23rd Sunday After Pentecost
Holy Communion at 8:30 and 11am


Prayer of the Day
O God of justice and love, you illumine our way through life with the words of your Son. Give us the light we need, and awaken us to the needs of others, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

Scripture readings
Amos 5:18-24
Psalm 70
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
Matthew 25:1-13

Sermon 
"Be Prepared!"
Matthew 25:1-13
In a household with little children, it often feels like we’re always getting ready for something. And yet we feel constantly unprepared. Perhaps you feel this way, always pushed and pulled in a million directions, never quite ready to go. To put it in terms from today’s parable, we often feel like the foolish bridesmaids. Our plans have fallen through and, when the crucial moment arrives, we aren’t ready for it. To us, Jesus says: “Keep awake!” Keep your lamps trimmed with works of justice and righteousness, keep your eyes of faith set on Jesus. But Jesus also tells us that there is nothing to fear. After all, what we’re waiting for is a party, a celebration for which we’ve already been let through the door.

Hymns

In our prayers we remember The Night Ministry.

Between services, at 9:45am

Children and youth

Sunday School students (grade 1–4) meet in the third-floor school commons for opening worship. Preschool and kindergarten students meet in the JK classroom on the lower level. Pre-Confirmation  and Confirmation students meet in their classrooms.  

Teen Talk meets in the Youth Room for conversation on faith and life.

Adult Education

Women of the Reformation, Jennifer McNutt, Associate Professor of Theology and History of Christianity, Wheaton College.
A popular Adult Ed speaker and editor of the essay collection “The People's Book: The Reformation and the Bible” offers another perspective on Reformation history. In the Seminar Room.

Living Faithfully: Parenting Children with Disabilities, Andy and Sara Chizzo
Caring and advocating for a child with disabilities brings significant challenges to family life.  How do parents cope and grow from the experience? In the 7th grade/German classroom.

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

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.

Download the 2017-2018 Sunday School and Confirmation Schedule.
Download the Fall 2017 Adult Education Schedule.