Thank you to all who joined us in September to provide an anthem to God in our worship. There is still plenty of room for more to join us on October 11th. We will meet in the choir room at 9:45 AM to practice.
Anthem – October 11th
“My Shepherd, You Supply My Need”
Follow this link for a video including the lyrics:
Read: 1 Kings 19:9-21, Luke 9:28-36
The Voice; it’s a popular television show, a contest to find the newest singing star. Many have seen it. Four “coaches” listen to anonymous auditions and pick contestants for their team. All they have to go on is the singer’s voice. In the end, the coach hopes that voice will lead them to victory.
Throughout scripture, there is another voice that calls people to follow. The prophet Elijah heard this voice; he listened and obeyed. His continued journey led him to anoint kings and also the prophet Isaiah to carry on after him. Isaiah’s prophecy serves as a voice in the wilderness, later echoed by John the Baptizer, calling people to prepare the way of the Lord. Jesus himself hears the voice of the Father proclaiming him to be his “beloved Son.”
Today, the people of God continue to hear the voice of God through God’s Word in Holy Scripture. God’s voice rings loud and clear within our service of worship through liturgy, prayer, reading and preaching. God’s voice calls and guides, teaches and instructs, calms and reassures. His voice is that which brings us hope for forgiveness and salvation, especially as we obey the voice of our Father in heaven commanding us to listen to his beloved Son. Even in the quietest times, Christians hear the voice of God. His is the voice calling us to use our voice to share the good news of Christ, that all who believe in him will be saved by his grace.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, speak to your children, for your servants are listening. Amen.
In August we welcomed our final special guest preacher when we hosted Pastor Dave Tholstrup and his wife Janice. Throughout the year it has been a joy to welcome several of the shepherds from our recent past and we look forward to the culmination of our celebration in October when we welcome our NALC Bishop Dan Selbo.
Before that happens, we have one more opportunity to celebrate. This month we will have a congregational outreach event distributing St. Jacob’s 250th Anniversary blankets to several of our friends and shut in members. We are so thankful for God’s blessing our congregation with a long history and loving church family throughout the many generations of worshipers who have called this place home. Below is a list of our remaining planned events.
We need your help. Our choir is going through a period of rebuilding as several of our members are no longer with us. We will continue to assist in leading worship weekly as we are able, but we are asking you to help us with the anthem. We will plan a hymn for the anthem twice a month. The Sundays we are singing will be published in the newsletter along with hymns we are singing.
Please come join us to sing our praise to God. We will meet at 9:15 AM in the choir room to run through the anthem with everyone, then just come join the choir during the passing of the peace and return to your seat after the anthem. Of course, you are welcome to sit in the choir throughout to help lead worship if you would like.
Please help us fill the church with song.
Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6
The month of September brings with it a bittersweet feeling for me, for the first time in many years I will not have a class of youth members setting out on the course for Confirmation instruction. It is truly a pastor’s joy, especially for this pastor, to spend time with our younger members and learn from them as they spend time learning from me.
Over the years, I have learned so much from the many bright and energetic kids I have taught. I’ve learned that they truly do care about the things going on in our world. They care about the needs of our community and the wellbeing of the members of our congregation. Mostly, I have learned that, though they may be sometimes quiet on the subject, they truly love their Lord Jesus and are thankful for all God has done in their lives.
I remember those long-ago days when I sat in the classroom with my pastor. He was just as hopeful for me and my classmates as I have always been for those whom I have had the pleasure of instructing. Conversations around the Lord’s Prayer and the Ten Commandments tend to open up the minds of our youth. Reading the Great Bible Stories of the Old and New Testaments capture their attention and shed light on the mercy and love God has for His people. It’s truly a wonder to see the connections that are made as our kids grow in faith.
Yet, in all the marvel of my experiences with the youth of the Lutheran Church, one thing sticks out for me. Most children when they embark on Catechetical instruction do not know much about the Bible or the basics of the Christian faith. For a pastor, it’s a lot to pass on in one hour per week for sixteen months. I can’t help but wonder, how much faith formation is truly happening in the home? Do parents take the above passage from Proverbs at face value and act upon it?
Some of the children whom I’ve taught over the years now have children of their own. Some still keep in touch; I’ve officiated at some of their weddings; and I encourage them (and their parents) however I can; but I’m no longer their pastor. I handed that relationship over years ago, but truly, God has never released me from the promises I made to them when they were baptized. That same truth is for all of us to consider as we baptize the children of St. Jacob’s and celebrate with them as they become confirmed in their faith.
My prayer for Bryleigh, Copeland, MacKenzie, and Samantha is that they are thankful for the instruction they have received in Sunday school and Catechetical classes and continue to grow in their faith and relationship with Jesus. I’m sure they will, because as members of their church family, we will continue to encourage them as they continue to grow in years. That’s the promise we made to them on the day they were baptized, and God has not released us from that promise.
As an ordained pastor of the Church of Christ, it is my vow to continue to teach and instruct the children of God so they too may grow in faith and relationship with Christ. That’s all of you. I promise that I will continue to train up the children of God in the way they should go and pray that none will depart from it. God bless us all as we grow in faith and love together. That is what is on your pastor’s heart as we begin this new month together.
Grace to you and peace,
Pastor David Nuottila
Congratulations to this year’s catechetical class upon their confirmation. Samantha, Copeland, Bryleigh, and MacKenzie completed the two-year course of instruction with Pastor David and were confirmed on Sunday, August 30th during our worship service. A reception following worship was held in their honor. Well done Bryleigh, Copeland, MacKenzie, and Samantha.
Ecclesiastes 3
“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.” Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/ecc.3.1-8.ESV
Solomon tells us that life is full of many seasons. There are seasons of plenty and seasons of need. As we begin this choir season, the St. Jacob’s choir is in a time of need. As our choir has aged, we have lost many wonderful members who added to our worship and praise to God. We are now down to just a few members and when a couple are away on vacation or ill, we are unable to bring our offering of song to God. During this year you may notice weeks without a choir. We need your help. You may think you do not have a strong voice, or you are too busy to commit to weekly practice. This is the time for you to join us not every week, but when you can. We need every voice raised in praise to God, strong and weak.
It is indeed a time to seek and a time to build up. If our worship and praise is important to St. Jacob’s, and if having a choir to lead worship is important, then it will take volunteers.
Be assured that we will lead worship with God’s help as we are able. We will sing hymns that are well known to us for anthems, and we will now practice on Sunday mornings at 9:30 AM. You need not commit to every Sunday, but you can join us at 9:30 AM as you are able.
God is with us through all these times and seasons of life. I know that he will provide.
It was truly a treat to welcome Pastor Randy Drafts back to St. Jacob’s in July. As reported to Pastor David, he truly enjoyed his visit with us and renewing so many wonderful relationships.
This month our 250th anniversary celebration continues as we again welcome a special guest Pastor. Pastor Dave Tholstrup, the long-time pastor at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Chapin and also the first dean of the NALC South Carolina Mission District will visit and deliver the sermon on Sunday, August 16th. A congregational dinner will be served following the service of worship and everyone is invited to attend. Please bring your favorite dessert to share. Join your church family as we continue our year-long celebration as we give thanks to God for our congregation’s long history in the service of the Gospel. Please make sure to attend each of these and invite your friends and neighbors to join us. Below is a list of our remaining planned events.
It’s hard to believe, the summer break from school for our children is about to come to a close. The first day of public school in Chapin is Tuesday, August 11th . As such, we will have our annual blessing of the kids’ backpacks and bookbags on Sunday, August 9th during the Children’s Sermon.
All students in grade K-12 are encouraged to bring their backpacks or bookbags with them as we pray for God’s blessing on another fruitful school year. We will also pray for teachers (public school, private school, and homeschool) that they would enjoy seeing their students progress in their areas of study.
With the expected completion of our parking lot construction, we will be returning to our regular schedule for midweek Bible studies. Beginning in September, the evening study will meet on the second and fourth Tuesday each month at 6:30 PM. Our morning study will be meeting each Wednesday morning beginning at 9:30 AM.
Our current study of the Seven Letters to Seven Churches in Revelation will conclude on Wednesday, August 5th at 6:30 PM with the topic, “Jesus’s Letter to the Church in Chapin.” This will include a summary of all seven letters to the churches in Revelation. Everyone is welcome to attend.
