Dear Brothers and Sisters at Messiah,
Thanks to everyone who helped make August's Community Picnic such a special event - hosting church, preschool and neighborhood folks for lunch, games and a visit from the Plainfield Township Fire Department at our pavilion! (Check out photos here.)
We have plenty of great things happening in September, too!
WEEKLY WORSHIP AND CLASS SCHEDULE
We will continue to hold one Divine Service held at 10:00 am on Sundays. Sunday School & Bible Class will be held beforehand at 9:00 am, beginning with a joint opening in the Fellowship Hall. Sunday Services can be found at
Our Facebook page, www.facebook.com/messiahgr
The most recent livestreamed service is viewable on our website's front page, www.messiahgr.org
SEPTEMBER NEWSLETTER PLUS WHAT'S NEW & NEXT
Our September newsletter is now online! Click here to preview or download it in its entirety. Paper copies of the newsletter are available for members and guests at the Welcome Center. We also post the newsletter (including monthly calendars) online at www.messiahgr.org/news; calendars are also online separately at www.messiahgr.org/calendar
Check the newsletter and our weekly announcements for information on most of the events listed below.
NEW! The funeral for our brother in Christ Tom Driscoll will be held at Messiah this Friday, August 30th at 11:00 am. Visitation with the family will take place before the service, beginning at 10:00 am; a luncheon will follow the service.
The memorial service for our sister in Christ Pat Hoffman will be held at Messiah this Saturday, August 31st at 11:00 am. Visitation with the family will take place before the service, beginning at 9:00 am; a luncheon will follow the service.
As mentioned above, Sunday School restarts Sunday, September 8th at 9:00 am. Want to help, or have questions? Contact me or Allison Black for details.
NEW! Senior Choir begins weekly practices Wednesday, September 11th at 7:00 pm in the sanctuary. Contact me for more information - or just stop by and try us out!
Family Game Night Saturday, September 14th from 5:00 to 7:00 pm in our Fellowship Hall, sponsored by Lutherans in Fellowship Together (LIFT). Bring a game and a snack to share.
NEW! Fall LifeLight Sessions will focus on The Epistles of John, held on Tuesdays at 10:30 am beginning September 17th and Wednesdays at 6:00 pm beginning September 18th. Click here for a sample of the study guide.
Mission Festival Sunday, September 22nd, with Pastor Dave Reed of Orphan Grain Train-Michigan as our guest preacher and Bible Class presenter. A potluck will follow the Divine Service: a door offering for Orphan Grain Train will be taken. You can donate other items to OGT, too (details are in the newsletter)
Family Movie Night Friday, September 27th, beginning at 6:00 pm. Everyone in our church & preschool communities is invited to our Fellowship Hall for a movie and snacks provided by the Board of Education; bring lawn chairs or blankets for informal seating! More details soon.
Yours in Christ,
Rick Krueger, Parish Assistant
FROM PASTOR ERIC (See the full article in the September newsletter)
Increasingly it seems every conflict, be it political, religious, even sports at times, seems of the existential variety. Every fight is the ultimate fight, every battle is the most important battle, no ground must ever be surrendered, no enemy is to be spared, there seems little room for peace. [The life of] Boniface [the evangelist to the Germans] then serves as an excellent example of how to face such hostility.
Lesson one, we cannot join it. We stand our ground, we stand on the word of God, we do not strike back, we do not kill, we do not even harm. We stand because we are here to witness to the very ones striking us. We ‘fight’ back by not fighting back, and instead pouring out the love of God for those Christ has placed in front of us.
The second lesson is closely tied to the first, especially in our day and age. It is one thing to surrender to abuse for the sake of Christ, but the second lesson is that we must reveal idols for what they are. In a culture that worships prosperity, power, popularity, happiness, and especially the self, where do we aim our axes? In a culture where the self is god, the most we can do then, is to deny ourselves for the sake of others, just as Boniface did . . .
In every child we love, in every committed marriage, in every act of service for our neighbor, we deny ourselves for the sake of someone else. In every denial of self we take another swing at the idol of our day, in the hope that one day the Holy Spirit will finally topple it. In the meantime we must keep swinging. We must share God’s peace, share the love of God in Christ Jesus, who demonstrated the ultimate denial of self. In so doing we are reminded of this love of God poured out for us, the good news passed down by the faithful like Boniface, all so that we might stand alongside Christ in His kingdom forevermore, amen.
Your brother in Christ,
Pastor Eric
