Borrowed Boxes

Boxes. They are highly prized and coveted things these days as we search for something to contain those gifts we purchase for our friends and loved ones. It seems I’m always on the look out for good, strong boxes to use for mailing care packages to our college students. They seem insignificant, but they’re important!

Borrowed boxes played a significant role in Jesus’ life, starting with his birth – the borrowed, used and empty box of a manger stall. There, in the crude environment of a barn or cave, the incarnate Lord was placed by the trembling hands of his teenage virgin mother. The most primitive of beginnings, and yet suitable and fitting for the role that He would play as our Savior.

An borrowed box again played an important role when it came to finding a place to lay our murdered Savior, whipped and tortured, crucified and humiliated. Joseph of Arimathea, a follower of Jesus, provided what would otherwise someday be his own place of burial, and arranged to have Jesus laid in his own tomb. That box was empty before Jesus was laid there, and it became empty once again three days later when Jesus defeated death once and for all by rising again.


At Trinity, we’ve also dealt recently with our own share of boxes – boxes used to lay loved ones to rest. In a short span of time, (about two weeks) we’ve had several deaths here, including Mrs. Dorothy Karpinsky (Mrs. Ernst’s mother) Mr. Ralph Schrubbe (the father of Debbie Zanow) and other Trinity members Ruth Winkelmann and Edna Prahl. Now added to our losses is the sister-in-law of 7th grade teacher Dan Hovey, who died of cancer this past weekend at the age of 41.

These too are borrowed boxes, because while these boxes remain temporarily occupied physically, it can also be said that they are, in fact, empty. As the Scriptures explain to us, that which was sown perishable shall be raised imperishable. This is what makes our celebration of Christmas so meaningful! Christmas and Easter are so closely tied together. It’s impossible to see the significance of Christmas without recognizing the reality, power, and victory of Easter.

As we see the area under our Christmas trees populated by dozens of beautifully decorated boxes, we see the temporary and borrowed nature of them, don’t we? Soon, these boxes will simply become empty again as the wrapping is torn away to reveal the gift. The same can be said of Jesus tomb. He is risen…He is risen indeed! And what about those boxes where a believer is placed?

Empty. Jesus has torn away the wrapping of death and has revealed to us the most precious of gifts – eternal life with Him in heaven. Praise the Lord!

May you experience the power of the borrowed box this Christmas season!

Blessed Beyond Imagination!
Rick Adams
Interim Principal, Director of Youth & Family Ministry

Light for a Dark World

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned. Isaiah 9:2

I received the Ken Burns DVD “The War” as a gift for my birthday. It’s a documentary about World War II, with interviews of those who fought in both the Pacific and European theaters, and also includes pieces on how the war was fought here in the states. It is very well done, poignant, and extremely insightful to the values and worldview of America in the forties. World War II remains the most violent and horrific war, with more death and destruction seen than ever before or since. Those who fought in it wanted nothing more than to come home as soon as possible and return to the quiet, peaceful lives they had in America. They are what Tom Brokaw calls The Greatest Generation in his book of that same title. They worried that the atrocities they witnessed would de-sensitize them. I’m amazed that these men, now over sixty years removed from the war, still break down as they talk about it. For many, these things were never spoken of to family and friends. It simply remained inside them. Only now are some speaking of it for the first time.

Fast forward from the forties to December, 2007. In the space of just a few days, mass shootings at a mall in Omaha and at two churches in Colorado have resulted in a total of 14 people dead. We find out that one man - Matthew Murray - perpetrated the killings at a Youth with a Mission dormitory at Faith Bible Chapel near Denver and at New Life Church in Colorado Springs. Trinity graduate Jennifer Ainsworth is currently overseas doing missionary work through Youth with a Mission ministry. The Omaha shooter who killed eight victims before taking his own life, Robert Hawkins was only 19. He left a suicide note which voiced both despair and a desire for fame: "I've just snapped. I can't take this meaningless existence anymore. I've been a constant disappointment and that trend would have only continued. I know everyone will remember me as some sort of monster, but please understand that I just don't want to be a burden on the ones that I care for [for] my entire life." Elsewhere in the note, he said of his motivation, "Just think tho I'm gonna be [expletive] famous. ... I just want to take a few pieces of [expletive] with me." This came from both ABC and CNN news sources.

Shootings and violence have always been with us, and will be until the end of time. But it seems as if we live in a culture that more and more glorifies violence and death. Unlike the World War II soldiers who came home not wanting to talk about the death, violence, and destruction they witnessed, our culture seems to want nothing else. The National Institute on Media and the Family has issued its 12th annual "2007 MediaWise Video Game Report Card." The 10 M-rated titles that earned the watchdog group's "Parent Alert! Games to Avoid" warning this year are: Assassin's Creed; Call of Duty 4; Conan; The Darkness; Jericho; Kane and Lynch: Dead Men; Manhunt 2; Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles; Stranglehold; Time Shift. We are entertained by violence, and we’re willing to spend big money on it.

None of this should come as a great surprise to us. We know from Scriptures that we walk in the valley of the shadow of death. We know that this world is not our home, that (in the words of contemporary Christian music pioneer Larry Norman) we are only visiting this planet.

But we also are reminded at this time of the year that One has come into this dark world of ours to be a Light – a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel (Luke 2:32). Perhaps that’s why Christmas is celebrated with so many lights – lights on trees, lights on our homes, why… even Mrs. Vorpagel wears a sweater with lights! I say, the more the better. Anything to remind us of the Light of the world, who has come into each of our hearts.

In baptism, the pastor will present to the child a lighted candle, saying “Receive this burning light. Live always by the light of Christ, and be ever watchful for His coming that you may meet Him with joy and enter with Him to the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom, which shall have no end.” I believe he wants us to use that light every day and every moment of our lives.

Shine this holiday season with the light of Christ, and help your children to do the same! And while you’re at it, if you happen to see a veteran (of any of our wars) – thank him for his courageous and loving service to our country.

Being Real-Life

Author and leadership guru Stephen Covey says, “The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing” and for us as Christian parents and teachers, the main thing is always Jesus - how we bring Him to our children on a daily basis.

Outdoor humorist Patrick McManus writes that one of his teachers wore the same suit to school every day for 30 years. One day the teacher was sick, and the suit came to school without him. (One student remarked that the suit was more interesting!) Teachers at Trinity are not ordinary educators in teacher’s clothing. We’re a real-life (and real live) teachers. You, as parents, are not simply playing the role of parent to your children, you are real-life (and real live) parents.

God, through the prophet Habakkuk said "Woe to him who says to a wooden thing, Awake; to a silent stone, Arise! Can this teach? Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in it" (Habakkuk 2:19 ESV).

Habakkuk’s comment was aimed at idols, but the lesson for us is that we must guard against becoming idle too. Satan doesn’t really care how we spell it, since both involve sin. One nagging temptation for educators and parents alike is failing to connect everyday life with faith or faith with everyday life. We cannot be idle when teaching the faith to our children. We can be very busy teaching many things—even religious facts—and be doing little better than the suit that came to school without the teacher.

How does one go about teaching the faith to our kids? We use this phrase a lot in Lutheran education, but occasionally it’s good to ask Luther’s persistent interrogative: What does this mean? We should fear, love, and trust God so that we move beyond (but not necessarily skip) our theological vocabulary (big words like sanctification and justification) and into the realm of witnessing what God has made known to us in Jesus! And we need to impress on our children how God was, is, and always shall be involved in all of what we teach and experience in life. In other words, God’s activity in our life cannot be and must not be ratcheted down into a neat, tidy subject in our school day, a grade on our report card, or a day of the week in our daily lives. Nor is the formulation of our children’s faith something that you deposit solely into the hands of our faculty. We’re into real-life and real-live teaching and parenting.

This isn’t always as easy as it sounds. Real-life teachers and real-life parents like us have a Real-Life Teacher, whose example we emulate and whose Spirit empowers us to teach and mold the faith (and share the one that we have.) Our Real-Life Teacher once died but that didn’t stop Him from remaining a Real-Life Teacher, risen from the dead and waiting for just the right moment to return.

Our children cannot see the real Jesus, but they can see His "suits." That’s us. Better get the wrinkles out. He’s coming soon. As we say in the common table prayer, “Come, Lord, Jesus. Come soon. Amen.”

I need to pass this on to all of you. It comes from Focus on the Family’s citizenlink.org. Perhaps some of you have heard about this movie coming on the scene in the next few weeks. A lot of times, we hear about movies that are of a nature that causes us to want to encourage people not to see them, and sometimes it seems a bit overblown. But in this case, I believe we all need to sit up and pay attention to what is going on with this movie. Here is the article from Citizenlink.org. Please read it and share it with others, especially other families with children.
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Golden Compass Reveals a World Where There is No God
by Jennifer Mesko, associate editor

Parents need to pay attention to movie that promotes atheism
and denigrates Christianity.

Golden Compass, which hits theaters in December, creates a parallel world where human souls take the form of animal companions. It's based on Philip Pullman's first novel in His Dark Materials trilogy. It's touted as the next, best fantasy series, but family advocates say parents need to beware.
"The problem is that kids may see the film and ask their parents for the books," said Kiera McCaffrey, director of communications for the Catholic League. "The trilogy of books, especially the third volume, promotes atheism and denigrates Christianity. This is central to the plot.
"We would advise parents not to take their children to see the film, and certainly not to buy them the books. The danger is that parents will not realize, from the film, what Pullman is promoting. Pullman's trilogy shows a world where there is no God."
Adam Holz, associate editor for Focus on the Family's Plugged In magazine and Web site, called the series "heretical."
"Pullman has been openly hostile about C.S. Lewis, and has been pretty clear about his desire to offer an alternate fantasy series based on what he would describe as humanist principles," he said.
"There's so much fantasy stuff out there. Don't be deceived. Don't be swept into the marketing hype. There are serious worldview and theological problems with Pullman's story.
"I think parents need to be paying attention, to be vigilant and to be engaged."

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As a parent, I am aware of the need to have my children experience a variety of opinions and schools of thought, from politics to opposing beliefs about God and the doctrine of the Lutheran Church, all the while training and equipping them to face criticism and opposing beliefs with intelligence and an insightful defense of the truth. I don’t ever want them to run away from an intellectual debate on Christianity, nor do I want them to feel inferior or uninformed for holding to a Christian faith. In short, I want them to know and understand what they believe and why they believe it.

But I also believe that in our desire to expose our kids to that which we hope will make them stronger, we should guard against being reckless and end up exposing them to things that are simply out-and-out lies and deception. Often this comes in the form of books and movies that are marketed to our children as fiction or fantasy. I imagine that Satan delights in seeing the things he packages for our children being received by us as “harmless” or “good fiction”. I think this movie is an example of that.

If you make the decision to stay away from this movie and its accompanying books, (and it is my suggestion that you do) explain to your children why. There is a fair amount of fiction and fantasy in children’s literature that is safe, even some with Christian-friendly messages, like C.S. Lewis’ Narnia series, or the Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings.

Above all, please remain vigilant in guarding and protecting your children from all that Satan is using against us. It can be so easy to lose heart and despair over how dark and depressing the culture is becoming. But that would be to forget the victory that is ours in Jesus. His death and resurrection have secured for us an outcome that is as bright as the radiance of Christ Himself. In Christ - we win! Let that be the message our children hear.

Taking the TV Journey with Your Children

I am a child of the television generation. I find myself making so many comparisons from real life situations to those I’ve grown up with on television and the movies. For me growing up, the land of television was pretty safe. My dad and I shared a few favorites, especially comedies, but when Lawrence Welk came on, I usually headed out the door to play.

Today…I despise television! I really do. Aside from watching the Packers or Brewers and a few shows that teach me how to make minor repairs around my home, I largely ignore it. I looked at the TV Guide website and discovered that they’ve made a series about the Cro-Mag guys from the Geiko insurance commercials! Oh for the days when television was cerebral and thought-provoking, like when we had The Beverly Hillbillies and The Munsters! (Just kidding, of course!)

Now, before I go any further, let me tell you that this will not be an article advocating turning off the television and opting for playing board games with your children instead. Nor will this be an article that encourages you to retreat to the 1960’s and only watch The Andy Griffith Show or Leave It to Beaver on TV Land. And I won’t mention anything about shunning the reality shows or Sony PlayStations or Game Cubes. As much as I’d sometimes like to take these things and chuck them into some nearby abyss, you and I, as parents, must face the reality that they are a permanent part of our culture, and we won’t succeed in keeping our kids from becoming immersed in them. Some might argue that the more forbidden something is to our children, the more enticing and attractive it becomes.

What I do want to advocate, however, is that we never allow our children to go it alone in venturing into this world that consists largely of virtual reality, fantasy, comedy, drama, and slick marketing strategies. By this I mean that television viewing, and to some extent, video game playing – needs to become more of an all-inclusive family event than it was for us when we were young.

When you watch television as a family, you will be able to take opportunities to ask questions related to what has been seen – within the context of the program, and even more so on the commercials. After all, it’s the commercials that represent the true snapshot of our culture’s values and priorities. These occasions lend themselves greatly to opening avenues for faith talk within the home – when you and your children can express questions, concerns, opinions, and beliefs about what you see happening around you – and done so in an environment of faith and love in Jesus.

Of course, there will be times when the only right thing to do is turn the channel or turn off the television – and it is always your duty to make your home a safe haven for your children. But when teachable moments occur, I’d like to encourage you to not run away from the culture – but rather, engage it. We have answers in Christ that are far superior to those being sold on television and elsewhere. As parents, we need to equip and prepare them to take on the culture, not hide from it.

Blessed Beyond Imagination!
Rick Adams, Interim Principal
Director of Youth & Family Ministry

Jesus Shines Brightly in the Hearts of Our Students

God, is so good! He knows just what we need and He provides it just when we need it. Last week was one of those weeks for me – perhaps you’ve had them – when you just sense evil. You can’t account for it, but you know it’s there. Maybe it was the proliferation of commercials on TV with Halloween and all. Maybe it’s the new slate of TV shows that have further pushed the envelope of what is and isn’t “acceptable” on the air or the headlines on the news which include things like abductions, murders in Milwaukee, and the wild fires in California. Maybe it was the news that a friend became suddenly and seriously ill, another friend is in the midst of a marriage crisis, and others have lost or are about to lose loved ones. You go to God in prayer and ask for some sense of peace, something that centers you and brings you back, something to remind you that He is still there, that He cares, that He remains in control.

Enter Trinity’s 8th Grade Confirmation Class. It began with the start of a new space on Trinity’s website – a space devoted to the Extreme Team, our junior high youth ministry. 8th grader Amanda Forshee got things started with an inspirational and insightful devotion which she posted on this new space. I won’t take the space here to re-copy it, but I certainly encourage you to go to www.trinityfreistadt.com, then under the “Ministries” category, go to Extreme Team and check it out for yourself. I’ve been so impressed by the excitement shown by this group of young people, especially the leadership they exhibit in their desire to make our Extreme Team fun and important in the lives of our 6th, 7th & 8th graders. Then there came the 8th grade class responses to a question on their Apostles’ Creed Test. These I will share with you, because they have put a skip back in my step, and they show me - and hopefully you – that God is indeed at work in our school, and in the lives of these young people. The question on the test was: “What does it mean for you to say, ‘Jesus is Lord of my life’? Here were their answers:

“Jesus is the Lord of my life because He helps, guides, and protects me everyday.”

“Jesus rules every part of my life. He is Number One and always will be. For people who don’t have Jesus as Lord of their lives, they’ll be unhappier than when they do.”

“When Jesus is in my life, my life is complete. He helps me walk away from the devil. I am different from others because it will be harder for them to say no to the devil.”

“When I say that [Jesus is Lord of my life] it lets me know that Jesus is always with me and that He watches over me and that I can have eternal life with Him.”

“I am different from others who don’t know Christ because I will be saved. If Jesus wasn’t Lord of my life, my life would be horrible. I would probably do bad things.”

“Jesus is Lord of my life! He died, saved me and He loves me. I have no other Lord but my Lord. I am different because I am going to be saved.”

[“‘Saying Jesus is Lord of my life’] means a lot to me. It makes a huge difference in my life because without God, you’re lost. It makes me different because others who don’t think Jesus is their Savior won’t have eternal life.”

“Jesus in my life makes a difference to me, because I can always talk to God when I feel sad, and I know Jesus will help me through stuff. One thing that I’m different from others who don’t believe in God is, I know for a fact that I’m going to heaven, because I love and trust in God, where some people don’t know what’s going to happen to them when they die.”

“Jesus rules over me and influences all of my decisions.”

God is at work in this school. Jesus is alive and shining brightly in the hearts of our students. And this is evidence of the fact that at our school, Jesus isn’t just shared from teacher to student, but also from student to teacher. Just a few moments ago, I had to leave my office to check out the melodies coming out of the 2nd grade classroom. It turns out that Mrs. Adams and her students were singing (at the tops of their voices) the great Reformation hymn A Mighty Fortress is Our God. They proudly told me that they have learned the first two verses for memory.

Thanks God. You have brought me back, once again. You have reminded me that you are more powerful than evil, even more powerful than death. And while I’m at it, God, thank you for this school, for these children and their teachers, who bring Jesus to one another in real and exciting ways each day.

-- Rick Adams
Interim Principal, Director of Youth & Family Ministries

A Friend’s Love

In the 1800s there lived two friends named John and Bob. The two friends were always together. They lived in the same house. They slept in the same room.
One day John died. Bob was heartbroken. John was buried in a small cemetery in England. After the funeral the minister and the attendants left the churchyard, but Bob remained.

Friends would fix meals for Bob, but right after eating he would go back to the grave. Never had the townspeople seen such he would love for a friend. Even when it was bitter cold, Bob stayed at the graveside of his friend - He stayed for 14 years.
Then one cold January morning in 1872, Bob was found at the graveside lifeless. He was buried nearby in the same cemetery. The townspeople were so impressed with Bob's devotion that they erected a special fountain in his memory and placed it in the town square.

What is most unusual about this story is that Bob was a small dog. He was a ruffle-coated Skye terrier. Such devotion is hard to find even among humans, much less between a dog and a man. There is only one person who is so devoted to us - Jesus! He loved us so much that He even died for us. When He died in our place, He gave the ultimate sacrifice for us. The Bible says, "No one has a greater love than he who gives his life for his friends" (John 15:13).

Jesus' love for us makes it possible for us to love others. His love within us helps us love others. This love knows no limits, in sickness or in health. It is love that "bears everything, believes everything, hopes for everything, endures everything".

Rick Adams

Who You Truly Are

A while back I stopped by a jewelry store to get a new battery for my watch. While I was waiting, I saw a display that had this message: It’s your watch that tells most about who you are. I thought about the utter absurdity of such a claim, and then I realized that someone, somewhere, in some advertising agency in New York or Chicago or wherever, actually penned those words. Do you think anyone actually believes that their watch tells the most about who they are? The Seiko Watch people must think so, or they wouldn’t have spent the millions of dollars on this ad campaign.

Oh, if it were only true! If only what I wore on my wrist, or the clothes I wear, or the style of my hair, could be the determining factor in who I truly am—now that would be truly helpful. I wouldn’t have to worry about things like integrity, character, faith, love, and forgiveness. I wouldn’t have to pay any attention to messy little things like original sin and a heart that is, by nature, against God.

Paul wrestled with this whole thing—in Romans 7. He struggles with coming to grips with who he is—in his truest form—and he comes to the ugly realization in v. 24—WRETCHED MAN!

Ahh...but then comes v. 25, and it washes over us like a fresh rain from heaven—thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!

In Christ, you are a new creation, someone who belongs to God, so that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.

And that, my friends, is what tells most of who you truly are!

Yours in Christ,
Mr. Adams

Many individuals have approached me over the past several weeks with encouraging words and a promise to keep Trinity Lutheran School in their prayers.  I truly appreciate this and sincerely hope that this will continue throughout the school year.

I believe we are off to a very good start, and I want to thank you, the parents, along with our faculty and staff, for demonstrating a willingness to serve God and making yourself available to help in whatever ways possible.

Countless numbers of parents have said, “Whatever you need, please let me know.”  I wish I had a pen and paper in hand when those comments were made, because as we progress into the first month of school, several areas have arisen where we do, in fact, need some help.

□        I am looking for a team of individuals to put together our quarterly care packages to college students.  This would include baking, shopping for goodies to include in the packages, packaging, and mailing.  Anyone who is interested, please contact me.

□        Room parents are still needed in the 3K (AM), 2^nd, 3^rd, 5^th, and 8^th grades.

We are truly blessed to serve in this place, and I personally am blessed to be a part of a wonderful faculty and staff. Please continue to keep all of us in your daily prayers, as we set about on the mission to Grow and Go into the world with the saving message of Jesus Christ as Savior and King.

Blessed Beyond Imagination!

Rick Adams, Interim Principal

Director of Youth & Family Ministry