Disputation of the Holy Sacrament

Pentecost is soon here. It is the holiday of the Holy Spirit. And many of the Easter readings you are hearing in church now have to do with the Holy Spirit. The biblical doctrine of the Holy Spirit is pictured beautifully in a famous painting called “Disputation of the Holy Sacrament.” The painting, which covers an entire wall in what was formerly the papal library of the Vatican was painted in 1509-1510 by a man name Raphael Sanzino da Urbino. Everyone simply calls him Raphael. He was a contemporary of Michelangelo but, probably due to his early death at the age of 37, he has not gained the notoriety of his famous colleague. This painting of the Sacrament is placed in the room exactly opposite a better known painting, also by Raphael, of Plato and Aristotle walking amidst other great thinkers and discussing philosophy. Aristotle was Plato’s foremost disciple. It’s like Raphael is saying that there is the wisdom of the world and then there is the wisdom of God in Christ. One helps you in this life. The other gets you to heaven. So the painting under discussion is not simply the church’s view of the Sacrament it depicts, in broad strokes, her theology. When you look at the painting your eyes are drawn instantly to Jesus who sits on his crown of glory in the upper middle of the painting. His hands are raised as he blesses his church. The wounds are immediately apparent and in his side as well. His face is kind, loving and fully accepting. He is the picture of forgiveness as he looks upon his church with favor and makes us see the wounds which healed us. Above him sits our heavenly Father who holds the world in one hand and blesses his people with the other as though telling us that both church and world are His. On either side of Christ are Mary and John the Baptist looking at him devoutly. Spread out further from Christ are a dozen or so Old and New Testament figures from Adam to Moses to David to Paul sitting and discussing something; Jesus and His church. The word Disputare in Latin actually means to discuss more than it means to dispute. One Old Testament figure calmly points below.

Beneath this heavenly scene which depicts the church in glory is a scene from earth. Here the center of the painting features an altar upon which sits the Monstrance. This was the container used at the time of Raphael to house the Blessed Sacrament – Christ’s body and blood. On either side of the altar are theologians, past and present who are standing and discussing something. Again, by their pointing and animation it is clear that the Sacrament occupies their hearts and thoughts. Among them are “the four church doctors,” early church fathers, who taught Christ’s people in the shadow of the apostles; Gregory the Great, Ambrose, Augustine and Jerome. The altar itself with the Sacrament upon it remains un-obscured, solid, lasting. This is a picture of the church on earth. Christ rules but you cannot see him. Or can you? People excitedly discuss the gospel. Things are more disjointed and chaotic than the church in her glory. But the church in glory and the church militant are ruled by Christ; one by the triumphant Jesus who is seen and the other by the Sacrament of Christ’s body and blood, Jesus who again is seen, felt and tasted. There is one Christ who rules His church but there are two depictions of the church. These two pictures of the church are separated by a cloud which stretches from either extreme of the painting. There seems to be no way for the church of heaven and the church of earth to be connected. Is there no way in which Christ can penetrate from heaven to earth? Then the eyes of the viewer are drawn to a little circle in the middle of the painting. It rests directly beneath Christ and directly above the Sacrament. Upon it is emblazoned a dove, symbol of the Holy Spirit. He is not the first thing you see but once you notice the Spirit you cannot look away for you recognize how central and crucial he is to our entire theology. He is bridging the gap between the Christ of heaven and the Christ of earth. He connects Jesus who once for all earned forgiveness by his wounds and Jesus who richly and daily gives us forgiveness by his Sacrament. On either side of the Holy Spirit are two Cherubs. Each of these four angels holds a book. The heavenly books are resting over the clouds. But each angel has a foot beneath the clouds as if to say that these four books, the four gospels, come from heaven to earth. So the Spirit uses the word and the Sacrament to bridge the gap between heaven and earth. Christ earns forgiveness once for all as evidenced by His wounds. The Spirit bestows this forgiveness often through the ministry of Word and Sacrament. Most obvious, in Raphael’s painting is the place of the Sacrament in the life of God’s people. Raphael’s point is obvious. The Holy Spirit preaches and teaches the word and administers the sacraments. In Baptism he kills, crucifies, buries and raises us with Christ. In the Gospel heaven is dragged down to us, Luther, upon reading the gospel and discovering the comforting message of salvation by grace alone, said that this was like taking a walk through heaven.

The Holy Spirit, through the word, is sent into the hearts of believers…. This happens when through the spoken word we receive fire and light, by which we are made new and different and by which a new judgments, new sensations and new drives arise in us. This change and new judgment are not the work of human reason or power; they are the gift and accomplishment of the Holy Spirit who comes with the preached word. 1

The Holy Spirit is also occupied with breaching heaven and earth by taking the body of Christ, once shed for us on the cross and the blood which dripped from our savior’s wounds, and with these blessed tokens of salvation, placed into plates and cups, He feeds us. Something

1 LW XXVI 375

enters the body of those who commune. It is body and blood with the bread and wine. And this sacrament also feeds the soul of Christians.

For this reason we go to the Sacrament; there we receive such a treasure by and in which we gain forgiveness of sins….Therefore, Christ asks me to eat and drink, so that this treasure may be my own and may benefit me as a sure pledge and token. In fact it is the very same treasure that is appointed for me against my sins, death and every disaster. On this account it is indeed called a food for souls which nourishes and strengthens the new man….Therefore, the Sacrament is given as a daily pasture and sustenance that faith may refresh and strengthen itself (Psalm 23:1-3) so that it will not fall back in such a battle but become ever stronger and stronger…Now to this purpose the comfort of the Sacrament is given when the heart feels that the burden is becoming too heavy, so that it may gain here new power and refreshment. 2

If you want the Holy Spirit you will find him exactly where you find Jesus; in Baptism, In the Word, in the Supper. That is the message of Easter and that is the message of Pentecost.

Pastor Preus

2 LC V 22-27, Concordia 460-461

Easter 3 - May 4, 2014

In Luke 24:13-35, Jesus accompanies two of His disciples on the road to Emmaus, a town 7 miles northwest of Jerusalem. Although for us, it has been two weeks since our Lord's resurrection, we must remember that this account is taking place on Easter evening. So we should not be surprised to find the disciples still quite confused about the events of the past few days. When Peter and John saw the empty tomb, they still did not understand that Jesus had to rise from the dead (John 20:9). When Mary Magdalene met Jesus, she thought he was the gardener (John 20:14). And the two disciples on the road to Emmaus were blind to who Jesus was, even when He was walking right next to them. But it's always Jesus who opens our eyes. He revealed himself to Peter and John in the upper room. He made Mary recognize Him by calling her name. And He opened the eyes of the disciples on the road by the breaking of the bread.

And Jesus still reveals himself to us through the breaking of the bread.

Easter 4 – May 11, 2014

The kings of Israel (most notably, David) were called the shepherds of God's people. But when their shepherds failed them, the Lord revealed through Ezekiel that He Himself would take up the staff for His people. He would be their shepherd. He would rescue the scattered sheep. He would gather them together. He would feed them on rich pasture. (Ezekiel 34) Now in John 10, Jesus promises to be the divine shepherd that Ezekiel foretold. He knows us by name. He leads us to good pastures. He protects us from those who kill and destroy. And if we continue reading past where the lectionary stops, we find the shepherd's greatest work of all--He lays down his life for the sheep. Easter 5 – May 18, 2014

It might seem strange during the Easter season to go back to the upper room on Maundy Thursday, where Jesus spoke these words to the disciples. But the Thursday of Easter 5 is ascension, and here we recall Jesus' words as he prepared His disciples. In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.

That first line, “in my Father's house are many rooms...” is a favorite of many Christians, especially at funerals. But the real punch to it comes in the next verse, “...I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.” See, Jesus is not merely preparing them for His departure, but especially His return. With the ascension, Jesus may be hidden from our eyes for a time, but He vows to return to us. And when Jesus does return, he will bring us into the full joy and communion of our Father. But until that time, we continue to look longingly to the east, where Christ has promised to come with the dawn.

Worship this Month

Easter 6 – May 25, 2014

The Gospel lesson this week picks up where it left off last week. Jesus has told us that He would ascend to the Father but that He would return again. But in the meantime, Jesus promises us another Helper—the Holy Spirit. Jesus calls him the Spirit of truth, and we would be like the world, dwelling in darkness, without Him. For we too would be like Peter and John and Mary and the Emmaus disciples—blind to Jesus—if it were not for the Spirit. And again, after His ascension, Jesus comforts us, saying, “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.” The shepherd does not abandon His sheep. The Father does not abandon His children. And Jesus does not abandon His disciples. He will come again.

The Women of Faith would like to thank the congregation for participating in the Food Share

Month. We collected 57 pounds of food which was donated to IOCP, the local food shelf in Plymouth.

We will be taking the summer off and will resume in September 2014 with a full line up of monthly speakers and activities. Thank you for making our first year a success!

Compassion Circle Luncheon – Members of the Compassion Circle are invited to their Year End Luncheon on Monday, May 5th. 1:00 at the Plymouth Applebee’s. Hope to see you there!

Thanks to all the people who donated fabric, sheets, blankets and many Labor of Love hours making quilts. We completed 37 this year! Pastor Fehrmann was given 14 of them. He has delivered 6 to Ghana and 8 will be taken on his next trip. The Orphan Grain Train has received 23 to be delivered to disaster areas. We appreciated all the hours you gave for this Mission project!

The Quilting ladies of Compassion Circle.

Do you have a child who would like to learn the chimes? Children 6 yrs and up that are interested in checking out the Children’s Chimes can come to rehearsal on Wednesday May 14th and May 21st 5:15-5:45. For questions contact Ellie Leimer: 612-396-0322 or email: el4516@gmail.com.

Toddlers and Parents class will continue on Sundays in the room across from Pastor Preus' office. We will start shortly after the bell for Sunday School rings, so this will allow little ones plenty of time to grab a snack and wind down before Sunday School. Come join us as we spend time leading our little ones to Christ together.

Mission Fest 2014 **GOAL 120 people**

Raise $25,000.00 for Missions

Theme this year is Western BBQ

Yee Ha! Yee Ha!

Tickets are for sale for $25.00 for an evening of fun THIS Saturday, May 3rd here at our church! We will be serving a

delicious Western BBQ meal, giving each person a commemorative glass and having Silent Auction items to bid

on. There will be a Wine Pull, a Beer Pull, and of course a LIVE AUCTION to wrap up the evening!

Let us know if you want to VOLUNTEER to help decorate,

babysit at the event, set up, take down, etc.

Call Mari Houck at 612.201.4365

You WON’T want to miss it!

Missions

It's time to start looking forward to Vacation Bible

School!

Registration is now open. Go to www.gloryofchrist.org and click on the VBS link to register. Spread the word and invite your friends and family. Also, If you have availability during the week of VBS (June 9-13) we are looking for volunteers specifically in the area of leading crafts, helping to lead a small class of students from station to station, decorations, and hosting the closing program lunch on June 15.

Dear Glory of Christ Member,

Good News! Jesse Huber, our Treasure, reported to our April 8th Council meeting by e-mail. He told us our March offerings were more than $17,000.00 over our projected budget for the month. We are still $8,500.00 behind on our projected budget for the first quarter but this is a big improvement in our cash position.

With that knowledge, the Council approved the planned equipment purchase for 2014 of a new copy machine. It has been placed in service and we hope you have noticed the improved quality of our church bulletins.

You may have noticed the brighter sanctuary lighting. All the bulbs were replaced on Saturday, April 5th, by six volunteers led by Council person Dan Gruenhagen and volunteer Travis Dorweiler, along with Josh Christian, Paul Koosman, Mark Swenson and Ryan Marshall. They rented a special lift to reach the ceiling and had to remove and reinstall pews for access. Thank you for all of your hard work.

“Clean-up Day” on April 12th was very successful. Building and Grounds Committee member, Pauline Hemmingway, reported 30+ members cleaned and did minor repairs to the church building and grounds. Thank you to everyone who gave a helping hand.

Council person Mari Houck reported on “Mission Fest 2014.” Donations are still being accepted and tickets are on sale for $25.00 per person. Tickets will also be available at the door. Join us, this Saturday, May 3rd, 5:00 to 10:00 pm and bring your family and friends. Non-church members

are welcome.

The Council purchased four more hearing devices and had three repaired after Building and Ground person, Travis Dorweiler, reported they are in high demand and in some cases members have requested them and none were available.

Vacation Bible School (VBS) planning is under way for June 9th-13th and will host children preschool thru 5th grade. This is free! The theme is “Gangway to Galilee.” The program feature Bible stories, crafts, games and snacks. Want to register? www.gloryofchrist.org or call, 763-

478-6031. Council Person, Lori Beck, said they need more volunteers to help with the activities. Can you help? Ask your friends’ and neighbors’ children to join us!!!!

Did you notice the attendance figures during the four Holy Week services? Five hundred and ninety-one people worshiped. Two hundred and ten people enjoyed Easter breakfast at church. Freewill offerings for the Wednesday lunches, suppers and Easter Breakfast totaled $2,220.00. The Board of Elders will make a decision about gifting this money at their May meeting.

In Christ, Bob Strom Council President

Next Men’s Reading Group is this Saturday May 3rd, 6:30 am, Maple Grove Perkins. If you have not yet attended and would like to go, please let Pastor Johnson know. Thank You! Experience life-changing growth. Become a Minnesota Reading Corps or Minnesota Math

Corps tutor. We are looking for people who are dedicated to our community. Learn more and apply at www.MinnesotaReadingCorps.org or www.MinnesotaMathCorps.org.

Mom’s Group Information: Beginning Tuesday, May 27th, Mom’s group will begin meeting at various parks. More information to follow regarding locations etc… Thanks!

Glory of Christ is going to begin Recycling again! We have arranged with the City of Plymouth and Allied Waste to begin using a Recycling Cart. It has been delivered. You will find a recycling can now in the kitchen as well as the office so, please use these for paper products, cans and plastic bottles and our cleaning service will transfer the contents weekly to the large Recycling cart. Thank You!

Pastor Johnson is continuing his every member visits in the month of May. There is a signup sheet in the Narthex. Thank You! The Baptism of Raelynn Grace DeRosier will be on Sunday May 11th at Christ Lutheran Church in Eagan at the 9:00 Service. Don’t Forget!! Monday evening services begin THIS Monday May 5, 2014 7:00 pm.

Glory of Christ Lutheran Church

Sunday Mission Preacher

May 4, 2014

Rev. Dan McMiller

Executive Director of the Luther Academy

Luther Academy in 2013 conducted 20 overseas continuing education conferences

for pastors around the world. Luther Academy also distributes the LOGIA Journal,

the Confessional Lutheran Dogmatics series among other books.

Glory of Christ has generously supported Lather Academy for at least a dozen years.

General News & Updates

Dan McMiller is a 1980 graduate of the University of Wisconsin, Madison. He did his theological

study at Bethany Lutheran Seminary in Mankato, MN.

In 1985 he accepted a call to serve in Peru (Evangelical Lutheran Synod). In 1992 the McMillers

moved to Santiago, Chile to begin a new mission. In 1995 the McMillers left the foreign field at

which time he completed a colloquy into the LCMS and served at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church

of Watertown, Wisconsin. There he served as Chairman of the Hispanic Task Force for the South

Wisconsin District. In 1999 Pastor McMiller returned with his family to serve in Panama for LC-

MS World Missions. Rev. McMiller returned, once again, to the United States in 2003 to serve in

the South Wisconsin District as Missionary at Large in the City of Milwaukee and later as Mission

Executive. He also taught Hebrew at Concordia from 2004 - 2005.

Rev. McMiller and his wife Lisa, have three children, Tyler 22, studying abroad in Chile and a

Concordia University Wisconsin student, Jenna 20, studying abroad in Argentina, and a University

of Wisconsin Madison student and Anna 16, a sophomore in high school.

Serving Sunday May 4, 2014

Coffee: Gary & Mary Peterson

Acolyte: Bri Dorweiler Elders: Dennis Neumann & Bruce Paradis Ushers: Jonathan Schultz & Kim Diemand Altar Guild: Pauline Hemingway & Marilyn Scharlau Offering Counters: Janelle Franzmeier & Kent Rudeen Bread Baker: Kelly Dorweiler Bread Deliverer: Charlotte Smith

Serving Sunday May 11, 2014

Coffee: Linda Corey & Family

Acolyte: Bri Dorweiler Elders: Dennis Neumann & Bruce Paradis Ushers: David Werts & Curt Woolfolk Altar Guild: Janel Koosman & Karen Swensen Offering Counters: Chad & Denae Kuenzel Bread Baker: Julie Anderson Bread Deliverer: Julie Anderson

Serving Sunday May 18, 2014

Coffee: Marilyn and Chuck Scharlau

Acolyte: Chris Corey Elders: Dennis Neumann & Bruce Paradis Ushers: Jim Fahnhorst & Chris Houck Altar Guild: Kevin & Suzy Skau Offering Counters: Jeremy & Jill Eickhoff Bread Baker: Susan Johnson Bread Deliverer: Carl Hartness

Serving Sunday May 25, 2014

Coffee: Pauline Hemingway and Kaylene Steig

Acolyte: Bri Dorweiler Elders: Dennis Neumann & Bruce Paradis Ushers: Dave Koosman & Travis Dorweiler Altar Guild: Jan Diemand & Julie Anderson Offering Counters: David & Naomi Teske Bread Baker: Janis Kimmel Bread Deliverer: Janis Kimmel

Serving this Month

May 1st Emily Fuchs Birthday May 2nd Arta Walter Birthday May 3rd Amanda Malo Birthday Brad Schoolman Birthday Philippe DeBlois Birthday May 4th Shirley Lavanger Birthday May 7th Kevin Berry Birthday May 8th Chuck and Marilyn Scharlau Anniversary May 9th Alexander Johnson Birthday Eleanor Rolf Birthday May 10th Kent Rudeen & Janelle Franzmeier Anniversary May 14th Malia Lehnertz Birthday May 15th Leroy & Betty Reinke Anniversary Jill Eickhoff Birthday May 16th Charlotte Smith Birthday May 17th` Maciej Justat Birthday May 20th Sarah DeBlois Birthday May 22nd Rachel Werts Birthday May 28th Isadora Eickhoff Birthday Andrea Neumann Birthday Janis Kimmel Birthday May 29th Dave Feneis Birthday May 30th Drew Johnson Birthday Travis & Kelly Dorweiler Anniversary May 31st Barry & Emily Fuchs Anniversary Mike & Lea Connealy Anniversary

Birthdays & Anniversaries

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