May 31 Worship Service

Our May 31 outdoor Sunday worship service is available on video through Facebook. You may view it without being a member of Facebook.

Click on picture to view video

After you click on the picture above, you may get a screen asking you to join Facebook. Click the small link that reads, “Not Now” or on a small “X” on the upper right of that message to continue.

Click on the triangle icon or photo of the church to play. After the video starts, click on the “outward facing arrows” video icon to make the video larger on desktop screens. You may have to click on the speaker icon in the video to enable sound.

The June 7 worship service to be held in our sanctuary with members and friends in attendance is scheduled to be streamed live on the DeSoto Redeemer Facebook page. We will post a direct link to the recording here as soon as it is possible after the service.

Sermon for The Day of Pentecost
Acts 2:1-21 | Psalm 104:25-35, 37
1 Corinthians 12:3b-13 | John 20:19-23

The Day of Pentecost: Fifty days after Easter, and the Resurrection of Christ: a time this year, when most of us were “Sheltering at Home,” similar to the disciples hiding in the locked room. It is a good time now to come out into the open for a bit.


It is the day when the Holy Spirit descends upon the disciples. The promised Advocate and Comforter/Counselor whom Christ had promised to send to them prior to his Ascension. This is the Spirit which is to empower the disciples, and the Church, in their proclamation and witness to Christ.
It is also, technically, the birthday of the Church, and the Church’s task, namely mission, evangelism, spreading the Gospel, Good News.
It is that which brings us to the Second Chapter of Acts. The Holy Spirit descends, and the disciples begin proclaiming about “God’s deeds of power”…in the languages of those who are gathered in Jerusalem; so that all may hear, and understand, this proclamation. The Spirit is poured out upon all the believers. This is something which we hold about baptism. It is there, that we all receive the Holy Spirit, just as Christ breathed it upon the apostles. It may manifest itself in various ways.


St. Paul in 1 Corinthians lists some of the manifestations of the Holy Spirit. We are fairly certain that Paul did not give a full list of all of the gifts. This is a list, probably, to inform the Church at Corinth of some of the ways in which the Spirit works among us, “varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit.” He also lists “activities.” But all are given “the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.” This is important, the common good, the building up of the Church on earth. That is something which people seem to have forgotten recently, the common good. Some are screaming about how the Covid 19 restrictions may be infringing upon their individual rights, forgetting that they are given for the common good during this crisis. Let’s look at what the Spirit gives to us for the common good.


Wisdom, knowledge (teachers and helpers), faith (it is a gift of the Spirit), healing, working of miracles, prophecy, discernment of spirits, tongues (the original gift of Acts 2), and the interpretation of tongues.


Gift of the Spirit: wisdom, knowledge (and their conveyors). To hear the Word of God is one thing, but to understand the Word of God is another. The proclamation and education must always go together. Both come from the Spirit. Faith: now, there is an interesting one. We too often forget that faith itself is a gift of the Spirit. Some people try to convert others (forgetting that it is God who gives the faith). Healing, that includes medicine. God is the giver of life, but also its sustainer, that includes healing. It is important to remember that during this time of plague. Plus the working of miracles (they do occur, you just have to look for them), prophecy, discernment of spirits. All still gifts, just not as seen, or interpreted as such.


All of these, plus so many more which Paul does not list, are gifts which God gives to the members of the Church, to serve God, and to carry out the task of the upbuilding of the Church. All believers have some gift – but almost all will say that they don’t (shows you how wrong you can be). Some are afraid to use their gifts, or too humble to believe that God has given them one?
One gift often grows into another gift. At as it does, the Church is again built up. God has given to each of us, some gift, talent, ability, to carry out His will on earth. That is part of the celebration of Pentecost. We are each given the Holy Spirit, and receive some manifestation of her presence (the Holy Spirit is traditionally seen as feminine.). What are our Gifts? For each of us have a task to do in God’s kingdom, and the Holy Spirit will manifest itself and guide us forth in our words and deeds, all for the greater glory of God. But, we must put those gifts to use. What gifts are manifested here? How may each of us serve God, this congregation, our neighbors and this community? What gifts have God given to you? And, how are you going to put that gift to the use which God intended? That too is a gift of God’s grace.
Pastor Rose

May 24 Worship Service

Our May 24 Sunday worship service is available on video through Facebook. You may view it without being a member of Facebook.

Click on picture to view video

After you click on the picture above, you may get a screen asking you to join Facebook. Click the small link that reads, “Not Now” or on a small “X” on the upper right of that message to continue.

Click on the triangle icon or photo of the church to play. After the video starts, click on the “outward facing arrows” video icon to make the video larger on desktop screens. You may have to click on the speaker icon in the video to enable sound.

The special Sunday 9 am outdoor in-person service on May 31 is scheduled to be streamed live on the DeSoto Redeemer Facebook page. We will post a direct link to the recording here as soon as it is possible after the service.

Sermon: Easter 7
Acts 1:6-14, Psalm 68:1-10, 32-35
Peter 4:12-14; 5:6-11, John 17:1-11

The Gospel is part of “Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer.” He said it for his disciples before his arrest, crucifixion and resurrection. It is a prayer to keep them in faith, and in unity in that faith. But it is also, a prayer against the world. Did you catch that part? Notice, that those who believe in Christ are held up against those of the world, who don’t know Christ (and it even seems in this prayer, that they cannot receive Christ, and his message). This prayer is also, almost, a strong argument for predestination, which Lutherans don’t believe in, so I won’t go there.


“They were yours” of course, God is our Creator, all people belong to God in that sense. But, “and you gave them to me” God the Father, gave to Christ the believers, the Church (that’s where it almost sounds like predestination). And, it is the members of the Church, who “know in truth” that “they believed that you sent me.” This is something which the world cannot know. Remember the Confession of St. Peter? “You are the Christ, the son of the living God.” Jesus responds, “Blessed are you Simon Bar Jonah, for flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.” The world does not know it.


Faith, and the knowledge of the truth of Jesus Christ come only from on high, God, heaven. That is what is special about Ascension Day (which was Thursday) and the Day of Pentecost (next Sunday, wear red!).
Ascension Day is probably one of the most underappreciated Feasts of the Church, including this congregation. But, it is also a very important one for us, and it plays into what Jesus is praying today, “That they may be one, as You and I are one.” This is the part that most people miss about the Ascension. When Jesus ascends into heaven, he ascends bodily. He takes his human nature with him. It is inseparable from his divine nature. In other words, as Jesus ascends into heaven, humanity is glorified! We are glorified! We are one with Christ, as Christ is one with the Father. That is a very important, and ignored, part of our understanding of being also a new creature in Christ. That is part one of the Ascension.


Part two is Christ ascends to send us the Spirit (of Truth), also called the Comforter, the Counselor, and the Advocate – in the sense of bearing of testimony. It is the Holy Spirit, which gives us faith, we don’t earn it. It is a gift of grace. It is a gift which we receive through hearing the Gospel, and coming to believe the truth of Christ. It is the Spirit, which gives us the power to come to faith. Indeed, the Spirit draws us to faith. The Spirit, which uses other people to proclaim the story (witness/evangelism), and in fact empowers the very proclaimer in that proclamation of the Gospel!
On the Day of Pentecost, the Spirit arrives, and the Church begins in earnest.


“So that they may be one, as we are one.” It is the same Holy Spirit, which keeps the Church unified, as Luther says in the Small Catechism, the Holy Spirit “calls, gathers, enlightens and sanctifies the whole Christian Church on earth, and keeps it united in Christ in the one true faith.” And yet, there have been many schisms throughout the history of the Church, resulting in many different denominations and sects.


Ironically, the main causes of splits in Christendom have been two other things which are supposed to keep us in unity; the Sacraments and their understandings. It demonstrates to me the depth of sin in humanity, even with the members of the Church on earth. Baptism: do we immerse or sprinkle, baptize infants or does a person have to be old enough to understand what baptism is? It is always God’s act. It doesn’t really matter. We are commanded to do it. That should be sufficient. The Holy Communion: How is Christ present in the bread and wine? Or, even further, is Christ present, or is it only symbolic? Should we use wine or grape juice? (this one is “wine” in the Greek – before Welches came to be). How is Christ present? It doesn’t matter. I like Luther’s answer, “Christ is present because he promises to be present.” As to how Christ is present – in, with and under – in the bread, with the wine, under the forms of bread and wine. When pressed for a more technical answer, Luther responded with, “It is a mystery.” That’s a good answer. We can live with a good mystery or two. The Sacraments are to unite the Church, not divide it. In baptism, we are joined to Christ. In the Holy Communion, we share in Christ. That is unity.
In this time of the coronavirus, as our “new normal” separates us by social distancing, we are still united as one in Christ. We may now have to Share the Peace with a nod or a wave instead of a handshake or an embrace, but we are still one. We may have to take the wine in an individual cup instead of the chalice, but we are still united with Christ. We may be separated by six feet of social distancing and a mask, but the Holy Spirit still calls and gathers us, enlightens and sanctifies us. Of this, we may rest assured in faith. Christ has said so, and we believe.


There is still One Church: holy, catholic (with a small “c”) and apostolic. This is the basis for this and the last century’s tremendous examples of Christians working together in areas of education, medicine and to aid others. The realization that there is One Church, One body with many members, united in the proclamation that Jesus Christ is Lord, And that we have eternal life (knowledge of God) in his name. One Church, one proclamation, and one task: to proclaim Christ to the world, as we are led by the one Holy Spirit. That is what keeps us unified, unified in Christ. After all, there is only One Church. And that is Christ’s Church. He is the head. We are his followers.
Pastor Rose