Our Christian Home

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WEEKLY DEVOTION SEPTEMBER 22

Tuesday, September 22, 2020

Pastor Bruce Kischnick, Grace Lutheran Church, New Albany, IN

“He Heard Me”

READING: Psalm 34:1-7 – I will extol the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips. My soul will boast in the Lord; let the afflicted hear and rejoice. Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt his name together. I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame. This poor man called, and the Lord heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him; and he delivers them.

I had a mean older cousin, his name was Bill, and he took great delight in teasing me. Bill was an only child, his mother, my aunt, died when he was nine or ten. It was just him and his dad, so when my mother’s side of the family gathered together, Bill enjoyed picking on us younger cousins. It seemed I was his favorite. Maybe that was because he and my three Enser cousins were roughly the same age, and all 7-9 years older than me. I was the oldest of the next set, and so I liked tagging along and being around the older ones because they seemed so “cool”. But, invariably, that meant I became a target of Bill’s attentions.

One Sunday just before Christmas, when I was 9 or 10, we had lunch with my Grandparents Kischnick. Grandpa noticed that I was sort of glum, and he inquired as to why I was so quiet. I told him that that evening we were going to an aunt’s house for the Mossner Christmas party, and I was sure Bill was going to be mean to me. I told him how Bill liked to pick on me, and that he was too much bigger than me to fight, and I knew my aunt’s house was too small for me to stay away from him.

Grandpa said, “Well, do you want to stay overnight here with us? Then Bill will have to pick on somebody else.” I couldn’t believe it! A reprieve AND the chance to spend the night at Grandpa and Grandma’s place! Dad was there at the table, and I immediately asked him if it would be okay. He said that was fine with him, Mom said okay, and it was settled! I stayed with my grandparents, and my younger brothers had to go face Bill on their own!

Oh, I had a grand time! Supper, dessert, snacks, TV, and NO BILL! When it was bedtime, Grandma fixed up the couch in the living room, and I snuggled in, said my prayers, and thought about how wonderful the day had been. Then, Grandpa said goodnight, turned off the lights, and retired to their bedroom. Then…it got quiet. I began to hear noises: strange creakings, floorboards popping, the windows gently rattling, the wind moaning past the eves…and I began to be afraid. I’d never spent the night away from home before. I began to cry. Grandma heard me and sent Grandpa to check on me. He reassured me. He said they were right around the corner. He said there wasn’t a thing to be afraid of. He went back to bed, and soon I was crying again.

The next thing I knew, it was morning. The sun was shining in the window, and the curtains shown white in the light, and…hey, wait a minute! Where am I? This isn’t Grandpa’s living room! I turned over and there was Grandma…asleep! I was in bed with her! Grandpa had carried me to his bed, left me with Grandma, and HE SLEPT ON THE COUCH! (I have since done the same for a number of grandchildren, and always smile when I think of Grandpa doing that for me.)

In our text for today, the Psalmist says he, “…sought the Lord and he answered me. This poor man called, and the Lord heard him.” But note one thing; first “he delivered me from all my fears;” and then “he saved him out of all his troubles.” The Lord first addressed the man’s fears, then he addressed his troubles. You have undoubtedly experienced this firsthand. Our fears often out-weigh our troubles. Our fears magnify our troubles, aggravate our problems, and steal our strength. Our fears make everything more difficult. Our fears sometimes threaten to cripple us before the troubles even arrive. And our Lord knows this. So, first he addresses the fears; then he leads us out of our troubles.

Fear of the unknown, fear of things imagined, fear of what might happen, fear of COVID, fear of perceived threats – these are all part of our landscape at present. The devil preys on fear. He feeds on fear. He knows that when we are afraid, we are tempted to jump to any conclusion, accept any rumor, take any compromise to alleviate that fear. The Lord knows this, and so he addresses our fear with his Word, with his promises, and with his grace. It was not coincidence that Jesus’ most used command was, “Do not be afraid!” First, he helps us overcome our fears; then he addresses our needs.

Grandpa addressed my fear of Bill, then he addressed my need for security. He gave up his place and slept on that couch, so I could rest unafraid and unmolested. God knows your fears and your needs. He says, “Fear not! I will deliver you!” Amen.

PRAYER:

ANNOUNCEMENT(S):

We would once again put out a plea for those who are “techies” to consider volunteering to learn from Ryan Dietrich the process by which we broadcast our service on the Internet. We need 3 or 4 people so everyone can take turns, especially Ryan! Consider it, then act!

Youtube Video: https://youtu.be/0Yd9c-OmwrY

pastork@glcna.com — (502) 797-7407

PRINTABLE PDF: WEEKLYDSept22.PDF

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WEEKLY DEVOTION SEPTEMBER 21

Monday, September 21, 2020

Pastor Matthew Woods from Grace Lutheran Church in New Albany, Indiana

“When the Body Gets to Work”

Let me start off this morning with a sense of gratitude for this last Saturday’s Drive In Service. The Lord gave us an absolutely beautiful day. And it was great to see so many faces that I haven’t got to see in many months.

When one plans for an outdoor event one always has to wonder about the weather. But this weekend was perfect. The who drive in thing was new also. I used to participate in Drive-in services at my last congregation but in our case there were a lot of unknowns. We had to acquire an FM transmitter that would broadcast throughout the parking lot. We asked ourselves, “How will the music work?” “How will communion work? We had to develop a whole new mindset in the way we did church. And we had to depend on a lot of people to make it a reality.

The day began with a couple of us putting up the platform for Pastor and I to stand on. It has to be high enough for everyone to see. Right on the heels of finishing that Ryan came in and started hooking up speakers and microphones and later ran the system that allowed us to broadcast the service over our FM transmitter. Then Jess brought in her keyboard and played for the music and Tom, Georgianne, Hanna, Carol, and Helen led the music. And Tim Bohannon helped hold the pages down for Jess as she played because a breeze mess with her music sheets. Out in the parking lot Sabrina handed out bulletins along with her son, Nicolas. Shawn, Kent, John, and Tim helped park the cars. Communion was set up by Lorna which took special care because we had to divide it on two carts that could be wheeled around. And let’s not forget Karen who put the bulletins together and Wendy who had to go through each bulletin to correct the FM frequency from 89.9 to 87.7 FM. Meanwhile on the inside Ed and Dan and Joan were installing another new faucet and water heater in the office. Yes, I know they didn’t directly influence the Drive-in service but they were there making things better for the church building. Thank you to these and the many others who do so much for Grace’s ministry. Many people of different gifts helped to create one reality—a Drive-in Church service. And that’s the point for today. Many parts of the body of Christ worked together to make Saturday into a blessing.

So lets consider again the words of Paul in 1 Corinthians 12 as he talks about the body of Christ.
“4 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. 5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6 There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.

7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8 To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.

12 Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.

14 Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.

Paul was writing to a very divided church in Corinth. They just couldn’t shake off the influence of their old life which kept haunting them. The Church had many problems with division, taking fellow members to court, immorality of some, and a contest of sorts in their minds about who the greatest in the kingdom is. Some bragged that they had certain gifts and because they had certain gifts they were somehow better than others who didn’t have that same gift. So Paul puts emphasis on the One Spirit that makes those gifts a reality.
Paul doesn’t deny that there were gifts of the Spirit but he does make special note on how to apply those gifts in chapter 13. “If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.”

What good are gifts if we don’t use them to bless more than ourselves? What good would a drive-in service be if we only had musicians, or only preachers without the technology to broadcast them. Where would the communion be if all we had was parking guides. How would we hand out the bulletins if all we had were people inside working on a sink. Folks none of these people were here for personal gain but because by the One Spirit we were all led to offer what we could to make the Service a blessing while at the same time we were willing to lean on the others to do what they do best. Like a puzzle all the gifts came together create a larger picture that brought attention to Jesus rather than ourselves. And whenever we do that good things happen. And they did.

Oh we had our glitches. Even with all of those gifts we had some issues. The station we picked originally and advertised to our neighbors was the wrong one. Rosie and the High School had gone around and distributed cards of welcome to our neighbors. The next day when we realized the error she made the effort to go out again with the corrected information. And at the service itself we discovered our new frequency 87.7 could not be received in some of the newer cars which didn’t let their drivers tune into such a low frequency. Their radios could only go down to 87.9 (Two tenths). So, with the patience of all who worshipped in their cars we adjusted again to 87.9. But this little problem in the end didn’t derail all that was accomplished. Fact is, even the body of Christ can’t do everything perfectly. But perfection is not our calling—faithfulness is. Even when we face forces we cannot control God will accomplish His work and His grace will bless His people. And it sure did on Saturday. Thank you to the Holy Spirit who brought us all together.

And now the Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make His face to shine on you and be gracious to you. The Lord look on you with His favor and give you His peace in Jesus. Amen.

Pastor Woods — John 3:30

PRINTABLE PDF: WeeklyDSept21

Youtube Video: https://youtu.be/sufMKNfCImg

matt.woods@glcna.com — (502) 523-9327

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DRIVE-IN WORSHIP SERVICE

We had 66 cars and 161 people here to worship our Lord and Savior! Many thanks to Pastor Kischnick, Pastor Woods, Ryan Dietrich, Jessica Bullock, Karolyn Thomas, Hannah Neeley, Georgianne Weathers and Tom Perryman. May the Lord bless you and grant to you His peace.

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My Dear Friends in Christ,

A heartfelt word of appreciation to you for your love, your gifts, your kind words, the luncheon, the video, the barrel of monkeys, the ape-filled chocolate kiss, the flowers, the “Tiny Bruce” song, the Tiny Bruce that’s in my office and creeps me out, and 30 years of your partnership in the Gospel. There’s nowhere else I’d rather have been and no people I’d rather serve. I am privileged to be your pastor, and I love you all!

I thank God every time I remember you in my prayers…” and I pray for your continued health in faith and in life.

Pastor K. – Psalm 16:8

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Grace Lutheran’s children’s ministry is online!

Materials packets for Lessons 1 and 2 available for pickup beginning September 13th! A second pickup with Lesson 3-14 materials will be available September 27th.There are TWO age groups; if the age group you need is not there, contact Sabrina at 502-386-6371.

Our adventure is for all children Pre-K through 4th grade. Instead of Sunday School, Children’s Church or Grace on Wednesdays, join us for Grace Online! We are still sorting all the details but are looking at puppet skits, sing-a-longs and other fun activities; all online! We will also be using digital curriculum from Concordia Publishing House (CPH). Their Enduring Faith curriculum (used in Sunday School) is fully supported with hard copy and online resources. Check it out here:.

Grace Lutheran’s Children’s Ministry will provide a materials pack to include

1. Hard copy story pages and lesson books from CPH,

2. Craft materials for each lesson,

3. Some small items of joy to keep things fun.

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WATCH THE ENTIRE ROAST! CHECK IT OUT HERE. https://www.facebook.com/GraceLutheranChurchNA/videos/331850621504079/

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Second to left is the Governor of Jonglei State wading in Bor town

PLEASE HELP!

Our friend, Pastor Nathaniel Bol from South Sudan and His congregation have experienced severe flooding in their home in Bor Town, South Sudan. Since we met Pastor Bol here four years ago, he and his congregation have endured poverty, civil war, disease, and countless other struggles. You will remember that he lost his wife as she gave birth to their daughter, Apar. We helped cover his wife’s funeral expenses by the grace of God. Now, he and his Lutheran Congregation need our help again. I am appealing to your sense of mercy once again on his behalf to help him and our fellow Lutherans with financial support that will allow them food, medicine, and recovery during a very stressful and difficult time. We are asking for financial donations to help Pastor Bol and our fellow Lutherans. Any donation made will go to “Help for Bor Town Lutherans” and will be wired over as the monies come in until the end of September. Thank you.

Pastor Matt Woods

A door offering will be included thru Sept 20

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Grace Lutheran’s children’s ministry is online!
Materials packets available for pickup beginning September 13!
There are TWO age groups; if the age group you need is not there, contact Sabrina at 502-386-6371.

Grace Lutheran’s Children’s Ministry will provide a materials pack to include

1. Hard copy story pages and lesson books from CPH,

2. Craft materials for each lesson,

3. Some small items of joy to keep things fun.

In order to have enough material packets, please register here: https://forms.gle/V6cXawuxGMs53H229

I am excited about moving into this next phase of our Children’s Ministry. If you have any questions, please email Children’s Ministry Director Sabrina Haug at sabrina.haug@glcna.com.

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Announcement of links to Grace Pages online

FOLLOW THIS LINK TO THE CHILDRENS MINISTRY PAGE!

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Calling all Sr. and Jr. High Youth

I would like to schedule a home visit with all Sr. and Jr. High youth families. Visits last about 30 minutes. Due to Coronavirus, I will not come into your home. I will bring a chair and we can sit outside, six feet apart. During the visit, we will talk about your interests, goals, and your faith. This is NOT a meeting to tell you what to do or to get you to sign up for anything. The purpose of the home visit is to get to know you a little better in a place that is very comfortable and convenient for you.

To set up your home visit, please call me a 502-442-1474 or email me at rebling@glcna.com

I am excited and look forward to meeting with you! I have put together a little bag of goodies as a gift to you for hosting me in your yard. May the Lord bless you richly! In Him, Rose Ebling

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Lutheran Women’s Missionary League Grant #10

Ministry in Motion Trinity Lutheran Church
Mobile, Alabama-$58,000

Lutheran Women’s Missionary League (LWML) Grant #10 for the 2019-2021 biennium is Ministry in Motion Trinity Lutheran Church, Mobile, Alabama. This grant will provide transportation to and from church in a bus that provides easier and safer access for all ages with lower steps and handrails, a wider door, and wider rows and aisles. For more information, go to www.lwml.org/2019-2021-mission-grant-10. Please continue saving your pennies, nickels, quarters, and dollars for mites. You may place your mites in the large mite box in the narthex.

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Sr. High Camp Out and Movie Night

October 9th-10th at the Hooper’s home
7:30 pm – 8:30 am

Cost: 6-pack of your favorite drink and a packaged snack to share!
Grab your flashlight for a night of games, food, movies and fun! We will also enjoy Cinema Sophia, a look at a popular movie and what the Bible has to say about it. Contact Rosie by email rebling@glcna.com or call 502-442-1474 to sign up by Oct. 4th.

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Sunday School and Grace-on-Wednesday

Due to the ongoing concerns and unknowns regarding COVID-19, Sunday School and Grace-on-Wednesday will not be able to meet for the next several months. Both staff and a number of parents have raised concerns about health issues that remain unclear. As we see progress in virus control, or as a vaccine becomes available, we will re-address the situation

7th & 8th grade Confirmation classes will be meeting after Labor Day. Parents and their 7th & 8th graders will be invited to attend an orientation meeting on Wednesday, September 2 from 6:00-7:00 pm in the Sanctuary. Class for 7th & 8th graders will begin on Wednesday, September 9, 6:00-7:30 pm. We will meet jointly in the Fireside Room with precautions. Pastor Kischnick and Pastor Woods will team teach the first 3 units on the Ten Commandments, Apostles’ Creed, and the Lord’s Prayer. Letters will be coming to you the week of August 24.

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Virtual Classes

It has been decided to continue in a virtual mode with Wednesday night classes and Sunday School. Children’s Ministry and the Youth Ministry are working together to provide videos with skits, music, and a Bible story. Details are still being worked out. Keep watch in the News & Tidbits, the church website and app, and the Grace Lutheran Children’s Ministry Facebook page. There is also a GLCNA Children’s Ministry YouTube channel which houses the Summer Grace videos. If you have any questions, please contact Sabrina.haug@glcna.com.

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For more information (Your Bulletin) check out
NEWS & TIDBITS at the top right box

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For more Devotions check out RECENT DEVOTIONS
at the top right box

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CHECK OUT BAPTISM – OBITS

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SERVICES IN THE BUILDING AND ONLINE!

PLEASE, we ask that you do not attend if you are older than 65, have any illness or underlying health condition that makes you more vulnerable to the virus, or if you are feeling unwell, or are just not comfortable yet, we encourage you to stay at home and watch us online. Online Sunday services are a new addition and will remain indefinitely. For those planning to attend, we encourage you to wear a face mask, refrain from hand shaking and hugging. We will sanitize everything before and after services. We also will be spacing people apart in the Sanctuary. (No Sunday School or Bible Classes, just yet. More on that later). No VBS for 2020

SEPTEMBER WORSHIP SCHEDULE: ( * = Communion)

Saturday, September 19 *5:00 pm — Sunday, September 20 — *8:00 & 10:30 am
Saturday, September 26 5:00 pm — Sunday, September 27 — 8:00 & *10:30 am

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For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works so that no one can boast. — Ephesians 2:8-9

Welcome to the Grace Lutheran Church and School web site. There is a variety of information here regarding our congregation and our beliefs. Lutherans are Bible-believing, sacramental Christians who trace their roots back to Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation. There have been Lutherans since 1517, particularly in Germany and Scandanavia. Lutherans in America followed large immigrations from Europe in the 1840’s and 1850’s.

The congregation at Grace was founded in 1927 in a small room over a pool hall on State Street in New Albany. The congregation moved to Tenth and Oak, then to Charlestown Road, before building its current facilities on Klerner Lane in 1974. The congregation now numbers just over 1100 souls. We worship at 8:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. on Sundays and at 5:00 p.m. on Saturday evenings. The pastors are Rev. Bruce Kischnick and Rev. Matt Woods.