Tag Archives: Jesus

Thanksgiving Eve Worship 2024

Posted by mllccarmine in Announcements, Crossroads Shared Lutheran Ministry, ELCA, Shared Ministry and tagged with , , , ,

brownscomb_first_thanksgiving-1123x702

Let us Give Thanks to the Lord

Thanksgiving Eve Worship Service – November 27 – 7 p.m.

You are invited to attend the annual Thanksgiving Eve service this Wednesday, November 27, 2024.  The service will be held at 7:00 p.m. at the building of our partner church, Waldeck Evangelical Lutheran Church.  That church is located at 6915 Waldeck Church Lane.  This is at the intersection of FM 2145 and FM 1291, just 6.5 miles south of Ledbetter.

Again this year is that we have invited the other two churches from the Crossroads Shared Lutheran Ministries to worship with us.  The people of St. Paul Lutheran in Shelby and Bethlehem Lutheran in Round Top will join with us for this special time of giving thanks.  Of course, all from the community are invited to participate, even if they are not members of any of these four churches.

Even with the busy schedule of the holiday, it is good to take a notable pause to gather for worship, to pray, to thank Lord, to show our thanks in the Holy Communion, and more.  So, just before the big day, our national day of Thanksgiving, take time to gather with one another to thank the Lord and sing his praise.

Thanksgiving Thanks Banner

Reformation Sunday at Lutherhill 2024

Posted by mllccarmine in Announcements, Crossroads Shared Lutheran Ministry, Shared Ministry and tagged with , , , ,

carby chapel lutherhill

Worship on Reformation Sunday

Special Worship Schedule and Location – October 27

No Service at Waldeck on October 27 – Worship at Lutherhill instead.

We will have worship on Sunday, October 27, but it will not be at MLLC. Instead, worship will be held at our local Lutheran Church camp, Lutherhill.  We will gather for worship at 9:30 a.m. in the Carby Chapel on the ground of the camp.  The photo above shows the Carby Chapel from the road and parking lot viewpoint.

The camp is located at:

3782 Luther Hill Road

La Grange, Texas 78945

The entrance to Lutherhill is on FM 2145, about 5 miles south of the Waldeck Church.

After Worship – kids time

Sunday School for children, led by Lutherhill staff

We look to have a strong showing from the people of Waldeck Evangelical Lutheran Church, and all the Crossroads churches, for this special event.

Remember, we will not have a Sunday morning worship service on October 27, at Waldeck (or any of the Crossroads Shared Lutheran Ministry congregations).

Saturday Evening Worship Service – October 26

At MLLC we will offer their usual, Saturday evening service on October 26, at 6 p.m.  –  All are welcome.

Reformation Sunday

The Crossroads Shared Ministry Committee chose this date for our shared worship service due to it being a special day for Lutheran Christians.  October 31, 1517, was when Martin Luther posted the 95 Theses on the Castle Church Door in Wittenberg, Germany. See this web page for more about the 95 Theses:  https://mllccarmine.com/martin-luthers-95-theses/ 

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Regarding your offerings:

The offering at the 4 Church service may be given as follows –

  1. By your regular offering envelope from your respective church.
  2. Cash or check – Checks pay to your chosen church

The offering will then be separated by tellers –

  1. Envelopes will go to each respective church
  2. Checks (without envelopes) will go to the Church shown as the payee
  3. All cash will be counted and given to the Lutherhill Ministries to support their facilities expansion.
  4. There will also be a separate basket at the back of the church for separate & special donations toward Lutherhill’s capital campaign that has been underway for funding the construction of a new dining hall and retreat facilities near Carby Chapel.

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Getting to Lutherhill

We encourage you to bring folks who may be uncomfortable traveling to the camp on their own, or who would need a ride.  This will be a wonderful event for all ages.

Lutherhill is located just north of La Grange at 3782 Lutherhill Rd, La Grange, TX 78945. Once you enter the main camp entrance, you will be heading east.  Follow the long gravel road until you see the signs for Carby Chapel.  This will lead you to follow a road to the left/north, which leads to the chapel.  This part of the camp is depicted on the map noted right below on this page.

Carby Chapel is in the north central part of the camp.

Here is a close up of the portion of a map with Carby Chapel and nearby parking.

This is a once a year special event in which we gather with our group of 4 Crossroads Shared Lutheran Ministry partner churches for a time of worship and learning.

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The four Crossroads Shared Lutheran Ministry congregations are:

St. Paul Lutheran in Shelby (Fayetteville)

Bethlehem Lutheran in Round Top

Waldeck Evangelical Lutheran in Ledbetter

Martin Luther Lutheran in Carmine

Ash Wednesday 2024

Posted by mllccarmine in Announcements, Pastor's Ponderings and tagged with , , , , , , ,

Ash_Wednesday with ashes

Lent Begins February 14, 2024

Ash Wednesday services will be at both MLLC and Waldeck Evangelical Lutheran Church.  You are invited to choose which one best suits your situation.  Both services will offer Holy Communion and the Imposition of Ashes as we begin our Lenten Season.

See the end of this article for more about the ashes of Ash Wednesday.

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The Ash Wednesday Services this year are as follows:

Worship at MLLC at 7:30 p.m.

Worship at Waldeck Lutheran Church at 5:45 p.m.

Waldeck Evangelical Lutheran Church is in a shared ministry with MLLC.  The Church is located at 6915 Waldeck Church Lane, Ledbetter, TX 78946 – this is about 6.5 miles south of Ledbetter at the corner of FM 2145 and FM 1291.  Click here for a map for the church in Waldeck.

The Exhortation on Ash Wednesday invites us into the season of Lent.  Here is that Exhortation as presented in Evangelical Lutheran Worship (ELW) – the book used at Martin Luther Lutheran Church:

Friends in Christ, today with the whole church we enter the time of remembering Jesus’ passover from death to life, and our life in Christ is renewed.

We begin this holy season by acknowledging our need for repentance and for God’s mercy. We are created to experience joy in communion with God, to love one another, and to live in harmony with creation. But our sinful rebellion separates us from God, our neighbors, and creation, so that we do not enjoy the life our creator intended.

As disciples of Jesus, we are called to a discipline that contends against evil and resists whatever leads us away from love of God and neighbor. I invite you, therefore, to the discipline of Lent—

self-examination and repentance, prayer and fasting, sacrificial giving and works of love—strengthened by the gifts of word and sacrament.

Let us continue our journey through these forty days to the great Three Days of Jesus’ death and resurrection.

We are very blessed by the opportunity to work side by side with the people of Waldeck  Evangelical Lutheran Church.  Together we are glorifying God, loving our neighbors, and loving one another.

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ashwednesday03_abc

From the Introduction to our Ash Wednesday Services

What is Ash Wednesday?

On Ash Wednesday, the community of faith comes face to face with two realities.  First, we confront our own mortality.  None of us lives in this life forever. Secondly, all of us are sinners and need to confess our sin to God.  These two themes (death and sin) are brought together in light of God’s redeeming love in Jesus Christ.  As the Apostle John says in 1 John 1:9b, “…(God) who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”  The confession of sin on Sundays reminds us, “In the mercy of almighty God, Jesus Christ was given to die for us, and for his sake God forgives us all our sins.”  The Lutheran Book of Worship (1978) confession also included, “To those who believe in Jesus Christ he gives the power to become the children of God and bestows on them the Holy Spirit.”

 

What are the ashes for?

The “ashes” of Ash Wednesday are rooted in the ancient worship of both the Jewish and Christian communities.  They are a sign of mortality and penance.  Even though we have used the imposition of ashes in our Ash Wednesday worship for many years, they still may seem new or uncomfortable to some of us.  What we should remember about the ashes is they are a visible sign of our cleansing and rebirth, both a recognition of our daily dependence on God for life and a promise of eternal life through Jesus Christ.

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Should I receive the ashes?

The ashes are not compulsory by any means.  You may choose, if you wish, to remain in your seat during the imposition of ashes.  But remember that they are a powerful and visible way to participate in the call to repentance and reconciliation.  If you choose to participate, come forward at the appropriate time in the liturgy with others desiring the ashes.  The pastor will dip his thumb in the ashes and trace the sign of the cross on your forehead.  Afterwards, return to your seat and the liturgy will continue.

Ash Wednesday Questions adapted from the work of Pastor Thomas Weitzel.  He served at a neighboring church to Pastor David Tinker when they were both serving congregations in western Indiana.

Labor Day Sunday Service – September 3, 2023

Posted by mllccarmine in Announcements and tagged with , , , ,

people working

Celebrating Labor Day – September 3

Labor Day Sunday Worship and Meal

Worship at 10 a.m.

Meal at about 11:15 a.m.

Both in the Fellowship Hall

Note: The Saturday evening service at 6 p.m. will be held in the sanctuary as usual.

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Celebrating Labor Day

Sunday, September 3 (Labor Day Weekend), is a Holy Day of sorts for all of us.  We know that Labor Day is a civic holiday to celebrate the opportunity for work and the contribution of the Labor Movement to life in our nation.  As Lutheran Christians we go deeper with this and view all work as part of God’s calling and of his provision of our daily bread.  All Christians are doing the work of God, regardless of where or what they do in their honorable vocation in life.

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Wear What You Wear for Work or School

To celebrate this blessing of vocation we will be taking the Sunday of Labor Day weekend to give thanks for the blessings of daily bread, of work, of school, of family, etc.  To enhance our time together you are invited to wear the clothes or uniform of your current or pre-retirement vocation. Younger folks are encouraged to dress in the manner of those who work in your aspired for vocation or as the younger folks do for school in their current day.  On Sunday, September 3, we will take time to give thanks for all which God calls and equips us to do.

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Church Fellowship Meal – after Worship/about 11:15 a.m.

This meal will include Pulled Pork Sandwiches, with all the trimmings, including individual bags of chips.  Those attending the service and meal are invited to bring side dishes, salads, or desserts.

Pentecost 2023 – Wear Red to Worship

Posted by mllccarmine in Announcements, Pastor's Ponderings and tagged with , , , , , , , , ,

Holy Spirit Icon Pentecost

The Great Festival of Pentecost

On the weekend of May 27-28, 2023, we will be celebrating one of the central festivals of the Church Year.  This is the Day of Pentecost.  It is the celebration of the pouring out of the Holy Spirit on the whole church.  We read about this dramatic giving of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2:1-42.  This giving of the Holy Spirit was a powerful kick-start of the mission and ministry of the Church following the Ascension of Jesus ten days earlier.

At MLLC we are offering two distinct worship opportunities for the celebration of Pentecost.

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Saturday, May 27 at 6 p.m. – The Vigil of Pentecost.

This is a time of waiting, listening, and praying as we prepare for the grand festival.

Readings, candles, Pentecost Sermon of St. John Chrysostom, Holy Communion

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Sunday, May 28, at 10 a.m. – The Day of Pentecost

Festival Worship Service for Pentecost

Reading of Acts 2, Pentecost Sermon of St. John Chrysostom, Holy Communion

Penteocost fire bw

The Festival Vigils

At MLLC we offer both the Vigil and the Festival services for all three of the Major Festival celebrations:  Nativity (Christmas), Resurrection (Easter), and Pentecost.  Each of the Vigils is on the night before the grand festival day.  Each of the Vigils includes a special time using handheld candles. The Vigil of the Nativity is more commonly known as, “The Christmas Eve Candlelight Service.”  The other two use the titles, “The Vigil of Pentecost,” and, “The Great Vigil of Easter.”

Christmas Eve 2014 Candles

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Remember to Wear Red for Pentecost

red pentecost 2

It is happy tradition that people are encouraged to wear something Red to worship on Pentecost Weekend.  We follow this at MLLC as well.  It is not required, for it is simply a joyful way to celebrate the Holy Spirit and our life together in Jesus.  Look through your drawers and closets for red ties, red shirts, red dresses, red skirts, red suspenders, red coats, or whatever you could wear for this holy and joyful weekend of worship.

Introduction to Good Friday 2022

Posted by mllccarmine in Announcements and tagged with , , , ,

Good Friday Bare Chancel

We will gather together on Friday, April 15, at 7 p.m. to remember the events of Good Friday.  This is our annual remembrance of the dramatic sacrifice of Jesus for the forgiveness of our sin.

Introduction to Good Friday

We begin our liturgy as we ended the Maundy Thursday Liturgy: in silence. What was begun then continues this day as we journey with our Savior from the Last Supper, the stripping and humiliation, to the cross and tomb. Good Friday is the second day of the Triduum, the “Three Sacred Days” of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday with its Vigil of Easter.

The Good Friday Liturgy is marked with austerity, silence and reflection. The chancel itself is bare from the Maundy Thursday stripping. There is no organ music except to accompany the hymns. Everything focuses on our adoration of the crucified Christ, reigning from the throne of the cross.

The service of Tenebrae is an ancient Holy Week devotion which began in the 7th or 8th century, or possibly earlier.  The name “Tenebrae” means shadows.  The service takes its name from the ceremony of extinguishing in succession all the lights in the sanctuary, casting it into total darkness which is symbolic of the disciples’ desertion of our Lord, and of his death and burial.

The purpose of the Tenebrae Service is to aid us in realizing the total impact of the darkest day in the history of the world, the day Jesus died on the cross.

The opening portion of the liturgy includes no praise. It proceeds directly to the Invocation and Prayer of the Day. It is a simplified version of our Sunday Liturgy of the Word. The chief acts are the reading of the Passion of St. John and the Bidding Prayer for the needs of our world.

Following the final hymn is a meditation on the Seven Last Words of our Lord which he spoke from the cross.  After each word is read, there will be a prayer and silent meditation.  Lights and one candle will be extinguished after each meditation until the sanctuary is in darkness.

After the lights are all extinguished, the congregation will stand as the Paschal Candle is carried from the sanctuary reminding us of the burial of Jesus.  A loud noise, made by the closing of a Bible,will remind us of the closing of the tomb.  This announces the fulfilling of the Scriptures and the completion of our Lord’s work on the cross for us.

The Paschal Candle (called the Christ Candle during Advent/Christmas) will not return until the beginning of the Great Vigil of Easter on Saturday evening at 7 p.m.  On Good Friday we recognize that Jesus was fully dead and was placed in the borrowed tomb.

Note:  The return of the Paschal Candle moments after the loud noise is a form of the Good Friday service designed to be used in those congregations which do not have the Great Vigil of Easter.

All will leave in silence to return tomorrow as we wait in vigil and then celebrate our Lord’s Resurrection at the Great Vigil of Easter.  At the Vigil tomorrow evening we will have the first Holy Communion in celebration of the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Schedule for the rest of Holy Week:

Easter Vigil

– Saturday – 7:00 p.m. – in sanctuary

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Resurrection Sunday:

Resurrection Sunrise service at 6:45 a.m. at the Carmine Cemetery.

   (Bring your own chairs for seating at the cemetery)

Easter Reception in Parlor, near the sanctuary – 9:30-10:00 a.m.

Festival Resurrection Service at 10:00 a.m. in the sanctuary

Egg hunt and party for the children. ~11:15 a.m

jesus-christ-crucifixion-395

Ash Wednesday 2022

Posted by mllccarmine in Announcements and tagged with , , , , , , ,

Ash_Wednesday with ashes

Lent Begins March 2, 2022

Ash Wednesday services will be at both MLLC and Waldeck Evangelical Lutheran Church.  You are invited to choose which one best suits your situation.  Both services will offer Holy Communion and the Imposition of Ashes as we begin our Lenten Season.

See the end of this article for more about the ashes of Ash Wednesday.

The Ash Wednesday Service this year serves as the beginning of our Lenten Sermon Series on the Disciplines of Lent.  On Ash Wednesday we will hear about the Biblical, Christian discipline of Fasting.

Worship at MLLC at 7:30 p.m.

Worship at Waldeck Lutheran Church at 5:45 p.m.

Waldeck Evangelical Lutheran Church is in a shared ministry with MLLC.  The Church is located at 6915 Waldeck Church Lane, Ledbetter, TX 78946 – this is about 6.5 miles south of Ledbetter at the corner of FM 2145 and FM 1291.  Click here for a map for the church in Waldeck.

The Exhortation on Ash Wednesday invites us into the season of Lent.  Here is that Exhortation as presented in Evangelical Lutheran Worship (ELW) – the book used at Martin Luther Lutheran Church:

Friends in Christ, today with the whole church we enter the time of remembering Jesus’ passover from death to life, and our life in Christ is renewed.

We begin this holy season by acknowledging our need for repentance and for God’s mercy. We are created to experience joy in communion with God, to love one another, and to live in harmony with creation. But our sinful rebellion separates us from God, our neighbors, and creation, so that we do not enjoy the life our creator intended.

As disciples of Jesus, we are called to a discipline that contends against evil and resists whatever leads us away from love of God and neighbor. I invite you, therefore, to the discipline of Lent—

self-examination and repentance, prayer and fasting, sacrificial giving and works of love—strengthened by the gifts of word and sacrament.

Let us continue our journey through these forty days to the great Three Days of Jesus’ death and resurrection.

We are very blessed by the opportunity to work side by side with the people of Waldeck  Evangelical Lutheran Church.  Together we are glorifying God, loving our neighbors and loving one another.

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From the Introduction to our Ash Wednesday Services

What is Ash Wednesday?

On Ash Wednesday, the community of faith comes face to face with two realities.  First, we confront our own mortality.  None of us lives in this life forever. Secondly, all of us are sinners and need to confess our sin to God.  These two themes (death and sin) are brought together in light of God’s redeeming love in Jesus Christ.  As the Apostle John says in 1 John 1:9b, “…(God) who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”  The confession of sin on Sundays reminds us, “In the mercy of almighty God, Jesus Christ was given to die for us, and for his sake God forgives us all our sins.”  The Lutheran Book of Worship (1978) confession also included, “To those who believe in Jesus Christ he gives the power to become the children of God and bestows on them the Holy Spirit.”

 

What are the ashes for?

The “ashes” of Ash Wednesday are rooted in the ancient worship of both the Jewish and Christian communities.  They are a sign of mortality and penance.  Even though we have used the imposition of ashes in our Ash Wednesday worship for many years, they still may seem new or uncomfortable to some of us.  What we should remember about the ashes is they are a visible sign of our cleansing and rebirth, both a recognition of our daily dependence on God for life and a promise of eternal life through Jesus Christ.

 

Should I receive the ashes?

The ashes are not compulsory by any means.  You may choose, if you wish, to remain in your seat during the imposition of ashes.  But remember that they are a powerful and visible way to participate in the call to repentance and reconciliation.  If you choose to participate, come forward at the appropriate time in the liturgy with others desiring the ashes.  The pastor will dip his thumb in the ashes and trace the sign of the cross on your forehead.  Afterwards, return to your seat and the liturgy will continue.

Ash Wednesday Questions adapted from the work of Pastor Thomas Weitzel.  He served at a neighboring church to Pastor David Tinker when they were both serving congregations in western Indiana.

Decorate the Christmas Tree – November 28

Posted by mllccarmine in Announcements and tagged with , , , ,

Join the Fun and Joy

We will gather after worship on Sunday, November 28, to decorate the MLLC Sanctuary for the Advent and Christmas Seasons.  This will take place about 11:00 a.m. on Sunday.  We need plenty of workers of all ages to help with this fun and joyful event.  Our old tree has been retired.  This year we will be using two, brand new Christmas Trees.  We will need plenty of volunteers to make sure the work gets done.

As always, we gather for worship at 10 a.m. on Sunday.  This is the beginning of Advent, and it is a special and meaningful time to gather with fellow Christians. Come for worship.  Then stay to decorate.

We also offer worship every Saturday at 6 p.m. (except when Christmas Day is on a Saturday, such as 2021).

One of the joys of our decorating is the use of Chrismons.  As part of our decorating we will hang the Chrismons for the tree.  These were made following patterns suggested and offered by the originators of Chrismons (click this link for more information from the official web site of Chrismons).

Here are some of the Chrismons which were carefully wrapped for storage since last year.

Christmas Tree 2014 set up Crismon detail

Here are some photos of our crew setting up the tree and preparing the lights in previous years.

Christmas Tree 2014 set up lights on tree

Christmas Tree 2014 set up tree top

Our Olive Wood Nativity Set will be ready for set up as well.

Christmas Tree 2014 set up olive wood box

Christmas Tree 2014 set up olive wood inside

Our pulpit will be moved to a back corner to make room for the tree and Nativity scene.

Christmas Tree 2014 set up pulpit

Advent 2019 Series

Posted by mllccarmine in Announcements and tagged with , , , , ,

Nativity Sacred Art NatShepherdMurillo

Celebrating Advent 2019

The Advent Wednesday Service Series this year is:  Advent and Christmas According to St. Luke.

This series will look through three major scenes in the Gospel Book of Luke to tell us more about what God is doing and how we can respond in faith.

The services are a joint event for the four churches of Crossroads Shared Lutheran Ministries:  Waldeck Evangelical – Ledbetter, Bethlehem – Round Top, St. Paul – Shelby, and MLLC.  Both Pastor John David Nedbalek and Pastor David Tinker will share leadership at the services.

The 3 Wednesday services will be on December 4, 11, and 18.  A fellowship meal will be at 6 p.m.; and worship at 7:00 p.m.  All events will take place in the fellowship hall at Martin Luther Lutheran Church.

Here are the themes of each week:

December 4:  Annunciation – the visit of the Angel Gabriel to Mary

December 11:  Birth – the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem

December 18:  Response – the shepherds praise the newborn Messiah

We look forward to seeing you at worship on this three weeks.

Lent Wednesdays 2016

Posted by Pastor David Tinker in Announcements, Uncategorized and tagged with , , , , ,

jesus-christ-crucifixion-395

You are invited to gather with God’s people for our Lenten Wednesday services.

Wednesdays in Lent

February 17, 24, March 2, 9 and 16
Fellowship Meal 6:00 p.m. each week
Evening Prayer 7:00 p.m. each week
Both the meal and worship will be in the Fellowship Hall.

Our Lenten Theme is “Reflections Around the Cross”. We are participating in a Pulpit Exchange with area Lutheran clergy. Each one will bring a message from a Biblical character who reflects on Jesus’ death on the cross. Each week we will also read a portion of Jesus’ Passion from the Gospel of Luke. We will use our usual service of Evening Prayer.

February 17 Pastor Candy O’Meara, portraying the Roman Centurion
February 24 Pastor Marcia Kifer, portraying Mary, the mother of our Lord
March 2 Pastor Willie Rotter, portraying Caiaphas, the High Priest
March 9 Pastor John David Nedbalek, portraying Satan
March 16 Pastor Glenn Hohlt, portraying Nicodemus

Later, on Good Friday, Pastor David Tinker will be portraying the Apostle John.

 

See this link for additional information:  https://mllccarmine.com/