“I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh,
and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy. …
With the heart one believes and is justified,
and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.”
(Acts 2:17b & Rom. 10:10; The Gradual for Pentecost Sunday)
Dear Friends,
Greetings in the name of Jesus, our ascended Lord!
The Gradual for this Sunday is very interesting. The first half is from Peter’s sermon on the Day of Pentecost where he quotes Joel’s prophecy to state that the decisive stage and climax of history has arrived with Christ and the New Testament Church.
The second part is a quote from Paul’s letter to the Romans. “With the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.” (Romans 10:10 ESV)
By putting these two verses together, we are saying that the principle work of the Holy Spirit is not something flashy, like the tongues of fire of the Day of Pentecost, but that miracle in the heart when a sinner believes he is forgiven for the sake of Jesus and His Passion. The Holy Spirit makes that happen, and it is the real stuff of the Kingdom of God.
As Luther says, “I believe that by my own understanding or strength I cannot believe in Jesus Christ my LORD or come to him, but instead the Holy Spirit has called me through the gospel, enlightened me with his gifts, made me holy and kept me in the true faith.” (Small Catechism, Third Article of the Creed)
The miracle of faith we have in Jesus for the forgiveness of sins by the power of the Holy Spirit is what we celebrate this Sunday – The Day of Pentecost.
The Lord be with you.
Sunday (June 4) here at Prince of Peace…
The Day of Pentecost
10:00 am Holy Communion
Sermon: “God’s Refreshing Spirit” based on John 7:37–39
NOTE: This Sunday begins our summer 10:00 service time! (one service only)
PoP News …
On June 4, we move to our summer schedule with ONE worship service at 10:00am. Sunday morning Bible Study, Sunday School, and the early service will resume after Labour Day. (Please share this information with fellow members that you meet during the week).
Happy Anniversary! This Sunday we will rejoice and give thanks to God as three of our couples celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary. There will be cake and coffee following the service. It will also mark the first Sunday of the summer schedule with one worship service at 10:00am
Regional Convocation on LCC Restructuring: Regional Convocations have been set up in order for the Commission on Constitutional Matters and Structure (CCMS) to receive additional input from the members of LCC across the country on the new proposed LCC Act and Bylaws. You are cordially invited to attend the one closest to you. For our region it will be at Christ Our King, 2150 Dundas St. W., Mississauga, on June 3, 1:30-4:30. Also, you can be part of an electronic discussion coming from the LCC Boardroom in Winnipeg on June 18 and/or 19 from 1:30 – 4:30.
The Great Deceiver video-Bible Study concludes this Tuesday. This study looks at the reality of Satan and our struggle against spiritual forces that fight against God and His people. Our study begins at 9:30 and is finished before 11:00 am. Coffee will be on.
Confirmation Picture Collecting: We are gathering and organizing photos of our confirmation classes throughout Prince of Peace’s history. We need photographs, negatives, or digital pictures of confirmation Sundays of each class since we began in 1960. If you have pictures from your children’s or grandchildren’s confirmation, please consider lending them to us. Get them to the church office. Physical pictures will be returned once we’ve had opportunity to scan them. We will take care of the rest. “Remember the days of old; consider the years of many generations.” (Deuteronomy 32:7 ESV)
Our annual Outdoor Worship Service will be on Sunday, June 11 at 10:00 am, and will be followed by a Congregational Brunch. There will be an outdoor tent and great food. We will serve up sausages, home fries, scrambled eggs, and coffee. We welcome you to sign up and bring fruit and juice, muffins or pastry-type stuff. Also, sign up so we know how many are coming. There will be a free will offering to cover costs.
Vacation Bible School weekend: The weekend of July 21-23 will be a family ministry weekend. Friday evening will be a family fun night complete with free ice cream and inflatables for children. This will be an opportunity for young families to enroll in our Saturday program. Saturday will be our all-day educational and fun day. On Sunday, we will have an outdoor service and BBQ afterwards enabling our members to interact with our guests.
Online News …
LCC Kitchener convention! For the first time since 2002 Lutheran Church–Canada will hold its national church convention in Kitchener. The triennial event, meeting under the Reformation-based theme “Christ alone. Christ forever” is scheduled for October 13-16 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in downtown Kitchener. Delegates from across Canada will gather to worship, conduct church business, discuss restructuring, elect those who will serve the national church (including a new president), and enjoy fellowship. Members of East District congregations will have the opportunity to join the convention for Opening Worship on Friday, October 13 at Historic St. Paul’s, drop by to take in the debate or visit exhibitors, attend a special Reformation Concert Saturday, October 14 at Grace Lutheran Church or enjoy a special reception for President Bugbee Sunday evening. Watch for more details. For convention information go to www.lcc2017.ca.
Reformation 500 News …
Celebrate the Reformation with this free Online Course on Luther’s life: Concordia Lutheran Seminary has announced that its next Quest Course will focus on “Martin Luther’s Road to Reformation, 1483-1521” and be taught by Rev. Dr. John A. Maxfield. You can attend this free class in person or watch it live-streamed online. READ MORE
In your prayers, please remember:
- Those receiving treatments
- Those undergoing chemotherapy
- Those who privately struggle with health issues
The Lord be with you.
Yours in Christ Jesus,
Pastor Kevin Walrath
