THIRSTY 22 (Schultz Zarling Laitinen)

This week Pastor Laitinen and Pastor Zarling interview Cindy Schultz. Cindy is the mother of Gavin, whose autism has made him non-verbal. Yet, throughout the episode, you can hear Gavin speaking through his powerful writings. We discuss the Festival of Pentecost by studying John 14:23-27 and Acts 2:1-21. Throughout the episode we consider how we often think of Pentecost as being the time when we minister to people of different skin colors and languages. Yet, it’s important that we not forget people with special needs when we plan to share the gospel. We also share congregations and Christians can to do serve children, parents, and families with special needs.

Here is one of Gavin’s latest writings. You can find more of his writings at www.facebook.com/thehopefulonegavinschultz.

Do Not Cry For Me!

God believes I have qualities like no other. 
I am not just a label of Autism. 
God believes I am wonderfully made. 
I am not broken. 
God believes I am amazing. 
I am not different. 
God believes I have exceptional gifts to share. 
I am not special needs. 
God believes in my abilities to speak in my own way. 
I am not nonverbal. 
God believes I have purpose. 
I am not a mistake

God believes I am unique. 
I am not like everyone else. 
God believes I able to accomplish a lot. 
I am not disabled. 
God believes I am the apple of his eye. 
I believe in God and what God believes. 
Do Not Cry For Me! 
Love, Gavin Schultz 

“Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them. How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them!” Psalm 139:16-17

Let the one who is thirsty come. Let the one who wants the water of life take it as a gift. Stay thirsty, my friends. Quench that thirst in the Water of Life.

THIRSTY 21 (Laitinen / Shi / Zarling)

This week Pastor Laitinen and Pastor Zarling interview Peter Shi who served as a student teacher at Shoreland Lutheran High School and recently graduated from MLC and received a call to teach chemistry, physics, and earth science at Illinois Lutheran High School. Peter talks about his journey from 5th grade in China to becoming WELS and then coming to the states for school at Michigan Lutheran High School and desiring to be a teacher and attending Martin Luther College. 
  
We also discuss the unity Jesus prays for in John 17:20-26. We debate the difference between “uniformity” and “unity” in the world and in the church. We also discuss Revelation 22:12-17, 20 where Jesus gives his last words of invitation and encouragement to the Christian Church on earth. 
  
Let the one who is thirsty come. Let the one who wants the water of life take it as a gift. Stay thirsty, my friends. Quench that thirst in the Water of Life.

THIRSTY 20 (Bitter Laitinen Zarling)

This week Pastor Laitinen and Pastor Zarling interview Pastor Thad Bitter who serves at Grace Lutheran Church in Portland, OR. Pastor Bitter discusses ministry in a place that has wonderful, fantastic beauty, but is plagued by the ugliness that has torn apart and burned many parts of the city of Portland. He describes it as “apathetic agnostics” in the Portland area.

We also discuss the sorrow followed by joy in Jesus’ words to his disciples in the upper room in John 16:16-24 and the beauty of heaven that John describes in Revelation 21:21-27. Pastor Bitter was Pastor Zarling’s roommate in college and best man at his wedding. We examine soccer at Northwestern College, hiking in the mountains, 25 years in the pastoral ministry, and which version of “Jerusalem the Golden” we’ll be singing in heaven.

Stay thirsty, my friends. Quench that thirst in the Water of Life.

THIRSTY 19 (Laitinen, Rockhoff, Zarling)

This week Pastor Laitinen and Pastor Zarling interview Pastor Jon Rockhoff who has been serving his entire ministry – over 30 years - at Messiah Lutheran Church in Wichita, KS. In the interview, Pastor Rockhoff speaks with great excitement about the Board for Home Missions granting Messiah the funds to start a second site for more mission work in Wichita. 
  
We also talk what is and is not love based on John 13:31-35 and 1 Corinthians 13:1-13. We discuss how people should not place their own judgments on how other people should demonstrate love. We allow Christians to glorify God through their own sanctification as the Holy Spirit works through them. We also talk about weddings and why there are much better wedding texts than 1 Corinthians 13. 
  
Stay thirsty, my friends. Quench that thirst in the Water of Life. 

THIRSTY 18 (Zarling Schmidt Laitinen)

This week Pastor Laitinen and Pastor Zarling interview Pastor Brian Schmidt who serves at Trinity Lutheran Church in Caledonia, WI. In his first congregation out of the Seminary, Pastor Schmidt had served in a multi-site church. We discuss the unique opportunities and challenges of this unique ministry model. We also talk about why other churches might want to look at merging and multi-sites.   
  
They examine John 10:22-30 and Revelation 7:9-17 for Good Shepherd Sunday. They spend time applying Jesus’ words at the bottom of the stained-glass Good Shepherd window at Pastor Zarling’s church, ““No one will snatch them out of my hand.” They also study St. John’s vision of the saints streaming into heaven. They answer the deep question, “Is heaven filled with ice cream, roller coasters, and puppies?” (That’s from a chapel devotion Pastor Laitinen had with grade school students this week.) 
  
Stay thirsty, my friends. Quench that thirst in the Water of Life. 

THIRSTY 16 (Bode Laitinen Zarling)

 
This week Pastor Laitinen and Pastor Zarling interview Pastor Seth Bode who serves at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Carmel, IN. He also serves on the Southeastern Wisconsin District Mission Board with Pastor Zarling. They discuss what is needed to start new missions in Indiana. 
  
They examine John 20:19-31 and Revelation 1:4-18 and discuss the ministry of the keys that Jesus gives to his disciples – the power to forgive or withhold forgiveness. This special power is also given to pastors in their role as Christ’s public servants of the gospel. They also debate a question raised by some of their high school students – if a robot with artificial intelligence (AI) receives consciousness, can it serve as a pastor forgiving sins. There are three unique answers to a rather unique – albeit unrealistic – question. 
  
Stay thirsty, my friends. Quench that thirst in the Water of Life. 

THIRSTY 15 (Brug Laitinen Zarling)

 

This week Pastor Laitinen and Pastor Zarling interview Dr. John Brug. Dr. Brug has faithfully served for 50 years in the pastoral ministry. We talk about Dr. Brug’s ministry as a professor at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary training young men to be pastors. We discuss the 20 or so languages he’s studied over the years. We chat about his work in archeology and workshops on the religion of Islam. 
  
Since Dr. Brug is the author of the People’s Bible on Psalms and the general editor of the Evangelical Heritage Version (EHV) Bible, we examined Psalm 118, the appointed Psalm for Easter. We gain great insights from him on the choice of translations for certain words in this particular psalm and why this psalm has ben appointed for Easter Sunday. Dr. Brug also pointed out the value in the Wartburg Project’s Passion History, Easter Harmony of the Gospels, the EHV Study Bible in hardcover or for the computer at wartburgproject.com, and The Story of God’s Love at nph.net. 
  
A rare treat is hearing Dr. Brug quote Madonna! 
  
Stay thirsty, my friends. Quench that thirst in the Water of Life. 

THIRSTY 13 (Zarling / Laitinen / Hendricks)

 
This week Pastor Laitinen and Pastor Zarling interview Army Sgt. Luke Hendricks who serves as a National Guard Liaison supporting Guardsmen in Basic Combat Training. Luke was in Pastor Zarling’s first confirmation class in Radcliff, KY. Luke talks about growing up in the military, moving from various Army bases, and his parents help establish mission churches along the way. We talk about the importance of our Lutheran Military Support Group, and having our soldiers sign up at WELS.net/refer and WELS.net/military. The WELS Military Services Committee provides spiritual services to WELS members and others who serve in the United States Armed Forces, including those in the National Guard and the Reserves. 
 
We also discuss Luke 20:9-19 and what Jesus’ parable of the wicked tenants teaches us about the perversity of the tenants, the patience of the landlord, and the willing sacrifice of the landlord’s son. We apply Jesus’ quotation of Psalm 118: ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, and it will crush the one on whom it falls.” We then examine the difference between being broken by the cornerstone to being crushed by the cornerstone. 
 
Stay thirsty, my friends. Quench that thirst in the Water of Life. 

THIRSTY 12 (Wayne Laitinen, Jeremy Laitinen, M. Zarling)

This week Pastor Laitinen and Pastor Zarling interview Pastor Wayne Laitinen, Jeremy’s father. We discuss Luke 15:1-3, 11-32. It’s the story of a cruddy son, a cranky brother, and a crazy father. It’s the story of how we Christians can be the younger son who misuse the inheritance of forgiveness, life and salvation our heavenly Father gives us. It’s the story of how we Christians can be the older son who looks down on others who are caught in sin and unbelief. It’s the story of two sons who want the Father’s stuff, and all the Father wants to give them is a relationship with himself. 
  
Most of all, it’s the story of our heavenly Father’s crazy, reckless, wasteful, prodigal love for his children. But it’s also a story told by the third son – the perfect son of God who rejoices when his lost and dead siblings are found and made alive again – through him. 
 
Stay thirsty, my friends. Quench that thirst in the Water of Life. 

THIRSTY 11 (Dey / Laitinen / Zarling)

This week Pastor Laitinen and Pastor Zarling interview Pastor Drew Dey from First Evangelical Lutheran Church in downtown Racine. Pastor Dey was assigned from the Seminary to First Evan last spring so we discuss call day and assignments into the public ministry. First Evan and Water of Life also share a joint Lutheran elementary school called Wisconsin Lutheran School, so we talk about the unity needed in operating a school between two churches. 
  
We study Luke 13:1-9 and 1 Corinthians 10:1-13. We discuss why bad things happen to people. We examine the eastern religious concept of karma and why Christians shouldn’t believe in it. Because Pastor Dey and Pastor Zarling are Star Wars fans, we deliberate how these eastern religious concepts display themselves throughout Star Wars canon. For the super Star Wars fans we even delve into Grey Jedi! 
  
Stay thirsty, my friends. Quench that thirst in the Water of Life. 

THIRSTY 8 (Zarling Wierschke Laitinen)

This week Pastor Laitinen and Pastor Zarling interview Pastor David Wierschke who serves at Trinity Lutheran Church in Caledonia, WI. Pastor Zarling and Pastor Wierschke invite Pastor Laitinen to join them this summer as they bike for beer to the various beer gardens in Milwaukee. We talk about the need for pastors and people to go on retreats, much like the disciples did on the mountain with Jesus before heading down into the valley of suffering and death. 
 
We discuss the Gospel lesson for this Sunday where Luke writes about Moses and Elijah on the Mount of Transfiguration with Jesus. We talk all things Transfiguration – Jesus’ exodus, why Moses and Elijah, the voice of the Father from the cloud, coming down the mountain to carry the cross of discipleship, and more. Then we also discuss the Epistle and Old Testament lessons where Moses is wearing a veil after being in the presence of the glory of the Lord. 
 
Stay thirsty, my friends. Quench that thirst in the Water of Life. 

THIRSTY 6 (Laitinen / Ring / Zarling)

This week Pastor Laitinen and Pastor Zarling interview Principal David Ring. Mr. Ring currently serves as the principal at Wisconsin Lutheran School (WL) in Racine, WI. Water of Life, where Pastor Zarling serves, is one of the two congregations that support WLS. We discuss the blessings and woes of School Choice at Wisconsin Lutheran School and Shoreland Lutheran High School as we discuss the blessings and woes of Jesus’ beatitudes in Luke 6:17-26. We talk about how the beatitudes are not a New Testament version of the Ten Commandments on how to live. Rather, through Christ, the beatitudes are statements of fact. They are descriptions of Christ and the disciples of Christ. 
  
We also discuss 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 where St. Paul mentions this thorn in the flesh. It seems like Paul was crazy for boasting in his weakness. We wonder how we can teach the children, teenagers, and adults in our spiritual care to accept their weaknesses, and even learn to boast in them. 

WORSHIP TIMES - Racine Campus

Sundays at 8:00 AM & 10:45 AM

WORSHIP TIMES - Caledonia Campus

Sundays at 9:30 AM