736 Cayuga Drive
Niagara Falls, NY 14304
716.283.1843
The Rev. Evan Gaertner, pastor

We have been Sharing God’s Grace for 100 years in Niagara Falls, New York.

Divine Service at Grace is celebrated:

• Saturday at 5:00 pm and Sunday at 10:30 am.
• Sunday School for children and adults is Sunday at 9:00 am.

Grace Alone, Scripture Alone, Faith Alone

Being Lutheran, our congregation accepts and teaches the Bible-based teachings of Martin Luther that inspired the reformation of the Christian Church in the 16th century. The teaching of Luther and the reformers can be summarized in three short phrases: Grace alone, Scripture alone, Faith alone.

Grace alone
God loves the people of the world, even though they are sinful, rebel against Him and do not deserve His love. He sent Jesus, His Son, to love the unlovable and save the ungodly.
Scripture aloneThe Bible is God’s inerrant and infallible Word, in which He reveals His Law and His Gospel of salvation in Jesus Christ. It is the sole rule and norm for Christian doctrine.
Faith alone
By His suffering and death as the substitute for all people of all time, Jesus purchased and won forgiveness and eternal life for them. Those who hear this Good News and believe it have the eternal life that it offers. God creates faith in Christ and gives people forgiveness through Him.

Vacation Bible school is coming soon! Christi Gaertner is looking for volunteers willing to pass out fliers to houses in the neighborhood promoting VBS. Please see her to pick up a map and a bag of fliers. Fliers should be distributed anytime between now and Saturday, July 19. VBS is a great way to tell kids about Jesus, and you can help spread the Good News.

The blood pressure clinic will be held next Sunday, July 13, during the 10:00 a.m. coffee fellowship. Look for us where the coffee is being served and have your blood pressure checked for free.

Come one! Come all! The Grace Lutheran Youth group is having a hot dog sale at Walmart this Saturday, July 12^th from 10:00 a.m. until 3:00 or 4:00 p.m. Stop by for a hot dog or a pop. Youth who participate will split the proceeds and replenish their personal youth group account.

Youth entering grades 7 through 12 are invited to attend this summer’s only Backyard Bible Study on Thursday, July 17 from 7-8 p.m. It’s at the home of Jordan and Jake Dixon, 180 Colonial Dr. East on Grand Island. Invite your friends to this free event.

There is a change of date for the Grace Ladies picnic. It will be held on Tuesday, July 15 at 6:00 at the home of Dorothy Kew. Dessert and beverages will be provided, just bring a dish to pass. All women are welcome, come bring a friend. Date location will be at church.

From now until Labor Day, there will be a box in the narthex for our SOCK and UNDERWEAR collection. We will collect all sizes of undergarments and socks to be distributed in the fall by the Community Mission and our city’s school nurses. ONLY NEW ITEMS CAN BE ACCEPTED. This is one of our most appreciated collections. Last summer we collected 272 items and they were distributed within a week! Please remember this project as you shop this summer. Your help is needed.

Bill and Connie Winter need a ride from the bus stop (near Old Country Buffet) to church this summer. They need to be picked up between 9:30 a.m. and 10:10 a.m. Please sign up with Christi if you can help once or twice this summer.

Be sure to check your family mailbox, in the chapel area. The July-August Gleanings is published. Also check out the church’s website. You can see a calendar of all the church happenings, read the sermons, request a prayer and read the announcements. Take a look! www.gracenf.org

Through the LCEF Joyful Response program our church can receive electronic payments directly from personal bank accounts or LCEF Steward Accounts. It is simple, safe, convenient, and stewardship-minded. This is a wonderful program to help you support the ministry of Grace Lutheran Church during the summer when you might be away camping. Interested? Talk to Jon Lehning.

Through you contributions to the mission fund at Grace, we reach out and support different missions locally, nationally, and international. Lutheran Campus Ministries is the special mission for the month of July.

THIS WEEK AT GRACE

SUNDAY

9:30 a.m. Morning Prayer Service

10:00 a.m. Chiavetta’s Planning Meeting

10:30 a.m. Communion Worship Service

MONDAY

6:30 p.m. Community AA Meeting

WEDNESDAY

10:00 a.m. Craft Group

SATURDAY

10-4 Youth Hotdog Sale at Wal-Mart

5:00 p.m. Communion Worship

NEXT SUNDAY

9:30 a.m. Morning Prayer Service

10:00 a.m. Coffee Fellowship

10:00 a.m. Blood Pressure Clinic

10:30 a.m. Worship Service

Bill and Connie Winter need a ride from the bus stop (near Old Country Buffet) to church this summer. They need to be picked up between 9:30 a.m. and 10:10 a.m. Please sign up with Christi if you can help once or twice this summer.

Youth in grades 6-12 are invited to a Photo Scavenger Hunt on Monday, June 30. Meet at 4:00 p.m. at the home of Zach and Adrienne Tilton, 712 88^th St., right across from the church parking lot. We’ll split into teams (probably by grade) and start looking for photos to take. For example, can you take a picture of your team with a person wearing a hard hat? We’ll end with pizza at the Tilton’s house and be done around 7:00 p.m. Invite your friends to this free event. Speak to Christi if you can be an adult driver for this event.

From now until Labor Day, there will be a box in the narthex for our SOCK and UNDERWEAR collection. We will collect all sizes of undergarments and socks to be distributed in the fall by the Community Mission and our city’s school nurses. ONLY NEW ITEMS CAN BE ACCEPTED. This is one of our most appreciated collections. Last summer we collected 272 items and they were distributed within a week! Please remember this project as you shop this summer. Your help is needed.

Needed: VBS Volunteers!

This summer’s VBS entitled Friendship Trek: Jesus, Our Forever Friend is scheduled for the week of July 21-25, and will be held in the evening, beginning with a simple supper at 5:30 and ending nightly at 8 pm. Anyone interested in helping us bring the wonderful word of God to the young people of our community please contact the church office at 283-1843 so we may contact you. Together we can make a difference. Registration forms can be found in the chapel or online.

Be sure to check your family mailbox, in the chapel area. The July-August Gleanings is published. Also check out the church’s website. You can see a calendar of all the church happenings, read the sermons, request a prayer and read the announcements. Take a look! www.gracenf.org

Through the LCEF Joyful Response program our church can receive electronic payments directly from personal bank accounts or LCEF Steward Accounts. It is simple, safe, convenient, and stewardship-minded. This is a wonderful program to help you support the ministry of Grace Lutheran Church during the summer when you might be away camping. Interested? Talk to Jon Lehning.

THIS WEEK AT GRACE

SUNDAY

9:30 a.m. Morning Prayer Service

10:00 a.m. Coffee Fellowship

10:30 a.m. Communion Worship Service

MONDAY

4-7:00 p.m. Youth Photo Scavenger Hunt

6:30 p.m. Community AA Meeting

WEDNESDAY

9:30 a.m. Bible Study

10:30 a.m. Craft Group

SATURDAY

5:00 p.m. Communion Worship

NEXT SUNDAY

9:30 a.m. Morning Prayer Service

10:00 a.m. Coffee Fellowship

10:00 a.m. Chiavetta’s Planning Meeting

10:30 a.m. Communion Worship Service

Last week I shared in the sermon Jeremiah’s personal struggle with how to be a prophet for the Lord when he faced so much conflict in his faith. We found that Jeremiah did not get a lot of answers to all of his questions, but he did get one very important answer from the Lord, “I will be with you to deliver you, declares the Lord.” With the confidence that the Lord would be present in his life Jeremiah went forward by the grace of God.

So if last week we searched for how Jeremiah handled his conflicts with God, this week we are going to search for how Jeremiah handled the conflicts he had with people that opposed his message.

I had looked at our lesson from Jeremiah and struggled with how I could bring the points of this lesson to play in our lives today. After all it is a story about Jeremiah wearing a yoke around his neck talking to Hananiah a false prophet who was telling Jeremiah he was wrong. I did not want this sermon to become a Biblical history lesson. I found how another pastor has outlined a sermon on this text and thought that his approach fit with my desire to bring Jeremiah’s conflict to play with our own struggles today. The basic outline for this sermon will be to look at how Jeremiah dealt with Hananiah as a model for own behavior when involved in a conflict with another person.

Many people especially like the children’s messages when I use an object to illustrate the message. The use of objects to make a point is not a new development and in fact it was a common method for the Old Testament prophets to make a point. Hosea married a prostitute to show how the people of God had adulterated themselves to false religions. Ezekiel shaved his head and beard and then burned and scattered the pieces to represent the fate that awaited the inhabitants of Jerusalem. Jeremiah used many different actions to illustrate the situation of God’s people. Jeremiah hid a linen belt in a rock crevice to show how Judah would become ruined and useless. In a gate into Jerusalem he shattered an earthenware jug to show how God would destroy both people and city.

In the situation of our lesson today Jeremiah is wearing a yoke of the type that ox would wear to be harnessed to work on the farm. The yoke showed the way that Nebuchadnezzar would bring the nations under his power. Jeremiah called to the messengers of the kings of the region and said, “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: This is what you shall say to your masters: ‘It is I who by my great power and my outstretched arm have made the earth, with the men and animals that are on the earth and I give it to whomever it seems right to me. Now I have given these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, my servant, and I have given him also the beasts of the field to serve him.”

Jeremiah also spoke to the priests and the people of Judah saying, “Thus says the Lord: Do not listen to the words of your prophets who are prophesying to you, saying, ‘Behold, the vessels of the Lord’s house will now shortly be brought back from Babylon.”

Jeremiah was frustrated that the false prophets were giving the people a false hope and encouraging armed resistance against Babylon. Jeremiah was encouraging the people to live under the yoke of Babylon and respect the time as one ordained by God. But the false prophets kept insisting that Babylon was going to collapse and everything was going to be okay within two years.

Hananiah said in response to Jeremiah, “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon.” Hananiah and Jeremiah both claim to be speaking for God.

How does Jeremiah handle this competing message?

The first principle in fighting fair is found Jeremiah’s choice of words. Does Jeremiah with his words demonstrate respect for the other person? Jeremiah says to Hananiah, “Amen! May the Lord do so; may the Lord make the words that you have prophesied come true.”

Jeremiah reflects back to Hananiah what he is saying and hopes that Hananiah would be right. Jeremiah hopes that they will only be captive by Babylon for two years and that the exiles and the temple treasures will then be released and returned to Jerusalem. With respect Jeremiah speaks to Hananiah attempting to show that they are both on the same side, they both want the truth of God and the good of the people preserved.

When in conflict with another person, how can you demonstrate to that person respect and illustrate the common goals that you share?

The second principle in fair fighting is for everyone involved to envision what things should look like after the dust settles. When we are in conflict we should consider the possibility of what kind of relationship we will have once peace and harmony is restored. The words and actions we take within a conflict should not irreparably harm the ability to have a relationship with the other person once the conflict has passed. Jeremiah attempts to respect Hananaih and talk to him in such a way that they could be together in ministry again.

The third principle is related to the second principle of envisioning peace and harmony being possible. The third principle is about leading the resolution towards bringing the glory to God and that the gospel of God’s mercy in Christ Jesus is magnified. Jeremiah demonstrates that his desire is that God’s Word would be kept and that the people of God in Israel would find continuity throughout the Babylonian captivity and afterwards.

Jeremiah did not need to be right and make sure that Hananiah was wrong. Jeremiah said, “Amen! May the Lord do what you ask.” Jeremiah knows that in the end the false prophets will be revealed by the emptiness of their promises.

Jeremiah asked Hananiah and everyone to look at the consistency of the message of the prophets in the past. Jeremiah pointed out that if Hananiah was right that would mean Hananiah’s message was different then the message of the prophets that have gone before them.

Jeremiah was concerned that if people trusted in Hananiah’s promise of a two year struggle with everything restored so quickly that the people not only not trust Hananiah but that they also would not trust God. Throughout our struggles we should ask ourselves, “Am I keeping God’s name holy in my actions and in this community through this conflict.” It is possible to become so entrenched in keeping our positions that we stop caring about God’s name and instead only stay interested  in our personal survival. Jeremiah did not care about being right, he cared about God’s name being kept holy in his midst.

Fighting fair means knowing that our words, methods, and expressions not only reflect on who we are but also on God who we say we stand on. We do not want in the middle of a conflict to become empty of our integrity. Some of St. Paul’s letters deal with conflict and his concern that conflict within congregations tears them apart from the inside out. To the Galatians Paul wrote, “If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.” Also to the Ephesians he wrote, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs.”

We must be ready to suffer in a conflict rather than respond back to angry and hurtful words with our own angry and hurtful words. The Apostle Peter wrote, “If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or as a gossip. However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.”

Jeremiah through the conflict with Hananiah kept his focus on magnifying the Word of God. Hananiah later took the yoke bars from around the neck of Jeremiah and broke them. Jeremiah did not fight back in response to this aggression but trusted in the victory of God. In fact Hananiah that same year died. Now not always do our adversaries receives such immediate judgment from God, but we can trust that God will be the judge of the living and the dead.

Hananiah had promised two years and Babylon would be finished. Jeremiah was proved right by history, because 1 decade past and then another and indeed it was not till after seventy years that Babylon was destroyed and the people were able to return to Jerusalem

Possibly you may think the standard that Jeremiah and indeed what we can see in the life of Jesus is too impossible to follow. I would say you would be right. It is hard to respect our adversaries, keep envisioning peace and harmony as a possibility and keeping our integrity if we had to rely on our own strength in the middle of conflict. Jeremiah succeeded in remaining a man of integrity throughout his conflicts with Hananiah and others because he kept his faith on God and not himself.  God will be victorious through all conflicts. Have faith in the victory of Christ over the greatest conflict of sin, death and the devil and draw upon him as your strength. I am not telling you to be the victory in your conflict, I am inviting you to trust in the victory of God on the cross. Christ on the cross was not just his victory but what he came to share with you.

Sermon help provided by Homilitic Helps from CPH, Deane Schuessler.

Soli Deo Gloria

The beautiful outdoors are wonderful in Western New York during the summer. Many people would like summer to start earlier for certain but what summer we do receive is gorgeous. But a challenge comes up during the summer, how do we squeeze everything we want to do into such a tight time frame? There are so many places and events to get out and enjoy.

Hanover, New Jersey has been asked by the Hanover Township Interreligious Council to not make available its fields for sports on Sundays. The officials praised the pastors for their proposal but questioned its feasibility, answering that they do not have enough fields or time to schedule all the games and practices without utilizing Sunday. One official suggested to not allow scheduling of games until after 12:30pm.

It is becoming clear throughout our country that many leagues do not even make the attempt to avoid scheduling games or practices on Sunday mornings. In some homes the message becomes “attending church is important unless it conflicts with…”

It is hard to “remember the Sabbath Day and keep it holy” (the third commandment) when the mind and body are not in the house of the Lord. Though for all of us it is important that we do not bring the focus upon one day over any other day. The importance of the third commandment, Martin Luther explained is “We should fear and love God that we may not despise preaching and His Word, but hold it sacred and gladly hear and learn it.”

Notice that Luther brings the focus not to the day but to the Word of God. Obedience to the righteousness of God is not about making sure our behinds are in the pews on a particular day. God has given us His Word to feed and nourish our bodies and souls with the good news of the forgiveness of sin. We should desire to be in the House of the Lord to be fed with the good news and not find ourselves legislated into attending worship services. It is interesting the pastors in Hanover wanted to make the Sabbath Day an issue of legislation rather than relying on their encouragement to choose the church service instead of the soccer pitch. Consider if instead of the pastors, it was all of the parents saying no to Sunday morning games. Would they still be scheduled?

What do we do until the day comes when Sunday morning sports no longer are scheduled? First I desire that there be some conversation in homes about the importance of regularly being present in the Divine Service. Some tough choices about worship or sports may need to happen in some families, if sports are consistently and always scheduled preventing the family from attending worship. On the other hand I understand the small summer season we have and the strain this puts into scheduling leisure for people. To help give options Grace Lutheran Church offers a Saturday night service at 5:00pm. This summer also we have started Sundays a 9:30am Morning Prayer service besides keeping the regular Sunday morning Divine Service at 10:30am. During the summer we continue to staff the nursery at the 10:30am Sunday service. Also at the 10:30am service during the summer we operate a Summer Sunday School program for children 3 years old to fourth grade.

No matter your summer plans do not neglect the preaching of God’s Word or despise it. Find the time to get into God’s Word and with a humble and contrite heart come to God trusting in his forgiveness secured for you by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

Peace,

Check out Inside

- VBS Registration “Friendship Trek” July 21-25

- Information about Pastor Gaertner’s Divine Call to become
the Pastor of Pinnacle Lutheran Church, Henrietta, NY

It can be difficult to handle the waterfall of frustrating, disappointing, sad, unbearable news that can seem to swirl around us. Good moments happen for all of us but there just seems to be a drumbeat of bad stuff that at times appears to become the rhythm of life.

How do we handle those times when we want to just say, “Lord, What Were You Thinking?” Lord what were you thinking giving cancer to someone in their twenties. Lord what were you thinking bringing the death of someone loved and cared for by so many. Lord what were you thinking putting our soldiers into such a difficult situation. Lord what were you thinking indeed. I have these moments when not everything makes sense and not all of the puzzle pieces seem to match the picture that I have of the ways things are supposed to be.

The prophet Jeremiah was called to bring God’s Word in a difficult time to a difficult people. The Word of the Lord came to Jeremiah. Jeremiah responded, “Ah, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth.” The Lord said to Jeremiah, “Do not say, ‘I am only a youth’; for to all to whom I send you, you shall go, and whatever I command you, you shall speak. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, declares the Lord.”

Jeremiah’s ministry began with the conviction that the Lord would be with him as he served the Lord.

I am not as much talking about the particular way that Jeremiah may have received the Word of God. The direct revelation of God’s Word must have been a remarkable soul convincing experience. When Jeremiah spoke, he spoke with the confidence that he was not serving his own interests but speaking the very Word of God.

But the way things went for Jeremiah would put him into the position that sometimes you have found yourself. “Lord what were you thinking making my life like this?” I am interested in how Jeremiah handled the experiences that he faced in the world that seemed to be in conflict with the promise of God when God said, “Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, declares the Lord.”

Those words to Jeremiah are echoed to the disciples by Jesus. Jesus said to his disciples, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations…Lo, I will be with you always to the very end of the age.”

So Jeremiah was encouraged to go forward with the word of the Lord and indeed to go with confidence. The Lord spoke those words I shared with you in chapter 1, verse 8, and also in verse 19 of chapter one said, “They will fight against you, but they shall not prevail against you, for I am with you, declares the Lord, to deliver you.” The Lord also encouraged Jeremiah in chapter 15, verses 20-21 “And I will make you to this people a fortified wall of bronze; they will fight against you, but they shall not prevail over you, for I am with you, to save you and deliver you, declared the Lord. I will deliver you out of the hand of the wicked, and redeem you from the grasp of the ruthless.

We also find in our Old Testament lesson for today Jeremiah reminding himself (20:11), “But the Lord is with me as a dread warrior; therefore my persecutors will stumble; they will not overcome me. They will be greatly shamed, for they will not succeed.”

Jeremiah is pretty much saying, “Lord, what were you thinking?? Putting me in this situation…but I will trust your promise.”

Jeremiah was a real man with real struggles trying to figure out God’s plan for his life. It would be wonderful if life was easy and everywhere we walked doors opened like on the starship Enterprise with “shimmp” sound. Life was not easy for Jeremiah. He faced violence and angry words. Jeremiah experienced being whipped and being put in the stockade. He was accused of treason, sedition, desertion and plotted against and opposed by his own family. He was imprisoned in the bottom of a cistern and held under arrest in the courtyard of the guard. He fled to Egypt when Jerusalem was destroyed. He faced a people that refused to hear his message and so brought destruction upon themselves.

Jeremiah is a real lesson of the story of faith that comes into contact with the world. Faith in our Lord is not just an abstract notion but a reality that puts us in conflict with the world. Jeremiah brought his faith to the world. He allowed himself to face the tough questions and he experienced the truth that the answers are not always easy. John Bright, author of the book The Kingdom of God, said, “Here, indeed, we learn what faith really is: not that smug faith which is untroubled by questions because it has never asked any; but that truth faith which has asked all the questions and received very few answers, yet has heard the command, Gird up your loins! Do your duty! Remember your calling! Cast yourself forward upon God!”

I think faith in God should put us into turmoil with the world. We should be frustrated but not surprised when family and friends turn against us, if we find ourselves at times alone or unable to enjoy the good times. God calls us to be his servants. As a servant of God Jeremiah did not find his life to be a walk in the garden. God’s people are not exempt from the harshness of living in a sinful world. Indeed it may be even more frustrating because we know how God created the world to be a very good place but that sin has stained everything.

Even when trying to live life according to God’s Word we will run into the tragic reality of sin in this world. God knew that Jeremiah would face a harsh world that would bristle at the preaching of God’s Word, that is why the Lord said to Jeremiah, “They fight against you, but they shall not prevail against you, for I am with you, declares the Lord, to deliver you.” (Jer 1:19)

Maybe one answer for Jeremiah would be to just ignore God’s Word and so no longer put himself into conflict with the world. Jeremiah though knew the truth that God’s Word cannot be bottled up and hidden away. When God’s word has captured our lives we can do nothing but go forward by the grace of God. Jeremiah said, “If I say, ‘I will not mention him or speak any more in his name.’ there is in my heart a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot.” (Jeremiah 20:9)

When we are confronted with the unbearable, tragic, impossible situation we are encouraged to stand strong because the Lord promises to be with us. We need this promise of the presence of the Lord because without him we would never be able to stand against sin and death that rules around us. Five times in the book of Jeremiah we find Jeremiah confessing to the Lord that he cannot do what he has been called to do. The message is too hard, the people are too violent, the work is too large. But in these moments Jeremiah goes forward because he says, “The Lord is with me.”

Real faith struggles like Jeremiah with the tension between trusting in God and living in a world that pulls and tears at that trust. Jeremiah held onto his faith because the Lord has promised to be present and victorious. Jeremiah had the benefit of the direct revelation of God to maintain his confidence. Without the direct revelation of God to you will your faith not have the same foundation to stand upon?

You have been given in the flesh the work of God in Jesus Christ to give you the confidence that the Lord is with you. Jesus promised to his disciples, “Lo, I will be with you always to the very end of the age.” When Jesus made this promise it was not only words but it was backed up with the reality that he had been dead and rose again. We can have confidence that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. This confidence is not standing just on words but on the very work of God for you. Even when we would not be present for God, he remains present for us. For Christ died for us while we were yet still sinners so that we might become the righteousness of God.

Stand firm with the confidence that the Lord you God is with you and by the same power that enables him to subdues all things to himself he will bring to us the victory over sin, death, and the devil. Victory will not always be easy to see, it will be by faith that we go forward. When Jesus was in the tomb, it was hardly possible to imagine that three days later that tomb would be empty. Jesus lives. The tomb is empty. It is not empty words when we say, “The Lord Be With You.”

Soli Deo Gloria

Please stay after the 10:30am for a Voters’ Meeting. The agenda includes election of officers and Pastor Gaertner explaining the call to ministry he has received from Pinnacle Lutheran Church, Henrietta, New York.

The summer coffee fellowship needs a coordinator. If willing to help out please contact the church office.

Summer Sunday School will starts today for Pre K through grade 4. After the Children’s Message in the Worship Service, Laura Lehning and Cathy Hoffman will take the children downstairs for Bible stories and other fun activities. The children will be returned to their parents before the service is over.

Bill and Connie Winter need a ride from the bus stop (near Old Country Buffet) to church this summer. They need to be picked up between 9:30 a.m. and 10:10 a.m. Please sign up with Christi if you can help once or twice this summer.

Youth in grades 6-12 are invited to a Photo Scavenger Hunt on Monday, June 30. Meet at 4:00 p.m. at the home of Zach and Adrienne Tilton, 712 88^th St., right across from the church parking lot. We’ll split into teams (probably by grade) and start looking for photos to take. For example, can you take a picture of your team with a person wearing a hard hat? We’ll end with pizza at the Tilton’s house and be done around 7:00 p.m. Invite your friends to this free event. Speak to Christi if you can be an adult driver for this event.

From now until Labor Day, there will be a box in the narthex for our SOCK and UNDERWEAR collection. We will collect all sizes of undergarments and socks to be distributed in the fall by the Community Mission and our city’s school nurses. ONLY NEW ITEMS CAN BE ACCEPTED. This is one of our most appreciated collections. Last summer we collected 272 items and they were distributed within a week! Please remember this project as you shop this summer. Your help is needed.

Needed: VBS Volunteers!

This summer’s VBS entitled Friendship Trek: Jesus, Our Forever Friend is scheduled for the week of July 21-25, and will be held in the evening, beginning with a simple supper at 5:30 and ending nightly at 8 pm. Anyone interested in helping us bring the wonderful word of God to the young people of our community please contact the church office at 283-1843 so we may contact you. Together we can make a difference. Registration forms can be found in the chapel or online.

THIS WEEK AT GRACE

SUNDAY

9:30 a.m. Morning Prayer Service

10:00 a.m. Coffee Fellowship

10:30 a.m. Worship Service

11:30 a.m. Congregational Voters’ Meeting

MONDAY

6:30 p.m. Community AA Meeting

TUESDAY

6:00 p.m. Grace Ladies Planning Meeting

WEDNESDAY

9:30 a.m. Bible Study

10:30 a.m. Craft Group

SATURDAY

5:00 p.m. Communion Worship

NEXT SUNDAY

9:30 a.m. Morning Prayer Service

10:00 a.m. Coffee Fellowship

10:30 a.m. Communion Worship Service

Recently on a radio show a guy called in very frustrated with Christianity. He said, “Why can Christians say this evil guy I know down my street suddenly be okay with God when this guy says he believes in Jesus, while over in India there can be this other guy that does not believe in Jesus but doing all these good things not be okay and be going to hell.”

The question of heaven and hell and who we are and how we view others are tough questions for Christians to get into with other people. These are tough questions because most of us do not want to act out of envy or pride when sharing our Christian faith with someone else. Because of the fear of appearing holy-than-thou, too prideful with our faith, we may find ourselves being silent at a critical moment.

It is a critical, essential opportunity when the Holy Spirit gives a person the opportunity to share her Christian faith with another person. Instead of being silent I do want to share my spirit filled confidence that by my faith in Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior I am saved. I want to be able to share the transformative power that the forgiveness of sins and the love of Jesus brings to how I view myself and how I view others. I want to be able to share my joy in knowing that I am never alone but always in the protective, sheltering care of my Lord.

In a hospital I would expect a doctor or a nurse in a critical care unit to speak up and act confident that the care they provide is essential. A critical care unit, is essential, time sensitive care that a medical staff provides to a person that is facing life-threatening illness or injury. A hospital might not always be able to put a name to what ails us, but they do know the need to act and care for a person who is in danger.

Not everyone knows all the Ten Commandments but nevertheless the wages of sin is death. We may not know the name for why people are living without hope and confidence and purpose, but we know that people are in danger and need.

If I am driving my car and I go through an intersection when the light is red, I cannot say to the police officer that pulls me over, “I didn’t know that you couldn’t go through a red light.” Whether I know about red lights or not, I still will get a ticket.

Erika Tuescher told in Bible study this Wednesday a story of her sister in confirmation. The pastor asked her sister a question about one of the commandments. This girl looked up at the pastor and said, “It’s not in my book.” The pastor looks down and indeed it is not in this girl’s book because she had torn out that page from her bible.

We live in a time when people are writing their own philosophies of life and attempting to live by their personally created standards. But consider this problem> I am asked to measure a room in preparation for having carpet installed. I look at the measuring stick that has been provided and decide that I would rather make my own measuring stick instead. I get out a piece of wood, look it over, and put some hash marks on it for measuring. I then use my measuring stick and come up with the dimensions of the room. I hand those numbers over to the carpet store, he comes to install the carpet and surprise, the carpet he brings is the wrong size.

St. Paul wrote, “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned.”

Death is a result of sin. Death is not a natural part of the way that God created the world but as a result of sin, death spread to all people.

When you consider the importance and truth of the message of salvation in Jesus Christ, consider the truth of the problem. The problem is we all face the penalty of death. Science will never be able to completely take away the reality of death.

The critical, life-threatening reality is that sin is real and we cannot escape it through our own efforts. Death reigned from Adam to Moses even though it was not until the time of Moses that the commandments were given on Mount Sinai. Sin is sin, no matter what book you have read or how you measure a life. Even if you are measuring your life in submission to God’s commands, unfortunately because of sin, our disobedience to the will of God, we still will face the penalty of death. Knowledge of God does not bring us salvation. I cannot walk across the Niagara River just because I know what is on the other side. I need a bridge to be built.

The critical need is reconciliation with God. Death has entered the world because of sin. Because of sin and death the reconciliation cannot come from our end. Reconciliation with God brings life and peace and joy and confidence in the end of the story.

St. Paul encourages us to look to God for this reconciliation. From the very one that we have sinned against we find hope promised and delivered. “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ dies for us. Since therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we saved by him from the wrath of God.”

Death came into the world through the sin of one man, Adam. Even if you find yourself to be a pretty good person we are all still experiencing the reality that we live in a sinful world. No one is able to break through the barrier that sin brings between us and God but God alone. He breaks that barrier. Even while were still enemies, God bridged that gap between us with the death of Jesus Christ on the cross.

The opportunity that a Christian has to share his faith with another person is critical. It is a critical event when a Lutheran Christian shares his or her faith with another person because the critical need for reconciliation is being answered with the great good news of Jesus Christ. Faith in Jesus Christ is essential and time sensitive. When is the right time to believe in Jesus as your savior from Sin and deliverer from death? What time is it right now? Now is the time to believe that God is good all the time, all the time God is good.

And all God’s people said, “Amen.”

Soli Deo Gloria

Morning Prayer service starts next week at 9:30 a.m. The service will consist of Scripture readings, a Sermon, and prayer. Coffee Fellowship will take place at 10:00am to provide opportunity for people attending the 10:30 a.m. Divine Service and the 9:30am Morning Prayer Service to enjoy time of fellowship. This schedule will run June 22-August 31. The Saturday Divine Service at 5:00pm continues throughout the year.

The summer coffee fellowship needs a coordinator. If willing to help out please contact the church office.

Sunday School closes this week and Summer Sunday School will start next week for Pre K through grade 4. After the Children’s Message in the Worship Service, Laura Lehning and Cathy Hoffman will take the children downstairs for Bible stories and other fun activities. The children will be returned to their parents before the service is over.

Bill and Connie Winter need a ride from the bus stop (near Old Country Buffet) to church this summer. They need to be picked up between 9:30 a.m. and 10:10 a.m. Please sign up with Christi if you can help once or twice this summer.

Needed: VBS Volunteers!

This summer’s VBS entitled Friendship Trek: Jesus, Our Forever Friend is scheduled for the week of July 21-25, and will be held in the evening, beginning with a simple supper at 5:30 and ending nightly at 8 pm. Anyone interested in helping us bring the wonderful word of God to the young people of our community please contact the church office at 283-1843 so we may contact you. Together we can make a difference. Registration forms can be found in the chapel or online.

Through you contributions to the mission fund at Grace, we reach out and support different missions locally, nationally, and international. Friends of Mercy is the special mission for the month of June. Friends of Mercy is a recognized service organization of the LCMS that provides aid and care to women and children fleeing genital mutilation, AIDS orphans, and Lutheran Hospice and Cancer society.

Be sure to check your family mailbox, in the chapel area. The June Gleanings is out. Also check out the church’s website. You can see a calendar of all the church happenings, read the sermons, request a prayer and read the announcements. Take a look! www.gracenf.org

Through the LCEF Joyful Response program our church can receive electronic payments directly from personal bank accounts or LCEF Steward Accounts. It is simple, safe, convenient, and stewardship-minded. This is a wonderful program to help you support the ministry of Grace Lutheran Church during the summer when you might be away camping. Interested? Talk to Jon Lehning.

THIS WEEK AT GRACE

SUNDAY

9:00 a.m. Sunday School/Adult Bible Class

10:30 a.m. Communion Worship Service

11:45 a.m. Congregational Picnic

MONDAY

6:30 p.m. Community AA Meeting

WEDNESDAY

9:30 a.m. Bible Study

10:30 a.m. Craft Group

FRIDAY

6:00 p.m. Wedding Rehearsal

SATURDAY

3:00 p.m. Garris/Venne Wedding

5:00 p.m. Worship

NEXT SUNDAY

9:30 a.m. Morning Prayer Service

10:00 a.m. Coffee Fellowship

10:30 a.m. Worship Service

11:30 a.m. Congregational Voters’ Meeting

-Tuesday, June 10 from 9a.m.-12 noon

-Wednesday, June 11 from 10:30-2 p.m.

-Wednesday, June 11 from 5-8:00 p.m.

-Friday, June 13 from 7p.m. until ???

Talk to Christi with any questions.

Ally Coleman and Group 908 would like to thank the members of Grace who made the generous donations of non-perishable food items for the earning of our Silver Award. We greatly appreciate the support.

Needed: VBS Volunteers!

This summer’s VBS entitled Friendship Trek: Jesus, Our Forever Friend is scheduled for the week of July 21-25, and will be held in the evening, beginning with a simple supper at 5:30 and ending nightly at 8 pm. Anyone interested in helping us bring the wonderful word of God to the young people of our community please contact the church office at 283-1843 so we may contact you. Together we can make a difference. Registration forms can be found in the chapel or online.

Sunday School closing is June 15. Camp Pioneer leaders will be here for Sunday School and the 10:30 Divine Worship service. A Congregational Cookout will follow at 11:45 p.m. Hamburgers and hotdogs will be provided. Please see the sign up sheet in the chapel for salads and desserts.

Grace Lutheran Church will add a Morning Prayer service at 9:30am on June 22. The Morning Prayer service will consist of Scripture Readings, a Sermon, and prayer. Coffee Fellowship will take place at 10:00am to provide opportunity for people attending the 10:30am Divine Service and the 9:30am Morning Prayer Service to enjoy time of fellowship. This schedule will run June 22-August 31. The Saturday Divine Service at 5:00pm continues throughout the year.

The summer coffee fellowship needs a coordinator. If willing to help out please contact the church office.

Through you contributions to the mission fund at Grace, we reach out and support different missions locally, nationally, and international. Friends of Mercy is the special mission for the month of June. Friends of Mercy is a recognized service organization of the LCMS that provides aid and care to women and children fleeing genital mutilation, AIDS orphans, and Lutheran Hospice and Cancer society.

THIS WEEK AT GRACE

SUNDAY

9:00 a.m. Sunday School/Adult Bible Class

10:30 a.m. Worship Service

MONDAY

6:30 p.m. Church Council Meeting

6:30 p.m. Community AA Meeting

WEDNESDAY

9:30 a.m. Bible Study

10:30 a.m. Craft Group

SATURDAY

9-2 Rummage Sale

5:00 p.m. Communion Worship