Category Archives: Pastor’s Ponderings

The 12 Days of Christmas

Posted by Pastor David Tinker in Announcements, Pastor's Ponderings, Uncategorized and tagged with , , , ,

Nativity Sacred Art NatShepherdMurillo

 

by Pastor David Tinker
Martin Luther Lutheran Church
Carmine, Texas

When are the 12 Days of Christmas?

The 12 Days of Christmas are the days of the Christmas Season. These are the days between the Nativity of our Lord (December 25) and the Epiphany of our Lord (January 6). There are 2 traditions of counting these 12 Days of Christmas. One tradition is that the 12 Days of Christmas start on Christmas Day, and conclude on “Twelfth Night”, which is January 5. The second tradition is that the 12 Days of Christmas begin on December 26, and run through January 6. “Twelfth Night” would then be January 6. Despite the promotions and activity of our culture, the Christian “Christmas Season” begins on Christmas Day, rather than during the time leading up to Christmas.

Celebrating the 12 Days of Christmas

Here are some ways to mark the 12 Days of Christmas in your home and daily life.
— Daily read something in the Bible about the birth and youth of Jesus. Look especially in Matthew chapters 1-2, and Luke chapter 2.
— For fun with your family sing the popular song, “The Twelve Days of Christmas” — “on the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me..” Maybe do only the total number of days which have passed. Only on January 5 or 6, depending on how you count these days, would you sing all twelve verses. Another option would be to play a recording of someone singing this popular song.
— Tell others about the 12 Days of Christmas, such as in conversation, letters, e-mail, or on social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc.
— Use 12 candles to count off the days during a meal or at devotions. One more candle is lit each day until all are lit on January 5th or 6th.
— Keep your Christmas tree up until at least January 6.
— Send your Christmas cards during this time, and possibly note the 12 Days of Christmas in your letter to family and friends.
— Attend worship at Martin Luther Lutheran Church in Carmine on the two weekends which always occur in the 12 Days of Christmas. These will be on December 27 and January 3 for this season (2015-2016). Some folks pull back from worship during this time and miss out on a joyful time of the year at church.
— Schedule Christmas Parties during this time. You will be less stressed and it will give your friends another chance to get together for joyful fellowship.

Special Days during the 12 Days of Christmas

*December 26 – The Feast of St. Stephen, Deacon and Martyr. Read about his ministry in Acts chapters 6 and 7
*December 27 – The Feast of St. John, Apostle and Evangelist. Read one of the books connected to his ministry, such as the Gospel of John, the three letters of John, and Revelation.
*December 28 – Remembrance of the Holy Innocents of Bethlehem, Martyrs. Read about these victims of tyranny in Matthew chapter 2, especially verses 16-18.
*December 31 – New Year’s Eve – a chance to reflect on God’s grace for you during this past year.
*January 1 – The Name of Jesus. On this day we remember Jesus’ 8th day. Read about this in Luke 2:21. This is when his name was announced in a public way.
*The Epiphany of our Lord – January 6
‘The People who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness — on them light has shined.’ — Isaiah 9:2

The Epiphany of our Lord is mostly known as the celebration of the arrival of the Magi for their visit to bring their gifts of Jesus. It is much more. When we celebrate the Epiphany we are celebrating the spreading of the Good News of Jesus Christ. The Epiphany reminds us about the growing glory of God in the Son of God/Son of Man, Jesus Christ. Epiphany is the manifestation, or showing, of Jesus to the world. The Magi were non-Jewish foreigners who came to worship Jesus, and are thus representatives of those who would eventually benefit from the birth, ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus. This visit, from Matthew chapter 2, foreshadows the mission which Jesus grants to his followers. In the Great Commission in Matthew 28:16-20, our Lord commands us to make disciples of all nations, not just of the Jews.

Celebrating the Epiphany of our Lord

— Attend worship on Sunday, January 3, 2016, at 9:00 a.m. as we celebrate the Epiphany of our Lord at Martin Luther Lutheran Church in Carmine.
— Read the story of the Magi in Matthew, which is told throughout chapter 2.
— Pray for Christian missionaries as they spread the Gospel to the ends of the earth.
— Pray for the Church around the world.
— Host an Epiphany Party.
— Give generously to people in need. Remember, as Jesus said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” (Acts 20:35)
— Sing “We Three Kings” and/or “The First Noel”
— Attend worship on all or most every weekend in the season after the Epiphany.

Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh

The gifts of the Magi to Jesus point us to who Jesus really is:

*The Magi offer Gold, a possession of kings.
*The Magi offer Frankincense, used in ritual and prayer to indicate the presence of God
*The Magi offer myrrh, an oil used at the time of death as well as for anointing priests.

By their gifts, the wise men reveal the identity of this child:

*the king before whom nations will bow down
*the anointed high priest of God
*and the suffering servant who will die for the ones he has come to serve

Special Worship Events

Posted by Pastor David Tinker in Announcements, Pastor's Ponderings and tagged with , , ,

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We are coming to the end of the “Festival Season” of the church year.  With that there are a number of celebrations upcoming.  We invite you to participate in these events.  We also encourage you to use these special times to delve more deeply into your faith in Jesus Christ.

Click this link to see the information about these various upcoming events.

These include:  Ascension, Pentecost, The Holy Trinity, and the Presentation of the Augsburg Confession.

New Bible Study Class

Posted by Pastor David Tinker in Announcements, Pastor's Ponderings and tagged with , , , , , , , ,

 

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A vivid journey through God’s Word.

We are beginning a new short Bible Study class at MLLC.  The Bible’s Big Story – Our Story, with materials from Crossways International (click the link to find out more).  Above is a photo of the two sides of the Telltale Time-line which will be the heart of this class.  You are also encouraged to bring your Bible.  If you do not have a Bible, we have Bibles you can use.

The photo of the timeline is used with permission of Crossways International, and is copyright H. N. Wendt.

You do not need to know much about the Bible to attend.  Simply come to listen if that is all you wish to do.  Or, come to discuss and interact as much as you feel comfortable.

Wednesdays – January 7, 14, 21, February 4 and 11 – come to as many as you are able, even if you miss the first one, or another one.  We will review what has been done in previous weeks.

The class will meet each week:  7-8 p.m.

In the Parlor – the room between the sanctuary and the church offices.

The class will be taught by Pastor David Tinker.  He has more than a decade of experience teaching this class and using this time-line.  You can contact him for more information:  office phone:  979-278-3388, email:  pastordjt@industryinet.com

There have already been requests to offer this class at another time of day or another day of the week.  We will offer this class again as the year goes along.  Keep watch of this web site and other MLLC announcements for future dates.

 

Here are reviews of these materials and classes by people from other congregations who have used this series either as teachers or students:

“People are amazed at how much they learn about the Bible in (a few) hours! The Bible’s Big Story, Our Story provides this opportunity. Rev. Paul Jagoe, St. Philip’s Anglican Church, Orlando, FL

“After eight years of trying to get adult education beyond the small Sunday morning class, The Bible’s Big Story provided the breakthrough! We now have over one-third of our worshipping congregation involved in two Crossways classes and one The Divine Drama®. What a thrill to see this kind of interest! This material provides a way to build interest in the Word which changes lives and congregations.”
Rev. Thomas McCurdy, St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, New Castle, PA

“Participants were excited and thrilled with the wealth of information in The Bible’s Big Story: Our Story and the Biblical Tell Tale Time Line. [The CI visuals] are very easy to follow, but most profound in content.”
Ms. Rose Stegman, Faith Formation Office, St. Mary of the Assumption Catholic Church & School, Glenshaw, PA

“I have taught this terrific material since 1979! It is like a breath of fresh air; it gives interpretation and perspective of the total Bible. TBBS is one of the best things I’ve used. I have taught it to busy people in today’s busy world who appreciate the overview of the biblical narrative in a concise and Bible-focused manner.”
Rev. Walter Steinbach, Bethany Lutheran Church, Kaukauna, WI

“Crossways International has made a tremendous impact in my outreach in the community. Due to my position, I have many people who stop and inquire about the Bible. Here is where the CI material has been most helpful. The Biblical Tell-Tale Time-Line has become a standard instrument to present the Gospel Message. With it’s detailed graphics and easy-to-identify and remember icons, I lead people through the entire time line and offer them a panoramic view of God’s divine plan that was fulfilled in Jesus, the Christ.”
Raymond Rossell, Bible Teacher – Baptist, Flushing, MI

“It is an exciting way to teach and share the Bible’s big picture. I use this study to whet the appetites of high school students and adults in a study of God’s Word – with hopes of them signing up for the next class that digs even deeper into Scripture.”

Pastor Jan Campbell, Peace Lutheran Church, Rockdale, TX

 

 

Why is December 25th Celebrated as the Birth of Christ?

Posted by Pastor David Tinker in Pastor's Ponderings and tagged with , , , , , ,

Nativity Sacred Art NatShepherdMurillo

Why is Christmas on December 25th?

It is a special day, and has been for many centuries.  The Church has some good reasons for choosing this date.  Over time some skeptics have asserted that this date was chosen because of a connection to pagan religious festivals.

Some years ago William J. Tighe wrote an article which was published in Touchstone Magazine.  In this article he challenged the premise that December 25 is forcing a Christian celebration on top of a pagan festival.  He presents strong evidence that December 25 was chosen for purely Christian reasons.

Here is the link to the article:  click here for article

As we celebrate these 12 Days of Christmas we pray that you will be drawn closer to the Christ Child who gave himself for us.

 

 

The 12 Days of Christmas, and then Epiphany

Posted by Pastor David Tinker in Pastor's Ponderings and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Nativity Olive Wood

by Pastor David Tinker

Martin Luther Lutheran Church

Carmine, Texas

When are the 12 Days of Christmas?

The 12 Days of Christmas are the days of the Christmas Season.  These are the days between the Nativity of our Lord (December 25) and the Epiphany of our Lord (January 6). There are 2 traditions of counting these 12 Days of Christmas. One tradition is that the 12 Days of Christmas start on Christmas Day, and conclude on “Twelfth Night”, which is January 5. The second tradition is that the 12 Days of Christmas begin on December 26, and run through January 6.  “Twelfth Night” would then be January 6. Despite the promotions and activity of our culture, the Christian “Christmas Season” begins on Christmas Day, rather than during the time leading up to Christmas.

Celebrating the 12 Days of Christmas

Here are some ways to mark the 12 Days of Christmas in your home and daily life.

— Daily read something in the Bible about the birth and youth of Jesus.  Look especially in Matthew chapters 1-2, and Luke chapter 2.

— For fun with your family sing the popular song, “The Twelve Days of Christmas” — “on the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me..”  Maybe do only the total number of days which have passed.  Only on January 5 or 6, depending on how you count these days, would you sing all twelve verses.  Another option would be to play a recording of someone singing this popular song.

— Tell others about the 12 Days of Christmas, such as in conversation, letters, e-mail, or on social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc.

— Use 12 candles to count off the days during a meal or at devotions.  One more candle is lit each day until all are lit on January 5th or 6th.

— Keep your Christmas tree up until at least January 6.

— Send your Christmas cards during this time, and possibly note the 12 Days of Christmas in your letter to family and friends.

— Attend worship at Martin Luther Lutheran Church in Carmine on the two weekends which always occur in the 12 Days of Christmas.  Some folks pull back from worship during this time and miss out on a joyful time of the year at church.

— Schedule Christmas Parties during this time.  You will be less stressed and it will give your friends another chance to get together for joyful fellowship.

 

Special Days during the 12 Days of Christmas

December 26 – The Feast of St. Stephen, Deacon and Martyr.  Read about his ministry in Acts chapters 6 and 7

December 27 – The Feast of St. John, Apostle and Evangelist.  Read one of the books connected to his ministry, such as the Gospel of John, the three letters of John, and Revelation.

December 28 – Remembrance of the Holy Innocents of Bethlehem, Martyrs.  Read about these victims of tyranny in Matthew chapter 2, especially verses 16-18.

December 31 – New Year’s Eve – a chance to reflect on God’s grace for you during this past year.

January 1 – The Name of Jesus.  On this day we remember Jesus’ 8th day.  Read about this in Luke 2:21.  This is when his name was announced in a public way.

The Epiphany of our Lord – January 6

‘The People who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness — on them light has shined.’ — Isaiah 9:2

The Epiphany of our Lord is mostly known as the celebration of the arrival of the Magi for their visit to bring their gifts of Jesus.  It is much more.  When we celebrate the Epiphany we are celebrating the spreading of the Good News of Jesus Christ.  The Epiphany reminds us about the growing glory of God in the Son of God/Son of Man, Jesus Christ. Epiphany is the manifestation or showing of Jesus to the world.  The Magi were non-Jewish foreigners who came to worship Jesus, and are thus representatives of who would eventually benefit from the birth, ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus.  This visit, from Matthew chapter 2, foreshadows the mission which Jesus grants to his followers.  In the Great Commission in Matthew 28:16-20, our Lord commands us to make disciples of all nations, not just of the Jews.

Celebrating the Epiphany of our Lord

— Attend worship on Sunday, January 4, 2015, at 9:00 a.m. as we celebrate the Epiphany of our Lord at Martin Luther Lutheran Church in Carmine.

— Read the story of the Magi in Matthew chapter 2

— Pray for Christian missionaries as they spread the Gospel to the ends of the earth.

— Pray for the Church around the world.

— Host an Epiphany Party.

— Give generously to people in need. Remember, as Jesus said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” (Acts 20:35) — Sing “We Three Kings” and/or “The First Noel”

— Attend worship on all or most every weekend in the season after the Epiphany.

Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh

The gifts of the Magi to Jesus point us to who Jesus really is. The Magi offer gold, a possession of kings; frankincense, used in ritual and prayer to indicate the presence of God; and myrrh, an oil used at the time of death as well as for anointing priests. By their gifts, the wise men reveal the identity of this child: the king before whom nations will bow down, the anointed high priest of God, and the suffering servant who will die for the ones he has come to serve.

Tabgha Loaves & Fish Communion Set

Posted by Pastor David Tinker in Announcements, Pastor's Ponderings and tagged with , , , , , , , ,

Tabgha Communion Set

On Sunday, August 3, 2014, we dedicated a new set of communion ware and a baptismal bowl for use at MLLC.  These depict the miracle of the Feeding of the 5000 as noted in all 4 Gospel books.  Our Gospel reading for the day was Matthew 14:13-21.

Here is a closer look at the pattern:

Tabgha Baptismal Bowl

 

The pattern on these new chalices, paten (bread plate) and baptismal bowl is taken from the design of a Byzantine mosaic which adorned a church building built around AD 480.   This was just in front of the altar at that church building. The church was buried over for many centuries, but was rediscovered by German archaeologists in 1932.  In 1982 a church building was dedicated which now preserves this beautiful and meaningful mosaic.  The mosaic depicts 4 loaves and 2 fish, but the account in the Gospels refers to 5 loaves and 2 fish.  It is commonly understood that the “missing” 5th loaf of bread is the one which is used for the Holy Communion at the altar above the mosaic.  The modern church building is called, “The Church of the Multiplication”.

The original church building was placed in this location to commemorate the great miracle of the Feeding of the 5000.  Some early Christians considered this to be the location.  There is some debate about this being the actual location.

Here is a photo of the original mosaic from the church building in Tabgha in the Holy Land.  Tabgha is located on the Northwestern coast of the Sea of Galilee.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAPhoto from Avishai Teicher via the PikiWiki – Israel free image collection project

Here is a link to an article about the church.

Here is a link to an article from 1984 about the restoration of this ancient Christian church building.

Firemen’s Feast Worship

Posted by Pastor David Tinker in Announcements, Pastor's Ponderings and tagged with , , ,

 

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It is a busy day in Carmine, Texas.  Today, July 20, is the annual “Firemen’s Feast”.  This is the annual fundraising meal for the Carmine Volunteer Fire Department.  At MLLC we give thanks to God for the caring work of these community servants.

The work of cooking the fried chicken for the meal begins early on Sunday morning.  Dozens of cooks gather at the Carmine Fire Station for this work.   Since this event is on Sunday morning we offer the opportunity for the cooks to gather for God’s Word and Holy Communion.  We bring the Church to the Fire Station each year at an early morning time.  The cooks are already busy as the worship space is set up between the fire equipment and the food preparation area.  For about 10 minutes the cooks take a break for prayer, to give thanks, to hear the Word of God, and to be assured of God’s love and forgiveness in Holy Communion.  This year 50 men and boys paused their work to be a part of this special worship service.

We are thankful for the service of the Carmine Volunteer Fire Department.  We are thankful for the opportunity to support their work and to encourage them in their faith in Christ.

 

Here are some additional photos from this special event:

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Happy Anniversary

Posted by Pastor David Tinker in Pastor's Ponderings and tagged with , , ,

History Photo May1914

We are celebrating our congregational  anniversary today.  On May 19, 1902, Martin Luther Lutheran Church was founded.  That was 112 years ago.  While it is not a commonly celebrated milestone, we still celebrate.  Each and every day, week, month and year is a blessing from our Heavenly Father.

The photo above is from our MLLC History Display.

Today we give thanks to God for the continued ministry which we offer together.  We are a congregation of people from age 0 to well into our 90’s.  We learn, serve, worship and reach out together.  We seek to be a blessing to others both through congregational ministries and through ministry in daily life.  We strive to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ through Word and deed.  We enjoy spending time together.  We love one another in the midst of both joys and sorrows.  We love our neighbors as ourselves.  We live our faith as we have for 112 years.  We look forward to the years to come as we serve together to the glory of God and for the benefit of others.

We invite you to be part of the great things God is doing among us and through us.

The Luther Rose Symbol

Posted by Pastor David Tinker in Announcements, Pastor's Ponderings and tagged with , , , , ,

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We recently added a new page on this church web page about the Luther Rose.

This is an important symbol used in the Lutheran Church to express and teach our faith.

If you have been to the Martin Luther Lutheran Church building you will recognize the window depicted above.  It is the most visible our our wonderful stained glass windows at MLLC.

Check out this link to the special page about the Luther Rose

 

Mixed Feelings on Mother’s Day

Posted by Pastor David Tinker in Pastor's Ponderings and tagged with , , , , , , ,

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Mother’s Day is a day which brings with it a variety of feelings.  Some celebrate motherhood, mothers, children and so much more on this day.  Others avoid any mention of it.  Others recognize it as important, but don’t always know what to do with it.

Here is a blog post by MLLC member Jennifer Clark Tinker regarding her mixed feelings about Mother’s Day. Click this link.

At MLLC we know that both Mother’s Day and Father’s Day are difficult for some people.  There are many and various reasons for this.  Here are a few significant examples:

*Loss of a child, or children, through death of any circumstance, such as infant death, murder, accident, disease, abortion, stillbirth, miscarriage, etc.

*Death of a parent at any age.

*Desire for children, but circumstances prevent conceiving a child, such as singleness, divorce, widowhood, relationship difficulties, financial hardship, infertility struggles, etc.

*Struggles with one’s relationship with God and/or others.

*Broken relationship with a parent or a child.

*Abandonment by a parent.

 

Mother’s Day and Father’s Day are special for many, yet difficult for many others.  This Mother’s Day we will recognize Mother’s Day in a few ways.  One is with a reception for all after worship this Sunday, May 11.  Worship is at 9:00 a.m. this Sunday, the reception will be at 10:00 a.m. Come for the fellowship and food.  We will also remember in prayer mothers and women of all ages.  Part of our prayers at worship will also remember those who have struggles and mixed feelings about this day.  Here are examples of the prayers being prepared for this day:

“On this Mother’s Day we pray for those who struggle with grief related to motherhood. Comfort those who mourn for deceased loved ones or who are estranged from either mother or child. Give strength to women who have lost a child or whose circumstances have prevented motherhood. Help us as a community of faith to care for one another in our grief.   Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer.
We give thanks for all mothers, grandmothers, along with all faithful girls and women in this congregation. Help them to love, serve and lead in ways which are honoring to you. Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer.“

 

Some congregations around the country have a banquet around the time of Mother’s Day.  One congregation I served as pastor years ago got it right.  They understood the various feelings people have around that time of year.  What they had was a banquet called, “Daughters of All Ages”.  This event was for all women and girls, no matter what their relationship or parenthood circumstances were.  All the women and girls present at that event are the daughters of somebody.  Most importantly, by the Grace of God, they are daughters of God.  While this event didn’t solve all the struggles of each woman, the event opened the door for healing and support.

Mother’s Day is not a bad thing, but it is not always easy for each person.  We have good reason to be thankful for Mothers on Mother’s Day.  We also have good reason to love one another and to love God at this time of year.  Part of our love for God, one another, and our neighbors, is in how we show sensitivity to those who don’t always have good feelings regarding Mother’s Day.

No matter what your feelings are about Mother’s Day, and Father’s Day, know that what matters most is what Jesus Christ has first done for us.  Because of his abundant mercy, forgiveness, and gift of life-giving hope, we have our most important identity in Christ.  The photo at the top of this article is of men and women, boys and girls, all gathered around the cross.  People are loved by God, and called to follow the way of Jesus, no matter what they have struggled with in this life.  By the stirring of the Holy Spirit and the power of God’s Word, Jesus draws all people to himself.  Through Christ Jesus we have healing, hope and restoration for this life and in eternity with our Lord.