Alas, the newness doesn't last, does it?  The new car is most likely rusting by the time you make the final payment.  And that new computer?  It's already out-dated six months after you purchased it!  Time to upgrade!

So it goes with everything in this life, including us.  As the years fly by, our waist goes out.  Our hairline goes back.  Everything sags.  Body parts break down.  And we ache. 

Is this all there is?  No, there is more!  For us believers there is the Lord's guarantee!  2 Corinthians 5:17  "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" 

We believers know that Jesus Christ gives us a fresh start every day.  A fresh start in grace!  (Lamentations 3:22-23)  Our sins are forgiven in Christ.  Plus we know we have a living Savior!  Because Jesus lives, we too will live forever in heaven above.

And we can really live, even now.  We can live free of guilt.  Free of fear.  Free of worry.  Free, all and only because of Christ!

Does such a Christ-centered faith beat inside of you?  If it does, by God's grace alone, you are a new creation!  Here's a humorous video that drives home this truth.  We Are Brand New in Christ!  I pray when the Lord listens to your soul, he hears the beat of saving faith!

Pastor Glenn Schwanke

We’re blessed to have a lot of talented musicians in our church family at Peace and in our Lutheran Collegian group.  One of our newest members, Mike Armstrong, records professionally.  Some of his songs are available on WELS Streams Radio, with most of them under the Mix and Contemporary radio channels.

Streams: http://www.wels.net/search/apachesolr_search/michael%20armstrong

His songs can also be found on YouTube, ITunes, and at http://www.pinemountainmusic.com

Mike just shared one of his songs with me, the song “Overwhelmed.”  It fits last Wednesday’s Lenten sermon, “Praying Hands.”

Give the song a listen.  Overwhelmed-3-10

Overwhelmed

(Jesus prays in His Passion)

©1994 Michael Armstrong.  All rights reserved.

Matt. 26:36-46, Luke 22:39-44, John 17:1-26, Heb. 5:7-10

1        Time has never known more an earnest plea

          From “The heart of humility”

          A prayer of pardon from sin's Calvary

          If heaven willed it so.

 CH      Overwhelmed with sorrow

          Overwhelmed with grief

          Where He's come to meet us

          If we'd just believe.

 2        He could not forsake, share in pardon's peace

          And bring shame to His home

          For our victory lives not in His death alone

          But through His life, we've become His own. 

I pray the song reminds you how wide and deep and high is the love of our Savior Jesus Christ!

Pastor Glenn Schwanke

Our March newsletter contains the encouragement to Pin Your Worries to Jesus.  But it’s not so easily done, is it! 

 We can say we’re taking all our troubles to Jesus in prayer, but how often don’t we take them right back?  How often don’t we find ourselves stewing over those problems all day long!  Even worse, we take them to bed with us.  Then we toss and turn all night long.  Another sleepless night.

 A friend of mine sent me a song that speaks directly to this situation.  It’s called simply, “Sleepless Nights.”  Give it a listen.  Then come back here and meditate on the following Bible verses.

04 Sleepless Night

Philippians 4:6   Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

 Psalm 27:1-5  Of David. The LORD is my light and my salvation– whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life– of whom shall I be afraid?  ² When evil men advance against me to devour my flesh, when my enemies and my foes attack me, they will stumble and fall.  ³ Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then will I be confident.  ⁴ One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple.  ⁵ For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle and set me high upon a rock.

 Isaiah 26:4   Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock eternal.

 May Jesus’ peace fill your heart, mind, and soul.  And may you get a good night’s sleep! 

 Pastor Glenn Schwanke

  Last night’s sermon on the alabaster jar prompted a few questions about

  alabaster.  What exactly is it? 

  How did artisans shape it into jars?

   Here’s what I found in some research.

  “Ancient Alabaster

  This substance, the "alabaster" of scripture, is often termed Oriental alabaster, since the early examples came from the East. The Greek name alabastrites is said to be derived from the town of Alabastron, in Egypt, where the stone was quarried, but the locality probably owed its name to the mineral; the origin of the mineral-name is obscure, and it has been suggested that it may have had an Arabic origin. The Oriental alabaster was highly esteemed for making small perfume-bottles or ointment vases called alabastra; and this has been conjectured to be a possible source of the name. Alabaster was also employed in Egypt for Canopic jars and various other sacred and sepulchral objects. A splendid sarcophagus, sculptured in a single block of translucent Oriental alabaster from Alabastron, is in the Soane Museum, London. This was discovered by Giovanni Belzoni, in 1817, in the tomb of Seti I, near Thebes, and was purchased by Sir John Soane, having previously been offered to the British Museum.

When cut in thin sheets, alabaster is translucent enough to be used for small windows in medieval churches, especially in Italy.

Oriental alabaster is either a stalagmitic deposit, from the floor and walls of limestone caverns, or a kind of travertine, similarly deposited from springs of calcareous water. Its deposition in successive layers gives rise to the banded appearance which the marble often shows on cross-section, whence it is known as onyx-marble or alabaster-onyx, or sometimes simply as onyx — a term which should, however, be restricted to a siliceous mineral. The Egyptian alabaster has been extensively worked near Suez and near Assiut; there are many ancient quarries in the hills overlooking the plain of Tell el Amarna. The Algerian onyx marble has been largely quarried in the province of Oran. In Mexico there are famous deposits of a delicate green variety at La Pedrara, in the district of Tecali, near Puebla. Onyx-marble occurs also in the district of Tehuacan and at several localities in California, Arizona, Utah, Colorado and Virginia. “  (http://www.knowledgerush.com/kr/encyclopedia/Alabaster/)

Then add this reference.

“This ancient or “Oriental” alabaster should not be confused with a modern alabaster, a hydrated calcium sulfate that is easily scratched. The original alabaster is usually white and, because it is a stalagmite formation, sometimes has streaks of various colors. It approaches the hardness of marble but will not receive quite as high a polish. The solid alabaster was bored or drilled out to contain as much as a Roman pound (0.33 kg; 0.72 lb) of liquid. (John 12:3) The alabaster case (Gr., a·la′ba·stron) was usually fashioned with a narrow neck that could be effectively sealed to prevent the escape of the precious scent.

When less costly materials such as gypsum were used to make such cases, these too were called alabasters simply because of the use to which they were put. However, cases made from genuine alabaster were used for the more costly ointments and perfumes, like those with which Jesus was anointed on two occasions—once in the house of a Pharisee in Galilee (Luke  7:37) and once in the house of Simon the leper in Bethany.—Matt 26:6, 7; Mark 14:3.”  (http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070922141532AAXcnco)

Notice there are two types of alabaster.  “Oriental alabaster” is the material which held the pint of pure nard used to anoint our Savior.  This oriental alabaster is actually a form of marble.

 How were alabaster jars made?   The center was drilled out or bored.  The exterior was carved and polished. 

Today we begin the season of Lent.  The word “Lent” means nothing more than “spring.”  And yet for us Christians, this time of year means so much more.

 We spend 40 days, about 1/10^th of our year, focusing our attention on what Jesus did to pay for our sins.  Usually we spend our time focusing on what happened to Jesus in the last 24 hours of his life.  This year, we’ll broaden our focus a little bit.  Our sermon series will go back to the Saturday before Palm Sunday.  But then we’ll fast forward to Maundy Thursday and the last events that led to Jesus’ cross. The theme for our Wednesday services will be “Pictures of the Passion.”

For many of us, those pictures are already ingrained in our hearts and minds.  The alabaster jar.  (Well, maybe that’s the one we don’t remember.)  30 pieces of silver.  The bowl and the towel of the Upper Room.  The praying hands of the Garden.  Judas and the traitor’s kiss.  The Roman soldiers with their whips.  The crown of thorns.  The purple robe.  The night-time trials before the Jewish Sanhedrin.  The denial of Peter.  The rooster’s crow.  Jesus—bloody and battered, forced to stand before Pontius Pilate.  The hate-filled shouts of the mob, “Crucify Him!  Crucify Him!”  (Luke 23:21)

 All these pictures fit together like the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle.  Taken together, they show us how much our Savior loved us.  As Jesus said in the Upper Room, “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13)

 I pray you take the time to join us for our Wednesday evening Lenten Services at 6:30 PM.  Communion will be offered on the 1^st, 3^rd, and 5^th Wednesdays.  An informal fellowship time with snacks and beverages will follow each service.

Pastor Schwanke and Pastor Brian Weinkauf will exchange pulpits for these 6 Wednesday services.

In Christ,

Pastor Glenn Schwanke

Pictures Passion_2010

In a few weeks, we'll take another journey of faith.  To an Upper Room.  A Garden.  A courtyard.  A palace.  And ultimately a cross.  What we see will put us on our knees again.  And we'll marvel once more at Gods' love.

In between these journeys of faith we celebrate Epiphany.  We see that Mary's Son is indeed God's Son.  He walked on water.  Calmed storms.  Cleansed lepers.  Gave sight to the blind.  Raised the dead.  Preached perfect sermons.  (Isaiah 7:14, Isaiah 9:6, Isaiah 61:1-4)) 

There is nothing Jesus can't do for you.  He has, in fact, already done everything for you.  He has lived.  Died.  And rose again. Do you know and believe this? I pray you find the video, "Mary, Did You Know," uplifting. 

Rome, as a world power, is long gone.   Her great architectural achievements lie in ruins.  But God's grace endures.  God's grace will never fail you or me.  Amazing.