NOTES from the Desk of Rev. Richard Mueller
LWML WY District Junior Pastoral Counselor

LWML Website message from Jr. Pastor Counselor Rev. Richard C. Mueller
 

March 2026
Please sing with me:
In the cross of Christ I glory,
Tow’ring o’er the wrecks of time.
All the light of sacred story
Gathers round its head sublime.
When the woes of life o’ertake me,
Hopes deceive, and fears annoy,
Never shall the cross forsake me;
Lo, it glows with peace and joy.
When the sun of bliss is beaming
Light and love upon my way,
From the cross the radiance streaming
Adds more luster to the day.
Bane and blessing, pain and pleasure
By the cross are sanctified;
Peace is there that knows no measure,
Joys that through all time abide.
Public domain
 

How can something so bad be so good? Usually we ask, how can so many seemingly good things be so bad—things such as rich food and the like? But at this time of the year, the season of Lent, Holy Week and Easter, we can ask that question in a different way. The bad, I’m asking about, is the cross. How can a disgustingly horrible instrument of death besuch a symbol of good for us? So good, in fact, that the hymn writer has been inspired to write,
In the cross of Christ I glory, tow’ring o’er the wrecks of time.”
The answer is given in those very words. That terrible instrument of death is a symbol of thegreatest good because it “towersover the wrecks of time.” We are the “wrecks of time” untilGod comes to rescue us. He does so through Christ and His cross.Thereonthe cross, Christcleanses us as Scripture says, “The blood of Christ cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).During Lent we remember the cross, but with our eyes and ears wide open. For Christians, thevictory of Christ’s cross does not lull us to sleep about the seriousness of our rebellious naturesnor about the easy temptations that can lure us away from Him.In Lent we remember, and want to remember, the cause of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. Wewant to sharpen our consciousness of rebellion and faithlessness in our lives. In order that we, inrepentance, despair of any hope of salvation from within ourselves and claim Christ only as our Savior.

When we recognize the terrible cause of Christ’s death on the cross and trust the complete  victory He won for us, the cross is glorious. We can join the hymn writer in singing, “in thecross of Christ I glory.”As the season of Lent continues, I encourage all of you to come and worship, to reflect upon your sins and seek God’s forgiveness at the foot of the cross of Jesus. And as Easter approaches,
Easter Sunday is April 5 th , we will rejoice at the victory of Christ on the Cross. Jesus who died and rose from the dead is alive and because He is alive, we will also be alive with Him, for our sins are forgiven and we have eternal life with our God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Holy Week is a time that we do focus on the gifts that God has given us. Holy Thursday, Jesus
instituted the Lord’s Supper for us. Christ is giving us His body and blood for the forgiveness of sins. Good Friday, the day that Jesus died on the cross, was forsaken by His Father for us and earned for us our forgiveness. Here on the cross we see the love that God our Father and His Son, Jesus, has for us sinners. Because of the cross our sins are forgiven. The cross that is seen
as bad is good for us. My prayer is that through listening to God’s Word, the power of sin within you will be exposed,
like St. Paul, you will be led to despair, and by the enlightening of the Holy Spirit you claim Christ alone as your salvation.  When Easter comes the victory that you hail with joyous song will be Christ’s victory and it results for you, eternal life.

Easter Message 4/20/2025

Jesus is Risen!
He is Risen indeed! Alleluia!

What great and joyous news we hear and have to share with our families and friends and all
those around us. Jesus Christ is risen indeed!

Jesus is risen! What does that mean to you? to your family? What does it mean for our community, for our world? Easter is more than just a day that we have an early sunrise service, Easter breakfast and family dinner. Easter is what it is all about. Easter is all about you and your sin. Easter is about Jesus dying on the cross and RISING from the dead to pay the price God demanded for your sin. Because Jesus died and ROSE from the dead, we know that our sins are forgiven, that they have been washed away, and that because of Jesus’s death and resurrection we have a place prepared for us in heaven and that we too will rise from the dead on the last day. What joyous news.

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"Photo courtesy of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod."

What joyous and lifesaving news we have to share with one another. The problem I see is how do we share this message of Jesus’ work of salvation for us. How many of us actually share this joyous news?

That is the mission and ministry God has given to His church on earth. What is it that we are to
do with this resurrection news about Jesus rising from the dead?

We all have been called to be witnesses of Jesus Christ and to go and share the Good News that Jesus came to die on the cross and rise from the dead for our forgiveness, for our salvation. What a joyous and important message we have to share. But many people in our society do not want to hear this message we have to share. Many think that this message of sin is old stuff, we already know it all, so we better do something different. Some feel that we need to go along with what the other people are saying in our country and not follow what God’s Word says. God has called us to preach Christ crucified and risen, that is what is all about! That is what Easter is all about. That is what our mission and our ministry is all about! To share the gospel of Jesus Christ, not just with the members of our own congregation, but with our families and with our community, with all we come into contact.

What a mission field that surrounds us. A mission field that is hurting and lost without Christ. Without the assurance of forgiveness and life because of Jesus Christ. What a mission opportunity that is before us. Yes, we proclaim Jesus is risen! He is risen, indeed! Alleluia, on Easter Sunday, but this message is one that we are to shout every day that we live on this earth. For it is a message of hope and peace and comfort for us living in this sinful, broken world. A message that gives us peace, a peace that only Jesus can give us, as we look around and see all that is going on in this world. It may seem that Jesus is being pushed out of our world, but He is still here, risen and alive. We have the privilege to proclaim Jesus Christ and His forgiveness and salvation. We are called by God to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ to our neighbors and to all corners of the world.

Please continue to pray for the mission and ministry of Lutheran Woman in Mission. Remember that you are part of the God’s mission wherever you are. That what Jesus came to do on the cross is for you and that because He rose from the dead, you too, will rise from the dead and live eternally with our Savior in heaven forever. Jesus is risen and alive! What great news to share.

Jesus is risen! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

Pastor Richard Mueller
Junior Pastoral Counselor, LWML Wyoming District

For a downloadable copy of Rev Mueller's Easter message - CLICK HERE

(Click HERE to Read Rev Mueller's fall message - October, 2024)