Dear Brothers and Sisters at Messiah,
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of the faithful, and kindle in them the fire of Your love. Alleluia!
The 50-day celebration of Easter ends with the joyous festival of Pentecost! On this day, the Holy Spirit descended on the disciples; they proclaimed Jesus' death, resurrection and ascension to the crowds in Jerusalem; 3,000 souls were baptized, who then "devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers." (Acts 2:42).
Our risen and ascended Savior has also sent the Holy Spirit to be our Sanctifier, entering our hearts through Holy Baptism, nurturing us through God's Word, enabling us to understand the good news of Christ and to live a life that honors God and serves our neighbor. In the words of the Pentecost hymn now on our Sacred Music page, O Day Full of Grace (Lutheran Service Book 503):
For Christ bore our sins, and not His own,
When He on the cross was hanging;
And then He arose and moved the stone
That we, unto Him belonging,
Might join with angelic hosts to raise
Our voices in endless singing!
Looking back over the 2 1/2 months (!) we've been physically separated from each other, I'm grateful we've been able to leverage online technology so that, in worship and Bible study, the Spirit has comforted and sustained us in the faith now, while preparing us for whatever comes next -- including the time that we can gather again in person. (As always, I'm also grateful that you've continued to support Messiah's ongoing ministry with your prayers and contributions.)
I hope that you'll join us for the Day of Pentecost, this Sunday, May 31:
Martin Luther's letter "Whether One May Flee From A Deadly Plague" will be the topic of our Adult Bible study, beginning at 9 am on May 31. We'll explore the circumstances of the letter, the Scriptures Luther relied on for his recommendations, and much more in the coming weeks! You can get a head start by downloading the letter from the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod website. There will be two ways you can participate:
Join our live Zoom meeting to interact with me as we read and discuss Luther's letter together! You can join by Internet or by phone; contact rick.krueger@messiahgr.org for login details.
Watch the interactive study on our YouTube channel (live, but with a 20-second delay), and leave a relevant comment below the video. I'll address any comments the following week!
The Service of the Word will be livestreamed beginning at 10 am on May 31. You'll be able to watch it as it happens on our YouTube channel. (Thanks to those of you who've subscribed to our channel; if you don't want to miss a service or a study, details on subscribing are below.)
An audio recording of the Service of the Word will also be available; it'll be posted on Messiah's website and Facebook page by 12 noon on May 31.
Our June newsletter should be in your mailbox soon; it's also online at our website. This newsletter includes a draft of "Guidelines for Reintroduction of In-Person Worship and Education", developed by our Church Council and Board of Elders. If you haven't already done so, please share any feedback on these guidelines with your elder. The Board of Elders will meet on Monday, June 1, with what comes next as an key item on their agenda.
As we prepare to celebrate the day of Pentecost, may the prayer of Christ's whole church be ours:
O God, on this day You once taught the hearts of Your faithful people by sending them the light of Your Holy Spirit. Grant us in our day by the same Spirit to have a right understanding in all things and evermore to rejoice in His holy consolation; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Yours in Him,
Rick Krueger
Zoom Bible Study Details:
There are two ways to join the study, at or slightly before 9 am on May 31:
Join online; contact rick.krueger@messiahgr.org for login details.
You can join on smartphone, tablet, or any computer with an onboard camera and microphone. (When you're prompted, download the Zoom app for easier connection in the future.)Join by phone (audio only); contact rick.krueger@messiahgr.org for login details.
YouTube Subscription Details:
Online, go to www.youtube.com
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At the top right of our channel page,click the "Subscribe" button.
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