July / August 2011
Volume 9, Issue 6
The Reporter
“Getting to Know our Neighbors”
Inside this issue:
Soldiers, Dinner &
Fireworks 4th!
2
Study of the Word
3
July-August Birthdays
3
Meeting Schedule
3
A Mormon Funeral
4
LWMS Convention
5
Will’s Wit and Wisdom
7
ORLC News & Notes
8
Devotional Corner 1
10
Devotional Corner 2
11
A bounce house? Hot dogs, chips and soft drinks? A fire department demonstration? A
Neighborhood Watch presentation? These sound more like carnival events than something
a church should be doing. Before you assume the Outreach Committee and Pastor have lost
their senses, consider these two observations. Both have been researched thoroughly by the
Barna Institute, and both lead us to some important considerations.
The first is “why do most people come to church the first time?” To make a long story
short, the number one reason is they have been invited. There is one caveat included by the
Barna Institute research. Usually when they come, they come for the wrong reasons. People will come because they have been invited by someone they know, and not because they
have been invited to a worship service that has a clear proclamation of God’s Word. The
other consideration is “why do people come back after they have been invited once?” The
two top reasons are friendly people and a relevant message.
With both of these considerations in mind, the Outreach Committee attempted to create
an opportunity where we as a congregation can invite people, and allow them time to get to
know us. Certainly we seek to do this with every worship service we offer. While worship
may provide one of the best ways to proclaim God’s Law and Gospel, there is one fairly
significant obstacle to overcome. Most people are intimidated by the “stained glass threshold.” Simply put, most people won’t come to church because they are afraid of what might
happen. This could include anything from being drawn into cult, or actually coming to believe what God’s Word says.
The end result of the Outreach Committee’s evaluation is what we will call a
“Neighborhood Block Party.” The Committee committed a considerable amount of evaluation and review to both the positive and negative aspects of this kind of event, and it was
decided to give it a try. One consideration which influenced this new event was that we no
longer set up a booth at the Goleta Lemon Festival. While the Lemon Festival provided
many names, good contacts were scarce. There was the added concern that a booth at the
Lemon Festival at Girsch Park did not make a good connection with a church on Vala
Drive.
The main idea behind the “Block Party” is to invite people, our neighbors, to come on to
our church property and meet us. The concept provides a non-threatening event to allow
others to see who we are and what we do. Since we are more than a bounce house or hot
Continued on page 9
Page 2
The Reporter
Volume 9, Issue 6
Soldiers, Dinner, & Fireworks 4th!
By Carl Schueler
Another Independence Day celebration at Our Redeemer—Monday 4 July—was marked by National Geographic’s
“Arlington—Field of Honor.” This 55 minute five-star rated documentary of Arlington Cemetery nearby Washington
D.C. provides a comprehensive description of the background and “round the clock” dynamics of our national graveyard.
Even if you have visited Arlington Cemetery, you may not know the history. It was a private estate owned by a family who lost title due to a critical decision by an heir to leave the Union and join the Confederacy just as the Civil War
began. To find out who that famous (infamous?) heir was and what took place afterwards, watch the documentary at
http://www.snagfilms.com/films/title/arlington_field_of_honor/ or borrow a copy from the Goleta library.
Moreover, the documentary provides an “inside” view of the operations behind the 24/7 marching guards in front of
the grave of the Unknown Soldiers, as well as how Arlington operates, discreetly digging and filling several graves every
day with the remains of soldiers still dying daily in far-flung conflicts in places such as Iraq and Afghanistan.
About 15 members joined some 20 visitors to watch the documentary in the comfort of the Sanctuary from 4:30-5:30,
followed by a fine tri-tip BBQ dinner with all the trimmings! We enjoyed the company of our visitors and fellow members on the back patio of the Fellowship Hall in the shade of the Sanctuary. Member and visiting families—infants to
octogenarians—shared the pleasant surroundings and excellent meal until about 7PM.
Following the meal, a quick cleanup led to most participants taking advantage of Debbie’s invitation to share the Goleta Fireworks display at Girsch Park across the street from her condominium—followed by her hospitality offering refreshments in her comfortable Goleta Townhouse.
Some twenty of us gathered on a lawn area near Girsch
Park from 7:30-9PM awaiting the fireworks scheduled
from 9-9:23 PM. Visiting there in the open as the sun set
behind us in the cool of an insect-free evening reminded
us we live in the best location on planet Earth. I am convinced there is no place in the universe better than the
Santa Barbara area! Promptly at 9PM: Snap—crackle—
pop! Fireworks! Twenty minutes of perhaps the best
I’ve seen—and I’ve seen hundreds across the world
since the early ‘50’s that I can recall: Atlanta, Berlin,
Budapest, Casablanca, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Geneva, London, Los Angeles, Memphis, Miami, Munich,
New Orleans, New York, Nice, Paris, Philadelphia, Rio
De Janeiro, Rome, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, San
Diego, Seattle, St. Petersburg (then Leningrad), Sydney,
Tehran, Taipei, Tokyo, Vienna, Washington D.C., and Zurich. Goleta—Very impressive!
Finally, as the smoke cleared we took a short, pleasant stroll with our lawn chairs to Debbie’s just around the corner.
She had prepared refreshments including various beverages and desserts to top off a fine evening of fellowship and Independence Day celebration! About 10PM, we made our way back to our car—the street now clear of hundreds of Fireworks spectators—and drove home.
If you have not taken advantage of our annual 4th of July evening movie, dinner, fireworks and dessert event—this
was our seventh—consider attending next year! If you’ve been going to the Santa Barbara West Beach Fireworks display—as good as it is—I think you’ll be impressed with the Goleta celebration. And you may be relieved as there is less
traffic and smaller crowds. Thanks to everyone involved in this year’s event!
Page 3
The Reporter
Volume 9, Issue 6
Study of the Word
Wednesday Evening
Currently the Wednesday evening class has been on break. In mid-August we will resume the study on the
“Harmony of the Four Gospels.” It is an interesting study which looks at how the four apostolic accounts of Jesus’ life
fit together. It is equally interesting to see how each of the Gospel writers directs his message to the specific group to
whom he is writing.
Matthew - Jewish converts to Christianity
Mark - Romans who came to know Jesus
Luke - God’s plan of salvation for all people - first for the Jews, then for the Gentiles
John - Jesus is revealed as God’s Son and the only Savior.
The class restarts Wednesday at 7:00 pm
August 17th
Sunday Morning
After a quick cup of coffee, we return to the sanctuary for Christian Education and Bible Study. Currently we are
studying the book “Connecting Sinai to Calvary.” It is an excellent book written by Professor John Jeske who served as
an instructor of Old Testament History and Hebrew for 20 years at our Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary. Through his
study he provides insights into the Old Testament and how Israel lived under God’s direction and blessing. We can
learn many lessons by looking at the way God revealed his undeserved love to Israel, a love he continues to generously
give us today through Jesus.
We meet at 11:00 am for about an hour.
Meetings for August 2011
Church Council
Outreach
Board of Education
Board of Elders
Board of Trustees
August
August
August
August
August
9th
13th
16th
23rd
30th
at
at
at
at
at
7:00 pm
10:00 am
7:00 pm
7:00 pm
7:00 pm
We rejoice in the many blessings given the members of our family of faith. May
the Lord continue to bless them richly in every way.
July
2nd - Walter P.
4th - Alice G.
7th - Emily P.
8th - Elijah D.
9th - Jessica B.
10th - Mark G.
August
7th
14th
21st
23rd
24th
25th
- Mirielle K.
- Brittany G.
- Joel S.
- Pat S.
- Jane F.
- Gregory C.
13th
15th
18th
20th
21st
31st
-
Janessa S.
Sullivan H.
Sally K.
Barb F., Glen K.
Michael F.
Justin S., Susan T.
BIRTHDAY
in the
Months of July and August!
The Reporter
Volume 9, Issue 6
Page 4
Thoughts on A Mormon Funeral
By Al Todd
This past month I attended the funeral of Jim. He was the older brother of Bill, one of my closest friends. Bill and I
had served together in the Navy and have stayed in close contact over the past 40 years.
Both Bill and his older brother Jim were raised as Mormons. However, the family did not attend Mormon church
services regularly and neither Jim nor Bill served as missionaries after high school (serving two years as a missionary is
one of the key rites of passage of Mormon males).
I talked to Bill a lot about the differences between Mormon salvation and true Christian salvation over the years, but
Bill just could not accept that salvation was a free gift and that there was nothing that he, or anyone, could do to obtain
that salvation. Jesus Christ had done it all – for everyone. Then God brought Susan into Bill’s life. Susan was raised in
the Lutheran Church- Missouri Synod. After she and Bill were married, Bill started to attend Susan’s church “out of
duty” as Bill would tell me. I can see the Holy Spirit working in Bill’s heart as he continues to grow in the Word; however, I also see what a struggle it is to break with his Mormon past as evidenced at Jim’s Memorial Service.
Unlike a true Christian funeral and memorial service where the focus is on Christ and the work He accomplished for
us and not on the poor miserable sinner whose body is lying in the coffin, this Mormon funeral focused on Jim and all
the great things he did while he lived. What a great father and grandfather he was, how he served his nation in the military, how much he loved his wife, how he tried to emulate Christ’s humility in his own life and live up to the role model
standard set by Christ which was expected of him and all good Mormon males.
And I have to say, according to worldly standards, Jim was and Bill is one of the finest men I have ever known.
That said, as the Mormon “home teacher” provided the Mormon church eulogy extolling Jim’s many accomplishments and assuring his wife Jackie that he was eternally progressing in the heavenly kingdoms because Jim had done all
he could do to be obedient to the LDS “gospel”, my only thought was: by whose standards and how do you know for
sure? Christians know because Christ has already done it all. Our good works are done out of love for what has already
been accomplished by Christ, not to obtain salvation. Mormons can never really be sure.
Pray for these misguided followers of this modern day Gnostic heresy that is Mormonism. This cult is particularly
deceptive because they use all the same words we use, but with a different, hidden meaning. To a Mormon, it is not
Christ alone, but Christ plus our works of righteousness. This leads not to “heavenly kingdoms”, but to eternal separation from the one true God.
I declare to you, sisters and brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed - in a flash, in the twinkling of an
eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the
imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come
true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”
The sting of death is sin and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God!
He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!
1 Corinthians 15:50-57
Page 5
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Volume 9, Issue 6
48th LWMS National Convention
By Sonja Todd
“The Great Commission On a Great Lake”
This was the 9th LWMS (Lutheran Women’s Missionary Society) Annual
Convention. I attended along with my daughter Cindy and granddaughter
Danielle. It was very inspiring as usual. The convention was held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin from June 23 through June 26, 2011 at the Frontier Airlines
Center. This convention center is connected to the Hyatt Regency Hotel,
where we stayed, via an elevated and enclosed walkway which made it very
convenient. It was also within a short walking distance from the Usinger Sausage factory where the best sausages in the world are made and where we sampled more than a couple!
One of the highlights, besides listening to our Missionaries tell about their
experiences bringing the good news of love and forgiveness through Christ to all nations, tribes, and peoples, was the
closing worship service. This was a confessional Lutheran liturgical service in full sense of the word; however, instead
of the organ we had the (WELS) Koiné band comprising seven musicians playing the hymns and the Psalm. Cindy,
Danielle, and I were very impressed by the professionalism of the Koiné group and enjoyed the liturgical arrangements.
The 49th Annual LWMS Convention will be held in
Winston-Salem, North Carolina on June 21-24, 2012, hosted
by the Heritage Circuit. The theme is “Our God Reigns”Isaiah 52:7.
Please read the outline I have copied from the LWMS web
site for information regarding the Post Convention facts, and
plan to attend the next convention. The opportunity to meet
and worship with other WELS sisters (and a few brothers
too!) is not only heart warming, but also fun!
Quick Facts ~ 2011
48th Annual LWMS Convention - Milwaukee, WI, June 23-26
The Great Commission of a Great Lake Matthew 28:19
Attendance
Registered attendees: 1284
Number of Circuits represented: 58
Current Membership: 891 congregations ~ 4 Individual Member
Mission Presentations
Pastor Seth Haakenson ~ Milwaukee, WI
Lutheran Ladies in Mexico
Mission Speakers from Southeast Asia and Mexico
Mr. James Enderle ~ Vicars in Mission Settings
Mrs. Terry Flynn and Mr. Jackson Kalekwa ~ Central Africa Medical Mission
33 Mission flags were presented
Continued on page 6
Page 6
The Reporter
Worship Leaders
Thursday evening, opening worship - Pastor Mark
Schroeder, Preacher ~ Pastor Jeffrey Mahnke, Liturgist
Friday morning devotion - Pastor Brandon Wigley, Wisconsin Lutheran High School, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Friday afternoon devotion - Pastor Mark Henrich, Atonement, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Saturday morning devotion - Pastor Allen Sorum, Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, Mequon, Wisconsin
Saturday afternoon devotion - Pastor Souksamay Phetsanghane, Jerusalem, Morton Grove, Illinois
Sunday morning, closing worship - Pastor Dustin
Blumer, Preacher ~ Pastor Brady Coleman, Liturgist
Bible Studies
"Sailing through the Great Commission" ~ Pastor Brady
Coleman, LWMS Pastoral Advisor, Mesa, Arizona
"Using Baptism More Effectively for Making Disciples"
~ Pastor Jeffrey Mahnke, LWMS Pastoral Advisor,
Schofield, Wisconsin
Workshops
"Make Disciples of All Nations through Publishing" ~
Pastor Paul Hartman, Multi-Language Publications
"The Great Commission on the Great Steppe" ~ Pastor
Luke and Jennifer Wolfgramm, Russia
"Reaching Out with the Outreach Committee" ~ LWMS
Outreach Committee
"The Great Commission on Campus" ~ Pastor Bill Limmer, Point of Grace, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
"Carrying Out the Great Commission to the Chinese" ~
Pastor Joshua Yu, St. John's Wauwatosa, Wisconsin
Thank you to outgoing officers:
President Paula Danekas
Spiritual Growth-Mission Awareness Befriend A Mission Coordinator Alaine Sonnenberg
Treasurer Rose Pederson
Thank you to outgoing standing committee member:
Bylaws Committee ~ Carol Dobrunz
Communications Committee ~ Lois Jenson and Karen
Goetzinger
Long-range Planning Committee ~ Carolyn Feltner, Lois
Meyer and Sena Bethke
Ad-Hoc Outreach Committee ~ Gloria Knoll, Hali
Dessecker, Carolyn Wehmeyer and Jill Doering
Volume 9, Issue 6
Present Officers
President Jackie Hieb, Cleveland, Ohio
President-elect Kay Angle, Lenexa, Kansas
Vice President Bambi Tuttle, Renville, Minnesota
Secretary Jill Doering, Lake Mills, Wisconsin
Treasurer Donna Cook, Lenexa, Kansas
Spiritual Growth-Mission Awareness Coordinator Karla
Jaeger, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Communications Coordinator Susan Fager, Prairie du
Chien, Wisconsin
Pastoral Advisor Brady Coleman, San Tan Valley, Arizona
Kids c.a.r.e.
2011-2012 World Missions Project Parnters in Apache
Learning (PAL)
2010-2011 Home Missions Project Caribbean Missions ~
$80,232.01
2009-2010 World Mission Project Pakistan ~ $74,606.76
2008-2009 Home Missions Project Peace In Jesus, Vietnamese Outreach, Boise, Idaho ~ $61,813.51
2007-2008 World Mission Project WELS Mission to the
Children ~ $65,158.90
2006-2007 Home Missions Project #4 Children and
Adult Bible Study Material ~ $12,239.06
2005-2006 World India Project #1 ~ $13,464.23
Mission Projects Selected - Ballot
Home Mission Project #HM-2010-12: Vicars in Mission
Settings - $34,959.56
World Mission Project #WM-2010-21: Japan $34,959.56
Worship Service Offerings
Home Mission Project #HM-2010-14: Cross-Cultural
Mission Conferences and Training - $22,740.67
World Mission Project #WM-2010-13: Brazil Projects $22,740.67
Offering Totals
Mission Projects Offering - $69,919.12
Worship Service Offerings - $45,481.34
Mission projects to be voted on in 2012
Home Missions
First Public Service Assistance (HM-2010-05)
Summer Student Assistance (HM-2010-11)
World Missions
Zambia Projects (WM-2010-08)
Thailand Projects (WM-2010-22)
Future Convention Site
2012 - M.C. Benton Jr. Convention Center, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, June 21-24 Heritage Circuit
Page 7
The Reporter
Volume 9, Issue 6
A Little Humor, A Little Advice
By Art Battson
Will Rogers, who died in a 1935 plane crash, was one of the greatest political sages this country has ever known. We
thank Art for offering a little sample of his wit and wisdom.
☺ Never slap a man who's chewing tobacco.
☺ There are two theories to arguing with a woman. Neither works.
☺ Never miss a good chance to shut up.
☺ Always drink upstream from the herd.
☺ If you find yourself in a hole, stop digging.
☺ The quickest way to double your money is to fold it and put it back into your pocket.
☺ Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment.
☺ If you're riding ahead of the herd, take a look back every now and then to make sure it's still there.
☺ Lettin' the cat outta the bag is a whole lot easier'n puttin' it back.
☺ After eating an entire bull, a mountain lion felt so good he started roaring. He kept it up until a hunter came
along and shot him. When you're full of bull, keep your mouth shut.
ABOUT GROWING OLDER...
1. Eventually you will reach a point when you stop lying about your age and start bragging about it.
2. The older we get, the fewer things seem worth waiting in line for.
3. When you are dissatisfied and would like to go back to youth, think of Algebra.
4. You know you are getting old when everything either dries up or leaks.
5. I don't know how I got over the hill without getting to the top.
6. One of the many things no one tells you about aging is that it's such a nice change from being young.
7. One must wait until evening to see how splendid the day has been.
8. Being young is beautiful, but being old is comfortable.
9. Some people try to turn back their odometers. Not me; I want people to know 'why' I look this way. I've
traveled a long way, and some of the roads weren't paved.
10. Long ago, when men cursed and beat the ground with sticks, it was called witchcraft. Today it's called golf.
And, finally If you don't learn to laugh at trouble, you won't have anything to laugh at when you're old.
Page 8
The Reporter
Through the next half of
2011 there are a number of
activities planned that will
give us the opportunity to
invite our friends, neighbors
and relatives to come and
learn more about our faith in
Jesus Christ. Some of the
information is still tentative,
but the dates are set.
So keep them open, and keep others informed.
Bike & Barbeque
Everything is set for the 14th of August! Around noon
we will meet at Goleta Beach, Group Area B. For the
physically fit there will be a bike ride from the church
parking lot to the beach - bike trails all the way! For everyone else, just meet at the beach. A delicious main meal
will be provided. Please bring a salad and dessert to
share.
This is another in a series of activities which offers the
opportunity for people to get to know us better. If you
would like to invite someone to come along, please do!
Through the use of relationships, and events that foster
these relationships, we will continue to plant the seeds of
the Gospel.
If you would like more information, please speak with
one of the members of the Outreach Committee. Also, if
you would be so kind, please use the sign-up sheet so we
can plan food. Thank You!
Neighborhood Block Party - October 1st
On October 1st we will try something different to
reach out to the people of our immediate community.
Please read the main article for more information. Between now and October 1st, watch for more information,
training and opportunities to help. There are many areas
where everyone can do something from being able to
handle questions, to handing out fliers, to even just standing around being friendly.
Festival of Friendship—October 9th
Over the years this service has grown to become a
valuable and enjoyable outreach event. Start making
plans today to invite a friend, a family member, or a
neighbor to come and enjoy an outdoor worship service at
10:30 am, and a delicious barbeque.
Printed invitations are also being prepared. As soon
as they are ready, you can pick them up.
Volume 9, Issue 6
Reporters Wanted!
Book review?
Personal Story of Faith?
Event Reports? Potluck, gathering, party, field trip?
Half-page to three pages
Reviewed for scriptural consistency and readability
by 25th of month to appear in next issue
Hard-copy to Carl Schueler, or email to Carl Schueler
([email protected]) or Pastor Proeber
([email protected])
A simple and rewarding way to serve!
Thanks to Sonja Todd, Al Todd, Art Battson and Carl
for their articles. The Reporter continues to benefit from a
variety of perspectives, and this issue again contains material from volunteer “reporters.”
There is always an open invitation to provide material
for the Reporter. In the past years, many members have
authored over 200 articles which really makes every issue
more interesting. These included articles on a wide variety
of subjects: ORLC news, past and planned events,
thought-provoking instructional articles on WELS history
and other religions, book reviews, and articles relating to
personal perspectives on our faith in Jesus.
We pray that more members will continue to think
about possible articles for the remainder of 2011. If you
have an idea, and you are not sure whether to act on it,
please don’t hesitate to speak to Pastor Proeber or Carl
Schueler for advice. Thanks!
Page 9
The Reporter
Volume 9, Issue 6
From page 1
dogs and chips, there will be opportunities for people to get more information. We will have a “ministry tent” where
people can learn about our outreach to Santa Barbara and Goleta. They will also be able to see how through our fellowship with the WELS, there are broader ministries in which we participate - the Central African Medical Mission, the
Committee on Relief, Kingdom Workers, just to name a few, in addition to home and world mission projects. That coupled with a video presentation on Our Redeemer in the sanctuary, and the Journey of Grace in the fellowship hall, people
will clearly see what we are about and how our faith is put into action.
The most important facet is they will see friendly people who enjoy themselves as they practice their faith. I suppose
you could look at it another way. We are going to put our best foot forward outside of Sunday morning. While this
shouldn’t be a new concept for us as members of Christ’s church, it may be a fresh way of doing it.
It is clear to see on Sunday mornings we enjoy a special fellowship in Christ. What happens, though, after 12:00
noon on Sunday? We go to our homes and to varying degrees we continue to live our faith. Certainly it is present in our
homes with regular family prayers, devotions and personal Bible study. Beyond the safety of our homes, we may or may
not seize every opportunity the Lord offers to “give the reason for the hope we have.”
This is another benefit of the “Neighborhood Block Party.” It gives us the opportunity to talk to people and offer
them an invitation to worship in a controlled and comfortable setting. One invitation that will immediately follow the
Block Party will be our Festival of Friendship under the Oaks. Over the years this service has proved to be a good “first
experience” for those who have attended. There will be other invitations to other events, services, and programs.
Now that the Block Party is off the drawing board and into the planning stage, what is needed?
Since the event is all about people, we need help. We will need people to do simply tasks. Some of those are already
identified - help with food, help at the ministry tent, help at the video presentation in the sanctuary, help with the Journey
of Grace. We will also need people to be around just being friendly. This is the singular most important detail. Try to
imagine walking up the parking lot to find no one is around. It would be unnerving at best, and possibly even intimidating. Worse yet it would say we don’t care about our neighbors. Now fill the parking lot with happy people smiling,
talking and milling about. Which would be more inviting?
This is why the Elders did an initial survey to measure interest. Now, it is time to take general interest to a specific
commitment. While some people may already have plans set for Saturday, October 1st, most probably don’t. I would
like to encourage, and invite, everyone to set that day aside, now. Make it a point to commit in order to make this endeavor enjoyable and successful for all involved. It would be easy to “beat around the bush,” or be evasive and think,
“Well, I might come if I have nothing else better to do.” What could be more important than doing the work of our congregation, and ultimately, the work the Lord has set before us. So, mark the date now. Plan your schedule around our
congregation’s schedule. Watch for opportunities to serve and be an active part of this ministry through which we reach
out to our neighbors.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to speak with the Elders, the members of the Outreach Committee,
or Pastor Proeber. Thank you in advance for your dedication and devotion to the ministry of Our Redeemer.
NEIGHBORHOOD BLOCK PARTY
Saturday, October 1st - 11:00 am - 2:00 pm
on the Church Grounds
Instruction and training will be provided in September
Volume 9, Issue 6
The Reporter
Page 10
DEVOTIONAL
CORNER 1 “Easy and Light”
Matthew 11:30 – For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.
When you think of Jesus’ words, they don’t seem to fit together. How can a yoke be easy and a burden be
light? Although the concept of a yoke is not familiar, it was part of the equipment used to harness two animals
together to do back-breaking work. It was built strong and heavy because it would have to stand up under grueling hours of labor. Just to get a yoke on two animals was a major undertaking as well. A similar observation
can be made about a burden. It is a heavy weight which could be physical or emotional.
While Jesus connects easy and light to the words yoke and burden to describe a life with him and his blessing, the devil also wants me to consider them. He wants me to be troubled by the concept of a yoke to describe
my relationship with the Lord, and overwhelmed by the burden of following his will. He wants me to be repulsed by anything that could cause me inconvenience or discomfort.
The devil’s logic makes perfect sense to my flesh. His appeal is enticing and convincing. It is also deadly.
If I reject life with Jesus, because it may mean hardship, what will I gain? A better question might be what will
I lose?
I need to take Jesus’ words to heart and understand what he offers. Jesus nowhere makes the promise my
life will be free from problems when I follow him. Quite the opposite is true. Still, he assures me he will always be there. He will restore my strength. He will renew my desire to persevere. He will refresh my joy.
It is because of his presence and his faithful work as my Savior that he can attach the words easy and light to
yoke and burden. Through his strength and his abiding presence, the yoke of following him becomes easy and
the burden of undertaking his will becomes light, because he assures me when I am weak or on the brink of being overwhelmed, he will lift me up and carry me in his arms. With Jesus carrying me, I can persevere regardless of the challenge I have to endure.
It is impossible for the world to comprehend an easy yoke and a light burden. I can only comprehend what
Jesus means through faith. It is also only through faith that I know Jesus is my never-failing strength and my
ever-present help. This assures me his yoke will be easy and his burden will be light.
Prayer Thoughts
O blessed Savior, I rejoice in your invitation to follow you, and I thank you for making it possible. Help me
focus on the blessings you provide, blessings that assure me of your presence, your power, and your preservation. Amen!
Daily devotions can be accessed through www.whataboutjesus.com or
www.wels.net. Please follow the instructions to view daily devotions
and to subscribe to them. They are also available as “podcasts.”
Volume 9, Issue 6
The Reporter
Page 11
DEVOTIONAL
CORNER 2 “Seed, Ground and Harvest”
Matthew 13:3 – Then he [Jesus] told them many things in parables saying,
“A farmer went out to sow his seed.”
Jesus regularly used common, every day pictures to teach precious lessons. One day he used the picture of a
farmer who was sowing seed in his field. It was a familiar picture, but not everyone who heard it appreciated
the lesson.
There are three points to which I need to give my attention. The first is the seed. It is the Word of God. It is
sent through sowers to be planted in my life and in the lives of others. It is a good seed, and as the Lord promises, “it will always achieve the purpose for which I send it” (Isaiah 55:11).
Looking ahead to a second lesson, there will always be a harvest. It may be a good, rich harvest. It may be
something less. Sometimes there will be no harvest, but it is not because of bad seed.
This leads to the third lesson, or the main point of the parable, which is the ground. The lesson is direct. As
the ground, Jesus wants me to understand how I hear and what I do with his Word is critical. The picture he
adds of the weeds, rocky soil and the road should make me aware of the obstacles I will have to face. Not only
does the devil want to deceive me with his lies, he also wants to choke the Word out of my life. His purpose is
to harden my heart and close my ears to Jesus’ life-giving Word.
Because I daily face these challenges I need to stop, look and listen. This was Jesus’ exhortation, “He who
has ears, let him listen” (Matthew 13:9). I need to give my full attention to his Word, and gladly hear and learn
it. In this way I will be good ground and the message of the seed will take root in me. The end result will be a
rich harvest. I will be certain of Jesus’ full and free forgiveness. I will rejoice in life of service he sets before
me. I will also find peace in his presence and in his never-failing love.
Jesus used the relationship between seed, ground and harvest to make me cherish the precious nature of his
Word. My sincerest desire is that he opens my ears and prepares my heart to receive the life giving seed of his
Word. I also pray that he makes me into fertile, rich soil which produces a rich harvest to his glory.
Prayer Thoughts
Blessed Lord, sow the seed of your Word in my life. Cause it to take root and grow. Then, make it produce a
rich harvest of good works offered to your glory and in return for your precious love. Amen.
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