church

Last Sunday's Bulletin Announcements:

THIS WEEK AT ASCENSION
Today
The Fifth Sunday after Epiphany, regular worship schedule, Lord's Supper is
celebrated.
Tuesday
Midweek Bible class, 7:00 p.m. at the Alice Naumann home.
Saturday
Confirmation class, 4:30 p.m. at the church.
Next Sunday
The Sixth Sunday after Epiphany, regular worship schedule.
Pastoral Visits This Week
Mr. & Mrs. Dan Darling
Ushers:
This month: Sid Paul, Next month: Scott Radcliffe

Attendance Last Sunday:
25
Offering Last Sunday:
$ 2087.00

WELCOME …to all our guests who are sharing the Good News of the Gospel
with us this morning. We ask you to sign our guest register before leaving, and
we invite you to join us regularly for worship services. Every Sunday you will
find words of life and peace through Jesus Christ - and a warm welcome from
fellow believers - here in God's house. We're saving a place for you!

PRAYERS REQUESTED Susan Rosamond’s mother, Lucille Enyeart, is
gravely ill and in hospice at a nursing facility in Tacoma. Please keep Susan and
her mother in your prayers during this difficult time.

MIDWEEK BIBLE CLASS …Has resumed meeting at the home of Mrs. Alice
Naumann at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesdays. Our current topic: is a review of C.F.W.
Walther’s classic, “The Proper Distinction Between Law and Gospel.” If you
can’t be there in person, watch the class streaming live on
www.Ustream.tv/channel/lutherantacoma. Materials for the class are available
on the church home page; click the “Walther Bible Class” link.

Coming Up at This Week’s Tuesday Bible Class:
Jesus Doesn’t Just Tell Us How to Get to Heaven,
He Brings Us There

Reverting to the Old Testament, we see even there what the character of the
teaching of Christ is. We read in Gen. 3, 15: “It [the Woman’s Seed] shall bruise
thy head.” What is the import of these words? It is this: The Messiah, the
Redeemer, the Savior is not come for the purpose of telling us what we are to
do, what works we are to perform in order to escape from the terrible dominion
of darkness, sin, and death. These feats the Messiah is not going to leave for us
to accomplish, but He will do all that Himself. “He shall bruise the serpent’s
head,” that means nothing else than this, that He shall destroy the kingdom of
the devil. All that man has to do is to know that he has been redeemed, that he
has been set free from his prison, that he has no more to do than to believe and
accept this message and rejoice over it with all his heart. If the text were to
read: “He shall save you,” that would not be so comforting; or if it read: “You
must believe in Him,” we should be at a loss to know what is meant by this
faith. This protoevangelium, this First Gospel in Genesis, was the fountain
from which the believers in the Old Testament drew their comfort. It was
important for them to know: “There is One coming who will not only tell us
what we must do to get to heaven. No, the Messiah will do all Himself to bring
us there.” Now that the rule of the devil has been destroyed, anything that I
must do cannot come into consideration. If the devil’s dominion is demolished,
I am free. There is nothing for me to do but to appropriate this to myself. That
is what Scripture means when it says, “Believe.” That means, Claim as your
own what Christ has acquired.
- C F W Walther