The Ascension of Jesus, by Gustav Doré.

Readings, Devotion, Prayers and Announcements for the Sixth Sunday of Easter, May 17, 2020, for both MLLC and Waldeck Evangelical Lutheran Church

As we are not able to meet due as usual to health and safety concerns, yet we are still finding ways to share and celebrate our faith together.

Below are the readings, prayers, and various announcements for this Sunday and this week.  The Sunday devotion is at the end of the readings.

Remember Your Regular Offerings

For both of our congregations, Waldeck and MLLC, please remember that our expenses continue even when we are unable to meet as usual.  Please make a point to give your offerings as you would on a typical week.  Here are some ideas of what to do:

For Waldeck Evangelical Lutheran Church in Ledbetter:

– send your offering by mail to the church office  – Waldeck Evangelical Lutheran Church; 6915 Waldeck Church Lane; Ledbetter, TX 78946

– set aside your offerings each week, and then bring these to church when you can be at worship again.

For MLLC in Carmine:

– send your offering by mail to the church office  – MLLC, P O BOX 362, Carmine, TX 78932-0362

– set aside your offerings each week, and then bring these to church when you can be at worship again.

– give offerings through the church web site:  mllccarmine.com/online-giving  This page has a link to our secure giving page.  Offerings can be made by bank draft, debit card, or credit card through this special web site.

YouTube Video Link

Here is the link for the YouTube video of this day’s service.

May 17, 2020

Sixth Sunday of Easter

First Reading: Acts 17:22-31

A reading from Acts.

In Athens, Paul faces the challenge of proclaiming the gospel to Greeks who know nothing of either Jewish or Christian tradition. He proclaims that the “unknown god” whom they worship is the true Lord of heaven and earth who will judge the world with justice through Jesus, whom God has raised from the dead.

²²Paul stood in front of the Areopagus and said, “Athenians, I see how extremely religious you are in every way. ²³For as I went through the city and looked carefully at the objects of your worship, I found among them an altar with the inscription, ‘To an unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. ²⁴The God who made the world and everything in it, he who is Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in shrines made by human hands, ²⁵nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mortals life and breath and all things. ²⁶From one ancestor he made all nations to inhabit the whole earth, and he allotted the times of their existence and the boundaries of the places where they would live, ²⁷so that they would search for God and perhaps grope for him and find him—though indeed he is not far from each one of us. ²⁸For ‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said,
‘For we too are his offspring.’
²⁹Since we are God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the deity is like gold, or silver, or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of mortals. ³⁰While God has overlooked the times of human ignorance, now he commands all people everywhere to repent, ³¹because he has fixed a day on which he will have the world judged in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed, and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”

The word of the Lord.  Thanks be to God.

Psalm: Psalm 66:8-20

⁸Bless our God, you peoples;
let the sound of praise be heard.
⁹Our God has kept us among the living
and has not allowed our feet to slip. 
¹⁰For you, O God, have tested us;
you have tried us just as silver is tried.
¹¹You brought us into the net;
you laid heavy burdens upon our backs.
¹²You let people ride over our heads; we went through fire and water,
but you brought us out into a place of refreshment.
¹³I will enter your house with burnt offerings
and will pay you my vows—
¹⁴those that I promised with my lips
and spoke with my mouth when I was in trouble.
¹⁵I will offer you burnt offerings of fatlings with the smoke of rams;
I will give you oxen and goats. 
¹⁶Come and listen, all you who believe,
and I will tell you what God has done for me.
¹⁷I called out to God with my mouth,
and praised the Lord with my tongue.
¹⁸If I had cherished evil in my heart,
the Lord would not have heard me;
¹⁹but in truth God has heard me
and has attended to the sound of my prayer.
²⁰Blessed be God, who has not rejected my prayer,
nor withheld unfailing love from me. 

Second Reading: 1 Peter 3:13-22

A reading from 1 Peter.

The author of 1 Peter encourages Christians to remain faithful even in the face of defamation and persecution. In baptism we are made clean to act in accordance with what is right.

¹³Who will harm you if you are eager to do what is good? ¹⁴But even if you do suffer for doing what is right, you are blessed. Do not fear what they fear, and do not be intimidated, ¹⁵but in your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord. Always be ready to make your defense to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is in you; ¹⁶yet do it with gentleness and reverence. Keep your conscience clear, so that, when you are maligned, those who abuse you for your good conduct in Christ may be put to shame. ¹⁷For it is better to suffer for doing good, if suffering should be God’s will, than to suffer for doing evil. ¹⁸For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, in order to bring you to God. He was put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit, ¹⁹in which also he went and made a proclamation to the spirits in prison, ²⁰who in former times did not obey, when God waited patiently in the days of Noah, during the building of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were saved through water. ²¹And baptism, which this prefigured, now saves you—not as a removal of dirt from the body, but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, ²²who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers made subject to him.

The word of the Lord.  Thanks be to God.

Gospel: John 14:15-21

The holy gospel according to John.  Glory to you, O Lord.

In final words to his disciples on the night of his arrest, Jesus encourages obedience to his commandments and speaks of the Spirit, who will be with them forever.

[Jesus said to the disciples:] ¹⁵“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. ¹⁶And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. ¹⁷This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you.
¹⁸“I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. ¹⁹In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. ²⁰On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. ²¹They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.”

The gospel of the Lord.  Praise to you, O Christ.

Devotion

Pastor David J. Tinker

“But Wait, There’s More”

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Have you ever watched one of those Infomercials?  An infomercial is one of those half hour commercials for some product or line of products.  Some of the items offered for sale are quite fascinating, while others are obviously junk.  There is a certain pattern which I have noticed in these Infomercials. The main product is being talked about by the announcer.  He or she shows us all the wonderful things which the widget can do. It can cut a tin can and a tomato.  It can clean any surface.  It can entertain you for hours.  The announcer gets us transfixed on the item and gives us a price:  just 5 easy payments of $19.95.  Then comes the fun part.  The announcer will say something such as, “But wait!  There’s more!”  Then the announcer will go on to tell us about the thing-a-ma-jig which comes with the widget.  It can do all sorts of other things too.  After getting us excited about the widget and the thing-a-ma-jig, the announcer says again, “But wait!  There’s more!”  If we call in the next 20 minutes, we can, for that same low price, also add on a what-cha-ma-call-it.

It seems as though we can get everything for that same low price.  The announcer promises us everything we want, even if we don’t really need it at all.

In our Gospel Reading for today we have a promise of Jesus for his Apostles, for the Church, and for us today.  This is much greater and wonderful than anything ever offered on an infomercial.  Even great than that is the truth that God offers us this good gift freely out of his love for us.  He promises that he will grant his Holy Spirit to us.  We read in verses 16 and 17, “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you.”

This promise is given to assure the followers of Jesus that they will be granted a strong and ongoing connection with God beyond the moment.  The Holy Spirit was and is already present to draw people to the Good News of Jesus.  The calling of the Apostles was an expression of the Holy Spirit’s work.  Our calling to follow Jesus is a present-day expression of the Holy Spirit’s work.

There is something deeper which Jesus is promising.  Yes, the calling of God for our lives is a powerful and deep thing.  In a sense, Jesus is announcing a greater expression of the Holy Spirit.  This giving of the Holy Spirit is about our growing relationship with God.  It is about the assurance of the presence of Jesus in our lives, even after he has ascended out of our sight.

The promise of Jesus is a both/and announcement.  He is promising something which counters that old adage:  “You can’t have your cake and eat it too.”  That adage means that it is not possible to have both of two seemingly counter realities.  It you have your cake on the plate, you can’t also have that same piece in your stomach.  Either you have it on the plate, or you have eaten it.

In a beautiful way, Jesus is saying that, in his case, you can sort of have both.  You can have the benefits of his ascension out of our sight, and you can have his presence in your life.

The benefit of the Ascension is that the ministry of Jesus is not limited to where he, an individual, can be.  The Holy Spirit is given so that the ministry of Jesus is spread throughout the world.  Jesus talks about this in John, chapter 4, as worshiping the Father in Spirit and Truth.

This is also how he will be with us.  This giving of the Holy Spirit, this stirring of the Holy Spirit in the world, bring Jesus to us.  This is the, “But wait, there’s more,” aspect.  We get the Holy Spirit, and in many and various ways, we get Jesus as well.

Here are some of the main ways we get Jesus in our lives today.

Holy Communion – Jesus is in, with and under the bread and wine.  We understand that he is truly present in these elements and the Word of God.  Our weekly gatherings for Word and Sacrament are, in part, a rehearsal for this eternity with God.  We call is a foretaste of the feast to come.  In eternity we will no longer be concerned about what takes so much of our time now.  Instead we will delight in being in the presence of Almighty God.  We will be worshipping God in his fullness, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

We are also connected to the eternal and holy worship of the Lord.  We are spiritually lifted into the throne room of God.  We pray, “Lift up your hearts, we lift them to the Lord.”  In this, we are praying about being in that most holy place, and we are connected with that in the here and now.

Holy Baptism – By the Word and the Water, we are united with Jesus in his suffering, death and resurrection.

The Word of God – the message of the Word connects us with Jesus.  It presents Jesus to us.  It is Jesus in a sense.

The Holy Spirit – builds our faith and draws us closer to Jesus.

Service to others – As we serve others, we are serving Jesus.  We are closer to Jesus when we serve those who are most vulnerable in the world, the hungry, the thirsty, those lacking clothing and warmth, those who are sick, those in prison, those who are lonely and separated from others.

In our Fellowship – We get to be part of the presence of Jesus for others.  We get to be part of the way the Lord builds up life and love and fellowship among the community of Christians.

In all these good things we are reminded that there is always so much more to what we may first see or sense or know about our relationship with God.  The various things offered for sale in Infomercials are certainly nothing compared with the beautiful, glorious, loving and beneficial things which the Lord provides for us in Jesus.  Day by day we get to receive God’s offer to reconnect with him.  In this we gain a great understanding of the many and various ways that our Lord Jesus is with us. As we go through our life with the Spirit presence and guidance, we are reminded again, “But wait, there’s more.”

Let us pray – Good and generous Lord, you provide all we need for faith and life.  Help each of us to receive graciously your blessings and to respond with joyful service.  This we pray in the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

*Prayers of Intercession

A:  Let us pray for the whole people of God in Christ Jesus, and for all people according to their needs.

A brief silence.

Almighty God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, you are the source of our faith and the one whom we worship.  We pray that you will receive our prayers and thanksgivings.  Lord, in your mercy,

Hear our prayer.

We lift before you all who struggle with grief.  Grant us a faithful measure of compassion for those who face difficult losses.  (We especially lift in prayer the family and friends of… ) Lord in your mercy, Hear our prayer.

Other petitions may be added here.

We pray for all who suffer and struggle with any ailment or distress.  We lift before you all those whom we name aloud or in quiet prayer…  Bring comfort and healing to all for whom we pray.  Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer.

We give you thanks for the ministry of music in this congregation. Grant continued joy in service to the Tone Chimes Choir as they proclaim your glory among us.  Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer.

Your Church around the world continues to witness to your goodness and mercy.  We remember in prayer the Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Central African Republic.  Strengthen them in their witness during these difficult days in their homeland.  Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer.

We give thanks for your provision of rain for all who need it.  We pray that you will continue to provide the water needed for all of creation.  Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer.

You lead us to faithfulness in witness and service. We give you thanks for 118 years of ministry through the people of Martin Luther Lutheran Church.  Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer.

Guide us in lives of faith and service.  Stir us to greater generosity as we use and give your provision for your glory, and for the benefit of those in need. Help us to care for those who are struggling and suffering due to the current health crisis. Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer.

P:  Into your hands, O Lord, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in your mercy; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen

LORD’S PRAYER 

Copyright © 2020 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission under Augsburg Fortress Liturgies Annual License #27061.

New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Waldeck Prayer List:  Linda Brown, London Gaskins, Phillip Procell, Brian Shaffer, Sandra Gest, Barbara Spence, April Weyand, Fritz Schoenst, Alicia McQuaig, Diana Garik Poentisch, Sally Beettner, Carrie Oltmann, Robin Hardin, Beverly Drescher.  

MLLC Prayer List: Brad & Patti (Hart) Eilers (Brad recently hospitalized, Patti ill); Megan Hart Burch (daughter of Patti & Brad, cancer and chemotherapy); Ruby Renck (recent surgery); Angie Colpetzer (recent surgery); Carol Mertz Leitzel, Janet Schnell Beckworth (both friends of Praise Team leader Jolene Wickel, health concerns and in hospitals);  Ricky Eckert (brother of Ronnie Eckert, health concerns); Kalisa Pomykal (Paula Barrick’s sister, medical concerns); Kenny Lorenz (former member Robert Hinze’s relative, serious burns and numerous health concerns); Nancy Pietsch (former RT-C teacher, health concerns); Johnny Dunham (health concerns); Joyce Kelley (friend, health concerns); Jack Walsh (friend of Wade Eilers, chemotherapy); Robert Vaughn (at Texas Neurology, thankful for extended stay for rehab); Edna Mae Krivacka (friend of Ed Eargle and Carol Carmean, back home, health concerns)

Sympathy to the families of Bill Clarke (friend of Daryl & Susan Ray); Sylvia Braun Hughey (Floyd Braun’s sister); Carrie Bozarth (friend of Sedalia Ullrich); Ruth Hueske (friend from Brenham); Nelson Neutzler (friend from Burton); Verlene Citzler (aunt of Leonita Sanders)

The Ongoing Prayer Concerns may be found in the monthly newsletter.

A.M.E.N. May is the month that we collect for the food pantry in La Grange.  You may either send or bring by your monetary donations.  You may also bring non-perishable food items to the church.  The box is in the narthex.

RECYCLING TRAILER is now back at the Carmine Hall on Thursdays from noon until 4 p.m.  They are in Ledbetter the same day from 8:30 – 11 a.m. behind the Ledbetter Hall.

OUTREACH/CARE COMMITTEE A person is needed to serve on the Church Council for the Outreach/Care Committee position.  You would only need to attend meetings and serve as a liaison, as someone has volunteered to serve as the chairman.  Please consider serving in this role.

WORSHIP SERVICES are suspended until further notice.

WELCA BANQUET set for June 3 has been postponed.

OFFERING ENVELOPES may be mailed to the church at PO Box 362, Carmine, TX 78932.  You may also give online.  Check the http://mlllccarmine/online-giving/ website for more information.  Thanks to all who have continued to make contributions.

CONFIRMATION will be postponed and a new date set when services resume.

LUTHERAN MISSION APPEAL envelopes are designated for Lutheran Disaster Response of the ELCA.  You may send contributions in the mail, or bring it by the office, with the check made out to MLLC and in the memo line, put Lutheran Disaster Response.  You may also go to the website to donate.  http://mlllccarmine/online-giving/   When you go to this page, click on the link for the giving site.  On that page you will see a line for disaster relief – Lutheran Disaster Response   That is where you can indicate your gift amount through the online giving.

VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL at MLLC has been postponed to August 2-6, 2020 from 5:30 – 7:45 p.m., with the theme Rocky Railway.  See the codes in the May newsletter to register your child and to volunteer.

Registration is also available at the church web site:  https://mllccarmine.com/vacation-bible-school-2020/

VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL at Bethlehem Lutheran in Round Top is postponing VBS indefinitely.  It may still be cancelled, but they are waiting to see how things go this summer.  There are registration forms in the narthex and church office.  For more information contact Stacy Eilers at 979-639-1897.

Readings, Devotion, Prayers and Announcements for the Third Sunday of Easter, April 26, 2020, for both MLLC and Waldeck Evangelical Lutheran Church

As we are not able to meet due as usual to health and safety concerns, yet we are still finding ways to share and celebrate our faith together.

Below are the readings, prayers, and various announcements for this Sunday and this week.  The Sunday devotion is at the end of the page.

Remember Your Regular Offerings

For both of our congregations, Waldeck and MLLC, please remember that our expenses continue even when we are unable to meet as usual.  Please make a point to give your offerings as you would on a typical week.  Here are some ideas of what to do:

For Waldeck Evangelical Lutheran Church in Ledbetter:

– send your offering by mail to the church office  – Waldeck Evangelical Lutheran Church; 6915 Waldeck Church Lane; Ledbetter, TX 78946

– set aside your offerings each week, and then bring these to church when you can be at worship again.

For MLLC in Carmine:

– send your offering by mail to the church office  – MLLC, P O BOX 362, Carmine, TX 78932-0362

– set aside your offerings each week, and then bring these to church when you can be at worship again.

– give offerings through the church web site:  mllccarmine.com/online-giving  This page has a link to our secure giving page.  Offerings can be made by bank draft, debit card, or credit card through this special web site.

YouTube Video Link

Here is the link for the YouTube video of this day’s service.

APRIL 26, 2020

Third Sunday of Easter

First Reading: Acts 2:14a, 36-41

A reading from Acts.

Today’s reading is the conclusion of Peter’s sermon preached following the giving of the Holy Spirit to the apostles on the day of Pentecost. The center of his preaching is the bold declaration that God has made the crucified Jesus both Lord and Christ.

^14aPeter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed [the crowd], ³⁶“Therefore let the entire house of Israel know with certainty that God has made him both Lord and Messiah, this Jesus whom you crucified.”
³⁷Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and to the other apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?” ³⁸Peter said to them, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. ³⁹For the promise is for you, for your children, and for all who are far away, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to him.” ⁴⁰And he testified with many other arguments and exhorted them, saying, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” ⁴¹So those who welcomed his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand persons were added.

The word of the Lord.  Thanks be to God.

Psalm: Psalm 116:1-4, 12-19

¹I love the Lord, who has heard my voice,
and listened to my supplication,
²for the Lord has given ear to me
whenever I called.
³The cords of death entangled me; the anguish of the grave came upon me;
I came to grief and sorrow.
⁴Then I called upon the name of the Lord:
“O Lord, I pray you, save my life.” 
¹²How shall I repay the Lord
for all the good things God has done for me?
¹³I will lift the cup of salvation
and call on the name of the Lord.
¹⁴I will fulfill my vows to the Lord
in the presence of all God’s people.
¹⁵Precious in your sight, O Lord,
is the death of your servants.
¹⁶O Lord, truly I am your servant;
I am your servant, the child of your handmaid; you have freed me from my bonds.
¹⁷I will offer you the sacrifice of thanksgiving
and call upon the name of the Lord. 
¹⁸I will fulfill my vows to the Lord
in the presence of all God’s people,
¹⁹in the courts of the Lord‘s house,
in the midst of you, O Jerusalem. Hallelujah! 

Second Reading: 1 Peter 1:17-23

A reading from 1 Peter.

The imagery of exile is used to help the readers of this letter understand that they are strangers in a strange land. Christians no longer belong to this age. Through the death of Christ we belong to God, so that our focus, faith, and hope are no longer on such things as silver or gold.

¹⁷If you invoke as Father the one who judges all people impartially according to their deeds, live in reverent fear during the time of your exile. ¹⁸You know that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold, ¹⁹but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without defect or blemish. ²⁰He was destined before the foundation of the world, but was revealed at the end of the ages for your sake. ²¹Through him you have come to trust in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are set on God.
²²Now that you have purified your souls by your obedience to the truth so that you have genuine mutual love, love one another deeply from the heart. ²³You have been born anew, not of perishable but of imperishable seed, through the living and enduring word of God.

The word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.

Gospel: Luke 24:13-35

The holy gospel according to Luke.  Glory to you, O Lord.

The colorful story of Jesus’ appearance to two disciples on the road to Emmaus answers the question of how Jesus is to be recognized among us. Here, he is revealed through the scriptures and in the breaking of bread.

¹³Now on that same day [when Jesus had appeared to Mary Magdalene,] two [disciples] were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, ¹⁴and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. ¹⁵While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, ¹⁶but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. ¹⁷And he said to them, “What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?” They stood still, looking sad. ¹⁸Then one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?” ¹⁹He asked them, “What things?” They replied, “The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, ²⁰and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him. ²¹But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things took place. ²²Moreover, some women of our group astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning, ²³and when they did not find his body there, they came back and told us that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive. ²⁴Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but they did not see him.” ²⁵Then he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared! ²⁶Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?” ²⁷Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures.
²⁸As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going on. ²⁹But they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over.” So he went in to stay with them. ³⁰When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. ³¹Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight. ³²They said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?” ³³That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together. ³⁴They were saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!” ³⁵Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread.

The gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, O Christ.

Devotion

By Pastor David Tinker

Luke 24:13-35               “Meet Jesus Christ”

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

About six weeks ago my cousin Chuck died.  One thing I remember most about time with Chuck was eating meals with him and his family.  I have memories going back into the 1970s of gathering at the table for food and fellowship. Every Thanksgiving I think of his asking for the big turkey drumstick.  When I was a kid he was the first person I remember ever asking to have that piece on Thanksgiving.  With this, and other memories, Chuck is one of the people I think of now at mealtimes.

Looking to today’s reading from Luke, we have one of my favorite accounts of Jesus’ ministry.  On a road to the Village of Emmaus, two people met a stranger.  We know who this stranger was, but the travelers did not.  On that Sunday evening, following the Resurrection of Jesus, these two were speaking of the things that had happened that weekend.  Jesus, the stranger, catches up with these two and asks them what they are talking about.  Dumbfounded, these two just stop in their tracks.  How could this stranger not know what transpired over the weekend?

One, whose name was Cleopas, asked, “Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?”

The stranger asks, “What things?”

The traveling disciples answer, “The things about Jesus of Nazareth.”  The two continue to tell of all that happened with Jesus, and about the hope they held in him.  Then they say that there is talk of this Jesus being raised from the dead after being executed on a Roman torture cross.

Jesus, still unrecognized by these two, responds, “Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared!  Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?”  He followed up with an extensive Bible Study of all that related to himself, this Messiah of the God.

After all this, they still did not know it was him.  Likely, he did not say, “I am Jesus the Messiah.” At the end of the day’s travels they stop of for the night.  The two disciples offer hospitality to the stranger.  During the evening meal Jesus broke bread and blessed it, just as he had done a few days earlier.  He was offering them to the Holy Communion.  In this meal, in this breaking of the bread, these two disciples finally recognized him.  At that point he vanished from their sight.

At this they began to reflect on the past few hours of conversation.  They remembered how their spiritual hearts burned within them.  Later these two found the other disciples, and they told them how Jesus was made known to them in the breaking of the bread.  They recognized Jesus in the Holy Communion.

This point of meeting and recognizing Jesus was powerful.  He could tell them all about himself, but they wouldn’t recognize him until he did something to stir up their memories.  He used words and a physical element to open their eyes.  This breaking of bread opened up their memories and it all became clear.  A gush of memories flowed forth.  The breaking of bread showed them that this was the one who had gathered with the 12 Disciples on the night when he was betrayed.  During that meal he had given a new and special meaning to the bread and the wine of the Passover.  Later he would go and die on the cross for their sin.  This man with them that night on the road was the same one who had died and was now raised from the dead.  The breaking of the bread stirred their memories.

God blesses us in the Church with memory.  We remember meeting Jesus Christ.  Each time we break bread – as Communion is called in Luke’s writings – we are connected with Jesus.

Holy Communion has long been the most significant part of my Christian life.  Each time I receive the bread and the wine God reminds me of the richness of his love, and the connection I have with the community of fellow believers.

Sometimes when I receive the elements of bread and wine I am reconnected with the Last Supper of Jesus with his disciples.  I feel I am there with them.  The noises and aromas of the gathering become real for me.  The conversations interrupted by laughter, the wine, the bread, and the other foods are there.  It is as if they were just on the other side of the table with us.

Often I think of the Great Banquet with all the people of God.  I eagerly look forward to God’s promised Great Banquet in eternity.  Our Communion is a foretaste of the feast to come, and this is foundational to my celebration of the Eucharist.

Other times I am brought to the place of the Skull – Golgotha.  I see visions of Jesus suffering on the cross for us.  The scene is shaking, like an intense scene in a movie.  Darkness and cries fill the air.  I sometimes hear the hammering of nails into his arms and feet.  Hushed voices murmur in response to what his says in his agony.  Bored soldiers stand guard.  Blood is dripping from his wounds.  The women who stayed with him are weeping.  I remember this, and I am spiritually connected to this, because it is the fullest expression of God’s love for us.  From the earliest days of the Church, Christians have met frequently for Holy Communion.  The Lutheran standard in the Apology of the Augsburg Confession, a founding document of our movement, indicates that Lutheran Christians gather every Sunday for communion, and often more than once a week. We read in the article about the Mass (the worship service with Holy Communion): “For among us masses are celebrated every Lord’s Day and on the other festivals, in which the Sacrament is offered to those who wish to use it…”

Why such frequency?  We do this because it is so good and wonderful and significant.  It is one of the most important times when we meet Jesus Christ.  I look forward to our return to our regular gatherings for the Holy Communion following this health crisis.

With the Holy Communion we recognize Jesus and remember him at the breaking of the bread.  I pray that when we gather at the Lord’s table, the breaking of the bread will stir up in all of us a remembrance of all that Jesus Christ has done for the world.  I invite you to see it as an extremely significant and regular connection point with Jesus and his people.

*Prayers of Intercession

A:  Let us pray for the whole people of God in Christ Jesus, and for all people according to their needs.

A brief silence.

Loving God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit: You have called Your Church from the ends of the earth to be witnesses to the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus. Enliven our proclamation of the name of Jesus so that all may put their faith and hope in Jesus Christ. Lord, in your mercy,  hear our prayer.

Other petitions may be added here.

Sustain those who are struggling with illness of any kind, especially… and those we now name aloud or in quiet prayer… Strengthen those who suffer in any way from the recent pandemic. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

We remember your servants of every time and place who have gone before us (especially…). We thank you that through the gift of faith you have taken delight in them. Give comfort to those who mourn.  Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Lead us into the world to serve others in need.  Help us to love our neighbors as ourselves.  We give thanks for the opportunity to bring your mercy and goodness to those who are suffering, hungry, thirsty, and lonely.  Lord, in your mercy,  Hear our prayer.

P:  Into your hands, O Lord, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in your mercy; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen

Conclude with our LORD’S PRAYER

Prayer Request list for Waldeck Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ledbetter

Health and Well-being Prayer List:  Phillip Procell, Brian Shaffer, Sandra Gest, James Smith, Barbara Spence, April Weyand, Fritz Schoenst, Alicia McQuaig, Diana Garik Poentisch, Sally Beettner, Carrie Oltmann, Robin Hardin, Beverly Drescher

Martin Luther in Carmine Prayer Lists:

REMEMBER IN PRAYER: Carol Mertz Leitzel, Janet Schnell Beckworth (both friends of Praise Team leader Jolene Wickel, health concerns and in hospitals);  Ricky Eckert (brother of Ronnie Eckert, health concerns); Kalisa Pomykal (Paula Barrick’s sister, medical concerns); Kenny Lorenz (former member Robert Hinze’s relative, serious burns and numerous health concerns); Nancy Pietsch (former RT-C teacher, health concerns); Johnny Dunham (health concerns); Joyce Kelley (friend, health concerns); Jack Walsh (friend of Wade Eilers, recurring melanoma); Bill Clarke (friend of Daryl & Susan Ray, stage 4 cancer); Robert Vaughn (at Texas Neurology, thankful for extended stay for rehab); Carrie Bozarth (friend of Sedalia Ullrich, cancer); Edna Mae Krivacka (friend of Ed Eargle and Carol Carmean, back home, health concerns)

Sympathy to the families of Dora Miller; Jeannie Johnson  (grandmother of Matthew & Nick Colpetzer, Joshua Aranzolo, and Emily Ortiz); LaVerne Krumrey (friend from Brenham; Ruby Marburger Ivey (Nikki Pohl’s mother)

The Ongoing Prayer Concerns may be found in the monthly newsletter.

THIS WEEK at MLLC

Today             5:00 pm-AA Meeting (subject to change)

May 3             5:00 pm-AA Meeting (subject to change)

WORSHIP SERVICES are suspended until further notice.  See the church web site and the church Facebook page for details of online worship services.

CONFIRMATION will be postponed and a new date set when services resume.

LUTHERAN MISSION APPEAL envelopes are designated for Lutheran Disaster Response of the ELCA.  You may send contributions in the mail, or bring it by the office, with the check made out to MLLC and in the memo line, put Lutheran Disaster Response.  You may also go to the website to donate.

mlllccarmine/online-giving/

disaster relief – lutheran disaster response

VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL has been postponed.  The new date at MLLC will be August 2-6, 2020 from 5:30 – 7:45 p.m., with the theme Rocky Railway.  See the codes in the May newsletter to register your child and to volunteer.

Registration is also available at the church web site:  https://mllccarmine.com/vacation-bible-school-2020/

VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL at Bethlehem Lutheran in Round Top will be June 1-4 from 5:30 – 8:30 p.m. with the theme “Anchored.”  There are registration forms in the narthex and church office.  For more information contact Stacy Eilers at 979-639-1897.  Possibly to be postponed to a later date.

CHURCH COUNCIL MEMBER A person is needed to serve as chairperson of the Outreach/Care Committee.  Please consider serving in this role.

FINANCIAL INFORMATION FOR MLLC

Week ending 4/4/2020

Church Income                                           $2,118.00

Church Expenses                                        $5,936.23

Property Insurance                           3,936.50

Benevolences                                    1,158.00

Salaries & Benefits                          400.00

Postage                                               220.00

Bulletins                                            171.73

Miscellaneous                                   50.00

Net Loss:                                                       $3,818.23

Week ending 4/11/2020

Church Income                                           $7,076.00

Church Expenses                                        $4,839.70

Salaries & Benefits                          3,560.16

Utilities                                              800.54

Supplies                                             479.00

Net Income:                                                 $2,236.30

Year to Date Net Loss:                              $511.43