 Dear sisters and brothers in Christ,
God’s word of promise is given to all who are facing uncertainty, damage and disruption following Hurricane Sandy and its subsequent storms. That word of promise is Christ is with you always. With Paul we can say, “If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it.” (1 Corinthians 12:26) As members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), we remain in prayer, responding generously and working tirelessly to rebuild lives, congregations and communities. We are not doing this work alone. Through ELCA Disaster Response, we are joining with our congregations, affiliates and other partners in our shared commitment to restore communities. As we have shown in past disasters, we stay until the work is done. That is the ELCA’s commitment. Please continue to respond with prayers, generous gifts of time and money, and the commitment to a sustaining presence. Visit ELCA Disaster Response at www.ELCA.org/disaster for updates, downloadable bulletin inserts, worship resources and ways to make contributions online. Thank you for your prayers and generosity as we respond together and do God’s work in Christ’s name for the life of the world. In God’s grace, The Rev. Mark S. Hanson |
Tag: Scripture
Festival Day of St. Luke, the Evangelist
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Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost: September 30, 2012
Where do we put up stumbling blocks in the path of others as they come to faith? Where is God removing those very blocks from our path?
Join us for worship at 10am at St. Luke Lutheran Church in Culpeper, Virgnia. Thanks be to God!
Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost: September 23, 2012
This week we hear Jesus say, “Whoever wants to be first must be last and servant of all.” What does it mean to worship a servant? Who are you called to serve?
Join us for worship at 10am at St. Luke Lutheran Church in Culpeper, Virgnia. Thanks be to God!
Readings for March 25, the Fifth Sunday in Lent
God promises Jeremiah that a “new covenant” will be made in the future: a covenant that will allow all the people to know God by heart. The church sees this promise fulfilled in Christ, who draws all people to himself when he is lifted up on the cross. Our baptismal covenant draws us to God’s heart through Christ and draws God’s light and truth into our hearts. We see God’s heart most clearly in the way Jesus shares human suffering, in an agony both the John and Hebrews readings describe.
From Sundays and Seasons.com. Copyright 2012 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved.
Readings for March 4, the Second Sunday in Lent
The second covenant in this year’s Lenten readings is the one made with Abraham and Sarah: God’s promise to make them the ancestors of many, with whom God will remain in everlasting covenant. Paul says this promise comes to all who share Abraham’s faith in the God who brings life into being where there was no life. We receive this baptismal promise of resurrection life in faith. Sarah and Abraham receive new names as a sign of the covenant, and we too get new identities in baptism, as we put on Christ.
From Sundays and Seasons.com. Copyright 2012 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved.
Worship Scripture for the Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany
In Deuteronomy God promises to raise up a prophet like Moses, who will speak for God; in Psalm 111 God shows the people the power of God’s works. For the church these are ways of pointing to the unique authority people sensed in Jesus’ actions and words. We encounter that authority in God’s word, around which we gather, the word that trumps any lesser spirit that would claim power over us, freeing us to follow Jesus.
St. Luke Lutheran Church 