Author: Julie Raffa

September 2021

The Pilgrim Herald
Pilgrim Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Unaltered Augsburg Confession
The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod

So Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?”
Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life,
and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”
- Gospel of John 6:67-69

I was reading a devotion on Tuesday by Rev. Dr. C.F.W. Walther and it just struck me how a devotion written over one hundred years ago could have been written yesterday, but that is how truth works isn’t it. Therefore I decided to share it with you. From the Fifth week in Lent Tuesday, in the devotion book “God Grant It”. The writing is based on the above text from John.
Peter says: “Our hearts long for truth and peace. We have found both with You. If we wanted to forsake You now, where should we go? We could go to the schools of the Pharisees, but they could not remove our present burden; indeed, they would only burden us with new laws. We could go to the sect of the Sadducees, but they have already given up trying to find the truth for which we long, and they are seeking in the pleasures of this world the rest that nothing temporal or earthly can grant us. Or we could go to the wisdom of the heathens who in their search for truth may deride the many gods and superstitions of their people but their altars are inscribed, ‘To the unknown god.’ Nowhere do we find what we need except with You. Therefore, we want to remain with You, for you have the words of eternal life.”
On that day, so many wanted to desert Him who said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). The holy apostles, though, did not fall into this temptation nor were they led to doubt the divinity of Christ’s Word. What about us, who live at a time when so many deny the divinity of the Holy Scriptures? If the Lord lays before us the question, “Do you want to go away as well?” we must answer with Peter, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”
We, too, are in need of truth and peace. Without them, we would be the most miserable of creatures. Without truth and peace and peace no kingdom, no glory, no earthly desire can make us happy. God, who gave us a soul that cannot be happy and blessed without truth and peace, must also have provided us with the means of finding both. Where shall we go to find them? Should we return to the heathen religions and philosophies? No! Even in the first century, they could not provide the apostles with what they were seeking. Should we turn to the Mohammedan religion, which arose later? No! What Muslims have of the truth they have taken from our Bible. Everything else is heathen and obvious delusion. Or should we consult the philosophers of our days? Woe to us, in that case! They know about God and know man must be just before Him, but they know nothing of reconciliation with God. Their philosophies are idle speculations that show man the goal and advise him, “Help yourself!” But they cannot provide the power to attain that goal. They are wells without water where the thirsty languish without comfort and help.
Away with all the deceptions of the wisdom of this world! The Bible alone has “words of eternal life,” and this is what we are seeking. It shows us the way the sinner can be justified and saved. And by this, it gives us the power to wake here on earth, in a new, holy, and blessed life. (God Grant It, pages 317-318, Concordia Publishing House)
God Bless,
Pastor Fisher
Hebrews 12:1-2

Inside this Issue:
Pilgrim News & Reports
September Volunteer Schedule
Birthdays & Anniversaries
From the Fort
Lutheran Missions
Lutheran Library
Communal Prayers
Calendar

Pilgrim News
Attention Lutheran 101-103 Students & Parents!
Join the Raffas for a trip to Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, for a weekend Confirmation Retreat. The dates of the retreat are September 24-26, so a quick decision is necessary. The retreat consists of catechetical sessions, a guest speaker and a fun event on Saturday evening. Your cost, as a member of Pilgrim, is $60 per person (the remaining $50 of the $110 total cost the will be covered by a generous donation.) The cost covers food, housing, classes, retreat t-shirt and fun. If you are interested in attending, talk to one of the pastors today.
Thank you to all the Saints of Pilgrim and to Pastor Fisher and Pastor Raffa for the kind thoughts and prayers. Especially for the roses and the orchid plant in memory of my Mom, Phyllis Fraedrich. It had made a very hard time for me easier to bear.
In Christ,
Sarah
Concordia Bible Institute with Rev. Dr. Brian German will be presenting a study on the Book of Revelation. Tuesday’s in September starting on September 14. The class will take place in the Pilgrim Fellowship Hall from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.
REGISTRATION Forms for Sunday School and Catechesis are available in the Narthex and on the Pilgrim website at www.pilgrimlutheran-westbend.org. Finished forms can be brought to the office or if using the website, please email them in. Thank you.
Catechism Classes start on Wednesday, September 8, 2021 at 4:00 p.m. with a Parents Meeting at 5:30 p.m.
Sunday School starts on Sunday, September 12, 2021 at 9:15 a.m. in the Music Room.
Please Do Not Forget about the Silent Auction and the Church Picnic on September 12, 2021.
The Auction starts on the 12 and runs through October 3, 2021. Many great items to bid on and for raffle.
The Church Picnic starts after the 10:30 service, with lots of food, fun and fellowship. Games galore for young and the young at heart. Many prizes, too!
Dunk a Dude, volunteers include Pastor Raffa, Pastor Fisher, Elder Tanner Schmidt, and if we are really lucky, Superman might show up for a turn!
Amazon Smile: Designate Pilgrim when you shop at Smile.Amazon.com and they will donate ).5% of the eligible purchase price to our church. Designate Pilgrim Evangelical Lutheran Church as your charity of choice on the homepage, then place your order as usual.
Thrivent Choice: Thank you to those who are participating in the Thrivent Choice Program. We have received $49.00. Anyone with Thrivent accounts would do well to dedicate the Choice Dollars (the money given away freely by Thrivent so as to maintain its non-profit status, so it costs you nothing). You can direct your Thrivent Choice Dollars by calling 800-847-4836 and selecting Thrivent Choice.
Church Roof
We are next on the roofing company’s list and what with the weather being what it has been they are a bit behind.

Membership report
Baptized: None
Confirmed:
Joshua Devenport
Magdalen Rockrohr
Died in the Faith:
J. Patrick Horlamus
Transferred In: None
Transferred Out:
Kristin, Brayden, and Madelyn Thimmig to St. John’s LCMS, West Bend
Released from Membership: None
Wedding:
Leah Hoffman & Tanner Schmidt

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For many the rainbow has become a sign joy. When the Muppets made their first movie, Kermit was singing a song about the rainbow connection. Judy Garland immortalized “Over the Rainbow” as the place of dreams coming true. Now dreams seem to be associated with the promotion of gay rights. Oddly enough, the rainbow really does have something to say about each of these individual themes. The rainbow is a sign from God. Like all signs from God, it has a specific word of God attached to it. That word makes it a sign of death as well as a sign of life.
The rainbow is not just some colorful smiley face. It is a constant reminder that God had to bring complete destruction upon His creation. A famous painting of the Deluge has people desperately crying out toward a floating ark as they cling to a mountain peak amidst rising waters. They were still begging for mercy from the wrong source—Noah. The people were being destroyed because they did not believe in the God who had promised them a Savior when He cast their ancestor Adam out of the Garden. The ark and Noah could not save them. Only faith in the one true God who had given them His word of promise would have saved them. The rainbow is a reminder of the massive death that came upon men because of their unbelief. Thus, it is a call to repent and believe in the Blessed Trinity.
The rainbow is, at the same time, a sign of the Son of God who suffered death outside the ark so that He might build the ark of the Church for our salvation. It is a sign written that we might believe in the Son who alone saves. The sign of the rainbow is light reflected in the droplets of water to bring beauty in the midst of storms. Our Lord is the light of the world who joins Himself to the water of Holy Baptism that we might be made beautiful in the eyes of His Father in heaven. We are called to daily look to the waters of Baptism and see the beautiful mercy of Christ our righteousness, Long after the rainbow’s beauty disappears, the light of Christ endures in the waters of Baptism to bring light to the darkest hours of our sinful existence. Baptism is the promise that the waters of death will not overwhelm us even though the earth be destroyed. Even as the Father authored the promise to Noah, so now He has bound Himself by His Word to save us for the sake of His Son in the baptismal waters. This is the sign of the covenant between Him and all flesh.
———————-
Article written by Rev. Karl Fabrizius. It first appeared in “Gottedienst” Easter 2016 Vol. 24 Number 1. pg.20

Musing on the Mysteries: Sign of Death, Sign of Life
Genesis 9:8-17

“Thus I establish My covenant with you; Never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood; never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.” Genesis 9:11
And [Jesus] said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature.” Mark 16:15
“I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth,. It shall be, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the rainbow shall be seen in the cloud.” Genesis 9:13-14
“The rainbow shall be in the cloud, and I will look on it to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” Genesis 9:16

September 2021— Page #

September volunteer schedule
Thursday, September 2: 7:00 p.m.
Altar Guild: Ginny S.
Elder: Bob K.
Usher Team: A
Sunday, September 5: 8:00 a.m. / 10:30 a.m.
Office Volunteer: Linda M.
Altar Guild: Laurie L. /
Elder: Jake H. / Dennis E.
Usher Team: 3/2
Acolyte: Wade J. / Josiah R.
Thursday, September 9: 7:00 p.m.
Altar Guild: Karen S.
Elder: Dennis E.
Usher Team: B
Sunday, September 12: 8:00 a.m. / 10:30 a.m.
Office Volunteer: Kathryn P.
Altar Guild: Nancy R. / Julie R.
Elder: Bob K. / Gary J.
Usher Team: 1 / 4
Acolyte: Georgia J. / Matthias R.
Thursday, September 16: 7:00 p.m.
Altar Guild: Ruth K.
Elder: Patrick S.
Usher Team: A
Sunday, September 19: 8:00 a.m. / 10:30 a.m.
Office Volunteer: Carolyn M.
Altar Guild: Norma B. / Carolyn M.
Elder: Tanner S. / Dennis E.
Usher Team: 3 / 8
Acolyte: Victoria M. / Rachel Raffa
Thursday, September 23: 7:00 p.m.
Altar Guild: Ginny S.
Elder: Brian S.
Usher Team: B
Sunday, September 26: 8:00 a.m. / 10:30 a.m.
Office Volunteer: Caryn L.
Altar Guild: Nancy R. / Rita F.
Elder: Jake H. / Gary J.
Usher Team: 1 / 2
Acolyte: Rachel R. / Josiah R.
Thursday, September 30: 7:00 p.m.
Altar Guild: Ginny S.
Elder: Patrick S.
Usher Team: A

Birthdays
1- Diane Behrens
Brian Skrentny
Rebecca Virchow
2- Connie Hackbarth
Angie Skrentny
3- Haley Densow
Jeffrey Held
4- Nathan Farrington
5- Gail Doughty
7- Jolene Gundrum
Benjamin Olson
8- David Pajewski
9- Norma Benz
Kathryn Parker
10- Daniel Neuman
Dave Zenda
12- James Krubsack
Patrick Schiefelbein
14– James Spaeth
15– Marilyn Roell
16– Braedon Brehm
Autumn Schellinger
17– Mary Schwittau
19– Jennifer Strohmeyer
21– Scott Sullivan
Joyce Virchow
22– Phyllis Laabs-Darkow
Pat Knuth
Jonathan Thames
23– Jeffery Dalton , Sr.
27- Beverly Schepp
Sandy Thames
29– Eric Johanen
30– Tyler Densow
Aaron Olson
Yvonne Rosenthal
Sarah Spalda
Abby Voll
Anniversaries
2- Steven & Cindy Wiedmeyer
3- Jeff & Lynn Kreuser
6- Elizabeth & Christopher Gatzow
8- Robert & Theresa Baerenwald
11- Keefe & Lindsey Olig
15- James & Diane Behrens
18- Jeff & Betty Schneeweis
Ron & Joyce Virchow, Sr.
21– Pat & Jeff Otten
23– Ron & Cheryl Virchow, Jr.
28- Daniel & Barbara Rockrohr
30– Ruth & Paul Kohler

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From the ForT
Join Pastor Raffa at the Seminary for Luther Hostel
Wednesday, November 3—Friday, November 5, 2021

CTS exists
to form servants
in Jesus Christ who teach the faithful, reach the lost, and
care for all.

Luther Hostel is an opportunity for laity as well as pastors and other church workers to retreat to the Seminary, gathering for worship, study, and fellowship on the campus of CTSFW. The topic for this retreat is Here I Stand—Conscience and Confession: 500 Years after the Diet of Worms. Brochures are available outside Pastor Raffa’s office.
The retreat topic is Lecture topics for the group sessions at this event include:
“From Luther to Lutheranism: From the Diet of Worms to the Diet of Augsburg” presented by Dr. Cameron MacKenzie
“The Restoration of the Conscience in the Reformation” presented by Dr. Gifford Grobien
“The Church as the Place to Receive Peace in the Conscience, According to Luther’s Large Catechism” presented by Dr. Noamichi Masaki
“Lend, Hoping for Nothing in Return: Luther and Gerhard of Financial Ethics” presented by Dr. Benjamin Mayes
“Luther on Exodus” presented by Dr. Benjamin Mayes
“How to Improve Your Personal Bible Study” presented by Dr. Benjamin Mayes
“What the Gospels Say About the Resurrection” presented by Dr. David Scaer
“Conscience and the Cancel Culture” presented by Dr. Peter Scaer
“My Conscience is Bound: Early Christian Martyrs as Examples” presented by Dr. William Weinrich
Luther Hostel also provides an opportunity for attendance at a 55-minute seminary class each day. Participants may choose from the following classes.
Wednesday:
1 Corinthians—Dr. Peter Scaer
Liturgics II—Dr. Paul Grime
History of Office of Deaconess—Dr. James Bushur
Thursday:
Dogmatics I—Dr. David P. Scaer
Homiletics II—Dr. Carl Fickenscher
Friday:
Homiletics III—Dr. Carl Fickenscher
Pastor’s Devotional Life—Prof. John Pless
Cost: $200 (includes all nine meals)
Participants are responsible for their own travel and lodging expenses. There is limited on-campus housing available at a cost of $30.00/night. Please call (260) 452-2204 to check for availability and to make reservations.
Ask questions or Register for Luther Hostel:
Phone: (260) 452-2204
Email: retreats@ctsfw.edu
Online: www.ctsfw.edu/LutherHostel

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Lutheran missions
We give thanks to God for the work HE is doing through his servant Rev. James May and Lutherans in Africa. “Founded in 2010, Lutherans in Africa (LIA) equips Africans to be teachers of His saving faith in Christ Jesus. This is done through training pastors, evangelists, deaconesses, and Sunday school teachers in the pure doctrine and its instruction, liturgy, and hymnody and through translating key doctrinal resources into African languages.”
On Sunday, August 22, Rev. May and his family visited Pilgrim. He preached at the Divine Services and gave an update on the mission work being done through Lutherans in Africa during the Bible Study hour. You can learn more at their website:
www.LutheransInAfrica.com.
If you would like to provide financial support to LIA, you may do so through their website or by mailing a check to
Lutherans in Africa, PO Box 121, Ocean Shores, WA 98569.
A recording of the Divine Service may be viewed at Pilgrim’s YouTube channel, however Rev. May has graciously given us a written copy of his sermon, “Traditions, Submission and True Love,” to include here. He preached on the Scripture Readings designated for the day, 12th Sunday after Pentecost: Isaiah 29:11-19, Ephesians 5:22-33, and Mark 7:1-13.

Grace, mercy, and peace, be to you from God, our Father, and our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
In the New American Progressive Translation of the Bible, the Gospel reading for today begins this way: When persons from the CDC and NIH showed up, they saw the unsophisticated Christians ate without sanitizing their hands for the sophisticated woke people do not eat without first sanitizing, holding to the rules of wise mayors and governors. We live in confusing times with seemingly contradictory rules and regulations. You wonder which of the rules are written by hygienic science and which by virtue signaling.
When COVID first hit our world in Africa, I was happy that one of the rules that was implemented was an emphasis on handwashing, since all of you know that most germs are spread by hands and fingers which people stick in ears, noses, and other unspeakable places. Why is it that handwashing is not talked about anymore and all the rage is masks and injections? I can testify that most of our sicknesses that we suffered when we first moved to Africa were due to amoebas and parasites that were spread from unclean hands.
Let me explain to you what sanitation is like in a third world nation, especially one like Burkina Faso in West Africa. It is a country that is 80% Muslim and also one of the poorest countries in the world. Part of the culture is that when you eat meals together, with 4, 5, or 6 people, you all eat from the same big plate. Silverware is not used because people cannot afford it. People use their hands but still there are some rules.
For instance, people only eat with their right hand and never the left. This is because the left hand is unclean. It is the hand used after going to the bathroom because people cannot afford toilet paper. Lavatory cleaning is done with the left hand and thus you never stick that in the dinner plate that you are sharing with five other people. It seems that few people consider that your left hand and your right hand touches from time to time and there is cross contamination. This is how fecal matter spreads and people become sick. In some of the poorest areas, as many of 50% of children do not live until the age of 6 because of diseases such as dysentery and stomach parasites.
You do not know what a blessing it is that you are able to walk into any house or building and turn on a tap and wash your hands to keep yourself and others safe from disease. Many more people die from lack of access to clean water than they do from COVID but we don’t see as much urgency to address this issue in Africa.
Back to our Gospel text focuses on hand-washing. We see that Jesus and the disciples were NOT washing hands. This does not mean sanitation is not important to Jesus. The nuance that most people do not understand is that the Pharisees were not talking about proper sanitation. They were talking about a man made ritual hand-washing which might be more clearly compared to dipping a drop of holy water into their hands. That is what it means in verse 3 where is talks about the “tradition of the elders.” They had their own virtue signaling rules that they invented for others to follow. In verse five it says: The Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled common/unholy hands?” (Mark 7:5)
The rules of the elders are the most important thing to them. Jesus rebukes them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, “ ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.” (Mark 7:6-8)
Sadly, this is quite common in our world today where people are more concerned with the rules of men, or should we be pc and say “rules of persons”? People are more concerned with what others think or human rules and they give little regard to the Word of God. In fact, this text helps us address another fake rule made up by some Baptist and Pentecostal Churches. You may have friends in other churches who have told you that baptism must be full immersion or else it is not valid. They say this because they falsely claim that the word baptism means immerse.
I can prove that is not true from our text this morning. Going back again to verse four where it says: “when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash,” that word “wash” in Greek is βαπτίσωνται. That is where the word Baptism comes from βαπτίσωνται [baptisontai]. You can hear that it sounds like baptism. It means wash and often by sprinkling, not immersing. This becomes clear in the rest of the verse, “There are many other traditions that they observe, such as the washing of cups and pots and copper vessels and dining couches.” (Mk 7:4)
How many people immerse their dining couch? No one. And we don’t buy holy water from the Pope to anoint them either! That is another human tradition similar to what the Pharisees were doing. That is why Jesus scolds them, “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition!” (Mark 7:9) Day in and day out people are always making up their own rules and traditions about what make you holier than me. “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, “This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.” (Mark 7:6)
If you do not believe this is true that are hearts are far from accepting and believing what the Bible teaches, then tell me what do people think when their hear the Epistle reading for today which begins: Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. (Ephesians 5:22-23) According to the Word of God there is a structure that is given to the family. According to the Progressive society, this structure should be destroyed because it is oppressive to women. They could care less if families are destroyed all across country because they do not believe in the benefit and importance of the family unit as created and established by God. How is the destruction of the family working out for American society?
The structure of the Christian family is also representative and corresponds to how we relate to Jesus Christ. The next verse says: Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. (Ephesians 5:24) It is not only wives submitting but this should also reflect the reality that all members of the church should submit to the teaching of Jesus Christ. Do you see that at the very same time when families are being destroyed, there was also a movement to reject the Ten Commandments and the teaching of the Bible in society. Everyone wants to be their own God and make their own rules and their own traditions to make themselves holy. How is that working out?
The conniving temptation of the Devil was that he got the world to believe that submitting to the Word of God was oppressive. The devil is the father of wokeness. He “woke” people to believe they were oppressed and that if they ate the forbidden fruit then they could be God. It was a destructive lie! It destroyed our responsibility to submit but it also cuts off the caring role of husbands and Christ. In the next verses we see that there is also a role and responsibility for husbands and for Christ! Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. (Ephesians 5:25-27) Wives submit, just as the church submits, but also husbands are to love in a self-sacrificial way as Christ loved YOU and gave Himself up FOR YOU! Submitting means to stop trying to be your own savior. That is not a bad thing because YOU CANNOT save yourself. But Jesus CAN save you! When you submit and put yourself under His care, you give up and trust in Christ to be your husband to care for you in poverty, sickness, and death.
We also see in this passage that there a washing that is from God. Baptism is the washing of water with the Word that sanctifies you, makes you holy, so that your bridegroom Jesus can present you in splendor on the day of Judgement! This is what Jesus offers to you today and everyday. If we would stop following our own traditions and repent, to submit to His grace and mercy then we would receive the gifts He has FOR YOU. Today and everyday He is eager and offering to forgive you all your sins and to remove the heavy burden of the self-righteous persons of this fallen world.
The text continues: In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. (Ephesians 5:28-30) Jesus does indeed love you and cherishes you as His own. Today He nourishes you with His very body and blood which feed your spirit and give you the strength that the world cannot give. Today, more than ever, order needs to be restored in the church and in the family. The two are very much connected as the Bible says: “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. (Ephesians 5:31-32)
Lord, give us the faith to stop trusting in our traditions and instead submit to you, knowing that you care for us more than we know how to care for ourselves. Help us also to restore the love of husbands and wives so that we may show in our marriages an example of your love and care for us. Amen!
Now may the peace of God which transcends all human understanding, guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. AMEN!

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Lutheran Library
Thirty Days in God’s Word: A Path of Discovery by CPH staff writer Rev. Wayne Palmer is available in print for $12.99. CPH’s overview of this book includes: “ ...Well known Bible stories such as the Creation story, Moses’s parting of the Red Sea, and David and Goliath are easy to remember. But many smaller Bible stories are forgotten over time. 30 Days To Know The Bible will lead you through each book of the Bible in just thirty days. Each of the thirty chapters are a brief and effortless read while still highlighting the most important stories in each book...Each Book of the Bible is divided into easy-to-understand sections with compelling Scripture verses that allow you to...get to know God’s Word on the surface …”
Each chapter/day of Thirty Days in God’s Word is organized in four parts:
- An overall summary of that day’s book of the Bible:
Day 1— Genesis: “God creates the universe, mankind fills it with suffering and death, and God announces
His plan to restore us.”
- Summaries with Scripture verses of the main stories of the book:
Genesis includes Creation, The Fall, The Flood, The Father of a New Nation, Isaac’s Sacrifice, Jacob and
his Twelve Sons, Joseph Rises to Power in Egypt, and Israel Moves to Egypt.
- “What does [this book] have to do with me?” section that includes a reflection question, such as:
“How does God’s intimate care for His creation help give direction and meaning to your life?”
- “Dig Deeper Challenge” section that points you to the Bible for further study.
“Read the whole story of Abraham offering Isaac in Genesis 22:1-19. It has striking similarities to Jesus’
sacrifice: a father sacrifices his son...”
You can order your own copy of Thirty Days in God’s Word by adding your name to the sign up sheet located in the New Fellowship Hall or contacting the Church Office.
,
Overcoming Life’s Sorrows: Learning from Jeremiah by the Rev. Dr. R. Reed Lessing. Dr. Lessing previously served on the faculty of Concordia Seminary in St. Louis. He joined the faculty of Concordia University, St’s Paul’s Department of Theology and Ministry in 2020. Overcoming Life’s Sorrows is available in print for $15.99.
CPH’s book description includes: “Take a moment and think about your life. What personal trials, disasters, or setbacks have you had to overcome? Were there moments you thought you couldn't possibly persevere through? God gives an example of someone in a similar situation: the prophet Jeremiah. The Book of Jeremiah is quite possibly the best against-all-odds story ever written and can help you see how to overcome your sorrows. Settle into Jeremiah's narrative with Rev. Dr. Reed Lessing and see how Jeremiah finds hope and joy despite numerous tragedies. You'll see how through God's Word, Hope, Trust, Faith, and more, you can get through anything.”
Equipped: The Armor of God for Everyday Struggles by the Rev. Dr. Christopher Kennedy, Senior Pastor of Shepherd of The Hills LCMS in San Antonio, Texas. Equipped is available in print for $10.99.
CPH’s overview: “The devil is working daily to make you turn away from your faith. Sometimes though, it’s not in grand efforts, but in the small ones your encounter every day. The devil can work through exhaustion, anxiety, temptation, and frustration, all common daily occurrences. But God provides strength to battle the devil’s ways by giving you His armor. Follow along in Ephesians 6 to see the armor God equips you with to defend yourself against Satan.”
“Each piece of armor—belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, shoes of peace, shield of faith, helmet of salvation, sword of the spirit—is given for you to defend yourself with. They all help you in various ways during the day, such as seeing the truth through lies, and walking with peace to keep stress away. Discover them all...”

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Communal Prayers
For mission services: I ask You, O Lord, to be gracious on all unbelievers, whoever and wherever they may be, who are still walking in darkness, who do not have the light of Your Gospel, whom the devil has stricken with blindness and darkened their ignorant hearts. Remove veil that still hangs before their hearts, who fall on the stone of stumbling and on the rock of offense. Enlighten their eyes, that they may acknowledge the true Messiah, the Savior of the world. Bring all who have departed from the Christian faith, or else have gone astray in certain points and are burdened with false doctrine and restore them to the eternal truth of Your Word. Seek the lost, bring back the erring, enlighten the blind, open the ears of the deaf, unloose the mouths of the impenitent who refuse to confess You, raise up the fallen and bring back those who have gone away, gather together the scattered and restore the erring and misled, all for Your mercy. Amen.
Daily Prayer, for Grace to Keep our Baptismal Covenant: Dear Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, eternally true Son of God we are baptized into Your death and made partakers of Your merit that, being redeemed from sin, we may be truly holy and righteous before our heavenly Father. In our Baptism we promise to die unto the sin that remains in us and to walk in newness of life. We implore You, therefore, to enlighten and to strengthen us by Your Holy Spirit to renounce all sinful lusts and to live to please You; who reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit in all eternity. Amen.
Evening Cessation from Work: Heavenly Father, I praise you that, by Your grace, I have been permitted to put another week of trials behind me, and have nto been cast away in my sins together with the godless. O Lord, my God, Who ordains and changes the times and seasons, change also my heart and mind, by Your Holy Spirit, that this week may mark a true change of time for me, to turn me from my former impenitence, my love for the world, and my lusting desires, unto You alone, through faith and love, so that, if this had been my last week on earth, I might lay aside this corrupt and sinful life, and put on the incorruptible, holy life in Christ. Amen.
Assurance of being heard because of Christ: O God, Creator of heaven and earth, You sent Your Son, Jesus Christ, into the world, that for my sake He might be crucified, die, on the third day rise again, and ascend into heaven, that being seated at Your right hand, He might hold all things in His own hand and send us His Spirit, that we might wait for His coming to judge both the living and the dead and so receive with Him the eternal kingdom, our inheritance, which you desire to give us through Him. To this end, O Lord, you have given and instituted for us Baptism and the Sacrament of the body and blood of Your Son, for in His sacraments He has joined Himself with us Christians and revealed Himself to us. If we take hold of Him there, we have certainly found Him. But as for other things which have not been commanded, let us abandon them, or else we will miss Him by a great distance. Amen.
Family and friends requesting our prayers: Linda Mejchar, Carl Pritzlaff, Muriel Magnus, Naisa Gohr, the Boehlke Family, Carolyn Bren, Ron & Joyce Virchow Sr., Judy Clark, Inez Schwoch, Mark Selzler, Keith Gierach, Deb Sumner, Jan Meyle, Sue Zell, Mark Soat, Carl & Lois Pritzlaff, Nancy Rosenthal, Jim Lathrop, Richard & Chloe Fisher, Ruth Mertz, Dot Miller, Jerry & Gert Sullivan, Donna Sommer, Kandie Darmody, June Fry, David & Olivemae Olson, Eric Johanen, Diane Behrens, Marge Legate, Suzanne Stadelmayer, Elaine Kuenzel, Ray & Frances Neerhoff, Donald Teske, Jeanette Guillaume, Linda Lukas, Linda Borneman, Nancy Nicholas, Rachel Davis, Marissa Flanders, Linda Schmidt, Vanessa Kuehne, Travis Winkler, Brian Vonlender, Scot Meisenheimer, Thomas Kramlik, and Jody Meisenheimer.

Voice of Faith

The Pilgrim Herald — Page #

September 2021			1 / 6:30p Adult Class: / Lutheran Difference	2 / 7p Divine Service	3 / Office Closed	4 / 7a Men’s Breakfast & Bible Study
5 / 8a Divine Service / 9:30a Adult Class: Life of Christ / 10:30a Divine Service / 12:30p 1st Samuel	6 / Labor Day / Church Office Closed	7 / 2p Auxiliary Court Chapel / 6:30p Board of Elders Meeting	8 / 9a Pilgrim Quilters / 4p Youth Catechesis / 6:30p Adult Class: / Lutheran Difference	9 / 7p Divine Service	10 / Office Closed	11
12 / 8a Divine Service / 9:15a Sunday School: Enduring Faith / 9:30a Adult Class: Life of Christ / 10:30a Divine Service / 12:00p Church Picnic	13 / 5:30p Board of Trustees Meeting / 7p Church Council Meeting	14 / 12p LWML / Ladies / Guild Meeting / 2p Auxiliary Court Chapel / 6:30p Bible Institute Class on Revelation	15 / 4p Youth Catechesis / 6:30p Adult Class: / Lutheran Difference	16 / 7p Divine Service	17 / Office Closed	18 / 7a Men’s Breakfast & Bible Study
19 / 8a Divine Service / 9:15a Sunday School: Enduring Faith / 9:30a Adult Class: Life of Christ / 10:30a Divine Service / 12:30 p 1st Samuel	20	21 / 2p Auxiliary Court Chapel / 6:30p Bible Institute Class on Revelation	22 / 9a Pilgrim Quilters / 4p Youth Catechesis / 6:30p Adult Class: / Lutheran Difference	23 / 7p Divine Service	24 / Office Closed	25
26 / 8a Divine Service / 9:15a Sunday School: Enduring Faith / 9:30a Adult Class: Life of Christ / 10:30a Divine Service	27 / 10:30 a Jackson Crossing Chapel	28 / 2p Auxiliary Court Chapel / 6:30p Bible Institute Class on Revelation	29 / 4p Youth Catechesis / 6:30p Adult Class: / Lutheran Difference	30 / 7p Divine Service

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Pilgrim Evangelical Lutheran Church
The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
462 Meadowbrook Drive
West Bend, WI 53090

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Phone: 262-334-0375
Email: office@pilgrimlutheranwb.org
Website: www.pilgrimlutheran-westbend.org

Silent Auction: Sunday, September 12 through Sunday October 3, 2021

Church Picnic: Sunday September 12, 2021
Starts at 12:00 pm.
Games for the young and the young at heart !

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