Scott E. Heitshusen: October 2014

Thursday, October 23, 2014

After Preaching at Grandma Heitshusen's Church [Throwback Thursday]

I was still at the seminary, but I was (fairly) newly "licensed" to preach. My grandma's church, Immanuel Lutheran in Williamsburg, IA., asked my to do so. This picture was taken right after that worship service and before we had to drive back to St. Louis.

Sunday, November 28, 1993.

Monday, October 20, 2014

RE-FORMATION & CHRISTMAS

This Sunday is Reformation Sunday; the last Sunday in October commemorating October 31, 1517, when Dr. Martin Luther nailed 95 Theses for debating on the church door in Wittenberg, Germany.

Yet, even now, some stored have Christmas decorations out. That seems to be happening earlier and earlier every year.

Yet, the two are linked.

Dr. Luther desired to see a church reformed – changed for the better by removing errors, abuses, and misunderstandings. He wanted to correct faults that had made their way into the life, teaching, and even doctrine of the church. He wanted to see things restored to what God shared in His holy, inerrant Word.

Advent and Christmas strongly touch upon this as well. God created all things good, yet through the Fall in Genesis, errors, abused, misunderstandings, and faults not only found their way into the life and faith of people and, indeed, all of creation. Our loving and gracious Lord couldn’t stand for that corruption to continue. He loved His people far too much for that.

So He sent His Son, Jesus, to reform. Reform His people through forgiveness and grace. Reform hatred into love. Reform death into life. Reform falsehoods into truth. Reform mourning into laughter. Re-form the form of creation itself. Reform everything!

This is why Advent and Christmas are so joyous, because when the Creator of all things becomes a part of that creation in the Flesh, it means a reforming of our very nature; our very core; our very relationship with god Himself. Through the coming of Jesus, God has reformed everything!

O come, O come, Immanuel! Reform us in every way. Reform all things in Your way.

Amen!

Thursday, October 16, 2014

"You're Just in Love (I Wonder Why)" [Throwback Thursday]

At a talent show competition from Channel 13.

This was right in front of the Sears at Memorial City Mall. Mary Lynn and I didn't win, but we did get a prize. I got a Marvin Zindler watch [which later fell off into the water around Lake Conroe].

We were singing, "You're Just in Love (I Wonder Why)" by Irving Berlin. As you can see here, Mary Lynn was the love-struck patient and I was playing the part of the doctor, diagnosing her "condition."