This Past Sunday at St. Thomas—Feast of All Saints
Believers of St. Thomas Evangelical Lutheran Church,
This past Sunday was...
+ The Feast of All Saints +
Join us this Sunday for the Divine Service at 9:00am and Family Catechesis at 10:30am
If you couldn’t be with us this past Sunday, click here for a recording of Divine Service from another congregation of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
RESOURCES FOR HOUSEHOLD PRAYERS THIS WEEK
Our Around the Word Devotions and Family Catechesis Sheet are always available during Family Catechesis. Digital copies of these as well as more notes from Family Catechesis can be found by clicking here!
The Readings for this past Sunday: Revelation 7:2-17; 1 John 3:1-3; Matthew 5:1-12
Our Hymn of the Day for this past Sunday: A Pilgrim and a Stranger, WH 409
Saints Are Blessed in the Eternal Presence of Christ
“A great multitude … from all tribes and peoples and languages” cry out, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne” (Rev. 7:9–17). Faith-filled saints from every place and time with unified voices eternally magnify the Lamb of God. As His beloved children, we, too, “shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:1–3). Joined with the throng of angels and myriad saints, we shall “serve him day and night in his temple” (Rev. 7:9–17). In our earthly tension vacillating between saint and sinner, faith and doubt, sacred and profane, we earnestly seek Jesus to calm our fears, comfort our spirits and forgive our sins. The Holy Spirit, through faith in Christ, propels us forward, fortifying us in Word and Sacrament, to our eternal home. In the midst of our constant struggle as believers, we need to be blessed. And so we are. The poor in spirit, the meek, the hungry, the thirsty, the merciful, the pure and the persecuted are all blessed, and we will most certainly inherit the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 5:1–12).
Prayer for the Feast of All Saints
Lord Jesus, the poverty of our souls, hearts, and spirits is great. Our suffering and tribulation in this vale of tears is manifold. Make us, however, rich by grace, that we may seek heavenly goods from You, our Redeemer, with living faith, and grant us Your Holy Spirit, who may comfort, quicken, and bless us through the power of Your Word in the midst of all suffering and misery. Grant that, with meekness, we may endure in true patience our little crosses which You have laid upon us here to bear; that, in as much as we have the opportunity, we may live peaceably and in unity with all; and that we may rightly partake of and make use of the precious daily bread and whatever else You have bestowed upon us for the preservation of this life in Your fear and blessing, unto Your praise and honor and the service and benefit of our neighbor. Amen.
—Esaias Heidenreich, Betbüchlein (translation from Treasures from the Lutheran Church)
STEWARDSHIP THOUGHTS | From LCMS Stewardship Ministry
“With angels, archangels, and with all the company of heaven ...” When we gather around the altar of the Lord in His house, we pray and praise God “with all the company of heaven.” Those we have lost in the Lord are not truly lost to us — they have simply entered their rest with the Lord. As we gather to worship our Lord, we gather along with them. On the Last Day, everything that God has given into the care of our stewardship will fade away — everything except our brothers and sisters in Christ. Caring for one another in love and grace is our highest calling.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
PICTORIAL DIRECTORY Our very first pictorial directory is now available on the table at the back of the chapel! Thank you to everyone for submitting pictures and information so we can all put names with faces and get to know our St. Thomas family a little better!
NOVEMBER CALENDAR A fridge-worthy monthly calendar is available on the table at the back of the chapel – pick one up to keep up with this month’s events!
BREAKFAST FOR SALE The senior youth will be selling either breakfast tacos or kolaches each week in the narthex for $2 each to help raise funds for their annual Higher Things trip. Thank you for your continued support!
YOUTH NIGHT this week is for the senior youth (ages 13-college). We will be meeting at the Winoske home on Thursday at 6:00 PM for supper, Bible study, and fellowship. 19202 Charisma Rose Ln, Tomball, TX 77377. See Lynea Sander or Pastor Lacey with any questions!
EVENTS
SATURDAYS IN THE PARK All ages are welcome to join us for Saturdays in the Park on the fourth Saturday of every month! This month we will meet on the THIRD Saturday, November 15 at 10:00 AM at Unity Park in Magnolia – 19450 Unity Park Drive, Magnolia, TX 77355.
Blessings,
Pastor Lacey
For more about who we are and what we believe, visit the St. Thomas homepage.
