22nd Sunday After Pentecost
October 21, 2018
Holy Communion at 8:30 and 11am


Prayer of the Day
Sovereign God, you turn your greatness into goodness for all the peoples on earth. Shape us into willing servants of your kingdom, and make us desire always and only your will, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

Scripture readings
Isaiah 53:4-12
Psalm 91:9-16
Hebrews 5:1-10
Mark 10:35-45

Sermon 
"Glory Be"
Mark 10:35-45
Immediately prior to the beginning of our Gospel today, Jesus speaks openly to his disciples about the suffering that will come upon him--the mocking, flogging, spitting, and killing that he will endure. He also says that he will rise again, and this seems to be the point on which James and John fixate. The brothers seem quite willing to skip over what Jesus has said about suffering; they are focused on the glory waiting at the end. "Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory," they say. There's no "please" or even a question about it. James and John state what they want, and they state it quite confidently. Even after Jesus plainly tells them, "You do not know what you are asking" and continues to reveal the suffering that his followers also must endure, the brothers still believe that they deserve the glory that comes afterwards. Do they? Do we? How does our own fixation on glory inhibit us from hearing the whole story from Jesus?

Hymns

In our prayers we remember Hope for Grieving Children — Africa.

Education hour at 9:45am

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

2018-19 schedule  

Adult Education

October 21
The Reformation as a Resource
Anna Johnson
The second session of two sessions in this series, “The Reformation as a Cautionary Tale,” will discuss three elements of the Reformation that present problems for Christian life today: the emphasis on following one’s conscience; the division of the church; and strained relations with Jews and Muslims. Anna Johnson teaches theology at Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston.

The Sunday morning Bible study group meets in the conference room.

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.