Jun
28
Posted by VBS on
June 28, 2008
Remember, this Sunday your children will be performing at the 10:45am service! Come and listen to the songs they’ve practiced all week. After the service there will be a picnic, so please come and join us this Sunday.
ATTENTION PARENTS! The pictures in the VBS gallery are all high-resolution – if you want to print them at home as a keepsake, click once to view the image you want, then click a 2nd time to get a print-resolution view. To save the print-resolution version, simply right click on it and select “Save As” and save it to your hard drive.
Jun
19
Posted by Pastor Dancy on
June 19, 2008
“SEX: And God Said it Was Very Good.”(OR, “What Your Parents Have Always Wanted to Tell You”)
Well, that’s one way to get your attention! Sex really was God’s idea, though, and a terrific idea at that! The Almighty Creator designed an awesome way to populate the world with PEOPLE, the crown of His creation. God packaged this gift of sex in the structure and support of marriage (Gen. 2:19-25). Sex and procreation in marriage provide the wonderful environment that the Lord created for raising godly children. A husband and wife who have committed themselves to God and to one another can share this special gift with one another in guiltless joy and pleasure. In God’s plan, they compliment each other’s strengths and weaknesses. They submit to each other’s needs and desires as the most important facet of their lives, second only to God Himself. Christian Husbands would die for their wives, and their wives respond to that devotion with a willingness to follow their husbands (Eph 5:21-33.) Sex and marriage provide companionship, a complete fulfillment of our sexuality, a way to serve and care for one another, and the setting in which to raise children. Godly sex is holy! It is sacred! It is so special that it is some-thing that is not to be shared in any way with anyone outside the boundary of marriage. When our sexuality is misused it is akin to tearing holes in a priceless Masterpiece painting. It devalues it in everyone’s eyes. After many cuts and rips, something special becomes common and worthless. God wants the very best for us! That’s what happens when we celebrate and appreciate our sexuality God’s Way. The Lord also gives some the gift of remaining single and celibate (I Cor 7:6-8, I Cor 7:25-35.)
As sin entered the world in Eden, our sexuality, marriage and the family became distorted. Christian wedding vows say that marriage is a “joining together of husband and wife in heart, body and mind.” This three-fold understanding of marriage becomes unbalanced when most of the emphasis is placed on the union of bodies. Without a connecting of hearts and minds sex becomes as shallow a relationship as two dogs meeting in an alley. Without a commitment to God and a marriage-commitment to one another, sex can be nothing more than infatuation or feelings- which come and go like styles of clothing.
Our society has distorted God’s gift of sexuality, and cheapened it to become very common. The more that Christians have associations with this sinful world- the more they will imitate the world instead of God’s will for us revealed in the Scriptures. Many young people today have inherited such twisted values from our profane media and entertainment industries that they no longer know right from wrong! Several situations which I have observed among God’s people at Praise (the young and the not-so-young) have prompted the writing of this article. It is the responsibility of parents and Christ’s Church to teach young people the truth concerning God’s Will for us regarding God’s gift of our sexuality. If a few details here seem a bit frank, it is because there is need for specific details to clear up some confusion.
The Sixth Commandment, “You shall not commit adultery,” includes many facets of sexual sins, including, but not limited to the following:
1. Sharing sexual intimacy while dating a person with whom one is not married, including any sexual touching, oral sex and premarital sex. This is sin. Sharing extended periods of kissing and fondling is actually foreplay for sex, and often extends a bit further each time until a couple is unable to control their desire. This is sin. The new FWB designation (“Friends With Benefits”) often refers to friends who are merely casual sex-partners. God’s will for His people is for them to remain sexual virgins until they are married, and to have the freedom to share 100% of this gift with another person without having guilt, painful memories and old emotional/sexual ties to past “lovers.” There are better things people can do on dates to get to know one another as a total person. Group dates are often much more appropriate, especially for younger teens! (I Cor 6:18-20)
2. Dating people who are not Christians is dangerous, and can lead to sin. That’s right; we are to marry other (active, practicing) Christians. We are to “not be yoked together with unbelievers (2 Cor 6:14-17; I Cor 7:39,) because they will be unable to share a spiritual relationship, and this falls short of all God would give us in marriage. The unbeliever has as much a chance of turning a Christian away from God as a believer has in leading an unbeliever to Christ. A 50-50 chance of eternal damnation is very bad odds! Why become emotionally attached to a person who will not make an appropriate mate? Never date or marry a person with the intention of someday changing them; they are on their very best behavior while dating, and probably will not change any habits or beliefs later. (I Cor 15:33) Go to church and find a Christian girlfriend or boyfriend, not to a bar. Have high expectations!
3. Looking at pornography, whether as internet sites, photographs, TV or movies, is sinful. Our Lord Jesus equates the sexual lust it incites with physical adultery itself (Matt 5:27-30). Pornography distorts the viewer’s concept of normal sexuality, and it becomes an addiction which is never satisfied. Young people should be careful to dress modestly so as not to arouse sexual thoughts in others, and become virtual “walking pornography.” (Phil 4:8)l
4. Hearing or telling dirty jokes, making sexually suggestive statements, and using sexually-foul language is sin. (Eph 5:3-4)
5. “POOSSLQ” with carnal intent is sin. In the year 2000, the national census bureau created a category for unmarried people who were living together in a sexual relationship called, “Persons Of Opposite Sex Sharing Living Quarters.” Not only is this a serious, deliberate sin for Christians, but it becomes a public sin and is a very bad “Christian” witness in the community. (John 4:16-18; I Cor 7:2)
6. A marriage engagement is not the same as going steady. Engagement should be taken seriously, and not broken. Being engaged is not a license to share a sexual relationship, (Matt 1:18-19) since many who are engaged eventually break their engagements. A wedding engagement in American society today is a declaration of future intent of marriage, but none of the benefits or responsibilities of marriage are attached to it.
7. Visiting “Strip Clubs,” engaging in “lap dances” and soliciting prostitutes is sinful. It treats God’s precious gift of sex as entertainment, and is a sin which mocks marriage (I Cor 6:15-16.)
8. Abortion is sinful. Since pregnancy is the result of sexual activity- whether by married or unmarried people, the taking of that unborn life can be the sin to try to cover up another sin. Although seen as a ‘convenient’ way to end an unplanned pregnancy, abortion kills an unborn child, affects the mother’s ability to conceive again, increases her chances of several types of cancer, and often afflicts women and men with an emotional guilt of killing their own child that haunts them for the rest of their lives. (Ex 20:13; See “worldrelief.lcms.org,” Christ in Your Family; Thoughts on Marriage and Contraception.”
9. Homosexuality is sinful. Whether individual states or the entire country validate “gay” relationships, homosexuality is an abomination in God’s eyes and is a perversion of the entire purpose, function and fulfillment of sex. God’s design of marriage was that one man and one woman make a lifetime commitment to one another in a relationship which is often blessed with children in a natural way. Homosexuality redefines marriage and the family unit into twisted distortions God did not intend. (Gen 1:27-28; Lev 20:13; Rom 1:24-28; I Cor 6:9-10)
10. Speaking unloving words in marriage is sinful. When husbands and wives speak to one another in harsh or demeaning language it breaks the marriage vow to love, honor and respect one another (Eph 4:26, Eph 4:29-32.) Although the head of the family, a husband must not ‘lord it over his wife,” (Col 3:19.) nor must wives use sexual blackmail to get their way (I Cor 7:3-5.) Selfishness is the main enemy of marriage (I Cor 13:4-7.)
11. Breaking one’s wedding vows through adultery or desertion is sinful, and may cause the marriage to end. Christian couples vow before God and one another to remain faithfully married, “till death do us part.” Having a sexual relationship with another person while the spouse is alive violates that promise (Matt 19:9; Heb 13:4; Rom 7:3; 2 Pet 2:13-14.) Physically abandoning a spouse permanently may also dissolve a marriage (I Cor 7:15.) and constitutes adultery. The innocent spouse may then get a divorce.
12. Divorce, or the permanent dissolution of a marriage, is always due to sin, and displeases God greatly (Mal 2:16.) If a divorce takes place for any reason other than sexual adultery or physical, permanent abandonment, then the divorce itself is sinful, and constitutes adultery ( Matt 5:3-9; I Cor 7:15.) If a Christian obtains a divorce, but without the proper grounds of adultery or desertion on the part of the spouse, he or she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to his or her spouse (I Cor 7:10-11.) Some Christians believe that they may always marry again after a divorce, but this is simply not true according to God’s Word.
Once a person realizes that he or she has broken the sixth commandment (or any other command-ment for that matter) the Christian must quickly and sincerely repent of this sin to avoid God’s earthly and eternal wrath and punishment. Repentance entails deep sorrow over sin- the remorse of having disobeyed and displeased God, and hurting another person. Repentance requires that the sinner, after being confronted with and confessing the sin, will believe that the blood of Jesus Christ has taken away that sin. (I Jn 1:7-9.) The third element of repentance is a promise to amend our sinful life and to do better. To fully repent means that we leave our life of sin and intend to please God. Therefore, one who is “living in the sin” of adultery must immediately cease and desist the sinful activity in thought, word and deed. That will include completely stopping the sinful behavior and altering the situation. One must, for instance, move oneself and one’s belongings out of a residence shared with someone with whom he or she has been having an immoral relationship. For one to say, “I’m sorry,” but not to stop the sin is not true repentance. In a Christian congregation, the pastor and Spiritual Care (Elders) will then ban the sinner from receiving communion, since he or she has not repented. They will follow the steps of Matthew 18:15-18 to encourage the sinner to repent. After several attempts without success, the congregation must finally excommunicate the person, in the hope that this divine announcement of God’s condemnation will jolt the person into repentance (Matt 16:19, Matt 18:15-20; John 20:21-23; I Cor 5:1-13.) It is always the church’s prayer that the person would respond to God’s offer of forgiveness and the correction of the church, to repent, and be welcomed back into the fellowship of the congregation. (2 Cor 2:6-8)
May God continue to bless Christian marriages, and may couples live in God’s holy and sacred joy!
Dr. Paul B. Dancy, Sr. Pastor, Praise Lutheran Church of Fort Wayne
Jun
02
Posted by Pastor Dancy on
June 2, 2008
A VISION FOR PRAISE…Congregations go through life-cycles just like people, neighborhoods, marriages and automobiles. I recently looked through several binders of photographs and articles of Praise’s 13 year history, from her conception to today. “Krummy” has painstakingly collected and recorded important moments in the church’s history, and this work was taken over about a year ago by Julie Harmeyer. They are good archivists!
The birth of a congregation is an exciting time! There are many new steps that change as fast as a newborn. Each stage is a milestone that can be measured, from exploratory meetings of starting a mission congregation, to getting a charter, calling a pastor, having the first worship service, purchasing property, constructing a building, starting a preschool, constructing an addition, and seeing several church workers come and go. The first child’s development is often recorded by lots of photographs or videos! Finding pictures of later children is often much more difficult.
One thing is very clear to me, and that is that Praise is no longer a baby church. The initial excitement of a birth, getting that first tooth and taking that “first step” gradually slip into the “terrible two’s!” The baby looks different and now has a personality that is characterized by the word, “NO!” The cuteness of the infant has been replaced by the busyness of an active toddler. Praise offers dozens of ministries which reflect much sweat of those who have gone before. She has a few bruises and scars that reveal traumas and scrapes of the past. The population of the congregation has changed over the years as saints have come and gone, and more continue to be added to their numbers. Praise is poised for the next step in her maturing, as baby teeth are replaced by permanent teeth. A wistful memory of the “good old days when everybody knew each other, was needed and pitched in” resembles Orson Wells’ “Rosebud” of youth. But now it’s time to move on and literally grow up!
In January of this year, a few dozen members of Praise worked through a “Strategic Ministry Workshop.” It was somewhat akin to climbing a tall hill while on a journey to see where we’re been, where we are, and where we need to be going. The facilitator primed and pulled dreams, roadblocks and visions from us, which were written down and are being studied. Although Praise formed a mission statement years ago, it wasn’t visible and was even difficult to locate. This group formed a VISION STATEMENT for Praise that may officially be adopted by the congregation sometime soon. But a vision will only be useful if it is known and shared by all, and repeated regularly enough to get into our blood. I would like to share it with you:
VISION STATEMENT (The Passionate Plan) for Praise Lutheran Chruch
“Praise Lutheran Church, empowered by the Holy Spirit,
strives to be a joyous body of Christ-followers,
united by God’s grace to P.R.A.I.S.E. Him;
equipped to passionately serve and witness.”
PRAISING God in vibrant Worship
REACHING OUT with Christ-centered witness
ANCHORED in God’s Word and Sacraments
INTERCEDING for others
STEWARDS of God’s varied gifts for the building up of His Kingdom
EQUIPPING the saints for works of service.
I think that really describes Praise well! And now the secret is to move from nice sounding words to the reality of this actually being who we are and what we do! Praise is moving forward to find herself as an adolescent-age church, preparing to answer that exciting question, “what do you want to be when you grow up?”
As God’s Vision comes more into sharp focus, His grace, power and guidance will work in us to be the church that He has called us to be!
Dr. Paul B. Dancy, Sr. Pastor
Posts
