The King Is Coming! November 27th Worship

What do we do when an important guest is coming over to visit? We clean the house, prepare the dinner menu, put on nice clothes, and do many other things in anticipation. Beginning a new Church Year is also a time of getting ready. We prepare ourselves to welcome the King—our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who came in the flesh to His people. The most important preparation we are called to is a readiness of our hearts and minds. This Advent season is a time of preparation—to prepare ourselves to welcome Him who came humbly as a king by earthly standards, but is the eternal King of heaven and earth. We welcome Him with repentant hearts and an expectant spirit. Even now today God comes to us in Word and Sacrament by His Holy Spirit.

King Triumphant, November 20th Worship

Christ Jesus is King of King and Lord of Lords; that is what we celebrate on this Last Sunday of the church year. Already at His crucifixion Jesus could be called a conquering king for His victory over death. What we believe is that as time continues to move forward we are getting closer to the complete and ultimate recognition of Christ’s Kingship. We can live this day with hope and expectation because Christ is the King of all eternity.

In God We Trust, November 13th Worship

As the end of the Church Year draws near, we can take heart that God will finish what He started. God has promised to orchestrate the events that shape history to a good end. Throughout the church year we celebrate that God himself appeared and Jesus won our salvation from sin, death, and the devil. In these last days of the church year we hear Jesus tell us that hard things may come but in this God is completing the fulfillment of His Word and oath. No matter what comes we can live in a sense of expectation: “Stand up,” He says, “and lift up your heads because your redemption is drawing near.” In God we trust.

Saints by the Grace of God, November 6th Worship

When we think of saints, we likely picture well-known disciples, martyrs, and leaders of the Church throughout the years. Familiar names from the pages of Scripture come to mind such as Peter, John, and Paul—the type of people we name churches after. Perhaps this is rightly so. After all, the Lord worked in the lives of these individuals in powerful ways. On All Saints’ Day, however, we also give thanks to God for “unsung saints.” We remember faithful Christian men and women whose names may not be known to the world but are known to us. We remember the names of mothers and fathers, friends and family, and fellow congregation members who bore witness to Christ as their hope and guide. We rejoice that they are now in the presence of the crucified and risen Savior who has makes us His Saints by grace.

Great is the Lord in the City of Our God, Reformation Worship Oct. 30th

499 years ago a man named Martin Luther was able to see what others had lost sight of, that by the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus we are saved forever by the grace of God. Martin Luther realized that each and every one of us can find this for ourselves in the pages of God’s Word. In the sacred Scriptures something amazing happens. We get to see a great city, a fortress, a tall, strong citadel. Here we meet God. Here we celebrate with angels that, as Psalm 48 says, “Great is the Lord, and most worthy of praise, in the city of our God, his holy mountain.”

The Kingdom of God Belongs to Such as These, October 23rd Worship

Sometimes we might rebuke someone by saying, “You are being childish.” Children are far from perfect. We are all fundamentally broken and sinful from birth. But at the same time Jesus sees something universally beautiful in the innocence of children. Children are entirely dependent on their caregivers. Jesus declares this to be characteristic of all who will receive the Kingdom of God. Our trust in God enables Him to bless us in infinite and eternal ways.  

Confident Before God, October 16th Worship

Jacob wrestled with an angelic messenger from God. Jesus tells us a story about a woman who persistently petitions an unjust judge until he finally grants her justice. We can be confident that God is ultimately good and just. Our loving Father always hears our prayers. Though His answers may not always be what we want or expect we can forever be confident that God is always good.

Returning to God with a Grateful Heart, October 9th Worship

God is faithful to His promises. His goodness and mercy are a part of our world every day. Yet it is easy to miss this or lose sight of God’s goodness amidst the complexities of our lives. The blessing of a grateful heart may be the best of things we could ever receive. In our reading of God’s word we hear about the gratitude of Ruth when she finds a place that feels like home amidst people who are not her own. In our Gospel lesson Jesus heals ten men but only one of them returns to express his gratitude. In our epistle lesson Paul reminds his friend Timothy that we can build and rebuild a grateful heart by “remembering Christ Jesus raised from the dead.” Through Christ we can return to God again and again with a grateful heart.

A Living Faith in a Living God, October 2nd Worship

We know that living a faithful life isn’t easy, especially with a challenging culture and world around us. However, we are blessed with the Lord’s continued encouragement in our pilgrimage, just as others in Scripture experienced. Amid wickedness and destruction, God would encourage Habakkuk to remain steadfast in his duty. Through Paul’s letter, God would affirm Timothy in his service, encouraging him to remain steadfast in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Jesus also gives His disciples and us encouragement in our daily living through forgiveness and an increase of faith. By God’s grace we can have a living faith in Him who is alive among us.

The Rich Abundance of God, September 25th Worship

  Jesus tells a parable of a rich man, whose name we never know, and a poor man, whose name is Lazarus. The rich man had it all---fine clothes, rich food, a big house with a gate.  Lazarus had nothing but crumbs and dogs licking his sores. But in death, this is all reversed. The rich man is in anguish and Lazarus is right next to Abraham in honor. The rich man begs for mercy, but it is too late; a great chasm has been fixed that no one can cross. The rich man begs that his five living brothers might be warned; he is told that even if someone should rise from the dead, they will not be convinced. The name "Lazarus" means, "God is my help."  The parable reveals that God wants us to have His eternal and infinite riches forever. We believe that Jesus has triumphed over all things. Knowing Him, the One risen from the dead, we are rich in God's most priceless treasure.