“Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying,
‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’
Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
(Luke 15:8-10 ESV)
Dear Friends of the Risen Saviour,
Christian greetings!
Well, it might be tempting to consider the woman foolish in the text above. For one single coin she turns the house inside out in order to find it. Then when found, she spends more time, energy and maybe even money on a party to rejoice that she found it.
Yet that is the picture of God’s compassion toward us. You might think that we as a species and/or individually are not worth God’s time to find. But what does God do?
- “As I live, declares the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live.” (Ezekiel 33:11 ESV)
- “God our Savior, desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (1 Timothy 2:4 ESV)
- “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it?” (Luke 15:4 ESV)
- “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16 ESV)
As you read these verses, it is obvious that God is not delighted with our sin, but He is intensely interested in delivering us from our dire situation and to restore a proper blessed relationship with Him.
This He has done through His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.
The Lord be with you!
Coming Up at Prince of Peace …
Sunday, September 11, 17th Sunday after Pentecost
NOTE THE TIME CHANGE!!!
9:00 Sunday School & Adult Bible Class (Begin together in the sanctuary)
9:00 Early Service: Matins
10:30 Matins
PoP News …
Ladies Bible Study Breakfast starts up again on Saturday, Sept. 10. We meet in the church basement at 9:00 am. Good food, good Word from God, good fellowship. You are welcome to attend.
Men’s Bible Study Breakfast – An invitation is extended from Pilgrim Lutheran Church (1054 Upper Sherman Ave, Hamilton) to their Men’s Bible Study Breakfast at 8:00 am on Saturday, September 10.
Your real birthday may have been earlier than you think! Martin Luther was fond of teaching a one day creation of everyone. Come Sundays for a facelift for those creative wrinkles. Creation-Evolution-Genesis. Join Paul Lainen for Bible study every Sunday at 9:00 am. Coffee will be on.
Prayer & Communion Service is an informal midweek service where we gather prayer concerns and Pastor prays through them, finishing with a brief communion liturgy. You are welcome to attend with your prayer concerns or simply to enjoy another opportunity to partake of the body and blood of our dear Lord Jesus which feeds our spiritual life. This Wednesday at 6:30 pm.
Open House at Prince of Peace: We are opening our doors to invite folks in to see what we are all about – September 24, 1 to 4 pm.
Direct mail invitation will be sent out. However, we also are collecting names and addresses from you. Have you filled out a form sharing names and addresses of relatives, friends and neighbours to whom we could send invitations to our Open House?
Finally, you are welcome to stop in during the Open House yourself (and maybe bring someone!).
Adult Instruction Classes begin September 21: We will meet Wednesdays at 6:30pm for an hour or so. You receive a free new catechism. Each session incorporates a video clip after which we discuss part of the catechism. Homework involves looking ahead to the coming section of catechism to stir up questions you might have. If you miss a session, we can make it up later. Talk to Pastor if you or someone you know is interested in joining the group.
Now that it is September:
In the Sunday School hour we are planning a younger class of children ages toddler through kindergarten. The curriculum will be fairly simple – A Bible story reading, singing, and a craft. It also will be a shorter class time due to shorter attention span. Do you know families of very young children who would appreciate this early exposure to Christian education? Tell them about this plan and let me know so I might contact them for encouragement.
Instead of a Sunday School Opening, there will be a full service offered at 9:00am. After the opening liturgy and lesson reading, the children will be dismissed to their Sunday School classes. We are trying to welcome new families, particularly those who find it a challenge to have their young family in church for the full Sunday School & church morning programme. The service will be essentially the same as the 10:30 service but a little less formal.
I am excited and a little anxious about this experiment. Would you join me in prayer for this venture? It will be a venture in outreach and Christian education.
Being Lutheran:
The book Being Lutheran will be the basis for a sermon series and Monday evening discussion group through the Fall 2016 season. Don’t pass up on this opportunity! Here is the first week in the series:
| Being Lutheran: What We Challenge | |
| 11-Sep-16 | Sermon Theme: Closed |
| 12-Sep-16 | “Being Lutheran” Discussion: 1. “Closed” |
The first Discussion group on chapter one is Monday, September 12. The Discussion group will meet at Prince of Peace in the Lounge at 7:15pm for an hour or so. Coffee or tea will be available.
You can do what you desire – Come to the Sunday service and hear the sermon – Attend the Discussion Group – Read the book – Do all of the above. It will be a good exercise for us all, I assure you.
Note: I’d like to know how many will be participating in the Monday Gathering. Please sign up in the lobby if you plan to attend.
Do you know someone starting or continuing post-secondary education? This can be a very difficult time to remain connected to the Lord but our East District wants to encourage them by inviting them to a nearby congregation. There are churches to welcome post-secondary students (click here to view list) and we would love to send them an email of encouragement. Please send their name, email address and the name of the school they will be attending to campusministry@lcceast.ca. Send it to me as well, as I would love to remain connected to them.
Online News …
A Homework Assignment to Better Our Congregation: Listen to last Sunday’s Lutheran Hour sermon, “Choose Life!” To hear how God has an amazing job for everyone click here.
The Enduring Value of Martin Luther’s 95 Theses: In 1517, Martin Luther never imagined that the simple action of nailing his 95 Theses to the church door in Wittenberg would spark a reformation. All he had hoped to do was start a conversation. Five hundred years later, the value of the conversation Luther started endures today.
This blog post highlights why it’s easiest to grasp the richness of the Reformation when you journey back to the beginning—to the unassuming swing of a hammer. Click here
Issues, Etc. is a radio talk show hosted by LCMS Pastor Todd Wilken and produced by Lutheran Public Radio in Collinsville, IL. This week’s topics include: The Movie “Sully,” Infant Baptism, Holy Cross Day, 3rd Century Bishop Cyprian of Carthage, The Sermon on the Mount and more. You can listen on-demand at www.issuesetc.org and on the Lutheran Public Radio mobile app.
In your prayers, please remember:
- Those under doctor’s care
- Those undergoing tests
- September calendar at Prince of Peace including the early service and the toddler class of Sunday School
- Our Open House at Prince of Peace
The Lord be with you.
Yours in Christ Jesus,
Pastor Kevin Walrath
