No Secrets
Read – 1 John 1:5-10
Almighty God, to whom all hearts are open; all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid. These words are very familiar to a great number of Christians. Each week, Christians bear their souls, confessing their sins to our almighty God. Yet, God is not the only one who is to hear our confession.
Day by day, people sin against one another. All too often, we sin against our neighbor even without them knowing about it. Gossip, harmful remarks and breaking confidences are all ways in which we sin against our brothers and sisters. Such sins are those which we do our best to keep hidden from the one who is the object of our misgiving. After all, what they don’t know won’t hurt them right?
Even if we are able to keep knowledge our sins from others, God sees them. Our Father knows our hearts and minds better than we know them ourselves. Failing to recognize our sin leads us away from our God and drives a wedge in the midst of the community of faith. Yet, as we acknowledge and confess our sin in the presence of God and one another, we are assured of our forgiveness.
Prayer: Almighty God, create in me a clean heart, and renew a right spirit within me. Amen.
Pastor Archive
Pastoral Devotion for March
Posted March 1, 2021 By adminHoly Week and Easter
Posted February 25, 2021 By adminUnlike last year, this Spring St. Jacob’s will offer our traditional Holy Week and Easter Services. Holy Week will begin with our Palm Sunday services on March 28th. For the 10:30 AM service we will begin outside in front of the church entrance for our call to worship and Palm Procession. Members will be invited to lay their palm branches down at the foot of the chancel near the Paschal candle and then make their way to their seats using the side aisles.
There will be no Wednesday evening service during Holy Week since we will gather again on Maundy Thursday (April 1st) for worship with Holy Communion and the stripping of the altar. On Good Friday (April 2nd) we will gather in silence at 7 PM for our evening worship.
On Easter Sunday (April 4th) we will hold our Easter Sunrise service beginning at 7 AM. Sadly, as things stand right now we will not be offering our annual Easter breakfast for the congregation. Sunday school will be held at its regular time of 9:15 AM with worship following at 10:30 AM. We look forward to the celebration of Easter with our church family, especially since public worship was cancelled last year. Please plan to attend all of our Holy Week and Easter services as you are able.
First Communion Instruction
Posted February 25, 2021 By adminFirst Communion Instruction will be held for those Baptized children of St. Jacob’s whose parents feel that they are ready to begin receiving the Sacrament of the Altar. While there is no hard and fast age requirement for receiving Holy Communion, parents should speak with their children concerning their participation in the Sacrament. If your child has expressed an interest or has asked question with regards to Holy Communion, he or she may be ready to receive their Lord in this new way.
Pastor David will offer classes on three successive Sundays in March, March 7th, 14th, and 21st during the Sunday school hour. A parent or guardian is asked to accompany their child in order to share experiences with them. Children participating in this instruction will receive their first Holy Communion on Palm Sunday, March 28th at the 10:30 AM. Service. Please contact Pastor David with any questions you might have.
From the Pastor’s Heart
Posted February 1, 2021 By admin“Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6
As several within our church family know, I have been engaged in a Doctor of Ministry program (DMIN) for the last few years. In the Spring of 2020, I completed all the required course work for this degree. What is left is to complete my thesis project and dissertation. The focus of my work is to equip and empower parents of all ages to be faith leaders within the family. This extends to parents of all ages with children of all ages. I believe it is crucial that congregations realize the importance of families growing together in faith and their relationship with Christ. Truly, I do not have to look far to see how a parent can struggle with such faithful practice.
While raising my own children, I would love to say I was the picture of the ideal parent. Like so many, Angela and I struggled with balancing things between the secular world and the church. Travel sports teams and other public school events pulled us in several directions, but mostly they would attempt to pull us away from our life of faith. Still, as I watch my oldest son teaching his children, I soon realize there were many things I could have and should have done differently.
As a father, I certainly missed many opportunities to be a faith teacher for my kids. As I search for a reason, I quickly realize that I never learned how to become the faith leader for my family. Back then there was little emphasis placed on equipping parents for the spiritual fight against the powers of the world, even today there are few resources provided parents mired within this struggle. Now as a pastor, I pray that I can help parents become models of faith for their children, especially for their adult children and grandchildren. Doing so means owning up to those times when we recognize that, as parents, we have fallen short in keeping our
baptismal promises made on the behalf of our children.
Admitting such is not pleasant, but once understood, an awareness of God’s loving grace envelops parents and we soon realize the treasure trove of guidance we have through the words of Holy Scripture and the love and support network of the fellowship of believers. God’s compassionate empowerment is there at the ready for anyone who would ask.
Given my many years of service within the Church, and through life experiences and the lessons I have learned from others, my hope is that the children (of all ages) of St. Jacob’s will grow in faith and fellowship with their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and that parents will feel they have been equipped to become models of faith for their children.
As my DMIN Work continues, it is my prayer that the fruit of four years of doctoral study will produce helpful resources through which I am able to offer pastoral support for families struggling against the powers that continue in their attempt to pull God’s children away from a life of faith.
If you have ever wondered “Why don’t my children want to come to church?” Or if you have adult children that seem to have fallen away from the good habits of Christian life, I invite you to come along on this journey with me. Part of doctoral work within the church is engaging people in their faith, meeting them where it matters and doing the work of the gospel together.
This is truly an issue that lies at the heart of your pastor. It is my prayer that God would grant me the wisdom, insight, and patience to see it through. I know he will for as my favorite Bible passage states, “He who calls you is faithful, he will surely do it.” 1 Thessalonians 5:24
Grace to you and peace,
Pastor David Nuottila
Pastoral Devotion for February
Posted February 1, 2021 By adminLove Yourself
[One of the scribes asked him] “Which commandment is the greatest of all?” Jesus answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 3The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:28-31
Next to the commandment to love God with our whole heart, soul, mind and strength, this is the second greatest commandment. Which begs the question, when is the last time you considered what it means to love yourself?
On the surface, I am sure we would all say we love ourselves. But if that were truly the case, why is it that so many people suffer from low self-esteem or have an unhealthy self-image? We live in a society of comparisons. When one person is judged against another, someone must fall short. The world cannot wait to push you aside. The devil is always ready to steal away whatever remains of your good character. So, how does one who suffers this fate learn to love their self? First, remember the greatest commandment. Love God.
Love the God in whose image you are fearfully and wonderfully made. Love him for his mercy and grace. Love God for the blessing of each new day and for the life he has given you. Love the God who first loved and will always love you. Through him you will find love not only for yourself, but your neighbor as well.
Prayer: Holy God, thank you for the love you have for me. Help me to share such love with others. Amen.
Mid-Week Worship
Posted February 1, 2021 By adminPlease remember that St. Jacob’s offers a mid-week worship service with Holy Communion each Wednesday evening beginning at 7:00 p.m. For those who have been easing back into presence in public places and making extra care during the pandemic, this service might be a welcome addition to your weekly schedule. The gathering on Wednesday even is fairly small and there is ample room for physical distancing. The sacrament of Holy Communion is shared each week. This service is also streamed live on our congregation Facebook page. Anyone with questions or concerns may contact Pastor David Nuottila.
Mid-Week Lenten Series
Posted February 1, 2021 By adminIt’s hard to believe but the season of Lent is nearly upon us. Our mid-week series will include a set of dramatic readings from characters from the Passion of our Lord Jesus. From the widow who donated her two pennies to the temple treasury to the man who provided Jesus with a donkey to ride on Palm Sunday these unique readings are presented in such a way that we might ponder the “Gifts of Lent.” We look forward to your attending our mid-week Lenten series. Those who would wish to participate in the readings should contact Pastor David.
Daily Devotions
Posted February 1, 2021 By adminIt has been my pleasure to share daily devotions with the congregation and our friends on Facebook the past nine months. This has been an unexpected blessing for me in our current condition of the COVID-19 pandemic. So much so that it has become an enjoyable part of my daily routine. As we flip the page to 2021, I plan to continue this time of devotions and prayer throughout the year. I pray that more of our church family members will make these devotions a part of their morning routine. Please, feel free to share these devotions with your friends and family on Facebook as you are able.
Pastor David
Pastoral Devotion for January: Faithful and True
Posted January 29, 2021 By adminRead: Revelation 19:11-16
If you were asked to describe Jesus how would you? What physical attributes could you mention? John takes up the task in the nineteenth chapter of Revelation. I would imagine, however, that our descriptions of Jesus would likely fall seriously short of John’s. Who among us could capture the true essence of Christ better than John?
Christians are one week removed from celebrating the Nativity of Our Lord. This celebration lends itself to peaceful images of shepherds, angels and a baby lying in a manger. Yet, the power and purpose of this child is captured in John’s vision of the one sitting atop of a white horse whose name is Faithful and True. He commands armies of angels. From his mouth comes a sharp sword which cuts down evil and rules the nations with a rod of iron. His name? The Word of the Lord.
Our Lord Jesus, God’s Word made flesh remains faithful and true. Christ is the same yesterday, today and always. He is Lord and Savior. He came to save we who are neither faithful nor true. His mercy is revealed through the truth of his Word and his grace is sufficient in all circumstances. Turn to the Lord. Call upon his name and receive the free gift of salvation through the one who is King of kings, Lord of lords.
Prayer: Most holy God, keep us in faith, that we would be ever thankful for your mercy and grace. Amen.
Daily Devotions by Pastor David
Posted December 29, 2020 By adminIt has been my pleasure to share daily devotions with the congregation and our friends on Facebook the past nine months. This has been an unexpected blessing for me in our current condition of the COVID-19 pandemic. So much so that it has become an enjoyable part of my daily routine. As we flip the page to 2021, I plan to continue this time of devotions and prayer throughout the year. I pray that more of our church family members will make these devotions a part of their morning routine. Please, feel free to share these devotions with your friends and family on Facebook as you are able.
