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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- June 1 service and other news
Brothers and sisters, greetings in the name of Jesus our ascended and living Lord. Though He is out of sight, Jesus continues to use His power and authority to lead and protect His Church. It is important to listen to His Word that proclaims forgiveness of sin, enlightens us for daily living, and prepares us for heaven. Gather with us Sunday to hear His Word and receive His gifts. School is out for the summer, but our schedule of Bible study at 9 and worship at 10:30 remains the same.
Sunday June 1 is the 7th Sunday of the Easter season. We will be following the liturgy of Divine Service Setting One beginning on page 151 of the Lutheran Service Book (LSB). Hymns chosen for the day are #792 New Songs of Celebration Render; #829 Christ the Eternal Lord; #623 Lord Jesus Christ, We Humbly Pray; and #564 Christ Sits at God’s Right Hand.
Scripture lessons assigned to the day are Psalm 94:3-15, 18-19, and 22; Acts 1:12-26; Revelation 22:1-6, 12-20; and John 17:20-26.
To a world where evil and secular power seems to have control, Psalm 94 declares that God still reigns. He sees all that goes on and will bring judgment and retribution against those who disregard Him and harm others. You may suffer affliction as part of His discipline and training, but God will not abandon you. Though we may fall into sin, and our cares sometimes overwhelm us, God assures those who trust in Him that He remains our help, our refuge, and our consolation. Speak to God about the things that trouble you. He will hear, and He will help.
Judas Iscariot, the disciple who betrayed Jesus, ended his life in grief and guilt. After Jesus’ ascension, the remaining 11 apostles gathered with other disciples to find a replacement for Judas, and one who could join them in continuing Jesus’ ministry. The reading from the book of Acts describes the process they took. They reviewed several men’s qualifications, then prayerfully sought God’s will in the matter. The apostles’ prayerful deliberations are an example for all congregations as they choose pastors and conduct their business. We are all encouraged to humble ourselves and submit our lives to God’s gracious authority.
In the second reading from Revelation 22, St. John continues to recount a vision he’d received of the new heaven. The image of a tree-lined river indicates unending life and fruitfulness. God the Father and Jesus the Lamb are centrally located. Their constant presence removes all darkness and all things that might afflict us. The passage ends with an invitation extended from Jesus and His Church to everyone that they should join Him by repenting of their sins and turning to Him. His gift of forgiveness is free to all who will receive it. There is assurance given that Jesus is coming. Those who deny Him will be shut out from heaven. But those who trust Jesus will receive eternal life. So the faithful pray with anticipation, ‘Amen, Come Lord Jesus!’
The gospel lesson is part of a prayer Jesus prayed after eating the Passover meal with His disciples, and before He was arrested and crucified. Knowing the opposition and persecution His apostles would face, He prayed for them. In the verses we will be reading, Jesus turns His attention to praying for the future Church, those who come to faith through the witness of the apostles. That is, Jesus was praying for you and all who belong to His Church. Specifically, He prays that the Church would be unified, and that the Church would remain in Him, and that we would demonstrate His love. The many Christian denominations and congregations in our country are evidence that we too should pray for what Jesus calls a perfect or complete unity. Denominational differences are significant for they confuse our witness to the world as to who Jesus is and what He is doing. Unity is not achieved by agreeing to disagree, or by merely meeting in the same room as others. Love is not a matter of compromising truth. We are to speak the truth in love. Unity and love worked in us by the Holy Spirit as we study and discuss the truths the Bible reveals about Jesus. He is the Head. His commitment, humility, and sacrifice demonstrate love. He is our only Savior from sin, death, and the devil. We are His body. A body works best when all parts are healthy and working together. Such things are impossible without God’s help. Be assured that Jesus is still praying for you, and the Holy Spirit is still working in you.
COLLECT: O Jesus Christ, King of glory, Lord of hosts, uplifted in triumph far above all kingdoms, do not leave us without consolation but continue to send us the Spirit of truth whom You promised from the Father, for You live and reign with Him 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 25 service and other news
Brothers and sisters, Greetings, and peace to you in the name of our living Savior, Jesus Christ. Just as Jesus rose from the grave on the first day of the week, Sundays are still a great time to gather and celebrate Jesus’ victory over death. Because He lives, you and all who believe in Jesus will also live forever.
Forty days after His resurrection, Jesus ascended into the clouds returning to full divine authority over all things. His Human nature’s entry into heaven has opened the way for all of us to enter. An Ascension Day celebration is planned for Thursday May 29 at 6:30 pm.
May 25th is the sixth Sunday of Easter. Our focus on Sunday mornings remains on Jesus’ victory over death, but the Scripture readings we read have increasing numbers of references to the Holy Spirit, preparing us for Pentecost which we will celebrate in two weeks. On the 25th we will follow the liturgy of Divine Service One beginning on page 151 of the LSB hymnal. Hymns chosen for the day are #478 The Day of Resurrection; #772 In Holy Conversation; #622 Lord Jesus Christ You Have Prepared; #488 He is Arisen! Glorious Word.
Scripture readings assigned to the day are Psalm 67:1-7; Acts 16:9-15; Revelation 21:9-14, 21-27; and John 16:23-33.
The introduction to Psalm 67 includes the instruction that it is to be sung accompanied by stringed instruments. The psalm is marked by the instruction ‘selah’ at verses 1 and 4, which is thought to infer a musical interlude and time to contemplate the impact of the words just sung. The psalmist begins with a prayer for the group, asking God to show favor to His people. The psalm ends with a statement of assurance that God will bless the people and provide a harvest. In the middle of the psalm, people are encouraged to praise God and rejoice over His perfect justice and guidance. It is a prayer we should consider more often. God proved salvation to us through His Son Jesus. The good news of forgiveness and eternal life which Jesus earned for us continues to turn the hearts of people and brings them into the Church.
In the reading from Acts Chapter 16, St. Paul is on his second missionary journey through Asia Minor (modern day Turkey) when he receives a vision of a man urgently asking him to take a detour to preach the gospel in Macedonia (northern Greece). Paul travels to Philippi, a Roman garrison. The passage we read Sunday reports on Paul’s travels and the conversion of some of the believers who heard his message. Baptism and the preaching of the gospel is still the way of making disciples.
The second reading from Revelation Chapter 21 is part of the vision seen by St. John, giving a description of conditions in heaven. It is described as a beautiful city, like Jerusalem, glorious, full of light, with nothing to fear. But we should take note, there is also an urgency to repent, to turn to the cleansing power granted through Jesus. He is the Lamb who takes away the sin of the world. His blood cleanses sinners. He gives the only access to heaven. Nothing unclean will enter in.
Events in the 16th Chapter of John take place the night of Jesus’ Passover meal with His disciples, before His arrest by the Jewish authorities. Jesus prays for them. He gives an explanation in preparation of the events that were about to take place, including His death and resurrection. Jesus would be leaving them ( not visible to them) to go to His Father. The disciples themselves would soon be scattered by oppression. There will be tribulation. Much of Jesus’ teaching had been done using parables and allegories, often leaving the disciples confused. Jesus speaks to them in plain terms about the benefit of prayer to God the Father. Then Jesus encourages them to take heart for He has overcome the world. Evil and cannot stop Jesus. All these instructions are intended to encourage all believers. Jesus grants us the peace we need.
COLLECT: Gracious God, the giver of all that is good, by Your holy inspiration grant that we may think those things that are right, and by Your merciful guiding accomplish them; 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 schedules or about Sunay’s Scripture readings. God bless you. Pastor Boster
- 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