ANADIAN LUTHERANISM TODAY - Lutheran Church-Canada

Honorary title bestowed
CALGARY - Foothills Lutheran
Church has bestowed upon Rev.
Eldon Ohlinger the honourary title
of ‘Pastor Emeritus,’ in recognition of
the faithful service of Rev. Ohlinger
to the Lord and His church, especially
From the President
had to replace the windshield on
I my car this summer. That’s not an
uncommon thing in Western Canada.
Windshields tend to have a short life span here. I’m
sure it won’t be long before highway driving begins
to take its toll on this new windshield and stone chips
and cracks start to appear.
It is nice, for now, to see clearly through a
windshield unmarred by rock damage. However, there
are bugs. Some of them are tiny and leave small specks
on the glass after I hit them. Then there are the big ones
which invariably hit directly in my line of vision and
whose remains cure harder than the toughest manmade
polymer within a matter of seconds.
I try to clean my windshield regularly but the effort
always seems so futile. There are always many more
bugs which are happy (so it seems) to replace the ones
I’ve cleaned off. This struggle with winter stones and
summer bugs will continue as long as I take my car
on the road.
St. Paul had a similar problem. It wasn’t with
windshields, but with his life. In his Epistle to the
Romans, chapter 7, he laments his constant struggle
with sin. While he was a child of God, washed clean
in the redeeming blood of Jesus, he still speaks of sin
which plagues him and mars his life.
He really describes the life of all Christians. Forgiven
and redeemed, our new nature desires to live as God’s
child—but our old sinful nature strives to return us to
our old unregenerate selves. It’s a daily struggle and
it is often hard. St. Paul cried out, “What a wretched
man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death”
(Romans 7:24)?
As we study Scripture, we see St. Paul’s dilemma
was not unique. Great heroes of the faith, like those
listed in Hebrews 11, also shared in this tough struggle.
And I stand with them—not as a great “hero of the
faith,” but as a poor miserable sinner who fails daily.
Like the windshield of my car, this redeemed sinner is
constantly splattered with the results of sin.
6 The Canadian Lutheran September/October 2012
ABC District News
Alberta and British Columbia Karen Lyons, editor
Alberta and British Columbia Karen Lyons, editor
with the congregation at Foothills.
Rev. Ohlinger was pastor of
Foothills Lutheran Church from
January 1969 through June 1997.
During his ministry, the congregation
built their present building and grew
to be one of the larger congregations
of the district. He continues to serve
the congregation as a LifeLight Bible
study leader and as an encourager.
He continues to preach in various
locations in the district.
Rev. David Bode, Foothills Lutheran
“Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our
Lord” (Romans 7:25)! That was Paul’s response to
his wretched state. God’s people share in the greater
victory that is ours through our crucified Saviour
who gave up His life on the cross to purchase our
forgiveness. He rose from the dead, conquering
death, and daily He comes to give us new life. His
Spirit comes to us through the means of grace with
forgiveness, life, and salvation. God does not forsake
us—instead, He promises us His abiding and eternal
gracious presence. He assures us “Therefore, there
is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ
Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the
Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death”
(Romans 8:1).
As long as I drive my car, I will have to deal with
rock chips, cracks, and bug splatters on my windshield.
As long as I live in this world, daily I will struggle with
Satan, the world, and my own sinful flesh. Like the
great sinner/saint King David, daily I pray “Create
in me a clean heart O God and renew a right spirit
within me.” And daily, through the means of grace, I
hear these beautiful words: “Your sins are forgiven.”
What messes up your windshield? What sins do
you struggle with? The promises of forgiveness, life,
and salvation are available to you through Christ.
Jesus died for you as much as He did for St. Paul, for
King David, and for His own disciples. On the day of
Pentecost, in response to St. Peter’s sermon, people in
the crowd said, “‘Brothers, what shall we do?’ Peter
replied, ‘Repent and be baptized, every one of you,
in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your
sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
The promise is for you and your children and for all
who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will
call’” (Acts 2:37-39).
This promise is for you! When we are wearied and
scarred by our daily struggle, we find forgiveness
of sins in our Saviour and the comforting assurance
expressed in St. Paul’s triumphant cry, “Thanks be to
God-through Jesus Christ our Lord!”
Rev. Don Schiemann
THE CANADIAN LUTHERAN September/October 2012 27