SMR #179

Smoky Mountain Reflections #179

            As we enter the Lenten season I thought I would talk a little about numbers, our church body and how the demographics of our nation are affecting our church. Most of the information in this reflection comes from an article in the Lutheran Witness back in November titled Numerical Decline in the LCMS by Dr. Ryan MacPherson.

            First, the LCMS currently has 6101 congregations with a membership of just over two million souls. On any given Sunday, a little over 36% of our baptized membership attends church. Our church body has seen a significant decline in membership since our peak in 1965. We are however, one of many conservative church bodies who have suffered much less than the more liberal church bodies who have declined even faster. For example the Episcopal and the Presbyterian Church USA, two church bodies that were once twice our size in membership, are now smaller than we are.  There are a number of factors that affect this but a declining Lutheran birth rate and a reduced retention rate of baptized infants are a few of them.

            Historically and even now God’s church is scoffed at, rejected and persecuted. There is little we can do to combat the ethos of the world we live in but we can and should continue to press on seeking to increase His church members while not being disappointed if that does not happen. We must live our lives in accordance with God’s will and seek to share His Gospel whenever we are able. While we can’t change the world, it is helpful to understand what is behind our dwindling numbers so that we can take some steps, with God’s help, to make God pleasing changes that can help the church remain healthy and grow both in spirit and number.

            One of the main factors for our decline was mentioned by President Harrison a few years ago and though scoffed at, the statistics bear out his assertion. It is our birth rate, at 4% in 1956 (4 births for every 100 baptized members) that declined to 2% in the 1970’s and is now just over 1%. Dr. MacPherson suggests that there are seven factors that contribute to this steady four decade decline; delayed marriage,  birth control,   infertility, divorce, student debt, doctrinal change and vocational confusion.

            Dr. MacPherson recommends three things that we might do to help in rebuilding our baptized and confirmed membership;

1.     Revive the teaching of biblical and confessional Lutheran understanding of family vocations.

An emphasis on multi- generational ministry; giving young parents good role models and mentors to help them become better parents and spouses.

2.     Foster inter-generational models of ministry. Our culture persistently mocks elders and drives youth to their peers for advice. Having events or activities that include the whole family, youth, parents, and grandparents can create a 4^th commandment friendly environment.

3.     Provide economic and moral support to young families. People are more likely to have and raise more Godly children if they feel the economic or social burden will not be too much and that their community will support them in that endeavor.    

There is actually one belief system that believed and taught celibacy for all its members. They believed that others would have children for them to raise.  That system did not work very well though and they officially closed their covenant book in 1957. Today they have only two official members and soon the Shakers will be no more.

It has always been the health and support of families that provided a biblical model for healthy congregations. While we here at Saint Paul in Sevierville have seen a steady average 5% increase in membership and attendance over the past 23 years, most of that growth has been retirees transferring to the area.  But our congregation has baptized 48 people into God’s church and I have been blessed to conduct 29 of those baptisms over the past 10 years.  Wonderfully, 17 of those were children. We can and should be thankful for whatever role we are called to play in God’s church or in our families, loving and serving our neighbors always looking for ways in support and encourage strong healthy families which can be a key factor in a strong healthy congregation.   

In Christ Pastor Portier

smr #178

Smoky Mountain Reflections #178

            Presidents, Civil rights pioneers, candy hearts, Love, Festivals..….
            These are the things that most of us think of when we think of in this early part of the year.  But there is a much more important date that is usually in February and can rarely be in March. It is not Mardi Gras which can happen on any Tuesday between February the 3^rd to March the 9^th, but if that was your guess then you are only one day off.            Ash Wednesday is the day that always follows Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday, the feast before the fast. This year Ash Wednesday will be on March the 1^st.  It would be easy to focus our thoughts on George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, or Saint Valentine, or even the festivals and festivities that prevail in most western Christian cultures prior to Ash Wednesday.  But we should always have our focus centered on Christ, and the church along with traditional practice and observances which are associated with Ash Wednesday can be of great help in this endeavor.               On the Western Christian calendar, Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent and occurs forty-six days (forty days not counting Sundays) before Easter. It is a moveable feast, falling on a different date each year because it is dependent on the date of Easter. It can occur as early as 4 February or as late as 10 March.
            Ash Wednesday gets its name from the practice of placing ashes on the foreheads of the faithful as a sign of repentance.  This comes from the biblical practice of putting ashes or dust on your head when you are grieving, morning or have been emotionally wounded. The ashes used are the Palms from the previous year's Palm Sunday which are burned. It is our practice to combine these ashes with Oil. This paste is used by the pastor to make the sign of the cross, upon the forehead.  He then recites the words: "thou art dust, and to dust thou shalt return" from the curse of Genesis 3:19.
            These traditions are meaningless if we do not attach them to biblical truth to give them meaning, and they can become idolatrous if we lose our focus on their purpose. So, let’s examine how these activities communicate Christ and the Gospel.  First we can understand how ashes communicate death and grief, by combining them with oil which is biblically used for blessing, a cross is put on our foreheads the beginning of a time of reflection and fasting.  We then go out with this mark showing that we are redeemed by Christ selfless act on the cross.  This time of lent is for denying ourselves and reflecting on the great price Christ paid on Good Friday.             This often brings us to the question of fasting and how it is a part of this tradition.  Ash Wednesday is the beginning of a time of prayer and fasting but how do we apply this tradition to our lives?  This 40-day period reflects the 40 days Christ fasted in the wilderness in preparation for his earthly ministry.  The Sundays are not counted as they are little Easter breaks in the fast.  We are not very good as saying no to ourselves and fasting is a powerful act of denying oneself.  Fasting in the traditional sense means to deny one’s self food or water or pleasure.  Let me precede what follows with a warning; No one should ever endanger their lives by not taking in adequate nutrition or fluids.            We can tap into the practice of fasting for physical and spiritual benefit.  While the medical community confirms that regular fasting has physical benefits, I will focus on the spiritual benefits.  Denying oneself food and drink can be done in a way that keeps one adequately nourished however remaining hungry.  We can use these physical cravings to continually remind us that we are in the season of lent and can say a quick prayer, “Lord help me overcome my desires and keep me mindful of the cost of your redemption!”  There are however many personal desires that we can use today as a personal fast.  Giving up something we regularly crave; a favorite food, sweets, a favorite beverage, a favorite form of entertainment, video games, TV, Golf, a favorite craft or hobby, anything that we regularly spend time or resources on ourselves.  We can then take that time and those resources and give them to God, in more prayer, more scripture reading, or the funds we would have spent on food or entertainment being given to; church, missions, or some other ministry that serves others, therefore denying ourselves even the benefit of those things after the fast is over.            Two very important points to remember when we fast; First we do not fast to earn anything from God because we cannot earn what Christ has fully paid for, our motives should always be Christ centered therefore seeking his will not our own.  Secondly should keep our fast to ourselves making no big deal of the fact that we are doing something to express our gratitude to God.  We do not want to put on a show of piety in order to receive a reward of honor and compassion from others.            So, as you consider what or if you might give up something during this coming Lenten season, remember as you endeavor to do so this coming Ash Wednesday to seek Gods help in do it in the most God pleasing a way possible.              Enjoy your celebration of Presidents birthdays, Civil rights pioneers, candy hearts, love and the festivities that precede Ash Wednesday, but keep central to your life He whose suffering and death Ash Wednesday exist to proclaim.                 
 
In Christ Pastor Portier
          
             

            

Smoky Mountain Reflections #177

            Five hundred years: a lot can happen in five hundred years. In ten months it will have been five hundred years since Martin Luther posted his famous 95 theses. What has any of that history got to do with anything we are doing in East Tennessee in 2017? Well, our daily walk through God’s word and our practice of faith, are directly affected by this historic reality. All of what we believe, teach, and confess from scripture is neatly wrapped for us in Luther’s small catechism, a short 35-page work that summarizes the basics of the Christian faith. Many other questions were further clarified for us in the Book of Concord which contains the small catechism, along with 9 other works, and was published in 1580. So God’s truth is clarified for us in these works and guides how we apply it today.

            Past generations have warned against the distraction of anniversaries causing people to lose focus on what is important. I remember being in middle school when our nation celebrated its Bicentennial, and it seemed that was all anyone ever talked about and it probably led to some important things being overlooked. I do not think we have a distraction to worry about but we need to be concerned about how this can and will affect our ability to share the Gospel. When people hear about Martin Luther in the coming year, as worldwide coverage of a 500^th anniversary starts making the news, your non-Lutheran neighbor might, for the first time, make a connection between the German Martin Luther and the American Martin Luther King Jr. Or they might say “Aren’t you Lutheran?” “What do Lutherans believe?” You have just had a soft ball tossed in your direction, so how do you respond?

Here are a few quick ways to answer those and other questions about your faith.

-        We believe the 66 books that make up the old and new testament to be the inspired word of God

-        All that we know believe and teach about God comes from those 66 books.

-        We believe in the 10 commandments, (know them in case people ask - Ex. 20 & Deut. 5)

-        We believe in the 3 historic creeds, (know them, for people may ask) Apostles, Nicene, Athanasian

-        We believe in and use the Lord’s Prayer (be ready to share it)

-        We believe that God connects us to Himself in the waters of Holy Baptism

-        We believe that the forgiveness Jesus bled and died for is delivered by His means

-        We believe that Christ gives us forgiveness in the Lord Supper

(These last three will cause much conversation, so if you bring them up, be ready to explain them)

            Now since the world has only about 80 million Lutherans and we are part of a small minority, less than 3.5 million people are in what is called the “International Lutheran Council” (ILC), it is helpful to know what sets us apart from other Lutherans. That would be how we apply the Bible and the confessions. How that plays out is ILC congregations is that only men are ordained to be pastors and we are uniformly pro-life. However, with the larger “Lutheran World Federation” (LWF), which has some 72 million members, pushing in recent years for gay rights, many of the Lutherans in the global south are shifting to or have already shifted to the ILC. So while there is a global shift going on we are still part of a very small minority.

            Historically speaking the church is used to being part of a persecuted minority, Seth, Noah, Abraham, the prophets, the exiled remnant, the early church, and martyred Christians for the past 2000 years know the same persecution that Able suffered at the hands of Cane. But we trust in God and press on.

Have a blessed new year in this quincentennial celebration year of the beginning of the rebirth of the Biblical, apostolic Christian church. And be ready to share your faith when given the opportunity.  

                

  

In Christ Pastor Portier

           

             

            

SMR 176 Thankfulness

Smoky Mountain Reflections #176

            Thankfulness, as we approach the 500^th anniversary year of the reformation I would like to ponder the question of gratitude as we wind up the calendar year this Advent season.

            So, what does it mean to be thankful? I think it is to acknowledge, a gift of God and to express gratitude for it. What does that look like? Here is a short list.

-       You live and breathe and are a being

o   Thank your creator by loving Him and your neighbor in accord with His word.

-       You have stuff.

o   Thank God by being a good steward of it.

-       You have technology.

o   Thank God by respecting the generations that did the work to provide it.

-       You have family & loved ones.

o   Thank God by caring for and cherishing all God given relationships.

-       You have creativity.

o   Thank God by using it.

-       You have freedom and peace

o   Thank God by expressing you gratitude to those who work to provide it.

-       You have a faith

o   Thank God by nurturing it with word and sacrament.

-       You have strife, struggle and suffering

o   Thank God by learning growing through it and trusting Him in it.

As I said this is a short list and as you can see all our thanks goes to the provider of everything but we express our gratitude not by feeling warm and fuzzy, but by saying thank you to God in prayer and deed to and through others.

Have a Blessed Christmas and a wonderful New Year.

  

In Christ Pastor Portier

            

SMR #175

Smoky Mountain Reflections #175

We like to take sides. My dog is better than your dog, my dad can beat up your dad, my team is better than your team. It is appealing or desire to be on the winning side, have the winning team, that I think in many ways affects how we vote and choose our politicians. Sadly, for most of my adult life when I did my civic duty of voting I as most of us have been very disappointed with the options that were available. But if you compare even our worst leaders, even the current options are tame compared to some of the tyrant rulers in world history.

But to help ease your election hangover let me share a few things with you.

Jesus died for all sinners, of all political persuasions, no matter how they voted.

When you vote you are not saying you approve of any of that candidate’s sins.

Voting is simply saying that the political positions of that candidate are most in line with yours.

The sanctity of human life is a biblical principal so it should be high on your priority list.

Casting a vote for whom ever you think has the best chance of being in that office is important.

So they can protect life,

Protect and promote family’s.

Protect the free exercise of faith and conscience,

Protect and defend our nation and promote peace in the world.

            This in my humble opinion is the most God pleasing way to cast your vote.

But whoever you vote or voted for……The church will pray for President Clinton or President Trump and the world will not end because of this election. Trust in God, He is in charge…..Press on.  

In Christ Pastor Portier

           

              

#174 Who is forcing their views on whom?

Smoky Mountain Reflections #174

            We live in a society that has lost it connection with reality and logic while proclaiming to be scientific and factual in all its assertions. This leads to nonsensical realities that we must live with and endure everyday as we seek to speak the truth in love to our neighbor.

            Hormone therapy for aging men and woman is take caution!

            Hormone therapy for athletic performance is bad!

            Hormone therapy for treating whatever ails you bad!

            Hormone therapy for gender reassignment, good????

Our society has divide itself in to two parts

-Those who affirm the 6^th commandment as Gods word and seek with God’s help to keep intimacy 

 between one man and one woman in marriage.

-And those who reject the sixth commandment and set self-pleasure above all else, evidence that they  

 have a conscience is the fact that they want to force their views on the first group,

LGBTQ is the new special rights group to which we all must surrender.

            To speak against this special group by calling them sinners like you and me…unacceptable.

            Your conscience and your faith can and will come under their scrutiny.

            Our Government has mandated that in public schools.

The places designed to receive human waste or wash sweaty athletes.

must in essence be genderless…..????????????????

with no regard for the male and female way God has created us.                       

There are those who want to regulate everything and everyone with the strong arm of government.

            Licensing and regulations for fishing, driving, hunting, gun ownership, bicycles, cars, pets…..

            But licensing and simple regulation of clinics that murder babies…..outrageous.

            Most abortion clinics function as a cash only business….they do not accept personal checks.

            Our nation’s largest provider was defunded by most states.

            But still receives 500 million of our tax dollars.

            How then are they able to donate as an organization to political campaigns?

            Why are the laws in our country applied selectively????

            There is a schizophrenic, bipolar nature to our nation.

            And at its source is human sin….

The great deceiver has us deceived into calling evil good and good evil.

            Now more than ever we must seek Gods will in our lives.

            As we go through another election season,

            Your pastor suggest that you pray and take seriously your responsibility as a citizen.

            We cannot save the world and have not been called to save the world, Jesus did that.

            We are called to obey the forth commandment and be good citizens.

            Loving God and our Neighbor as best we can with God’s help.

            Fear not, God is in charge, you have been redeemed.

            Trust in Him and press on.

In Christ Pastor Portier

           

             

            

#173 Feed Your Faith

Smoky Mountain Reflections #173

            What are you doing as a part of your daily, weekly, or monthly routine to enrich your biblical knowledge and application of that truth to your life? Take a moment for a quick inventory; how much time do your spend with God in prayer, worship and study of his truth? Now compare that with the amount of time you spend sleeping (which is very important, and should be ~8 hours a day) and working for pay or in some other way as part of your God-given vocation (a good balance would be 40-50 hours per week). After you subtract all the other things you do during your day (primping, eating, playing, and relaxing), how much time is left?

            If you give to God a minimum of one hour a week in worship so he can give you his word and sacrament in the way he established, then you are already ahead of over 80% of our nation’s population.

That one hour is so nurturing and beneficial that if that is all you do, you are already well equipped to face the week. Scripture does say, though, to remember the Sabbath DAY and make it holy. The last thing God created was a day of rest, and setting a good example for us all, the creator of the universe RESTED for a day. So resting and communing with God and his saints on a weekly basis is very important. But is it enough?

            I would like to suggest that a well-balanced life has a good mix of many God-pleasing practices which take care of our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health. Interestingly enough, while spiritual health is the most important (eternally speaking), it requires perhaps the smallest amount of your time, and provides the greatest good. For example, “prayer without ceasing” does not mean 24/7 active prayer, it means taking whatever time is required a few times a day to pray about the things going on in your life and the people that are important to you, and in between those prayers, do all that you are doing for God and make the most of the time, skills, and resources he has given you, so that what you do to the Glory of God will be the first and best you can give to him.

            Here at Saint Paul, we want to make sure we do our best as your family in Christ to help you make the most of every moment that feeds your spiritual well-being. We have 3 divine worship opportunities each week, and your newsletter and announcements tell you what text will be preached on at those services so you can study them ahead of time; this will enrich your worship experience! You also have 3 adult bible study times to choose from, not to mention the mountain of written materials in our narthex designed to answer just about any question you might have on current events, issues of faith, and congregational activities and schedules. We also have many resources available online. You can receive the newsletter electronically in color, our website and Facebook page have current sermons for you to watch or listen to, not to mention other video, audio, and written information available there.

            I hope you survive the summer heat this year, and I also hope you make full use of the resources available to you, and as your pastor, let me assure you that I am never too busy for or bothered by questions of faith or scripture, but the 5 minutes preceding worship are usually pretty full. J

Blessings,

Pastor Portier