Pastor Rhoads graduated from Concordia Seminary in St. Louis with a
Master’s of Divinity degree in 2008. He has served as Associate Pastor at Christ Our Savior
since his graduation. Before entering the seminary, he served as a Director of
Christian Education at LCMS churches in Florida, Alabama, and Texas.
Pastor
Rhoads enjoys teaching the faith and providing opportunities for people to live
out their faith in daily life. “My greatest joy in ministry is helping people
grow in their knowledge and appreciation of the grace of God as revealed in the
Bible.” In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his family and hiking the
many trails in our area.
Pastor's Message
How Open Are You?
“O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.” (Psalm 51:15)
Have you ever wondered why the name “April” was chosen for this month? Well, I did. My quick internet search indicated several possibilities. The suggestion that it came from the Latin word “Aprilis” made the most sense to me. This word was derived from another Latin word, “aperiere”, which means, “to open”. (where we also get the word aperture). The Romans gave this name to the time of year when plants and trees are opening up after a winter’s nap and bursting forth in new life and color.
In the Church, this is the time of year we celebrate the Easter season. The open tomb is a symbol of new life for Christians. Because Christ is risen, we too have ris-en to new life. Since Christ has opened our hearts to faith in Him, the question before us is, “How open are you to living a life of confidence and joy in light of the resurrection?”
The assigned gospel readings for this month provide insight into living an Easter life. The first two weeks in April present Jesus opening the eyes of disciples hiding in fear to the reality of His resurrection. In the last two weeks, Jesus presents Himself as the Good Shepherd and the True Vine. All of these readings remind us that left to our own devices, we would never be open to new life. We are, by nature, sinful and unclean. This has always been the case. That’s why, in the verse cited above, the Psalmist pleads with the Lord to open his lips so that he could declare praise to the Lord.
Thanks be to God that He has opened our hearts to receive the truth of salvation by grace through faith alone. Thanks be to God that He has opened our lips and our mouths to declare His praise. Thanks be to God that He has opened the doors of our church so we can gather as the people of God and receive His gifts in Word and Sacrament. Thanks be to God for all the open doors He gives us to serve Him. Let us pray for His power to keep us open to Him and our neighbor.
Holy Spirit, all divine, Dwell within this heart of mine;
Cast down ev’ry idol throne, Reign supreme, and reign alone.
Pastor Mark