Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
I write to remind you that Jesus Christ is Lord of all! And that “we know that for those who love God all things work together for good” (Romans 8:28 ESV).
We at Messiah love Pastor Twietmeyer and his family, and are saddened to see him go. We will not only miss his wonderful sermons, his teaching, counsel, and care for our congregation, but his friendship as well. Questioning why this has happened and feelings of loss and sorrow are normal at a time like this. But it's also true that, from our limited point of view, we are not able to fully understand why our shepherd has been called away. Now the Lord is calling us to trust that He will provide for us as a church family.
Just as in other challenging times in Messiah's past, we need to be there for one another and value each other as gifts from God. We will be tempted with fears about Messiah's future. While these feelings are expected in a grieving process, they are at the same time not helpful moving forward. As sinful human beings we want to make sense of things in a way that is not always possible on this side of heaven. In these times we must collectively hold fast to God's promises in the Gospel. These things we know for certain: that no matter what we are more than conquerors through Christ our Savior (Romans 8:37-39), and that His perfect love casts out our fallen fear and distrust (1 John 4:18). We must move forward together. I urge you, brothers and sisters in Christ, to be sensitive to each other’s feelings without giving way to negativity and anger.
The leadership at Messiah will take the necessary steps to ensure that Word and Sacrament ministry will continue at our Church, and that spiritual care will be provided for the hurting and grieving among us. The Lord will provide! I love you all. Let us hold to our God-given fellowship and love for one another in these uncertain times for our congregation. Please feel free to reach out to me if you have concerns or needs.
Going forward, we will do our best to communicate further details as they take shape. In the meantime, please pray for one another and for our church. The Word of the Lord endures forever (Isaiah 40:8) and assures us that our prayers will be answered according to His will and timing. God bless you all.
In Jesus’ name,
Dave Ahrens
President, Messiah Lutheran Church
P.S. Our dear brother in Christ, Dale Robart, has provided some scriptural references that are especially helpful at this time. I encourage you to read them, meditate on them and pray on them:
Ephesians 4:11-16 (God gives His people shepherds)
2 Corinthians 4:7-18 (Our troubles in the light of God's glory)
Acts 20:17-28 (Paul's farewell to the elders at Ephesus)
Hebrews 13:5-8 (The Lord will never leave or forsake us)
Romans 8:28-39 (Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ)
