Urgent Update

Dear Brothers and Sisters at Messiah,

Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!  Alleluia!

On Monday, April 27, Messiah's Board of Elders met via remote online access. As directed by Church Council, the Elders reviewed the suspension of activities put in place six weeks ago, especially in light of Michigan's newly extended "stay at home" executive order.

At this meeting, the Elders decided to extend the suspension of in-person church activities indefinitely.  Rather than try to guess when the executive order will be loosened or lifted, the Elders plan to monitor the situation and call a special board meeting as the circumstances warrant it.  The Elders' goal is to safely re-open in-person activities as soon as possible.

Here are the immediate results of this decision:

• All public worship services are currently cancelled. We'll continue to post audio recordings of the service for the day  -- music, hymns, responsive readings, the appointed Scriptures and a sermon -- on Messiah's website and our YouTube channel (along with an order of service to follow as you listen) on Sundays.

• In consultation with confirmation families, our Junior Confirmation and New Member Welcome scheduled for May 3 has been postponed.  It will be rescheduled as soon as possible after in-person activities re-open.

• All in-person Bible studies, musical practices and other group activities at church are currently cancelled.  I'm continuing to provide an online video Bible study every Sunday; you can see and hear last Sunday's study at our website or on YouTube. 

• We are continuing to explore further uses of technology for worship, study and life together -- online video, virtual gatherings, etc.  Stay tuned for more details.  Thanks to those who watched last night's Confirmation Examination (which had more than 200 views) on YouTube!

The suspension of church activities will also be discussed at the next Council meeting (scheduled for Monday, May 18).

Thanks again to all of you for your words of encouragement and support in these recent weeks: Pastor Blain, the rest of our staff and I truly appreciate your kindness and help.  We continue to ask for your understanding, trust, patience and prayers as we work to bring you the comfort of God's Word and continue Messiah's minimum basic operations.  We also respectfully ask that you continue your support of Messiah's ongoing ministry through your faithful giving, whether by mailed check, electronic check or our new online giving portal.

As the Church and the world continue to confront widespread challenges, I also urge you to continue the activities I've mentioned before:
 Read and Meditate on God's Word!   Leaders of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod are posting brief online devotions every weekday.  Watch them live Monday-Friday at 10 am EDT on the Synod's Facebook page or anytime on YouTube.  And President David Maier of the Michigan District-LCMS is offering daily devotions based on great Christian hymns weekday evenings at 7 pm; again, you can find them on Facebook or YouTube.  You can also check Messiah's Facebook page Monday-Saturday mornings for daily Psalm verses, Bible readings and prayer.  More online resources are available at Messiah's website.

Pray for our governmental leaders!   As the pandemic continues, the pressure on everyone -- along with the variety of opinions on the best course of action -- grows.  Please pray especially that those in authority in our township, city, county, state and nation will be high in purpose, wise in counsel, firm in good resolution, and unwavering in duty as they strive to serve us.

Check in with each other!  I've been grateful to hear how so many of you are taking steps to care for and stay in contact with each other. The Elders continue to contact their assigned families regularly during the suspension of activities; if you need spiritual care, please contact Pastor Blain directly at 616-288-5594.

Above all, hold on to Jesus Christ!  As this strange time continues, the First Epistle of Peter (the source of our Easter season epistles and livestream Bible studies) has resonated more and more with me.  May these words from God's Word (1 Peter 1:3-9) give us grace, peace, faith and comfort as we go forward:

    3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, 9 obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!  Alleluia!

Yours in Him,


Rick Krueger
Messiah Lutheran Church

An Update

Dear Brothers and Sisters at Messiah,

Christ is risen!  He is risen indeed!  Alleluia!

But that's not the only reason I'm smiling behind the arrow below ...

 Yesterday, I successfully set up Messiah's first-ever livestream.  This coming Sunday, April 19 at 9:45 am, our devotional Bible study will be live, not prerecorded!  Together, we'll dig into the First Epistle of Peter, which gives us our Epistle lessons for this Easter season.  Please join me to discover more about the mercy, hope and inheritance that is ours in the risen Jesus, and to grow in faith and love.

The livestream Bible study will be available through our Bible Studies webpage, our YouTube channel, and our Facebook page.  Or you can just click on the big red arrow above on Sunday morning!  (If you miss the livestream, you can watch it later at the same websites.) 

Our upcoming worship service for Sunday, April 19 will be precorded audio, as usual -- but stay tuned for further developments ...

As I've said regularly, our staff, lay leadership and finance team deeply appreciate your continuing support of Messiah's ministry.  As of today, there's another option to provide that support: Online Giving.  You can use our new giving portal to make one-time or regular contributions through your checking account, savings account, debit or credit cards. (I did; it works.) You can even give via text message!  Click on the link above to learn more and get started. 

I'd also like to give a shout-out to our dedicated preschool staff.  Teachers Vonda Smestad and Kathleen Stam are staying in touch with the children on a regular basis: posting suggested activities online and delivering learning packs to homes as pictured below, as well as hosting remote sessions.  I was honored to lead a very special preschool chapel online earlier today; thanks to Vonda and Kathleen for the opportunity.

Finally, there's a new option for your evening devotions!  The Michigan District of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod has kicked off "Hope Is Here", a series of video devotions based on classic hymns of the Christian faith, led by District President Rev. Dr. David Maier.  Watch them live at 7 pm EDT each evening on Facebook, or access them all on YouTube.  They're a nice complement to the morning devotions provided by LCMS president Rev. Dr. Matthew Harrison and others (also on Facebook or YouTube at 10 am every weekday).
In the season of Easter that lies ahead, may God continue to bless, strengthen and keep us all safe in Him every day.  Christ is risen!  He is risen indeed!  Alleluia!

Yours in Him,


Rick Krueger
Messiah Lutheran Church

Worship and More for Holy Week and Easter

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

This is a Holy Week like none of us have experienced in our lifetimes.  We continue to watch and wait, concerned about ourselves, our families, and our society.  So much seems to be up for grabs; what will endure?

Water, blood, and Spirit crying,
By their witness testifying
To the One whose death-defying
    Life has come, with life for all.
 
God's Word of salvation in Jesus Christ endures forever -- and it has never been more meaningful or relevant for our lives.  Online worship services for Maundy Thursday - April 8, Good Friday - April 9, and Easter Sunday - April 12 will be available at our Worship Resources web page by 8:30 am each day.  Links to the services will also be posted on Messiah's Facebook page.

In a wat’ry grave are buried
All our sins that Jesus carried;
Christ, the Ark of Life, has ferried
    Us across death’s raging flood.

Video Bible Studies will also continue on Easter Sunday - April 12.  This week's study will focus on the empowering truth of our burial and resurrection with Christ, as revealed in Acts 10:34-43 (Peter's first proclamation of the Gospel to Gentiles) and Colossians 2:8-15 & 3:1-4 (the Easter Epistle).  You'll be able to watch the study at any of these three pages, starting at 9:45 am on Sunday.

• Our YouTube channel

• The Bible Studies page on our website

• Our Facebook page,

Dark the way, yet Christ precedes us,
Past the scowl of death He leads us;
Spreads a table where He feeds us
    With His body and His blood.

One of my greatest sorrows right now is that we will be unable to gather at the Lord's Table on Thursday night and Sunday morning.  But, as Synod's Commission on Theology and Church Relations recently wrote, right now it is best "humbly and repentantly to ask the Lord for the regular administration of the Sacrament of the Altar to be restored to us, together with an end to the 'deadly pestilence' that is killing thousands of souls who are precious to God, their Creator."  May our prayers for healing and restoration continually ascend to our heavenly Father.  As President Harrison wrote to the pastors of the LC-MS last week, we can take comfort in the fact that Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit are praying for all of us!  (See Romans 8:26-27). 

Though around us death is seething,
God, His two-edged sword unsheathing,
By His Spirit life is breathing
    Through the living, active Word.

Beyond the online resources we're offering, hearing great sacred music is another way to steep ourselves in that living, active Word.  One of the greatest musical expressions of the Gospel in history, J.S. Bach's St. John Passion, will be performed online -- from Bach's home church in Germany and from around the world -- at 10 am EDT on Good Friday.  Learn more about this unique performance of the Passion here; watch and listen to the livestream here.

As always, please feel free to reply to this message with any feedback you think will be helpful, as we at Messiah journey together through this unprecedented Holy Week  -- apart from each other physically, together by faith in the ark of God's Church, nourished by His Word above all.  I and all of Messiah's staff continue to be deeply grateful for your ongoing support through your contacts, prayers and offerings. 

Spirit, water, blood entreating,
Working faith and its completing
In the One whose death-defeating
    Life has come, with life for all.

Yours in Christ,


Rick Krueger
Messiah Lutheran Church 

"Water, Blood and Spirit Crying" (Lutheran Service Book 597) © 1999 Stephen P. Starke, admin. Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110002549.

April 5 Worship and Bible Study Update

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Just a reminder that our audio service for Sunday, April 5 will be available at our Worship Resources web page by 8:30 am tomorrow morning. A link to the service will also be posted on Messiah's Facebook page.

I'll also be offering a Video Bible Study every Sunday we remain away from our building. These will be devotionally focused studies on selected readings from the day's worship.services. Tomorrow's study will be on two Scriptures that are also songs: the "Servant Song" of Isaiah 50:4-9a (the Old Testament Reading for April 5) and Philippians 2:5-11, one of the earliest New Testament hymns (the Epistle). You'll be able to watch the study at any of these three pages, starting at 9:45 am on Sunday.

• Our YouTube channel

• The Bible Studies page on our website

• Our Facebook page

We've also added a new page for Sacred Music; we'll be posting videos of organ and choral music there on a regular basis, along with a link to great music from Lutheran Public Radio, available 24/7. Please check it out!

As always, please feel free to reply to this message with any feedback you think will be helpful for us, as we adjust to this very different situation -- "socially distanced" from each other physically, but still together by faith in the ark of God's Church, nourished by His Word. As I've said before, I and all of Messiah's staff are deeply grateful for your ongoing support through your contacts, prayers and offerings.

Yours in Christ,

Rick Krueger

P.S. Our April newsletter will be sent out on Monday, April 6; you'll also be able to read it at our website by 12 noon that day.

April 1 Worship Now Online!

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Our Lenten midweek service for today is now online!  To hear it:

• Click here to go to our "Worship Resources" page.

• Under "Services", you'll see the heading Wednesday, April 1.

• To hear the service, click on the white arrow.

• To view or download the service bulletin, click on the link below the arrow.  It will open in a separate window, so that you can follow along as you listen.

A reminder that our "Worship Resources" page also includes

• The Litany (the great responsive prayer of the Church, often used in Lent), sung by the Kantorei of Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

• Links to streamed services from reliable local and national ministries. 

• Connections to more printed and audio materials.

The April 1 service is also accessible through Messiah's Facebook page and Messiah's YouTube channel. 

Please feel free to reply to this message with any feedback you think will be helpful for the near future.  We thank you again for your ongoing support through your prayers and your gifts to Messiah's ministry, as we grow together in God's enduring Word, even in this unusual time. Look for our next service to be posted on Sunday, April 5 by 8:30 am.  

Yours in Christ,


Rick Krueger
Messiah Lutheran Church 

Urgent Update

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

On Monday, March 30, Messiah's Board of Elders met via remote online access. As directed by Church Council, the Elders reviewed the suspension of activities put in place two weeks ago.

In light of the President's Coronavirus Guidelines for America (limiting gathering size to 10 or less) being extended through April 30, as well as the recent sharp increase of coronavirus cases in Kent County, The Elders have decided to extend the suspension of church activities through Thursday, April 30.  

Here are the immediate results of this decision:

• All public worship services through April 30 are cancelled. We'll continue to post audio recordings of the service for the day  -- music, hymns, responsive readings, the appointed Scriptures and a sermon -- on Messiah's website and our new YouTube channel (along with an order of service to follow as you listen) by 8:30 am on these dates:

  • Wednesday, April 1 (our final Lenten midweek service)

  • Sunday, April 5

  • Maundy Thursday, April 9

  • Good Friday, April 10

  • Easter Sunday, April 12

  • Sunday, April 19

  • Sunday, April 26

• All in-person Bible studies, musical practices, meals and other group activities at church are cancelled from now through Thursday, April 30.  I've just begun to provide an online Bible study every Sunday; you can hear last Sunday's study at our website or on YouTube. 

• The suspension of church activities will be discussed at the next Council meeting (scheduled for Monday, April 20) and reviewed at the next Board of Elders meeting (scheduled for Monday, April 27).  

Thanks to all of you for your words of encouragement and support during these last two weeks: Pastor Blain, the rest of our staff and I truly appreciate your kindness and help.  We continue to ask for your understanding, trust, patience and prayers as we work to bring you the comfort of God's Word and continue Messiah's minimum basic operations.  We also respectfully ask that you continue your support of Messiah's ongoing ministry through your faithful giving; you can a check to the church office by U.S. mail or send an electronic check through your bank.

As the Church and the world confront widespread challenges not seen in over a century, I urge you to continue the activities I mentioned last week:

Read and Meditate on God's Word!   As I've previously mentioned, leaders of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod are posting brief online devotions every weekday.  Watch them live Monday-Friday at 10 am EDT on the Synod's Facebook page or anytime on YouTube.  You can also check Messiah's Facebook page Monday-Saturday mornings for daily Psalm verses, Bible readings and prayer.  I'll share more online resources with you in Messiah's April newsletter, which will be mailed out as soon as possible.

Pray for our governmental leaders!   Those in authority in our township, city, county, state and nation face a daunting task in the coming weeks.  Pray that they will be high in purpose, wise in counsel, firm in good resolution, and unwavering in duty as they strive to serve us.

Check in with each other!  I've been grateful to hear how so many of you are taking steps to care for and stay in contact with each other. The Elders are already working to contact all of their assigned families regularly during the suspension of activities, and will be stepping up their efforts in the coming weeks.  If you need spiritual care, please contact Pastor Blain directly at 616-288-5594.

Above all, hold on to Jesus Christ!  I am deeply saddened that we won't be able to celebrate Holy Week and Easter Sunday together in person.  But I take comfort in these realities:

• The death of God's Son Jesus Christ for the sins of all people and His resurrection from the dead, are historical facts attested to by the witnesses of Scripture, a sure and certain hope;

• The power of God for our salvation and spiritual growth is available to us wherever we are, in His holy Word that gives us what He promises;

• In the calendar of the church year, Easter is a season -- fifty days of rejoicing that, in Jesus, God has broken the power of sin, death and the devil over our lives.

• Every Sunday is a "little Easter"; when we can come together again, the power and peace of Christ's resurrection will be there for us, in Word and Sacrament for us to receive, rejoice in and share with the world. 

May God continue to bless, strengthen and keep us all safe in Him.

Yours in Christ,


Rick Krueger
Messiah Lutheran Church

March 29 Worship and Bible Study

Our audio service for Sunday, March 29 is now available on our Worship Resources web page; A link to the service will also be posted on Messiah's Facebook page.

Following consultation with Pastor Blain, I'll be offering Video Bible Studies every Sunday we remain away from our building, beginning today.  These will be devotionally focused studies on selected readings from the day's worship.services.  The March 29 study will be on Psalm 116 (the Introit, or Entrance Psalm) and Romans 8:1-11 (the Epistle).  You'll be able to watch the study at any of these three pages, starting at 9:45 am today:

• Our new YouTube channel

• The new Bible Studies page on our website

• Our Facebook page,

We've also added the following to our "Worship Resources" page:

• Links to daily video devotions from Rev. Dr. Matthew Harrison (Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod President), Rev. Peter Lange (LCMS first Vice-President) and Rev. Sean Daenzer (director of LCMS Worship/chaplain at the LCMS International Center/Michigan native). Watch them live at 10 am EDT each weekday on the LCMS Facebook page, or access them all on YouTube.

• The LCMS’ Psalm 91 Shelter in Place Challenge.  While you stay at home, learn Scripture by heart!  More info here.

• Free devotional resources from Concordia Publishing House.

As always, please feel free to reply to this message with any feedback you think will be helpful for us, as we all navigate these unfamiliar, choppy waters -- "socially distanced" from each other physically, but still together by faith in the ark of God's Church, nourished by His Word.  As I've said before, I and the rest of Messiah's staff are deeply grateful for your ongoing support, 


Yours in Christ,

Rick Krueger
Parish Assistant

March 25 Worship Now Online!

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Our Lenten midweek service for today is now online!  To hear it:

• Click here to go to our "Worship Resources" page.

• Under "Services", you'll see the heading Wednesday, March 25.

• To hear the service, click on the white arrow.

• To view or download the service bulletin, click on the link below the arrow.  It will open in a separate window, so that you can follow along as you listen.

A reminder that our "Worship Resources" page also includes

• The Litany (the great responsive prayer of the Church, often used in Lent), sung by the Kantorei of Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

• Links to streamed services from reliable local and national ministries. 

• Connections to more printed and audio materials.

A link to the March 25 service will also be available on Messiah's Facebook page.  Look for our next service to be posted early on Sunday, March 29.  

Please feel free to reply to this message with any feedback you think will be helpful for the near future.  And again, thanks so much for your ongoing support, as we find ways to feed together in the green pastures of God's enduring Word during these extraordinary times.


Yours in Christ,


Rick Krueger
Messiah Lutheran Church 

"Stay at Home" Update

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

As you probably know, yesterday Governor Whitmer issued an executive order mandating a "stay at home" policy for Michigan individuals and businesses, effective today through 11:59 pm on Monday, April 13.  The complete text of the order is here; helpful guidelines for individuals are here.  Deb and I will be complying with this order as much as we possibly can, for our earthly good and the earthly good of our neighbors.  I personally encourage you to do the same.

In the wake of this order, Messiah's Executive Committee, chairman of the Board of Elders Randy Gerke and I consulted last night.  Here's what's been determined:

• Messiah's building will remain closed and all activities will remain suspended until at least Monday, April 5, as determined at last week's Council meeting.  The Board of Elders will review the suspension of activities at a meeting scheduled for Monday, March 30; I'm confident they will use the executive order as a framework for their deliberations.  We will work to make sure that the Elders meeting can be held remotely, as our Bylaws allow.  You will be updated on the Elders' decisions via the usual online channels (email, Facebook, website)

• Given the time frame of the executive order, the Easter Egg Hunt scheduled for Saturday, April 11 has been cancelled.

• While the executive order is in force, Messiah will continue with these functions (described in the order as "minimum basic operations"):

  • recording online worship services

  • processing necessary financial transactions (including contributions and payroll)

  • facility cleaning and disinfection to limit exposure to COVID-19

• Pastor Blain, office manager Sandy Goodlander, custodian Chris Jost and myself have been designated as the workers necessary to conduct these minimum basic operations; the order permits such workers to travel from their homes to the church building.  We are working on providing remote computer and phone access, so that workers can answer phone calls to the church and do as much work from home as possible.

• Recorded worship services will continue to be posted on the church website, including services for:

  • Wednesday, March 25

  • Sunday, March 29

  • Wednesday, April 1

  • Palm Sunday, April 5

  • Pending Elders review on March 30, services for Holy Week and Easter.

Again, I ask for your understanding, trust, patience and prayers as we continue to discern the way forward.  I also encourage you to do the following in the days to come:

• Read and Meditate on God's Word!  As a pastor friend of mine put it on Facebook:  "In the midst of a time when the sources for Word and Sacrament seem to be far more limited—a time that could feel a little like a spiritual drought—don’t let go of God’s Word. Get it from faithful sources where and when you can ... commit to regular devotions, to watching your church’s services that are shared online, to hearing the Word of God and keeping it."  The strength God gives us in His Word is what will bring all of us through this challenging time. 

• Pray for our governmental leaders!  I think it's safe to say that no one knows the ultimate outcome of the decisions that are being taken around the world, in Washington, Lansing and Kent County -- except for God Himself.  These are exceptional circumstances, not encountered in most of our lifetimes.   I suggest that all of our governmental leaders -- whether we agree or disagree with their viewpoints and actions -- are, at the same time, trying to do what's best and flying blind.  Pray that our loving God will guide them, give them wisdom, and work in all things for the good of His Church and the people of the world.

• Check in with each other!  I encourage you to contact those you love -- especially your fellow Christians at Messiah -- during this time of potential isolation.  Keep in touch with them via phone, email, Facebook.  Even better, share God's Word of strength and comfort with each other as you do so!  If you need spiritual care, please contact Pastor Blain directly at 616-288-5594.

• Support Messiah's ministry!  While our building is effectively closed and activities are on hold, the ongoing task of paying our bills and supporting our staff continues.  As you are able, please continue to contribute to Messiah's mission, sending us your gifts by U.S. mail or electronic check (contact your bank about how to send eChecks).

• Hold on to Jesus Christ!  He was born, lived, died and rose again for us.  He is seated at God the Father's right hand and intercedes for us.  He will come again to judge the living and dead and bring us to Himself forever.  Because of Him, by faith we can sing:

What God ordains is always good:
    His will is just and holy.
As He directs my life for me,
    I follow meek and lowly.
        My God indeed
        In ev’ry need
Knows well how He will shield me;
To Him, then, I will yield me.

What God ordains is always good:
    Though I the cup am drinking
Which savors now of bitterness,
    I take it without shrinking.
        For after grief
        God gives relief,
My heart with comfort filling
And all my sorrow stilling.

What God ordains is always good:
    This truth remains unshaken.
Though sorrow, need, or death be mine,
    I shall not be forsaken.
        I fear no harm,
        For with His arm
He shall embrace and shield me;
So to my God I yield me.
 

("What God Ordains Is Always Good," Lutheran Service Book 760:1, 5-6)

Yours in Christ,

Rick Krueger
Messiah Lutheran Church

Pastoral Call Process Update

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

The Rev. Steve Bagnall has declined our call to serve as pastor at Messiah, following in-depth phone conversations with key leaders during the past week.

We thank Pastor Bagnall for his prayerful consideration of our call.  We pray for God's blessings on him, his family,  and those he currently serves at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Cass City, Michigan.

Messiah's Call Committee will connect as soon as possible to consider the best way forward and (given current conditions) the best time frame in which to proceed.  We will also consult with our Circuit Visitor, Pastor Jason Peterson of St. Peter Lutheran Church in Rockford; we will update you as the Committee decides on the next steps in the call process and the appropriate timing.

In the meantime, please continue to keep Messiah's Church Council, call committee, staff and membership in your prayers.  Again we turn to Lutheran Service Book to provide a model for our personal prayers:

O gracious Heavenly Father, You instituted the office of the public ministry, and instructed Your Church to call ministers to proclaim Your Word and faithfully administer Your Sacraments.  Bless the Rev. Steve Bagnall as he continues Your ministry in Cass City. 

Grant to us the continued guidance of Your Holy Spirit, along with patience, humility and trust in You.  Have mercy on us and help us to call a suitable pastor according to Your will and timing, for the blessing of Your Church in this place. 

Give us grace to trust You during this time of widespread illness and distress. In mercy put an end to the epidemic that afflicts this nation and the world. Grant relief to those who suffer, and comfort all that mourn. Sustain all medical personnel in their labors, and cause Your people ever to serve You in righteousness and holiness.

Hear us for the sake of Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.  Amen.
 
Yours in Christ,
 
Jonathan Chaffer, President
Mark Altemann, Chairman, Call Committee

P. S. If you would like to read the letter Pastor Bagnall sent to us, please contact rick.krueger@messiahgr.org

March 22 Worship Service Now Online!

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Our first recorded worship service is now online!  To hear it:

• Click here to go to our "Worship Resources" page.

• Under "Services", you'll see the heading Sunday, March 22.

• To hear the service, click on the white arrow.

• To view or download the service bulletin, click on the link below the arrow.  It will open in a separate window, so that you can follow along as you listen.

A reminder that our "Worship Resources" page also includes

• The Litany (the great responsive prayer of the Church, often used in Lent), sung by the Kantorei of Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

• Links to streamed services from reliable local and national ministries. 

• Connections to more printed and audio materials.

A link to the March 22 service will also be available on Messiah's Facebook page.  Look for our next midweek Lenten service to be posted on Wednesday, March 25.  

Thanks to Kurt Veitengruber for his help with making these recordings available.  After you listen to the March 22 service, please feel free to reply to this message with any feedback you think will be helpful for the near future.  Thanks so much for your ongoing support, as we find ways to feed together in the green pastures of God's enduring Word during these extraordinary times.

Yours in Christ,

Rick Krueger

"Worship Resources" Now Online

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

A voice says, “Cry!” And I said, “What shall I cry?”
All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field.
The grass withers, the flower fades
when the breath of the LORD blows on it;
surely the people are grass.
The grass withers, the flower fades,
but the word of our God will stand forever.

-- Isaiah 40:6-8

I hope and pray that you are well in body and soul; all of us are adjusting to a "new normal" as our nation and community joins the rest of the world in efforts against the coronavirus pandemic.

When we announced the suspension of all church activities at Messiah through April 5, we promised to provide you with resources for our common worship and devotional life, even though we are physically absent from one another.  Today's message is to inform you about the steps we're taking to that end.

There's a new page on our website in the "Ministries" section named "Worship Resources"; you can check it out here.  Starting on or about Sunday, March 22, we will post audio recordings of worship services — instrumental music, hymns, responsive readings, the appointed Scriptures and a sermon by Pastor Blain. You'll be able to listen to the service by clicking on a "play" button, and follow along with a service folder by clicking on a link to a separate browser window. We currently plan to post services for:

• Sunday, March 22

• Wednesday, March 25

• Sunday, March 29

• Wednesday, April 1

• Sunday, April 5

But please don't wait -- you can try this new page out now!  We've uploaded The Litany (the great responsive prayer of the Church, often used in Lent), sung by the Kantorei of Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, Indiana, as well as two matching service folders ("words only" or "words and music").  I encourage you to take ten minutes and pray The Litany yourself today.  And tomorrow.  And every day that our current situation continues.  (Thanks go to Pastor Hoese for this idea.)

"Worship Resources" also has links to streamed services from reliable ministries, plus connections to more printed and audio materials.  I especially recommend the fine devotional booklet "40 Daily Devotions of God's Comfort," produced by LCMS Disaster Relief. 

Also, those of you who follow Messiah's Facebook page know that we continue to post brief devotions (a Psalm verse, appointed readings with links to the online English Standard Version and a prayer) every morning Monday through Saturday.  I encourage you to join me in praying them!

Like all of you, I yearn for the day when we can gather again at Messiah to be strengthened in faith by the hearing of God's Word and the body and blood of Jesus given in His Supper.  I yearn for the day when we can raise our voices together in prayer and praise, thanking our heavenly Father for His unending mercy to us. To quote a friend, Satan has put Christian churches around the world in a fearsome bind, "torn between the importance, necessity, urgency, and value of the Gospel and the care and concern that we owe to our neighbors in the frailty of this body and life." 

But until the day that God delivers us from this dilemma -- and He will, in whatever way He sees best -- His enduring Word stands forever, binding us together in our common fellowship.  May we walk by faith, not by sight, together through this challenging time, and sing together with the Church:
 

When life’s troubles rise to meet me,
though their weight may be great,
they will not defeat me.
God, my loving Savior, sends them;
He who knows all my woes
knows how best to end them.

God gives me my days of gladness,
and I will trust Him still
when He sends me sadness.
God is good; His love attends me
day by day, come what may,
guides me and defends me.

("Why Should Cross and Trial Grieve Me," Lutheran Service Book 756, stanzas 2-3).

Yours in Christ,

Rick Krueger

Urgent Update

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Events surrounding the spread of coronavirus and society's efforts to mitigate it continue to move at astonishing speed.  On Monday night, Messiah's Church Council decided to suspend all church activities as of this morning. This difficult decision was taken in the light of new recommendations on gathering sizes from the US Centers for Disease Control (50 for large group events) & The President's Coronavirus Guidelines for America (10 for social gatherings).

Here are the immediate results of this decision:

• The Lenten worship services and supper scheduled for Wednesday, March 18 are cancelled.

• All Bible studies, group musical practices, meals and other group activities are cancelled from now through Sunday, April 5.

• All other public worship services through April 5 are cancelled. Audio recordings of the service for the day  -- service music, hymns, responsive readings, the appointed Scriptures and a sermon -- will be posted on Messiah's website (as well as an order of service to follow as you listen) for these dates:

  • Sunday, March 22

  • Wednesday, March 25

  • Sunday, March 29

  • Wednesday, April 1

  • Sunday, April 5

The suspension of church activities will be reviewed at the next Board of Elders meeting, scheduled for Monday, March 30.  

As you can imagine, this was not an outcome anyone serving on Church Council would have contemplated before the events of the past week; thorough discussion preceded the final decision. Suspending activities was proposed and ultimately approved as a prudent, loving way to deal with an extraordinary situation, enacted in the interest of our members and the community at large.  But we also know that there is a broad range of opinion on the right course of action in this situation.  We ask for your understanding, trust, patience and prayers as we continue to discern how to share the strength and comfort of God's Word and Sacraments with you and others in this uniquely challenging time.  We also respectfully ask that, during this period, those of you who have pledged your support of Messiah's ongoing ministry continue to do so.

Pastor Blain, our office manager, and I remain on duty to serve you on our Savior's behalf; we are praying for you and your loved ones. Pastor Blain would be happy to come to your home and give you Christ's gifts of Word & Sacrament as you desire; please contact him directly (at 616-288-5594) or through the church office.   

Finally, it's comforting to remember that God's people have been in this situation before. The Lord once sent a pestilence on Israel, but David, the Lord’s anointed, bore the guilt of sin and offered the sacrifice that “[stayed] the hand” of the Lord’s avenging angel (2 Samuel 24). So much more has Jesus Christ, our Savior, borne the wrath of God against our sin and offered Himself as the atoning sacrifice that spares us. “With his wounds we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5). So we boldly beseech the Lord’s mercy upon us for Christ’s sake. “Death [reigns]” over all of Adam’s children in this world because of sin, yet “through our Lord Jesus Christ” comes the “gift of righteousness” that brings “eternal life” (Romans 5). May each of us implore God’s mercy in repentance and faith for the sake of Christ, whose hand alone can heal every disease (Luke 4), and in whom is salvation, life and resurrection from the dead.

O God, You desire not the death of sinners, but rather that we turn from our wickedness and live. Graciously behold Your people who plead to You and spare us. Withdraw the scourge of Your wrath and be moved in mercy to turn away this pestilence from us; for the sake of Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Yours in Christ,


Rick Krueger
Messiah Lutheran Church