Elijah, fleeing for his life and confronted with God’s presence, is asked a simple, haunting question:  “What are you doing here?”  Perhaps a question we each ought to consider.   Both “What are we doing?   As well as “What are we doing here?    These are questions not just for worship, but for each and every day.  God accompanied Elijah through both the greatest and darkest days, and continues to walk with us wherever we are as well.

Worship this week:  Saturday at 5:0o p.m. in the Chapel

Sunday at 8:30 a.m. — Traditional Worship

9:30 a.m. — Sunday School and fellowship

10:30 a.m. — Contemporary Worship

November 9 -10, 2013
1 Kings 19:1-18

Key Verses: “Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence.”
1 Kings 19:11b-12

Time: 900 BCE

Background: When King Ahab of Israel married Queen Jezebel, he ceased worshiping God alone. Instead, he worshiped his new wife’s god, Baal. This angered God, and God sent many prophets, including Elijah, to warn King Ahab of God’s wrath. But King Ahab and Queen Jezebel remained faithful to Baal, killing God’s prophets. Elijah made a show of God’s power to the prophets of Baal and then killed them. An angry Jezebel swore to kill Elijah.

Elijah fled and fell into despair, believing his life was coming to an end. He complained to God, asking that God end his life. But God remained faithful. God sent Elijah to a cave on a mountain, where Elijah experienced a great wind, an earthquake, and a fire. But it was in the following silence that Elijah experienced God. God promised Elijah protection and directed him to 7000 faithful followers who continued to worship God, strengthening Elijah’s resolve.

Community: What false gods has culture taught us to worship? What could your community of faith do to be God’s voice in the midst of competing voices?

At Home: What false gods capture your attention? Let go of one idol this week and spend that recovered time worshiping God.

Read This Week:
Monday, Nov 11, Elijah Ascends to Heaven, 2 Kings 2:1-12

Tuesday, Nov 12, Elisha Succeeds Elijah, 2 Kings 2:13-18

Wednesday, Nov 13, Elisha Performs Miracles, 2 Kings 2:19-25

Thursday, Nov 14, Elisha and the Widow’s Oil, 2 Kings 4:1-7

Friday, Nov 15, Elisha Heals Naaman, 2 Kings 5:1-19

Saturday, Nov 16, Jezebel’s Violent Death, 2 Kings 9:30-37

Next Week: Sunday, Nov 17, Amos, Amos 1:1-12; 5:14-15, 21-24

 

Many wonderful baked goods showing up for ELC Bazaar – Saturday, November 2nd, 11:00 a.m.  to 3:00 p.m.

 

On this All Saints Sunday we join the whole church in celebrating the witness of those who have gone before us in faith, the continuing witness of those we thank God for, and most of all the promise of Christ to bring healing, forgiveness, peace, and everlasting life to all who trust in God’s salvation.  During our worship this week we will light candles in remembrance of each of our members who have passed on to the church triumphant since last year’s All Saints’ Sunday, and also in honor of each of those baptized into the faith in this past year.

 Worship This Week with Holy Communion

         Saturday – 5:00 p.m. in Chapel

         Sunday — 8:30 a.m. Traditional Worship

                           9:30 a.m. Sunday School and Fellowship

                          10:30 a.m. Contemporary Worship

November 3, 2013

All Saints Sunday

Key Verse:  Revelation 9:16-17 ¹⁶They will hunger no more, and thirst no more; the sun will not strike them, nor any scorching heat; ¹⁷for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of the water of life, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

WHO ARE THE SAINTS?

God declares everyone who has been baptized and believes the promise of the gospel to be justified, holy, and blameless.  The communion of saints therefore includes both those still living on earth and those who have died in the faith and are now living in heaven.  The traditional date for the observance of All Saints’ Day is November 1.  However, many churches choose to celebrate it on the first Sunday in November.

HOW DO LUTHERANS HONOR THE SAINTS?

Lutherans do not pray to the saints in heaven or invoke their help as Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox do.  However, we do honor the saints in thanksgiving for their witness to Jesus.

WHY IS ALL SAINTS’ DAY SUCH A SPECIAL EVENT IN THE LIFE OF THE CHURCH?

All Saints’ Day is a very special festival, one that enriches the worship lives of all who observe it.  We recall the faithful men and women of both Testaments of the Bible and praise God for their examples.  In addition to the saints of Scripture, the church’s history is full of the stories of faithful Christians, some well known (like Augustine or Luther), but the vast majority known only to God.  However, we also remember the saints of the less distant past.  We Remember those parishioners who were called to be with the Lord in recent years, particularly in the last year.  An All Saints’ Day worship service can therefore be an especially personal celebration as each one of us recalls the loved ones, friends, and mentors now living in heaven whose faith in Christ inspired us and gave us joy.  Finally, on this day we glorify God not just for the faithfulness of the saints, but most of all for His faithfulness to the saints

 

 

 

There will be a great selection of baked goods, crafts, donations and wonderful raffle prizes!!

 

 

For the people of Israel Solomon’s Temple became the place where they encountered God’s presence, but Jesus describes the church as a living body made up of those called and claimed through him.  In either case we are left to ask:  “What do place at the center of our lives?’ and “Do we really seek God’s presence faithfully?”

This weekend we celebrate the confirmation of 16 young people, some at each worship service.  Please keep them in your prayers as they affirm their baptismal covenant.

Worship this week:  Saturday 5:00 p.m.  (in the sanctuary this week)

Sunday 8:30 a.m. – Traditional Worship

9:30 a.m. — Everyone invited to join in reception for confirmation class in fellowship hall

— Sunday School Classes

10:30 a.m. — Contemporary Worship

October 27, 2013
1 Kings 5:1-5; 8:1-13

Key Verses: “And when the priests came out of the holy place, a cloud filled the house of the Lord, so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud; for the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord.”
1 Kings 8:10-11

Time: 961 BCE

Background: King David, the second king of Israel, wanted to build a temple to God, a place for God to dwell. But God didn’t want a temple from David. Instead, God allowed Solomon, David’s son, to build a temple. The temple housed the Ark of the Covenant. The Ark of the Covenant was not a boat like Noah’s ark, but was a box which held the stone tablets containing the Ten Commandments. The temple became the place all Israelites could come and worship God.

During this worship in which Solomon and the people celebrated the building of the temple, God’s presence filled the entire place. Although God allowed Solomon to build a temple in which God could dwell, no building could hold the magnificence of God. God’s presence extends far beyond the walls of any worship space.

Community: In the place where your community of faith worships, what helps and what hinders worship? What stands in the way of putting God first? What helps make God central to worship?

At Home: Are there aspects of your life that you have walled off from God? What could you do this week to open them so that God fills all the places in your life?

Read This Week:
Monday, Oct 28, Elijah Predicts a Drought, 1 Kings 17:1-7

Tuesday, Oct 29, The Widow Zarephath, 1 Kings 17:8-16

Wednesday, Oct 30, Elijah Revives the Widow’s Son, 1 Kings 17:17-24

Thursday, Oct 31, Elijah’s Message to Ahab, 1 Kings 18:1-19

Friday, Nov 1, Elijah’s Triumph over the Priests of Baal, 1 Kings 18:20-40

Saturday, Nov 2, The Drought Ends, 1 Kings 18:41-46

 

Next Week: Sunday, Nov 3, Still, Small Voice, 1 Kings 19:1-18