mclclititz

On the Feast of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit descends mightily on the Church. Jesus has fulfilled His Ascension promise not to leave us comfortless or alone, but to send us the Spirit of truth from the Father, to lead us into all truth, and to teach us the things of God, and of His Son, Jesus Christ. By this Spirit, which is poured out on all of us by Word and Baptism, we come to faith, and are strengthened in the daily life of God in the Holy Christian Church.

In the last session of New Member Catechesis, we hear the account of the Road to Emmaus from Luke 24:13-35. Our Lord brings us to an understanding of what our weekly life is like, a journey on the road to discovery that brings us, by means of the preaching of our Lord and the sacrament, from dejection to hope. Holy Week is not only a week, but the very pattern of our life before God.

Born at the beginning of the second century, Justin was raised in a pagan family. He was student of philosophy who converted to the Christian faith and became a teacher in Ephesus and Rome. After refusing to make pagan sacrifices, he was arrested, tried and executed, along with six other believers. The official Roman court proceedings of his trial before Rusticius, a Roman prelate, document his confession of faith. The account of his martyrdom became a source of great encouragement to the early Christian community. Much of what we know of early liturgical practice comes from Justin.

In Adult Bible Class we will read through Leviticus 24, “The Holy Oil & the Holy Bread,” and “The Penalty for the Abuse of God’s Holy Name.”

To walk in Jesus’ path is to be treated as Jesus was treated. On the last Sunday of the Easter season, we consider Jesus’ difficult words regarding the persecution we face as followers of Him.

In this section of new member catechesis, Pastor Seifferlein leads the hearers into a study of the Lord's Prayer aiming by God's Spirit to renew their understanding and appreciation of this greatest prayer our Lord gave us to pray.

Ascension is always celebrated 40 days after Easter, as that is how long Jesus was with His disciples after His resurrection. Christians in former times celebrated the Ascension with great gusto, taking part in celebrations and services in the open air, on a hill, or in the countryside. In this feast we celebrate the first time that flesh and blood sits at the right hand of God. The Jesus who left heaven in humility returns to heaven in great glory. The Ascension does not mean that the Lord has left us, but that the way in which we experience Him has changed. While we no longer SEE Him, He is STILL WITH US IN HIS BODILY PRESENCE, even as His Word is preached and as the Sacraments are administered (Matthew 18:20, 28:20). Though it always falls on a Thursday, and is sometimes overlooked because of it, next to Easter and Christmas, the Ascension of Our Lord is the third highest festival of the church year. Come join us as we celebrate Jesus’ ascent to God’s right hand that He might rule all things for the sake of His Church until all enemies are put under His feet!

Mount Calvary Lutheran and the Philadelphia Circuit of the English District welcomed the Rev. Juhana Pohjola, Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Mission Diocese of Finland (ELMDF), on Monday, May 23, 2022 for a presentation, Faith Speech on Trial in Finland, which reflected on his and Finnish Member of Parliament, Dr. Päivi Räsänen’s indictment in the Helsinki District Court for the publication of a 2004 booklet which defends the biblical Christian understanding of human sexuality.

In the final section of Leviticus, we deal with holy time. There is time for work, but God also sets apart holy days for His people to meet with Him, offer their sacrifices, and receive His gifts. Just as God sets apart the place of their meeting (the tabernacle), so also He sets aside the very times where He will come to bless His people. In Leviticus 23 we deal with the “Calendar of Holy Times.”

In the Easter season we focus on all the blessings we have as children of God though Jesus mighty resurrection from the dead. Each year on the Sixth Sunday of Easter we discuss the gift of prayer. As the temple curtain was torn in two at Jesus death, we have access with God through Christ not only that we will enter into God’s presence when we die, but that through Christ as our mediator, we can approach the Father’s throne of grace with confidence as His dearly beloved children. Come join us as we unpack God’s Easter gift of prayer!

Constantine I served as Roman Emperor from A.D. 306 to 337. During his reign the persecution of Christians was forbidden by the Edict of Milan in 312, and ultimately the faith gained full imperial support. Constantine took an active interest in the life and teachings of the church and called the Council of Nicaea in 325 at which orthodox Christianity was defined and defended. His mother, Helena (ca. 255-329), strongly influenced Constantine. Her great interest in locating the holy sites of the Christian faith led her to become one of the first Christian pilgrims to the Holy Land. Her research led to the identification of Biblical locations in Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and beyond, which are still maintained as places of worship today.

In this section of new member catechesis, Pastor Seifferlein leads the hearers into a study of the Lord's Prayer aiming by God's Spirit to renew their understanding and appreciation of this greatest prayer our Lord gave us to pray.

On Cantate Sunday we hear Jesus’ words about His promise to send His Holy Spirit to comfort us in all truth. Because of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead, we have a new song to sing which is sung in all the earth. This new song proclaims the forgiveness of sin, the righteousness won by Jesus, and that the devil’s days are coming to a swift end.

We praise God for the wedding of Joshua and Sarnai, which took place at Mount Calvary yesterday. May their love for the Lord and each other grow and strengthen through every joy and sorrow shared!

In this episode of New Member Catechesis, Pr. Seifferlein teaches us the meaning of the third article of the Apostles’ Creed, “I believe in the Holy Spirit.” We see the day of Pentecost in Acts 2, and the work of the church begun there that continues today.

Cyril and Methodius, Missionaries to the Slavs - Cyril (826-69) and Methodius (c. 815-85) were brothers who came from a Greek family in Thessalonica. The younger brother took the name "Cyril" when he became a monk in 868. After ordination, Cyril became librarian at the church of Holy Wisdom (Hagia Sophia) in Constantinople. In 862 the brothers were sent by the emperor as missionaries to what is now the Czech Republic, where they taught in the native Slavic tongue. Cyril invented the alphabet today know today as "Cyrillic," which provided a written language for the liturgy and Scriptures for the Slavic peoples. This use of the vernacular established an important principle for evangelical missions.

In this session of New Member Catechesis, Pr. Seifferlein takes the catechumens on an interesting tour of the “graveyard.” What is our unique hope as Christians, and why is the resurrection of Jesus from the dead the central teaching of Christianity? Listen to this episode to consider these things anew.

In previous chapters we looked at the expectations of holiness for God's people. In chapters 21-22 we look at the expectations of holiness for the priests. Join us this Sunday as we begin this new section of Leviticus.

On the Fourth Sunday of Easter our joy continues as Christ prepares us for our life here on earth without Him. He holds before us the hope of what is to come, as well as admonition about what our life here should be about. The teaching we receive from Him gives us a proper orientation for our lives here, granting hope, peace, and comfort to our hearts.

Our new Women at Mount Calvary Bible Class meets once a month (usually the second week of the month) on a Saturday at 2:00 PM. This month we studied Ephesians 1:15-23. Open your bibles and follow along! All women of our congregation are most welcome to attend along with any guests you bring along.

Friedrich Wyneken is one of the founding fathers of The Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod, along with C.F.W. Walther and Wilhelm Sihler. Born in 1810 in Germany, he came to Baltimore in 1838 and shortly thereafter accepted a call to be the pastor of congregations in Friedheim and Fort Wayne, Indiana. Supported by Wilhelm Loehe's mission society, Wyneken served as an itinerant missionary in Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan, particularly among Native Americans. Together with Loehe and Sihler, he founded Concordia Theological Seminary in 1846 in Fort Wayne, Ind. He later served as the second president of the LCMS during a period of significant growth (1850-64). His leadership strongly influenced the confessional character of the LCMS and its commitment to an authentic Lutheran witness.

In this session of New Member Catechesis, Pr. Seifferlein takes the catechumens on an interesting tour of the “graveyard.” What is our unique hope as Christians, and why is the resurrection of Jesus from the dead the central teaching of Christianity? Listen to this episode to consider these things anew.

In Bible Class we will finish up the holiness code in Leviticus chapter 20.

Join us this week in worship for Good Shepherd Sunday! For the sheep the Lamb has bled, Alleluia! Sinless in the sinner’s stead. Alleluia! Christ the Lord is ris’n on high; Alleluia! Now He lives, no more to die. Alleluia!

Our celebration of Easter continues with the historic readings for the Wednesday after Easter. We find the disciples, after the account in the Upper Room, following Peter in his desire to go fishing. Our Lord meets them on the shore as He teaches them how to fish and strengthens them by feeding them breakfast. With our Lord fishing is not only fishing as He teaches His disciples what it means to fish for men.