"Miracle on the Hudson"

Dear Friends in Christ:

Thursday, January 15th found many of us glued to our televisions as we watched the compelling images of US Airways Flight 1549 resting in the Hudson River with its passengers standing on its wings. The flight out of New York’s La Guardia Airport was heading for Charlotte, North Carolina, when apparently some birds were sucked into the engines and caused their failure. The pilot made the incredible decision to land on the Hudson River. All 155 passengers and flight crew survived, and the potential for additional loss of life, created by an emergency in a crowded city, was avoided.

The plane floated; the passengers were able to get out and were quickly rescued. The good news was and is that lives were saved. Emergency personnel responded quickly and effectively. All those passengers made it safely home one way or another.

Some have called this “A MIRACLE!” Was it?

A miracle is defined as “a surprising and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore considered to be the work of a divine agency or a highly improbable or extraordinary event, development or accomplishment that brings very welcome consequences.”

Regardless, this is good news. It is something that inspires us to say, “Thanks be to God!”

I am writing this article on the eve of the Inauguration of President Barack Obama. He is being sworn into his office at a time in our history when we are facing a depressive economy, high jobless index, and unrest in the Middle East. Do we need more “miracles”? Mr. Obama has said, “I’m asking you to believe. Not just in my ability… I’m asking you to believe in yours.”

I am praying that we as Americans join hands and hearts to seek a better way. This is the time for all of us to stand up and be counted. As we do, I believe good things will happen!

Am I mixing politics and religion? I believe that we are God’s stewards in all things. As followers of Jesus Christ who is “the Way, the Truth, and the Life” we should always choose to be involved, active, counted, and committed to ”the pursuit of life, liberty, and happiness for all.”

Let us celebrate “the miracle” of each day even as we live through our own daily struggles!

Peace, hope, and love to you in this New Year,

—Pastor David Fetter

Note: Infomation taken from Texas Interagency Interfaith Disaster Response newsletter.

A New Year’s Resolution

Dear Friends in Christ,

On New Year’s Day I was reading in my Upper Room Daily Devotional Guide. The meditation was titled “Finding Time” and was written by Jennifer Bruner, an elementary school special education teacher in Michigan:

“One day while sitting in my dentist’s waiting room, I looked around for something to read to pass the time. As I started to grab a magazine, I noticed a Bible sitting next to the stack. I picked it up and opened to the Book of James. I immediately felt the stress and tensions of my day lift as I read:

‘My brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance; and let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing. If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask God, who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be given you.’

It is a daily challenge to find time to read the Bible and pray. Yet I spend much leisure time reading books or magazines that promise to help me find happiness and improve my life. From this waiting-room experience, I realized that maybe it does not have to be so hard to find time to read the Bible. If I spend less time on other reading material, I find plenty of time in the day for God’s word. The Bible is filled with all the information I need for improving my life and finding not temporary but eternal happiness. Living by its guidance will improve my earthly life and prepare me for eternal life in heaven. My goal is to read the Bible and seek God with all of my heart and with as much passion as I pursue other things in my life.”

In 2007 the churchwide assembly of our Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) voted to embrace an initiative called Book of Faith. The bold vision of this five-year initiative is: “That the whole church become more fluent in the first language of faith, the language of Scripture, in order that we might live into our calling as people renewed, enlivened, empowered, and sent by the Word.”

I propose that you and I make this vision a “New Year’s Resolution for 2009”. Pastor Lynnae has been leading a Sunday School Class (9:45-10:45 a.m.) in the Activity Center based on the book, Opening the Book of Faith. There are other opportunities at Abiding Love for you to join with others in conversation as you open the Scriptures together.

The Bible is the written and living Word of God that speaks to us. It creates and nurtures faith through the work of the Holy Spirit and points us to Jesus, the center of our faith. The Bible invites us into a relationship with God, making demands on our lives and promising us new life in Christ. As the Bible tells the stories of people living their faith over the centuries, this forms us as God’s people of faith. As we live out our calling as the people of God, we are renewed, enlivened, and empowered by the Word through the power of the Holy Spirit!

No other book can do what the Bible does for our lives. It is a powerful book. As Jesus said: “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.” (Mark 13:31)

May you have a “Bible-Blessed Happy New Year”!

—Pastor David Fetter

Advent Thoughts & Prayers To Help Prepare For Christmas…

Dear Friends in Christ:

I have been doing some devotional reading to help me be more open to God’s coming. Yes, this is the Season of Advent, and Advent means “Coming”.

This past Sunday we lit the first of four candles on our Advent Wreath— the candle of “HOPE”. The next three Sundays we will light the candles of “PEACE”, “JOY”, and “LOVE”. Pray with me for the coming (the “advent”) of God’s hope, peace, joy, and love into our hearts and minds.

As we prepare to celebrate Christmas, we must remember that Jesus Christ often comes into our lives when we least expect him. Let us use this Season of Advent to keep our hearts and minds; our homes and families, open to his coming.

Please keep the following prayers close by, and use them often to help this occur for you, and your loved ones:
“Holy Child of Bethlehem, we humbly confess that as we prepare for your Advent our thoughts have been mainly on sending out holiday greetings and preparing our shopping lists. By the power of your Holy Spirit forgive our short-sightedness, and fix our attention on the earth-shaking and life-changing event we celebrate with your coming into the world. Amen.”

“Ever-present God, may this time of Advent be an occasion for us to open our hearts to you. While we wait for Christmas as an opportunity to celebrate your coming into the world in human form, make us aware that you are always ready to show yourself to us. Amen.”

“O God, we know that you will never take your steadfast love from us, and we give you thanks that your Son has come into the world to share our joys and sorrows. Through his life, death, and resurrection, we know that he will reign eternally in the hearts of his followers, and of his kingdom there will be no end. Amen.”

“Lord, like Mary, the mother of Jesus, we are often perplexed by your plans for us. We pray that like Mary, we may come to the realization that we can put our trust in you. Like Mary, may we be prepared to hear your call and respond. ‘Here am I, the servant of the Lord, let it be with me according to your word.’ Amen.”

“O God, forgive us when we doubt your power. We confess that often we are tempted to handle life’s problems our own way. Forgive our weakness, and may the power of your Holy Spirit enable us to respond to your call as we put our faith and trust in you. Amen. “

“Come into my heart Lord Jesus. Come in today. Come in to stay. Come into my heart Lord Jesus.”

— Pastor David Fetter
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"God's work. Our hands."

Dear Friends in Christ:

After our recent All Saints’ Eve Halloween Carnival, as we were taking things down and putting them away, I began thinking about the theme we planned to use for our 2008 Annual Report cover—"God’s work. Our hands.”

It has taken a lot of work over the past 28 years to bring us to the present in the life of Abiding Love Lutheran Church! We have joined our hands together with “God’s hands”, and great things have been done!

As we meet this Sunday, November 16th, at 1:30 p.m. for our Annual meeting of the Congregation, it will take PRAYING HANDS, and GIVING HANDS to meet the continued challenges of mission and ministry that makes Abiding Love the shining light it is!
I am using my hands right now to applaud each one of you for raising your hands to say, “Yes, I pledge my support to doing God’s work in 2009!”

When people brought their children to Jesus, “he placed his HANDS on them, and blessed them”. (Mark 10:16)

Jesus continues to bless all children of God, regardless of age, as our HANDS touch others with God’s abiding love.

It’s an awesome privilege to do GOD’S WORK with OUR HANDS!

— Pastor David Fetter

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Celebrating All Saints!

Dear Friends in Christ:

Our church-year calendar designates November 2nd as “All Saints’ Sunday”. (All Saints’ Day is always on November 1st.)

Although this day is filled with sorrow because we miss those loved ones who have gone before us, we bring to our worship songs and prayers of thanksgiving for those who have made an everlasting impact on our lives.

At our worship services this Sunday, candles will be lit and prayers will be offered for specific people in our lives who have nurtured our faith, stood by us, and helped us in our life-journey. Who are those “saints” in your life?

In our creeds, we confess belief in “the communion of saints”. We are united with all the faithful departed. This communion of saints includes both the living baptized people of God as well as those who have entered life everlasting. We are united in this eternal fellowship now and forever.

I often use a beautiful quote from the late Dr. Peter Marshall at funeral services: “Those we love are with the Lord, and the Lord has promised to be with us. So, if they are with the Lord, and the Lord is with us, they cannot be very far away.”

On this All Saints’ Day, as I remember and give thanks for the saints in my life, I will pray that just as they have inspired me, I ask the Holy Spirit to use me to bless and inspire others. We are the “living saints”. Saints are forgiven sinners. And we are called to “ignite the light” by these words of our risen Lord Jesus Christ: “Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16)

Let us pray:
Almighty God, you have knit your people together in one communion in the mystical body of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Grant us grace to follow your blessed saints in lives of faith and commitment, and to know the inexpressible joys you have prepared for those who love you, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

— Pastor David Fetter

“Lutheran Homecoming Sunday”-- YOU ARE INVITED! October 26, 2008

Dear Friends in Christ:

The Lutheran family has a great heritage to celebrate. On our church-year calendar, we designate the last Sunday in October as “Reformation Day”. October 31st, the eve before All Saints’ Day is the actual day when Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses on the Castle Church Door at Wittenburg, Germany in 1517.

On this day we celebrate the heart of our faith: the gospel of Jesus Christ—the good news— that makes us free! Though we give thanks for the events of the sixteenth century Reformation that brought renewal to the church of that time, we pray that the Holy Spirit would continue to unite the church today in its proclamation and witness to the world. In the waters of baptism we are made one body; we pray for the day that all Christians will also be at the Lord’s table.

Our Lutheran heritage gives us a firm foundation on which to stand—SCRIPTURE alone + GRACE alone + FAITH alone! “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God—not the result of works, so that no one may boast”. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

If you are a Lutheran, either life-long or new, Sunday, October 26th is your day to COME HOME. For those of you who have not been coming regularly to worship for one reason or another, this is your day to COME HOME.

Sometimes people get out of the habit of regular attendance at worship. Sometimes people get distracted. Sometimes people get hurt. Whatever the reason for your absence, Reformation Sunday is the time to COME BACK. We’ve missed you, and we want you to COME HOME on Sunday, October 26th, 8:30 or 11:00 a.m., at YOUR CHURCH—Abiding Love Lutheran.

We hope to see you at HOMECOMING!

Let us gather and sing with Martin Luther: “God’s Word forever shall abide, no thanks to foes, who fear it; for God himself fights by our side with weapons of the Spirit. Were they to take our house, goods, honor, child, or spouse, though life be wrenched away, they cannot win the day. The kingdom’s ours forever!” (“A Mighty Fortress Is Our God”)

— Pastor David Fetter

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What LOVE Means

Dear Friends in Christ:

As you have heard many times, I conclude my children’s messages on Sundays by telling the children: “Jesus loves you. I love you. We all love you, very much!”

What do our children think that word “love” means? Some professional educators recently posed this question to a group of 4 to 8 year-olds. Be blessed as you read some of their answers to the question “What does love mean to you?”

♥ “When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn’t bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis, too. That’s love.” — Rebecca - age 8

♥ “When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You just know that your name is safe in their mouth.” — Billy - age 4

♥ “Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs.” — Chrissy - age 6

♥ “Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK.” — Danny - age 7

♥ “Love is what’s in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen.” — Bobby - age 7

♥ “If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a frriend who you hate.” — Nikka - age 6

♥ “Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it everyday.” — Noelle - age 7

♥ “Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well.” — Tommy - age 6

♥ “I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones.” — Lauren - age 4

♥ “You really shouldn’t say ‘I love you’ unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget.” — Jessica - age 8

♥ Author and lecturer Leo Buscaglia once talked about a contest he was asked to judge. The purpose of the contest was to find the most caring child. The winner was a four-year-old whose next-door neighbor was an elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife. Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old gentleman’s yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there. When his Mother asked what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy said, “Nothing, I just helped him cry”.

“We love because God first loved us.” (1 John 4:19)

Jesus said: “Abide in my love.” (John 15:9)

IT’S ALL ABOUT LOVE!

— Pastor David Fetter

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