Grace Notes 2026-07
I am addressing you this month with a question. What is God up to with Gift of Grace Lutheran Church?
We are not in the place where many of us hoped we would be. Numerically we are bleeding membership loss while at the same time not experiencing the joy of welcoming new members from the surrounding community. Even if much of the bleeding has been circumstantial and not due to provocation or fault, it is nonetheless disheartening.
By asking what God has in mind is not any attempt to absolve myself or any of the rest of us from responsibility. We always have much to confess. We are often deaf to God’s call to serve others as Christ served us. We have misplaced priorities with an inordinate love for worldly goods and comforts. We do not pray as we should, study and meditate on God’s Word as we should, and participate in corporate worship as we should. We often fail to commend to others the faith that is in us.
It is not that we are complete failures. We are not! At the same time, it is healthy to know our ongoing need of repentance and the need, with God’s help, to do better. With the new nature given to us in Baptism we can even dare to speak of striving!
I myself don’t know what God is up to. We are certainly being tested and challenged. We know from Scripture that He desires the salvation of all the residents of Holmen and the surrounding area (cf. 1 Ti 2:4). We know that the preaching of the Gospel and the administration of the Sacraments bring people to saving faith in Him (cf. Ro. 1:16; Mt 28:19-20).
By the grace of God, Gift of Grace Lutheran Church offers faithful worship where the forgiveness of sins is clearly proclaimed to repentant sinners, where the Gospel is preached in its fullness, where the gift of the historic liturgy orders and guides worship that is reverent, Christ-centered, Word-centered, well-ordered, and is joined with the worship of all the saints, both here in time on earth and in heaven forever.
In our understandable discouragement we risk losing our joy in what God has so graciously given us. I look out every Sunday morning to a congregation of talented, gifted, personable, and dedicated members. There is an expectation that God will meet with us as He promised, and in the ways that He guaranteed to give Himself to us. This includes where at least two or three gather in His name (Mt. 18:20), where the Faith is Confessed, the Gospel preached, and the Sacraments administered.
God will accomplish His purposes in the surrounding community. We may play some role in participating positively in His purpose if we are willing. We can and should plan for outreach the best that we can. That said, opportunities often come unexpectedly. We need to be poised and ready to recognize them and jump on them when we can.
More than anything else we need to stay faithful and find joy in our service. Scripture teaches that the joy of the Lord is our strength (cf. Ne 8:10). Joy is contagious. It is winsome. After all, we are called to choose joy as we are commanded to rejoice always (cf. Ph 4:4) and to “enter the joy of our Master” (Mt 25:21).
Even with disheartening news, amidst suffering, we are to “count it all joy” according to James 1:2. For this builds steadfast faith and redounds to God’s glory. Rejoice brothers and sisters! God has a plan for us!
Becoming More Familiar
Concerning the Significance of the Color Green during the Long Season after Pentecost? In the Christian liturgical year, the color green during the second half of the year symbolizes spiritual growth, hope, and new life. It reflects the season's focus on steady, daily discipleship and learning to apply Christ's teachings to everyday life, much like seeds quietly growing into a harvest.
Concerning the Significance of the Altar? In Lutheran worship, the altar serves as the primary focal point of the sanctuary, representing both the place of Christ's ultimate sacrifice and the “Holy Table” where believers gather to receive His true body and blood in the Sacrament of Holy Communion. Because God comes to His people with His very body and blood at the altar, we treat it with deep respect. It is appropriate to express this reverence by bowing or genuflecting toward the altar when entering or leaving worshiping. Lutherans are among those who cover the altar with beautifully colored paraments that change according to the liturgical season of the church year. Lutherans process to the altar to receive communion and may kneel if there is an altar rail.
Concerning the Significance of the Pulpit? The pulpit symbolizes the authority of God's Word. As the central focus of worship, it highlights the Reformation belief that faithful preaching of Scripture is the primary way God speaks, calls sinners to repentance, and delivers grace. The pulpit and altar stand side-by-side to emphasize that hearing the Gospel and receiving Christ's body and blood are of equal importance.