Lutheran Hosts Recognized
Apr 30th
Rev. Dr. Albert Collver presented the Jill and Glen Oster a plaque of thanks from The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod for their support of LCMS missionary efforts in Papua New Guinea (through caring for the Mission Children of LCMS PNG missionaries).
Dr. Collver noted that the Lutheran church has a long history of families hosting school children, beginning perhaps with Martin Luther being hosted by the Cotta family when he was a school boy (pictured above). Dr. Collver said, “It is a wonderful service to the Lord to host the children of missionaries in your home. Thank you and May Christ richly bless you.”
The Osters are spending almost 6 weeks traveling the US to visit as many of the 33 missionary kids and missionary alumni parents as they can. So far they have been to Hawaii, California, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Missouri, and from there they move on to Ohio, Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Texas, flying out of Dallas back to Adelaide.
The Osters were touched to be publicly thanked — and didn’t know about the recognition planned at the LCMS International Center.
Just a few things Glen said, “about 50 years ago, there was an announcement in their church to host American children. And Jill said, ‘I like the American accent.’ … we decided to help. Initially we hosted 3 boys and 2 girls, never knowing that eventually we’d host 33!”
Jill and Glenn Oster were a young newlywed couple when they volunteered to provide a home away from home for the first group of LCMS missionary children who attended Concordia College (a boarding school High School) in Adelaide, Australia. Between, 1963-1979 they hosted and took care of a total of 33 high school students, all children of LCMS missionaries in Papua New Guinea. The LCMS missionaries were able to focus on their mission work knowing that their children were in the God-guided hands of the Osters who treated the missionary children as their own.
Jill and Glen Oster and Carrie (Burce) and Myron Koehn, executive director of LCMS Information Technologies. (Carrie is a missionary kid of the first LCMS missionaries —the Burces — to PNG and one of the last children hosted by the Osters)
Myron Koehn introduced the Osters in chapel:
“Joining us today are Glen and Jill Oster from Adelaide South Australia. Between the years of 1963 and 1979 this amazing couple voluntarily hosted a total of 33 LCMS New Guinea missionary kids (MK’s) whose parents sent them to high school at the Concordia boarding school in Adelaide. The Osters are now making their way across the country visiting as many of those 33 missionary kids as possible before returning to Adelaide in a few weeks. On a personal note, Glen and Jill, I want to express my thanks to you for taking such good care of my wife, Carrie, who was among the last of the 33 MK’s you hosted. Rev. Dr. Al Collver is here today representing The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod and I understand that he has something for you…”
Glen is now retired from his carpentry career. Both Glen and Jill were quite active in their Lutheran congregation and at Concordia College (High School) in Adelaide — often volunteering wherever and whenever help was needed. Glen and Jill are members of the Lutheran Church of Australia with whom the LCMS enjoyed a very strong Papua New Guinea ministry partnership dating back to the 1940s. Praise be to God for all He accomplished through that ministry partnership and His servants, the Osters.
– Posted by Rev. Dr. Albert B. Collver, LCMS Director of Church Relations on 30 April 2013.
Combating Evil
Apr 25th
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
–1 Peter 2:9
Threats by North Koreans to attack neighboring countries and the United States prompted international debate about the rationality of North Korean leader, Kim Jung Un. Closer to home, the bombings in Boston prompted a similar discussion about the rationality of two young men, one a teenager, who attacked Boston Marathon participants–men, women and children. Senseless acts of violence.
Evil is senseless and afflicts society and confounds the Church. When evil produces outbursts such as those in Boston, Christians offer consolation to the victims, and more often than not, lament the acts as senseless and irrational. When evil afflicts the Church within, it often goes unnoticed. It grows and festers with impunity.
Less celebrated evil presents itself as sensible, even reasonable. This low-profile evil works quietly over time and finds a willing host where it can breed and grow. It may take years, even decades, to manifest itself. This evil, this evil that incubates within the host, is the most insidious and most dangerous.
The Church combats such evil by the faithful preaching of the Word and the administration of the Sacraments. The Word and Sacraments offer life to the Church when afflicted by evil within. Without such means, the Church surrenders to evil and rots and decays until it is no more a Church but a spiritual corpse.
Preaching Christ’s atoning work is the Church’s life-saving message for the world; its special calling. Anything else accommodates evil; tolerates the discomfort, and leaves the world without hope. This accommodation is sin at its worst for it not only is self-destructive, it is the manifestation of hopelessness.
Evil will remain until our Lord returns in glory. Whether evil explodes on the world or resides dormant within, it is the Church that offers the sure and certain final victory. Let the Church carry out its work faithfully that sinners would be brought to life, delivered from evil, and from sin, death, and hell.
May God in Christ bless and keep the Church. Amen.
Gregory Williamson
LCMS Chief Mission Officer
Resources for Sunday of Easter 4 in Light of the Boston Marathon Bombing
Apr 16th
Download in MS Word format
Collect:
O Savior, our Good Shepherd, You taught us that the thief comes only to steal and to kill and to destroy, but that You have come to bring life in abundance. Remember in Your divine pity those who have endured the terror attack in Boston, and comfort them with Your presence and promises. Receive our thanks for the care provided by the first responders and all who have ministered to those suffering. Continue to grant to the afflicted Your healing and to those who mourn, grant the peace that can come only from Your victory over death. Thwart the desires of those who would sow fear and discord among us and lead them to repentance. We make these prayers to You in confidence, for You have known in Your own flesh the irrational hatred and violence and overcome them with divine compassion and love, You who live and reign with the Father and Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Petition to add to the Prayer of the Church (Series C):
For all injured in the attacks in Boston; for those who mourn their dead; and for all who have been traumatized, that they may each experience the comfort of Your unfailing love and the strength of Your divine life, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
Petition to add to the Prayer of the Church (One-Year Series):
Lord of life, to Your merciful hand we commend all who have been injured in the attacks in Boston; all who mourn their dead; all traumatized by what they saw and experienced there. May Your merciful love sustain, comfort, and uphold them. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
A Litany:
O Lord, have mercy.
O Christ, have mercy.
O Lord, have mercy.
O Christ, hear us.
God the Father in heaven, have mercy.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy.
God the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, have mercy.
Be gracious to us, spare us, good Lord.
Be gracious to us, help us, good Lord.
From all crafts and assaults of the devil;
From sudden and evil death;
From the seductions of fear and terror: good Lord, deliver us.
By Your holy wounds, suffered freely for us, help us, good Lord.
By Your love’s victory over every hatred and violence, help us, good Lord.
By Your triumph over death and the grave, help us, good Lord.
For all who have been wounded in body or spirit, heal them, O Lord.
For all who have lost those they love, comfort them, O Lord.
For all who labor to bring relief, order, and justice, strengthen them, O Lord.
For all who are perplexed and struggling with fear and doubt, grant Your peace, O Lord.
For those who have died, that we be given grace to commend them to Your merciful hands, grant it, O Lord.
Christ, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, have mercy!
Christ, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, have mercy!
Christ, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, grant us Your peace!
O Christ, hear us.
O Lord, have mercy.
O Christ, have mercy.
O Lord, have mercy. Amen.
Taught by our Lord and trusting His promises we are bold to pray: Our Father . . .
Harrison on Boston: “Ask our dear Lord Christ for blessings for the injured and strength for the bereaved”
Apr 15th
The deplorable attack on innocent citizens in Boston while they were joined in healthy and joyous activity is beyond comprehension. As Christian citizens of this nation, we stand against wanton violence. We express our deepest sympathy for those whose loved ones have been lost and with the families of the injured. We ask our dear Lord Christ for blessings for the injured and strength for the bereaved. We pray for every blessing upon the doctors; emergency workers; and city, state and federal officials as they face this evil in dedicated service.
Like the death of our Lord Christ Himself, we pray that, even in this dark hour, the sacrifice and pain of those affected will not be in vain, but redound in good as yet unseen. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too” (2 Cor. 1:3-5).
Pastor Matthew Harrison
