This Week at Mt. Olive

Good morning, fellow redeemed!

I hope everyone had a great Mother's Day celebration. If you had the opportunity, I hope you called your mom, or better yet visited her, to wish her a blessed day. Even though I put Mother's Day in the category of Hallmark Holidays, the day seems to have a certain sanctified quality to it. Oh, I know all the stuff about Mother's Day and the sappy ways florists and other merchants almost guilt us into buying their goods. But, Mother's Day is beyond all that.

Mother's Day is an opportunity to reflect on God's gracious providence. How is order preserved in this world except through God's gracious providence. Yet, borrowing an illustration from Dr. Robert Weise at Concordia Seminary, it's not as if the Lord is up in heaven with a big "L" on His chest, punching buttons and making things happen. If that were true, then all of the natural disasters on this planet would indicate a god who is really ticked off and out to get us.

Instead, consider how God preserves order on this earth. It's through the most basic level of authority, and therefore the highest: mothers and fathers. Take away the authority of mothers and fathers and no one on earth has any authority. Yet, God in His mercy has established what I believe are two of the highest, most critical vocations for the workings of His creation, the vocations of mother and father. Talk about these vocations, and you're talking about good order.

By the way, here's Dale Meyer's devotion for today:
For this Monday after Mother's Day, consider what Martin Luther wrote about honoring parents.
"To fatherhood and motherhood God has given the special distinction...that He commands us not simply to love our parents but also to honor them. With respect to brothers, sisters, and neighbors in general He commands nothing higher than that we love them. Thus He distinguishes father and mother above all other persons on earth, and places them next to Himself.

"For it is a much greater thing to honor than to love. Honor includes not only love but also deference, humility, and modesty, directed (so to speak) toward a majesty hidden within them. It requires us not only to address them affectionately and reverently, but above all to show by our actions, both of heart and of body, that we respect them very highly and that next to God we give them the very highest place. Young people must therefore be taught to revere their parents as God's representatives."

This Week at Mt. Olive:
The Lutheran Women's Missionary League has extended an invitation to join them at their annual dinner this Tuesday night. The LWML is meeting on Tuesday night, 6:30 p.m., at Nolan's on Airline. The chicken fried steaks and po' boys are good, best of all, nothing is very pricey there. If you'd like to attend, please call the Church Office - this will help in reserving space.

The Choir resumes its rehearsals Wednesday evening at 7 p.m. Of note, the choir will be singing at the Confirmation service on Sunday, May 30.

Thursday night, the guitars will be strumming once more in rehearsal. The next guitar service will be this coming Sunday, May 16.

The Fellowship Committee is sponsoring at Cinco de Mayo party at the home of Bill and Mavis Waterman on Saturday, 15 MAY. Dinner includes fajitas. The cost is $10 per person. If you'd like to attend, please call the Charlene Westrup or the Church Office.

Next Sunday, May 16 will be the next installment of Guitar Worship. Two Sundays so close together? Yes, mainly because we missed April.

Also concerning Sunday: We'll be celebrating the Ascension of Our Lord. I'll be writing more about this on Thursday, which the actual Ascension Day on the Church's calendar. This important, often forgotten, feast day probably gives us more comfort than we can ever imagine.

Prayer Concerns:
Those who serve in our armed forces and their families: Rob Vadney (Afghanistan), John Miller's niece (Afghanistan), Andrew Epley (Iraq), Ryan Radtke, John Sorenson, Dru Blanc (Corpus Christi), William Worley (Kingsville)
Those who graduate this month, including Samantha Jacobs and Deysi Epley (TAMUCC), Stephanie Muhr (Texas State University), Matthew Willoughby (Tuloso-Midway)
The Confirmands who will make public profession of their faith later this month
The holy Christian and apostolic Church throughout the world, as she proclaims the Ascension of Our Lord Jesus and His return in glory.
The baptismal faith of our children.

This Week at Mt. Olive:
Monday, May 10
6 p.m.
Zumba Aerobics

6:30 p.m.
Girl Scouts

7 p.m.
Church Council

Tuesday, May 11
6:30 p.m.
LWML meets at Nolan's on Airline
Pastor's Information Class

Wednesday, May 12
8:30 a.m.
School Chapel

9:30 a.m.
Bible Study (1 Thessalonians)

6 p.m.
Zumba Aerobics

7 p.m.
Choir Rehearsal

Thursday, May 13
7 p.m.
Guitar Worship Rehearsal

Saturday, May 15
Cinco de Mayo party at the Watermans