LUTHERAN
Come, thou long-expected Jesus
MID-
Presidential Message
SOUTH
By Rev. Dr. Roger Paavola
Mid-South District President
Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus, Born to
set Thy people free;
From our fears and sins release us; Let us find
our rest in Thee.
Israel’s strength and consolation, Hope of all
the earth Thou art,
Dear desire of every nation, Joy of every longing heart.
LSB#338
A
lady with a Jewish surname
was caught in a snowstorm
and forced to spend an
unanticipated Christmas Eve at a
fashionable Eastern-resort hotel.
When she explained her dilemma
to the desk clerk, he asked for her
name. Upon hearing that her name
was Pearl Rosenberg, the clerk
looked down at his appointment
book and said, “I am so sorry, Mrs.
Rosenberg, but we have no rooms.
The hotel is full.”
She glanced at the half-empty
parking lot and the green fluorescent sign near the entrance and
protested. “But your sign says that
you have vacancies!”
The desk clerk stammered, then
admitted sheepishly, “You know
that we do not admit Jews. Now if
you will try the other side of
town…”
Rosenberg stiffened noticeably
and interrupted him, saying, “I’ll
have you know I converted to
Christianity several years ago. In
fact, my whole family attends a
Lutheran church in Minneapolis.”
The desk clerk said, “OK, let me
give you a little test. How was
Jesus born?”
Rosenberg replied, “He was born
to a virgin mother named Mary, in a
little town called Bethlehem. He
was born in a manger and shepherds came to worship Him when
the angel of the Lord announced
His birth.”
“That’s right,” said the hotel clerk.
“But why was Jesus born in a manger?”
A wry smile appeared as she
replied tartly, “Because some stubborn, bullheaded innkeeper — like
you — wouldn’t give a Jewish lady
a room for the night!”
We know the story of the birth of
Christ. We know what happened
there in the little Palestinian village
of Bethlehem. We know why the
Lord God chose Bethlehem for the
birth of the greatest person to ever
cross the pages of human history.
At that time in history, Rome
would have been a good choice
since the Roman Empire ruled virtually the entire civilized world. On
the other hand, Nazareth was the
home of Mary and Joseph. It would
be convenient because most of
Mary’s relatives wouldn’t ask questions about her pregnancy. But we
were told that nothing good comes
out of Nazareth! Hebron might have
been better; Abraham, Jacob,
Joseph and David had close associations with that city.
Then again, Jerusalem would
have been my choice (in naïveté),
since most of us (if we were on the
site-selection committee for the
coming of God-in-flesh) would have
chosen Jerusalem. It was a city
near the royal palace, or the headquarters of the temple’s chief priest.
Wouldn’t it be logical for the King
of kings and the manifestation of
the Royal Priest to be born in a city
mentioned hundreds of times in the
Old Testament? King David captured the Holy City from pagans
and turned it into the center of
religious and civil life for the
Israelites. We’d be hard pressed to
find excuses to deny Jerusalem. But
she didn’t make the cut.
There would have been several
other locations, but Bethlehem
wouldn’t have made our short list.
The ancient prophet Micah wrote
“But, you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,
who are too little to be among the
clans of Judah, from you shall come
forth for me One who is to be Ruler
in Israel, whose coming forth is
from of old, from ancient days”
(Micah 5:2).
Two significant events stand out
in the history of an insignificant
Bethlehem. Bethlehem was where
David, a future king, poet and military hero, was born. The beautiful
love story of Naomi, Ruth and Boaz
(See Christmas, Page B)
DECEMBER 2014 A News
Christmas
(Continued from Page A)
took place with Bethlehem as its
backdrop. For the most part, however, Bethlehem was a grain-storage town, a village of about 300
people at the time of Christ’s birth.
Bethlehem’s obscurity is highlighted in the favorite Christmas
carol:
O little town of Bethlehem, How still
we see thee lie!
Above thy deep and dreamless
sleep The silent stars go by;
Yet in thy dark streets shineth The
everlasting Light;
The hopes and fears of all the years
Are met in thee tonight.
LSB#361
For thousands of years, Bethlehem wasn’t much more than a granary and a place for smelly shepherds to find a bed for rest. Her
Hebrew name meant “House of
Bread.” So, come to think of it,
maybe the wisdom of God trumped
our site selection committee …
again! After all, Bethlehem would
be a place for the humble, common
folk. It would also mean Jesus
wouldn’t be born for political, cultural, royal or societal reasons. It
meant His life and message would
overshadow the significance of any
given town or city. It meant His
lineage was a perfect fit in the clear
picture of God’s saving grace that
appears to us as an enormous, onecolored billion-piece picture puzzle.
What’s more, Christ’s birth was
announced by the angelic host to
common shepherds — outcasts
among the elite. He was born in a
barn and laid to sleep in a feed
trough. Being born in “The House
of Bread” meant Christ’s birth
brought the “Bread of Life” to the
world.
“ ‘I am the bread of life. He who
comes to Me will never hunger, and
B MID-SOUTH DISTRICT
he who believes in Me will never
thirst’ ” (John 6:35).
So, from the very first prophecy
of the Messiah (Genesis 3), through
the thousands of prophetic pieces
God gave to the ancient fathers, the
chances of any one single child to
meet each intricate detail of the
fulfillment of the coming of the
Messiah is astronomical. The Old
Testament writings date back thousands of years and were completed
near 450 B.C. They contain hundreds of prophecies that a single
person would have to fulfill through
his life, death and resurrection in
order to be the Messiah, the Savior.
Mathematically speaking, the
odds of any one person fulfilling
that many prophecies are staggering. The odds of one person fulfilling eight prophecies are one in a
quadrillion. A person fulfilling 48
prophecies are one in 10 to the
157th power. A person fulfilling
more than 300 prophecies? Only
Jesus!
Only God could foreknow and
accomplish all that was written
about the coming of the Christ. Add
in the probabilities of the Savior
through specific descendants, the
Virgin Mother, the little town of
Bethlehem … creation scientist
Henry Morris calculates a chance of
one out of 1,000 trillion (one pentillian!) that one person could be the
Christ.
It has been suggested by skeptics
that all of this could be possible
because someone in Judah might
have made a lucky guess that the
Messiah would come from Bethlehem. But no, this is all about Jesus
the Christ, our Savior — God with
us — to save us from our sins and
bring us the promise of everlasting
life.
As we prepare our hearts to be
warmed, once again, by the story of
lowly shepherds who came to seek
a babe lying in a manger, or the
story of Magi from the east who
were led by a star and bowed to the
new king, we also bow in humble
reverence, asking God to bless our
Advent and Christmas worship
together:
In that unlikely place, I find Him as
they said:
Sweet newborn Babe, how frail!
And, in a manger bed:
A still, small voice to cry one day for
me,
A still, small voice to cry one day for
me.
Can I, will I forget how Love was
born, and burned
Its way into my heart — unasked,
unforced, unearned
To die, to live, and not alone for me,
To die, to live, and not alone for me?
“While Shepherds Knelt”
LSB#369
MID-
SOUTH
Orphan Grain Train
delivers!
Orphan Grain Train (OGT), a Christian volunteer
network and Recognized Service Organization (RSO)
of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, ships donated food, clothing, medical supplies and other needed
items to people in 64 countries, including the United
States.
These goods help children and families who are in
deep poverty or suffering from an overwhelming disaster.
In August, the OGT Indiana branch delivered goods
to an Appalachian ministry called “Manna from Heaven.” Lois and Ralph Tackett have operated the Myra,
Ky., ministry for 12 years and report that this is the
worst economic situation they have seen, with unemployment at 70 percent due to the shutdown of the coal
mines. They are striving to help meet the immediate
needs of the people in this region.
The delivery from the Indiana OGT to the truly
needy — along with the Gospel message of
Jesus Christ and His love — included more
than 6,000 square feet of carpet, padding,
bikes, boxes of children’s books, building
hardware, tools, baskets, kitchen appliances and more.
A new Orphan Grain Train branch started
this year in New England. Paul Arbesman,
New England branch warehouse manager, is investigating ministries where they could make a connection
and help with supplies.
Operating in donated space, Arbesman’s crew
worked since last September to prepare the facility,
which was dedicated on June 1. A group of faithful
volunteers from area congregations then met each
week in June and July to sort, pack and label items
destined to be shipped to those in need.
The inventory is growing, thanks to donations of
materials and money from those with a heart for helping others. Already, more than 200 boxes have been
packed and labeled to conform to shipping requirements, especially for international delivery. They contain hygiene kits, school supplies, clothing, shoes,
coats, toys and medical supplies. The inventory also
includes hospital mattresses, walkers, commodes,
wheelchairs and crutches. More is expected from generous donors in New York, which is part of the area
served by this warehouse.
LUTHERAN
Hygiene kits include a bath towel, washcloth, soap,
toothbrush, comb and band-aids. There are anywhere
from six to eight hygiene kits to a box ready for shipment. School kits contain backpacks, spiral notebooks,
pens, pencils, construction paper, crayons, rulers, glue
sticks, blunt scissors, markers and a protractor; and
there are usually four schoolkits to a box. Clothing is
separated into children and adult, male and female and
each box is so labeled. Blankets, linens, hospital
gowns, IV supplies, surgical supplies and many other
items are also collected.
The warehouse operation is just getting underway,
but is off to a good start with a goal of making its first
shipment this year. To make a shipment economical,
enough goods must be collected and packaged to fill a
semi-trailer. Anyone interested in helping or donating
should call Holy Trinity Lutheran Church at 860-5820723. For more information about Orphan Grain Train,
go to www.ogt.org.
Congregation mission
commitments
Mission commitment receipts
as of Sept. 30, 2014 (9 months)
Anticipated amount (75% of budget). . . . $1,287,947
Actual receipts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,200,214
Over (under) anticipated amount . . . . . . . . . ($87,733)
Use of mission commitment
receipts (9 months)
Allocated to Synod for world missions. . . . . $335,313
Allocated to TCN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6,001
Allocated to Tanzania . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18,750
Retained for district mission/ministry support
(70% of receipts). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 840,150
Total receipts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1,200,214
Mission commitment receipts
comparison (9 months)
Actual receipts as of Sept. 30, 2014. . . . . $1,200,214
Actual receipts as of Sept. 30, 2013. . . . . $1,163,046
Over (under) prior year receipts . . . . . . . . . . . . $37,168
DECEMBER 2014 C News
Trinity/HOPE
Grant helps Haitian children
Trinity/HOPE was blessed to receive a $5,000
grant from the LWML Mid-South District, which was
presented on Oct. 19 at Emmanuel, Hermitage,
Tenn. From left, John Hall, Trinity/HOPE; Mary
Anne Whited, LWML; Denise Gudlin, Trinity/HOPE;
Debbie Cox; and the Rev. Keith Enko, pastor,
Emmanuel.
Children attending school at Balague in Haiti will
benefit from the LWML Mid-South District grant.
Trinity/HOPE thanks the LMWL for helping them
spread the Gospel of Christ through a bowl of rice
and beans. “You are all amazing women living out
your Christian lives in active global mission ministries with Trinity/HOPE!”
Brothers in arms
Dr. Hubert Dellinger (right), Christ the King,
Memphis, and son, Preston (left), recently
had an opportunity to visit with Lutheran
Hour Speaker Rev. Gregory Seltz during a
theological symposium at Concordia
Seminary, St. Louis.
Faithful women
On Sept. 28, the Ladies’ Aid of Faith, Fairfield Bay, Ark.,
celebrated LWML Sunday and displayed some of the
quilts created for Lutheran World Relief.
D MID-SOUTH DISTRICT
UTHERAN
LLUTHERAN
MID-
M
IDOUTH
SSOUTH
The Mid-South District of
The
Mid-South District
The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
Ordained Ministers Celebrating Anniversaries in 2014
65 Years
Rev. Norman Groteluschen (EM)
Memphis, Tenn.
55 Years
30 Years
Rev. David Rubke (EM)
Tullahoma, Tenn.
25 Years
Rev. Marvin Otto (EM)
Kingsport, Tenn.
Rev. Paul Bushur
First, Knoxville, Tenn.
Rev. Richard Graves (Chaplain)
Office of International Mission, St. Louis, Mo.
Rev. Michael Miller
Redeemer, Harriman, Tenn.
Rev. Brian Pummill
Peace, Cherokee Village, Ark.
45 Years
20 Years
Rev. Roy Bingenheimer (EM)
Cassville, Mo.
Rev. Stanley Jones (EM)
Bella Vista, Ark.
50 Years
Rev. Alan Bachert
Prince of Peace, White House, Tenn.
Rev. Clifford Herd (EM)
Chattanooga, Tenn.
Rev. Robert Mader (EM)
Clarksville, Tenn.
Rev. Herbert Swanson
River Valley Grace, Lamar, Ark.
Rev. Louis Trebus (EM)
Seymour, Tenn.
40 Years
Rev. Chris Powell (EM)
Nashville, Tenn.
Rev. Albert Quoss
Zion, Waldenburg, Ark.
35 Years
Rev. Gordon Besel
Holy Trinity, Rogers, Ark.
Rev. Richard Elseroad
Grace, Knoxville, Tenn.
Rev. Martin Nutter
Faith, Tullahoma, Tenn.
30 Years
Rev. Duncan Cox
Bethel, Fort Smith, Ark.
Rev. Dennis Fitzpatrick
First, Blytheville, Ark.
Rev. Robert Kellerman (EM)
Casa Grande, Ariz.
Rev. Nathan Jansen
St. John, Burns, Tenn.
Rev. David Krause
Trinity, Heber Springs, Ark.
15 Years
Rev. Dean Bauer (EM)
Hot Springs, Ark.
Rev. Timothy Henning (Candidate)
Russellville, Ark.
Rev. Hiram Nunez (EM)
Granbury, Texas
Rev. Meredith Jackson
St. Phillip, Chattanooga, Tenn.
Cookeville, TN
10 Years
Rev. Joshua Willadsen
Bethel, Fort Smith, Ark.
5 Years
Rev. Ronald Bacic
First, Little Rock, Ark.
Rev. John Easterling
Redeemer, Mountain Home, Ark.
Rev. Matthew Peeples
The Point, Knoxville, Tenn.
Rev. Steve Schneider
Grace Celebration, Cordova, Tenn.
Rev. Emil Woerner
Friends in Christ, Bryant, Ark.
Rev. Michael Schleider
Zion, Avilla, Ark.
Well done good and faithful servants!
DECEMBER 2014 E DECEMBER 2014 E OFFICIAL NOTICE Dates: The 19th Regular Convention Mid-‐South District of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod Memphis, Tenn. Convention Location: Friday, June 26, 2015 (mid-‐afternoon) to Sunday, June 28, 2015 (mid-‐afternoon) Theme: “O God Our Help in Ages Past, Our Hope for Years to Come” Psalm 90 Hilton Hotel 939 Ridgelake Blvd. Memphis, TN 38120 901-‐684-‐6664 Synodical Representative: The Rev. Daniel Preus, LCMS Third Vice-‐President Opening Service with Holy Communion: Friday, June 26, 2015, 7:30 p.m. Christ the King Lutheran Church, Memphis, Tenn. Preacher: The Rev. Daniel Preus NOTICE TO ALL CONGREGATIONS: Please remember the following deadlines to submit nomination ballots and convention resolutions: NOMINATION BALLOTS FOR DISTRICT PRESIDENT Deadline: FEBRUARY 26, 2015 To be sent to the Mid-‐South District Secretary The Rev. Lane Reuter LCMS Mid-‐South District 1675 Wynne Road Cordova, TN 38016 NOMINATION BALLOTS FOR CIRCUIT VISITORS Deadline: MARCH 26, 2015 To be sent to the Mid-‐South District President Rev. Dr. Roger Paavola LCMS Mid-‐South District 1675 Wynne Road Cordova, TN 38016 OVERTURES TO BE PRESENTED TO THE DISTRICT CONVENTION Deadline: MARCH 26, 2015 To be sent to the Mid-‐South District President Rev. Dr. Roger Paavola LCMS Mid-‐South District 1675 Wynne Road Cordova, TN 38016 F MID-SOUTH DISTRICT
MID-
SOUTH
LUTHERAN
You can’t
out-give Jesus
Alemayehu installed
The Rite of Installation of Rev. Fasil Alemayehu as associate pastor of
Faith, Thompson Station, Tenn. — and as minister to the Ethiopian members of Hope, Smyrna, Tenn. — was held on Sept. 28 at Faith. Alemayehu
was installed after completion of colloquy from the Mekane Yesus Lutheran
Church in Ethiopia. Attending the installation were, from left (front row)
Mid-South District President Emeritus Rev. David Callies, District President
Rev. Dr. Roger Paavola, Alemayehu, Rev. Jacob Heine, Rev. Jerry Meyer;
(back row) Rev. Curt Hoover, Rev. David Rubke and Rev. Daniel Otto.
Christmas resources
from Lutheran Hour Ministries
This children’s story book is
about God’s expedition to earth
as the Babe of Bethlehem.
Enjoy this little booklet as it
rhymes its way through the
Nativity story.
The man driving the Christmas
story in this Bible study is none
other than Joseph, the fosterfather of Jesus. The Rev.
Gregory Seltz, Lutheran Hour
Speaker, sheds light on one of
the New Testament’s unsung
heroes.
This single-session Bible study,
hosted by the Rev. Dr. Ken
Klaus, Lutheran Hour Speaker
emeritus, examines a man who,
next to Jesus Christ, is the most
visible figure during the holidays.
This booklet provides
insights from a family
going through problems and their celebration of Christmas.
To learn more,
go to www.lhm.
org/advent
By Julie Keck
Are you a “taker” or a “giver”?
When I was a kid anticipating
Christmas, all I could think about
was what I was going to get for
Christmas? I was a “taker.” But now
that I am an adult, I hope I think
more about giving, with God’s help
and nudging.
And, of course,
our best “giver”
example is Jesus.
No one can outgive Jesus! The
Gospels show multiple examples of how
Jesus gave to those around Him:
healing, food, comfort, love, wisdom
and the greatest gift — salvation!
So this Christmas, look around for
ways that you can give and be Jesus’
hands and feet. And if you need a
suggestion, one excellent way to
give is to save your mites (your
change) and help fund the Lutheran
Women’s Missionary League (LWML)
mission grants.
To get your donation to the missions, give it to your local LWML
society to send in with the group’s
mites or mail a check directly to
LWML, P.O. Box 411993, St. Louis,
MO 63141-1993.
Check out the latest updates for
mites received and grants funded at
www.midsouthlwml.org for district
grants and www.lwml.org for national grants.
DECEMBER 2014 G Celebrations
Blackwells celebrate 70th anniversary
Billy Blackwell and Ricka Deaton
were childhood friends, born and
raised in Memphis, Tenn., and were
married Oct. 20, 1944, in Hernando,
Miss., at the home of a Methodist
pastor during a furlough from the
war.
Billy received his Navy wings as a
fighter pilot on his 21st birthday. He
served in the U.S. Navy aboard the
USS Guadalcanal carrier, flying the
heavy Hellcat fighter plane in the
Pacific. By 1944, the Hellcat proved
a superior fighter over the Japanese
A6M Zero.
Billy also served in the Korean
War.
While Billy was busy serving our
country, the new Mrs. Blackwell
served with the late Al Behnke and
Rev. Everett Grese at the LCMS
district office in Memphis.
Before moving to Martin, Tenn.,
in 1977, they lived in Moultrie, Ga.,
where Billy served as plant manager for Combustion Engineering,
Inc. In Martin, they founded and
operated Arrow Aluminum Industries, Inc., until their retirement in
2013.
They are the parents of Ted and
Elaine Blackwell, and Ricka and
Don McDonald, all of Martin. They
have four grandchildren and are
members of Faith, Union City, Tenn.
50-Plus Anniversaries
▶ Andy and Patsi Anderson of Faith, Hot Springs Village,
Ark., celebrated 50 years of marriage on Nov. 7.
Guest organist
Douglas Schroeder
joined his father Armin
for a celebratory service.
Merry
Christmas
Congregation celebrates
anniversary with new organ
Shepherd of the Hills, Horseshoe Bend, Ark.,
observed its 40th anniversary in September with a
special service, featuring music and a dedicatory concert played on the congregation’s new Ahlborn-Galanti
organ by guest organist Douglas Schroeder, who serves
as organist at St. John’s, Fayetteville.
Armin Schroeder, Douglas’ father and organist emeritus at Shepherd of the Hills, joined his son on the
bench following the service, officiated by the Rev.
David Tews.
The new organ was imported from Italy and given to
the glory of God in memory of Karen Tews. Following
the service, worshippers enjoyed a catered banquet by
Calabama of Franklin in the church fellowship hall.
H MID-SOUTH DISTRICT
Send us your stories and photos
Deadline for the February issue is Dec. 18
Digital files, sent via email, are preferred.
Email submissions to [email protected]
or mail via U.S. Postal Service to:
Judy Otto
150 N. Maury St.
Holly Springs, MS 38635
Our submission deadline is the 18th of each month,
two months before publication.