May 2023 Newsletter

May 2023

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

This month I would like to continue the conversation about “What is the church?” and “What is worship (Divine Service)?” Please understand I am presenting this material not to bash other churches but to help us understand what church and Divine Service are about and how our Lord comes to us to give us all the good gifts and blessings He has to give, in other words, to best understand the Objective Means of Grace.

Paging through some of the reviews online you might read about churches, you may see some of the following comments. My cautionary comments follow each quote. “The message is always relatable, and I always get something out of it.” Notice it is believed by some that the church should have a “relatable” message. Sometimes the word “relative” is used, as if to suggest the Bible may not always be relative or relatable so someone must help God out and make it so.

“Plenty of parking. Comfortable seating. Friendly folks.” What can I say? What is more important than parking, comfortable seating and friendly folks is the Gospel being preached in all its purity and the Sacraments being rightly administered.

“Church service was motivational and the book store has reasonably priced items.  Excellent visit!” What does it mean that the service was “motivational”? Certainly it is the Holy Spirit working through the very Word of God itself which stirs in us and moves us to live as priests in the priesthood of all believers, not the motivational speech of someone.

“The service was touching and inspirational!! Music was terrific!! Checked out the gift shop and purchased a couple of books. Overall, it was a nice experience” and “Touching and inspirational” “nice experience,” are words directed toward myself and not toward God and His Word. These are subjective words because everyone is “touched” or “inspired” and “experience” things differently. It is the Objective Word of God which does and gives what God says it does and gives.

“If you’re looking to grow in your faith and relationship with Christ, and form meaningful relationships with a diverse, loving, and caring community then I recommend you visit . . .” “It’s about family,” and no this was not a quote from Vin Diesel (for those of you who get that reference). Certainly we should desire to grow in our faith and in our “relationship” with Christ and others; however, it is not we who initiate such growth, and it is not our “relationship” with Christ which brings us forgiveness and salvation.

It is the Objective Word of God which gives the gifts God has to give, and His Objective Word is given to us through Holy Baptism when water and God’s name are put on us. It is the Objective Word of God spoken to us by the Pastor when he pronounces that our sins are forgiven in Holy Absolution. It is the Objective Word of God which is read and proclaimed to us from the pulpit. It is the Objective Word of God in the Holy Supper connected with the bread and wine through which we are given Christ’s true body and blood for the forgiveness of sins. So, when someone is “looking” for a church, the church one should look for is not one that feeds into the subjectivity of oneself, a church which teaches what one wants to hear and believe. Rather one should look for a church which preaches the Gospel in all its truth and purity, Law and Gospel, and one which rightly administers and understands the Sacraments which God gives, a church which rightly understand the truth and power of the Objective Word of God whether or not one might feel, experience, relate to, be inspired by, or find their own meaning. In other words, good confessional Lutheran Church, like St. Matthew, in other words!


God’s richest blessings.
In His Service,

Pastor Bogs
1 Cor. 15:3-5

Don’t forget, if you miss a Sunday, you can read the sermon on my blog: http://rabswritings.blogspot.com.

Holy Days and Holidays in May: St. Philip and St. James, Apostles (May 1); National Day of Prayer (May 4); Mother’s Day (May 14); The Ascension of Our Lord (May 18); Armed Forces Day (May 20); Annual Church Picnic (May 21); The Day of Pentecost (May 28); Memorial Day (May 29); The Visitation (May 31).