To the blessed Family of Faith:

Grace, mercy, and peace be yours from God, our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ! Amen!

November is here (unbelievable as that is), and that means that Thanksgiving is upon us. Now, I think it would be-hoove us all to remember that giving thanks to our Lord and our God ought not be reserved for a single day. Indeed, thanking God for showering us with His bountiful blessings should be an everyday occurrence, but I think this year it would be very helpful for us.

This past year has been, and continues to be, a struggle for many people the world over. Sometimes, it feels as though we are just being swept along, powerless to affect any change or improve the circumstances in which we find our-selves. Whether that’s true or not, when you reach that point, it may feel pointless or even stupid to give thanks, be-cause what is there to be thankful for?

Plenty. There is plenty for all of us to be thankful for, regardless of the trials which we endure.

The life of King David was certainly fraught with trials and tribulations (some of which were self-inflicted). All you need to do is peruse the psalms of lament to hear the sorts of troubles that hounded the shepherd-king. However, you can also read David’s psalms of thanksgiving, rendering to God the praise and honor due Him. In Psalm 34, for example, he writes, I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul makes its boast in the Lord; let the humble hear and be glad. Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His Name together! I sought the Lord, and He answer me and delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to Him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed. This poor man cried, and the Lord hear him and saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and delivers them. Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!

I’m not saying we should just gloss over present tribulations. I’m not saying that the very real suffering many people are facing these days is inconsequential, or that we should just put on a happy face and pretend nothing is wrong. What I am saying is that, in spite of the trials we face, our Lord yet blesses us with gifts too numerous to count. Food in your bellies, air in your lungs, a place to lay your head at night – these are what we call “bare necessities,” and yet we forget that they are all gifts from the loving hand of our heavenly Father. He gives us what we need, and certainly be-yond, with the various riches and luxuries that we possess—all of which would astound even Solomon, with his vast riches.

However, a day will come when you aren’t able to stomach the food set before you, when it hurts to breathe, or you cannot get into a comfortable sleeping position. A day will come when all these material blessings will not matter much at all, as death approaches. Even then … you are richly blessed, and ought to give thanks. Why? Because you have been given the greatest blessing and gift of all which can never be taken from you: faith in Christ Jesus, the cruci-fied and resurrected Lord, Who has answered your greatest need by making atonement for all your sin.

The sufferings of this life are not to be taken lightly, and it’s unlikely that they will just end on a whim. However, when we consider all the blessings bestowed upon us by God, when we hear His absolution being pronounced, when He convicts us with His law and soothes us with His Gospel, when He feeds us with the very Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus in the Supper … we taste and see that He is good, that His steadfast love does endure forever. Present circum-stances notwithstanding, we have plenty to be thankful for—not just on Thanksgiving Day, but every day. May your November and Thanksgiving celebrations be filled with such thanks to our God, from Whose hand comes every good and perfect gift!

+ Pax Christi +
Pastor Heckert

To the blessed Family of Faith:

Grace to you, and peace, from God our heavenly Father, and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!
My favorite professors at Seminary were the eccentric ones. Reed Lessing’s (apparently bottomless) energy and excitement over Hebrew was infectious. Joel Biermann’s wit and straightforward presentation were matched only by his vast knowledge base and care for his students. The depths of Gerhard Bode’s knowledge of church history and his dry sense of humor made his classes a delight. And Jim Voelz … well, Voelz is Voelz. He’s very excited and excitable over the things that he teaches, and it was from him that I first heard the phrase, “The other shoe is about to drop,” as he kicked his leg into the air, sending his loafer skyward, only to come crashing to the ground (sometimes after hitting the ceiling).

“The other shoe is about to drop.” This phrase denotes a general sense of fear and foreboding, that something big is coming and things are going to change, possibly (probably) for the worse. And, boy oh boy, we’ve been living this recently, haven’t we? These days, people are on edge, expecting something bad to happen, that some cataclysm (unforeseen or otherwise) is about to wreak havoc upon our world and alter life as we know it. The ugly truth is, it has been happening. And it’s likely to continue happening. These are dark, trying days, my friends.

But here’s the beautiful truth: it also changes absolutely nothing about what’s really important.
I don’t say that to be flippant or glib. I say it because it’s true. Yes, natural disasters strike. Kingdoms rise and fall. Wars and hatred expose the bitterness and brutality dwelling within our hearts. Diseases and injuries randomly strike and cause undue suffering. Death stalks and steals our loved ones away with little rhyme or reason. There are upheavals in the cosmos and within ourselves. This is what happens on this side of eternity. And this is precisely why we don’t look at these things as signs or evidence of Who God is. That is found solely in Jesus Christ, and Him crucified and resurrected.

None of these things change the fact that Jesus of Nazareth is the Lamb of God, Who was sacrificed on a cross outside Jerusalem’s city walls, slaughtered to atone for your sins and mine. What you see in the news cycle cannot change the fact that, in your baptism, God intrinsically tied you to the life, death, and

resurrection of Jesus. Assassinations and riots cannot change the fact that the Father has clothed you in Christ’s righteousness. Hurricanes and floods cannot change the fact that, just as Jesus was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, He will raise you and me also. Wars and rumors of wars cannot strip you of the forgiveness, life, and salvation that you taste and see in the Supper of Christ’s true Body and Blood. The terror on every side, the civil strife and social upheaval, the corruption and injustice that you see does not invalidate the promises given to you by God Himself. None of the evil we see in this life ultimately changes anything, because He does not change, and He is Lord of all.

As we enter October, Reformation Month, I think it would do us all well to remember the rallying cry of the
Reformation: Verbum Domini Manet in Æternum, “The Word of God endures forever.” Remember the verses from Isaiah’s prophecy that was the inspiration for this motto: The grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of our God will stand forever (40:8). Remember Paul’s words to the Romans, For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord (8:38-39). Remember—indeed, I encourage you to commit to memory, if you haven’t done so already—the final stanza of “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God,” the “battle hymn” of the Reformation:

“The Word they still shall let remain, Nor any thanks have for it; He’s by our side upon the plain, with His good gifts and Spirit. And take they our life, Goods, fame, child, and wife, Though these all be gone, Our vict’ry has been won; The Kingdom ours remaineth.”

His promises are sure; His Word is trustworthy and true. While this world, in its present brokenness, may be going to hell in a handbasket, our Lord holds us in the palm of His hand, and assures us that nothing in all creation can snatch us away from Him. We rest in His pierced hands, and there is no better place to be. 

Happy Reformation Month, everyone! + Pax Christi + Pastor Heckert

NOTES FROM THE PASTOR’S DESK

To the blessed Family of Faith:

Grace to you, and peace, from God our heavenly Father, and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!

I can’t believe it’s been nearly a month serving you as your new pastor! I want to thank Pastor May for his dedicated service as your vacancy pastor, holding down the fort. I’d also like to thank Pastor Kaul and his decades of dedication, hard work, and service to you all. But I would especially like to thank all of you: for calling me to serve, for the work you’ve continued to do for one another and the people of Germantown, for the warmth and hospitality you’ve shown to Hannah and me, and for all the assistance I’ve been given as I’ve moved into this position. I am truly honored and humbled by the responsibilities you’ve entrusted me with, and as we walk together, I pray our Lord Jesus would use me as He sees fit to lead and serve here!

As this is my first newsletter devotion, I’ll keep things short and simple, and simply offer to you a word from God’s Word to consider and meditate upon. It happens to be my own confirmation verse, Revelation 2:10c, and I find these words from John’s pen to be quite apropos as we begin our walk together as the Family of Faith: “Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.”

What does it mean to be faithful? How does that look? What does faithfulness to Christ entail? Further, how can you remain faithful through the ups-and-downs of life, even when death draws near? Think about it. Pray about it. And as I begin my walk alongside you, we will come to the answers together.
Again, thank you all for welcoming Hannah and me to the Family of Faith! I look forward to what our Lord Jesus has in store for us all! I look forward to seeing you in church!

In Christ our Lord,
Pr. Heckert

BORN TO TELL
The Apostle Peter wrote: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!
According to His great mercy, He has caused us to be born again to a living hope
through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead." 1 Peter 1:3
 

We are all born into the world. It's not our choosing, doing or circumstances of who we are born to. It is out of our hands. One thing is certain though, we all are born into a sin-sick and broken world. Regardless of how we are raised, who raised us, or how we live, we cannot escape our earthly fate: sin and death.

Peter wrote to the scattered and suffering churches of his day about a new birth, a new life, and a new inheritance that was theirs solely through Christ. Well, this is ours as well. In the new birth given to us by God's means of grace, Word and Sacrament, we are no longer destined for eternal death.

No, we who have been adopted into God's family by grace through faith in God's promises are given a new destiny. Just as Jesus rose from the dead, we who have been baptized into Christ share in His resurrection. In Christ, we are born again, not to the world, but to an eternal living hope. The inheritance of the new creation is waiting for us!

That is so amazing, that we cannot keep it to ourselves. We know very well that there are countless others around us who haven't heard this Good News. In the course of a week we see these people in the store, at the workplace, at school, at games and social events. We see them. We come within arm's distance of them, we text them, talk to them, laugh with them and even weep with them.

They hunger for hope and certainty, but they don't know where it is. We know. We celebrate it. We count on it for everlasting life. Oh, how their lives can be changed if someone would just welcome them and invite them to such a place where this hope is spoken, sung, believed and bolstered.

You know, at W172N11187 Division Road Germantown at 9:00 am Sundays, and Monday nights at 6:30 pm and a number of Wednesdays during Advent and Lent! They just need someone to tell them, invite and welcome them. Their lives are riding on it! Maybe someone could give them a Faith welcome/invitation card we all have, or could even mail it. I think you are one of those people who have this info that could change their lives forever. +
 

In His Holy Name, Jesus,
Pastor

Well, it's not like we have never met. Diane and I have worshipped here off and on with the family of Faith for some time, even before we were 'officially' members. I served as Senior Pastor for 17 years at Trinity Lutheran Church in Beloit. Then South Wisconsin District's President Office invited me to serve in vacancy and interim capacities since August of 2017. Upon arrival the Lord sent us to the likes of St. John's, Mayville and as far south as Grace Lutheran Church, Oak Creek and the likes of Historic downtown Trinity Lutheran Church UAC for a year or two. I was the last one to preach there before the infamous fire (which I did not cause...it was a roofing fire).

Then the Lord led me to serve a number of congregations such as, Immanuel Brookfield, Living Word, in Jackson, St. Paul, Brown Deer and others. Most recently I served as interim pastor at Beautiful Savior, Mequon, but had to leave when my younger brother was diagnosed with a serious illness that required my attention (Elkhart, IN) over the past month.

In the beginning the Lord led me into the Holy Ministry as a Missionary AT Large in Jeffrey City, Wyo. There was no church and so I was called to start one from scratch and serve mining camps in the radius of about 75 miles. At that time I was the youngest LCMS pastor in the USA at 23 and married only two weeks. God blessed the work there and the church grew rapidly. From there we lived in Beaverton, Ore and I was the associate pastor of Pilgrim Lutheran Church and School. Then a Call was extended to St. John's White Creek, in Indiana. It was large rural congregation and school, which was formed eight years before The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod even existed! During my first seven years of service our three boys were born.

After eight years there I accepted the Call to start another mission church in northern Indiana, Prince of Peace, Goshen. Here a nucleus of 40 people grew to 200 in about eight years and put on a sizable educational addition. We served there sixteen years and then I accepted the Call to Trinity, Beloit, Wisconsin where I was the Senior Pastor for seventeen years.

One of my favorite things to do started with the St. John's White Creek youth, when we took a 48-passenger charter bus to the very first LCMS Youth Gathering, Fort Collins. Colorado. After that I took youth groups to the next 15 Youth Gatherings (1 every 3 years) which is every youth gathering as the only pastor/youth leader to have been privileged to do so (and survived)! Just kidding.

But now, Diane and I are excited and honored to serve as your pastor at Faith Lutheran Church. We look forward to this opportunity/challenge confident of our gracious Lord's blessings! I am humbled to be your shepherd. God will bless us all!

In Jesus' holy name,
Pastor May and Diane

THE LAST NOTES
1,840. That’s the number. You are probably thinking, “This is odd. Why would Pastor begin with a number?” Since I first began in parish ministry, in August of 1985, I have written “notes” in every monthly newsletter in the congregations I have served. I did some math – 1,840. That’s how many “notes” I have written over the course of my ministry. These “notes” are the last.

To be sure, I was told a long time ago that “the ministry is a writing profession.” I concur. It is. These “notes” have not always been easy. It has been a challenge, at times, to come up with something to write about. Over the years, I have had very little feedback on this endeavor. I do know some of us have read my “notes” faithfully, monthly. The issues have varied from politics to faith; from devotional thoughts to personal; from “questions from the pew” (That was fun! It gave me some direction.) to a year of writing monthly thoughts on twelve significant Psalms (not that any of them are insignificant. They are all part of the inspired Word of God.).

What to say in these last notes? Simple. “Praise God from whom all blessings flow!”

In the rough and tumble of 34 years of being your Pastor the blessings have flowed from God.

When I accepted this call, I saw the potential to build a new church. That was always my dream. Faith
worshipped in, what is now, Grace Fellowship Hall from 1964 to 2002. Forty-two years. The original intent, when this congregation began, was to build a sanctuary. It took a long time. It happened in 2002. We have one of the most beautiful church buildings I have ever been in!

We broke ground on Sunday, September 9th , 2001. I will never forget that date. It was two days before 9/11. In the Spring of 2002 we dedicated the building. Our stain-glass windows have their own stories. The Risen Christ behind the altar was paid for by a few members who “chipped-in.” That is putting it mildly. As I recall, the cost of this initial stain-glass was around ten grand (don’t quote me on that.)

We wanted the three significant events in the life of Jesus. His birth. His crucifixion. His resurrection. His crucifixion was entirely paid for by one of my/our shut-ins who had the financial resources. His birth scene was paid for through fund-raising. Combined, I believe, our stain-glass windows cost north of $40,000. We can only imagine what their value is now. Beyond their monetary value, these windows are priceless! Every time we worship, the life of our dear Savior is visibly seen by us and all who enter into the house of the Lord. I will miss this beautiful church. But more than that I will miss this beautiful “church.” You! Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

Thank you for inviting me into your lives. You have entrusted to me your sorrows and joy, fears and doubts, dreams and hopes. As my pastorate has been long, our relationships have run deep. I love you. You will remain in my prayers. I will think about you often. Saying “good-by” will not be easy.
Keep the faith. Remain committed to Faith. Pray for your leaders. Pray for your new Pastor. God already knows who that is. Together -even though soon apart – we will “Praise God from whom all blessings flow!”

Love,
Pastor

Jesus said, ‘My kingdom is not of this world.’ ~ John 18:36

Early next month we will elect a new president. I don’t know about you, but to say that I have grown weary of the endless commercials, direct mailings, radio ads and everything in between, regarding the candidates, would be a gross understatement.  As my brother-in-law shared on Instagram, regarding the debate (if that’s what you want to call it), “you can figure out for yourself who might have won the debate.  However, there is no doubt that the biggest losers were the American people.” I could not agree more. How about you? As is always the case every four years, I/we will be glad when it is over.

There can be no doubt that it is a great privilege and responsibility to vote, and so we will.

It is a sad and tragic reality that we can no longer have a civil discourse, with respect for the “other side’s” opinion, regarding politics, in the American Market Place.” The discourse is inflamed, provocative, caustic and mean- spirited on both sides, in many instances. Much of this is promoted by the main-stream media, social media and any other media you want to name. Families and friends can be – have been torn asunder because of political disagreements. This is sad and very foolish.

It is easy to get drawn into this vortex. We have our personal opinions and posturing. As Christians, to be sure, we are to vote based upon our Christian values. However, it is important to remember that the government is not a Christian entity. It is at the “top of the food chain” in the Kingdom of the Left. That is to say, the Kingdoms of the world.

We have a dual citizenship as Christians. We are citizens of the Kingdom of the Left (the world) and the Kingdom of the Right (Christ’s Kingdom). So, where do you think your most important citizenship is? The answer is obvious, isn’t it? We need to temper things that go on in the Kingdom of Left through the prism of the fact that we are primarily citizens of the Kingdom of the Right. Why? Because one of them is eternal and the other isn’t.

Before Pilate Jesus says, My kingdom is not of this world. Jesus came to save all who are part of the Kingdom of the Left so that they could made a part of The Kingdom of the Right. Such is the blessing that Jesus has given you. Jesus’ primary concern is people not politics. Ours should be the same as His disciples. His Church on earth is a mediating place – a place for all who love and believe in Him, regardless of their politics. In this Kingdom our focus is on higher things, more important things, eternal things.

As we/you move through this month – as you watch the polls, listen to the candidates, talking-heads, pundits and anyone else, move along the middle path. Remember the greater citizenship. Jesus shed His blood, gave His life on the cross, defeated death that you can made a part of this Kingdom. He said it all to Pilate: My Kingdom is not of this world.

Until next time (the last time),
PTK