Welcome to Christ Lutheran Church
Divine Service 10:30 am
We provide a traditional LCMS service using the Lutheran Service Book (LSB) every Sunday morning at 10:30am central time, preceded by Bible Study and Sunday School at 9:00am. If you are uncomfortable or unable to attend in person due to Covid-19, or other reasons, please join us online via Facebook Live. (Facebook account required.)
Activities
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- May 18 service and other news
Brothers and sisters, Greetings, and peace to you in the name of our risen Savior, Jesus Christ. I encourage you to join us Sunday morning and receive gifts from our living Lord and Savior, Jesus.
I will begin by reminding you of the Ascension Day celebration being planned for Thursday May 29 at 6:30.
May 18th is the Fifth Sunday of Easter. Our focus on Sunday mornings remains on Jesus’ victory over death, but the Scripture readings for the next few weeks will also have increasing numbers of references to the Holy Spirit, preparing us for the approaching festival of Pentecost. We will follow the liturgy of Divine Service One beginning on page 151 of the LSB hymnal. Hymns chosen for the day are#490 Jesus Lives! The Victory’s Won; #496 Holy Spirit, Light Divine; #461 I Know That My Redeemer Lives; and #475 Good Christian Friends, Rejoice and Sing.
Scriptures assigned to the day are Psalm 148:1-14; Acts 11:1-18; Revelation 21:1-7; and John 16:12-22.
Psalm 148 is the third of the Hallelujah psalms at the close of the Book of Psalms. An ancient Greek translation associates the psalm with the prophets Haggai and Zechariah after the Jews returned from exile in Babylon. The psalmist urges all of creation to praise God for His strength and majesty. He has “raised up a horn for His people”, which refers to a king of power, and foretells Jesus who reigns over all things.
In Acts Chapter 11, it is reported that Gentiles were receiving the gospel and believing in Jesus as their savior from sin. At the same time there were some Jewish Christians who insisted the Gentiles should be required to undergo circumcision before being allowed to join the congregation. These “Judaizers” criticized St. Peter for eating with the unclean, uncircumcised Gentile Christians. Peter responds by telling them of a vision he had been given three times by God. In the vision Peter saw a number of common creatures that God had classified as unclean under the Law. Surprisingly, an unidentified voice instructed Peter to eat the unclean animals. Though Peter piously refused, the voice was persistent, telling him to eat with the assurance that ‘what God has made clean, do not call common’ or unclean. As the vision ended, three Gentile men had come to take Peter to visit a certain Gentile man and speak the gospel to him. The man had had also received a vison from God so was waiting for Peter. As Peter spoke the gospel of Jesus to the man, the Holy Spirit fell on all of them, just as the Spirit had done on Pentecost. Peter concluded that the Gentiles were not unclean, but should receive the same gifts of forgiveness Jesus had offered to the apostles and Jews. After Peter had explained why he was interacting with the Gentiles, the crowd of Christians praised God for adding to the number of believers. Peter’s experience is a reminder that God desires all people to turn from their sin, to trust in Jesus, and to receive His gift of forgiveness that leads to eternal life.. The gospel is good news that should be shared with everyone.
In the reading from Revelation Chapter 21, John sees a vision of a new heavenly Jerusalem where believers in Jesus will live with Him forever. In this new heaven and earth, death and grief will no longer exist because God will have removed the sin that causes such pain. Jesus came to fulfill that vision for us, dying on the cross to pay for our debt of sin.
During the season of Easter, the gospel lessons has been reporting on the appearances of Jesus following His resurrection. For this Sunday we need to go back in time a bit, to the evening before Jesus was arrested and crucified. He had eaten the Passover meal with His disciples. John Chapter 16 reports that after the meal, Jesus began to tell them about His approaching death, and explained how He would soon send them the Holy Spirit. (this passage is one of the reasons we confess in the Creed that the Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son). This news was a bit confusing. But Jesus assures them that the Holy Spirit will help them understand what He is saying, and to overcome the grief they will feel when He leaves them on at His death and at His ascension out of sight.
COLLECT: Almighty merciful God, You make the minds of Your faithful to be of one will. Grant that we may love what you have commanded, and desire what You promise, that among the many changes of this world we might always hold to the joyous victory of our Savior; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Please let me know if you have any prayer requests or questions about schedules or Sunday’s Scripture lessons. God bless you. Pastor Boster
- May 11 service and other news
Brothers and sisters, Greetings, and peace to you in the name of our risen Savior, Jesus Christ. I encourage you to join us Sunday morning as we continue to celebrate the good news that Jesus is alive, being bodily raised from the dead. Because He lives, we who belong to Him, will also be made alive when He comes again.
I’ll begin by reminding you of upcoming events. This Sunday, May 11 is Mothers’ Day. Mothers are precious gifts from God. Many of us first learned of Jesus while sitting on our mother’s lap. Take time to thank God for your mom, and all Christian moms. If your mom is still living near you, start the day by taking her to church.
An Ascension Day celebration is planned for Thursday May 29 at 6:30.
May 11th is the Fourth Sunday of Easter. The Fourth Sunday of the Easter Season is traditionally called Good Shepherd Sunday. We are reminded that Jesus graciously laid down His life to save us, His sheep. The Shepherd theme is evident in several of the Scripture lessons and hymns. We will follow the liturgy of Divine Service One beginning on page 151 of the LSB hymnal. For the hymn of praise, I’ve chosen a hymn I wrote years ago as part of a seminary exercise. It is sung to the tune of #817 Earth and All Stars. Other hymns chosen for the day are #483 With High Delight, Let Us Unite; #711 Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us; #710 The Lord’s My Shepherd; and #468 I Am Content.
Scriptures assigned to the day are Psalm 23; Acts 20:17-35; Revelation 7:9-17; and John 10:22-30.
Psalm 23 may be one of the most familiar passages in Scripture. It describes the confidence of God’s people. There are wolves in this world, the devil and his agents, who would seek to destroy us like sheep. Like sheep, we rely on our divine, almighty, and gracious Shepherd to protect us, to calm us, and to lead us to peaceful pastures, even bringing us through the valley of the shadow of death. Jesus encourages you to listen for His voice, and to follow where His Word leads. If you follow Him, He promises to give you eternal life. He gives the assurance that no one can snatch you out of His caring hand.
The reading from Acts 20 is a record of a speech St. Paul gave near the end of his ministry. Paul was aware that he will soon be arrested, imprisoned, and likely be put to death. So, he gathers leaders from the Ephesian congregation and reminds them (and us) of the history of his service to Jesus. He then exhorts those leaders (and us) to beware of false teachers and other agents of the devil who will attempt to deceive us and mislead us away from Jesus. False teachers and worldly enticements remain a danger to each of us. Informed by Jesus’ Words in Scripture, and having our faith nourished by His body and blood, we are empowered and commissioned to help those under attack.
Revelation Chapter 7 describes heaven as a large throne room. People from every nation are gathered there. Their attention is focused on Jesus, the Lamb whose blood has cleansed them all from sin and redeemed them from death. The multitude joins with angels in singing praise to Jesus. As they serve Jesus, they recite His promise of eternal life without suffering or sadness. Jesus is the Shepherd who leads us to living water.
In the gospel reading from John 10, Jesus is at the Jerusalem temple celebrating the Feast of Dedication, also known as Hannukah. In 167 BC a Greek king ruled Jewish lands. He desecrated the Jerusalem temple by killing a pig on its altar. The Maccabees were a family of Jewish fighters who recaptured the city and cleansed the temple, and rededicated it for Jewish worship. It is said that God performed a miracle, seeing to it that the temple candles did not run out of oil for eight days. The Jews commemorated the event each year by also hoping for a leader who would cast off foreign rule. Jesus arrives, not as a political leader but as a spiritual leader. The Jewish religious leaders challenged Him, asking for proof that He was the Christ, God’s Anointed One. Jesus pointed to His miraculous works. Since the leaders did not believe the works, they were not going to believe His words either. But Jesus assures them that His “sheep” would recognize His voice. Those who hear His voice and follow Him will not perish. Jesus gives them eternal life. You are encouraged to read the Bible so you might discern Jesus’s words and not be misled to death by the false teachers and enticements of this world.
COLLECT: Almighty merciful God, since You have wakened from death the Shepherd of Your sheep, grant us Your Holy Spirit so that when we hear the voice of our Shepherd we may know Him who calls us each by name, and follow where He leads; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord and Savior, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Please let me know if you have any prayer requests or questions about schedules or Sunday’s Scripture lessons. God bless you. Pastor Boster
- May 4 service
Brothers and sisters, I encourage you to join us Sunday morning as we continue to celebrate the good news that Jesus is alive, being bodily raised from the dead. Because He lives, we who belong to Him, will also be made alive when He comes again.
May 4th is the Third Sunday of Easter. We will follow the liturgy of Divine Service One beginning on page 151 of the LSB hymnal. Hymns chosen for the day are #487 Come You Faithful Raise the Strain; #485 Long Before the World is Waking; #473 Our Pascal Lamb, That Sets Us Free; #488 He is Arisen! Glorious Word; and #479 Christ is Risen, Christ is Living.
Scriptures assigned to the day are Psalm 30:1-12; Acts 9:1-22; Revelation 5:8-14; and John 21:1-14.
The attribution for Psalm 30 says it is a psalm of David, later sung at the Dedication of the first Jerusalem Temple. 2Samuel Chapters 23 and 24 report some of the things King David did in the days before he died. He compiled a list of the names of the elite warriors who had fought for him. Without God’s direction, he also conducted a census of the country and a census of the army. It is not clear why he took a census. It is written that God was angry with David, and incited him to count. David’s motivation may have been arrogance, measuring what he thought he had accomplished. We often err by placing our confidence in numbers. Or maybe David was afraid for his country, worrying as to whether the county had enough men to protect the land. In any case, David recognized his action as sinful. Obsession with numbers is failing to trust God above all things. As punishment, God sent a plague on the land and thousands of men died. But God relented, and His angel of death was stopped from doing further damage. David responded with thanksgiving, buying a piece of ground and erecting an altar to worship God. Several years later, David’s son Solomon would build the temple on this same location.
At the Dedication, they sang David’s psalm. He praises God for hearing his cries and restoring him. God turned David’s grief over sin into the joy that comes with assurance of forgiveness. Because Jesus has died to pay for our sin, we too can be confident that we have been restored to God. And on the last day, He will bring us up from the dead.
Acts 9 reports on the conversion of St. Paul. Originally named Saul, he was trained as a Pharisee, and became an ardent opponent to Christianity. But as the narrative reports, God used the witness of a man names Ananias to change Saul’s views of Jesus and of Christians. God made Paul the chief Christian missionary to the Gentiles and defender of the faith. Continue to pray for our enemies. God can turn the hearts of His most stubborn opponents.
The reading from Revelation gives a description of worship in heaven, with heavenly creatures praising Jesus for shedding His blood as the ransom payment that set people free from condemnation and death. Jesus deserves all our praise and honor.
The verses from John Chapter 21 describe yet another appearance of Jesus after His resurrection. Though His appearance was somehow changed, His disciples knew it was Him. He instructed the disciples where to fish and then ate with them. This is evidence that Jesus is not a mere spirit, but has a resurrected body. In a similar way, Jesus will make alive the earthly bodies of each one of us, and raise us in glory.
COLLECT: O gracious Father God, through the humiliation of Your Son, You raised up the fallen world. As You have rescued us from the peril of everlasting death, grant to your faithful people perpetual gladness and eternal joys; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord and Savior, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Please let me know if you have any prayer requests of questions about Sunday’s Scripture readings. Christ is risen indeed! Alleluia! God bless you. Pastor Boster
- April 27 service and other news
Brothers and sisters, I encourage you to join us Sunday morning as we continue to celebrate the good news of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. He has overcome death. Because He lives, all those who trust in Him will also be raised from the dead to live forever. As we read in the Scripture lessons, the truth of Jesus’ bodily resurrection can be difficult for sinful minds to believe. Thank God for working faith in our hearts.
Final arrangements are being made for the May 3 German Sausage Dinner. Lunch will served from 11 to 1. You can eat in or carry out. Freshly smoked sausage links are also for sale. There will be music and an auction. Come and bring your friends to enjoy the food and music, and the opportunity to buy some beautiful items.
The 27th of April is the Second Sunday of Easter. During the worship service we will follow the liturgy of Divine Service One beginning on page 151 of the LSB hymnal. Hymns chosen for the day are #463 Christ the Lord is Risen Today, Alleluia; #472 These Things Did Thomas Count as Real; #528 Oh For a Thousand Tongues to Sing; and #720 We Walk by Faith and not by Sight.
Scriptures assigned to the day are Psalm 148:1-14; Acts 5:12-20; Revelations 1:14-18; and John 20:19-31.
Through Psalm 148, the psalmist urges all creation to join in praising God, for He has kept His promise. He has raised up a “horn” from Israel. A horn (referring to the head of a ram or a bull) is a symbol of strength and power, and is often used in the Old Testament to refer to a king. A horn can be thought of as one who leads, protects, or saves people. Jesus is the horn/king God has raised up to defend and rescue His people.
Acts 5 reports on some of the events following Jesus’ resurrection and ascension, and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. The apostles who had been closest to Jesus were emboldened to continue the earthly ministry He had begun. They healed the sick, gave relief to those burdened by unclean spirits, and proclaimed the gospel of forgiveness and life in Jesus. And the Church grew. There were opponents to the apostles just as there had been opponents to Jesus. Jewish leaders had the apostles arrested. During the night, an angel miraculously released them from confinement. God instructed the apostles to not be afraid, and to return to the public square to continue proclaiming the gospel. God continues to urge all of us to tell others about the Jesus and the kingdom of God.
The book of Revelations is a series of revelations Jesus gave to His disciple John. The revelations are apocalyptic, using very mysterious, figurative, and symbolic language to describe the kingdom of heaven and the events leading to the end of the earth. In Chapter 1, John reports on details of the messages and visions he received from Jesus after His ascension. Jesus uses titles to describe His eternal greatness. He tells John to write about what he sees, including warnings to seven particular congregations. When Jesus appears, John gets a glimpse of Him and falls to the ground. Jesus tells Him to not be afraid; He holds the keys to life and death. One thing to keep in mind when reading Revelations is that all who trust in Jesus have no reason to fear. He will take you to live where He is.
In John 20 we read about events that took place among a group of disciples in the evening of the first Easter. The disciples (all but Thomas) were in a locked room, afraid the authorities might arrest them and put them to death as they had done to Jesus. Suddenly Jesus appeared, mysteriously entering despite the doors and windows being locked. Jesus greets them and tells them not to be afraid. Jesus also suddenly disappears. The apostles tell Thomas what he had missed. But he did not believe them. A week later, Jesus once again returns. Jesus revealed to Thomas that He was indeed alive. Thomas quickly testified that he believed Jesus. Jesus reminds us it is a great blessing if one can trust Jesus without seeing Him. The Scriptures point to Jesus, and all that they say has been written down for your benefit, that you would believe in Jesus, trust that He is the Son of God, and have eternal life in His name, belonging to Him
COLLECT: O almighty and most-merciful God, grant that we who have celebrated the mystery of our Savior’s resurrection, may by the help of Your grace display the fruits of faith in our words, thoughts, and conduct, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen
Please let me know if you have any prayer requests or questions about Sunday’s lessons. The Lord be with you. Pastor Boster
- Palm Sunday and Holy Week
Brothers and sisters, we are coming to the end of the Lenten season. Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week, which in turn leads into the Easter season. Centuries ago, Jesus entered Jerusalem to the sound of cheers. Less than a week later, crowds were calling for Him to be crucified. In His death, Jesus accomplishes God’s plan to redeem us from our sin. Jesus pays the penalty for your sin so you would have access to God. Come and worship; hear the good news and give thanks to Jesus your savior from sin, death, and the devil.
Please make note of a number of upcoming events.
In the evening of Palm Sunday, April 13 at 6:30, the Methodist Church in Brookshire will be hosting a community Lenten Cantata. You are invited to attend.
There will be no service on Wednesday 16th.. There will be a communion service at 6:30 on Maundy Thursday April 17. On Good Friday, April 18, we will host a brief service at noon, and a Tenebrae service at 6:30 pm. You are encouraged to read through the four Gospels during the week to better appreciate Jesus’ suffering and death for you.
On Easter Sunday April 20th we will gather to celebrate Jesus’ resurrection. Elders and their helpers plan to serve breakfast beginning around 8:45. We will offer an abbreviated Sunday School and Bible class at 9:30, and an egg hunt at 10. Worship is at 10:30. Please explain our communion practice to any of your visitors.
The sixth Sunday of Lent has been referred to historically as “Palm Sunday” and also as “Sunday of the Passion”. The order of service on the 13th will include references to both, and will make a transition of sorts in preparation for Easter. We will begin by reading St. John’s report of the first “Palm Sunday” celebration. Jesus came to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. The way He is welcomed as a king is a fulfillment of prophecy. The Passover points to Jesus as Lord of all, and as the Lamb who takes away the sin of the world. During the service we will also read St. Luke’s report of Jesus’ arrest, trial, crucifixion, and burial as events we should soberly consider in preparation for the surprising, miraculous, and joyous news of Easter.
We will follow a modified version of the liturgy of Divine Service Four beginning on page 203 of the LSB hymnal. Hymns chosen for the day are #443 Hosanna, Loud Hosanna; #441 Ride On, Ride On in Majesty; #634 The Death of Jesus Christ Our Lord; and #440 Jesus, I Will Ponder Now. It is tradition to omit the Gloria Patri (Glory be to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) during Holy Week
Scriptures assigned to the day are John 12:12-19; Psalm 31:9-16; Deuteronomy 32:36-39, Philippians 2:5-11, and Luke 23:1-56.
Psalm 31 is a psalm of David. Through the words of the psalm, he acknowledges God as the great Protector, and prays that God would save him from the enemies that are pursuing him. The verses we will be reading also foreshadow the isolation and hatred Jesus suffered as His opponents mistreated Him and nailed Him to a cross.
In Deuteronomy 32, God reminds the tribes of Israel that He is a powerful judge. He kills, and He makes alive. False gods are of course no help to us. But Yahweh, the true God, will vindicate His people. Take notice of Him, for no thing and no one can deliver us from His hand. Only He, Himself, can rescue us from His wrath against sin. That rescue has been accomplished through the sacrificial death of Jesus. He lived under God’s Law like we do, except He kept it perfectly. And Jesus has exchanged your sin with His perfection.
In Philippians 2, St. Paul summarizes what Jesus has accomplished for us. Jesus humbles Himself, being obedient to God’s Law, not using His divine powers to escape, in order that He could serve all of us. He was put to death like a criminal so that we could have eternal life. Every knee will bow to Him, acknowledging His Lordship. Some will bow before Him in this life, expressing honor and gratitude. All others will bow down before Him on the Day of Judgment as he condemns those who failed to honor and thank Him earlier.
Luke 23:1-56 is a narrative of the “Passion” part of this Sunday, summarizing the events from the time of Jesus’ arrest to His burial. You should know that Jesus’ suffering and death was all part of God’s plan to rescue you from your sin.
COLLECT: Almighty, Gracious God, You sent Your Son, our Savior Jesus Christ, to take upon Himself our flesh and to suffer death upon the cross. Mercifully grant that we may follow the example of His great humility and patience and be made partakers of His resurrection; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord and Savior, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Please let me know if you have any prayer requests, or questions about schedules or the meaning of the Scripture reading. God bless you. Pastor Boster