return to him in prayer, seeking his kingdom first above all else.
Each Wednesday, we continue to hear the call to return to the Lord from neighboring pastors who have prepared messages for us according to our theme. These voices of repentance provide us with very real examples of how we are to respond to God’s grace. God meets us where we are and in our every need. He provides that which we need to live and calls us to share these good gifts with others. Just as Christ loves us, God calls us to love our neighbors and be as Christ to them.
Finally, as we prepare for the week the Church calls Holy, we look to Jesus’ triumphal entry into the city of Jerusalem where he was greeted as king and called blessed. The Bible study we have shared concerning the Passion of Christ has focused attention to those events of Holy Week that have
been leading up to Jesus’ arrest, trial and crucifixion. For me, it has been a particularly meaningful time of Bible study. I strongly encourage those who are able, come on Wednesday morning and join in. We will engage Scriptures as we read of Jesus before Caiaphas, Herod and ultimately Pilate. We will consider his passion as the ones whom he came to save. And finally, we will study and meditate on Christ words from the cross as he completes his earthly mission and wins the victory over the powers that defy God.
Many of you will come to the service of Palm Sunday and hear the passion narrative of our Lord Jesus. Many more of you will come to celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord and feel the power of God’s love, mercy, and grace. Still, I encourage you to attend the services of worship dur-ing Lent and especially Holy Week. This is the time to consider what God in Christ Jesus has done and continues to do for the sake of God’s people. This is the time to dedicate yourselves to deepening your relationship with God. This is the time to cast away those aspects of our lives that do us harm and give thanks to God for rebirth as children of God as we bathe in the waters of our baptism onto Christ.
The Easter celebration is not far off, but it is also not yet here. In order that we may fully and joyfully experience the wonders of Christ’s empty tomb, we must also hear and consider his journey to the cross. I look forward to seeing more and more of you as Easter approaches. I look forward to sharing the gospel story of Jesus with you and receiving the feast of Christ body and blood that God sets before us each week. And most certainly I look forward with great anticipation to sharing with you the Easter proclamation that Christ is risen, he is risen indeed!
Grace to you and peace,
Pastor David Nuottila