What Is Joy:Fully Lutheran?

July 20-25, 2019 the 67th Convention of the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod will take place in Tampa, Florida. “Joy:fully Lutheran” is the theme for The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod through the next convention.

As we prepare our hearts for the Synodical Convention, we take time to pause and reflect upon what it is to be joy:fully Lutheran. In this space, Northern Illinois District pastors will share what it means to them to be joy:fully Lutheran.

What a Time

By Pastor Angel Morales

What a better time to be to Joy:fully Lutheran! What a better time for Jesus Christ to remain the center and the reason for our hope.

In these moments in which it seems that the society moves away more and more from the biblical truths, the attendance in our churches has begun diminishing as well.

I give thanks and glory to God for the undeserved opportunity that He in His mercy has given me to proclaim the works of Him that brought us out of darkness into His admirable light.

Yes, we are living in difficult times, but for that we have been called to the ranks of the Army of the Lord Jesus Christ to continue presenting the defense of the Gospel, to continue preaching Law and Gospel, to continue expanding the Kingdom of heaven preaching Jesus Christ crucified for our sins, and resurrected as the first fruits of our salvation to each person, whether they visit us for the first time or have 40 years of being members of our churches.

What a better time to be to Joy:fully Lutheran! What a better time, especially because the world insists on saying that the truth is ephemeral, and that what is true today could become an ambivalence tomorrow. The Lutheran Church continues firmly believing, teaching, and confessing that The Truth burst into this world and became flesh; Jesus Christ, King of Kings, and Lord of Lords who became flesh to sanctify the flesh and the spirit of all those whom the Lord will continue to call through His Word and Sacraments.

What a better time to be to Joy:fully Lutheran! Before being arrested, the Lord Jesus Christ prayed to the Father, and within His prayer He included these words:

“Neither pray I for these alone, but for those who believe in me through their word”. (John 17:20 KJV) And in this 2019, we continue to be witnesses of the fulfillment of the Lord Jesus’ prayer. Whenever new people enter through the doors of the church for the first time, we can see that God continues in His mission. He has not stopped and would not stop calling all sinners to repentance through Him who was raised on the Cross to attract all those who are to be saved. That’s why I say, “What a better time to be to Joy:fully Lutheran! What a better time!”

Here at St. Paul, after 161 uninterrupted years, Jesus Christ continues in His mission, preaching and serving our community of Aurora, IL. With our school from preschool to 8th grade, and every weekend during our five services-three in English and two in Spanish, Jesus Christ continues with the expansion of His Kingdom through the preaching of the Word and Sacraments giving the gift of faith totally free to those who believe.

If you asked me what is the greatest joy of being called Lutheran in these times, my answer would be to know that my Lord Jesus Christ in His mercy came to this world for me: He went to the desert for me; He was baptized for me; He was rejected by me; all the miracles and signs He did for me; He was whipped for me; He was crucified for me; He shed His blood for me; on the Cross, before dying, He prayed to the Father for me; He rose again on the third day for me, and He is at the right hand of the Father interceding for me every day of my life until He decides to call me to His presence–or decides to return to this world for me and for all my brothers and sisters in the faith. “What a better time to be to Joyful Lutheran!”