Dear
brothers and sisters in Christ:
As human
beings, we are both body and soul. First Ev. Lutheran Church’s last corporate
worship service was on Wednesday, March 18. Following that Lenten midweek
service, no person rushed from their pew to go home. Everyone sat quietly and
wondered “What’s next?” First Ev. Lutheran never wanted to close, but we
did out of care for our neighbor.
We closed
because as Christ’s Church, we honor His commandments. In the Fourth Commandment,
we are to “honor your father and mother.” This means that we are to fear and
love God so that we honor our authorities. The authorities wanted to flatten
the COVID-19 curve, so hospitals would not be over-run and we followed their
advice. In the Fifth Commandment, we are to “not murder.” This means that we
are to fear and love God so that we do not hurt or harm our neighbor in his
body, but help and support him in every physical need. We closed so we would
not hurt or harm our neighbor.
As the
Apostle Paul writes: “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities.
For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been
instituted by God” (Romans 13:1). At the same time, there comes a time when
the government can go too far. When that happens: “We must obey God rather
than men” (Acts 5:29). This is the case now, since our state government
moved the “goal posts” from “flattening the curve” to we must have a vaccine. I
hate to break it to everyone, but on the best year, the Influenza vaccine is
only 50 percent effective.
So, on the
Ascension of Our Lord (May 21), the Church Council voted unanimously to resume
Divine Services on Pentecost Sunday (May 31). This was such great news for
Pastor Welch and myself!
As the news
of resuming Divine Services made its way around Facebook that Thursday night into
Friday morning, some onlookers may have thought: “It’s too early! People
will die!” If you are worried about this, you may continue to watch the
Divine Services from home. But, remember, even before COVID-19 people died.
Death isn’t new. Death is the result of sin.
As of
Pentecost Sunday (May 31), our religious liberty is restored and we all have a
choice on how we worship the one true God. Now that the church is open, our
first choice should be to worship together in the Divine Service. Plan "B" is to
watch the Divine Service from home. This should continue to be the plan for
anyone who is ill, showing symptoms of being ill, or has underlying health
conditions. This being said, if you plan to remain at home and would like to
receive the Lord’s Supper, please contact me so I can add you to the shut-in
list.
Our society
and culture is focused on the body, but Jesus is focused on both body and soul.
He tells us: “Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.
Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew
10:28).
Through this
COVID-19 pandemic, we have all become frustrated. For me, I am frustrated that
I cannot visit sick members in the hospital. And, I cannot visit members in
long-term care facilities. Yes, I am only a phone call away, but it’s much more
than that, it’s about being there. Even if I don’t say a word, by being
there, God provides comfort.
I have also
become frustrated with the governor’s executive orders. From the start, big box
stores could be open, but not small businesses. Then, casinos, restaurants and
bars were allowed to open, but not the church. All the while, the Minnesota
South District of the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod was urging the governor
for a plan for churches to re-open. The District never heard back from the
governor.
So in the absence
of a timeline or any other assurances that churches would soon be able to
reopen, the Minnesota South District and its sister district the Minnesota
North District, along with the Minnesota District of the Wisconsin Evangelical
Lutheran Synod (WELS), the Evangelical Lutheran Synod (ELS) and the Roman
Catholic dioceses of Minnesota decided to move forward with opening churches
against the governor’s order on Ascension Eve (May 20).
Then on the
Saturday afternoon of May 23, we finally heard from the governor. Upon the public
pressure of many church bodies, the governor is now allowing churches to resume
public worship on May 27, but with restrictions.
So, why
would we open corporate worship? It’s about salvation for the body and the soul.
This is why
Pastor Welch and I never turned away anyone on these past Sunday mornings. You
may have noticed that more and more people have attended our live streamed Divine
Services.
This is why
we offered small group services with Holy Communion each Sunday morning and on
Maundy Thursday.
Throughout
all of this, I pray that this pandemic has exposed the true churches from the
false churches. Yes, many LCMS congregations completely closed, but they all
wanted to be open. They all closed out of fear from the government.
While that
happened, many other Christian denominations wish to remain closed, and many churches
have publicly acknowledged this fact. One church leader tweeted: “The
President’s call to return to in-person worship is reckless, divisive, dangerous…
The church has not been closed these past months. The Body of Christ is
connected and worshiping. Is it ideal? No.”[1]
Another tweeted: “I reassert my earlier recommendation to the people and
communities… that in-person gatherings for worship continue to be suspended, at
least into June and probably longer. The church does not need to re-open.”[2]
Frankly, I
pray that many churches do remain closed, since again, this is all about salvation
for both body and soul. Most of the denominations that wish to remain closed – even
after the governor is allowing public worship – preach the false doctrine
of social justice in the place of Christ crucified and risen and His unchanging
Word. I pray that this has been further exposed during this pandemic. Again, I
pray that they remain closed in order to save some of their parishioners from
eternal death, by hearing God’s Word in places like First Ev. Lutheran Church.
At the
beginning of May, I began asking the home shut-ins if they would like for me to
physically stop in and give them the gifts bestowed in Holy Communion. I received
a resounding “Yes!” Again, this is about salvation of both body and soul.
So, why can’t
we just continue with Divine Services on Facebook only? Luke tells us: “And
they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the
breaking of bread and the prayers” (Acts 2:42). And Paul tells us: “Be
filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and
spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with you heart, giving
thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord
Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ”
(Ephesians 5:18b-21).
In other
words, as Christians we are not to worship God by ourselves, but we are to
worship God together in order to strengthen one another and build each other up.
Even better than that, the Triune God comes to us in the Divine Service! He is
there in the Means of Grace: Baptism, God’s Word, and the Lord’s Supper. So, we
thank and praise Him together as we hear His Word and sing His praise!
For
Lutherans, we are an incarnational church. Not every church is like us. We know
that Christ comes to us as we hear the invocation “In the name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,” for which we remember that we are
baptized into Christ. He comes to us as we hear His Word and it rightly taught.
He comes to us as we receive His very Body and His very Blood in the Lord’s
Supper for the forgiveness of our sins and for strength in our weak faith!
In the
Divine Service, Christ comes to us and we receive His gifts – eternal life,
salvation, and forgiveness of sins – all by grace through faith in Christ
alone! He alone strengthens both our body and soul!
This is why
First Ev. Lutheran Church is resuming Divine Services! It is all about the care
of both our body and our soul. It is all about the battle between eternal
damnation and eternal life. For me, and I pray for you, I would rather live
with Jesus and all the saints in the Church Triumphant, than face God’s wrath.
The Lord be
with you always! To God be the glory! Amen.
In Christ,
Pastor
Adelsen
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