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Advent is a season of hope and anticipation looking forward to Jesus birth at Christmas and Jesus return. At Faith we will be celebrating with dinner and Divine Service. Our schedule is:

1st Wednesday of Advent December 6^th Dinner at 6:00 PM, Advent Service at 7:00 PM

2nd Wednesday of Advent December 13^th Dinner at 6:00 PM Advent Service at 7:00 PM

3rd Wednesday of Advent December 20^th dinner at 6:00 PM Advent Service at 7:00 PM

Christmas Eve Morning 10:00 AM

Christmas Eve Candlelight 7:00 PM

Christmas Morning 10:00 AM with Holy Communion

A blessed Advent to all!

Join us tonight in giving thanks! Thanksgiving Eve Service Wednesday November 22nd at 7:00 PM. Faith Lutheran Church, 1617 W. Main Street, Buena Vista, CO.

Wow! Thanks to the community of Buena Vista and the Faith Lutheran LWML for another wonderful Gingerbread Bazaar! What a fun day! Thank you to all who worked hard, and all who helped us help others!

As we prepare for the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation, Faith Lutheran Church of Buena Vista is beginning to celebrate with a display at the Buena Vista Public Library.  The display was put together by Jim Borneman with items from different member families at Faith. If you are at the BV Library stop for a look.

It looks like hurricane Harvey is a bad one. Our prayers are with all of those who are hurting in Texas. Jesus’ church throughout the world is preparing to help meet needs in any way we can. If you would like to help here is a link to our own LCMS relief efforts.

LCMS Hurricane Harvey Relief

Context is important. Without knowing what the context is in a sentence, how do you know the meaning of its words? Are you going to the bank to deposit a check, or are you sitting on the bank while fishing. Without context, how do you know? In the Gospel of Matthew we hear about Jesus feeding a great crowd. “And they all ate and were satisfied.” All the people were miraculously fed by Jesus with five loaves and two fish, and they were filled up; they were all satisfied.” Okay, but what does that mean? Were they just full? What satisfied them? The food, the creator of the feast? Let me change this to a question for you. Are you satisfied? Where do you find satisfaction? I can’t make you satisfied, but God can.  In fact, He already has, in Christ.  In the all-redeeming life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, all your sinful debt has been fully and completely satisfied.  You have been satisfied in Christ and because of Christ. “It is finished!” In any context, this is satisfaction.

Sometimes we lose patience. We honk at the stoplight, or mutter while waiting in line. There are times that we all lose our patience. There are times when we all lament, “how long will this go on, how long O Lord.” You’ve had days like that, haven’t you? You’ve had one of those days when you wonder if things will ever get better.

King David of Israel had those days as well. In Psalm 6 King David laments. He is not just annoyed. He is in anguish. He is not ticked off at someone who is being inconsiderate. He is in agony feeling his separation from God and waiting for God to deliver him.

David cries out, “My soul is in anguish.” David is crying out to God. The world is unfair. It is broken. The sin that infected God’s perfect creation has trickled to David here and now. His sin, the sin of his father, the sin of all people, weighs on him in this dark time. Nothing is familiar, nothing is right. David feels the full anger of God at the destruction of His perfect creation. This is the pain that weighs on men in a battle. It is a pain that can be worse than physical pain. It is agonizing when things are so wrong and nothing we can do can make it right. David cries out for God to make things right.

It is distance from God that makes things hellish. Hell is a complete separation from God. Sin rips us away from God who is all that is good and right. We can see a reflection of that in our relationships with each other. When we have wronged a person and have not been forgiven we feel distant, separated, the closeness that was once there is gone. The distance can seem miles, the wait for forgiveness an eternity.

Everyone was made to be close. We long for a closeness to God and each other that is now gone. This separation is hard. We raise our faces to God and ask, “how long?”

In the Psalm David turns to God. He says, “For the Lord has heard my weeping. The Lord has heard my cry for mercy; the Lord accepts my prayer.”  Here we see one of God’s great miracles. It is also one of the least heralded. When we look for miracles we often look for the theatrical. Sometimes we forget the miracles that are with us every day. Like faith.

What a great miracle faith is because our faith in Jesus, God’s Son, grafts us into God’s family. Faith comes from a powerful source, and does powerful things. Faith comes from hearing the Word of God. God’s Holy Spirit uses it to close the gap between us and God. With faith comes strength and patience. God assures us of faith through His Word in Baptism. He strengthens our faith through the body and blood of His Son. With God’s miracle of faith and the strength it brings we can look into the dark and not be afraid.

In the Psalm David had faith that even in the darkest night God would not leave Him. The Lord had heard Him. God Himself had accepted David’s prayer.  Even under the weight of sin David knew that a Savior was coming. That this day would not be the last day, and that he would be with God.

You have the joy of knowing the voice of your Savior through the Word. You can see His light in the darkness. The writer of Hebrews wrote, “ Looking to Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of God.”

When life is dark and the night is long look to your faith. Remember that Jesus is in command. He sits on the right hand of God. He intercedes for us. He carries us in difficulty, and when the end comes we do not suffer the separation from God that is hell. Instead we are welcomed by God’s Son into His presence in Heaven, eternal communion with God.

On Memorial Day we remember those who have served in and suffered like David. We give thanks that they fought for our freedoms yesterday and today, especially the freedom of faith.  We especially give thanks for the chaplains who remind those in dark places and days that there is a light and He is Jesus Christ. David asked, “how long, O Lord?” God answered Him and us, “Now.” Your salvation is today. Jesus has healed the gap between you and God. In your darkest day and hour He hears you and will bring you to your home in Heaven safely.

Ephesians 1:4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.

Have you ever felt like you were coming home to somewhere you belonged? I grew up in a small town. Though I have lived in several large cities there is a certain feeling that you get when you return to that hometown. You know who is driving by and when, you know where everything and everyone lives and where they usually are. You get that same feeling in returning home from a trip where you stayed in a hotel. Sure, the hotel can be really nice, but when you get home you are in your place. Some find this confining, but I find it comforting. I am at home.

As we begin life’s journey we are fearfully, and wonderfully, made by God. We are also burdened with the sin of Adam and Eve. The sin that we are born into as the children of transgressors of God’s Laws itself condemns us. We also add to that burden daily in thought, word, and deed. The Bible has sharp words for those who deny this in 1 John 1:8 we hear, “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”

We are creatures made by God, yet we cannot be with Him because He is Holy, and we are not. That is where Epiphany comes in. The magi knew the Messiah and worshiped Him. We come to God by the work of the Holy Spirit. In John 16:13-14 we hear, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.”

Through that declaration we know that Jesus is the Messiah who came to free us from the slavery of sin. We gather together to hear the Word through which the Spirit Works. He gives us Jesus righteousness. We are returned to the righteousness that Adam and Eve enjoyed in the perfect garden by this. We come home. And home is a wonderful place.

Prayer: Lord in Heaven, we thank you for the blessings of home. We thank you for the people we know and love. As we go through life remind us constantly of our true home in Your Church and in Heaven. Allow us to share our home with others. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.