Tomorrow morning I will be boarding the plane for two weeks of teaching in Ghana. While you are all gathered on Sunday morning around our altar, I will be at the altar at Trinty Lutheran Church in Tema. Though we are separated by many miles, our Lord joins us together as one body as we hear the preaching of God's holy Word and receive the Blessed Sacrament. We are united by our common confession that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinful men, whether in Milwaukee or Ghana. Through His suffering, death and resurrection our Lord has purchased our salvation and redeemed the whole world. Through Holy Baptism we have one Lord, one faith, one Baptism, one God and Father of us all. When I preach at St. Paul's the next week we will once more be joined togeether as the Body of Christ. We have been united from different places and times through the preaching of the Gospel so that by grace we have been saved through faith that is a gift of God. Pray that I may travel safely and return to  our altar once more in two weeks.