April 2026

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When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Salome brought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen they went to the tomb. And they were saying to one another, “who will roll away the stone for us at the entrance of the tomb?” and looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back -- it was very large. And on entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will se3e him as he told you. Mark 16:1-7

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Afterword he appeared to the 11 themselves as they were reclining at table, and he rebuked them: then he said to them “Go into all the world and proclaim the Gospel to all creation….” Mark 16:14-15

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Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,

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The Easter Acclamation: “Alleluia! Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed! Alleluia!” is a sign that we have once again entered the Easter Season– the 50 days between Easter Sunday and Pentecost Sunday. 

Another sign that we have entered the Easter Season is the return of the Gloria in Excelsis (the “Glory be to God on high…”  part of the liturgy), as well as the Alleluia before the Gospel reading. During the season of Lent, we exclude the Gloria and the Alleluia to help remind us that we are in a unique time and penitential season of the church year. But when Easter comes, we get the Gloria and the Alleluia back. We might say we get to add them back to the service. But I would argue, liturgically speaking, we are not “adding” them back to the service, rather they are being restored. During Lent, the Gloria and the Alleluia are taken away, but their rightful place is to be at the heart and center of the liturgy. They are a vital part of the liturgy, not add-ons.

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With that in mind, it could be said that the liturgy post-Easter, which is the liturgy we use for the majority of the year, is the liturgy at its best. In like manner, the Christian life is lived well, it is at its best when we live knowing and believing that Jesus truly is risen from the dead and lives and reigns to all eternity. Because the resurrection of Jesus is not an add-on. It’s not an “Oh, yeah, that happened too” part of Jesus’ life. No, our Lord’s rising from the grave on the third day is as vital and necessary part of his life and our salvation as his suffering, death, and burial. 

Jesus is risen from the dead and that changes everything! The good news of Easter, “He is risen,” should change how we look at life, how we understand the world, and our place in it. “Christ has triumphed, he is living, alleluia!” (LSB #465) should be our default setting, our answer to every trouble, want and need, just as it should be a constant source of hope, assurance, and anticipation. 

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Sometimes when people ask me, “How’s it going?” or “What do you know today?” I respond with something along the lines of “Christ is alive and ruling over all things.” That, of course, is not the customary answer to those questions, and while there’s nothing wrong with saying, “It’s going well,” it is fun to mix it up a little every now and then. And by mixing it up I mean taking the opportunity to remind people of the only thing that really matters, that Jesus died in accordance with the Scriptures for our salvation, and now he is alive, never to die again. Death is defeated! Sin is conquered! The devil has lost his power! The grave cannot hold us! Christ is the Victorious One and he shares the victory with us! How’s it going? With all that in mind, it’s going great!  

Or as Samuel Medley put it, somewhat more memorably, “Oh, the sweet joy this sentence gives: I know that my Redeemer lives!” (TLH #200, LSB, 461).

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Alleluia! Christ is risen…

Yours in Christ, Pastor Suehring

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NEWS AND NOTES CONCERNING CWG & LWML, April 2026 Messenger

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The next GWG and LWML meeting is going to be on Wed. April 8th, after Bible Study. Mite collection for LWML. 

Next LCFS Thrift Store workday is Monday April 6; volunteers will likely be Leah Lehman and Kathy Polley. More volunteers are always welcome, please contact Leah Lehman if interested, 715-584-5606.

RALLY INVITATION FROM ST MARTIN LUTHERAN, CLINTONVILLE, WI date is Saturday, April 18, 2026.  Registration is 8:30 – with coffee and refreshments. The rally is from 9-1. A $5.00 fee includes lunch. 

Christian Life Topic, “Trees of the Bible’ WRITEN BY Pastor Daniel Pfaffe, will be presented by Connie Lambert and Kathy Hall.

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Guest speaker will be Rebekah Lukas, on “A New Family: The Church is a family of God. As members of the church, why it is important we understand ourselves as a family, Rebekah is a Deaconess and PhD student at Concordia Seminary. She is the wife of our Associate Pastor, Hayden Lukas.

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GIFTS OF THE HEART: will be gathered for Vida Medical Center in Appleton. Vida provides free, confidential, and compassionate medical care, parent support services, material support, and maternity housing in the Fox Valley and beyond. Items requested are: Fuel only Kwik trip cards; Costco or Aldi gift cards; Newborn diapers size 0; diapers size 5 & 6; baby toiletries; shampoo, lotion, bath soaps, diaper rash cream/ointment.

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In addition: cotton flannel receiving blankets, fleece blanket throws, paper towels, and laundry soap.

For more information, please contact Barb Huebner or Leah Lehman.