Dear Saints and Friends of Grace & Trinity,
Alleluia! Christ is risen!
He is risen, indeed! Alleluia!
SUNDAY
This Sunday is different than the other Sundays. And isn’t that just like our Lord, to make each Sunday its own, unique gift to us? We call it Rogate, which means “to ask” or “to pray.” Unlike the other Sundays, it doesn’t come from our Introit. Rather, it comes from the Gospel, where Jesus says: “Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you” (John 16:23). That, and the three days that follow, called Rogation days, give Sunday its name. Rogation days are days of repentance and prayer and they fall this week (Monday – Wednesday) as a sort of mini-penitential season before the Ascension of our Lord (which is this Thursday, by the way). In some places, these days are marked with processions outside, around the church building, through the neighborhoods, in the fields, wherever the prayers would bless the lives and vocations of the people gathered. But they always ended back at the altar, where the Lord would give Himself to His people as an answer to their prayers. And so He does for us, too. Join us this Sunday at Grace at 8am and Trinity at 11am for prayer and the answer to prayer.
Bible Study will be at Trinity at 9:30am. I’ll be giving the presentation I gave to the Hall of Men because the audio was so terrible in the live-feed. While we won’t be able to offer quite the same toast, we’ll certainly benefit from hearing a bit about the life and work of one of our Lord’s great contemporary saints, the Rev. Dr. Norman Nagel. Join us!
For those not yet comfortable to join us in person, here’s the bulletin for Sunday to follow along with at home. Please remember to give your offering to the Lord for the service of the Church, either by mailing a check or donating through our PayPal account (Grace, Trinity). I know this is a difficult financial time for many, so if you need assistance, please let us know! We are so thankful for the continued generosity shown to both congregations during this time. Also, here’s the news/notes, and the congregation at prayer for Sunday. If you’ve missed any of the services and don’t have FB, please see my YouTube channel.
- Today:
- Private Absolution is offered every Friday from 4-5pm at Trinity
- Sunday:
- 8am Divine Service at Grace
- 9:30am Bible Study at Trinity
- 11am Divine Service at Trinity (w/Live-Stream on FB)
- ARMED FORCES SUNDAY: the LCMS honors those men and women who serve in our nation’s military. The LCMS has many active-duty military chaplains, as well as those serving in Reserve units. The Ministry to the Armed Forces seeks to care for these men and women and is grateful for any support you might offer. For more information, www.lcms.org/ministry-to-the-armed-forces.
- 3:30pm Joint Parish Council Meeting at Grace
- Monday – Friday:
- 9am Matins at Grace (w/Live-Stream on Grace’s FB page)
- Tuesday:
- 9am Matins & OMT at Grace*
We’re reading Defending Boyhood by Anthony Esolen. Join us! - 6:30pm Grace Council Mtg.
- 9am Matins & OMT at Grace*
- Wednesday:
- 9:30am Bible Study, Grace
- 11am Divine Service, Grace
- 5:15pm Youth Catechesis, Trinity
- 7pm Evening Prayer (w/Live-Stream on Trinity’s FB page)
- Thursday:
- Feast of the Ascension of our Lord (celebrated at Immanuel)
- 5:30pm Beer/Brat Dinner *if you’re able to attend the meal, please RSVP to Immanuel (secretary@ilchurch.org or 316-264-0639)
- 7:00pm Divine Service
- Feast of the Ascension of our Lord (celebrated at Immanuel)
- Friday:
- 4-5pm Private Absolution at Trinity
Other things…
- The Eighth Day Institute (EDI) can’t hold it’s regular Florovsky-Newman Week, which is one of its three premiere events. However, it will still offer digitally both the annual Florovsky Lecture and a new annual Newman Lecture, as well as a Seminar on the theme: “Hope in the Age of Anxiety.” This seminar is limited to 12 participants in person. However, a donation of $25 or more will give you digital access to the material and a live-feed of the conversation. Join us June 5-6 for this opportunity. Donate here.
- “Final Tuesday” Marriage & Family Class will return May 26th. This is for anyone interested in learning and discussing more about Biblical and healthy marriages. We meet from 7-8:30pm at Trinity.
- Pentecost, the third great feast of the Church year, is fast approaching (May 31st)! With the other great feasts—Easter and Christmas—we hold “eve” or “Vigil” services the day before. We’ll do the same for Pentecost as we’ve done in years past. This year, we’ll have a Divine Service at Trinity at 10am on Saturday, 5/30. Immediately following the service, anyone wishing to stick around and hear the examination of Gabe Araiza in preparation for his Confirmation the next day, is more than welcome to do so. Later that same day, at 3pm, Gabe’s dad, Carlos, will marry Tiffany Payne. Let’s keep them in our prayers as they prepare for this joyous celebration.
- Finally, on Pentecost Sunday, the 31st, we’ll have our monthly Elders’ Book Study (which, as you know, is open to all) at 3:30pm at Grace. We’re reading our way through Martin Luther’s Freedom of a Christian. Last month’s attempt via Zoom was less than fulfilling. Let’s redeem that this time around as we meet in person.
Alleluia! Christ is risen!
He is risen, indeed! Alleluia!
Many blessings and much joy to you all in Christ our life,
-Pastor