What does a church do to make everyone happy?  Trying to do that is a slippery slope.  Please do not misunderstand me.  While we would all agree that we want people to be happy, yet the Church is not here to make people happy–that is, in the sense of satisfying the whims, desires, and preferences of every church member (which can be all over the place!). Imagine how crazy that would be–an impossible endeavor!  That is why a church has a general framework in which it operates.  In congregations of The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod, we have a confessional framework in which we wholeheartedly choose to operate–in our “walking together” (the definition of “synod”). That framework is solidly established by the Word of God and our Lutheran Confessions.  And then, moving into the left-hand side of a church’s operation, we also have the framework of our Church Constitution and By-Laws that we strive to adhere to as these documents define us as to our confessional identity and how we are to function as a Christian congregation.

     So all this I share with you for a purpose.  It is to help us to understand that God is a God of order (1 Cor. 14:33, 40).  His Church functions in a state of order and design.  Scripture alone guides and feeds us us for our spiritual life.  How we Lutherans worship is very structured with our orders of service and the way we follow the Church Year with its seasons and Scripture-lectionary.  Scheduled Bible study opportunities and instruction in Luther’s Small Catechism allows the pastor to have intimate time with members and guests to teach the Word of God.  Our church schedule for Sundays and the rest of the week follow a much needed order. Time and scheduling are important to us.

     Here, we have further order provided by our Church Constitution and By-Laws, which identify our scriptural confession, our core values, our purpose, our mission, and what it means to be a member of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church.  These documents also explain how individual members can participate in the life of this congregation to serve Christ and be a blessing to each other here and beyond to others (even the unchurched) in the world.

     Let us give thanks to God for the order that He places in our daily lives.  Imagine life without order–His order.  Our God of order provides order as a great blessing to us.  We His people function in an orderly way so that His blessings are given to us and that might be a blessing to one another and to people everywhere.  The Church is ultimately here not to make people happy by giving each person what he or she wants, but to give what every person NEEDS–that the JOY of the Lord Jesus Christ and His salvation would dwell richly in each person’s heart through faith in Him.