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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- April 14 the Third Sunday of Easter
Brothers and sisters, greetings in the name of or our risen and ever-living savior, Jesus. I pray that the joy of Easter carries you through the trials and temptations of this life. I also encourage you to be in worship Sunday so that you can receive the faith-sustaining gifts of forgiveness Jesus distributes there.
As a reminder, the German Sausage Dinner is coming Saturday May 4. There will be food and music, a silent auction, and a live auction. The event is a tradition in the community and provides funds for several projects around the church and support of other charities. Your participation is very important in making the day a success. Invite your family, friends, and neighbors. If you have any questions about the event, call the church office or drop us an email.
Sunday April 14th we will worship following the liturgy of Divine Service One beginning on page 151 in the LSB hymnal. Hymns chosen for the day are #483 With High Delight, Let Us Unite; #467 Awake My Heart With Gladness; #585 Lord Jesus Christ, With Us Abide; and #473 Our Paschal Lamb That Sets Us Free. Scripture readings for the day are Psalm 4; Acts 3:11-21; 1 John 3:1-7; and Luke 24:36-49.
The ascription of Psalm 4 says it is a psalm of King David, written for the choirmaster to be accompanied by stringed instruments. In the psalm, David describes the distress he feels when people speak ill of him and others. Instead of being angry at these naysayers and worrying about their mean words, we should trust in God. God is a constant source of defense, peace, and joy. Look to Him for relief when people are putting you down. God gives more than a psychological boost. He assures you that your life is in His hands. He is watching over you day and night.
The book of Acts [of the Apostles] was written by St. Luke, and includes reports on the development of the early church following the Ascension of Jesus. In those early days, the apostles were delegated divine power to do several public miracles. As one example in Chapter 3, Peter was able to heal a lame beggar, enabling the man to walk. And observers were amazed, and surrounded Peter and John. Peter used the occasion as an opportunity to tell the people about Jesus, and the greater miracle He accomplished, forgiving our sins by suffering and dying on a cross for us. The proper response to this message of Jesus is to repent, turning to Him that you too would have this miracle of forgiveness, no matter what other troubles you might have,
In the gospel reading from 1 John 3, the apostle identifies Christians as children of God. He also tells of the coming day when Jesus returns, and we mortal sinful people will be transformed to be like Him. John instructs his readers how they should live as children of God in these days until Jesus’ return. The instruction can be shown to include two aspects. We should not take sin lightly, but struggle and resist against it. When we sin, we should not deny it, but confess it and take it to Jesus to be cleansed. As we are enabled by the Holy Spirit, let us live righteous lives, demonstrating the love of Jesus toward others. Let us love as He has loved us.
The gospel reading is St. Luke’s account of events on the evening of the first Easter. It is his account of the disciples’ gathering in the upper room and Jesus sudden resurrected appearance. (Last week we read the similar John 20 account of that night and “doubting” Thomas). Jesus verifies that He is physically risen from the dead. It seems a story too good to be true. But we should not be surprised. Jesus’ death and resurrection are the fulfillment of God’s promises given through the centuries, and the foundation of the eternal life God has prepared for us.
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 or questions about Sunday’s Scripture lessons. God bless you. Pastor Boster
- April 7 the second Sunday of Easter
Brothers and sisters, Christ is risen! The Easter season continues. Each Sunday, the first day of each week, is an opportunity to come together to share in the benefits of forgiveness and eternal life we have been given through Jesus’ death and resurrection.
Sunday April 7th we will worship following the liturgy of Divine Service Setting One beginning on page 151 in the LSB hymnal.
Hymns chosen for the day are #469 Christ the Lord is Risen Today; 471 O Sons and Daughters of the King; #636 Soul Adorn Yourself with Gladness; and #486 If Christ Had Not Been Raised From Death.
Scripture readings for the day are Psalm 148:1-14; Acts 4:32-35; 1 John 1:1-2:2; and John 20:19-31.
The Gospel reading from John’s account highlights the forgiveness and peace we have been given by Jesus. Jesus’ blood was shed as a sacrifice to atone for the sin of each of us. Rising from the dead He promises eternal life to you. Such gifts can be difficult to believe. We would like visible proof. Jesus gives His Word shown to be true by His victory over the grave. Pray that all people would be led to trust Jesus’ words and have eternal life in His name.
The other Scripture readings for the day describe some of the responses to this gift of forgiveness and peace. Among the responses are fellowship with other Christians and a loving concern for them, living life in the “light” rather than in ‘darkness’, and assurance that Jesus still advocates for us even when we sin. Jesus died for your sin, and for the sin of every person. All sin has been paid for. I urge you not to miss out on the benefits He gives. Jesus is the one we should unify around. Psalm 148 invites you to join with all creation in praising God as He continue to deliver and restore all things.
COLLECT: Almighty merciful God, grant that we who celebrated the Lord’s resurrection may by your grace demonstrate in our life and confess in our conversation that Jesus is Lord and God; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Savior, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Please let me know of you have any prayer requests or questions about Sunday’s Scripture readings. God bless you. Pastor Boster
Alleluia! Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed! Alleluia!
- March 31 Easter Service
The service we will follow on Easter Sunday is the liturgy of Divine Service setting 1 beginning on page 151. There will be a few modifications in the opening invocation, scripture reading, and responsive psalm reading. Hymns chosen for the day are #457 Jesus Christ is Risen Today; #464 The Strife is O’er, the Battle Done; #633 At the Lamb’s High Feast; and #475 Good Christian Friends, Rejoice and Sing.
Scripture readings for the day are Mark 16:1-8; Isaiah 25:6-9; and 1 Corinthians 15:1-11.
We will begin the service with a bit of an announcement, reading St. Mark’s account of the women at the empty tomb of Jesus. Mark’s account is a bit strange in that there is no encounter with Jesus as compared to the other gospel accounts. The women respond with fear and trembling at news that Jesus is risen from the grave just as He said He would do. What is your response to the news that Jesus, once dead, is now alive?
For the psalm we will responsively read portions of Psalm 118 intermixed with portions of Matthew 28.
The Old Testament reading is from Isaiah 25. The prophet foretells of a sumptuous heavenly feast given by God to celebrate the defeat of death, and the end of all sadness. Jesus our Lord has saved us! Those who wait on Jesus will be glad and rejoice. You are invited to the heavenly feast! Join the celebration even now!
The epistle reading is from the opening verses of 1 Corinthians Chapter 15. St. Paul reminds the Corinthians and all Christians of the significance of Jesus’ resurrection. Resurrection, like forgiveness of sins, is foundational to the gospel. If Christ is not raised from the dead than our faith and all preaching are worthless. But, in fact Christ is raised! Over 500 witnesses could attest that they saw Jesus alive between the time of His resurrection and His ascension 40 days later.
Come join in the celebration of the resurrection of our Lord.
Collect: Almighty God the Father, through Your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, You have overcome death, and opened the gate of everlasting life to us. Grant that we, who celebrate the day of our Lord’s resurrection, may be raised from the death of sin by Your life-giving Spirit; 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 the scriptures read this Easter. God bless you. Pastor Boster
- March 24 Palm Sunday and Holy Week
Dear brothers and sisters, beloved by God, we are about to enter into what is often called Holy Week. To the casual observer, Jesus went to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover festival. As He arrived in the city, He was met by cheering crowds. They treated Jesus like royalty, praising Hm as a descendant of King David. They were aware of His miracles and authoritative teaching. So, they considered Him an agent of God sent to restore them. But what that restoration meant and how it would be achieved would not be what they expected. False accusations were made against Jesus. His own disciples would betray Him and deny Him. By Friday the crowds were calling for Jesus to be put to death. It is by that death that Jesus rescued you from the curse of sin. But there would be more. Jesus overcame death and rose from the grave on a Sunday, the first day of the week. By His death and resurrection Jesus has reconciled you to God and opened heaven to you. By Jesus’ death, you can have real life. I encourage you to schedule time this week to read the accounts in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John regarding Jesus’ suffering and death, and consider what difference Jesus makes for you and your life. We will offer several worship opportunities to contemplate Jesus’ Passion.
There is no midweek service this Wednesday the 27th.
On the 28th, the Maundy Thursday service with communion will begin at 6:30.
On the 29th we will conduct two Good Friday Observations, one beginning at 12 noon, the other a Tenebrae service begins at 6 :30.
Easter Sunday includes breakfast at 9; Bible study at 9:30; egg hunt at 10; Resurrection Celebration at 10:30.
Let me know if you have any questions about this schedule.
Sunday, March 24th is Palm Sunday. We will continue to follow a modified version of the liturgy of Divine Service One beginning on page 151 in the LSB hymnal. The order of service intends to express the change in attitude that took place among many people during the first Holy Week, from joy to sober contemplation as they wait in hope for the day of resurrection.
Hymns chosen for the day are #443 Hosanna, Loud Hosanna; #444 No Tramp of Soldiers Marching Feet; #631 Here, O My Lord, I See Thee Face to Face; #440, Jesus I Will Ponder Now.
Scripture readings for the day are Psalm 31:9-16; Zechariah 9:9-12; Philippians 2:5-11; Mark 11:1-10; and John 12:20-43.
Psalm 31 is indicated to be a psalm of David, intended for the choirmaster to use in worship. God has repeatedly demonstrated that He is faithful, defending David and His people. The psalm responds by expressing trust in God, and at the same time it asks Him for protection from both sin and human adversaries. It may have been written during the time David was being pursued by King Saul. The words of the psalm are also Messianic as they express the anguish of Jesus. As He was threatened by evil forces He would have called to God for protection. We will be chanting verses 9 to 16, which express the rejection Jesus faced leading to His crucifixion.
The Old Testament reading comes from the book of Zechariah. He was one of the last prophets recorded in the Old Testament. His name can be translated as ‘the LORD remembers’. Dates included in the prophecy indicate Zechariah received a series of apocalyptic visons and prophesied between 520-518 BC, among the years Jerusalem was being rebuilt following Judah’s return from exile in Babylon. In Chapter 9 God foretells a lasting peace ushered in by a king entering Jerusalem. Though it speaks of the future, the prophecy encourages people to rejoice, for when their King comes, their warfare is ended. The prophecy has fulfilment in the events of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem. He came to bring an end to spiritual warfare, and to bring peace between God and mankind, and ultimately between the nations. The image of a king riding a donkey indicates humility. He doesn’t conquer by force. He will win by sacrifice and service. But note, this image is also messianic. When the king comes riding on a donkey, everyone should recognize God is keeping His promise. His Anointed One has arrived.
The epistle lesson (2:5-11) is a portion of St. Paul’s letter to the congregation in Philippi, northern Greece. Paul refers to the example of Jesus. Though He was God, he humbled Himself to born as one of us, and to become a servant for you and for all the world. He served by giving Himself as a sacrifice, substituting for you, dying in your place, and paying the punishment you deserved for your sin. Jesus was even willing to undergo an embarrassing execution as a criminal, so that you would be set free from the slavery of sin.
On Palm Sunday we will read from two gospel writers. We will begin the service by reading St. Marks account of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, greeted by the cheers and praises of the crowds gathered for the Passover festival. They shout ‘Hosanna!’ a word originally meaning ‘save us’ which had become an expression of praise. We will also read from St. John’s account. Soon after Jesus entered into Jerusalem, He begins to talk to the crowds about His impending betrayal and death. He urges the people to ‘trust in the light’ and to become ‘sons of the light’ before ‘darkness’ overtakes them. This is still an urgent warning in our day. The devil still wants to destroy your soul. Jesus was lifted up, put to death, and raised from the dead that you would be a child of God.
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.
Lenten Response: Return to the Lord, your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and abounding in steadfast love.
Let me know if you have any questions about Holy Week events or the Scripture readings for this Sunday. God bless you, Pastor Boster
- March 17
Brothers and sisters, greetings in the name of our savior Jesus.
As a reminder, the Houston Lutheran Chorale will be performing this Sunday the 17th at Immanuel Lutheran Church (306 E 15th Street in the Heights) beginning at 4 pm. You are invited. Note: the parking lot of Immanuel is entered from Arlington Street.
Wednesday March 20th will be our last midweek service of the season. We intend to hold Good Friday services on the 29th at 12 noon, and 6:30 pm.
Sunday, March 17th is the fifth Sunday in Lent. We will continue to follow a modified version of the liturgy of Divine Service One beginning on page 151 in the LSB hymnal.
Hymns chosen for the day are #435 Come to Calvary’s Holy Mountain; #422 On My Heart Imprint Your Image; #857 Lord Help Us Walk Your Servant Way; #620 Jesus Comes Today With Healing; #529 Since Our Great High Priest, Christ Jesus.
Scripture readings assigned to the day are Psalm 119:9-16; Jeremiah 31:31-34; Hebrews 5:1-10; and Mark 10:35-45.
Psalm 119 is an acrostic psalm, the verses in each section beginning with a subsequent letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Verses 9 to 16 begin with ‘beth’, similar to our letter ‘b’. ‘Beth’ is also the Hebrew word for house. Psalm 119 is also a teaching psalm, in various ways praising the benefit of God’s ‘torah’. Often translated as ‘law’, the word includes instruction regarding God’s commands as well as His promises. Students in the ancient past would have memorized Psalm 119 as instruction regarding moral behavior and godly thought. In verses 9 to 16, the psalmist states his intent to study and keep God’s statutes and precepts. God’s instruction is a good thing. As sinners we are inclined to be disobedient and resent God’s instruction. We don’t like being told what to we can or cannot do. But as redeemed children of God, we find relief and comfort in God’s word which sets a hedge around us, keeping us from temptation. God’s Word is always good and wise. We pray that the Holy Spirit would enlighten us as we study and apply His word.
The Old Testament lesson is from Jeremiah 31. Jeremiah was a prophet with the unpopular task of telling the people of Judah to repent because God was bringing judgment against them. False teachers and false prophets were constantly undermining his message, and making his life miserable with ridicule and accusation. In the verses read Sunday, God speaks through the prophet promising two events. The first is a new covenant. It will not be like the old covenant of law, demands of obedience, and sacrifice as payment for sin. The ‘new’ covenant is actually a fulfillment of the first, as Jesus, perfectly obedient, fulfilling the demands and punishments of the law, becomes our substitute and is the final sacrifice that covers all our sin. It is not a covenant demanding works, but faith in Jesus. This “new” covenant is fulfilled in the death and resurrection of Jesus. Verse 34 prophesies an end to instruction in the Law. This will take place on the Last Day when Jesus appears again. We won’t have to teach the word that points to Jesus, for every eye will behold Him. And our sin will be remembered no more.
The epistle lesson is from Hebrews 5. God is the author of all Scripture but there is debate as to who humanly wrote the Book of Hebrews. The author would have been familiar with Jewish history and traditions as connections between God and His people. The author uses this history and those traditions to show how Jesus is far superior to them, actually fulfilling them. Jesus is the one who gives us sinners full access to God. In the reading from Chapter 5, Jesus is shown to be superior to the High Priest. High Priests were descendants of Levi and were responsible for offering sacrifices of animals to atone for sin, including their own. Jesus is superior to all the High Priests of history, for he is sinless. Jesus is in the order of Melchizedek, a mysterious man who lived n the days of Abraham (see Genesis 14). Melchizedek (whose name translated means righteous king or king of righteousness) has an unknown beginning and an unknown end. He was not a descendant of Aaron or Levi, yet he was both a priest and a king of Salem (Jerusalem). Melchizedek blessed Abraham and received tithes from Abraham. Jesus as appointed by God to make the ultimate sacrifice, offering Himself on the altar of the cross, atoning for your sin and the sin of the world. Jesus was given once, and for all. God has forgiven your sin. Believe His promise. Obey Him by receiving the gifts He gives. There is no longer a necessity for sacrifice.
In the gospel reading from St. Mark’s account, Chapter 10, two disciples, James and John, ask Jesus to grant that they would sit next to Him in His glory. It is unclear what they meant by their request. They obviously loved Jesus and wanted to remain near to Him. But there is also a sense of greed and arrogance in their request. They seemed to be asking for better seats, to be first, or have greater recognition. Maybe they wanted to be in charge of the others, and have authority over them. That is at least how their fellow disciples interpreted the request. They were indignant that James and John should ask such a thing. Jesus turns the situation into a teaching moment. He reminds them all that being close to Him is not always going to be pleasant. It is likely to involve hardship and even death. Whoever wants to be considered great must have the heart of a servant, putting others before self. Jesus our Savior is the perfect example of such servanthood. He left heaven, endured the temptations and troubles of the world so that He could serve us by dying on our place, even if it included the humiliation of being executed as a criminal. Jesus gave His life as a ransom, paying with His blood, that you would be released from the control of the devil and the curse of death. With praise and thanksgiving we serve the Lord by serving our neighbor.
COLLECT: Almighty, Gracious God, by Your great goodness mercifully look upon Your people that we may be governed and preserved evermore in body and soul; 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.
Lenten Response: Return to the Lord, your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and abounding in steadfast love.
Please let me know if you have any prayer requests or questions about the readings. God bless you. Pastor Boster