14th Sunday after Pentecost

September 10, 2017
Holy Communion at 8:30 and 11am


Prayer of the Day
O Lord God, enliven and preserve your church with your perpetual mercy. Without your help, we mortals will fail; remove far from us everything that is harmful, and lead us toward all that gives life and salvation, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

Scripture readings
Ezekiel 33:7-11
Psalm 119:33-40
Romans 13:8-14
Matthew 18:15-20

Sermon 
"The Trinity Abhors a Triangle"
Ezekiel 33:7-11; Matthew 18:15-20
Triangulation just may be the most time-honored human pastime. After all, who doesn’t like complaining to someone about someone else? Jesus, however, makes it clear that such triangles are not the shapes we should be making. If someone sins against you, Jesus says, talk to them (and not to someone else). If that doesn’t work, try to work things out as a group. And finally, if nothing else works, treat the offending sinner as a Gentile or a tax collector. And when you realize that Jesus doesn’t mean what you think he means, well, you just might begin to understand the sort of life — abundant, unending, and communal — that God has gifted to us through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

In our prayers we remember Kidz Express, a program on Chicago’s west side which serves at-risk children, youth and families. This year proceeds from the annual 9-11 LemonAid  charity event in the 700 block of Bonnie Brae in River Forest will support Kidz Express. The event, led by local teens, was established in 2002 in memory of the September 11 attacks. Stop by on Monday, September 11, 3–7 p.m., or donate online. 

Between services, at 9:45am

Children and youth

Faith formation programs for children begin again this Sunday. There's a kick-off celebration for Sunday School students (preschool–grade 4) and their parents in the gym.  Pre-Confirmation and Confirmation (grades 5–8) students meet in their regular classrooms.

Teen Talk meets in the Youth Room. Enjoy the new coffee bar and breakfast treats.

Adult Education

The Living Universe, with Grace Wolf-Chase of the Adler Planetarium.
The session is adapted from her annual lecture at the Zygon Center for Religion and Science at Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago.

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.