Holy Baptism – Mt. Olive Lutheran Church

FAITH FOR ALL SEASONS

We all know that as sure as Autumn gives way to Winter, so too, Winter will eventually give way to Spring, and in turn, Spring will give way to the warmth of Summer. The seasons of the year continue to cycle onward, and we know how to read the signs of these shifting seasons. In Luke 21:5-9, the disciples of Jesus puzzle over his words of warning (and hope) concerning the chaotic transitions of the seasons of history, which oftentimes demolish our various societal and institutional edifices that we cherish. To the disciples in Luke 21, the cherished splendor and symbolism of the Jerusalem Temple seemed so beautifully transcendent and so solidly permanent. Yet Jesus warned that it would all pass away — that “not one stone will be left upon another; all will be thrown down” [21:6] as he said.

Of course, this pronouncement of the Temple’s destruction completely puzzled the disciples, because, at that time, the rebuilding of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem was seen as a concrete sign that God was about to free his people and dwell with them again — just as in the days of the Ark of the Covenant and the entry of Israel into the Promised Land. Even the presence of John the Baptizer (a new prophet like the ancient Prophet Elijah) was something that raised expectations for the coming Messianic Age and Kingdom of God.

The stage was set for God to transform the world into his glorious Peaceable Reign — and God was doing exactly that, but not in the way everyone expected. In fact, God’s plan for humanity included his use of unexpected characters like King Herod and Pontius Pilate to accomplish his sovereign will. It also included unexpected events like Jesus’ suffering and Crucifixion. And, amazingly, it included unexpected events like Jesus’ Resurrection, his Ascension, and his sending of the Holy Spirit.

Consequently, in view of all these later unexpected events and mysteries, Jesus in Luke 21 said to his disciples (and to us), “By your endurance you will gain your souls” [21:19]. For as the old saying goes: It doesn’t matter what the future holds; what matters is Who holds the future. That is, our Lord and Savior holds our future in his hands — and not ours only, but also the future of the entire world and cosmos. So, in God alone we trust, and we endure by God’s grace granted us through his Word and Sacraments which create and strengthen true faith and new life within us.

God has an ultimate purpose and good future for his creation, and God is establishing his Kingdom in Christ no matter what unexpected turn of events might rattle us. For here’s the surprising paradox: The new era of our Lord Jesus Christ did not start with a militant uprising of riotous mobs, but rather through the humble birth of a little child in Bethlehem, and through his later unexpected death on a cross. The Lord of Life was put to death, but death itself could not hold him.

Truly, the new age of Jesus Christ still comes through death and resurrection, and it comes to each of us through our Holy Baptism into the death and resurrection of Christ [see Romans 6:1-11]. Indeed, for all who are strengthened and kept by God’s grace in this dying and rising faith, we will gain our souls now and forever.

Therefore, we can view the seasons of conflict in our world with this divine perspective, placing our ultimate trust and hope in nothing and nobody other than the Crucified and Risen One, Christ the Son of God, our ever-present Lord and Savior. While continuing to pray for good order and healing during contentious times and conflicted seasons, we also continue to faithfully share the Word of God’s truth and grace (God’s law and gospel) for all people everywhere.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end — Amen!

Grace & Peace, Pastor Tim

SOLA GRATIA

We who are Christians of the Lutheran Confession emphasize the gospel principle known as Sola Gratia, which means “Grace Alone” in Latin. This biblical truth and good news, highlighted by Martin Luther and subsequent Protestant Reformers, declares that we are saved from sin, death, and the devil, by God’s grace alone through faith in Jesus Christ.

For the Word of God within chapter 3 of the Epistle to the Romans proclaims the following… “But now, apart from the Torah, the righteousness of God has been disclosed, and is attested by the Torah and the Prophets — namely, the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction, since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; and all are now justified freely by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a sacrifice of atonement by his blood, effective through faith.” – (Romans 3:21-25)

Now, it’s important to note that this profound gift of Sola Gratia rests entirely upon a Savior who is simultaneously divine and human. That is, salvation by God’s grace alone completely hinges upon the person and work of Jesus Christ, who is both fully God and fully human. For only such a One as this could accomplish the atonement for our sins and reconcile us to God.

Jesus’ divinity (his being co-equal and co-eternal with God Almighty) ensures his sacrifice for us is of supreme value, atoning for all sin of all time, once and for all. As he is God incarnate in human flesh (true God from true God), the Eternal Son, of One Being with the Father, Jesus is the perfect offering of infinite worth, capable of redeeming all humanity. Simultaneously, however, his humanity is equally vital. As he is truly human, born of the Virgin Mary, Jesus lived a sinless human life under the biblical Torah, and he truly suffered and died in our place, bearing the penalty of our sins. So, only a fellow human could represent us and stand as our substitute, and, at the same time, only Almighty God could offer a sacrifice of eternal value that would be sufficient for the world’s redemption.

Therefore, this mystical reality (that Jesus Christ is fully God and fully human) makes our atonement and salvation possible. Christ’s atoning sacrifice, sealed by his blood shed for us and confirmed by his glorious resurrection, is the universal offering that reconciles us to God by grace alone.

For the Word of God within chapter 2 of the Epistle to the Ephesians states the following… “By grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God — not the result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we may walk in them.” – (Ephesians 2:8-10)

Through Jesus’ death and resurrection, we are completely justified (completely forgiven!!!) before God, which perfectly reconciles us to God, all by God’s grace through faith as a free gift, not by our own works. But this is not to say that our good works don’t matter. In fact, good works are very much a part of our Christian faith. So yes, we are indeed saved by God’s grace alone through faith in Christ alone, not by our good works; however, we are saved by God’s grace in Christ for the sake of living a Christ-like life of good works as best we can — saved for doing good works as our way of life in response to God’s free grace given us (see Eph. 2:10 above).

Approximately six months ago, my newsletter article was about the 1700th Anniversary of the Nicene Creed in this Year of our Lord, 2025, and about how it is the preeminent statement of Christian faith which boldly professes that Jesus is “true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father… for us and for our salvation he came down from heaven, was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and became truly human.” Consequently, may we be firmly anchored in this true faith of our divine and human Redeemer, whose grace alone saves us.

Dear brothers and sisters, let us always rejoice in Sola Gratia (“Grace Alone”) trusting in the One Savior who is fully God and fully human — the One and Only who died for our sins, rose from the grave, secured our infinite atonement, and washes us in his baptismal waters of rebirth, renewal and eternal resurrection life.

For the Word of God within chapter 6 of the Epistle to the Romans declares the following… “Do you not know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore, we were buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we also might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.” – (Romans 6:3-5)

All thanks, praise and glory be to God for Sola Gratia!

By God’s Grace in Christ, Pastor Tim

BAPTISMAL EVANGELISM

I recently read the Epistle of First Peter, and the words “Baptism now saves you” really stood out to me (see 1 Peter 3:18-22). As a result, I’ve been thinking a lot recently about our commission and ministry from our Lord Jesus Christ to “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:18-20). And of course, our baptizing ministry to and for all peoples and nations is preferably done within the assembly of worship.

In worship, Christ is encountered. In the liturgy, Christ is present and self-giving, and he is ever-addressing his people. By the grace and power of the Holy Spirit, the Son of God is active and present through his Word and Sacraments. Consequently, a blessed assurance and confidence runs high within Lutheranism concerning the purpose of gospel proclamation and liturgical worship. In particular, according to the Word of God, Christ and his salvation are reliably encountered in Holy Baptism, in Holy Communion, and in the Holy Scriptures.

In the Old Testament, Psalm 105:1-6 declares the following… “O give thanks to the Lord, call on his name, make known his deeds among the peoples. Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wonderful works. Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice. Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually. Remember the wonderful works he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he has uttered, O offspring of his servant Abraham, children of Jacob, his chosen ones.”

In this biblical song of praise, the “deeds” that are to be made known to the “peoples” (i.e., the unbelieving Gentile nations) are referring to the deeds of God in and through his Covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. God’s great covenantal acts are to be made known to the nations, to both believers and unbelievers, through our shared liturgical life by “singing” and “praising” and “telling” and “remembering” God’s deeds of creation and salvation. And the purpose of such liturgical worship by the People of Israel was not merely for historical remembrance but for an encounter with the Lord God himself.

All of this is only intensified in the New Covenant. Our Lord Jesus performs his words, deeds, miracles and judgments in and through the worshiping assembly of his Church. In fact, Martin Luther comments on Psalm 105 by saying there are two things that belong to the true Christian believer: [1] The true believer has an illumined recognition of the Lord’s words and deeds (they have ears to hear and eyes to see the spiritual reality of things), and [2] The true believer has God-given affections for the Lord Jesus who is powerfully present in his Word and Sacraments. Therefore, liturgical worship is not merely a ‘style of worship’ but a whole theology of worship. Unbelievers hear the good news, and believers are conformed to the likeness of the Lord God whom they worship. In the liturgical assembly, Christ is present both to make disciples and to deepen discipleship. And it’s been said that the most solid and unwavering means of God-inspired, liturgical and missional activity comes by way of the Covenant of Holy Baptism.

In the great and global story of Christianity throughout the ages, neither door-to-door canvassing, nor tent revivals, nor even having stadium crusades have been the greatest vehicle of Christian evangelization. In every age of the Church of Jesus Christ, it’s Holy Baptism — particularly infant baptism — that has been the overwhelmingly greatest means of increasing, growing and expanding the Church globally. Since ancient days, Christians have babies and then bring those babies to Christ (in faith) to receive Christ’s saving Covenant of Holy Baptism, so that those infant children might one day grow to accept and affirm God’s baptismal grace and salvation for themselves by faith.

Through baptizing adults and children and infants alike, the Lord Jesus has built into the New Covenant of Holy Baptism an evangelistic feature that ensures the propagation of faith and salvation in which the Lord himself does all the saving work and receives all the glory. So, if we desire to see growth for congregations of the Church in our land, then every single one of us (both pastors and parishioners) would do well to ask people if they or their children have been baptized. And with this one simple evangelistic question, we will find that a great deal of gospel discussions will follow. In addition, we need to especially encourage married couples to bring their children to the waters of Holy Baptism.

A grace-filled theology and practice of Holy Baptism keeps the Church evangelistic and mission minded. Baptism is a mighty deed of the Lord, a miraculous act, and an absolving judgment — giving us much about which to praise and adore him. God’s grace in Christ alone fills our mouths with true praise, and our worship liturgy gives us the Bible-based words to do so. Furthermore, the evangelism of Holy Baptism is especially powerful when it takes place during our Sunday morning worship service, and it’s been too long (way too long) since the Sacrament of Holy Baptism has been administered at Mt. Olive.

I have to say that a lot of my best evangelistic moments have started with asking either of these simple questions: “Are you baptized?” and “Has your child been baptized?” So let us all commit to asking these simple evangelistic questions among the people of our relational circles more often. And let us always pray to God for guidance concerning who and when to ask these questions.

Together in Christ’s Mission, Pastor Tim

PASTOR TIM’S ANNUAL REPORT

Over the past several years at Mt. Olive, we’ve been engaging with our community in new ways, especially through our annual Vacation Bible School and Trunk or Treat events. We are also in the beginning stages of a new relationship with Trail Life USA. And with Justin Tagawa’s input on our church council, we are looking into new ways we can utilize our church property for mission and ministry within our Crescenta Valley community.

In addition to all of this, we’ve started an outreach Bible study at Panera Bread Restaurant in La Cañada every third Saturday at 8:30am. We also have a Meetup.com page for this special Bible study, and we’ve had three Bible study participants join us from this social media page so far.

Regarding worship, we are rotating between three liturgies throughout the year: ELW 2, ELW 4 (which is basically LBW 2), and Victory Feast. Jim Tagawa has formed the Cross Street Kids group with our little ones, and they have presented various musical offerings for worship several times this past year. We continue to be blessed to have Sean Paxton and Angela Zelaya direct our choirs. Rita Kubela and the Sanctuary Decorations Committee continue to decorate the sanctuary for our annual cycles of worship. Furthermore, we are also holding joint worship services with Lutheran Church in the Foothills (LCIF) for Ash Wednesday and Thanksgiving Eve each year on a rotating basis.

Lastly but most importantly, we continue to faithfully offer Christ to and for all people. Our clear message to the Crescenta Valley community continues to be the following:

God loves you, and he has poured out his love for you in and through Jesus Christ. By his sacrificial death and resurrection life, Christ renews your life.

At Mt. Olive Lutheran Church we continue to proclaim Christ crucified for us and for all people. Visitors to Mt. Olive find God with his people. Every Sunday morning at 9:30am they find a grace-filled encounter with God through the Holy Word and Blessed Sacrament of Jesus our Lord, as well as through sacred prayers, time-honored hymns and spiritual songs. Moreover, every week at our midweek Bible study, and every third Saturday at our outreach Bible study at Panera, people find personal connection and spiritual relationship with each other around the Word of God within the Holy Scriptures.

May the love, grace and peace of Christ our Lord be with all of you!

Respectfully Submitted in the Name of Jesus Christ, Pastor Tim

SACRED WATER

As our Foothills community leaves behind the annual “May gray” and “June gloom” season of overcast mornings with occasional small weather systems coming through, we are now entering the bone-dry season of July through September/October. And although we can sometimes forget we live in an arid climate because of all the irrigated landscaping we enjoy, the simple truth is that we live where the desert meets the sea. Therefore, large-scale desalination (making fresh water from salt water), using a combination of low-carbon energy sources (wind, solar, natural gas, geothermal, nuclear and hydroelectric), along with increased large-scale water storage, are clear and present necessities for the sustained wellbeing of Southern California.

However, the arid climate of our part of the country and the 3+ months of dry season we’re entering are powerful reminders of the preciousness of water and its sacredness when connected to God’s Word for the baptismal covenant that God makes with us in Holy Baptism. For indeed, water is sacred both because it’s the most basic molecular element for physical life and because it’s the most basic sacramental element for incorporating us into God’s New Covenant established through Jesus Christ our Lord. In fact, the New Testament of the Holy Bible is clear about the sacramental and covenantal use of water according to God’s Word…

Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.
ROMANS 6:3-4

But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of any works of righteousness that we had done, but according to his mercy, through the bathing water [mikvah] of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit. This Spirit he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. This saying is sure.
TITUS 3:4-8a

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.
MATTHEW 28:19-20

While some Christian traditions teach that Holy Baptism is exclusively for adult believers, not for young children or infants, Lutheran Christians understand the Bible as presenting the Sacrament of Baptism as inclusive of people at every stage of life. For Lutherans, we acknowledge that the early Church of Jesus Christ baptized both adults and entire households, including young children and infants. And we know this from the baptisms of whole households in the biblical Book of Acts as well as from the earliest of Christian Church writings from the First Century AD. Moreover, we Lutheran Christians also see the Holy Bible as presenting a covenantal understanding of Holy Baptism that’s similar to but exceeds the covenant of circumcision in the Old Testament.

Just as the Old Testament sign and seal of the Hebraic Covenant is physical circumcision — and afterward the circumcised Jewish male is expected to respond to and affirm this covenant of God in his adult life — so likewise Holy Baptism is the New Testament sign and seal of God’s New Covenant in Christ that we (both male and female) are to respond to and affirm for ourselves in our adulthood by the power of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, this covenantal theology of the Lutheran branch of the Christian Faith differs from Christian traditions which teach that Holy Baptism is merely symbolic.

Thanks be to God for our new birth into a living hope through God’s baptismal covenant with us! Baptized into Jesus Christ and his Church, the resurrection life of Jesus becomes our resurrection life. And as often as we affirm and abide in this baptismal grace through faith, we are “born again from above” (John 3:3-8) with a spiritual “circumcision of the heart” (Romans 2:29), over and over again, granting us continual renewal as beloved children of God throughout our lives.

Grace & Peace, Pastor Tim

REFORMATIONAL DO’S & DON’TS

Each year on Reformation Sunday, which is always the last Sunday in October, we commemorate the great Protestant Reformation that took place during the period of transition from the late Medieval timeframe into the Renaissance timeframe. For Lutherans and Catholics, this commemoration is marked both by sorrow for past sins against one another and by deep gratitude for the spiritual gifts we now offer to one another through Christ our Lord and Savior.

As we are reformational Lutheran Christians of the 21st Century (now over two decades into the Third Millennium of Christ’s Redemption), I offer you the following couple areas of reformational do’s and don’ts:

DO’S & DON’TS FOR INTERFAITH RELATIONS…

DO… Let us regard all people as fellow children of God, made in the spiritual image of God. While we profess that Jesus (Yeshua in Hebrew) is the fullest revelation and manifestation of God, we must also be sure to look for and celebrate the Spirit of our Lord Jesus within non-Christian faiths. Even as we proclaim that Jesus is the Eternal Word of God incarnate in human flesh (John 1), we must also be sure to seek to recognize the ‘Seeds of the Word’ (Semina Verbi in Latin) that are scattered throughout the world. In other words, as I often like to say, while Jesus is the “full enchilada” of the revelation of God, there are also slices of this Divine “enchilada” within other faiths as well.

DON’T… When it comes to interfaith relations, it’s a temptation to downplay our Christian theology and spirituality in order to be hospitable and friendly. It’s tempting to say that all roads to God are equal. However, we cannot do this if we are to remain faithful to the grace and truth of Jesus Christ.

The big question is, “Will the real Jesus please stand up?” Well, the answer for some people is that Jesus is a prophet, and for some he is a buddha, and for some others he is a rabbi or a guru. However, the plain historical truth is that the people who know Jesus best are the people of the living community that he and his Apostles founded, which is the Church of Jesus Christ. So for those who know him best — that is, for Christians — Jesus is much more than everything these various titles convey. For us Christians, Jesus is the Son of God and the Second Person of the Holy Trinity (the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit). For us, Jesus is the Divine Messiah who is the Supreme Prophet, the Heavenly High Priest, the Prince of Peace, and the Everlasting King of Kings. For us, Jesus isn’t merely Prophet Jesus, but rather he is LORD Jesus. Consequently, we can be understanding and respectful of other religions while at the same time we can hold firm to our confession of our Trinitarian Christian faith and spirituality.

DO’S & DON’TS FOR CHRISTIAN CHURCH RELATIONS…

DO… Let us start all interactions with Christians of different branches of the Church from a position of UNITY IN DIVERSITY. So much more unites us than differentiates us as fellow brothers and sisters in the Body of Christ, the Christian Church. We share the same foundational, central and essential confession that Jesus the Christ (Yeshua Ha-Mashiach) is Lord and Savior, just as we have received from the very beginning at the Annunciation to Mary:

The angel said to Mary, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.”
(Luke 1:35)

We share in the same baptismal grace and faith, and we share in the same resurrection hope and charitable love of our Lord Jesus.

DON’T… We must never see other branches of the Christian Church as alien to our own identity in Christ Jesus. For we are ONE BODY in Christ with many uniquely gifted members by the power of the Holy Spirit. We are ONE TREE in Christ, with many uniquely gifted branches reaching out in all directions — Protestant, Catholic, Orthodox, and so on.

Together in Christ, Pastor Tim

MISSIONARIES FOR CHRIST

In select theaters on March 17-18, 2020, Fathom Events is bringing to the big screen a new inspirational movie about the life and ministry of Saint Patrick, entitled “I Am Patrick.” It is a feature-length docudrama that peels back centuries of legend and myth to tell the story of the historical St. Patrick. Through re-enactments, expert interviews, and Patrick’s own writings, we can experience his remarkable journey of faith and transformation. It also stars John Rhys-Davies (best known for his role as Gimli in The Lord of the Rings saga) who plays St. Patrick in his elder years. For us in our area, this movie will show on these two days at 6:30pm at AMC Burbank 16.

During the Season of Lent, the Christian Church has an annual observance on March 17th in commemoration of this great Fifth Century missionary bishop to Ireland. He was born at the end of the Fourth Century to a Roman family on the Isle of Great Britain. Patrick was raised in the Christian Faith, but at the age of sixteen he was abducted by Pagan Irish pirates who were raiding communities in and around Great Britain. Patrick was then enslaved by them, and during his captivity, he prayed often and his faith in the Lord Jesus Christ grew stronger. Patrick also learned the Irish Celtic language and customs. In addition, he learned about Druidism, which was the Pagan religion of the Celtic peoples of Western Europe. In fact, his slave master was a Druid high priest. After six years of captivity, he received guidance from an angel of God to flee his cruel master, and he escaped back to Britain.

As a result of this experience, Patrick’s heart was set toward serving God, so he went to France for his seminary education. After seminary, he served in pastoral ministry for approximately seventeen years until he was commissioned as a missionary bishop to Ireland. Patrick arrived in Ireland around 433 AD, and he shared the good news of Jesus Christ with the native people of Ireland for decades to follow. Because of his evangelistic ministry, Patrick is largely responsible for the establishment of Christianity in Ireland. Besides his famous use of the three-leafed shamrock to symbolize the Holy Trinity of God, he is also credited with driving the Druid priesthood (a.k.a. the “serpents”) from Ireland.

It is appropriate during Lent that we commemorate Saint Patrick, because he is a model of faithful and dedicated evangelism within a cultural context that’s largely unfriendly to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me, and to accomplish his work. Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest?’ I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see how the fields are already ripe for harvest.”
John 4: 34-35

Yes, according to Jesus, the fields of evangelism are already ripe for the harvest. However, these fields of evangelism in our society today often do not feel very ripe for harvesting. This is because we live in a time where many people who were raised in the Christian Faith are not living according to their baptismal covenant with God: “to live among God’s faithful people, to regularly hear the Word of God and share in the Lord’s Supper, to proclaim the good news of God in Christ Jesus through word and deed, to serve all people, following the example of Jesus, and to strive for justice and peace in all the earth.” And many of these are neglecting to nurture their children into the faith, hope and love of the Lord Jesus. Furthermore, as it was at the time of Saint Patrick in Ireland, our work of Christian evangelism is increasingly to those who at first find the gospel to be completely foreign to them.

Thanks be to God for the example of Saint Patrick, whose devotion and dedication to God gives us inspiration to do the work of evangelism within our daily lives. May we continue to share the good news of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ with others, even though it might not initially be received too well, or even if our evangelical outreach in the name of Christ is completely rejected.

Let us remember Jesus’ words of promise, saying, “See how the fields are already ripe for harvest.” And, when sharing the good news and joy of our Lord with others, let us continually pray for direction with the words of the great missionary bishop, Saint Patrick, who wrote: “May the strength of God pilot me, the power of God uphold me, the wisdom of God guide me.”

Good Lent & Blessed Saint Patrick’s Day! Pastor Tim