Grace Lutheran Church

Divine Service @ 10 am

As We Gather: God, in His infinite wisdom and knowledge, uses events and people to accomplish His will. In His grace and love, He can use even what may appear to be bad circumstances to save His people. As death came through man, so also through one man, Christ Jesus, comes life. As we live our lives in response to the Gospel, Jesus exhorts us to love our enemies, to do good to those who hate, to pray for those who abuse, not to judge, and to turn the other cheek.

Readings:Old Testament: Genesis 45:3-15: Joseph forgives his brothers.
Epistle: 1 Corinthians 15:21-26, 35-42: “What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable.”
Holy Gospel: Luke 6: 27-36: “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you.”

Sermon: “Coherence Over Chaos” (Genesis 45:3-15)

Music: Helga Danielson

Hymns and Songs: 
Opening Hymn: “O Bless the Lord, My Soul” - LSB 814
Solo: Just Grace by Sohyun Pak
Hymn of the Day: “Lord of Glory, You Have Bought Us” - LSB 851
Offertory Hymn: Refiners Fire
Distribution Hymns & Songs:
At the Lamb’s High Feast We Sing” - LSB 633 (stz.1-6)
“God Loves Me Dearly”- LSB 392
“Sent Forth By God’s Blessing” - LSB 643
Nunc Dimittis: “Rise, Shine, You People” - LSB 477 (stz.1,3,4)

Prayer for the Word of God:
O Lord, as I read Jesus’ “Sermon on the Plain” I am convicted of how far short I fall. But give me confidence from Your Word that in Christ I am fully forgiven and fully Yours. Amen. In Our Prayers this week: 

• Katherine Aitchison, Brian Brownlee, Ingrid Brunsch, Doreen Christensen, David Kraatz, Dieter Krentz, Peter Lam, Elizabeth Nyaang, Ruth Porter, Rick Riemann, Allan Schole, Nyabey Ter, Elizabeth Tut, Mary Nyakoang Tut (Sarah Lam's mother), Cheryl Will ,Rebecca Wongjok and Trina Wildcat as she is recovering from the surgery, .
• Karen Krysa asks you to keep her cousin and husband and their unborn baby girl in your prayers as they navigate through an incredibly high-risk pregnancy.
• Pastor James Kay’s family in Sudan.
• To begin Sunday School for children - 
  • that God would raise up 4 Nuer families to support this ministry, 
  • that God would raise up another teacher among the Nuer fellowship, and 
  • that God would raise up 3 English members to mentor teachers.

February 2025 Calendar

Click on this link for all live streamed worship services:Grace Lutheran Livestream On YouTube 

LWML February 1, 2025 Update

Last Sunday’s Sermon: February 16 -  “In Fact” (I Corinthians 15:12-20)
Rev. Larry MacKay Click here

February 9 Sermon: "Fear and Courage" (Isaiah 6:1-8)
Rev. Neil SternFor a digital copy, click here. 

February 2 Sermon: "Brought Into the Light" (Luke 4:35, 39, 41)   
Rev. Neil Stern
For a digital copy, click here.
 
January 26 Sermon: "What's the Buzz?" (Luke 4:14-30)
Rev. Neil Stern
For a digital copy, click here. 

January 19 Sermon: "Behind the Scenes" (John 2:1-11)
Rev. Neil Stern
For a digital copy, click here.

January 12 Sermon: "Over the Waters (Psalm 29:3, 11; Luke 3:21-22)
Rev. Neil Stern
For a digital copy, click here.

 
Be sure and pick up a copy!

Sudanese Bible Study
Cancelled for Saturday, February 15th (2pm), as Pastor James is away for the weekend.

Centenary Contemplations XX. 1985  by Laura.

1984 had been a very busy and productive year for the congregation at Grace, with the celebration of its 60 th anniversary and the completion of all the projects tied to this occasion, as well as the welcome addition of Pastor MacKay to the ministerial staff. 1985 was to be just as busy and productive, although in a very different way. You may recall that church leadership had already begun looking at some of the ways that Grace’s church building and education wing might be modified to improve accessibility and usage. In June of 1985, the Voters’ Assembly approved the plans to renovate and update the worship space.

One significant change involved moving the altar forward so that the pastors could face both the altar and their congregants for a greater portion of the worship services. Another big change was to move the communion rails and kneelers to floor level. This served two purposes—at floor level, a larger number of communicants could be served at each “table”—and communicants with mobility issues could navigate to and from the railings much more easily. Prior to this, communicants had to climb the steps into the narthex to kneel at the railings before the altar. As the photo indicates, this small space would not accommodate many people, and so Communion distribution was quite a lengthy process. The double choir stalls would be eliminated (the choir could be accommodated in the space on the south side, across from the Casavant organ) and a wall knocked out to create a much more spacious and traversable chancel.

Down in the nave, the beautiful oak pews were due to be refinished and it was decided that they would be padded during the process. Carpeting was installed in the nave, chancel and narthex; stained glass windows were installed in the sidelights and transoms around the narthex and side doors. With the renovation upheaval in the church proper, worship services were held in the gym throughout the summer; it was a joy to return to the beautifully renewed worship space for the August 25 Dedication Service.Another big change came due to the regrettable rash of break-ins and thefts that occurred during the summer and fall. For the first time, Grace established a locked-door policy and the forerunner of the current “ring to enter” security lock and intercom system was installed by the spring of 1986.