For the Master is generous and accepts the last even as the first.

He gives rest to him who comes at the eleventh hour in the same was as him who has laboured from the first. He accepts the deed, and commends the intention.

Enter then, all of you, into the joy of our Lord. First and last, receive alike your reward. Rich and poor, dance together. You who fasted and you who have not fasted, rejoice together. The table is fully laden: let all enjoy it. The calf is fatted: let none go away hungry.

Let none lament his poverty; for the universal Kingdom is revealed. Let none bewail his transgressions; for the light of forgiveness has risen from the tomb. Let none fear death; for death of the Saviour has set us free.

He has destroyed death by undergoing death. He has despoiled hell by descending into hell. He vexed it even as it tasted of His flesh. Isaiah foretold this when he cried: Hell was filled with bitterness when it met Thee face to face below; filled with bitterness, for it was brought to nothing; filled with bitterness, for it was mocked; filled with bitterness, for it was overthrown; filled with bitterness, for it was put in chains.

Hell received a body, and encountered God. It received earth, and confronted heaven.

O death, where is your sting? O hell, where is your victory?

Christ is risen! And you, o death, are annihilated! Christ is risen! And the evil ones are cast down! Christ is risen! And the angels rejoice! Christ is risen! And life is liberated! Christ is risen! And the tomb is emptied of its dead!

For Christ having risen from the dead, is become the first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep.

To Him be Glory and Power, now and forever, and from all ages to all ages. Amen!

Yours in Christ, our Paschal Victory, Pastor Boyle

March 2016 Volume 64, Issue 3

G r a c e N o t e s Paschal Homily of St. John Chrysostom

Every year at the Easter Vigil I preach the same sermon. And every time I’m amazed by it. Now, it’s not arrogant to say such a thing—it’s not my sermon that I preach! It’s a short sermon from around the year 400 A.D. by one of the most well-known and well-respected preachers in the history of the Church—even his name, “Chrysostom,” means golden-mouthed.

It’s sometimes called the Paschal Homily or Catechetical Homily. In many churches throughout the world for many years this has been read at the Easter Vigil. And though it’s very short, it beautifully captures the freedom we now have in Christ who is risen for us!

As you read it here, and then hear it preached at the Vigil, consider all the Scriptural referents. Notice his use of the parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard (Mt 20), and the eschatological joy of that rich feast on Zion’s mountain (Isa 25), the eternal reward (Mt 25) and enter-ing His rest (Heb 4). See his allusion to the fatted calf from the Prodigal Son (Lk 15), and Isaiah’s description of death being embittered (Isa 14:9). It comes to a climactic end with St. Paul’s taunting of death (1 Cor 15) and the victory of Christ who is the first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep (1 Thess 4). The whole sermon is a brilliant tapestry of Scripture’s witness to the victory of Christ over the grave for us. May such joy be ours this Paschal Feast as we come ever nearer to seeing His kingdom re-vealed for us and our salvation. Enjoy the homily!

T Paschal Homily of St. John Chrysostom T If any be a devout lover of God, let him partake with gladness from this fair and radiant feast.

If any be a faithful servant, let him enter rejoicing into the joy of his Lord. If any have wearied himself with fasting, let him now enjoy his reward. If any have laboured from the first hour, let him receive today his rightful due. If any have come after the third, let him celebrate the feast with thankfulness. If any have come after the sixth, let him not be in doubt, for he will suffer no loss. If any have delayed until the ninth, let him not hesitate but draw near. If any have arrived only at the eleventh, let him not be afraid because he comes so late. Sermo catecheticus in pascha, PG 59, 721-724.

Here is a picture of Missouri Synod’s second president, Friedrich

Conrad Dietrich Wyneken. He looks youthful. He was only 40 when

elected. He served as president for 14 years (1850-64). He went

through a change however in 1841-45 as a pastor/missionary. Here’s

what happened to him in those four years.

Wyneken was born (1810) and raised in Verden, Germany, in the broad lowlands of the north.

He was a pk......pastor’s kid. Before becoming a pastor himself, Wyneken was a tutor. He secured

employment with a rich nobleman and was able to travel extensively in Germany, France and It-

aly. He also learned an important language during his tutoring travels.........English! After ordina-

tion (1838) in Germany, Wyneken accepted service as a missionary with the German Evangelical

Lutheran Ministerium in Pennsylvania and Adjacent States, making the long westerly move to

Baltimore, Maryland as a 28-year-old unmarried pastor. He served there only a short time before

the Mission Society of the Pennsylvania Ministerium sent him further west to Fort Wayne and Friedheim, Indiana, to serve

congregations in both of these settlements.

His wunderlust continued from this corner of northeast Indiana! He explored and seeded the Gospel in southern Michigan

and western Ohio. He located Lutherans. He found them in settlements, lonely rural cabins and taverns. He asked to preach to

them, baptize them and prepare them for the Holy Supper of our Lord. He wasn’t very successful. Lots of rejections. No new

“mission plants.” He wasn’t much more “successful” at the two Indiana congregations--St. Paul in Fort Wayne and Zion in

Friedheim. Not only were the congregations poor in terms of physical wealth, they were poor theologically. There was wide-

spread moral laxity and there was chasm in their confession of the faith. Wyneken implemented theological training in the

form of Christenlehre (catechism) classes for his congregations. For their physical well-being, he wrote a tract in German

called The Distress of German Lutherans in North America. This writing pleaded for help, both monetarily and for trained

pastors to come to the US. He sent it to Germany. It would be a few years before money or pastors would arrive.

As a missionary pastor, Wyneken followed the customs of the Lord’s Supper already in place at his two congregations. He

allowed Lutherans and other Christians to commune at the altars of these churches. His seminary training was under unionist

professors who largely opposed Lutheran orthodoxy.

In the late summer of 1841, Wyneken asked the congregations for a sabbatical—the work had taken a toll on his physical

health. His throat was giving him problems. He knew of specialists in Germany. He knew there were financial resources

available in Germany. His globe-trotting spirit carried him back to his country of birth. There he would be changed upon

meeting one southern German pastor, Wilhelm Loehe.

Loehe was pastor at a little Bavarian village called Neuendettelsau. Loehe had received Wyneken’s tract and wanted to

help. He did. He not only began sending money, he organized emergency helpers to be sent to America. There was one other

help he provided. He helped Pastor Wyneken in his theological formation. In their talks, Wyneken saw the need for a confes-

sional, orthodox practice in America. This was the beginning of his confessional change. When Wyneken returned to Indiana

after a two-year absence, he was a more stalwart Lutheran. He was less permissive in allowing non-Lutherans to share in the

pulpits and altars at St. Paul and Zion. His new stand created such a disturbance, that the Reformed members of St. Paul left

and formed their own congregation.

Another catalyst of change was on the horizon. Pastor C.F.W. Walther was pastoring in St. Louis. He too saw the need to

teach orthodox, Scriptural doctrine and practice. In September of 1944 he began publishing Der Lutheraner, a bi-weekly jour-

nal. Wyneken was thrilled when he read it for the first time. “Thank God, there are still real Lutherans in America,” he ex-

claimed! Six months later, Wyneken would return to Baltimore as pastor of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church.

Wyneken’s theological changes caused him to sever ties with the Pennsylvania Ministerium and seek ties with more ortho-

dox groups. It was not surprising that when an invitation was sent out throughout the US to Lutherans wanting to form an or-

thodox Synod, Wyneken found a way to traverse the 370 miles from Baltimore to Cleveland, Ohio for the six-day meeting in

September of 1845. This meeting was the base for the formation of The Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Missouri, Ohio, and

Other States (April, 1847).

There’s a short parallel history to Pastor Wyneken in the book of Acts, chapter 18. There we meet Apollos. He was an elo-

quent man, a learned man from Egypt. Apollos loved to travel. We find him in Ephesus, across the Mediterranean Sea, want-

ing to go to Greece. For all of Apollos’s love of learning, he lacked. He is given instruction and changed by the teaching of

the husband/wife team of Aquila/Priscilla. His time with this couple made him a more stalwart evangelist. As a Jew (by birth),

he arrives in Corinth where he “vigorously refuted the Jews publicly, showing from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ.” Ultimately, Apollos makes yet another missionary move, going to work on the island of Crete with Zenas the lawyer (Titus

3:13).

He who would be a teacher must be very diligent. Every teaching is not healthy. Some teachings are strange. Some are

poison. Pray for your pastors, that they may teach nothing but that which accords with sound doctrine. Pastor Brockman

Oratio, Meditatio, Tentatio (Theological Reading Group)

Typical Schedule: Locations: 9:00 – 9:45 am Matins Grace Lutheran Church 9:45 – 11:45 am Reading Discussion 3310 E Pawnee, Wichita, KS 11:45 am – Noon Prayer Trinity Lutheran Church Noon – 1:00 pm Lunch 611 S Erie, Wichita, KS

2016 Reading Schedule:

March 15 (Grace, Wichita) Lischer, Richard. A Theology of Preaching: The Dynamics of the Gospel. Revised Ed. Eugene: Wipf & Stock,

2001.

April 19 (Trinity, Wichita) Gregory of Nyssa, On the Soul and the Resurrection. Crestwood: St. Vlad’s, 1993.

May 17 (Grace, Wichita) Chemnitz, Martin. Chemnitz's Works, Volume 6: The Two Natures in Christ. St. Louis: CPH, 1971; 2007.

June 21 (Trinity, Wichita) Stephenson, J. & T. Winger, eds. You My People, Shall Be Holy: A Festschrift in Honor of John W. Kleinig. Nagel, Norman E. “Bestowing Hands and Potestas ordinis” (pgs. 165-204) Senkbeil, Harold L. “Lead Us Not into Temptation: Acedia, the Pastoral Pandemic” (263-274) Stephenson, John R. “Towards an Exegetical and Systematic Appraisal of Luther’s Scattered Thoughts

on Episcopacy” (275-296) Weinrich, William C. “Leviticus as a Christian Book: Patristic Instances” (297-312) Winger, Thomas M. “The Priesthood of the Baptised: The Testimony of Luther, Peter, Humpty Dumpty,

and a Goat” (313-336)

July 19 (Grace, Wichita) Brege, Daniel J. Eating God’s Sacrifice: The Lord’s Supper Portrayed in Old Testament Sacrifice. 2010.

August 16 (Trinity, Wichita) Russell, Norman, trans. The Lives of the Desert Fathers. Cistercian Publications, 1981.

September 20 (Grace, Wichita) Johnson, Maxwell E. Praying and Believing in Early Christianity: The Interplay Between Christian Worship and Doctrine. Collegeville: Liturgical Press, 2013.

October 18 (Trinity, Wichita) Luther, Martin. Luther’s Works 52 - Sermons II. St. Louis: CPH, 1968.

November 15 (Grace, Wichita) Peterson, Eugene. The Pastor: A Memoir. New York: HarperOne, 2012.

December 20 (Trinity, Wichita) Gieschen, Charles A., ed. The Law in Holy Scripture. St. Louis: CPH, 2004.

1) Wenthe, Dean O. “The Torah Story: Identity or Duty as the Essence of the Law” (pgs. 21-35) 2) Allison, Dale C. “Jesus and Torah” (75-95) 3) Das, A. Andrew “Beyond Covenantal Nomism: Paul, Judaism, and Perfect Obedience” (149-171) 4) Scaer, David P. “Law in a Law-less World” (191-209)

From Our Confessions…The Small Catechism Luther's Preface to the Small Catechism

Martin Luther to All Faithful and Godly Pastors and Preachers:

Grace, Mercy, and Peace in Jesus Christ, our Lord.

The deplorable, miserable condition which I discovered lately when I, too, was a visitor, has forced and urged

me to prepare [publish] this Catechism, or Christian doctrine, in this small, plain, simple form. Mercy! Good

God! what manifold misery I beheld! The common people, especially in the villages, have no knowledge what-

ever of Christian doctrine, and, alas! many pastors are altogether incapable and incompetent to teach [so much

so, that one is ashamed to speak of it]. Nevertheless, all maintain that they are Christians, have been baptized

and receive the [common] holy Sacraments. Yet they [do not understand and] cannot [even] recite either the

Lord's Prayer, or the Creed, or the Ten Commandments; they live like dumb brutes and irrational hogs; and

yet, now that the Gospel has come, they have nicely learned to abuse all liberty like experts.

O ye bishops! [to whom this charge has been committed by God,] what will ye ever answer to Christ for having

so shamefully neglected the people and never for a moment discharged your office? [You are the persons to

whom alone this ruin of the Christian religion is due. You have permitted men to err so shamefully; yours is

the guilt; for you have ever done anything rather than what your office required you to do.] May all misfortune

flee you! [I do not wish at this place to invoke evil on your heads.] You command the Sacrament in one form

[but is not this the highest ungodliness coupled with the greatest impudence that you are insisting on the ad-

ministration of the Sacrament in one form only, and on your traditions] and insist on your human laws, and yet

at the same time you do not care in the least [while you are utterly without scruple and concern] whether the

people know the Lord's Prayer, the Creed, the Ten Commandments, or any part of the Word of God. Woe, woe,

unto you forever!

Therefore I entreat [and adjure] you all for God's sake, my dear sirs and brethren, who are pastors or preachers,

to devote yourselves heartily to your office, to have pity on the people who are entrusted to you, and to help us

inculcate the Catechism upon the people, and especially upon the young. And let those of you who cannot do

better [If any of you are so unskilled that you have absolutely no knowledge of these matters, let them not be

ashamed to] take these tables and forms and impress them, word for word, on the people, as follows:--

In the first place, let the preacher above all be careful to avoid many kinds of or various texts and forms of the

Ten Commandments, the Lord's Prayer, the Creed, the Sacraments, etc., but choose one form to which he ad-

heres, and which he inculcates all the time, year after year. For [I give this advice, however, because I know

that] young and simple people must be taught by uniform, settled texts and forms, otherwise they easily be-

come confused when the teacher to-day teaches them thus, and in a year some other way, as if he wished to

make improvements, and thus all effort and labor [which has been expended in teaching] is lost.

Also our blessed fathers understood this well; for they all used the same form of the Lord's Prayer, the Creed,

and the Ten Commandments. Therefore we, too, should [imitate their diligence and be at pains to] teach the

young and simple people these parts in such a way as not to change a syllable, or set them forth and repeat

them one year differently than in another [no matter how often we teach the Catechism].

Hence, choose whatever form you please, and adhere to it forever. But when you preach in the presence of

learned and intelligent men, you may exhibit your skill, and may present these parts in as varied and intricate

ways and give them as masterly turns as you are able. But with the young people stick to one fixed, permanent

form and manner, and teach them, first of all, these parts, namely, the Ten Commandments, the Creed, the

Lord's Prayer, etc., according to the text, word for word, so that they, too, can repeat it in the same manner after

you and commit it to memory.

to be continued ........

reprinted from LCMS Stewardship Resources

LIVING AS STEWARDS

March 2016

Lent is a season of repentance. Repentance is turning away from sin, while we turn toward God for the forgiveness of sins. During Lent, we hear the Word of God and consider our lives in light of it. We con-fess our failures, and receive absolution, that is, forgiveness, and then commit ourselves to do better. What does God say about giving to the Church? The Bible tells us. Our giving should be first fruits giv-ing (Genesis 4:4; Proverbs 3:9). Our giving should be regular, on the first day of week, which has the Divine Ser-vice in mind (1 Corinthians 6:1–2). Our giving should be proportional: according to our in-come (1 Corinthians 16:1–2), according to what we have been given (2 Corinthians 8:12; Luke 12:48), our giving should be given with a spirit of eagerness and enthusiasm (2 Corinthians 9:2), generosity and lib-erality (2 Corinthians 8:20), cheerfully without compulsion (2 Corinthians 9:7). Our giving should be di-rected to those who teach us (Galatians 6:6–7) because a laborer is worthy of his hire, and we all know the going rate of such laborers in our communities (Luke 10:7; 1 Timothy 5:18). Now consider your own giving in light of the Bible’s teaching. Are you giving of your first fruits, taking it out of your paycheck first, or does God get what’s left over? Are you giving voluntarily and cheer-fully? Are you giving proportionally and generously? Are you giving with eagerness and enthusiasm? Are you giving to your local congregation, sharing all good things with the one who teaches you? If your answer to any of these is “No,” then repent. Turn away from your sin and toward God for forgiveness. Confess your failure. Receive absolution. And commit to do better. We know that the Spirit is willing but our flesh is weak. We believe, and we pray that God, through Word and Sacrament, would help our un-belief, our lack of trust in His ability to provide. And this is precisely what God promises. This is what St. Paul wrote to the Church in Corinth: ““The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bounti-fully. Each one must give as he has made up his mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all suffi-ciency in all things at all times, you may about in every good work. As it is written, ‘He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.’ He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your right-eousness. You will be enriched in every way for all your generosity, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God” (2 Cor 9:6–15). St. Paul tells us that the Lord of all will both supply and increase what you need to give to the church for its work in and for the world. He tells us that this work that God is doing in us will enrich and bless us in every way and through this it will produce thanksgiving to God. Everyone benefits. We will be blessed in our giv-ing, and it will produce thanksgiving to God in those who receive it.

GRACE BENEVOLENT FUND: Here at Grace we have a Benevolent Fund , used to help our members that require emergency aid. For example: home or auto repairs, financial problems and etc. We have used this fund quite extensively this season and almost depleted it. If you are so moved, and can make a contribution toward replenishing this fund, put cash or check in an enve-lope marked "Grace Benevolent Fund" and place it in the collection plate at any Service. Thank you, from Grace Elders.

EASTER LILLIES

The cost is $9.50 per plant.

Please sign up in the Narthex

and note if the lily is being

placed in honor or memory

of a loved one. Thank you!

We will be joining Trinity for the

Easter brunch at Trinity following the

8 a.m. Easter Divine Service (Grace).

A sign-up sheet is in the narthex.

Please bring a food item, and note the

number of lines under each category

indicating the number of people

needed to bring food from that

category. Thank you!

GRACE AND TRINITY

LENT AND EASTER SCHEDULE The Lord’s Gift of Private Absolution

3/16/16 ~ Midweek V

“Go in peace.”

Holy Week Services:

No meals during Holy Week

3/21 ~ Holy Monday (7pm)

The Passion According to St. Matthew

3/22 ~ Holy Tuesday (7pm)

The Passion According to St. Mark

3/23 ~ Holy Wednesday (7pm)

The Passion According to St. Luke

3/24 ~ Maundy Thursday (7pm)

3/25 ~ Good Friday (12pm Grace/7pm Trinity)

3/26 ~ Easter Vigil (Trinity, 8pm)

3/27 ~ Easter Sunday (8am Grace/11am Trinity)

“On my heart imprint Your image,

Blessed Jesus, King of grace,

That Life’s riches, cares,

and pleasures Never may Your work erase;

Let the clear inscription be: Jesus, crucified for me,

Is my life, my hope’s foundation,

And my glory and salvation!” (LSB 422)

The Food Pantry at Grace

Lutheran Church asks for Spaghetti and Spa-

ghetti sauce during the

month of March. Please

bring these items to Church

on Sundays and place in the

collection crate

located in our

Narthex. Many

thanks for your help and service to the poor in

our neighborhood.

Upcoming Food Handler

Classes:

Saturday, April 23rd at

Crossroads Church,

2139 S. Maize Rd. 9:30 am (please arrive a bit early to

complete paperwork)

All are welcome.

The City of Wichita Environmental Health Dept. offers

classes on the 1st and 3rd Mon. and Sat. of each month.

Online classes are also available for a fee. Please call 316-

268-8351 or go to Wichita.gov for additional info or to

register for a class.

Please Re-Enroll

Your Dillons Card! We thank you all, our friends and families, who

supported Grace Lutheran Church by claiming us as

your Dillons Community Rewards recipient in

2015. **BUT YOU MUST RE-ENROLL WITH

GRACE LUTHERAN CHURCH #10202 AS YOUR

DILLONS COMMUNITY REWARDS RECIPIENT

FOR 2016!!!**

If you have chosen to receive email notifications via

your Dillons account, you should have received an

email with a graphic asking you to click to “KEEP

CURRENT ORGANIZATION”.

If you missed that email, just log in to your Dillons

Plus Card account at www.dillons.com/

communityrewards, select the “Community Rewards”

tab, and search for and choose GRACE LUTHERAN

CHURCH #10202. Then just swipe and shop as

usual!

THANK YOU!

Remember our Homebound & Members in Nursing Home

Wayne Bacon (Sharon)

Ginny Doesken Wayne Harris

Lorraine Koch

Ginger Manchesian (Rex)

Ruth Ann Meyer (Al Gene)

Julia Ruble Anna Ruckle

~GAME NIGHT~

Friday, March 18, 2016

Trinity Chapel

~ 6 p.m.

Bring snacks & drinks

Pizza will be ordered

All ages welcome! ~SISTERS OF SOPHIA~

FOR WOMEN ONLY - After almost seven years of

Hall of Men meetings, there is now something simi-

lar for the ladies.

The next meeting of the Sisters of Sophia is on

March 22, Megan Taylor Gilstrap will be

presenting on Simone Weil. Doors open at The Lad-

der at 6:15, food will be served at 6:30, the Eighth

Day Convocation will begin at 7:30,

followed by Erin's presentation. We'll wrap up with

Q & A from 8:15-8:30.

For more information and to RSVP go to:

http.// www.eighthdayinstitute.org/

~ATTENTION LADIES!~

Bunco will be held Tuesday, March 29th at Trinity, and all ladies are welcome to join. Marge Wortz and Amanda Carter will host. Please RSVP Patricia (210-1573) or Nikki (650-1402)or you can call the Trinity Church office at 685-1571.

~HALL OF MEN~ FOR MEN ONLY -

A local fellowship hall where the men break

bread, tap the keg, and toast their heroes.

2nd and 4th Thursdays of the month at Eighth Day Institute at The Ladder (2836 E Douglas Ave) Doors open at 7:00pm. Food is served at 7:30pm, and

evening events officially begin at 8:30pm with a hymn, the Nicene Creed, and a lecture on a hero whose life in-spires us to live more authentic lives and to fight for the renewal of our culture. As usual, doors at The Ladder open at 7 pm. Food is served around 7:30 pm. At 8:30 pm we'll prepare for the lecture with the Eighth Day Convocation: hymn, patristic and scripture readings, and the Nicene Creed. Then a great lecture followed by good questions and discussion, The Lord's Prayer, good fellowship, and just possibly a few good smoke rings.

BIBLE CLASS/

SUNDAY SCHOOL Bible Class/Sunday School is at Trinity

during the month of March

Faith is to believe what we do not see; and the

reward of this faith is to see what we believe.

—St. Augustine of Hippo

www.gracelutheranchurch-wichita.org

Wondering who your Elder is??

Check out the lists in the

Narthex or below. Your Elder

is available for you to contact at

anytime. Check your Church

Directory for their phone

numbers or you may contact

the Church Office.

Your Last Name Your Elder Is

Adams - Clyborne Al Matz

Corey - Gardner Warren Balke

Garrard - Marquardt Tom Nickel

Mattix - Slavin Deacon Hastings

Smith - Zumalt Glen Rolf

Grace Lutheran Church, LCMS 3310 East Pawnee ~ Wichita, KS 67218

Pastor: Rev. Geoffrey R. Boyle

Associate Pastor: Rev. Michael C. Brockman

Office Phone: 316-685-6781

Office Hours:

8:30 am - 4:30 pm Tuesday-Thursday Closed on Mondays and Fridays

Email: graceoffice@glc.kscoxmail.com

COME WORSHIP WITH US

8:00 a.m. Sunday Morning Divine Service

2:00 p.m. Misa en Español

3:15 p.m. Youth Catechesis

5:00 p.m. Sunday Afternoon Divine Service

9:00 a.m. Matins (Monday-Friday)

11:00 a.m. Wednesday Divine Service

3 - Pat Newlin

4 - Cynthia Schroeder

5 - Raymond Smith

8 - Wayne Harris

10 - James Vincent

11 - Padre Brockman

12 - Zayla Norris

13 - Tyson Girard

John Hutter

Jesse Kollmeyer

Anna Ruckle

21 - Fannie Fortine

29 - Aria Reyes

Penton Vincent

3 - Bob Wellner

4 - Steven Schroeder

8 - Melissa Meyer

13 - Miriam Nickel

Margaret Young

12 - Anthony & Samantha Scheffer

21 - Bob & Jean Wellner