ST. JOHN LUTHERAN CHURCH
(The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod)
Alma, Kansas
A family united by faith in Christ gathering around God's Word and Sacraments.
To reach out in Christ-like concern and Christ-borne love to each other and to those without Christ!
In This Month's
St. John Witness
FEBRUARY WITNESS
Pastor's Message
“tis good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to your name, O Most High, to declare your steadfast love in the morning, and your faithfulness by night,” Psalm 92:1-2
Daniel Lehner and his wife Remy were married December 12, 1993. Evidently, they believed in showing their great devotion to each other with an extraordinary celebration. They wanted to celebrate their anniversary in a big, big, way. Before they even celebrated their first anniversary, they made plans to celebrate their second anniversary. They decided to go to the favorite play, The Phantom of the Opera, by Andrew Lloyd Webber. They had seen the play several times before, and wanted to make it even more special when they saw it again.
Just going to the play was not enough to express their love. So they made a grand gesture. More than a year in advance, they bought tickets for every seat in the house of New York’s Majestic Theater for December 12, 1995. That is 1,609 seats. They planned a glorious celebration for each other – and for their friends.
With that date more than a year away, how do you think they celebrated their first anniversary? Yes, you guessed it…they went to see a performance of Phantom of the Opera. The couple evidently loves each other – and this play. They wanted to show their love in grand ways, and for them, a mark of their love is a display of extravagance.
When Jesus walked this earth, there were people who expressed their gratitude to him and displayed their love for him in extravagant ways. Many disciples left everything they had to follow him. There was a leper who returned to tell him thanks when he was to report to the priests for a ritual cleansing. There was a woman who poured out costly perfume on his feet. Jesus even explained that her generosity would be remembered till the end of time.
How do we show our love for Jesus Christ? We speak of time, talents, and treasures. Time spent is a sign of relationship. Talents used is a sign of appreciation and creative communication. Gifts are thoughtful connection to show that life is appreciated. Each are personal sacrifices.
So what do we offer? What is the love language we share with our Lord? How do we demonstrate to Him – and to others – our deep, abiding love for Him who gave His life for us?
Read your Bible!
Pastor Grimm
