During our worship time on May 12, 2019, we celebrated as Melena Laack was first examined and then confirmed in the Christian faith. This milestone comes as she has completed several years study of what God teaches us in His Word. The lessons were led by Pastor Titus I. Buelow, who led the confirmation rite. Please keep Melena and all young Christians in your prayers. We live in a culture that is contrary to God’s truth.
We are all voluntary victims of Satan’s seductions. Look at your life and you’ll find far too many times of shame and sin when Satan successfully placed a temptation before you and you didn’t say no. You may wonder why you did it, but the truth is you did it. Satan knows our every weakness. He custom tailors temptations for individuals. This Lenten season, we examine some of those tailor-made temptations. We also examine how the Holy Spirit specifically equips us through Word and Sacrament, and by applying forgiveness and teaching sanctification, that we are able to fight those temptations.
Join us for the next six Sundays as we address these temptations:
Each of us battles with temptation every day. God tells us “no.” We say “yes.” He tells us to stay away from something. We go directly toward that something. We want only what we want. Christ was no stranger to temptation, either. He battled, yet was without sin … for us and for our eternal righteousness. Christ is with us fighting temptation so that we want what He wants.
Jeremiah was rejected because he did not tell the people what they wanted to hear. We often reject God’s Word and God’s messengers because we are like the people who rejected God’s prophet. We refuse to listen and change. Despite our refusal to listen, the Lord keeps coming to preach sin and grace, Law and Gospel.
We aren’t satisfied with what God gives us. We aren’t pleased with what God tells us. We aren’t content with God’s expectations for us. So we grumble. We grumble against God. We grumble against God’s called workers. We grumble against God’s public servants. Yet in the midst of our grumbling, Jesus enters with warning and mercy.
We sin. Things get difficult. We plead for mercy. God is merciful and things get better. We fall back into the same sin. Things become more difficult. We plead for mercy. God is merciful and things get better. And so it goes. God calls us today to repent and break the cycle of sin.
We know that Jesus has taken away our sins. We think that is too easy. So we beat ourselves up over our past sins by carrying present guilt. Jesus wants it all – our sins and our guilt.
Every year on Palm Sunday we celebrate Jesus entering Jerusalem as King. But what if we don’t want Him as King? What if we still want some say in our lives? What if we refuse to bow the knee to Jesus? The Lord promises that every knee will bow before Jesus – either in joy or in judgment.
Thank you to all who came to the CAP one day seminar on the Christian Family. It was encouraging to see so many of you take the time on a Saturday to be here. A huge thank you to Dr. Olson for coming all the way out here for this event.
For more information on the Congregational Assistant Program (CAP) or about the one day seminars it runs, go to https://mlc-wels.edu/cap/upcoming-seminars-joint-courses/
At the January Voter’s Meeting the new Church Council was formally elected. The Council is meant to bring organization to the church by assigning specific areas to specific leaders. Having the Council also helps our Pastor be able to focus on what we have Called him to do. If you have an idea, question or concern for a certain area of the church, please talk to these people.
Jon Laack, Council Chairman
Dave Heup, Vice Chairman
Chad Dobbe, Council Secretary
Art Ebbinger, Treasurer
David Winkler, Financial Secretary
Austin Retzlaff, Education Coordinator
Chuck Schowalter, Evangelism Coordinator
Tom Ganster, Elder
David Schley, Elder
Dan Janz, Elder
Earl Fields, Trustee
Dustin Laabs, Trustee
Michael Tessmer, Trustee
During this weather, please make sure the roads are safe to come to church events. We will do our best to keep the calendar updated when events are postponed or canceled because of unsafe driving conditions. Stay safe and stay in the Word!
I rejoiced with those who said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord” Psalm 122:1 picture of St. Paul Church in Clintonville Wisconsin
The 2019 Church Directory is done and ready for pick up! Pick your copy up so you can stay in touch with your church family. If you do have an update to your contact information, feel free to let Chuck or Sandy know.
ONE MONTH! In one short month St. Paul Clintonville will be hosting Dr. Lawrence Olson as he presents a one day seminar on the Christian Family. Help us prepare for this event by registering soon so that we have enough materials prepared.
Click below to find out more information about the event and to register for it.
Did you know we are in the church season of Epiphany? During this time our readings focus on Christ revealing himself as the Messiah. The word "epiphany" itself means "to reveal". The colors on the altar the next few weeks will be green to remind us of growth. With the readings the next few Sundays, listen to how Christ grew the Kingdom during his earthly ministry.
Every summer hundreds of young Christians meet for faith and fun at Camp Indianhead… until this year. It was recently announced that Camp Indianhead has had a name change to Camp Rise. This will be the same great camp, just with a new name.
This year, from July 7th through the 12th students who will have just finished grades 4-9 will meet at the Luwisomo campground (Wild Rose, WI) for Camp Rise. To find out more or to find out about registration, go to Camp Rise’s website…
