St. John’s Ev. Lutheran Church stjohnslcmstopeka.org

Vocation, Stewardship, and the God of the Little Things By Pr. J. S. Bruss

Your kid comes up to you and asks for a bike. So you go out and find one lying on the side of the highway in a ditch. Its wheels are loose. The brake lines have rusted through. Some of the welds on the frame are failing. You take it home, pull it from the trunk of the car and say, “Here, Skip. Here’s your new bike.”

Implausible, right? None of us would even dream of doing such a thing.

“What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion?” (Luke 11:11-12) Jesus goes on to explain, “How much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” (Luke 11:13) His point has to do with God graciously providing all things necessary for salvation.

But let’s not jump too quickly to that latter point, important as it is. Christian vocation is the biblical teaching that the Lord who has called us to Himself through our Baptism has also called us to a life of love and service to our neighbor. That’s what the parents are doing who find their child a safe bike and not a dangerous one from the ditch. The father who gives the fish and egg instead of a serpent and a scorpion is doing the same. And behind the parents and father is the heavenly Father, who uses them in their vocation to serve His creatures. He’s the God of the little things, the God of safe bikes to ride and fish and eggs to eat. And He uses His creatures to deliver those goods.

You can see, then, how vocation and stewardship—the use of what the Lord has given us, whether our time, our skills, abilities, and interests, or our money—are really one and the same thing. Luther once put it this way: “Sir knight, why did God give the gulden into your pocket? So you can help your neighbor!”

That’s what Paid in Full is all about. It’s about living in our vocation. It’s about reveling in the grace of God delivered to us in Word and Sacrament and then … using our resources for the welfare of our neighbor.

Continued on page 2

Coming Soon

Sunday, March 13

Spiritual Commitment Sunday

Bring your pledge sheet to church (or mail it in)

March 20-April 2 Campaign Break

Focus on Holy Week; no campaign events

April 3-April 16

Home Gatherings Invitations mailed in March;

remember to RSVP

Sunday, May 1 Pledge Event

Guest Speaker: Dr. Gene Veith

Sunday, May 22 Celebration Sunday

Pledge total announced!

Issue 3 | March 8, 2016

Focus on Stewardship PAID IN FULL

ALSO IN THIS MAILING Biblical Stewardship Booklet Read more about the Law and Gospel as applied to the stewardship of God’s gifts.

COMING YOUR WAY SOON Invitations to the Pledge Event

St. John’s Ev. Lutheran Church stjohnlcmstopeka.org

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The Paid in Full Campaign Video Premiering at a Home Gathering Near You

I’m always overwhelmed at how the God of the little things worked in our congregation back in 1934/5. In the midst of the Great Depression, before any economic recovery was on the horizon, St. John’s undertook to build the present nave and offices. Ground was broken in 1937. By 1945 the building was paid in full, and the mortgage was burned—this during the last years of the Depression and in spite of the rationing in WWII.

In their vocation as stewards of the Lord’s gifts, the people of St. John’s built a place to hear the Word of God and receive His Sacraments. And using His faithful people in their vocation, the Lord graciously provided not only for that generation, but for generations to come.

Now, some four generations removed, we are the sons who never even asked for a fish and an egg, but got them both.

That’s how God works—through our vocations, and through our stewardship. Because He’s the God of the little things. He’s given us all that we have so that we might love and serve our neighbor.

Vocation and Stewardship (cont. from p. 1)

A special thank you to the many members of St. John’s who have taken part in the filming of the Paid in Full video over the past few weeks—both on camera and behind the scenes.

In the video, members share their thoughts about St. John’s, the Paid in Full campaign, and future possibilities for our congregation.

The video will be shown at the Home Gatherings, which will be held April 3 through April 16. If you can’t attend one of the Gatherings, extra copies of the video will be available for you to view.

John Keller (above), Kathy and Steve Gehrke (bottom left, pictured with James Weinkauf), and Dee Ellis get ready to share their thoughts about St. John’s with Pr. Bruss (video assistant).

The LORD hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad.

Psalm 126:3

St. John’s Ev. Lutheran Church stjohnslcmstopeka.org

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Guest Speaker at Pledge Event: Dr. Gene Edward Veith. Jr. Short Takes:

Spiritual Testimonies

Clayton Kinnett

Romans 12:2 tells us to be transformed by the renewal of our minds, so I began earnestly studying the Bible through Sunday morning and Lifelight classes, and my studies expanded into the Lutheran Confessions and other writings. I also discovered an Internet radio program called Issues, Etc., where some of the best Lutheran teaching is available.

Josh Brandmahl

We here today may still struggle with our sins, but we don’t have to worry about being “hardly saved.” Every Sunday we’re reminded that we’ve been renewed in holy baptism. We partake in the Lord’s Supper, which gives us forgiveness of our sins. Last but not least, our pastor pronounces forgiveness to us every Sunday. This is not through any powers of his own, but by the authority given to him by the word of God.

Writer Gene Edward Veith, Jr., will be the featured speaker at the Paid in Full Pledge Event on May 1.

Dr. Veith, Director of the Cranach Institute (www.cranach.org), is a well-known voice on Christianity and culture. He blogs at Cranach (www.cranach.com) and has authored over 20 books, including The Spirituality of the Cross, God at Work, Family Vocation, and Postmodern Times.

Dr. Veith is also a longtime educator. Most recently, he served as Professor of Literature and Provost at Patrick Henry College in Virginia. He also spent many years at Concordia University Wisconsin, where he was a Professor of English and Dean of the School of Arts & Sciences.

When he’s here, you might ask him about the time he spent at KU, where he earned his Ph.D in English.

His talk at the pledge event is sure to get you thinking. Don’t miss it!

Special Bible Studies Underway

On February 28, St. John’s kicked off the spiritual renewal phase of the Paid in Full campaign and at the same time began a special Bible study series. The first part of the series, now in progress, is focused on spiritual renewal by way of the means of grace; the second part will address stewardship.

For the past two weeks, studies have covered God’s Word (Feb. 28) and Baptism (March 6). Next Sunday, March 13, the spiritual renewal studies conclude with a look at the Lord’s Supper.

Upcoming Stewardship Topics:

v The Law Works, but…God Loves a Cheerful Giver (April 3) v The Word of Stewardship Law: Putting Money in Its Place (April

10) v The Word of Stewardship Gospel: God Will Take Care of You

(April 17)

The special Bible studies are being held in the nave between services. All are welcome and encouraged to participate!

“Work that is done in faith has a different significance than work that is done in unbelief.”

Gene Edward Veith, Jr. God at Work: Your Christian Vocation in All of Life

St. John’s Ev. Lutheran Church stjohnslcmstopeka.org

I walk into this building and I am in awe. This is church. God is here in the preaching of Christ crucified, who paid our debt in full.

St. John’s is home. Some of us have seen grandparents buried and grandchildren baptized here. Some have just arrived and are only beginning to appreciate the richness of our heritage. The Lord has blessed us with a wonderful place, this home of ours.

Our legacy at St. John’s is rich, but we’re burdened with debt. That burden weighs us down, limits our options, and keeps us from moving forward.

Paying off the debt will free us to do more of what we do best: teach the faith, preach God’s Word, and advance God’s mission in the capital city and to the far corners of the globe. Together, we can work to keep St. John’s vibrant for generations to come.

Let’s leave the debt behind, so we can move ahead—paid in full!

Campaign Case Statement

The Paid in Full campaign will be on break from March 20—April 2, which will allow us to focus solely on the message of Holy Week.

The Holy Week Service Schedule: Maundy Thursday, 7:00 p.m. Good Friday, 12:15 and 7:00 p.m. Saturday Vigil, 8:00 p.m. Easter Sunday, 8:15 and 11:00 a.m.

Campaign activities will resume in April with Stewardship Bible Studies and Home Gatherings.

NOTE The 100 Days of Prayer booklet does continue throughout Holy Week. There won’t be any formal campaign activities, but keep praying those prayers!

Campaign on Break for Holy Week

Can we really raise a million dollars? And while we’re at it…

v How did we get into debt in the first place? v Can’t we just keep making monthly payments? v Does the capital campaign take the place of annual stewardship

campaign? v Will I have to make a pledge publicly? v What if we raise more than a million dollars?

For answers to these questions and more, check out the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on the Paid in Full page on the St. John’s website: http://www.stjohnlcmstopeka.org/capital-campaign (or follow the link at the top right of our home page).

You can also contact Campaign Coordinator Dave Graversen at 785-354-7132 or davegraversen@stjlcms.org.

FAQs

www.stjohnlcms.org/capital-campaign