Emmanuel Lutheran
Home
Sunday School
Children's Church
Monthly Calendars
Worship Assistants
Prayer Corner
Worship Assistants
People Projects
Family Ministry
Special Interest Groups
Council RosterCouncil Roster
Evalgelical Lutheran Church in America Northeastern Ohio Synod
Letters from Pastor Alan Smearsoll

              
May 2021

April 28. That is the day I was set free! April 28 will be two weeks after having received my second dose of the Moderna vaccine against Covid-19. I am now fully protected. It doesn’t mean that I won’t get Covid, but it does mean that my body knows how to attack it and defend itself against it. I’ll feel much more confident about going into public places where people have not been following proper protocol because I am protected. Life is restored after over a year of restricted activity. In the meantime, I will continue to do my part to be considerate of others by wearing a mask and maintaining social distance because there are many who have not received the vaccine or believe in all its benefits.

This “freedom” pales in comparison to the life-long bondage that many people experience simply because of their skin color or ethnicity, to name a few. Hate crimes have been around since Cain murdered his brother Abel out of jealousy. God had warned Cain that “sin is lurking at the door; its desire is for you, but you must master it.” Cain mastered it all right….by eliminating his “competition,” his own brother!

Sin is lurking at the door; its desire is for you, but you must master it. I love this quote from Genesis 4:7. Know that in all your thoughts and decisions, sin is lurking at the door and oftentimes it is the easier alternative but creates so many more problems. The writer of 1 John sums this up well:  “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” Indeed we are in bondage to sin.

What is your baptism date? That is the day you were set free! The first words of the baptismal liturgy are “In Holy Baptism our gracious heavenly Father liberates us from sin and death…” You are fully protected! It doesn’t mean that sin won’t remain “lurking at the door” and that you won’t succumb to it, but there is a defender against it. “If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9) “If the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.” (John 8:36) Life as God intended it for you is restored in Jesus.

We will never “master” sin. Our biggest sin is to think that we can! Our “mastery” of it, like Cain’s, will only lead to more sin. Try as we might, we cannot free ourselves. But Christ, who was sinless, took our sin upon himself and by doing so, mastered it for us. He has set us free! In the meantime, we can continue to do our part to actively participate in this freedom by worshiping, praying, studying, giving, living out a life of faith and sharing our faith with others, for there are many who have not yet received or believe in this life-giving gift.

Blessings,
Pastor Alan



Next Letter from the Pastor

To contact us:
Phone: 330-332-5042
Fax: 330-332-4405
Email: lutheran251@gmail.com
251 S. Broadway Avenue
Salem, OH 44460