As we reflect and ponder our Christian walk during this season of Lent, do you feel like you’re righteous in God’s eyes? Or do you feel worthless and weak, and so far away from God’s love and forgiveness that you can’t possibly be a Christian? Do you feel “saved?”

Dear friends, it is very easy to fall into one of the first two categories! It is very easy to become “Super Spiritual;” the kind of person who always publicly professes that “I will pray for you,” but instead, turns prayer requests into a gossip fodder. On the other hand, there are people who are wonderful servants of the Lord, who confess Jesus Christ as Savior in words, deeds, and actions, yet for various reasons still walk around and live life as if their salvation is in question. Do you feel “saved”?

As you are well aware, life is full of “highs” and “lows” (sometimes you eat the bear, and sometimes the bear eats you). It is especially low when your spirit is downcast. There are many things that can make your spirit “downcast”; it can be something in the world (job stress, family situations, dealing with enemies and anxiety), it can be something inside of you (physical exhaustion, mental or emotional issues), and it certainly can be because the devil is assaulting you. But again, do you “FEEL SAVED”?

We may cry out like the Psalmist in Psalm 42: 6-11 Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me…My soul is downcast within me; …Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me…I say to God my Rock, “Why have you forgotten me? Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy?” My bones suffer mortal agony as my foes taunt me, saying to me all day long, “Where is your God?” Why are you downcast, O my soul?

These are the times, especially during Lent when all of our sins surge

upon us; when every wrongful “jot and tittle” that we could be called on the carpet for are hiding just around the corners of our minds. They rush to our recollection, accusing us and telling us what “lowlifes” we really are. Our spirit is ready to accept blame for anything, even for things we haven’t done!

Are you feeling saved? If we depended on our feelings to save us or make us righteous, however, we would be trusting in ourselves instead of God. But we can no more depend on our feelings as a gage to measure salvation than we can depend on being able to save ourselves!

Feelings will always leave you empty, but God never does! It isn’t our “feeling saved” that does it, it is the promise of salvation by faith in Jesus Christ that assures us that “WE ARE SAVED”! It is the promise of God that Christ has freed YOU from the bondage of emptiness in a life of sin, the emptiness of trusting the world and the emptiness that the devil leaves behind. 1 Peter 1:18-20 says For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake.

God reveals these promises to us in His Word and Sacraments; by hearing, reading, washing in, and feeding on His forgiveness. These means of God’s grace are what moves us beyond trusting in the physical (what we can see and understand) to faith, described by the author of the letter to the Hebrews as “being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see” (Heb. 11:1).

My desire and my calling here at St. John’s is to bring you closer to these promises. These promises in the Scriptures are more than mere writings by men; they were men inspired by the Holy Spirit of God to write down God’s words to bring us to Jesus Christ, “the same yesterday and today and forever” (Heb. 3:8). I ask you to trust the Scriptures. I pray you desire to read, mark and inwardly digest the nuggets of grace and wisdom that the Scriptures can bring to your life. I ask that you “not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another” (Heb. 10:25)-that is, come to church and worship with us! Read your Bible whenever you can, gather in fellowship with other believers and “bear” each other’s burdens. For that is where Jesus promises to be when “2 or more are gathered in my name.” And reach out with the right hand of fellowship to our neighbors who don’t know Christ’s forgiving embrace, and bring them along with you!

So praise God, we need not depend on feeling saved! Praise God, we

are saved by faith in the promise of salvation in Jesus Christ! Praise God, for even when we feel downcast, we can call on Him and know peace, forgiveness and salvation! As Psalm 42 concludes: Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God.” For we walk by faith, not by sight, or feelings, or emotions. So, if your feelings are downcast, “Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.

A blessed Lententide! Pastor Young

Wednesday, Mar. 3: Isaiah 52:13-53:3 “Appearances Can Be Deceiving”

Wednesday, Mar. 10: Isaiah 53:4-5 “By His Wounds We are Healed”

Wednesday, Mar. 17: Isaiah 53:6 “Stray Sheep”

Wednesday, Mar. 24: Isaiah 53:7 “Knowing When to Keep Quiet”

Wednesday, Mar. 31: Isaiah 53:8 “Is There No Justice?”

Maundy Thursday, Apr. 8: Isaiah 52:15 “Bloodbath”

Once again, beginning Wednesday, March 3, the Board of Parish Fellowship is serving some delicious soup with the help of our 7th/8th grade students and the youth group. The suppers will begin at 5:30 p.m. in St. John’s Lutheran School cafeteria each Wednesday during Lent — March 3, 10, 17, 24 and 31. The menu includes soup, sandwiches, crackers and a light dessert.

Come, join us weekly and bring a friend. A free-will donation will be accepted.

March 2 Grades 6-8 to Valpo for career day

6 Math contest at Valpo ...FAN swim night at YMCA 5-7:00 sponsored by School Daze Newspaper Staff

7-12 National Lutheran Schools Week

7 NLSW 10:45 worship service

8 Giving Tree ...8:30 in gym Monday

12 Grades 5-8 to Fort Wayne for trip to seminary, Luther artifacts, chapel, tour, lunch

April 16 FAN Sock Hop sponsored by PTL ...5:30-8:00

22 Earth Day assembly in gym 10:00

May 1 Academic Bowl 8-12:30 in school.

Northwest Indiana Lutheran Schools invited

2 10:00 Confirmation Service

6 Mobile Ed presents assembly 1:00

15 Church Spring Fest ...a church event

Oct. 20 Wheel of Wisdom

Final church attendance figures for second quarter were 72% compared to 66% last year at this time.

National Lutheran Schools Week is March 7-12. The theme is Lutheran Schools...A Great Place to Grow...Grow in the Grace and Knowledge of Christ... We are planning the following events:

3-2 Valpo Career Day

3-6 Math Contest, Swim night

3-7 Worship service 10:45

3-8 Giving Tree Theatre 8:30 “Bully and the Beast”

3-9 Flower making in the afternoon for bulletin board themes

3-10 Grandparents at chapel and in building 8-10:00 a.m. includes

morning refreshments and an opportunity for you to visit the

classrooms...no reservation needed...Etiquette lessons for grades 4-8 and a carnival in the gym for PK-3 take place in

the afternoon. Volunteers needed to help with those events. Please contact the school office if you can help.

3-11 Cookie Drop to community services...Student Council reps help. Teacher luncheon...11-12:30 in Ladies Lounge

3-12 Grades 5-8 to Fort Wayne to seminary. Students and teachers

and Pastor Young attend. We are taking one school bus.

Academic bowl will include upper grades kids...hopefully this year.We will probably need some help as in the past. I am not available that day as I will be preparing for my daughter’s confirmation dinner.

We started a Title I after school remedial class for grades K, 1 and 2 kids that teachers think need help. This is paid by a grant.

I have returned as the seventh grade teacher this year. It is quite a change from the fifth grade. Obviously, I have not moved south yet. I put that on hold so that I could come back here for another year. It is still in my plans; I’m just not sure when it will happen.

During my time away from St. John’s, I finished my student teaching for my kindergarten endorsement. Once all the paperwork goes through, I will be licensed for Kindergarten through 8th grade. I received my degree from Purdue North Central in December of 2000.

Some things about me...I’m going to be an Aunt! My younger brother and his wife are going to have a baby. They just recently moved back to South Bend, so I’m really excited about getting to spend time with my niece or nephew when she/he arrives. As for me, well, I’m still single and living at home. I love my parents, but I can’t wait to get out on my own too!

I have finally adjusted to teaching seventh grade and having my class come and go with the switching we do in the morning. It’s definitely different from last year, but I am really enjoying it. I’m also back with the Student Council helping Mindy Bremer. We had quite a successful December helping out the Salvation Army. In January, five of the student council members visited the State House in Indianapolis, I had the chance to attend that as well.

I believe that God has brought me back here to St. John’s. How long He will keep me here is a mystery to me. All I know is that I will cherish the time I get to spend here and all of the people I get to meet here at St. John’s.

The meeting was called to order by Chairman Chuck Link. Pastor Young led the assembly in prayer.

Minutes from the November 5 meeting were read and approved.

Pastor Young reported the following:

Dave Wippich elaborated on the attached report. He also reported that two of the three recommendations made by the accreditation team last year have been completed. The hiring of a deaconess would move the school toward completing the third recommendation.

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