A little about Ascension Day from Treasury of Daily Prayer: Ascension Day is the coronation celebration of our Lord as He is proclaimed to be King of the universe. Jesus' ascension to the Father is His entrance to the greater existence beyond the confines of time and space, being no longer bound by the limitations of His state of humiliation. Jesus now sits at the right hand of God, which Luther correctly taught is everywhere, having again taken up the power and authority that were His since before time. Yet our Lord is present with us who remain bound by time and space. He is with us as true God and true man, exercising His rulership in the Church through the means of grace which He established: His Word and His Sacraments. We mortals in those means of grace can grasp the King of the universe and receive a foretaste of the feast to come.Tuesday, May 12, 2015
Ascension Day Service, 7:30 Thursday, May 14
Grace Lutheran Church will be having Ascension Day service with the Lord's Supper 7:30PM this Thursday, May 14. Join us to hear about our Lord's Ascension and the comfort it brings. The sermon will be a sermon written by Pastor Marty Measel (former vicar) as published in Concordia Pulpit Resources.
A little about Ascension Day from Treasury of Daily Prayer: Ascension Day is the coronation celebration of our Lord as He is proclaimed to be King of the universe. Jesus' ascension to the Father is His entrance to the greater existence beyond the confines of time and space, being no longer bound by the limitations of His state of humiliation. Jesus now sits at the right hand of God, which Luther correctly taught is everywhere, having again taken up the power and authority that were His since before time. Yet our Lord is present with us who remain bound by time and space. He is with us as true God and true man, exercising His rulership in the Church through the means of grace which He established: His Word and His Sacraments. We mortals in those means of grace can grasp the King of the universe and receive a foretaste of the feast to come.
A little about Ascension Day from Treasury of Daily Prayer: Ascension Day is the coronation celebration of our Lord as He is proclaimed to be King of the universe. Jesus' ascension to the Father is His entrance to the greater existence beyond the confines of time and space, being no longer bound by the limitations of His state of humiliation. Jesus now sits at the right hand of God, which Luther correctly taught is everywhere, having again taken up the power and authority that were His since before time. Yet our Lord is present with us who remain bound by time and space. He is with us as true God and true man, exercising His rulership in the Church through the means of grace which He established: His Word and His Sacraments. We mortals in those means of grace can grasp the King of the universe and receive a foretaste of the feast to come.
Monday, May 11, 2015
5th-6th Grade Honor Band Thank you
This was the fellowship hall set-up for over 200 honor band students. They had a great time and sent the following thank you.
Monday, May 4, 2015
The Challenge of Islam
Sunday, May 17 Pastor and Vicar will start a 6 week video and interactive Bible Study on “The Challenge of Islam.” Join us on Sundays from 9:30 to 10:20 to learn about this growing religion.
To the Western mind, the faith and practice of Islam are often a profound mystery. In recent years, this religion has emerged as a prominent -- yet misunderstood -- belief system. Listen as Sam Shamoun, an Arab-Christian, unveils some of the mystique surrounding this religion first preached by Muhammad and today practiced by more than one billion people worldwide.
In this Men's NetWork Bible study, the teachings of Islam are brought into focus. In addition to learning about the "Five Pillars of Islam," participants will examine what the Quran says about the role of Abraham, the Trinity, angels and jinn (genies), the attributes of Jesus Christ, the character of Muhammad, Judgment Day, and paradise.
The Quran is the premier Muslim holy book. As such, its 114 chapters are the faith-guide for Muslims everywhere. For instance, did you know the Quran claims Jesus is not God, nor is He the Son of God? Were you aware Quranic teaching says the religion of the patriarchs -- Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as well as all the prophets -- is Islam? Shamoun asks, "Christians, do you see the challenge of Islam, and are you prepared to deal with this challenge?"
While Islam is a religious force to be reckoned with, it already has been dealt its deathblow through the atoning work of Jesus Christ. Armed with love and an attitude that considers Muslims -- like everyone else -- those for whom Christ died, Christians can share the same Good News that gives them salvation. As Shamoun says, "The only thing that can defeat Islam is the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ."
To the Western mind, the faith and practice of Islam are often a profound mystery. In recent years, this religion has emerged as a prominent -- yet misunderstood -- belief system. Listen as Sam Shamoun, an Arab-Christian, unveils some of the mystique surrounding this religion first preached by Muhammad and today practiced by more than one billion people worldwide.
In this Men's NetWork Bible study, the teachings of Islam are brought into focus. In addition to learning about the "Five Pillars of Islam," participants will examine what the Quran says about the role of Abraham, the Trinity, angels and jinn (genies), the attributes of Jesus Christ, the character of Muhammad, Judgment Day, and paradise.
The Quran is the premier Muslim holy book. As such, its 114 chapters are the faith-guide for Muslims everywhere. For instance, did you know the Quran claims Jesus is not God, nor is He the Son of God? Were you aware Quranic teaching says the religion of the patriarchs -- Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as well as all the prophets -- is Islam? Shamoun asks, "Christians, do you see the challenge of Islam, and are you prepared to deal with this challenge?"
While Islam is a religious force to be reckoned with, it already has been dealt its deathblow through the atoning work of Jesus Christ. Armed with love and an attitude that considers Muslims -- like everyone else -- those for whom Christ died, Christians can share the same Good News that gives them salvation. As Shamoun says, "The only thing that can defeat Islam is the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ."
Friday, May 1, 2015
Seminaries - Synod Emphahsis for May
Below is a short YouTube video on Lutheran Church Missouri Synod work with Seminary Education.
Worship: The Life of the Church
Sunday is not a Christian Sabbath nor is it an attempt to historicize the past. Rather, Sunday is the day symbolic of the continued presence of the risen Christ who remains active in our midst.
Sunday is the expression of all Christian liturgy — the result of which is what we become: the body of Christ, the oil of healing for the world, the sweet smelling aroma of prayers lifted before the throne of the Father. We become in vocation what the liturgy gives. In this liturgy, we gather with the communion of saints, angels, archangels and all the company of heaven, rejoicing in the once for all sacrifice of Christ (Heb. 9:12; 10:10).
Sunday is the first day. It is the day of primordial creation when God called all things into existence from nothing. Sunday is the beginning of all that will be in Christ. It is the day of light. Darkness and light forever separated by God. Jesus Christ is the Light of the world, the light no darkness can overcome.
Sunday is the day of resurrection, the inauguration of a new creation given through Christ’s sacrifice, accepted by the Father, for the life of the world. Sunday is more than a little Easter; it is the symbol of the new age begun and completed in the paschal mystery.
Sunday is the day of Eucharist. In the eating of His precious body and the drinking of His sacred blood, faith grasps and appropriates to itself what the eye cannot see. In the Eucharistic eating and drinking the body of Christ, the church becomes the Kingdom of God manifest in the world, so that the love of Christ would abound in acts of love and charity.
Sunday is the eighth day, the day of eternity beyond the weekly cycle, symbolizing the kingdom, which has no end. In Jewish apocalyptic literature, six days are taken as the sum of creation, while the seventh is the age of rest that will be consummated in the Messianic age. Early Christians such as Justin Martyr transport this imagery to Sunday, since it is the day that has no end. This was reflected in the early church in baptisteries and fonts that were eight-sided, signifying the realized eschatology in the life of the church.
Is there anything that Sunday doesn’t mean? In the words of Robert Taft, “For the Early Church, Sunday was indeed everything. ... It is the day symbolic of all days, for the purpose of all Christian liturgy is to express in a ritual moment that which should be the basic stance of every moment of our lives” (Beyond East and West, p. 52).
The seminaries prepare men to rejoice in Sunday, the day when they feed the lambs on the very bread of life. Pastoral formation holds at its heart the care of souls, soothing consciences, granting hope, life and salvation that come in Christ alone. Pastoral care rejoices to share these gifts in Sunday worship, a time when our life and vocations are sanctified, where we are strengthened for this pilgrimage of life.
Rev. Bart Day
Executive Director, LCMS Office of National Mission
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)