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Lutheran Church of the Reformation
West Long Branch, New Jersey
“We declare to you what was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life.”
1 John 1:1
Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ, whose Holy Spirit guides the Lutheran Church of the Reformation and its Evangelism Committee in a never-ending mission to do precisely what the author of First John reports in the verse above.
What was from the beginning? Jesus Christ the Son of God. What have we heard? The good news of Christ Jesus, and all His works, and all His promises. What have we seen with our eyes? Promises fulfilled in our lives. What have we looked at and touched with our hands? The life of faith, hope, and love, the life of grace, the life of Christ. What is the word of life? The truth that Christ told through the prophets of ancient Israel; the truth that Christ told His disciples in Galilee; the truth His disciples in every age have told the whole world.
“This life was revealed, and we have seen it and testify to it, and
declare to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed
to us – we declare to you what we have seen and heard that you also
may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and
with His Son Jesus Christ.”
1 John 1:2-3
The word of life is this: that you may have fellowship with us, and together we may have fellowship with Jesus Christ, and through Him we may have fellowship with God the Father, Creator of the Universe, eternal omnipotent source of our souls and all that was, is, and will be.
This fellowship is all grace, truth, love, and all light; all spirit, power, glory, and all life.
“We are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.”
1 John 1:4
It is joy to declare to you what we believe. It is joy to know the Holy Spirit may use our words to plant belief in your soul or water the garden already there. It is joy to invite you to become a member of our congregation, the Lutheran Church of the Reformation. It is joy to invite you to become a member of our Evangelism Committee; indeed especially that, for we know it will be joy for you to declare what you believe.
“As He was now approaching the path down from the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the deeds of power they had seen, saying, ‘Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest heaven!’ Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Him, ‘Teacher, order your disciples to stop.’ He answered, ‘I tell you, if these were silent, the stones would shout out.’”
Luke 19:37-40
We cannot keep silent. We shout out with a loud voice for all the deeds of power we have seen. Spiritually speaking, we can make the same report that Jesus made to the followers of John the Baptist:
“The blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have good news brought to them.”
Luke 7:22
I know there were times in my own life when I was blind, lame, a leper, deaf, dead, a poor wretch. But no longer! The good news was brought to me, and now I can make the same report as my Lord’s mother Mary:
“My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for He has looked with favor on the lowliness of His servant. Surely from now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is His name.”
Luke 1:46-49
If you find yourself in New Jersey, in the vicinity of West Long Branch, please join us on a Saturday evening or a Sunday morning (or sometimes a Thursday evening) for Word and Sacrament, or on a Wednesday evening for the Vespers celebration of the Word. See the schedule of services elsewhere on this web site.
The Lord bless you and keep you. In the holy name of the Mighty One, Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, let us say with all the hosts of heaven, Amen.