Holy Cross Lutheran Church

06/01/2026

The Feast of the Holy Trinity

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!””
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭6‬:‭3‬

Having celebrated the greatest event in God's history of salvation, the death and resurrection of the Son of God, we pause a bit at the Feast of the Holy Trinity to consider the essence of God. Certainly the essence of God is beyond our weak comprehension, but He has graciously revealed Himself to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. When we want to summarize all the Holy Scripture says about God as our Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier, we call Him the Holy Trinity. Even beyond the glorious summary of the persons and work of God found in the Creeds, to speak of God as the Holy Trinity says at one time all the many things that the Scriptures say about God. Our worship never ceases confessing our faith in the triune God and giving glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.

05/30/2026

He is the One who brought order out of chaos in creation, and He has spoken by the prophets. He is the One who descended on Christ in His Baptism and then was promised to the disciples by the Lord prior to the passion. The promise was fulfilled at Pentecost. Through his vivid recapitulation of the biblical account of the Spirit’s work, Sasse proclaims that is this Spirit who is given to us and for us. The work of the Spirit is to give us Jesus.

We do not soar to the heights of heaven through some burst of divine or cosmic energy. No, the Spirit comes not to “heroes of the faith” but to confused and trembling disciples: “The Holy Spirit comes to the place where men despair of their own wisdom and strength.”

[Hermann Sasse]

05/30/2026

It was a strange and dreadful strife
When life and death contended;
The victory remained with life,
The reign of death was ended.
Holy Scripture plainly saith
That death is swallowed up by death,
Its sting is lost forever.
Alleluia!

—Christ Jesus Lay in Death's Strong Bands (LSB 458:4)

05/28/2026

You’re no stranger to shame, and neither is Christ. Trace shame’s origins in the Bible and discover how, through Christ’s resurrection, you can be free with From Shame to Glory: God's Surprising Remedy for Injustice and Failure, new from Rev. Dr. John Kleinig. https://myc.ph/49rUeRl

05/28/2026

“The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, And delivers them. Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him! Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭34‬:‭7‬-‭9‬ ‭

The angel of the LORD encamps all around those who fear Him, And delivers them. Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him! Oh, fear the LORD, you His saints! There

05/28/2026

2026 Readers’ Choice Awards—Vote from May 15 to July 15—Winners in October Issue

05/27/2026

The message of Pentecost is not an addendum to the Gospel; it is the Gospel: “The Holy Gospel is the message that there is forgiveness of sins in Jesus Christ and in him alone. It is completely free, wherever this message is heard, that God the Holy Spirit is at work calling men and giving them the faith that goes to the heart.”

[Hermann Sasse]

05/25/2026

Scripture teaches that we are justified before God, through faith in Christ, when we believe that our sins are forgiven for Christ's sake. Now if the Mass takes away the sins of the living and the dead simply by performing it, justification comes by doing Masses, and not of faith. Scripture does not allow this.

But Christ commands us, "Do this in remembrance of Me" (Luke 22:19). Therefore, the Mass was instituted so that those who use the Sacrament should remember, in faith, the benefits they receive through Christ and how their anxious consciences are cheered and comforted. To remember Christ is to remember His benefits. It means to realize that they are truly offered to us. It is not enough only to remember history. (The Jewish people and the ungodly also remember this.) Therefore, the Mass is to be used for administering the Sacrament to those that need consolation. Ambrose says, "Because I always sin, I always need to take the medicine."

Because the Mass is for the purpose of giving the Sacrament, we have Communion every holy day, and if anyone desires the Sacrament, we also offer it on other days, when it is given to all who ask for it. This custom is not new in the Church. . . . Chrysostom says "that the priest stands daily at the altar, inviting some to the Communion and keeping back others." It appears from the ancient council decisions that one person celebrated the Mass from whom all the other presbyters and deacons received the body of the Lord. The records of the decisions of the Council of Nicaea state, "Let the deacons, according to their order, receive the Holy Communion after the presbyters, from the bishop or from a presbyter." Paul, in 1 Corinthians 11:33, has this command in regard to Communion: "wait for one another" so that there may be a common participation.

—Augsburg Confession XXIV 28-39

05/23/2026

Christ sits at God's right hand,
His saving work complete,
To reign till ev'ry foe will lie
Beneath His feet—
All that the Father planned,
The Son sought to fulfill,
When first He said, "Lord, here am I
To do Your will."

—Christ Sits at God's Right Hand (LSB 564:1)

05/22/2026

Giving thanks to the Lord for three excellent days together at Holy Cross Lutheran Church with Bryan Wolfmueller for our Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne-CTSFW Continuing Education class on “Welcoming the Unchurched.”

With over 50 attendees gathered together, we spent time hearing and discussing our Lord’s Word, the joy and hope Christians have in Christ even in suffering, the gift of thanksgiving, vocation, hospitality, and the Church’s calling to speak forgiveness and welcome sinners with the mercy of Christ.

One especially encouraging reminder throughout the week: people who walk through the doors of a church are often carrying burdens, grief, loneliness, fear, or guilt. What a gift it is that the Lord gathers people into His Church to hear the Gospel, receive His gifts, and rejoice together in Christ.

A special thank you to Messys Tacos and High Hand Brewing Company for their support and hospitality, and especially to the gracious members of Holy Cross for all their kindness, generosity, and help throughout the week.

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.” (Philippians 4:4)