*Friday of Quasimodo Geniti*
Dear Saints and Friends of Grace & Trinity,
*Don’t forget tomorrow’s Lutheran Lecture Series at Grace!*
This Sunday is
*The 3rd Sunday of Easter *
*T** Misericordias Domini** T*
Ezekiel 34:11-16; 1 Peter 2:21-25; John 10:11-16 <www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ezekiel+34%3A11-16%3B+1+Peter+2%3A21-25%3B+John+10%3A11-16&version=ESV>
*The Good Shepherd Cares for His Sheep*
Our Lord Jesus is the Good Shepherd (John 10:11–16). He is not like the hireling, who cares nothing for the sheep and only for himself, who flees when he sees the wolf coming. Rather, Jesus is the Good Shepherd who seeks out His scattered sheep to deliver them (Ezek. 34:11–16). He gathers them and feeds them in rich pasture. He binds up the broken and strengthens the sick. He lays down His life for wandering and wayward sheep. On the cross, Christ bore in His body the attacks of the predators of sin and death and the devil for you that you might be saved. He now lives to restore your soul in the still waters of baptism, to lead you in the paths of righteousness by the voice of His Gospel, to prepare the table of His holy supper before you, that you may dwell in the house of the Lord forever (Psalm 23). “For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls” (1 Peter 2:25).
*To prepare* your hearts and minds for the Sunday gathering of the faithful, here is the bulletin for Sunday <mcusercontent.com/a90ee03ff0810e6c55bae6a58/files/a92eb267-471c-40c3-d7f6-c65448321661/2022_05_01_Third_Sunday_of_Easter_Misericordias_Domini.pdf>. Meditate on the readings, pray the prayers, and consider what gifts our Lord has for us this week. Also, here are the news/notes <mcusercontent.com/a90ee03ff0810e6c55bae6a58/files/7dc31945-7617-21e2-1c38-6380bacdf65d/5_1_22_News_Notes.pdf> and the congregation at prayer <mcusercontent.com/a90ee03ff0810e6c55bae6a58/files/baafe152-5a66-3c63-4d9c-fc95273b2ed8/2022_5_1_The_Third_Sunday_of_Easter.pdf> .
*Those Serving* *at Grace & Trinity today…*
*Trinity** Grace*
*Counters: The Wortzs Counters: Tom & Sandy*
*Greeters: The Lewallens Greeters: The Kennys*
*Ushers: Sheryl Anderson & Ushers: Jim & Sandy*
* Keith Buhr Altar Guild: The Unruhs*
*Altar Guild: The Lessmans *
*Elder: Scott Irwin*
*Prayer Requests…*
· For Amy Haist, who underwent surgery for her wrist on Monday and is recovering.
· For Kyle Nelson and family as they prepare for their call to First Lutheran Church, Chickasha, OK <callday.ctsfw.edu/Home/Calls>
*Coming up this week…*
· *Today: *
o *9am *Matins, Grace
o *4-5pm *Private Absolution, Trinity
· *Saturday: **Lutheran Lecture Series XXVI* <gracelutheranchurch-wichita.org/LutheranLectureSeries2022.html>
o *12:30pm *Festal Divine Service for St. Philip and St. James, Grace
o *1:45-4:45pm *Lutheran Lectures, Grace
o *5pm *Vespers, Grace
o *5:30pm *Beer/Brat Supper, Grace
· *Sunday (5/1): **Misericordias Domini*
o *8am *Divine Service, Grace
o *9:30am **Lutheran Lectures* Bible Study, Grace**
o *11am *Divine Service, Trinity
o *1:30pm *Call Meeting, Grace
o *2pm **Misa en Español*, Grace
· *Monday: **Commemoration of St. Athanasius*
o *No Matins*
o *5:30pm *Grace Elders’ Mtg., Grace
· *Tuesday: *
o *9am *Matins, Grace
o *5:15pm *Lord’s Diner
· *Wednesday*: *Commemoration of Friedrich Wyneken*
o *9am *Matins, Grace
o *9:30am *Bible Study, Grace
o *11am *Divine Service, Grace
o *4:15pm *Bell Choir, Trinity
o *5:15-6:45pm *Youth Catechesis, Trinity
o *7pm *Evening Prayer, Trinity
· *Thursday*: *Commemoration of Frederick the Wise*
o *9am *Matins, Grace
· *Friday: *
o *No Matins*
o *No Private Absolution*
· *Sunday (5/8): **Jubilate, Mothers’ Day*
o *8am *Divine Service, Grace
o *9:30am *Bible Study, Trinity*
o *11am *Divine Service, Trinity
o *2pm **Misa en Español*, Grace
*Looking Ahead…*
· *May 8*: Wycliffe Bible Translator – Join us for Bible Study at Trinity at 9:30am and hear about the work of Dr. Charles Telfer, a local teacher and Bible translator.
o 1.5 billion people do not have a full Bible in their language. Whole church denominations only have part of Scripture. A specialist in the Old Testament, Dr. Charles Telfer wants to help get the OT into the hands of Christians. Ordained in 1993 (in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church), Charles has served as a missionary in Eritrea, a pastor in NC and Chicago, as Professor of Biblical Languages at Westminster Seminary CA and as Instructor in Languages and Bible at the Classical School of Wichita. Charles joined Wycliffe in 2022 and is preparing for service as a translation consultant, a role that supports mother-tongue translation teams to make sure the final version accurately represents the Hebrew original. There is a need world-wide for translation consultants, and Dr. Telfer hopes to work principally with teams in underserved areas whose language of broader communication is Spanish, French, or Tigrinya. He particularly hopes to work with a team of Kunama translators from Eritrea. His own translations include *Wrestling with Isaiah* and *The Spiritual Life*. Charles needs a band of friends, prayer warriors, and financial partners to join in this venture. Would you consider joining this Wycliffe team as a person who stays in touch with the work, who commits to regular prayer for these endeavors, or who financially supports this effort to spread God’s Word? Thank you for your prayerful consideration.
· *May 26*: Feast of the Ascension at Immanuel – Every year we join the saints over at Immanuel on the 40th day after our Lord’s resurrection. The Divine Service is at 6pm with a beer/brat supper following.
· *June 1-4*: EDI *Ad Fontes *Conference at Newman University and St. George Cathedral. This is a great opportunity for ecumenical dialogue on the topics that divide Christendom. This year the theme is “The Weight of Sin.” For more info and to register, see here <www.eighthdayinstitute.org/af22>.
· *June 5*: Feast of Pentecost, Confirmation, and Joint-Parish Sunday – We rejoice with our four Confirmands: Madison Reyes, Lydia Schneider, and Ana & Claire Boyle. We’ll have *ONE* service that Sunday at *GRACE at 9:30am*. There will be a reception following. Please join us!
· *June 12*: Festival of the Holy Trinity – This will be my final Sunday here. We’ll have a Joint-Parish Sunday *at Trinity* with a *9:30am Bible Study, 11am Divine Service*, and something afterwards. Please join us if you’re able!
*Other Things…*
· *Grace Members: *If you weren’t at the Voters’ Mtg. last week and didn’t receive a letter in the mail, please read this <mcusercontent.com/a90ee03ff0810e6c55bae6a58/files/fc89bd08-fb51-fd20-ef29-5abbf8be4f61/Presidents_Letter_to_Grace_re_Dissolution_4.25.22_.pdf>.
· *Preparations for Calling a New Pastor:*
o *Call Committee: *Each congregation designates its Board of Elders as the call committee for the congregation but does not *limit* the committee to the Elders. Should anyone desire to serve on this committee for either congregation, please contact Curt Engelbrecht or Bob Petersen. A tentative date for the first meeting is set for Sunday, May 1 at Grace.
o *Pastoral Characteristics: **Apparently last week’s link to the form didn’t work. Please try this one <mcusercontent.com/a90ee03ff0810e6c55bae6a58/files/7100a359-0dbe-ef80-d5fb-7050ede64a10/7_Pastoral_Characteristics.pdf>. Also, I did put copies in the narthex. Please return the form before May 1 to either Bob Petersen (spiroides@protonmail.com) at Grace or Curt Engelbrecht (curtengelbrecht@protonmail.com) at Trinity.
· *Missionary Newsletter from Mexico*: Here’s the latest installment <mcusercontent.com/a90ee03ff0810e6c55bae6a58/files/c87b1c26-1131-ebb6-b0b6-24b3345b4f85/NewMarAp22FinalPdf.pdf> from the Conrads in Mexico City. At the moment, they’re in the States. Pr. Conrad is scheduled for his second surgery on the second of May at the University of Michigan medical center. Please pray for a successful procedure and for our prompt return to Mexico.
· *Continuing Ed Class in Albuquerque, NM:* “Pastoral Care in an After-Word World” – July 25-29, 2021, at Grace Lutheran Church, Albuquerque. Living in an age of Ideology, of cancellations and “wokeness”: What does this mean for Word we preach? We live in what George Steiner calls “an epilogue world.” The poet-prophet T.S. Eliot laments our cultural loss of Christ this way: “Where is the Life we have lost in living?” Alas, for our Western culture! Notwithstanding Western culture’s rejection of the Word of God, God is not dead, and Christ the Life has not changed His resolute will to seek and save the lost. The Lord God remains resolute in His desire that all should be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth, but *nisi per Verbum*, “only via the Word.” What is at issue, then, is our disposition toward God’s Word and our use, disuse, or abuse of the means by which we practice pastoral care. On the basis of Christ as the Word as the content of God’s verbatim Word, we will study classic and contemporary Western texts as the basis for our discussions of pastoral care via the Word of God in our epilogue world. For more info and to register: www.ctsfw.edu/ctsfw-events/continuing-education/albuquerque-nm/ <d.docs.live.net/b55af45fcb37779c/Pastor%20Boyle/Grace%20and%20Trinity/Weekly%20Update/www.ctsfw.edu/ctsfw-events/continuing-education/albuquerque-nm/>
Alleluia! Christ is risen!
-Pastor