25 Years for Lutheran Church-Canada: “We are to celebrate to the Lord” (Exodus 10:9)

by Leonardo Neitzel

The relationship of our Lord God with His people in the Old and New Testaments is one of celebration. Through all ages, even amidst trials and suffering of all sorts, God strengthened His people to rejoice and celebrate. When Pharaoh was determined to keep God’s people captive in Egypt, this is what Moses said: “We will go with our young and old, with our sons and daughters, and with our flocks and herds, because we are to celebrate a festival to the LORD” (Exodus 10:9). By God’s grace and power, this indeed happened later. Despite trials and tribulations on the journey, God’s people regularly gathered to celebrate the feasts of the Old Testament. The building of the temple in Jerusalem was a time for celebration and so was the freedom from captivity. Many hymns in the book of Psalms reflect God’s peoples’ gratitude, victory, and celebration.

On several occasions, Jesus joined peoples’ celebration as well as His church peoples’ festivals. Easter Sunday and the days that followed marked the highest celebration of His victory over sin, death, and the devil. Because of Jesus, we too are free to live, free to celebrate. Heaven rejoices, the Church rejoices, for salvation is now available to all through faith in Christ. As a result of His mercy and salvation, “we are to celebrate.” In fact, we can’t help but celebrate; from a grateful heart overflows doxology, thanks, and praises.

Throughout history, the Church has been marked by the cross of persecution, from inside as well as from without. And yet there has been praise. Paul’s letters from prison reflect gratitude, doxology, and celebration for the salvation granted by Christ. Martyrs and the steadfastness of the persecuted Church give us a legacy of celebration in the Lord. Evil forces will never cease to battle the Church, until the final day of her victory, when Christ will crown her as His triumphant bride. Despite many challenges, Christians have every reason to rejoice and to celebrate to the Lord.

Throughout history, the Church has been marked by the cross of persecution, from inside as well as from without. And yet there has been praise.

Lutheran Church–Canada (LCC) celebrates its silver anniversary this year. It was twenty-five years ago that LCC established its own Canadian church body, but its history is much longer and much richer, beginning as a district of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. This year, LCC is remembering its journey of grace with a special celebration service scheduled for July 7, 2013 at the University of Manitoba. The service will be held in conjunction with the National Youth Gathering and the Reach Out Canada taking place in Winnipeg at that time.

This 25^th anniversary celebration is a special occasion to remember the mercies of the Lord. It is a time to join in joyous thanksgiving, to be strengthened, trained and encouraged in our faith and witness, to reaffirm the Lord’s blessings publicly, and to reach out to others with the love of Jesus. Through the presentations, workshops, and other activities at Reach Out Canada and the National Youth Gathering, we can learn much as we proclaim the love of Jesus to others.

The Board of Directors of Lutheran Church–Canada has passed a resolution encouraging all congregations to remember and celebrate 25 years of God’s faithfulness by taking a special offering to support LCC’s missions. Congregations may wish to do this July 7, the same day as LCC’s 25^th Anniversary Celebration service in Winnipeg, or on another Sunday of their choosing. All donations will go to support LCC’s Missions and Social Ministry Services, as LCC funds the proclamation of the Gospel in places like Nicaragua, Honduras, Costa Rica, Thailand, Cambodia, and Ukraine, as well as here in Canada. Donations may be given online at www.lutheranchurchcanada.ca or sent to LCC’s office in Winnipeg.

Throughout the history of the Church, God’s people have marked special milestones with signs and celebrations. In Samuel’s time, a stone was erected as a monument after the Lord protected his people by defeating the Philistines. That stone included this confession: “Till now the LORD has helped us” (1 Samuel 7:12). In some of our partner Lutheran churches in Africa, when the faithful bring their offerings to the Lord, they sing, praise, and dance. Their song and dance is a symbol—a memorial, if you like—of the faithfulness of God.

Let our memorial for LCC’s 25^th Anniversary celebration be a Spirit-powered resolution to confess Christ as Lord and Saviour in our land, to support LCC’s missions here and abroad, and to reach out to others with Jesus’ love.

Perhaps in Canada we are not all “fit to dance for the Lord” in the same way, but we too can recognize God’s faithfulness to His Church. Let our memorial for LCC’s 25^th Anniversary celebration be a Spirit-powered resolution to confess Christ as Lord and Saviour in our land, to support LCC’s missions here and abroad, and to reach out to others with Jesus’ love. This is a special occasion to renew our call and commitment to be Jesus’ beacon of love and salvation in the place where the Lord has placed us. “This is the day the LORD has made,” the Psalm writer says, “let us rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24). And Paul tells us to “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

Click here for more information on Reach Out Canada. Click here for more on the National Youth Gathering. For more information on LCC’s missions and Social Ministry Services, visit www.lutheranchurchcanada.ca/missions.

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Rev. Dr. Leonardo Neitzel is LCC’s Executive for Missions and Social Ministry.

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