Each month in our church newsletter - the Trinity Messenger - Pastor Hofmann authors a couple of pages.  The topics range from current events at Trinity to scriptural teachings to things going on in the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod.  Using the Links at the top you will be able to access previous month's articles from Pastor Hofmann. 

Pastor Hofmann's June 2008 Message: 

“⁶I gave my back to those who strike, and my cheeks to those who pull out the beard; I hid not my face from disgrace and spitting. ⁷But the Lord God helps me; therefore I have not been disgraced; therefore I have set my fact like a flint, and I know that I shall not be put to shame. ⁸He who vindicates me is near. Who will contend with me? Let us stand together. Who is my adversary? Let him come near to me. ^9aBehold, the Lord God helps me . . . . ^10aWho among you fears the Lord and obeys the voice of his servant?” (Isaiah 50 ESV).

The record setting iron man of all football quarterbacks, Brett Favre, has retired. In setting his continuous game streak he became somewhat of a legend for playing hurt. There were scenes of him coming out of the game and throwing up blood on the sideline, and then going back in to engineer another touchdown drive. There were scenes of him running around making plays on sprained ankles so bad he needed crutches after the game. And then there is the indelible picture of him playing the game of his life in the aftermath of his father’s death.

Brett Favre had that intestinal fortitude to push himself where many others would simply pack it in, but he is not alone in this. Every sport has or had those in their ranks who set the bar a little higher than anyone else. In the world of sports, their determination and willingness to play at a high level in pain and against the odds is what set them apart. That is why people pay the money to see them play. That is why people stand and cheer or quietly tip their hats for all men and women of devotion who perform for the love of the game.

Perhaps you or someone you know got close enough to Brett Favre or some other “legend” in sports to get an autograph or handshake. Most of the time, however, you can’t expect to get very close to great people, especially when they are in their prime. There are always the guards and other security people, not to mention the crowds themselves, to keep you from getting too close.

How different it is with Jesus! You don’t have to travel to Lambeau Field or Miller Park or the Bradley Center, or anywhere else for that matter, to cheer and get close to the ultimate hero who gave Himself, not just to win a game, but to save all of mankind. He has more crowds and responsibilities than anyone could ever dream of, and yet, every Lord’s Day He wants to personally sit down with you and listen to you and speak to you right here at Trinity. Most of all, He wants to feast with you on His own body and blood for the forgiveness of your sin. Think of it, even though He listens to His whole world of believers at that same moment, He is still listening to you—personally!

The problem is that we so very easily make frail and imperfect human beings some kind of god and relegate the King of kings and the Lord of lords to second place, or lower.  No one has true fear and love of God. If anyone did, nothing, not one thing, would take precedence over an opportunity to kneel at the altar and receive Christ’s blessing and forgiveness. If we had true fear and love of God, there would be no “summer slowdown” in church attendance; there would be no lack of volunteers; there would be no fretting over budgets, etc.

You see, the devil is really good at tempting us to make “heroes” out of people to draw us away from the true “Hero” Jesus Christ. The devil is a master at tempting us to shift priorities from where they should be. By nature we cling to the physical that is passing away at the expense of the permanent that is yet invisible (2 Co 4:16-18). There’s nothing wrong with sports and heroes, etc. God wants His children to enjoy life in this decaying world as much as possible, but not at His expense! Remember how Jesus tells us to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and everything else we need will be added to us (Mt 6:33).

Sports heroes sacrifice themselves and play through pain for completely personal reasons, be it love of the game, personal satisfaction, money, fame, or whatever. It will always come down to what each competitor gets out of it or what each one’s expectation is. Jesus, on the other hand, is the only “hero” who ever went the distance for everyone but Himself.

Jesus has not retired! Every Sunday you have the opportunity to come incredibly close to Him who set His face like flint to win your salvation. Every Sunday you have the opportunity to cheer Him who was bloodied and beaten and hung on a cross that you might have a future beyond this troubled life. Every Sunday you can visit with Jesus in so many places through the reading His Word. You can walk with Him on the Galilean shoreline or ride the smashing waves with Him in the boat. You can watch Him heal the sick and drive out demons and raise the dead. Most importantly, you can see Him in utter agony as He took your place before the wrath of God, and then see Him rise with healing 3 days later.

Jesus is the true Hero, for He did what we could not and would not do. In worship, in life, in all our being, should He not receive all our cheers and devotion? God grant each member of Trinity a Christ centered summer—one that keeps priorities right in true fear and love of the Lord!

                                                                             Pastor Hofmann