A WORD FROM THE PASTOR:
Lift High the Name of Jesus!
Dear Friends in Christ our Lord,
Celebrate! God has given us His love, mercy and grace through His Son, Jesus. Celebrate! Our sins are forgiven and we are put right with God through the work of our Savior. Celebrate! We have been baptized into the Triune God, and the Spirit now dwells in our heart. Celebrate! God has led us to be part of a growing, dynamic congregation. Celebrate! And now our congregational family is preparing to celebrate its Sixtieth Anniversary. Celebrate!
Beginning in 1956, Resurrection Lutheran Church has sought to be a confessional Lutheran presence on the Virginia Peninsula. For sixty years, God has led determined men to come to Newport News to pastor His people at Resurrection. For sixty years, the people of Resurrection have sought to live and to share the Good News of God’s love and grace to our community. For sixty years God has led dedicated lay people to serve as leaders and workers in and through our parish’s mission and ministry. “LIFT HIGH THE NAME OF JESUS!”
Dr. James Nestingen, a professor of Church History at Northwestern Lutheran Seminary in St. Paul, MN, wrote a devotional centered around the phrase contained in Psalm 23: “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies …” Until that devotion, I never really stopped to think about the significance of that imagery.
Think of it: celebration in the midst of one’s enemies? Good party protocol is for the host to invite friends, not enemies. The presence of enemies puts a damper on any celebration. Yet the Psalmist clearly puts God as the one who gathers His people together and sets a feast table for a grand celebration “in the presence of my enemies.” The key for us is that the enemies of God and His people are defeated! Through Jesus our Savior, God has defeated our enemies: sin, death, hell and the devil. The battle – in fact, the war! – is already won. God knows that! His people know that! When Christ rose from the dead, the last enemy: death, was conquered! It is truly time to party and celebrate! Join with your congregational family on February 7th, as we have our first celebration of Resurrection’s 60th Anniversary! ONLY TWO SERVICES THAT SUNDAY: 8:00 am and 11:00 am, with a Congregational Fellowship Breakfast beginning at 9:15 am, which includes a brief program. Our special guest will be the Southeastern District President (LCMS), Dr. John Denninger, who will serve as the Proclaimer at the Celebrative Worship Services.
