Psalm 119:89-90  *  July 22, 2007  *  Pentecost 8  *  Pastor Mark Voss

 

 St. John’s Tosa - 125th Anniversary

 

Always Changing – Forever the Same

  1. The ministers of St. John’s
  2. The ministry of St. John’s

 

Introduction:  Most of you don’t know me from Adam. When I stepped into this pulpit and you looked up I bet many of you had to pull out the scorecard, the bulletin insert, to find out who I am. What’s true for you is also true for me. I recognize some of the old-timers, but most of you I don’t know from Adam. I transferred my membership from St. John’s 23 years ago and during those ensuing years I have only been back to worship with you one time.

 

Many things change in 23 years. There’s a delightful story of a rookie umpire in majors. He was calling his first game behind plate and wouldn’t you know it, legendary fastball pitcher Nolan Ryan was on the mound. Ryan’s second pitch was so fast that the ump didn’t know where it was until he heard the “pop” in the catcher’s mitt. The ump froze and then faintly muttered, “Strike. The batter stepped out of the box for a practice swing and said out of the side of his mouth, “Don’t feel bad, I didn’t see it either.” Things in our world and in our lives change at fastball like speed. Change takes you up and down in life like a roller coaster.   

 

There are also things that don’t change, things which are forever the same. When I look out to the west from the window of my office I can see something that doesn’t change – the beautiful Rocky Mountains. When I went out for dinner the other night I enjoyed something that doesn’t change – a Friday night fish fry in Wisconsin. On a much grander scale God doesn’t  change. His love doesn’t change. His Word doesn’t change. They are forever the same.

 

Always Changing – Forever the Same. That’s our focus today based on two short verses from the longest psalm in Scripture, Psalm 119: 89) Your word, O LORD, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens. 90) Your faithfulness continues through all generations; you established the earth, and it endures.   1. The ministers of St. John’s are always changing yet are forever the same. 2. The ministry of St. John’s is always changing yet is forever the same.

 

1.  The ministers of St. John’s

 

A.  When you hear the word minister what’s the first thought that pops into head? Probably pastor. Like Pastor Leyer or Pastor Pagels or Pastor Gerlach. Over the last 125 years the pastors at St. John’s have obviously changed. The Word those pastors use has not changed: 89) Your word, O LORD, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens.                                    

 

1.  A long time ago ….

  • in confirmation class Pastor Otto used the Word;
  • when I was scheduling my first preaching date in the office a troubled member called and Pastor Heins used the Word;
  • when invited to tag along on a sick call visit  Pastor Yanke used the Word.

 

2.  Still today your pastors use God’s Word …                                                                        

  • they use it to bring God to you;                                                                                    
  • they use it to reveal God’s love to you;                                                             
  • they use it to bring forgiveness, peace and hope into your lives through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.

 

B.  Some of you may be familiar with a rock formation known as the Old Man of the Mountain. It’s in New Hampshire. Better said, it was in New Hampshire. Until a few years ago the Old Man of the Mountain was a 40 foot natural outcropping of granite that looked like an old man overlooking the town below him. Nathaniel Hawthorn wrote a short story about him called “The Great Stone Face.” His image was on New Hampshire quarters, license plates and about a million souvenirs. But then, sometime on May 2nd or May 3rd, 2003, the 700-ton face of the Old Man of the Mountain fell. It broke off and slid down. People were devastated: “It’s something that has been part of our lives forever. No one could believe he came down.

 

  • Through his Word God has been a part of your lives forever. Unlike the Old Man of the Mountain he is the Rock who will never fall down, or, let you down.

 

C.  It’s not just the pastors at St. John’s who are the ministers. You are ministers too, ministers who have the Word. When sin makes a mess in your life, the Word wipes the slate clean through forgiveness. When fear overtakes you or guilt overwhelms you, the Word takes away the fear and crushes the guilt. When problems in life trip you and you fall, the Word lifts you up and gets you back on your feet.                              

 

  • It is because of the Word that we are here today, celebrating 125 years of blessings. The ministers are always changing, but the Word that you have and hold, the Word that is so near and dear to you, is forever the same.

 

Transition: We have looked at the ministers. Now let’s look at …. 2.  The ministry of St. John’s

 

A.  It has been said, somewhat sarcastically, that what some people are looking for in a church is three handfuls: a handful of water at baptism; a handful of rice at their wedding; and a handful of dirt for their burial. Looking at it the right way the statement is true. Over the past 125 years St. John’s has been there for you and so many others - from the womb to the tomb.

 

  • That faithfulness starts with God’s faithfulness: 90) Your faithfulness continues through all generations; you established the earth, and it endures. Not only did our faithful Lord establish the earth, he also established the Holy Christian Church, and St. John’s congregation. 

 

B.  The ministry of St. John’s begins here at the baptismal font with a handful of water. I wasn’t baptized here but I baptized my oldest son here. He began his new life in Christ’s kingdom the same way we began our worship, in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

 

  • Washed clean by the blood of Christ. One of our favorite hymns says it so well: “Jesus, your blood and righteousness, my beauty are, my glorious dress.”
  • Attached by faith to the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.
  • Think of how many children have become children of God at this font: Your faithfulness continues through all generations.

 

C.  From the font let’s go to these front pews. As I was sitting in this pew a long time ago, I will never forget something Pastor Otto told me, something I share with my confirmands. Running through what would happen at our confirmation the next day Pastor Otto told us this would be the most important day of our lives, a day we would never forget. He was right.

 

  • Think of how many young people have stepped up to this altar in their white robes to make the most important promise we ever make in our lives. Your faithfulness continues through all generations.

 

D.  Let’s stay up here at the altar. That second handful, the handful of rice at your wedding. What an illustration of God’s faithfulness and unconditional love.                   

 

  • You stood here in front of God, giving yourself to each other: “I’ll be there for you, in good times and bad, in sickness and in health.” 
  • Your faithfulness to each other is fed by the Lord’s faithfulness to you: Your faithfulness continues through all generations.

 

E.  As it all began in this church so it also ends, with that third handful, the handful of dirt at a funeral.  Not too long after Pastor Leyrer contacted me about preaching, Jon Heup contacted me about sending some information for the insert. Jon asked me to mention some of the things I remember most about grade school.  I’ll tell you what I remember most.         

 

  • I remember walking over to church from school and quietly tiptoeing up to the balcony to sing at funerals.
  • I remember seeing death and quickly learning that death makes people cry and that it hurts to say goodbye.
  • I remember singing hymns that bring hope, hymns like I Know That My Redeemer Lives, What God Ordains is Always Good, and Beautiful Savior.
  • I remember hearing the pastors use God’s Word to bring comfort – comfort that for a child of God death is not a curse but a crown, not an end but a beginning, not a so long and farewell, but so long and farewell until we meet again. Your faithfulness continues through all generations.

 

Conclusion  As we close today let’s go back to one of our favorite Old Testament Bible stories.  When Jacob was running from his brother Esau he stopped to sleep, and during the night he had the dream of the stairway to heaven.  The next morning he built an altar to the Lord and he said, “How awesome is this place. This is none other than the house of God.”

 

How awesome is this place. Not because of the huge tree at Christmas, or the magnificent pipe organ or beautiful stain-glassed windows. This is an awesome place because it is the house of God. For 125 years the Lord has showered his faithfulness on you. For 125 years the Lord has empowered you through the Means of Grace to be faithful to him. How awesome is this place.

 

Amen.