Back-to-School Night

The following is the message given by our ASB (Student Body) President at the Back-to-School Night assembly on Thursday, Sept. 1, 2011.


Good evening. My name is Cameron Wegener, and I am honored to serve as Student Body President this year.
Last spring, the Class of 2012 selected as this year’s theme verse, Joshua 1:9, which says: “Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
This is a verse of both encouragement and comfort. It encourages us to be strong -- in mind, body and spirit; and, to have courage in the face of adversity. It is also a verse of comfort, telling us not to be frightened or dismayed.
Believe it or not, teens do pay attention to the news. What we see is not just frightening… it can be terrifying.
Protracted wars, where people -- some not much older than we are -- are dying. Devastating hurricanes. Rioting in the streets. And economic uncertainty in the stock market, the housing market, and the job market.
But these conditions aren’t new. Throughout history, there have been wars, natural disasters and uncertainty.
The one constant? That “the Lord our God is with us wherever we go.”
That is the difference that you see here at OLU… It is a place where students find comfort, hope, and joy in that promise.
You can see it in the classrooms and hallways, on the fields and courts, and at the Nechita center.
Comfort in the fact that even though events may seem frightening and we are living with a lot of uncertainty, our Lord is there with us.
Hope in the future, because we know that it is in God’s hands.

And joy in the fact that because of His sacrifice our sins are forgiven, and we will be with Him in heaven one day.
Some of you may not know that at 1,300 students, our school is one of the five largest Lutheran schools in the nation. At the other 90 Lutheran high schools, the average enrollment is just 187 students.
But large or small, our schools are part of a long and rich tradition of Lutheran education going back almost 500 years.
In the 16th century, Martin Luther and others enacted educational reforms in Germany, stressing the importance of subjects like language, history, poetry and math. They also emphasized the value of moral and natural philosophy.
Why? Because all of these subjects lead students to a greater understanding of God’s creation and God’s law.
This in turn helps students develop a greater insight into the condition of man, which leads to the Gospel.
Lutheran education today still makes that connection between faith and learning. The mission of Lutheran education the 21st century is the same as it was in the 16th: to help students develop mind, body and spirit for service to Christ.
You see that service to Christ exhibited by our students: mission trips, services days on campus, and countless hours of service volunteered in the community. All performed with the goal of pointing others to Christ.
We are richly blessed here at OLU. We have beautiful facilities and the latest technology. We have amazing faculty, coaches and staff who do their best to make sure that we have every opportunity to excel.
And we have a family of like-minded parents and supporters, united in one purpose: to provide a quality Christ-centered education.
The people of OLU come from very different walks of life, with different opinions and world-views.
Some of you attended Lutheran schools yourselves, and recognize the value of a Christian education; my parents did, and their parents before them.
Others are here tonight because you simply recognize that our school is unique: a place where each student is a valued member of God’s family.
On behalf of the student body, thank you.
Thank you for the sacrifices that you make to send us here.
Thank you for keeping the faith with generations of other parents who have provided their children with a Christian education, recognizing that, “the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom.”
And thank you for sending us to a school where we find comfort, and hope, and joy.

My Chapel Message from Maundy Thursday 2011

My Message

Prayer

Thank you for Your presence Lord!

Let the words of my mouth and the dedication of my heart

Be acceptable to you, O Lord, my Strength, and my Redeemer - Psalm 19:14

This past Sunday, my family and I went out for breakfast at the Pacific Whey Café – one of my favorite places. I really enjoy breakfast, and I was excited about eating out.

We waited quite awhile for our food, but when it finally came I was in a zone. An omelet and some fruit, I was focused on what I wanted to do.

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed someone was standing next to me. As I turned slightly I noticed a lady standing next to me with a sign. I looked at my wife and said what does she want? She said her sign said she was homeless, I have some kids, and we need some money for food and rent. Then I turned toward her and said no thank you. No thank you. And then I went to take my next bite.

I have to confess that I was annoyed – here I was in the restaurant, I had been waiting for 45 minutes for our food, and now a person was standing next to me asking me to stop what I was doing to help them.

Mrs. Smith talks about do over moments. That was definitely one for me.

I have thought about that moment many times since Sunday. I love David’s prayer in Psalm 139:23-24

23Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.

24See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

I pray from time to time that I want to be concerned over they things that You are concerned about Lord. Where you are concerned I want to be concerned. What you love, I want to love?

And so what does our God do?

Puts me in the situation to put that into practice. And how do I respond? I blow it?

I went out after breakfast and looked for her, but I could not find her. I felt terrible.

You’ve seen a few scenarios today where people were put in situations to shine, but they failed.

The Pharisees in the temple preparing for sacrifices

Judas Iscariot as a disciple

The disciples in the garden when Jesus prayed

Peter when he followed Jesus after His arrest

They all messed up

They all were in need of a Savior

I messed up

I am in need of a Savior

You mess up

You are in need of Savior

That’s what these next three days are all about.

· Today is a Maundy Thursday - the mandate - “Love one another as I have loved you.” Tomorrow - Good Friday - the best day as He gave His life for all of us, and

· Sunday - Easter Sunday - a day of celebration when He rose from the grave.

For Christians (and the world whether they know it or not) nothing is better than this weekend.

The only reason we exist as a school is because we believe that Good Friday and Easter Sunday really happened. Without the death and resurrection, we have no hope. We could strive to live a good life, or help others, but in reality it would mean nothing because all we would have to look forward to is an eternity apart from God.

It is why He came in the first place.

In Matthew 1:20-21 it says, “… an angel of the Lord appeared to (Joseph) him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."

Jesus did not come to surprise anyone of His purpose.

He told His disciples three different times – documented in the Gospels - what He had come to earth to do.

He would be taken by men, beaten, killed, but in three days would rise again.

He was really fulfilling what was already in the Scriptures. In Isaiah 53: 3-5, the prophet predicts,

“He was despised and rejected by men,
a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.
Like one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

Surely he took up our infirmities
and carried our sorrows,
yet we considered him stricken by God,
smitten by him, and afflicted.

But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
and by his wounds we are healed.”

Jesus knew His purpose. Think about His last words from the cross. “It is finished”

Jesus came into the world to save us from our sins. He knew the road would lead through the cross and the grave. But He would rise again. And reign forever.

That’s the key. Many have died. A few have been raised from the dead. But no one except Jesus was raised from the dead and continues to live. Paul tells us that over 500 people saw Christ after He rose from the dead.

1 Corinthians 15:6
After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep.

This story isn’t a made up story. It is the truth. And Paul reminds in Romans 10:9, “if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

We tend to skip over today and tomorrow and get right to Easter. We don’t want to think about what He had to go through because of our sin.

But because all have sinned – we blow it on a daily basis, we are in need of a Savior. We need a Savior because our sin separates us from God. The only result of our sin would be death for an eternity. But we have hope for a different ending.

as John 3:16 says…

“For God so loved the world that He gave only Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish, but will have eternal life.”

Jesus spoke those words to Pharisee 2000 years ago who was trying to determine if He was the Messiah. A few weeks ago Applied Theology talked about him here in chapel. His name was Nicodemus.

Nicodemus is an important character in the story of Jesus. He shows us what happens when someone is transformed by Christ. In John 3 he came to Jesus in the dark – he didn’t want anyone to see him.

The next time we hear from him is at the end of John 7.

Jesus had gone to the temple to preach.

The Jewish leaders sent their police to arrest Him for inciting the crowd. The police couldn’t do it.

45That's when the Temple police reported back to the high priests and Pharisees, who demanded, "Why didn't you bring him with you?"

46The police answered, "Have you heard the way he talks? We've never heard anyone speak like this man."

47-49The Pharisees said, "Are you carried away like the rest of the rabble? You don't see any of the leaders believing in him, do you? Or any from the Pharisees? It's only this crowd, ignorant of God's Law, that is taken in by him—and damned."

50-51Nicodemus, the man who had come to Jesus earlier and was both a ruler and a Pharisee, spoke up. "Does our Law decide about a man's guilt without first listening to him and finding out what he is doing?"

52-53But they cut him off. "Are you also campaigning for the Galilean? Examine the evidence. See if any prophet ever comes from Galilee."

Here Nicodemus started to become brave and spoke to his friends publically about Jesus.

The seeds had been planted. His heart was changing.

He couldn’t hold it in anymore.

His passion was burning.

That’s what happens when Christ gets in your heart.

The last time we hear from him is in John 19. Jesus had just died and it was approaching the Sabbath so He needed to be buried according to Jewish law.

38After all this, Joseph of Arimathea (he was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly, because he was intimidated by the Jews) petitioned Pilate to take the body of Jesus. Pilate gave permission. So Joseph came and took the body.

39-42Nicodemus, who had first come to Jesus at night, came now in broad daylight carrying a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds. They took Jesus' body and, following the Jewish burial custom, wrapped it in linen with the spices. There was a garden near the place he was crucified, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been placed. So, because it was Sabbath preparation for the Jews and the tomb was convenient, they placed Jesus in it.

Nicodemus came in broad daylight! It was light. Everyone could see him – he was not afraid.

He had been transformed. He could stand up for His Lord.

Christ had changed his light and gave him courage and conviction.

He wanted others to know.

When your life is changed, you want others to know the good news of Jesus Christ.

Services in Christian churches around the world start today – Maundy Thursday – the mandate – Love one another as I have loved you.

They continue tomorrow – Good Friday

Christ dies for you and me and everyone of all time.

He follows through His mission to the end.

It concludes with a celebration on Sunday – Easter Sunday.

The whole church greets one another with the words – He is risen – He is risen indeed. Alleluia! The Alleluia returns. The joy returns.

He is alive.

He is not dead. It is why we have a school. It is why we gather everyday. It is why we have hope that it doesn’t end with our death.

Lord,

May all of us believe that this is true and that You are real and You did die and that You did rise, and that You are living today.

Forgive us Lord for our sins.

Thank you for keeping all of Your promises.

In Jesus Name, Amen

Then we concluded with "Were You There"

Chapel Message February 1, 2010

Good Morning everyone

For those of you that don’t know me as Siara’s dad, I am Gregg Pinick the Executive Director here at Orange Lutheran. Executive Director is kind of a fancy way to say head of school. I was principal for 11 years, the last being the freshman year of the current seniors, and have served as Executive Director for the past 3 years. My office is by the back stairwell in the 500 hallway.

I am honored to share God’s Word with you today. Thank you for your attention for the next few minutes.

Please join me in a word of prayer.

Lord God, Heavenly Father

We gather around Your Word today remembering why you were born: to save Your people from their sins.

We celebrate the fact You loved us so much to send Jesus

Thank you for Your presence –

May the words of David praise you –

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart

Be acceptable to You O Lord my Strength and my Redeemer. Amen

I want to share a story with you this morning. It took place over 22 years ago in a little apartment in Anaheim, CA. I was a new father of a week-old daughter and her 2-year old brother. One night, my wife and I were sitting in the living room and for some reason she (my wife) decided to go into the bedroom to check on our daughter. I’ll never forget her cry out for help. She brought our daughter out to me, and she was not breathing. I listened for her breath – nothing. I listened for her heartbeat – very faint. I told my wife to call 911 as I started to administer CPR. Within minutes the paramedics were there and they noticed that she had started to breath again. I handed her off and they took her to Anaheim Memorial.

As we watched her on the big bed, we thought maybe we had imagined this whole thing. Feeling a little embarrassed we called the nurse over. Soon after the nurse noticed that our daughter had stopped breathing again. She was then sent to CHOC where she spent a week being checked out.

After many tests the doctor’s called it a near miss SIDS. Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. We were speechless, and then terrified it would happen again. To alleviate our fears, the hospital sent us home with a heart and breathing monitor. There were little electrodes on a band that velcroed across her chest. The machine would blink to show she was breathing and that her heart was still beating.

We really got used to that monitor and found it very reassuring to look over at anytime and know that she was ok. It went off once, but that was a faulty wire. It was a nice thing to have that monitor for the three months. Then came the day they took her off the monitor. Her mom and I had to trust God as the monitor from that point on.

Today, by the way, she is 22 years old and getting ready to graduate from college in May with a degree in nursing.

A monitor in life is a good thing. If we approached danger, it can go off and remind us that we need to correct something.

It is my prayer that this school is a built in monitor to let you know if something isn’t right. Your families and true friends are monitors that let you know when you are wandering too close to the out of bounds. As you get older, and have more independence, the desire for a monitor will need to come from within.

What will you have as your monitor as you leave OLu? That is something to be preparing for even today.

Three quick thoughts…

In Psalm 119 David (by most accounts) wrote these words…

⁹ How can a young person stay on the path of purity?
By living according to your word.
¹⁰ I seek you with all my heart;
do not let me stray from your commands.
¹¹ I have hidden your word in my heart
that I might not sin against you.
¹² Praise be to you, LORD;
teach me your decrees.

¹³ With my lips I recount
all the laws that come from your mouth.
¹⁴ I rejoice in following your statutes
as one rejoices in great riches.
¹⁵ I meditate on your precepts
and consider your ways.
¹⁶ I delight in your decrees;
I will not neglect your word.

The Message says it this way…

^9-16 How can a young person live a clean life?
By carefully reading the map of your Word.
I'm single-minded in pursuit of you;
don't let me miss the road signs you've posted.
I've banked your promises in the vault of my heart
so I won't sin myself bankrupt.
Be blessed, God;
train me in your ways of wise living.

I'll transfer to my lips
all the counsel that comes from your mouth;
I delight far more in what you tell me about living
than in gathering a pile of riches.
I ponder every morsel of wisdom from you,
I attentively watch how you've done it.
I relish everything you've told me of life,
I won't forget a word of it.

I truly believe that God’s Word is our monitor. Over the years you have been asked to read it, asked to memorize it, asked to learn from it. That encouragement now needs to become your own. I would encourage you to read a little everyday.

As a man who did not do this until 14 years ago, I would share that my life has completely changed because of the power of His Word. Let His Word be your guide – Your monitor. It is all the power you will ever need to take on any battle in your life.

God’s Word allows you to know who God is. In His Word we learn of His great love for each us. We learn He wants to build relationship with us.

When I was principal, there used to be a mural hanging in the 100 hallway that had the following words on it. It’s never too late to do the right thing – are words that have meant a lot to me in my lifetime. I heard them when a Pastor Chuck Swindoll shared a story about a girl who had not kept her virginity and was struggling with his Waiting until marriage campaign. She said she couldn’t participate because she hadn’t waited. He told her it is never too late to do the right thing. Wait from this moment on.

Paul wrote in Romans 3:23 that we all sin and fall short of God’s glory. We have done things that make us feel bad or ugly – things we know that do not please God. When you are faced with those times and you wish you could start over – start over. That’s what forgiveness is – a fresh start, a clean slate, a redo. As long as we are alive we can say it’s never too late because of what Christ did on the cross for each of us. He gave us the opportunity to start new. By His grace we receive His love and forgiveness.

Go through life as a forgiving person. Those that hold grudges and withhold forgiveness are the one’s that are miserable. Forgive as you have been forgiven.

Our God – the Creator of the Universe – who said “let there be” - and there was – is as close to you as a prayer. He longs to be included in everything we do and say: in all aspects of your life. You have a God who is truly 100% faithful and dependable.

So depend on Him. Trust Him. Ask Him.

It has been said…

“When we depend upon organizations, we get what organizations can do; when we depend upon education, we get what education can do; when we depend upon man, we get what man can do; but when we depend upon prayer, we get what God can do.” – A.C. Dixon

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You have great days ahead of you. Work hard this semester and finish this year in a positive way – be complete – don’t take short cuts, and your memories back on your days of life at OLu will be wonderful.

Lord,

I thank you for all the students you have gathered here over the years.

Orange Lutheran is not an ending but a beginning –

a spring board into the world where we get to be a part of Your plan to let the world know who You are.

Use us each and every day Lord to get Your message out.

Broaden our platform and our influence.

Thank you for the ministry that is going on in Lutheran schools around the world.

Be with those here today who are hurting and need to feel Your presence in a special way.

Lord we love You.

In Jesus name. Amen

May God bless each of you in all you do for Him every day.