This Week at Mt Olive

Good afternoon, fellow redeemed! Christ is risen! I just returned from the driving range. With the beautiful sunshine overhead, Katie, Michael, and I could resist and went to the nearest range to hit a few balls. True to form, one cannot play golf without believing in the reality of sin, inherited and actual. I once played a course in Illinois called Spencer T. Olin. It had been the site of the U. S. Amateur Open tournament for a few years. Like all open courses, Spencer T., as we called it, was challenging, with the proper U. S. Open style rough. Hitting into the rough, the golfer had only goal - getting out of the rough. Any attempt to advance the ball simply sent it deeper and deeper still into incredible perils. St. John tells us in the Epistle for today that to continue in sin is to continue in lawlessness. The Christian life, then, lived in this world one of constant tension. It is a life of repentance, of purification as we go back to the cross, to Christ, the pure Lamb of God. The Christian life is one of doing the righteousness, doing what pleases our Father in heaven. It's a life of striving against sin. Any thought that sin isn't that bad sends us deeper and deeper still into its clutches. Failures will be many. For them, the Father purifies us through His Son - time after time after time after time. Praise God that, in Christ by the Holy Spirit, we have been given the certainty of our heavenly home. And, praise God that, in this earthly life, a life which God has given us, we enjoy the heavenly blessings now in the forgiveness of sins. Praise God that, on the Last Day, "He will raise me and all the dead and give eternal life to me and to all believers in Christ." To that, in Christ, we say, "This is most certainly true." Prayer Concerns: Those who serve in our armed forces and their families: Rob Vadney, John Sorensen Those who are in authority over us: the President of the United States, the governor of Texas, the city leaders of Corpus Christi and all our elected representatives, that they would be guided to serve and protect the weakest among us The District Presidents and seminary representatives who will be meeting this coming weekend in preparation for Call Day at the two seminaries, that they be given wisdom and skill as they assign pastors and vicars in the Church. Here are a few announcements: The Mother-Daughter Banquet is being held Saturday, May 11, at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $6 for adults and $3 for children under 12. See Kathy Jennings or Dawn Johnson for more information. The menu is still being wrangled, but will hopefully be finalized by next weekend. Jr. and Sr. Youth will gather for a game/have fun night next Sunday, April 29. I'll have the time available later in the week. Confirmation Banner Making will be held Saturday, April 28, at 9 a.m. I'll be sending out the Confirmation verses on Tuesday so thought can be given for designs and what might be included in the banner. This Week at Mt. Olive: Monday, April 23 6:15 p.m. Zumba aerobics 6:30 p.m. Board of Elders Wednesday, April 25 8:30 a.m. School Chapel 9:30 a.m. Bible Study (Revelation 19 and 20) Saturday, April 28 9 a.m. Confirmation Banner Making Sunday, April 29 Jr. and Sr. Youth game night God bless! PKJ