Last week my family and I attended a ‘renaissance fair’ and saw young men dressed in full armor battle for the crowd in the jousting arena.  While that armor is impressive in a way, it is a far cry from the real armor that Ephesians describes.  For  while the physical armor of the ancient warrior might be an impressive sight, it is sadly over-matched on today’s battlefield.   Our ‘spiritual armor’ of truth, righteousness, proclamation of peace, faith, salvation, and God’s word are ultimately more lasting and more powerful. 

Worship this week:  Saturday 5:00 p.m. in the chapel

                         Sunday 8:30 a.m. Traditional Worship

                                    10:00 a.m. Contemporary Worship

 Armor of God
September 1, 2013
Ephesians 6:10-20

Key Verse: “Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” Ephesians 6:11

Time: about 62 A.D.

Background: Paul used imagery of weapons and war to describe the battles that rage on the earth between good and evil. He encouraged the community of faith to adorn themselves with weapons of spirit: truth, righteousness, proclamation of peace, faith, salvation, and God’s word. With these, the “spiritual forces of evil” (6:12) could be fought. Paul recognized that the battles that mattered were not physical battles between people, but spiritual battles that could only be fought and won by the power of God.

Community: What spiritual battles are being lost in your community? How might you make a difference to those in your community so that those battles can be turned? Who will you rally? What spiritual weapons will you use?

At Home: How does battle imagery inform your understanding of good and evil? What other images might help move you to action against such evils as poverty, abuse, hunger, or injustice?

Read This Week:
Monday: Temptation of Christ, Luke 4:5-8
Tuesday: Example of Paul, Philippians 3:1-16
Wednesday: Imitating Christ, Philippians 3:17-4:1
Thursday: Exhortation, Philippians 4:2-9
Friday: Philippian Gift, Philippians 4:10-20
Saturday: Conclusion, Philippians 4:21-23

Next Week: Creation, Genesis 1:1-2:4a

 

Rather than focus on the differences and disagreements, Paul calls upon the church to remember what holds us together and build one another up in love.

Worship this week:  Saturday 5:00 p.m. in the Chapel

Sunday 8:30 a.m. – Traditional Worship

10:00 a.m. – Contemporary Worship

We look forward to having Pastor Brent Christianson of Lutheran Campus Center at the University of Wisconsin- Madison.  The campus ministry is our benevolence partner for the month of August.

Unity of the Church
August 25, 2013
Ephesians 4:1-16

Key Verses: “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.” Ephesians 4:4-6

Time: about 62 A.D.

Background: Continuing Paul’s theme of working to unify, rather than divide the church, this letter called all Christians to be united under “one Lord, one faith, one baptism.” (4:5) He exalted the various gifts of those in the community of faith, emphasizing the benefits of all the gifts. He also called the community to hold one another accountable, and to grow in faith and maturity.

Community: Where do your community’s differences cause division? How does Christ’s saving work affect how your community works together?

At Home: Often, when other people bother us, it’s an indication that there is something unsettled within ourselves. See if you can identify this week what is stirring inside of you when you find yourself bothered by another’s differences. What might you do to change your perspective?

Read This Week:
Monday: Christ’s Ascension, Luke 24:49-53
Tuesday: Prayer, Philippians 1:1-11
Wednesday: Paul’s Circumstances, Philippians 1:12-30
Thursday: Christ’s Example, Philippians 2:1-11
Friday: Duties of Christians, Philippians 2:12-18
Saturday: Timothy and Epaphroditus, Philippians 2:19-30

Next Week: Armor of God, Ephesians 6:10-20

 

The new Sunday School Year will begin with an Open House for all parents and students this Sunday, September 8th at 9:30 a.m.  Hope to see you there!

To print out a registration form click here:  Sunday School Registration

Wherever human beings gather, there is the potential (perhaps the likelihood) of disagreement and division.  The letter to the Ephesians promises that Jesus is able to break down barriers and  bring reconciliation.

Worship this week:  Saturday – 5:00 p.m. in Chapel, Worship with Holy Communion

Sunday – 9:30 a.m. –Worship with Holy Communion

10:30 a.m. – Special Meeting of the congregation

Building the Church
August 18, 2013
Ephesians 2:11-22

Key Verse: “For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us.” Ephesians 2:14

Time: about 62 A.D.

Background: Christians in Ephesus were divided, primarily into Jewish Christians and non-Jewish Christians. Those with a Jewish background still demanded physical circumcision as a rite of belonging. Those without a Jewish background did not generally practice circumcision, which was a source of division in the early church. Paul knew that division would not build the church. He wrote about Christ’s work of breaking down barriers to encourage peace. He emphasized peace and unity, rather than arguments and disagreements.

Community: Upon what gifts is your community of faith built? What gifts are lacking? What do you bring to the community? How might you use your gifts to make your community more whole?

At Home: No one can possess all the gifts God offers. What are some gifts or traits you do not possess that can be filled by others who do possess those gifts? In other words, who and how might your deficiencies be made whole by others?

Read This Week:
Monday: Cleansing the Temple, Luke 19:44-48
Tuesday: Moral Standards, Ephesians 4:17-5:2
Wednesday: Moral Standards, Ephesians 5:3-20
Thursday: Christian Household, Ephesians 5:21-33
Friday: Christian Household, Ephesians 6:1-9
Saturday: Peace, Ephesians 6:21-24

Next Week: Unity of the Church, Ephesians 4:1-16

 

When by grace we are joined with Christ, we become full members of God’s family and inheritors of all the blessings of heaven.  This week begin four weeks of reading the letter to Ephesians, where we hear that promise lavished upon us.

 Worship this week:  Saturday, 5:00 p.m. in Chapel

          Sunday – 8:30 a.m. in Sanctuary

   10:00 a.m. outside on church lawn (weather permitting)

Spiritual Blessings
August 11, 2013
Ephesians 1:1-14

Key Verses: “In Christ we have also obtained an inheritance, having been destined according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to his counsel and will, so that we, who were the first to set our hope on Christ, might live for the praise of his glory.” Ephesians 1:11-12

Time: about 62 A.D.

Background: The apostle, Paul, visited Ephesus twice. The first visit he stayed for 3 months. The second time, he stayed for 3 years. Since Ephesus was instrumental in reaching those in Asia Minor, he devoted a great deal of time founding and building up the church there.

The church was founded for residing Jews and Hellenists, whose religious and cultural views and behaviors differed greatly. The letter to the Ephesians addresses the hostility these differences created. For Paul, unity within the church was crucial to building a strong community of faith there.

Paul (rather, an author writing in his name) emphasized the sacrificial nature of Christ’s work. By doing so, he hoped to encourage the lifting up, rather than the tearing down, of one another’s practices and perspectives.

Community: What spiritual gifts define your community of faith most strongly? How do you use those gifts to build the church and to serve others? What could be changed to lessen division and strengthen the work of the church?

At Home: What spiritual blessings has God given to you? How might you use those this week to further God’s work in the world?

Read This Week:
Monday: Great Commission, Luke 24:44-47
Tuesday: Prayer, Ephesians 1:15-23
Wednesday: Building the Church, Ephesians 2:1-10
Thursday: Function of the Church, Ephesians 3:1-6
Friday: Function of the Church, Ephesians 3:7-13
Saturday: Function of the Church, Ephesians 3:14-21

Next Week: Building the Church, Ephesians 2:11-22