SMR 213

Smoky Mountain Reflections

February 2013

            In the month where we celebrate St. Valentine (so that the candy and flower companies can peddle their wares), I thought it might be interesting to discuss marriage...the basis and building block for natural families. When families are healthy, then the civilization they are a part of is also in good shape. This is not just my opinion—it is a clear truth that history, social sciences, and even those with an agenda to the contrary must acknowledge if they want to be heard as an intelligent voice in the conversation.

            That being said, one of the loudest voices in this conversation does not care about facts.  That voice would be the media and entertainment industries. They so often say they are just producing what sells, but even in this, they are dishonest. Because if they were concerned with the bottom line, not their message (which always contains something other than the traditional family), then they would produce more of the films and other products that are most popular. In 2011, only 18 G-rated films were produced even though G films make on average three to five times more than R-rated films.      

            We as Lutherans believe and teach that the sixth commandment is about fidelity in marriage.  These are two concepts that our society and many of us do not fully comprehend.  Adultery is sexual activity of any kind with anyone that is not your spouse. Marriage is and has always been defined by every major successful culture and religion to be one man and one woman. Scripture records bigamy, polygamy, and all other forms of amorous activity outside marriage. It also clearly condemns them all as a violation of God’s plan for sex.  Our society has separated this act from God’s plan for reproduction, and that leads to some of the crazy ways some are trying to define marriage today. How long will it be before people start trying to marry their pets, or children, or multiple people, or their favorite piece of interactive electronic entertainment?  If we redefine marriage...where will it stop? ....or will it ever stop?  If you call an apple an orange, does that really change it?       

            Oh how I would love to say yes all the time! Any good parent knows that saying no is unpopular and will often be responded to with great rebellion and anger.  But we as the church, as Christ’s bride, must speak the truth in love to our neighbor and that sadly means telling unrepentant sinners no, you must not do things that God forbids.  It is not healthy for you. We don't do any favors for those who say their favorite sin is not sin, if we just smile and nod. We must smile and say let me help you deal with this in a God-pleasing way. It would be great if all the people I know and love would be on the same page with regard to this topic, but the truth is we all know and love people who are on the wrong side of this discussion either in word or deed.  If we all were of one mind, and agreed about important things like the intrinsic value of life, then the womb would be a safe place to live. If we all were of one mind and agreed about the importance of providing for and protecting natural marriage, then this most important building block of civilization would be safe. But the truth is this institution is under attack.  The sad truth is we are not all on the same page and in agreement on these and other important topics and out of respect and concern for all the people in our lives that are at risk, it is best to be honest and upfront about who you are, what you stand for, what you believe, and why you believe it.

            Now if you start speaking the truth in love, many will dismiss "your truth" as one among many, and tell you to be tolerant of their position while they are being intolerant of yours. We should seek to avoid conflict or confrontation, but it is also important for us to share the truth and seek to reconcile ourselves and others to God’s will.  Our modern world, with our nation at the center, worships at the altar of the rights of the individual. All other positions, philosophies, and world views must take second seat to the self-determined wants and needs of the individual. When proclaiming His truth, we will sometimes have to point out that sometimes people want what is not good for them or others. For asserting such a truth, you can expect to be called a "bigot" which according to Webster is a person who is obstinately or intolerantly devoted to his or her own opinions and prejudices.  With this name calling, they are seeking to marginalize you and the truth you stand for, while completely avoiding the topic at hand.  We do not and should not hatefully fight for our opinions but, we must stand with and for God’s truth no matter how angrily the word "no" is received...it is still sometimes the most loving and concerned caring thing to say.

In Christ, Pastor Portier  

January 2013

Smoky Mountain Reflections

January 2013

            Happy New Year......I guess we do not need the existence of a Mayan calendar because you are reading this, and the last date on that calendar passed weeks ago. As we enter the year of 2013, we do come upon a gloomy anniversary. For the past 40 years, we as a nation have been allowing for the legal murder of unborn children.  I can hear you saying it now...."Come on Pastor, not that topic again...it is so depressing."  I agree.  It is a depressing topic, but if we do not speak the truth in love to our neighbors on this topic....who will speak for the weak and vulnerable who cannot speak for themselves?

            It would be great if all the people we know and love could be on the same page on this topic, but the truth is we all know and love people who are on the wrong side of this discussion.  If we all were of one mind and agreed about the intrinsic value of life, then the womb would be a safe place to live. But the truth is we are not, and out of respect and concern for all those people and the lives that are at risk, it is best to be honest and upfront about who you are, what you believe, and why you believe it.

            This is important for two reasons.  First—life is a blessing and as such should be nurtured and cared for. We as a society must work to protect and care for the weak, and those who are in a position to protect them best—their mothers. Secondly, a whole generation of women have been lied to and told that their child was not a life, and so 30 to 40 percent of our society is suffering the physical and emotional scars of abortion.  We as the body of Christ must do everything in our power to communicate God’s love and forgiveness for these hurting men and woman who either directly or indirectly suffer from post-abortion issues.  

            It saddens me that we cannot get the truth from our media outlets, our government, our health care system, or any other public organization, because the "lifestyle left" has its hooks in all these places, keeping the public message in line with their abortion-on-demand agenda. Abortion is the most unregulated and most unreported medical procedure taking place in our country. The pro-choice propaganda machine says it is fighting for women.  What about all the future women that are aborted? What about the women who die because of botched abortions? What about those who suffer from post-abortion physical and emotional scars? What about the women who are coerced into making the choice for abortion by organizations that make money off that decision?  These organizations lobby against simple legislation including licensing and regulating abortion clinics, parental consent requirements for minors, 24-hour waiting periods and ultrasound provisions. The reason they fight all these things is because they know that when women are given all the information, women overwhelming decide against abortion and that cuts into their business. 

            There is another thing that puzzles me.  I noticed in the last election that the pro-life candidates have to clarify their position for the media: “What, if any, are the exceptions in your position?”  Being pro-choice also has many different positions, but the media asked no such question of those with a pro-choice position. You could almost put all these positions on a Life vs Choice scale and find that people and even leaders all lean heavily to the LIFE side of this scale. Here is a summary of those positions as I understand them:

            - Full Pro-Life no exceptions.

                        However even in this position, most would make exception to protect the life of the mother,                                 leaving that decision in the hands of the mother.

            - Pro-Life with the exception of rape and incest (The Romney / Ryan Position)

            - Pro-Life with the exception of rape, incest, and health of mother.

            - Pro-Choice (rare and legal) first trimester only.

            - Pro-Choice with all above exceptions plus welfare of the mother.

            - Pro-Choice abortion on demand for any reason but only in the first trimester.

            - Pro-Choice abortion on demand for any reason up to the day of birth (The Obama / Biden Position)

            - Extreme Pro-Choice if a child was intended to be aborted but is born alive.....let it die.

            There are even more extreme positions that would allow for euthanizing infants if there is anything wrong             with them that would give them a poor quality of life.  We must be well informed on these issues and as such, should take the time to educate ourselves.  So that we can be well informed members of the body of Christ, the human race, and as citizens.

            What can you do? Well, you can stay informed by visiting some of the following websites: www.lutheransforlife.org;  www.afa.net:  www.ruthinstitute.org; www.all.org; www.nrlc.org.  Listen to Issues Etc. online (www.issuesetc.org) as they often cover this topic.  You can also pray for and give of your time and resources to the Women's Care Center, and our county’s Right to Life chapter that is having a rally at Country Tonight on the 13th @ 2 PM.  See you there, and have a great new year!!

In Christ,

Smoky Mountain Reflection Dec 2012

            Greetings in Christ and happy Advent! as I ponder what pre Christmas reflections I should share with you in this, my final reflection of the year.  I find myself a bit excited and even eager to share with you about some of my recent travels.  Specifically a visit to All Saints Lutheran Church in Charlotte North Carolina and Kings point Resort in Storm Lake Iowa.  The purpose for both of these trips was a mixture of continuing education and resources and networking for our congregation.

            That being said lets jump into the first trip report.  The trip to All Saints Lutheran in Charlotte was about three and a half hours so I got up early on Saturday the 27th of October and headed over the mountains while catching up on my issues etc. programs.  The lecture series "How to Read the Old Testament: Jesus at the Center" started at 11 with Rev. Dr. Andrew Steinmann, Professor of Theology and Hebrew From Concordia University Chicago.  He is one of the worlds foremost scholars in Aramaic.  The title of His lecture was "The Messianic Promise in the Book of Genesis".  He walked us through many of the events in Genesis unpacking  the messianic overtones contained in them.  After a nice German lunch of brats and potato salad we went on to the next lecture titled "No More Peak-A-Boo Jesus" presented by Rev. Jeffery Pulse from Concordia Theological Seminary (CTS) Fort Wayne.  The reason for the title is that most modern scholars look into the old testament to see if they can find hidden glimpses of Jesus in the text, when in reality all of the old testament points directly and indirectly to Jesus. I also gained some keen insights on motifs and thematic threads that run through out Gods word.  Next we heard from Rev. Dr. Paul Raabe From Concordia Seminary Saint Louis, on "Reading the Old Testament: Jesus as the fulfillment." In this lecture he walked us through the many typological similarities between the life of Christ and many of the Old Testament narratives. Finally the Rev. Dr. Peter Scaer of  CTS Fort Wayne tied it all together in His presentation "Jesus: The End, Fulfillment, and Continuation of the Old Testament" He focused on how Christ is a complete fulfillment of the Old testament and connected the dots in essence from the previous lectures touching on the Gospels but focusing primarily on Luke and Acts. This was 4 hours well spent even though I spent over 7 hours in transit there and back and I look forward to applying these insights to sermons and bible studied in the coming months.

            Then the following week on November first I got up early in the morning and flew to Omaha Nebraska followed by a drive up to Storm Lake about two and a half hours away. The purpose for this trip was participate in The "National Rural and Small Town Mission Conference" This confrence was organized by our Synod Office of National Mission (ONM).  After opening worship led by the president of Iowa District West Rev. Paul Sieveking we then went into a Bible Study led by Rev. Dr. Brian Saunders, President, LCMS Iowa District East this was the frist of four sessions that covered the book of Ephesians, focusing on St Pauls use of the phrase "In Christ". We then went into our first plenary session. "In Christ for Church" this session was to be led by Rev. J. Bart Day, Executive Director, LCMS (ONM). but he was responding to Hurrican Sandy as part of our synod disaster response team so the opening session was presented by Rev. Dr. Lee Hagan, Interim Director, Rural and Small Town Mission (RSTM) and he did a great job of helping us understand how the (ONM) is working to support the work of (RSTM) congregations as we witness to the Gospel and share mercy in our communities.  I then attend my first sectional where I met with the staff of the newly forme (ONM) and learnd how RSTM, Urban ministry, 72 Partners, and Registered Servic Organizations (RSO's) now all work together in the (OMN).  I then attend my second sectional Rural Ministry 101 presented by Rev. Ray Smith, where we discussed the cultural barriers for those moving from urban areas to small towns and rural settings? the uniqueness of rural culture. After an evening buffet we went on to an evening session which was a group discussion on focusing on the many blessings and challenges facing small congregations in rural and small-town communities and our hopes for the future. 

            Friday's first plenary session was "It’s Okay to Be Small" by Rev. Dr. Lee Hagan, Interim Director, (RSTM) He discussed how Small congregations have exactly what they need and more importantly what the world needs. this session provided inspiration and encouragement for seeing our congregations in terms of what they have, as provided from God, rather than in terms of what they lack. This Gospel-centered perspective provides great encouragement for corporate witness and acts of mercy in our communities.  My third sectional was Rural Resources led by Rev. Dr. Lee Hagan, and Amy Gerdts, RSTM Project Coordinator in this session we Meet with the (RSTM) team and learned more about the array of resources available to help support our

congregation.. The next Plenary session was "Asset Mapping: Energizing Congregations for Ministries that

Matter by Luther Snow, Author of “The Power of Asset Mapping” this session alone in my opinion was worth the trip and I plan on using this methond at our next anual planng meeting. He shared with us new ways to strengthen our congregation for ministry.  He taught us a procdess that helps identify physical, institutional, individual and community assets that are already in place. we came away with tools and skills to energize our congregation in the planing process. Snow is the creator of Asset Mapping, the in-person method for positive group collaboration that is very popular. Snow is a nationally recognized speaker in the field of rural development and has worked with numerous Lutheran agencies.  Our next plenary session was "Country Strong:Tapping Hidden Strengths for Rural Congregational Development" In this session Luther Snow,

shared how to discover what works for congregations in rural areas and small towns.  Models of congregational development are often devised in urban areas and then applied, with limited success, in rural settings. But there are unique advantages and opportunities in rural life that are often overlooked or underappreciated. Snow, a positive rural development pioneer, helped us learn how to recognize our unique local strengths and tap them for appropriate and powerful impact in our own communities. Sectional four was a session on congregational partnerships led by Luther Snow, in this session we built on what we learned in the asset-mapping process, we  looked at how congregations can use their individual strengths to collaborate with potential partners and engage the community in new ways. There is great potential for congregations to work together for the purpose of serving communities and reaching the lost. Sectional five The Community of Christ: It’s More Than Just Me!

led by Rev. Gene Ernst, LCMS Pastor Emeritus from Columbus Indiana. This session examined community within and outside the chruch.  That evening we had a Banquet with the featured Speaker: Rev. Dr. Matthew

C. Harrison, LCMS President.

            Saturday, our final Plenary "Witness, Mercy, Life Together in Rural America" by Rev. Dr. Matthew C. Harrison, LCMS President. President Harrison presented the emphasis for the church and demonstrated its unique relevance for rural and smalltown congregations. I howeve had to head bact to the Airport misson the last few minutes of this presentation.  Although I missed the closing panel discussion and the closing worship I feel this trio was well worth the time and resoruces used to get me there. I look forward to making use of some of these great insigts and practical processes in our future together.

Have a blessed advent

Pastor Portier

I you would like to see St. Paul's News Letter visit this link: http://tinyurl.com/cxjjr5b

SMR 11/12

Smoky Mountain Reflections

November 2012

            As we went through the budgetary & nominating process and we had our annual planning meeting on October 13^th, I mentioned in passing that many of us have often heard the phrase “90% of the work is done by 10% of the people.”  While I have observed some truth to that statement in my life experiences, it is an idiom that really does not apply to the family I serve here at Saint Paul.  So give me a moment of your time as I brag a little bit about the congregation of people which I have been blessed to serve.  As I pondered this question, I was convinced that almost half our congregation is actively involved in some sort of service that makes Saint Paul Lutheran Church a bright beacon of Gospel truth in our community.  I also considered that many of you may not know all the good that is done here and in our community on your behalf for the sake of the Gospel.

I have in the past pointed out the ministries and services we support. We regularly note them here in the newsletter and in our weekly announcements....take time to read them. 

            Now I know we are not supposed to brag, and I also know that all the work people do here is to the glory of God and not for themselves, but how can people say thank you for a job well done if you do not know who did it? …or even that it was done?  Besides, God tells us in His word to encourage one another.  So the list that follows is offered so you can thank each other for dedicated service to God.  This list is alphabetical and it is brief and certainly incomplete. Many are not on this list, but that does not mean they are not doing their part.  Quite to the contrary, some have served God’s church for decades and are in a different season of their life now, participating through prayer and encouragement. Others are new to the church and still discovering what it is God would have them do.  God has called some to praying and providing resources for God’s work.  And my final caveat…your very human pastor may have forgotten the great job you did for God’s church because so many are doing so much.  So here goes…..

            I would like at this point to depart from my monthly newsletter article and speak to my blog audience...all two or three of you :-).  If you would like to see the long list of names and tasks just go to our Church website @ splctn.com and you can read this article in its original form by going to the newsletter tab in a week or two.  What I would like my blog audience to do is take time to do a quick inventory of all the church related or charitable tasks that those in your congregation do....you may be surprised...go through your directory and find out what every body is doing for your Church or the community, and then take time to thank them for their service or give them a word of encouragement....now back to the original article...   

  If you do the math, that is over 40% of you who are actively doing things to serve here at Saint Paul.  And as I said, I am sure this list is incomplete.  This does not reflect our prayers, our financial supporters, all who are involved in our Bible studies, Scouting, Smoky Mountain Area Rescue Ministry  Woman's Care Center, Food Bank and other activities that our church supports.  So take time this month to be thankful and find someone that you didn't know does something for the church, and thank him or her.

In Christ

Pastor Portier    

October 2012

Smoky Mountain Reflections

October 2012

            Fall greetings! The leaves will turn this month as our Lord puts on beautiful bursts of color, the last big hurrah for all the burgeoning growth that took place this past year. The four-month break from mowing the lawn is just around the corner...even though I enjoy mowing the lawn, I also like the break.  The two volunteer pumpkins that grew in my back yard this year will move to the front porch to join all the fall decorations I pulled down for Gerda just a few days ago.  So as nature goes asleep and we get into a new winter rhythm, longer nights, sunnier cooler days and all the tradition that comes with this time of year, I can’t help but feel upbeat.  Of course being the optimist that I am, it is an easy thing to feel upbeat...all is well in my universe and I hope and pray the same for you.

            Another significant thing that we celebrate along with Hallow'en (yes, the apostrophe belongs there as it is a word derived from Hallows Eve) the evening before All Saints Day or All Hallows Day.  In our Lutheran circles and in much of Protestantism, we also celebrate the 495^th anniversary of the Reformation—that fateful day in 1517 when Martin Luther nailed the 95 theses or topics for debate on the church door in Wittenberg.  Luther was trying to get the church back to its biblical roots and to dispose of non-biblical practices.  While this is a debate within Trinitarian Christianity, one thing all Christians who are members of the invisible church on earth can acknowledge and agree on, is the fact that there are really only two religions on earth—those who are members of the body of Christ and those who are not.

            That may seem to be a bit over simplistic but it is the truth.  Christianity is the only religion in which the god comes to you, and gives His life for you in order for you to have the goal of the religion—faith in Him which leads to eternity in paradise with Him.  From this faith, works of love for God and neighbor flow as a natural response of gratitude for this great undeserved gift from God.  In all other religions you must go to the god seeking to appease, and garner favor through your good works.  This applies even to non-religious belief systems, the goal of which is pleasing the ultimate authority or god in order to earn that authority's approval or kindness. Let’s consider the following examples of other religions or belief systems that are all based on "works righteousness", that is you working to get right with your god, not Him making you righteous through Christ.

            Atheism and Agnosticism: these are only concerned with pleasing one god—self. If I say it is ok, then I am good enough to please my god....me. I am the ultimate authority so if I meet my standard, then I reach the ultimate goal of my belief system...self satisfaction.  Mormonism & Islam:  I cover these together because they are so similar. Both have no concept of hell, just levels of heaven.  Both teach that if you please God you will be rewarded either with your own planet to be god over and populate by having much sex, or a paradise with wine that does not inebriate and 70 virgins with swelling breast to have eternal sex with.  See how similar  they are—they must have the same author. Modern Judaism: It believes that by pleasing God you will be blessed by Him in this life and the next; however because they reject the fulfillment of God's promises in Christ, they end up relying on their own works which are as worthless as ours.  All forms of Eastern  Mysticism: Buddhism, Gnosticism, Hinduism, Kabbalah, Sufism, Taoism—all believe in various ways that all reality is an illusion and by being good (which is hard to define) you will eventually be good enough to reunite with the pure enlightenment or consciousness.  So as you can see, in all of these major belief systems you must be good to get to “god,” however you define “god,” be it yourself, a powerful yet fickle being, or a state of mind.

            Another thing that sets Christianity apart is its existence in time. It is the only faith that functions fully in all of history and has a plan for the salvation of "ALL" from the beginning to the end of time.  Those who lived before Christ are redeemed by Christ through their faith in God's promise and all afterward are saved through faith in fulfillment of that promise.  If anyone does not have access to this redeeming truth, it is a result of human sin, not God's indifference.  With the exception of  Judaism all other faith systems do not concern themselves with anyone who preexisted their religion.  Mormonism is less than 200 years old.  There are at least a half dozen or more belief systems that are less than 500 years old.  Islam is only about 1400 years old and a number of eastern systems are less than 1500 years old. Only paganism and Hinduism predate Christianity, but Hinduism, like all forms of Eastern Mysticism, does not concern itself with history. And what we know of ancient paganism is from the historical sciences, not any modern variations that have little or no root in any history that is not plagued with massive gaps.

            So the two basic faith groups are this: 1) Work to get to your god and if (when) you fall short ....too bad, or 2) God came to you; you will fall short, but He paid the price; work in response to this great gift.

Enjoy your fall season.

In Christ,

Pastor Portier

Smoky Mountain Reflections

September 2012

            A couple of weeks ago, the Scoutmaster of Troop 119 which meets here at St. Paul Lutheran Church sent me an e-mail. He was requesting the use of our Fellowship Hall for a scouting potluck on the 12^th of August.  This short notice request was unlike him.  He knows I need time to ask the Council about such things.  That should have been my first clue that something was afoot.  I decided that since we had nothing planned for the 12^th, I would just let the troop have their potluck and let the Council know at the meeting on the 21^st.

            On a separate occasion, Pastor Dettmer offered to do the liturgy if I was ever feeling tired.  He said later that I had a puzzled look on my face as I thanked him for the offer.  I was puzzled....did I look tired? ...I did not feel tired.  This was another clue that something was afoot.

            On August the 12^th, things got even stranger.  As we were finishing up the Bible study between services, someone arrived with a pot of hot beans.  As I started to put things together, I thought I may have to apologize after the service as we may have two potlucks scheduled for the same time in the same place!!!  I was sure to come out of this with egg on my face and better break out my "I am sorry…it is all my fault speech" which I am embarrassed to say, I am very experienced at making.

            As I was puzzling over this and making the pre-service announcements, all of my worries were about to come to an end.  Our head elder, Dave Roberts, came forward and started making a speech that was making my head very big as he said all kinds of nice things about me.  Then Pastor Dettmer entered all robed up and was ready to do the service liturgy, Then Pastor Derek Roberts from Praise Lutheran Church in Maryville entered, all robed up ready to preach.  Then our head elder told me that in appreciation for my service and in recognition of the 5^th anniversary of my ordination, I was welcome to have a seat in the pew next to my beautiful wife and enjoy the service as a parishioner.

             Not only was I very surprised, because they pulled this off very well and I was clueless, but now I was relieved that there was no potluck conflict following the service!  All of these things had been coordinated; there was no Boy Scout potluck.  The people I am blessed to serve decided to have a fellowship meal in gratitude for our time of service together.  All involved did a very good job of fooling me!  Thanks for the surprise.

            It has been a great pleasure to serve as your Pastor these past five years, and if it be God's will, I look forward to many more years of service in this place.  I cannot adequately express my gratitude to God for the opportunity to serve as your Pastor, and to you all for your kind cards and gifts in honor of this occasion.

            What follows is some of the information I sent to the paper to announce my ordination and it contains some interesting history.  Enjoy a brief walk down memory lane.  On 10 November 1483 Martin Luther was born in Eisleben, Germany.  After being frightened by lightning in 1505, he vowed to become a monk and was ordained as a priest 500 (and five) years ago in 1507.  On 31 October 1517, he posted the famous 95 Theses that started the Reformation. 

            Fast forward to 3 November 1817.  On the very edge of what is now Sevier County, very close to what many of us know as the location of “Forbidden Cave”, there was a German settlement at Bird’s Crossroads.  Henry Jacob Eli and Jacob Bird acting as officers for the church, purchased an acre of land for $2.50 near Jacob Derrick’s grist mill, and on that land was a meeting house called Saint James Lutheran Church.  Very few Lutheran pastors made it to the East Tennessee frontier, so most of the German descendants start appearing on local Methodist church roles by the late 1840’s. 

            Fast forward another 100 years before another the Lutheran church would again establish itself in Sevier County.  In the late 1950’s, Our Savior Lutheran Church was started in Gatlinburg. In the 1980's, Holy Trinity (now Celebration) was established in Seymour.  Then in 1994, a small group of Lutherans started worshiping in the wedding chapel at the Holiday Inn in Pigeon Forge.  They later purchased and worshiped in a home just off McCarter Hollow Road for 5 years.  On Christmas of 1999, they celebrated Christmas in their new sanctuary at 1610 Pullen Road.  Then in July 2006, I was blessed to become part of the history of this family of believers as their Vicar.  On August the 12^th, 2007, only one week after the 500^th anniversary year of Martin Luther’s ordination, the first Lutheran ordination in the history of Sevier County took place at Saint Paul Lutheran Church in Sevierville, Tennessee.  This was a wonderful day in my life and I am very pleased that you all took the time to make the 5^th anniversary of that event a wonderful day as well.

In Christ,

Pastor Portier  

Smoky Mountain Reflections

September 2012

            A couple of weeks ago, the Scoutmaster of Troop 119 which meets here at St. Paul Lutheran Church sent me an e-mail. He was requesting the use of our Fellowship Hall for a scouting potluck on the 12^th of August.  This short notice request was unlike him.  He knows I need time to ask the Council about such things.  That should have been my first clue that something was afoot.  I decided that since we had nothing planed for the 12^th, I would just let the troop have their potluck and let the Council know at the meeting on the 21^st.

            On a separate occasion, Pastor Dettmer offered to do the liturgy if I was ever feeling tired.  He said later that I had a puzzled look on my face as I thanked him for the offer.  I was puzzled....did I look tired? ...I did not feel tired.  This was another clue that something was afoot.

            On August the 12^th, things got even stranger.  As we were finishing up the Bible study between services, someone arrived with a pot of hot beans.  As I started to put things together, I thought I may have to apologize after the service as we may have two potlucks scheduled for the same time in the same place!!!  I was sure to come out of this with egg on my face and better break out my "I am sorry…it is all my fault speech" which I am embarrassed to say, I am very experienced at making.

            As I was puzzling over this and making the pre-service announcements, all of my worries were about to come to an end.  Our head elder, Dave Roberts, came forward and started making a speech that was making my head very big as he said all kinds of nice things about me.  Then Pastor Dettmer entered all robed up and was ready to do the service liturgy, Then Pastor Derek Roberts from Praise Lutheran Church in Maryville entered, all robed up ready to preach.  Then our head elder told me that in appreciation for my service and in recognition of the 5^th anniversary of my ordination, I was welcome to have a seat in the pew next to my beautiful wife and enjoy the service as a parishioner.

             Not only was I very surprised, because they pulled this off very well and I was clueless, but now I was relieved that there was no potluck conflict following the service!  All of these things had been coordinated; there was no Boy Scout potluck.  The people I am blessed to serve decided to have a fellowship meal in gratitude for our time of service together.  All involved did a very good job of fooling me!  Thanks for the surprise.

            It has been a great pleasure to serve as your Pastor these past five years, and if it be God's will, I look forward to many more years of service in this place.  I cannot adequately express my gratitude to God for the opportunity to serve as your Pastor, and to you all for your kind cards and gifts in honor of this occasion.

            What follows is some of the information I sent to the paper to announce my ordination and it contains some interesting history.  Enjoy a brief walk down memory lane.  On 10 November 1483 Martin Luther was born in Eisleben, Germany.  After being frightened by lightning in 1505, he vowed to become a monk and was ordained as a priest 500 (and five) years ago in 1507.  On 31 October 1517, he posted the famous 95 Theses that started the Reformation. 

            Fast forward to 3 November 1817.  On the very edge of what is now Sevier County, very close to what many of us know as the location of “Forbidden Cave”, there was a German settlement at Bird’s Crossroads.  Henry Jacob Eli and Jacob Bird acting as officers for the church, purchased an acre of land for $2.50 near Jacob Derrick’s grist mill, and on that land was a meeting house called Saint James Lutheran Church.  Very few Lutheran pastors made it to the East Tennessee frontier, so most of the German descendants start appearing on local Methodist church roles by the late 1840’s. 

            Fast forward another 100 years before another the Lutheran church would again establish itself in Sevier County.  In the late 1950’s, Our Savior Lutheran Church was started in Gatlinburg. In the 1980's, Holy Trinity (now Celebration) was established in Seymour.  Then in 1994, a small group of Lutherans started worshiping in the wedding chapel at the Holiday Inn in Pigeon Forge.  They later purchased and worshiped in a home just off McCarter Hollow Road for 5 years.  On Christmas of 1999, they celebrated Christmas in their new sanctuary at 1610 Pullen Road.  Then in July 2006, I was blessed to become part of the history of this family of believers as their Vicar.  On August the 12^th, 2007, only one week after the 500^th anniversary year of Martin Luther’s ordination, the first Lutheran ordination in the history of Sevier County took place at Saint Paul Lutheran Church in Sevierville, Tennessee.  This was a wonderful day in my life and I am very pleased that you all took the time to make the 5^th anniversary of that event a wonderful day as well.

In Christ,

Pastor Portier