David Ruddat

St. John Wrightstown dedicates New Campus

News

St. John in Wrightstown is dedicating their new campus at 206 Plum Road Wrightstown today at 4pm. The service will be followed by fellowship and food. All are welcome! Their services beginning July 23rd are Sundays at 8:00 and 10:30am (with Bible Class at 9:15am) and Thursdays at 6:30 pm As reported in the Wrightstown Spirit, St. John sold the Greenleaf property (former St. Paul’s) to the town. God continues to provide for His people and His church (regardless of what building it is in) continues to reach out to gather around the word, grow in that Word, and go with that word! St. John will begin the school year in 2023 with 105 students.

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Father’s Day baggage

Reverend Ruminates

Got this from another pastor…

Father’s Day is tomorrow.

For some, it means a round of golf hitting the ball not so hard so that dad still thinks he has it. It means grilling four separate types of meat on the grill. It means taking the tour of dad’s workshop (for the fourth time this year) and commenting on just how nice that birdhouse looks.

In other words, it is a time of thanksgiving for dad.

But this is not true for all of us.

Because some will spend tomorrow without any idea who their dad is. Others will be wondering where dad is. Still more will spend tomorrow remembering dad’s drunken rage, his unfaithfulness to mom, even his lethargy toward being a parent.

In other words, it will be a time of sadness.

Is this the norm? Everyone celebrates Mother’s Day, but Father’s Day?….Divorce. Premarital impregnation and abandonment. Irresponsibility. Drug use. Alcohol abuse. These things have ruined dads. Ruined relationships. Ruined Father’s Day.

This is sad.

This is sin.

But even if you won’t be fishing tomorrow with an earthly father figure, please don’t let Father’s Day be a sad one.

Because you do have the best dad anyone could ask for.

(And I’m not talking about your earthly dad, no matter how wonderful he was…)

I’m talking about the One who is always there for you. The One who always listens. The One who always loves you. The One who disciplines, but only with your best interests in mind.

The One who saw you grow up. Who loves you at the present. Who has a wonderful future in mind for you.

I’m talking about the One who gave up the only Son who perfectly loved, listened to, and obeyed Him. The One who gave up this model child for you–his stubborn, rebellious, wayward child, the one that doesn’t listen–just so that one day you might come home.

I’m talking about the One who never gives up on you. Who always chases after you. Who holds you tightly in his warm embrace.

I’m talking about God.

Your heavenly Father.

Abba.

Divine Dad.

Give thanks tomorrow for any earthly father figure that you have been blessed with. Thank God for those who have had a positive Christian influence in your life. But don’t forget about your Heavenly Father either.

He’d love to have you chat with him. Look through the family history with you and remind you of how much he loves you.

Maybe you could even go to his house!

However you celebrate, may your day be blessed as you remember your fathers and your Father.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Father’s Day is tomorrow. For some of us it is happy, for others it is sad. Today I am reminded of the joy that I do have in having you as my Father. Forgive me for the rebellion I have had against you my heavenly Father. Thank you for always being kind, for always being loving, for sending Jesus, your son to die and rise again in order to save me. Thank you Dad for your true love. May I always reside in that love. Help me meditate on that this Father’s Day. And I thank you for the father figures you have given me in this life. Be with them. Bless them. Raise them up to be true leaders, fathers who train with God’s Word and love with God’s love. Amen.

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Fidgeting children and church

Reverend Ruminates

As we approach Holy Week and Easter services at Immanuel:

Bring your children to church.

Saturate their lives with Holy Scripture.

Even when they get the wiggle fidgets. Even when they lay on the floor. Even if they need 437 Goldfish crackers and a sucker to be quiet. Even when you stand in the fellowship hall swaying back and forth holding them. Even when it’s hard. Even when when your row looks like a small hurricane just came through. Even when they run from your arms into the chancel and interrupt the sermon. (You know I’ll smile, interact with them, and send them back to you. :-))

Bring your children to church.

Let them see you sing. Let them see you pray. Let them see the Savior serving you in Word and Sacrament.

If they don’t see and learn these things from you, from whom are they going to learn? The world will teach them this is not a priority. The world will teach them it’s okay not to read the Bible or pray. The world will direct them so far off course, confuse them, and misinform them that just being “good” is good enough.

The world won’t teach them about Jesus.

Bring your children to church.

“Some people began bringing little children to Jesus so that he would touch them. But the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said, “Let the little children come to me! Do not hinder them, because the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Amen I tell you: Whoever will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” And he took the little children in his arms, laid his hands on them, and blessed them” (Mark 10:13-16 EHV)

Raising children is a great responsibility. Raising children in the Christian faith is an even greater responsibility. Let your child see Who is most important in your life.

Bring your children to church.

Jesus longs to see your children…and you, too.

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