Wisdom from Gregory the Great

"Thus is was that Nathan the Prophet, come to chide the king, to all appearance asked his judgment in the case of a poor man against a rich man.  The king first was to deliver judgment and then to hear that he was the culprit.  Thus he was completely unable to gainsay the just sentence which he had personally delivered against himself.  Therefore, the holy man, considering both the sinner and the king, aimed in that wonderful manner at convicting a bold culprit first by his own admission, and then cut him by his rebuke.  For a short while he concealed the person whom he was aiming at, and then at once struck him when he had convicted him.  His stroke would, perhaps, have had less force, if he had chosen to castigate the sin directly the moment he began to speak; but by beginning with a similitude, he sharpened the rebuke which he was concealing.  He came like a physician to a sick man, saw that his wound had to be incised, but was in doubt about the endurance of the patient.  He, therefore, concealed the surgeon's knife under his coat, but drawing it out suddenly, pierced the wound, that the sick man might feel the knife before he saw it, for if he had first seen it, he might have refused to feel it."

- St. Gregory the Great, 'Pastoral Care' Part III, Chapter 2.

Holy Week Schedule

Greetings friends,

Tomorrow is the start of Holy Week, and I wanted to be sure to post this info for anyone interested!

Zion Lutheran Church is located at 3401 E River Rd., Mt. Pleasant, MI.

Christ The King Lutheran Chapel (CTK) is at 1401 S Washington St., Mt. Pleasant, MI

Palm Sunday - April 17
8:00am @ Zion - Service w/ Holy Communion (this is also the Confirmation service)
9:15am @ Zion - Confirmation Reception instead of usual Bible study
10:15am @ Zion - Service w/ Holy Communion
11:45am @ CTK - Service w/ Holy Communion
7:00pm @ CTK - Student Bible Study
8:00pm @ CTK - Lutheran Student Fellowship meeting w/ officer elections

Wednesday April 20
7:30pm @ CTK - Spoken Service w/ Holy Communion
8:00pm @ CTK - Student Bible Study on Hebrews 11

Maundy Thursday - April 21
4:30pm @ Zion - Maundy Thursday Service w/ Holy Communion
7:30pm @ CTK - Maundy Thursday Service w/ Holy Communion

Good Friday - April 22
1:00pm @ Zion - Good Friday Service
3:00pm @ CTK - Good Friday Service

Easter Sunday - April 24
7:00am @ Zion - Sunrise Service w/ Holy Communion
8:00am @ Zion - Zion Youth Group hosts Easter Breakfast
10:15am @ Zion - Easter Service w/ Holy Communion
11:45am @ CTK - Easter Service w/ Holy Communion
7:00pm @ CTK - Student Bible Study

Myths about Death

One of my classmates from seminary wrote a fantastic article for the current Lutheran Witness on why Easter matters.

You can find it here.

It was a few church newsletter articles ago that I spoke of death and the issue of Christian funerals, and this certainly says it better than I did.  Please go have a look for yourself!