'pastor' Tagged Posts

Top Ten Christmas Hymns

From The Desk Of Pastor Mech Christmas celebrations bless us with glorious music. This past season’s choir selections, instrumentalists and children’s programs kept me smiling and gave me warm memories to see me through the coming winter. One of the relatively unchanging elements of Christmas at Immanuel is our Christmas Eve festival of Readings, Carols and Candlelight. Most every year we sing the same beloved hymns, and I am fine with that tradition. Yet several people asked whether some of…
nativity scene what child is this gregory mech immanuel lutheran church joplin missouri

What Child Is This?

From the Desk of Pastor Mech Prepare to share glad tidings of comfort and joy, of a Savior who has been born to us, who is Christ, the Lord! Our Advent and Christmas focus will be shaped by a familiar Christmas hymn. The author of the series, Rev. Ralph Tausz, provides the context: The birth of a certain child two thousand years ago in Bethlehem prompted a poet in the nineteenth century to ask a very un common question in…
Jesus wearing crown of thorns - suffering servant

Words to Humble and Strengthen You

From the Desk of Pastor Mech These words are intended to humble and strengthen you as we approach Lent. Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him and he will bring justice to the nations… A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. -Isaiah 42 And now the Lord says‚ … “It is too small a thing for you…