Tag Archives: Baptism

Vigil of Easter – April 15

Posted by mllccarmine in Announcements and tagged with , , , , ,

EasterVigilCandles

 

The Great Vigil of Easter

Saturday, April 15, 7 p.m.

Click this link to view a blog post from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) regarding this service and its connections with Maundy Thursday and Good Friday.

Click this link to view a blog post by our own Jennifer Clark Tinker which tells about her experience and joy related to attending the Great Vigil of Easter each year.

 

An Introduction to the Vigil of Easter

Like the children of Israel who watched and waited through the night for the Lord of the Exodus, we too come together this night to watch and wait for the Lord of the Resurrection. We come, as Christians have come since the first century, to keep vigil and to prepare ourselves for the arrival of the Bridegroom who is chief host and guest at the Resurrection feast to come.

First, we must break the darkness of the night.   Like the virgins in the parable, we must light our vigil lights. Our light will be a very special light, for it is the light of Christ which burns atop the Paschal candle and which dispels the darkness — of night, of sin, of death. Our light will be a constant reminder of the Resurrection victory during the coming season, at every baptism and at every funeral. But for now, it will burn in vigil as we await the Bridegroom.

When we have settled into our pews for the watch, we hear the storytellers among us sharing the stories of our faith — the stories of God’s salvation history and the covenants which he made with our people. These are our “family” stories. We listen. We sing. We watch. And we wait for the feast to come.

After hearing our stories, we make our last minute preparations to meet our Lord. All must be right for the feast. On some years those among us who have not yet joined us are brought into membership with us this night, making all who are here part of the Church family, known as the Bride of Christ.  Each year, so that the whole family is prepared, each of us reaffirms our faith through the Apostles Creed. As we interact with the water and the Lord, we hear and we feel that grace which was given to us through our baptism.

We are nearly ready. The time is close.  We prepare the room and set the table for the Feast of Victory, the First Holy Communion of this greatest festival day of all. And then at last He comes! The Resurrection victory is won! The Bridegroom has come through the darkness to claim his Bride, the Church, to be his own. This is the feast of victory!  In the end flowers and banners must adorn the space, for our time this evening and tomorrow will be a feast to remember.

Our Celebrations of the Resurrection of Jesus

The Great Vigil of Easter – 7 p.m. on Saturday, April 15 – see the introduction below. Shared with Waldeck Lutheran Church.

Easter Sunrise – 6:45 a.m. on Sunday, April 16, at the Carmine Cemetery. Bring a lawn or folding chair for seating.  Shared with Waldeck Lutheran Church.

Easter Festival – Sunday April 16.  Opportunities at both MLLC and Waldeck

MLLC Schedule:

9:00 a.m. – Sunday School

10:00 a.m. – Festival Worship

~11:15 a.m. – Easter Egg Hunt

 

Waldeck Schedule:

8:00 a.m. – Festival Worship

~9:00 a.m. – Pot-luck Easter Breakfast – bring an item to share

9:30 a.m./After Breakfast – Easter Egg Hunt

 

Baptism on February 12

Posted by mllccarmine in Announcements, Youth and tagged with , , ,

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We welcomed a new member this past Sunday.  The people of MLLC welcomes Sawyer Ray to the family of God.  She joins her parents and her big sister in the fellowship of believers in Christ.

At MLLC we invite all to be in fellowship with God his people.  Our life together is a blessing to all involved.  We are always welcoming of new members throughout the year.  Some join through baptism, while others come from other congregations.

To see information about other recent new members, visit our new member page – click link.

If you or your child are not yet baptized, please contact the pastor to make arrangements for receiving this Sacrament.

If you are not yet a member of MLLC, and would desire to join, please contact the pastor in person, by phone or by email.

Pastor David Tinker

Martin Luther Lutheran Church

P O BOX 362

Carmine, TX 78932-0362

Office:  979-278-3388

Email:  pastordjt at industryinet.com

 

 

New Member Page Updated

Posted by Pastor David Tinker in Announcements and tagged with , , , , , ,

 

 

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We celebrated New Member Sunday at MLLC on November 6.  This was also All Saints Sunday.  We welcomed 6 new members to the congregation on that day.  Three of those are pictured above.

We also updated the New Member Page with information about the newest members of the congregation.  Click this link to see more about those who have recently joined MLLC.

 

Pentecost Vigil and Day 2016

Posted by Pastor David Tinker in Announcements and tagged with , , ,

Penteocost fire bw

 

The Vigil of Pentecost and the Day of Pentecost
May 14 & 15

Remember to wear RED on Pentecost Weekend

We are having a joyful Pentecost this year as always.  Added to the high joy of this festival will be two special things related to the Sacrament of Holy Baptism.

1 – we will recognize Baptismal Birthdays at both the Vigil and Day of Pentecost services – Saturday at 6 p.m., Sunday at 9 a.m.  We will celebrate those who were baptized in May in previous years.

2 – we will have three baptisms at the Vigil of Pentecost, 2 adults and 1 child.

 

Regarding the Vigil of Pentecost and the Day of Pentecost

This Church Year we continue celebrating the Three Great Festivals of the Church. We are also including the Three Great Vigils of the Church Year. These are:

The Nativity of our Lord – Celebrating the birth of Jesus

The Resurrection of Our Lord – Celebrating Jesus rising from the tomb

The Day of Pentecost – Celebrating the outpouring of the Holy Spirit

Each of these three major Church Year festivals has a vigil service on the evening before the festival day. These are times of prayerful waiting and preparation for the joyous celebration of the Festivals. Each vigil service includes readings, prayers, singing and, more often than not, Holy Communion. The Vigils of Easter and Pentecost also include a special emphasis on the Sacrament of Holy Baptism. The most well-known vigil here at MLLC is the Vigil of the Nativity of our Lord, also known as Christmas Eve.

The Day of Pentecost and its vigil are taking place this month. You are invited to participate in both of these unique worship experiences. The liturgical color of both these days is red. Therefore, you are invited to wear RED in celebration of the gift and outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

The Vigil of Pentecost

Saturday, May 14   6:00 p.m

We will hear readings about the Holy Spirit. The congregation will be invited into a deeper time of prayer, including prayer for the newly confirmed youth of the church.

Here is what a noted worship writer says about the Vigil of Pentecost:

“From history, we know that Easter and Pentecost were the first two and only feasts of the original Church Year from apostolic times. We also know that the ancient church celebrated a vigil with Easter as early as the second century and with Pentecost universally from the fifth century, likely earlier in various places. We further know that baptisms were also a part of these services, given its promise of resurrection with Christ and gift of the Holy Spirit. Easter, having the earlier vigil, was clearly preferred, with those not baptized then being transferred to Pentecost. If a baptism occurred at some time other than Easter or Pentecost, it not only was highly unusual, but actually limited access to holy orders in the church.

The purpose of the ancient Vigil of Pentecost therefore would have been an awaiting of/preparation for/rehearsing of the great themes of the Day of Pentecost, meaning primarily the Holy Spirit and the Christian life lived under the power and guidance of that same Spirit. You could add to that the idea of the birth of the Church as well.”

– (Pr. Thomas L. Weitzel)

The Day of Pentecost

Sunday, May 15     9:00 a.m.

The Day of Pentecost of the fiftieth day of the Easter season. On that fiftieth day we celebrate God the Holy Spirit, through whom and in whom the people of God are created and re-created. We give thanks for the dramatic outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Disciples as they were gathered in one place in Jerusalem. On that day the Holy Spirit came as a rush of violent wind and as tongues of fire on the disciples. They were then sent out by the Spirit to proclaim in various languages the mighty acts of God, specifically the saving work of Jesus through his death on the cross and his rising from the dead. Pentecost is sometimes called the church’s birthday, but might more appropriately be called its baptism day, since the gift of the Spirit is the fullness of baptism.

Pentecost Banner

Scriptures for Pentecost Weekend

Read ahead as your devotions for the week leading up to May 14-15

Vigil of Pentecost   

Genesis 11:1-9

Exodus 19:3-8a, 16-20b

Ezekiel 37:1-14

Joel 2:28-32

Psalm 130

Romans 8:14-17, 22-27

John 14:8-17 [25-27]

 

Day of Pentecost

Acts 2:1-21

Psalm 104:24-34, 35b

Romans 8:14-17

John 14:8-17 [25-27]

 

Remember to wear Red on Pentecost Weekend.

red pentecost 2

The Vigil of Easter – March 26

Posted by Pastor David Tinker in Announcements and tagged with , , , ,

EasterVigilCandles

Three Celebrations of the Resurrection

1:  The Great Vigil of Easter – 7 p.m. on Saturday, March 26 – see the introduction below.

2:  Easter Sunrise – 7:30 a.m. on Sunday, at the Carmine Cemetery

3:  Easter Festival – 9 a.m. on Sunday

The Easter Breakfast will take place at 8 a.m. in the fellowship hall.

The Easter Egg hunt will follow worship on the church lawn, or in the fellowship hall if weather is unfavorable.

The Great Vigil of Easter

Saturday, March 26, 7 p.m.

Click this link to view a blog post by our own Jennifer Clark Tinker which tells about her experience and joy related to attending the Great Vigil of Easter each year.

 

An Introduction to the Vigil of Easter

Like the children of Israel who watched and waited through the night for the Lord of the Exodus, we too come together this night to watch and wait for the Lord of the Resurrection. We come, as Christians have come since the first century, to keep vigil and to prepare ourselves for the arrival of the Bridegroom who is chief host and guest at the Resurrection feast to come.

First, we must break the darkness of the night.   Like the virgins in the parable, we must light our vigil lights. Our light will be a very special light, for it is the light of Christ which burns atop the Paschal candle and which dispels the darkness — of night, of sin, of death. Our light will be a constant reminder of the Resurrection victory during the coming season, at every baptism and at every funeral. But for now, it will burn in vigil as we await the Bridegroom.

When we have settled into our pews for the watch, we hear the storytellers among us sharing the stories of our faith — the stories of God’s salvation history and the covenants which he made with our people. These are our “family” stories. We listen. We sing. We watch. And we wait for the feast to come.

After hearing our stories, we make our last minute preparations to meet our Lord. All must be right for the feast. On some years those among us who have not yet joined us are brought into membership with us this night, making all who are here part of the Church family, known as the Bride of Christ.  Each year, so that the whole family is prepared, each of us reaffirms our faith through the Apostles Creed. As we interact with the water and the Lord, we hear and we feel that grace which was given to us through our baptism.

We are nearly ready. The time is close.  We prepare the room and set the table for the Feast of Victory, the First Holy Communion of this greatest festival day of all. And then at last He comes! The Resurrection victory is won! The Bridegroom has come through the darkness to claim his Bride, the Church, to be his own. This is the feast of victory!  In the end flowers and banners must adorn the space, for our time this evening and tomorrow will be a feast to remember.

 

Getting Ready for Ash Wednesday

Posted by Pastor David Tinker in Announcements and tagged with , , , , , , , , , ,

Ash_Wednesday with ashes

 

Adapted by Pr. David Tinker, from an original article by Pr. Thomas L. Weitzel

The Ash Wednesday service at Martin Luther Lutheran Church of Carmine will be on Wednesday, February 18, at 7:00 p.m.

 

This day is something of a slap in the face, especially when one hears the words, “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”  The original name – “Day of Ashes” – was a reference to the ancient Christian practice of sprinkling or rubbing ashes on the head or forehead as a sign of one’s mortality.  The same ancient gesture appears in the baptismal liturgy: a cross is traced with oil on the forehead of the person being baptized.  In this simple gesture the person is claimed by Christ.

 

There can be no more solemn and appropriate action on this day than to distribute ashes to all who gather for the beginning of the Lenten season.  Here the young and old, men and women, rich and poor, learned and simple.  Here the cross is the sign of salvation that all believers share.  It is the sign of death and resurrection.

 

What is Ash Wednesday?

On Ash Wednesday, the community of faith comes face to face with two realities.  First, we confront our own mortality.  None of us lives in this life forever. Secondly, all of us are sinners and need to confess our sin to God.  These two themes (death and sin) are brought together in light of God’s redeeming love in Jesus Christ.  As the Apostle John says in 1 John 1:9b, “…(God) who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”  The confession of sin on Sundays reminds us, “In the mercy of almighty God, Jesus Christ was given to die for us, and for his sake God forgives us all our sins.”  The Lutheran Book of Worship (1978) confession also included, “To those who believe in Jesus Christ he gives the power to become the children of God and bestows on them the Holy Spirit.”

 

What are the ashes for?

The “ashes” of Ash Wednesday are rooted in the ancient worship of both the Jewish and Christian communities.  They are a sign of mortality and penance.  Even though we have used the imposition of ashes in our Ash Wednesday worship for many years, they still may seem new or uncomfortable to us.  What we should remember about the ashes is they are a visible sign of our cleansing and rebirth, a recognition of our daily dependence on God for life and a promise of eternal life through Jesus Christ.

 

Should I receive the ashes?

The ashes are not compulsory by any means.  You may choose, if you wish, to remain in your seat during the imposition of ashes.  But remember that they are a powerful way and a visible way to participate in the call to repentance and reconciliation.  If you choose to participate, come forward at the appropriate time in the liturgy with others desiring the ashes.  The pastor will did his thumb in the ashes and trace the sign of the cross on your forehead.  Afterwards, return to your seat and the liturgy will continue.

 

Pr. Thomas L. Weitzel’s excellent liturgy site is:  http://liturgybytlw.com/

Recent New Members

Posted by Pastor David Tinker in Announcements, Youth and tagged with , , , , , ,

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We welcomed two new members at the beginning of 2015.  These both entered our fellowship through the Sacrament of Holy Baptism on two different Sundays.  Each were baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit.  At MLLC we always baptize in this name, following the direct instructions of Jesus Christ himself.  See the Trinity symbol above.

 

Quinly Shawn was baptized on January 4.

Baptism Jan0415

Bowen Emanuel Warren was baptized on January 11.

Baptism Jan1115

Joyful Baptism on Sunday, August 24

Posted by Pastor David Tinker in Announcements, Youth and tagged with , , , , , , ,

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We had another joyful Sunday at MLLC.  We welcomed Kannon, the son of Tanner and Brittany.  Kannon was joined to the saving work of Jesus Christ through the Sacrament of Holy Baptism on Sunday, August 24, 2014 at our 9 a.m. worship service.  When a person is baptized at MLLC he or she also joins the congregation.  We rejoice in God’s grace which has been brought into Kannon’s life through this sacrament.

See more about this baptism and our other new members at MLLC on our New Member page – click this link.

Triple Baptism – April 19

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

Vigil 14 Baptism 1

At the Great Vigil of Easter – Saturday, April 19, 2014, we welcomed three new Christians into God’s family:  Tonia, Ally and Judd.  Each of these received the Sacrament of Holy Baptism at the Vigil.  We are very thankful for God’s gift of faith and the work he is already doing in the lives of these three.  As newly baptized Christians they are also new members of MLLC.  Ally and Tonia also received the Sacrament of Holy Communion for the first time as Christians at this service.  It was a joyful evening for all involved.

Check out this page to learn more about our Great Vigil of Easter.

 

The Great Vigil of Easter is the ancient time when New Christians have been baptized.  Every year, including 2014, thousands of people are baptized all over the world at  Great Vigil of Easter services such as we had at MLLC.  Many congregations also use this special service to receive new members into the congregation.  My own son was baptized at the Great Vigil of Easter in 2004 at the congregation I served in North Liberty, Indiana, at that time.

 

Here are some more photos from the baptisms of Tonia, Ally and Judd on April 19.

Vigil Baptism 2 Vigil Baptism 3 Vigil Baptism 4