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Catechesis

Turning Up the Volume for Christ

Katelyn Hunt

Being a part of our Lutheran confession of faith is not a challenge, it’s a blessing. Being a college student in a world where those who are Christian are looked down upon is challenging. As Lutherans, we have been taught to love our neighbors and help them before helping ourselves. Many people my age have been taught the opposite and, at times, this can make it difficult to get along with them.

When this happens, it can be a struggle to find balance. It can be difficult living with or being surrounded by people who invite temptation from the Devil and have no care about the bounties given by Christ. But, the greatest comfort we can receive in life is with Christ Jesus. Then, even on our worst days – and, of course, on our good days too – we are turned to him and find peace in Christ no matter what the circumstances of our life. No matter how hard school is going, or the dramas that occur, we trust that Christ’s love for us is unending. So when our friends are struggling to find peace, the best thing we can do to love and help them is speak the Good News of Jesus Christ to them.

So how do we engage those friends and classmates who make the subject of every sentence “me”? We recognize that we struggle against the same temptation to make it all about us, and we show them love and pray for them. Our vocation as a friend is to love them as we want to be loved charitably by them. And while we sometimes become frustrated, and just want to ignore them for a time, we also realize that we may be the only person who is there for them. Therefore, don’t be afraid to invite them to church, even if they say no time and time again. Pray for them. Pray that they are turned toward Christ Jesus for their comfort and consolation. Pray that the Holy Spirit works in and through us to show them the truth about the Word of God.

Maybe we imagine that all this is useless, that they’ll never want to go with us, or they’ll never want to listen to us. Ask them why. Point them to the gifts Christ has to offer. If they are curious, point them to what the object of our faith and His gifts mean or why we do what we do at church. For example, I asked one of my roommates why she doesn’t go to church. She told me it was because of the offering. She didn’t understand why they passed a bucket around for everyone to drop money in because she didn’t know where it went. I explained to her that the money goes into the church. That is how pastors get paid, how improvements are made, and how the church is able to do things. In this way, little by little, we can hopefully wipe away concerns friends and classmates may have about our confession and church, and eventually they may join us. Something else we can do is play Higher Things hymns and listen to Higher Things podcasts while we get ourselves ready in the morning. They may overhear something they agree with and strike up a conversation with us about it.

The point is, don’t let others put us and our faith in a corner feeling as if it is something to hide or “not bother” about. For example, we don’t listen to the television on low volume so no one can hear. We make sure we can hear it in order to follow along with the plot of the show. In the same way, we do this when we listen to podcasts, hymns, etc. We sing our Lutheran hymns and listen to the Word of God. In this we trust that the Holy Spirit is working in and through us to point our friends and classmates to the source of their life and salvation, Jesus Christ.

Katelyn Hunt studies journalism at Sam Houston State University.

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Catechesis

The Divine Service: The Creed

By Kathy Strauch

What do you believe? In the Divine Service we confess what we believe using the words of the Apostle’s creed. We proclaim the truths of Scripture. But, why do you believe?

Jesus loved teaching by asking questions. On one occasion He asked His disciples a simple yet critical question, “He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?” (Matthew 16:15) Peter, per usual, was the first to open his mouth in response. Without beating around the bush, he was unwavering in his confession, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” (Matthew 16:15) 

Peter was confident of his assertion—at the time. Peter’s courage would fail, not once, not even twice, but three times in a single night. He denied even knowing Jesus, the Christ, the Son of the living God, as he confessed.

The beauty for me in this text is not Peter’s tenacious confession. Jesus’ words in response to His disciple’s proclamation is what gives me comfort. 

“And Jesus answered him, ‘Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 16:17) 

Jesus pronounces a blessing on Peter. However, Jesus does not praise Peter himself for his confession, but His Father in heaven. This confession of faith did not originate with Peter. It was given to him. 

We, like Peter are blessed because of the faith we have been given, and our confession which follows. Since the fall, unbelief is our natural disposition. We cannot create faith within ourselves, that’s the work and gift of the Holy Spirit.

Martin Luther beautifully articulates this in the third article of the Apostle’s creed when he writes, 

“I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith.” 

The Spirit creates faith and sustains faith through the Gospel—through the Word and sacraments. In the waters of our Baptism we were given the faith we confess. Through the hearing of the Word and the Lord’s Supper, He feeds and preserves the faith He created.

Through the Divine Service, the Spirit works through these means to sanctify and keep His saints in the true faith. For this reason, the church is perpetually confessing her faith. Hermann Sasse affirms this when he writes,

“Christ’s church is always a confessing church. Not only does each Christian confess his personal faith, but the church, the whole company of believers, gives testimony of the revelation that has happened. Out of such consensus of faith, worked by the Holy Spirit, is a true confession born.”

So, why do you believe in God the Father, in Jesus Christ His only Son our Lord, and in the Holy Spirit? You believe for the same reason Peter believed and confessed. It was revealed to you and me by our Heavenly Father who loves us, sent His Son for us, and sends His Holy Spirit to us to comfort us with His Gospel gifts.

Kathy Strauch is a member of Faith Lutheran Church in Troy, Michigan and is a graphic designer.

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Lectionary Meditations

Whose likeness and inscription is this?

By Rev. Eric Brown

“Whose likeness and inscription is this?”

It was another attempt at trapping Jesus. Let’s make Jesus talk about taxes in front the Herodians (who liked them) and all the rest of the Jewish folks in the temple who hated them. Either way, Jesus should upset people. But Jesus dodges – He asks them to show Him the coin used to pay the tax – and what do you know? There’s a picture of Caesar and a bunch of Latin on it.

Now, Jesus might have hammered them for bringing the pagan money into the temple, or called them on their greed and love of money – but instead He simply gives the famous line: “Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s.” The coin is Caesar’s money – if you want to use it, you play by Caesar’s rules, and when he wants some of it back in tax, you play ball. However, we are in the temple, and we ought to be thinking about the things that belong to God instead of Caesar.

So what belongs to God? Well, everything, I suppose – does that mean you are supposed to render all your stuff to God? Does this mean I get to give a “give until it hurts” fund raising stewardship sermon? Well, possibly, but our money doesn’t have the likeness of God on it, nor the Word of God upon it (“in God we trust” isn’t a quote from the bible, folks). But you do.

Consider: you were made in the image and likeness of God. Indeed, you have God’s Word inscribed upon you – that’s what your Baptism was. You received the Word of God upon you to mark you, to identify you as one who belongs to Christ Jesus. And Christ Jesus would have you be with Him for all eternity, so He came down from heaven and became man to win you forgiveness and life and salvation because you are His, not Satan’s. It doesn’t matter that Satan stole mankind away from God – that doesn’t stop Jesus. See there, Satan – that’s My image, that My Word – they belong to Me, and I will crush sin and death to have them back again.

You belong to Jesus, and He renders you back unto Himself. He purchases and wins you from all sin, not with silver or gold, not with a Denarius with Caesar’s picture, but with His own precious blood. You are baptized; you belong to Jesus.

Rev. Eric Brown is pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Herscher, Illinois and the co-host of the HT Gospeled Boldly Podcast.

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Lectionary Meditations

Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?

By Rev. Eric Brown

Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?

The question Peter asks Jesus seems quite reasonable. Really, it is, at least from a simple, worldly perspective. How many times do I forgive someone before it’s better to just cut them off out of my life? How many times to I have to delete a comment before I just block them? How many times do I have to roll eyes before I can just walk away? In the world this is a very reasonable and practical question – and Peter gives what, from the world’s perspective is a generous answer. 7 times? We have “three strikes and you’re out.” We have “once bitten, twice shy.” Peter, from the world’s perspective, is really generous.

However, forgiveness isn’t a worldly thing. Forgiveness isn’t just putting up with someone or ignoring them. Forgiveness is a God thing to do, and when God does something, God does it with over the top abundance. Not 7 times, but 70 time 7. And to show how over abundant God is with mercy, Jesus tells a story.

There’s a fellow who owes his king 10,000 talents. That would be like owing someone $5 Billion dollars. And the fellow begs, promises to pay the king back – he can’t, not in this lifetime. And the king forgives him. Now, some might find this surprising, but it’s clear that the king is already stupidly generous – he kept loaning and loaning money to this fellow already. So the king stays generous – it’s not surprising.

The same fellow whose debt was canceled then shakes down a fellow servant who owes him 100 Denarii – say $12,000. $12,000 that was probably the king’s cash in the first place that was then reloaned out. And things get nasty and mean, the second guy is thrown into jail. And that’s when the king’s patience runs out. That’s when the king throws the jerk into jail – not because of what he owed the king, but because he refused to be merciful as the king was merciful to him.

The point is this. God is merciful. Incredibly merciful. So merciful to us we can’t even really see how deep and rich His mercy is. And so we need to be very careful in this life not to start putting limits on mercy. Once we start doing that, we can forget that God shows us continual and abundant mercy. We step away from that mercy. So no, instead remember at all times the great and overflowing love and mercy that God has for you in Christ. He’s not taking a count to see when He can cut you off from forgiveness; instead He is faithful and His steadfast love for you endures forever.

Rev. Eric Brown is pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Herscher, Illinois and the co-host of the HT Gospeled Boldly Podcast.

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Catechesis

The Divine Service: Thy Strong Word

By Kathy Strauch

For three years I walked past the statue. Although my schedule varied from day to day, it was almost impossible to get anywhere on campus without coming into contact with the statue. So, nearly every day, I caught a glimpse at a mystery captured by two bronze figures.

The statue called ‘The Divine Servant’ portrayed a scene from John’s Gospel. The apostle Peter sat astonished as Jesus knelt before him, washing his grimy feet caked with dirt. God, the Word of Life, the One who spoke everything into existence, was kneeling before a sinner washing his dirty feet.

This statue beautifully illustrates what God does for us in the Divine Service. In the Divine Service, God is at work delivering gifts and serving sinners through His Word, through Jesus. Through the Divine Service, God cleans and takes away the filth of sin from the sinner. He washes us and makes us as white as snow.

Pastor Norman Nagel wonderfully describes the Word of God as imparting gifts when he writes, 

“The greatest gifts are all given by the Word of God, The Word of God not only tells what these gifts are but also conveys them. When the word of forgiveness is spoken to you, forgiveness is given to you…It is then as if God takes your hand and presses His gift into it with the assurance, “Now you have really got it. Without a shadow of doubt, it is surely yours.”

God’s Word creates and gives what it declares.

A hymn expresses this creative nature of the Word through the lyrics, “Thy Strong Word bespeaks us righteous, bright with Thine own holiness.” (LSB 578, Thy Strong Word) The Word speaks and we are righteous with the righteousness of our Lord by faith in that Word. We are righteous because He has declared us to be so through the life, death, and resurrection of Christ.

The Word is always at work in the Divine Service giving life because the Gospel is the power of God for salvation. (Romans 1:16) God is at work creating and sustaining faith where His Word is present. (Romans 10:17)

This strong Word pierces through the darkness of our sin and unbelief in the waters of our Baptism. Here, the Word recreates, resurrects, and places His saving name on the Baptized. The strong Word that Baptized us continually comes to us through His Gospel proclaimed, the absolution declared to us, and through the Lord’s Supper where He continually feeds us His body and blood for the forgiveness of our sins.

Apart from the Word, apart from Jesus, we can do nothing. (John 15:5) The Divine Service cannot exist apart from the Word of God. The focus of the Divine Service is the Word of God because the focus of the Divine Service is always Jesus and His gifts.

 

Kathy Strauch is a member of Faith Lutheran Church in Troy, Michigan and is a graphic designer.

 

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Lectionary Meditations

A Reformation Not Done Yet

By Rev. Eric Brown

“For wherever two or three are gathered in My Name, there am I among them.” – Matthew 18:20

Wait, why a Reformation article today? Did you miss it? Didn’t you get the memo? We celebrated the 500th anniversary of the Reformation this past weekend, this past Halloween. It’s November now – that Reformation stuff is done with? We talked all about how we are right and the other folks are wrong and now we go on with life, right?

Well, no, not right at all. You see, the Reformation wasn’t a one time historical event. It’s not just something of the past to be dusted off and celebrated every so often. The true point of the Reformation was something that ought to hold front and center in our lives no matter what day of the year it happens to be. Salvation is in Christ Alone. 

When Martin Luther got the ball rolling (rather unintentionally) 500 year ago, it was because he was questioning where Jesus was to be found in all that hub-bub over indulgences. When Luther looked at them, he didn’t see Jesus for sinners. He saw money and arrogance and fear mongering, but not Jesus. And then he started looking elsewhere at the Church of his day, and in so many places he didn’t see Jesus. He didn’t see Jesus in relics, the pilgrimages, the pomp and power of the men running things. So the real question of the Reformation was this: where is Jesus to be found? Where is Jesus going to be present to give us poor sinners forgiveness and life? 

The answer was precisely where Jesus promised to be. In His Word, in His proclamation of forgiveness, in His Baptism, in His Supper. In the very things that He calls and gathers us into His Church to receive. That is where Jesus comes to us.

Luther saw the problems of his day, and he responded to them clearly. That’s a great thing. We can learn a lot from reading and studying Luther – He pointed to Christ Jesus so clearly. But here’s the thing. We don’t live in Luther’s day. We live today, over 500 years after the 95th Thesis were posted. And we today have our own things that would distract us from Christ. Maybe not so much indulgences or relics, but there are plenty of other things that would separate us from Christ. Money and power still do, to say nothing of our wants and desires, our foolish hopes, our desires to make things be about us rather than Christ Jesus for us. You can see all these things – they swirl around the world, the Church at large, our own congregations, and they most certainly swirl around our hearts.

And yet, what continues on? Once again Christ Jesus will call us to His Church to be present for us in His Word and in His Supper. Once again He will call us to repentance and restore us to who we are in His Baptism. Once again, He will reform us. The Reformation was not a one time event of History, but it is precisely what Jesus does for us constantly through His Word whenever He pulls our eyes off of all the sinful distractions and makes us to see Him and Him alone.

Lord, keep us steadfast in Your Word! That is Jesus’ Reformation for you.

Rev. Eric Brown is pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Herscher, Illinois and the co-host of the HT Gospeled Boldly Podcast.

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Lectionary Meditations

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” – Matthew 5:3

By Rev. Eric Brown

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” – Matthew 5:3

Jesus seems a bit off His rocker when He starts the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5. He begins with the verses that today we call the “Beattitudes” – the “Blessed are the….” sayings. And frankly, none of these seem to be blessings at all. Blessed are the poor in spirit, those who mourn? What in the world is Jesus talking about?

Jesus is talking about real and true blessings, about eternal blessings in Him. So often, when we talk about blessings or being blessed, we end up talking about temporary, first article gifts. Health and wealth and money and stuff like that. Those are all good things, great gifts from God, but they are temporary. They are what Jesus calls daily bread in the Lord’s Prayer – stuff that is here today and gone tomorrow. And we spend so much time worrying about these daily blessings that we forget the greater truth. You have eternal and everlasting blessings in Christ Jesus.

Consider just the first “blessed” – blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Are there times when you are utterly run down? Are there times when your spirit is low, when you see your sin, or even when you have tons of stuff going on around you? Are there times when your life stinks? Sure – but even then, even in that moment, the truth is you are blessed in Christ Jesus. Christ Jesus doesn’t run away from you when things in your life are lousy – instead He is with you still for you are His baptized child. Even in those lowly moments, the kingdom of heaven is yours, and your lowliness, your being poor in spirit isn’t going to take it away. It can’t – because Jesus is still faithful to you.

All the beatitudes are really talking about how Jesus is faithful to you and gives you eternal blessings in Himself. Whether it’s a good day or a lousy day, whether it is rough or leisurely, Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today, and forever. He is the same for you, for your good. He remains your Savior, He remains the God who has won you forgiveness for you upon the Cross and continually gives you this forgiveness in His Word, in His Supper. That’s who He is and that’s who He still is, no matter what twists or turns your day takes today.

Whatever the day holds, you are blessed, for you face this day as a Baptized child of God, joined to Christ. Christ Jesus is with you, and you belong to Him, so no matter what, you are truly blessed with blessings far beyond the ability of the world to understand. You have the peace and love of Christ Jesus.

Rev. Eric Brown is pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Herscher, Illinois and the co-host of the HT Gospeled Boldly Podcast.

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Higher History

Concord #31: Augsburg Confession (The Mass Pt. 2)

christian augsburg sacrament mass

Article 24: The Mass, Part 2

Abuses

There were a number of abuses of the Mass, that is, abuses of the Sacrament. In the service itself, there were prayers and ceremonies that presented the Sacrament of the Altar as a sacrifice that the priest made to God on behalf of the people. The canon (order) of the Mass turned the gift of God into the work of men. And the words of life, the words with which Christ instituted the Sacrament, were lost in a jumble of works-righteousness. These errors were corrected in Martin Luther’s revision of the Mass, first in 1523 with a revision in Latin, then again in 1526 in the German language. These revised orders of service preserved what was good and eliminated anything that suggested God’s gift was a sacrifice we offered. Above all, the words of Christ were highlighted as the proclamation of the Gospel, which is received in eating and drinking the Sacrament.

One widespread abuse of the Mass was the practice of private Masses. In a private mass, a priest would conduct an entire communion service by himself in a private chapel. No one would be present to eat or to drink except the priest. These were thought to merit God’s favor on behalf of people simply by the execution of the ceremonies. They didn’t even have to be there. People could even have a priest say a Mass on behalf of someone else (either living or dead!) for a fee. Not only was God’s gift turned into a work of man, but they had put a price on what God gives freely.

 

Lutheran Changes

The practical changes that the Lutheran reformers made to the Mass were grounded in theological convictions. They didn’t change worship on a whim, or because it had become stale and outdated. Their revisions of worship were for the sake of the clear proclamation of the Gospel.

But Christ commands us, Luke 22:19: This do in remembrance of Me; therefore the Mass was instituted that the faith of those who use the Sacrament should remember what benefits it receives through Christ, and cheer and comfort the anxious conscience. For to remember Christ is to remember His benefits, and to realize that they are truly offered unto us. Nor is it enough only to remember the history; for this also the Jews and the ungodly can remember. Wherefore the Mass is to be used to this end, that there the Sacrament [Communion] may be administered to them that have need of consolation; as Ambrose says: Because I always sin, I am always bound to take the medicine. [Therefore this Sacrament requires faith, and is used in vain without faith.] (Augsburg Confession XXIV.30-33)

The Mass, or the Sacrament of the Altar, was instituted for faith, and so it requires faith to be used properly. The worship of faith isn’t that we offer works to God, but rather that we receive gifts from God. The Sacrament is a gift that bestows the benefits of Christ’s death—forgiveness of sins—which cheer and comfort anxious consciences.

You can read the Book of Concord at http://www.bookofconcord.org

 

“Concord” is a weekly study of the Lutheran Confessions, where we will take up a topic from the Book of Concord and reflect on what we believe, teach, and confess in the Lutheran Church. The purpose of this series is to deepen readers’ knowledge and appreciation for the confessions of the Lutheran Church, and to unite them “with one heart” to confess the teachings of Holy Scripture.

Rev. Jacob Ehrhard is pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in New Haven, MO.

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Lectionary Meditations

“We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone.”

By Rev. Eric Brown

“We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone.”

It was an interesting reaction. Jesus said that being in His Word would set people free, and their response was to get all huffy and offended. We’re good Jewish people, and we’ve never been enslaved to anyone! Say the people who are conquered citizens of the Roman Empire. Say the people who celebrate the Passover every year; the meal celebrating the night when God rescued them from slavery in Egypt.

Before we shake our heads at how silly they are, we should pause and take stock of our own situation. After all, that’s what Reformation is about. It’s not the time where we celebrate that we’re right and always have been. It’s the time where we acknowledge that as human beings we are prone to sin, prone to wander. It’s the time where we acknowledge that God must continually reform His Church (and His people!) by the power of His Word and Spirit.

Jesus understood the fact that “everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin.” Sin warps and twists us; it blinds us to where we can’t see our own hypocrisy. This is why the Holy Spirit shows us our sin with the Law of God: to make us see our own sin and know where we’ve spun up false stories about how great we are. The Spirit’s Law makes us to understand the shape of our sin. Now, what shape your sin takes, I don’t know – but I do know that it’s there. We all have our blind spots and cherished lies that we cling to; and the Spirit will hammer those with the Law and repent us.

And whenever the Spirit brings us to repentance, what does Jesus do? He keeps coming to you again and again in His Gospel. He keeps giving you His forgiveness over and over. He returns you to your Baptism. He declares you forgiven. He gives you Himself in His Supper so that you grow in faith in love, so that you are free indeed.

Understand the spiritual battle going around you. Satan will constantly try to blind you with your own self-righteousness. And if left on our own – well, with might of ours could naught be done. But for you fights the Valiant One, Jesus Christ your Lord and Savior. And He sends forth His Spirit to bring you to repentance and to forgive you. He is by your side with His good gifts and Spirit, and this is how He reforms you. Lord, keep us steadfast in Your Word!

Rev. Eric Brown is pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Herscher, Illinois and the co-host of the HT Gospeled Boldly Podcast.

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Catechesis

The Divine Service: Melodic Confessions

By Kathy Strauch

As the church, we corporately gather each week. We are active in worship. We sit, stand, kneel, confess, pray, and sing. However, it is not our verbs that give life to the Divine Service—the heart of the Divine Service is in God’s verbs, Christ’s work given to us. 

As we enter into the Divine Service, we do so in song. We join our voices to sing and in our singing, confess what God in Christ has done for us. 

Martin Luther describes our inclination to sing in this way, “For God has cheered our hearts and minds through his dear Son, whom he gave for us to redeem us from sin, death, and the devil. He who believes this earnestly cannot be quiet about it.”

As baptized and redeemed children of God, we cannot help but sing. Our mouths overflow with song in thanksgiving of Christ’s work for us. 

Our hymns are an expression of this faith the Holy Spirit has created in us. Faith clings to Christ and trusts in Him alone, therefore, our songs and hymns reflect this confession. 

Author, Chad Bird describes the function of a hymn in this way, “Their aim is to plant the Chosen Seed, Jesus Christ in the ear and in the heart. They bear the resemblance of a sermon, shrunk in length, rhymed, and set to music. Many a hymn preaches more in four stanzas than a pastor struggles to say in six pages of sermon text. And in the preaching of the hymn, the Spirit is at work through the Word to rebuke and console, to pierce and heal through the law and the Gospel.”

In the singing of Christ, the Holy Spirit is at work in us through the Word. The apostle Paul writes in his letter to the Romans, “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17). Through hymnody, Christ is delivered to us through the mouths of our neighbors. Wherever Christ is proclaimed, there the Holy Spirit is at active in creating, sustaining, and strengthening faith. 

The apostle Paul encourages us, “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” (Col. 3:16).

Through song, we confess our faith together; We confess our sinful condition, 

“I lay my sins on Jesus, The spotless Lamb of God;
He bears them all and frees us From the accursed load
I bring my guilt to Jesus To wash my crimson stains
Clean in His blood most precious Til not a spot remains”.  (I Lay My Sins on Jesus, LSB 606)

and we sing boldly as we comfort each other with the works and promises of Christ, 

“God’s own child, I gladly say it; 
I am baptized into Christ! 
He because I could not pay it, 
Gave my full redemption price
Do I need earth’s treasures many
I have one worthy more than any 
That brought me salvation free,
lasting to eternity!” (God’s Own Child, I Gladly Say It, LSB 594)

We not only confess with our local congregation, but with the whole Christian church. Hymnody gives a voice to the church, a united confession of faith that echoes throughout generations. We sing with the saints and join their voices in proclaiming what our God in Christ has accomplished for us. Sing loudly, sing boldly, confessing who your Savior is and what He has done for you!

Kathy Strauch is a member of Faith Lutheran Church in Troy, Michigan and is a graphic designer.