This Past Sunday at St. Thomas—Third-Last Sunday of the Church Year
Believers of St. Thomas Evangelical Lutheran Church,
This past Sunday was...
+ The Third-Last Sunday +
Join us this Sunday for the Divine Service at 9:00am and Family Catechesis at 10:30am
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: Job 14:1-6; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Matthew 24:15-28
Our Hymn of the Day for this past Sunday: Farewell, I Gladly Bid Thee, LSB 407
Faith Comes By Hearing the Word of Christ
“The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed” (Luke 17:20). You must use your ears and not your eyes. For God’s kingdom in this world is one of faith, and faith comes by hearing the Word of Christ. The people of Israel, however, wanted to walk not by faith but by sight. When Moses delayed in coming down the mountain, they decided to make a visible god for themselves, the golden calf (Ex. 32:1). Upon such faithless and false worshipers God’s judgment comes. Only on the Last Day will our faith be turned to sight. “For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man” (Matt. 24:27). The Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, and He will gather His people to Himself, both the living and the dead. In a world in which our days are few and full of trouble (Job 14:1), let us comfort one another with these words of the resurrection and the coming of our Lord Jesus.
Prayer for the Third-Last Sunday of the Church Year
Lord Jesus Christ, You preach to Your beloved disciples of the abomination of desolation, which loomed before the destruction of the Jewish people. We are reminded thereby of the dreadful and burdensome times in which we, who are poor and miserable, are now enmeshed. Heartily we beseech You, as You have at all times taken up Your elect under Your fatherly care, seized and removed many of them from misfortune, wonderfully accompanied them, and heard their sighs and prayers, so also have mercy upon us and all Your believers today, who find comfort in the shedding of Your rose-colored blood. Snatch them up and bring them to rest from the approaching and now impending temporal and eternal misfortune. Strengthen their faith, that in distress they may not despair in You and Your help, but rather that they may always call upon, honor, extol, and praise You; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one true God, now and forever. Amen.
—Esaias Heidenreich, Betbüchlein (translation from Treasures from the Lutheran Church)
STEWARDSHIP THOUGHTS | From LCMS Stewardship Ministry
1 Thessalonians 4:13 – “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.” Christians are different from unbelievers. Our trust in Christ changes us. Our hope in Christ means that we don’t grieve in the same way that unbelievers grieve — we know what comes after death. We don’t treat our time or money in the same way as unbelievers either. We start each week with a sacrifice of our time as we come to the Lord’s house to hear His Word and receive His Sacraments. And we also set aside a generous, first-fruits proportion of our income for the support of the Lord’s work in His church. Our faith changes us and our actions ... we don’t do anything as others do who have no hope.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
FIRST COMMUNION CLASS for preparation to receive the Rite of First Communion Prior to Confirmation will begin in January. If you’d like your child(ren) to participate, please see Pastor Lacey. Children will be expected to recite the Primary Texts that we recite before Catechesis each week as a “precursor” to the class.
THANK YOU to Laura Molitor for substituting for Lynea today! Laura is a member of Memorial Lutheran Church, Houston.
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 NIGHTthis week is for the junior youth (ages ~8-12). We will be meeting at the Lacey home on Thursday at 6:00 PM for supper, Bible study, and fellowship.7334 Winter Song Dr, Magnolia, 77354. 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.
