A bit like tying a string around your finger so you don’t forget something. Similarly, when you

decide to abstain from one meal a day or from coffee or something else that is normally part of your

everyday life, you are reminded about the Lord when you come to the point in your day where you

normally partake in that luxury.

Giving something up for Lent isn’t about proving your own will power, but it does remind you who

your god is. There many things we think that we can’t live without, but the first commandment

reminds us we should fear, love and trust in God above all things. So while we are free to enjoy

coffee or movies, when we abstain from certain gifts in the season of Lent, we are essentially saying

that these things are not our gods and we are not bound to them. Instead, we are bound to our Lord

and Savior

With all that said, ultimately what Lent is all about is our repentance. We should at all times be

people of repentance. This is why every service begins with confession and absolution, “I, a poor

miserable sinner…” It is possible, that in our routine, that those words be spoken apart from the

heart. Therefore, Lent serves as a time to bring us back to that heart of repentance so that we would

see ourselves as sinners before a Holy God. God desires that His people be a people of

repentance—a people who confess that they cannot live up to His perfect commandments. In Lent,

when the church confesses her sins and mediates on the Word that the Lord has for her, she hears

about the life of Jesus who week after week is getting closer and closer to the cross—the cross that

was erected for sinners who cannot live up to God’s demands. Jesus willingly puts Himself on the

cross in the place of poor, miserable sinners. Confessing your sins in Lent is nothing more than

confessing that the cross is for you—and that the one who died on the cross, died for you. To refuse

repentance is simply to say, “Christ did not need to die for me.” As we continue throughout this

Lenten season, let us simply repent of all our sins and name the one on the cross as our Lord and

Savior, for He truly died for you.

Pastor Evan Goeglein

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Faith Newsletter

March 2012

Lutheran Church Missouri Synod 8582 Rogue River Hwy

P.O. Box 428 Rogue River, Oregon 97537

Phone 582-0457 Fax 582-6284

E-mail: lcmsrr@ccountry.com www.faithrogueriver.org Rev. Evan Geoglein

2.

The purpose of Faith Lutheran Church shall be to seek the honor and glory of God, to carry out His will, to manifest the unity of our faith in Jesus Christ as God and to foster Christian fellowship and love, by the preaching of the Word of God, by the administration of the Sacraments, and by the religious instruction of all its members, according to the evangelical Lutheran Church. (Article III) of the Constitution.

FROM THE PASTOR

A Time for Repentance

As the church enters the season of Lent, it gives us a time to consider our lives before God.

We so often get caught up in the hustle of life, always rushing to the next appointment or event, so

that crashing on the pillow only means that it all starts over again the next day. Even for those who

are retired can sometimes get so involved with various activities and commitments that it seems they

are busier than when they were working a full time job. This congregation provides several oppor-

tunities to get involved and to help out at the church and sometimes when devoutly committing

yourself to the church, it’s possible lose track of what the church is there for.

For this reason, Lent gives a time for us stop the hustle of life and to take a moment before

God. One way our daily hustle or regular routine is disrupted for this purpose is the church’s prac-

tice of midweek services. The midweek Lenten services provide an additional time set aside for us

to focus our attention on the Lord’s Word. By devoting yourself to attend the midweek services,

you break your normal weekly routine and your attention is brought back to God and His Word.

This was the idea behind Lenten fasting or “giving something up for Lent.” Now certainly

in Christian freedom, no one is bound to giving something up for Lent. Luther says fasting and bod-

ily preparations are certainly good spiritual disciplines, but it would be wrong to require them of

anyone. The concept behind them, however, is that by removing something from your regular daily

life, you are reminded to focus on God in prayer and meditation of His Word.

(Continued on page 2)

WHATS HAPPENING THIS MONTH

March LWML Board meeting: will be held on March 1st at Noon

Pastor’s Book Club: Tuesday nights at 6:00 pm

Lenten Services will be held on every Wednesday in March

at 6:00 pm with Soup Supper at 5:00 pm.

LWML Luncheon: Thursday, March 15th with

Alice Herzberg as guest speaker, she will be talking about

Genealogy.

Adult Confirmation Classes: Thursdays at 6:00 pm

March 10th……………………Daylight Savings Time begins March 17th…………………….St. Patrick’s Day

Please have Newsletter Items turned into the church Office no

later than March 20th.

Thank You

The Oregon District biennial convention will be June 1, 2, and 3, 2012. It will be held at the

Best Western, Agate Beach, Newport. Each woman has received two (separate) copies of the registration form in their mail

slots. Please consider attending as it will be a wonderful way to enjoy the gifts of God as the communion of saints come together to worship, come to His table and also

encourage each other in their walk with Jesus. You will be hearing more about our (Southern) Zone servant event for the convention.

We paid two more grants and only have one more to pay before March 31st when our

fiscal year ends.

Please keep the LWML in your prayers and when you see the Mite Box, please put in

what you can. Submitted by Marianne Dolson

3. 4.

From Helen

Concerning the clutter in the rooms, closets, shelves, and pantry, including the

refrigerator and freezer spaces. It would be nice of everyone could pitch-in when they

see something that looks cluttered. Just a few hands would make a big difference,

towards orderliness.

Recycling: We need to find a good place to recycle items that we no longer need. As

these items can be reused. (There is a recycling can available by the side door of

Hallelujah Hall, for Aluminum, like foil and drink cans).

Also she would like to remind us to turn the lights off and turn down the heat when

you leave a room. As it will save us money we spend on utilities.

Thank you, Helen Hartman

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Voter’s Assembly Activities This is where the business of the church is discussed and decided. Every communicant member of Faith is automatically a member of the Voter’s Assembly. The Voter’s Assembly holds quarterly meetings beginning in January. They meet the last Sunday of the month unless it is in conflict with Easter Sunday. The next meeting will be Sunday, April 29th following divine worship service. This is your opportunity to be informed regarding the church functions and activities and to have input. The following reports are presented for information and discussion at each meeting:

5.

The following reports are presented for information and discussion at each meeting:

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The officers are:

Submitted by Marianne Dolson

Treasurer Financial Secretary

Pastor Elders

Trustees Board of Education

Special Focus Ministries

President: Chuck Wolfmueller Vice President: Barry Corbett

Treasurer: Kathryn Timbs Secretary: Marianne Dolson

Financial Secretary: Nancy Fritch Head Elder: Chuck Wolfmueller

Head Trustee: Barry Corbett Chair Christian Education: Krista Codington

Chair Special Focus Ministries: Gloria Locke

Fa i th L u th era n C h u rch , M i s s o u ri S y n o d

P.O. B o x 4 2 8

R o g u e R i v er, OR 9 7 5 3 7