Immanuel First Lutheran Church

Our growing family of ministries has caused us to add a second page to Blogs & Columns. Page 2 has sections from the youth group, women's ministries, Sunday School and short ministry updates.

There's a LinLo in Every One of Us

This is an excerpt from our latest church blog entry. Visit our blog home page by clicking here.

It's very easy, tempting, and gratifying to slam LinLo (Lindsay Lohan) as a spoiled brat who lived as a real-life "Mean Girl" to whom the laws of the land do not apply, and is finally getting what she justly deserves. I immediately recognize Lindsay's actions as that of an alcoholic in heavy denial despite all the mounting evidence. And in snickering over LinLo's troubles, we justify ourselves with a pat on the back or fist pump thanking God that while we too have made some mistakes, we weren't as bad as LINLO was.

We love to go to Romans 1 and shout from the rooftops the sins of the unbelieving, especially those specific sins involving homosexuality, and proclaim the judgment of God against such perversion. But we never read Romans 2, in which the apostle Paul says that his readers were just as guilty of the same sins, but stubbornly excused them as not as bad as the heathen were and not needing to repent.

The Mission to Tanzania

Tanzania is a country, located on the eastern coast of Africa, south of Kenya. It is the home of Mount Kilimanjaro, Lake Victoria (Africa’s largest lake), the Serengeti plains, and Gombe National Park (where anthropologist Jane Goodall worked with apes). Tanzania is twice the size of California with a slightly larger population. It is rich in natural resources, yet struggles with poverty. The per capita income is roughly $200 (compared to $40,000 in U.S.)

While poverty is a specter which haunts Tanzania, material poverty is not the only problem. There is a tremendous spiritual poverty as well. Barely a third of the 43 million people know Jesus Christ. There is a tremendous need to bring the Word of God to Tanzania. Jesus encourages us in Matthew 28:18 (The Great Commission) to go out and share the Gospel:

Debbie and I, as representatives of Immanuel First Lutheran Church, will be serving on a mission trip to Tanzania, through the Pastoral Leadership Institute and MOST Ministries. The primary purpose in sending groups of pastors on mission trips is to encourage them to lead their own congregations on mission trips of their own. In sending us out as a mission to the people of Tanzania we fulfill the Great Commission.

Our first task in Tanzania will be to provide for the physical needs of the people. One of the most significant problems in Tanzania is the lack of adequate healthcare for children & families. For this trip, we will be holding clinics to test and fit people for eyeglasses. These clinics provide for a very real and immediate need. They enable the people to read, sew, prepare food, plant gardens and crops, obtain jobs, go to school and do innumerable other things which they had previously been unable to do.

As a result, our teams have also been given permission to preach and minister to the local people. This is an ideal opportunity to share the Gospel with people who have never heard the Word of God… to feed people who are starving to know Jesus. Please pray for safe travel, protection and for blessings upon the Tanzanian people, that the Word we share might reap a blessing thousandfold.

Click here to follow Pastor and Debbie Okubo on the Tanzania mission trip and read their blog.

Lutheran Laughs

It's All in the Name

submitted by Rich Rodriguez

Here are some occupations with appropriate names for the practitioners thereof. Move your cursor or mouse pointer over the name to read the actual words behind the pun-filled names.

Dentist: I.M. Toothaker

Dietitian: Diana "Di" Abetes

Insurance Agent: Justin Case

Taxi Driver: Pikap Andropov

Dermatologist: Ivan Awfulitch

Glassblower: Crystal Glass

Veterinarian: Dogzen Katz

Optometrist: I.C. Clearly

Politician: Lyeranda Crooke

Undertaker: Rhigg O'Mortis

Baseball Player: Homer Onderby

Television Engineer: Tess Padurn

Paparazzi: Starr Stocker

NFL Cheerleader: Cysse Bumbaugh

Psychic: Hazee Fiucha

Talk Radio Host: Mona Whyner

Plumber: Piper Cleary

Florist: Rose Posey