As We Gather
God’s Word is always effective; we cannot truly hear it and remain as we were. In Acts, Saul, once responsible for the stoning of Stephen, is changed into the apostle Paul, the human author of much of the New Testament. In the vision in Revelation, John’s sorrow is drowned out by the hosts of heaven as they praise the Lamb who is worthy to receive all our praise. And in the Gospel, Peter is forgiven for his weak faith on Holy Thursday and given the gracious invitation to follow his Lord. Now it is our turn to be changed—into people freed from sin and death to serve our living Lord.
Holy Communion
The Lord’s Supper is celebrated today with the confession that we receive the true body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, in, with and under (a way of saying that Christ is fully present in) the bread and wine. Christ's presence gives us the assurance that our sins are forgiven and to nourish our faith. This is a solemn celebration, “For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves” (1Corinthians 11:29). The Lord’s Supper is meant for our good, not to our judgment. But, before presenting yourself as ask these questions:
1. Am I receiving the very body and blood of Christ Jesus?
2. Did Christ die and rise to fully forgive my sins?
3. Am I a baptized Christian?
If your answers are yes, you are welcome. If you are not a member of a LCMS church, or have further questions about The Lord’s Supper, please speak with the pastor.
Stewardship
John 21:6 – “He said to them, ‘Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.’ So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish.”
Won’t the disciples ever learn? Jesus pulled this same trick before. When the odds seemed completely against it, the Lord gave them a command to let down the nets, a command that seemed crazy. But they complied, and He blessed their obedience. When will we learn this lesson, too?
Lutherans For Life
“Let’s also recruit, instruct, and support more couples and families toward opening their homes to serve children in need. Multitudes—majorities, even—of foster families and adoptive parents confess Christ and consider themselves for-life. More foster parents—not fewer children—seems the most praiseworthy solution to foster care failures. And those who can recognize those failures may just be the most excellent candidates for the vocation!” Pastor Michael Salemink, Lutherans For Life – A Life Quote from Lutherans For Life • lutheransforlife.org
Altar Flowers
The Altar Flower Chart is posted on the bulletin board in the Narthex by the drinking fountains. Check chart for donation opportunities and availability.
Children Sunday School
This week, students will study “A Servant Speaks.” The Twelve select Stephen as one of the first seven deacons in the Early Church. Synagogue leaders twist Stephen’s words, falsely accusing him of blasphemy. Stephen’s testimony before the high priest recalls Israel’s rejection of God’s promise and their rejection of Jesus, the promised Savior. When Stephen says he sees a vision of Jesus standing at the right hand of God, the enraged officials cast Stephen out of the city and stone him. As a family, consider discussing, “How does the death of Stephen affect the other believers?”
Church Directory
We are developing a church pictorial directory and are looking for volunteers to help coordinate and facilitate the process. A church directory helps us put names to faces. You might know most of your peers but it is unlikely that you can identify everyone in other peer groups. A church directory encourages relationships. Personal connections can’t happen if people are strangers! A photo directory provides a sense of belonging and indicates that members are part of a special group. For more information contact Jennifer Klemme.
Mite Boxes
Perhaps inspired by the various "cent" or "mite" societies of the early 1800s, the Woman's Mission to Woman urged members in its first circular letter in 1871 to use their new Mite Box to raise funds. The entire family was encouraged to contribute. The first Sunday of the month is when we receive your collected mites in the LWML Mite Box
Youth Group
Board Of Outreach Meeting
Philemon 4-6. The Board of Outreach has a two fold mission: To Communicate the Gospel of Christ through the members of our congregation and in the endeavor to identify the congregation with the Gospel in the local community. Meets with Pastor Klemme in the Cafe.
Properties Board Meeting
For the maintenance and repair of the congregation’s facilities; to enable the congregation and its members to carry out our Christ centered ministries. Meets in the Library. For more information contact Jeff Adams
Concert Series
2nd in the concert series "Sheep May Safely Graze" featuring classical music groups. A community event to reach out and draw people in.
For more information contact David Ott
American Heritage Girls Troop 1517
American Heritage Girls (AHG) was founded by a group of parents wanting a faith-based, scout-type character development program for their daughters in 1995. The AHG Program is dedicated to the mission of building women of integrity through service to God, family, community and country. AHG girls across the nation and the globe participate in badge programs, service projects, leadership opportunities, and outdoor experiences, all with an emphasis on Christian values and family involvement.
For more information contact Adrienne Cook.
Council Meeting
Let us do everything with love. The Church Council is a gathering of elected advisers who serve and guide the ministries of the congregation toward our given mission. (Matthew 28:19-20). We meet in the library.
Benevolence
Luther once wrote, “A man is placed between God and his neighbor as a medium which receives from above and gives out again below, and is like a vessel or tube through which the stream of divine blessings must flow without intermission to other people.” The people we help through the benevolence fund find themselves in difficult financial circumstances. Please consider contributing to our benevolence fund. (Online to donate: https://www.shalimar.church/human-care)
Marionette Puppets
The foolish rich farmer forgot that God provides. God makes the plants grow. It is God who gives us everything we have. It is God who keeps his family alive and healthy. The selfish boy learned to love and trust God. He tried his best to remember to thank God for all he had every chance he got.
National Youth Gathering
Held every 3 years since 1980, the LCMS Youth Gathering provides thousands of youth and adults the opportunity to come together as a community of God’s people to be encouraged in their walk with Jesus Christ and learn about the Christian faith and their Lutheran identity.
The Gathering is more than the five days of the event. The preparation process for the Gathering brings together young people and supportive adults to encourage each other in their baptismal identity. The Gathering provides young people a vision for the vastness of Christ’s Church and equips them for vocational service as they continue their walk with Jesus.
Commemoration of Friedrich Wyneken, Pastor and Missionary
The Church honors saints for showing us tangible demonstrations of how living out faith can be done.
Friedrich Wyneken is one of the founding fathers of The Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod, along with C.F.W. Walther and Wilhelm Sihler. (26 April 1847: Chicago. Organization of the German Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Missouri, Ohio, and Other States) Born in 1810 in Germany, he came to Baltimore in 1838 and shortly thereafter accepted a call to be the pastor of congregations in Friedheim and Fort Wayne, Indiana. In 1839, Wyneken, reports that people in America are willing to accept just about anyone who present themselves as a preacher. His concern leads him to appeal to the Lutheran churches in Germany for missionary help. Supported by Wilhelm Loehe's mission society, Wyneken served as an itinerant missionary in Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan, particularly among Native Americans. Together with Loehe and Sihler, he founded Concordia Theological Seminary in 1846 in Fort Wayne, Ind. He later served as the second president of the LCMS during a period of significant growth (1850- 64). His leadership strongly influenced the confessional character of the LCMS and its commitment to an authentic Lutheran witness.
Commemoration of Fredrich The Wise, Ruler
The Church honors saints for showing us tangible demonstrations of how living out faith can be done.
Frederick the Wise, elector of Saxony from 1486 to 1525, was Martin Luther's sovereign in the early years of the Reformation. Were it not for Frederick, there might not have been a Lutheran Reformation. Born in Torgau in 1463, he became so well known for his skill in political diplomacy and his sense of justice and fairness that he was called "the Wise" by his subjects. Though he never met Luther, Frederick repeatedly protected and provided for him. In all likelihood he saved the reformer from a martyr's fate. Frederick refused the pope's demand to extradite Luther to Rome for a heresy trial in 1518. When Emperor Charles V declared Luther an outlaw in 1521 at the Diet of Worms, Frederick provided sanctuary for Luther at the Wartburg castle. On his deathbed, Frederick received the Lord's Supper in both kinds--a clear confession of the evangelical faith.
Source: Lutheran Calendar of Saints
Commemoration of CFW Walther, Theologian
The Church honors saints for showing us tangible demonstrations of how living out faith can be done.
Carl Ferdinand Wilhelm Walther (1811-87), the father of The Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod, served as its first president from 1847 to 1850 and then again from 1864 to 1878. In 1839 he emigrated from Saxony, Germany, with other Lutherans, who settled in Missouri. He served as pastor of several congregations in St. Louis, founded Concordia Seminary, and in 1847 was instrumental in the formation of the LCMS (then called the Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Missouri, Ohio, and Other States). Walther worked tirelessly to promote confessional Lutheran teaching and doctrinal agreement among all Lutherans in the United States. He was a prolific writer and speaker. Among his most influential works are Church and Ministry and The Proper Distinction between Law and Gospel.
Source: LCMS Calendar of Commemorations.
Commemoration of Job
The Church honors saints for showing us tangible demonstrations of how living out faith can be done.
Job was a blameless and upright man who came from Uz (Job 1:1), a land northeast of Canaan. The Book of Job examines the depths of his faith, which was severely tested through the sufferings God permitted. Despite the sudden death of his ten children and the loss of all his wealth and his health, Job refused to curse God: "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return; the Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord" (Job 1:21). Still, in the midst of his tribulations Job questioned the meaning and purpose of suffering to the point of asserting his own righteousness (Job 34:5-6). Finally, the Lord revealed that a man cannot know the mysteries of God (Job 38-41). Job's faith in his Redeemer and the resurrection prevailed (Job 19:25-27). In the end the Lord restored his wealth and blessed him with another seven sons and three daughters.
Source: Lutheran Calendar of Saints
Commemoration of Cyril & Methodius, Missionaries to the Slavs
The Church honors saints for showing us tangible demonstrations of how living out faith can be done.
Cyril (826-69) and Methodius (c. 815-85) were brothers who came from a Greek family in Thessalonica. The younger brother took the name "Cyril" when he became a monk in 868. After ordination, Cyril became librarian at the church of Holy Wisdom (Hagia Sophia) in Constantinople. In 862 the brothers were sent by the emperor as missionaries to what is now the Czech republic, where they taught in the native Slavic tongue. Cyril invented the alphabet today know today as "Cyrillic," which provided a written language for the liturgy and Scriptures for the Slavic peoples. This use of the vernacular established an important principle for evangelical missions.
Source: Lutheran Calendar of Saints