“Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts regard Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.”
(1 Peter 3:14-16 ESV)
Dear Christian Friends,
Ever worry about what people think of you? Do you ever get frustrated with trying to make everybody happy? Sometimes we get tired of being anxious about that kind of thing. And the Lord speaking through His apostle Peter says, “Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts regard Christ the Lord as holy.” That says we ought to think more about pleasing the Lord than fussing about what the people around you think.
That does not mean that we should be careless with our words and care little about what people think. The desire of a Christian is that the Good News of Jesus and all He did for us in love would be made clear to them. Whether they believe it or not is beyond our control. But our prayer is that our life and words would not be a stumbling block for them to believe.
Then Peter says we should think about what Jesus means to each of us so that we would be ready to speak – “always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you.”
Have you been sharing the hope that is in you? If you haven’t lately, have you thought about what you will say when the opportunity arises?
Coming Up this Sunday at Prince of Peace…
9:00 Sunday School for children and adults
10:30 Worship Service
Coming Up …
Ascension mid-week Service: On Thursday, May 29, at 7:00pm, we will observe and celebrate the wonder of Jesus’ ascension into heaven. It will be a communion service. Come and hear how our Lord Jesus, still true God and true man, reigns with the Father from heaven for our sakes. The theme will be “Forgiveness – Everywhere!”
“Celebrating Our Women” Tea: Please Come – we would like to encourage all of the women of our congregation (from under one year to over ninety years) to come to Prince of Peace on Saturday May 31 from 1:00 to 3:00 pm for a “Celebrating Our Women” Tea. It will be a time to socialize, encourage and celebrate – with perhaps a surprise or two. Let’s make it an intergenerational event! Which family will have the most generations present?
Pork tenderloins (& sliders), outdoor worship, a tent, stuff for kids – What am I talking about? It’s a special congregational BBQ at Prince of Peace on June 8. Service time will be at 10:00am with the festivities following. Sign up in the lobby to attend. Our organizers are asking for your support. There is a sign-up sheet for bringing salads/baked beans/dessert and/or helping with setting up. Also, If you can help out financially there are special donation envelopes in the foyer.
Noah – The Man, The Ark, The Flood: The final Adult Bible Class for this season will be video on the great flood of Genesis 6-9. A five centuries-old man building a huge boat on the startling news of coming floodwaters – sounds like the makings of one remarkable story. It is. Jump in and get your feet wet with “Noah: The Man, The Ark, The Flood”. Come Sunday morning, June 1. Coffee will be on. The video starts at 9:15.
CLTS Call Service: The seminary’s annual Call Service will take place at Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church, 213 Linwell Rd, St. Catharines, on Saturday, 31 May 2014, 4:00pm. You are welcome to attend this festive event. As many as eight graduating pastoral students will receive their placements in congregations of Lutheran Church–Canada and the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod.
Young Adult Praise & Worship Retreat . . . Trinity Lutheran, Fisherville presents: “Young Adult Praise and Worship Retreat” on May 30th-June 1st, 2014. This retreat is an opportunity to gather together for fellowship and sing praises to our God. Cost: $35; Day Rate: $20. For more information, or to register, please contact Director of Parish Services Kaitlin Schmitz kaitlin.schmitz1@gmail.com or call 289-680-4088.
Spring Retreat . . . (June 7) Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, 53 Miller Park Ave., Bradford is holding a one-day spring retreat with the theme of “Life in the Early Church: Lessons for today” between 9:30 am and 3:30 pm. The speaker is Dr. John Stephenson (CLTS Professor of Church History). Be transported back to the time period shortly after the New Testament was compiled, and hear about the practices, teachings and struggles that the early persecuted Christians underwent, many of which are strikingly similar to those of our church today. Taught by a renowned expert in the field, this is an event that you will not want to miss! A free-will offering (suggested $10/person) will be collected for lunch. Questions: ristau3@yahoo.com.
There will be a Special coffee hour following worship on Sunday, June 22 to celebrate with Phil and Josephine, God’s gift of Eva. Envelopes are available in the lobby if you would like to contribute to the gift from our congregation (please return them to Helen or place them in the offering plate).
Online …
Magazine for Lutheran women goes digital. Tapestry, a magazine developed for the women of Lutheran Church–Canada by Lutheran Women’s Missionary League – Canada (LWMLC), is now available in a fourth format—digital—for those who prefer to do their reading online. READ MORE
Our People Reading God’s Word …
Week 90 of the Bible Reading Plan: (May 26-31)
| Monday | 2 Corinthians 5:1-21 |
| Tuesday | 2 Corinthians 6:1-7:16 |
| Wednesday | 2 Corinthians 8:1-9:15 |
| Thursday | 2 Corinthians 10:1-11:33 |
| Friday | 2 Corinthians 12:1-13:14 |
| Saturday | Galatians 1:1-2:21 |
You can listen to the day’s reading by clicking the links on our Bible reading webpage. Go to poplc.ca.
In your prayers, please remember:
- Joel & Alena to be wed Sunday afternoon in Livonia, MI. Please remember Carol & me & our family and friends who travel. Thank you!
- The twin babies of Ian & Heidi in their final weeks before birth
- Phil’s sister-in-law Sarah undergoing treatment for cancer, and baby boy Thomas who was born to Sarah & Joe last week weighing less than 2 lbs.
- For all those who mourn. We grieve with them and pray for the Lord’s comfort through the risen Christ and eternal promise that He secured.
The Lord be with you.
Yours in Christ Jesus,
Pastor Kevin Walrath
Prince of Peace Lutheran Church
1299 Brant St.
Burlington, ON
905-332-7671
