Good morning: What comes to mind when you hear the word “repent”? Years ago there was an individual who had a prime seat for seemingly every major sporting event. He positioned himself so that he was always in the background of the TV shots, and he always held up a large sign with the one word: REPENT! The word appears often in Scripture. Many people understand it as an accusation from God and a warning of impending judgment because of sin, which it is. God told Old Testament Israel, “Repent! Turn from your idols and renounce all your detestable practices” (Ezek. 14:6). Have you noticed how easy it is to apply the word to others, but not to oneself? We have no trouble spotting the sins of terrorists, criminals, and those who hurt us by their words. Most of us can likely point out sins of family members and feel justified in being upset. But remember Jesus’ words to the self-righteous? “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?...First take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye” (Matt. 7:3-5). Repentance is not just for someone else. With the mirror of His law the Lord shows us our own sin, warns that sin brings death, and calls us to turn from it. But there is another side to repentance. It not only includes acknowledging guilt; it also is a call to look to the Lord for mercy and forgiveness. God says to His people, “Repent!” “I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, O house of Israel?” (Ezek. 33:11). The Lord calls us to repent, not just to make us aware of our failings, but to have us look to Jesus’ saving work for comfort and peace with Him. Repentance: It’s not just for others, it’s for our blessing too. It’s not just for Sundays. May we live by Jesus’ words every day: “Repent and believe the good news!” (Mk. 1:14). Yours in Christ, Pastor Services tomorrow are 8:00 and 10:45 a.m. Bible class is at 9:30 a.m. We continue our study of Luther’s Large Catechism. Quarterly voters meeting: Please remember the voters meeting which will get underway after second service. There is much to discuss and act on, including the purchase of new pews and the election of delegates to the Great Lakes Delegate Conference and this summer’s CLC Convention. Voters and those eligible to become voters are encouraged to attend. We need everyone in order to carry out the Lord’s work well. Non-voters, too, are welcome to sit in and observe the work. Here is the link for service signup: https://tinyurl.com/y2j5r8sn Signing up for the Sunday service by 6 p.m. Saturday is appreciated and helpful and a way of showing Christian love for one another. It gives the Elders and ushers an idea of how many people to prepare for. When you sign up you can also see how full the service will be, and if you wish, consider attending the other service. By signing up, you can easily be informed if that were advisable because of contact with someone at the service who later became ill. The governor’s mask order is still in effect for all indoor spaces, including churches. Masks are available in the entry if you forget yours.
