Welcome to St. Jacob's Lutheran Church

[Peter and the other disciple] were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. John 20:4
Recently while looking through some old Bible study material, I stumbled upon a video that made me pause for a while. It is a video of a skit portrayed by two men called “The Skit Guys.” In the video, they are enacting the events of the first Easter morning. Peter and John (The Skit Guys) are told by some women that they have seen Jesus. In response, they run to the empty tomb. John runs much swifter and much more sure footed than Peter. Their faces display the anticipation and even perhaps a bit of fear concerning what they might find. John reaches the tomb first, but he won’t look inside or enter. Then Peter arrives, huffing and puffing, but he enters the tomb without stopping to think. As I replay this video in my mind, this is the point where I have to hit the pause button.
I wonder to myself, upon hearing the reports of the women saying they have seen Jesus very much alive, would I be bold enough to charge into Christ’s tomb? Even as I knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that Jesus was beaten, whipped and crucified, would I have the where with all to enter the tomb where they laid his body only to find it empty? Thinking about that for a while, I finally decided that, yes I would. Having walked with Jesus for three years as a disciple, having witnessed his many miracles, and having come to believe Jesus is who he says he is; I would have to enter the tomb.
I suppose the question I have for you, my church family, is much the same that I faced when watching this video. If someone came to you early in the morning, excited and out of breath, and told you that they had seen Jesus and he is very much alive, you would run to the tomb in order to see for yourself? Would this amazing news of Christ’s resurrection stir your emotions so deep that you would simply have to wit ness the event with your own eyes? I suspect that it would. I suspect that given such extraordinary news, you too would run to the tomb of Jesus in wondrous expectation. We would likely do this because of the same reason Peter and John did; we are his disciples and we love him.
Through the reading of Holy Scripture, worship and prayer, we are witnesses to the many amazing miracles of Jesus. We are students of his teaching and recipients of his grace. Following Jesus through out his mission and ministry, we too have come to know Jesus as Messiah and Lord, through whom we have forgiveness of sin and the hope of eternal life. Throughout the past twelve months, since Easter of last year, I pray that in my preaching and teaching, you have heard the gospel of Christ and the reports that Jesus is indeed alive!
Even as we have traveled the Lenten Road once more, even as we are about to once again mark the event of Christ’s Passion, and come to the realization that yes, Jesus did give up his life for our sake. Soon, the sun will rise on yet another Easter morning. Yes, we know beyond the shadow of a doubt that Jesus died and was buried, but still the reports of his resurrection persist. Jesus is alive! We have seen him! How sweet this news is to the ears of the people of God.
At the conclusion of the video, Peter finally emerges from the tomb to meet John who is still standing outside. Peter, holding the burial garments of Christ in his hands, can only look at John with a stare of complete amazement. As the two disciples take in the meaning of what they have witnessed, all they can do is laugh through their tears of joy. Jesus is alive. He is risen! It happened just as he said it would.
People of God, as Easter Sunday is upon us, I invite you to run to the empty tomb and see for yourself. Come hear the good news of Jesus’ resurrection once more. If you have not been in worship for a while, what a great time to come! I invite you to run to the tomb, charge right in and behold the glory of God in the resurrection of our Lord. It happened just the way Jesus said it would. I invite you to be a part of the Easter story and to be a part of the celebration among your church family. Come hear the good news of Christ Jesus. He is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!
Grace to you and peace,
Pastor David Nuottila

Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. Isaiah 43:19
In March, our congregation is about to embark on a journey. It is an opportunity to do what nearly every congregation must do from time to time. We will gather to look at ourselves, our ministry, our mission and purpose with “Fresh Eyes for Mission.” This is a crucial step to be taken at a crucial time for our church family.
Through the years, St. Jacob’s has been a part of the community in and around Chapin. Through the lives of our members, we have enjoyed long lasting relationships with schools, local government, public servants, and a plethora of civic and religious groups. But as we consider these things, we must ask ourselves, “Have we been fully engaged in the mission of the Gospel here in this place?”
Like a lot of churches, St. Jacob’s is not the congregation we once were ten or fifteen years ago. But in our collective memory, we might be slow to acknowledge this. Many congregations are experiencing decline in membership, worship attendance, Sunday school participation, and family-oriented ministries. It’s often difficult to pinpoint the reason for such decline, but unless it is addressed, congregations can expect the trends to continue.
We are no different. I’ve spent several days pouring over St. Jacob’s report books for our recent past, and have seen for myself the decline that has occurred since the early 2000’s. The one thing that stands out for me in these reports is the level of participation our members shared in the mission and ministry. Also, the welcoming of new members into the church family (mostly through baptism or transfer from another congregation). The number of persons welcomed into St. Jacob’s through other means (invitation, new Chris tians) is small and has declined significantly through recent years. With a community growing at the pace Chapin is experiencing, this seems surprising.
Looking at St. Jacob’s with Fresh Eyes will allow us all to begin formulating a vision for future ministry and perhaps even growth. It will provide the means to have fruitful, and meaningful conversation centered on what God is calling us to do and be for the sake of our neighbors. And finally, we will have opportunity to pray together, asking God for guidance, insight, and patience, as we look for renewal of faithful and energetic ministry here in this place.
Several congregations within our Carolinas Mission region have conducted Fresh Eyes Summits. With the assistance of NALC leadership, they have experienced renewed excitement and commitment within their ranks, and look to the future with hope that is centered in faithful commitment to the Gospel of our Lord Jesus. We can expect the same result if only we come together as a church family and make an honest assessment of who we are and discern the direction in which God is calling us.
A brief questionnaire is included in this newsletter, and will also be available for everyone to fill out on Sunday, March 5th. It is anonymous so you don’t have to worry about comments being attached to you. The questions are quite simple, but will provide important talking points for our Fresh Eyes Summit. Please fill it out and leave it in the box provided on the table near the narthex doors.
Finally, I am asking all of you to gather in the Fellowship Hall on Saturday, March 11th to participate in the Fresh Eyes for Mission Summit work shop. Like I said earlier, it is a crucial time in our life together and an important conversation that we need to have. Please make the commitment to be there on March 11th. The workshop will go from 9:00AM – 3:00PM. It is arranged in such a way that your voice will be heard and your ideas given proper attention. I look forward to experiencing this with you and to discovering some of the new things God has in store for us. I’m sure there are also some familiar aspects of our ministry that will be lifted up and renewed as well. Thanks be to God for this opportunity to be a vibrant part of His mission here in Chapin now, and well into the future. This truly comes from the pastor’s heart.
Grace to you and peace,
Pastor David Nuottila

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Psalm 51:10
Remember, you are dust. As if we need a reminder. In the second chapter of Genesis we read that God created humankind from the dust of the ground. It wasn’t long after, that Adam and Eve fell into sin and God explained to them the consequences of their disobedience. In chapter 3, God said to Adam, “By the sweat of your face, you shall eat bread, until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return” Genesis 3:19.
And so, since that time, God’s people have had to face the truth, you are dust, and there is nothing you can do about it. To dust you shall return.
Each year, about this time, Christians all over the world are confronted with the fact that, because we are sinners, we are deserving of God’s punishment and wrath. It is the reality we face on Ash Wednesday. Well, in truth, it is only a part of the reality we face on Ash Wednesday. The other part is that we receive the good news that God has provided for us the means to escape eternal punishment. God, who is rich in mercy, provides for his people a Savior who will spare us from the eternal death we so richly deserve.
Facing these realities, Christians all over the world begin the annual metaphorical pilgrimage to the cross of Christ where the victory over sin is won. The season of Lent is a somber time, a time for self-reflection upon our lives as sinners, yet also as God’s redeemed people through the merits of our Lord Jesus Christ. The worship services of the Church are meant to provide people with an opportunity to reflect upon their need for a Savior, and to remind them that we indeed have one. He is Christ the Lord.
All that Christ endured, his pain, his suffering, he did so for our sake. As God’s incarnate Word, Jesus came into the world to fully identify with God’s created people who have fallen away from the Father’s intentions and expectations.
Centuries before Christ was born, King David, of all people, stood convicted in his sin. Just like every one else, King David was formed from the dust of the ground. David knew there was nothing he could do to erase the shame and guilt that he brought upon himself through his sin against Bathsheba and Uriah. Mercy could only come from the God whom he grievously disobeyed. And so, in his guilt and shame, he bore his heart to God.
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit (Psalm 51:10-12). David’s prayer is our prayer too. Only through Christ are we saved. Even as we are dust, through God’s grace, mercy and love, Christ extends the promise of God’s kingdom to all who believe.
This year, as we make our annual Lenten journey to the cross together, we will do so following a particular journey. I will be preaching a series of sermons entitled “The Journey of Stones.” Each Sunday during Lent we will hear messages meant to reveal the hardness of our hearts, hearts as hard as stone. By journey’s end, we will leave this hardness of heart where it belongs, at the foot of the cross of Christ.
I invite you to commit to weekly worship during Lent and to make this journey with the rest of your church family. It begins with worship on Ash Wednesday, February 22, when we are marked with the ashen cross of Christ, the symbol of our mortality blended with the symbol of our salvation. Remember you are dust, and to dust you shall return. God’s grace and peace be unto you all during this season of Lent and forever and always.
Blessings,
Pastor David Nuottila