KING OF GLORY LUTHERAN CHURCH
WORSHIPING AT ST. DAVID’S/TRINITY UNITED CHURCH
For recorded online services see https://www.stdavidstrinityuc.ca/members/
3318 Merritt Street S7M 3P6
Phone: 384-8199
WORSHIP TIME: SUNDAY MORNINGS AT 10:30 a.m.
FOURTH SUNDAY OF THE MONTH AT 6:30 p.m.
Website: koglutheranchurch.com
Follow us on Facebook: King of Glory Lutheran Church.
Pastor Michael Poellet Home: 653-1929 STM: 966-3272
SERVING IN WORSHIP
Preacher/Presider: Pastor Michael Musician: Joshua Bratvold
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FIRST READING
Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11
The spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
because the Lord has anointed me;
he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed,
to bind up the broken-hearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
and release to the prisoners;
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour,
and the day of vengeance of our God;
to comfort all who mourn;
to provide for those who mourn in Zion—
to give them a garland instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
the planting of the Lord, to display his glory.
They shall build up the ancient ruins,
they shall raise up the former devastations;
they shall repair the ruined cities,
the devastations of many generations.
For I the Lord love justice,
I hate robbery and wrongdoing;
I will faithfully give them their recompense,
and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.
Their descendants shall be known among the nations,
and their offspring among the peoples;
all who see them shall acknowledge
that they are a people whom the Lord has blessed.
I will greatly rejoice in the Lord,
my whole being shall exult in my God;
for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation,
he has covered me with the robe of righteousness,
as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland,
and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
For as the earth brings forth its shoots,
and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up,
so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise
to spring up before all the nations.
SECOND READING 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24 Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise the words of prophets, but test everything; hold fast to what is good; abstain from every form of evil.
May the God of peace himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do this.
GOSPEL READING John 1:6-8, 19-28 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light.
This is the testimony given by John when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, ‘Who are you?’ He confessed and did not deny it, but confessed, ‘I am not the Messiah.’ And they asked him, ‘What then? Are you Elijah?’ He said, ‘I am not.’ ‘Are you the prophet?’ He answered, ‘No.’ Then they said to him, ‘Who are you? Let us have an answer for those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?’ He said,
‘I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness,
“Make straight the way of the Lord” ’,
as the prophet Isaiah said.
Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. They asked him, ‘Why then are you baptizing if you are neither the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?’ John answered them, ‘I baptize with water. Among you stands one whom you do not know, the one who is coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandal.’ This took place in Bethany across the Jordan where John was baptizing.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
TODAY AT KOG
– Sunday, December 17, Blue Christmas service led by King of Glory (communion) 10:30 a.m. – Coffee Social after the service. Hosted by Doreen Matschke
THIS WEEK AT KOG – Tuesday, December 19, Church Council meeting via Zoom, 7:30 p.m.
COMING UP AT KOG – NO SERVICE SUNDAY MORNING, DECEMBER 24 – Sunday, December 24, Christmas Eve service led by King of Glory (communion), 6:30 p.m. – Sunday, December 31, Worship led by King of Glory: A Service of Lessons and Carols (communion), 10:30 a.m. – Coffee Social after the service. Host needed.
– Thursday, January 4, Bible Study, “A Short History of Grace,” 7:30 p.m. Hosted by Karen McKenzie. We meet in Pastor Michael’s home, 1010 Duke Street.
– Saturday, January 6, Men’s Breakfast Out at Mulberry’s Restaurant 2326 B Millar Avenue, 8:30 a.m. – Sunday, January 7, Worship led by St. David’s/Trinity, 10:30a.m. – Coffee Social after the service – Sunday, January 14, Worship led by St. David’s/Trinity (no communion), 10:30 a.m. – Coffee Social after the service – Wednesday, January 31, Women’s Breakfast Out, at Mulberry’s Restaurant 2326 B Millar Avenue, 10:00 a.m.
- November, December, and Year-to-Date Budget and Contribution Report for KOG
2023 Budget: $50,471 Monthly Budget: $4,260 Weekly Budget: $971
2023 income/expenses: -$12,775.22
October income/expenses: -$144.36
Weekly contributions for November: November 5: $825 November 12-26: $1130
Weekly contributions for December: December 3: $3195 December 10: $740
Thank you to all who contributed for Lutheran Campus Ministry. $570 has been contributed. Thank you for your generosity.
Thank you to all who contributed to the Alzheimer Society. $386.05 has been contributed. Thank you for your generosity.
Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone at King of Glory who brought all the salads and desserts, set up, cleaned up, donated auction items, and participated in the Advent Feast and Auction. $2,190 was raised.
Thank you to everyone who donated food items for Christmas Hampers. Thank you for your generosity.
Christmas Hampers
Suggested food donation items
peanut butter
jam/jelly
margarine
processed cheese spread
coffee and tea
macaroni and cheese dinner
flavoured rice and noodle mixes
spaghetti/pasta and sauces
soups, soup base, soup mix
dried beans and lentils
dry cereal
powdered milk
flour
sugar
stuffing mix
cranberry sauce
ready-to-eat and condensed soups
canned meats
tuna
salmon
brown beans
hot chocolate
canned vegetables
potatoes
carrots
onions
The women of St. David’s/Trinity are invited to join the women of KOG on– Wednesday, October 25, for Women’s Breakfast Out, at Mulberry’s Restaurant 2326 B Millar Avenue, 10:00 a.m. Mulberry’s would like us to make a reservation. If you plan to attend please call Carol Sarich: 306-382-9868 by noon Tuesday October 24.
The men of St. David’s/Trinity are invited to join the men of KOG on– Saturday, October 28, for Men’s Breakfast Out, at Mulberry’s Restaurant 2326 B Millar Avenue, 8:30 a.m. Mulberry’s would like us to make a reservation. If you plan to attend please call Pastor Michael: 306-653-1929 by noon Friday October 27.
The women of St. David’s/Trinity are invited to join the women of KOG on– Wednesday, September 27, for Women’s Breakfast Out, at Mulberry’s Restaurant 2326 B Millar Avenue, 10:00 a.m. Mulberry’s would like us to make a reservation. If you plan to attend please call Carol Sarich: 306-382-9868 by noon Tuesday September 26.
The men of St. David’s/Trinity are invited to join the men of KOG on– Saturday, September 30, for Men’s Breakfast Out, at Mulberry’s Restaurant 2326 B Millar Avenue, 8:30 a.m. Mulberry’s would like us to make a reservation. If you plan to attend please call Pastor Michael: 306-653-1929 by noon Friday September 29.
Thank you to all involved in the quilts that have been made by members of King of Glory and their friends. 34 quilts will be distributed between LutherCare Community, community schools, and the Health Centre. Prodigious thimbles full of thanks to the industrious sewers Bev Gregory, Karen McKenzie, Doreen Matschke, Carol Sarich, Marge McMillan, Lois Rombough, and Sherry Andrews and to Irma and Elwood for their abundant generosity in donating fabric.
Additional Prayers
We pray for the United States and Canada as we celebrate our nationhood. Grant to its executive, legislative and judicial leaders wisdom and hearts for justice that all our people may flourish. Hear us, O God of life ….
Petitioner: Generous God, fill us with compassion and concern for others, young and old, that we may look after one another in these challenging days. Bring healing to those who are sick with the virus and be with their families. Comfort the family and friends of those who have died. Strengthen and protect all medical professionals caring for the sick and all who work in our medical and health care facilities. Give wisdom to leaders in healthcare and governance that they may make the right decisions for the well-being of people. We pray in gratitude for all those in our country who will continue to work in the days ahead in so many fields of life for the sake of us all. Bless them and keep them safe. O God of creation and life, we place ourselves in your protection. May the mantle of your peace enfold us this day and tomorrow. Hear us, O God of life …
Blue Christmas Service, Sunday, December 17
Christmas can be a difficult and painful time for some. It may be the first Christmas without a loved family member who has recently died. It may be a time that has always been difficult. Whether it is the death of a family member, relative, or friend, the end of a marriage or relationship, the loss of work, illness, depression, or the moving away from places that have been secure and welcoming – all these can make us feel very alone in the midst of the celebrating and spending.
A Blue Christmas Service is for those for whom the Christmas season seems more filled with sadness, stress, and loss than celebration. It is a service that centers on God’s gifts of comfort and hope to all who struggle at this time of year. Through prayers, scripture and music this service affirms how the Good News of Christmas is for those who struggle and mourn – and that God’s Word comes to shine light into our darkness.
Thank you, thank you, thank you to all who cooked, contributed, set up, cleaned up, and participated in our Advent Feast and Auction. Through your generosity and hard work we collected $2191.80
A Life of Prayer and Praise: Studying the Psalms
The Psalms have been the Jewish hymn and prayer book since the time of King David. Certainly, they functioned this way at the time of Jesus in the temple and in the synagogue. Even today, the first 150 hymns in Evangelical Lutheran Worship (our hymnbook) are the psalms.
Luther in the Preface to his translation of the Psalms says the Psalter contains the whole Bible in a nutshell and can therefore “be called a mini-Bible” for it “shows the manner and practice” of our relationship to God, the world, and ourselves. In his commentary on Psalm 119 Luther notes how the Psalms comfort us in our “spiritual struggle” teaching us “not only to know and understand, but also to experience how right, how true, how sweet, how lovely, how mighty, how comforting God’s Word is, wisdom beyond all wisdom.”
The Bible study this year will look at the various genres, forms, and styles of Psalms, how the Psalms reflect Hebrew poetry, and take a closer look at some of the Psalms, such as Psalm 23, that have shaped and formed the spiritual life and worship of the church and synagogue. Please join us. We meet the first and third Thursdays of the month.
Cruciformity: The Heart of Paul’s Experience of Christ
Paul was nothing if not someone overwhelmed by the love of God. In reflecting on this experience Paul felt ”taken over/apprehended/overwhelmed” by Christ Jesus (Phil. 3:12) and with awe exclaims, ”the Son of God loved me and gave himself for me” (Gal. 2:20). This love became the driving force of Paul’s life when he came to understand how encompassing it was. Divine love experienced had to become divine love expressed.
Our Bible study this year will focus on Paul’s experience of Christ, his understanding of the experience, and what he thinks this means for all who follow Jesus as their Lord. Our study is a reflection on what it means for us to be ”in” Christ, ”with” Christ, ”according to” Christ, and ”for” Christ.
Our Mission Statement
King of Glory Lutheran Church is a community of people believing and recognizing, through worship, fellowship and faith, that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior.
Our Mission is to all of God’s children including people of all ages, female, and male, all races and colours and regardless of their religious and social background or sexual orientation.
By the grace of God, we are called to proclaim the Good News of Christ’s love, acceptance, and forgiveness.
During the Sundays in Advent King of Glory will again be collecting food items for Christmas Hampers. Our goal is 10 hampers. A list of suggested food items is included. Thank you for your generosity.
Blue Christmas Service, Sunday, December 18
Christmas can be a difficult and painful time for some. It may be the first Christmas without a loved family member who has recently died. It may be a time that has always been difficult. Whether it is the death of a family member, relative, or friend, the end of a marriage or relationship, the loss of work, illness, depression, or the moving away from places that have been secure and welcoming – all these can make us feel very alone in the midst of the celebrating and spending.
A Blue Christmas Service is for those for whom the Christmas season seems more filled with sadness, stress, and loss than celebration. It is a service that centers on God’s gifts of comfort and hope to all who struggle at this time of year. Through prayers, scripture and music this service affirms how the Good News of Christmas is for those who struggle and mourn – and that God’s Word comes to shine light into our darkness.
Cruciformity: The Heart of Paul’s Experience of Christ
Paul was nothing if not someone overwhelmed by the love of God. In reflecting on this experience Paul felt ”taken over/apprehended/overwhelmed” by Christ Jesus (Phil. 3:12) and with awe exclaims, ”the Son of God loved me and gave himself for me” (Gal. 2:20). This love became the driving force of Paul’s life when he came to understand how encompassing it was. Divine love experienced had to become divine love expressed.
Our Bible study this year will focus on Paul’s experience of Christ, his understanding of the experience, and what he thinks this means for all who follow Jesus as their Lord. Our study is a reflection on what it means for us to be ”in” Christ, ”with” Christ, ”according to” Christ, and ”for” Christ.
Cruciformity: The Heart of Paul’s Experience of Christ
Paul was nothing if not someone overwhelmed by the love of God. He experienced the divine love, according to his letters, in Christ and by the working of the Spirit. In the visionary encounter with Christ on the road to Damascus Paul discovered a love that affirmed, deepened, and went beyond the love he already knew God had shown to Abraham and his Israelite descendants. In reflecting on this experience Paul felt ”taken over/apprehended/overwhelmed” by Christ Jesus (Phil. 3:12) and with awe exclaims, ”the Son of God loved me and gave himself for me” (Gal. 2:20). This love became the driving force of Paul’s life when he came to understand how encompassing it was. Divine love experienced had to become divine love expressed.
What mattered most for Paul was not the experiences themselves, but what they meant for his life and the lives of others. Paul saw himself as a participant in and a continuation of the life-giving death of Christ Jesus, his Lord, that was narrated in the Gospel he preached and enacted in the worship of the communities he founded or with which he was involved. However, Paul does not limit this participatory experience in Christ’s death to himself and the other apostles. Paul makes it clear that conformity in the death of Christ—cruciformity–is for all believers.
Our Bible study this year will focus on Paul’s experience of Christ, his understanding of the experience, and what he thinks this means for all who follow Jesus as their Lord. Our study is a reflection on what it means for us to be ”in” Christ, ”with” Christ, ”according to” Christ, and ”for” Christ. We meet on the first and third Thursdays of the month.
AIDS Saskatoon Walk: September 18
Church Council has decided that King of Glory will again register as a team for the Scotiabank Aids Walk for Life on September 18. We (and friends, family) can all be team members. Please sign on and/or pledge/donate on line at www.aidswalkforlife.ca/Saskatoon. Our team is “King of Glory Lutheran Church” and team leader is “Michael Poellet”. All money raised will go directly to support people who are infected by, affected by, and at risk of HIV, HCV and other blood born pathogens. Registration starts at noon this year, at the Roxy Theatre on 320 20th Street West. The walk will be from about 1 – 2 p.m. with speeches and refreshments afterwards.
“A Controversial Jesus: The Gospel in Conflict” The questions that initiate the conflict stories are many. God’s purposed realm of grace is a “happening.” Is the message of this new way of doing things the underlying catalyst for conflict? YES. Once again Christ and his Gospel are turning our whole world, upside down.
“A Controversial Jesus: The Gospel in Conflict in Jesus’ Ministry.” The questions that initiate the conflict stories in the Gospels are many. God’s purposed realm of grace is a “happening” that we are living in now with good cheer and eagerness. Is the message of this new way of doing things the underlying catalyst for conflict? YES. Once again we learn how Christ and his Gospel are turning this whole world, our whole world, upside down.
Back To Church Sunday. This event is the largest single local-church invitational initiative in the world. It is based on the simplest and shortest step in evangelism – that we invite someone we already know to something we love and believe to be life-changing – inviting a family member or friend to church. Each of you received an invitation/prayer form (s). Next, please pray for, invite and accompany someone you know to “Back To Church Sunday” at King of Glory on September 27.
“A Controversial Jesus: The Gospel in Conflict in Jesus’ Ministry.” The questions that initiate the conflict stories in the Gospels are many. Mostly they are asked by groups—religious leaders, disciples, the crowd of listeners. Behind every controversial situation is a question which proclaiming or practicing the Gospel has raised. There are questions prompted by Jesus’ own behaviour. There are other questions prompted by the behaviour of Jesus’ disciples. There appear to be questions prompted by controversy over the understanding of what following Jesus entails. Finally, there are questions designed to trap Jesus.
As we study these stories we will recognize that most of the issues involved are still more or less with us today. Are we still not troubled by what is or is not appropriate on the “Sabbath,” that is, proper worship times and practices? Or Christians who worry that all this talk about grace and forgiveness means disregard for law and order and promotes moral laxity? Because of so-called “family values” some Christians are disturbed by Jesus’ apparent disregard for the traditional family. We still debate what influence and role the Gospel has in politics, in shaping society, in education and certainly in economics. Can one be a Christian and a free market, corporate capitalist?
God’s purposed realm of grace is a “happening” that we are living in now with good cheer and eagerness. Is the message of this new way of doing things the underlying catalyst for conflict? YES. Once again we learn how Christ and his Gospel is turning this whole world, our whole world, upside down.
Our Mission Statement
King of Glory Lutheran Church is a community of people believing and recognizing, through worship, fellowship and faith, that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior.
Our Mission is to all of God’s children including people of all ages, female, and male, all races and colours and regardless of their religious and social background or sexual orientation.
By the grace of God, we are called to proclaim the Good News of Christ’s love, acceptance, and forgiveness.
I Love to Tell the Story: Jewish and Christian Midrash (interpretation) of Stories from the Hebrew Bible. Judaism and Christianity have not only certain texts in common, the Hebrew Bible, but also a common set of traditions about what these texts mean. Especially the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible, and the Psalms were of great importance to both faith traditions. These texts exercised a central role in daily life, and were discussed and commented upon in the public assembly. Yet many passages contained words whose meanings were no longer understood, or references to people or places or customs no longer known. Sometimes one passage seemed to contradict another and so required some explanation. Questions as to how one event or fact relates to that event or fact told to us elsewhere need to be clarified. Scholars and ordinary folk set out to provide explanations, known in Hebrew as “midrash” (interpretation). Midrash (of which Christian understandings are also one type) is not dry commentary. It is clever, inventive, down-to-earth, often humorous, and full of fresh insights with respect to the text. Our Bible study will examine Jewish and Christian midrash of some key biblical texts and the different early interpretations.
They’ll have you in stitches! Bev Gregory is hosting (154 Arrand Crescent) quilt-making bees to send quilts to Lutheran World Relief aid projects. Quilting begins on Thursday September 25 and continues every Thursday from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. You are invited to thread your way through this gathering of fun and service. Bring your own lunch – they’ll turn it into a potluck – and fabrics, particularly flannels, and see what patterns emerge.
“Cruciformity: Justified by Faith/Crucified with Christ” is the topic for our Bible study. This study looks at Philippians 2:6-11, Galatians:15-21, and Romans 6:1-7:6 and the foundational Gospel-life-saving experience of God made known to us as gracious, forgiving, and loving in Christ’s cross. Our biblical reflections will show the robust, participatory, and costly understanding of justification, an experience of participating in Christ’s resurrection life that is effected by co-crucifixion with him.
“Cruciformity: Justified by Faith/Crucified with Christ” is the topic for our Bible study. This study looks at Philippians 2:6-11, Galatians 2:15-21, and Romans 6:1-7:6 and the foundational Gospel-life-saving experience of God made known to us as gracious, forgiving, and loving in Christ’s cross. This life changing experience is given the theological short-hand terms of justification or death and resurrection in/with Christ. Our biblical reflections will show the robust, participatory, and costly understanding of justification, an experience of participating in Christ’s resurrection life that is effected by co-crucifixion with him. We come to a deeper understanding of Christ’s death as God’s gracious salvific act on our behalf “while we were still weak,” “ungodly,” “while we still were sinners,” (Rom. 6:6, 8) and “dead through our trespasses” (Eph. 2:5). We will also see through the practicing of our faith how the Spirit effects both our initial (justification) and ongoing (sanctification) co-crucifixion with Christ, a lifelong experience of cruciformity.
“Practicing a Theology of the Cross: Paul’s Ethics in the Letter to the Galatians” What a difficult situation Paul has made for himself. How attractive and reasonable the agitators’ proposals appear: practice God’s Law and confirm your status as the people of God. Our study will investigate how the cross of Christ marks the “death of the “old world” and is a “stumbling-block (skandalon)” to the old patterns of thought and behaviour, while it creates an inclusive community who “walks” by the ways of a “new creation,” a new pattern of life created by the Christ event. “Gospel Paradox: Living by the Spirit is fulfilling the Law of Christ” is the topic for the June 27 session.
“Practicing a Theology of the Cross: Paul’s Ethics in the Letter to the Galatians” What a difficult situation Paul has made for himself. In his proclamation of the Gospel [“I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live….” Gal. 2:19-20], Paul wants to break the spell of the Galatians’ attraction to the law and depicts the law as a form of slavery and emphasizes “the life I now live” as freedom in Christ. But to talk of “freedom,” being “redeemed from the law,” and “led by the Spirit” seems to be unsettling to the Galatians, threatening their sense of identity, and providing them with no means or guidance to deal with human misconduct, challenges, and failure in their daily lives. How attractive and reasonable the agitators’ proposals appear: practice God’s Law and confirm your status as the people of God. Our study will investigate how the cross of Christ marks the “death of the “old world” and is a “stumbling-block (skandalon)” to the old patterns of thought and behaviour, while it creates an inclusive community who “walks” by the ways of a “new creation,” a new pattern of life created by the Christ event. “Curses! Foiled Again! Or Curses Foiled! Again!” is the topic for February 14 session.
The Blessing of the Quilts
Pastor: Through the new life given to us in baptism we are called by the risen Christ to offer ourselves in thanksgiving for what he has done and continues to do for us. It is our privilege to recognize and support those who are engaged in the work of this community of faith, especially those who contribute their time, skills, materials and monies for making quilts for LutherCare Communities, Bishop Klein Community School program, the Wellness Centre, and Comfort Quilts. It is through our deeds and our prayers that we recognize and support those who are seeking relief from the cold, healing from their sicknesses, comfort for their fears, anxieties, and sorrows, and support in their grief with these quilts.
Let us pray:
People: Creating and sustaining God, renew in us the commitment to use our gifts in the service of others, and especially of those in need. Let us be your hands to feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, clothe the naked, bring care and healing to the sick, comfort the weary and outcast, welcome the stranger, care for creation, and be loving neighbors to all people. Amen.
Pastor: To paraphrase St. Paul:
The point is this: the one who “sews” sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who “sews” bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a hilarious giver. And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work…. God who supplies “fabric and thread to the sewer will supply and multiply your material for sewing” and increase the harvest of your righteousness…. [For] the rendering of this ministry not only supplies the needs of the saints but also overflows with many thanksgivings to God. (2 Corinthians 9: 6-13)
People: For all who offer themselves in your name we give thanks, O God. Give them the joy of service, and constant care and faithfulness. Help us all to be both willing servants and thankful recipients of ministry, that your name be glorified, all people live with the basic needs of this life met, in safety and peace, and that your will be done.
Pastor: Blessed are you O God, Creator of all things. You have enriched our lives with every good gift. Following in the life of the risen Christ we show the abundance of your grace through lives of love, justice, service and joy. Accept and bless these quilts and those who receive them.
May those who use them find dignity in their use and comfort in their warmth and not only be protected from the the coolness of the night, but from every harm and from further illness, anxieties, or sorrows. Let these quilts and the prayers that accompany them bring your goodness and life to all those who use them, give them strength, courage, and patience, and assure them of your constant care and guidance.
People: Amen. Thanks be to God.
Pastor: Bless these Comfort Quilts, O Christ, our Healer and Advocate, that they might bring to those to whom they are given, an awareness of your presence, a strong confidence in you, calmness, hope, and peace. Whether in pain, weariness, anxiety, or grief may these quilts surround them with your care, protect them with your loving assurance, and grant them strength and peace.
People: Amen. Thanks be to God.
Pastor: And now, O God, we bless and send these quilts to your glory and honor and for the care of those in need in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
People: Amen. Thanks be to God.
Pastor: Bless this Dignity Quilt that it might be a sign of your comfort and faithfulness in the journey from death to life. May it bear witness to your presence and the hope of the resurrection to all of us who are companions along this way.
People: Amen. Thanks be to God.
Back To Church Sunday. This event is the largest single local-church invitational initiative in the world. It is based on the simplest and shortest step in evangelism – that we invite someone we already know to something we love and believe to be life-changing – inviting a family member or friend to church. Each of you will be handed one (or more) invitation/prayer card(s). Next, please pray for, invite and accompany someone you know to “Back To Church Sunday” at King of Glory on September 25.
“The Ministry of Reconciliation and Those Cantankerous Corinthians.” Our first area for Bible study this year will focus on 2 Corinthians 2:14 – 7:16 where Paul develops his “theology of the cross” understanding of the Gospel ministry of reconciliation. Paul was attacked by many in the Corinthian congregation with accusations of vacillation, pride and boasting, lack of success in preaching, physical weakness, being an ungifted person, dishonesty, lack of apostolic standing, and as a deceiver. What Paul sees at stake in this is not only his apostolic authority, but much more, the Gospel as the way of the cross for proclamation and daily living. The word of the cross is the reconciling power of God for all of Christian life. Paul enables the Corinthians and us to understand that only when one experiences disillusionment, disappointment, weakness, distress, suffering, and death as the dying of Christ that it is possible to experience the risen life of Christ. The first session “Sin City (Corinth), a Congregational Coup, and Chaos” provides the background to Paul’s founding of and ministry at the church in Corinth.
Advent
It is indeed right, our duty and our joy,
that we should at all times and in all places
give thanks and praise to you,
almighty and merciful God,
through our Savior Jesus Christ.
You comforted your people
with the promise of the Redeemer,
Through whom you will also make all things new
in the day when he comes to judge the world in righteousness.
And so, with all the choirs of angels,
with the church on earth and the hosts of heaven,
we praise your name and join their unending hymn:
The Blessing of the Quilts
Pastor: Through the new life given to us in baptism we are called by the risen Christ to offer ourselves in thanksgiving for what he has done and continues to do for us. It is our privilege to recognize and support those who are engaged in the work of this community of faith, especially those who contribute their time, skills, materials and monies for making quilts for Canadian Lutheran World Relief and comfort quilts. It is through our deeds and our prayers that we recognize and support those who are seeking healing from their sicknesses, comfort for their fears, anxieties, and sorrows, and support in their grief with these quilts.
Let us pray:
People: Creating and sustaining God, renew in us the commitment to use our gifts in the service of others, and especially of those in need. Let us be your hands to feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, clothe the naked, bring care and healing to the sick, comfort the weary and outcast, welcome the stranger, care for creation, and be loving neighbors to all people. Amen.
Pastor: To paraphrase St. Paul:
The point is this: the one who “sews” sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who “sews” bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a hilarious giver. And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work…. God who supplies “fabric and thread to the sewer will supply and multiply your material for sewing” and increase the harvest of your righteousness…. [For] the rendering of this ministry not only supplies the needs of the saints but also overflows with many thanksgivings to God. (2 Corinthians 9: 6-13)
People: For all who offer themselves in your name we give thanks, O God. Give them the joy of service, and constant care and faithfulness. Help us all to be both willing servants and thankful recipients of ministry, that your name be glorified, all people live with the basic needs of this life met, in safety and peace, and that your will be done.
Pastor: Blessed are you O God, Creator of all things. You have enriched our lives with every good gift. Following in the life of the risen Christ we show the abundance of your grace through lives of love, justice, service and joy. Accept and bless these quilts and those who receive them from Canadian Lutheran World Relief. May those who use them find dignity in their use and comfort in their warmth and not only be protected from the the coolness of the night, but from every disaster, injustice, abuse, evil, or harm and from further illness, anxieties, or sorrows. Let these quilts and the prayers that accompany them bring your goodness and life to all those who use them, give them strength, courage, and patience, and assure them of your constant care and guidance.
People: Amen. Thanks be to God.
Pastor: Bless these Comfort Quilts, O Christ, our Healer and Advocate, that they might bring to those to whom they are given, an awareness of your presence, a strong confidence in you, calmness, hope, and peace. Whether in pain, weariness, anxiety, or grief may these quilts surround them with your care, protect them with your loving assurance, and grant them strength and peace.
People: Amen. Thanks be to God.
Pastor: And now, O God, we bless and send these quilts to your glory and honor and for the care of those in need in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
People: Amen. Thanks be to God.
THE PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE OF FAITH
[The congregational response after each petition is: “COMPLETE YOUR NEW CREATION.”]
Pastor: As we celebrate the joy of the resurrection, let us pray for God’s continuing work of new creation in the life of the Church, for the peace and well-being of the world, and wherever brokenness and death oppose God’s abundant life, saying, “Hear us, O God of life,” and responding, “Complete your new creation.”
Petitioner: God of life, in spite of all we have heard and all that we have seen, it is often hard to believe. Because it is hard to believe return to us again and again that we may hear your word of forgiveness, life, and love; invite us to your supper that we may touch and taste your presence; and breathe your Spirit upon us offering us your peace. Hear us, O God of life…
Petitioner: God of all creation, you fashioned and nurtured this wonderful earth for the fullness of life. We pray for rainforests and deserts, mountains and tundra, oceans, lakes, and rivers, grasslands and prairies, and all creatures that call this earth home. Breathe healing on all your creation. Hear us, O God of life…
Petitioner: God of hope, in the risen Christ you have delivered us from the power of death. Now make us die every day to sin, fear, and doubt and by your Spirit raise us up daily to be free for joyfully serving those who still are shrouded by sin, despair, shame, and death. Hear us, O God of life…
Pastor: God of healing, bring your peace and comfort in the midst of fear and confusion upon all facing the loss of a loved one, a job, good health, sustaining relationships, or their own inner peace and wholeness. We remember especially before you …. Uplift them and renew them with your promise of life. Hear us, O God of life…
Petitioner: God of peace, all peoples are created and beloved by you, and you provide us with the bonds of community for mutual care and support. We remember all the nations, especially Ukraine and all those torn by violence and oppression. Teach peace to our war-weary world. Send wisdom to our national, provincial and local leaders that they may uphold safe neighbourhoods, adequate housing, health care, and sufficient food for all people. Hear us, O God of life…
Petitioner: God of promise, transform us from frightened individuals, communities, and nations, into a people, a community, and a nation of open doors such that justice, mutual sharing of material goods, and peace may be abundant for all and that no person or nation among us is in need. Hear us, O God of life…
Petitioner: God of justice, you accompany us on our journeys of both despair and hope, of trials and anxieties, and celebrations and joys. Provide us with the bonds of community for mutual care and support. We pray for reconciliation especially with our First Nations, Metis, and Inuit people, for all people of colour, for Muslims and those of other faiths, for LGBTQ2+ people, for all people whom we might exclude, ignore, or neglect. Hear us, O God of life…
Petitioner: God of mission, you have redeemed and anointed your people through baptism and united us in the death and resurrection of Jesus for a life-giving mission. Your resurrection creates new ways to live. Make us faithful followers to be the wounded hands of Christ to all who doubt or disbelieve or are broken by fear in this world. Send us our to share our bread and to be bread for a hungry world, open new opportunities, renew our ministries and our callings through your promise of new life, and graciously give us the resolve to faithfully worship, nurture and proclaim Christ’s love with one voice for all in our community and in our world. Hear us, O God of life…
Pastor: Sustaining God, as you bring life even out of death, hear our call for your abundant life, make our prayers part of your new creation, and guide us with the hope of joy in your presence for the sake of the crucified and risen one, Jesus Christ, our Lord.
People: Amen.
Pastor: Bless these Comfort Quilts, O Christ, our Healer and Advocate, that they might bring to those to whom they are given, an awareness of your presence, a strong confidence in you, calmness, hope, and peace. Whether in pain, weariness, anxiety, or grief may these quilts surround them with your care, protect them with your loving assurance, and grant them strength and peace.
People: Amen. Thanks be to God.
King of Glory Lutheran Church 