A Note from Pastor (July 2024)

    King David wrote in Psalm 96, “Oh sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth! Sing to the LORD, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples!” (Psalm 96:1) 
     The Aposlte Paul encouraged the people of Colossae with these words, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”  (Colossians 3:16) 
    Taking God’s Word to heart, Martin Luther put great emphasis on singing.  In fact, the importance of singing as a way of teaching the faith is one of the great treasures of the evangelical Lutheran church. According to Luther, “Next after theology I give to music the highest place and the greatest honor.” 
    The singing of hymns and the teaching they instill are not just limited to Sunday morning but should be a part of daily life in our homes.  As we know very well from the Small Catechism, this is the primary vocation of “Father of the House,” to ensure the saving truth of God’s Word is taught and learned by our children and family. 
   Therefore, the retreat to Camp Okoboji this month focuses on helping families to do this very thing.  However, you don’t have to go to the retreat to be able to put King David’s, St. Paul’s and Luther’s words into action.  Make sure your family has hymnals. Use them as part of your daily devotions.  Read or sing a psalm together. Choose a hymn and learn it by singing it together. Come to the Divine Service on Sunday and vespers on Wednesday. Also, ask me a for a list of good, catechetical and seasonal hymns to teach in your homes, because we have a rich abundance to sing!