The following letter was read to the congregation before Divine Service, Sunday July 4, 2010:

Dear members of Emmaus Lutheran Church,

After much prayer and consideration, not only since receiving your call, but in the months leading up to it as well, it is with joy and thankfulness to our LORD and Savior that I announce that I am accepting the call to serve  you as your pastor.

I have enjoyed serving you as vacancy pastor and, through this, getting to know you. Now as I look forward to a fuller and more permanent form of service, I do so with hope and expectation of what our LORD is planning to do at Emmaus.

…I don’t think I can put into words just how much your onging love, support, and belief in me has meant to me. I pray for God’s blessing for each of you and for the work at Emmaus.

In Christ,

Pastor John Hellwege

On June 20, 2010, at its regular quarterly Voters’ meeting, Emmaus Ev. Lutheran Church called Rev. Dr. John Hellwege of Chesterfield, Missouri to be her pastor by unanimous vote. Rev. Hellwege has served Emmaus as vacancy pastor for nearly two years. We now eagerly anticipate him taking up the mantle of shepherd among us. Please keep Rev. Hellwege, his wife Denise, his family, and Emmaus congregation in your prayers as he deliberates this divine call.

To God alone be the glory!

+Scot Kinnaman
President, Emmaus Ev. Lutheran Church U.A.C

Private Confession and Absolution: Have you taken a hard look at the sin and spiritual struggles in your life? Are there any particular sins that trouble you? If so, please feel free to come to the church on Wednesday at 5:30, or call Pastor Hellwege (636-532-3313) to set up another time for private Confession and Absolution. There is nothing more freeing than directly hearing God’s forgiveness for you!

Potluck and Prayer: At Emmaus we are sincerely seeking God’s will and blessing for our people and congregation. Our Lord urges us in Matthew 18:19-20 “If two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in My name, there am I among them.” In faith, we are going to take our needs to our God in prayer, planning on meeting this Wednesday at the school. We will meet at 6:00 with a pot-luck supper and then gather for prayer. Please join us as we raise our voices in prayer to our gracious God.

Emmaus Garage Sale – The parents of the basketball team which has been using our gym are running a second garage sale to help us clean up our school basement. We greatly appreciate their efforts! The next sale will be held this Saturday and and again on June 26 from 8-2. If you have items you would like to donate, time you would like to offer to help, or items you would like to buy, please talk with Rebecca Mayes (rbmayes@gmail.com, 229-1134) for further information.

Theological Discussion will be Thursday, June 17 at Gelateria del Leone on Grand Ave. just north of Wyoming. This month’s topic is confirmation and first communion and will be led by Rev. Dr. Benjamin Mayes.

Come join the fun this Wednesday, May 26th at 5:00. Feast on hamburgers and hotdogs out on the grass, ($1/plate), take a tour of the school to see what we’ve been up to this semester, hear the Partners in Chime concert, and watch the play about the story of Ruth. You’ll also be able to buy some excellent desserts to help raise funds for an American Girls project whose goal is to build up our music program.

Emmaus Classical Academy is planning its second year.

Next year’s classes include music, history and literature, government and philosophy, drama. Current student ages range from 6-17, meeting once a week. The group seeks to do everything from a classical rigor with a solid Biblical foundation based on the teachings of the Reformation. New homeschool families are invited. To learn more, please contact us at emmausclassical@att.net.

The festival of Ascension celebrates an important event in the life of Jesus Christ and should be held in very high regard, like Good Friday and Easter. According to old church custom, as the Holy Gospel from Mark 16 is read on Ascension Day, there is a pause after this verse is read: “So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.” The acolyte extinguishes the Easter candle, symbolizing the withdrawal of Jesus’ visible presence at His Ascension. Then the last verse of Mark’s Gospel concludes.

When worshipers return to the Divine Service on Sunday, the candle is moved from its place by the lectern to its normal place by the baptismal font, and it is not lighted. This symbolizes that Christ is still present with us in the Divine Service, but invisibly. His ascension has not removed Him but rather has secured His presence with His Church until the end of time. Because Christ reigns at God’s right hand (i.e., has all authority in heaven and earth as both God and man), He can now be with us in the flesh in Word and water and bread and wine. He is not at a distance. He is with us more closely than ever. His presence is not visible, but we are talking about the true presence of the living Christ.

His ascension means that:

• The exalted God-man, Christ our Prophet, sends forth workers to proclaim the saving Gospel by the power of the Holy Spirit (Eph. 4:10-12; John 16:7).
• The exalted God-man, Christ our Priest, pleads and prays for us before the Father (Rom. 8:34; 1 John 2:1).
• The exalted God-man, Christ our King, rules and protects His Church and governs all the world, especially for the benefit of His Church (Ps. 110:1).

As with His birth, crucifixion, and resurrection, this mighty act of our Savior deserves our attention and our praise. We will celebrate it at Emmaus Lutheran Church with the Divine Service on Thursday, May 13, at 7:00 p.m. The children from our Emmaus Classical Homeschool Co-op will enrich the worship service with handbells and singing. Please come and join your voice in praise of Christ for His glorious ascension.

He has raised our human nature
On the clouds to God’s right hand;
There we sit in heav’nly places,
There with Him in glory stand.
Jesus reigns, adored by angels;
Man with God is on the throne.
By our mighty Lord’s ascension
We by faith behold our own.
(Lutheran Service Book #494, stanza 5)

Dearly beloved, our brothers and sisters in Germany celebrate Easter as a three-day feast. From our hymnal, the Gospel reading for Easter Monday is Luke 24:13-35, Jesus’ appearance to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus. So today could be rightly called “Emmaus Day.” Here are the Gospel reading, a hymn, and the collect of the day:

The Gospel, Luke 24:13-25

13 That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, 14 and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. 15 While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. 16 But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. 17 And he said to them, What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk? And they stood still, looking sad. 18 Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days? 19 And he said to them, What things? And they said to him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20 and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. 21 But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened. 22 Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning, 23 and when they did not find his body, they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. 24 Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see. 25 And he said to them, O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory? 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.

28 So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He acted as if he were going farther, 29 but they urged him strongly, saying, Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent. So he went in to stay with them. 30 When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. 31 And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. 32 They said to each other, Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures? 33 And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. And they found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, 34 saying, The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon! 35 Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread.

TLH 292 Lord Jesus Christ, with Us Abide

1. Lord Jesus Christ, with us abide, For round us falls the eventide; Nor let Thy Word, that heavenly light, For us be ever veiled in night.

2. In these last days of sore distress Grant us, dear Lord, true steadfastness That pure we keep, till life is spent, Thy holy Word and Sacrament.

3. Lord Jesus, help, Thy Church uphold, For we are sluggish, thoughtless, cold. Oh, prosper well Thy Word of grace And spread its truth in every place!

4. Oh, keep us in Thy Word, we pray; The guile and rage of Satan stay! Oh, may Thy mercy never cease! Give concord, patience, courage, peace.

5. O God, how sin’s dread works abound! Throughout the earth no rest is found, And falsehood’s spirit wide has spread, And error boldly rears its head.

6. The haughty spirits, Lord, restrain Who o’er Thy Church with might would reign And always set forth something new, Devised to change Thy doctrine true.

7. And since the cause and glory, Lord, Are Thine, not ours, to us afford Thy help and strength and constancy. With all our heart we trust in Thee.

8. A trusty weapon is Thy Word, Thy Church’s buckler, shield and sword. Oh, let us in its power confide That we may seek no other guide!

9. Oh, grant that in Thy holy Word We here may live and die, dear Lord; And when our journey endeth here, Receive us into glory there.

Collect of the Day

O God, the paschal feast You restore all creation. Continue to send Your heavenly gifts upon Your people that they may walk in perfect freedom and receive eternal life; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

At its January 2010 meeting, the council of Emmaus Evangelical Lutheran Church (U.A.C.) voted to close the tuckpointing appeal. We thank all of you who have so generously contributed money so that our school building, which was in such bad repair, could be tuckpointed. We are happy to say: due to this project, we have a school building that is sound overall, though various challenges remain. The tuckpointing appeal is closed.

Going forward, Emmaus will maintain two funds in which to received designated gifts: a Capital Improvement Fund (to receive donations for all capital improvements, including stained glass repair, organ fund, and any miscellaneous repair projects) and an Emmaus Memorial Fund (to receive all other designated gifts, such as to underwrite the cost of pastoral care or neighborhood evangelism projects). Current open funds for designated gifts will remain open until the balance is zero.

We are so thankful to God for all of your help! Without our friends, Emmaus would not be where it is today.

Projects recently completed:

• Upgrade of heating system at church. Now even in the dead of winter, we are toasty warm!
• Remodel of hallway outside of restrooms at church.
• Two stained glass windows repaired.
• Copings on school roof filled with cement.
• Leaky heating pipe replaced in school basement.

Here are some of our current needs:

• Fix back lighting for stained glass by altar—about $500.
• Repair of spotlight in front of church—about $250.
• Repair of water damage on wall above altar—about $500.
• Copings on church need to be filled—about $500.
• Repaint downspouts and gutters black—about $100.
• Install decorative fence and bumpers beside school to prevent traffic over boiler room—about $200.
• Repair spalled concrete beams in boiler room (under alleyway)—about $1000?
• Leaky school roof replacement—about $35,000?

Gifts to Emmaus’ capital improvement fund can be used on one or more of these projects!