19th Sunday After Pentecost
September 30, 2018
Holy Communion at 8:30 and 11am


Prayer of the Day
Generous God, your Son gave his life that we might come to peace with you. Give us a share of your Spirit, and in all we do empower us to bear the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

Scripture readings
Numbers 11:4-6, Numbers 11:10-16, Numbers 11:24-29
Psalm 19:7-14
James 5:13-20 
Mark 9:38-50

Sermon 
"But Seriously"
Mark 9:38-50
Jesus predicted his suffering and death while his disciples squabbled about who among them was the greatest. Jesus responded, as we heard last week, by placing a child among them and telling them that if they want to be first, they must be last. To which John responds, “But look at that guy, doing great things in your name; he’s not even one of us!” John just doesn’t get it. He’s still worried about where he ranks. In the face of the disciples’ insistence on misunderstanding, Jesus drops some serious language. Millstones, plucked-out eyes, chopped-off hands. Are you listening yet? Good. Now you can hear the promise of the gospel. Jesus will be cut off from God, for you, that you need never be far off again. So seriously, just stop worrying where you fit or what they’re doing here. We all belong here.

Hymns

In our prayers we remember the Metropolitan Chicago Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).

Education hour at 9:45am

Sunday School,  Pre-Confirmation and  Confirmation students meet in their regular classrooms. 

2018-19 schedule for Sunday School, Pre-Confirmation, and Confirmation 

Adult Education

Report from the 2018 Slovakia Mission Team
In late June Grace members and staff again traveled to Martin, Slovakia, to teach VBS at the Center for Christian Education. Hear about their trip and the continuing mission of the CCE to bring Christianity to post-Cold War Slovakia.

Faith and the Native American Experience
Gordon Straw
This presentation will follow two paths to understanding Christian faith and Native experience: 1) explore some of the theological themes that are important to Native Christians, along with some of the history about how they developed that way; 2) learn more about the history of the Christian Church with Native nations and individuals, with a particular focus on Lutheran Christians and Native communities. Together, these two paths paint an interesting picture of how communities who have little in common with Western European ways of thinking and being have adopted the Christian faith. Gordon Straw holds the Cornelsen Chair of Spiritual Formation at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago.

The Sunday morning Bible study group will not meet on September 30.

Adult Ed schedule September–November 2018

The Grace Church Library is open and staffed on Sundays from 8:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Look for books related to Adult Ed topics as well as many other subjects. The library is also open for self-service during the week.