FacebookTwitterGoogle BookmarksPinterest

Dear Saints in Christ Jesus,

In response to the COVID-19 virus, Rose of Sharon Lutheran has take the following actions:

Worship Services and Bible Studies are temporarily cancelled

Saturday and Sunday Worship Services and Sunday Bible Study and Sunday School are temporarily cancelled.  In light of the Governor of Minnesota's Stay at Home Order, it is with a heavy heart that the elders and Pastor have decided that we will not be meeting in person for our worship services during the stay at home order from Friday, March 27 through Friday, April 10.  We will post worship and sermons online. 

Wednesday Lenten Services and dinners have been canceled for the remainder of the season.

Easter services are under evaluation at this time. As April 10 approaches we will further assess our situation at that time or earlier as any other changes occur.

THE HOLY CHRISTIAN CHURCH HAS NOT CLOSED

Even though how we meet together or not meet together for this period of time has dramatically changed, God is still present and He is still generous as He gives to us the means of grace.  In light of that if you have any needs that we can help with, if you need to pray together, talk together, discuss Holy Scripture together, or anything else feel free to send an email or give me a phone call and we will do all that is possible.  Jesus has told us that where two or three are gathered together in His name He is present (Matthew 18:20).  Jesus is still with you.

On-line worship and devotion options available  

You can listen to the audio on the Rose of Sharon Lutheran website at: http://www.roseofsharonlutheran.org/index.php/resources/messages You can either listen to the full service or just the sermon.

We have a YouTube channel where video devotions will be posted. It is very important that we all stay grounded in God’s Word and promises throughout this pandemic.

Prayer Requests

If you have a specific prayer request that you would like posted for everyone to see and include in their personal prayers please let me know and I will post it in a future email.

Portals of Prayer

There is a new Portals of Prayer beginning on April 1.  If you would like this devotional booklet delivered to your home or mailed please let Pastor know.

The Need to Continue Our Offerings

Bringing our offerings to the Lord is an important aspect of our worship life. It is also badly needed in order to meet our financial obligations during this challenging time.  Some of you have already shown your generosity. It is important that we all continue to give our offerings to the Lord and His Church.  You can send your offering to the church office and it will be included with the weekly offerings. You may give electronically to Rose of Sharon via Tithe.ly.

A Word of Promise

“But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel; ‘Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.”   Isaiah 43:1

I find this passage of a great comfort not only because of the great assurance that God has redeemed me, but also that God knows me by name and says I am His. As a baptized child of God, I belong to the Heavenly Father and like any loving parent He will do what is in my best interest. Fear not. Through Jesus God has redeemed you. By the working of the Holy Spirit He has called you by name and you are His. 

A Word of Encouragement

Jesus said, “And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:20

Pastor Schoenfeld

 

Details

Lent begins with Ash Wednesday and so does our emphasis on Moses's book called Exodus. In it, Moses asks Pharaoh to let God's people go seven times (Ex 5:1; 7:16; 8:1, 20; 9:1, 13; 10:3). It would take the powerful hand of God to bring it about but finally Pharaoh lets the people of God go free. When he does, God's salvation is so amazing that the event becomes the Gospel of the Old Testament. Israel's Scriptures mention the exodus 125 times!

Throughout the book of Exodus God reveals who He is through His absence and His presence, through His silence and His speech, through His wrath and His mercy, and through His judgment and His amazing grace. In doing so, the book paints a beautiful portrait of Jesus.

In fact, the ultimate exodus event would take place many years after the time of Moses. God would again act in a powerful way. This time the Lord would deliver His people not from Egypt, but from our slavery to sin, death, and the power of the devil. It would be the Lord who would again bring it about. Jesus would overcome Satan and his temptations. He would defeat our sin by facing its judgment upon a cross for us. He would defeat death by His powerful resurrection. Jesus has set us free.

Throughout this coming season of Lent and Holy Week in our special services we will be considering how God has come to set us free. Join us for these special mid-week and Holy Week services as we remember and celebrate the great deliverance God works in our lives. If you are able to you might even want to read the Scripture passage from Exodus ahead of time as part of your devotion or work through the whole book of Exodus throughout the season of Lent. Now whether you do that or not either way come to the services. Below are the dates, themes and texts.

February 26, Ash Wednesday: "Big Things with Small Stuff' (Exodus 2:1-10)
March 4: "How God Changes Us" (Exodus 3:1-14)
March 11: "Stop Trying and Start Trusting" (Exodus 14:1-29)
March 18: "Strike the Rock!" (Exodus 17:1-7)
March 25: "Mine!" (Exodus 20:1-17)
April 1: "Digging Ourselves into a Hole" (Exodus 32:1-14)
April 5, Palm Sunday: "A New Beginning!" (Exodus 34:1-8)
April 9, Maundy Thursday: "Access!" (Exodus 24:1-11)
April 10, Good Friday: Tenebrae Service
April 12, Easter: "Against All Odds!" (Exodus 15:1-18)

As has been our tradition each Wednesday we will have a dinner ahead of time from 5:30-6:45 pm. The Worship Service will be at 7:00 PM. May God richly bless each one of you during this sacred time of the year.

Pastor Schoenfeld

** Note that midweek Lenten services and dinner have been cancelled for remainder of Lenten season. **

 

We Have  Saturday Worship at 4:00 PM

When life gets busy and you are unable  to make it to our regular Sunday worship service, join us Saturday at 4:00 PM.

This service will be more informal than Sunday morning while including the essential aspects of Christian worship.  Everyone is welcome to attend.

 

“All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”  Romans 3:23

Ever since Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit (Genesis 3) every human being has come into this world as a sinful being.  Our sin separates us from God.  Left to ourselves we would perish for eternity in hell (John 3:36 & Hebrews 10:26-27).

“For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”  John 3:16

God loves you so much that He came into this world as a human being (Luke 2:1-20).   Jesus, the Son of God, lived a perfect life for you (Hebrews 4:14-16), suffered and died upon a cross for you (John 19), and rose from the dead for you (Luke 24).   Now our risen Lord will forgive your sin (1 John 1:8-9) and grant eternal salvation to you if you believe in Him.  

“Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved…”  Acts 16:31

When God blesses you with a living faith in Jesus you will have a place in heaven.  Such salvation comes not by our works but by grace through faith in Jesus (Romans 3:28; Ephesians 2:8-10).  

“And He died for all, that those who live, should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and was raised again.”  2 Corinthians 5:15

Now as those who have been given the gift of heaven we live no longer just for ourselves but to serve God and our fellow human beings.  (Ephesians 2:10)