15th Sunday after Pentecost

September 17, 2017
Holy Communion at 8:30 and 11am


Prayer of the Day
O Lord God, merciful judge, you are the inexhaustible fountain of forgiveness. Replace our hearts of stone with hearts that love and adore you, that we may delight in doing your will, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

Scripture readings
Genesis 50:15-21
Psalm 103:[1-7] 8-13
Romans 14:1-12
Matthew 18:21-35

Sermon 

"Get As Much As You Can" 

Both Paul and Jesus remind us that God’s economy is unlike anything we humans have ever invented. In a Kingdom where justice rolls waters, righteousness flows like a never-failing stream (Amos 5:24), and all stand in the light of God’s grace (Romans 5:2), we still cling to broken and unbalanced economies where getting as much as you can is the secret to a happy and fulfilled life. But in God’s economy we are called to forgive an absolutely absurd amount. It is then that we live and die together…in the Lord.

In our prayers we remember Lutheran Child and Family Services of Illinois.

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  (grades 5–6) students meet in their regular classrooms. Confirmation students meet with their mentors. 

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

Adult Education

Life's Origins and Our Future on a Microbial Planet, Ted Anton, DePaul University. We are living through an unprecedented time of scientific insight into the origin of life. But to get the big picture, we must start small, very small. Grace member Ted Anton links astrobiology with a microbial revolution, suggesting that our former enemies, microbes, can be allies in a drive for better health and a sustainable future. Based on his new book, “Planet of Microbes.”

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.