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News and Events |
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 CalendarOur monthly calendar of events | |
 The Trinity Trumpet NewsletterAdvent Services Advent Services will be held on Wednesday evenings at 7:00 PM. Our theme this year is “Remembering the Future” a look at the prophecies about Christ from Isaiah. These are some of the most beautiful passages in the Bible and will help to set the tone for our celebration of the birth of our Savior. Christmas Services: Christmas Eve Services will be on Thursday December 24th at 7:00 p.m. Come and join for this beautiful service. The service on Christmas Day will be on Friday December 25th at 10: 00 a.m. Musicians Needed: Christmas is a wonderful time of the year and the talent in our congregation adds to the enjoyment. If you would like to do a solo during Advent Services, the Children’s Christmas Program or the Christmas Eve Service please let Pastor know. We would really appreciate your participation. Children's Christmas Program:The Sunday School Christmas program will be December 13th at the morning service. Practice will be at the start of Sunday School on the 6th and the 13th and following church on the 6th. If your child will be in the program, please have them at Sunday School on time so they can practice.. Bible Studies Throughout the week we have several opportunities for Bible study. On Sunday mornings at 8:45 we are looking at some of the major doctrines (teachings) of the Church on a very deep level. Beginning with the Trinity we are discussing each doctrine in depth, where it is found in Scripture, how it has often been misunderstood and why it is important for us to know and uphold each doctrine On Wednesday afternoons at 12:45 we are finishing our study of Prayer and will shortly be choosing a new topic. Thursday Morning Men's Bible Study meets at the South HyVee deli at 6:30 am for breakfast, fellowship and study. We will shortly finish studying the various laws and regulations of Exodus and Leviticus and will be starting to use materials from the Men’s Network through Lutheran Hour ministries. Do you have family member receiving care at Iowa City or the Mayo Clinic:
University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics Chaplains Trinity Lutheran Church in Rochester, Minnesota has a ministry called TLCare that offers hospitality to those receiving medical care at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester. TLCare now has lodging to offer to LCMS brothers and sisters at no cost. The small apartment is located on the edge of the Mayo campus and is available first come, first served. For more information, please contact Jennifer Jurgensen, tlcjennifer@charterinternet.com or Trinity Lutheran Church at 507-289-1531. Chime Choir Our Chime Choir is meeting again on Wednesdays at 7:45 following Advent Services. Every one is welcome! 
Youth Childcare: Need time to go Christmas shopping without the kids? You can leave them with the Youth Group on Sunday December 20th from 11:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. There will be a free will offering for their services.
Camp Io-Dis-E-Ca: God Remembers: When God remembers, He acts. When God remembers, He keeps His promises. When God remembers, He will do exactly what He says. When God remembers, He does NOT remember your sin! Our 2010 Summer Program will center on the theme “God Remembers.” Campers will hear how our faithful God remembers them with all the needs of their life. They will hear how God remembered their need for a Savior . They will hear that because Jesus lived, died, and rose for them, God remembers not their sin. And they will hear how God causes them to remember Him and their neighbor . The 2010 summer season begins the week of June 6th with two “mini-weeks” for campers in Grades 1-6. The season ends August 3. Camps are available for children in Grades 1-12 and will meet the needs of campers with a wide variety of interests. Campers have opportunities to swim, hike, sing camp songs around a roaring camp?re, cook s’mores, paddle a canoe, ride a horse, practice archery or air ri?ery , make a craft, slide on our seventy foot long slip ‘n slide, climb the “rock wall” tower , and play human foosball, disk golf, Eagles’ Nest, Dare Base, Krazy Kricket, and many more games. Brochures with regis- tration forms will be arriving in homes shortly after Christmas. Online registration opens the first week of January at www.campiodiseca.org. Registrations post- marked prior to February 15th will receive a $20 discount. Some specialty camps ?ll quickly . Please register soon to reserve your bunk for a week of summer fun at Camp Io-Dis-E-Ca. Summer Staff: Are you a college student interested in an exciting, challenging, and memory-filled summer as a camp counselor? We are now accepting applications for our 2010 summer staff. In addition to our counselors, we will employ several students who are interested in serving as support staff. These individuals will receive counselor training, live on camp, and participate in all camp activities as they serve in a variety of support positions. Students interesting in working at camp as a counselor or in a support position should contact Daniel Sanchez for more information at Daniel@campiodiseca.org.
But that same grace which was a blessing for the younger son was offensive to the older who refused to enter the feast or to celebrate with his brother. In spite of the fact that he himself lost nothing of his father’s love, that he owned all that was left of the family wealth (the younger son having already spent his share), and that he was missing out on a wonderful celebration, he was mortally offended that his brother had received grace. As we prepare to celebrate Christmas, who could be offended at the thought of a little Child in a manger? And yet, as we contemplate exactly what that Child means, our old sinful nature is offended. Our old sinful nature is offended at the thought that this Child will do what we can not, for the first message of Christmas is that we are sinners. We may pride ourselves on our own independence. We proudly proclaim “I won’t take charity from anyone.” We feel a warm glow as we give to charities and the needy at this time of year for we are proud of our deeds and find satisfaction in thinking what good and caring people we are for reaching out to others. We choose gifts carefully, sometimes with love, but more often with the thought of what the receiver will think of us, wishing to be seen in the best light. Like the older brother, who surely worked hard for his father’s approval, our old sinful nature basks in the thoughts of our own worth, goodness and works. At the same time, our old sinful nature compares ourselves to other, less worthy brothers and sisters. Our old sinful nature loves to be scandalized by the misdeeds and mistakes of others. For in comparison, we look good. The son who has broken his mother’s heart makes us look good as we strive to care for our own elderly parents. The father who has deserted his family makes us look so much better as we select gifts for our own children. Our old sinful nature cherishes the sins of others to better gloat in our own worth and goodness. Then into this self-congratulatory world is born a Child. The message of this Child offends the old sinful self. For the birth of this Child proclaims, “you are a sinner through and through. You can not by your own reason or strength hope to win God’s love. You are no better than others. You best deeds are like filthy rags. You are poor broken sinner. You need grace and here it is offered in a manger.” It is no wonder the world does all it can to bury the true meaning of Christmas. For the true meaning of Christmas is that we are sinners in a sinful world. Such a message offends the world, insults the world’s pride. But for the believer the message of Christmas is a great relief. For those who, like the younger brother, know how we have failed, acknowledge our sin, and realize we deserve nothing from God but punishment, the Child in the manger is a relief, like cold water on a burn. We have grace. We have a Savior born for us, died for us, risen for us. We have full and free forgiveness for all we have done and all we have said. Through His death on the cross, that Child is now our Brother and our Father who welcomes us to the family home of heaven. This Advent, as we prepare for Christmas, we can do nothing better than to recognize who we are. We are sinners before God whom we have offended. Without the ability to so repent, grace can only offend, not heal. To face our sin head on is the only way to understand the wonder of grace and to truly appreciate the glory of this season. As we prepare for Christmas this year, then, let us not forget to prepare our hearts through sincere repentance, acknowledging our sin and bringing it to the manger and the cross where true grace welcomes us and washes it all away in the blood or our Savior. For only a repentant heart has room to receive the fullness of the joy of this season. |
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From Pastor - The Offense of Grace (thoughts on Luke 15:11-32):
Grace, undeserved love. When it comes, it comes as a surprise. It is unexpected precisely because it is undeserved. There were many times in Christ's life when His grace toward sinners surprised many. In the parable of the prodigal son, for instance, the son undoubtedly expected fairness, not grace. He planned to ask to come home as a hired hand, to work hard to earn his acceptance back into the family and to labor to pay back what he had taken. What he received instead must have taken his breath away. He received grace, undeserved love, as his father welcomed him back as a son, not a servant, and not only restored to him respect and affection but celebrated with a feast.