Dear Saints and Sinners through Christ Jesus our Lord:
Ha! After twenty-five years of writing monthly newsletters, I finally changed the greeting. That’s 300 newsletters. Ya’ll probable didn’t even notice, but for any of you who have ever undertaken such a task, you understand, writing these things ain’t easy. What do I say? How do I say it? Who’s gonna get mad? But know this, if what I am writing, points to the love of God, seen most clearly through the Cross of Christ, then the Spirit can usually come up with something worthwhile. I know I can’t.
Sometimes I find myself worrying about the future of the church, more specifically the future of our church, but I am quickly reminded, worry prevents my full trust in God. Trust—that if Jesus Christ remains in the center of the church. Trust—that if we focus on the mysteries of Word and Sacrament, God will always protect the future, ours and the church. That’s a big if, no matter what that future looks like.
Pretty lofty claims, uh? Well, all I can say is that these two pieces of heavenly literature did wonders for me. They opened the balance of Scripture in a way I can’t really explain. Now, how do I share these insights and gifts that these mysteries bring? After all, the text of Genesis and Revelation seldom show up in our lectionary on Sunday morning and when they do, they are chopped up into semi-random pieces. How do we get to hear the whole story, especially when it is enough to bring clarity to the balance of Scripture? What do I do? Simply wait until it comes out as a book and hope you buy it off Amazon? I’ve spent twenty-five years of countless hours sitting at a computer trying to make these heaven-sent pieces of God’s Word talk to me and did they ever. I did all this so I could share this insight and wisdom. So, what am I waiting for?
Well guess what folks? It is a good thing that we are not bound by our lectionary. Remember, Lutherans are the original rebels. So, beginning this Sunday, (you won’t even have the letter yet) and continuing until you tell me to stop, or we finish, I will incorporate the texts of Genesis, chapter one through twelve, (which is also the gospel of Christ Jesus), extracting nuggets of truth, helping us to know God and understand why humanity does so many stupid things, trying my hardest to make these Words come alive and yet be faithful to the nature of God as I understand. If we make it through Genesis without too much kicking and screaming, we head straight into Revelation and here we get to see, pretty clearly, I might add, our past, our present and our future. We will be given options and shown the outcome of our choices. Folks, it truly is some exciting, good news.
I’m not quite sure how all this will look. You guy/gals are hearing about this at the same time almost as me. Told you the Spirit would come up with something to say. Don’t worry, our worship structure will change very little, confessions, songs, the gospel, choir, communion—the whole shootin shabangger. (Spell check says those aren’t words. What do they know?) Anyway, I’ll keep the messages at about 30 minutes, while also trying to keep worship time at one hour. That means, if we play this thing through, we will reach Revelation 22:21 in about six months.
We can use these six months to invite as many people as you have the courage to invite. Tell them about a series on two of the most fascinating pieces of the Holy Bible, Genesis 1-12:4 and Revelation 1:1-22:21, told in a unique way. If they are reluctant, ask them to at least check it out on the internet.
The way I see it, we all have a difficult task, even harder than writing monthly newsletters. It is the difficult task of sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ with those around us. It ain’t easy. Sure, we can try to live according to God’s purposes, but being a good person is only part of the equation. As Christians, we are also called to share the message of the gospel, always inviting people to hear these life-giving, life-saving words. If we do not share the stories of the Bible, the good news, we cannot call ourselves Christian. Folks, it is the only way our world will move forward in a positive direction. It is the only way the church, our church will survive. But what do I say? How do I say it? Rest assured, if it points to the love of God, seen most clearly through the Cross of Christ, then the Spirit will come up with something, especially if you understand the bookends of Scripture.
I pray you come to know the nature of our God and begin to understand humanity’s predicament. I pray you will be a witness to our past, our present and our future, learning firsthand the outcome of our choices. With this insight and wisdom, I pray you may find it easier to know what to say and how to say it. I pray you join me in a journey that does not disappoint and best of all, never ends. Now you’ll never have to worry about your future again, personally, or together as Saints and Sinners of Peace Lutheran Church. I look forward to traveling this road with you.
In Christian Love,
Rev. David Trexler
😍 Can't wait