From The Pastor's Pen

Henry Schulte

November 2011

How Do We Say “Thank You” To God?

November is the month of our National Holiday called “Thanksgiving”. Beginning with the Pilgrims holding their ‘charter- required Day of Thanksgiving’ on the anniversary of their ship’s arrival in Virginia, with the pilgrims inviting Native Americans to thank them for their help in settlement survival, the idea of a Thanksgiving Day continued with new emphasis at the end of the Revolutionary War, and at the end of the Civil War.

George Washington designated Thursday, the 26th of November “to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be.” President Lincoln then proclaimed that a National Day of Thanksgiving be celebrated on the final Thursday in November, 1863 and thereafter. In 1941 President Franklin D. Roosevelt changed the day to the 4th Thursday, since 1941 had five Thursdays. Would you believe that the Republicans were offended by this action saying that it ‘took away from’ President Lincoln’s decree. (Texas chose to celebrate both the 4th Thursday AND the last Thursday!) A real battle developed between the Republicans and the Democrats regarding what day the nation should give special thanks to God! (And we think the current impasse is something new!) So, on October 6, 1941, both houses of the U.S. Congress passed a joint resolution fixing the traditional last-Thursday date for the holiday beginning in 1942. However in December the Senate came back with an amendment to return the day back to the Fourth Thursday and President Roosevelt signed the bill on December 26, 1941. (Wikipedia) Can you believe that we had this much trouble deciding on a date for a Day of Thanksgiving? Of course, today it would be ruled unconstitutional to have such a day!

Today the problem is not so much deciding upon the day. The challenge is to remember what we are doing or should be doing. Like Sundays, every day is The Lord’s Day, and every day is a day for thanksgiving. But how great is it that our nation still observes a National Day of Thanksgiving, and we Christians use it as a special day of thanksgiving to our God who created everything, who owns everything and who calls us to manage our life and the resources entrusted to us by God, according to God’s will and purpose.

We at St. John Lutheran will hold a special Thanksgiving Eve worship service on Wednesday evening beginning at 7 PM as we, this expression of God’s family, gather to worship, offering special hymns and prayers of thanksgiving. We will gather around our Father’s Table using the communion rail, kneeling in thanksgiving, as Christ is the host and the meal, giving himself to us in the bread and wine. “Come, Ye Thankful People Come, Raise The Song of Harvest Home”.

How do we say “thank you” to God? We say “THANK YOU TO GOD” with our presence, our hearts, our hands and voices, with our worship and with our attitude of gratitude as we live each day in thanksgiving, seeking to save enough ‘stuff’ for ourselves and then seek to see how much we can free up to give away. Our Thanksgiving Offering goes to address the problem of hunger, here and around the world. HAPPY THANKSGIVING! See you in church!

From The Pastor's Pen

Henry Schulte

September 2011

The North American Lutheran Church Convocation and Theological Conference held in Columbus, Ohio August 10-12, proved to be an super event. Our pastors, Schulte, Carpenter and Bergquist along with our voting delegates Lanne Brehmer, Deanna Grist and Dennis Kruse joined over 800 at Upper Arlington Lutheran Church outside of Columbus for the event. The theological conference focused on the theme “Salvation” and each presenter did an excellent job. We ordered the DVD’s and hope to use them in some adult education classes. This church is “Christ-Centered!”

The Convocation (NALC term for convention) was held on Thursday and Friday for the new denomination. The NALC had operated on a provisional constitution for the first year with Bishop Paull Spring serving as the Provisional Bishop. We, the delegates to this first Convocation of the NALC, were able to approve the first constitution and elect the first bishop for a four year term. We elected Pastor John Bradosky on the first ballot from the list of four nominees presented by the nominating committee.

The Convocation approved a relationship of full communion with the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus. This action along with the adoption of the constitution will now need to be ratified by NALC congregations to become official. This required action speaks volumes about the NALC’s commitment to be “Congregationally-Focused”.

The wonderful spirit of harmony within the body of the 800 delegates was such a joy! The worship opportunities were special blessings, done using traditional liturgies of the Lutheran Church. Bishop Bradosky was installed at the closing Service of Holy Communion. As a former bishop, I was privileged to participate in his installation. It seems that this church truly wants to be “Lutheran” and to be “Traditionally-Grounded”.

The decision was made to call the different geographical areas of the church “Mission Districts”. Thus we will be a part of the South Texas Mission District. Even our name is to describe our purpose to be a church in mission. The Convocation approved a goal for the NALC that each congregation seek to designate a minimum of 12% of member offerings for benevolence ministries in the local, area and global arenas. Many congregations seek to invest up to 50% or more, but the 12% was a “prayerful goal” to encourage congregations to be “Mission Driven”.

My thanks to God for the blessings of the convocation! Thanks also to our Lay Delegates who took time from their schedules to participate in this historic event.