This Past Sunday at St. Thomas: Eleventh Sunday after Trinity
Believers of St. Thomas Evangelical Lutheran Church,
This past Sunday was...
+ The Eleventh Sunday after Trinity +
The Sunday About Trusting in God’s Mercy Rather Than Ourselves
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: Genesis 4:1-15; 1 Corinthians 15:1-10; Luke 18:9-14
Our Hymn of the Day for this past Sunday: From Depths of Woe I Cry To Thee, LSB 607
The Lord Lifts Up the Lowly
“And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, but for Cain and his offering he had no regard” (Gen. 4:1–15). For unlike Abel, Cain’s offering did not proceed from a heart that revered and trusted in the Lord. Thus, the lowly tax collector who prayed, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” was the one who went down to his house justified before God, not the respectable, outwardly righteous Pharisee who trusted in himself and his own good living (Luke 18:9–14). “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Eph. 2:1–10). The one who penitently despairs of his own righteousness and relies completely on the atoning mercy of God in Christ is the one who is declared righteous. For Christ died for our sins and rose again the third day (1 Cor. 15:1–10). Therefore, “everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Prayer for the Eleventh Sunday after Trinity
Mighty God, Lord and Creator of heaven and earth, with grieved and hard-pressed hearts we come into these last times with the poor tax collector and stand afar off, recognizing that we stand far away from Your grace because of our sins. We also do not consider ourselves worthy to lift up our eyes toward heaven. But we beat our breast, that is, we lament the poison and inborn injury of our corrupt heart, and we say, “God, be gracious to us sinful men and women, for the sake of Jesus Christ, Your dearest and only Son, who lives and reigns with You, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, true God, forever and eternally.” Amen.
—Esaias Heidenreich, Betbüchlein (translation from Treasures from the Lutheran Church)
STEWARDSHIP THOUGHTS | From LCMS Stewardship Ministry
Luke 18:14 – “I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted." Our works never impress God; they are always lacking in some way and fall short of perfection. So there is no point in taking pride in them. But a broken and contrite heart the Lord will not despise—and the works that flow from a broken and contrite heart are indeed pleasing to the Lord in and through Christ. These works will be used by the Lord for His purposes and to His glory!
ANNOUNCEMENTS
KRESSTON INFORMATIONAL PRESENTATION A poll has gone out by email to schedule an informational presentation from the Kresston development, with a proposed date in October. This presentation is not about purchasing property in the near term. Its purpose is to hear about new developments in our area so we can begin a larger conversation about possible boundaries and opportunities for St. Thomas as Montgomery County grows. Please check your email for details and indicate your availability.
SEPTEMBER 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!
PICTORIAL DIRECTORY We are in the process of putting together our first pictorial directory! As a part of this process, please check the booklet in the back of the chapel to verify your contact information and either approve the use of the existing photo we have, or request/provide a new one. Lynea will be taking pictures on Sunday mornings for the next several weeks, so please see her before or after the service for a new photo! If your contact info needs to be updated or provided, please add it to the booklet. If your information isn’t in the booklet, please contact the church office to be added. The deadline for new photos/updated information is Sunday, September 7!
FALL FRESH START Check out the back of the propers insert for a full announcement about the kick-off of our schedule for the academic year!
CHOIR REHEARSALS RESUME in September for ages high school through adult! We will rehearse each Sunday following Family Catechesis for about half an hour, and once a month on the second Saturday we will have an intensive rehearsal at Lynea’s house for about an hour and a half in the morning. We will be singing during the service once or twice per month depending on the season. If you’d like to join the Choir, please contact Lynea!
EVENTS
TEXAS CONFESSIONAL LUTHERANS FREE CONFERENCE TCL will be holding its annual free conference at Grace Lutheran in Brenham on September 5-6. The presenter is Rev. Dr. Harold Ristau, professor at Luther Classical College in Wyoming, author, and retired military chaplain. He will present on the benefits of Lutheran classical education on Friday, and the Pastor as Seelsorger on Saturday. The conference is free to attend, and the BBQ lunch on Saturday is $17/plate. Fliers with more information are available on the table at the back of the chapel.
LUTHER CLASSICAL COLLEGE PRESENTATION Dr. Harold Ristau, one of the faculty at Luther Classical College (LCC) in Casper, Wyoming will be at Memorial Lutheran Church for a wine and cheese reception on Sept. 6th from 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm. Rev. Dr. Ristau will speak and answer questions about the ways LCC could benefit students in their college studies and retain a Lutheran Christian faith. RSVP to Ruth Hanson at rhanson@mlchouston.org.
Blessings,
Pastor Lacey
For more about who we are and what we believe, visit the St. Thomas homepage.
