1 October 2021
*Friday of Trinity 17*
Dear Saints and Friends of Grace & Trinity,
This Sunday is
*The 18th Sunday after Trinity*
*T** Sunday of the Great Commandment **T*
Deuteronomy 10:12-21; 1 Corinthians 1:1-9; Matthew 22:34-46 <www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deuteronomy+10%3A12-21%3B+1+Corinthians+1%3A1-9%3B+Matthew+22%3A34-46&version=ESV>
*In Life and Death, Christ Fulfills the Law of God*
The Pharisees ask a Law question. Jesus asks a Gospel question. The Pharisees seek to test Jesus in His own words. Jesus seeks to “test” them in the saving reality of who He is as the Messiah (Matt. 22:34–46). The Law requires you to “fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul” and to “love the sojourner” (Deut. 10:12–21). Failure to keep the Law perfectly brings judgment. On the other hand, the Gospel brings the grace of God given by Jesus Christ, that you may be blameless in the day of His return (1 Cor. 1:1–9). Jesus is David’s Son yet David’s Lord, true God and true man. He is Love incarnate who fulfilled all the demands of God’s Law on our behalf, that we might be saved from the Law’s condemnation and sanctified in the Gospel’s forgiveness. Thereby we see that “God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord” (1 Cor. 1:9).
*Those Serving* *at Grace & Trinity today…*
*Trinity** Grace*
*Counter: the Zwemkes Counters: Jennifer*
*Greeters: the Lewallens Greeters: the Petersons*
*Ushers: Sheryl Anderson & Ushers: Jim & Sandy*
* Keith Buhr Altar Guild: the Browns*
*Altar Guild: the Lessmans*
*Elder: **Scott Irwin*
*To prepare* your hearts and minds for the Sunday gathering of the faithful, here is the bulletin for Sunday <mcusercontent.com/a90ee03ff0810e6c55bae6a58/files/e6787716-4d51-c6f0-7a70-322815ebefc9/2021_10_03_Trinity_18.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/cff8e143-6fd2-fa5e-6b8d-1ee5fb965376/10_3_21_News_Notes.pdf> and the congregation at prayer <mcusercontent.com/a90ee03ff0810e6c55bae6a58/files/ae15ee42-4d42-5b8f-42a3-559d20e298d4/2021_10_3_The_Eighteenth_Sunday_after_Trinity.pdf> .
*Prayer Requests…*
· For the family and friends of Betty, Nancy Metzger’s mother, who fell asleep in Christ on Saturday. Her visitation and graveside service is Sunday in Fort Wayne. Here’s her obituary <www.echovita.com/us/obituaries/in/fort-wayne/betty-trier-13403097>.
*Coming up this week…*
· *Today: *
o *8:30am **Matins at Immanuel*
o *No Private Confession & Absolution*
· *Saturday:*
o *9-11am *Concordia Academy <www.concordiaacademywichita.org/> Open House, Grace
o *12:30pm *LWML Workday (Personal Care Kits & Fleece Blankets for Lutheran World Relief)
· *Sunday (10/3): **The 18th Sunday after Trinity*
o *8am *Divine Service, Grace
o *9:30am *Bible Study, Grace*
o *11am *Divine Service, Trinity **with the Baptism of Thulana “Indu” Herath*
o *2pm **Misa en Español, *Grace
o *2-3:30pm *Life Chain* *here’s an opportunity to stand for life in Wichita at Maize & 21st, Amidon & 21st, Central & Rock, or Rock & 29th *
. · *Tuesday: *
o *9am *Matins, Grace
· *Wednesday:*
o *9:30am *Bible Study, Grace
o *11am *Divine Service, Grace
o *4:15pm *Hand Bell Choir, Trinity
o *5:15pm *Youth Catechesis, Trinity
o *7pm *Evening Prayer, Trinity
· *Thursday:** Commemoration of Henry Melchior Muhlenberg*
o *9am *Matins, Grace
· *Friday: *
o *No Private Confession & Absolution*
· *Saturday: **Commemoration of Abraham*
o *9-12am *Church Clean-up, Trinity
· *Sunday (10/10): **The 19th Sunday after Trinity*
o *8am *Divine Service, Grace
o *9:30am *Bible Study, Grace
o *11am *Divine Service, Trinity
o *2pm **Misa en Español, *Grace
*Looking Ahead…*
· *October 9, 9am-12pm *– Church Cleanup, Trinity
· *October 14, 6pm *– Joint Parish Council Mtg., Trinity
· *October 17, 12*:*15pm *– Trinity Voters’ Mtg., Trinity
· *October 24, 9:30am *– Grace Voters’ Mtg., Grace **No Bible Study this day*
· *October 22-24 *– EDI Inklings Festival <eighthdayinstitute.salsalabs.org/2021inklingsfestival/index.html>, the Ladder
· *October 31, 4-7:30pm *– Reformation Festival <gracelutheranchurch-wichita.org/ReformationFestival.html>, Trinity (*please RSVP to Trinity: *316-685-1571 or office@tlc.kscoxmail.com.)
· *November 3-5* – “Here I Stand: Conscience and Confession 500 Years after the Diet of Worms” is this year’s *Luther Hostel *retreat theme. This is a great opportunity to make a pilgrimage to the Seminary in Fort Wayne, Indiana and spend some quality time with the professors. For more info, see www.ctsfw.edu/LutherHostel.
*Other Things*
· *Concordia Academy’s Open House is tomorrow!* Join us at *Grace from 9-11am* to hear more about the Lutheran classical high school set to open next fall! Invite anyone you know with kids, especially those in 6th to 8th grade. Also, looking ahead, there’s a Recital Reception to help raise some funds for the school on *November 5 at 7pm at Holy Cross*. Please put it on your calendar!
· *The two voters’ meetings* in October are very important meetings, for which we hope that all our members might attend. We will do two things:
1. decide whether to pursue a call to an Associate Pastor, who would potentially also serve as Headmaster of Concordia Academy, by establishing a call committee;
2. take a preliminary look at the Budget for 2022.
· *Ben Smith and his friend*, Will Saunders, will conduct a fundraiser for Afghan refugees. They will have a table and brochures following the 11am service at Trinity on October 17th. This money will go to Megan Ast, a global worker that is helping Afghan refugees settle in. For more info, see: www.gosendmeglobal.org/meganast.
· *Intro to the OT*: I’m trying to figure out a way to share some of the teaching I’m doing at Newman with the rest of you. Here’s a link to one of the classes <newmanu.zoom.us/rec/share/xW47BBR2vQZHSIkAdTc_Z1X51Y-jp3yBqE49iF3EO2cjpE5W47Brp4bUAp6vJMbT.vIh2oy0cYqo3Qg4W>. The password to get in is: 7U6GZS#a. If that works, and if these are of benefit to you, here’s a page to the rest <mcusercontent.com/a90ee03ff0810e6c55bae6a58/files/8dff5523-b6a7-2f7d-5d69-0e22e981fa06/Zoom_Recordings.docx> .
· *The October Calendar <mcusercontent.com/a90ee03ff0810e6c55bae6a58/files/26686268-0f7d-4120-18b2-99328903afd0/October_2021_Calendar.pdf>* is ready, but the newsletter isn’t. Look for that shortly!
Many blessings and much joy to you all in Christ our life,
-Pastor