The Baltimore riots are incomprehensible and very upsetting, as is any behavior that is sinful…really.  Sin is chaos before God.  It seeks to bring one’s evil desires and put them head-to-head with the holy will of God.  Sin brings disorder into God’s holy order.  (That’s what happened when man fell into sin in the beginning – cf. Genesis 3).  Sin brings chaos into the world.  And we see it all around us–everywhere.  Where there are sinners, there is chaos.  We see how our choices have so often brought chaos into our own lives: hurting ourselves (physically and spiritually), hurting others (physically and spiritually), and causing much hurt and despair, sometimes with lasting and painful consequences.  There is nothing good about sin–even when you think you are getting away with it–thinking you can hide it under the cover of secrecy or darkness.  But God knows all and sees all.  He sees the chaos that we have created in our own lives and the chaos we have brought to the lives of others.

This self-brought chaos is cause for us to repent.  Humble yourselves before God.  Read Psalm 51.  See the sin in you and in what you have done in your thoughts, words, and deeds.  How have you sinned against God?  How have you sinned against your neighbor?  If you’re struggling to know, study the Ten Commandments and their meanings from Luther’s Small Catechism.  The mirror of God’s law exposes our sins.  And with our sin laid bare before us, so in humble faith we repent, confessing our sins before God and desiring His holy absolution for Jesus’ sake.  And forgive us He does!  Oh, what peace!  Oh, the blessing of Jesus Christ and His saving work for us!  Jesus Christ brings His order and quiet into our lives as we rest in Him and His unchanging Word of truth.

We pray fervently for order and peace in our troubled nation.  May we, as the “salt and light” of the earth, stand tall in a powerful and forthright Christian witness in these chaotic end times.  Pray that the preaching of the Gospel would rampantly spread across our land into all the nooks and crannies of our civilization.

Jr. Confirmation Class meets this evening at 6:30PM.

Trustees will meet at 7:30PM.

Wednesday:    10:00AM  Bible Study   We begin a short series on Jesus’ miracles.

Thursday:   7:00AM  Emmaus Walkers Men’s Bible Study at Immanuel Parish Center

                   9:00AM  Circuit 6 Pastors’ Conference – St. Paul – Naugatuck

                   7:00PM  Choir

Friday:        7:00PM  Three Stooges Night at the Parsonage

Sunday:      9:00AM  Divine Service without Holy Communion  Signed Service for the Deaf

                  10:15AM ALTAR GUILD MEETING

                  10:30AM  SS/Bible Study

Pray for God’s comfort for the family and loved ones of George Schwanka.  It was a lovely funeral service today with a Christian burial.  Great food and fellowship afterwards!

Pray for our daughter-in-law, our son JP, and family as they mourn the death of Letitia’s mother, Lavonne, on April 23.  Pray for Letitia’s grandmother who is taking Lavonne’s death very hard.

Offer prayers of thanksgiving to our gracious God for the work He is doing in volunteerism and donations and work (packing and shipping) out of our (just less than year old) New England OGT Branch right here in Terryville.  Thanks for all those who gave of their time yesterday to load the huge trailer full of medical supplies–which are headed to the Ukraine.  How thrilling!  Praise to the Lord God!

Bob Wentland’s birthday is May 2nd.  Send him a card.

Ushers:     Tom Wollenberg

                 Alex Wollenberg

Elder:        Paul Arbesman

Altar:         Leona Damboise

Acolyte:     Jordan Klepps

Coffee:      L. Cahill/T. Dubrowsky

Joy to you in Christ our risen Lord!

Pastor Kotila