A new statue of Jesus

On June 14th as part of our 125th anniversary celebration we will dedicate this new statue of Jesus.

This is an original piece designed and constructed for our entryway by artist Philip Perschbacher.
http://www.perschbacherartist.com/

Sheep -- VBS by Pastor Ronnie Koch

Sheep were a part of daily life in Bible times. David, went from being a boy who watched the family’s sheep, to being the great King of Israel. The angels announced the birth of Jesus first to people who were out watching sheep by night.

1. Our Lord Jesus is the Good Shepherd

By Jesus comforting words, we are led to believe that He cares about each one of us

A statue of Jesus from the
Catacombs in Rome
A.D. 200

personally, and fully. He says, “The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. . . I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me” John 10:11 & 14

2. Jesus -- our Shepherd forever.

On the last day we are told that Jesus will judge the world, separating people like a shepherd would separate the sheep from the goats (Matthew 25:21-36). Those of us who believe in Him look forward to that last day because we will hear Him say, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (verse 34). Our Savior Jesus has been at work since even before He was born, preparing the Kingdom for us and preparing us for the Kingdom.

3. Jesus wants you to stay in His flock.

Jesus told Peter his disciple to “feed my lambs.” Today, Jesus has his pastors and teachers feed the lambs of his flock by preaching and teaching His word of grace and truth. Keep listening to Jesus word. Keep coming as a family to the green pastures of still waters that God has for you in His Divine Service at church.

Donkey -- VBS by Pastor Ronnie Koch

Donkeys are one of the most often mentioned animals in the Bible. In ancient Europe, Asia and Africa, donkeys were as common as cars are for us today. Even today, in the Middle East you can see many donkeys in the countryside as well as on city streets.

1.  A donkey served Jesus, taking Him to Jerusalem.

Jesus rode a donkey into the city on his last visit to Jerusalem. The beast of burden bore Jesus who would, within, a few days, bear the burden of the world’s sins on the cross.

2.  Balaam had an argument with his donkey.

            A very interesting donkey is described in the Bible, Numbers 22.  When Balaam would  not listen to what God said, God miraculously gave Balaam’s donkey the gift of human speech. The donkey told Balaam what was what. This becomes a fun little lesson for us today to keep listening to what God has to say.

3. “Thy Word is a Lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.” Psalm 119:105

            God’s word tells us what we are to do and not do. But then, more importantly, it tells us what God has done for us:  He sent Jesus to this earth and to the cross to serve us. Jesus became our beast of burden, carrying our griefs and sorrows, our sins and guilt. Because of all Jesus did, God forgives us and promises to lead us all our days and into eternal life with Him.

Doves -- VBS by Pastor Ronnie Koch

Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved. Mark 16:16

1. Doves are a symbol of peace & hope.

Doves are a common symbol in religious and civil ceremonies. They are sometimes released at weddings. Great flocks of them are released at the start of the Olympics. The dove is a familiar symbol of peace. It makes one feel peaceful to see a dove fly away free and hopeful for a good life ahead.

2. A dove showed Noah the flood was over.

When the rain had stopped for a while, Noah sent out a dove from the ark and it returned with a fresh olive branch, a sign that the newly cleaned dry land was producing green, new life.

Noah’s flood reminds us of baptism. See 1 Peter 3:20-21. Remind those in your family about this connection.

3. The Holy Spirit comes like a dove.

When Jesus was baptized, the Holy Spirit came to Him in the form of a dove. In our baptisms we have the promised Holy Spirit. Like a dove bringing feelings of peace and hope, the Holy Spirit has blessings for us. You and your family can review those blessings in the catechism’s explanation of the 3^rd Article of the Creed:

I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith.

Dinosaurs and Dragons - VBS by Pastor Ronnie Koch

Many children are enthralled with Dinosaurs and Dragons. Ancient bones that have been dug up seem to tell stories of great beasts that once roamed the land, sea and sky. In our Vacation Bible School today we talked about three important lessons the Bible has about Dinosaurs and Dragons.

1. God Created All Creatures.

Genesis 1: 24 And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds—livestock and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their kinds.” And it was so.

There are no beasts or monsters that are outside of God’s creation or outside of God’s control.

Byzantine painting of Adam Naming the Animals.

2. God Cared for All Creatures.

Especially in the days of Noah God protected them from the flood.

Genesis 7:14-16 every beast, according to its kind, and all the livestock according to their kinds, and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, according to its kind, and every bird, according to its kind, every winged creature. 15 They went into the ark with Noah, two and two of all flesh in which there was the breath of life. 16 And those that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in as God had commanded him. And the LORD shut him in.

3. All Creatures Praise God.

Dinosaurs and Dragons teach us how powerful and wise our Creator is.

Psalm 148:7 & 10 Praise the LORD from the earth,

you great sea creatures and all deeps,

Beasts and all livestock,

creeping things and flying birds

Sherlock Holmes and our congregation. By Pastor Ronnie Koch

In London, in 1890 The Sign of the Four was published in Lippincott's Monthly Magazine. This and other novels and short stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle developed the character Sherlock Holmes. This intriguing fictional detective has engaged and captivated audiences in every generation since. In that same summer, over here on the other side of the Atlantic, German settlers in Fredericksburg, Iowa set to work to build a Lutheran church. 125 years ago these founding fathers of our congregation gathered offerings and pledges for the resources to build the first house of worship for St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church, Unaltered Augsburg Confession. Although it was torn down in the late 1930s, much of the lumber was salvaged and used to build the second church, which still stands today, remodeled as our fellowship hall.

photo from http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/

Recent retellings of the Sherlock Holmes crime stories have been modernized and updated, but the essence of the character – his genius, his wit and his eccentricity – have remained intact. Similarly, 125 years later, we have modernized our church a bit with some minor details like indoor plumbing and Wi-Fi. We sing our hymns in English now and we have communion more regularly. But the essence and the character of what we do is the same, because Jesus Christ, who is at the center of what we do, is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8). It's a blessing for us to follow the pattern that those old Germans set for us. Their legacy to us is much more than lumber and nails. They, like us, desired for themselves and their children to hear God's Word and believe in His Son Jesus Christ, “auf daß alle, die an ihn glauben, nicht verloren werden, sondern das ewige Leben haben”. (that whoever believes in Him will not perish but shall have everlasting life. John 3:16b). In answer to their prayers, God is allowing us to celebrate this anniversary year on June 14^th with services at 9:00 am and 2:00 pm.

The Eiffel Tower and our congregation. By Pastor Ronnie Koch

Pastor Ronnie Koch and Sandy
in Paris on a layover on the way to
Africa to visit the Lutheran
Church of Benin, 2002

In Paris, in 1889 the Eiffel Tower was completed and opened for its first visitors. At the same time, over here on the other side of the Atlantic, German settlers in Fredericksburg, Iowa were at work doing what needed to be done to have a church – a Lutheran church – in their tiny but growing village. The town's lumber man, Henry Hilmer sent word to the nearest Lutheran pastor, Theodore Haendschke of Spring Fountain, about 11 miles south of Fredericksburg. Mr. Hilmer invited Pastor Haendschke to come and conduct services in Fredericksburg. Haendschke agreed and soon there were regular gatherings of German speaking Lutherans, hearing God's Word and receiving His gifts of forgiveness, life and salvation in the sacraments.

By 1890, in Paris, the Eiffel Tower was proving to be a lasting monument to the ingenuity of the industrial revolution. By 1890, in Fredericksburg, eight men adopted and signed the constitution of a new congregation: The St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church – Unaltered Augsburg Confession. This Spring, 125 years later, we the present members of St. Paul's congregation thank God for all the blessings He has given to and through this congregation. We will celebrate this anniversary year on June 14^th with Pastor Philip Hale as our guest preacher in the morning service at 9:00 am and a special festive service of praise to God at 2:00 pm. We echo the thoughts of Pastor Harold Wunderlich, who in 1940, at the church's 50^th anniversary, cited these words “of the third verse of the 126^th Psalm: “The Lord hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad.””

Paris, 2002: Some members from St. Paul's congregation
have a "conference"  before setting out to tour the city.